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Parliament security breach: Interrogation reveals calculated moves by the accused revealed that a series of elusive answers surfaced during their preliminary interrogation, which makes it seem that they had prepared their answers during grilling from beforehand.

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) After the four persons arrested from the Parliament on Wednesday following a massive security breach were sent to seven-day police custody on Thursday, insiders close to the investigation

Sources revealed that the accused meticulously prepared for the interrogation, suggesting a calculated approach to deflect the authorities.

During intense police grilling, all the four accused persons -Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan D.,

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday held that Article 370 is a temporary

Pronouncing the verdict on a batch of pleas challenging abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud said that Article 370 was introduced to

What seemed like a brazen act is now unfolding as a carefullyorchestrated ploy.

Details emerging from the interrogation room point towards a clandestine meeting organised by the absconding fifth accused, Lalit Jha, in Gurugram Continued on Page 3

serve two purposes.

First, it served the transitional purpose providing for an interim arrangement until the Constituent Assembly of the State was formed and could take a decision on the legislative competence of the Union on Continued on Page 3

In a turn-around, India votes for UNGA resolution for Gaza ceasefire complicating factors, the terrorist attack on October 7 on Israel, the humanitarian crisis and the deaths of civilians and said, "Our challenge in this extraordinarily difficult time is to strike the right balance."

United Nations, Dec 13 (IANS) Faced with the "challenge" to "strike the right balance", India has joined the General Assembly's call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, reversing its earlier position of abstaining.

After the resolution was adopted on Tuesday with 153 votes, India's Permanent Representative to UN, Ruchira Kamboj, outlined the

"We, therefore, welcome the fact that the international community has been able to find a common ground to address the multiple challenges facing the region right now," she added.

The resolution presented by Egypt and Mauritania with scores of co-sponsors received only 10 votes against and there were 23 abstentions.

It also demanded the release of all hostages and called on all parties

"Yes, we have Jha in our custody.

We will share more details after we question him," an officer said.

Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde -- collectively shouldered responsibility for the security breach that rattled the sanctity of the Lok Sabha.

Article 370 is a temporary provision: SC provision considering the historical context in which it was included.

LS security breach ‘mastermind’ Lalit Jha surrenders before Delhi Police

to comply with their international obligations, especially for protecting civilians and to ensure humanitarian access for relief to Gaza.

Jha surrendered before the Kartavya Path police station in New Delhi district.

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) The alleged mastermind behind the Parliament security breach case, Lalit Jha, surrendered before the Delhi Police on Thursday night, officials privy to the probe told IANS over phone.

The UN has warned of a breakdown in the humanitarian Continued on Page 3

Earlier on Thursday, the four main accused arrested in connection with the case -- Sagar Continued on Page 3

Mixed reaction to SC verdict on Article 370 Dogra ruler of the state Maharaja Hari Singh, said, “I welcome the Supreme Court decision”.

Srinagar, Dec 11 (IANS) The historic verdict by the Supreme Court on Article 370 and reorganisation of J&K on Monday evoked a mixed reaction among the politicians here.

Senior Congress leader and former ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’ Dr. Karan Singh, who is the son of the last

Former chief minister and vice president of National Conference, Omar Abdullah reacted differently to the apex court verdict, “Disappointed but not disheartened. The struggle will continue. It took the BJP decades to reach here. We are also prepared for the long haul. #WeShallOvercome #Article370,” Omar said on his X-post.

Continued on Page 3

Indian-origin professor in Australia honoured with top microbiology award terrestrial life and preservation of global ecosystem.

The resolution is only symbolic because, unlike the Security Council, it does not have enforcement powers.

In the continuing Israel counterattack on Gaza in pursuit of Hamas, more than 18,000 Palestinians, over 8,600 of them children and 4,500 women, have died leading to support for Israel ebbing.

"He has been handed over to the Special Cell for further investigation," a source said.

Brajesh Singh, a global expert in the field of microbial functional ecology from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment in Western Sydney University, was presented the award at the British Medical Association (BMA) House in London last month.

Melbourne, Dec 8 (IANS) An Indian-origin professor from Australia has been awarded the 2023 Dorothy Jones Prize for using microbiology to make a significant contribution to understanding of

Singh's fundamental research provides solutions to global challenges, including environmental degradation and Continued on Page 3

INDIA NEWS

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EDITORIAL BOARD Amrita Deshpande, Community News Editor Paras Sharma, Assistant Editor Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, India Mr Shaun Star, Director, Centre for Australia India Studies, Jindal Global University, India

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Article 370 is a temporary provision: SC Continued from Page 1

conditions in the state.

Second, a temporary purpose making an interim arrangement in view of the special circumstances because of the war

CJI Chandrachud said, “We have held that a textual reading of Article 370 also indicates that it is a temporary provision."For this purpose, we have referred to the placement of the provision in Part XXI of the Constitution which deals with temporary

matters other than the ones stipulated in the Instrument of Accession, and ratify the Constitution.

and transitional provisions, the marginal note of the provision which states 'temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir', and a reading of Articles 370 and 1 by which the State became an integral part of India upon the adoption of the Constitution.”

In a turn-around, India votes for UNGA resolution for Gaza ceasefire Continued from Page 1

down on Tuesday.

as a whole.

system in Gaza where a majority of its 2.2 million residents have been displaced from their homes and face hunger and disease.

The US, Israel and Austria were among the 10 countries voting for the resolution, while Britain and Germany were among the abstainers.

UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis set the stage for the vote on the resolution saying, "Right now, what we are seeing is an onslaught on civilians, the breakdown of humanitarian systems, and profound disrespect for both international law and international humanitarian law."

Illustrating the change in attitudes towards Israel, the earlier resolution on October 27 received 121 votes and it has risen to 153 for the latest resolution on Tuesday, while votes against came down from 14 to 10, and abstentions 44 to 23.

Biden on Tuesday acknowledged the situation saying in Washington that Israel is "starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place".

India, in a change from its policy of firm support for Palestine, had abstained on the October resolution because it did not condemn terrorism.

But on Tuesday it voted for the latest resolution even though it did not condemn terrorism or name Hamas.

India supported an amendment moved by Austria to name Hamas as the party holding hostages and another by the US to condemn "the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas," both of which were voted

"The situation that this August body has been deliberating upon, has many dimensions," Kamboj said, laying out the dilemma over the situation.

She said, "There is the terrorist attack in Israel on October 7 and the concern for the hostages taken at that time. There is an enormous humanitarian crisis and the large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially of women and children."

"There is the issue of observing international humanitarian law in all circumstances. And there is the endeavour to find a peaceful and lasting two states solution to the long-standing Palestine question," she added.

India, which has been facing pressures internally and internationally to take a stand for a ceasefire because of the spiralling humanitarian crisis, took a finely balanced approach this time voting for the two amendments and the resolution

"Clearly, what we are witnessing is the unprecedented collapse of an already-crumbling humanitarian system, in real time," he said.

US Permanent Representative to UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that Washington supports "a resumption of humanitarian pauses which could happen immediately if Hamas only agreed to release women, wounded, and civilian hostages".

The US differentiates between a ceasefire, which could be for an indefinite duration, and a humanitarian pause which is limited in time and purpose.

Thomas-Greenfield said the US supported elements of the resolution, but could not vote for it because it failed to unequivocally condemn the "murdering babies and gunning down parents in front of their children".

Parliament security breach: Interrogation reveals calculated moves by the accused Continued from Page 1

on Tuesday, a day before the incident.

"Lalit personally took away the mobile phones of the four accused just before executing their plan before making a hasty getaway," said the sources.

As investigators dig deep into this high-stakes security breach, the unfolding narrative reveals a web of calculated moves and strategic planning, leaving the authorities perplexed.

“Carrying a pamphlet that declared Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a 'missing person' and that the person who finds him will be paid by money from the Swiss Bank points at meticulous planning. The police are also looking at the possible involvement of other persons,” said the sources.

While Manoranjan is from Mysuru, Sagar is a resident of Lucknow, Neelam is from

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Haryana's Jind, while Amol hails from Maharashtra's Latur.

The case registered against them and Jha, a native of Bihar, at the Parliament Street police station invokes Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespassing), 153 (provocation with intent to cause a riot), 186 (obstructing public servants in the discharge of public functions), and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servants from duty) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. A sixth person, Vikram a.k.a.

Vicky Sharma, and his wife Rakhi, have been detained from Gurugram for allegedly providing logistics to the five accused persons.

Jha had filmed the protest by Amol and Neelam outside the Parliament and had reportedly shared it with a person named Nilakkha Aich, who is linked to an NGO (Samovadi Subash) in West

Bengal.

As per sources, a team from the Special Cell is expected to go to West Bengal to question Aich, a second-year under-graduate student at a reputed college in the state.

Jha, a teacher by profession, is suspected to be either in Rajasthan or Haryana and efforts are on to track him at the earlies. multiple teams are on the lookout for him, who is also a teacher by profession. All the five accused involved in the security breach were connected through the 'Bhagat Singh Fan Club' page on Facebook, sources privy to the probe told IANS, adding that the investigators suspect that they were being directed by someone both before and during the act.

As per initial probe, Manoranjan and Sharma had visitors' passes for 45 minutes but they stayed in the visitors' gallery for close to two hours.

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COVER STORIES

Mixed reaction to SC verdict on Article 370 Continued from Page 1

Mehbooba Mufti, president of Peoples Democratic Party and former chief minister said, “The people of J&K are not going to lose hope or give up. Our fight for honour and dignity will continue regardless. This isn’t the end of the road for us.”

Local BJP leaders have welcomed the decision saying that it vindicates the party’s stand of J&K’s total integration with the rest of the country.

Syed Altaf Bukhari told IANS, “I accept the honourable Supreme Court decision with a heavy heart. I am sure that our next generation of youth would not be now deceived by false and hollow assurances given to them by some politicians which left hundreds killed here.

“I am at the same time reassured that my decision to float a political party and meet the Prime

Minister to get his assurances on jobs and land only for the locals is an achievement.

“I appeal to the Prime Minister to give some legal and constitutional shape to the assurances made that jobs and land would be available in J&K only to the locals.

“It could be given a constitutional shape by way of Article 371 or any other constitutional provision.

Now that the suspense and uncertainty is over, I hope statehood would be restored very soon and Assembly elections held without any further delay.”

Sajad Gani Lone, president of People’s Conference said on his X-post, “The Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 is disappointing. Justice yet again eludes the people of J and K. Article 370 may have been legally obliterated but will always remain a part of our political aspirations.

Indian-origin professor in Australia honoured with top microbiology award Continued from Page 1

food insecurity.

This has been done by identifying the quantitative relationships between soil diversity and ecosystem functions and exploring how these are impacted by natural and anthropogenic pressures.

Findings from his research, identifying the causal link between soil microbial and faunal soil biodiversity and key ecosystem functions and services, have advanced crucial areas of ecosystem science, according to a Western Sydney University release.

The research findings have also informed multiple policy decisions at regional, national, and global levels, including providing key recommendations for bilateral engagements in agribusiness and trade between

Australia and both India and the European Union.

He has developed innovations to boost the efficacy of existing microbial products and provided new tools for manipulating soil and plant microbiomes for an array of industries across Australia and the world, the release said.

Singh is currently working with multiple government and intergovernmental bodies, including the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), to train farmers, consultants, and policy advisors in sustainable agriculture, and in the Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition, he works with the UN FAO’s Global Soil Partnership to boost the resilience of farming systems and ensure environmentally sustainable food security measures globally.

LS security breach ‘mastermind’ Lalit Jha surrenders before Delhi Police Continued from Page 1

Sharma, Manoranjan D., Neelam Azad and Amol Shinde -- were sent to seven-day police custody by a Delhi court.

While Manoranjan is from Mysuru, Sagar is a resident of Lucknow, Neelam is from Haryana's Jind, while Amol hails from Maharashtra's Latur.

The case registered against them and Jha, a native of Bihar, at the Parliament Street police station invokes Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespassing), 153 (provocation with intent to cause a riot), 186 (obstructing public servants in the discharge of public functions), and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public

servants from duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

According to sources, the five main accused had reportedly spent the night before the incident at the residence of a person named Vikram alias Vicky Sharma in Sector 7, Gurugram.

They had left the house at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Vikram and his wife Rakhi, who were detained in connection with the case, were let go on Thursday evening after hours of questioning. As per a source, Jha took away the mobile phones of the four other accused just before executing their plan and made a hasty getaway.

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Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

ADVERTORIAL

Abbot Point Operations hits record throughput ahead of 40th celebrations

Abbot Point Operations General Manager Port Operations Allan Brown with guests at the event.

Abbot Point Operations General Manager Port Operations Allan Brown with guests at the event.

Queensland Export Terminal, which is located within the Port of Abbot Point, about 20 minutes north of Bowen.

Mr Brown said APO prioritised safety and the protection of the local environment, while creating jobs and supporting the local community.

Townsville, December 5: Bowen business and community leaders have gathered to mark record annual throughput at the North Queensland Export Terminal as the facility prepares to celebrate 40 years of safe operations next year.

Terminal operator Abbot Point Operations (APO) hosted an event at the Grand View Hotel recently to celebrate the highest volume of product shipped in any year since the Terminal opened in 1984.

APO General Manager Port Operations Allan Brown said he was enormously proud of the world-class performance of the 400 local men and women who manage operations at the Terminal.

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“Last financial year we broke the record for trains unloaded and coal shipped through the Terminal in a 12-month period, with more than 33.4 million tonnes exported,” he said.

“We did that with a strong safety performance and no reportable environmental incidents, which is testament to our people, their experience, and their dedication to stewardship of the site.

“It’s also important to recognise these achievements are part of a larger team effort andwould not have been possible without the support of our suppliers, North Queensland Bulk Ports and the Terminal leaseholders, NQXT.” APO is contracted to NQXT to manage operations of the North

APO spends almost half its contract spend on local and regional service providers and provided more than $300,000 to charities and local organisations through its Community Support Program.

“It is important that we share the Terminal’s successes with the local Bowen community,where our employees and their families live,” Mr Brown said.

“Each year, we consult with the Bowen community to understand their needs and challenges.

We then work with community organisations and provide funding through our Community Support Program for the areas and projects that will help change lives and make the local

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community a healthier, more supportive, andvibrant place to live.”

Mr Brown said the achievements were just the beginning for the port.

“We plan to be here for many years to come shipping coal, creating local jobs, keeping our people safe and giving back to our local community,” he said.

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

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

• APO has the systems, people, and infrastructure in place to ensure the safe, efficient

and responsible operations of NQXT. With 190 local employees and a supporting workforce of contractors, APO balances the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the terminal operations.

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

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

• About $2 million has been awarded under the program since 2017, focusing on education, health, community wellbeing and youth opportunities. Each year, APO consults with community stakeholders to determine issues, challenges, and priorities for support.

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Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

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Leveraging 2032: Ipswich’s roadmap to the Olympics

Members of the Ipswich 2032 Legacy Working Group Russell Luhrs, Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding, James Sturges and Peter G Tully (front) at the Leveraging 2032 launch on 8 December 2023 at the Brighton Homes Arena

Improved transport links, boosting grassroots sports and investment attraction are on the Ipswich community’s wish list as real legacies from the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said today.

Working Group, said Ipswich was now well positioned to secure 2032 legacies to enhance the quality of life for our community.

Releasing Ipswich City Council’s Leveraging 2032: Our Roadmap to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Mayor Harding said the roadmap aimed to bring top class sport and entertainment venues and facilities, mass public transport, hotels and tourists to the city.

“Sport is a powerful driver. It brings us together, improves health and well-being, and builds positive and productive communities. However, the 2032 Games is far more than just a sporting event.

The roadmap was launched at Brighton Homes Arena, Ipswich’s 2032 Games venue scheduled to host modern pentathlon.

Mayor Harding, Chair of the 12-member Ipswich 2032 Legacy

“The roadmap highlights opportunities that we know will deliver outcomes for this community,” Mayor Harding said.

to achieve this and many other legacy opportunities in lead up to, during, and beyond the 2032 Games. The next decade will represent a golden era for the south-east, and Ipswich is well placed to take full advantage of the opportunities before us.”

Twenty legacy outcomes have been articulated through engagement with the community, Legacy Working Group and Advocacy Steering Group with a broader alignment to council’s strategic priorities. They are:

9. Healthy and Engaged City

said.

10. Ipswich Showgrounds and the Ipswich Convention and Exhibition Centre

“This roadmap outlines our priorities to maximise the Games’ opportunity for greater investment in the City of Ipswich.

11. An Environmental Legacy for Ipswich 12. A Sustainable Legacy for Ipswich 13. Boosting Business and Regional Growth Opportunities 14. New Hotels and Accommodation 15. A Local Volunteer Passport 16. Position Ipswich as the Place to Be Before, During and After the Games

“Our community has highlighted transport connectivity as the most important legacy outcome for our city, ensuring we are connected to each other and our neighbouring councils in a safe, efficient and reliable way.

1. Ipswich to Springfield Central Public Transport Corridor – Mass Transit

18. Support and Showcase Multicultural Communities

“Our roadmap sets a foundation

3. Ipswich – Games Workforce and Supply Chain Connectivity 4. North Ipswich Sport and Entertainment Precinct

19. Destination Led Events 20. The Cultural Olympiad

5. Regional Parkland and IndoorOutdoor Sporting Complex

Ipswich City Council Economic Development Committee Chairperson Cr Kate Kunzelmann, said the Games was expected to deliver $8 billion in economic benefits for Queensland.

2. Ipswich Public Transport Connectivity – Local Connections

6. Springfield Central Sport and Entertainment Precinct

Springfield City Group is the master developer of Greater Springfield and has been instrumental to the master planned community’s outstanding success. Our vision for Greater Springfield is driven by innovation. We are also conscious of making a lasting and positive contribution to both Greater Springfield and the broader Southeast Queensland community.

Philanthropy and promoting social and environmental sustainability are integral to the way we do business. At Greater Springfield, this commitment is delivered through partnerships with highly respected corporations, the Federal Government, State Government and Ipswich City Council.

Springfield City Group has, for 30 years, partnered with the best. We will continue to seek out partnerships to progress this new city in areas of education, health care services, and other employment generating industries.

We are open to imagining what is possible. We seek to identify and open up new opportunities. We look to solve challenges innovatively, scientifically, and ethically. We actively seek to learn from the best and to set new benchmarks in all we do.

Our story In 1992, Maha Sinnathamby AM and Bob Sharpless acquired almost 3000 hectares of land on the doorstep of Brisbane with a clear vision: to create a master-planned city from scratch.

It would be the first city in Australia since the national capital was constructed.

The dream was so big it needed an Act of Parliament.

In 1997, Queensland’s Parliament voted unanimously for legislation to make Springfield into the state’s newest city.

Seven prime ministers and six premiers have played a role in the city’s growth. www.indianews.com.au

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding and Holyee-Ann Jackson at the Leveraging 2032 launch on 8 December 2023 at the Brighton Homes Arena.

