Indian Abroad October 16-31, 2021 Vol 1 Issue 17

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

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PRAKRUTHI MYSORE GURURAJ: A born leader to lead the community in positive spirits- Page 5

Indian Cultural Expo exhibits unique Indian brands T

he Indian Cultural Expo which was held on 10th October in Calamvale showcased exclusive Indian attire, home décor, jewellery, food, entertainment and much more.

All exclusive brands from Brisbane and Gold Coast joined together for this first-of-its-kind experience.

Businesses and communities were brought together to celebrate and experience festive shopping in Brisbane, Queensland. The Expo was organised by a group of innovative women entrepreneurs who exhibited and sold elegant Indian attires, sweets and savoury snacks, jewellery, home décor and accessories.

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing.

It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” Mona Bhasin from BLING N ME BY MONA, a prominent organiser of the event would like to thank all the amazing people who helped make this event a huge success.

“A huge thanks to Chitra Ahuja from Asmi home decor, this expo was her brain child. She had this vision and made it possible by introducing all these amazing women together and so began the journey to bring a huge scale event to Brisbane.

“And not to mention her husband Gautam Ahuja, who also runs

Lakhimpur Kheri violence -Page 4

Indian Cooking with Lata Modi -Page 7

Nritya Pradarshani showcases rich variety of Indian dances -Page 8

Mental Health Foundation Australia marks Mental Health Month

Professor Veena Celebrating the contribution of Simply Human- Superheroes without capes Sahajwalla n October 9, 2021 commushortlisted for nity members gathered at 470 McCullough Street, Eureka Awards 2021 Sunnybank to support Prerna Pahwa

O

The Gaurdian

of Simply Human - Superheroes without Capes, a Not For Profit organisation raising awareness of what is possibly humanity's biggest form of illness – cancer. Her awe-inspiring and tireless work has created a strong community and support network that is helping to bridge the gap between cancer patients struggling to find the right help. Among the supporters of this event who made it a success were Senator Paul Scarr who sponsored

Craving an international vacation? -Page 22

Surya as Hanuman’s Guru -Page 27

R Deepika Padukone talks all things denim -Page 29

ecently, Mental Health Foundation Australia launched its Mental Health Month at the Queensland Parliament, and then Mental Health Foundation Australia’s Childcare and Mental

Health Symposium was organised at Brisbane City Hall the following day.

This is all part of the Mental Health Month, an initiative of the MHFA to promote mental health awareness across the community. The MHFA is the oldest mental health organisation in Australia, having been in existence for over 90 years. The event was chaired by Kirilly Dutton, Director of the MHFA, and attended by childcare workers and advocates, both in person and virtually. Guest speakers included Terry Young MP, Member for Longman, several childcare centre owners, psychiatrist Josie Sorban, and consultants to the industry.

Continued on page 9

podcasts called Hear me out. Thank you so much for all your effort behind the scenes from creating posts, spending hours on our podcasts, to doing live updates on our page throughout the day.

“Truly grateful to all the dignitaries for coming, their presence and support is highly appreciated. I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart Angela Owen, Councillor for Calamvale, Brisbane; Archana Singh, Honorary Indian Consulate; Usha Chandra, Director Globenet; Usha Chivukala, Nightingale of Brisbane.”

She also expressed her gratitude towards the INDIAN CULTURAL EXPO TEAM which apart from her consisted of Varsha and Ambika from WEDDING AND PARTY TRENDS; Chitra Ahuja from ASMI; Bina Gorasia from BINA GORASIA’S KITCHEN; Kiran from A-ONE HANDLOOM; Ashika from ASHYO; Ashmeet from MERAKI VIBES; Gina from GINA MANTRA AUSTRALASIA; Amanpreet Mann Khaira from MANN KHAIRA’S UNIQUE CREATIONS; Charu Gupta Rai from ESSENTIALLY INDIAN; models- Anu Samra, Ashika Kumar, Ginni Sindhu, Deepti Parwani, Ish Kaurr, Jasmeet Gill and Roshanak for capturing wonderful photographs for the event.”

Continued on page 6

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ne of Australia’s top experts on the sustainability of materials, Professor Veena Sahajwalla has been chosen as one of the 16 finalists in the Celestino Eureka Prize 2021 for fostering comprehension in science. These awards are conferred annually in four categories namely, research, innovation, leadership and science engagement by the Australian Museum.

The ‘green steel’ technology which is an innovation originating in Australia has been pioneered by Professor Sahajwalla, the founding director of the Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre at Sydney’s University of New South Wales.

Continued on page 8

the Celebrating Superheroes Without Capes 2021 event.

Continued on page 7

17,000 Indian students likely to return to Australia soon

I

ndian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held a virtual meeting recently with his Australian counterpart Alan Tudge raising the issue of 17,000 Indian students who want to return to Australia for education, say ANI sources.

It is expected that the Indian students will be able to return soon.

The meet saw the two Ministers reaffirming that both the countries will support Australia-bound students at every stage.

Alan Tudge briefed his Indian counterpart on the measures being taken by the Australian government to pave the way for the return of Indian students to Australia.

With the Australian government

approving the India-made Covishield vaccine for travelling into the country, there is positive news for the Indian students who are studying there.

At the virtual meeting, the two ministers agreed to strengthen the growing Australia-India partnership in higher education, especially in two-way student mobility, teacher exchanges, applied research and other areas of mutual priority. "@AlanTudgeMP also elaborated on Australia's preparation, including a students’ arrival pilot for the return of International and Indian students to Australia. Both India and Australia are committed to support Australia-bound Indian students at every stage," Pradhan tweeted.

Taniya Kalra opens up on playing a con woman in ‘Girgit’ -Page 35 www.indianabroad.news

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Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

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LEAD STORIES

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

J&K VIOLENCE My father was a fighter: Shraddha Bindroo IANS

Srinagar, Oct 6: A day after M.L. Bindroo, the owner of 'Bindroo Medicate', was shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar, his daughter, Shraddha Bindroo, on Wednesday hit out at terrorists.

She said her father was a fighter who always said that he would die with his shoes on.

"I don't have a single tear in my eyes because he was a fighter, he died like a fighter," she said. "He always said, "I will die with my shoes on."

Terrorists fired upon the owner of 'Bindroo Medicate', Makhan Lal Bindroo near Iqbal Park in Srinagar on Tuesday evening. He was shifted to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Speaking to reporters, Shraddha Bindroo asked the terrorists to fight with education instead of stones and guns given to them by politicians.

"Whoever is the person who shot my father dead, come before me, you have some education? My father

gave me education, politicians gave you guns and stones, you want to fight with guns and stones, that is cowardice, all politicians are using you, come in front and fight with education," she said.

"I am an associate professor, I started from zero level, my father started from a bicycle, my brother is a famous diabetologist, my mother sits in the shop, that's what Makhan Lal Bindroo made us. A Kashmiri Pandit, he will never die."

community on Friday carried out a funeral procession of Supinder Kaur, the school principal killed by

terrorists in J&K's Srinagar city, and sought death for the killers.

The mourners sat on silent dharna outside the civil secretariat in Srinagar along with the dead body of the slain woman.

The civil secretariat houses the top offices of the government, including those of the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and his advisors.

Police tried to intervene to restrain the mourners from carrying out the sit-in outside the civil secretariat.

But, sensing the surcharged atmosphere, police did not use force to disperse the procession.

'Death to TRF', 'Bring the killers to justice', the mourners raised these slogans while carrying the dead body for cremation to the cremation ground situated in Karan Nagar locality of Srinagar.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a terror outfit, has owned responsibility for the murder of the Sikh principal and Kashmiri Pandit teacher killed on Thursday within the school premises in the Eidgah area.

There has been widespread condemnation of the civilian killings carried out by the terrorists during recent days.

The police have said they have 'received vital clues about the perpetrators of these civilian murders and those responsible for the cowardly acts would soon be brought to justice'.

For the first time since August 5, 2019, when the state was bifurcated into two union territories and Articles 370 and 35A abrogated, there is an all prevailing sense of fear in the Valley.

Sikh mourners seek death for killers of civilians in Srinagar

IANS

Srinagar, Oct 8: Scores of wailing and weeping family members and others belonging to the Sikh

Condemnation, protests against civilian killings continues in Kashmir IANS

Srinagar, Oct 10: Condemnation, condolences, and protests against the brutal murder of famous pharmacy owner, M.L. Bindroo continued on Sunday in Srinagar city five days after the incident.

Just three days back, a largely-attended candlelight protest was held at city centre Lal Chowk.

The participants, including elected municipal councillors, called their protest "Akhir Kab Tak" (How long will such madness continue).

Friends, well-wishers and even people who hardly knew him, continue to pour into Bindroo's residence to express grief and anger at his murder by the terrorists.

Bindroo's killing sparked fear and consternation among scores of Kashmiri Pandits who had continued to live in the Valley even after the majority of their community members migrated out in early 1990s.

Dozens of Kashmiri Pandits in government service, as teachers across the Valley and in other offices,

were asked not to move out of their secured pooled accommodations till they hear from the authorities.

The fear of the Pandit community got redoubled when just two days after Bindroo's murder, terrorists killed a female Sikh school principal, Supinder Kaur and a non-Muslim teacher in Eidgah area of Srinagar.

Office bearers of the Shiromani Gurdawara Parbandhak Committee told media that no member of the Sikh community who is a government employee working in the Valley will attend duties unless assured of protection by the authorities.

Former Chief Ministers, religious leaders and other prominent persons continue to visit Supinder Kaur's residence to express condolences and show solidarity with the family.

Reports also said some Kashmiri Pandit families, who were staying inside secured accommodations, have already left the Valley.

In light of these developments, the

civilian murders committed by the terrorists will haunt the local society for many years to come.

Two teachers shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar city IANS

Srinagar, Oct 7 (IANS): Two teachers were shot and killed by terrorists on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar city.

Police sources said terrorists fired from close range at two teachers in a government higher secondary school in the Eidgah area of Srinagar.

"Both the teachers died on the spot.

The area is being searched after it was cordoned off," sources said.

Reports here said among the slain teachers, is the principal of the school, Supinder Kaur and a

Kashmiri Pandit teacher, Deepak Chand.

Thursday's killings come two days

after the terrorists shot a local Pandit, M.L. Bindroo, a non-local vendor and a taxi driver in Kashmir.

Conspiracy behind J&K taxi driver's killing unearthed, 4 militant associates arrested IANS

Srinagar, Oct 10: The conspiracy between a taxi driver's killing in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district on October 5, amid a spate of targetted killings the same day, has been unearthed, police said on Sunday.

Mohammad Shafi Lone, who was killed by terrorists on October 5, was the third civilian killed by the terrorists on that day.

Earlier, prominent pharmacy owner, M.L.Bindroo and a non-local street vendor were killed by the terrorists on the same day.

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the killing was done on the behest of Pakistan-based TRF handler, and the Bandipora police has busted an LeT (TRF) module by arresting four militant associates involved in the killing of Lone, a resident of Naidkhai in Bandipora.

"The killing was carried out at the behest and instruction of LeT (TRF) handler Lala Umar, a resident of Pakistan. To carry out the nefarious design, a conspiracy was hatched by an LeT (TRF) module of Shahgund, Hajin area in Bandipora," he said.

The IGP said that the "module carried out a thorough reccee of the target and all his movements were

closely watched".

"On the fateful evening, one of the OGWs who was known to the victim, called the victim for a meeting at Gundboon.

"At the said place, a detailed ambush/trap had been laid by the other members of the module. Once the victim reached the spot, he was swiftly assassinated," he said.

He further said that a special team of Bandipora police was entrusted with the investigation of the case and

after thorough human and technical corroboration, the module was busted and four OGWs arrested.

The arrested OGWs have been identified as Tariq Ahmed Dar alias Tariq Khoucha, Muhammad Shafi Dar, Mudasir Hassan Lone, and Bilal Ahmad Dar alias Saba Khoucha.

The IGP said another OGWs involved in the shooting identified as Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar alias Kotru is absconding and has joined the militant ranks.

Kashmiri Pandits say killings a terror plan to prevent their return home Srinagar, Oct 9 (IANS): An organisation of Kashmiri Pandits said on Saturday that the targeted killings of minorities in Jammu and Kashmir is part of a terror plan to prevent them from returning to the Valley.

Satish Mahaldar, chairman of reconciliation, return and rehabilitation of migrants, said in a statement on Saturday, "Recent killings of minority civilians in Kashmir is part of a well planned terror action plot, at the core of which is to drive out remaining minorities in the Valley and create fear psychosis so that no one can return.

"On 2nd October 2021, when the whole world was observing non-violence day on Gandhi Jayanti, a temple was desecrated in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district namely Bargheshekha Bhagwati Mata Temple in the Mattan area of the south Kashmir district.

"On October 5, Makhan Lal Bindroo www.indianabroad.news

was shot dead by terrorists as he sat in his shop in Srinagar's Iqbal Park, an area dotted with police and paramilitary installations. He was in love with Kashmir.

"He never wanted to leave Kashmir even when we urged him to leave.

He would often say: "I will give my life, but I won't leave".

"Bindroos were also among the Kashmiri Pandit families who had chosen to stay on in the Valley even after targeted killings had forced a mass migration of the community in 1990s.

"A terrorist group called The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the killings of Bindroo and claimed he was "posing as a medical professional" and "conducting secret seminars" backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh after serving Kashmiri people for nearly 32 years.

"Terrorists shot dead principal and

teacher in a Srinagar school after separating Muslim and non-Muslim teachers.

"Another deceased was identified as Virendra Paswan, a native of Bhagalpur district of Bihar who was residing in Alamgari Bazar, Zadibal.

"He was a street vendor by profession who used to sell bhelpuri in Hawal area of Srinagar. The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for his killing also claiming that he was OWG for GoI agencies.

"We had already intimated the GoI several times through media and otherwise that the launch of Migrant distress sales portal will trigger an anti-minority feeling in some quarters, especially in the Land Mafia.

"Premature and triumphant claims about normalcy in Kashmir got exposed two months ago when the LG was informed in writing

by Kashmiri Pandits that there are

rumours that minorities in Kashmir will be targeted.

"Unfortunately, the LG's office and security agencies ignored our

/IndianAbroadNews

inputs.

"Despite the inputs to security agencies, the UT govt and GoI failed to provide security/protection to

/indianabroadnews

IANS

minorities of Kashmir.

"Now it is easier to politically use the plight of minorities/Kashmiri Pandits of Kashmir".

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LEAD STORIES

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

LAKHIMPURI VIOLENCE Two more detained in Lakhimpur Kheri violence IANS

Lakhimpur Kheri , Oct 10: The Lakhimpur Kheri police has detained the driver of Ankit Das, the nephew of former Congress MP late Akhilesh Das, in connection with the death of four farmers who were mowed down by a vehicle belonging to Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni.

He was reportedly driving the vehicle in the convoy, which was just behind Mishra's SUV. The driver is also accused of helping Ankit Das escape from the spot.

Meanwhile, another aide of Mishra, said to be present at the scene of crime, was also detained.

Senior police officers did not

disclose the names of the accused saying they had not been arrested and are being questioned.

Ankit's uncle Akhilesh Das was a Congress MP and the national general secretary of BSP. He passed away in 2017.

Ankit is said to be a close associate of Ashish Mishra and his father.

An official said the name of Ankit Das surfaced after a video went viral a day after the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.

In the video, a man, having injuries on his head, is seen claiming that he was in the second SUV with Das. A policeman is also spotted in the video who is holding a microphone and asking the injured man about the incident. He tells cops that the vehicle belonged to Ankit Das. The injured man is heard telling cops that he lives in Charbagh area in Lucknow and had accompanied Ankit Das to Kheri for work.

Priyanka takes part in 'antim One more ardas' of deceased farmers arrested in IANS

Lakhimpur Kheri case IANS

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Minister's son 'evaded' crucial questions

IANS

Lakhimpur Kheri, Oct 10: His inability to respond to pointed questions about the sequence of events on October 3, when a group of farmers were trampled over by a SUV belonging to him, finally led Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni, to jail.

Mishra was arrested at 10.50.pm on Saturday and sent to the Lakhimpur jail around 1.a.m on Sunday after 12 hours of questioning.

According to a senior official in the investigation team, Ashish Mishra was not able to explain his location between 2.30 p.m and 3.30 p.m. on October 3 when the incident took place.

Witnesses have said he was missing from the event between 2 and 4 pm, his phone location showed him closer to the crime scene.

Though the minister's son admitted the SUV that ran over farmers belongs to him, but he maintained that he was not in it. His team said he had produced around 150 images of the wresting match where he was present on the day of the incident.

"To every question, he had one answer - I was not present at the spot where the incident took place.

We asked him who drove his SUV, how many people were sitting in it, how many cars were there in the convoy and for every question he said he was not present," said the police officer.

When asked why the vehicle did not stop after hitting the people and why was there a crowd on the road, Ashish Mishra had one reply -I was not there.

At times, he even lost his col and said, "Even if you ask me one lakh

times, my answer will be the same."

He even feigned complete ignorance about the fact that his men carried arms with them.

The families of at least two deceased have claimed that there were gunshot wounds on the bodies - fact denied in the post mortem report.

However, two empty cartridges of 315. Bore rifle have been found at the site of the incident, proving that someone opened fire.

When the police team asked him the veracity of video footage, he had produced to substantiate his presence at the wrestling match earlier in the district, Ashish said, "You can get its tested from forensic experts."

He still had no explanation for his whereabouts at the time when the incident took place because the wrestling match had ended by then.

When asked why he was not

cooperating with the investigations, Ashish said, "Whenever I am needed, I will come. I am not a criminal-I am the son of a politician and a businessman in my own right."

Mishra was arrested a day after the Supreme Court reminded the Uttar Pradesh government that the law must take its course against 'whoever is involved' amid nationwide outrage over the incident and mounting pressure from farmer groups.

Two persons, Luv Kush and Ashish Pandey, were arrested on Thursday as the case reached the Supreme Court. They were reportedly in the same vehicle that ran over a journalist and farmers, the police said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier stated that his government will 'not arrest anyone on the basis of allegations'.

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Ashish Misra arrested after 12-hour grilling IANS

Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh), Oct 12: The Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offered 'antim ardas' to the farmers who were mowed down by an SUV in the Tikunia village on October 3.

Priyanka reached Lakhimpur Kheri where the post-death rituals of the deceased farmers were taking place and participated in the event.

Bhartiya Kisan Union Tikait district vice president Balkar Singh had already made it clear that, "No political leader will be allowed to

Lucknow, Oct 9: Ashish Misra, the son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Misra, has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police after 12 hours of interrogation on Saturday for his alleged role in the October 3 violence in Lakhimpur Kheri that left nine persons dead, confirmed Upendra Agrawal, DIG, Saharanpur (Range).

According to sources, Misra has been arrested for not cooperating with the ongoing investigation by the police.

After being served a second notice, Ashish Misra, who has been accused of running over farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, appeared before the police on Saturday to record his statement.

Many of his supporters also reached the Crime Branch office in Lakhimpur Kheri where the interrogation took place. His lawyer Awadhesh Singh was also present

share the stage where only Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders will be present."

The SKM is the umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the ongoing protests against the Centre's farm laws.

Priyanka, on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri was greeted with posters opposing her visit. The posters reminded her of the 1984 massacre of Sikhs and said that their 'fake sympathy' was not needed.

Body with severed hand, tied to police barricade found at Singhu border New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS): An unidentified decedent with a chopped left hand was found tied to an inverted police barricade at the Haryana-Delhi Singhu border outside of Delhi on Friday morning, sending shockwaves.

The body was found near the staging area of the anti-farm law protest site where the farmers have been demonstrating against the three farm laws for over 10 months now.

An image that has been doing the rounds on social media shows the body having several marks and spots, an obvious indication of being beaten up or lynched by a mob before being murdered.

The semi-naked body had only a single piece of cloth tied around the waist -- a dirty, blood-soaked white dhoti.

The manner in which the body was spotted made it seem as if it was put on display near the main stage of protesting farmers on purpose.

It is being alleged that the man was caught while desecrating the Sikh religious holy book, however, an official confirmation about this is still awaited.

As per the latest reports, a police team reached the spot and recovered the body.

"The body has been sent to a nearby Civil hospital and further investigation is going on," police sources said.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has blamed Nihangs or armed Sikh www.indianabroad.news

warriors of committing the murder.

They told the media that Nihangs have been causing problems in and around the protest sites since day one.

The umbrella group of protesting farmers has disassociated itself from the incident.

A video of the inhumane incident has also surfaced where a group of Nihangs could be seen standing over the man -- after his wrist had been severed and he was lying on the ground, bleeding.

At one point the chopped-off hand could be seen lying beside the man.

No one from the crowd could be seen helping or even trying to help the victim.

In another video, the man's body has been strung upside down with a rope with his left hand and the surface beneath is covered in blood.

Both Haryana and Delhi Police could be seen deployed at their respective borders.

The farmers' protest has also taken violent turns in the past.

On October 3, Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh witnessed a vehicle-ramming attack and mob lynching incident during the farmers' protest. In the incident, four farmers were killed apart from five others.

