India News - March 1-15, 2023

14 bilateral contributors receive top honors at 2023 IABCA Award ceremony

New Delhi, February 17 (India News News Desk): The everexpanding areas of cooperation and growing cultural relations between Australia and India are due to the painstaking endeavors of many entities, besides initiatives taken at the respective

governmental levels. The India Australia Business & Community Alliance (IABCA ) is one such organization that has been relentlessly pursuing the ways and means to concretize Australia and India ties, elevating it to the next level of understanding and people-to-people connections.

to run for California State Assembly

District board president.

The San Diego resident's campaign has earned early endorsements from IndianAmerican Congressman Ro Khanna.

Canberra, Feb 27 (IANS) The Australian government on Monday announced an overhaul of its cyber security strategy following a string of major data breaches.

Clare O'Neil, the Minister for Home Affairs, revealed the renewed strategy, saying the 2022 Optus and Medibank hacks exposed flaws in cyber laws, reports Xinhua news agency. A new national coordinator for cyber security will be appointed by the government within the Department of Home Affairs to lead the implementation of the strategy, with the government given more powers to intervene following breaches.

Telecommunications giant Optus revealed in September last year that the data of up to 9.8 million customers could have been compromised in one of the largest data breaches in Australian history.

A month later, health insurance provider Medibank disclosed that hackers had accessed the personal information of 9.7 million current and former customers.

Australian govt to overhaul cyber laws Women’s T20 World Cup:

from the group, says Meg

which saw them go undefeated throughout the tournament, including beating South Africa in the final by 19 runs.

New York, Feb 27 (IANS) IndianAmerican community leader and Democrat Darshana Patel announced her bid to run for the California State Assembly District 76 in 2024.

Patel, 48, said she will not be seeking a third term as California's Poway Unified School

"As the daughter of immigrants who struggled to realize the American Dream, I know the challenges that families can face during hard times. If not for great public school teachers and college scholarships I would not be where I am today," Patel, who moved to California as a teen, said launching her campaign.

"I am running for State Assembly because I want to make sure that

Indian Prime Minister Modi likely to visit Australia in May

the G7 Summit in Tokyo,which is scheduled for 19-21 May.

Cape Town, Feb 27 (IANS) After winning the ICC Women's T20 World Cup for a record sixth time, Australia captain Meg Lanning acknowledged her side for putting in a 'pretty special effort',

"It's a pretty special effort from the group. All teams came hard at us - we knew that was going to happen. But we performed well throughout the tournament, so super proud. We felt like it was a good score, but we had to bowl well."

"The wicket wasn't as good as it was in the semi-final. We felt confident if we could hit the right lengths and target the stumps. We had to put pressure on South Africa," said Meg after the match ended.

With the title win at Cape Town, Meg also overtook Ricky Ponting for captain with the greatest number of ICC titles. She had

India News News Desk

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Australia in the third week of May. Though the exact dates of his itinerary here have not been announced yet, the visit is expected to follow

Prime Minister Modi’s visit assumes significance as both India and Australia have recently boosted bilateral trade ties through the signing of the ECTA. Moreover, both the countries are members of the Quad, which also has the US and Japan as the other members. While the Quad is essentially focusing on issues related to the Indo-Pacific region, following the Ukraine war, it will be interesting to see if the Quad plays any significant role in bringing the two warring

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Defection affects govt’s stability, how could Governor ignore consequences, SC asks Thackeray faction

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14 bilateral contributors receive top honours at 2023 IABCA Award ceremony

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Australian govt to overhaul cyber laws

Continued from Page 1

In the wake of the incidents the Labor government, which came to power in May 2022, expressed frustration at the lack of an emergency response function.

O'Neil said on Monday that having the national coordinator in place at the time would have made a significant difference.

"What we will have now is an individual in the public service who is going to coordinate the response across government and make sure that not only are we deterring and preventing cyber-attacks, but Australians can get up off that quickly," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"The other really important part of this person's job will be to help manage cyber incidents in a proper, seamless strategic way across the Australian government."

The government hopes to appoint someone to the new role within a month to develop a response plan.

Women’s T20 World Cup: It’s a pretty special effort from the group, says Meg Lanning

is on, and getting things done. Nice to finish off with a win with this group.

Indian-American to run for California State Assembly

for Californians.

The election will be an open-seat contest, as incumbent Assembly member Brian Maienschein will be terming out.

California's Assembly District 76 includes the cities of Escondido and San Marcos, portions of San Diego, and numerous unincorporated communities in San Diego County.

to playing the sport.

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

previously captained Australia to 2014, 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cup wins and 2022 ODI World Cup title, apart from a gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"We knew it would be an amazing atmosphere, which it was. It was a great event. It was about keeping things simple when the pressure

It's a special group. Not just the players, but also the support staff that put in a lot of work behind the scenes, and allow us to go out and play our cricket," she added. The 2023 Women's T20 World Cup victory came after Meg returned to the sport after a five-month break. Co-incidentally, the victory at Cape Town was Meg's 100th T20I as captain of Australia. Beth Mooney, Player of the Match in the final with a breezy 74, was thrilled to have Meg, also her coffee and game-day breakfast buddy, back

"When Meg retires - hopefully not for a few more years, hope you're listening Meg - she'll go down as one of the greatest leaders, not just in cricket but in sport and just generally as well. She's got an immense cricket brain."

"She's cool, calm and collected under pressure and she's got empathy as well, she understands how people feel in certain situations because she's been there before and she's experienced a lot as a person and as a leader and as a cricketer. Absolutely she'll go down as one of the greatest ever for our team and we're very lucky to have her."

Indian Prime Minister Modi likely to visit Australia in May

every person has the opportunity to succeed and thrive, and because I can use my experience as a scientist, elected school board member, and a civic leader to make a difference in their lives," she added.

Patel said in her campaign announcement that she wants to keep communities safe, invest in public education, protect the environment, and improve and expand quality healthcare access

Patel has helped restore effective governance and fiscal responsibility to the Poway Unified School District, while guiding local schools through the Covid-19 pandemic.

She also serves on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, and is a member of the San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee.

Patel is a B.A .in Biochemistry at Occidental College and a PhD in Biophysics from the University of California, Irvine.

Hockey club scores field upgrade with community grants

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

parties to the negotiating table. Moreover, China continues to be a threat globally, especially in the Pacific region, requiring the Quad to discuss strategies to thwart China’s growing geopolitical ambitions.

The importance of Quad can be discerned from the fact that the leaders of its member countries have met four times in the last three years, virtual meetings included due to the pandemic. Once Modi’s tour to Australia gets underway, it will be his second visit to Australia after becoming India’s Prime Minister in 2014. Modi’s previous visit to Australia laid the foundation for the signing of ECTA in December 2022. Modi and his then counterpart Tony Abbot had paid a pivotal role in cementing the strong relations between the two

countries.

Modi also had a memorable reception during his last visit at the Allphones Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, and the Indian Prime Minister left an indelible impression on the Indian diaspora here with his outstanding oratorical skills, addressing a gathering of 20,000 captivated crowd with his marathon 90-minute speech.

Prime Minister Modi is expected to address the Indian diaspora on this visit, possibly spending time in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Ferry network fully operational one year on from flood devastation

Continued from Page 1

The restoration of Brisbane’s ferry network is now complete with all 21 terminals to be operational just 12 months on from the devastating February floods.

The final two, and most damaged terminals, North Quay and Regatta will reopen Monday, 27 February.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said he was incredibly impressed with the huge amount of collaborative work done by an array of local businesses to complete the extensive repairs.

“Brisbane’s ferry network has been completely restored within 12 months, and it’s more resilient than ever before,” Cr Schrinner said.“In 2011 we lost seven ferry terminals, and it took four years before they were all fully rebuilt.

“Following the devastating

February 2022 floods, we were able to get our first ferry services back running after just 90 days with 60 per cent of terminals open by mid-May, 90 per cent open by Christmas and now the full network has been restored within 12 months.” Every single terminal was impacted by the 2022 floods. The last terminals to reopen, North Quay and Regatta were in the most turbulent parts of the Brisbane River during the flood which resulted in the gangways getting significantly damaged.

The gangways needed to be removed from the river to be repaired to the teams could complete the complex work without the challenges of moving water. Cr Schrinner said repair works had involved marine specialists along with a whole

suite of supporting trades.

“From painters and plumbers to concreters and crane operators the works both on river and landside to repair these final two terminals has been remarkable,” he said. “Each of our flood resilient terminals have been being built back better, with specialist marine contractors lowering the gangway release mechanisms by 500 millimetres so they swing open sooner in the event of another river flood disaster. “The return of these final two terminals is a huge win for both residents and visitors who can now travel the entire stretch of the river from Northshore Hamilton to UQ St Lucia.”

The repairs were completed as part of Council’s $16 million ferry terminal restoration program.

A popular hockey precinct will be a training ground for potential future Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games athletes following a major upgrade.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner today joined the official reopening event for the Brisbane North Hockey Centre in Chermside following an upgrade of the playing surface.

Council contributed $175,000 towards the club’s two new turfed hockey fields from the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants initiative.

“These grants have proven extremely effective in getting much-needed funds to community groups so they can improve their facilities for everyone to enjoy,” Cr Schrinner said.

“Our sporting clubs and community groups play a vital role in our community, helping keep people of all ages fit and active and engaged in their local area.

“These clubs are run by locals for locals and we know how challenging it can be for them to fund and deliver upgrades.

“Our Council team is committed to supporting these groups who help make Brisbane such a great place to live, work and relax.”

Since opening in August 2021, the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants has given more than $3.3 million to more than 160 different community organizations.

The grants comprise of two categories, Community Facilities and Community Support.

“The community facility category of the program makes sure

physical works within community clubs can be completed to a safe and high standard.” Cr Schrinner shared.

“After being originally opened in 2001 and having 12 long years of use between services, the playing surface of field one will be replaced, along with the underlying shockpad to increase the playability and safety of the field.”

Cr Schrinner said these updated facilities will be vital in putting aspiring hockey players through their paces in the lead up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games.

“Over 250 players from the under 18 junior girls Wolf Cup will christen the field this weekend.” Cr Schrinner said.

“These players are some of the best from across Brisbane and South East Queensland, and are part of the age group that could qualify for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games.

“We want to make sure community clubs across Brisbane can provide the kind of facilities to train the Olympians of tomorrow.

“Council’s investment in community and sports club makes sure that these assets will be able to service residents for years to come.”

For more information on applying for the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grants, visit https://www. brisbane.qld.gov.au/communityand-safety/grants-awards-andsponsorships/community-grants/ lord-mayors-better-suburbsgrants

Chai with Hon. Milton Dick MP

Chai with Hon. Milton Dick MP Federal member for

Australia. He also mentioned that a delegation will be sent to India along with PM Albanese in March.

Australia.

community.

and speaker

the house of Representatives organized by Federation of Communities of Queensland, Australia Inc. FICQ

It was a pleasure to meet Hon. Minister Mr. Milton

Dick on Feb 25th for Chai and discussion forum. Mr. Milton Dick on this occasion spoke to community leaders from various organizations. It was an informal forum for community leaders to discuss, ask questions and voice any upcoming issues in their

On the occasion Hon. Milton Dick MP shared insights on fundings, bilateral relationship between India and Australia, Federal parliament functioning and initiatives, and strengthening the relationship between India and

Australia to up work hour cap for foreign students in July

2022 to allow primary and secondary student visa holders to work over their normal limit of 40 hours per fortnight to address workforce shortages.

This will end on June 30, and the fresh cap will apply to all international students, no matter when they began studying.

Mr. Maha Sinnathambi Patron of FICQ also addressed the leaders and motivated them to continue to do the good work they do as the Indian diaspora is increasing in Australia and many more could be brought in Australia through skilled worker migration which will only improve the economy of

At the occasion the committee members of FICQ also unveiled the posters for the 25th Anniversary celebrations and the FICQ Diwali function at the King George Square in Brisbane. Members attending the forum were pleased with the information they received and the connections they were able to establish with the Minister.

Melbourne, Feb 22 (IANS) The allowable work hours cap for international students will be increased from 40 hours to 48 hours per fortnight, along with a two year work visa extension, beginning July 1, 2023, the Australian government announced.

The revised cap will help international students to support themselves through their studies, while maintaining study as the primary purpose of their visa.

Student visa work restrictions were relaxed throughout the pandemic, and they were completely removed in January

The government also announced that a two-year extension of poststudy work rights is available for international graduates with select degrees that are in areas of verified skill shortage.

This extension will give eligible international higher education graduates an additional two years on their Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).

The extension is in addition to the existing additional one to two years of work rights for eligible students who study, live, and work in regional areas.

For select Bachelor degrees,

post-study work rights will be increased from two to four years, three to five years for select Masters degrees, and four to six years for all doctoral qualifications.

"Enabling students that gain an education in Australia to stay longer and contribute to our economy benefits us all," Minister for Home Affairs Clare O'Neil said.

"After a lost decade on immigration and skills we are looking for ways to utilise skilled migrants via enhanced training and better targeted, less exploitative programs for temporary visa workers and students," she added.

There are 1,00,009 Indian students studying across various Australian universities, according to a report released by the Indian External Affairs Ministry for the year 2022.

Oxley

of

Rugby Run named Queensland’s number one

For the second consecutive year, Rystad Energy has crowned Bravus’ Rugby Run solar farm Queensland’s top performing utility scale PV facility.

Bravus’ Business Manager –Renewables, Derek Chapman, said the performance was testament to the quality of the facility and the broader Adani Group’s expertise in delivering exceptional renewable energy projects.

“Since the facility was officially switched on in 2019, Rugby Run has consistently ranked as one of the top performing solar assets in Australia and the best in Queensland,” Mr Chapman said.

“Adani’s expertise as India’s leading generator of solar power and manufacturer of solar panels was leveraged throughout the construction of the facility and this continues to pay dividends today.”

Located near Moranbah in central Queensland, Rugby Run is Bravus’ first renewables project in Australia.

The 65 MW solar farm provides power for the equivalent of around 23,000 regional Queensland homes and businesses and comprises 247,000 solar panels.

“We built this facility for Queensland’s conditions, with the panels programmed to rotate to track the sun most efficiently

Rugby Run technical details

• 1.3 million galvanized zip ties to be used in the stringing of electrical cables

• More than 247,000 solar panels installed

and also to move to the most effective angles to withstand inclement wind and weather,” Mr Chapman said.

“This included a selection of panels from the Adani Group’s solar panel manufacturing plant in India which have delivered consistently high performance.”

The Adani Group is the world’s largest multinational solar energy company with 4803 MW of solar power in operation and a further 10080 MW under construction, producing power for the equivalent of 5.2m households.

Adani Solar, the photovoltaic manufacturing and research arm of the Group, is building the world’s first fully integrated and comprehensive solar ecosystem manufacturing facility.

The facility will include the entire solar manufacturing ecosystem from metallurgical grade silicon to PV modules, and ancillaries and supporting utilities.

They have recently introduced India’s first large sized monocrystalline silicon ingot which will drive indigenization to produce renewable energy from silicon-based PV modules exclusively for Adani’s solar wafers, cells and modules production.

• 175 jobs at peak construction

Bravus

Bravus is at the forefront of the global energy transition. Our energy products, and the businesses that transport and export them, are fuelling positive growth for the future.

We are deeply committed to creating Australian jobs and opportunities in regional communities and operating responsibly. The safety and well-being of our people and the community, responsible environmental management and governance are at the heart of all we do.

We walk the talk on the energy transition. Our diversified group of Australian businesses produce high-quality thermal coal at the Carmichael Mine and renewable energy from the Rugby Run solar farm, both in central Queensland. Our Bowen Rail Company, Abbot Point Operations and North Queensland Export Terminal businesses proudly transport high-quality coal from our Bravus Mining and Resources Carmichael mine, and from our other mining customers, to the

• 18km of fence line installed

• 7.2km of road built to access site

• 6,500 holes pre-drilled

• The solar panels rotate to track the sun and maximize efficiency

world.

These operations provide reliable and affordable energy solutions that help reduce poverty in the Asia Pacific region and power growth.

We are part of the global Adani Group, which is headquartered in India and is leading the way in progressing the transition to a lower emissions future.

The Adani Group is the world’s largest multinational solar energy company, and India's leader in the emerging hydrogen energy industry.

The Group also has businesses in the energy, transport, infrastructure, agribusiness, ports, airports, data centres, cement, and utility sectors.

Adani Solar and Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL)

Adani Solar is the Solar PV manufacturing arm of the Adani Group. It is India's first and largest vertically integrated Solar PV cell and modules manufacturer that offers services across the spectrum of photovoltaics manufacturing. The company offers and produces high efficiency monofacial and bifacial modules (in PERC

programmed to rest at an angle that withstands inclement wind and weather conditions.

Technology) with superior efficiency, higher performance and enhanced reliability. Adani Solar is currently building the world’s first ever fully integrated and comprehensive ecosystem of 10 GW solar PV manufacturing in India.

AGEL is one of the largest renewable energy companies in India with a current project portfolio of 20,434 MW. The company develops, builds, owns, operates and maintains utilityscale grid-connected solar and wind farm projects.

Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL) agreement with Australian-based Cavendish Renewable Technology

In 2022 Melbourne-based Cavendish Renewable Technology Pty Ltd (CRT) announced it had signed an agreement with ANIL for the development of new electrolyser technologies. The agreement includes infrastructure costs for further development of intellectual property, licence fees and royalties on successful commercialisation of CRT’s state-of-the-art electrolyser technologies.

Rugby Run at sunset

Rugby Run staff member checks solar panel

Students visit Rugby Run Solar Farm

• The solar panels are

Be Well Series in Springfield examines residents’ mental health and wellbeing

minimum exposure to adversity and a connection to culture and community. “

Dr Frkovic said early intervention was crucial to ensuring better outcomes for child and adult mental health.

“At the moment the whole system is hospital-centric, and we need to build a system that is community centric, and Greater Springfield is in a great position to do that,” Dr Frkovic said.

“If you intervene at the right time with a child, you can change the trajectory of their lives. We have a system that operates on late intervention. You must be really unwell, and you are brought in by ambulance. Unless we intervene early, it is not going to change.”

Dr Frkovic said while government funding was at unprecedented levels, he urged policymakers not to solely spend money in the same areas as the past.

Communities can play a greater role in improving Australia’s mental health and wellbeing by increasing the connectedness of their residents, the Springfield City Group’s Future of Health Seminar heard.

Key policymakers and medical experts from across Australia examined the impact of communities on the health and wellbeing of individuals from birth through to adolescence and beyond in the first of the Be Well Series at Greater Springfield on February 17.

Springfield City Group’s Deputy Managing Director Umah Ranchigoda said the forum, introducing Greater Springfield’s 10-year Mental Health and Wellbeing 2032 Strategy, focused on the role and responsibility of city-builders around the globe to create people-focussed communities, especially during the post-COVID recovery.

“Springfield City Group has a bold 10-year strategic plan to ensure the health and wellbeing of our growing community, which is already home to more than 52,000 residents, that will aim to deliver

local community solutions, a connected and integrated system of care and wellbeing and public and private investment in prevention and early intervention,” Ms Ranchigoda said.

“Through the creation of Greater Springfield’s Nightingale hub, which is an integrated mental health and wellbeing community within Health City, we are building a leading whole-of-life, whole-of-community mental health and wellbeing framework that is focussed on a proactive approach. It is our aim to lead the creation of workplaces that strengthen the mental health of people and attract a knowledgeable and sustainable workforce.”

Assistant Federal Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention the Honourable Emma McBride MP addressed the forum, along with Queensland’s Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic and Dr Elisabeth Hoehn, who is the Director of Queensland’s Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.

Dr Hoehn told the forum babies

needed to be at the centre of community building, calling on mental health experts to focus on children in the First 2000 Days, from before their birth until their 5th birthday.

“The human brain experiences a growth spurt from the last third of pregnancy through to about 24 months of age and that is when we are building the infrastructure for each of our brains, so this age group is absolutely crucial to focus on,” Dr Hoehn said.

“The key thing about the impact of perinatal and infant mental health on a community’s wellbeing is ensuring that every child thrives.

“Every child has their own vulnerabilities and strengths, they bring different temperaments and may have abnormalities, disabilities, clinical presentations but they also have unique strengths, each of them.

“We want every child having positive experiences, having positive family and community connections and relationships, having opportunities and support to be curious and master the world, having good nutrition, safe and healthy communities,

“Social isolation is not just about older people; it is about young people, and you must have a mental health and city plan that go hand-in-hand,” he said.

Lendlease’s Head of Product Strategy and Investment Management Natalie Slessor told the forum that the global developer, which has been a key partner with Springfield residential developments, was working on a project to design loneliness out of cities.

“Loneliness disproportionately impacts the vulnerable but being comfortable alone in your community is part of connection,”

Ms Slessor told the forum.

“Some people need a big network, and some don’t. The physical, built environment helps to shape how we live, work and play. Quite often what we don’t build is important. Greater Springfield has been beautifully designed to follow how people live and that is unique in a city.”

Dr Sharon Ponniah, who moderated the forum, said communities needed to build “muscle” to respond to mental

health issues as they arise, not only through qualified practitioners but through trained volunteers and peer support workers.

“If you create a place and space to do that, you can create a ripple effect and Greater Springfield has that opportunity right here,” said Dr Ponniah, who leads PwC’s Mental Health and Wellbeing work as a Partner.

Queensland MP Charis Mullen (MP for Jordan), Assistant Federal Minister Shayne Neumann (MP for Blair) and Ipswich City Mayor Teresa Harding joined a forum of 150 local stakeholders. They heard from speakers, including UQ Centre of Community Health and Wellbeing Professor Lauren Ball, West Moreton Health Board Chair Michael Willis, and Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research senior researcher Dr Holly Erskine.

Ms Ranchigoda said the first of the Be Well Series would deliver a call to action for mental health experts in Greater Springfield and beyond.

“I can’t stress how important it is to be preventative and that’s what this series is about. It is about getting these groups of stakeholders and academics to embrace what we can do and helping us to do it while creating opportunities for government to get involved,” Ms Ranchigoda said.

“That is why we have a 10-year strategy and the next steps are to take this to schools and to also consider childcare to teach the resilience that we inevitably encounter in life. It is about being preventative rather than reactive. Greater Springfield is the perfect platform. Communities globally need to play an active role in the solutions.”

For more information on Nightingale visit www. greaterspringfield.com.au/ourprecincts/health/nightingale/

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS)

The Supreme Court on Thursday queried the Uddhav Thackeray faction that there is a constitutional principle that whoever is sworn in as a Chief Minister must have accountability to Parliament and to the people, and defection affects the stability of the government itself, how does the Governor as a head of the state ignore the consequence.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Uddhav Thackeray faction, submitted before a five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud that the Governor was not empowered in law to recognise rebel MLAs of a political party and legitimise their action, as the Election Commission has power to recognise a political party. He said Thackeray was the President of Shiv Sena and questioned, in what capacity did the Governor give an audience to Eknath Shinde? He pressed that

the governor recognised a split, which is not a valid ground under the Tenth Schedule and this is not a stage when a government is being elected, rather an elected government (with Thackeray as CM) was running then.

Sibal contended that a Governor, by his acts, cannot topple the government and further questioned, when Eknath Shinde and the BJP approached the Governor, and he asked to have a trust vote, on what basis did he ask this?

The Chief Justice observed that both the opposition and the defecting MLAs, could approach the Governor, but Sibal replied that he did not agree with this.

The Chief Justice said, what is of concern is that there is a constitutional principle which is that whoever is sworn in as a Chief Minister must have accountability to the Legislature, and therefore to the people.

"Defection affects the stability of the government itself. How does the Governor, as a head of the state, ignore the consequence?"

Concluding his arguments, Sibal contended before the bench -- also comprising Justices M.R. Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P.S. Narasimha - that:

"I stand here for the protection of what is so close to our heart - institutional integrity and to ensure that constitutional processes survive..".

Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, also representing the Thackeray

faction, submitted that the orders passed on June 27, 2022 and June 29, 2022, by the apex court, "cumulatively and conjointly", were not orders that merely protected the status quo but created a new status quo.

"The formation of a new government on June 30, 2022 was the direct and inevitable result of two orders by the Supreme Court...".

He added that the consequence of change of government happened fundamentally because the Deputy Speaker was disabled/ fettered in the interim from discharging his constitutional duties under the Tenth Schedule (disqualification law).

The top court is dealing with Maharashtra political crisis triggered due to rebellion in Shiv Sena. It will continue to hear the matter on February 28.

On February 17, the apex court had declined to make immediate reference to a seven-judge bench the reconsideration of its 2016 Nabam Rebia judgment, which restricted the power of the Speaker to examine disqualification petitions against MLAs if a resolution for his removal is pending.

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India said the issue of reference will be decided only with the merits of the case and had fixed the matter for hearing on merits on February 21.

Sisodia writes to L-G, urges him to return file on teachers’ training

and to complete discussions for resolving the same.

"Therefore, as per the Constitution and the TBR, the decision to send our government school teachers to Finland for training attains finality," he said.

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Delhi

Deputy Chief Minister Manish

Sisodia on Thursday wrote a letter to Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena, urging him to return the file pertaining to sending government teachers abroad for training. The file was sent to the L-G on January 20.

"I urge you to kindly return the file so that we may initiate the process of sending government school teachers abroad for training," the letter stated.

Sisodia said that the time allowed to the L-G under Transaction of Business Rules (TBR) to express a difference of opinion was long over, adding that, as per an official provision, the L-G gets a period of 15 days to decide whether he wishes to differ with the decision of a Minister

The Aam Aadmi Party leader further said: "After removing objections raised by you twice, we sent you the file related to sending Delhi Government School teachers to Finland for training on January 20, 2023 again."

"Two batches of teachers had to go abroad for training in December, 2022 and March, 2023 respectively. The first batch could not go because of repeated objections raised by you at that time. For the next batch due for March, 2023, the said file is pending in your office for more than a month," read the letter.

The letter also noted that "the Delhi government has exclusive executive control over it (Education) and the L-G does not have any power to take any decision in the matter of Education".

"However, if he differs with any decision of any Minister, then

he may refer the matter to the President. Before referring the matter to the President, according to the Constitution and TBR, 1993, he is required to try and resolve it through discussions with the concerned and refer the matter to the Council of Ministers,"

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 23 (IANS) The Congress, BJP and two journalists' bodies on Thursday condemned the 'gagging' of the media by the Kerala government after a senior journalist appeared before the police for questioning following a complaint lodged by CPI-M Rajya Sabha member and veteran trade union leader Elamaram Kareem.

This comes even as the CPI(M) vociferously opposes the 'gagging' of press freedom by the Narendra Modi Central government . The case was filed in March 2022 by Kareem after a prime time discussion on the channel was based on a Bharath Bandh observed by various trade unions.

John had criticized Kareem's justification of violence that was unleashed on the bandh day. Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said that this gagging of the media is not at all acceptable.

"The CPI-M is known for its hypocritical stand on all issues. Just the other day, they were crying hoarse about the way the Centre was seen taking the BBC to task. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his party were crying foul then and see what they have done to John now. John was critical of a genuine issue. This is not at all acceptable," said Satheesan.

