hi INDiA | December 23, 2022 | The Community First

PUBLISHED WEEKLY

Hi INDIA

CORPORATE OFFICE : 6525 N. Crawford ave., Lincolnwood, ILL 60712 advt@hiindiaweekly.com EAST COAST : Tel.: 773.684.4058 Advertising : 773.552.6083

Sanghavi (414) 771.3535

AHMEDABAD BUREAU YOGESH BRAHMBHATT

ADVERTISING

Hemant Brahmbhaatt

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ibrahim Keriwala

PHOTO / WEB SITE Jinesh Modi / Vijay Shah

ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE Purnima Brahmbhatt

hi INDiA is published weekly by hi INDiA, Inc. 2544 W. Devon Avenue, Chicago, IL 60659

Copyright 2009

hi INDiA, Inc. All right reserved as to the entire content.

hi INDIA is published weekly by hi INDiA, Inc. 3152 W. Devon Ave, C-3 Chicago, IL 60659

hi INDiA, Inc.

hi INDiA is a trademark of hi INDiA Inc. Disclaimer

All right reserved as to the entire content.

hi INDiA is a trademark of hi INDiA Inc.

Copyright 2022 DISCLAIMER

hi INDiA makes no warranties or representations as to the accuracy of the content and assumes no liability or responsibility for any error or omission in the content. hi INDiA is not responsible or liable for any claims made in advertisements. Any questions or comments concerning advertisements or classifieds in this newspaper should be directed to the advertiser. The views, advice, opinions and information in letters to the editor, analysis section, legal section or any other article in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent those of hi INDiA, Inc.

hi INDiA makes no warranties or representations as to the accuracy of the content and assumes no liability or responsibility for any error or omission in the content. hi INDiA is not responsible or liable for any claims made in advertisements. Any questions or comments concerning advertisements or classifieds in this newspaper should be directed to the advertiser. The views, advice, opinions and information in letters to the editor, analysis section, legal section or any other article in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent those of hi INDiA, Inc.

hi INDiA weekly newspaper distribute free copies for readers, community for benefit of

copy per reader which is available in the stores near to your area, However if

per copy. We distribute our copies only at major Indo-Pak

illegal activities like, picking up more than one copy for

as well as will file law-suite for the punitive

hi INDiA weekly newspaper distribute free copies for readers, community for benefit of our readers as well as advertiser. hi INDiA reserves it’s right to distribute copies limited to 1 free copy per reader which is available in the stores near to your area, However if you need more copies, reader can call us and we will send you the copies via mail or deliver to you @ $2.00 per copy. We distribute our copies only at major Indo-Pak stores, where we have obtained the permission from the owner of the location. We reserve the right to protect our copies from illegal activities like, picking up more than one copy for other than reading purposes. We watch our inventory at the stores constantly and we will notify authorities of any and all illegal activities as well as will file law-suite for the punitive damages.

US winter storm to bring coldest Christmas in decades

A major winter storm sweeping the US this week may bring the coldest Christmas in four decades to parts of the country, say forecasters.

HiIndia Newsdesk

The “once-in-a-generation” cold snap - which began in the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday, before churning east - will become a “bomb cyclone” by Friday. More than 90 million people are under winter weather alerts across 37 states.

About 80% of the nation is set to experience sub-zero temperatures, including places as far south as Texas.

Named Winter Storm Elliot by the Weather Channel, the arctic blast is expected to deliver the coldest Christmas to the Midwest since the late 1980s, according to forecasts cited

Trump business losses sharply reduced his tax bill

by US media.

“Wind chills of this magnitude can cause frostbite in less than five minutes if precautions are not taken, with hypothermia and death also possible from prolonged exposure to the cold,”

said its advisory.

The NWS has called it a once-ina-generation winter weather event, especially as the storm reaches the Great Lakes region, where its pressure is expected to reach the equivalent of a

Category 3 hurricane

The governors of Kentucky and North Carolina have declared states of emergency. Snowy conditions and freezing roadways are expected to wreak travel chaos this weekend.

“We had a great Thanksgiving week with minimal disruption,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told cable channel MSNBC on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, it’s not going to be that way going into Christmas.”

Hundreds of flights from Denver and Chicago have already been cancelled. Denver is forecast to face the brunt of the cold snap on Thursday morning as temperatures plummet to -16F.

The Denver Coliseum, an indoor arena, is being converted into a warming centre.Chicago has been warned to prepare for heavy snowfall starting on Thursday whipped around by gusts topping 50mph (80km/h).

US experiences severe Covid community transmission amid holiday season

Washington, Dec 21 (IANS) US Covid-19 cases, hospitalisations and deaths continue to rise in the midst of the holiday season, stressing the healthcare system and resulting in staffing shortages.

Former president Donald Trump reported steep business losses in his final year in the White House, allowing the billionaire to avoid paying income tax.

He also did not face tax audits during his first two years in office, despite rules requiring the review of tax filings by sitting presidents. The revelations came after Democrats voted to release the records on Tuesday after a four-year legal battle. A spokesman for Mr Trump said the release was politically motivated. “If this injustice can happen to President Trump, it can happen to all Americans without cause,” Trump Organization spokesman said.

More than 44 per cent of counties are experiencing medium to high Covid-19 Community Levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The country is now averaging about 65,000 new cases, 5,000 hospitalisations and 390 deaths each day, a significant rise compared with the last few months, Xinhua news agency quoted the CDC as saying. Currently about 80 per cent of sites across the US are reporting moderate to high SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater.

About 53 per cent of sites reporting wastewater data are seeing some of the

US panel votes to make Trump’s tax returns public

House Ways and Means Committee voted 24-16 to publish the documents, with all all Republicans opposed to the decision, reports the BBC.

The move caps a nearly four-year legal battle by Democrats to obtain the documents, which was ultimately decided by the US Supreme Court last month. US Presidents are not required by law to release their tax returns, but for decades they have done so voluntarily.

highest levels since December last year, according to CDC data.

The country continues to see a surge in respiratory illnesses among young children, including Covid-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It prompted large pharmacies to limit the purchases of children’s medications.

The “tripledemic” is straining the healthcare system, resulting in decreased hospital capacity and staffing shortages.

US Covid-19 cases, hospitalisations and deaths continue to rise in

the healthcare system and resulting in staffing shortages.

Public health officials are urging the public to update their Covid-19 boosters and flu shots, masking indoors, testing before gatherings, and staying home when sick to limit the spread of the virus during the holiday season.

Recent study showed the updated bivalent booster doses provided additional protection against Covid-19-associated emergency department or urgent care encounters and hospitalizations.

Title 42: Emergency in El Paso as Trump border policy in limbo

migrants.

It has blocked thousands of people from crossing the US-Mexico frontier.

The policy was due to expire on 21 December, but has won a temporary reprieve from the Supreme Court.

Washington, : (IANS) A US House of Representatives panel has voted to make six years of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns public.

On Tuesday evening, the Democrat-led

But Trump broke with tradition in 2016 by refusing to release any of his personal tax returns, becoming the the first since Richard Nixon in 1972 to decline to publicly release his tax returns while campaigning for office.

The Texas border city of El Paso is grappling with a mounting humanitarian crisis as a Trump-era policy hangs in the balance, leaving many migrants unsheltered in the cold night.

Title 42 gives the government the power to automatically expel undocumented

On Monday Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocked its termination pending a ruling on an emergency appeal from some Republican-led states who have asked for the policy to remain in place.

The court’s intervention, however, has meant little on the streets of El Paso, where shelters and humanitarian services have already been overburdened and weary migrants left sleeping rough in bitterly cold nights.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

the midst of the holiday season, stressing

China’s Covid death reports spread as doubts grow about official virus data

China appears to be seeing an increase in Covid deaths across a swath of the country that aren’t being reported in government figures

Zelenskyy tells Biden: ‘No compromises’ in path to peace

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that “against all odds” Ukraine still stands, as he paid a defiant wartime visit to Washington to thank US leaders and “ordinary Americans” for their support in fighting off Russia’s invasion and pledged there would be “no compromises” in trying to bring an end to the war. President Joe Biden and Congress responded with billions in new assistance and a pledge to help Ukraine pursue a “just peace.”

Zelenskyy received a thunderous ovation from legislators during an address at the US Capitol, declaring that Ukraine “will never surrender” and warning that the stakes of the conflict were greater than just the fate of his nation — that democracy worldwide is being tested. “This battle cannot be ignored, hoping that the ocean or something else will provide protection,” he said, speaking in English for what he had billed as a “speech to Americans.”

US condemns Taliban restrictions on women’s education

China appears to be seeing an increase in Covid deaths across a swath of the country that aren’t being reported in government figures, according to social media posts, adding to speculation that officials are masking the full impact of their abrupt shift away from Covid Zero. People from Hebei in the north to Guangdong in the south have flocked to

China’s Twitter-style Weibo platform to post about longer-than-normal queues at funeral homes, and crematoriums handling a growing number of bodies. The reports indicate the wave of fatalities that, until now, has been centered in the capital of Beijing — which has officially had seven deaths in recent days despite an explosion in infections — is quietly rippling through less prominent parts of the country.

The United States has condemned the recent decision of the Taliban with regard to imposing restrictions on education of women in Afghanistan.

“The United States condemns the Taliban’s indefensible decision to prevent Afghan women from receiving a universitylevel education,” White House NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said on

‘Asia’s El Chapo’ extradited to Australia to face drug trafficking charges

Tuesday. “This deplorable decision is the latest effort by Taliban leadership to impose additional restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan and prevent them from exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms,” she said. As a result of this unacceptable stance to hold back half of the population of Afghanistan, the Taliban will be further alienated from the international community and denied the legitimacy they desire, Watson said.

“The United States is in touch with our partners and allies on this issue. We will continue to take steps to advance our shared efforts to support Afghan women and girls and provide robust humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan,” she added in a statement.

Putin vows to win in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the fighting in Ukraine as a “tragedy” but vowed to pursue his campaign there until its goals are reached, while his defence chief on Wednesday announced a plan to increase Russia’s military from 1 million personnel to 1.5 million. Speaking at a meeting Putin held with top military brass, defence minister Sergei Shoigu said the 1.5 million-member military should include 695,000 volunteer contract soldiers. He didn’t say when the increased strength would be achieved.

Shoigu also declared plans to form new military units in western Russia to counterbalance plans by Finland and Sweden to join Nato.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) said on Thursday it had taken the head of a global drug trafficking syndicate, dubbed ‘Asia’s El Chapo’, into custody after he was extradited from the Netherlands.

The AFP said the arrest is the culmination of a long-running investigation into an organised crime syndicate known as “Sam Gor”, or “The Company”, that it says trafficked methamphetamine worth millions of dollars of into Australia.

The AFP did not identify the person arrested by name, and does not typically disclose the names of arrested

The Australian Federal Police said the arrest is the culmination of a longrunning investigation into an organised crime syndicate known as “Sam Gor”, or “The Company”.

individuals before trial.

A person familiar with the case said the man arrested was Canadian citizen Tse Chi Lop, one of the world’s most prominent drug lords. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Nepal SC to release ‘serpent’ Sobhraj

Nepal’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release, due to his age, of Charles Sobhraj, a French national known as “the serpent” who police say is responsible for a string of murders in the 1970s and 1980s.

Sobhraj, 78, is accused of killing over 20 young western backpackers across Asia, usually by drugging their food or drink.

He had completed 19 years of his 20year sentence.

Known as the “bikini killer”, Thailand issued a warrant for his arrest in the mid-1970s on charges of drugging and killing six women, all wearing bikinis, on a beach at Pattaya.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

News Breif

Indians told to mask up amid China coronavirus surge

India’s health minister has called for a return to Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks in public, as the country steps up surveillance of cases.

Top health officials have also asked people to get vaccinated and take booster doses.

India had relaxed its mask-wearing rules earlier this year after a drop in infection levels.

But a surge in cases in neighbouring China has put the country on alert.

Over the past few months, India reported four Covid-19 cases caused by BF.7, the Omicron subvariant linked to a spike in cases in China.

The cases - three in Gujarat state and one in Odisha - were detected in July, September and November and the patients have recovered, health officials have said.

Up, Avoid Foreign Travel”: Top Doctors’ Body’s Covid Warning

India Steps Up Measures To Avoid China-Like Covid Surge

New Delhi: The central government today told the parliament that random sampling for Covid tests of incoming international travellers has started at airports. PM Narendra Modi is also to hold a review meeting after 3.30 pm in light of a new spurt in China.

Two per cent of the travellers will have to give samples, after which they will be allowed to go, and the RT-PCR tests will thus be carried out, it is learnt. Protocol says they will be contacted if there’s a positive case, and a decision on line of treatment be taken.

As for masks and any other strict measures in view of the recent spurt in China, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said states have been “advised to ensure protocol is followed”, but there is no mandate yet.