Farmer organisations claimed that so far 630 farmers have died during the protests against the three farm laws for the past year.

along with Sadar MLA Yogesh Verma.

The second notice sent by the police had asked Ashish Misra to appear before it on Saturday after he failed

to do so on Friday.

The notice had also warned Ashish Misra that if he fails to appear, necessary legal action would be initiated against him.

Rally against Lakhimpur Kheri killings in Canada IANS

Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh), Oct 12: The Lakhimpur Kheri police have arrested Shekhar Bharti, the driver of Ankit Das, whose vehicle was in the convoy that mowed down nine persons, including four farmers on October 3.

Police sources said that Shekhar Bharti, who was arrested on Tuesday morning, is presently being interrogated.

Bharti was reportedly driving the black Fortuner that was being driven behind the Mahindra Thar that trampled the farmers.

The police have been carrying out raids in Lucknow and some other locations to arrest Ankit Das, who is the nephew of former MP, late Akhilesh Das. This is the fourth arrest in the Lakhimpur case. Two persons were arrested earlier and the third arrest was that of the main accused Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni.

Chandigarh, Oct 9: South Asians in Canada's British Columbia came together to protest against the violence in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district which erupted on October 3, claiming the lives of nine persons, including four farmers.

Organised by Radical Desi, an online magazine that covers alternate politics, the rally was held on Friday right outside the Indian Visa and Passport Application Center in Surrey.

The participants demanded justice for the victims' families and the arrests of those involved, besides the suspension of Mishra.

The farmers have been holding peaceful protests against the farm laws. They believe the laws threaten their livelihood and have been camping outside New Delhi since November last.

The participants at the Surrey rally demanded action against the father and son and the repeal of the farm laws.

/IndianAbroadNews

A moment of silence was held at the start of the rally and the victims' names were read out on the occasion.

Raman Kashyap, a freelance journalist, who died during the violence that followed the killing of the four farmers was also remembered.

Those in attendance held out signs

/indianabroadnews

asking for justice to the victims.

Among the speakers were renowned community activists Rakesh Kumar, Imtiaz Popat, Kulwinder Singh, Kesar Singh Baghi, media personalities Gurvinder Singh Dhaliwal, Navjot Dhillon and Radical Desi director Gurpreet Singh..

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DESI ACHIEVERS

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

PRAKRUTHI MYSORE GURURAJ A born leader to lead the community in positive spirits

www.indianabroad.news

to serve people and community, without giving up on my personal responsibility, I would come up with a relevant coping mechanism that suited the most to each of my situations. I was once advised by my father that the real achievement in life is not what we did when we were alive but to live after death.

That got engraved in my brain and I would strive and thrive to make a difference in mine and others' lives that would leave a legacy. The more I gave the more I got and there was no looking back in my life. I always made sure I lived a balanced life with my responsibility across my family, work & community service.

You are the Multicultural Ambassador of Red Carpet Functions. How have you contributed to multiculturalism in Australia?

Red Carpet Functions is a brain child of the Founder Director Ms. Reena Augustine who aspired to celebrate the diversity of Brisbane’s communities and emphasized on the appreciation of its diverse cultures. Initiated in 2015, RCF provides a unique platform to independent designers, models, performers and artists to showcase their work and talent to the public. Myself being a Multicultural Ambassador, I represent Red Carpet Functions at various events to promote the vision and

titles MRS CONFIDENT AND MRS RAMPWALK. As this influenced the global community tremendously, I was honored as Overseas Ambassador for APF Mrs. Karnataka by the Director & Founder of Asha Prakasha Foundation (APF) Dr. Asha Kiran.

This is indeed an epic in my life and is a story worth to be told in future!!!

What according to you are your biggest professional challenges?

Cultural background is the biggest impediment that most of the migrants face in their professional life.

Saying that, it also means it gives us immigrants a great opportunity to connect and learn from local culture.

I personally have experienced and realized how amazing Australia is in terms of accepting people from multicultural backgrounds and respecting their cultural values.

Hence it’s very important to be open minded and to embrace the new environment.

Next comes knowing the rules and regulations on working in Australia.

Work life balance is highly valued in this country. If need comes there are numerous ways to get help

including the Employee Assistance Program in respective organizations, multiple support groups and unions. However, knowing the basics like handling harassment and workplace bullying from the start will alleviate the mental stress.

“

Today in this pandemic, we all know that women whether working or non-working have been handling many things along with taking care of their families and each one’s needs but forgetting their own needs.

Mrs Prakruthi Gururaj

“

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vercoming challenges can be a difficult task for everyone but there are only a select few who thrive on challenges with such willingness and spread a wave of positivity all around. Here is the story of a woman who actually looks forward to challenges with a passion which is incessant. Let us read for ourselves what Mrs Karnataka 2020 of APF Quarantine FB Queen Prakruthi Gururaj Mysore, the founder and director of Brisbanebased Connect Within and Beyond; the Multicultural Ambassador of Red Carpet Functions and Deputy Leader of Mental Health Foundation Australia - Queensland, has to say about her eventful life, her goals, aspirations and achievements.

Could you briefly trace your life’s journey so far?

As a social entrepreneur, I strongly believe in serving the community to make a difference in people’s life; to bring changes that will encourage people to overcome their challenges. Being an integral part of the Brisbane community, I have been able to contribute to multiculturalism in Queensland through areas of leadership, public speaking, writing and entertainment. I truly enjoy my community engagements while being a career woman as a Business Analyst and mother to two adorable children.

I began community service pretty much at the age of 12, when I started choreographing dances for underprivileged children at schools in my city Mysore, India and went on to represent my state Karnataka at National level dance festival for 2 consecutive years at Bhopal and Calcutta with the Indian classical dance group of Guru Kumar, Bharathi Stree Samaj School.

Then I entered into the fashion field when I was barely 18 years old and had been a professional model who walked the ramp for 4 consecutive years and went on to be a judge for many beauty pageants back in India and now in Australia too. I re-entered the fashion arena coming to Australia through Red Carpet Functions and now take part as both model and as a Master of Ceremony predominantly.

Considering all the services I have unconditionally rendered to communities, I have been graced with numerous awards, accolades and recognition across multidisciplinary domains in India, the Middle East and now my home Australia.

As part of my community service, I have served at Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland as Vice President in term 2016-2018 and as PRO in term 2014-2016; I have also served as President of Kannada Sangha Queensland Inc., 2017-2018, been part of many community like Damini Women's Association, Fiji Senior Citizens Association and support other multicultural community.

To expand on my community involvement, I started my dream organisation ‘Connect within and beyond’ to make the community feel connected through delivering motivational speeches that matter for every multicultural community.

Alongside, I currently serve as the Deputy Leader for Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA) - Queensland, Multicultural Ambassador for Red Carpet Functions, Advisory Board Member of Multicultural Queensland Social Network Group, and am considered as one of the Community leaders in Queensland as I work alongside many multicultural communities.

My engagement in the wider community mostly involves motivational and empowerment speeches, promoting multiculturalism, volunteering services, organising events and performing at events across Queensland and earlier in the Middle East. Through these activities, I intend to promote peace and harmony in our multicultural country Australia and around the globe.

You have got multiple professional and social responsibilities and, I am sure, several personal responsibilities as well. How do you manage them all?

As I have always had this drive

Mission through the core message “whoever has the passion for fashion can be part of our events”.

Our events and performances aim to eliminate the cultural barriers among diverse groups and inspire our community to further appreciate each other’s differences. We also focus on inclusivity, as everyone deserves a chance to walk on a runway, regardless of experience, age, gender, physical/mental disabilities and cultural backgrounds.

You were adjudged as Mrs Karnataka 2020 of APF Quarantine FB Queen. Could you share your feelings regarding this wonderful achievement?

This pageant was a first of its kind in the world, which was not solely on looks or beauty, but with an intent to empower the women of Karnataka, India to start with and then to take it at global level with the motto “Say no to body shaming” and “Say yes to self-confidence”.

Today in this pandemic, we all know that women whether working or non-working have been handling many things along with taking care of their families and each one’s needs but forgetting their own needs. For me, this pageant was about inspiring all those women out there by walking the talk.

After 4 rounds that consisted of Introductory, Western Gown, Traditional wear and 150 mins of virtual Question and Answer round, the crown winner was declared. Along with the title of MRS KARNATAKA 2020, I was graced with 2 other sub

During the World Peace Summit at Korea

Receiving the Excellence Community Award in recognition of the enormous contribution to the community by Surendra Prasad - President of Fiji Senior

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ICSC bags gold at State Volleyball Championship

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he Indian Cultural and Sports Club volleyball team bagged the gold at the State Volleyball Championship organised

by Volleyball Queensland at Gold Coast on 4th October. The three day long event which was held from 2nd October to 4th October, 2021 at Gold Coast Sports & Leisure Centre and Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, concluded with this big win.

Each year, Volleyball Queensland’s State Championships plays host to volleyball associations and clubs from across Queensland. As teams compete for the most prestigious trophies in the state – the VQ State Championships and the VQ President’s Shield, awarded to the best performing association or club across all divisions – the State Championships is an action packed tournament.This event is proudly supported by Major Events Gold Coast. Despite operating under Covid-safe measures, this year was no different. In fact, it was bigger and better than ever before, with a record 108 teams competing for top honours.

Volleyball Queensland extended its congratulations to all who participated and thanked all the players, spectators, and officials for complying with their Covid-19 health and safety measures.

Indian Cultural Expo exhibits unique Indian brands Continued from page 1 Some more special words of gratitude from Mona Bhasin were as follows: “Thank you to the lovely lady, Anu Samra- Mrs Punjaban Queensland,

my model, friend and chai buddy for all your support and help.”

“Thank you to all these amazing women who joined together and gave Brisbane the ultimate experience of Indian festive shopping.”

“I also wish to thank Vahini ji and Ramana Panda ji for being my mentors and giving coverage to the Indian Cultural Expo event in their community magazine Indian Abroad.”

Australian govt approves Covishield for foreign travellers

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he Australian government has recently accorded recognition to Covishield, the Indian variant of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, stating it to be a “recognised vaccine” for international travellers. This is a measure taken to pave the way for safely reopening the country from November.

However, the government has indicated that Indian students will have to wait some more time before getting permission to return to Australia. Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan, who was on a visit to India recently said that foreign students will be able to start “returning towards the end of this year and the beginning of next year”, ahead of the start of the first semester in February-March 2022.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia has included Covishield and China’s Coronavac (Sinovac) as “recognised vaccines” after an initial assessment of data on protection offered by the two jabs.

A joint statement issued by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and several ministers said that Covishield, made by the Serum Institute of India, and Coronavac “should be considered as ‘recognised vaccines’ for the purpose of determining incoming international travellers as being

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appropriately vaccinated.

It is noteworthy that India has been trying consistently to impress upon the Australian government to allow travel for Indian nationals, especially students wishing to join courses at universities and educational institutions. Data show that India is the second largest source of foreign students in Australia, with China topping the list. Moreover, in terms of revenue in 2019-20, Indian students contributed $6.6 billion to the Australian economy.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi recently Tehan said, “We are on track to see [the] reopening [of Australia] occur in November. This is so important in a number of areas... it means the pathway for Indian students to return to Australia is there again. We are warmly looking forward to welcoming the Indian students.”

Moreover, Australia’s recognition of Covishield will allow Indian businesspeople to return, Tehan said.

When asked if Australia would recognise India’s Covaxin, Tehan said this could be considered once the vaccine is approved by the WHO. In the beginning, Australia will allow travel to reunite Australian families.

It will also work towards allowing in tourists.

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FOOD & CUISINE

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Indian Cooking with Lata Modi POTATO BONDA & NO SUGAR LADDOOS POTATO BONDA

MRS. LATA MODI

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oday I want to share two after-school or afternoon snacks recipes. And of course, I have beautiful memories of my childhood in Kanpur and what my mum used to give us for afternoon tea and what I used to give to my kids for after-school, afternoon snack and now what my grand children are eating for after-school snack.

When we were growing up, there was no packet of chips or fancy nut-bars or biscuits; we were brought up eating very organic healthy homemade snacks.

So my mum had a kitchen garden and she had lots of corn growing in the garden.

When we came back from school we will pluck fresh corn, roast it on charcoal, rub lemon and salt on it and absolutely loved it.

And we will wash it down with milk shake.

As my dad had a huge dairy farm, I remember seeing milk and yoghurt in every corner of our home. So much so that every Sunday we were given a bowl of yoghurt to wash our hair.

So to make sure we drank enough milk, mum will make a bucket full of rose-flavoured milk shake, which was basically milk and rose syrup with crushed ice. All my siblings used to love it.

Times changed. We moved to Australia.

Now I don’t have a kitchen garden here where I could grow corn like my mum did. I did not want my kids to eat chips and biscuits for afternoon tea either.

So the dilemma was, what to give children after school. As mums you have to come up with brilliant ideas for your children to like what you cook, which is healthy, homemade and tasty too.

So from all the recipes of afternoon snack I have chosen two.

NO SUGAR LADDOOS

POTATO BONDA FOR CHILDREN (Mashed potatoes dipped in besan batter and deep fried) STEP ONE: INGREDIENTS: for 4-6 people 6-8 medium sized potatoes Two tablespoon oil One teaspoon cumin seeds Salt to taste One teaspoon amchoor powder (optional) Fresh coriander leaves chopped METHOD • First, boil potatoes • Peel and grate them • Add salt and coriander leaves • Mix it well • Now wet your palm with little oil and make small round golfshaped balls with this mixture.

You will get about 12 • Heat two tablespoon oil in a wok or frying pan • Add cumin seeds • Add the grated potatoes and stir for couple of minutes.

• Put it aside.

STEP TWO BATTER and (FRYING) INGREDIENTS

• • • • • •

Two cup besan Two tablespoon self-raising flour Salt to taste One teaspoon turmeric powder One teaspoon cumin powder One tea spoon chilli powder (optional) • Enough oil in a wok for frying METHOD • In a big wok heat your oil • Start with full heat, and in couple of minutes bring the heat to medium • Now in a mixing bowl, put besan, self-raising flour and other spices and make a runny batter (pan cake batter type) by adding little water at a time • Now carefully dip one potato ball at a time in this Besan batter and slide it in the hot oil • You should be able to put 5 -6 together in the wok • Cook it on medium heat until it’s golden brown • Make sure you are turning them gradually with long spoon • Repeat the process Have it ready before kids come home from school They would absolutely love it

HEALTHY NUTTY NUTRITIOUS NO SUGAR LADDOOS INGREDIENTS - for 20 laddoos • Half kilo pitted dates • One cup roasted almonds • One cup walnuts • One cup cashews • All the above nuts fine chopped METHOD • In a wok put dates to soften • On the medium heat just stir them for couple of minutes until it’s soft • Now put it aside in a mixing bowl • In the same wok add two table

spoon ghee to roast your chopped nuts • Once roasted add them to the soften dates • Mix it well with the help of a wooden spoon • When it is still warm make round laddoos • This is a very nourishing snack.

Serve it on room temperature with a glass of warm milk Children would love it You can keep these for up to two months in an air tight jar

Celebrating the contribution of Simply Human- Superheroes without capes

Continued from page 1 he Simply Human team expressed their gratitude to all the attendees, event partners and sponsors as follows, “We are grateful to all our Keynote speakers & our true Superheroes Without Capes”- Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM, Prof Ajay Rane OAM, Ms Rita Prasad-Ildes & Ms Akashika Mohla for sharing their inspiring journeys and giving us the much needed dosage of motivation to keep us going. Thanks to all the incredible humans who came to experience the event, your presence definitely boosted our morale. Thank you James Martin MP for gracing the event. It was a pleasure to have you last night, we look forward to your continued support. We hope that you all will continue to help us positively impact people's lives. A heartfelt thank you to each and everyone who supported the event and made it a huge success. Thank you Senator Paul Scarr for sponsoring the Celebrating Superheroes Without Capes 2021 event and for supporting our vision and mission. Thanks to all our amazing sponsors, without their generosity and kindness this event wouldn’t have been possible.

Thank you to our Rockstar Emcee, Allan John for his remarkable work.

You kept the audience engaged and amused and how. Thank you to the Stage Manager Seerat and supporters Aileen & PK. Thanks to the volunteers Mukesh Dubey Anna, Tanvi Goel and Irene for being such a great help. To the A team of Simply Human, congratulations once again for completing successfully and impacting 5 years. Let's continue

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our momentum and keep making a difference one life at a time. Above all, we can’t thank our Event Partner Ecutas Productions, Ecutas Media & Mr Paviter Kumar Noori (Advisor Marketing & Strategy - Simply Human) for an amazingly organised and executed event. Your vision has enabled us to raise Simply Human to another level. We look forward to seeing you all next year. Till then,

please keep spreading smiles, love & kindness wherever you go.

The gold sponsors of the event included Guru Property-Real Estate Agents; Yatra Music, Sudha Manian; Business2sell and ARCH Disability.

Queensland College was the event’s platinum sponsor while the silver sponsors comprised Expert Education & Visa Services, Brisbane; Swades Foods; Fintax Partners;

Nach Baliye Events; Dosa Hut Mt Gravatt; Dentists at Coorparoo Coorparoo Dentists Burrito Bar and Cloudemy. The community partners for the event were Indian Cultural & Sports Club Inc. - Brisbane; Telangana Jagruthi Australia; Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ) | Australia; GOPIO Queensland and Seven Hills Productions.

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Gandhi Jayanti commemorated at Professor Veena Sahajwalla Roma Street Parklands and USQ shortlisted for Eureka Awards 2021 Continued from page 1 his technology entails utilising waste tyres in steel manufacturing processes as a substitute for coal. She has been persevering in developing techniques, curtailing waste generation and optimising the utility of waste and ensuring positive outcomes. She believes that scientific avenues to

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create alternative materials facilitate large-scale recycling activities.

She also reckons that it will fulfil the twin objective of generating employment and curbing environmental issues created by excessive waste generation and its improper disposal.

If Professor Sahajwalla wins the

prize, this will not be her first time.

In 2005 also she had bagged the award in the scientific research category. The Eureka award winners will be announced on 7 October 2021 at a live broadcast event. The Eureka Awards offer $160,000 in prize money, across a broad spectrum of research.

WA govt conducts India Connect event in collaboration with AIBC and CGI Perth

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Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at USQ

Gandhi Jayanti commemorated at Roma Street Parklands

memorial congregation remembering and honouring Mahatma Gandhi on his 152 birth anniversary was held at Roma Street Parklands, Brisbane on October 2nd, 2021. The event was a collaborative effort on the part of the Australia India Business Council (AIBC), the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ), the Gandhi Salt March Limited (GSML) and the Mahatma Gandhi Memorials Committee, The global leader who inspires humanity with love,kindness, compassion and inclusiveness said "Be the change, you want to see in the world". All the community members who gathered around the Mahatma’s statue at Roma Street Parklands took a pledge to live by Gandhiji's ideals and also encouraged the community at large to do the same.

The second phase of the celebration of Gandhi Jayanti took place at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) , Springfield Lakes on 3rd October, 2021 with Dr Maha Sinnathamby AM, Patron of FICQ, Senator Paul Scarr, Mr Milton Dick MP , Mr Shayne Neumann, Mr Paul-John Langbroek MP, Mayor of Ipswich , Cr Teresa Harding, Mr Jim Varghese AM and many other distinguished guests.

he Western Australian Government, in collaboration with the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Perth, Australian India Business Council (AIBC), Chamber of Commerce and Industry Western Australia, Perth USAsia Centre, Confederation of Indian Industry and the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce, hosted India Connect on 1 October 2021 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

India Connect is designed to deepen Western Australia-India relations, providing a platform for meaningful discussion on investment and trade opportunities and complementary capabilities between the two regions. Keynote speakers included His Excellency, Mr Manpreet Vohra, Indian High Commissioner to Australia and the Hon Roger Cook MLA Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Jobs and Trade.

Due to COVID-19 border restrictions, India Connect was a hybrid event consisting of virtual and in-person presenters and guests.

Kairali Brisbane and MAQ commemorate Onam Australia & India to conclude early Australia-India harvest trade deal by December partnership

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airali Brisbane celebrated Onam recently which was attended by the Malayali community members. Onam is the most celebrated festival of Kerala, by the Malayali community across the world. The 10-day long festival marks the beginning of the harvest season. All the Malayali families in

Brisbane who attended the celebrations were attired in traditional attire. Malayalee Association of Queensland (MAQ) also celebrated Onam with great aplomb. The event organisers were overwhelmed with compliments from everyone who enjoyed the nostalgic feel created by the Mega Pookalam and

Sadhya. The selfless volunteers of MAQ worked diligently to make the event a success. The Pookalam coordinator team was led by Sachee, Dr. Boben, Agisha & Shyama. There were more than 70 volunteers, many with young kids and from all the age groups supporting the Mega Pookalam.

ndia and Australia agreed recently to conclude an early harvest trade deal by December, following which the two countries will be signing a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of 2022.

The two countries took the decision to speed up the long-pending trade deal at a meeting between Australia’s Trade and Tourism minister Dan Tehan and his Indian counterpart Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

“We have agreed on aggressive timelines,” Indian Commerce Minister said at a joint press conference after the 17th India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission meeting.