State BJP president K. Surendran

said that this is the way the Communists behave because they cannot fathom criticism.

"If this gagging the media policy continues, the Pinarayi Vijayanled government will have to face massive protests," said Surendran.

The Kerala Union of Working Journalists and the Thiruvanathapuram Press Club also condemned the police action.

John was served the notice over the incident that took place on March 28, 2022 when he was anchoring a news bulletin.

A case was filed against him on April 28 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

John had expressed his ire as Kerala witnessed a total bandh (shut down) in March last year with agitators taking over the streets.

Presenting his side of the story, John said that he was peeved when a patient who was being moved in an auto-rickshaw drew the ire of the protesters in north Kerala.

In the news hour debate, he made a statement that if anyone did such a thing to Kareem, what would have happened.

Soon after this incident in March, the local CITU unit put up posters at the house of John.

The posters were in the name of the CITU Peroorkada Area Committee, which gave a call for protests against John to isolate him.

A few days later, trade union workers of various political parties marched to the Asianet office to register their protest against the comments made by John.

Penalty for littering garbage on roads in Kolkata hiked 100 times

Kolkata, Feb 26 (IANS) Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to increase the penalty for littering garbage on the streets of the city by 100 times in the near future.

A decision in this regard was taken at the monthly conference of KMC on Saturday, informing the member (solid waste management) of KMC's Mayor-inCouncil, Debabrata Majumdar on Sunday.

"Till now the fine for littering garbage on the road was Rs 50. Even the work of imposing financial penalties on the offenders was not implemented properly. This had led to some kind of reluctance among a section of the citizens to follow

garbage-discipline on this count. Despite the KMC installing garbage-drums in close proximity throughout the city, a section of citizens are still littering garbage on the streets. So, it has been decided to increase the present penalty rate of just Rs 50 to Rs 5,000 and from now onwards our team will be strict in implementing that," Majumdar said on Sunday.

The proposal has been approved by the KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim. It is learnt that in the monthly conference Hakim observed that the tendency among a section of the people residing in flats in housing complexes or high-rises to throw garbage on the streets from their balconies was still rampant in certain pockets of the city. He also observed that all efforts of the corporation to keep the city clean were going fruitless unless the citizens are aware of their responsibilities on this count.

Defection affects govt’s stability, how could Governor ignore consequences, SC asks Thackeray faction

Oppn parties, scribes condemn ‘gagging’ of press by Kerala govt

No property tax for small houses in J&K

Principal Secretary, H&UDD, Rajesh Prasad stated that there is no tax liability for those having built-up area of their houses less than 1000 sq ft besides the proportion of taxes is considerably lesser here than that levied in other parts of the country.

assessed and paid on an annual basis," the statement added.

Jammu, Feb 23 (IANS) All the poor and marginalized people having small houses with builtup area not more than 1000 square feet have been exempted by the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government from paying any property tax to be levied from April onwards, an official statement clarified on Thursday. The issue was raised in a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta to deliberate upon "misinformation" created regarding property tax in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Home; Principal Secretary, H&UDD; ADGP Jammu/Kashmir; Deputy Commissioners; SSPs;

Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations and other concerned officers.

It was informed that levy of property tax is an essential part of urban sector reforms.

"Jammu and Kashmir is one of the last States/UTs to levy property tax and non-imposition of the tax was depriving local bodies to become self-sustaining. Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are required to render multiple civic services in their jurisdiction and need resources. The levy of this tax will improve the financial health of these institutions and improve services, besides creating employment," the statement said. While explaining the methodology of levying the tax in the UT, the

Similarly, all places of worship, including Temples, Masjids, Gurudwaras, Churches, Ziarats, Cremation grounds, Burial grounds etc are exempt from payment of property tax.

"It was further informed that the tax is proposed to be levied at just 5 percent of Taxable Annual Value (TAV) of the property in case of a residential property and at 6 percent of TAV in case of Non-Residential property. It was also apprised that the tax rates, even in the Corporations are one of the lowest in the country, almost half that of Himachal, and one fourth to one sixth, overall, of other progressive States like Gujarat Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi. Tax to be paid in Municipal Committees shall be much lower than that of Municipal Corporations. There is no property tax in rural areas. Besides, the property tax is to be

On the occasion the Chief Secretary also impressed upon the officers to create awareness among the public for removing misconceptions. He told them to create a helpline for the masses which would disseminate the correct information about the matter.

He urged them to come up with a simple 'Property Tax calculator' for people so that they themselves are able to assess the actual amount they are liable to pay.

Mehta emphasized on the fact that people should be made aware that it is not permitted to direct ULB resources for any other purposes. The property tax paid by people shall be used in their own areas.

The accumulations of the tax money will be collected by the ULBs, retained by them and used for their development needs exclusively.

The tax to be collected from the people shall be spent only for their betterment, improving their quality of life.

Regarding its implications it was said that the Property Tax is to be

levied annually and can be paid in two equal installments. Further, 10 per cent rebate can be availed by early payment of the Property Tax.

On Tuesday, the J&K government had issued a notification which said that property tax will be imposed in the Union Territory from April 1, 2023.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 71A of the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000 (hereinafter referred to as the Act), read with SubSection 1 of Section 65 and Sub-Section 1 of Section 73 thereof, the government hereby notifies the following rules for levy, assessment and collection of property tax in the Municipalities and Municipal Councils of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,"

read the notification issued by Housing and Urban Development department.

"These rules shall be called Jammu and Kashmir Property Tax (Other Municipalities) Rules, 2023. These shall come into force from April 1, 2023," it added.

the parties have been engaged in holding meetings, dialogues and discussions.

Mainly, the command of the Congress is being handled completely by state President Kamal Nath, while the head of the state government, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is busy counting the wins of his government.

Bhopal, Feb 26 (IANS) As the Assembly elections are nearing, the political parties in Madhya Pradesh are going all out against each other, and these days the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress are locked in a war of questions.

Both parties are engaged in preparing strategies to win and in strengthening their organisations at the grassroots level as they are expecting a tough contest.

The reason for the possibility of a tough competition in the state Assembly elections is because both the political parties did not achieve absolute majority in the last 2018 Assembly polls.

However, out of 230 Assembly seats, the Congress won 114 whereas the BJP stood behind with 109 seats.

The Congress had formed the government in the state, which was dissolved later due to the defection of 22 MLAs under the leadership of Jyotiraditya Scindia, after which the BJP again formed the government.In view of the upcoming polls, leaders of both

Since the past month, while Chouhan is reminding people of the Congress' promises made before its 15-month rule and raising questions on the allegations of breaking promises made to the unemployed citizens, farmers, etc., Kamal Nath has been speaking about his government's performance and achievements along with reminding people of the promises made by the BJP in 15 years of rule in the state.

The politicians have been questioning each others' parties and have been seen answering through a question itself.

Political analysts believe that Nath and Chouhan are keeping themselves away from the core issues and involving themselves in an array of questions so that an aggressive approach on those core issues can be taken when the election date is nearing.

Analysts also believe that both the leaders have been trying to portray each other as weak and unsuccessful.

MP Cong, BJP leaders turn up heat on each other with tough questions

In Bengal, education sector scams have replaced paper leaks

leaked but also circulated on social media. Several arrests were made in that connection.

Kolkata, Feb 26 (IANS) In West Bengal the teachers' recruitment irregularities scam involving crores of rupees has gained such negative popularity that it has overshadowed the fact that though not on a massive scale but incidents of paper leaks had been part of the examination scams. Call it a coincidence but the instances of examination paper leaks happened during the tenure of former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee, who is in judicial custody as the purported mastermind in the multi-crore teachers' recruitment scam.

The worst incident of examination paper leak was recorded during the madhyamik examination (secondary level examinations conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Examinations) in 2019. The question papers for Bengali, English, History, Mathematics and Life Sciences were not only

In 2020, the examinations were conducted under strict surveillance but despite that there were allegations of leaks of the Bengali and Geography papers. In 2021, the madhyamik examinations were not conducted because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the examinees were awarded gross marks based on their performance in Classes 9 and 10. In 2022, however, no such examination paper leaks were reported.

Surprisingly, in the current multi-crore teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal, the phenomenon of question paper leaks in the written examinations has never surfaced. Although the two central agencies conducting parallel probes into the scam -- the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) -- in their reports and charge sheets filed in the court have highlighted several angles of the scam, the question paper leaks were never mentioned in any of these reports.

A CBI source associated with the investigation process said that in

this particular scam there was no place for examination paper leaks.

"Scams in recruitment examinations can happen in two ways. The first is the traditional way of leaking question papers in advance against a fixed sum of money. In that case, the examinee concerned has to make some effort in knowing and memorizing the answers in advance and then also make the effort of answering all the questions correctly in the OMR sheets.

"That had been the traditional practice in examination malpractices. But in this particular scam, the rewards were for those who submitted blank OMR sheets or answered just a couple of questions. The OMR sheets for candidates paying money to ensure recruitment were changed or tampered with at a later stage to make them eligible for recruitment. For us it is a totally new experience on how examination manipulation and that too in OMR sheets can be done without leaking question papers," the CBI source added. However, the allegation of paper leaks surfaced again in the closing quarter of the last year over the written examination in the latest teachers' eligibility test (TET)

conducted around that time. The controversy arose after copies of some OMR sheets used in the examination surfaced just an hour before the actual exam.

State education minister Bratya Basu rubbished the allegations of question paper leaks and claimed that vested interests were circulating fake OMR sheets to discredit the education system of the state and the state government.

However, a central investigation agency official pointed out that the allegation of examination paper leaks, right or wrong, has resurfaced when tampering with the OMR sheets is out of the question because of the ongoing probe.

According to educationist and professor of history AK Das, be it through examination paper leaks or through OMR sheet manipulation, especially in case of recruitment examinations, the matter involves payment of huge sums to ensure recruitment. "In most cases those getting jobs through such unfair means arrange for money by selling their assets or borrowing huge amounts which in most cases are from private moneylenders at exorbitant interest. So even

after getting jobs the prime task of teaching takes a backseat and their concentration is focused on side income to repay the loans or recover the money paid as fast as possible. This is how the collapse of the entire education system starts," Das said.

City-based psychiatrist and a faculty of KPC Medical College & Hospital, Dr Tirthankar Guha Thakurata analyzes the psychological aspect of teachers appointed through unfair means that prompt them to keep away from the prime task of teaching. "An illegally appointed teacher is always aware of his incapability. So, in the subconscious mind the fear of getting caught is always there. So, this fear prompts them to avoid their teaching job as much as possible. For some the fear of the curse of those whom he or she had deprived of the job is also an added factor. So in the midst of this continuous anxiety and for some a feeling of guilt, they become a disgrace for the system. The education system also starts collapsing because of such teachers," said Guha Thakurata.

Education system lacked flexibility, our govt tried to change it: PM Modi Partha Chatterjee steps down as president of top management institute

practical and industry oriented.

He underlined that Skill and Education are the two principal tools during India's Amrit Kaal and it is the youth who are leading the nation's Amrit Yatra with the vision of a developed India.

He further added that equal emphasis is being given to both education and skilling as part of the New Educational Policy and expressed delight that this step has garnered the support of teachers.

government in providing focused internships and apprenticeships to give outside the classroom exposure to its youth.

"Today, there are about 75,000 employers on the National Internship Portal where requirements for 25 lakh internships have been posted so far,"

He continued occupying the chair even after he was shifted from the state education department to the state commerce & industries after the 2021 state assembly elections.

New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lamented the lack of flexibility in the education system over the years and mentioned the efforts of the Union government to bring about change.

"Education and skilling have been reoriented according to the aptitude of the youth and the demands of the future," the Prime Minister said while addressing a post-budget webinar on 'Harnessing Youth PowerSkilling and Education'.

It is the third of a series of 12 post-budget webinars organized by the government to seek ideas and suggestions for the effective implementation of the initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2023.

The Prime Minister said this year's budget strengthened the foundations of the education system by making it more

The Prime Minister stated that the move encourages the government to undertake further reforms in the education and skilling sectors while unburdening our students from the regulations of the past.

Noting the experiences during the Covid pandemic, the Prime Minister underlined that new technology is helping create new types of classrooms.

He noted that the government is focussing on tools that ensure anywhere access to knowledge' and gave the example of SWAYAM, an e-learning platform with 3 crore members. He pointed out the possibility of Virtual Labs and National Digital Library becoming a huge medium of knowledge.

Throwing light on 'on-the-job learning', the Prime Minister noted the special emphasis by several countries and highlighted the efforts of the central

the Prime Minister informed. He urged the industry and educational institutions to make maximum use of this portal and further expand the culture of internship in the country. Underlining the need for a skilled workforce, the Prime Minister said that the world is looking at India as a manufacturing hub and noted the enthusiasm of the world about investing in the country.

He also highlighted the focus on creating a skilled workforce for Industry 4.0 sectors like AI, Robotics, IoT, and Drones, thereby making it easier for international investors to scout talent without having to spend much energy and resources on re-skilling.

Highlighting this year's budget, the Prime Minister mentioned the three centers of excellence for AI and said that it will strengthen the industry-academia partnership. He also stated that ICMR Labs will now be made available to medical colleges and private sector R&D teams.

Kolkata, Feb 25 (IANS) Almost eight months after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with his alleged involvement in the multi-crore teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal, the former state education minister and exTrinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee has finally resigned from the chair of the president of the board of governors of a prime management institute of Kolkata. During his tenure as the state education minister from 2014 to 2021, by virtue of his chair, Chatterj

ee became the president of the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM), a premier autonomous management institute under the academic jurisdiction of the University of Calcutta.

Even after his arrest by the ED in July last year in connection with the teachers' recruitment irregularities scam, despite being removed from his ministerial and party portfolios, Chatterjee continued with the chair of IISWBM.

Since his arrest, sources said that there was tremendous internal pressure on the governing body of the institute to replace Chatterjee as the chair of the president of the board of governors. Messages were sent to Chatterjee, who is serving his judicial custody at Presidency Special Correctional Home in south Kolkata, to voluntarily resign from the chair.

Chatterjee finally resigned from that chair this week. His resignation was accepted in a meeting of the current board of governors on Friday.

Chatterjee is an alumnus of this premier management institute. From there, he completed his MBA in human resource management as a specialisation after completing his degree in economics from Asutosh College.

MAKE IN INDIA

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

Manufacturing cutting-edge products need of the hour: Rajnath Singh at Aero India 2023

government's full support towards removing obstacles and facilitating businesses.

Singh reiterated the Centre's resolve of nurturing a vibrant and world-class defence manufacturing industry, terming it as the key driver of Indian economy.

Bengaluru, Feb 13 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday urged Indian and global industry leaders to support the governments push for design, development and manufacture of cutting-edge products using critical technologies in the country to attain complete Aatmanirbharta in the field of defence.

"The overall objective is to achieve shared global peace and prosperity," he said while addressing a gathering of over 70 CEOs from local and global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) during a Round Table organised as part of the Aero India 2023 here on Monday.

Singh said, "India does not want to remain just an assembly workshop and is looking to engage with friendly countries in defence and security based on sharing expertise and capabilities under the Make in India, Make for the World' vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." He assured the industry leaders that the government is open to new ideas and is committed to fully harness the energy, entrepreneurial spirit and capability of private sector partners in the area of defence production. He extended the

He enumerated a number of far-reaching reforms undertaken by Ministry of Defence to create a business-friendly climate in the country. These include setting up of defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; simplification of industrial licensing process; hike in cap on FDI in defence; opening of government trial and testing facilities for the private sector; increase in capital outlay for defence in Budget 2023-24 and launch of a Technology Development Fund and Innovations for Defence Excellence.

He said these reforms will enable Indian defence products to compete with established global defence and aerospace companies.

The Defence Minister stressed that indigenisation is the mantra for India today, unlike in the past when import was the default option. He also appreciated the growing enthusiasm and greater participation of private players in defence production and expressed confidence that the CEOs' Round Table will sow the seeds of successful new ventures and partnerships, boost investment, expand indigenous manufacturing and bolster the

US and France slug it out at Aero India eyeing orders for INS Vikrant

aerospace and defence ecosystem in India.

The Round Table organised on the sidelines of Aero India 2023 was structured around the theme Sky is not the limit: Opportunities beyond boundaries'. The participating companies included Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Israel Aerospace Industries, General Atomics, Liebherr Group, Raytheon Technologies, Safran, General Authority of Military Industries, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, BEML Limited, Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited, Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge, Dynamatic Technologies and BrahMos Aerospace.

The platform aims to forge partnerships between domestic and global industries in the aerospace and defence sectors to address the present and future global needs and discuss the importance of supply chain strategy and operations as the world deals with the aftermath of the pandemic and global disruptions.

More than 75 companies, including 28 foreign OEMs from 15 countries, and DPSUs participated in the discussion.

Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane also attended the Round Table.

Saab to showcase ‘Gripen E’ at Aero India 2023, to set up rifle manufacturing unit in India

New Delhi, Feb 13: The worlds leading defence companies have lined up at the 2023 edition of the Aero India air show to showcase their cutting-edge technologies in a bid to further develop their industrial footprint in India. Over 100 foreign companies, including Dassault Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Israel Aerospace Industry, Airbus, Boeing, SAAB, Safran and Rolls Royce, from more than 80 countries are amongst the major exhibitors at Asia's largest aero show which kicked off in Bengaluru today.

Dassault Aviation is presenting at Aero India 2023 a model of Rafale C in the colours of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and a model of Rafale Marine which is a candidate for the renewal of the fleet of onboard fighters of the Indian Navy. The French aerospace company is highlighting its long association with India in the military field as IAF, having been equipped with Dassault aircraft since 1953, is its oldest export customer.

The acquisition contract for 36 Rafale signed in 2016 and the modernization of the Mirage 2000 I/TI has extended the historic partnership.

In the field of business aviation, the Falcon fleet in service in India has around 20 aircraft.

having a range of 6,450 nm (12,000 km), which means it is capable of non-stop flights between Beijing and New York, Singapore and London, or Sao Paulo and Moscow.

Dassault believes that the trijet is particularly wellsuited to the needs of Indian companies and local operating conditions considering the high temperatures and altitudes.

"Dassault Aviation's participation in the Aero India show is further testimony to the partnership that has united us with India for 70 years. Providing the best materials to the Indian Forces and companies has always been our ambition and our pride," said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.

US aerospace giant Boeing, which locked in an intense competition with Dassault to deck its fighter jets on INS Vikrant, is also focusing its presence at Aero India 2023 on investments in growing local services and capabilities, workforce development and partnerships in support India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.

Boeing's exhibit at USA Pavilion is built around the theme of 'The Runway to a Billion Opportunities' highlighting local partnerships and investments in India.

Bengaluru, Feb 11 (IANS) Swedish aerospace and defence company Saab on Saturday announced it will demonstrate the cutting edge technologies that make its 'Gripen E' the world's most modern multirole fighter aircraft at the Aero India 2023 show.

Along with the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle, AT4 shoulderfired recoilless anti-tank weapon and IDAS self-protection suite for airborne platforms - which are already in service with the Indian armed forces, Saab, in a statement, said it will present a wide portfolio of products and systems from the air, land, and sea domains.

In addition, a full scale replica of Gripen E and a Gripen E cockpit simulator will bring alive the game-changing capabilities of the aircraft, it said.

Saab will exhibit a range of products and solutions for a fastchanging defence and security environment. In addition, Saab will engage with Indian industry to further its plans for building a strong defence industrial base in India, making products for India and the rest of the world.

"Saab will demonstrate how our advanced technology and innovative thinking can deliver the best solutions for strong national defence and an industrial future based on the premise of Make in India.

Following the Rafale contract, Dassault Aviation and its partners are contributing to the 'Make in India' policy through a vast supply, training and industrial subcontracting network involving dozens of companies, in accordance with their offset obligations.

The Dassault Aviation group is also showcasing at the fiveday event a front section of Falcon 2000 produced by the Franco-Indian factory located in Nagpur under the terms of the agreements resulting from the Rafale contract.

Also on show is ultra-long range advanced business jet Falcon 8X

The exhibit also features a range of advanced products including the F/A-18 Super Hornet, P-8I, CH-47 Chinook, 737, 787 Dreamliner and 777X. Visitors will be able to experience the AH-64 Apache simulator and learn more the combat helicopter's capabilities and a wide range of missions. The joint venture between Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) recently delivered the first fuselage for six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters ordered by the Indian Army from its stateof-the-art facility in Hyderabad. TBAL has produced and supplied Boeing's Apache final assembly plant in Mesa, Arizona with over 190 fuselages.

India presently operates 11 C-17s, 22 AH-64 Apaches (with six more on order), 15 CH-47 Chinooks, 12 P-8Is, three VVIP aircraft, and two Head of State aircraft. In addition, more than 150 Boeing airplanes, including the NextGeneration 737, 737 MAX, 757, 777, and 787 Dreamliner, are operated by India's leading commercial airlines.

Grant powers female business growth, innovation, and creative endeavors in Brisbane

Beekeepers, hat makers, lawyers, and Christmas tree farmers are among the diverse group of female business owners receiving Lord Mayor’s Women in Business Grants in 2023.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has announced 52 women-led businesses will share in a pool of $250,000 to purchase vital equipment, business services, and training to help grow their business impact in Brisbane.

Cr Schrinner said the diversity of sectors represented among this year’s recipients showed the impact women were making to strengthen Brisbane’s economy. “No area is off-limits for women in business and this year’s grant recipients are proof there’s growing representation and ownership across sectors including health, legal, human resources and the creative industries,” Cr Schrinner.

“Brisbane is one of the most progressive, small-business friendly cities in Australia and we want to support people with great ideas, no matter their background, age, or gender.”

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said the grants are critical funding for what is one of Brisbane’s fastest growing business sectors.

“Women now account for just over a third of business ownership locally. Part of being the most small business friendly city is making sure female business owners have the tools and support they need to grow, evolve, and thrive,” Cr Adams said. “Last year’s recipients have told us they’ve used their grants to grow their customer base and enhance their services. In a

number of cases this has resulted in increased revenue, new jobs for local people, and stronger connections in the community.”

Now in its second year, the Lord Mayor’s Women in Business Grant has supported over 100 female business owners.

This year, 81 per cent of all the businesses supported are wholly owned by women.

These include 14 businesses offering professional services, including legal and human resources, 11 businesses focused on healthcare, and 10 businesses in retail.

One of this year’s recipients, Helen Bayley, started her business – Lovestar – to help cope with post-natal depression after the birth of her third child in 2013.

Now based in Northgate, Lovestar sells its vases - shaped like Beyonce, Dolly Parton and Freda Kahlo - around the world.

“I started posting my creative endeavours on Instagram… When I took my first batch to a market they sold out,” Ms Bayley said.

“The creation of the business literally saved me and helped pull me out of my depression.”

Helen has overcome countless challenges, including a devastating warehouse fire, to build her business into the success it is today.

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that the number of female business owners in Brisbane is growing with women accounting for 36 percent of business ownership in 2021, up from 34 percent in 2016. Nationally, women represented 34 percent of business owners in 2021, compared to 33 percent in

Meta rolls out its paid verification in Australia, New Zealand

mobile.

2016.

The Lord Mayor’s Women in Business Grant is a grant with a difference.

Beyond financial support, all recipients will benefit from a 12-month development program, delivered by Brisbane Business Hub, to help boost leadership skills and make vital connections within the community.

Jennifer McIntyre, who received a grant last year, said the support to buy new machinery had meant she could hire an extra staff member at her stitchery – 57 Perches.

“I am very grateful for the boost this grant has given me as a businesswoman,” Ms. McIntyre said.

“With our new equipment and bigger team, we have the capacity to service more clients and to fill client orders more efficiently. Our connections have been invaluable and have led to several business contracts and collaborations.”

For more information on the Lord Mayor’s Women in Business Grant program, and a list of this year’s recipients visit: https:// businessinbrisbane.com.au/ women-in-business-grantrecpients/

Brisbane Business Hub

The Brisbane Business Hub has supported over 17,000 businesses and connected an online community of 50,000 subscribers since opening in October 2020.

In its central location on Queen Street, the Brisbane Business Hub offers a vibrant co-working space, on-the-pulse events, mentoring, and online resources enjoyed by thousands of businesspeople each year.

Fight your depression with pilates, yoga than with medicines

with 1039 trials and 128,119 participants.

Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the review specifically showed that exercise interventions that were 12 weeks or shorter were most effective at reducing mental health symptoms, highlighting the speed at which physical activity can make a change.

activity interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in all clinical populations, with some groups showing even greater signs of improvement.

San Francisco, Feb 25 (IANS)

Meta has rolled out its paid subscription plan for Facebook and Instagram to users based in Australia and New Zealand. The subscription plan known as "Meta Verified" offers a verified label, improved reach, better protection from impersonation, access to customer support, and exclusive stickers on Facebook and Instagram, reports TechCrunch.

Last week, the company announced that it is testing paid verification for Instagram and Facebook for $11.99 per month for the web and $14.99 per month for

Moreover, users can look at the benefits offered by the subscription and the procedure to join on the company's website.

As the company is doing a slow rollout of the plan, many users might not see the option to purchase it right away, said the report.

There are separate plans for Instagram and Facebook, and currently, only the web plan is available for Facebook.

So, if users want to purchase Meta Verified for both platforms, they will have to pay $27 per month. For Meta Verified, users must be at least 18 years old, have a history of recent activity, such as posting, and have a profile photo that matches the government ID they provide.

As of now, Meta subscribers cannot change their profile name, username, date of birth, or profile picture without unsubscribing and reapplying.

Iconic cuttlefish breeding site added to Australian heritage list

granting it additional protection. "The cuttlefish put on a spectacular show of color, shape-shifting, and cunning games, creating what is almost an underwater light show," she said in a media release.

Canberra, Feb 26 (IANS) A cuttlefish breeding zone off the coast of South Australia (SA) has been added to Australia's National Heritage List. Each winter, thousands of giant cuttlefish migrate to the rocky shore near the town of Whyalla on the Eyre Peninsula to breed, creating a spectacular underwater light show, Xinhua reported.

"The Cuttlefish Coast Sanctuary Zone adds outstanding heritage value to Australia's precious coastal sanctuary zones and helps to develop an understanding of our unique natural history."

The Australian giant cuttlefish is the world's largest known cuttlefish species, growing up to one meter long and over 10 kg in weight.

Rocky reefs near Whyalla in the Spencer Gulf are the only known mass breeding ground for the species.

In May 2022, the SA government re-imposed a ban on fishing for giant cuttlefish in the gulf to protect the species. Sydney, Feb 26 (IANS) Aerobic exercise such as walking, resistance training, pilates, and yoga are 1.5 times more effective than counselling or the leading medications for people with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and distress, suggests researchers including one of an Indian origin.

Researchers from University of South Australia noted that the largest benefits of these exercises were seen among people with depression, pregnant and postpartum women, healthy individuals, and people diagnosed with HIV or kidney disease.

The findings which call for exercise to be a mainstay approach for managing depression is based on a study encompassing 97 reviews

According to the World Health Organization, one in every eight people worldwide (970 million people) live with a mental disorder. Poor mental health costs the world economy approximately $2.5 trillion each year, a cost projected to rise to $6 trillion by 2030. Physical activity must be prioritised to better manage the growing cases of mental health conditions, said lead researcher Dr Ben Singh, from the varsity.