The Centre has also asked all states to ensure genome sequencing of positive

Random sampling of incoming international travellers has started at airports, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tells parliament amid Covid concerns

cases to understand the virus’ new variants. This is in line with what the minister had said on Wednesday after a meeting of an expert group. Government officials have been saying there is no need to panic.

“In view of the festive season ahead, states have been asked to be alert, and create

Robert Vadra, His Mother’s Request Against Arrest Rejected, But They Get Some Relief

In Bikaner land deal case, Robert Vadra and mother Maureen Vadra want they not be arrested for questioning by Enforcement Directorate

awareness about masks, sanitisers and social distancing,” the minister told the Lok Sabha, speaking in Hindi. He added, “The ever-changing nature of the coronavirus continues to pose a danger globally.”

Overall cases in India continue to be relatively meagre at fewer than 200 daily for several days now. But it was reported on Wednesday that India, too, has the presence of a sub-variant of the Omicron variant, called BF.7, which is driving the new surge in China. Its four cases have been reported in India — the first one in July and the latest in November. But the government has no plan yet to stop flights from countries where new cases have been reported. ‘We don’t have any direct flights to or from China; but as of now, there is no such order issued to stop connecting flights to India which are arriving via China,” news agency today quoted a government source as saying.

FTX ex-CEO extradited to US on fraud

charges

New Delhi: The country’s top Doctors’ body, Indian Medical Association, today appealed to the public to follow Covid appropriate behaviour with immediate effect.

In an advisory, it listed necessary steps to overcome “the impending Covid outbreak, including wearing face masks in all public places, maintaining social distancing, regular handwashing with soap and water or sanitizers.

The IMA also advised avoiding public gatherings like marriages, political or social meetings, and international travel.

It further appealed to the people to consult doctors in case of any symptoms like fever, sore throat, cough, loose motions etc, and getting Covid vaccination including precautionary dose at the earliest.

Jaipur: The High Court in Rajasthan today rejected a plea by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband Robert Vadra and his mother Maureen Vadra that they not be arrested for questioning in a money laundering case related to some dubious land deals in Bikaner. But it did give them relief for two weeks, during which they can go to a two-judge bench of the court. The main allegation is that the Vadras’

firm called Skylight Hospitality — through a middleman named Mahesh Nagar — illegally purchased 275 bighas of government land in Bikaner district in 2012 that was sold further for a steel plant at a massive profit.

The Vadras contended in the Jodhpur High Court that there was no need to arrest them if the central probe agency, Enforcement Directorate (ED), needed to question them at all.

The ED challenged their petition against custodial interrogation.

Opposition walks out of RS after denied debate on China

but Mallikarjun Kharge refused saying that the discussion should take place in the House and the whole nation should watch it. He, however, added that the Opposition’s intention is not to embarrass the Chair but to take up the issue.

A plane carrying the former Chief Executive Officer of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, left the Bahamas on Wednesday headed for the United States, where he faces fraud charges over the collapse of the crypto exchange that wiped out billions in valuations.

The attorney general’s office of the Bahamas had earlier said that BankmanFried was scheduled for extradition on Wednesday, after having waived his legal right to challenge the move. He will now be presented in front of a New York court judge on Thursday.

BJP plans Savarkar portraits in schools

New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) The Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday staged a walk-out and announced to boycott the House proceedings after the Chairman yet again denied permission for a debate on Chinese transgressions in Arunachal Pradesh border.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called both -- the leaders of the House and Opposition -- at 1 p.m. to his chamber

At this, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that to discuss the same issue, the then minister Pranab Mukherjee had called BJP’s Kiren Rijuju to his chamber.

Amid heated exchanges, the Chair said that he will not allow the platform to be misused. He said he has enormous respect for all the members, “I would urge the LoP to go through every notice.”

Chairman Dhankar repeatedly requested Kharge to prevail on the members to take their seat.

Five days ago, a life-size portrait of Savarkar, who had written mercy petitions to the British from jail, was put up at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belgaum, 500km from Bangalore, where the winter session of the state legislature got underway on Monday.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

The Karnataka BJP government plans to install portraits of Hindutva icon V.D. Savarkar at all staterun schools after unveiling one at the winter Assembly in Belgaum recently.

“Mask

“As of now, the situation is not alarming and therefore there is no need to panic. Prevention is better than cure,” it added.

Telangana farmer’s son gambles away Rs 92 lakh

TN govt to take stringent action against quacks

Hyderabad, Dec 21 (IANS) A farmer lost Rs 92 lakh that he had received as compensation for the land acquired by the government as his son gambled away the money in an online casino. The shocking incident has come to light in Telangana’s Rangareddy district near Hyderabad.

The family of Srinivas Reddy has been literally reduced to penury after his younger son lost the entire money while playing online games on his mobile phone.

Srinivas Reddy’s 10 acres of land in Sitarampur of Shahbad mandal was recently acquired by the government for Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC). He received a compensation of Rs 1.05 crore at the rate of Rs 10.5 lakh per acre.

The couple’s younger Harshvardhan Reddy, a first year degree student at Hyderabad’s Nizam College, transferred the money from his father’s account to his account and told him that he would pay it to the land owner. The 19-year-old told the same to her mother and made her withdraw the money from her account.

The youngster, who had become addicted to playing online games, started putting in the money in installments on online casinos. In a few weeks, he lost the entire money. When his parents enquired about the money, he admitted to gambling it away. The couple and their elder son Sirpal Reddy, a B Tech student, were shell-shocked. Harshvardhan Reddy also reportedly borrowed Rs 7 lakh from some people in the village for gambling.

Srinivas Reddy has approached cybercrime police of the Cyberabad police commissionerate with a request to help them in getting back the money, which was the only source of support to the family.

Justice Elango new chief of Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission

Chennai: (IANS) The Tamil Nadu health department has decided to crackdown on quacks posing as doctors and treating gullible patients.

The decision came after a 22-year-old married woman, Jayasri, wife of K. Shanmugham died following excessive bleeding after consuming a medicine provided to her by a medical shop owner. The 22-year-old was twomonths pregnant and did not want her family to know of this.

The incident occurred at Panaikulam village in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu when Jayasri approached a medical shop owner, Selvaraj (46) to abort her pregnancy.

The incident occurred on December 15. The quack provided her with a pill and asked her to consume it. Soon after she suffered intense bleeding and was admitted at a private hospital.

When the situation worsened, the woman was shifted to the Government Medical college hospital on December

Twist in tale: Telangana girl marries ‘kidnapper’

16. However the woman passed away on December 19, at the Government medical college hospital.

The woman on Saturday while being admitted at the Medical college told doctors that she had consumed a pill from the medical store of Selvaraj.

On Sunday a team of Tamil Nadu health department officials led by Joint Director of Medical Services, Dr.Shanthi reached the premises of Selvaraj. The team found that the accused Selvaraj was running an illegal clinic at his pharmacy. An official also told IANS that the raid team from the Medical education department found that Selvaraj had stocked 21 different varieties of medicine at his clinic.

Chennai: (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday appointed former Madras High Court judge, Justice Raja Elango and advocate Kannadasan as members of the State Human Rights Commission. The decision was taken in the selection committee meeting, chaired by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin held at the Secretariat here. Assembly speaker, M. Appavu also participated in the meeting. Justice Elango had also served in the Andhra Pradesh High Court and later, the Telangana High Court. He was earlier the public prosecutor in Tamil Nadu. Advocate Kannadasan hails from Tamil Nadu’s Mayiladuthurai and has more than thirty years of experience of practice in civil, criminal, and human rights cases and is an expert in prisoner rights issues.

Hyderabad: (IANS) The kidnapping of a 18-year-old girl from Telangana’s Rajanna Sircilla district took a twist with the girl now releasing a video of her marriage with the boyfriend who “kidnapped” her.

Shamili stated that she was not kidnapped but at her request, her boyfriend Gnaneswar took her from home as her parents were trying to marry her off to some other man.

The video was released hours after the “kidnapping” in Moodepalle village of Chandurthi mandal. The video clip of

the incident had gone viral on social media and sent the police in a tizzy. The couple released a video and photographs of their marriage, performed at a temple. In the selfie video, Shamili said that they were in love for four years but her family did not approve of their relationship since he is Dalit.

She also revealed that they were married last year but since she was minor then, the wedding was not legal and her parents had filed a police case against Gnaneshwar.

Hyderabad: Over 1,500 government and local body schools across the State will soon become power centres with solar photovoltaic power plants being installed in the school premises. Apart from extending quality free education, these schools will promote green power usage.

The move by the State government to install solar PV power plants will not just reduce power bills of the schools but also help them in generating revenue. The excess solar power generated in the schools will be transferred to the power grid aiding in revenue generation.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

Over 1,500 govt schools in Telangana to soon become solar power centres

Solar panels coming up in 1,521 schools at the cost of Rs.32 crore in 12 districts will generate a total of 3,072 KW of power

The Tamil Nadu health department has decided to crackdown on quacks posing as doctors and treating gullible patients.

17-year-old Cherisha Chanda wins Miss Eco Teen Pageant

New Delhi: (IANSlife) The first Miss Eco Teen Pageant was won by Indian teenager Cherisha Chanda, who is 17 years old, making history. Beela Vu, Miss Eco Teen 2021 from Vietnam, gave her the crown. The world’s largest beauty contest, Miss Eco Teen, has its headquarters in Egypt. There are 25 participating nations in the competition. Cherisha Chanda, Miss Teen Diva 2021’s runner-up, was chosen to represent India in the Miss Eco Teen Pageant. The international pageant promotes environmental awareness and partners with the current champion in a number of environmental initiatives. The recipient is also given the opportunity to participate actively in UNEP.

For the contest, she donned outfits created by Presto Couture and Gaurav Gupta.She has been actively involved with ACT Now, a nongovernmental organisation that actively promotes environmental initiatives in more than 160 nations. She attends GD Goenka Public School in Gurugram and is a 12th grader. She is a science student who hopes to become a fashion icon in the future.

Braverman may cost UK PM losing next election: Former aide

Asserting that Suella Braverman should be sacked, an outgoing UK government aide has warned that keeping on the Home Secretary will result in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak losing the next election.

the Sunday Times.

“When you have your Home Secretary speaking the way she is speaking and being cheered, that is problematic, especially when you’re the first man of colour to be Prime Minister,” said Ali, who had moved to the UK from Somalia as a child refugee. Ali quit last week during a live radio broadcast, saying she was on a “completely different planet” from the Home Secretary when it comes to the rights of women and girls, “and also the way that we talk about ethnic minorities”.

London: (IANS) Asserting that Suella Braverman should be sacked, an outgoing UK government aide has warned that keeping on the Home Secretary will result in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak losing the next election.

Nimco Ali, who stepped down as government’s adviser on tackling violence against women last week, slammed the Indian-origin Minister’s “crazy rhetoric” on the issue of immigration, which is fuelling racism.

“She’s basically feeding into this Nigel Farage stuff ... and when you start to normalise these things it’s really hard to put it back in its box,” The Guardian reported quoting Ali’s interview with

Young Indian-Americans face

race

bias as early as preschool: Study

New York: (IANS) Young Indian-Americans, who are among more than 3.5 million South Asians living in the US, regularly face racial and ethnic discrimination as early as preschool, which influences the development of their identities, says a new study.

The second-generation Indian-American adolescents are “especially vulnerable to discrimination as they explore and form their identities”, according to the study by Texas A&M University School of Public Health.

The study surveyed nine Indian-Americans between the ages of 12-17 years who talked about their experiences with peers at school, who made discriminatory comments about Indian culture, language or religion.

The research team was led by Jamilia Blake, PhD, School of Public Health professor, Indian-American doctoral graduate Asha K. Unni, and colleagues from Texas A&M University and Davidson College.

Ali, who is a survivor of female genital mutilation and campaigns against the practice, said that seeing Braverman’s eyes “lighting up” while discussing deporting people from backgrounds not so different from her own.

Ali said Braverman’s “crazy rhetoric” on immigration left her no choice but to quit her advisory role, The Guardian reported.

“I don’t know why your ambition is to put people on a flight to Rwanda and get rid of human rights,” Ali said of Braverman.

“You are a woman of colour. I can understand when white ablebodied men say it, but you? Even talking about it now makes me anxious,” Ali, who was appointed in 2020 by former Home Secretary Priti Patel, said.

British Indian among experts to develop future tech in UK

London,: (IANS) A British Indian is among five leading industry experts who will be working to accelerate development and deployment of emerging technologies in key UK growth sectors.

An AI council member, Priya Lakhani OBE, has been appointed to support work to harness new digital technology, such as artificial intelligence, in five high potential sectors to create 21st century’s Silicon Valleys in the UK.

The five sectors include digital technology, green industries, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and the creative industries.

Lakhani and other experts will be working hand-in-hand with Chief Scientific Adviser and National Technology Adviser, Patrick Vallance to advise on new rules that use the UK’s regulatory freedom to promote innovation.