India has been negotiating

the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) comprising trade in goods, services, investment and related issues since 2011.

Both Australia and India have committed themselves to conclude a CECA, including reaching an interim agreement by December 2021 to liberalise and deepen bilateral trade in goods and services, and to conclude the negotiations on a full CECA by the end of 2022.

The two ministers also agreed that a balanced trade deal is the need of the hour that will benefit the two economies. A balanced trade deal will also reflect shared commitment to the rules-based international trading system.

Nritya Pradarshani showcases rich variety of Indian dances Continued from page 1 ritya Pradarshani, a special programme was held in Perth on 9th October, 2021. The event presented an ensemble of 8 different forms of Indian dances

by Indian Dance Schools in Perth showcasing India’s rich cultural heritage. The event materialised under the collaboration and support of the Government of Western Australia and Shamira Entertainment. The event was a part of the “Azadi ka Amritmahotsav celebrations

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marking the 75th year of Indian independence.

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being fortified in higher education

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roductive discussions with Alan Tudge MP, Australian Minister for Education & Youth took place recently following which it was agreed to strengthen the growing Australia-India partnership in higher education, especially in two-way student mobility, teacher exchanges, applied research and other areas of mutual priority.

India’s National Education Policy, 2020 will be instrumental in channelising the aspirations and future needs of Indian youth and in making India more relevant in the global arena. The education and skills spectrum has a significant potential for further cooperation between Flag of India & Flag of Australia.

Alan Tudge also elaborated on Australia’s preparation, including a students arrival pilot for the return of International and Indian students to Australia. Both India and Australia are committed to support Australiabound Indian students at every stage.

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Mental Health Foundation Australia marks Mental Health Month Continued from page 1 For those not belonging to the childcare industry, the speech by Kelly Dixon, an operations manager with 17 years in childcare, was a real eye opener, as she spoke about the multitude of traumatic encounters she has faced – dealing with abuse cases, seizures, children with behavioural problems, DV issues, and even the abandonment of a 3 day old baby by a mother suffering from post-natal depression. (That story had a happy ending with the mother returning days later and seeking help with the support of staff.) But there were a multitude of other problems that were outside of her control that impacted on her mental health to the point where she walked away from the industry for some time.

All the speakers were very interesting, but the other part of the day that stood out was the panel discussion which centred on caring for the mental health of childcare workers and of children. A prominent and interesting part of the discussion was regarding whether there should be mental health units (subjects) in the childcare training packages, and whether that would lead to better outcomes for childcare workers.

Some were concerned that extra regulation doesn’t necessarily mean

better outcomes – a cultural change was what was needed. However, many still came back to more regulation as the way to achieve this.

It is worth wondering sometimes if the training/childcare/education industries and other sectors are so over-regulated, we don’t know how to do something if it isn’t mandated through regulation. Sometimes expecting to be highly regulated and told what to do by big government is not always conducive to a proactive industry mindset, and only encourages greater government encroachment and over-regulation in an already hugely regulated country – but that’s another story for another time!

Apart from raising awareness, stakeholder engagement etc, I had a lot of fun as a photographer for the day, and took lots of photos for the MHFA – it was quite fun to do a different role rather than be responsible for organising the whole event for a change! Don’t worry, I’m back to my usual self tomorrow. In a different capacity, I have the great pleasure of hosting a roundtable lunch with Assistant Minister Senator the Hon. Amanda Stoker tomorrow and I am really looking forward to catching up with Senator Stoker and other guests.

Australian Capital Territory

Victoria

Tasmania

South Australia

Queensland

New South Wales

Western Australia

GSWA celebrates Navratri event PM Morrison sends Navratri

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ujarati Samaj of Western Australia (GSWA) celebrated the Navratri event on September 25 at Kingsway Indoor Stadium which is located to the north of the river Perth. The event was coordinated and managed by GSWA President Dhiresh Shah, Vice President Dharmesh Patel, the entire GSWA committee and volunteers from the community.

The event was sponsored by 20 local supporters.Tickets were sold out a week before the event. Around 1000 people of all age groups joined the event and enjoyed Garba with friends and family members.

There were also varieties of food and fun stalls. Tracy Roberts, the Honourable Mayor of the city of Wanneroo, graced the occasion as the special guest.

wishes to Indian community

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rime Minister Scott Morrison sent his warm wishes to all Hindus celebrating Navaratri in Australia and across the world.

Navratri is a nine-day festival dedicated to Hindu Goddess Durga.

Navratri 2021 will be celebrated from 7 October, 2021 to 15 October, 2021.

The Prime Minister’s message reads as follows: I send my warmest wishes to all my Hindu friends celebrating the nine nights of Navratri –– here in Australia and around the world.

This festival of faith and spirituality, the victory of good over evil, is also a vibrant celebration of culture, music, dancing, costume and colour –– special moments shared with family and friends.

Here in Australia – the most successful multicultural nation on Earth –– Navratri is part of the rich

tapestry of our nation. It embodies the generous sharing of history and heritage that is the foundation of our unity and harmony.

This year, the sights and sounds of Navratri for many will again be subdued. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to restrict the celebrations we enjoy.

Our National Plan is our pathway out of this pandemic –– underpinned by our vaccination program. I urge all Australians to take up the opportunity of vaccination offered by our doses of hope.

With this hope in reach, I have every confidence you will gather again with family and friends for dandiya, garba, feasting and fun.

At a time when we have much to look forward to, may the auspicious festival of Navratri uplift and inspire you, and bring you peace and joy.

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INDIA

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

How NCB released 3 detainees, rave party raids pre-planned: NCP Ommcom News

Mumbai, Oct 9: In a sensational revelation, the Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday claimed that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) released 3 detainees including a kin of a senior BJP leader and termed the ship rave party raid as "a preplanned conspiracy".

Addressing media-persons, NCP National Spokesperson and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said that a total of 11 persons were detained after the swoop on the ship (October 2), including Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan.

"Later, that night 3 persons were allowed to go by the NCB officials.

They are Rishabh Sachdev, the nephew of a BJP leader Mohit Bharatiya (formerly, Kamboj), Amir Furniturewala and Pratik Gabha.

The NCB must reply why they were released from detention," Malik demanded.

Elaborating further, he said that Aryan Khan had been invited to the ship party by the trio of Sachdev, Furniturewala and Gabha.

"However, after detaining 11 persons, the same three persons who had brought Aryan Khan to the party were allowed to go. This proves that the entire fraudulent raid on the

ship was a pre-planned conspiracy to lure and trap high-profile individuals," Malik said.

The NCP leader further said that several BJP leaders from New Delhi and Maharashtra made frantic calls to the NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede for the release of the three detainees, and they were allowed to go late last Saturday (October 2).

"Who were the persons calling up the NCB that night and why? The Maharashtra and Mumbai police must probe the call detail records (CDR) data of Wankhede plus Sachdev, Furniturewala and Gabha," Malik said.

Revealing another aspect, the Maharashtra Minister said that a BJP leader and a so-called 'private detective' Kiran P. Gosavi had signed on two 'panchnamas' giving different addresses of Thane and Navi Mumbai.

"Moreover, while one 'panchnama' of 4-pages was handwritten by a NCB official Satish Kumar, the other 9-page 'panchnama' was typed by Ashish R. Prasad and was a computer printout. How did this happen?"

Malik questioned.

He pointed out that normally, the 'panchas' are said to be prominent or

respectable persons, but in this case, the NCB got at least 2 politicians Manish Bhanushali and Gosavi - the latter wanted by the Pune Police.

Reacting to Malik's revelation, Shiv Sena leader Kishore Tiwari, accorded a MoS status, said that the series of developments unmasked so far indicate that the NCB has become a 'Team B of BJP' "I reiterate the Maharashtra Police should immediately arrest Sameer Wankhede for flouting all norms to conduct such bogus operations involving famous personalities to remain in media glare and divert attention from the drug seizure at Mundra Port," Tiwari demanded.

Congress State Spokesperson Sachin Sawant called for action under Section 59 of the NDPS Act -- who were involved in the cruise ship raids, how a relative of a BJP leader was released from detention, how BJP activists like Gosavi and Bhanushali were involved in the raids and then taken as 'independent witnesses'.

"The series of unearthing through documentary and video evidence suggests a big conspiracy and a collusion between BJP and NCB gets established. The MVA government must probe the entire plot," Sawant demanded.

Responding, the BJP Leader of Opposition (Council) Pravin Darekar dismissed the NCP's allegations saying it was intended to seek publicity and arising out of frustration as Malik's son-in-law was nabbed by the NCB in a drug case.

Threatening to make more revelations in the coming days, Malik reiterated that the entire ship raid was 'fake' and a planned conspiracy to trap some prominent youngsters, get huge publicity, defame Bollywood and discredit the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress MVA government.

Bengal sounds terror alert during Durga Puja IANS

Kolkata, Oct 10: The state government has sounded a terror alert in the state during the 'pujas' -- an indication that West Bengal is the new terror target.

Though senior police officers are yet to jump to any conclusion, arrests made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF) in the last few months show the movement of terror modules in the state.

According to the NIA, these terror operatives use the porous Bangladesh border to enter the country.

The alert issued by the state home department asked Durga puja organisers to set up systems to monitor crowd movement. They have been asked to install CCTV cameras and watch towers in the vicinity of puja pandals and work in close coordination with the local police station.

The notice also mentioned that immersion of all idols have to be completed between October 15 (Dashami) and October 18 in consultation with local police stations. "In the context of the prevailing threats from divisive and terrorist groups to destabilise the country and to create law-and-order problems, you are advised to exercise utmost vigilance during the celebration of the festivals," the statement read.

It further suggested, "The community puja organizers should be asked to engage adequate numbers of volunteers in Puja pandals to keep vigil on the movement of suspicious persons and all the volunteers should be directed to keep in touch with local police constantly."

"The state government's effort to involve the puja committees in the security mechanism is a significant development. It shows that the state home department is planning for a wider safety and security chain which in itself is conclusive enough to understand the importance and the possibility of an attack," a senior official of the state home department said.

The NIA arrested Aal Halif alias Abu Ibrahim -- one of the most dreaded IS handlers in this subcontinent from Bengaluru in 2020. This IS handler was a meritorious student of economics before his entry into the terror world. Halif disguised as Sujit Chandra Debnath was working as an assistant of a mason in Bengaluru.

Similarly, Kolkata STF -- the elite Kolkata Police force arrested three JMB handlers -- Naziur Rahman Pavel, Mikail Khan and Rabiul Islam -- who sneaked into the India and were residing in the posh residential area of the city.

To avoid detection, Pavel used the Hindu name Jayram Bepari. He and Mekail Khan alias Sheikh Sabbir befriended two Hindu women in the Haridevpur area and had planned to get married. This would have helped them recruit more people without arousing suspicion.

These are not isolated examples but there are several other instances when the terror handlers have been using religion as a tool to fox the investigators. "Religion is no more a taboo for the terror groups rather they are using it as a tool to hide their identity. Changing religion is no more an important thing for these handlers rather they are using

it effectively to dodge surveillance," a senior Kolkata Special Task Force Officer (STF) said.

Another factor that is keeping the police and the investigation agencies on the tenterhooks is the lockdown and the subsequent unemployment which is making the work of these terror groups easier. Taking advantage of the porous border with Bangladesh and unemployment, international terror groups like JMB, Ansarullah Faction and even Islamic State are trying to spread their network in the state. The aim is to make West Bengal, the headquarters of the terror activities in entire eastern India.

Sometimes through direct interaction and at times through online, they are targeting brainy but unemployed young boys and girls in the state. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police have secured this information from the three JMB terrorists who were arrested by the STF sleuths recently from a colony in the southern outskirts of Kolkata. The investigation officials are worried that because of systematic brainwashing by these terror groups many meritorious but unemployed youths are getting lost from mainstream society.

Aryan drug case: Byju's temporarily Girl student who tried to end life scores highest in supplementary exams halts ads featuring SRK English.Sakshi.com

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS): IPO-bound edtech major Byju's has temporarily halted advertisements featuring its brand ambassador and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, as his son Aryan Khan undergoes a drug bust probe by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

Reliable Sources told IANS on Saturday that Byju's has stopped all ads featuring Shah Rukh Khan, apparently after social media users criticised the edtech company for endorsing ads featuring the actor, who has been the Byju's brand ambassador since 2017.

When reached, a spokesperson for Byju's declined to comment on the matter.

Byju's is on an acquisition spree this year. Overall, it has acquired nine businesses this year. The edtech giant is also exploring an initial public offering (IPO) which could value the company at around $40 billion-$45 billion.

Shah Rukh Khan has over 42 million followers on Twitter and 26.5 million followers on Facebook-owned

Instagram.

The criticism came in the wake of arrests after a high-drama rave party raid on Cordelia Cruise ship during the Mumbai-Goa voyage by the NCB on October 2.

In a major setback for Shah Rukh's son Aryan, a Mumbai court on Friday rejected his bail plea, and of two others who were among the 8 arrested.

Additional Chief Metropolitan

IANS

Magistrate R.M. Nerlikar rejected the bail applications of Aryan, Arbaaz Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha, on grounds of "maintainability", upholding the contentions of the legal team of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The developments came a day after all the eight accused were sent to judicial custody, and they shifted to the regular prisons from the NCB lockup.

Cops demand bribe from rape accused cop, caught red-handed by CBI

Tribune India

New Delhi, Oct 10: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two policemen for allegedly taking bribe from another cop, who is accused of raping a woman constable, a Delhi Police official said here on Sunday.

According to the official, the CBI conducted a raid on late Saturday at Malviya Nagar police station and arrested the first accused Assistant www.indianabroad.news

Sub Inspector Lekhram with a cash of Rs 50,000.

Furnishing details about the case, the official informed that a woman constable posted in South Dist had lodged a rape complaint against Sub Inspector Manoj on August 3.

Accordingly, on receipt of the complaint, the police registered a case under sections 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and the probe

was handed over to woman Sub Inspector Romi Memroth.

Both SI Romi who was the Investigating Officer of the case and ASI Lekhram demanded money from the rape accused SI Manoj to settle down the case.

The rape accused SI Manoj then informed the central probe agency, which laid a trap to nab the culprits.

On Saturday, Manoj came to police station Malviya Nagar at around 8.00 p.m. and called SI Romi. Manoj told her that he has brought all the documents but as SI Romi was not present there, she asked ASI Lekhram to collect it. "Lekhram was then caught red-handed by the CBI team while collecting Rs 50,000," the official said adding that both the accused are now currently in CBI's custody.

Rape accused SI Manoj's case is still sub-judice at a Delhi court and the next date of hearing is on October 11.

Tumakuru, (Karnataka) Oct 11 (IANS): A Karnataka SSLC (Class 10) girl student, who had attempted to commit suicide at being denied the opportunity to appear in annual examinations, has managed to score maximum marks in the supplementary exams last month.

Greeshma, a student of Alvas school of Mudibidare, scored 599 marks out of a total of 625 marks in the examinations.

Among 53,155 students who took the exams, she scored the highest marks.

Greeshma, who had scored 95 per cent in Class 9, was not issued a hall ticket for the SSLC exams as she could not pay the fee of the school.

The parents came to know about this when they had tried to enrol her for the exams. Appeals to the Deputy Director for Public Instruction (DDPI) and the Education Minister were of no avail.

A heartbroken Greeshma had attempted to commit suicide on July 17 at her residence. However, timely treatment had saved her life. The incident had made headlines as the Karnataka government was all set to hold SSLC examinations amid the challenge of the Covid pandemic in the state.

After coming to know about the incident, then Education Minister Suresh Kumar had rushed to her residence and spoken to her. He had

asked Greeshma to be brave and assured of giving an opportunity for her to write the SSLC exams during supplementary examinations.

Suresh Kumar had further asked her to focus on her studies without worrying too much about what happened.

After the results, an elated Suresh Kumar congratulated her.

"Greeshma, has become a model for others. She did not get diverted from the commitment. Greeshma has achieved what she aspired for," he said.

"I had been to Greeshma's residence. I had given her courage and promised that it is my responsibility to give her the opportunity to take supplementary exams. I have also

asked her to prepare for it without worrying. Even after I was dropped from the cabinet, I kept in touch with the Commissioner, SSLC Board Directors, Deputy Director of Madhugiri Academic district and Heads of Alva's institute to ensure Greeshma attended exams. After getting to know about the results and her achievement, my mind is relaxed now."

Greeshma stated that she is very happy with the results and thanked everyone who helped her to take exams. "I committed a mistake earlier. I had prepared for well the exams," she added.

Greeshma hails from Koratagere town in Tumakuru district.

She is the daughter of the Narasimhamurthy and Padmavathi.

Railways launch 2 long haul freight trains 'Trishul', 'Garuda' New Delhi, Oct 10: The Indian Railways has launched two long haul freight trains "Trishul" and "Garuda" -- which are twice or multiple times longer than the normal composition of freight trains.

These long haul trains provide a very effective solution to the problem of capacity constraints in critical sections.

Trishul is South Central Railway (SCR)'s first long haul train comprising three freight trains, i.e. 177 wagons.

This train was launched on

/IndianAbroadNews

Thursday from Kondapalli station of Vijayawada division to Khurda division of East Coast Railway.

SCR followed it up with running of yet another similar train 'Garuda' on Friday from Raichur of Guntakal division to Manuguru of Secunderabad division.

Both the long haul trains comprised of empty open wagons for loading of coal meant for predominantly thermal power stations.

SCR is one of the five major freight loading railways in Indian Railways.

Bulk of SCR's freight traffic moves

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in certain arterial routes such as Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada-GudurRenigunta, Ballarshah-KazipetVijayawada, Kazipet-SecunderabadWadi, Vijayawada-Guntur-Guntakal sections.

Saving of path across congested routes, quicker transit time, maximizing throughput of critical sections, saving in crews are the major operational benefits of running long haul trains, which help the Indian Railways to serve its freight customers better.

10

INDIA

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Plea urges CJI to take cognizance of targeted killings in Kashmir

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 9: A Delhi-based lawyer has filed a letter petition in the Supreme Court urging the Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, to take cognizance of the recent targeted killing of Hindus and Sikhs in Kashmir.

The lawyer, Vineet Jindal, said that he had recently come across news from different news publications, social media and electronic media regarding targeted killing of Hindu and Sikh minorities in Kashmir.

He said in five days, seven civilians have been killed in Kashmir, including those from the Sikh and Hindu

communities.

"The targeted killings of pharmacist Makhan Lal Bindroo, Supinder Kaur, the Sikh principal of Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Sangam Eidgah area of Srinagar, and Deepak Chand, a Hindu teacher in the same school, have evoked a feeling of agony, fear and insecurity among the minorities residing in Kashmir," said the petition.

The plea said the targeted killing of the members of minority communities has reminded people of the gory incident of massacre of 36 Sikhs in Chattisinghpora village in Anantnag

in 2000.

"Many government employees who returned to the Valley after being given jobs under the Prime Minister's special employment scheme for Kashmiri migrants have quietly left their accommodations with the fear of losing their lives and for the sake of their families' well-being," added the plea.

The plea urged the top court to give directions to the Centre to provide adequate security to Hindu and Sikh minorities in Kashmir at the earliest.

Also, it urged the CJI to establish a special delegated unit to structure and administer a system to ensure the safety and security of the minority groups in Kashmir.

The plea urged the top court to issue direction to the National Security Agency to investigate the recent killing of Hindu and Sikh minorities, and also grant Rs 1 crore as compensation to the families of the victims along with a government job to one of the family members.

Citing Article 21, which says no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to a procedure established by law, the plea said the acts of killing against these minority groups call for creating and adopting a comprehensive mechanism to secure the lives of these sections of people.

Delhi records 30 fresh Covid cases; no death in 6 days The Economics Times

New Delhi, Oct 9: The national capital on Saturday reported 30 fresh Covid cases, pushing the total infection to 14,39,166, as per the Health Department bulletin.

However, no fatality has been reported in the city in the last six

days. The city's death toll continues to be at 25,088, and the death rate at 1.74 per cent.

Delhi has recorded only one death due to the infection in October so far.

The Covid infection rate in the

national capital has declined to 0.05 per cent. The active cases tally in the city has also registered a decline and stands at 377.

With 52 patients recovering in the last 24 hours, total recoveries rose to 14,13,701 so far, the health bulletin said. A total of 107 Covid patients are being treated in home isolation at present.

With 98.23 per cent of Covid recovery rate, the active Covid cases rate in Delhi stands at 0.026 per cent.

Meanwhile, a total of 62,450 new tests -- 43,170 through RT-PCR and 19,280 through Rapid Antigen - were conducted in a day, taking the total number of tests to 2,82 06,152 so far.

The number of containment zones in the city stands at 100 at present.

Out of a total 1,07,452 vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours, 39,729 were first doses and 67,723 second doses. The total number of cumulative beneficiaries vaccinated so far stands at 1,88,57,757, according to the health bulletin.

Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim convicted in disciple's murder case BBC

New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS): A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Haryana's Panchkula on Friday held Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty in the murder case of Dera follower Ranjit Singh, officials said.