7. Pre-Games Training Opportunities (Venues and Team Attraction) 8. University of Southern Queensland Sporting Precinct and Tartan Track

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17. Enhance and Leverage our Unique Selling Points and Tourism Assets

“That is even before you start to consider the social and cultural opportunities,” Cr Kunzelmann

“The success of the Games acquisition is the perfect example of what can be achieved when all three levels of government work together. The Federal Government’s commitment of $7 billion to the delivery of the Games is the catalyst to elevate lifestyles and ambitions through improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.

“The redevelopment of existing sporting venues and creation of new sporting venues will be both accelerated and amplified due to the success of securing the Games.

“The Games will be the largest event that has ever been held in Queensland. It is the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition, bringing hope for a better future.

“Our young athletes of today, may be our Olympic and Paralympic heroes in 2032, competing on the global stage, from a place called Ipswich.”

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Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

NEWS FROM INDIA

Constitutionally valid: Shah, Nadda GKPD welcomes SC welcome SC verdict on Article 370 judgement on Article 370

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP Chief J.P. Nadda on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court’s judgment on Article 370 as “historic” and said it constitutionally upholds the decision taken by Parliament.

In a post on X, Shah said, “I welcome the Supreme Court of India's verdict upholding the decision to abolish Article 370.

On August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji took a visionary decision to abrogate Article 370.”

“Since then peace and normalcy have returned to J&K. Growth and development have brought new meaning to human life in the valley once torn by violence.

Prosperity in the tourism and agriculture sectors has raised the income levels of the residents of both Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Today, the Supreme Court’s verdict has proved that the decision to abrogate Article 370 was completely constitutional,” the Home Minister added.

BJP national president Nadda welcomed the SC verdict, and said, “Bharatiya Janata Party welcomes the decision given by the Supreme Court regarding Article 370. The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has upheld the decision given to remove Section 370 and 35A, its process and objective.

“The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has done the historic work of including Jammu and Kashmir with the main ideology of the country, for this I and crores of our workers express our heartfelt

a long-standing demand of the Kashmiri Pandit (KP) community -- must start and the intergenerational trauma of KPs needs urgent redressal.

gratitude to the Prime Minister,” Nadda added.

Congress leader and former Union Minister Manish Tewari said, "While the judgement’s would have to be read in entirety.

"What seems evident at first blush is that the question whether Reorganization a State by suspending the 2nd Proviso to Article 3 is valid or invalid has been left open and has not adjudicated upon.

He said, “The procedure adopted by issuing CO 272 to amend Article 370 is ultra vires of the Constitution of India. Where does that leave Article 370? Is it operational in its original form or not? The carving out of the UT of Ladakh is valid. The statehood of Jammu and Kashmir must be restored at the earliest and elections must be held before September 30th 2024.".

BJP plays social engineering card by bringing Brahmin CM, Rajput and Dalit Deputy CMs

New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) Global Kashmir Pandit Diaspora (GKPD) on Tuesday welcomed the SC’s decision which declared the reading down of Article 370 as constitutionally valid and permanent.

“We would like to offer our profound gratitude to the SC. We are also grateful to our countrymen who have supported us in this journey. The SC’s judgement fills us with optimism that our collective voices are being heard,” the GKPD in a statement said.

The GKPD said that December 11 marks a “red letter day” for the Kashmiri Pandit community.

It said that Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul who in a separate ruling has recommended the setting up of a truth and reconciliation commission -- which has been

GKPD said that MP Vivek Tankha also spoke eloquently on behalf of the KPs in the Rajya Sabha when the Jammu and Kashmir reorganisation/amendment bill was being debated.

“He not only corrected the figures related to the number of displaced people but also requested that all descendants of the KPs should be given the opportunity to avail the seat reservations in the Legislative assembly as is the case for PoJK displaced people,” it said.

The GKPD also thanked Tankha for talking about our trauma and genocide of KPs. It said that Tankha has also filed a case history of how the Central government will always consult the KP community on strategic matters but now had ignored them for the last thirty three years.

India will launch AI mission to Union Minister Rajnath Singh also face has been made the Chief boost healthcare: PM Modi had a one-on-one meeting with Minister of Rajasthan. Before this, Vasundhara Raje and spoke to BJP National President JP Nadda on phone.

Jaipur, Dec 12 (IANS) Bhajan Lal Sharma, the Chief Ministerdesignate of Rajasthan after being elected as the leader of the Legislative Party said that he will work with all BJP leaders for all-round development of the state. Sharma said, “We will develop the state with everyone's cooperation.”

The BJP high command had made Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Vinod Tawde and Saroj Pandey as observers for Rajasthan and the three leaders reached Jaipur this afternoon and held a meeting with the MLAs.

According to sources, Rajnath Singh convinced Raje to propose the name of the new Chief Minister even before the meeting.

After announcing Sharma’s name, BJP leaders reached Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form the government in Rajasthan.

The BJP has played the social engineering card in Rajasthan by choosing a Brahmin Chief Minister and selecting a Rajput, Diya Kumari and a Dalit, Prem Chand Bairwa as his two Deputies. The party has also given a big message to the general category people by doing this.

It is after 33 years that a Brahmin

Hari Dev Joshi from the Congress was the CM of Rajasthan thrice.

Hari Dev Joshi was CM from 1973 to 1977, then from 1985 to 1988 and from 1989 to 1990.

The BJP has also tried to woo the Rajputs by bringing in Diya Kumari who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur as Deputy CM. She contested from Jaipur’s Vidhyadhar Nagar constituency and won by a record margin of over 75,000 votes.

Further, Prem Chand Bairwa from Dudu has been made the Deputy CM, too, to woo the Dalit segment.

Party officials said that the party carders worked hard to balance the social engineering equations in the state and are looking forward to the Lok Sabha polls.

Bhajan Lal Sharma to take oath as Raj CM on his birthday Jaipur, Dec 15 (IANS) Bhajan Lal Sharma, a first-time MLA, will be sworn in as the Rajasthan Chief Minister on Friday, which is also his birthday.

He will take oath along with two Deputy Chief Ministers -- Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa.

Governor Kalraj Mishra will administer the oath of office and secrecy to all three at around 12.15 p.m.

The rest of the ministers will be appointed after getting a green signal from the party's central leadership.

his birthday at the guest house of Chambal Power House, his temporary base.

Nominated Deputy CM Premchand Bairwa visited Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple before the oath-taking ceremony.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held outside Albert Hall (Ram Niwas Bagh) grand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief J.P. Nadda will participate in the ceremony.

Along with this, 16 Union Ministers and 17 CMs and Deputy CMs will also participate in the ceremony.

December 15 is also the birthday of Sharma. His family celebrated

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He said AI has the potential to revolutionise India's tech landscape and AI skills will be taken to tier two and tier three cities in the country.

New Delhi. Dec 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India will launch an AI mission to boost the healthcare, agriculture and education sectors.

Addressing the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit here, PM Modi said that India is working to transform the health sector using AI. He highlighted the key role that the path-breaking technology can play in sustainable development.

“We will launch an AI mission to get AI compute power which will help startups and innovators.

With this mission, agriculture, healthcare and education sectors will be promoted.

"Our National AI Portal will play a crucial role in supporting and promoting these AI initiatives," he added.

PM Modi said that government’s development mantra is, Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.

“We have prepared government policies and programs inspired by the spirit of 'AI For All'.

Our endeavour is to take full advantage of the capabilities of AI for social development and inclusive growth. India is fully committed to responsible and ethical use of AI," Modi said.

He said that a more inclusive development of AI will help to spread the benefit to a wider segment of the population and do away with the earlier inequities in technology.

"India is now the main player in AI talent and new ideas related to AI. The young tech experts and researchers in India are exploring the new limits of AI," he said.

However, at the same time the Prime Minister had a word of warning of the potential danger posed by the misuse of AI. “AI can become the biggest tool of development in the 21st century, but it can also destroy the 21st century. If terrorists manage to misuse AI, there could be a huge blow to global security,” PM Modi said.

GPAI is a multi-stakeholder initiative with 29-member countries, which aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities.

India is hosting the Annual GPAI Summit from December 12 to 14 and is the lead chair of GPAI in 2024. India is also the current incoming Support Chair of GPAI. Multiple sessions on diverse topics like AI and global health, education and skilling, AI and data governance, and ML Workshop, among others will be organised during the summit.

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INDIA NEWS

Gujarat gears up for Vibrant Gujarat 2024 platform for national and global speakers, industrialists, and other stakeholders to discuss and deliberate on the role of Gujarat's jewelry and gemstone sector in the "Developed India @ 2047" initiative.

Gandhinagar, Dec 10 (IANS) The 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024, scheduled for the first half of 2024, will kick off with a pre-event event on December 12, at the Surat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI).

This event will focus on the jewelry and gemstones sector, carrying the theme "Jewelry, Gemstones, and Gujarat: Renaissance for Radiant India".

This seminar will serve as a

The event will have Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of Home and Police Housing, Industries, and Cultural Activities, Chintan Thakar, Chairman of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Gujarat (ASSOCHAM Gujarat). The "Developed India@2047" seminar will consist of three technical sessions.

The first session, "Building Brilliance: Gujarat's Vision for 2047 and Beyond," will feature panel discussions, including Nirupa Bhatt, Managing Director (Former) of the Gemological Institute of America, India, among

others.

The second session, "Reimagining G&J: A Vision for Gujarat's TechPowered Transformation," will focus on the role of technology in the jewellery and gemstone sector's continued growth and development.

Praveen Nahar, Director of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, will be leading this panel discussion. Lastly, under the theme "Lab Grown Diamonds: A Visionary Journey for Gujarat's Next," the third session will delve into the laboratory-grown diamond sector and its potential in Gujarat's future.

The discussion will include participation from key figures such as Smit Patel, Partner at Greenlab Diamonds, and Snehal Patel, CEO of ALTR Created Diamonds and J'EVAR.

SBI hikes interest rate on loans cost of lending rate (MCLR) of the country’s leading bank now ranges between 8 per cent and 8.85 per cent.

The new rates have come into effect from December 15.

The overnight MCLR rate is set at 8 per cent, while the rates for one month and three-month tenures have been increased from 8.15 per cent to 8.20 per cent.

Mumbai, Dec 15 (IANS) The State Bank of India (SBI) has hiked its base rate of lending from 10.10 per cent to 10.25 per cent which is

likely to lead to an increase in the EMIs of home, auto and personal loans.

The increase in the marginal

Since SBI is the bellwether for the banking sector, it is expected that other banks may also follow suit and hike interest rates.

NEWS FROM INDIA

UP BJP MLA convicted for rape of minor girl came after the court heard eight prosecution and three defence witnesses.

Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 13 (IANS) A special court in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra district has held BJP MLA Ramdular Gond guilty of raping a 15-year-old girl in 2014, a crime for which punishment under the POCSO Act usually ranges between a seven-year jail term and life imprisonment.

The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on December 15.

Gond, a first-time MLA who won the Duddhi seat in 2022, had been out on bail. He was taken into custody and sent to jail soon after his conviction by additional district judge (first) Ehsan Ullah Khan of the MP-MLA court.

Gond stands to automatically lose his Assembly membership in accordance with the Supreme Court's 2013 ruling that any MP or MLA convicted of a crime and handed a minimum two-year jail term ceases to be an elected representative with immediate effect.

Advocate Vikas Shakya, the survivor's counsel, said the MLA was held guilty under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, besides the POCSO Act. The verdict

The survivor's brother said he was hoping the court would pronounce a jail term of not less than 20 years against Gond, whom he accused of harassing his family repeatedly after becoming an MLA and pressurising them to withdraw the case.

The MLA had waylaid the survivor and tried to sexually assault her in a village field on the evening of November 4, 2014, a member of the prosecution said.

Gond's wife was the village pradhan at the time of the crime.

The survivor returned home and narrated her ordeal to her elder brother, a farmer. She said the politician raped her multiple times in the preceding months by using threats and intimidation.

Myorpur police registered a case against Gond based on a complaint by the girl's brother.

During the trial, the prosecution claimed that the girl was born in 1998, while the MLA produced documents claiming she was born in 1994, Special Public Prosecutor Satyaprakash Tripathi said.

"By the time her statement was recorded during the trial, the girl was married. She lives with her family now," the prosecution said.

After he was elected MLA, the case was transferred from the POCSO court to the MP-MLA court.

Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya for Kaal Chakra Puja Bhim Army chief slams Mayawati Patna, Dec 15 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama arrived in Bodh Gaya on Friday to participate in the Kaal Chakra Puja.

for practising nepotism

The Dalai Lama's special aircraft landed at Gaya international airport at around 9 a.m. in the morning.

From the airport, he travelled to Bodh Gaya under heavy security cover.

He will stay at the Tibet temple in Bodh Gaya for a month and will participate in many programmes besides the Kaal Chakra Puja.

He will also attend a teaching session for three days on December 29, 30 and 31 and participate in an event organized by Bodh Gaya cultural centre on December 20.

During the one month of Kaal Chakra Puja and other events, Buddhists from across the world are expected to arrive in Bodh Gaya.

Keeping in view of the events, Gaya police have deployed heavy security forces at the Mahabodhi temple, Kaal Chakra ground and the entire Bodh Gaya region.

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Lucknow, Dec 13 (IANS) Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar, who is seen as a potential contender to don the mantle of a Dalit leader, has slammed Mayawati’s decision to name Akash Anand as her political heir.

Reminding the BSP chief of her earlier statement of keeping relatives, brothers and sisters away from politics, Chandra Shekhar , in a series of posts on X, said, “Bhim Rao Ambedkar had said, “Earlier, the king was born from the queen’s womb, but now I have made arrangements that the king will no longer be born from the queen’s womb, but from the ballot box.” Chandra Shekhar stated, “Speaking in a public meeting, Mayawati had said that when Kashi Ram laid the foundation of this party on April 14 1984, he had decided to keep family and relatives away from politics to do something in politics selflessly. I will also keep

my family away from politics and now she has forgotten her own commitment to the people.”

Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national coordinator Akash Anand has called upon party workers and supporters to gear up to fight for social justice.

Party chief Mayawati had named him her political successor at a national level meeting held at the state unit office on Sunday. “Party chief Mayawati has entrusted upon me the responsibility of carrying forward the ideology of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, for the development of Dalits - the exploited and deprived society in the country…I will undertake the responsibility with full devotion and honesty,” Anand said in a post on social media platform X. “The Bahujan Samaj Party is a mission, and we have to take it to every corner of the country. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all workers and supporters. The support of all young friends is very important in this journey. I want to join you, want to walk with you, because this fight for social justice is very long,” he added.

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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Mine closure solutions major Indian-origin Dave Sharma economic opportunity for Australia officially sworn in as NSW senator vacant by former Foreign Minister Marise Payne.

"An honour to escort our newest Senator, Dave Sharma, for his swearing-in today.

Congratulations Senator Sharma," Senator Kovacic wrote on X. Canberra, Dec 4 (IANS) Indianorigin former MP Dave Sharma was officially sworn in on Monday as a senator for New South Wales (NSW) in the Australian Parliament.

Sharma, 47, defeated former state treasurer Andrew Constance last month to become the first person of Indian-origin from the opposition Liberal party to win the NSW senate position.

The former Australian Ambassador to Israel received applause after swearing his affirmation of allegiance, and was congratulated by his colleagues, The Canberra Times reported.

He was flanked by his NSW moderate faction colleagues, Andrew Bragg and Maria Kovacic, as he took oath for a seat left

Sussan Ley, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, said Sharma is a "welcome addition" to the federal Liberal team.

"He has strong experience in Parliament and in senior diplomatic postings. Dave’s keen foreign policy intellect will be particularly welcome given we are in the most dangerous set of geopolitical circumstances since WWII," Ley wrote on X. The development comes as the Liberals look to claw back support and win predominantly Laborheld seats.

In a statement earlier, Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had said that Sharma's entry to the Senate as part of the Liberal Party comes at a crucial time given events abroad and at home, "His diplomatic and foreign policy

expertise and experience will lend considerable weight and wisdom to the public policy debate given the precarious circumstances in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific," Dutton had said, congratulating Sharma on securing the seat.

Dutton further said that Dave will continue to fight for everyday Australian workers, families and small businesses which are being forgotten and left behind by the ruling Labor government.

As a career diplomat prior to entering parliament, Dave was also posted to Washington D.C. and Port Moresby, served as a peacekeeper with the Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville, and headed the international division within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

He studied at the University of Cambridge, where he graduated with first-class honours in Law. He also has a Master of Arts from Cambridge and a Master of Arts (International Relations) from Deakin University.

CA issues apology after scoreboard displays racist term during Pak vs PM XI warm-ul match against Australia scorecard. As the term "P*I" is used to disparage those who are South Asian in origin. Danny Saeed, an Australian journalist, quickly brought attention to the same, and the scoring was quickly modified.

Canberra, Dec 7 (IANS) The Cricket Australia (CA) issued an apology on Wednesday after a racist term was displayed on the scoreboard during Day 1 of Pakistan's four-day warm-up Test versus Prime Minister's XI at the Manuka Oval.

One ticker that caught people's attention on opening day read "P*I" rather than PAK on the

CA quickly took the matter seriously and resolved the issue with a statement, "The graphic was an automatic feed from a data provider which had not been used previously for a Pakistan game.

This was obviously regrettable, and the error we corrected manually as soon as it came to light."

Pakistan, captained by Shan Masood, chose to bat first in the

PM XI. Masood started his time as Test captain brightly with a superb 201 from 298 balls, although Jordan Buckingham was the best bowler for the PM's XI with 5 for 81. Pakistan declared at 391 for 9, with the other contributors being Babar Azam (40), Sarfaraz Ahmed (41), and Abdullah Shafique (38). As of the time this story was published, the PM's XI was well-positioned at 100-1 on Day Two.

mine closures, identifying opportunities in waste reduction and recovery, mine rehabilitation, land use transitions and engagement and partnerships.

Canberra, Dec 4 (IANS) Australia has an opportunity to become a world-leader in sustainable mine closures amid the global green energy transition, according to a report released on Monday.

In the report, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) identified mine closure solutions as a major economic opportunity for Australia, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the report, Australia's annual expenditure on mine closures and rehabilitation activities, including the remediation and re-vegetation of contaminated land, will exceed A$4 billion, with approximately 240 mines around the country set for closure by 2040.

The report mapped how Australia can capitalize on the closures by creating a new billiondollar industry to support

Canberra, Dec 8 (IANS) Amid sweltering weather, a catastrophic fire danger warning has been issued for South Australia (SA).

Temperatures were forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius across most of SA on Friday, with strong winds and dry lightning exacerbating the fire risk, Xinhua news agency reported.

The SA branch of the Country Fire Service (CFS), a volunteer service that has responsibility for firefighting in the state's regional areas, on Friday warned the southern Australian state was

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The weather forecast has prompted the CFS to declare catastrophic fire danger ratings for five of the state's 15 districts and extreme fire danger ratings for five more, including the state capital of Adelaide and its surrounding suburbs.