Indian American musician Karsh Kale for The Delicious Design Project

An eclectic digital art and music experience, The Delicious Design Project by Glenmorangie reimagines the technicolor visual and cultural nuances of India. The brand announced Indian-American musician Karsh Kale as its Wondermaker, who along with artist Nikunj Patel of Studio Moebius has re-imagined three distinct moments that are synonymous with India, but in the delicious and wondrous world of Glenmorangie.

Share with us your vision for the Delicious Design Project. What can we expect?

Kale: Well, the idea was to create a piece encompassing a modern and traditional look at contemporary India through a fun technicolour lens.

Why is this collaboration with Glenmorangie special and what synergies of the brand compliment yourself?

Kale: The brand was great to work with because it gave both Nikunj and me a lot of respect for our processes as artists in order to arrive at something we were all happy with. Your music is very generational and appeals to Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z why do you feel this is?

Kale: I don’t really have a formula for that but I do believe people like to hear music that addresses the complexity of our modern identities.

What is your music philosophy?

Kale: Be honest, and tell good stories. How does it feel to be Glenmorangie’s first-ever ‘Wondermaker’ and describe your journey thus far?

Kale: It’s been an honor to be a part of this campaign and to be the first wonder maker for India.

What can we expect at the launch?

Kale: Lots of colors, delicious design, and good music come together into one presentation.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak | Suella Braverman

Taliban suspends university education for Afghan women

US Ambassador Robert Wood said: “The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all Afghans... Especially the human rights and fundamental freedom of women and girls.”

Kabul, Dec 21 (IANS) The Talibanled government in Afghanistan has announced the suspension of university education for female students all across the war-torn nation, the latest in a series of restrictions against women rights.

A letter issued by the regime’s Education Ministry on Tuesday said the decision, which will further restrict women’s access to formal education, was taken at a cabinet meeting and the order will go into effect immediately, reports CNN.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Higher Education said that the suspension will remain until further notice. The latest development comes after thousands of girls and women appeared for university entrance exams across Afghanistan three months ago, reports the BBC. But sweeping restrictions were imposed on the subjects they could study, with veterinary science, engineering, economics and agriculture off limits and journalism severely restricted.

After the country fell to the Taliban in August 2021, universities introduced gender segregated classrooms and entrances.

Female students could only be taught by women professors or old men. Responding to the latest ban, a female university student told the BBC she thought the Taliban were scared of women and their power.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Washington condemns “the Taliban’s indefensible decision to ban women from universities”.

The move will “have significant consequences for the Taliban and will further alienate the Taliban from the international community and deny them the legitimacy they desire”, he said.

“With the implementation of this decree, half of the Afghan population will soon be unable to access education beyond primary school,” he said.

Speaking at the UN Security Council, US Ambassador Robert Wood said: “The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all Afghans... Especially the human rights and fundamental freedom of women and girls.”

Indian-American Convicted In $463 Mn Healthcare Fraud

New York, Dec 15 (IANS) An Indian-American lab owner has been convicted for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting over $463 million in genetic and other laboratory tests that patients did not need.

According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial on Wednesday, Atlanta-based Minal Patel, 44, owned LabSolutions LLC — a lab enrolled with Medicare that performed sophisticated genetic tests. From July 2016 to August 2019, LabSolutions submitted more than $463 million in claims to Medicare, including for medically unnecessary genetic tests, of which Medicare paid over $187 million, according to the US Department of Justice.

The federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted Patel of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud, three counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the US and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks.

In that timeframe, Patel personally received over $21 million in Medicare proceeds.

He conspired with patient brokers, telemedicine companies, and call centres to target Medicare beneficiaries with telemarketing calls falsely stating that Medicare covered

expensive cancer genetic tests. After the Medicare beneficiaries agreed to take a test, Patel paid kickbacks and bribes to patient brokers to obtain signed doctors’ orders authorising the tests from telemedicine companies, a Department of Justice statement noted. To conceal the kickbacks, Patel required patient brokers to sign contracts that falsely stated that they were performing legitimate advertising services for LabSolutions. The telemedicine doctors approved the expensive testing even though they were not treating the beneficiaries and often did not even speak with them, the statement said.

The federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted Patel of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud, three counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the US and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks.

He was also convicted of four counts of paying illegal health care kickbacks, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Patel is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, next year, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the first conspiracy count, 10 years on each health care fraud count, five years on the second conspiracy count, 10 years on each kickback count, and 20 years on the third conspiracy count.

China Aggression Another Reason To Strengthen India-US Ties: US Lawmakers

have worked for years to deepen the US-India bilateral relationship. The India Caucus built on this progress by including the Khanna-ShermanSchweikert amendment in the Housepassed FY23 NDAA, highlighting the immediate and serious regional border threats that India faces from China,” said the statement.

This event marks yet another threat of China to Indian territory, including China’s premeditated aggression on LAC in 2020 which saw the death of 20 Indian troops, said the US lawmakers.

Washington: The latest Chinese aggression against India is yet another reminder of strong India-US ties, top American lawmakers have said. “China’s most recent aggression in Arunachal Pradesh is yet another reminder of why a strong security partnership with India is crucial to the national security of the United States and our allies,” India

Caucus Co-Chairs said in a statement. “This event marks yet another threat of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the Indian territory, including China’s premeditated aggression on the Line of Actual Control in 2020 which saw the death of approximately 20 Indian troops,” the co-chairs said. “As co-chairs of the India Caucus, we

The co-chairs applauded the inclusion of Section 1260 in the FY23 Final Conference Report to strengthen military cooperation in critical areas like intelligence gathering, fifthgeneration aircraft, and emerging technologies to deter China’s aggression and encroachment in the Indo-Pacific region. “The US and India share a unique bond as the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy, and as co-chairs of the Caucus we will continue to grow our security engagement and bilateral ties,” said the statement. The Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a fresh clash in Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9, in first such major flare-up after the deadly hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

Coronavirus: China’s hospitals seem to be filling up - WHO

Dr Michael Ryan says intensive care units (ICU) are busy despite officials saying numbers are “relatively low”.

China figures show no-one died of Covid on Wednesday but there is scepticism about the disease’s real impact.

In recent days hospitals in Beijing and other cities have been filling up as the latest Covid surge hits China.

Since 2020, China has imposed strict health restrictions as part of its zero Covid policy.

But, the government ended most of those measures two weeks ago after landmark protests against the strict controls.

The number of cases has since soared, raising fears of a high mortality rate among the elderly, who are particularly vulnerable.

It has led to WHO emergencies chief Dr Ryan urging China to provide more

Zero Covid holds danger for China’s Xi

Hospitals in China appear to be filling up amid concerns about a fresh Covid-19 wave hitting the country, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

information about the latest spread of the virus.

He said: “In China, what’s been reported is relatively low numbers of cases in ICUs, but anecdotally ICUs are filling up.

China Covid: ‘Everyone I know is getting a fever’

measures.”

Speaking during a weekly news conference in Geneva WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he is “very concerned over the evolving situation in China”.

He appealed for specific data on disease severity, hospital admissions and intensive care requirements.

Dr Ryan added that “vaccination is the exit strategy” to coronavirus outbreaks. China has developed and produced its own vaccines, which have been shown to be less effective at protecting people against serious Covid illness and death than the mRNA vaccines used in much of the rest of the world.

His comments come as the German government announced on Wednesday it had sent its first batch of BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines to China.

Despite the rise, the official figures show only five people died from Covid on Tuesday and two on Monday.

China’s vaccine rates are still too low

So-called zero Covid measures involve mass testing, tracking and strict isolation. Just a handful of cases can spark a citywide lockdown.

Beijing has had only a few infections recently but its more than 21 million residents are required to queue for PCR tests every three days to access public buildings and even corner shops. When a Covid case is confirmed, a whole suburb can be swiftly cordoned off. It’s been especially hard for businesses - shops, bars and restaurants can be seen pulling down shutters for good.

Everyone in China is living under a cloud of uncertainty. It’s difficult to make plans, and it makes one wonder how much longer people will put up with this. If the Party is not worried about all this, it should be. It’s not hard to imagine riots in Shanghai if residents were to be confined to their homes again. Yet, China has shown no signs of shifting its Covid approach. The world is looking on and asking why.

A sudden lifting of many of China’s Covid restrictions has caused nationwide outbreaks - as well as confusion and anger on social media.

Amid a severe shortage of rapid test kits, several provinces like Zhejiang and Anhui, as well as Chongqing, are implementing a new policy that allows people with mild symptoms or no symptoms to go back to work.

On Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, the hashtag related to this announcement has been read 33 million times since Monday. There is shock and fury.

“There has been no preparation in the past three years, and all of a sudden the restrictions are lifted and you are allowed to go to work while ill - our lives are worthless like ants,” a comment with 200 likes reads.

“Just several months ago, people would get arrested for going to work while testing positive,” reads another comment with almost 1,000 likes.

Even some overseas Chinese who returned to the country after a recent shortening of the hotel quarantine period are surprised to find out how fast the virus is spreading.

“I had never had Covid in the past few years while living abroad, but got it several days after came back… Everyone I know is getting Covid and having a fever - so if you can stay out of the country recently, don’t come back,” one user on another popular social media platform Xiaohongshu wrote.

In the past two weeks, the Chinese internet has been flooded with posts of how people were pulling through after contracting the virus.

Videos have circulated in Chinese media of young children with no symptoms bringing food and water to their unwell parents.

Some have shown the creative ways they navigate social-distancing while in the same household to avoid infecting relatives.

It’s not clear why China dropped the ball on vaccination rates, which are still seen as too low for the country to safely reopen. Officials fear that a widespread outbreak could overwhelm hospitals and cause many deaths.

There’s been a belated move to ramp up vaccine rates - 89% of people have had two shots, but only 56% of those eligible have received a booster, according to official data.

A few months ago, the situation was much worse.

It’s been especially worrying among the elderly. In Hong Kong, a huge proportion of those who’ve died have been older and unvaccinated.

During the Shanghai outbreak in April, city officials said that only 38% of those over 60 had received three shots, and only 15% of those over 80 had got the first two jabs.

Across the country, only 19.7% of those over 80 have had a booster.

“We’ve been saying this for weeks that this highly infectious virus was always going to be very hard to stop completely, with just public health and social

China Covid Surges, Vaccine Maker Adar Poonawalla says “Needn’t Panic”

New Delhi: Raising concern on the rising COVID-19 cases in neighbouring China, Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Wednesday asked the people not to panic because of India’s “excellent vaccination coverage and track record”.

He, also at the same time, urged the people to adhere to the guidelines set by the Government of India and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. “The news of rising COVID cases coming out of China is concerning, we need not panic given our excellent vaccination coverage and track record. We must continue to trust and follow the guidelines set by the Government of India and @MoHFW_INDIA,” tweeted Adar Poonawala.

Adar Poonawalla is the CEO of Serum Institute of India which manufactures Covishield COVID-19 vaccine.

Indian American Dunkin Donut Outlet Owner Died in NY House Fire

Mask Up In Crowded Places, Centre Advises Amid China Covid Surge

New Delhi: The centre today advised people to mask up in crowded areas and decided to hold weekly meetings to monitor the country’s Covid situation after alarming reports from China prompted a high-level meeting to chalk out the strategy to prevent a surge here.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a meeting with top officials and experts on the Covid situation in the country. After the meeting, the minister tweeted, “COVID is not over yet. I have directed all concerned to be alert and strengthen surveillance. We are prepared to manage any situation.”

VK Paul, a member of NITI Aayog who heads the national task force on Covid, has said there is no need to panic, and that adequate tests are being conducted. He advised people to wear

Territories.

masks in crowded areas. Mr Paul said there is no change in the guidelines for international air travel yet. Earlier, sources said discussions in the review meeting would be held primarily on six key points. These include a

strategy to block incoming cases at the international and domestic airports, laying down guidelines for passengers travelling from abroad, and consultation with experts on the new variant of Covid. Indian travellers returning from abroad, the Covid strains currently in the country and prevention protocols for the upcoming New Year celebrations would also be discussed, the sources said. The government has said samples of all Covid positive cases should be sent daily to INSACOG genome sequencing labs mapped with all states and Union Territories. INSACOG is a forum under the Health Ministry to study and monitor various strains of Covid in India. “Such an exercise will enable timely detection of newer variants, if any, circulating in the country and will facilitate undertaking of requisite public health measures for the same,” Mr Bhushan wrote.

China Covid: Five deaths under country’s new counting method

China has outlined the way it counts Covid-19 deaths amid scepticism about the real impact of the disease.

It says the figure includes only those who die from respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia.

Officially, there were only five Covid deaths on Tuesday, two on Monday - and none in the previous two weeks.

The counting method goes against World Health Organization (WHO) guidance - resulting in a figure that is way below the death toll in many other countries.

The WHO says countries use different processes to test and report Covid-19 deaths making comparisons between nations difficult.