"Physical activity is known to help improve mental health. Yet despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a firstchoice treatment," Dr Singh said.

"Our review shows that physical

"Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts. Senior researcher, Professor Carol Maher, said the study is the first to evaluate the effects of all types of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in all adult populations."Examining these studies as a whole is an effective way for clinicians to easily understand the body of evidence that supports physical activity in managing mental health disorders.

"We hope this review will underscore the need for physical activity, including structured exercise interventions, as a mainstay approach for managing depression and anxiety."

Tanya Plibersek, Minister for the Environment and Water, announced on Saturday that the Cuttlefish Coast Sanctuary Zone will join iconic sites such as Bondi Beach and Uluru on the heritage list,

Warnings of unprecedented grass fire risk in Australia

what happened after previous prolonged periods of La Nina conditions from 1954-57, 1973-76 and 1998-2001. They found that after each period ended, severe and deadly fires followed.

Stronger El Nino could cause irreversible Antarctic melting: Report

has caused prolific vegetation growth in Australia, which is now drying and turning into fire fuel as we experience hotter, drier conditions," he said in a media release.

Canberra, Feb 22 (IANS) Australia is facing unprecedented grassfire risk in the summer of 2023/24, experts have warned.

According to a new report published on Wednesday, three years of wet conditions have left Australia with high fuel loads for fires, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Climate Council and Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) -- a group made up of senior fire and emergency service leaders -- analyzed

Vegetation fuel loads in some inland areas usually range between 0.5 and 1.5 tonnes per hectare but after years of heavy rain are now between 4.5 and six tonnes per hectare.

Greg Mullins, a former commissioner of Fire and Rescue New South Wales (NSW) and founder of the ELCA who authored the report, said Australia is set for a return to normal or above normal fire conditions in 2023-24 following three low-risk years in the wake of the 2019-20 Black Summer.

"Excessive rainfall in recent years

"Firefighters fear that grass fires occurring in hot, dry and windy conditions worsened by climate change could unfold on a scale never before experienced, potentially overwhelming emergency services at times, and placing communities at great risk."

Mullins said governments at all levels need to urgently invest in measures that help communities withstand and cope with worsening climate impacts, and accelerate efforts to rapidly lower greenhouse gas emissions this decade to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.

Canberra, Feb 21 (IANS) Stronger El Nino events in the future could cause irreversible melting of ice shelves and sheets in Antarctica, an Australian research warned on Tuesday.

El Nino is the warmer phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) that occurs over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, and with the colder phase, La Nina, influences weather conditions around the world, reportsXinhua news agency.

were critical to furthering the understanding of how Antarctica will be affected by climate change. "Climate change is expected to increase the magnitude of ENSO, making both El Nino and La Nina stronger," he said.

"This new research shows that stronger El Nino may speed up warming of deep waters in the Antarctic shelf, making ice shelves and ice sheets melt faster."

Unvaccinated

Australians 5 times more likely to die from Covid: Report

October 2022, reports Xinhua news agency.

It revealed that cases who had zero vaccine doses were eight times more likely to be hospitalized and five times more likely to die than those who had three or four doses.

Canberra, Feb 20 (IANS)

Australians who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 are five times more likely to die after contracting the virus than those who are fully inoculated, a report published on Monday revealed.

The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) published an analysis of 70,450 confirmed coronavirus cases in SA between August and

People who had just one or two vaccines were three times more likely to be hospitalised than their fully inoculated peers.

The data was released to coincide with the start of a national rollout of an additional booster vaccine. From Monday, every Australian aged 18 and over who has not had Covid-19 or a vaccine dose in the last six months is eligible for an additional booster.

Nicola Spurrier, SA's chief public health officer, said the SAHMRI data shows the importance of vaccination.

"For many of us, it has been over six months since our last vaccine dose or infection with Covid-19 and our immunity could do with a boost," she was quoted by News Corp Australia.

"We are expecting further waves of Covid-19 this year and winter will also be a time of greater risk. So get ahead and get protected."

Earlier in February, national chief medical officer (CMO) Paul Kelly told a parliamentary hearing that Australians should be prepared for multiple waves of coronavirus infections again in 2023.

Sydney Airport reports 78.8% traffic recovery to pre-Covid level

In January, Australians took the top spot, followed by passengers from New Zealand and the US.

"It has been a challenging year for Sydney Airport since Australia reopened its border, but we are now seeing a steady stream of international travellers eager to explore the world again," said Geoff Culbert, the airport's chief executive officer.

The new study, published by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the national science agency, on Tuesday, demonstrated that the variability of ENSO reduces warming near the surface of the ocean but accelerates warming of deeper waters.

Cai Wenju, lead author of the study, said the findings

He said the modelling also revealed that warming around the edges of floating sea ice is slowed during this process, slowing down the melting of sea ice near the surface. Cai and his team examined 31 climate models under a high-emissions scenario. Those with increased ENSO variability showed a reduced upwelling of deep, warmer water as a result of less intense westerly winds, leading to a slower warming of the ocean surface.

Co-author Ariaan Purich from Monash University said that ENSO variability could have broad implications for the global climate.

Sydney, Feb 21 (IANS) Sydney Airport on Tuesday released a monthly report on its traffic performance, saying that a total of 3,120,000 passengers passed through it in January, which marked a 78.8 per cent recovery compared to the pre-Covid level. According to the report, domestic passenger traffic totaled 1,887,000, representing an 82.4

per cent recovery compared to January 2019, while 1,233,000 international travellers passed through the airport, registering a 73.9 per cent recovery, reports Xinhua news agency.

The airport also revealed the top 10 nationalities of passengers taking flights.

Culbert noted that in January, the number of US and British travellers came to only threequarters of their pre-Covid levels, while the number of passengers from previously popular European countries like Germany and France was even lower.

Canberra, Feb 19 (IANS) A second person in less than a week died at an iconic waterfall in Australia's capital.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Police on Sunday confirmed that officers responded to reports a young man had fallen at Gibraltar Falls and found a 22-year-old unconscious in the water, who could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene, Xinhua News Agency reported. It came just days after 19-year-old Thomas Livingstone fell to his death while scrambling across rocks in front of the waterfall. The 22-year-old man accessed the site despite it being closed since Livingstone's death, while an investigation into safety precautions is conducted. The review could recommend the site is closed to the public

permanently, a measure the government considers a last resort.

More than 600 people visit the site approximately 40 km south of Canberra every day in summer to swim and picnic.

Bren Burkevics, the ACT Conservator of Flora and Fauna, said in a statement following the first death that the review would take weeks.

"The ACT Parks and Conservation Service advises against swimming or walking in non-designated areas within our parks and reserves," he said.

"Visitors should always follow signage and advice from ACT Parks and Conservation Service staff, and stick to formed walking tracks."

New Property Law Bill introduced to Parliament

Brisbane, February 23: New legislation to replace Queensland’s outdated property laws has been introduced to Parliament today, including disclosure rules to make it easier for home buyers to know more about the property they are buying.

The new legislation has been developed to modernise property laws in Queensland with contemporary language that reflects current commercial practice.

The Property Law Bill 2023 will replace the current Property Law Act 1974, which has not been comprehensively reformed since it was introduced.

The Bill is based largely on the recommendations of the Commercial and Property Law Research Centre at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), following its broad-ranging, independent review of Queensland’s property law.

The Bill will implement a

statutory seller disclosure scheme in Queensland, broadly in line with the recommendations of the QUT’s Final Report: Seller Disclosure in Queensland (2017).

The new scheme will make it mandatory for a seller of freehold land to disclose relevant information to the buyer in a single document along with any prescribed certificates, including a body corporate certificate, where relevant.

The scheme will also prominently alert buyers to the need to undertake their own due diligence on flood information, and direct buyers to appropriate resources to access a property’s flood information.

Quotes attributable to the Minister:

“This is legislation that will most likely affect everyone at some stage of their lives when they own or deal with property.”

“Owning and dealing with property, establishing coownership arrangements, signing

and enforcing lease agreements, and managing mortgages are major transactions that affect Queenslanders everywhere.”

“The Queensland Government is taking action to ensure our state’s property laws are modern and fit for purpose.”

“The new seller disclosure scheme will simplify disclosure for freehold land sales and empower buyers to make well-informed decisions when purchasing property.”

“The development of the Bill has been the subject of extensive consultation with stakeholders over several years, and I want to thank them for their ongoing involvement and valuable expertise.”

“In particular, I want to recognise the members of the QUT Research Centre, led by Professor William Duncan, Professor Sharon Christensen, and Associate Professor William Dixon, whose recommendations have guided the preparation of the Bill.”

Less than 30% of Queensland to be drought declared

From 1 March, 27.8% of state’s land area to be drought-declared, down from 38.1%.

Drought status to be revoked for LGAs of Rockhampton, Central Highlands, Woorabinda, Barcoo and more than half of Barcaldine. Barcoo and eastern part of Barcaldine LGAs drought-free for the first time in nearly a decade. Primary producers do not need to be in a drought-declared area to access assistance.

Brisbane, February 23: For the first time since 2013, less than 30 per cent of Queensland will be droughtdeclared.

Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister and Rural Communities Minister Mark Furner announced he had accepted the recommendation of the Local Drought Committees (LDCs) to revoke several regions’ drought status from 1 March, due to the ongoing improvement in seasonal conditions since the start of the year. The areas to have their drought status revoked are the Barcoo Shire Council, Central Highlands Regional

Securing women’s futures focus of funding grants this Queensland Women’s Week

Queensland Women’s Week will be held from Sunday 5 March to Sunday 12 March.

The theme for 2023 is Empower her voice; secure her future.

The Investing in Queensland Women grant program provides one-off grants of up to $15,000.

Brisbane, February 23: The latest round of the Investing in Queensland Women grant program is open for applications as part of this year’s Queensland Women’s Week celebrations, with grants of up to $15,000 on offer for local organisations to deliver initiatives to empower and support women and girls. The grant program will support community groups and organisations across Queensland’s urban, rural and remote regions with resources to lead projects and events designed to create positive change for women and girls.

providing a week-long, statewide celebration to recognise the successes and achievement of women and girls across Queensland.

Applications close on Friday 24th March 2023. Further details of grant program are available at: https://www.justice.qld. gov.au/initiatives/grants-forqueensland-women.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Women, Shannon Fentiman:

“The Investing in Queensland Women grants are part of the government’s commitment to supporting organisations that work tirelessly to end violence against women, empower women, and strive each day to secure a more gender equal future for our young girls.”

Council, Rockhampton Regional Council, Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council and the eastern part of the Barcaldine Regional Council.

It’s the first time since 2013 that Barcoo and the eastern part of Barcaldine have been droughtfree, while Rockhampton, the Central Highlands and Woorabinda have been droughtdeclared since 2019.

The drought declaration map can be viewed at www.longpaddock. qld.gov.au

For further information on drought assistance visit daf. qld.gov.au or call the Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23.

Quotes attributable to the Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister and Rural Communities Minister Mark Furner:

“This is great news for primary producers in now drought-free regions of Queensland,” Mr Furner said.

“Some of our farmers have done it tough during a long drought, so

increased rainfall over the past six months has been welcome relief.

“LDCs in the remaining drought-declared areas are still monitoring pasture recovery as the end of the wet season approaches.

“It’s important to note that thanks to our government’s groundbreaking reforms, primary producers no longer need to be in a drought-declared area to access assistance.

“Primary producers in droughtrevoked areas can access freight subsidies for restocking and returning from agistment under the Drought Relief Assistance Scheme (DRAS).

“If a producer believes they are still experiencing difficult conditions in a council area that is no longer drought declared, they can apply for an Individually Droughted Property (IDP) declaration. This will continue to give them the same access to drought assistance as a current area declaration.”

Eectronic Vehicle ownership booming as drivers connect at Dingo

New Queensland Electric Super Highway site opens in Dingo

Electronic vehicle ownership is contributing to Queensland’s net zero emissions target 90,000 vehicles have been charged since 2017

Brisbane, February 22: Queensland is connecting communities and contributing to the net zero emissions target with the opening of a new Queensland Electric Super Highway (QESH) site at Dingo.

Since opening in 2017, more than 90,000 vehicles have been charged on the QESH, saving between 2,064 to 2,422 tonnes of CO2 compared to similar light petrol or diesel vehicles. This saving is equivalent to removing about 704 passenger vehicles from Queensland's vehicle fleet. The availability of public, electric vehicle (EV), fast charging infrastructure is vital. It will help accelerate Queensland towards a net zero emissions future and help connect regional

EV users across the state.

Dingo now joins a growing regional network of public charging sites including Blackall, Barcaldine, Charleville, Cloncurry and Longreach - with Stanthorpe due to open later this month.

Phase three is an important network connector, linking regional and rural areas of the state. This will help generate greater tourism and economic development opportunities.

Applications are being sought for projects aimed at addressing issues including domestic and family violence, sexual violence prevention, respectful and healthy relationships, mentoring and leadership opportunities, career pathways into construction and women’s health. Creating a positive impact on the future of women and girls through the grant program is one way the Queensland Government is delivering upon the theme for this year’s Queensland Women’s Week, Empower her voice; secure her future.

Queensland Women’s Week has been running annually in March since 2016, and is an expansion of International Women’s Day

“We want to build on the previous success of the Investing in Queensland Women grant program, which has already seen 119 community driven initiatives funded and over $1 million invested across the four IQW grant rounds during 2021 and 2022”

“That is why I am encouraging Queensland organisations to apply for the grants to deliver projects that will address the diverse range of issues faced by across the state.”

“Queensland Women’s Week acknowledges that everyone has a role to play in creating communities that respects women, embraces gender equality, and promotes and protects the rights, interests and wellbeing of women and girls.”

In collaboration with National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Authored by Rashmi

Ramesh, Akriti Sharma, Abigail Miriam Fernandez, Avishka Ashok, Anu Maria Joseph, Apoorva Sudhakar and Femy Francis

Japan, Philippines and the South China Sea: Strengthening ties to defend territories against intrusions

other’s sovereign territory.

What happened?

On 12 February, President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jnr completed his four-days-long visit to Japan by signing a proposed agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which allows the countries’ armed forces to cooperate on disaster relief, thereby permitting the deployment of forces on each

President Marcos said: “The country has seen heightened geopolitical tensions that do not conform to our ideals of peace and threaten the security and stability of the country, of the region and of the world. This country will not lose an inch of its territory.”

During the visit, 35 deals were signed between the countries; covering diverse areas of cooperation such as infrastructure, energy, health care and agriculture.

What does it mean?

The tensions in the SCS are expected to increase in the

coming years. The primary source of conflict may come from China and its unilateral actions of building on reefs and other unclaimed sea bodies. The Philippines, Japan and other countries have been condemning China for singlehandedly attempting to change the status quo in the SCS. Therefore, there is likely to be an increase in economic, trade and, most importantly, military cooperation between the countries in the region. Since China is the primary aggressor, the countries will focus on creating a defence against the People’s Republic of China.

India: Foreign Secretary visits Nepal and Bangladesh

WORLD THIS WEEK ALSO IN NEWS

China: President Xi and President Raisi release joint statement on bilateral relations

Philippines: Coast guards increase their presence in the South China Sea

On 17 February, the Philippines coast guards decided to bolster their presence in the South China Sea over the disputed waters. The president is also aiming to deepen the ties with Japan and US to counter the growing influence of Beijing.

On 15 February, the spokesperson for the US Department of State, Ned Price reiterated that the Taliban has made private and public commitments to not allow the territory of Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven for those who would plot against the United States and other countries. He made this statement in response to the UN report on al-Qaeda saying, “When it comes to other al-Qaida members, including those who are in Afghanistan, our message is twofold. One, to the Taliban, the Taliban has a commitment. It has made private commitments, it has made public commitments to uphold that it does not allow Afghanistan’s territory to be used as a safe haven for those who would plot against the United States.” He added, “Our second point is that we are prepared, willing, and able to take action ourselves if the Taliban is unable or unwilling to fulfil the commitments that it has made.”

Afghanistan: Taliban’s political office in Qatar meets with Chinese special envoy

On 13 February, a Russian warship docked in Cape Town harbour as part of South Africa’s previously announced joint military drill with China and Russia. The drills are expected to run for 10 days from 17 to 27 February in the port city of Durban and Richards Bay. The South African defence ministry defended the drills after facing severe criticism for its engagement with Russia by claiming that the country has hosted similar military exercises with France, the US and other western allies previously. Africa: Ukraine to launch training programme for diplomats

On 16 February, China and Iran released a joint statement regarding Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to China, where the leaders of the two countries agreed to promote bilateral cooperation. The joint statement stressed political, security, defence, economic, educational and cultural cooperation. Chinese President Xi Jinping concurred with President Raisi on the need to maintain peace and stability in the Persian Gulf. China and Iran also agreed to expand their cooperation on trade, agriculture, industry and renewable energy.

China: Two students injured at shooting in US University

On 13 February, a gunman opened fire at the Michigan State University, injuring two Chinese students, before killing himself with the same weapon. China’s Consulate-General in Chicago strictly condemned the shooting and later reported that the Chinese students were now recuperating at a local hospital.

The Consulate-General further urged the US to protect foreign nationals living in the country and provide appropriate security to the students.

The PCG will deploy BRP Teresa Magbanua, their flagship vessel, to patrol and aid in defending Filipino fishermen. This comes to light after the Philippines accused Chinese coastguards of using ‘military grade laser light’ leading to the temporary blinding of the Philippines crew. They criticized Chinese coast guards for approaching near 150 yards to the Philippines vessel calling it a “dangerous manoeuvre”.

Australia: Officials remove Chinese-made security cameras in government offices

On 14 February, Australian officials removed Chinese-made security cameras. The defence minister announced the removal of devices from buildings and politicians’ offices owing to security concerns. There are at least 913 Chinese security cameras in over 205 Australian government buildings. The defence minister said: “make sure that our facilities are completely secure”. At least 40 securities needed to be upgraded while they are not connected to the internet, they would be removed for precautionary measure. In a similar stance, US and Britain have taken such measures to refrain from installing Chinesemade cameras in sensitive areas.

On 13 February, the Foreign Secretary of India visited Nepal officially. He met the Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Both sides discussed “various sectors, including economic and development cooperation.” On 15 February, the Foreign Secretary of India visited Bangladesh officially. He called on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, H.E. Sheikh Hasina and conveyed India’s commitment to the relationship with Bangladesh as a part of the Act East and Neighbourhood First policy. Both sides discussed “Lines of Credit, trade and investment, connectivity, power and energy, defence and security, and peopleto-people ties.”

Pakistan: Director-General of IAEA in Islamabad for a two-day visit

On 15 February, the DirectorGeneral of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi arrived in Pakistan for a two-day visit where he is expected to attend bilateral meetings and visit institutions using nuclear technology in the fields of health, agriculture, industry, and power generation. The Foreign Office also issued a statement on Grossi’s visit and said: “The visit will provide an opportunity to Pakistan and the IAEA to explore avenues for further strengthening their ongoing cooperation in the area of peaceful applications of nuclear technology for the socioeconomic development of the country.”

Afghanistan: US urges Taliban to uphold promises made to ensure Afghan territory is not used as a safe haven for terrorists

On 17 February, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen while speaking to Tolo News stated that he met with the Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong. He said, “We discussed the empowerment of the relations of Afghanistan with China, trade, and the provision of facilities for Afghan traders, as well as educational scholarship and the solving of Afghan students' problems and also about Chinese investment in Afghanistan and the acceleration of Chinese projects in Afghanistan.”

Turkiye-Syria: Earthquake woes continue, as death toll crosses 43,000

On 14 February, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the country has launched a “comprehensive” four-day online training programme for African diplomats, as an effort to strengthen relations with the continent. The ministry said that the agreement was reached in October 2022 during the foreign minister’s visit to Africa. Kuleba said: “During my tour, our African partners showed considerable interest in studying Ukrainian diplomatic experience.” He added: “The course developed is a continuation of the renaissance of relations between Ukraine and African countries, and will also be our practical contribution to strengthening the stability of the African continent.”

Russia: CSTO to hold military drills in Kyrgyzstan after tensions with Amenia

On 17 February, the Turkish interior ministry updated the death toll to 39,672, and Syria reported 3,688, bringing the total number to 43,360. However, it is being estimated that there is a serious undercount in Syria, and the numbers are much higher than reported. The UN has called for more aid to be mobilized for the two countries. For Syria, the UN appealed for USD 400 million and for Turkiye, more than USD one billion. UN Humanitarian Aid Chief Martin Griffiths visited Turkiye and said “people have experienced unspeakable heartache. We must stand with them in their darkest hour and ensure they receive the support they need.”

South Africa: Russian warship arrives in Cape Town for joint military drills

On 14 February, the head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Joint Staff, Anatoly Sidorov stated that the forces will hold joint military exercises in Kyrgyzstan. According to the chief, the Unbreakable Brotherhood-2023 drill which is part of the complex joint exercises Combat Brotherhood-2023, will include training of mixed groups of forces Interaction-2023, reconnaissance drill Search-2023, and nuclear, biological, and chemical protection drill Barrier-2023. Initially, the drills were to be held in Armenia, however, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that he deems the drills as “unjustified” because the CSTO countries refused to condemn Azerbaijan’s actions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

About the Authors

Rashmi Ramesh and Akriti Sharma are PhD scholars in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. Abigail Miriam Fernandez, Avishka Ashok, Anu Maria Joseph, Apoorva Sudhakar are Research Associates at NIAS. Femy Francis is a Research Intern at NIAS.

Fresh magnitude 5 quake hits Turkey

Thursday evening at 6:53 p.m. local time with a depth of 9.76 km, was centered in the province's Defne district, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

earthquake jolts eastern Indonesia, no casualties reported

magnitude-6.4 quake on Tuesday.

On February 6, a magnitude

Ankara, Feb 24 (IANS) A magnitude 5 earthquake struck the southern Turkish province of Hatay bordering Syria, the country's disaster agency said. The quake, which occurred on

No new casualties were reported yet, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hatay was first hit by twin massive quakes on February 6, followed by another two on Tuesday night. The Defne district was the epicentre of the first

7.7 earthquake struck Turkey's southern province of Kahramanmaras at 4:17 a.m. local time, followed by a magnitude 7.6 one at 1:24 p.m. local time in the same province.

The recent quakes have killed more than 43,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless across 10 provinces of southern Turkey.

UN delegation in Gaza to defuse HamasIsraeli tension: Sources

The delegation, headed by UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, entered Gaza through the Israeli-controlled Erez Crossing in the northern tip of Gaza, the sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity on Thursday.

they added.

The visit came hours after Israeli fighter jets bombed Gaza in response to the firing of six rockets toward southern Israel. Five of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defence systems and one fell in an open area, according to the Israeli military, Xinhua news agency reported.

Gaza, Feb 24 (IANS) A UN delegation arrived in the Gaza Strip to defuse the tension between Israel and Hamas, the ruler of the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian security sources said.

The UN delegation would discuss with the Hamas leaders the humanitarian developments in Gaza Strip and work to prevent the regional tension from turning into a major military escalation,

On Wednesday, an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus killed 11 Palestinians and injured 102 others, aggravating the already tense ties between Israelis and Palestinians.

Sitharaman meets US Treasury Secretary, Japanese and Canadian Finance Ministers ahead of FMCBG meeting

Ministers and Central Bank Governors' (FMCBG) meeting. The FMCBG meeting will be held between February 24-25 in Bengaluru.

Sitharaman and Yellen discussed their perspectives on strengthening MDBs, global debt vulnerabilities, crypto assets and health.

during G20 Presidency. Later in the day, Sitharaman met Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, where both exchanged views on priorities under G20 Indian Presidency.

Jakarta, Feb 24 (IANS) A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's eastern province of North Maluku on Friday morning, but did not cause casualties or damages, authorities said.

The earthquake occurred at 03:02 a.m. local time Friday (2002 GMT Thursday) with its epicenter located 133 km northwest of Morotai Island district and a depth of 112 km under the seabed, and did not trigger a tsunami, the country's meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency said.

The tremors of the earthquake

were also felt in the nearby province of North Sulawesi, according to the agency. So far, the tremors of the quake did not cause damages on buildings or infrastructure facilities, said Abdul Muhari, spokesman of the National Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. "There are no initial reports of damages or casualties after the earthquake," the spokesman told Xinhua through phone.

"The residents in the Morotai Island district felt the tremors, but they did not panic," Yusri A Kasim, head of the emergency unit of the disaster agency in North Maluku province, told Xinhua by phone.

Indonesia sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone called "the Pacific Ring of Fire".

Global economy changed by Ukraine war

and fifth-largest exporters of wheat, accounting for almost a third of global exports. They are also significant producers of fertilisers and other essential commodities. As war disrupts these supplies, food prices have rocketed to unprecedented levels, The Guardian reported.

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Nirmala

Sitharaman on Thursday held a series of meetings with various dignitaries, including US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, discussing an array of issues such as strengthening of multilateral development banks (MDBs), debt related issues and crypto assets. The meeting came just a day before the crucial first 'Finance

Similarly, Sitharaman and her Japanese counterpart Shunichi Suzuki exchanged views on priorities under G20 Finance Track 2023.

Both Sitharaman and Suzuki looked forward for a close cooperation between Japan as G7 Presidency and India as G20 Presidency on strengthening of MDBs, debt-related issues, financing cities of tomorrow and coordinated policy for crypto assets.

The Japanese minister assured his "whole-hearted" support to India

Sitharaman acknowledged Canada for its support in the FMCBG Communique drafting, cooperation in MDB reform and climate finance.

Freeland stated that the pension funds in Canada are aware of the safety and opportunity of investing in India with a large population, economy size and democratic structure, and will approach the National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF).

She assured the Finance Minister of extending support to India during the G20 Presidency.

Israel approves building 7,157 new housing units in West Bank settlements

The Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration, an Israeli body responsible for approving construction in the West Bank, approved the building plans after two days of discussions that began on Wednesday, according to a statement released by Peace Now on Thursday.

London, Feb 26 (IANS) Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent shockwaves through the global economy and now, a year on from the start of the attack, the world is fundamentally changed, the media reported.

Trends that were already in motion have accelerated, as the need to move away from fossil fuels to greener, renewable energy supplies became more urgent, The Guardian reported. Food prices have soared, increasing hunger in the developing world, and forcing governments, businesses and people to adapt to lasting shifts, The Guardian reported.

The surge in global energy prices since the invasion has pushed inflation across advanced economies to its highest levels in decades, squeezing household incomes and weighing on economic growth.

While this has posed challenges globally, developing nations that are net food importers are particularly exposed. Countries in north Africa and the Middle East are among the biggest buyers of Russian and Ukrainian wheat. But these poorer countries are facing a double whammy. Moves by the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in response to soaring inflation has pushed up the value of the dollar, making it more expensive for developing countries to import goods and borrow money on global markets denominated in the US currency.

Jerusalem, Feb 24 (IANS) Israel has approved plans to build 7,157 new housing units in the settlements in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli settlement watchdog group said.