Ram Rahim Singh is currently serving a 20 years' rigorous imprisonment for the rape of two women followers at Rohtak's Sunaria jail.

He was also convicted for life for the murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chattrapati.

Apart from Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the CBI court on Friday also convicted four others -- Krishan Lal, Sabdil Singh, Jasbir Singh and Avtar Singh -- in the same case. The quantum of the sentence will be pronounced on October 12, the CBI said in a statement.

Ranjit Singh, a resident of Khanpur Kolian village in Kurukshetra, was murdered on July 10, 2002 when he was working in the fields of his village.

IANS

Lucknow, Oct 12: Increasing its farmer outreach ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the ruling BJP government in the state has now said that it will compensate all farmers whose crops have been damaged due to rains.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to ensure crop compensation assessment at a high-level meeting held here on Monday evening.

According to the government spokesperson, the Chief Minister has asked officials to assess the damage caused to agricultural crops due to floods and excessive rains and also immediately compensate the farmers whose houses have been damaged.

He stressed that the process should be completed in one week.

Instructions should be given to official teams involved in the assessment process that not a single

eligible farmer should be deprived of the compensation.

"The government will compensate for the loss of all types of agricultural produce. The revenue and agriculture departments have been asked to complete the work on top priority in coordination with each other."

The Uttar Pradesh BJP has also decided to organise 'Kisan Chaupals' in all 56,000 gram panchayats between October 15 and 30.

According to state BJP Kisan Morcha president Kameshwar Singh, the chaupals will be attended by party MPs, MLAs and state ministers who will apprise famers about various government schemes launched for their welfare.

The Morcha will organise Kisan Chaupals in all 98 organisational districts on October 15. The exercise will subsequently be taken up in 403 assemblies of the state and at 27,000

'Shakti Kendras' comprising five to six booths.

The move is apparently designed to neutralise the negative publicity that the party has got on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident in which four farmers were mowed down by a SUV, allegedly driven by Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Mishra, who is now in police custody.

NIA summons 40 teachers in Kashmir target killings probe IANS

Srinagar, Oct 10: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned 40 teachers on Sunday in connection with civilian target killings here, the investigation of which the agency has formally taken over from the local police.

Top officials of the IB, including Tapan Deka, the head of counter terrorism wing in the agency are camping in Srinagar under the directions of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has taken a serious note of the civilian killings by the terrorists.

"The home minister has made it clear to the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha that unless the terrorists

involved in these killings are quickly brought to justice, many heads will roll in the UT", top sources told IANS. The J&K Police have already detained over 400 people in connection with the FIRs lodged in different police stations pertaining to the

civilian killings in the Valley.

Top sources said the detained people have known links with the proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and others with known terror links in the past.

The NIA has taken over the investigation into the murders of principal Supinder Kour and teacher Deepak Chand, who were killed by terrorists inside the school premises in the Eidgah area of Srinagar city.

The 40 teachers summoned by the NIA at 4 p.m. on Sunday at its Church Lane office in Srinagar belong to various schools in Srinagar city.

Raj govt may withdraw controversial Child Marriage Registration Bill IANS

Jaipur, Oct 12: Aiming at setting the records straight, the Gehlot government in Rajasthan seems to be planning to withdraw the controversial Child Marriage Registration Bill, containing the provision related to the registration of child marriage.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday indicated to withdraw the Bill in the virtual programme held on the International Girl Child Day. Speaking on the occasion, he said, "A controversy has arisen in Rajasthan that child marriages are being registered after the Marriage Registration Bill was passed in the Legislative Assembly. There is no prestige issue as far as the Bill is concerned and we are getting it checked by the legal department.

"The Governor is requested to send the marriage registration Bill back to the government. We'll show it to the concerned officials. We have already taken legal opinion on this. If further legal opinion gives negative

feedback, we will not pursue it," he added.

Gehlot said, "It was the Supreme Court's decision that it was necessary to get every marriage registered. I hope that the legal opinion that is being taken will clarify things further. It will be ensured that there is no child marriage in Rajasthan at any cost, no compromise will be done in it.

It needs to be mentioned here that the Compulsory Registration of Marriages (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Assembly on

September 17, which had a provision for registration of child marriages.

After the controversy, this Bill has been put on hold by the Governor for the time being. Now CM Gehlot has announced to get this Bill back from Raj Bhavan.

On September 17, there was a huge uproar in the Assembly on the Bill related to the registration of child marriage. The BJP MLAS walked out from the House in protest against this Bill and the party has been demanding the withdrawal of this Bill from the very beginning.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had written a letter to the Rajasthan government recently regarding this Bill. The Commission had asked to reconsider and review the provisions of the Bill. A petition has also been filed against the Bill in the court. Many social activists have also opposed it. After the controversy, the Governor withheld the Bill.

IIT-K lauds Yogi's model of Covid management

The CBI had registered the said case on the orders passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2003 and then it took over the investigation of the case which was earlier registered at Police Station Sadar, Thanesar in Kurukshetra.

After investigating the case for four

years, the CBI filed a chargesheet in July, 2007 against six accused and charges were framed in December, 2008. During the pendency of trial, one accused died last year and trial proceedings were abated against him.

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UP govt to compensate farmers for crop losses

Lucknow, Oct 12: IIT-Kanpur has lauded Yogi Aditynath's model of Covid management.

A detailed study, released by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Monday, stated that sustained, organised and coordinated efforts controlled Covid spread in the most populous state.

Conducted by Prof. Manindra Agarwal and his team, the study throws light on the steps taken by the state government to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis during the reverse migration of over 40 lakh migrant workers.

It also praises the Yogi government for providing employment to these migrant workers.

The report highlighted that the state government "arranged free bus services for returning migrant workers and ambulance services for the sick."

It also stresses that MNREGA was used for job creation and local self-governing bodies utilised worker database for employment cards.

Upholding the findings, Yogi

/IndianAbroadNews

Adityanath said, "Despite facing numerous challenges such as a huge population, lack of resources and reverse migration of workers, Uttar Pradesh's pandemic response is serving as a 'model' for various states and even countries."

Expressing gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'guidance and support' throughout the pandemic, he said, "Had the health and medical infrastructure not been expanded under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the country would not have been able to fight the pandemic in the way it has."

Underlining the state's progress in terms of availability of medical resources, the chief minister said that Uttar Pradesh continued to work in the direction amid the pandemic.

"From getting the first batch of Covid tests conducted at NIV Pune in 2020 to crossing the milestone of conducting 8 crore tests today in Uttar Pradesh, the state is moving towards becoming self-reliant in every way," he said.

He added that Uttar Pradesh is the only state to have administered over 38 lakh vaccine doses in a single

/indianabroadnews

day.

"Overall, 11.5 crore people have the protective shield of the vaccine. The drive is on to vaccinate the entire eligible adult population," the Chief Minister said.

11

AUSTRALIA

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Australians 'getting lives back' as vax rate rises: PM

IANS

Canberra, Oct 7: Australians are "beginning to get their lives back" after extended coronavirus lockdowns as the rate of vaccination against the virus is increasing, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.

Morrison said that 81 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over have had at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and 59.3 per cent are fully inoculated, reports Xinhua news agency.

New South Wales (NSW), Australia's most populous state with Sydney as

the capital city, will come out of a month-long lockdown on October 11 after becoming the first jurisdiction to fully vaccinate 70 per cent of the over-16s, with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Victoria set to hit the mark this month.

On Thursday, Australia reported more than 2,200 new locally acquired coronavirus cases, all of which were from the three jurisdictions, as the country continues to battle the third wave of infections.

"Now Australians are beginning to

get their lives back," Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

"That's what the National Plan is about. When you hit those vaccination rates, you can open with certainty again, and you can open safely with certainty again, and you can stay open."

Morrison also issued a warning to states that have not had outbreaks of the Delta variant, urging them to boost inoculation rates to avoid strict lockdowns.

Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have Australia's lowest vaccination rates.

"In many states around the country, they are not living under the harsh and strict conditions that we've seen in New South Wales and Victoria and the ACT," Morrison said.

"But when that day comes, when your vaccination rates are at those 70 and particularly 80 per cent levels, that means you'll be able to withstand it."

Australian govt rejects call for more hospital funding Canberra, Oct 7: The Australian government on Thursday ruled out additional funding to help hospitals cope with the ongoing Covid-19 outbreaks.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt has rejected a plea from state and territory governments for more money to help the health system survive strains imposed by Australia's severe wave of coronavirus infections, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a letter to state and territory health ministers, Hunt said the federal government has already

increased healthcare funding by A$30 billion ($21 billion) in response to the pandemic.

"The Australian government would warmly welcome it if states and territories were to match the increase in Australian government funding since 2012-2013," he wrote, according to local media The Age. "The Australian government has committed more than A$30 billion in additional health expenditure in the response to Covid-19."

All eight state and territory health

ministers wrote to Hunt on September 30 calling for an immediate injection of "crisis funding", warning that hospitals were facing "unrelenting strain due to the current Covid-19 demands".

"We are entering the most critical phase of the Covid-19 pandemic response for our hospital systems," they wrote.

On Thursday, Australia reported more than 2,200 new locally-acquired coronavirus cases as the country continues to battle the third wave of infections.

Aus plans to bring int'l healthcare workers to fight Covid battle

Reuters

Canberra, Oct 9: The Australian government on Saturday revealed a plan to bring thousands of international healthcare workers into the country to relieve pressure on the healthcare system amid the ongoing battle against the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the plan, which was announced by Health Minister Greg Hunt, about 2,000 doctors and

nurses mainly from Britain and Ireland will be exempted from strict travel restrictions to take up jobs in Australia as the country's international border is expected to re-open in November, reports Xinhua news agency.

Hunt described it as a "one-off boost" for the health system after he rejected a plea from state and territory governments for more hospital

funding to cope with a surge in coronavirus cases.

"This will be a one-off boost to provide additional support. The Commonwealth is committed to it and the states are working constructively with us on it," he told the local media.

"These are people coming from all around the world. That free flow of people is very important. Some may be joining families, some may be moving for a new life. That is an ordinary part of life and it is up to individuals to be able to choose, subject to a nation's needs."

On Saturday morning, Australia reported a new record 2,570 new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases, a second day in a row with more than 2,500 new infections recorded nationwide.

The new cases increased the overall tally to 125,080, while the death toll stood at 1,421.

According to the latest data released by the Department of Health, 81.5 per cent of Australians aged 16 and older have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and 60.2 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The male fairywren has a rich blue and black plumage above its throat while females are largely brown with a red-orange area around their eyes and are a familiar sight in Australia's urban parks and gardens.

The tawny frogmouth won the second place with 13,332 votes while the Gang-gang cockatoo in third place had 12,836 votes.

Birdlife Australia said this year a total of 450,000 votes were counted over the course of the competition.

Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of New South Wales Will Cornwell said the competition was a great way for everyday Australians to engage with native birdlife and also highlights their cultural significance.

"I think conservation wise, activating people's kind of cultural affinity for birds is really powerful. It is all

positive," he told Xinhua.

He said that Australia's unique and diverse gamut of birdlife has long been baked into the nation's culture.

"European settlers started to develop a sense that the birds, the native birds, are actually quite special...

The traditional owners (Aboriginal Australians) who've been here for a much longer period of time already were well aware of this."

He said that the competition has also drawn to light the fact that while some birds are considered a pest, like the magpie, which came in ninth and is known for swooping passers-by, people still form a relationship with them.

"Obviously, the magpie has mixed effects. But it's a bird that lots of people see on a day-to-day basis and have... almost kind of relationships with (them), and that is kind of important."

Aus right-wing extremism fastest-growing threat: Federal police

IANS

Canberra, Oct 8: Australia's national police agency on Friday revealed that the number of investigations it is conducting into far-right extremism has increased 750 per cent in the past 18 months.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Assistant Commissioner Scott Lee warned that far-right extremism is the country's fastest-growing threat, reports Xinhua news agency.

He told broadcaster SBS that the number of nationalist and racist violent extremism cases before the AFP's Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCCT) has grown by 750 per cent since the start of 2020 and now accounts for 15 per cent of the unit's investigations compared to 2 per cent in 2019.

"There was certainly an increase in the JCCT's nationalist and racist violent extremism caseload from 2019 and into early 2020," Lee said.

"We expect it to increase further than what we are seeing at the moment, but how much further it will increase is difficult to ascertain at the moment."

He said the rise could be partly attributed to the coronavirus

pandemic, with Australians in lockdown spending more time online, expanding the rapid spread of extremist ideologies.

"We are seeing the impact of Covid-19 more broadly on some of the ideological drivers as well, so we are expecting it will increase particularly in terms of racist views, where people are anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim or anti-Indigenous.

We are seeing this affect people, particularly young people who are

vulnerable to these ideologies," Lee said.

The rise in AFP cases reflects a trend in the wider Australian law enforcement community.

Australia's domestic spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), revealed earlier this year that right-wing extremism now accounts for 50 percent of its caseload compared to 10 percent before 2019.

Groups urge Australia to donate more Covid vaccines to disadvantaged nations

IANS

Canberra, Oct 11 (IANS): Nearly a dozen Australian groups have urged the government to donate millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses to help inoculate other countries against the deadly virus.

In a report published on Monday, a coalition of 11 health, business and society groups called on Australia to become a vaccine factory for the region, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said the government should donate another 20 million vaccines through the COVAX Facility, an international initiative co-led by the World Health Organization and partners to ensure equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccines, to help low income countries fight the pandemic and spend 250 million Australian dollars ($182.6 million) on the initiative.

The report identified 19 low income countries that it said at the current rate will not fully vaccinate 70 per cent of their adult populations until after 2030.

"The emergence of the Delta variant shows that Australia can not close its eyes to the impacts of the pandemic in other parts of the world," it said, according to the Guardian Australia.

"First, because that is morally wrong. But also because, sooner or later, the consequences will be felt here. That is why we must play a leading role in aggressively

responding to this pandemic on a global scale."

The report also said that while third shots for the elderly and vulnerable in rich countries may be a part of an effective vaccination program, valuable manufacturing capacity should not be prioritised for population wide booster vaccinations while much of the world remains off track to meet the 2022 goal.

Sydney announces 'Freedom Day' after 106 days in lockdown Sydney, Oct 11: As Sydney, capital of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), exited its 106-day lockdown, residents on Monday re-emerged to celebrate the long-awaited "Freedom Day".

As some lockdown restrictions officially ended on Sunday midnight and non-essential retail re-opened their doors, locals have lined up to get haircuts, visited 24-hour retail stores, and headed to the gym since the early hours of Monday morning, reports Xinhua news agency.

Speaking at a press conference held at a bar on Monday, newly-instated Premier of NSW Dominic Perrottet

referred to the easing of restrictions as the state's "Freedom Day".

"I see it as a day of freedom. It is a Freedom Day, it is. Businesses are opening up. But that means it needs to be done in a measured and safe way," he said.

"There are going to be challenges, we know that. I ask again everybody right across our state to treat everybody with kindness and respect, and take personal responsibility," said Perrottet.

He said vaccinations would make lockdowns a thing of the past.

"We need to learn to live alongside

the virus, vaccination rates are the key, we've been doing that in New South Wales," he said.

At present NSW's vaccination rate sits at 73.5 per cent of the over-16 population having received both doses, and 90.3 per cent having received at least one dose.

The state boasts considerable ground on the national average, which as of Monday stood at 61.9 per cent fully vaccinated, and 82.2 per cent with at least their first dose.

In the last 24 hours, NSW recorded 496 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19, and eight deaths.

Australia needs more efforts Australia names Bird of the Year to halt biodiversity decline

IANS

Canberra, Oct 8 (IANS): After almost two weeks of daily voting and eliminations from a shortlist of 50 of Australia's most iconic and beloved birds, the superb fairywren was named as the country's Bird of the Year on Friday.

The small bird accrued a whopping 13,998 votes in its final tally, reports Xinhua news agency. www.indianabroad.news

IANS

Canberra, Oct 11: Environmentalists have advised the Australian government that it must do more to arrest a decline in biodiversity.

Environment groups recently joined forces to urge Environment Minister Sussan Ley to make a pledge on halting biodiversity loss during the UN Biodiversity Conference, reports Xinhua news agency.

Australia has committed to a global target of conserving at least 30 per cent of land by 2030 but has not made a specific pledge.

Brendan Wintle, director of the Threatened Species Recovery Hub, said that Australia was at risk of becoming a "global pariah" on the issue.

He estimated that Australia needs to spend up to A$2 billion ($1.4 billion) a year to halt biodiversity loss.

/IndianAbroadNews

"We can afford it, but we're not doing it, and that's on our leadership and our society," Wintle was quoted by Nine Entertainment newspapers in a report on Sunday evening.

Australia has cleared more than 7 million hectares of threatened species habitat since 2000, mostly for agricultural use.

The government in March acknowledged the extinction of 13 native species including 12 mammals.

It takes the number of mammal

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species known to have gone extinct in Australia to 34.

Nat Pelle from the Australian Conservation Foundation said the country's rich biodiversity meant it had more at stake.

"We should decide as a planet -- and Australia especially -- not to allow threatened species to become extinct," he said.

In response, a spokesperson for Ley said the government was working on a biodiversity framework.

12

WORLD

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

US Naval chief to visit India next High-level officials to push Indiaweek to enhance bilateral ties US agenda set by Modi, Biden

IANS

Washington/Delhi, Oct 9: US Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm Mike Gilday is scheduled to travel to India next week where he will meet with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh and other senior leaders from the Indian Navy and the government.

Gilday is visiting India to reaffirm the growing level of naval cooperation between the two nations.

During meetings, security challenges in Indo-Pacific region would be deliberated upon at length.

"Make no mistake, India is one of our closest strategic partners, and our relationship is a stronghold of a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Gilday.

"This visit is a great opportunity for me to meet with my counterpart in India and discuss areas for continued mutual cooperation. No doubt, there are many areas where we can partner and collaborate," he said.

There is no better signal of the US Navy's desire to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific than operating in the region.

"I am grateful for our navies' continued cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to create an inclusive, free and open rules-based order," said Gilday "And by continuing to work closely with the Indian Navy, we will

increase our interoperability for decades to come as well as maintain security, stability, and prosperity."

This visit will also underscore the growing strength of the US-India Defence partnership as the two countries work in concert with like-minded partners to promote shared goals.

The United States designated India as a Major Defence Partner in 2016.

Michael Martin Gilday is the 32nd chief of naval operations serving since August 22, 2019.

He has commanded two destroyers, served as Director of the Joint Staff, commanded the Tenth Fleet/Fleet Cyber Command, and led Carrier Strike Group 8.

His visit comes in the backdrop of US Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman's statement on the importance of a "free, open, and inclusivea Indo-Pacific region.

India, US defence officials discuss increasing cooperation with 'partners' in Indo-Pacific Ommcom News

By Arul Louis New York, Oct 9: The main India-US strategic defence coordination panel has discussed increasing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region with "like-minded partners" as security ties between the two countries expand, according to US Defence Department spokesperson Lt Col Anton Semelroth.

Friday's meeting of the US-India Defence Policy Group (DPG) cochaired by India's Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Colin Kahl, the US Under Secretary for Defence Policy, "discussed opportunities for enhanced cooperation with like-minded partners to sustain a free and open Indo-Pacific", Semelroth said.

Although the leaders of the Quad -- the group of India, the US, Japan and Australia -- have so far ruled out a defence pact component to their cooperation mainly because of New Delhi's wariness, Indian and US leaders have spoken of expanding security cooperation in the region.

The only joint action of the Quad members has been the annual Malabar naval exercises, which reincluded Australia last year.

The latest exercise took place in August.

"The (DPG) Dialogue advanced an ambitious set of bilateral priorities, including information-sharing, high-end maritime cooperation, logistics, and defence trade, reflective of the flourishing defence ties between the US and India," Semelroth said in a readout issued in Washington of the 16th meeting of the group.

"The leaders reinforced their commitment to deepening joint cooperation and interoperability between the US and Indian militaries to work more seamlessly together, including strengthening cooperation in new defence domains, such as space and cyber," he added.

The meeting of the defence officials was the latest in a series of high-level meetings between the two countries as they draw closer in the face of an aggressive posture by China in the region.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla in New Delhi on

Wednesday for discussions that included growing security relations.

Last month in Washington, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Joe Biden, who "reaffirmed the strength of the defense relationship between the US and India and the unwavering commitment to India as a Major Defense Partner", according to the White House.

Two areas that figured in the DPG meeting -- expanding defence cooperation with regional partners and information sharing -- were emphasised by Biden during the meeting with Modi.

That was followed by a summit of the Quad which Modi and Biden held with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia and Yoshihide Suga, who was at the time Japan's Prime Minister.

Before that in September, India's Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat met with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and discussed expanding multilateral cooperation with regional partners and enabling the militaries of the two countries to work together in operations.

Austin was the first cabinet-level official to visit India when he met with Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The DPG meeting also "laid the groundwork" for the 2+2 dialogue of Jaishankar and Singh with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Austin to be held later this year, Semelroth said.