Ensure Covid Rules Followed Or Suspend Yatra: Minister To Rahul Gandhi

After a fire broke out at Dix Hill Cottage in Long Island, NY, a 32-year old Indian American woman died on the spot. Tanya Bathija, was with her dog inside the cottage when the incident happened. Bathija had opened a Dunkin Donuts outlet in Bellport, Long Island recently. She lived in a cottage behind her parents’ house. The shocking incident took place in the night and in the morning when Bathija’s father woke up for his morning exercise he noticed the smoke and immediately alerted 911. However Tanya had already died on the spot.

New Delhi: The Union Health Minister has written to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to ensure Covid rules are followed in his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, or he should suspend it “in the national interest”.

In its clapback, the Congress has cited PM Narendra Modi’s recent poll campaign in Gujarat. “The BJP is

scared of the yatra as Rahul Gandhi is getting a huge response and is all over social media,” said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s letter refers to three Rajasthan BJP MPs having written to him and “expressed concern” over rising cases of Covid across the world over the past few days.

resign as Twitter CEO’

Twitter’s new owner billionaire Elon Musk said he will resign as the social media company’s chief executive as soon as he finds “someone foolish enough to take the job,” two days after users voted for him to quit in a poll he ran online.

The 51-year-old billionaire promised earlier to abide by the result of a Twitter poll which saw 57.5 per cent of users vote “yes” to him quitting the role.

“I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job. After that, I will just run the software and servers teams,” Musk tweeted on Tuesday. Musk added the tweet to his earlier post on Sunday in which he had asked in an online poll if he should step down as head of Twitter.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

Tanya Bathija

The government has said samples of all Covid positive cases should be sent daily to genome sequencing labs mapped with all states and Union

‘Will

Covid surges in China, global experts anxious

Officials and global health experts outside China are anxiously watching a COVID-19 surge there, worried a nation of 1.4 billion people is inadequately vaccinated and may not have the healthcare tools to treat a wave of illness expected to kill more than one million people through 2023.

Some U.S. and European officials are struggling to figure out how, or if, they can help mitigate a crisis they fear will hurt the global economy, further constrain corporate supply chains and spawn new coronavirus variants of concern.

“We have made that point that we are prepared to help in any way they might find acceptable,” U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.

Advance preparation of the healthcare system, accurate and shared data collection, and open communication are all important to battling mass coronavirus infections, say health experts from countries outside China who struggled through their own COVID waves.

“Not Even A Dog Of BJP...”: Row Over Congress Chief’s Remark, He’s Defiant

New Delhi: A huge row erupted in parliament today as the ruling BJP demanded an apology from the Congress over controversial comments by its chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

Mr Kharge made the comments yesterday while hitting back at the BJP for mocking Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as “Bharat todo (Divide India)”.

At a rally in Rajasthan’s Alwar, the Congress president said the Grand Old Party “won independence for the country”, and its leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives.

“Has even your dog at home died for the country? Still, they (BJP) claim to be patriots and if we say something we are termed as deshdrohi (anti-nationals).”

Mr Kharge also slammed the government for not allowing a discussion in parliament on the border clash with China, saying: “They (BJP government) talk like a lion outwardly, but if you see they act like a mouse.”

Stung by the comments, the BJP raised strident calls for an apology as soon as the day began in parliament. “We condemn Mallikarjun Kharge’s comments, the way

AAP ‘fined ‘Rs 97cr for political ads

Mr Kharge doubled down on his comments and said:

he used offensive language and tried to spread a lie. He should apologise for using offensive language in Alwar,” said Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in Rajya Sabha.

As the demand triggered chaos in the

Governor Has No Such Power”: AAP

House,

“The country’s 135 crore people are watching us. It is possible that someone got carried away and said something outside… You are not children,” he said.

Piyush Goyal shot back: “I think they (Congress) don’t remember your history. They don’t remember the condition that Jammu and Kashmir was in because of the Congress, the threat of Pakistan, China’s occupation, the insult of BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel…”

LPG cylinders at Rs 500 to BPL families: Gehlot

Jaipur, Dec 19 (IANS)

“China

Covid Outbreak Toll Of Concern To Rest of The

World”: US

The US is concerned China’s runaway Covid-19 outbreak might spawn new mutations of the virus, as the world’s most populous country continues to grapple with the impact of loosening “Covid Zero” protocols that had kept the pandemic at bay.

“When it comes to the current outbreak in China, we want to see this addressed,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a briefing on Monday. “We know that anytime the virus is spreading in the wild that it has the potential to mutate and to pose a threat to people everywhere.”

A spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about Price’s remarks.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has directed the chief secretary to recover Rs 97 crore from the Aam Aadmi Party for political advertisements it published in the guise of government advertisements, official sources said on Tuesday. Identifying specific advertisements published by the government which were in “stark violation of guidelines”, a Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising had in 2016 directed the Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) to quantify the amounts spent by it in such advertisements and recover the same from the ruling AAP, they added.

The DIP quantified that Rs 97,14,69,137 had been spent or booked on account of “non-conforming advertisements”.

New Delhi: Days after the AAP ran a successful poll campaign for Delhi’s civic body, the Lieutenant Governor has ordered that the party pay ₹ 97 crore for state government ads that had allegedly been used for the party’s promotion five years ago. The AAP has said the Lieutenant Governor has no power to issue such orders — calling it “a new love letter”. the AAP, which holds power in the Delhi assembly since 2015, ended the 15-year reign of the BJP in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday announced providing LPG cylinders at Rs 500 to the families in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.

Gehlot said this while addressing a gathering during the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) -- which reached Rajasthan’s Alwar district on Monday, in the presence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is leading the BJY.

“People coming under BPL and Ujjwala scheme in Rajasthan will get LPG cylinder for Rs 500 from April 1. Domestic cooking gas cylinders worth Rs 1,050 will be given to the people in this category for Rs 500,” he said.

US doesn’t want war of words between India, Pak: State Dept spokesman

New York, Dec 20 (IANS) While commenting on Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Zardari-Bhutto’s vicious attacks on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington does not want a “war of words” between New Delhi and Islamabad, but constructive dialogue

“The fact that we have partnerships with both countries makes us, of course, leaves us, not wanting to see a war

of words between India and Pakistan,” Price said on Monday at his briefing in Washington.

“We would like to see constructive dialogue

between India and Pakistan (and) we think that is for the betterment of the Pakistani people, for the Indian people.”

He said that “there are differences that, of course, need to be addressed between India and Pakistan” and “the US stands ready to assist as a partner to both”.

Asserting that the issues between the two neighbours are bilateral issues with no scope for a third-party involvement, India has rejected previous offers by US administrations -- most recently by former President Donald Trump -- to facilitate talks or to mediate.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

“Lt

“Those who fought for the country’s independence - you are asking them to apologise?”

Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the comment was made outside parliament.

Rohit Shetty hasn’t taken

a

holiday in 5 years

Director-producer Rohit Shetty revealed that he has not taken a holiday for five years and he also shared how the “CID” actress Ashwini Kalsekar helped as a Marathi dialect coach in the film “Simmba”.

“My family usually goes on vacations, but I don’t get time due to my tight schedule,” he said. “But for me, my team is my family. I spend most of my time with them and I have no regrets. And I believe that if someone is not happy returning from a vacation and thinks that he has to go to work while on the flight, then that is a waste,” the ace director added. “When you start enjoying your days at work, for instance, I woke up and I knew that I was coming on ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ and it is going to be so much fun, you don’t feel the need for a vacation because your work seems like one,” Shetty said.

People don’t have food but can outrage about someone else’s clothes

Amid Pathaan row, Ratna Pathak Shah

Ratna Pathak Shah is waiting for the day when hate will eventually exhaust people, so that they can finally turn towards hope. In the current socio-political climate, and at a time when the Hindi film industry routinely faces hate, the veteran actor is optimistic that times will change.

Recently, the song “Besharam Rang” from Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer Pathaan ran into a controversy after BJP ministers and right-wing outfits claimed the track insulted the saffron colour, “which is holy for the Hindu community.”

Ahead of the release of her debut Gujarati film Kutch Express, scheduled to release on January 6, Ratna Pathak Shah told indianexpress.com about the irony the country is going through: People don’t have food on their plates but can outrage about clothes someone else is wearing.

When asked what does it feel like to be an artiste at a time when what one says or the colour of a dress they wear becomes a national topic, Ratna said, “I would say we are living in very silly times, if these are the things that are on top of your mind. It isn’t something that I would like to talk about very much or give much credence to.

Nora Fatehi performs at FIFA World Cup

closing ceremony

The nail-biting 2022 FIFA World Cup final saw Argentina take home the trophy, after winning the penalty shoot-out 4-2 against France. The win, which comes after 36 years, left football fans quite jubilant. A section of the audience also found joy and pride in seeing Nora Fatehi hit the stage at the closing ceremony of the tournament. The actor sang the FIFA anthem “Light The Sky” and also danced along with the other performers — Balqees (Emirati singer), Manal (Moroccan pop singer-songwriter), Rahma Riad (Iraqi singer).

Dressed in a short black dress that she teamed with stockings, Nora looked gorgeous as she entered the field crooning the song. She also showed off her dance moves as the crowd cheered for her.

As Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat readies for release, Alaya recounts how Kashyap signed her on when she was facing constant rejections

Those who have worked with Anurag Kashyap will tell you how the filmmaker serves as a source of inspiration to them. It’s no different for Alaya F. For the actor who features in the upcoming Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat, Kashyap is God-sent — one who showed faith in her when nobody in the industry did. “Almost Pyaar was the first film I signed, even before my debut vehicle, Jawaani Jaaneman [2020]. At the time, I was facing back-toback rejections. People would praise [my reel], but I would never hear back from them. This confused me about the industry, and made me doubt myself. But when I showed my reel to Anurag sir, he said, ‘I have a film that’s perfect for you.’ There was no more discussion; he offered me the film,” recounts Alaya.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Box Office: Film emerges second-biggest opener among Hollywood films

The much-awaited sequel to the 2009 Hollywood blockbuster has performed beyond expectations on day one. According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ has opened to record numbers of over 41 crore INR across India. Taking to Twitter, the film critic wrote, “#Avatar is FANTABULOUS on Day 1... #South markets go on an OVERDRIVE, HISTORIC NUMBERS... #North ranges from VERY GOOD to EXCELLENT... Has scope to grow in mass pockets... Fri Rs 41 cr+ Nett BOC”.

“final numbers could be higher/lower,” he added.

In another tweet, Adarsh noted that the blockbuster Hollywood sequel has opened to the second-highest numbers among all Hollywood films released in India so far on its first day.

The film’s 41+ crore INR opening puts it over films like ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’. It just trails behind the 2019 blockbuster ‘Avengers: Endgame’.’Avatar: The Way of Water’ stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Kate Winslet.20th Century Studios released the movie in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam on December 16, 2022.As per Deadline, behind the scenes, reports have claimed that the production budget alone for the film has reached USD 250 million.

Alaya F: My career changed after meeting Anurag sir

‘Having Gulzar’s name attached to my film was on my bucket list’

It’s a dream come true for actor Arjun Kapoor as legendary lyricist Gulzaar has penned the lyrics for songs in his upcoming film ‘Kuttey’. The actor said it was in his bucket list to have his name attached to his movie.

In the trailer launch of ‘Kuttey’, Arjun said: “’Kuttey’ is a big tick mark for me because I got to work with so many unbelievable talents. It was in my bucket list to have Gulzar sahab’s name attached to my film. ‘Kuttey’ is the fruition of ten years of my journey’.”

‘Kuttey’ is touted to be a dark comedy that also has other outstanding actors like

Another feat for Shah Rukh Khan

Konkona Sen Sharma, Kumud Mishra and Radhika Madan in it.

The film has been directed by debutant Aasmaan Bhardwaj, who is ace film-maker Vishal Bhardwaj’s son.

Arjun is seen playing the role of a cop in the film. ‘Kuttey’ is set to release in cinemas on January 13, 2023.

Jeeva: Dad and I didn’t see eye-to-eye on launch

Justin Bieber nears $200 million deal to sell music rights

Pop star Justin Bieber is nearing a deal worth about $200 million to sell his music rights to Blackstone Inc-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The potential deal includes the Canadian artist’s interest in both his publishing and recorded music catalog, according to the report.

Hipgnosis buys song catalogs from artists and earns revenue when their music is streamed online or used in movies or advertising.

Bieber rose to fame when he was 13 years old following the success of his song “Baby”.

Oscars 2023 Shortlists: SS Rajamouli’s RRR advances in only one category

Shah Rukh Khan has become the only Indian to be named in an international list of 50 greatest actors of all time by a prominent British magazine, Empire. He shared space with Hollywood bigwigs like Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Kate Winslet, Anthony Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, and Jack Nicholson, among others. The publication listed Khan’s work in films like Devdas, My Name is Khan, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Swades, while highlighting his notable contributions to cinema. The magazine further stated, “[He] has a career that has now spanned four decades of near unbroken hits, and a fanbase of pretty much billions. You don’t do that without outrageous amounts of charisma.”