Out of the planned new housing units, 5,257 units are being advanced with preliminary approval, while 1,900 are waiting for the final approval required for the construction to begin, it said.

This represents one of the largest settlement expansion projects approved in recent years, compared to 4,427 housing units approved in 2022 and 3,645 units in 2021, it added.

The move came fewer than two months after the swearing-in of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition, which is dominated by ultranationalist and pro-settler parties, Xinhua news agency reported.

The inflation surge led central banks to increase interest rates, which drove up borrowing costs for households and businesses. Mortgage costs in the UK and several other nations have risen sharply, stoking fears of a property crash.

Economists expect inflation to cool rapidly over the coming months, as the initial surge in energy prices drops out of the calculation for the annual increase in rising living costs. However, gas and electricity prices remain much higher than before the invasion, The Guardian reported. Russia and Ukraine are, respectively, the world's largest

International trade was already fragmenting before the Russian invasion, but the trend has been accelerated in the past year amid rising geopolitical tensions and concern over supply chain security. After the disruption caused by Covid, and with an eye on the conflict and shifting global relations, companies have pushed to reshore or "friendshore" production, bringing it closer to home, The Guardian reported. Ian Stewart, chief economist in the UK at accountancy firm Deloitte, said:

"The lure of cheap raw materials from Russia is spurring sanctions avoidance on a previously unseen scale. Russian oil shunned by the EU has found ready customers in China, India and Turkey," The Guardian reported.

Powerful

Arab region to import 55% more grain over next decade in absence of modern agricultural techniques

Hanafi as saying at a forum held in Beirut on Thursday.

Beirut, Feb 24 (IANS) The Arab region is expected to import 55 per cent more grain over the next decade if it continues to adopt traditional agricultural production techniques, said Khaled Hanafi, Secretary General of the Union of Arab Chambers.

"Over the next decade, the Arab countries collectively are expected to become the largest net importers of foodstuffs per capita and the second largest in absolute terms ...

This will increase the Arab region's import bill and put it at the mercy of the prevailing price fluctuations in global markets," the National News Agency quoted

Dubbed "Digital Transformation and Smart Agriculture Technology - Challenges and Opportunities," the forum discusses the importance of technology in boosting the agricultural sector worldwide and in the Arab world, Xinhua news agency reported. Hanafi emphasized the need to use modern techniques and technology in smart agriculture by strengthening the role of the private sector and encouraging it in digital transformation to develop sustainable agricultural practices, improve rural development programmes, and adopt sustainable solutions for the future of agriculture and food security in the Arab region.

"Certainly, this approach will help us effectively support the development and ensure food security in a changing climate," he added.

For his part, Hashim Hussein, Head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation - Investment and Technology Promotion Office, said the Arab region will meet 63 per cent of its calories demand

through imports in 2030, making it more vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and price fluctuations.

"In light of these challenges, it is necessary to work jointly to stimulate investment in the agricultural field, develop traditional agricultural mechanisms, and train farmers to use modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and computer programs," he added.

Lebanese Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan said, "there is an increasing need to teach farmers how to use modern agricultural technology, which can make farming easier, more affordable, and less costly."

"It also helps us in pre-warning of any crisis and thus reduces the losses that affect the sector," he said.

According to the UN, the world needs an annual investment of $265 billion to achieve the two Sustainable Development Goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, of which $140 billion should focus on the agricultural sector.

Phnom Penh, Feb 27 (IANS) The risk to the general public from avian influenza A (H5N1) in Cambodia remains low despite two human cases of the virus being detected recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement. Last week, the Southeast Asian nation confirmed two human infections with H5N1 bird flu, the first since 2014, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. It added that the first case involved an 11-yearold girl from southeastern Prey Veng province, who died of the virus on February 22, and her 49-year-old father was tested positive for the virus a day later and is currently in isolation at the Prey Veng Provincial Referral Hospital. Eleven others, who were in close contacts with the deceased girl, tested negative for the H5N1 virus, the statement said. Almost all H5N1 infection cases in people have been

associated with close contact with infected live or dead birds, or H5N1 virus-contaminated environments, it added. "Based on evidence so far, the virus does not infect humans easily and spreads from person-to-person appears to be unusual," the statement said. "Based on available information so far, WHO assesses the risk to the general population posed by this virus to be low." WHO representative to Cambodia Li Ailan praised the kingdom for its swift response to the H5N1 outbreak. "These are the first two human cases of H5N1 reported from Cambodia since 2014," she said. "Early detection and rapid response remain crucial to keep the country and the world safe." According to the country's health ministry, from 2005 to date, there were 58 cases of infected humans in the kingdom and 38 people had died.

Bird flu risk to humans in Cambodia remains low: WHO

Differing convictions in monetary policies

Minutes from the Feb RBI monetary policy committee (MPC) review reflected concern over inflation, owing to uncertain geopolitics, volatile crude prices, and weather-related events. Outside of food, inflation was seen at the risk of hardening further, requiring policymakers to take calibrated action. The two dissenting members see the need to pause and allow the lagged impact of policy actions to play out, citing emerging growth risks. A majority of the MPC is likely to vote for a 25bp hike in April with an unchanged stance, due to an elevated Jan inflation outturn, sticky core, and a likelihood that February inflation (out in midMarch) might also stay close to 6.3-6.5 per cent, before turning data dependent on the path ahead.

Overnight US Fed minutes also reaffirmed their tough stance on inflation, increasing the likelihood of a higher terminal rate. A hawkish RBI MPC stance will help counter the impact of any resultant jump in the US yields/ US dollar. That said, the policy preference is to keep the currency at competitive levels vs regionals. The RBI mopped up net $3.8 billion in December 2022, after $4.4 billion in November 2022, which partly explains the INR's underperformance in late-2022 even as regional FX appreciated on a sliding US dollar. Concurrently, the outstanding forwards book has also risen to $10.96 billion from $0.2 billion in October, as intervention was conducted in spot as well as forwards and authorities remain keen to rebuild FX reserves. As

a result, the INR REER slipped below 100 in January 2023, addressing valuation concerns vs key trading partners. In the nearterm, with strong US data driving DXY higher, the RBI will seek to contain one-sided weakness in the rupee and keep intraday volatility in check.

Indonesia Rates: BI Governor to return for a second term

Indonesia's President has nominated the incumbent Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo for a second term, after his current term ends in May. This decision bodes well for policy stability and continuity, as Governor Warjiyo enjoys the confidence of domestic as well as international markets. While possible on legal grounds, this decision breaks from norm as most past governors have usually served one term.

The ruling party's majority in the parliament will pave the way for the nomination to go through smoothly. Current Finance Minister Indrawati Mulyani was rumoured to be as one of the potential contenders for this position, besides BI's Senior Deputy Governor, among others. For now, the benchmark rate is likely to be left on hold in March, with any unexpected bouts of volatility in the rupiah likely to be met by intervention efforts. A sharp realignment in the Fed's terminal rate expectations might, nonetheless, bring precautionary hikes back in view.

( is Senior Economist at DBS Group Research)

Asia Rates: BOK unlikely to match Fed on 2023 hikes; Low 10 IndoGB yields

By Duncan Tan

Against rising short and longterm US rates, the front-end of Asia curves would be better anchored by Asia central banks'

expected earlier end to hike cycles (relative to US). Long-term Asia rates would however follow rising US to a larger extent (higher beta). Therefore, we think low-beta rates markets like Singapore and Korea could steepen relative to US, because of a more anchored front-end.

IDR Rates

10Y IndoGB yields have been very well-anchored despite much higher 10Y UST yields and flattening in the pace of foreign bond inflows, largely because of the strength of domestic bond demand. With BI using monetary operations and sale of short-term bonds to push the front-end curve higher, so as to improve transmission and act as a buffer against increased Fed uncertainty, the risks are that domestic demand for long duration bonds could wane and 10Y IndoGB yields would eventually need to reprice higher to maintain its attractiveness relative to frontend rates.

KRW Rates

BOK kept its policy rate unchanged at 3.50 per cent. The growth outlook remains weak, but increased Fed uncertainty and recent pickup in inflation (Jan print) would preclude BOK from pivoting dovish. 1Y to 5Y KRW IRS rates have bounced 15-35bps in February, largely a one-to-one beta move to higher US rates. We think that ultimately, Korea's weak growth outlook would mean that BOK is unlikely to match the Fed on rate hikes in the coming months. Therefore, the recent retracement higher in KRW IRS would be a fade, either via receive outright or more preferably, against pay US rates (relativevalue).

(Duncan Tan is Rates Strategist at DBS Group Research)

FX Daily: Fed has a more straightforward rate path than

Toyota and Honda announce biggest pay rises in decades

spending power shrinks, the report said.

the ECB and BOE

By Philip Wee

Momentum is building for the DXY to extend its rise from 104 to 106. DXY appreciated 0.4 per cent to 104.5, its highest level since January 5. After the FOMC minutes, the market sees the Fed delivering 25 bps hikes at the following three FOMC meetings, bringing the Fed Funds Rate to 5.25-5.5 per cent by June. The new peak is in line with New York Fed President John Williams' projected 5-5.5 per cent range by the end of this year.

Williams said on Thursday that the prices might not fall as quickly as expected from solid demand in the US economy, persistent price pressures in the services sector, and ongoing supply chain issues. St Louis Fed President James Bullard wants the FFR higher at 5.375 per cent as soon as possible. Bullard and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester favored a 50 bps hike to 5-5.25 per cent at the FOMC meeting on March 22. The market believes the Fed will lift this year's FFR target from the 5.1 per cent penciled last December. Hence, the data-dependent market will be vulnerable if today's US initial jobless claims fail again to rise to 200k for the February 18 week. Last week, claims fell to 194k for the February 11 week instead of rising to 200k from 195k (revised from 194k). However, it will be the Fed's favourite inflation gauge, the PCE deflator, tomorrow that will cement expectations for US rates to be higher for longer this year. Bloomberg consensus expects headline inflation to strengthen to 0.5 per cent MoM in January from 0.1 per cent in December and core inflation to 0.4 per cent from 0.3 per cent, in line with last week's CPI numbers.

GBP depreciated 0.5 per cent to

1.0246, back around Monday's close. Last week, UK CPI core inflation fell sharply to 5.8 per cent YoY in January; consensus had expected a decline to 6.2 percent from 6.3 percent in December. The outcome aligned with the Bank of England's assessment for inflation to fall rapidly this year. BOE Chief Economist Huw Pill warned of "overtightening" risks amidst signs of loosening in the labour market. Let's see if his hawkish colleague, Catherine Mann, also hints at slowing the pace of rate hikes to 25 bps at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting on March 23.

The BOE lifted the bank rate twice by 50 bps in December and February to 4 per cent. GBP/USD has been consolidating between 1.19 and 1.2450 since December.

In the short term, it is wedged between 1.1930 (100-day moving average) and 1.2130 (20d MA).

EUR depreciated by 0.4 per cent to 1.06, back to levels in the first week of 2023. The European Central Bank may be on a collision path with markets on its rate hike path. ECB Governing Council Member Francois Villeroy De Galhau said that monetary policy was already restrictive, with rates at 2.5 per cent. At the last meeting on February 2, the ECB hiked the main refi rate and the deposit facility rate by 50 bps each to 3 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively.

The swap market is betting on the deposit rate rising to 3.75 per cent by September, more robust than the Bloomberg consensus for the refi rate to peak at 3.75 percent in 2Q23. Villeroy warned that the ECB was not obliged to hike at every meeting until September. Between now and September, there are four ECB meetings. ECB member Pablo Hernandez de Cos will speak in parliament on Thursday.

(Philip Wee is Senior FX Strategist at DBS Group Research)

Indian economy to grow at 7% despite global headwinds, says monthly economic review

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Japanese motor industry giants Toyota and Honda said they have agreed to give their workers in the country the biggest pay rise in decades, according to a media report. They are the latest firms in the world's third largest economy to increase wages as prices jump, BBC reported.

Official figures published last month showed Japan's rate of inflation was at its highest level in over 40 years. That has put pressure on businesses and authorities to help people as their

Each year, Japanese firms typically hold pay talks with unions for weeks before announcing their decisions around the middle of March. The car makers have not said why this year's announcements were made earlier than usual.

On Wednesday, Toyota said it will meet union demands for pay and bonuses, with wages increasing by the most in 20 years, BBC reported.

Toyota's incoming president Koji Sato said that he hoped the move would have a positive impact across the Japan's motor industry and "lead to frank discussions between labour and management at each company".

Meanwhile, rival car maker Honda

told the BBC that it has "fully answered" union requests for wage increases and bonuses. The company said it will raise salaries by 5 per cent, marking the biggest increase since 1990 and above Japan's rate of inflation, BBC reported.

A Honda spokesperson said the extra money will largely be distributed to younger employees as starting salaries are boosted. "Despite the severe business environment, management has a strong desire to create an environment in which all employees can push forward with their work with a sense of urgency," the spokesperson added.

Earlier this year, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called on firms to raise wages to help people struggling with rising prices.

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Despite the global economy operating under an extremely challenging macroeconomic environment like the geopolitical tensions in Europe, spiraling energy, food and fertilizer prices, monetary tightening and inflationary trends having elevated the downside risks to the global economic outlook, the Indian economy is estimated to grow by 7 per cent year-on-year in the current fiscal.

The monthly economic review for January 2023 released by the finance ministry on Thursday, said that the measures announced in the union budget

like a rise in capital expenditure, increased focus on infrastructure development, boost to the green economy, and initiatives for strengthening financial markets are expected to promote job creation and spur economic growth.

"Measures announced for the MSME sector will likely reduce the cost of funds and aid small enterprises. Revision in tax slabs under the new personal income tax regime is expected to boost consumption, thus providing more impetus to economic growth," it noted.

In addition to this, easier KYC norms, expansion of DigiLocker services, and overall impetus on digitisation and last-mile connectivity are predicted to strengthen financial markets, the survey noted further.

Celebrate International Women’s Day on 8th March 2023

From the Editors Desk by Amrita Deshpande

Of the entire year, women get one day to celebrate the achievements of women across the globe. 8th March was that auspicious day when women got together to protest and be heard voicing their concerns about unequal rights. These protests spread far and wide making a big impact, paving the paths for women’s equal working rights. The victories that were achieved by women and the acknowledgment of that first protest are the reason for the women’s day celebrations.

According to US census bureau, National Archives Authority: Public Law 103-22, 107 Stat. 58 and Executive Order 11375:

““It began in New York City on March 8, 1857, when female textile workers marched in protest of unfair working conditions and unequal rights for women. It was one of the first organized strikes by working women, during which they called for a shorter work day and decent wages.”

“On March 8, 1908, women workers in the needle trades marched through New York City's Lower East Side to protest child labor, sweatshop working conditions, and demand women's suffrage. Beginning in 1910, March 8 became annually observed as International Women's Day. “

According to UNWomen Australia International Women’s Day: (https://unwomen.org.au/ get-involved/internationalwomens-day/about/)

“In 1910, Clara Zetkin, the leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. The proposal received unanimous support from over one hundred women representing 17 countries. The very first International Women’s Day was held the following year on 19 March. Meetings and protests were held across Europe, with the largest street demonstration attracting 30,000 women. In 1913, IWD was moved to 8 March and has been held on this day ever since.”

International Women’s Day in Australia: According to UN Women Australia: (https:// unwomen.org.au/get-involved/ international-womens-day/ about/)

“Australia’s first International Women’s Day was held in 1928 in Sydney. Organized by the Militant Women’s Movement, women called for equal pay for equal work, an 8-hour working day for shop girls, and paid leave. The next year the event spread to Brisbane. In 1931,

annual marches were launched in both Sydney and Melbourne and both marches continue to be held today. Since these early days, International Women’s Day has continued to grow. It is a day to celebrate women’s achievements and both highlight and work to address barriers that continue to perpetuate gender inequality.”

Unequal pay and unhealthy working conditions for women have long been the themes of Women’s protests. Although we have made progress in improving the working conditions for women, equal pay is still a concern. Women employees are looked at as cheap labor. Many will be working as casual or part-time workers even in countries like the USA, Canada, and Australia, because of no daycares, lower pay, and few opportunities to reach the top managerial levels. Even if we have equal opportunities for women established in various sectors such as education, media, and STEM areas, the numbers are still low. In some working sectors, there may be gender parity and men and women working together, however, the hours they work and the pay they take home has a huge gap. For the same hours worked, same work done, for the same qualification, for a woman the pay is often less than that of her male equivalent. In fact, by default women put in more work and effort than men just to survive in the position and stay employed. Hence, in the struggle to save their job the demand for equal pay is never raised. Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Women will often work on low pay and accept more work to stay employed. The fear of losing a job is higher in culturally diverse women than men and it was evident during the pandemic. In general, more women than men lost their jobs during the pandemic. Women also took up unpaid jobs during this time. The conditions for culturally diverse women became worse as many could not qualify for the government subsidy.

Definitely, new ideas, new pathways, and innovation in the system are necessary to crack the codes of the gender gap. Technology may be an answer. However, technology should be safe for women to work for 8 hours a day. It should not make them fall prey to cyberbullying, overworking with no equal pay. This Women’s day let's get together to celebrate the achievements of working women who have survived the pandemic and worked through those harsh conditions. Happy Women’s Day!

Professionally qualified bahus in Raj give businesses of in-laws a leg-up

By Archana Sharma

in the presence of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister in Rajasthan... I am managing numerous elite affluent clients, celebrities and royal family weddings and working furiously to promote the state of Rajasthan as the most sought-after wedding destination," she asserted. With many awards in her kitty, Mudrika is also dedicated to grassroots upliftment and economic empowerment of women.

the healthcare segment."

"I have three kids so I took a break thrice, but due to in-laws' support, I came back with equal elan," she added.

"Across my professional span, I have undertaken the practice of learning and unlearning, to bring in international working standards in my working so no matter where I was - into exports, realty or healthcare, I did the best," Neha asserted.

Jaipur, Feb 26 (IANS) Breaking gender barriers, professionally qualified 'bahus' (daughters-inlaw) are boosting the businesses of their in-laws to lead from the front while becoming the trend makers and change makers. Redefining the trends of sons taking over the businesses in the next generation, these women are smartly carving a niche and taking steps forward for making a mark for themselves.

Surprisingly, the in-laws' family stands behind them like a rock to help them carve a niche and realize the dreams shining high in their eyes.

One such businesswoman is Mudrika Dhoka who besides being the chairperson of the FICCI FLO Jaipur chapter is also the director of a company which is into event and wedding management.

She has been the face behind organizing the wedding programmes of many Bollywood celebrities.

When asked how she came into the business, Mudrika said, "I am an MBA and was brought up and raised in the USA. However, falling in love landed me in India. It was difficult, settling in a new country and environment, and grasping the responsibilities, yet I strived not to leave my career on the back burner."

She added: "I took up the challenge of being the first ever daughter-in-law to work in the business conglomerate of Chandra Group and I am presently handling Chandra Groups events and advertising division spread out in Jaipur, Delhi, and Mumbai. As the saying goes, behind every successful man there is a woman, I feel behind every successful woman there is a supporting family."

She has been a medical student for one year before marrying and then came to India, changed her stream but did not put any full stops in her career. She started working, then pursued her studies, completed her MBA and now wants to pursue a PhD. "Handling clients from various domains such as telecom, electronics, government, banking and finance, I have managed the maximum number of events

Under her chairmanship, FICCI FLO has adopted Bhelwa village in Rajasthan, wherein trained females in English speaking, stitching, and parlor courses among others. Also, they are giving training to village students in the digital literacy domain. Besides Mudrika, there is yet another female Neha Gupta who has been leading from the front in diverse segments like realty, export and healthcare, courtesy the support of her in-laws.

Neha completed her schooling in Pilani and stayed in boarding school. Later she went to Indore for her bachelor's and master's and soon got married.

She had never seen any women working in her family and hence had no inspiration or role model of working women, but then she had one doctor in her society whom she admired.

Never ever any woman had worked in her family, but marriage changed things for her. Her husband was IIT-Mumbai passed out and her father-in-law was a Chartered Accountant.

"Environment was different and (my) mother-in-law was supportive due to which I started spreading my wings," she says adding, "Initially, I started looking after the garment export business, then, I headed the realty business and now I am heading

"I advise all women, if they want to work on their own they need to make their own decisions, they have to be determined and need to have the courage to step out of the house. They have to stand on their own," she said.

There are women, who helped their husbands in realizing their dream and shaping their businesses too.

One such female is Geetanjali Kasliwal, co-founder of Anantaya, who has won the UN seal of excellence many times for her exclusive work in handmade crafts.

Her husband Ayush graduated in furniture design from the acclaimed National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad while Geetanjali is a qualified architect. Soon she joined hands with her husband and the two created a design studio on the belief that a contemporary design aesthetic needs to be integrated into traditional Indian crafts, for them to survive and thrive. Today, her name stands synonymous with the design industry.

Besides these, there are several other women leading from the front to take forward their inlaws' legacy with dedication and integrity and thus changing the image of Rajasthan, which is considered a patriarchal state.

14 bilateral contributors receive top honours at 2023 IABCA Award ceremony

Highlights of the 2023 IABCA Award Winners and High Commended

Daniel, India Vision Institute

The IACBA Australia India

Impact Award (Organisation)

- KAS Group Asia (KGA); the Highly Commended Certificate - Gaura Travel

IABCA Young Professional of the Year - Khushaal Vyas, Western Sydney University, Justice Clinic

IABCA Business Leader of the Year - Jay Hira, Cyber

Transformation

IABCA Managing Director of the Year - Dr Raj Khillan, Healthcare Awareness Society of Australia; the Highly Commended Certificate - Jonah Stephen Jeremiah, Carisma Solutions Private Limited

The IABCA Community Services

Excellence Award (Individual)‘Little India Harris Park Business Association (LIHPBA)’; and Rengarajan Chidambaranathan, Rotary Club of Granville

The IABCA Community Services

Excellence Award (Organisation)

- ‘IT Girls Work Experience Program’, Tata Consultancy Services Limited

The IABCA Businesswoman of the Year - Priyanka Berani, Healthy Smiles Dental Group; and the Highly Commended Certificate - Esha Oberoi, Afea Care Services

The IABCA Australia India Impact Award (Individual)-Vinod

The Australia India Science, Research & Development Award (Individual)DrSonuBhaskar, Global Health Neurology Lab;the Highly Commended Certificate - Prof Suresh Kumar Bhargava, Research & Innovation, Research Partnerships (India), Director for CAMIC, Dean, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne

The Excellence in Innovation Award - ‘The Avolution; the Highly Commended Certificate - Alluvium

The ‘Excellence in Trade & Investment’ AwardFlavourtech Ltd

The ‘Excellence in Partnerships Award’Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) & Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India

The SME of the Year AwardCoral Heatlhcare

The Lifetime Achievement Award - Ambassador Harinder Sidhu, former High Commissioner for Australia to India and current High Commissioner for Australia to New Zealand

Continued from Page 1

That business relations underlie many endeavors in diverse arenas of human activities has been well comprehended and appreciated. The fruits of the growing bilateral relations across fields must percolate to individual achievers of excellence Moreover, the footprints of an entity that is into eliciting and recognizing excellence across human endeavors, must reach out beyond the confines of local interests and become global in outlook in contemporary times characterized by dynamic business ecosystems and diverse interests.

In such a complex backdrop full of potentialities and opportunities, the IABCA decided to kick-start a new era of engagements by first celebrating a decade of relentless engagement by endeavoring to spread its wings globally through its inaugural ‘IABCA India Showcase’, a celebration which had the support and blessings of both governments. The festivities were organized from 13 to 17 February.

It was a 12-month long endeavor during which the IABCA offered an apt platform for the confluence of 400 key influencers and bilateral leaders from across the two nations. The ‘Meeting of

Minds’,as it was appropriately consisted of the two high-profile events firstly, the IABCA Global Leaders Forum and the Awards Ceremony, and secondly, the reception at the Taj Palace, New Delhi and Mumbai. The occasion was an opportune moment to connect entrepreneurs, innovators and community leaders from across Australia and India.

During the inaugural launch of IABCA India Immersion Week, High Commissioner of Australia to India, Barry O’Farrell, who attended the celebrations said, “I welcome IABCA’s decision to expand its scope and showcase the amazing depth of our bilateral business and community links in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Congratulations to all the IABCA 2023 Finalists.”

The IABCA Global Leaders Forum was an apt platform to discuss issues of mutual interest and areas of opportunity for both the countries. But before that an understanding of what India is and stands for becomes important given the significance of the occasion. Therefore the organizers initiated two separate panel discussions that sought to understand the Australia India relationship across bilateral partnerships and its significance.

The keynote speech was delivered by Vice Chairman of Suzlon Group Girish Tanti.

Following the Global Leaders Forum, the IABCA awards ceremony was organized. There were as many as 14 awardees across trade and investment, who were awarded for their bilateral contributions.

Applauding the IABCA inaugural India biennial decision, Author, Australia Economic Strategy Report, Former Ambassador and Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Anil Wadhwa said, “The India Australia Business and Community Alliance is just ten years old, however, it has effectively taken center stage in the Australia India relationship as a leading platform that connects businesses, people and institutions in both countries with an ease and comfort that no other institution can. Through its web of initiatives aimed at forging connections which are vital for sustaining the bilateral relationship between the two countries, IABCA initiatives and awards are much sought after and heavily subscribed. This year IABCA will showcase this power of connections in India in 2023the program is much welcomed in New Delhi and in Mumbai.”

Scholz visits SUN Mobility facility in B’luru, checks out futuristic energy solutions

mass mobility solutions to lead the transition that is electric, clean, and green.

Iran seeks to export nuclear products, technology: Atomic chief

Bengaluru, Feb 26 (IANS)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who visited the SUN Mobility Technology Centre as part of his day-long visit to Bengaluru on Sunday had first-hand experience of swapping a battery in electric vehicles in India.

The leading provider of universal energy infrastructure and services for electric vehicles (EVs), SUN Mobility hosted the German Chancellor at its facility in Bengaluru to showcase India's futuristic mobility and energy solutions for the world.

Accompanied by a highlevel German delegation, the Chancellor took a tour of the company's development centre to understand how India is working with high-end advanced technologies to provide affordable

During the one-hour visit, Chetan Maini, Co-founder and Chairman, SUN Mobility, along with Anant Badjatya, CEO, SUN Mobility interacted with the German Chancellor and discussed India's clean-tech aspirations and how the country is leading the electric mobility transition with cuttingedge innovations and solutions that are designed in India, for the world.

"Today, India stands at the forefront of electric mobility solutions and is bolstering the shift to clean energy transition. As the world comes together to embrace the electric mobility transformation, India is innovating solutions that are affordable, accessible, and available to the masses. It was a privilege to engage with Olaf Scholz and the German delegation on the advanced sustainable energy solutions we build in India, for the world," said Chetan Maini, co-founder and chairman, SUN Mobility.

Speaking of the event, the spokesperson for Chancellor Scholz said: "The Chancellor

was introduced to the unique 'battery swapping' concept, wherein commercial two-andthree wheelers do not need long charging times but can swap out their batteries in an instant. This is all the more important as two-and-three wheelers cause the majority of carbon emissions in the mobility sector in India. Innovative concepts such as SUN Mobility's, which are affordable and tailored to the Indian market, are vital when it comes to a global shift towards greener mobility.