Under a catastrophic fire warning, people are urged to leave bushfire risk areas, with any fires that do start and take hold likely to result in lost lives and property.

A total fire ban has been declared for every region under catastrophic and extreme ratings.

SA's CFS Chief Officer Brett Loughlin told reporters on Thursday that any fires that did start would be "incredibly

The report said that addressing challenges in post-closure land uses could deliver longterm economic, social and environmental benefits for surrounding communities, and enabling the recycling of mine waste would minimise closure liabilities.

"Looking ahead, we believe Australia can harness its domestic mine challenge to emerge as a global leader in cuttingedge mine closure solutions," said Guy Boggs, CEO of the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies.

Reserve Bank of Australia keeps cash rate unchanged

Pakistan's three-match series opener against Australia under Pat Cummins will take place at Perth Stadium, Perth, on December 14, following the conclusion of the four-day warmup Test.

Dec 5 (IANS) The Bushfire danger warning for South Australia Canberra, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) facing its most significant fire weather days in years.

"With thousands of active and inactive mines in Australia, the demand for mine closure solutions will only increase as we seek to ensure positive closures and to transition regions to successful post-mining futures," Dominic Banfield, lead author of the CSIRO report, said in a media release.

difficult" to control, warning that strong winds would likely ground firefighting aircraft.

"The dry lightning creates a real risk of fire starting anywhere these thunderstorms occur, unfortunately the forecast is a broad area of dry lightning and thunderstorm activity," he said.

"It is crucial that people do not rely on firefighters and aviation assets to save them."

He said Friday's forecast conditions were similar to those that ignited the 2015 Pinery bushfire, which killed two people and destroyed more than 470 buildings over seven days between November and December northeast of Adelaide.

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on Tuesday decided to keep the cash rate target on hold at 4.35 per cent, after raising the rate by 25 basis points last month.

Following a monetary policy meeting, RBA Governor Michele Bullock said in a statement that holding the cash rate steady at this meeting would allow time to assess the impact of the increases in interest rates on demand, inflation and the labour market, reports Xinhua news agency.

The limited information received on the domestic economy since the November meeting had been broadly in line with expectations, she said.

The monthly consumer price index (CPI) indicator for October suggested that inflation is continuing to moderate, driven by the goods sector, Bullock said,

adding that the inflation update did not provide much more information on services inflation.

The country's monthly CPI eased to 4.9 per cent in the year to October, as against the annual increase of 5.6 per cent seen in September, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Wages growth is not expected to increase much further and remains consistent with the inflation target, Bullock said.

She insisted that returning inflation to target within a reasonable timeframe remained the RBA Board's priority.

Last month, the central bank increased interest rates by 25 basis points in a decision that reflected the Board's view that progress in bringing inflation back to the target range of 2-3 per cent was looking slower than earlier forecast.

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Driver charged following car crash that left 5 Australian-Indians dead appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Melbourne, Dec 11 (IANS) Police in Australia on Monday charged an elderly driver following a car crash last month in Victoria state that left five Indian-origin people dead and several others injured.

The 66-year-old man ploughed his SUV into the beer garden of Royal Daylesford Hotel striking 10 people from three families who had gathered on November 5 to celebrate their weekend.

Victoria Police's Major Collision Investigation Unit (MCIU) charged the driver with five counts of culpable driving causing death, two counts of negligently causing serious injury and seven counts of reckless conduct endangering life.

The man, identified as William Swale from Mount Macedon

by The Age newspaper,

Swale was driving along Albert Street in Daylesford on the day of the incident when he missed a right-hand bend, mounted the kerb, and struck about ten patrons sitting outside the Royal Daylesford Hotel.

Vivek Bhatia (38), his son Vihan (11) from Tarneit, and Pratibha Sharma (44), her daughter, Anvi (nine), and partner Jatin Chugh (30) from Point Cook, died in the crash.

Sharma’s nine-year-old daughter, Anvi, was taken to hospital, where she succumbed to injuries.

Five other people, including Bhatia's wife, Ruchi (36), younger son Abeer (six) and an 11-monthold child were taken to hospital for treatment of injuries.

The Victoria Police said so far the 11-month-old baby, a 43-year-old Kyneton woman, and a 38-yearold man from Cockatoo have been

The document forecasts that the final federal budget deficit for the current 2023-24 financial year will be A$1.1 billion ($721.4 million) - down from the A$13.9 billion forecast in May.

Canberra, Dec 13 (IANS) Surging personal and company tax income has driven a major improvement in Australia's budget position, the government revealed on Wednesday.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Finance Katy Gallagher released the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), which is delivered annually in December to update Australians on the state of the

Between 2023-24 and 2026-27, budget deficits are now projected to total A$74.5 billion - an improvement of a cumulative A$39.5 billion relative to May's projections.

"The Australian economy has shown resilience in the face of elevated inflation, higher interest rates and the volatile international environment, and is well positioned to grow more than all major advanced economies over the forecast period," MYEFO documents said.

jeopardising infrastructure projects worth A$230 billion over the next five years, Australia's green energy transition, and a government plan to build 1.2 million new homes, Xinhua news agency reported.

Police earlier said that Swale, an 'insulin-dependent diabetic', was admitted to medical care following the collision and was interrogated by the police on November 7.

"He is deeply distressed and feels great empathy with the families and friends of the victims and the Daylesford community,” Amad had said in a statement earlier.

While addressing a news conference after the incident, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the victims were all visitors to the area, and described the incident as "an absolute tragedy".

Higher tax earnings slash Australian budget deficit government's fiscal performance, reports Xinhua news agency.

Workforce shortage jeopardising Australian infrastructure projects: Report

discharged.

Investigators said he did not have alcohol in his system and was released after being interrogated.

Martin Amad, Swale's lawyer, said his client was a family man with no criminal history, and had returned a negative blood alcohol reading after the collision.

It attributed the improved budget forecasts to a cumulative A$50.4 billion increase in personal and company tax receipts through 2026-27.

Despite the stronger budget position, Chalmers ruled out any further government cost-of-living support for Australians until he hands down the budget for 202425 in May. Instead, he told reporters that the government's decision to bank 92 per cent of upward revisions to revenue since May will help pay down debt and relieve inflationary pressure.

Australia's net debt is now expected to hit 21 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in mid-2027 - down from the 24 per cent forecast in May.

Tropical cyclone Jasper makes landfall in Australia

Canberra, Dec 12 (IANS) Major Australian infrastructure projects are under threat from massive workforce shortages, a government report warned on Tuesday.

Infrastructure Australia on Tuesday published its annual market capacity report, revealing a shortfall of 229,000 public infrastructure workers.

According to the report, the shortfall - as well as a shortage of construction materials - is

Canberra, Dec 13 (IANS) Tropical Cyclone Jasper with category 2 strength hit northeast Australia on Wednesday, leaving thousands of homes without power, the nationa Bureau of Meteorology and local media said.

"Tropical cyclone Jasper, category 2, is producing damaging to destructive wind gusts on the

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Far North Queensland coast as it slowly makes landfall," the Bureau said in its latest tropical cyclone advisory.

Sustained winds near the center were 95 km per hour with wind gusts to 130 km per hour, Xinhua news agency quoted the advisory as saying.

About 15,000 homes and

Tropical cyclone Jasper is expected to weaken as it moves inland Wednesday night, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

"Locally intensive rainfall which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is forecast to develop from tonight along the coast and adjacent ranges between Cape Tribulation to Cairns as well as areas near the center of Tropical Cyclone Jasper," the Bureau added.

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"With so much construction activity underway, the industry is finding it increasingly difficult to source key building materials and workers - particularly engineers, skilled trades and laborers," Adam Copp, chief executive of Infrastructure Australia, said in a statement.

"A clear message in this year's report is that limited access to local steel and cement, as well as localized shortages of quarry products is contributing to price uncertainty in the supply chain, leading to delays and cost overruns."

It marks the third consecutive year that Infrastructure Australia has reported significant workforce shortages.

Australia facing growing risk of electricity generation shortfall Canberra, Dec 15 (IANS) Australia is facing a growing risk of a shortfall in its electricity generation capacity amid the green energy transition, the market operator warned on Friday.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) released a draft roadmap for the energy transition, warning that earlier than planned closures of coal-fired power plants are jeopardizing the reliability of the electricity grid, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Integrated System Plan (ISP) calls for urgent investment to support new sources of affordable energy and double the roll-out of new transmission lines by 2030.

According to the report, 10 major

coal-fired plants have closed since 2012 and the remaining fleet could close three times faster than previously flagged by their operating companies, leaving a "real and growing" risk that replacement generation is not available in time. Under the most likely scenario, AEMO forecasts that 90 per cent of Australia's current 21 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired generation capacity will be retired by 2034-35 and all by 2038. To replace outgoing coal generation and meet growing demands for electricity, the report said that the generation capacity of solar and wind farms will need to be tripled from approximately 19GW currently to 57GW by 2030 and expanded seven-fold to 126GW by 2050.

Mental health conditions among main causes of disease burden in Australia

businesses remained without power, according to the CourierMail newspaper published in Brisbane.

Large parts of Port Douglas lost power as the core of Cyclone Jasper began to cross the coast, the newspaper said.

NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Canberra, Dec 14 (IANS) Mental health conditions have become the second-largest cause of illness and premature death in Australia, government data revealed on Thursday.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) published its annual Australian Burden of Disease Study for 2023, estimating the number of years of healthy life Australians lost to living with poor health and dying prematurely, reports Xinhua news agency.

It found that mental health

conditions, including substance abuse disorders, accounted for 15 per cent of all disease burdens in 2023, making them the second biggest group of disease-causing illness and premature death behind only cancer at 17 per cent.

According to the report, Australians lost 5.6 million years of healthy life in 2023, 54 per cent of which was lost to living with disease and 46 per cent to dying prematurely.

Since 2003, the rate of total disease burden has declined by 11 per cent, driven by a 27 per cent decrease in the number of healthy years lost to premature death.

However, non-fatal disease burden has increased by 6.3 per cent in the same period.

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WORLD NEWS

IMF completes Sri Lanka’s first review, Over half of New Zealand allowing for disbursement of $337 mn women report intimate partner violence: Study target being met at end-June, Xinhua news agency quoted the IMF as saying in a statement late Tuesday.

Colombo, Dec 13 (IANS) The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed Sri Lanka's first review under the 48-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement, allowing the South Asian country to access about $337 million to support its economic policies and reforms.

Sri Lanka's performance under the program was satisfactory, with all but one performance criteria and all but one indicative

Most structural benchmarks due by the end of October 2023 were either met or implemented with delay, the statement said.

The IMF said Sri Lankan authorities have made commendable progress toward restoring debt sustainability, raising revenue, rebuilding reserve buffers, reducing inflation, and safeguarding financial stability.

A strong commitment to improving governance and protecting the poor and

vulnerable remains critical, the statement read.

Sustaining the reform momentum is of paramount importance in steering the country's economy toward a sustained recovery and fostering stable, inclusive economic growth, said the IMF. The completion of the first review allows for an immediate disbursement of about $337 million, bringing the total IMF financial support disbursed so far to about $670 million, said the IMF. In March this year, the IMF approved a 48-month extended arrangement under EFF of about $3 billion to support Sri Lanka's economic policies and reforms.

Israeli hostages drugged, sexually and psychologically abused in Gaza: Psychiatrist seen anything like this in her 20 years of treating trauma victims.

Tel Aviv, Dec 13 (IANS) A Tel Avivbased psychiatrist has claimed that Israelis who were taken as hostages following the October 7 Hamas assault were drugged to keep them docile in captivity and also subjected to sexual and psychological abuse.

Renana Eitan, Director at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical CenterIchilov, said that she had never

Eitan said the physical, sexual, mental, psychological abuse of the hostages who were released from captivity was terrible, adding that drastic measures have to be taken in a psychological frame work for the victims.

The Center has been treating 14 former hostages held by Hamas.

A large number of these victims were drugged, including with what doctors believe were benzodiazepines, a class of depressants with a sedative effect that includes drugs like valium.

In the hours after the Hamas launched its brutal attack on

October 7, the militant group captured some 240 Israelis as hostages.

During the now-collapsed humanitarian pause from November 24-30, 86 Israeli and 24 foreign national hostages were released.

London, Dec 13 (IANS) In a boost for Britain's Indian-origin Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, MPs in the House of Commons approved by 313 votes to 269 what is called a second reading of a House of Commons Bill, which aims to deport to Rwanda asylum seekers arriving in the UK, who in the British government's assessment are ineligible.

Sunak said: "The British people should decide who gets to come to this country -- not criminal gangs or foreign courts. That's what this Bill delivers."

Mark Francois, representing a significant number of Right-wing Conservative MPs, told the press that this group could not support the Bill in the third reading, expected to be introduced in the New Year.

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A seven hour debate occurred on a day when news broke of an asylum seeker housed on a barge off the southern English coast -- whose application was being processed -- being found dead on the vessel.

The Guardian reported he "is believed to have killed himself".

The Times headlined 'Migrant dies in "suicide" on Bibby Stockholm barge'.

The UK Home Secretary (Minister), James Cleverly, opened the debate by saying: "The actions that we are taking whilst novel, whilst very much pushing at the edge of the envelope, are within the framework of international law."

His former deputy – Immigration Minister – Robert Jenrick, who was entrusted with the task of piloting the Bill, but resigned last week on the grounds that the

Wellington, Dec 12 (IANS) High lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is present across all ethnic groups in New Zealand, according to a study published on Tuesday.

More than half of all women surveyed reported IPV, said the study by the University of Auckland, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

Substantial ethnic disparities exist in IPV rates, with almost two-thirds of Maori women and

It is estimated that about 137 people remain captive in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals, according to sources.

Before the pause, four civilian hostages had been released by Hamas, one Israeli soldier was rescued, and bodies of three hostages were retrieved.

wording did not go far enough to guarantee deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda, contradicted Cleverly.

The shadow Home secretary belonging to the opposition Labour party, Yvette Cooper, pointed out: "We have had a Home Secretary (Suella Braverman) sacked, an Immigration Minister ( Jenrick) resigning, and they've (the Conservative government) spent almost £300 million (Rs 30,000 crore) of taxpayers' money on Rwanda without sending a single person…"

Four weeks ago, the UK's Supreme Court struck down the law on the same subject as earlier enacted.

One of the reasons why it did so is because it decreed Rwanda was not a safe place to deport a person.

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IPV includes physical, sexual, and psychological intimate partner violence, controlling behaviors, and economic abuse, it said.

The study looked at rates based on ethnicity, finding that 55.8 per cent of all New Zealand women report any form of IPV. The authors call for wider prevention and intervention services that are culturally responsive and attuned to the needs of communities that bear the greatest burden.

Xinhua news agency quoted Stats NZ as saying.

Citizens of India, the Philippines, China, Fiji, and South Africa drove net migration gains in the October 2023 year.

Wellington,Dec 12 (IANS) New Zealand's 245,600 migrant arrivals and net migration gain of 128,900 in the October 2023 year are the highest on record for an annual period, the national statistics department Stats NZ said on Tuesday.

Migrant arrivals were up 165 percent and migrant departures were up 26 percent compared with the year ended October 2022,

The net migration loss of 44,500 New Zealand citizens in the October 2023 year is also a new annual record, narrowly exceeding the previous record of 44,400 in the February 2012 year, it said.

Of the 226,000 overseas visitor arrivals in October 2023, 43 per cent were from Australia, 9 per cent from the US, and 7 per cent from China, among other countries, statistics show.

Trump leads Biden in Michigan, Georgia states: Polls cent, with 10 per cent saying they

"It will not," he said, "stop people appealing as individuals against deportation orders."

He added: "The courts will be overwhelmed with claims, and detention facilities will fill up.

People will have to be released, and they will disappear."

The data was collected from more than 1,400 women who had ever been in a partnership.

New Zealand receives record annual net migration

On Tuesday, reportedly, two additional bodies were retrieved.

Boost for Rishi Sunak as he wins immigration debate in UK Parliament For the moment, they refrained from pulling the rug on Sunak on the basis that he had indicated to them that he was willing to accept amendments that would tighten the Bill.

over 60 per cent NZ European women having experienced any form of IPV in their lifetime, Xinhua news agency reported citing the study.

Washington, Dec 12 (IANS) Former US President Donald Trump is leading his successor Joe Biden in Michigan and Georgia with broad majorities in the two crucial battleground states holding negative views of the sitting President’s job performance, policy positions and sharpness, according to the latest polls. The CNN polls released on Monday revealed that in Georgia, a state Biden carried by a very narrow margin in 2020, registered voters say they prefer Trump (49 per cent) over Biden (44 per cent) for the presidency in a two-way hypothetical matchup.

In Michigan, which Biden won by a wider margin, Trump has 50 per cent support to Biden’s 40 per

wouldn’t support either candidate even after being asked which way they lean. In both Michigan and Georgia, the share of voters who say they wouldn’t support either candidate is at least as large as the margin between Biden and Trump. Overall, just 35 per cent in Michigan and 39 per cent in Georgia approve of Biden’s job performance, the surveys find, and majorities in both states say his policies have worsened economic conditions in the country (54 per cent in Georgia, 56 per cent in Michigan).

Most voters in both states say Biden, who’s 81, does not have the attributes they’re looking for in a president when it comes to his policy positions (57 per cent in Michigan, 56 per cent in Georgia), his ability to understand the problems of people like them (60 per cent in Michigan, 56 per cent in Georgia) or his sharpness and stamina (69 per cent in Michigan, 66 per cent in Georgia).

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INDIA NEWS

Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

WORLD NEWS

UNESCO recognises Garba as 3 Japanese ministers tender humanity’s cultural heritage resignations over funds scandal

Tokyo, Dec 14 (IANS) Three Japanese ministers tendered their resignations on Thursday amid an unfolding political funds scandal centring on the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), local media reported.

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Junji Suzuki and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ichiro Miyashita submitted letters of resignation Thursday morning, Xinhua news agency reported, citing public broadcaster NHK. Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno was expected to do the same later in the day at a press conference, the report said.

The LDP has recently been under heavy scrutiny amid accusations that its largest faction failed to declare hundreds of millions of yen in fundraising events revenue in political funding reports, possibly pooling secret funds.

Allegations have been levelled against several key Cabinet and LDP figures from the faction, namely Seiwaken, or the Seiwa policy study group previously led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

S.Korea, US, Japan hold 1st trilateral workinglevel talks on N.Korea’s cyber threats

Seoul, Dec 7 (IANS) South Korea, the US and Japan held their first trilateral working-level talks on Thursday on ways to boost cooperation against North Korea's growing cyber threats, in a follow-up to the summit among their leaders in August, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The talks in Tokyo were led by Lee

Jun-il, the Ministry's directorgeneral for North Korean nuclear affairs, US Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak and Ishizuki Hideo, Japan's ambassador in charge of cyber policy.