Playing a supporting role in a movie doesn’t align with the idea of the grand debut that star kids usually get. But Jeeva, son of yesteryear villain Ranjeet, wouldn’t have it any other way. He made his acting debut with Vicky Kaushal-led Govinda Naam Mera, which sees him play the character of Six-Pack Sandy. Jeeva admits that like every protective father, Ranjeet too wanted to give his son a big launch. “My father always wanted to carve that path [for me], but we didn’t see eye-to-eye on it. The best gift that my parents have given me is the opportunity to fail. I cannot disregard the privileges that I have today. I don’t have to worry about food, rent, or the shirt on my back. So, the least I could do is figure out the rest on my own,” says the actor.

Breaking into Bollywood is easier said than done. It was after years of auditions and rejections that he bagged Shashank Khaitan’s crime comedy. “This film didn’t happen overnight.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday announced the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming Oscars. Despite an intensive campaign, director SS Rajamouli’s RRR managed to advance in only one category, Music (Original Song), for the song “Naatu Naatu”. The film had been submitted for consideration in several categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Visual Effects, among others. It should be noted that while RRR failed to feature in any other list barring Original Song, it still has a chance to bag nominations in the other major categories, including Best Picture and Best Director. This would be a first for an Indian film.

Vidya Balan is Usha Uthup’s choice for her biopic

Singer Usha Uthup recently performed at an event in Mumbai that dazzled media representatives. During the course of the joyous performance, Usha Uthup engaged in a hearty conversation with the audience. She playfully asked for suggestions on who would best suit to play her in her biopic, to which the audience unanimously replied with Vidya Balan.

At a celebratory event in Mumbai recently, Ushu Uthup treated the audience with a rambunctious musical night, and in true Uthup style engaged in conversation with the audience. During one such conversation, she light-heartedly asked for suggestions amongst Bollywood actors who could essay her role, to which the majority was inclined towards Vidya Balan. A source at the event shared, “It was a fun night with great music sung live by Usha Uthup, who is so widely regarded for her distinct style and illustrious career. It would be interesting to witness a biographical documentation of her life.

While yesteryear villain-father Ranjeet wanted to launch him in a grand manner, Jeeva on how he chose to debut with supporting role in Govinda Naam Mera

Geeta Jayanti And Birthday Celebrations By Indian Seniors Of Chicago

HiIndia Newsdesk

CHICAGO, IL- The General Meeting of the Indian Seniors of Chicago was held on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 11:30 am at Manav Seva Mandir about 250 members were in attendance. The entire program was managed successfully by Mr. Navin Patel, member of the Executive Committee.

Event begin with Ganesha Stuti and Sarva Dharma Prathana by Shri Bhupendra Suthar, Geeta Suthar, Panna Shah and Nayanaben Darji sang Ganesha Stuti and Sarva Dharma Prarthana. Then all the members recited Hanuman Chalisa. Mr. Chittaranjan Desai presented the income-expenditure account for the month of November and announced the names of individuals and organizations who had donated to the organization. After that Shri Pravinbhai Seth spoke at length about Gita Jayanti.

Jayashriben Seth sang a beautiful song about Swadhyaya.

Shri Bhupendra Suthar requested the

Theives Use Social Media To Rob Victims In Chicago

members whose birthday falls in the month of December to come forward.

Chief guest Dr. Narsinhbhai Patel gave Birthday Greeting cards to members. Then the entertainment program by the members was started by Mr. Navin Patel. He announced the names of the participating members one by one. Bhajan, Gujarati and Hindi movie songs presented by Hemaben Ranaa, Arvind Modi, Ashwin Desai, Deepesh Modi, Mrs. Nalini Shah, Jayantibhai Ojha, Rohini Dekhtawala, Hirabhai Patel, Jashwant Sheth and Bhadraben Shah. The musical group members who

NJ Restaurant Owner Arrested For Ignoring Court Orders

by the members by presenting them with certificate of excellence and a gift amount. Sanjay Patel, Jagurti Patel, Mihir Acharya and Manjari Acharya of Zhankar Beads Group were invited to today’s program. On request by members Mihir Acharya sang many movie songs and entertained members. Members were requested to participate in various national hero look alike dress up and the program of flag salutation and march past on Saturday, January 14, 2023.

At the end, after reciting a verse, everyone took a delicious meal.

Smoke Shop Robbed At Gunpoint In NY

CHICAGO, IL – Chicago police warn residents of recent scams in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.

There have been at least four armed robberies in less than a month. Police say in each incident the victims showed up to the location to buy a cellphone that was advertised as for sale on social media.

When the victims arrived a man robbed them of their money and cellphones at gunpoint.

Police say the offender was offender as a Black man, age 20-25, who wore dark clothing.

NEW YORK, NY – The U.S. Marshals Service arrested a NJ restaurant owner Samad Uddin, also known as Saman Khan, of Manhattan Halal Gyro King LLC, has been arrested for their failure to provide the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division with information requested.

An administrative subpoena was issued in December 2020, but the employer again did not supply documents and

testimony. A court order in March 2022, increased fines to $1,000 a day, sought payment of existing $63,000 fines and again demanded that Uddin comply with the administrative subpoena with a warning that arrest by federal authorities was possible. Incorporated in 2018, Manhattan Halal Gyro King LLC is based in Wyckoff, and operates three restaurants in Bergen County, offering dine-in, delivery and catering services.

CHELSEA, NY — A Chelsea smoke shop was robbed at gunpoint at the beginning of December, police said on Sunday.

Two people walked into a store at 304 Eighth Ave., between West 25th and 26th streets, about 7:05 p.m. on Dec. 1, police said.

Once inside, one of the men took out a gun and removed $3,500 worth of store products, police said.

Both people then took off running into the 28th Street and Seventh Avenue subway station, police said.

There were no injuries, NYPD said.

The Chelsea address is home to the People’s Food Market, which advertises beer, cigars, candy, snacks, organic food, and products on its storefront. The store opened in 2021.

Indian American In Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 List

CHICAGO,IL- Sridevi Krothapalli is among the ’21 revolutionary youth who have gone against the odds, making positive changes and spreading joy while they do it. The Indo-American is a physics pro and she makes it to the list of changemakers, influencers, activists, and artists who have made a commendable impact in the world.

Sridevi, 17, is already way ahead in her thoughts in terms of science and arts.

Her Linkedin profile says she is a senior at Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy who is deeply interested in substance

abuse, endocrinology, and astrophysics.

She was selected to attend the Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of women in physics hosted by the Stanford Physics Department and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology.

Sridevi wants to make scientific discoveries that would make a difference in the world. Incidentally, she is also the president of a student-led non-profit Kahani, which distributed colorful magazines to kids in hospitals to inspire creativity in them.

Sponsors of this event honored with buckeye of flowers by Hirabhai Patel (Photos by Jayanti Oza)

presented annual program of the Indian Seniors of Chicago were appreciated

Samad Uddin -- also known as Saman Khan -- owner of Manhattan Halal Gyro King (Facebook photo)

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

Sridevi Krothapalli

Biden Administration Offers Free COVID Tests To All U.S. Households

New Jersey health officials reported another 1,891 COVID-19 cases recently and 22 confirmed deaths as positive tests are on the rise.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Biden administration is again making some free COVID-19 tests available to all U.S. households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter.

After a three-month hiatus, the administration is making four rapid virus tests available through covidtests. gov starting Thursday, a senior administration official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the program. COVID-19 cases have shown a marked increase after the Thanksgiving holiday, and further increases are projected from indoor gathering and travel around Christmas and New Year’s.

The administration is putting personnel and equipment on standby should they be needed to help overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes, as was necessary in earlier waves of the virus. So far, there have been no requests for assistance, but surge teams, ventilators and personal protective equipment are ready, the official said.

The Biden administration is also urging states and local governments to do more to encourage people to get the updated bivalent COVID-19

vaccines, which scientists say are more effective at protecting against serious illness and death from the currently circulating variants. The administration is reiterating best practices to nursing homes and long-term care facilities for virus prevention and treatment and is urging administrators as well as governments to encourage vulnerable populations to get the new shots. The planning comes as the administration has struggled to persuade most Americans to get the

Indian Artist Launches Immersive Exhibit At Houston Airport

updated boosters as cases and deaths have declined from pandemic highs and most people have embraced a return to most of their pre-pandemic activities. The official said funding for the new tests has been reallocated from other virus programs while the White House struggles to get congressional buy-in for additional COVID-19 emergency funding. The official declined to detail how much is being spent on the new tests or from which programs they were diverted.

Irvine Mayor Sworn In For Second Term

HOUSTON, TX- If you are at the George Bush International Airport in Houston, Texas, do not miss the 240-feet-long Aquarius Art Tunnel, connecting Terminals D and E. The brainchild of Indian American contemporary artist Janavi Mahimtura Folmsbee the brightly colored murals fill the walls from floor to ceiling.

The tunnel showcases species of fish, coral, sharks, dolphins, barracudas, lobsters, manta rays, and, even, oil rigs, among many other creatures that call the oceans their home. The floor of the tunnel is a coral carpet, inspired by the artist’s deep-sea dives at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary off the Texas coast. Last week, The United Nations Decades

of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UNESCO) endorsed the Aquarius Art Tunnel as a site for its scientific and educational purposes. Consul General of India in Houston, The Honorable Aseem R. Mahajan, pointed out the commonalities in culture and values between India and the U.S. and how Texas is now home to the second largest Indian community in the country. “Janavi’s work is very vibrant, and as people walk through the tunnel, it will be a shining symbol of the India-U.S. partnership,” he said.

The tunnel also has a special significance for Mahimtura Folmsbee; it is where she, and countless others, take the flight home to India. “I hope to create a bridge between science and art,” she said.

IRVINE, CA- Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan was sworn into a second term during a ceremony at City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 13, along with newly elected Councilmember Kathleen Treseder and longtime Councilmember Larry Agran. Khan was first elected as mayor in 2020, after serving a two-year stint on the City Council, where she was the first Muslim and the first woman of color to be elected. Among her top priorities are affordable housing and the launch of Irvine’s transit vision pilot program. The program is a study commissioned by the city to look at options to address traffic and other community transportation needs.

Khan grew up in Northern California and began her career in biotech and innovation industry as a regulatory manager focusing on streamlining complex productss and international research.

FBI, BIA Sign Agreement To Improve Law Enforcement In Indian Country

WASHINGTON, DC- At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced that the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) signed an agreement to provide for efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country.

“This agreement is a crucial step to advancing public safety for American Indian and Alaska Native communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with the Department of the Interior to investigate Indian Country crimes, including reports of missing or murdered Indigenous people, quickly, effectively and respectfully. We are grateful to the

Tribes that provided input into this new policy.” communities. This partnership will further support our efforts to keep Native people safe in their homes and communities.”

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

This agreement is a crucial step to advancing public safety for American Indian and Alaska Native communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.

Mayor Farrah Khan

Shri Thanedar Became 1st Indian-American To Win Michigan Midterm Election

HiIndia Newsdesk

NEW YORK, NY- FIA (Federation of Indian Associations) New England chapter organized a virtual welcoming meet to congratulate a newly elected Indian-American US congressional representative Shri. Thanedar from Michigan on December 17, 2022.

Dr. Varun Jeph, Deputy Consul General of India, New York, welcomed warmly Shri. Thanedar and said that he is an entrepreneur-turned-politician. Democrat Shri Thanedar became the first Indian American from the state of Michigan and the fourth elected Indian-American to the US House of Representatives.

He further said that India would like collaborate with USA in key areas of partnership such as education and knowledge exchange, health, trade, philanthropy, and defense and we appreciate your passion and

Candy Wrapped Cocaine Seizure

contributions to these areas as well.

He proudly said that Mr. Thanedar’s life and his win are inspirational, as they represents an exemplary ragsto-riches story – a lower middleclass student who arrived in the US in the 70s with just USD 20 and now he is a

multimillionaire- turned-politician. Well-known Indian-American community leaders, doctors, IT professionals, professors, businesspersons, and philanthropists from the New England region welcomed Shri. Thanedar and congratulated him for his grand win. They also wished him good luck for all his future endeavors. Mr. Thanedar shared his humble background with all the audiences. After losing his father, Shri Thanedar worked as a janitor to support his studies and family, before working as a scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai. He grew up in Belgaum, Karnataka. He came to the US in hopes of becoming a successful businessperson and now wants to serve the community where he is living. He modestly says that he has achieved the American dream. However, he notices that the American dream is not

Christmas Banquet Organized By UCCA In Chicago

accessible to many people, especially in urban areas, in the black and brown communities. Therefore, he is motivated to enter public service to help others to realize their American dream.

“This country has given me so much, and I do not want to continue accumulating wealth. It is time for me to give up my business and enter public service so I can give back,” he added.

Deepak Rathod thanked DCG Dr. Varun Jeph for talking time to welcome and congratulate Shri. Thanedar and Sanjay Gokhale for introducing the newly elected US Congressman, Shri. Thanedar to the audiences. He also thanked Shri. Thanedar for taking time to meet with the Indian-American community leaders from New England region and sharing his very inspirational life story with all of us. Abhishek Singh, FIA president moderated the program very meticulously.