Looking to strengthen defence against China's aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific, the US and Australia set up a security pact with the UK called 'AUKUS' last month.

Chinese mouthpiece says if India starts a war, it will definitely lose The Economics Times

New Delhi, Oct 11: China should be prepared for a military struggle in the event of a deteriorating scenario with India, Chinese mouthpiece Global Times said.

"New Delhi needs to be clear about one thing: It will not get the border the way it wants. If it starts a war, it will definitely lose. Any political maneuvering and pressure will be ignored by China," an editorial in Global Times said.

"In handling the border dispute with India, it is of the utmost importance for China to do two things. First, we should stick to the principle that no matter how India makes trouble, www.indianabroad.news

China's territory belongs to China and we will never cede it. India is still sleepwalking on the border issue. We can wait for it to wake up," Global Times said.

"The Chinese people know that both China and India are great powers with enough national strength to sustain a long-time border standoff with each other. Such mutual attrition is regrettable, but if India is willing to do so, China will keep it company until the end," Global Times said.

The Galwan Valley conflict proves that China will not hold back from taking action to safeguard its

territorial sovereignty for the sake of easing China-India relations, it said.

"If New Delhi continues to misjudge the underlying dynamics between China and India and underestimates China's resolve and determination, it will only create new misinformation for itself and expose India to further losses," Global Times said.

"India's attitude in the negotiations is opportunistic. New Delhi assumes that China needs India's help because of China's desire for stability in its western borders to achieve its overall national strategy," it said.

"In particular, India sees the deterioration in China-US relations as an opportunity to gain key strategic bargaining chips. New Delhi anticipates Beijing softening its stance over the border issue and yielding to its demands to prevent New Delhi from aligning itself with Washington against Beijing," the editorial said.

"However, the border issue between China and India remains stuck. The root cause is that the Indian side still hasn't developed a correct attitude in the negotiations. It always makes unrealistic demands, not in line with the real situation or its strength," it added.

New York, Oct 9 (IANS): High-level officials will be working to move forward the agenda for cooperation set at last month's meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden and their Quad summit with the leaders of Australia and Japan, according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

"At this point, the focus is going to be on continuing to work through high-level interlocutors, whether it's the Secretary of State and leaders at the State Department or leaders from our national security team, about how we can continue to move forward on a range of issues, whether it's economic security, physical national security, addressing Covid and getting the pandemic under control," she said on Friday.

Replying to a question at the daily White House briefing about several meetings between officials of the two countries that have taken place and are scheduled, Psaki said the bilateral meeting and the Quad summit with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia and Yoshihide Suga, who was the Japanese leader at that time, were "an opportunity to discuss the importance of the relationship and the partnership, the work that can be done moving forward".

"That work will continue at lower than leader-level, but still high levels in the weeks and months ahead," she added.

The US-India Defence Policy Group (DPG) co-chaired by India's Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Colin Kahl, the US Under Secretary for Defence Policy, met on Friday to advance bilateral priorities and

IANS

explore expanding cooperation in the Indo-Pacific with other countries, according to the Pentagon.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Growing cooperation between the two countries on security, trade and cooperation with the Quad on providing Covid vaccines figured in their talks.

Finance Minister Nirmala Seetharaman is expected to visit the US during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank next week and use the opportunity to meet top American officials.

In the area of cooperation against terrorism, the India-US joint working group on counter-terrorism is to meet in the last week of this month and homeland security dialogue is also on the cards.

The meetings will lead up to the 2+2 dialogue between Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Asked at her briefing about 80,000 Green Card spots that could have gone to Indians being lost this month because of procedural delays, Psaki said: "The president absolutely wants to address the delays in the green card processing system as well."

Taiwan warns of 'catastrophic consequences' if China invades island The Sentimental Assam

New Delhi, Oct 5: Taiwan has warned of "catastrophic consequences for regional peace" if China takes over the island after days of incursions by Beijing's warplanes, Daily Mail reported.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen vowed to "do whatever it takes" to guard Taiwan against invasion as she indicated that without help from the country's allies "authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy."

Nearly 150 Chinese warplanes have breached Taiwan's airspace since Friday, including 56 jets on Monday in a dramatic increase in aggression.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has described the seizure of the self-governed democracy as "inevitable" and Beijing has ratcheted up pressure on Tsai since she was elected in 2016 on a mandate of an "independent" Taiwan, the report said.

Chinese state media has issued chilling warnings in recent days, including asking "whether Australia is willing to accompany Taiwan... to become cannon fodder" after its

foreign minister reached out for help preparing his defences.

Australia has been on the receiving end of Chinese wrath over the last few weeks after it signed a new security pact with the UK and the US. As part of the deal, Washington and London agreed to share nuclear submarine technology with Canberra.

This has infuriated Beijing as it will dramatically shift the power balance

in the South China Sea. In an article published on Tuesday, Taiwan's president Tsai said: "They should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system."

"It would signal that in today's global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy."

Thailand to reopen to vaccinated visitors from Nov: PM Bangkok, Oct 12: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced a plan to allow fully-vaccinated visitors from "low risk" countries and regions to visit the Southeast Asian nation without having to quarantine from next month.

"I have instructed the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the Ministry of Public Health to urgently consider within this week to allow, as of November 1, international visitors to enter Thailand without any requirement for quarantine if they are fully vaccinated and arrive by air from low-risk countries," Prayut said via a televised address late Monday night.

The list will initially include at least 10 countries and regions, such as the UK, Singapore, Germany, China and the US, Prayut said.

It is expected to be finalised later this week by the CCSA, Xinhua news agency reported.

Prayut said that visitors from countries and regions not on the list can still enter, but will have to undergo

/IndianAbroadNews

quarantine.

The low-risk and quarantine-free list will be extended by December 1 and moved to "a very extensive list"

by January 1, 2022, he said.

Before the pandemic, Thailand attracted a peak of nearly 40 million tourists in 2019, with tourism sector accounting for about one-fifth of its economy.

Covid-19 has forced the country to implement strict border control and left the economy battered, recording its worst performance in more than two decades last year. The number of tourist arrivals plunged to 6.7 million in 2020.

"We have been among the most successful countries in the world in saving lives. But it has come at very great sacrifices of lost livelihoods, lost savings and destroyed businesses," Prayut said.

To support tourism and boost the sector's growth, Prayut had announced in June this year that Thailand planned to fully reopen to international travellers within 120 days.

/indianabroadnews

The government has been trying to accelerate vaccination roll-out to build a herd immunity.

As a pilot from July 1, the country allowed fully-vaccinated foreign visitors to enter the resort island of Phuket without quarantine.

In the late Monday speech, Prayut said the decision might come with risk of rising infections, but "I do not think the many millions who depend on the income generated by the travel, leisure and entertainment sector can possibly afford the devastating blow of a second lost new year holiday period".

"The time has come for us to live with it," he said.

On Monday, Thailand reported 10,035 new Covid-19 cases and 60 more deaths, raising the total number of infections to more than 1.72 million while that of fatalities to 17,751, according to the CCSA. Till date, the country has administered more than 60 million doses of vaccines, with more than 30 per cent of its people having been fully vaccinated.

13

POLITICS

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Modi way ahead of Rahul as preferred PM choice in states going to polls Wikipedia

India Tv News

Modi scores big in latest survey, gets 66.4% support The Indian Express

New Delhi, Oct 8: Narendra Modi remains the most-preferred Prime Ministerial candidate in the four poll-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, while in Punjab, another state that will go to the polls next year, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal holds the edge, as per the latest ABP-CVOTERIANS State of States 2021 tracker As per the survey, 43.1 per cent of the respondents feel that Modi is the best choice to lead the country, followed by Rahul Gandhi at 9.1 per

cent, Arvind Kejriwal at 5.2 per cent, Manmohan Singh at 3.5 per cent and Yogi Adityanath at 3.2 per cent.

In state-wise breakup, Modi got more than 42 per cent support in all the poll-bound states except Punjab, where only 13.8 per cent respondents backed him. In Goa, Modi got 46.1 per cent support, 45.1 per cent in Manipur, 43.1 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, and 47.3 per cent in Uttrakhand.

Rahul Gandhi got only 16.5 per cent backing in Goa, 18.3 per cent in

Manipur, 2.1 per cent in Punjab, 5.8 per cent in UP and 4.7 per cent in Uttrakhand.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is ahead of Rahul Gandhi in Goa, Uttrakhand and Punjab, where he is also ahead of Modi.

In Goa, Kejriwal got 15.7 per cent support, 26.5 per cent in Punjab, and 13.6 per cent in Uttrakhand.

The survey was conducted in 690 Assembly seats in five poll-bound with a sample size of 98,121.

Why Pilot drove Gehlot while going to address election rally?

Jaipur, Oct 10: The picture of former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot driving car with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sitting next to him is going viral on the social media.

However, there is an interesting story behind why Pilot drove Gehlot on this occasion. As per sources in the Congress party, Gehlot and pilot along with Rajasthan Congress in-charge Ajay Maken and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasara flew together

in a helicopter to address an election rally on Friday after nomination papers on two seats namely Vallabh Nagar and Dhariayawad were filed

by Congress candidates.

However, after landing here, Gehlot took the seat next to the driver of the car and the two other leaders took the rear seat.

Pilot, meanwhile asked the driver to come out of the car and he himself chose to drive.

Sources said that Sachin Pilot was

not interested to sit behind Gehlot on the rear seat and hence he chose to drive.

The two leaders did not talk to each other either in the car or in the helicopter and preferred to remain silent and look around.

Bypolls in Rajasthan are scheduled to be held on October 30 in Vallabh Nagar and Dhariyawad due to the demise of two MLAs -- one from the Congress and the other from the BJP.

Lakhimpur Kheri incident: IYC stages silent protest at Jantar Mantar

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 11: The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Monday staged a silent protest at the Jantar Mantar here demanding justice for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and suspension of Union Minister of State for Home, Ajay Misra, whose son Ashish Misra is

the prime accused in the case.

The Youth Congress expressed its anguish by sitting quietly for over two hours.

IYC president Srinivas B.V. said, "For the first time in Indian history, the son of a Union minister has trampled farmers, but the ruling party at

the Centre, instead of supporting the farmers, is opposing them."

"What happened in Lakhimpur Kheri reminds us of the British rule in India. It seems to be a wellplanned conspiracy to scare the farmers," he added.

One IYC member said that the Congress will continue to fight for justice for every sections in the country.

The party workers said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had time to visit the US, he doesn't even have 10 minutes to spare to meet the farmers of his own country.

"Till Ajay Misra does not resign from his post, the Youth Congress will continue its fight," said IYC national media in-charge Rahul Rao. The Congress also carried out similar silent protests in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa on Monday.

A total of nine persons, including a local journalist and four farmers, were killed in the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Bypolls: Congress to contest all seats in Assam, Meghalaya; BJP to go with allies Guwahati/Shillong, Oct 11: The Congress will contest all the five Assembly seats in Assam and three in Meghalaya in the October 30 bypolls, while the BJP has fielded candidates in alliance with its partners in the two northeastern states.

According to an Election Commission statement, 39 candidates are contesting the by-elections to five Assam Assembly constituencies -- Gossaigaon, Tamulpur, Thowra, Bhabanipur and Mariani.

The BJP has fielded Phanidhar Talukdar in Bhabanipur, Rupjyoti Kurmi in Mariani and Sushanta Borgohain in Thowra, while its ally United People's Party Liberal has put up nominees in Gossaigaon and Tamulpur.

The Congress has fielded candidates in all the five seats, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) www.indianabroad.news

has put up candidates in two seats, while the Bodoland People's Front and the Communist Party of India have fielded one candidate each.

Various other local parties have put up seven candidates.

There are 18 Independent candidates in the by-election race The by-elections were necessitated due to the death of two sitting MLAs, while two Congress and an AIUDF legislators joined the ruling BJP after quitting their membership of the Assembly.

In Meghalaya, the Congress has fielded candidates for all the three Assembly seats going to the bypolls -- Mawryngkneng and Mawphlang in the East Khasi Hills and Rajabala in West Garo Hills district.

The bypolls have been necessitated following the deaths of two Congress legislators, David Nongrum from Mawryngkneng

and Azad Zaman from Rajabala and associate member of UDP. In Mawphlang, Independent legislator Syntar Klas Sunn had succumbed to Covid-19 last month.

While the ruling National People's Party (NPP) and the main opposition Congress fielded candidates in all the three seats, the BJP, which is a constituent of the NPP dominated Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), has fielded candidate in Rajabala.

In all, 13 candidates have entered the fray to fight the by-elections to three Assembly constituencies on October 30.

Five candidates each are contesting from Mawryngkneng and Rajabala, while three aspirants are in the race in Mawphlang.

Counting of votes will take place on November 2.

New Delhi, Oct 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to fare better in terms of satisfaction of work, according to the ABP-CVoterIANS State of States 2021 tracker.

Across the country, Modi got support of 66.4 per cent of the respondents, with 40.3 per cent people 'very much satisfied' with his work and 26.1 per cent 'satisfied to some extent' despite a decline in popularity ratings during the devastating second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, 30.6 per cent people are 'not satisfied' at all with the performance of Modi. Three per cent of the participants chose the 'Don't know/ Can't say' category.

Notably, Manipur backed the PM with highest percent of support recording 51.2 per cent. Next to the northeastern state, Uttarakhand stands with 47 per cent. One of the poll-bound states -- Uttar Pradesh, has also given a thumbs up to Modi with 43.3 per cent support.

In Goa, 35.8 per cent people are very much satisfied with Modi while 39

per cent people are satisfied to some extent.

According to the latest survey, Punjab recorded the least popularity of PM Modi registering 15 per cent.

In Punjab, 18.2 per cent people are satisfied to some extent with the Modi government while a majority of 58.6 per cent people are challenging his popularity, stating they are

not at all satisfied with his work.

After Punjab, 33.2 per cent participants of Uttar Pradesh recorded not at all satisfied with Modi's work.

However, 2.7 per cent people of the largest populated state refrained from registering their opinion.

In all-India level, 3 per cent people refrained from commenting on Modi's performance.

Over 40% 'not satisfied' with Rahul Gandhi's work IANS

New Delhi, Oct 9: Over 40 per cent of the respondents in the poll-bound states of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are 'not satisfied at all' with the work of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as per the latest ABP-CVOTER-IANS State of States 2021 tracker.

According to the survey, cumulatively, 40.5 per cent people are 'not satisfied at all' with Rahul Gandhi's working style, while 18.5 per cent are 'very much satisfied'. The data also showed that 20.2 per cent are 'satisfied to some extent', while 21 per cent chose the 'don't know/can't say' category.

The sample size for the survey was 98,121 covering 690 Assembly seats in the five poll-bound states. The survey was carried out between September 4 and October 4.

In Punjab, where Congress is the ruling party, as many as 53.1 per cent are 'not satisfied at all' with Rahul Gandhi's performance. Only 6.7 per cent are 'very much satisfied' with Rahul Gandhi's performance, while 18.9 per cent respondents are 'satisfied to some extent'. The sample size here was 18,642.

In Uttarakhand, 54.1 per cent respondents, highest among all the poll-bound states, are 'not satisfied at all' with the former Congress President's working style, while 14.7 per cent are 'very much satisfied'.

The sample size for the state was 13,975.

In Manipur, 27.4 per cent of the respondents are 'very much satisfied' with Rahul Gandhi's work, 21.5 per cent are 'satisfied to some extent', while 42.1 per cent are 'not satisfied at all'.

A total of 46.2 per cent of the respondents chose the 'not satisfied at all' category for the Congress leader in Uttar Pradesh, while 13.3 per cent said they are 'very much satisfied'.

The sample size for the state was 50,936.

In Goa, 16.1 per cent are 'very much satisfied' with the Congress leader's working style, while 23.2 per cent opted for the 'satisfied to some extent' category. The survey was carried out on 13,048 people.

Priyanka's struggle creating scene for change in UP: Deepender Hooda IANS

Lucknow, Oct 11 (IANS): Congress MP and Working Committee member Deepender Singh Hooda, who is also part of the Screening Committee for candidates in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls, says the struggle by party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi will definitely play a role in changing the political dynamics in the state.

Hooda, who was in Lucknow for a meeting of the Screening Committee, told IANS in an interview that the ongoing farmers' agitations in the state following the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri earlier this month will also impact the state's politics.

Following are excerpts of the interview.

Q: You are active in the Congress Screening Committee for UP elections. When will the candidates be finalised?

A: We are presently in initial discussions and whenever additional developments ensue, we will share the information accordingly. In Uttar Pradesh, there is a new energy in the Congress due to the active struggle led by Priyanka Gandhi for the rights of the people. The incident at Lakhimpur Kheri is a shining example and this new energy in the party will show its effect in the times to come.

Q: What kind of feedback are you getting after the Lakhimpur Kheri episode, given that the Congress in UP is not as as strong as in Haryana?

A: Our party organisation is working well in Uttar Pradesh and the efforts over the past two years have

/IndianAbroadNews

borne fruit. While I accept that our strength in the Assembly is not of the level of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, but we are ahead in the number of people we can bring out on the streets... due to Priyanka Gandhi's struggles, we now have moral force.

Lakhimpur Kheri lit the spark and will lead to change in the state's politics. Priyanka Gandhi has laid the foundations for this change and the change in the state will impact national politics.

Q: Now Priyanka Gandhi's activities have also inspired the SP to begin public activities...

A: We are not fighting the BJP from now, but for a long time in order to crush its arrogance... If you go among the common people, you will come to know that they feel the Samajwadi Party was given the responsibility of being the primary opposition, but it has not fulfilled that responsibility. And this is a key responsibility in a democracy.

/indianabroadnews

Q: You are a member of the CWC, the party's highest decision-making body, which is slated to meet soon.

Do you feel that Rahul Gandhi should take over as the party chief again?

A: I am a member of the CWC and will speak on the organisational matters in the appropriate forum.

But yes, it cannot be denied that crores of Congress workers want Rahul Gandhi to take over. Any discussion on this should only take place in the CWC. Q: Your family is one of the leading ones in the Jat community. What effect of the ongoing farmers' agitation do you see on Jats in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh?

A: The sympathy of the people in Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh is with the protesting farmers. And in Uttar Pradesh, it will not remain confined to this region after the Lakhimpur Kheri episode. It will have an impact all over the state.

14

TECHNOLOGY

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Instagram to roll out 2 tools to New iPad mini your best buddy protect teens from harmful posts for work & learn from anywhere TechGenyz

San Francisco, Oct 11 (IANS): Facebook-owned Instagram would soon roll out two new tools to safeguard teenagers from harmful content, after whistleblower Frances Haugen testified last week before the US Congress that Instagram can have a negative effect on the mental health of teenagers.

Facebook's Vice President of global affairs Nick Clegg, appearing on CNN's State of the Union show on Sunday, said that the photo-sharing platform will introduce "take a

break" feature and also "nudge" teenagers away from bad content.

"We're going to introduce something which I think will make a considerable difference, which is where our systems see that a teenager is looking at the same content over and over again, and it's content which may not be conducive to their well-being, we will nudge them to look at other content," Clegg said.

The platform also plans to introduce a feature called "take a break", where

"we will be prompting teens to just simply take a break from using Instagram", he added.

Clegg, however, didn't provide a timeline for the new tools.

In three hours of Congress testimony, Haugen accused Facebook of intentionally refusing to make changes to its algorithms because it put "profits" before people.

"The kids who are bullied on Instagram, the bullying follows them home. It follows them into their bedrooms. The last thing they see before they go to bed at night is someone being cruel to them," Haugen said.

She has laid out an inside-out view on the simple "frictions" that would cool off Facebook's "toxic" and "divisive" algorithms that are driving teens and vulnerable populations off the cliff on the world's largest social networking platform.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg later posted a staunch defense of his company in a note to staffers, saying that claims by Haugen about the social network's negative effects on society "don't make any sense".

AI-powered professional networking platform Lunchclub now in India IANS

Bengaluru, Oct 11: Lunchclub, a US-based networking platform that uses machine learning algorithms to connect professionals with common interests, values, goals and objectives, is now open for Indian users.

Launched in 2017 in the US, the platform was first rolled out as an invite-only concierge service for in-person introductions, but the company pivoted to video calls when the pandemic hit last March.

It optimises the professional matchmaking experience, leveraging AI to facilitate connection based on shared interests and goals -- regardless of geographic location, industry, or generation.

It plans to grow to over 100k users in India by the end of 2021.

"India is a key global destination when it comes to professional networking. We have seen great

success and growth in the US market and are now confident of replicating the same in India.

With the kind of audience we have in India, we believe this will be a breakthrough moment," said Vladimir Novakovski, Co-Founder and CEO, Lunchclub, in a statement.

"The sheer diversity of connections that the platform can offer the sub-continent from all over the world will write a story of growth and opportunities for the emerging start-up hub," added Pritish Nair, India Lead, Lunchclub.

The start-up was founded in the US by Vladimir Novakovski and Scott Wu and is valued at over $100 million.

It has raised a total of $30 million that includes investors from Lightspeed, Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, and other strategic investors. Lunchclub has created 1 million connections and achieved 15x growth in 2020 alone.