The dialogue was launched as part of a follow-up to an agreement reached among President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their Camp David summit to beef up tripartite cooperation in security and establish a working group tasked with combating North Korea's

cyber threats, Yonhap news agency reported.

During Thursday's meeting, the three sides discussed ways to counter North Korea's cryptocurrency theft, and other illegal cyber activities aimed at financing its nuclear and missile development programs.

They also agreed to boost cooperation with the international community and the private sector to block illegal North Korean workers in the IT sector, the Ministry said in a press statement.

Why Arab nations are being measured in their response to Israeli aggression Israel’s intent.

This clearly means that Israel is going beyond its usual Arab mediators in order to shape a post-war Gaza.

Kavya Dubey New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) The world may be feeling for Gaza in the wake of the war Israel announced against Hamas for attacking it on October 7, but the silence of the Arab nations over Israel’s relentless retaliation against Hamas is rather audible.

Although the recent Arab-OIC summit did not justify the Gaza war and demanded that aid be allowed to enter the war-torn region, they called for cessation of arms exports to Israel.

According to sources, Israel has expressed its intent to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of the Gaza border to prevent future attacks. Regional sources also reveal that Israel shared its plans with Egypt and Jordan, other than the UAE. It is further reported that Saudi Arabia, which halted a USmediated normalisation process after the Gaza war broke out two months back, is in the loop. Even Turkey has been informed of

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So far, no Arab state has displayed any inclination to administer Gaza in the times to come, but have condemned Israel’s offensive that has claimed more that 15,000 lives and razed a major part of Gaza to the ground.

A US-brokered deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia in the light of these developments, however, points to potential historic ground breaking as that would bring Saudi Arabia into America’s security fold.

It is believed that apprehensions regarding an Israeli-Saudi rapprochement might have been a factor behind Hamas’ October 7 attack.

This certainly puts Saudi Arabia in a tight spot given that Riyadh had earlier indicated that Israel must do something substantial about the Palestinian issue as a prerequisite for normalisation.

For Saudi Arabia to achieve its ambitious economic goals, a stable Middle East with cordial relations with the US is indispensable. This long-run agenda is a decisive factor for Saudi Arab to pave its path ahead in the ongoing conflict.

ritual, Garba fosters social equality by diluting socioeconomic, gender, and rigid sect structures. It continues to be inclusive and participative by diverse and marginalised communities, strengthening community bonds", it said.

Further, there lies a possibility that Saudi Arabia might have a financial role to play in a UN-approved transitional administration that returns the control of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza. But such a role is expected to be more akin to cash dumps on select clients.

This, however, would not be favoured by Saudi Arabia as the Gulf nation now seeks investment opportunities over cash dumps, as it clarified in negotiations with Egypt recently.

After the 1973 Arab-Israeli War (also known as the Yom Kippur War), Saudi Arabia and other Arab oil-producing nations imposed an oil embargo on the United States to punish Washington for its support for Israel.

The embargo and accompanying cuts in oil production by the Gulf nations caused oil prices to quadruple in the US. But as times have changed and the tables appear to have turned, the resumption of Israeli-Saudi discussions could also mean revamped and crucial Saudi-US ties. But so long as the conflict in Gaza persists, the Israeli-Saudi deal will remain on ice.

(Kavya Dubey may be reached at kavya.d@ians.in)

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United Nations, Dec 7 (IANS) UNESCO has declared the Garba, the dance of Gujarat, as “an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” (ICHH), recognising it as an inherited “living expression” that fosters inclusiveness and honours the feminine energy of Shakti.

UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage took the decision on Wednesday at its meeting in Kasane, Botswana to inscribe Garba on its ICHH list.

“Intangible cultural heritage is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalisation” and an understanding of it from different communities helps intercultural dialogue and mutual respect for other ways of life, UNESCO said.

“Over the decades Garba has been an integral, multivalent component of Gujarati culture in India and among the Indian diaspora across the globe”, it said.

Garba is performed during nine days of the Navaratri festival that is dedicated to the worship of the feminine energy or Shakti, UNESCO said.

The “visual expressions of this feminine energy are expressed through the Garba dance”, it added.

“In addition to being a religious

Besides monuments and objects, cultural heritage also includes “traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts”, UNESCO said explaining the ICHH. “I hope this inscription helps ensure the viability of this tradition and inspires the community, particularly young people, to continue with the knowledge, skills and oral traditions associated with Garba”, said Tim Curtis, the director of UNESCO’s regional office in New Delhi.

Garba joins 12 from India on the ICHH list as well as Nowroz, which is shared with other countries.

Those on the list from India include the tradition of Vedic chanting, Chhau dance, Mudiyettu dance drama of Kerala, Ramlila performance, Buddhist chanting of Ladakh, and Durga Puja.

The committee on Wednesday recognised Rickshaws and Rickshaw painting in Dhaka.

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

Japan passes bill to legalise medical use of cannabis

of cannabis, the country will ban its use except for medicinal purposes, setting a prison sentence of up to seven years for violation.

Tokyo, Dec 7 (IANS) Japan's parliament has approved a bill to legalise cannabis-derived medical products while criminalising the use of the chemical other than for medicinal purposes.

The upper house of the National Diet of Japan on Wednesday passed the revised cannabis and narcotics control laws during the day, which will enter into force within a year from promulgation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Under the revised laws, cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive chemical found in the plant, will be dealt with as narcotics, the use of which will be banned to prevent young people and others from abusing it.

While Japan already prohibits the possession and distribution

Growing the plants to produce medical products will also be allowed. In November, Japan's health ministry approved the ban on a cannabis-derived ingredient named hexahydrocannabihexol, or HHCH, after so-called "cannabis gummies" containing such an ingredient has rendered many ill in the country.

The synthetic compound was designated as a controlled substance. An expert panel of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare approved the plan to prohibit the possession, use and distribution of HHCH, officially taking effect from December 2.

Violators of the ban under the pharmaceutical and medical device law can be imprisoned for up to three years or fined up to 3 million yen, or 20,235 US dollars, the report said.

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INDIA NEWS

Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

From the editor’s desk

COP28: Navigating challenges for a sustainable future it involves transitioning to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, implementing energy efficiency measures, and adopting policies to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Strengthening ties: A closer look at the evolving Australia-India relations Australia and India, two nations geographically distant but connected by shared values and economic interests, have been fostering bilateral relations with a renewed vigor. The recent address by Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green sheds light on the evolving dynamics, particularly in the economic sphere, and the pursuit of a “high-quality” Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

At the heart of the current discourse is the pursuit of CECA that is not merely a formality but a substantial agreement that broadens economic collaboration. The emphasis on “high quality” reflects the commitment to crafting a deal that goes beyond conventional trade agreements. Green’s remarks underscore the dedication of both nations to ensure that the CECA genuinely serves the interests of their bilateral relations.

The Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) signed in April last year and enacted in December 2022, has laid the groundwork for economic collaboration across various sectors. Green highlighted the positive impact of the ECTA on industries like horticulture, wine, and dairy, showcasing the potential for mutually beneficial partnerships. The envoy’s recognition of the elimination of tariffs on critical mineral inputs indicates a forward-looking approach to fostering innovation and sustainability in both economies.

The collaboration between Australia and India in the area of clean energy signifies a shared commitment to addressing global challenges.

Green’s assertion that “there can be no affordable, scalable renewable solutions without India” emphasizes the interconnectedness of their efforts. The desire for Indian batteries made with Australian lithium and Indian solar panels with Australian silicon not only aligns with economic interests but also underscores the importance of joint initiatives in the face of climate change.

Green’s repeated emphasis on the opportunities for further economic and trade engagement reinforces the belief that the potential for collaboration is far from exhausted. The vision of Indian green steel with Australian green iron and the call for joint efforts to meet India’s domestic production goals underscore the aspirational nature of the partnership. Both nations stand to gain by leveraging each other’s strengths and resources in a manner that fosters

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sustainable development.

Bilateral relations are not without challenges, and Green openly acknowledged Australia’s “anxieties” over US allegations of an Indian link to a failed assassination plot and Canada’s charges related to the killing of a Sikh separatist. However, his assurance that such matters are discussed “sensitively and carefully behind closed doors” demonstrates a diplomatic maturity. The distinction between Australia’s engagement with India and its role in the Five Eyes alliance further emphasizes the unique and respectful nature of their relationship.

When questioned about applying the same standard of friendship to India as to the US, Green provided insights into the foundational nature of the Australia-US relationship, particularly in terms of security.

Despite acknowledging the stability of the US-Australia relations, he expressed optimism about the rapidly evolving Australia-India relationship, emphasizing its dynamism and the numerous opportunities for collaboration.

The collaborative research efforts between Australia and India to decarbonize the steel sector reflect a commitment to addressing global environmental challenges.

The envoy’s acknowledgment of India’s serious targets and joint initiatives to make steel more efficient and less carbonintensive demonstrates a shared responsibility in shaping sustainable industries. This collaborative approach not only benefits both nations but contributes to global efforts in mitigating climate change.

The mention of Australia’s concerns over security-related allegations against India highlights the complexities inherent in bilateral relations.

Green’s reassurance that Australia engages with India as a friend, separate from intelligencesharing alliances, reflects a diplomatic finesse in managing differences and sensitive issues.

Additionally, his acknowledgment of attacks on Hindu temples in Australia underscores the importance of addressing religious tensions and ensuring the safety of diverse communities within each nation.

Australia and India are navigating the complexities of bilateral relations with a commitment to mutual respect, shared values, and economic collaboration.

While challenges exist, the diplomatic maturity displayed in addressing “anxieties” and managing sensitive issues behind closed doors underscores the depth and resilience of the relationship.

EDITORIAL

Rabindra Mukherji As the curtains fall on COP28, the climate summit in Dubai, the world witnesses a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle against climate change. Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen took centre stage, boldly asserting the imperative of globally phasing out fossil fuels, positioning Australia as a contender in the race to lead the renewable energy revolution.

In the unfolding drama of diplomatic intricacies, Bowen’s direct call-out of Saudi Arabia adds a layer of geopolitical tension to the already charged atmosphere. The urgency of addressing fossil fuels to cap global heating at 1.5 degree Celsius echoes throughout Bowen’s address, urging a comprehensive agreement aligned with this ambitious goal.

Bowen, representing a major fossil fuel exporter, underscored the imperative for fossil fuels to play no ongoing role in global energy systems. He urged a transition to renewable energy, aligning Australia’s economic future with the goal of becoming a renewable energy superpower.

Bowen’s call was grounded in the findings of a global stocktake, revealing the world falling short of the 1.5 degree Celsius heating goal, necessitating emissions reduction targets and a tripling of renewable energy by 2030.

The minister proposed flexible language at the talks, suggesting that decisions on phasing out fossil fuels could include attaching the term “unabated”.

However, this term stirred controversy, as it is often associated with allowing fossil fuel use with emissions reduction through carbon capture and storage, a technology facing skepticism for its commercial viability.

As the diplomatic theatre unfolded, Diego Pacheco, chief spokesperson for the Like Minded Group, accused certain countries of hypocrisy for supporting fossil fuel phase-out while planning to expand their own production.

Ongoing differences between wealthy nations and emerging economies further complicated negotiations.

It is pertinent to be conscientious of how burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change.

Burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, significantly contributes to climate change through the release of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

The primary greenhouse gas emitted during the combustion of fossil fuels is carbon dioxide,

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although other gasses like methane and nitrous oxide are also released. More specifically stated, the combustion process releases carbon dioxide, a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. Increased carbon dioxide levels enhance the natural greenhouse effect, trapping more heat in the earth’s atmosphere.

While less prevalent than carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are more potent greenhouse gasses. Methane, in particular, has a higher heattrapping capacity over shorter periods. Fossil fuel extraction, processing, and leaks contribute to methane emissions.

The accumulation of greenhouse gasses results in a thick layer that traps outgoing infrared radiation, leading to an overall warming of the earth’s surface.

This phenomenon is commonly referred to as global warming.

This warming contributes to various climate-related changes, including more frequent and intense heat waves. The warming accelerates the melting of glaciers and ice caps, contributing to rising sea levels. This poses a threat to coastal areas, leading to increased flooding and erosion.

The warming atmosphere influences weather patterns, leading to more frequent and severe extreme weather events.

This includes hurricanes, droughts, floods, and wildfires.

The carbon dioxide absorption by the world’s oceans leads to ocean acidification. This can have detrimental effects on marine ecosystems, particularly on organisms with calcium carbonate shells and skeletons, such as corals and certain shellfish.

Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns can disrupt ecosystems, affecting plant and animal species. Some may struggle to adapt, leading to shifts in biodiversity and potential species extinctions.

Climate change triggers feedback loops that amplify the warming effect. For example, melting Arctic ice reduces the earth’s surface reflectively, leading to more absorption of sunlight and further warming.

Besides, climate change can exacerbate existing social and economic challenges, particularly in vulnerable communities. This includes impacts on agriculture, water resources, and the overall stability of ecosystems that support human societies.

Therefore, addressing the impact of burning fossil fuels on climate change assumes significance and

In this context, summits like COP28 assume significance. The world is facing many challenges such as terrorism, poverty, economic recession, political instabilities, climate change and others. Among these challenges, climate change comes to the fore, given the urgency with which it needs to be tackled collectively.

Despite the challenges, COP28 concluded with a compromise text supporting a historic “transition away from fossil fuels.” However, the inclusion of controversial abatement technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, sparked debate. The agreement emphasized the tripled capacity of renewable energy, doubled energy efficiency, and the launch of a “loss and damage” fund to aid climate-vulnerable nations.

The unexpected conclusion brought both praise and criticism. While some hailed it as a significant step towards a cleaner future, others, including climate scientist Bill Hare, criticized the compromise for failing to put the world on a path to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees. The Association of Small Island States raised objections to loopholes favouring fossil fuel use, reflecting the complexity of the negotiations.

Bowen, speaking on behalf of the Umbrella Group of countries, acknowledged that the consensus fell short of some countries’ expectations but emphasized the signal it sent- a recognition that the future lies in clean energy.

The COP president declared the “UAE consensus” endorsed without objection, marking a historic shift in addressing fossil fuels directly.

The important point is, COP28 concluded with a global compromise, navigating challenges to set the world on a path towards renewable energy. While not without controversies, the agreement signals a collective recognition of the need to transition away from fossil fuels for a sustainable and equitable future. The COP28 summit showcased the delicate balancing act required to navigate global climate discord.

Bowen’s outspoken stance reflects Australia’s commitment to renewable energy but also underscores the challenging diplomacy involved in steering discussions towards meaningful agreements. The compromise text, while a step forward, leaves room for ongoing debates, emphasizing the ongoing complexity of addressing the global climate crisis. The unexpected conclusion hints at both the urgency and intricacy of international efforts to secure a sustainable future.

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INDIA NEWS

Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

SPECIAL FEATURES

China invoking ‘civilisational’ strength for its advancement New Delhi: Strategic analysts have noted that President Xi Jinping has in his quest for making China the other superpower rivalling the USA, embarked on a three-fold strategy - he has initiated the process of 'Sinicization' of Marxism, ensured the reassertion of the supremacy of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in every sphere and given a conscious call for recognising the 'civilisational strength of the Chinese nation' China under Xi is pursuing the economic route to becoming a superpower and wants time to achieve the mission - without running into any distraction of a military confrontation.

This came out clearly in his long bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden during the recent APEC conference in San Francisco - at the end of which Xi would have reasons to feel satisfied with the emphasis Biden had laid on the US not seeking any 'conflict' with China.

The two leaders had largely focused on their commitment to economic growth and global advancement and expressed their agreement on cooperation in such diverse areas as Artificial Intelligence, Environment and Counter-narcotic work.

Marking the rapid rise of Xi since 2012 when he first became the General Secretary of the CPC, the 19th National Congress of the party held in 2017 incorporated Xi Jinping Thought on 'Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era' in the Party Constitution.

The People's Congress in March 2018 went on to amend the Constitution of the People's Republic of China to mention Xi's

Thought in it. This had happened only twice in the past with the leadership of Mao Dezong and Deng Xiaoping.

Xi's Thought is said to combine Chinese Marxism with National Rejuvenation. It was hailed by the 19th Central Committee of CPC in 2021 in a unanimous resolution as a 'new breakthrough in the Sinicization of Marxism'.

Significantly, Xi's analysis of why the USSR disintegrated was that the party organs of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) had at all levels lost their functions and in particular, the military was no longer under CPSU leadership because of which 'a great party was scattered' and the Soviet Union, 'a great Socialist country', was dismembered.

The 14-point Xi Jinping Thought stipulated among other things, ensuring CPC leadership over all forms of work in China including absolute leadership on PLA, the continuation of comprehensive deepening of reforms, governing China with the Rule of Law, improving people's livelihood and well-being as the primary goal of development and practising Socialist core values including Marxism-Leninism and ‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics’.

A cult of personality has been developing around Xi since he became the General Secretary of the CPC and the country’s paramount leader.

The party has been projecting him as representing the best of both Mao Dezong and Deng Xiaoping. In 2019, the Politburo of the CPC named Xi as the People's Leader - a title only Mao had held previously.

The Central Party School of the CPC in 2020 labelled Xi Jinping

They Call It Marketing!

Vinod Mirani

called teasers for some time.

New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) What we need in the film industry is writers who can turn out a decent script that appeals to all classes of the audience. That has not happened, so the makers have to keep devising new gimmicks to promote a film. Isn't the star power good enough?

The trailers of 'Dunki' starring Shah Rukh Khan, for instance, are titled Drop 1, Drop 2 and so on!

It seems the film is about illegal migration in countries such as the UK and the US and the activity is described as 'donkey flights' in the North. This is also known as 'kabutarbazi' in some sections.

Really speaking, films never needed marketing because they have a ready and keen viewership and, still, new-generation whizkids try to deviate from the traditional and foolproof promotion strategies and come up with complicated ideas to promote a film that serve no purpose.

The recent one is about how the promos or trailers are released on digital platforms before a film's release.

As if calling these trailers promos or trailers was not enough, now they are named in a manner that they coincide with a film’s theme or title! Oh, yes, they were also

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'Dunki' is yet to release and the connection of naming or ranking the trailers as a series of 'Drops' with the film's story remains unclear so far. The tragedy is that those unaware of this bright idea but searching for promos of 'Dunki' on YouTube will still have to type in the keywords 'Dunki promo'!

I don't know who thought of this idea because you may publicise a film, but how will you tell people that when you look for 'Dunki' promos, kook for Drop 1 and so on!

'Dunki', though, is not the only one to have people with such grand ideas. There are quite a few other films being promoted

Thought as '21st century Marxism', claimed that it was the only scientific method to explain the 'Chinese Miracle of the 21st century' and contended that it was the only 'solution for the modern problems of humankind'.

It maintained that socialism is better than capitalism.

At China's National People's Congress in March 2023 in Beijing, Xi was awarded a third 5-year term as President putting him on track to stay in power for life.