First Indian-American Council Member Elected In Sunnyvale, CA

Drugs in candy wrappers

EDINBURG, TX – Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol (RGV) agents interdicted three narcotic smuggling events in two days, resulting in four arrests. On December 13, RGV agents working with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers observed a vehicle in Mission suspected of migrant smuggling. A DPS trooper conducted a vehicle stop and agents conducted an immigration inspection on the driver, who was found to be in the country illegally. Agents discovered 73 grams of cocaine in the vehicle, some of which was concealed in candy wrappers. DPS seized the narcotics and took custody of the driver and passenger to face state charges.

CHICAGO, IL-The Grand Christmas Banquet organized by United Christian Cultural Association [UCCA] at the Cotillion Banquet in Palatine, Illinois drew a large gathering.

Ambassador Somnath Ghosh, Consul General of India graced the event joined by community/business leaders.

The evening encompassed mesmerizing musical performances presented by Tollywood’s blockbuster music director Anup Reuben.

The evening celebrations set off with

the inter-faith lighting of the Christmas Candles led by Ambassador Somnath Ghosh.

Dr. Heyer Devarapalli, Founder Chair of UCCA welcomed the gathering and said UCCA has been in the forefront taking initiatives in hosting medical camps, charitable drives and other humanitarian work to The evening celebrations concluded with singing of the traditional carol followed by the serving of the festive dinner.

SUNNYVALE, CA- An IndianAmerican engineer won an open seat in a city council election by just a single vote.

Murali Srinivasan b became the first Indian-American council member elected in Sunnyvale and the first candidate chosen to represent District 3. District 3 was formed in 2020 after the city voted to switch to a district-based electoral system and drew six districts based on US Census data. While Srinivasan secured 2,813 votes, his opponent. Justin Wang concluded the race with 2,812 votes.

Four People Were Involved In The Alleged Scheme Tied To A COVID-19 Testing Lab

PARSIPPANY, NJ- our people have been charged for their roles in a kickback conspiracy involving COVID-19 testing that defrauded federal health insurance programs, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Abid Syed, 45, of East Hanover; Tariq Din, 55, of Saddle River; David Weathers, 59, of the Bronx; and Muhammed Aurangzeb, 45, of Robbinsville, are each charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare and the Health Resources and Services Administration COVID-19

Uninsured Program. Weathers and Aurangzeb had their initial appearances via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte. Aurangzeb was released on $100,000 unsecured bond and Weathers consented to detention. Syed and Din were charged by a criminal complaint on April 11, 2022. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney DeNae M. Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.

Abid Syed, 45, of East Hanover ( Photo courtesy: Office of The Attorney General)

Shri. Thanedar

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

Murali Srinivasan

Dr. Rashmi Patel Elected FIA Chicago’s President

Dr. Rashmi Patel and his panel are eager to take the FIA to a new height and instead of few routine yearly programs, announced to conduct and do more programs to make the FIA strong by reaching out to all the Indian organizations, association members, and all the NRIs in the Chicagoland area.

The elected Executive includes: Dr Rashmi Patel, President; Mukesh Shah, Secretary; Nitin Patel, Exe Vice President; Cecil Joseph Vice President; Rajesh Singapori Vice President; Shrujal Patel Vice President; Jayantilal Patel Joint Secretary; Dr Hemant Patel Treasurer; and Hina Pandya Joint Treasurer.

In his acceptance speech, President Dr Rashmi Patel, outlined the goals that he would executive and achieve during his presidency. On behalf of his newly elected Executive Team he thanked all the trustees and outgoing committee for their efforts and input in the FIA Chicago. He assured the community of all-inclusive initiatives under his tenure.

Rajeev Badyal Selected To National Space Council Advisory Council

He and his Executive Team was elected at the organization’s elections held on 18 Dec 2022. FIA Election Committee comprising three of the FIA Trustees Kanti Patel, Rajesh Patel, and Bhailal Patel presided over, and conducted the election process. Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Satish (Sunny) Gabhawala oversaw through video-conferencing. A Large number of Trustees, Past Chairs, and Past Executives were in attendance.

Dr. Rashmi Patel and his panel are eager to take the FIA to a new height and instead of few routine yearly programs, announced to conduct and do more programs to make the FIA strong by reaching out to all the Indian organizations, association members, and all the NRIs in the Chicagoland area. They want to have a routine health clinic, an open FIA office for routine communication, immigration help and Medicare and Public aid insurance advisors available routinely. There are many more programs being planned soon. Dr. Rashmi Patel has been a practicing physician for the last 35+ years and has been a part of many different associations including FIA. He served as a President for the Care and Share organization for 2 years and helped lots of needy and destitute in the communities. He helped the Lions club in opening new blood banks in the state of Gujarat. Dr. Patel routinely conducts the Reiki treatment seminar and yearly holds the Reiki educational seminars. He is involved in philanthropic work. Should you have any questions, suggestions, ideas or concern please contact him or any board member by email at Fiachicago2023@ gmail.com

The FIA Chicago’s elections attracted an impressive response with almost all of the member organizations turning up for the elections. The election hall was packed to seams as the election committee smoothly conducted the elections. The statement of the FIA account and finance was also presented before the member organizations.

WASHINGTON, DC- VP of Technology at Amazon Project Kuiper, Rajeev Badyal, is amongst 30 people selected to serve on the National Space Council’s revamped Users Advisory Group (UAG). Vice President Kamala Harris announced the new membership.

Pending an official appointment by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the selected UAG members will enable the Biden-Harris Administration’s effort to maintain a robust and responsible US space enterprise

Daleep Singh Amongst Bloomberg 50

WASHINGTON, DCIndian American Daleep Singh figures among this year’s ‘Bloomberg 50,’ “the people who defined global business in 2022.”

As a top national security adviser to the White House, earlier this year, Singh played a key role in the US and European efforts to cut off Russia from the global financial system, after the Ukrainian invasion, freezing more than half of his $640 billion war chest, according to Bloomberg. Bloomberg’s sixth annual list also includes Indian tycoon Gautam Adani.

Painters District Council 14 Endorses Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s Reelection Campaign

HiIndia Newsdesk

CHICAGO, IL – The Painters District Council 14 announced Monday they are endorsing Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot for reelection. Mayor Lightfoot has been a committed ally of the labor movement throughout her administration, and the Painters District Council 14 joins many other unions in endorsing her for four more years–including, most recently, the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union 130 UA.

“During her first administration, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has counted union members in for a better deal for working Chicagoans,” said Joseph Rinehart, Business Manager and SecretaryTreasurer at the Painters District Council 14. “Despite the turbulence of the pandemic, Mayor Lightfoot stepped

up to make sure that union workers were recognized when our jobs had uncertain futures, and that our members received the support and resources necessary to

ensure safe and healthy conditions at work sites. Mayor Lightfoot’s hallmark efforts of neighborhood investment and revitalization have provided jobs

and even more support for our union members, and we at the Painters District Council 14 are proud to endorse Mayor Lightfoot for another four years.”

“I’m grateful to receive the support of the Painters District Council 14 for my reelection. Their members are integral to many of the projects my administration has spearheaded and will continue to drive going forward,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “Reinvigorating and building up our neighborhoods with affordable housing, retail space, physical and mental health clinics, career centers, business incubators and more could not be accomplished without the dedication of these union workers. I look forward to our continued collaboration in my second term to protect the rights of workers across the city.”

Dr. Rashmi Patel, President FIA Chicago HiIndia Newsdesk

CHICAGO, IL – Chicago’s eminent physician and renowned hospitality entrepreneur Dr Rashmi Patel has been elected the President of the Federation of Indian Associations (1980) Chicago.

Rajeev Badyal

Zofeen Maqsood

Zofeen Maqsood

Court Dismisses Hindu American Foundation’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Five Defendants

HiIndia Newsdesk

WASHINGTON, DC- The US District Court for the District of Columbia on Dec 20, dismissed the defamation suit filed by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) against Hindus for Human Rights co-founders Sunita Vishwanath and Raju Rajagopal, Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) executive director Rasheed Ahmed, Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America (FIACONA) chairman John Prabhudoss, and Rutgers University professor Audrey Truschke. Al Jazeera journalist Raqib Hameed Naik had been named as a co-conspirator but was not a party in the main lawsuit.

The 2021 came after a Naik penned story that said five Hindu American

organizations, that included the HAF, had received COVID-19 relief funding to the tune of $833,000/

Chicagoans Can See Trump’s Tax Returns Before Willie Wilson’s

HiIndia Newsdesk

CHICAGO, IL – Despite Donald Trump’s best efforts, a new order by the House Ways and Means Committee made Trump’s tax returns public late Tuesday night — unfortunately for Chicagoans, it looks like they still won’t get to see Willie Wilson’s. Wilson was eager to vote for the former president, and has now been equally eager to take a play from Trump’s playbook in refusing to release his taxes. Wilson is the only major Chicago mayoral candidate who is refusing to share their tax returns — and he’s being called out for it. The Chicago Tribune recently noted that while “disclosing income tax filings is a longheld practice in American politics,” and Wilson “has made his wealth a centerpiece of his public persona,” “how Wilson makes his money each year has been generally shrouded in secrecy…”

From what little Chicagoans have been able to piece together, it is known that Wilson owns Omar Medical, a company that has had a history of labor violations. But with every day that passes, Chicagoans are left wondering: what else does Wilson not want Chicagoans to know?

USCIS Lists options for extending stay in the US, after losing a job

Zofeen Maqsood

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) mentioned in a press release that regulations permit a discretionary 60-day grace period that allows workers in E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1, or TN classifications (and their dependents) to be considered as having maintained status.

During this period, workers may be able to maintain their nonimmigrant status if a new employer timely files a petition on their behalf with an extension of stay request.

Workers may also be able to remain in the United States in a period of authorized stay if they timely file an application to change to a new nonimmigrant status (such as B-2 visitor nonimmigrant status) or an application for adjustment of status, if they are

eligible.

The Portability rules permit workers currently in H-1B status to begin working for a new employer as soon as the employer properly files a new H-1B petition with USCIS, without waiting for the petition to be approved.

Workers may use the up to 60-day discretionary grace period to apply to change their nonimmigrant status, which may include changing status to become the dependent of a spouse (e.g., H-4, L-2).

The release also said, that those H-1B and O workers who chose to depart the United States after involuntary cessation of employment, the reasonable costs of transportation to the worker’s last place of foreign residence must be borne by the H-1B employer or by the O employer and O petitioner,

“A true Christmas miracle: Chicagoans will get to see Donald Trump’s taxes before Willie Wilson’s,” said Lightfoot campaign spokesperson Christina Freundlich. “Chicagoans deserve transparency and deserve better than Wilson’s old-Chicago style of politics. Enough hiding behind a shady financial record. It’s that simple.”

HAF has parent organizations in India is “verifiably false,” as were some of the statements given by Rutgers University professor Audrey Truschke about HAF Board member Rajiv Pandit are “arguably verifiable false.”

In the case of Prabhudoss, the court said his statements were in the nature of being opinions and “not actionable as defamation.”

HAF’s Executive director Suhag Shukla said in a statement that “It is incredibly disappointing that though Vishwanath and Truschke among others were found to have made verifiably false statements attacking HAF, the judge dismissed our legal action on procedural grounds.” She said they have “every reason to believe that they will continue to spread their malicious lies.”

Utah, Mississippi Schools to Introduce Sikh Studies in Syllabus

Zofeen Maqsood

More US public school children can now learn about the practices of Sikh faith. Utah and Mississippi just became the latest states to include Sikhi or practices and introduction of the Sikh faith in their school curriculum. The new subject would make it possible for public schoolchildren to learn about Sikh faith, history, and contributions to American life alongside other major world religions. New York based, advocacy organization Sikh Coalition worked with community members, gurdwaras, allied organizations, and state education officials to achieve this.

On December 15, the Mississippi State Board of Education (MSBOE) voted in favor of new social studies standards that include Sikhi for the first time ever. This will give approximately 457,000 students in the state the opportunity to learn about the Sikh community. Earlier the Utah State Board of Education also voted in favor of new social studies standards that similarly include Sikhi.

Ahmedabad International Children Film Festival To Show Films From The US

Slovakia, Russian Federation, Portugal, Norway, Morocco, Italy, Ireland, Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Chile and India

Zofeen Maqsood

NEW YORK, NY- Ahmedabad International Children Film Festival is hosting its 4th edition this year at Ahmedabad Management Association. AICFF is the platform where Children content from across the world are coming together. This year the festival received 50 plus Children Films, from 19 countries including Islamic Republic of Iran, United States, Brazil, Poland, Turkey, Singapore, Canada, Spain,

December24, 2022 would be the opening day with India’s Oscar entry this year, Last Film Show, (Chhello Show) From 26th to 29th December, there will be screening of various selected children’s films at AMA from 4pm to 7pm. The entry to the festival is free but with registration at AMA.