"In the future, SUN Mobility could partner with German companies and possibly bring their concept to the European market. Already the German company Bosch has a 20 per cent stake in SUN Mobility, a further symbol of Indo-German partnership in green mobility," the spokesperson added. As part of the visit, the Chancellor took a walkthrough of SUN Mobility's manufacturing facilities, command and control centre, battery assembly line and battery swapping stations dedicated for electric two-andthree wheelers, as well as for swappable electric buses.

UAE begins commercial operations at S.Korean-built No. 3 nuclear reactor

The Unit 3 reactor began its commercial operations Friday after the Middle East country issued an operating license last June and the process to insert fuel rods into the reactor started, according to the Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO).

Seoul, Feb 26 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started commercial operations at the third unit of the South Koreanbuilt Barakah nuclear power plant, South Korea's state-run utility firm said Sunday.

It is one of the four nuclear reactors built in Barakah, 270 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi, under a US$20 billion contract won by a KEPCO-led consortium in 2009. The project marked

South Korea's first export of a homegrown commercial atomic power plant, Yonhap News Agency reported quoting KEPCO. The first Barakah unit began commercial operations in April 2021 and the second one in March 2022. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. said Unit 3 adds 1,400 megawatts of clean electricity capacity to the UAE grid, with the total production from the three units reaching 4,200 megawatts.

Local lithium could cut EV production cost by 8-15%: Bharat New-Energy CE

IANS: "My expectation is that we can see cell prices 20-30 per cent due to these, which would lead to vehicle cost reduction of 8-15 per cent."

Tehran, Feb 27 (IANS) Iran's atomic chief has said that the country seeks to export its nuclear products and technology amid the "propaganda warfare" conducted by enemies to block the country's progress in the nuclear field.

President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami made the remarks at the 29th Iranian Nuclear Conference at Shahid Beheshti University on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Iran's Mehr News Agency. Eslami said the country seeks to export its nuclear products and technology, adding that Iran is currently exporting radiopharmaceuticals and some

types of nuclear equipment. He also referred to the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and attacks on Iranian nuclear sites as measures taken by Iran's enemies to impede the progress of Iran's nuclear technology.

The US and its Western allies have accused Iran of developing a nuclear weapon, and Washington has imposed sanctions on Tehran aiming to stop its nuclear activities.

Iran rejects the allegation as "baseless" and sanctions as "illegal", saying its nuclear program is peaceful and the country has never sought to develop a nuclear weapon.

Adani Ports beats own milestone as cargo volumes cross 300 MMT in just 329 days

Ahmedabad, Feb 26 (IANS) Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), the largest integrated transport utility in India and a part of the diversified Adani Group, crossed 300 MMT of cargo handling on February 23, 2023, in just 329 days, beating its own milestone from last year of 354 days.

APSEZ has registered unprecedented growth since it started operations over two decades ago and continues to outperform all India cargo volume growth, with its market share rising rapidly.

"The improvement in cargo volumes is testimony to the faith that our customers have in us," APSEZ CEO and Whole Time Director Karan Adani said.

"It shows our commitment to using improved efficiencies and technological integrations to drive and achieve customer satisfaction.

IANS: What does the finding of lithium reserves mean for the EV industry players? Will it result in reduction in vehicle prices?

with various government authorities, APSEZ has strategically built a string of ports (pearls) across the coastline of India, along with ICDs (inland container depots) and warehouses, woven intricately with self-owned rakes, covering more than 70 per cent of the hinterland. APSEZ has seen 4 per cent growth y-o-y at its container terminals because of its efficient infrastructure,which not only helps the country increase its trade share in global trade but also makes it easier for consumers gain access to a wide range of international products at reduced costs. Also, the lower logistics costs associated with maritime allow Indian businesses to export goods around the world,boosting domestic economy and raising the employment rate of Indians in the process.

Chennai, Feb 25 (IANS) The mining and supply of domestic lithium to Indian electric vehicle (EV) makers will result in reduction in production cost of lithium cells and in end vehicle production cost, said Anirudh Ravi Narayanan, CEO & CoFounder, Bharat New-Energy. Queried about the impact of domestic supplies of lithium on the production cost of EVs, Narayanan in an interview told

"I am not an expert on the mining industry, but from what I understand it will take 3 years minimum for us to see output," he added.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

IANS: On the lithium reserves found in India.

Narayanan: It is great news for our country. However, there's more work to be done. The reserves are in G3 stage and further exploration will be needed to qualify the find with a highlevel of confidence.

Narayanan: Definitely it will be good for the industry to have local cell manufacturing and local supply chain feeding the cell manufacturing. Both of these will result in reduction in cost of the Li-Ion batteries. My expectation is that we can see cell prices 20-30 per cent due to these, which would lead to vehicle cost reduction of 8-15 per cent.

IANS: With domestic supplies of lithium will EV players will go for backward integration? What are your views for your group on this point?

The APSEZ's flagship port, Mundra, is outpacing all its closest rivals by comfortable margins and continues to be the largest port in the nation in terms of volumes handled. Mundra's infrastructure meets world standards and provides service levels on par with those of its global competitors, making it India's gateway for container goods."

Increase in cargo volume handled at ports is a signthat the nation's economy is picking up. Almost 95 per cent of the trade volumes in India are carried through maritime transport. So, having world-class mega ports is imperative for the Indian coastline. Through concession agreements

59% of long Covid patients suffered organ damage

a year later: Study

impairment 12 months after initial diagnosis.

have impairment in two or more organs, in some cases without symptoms," Banerjee said.

London, Feb 23 (IANS) Organ damage persisted in 59 per cent of long Covid patients a year after initial symptoms, even in those not severely affected when first diagnosed with the virus, according to researchers, led by one of an Indian-origin. The findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, confirmed that 29 per cent of patients with long Covid had multi-organ impairment, with persistent symptoms and reduced function at six and 12 months. About 59 per cent of long Covid patients had single organ

"Symptoms were common at six and 12 months and associated with female gender, younger age and single organ impairment," said senior author Professor Amitava Banerjee, Institute of Health Informatics at University College London.

The study reported a reduction in symptoms between six and 12 months -- extreme breathlessness (in 38 percent to 30 percent of patients), cognitive dysfunction (48 percent to 38 percent) and poor health-related quality of life (57 percent to 45 percent).

"Several studies confirm persistence of symptoms in individuals with long Covid up to one year. We now add that three in five people with long Covid have impairment in at least one organ, and one in four

The team included 536 long Covid patients in the study of which 331 (62 percent) were identified with organ impairment six months after their initial diagnosis. The underlying mechanisms of long Covid remain elusive, said the researchers, who did not find evidence by symptoms, blood investigations or MRI to clearly define long Covid subtypes. They noted that future research must consider associations between symptoms, multi-organ impairment and function in larger cohorts.

"Organ impairment in long Covid has implications for symptoms, quality of life and longer-term health, signaling the need for prevention and integrated care for long Covid patients,"Banerjee said.

Micro nutritional deficiency impacts concentration in kids

cognitive functions -- attention, concentration and in vasomotor coordination -- among urban school children and adolescents, aged 6 to 16 years, across 10 cities of India.

The study was conducted from April 2019 to February 2022 on 2,428 participants from 60 schools in India and was published in the medical journal 'Plos One' on February 2, 2023.

micronutrient deficiency, 23. 8 per cent had any one and 69. 2 per cent had more than two micronutrient deficiencies. The study showed that vasomotor coordination is linked with the levels of calcium, folate, vitamin A and B12 and the working memory is associated with iron, folate, vitamin A and B12," she said.

"These capabilities were lesser in children with deficiencies. Girls were more deficient than boys.

New York, Feb 23 (IANS) Love to use smartwatches, fitness trackers to keep a check on your health? If you are using pacemakers or other implanted cardiac electronic devices for your heart health, these wearable gadgets may inadvertently affect your heart health, warned a study. The rise of wearable health tech has grown rapidly in recent years, blurring the line between medical and consumer devices.

The study, published in Heart Rhythm, noted that despite the obvious benefits, certain fitness and wellness trackers could pose serious risks among people using cardiac implantable electronic devices such as pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) devices.

It is because the smartwatches, rings or scales emit electrical currents which can interfere with these lifesaving implantable heart devices, causing them to malfunction.

"The present findings do not recommend the use of these devices in this population due to potential interference," said researchers from the University of Utah in the US.

For the study, the team evaluated the safety of smart scales, smart watches, and smart rings with bioimpedance technology via simulation and testing. "Bioimpedance sensing generated an electrical interference that exceeded Food and Drug Administration-accepted guidelines and interfered with proper CIED functioning," explained lead investigator Benjamin Sanchez Terrones, from the varsity's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

He emphasized that the results, determined through careful simulations and benchtop testing, do not convey an immediate or clear risk to patients who wear the trackers, but noted that the different levels emitted could result in pacing interruptions or unnecessary shocks to the heart. "Our findings call for future clinical studies examining patients with CIEDs and wearables."

Lucknow, Feb 23 (IANS) Micronutritional deficiency in school children can have an adverse impact on their concentration, vasomotor coordination and working memory.

A cross-sectional multi-centre study conducted by researchers at King George's Medical University (KGMU) has found this.

The study aimed to explore association of micronutrient deficiency (MD) with level of general intelligence and specific

Project administrator and head of pediatrics department, KGMU, Prof Shally Awasthi said: "We assessed eight micronutrients by taking blood samples which included four minerals-calcium, iron, zinc and selenium and four vitamins-A, B12, D and folate at the biochemistry lab of KGMU."

Cognitive function was assessed using CPM/SPM, co-ding, digit span and arithmetic tests by trained psychologists.

"In July, we found that only 7 per cent participants had no

"The study demonstrates that 17. 6 per cent participants were anaemic as per WHOdefined criteria. We found that anaemia was associated with micronutrient deficiency. More than two MDs were more common in anaemic children than non-anaemic," she added. Research was a comprehensive multi-centre work, with a good sample size. But the study was limited to urban settings only. Due to logistic issues, the sample size was equally divided across all study sites.

Why head injuries may up risk of developing brain cancer

London, Feb 27 (IANS) Suffering head injuries can one day lead to the development of a relatively rare but often aggressive form of brain tumour called a glioma, according to a study.

The study, published in journal Current Biology, found that patients who experienced a head injury were nearly four times more likely to develop brain cancer later in life, than those who had no head injury. The reason is that mutations in certain genes synergise with brain inflammation, which is induced by acute injury and then increases over time during the natural process of ageing to make astrocytes more likely to initiate

a cancer. However, it is important to keep in mind that the risk of developing brain cancer is overall low, estimated at less than 1 per cent over a lifetime, so even after an injury, the risk remains modest, said researchers from the University College London.

"Our research suggests that brain trauma may contribute to an increased risk of developing brain cancer in later life," said lead author Professor Simona Parrinello from UCL's Cancer Institute."We know that normal tissues carry many mutations which seem to just sit there and not have any major effects. Our findings suggest that if on top of those mutations, an injury occurs,

it creates a synergistic effect. "In a young brain, basal inflammation is low so the mutations seem to be kept in check even after a serious brain injury. However, upon ageing, our mouse work suggests that inflammation increases throughout the brain but more intensely at the site of theearlier injury. This may reach a certain threshold after which the mutation now begins to manifest itself," Parrinello said. Gliomas are brain tumours that often arise in neural stem cells. More mature types of brain cells, such as astrocytes, have been considered less likely to give rise to tumours. However,

London, Feb 23 (IANS) Exercising at least once a month as well as having satisfying relationships in adulthood are linked to better cognitive functioning and good brain health in old age, stopping dementia in its tracks, two studies have suggested.

The exercise study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, showed that people who reported being physically active at least one to four times a month between the ages of 36 and 69 had the biggest cognitive effect.

This effect was greater than for those who reported exercising frequently (more than five times a month) during at least one survey period, but who did not necessarily keep this up, the findings showed.

"Our study suggests that engaging in any leisure-time physical activity, at any point in adult life, has a positive effect on cognition. This seems to be the case even at light levels of activity, between one to four times a month," said lead author Dr Sarah-Naomi James, from MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London.

"What's more, people who have never been active before, and then start to be active in their 60s, also appear to have better cognitive function than those who were never active," James added. The second research, published in General Psychiatry, revealed that having unsatisfying social relationships can be as much of a risk factor for disease as obesity, physical inactivity or alcohol intake.

The findings led by a team from the University of Queensland in Australia showed that middleaged women with the lowest levels of relationship satisfaction were more than twice as likely to develop multiple chronic conditions as those who were very satisfied with their relationships. Although the study included only women, the findings still had "significant implications" for health, the researchers noted.

Your smart watch may disrupt your pacemaker, worsen heart health

How you can keep dementia at bay in old age

Meet Rekha Bohra; Raj Suri Mrs India Australia 2022 winner

It is often a pleasure to meet women who dare to take up challenges and build themselves to pave their paths of life and careers. Not only that but they also dare to empower other women and help eachother grow. What a delight to have a conversation with Mrs. Rekha Bohra who recently won the Mrs. India Australia Title. She was the only one from Brisbane to participate in this contest.

Interview with Rekha Bohra by Amrita Deshpande (Community News Editor)

Tell us about you, who is Rekha Bohra?

I was born and brought up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. I am a doctor by profession. I did my schooling and MBBS from Bhopal. I got married and moved to Jaipur where I completed my Post Graduation in Gynecology then moved to England for 15 years. I practiced as a gynecologist and a General Practitioner in England before I moved to Australia 6 years ago with my husband and 2 boys. I

continue to practice as a GP and a cosmetic physician here in Brisbane.

Tell us more about the contest. Who can participate in this contest?

Any married woman of Indian origin living in Australia is eligible to participate in this competition. The judges mainly look for passionate, confident and talented women who have a purpose and goal in participating in this pageant and how they will use this title to bring a positive change in society.

What intrigued you to participate in the contest?

Firstly, I have always had an interest in beauty and fashion but practicing as a doctor in the western world for a long time, I feel that there is a big percentage of women who lack self-confidence, self-love and self-esteem, which is the root cause of mental health issues. I needed a platform where I could help these women and spread my message around. This particular pageant gave me that platform

hence I decided to participate. Secondly, I wanted to challenge myself as I strongly believe that one grows only when one comes out of the comfort zone. I wanted to do something that I had never done before. Did you have to prepare for this contest?

Participating in this pageant was a challenge for me as I had never done anything like this before but I wanted to try my best and get the most out of it. I did a professional photoshoot to learn about camera facing.

I did mentorship sessions with the trainer.

Spent hours learning ramp walk and recording myself on camera. For my talent, I wrote a poem on women empowerment as I am a writer too.

Who helped you and supported you in this venture?

My mentor Mr Raj Suri helped me a lot. I gained immense confidence under his mentorship. I realized my strengths and worked on my weaknesses.

Your profession as a doctor did that help you win the pageant?

My profession as a doctor helped me as it made me realize, when I had conversations with my patients that I need to do something more for the women outside my clinic as well. Further, my confidence and communication skills certainly helped me in the contest. What message would you give to future participants? My message for every woman is that nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself and if you put your heart and hard work into it everything is possible. I also want to mention that age is just a number, dreams can be chased at any age. To me “ Every woman is a queen and every girl is a princess, it's just a matter of them realizing it “.

What message would you like to give our readers, women and the Indian community?

As Mrs India Australia 2022, I believe that women need to have more financial independence

as financial independence brings social and emotional independence. As a Doctor specializing in women's health, I see women struggling with mental health and mental health services are not freely accessible. I hope in the future, we will see development in these areas. My message for the Indian Diaspora living in BrisbaneFirstly, I want to say a big thank you to the Indian community in Brisbane for their love and support. We are a very big community and the way we are preserving and celebrating our rich culture is commendable. I think we can do more to support Indian women. I have started a Facebook group called” empower Brisbane Indian women, where women would support women, promote their businesses and share their talents.

What’s next for you?

I am representing Australia in “Mrs India Worldwide 2023 “ which will be held in Pune in June. I am very Excited about it!!

Meghana Pandit named CEO of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust

London, Feb 18 (IANS) India-born professor Meghana Pandit has become the first woman of colour to be appointed CEO of Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust.

Meghana, who was named to the post on a fixed term basis in 2022, has now been appointed permanently after a rigorous and competitive process, which concluded after an extensive national and international recruitment search.

Members of the interview panel unanimously agreed that she was

the preferred choice, and this recommendation was approved at a meeting of the Council of Governors on February 15.

Professor Jonathan Montgomery, Chair of Oxford University Hospitals, said in a statement: "I am delighted that Meghana has now been appointed to the CEO role on a permanent basis and I am looking forward to working with her personally in what promises to be an exciting new era under her leadership." He added that she has a strong focus on staff engagement and

building the patient voice into the strategic development of the Trust.

"Her approach is strongly aligned with our Trust values and with our vision of delivering compassionate excellence to our patients," Montgomery said. Meghana's appointment will come into effect from March 1, 2023.

An MBBS from University of Bombay, Meghana trained in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the Oxford Deanery and was a visiting lecturer in Urogynaecology at

University of Michigan in the US. "It is a privilege to be asked to lead OUH on a permanent basis and I look forward to continue working with colleagues at OUH, our partners in the health and social care system in Oxfordshire and across the BOB Integrated Care System, our partner Universities, and Oxford Hospitals Charity, to ensure the highest quality of research and innovation enabled care for our patients and populations," Meghana said in an OUH release.

Will initiate legal action against all parties, including Cong, says Tipu descendant

Bengaluru, Feb 19 (IANS)

Sahebzada Syed Mansoor Ali

Tipu, a seventh-generation descendant of Tipu Sultan, is the founder-president of 'Tahreek-eKhudadaad', and a social worker. He actively participates in all debates over his ancestor and has been in the news lately.

In an interview with IANS, Ali says he will initiate legal action against political parties, including the Congress, for playing politics using the name of Tipu Sultan. Here are excerpts from the interview:

IANS: What's your opinion on the controversy surrounding Tipu Sultan in Karnataka?

Mansoor Ali: Recently, Union

Home Minister Amit Shah compared Veer Savarkar to Tipu Sultan, which is not correct.

Veer Savarkar has his own history and Tipu Sultan has his own. Tipu Sultan gave good administration during his time. History recognises Tipu Sultan as a freedom fighter, who fought against the British and sacrificed his life for the motherland.

Why are you talking about his administration now? He pioneered missile technologies. His reforms in water management, administration, training of officers, and setting up of armory houses are part of history. The BJP will have to give its progress report to the people. When they do not have a report card of achievements, they want to pull out things from history.

IANS: What are your views on Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel's remarks that Tipu Sultan's followers should not stay in this land?

Mansoor Ali: Being a State President of a national party, such a statement does not suits his dignity. We are in a democratic country. Everyone has got their place and is paying their taxes. Whether it is in India or Karnataka, they have their rights. It is a crime to utter such words. Sending descendants and

followers to forests... How many of them will you send? Will you be able to send 30-40 crore people, including minorities and seculars, who are followers of Tipu Sultan?

IANS: How do you see the move to tone down the content that glorifies Tipu Sultan from the syllabus?

Mansoor Ali: Who are they to glorify Tipu Sultan? The Britishers themselves, before independence Tipu Sultan gave the title of Tiger of Mysuru to him.

It is not the title given to him by his father or by himself. The French and British, who failed to win against Tipu Sultan, told King George III in London that he is a tiger. That is how he got the title. Britishers lost three Anglo-Mysore wars from him. In the fourth one they won through betrayal.

They have not removed the lesson. The title - Tiger of Mysuru - has been removed. They have also removed the part which described him as the pioneer of rockets. History always remembers Tipu Sultan as the Tiger of Mysuru. It doesn't matter whether they keep it or remove it. Maybe it matters to them that they have removed something, but they can't take out the title which is in the hearts of people.

Former President Ramnath Kovind himself stated that Tipu Sultan is the pioneer of rockets. Will you change his statements or accept his statement?

The former President made this statement in the assembly, when he visited Karnataka. Former President Late Abdul Kalam when he visited NASA, he had written there that Tipu Sultan is a pioneer of rockets. Will you go (there) and remove it from NASA, America?

The charges are baseless, the history can't be rewritten.

IANS: Tipu Sultan is projected as a freedom fighter as well as a religious bigot who killed people, your views?

Mansoor Ali: Tipu Sultan's father Hyder Ali was a soldier. It was

through bravery they took over the kingdom. They fought against the British. It was about the kingdom. From thousands of years, from emperor Ashoka to old civilisations, there was a rule. Whenever there was betrayal in his kingdom, he took action. Tipu Sultan did not spare Muslims also. He went against Hyderabad Nawabs. If he was thinking on religious lines, he would not have opposed the Nawabs. Why don't they take their example?

IANS: Salaam Aarati, the ritual which came to practice during the rule of Tipu Sultan, is renamed as Namaskara Aarati. How do you see this development?

Mansoor Ali: When Tipu Sultan fought and won the Anglo-Mysore war, he came to Kolluramma and other few temples. Even today, when the PM or the CM visits religious places they will be highly respected. That time priests gave 'salaam' to Tipu Sultan and that tradition continued. He gave special grants to temples. That thing has continued, not for Tipu Sultan but for God. It is just a change of name as 'Salaam' or 'Namaskara' have the same meaning.

IANS: What's your take on the move to ban the celebration of Tipu Jayanti?

Mansoor Ali: On one side there is BJP which says Tipu Sultan is a tyrant and villain, on the other there is Congress which says they are with Tipu Sultan. The Congress party should show how they plan to be with Tipu Sultan? They are two sides of a coin. For 70 years you (Congress) didn't realise the importance of celebrating Tipu Jayanthi. Suddenly, when your party is seeing downfall, you want to celebrate it to attract minority and backward votes.

In 2015, you decided to celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti. Fine, we are with you for Tipu Jayanti. But, what about universities and other institutions to be named after

Swiggy announces Dine Out offerings for all users

from tens of thousands of diningout options and avail discounts at over 18,000 plus restaurants across 24 cities.

The service available across 24 cities include Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Indore, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Nagpur, Goa (North & South), Kochi, Surat, Agra, Udaipur, and Vadodara.

him? When you compare him with other martyrs like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru or any other Prime Minister, what is the place given to Tipu Sultan? You (Congress) too have failed to give him respect.

Using the post of Chairman of Wakf, the Congress leaders have enjoyed the properties of Tipu Sultan... Who is going to defend Tipu Sultan's descendants and followers? Who's going to protect us?

IANS: Amidst the ongoing controversy over Tipu Sultan, what do you think will happen in the future?

Mansoor Ali: I don't want the Congress, the BJP or any other political party to use our ancestor's name again and again for creating negativity. None of them can do any good to Tipu Sultan. We are quiet despite whatever is happening. They call Tipu Sultan a tyrant and mass rapist, how much do we have to take? The only way is to initiate legal action. Our entire family in Kolkata and here will initiate action. We can support and defend descendants and followers of Tipu Sultan.

IANS: The Tipu Sultan issue is being politicized ahead of the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls. What do you have to say about this?

Mansoor Ali: Every party should have their own progress report. Being in Opposition, the Congress never stood for Tipu Sultan. Where was the Congress when the lessons were removed, the name of the train named after Tipu Sultan from Bengaluru to Mysuru was changed? Why did they not stand up?

They (Congress) started celebrating Tipu Jayanti and spoiled everything. Earlier, even BJP used to celebrate Tipu Jayanti; JD (S) and all political parties used to celebrate Tipu Jayanti. But all controversy started from 2015, when Congress started celebrating Tipu Jayanti.

IANS: What, according to you, are the biggest contributions of Tipu Sultan to Karnataka and the country?

Mansoor Ali: Tipu Sultan was a pioneer of rockets and also called the father of rockets. When he ascended the throne, he brought silk reforms; he introduced a milk system of gifting cows to farmers, and the gold imams (currency), which was the first currency in India. He banned the 'Sati' system. For women of backward, SC and ST communities, who were not allowed to wear blouses or had to pay taxes for wearing blouses. The blouse tax was abolished in Kerala. He ensured equality for women. Wherever he constructed mosques, he gave lands generously to temples such as Sringeri Sharadamba, Chamundeshwari in Mysuru and Thippeswamy temple in Nanjangud.

Moreover, for Christians, in the Srirangapatna region, the first Basilica Church was constructed by Tipu Sultan and given to French officers for praying. Do you call him a religious tyrant?

IANS: Tell us about your family?

Mansoor Ali: I come from the seventh lineage of Tipu Sultan... Our entire family and elders stay in Kolkata. We have 35 members in our entire family.

New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Online food delivery platform Swiggy has announced the integration of Dineout offerings on the platform, making it available for all its users.

This integration will enable millions of Swiggy users to choose

"With this integration, Dineout's offering will be more accessible than ever before and available to a larger Swiggy user base across the 24 cities.

We are certain that our combined efforts will help create a seamless experience for all Swiggy users and significant savings on their dining-out expenses," Ankit Mehrotra, Co-founder, Dineout,

said in a statement.

Swiggy Dineout currently features fine dining, lounge bars, pubs, cafes, quick-service restaurants, and more.

Moreover, Swiggy One members will get the benefits of their allencompassing membership now across Dine Out, food delivery, Instamart (groceries), Genie (send packages) and more.

In September last year, Swiggy made it to the list of the world's 'Top 10' e-commerce-based food delivery companies.

According to the Canadaheadquartered global research firm ETC Group, Swiggy was placed in 9th place.

Parents share tips on how to manage stress during exams

New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANSlife) Since it is exam season, thousands of kids and their parents are experiencing sleepless evenings as they worry and stress about tests and results. Anxiety, stress, and tension work as barriers, affecting concentration and performance during the exams. Even for the most intelligent pupils, fear and anxiety frequently manifest as physical and psychological symptoms that make learning more challenging. The pressure of the exam is genuine! Additionally, worry and anxiety, if not treated in a timely manner, can actually result in issues that persist long after exam season.

While students are now vocal about these stress inducers and the overall exam pressure, not every student is comfortable talking about it. Parents play a critical role here both for the vocal as well as the quiet sufferers. From ensuring access to therapists and counselors who can address the mental health concerns of their children to simply taking the time to talk to their children and help them align

expectations, parents are integral to a child's stress management journey.

Often the fear begins at home, thus making it essential for parents to communicate with children and assure them that just results alone do not in any way determine their capabilities to abilities to succeed in the future.

It is essential to acknowledge a child's strengths and unique abilities and play them up, in order to build inner confidence and conviction. A parent is a child's first validation, which goes a long way in shaping his or her attitude toward life.

Here are some tips shared by experienced parents on ways to reduce stress among children:

Rajnee Sinha, mother of a 14-year-old girl who works at a leading IT firm said, "I used to be worried about my child's grades and enforced strict study hours. Even after hours spent with his books, he was not scoring well. That was when I thought that I might be following the wrong approach. I was searching on the internet when I found @ getsetparentwithpallavi, an

amazing page on parenting.