The platform is accessible through a mobile app or the web browser.

Tesla to begin production at German Gigafactory by 2021 end: Musk IANS

San Francisco, Oct 11: Elon Musk has announced that Tesla Gigafactory in Germany will start rolling out first vehicles by the end of 2021.

Speaking at the "Giga-Fest" county fair style event which included

music, rides and food trucks, Musk said that the electric car-maker will start with manufacturing Model Y vehicles, in addition to millions of battery cells.

"We're aiming to start production in a few months, basically, November or December, and hopefully deliver our first cars in December. But starting production is kind of the easy part. The hard part is reaching volume production," he told the audience at the event late on Saturday.

The Berlin Gigafactory is facing several lawsuits by environmental groups. Locals have filed more than 800 complaints against the facility.

Despite protests, Tesla has a 95 per cent chance of receiving factory approval, according to Brandenburg's

economy minister.

Tesla aims to produce as many as 500,000 cars a year and have 12,000 employees at the Berlin plant.

Musk last week announced that Tesla is moving its headquarters from Silicon Valley's Palo Alto, California to Austin, Texas, where it is building a plant.

Tesla will continue to operate its electric vehicle factory in Fremont, California, and increase production there by 50 per cent.

"I'm excited to announce that we're moving our headquarters to Austin, Texas," Musk said at an annual shareholders meeting.

Musk himself moved to Texas last year, as SpaceX increased its presence in the southern tip of the country.

'Unfollow Everything' tool developer banned by Facebook: Report San Francisco, Oct 8: Facebook has reportedly banned a developer from its site who made a tool that lets people automatically unfollow friends and groups on the platform.

Louis Barclay was the creator of "Unfollow Everything," a browser extension that allowed Facebook users to essentially delete their News Feed by unfollowing all their connections at once, The Verge reported.

Facebook allows users to individually unfollow friends, groups and pages, which removes their content from the News Feed, the algorithmically-controlled heart of Facebook.

Barclay's tool automated this process, instantly wiping users' News Feed. www.indianabroad.news

"I still remember the feeling of unfollowing everything for the first time. It was near-miraculous. I had lost nothing, since I could still see my favourite friends and groups by going to them directly," Barclay wrote of his experience using the tool in a recent article for Slate.

"But I had gained a staggering amount of control. I was no longer tempted to scroll down an infinite feed of content. The time I spent on Facebook decreased dramatically.

Overnight, my Facebook addiction became manageable," he added.

In response, Facebook sent Barclay a cease-and-desist letter earlier this year, saying he'd violated the site's terms of service by creating software that automated user

interactions.

Barclay said the company then "permanently disabled my Facebook and Instagram accounts" and "demanded that I agree to never again create tools that interact with Facebook or its other services".

Barclay notes that in addition to helping users, his "Unfollow Everything" tool was being used by researchers at the Swiss University of Neuchâtel to study the effects of the News Feed on people's happiness.

He said he couldn't risk tangling in court with a trillion-dollar company like Facebook and so simply removed the tool.

New Delhi, Oct 11: As learning and work from home become a new normal in India, students and working professionals have been busy scouting for devices that let them create, design and innovate from anywhere, on the go. With its ultra-portable design and wide range of uses, the new Apple iPad mini is their go-to device.

With a new all-screen Liquid Retina display, massive boost in performance, new advanced cameras on the front and back, Centre Stage, USB-C and support for Apple Pencil (2nd generation), the new iPad mini is a big leap forward that can be held in the palm of your hand.

Featuring the new A15 Bionic chip, the new iPad mini claims to deliver up to 80 per cent faster performance than the previous generation.

Let us find out whether this new device can allow work, learning and fun from anywhere.

An all-screen design features a larger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display with advanced technologies including True Tone, P3 wide colour, and anti-reflective coating.

One must agree that display offers lowest reflectivity in the industry, providing excellent performance in all lighting conditions At just 6.3 mm, the new design is absolutely thin and light, featuring an enclosure made with 100 per cent recycled aluminum.

Available in four finishes -- purple, pink, starlight and space gray -- iPad mini comes in 64GB and 256GB storage.

The all-screen design is enabled by moving Touch ID to the top button of iPad mini. Touch ID can be used to unlock iPad mini and log in to apps.

IANS

For performance-intensive tasks and workflows like editing 4K videos, creating detailed artwork and complex music compositions, and playing immersive games, the new iPad mini with A15 Bionic chip handles them all with ease.

The A15 Bionic chip delivers up to 40 per cent increase in performance over the previous iPad mini. It has a new 6-core design with two performance cores to tackle heavy computational tasks and four high-efficiency cores to take on everyday tasks.

A new 5-core graphics engine delivers up to 80 per cent increase in performance for the most demanding tasks, like photo and video editing, playing console-quality games, and incredible augmented reality experiences.

In ideal conditions, iPad mini delivered up to 8.5 hours of battery life.

On the camera front, the 12MP back camera will let you take stunning photos and beautiful 4K video for the first time on iPad mini.

The 12MP Ultra Wide front camera features Center Stage, which makes video calls more natural, by keeping you in the centre of the frame automatically.

The speakers of the new wide stereo audio system have landscape orientation that widens the sound stage to make your personal listening experience even more immersive.

Now shift to Apple Pencil which has become the must-have tool for creative souls.

Apple Pencil also supports handwritten notes, the ability to take down a Quick Note and Markup, which lets the users annotate photos, PDFs and screenshots. With Scribble, you can now handwrite into any text field.

As usual, Apple Pencil attaches magnetically to iPad mini for wireless charging and pairing.

A new USB-C port allows faster connectivity — fast data transfer up to 5Gbps which is 10x faster than the previous generation. It helps connect to a vast ecosystem of USB-C accessories, including cameras and external storage and displays up to 4K. Those wishing to purchase an all-new Apple iPad mini can do so from its India Store Online. Wi-Fi models of iPad mini are available with a starting price of Rs 46,900 and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at Rs 60,900.

Apple Pencil (2nd generation), available for purchase separately, is compatible with iPad mini for Rs 10,900.

Conclusion: In the hybrid work and remote learning era, the 8.3-inch new iPad mini proves to be an ideal device for those who look for lightweight work experience and wish to remain away from smartphones and laptops for ease of travelling and working from anywhere.

Samsung joins top filmmakers to produce movies with Galaxy devices IANS

Seoul, Oct 11: Samsung Electronics said on Monday it has partnered with some high-profile filmmakers to produce movies with its Galaxy smartphones as the South Korean tech giant aims to better promote its mobile devices among budding creators.

Samsung started a campaign called "Filmed #withGalaxy" with an aim to encourage people to expand their creativity with Galaxy smartphones.

Joe Wright, who is best known for directing the romantic drama film "Pride and Prejudice," is the first participant of the campaign, it added.

Samsung said Wright filmed "Princess & Peppernose," the tale of a princess who defies convention in search of love, entirely with a Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G smartphone, reports Yonhap news agency.

In particular, during the creation of "Princess & Peppernose," the musical using puppetry and live-action choreography, Wright and his crew especially took advantage of the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 13mm Ultra-Wide lens, it added.

Following Wright's film, Samsung said it will also release works from

other respected directors around the world, including China's Sha Mo, who is known for "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "My Huckleberry Friends."

He also used the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to shoot his new film "Kids of Paradise" that centers around children in a small school in the countryside.

Samsung said "Princess & Peppernose" and "Kids of Paradise" will be unveiled at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in

South Korea that runs till Friday.

Newly-launched Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 smartphones have received a record response worldwide. In India, the sale of Galaxy Z foldable Series is set to surpass the earlier Galaxy Note series.

Industry insiders had told IANS that nearly 60 per cent of the Indian consumers have gone for the pricier Galaxy Z Fold3 in India, showing rising inclination for big screen and productivity features among young millennial and Gen Z users.

Blue Origin postpones Star Trekfamed William Shatner's spaceflight IANS

San Francisco, Oct 11: Jeff Bezosowned aerospace company Blue Origin has announced to delay Tuesday's flight to send William Shatner, the man a generation has grown up seeing playing the grim-faced Captain James T Kirk in the sci-fi series 'Star Trek', by a day owing to bad weather.

The flight of the company's New Shepard spacecraft is now scheduled for 9.30 a.m. (7 p.m. India time) on Wednesday from Blue Origin's Launch Site One in Texas.

"Due to forecasted winds on Tuesday, October 12, Blue Origin's mission operations team has made the decision to delay the launch of NS-18 and is now targeting Wednesday, October 13," read a statement on Blue Origin's website.

The 90-year-old actor will be accompanied by Audrey Powers, Vice President of missions and flight operations. They will fill the last two seats on the company's second

/IndianAbroadNews

crewed flight.

Shatner will also be joined by former NASA engineer Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries, a co-founder of software company Medidata.

Shatner, who will be the oldest man ever to travel to space, reprised the role of Captain Kirk in seven 'Star Trek' films spawned by the television series.

He is now the host and executive producer of 'The UnXplained' on The History Channel.

Shatner and his crewmates will fly just shy of three months after Blue Origin's first crewed flight, which carried Bezos, and three other passengers on a 10-minute foray into space that reached 107 km in altitude, according to Space.com.

"I've heard about space for a long time now," Shatner said in a statement issued by Blue Origin. "I'm taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle."

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15

BUSINESS & INVESTMENT

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

'Welcome back, Air India', says Ratan Tata IANS

New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS): Life has come full circle for the Tata Group which has emerged as the winning bidder to takeover Air India, an airline that they once started and nurtured before the government decided to nationalise the air carrier in 1953.

In a throwback of the journey the airline has taken so far, Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, on Friday tweeted an old photograph of the company's former

Chairman J.R.D. Tata getting down from an Air India aircraft, minutes after Tata Sons won the bid to regain control of the airline.

"Welcome back, Air India!", Ratan Tata tweeted.

"The Tata Group winning the bid for Air India is great news! While admittedly it will take considerable effort to rebuild Air India, it will hopefully provide a very strong market opportunity to the Tata Group's presence in the aviation

industry," he said.

"On an emotional note, Air India, under the leadership of Mr JRD Tata, had, at one time, gained the reputation of being one of the most prestigious airlines in the world.

Tatas will have the opportunity of regaining the image and reputation it enjoyed in earlier years. Mr JRD Tata would have been overjoyed if he was in our midst today," Ratan Tata tweeted.

"We also need to recognise and thank the government for its recent policy of opening select industries to the private sector. Welcome back, Air India!," he said.

It was in 1932 that Tatas' journey into the aviation sector in India began, which in 1946 led to the renaming of the Tata Airline to Air India after the entity turned public. The airline went out from its hands in 1953 when the government decided to nationalise it.

Under the deal now, Tata Sons will acquire Air India, 50 per cent of Air India-Sats, and Air India Express.

The government will get Rs 2,700 crore in cash from the sale. The rest is the government's debt, which Air India will take over.

Agri exports up from Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh: APEDA IANS

New Delhi, Oct 9: With the mandate of promoting agri-export from Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has scripted "new success stories" as the export of agricultural products of the regions has picked up.

Under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) for exports, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir exported Geographical Indications (GI) certified product 'Kashmir Saffron' from Srinagar to Dubai and other West Asian markets during March-April.

A few months after the offices of APEDA, a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, got functional in Jammu and Srinagar in February, a shipment of Mishri variety Kashmir Valley Cherries was carried out from Srinagar to Dubai for the first time followed by commercial shipments creating international market for

www.indianabroad.news

Indian Cherries during the month of June-July, followed by repeat orders for Indian Cherries, a release from the Ministry said on Friday.

In another major boost to export activities in the Valley, shipments of Kashmir Valley fragrance rice Mushkbudji and Acacia honey have been planned and samples have already been sent during August by the Kashmir Valley Start Ups/new entrepreneurs to Lulu Group FMCG Dubai, Oman and other West Asian markets.

Meanwhile, samples of Kashmir Valley apples have also been planned during September to Oman, Qatar, Dubai and other West Asian markets for the shipment.

With the help of APEDA, shipment of Ladakh Apricots was carried out from Leh to Dubai for the first time followed by commercial shipments of Ladakh Halman Apricot during the month of August-September.

The shipment was handled by local entrepreneurs from Kargil with the

established exporter from Mumbai to their counterpart in Dubai.

Product samples of Sea Buckthorn such as juice, pulp, concentrate, oil, and herbal fusion tea have been obtained and provided during September to Indian corporate food producers for development of products for domestic as well as overseas markets.

APEDA has carried out sensitisation of officials of Seed Certification, Directorate of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) of Srinagar and Jammu Regions for their convergence into Organic Certification Agency under NPOP during July.

"APEDA also signed MoUs with Shere-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology and Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation (JKTPO) for technical support and promotional activities for enhancing productivity and promotion of potential products from the region."

The APEDA has took up the issue of a comprehensive export logistics requirements for UT of Jammu and Kashmir with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Central Warehousing Corporation, and other departments during July for creation of Customs Clearance Facility, smooth X-ray and handling for perishable commodities and issuance of Phytosanitary Certificate facility at Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports.

Under the APEDA's Agri Export Plan for UT of Jammu and Kashmir, Apple, Cherry, Walnut, Honey, Saffron, Rice, Gucchi have been identified as potential products for exports.

Similarly for the UT of Ladakh, Sea Buckthorn, Apricots and certified organic products have been identified as potential products for exports.

Amid protests, Adani Group takes over Guwahati int'l airport for 50 years

IANS

Guwahati, Oct 8: Amid widespread protests, the Adani Guwahati International Airport Limited (AGIAL) on Friday took over the management, development and operation of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport in Guwahati, the second international airport in the northeast after Imphal, officials said.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said that the LGBI Airport was on Friday formally handed over to AGIAL led by business tycoon Gautam Adani in a restricted ceremony.

Airport director Ramesh Kumar handed over a symbolic key to Utpal Baruah, who has been appointed Chief Airport Officer by the AGIAL. The AAI tweeted: "Adani Guwahati International Airport Ltd (AGIAL) today took over operations, management and development of AAI's Guwahati airport through PPP mode for a lease period of 50 years."

The Adani Group tweeted: "We are delighted to announce that the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is now a 'Gateway To Goodness'. We are privileged to be at your service and welcome all passengers to our airport in Guwahati."

The opposition Congress, local party Assam Jatiya Parishad, and AAI employees' unions have been protesting against the handing over of the airport to the private party.

During the March-April elections to the Assam assembly, the issue had dominated political campaigns.

Hundreds of people from various walks of life had earlier launched a signature campaign demanding the cancellation of the leasing out of the vital airport to the private company.

AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi said that the LGBI Airport is one of

the most profit-making airports in India and the government's claim of privatising it for the benefit of the passengers is not justified.

On August 9, the AGIAL had began its 'Observation Period' at the LGBI Airport as part of its mandate to develop and modernise northeast India's main airport.

In 2018, the Central government had leased out six AAI airports -- Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru -- for operation, management and development under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The Adani Group had emerged as the successful bidder for all the six airports.

"The Centre took the decision to enhance the revenue of the AAI and augment the economic development in these areas in terms of job creation and related infrastructure," an AAI official told IANS. Currently, there are 15 airports in

the northeast region -- in Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lilalabari and Rupsi (Assam), Tezu and Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), Agartala (Tripura), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dimapur (Nagaland), Lengpui (Mizoram), and Pakyong (Sikkim).

Global cues push up energy crisis in India, govt looks to step up generation New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS): The build up power crisis in the country has worsened this month as acute fuel shortages at power plants threaten outages in coming days stalling the revival wheels of world's fastest growing major economy.

As per official data, country's 135 odd thermal plants on an average are sitting on just four days of coal stocks at the end of September, down from 13 days coal stocks at the beginning of August. Regulations mandate 22 days of stock at thermal plants.

Several plants in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu are on alert for outages.

In Delhi, state power minister Satyendar Jain has said that if coal supply doesn't improve, there will be a blackout in Delhi in two days.

The coal shortages at power plants had come at a time when production from Coal India, which meets almost 80 per cent of fuel needs of the country, had fallen owing to long monsoon this year. Though CIL maintains, its supplies are nowhere at a lower level this year compared to the last year, power sector sources said that the problem is also compounding due to lower interest shown by debt ridden state utilities to buy more coal to run power plants at optimal levels.

"Surging electricity demand due to economic recovery, seasonal low coal supply months, state Gencos not having financial ability to store 22 days of coal stock before monsoon and high spot prices of coal and LNG in the international market - all are factors creating this stressful situation," said Debasish Mishra, a Mumbai-based partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

To meet the domestic shortages, option is available to buy coal from abroad, but the post Covid surge in electricity demand worldwide has created added interest securing fuel sources that had shot up global coal prices. Imported coal price of Indonesian coal has jumped from $60/tonne in March-2021 to $160/ tonne (in September/October, 2021) of 5,000 GAR (Gross as received) coal. The import of coal has decreased in comparison to 2019-20 due to import substitution and rising prices of imported coal. Australian non-coking coal is touching a price

/IndianAbroadNews

of over $200 per tonne.

Moreover, extreme weather events are also playing spoilsport. China's top coal-producing province suspended output at 27 mines because of heavy rain and flooding, adding more pressure to an energy crisis gripping the nation. China is one of the largest producer as well as consumer of coal. Lack of adequate growth in renewables and skyrocketing prices of natural gas is also contributing to brimming global energy crisis. So is China's decision to secure all available sources of fuel available globally at any cost creating a short of shortage in the world market and prices jumping up sharply.

"Global developments are now having a play in Indian markets too.

Sharp uptick in economic activity with easing of Covid pandemic has pushed up power demand with major industrial states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu seeing demand rising between 14-20 per cent in last three months," said a power sector analyst from one of the four big audit firms.

Coal inventory at thermal plants will improve only gradually by next March. For this fiscal, it will hover around 10 days compared with the two-year average of around 18 days, a Crisil report has said.

This would mean that crisis would continue through the Indian festive season with Coal India scrambling to meet the rising demand for fuel in the absence of support from imports.

A power ministry statement said that there are four reasons for the depletion of coal stocks at the power plant end -- unprecedented increase in demand of electricity due to revival of economy; heavy rains in coal mine areas during September thereby adversely affecting the coal production as well as despatch of coal from mines; increase in prices of imported coal to unprecedented high level leading to substantial reduction in power generation from imported coal based power plants leading to more dependence on domestic coal; non-building of adequate coal stocks before the onset of monsoon.

There are also legacy issues of heavy dues of coal companies from certain states viz, Maharashtra, Rajasthan,

/indianabroadnews

IANS

Tamil Nadu, UP, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

A surge in revival of economy after second wave of Covid, led to unprecedented increase in demand and consumption of electricity. The daily consumption of electricity has crossed beyond 4 billion units (BU) per day and 65 per cent to 70 per cent demand is being met by coal fired power generation only, thereby increasing dependence on coal.

Power consumption for the period August-September has progressively increased from 106.6 BU per month in 2019 (normal non Covid year) to 124.2 BU per month in 2021. During this period the share of coal-based generation has also increased from 61.91 per cent in 2019 to 66.35 per cent in 2021. As a consequence, total coal consumption in the month of August-Sept, 2021 has increased by 18 per cent in comparison to corresponding period in 2019.

The import of coal has decreased in comparison to 2019-20 due to import substitution and rising prices of imported coal. The reduction of imported coal is compensated by the domestic coal for power generation, hence increasing the demand for domestic coal further. As compared to 2019, there has been 43.6 per cent reduction in power generation from imported coal which led to extra demand of 17.4 MT of domestic coal during Apr-Sept, 2021.

Now ministry of power has issued guidelines for operationalizing optimum utilization of generating stations as per the requirements in the Electricity Grid. These guidelines will enable imported coal based plants (having sufficient coal) to operate and ease out the burden on domestic coal.

16

BITCOIN UPDATES

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Indian investors in the dark as Now buy, sell Bitcoins via UPI cryptocurrency ads gather steam in Indian currency on Unocoin

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS): "Kya aapke portfolio mein crypto hai?" If you have read such advertising lines recently -- and now watching crypto ads as you surf through IPL 2021, YouTube and various social media platforms -- make sure you hold on to your hard-earned money for a while.

Indian crypto players are bombarding people with advertisements across platforms -- doubling down on their marketing spend when the cryptocurrencies are yet to be accepted as legal tender and lack legal framework and regulatory norms in the country.

The ball is currently in the court of the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). A cryptocurrency bill is expected in the winter session and till the whole picture is cleared, investing in cryptocurrencies can be a dangerous move, warn legal experts.

"Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency, not a legal tender and subject to market risks," is a thin line at the end of the advertisements, not visible to many people who have started investing via various crypto exchanges.

According to Dr. Pavan Duggal, a seasoned Supreme Court advocate and a cyber law expert, few players are asking Indian investors to invest in cryptocurrencies, primarily because there is a big legal vacuum that exists in the country.

"India has still not made up its mind as to how it wants to deal with cryptocurrencies. These are not legal tender in India. As per the judgment of the Supreme Court of India, the Reserve Bank of India is the nodal statutory authority to deal with all aspects pertaining to cryptocurrencies. However, more work needs to be done in this area," Duggal told IANS. If we look at cryptocurrencies as mere electronic records, they

could be brought under the ambit of legality under Section 4 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

However, there is a lack of appropriate capacity building and awareness among the Indian investors about legal capabilities and nuances of cryptocurrencies.