Festival Director Manish Saini, who is the National Film Award winner for Gujarati film ‘DHH,’ says, “we are excited to host this year as an offline event. Films as a communications medium, has the inputs of being an invaluable teaching tool along with entertainment for all age groups, and particularly the young, whose minds are fresh and open to learning.

But presiding US District Judge Amit Mehta while tossing out the suit, also said noted that Vishwanath’s claim that

Willie Wilson

Donald Trump

Want to continue as world champion:

Lionel Messi

After winning the FIFA World Cup 2022, Argentina star Lionel Messi vowed to continue playing for his country.

“I want to keep experiencing a few more matches as world champion,” Messi, 35, told Argentine television following the country’s epic penalty shoot-out victory over France in the World Cup final in Doha.

The soccer player took to Instagram to pen down an emnotional note for his fans, thanking them for supporting him throughout his career. Messi however admitted that his career was almost finished.

“Obviously I would like to end my career with this, I cannot ask for more. My career is nearly over because these are my last years,” he told Argentine television.

Day after final, Qatar empties

Congress demoralising armed forces, Opp being obstructionist in Parliament: BJP

It is in India’s, its democracy’s and everyone’s interest that an issue as sensitive as national security should not be politicised and Parliament should be allowed to function, says Piyush Goyal

demand for a debate on alleged Chinese incursion was not allowed by the chairman.

You could hear most languages and dialects in the world, see a variety of different costumes, tap your feet to the most indigenous of percussion instruments. A country of less than three million population and no more than the size of Mumbai saw a mass of humanity thrice as much. But in a matter of days, they would stumble into emptiness. Qatar is crawling back to normalcy, to the days before the World Cup.

The BJP Monday accused the opposition, especially the Congress, of having an obstructionist approach and called for not politicising a sensitive issue like national security after several parties walked out of Rajya Sabha when their

China War-Gamed Arunachal With Drones, Jets After Tawang Clash

Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal said there are several precedents of demands for a discussion or clarification on sensitive issues not allowed in Parliament when the Congress-led UPA was in power between 2004 and 2014. It is unfortunate that the Opposition’s “frustration” has reached such a level that they have stopped respecting parliamentary rules and regulations or paying any heed to the chairman’s rulings, he told reporters after the walkout. The Congress, especially, is resorting to a very low level of politics, Goyal, accompanied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, said.

Rakul Preet Singh to appear before ED in money laundering case

New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is all set to grill actress Rakul Preet Singh on Monday in connection with a four-year-old drug case involving trafficking, consumption and moneylaundering.

She was issued the summons by the ED on Friday, and will accordingly appear before the agency on Monday.

High-resolution satellite imagery accessed by NDTV within days of the clashes in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, indicates that Beijing has positioned large numbers of drones and fighter aircraft at major Tibetan airbases, which are ranged against India’s northeast.

The images from Maxar come as the Indian Air Force maintains combat air patrols over the skies of Arunachal Pradesh because of increased Chinese air activity. In the last few weeks, the Air Force has also scrambled its fighter jets on at least two occasions after detecting Chinese aircraft that threatened to breach Indian airspace over Arunachal.

‘Their induction and operational use indicates that an active and fully functional networked environment has been put in place to support missions over Aksai Chin and around the McMahon line in the Northeast Indian region,’’ says Sameer Joshi, a former IAF fighter pilot

This is the second time that the actress has been summoned by the agency in connection with this case. Last year also her statement was recorded by the ED.

“The actress has been asked to appear before the investigating agency today. Rakul Preet was questioned by the ED on September 2, 2021. Several Telugu actors were also questioned in the matter,” said a source.

The anti-money laundering agency has been probing the drug trafficking and consumption case for the past four years. A high-end drugs cartel was busted in 2017 by the Telangana’s Prohibition and Excise department. The racket indulged in supplying LSD and MDMA and other high-end narcotics. On this basis, the present case was lodged by the ED. The ED found that money from that drug cartel was laundered via various channels.

Indian-American Convicted In $463 Mn Healthcare Fraud

New York: (IANS) An Indian-American lab owner has been convicted for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting over $463 million in genetic and other laboratory tests that patients did not need.

According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial on Wednesday, Atlanta-based Minal Patel, 44, owned LabSolutions LLC — a lab enrolled with Medicare that performed sophisticated genetic tests. From July 2016 to August 2019, LabSolutions submitted more than $463 million

in claims to Medicare, including for medically unnecessary genetic tests, of which Medicare paid over $187 million, according to the US Department of Justice. In that timeframe, Patel personally received over $21 million in Medicare proceeds. He conspired with patient

brokers, telemedicine companies, and call centres to target Medicare beneficiaries with telemarketing calls falsely stating that Medicare covered expensive cancer genetic tests. After the Medicare beneficiaries agreed to take a test, Patel paid kickbacks and bribes to patient brokers to obtain signed doctors’ orders authorising the tests from telemedicine companies, a Department of Justice statement noted.

To conceal the kickbacks, Patel required patient brokers to sign contracts that falsely stated that they were performing legitimate advertising services for LabSolutions.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

Breif

Iran: Amnesty says 26 protesters facing execution

BJP demands Rahul Gandhi’s expulsion from Congress over China remarks

India and break the morale of its armed forces. He added that it was the Indian soldiers who beat up the Chinese and chased them away, and that every citizen of the country is proud of them.

Saying that China was “preparing for war”, Gandhi on Friday had accused the Centre of “hiding” and “ignoring” transgressions along the Indo-China border.

“They are doing full preparation by Ladakh and Arunachal, it is a full offensive preparation. The government of India is sleeping. It does not want to hear this, but they are preparing not for an incursion, but for war. If anyone understands this – you look at the pattern of their weapons and what they are doing, they are preparing for war. Our government hides this and is unable to accept this,” he added.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi further said China has “taken 2,000 square kilometres of India, which martyred 20 Indian jawans, and beat up jawans in Arunachal Pradesh.”

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International called on Iran to end its executions of protesters in a letter published on Friday.

The letter said that 11 people had already been sentenced to death with another 15 charged with similar crimes which could see them hanged.

At least two young men have already been executed after having been arrested during the nationwide protests that entered their fourth consecutive month on Friday as hundreds of protesters were seen taking to the streets in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan.

“The 26 individuals have all been denied fair trials, including the rights to adequate defense and access to lawyers of their choosing; to be presumed innocent; to remain silent; and to receive a fair, public hearing,” Amnesty wrote in the letter addressed to Iran’s head of judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.

SC dismisses Bilkis review plea

Aday after Rahul Gandhi said that Chinese soldiers are “beating up jawans in Arunachal Pradesh”, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders condemned his statement and demanded his expulsion from the Congress.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said if Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is not “remote-controlled”, he should expel Gandhi from the party, since his comments “belittle”

Covid: China may see over a million deaths through 2023

Bhatia also compared the former Congress president to Jaichand, the king of Kannauj who is projected as a betrayer to the Indian cause in some historical accounts.

If Congress does not take action against Gandhi, it will mean that his statement is reflective of the opposition party’s mindset, Bhatia said. He further alleged that the party has become less of a political party and more of a den of anti-India activities.

Bhatia also said that “it is no longer the India of 1962 as its brave soldiers also have a strong political leadership under Modi”, adding that “not even an inch of Indian territory was captured by anyone” in the last eight years.

Indian-American arrested for tossing newborn in Florida creek

China’s abrupt lifting of stringent COVID-19 restrictions could result in an explosion of cases and over a million deaths through 2023, according to new projections from the U.S.based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). According to the group’s projections, cases in China would peak around April 1, when deaths would reach 322,000. About a third of China’s population will have been infected by then, IHME Director Christopher Murray said.

China’s national health authority has not reported any official COVID deaths since the lifting of COVID restrictions. The last official deaths were reported on Dec. 3.

New York, Dec 17 (IANS) An Indian-American woman has been charged with first-degree murder for tossing her newborn baby into a Florida inlet four years ago.

Arya Singh, 29, who was arrested on Thursday confessed to the crime saying, “she didn’t know what to do with her (baby)”, The New York Post said, quoting police officials.

“The baby’s body was found floating in the Boynton Beach inlet on June 1, 2018 after she had been disposed of “like a piece of trash”, Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said during a press conference.

US Reacts To PM Modi’s Phone Call With Putin On Ukraine War

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea filed by Bilkis Bano, seeking a review of its order passed in May by which it had asked the Gujarat government to consider a petition for the remission of the sentences of 11 convicts in the gang-rape case.

Bano was gang-raped and seven members of her family were killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

According to procedures, review pleas against apex court judgments are decided in chambers by circulation by the judges who were part of the judgment under review.

Bano’s review plea came up for inchamber consideration on December 13 before a bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath.

Washington: The United States on Friday once again welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s position on the Ukraine conflict, which calls for the cessation of all kinds of violence and the pursuit of the path of diplomacy.

“We would take PM Modi at his words and welcome those comments when

they took place. Other countries will make their own decision on engagement with Russia.

We continue to coordinate with allies to mitigate impacts of war,” said State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel during a press conference on Thursday.

Mr Patel made these remarks in response to a question on India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and PM Modi’s call to end the war.

Earlier in September, on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand, PM Modi had told Russian President Vladimir Putin that “today’s era isn’t of war”. He also emphasized the need to find ways to address the problems of food, fuel security, and fertilizers.

Mumbai, Dec 17 (IANS)

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

If judges & journalists falter, democracy will crash: Justice B.N. Shrikrishna

If judges and journalists hesitate in their duty to take the side of truth and speak the truth to the powers that be, then democracy will collapse, cautioned eminent jurist and retired Justice B.N. Shrikrishna.

is not only insulting Indian Army but damaging nation’s image.”

Venus Williams receives wild card for ASB Classic

Seven-time Grand Slam winner and former No.1 Venus Williams will be a wildcard entry into the ASB Classic, starting here, next month.

in Auckland in 2015 over Caroline Wozniacki.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have one of the greatest players returning to the ASB Classic,’’ said Tournament Director, Nicolas Lamperin.

FIFA World Cup: Argentine press pays tribute to Messi’s ‘World Cup legends’

Auckland, Dec 21 (IANS) Seven-time Grand Slam winner and former No.1 Venus Williams will be a wildcard entry into the ASB Classic, starting here, next month.

The 42-year-old, who retired from regular tournament play in 2021, has a wildcard to compete in the Australian Open, and accordingly sought a spot in the ASB Classic as a lead-in to the grand slam event. Williams has played in the tournament on five occasions, with one of her 49 career victories coming

Lionel Messi poses with the World Cup Trophy in bed

“Venus is not just one of the best players in the history of the sport, but she loves it here in New Zealand. When her agent contacted us, we were more than pleased to offer her a wildcard into the ASB Classic. She loves it here in New Zealand and Auckland in particular, and the fans here love her,” he added.

Williams said she had no hesitation to ask for a spot in the Auckland event.

“I’m looking forward to playing my first tournament of the season in Auckland. The tournament and fans always make me feel welcome and I’m excited to compete there in January,” she said.

Buenos Aires: (IANS) Argentina’s media heaped praise on Lionel Messi and the national team after the Albiceleste’s dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over France in the World Cup final on Sunday.

“Hug one another, shout it out loud, cry. We are world champions after the most exciting final in history,” online sports outlet Ole said.

“Later there will be time to analyze why we had to suffer so much. But what does it matter now? From Qatar to La Quiaca. From north to south and from east to west of the planet, those who

wanted Messi to win got their wish. Those who dreamed of ending the 36year wait (since Argentina’s last World Cup triumph), need not wait any longer.”

Ole said an oft-repeated chant among Argentina’s fans in Qatar that includes the line, “We’ll be champions, like we were in ‘86,” could now be laid to rest.

“That no longer applies,” it said.

Newspaper La Nacion described Argentina’s third World Cup title as a “proud coronation” of Messi’s career.

“Messi’s team won the best final in history and secured a place in football legend,” it said.

Becker, who was sent to Wandsworth prison in London, mentioned that the food within the facility was bad and very little scope for leisure activities.

you are.”

Argentina captain Lionel Messi posed with the World Cup in his bed after celebrating the triumph with his teammates and fans in Argentina on Tuesday. Messi shared a post on Instagram titled “Buen día” where he is seen posing like he is asleep while snuggling the World Cup trophy. Earlier, thousands took to the streets to welcome the Argentina team as they stepped foot on home soil at the Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires after winning the World Cup.

Former six time grand slam winner Boris Becker has given his first interview since leaving the UK prison after two and a half years following concealing £2.5m of assets to avoid paying debts after he had been declared bankrupt.

“In prison you are a nobody,” Becker said on German TV, speaking about his time as an inmate.

“You are only a number. Mine was A2923EV. I wasn’t called Boris, I was a number. And nobody gives a shit who

Becker, who was sent to Wandsworth prison in London, mentioned that the food within the facility was bad and leisure activities far and few in between. “I believe I rediscovered the human in me, the person I once was,” the former Tennis player further told interviewer Steven Gätjen.