Dr. Pallavi Rao Chaturvedi is India's leading Parenting Coach, Educationist, Entrepreneur and Founder of India's fastestgrowing Parenting resource organization-Get Set Parent with Pallavi. The page instantly became my parenting bible.

Dr. Pallavi says that while every parent wants better grades for their children, it is important for them to understand that the children are often equally anxious and stressed about their exams and results. So, as a parent, l now try to create a more supportive and empowering studying environment that is engaging rather than daunting. I allow my child to participate in the decision-making by allowing him to create his own timetable. The accountability and relaxed approach have made my child more responsible and he is not only scoring better but also enjoying the learning journey."

Sangita Gopinath, a communication professional, said, "Just keeping the study desk and environment clean helped my daughter. Often cluttered and dirty environment blocks the

2nd Indian-American bids for Republican presidential nomination with culture agenda

worth of $500 million which can fund his campaign.

New York, Feb 22 (IANS) A second Indian-American, Vivek Ramaswamy, has joined the fray for the Republican Party's presidential nomination taking on former President Donald Trump as well as Nikki Haley with a campaign focused on culture wars.

The conservative entrepreneur made the announcement for a longshot bid in a video and on a talk show on Fox News cable channel on Tuesday.

"This isn't just a political campaign; this is a cultural movement to create a new dream for the next generation of Americans" in a nation facing an "identity crisis", he said in his video.

He took on affirmative action, the "woke" left's culture agenda, the burgeoning bureaucracy and the "new culture of fear" that he said has "completely replaced our culture of free speech in America."

Ramaswamy, whose family is from Palakkad in Kerala, is the co-founder of two technology companies and a financial management firm, as well as the founder of a pharmaceutical company, which made him a multimillionaire at age 37. According to Politico, he has a net

Ramaswamy is the fourth Indian-American to make a bid for a presidential nomination, and the third in the Republican Party after former Louisiana Governor Piyush Bobby Jindal, who ran unsuccessfully in 2016, and Haley, who was the first from the community to serve on the US cabinet and is in the 2024 race.

Kamala Harris sought the Democratic nomination for 2020, but dropped out and was picked by President Joe Biden to be the vice president.

Ramaswamy made his mark as a writer of two best-sellers that blasted what he calls the "woke" culture.

He is appealing to the same crowd as Trump that sees the US being undone by liberal policies and the power of what they see as an elite.

"Faith, patriotism and hard work have disappeared, only to be replaced by new secular religions like 'Covidism', 'climatism' and gender ideology," Ramaswamy said in his video. He stressed his opposition to affirmative action programmes for minorities that have some similarities to the reservations in India.

"The American dream means you believe in merit, that you get ahead in this country, not on the colour of your skin, but on the content of your character and your contributions," he said.

He also took on the "cancel culture" that targets people opposing the politically correct dogmas exposing them to media

mind which induces stress. Apart from the clean environment, it's really important to prevent your kid from all kinds of germs and infections. My daughter is appearing for 12th boards this year and her big fear was that she will fall sick during exams. To prevent that I clean my house twice a day to be extra careful during the exams to ensure my daughter's environment is germfree."

Ajit Asthana, Principal of a renowned school in Uttar Pradesh and father of two kids, said, "Every child is different and they have their own way of grasping knowledge. So even a slow learner, is still a learner. Be patient and ensure you celebrate every little achievement and unleash innocent joy. The feelgood moments can go a long way in making exams less distressing."

Swati Srivastava, a homemaker from Lucknow said, "The power of soft music is well-established as it affects our emotions and can be an extremely effective stress management tool. Soothing music can slow the pulse and heart rate, lower blood pressure,

decrease stress hormone levels, and distract us from our worries. When people are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, there is a tendency to avoid actively listening to music. Perhaps because it feels like a waste of time when there's so much to do and to worry about.

But adding music to our day is a small effort that can produce great rewards since our productivity actually increases when stress is reduced.

So, I have created a playlist on Spotify called Exam Fever with some soothing tunes and songs for my kids."

Deepali Verma, HR professional and mother of a 12-year-old girl, said, "My daughter is very sensitive by nature and easily gets hassled and disturbed even if she senses that we are anxious. So, we try to stay calm around her. Yes, exams can be stressful for the parent, but one needs to stay calm rather than add to the anxiety of an already worried child."

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

attacks and even punitive actions that he called the "culture of fear". Haley, who announced her run for the nomination last week, also had a strong element of opposition to the "woke" culture of what the American right perceives as extreme liberalism on social issues.

Trump, who Ramaswamy says inspired him, ran his presidential campaign on these premises, which have been adopted by other Republicans like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to be the front-runner to challenge the former President.

With Trump and more entrenched Republican expected in the race besides Haley, Ramaswamy told Politico about his maverick campaign, "You know, maybe all of this is illadvised and I'll fall flat on my face."

But he added: "I don't think that's gonna happen."

Paradoxically for a campaign based on culture wars, Ramaswamy said in his video that he is running to be a national unifier to revive "the Pluribus Unum from many, one" which is the American motto found on the national seal.

"I have a dream that we can be one people" although "we have obsessed so much over our diversity and our differences, that we've forgotten all the ways we're really just the same as Americans," he said.

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

Bengaluru, Feb 23 (IANS) About nine in 10 Indian female blue collar employees are confident they receive equal pay, according to a report on Thursday that revealed increased diversity and equal work culture in organizations.

The report, titled 'The Pulse of India's Blue Collar Workforce' by job site Indeed, showed that 93 percent of male employees also agree on pay parity by organizations.

Further, 70 percent of the female employees said they would speak to their boss in the case of disparity in pay with their male counterparts, while 21 per cent said they would leave the job.

"Our data shows that men and women in blue collar are more or less on the same page when it comes to equal pay, importance of equal gender representation and the benefits of it," said Sanjukta Ghosh, Social Impact Manager,

Indeed, in a statement.

A whopping 96 per cent of employees also agree that their company provides additional benefits/support in the form of mental support, financial support, retirement benefits, flexible work etc. About 97 percent of employers think that gender equality is important and are doing their best to improve diversity and fair representation in their organizations. However there are still challenges that prevail. Lack of support systems in place to help women (56 per cent), lack of education about gender equality (53 per cent), and societal views (49 per cent) are the major deterrents to achieving gender equality. The research included 508 employers and 1,001 employees in the blue collar segment. Out of the 1,001 employees in the blue collar segment, 653 were male and 348 were female.

90% of Indian female bluecollar employees vouch for pay parity: Report

Tips to keep in mind while traveling in extreme conditions

Book your

During hikes, it’s critical to keep yourself hydrated and energised at all times Looking

all of these things will make a huge impact. Since trekking in snow can be slick and slushy when the snow is melting, they also give you protection and a better grip on the snow.

For your winter hike, bring snacks

Trekking in the winter and the summer is a totally different experience. It's important to prepare for your hikes in preparation because it might come in handy whenever and wherever you are. Studying a few winter hiking guidelines can help you get ready for any hike you plan to go on while staying warm and safe. Whether you're walking through the snow outside or simply admiring the scenery, this winter hiking advice will surely make your experience enjoyable. All of the factors that contribute to a trek in the great outdoors being secure can be met with the right equipment, tips, clothing, and attitude for winter hiking.

“Cold weather might be a problem on any hiking trip at any time of year, not just in the dead of winter. Depending on your location and the area you're hiking in, you may come across chilly weather at any time of year, which might make your journey uncomfortable or, worst yet, result in a significant injury or disease,” says Gayatri Mohanty. Check the weather and trail conditions in advance

Being aware of the weather is one of the most essential winter hiking tips because it can affect the trail by covering it with new snow, which can be quite confusing while you are hiking. Knowing the weather conditions also makes it easier to avoid hiking when there are strong winds, chances of heavy snowfall, or poor visibility. It is therefore advisable to be aware of the anticipated temperatures and wind speed ahead. You can always hike safely in the snow if you

follow our advice.

Maintain Constant Hydration

When trekking in the cold, always make sure you have an insulated bottle and a bottle sleeve with you. If you do this while hiking in bitterly cold weather, the water won't freeze. If you forget to bring an insulated bottle on your trek or don't have one, you can also use a spare sock or wrap the water bottle in a towel to keep it warm and insulated.

Carry the Proper Winter Hiking Equipment

If your upcoming trip includes hiking paths, you must pack the appropriate winter hiking equipment. When hiking, wearing the appropriate shoes, bag, jacket, and even jeans can make a big impact. The most important thing to remember when trekking in the snow is to keep yourself warm. You can begin by donning a base layer, followed by a fleece jacket that serves as your intermediate layer, and finally a jacket or down jacket that will aid in insulation and safeguard your body from the cold. Softshell trousers are typically advised when trekking in the winter because they are great at maintaining body heat at all times and shielding you from severe winds and snow.

Pack extra equipment

A fire starter, first aid kit, pocket knife, emergency blanket, waterproof matches, and a waterproof backpack are a few other items you can bring with you on your trek. Bringing an extra kit on your hike will always come in handy and be beneficial for surviving in adverse weather. When you are trekking in snow,

During your hikes, it's critical to keep yourself hydrated and energised at all times. Your body often needs twice as many calories to stay warm and hydrated while trekking in the winter as it does at other times of the year. In order to keep energised at all times, be sure to pack yourself some meals that are both very nutritional and proteinrich. Organic pumpkin seeds, granola bars, protein bars, and even your own homemade trail mix are all suitable for carrying as cold-weather snacks. Consistently keep your feet warm While snowshoeing, it's crucial to keep your feet warm. Make sure you include several pairs of woolbased hiking socks that will keep moisture off of your damp skin. In the event that it gets wet while you're hiking, it dries rapidly and also aids in heat insulation. When trekking, snow is kept off of your feet at all times by donning hiking boots that go up to the ankle. A pair of gaiters, which save your feet from getting buried in the snow, is another item you can get. As you'll be spending a lot of time in your boots during your winter excursions, it's ideal to wear comfy ones.

Hike during the daytime

When we hike on our trails in the summer, we often try to stay out of the sun. In contrast, hiking in the winter is completely different. To feel the warmth of the sun in the chilly months, we would basically do anything. You'll be able to stay warm and have a better time hiking if you plan your hikes for when the sun is out and blazing brightly in the sky. Due to the drop in temperature in the evening, it is also recommended that you schedule your hikes so that you begin early and finish before the sun sets.

Saudi Tourism Authority on board as an official sponsor for the 2023 edition of the IPL

Saudi Tourism Authority Hits Masterstroke Deal With Milestone Indian Premier League Partnership

To enable more people to tour the world, Booking. com, has included Hindi as a language choice. All Booking.com platforms, including the mobile, web, iOS, and Android apps, will include the Hindi language version, making it accessible to Hindi speakers everywhere. Now, travellers can easily read comprehensive information, discover offers and discounts, view their reservations, manage their accounts, and more. With the addition of Hindi, the platform is now accessible in 46 languages and dialects worldwide, allowing native speakers of those languages to travel and have authentic, local experiences.

With Hindi now available on the Extranet and Pulse app (for iOS and Android), Booking. com accommodation partners will be able to manage all pertinent information about their

properties in their native tongue and connect with a much larger audience.

Santosh Kumar, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Indonesia at Booking. com commented, "With the easing of travel restrictions, Indians are keen to travel and explore the world once again. We have also seen that domestic travel in India has been growing year on year. At Booking.com, we are constantly looking for ways to take the friction out of travel.

Integrating the Hindi language on our platform is a great example of how we not only want to enhance the traveler experience but also help our partners connect and unlock a larger travel audience. India is a priority market for us in the Asia Pacific; and I am proud that we can help even more Indian consumers search and book their travels with greater

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has commenced an official partnership with the world’s preeminent Twenty 20 cricket league, the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL). An event to inaugurate the partnership was held in Mumbai, attended by the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket

in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, Vice President of BCCI, Rajeev Shukla, and Honorary Treasurer of the BCCI, Ashish Shelar, along with representatives from the Saudi Tourism Authority, including Alhasan Aldabbagh, President of APAC.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority, said, “India and Saudi share a vibrant youth culture, and sport is an ideal platform to engage and inspire young people. Saudi is committed to supporting excellence in the

world of sports and inspiring greater participation and improved quality of life among Saudi and global audiences alike. Sport, like tourism, brings people together in harmony and fellowship, bridging cultures and sharing perspectives on the world around us. These values are central to Saudi culture and are championed by young people from all around the world.” Cricket is one of the most popular sports around the world. Through this partnership,

Thehotel industry in India is getting ready for significant changes to meet the evolving and dynamic needs of the modern Indian tourist. The travel industry in India is expected to develop at a rate of 11 to 11.5 percent, reaching a staggering $48 billion in 2020. In order to meet the enormous demand for homestays among foreign and domestic travellers, India needs to add 2.5 million rooms to the homestay market. Travel fans are searching for hassle-free, relaxing vacations that include comfort and convenience. People like vacation spots that are both affordable and close to their homes. The ultimate pleasure of a vacation is the opportunity to

relax and revitalise in a place that makes you feel at home.

Unquestionably, one way to serve the expanding travel industry in India is through home stays. As a result of the significant demand in the Indian industry, homestays are offering expanding business opportunities. Both vacationers and homeowners can consider them as a suitable choice.

What’s the hype around a homestay?

A homestay is a private residence that has been transformed by the host into lodging. It includes a variety of extras, such meals, a personal butler, local transportation, and pickups.

Women’s T20 World Cup: Harmanpreet, Jemimah efforts in vain as Australia reach final with a five-run win

Schutt. Smriti Mandhana was rapped on pads in front of stumps while going for a cut-off Ashleigh Gardner. A horrible mix-up saw Yastika Bhatia run out cheaply, leaving India at 28/3.

Qatar Open: Murray cruises into QF after 3-hour marathon win over Zverev

Cape Town, Feb 23 (IANS) A spirited counterattack from captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues went in vain as Australia entered their seventh Women's T20 World Cup final with a five-run win over India in the first semifinal at Newlands Cricket Ground on Thursday. After Australia's big players stepped up to make 172/4, India's top three aggregated only 15 runs among themselves. Harmanpreet and Jemimah rose to the occasion by making 52 and 43 respectively while spearheading the chase with a brilliant 69-run stand off 41 balls.

But the duo falling in 4.2 overs post the ten-over mark meant India could never recover from it and ended up at 167/8 in 20 overs, falling so close yet so far, yet again. India would also look at their sloppy fielding efforts and dropping two crucial chances apart from conceding 61 runs in the last five overs.

In chasing 173, India didn't have a great start in the first four overs. Shafali Verma was trapped lbw while trying to flick off Megan

But Jemimah looked in great touch from the word go, nailing the pull and drive off Ashleigh. Harmanpreet, on the other hand, began with a classy cover drive off Ellyse Perry. With an emphasis to cut down the dot-balls, something which has been a problem area for India, Harmanpreet and Jemimah showed the intent to rotate the strike and looked to get a run off almost every ball.

Harmanpreet went on to smack Jess Jonassen hard over long-on for six and then used Megan's pace to paddle over the keeper for four more. Post bringing fifty of the partnership, Jemimah enthralled everyone with a brace of fours coming through dazzling inside-out drives over extra cover off Georgia Wareham.

After kickstarting the second half of the chase with a gorgeous cover drive off Darcie Brown, Jemimah fell while trying to ramp a short ball over Alyssa Healy's head and gave a thin edge behind to the keeper. Harmanpreet then got a reprieve at 37 when Alyssa dropped the catch while stretching to her right side.

That helped as Harmanpreet beautifully sliced Tahlia McGrath over backward point for four and then cut, and swept off Georgia to get back-to-back boundaries, the second of which got her fifty in the 15th over. But in the same over, Harmanpreet was unfortunately run-out for 52 when her bat got stuck while trying to reach the crease.

Darcie struck in the 17th over when she had Richa Ghosh holing out to deep mid-wicket. Deepti Sharma pulled wide of midwicket off Ashleigh while Sneh Rana brought out a slog-sweep in the gap between deep square leg and deep midwicket off Megan. With 20 needed off the last two overs, Ellyse Perry produced a full-length dive to save a boundary and gave away just two runs off Sneh's batting in a crunch situation. Jess Jonassen then closed the over by having Sneh clean bowled. Ashleigh defended 16 off the final over as Deepti's boundary on the last ball wasn't sufficient to avoid a loss for India.

Brief scores: Australia 172/4 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 53, Meg Lanning 49 not out; Shikha Pandey 2-32, Deepti Sharma 1-30) beat India 167/8 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 52, Jemimah Rodrigues 43; Darcie Brown 2-18, Ashleigh Gardner 2-37) by five runs

Australia win record-extending sixth Women’s T20 World Cup title, beat South Africa by 19 runs

get a lot of energy and a great atmosphere from the crowd," Murray was quoted by ATP Tour website. "Hopefully that continues the rest of the week, but I obviously enjoyed playing in that atmosphere tonight."

Cape Town, Feb 26 (IANS)

Australia are Women's T20 World Cup champions once again after beating South Africa by 19 runs in front of a packed crowd at Newlands, here on Sunday.

Beth Mooney top-scored with 74* as the world's top-ranked team posted 156/6, and a brilliant bowling display saw South Africa stifled in their chase, with the Proteas falling short of their target.

Their victory means Australia have now won six Women's T20 World Cup titles, and they have completed a 'three-peat' under the captaincy of Meg Lanning,

winning in 2018, 2020 and now 2023, reports ICC.

Tasked with defending a target of 157, Australia's bowlers throttled the scoring rate of South Africa's openers at the start of the reply, conceding just 22 runs in the Powerplay and with in-form Tazmin Brits sent back to the dugout by the electric Darcie Brown.

A Brown catch saw Marizanne Kapp dismissed for a run-a-ball 11 off Ash Gardner as South Africa struggled to up the scoring rate, with 105 runs still required at drinks with ten overs remaining.

The brilliance of Laura Wolvaardt threatened to bring South Africa back into the game as she hit big shot after big shot to surge to 61 from 48 balls.

But Megan Schutt removed Wolvaardt and Jess Jonassen cleaned up the dangerous Chloe Tryon (25 from 23) as the required rate of scoring proved too much for South Africa in the death overs.

And Australia saw it out comfortably in the end, winning by 19 runs to add yet more silverware to the team's bulging trophy cabinet.

Doha,

Feb 23 (IANS) Former World No. 1 Andy Murray stormed into the quarterfinals of the Qatar

Open breezing past Alexander Zverev 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-5 after a gruelling three hours and three minutes encounter.

Murray, a two-time winner at this event, took a rollercoaster opening set in the tie-break before being blown away in the second, but he earned the only break of the decider at a crucial moment late on before serving out successfully for a win.

"It makes a big difference for the players when we come and

The Scot was also made to work hard in the first round to battle past Italian Lorenzo Sonego in a final-set tie-break. He will next play French qualifier Alexandre Muller, who upset eighth seed Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 6-4.

"Not so familiar, but he's obviously had a good week this week coming through qualifying. He will have played four matches now, so obviously likes these conditions," Murray said about his quarterfinal opponent.

"My coach will obviously watch video and stuff tonight to get a bit more familiar with his game, but it's an opportunity for me in the quarters tomorrow and time to rest up and get ready for that one," he added.

India finish Strandja Memorial International Boxing with 8 medals

counterattack.

Sofia, Bulgaria, Feb 26 (IANS)

Indian pugilists Govind Kumar Sahani, Anamika and Anupama clinched silver medals on the final day as the Indian contingent finished with 8 medals at the 74th Strandja Memorial International Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Sunday.

The final between Govind Sahani (48kg) and Shodiyorjon

Melikuziev, the 2023 Asian U-22 Championships silver medallist, went down to the wire and in the end, it was the Uzbek boxer who registered a 4-1 victory.

Govind Sahani went toe to toe with Shodiyorjon Melikuziev from the very first minute and never gave any relief to his opponent. He used his speed and fast punches to disrupt the rhythm of the Uzbek boxer. However, it also gave his opponent a few opportunities to score points. The second round was also a thriller as both the boxers went all out. Melikuziev gained an upper hand in the last three minutes as he showed better decision-making during attack and defence.

Earlier, Anamika went down 1-4 against Hu Meiyi of China in the final of the women's Light Flyweight (50kg) division. The Indian boxer started the bout on a positive note with a flurry of punches, but Meiyi was strong with her defence and never missed any opportunity to

The second round also saw the Chinese pugilist making calculative moves as she gathered points at regular intervals which also helped her in the last round as she went into defensive mode on many occasions to register a victory despite Anamika's scintillating efforts in the last three minutes.

Anupama (81kg) lost 0-5 to Emma-sue Greentree of Australia in the final by a unanimous decision.

The crowd witnessed an explosive start as both the boxers tried to earn points early in the match. The Indian boxer landed some accurate punches in the first few minutes of the bout, but Greentree quickly regained her composure to end the first round on a high.

The Australian pugilist looked in her element in the second round and continued the good momentum to take the lead. She took an aggressive approach in the final minutes as well as she never gave any chance of a comeback to Anupama.

On the other hand, three female pugilists S Kalaivani (48kg), Shruti Yadav (70kg) and Monika (+81kg) clinched bronze medals in the tournament. Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg) and The 2021 World Youth champion Sachin (54kg) also got bronze medals.

Australia’s Matildas to play France in World Cup send-off

announced the Matildas will face fifth-ranked Les Bleues in Melbourne on July 14 in a "sendoff match" six days before opening their World Cup campaign, reports Xinhua news agency.

It will mark the first time in 22 years that the French national team has played in Australia, which means the Matildas will have played nine of the world's current top-10 teams in the leadup to the home World Cup.

best nations in the world with incredible quality across all parts of their game. It will be one final challenge for us just days out from our World Cup opener." France were beaten by eventual champions the US in the quarterfinals of the 2019 World Cup and made the semi-finals at Euro 2022.

However, captain Wendie Renard has announced she will not play for Les Bleues amid tensions with the head coach, Corinne Diacre, and the French Football Federation (FFF).

up on dismissal in Delhi Test

just been bedazzled by what I've done. It wasn't my finest moment. "Certainly, something to learn from, I'm still learning as well. It wasn't the way I wanted to play, particularly when I had the field set for all of us - they had the field out.

Canberra, Feb 28 (IANS)

Australia's national women's football team will play France in their final game before the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Football Australia (FA) on Tuesday

"To have a 'send off match' against a team the calibre of France in a special city like Melbourne presents a wonderful opportunity for us to be dialed into the significance for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 early," head coach Tony Gustavsson said in a media release.

"A dynamic, technically brilliant team over the years, France have been consistently one of the

The Matildas' last match in Melbourne was a 4-0 win over Olympic silver medalists Sweden - the most significant win under Gustavsson. Following the match against France, the Matildas will play their opening World Cup game against Ireland in Sydney on July 20.

Major step for Indian football: Stage set for Santosh Trophy knockouts in Riyadh

runner-up teams qualified for the final round along with Railways, Services and the host of the round (Odisha).

a gimmick if it gets sponsors and broadcasters interested, it would give Indian football a bit more mileage and attention.

Indore, Feb 28 (IANS) Australia

batter Steven Smith has admitted he was furious with himself after being dismissed while attempting a sweep shot during the second Test in Delhi. He also said the Australian batters will aim to slow things down at the crease when they take on India in the third Test, starting on Wednesday here at Holkar Stadium.

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Feb 27 (IANS) Indian football will take a major and unique step in the 85 years of existence of All India Football Federation (AIFF) with the semifinals and final of the 76th edition of the National Football Championship for Hero Santosh Trophy set to be played at the King Fahad International Stadium, here on Wednesday (March 1).

Former champions Punjab will take on first-timers Meghalaya in the first semifinal while Services will meet Karnataka in the second semifinal at the same stadium on Wednesday. The third-place match and final will be played on March 4, thus bringing the curtains down on a major chapter in the history of Indian football.

Punjab had topped Group A in the final round with three wins and two draws while Karnataka were second, finishing with two wins and three draws. Punjab scored 12 goals in three matches, conceding eight goals, while Karnataka scored 10 and allowed seven goals.

Services topped Group B in the final round with four wins and a draw from five matches.

Meghalaya took the second spot with three wins, one draw and one defeat in the six-team group.

In all the event started with 36 teams representing the states and Union territories of India with the teams drawn into six groups. The six group winners and three best

Thus, Punjab, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Goa, Kerala and Delhi qualified as group toppers while Karnataka, Manipur and Maharashtra made it as the three best runner-up teams.

Though the preliminary group stage matches were held at various venues across the country, the final round was held in Bhubaneswar.

Now, the stage is set for the knockout rounds, which will be held in Riyadh as per a memorandum of understanding signed between AIFF and the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF) in October 2022.

The four teams have reached Riyadh in the last two days and are getting ready for this maiden venture abroad for Santosh Trophy. Meghalaya and Karnataka reached Riyadh on Sunday while Punjab and Services made it on Monday. Meghalaya and Karnataka had their first training session at the King Fahad Stadium on Monday. The teams will be having their final training session on Tuesday before the all-important semifinals on Wednesday.

The Saudi Arabia Football Federation has made available the top two stadiums in Riyadh -- the King Fahad International Stadium and Prince Sultan Football Stadium to AIFF for Santosh Trophy. While King Fahad stadium will host the four knock-out matches, Prince Sultan Stadium will be used for training purposes.

Though a lot of people will consider this short trip to Riyadh

It would not have been a unique experience for top players of the country to play abroad. But nowadays with Indian club teams participating in various Continental competitions conducted by the Asian Football Federation (AFC), it may not be such a novel experience for players representing various clubs in Indian Super League (ISL) or I-League.

ISL clubs had conducted camps in the Gulf region before last season and some of them also have deals with foreign clubs for sending their players for training. The national team too gets a lot of chances to play friendlies and official AFC and FIFA level competitions.

However, with top ISL and I-League players not involved in the Santosh Trophy, it will be a learning experience for the players, who may otherwise not get many chances to play on foreign soil.

The matches pose another challenge for the players as they have to make a quick air dash to Saudi Arabia, have a couple of training sessions and play important matches.

With weather conditions currently in Riyadh similar to many cities back in India, acclimatisation may not prove a big problem for the teams. The day temperature in Riyadh is in the 30s while it is cooler at night, with the temperature hovering between 17 degrees celsius and 20 degrees.

The 33-year-old fell victim to Indian ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for 9 while attempting his first sweep shot of the series on day three of the second Test in Delhi.

"I've played, what, 95 Test matches (94) and I don't think there's been too many times I've walked off the field and I've gone, 'what the hell am I doing?'" Smith was quoted by cricket.com.au.

"I was pretty angry. There haven't been too many times in my career where I've actually come off and

"We probably just rushed things a little bit and it's something we'll talk about... when we've got them on the ropes, we can slow things down. We don't have to play at such a high tempo and risky tempo."

Smith, who will be leading Australia for the third Test in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, hopes the leadership role can help him recapture his best form with the bat in Indian conditions.

"It normally brings the best out of me," he said of the captaincy. "I'm excited about leading this week in Pat's absence.

"I know these conditions well. It's kind of like my second home playing over here, I've played a lot in India, I understand the intricacies of the game and what the wickets are likely to do. I'm looking forward to it."