"The government cannot be a mute spectator while open calls are being made asking Indian investors to invest into cryptocurrencies.

Without appropriate homework on the legalities of cryptocurrencies in India, merely prohibiting players from asking Indian investors to invest crypto currencies would also not work," Duggal elaborated.

India has seen a spurt in the popularity of crypto exchanges and platforms in recent months like CoinSwitch Kuber (CSK), WazirX, CoinDCX, ZebPay, Unocoin and BuyUcoin etc.

Within 15 months of commencing operations in India, CoinSwitch Kuber is India's largest crypto exchange with more than 10 million users. Of the total 10 million users, 7 million are active users on the platform with a monthly transaction volume of Rs 15,138 crore.

Homegrown crypto exchange Unocoin has launched deposits via UPI wallets in the Indian currency for a faster top-up to buy and sell Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies on the platform.

"There is still uncertainty among the prospective users regarding the usage of cryptocurrency in comparison to real money. We want all our users to have the ease of trading or exchanging on our platform," said Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO and Co-Founder, Unocoin.

According to a report by IT industry's apex body Nasscom, there are 15 million retail investors in India investing in the cryptotech space.

New Delhi-based cyberlaw expert Virag Gupta said that several

emerging sectors within the digital economy do not have an established legal framework and regulatory network.

"Cryptocurrency is a unique area, since it attracts concurrent regulation by the Ministries of Law, Finance and Commerce; alongside the RBI and the SEBI. Nonetheless, certain regulatory needs may be addressed using the IT Act and taxation may be enabled through a notification by the Ministry of Finance," Gupta told IANS. A legal endorsement by the RBI and legislation passed by the Parliament may further pave the way for lawful trading.

"It is a misconception to believe that a conducive regulatory environment will harm the crypto currency sector. Rather, to cement a certain future, detailed jurisprudence diving deep within the currency and technology essential to the sector must be designed," Gupta suggested.

Otherwise, the entire sector may be susceptible to uncertain government intervention "such as measures employed by the Chinese government which have led to loss of trust, investments, and overall destruction of the market".

China's central bank announced last month that all transactions of cryptocurrencies are illegal, effectively banning digital tokens such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana etc.

When Bitcoin crossed $50,000 again last week, Shivam Thakral, CEO, BuyUcoin, said there has been a paradigm shift in the investment patterns across the globe which is underlined by the data shared by crypto exchanges from time to time.

"India's middle-class population is willing to explore digital assets for creating long-term wealth to fulfil their goals, which may not be possible through any other asset class," Thakral said.

However, it is possible that the gullible Indian investors would invest in crypto currencies, only to find that their business interests have been prejudicially impacted.

"This is a golden opportunity for the Indian government to explore mechanisms of how it can ride the tide of crypto-currencies and also draft enabling legal frameworks to regulate crypto-currencies," said Duggal.

To cement a certain future, "detailed jurisprudence diving deep within the currency and technology essential to the sector must be designed," Gupta added.

Bitcoin reclaims $1 trillion cap, Indian crypto players cheer Varchev

New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS): As Bitcoin once again reclaimed the $1 trillion market cap, crossing $54,000 per digital coin, Indian crypto leaders on Thursday expressed hope that India and its neighbouring countries will continue their dominance because of the large number of active crypto investors in the region.

The Indian cryptocurrency market is expected to reach up to $241 million by 2030 in India and $2.3 billion by 2026 worldwide.

According to a report by IT industry's apex body Nasscom, there are 15 million retail investors in India investing in the cryptotech space.

"The recent jump in Bitcoin price has a larger message for the world.

In the post-pandemic world, Bitcoin has emerged as the best performing asset class of 2021, as a result of which institutional and retail investors are moving from slow/ traditional assets to high growth/ technology-led assets," said Shivam

www.indianabroad.news

Thakral, CEO, BuyUcoin.

There has been a paradigm shift in the investment patterns across the globe which is underlined by the data shared by crypto exchanges from time to time.

"India is home to around 1.5 crore active crypto investors, which amounts to $40 billion in investment in crypto, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. India's middle-class population is willing to explore digital assets for creating long-term wealth to fulfil their goals, which may not be possible through any other asset class," Thakral added.

Crypto asset exchange ZebPay has also launched India's first global Electronic Over-The-Counter (OTC) Desk for large volume traders and institutional investors globally.

Avinash Shekhar, Co-CEO, ZebPay, said that the company aims to create a robust crypto ecosystem and a multi-faceted business where the needs of both the retail and

institutional investors are met seamlessly.

"With the ZebPay OTC Desk, we are addressing the growing institutional interest in crypto globally and in India. This will further encourage adoption of crypto in the country and help create a mark for India as a major player in this emerging space," he added.

Jay Hao, CEO, OKEx.com, said that during the slight dip last month, crypto-related investments witnessed record inflows owing to the growing global acceptance of crypto assets.

"The same momentum is boosting the prices of other popular crypto assets like Ethereum, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, among others. India and its neighbouring countries are the main growth drivers of the crypto economy in South East Asia and they will continue their dominance because of the large number of active crypto investors in the region," Hao noted.

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 4: Homegrown crypto exchange Unocoin on Monday launched deposits via UPI wallets in the Indian currency for a faster top-up to buy and sell Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies on the platform.

To trade on the Unocoin platform, a minimum top-up of Rs 1,000 is required. The maximum that the user can deposit can range up to Rs 2 Lakh via UPI mode and Rs 1.5 crore via bank IMPS/UPI/NEFT/ RTGS mode, the startup said in a statement.

During the recharge process through UPI account, on clicking on ‘submit', the app will share a link via SMS that will help the user make the payment via UPI ID. One can also directly go to the UPI app to make the payment.

"There is still uncertainty among the prospective users regarding the usage of cryptocurrency in comparison to real money. We want all our users to have the ease of trading or exchanging on our platform," said Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO and Co-Founder, Unocoin.

"While there were other modes of banking options available since the app's inception, UPI payment under INR deposits will add the convenience of instant and hassle-free proceedings," he added.

Started in 2013, Unocoin operates India's largest BTC-INR trading platform which enables the people to buy, sell, store, use and accept Bitcoin.

At its peak, Unocoin processed

transactions worth more than Rs 2 billion per month for its more than 13 lakh customers.

Unocoin last month enabled FASTag payment services for its users. The application will support a top-up starting from a minimum of Rs 100 to a maximum of Rs 10,000 and unlimited transactions through the day, while ensuring that there is enough bitcoin in the user account to cover it.

CoinSwitch Kuber onboards Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassador IANS

New Delhi, Oct 8: Leading cryptocurrency platform 'CoinSwitch Kuber' on Friday announced the onboarding of Indian film actor Ranveer Singh as its first-ever brand ambassador.

CoinSwitch Kuber and Ranveer Singh will work towards highlighting the growing acceptance of cryptocurrency in India while enhancing awareness about it.

Ranveer Singh will feature in three ad films for CoinSwitch Kuber's ongoing 'Kuch Toh Badlega' campaign, which is premised on the possibility of change as one becomes a part of something bigger by entering the cryptocurrency world.

"We are excited to have Ranveer Singh join us as our brand ambassador. Our aim is to make cryptocurrency accessible to billions in India while making it as simple as ordering food online. I am confident that Ranveer, with his youth appeal, will enable us to make strides towards achieving that goal

while aiding CoinSwitch Kuber to become a household name, " said Ashish Singhal, Co-founder and CEO, CoinSwitch Kuber.

Recently, the firm said it has raised more than $260 million in its Series C funding round from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Coinbase Ventures and existing investors, and will scale its India operations, including hiring

across verticals.

With more than 10 million users, CoinSwitch Kuber has become a new unicorn and the most valuable crypto company in India valued at $1.9 billion.

CoinSwitch Kuber said it will utilise the funds for onboarding 50 million Indians on its platform and introduce new crypto products.

Crypto platform CoinSwitch Kuber raises $260 mn, to scale India biz New Delhi, Oct 6: Leading crypto platform CoinSwitch Kuber on Wednesday said it has raised over $260 million in its Series C funding round from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Coinbase Ventures and existing investors, and will scale its India operations, including hiring across verticals.

With more than 10 million users, CoinSwitch Kuber has become a new unicorn, and the most valuable crypto company in India valued at $1.9 billion.

CoinSwitch Kuber said it will utilise the funds for onboarding 50 million Indians on its platform and introduce new crypto products.

"We wanted to remove all the complexities in crypto trading, educate consumers and give them a simplified experience of one-click buy and sell in crypto, co-founder and CEO Ashish Singhal said.

The company said it aims to acquire best talent including leaders and experts across engineering, product, data, and growth to define the crypto industry in India.

With CoinSwitch Kuber, American venture capital form a16z is making its first investment in an Indian start-up. Existing investors

Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, Sequoia Capital India, and Tiger Global also participated in the new funding round.

The company said that it plans to design ways of simplifying the investment journey of Indians, and, in the process, offer multiple avenues of investment for them through different products and asset classes.

"We are incredibly excited about the crypto market opportunity in India, and with its breakout growth,

CoinSwitch has emerged as the leading retail platform in the country," Andreessen Horowitz General Partner David George said.

Started in 2017 by Singhal, Govind Soni and Vimal Sagar, CoinSwitch launched its India operations in June 2020.

The Indian cryptocurrency market has been growing exponentially and is expected to reach up to $241 million by 2030 in India and $2.3 billion by 2026 worldwide.

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17

SPORTS

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

McGrath stars as Australia win second T20I against India, clinch series

IANS

Gold Coast, Oct 9 (IANS): Allrounder Tahlia McGrath's unbeaten 42 off 33 balls helped Australia defeat India by four wickets in a hard-fought second T20I at the Metricon Stadium on Saturday. The win also helped Australia take an unassailable 9-5 lead in the ongoing multi-format series.

After posting just 118/9 in 20 overs, thanks to an unbeaten 37 from Pooja Vastrakar, India did well with the ball to reduce Australia to 94/6 in 16.4 overs. But Tahila's crucial knock, laced with six boundaries, ensured Australia held their nerve and chase the total with five balls to spare.

Chasing 119, the hosts received an early jolt when Alyssa Healy (4) was bowled on the second ball of the innings by Shikha Pandey with a delivery that cut back in. Post power-play, India bagged three big wickets of Meg Lanning (15),

Ashleigh Gardner (1) and Ellyse Perry (2) to leave Australia reeling at 46/4 in 9.1 overs.

Tahlia stitched a partnership of 25 with Beth Mooney (34) before the latter was stumped in the 144th over, becoming left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad's third wicket of the match. Three overs later, Rajeshwari had Nicola Carey (7) dismissed in the same manner to keep India in the hunt of an unlikely win.

Tahlia struck some boundaries to bring the equation down to 24 runs in the last three overs. In Shikha's last over, Georgia Wareham struck two boundaries through cover and long-off. It was followed by Tahlia slamming back-to-back boundaries through mid-off and cover off Renuka Singh in the next over.

Fittingly, Tahlia scored the winning single to seal the win for her side.

Earlier, Australia rocked India in the

power-play, taking three wickets while conceding just 25 runs.

Tayla Vlaeminck removed Smriti Mandhana (1), caught at mid-wicket in the opening over. In her next over, Tayla had Shafali Verma (3) top-edging to mid-on. Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux had Jemimah Rodrigues (7) caught at mid-on in the final over of power-play.

Harmanpreet Kaur (28) tried to keep the scoreboard moving by crunching Ellyse for three boundaries in the eighth over. But in the next over, Harmanpreet was stumped off Georgia while going for the big hit. The Indian skipper's dismissal resulted in a slide with India in tatters at 81/9 in 17 overs.

India was in serious danger of getting out for a total below 100.

But Pooja quashed those concerns with an unbeaten cameo of 37. She started off by hammering Nicola for a four and six in the 18th over.

Sophie was economical in the penultimate over, conceding just three runs in the 19th over.

Pooja then thrashed Hannah Darlington for 16 runs in the final over, starting with a four followed by a six over the bowler's head, hit a straight six and ended the innings with a whip over a misfielding wide long-on for a four as India amassed 37 runs off the last three overs.

Brief scores: India 118/9 in 20 overs (Pooja Vastrakar 37 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 28, Sophie Molineux 2/11, Tayla Vlaeminck 2/18) lost to Australia 119/6 in 19.1 overs (Tahlia McGrath 42 not out, Beth Mooney 34, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 3/21, Harmanpreet Kaur 1/9) by four wickets.

Amy Hunter is youngest to hit century in international cricket

IANS

Harare, Oct 12: It was a birthday to remember for Ireland's Amy Hunter who became the youngest centurion in international cricket at 16 years of age in the fourth ODI against Zimbabwe, helping her team win by 86 runs. Amy beat Mithali Raj's record as she helped Ireland to a series win against Zimbabwe.

Mithali had set the women's record with an unbeaten 114 against Ireland in 1999 at the age of 16 years and 205 days.

Needing a win to level the series and avoid a series loss, Zimbabwe won the toss and put Ireland into bat first in the fourth and final ODI.

Ireland openers Leah Paul and Gaby got the team off to a steady start yet again but could not replicate their performances from the previous two games where they strung a 100-run partnership in each game. Esther Mbofana struck for Zimbabwe in the Powerplay and rattled the stumps of Leah to send her back to the pavilion for 12.

At the other end, Gaby's purple patch continued as she registered her third consecutive fifty. At the other end, Amy Hunter too played her shots as the two put on a 104-run partnership for the second wicket before Lewis made the long walk back.

Skipper Laura Delany joined Amy at the crease and upped the scoring rate after the top-order had laid a solid foundation for a huge score.

Amy, who had registered a string of low scores in the first three ODIs of her career, brought up her maiden fifty soon. Amy, who turned 16 on the day, made the occasion even more memorable as she went on to score her first ODI century, thus becoming the youngest player in the history of the game, male or female, to score an international century in

any form of the game.

By the time Laura got out after scoring 68 off 53, Ireland were in a box seat. Amy and Orla Prendergast put the finishing touches to the innings and propelled Ireland to 312/3 at the end of the 50 overs.

Ireland broke through early in the second over with the wicket of Modester Mupachikwa. Ashley Ndiraya and Josephine Nkomo did manage to steady the ship with a 96run stand but some great bowling from Ireland meant that the asking rate kept climbing.

Josephine brought up her maiden ODI fifty but did not find enough support at the other end as Zimbabwe kept losing wickets at regular intervals as they slipped from 139/2 at one stage to 178/6, by which time the required run rate was over 13.

The tail-enders ensured that Zimbabwe batted out the 50 overs but fell short by 86 runs as they finished on 227/8. Ireland, who were playing their first ODI series since 2018, completed a great turnaround after going 1-0 down to seal the series 3-1.

India controls world cricket now, says Imran Khan

Islamabad, Oct 12: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that money has become a "big player" in cricket and that countries like New Zealand and England wouldn't have dared to cancel their tours of India because "India controls" the sport.

The former Pakistan skipper added that "England let itself down" by deciding to cancel the men's and women's teams' short tour of Pakistan recently, days after the New Zealand cricket team decided

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to abandon their while-ball series and fly out of Pakistan citing "security fears".

In an interview to Middle East Eye, Imran said, "Money is a big player now. For the players, as well as for the cricket boards. The money lies in India, so basically, India controls world cricket now. I mean, they do, whatever they say goes. No one would dare do that to India because they know that the sums involved, India can sort of produce much more money."

In the wake of the New Zealand and England cricket teams cancelling their tours of Pakistan, some Pakistan ministers and former cricketers have started dragging India's name in their statements.

They are also allegedly blaming the Indian cricket board (BCCI) for the cancellation of their tours.

In fact, a senior BCCI official had told IANS recently that Pakistan has an old habit of 'using' India's name in all their 'big or small news' that too without any proof. "We wish Ramiz Raja (PCB chief) good

luck…Pakistan cricket reaches new heights under him. We want to clear one thing that the BCCI has no role in the cancellation of England and New Zealand tours to Pakistan," a BCCI official had told IANS. Imran said in his interview that England think they do Pakistan a great favour by touring the country.

"England let itself down (by cancelling the series). I think that there is still this feeling in England that they do a great favour to play with countries like Pakistan. One of the reasons is that, obviously, the money," the Pakistan PM said.

In fact PCB chief Raja too has spoken on similar lines, saying that, "The ICC is a politicised body divided between the Asian and Western blocs and 90 per cent of its revenues are generated from India. It is frightening. In a way, India's business houses are running Pakistan cricket and if tomorrow the Indian PM decides he will not allow any funding to Pakistan, this cricket board can collapse."

Chennai Super Kings cruise to fourth IPL title IANS

Dubai, Oct 15 (IANS): Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the final of IPL 2021 at the Dubai International Stadium here on Friday. With this win, Chennai have now clinched their fourth IPL title. It completes a remarkable comeback for Chennai, who were placed seventh last season and have now won their fourth IPL trophy in a campaign which started with a loss but ended with a win.

Chasing 193, the way KKR openers Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer started the chase, it looked like the target would not be that difficult. But once they were out, Kolkata's chase fell through as they lost wickets at regular intervals to end up with 165/9 in their 20 overs.

Gill pulled the first ball of the innings over mid-on off Deepak Chahar. Iyer, dropped on zero, swatted Josh Hazlewood over backward square leg for a powerful six. The run-fest continued as Gill and Iyer crunched seven fours between themselves to give Kolkata an emphatic start with 55/0 in power-play.

Iyer tore into Ravindra Jadeja with two sixes before reaching his half-century in 31 balls. Gill, who survived a caught dismissal as the ball touched the Spidercam wire, hammered Jadeja for back-to-back

boundaries. The 91-run opening partnership was ended by Shardul Thakur in the 11th over as Iyer holed out to long-on.

Two balls later, Thakur forced Nitish Rana to chip a cross-seam delivery to mid-off. Sunil Narine's promotion to four ended in pulling straight to deep mid-wicket off Hazlewood.

Gill reached his half-century by smacking Jadeja over cover.

But in the next over, Chahar took him out with a dipping slower full toss which hit him in front of the stumps while going for the ramp shot. Dinesh Karthik opened his account by pulling Chahar over long leg. In the next over, Karthik tried to repeat the shot against Jadeja but found deep backward square

leg. One brought two for Jadeja as Shakib Al Hasan was trapped plumb in front of the wicket.

From 120/6 in 15 overs, the result was a foregone conclusion. Rahul Tripathi (2) and Eoin Morgan (4) were dismissed cheaply in successive overs. Shivam Mavi and Lockie Ferguson struck well-timed boundaries but at the end, it was too little too late for Kolkata.

Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings 192/3 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 86, Moeen Ali 37 not out, Sunil Narine 2/26, Shivam Mavi 1/32) against Kolkata Knight Riders 165/9 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 51, Venkatesh Iyer 50, Shardul Thakur 3/38, Josh Hazlewood 2/29) by 27 runs

Motorcycle nationals: Rajini Krishnan bounces back; Ahamed claims double

IANS

Chennai, Oct 10: Ace rider Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power Racing) came into his own to script a fine win while TVS Racing's KY Ahamed completed a double as the third round of the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday.

Rajini Krishnan, 41, diced with Saturday's Race-1 winner Hyderabad's Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing) and Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) before winning the thrilling battle in the premier Prostock 301-400cc category with less than a second separating the trio. The win, his fourth of the season from six starts, helped Rajini (118 points) to maintain his top position in the championship table with Rahil 17 points adrift.

Later, local challenger Ahamed kept his nerve to record his second win of the weekend with team-mate and defending champion Jagan Kumar delivering a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing while Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) was third. The result could have been different as early leader, Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) crashed heavily exiting the last corner in the fifth lap.

The result notwithstanding, Jagan continues to head the points table with 126 points, followed by Ravikumar (85), Sethu (83) and Ahamed (77).

One of the top rides of the day, however, was from Chennai collegian Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports), who started P34 and won the Novice (Stock 165cc) race, his third of the season, as did Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power Racing) in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category. Sundar is currently placed second in the championship in the Novice class with 103 points to leader Anfal Akdhar's 113. Ryhana heads the Girls table with 75 points, well clear of Mumbai's Jagruti Penkar of Sparks Racing (45).

Riding a Yamaha R3, Rajini Krishnan brought into play his vast experience to win a tight battle with Rahil Shetty, astride a KTM 390, as the two swapped leads over eight laps with third-placed Ravikumar in the mix.

The contest, at times, turned physical with Krishnan and Shetty coming into contact, but both escaped any mishap. "It was a tough race. Rahil is extremely fast, like he was yesterday. I also had an eye on the championship points and didn't want to make any mistakes like in the previous round when I crashed," said Krishnan.

The results (Provisional): National Championship - Prostock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power, Chennnai,) (15mins, 04.136secs); 2. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (15:04.561); 3.

Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:04.719).

Prostock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (15:40.885); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (15:41.020); 3. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:41.146).