“I’ve learnt a hard lesson. A very expensive one. A very painful one. But the whole thing has taught me something very important and worthwhile. And some things happen for a good reason.”

Lionel Messi on Tuesday has paid a touching tribute to the Late Diego Maradona, who passed away in November 2020.

Messi wrote: “From Grandoli to the Qatar World Cup took almost 30 years. It was close to three decades when the ball gave me many joys and also some sorrows. I always had a dream of being a World Champion and I didn’t want to stop trying, even knowing that maybe I would never give up.

‘Babar Azam is a big zero as captain, people should stop comparing him to Virat Kohli: Ex-Pak spinner

HiIndia Newsdesk

New Delhi: (IANS) Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria lashed out at Babar Azam for his poor batting and captaincy during the ongoing Test series against England, saying no player in the present Pakistan batting line-up should be compared to the likes of India greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Kaneria’s comment came amid the ongoing third Test between Pakistan and England in Karachi where the tourists need 55 runs more, with eight wickets in hand, to inflict a horror whitewash against the Babar-led side on home soil.

“People should stop comparing Babar Azam to Virat Kohli. The likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are very big players. Pakistan have nobody in their team who can be compared to them. If you make them talk,

they will be a king. When you ask them to produce results, they’ll be zero,” he said to his YouTube channel. Kaneria further slammed Babar’s leadership skill in the Test series.

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria lashed out at Babar Azam for his poor batting and captaincy during the ongoing Test series against England, saying no player in the present Pakistan batting lineup should be compared to the likes of India greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

“Babar Azam is a big zero as captain. He doesn’t deserve to lead the team. He is not capable of leading the team, especially when it comes to Test cricket. He had a good chance of learning captaincy by looking at Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum during the series. Or, he could have kept his ego aside and asked Sarfaraz Ahmed how to captain,” he added.

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

HiIndia Newsdesk

‘Diego who encouraged us from heaven’: Messi pays tribute to Maradona

‘In prison you are a nobody. You are only a number’, says Boris Becker

LIFESTYLE

You’re more creative in coffee shops

Why would anyone want to get out of their comfort zone, even while working out of the office? Spend money on endless cups of coffee and sit amid the everyday buzz. It’s because studies claim that people feel more productive at a coffee shop.

“It triggers a stimuli response to get work done, which automatically makes you finish work faster. Since you are sitting at a place, not your home, you are less likely to procrastinate and finish up the work, you feel more focused regardless of the buzz of noise outside,” adds Sanjay.

Wondering why would you not go to the office instead? Well, blame the overall formal environment, strict schedule, and a fixed time to come and leave. “Coffee shops thus become the best of both worlds. A place where you can leave at your own leisure, work without being micro-managed, and have no distractions from your home.”

The need to escape the dull 9-5 routine of doing the same things over and again in different forms . This need to escape, take a break, and get a change of scenery can also be looked at as one of the biggest motivating factors to come and work from cafes. This breath of fresh air automatically relaxes making you more productive.”

Aries

Ganesha says that the people of Aries will be able to convince the world with their ability and strength this week. They will also get full support of luck in getting desired success in every field of life. Those who were worried about something for some time will get relief from their worries this week.

Taurus

Ganesha says that this week the people of Taurus will need to take any step in a life carefully. This week you have to avoid getting misled by others, otherwise, you may have to give and take. During this, you will not be able to get desired cooperation from your relatives.

Gemini

Ganesha says that this week is going to bring some problems for the people of the Gemini zodiac in terms of health and relationship. At the beginning of the week itself, due to the emergence of seasonal or any chronic disease, you may not only have to face physical but also mental problems.

Cancer

Ganesha that you will be satisfied with the way every aspect of life is showing improvement thisweek. An important deal will finally get approved and you will make good profits. A stalled matter will be resolved. This will give you some relief from the recent stress. Most of you are hardworking and get a lot of work done in less time.

From butterfly tops to low-rise jeans, every controversial trend from the early 2000s has been revived in the last couple of years. But the most polarising of them all is the dress-over-pants trend. Most of your favourite Disney stars have worn this absurd combination on the red carpet in the early years of their career. This was a pre-stylist era but unfortunately a post-Getty period— hence, everyone from Hilary Duff to Ashley Tisdale has been captured wearing a blingy, frilly dress over an oddly fitting pair of denim in HD.

Netarhat

Netarhat is barely 157 km from state capital Ranchi and is famous for its verdant hills, majestic waterfalls and enchanting scenery. Sunrise and sunsets are mesmerising here like an oil painting, says Jharkhand tourism

“Have you visited Netarhat this winter… Travel through these trees to soothe your soul,” says Jharkhand Tourism sharing a panoramic video of the lush green forests. The road to Netarhat runs inside a deep jungle of pine, bamboo, mahua, palash and saal.

Latehar is home to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribe Groups (PVTGs) like Asur and Birajiya among others.

Latehar District Tourism Officer, Shivendra Singh told PTI: “The beauty of the culture and lifestyle of the tribals living here can be seen closely after coming to Netarhat. They have their own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. Their love for nature in their farming, song-music, dance, food, and home-building style are to be experienced.”

to think a lot before taking any step this week. The workload and responsibilities may suddenly increase on the heads of the employed people, while the opponents can do the work obstructing their work.

Aquarius

2nd December to 8th December 2022

By Astro Friend Chirag – Son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla

Leo Ganeshasays that the people of the Leo zodiac will get many opportunities to move forward in life and achieve desired success this week, but they will have to avoid losing them due to laziness and pride. Unemployed people will get new employment opportunities at the beginning of the week. To complete any big project, you will need to sacrifice your ego this week and work together with people.

Virgo

Ganesha says that this week has brought auspiciousness and desired success for the people of Virgo. From the beginning of the week, your planned tasks will be seen to be completed on time, due to which you will get to see tremendous enthusiasm. Employed people will get the full support of both seniors and juniors in the field.

Libra

Ganesha says that the dreams of the

people of the Libra zodiac will be seen to come true this week. At the beginning of the week itself, you will heave a sigh of relief when a major problem is solved with the help of a special person.

Scorpio

Ganesha says that the people of the Scorpio zodiac will be able to get whatever they want this week due to their intelligence, discretion, and speech. At the beginning of the week, you can take a big decision to solve any familyrelated issue.

Sagittarius

Ganesha says that this has brought auspiciousness and good luck for the people of Sagittarius. At the beginning of the week, some great news related to career or business can be heard. Employed people will become additional sources of income and the economic condition will be strong.

Capricorn

The people of Capricorn will need

Ganesha says that the people of Aquarius will get the full results of the efforts and hard work done earlier this week. At the beginning of the week, you will heave a sigh of relief when the dispute related to land and building is resolved.

Pisces

Ganesha says that this week is going to be very auspicious for the people of Pisces. From the beginning of the week, he will find good luck working in every area of his life. This week will prove to be very auspicious for the employed class. Seniors will be seen appreciating your work in the workplace and juniors will get full support. to start their new married life.

Author Bio:

Celebrity Astrologer Chirag Daruwalla is the son of famous astrologer Bejan Daruwalla. He is known for his detailed astrological predictions on career, health, love, finance, and business. You can visit their website bejandaruwalla.com for guidance on problems related to your life and solve your problem with the help of expert astrologer Chirag Daruwalla. For guidance on problems related to your life you can talk to Astrologer Chirag Daruwalla on Call/Whatsapp: +91 9825470377 or also mail on: info@ bejandaruwalla.com

Why more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day in winter can affect your heart

Excessive alcohol consumption can warm up your body more than required, which can be dangerous when you’re out in the cold. The body adapts to temperatures slowly, so drink in moderation, says Doctor

Cold weather may increase the risk of heart failure because blood vessels tend to be constricted to build up body warmth. So, heart patients need to be extra cautious during winter. Says Dr Ankur Ahuja, senior interventional cardiologist, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, “Heart patients should not exert much during the winter season because any stress on the heart can lead to a heart attack. If we compare the trends for Sudden Cardiac Deaths (SCDs), then the months of January and February this year had a higher incidence of cardiac deaths as compared to other months. Cardiac arrests are again on a rise now as the cold wave sets in. During winters, the heart rate and blood pressure are usually higher while physical activity also goes down. The doctor also stressed the fact that heart patients should be vaccinated for influenza (flu). Influenza-related stress on the body can launch a negative chain of events that can lead to a heart attack. People with heart disease are nearly six times more likely to have a heart attack after coming down with the flu.

Post-Covid impacts have also led to an increased number of heart attacks, he added. Viral infections also put added stress on the body, which can affect blood pressure, heart rate, and overall heart function. That can raise the odds of having a heart attack or stroke.

1. Avoid excessive alcohol and smoking:

Excessive alcohol consumption can warm up your body more than required, which can be dangerous when you’re out in the cold. The body adapts to temperatures slowly, so drink in moderation (not more than two drinks a day). Abstain from smoking completely. Cigarette smoking is one of the key contributors to heart disease.

2. Dress warmly:

Cold temperatures can cause blood vessels to clamp down. This puts extra stress on the heart and can cause complications. Hence, dress in warm

layers before stepping out. While it’s important to dress warmly in cold weather, it’s also important to avoid getting overheated, for example, from physical activity. If you get overheated, your body will need to release the heat. Too much warm clothing may prevent that, causing blood vessels to dilate, which can dramatically lower blood pressure. When blood pressure drops, it can reduce the heart’s blood supply, possibly leading to a heart attack.

3. Do indoor exercises: A sedentary lifestyle is one of the key contributing factors to lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes. However, it may be risky to step out early in the morning in the cold temperature. So, opt for indoor exercises like yoga, or simple routines in your living room. Diet is also important to avoid cardiac issues. We should avoid excessive fat and salt and should eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

Should you really begin your day with a glass of warm water?

According to Cleveland Clinic, drinking warm water in the morning can help with constipation, because “your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one big muscle, so the heat of the water relaxes your GI tract a bit to help things like constipation.”

Dr Vaishali Shukla, the founder of Vedamrit, shared on Instagram, adding that the “right way to drink warm water is to reduce two cups of water to 1 cup, let it cool down, and then drink.”

“If this isn’t possible to be done empty stomach in the morning, one can boil ½ tsp dry ginger powder or 1-inch dry ginger stick in 2 cups of water and reduce it to half. Drink it between breakfast and lunch. In the morning, one can still continue with regular warm water, without a reduction to half,” she added.

According to Cleveland Clinic, drinking warm water in the morning can help with constipation, because “your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one big muscle, so the heat of the water relaxes your GI tract a bit to help things like

constipation.”

Dr Pradeep Rao, director and head of department of urology at Global Hospital, and stressed that the temperature of drinking water does not make much of a difference.

“Drinking water at different temperatures (hot or cold) usually has no effect on the body. That is because, by the time it reaches the stomach lining the temperature has already reached body temperature. But, it can affect the upper respiratory tract; so drinking cold water when you have a bad cold is definitely not a good idea. So, when people say that drinking warm water in the morning helps the body, that is a myth.” he said, adding that while hydration is of utmost importance, drinking too much water can also have a negative effect on the body.

Weekend catch-up sleep won’t solve your daily sleep deficit

Like daily hunger, you cannot postpone daily sleep as it increases afterdinner energy intake and reduces insulin sensitivity, say

experts

Catch-up sleep is not a healthy way to complete your quota. Rather it is a desperate response of the body to fulfil the time lag which stays after every short sleep. Our body needs a good amount of sleep everyday to heal and rejuvenate our systems. It’s like saying I am hungry now but will eat on Saturday. You would still be hungry today. Sleep provides that time to relax our mind and decrease free oxidants in the body, which can lead to a variety of disorders in the body in the long run. At least six to seven hours of sleep are required to ensure a strong immune system, proper brain functioning, energy conservation and restoration, better emotional health, proper insulin function and weight maintenance. There is a circadian rhythm,” says Dr Rahul Sharma, Additional Director, Pulmonology, Fortis, Noida.

Short sleep leads to a variety of short-term and long-term changes in the body and behaviour of people. “Lethargy, lack of energy, poor concentration, irritability, short temper, mood changes , weak immune system, fatigue and poor performance are the inevitable immediate consequences. In the long-term, daily sleep deprivation can up the risk of diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disorder, heart diseases, neuro cognitive issues, stroke, gastric troubles and weight gain,” says he. “A common belief that snoring is a sign of good quality sleep is also a big myth as it is associated with a condition called sleep apnea, where a patient can even get a heart attack due to blocked airways during sleep.

Identifying sleep apnea early is absolutely essential,” adds Dr Sharma.

Researchers found that subjects who cut their sleep down by five hours during the week, but made up for it on the weekend with extra sleep, had “increased after-dinner energy intake and reduced insulin sensitivity. In total, participants slept an extra 1.1 hours during weekend recovery versus baseline. After-dinner energy intake was reduced during weekend recovery sleep. Weekend recovery sleep did not prevent weight gain or reduced insulin sensitivity.”