In what seems to be a definite element in Xi's strategy, the Chinese President highlights China's 5000-year-old civilisation and places a profound emphasis on the preservation and development of its 'fine cultural traditions' Xi Jinping Thought seeks to build the party's confidence in history and culture to a new high and believes that Chinese civilisation should be known for its 'continuity, innovativeness, unity, inclusiveness and peaceful nature'.

Clearly, Xi wants to use China's civilisational strength to advance 'national rejuvenation', promote unity at home and give an impression to the world outside that China stands for peace.

There is an underlying message in Xi Jinping Thought that opposes the 'cultural hegemony of the West' and possibly also counters any attempt of India to use the soft power of an ancient civilisation to deal with a hostile Marxist state next door.

Xi intends to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China's traditional culture as a strategy for dealing with the complex international landscape. this way. I have often mentioned 'bhed chaal' in the film industry. If one filmmaker does or tries to do something different, others follow him and make it a trend.

The 'Jawan' trailer was launched as a Prevue. The 'Pathan' trailer as 'Pathan ka conversation' and Tiger 3 as 'Tiger ka message'; for the 'Dream Girl' trailer the name was 'Pooja ka kiss'. Films such as 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan', 'Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar' and 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani', all followed and dubbed their promos as something or the other. Did it help?

The thing is that the number of hits on promos released on YouTube are seen by many more people than those who watch the movie. So, hits on an online promo are not a measure of viewers attracted to the cinemas and, hence, nothing to gloat about.

What worked when there was no Internet and no social media?

They relied on street publicity.

Posters of varied sizes -- 30"x40" or six sheeters (5'x10') and so on -- were plastered all over the cities. There were no radio jingles

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It is appropriate and timely for the Narendra Modi regime to strengthen the sense of nationalism amongst Indians and make them aware of the glorious civilisational past of India that had been, in a substantial measure, shut off by the colonial masters and later kept in oblivion for reasons of politics.

In a multi-religious setting like India, the traditions of ancient culture that promoted the quest for knowledge, upheld an assimilative approach by shunning any claims of supremacism for a particular faith and attached importance to humanism, should be appreciated by all communities and sections of society. All this will automatically generate feelings of national unity and lead to a realistic appraisal of who the nation's friends and enemies are.

It is said that in the court of Lord Ram respect was given to even Sage Charwak who was an advocate of agnosticism.

In today’s world that faces unanticipated geopolitical shifts, it is vital that a world power like India should try to be self-dependent in handling security, economic growth and international relations. Prime Minister Modi has rightly taken this strategic approach which is already yielding rich dividends.

The Sino-Pak axis operating against India remains this country's major security concern - in part because of its covert hand behind the propping up of anti-India lobbies on issues like alleged lack of protection for minorities, the 'rise of authoritarianism' and 'promotion of majoritarianism'.

The two hostile neighbours of India are joining hands in

conducting 'covert' operations here - the use of Chinese drones

by Pakistan for dropping arms and narcotics in Punjab illustrates this.

While India has successfully countered the threat of crossborder terrorism emanating from Pakistan in Kashmir and elsewhere, the challenge from a hostile China spreads from our borders to the Indian Ocean and the entire range of international relations.

Xi is pursuing the ambition of making China the second superpower after the US through economic, military and technological means and having emerged as the supreme leader of China in the mould of Mao Zedong, is driving the strategy of establishing the stranglehold of the CPC on the civil and military affairs on one hand and practising an extremely 'nationalistic' version of Marxism on the other, to achieve total unity internally and speed up the economic and political expansion of Chinese influence outside.

The adversarial profile of China is likely to become harder from India's point of view, in the days ahead.

India has no alternative to building its own strength and firming up its bilateral and multilateral relationships in the democratic world to counter the growing alliance between the Marxist dictatorship of China and a fundamentalist Pakistan that was conniving with the antiUS Islamic radical forces out to increase their foothold in the Muslim world.

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

yet, forget television.

minutes.

The big attractions in those days, though, were trailers played in the cinemas. These promos were so exciting that people going for a movie made sure they reached in time so as not to miss the trailer of the forthcoming film.

They just about summed up an upcoming film in three minutes with onscreen captions such as Drama, Romance, Music, Emotions, Comedy and Action.

The prospective viewers instantly decided if they were going to catch that film.

By the way, the online booking site still claimed that Rs 150 was the rate and the booking chart showed an almost empty house.

There were some unhappy people at the booking window and they made sure the video went viral.

This was contrary to the normal practice of reducing admission rates on the Monday or Tuesday after a film's release.

The Internet and social media are not devised to spread lies or deceive. What good are these hits on an X post or YouTube promo because it is common knowledge that an army of bots are engaged to produce these hits.

What are the cinema chains doing in the name of marketing?

On Monday, the fourth day after the release of 'Animal', they took prospective spectators who came to the booking window by surprise when the admission rates were hiked suddenly and arbitrarily from for Rs 150 to Rs 300 out of the blue in a matter of

Now, is this any way of attaining the set target, which nowadays is anything between Rs 500 crore to Rs 1,000 crore? I think it is easier to fake figures on social media like it is done with the figures of all the major films lately, instead of cheating people with ad hoc admission rate hikes.

Suppose a young lad had somehow put together Rs 300 for two tickets to take his girlfriend out on a movie date, but comes to the cinema to learn that he cannot afford the revised rates.

It would be awkward for him and a real letdown! Now, PVR's newly acquired property at the Jio World Plaza in BKC, Mumbai, boasts of being India's "first cinema with bar and lounge". So what?

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Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

INDIA NEWS

Indian biotechnology industry set to reach $300 billion by 2030: Mandaviya industry would reach a valuation of $150 billion by 2025 and $300 billion by 2030.

Ahmedabad, Dec 11 (IANS) India's biotechnology industry, poised to become the cornerstone of health treatment, has experienced eightfold growth in the past eight years, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday Addressing the Biotechnology Summit, which was held virtually ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit scheduled for next month, he projected that the

Mandaviya also highlighted that biomanufacturing holds the key to a global new industrial revolution, focusing on agrifood, energy, healthcare, and climate change solutions. However, the shortage of qualified manpower remains challenging in the biomanufacturing sector, prompting efforts to provide necessary training and bridge the skill gap.

The Indian bio-economy has witnessed growth, surging from $10 billion to $80 billion in just eight years, he said, adding that India has now set ambitious targets for the biotechnology

Currently housing over 760 companies and 4,240 startups in biotechnology, the country aims to position itself at the forefront of the global biotech revolution.

He predicted this figure will exceed $300 billion by 2030 and surpass $3 trillion by 2047.

Adar Poonawalla reaches deal for London’s most expensive home sale of the year hands after a sale was agreed by Dominika Kulczyk, daughter of the late businessman Jan Kulczyk, who was Poland’s richest man, Financial Times reported.

The property will be acquired

by Serum Life Sciences, a UK subsidiary of the Poonawalla family’s Serum Institute of India, people familiar with the transaction said, it said.

London, Dec 13 (IANS) India’s billionaire "vaccine prince" Adar Poonawalla has reached a deal for London’s most expensive home sale of the year, agreeing to pay about 138 mn pound for a 25,000 square foot Mayfair mansion, media reports said.

Aberconway House, a vast 1920s home near Hyde Park, will change

The price tag makes Aberconway House the second-most expensive home ever sold in London and the biggest deal of the year, according to luxury property agents, Financial Times reported.

The top end of London’s property market is insulated from the impact of higher borrowing costs, which have slowed the wider UK housing market this year, because

India poised to become $30 tn economy by 2047: Piyush Goyal

sector's expansion.

Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, said that he believes the biotechnology sector will lead the next global technological revolution. He emphasised that the sector's growth would significantly impact the country's economy, with the bioeconomy accounting for approximately 4 per cent of India's GDP in 2022, valued at $137.24 billion.

few buyers rely on mortgages.

Trophy properties in London have remained attractive to international buyers despite new transparency measures brought in to help target Russian money after the war in Ukraine, and the prospect of tax changes if the Labour party wins the next UK general election.

A person close to Serum Life Sciences said the Poonawalla family had "no plans" to move to the UK permanently, but that "the house will serve as a base for the company and family when they are in the UK". The London deal follows multimillion-pound investments in vaccine research and manufacturing facilities near Oxford, the person added, Financial Times reported.

New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said that India was poised to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047 with the collective efforts of the government and industry pushing towards an exponential growth rate to achieve a fully developed India.

Addressing the 96th Annual General Meeting of apex business chamber FICCI, the minister said the Indian economy has already moved from being among the “Fragile 5” to the 5th largest economy in the world with strong fundamentals.

He pointed out that the country’s $600 billion in robust foreign exchange reserves have remained stable in the most difficult of times whether it be geopolitical turmoil such as the

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) There is a serious need for the tech industry and academic institutions to work along with the governments globally in shaping the future pipeline of talent for artificial intelligence (AI)-related jobs, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said here on Wednesday.

Addressing a fireside chat session on the second day of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) summit in the capital, the minister said that nurturing talent is something that governments can

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“It is clear that there is going to be a huge talent deficit in the field of AI. There is an urgent need for our academic institutions, whether in the UK, Japan or India, to really understand this and start delivering the talent that this AI ecosystem will require,” Chandrasekhar told the gathering.

The potential economic value from AI tools could be as high as $26 trillion going forward, according to McKinsey data.

“Unfortunately, a major limiting factor in AI reaching its full business potential is the availability of individuals with the right skills and capabilities to continue innovating AI,” according to McKinsey.

According to the minister, the AI industry needs cutting-edge

“As we go down this AI road, there'll be more and more complexities and capabilities that we need talent for. So I think it is almost central to this whole strategy that we are evolving as a group of nations that we have a talent pool that is out there building these capabilities for,” said Chandrasekhar.

To create such a talent pool, the academy networks of various countries and industries have to work together.

“Align the coursework, align the curriculum and educate for future-ready jobs with futureready skills rather than look back and extrapolate,” the minister noted.

There are 45,000 Artificial Intelligence (AI) job openings in India, with data scientists and Machine Learning (ML) engineers being among the most soughtafter careers, according to a latest report by TeamLease Digital, a tech staffing firm.

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war in Ukraine or the pandemic.

Investors have preferred to stay in India and not move out which shows the amount of faith that they have in the country’s economy. Foreign bankers also consider the Indian currency among the safest in the world, he added.

Goyal said that the country’s foreign exchange position was strong enough to take care of the country’s imports at the prevailing current account deficit for the next five to six years.

The Indian economy has been a bright spot with strong growth amid a significant slowdown and even distress in other countries.

This has increased the country’s respect among nations and given the large size of its market other countries are eager to sign free trade agreements with India, he said.

The minister also said that there were some countries that even had a grouse about India leaving them behind with respect to trade agreements. future would not only be looking after its own people but powering the world, he added.

As petroleum-free future looms, oil companies eye investing in renewables wind, batteries, hydrogen, and bio-energy platforms.

Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani has committed Rs 75,000 crore for this transformation.

New York, Dec 10 (IANS) Red lights are flashing for petroleum companies: The European Union and several US states starting with California will ban the sale of new cars and vans powered by petrol and diesel in 2035.

Serious need to bridge huge talent deficit talent, architects and designers of Petroleum producers are looking in the field of AI: MoS IT for off-ramps to take them off large-language models (LLMs). help but certainly cannot play a lead role, and industry and the academicians have to work together for the jobs of the future.

BUSINESS & TRADE

the petrol and diesel highway and turn to renewable sources, both as a survival tactic in a world of petroleum-free transportation and as a gesture to the vociferous climate change chorus.

"Oil firms are essentially attempting to figure out how the best presently available cash cow in the world can be replaced for the benefit of their own sustainable future," Matthias J Pickl, an economics professor at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, was quoted in NS Energy.

Oil majors are “progressively positioning themselves for the proclaimed energy transition” and wind and solar are taking an increasingly important role in the energy industry, he has written according to NS Energy.

In India, the Reliance conglomerate with a giant petroleum footprint has announced plans for a New Energy ecosystem making solar,

Total, the French oil company, announced this year that it will invest $300 million in a joint venture with Adani Green Energy in wind and solar farms project.

This year, Total says it will be investing $5 billion overall in low-carbon energies, which would be higher than its capital investments in oil and gas.

Its wind and solar investments in wind and solar power stretch to Europe and the US. Oil-rich Qatar has also invested $500 million in Adani Green Energy.

Shell, the British oil giant, has also turned to India for one of its big investments in alternative energy buying Solenergi Power Private Limited, which runs wind and solar farms and manages related infrastructure, and the Sprng Energy Group for $1.5 billion.

Shell invested $3.5 billion in the renewable sector last year and again this year.

The US petroleum giant Exxon-Mobil is taking a different approach from the other oil majors, focusing on decarbonisation, biofuels and hydrogen, rather than wind and solar.

It has plans to spend $17 billion over the years 2022 and 2017 on these projects.

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ISKCON organizes Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra Perth, December 10 (Australia India News Newsdesk) Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra was at the Forrest Chase in Perth

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CBD organized by the ISKCON Perth - Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Temple. Consul General Amarjeet Singh Takhi participated in the celebration together with Ramai

Swami Maharaj, Dr Jags MLA, Ayor Makur Chuot MLC and hundreds of Krishna devotees.

Rath Yatra in Puri, India,

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is considered as one of world's largest religious and chariot festivals which has been celebrated since time immemorial. The festival is held

at the city of Puri, in the state of Odisha, India and associated with the deity Jagannath, a form of Vishnu or Krishna.

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Indian community bids farewell to High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra Perth, December 7 (Australia India News Newsdesk)

defence strategic partnership and educational ties.

Members of Indian community in Perth came out in large numbers to bid farewell to highly respected and admired High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra applauding his strong leadership and effective contributions in deepening bilateral relations between India and Australia during his stint, including signing of landmark ECTA leading to growing trade & investment ties, substantive

The High Commissioner concludes his official assignment by the end of this month.

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During his farewell visit to Western Australia, High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra, addressed a Roundtable of local businesses, organized by CGI Perth in collaboration with the AIBC-WA, highlighting the growing trade and investment ties and opportunities for further

growth in diverse sectors, including in critical minerals, mining, renewables, education, skilling, tourism, agriculture, start-ups, innovation, digital infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. Besides the representatives of Australia India Business Council (AIBC), Australia India Business Association (AIBA) and Prof.

Shamit Sagar, the event was also joined by noted Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist AM and Florence Drummond, with both

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being Advisory Board Members of the Centre for Australia-India Relations.

High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra paid a farewell call on the Governor of Western Australia Chris Dawson, and briefed him on growing bilateral ties, including trade and investment, education, critical minerals, and defence strategic partnership, while thanking him for the support to the Indian diaspora in WA.

Australia, the High Commissioner also met Dr. Tony Buti MLA and thanked him for the generous support extended by the State Government to Indian Diaspora in WA. The Indian Society of WA (ISWA) Management Committee and representatives of community associations joined in bidding farewell to the High Commissioner of India.

On his farewell visit to Western

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Conference on joint capabilities for sustainable asset management hosted Melbourne, December 7 (Australia India News Newsdesk) The 4th International Conference on Maintenance and Intelligent Asset Management (ICIMIAM’2023) was hosted at the Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria from 6-8

December 2023 with support of many international institutions, including from India like Institute of Rural Management Anand, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Bangalore; Amity University and Chitkara University.

The conference organised annually, alternatively in India and Australia provides a platform to explore opportunities, share knowledge in advance research and develop joint capabilities for sustainable asset management.

Consul General Dr Sushil Kumar participated at the Conference.

In a separate event, Consul General Dr Sushil Kumar also interacted with members of Indian startups delegation at Infosys Living Lab in Melbourne.

Delegation being facilitated by the Confederation of Indian Industry also visited Invest Victoria, Melbourne Connect

Innovation Precinct, CSIRO, Monash University and met Government officials and members of Australian startups and Australia India Chamber of Commerce at a networking dinner to find complementarities for collaboration.

Gurpurab celebrated with religious fervour at Western Australia parliament Perth, December 11 (Australia India News Newsdesk) The 554th Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Devji was celebrated at the parliament of Western Australia (WA), recently. It was an occasion to elucidate on the life, teachings and spiritual journeys of Guru Nanak Devji, his philosophy of

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‘Kirat Karo, Naam Japo and Wand Chhako’. The celebration also highlighted the contributions made by Sikhs to the WA economy and society, including as ANZACs, the growing number of speakers of Punjabi language, and the selfless services rendered by both the local Gurudwaras and

devotees particularly in crisis situations during the pandemic and bushfires. The Gurpurab celebrations saw enthusiastic participation by Ministers and other parliamentarians, including Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti MLA, Multicultural Affairs Minister Dr. Tony Buti MLA, then Mining

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Minister Bill Johnston MLA, Science & Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson MLC, Leader of Opposition Shane Love MLA, Leader of Liberal Party Libby Mettam, Indian-origin MLAs and Parliamentary Secretaries Yaz Mubarakai MLA and Dr Jags MLA and Meredith Hammat

MLA, Councillor Shen Sekhon, Members of Legislative Council Klara Andric MLC, Kate Doust & Ayor Makur Chuot MLCs. The event was co-hosted by Sikh Association of WA, Perth and Sikh Gurudwara Perth Bennett Springs, and coordinated by community volunteer Balli Singh.

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Celebration of Indian classical, folk & contemporary dances organized Perth, December 7 (Australia India News Newsdesk) ‘Nritya Gandhar’ – a celebration of Indian classical, folk and contemporary dances and

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music by the Academy Of Indian Classical & Bollywood Dance, supported by Anurag Saxena and a whole team of skillful local dancers, artists and community volunteers was

organized, recently. The cultural extravaganza presented Ganga musical and dance drama, culminating in a super Bollywood dance-based finale. Consul General Amarjeet Singh Takhi

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was one of the attendees at the celebration.

As Indians globally celebrated Constitution Day on 26 November, the community recited the

Preamble of the Constitution of India committing themselves to uphold and maintain their constitutional values and obligations.

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CGI hosts roundtable for India’s National Stock Exchange MD & CEO Sydney, December 6 (Australia India News Newsdesk)

(NSE) India on his recent visit to Australia.

The Australia India Business Council (AIBC) facilitated the roundtable hosted by Consul General of India, Sydney, for Ashish Chauhan, MD & CEO of National Stock Exchange

NSE India is India's most premier and the largest stock exchange and also one of the largest in the world. Ashish Chauhan gave some insights into the scale of opportunities and the returns

which NSE India has notched up for foreign investors during the last decade.

Australian business, financial services and asset management leaders were particularly enthused with Chauhan's invitation for dual listing, both for companies seeking to enter India

via NSE India or the GIFT City.

In addition, he also highlighted the opportunities for Indian companies to list in Australia with dual listing and the potential for market entry for bilateral businesses.

There was also a discussion on the range of technology and

digital infrastructure adopted in India both in government and non-government. NSE India has been one of the first to introduce digital technologies to the market and has introduced several measures for governance and best practices.

Grants to boost support for sports clubs Brisbane, December 15 (Australia India News Newsdesk) Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has awarded more than $2 million to help sports and community clubs improve their facilities.