The stand-in captain also said the visitors are yet to decide on a starting XI for the Indore Test, where Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc will likely be major additions.

India already reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with back-to back wins Nagpur and Delhi and India strive for a series sweep to book their place at this year's ICC World Test Championship final in June.

Eight teams confirmed as automatic qualifiers for 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are the teams to earn direct qualification as the top three teams of Group 1 in the league stage while England, India and the West Indies similarly make it from Group 2.

Dubai, Feb 28 (IANS) The International Cricket Council on Tuesday confirmed eight teams have been identified as automatic qualifiers for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, to be held in Bangladesh, after the end of the eighth edition of the tournament that saw Australia win their sixth title.

As per the qualification process, the top three teams from each group earn direct qualification along with the hosts and the highest-ranked team outside of the six direct qualifiers from the 10-team tournament.

Bangladesh qualified as hosts of the ninth edition of the tournament while Pakistan made it by virtue of being the next highest-ranked team in the ICC Women's T20I Team Rankings as of February 27, 2023.

The remaining two spots will be identified through a Global Qualifier to be held early next year.

From the teams who played in this year's tournament, Sri Lanka and Ireland are the teams failing to get direct qualification. Sri Lanka are currently ranked eighth in the rankings while Ireland are 10th.

‘It wasn’t my finest moment’: Steve Smith opens

IND v AUS: Opener David Warner ruled out of last two Tests due to elbow fracture

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS)

Australias player availability for the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy series has taken another blow with left-handed opener David Warner ruled out of last two Tests due to elbow fracture.

Warner was initially ruled out of the second Test in New Delhi due to a concussion caused by a blow on his helmet off India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj in the tenth over, after having taken a blow to

his elbow. He was then replaced by lefthanded batter Matthew Renshaw as a concussion substitute in New Delhi, and with x-rays confirming Warner has also sustained a hairline fracture in the elbow, he has now been ruled out of the last two Tests in Indore and Ahmedabad and will now return home to Sydney with his family. Warner had made only 26 runs from his three innings in the first two Tests against India.

Cricket Australia (CA) said in an official statement on Tuesday that Warner is now expected to be available for three ODIs in India, starting from March 17 in Mumbai.

"David Warner has been ruled out of the Qantas Test tour of India and will return home. Warner was struck on the elbow in the second

Test in Delhi and sustained a hairline fracture."

"After further assessment, he will require a period of rehabilitation which will preclude any further involvement in the remainder of the Test series. It is currently anticipated that he will return to India for the three One-Day Internationals which follow the Test Series," they said.

Australia have already lost fast bowler Josh Hazlewood for the tour due to his left Achilles issue.

Leg spinner Mitchell Swepson is due to re-join the Test squad after flying home post the first Test in Nagpur due to the birth of his first child.

Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc are expected to be fit to play in the third Test at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, starting from March 1.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy: I never like vicecaptain in home conditions, says Ravi Shastri

perform, someone can take his place; at least the tag is not there. I'm being blunt and brutal, I never like vice-captain in home conditions. Overseas, it's different."

New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) Former Australia Test captain Ian

for the first Test in Nagpur. Following his shocking exclusion in Nagpur, Head was recalled for the second Test in New Delhi, making 12 and 43.

"You just don't drop some guy who has been one of your top scorers in Australia. You find out if he can play in India."

New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri stated that one doesn't require having a vice-captain in home conditions, adding that he liked this idea in the first place. His comments come ahead of the third Test of the BorderGavaskar Trophy between India and Australia in Indore starting from March 1, where there is no designated vice-captain for the Indian team.

Opener K.L Rahul, who was the vice-captain, is averaging 12.67 from three innings in the first two matches. With Shubman Gill waiting in the wings, Rahul is under immense pressure to hold on to the opening spot.

"If the vice-captain doesn't

"The team management will decide (the vice-captain). They know his (Rahul's) form, they know his mental state. They know how they should be watching someone like Shubman Gill."

"I, for one, always had the belief (to) never appoint a vice-captain for India. I would rather go with my best XI, and if the captain has to leave the field, you'd zero in on a player that can take over at the time, simply because you don't need to create complications," Shastri said on the ICC Review Podcast show.

Gill has been in scintillating form in recent times, slamming 208 against New Zealand in the Hyderabad ODI earlier in the year. He would go on to register his first T20I century against the

same opposition in the series decider in Ahmedabad. Also, Gill scored his maiden Test match hundred at Chattogram against Bangladesh in December last year.

"Here, you want prime form, you want someone like Shubman Gill, who's red hot. He will challenge. He has to bang that door down and get into the side. Now, he's not the vice-captain, it has to be team management's decision," added Shastri.

Talking about Rahul, Shastri pointed towards many being in the waiting line to get into the Test eleven for other positions. "They will have to see the form, his state of mind. He's a tremendous player, but talent is only so much. You have to convert that into results and be consistent. There's so much talent in India who is knocking on the door. It's not just KL Rahul, there are many in the middle-order and bowling lineup as well."

Chappell said he is not surprised to see Australia struggle in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India, adding that the current team think-tank have made some "head-scratching" decisions on the tour. After losing the first Test by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur inside three days, Australia lost the second match by six wickets in New Delhi, which meant their chances of winning the Test series came to an end as India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Now 2-0 behind, Australia will face India in the third Test at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, starting from March 1. "The mess they have got themselves in isn't surprising, although some of the selections have been head-scratching, to say the least," Chappell was quoted as saying by ABC.

Chappell further said he could not understand why left-handed batter Travis Head was dropped

He was then left baffled by the decision to make Matthew Kuhnemann play in the second Test in New Delhi. Kuhnemann, who was flown following the return of Mitchell Swepson due to the birth of his child, was given a Test debut ahead of Ashton Agar and returned with figures of 2/72 and 0/38.

"He's not bowling to the best batsmen in Australia. So, if his Shield record is quite good, you've got to remember he is not bowling to the best players. So, how do you decide that Kuhnemann is ready for India because he is bowling really well (in Sheffield Shield)?

"Now, a good selector -- and I'm not sure we have got any of those at the moment -- can see some things that tell him, 'I think this guy is ready' and you might take a punt. But in general, it's not a good system for either the players or the selectors to decide who is ready for Test cricket."

New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Former Australia cricketer Greg Chappell stated that fans back home are extremely disappointed over the visitors losing the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy inside three days and has urged the side to showcase their usual grit and tenacity in the last two matches.

Indore, Feb 27 (IANS) Ahead of third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against India, Australia's left-arm fast-bowler Mitchell Starc stated that he is feeling that he will be bowling at full tilt despite experiencing some levels of discomfort as his left finger is still not fully healed yet from a tendon injury. Starc had injured his middle finger while trying to take a catch in the deep during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the MCG last year. The injured finger was in a splint for six weeks. Though Starc bowled with decent rhythm in the buildup to the second Test in New

Delhi, he wasn't picked. Now with Pat Cummins back home due to personal reasons, Starc is ready to go through pain to lead Australia's bowling attack in Indore from March 1. "It's good enough. There's going to be a level of discomfort... I don't think it is going to be 100% for a little while, but the ball is coming out quite nicely and I feel like I'm pretty much at full tilt." "It's more the discomfort of the joint being restricted having been in a splint for six weeks and still having to be in a splint for another couple of weeks yet. That's probably the only part - dealing with

the discomfort of it, getting the mobility back into it."

"That'll come over the next couple of weeks and it's progressed again, it's a progression each day I bowl. It's not a concern for me, the comfort levels - it's doing what I need it to do to be available to play." "It wouldn't be the first Test match I've played in some sort of discomfort. If I only played when I was at 100%, I would have only played five or ten Tests. I'm happy with where it's at and I've built up enough of a pain threshold to deal with that stuff over the last 10 or 12 years," said Starc to reporters on Monday.

After losing the first Test by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur inside three days, Australia lost the second Test to India by six wickets in New Delhi, which meant their chances of winning the Test series came to an end as India retained the BorderGavaskar Trophy.

"What can Australia do from here? Firstly, pick their best team and then play with the passion, tenacity and grit which is our hallmark. Australian fans know that it is tough in India."

"They can accept getting beaten by a better side, but they won't cop seeing an Australian team playing recklessly and bowled out in a session or two and turning its toes up inside three days. There

is red-hot anger, bewilderment and embarrassment in our fans," wrote Chappell in his column for 'The Sydney Morning Herald' on Saturday.

Australia will now play the remaining two Test matches in Indore and Ahmedabad from March 1-5 and March 9-13 respectively. "The Australian public are rightly incensed that our team has shown so little fight in the series so far."

"Sights of a batsman being dismissed playing the reverse sweep first ball, and playing as though this series is not critical to the future, rankle. Australian cricket must realise that playing against India is not a sideshow, but the big show on par with or bigger than The Ashes," added Chappell, who coached India in the past.

He also thinks that Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc should play in the Indore Test after missing the first two matches due to recovering from their respective finger injuries. "Starc and Green must be underdone but they must play. Starc is a match-winner on his day so he must be used in short, destructive bursts when a new batter comes to the crease. Green and Boland will have to pick up the slack if the rhythm eludes him."

I feel like I’m pretty much at full tilt despite some levels of discomfort, says Mitchell Starc

Not surprised to see Australia struggle; some of the selections have been headscratching, says Ian Chappell

There is red-hot anger, bewilderment and embarrassment in our fans: Greg Chappell

What do your shoes share about your attitude?

dive in!

Sneakers

Dress well but lace up even better!

By IANSlife

February 16, 2023 (IANSlife) Shoes contribute a lot to your style, not only do they elevate your look but they also say a lot about your personality. Most people are judged by the shoes they wear. There's an old English proverb that points towards the same and holds to date.

It is also said that shoes affect your mood. The shoes you wear can reflect your style, mood, personality, attitude, and much more. If you want to leave a strong impression, a versatile shoe collection can do the job, they add a lot of depth to your personality. You can unknowingly create a negative impression of yourself with your shoes. Hence, it is recommended to never laze around the shoe matter. Take things into your own hands and start building a fantastic shoe collection today. If you are extremely unaware of shoes, Kuldeep Singh, Founder and CEO of San Frissco outlines a collection of shoes you should own and what they convey. Let's

Sneakers are the most frequently worn shoes these days. They usually represent a happy, sporty, and comfortable attitude. They are best paired with casual outfits. If you want to look professional, it is better to avoid these. Sneakers are comfortable, cozy, and stylish. They convey an extremely relaxed vibe. From your friend's birthday party to your workouts, you can wear them everywhere. You need to invest in a sneaker to complement all your styles.

Chappals and Sandals

Leather Sandals or Chappals elicit an extremely comfortable, chilled, and relaxed attitude. They are perfect for beach vacations. Additionally, they are the most suitable for your feet during summer. Apart from a beach vacation, you can also wear them for daily activities. They are street-friendly, and even celebrities and influencers are opting for them.

Boots

One of the best additions to your shoe collection, boots are a sight to behold. They work well in both personal and professional settings. They convey a strong, professional, chic, and charismatic attitude. You can style it with denim, pants, or even dresses. You can wear a pair to

Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic Pandya releases grand Indian wedding photos

the office and even parties. They convey extreme confidence as well.

Loafers

Loafers never go out of style. They can easily convey a casual and light-hearted attitude. They are perfect for get-togethers and parties that involve your near and dear ones. They are minimalist yet stylish. They can give a confident and chic vibe with chinos, denim, and even a well-fitted suit. They are extremely comfortable and you'll feel confident in your skin.

Heels

Heels have been a status symbol since time immemorial. Kings and Queens wore heels to denote their high status. It was also used during dances. Even today, heels represent confidence, boldness, and even a high status. Women who wear heels are deemed more attractive as well. Thus, wearing heels can convey a strong, attractive, and powerful attitude. You can pair them easily with dresses, jumpsuits, and even denim.

Shoes can convey more than you know. You should always keep a good check on your shoes and wear the most suitable pair. You need to dress up according to the situation, surroundings, and people. Only when you can do that, you can create the desired impression with your shoes.

India Beach Fashion Week focusing on young, fearless fashion aficionados

over the world.

Indian wedding images of cricketer Hardik Pandya and dancer Natasa Stankovic have garnered over 3 million likes

India’s longest ramp and the first one facing the sea, made IBFW a one-of-its-kind fashion festival

By Olivia Sarkar

February 17, 2023 (IANSlife) On the night before Valentine's Day, Divar, Goa's Island of Love, played host to the opening of the ninth iteration of India Beach Fashion Week (IBFW). IBFW presented by Ikonic and powered by Timex took place at The Goa Deevaya resort's Mercure over the course of two days.

The first Island Week & Fashion Festival in India began with a meet and greet when attendees were introduced to brand representatives, designers, and content providers. The COMO Collective CEO and co-founder Pallav Ojha, Rayed Merchant,

Deepak Chabbra, Managing Director of Timex Group India, Pradnya Somesh Popade, Head of Marketing & Communications for Samsonite, and Puneet Motiani, Designated Partner of Gardenia Cosmotrade LLP, were among those who took the stage (GATSBY). The tropical Eden provided the ideal backdrop for the outside sunset session by the Mandovi river.

With a live band, IBFW's "Experience" partner Royal Falcon Music Production increased the allure of the 18th-century island's lush woodlands, emerald paddy fields, and painstakingly restored Portuguese colonial mansions. With a fusion of worldwide musicians and world music, the Royal Falcon music label, situated in Dubai, unites people from all

Designer Vikram Phadnis Vikram Phadnis, made his resort collection debut presented the curtain-raiser show. His "Bloom" collection was influenced by the his Adhvan shop, which he opened in Goa last year. At Adhvan, he tried resort wear for the first time, and inspired by its success, he made the decision to go all out with it. Vikram's enthusiasm for bohemian designs, shapes, and style is evident in the free-flowing silhouettes. The casually stylish ensembles were dressed up for the curtain-raiser with extravagant hairstyles and eccentric makeup. 'Bloom' has 44 patterns in georgette and linen, including women's dhotis, shorts, and swimsuits with capes. Although the embroidery is simple, it is highlighted by decorations. The audience reception to the collection, which features eye-catching bold designs in black and white with neon accents, was very positive. IBFW focuses on young, fearless fashion aficionados, designers, content producers, artists, recent grads, and early innovators. With consumers and brand custodians that support green space energy and a circular usage economy, they can contribute to the development of India's largest creative ecosystem.

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

February 17, 2023 (IANSlife)

Hardik Pandya and Natasa

Stankovic Pandya have released their grand Indian wedding photos on Instagram with the loveliest caption, "Now and forever" after pledging vows to each other in both traditional Indian wedding and white wedding.

The newly wedded couple looked stunning in Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla's dream custom ensembles. The duo designer in their latest Instagram post captioned, "Hardik Pandya & Natasa Stankovic Pandya are a dream in custom ensembles.

"Hardik is an absolutely majestic groom in this regal, off-white

jamdani sherwani, masterfully hand-embroidered with gold zardozi. Red and green bead highlights add jewelled glam to his look. Natasa is a vision in a red chamois satin sari embroidered with gold, pearl, red and green beads and edged with an intricate beaded border. Paired with a spectacular jadau blouse and organza dupatta with doublesided gold sequins on the base and gold Kuran lace she exudes romance at its most passionate." states the official Instagram account of the duo designer Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla.

Indian wedding images of cricketer Hardik Pandya and dancer Natasa Stankovic have garnered over 3 million likes

Can protect your skin from Collagen Loss?

Profhilo is a new breakthrough skin treatment designed to remodel multi-layer skin tissue With celebrity

Collagen is frequently mentioned in relation to the skin when individuals discuss its significance. That's because while though protein is found in every cell of the body, our skin contains a massive 70 percent of it. Our skin is kept firm, lush, and youthful by collagen. As a result, when we start to lose it, the first signs are wrinkles and sagging, elastic-losing skin. i.e., your typical ageing symptoms. Collagen can also be damaged by external stresses like tobacco, UV radiation, pollution, and other reasons. Therefore, it is crucial to safeguard the collagen in our skin from a young age.

If healthy, glowing, youngerlooking skin is your goal, here’s what you need to do:

Vitamin C and retinoids

Vitamin C plays an important role in protecting the skin and creating additional collagen. By adding this vitamin to your diet, you can shield the collagen you already have while boosting your body’s natural production. Slather on a vitamin C serum in the morning. You can also find vitamin C in broccoli, strawberries, papaya, leafy vegetables (spinach and kale), citrus fruits (oranges, limes, grapefruits). Retinoid/retinol are vitamin A derivatives that upregulate genes involved in collagen production. Apply a pea-size amount of retinol to your entire face every other night. Retinol boosts collagen production, promotes skin renewal, and brightens skin tone. Peptides and chemical peels

Peptides, also called polypeptides,

naturally occur in the skin, but they’re also included in many skin care products — and for good reason. Peptides are amino acids that make up certain proteins needed by the skin. More specifically, collagen is made of three polypeptide chains, so adding peptides can stimulate your skin to make collagen. More collagen can lead to firmer, younger-looking skin. Additionally, chemical peels are a wonderful way to keep your skin looking and feeling revitalised and fresh. Chemical peels use hydroxy acids (like glycolic acid) to boost skin cell turnover. When skin grows back after a chemical peel, it triggers the production of collagen and elastin. This can help make your skin smooth, supple, and strong.

Sunscreen and antioxidants

Over-exposure from the sun’s UVA rays can also hurt collagen stimulation. With frequent sunscreen application, you can protect your skin and maintain collagen production. Start by using a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher. Make sure to apply it more than once a day if you’re likely to sweat it off in a few hours. Your skin also needs antioxidants to relieve inflammation and neutralise damaging free radicals. Antioxidant rich skincare products can stimulate your body’s new collagen production while protecting your existing collagen. Also include foods such as apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, kale, mangos, pecans, berries, and spinach to your diet.

Supplements and a nutritious diet

Consider a diet that is mainly based on protein (lentils, beans, eggs, chicken, and fish), whole grains (brown rice, millets, quinoa, etc.), and healthy fats (olive oil, avocados, and coconut oil) along with fresh vegetables

and fruits; as well as nuts and seeds. Foods that are processed, high in trans-fat, deep fried, high in sugar (fizzy drinks, biscuits, etc.) can diminish your internal glow and imbalance your hormones. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Avoid smoking, cut back on alcohol, and limit caffeine intake. For supplements, collagen, zinc, coenzyme Q10 and peptides are some of the supplements that you may want to consider for skin elasticity.

Exercise and sleep well When we exercise, we increase and improve blood circulation which delivers oxygen and nutrients to our skin. Once the oxygen and nutrients arrive, they assist skin cells in reproduction as well as feeding the fibroblast cells that produce collagen. Likewise, sleep is directly related to glowing skin and the creation of human growth hormone. It is during your sleep that your body and skin repair themselves. The production of skin proteins like collagen and elastin speed-up in your sleep. Make sure you get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

Bio-remodelling

Providing hydration from the inside, bio-remodelling is a revolutionary treatment process that boosts the skin's own natural ability to make collagen and elastin, two of the most important components in a healthy, youthful skin. With the highest concentration of hyaluronic acid, it stimulates skin cell receptors to improve skin quality by restoring hydration and promoting radiance. Profhilo is a new breakthrough skin treatment designed to remodel multi-layer skin tissue. It improves ageing and sagging tissue by smoothing and tightening the skin. Besides the face, it can also be injected into neck, hands and other areas with high skin laxity.

Thinning of Hair? Tips that can help

Lack of micronutrients in the body and smoking have been linked to hair loss

Noticing that your hair is thinning might be distressing. Although it may be a natural process or part of ageing for many of us, some might experience rapid thinning of hair due to several factors that need immediate attention and professional solutions. Because once you know the root cause, it becomes a lot easier to manage your hair and make it feel thicker and look shinier. However, it is essential to talk to a dermatologist or trichologist who can recommend treatment methods that might be right for you.

Dr. Abhishek Pilani, MD

Dermatologist, Founder of

Assure

regularly: To maintain healthy and strong hair, you do not need to wash your hair every day. Instead, dermatologists suggest that one must wash their hair two or three times a week. Remember, washing your hair every day will soon scrape your hair of necessary oil and cause damage.

In addition, use moisturising shampoos that do not contain sulphates. It will give your hair a shine and help it get stronger.

hair follicle, often due to tight hairstyles, may lead to hair loss. In particular, ensure you're not wearing hairstyles that pull on the scalp, such as high and tight ponytails, braids, or dread for extended periods.

February 21, 2023 (IANSlife)

Having trouble styling your mane for dates, special events, or daily occasions? Dyson India presents its first styling lookbook, which features styles ranging from tousled curls to sleek straight hair. With the Dyson AirwrapTM multi-styler, you can achieve salon-quality hair at home. Celebrity hairstylist Marianna Mukuchyan breaks down the four hairstyles you need to attempt right away to give your hair more pizzaz.

Straight and sleek

The classic straight, sleek never goes out of style. Add hair accessories to add more flair to the look.

To achieve this look:

Start with towel-dried hair and attach the Coanda smoothing dryer and select the drying mode. Pre-dry your hair to 80% dry. Attach the soft smoothing brush, known to create a smooth blowdry finish.

Choose the high speed and high heat and smooth from roots to ends in sections until dry. Attach the Coanda smoothing dryer that smooths and hides flyaways.

Select smoothing mode and choose the high speed and low heat.

To achieve this look:

Star with towel-dried hair and attach the Coanda smoothing dryer. Select the drying mode and pre-dry the stresses to 70% dry. Attach the soft smoothing brush, known to create a smooth blowdry finish.

Choose the medium speed and medium heat. Smooth out frizz. Divide hair into 3 sections. Dived your back hair section further into 5 parts.

Attach the 40mm long barrel that will create voluminous curls and waves for longer hair.

Change the airflow direction to the left and choose the high speed and high heat.

Introduce the left section of your back hair to the barrel at midlength and set with a cold shot for 5-10 seconds. Slide down to release the curl.

Change the airflow direction to the right and repeat for the right section.

Set your curls with a fixing spray and gently loosen your curls for the final look.

Tousled Waves

Create beautiful, tousled waves that are sure to leave your partner spellbound on your brunch date. It is a great way to look effortless, classy, chic, and relaxed. Pair it up with a floral or pastel attire for an elegant look.

To achieve this look:

Microneedling: It is a dermatologist-suggested treatment method that may help you with hair growth. Microneedling is also known to improve the health of hair follicles.

Start at the front left of the parting, glide from roots to ends, and repeat around the head. Add hair accessories such as stick-on pearls on a few front pieces of your hair to amp up your look.

Curly Blowout

Start with towel-dried hair and attach the Coanda smoothing dryer, a multi-functional attachment that quickly prepares hair for styling.

Clinics

suggest these tips to maintaining your hair: Wash and condition your hair

Use a leave-in conditioner or detangler: Soon after applying shampoo and conditioning, use a conditioner or detangler for your hair. It will boost moisture in your hair and provide heat protection before you begin styling.

Hairstyle: Avoid complicated hairstyles. Chronic stress on the

Get in touch with a doctor who can tell you whether this treatment is safe for you, including recommending a specific micro-needling device.

A glamorous finish featuring big, bold curls are perfect for any dinner date. Show off your gorgeous curly hairstyle by wearing it down and adding a sparkly hair accessory, like a headband, tiara, or hairpins.

Select the drying mode and choose the high speed and high heat to pre-dry your tresses to 70 percent.

Attach the firm smoothing brush to create a smooth blow-dry finish.

Kochi Biennale’s 5th edition records over half a million visitors so far

Kochi Biennale is venue for global art exhibition: Norwegian Ambassador

Kochi, Feb 23 (IANS) Reaching its halfway mark, the 5th edition of the Kochi Muziris Biennale has clocked a record half a million visitors to the spectacular marvel and trends show it could well turn out to be an all-time high record number of visitors. The previous edition of the Biennale had 600,000 visitors. The Biennale, which started on December 23, is set to conclude on April 10, so a new record of visitors can be set.

The meetings, talks, dialogues, discussions, and art programmes, including workshops, movie screenings, and music shows, being held in various Biennale venues, are witnessing a good rush of people from all walks of life.

The highlight of this edition is a good number of foreign diplomats have seen and many more are expected.

On Thursday, Israel Consul General in South India Tammy

Ben-Haim, after visiting the Biennale, said that this was a heartwarming experience. "Along with beautiful artworks that make you happy, experiencing those themed on subjects having a serious effect on humankind is a bit unsettling. They persuade us to look deeply into realities. Artworks light up issues at varied degrees. Many works here have relevance on multiple levels," said Ben-Haim. "Perceptions vary even when the topic of presentation remains the same. The Biennale shows how the same thing is seen and perceived differently by different regions around the world and how they experience it in their unique way. On the whole, exhibitions at the Biennale are emotional and thought-provoking. The enthusiastic participation of the new generation, including that of school students, is the highlight of the Kochi Biennale," he added.

Sangeeta Jindal’s JSW Foundation pledges support for Kochi Biennale

Kochi Biennale is significantly less compared to other biennales around the world, including those in Asia.

Kochi, Feb 20 (IANS) Sangeeta

Jindal, Founding Patron of Kochi Biennale and Founding Trustee of JSW Foundation, on Monday said that JSW Steel would have deep cooperation and support for Kochi Biennale, which is the pride of the country.

The outside funding available for

Sangeetha Jindal, the founder, and trustee of Art India Foundation and Art India Magazine pointed out that the Kochi Biennale needs to be nurtured to a better standard.

"A collective effort is necessary to ensure the prosperous progress of the Biennale, which brings accolades to the country from around the world. Kochi Biennale should get liberal financial support from the government and

other agencies. There are several such sources within the country itself. There should be proper utilization of such resources," said Jindal.

"No praise and gratitude suffice for the dedication of those who keep Biennale vibrant, fighting numerous odds. It was an honor for JSW Steel to be part of creating the Biennale Pavilion designed by world-renowned architect Samira Rathod," said Sangita Jindal.

The fifth edition of the Kochi Biennale by now has won the hearts of many who came visiting the various venues and will continue till April.

Indian-American wins National Geographic ‘Pictures of the Year’

the shore of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, waiting for action. The engineer-turned-hobbyist photographer said he stayed, watching as bald eagles swooped in and out of the fishing grounds in Haines, Alaska.

The area hosts the largest congregations of bald eagles in the world every fall, when around 3,000 arrive in time for the salmon run.

Kochi, Feb 21 (IANS) The Kochi Muziris Biennale embodies the joy of experiencing some of the greatest modern artworks that are completely honest and created with sincerity, said the Norwegian Ambassador to India Hans Jacob Frydenlund, who was at the venue of the 5th edition of the Biennale.

"It is of high significance that the Biennale has paved the way for the exhibition of the global arts itself," said Frydenlund.

Impressed by the creations of Norwegian artists, Frydenlund and his wife Gina Lund spent

considerable time extolling the beauty of the works.

Two renowned artists from Norway, Elle Marja Eira, and Hilde Skancke, are also participating this time.

"The works of both of them are beautiful and powerful. They are the pride of our nation," the Norwegian Ambassador said. The Kochi Biennale provides a unique experience as it reflects the various cultures from across the world and a myriad choice of subjects under a single roof, Hans Jacob Frydenlund opined.