Cr Schrinner said the funding boost will help 19 clubs deliver projects critical to their ongoing success amid rising construction costs.

“Brisbane’s sports and community groups are the lifeblood of our suburbs and I’m committed to supporting them,” Cr Schrinner said.

“We’ve seen the cost of construction skyrocket and this funding allows clubs to undertake improvements that keep services running.

“Roof repairs, irrigation works, upgraded field lighting and new netball hard courts are just some of the projects being funded.

“Investing in local sports clubs helps ensure they can continue to be great places where people of all ages can stay active and connect with other residents.”

Cr Schrinner said clubs right across Brisbane had benefitted from the grants.

“From Aspley to Windsor and Sunnybank to Forest Lake, we’re providing a helping hand right across Brisbane,” he said.

“As our suburbs continue to grow, our sports and community groups need to grow with them.

“At Forest Lake Junior Rugby League Club, the existing field lighting will be upgraded so night-

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time training and matches can continue.

“While in Graceville, four new hard courts will be installed to support netball at the Western Districts Netball Association.

“The construction of all weather, non-slip hard courts means local residents have a safer and more enjoyable game.

“We’re thrilled to give back to our suburbs through community grants and help preserve their legacy for years to come.”

The next Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grant – Community Support category is due to open on 29 January 2024.

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ADVERTORIAL

Title: How long do I need to save to raise a home deposit?

Have you been saving up to buy a home in Queensland, only to find out property prices have gone up and the savings is insufficient?

Exclusive analysis PEXA’s new Buyer Deposits Report reveals the time taken to save for a deposit inQueensland now takes more than 5 years compared to less than 4 years in early 2021 (up 36.9%).

This is mainly because house prices are shooting up, interest rates on loans are going higher, and banks are making it harder to get loans.

The FY23 median home deposit

amount is now • $119,969 in NSW ($145,000 in Sydney), • $84,723 in Victoria ($94,000 in Melbourne) and • $78,143 in Queensland ($85,163 in Brisbane).

PEXA's Head of Research, Mike Gill, pointed out that the struggle to save for a deposit has become much tougher, especially for first-home buyers. He mentioned that younger people trying to buy their first home are facing more difficulties getting into the housing market due to the increased time needed to save up.

The reasons behind the rising house prices in Queensland are things like more people wanting to buy homes, not enough houses available, and changes in the economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the Queensland government has tried to help first-time buyers by offering grants and discounts, the gap between how much money people need for a deposit and how much

they can save remains a big problem.

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Lyra Homes is focused on creating lasting relationships with customers and cultivating a welcoming environment to provide customers with a unique experience.

Lyra Homes’ approach to real estate is generally focused on giving our clients a great experience and forging a strong sense of community.

The median deposit amount in QLD increased, overtaking VIC in the most recent quarter.

QLD recorded a median deposit amount of $88,460 in the Sep-23 Qtr,

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Source: PEXA 1 Median family income used in the calculation. For more information on this dataset visit ABS website

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Our experienced Brisbane real estate agents are here to help you make the right decisions when purchasing or selling your home. Our team of real estate agents can provide you with the necessary insights and advice to ensure that you make the most of your real estate journey

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COMMUNITY NEWS

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Empowering women leaders: WISL program strengthens ties between Victorian and Indian schools Victoria’sIndia Strategy: Our Shared Future and is one of three school education initiatives enhancing engagement between Victorian and Indian schools by the Victorian Department of Education.

Diwali celebrations took on a special significance this year for the twelve Victorian schools participating in the Women in School Leadership (WISL) program which connects women principals between Victoria and India.The festivities includedspecial assemblies, performances by Indianbackground students and staff, rangoli and candlelight holder making, and of course a delicious spread of Indian cuisine.

These events were an opportunity to acknowledge a holiday that the second fastest growing community in Victoriacelebrates (FIAV) and brought the spirit of the festival to their school

communities.

The Victorian school leaders participating in the WISL program recently concluded a two-week immersion experience in India, during which they spent some time in their Indian partner principals’ schools.

Tania Sorbello, Principal of Fitzroy North Primary School, highlighted the unexpected discovery of ‘deep commonalities between the Australian and Indian education systemsas we strive to improve the academic, personal and social outcomes for the children entrusted in our care.’

The program is part of

The schools represent the department's four major regions, including metropolitan and regional areas which will showcase the breadth of experience Victoria's educators have to share.

Ann Turner-Calleri, Principal of Edgars Creek Primary School, emphasized ‘the incredible connection with Indian families and children’, underlining the lasting impact of the program on fostering cultural ties with the Indian diaspora in her school community.

The WISL program, spanning from August 2023 to May 2024, supports school leaders in engaging in online professional learning and reciprocal

immersion experiences in India and Victoria, focusing on the theme ‘Leading schools for social change’ with an emphasis on learning and well-being.

One of the program’s highlights has been the formation of a strong network of inspiring women school leaders.

Asha Prabhakar, Chair of the National Progressive Schools’ Conferenceand Principal of Bal Bharati Public School, Noida, India, expressed her gratitude to the Victorian school leaders, acknowledging the special connection forged during the program. “May this beautiful coming together of the IndiaAustralia family forge new bonds of togetherness and collaboration” she said.

As the program progresses, Victorian and Indian school leaders are eagerly anticipating the reciprocal Victoria immersion experience in May 2024.

Meanwhile, they will continue

to collaborate, engage in online workshops, and participate in coaching sessions, fostering a strong foundation for future collaboration and cultural exchange.

The Women in School Leadership (WISL) Program, an initiative by the Victorian Department of Education, is developed and delivered by Asia Education Foundation (AEF) in partnership with the Australia India Institute and Melbourne Graduate School of Education at The University of Melbourne in Australia, and the National Progressive Schools’ Conferenceand O.P. Jindal Global University in India.

For those interested in learning more about the WISL program, additional information can be found on the Asia Education Foundation website at www. asiaeducation.edu.au. Follow #WISLVicIndia on social media for program updates.

Seniors avail 10 million free public transport trips, so far

Brisbane, December 13 (Australia India News Newsdesk) Brisbane’s seniors have taken 10 million free trips and saved more than $13 million as part of Council’s free seniors’ offpeak travel initiative. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the impressive milestone proved the success of the program that was introduced in October 2019.

“Everyone is feeling cost of living pressures at the moment, so we want to make it affordable for our seniors to get out and about,” Cr Schrinner said.

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“This initiative was introduced around four years ago but continues to grow in popularity, with almost 2.8 million free trips taken last financial year, which is a 24 per cent year on year increase.

“During October there were more than 410,000 free off-peak trips made, which is more than 13,200 a day, making it one of the busiest months since the introduction of the program.

“This cost-saving initiative has put more than $13 million back into the pockets of our

city’s seniors and this relief is something we’re committed to continuing.

time - it saves me using the car and petrol, and of course saves money,” Ms Lawrence said.

“Our seniors make a huge contribution to shaping Brisbane and free off-peak travel is a simple way we can give back to those residents.”

Eva Broadbent, President of the 50 Plus Centre, said many attendees take public transport to events at the centre.

Using a Translink senior go card or Seniors Card +go, a senior travelling in their local area once a week could save around $148 a year.

For residents travelling on a return journey from the outer suburbs into the CBD once per week, the savings are around $181 dollars a year.

The Gap resident Kerry Lawrence, 81, often makes use of the offpeak travel initiative to get into the city, including Council’s 50 Plus Centre classes at City Hall.

“I really appreciate senior’s free off- peak travel. I use it all the

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“For our members, the location is just so ideal as they know they can just get a bus, and seniors’ free off-peak travel makes it very easy,” Ms Broadbent said.

“After going to work all their lives, it’s nice to get something back.”

Cr Schrinner said Council's free and affordable activities gave seniors plenty of reasons to catch public transport.

"There are plenty of great reasons to chalk up some free trips, including Origami at Sandgate Library, Zumba at Zillmere, TaiChi at New Farm Park or standup paddleboarding at Manly,” he said.

“Council offers a range of health and wellbeing activities for seniors all year round, including our Growing Older, Living Dangerously (GOLD) program, which has had more than 54,000 people participating in almost 4000 events over the past year.

“Our 50 Plus Centre also offers a range of social events at City Hall including dancing and art classes for residents over 50.

“Whether it's visiting friends and family, or attending one of Council’s Active and Healthy activities, free off-peak travel is a safe and reliable option for getting where you need to be.”

Free off-peak travel is available to seniors on Council buses, CityCats and ferries between 8.30am-3.30pm and 7pm-6am on weekdays. Seniors can also travel for free on Council buses on weekends and public holidays.

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Events organized on World AIDS Day to raise awareness Brisbane, December 1 (Australia India News Newsdesk) Queensland celebrated the World AIDS Day on December 1 to remember those who lost their lives to this epidemic, and also to raise awareness within the society about it. It was suggested to the public in Queensland that to support World AIDS Day, they ought to wear a red ribbon, attend an event or vigil near

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them or online if they could, and have a conversation or share a story about World AIDS Day with others, and what it means to them.

This year's national theme is “Inclusion, Equity, Respect”. It is worth appreciating that people living with HIV in Queensland can and do live healthy, vibrant, positive lives. But it is unfortunate that even today many people

living with HIV are treated differently by others in the community, in the workplace, and in healthcare settings.

There is, therefore, a need for everyone, regardless of their HIV status, gender, sexuality or culture, to live their own bold, positive lives, in good health and free from discrimination.

World AIDS Day is one of the most globally recognized events

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of the year. It is celebrated across Australia to encourage the community to talk about HIV/AIDS, raise community awareness, break down barriers, and educate the community in general. Queensland saw a series of events on December 1, such World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil, at Queensland Parliament House, World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil – Cairns, at Munro Martin

Parklands, World AIDS Day Remembrance Walk – Townsville at Townsville AIDS Memorial, Soroptimist Park, World AIDS Day Remembrance Luncheon - Sunshine Coast at Nambour Tram Terminus Building, and World AIDS Day Remembrance Connections – Mackay at Gordon St, Mackay, , are among some of the events organized in Queensland.

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Annastacia Palaszczuk retires leaving a rich legacy behind Brisbane, December 10 (Australia India News Newsdesk) Annastacia Palaszczuk resigned as Premier of Queensland, recently. She retires as a Labor hero, a three time election winner, Australia's longestserving female Premier, and above all else, a champion for Queenslanders. From the moment she made history with her extraordinary 2015 election victory, Annastacia Palaszczuk has served Queensland with fierce pride in her state and a powerful determination to deliver for people.

Annastacia’s leadership brought Queensland Labor back from the political brink and on so many occasions since then, her

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Government has put Queensland in a position of national leadership. Under Annastacia, Queensland has set the standard for progress on workers’ rights, rebuilding public hospitals and strengthening public TAFE, helping regional communities seize the opportunities of renewable energy and protecting the precious treasures of Australia’s national environment.

At the National Cabinet, Annastacia was a Queenslander first, second and third but her experience, her leadership and her ability to find common ground so often helped drive action across the Commonwealth.

Everything, from housing and skills to hospital funding and the

NDIS, reflects the strength of her Labor values and her conviction and confidence on the national stage. Just last week, she helped drive new action on a National Firearms Register, to guard against another tragedy like Wieambilla.

When the world turns its eyes to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, so much of what they see in that vibrant and prosperous setting will reflect the vision and ambition of Annastacia Palaszczuk.

During a press conference recently, Palaszczuk endorsed Steven Miles as her potential successor, expressing confidence that he would make an excellent premier.

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Various political figures expressed their sentiments on her departure. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Palaszczuk as “a Labor hero” and “a champion for Queensland”, acknowledging her policy achievements. Queensland’s opposition leader, David Crisafulli, recognized her nine years of service, regardless of political differences.

Recently elected Victorian premier Jacinta Allen commended Palaszczuk for showing young girls that female leadership is normal. Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong also praised her legacy, noting her dedicated leadership in various areas.

Significantly, as the last remaining state or territory leader from the peak pandemic period, Palaszczuk’s departure has marked a significant transition in Australian politics. The next Queensland election is set to be held in October next year.

Annastacia leaves office rightly proud of all she has achieved and – as ever – thinking of what is best for Queensland and its future. I wish her all the very best for her future.

Meanwhile, media sources report that Steven Miles has been sworn-in as the Queensland premier. The ceremony took place at Brisbane's government house with the treasurer Cameron Dick appointed as his Deputy.

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Dandiya Night at Robelle Domain Park hosted by GSIA draws huge crowd The Greater Springfield Indian Association (GSIA) hosted a spectacular Dandiya night at Robelle Domain Park on October 7, 2023, that left attendees in awe. The event witnessed an incredible turnout and featured mesmerizing performances that

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had the audience on their feet.

cultural celebration.

With 13 live singers performing alongside the talented Naad Brahma group, the night was filled with captivating melodies and infectious energy. Attendees were treated to an unforgettable evening of dance, music, and

President Mukesh Dubey and all GSIA team expressed their heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the event. we extend a special thank you to Ms.Charis Mullen Member of the Queensland

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Parliament (MP for jordan) and Shri Swami Atmeshanada ji from Vedanta Centre,whose presence added prestige to the evening.

Additionally, President Dubey acknowledged the sponsors, media partners, volunteers, and other organizations that came together to make this event a

truly memorable and magical experience.

The GSIA's Dandiya night at Robelle Domain Park was a testament to the power of community, culture, and collaboration, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended.

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SPORTS

Abhinav Bindra lauds Odisha’s IPL becomes a decacorn as its combined brand value crosses 10 billion dollars: Report state-of-the-art Sports Science

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) The Indian Premier League (IPL) has become a decacorn as the overall combined brand value has crossed the 10 billion dollars mark. As of now, IPL’s brand value stands at 10.7 billion dollars, as compared to 8.4 billion dollars in 2022, thus registering an increase by 28%.

A report by brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance said the total brand value of the IPL has surged by 433 per cent since its launch in 2008. It added that the IPL’s significant growth is attributed to factors including a media rights deal amounting

to 6.2 billion dollars (INR 48,390 crore), an increase in the central pool of IPL revenues, the addition of two franchise teams, and the return to full stadium attendance in 2023 after the Covid-19 pandemic.

brand value of 47 million dollars and is now the fastest-growing IPL brand, up by 48 percent. The report added that despite starting with a relatively lower base, LSG has made substantial strides in the valuation landscape.

It further said five-time champions Mumbai Indians have emerged as the most valuable IPL brand at 87 million dollars, followed by fellow five-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK), which is now the second most valuable brand with a value of 81 million dollars.

IPL franchises are also continuing to expand their global presence, as the franchise leagues ecosystem is estimated to have a brand value of 1 billion dollars, extending their visibility in the year. Teams like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals are into various franchise T20 leagues.

Other franchises in the top five list include two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at 78.6 million dollars and 69.8 million dollars, respectively.

IPL 2022 winners Gujarat Titans (GT) showed a huge increase in its brand value ranking with a 38 percent growth and securing the fifth position, which is a jump from the eighth-place last year.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are at the eighth position with a

“IPL 2023 is paving the way for a global T20 business ecosystem as more and more franchise owners will be taking their brand of cricket to newer potential markets in the Middle East, USA, Asia-Pacific. Franchise owners are now seeing a year-long commitment from players for various leagues played globally," said Ajimon Francis, Managing Director, Brand Finance India.

Life needs to move on, but it was honestly tough: Rohit Sharma on World Cup final heartbreak frustrated as well at times.”

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) Opening up for the first time since India lost the Men’s ODI World Cup final, captain Rohit Sharma admitted that though one has to move on in life, it was honestly tough for him to get over the defeat in the final at Ahmedabad.

In the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19, Rohit continued to give India fast starts in the first ten overs, slamming a 31-ball 47 as the hosts’ reached 80 at the end of the first powerplay.

But after that, India never got the desired groove in the middle overs and eventually made 240.

In reply, Australia chased down the total in 43 overs, and halted India’s ten-match unbeaten streak in the tournament. It meant that India’s date with destiny and ending their ten-year drought of a global trophy ended in a heartbreak.

“I’ve always grown up watching the 50-over World Cup. To me that was the ultimate prize, the 50-over World Cup. We’ve worked all these years, for that World Cup. And it is disappointing, right?”

“If you don’t get through it, don’t get what you want, what you’ve been looking for all this while, what you were dreaming of.

You get disappointed. You get

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"I had no idea how to come back after the final, my family & friends kept me going - it was hard to digest but life needs to move on but honestly it was tough to move on from that day, it was the ultimate prize," said Rohit in a video posted on ‘Team45ro’ Instagram account.

After the tournament was over, Rohit headed to United Kingdom with his family to try and get over the sadness of losing the World Cup final, while appreciating the fans for coming out to support the team in huge numbers. “After the final, it was very hard to get back and start moving on, which is why I decided that I need to get my mind out of this.”

“But then, wherever I was, I realised that people were coming up to me and they were appreciating everyone’s effort, how well we played. I feel for all of them. They all, along with us, were dreaming of lifting that World Cup, along with us.”

“Everywhere we went during this entire campaign, there was so much support from everyone who came to the stadium firstly and people who were watching it from home as well.”

“I want to appreciate what the people have done for us, in that one and half month period.

But again, if I think more and more about that I feel quite disappointed that we were not able to go all the way.”

Rohit revealed fans telling him that they were proud of Indian team’s performance in the World Cup, making it easy for him to heal and was touched by the

empathy shown by them. “For me to see, you know, people coming up to me, telling me that they were proud of the team, you know made me feel good. Along with them, I was healing as well. I felt, okay these are the kind of things you want to hear.”

“People, when they understand what the player must be going through and when they know these kind of things and not to bring out that frustration, that anger, it means a lot for us, for me definitely it meant a lot because there was no anger, it was just pure love from people that I met and it was wonderful to see that.

So it gives you motivation to get back and start working again and look for another ultimate prize.”

Rohit will be next seen in cricketing action during India’s two Tests against South Africa in Centurion from December 26-30 and in Cape Town from January 3-7, 2024, after taking a break from the white-ball leg of the tour.

It is India's second series of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle, after winning the two-Test series in West Indies in July by 1-0. The last time India played a Test series in South Africa was in December 2021-January 2022, which Rohit missed due to a left hamstring injury.

At that time, India won the first Test in Centurion, before South Africa bounced back to win matches in Johannesburg and Cape Town to eventually claim the series 2-1, thus increasing the visitors’ search for a first-ever Test series win in the country.

Centre at Kalinga Sports Complex gold medallist highlighted the importance of the initiative.

"This is an excellent facility and I believe sports science is the edge that athletes need to thrive at a global level. All global sporting superpowers incorporate sports science at all levels, right from talent identification to elite athlete training," Bindra said.

Bhubaneswar, Dec 13 (IANS) The state-of-the-art sports science centre in Kalinga Stadium was inaugurated by Chief Minister, Odisha, Naveen Patnaik on Monday. The comprehensive facility has been created to support sportspersons and parasports persons from different sports by leveraging sports science and technology.