Parents, guardians, schools need to expose children to music & arts: Shubha Mudgal

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) "Sadly, studying music or arts for a lifetime is not considered important enough. Success means winning a talent show and not otherwise. I fail to understand how one puts artistic urges in these parameters?" questions

will never understand the value it adds to growth and development."

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) IndianAmerican Karthik Subramaniam, a San Francisco-based software engineer, has won the 2023 National Geographic 'Pictures of the Year' award, beating over 5,000 entries.

Subramaniam's photo, which is titled 'Dance of the Eagles', shows a trio of bald eagles battling for a spot on a branch in Alaska's

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, a press release by the magazine said.

He titled the image as a homage to a fictional dragon war in George R.R. Martin's novel, 'A Dance with Dragons'.

"Wherever there's salmon there's going to be chaos," Subramaniam told the magazine that this was his motto as he camped out near

The photo was selected from nearly 5,000 entries across four categories: Nature, People, Places and Animals.

Subramaniam has been photographing landscapes and his travels for years.

He started experimenting with wildlife photography in 2020, grounded by the pandemic in his San Francisco home.

Padma Shri awardee Shubha Mudgal, adding parents and guardians and schools need to expose children to all kinds of music and arts, and the splendid diversity this country offers in it. The singer, along with co-artistes Aneesh Pradhan (Tabla) and Sudhir Nayak (Harmonium) was recently in Chandigarh to perform 'Rang Hori' on the invitation of 'Elsewhere', conceived in the memory of Sangeet Natak Akademi awardwinning playwright and author Swadesh Deepak, added: "I was a member of the Central Advisory Board of Education constituted by the Government of India, a focus group discussing the need for introducing an arts education programme in mainstream school education during the National Curriculum Framework 2005. It was eons ago, and our recommendations were accepted but we are yet to see them applied. Until we do not give the same importance to music and the arts as we do to math and science, or attach a tangible outcome to its study, children

Talking about the 'Rang Hori', the singer and musicologist, who was performing in Chandigarh after more than a decade stressed that when it comes to basant and holi, there is an inexhaustible wealth of compositions to be presented. "In our tradition, so much has been written on and inspired by the seasons. I am fortunate enough to continue to be immersed in the khayal and thumri dadra forms for the last 40 years, to learn and perform them to my best."

Born into a musically dedicated family, Shubha has been trained by some of the finest musicians and musicologists in India including eminent scholarmusician-composer Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang", Pandit Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya and Pandit Vasant Thakar.

She later learnt stylistic techniques from well-known maestros Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki and Pandit Kumar Gandharva. She also received training in thumri from Naina Devi.

In her quest to keep the arts alive, Shubha takes on students, and molds them in her own 'customized version' of the Guru shishya parampara.

Roald Dahl publisher removes word ‘fat’ from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’

which says "language related to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race has been cut and rewritten".

In the 1964 novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", which has been adapted twice as films in 1971 and 2005, starring Gene Hackman and Johnny Depp respectively, for example, the phrase "enormously fat" has been edited to just "enormous".

As per 'Variety', the same phrase in the 1970 book "Fantastic Mr Fox", adapted as an animated film by Wes Anderson with a voice cast of George Clooney and Meryl Streep in 2009, has also been edited to "enormous".

Los Angeles, Feb 19 (IANS) Editors at Penguin's children's imprint Puffin have taken a red pencil to the works of iconic, but divisive British writer Roald Dahl, known for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Matilda", reports "Variety".

It cited an extensive report by UK newspaper 'The Telegraph',

The report compares the 2001 editions of Dahl's children's books to the 2022 editions and finds that the word "fat" has been systematically edited out, including in "The Enormous Crocodile", "James and the Giant Peach", "The Twits", and "The Witches".

Other examples of Puffin's editing include the description of Miss Trunchbull in "Matilda" altered from "most formidable female" to "most formidable woman"; The Oompa Loompas from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" changed from "small men" to "small people"; and "Bunce, the little pot-bellied dwarf" in "Fantastic Mr Fox" to just "Bunce".

Puffin and the Roald Dahl Story Company made the edits with Inclusive Minds, a collective that specialises in "inclusion and accessibility in children's literature," according to a spokesperson.

The report quotes the copyright page of Puffin's new editions of Dahl's books, saying: "This book was written many years ago, and so we regularly review the language to ensure that it can continue to be enjoyed by all today."

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 17 (IANS) A book titled 'India and Australia: Strengthening International Cooperation Through The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative', prepared by the Centre for Public Policy Research and Monash University with the support of the Australian Department of Foreign Trade, was released here on Friday. The book was released in the presence of the Australian High Commissioner to India, Barry O'Farrell, who received the book from former the Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Kerala, G. Gopakumar. Australian Consul General for South India, Sarah Kirlew, was also present on the occasion.

The book is a compilation of research papers penned by scholars from India, ASEAN countries and Australia on strengthening international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

The book has three sections based on the three key sessions of the Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership (AIIPOIP) conference held at Kochi in April 2022.

The three themes include maritime security, tackling the issue of marine debris and litter in the Bay of Bengal, and the importance of smart ports. Gopakumar said the book is an attempt to highlight three major aspects connecting India and Australia in the context of the Indian Ocean as well as the IndoPacific region.

"The book also attempts to analyse the role that small ports can play in developing maritime relationships. Small ports along with big ports are important and in future, there will be huge quantity of small ports emerging across the country," he added.

New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) Niyogi Books and the National School of Drama on Wednesday released actor and producer Vani Tripathi Tikoo's book, 'Why Can't Elephants Be Red?'

Launched under the aegis of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav at the Kamani Auditorium in the national capital, the book was released in the presence of Union minister Smriti Irani, actor and chairperson of National School of Drama (NSD), Paresh Rawal, and NSD Director Ramesh Chandra Gaur.

The protagonist of the book,

Akku, who is also the author's daughter, is a lively, imaginative and adventurous two-and-a-halfyear-old girl.

She loves to scribble, draw and her imagination runs riot with elephants that are red, crabs that have moustaches, and unicorns that don't have horns. But the biggest adventure of all awaits Akku -- her first day at school. Speaking at the launch, Irani said: "This book is proof that a story can be written in pain. Vani you should write a story about women who divide themselves in different relationships but also do justice in each one of them."

She added: "I stand here for the family that has kept themselves together irrespective of the pandemic and the challenges that were brought upon by geography."

Irani said that Tikoo's book is a symbol of her tenacity.

their first book.

Pillai, who has penned a number of books, announced on Wednesday that the Raj Bhavan will sponsor 25 Konkani language books.

"For Konkani writers who have not published any book but have the talent and desire to publish books, Raj Bhavan will bear all the expenses of printing," Pillai said, adding that details of the scheme will be announced soon.

Panaji, Feb 22 (IANS) The leader of opposition in Goa Assembly, Yuri Alemao, along with writers from the coastal state on Wednesday hailed the decision of Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai to help Konkani writers to come up with

Applauding the book, Rawal read excerpts from it.

Tikoo remarked: "Each book has a journey but this book has two. My first journey was while deciding on the title of this book. I wanted to remember all those little red elephants that you and I have tucked away inside us but have forgotten because we think like adults now."

She said her second journey was about this beautiful family of 12 people in pandemic times, and her daughter Akshara who was two-and-a-half years old then and was living away from her as Tikoo was with her mother in Delhi and Akku was being brought up by her relatives in Singapore.

"These journeys were unique and it took two different countries to bring up my child," Tikoo said.

Sanjiv Verenkar, Sahitya Akademy awardee poet, said that this is the best example set by Pillai as the Governor of Goa.

"He may be the first Governor who has initiated such a scheme fostering the literature field, that too for those who wish to publish their first book. I welcome his decision which respects Konkani language and writers," Verenkar said.

Welcoming the decision of Pillai, Alemao said, "A welcome gesture by Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai. This initiative will surely help the young writers and also boost Konkani literature."

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) BJP national president J.P. Nadda on Wednesday launched a book "Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux" in Chanakyapuri here. While addressing the readers, Nadda said, "This book is going to open a debate on how PM Modi has taken a decision which has changed India's image worldwide. It's necessary to understand what was the image of India before Modi ji came to power."

Recalling the old image, Nadda said, "The economy was declining, India had an image of a corrupt state, repeated terrorist attacks and a lack of stable govt. The very sad part was that the authority of the PM was eroded".

He further said, "Unlike in the past, India doesn't shy to take positions.

For a long time, India has been shying from taking hard positions. However, under PM Modi, on international issues, India can take a stand on complex issues. A classic example is the RussiaUkraine war".

Praising the New India, BJP national president said, "The world has appreciated the tough

stand of India. The tough stand of carrying out surgical strikes against our adversaries".

He closed the speech by saying, "Initiatives taken by PM Modi have changed the image of our country, and this book gives a deep insight into the same."

The world's 40 per cent of digital transactions is taking place in India. For tracing and tracking of Covid patients, CoWin was launched, said Nadda. Book is forewarded by Union External Affair Minister S. Jaishankar. Editors are Sujan Chinoy, Vijay Chauthaiwala, and Uttam Kumar Sinha.

‘Vani Tikoo’s book is a symbol of her tenacity’, says Smriti Irani at book launch

SELFIEE

RELEASE DATE: 24 February 2023

LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles)

PRODUCER: Cape of Good Films, Dharma Productions, Magic Frames

DIRECTOR: Raj Mehta

CAST: Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi, Diana Penty, Nushrratt

Bharuccha

SYNOPSIS: Bollywood superstar Vijay Kumar needs to obtain a new driving license, from RTO officer, Om Prakash Agarwal, a diehard fan of Vijay. But a misunderstanding leads to a war of words between the two, eventually escalating into a feud which is played out in front of the media and the entire country.

AFWAAH

RELEASE DATE: 24 February 2023

LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles)

PRODUCER: Anubhav Sinha, Krishan Kumar, Bhushan Kumar

DIRECTOR: Sudhir Mishra

CAST: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bhumi Pednekar, Sumeet Vyas, Sharib Hashmi & Others

SYNOPSIS: Afwaah is said to be a quirky Thriller set in the backdrop of Rajasthan

BHOLAA

RELEASE DATE: 30 March 2023

LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles)

PRODUCER: Ajay Devgn Ffilms,

Dream Warrior Pictures, Reliance Entertainment

DIRECTOR: Ajay Devgn

CAST: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Raai Laxmi

TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAR

RELEASE DATE: 8 March 2023

LANGUAGE: Hindi (With English Subtitles)

PRODUCER: Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg

DIRECTOR: Luv Ranjan

CAST: Ranbir Kapoor,Shraddha Kapoor,Dimple Kapadia,Boney Kapoor

Off to the Oscars, actor Ram Charan spotted barefoot at airport

black kurta-pajama.

The Tollywood star is known for his devout nature and piety. He regularly observes the rituals associated with the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. Devotees who embark on this pilgrimage are supposed to follow a pure and simple code of conduct, which includes walking barefoot and wearing black clothes.

Earlier too, at the time of the release of his film 'RRR', Ram Charan had been seen going about barefoot and dressed in black at various promotional events.

Hyderabad, Feb 21 (IANS) Actor Ram Charan, who jetted off to the US for Oscars from Hyderabad on Tuesday, was the cynosure of all eyes at the airport for a different reason. Instead of the usual stylised gladrags that stars are clicked in at airports, the actor was seen walking barefoot dressed in a

Twitterati couldn't help praising Ram Charan for his humility and piety even when jetting off to foreign lands.

The Rajamouli-helmed 'RRR' is eyeing an award in the best song category at the Oscars next month for the track 'Naatu Naatu', which features Ram Charan and his colead star NTR Jr.

‘India is everything to me’: Akshay Kumar to give up Canadian passport

During an interview in the first episode of the new season of "Seedhi Baat" on news channel Aajtak, Akshay said: "India is everything to me. Whatever I have earned, whatever I have gained is from here. And I'm fortunate that I get a chance to give back. You feel bad when people say things without knowing anything."

Mumbai, Feb 23 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who will be soon seen in the upcoming film "Selfiee", is set to give up his Canadian passport and has applied to get his citizenship status changed. In the past, the superstar had stated that he would change his passport to that of India but owing to the delays induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, he wasn't able to do so. But, now it looks like the actor will soon get an Indian passport.

Unravelling how the whole Canadian passport scenario came into being, the "Bachchhan Paandey" superstar said: "I thought that 'bhai, my films are not working and one has to work'. I went there for work. My friend was in Canada and he said, 'Come here'. I applied and I got in. I had just two films left for release and it is just luck that they both became superhits."

"My friend said, 'go back, start working again'. I got some more films and I kept getting more work. I forgot that I had the passport. I never thought that I should get this passport changed but now yes, I have applied to get my passport changed and once I get the renounced status from Canada."

Mumbai, Feb 20 (IANS) The first schedule of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff-starrer 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' has been completed and now the entire team is gearing up for the next schedule in Scotland. The film brings together two of the biggest action heroes of Bollywood, Akshay, and Shroff.

Scotland

Prithviraj Sukumaran joins this spectacle as he brings on board his acting prowess as the powerful antagonist.

Taking to social media, producer Jackky Bhagnani, Tiger Shroff and Ali Abbas Zafar shared an image.

Jackky Bhagnani captioned it by saying: "We just wrapped the first India sched of #BMCM. A big milestone in my life and it has been emotional. This was a dream IP of my father and now we are carrying it forward."

"Cant wait for you guys to watch this Spectacle in theatres. Thank you Bade Miyan @akshaykumar, Chote Miyan @tigerjackieshroff, @therealprithvi and @ aliabbaszafar for making this

Ajay Devgn’s NY Foundations makes in-roads in rural education

dream of our come true."

Tiger shared a BTS image and captioned it: "It was an honour riding alongside you bade @ akshaykumar and kicking the bad guys' ass. Coming to you at the speed of light in a cinema near you."

Vashu Bhagnani and Pooja Entertainment present 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' in association with AAZ film, is written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh, Jackky Bhagnani, Himanshu Kishan Mehra and Ali Abbas Zafar. This Pooja Entertainment Action entertainer is set to release in cinemas in December 2023.

How Raj from ‘DDLJ’ shaped Ranbir Kapoor as a romantic hero

"Raj was everything! You know, he could do anything! I think Aditya Chopra gave us a character, that was aspirational, he was naughty, he was charming, like it shook you up! I know I saw that film probably 20 times in the theatre!" reveals Ranbir.

Mumbai, Feb 20 (IANS)

Bollywood actor-filmmakerentrepreneur Ajay Devgn has been spearheading various social-work initiatives across the country under the aegis of their socialwork wing NY Foundations. These initiatives include feeding the underprivileged, vaccination camps during the pandemic, paying for medical aid, studies

and providing widows in Punjab a means of livelihood.

Recently, NY Foundations tied up with Shri Pradeep Lokhande of Rural Relations, an organisation that is very active on ground zero in over 200 villages across India. Ajay's daughter Nysa Devgan, who is keen to work closely in rural areas and also encourage children in primary and secondary schools to get education/recreation benefits, took the initiative to open digital libraries, distribute books and also distribute sports kits to the students of a few schools in and around Virgaon, Ahmednagar district. Nysa personally interacted with over 200 students and was impressed with their inclination towards studies and sports activities.

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, who is back on-screen as the quintessential romantic hero in the much-awaited 'Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar', said that SRK's character Raj from 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' (DDLJ) inspired him to play charming lover boys in cinema, having seen the iconic film at least 20 times.

'DDLJ' is the longest running film in the history of Indian cinema as it still plays at Maratha Mandir in Mumbai. The actor was seen speaking about the film in Netflix's latest release 'The Romantics'.

From Aamir Khan to Salman Khan, from Shah Rukh Khan to Ranbir Kapoor, from Amitabh Bachchan to Ranveer Singh, from

Rani Mukerji to Hrithik Roshan, from Katrina Kaif to Anushka Sharma, the mega-stars and icons of Hindi cinema have come together and spoken about Yash Chopra and YRF's contribution to Indian cinema in 'The Romantics'. 'The Romantics' has been directed by Oscar & Emmy-nominated film-maker Smriti Mundhra, who returns to Netflix after the phenomenal success of 'Indian Matchmaking' and the 'Never Have I Ever' franchise.

Netflix, in this four-part docuseries, will also feature 35 leading personalities from the film industry, who have closely worked with YRF through its 50 year glorious existence.

Karisma Kapoor learnt to speak Bengali, rolled cigarettes for her part in ‘Brown’

woman from a well-connected family.

Los Angeles, Feb 19 (IANS)

Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor, whose noir-thriller show "Brown" is the only Indian show at the Berlin Series Market Selects platform, took the method acting route to play her part in the series.

The series is based on the 2016 novel "City of Death" by Abheek Barua, adapted by Digvijay Singh, Sunayana Kumari and Mayukh Ghosh and directed by Abhinay Deo, reports "Variety".

It follows Rita Brown (played by Karisma), a world-weary and recovering alcoholic but ace detective in the Kolkata Police, belonging to the city's small but influential Anglo-Indian community, who is assigned to the murder case of a young

Apart from not wearing any makeup to achieve a worn-out look for her character, Karisma also used method acting techniques to enhance the role. Someone who rarely consumes alcohol in real life, she would skip dinner, have a few drinks, and pass out in order to wake up with a hangover.

As per 'Variety', Kapoor, who is a non-smoker, also learnt to roll a cigarette. The actor also trained with a language coach to learn the Bengali language that is native to Kolkata and to speak a few words of it and English with an AngloIndian accent.

The actress further mentioned that "many people around the world will identify with her".

On the reason for this, the actress told 'Variety' that "she's (her character) beat up, she's been through so much, people have knocked her out. And that's what happens in normal life".

Tanisha Mehta on recreating iconic scene from ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ for her show

"It's not only depression, or alcoholism - nobody discusses this, but there's a time where people just become irrelevant. She bounces back, because she has it in her. Rita Brown is very inspirational to women out there and that's something that really touched me because I've also been through a journey in life."

Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) 'Shubh

Laabh - Aapkey Ghar Mein' actress Tanisha Mehta, who is seen playing the role of Ishani in the show 'Lag Ja Gale', talked about recreating the most popular scenes from 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' in which Amitabh Bachchan pulls a stool for Jaya Bachchan where she helps him in tying his tie.

Set in Delhi, 'Lag Ja Gale' is a story of a couple, Shiv (Namik Paul) - an affluent, self-made young hotelier and Ishani (Tanisha Mehta), who get married for the sake of their siblings.

In every scene where Tanisha has to stand opposite Namik, she has to take the help of a stool to match his height.

While talking about recreating the iconic scene, Tanisha said: "Within a few days of shooting, Namik and I started bonding with each other really well and that

really helped to pull off our scenes smoothly. But the biggest concern is that because of Namika's height, every time there is a shot where I am standing next to him, I have to stand on a stool. For the scenes which are not close-up shots, I have to wear high heels throughout the sequence."

The actress further added that while shooting every scene with him she needed a stool and it reminded her of the movie 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'.

"The very first day when we shot together, I was asked to do a scene with him standing on a stool and that just reminded me of the most popular scenes between Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham where she has to fasten his tie. I believe the resemblance of it with our shoot life is so similar that now I have started enjoying it as I am a big 'K3G fan'. I just hope that the audience loves our on-screen chemistry and showers their love on our show," she added.

'Lag Ja Gale' airs on Zee TV.

Priyanka Chopra dances as hubby Nick Jonas sings on stage in Las Vegas

Vegas concert. A clip shared on a fan account shows Priyanka grooving at her place dressed in a shimmery silver dress and paired it with a black fur overcoat.

Los Angeles, Feb 20 (IANS)

Indian actress Priyanka Chopra was seen grooving as her American pop star husband Nick Jonas performed on stage in Las Vegas.

She attended Jonas Brothers' Las

Nick shared several pictures with Priyanka and some solo pictures from the concert on Instagram and captioned it: "Vegas with you". Posting his pictures on her Instagram Stories, Priyanka wrote: "You are the wings I need to fly away."

Priyanka and Nick tied the knot in 2018. They welcomed Malti via surrogacy in January last year.

‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ India schedule wraps up, crew heads to

Coke Studio Bharat’s ‘Holi Re Rasiya’ is funky Holi number straddling urban, rural India

genres to the platform. I have sung a few songs in the past that had a traditional touch but to be a part of traditional and new age music was a thrilling experience for me."

Sonu Nigam manhandled in Mumbai during performance

Coke Studio Bharat released its second celebratory track 'Holi Re Rasiya' ahead of the festival. The song features Maithili Thakur's soulful voice, Ravi Kishan's playfulness alongside Seedhe Maut's rap. The track aims to light up the dance floors during the Holi celebrations. For the track, musiciansongwriter Ankur has collaborated with a think-

tank including poet-lyricistscriptwriter Kausar Munir along with national award-winning sound engineer and music producer KJ Singh. Talking about his experience of working with Coke Studio Bharat, Ravi Kishan said, "This has been a fun experience for me, to be recognised by Coke Studio Bharat and to work together with young talents who bring in different

Ankur, who is "very excited" for 'Holi Re Rasiya', feels that the team has put together a great song for the Holi playlist. He said, "Celebrating the cultural traditions of Bharat, Coke Studio is bringing together talents from different regions that resonate with the new and young India while also connecting them to their roots".

This season of Coke Studio Bharat is an amalgamation of over 50 artists from across the country who have come together to create over 10 memorable tracks celebrating the roots of India.

Kangana has her own list of ‘deserving’ winners before ‘nepo mafia’ takes ‘everyone ka haq’

Kangana took to Instagram Stories and shared her own list of winners.

She wrote, "Awards season is here before nepo mafia snatches every one ka haq (right) let me clarify this year's Best actor - Rishab Shetty (Kantara) Best ActressMrunal Thakur (Sita Ramam) Best film - Kantara Best director- SS

Rajamouli (RRR) Best supporting actor - Anupam Kher (Kashmir Files) Best supporting actressTabu (Bhool Bhulaiya)."

complains about continues harassment they face, unko bikau mafia PR se jealous or mad bolke dismiss our discredit kardo..."

"Yehi, yehi toh tumhari kartootein hain that I am determined now to destroy you all... one can't just indulge in the beauty of life when there is so much evil around... Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta says destroying evil is the prime goal of Dharma."

Mumbai, Feb 21 (IANS) Popular singer Sonu Nigam on Monday was manhandled allegedly by the members of Shiv Sena (UBT) amid a performance in the Chembur area here.

According to media reports,

Nigam was performing when the son of a local MLA, reportedly associated with Shiv Sena (UBT) misbehaved with the 'Abhi mujhme kahin' singer's manager. The alleged person asked the singer's manager to get off the stage and when Nigam was getting, and ended up pushing the singer.

According to reports, the individual also pushed Nigam's friend, and both have suffered injuries.

A video on social media is doing the rounds where an individual is seen pushing Nigam and his friend.

Ranveer Singh raps in front of Simu Liu, Hasan Minhaj, Nicky Jam

The Bollywood star then starts to rap: "Go up against us, you will end up in bandages. We ain't 21 but we all savages. Oh, you see my moves, they so fancy."

"Yeah baby all over the world they call me Shang-Chi. I throw it down, slam. You know my name, number one Latin artist in the world, Nicky Jam."

AfterRanbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan were named for major honours at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival, actress Kangana Ranaut objected to the same on her social media. She posted her own list of "deserving" winners and claimed that the 'nepo mafia snatches everyone's right.

"Yeh log jayein ya nahi awards inhi ke hain (the awards belong to them no matter they attend them or not)... filmi awards have no authenticity, after I finish work here, I will make a proper list of all those I feel are deserving... stay tuned ... thanks."

She added: "Life of nepo insects use parents name and contacts, do papa ji chaploosi to get work, agar koi self made aaye uska career sabotage kardo, if someone anyone, anyhow survives and

On Monday, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt won the Best Actor and Best Actress award at the Film Festival.

Alia was named for the honour for her spectacular performance in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', Ranbir was feted with the award for playing the lead in 'Brahmastra Part One: Shiva'.

Varun Dhawan also won the Critics Best Actor award for his performance in the film 'Bhediya'.

grosses Rs 1000 cr worldwide

first Hindi film to breach this milestone in phase one of its release.

'Pathaan', on its fourth Monday, saw a solid jump again at the box office. It collected Rs 1.25 crore net in India (Hindi - Rs 1.20 crore, All Dubbed versions - Rs 0.05 crore).

'Pathaan' has now recorded $45.94 million in the overseas territories alone, while net collection in India stands at Rs 516.92 crore (Hindi - Rs 498.95 crore, Dubbed - Rs 17.97 crore)! The total worldwide gross is an incredible Rs 1000 crore (India gross - Rs 623 crore, overseas - Rs377 crore).

Star comedian Hasan Minaj shared a video of Bollywood star Ranveer Singh trying to flaunt his rapping skills in a locker room during the NBA All-Star game. In the clip, Ranveer looked confident about his rapping skills in front of celebs like Hollywood stars Simu Liu, Janelle Monae, and Nicky Jam.

The clip begins with Minhaj saying: "All we gotta do, everybody, is get Ranveer Singh on the boards today. On behalf of 4.561 billion people in Asia, let's get Ranveer a bucket."

Reacting to his words, Ranveer in jersey gets up from his seat.

Captioning the clip, Minaj wrote on Instagram, "Tried to get my man Ranveer Singh on the scoreboard. Tried to get him a record deal. Failed at both." However, social media users have a mixed response to his rapping. One wrote: "Ranveer setting us back 100 years with each sentence"

While another said: "Ranveer is the best".

A not so happy fan said: "From F1 to premier league to the US, this man just continues to embarrass every Indian with his wannabe efforts."

Another added: " What I like about Ranveer is that even after this he will enter a room and give it his allot entertain. Dude loves living and that's got to be cringe at times but must be also so much fun."

Shah Rukh Khan reveals why his next is called ‘Jawan’ and it is hilarious!

entertainer 'Pathaan' has zoomed past the fabled Rs 1,000 crore gross worldwide becoming the

The film, directed by Siddharth Anand also stars Ashutosh Rana and Dimple Kapadia.

After his action entertainer 'Pathaan' turned out to be a blockbuster, superstar Shah Rukh Khan is gearing up for his next 'Jawan'. He gave a hilarious reason behind the title of his upcoming movie, directed by Atlee. On Monday, SRK treated his fans with a question and answer session. A user said that an FIR should be filed against the star for saying that he is 57-years-old. The fan also shared a picture of the actor flaunting his well-chiselled body. To which, SRK replied: "Please mat karo yaar. Theek hai main hi maan jaata hoon I am 30 years old. There I have now told you the truth..and that's why, even my next film is called Jawan."

A fan asked him about his book, he replied: "Not yet but after I finish final shoot of Jawan and Dunki I will get back to it."

A netizen wanted the key to a happy married life from the superstar. "Gauri has the most simple heart and mind. She has just kept us all believing in the goodness of family and love," said Shah Rukh.

One asked about what keeps him occupied when he does "absolutely doing."

"Yes, I spend a lot of time doing nothing...it clears the mind for things that I need to do later. "Jo kuch nah karte woh kamaal karte hain."

‘Pathaan’

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham's latest action