It will serve as a centre for aiding in rehabilitation and recovery and improving performance of local sports talent and elite athletes from all over India.

India’s first individual Olympic

The Sports Science Centre houses specialised labs including a Para-Athlete Performance Lab, Biomechanics Lab, Altitude Training Chamber, Cryotherapy and flotation therapy, Bindra lauded the Para Athlete Performance Lab and reiterated its significance. “Sport is something that champions inclusivity and champions gender equality, it is marvellous to see how Odisha is using sport to imbibe these values in society.

Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj become first Asian men to be inducted in Tennis Hall of Fame

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) Former doubles world No. 1 Leander Paes and ex-player, broadcaster and promoter Vijay Amritraj, become the first Asian men to be elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Paes, an 18-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles, has been selected in the Player Category while Amritraj are inductee in the Contributor Category, which is considered for election every two years, along with British journalist and historian Richard Evans.

The Contributor Category recognizes true pioneers, visionary leaders, or individuals/ groups who have made a transcendent impact on the sport.

The official induction ceremony will take place on July 20, 2024 in Newport, Rhode Island.

Paes, Amritraj and Evans will join an elite group of 264 inductees from 27 nations – with India set to become the 28th nation represented in the Hall of Fame.

With eight doubles Grand Slam

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"I wish I had the opportunity during my career to access the wonderful technology and expertise available here. I am sure it would have helped me perform even better," he added.

titles and 10 in mixed doubles, Paes is one of only three men in tennis history to capture a career Grand Slam in both disciplines.

He won 55 doubles titles on tour and also spent a total of 462 weeks inside the ATP doubles top 10, including 37 weeks at No. 1.

"It has been my life’s honor to play for my country for over three decades in a sport that has given and taught me everything.

This acknowledgment is indeed the ultimate accolade for every tennis player. Induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame belongs not just to me, but to our billion-plus Indians.

"Receiving this honor culminates a professional journey of a lifetime, standing on the shoulders of greats and sets the tone for other youngsters in Asia and around the world, Paes said.

Paes competed in a record seven consecutive Olympic Games, the most in tennis history, and is India’s only Olympic medalist in tennis, capturing bronze in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

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Experts warn against removing ear wax, says could lead to hearing loss President of the Association of Otolaryngologists, Lucknow chapter, Dr Rakesh Srivastava said that the human ear has a self-cleaning mechanism and no routine maintenance was required.

Lucknow, Dec 6 (IANS) Medical experts have warned against using cotton swabs, ear picks, pens, or fingers to remove ear wax since this could lead to hearing loss.

During the fourth VoiceCon and Airway Conference, organised by the Association of Otolaryngologists (AOIENT surgeons), experts said that hundreds of such cases are reported every month in the city, where individuals unintentionally cause damage to their ears.

"Earwax, or cerumen, serves as a natural protector for eardrums and inner ear against dust and dirt. Improper cleaning pushes wax deeper into the ear canal, resulting in heightened pressure, reduced hearing, and painful ear and infections. Five-six such cases come to light every month," he added.

Another otolaryngologist, Dr Sumit Sharma, urged the people to refrain from putting mustard oil in children's ear. This is a common practice in North India.

Highlighting another negative aspect of wax removal, Dr Ashish Chandra of RMLIMS said that wax protects the ear from infection from water in ear canal. "It also protects the eardrum from dirt.

There should be some wax in the ear for its wellbeing. Even in case of infection, we clean wax when the infection is cured," he added.

"Putting oil in the ear canal does

Chinese scientists develop novel gene editing jab to ‘reverse’ autism errors in which leads to problems with crucial development processes in the brain.

The team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Fudan University in Shanghai created mice with mutations in the MEF2C gene.

Beijing, Dec 6 (IANS) A team of scientists in China have developed a new gene editing shot that in a mice study 'reversed' autism symptoms.

Autism, formally called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by deficits in social communication and social interaction, and repetitive or restricted patterns of behaviours, interests, or activities.

ASD has been linked majorly to a mutation in the MEF2C gene --

The study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, revealed that mutations in MEF2C gene led to developmental deficits, speech problems, repetitive behaviours and epilepsy -- features associated with autism. Mice with the genetic characteristic who were given the shot had a total reversal of their behavioural and social problems, revealed the study.

Further, the study showed that the male mice given the mutation were found to have lower levels of the MEF2C protein in the brain,

Fatty foods can dent body’s ability to fight stress: Study episode.

nothing good. On the contrary it might flare up infection, if any," he added.

Regarding excessive wax, he said: "Only some people have this problem because of the design of their ear canal. These individuals, if necessary, may contact doctors who use suction techniques and a syringe filled with warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide to remove wax."

and had symptoms that mimicked ASD-like hyperactivity, problems with social interaction and repetitive behaviour.

The gene editing system was deliver into the mice's brain via an adeno-associated virus vector -- capable of passing through the blood-brain barrier.

"This treatment successfully restored MEF2C protein levels in several brain regions and reversed the behavioural abnormalities in MEF2C-mutant mice," said the researchers.

While the study focused on mice, it suggests that the shot could one day be 'feasibly' used to help humans with autism. "Our work presents an in vivo base-editing paradigm that could potentially correct single-base genetic mutations in the brain," the team added.

The scientists were also still able to detect reduced arterial elasticity -- which is a measure of vascular function -- in participants up to 90 minutes after the stressful event was over.

London, Dec 6 (IANS) Eating fatty foods during stressful periods can impair the body's 'recovery' from the effects of stress, new research suggests.

The study, published recently in Frontiers in Nutrition and Nutrients, showed that consuming foods high in fat before a mentally stressful episode can reduce brain oxygenation and cause poorer vascular function in adults.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham took a group of young, healthy adults and gave them two butter croissants as breakfast.

They then asked them to do mental math, increasing in speed for eight minutes, alerting them when they got an answer wrong.

They could also see themselves on a screen while they did the exercise. The experiment was designed to simulate everyday stress that we might have to deal with at work or at home.

The team found that eating highfat foods attenuated cerebral oxygenation in the pre-frontal cortex, with lower oxygen delivery (39 per cent reduction in oxygenated hemoglobin) during stress compared to when participants consumed a low-fat meal.

Furthermore, fat consumption had a negative effect on mood both during and after the stress

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 5 (IANS) Experts, at Kerala Global Ayerveda Festival, on Tuesday said that the Ayerveda’s role during the times of Coivd must be written in history because of role and contribution of Ayurveda researchers and practitioners, who tirelessly and fearlessly provided services during the testing times.

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Dr Sanjeev Rastogi, HoD Dept of Kayachikitsa State Ayurvedic College and Hospital Lucknow, said that the Covid reinforced the relevance of Ayurveda.

“They emerged as saviours during the second wave of Covid when the mortality rate was exceptionally high and conventional healthcare system was unable to provide adequate care to all,” Dr Rastogi said.

He said that a case of severe Covid with all predictors suggestive of a bad prognosis was treated well with the intervention of Ayurveda.

“The complete recovery was possible in 19 days for a patient who was in the ICU for 14 days,” Dr Rastogi said.

Citing another case, he said that a family comprising four adults tested positive during the second wave of the pandemic and they were treated well at home through Ayurveda despite the observed fall in oxygen level.

Dr. Pooja Sabharwal, Assistant Professor Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan New Delhi, said that Ayurveda has various evidences for the management of communicable diseases and it is a partial truth that communicable diseases can only be managed by modern science.

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"When we get stressed, different things happen in the body: our heart rate and blood pressure go up, our blood vessels dilate, and blood flow to the brain increases. We also know that the elasticity of our blood vessels declines following mental stress," explained Rosalind Baynham, doctoral researcher at the University.

"We found that consuming fatty foods when mentally stressed reduced vascular function by 1.74 per cent (as measured by Brachial Flow-mediated dilatation, FMD)."

"Previous studies have shown that a 1 per cent reduction in vascular function leads to a 13 per cent increase in cardiovascular disease risk. Importantly we show that this impairment in vascular function persisted for even longer when our participants had eaten the croissants," Baynham said.

For people who already have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, the impacts could be even more serious, the researchers said.

"We all deal with stress all the time, but especially for those of us in high-stress jobs and at risk of cardiovascular disease, these findings should be taken seriously," said Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten, Professor of Biological Psychology at the University.

The research also suggested that by consuming low-fat food and drinks, people's recovery from stress is less affected.

Over 4 hours of smartphone use daily may affect mental health

50,000 adolescent participants.

Ayurveda’s role in Covid needs to be written in history: Experts The experts were speaking on the fifth and last day of the Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF 2023) titled ‘Experience & Research during Pandemic’.

HEALTH

The data included the approximate number of daily hours each participant spent on a smartphone as well as various health measures.

Seoul, Dec 7 (IANS) Adolescents who indulge in smartphones for more than four hours daily could be at higher risk of adverse mental health and substance use risk, according to a study.

Prior research has shown that smartphone use among adolescents has increased in recent years, and that this usage may be associated with higher risk of adverse health -- such as psychiatric disorders, sleep issues, eye-related problems, and musculoskeletal disorders.

To deepen understanding of the relationship between adolescents' use of smartphones and health, the team from Hanyang University Medical Center, Korea analysed data on more than

The statistical analysis employed propensity score matching to help account for other factors that could be linked to health outcomes, such as age, sex, and socioeconomic status.

Adolescents who used a smartphone for more than four hours per day had higher rates of stress, thoughts of suicide, and substance use than those with usage below four hours per day.

However, adolescents who used a smartphone one to two hours per day encountered fewer problems than adolescents who did not use a smartphone at all, revealed the findings published in the openaccess journal PLOS ONE.

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ARTS & CULTURE

India Art Fair in Delhi from Feb 1 to 4 Exploring multiple themes The fair welcomes 26 new exhibitors, including 10 first-time South Asian institutional participants new Indian galleries for the first

time, Gallerie Splash (Gurugram) and Method (Mumbai).

I

ndia Art Fair will return for its 15th edition at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi from February 1 to 4.

India Art Fair 2024 is the biggest edition yet, featuring 100 exhibitors, including 71 galleries, 7 design studios, and the participation of major regional art institutions.

The fair welcomes 26 new exhibitors, including 10 firsttime South Asian institutional participants as part of its mission to celebrate and further support the arts ecosystem in the region.

The fair’s inaugural Design section will host pioneering designers and studios, spanning collectable furniture, jewellery, and fabrics, with a strong emphasis on contemporary interventions into traditional craftsmanship.

Building on the growth of the Indian art market and economy at large, the upcoming edition will also see the greatest international participation yet, with 18 international galleries and institutions exhibiting and several leaders of global arts organizations confirmed to participate in the fair’s Talks Programme.

Jaya Asokan, Fair Director, India Art Fair says, “The landmark 15th edition of India Art Fair comes at an exciting time for both the South Asian art scene and the market, with artists from the region becoming a part of international conversations as never before. As we continue to grow as a fair, we remain focused on our mission to amplify the voices of the most exciting

he third edition of the Delhi Art Week (DAW) will be held in the national capital from December 1 to 10.

Across four art zones, more than 20 galleries will be showcasing exhibitions across diverse mediums and themes.

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The Art Alive Gallery’s new group show titled ‘Immersive Infinities’

Among the international galleries returning to the fair are Galleria Continua (San Gimignano/Beijing/ Les Moulins/Habana/Roma/Sao Paulo/Paris/Dubai), Marc Straus, Aicon and Aicon Contemporary (all New York City), 1x1 Art Gallery (Dubai), neugerriemschneider (Berlin), Bruno Art Group (Tel Aviv/Singapore), Saskia Fernando Gallery (Colombo), and Grosvenor Gallery (London). artists from the region and to support the expansion of South Asian creativity. We are thrilled to launch our very first Design section and to welcome a diversity of creative talent from across India and the broader region. I look forward to welcoming new and old friends to the fair.”

Some of India’s most important contemporary galleries alongside established international names will be showcasing rare masterpieces and contemporary works, as well as examples drawing from South Asia’s traditional arts heritage.

Top Indian contemporary galleries exhibiting include Vadehra Art Gallery, GALLERYSKE, Nature Morte, Exhibit 320, Gallery Espace, Shrine Empire, Latitude 28, Blueprint12 (all New Delhi), Anant Art Gallery (NOIDA / New Delhi), Chatterjee & Lal, Jhaveri Contemporary, Chemould Prescott Road, Gallery Maskara, Galerie Isa, Project 88 (all Mumbai), Emami Art, Gallery Art Exposure (both Kolkata), Experimenter (Kolkata / Mumbai), Vida Heydari Contemporary (Pune), Apparao Galleries, Gallery Veda (Chennai), Archer Art Gallery, Iram Art, ZOCA (Ahmedabad), and Dhi Contemporary, Shrishti Art Gallery, Kalakriti Art Gallery (Hyderabad).

Alongside these are modern galleries, including DAG (New Delhi/Mumbai/New York), Crayon Art Gallery, Sanchit Art and Dhoomimal Gallery (all New Delhi).

India Art Fair also welcomes two

In addition, the fair introduces three new international gallery participants, Carpenters Workshop Gallery (London/Paris/ New York/Los Angeles), Galerie Geek Art (Tokyo/New Delhi), and Indigo+Madder (London).

Comprising solo presentations curated by participating galleries, the Focus section showcases mixed media works by senior artists like Probir Gupta (Anant Art Gallery), Paresh Maity (Art Alive Gallery), V. Ramesh (Threshold Art Gallery), Chippa Sudhakar (Shrishti Art Gallery) and emerging practices including Dibin Thilakan (Gallery OED).

The Platform section spotlights the rich artistic heritage of South Asia through the works of contemporary masters of traditional arts, including presentations foregrounding the spiritual roots of these traditions.

The participants include: Delhi Crafts Council (DCC) (New Delhi) exhibiting traditional woodworking technique of marquetry; Inherited Arts Forum (New Delhi) making a curated presentation on the artistic trope of ‘Devi and her vahana’ with paintings and sculptures; Serenity Arts (New Delhi / Thimpu) bringing traditional Bhutanese Thangka paintings; Shrujan - Living and Learning Design Centre (Kutch) presenting contemporary crafts from the Kutch region of Gujarat; and Gallery Ragini and OJAS Art (both New Delhi) showing a variety of traditions ranging from Madhubani and Gond to Pattachitra and Bhil art, among others.

Delhi Art Week to be held from Dec 1-10

T

through ceramic art

DAW has also joined hands with partnering institutes such as NGMA, Bikaner House, The Partition Museum and Dara Shukoh Cultural Hub, ST+ART, KNMA, Alliance Francaise de Delhi and Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan etc. to design a range of diverse programming to engage with the audience.

The city has been divided into four art zones, where one can find clusters of galleries and institutions listed in each zone.

In addition to galleries and institutions showcasing their programs physically within their

T

he Art Alive Gallery's new group show titled 'Immersive Infinities' being held in the national capital features works of six artists that allow the audience to experience ceramic art through the prism of immersive experiences while narrating stories of history, politics, nature, environmental concerns, community, and more.

On till December 15, 2023, the group show features works of Vinod Daroz, Thomas Louis, Rakhee Kane, Shirley Bhatnagar, Shweta Mansingka, and Partha Dasgupta.

Talking about the curatorial framework, the show’s curated Kristine Michael says: "The artist as storyteller takes the audience on a journey tapping into an emotional memory or truth both literally and metaphorically.

An immersive experience is transformative - a conduit to take you by the hand into a new vision created by the artist in an intimate spatial environment through visual and tactile delights."

"This exhibition allows the audience to experience ceramic works that span a range of topics, from architecture to social justice, the body, the domestic, the political, and the organic, to reclaim the centrality of ceramics as a medium in the world of art," he adds.

Vinod Daroz's ceramic gold bar installation is a testament to the integration of creative processes

and philosophical foundations.

"Objects of Me" is an immersive experience created by Rakhee Kane, who borrows from her journey and uses art as a medium to take viewers into her world.

She uses space to explore the impermanence of relationships, mirroring the natural cycles of life.

Shirley Bhatnagar's art is a fascinating blend of ancient pottery traditions and contemporary sensibilities.

Her work 'Not Exactly Human' becomes a vessel for storytelling, human-animal interplay, and the creation of a unique, otherworldly experience in a world dominated by mass-produced and impersonal materials.

Shweta Mansingka's art draws inspiration from the Advaita philosophy which attributes the potential and completeness of infinite creation to each atom. 'Locked Vulnerabilities' is a contemplative ceramic wall installation that delves into the human experience of vulnerability. Her other work, 'Circle with Many Centers and No Circumference' challenges conventional notions of structure and form.

Thomas Louis' ('Guardian Spirit') perspective underscores the interplay between vulnerability, resilience, and our relationship with the environment.

own spaces, the event will feature several events which are aimed at engaging with the audience. This includes book launches, talks and walkthroughs.

Tariq Allana, Associate Director, Art Heritage; Sunaina Anand, Director, Art Alive Gallery and Reena Lath, Director, Akar Prakar share, "Each successive edition of Delhi Art Week offers an opportunity for us to address various challenges related to raising awareness about Indian art within our city.

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Christmas markets in Switzerland worth experiencing this year!

From warm mulled wine, punch, plum cake, and home-baked goodies like raclette and fondue, handicrafts, jewellery, and clothes to concerts, workshops for adults and kids, and local choirs that set the mood for the celebrations — these markets offer all this and more!

Indian airport lounges: Where to find the best local cuisine Airports, while often considered transient spaces, can offer a gateway to the culinary treasures of a region

By Vikas Sharma

The countdown to Christmas, among the most anticipated festivals across the world, has begun and there’s much to look forward to! Spending the holiday with loved ones, hanging out, or shopping at any of the country’s bustling, vibrant Christmas markets is one of the best ways to soak in the festive spirit. From warm mulled wine, punch, plum cake, and home-baked goodies like raclette and fondue, handicrafts, jewellery, and clothes to concerts, workshops for adults and kids, and local choirs that set the mood for the celebrations — these markets offer all this and more!

Here are Switzerland’s seven most exciting Christmas markets that are worth a visit this year and every other year! Most markets are open already from November 23 onwards to usher in the beginning of the Advent period.

Basel The Basel Christmas Market held in Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz was voted 2021’s Best Christmas Market in Europe. Started from November 23, this month-long market with 155 stands, is one of the largest Christmas markets in Switzerland. Don't miss out gorging on sumptuous Christmas delicacies at Barfüsserplatz, writing down your wish in the Basel Wish Book or enjoying the best view from the Basel Cathedral of this fairy tale land! Let the Christmas tree ornamented by the well-known decorator Johann Wanner dazzle you at Münsterplatz, the most beautiful square in Basel. Take a walk to the Pfalz and sip on your mulled wine against a shimmering view over the Rhine.

Zurich In Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city, there is a Christmas market for each and every reveller. Most markets are already open from November 23, including the city's oldest Christmas market held in Dörfli in the heart of the Old Town or the Zurich Main Station market - one of the largest indoor Christmas markets in Europe featuring 140 stalls. You can stroll through these markets to pick up statement jewellery pieces by local designers, indulge in candle making or sampling traditional Swiss fare with loved ones.

December 05, 2023 (IANSlife) Travelling is an experience that tantalises all our senses. From the sight of new horizons to the sound of adventure, and the touch of different cultures, it's a journey that's as much about the food as it is about the destination.

Airports, while often considered transient spaces, can offer a gateway to the culinary treasures of a region. Indian airport lounges, in particular, are where you can unroll on a flavourful journey even before you've taken off. In this article, we will explore the cuisines offered at airport lounges of some of the key cities in India, and discover the hidden gems in terms of the local cuisine they have to offer.

Goa's Foodie Delights Goa, known for its pristine beaches and vibrant nightlife, is also a treasure trove of delicious local cuisine. As you wait for your flight at Goa International Airport, also known as the Manohar International Airport - be sure to sample some of the state's delectable dishes. Known for the state-of-the-art facilities, Encalm Lounge at the Goa airport is serves the best of delicacies and provides an amazing seating area where travellers can unwind.

The lounges are known to serve the local food with great variety and finesse. The Goan cuisine is a fusion of flavours influenced by its rich history, blending Portuguese and Indian culinary traditions.

One cannot miss "GoanSorak Coconut Curry" – a mouthwatering dish made from Goan coconuts and onions, garlic and chillies, seasoned with a mix of aromatic spices. If you have a sweet tooth, savour "Bebinca," a traditional Goan dessert.

This layered pudding is a sweet delight, rich with coconut and jaggery.

Delhi's Diversity In Food Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi offers an array of dining experiences that reflect the city's diverse culinary landscape.

There are various lounges at the IGI Airport, but the flagship lounges offer a different level of diversity altogether when it comes to the cuisines. Right from chefs preparing international cuisines with the Delhi touch,

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TRAVEL

to inducing live stations from chefs presenting the best of the capital, right in front of your eyes - the Delhi Airport experience promises to be an amazing one.

Delhi is a melting pot of cultures, and its food scene is a testament to this cultural diversity. With superior amenities imbibed at the core, Encalm Lounge offers the finest facilities, including lounge bays, a bar, a multi-cuisine buffet, live food counters, a kid’s play area, a library, and a business centre.

Hyderabad's Spice Extravaganza Known as the "City of Pearls" and the "City of Nizams," Hyderabad is a place where history and food traditions merge beautifully. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad is your gateway to the culinary treasures of this city.

The Encalm lounge at Hyderabad Airport is known to boast a spacious extravaganza that ensures an amazing experience for travellers. Hyderabad is celebrated for its biryanis, and you can't leave without savouring one.

"Hyderabadi Biryani" is a fragrant rice dish made with tender marinated meat, saffron, and spices, slow-cooked to perfection.

Another delicacy to explore is “Chicken Haleem," a rich and hearty stew made from wheat, barley, and chicken.

It's commonly enjoyed during festivities but is available throughout the year. And don't forget to try "Hyderabadi MirchikaSalan," a spicy curry made with green chilies, peanuts, and sesame seeds, typically served with biryani.

The Joy of Airport Lounges The airport lounges in India have evolved beyond just offering comfortable seating and complimentary Wi-Fi. They now cater to travellers with discerning tastes by providing a gastronomic experience that rivals some of the best restaurants. As you relax in the serene ambience of these lounges, you can live the tradition and experience the culture through the local cuisines.

In a nutshell, Indian airport lounges are a gateway to the heritage of the regions they represent, (Vikas Sharma is the CEO of Encalm Hospitality)

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INDIA NEWS

Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

FASHION

to present Indian Handloom Bollywood inspired winter outfits FDCI at BRICS+ Fashion Summit Now that the season is slowly approaching, it’s time to update our clothes again

By Olivia Sarkar

W

inter will officially arrive in a few weeks when the

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja Checks are a fantastic way to improve one's mood and, of course, a fashion statement that never goes wrong. And no one can demonstrate the need for this kind of investment more than style icon Sonam Kapoor.

She casually pairs a camel-brown overcoat with a checked co-ord outfit.

temperature drops and you pull your coats and woolies out of storage. Now that the season is

slowly approaching, it's time to update our clothes again.

Priyanka Chopra

Janhvi Kapoor

Because of her extensive jacket collection, Priyanka always looks great for winter. A shearingstyle jacket made of suede-like material is what you should wear if you want to seem as stylish as her. Shearling coats in the aviator design are always a hit with rock stars.

Jackets have always been a classic piece of clothing. The grey-brown fur that Janhvi chose creates a stylish and comfortable look.

Choose synthetic fur jackets instead of real ones because the former are very costly and it might be difficult to determine whether the fur was obtained responsibly.

The Moscow Concert Hall “Zaryadye” and the adjacent park will be the esteemed venues welcoming representatives from 60 countries

Moscow is poised to transform into a global fashion epicenter for the upcoming week, commencing November 28, as it plays host to the inaugural BRICS+ fashion summit.

The Moscow Concert Hall "Zaryadye" and the adjacent park will be the esteemed venues welcoming representatives from 60 countries.

The Indian delegation, led by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and spearheaded

by Chairman Sunil Sethi, who also serves as the mentor of the show, is set to showcase Indian handloom encapsulating the essence of Indian culture.

This presentation is expected to be a highlight of the summit, featuring collections by Indian designers Ritesh Kumar, Naushad Ali, Gaurav Khanijo, and Shruti Sancheti.

Council of India, shared his enthusiasm, stating, "FDCI is thrilled to engage in the forthcoming BRICS+ fashion summit in Moscow. Our steadfast dedication to advancing Indian handloom, in accordance with the Ministry of Textiles' guidance, is apparent in our endeavors to present the collection for both B2B meetings and a fashion show. This also signifies our third international showcase of the Khadi ensemble, aligning seamlessly with the policies of the KVIC."

On the occasion Sunil Sethi, Chairman of the Fashion Design

Sara Ali Khan

Ananya Panday

Parka jackets provide body protection from the weather by having an insulated filling and a slightly longer length. This winter, try Sara Ali Khan's style for a chic, laid-back, and comfortable look.

Her parka has a stylish black-andwhite colour scheme with graphic text on it.

What you get when a coat and a jacket fall deeply in love is a blazer. I'm kidding! However, although they seem more like a longer, slightly casual coat, they do offer all the functionality of a jacket. This winter, Ananya Panday's paid blazer is the ideal ensemble for a chilly breakfast.

www.indianews.com.au

Shraddha Kapoor Over the past few years, puffer coats have evolved from utilitarian jackets to fashion statements. These days, oversized puffers are a girl's must-have for the winter. With the new season upon us, everyone from Hailey Bieber to Kylie Jenner is wearing it. To achieve the desired it-girl look, try Shraddha's puffer.

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Among the attendees will be industry experts, designers, buyers, representatives of fashion educational institutions, and heads of international fashion associations. Delegations will converge in the Russian capital from diverse regions, including Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, South-Eastern Asia, Europe,

Africa, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

The event boasts a global representation of brands, including Lucas Leao (Brazil), CHNNYU (China), David Tlale (South Africa), Alena Akhmadullina (Russia), SADAELS (Argentina), Arzu Kaprol (Turkey), NIV NIV by KAT.

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Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

INDIA NEWS

LAAPATAA LADIES RELEASE DATE: 1 March 2024 LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles) DIRECTOR: Kiran Rao

MERRY CHRISTMAS RELEASE DATE: 12 January 2024 LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles)

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CAST: Atishay Jain Akhil, Shivam Ghawariya, Nitanshi Goel SYNOPSIS: It’s a jolly mess when two young brides get lost from a train. Set in 2001, somewhere in rural India.

PRODUCER: Ramesh Taurani, Sanjay Routray, Kewal Garg

NEW RELEASES

DUNKI

RELEASE DATE: 22 December 2023 LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles) DIRECTOR: Rajkumar Hirani CAST: Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu

MAIN ATAL HOON

Legend Studios

LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles)

CAST: Pankaj Tripathi, Benedict Garrett, Harshad Kumar

DIRECTOR: Sriram Raghavan

RELEASE DATE: 19 January 2024

CAST: Vijay Sethupathi, Katrina Kaif, Radhika Apte

PRODUCER: Bhanushali Studios Limited and

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DIRECTOR: Ravi Jadhav

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INDIA NEWS

New Delhi : Telangana CM-designate A Revanth Reddy meets Congress senior leader Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday, December 06, 2023.

Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

New Delhi: Union Home Minister speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Dubai : PM Narendra Modi With Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni during the COP-28 in Dubai on Friday, December 01, 2023.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being pinned a badge by Secretary Kendriya Sainik Board, Commodore HP Singh on the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day, in New Delhi on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Film Director Mahesh Bhatt, former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly, actors Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and others at the Kolkata International Film Festival

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Mumbai: Monks visit Chaityabhoomi on the death anniversary of BR Ambedkar in Mumbai on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

Dubai : Prime Minister Narendra Modi with United Arab Emirates Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit in Dubai on Friday, December 1, 2023.

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra with other TMC women MPs protests against Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s alleged ‘misogynistic’ remarks targeting TMC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

Chennai: Actors Aamir Khan and Vishnu Vishal being rescued by rescue department from Chennai floods, in Chennai,

PHOTO FEATURE

Mathura: Security personnel stand guard near the Krishna Janambhoomi temple and Shahi Mosque Eidgah on the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, in Mathura, Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by BJP National President JP Nadda during the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting at the Parliament House during the Winter session, in New Delhi, Thursday

Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Film Director Mahesh Bhatt, former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly, actors Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and others at the Kolkata International Film Festival

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Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Film Director Mahesh Bhatt, former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly, actors Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and others at the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF),in Kolkata,Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.

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INDIA NEWS

Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

ENTERTAINMENT

SRK says honesty, patriotism are Teaser of Akshay, Tiger-starrer ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ to key to his ‘Dunki’ character release on Republic Day B

ollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film 'Dunki', has shared that the key to his character in the film is "honesty" and "patriotism".

SRK recently engaged with his fans on X during #AskSRK session.

During the session, a fan asked, "When our sweetest Raju nd Abhijat sir came to u with this role for #Dunki nd u started your preparation by giving each shot in 25 different ways.. what did u feel was the key to this character Shah Rukh Bhai? Love u (sic)."

Responding to the tweet, SRK wrote, "Goodness.

Honesty. Loyalty. Patriotism. #Dunkitrailer."

'Dunki', directed by superstar director Rajkumar Hirani, also stars Boman Irani, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Vikram Kochhar and Anil Grover.

Another fan asked, "#AskSRK Dunki looks like having SRK from every decade since you're working. How tough was the transformation? or VFX was used?

Also, plans for 2024?"

SRK replied, "One has to work on physical attributes to play different ages… prosthetics and vfx and whole lot of team members have to work very hard to try and get it right. Months of work. #DunkiTrailer."

T

he makers of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff-starrer 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' have announced the release of the teaser of the movie during the Republic Day 2024 weekend.

A source said: "The teaser cut is locked and loaded with action featuring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. It’s in the final stages of post-production at the moment and the team is committed to bringing it during the Republic Day 2024 weekend."

"The teaser will screen all across with the Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone led 'Fighter', as team BMCM will be locking a deal with cinema owners for a big splash on the big screen,”

revealed the source close to the development.

The highly awaited teaser, currently in the final stages of post-production, promises to showcase the high-energy performances of both Akshay and Tiger, intensifying the anticipation surrounding the impending release of the film.

The action film is written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, and also stars Alaya F, Janhvi Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, and Manushi Chhillar.

Apart from 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan', Tiger has 'Rambo', 'Hero No 1', directed by Jagan Shakti and Rohit Shetty's 'Singham Again', in the pipeline.

TV actor Bhupinder Singh held for murder in UP district

A JIO Studios, Red Chillies Entertainment and Rajkumar Hirani Films presentation, produced by Rajkumar Hirani and Gauri Khan. Written by Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani and Kanika Dhillon, Dunki is slated to release on December 21, 2023.

P Diddy sued by 4th woman for alleged sexual assault

A

nother woman has filed a lawsuit against rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs for sexual assault.

This is Combs' fourth sexual assault lawsuit in three weeks.

The woman, known as Jane Doe, claims in her lawsuit that in 2003 she was "sex trafficked" and "gang raped" by Combs; Harve Pierre, the then-president of Bad Boy Records; and a third unnamed person, reports Mirror.co.uk.

She was 17 years old at the time.

Combs has posted a statement on social media about the various allegations against him.

"Enough is enough. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation, and my legacy," he said, "Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family, and for the truth.”

www.indianews.com.au

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T

elevision actor Bhupinder Singh and his aides have been arrested after a murder related to a land dispute in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district.

Singh accidentally fired from his licensed revolver, killing one youth, and injuring three others, reports said.

On the complaint of the deceased's uncle, the police registered a complaint against the TV actor and arrested him.

The search is on for his two other aides who are still on the run.

Bhupinder Singh hails from Kuankheda Khadri. His farm is next to Gurdeep Singh's residence. It all started when an eucalyptus tree located at the property boundary led to a heated argument between the two parties. Things went out of control and the actor fired from a licensed pistol. Gurdeep Singh, his wife Meerabai, and their son Amrik Buta Singh were seriously injured, Gurdeep Singh's 22-yearold son Gobind Singh died on the spot, reports further added.

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INDIA NEWS

Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

Deepika, Ranveer’s trolling after ‘Koffee With Karan’ episode ‘angered’ KJo Padukone and her husband Ranveer Singh were subjected to after the first episode of the streaming chat show’s 8th season.

The recent episode of the show saw actors Aditya Roy Kapur and Arjun Kapoor gracing the couch as they spoke about a lot of things.

Mumbai, Dec 14 (IANS) Bollywood producer-director Karan Johar, who hosts the streaming chat show ‘Koffee With Karan’, expressed his anger at the trolling that actress Deepika

During the episode, KJo spoke about social media trolling and addressed the first episode of the season. He said: “I felt that it was one of the most honest episodes and the most heartfelt episodes I did with Deepika and Ranveer. I think all three kind of came clean on so much of our emotional heft, so many of our feelings.

And then there was a ridiculous kind of after effect. I just want to put it out there that the reaction

ENTERTAINMENT

Paris Hilton says ‘teenage trauma’ was the reason she opted for surrogacy

angered me. I thought it was one of our best episodes.”

Talking about Deepika and Ranveer, he shared: “They were outstandingly honest. They were earnest. They spoke so much.

They shared so much. They were so gracious. And then you're f****** talking about some nonsense. I am like, ‘What do you know about somebody else’s personal life and marriage?' Tu apne ghar pe dekh na (Look at what's happening at your own home) is what I wanted to tell them. I wanted to show them my f****** middle finger! I am like, you know, just shut up.”

'Koffee with Karan' Season 8 streams on Disney+ Hotstar.

Tom Cruise getting close to woman 25 years younger to him

onlooker described the pair as 'inseparable'.

As per ‘Mirror.co.uk’, Elsina, who is a former model, was previously married to Russian tycoon Dmitry Tsetkov with their bitter split hitting headlines in the summer.

Yet it seems the model has now found love with Top Gun actor Tom, and the feeling appears to be mutual.

A source told Mail Online: "They were inseparable, clearly a couple.

He seemed to be besotted with her."

"He spent most of the night dancing with Ms Khayrova, but at one point he was just throwing himself around in the middle of a group of women."

Los Angeles, Dec 13 (IANS) Hollywood star Tom Cruise has been spotted getting close with a new love interest who is 25 years younger to him.

The ‘Mission Impossible’ actor, 61, has according to reports in the Daily Mail, been getting close to socialite Elsina Khayrova, 36,

who is the daughter of a Russian MP and ex-wife of a successful diamond trading oligarch, reports ‘Mirror.co.uk’.

The source added that Tom was asked by party guests for pictures and kept politely declining before the DJ reportedly had to announce that he didn't want to have photos taken.

The couple were seen dancing and getting close at a London Mayfair party, with onlookers describing Tom as 'besotted' with his dance partner. Another

Elsina previously shared a $27 million home on the Wentworth estate in Surrey with her exhusband as well as homes in London.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ reality show cancelled following sexual assault allegations of Sean 'Diddy' Combs that was in the early stages of development has been cancelled and it comes following multiple lawsuits against Combs alleging sexual assault.

The show, which was being developed with the working title 'Diddy+7', was being produced

by James Corden’s production company Fulwell 73. It has been scrapped at Hulu, reports Variety.

Los Angeles, Dec 14 (IANS) A reality show following the family

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The first suit against Combs was filed on Nov. 16 by Cassandra Ventura aka Cassie, Combs’ former long-time partner, who alleged that Combs had raped and beat her over a period of a decade. Though Combs denied any wrongdoing through a lawyer,

the two parties settled the suit one day later.

Less than a week later, Joi Dickerson-Neal alleged in a suit that Combs “drugged, sexually assaulted and abused” her and that she was the victim of “revenge porn” created and distributed by the rapper.

A third lawsuit came from a Jane Doe who claims that Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall took turns raping her and her friends at Hall’s apartment sometime between 1990 and 1991.

Then another Jane Doe came forward, claiming that Combs, Bad Boy Entertainment president Harve Pierre and a third man raped her when she was 17.

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S

ocialite Paris Hilton has revealed the reason why she opted for a surrogate for the birth of her two children. She said that it was due to the trauma she endured during her teenage years.

During an interview with Romper, Paris said that she still has “so much PTSD from what (she) went through” at Utah’s Provo Canyon School for troubled youth.

“If I’m in a doctor’s office, I get a shot, anything, I will literally have a panic attack and I can’t breathe,” she told the outlet, reports pagesix.com.

“I just knew that would not be healthy for me or the baby, growing inside of someone who has such high anxiety.”

In 2020, the socialite alleged that she had been physically, sexually, and emotionally abused during her nearly year-long stint at the school. She claimed that part of the alleged abuse included non-consensual gynecological examinations in which she was held down against her will.

The school previously said that they “do not condone or promote any form of abuse.”

The 'Simple Life' star previously touched on her fear of pregnancy during an interview with

Glamour UK, saying that “death” and “childbirth” were the “two things that scare (her) more than anything in the world.”

Aside from that, Hilton said that it would have been nearly impossible to manage her hectic work schedule along with the side effects of pregnancy.

“My schedule is out of control,” she said, adding that her days are often planned a year in advance.

“There never would’ve been the right time to do it because there’s literally no time to do anything in my life,” she said.

Despite the long and difficult road to motherhood for Hilton, she feels like her “life is finally complete.”

While the heiress-turnedentrepreneur says two kids is the “perfect” number, she is still open to potentially having one more.

“I used to look at my friends who’d be like, ‘Oh, I have to go home to my kids and my husband,’ like, ‘You’re so lame.

This is so fun. I can’t imagine being like that,’” she recalled.

“Now I’m one of those boring people, and I couldn’t be happier.

I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”

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INDIA NEWS

Dec 16-31, 2023 - Vol 4, Issue 10

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