Novice (Stock 165cc) Race-2 (6 laps): 1. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (13:05.747); 2. Sarvesh Balappa (Sparks Racing, Hubballi) (13:06.309); 3. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (13:06.342).

Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power Racing, Chennai) (10:53.801); 2. Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing, Chennai) (11:07.230); 3. Jagruti Penkar (Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (11:09.601).

One-Make Championship organised

by MMSC: Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup NSF 250R (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (14:46.889); 2. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (14:53.056); 3.

Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (15:02.291).

Honda Novice (CBR 150) Race-2 (6 laps): 1. Prakash Kamat (Bokar Steel City) (13:10.827); 2. Ikshan Shanbhag (Satara) (13:13.736); 3. Theopaul Leander (Chennai) (13:26.125).

Honda Hornet 2.0 (Race-2, 6 laps): 1. Ullas Santrupt Nanda (Chennai) (13:20.440); 2. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (13:20.867); 3. Prabhu V (Chennai) (13:21.107).

TVS Open (Apache RR 310) Race-1 (6 laps): 1. Jagadeesh N (Bengaluru) (11:47.095); 2. Aditya Rao I (Bengaluru) (11:48.755); 3. Navaneeth Kumar S (Puducherry) (11:50.591).

Race-2: 1. Jagadeesh N (11:46.122); 2.

Venkat Prabhu (Chennai) (11:49.456); 3. Yashas RL (Bengauru) (11:49.969).

TVS Rookie (Apache RTR 200) Race-2 (6 laps): 1. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru) (12:53.089); 2.

Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:53.628); 3. Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad) (12:53.660).

TVS Media (Apache RTR 200) (5 laps): 1. Soham Thakur (Mumbai) (11:37.219); 2. Manaal Mahatme (Mumbai) (11:47.104); 3. Ajinkya Lad (Mumbai) (12:04.009).

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18

SPORTS

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

From 'greatest finisher' to 'greatest IPL 2021: Gaikwad, Uthappa and Dhoni lead Chennai into ninth final finisher ever', Kohli praises MSD's knock IANS

DNA India

Dubai, Oct 10: Ruturaj Gaikwad (70 off 50 balls) and Robin Uthappa (63 off 44 balls) played important knocks before MS Dhoni (18 not out off six balls) helped Chennai Super Kings book a spot in the IPL final for the ninth time. After winning the toss, Chennai conceded 172 runs before hunting down the target with two balls to spare to beat Delhi Capitals by four wickets in Qualifier 1 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

A target of 173 seemed tough as Anrich Nortje bowled Faf du Plessis through the gate on the fourth ball of the innings. Robin Uthappa, promoted to one-down ahead of Ambati Rauydu, got off the mark with a drive through covers before welcoming Avesh Khan in the next over with a boundary. Ruturaj Gaikwad welcomed Kagiso Rabada in the fourth over by charging down the pitch and slamming a straight six. Uthappa followed it up with a flick off Rabada before taking 20 runs off Khan in the final over of power-play.

Delhi pulled things back by drying up the boundaries in four overs after power-play. But Gaikwad and Uthappa kept the scoreboard with the latter reaching his half-century in 35 balls. Gaikwad took Patel for a four and six over his head in the 11th over. Uthappa went after Ravichandran Ashwin in the next

over, slamming him for back-toback fours.

But Tom Curran broke the 110-run partnership in the 14th over, as Uthappa miscued the pull to be safely pouched by Shreyas Iyer at long-on after tossing the ball in the air. One brought two for Curran as Shardul 'hakur's promotion to four ended in holing out to long-on. In the next over, Rayudu was run-out as Iyer fired a throw from long-on which Rabada collected quickly to whip off the bails.

Gaikwad continued to march before finding deep mid-wicket in the 19th over off Khan. But Ali hit Khan for a four through backward point before Dhoni clobbered a six over deep mid-wicket to take 11 off the over.

With 13 needed off the final over, Ali mistimed a pull to deep square leg off Curran on the first ball. Dhoni then struck consecutive boundaries off Curran; slapping over extra cover followed by an inner edge running through fine leg. Dhoni finished off the chase in style with a pullthrough mid-wicket, giving his team a spot in the final.

Earlier, Delhi were lifted from 80/4 in 10.2 overs to a competitive 172/4 in 20 overs, thanks to an excellent recovery staged by Shimron Hetmyer (37) and Rishabh Pant (51 not out). Delhi reached 51/2 in power-play, 43 of which came off Prithvi Shaw's bat off just 19 balls. Shaw

began with two top-edge boundaries off Josh Hazlewood in the second over. Shaw took the attack against Deepak Chahar in the next over, collecting four boundaries, with the most impressive of them a back-foot punch through the gap in point.

Shikhar Dhawan lifted Hazlewood for a boundary in his next over.

But on the next ball, Hazlewood got Dhawan (7) to nick behind on a seaming-away delivery. But there was no stopping Shaw as he hit two sixes over mid-wicket and down the ground off Thakur. Thakur almost had Shaw out on 42 as MS Dhoni spilled a difficult one-handed catch to his right.

Hazlewood had his second wicket of the match as Iyer (1) miscued a flick on the cross-seamer to cover point.

Shaw brought up his fifty in 27 balls with a cut through point followed by a sweep through the square on the leg-side off Ravindra Jadeja. Patel's promotion at four didn't pay off, holing out to long-on off Ali in the tenth over. In the next over, Jadeja ended Shaw's stay as the righthander mistimed the loft to a diving long-off running to his left.

Hetmyer and Pant shared an 83-run partnership off 50 balls for the fifth'wicket. The duo's partnership meant that Delhi regained rhythm which had slowed down in the overs 10-13. Dwayne Bravo separated the pair in 19th over as Hetmyer mistimed pull to wide long-on.

Pant reached his fifty on the final ball with a brace as Delhi finished beyond'170, which wasn't enough in stopping Chennai from maintaining their clean slate while chasing this season.

Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 172/5 in 20 overs (Prithvi Shaw 60, Rishabh Pant 51 not out, Josh Hazlewood 2/29, Ravindra Jadeja 1/23) lost to Chennai Super Kings 173/6 in 19.4 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 70, Robin Uthappa 63, Tom Curran 3/29, Anrich Nortje 1/31) by four wickets.

Jr shooting worlds: India finish on top with 43 medals

IANS

New Delhi, Oct 11: A relook at the results resulted in India's overall medals tally being re-totaled to a whopping 43 medals as the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship concluded at the Las Palmas Shooting range in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

India had sought some clarifications from the ISSF as its overall tally was being shown 40 in the competition that ended on Saturday after eleven days of competitions involving the top young shooters in rifle, pistol, and shotgun.

Vijayveer Sidhu, Rhythm Sangwan, Arjun Singh Cheema, and Shikha Narwal were India's gold medallists on the 11th and final day on Saturday, putting India firmly on top of the standings with 17 gold medals.

India made a clean sweep of all four events on the final day.

Following a clarification sought by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) from the ISSF, the medals tally was updated on Monday (October 11) with India now credited with 16 silver and 10 bronze in addition to the 17 gold medals.

On Saturday, Vijayveer began the sweep with a gold in the junior men's 25m Standard Pistol with his third gold medal of the Championship. His twin brother Udhayveer won silver with 570, the same score as Vijayveer's but with three lesser inner 10s. Harsh Gupta won bronze with a 566 in a field that was 17-strong.

Then Rhythm Sangwan won her fourth gold of the Championship with victory in the junior women's 25m Standard Pistol with a score of 573, leaving compatriots Niveditha Veloor Nair (565) and Naamya Kapoor (563) behind in silver and bronze positions.

Then in the 50m Pistol for junior men, India's Arjun Singh Cheema bossed the 16-strong field with a 549 out of 600 with both teammates Shaurya Sarin and Ajinkya Chavan also finishing on the same score.

Shaurya was adjudged second and Ajinkya third on inner 10s and countback, the NRAI said in a release.

In the final event of the Championship, India's Shikha Narwal won th' junior women's 50m Pistol with a score of 530. Esha Singh was second with 529 while Navdeep Kaur was third with 526.

In all, the Pistol discipline stole a march over the other two for India, accounting for 26 medals of the 43.

The shotgun had nine medals while Rifle competitors won eight.

Olympians Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Manu Bhaker reiterated their world-class credentials yet again with dominating performances. Manu was the most successful Indian athlete with four gold and one bronze medal while Aishwary smashed the junior world record en route to winn'ng the junior men's 50M Rifle 3 Positions gold medal.

In the shotgun discipline, Ganemat Sekhon in the junior women's skeet returned with a credible two medals (one gold, one silver) to further enhance her reputation as an excellent future prospect.

IPL 2021: Dhoni gifts autographed ball to emotional kid Dubai, Oct 11: Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a vintage knock to help Chennai Super Kings beat DC in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2021 here.

His match-winning shot moved a young Chennai fan to tears of joy at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. The camera captured the young CSK fan unable to stop her tears watching Dhoni finish off things in style.

After the match, the legendary cricketer signed the match ball and gifted it to make the memorable evening even more special for the teary-eyed CSK fan.

Dhoni played a cameo of 18 not out off 6 balls to see CSK through to their ninth IPL final in a thrilling

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IANS

win. Needing 24 off 11 balls and later 13 off 6, in Qualifier 1 against DC, Dhoni muscled a six off Avesh Khan and hit three fours off Tom Curran in the final over.

The England pacer surprisingly, opted to bowl slower balls to Dhoni, and the veteran batsman, who was not in the best of touches in the

tournament, had saved his best for a knock in the all-important tie. CSK has reached the finals.

Royal Challengers Bangalore will clash with former champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL Eliminator on Monday. The winner of this match will take on Delhi Capitals on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Oct 11: After Chennai Super Kings' captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished off the match against Delhi Capitals with his explosive knock in the IPL 2021 Qualifier 1 in Dubai, his Royal Challengers counterpart, Virat Kohli took to Twitter to congratulate the legendary cricketer.

Dhoni played a stellar inning as his unbeaten six-ball 18 at a strike rate of exactly 300, including three boundaries and a maximum, helped CSK secure a place in the final.

Tagging MSD in a post, India captain Kohli first wrote, "Anddddd the king is back, the greatest finisher in the game. Made me jump Outta my seat once again tonight."

However, he deleted this tweet calling Dhoni "the greatest finisher of the game" and added "the greatest finisher ever" to his post.

While a fan shared screenshots of both the tweets on the

When MSD retires, he will be remembered as one of the greatest finishers of all time: Ponting

IANS

micro-blogging platform, several others noticed Kohli's fanboy moment.

Dhoni will be the mentor of the Indian team when they take the field for the T20 World Cup in Dubai later

this month. Kohli's RCB might have a chance to face CSK in the final if they beat Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator on Monday and Delhi Capitals in the second Qualifier on Wednesday.

Dhoni is something different, it's a tough loss to digest: Prithvi Shaw

IANS

Dubai, Oct 11: Following their four-wicket loss to Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals chief coach Ricky Ponting showered praise on MS Dhoni, saying that the CSK captain is no doubt one of the greatest finishers the game has ever seen.

Dhoni had a difficult time with the bat this IPL season, and many thought it might be time for him to take a backseat. But the veteran batsman, like he has done several times in the past, performed when it mattered most for his team to lead them to victory.

He played a sensational knock of 18 not out off just six balls to take CSK into the IPL 2021 final.

"He has been one of the greats, don't think there is any doubt there," said Ponting of Dhoni in the post-match press conference. "We were sitting in the dugout thinking if it will be (Ravindra) Jadeja or Dhoni coming next, I put my hand up straight away and said I am pretty sure Dhoni will come out now and try and ice the game."

The former Australian skipper further said, "We probably didn't execute as well as we needed to, and you know that if you miss, he is going to make you pay. He has done it for a long time now and I think our bowlers just missed their areas a little bit. I think when he retires, he will be remembered as one of the greatest finishers the game has ever seen."

Dubai, Oct 11: Delhi Capitals suffered a four-wicket defeat in a close encounter against the Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2021, and opening batsman Prithvi Shaw expressed that the loss is a tough one to digest for the team.

Shaw also said that CSK captain MS Dhoni took the "game away" from the Capitals here on Sunday. Halfcenturies from Shaw and captain Rishabh Pant helped the Capitals post a total of 172/5 in their 20 overs before the Super Kings chased down the total in 19.4 overs on Sunday.

"At the moment, we have to back each other. The entire team takes the responsibility for our performance, whether we win or lose. We'll try and come back stronger in the next match. It's a tough loss to digest for the team. However, we have one more match through which we can qualify for the Final and I believe in each and everyone in the team. They are all great players -- talent and skill-wise. I really believe that we can do something special in the next match and go through to the Final,"

Shaw said.

Asked about Dhoni's blistering innings of 18 runs from 6 balls in the death overs, Shaw said, "MS Dhoni is something different, everyone knows that. We have seen him finish games so many times and it's nothing new for him or for us to see him do that. He's definitely a dangerous player whenever he bats. I feel very lucky to be in this atmosphere and get a chance to watch him as a batsman and a leader. He took the game away from us."

Shaw, who played a brilliant knock of 60 runs from 34 balls, felt that he should have batted for a longer time, "I am happy with my knock, but I feel I should have played a longer innings. This is a lesson for me. When I am in the same situation again, I'll try to bat for a longer time."

The Capitals will take on the winner of the Eliminator match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2 for a place in the IPL 2021 Final at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on Wednesday.

AICF to have digital & physical Indian Chess League Chennai, Oct 11: It could be a bonanza for the Indian chess players as the All India Chess Federation (AICF) is likely to have two chess leagues – physical and digital, said a senior official.

The AICF Committee that would decide on the Indian Chess League met the bidders on Sunday and viewed their presentations.

"There will be two leagues – one physical and one digital. Some of the bidders for the Indian Chess League gave their presentation on digital league. Gaming companies want to hold a digital league. The Covid-19 pandemic is still there," Bharat Singh Chauhan, Secretary, told IANS. Declining to share the names of the nine bidders for Indian Chess League Chauhan added: "In general the bidders had said there will be six/eight teams consisting of seven and odd players."

"They bidders made their

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presentation. We have sought additional information from them like their financial strength, their budget for the league," Naresh Sharma, Treasurer told IANS. "Our main concern is that the Indian Chess League should be sustainable.

It should be a permanent event. We want to be sure about the bidder's financial strength and the commitment to the game," Sharma added.

The AICF will have the ultimate control of the Indian Chess League.

"Soon we will decide on the successful bidder for the Indian Chess League," Chauhan said.

According to Chauhan, as there will be two leagues-digital and physicalthere will be two auctions and more money in the hands of the players.

"We had not said anything about the proposed league should be physical.

We had left it open," Chauhan said.

The AICF has invited the EoIs from sports marketing, management and

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IANS

events management companies for the proposed chess league.

According to AICF, the chess league is expected to take off in June 2022.

The Indian chess body had said that the global online chess phenomenon is growing as well as active Indian players and it is the perfect time to start a pan-India franchise-format chess league.

"Our idea is that foreign players should not constitute more than one-third of the team's strength.

And chess super Grandmasters, who have a rating of over 2,700 Elo points, should not be bought for less than Rs 30 lakh," Chauhan had told IANS earlier.

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HEALTH

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Mental disorders swell, women & youth most affected: Lancet You must have heard of HEALTH BLOG

IANS

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he pandemic has led to a significant rise in major depressive and anxiety disorders globally, affecting women and younger people more in 2020, a first global estimate of Covid-19 impact on mental health has revealed.

The study, published in The Lancet, suggests that additional 53 million cases of major depressive disorder and 76 million cases of anxiety disorders were due to the pandemic.

"Countries hit hardest by the pandemic in 2020 had the greatest increases in cases of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders," said the authors, calling for urgent action by governments and policy makers to strengthen mental health systems globally to meet increased demand due to the pandemic.

Countries with high Covid-19 infection rates and major reductions in the movement of people - a consequence of measures such as lockdowns and school closures had the greatest increases in prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders.

"Promoting mental wellbeing, targeting factors contributing to poor mental health that have been made worse by the pandemic, and improving treatment for those who develop a mental disorder should be central to efforts to improve support services," said lead study author Dr Damian Santomauro of

School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Australia.

Even before the pandemic, mental healthcare systems in most countries have historically been under-resourced and disorganised in their service delivery.

"Meeting the added demand for mental health services due to Covid-19 will be challenging, but taking no action should not be an option," Santomauro added.

Until now, no study had analysed the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on prevalence of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders in 2020.

To reach this conclusion, a systematic literature review was performed to identify population survey data published between January 1, 2020, and January 29, 2021.

The systematic review identified 5,683 unique data sources, of which 48 (one of which reported across two regions) met the inclusion criteria.

Most studies were from Western Europe (22) and high-income North America (14), with others from Australasia (5), high-income Asia Pacific (5), East Asia (2), and Central Europe (1).

The meta-analysis indicates that increased Covid-19 infection rate and reduced movement of people were associated with increased prevalence of major depressive

disorder and anxiety disorders, suggesting that countries hit hardest by the pandemic in 2020 had the greatest increases in prevalence of the disorders.

In the absence of the pandemic, model estimates suggest there would have been 193 million cases of major depressive disorder (2,471 cases per 100,000 population) globally in 2020.

However, the analysis shows there were 246 million cases (3,153 per 100,000), an increase of 28 per cent (an additional 53 million cases).

More than 35 million of the additional cases were in women, compared with close to 18 million in men, the findings showed.

Model estimates suggest there would have been 298 million cases of anxiety disorders (3,825 per 100,000 population) globally in 2020 had the pandemic not happened.

The analysis indicates there were in fact an estimated 374 million cases (4,802 per 100,000) during 2020, an increase of 26 per cent (an additional 76 million cases).

"Almost 52 million of the additional cases were in women, compared with around 24 million in men," the study said.

Younger people were more affected by major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders in 2020 than older age groups.

"School closures and wider restrictions limiting young people's ability to learn and interact with their peers, combined with the increased risk of unemployment, also meant that young people were also more heavily impacted by major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders during the pandemic," stressed study co-author Alize Ferrari from University of Queensland.

Even before the pandemic, major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders -- which can increase the risk of other health outcomes such as suicide -- were major contributors to the global burden of disease, affecting millions of men and women of all ages around the world.

Green tea compounds can treat Covid, diabetes, ageing: IISER Bhopal IANS

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team of scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal have in a review identified the biomolecular relationships between Covid-19, ageing, and diabetes.

The review, published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, presented that existing drugs used to treat diabetes, obesity and ageing can potentially be used to treat Covid-19. Similar naturally existing biomolecules were also explored in combination for the Covid treatment.

"There are classes of compounds such as polyphenols found in

plant-based food, curcumin (found in turmeric), and resveratrol (found in grapes), have been shown to not only slow down the ageing process, but also possess anti-viral properties," said Dr. Amjad Husain, Principal Scientist, and CEO of Innovation and Incubation Center for Entrepreneurship (IICE), IISER Bhopal, in a statement.

Some other polyphenols that the researchers have identified as being useful for both Covid-19 treatment and comorbidity conditions such as diabetes and ageing may include catechins (present in green tea, cocoa and berries), procyanidins (found in apples, cinnamon and grape skin), and theaflavin (found in

black tea).

The researchers also present evidence of some existing potential anti-ageing drugs such as Rapamycin that can be explored for the Covid-19 treatment because of the common biochemical pathways associated with these diseases.

Another such example is a drug Metformin , which is usually used to control blood sugar.

The review showed that at the molecular level, there are intersecting pathways that are common to diabetes, ageing, and Covid-19. All three conditions are associated with oxidative stress and lowering of the immune response and complications arising from them lead to the onset of numerous other diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, eye diseases, neuropathy (nerve diseases), and nephropathy (kidney problems).

The researchers believe that an ideal therapeutic candidate for Covid-19 should be able to target the pathways that are common to diabetes, ageing and the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Further, computational studies showed that lipids present in cell membranes play an important role in coronavirus infectivity.

Natural compounds such as polyphenols may affect the binding of the virus to host receptors and the molecular interactions required for virus replication and release, thereby stopping the infection in its early stages, the team explained.

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FOMO, did you hear of FOPO?

By Vahini Panda While FOMO is fear of missing out, FOPO is fear of people’s opinions.

Social media has enhanced this condition in many. As the use of social media platforms increase, we see an increase in people projecting a personality which is not entirely theirs on the social media giving others a false perception. We also see that people especially take photos, have experiences just to share on social media which takes the fun out of the experience.

The problem arises when you get so wrapped up in trying to continue portraying this that you are afraid to be yourself. Slowly people’s comments and likes matter so much that they challenge your self worth, if you get lots of likes and comments you feel great, however if you don’t or you don’t hear from people you expect to hear from you question yourself and them.

You get validated when they comment and feel rejected when they don’t, a rejection can be felt by the body same as a physical injury and can really hurt.

So how do you cope with FOPO? 1. Validate yourself: Self reflect and analyse yourself. Know your strengths, accept your weaknesses, give yourself a reality check. When you have this self-awareness what others say negatively or positively will not affect you too much as you already know what you are worth and require no validation from others.

2. Have meaningful relationships: Rather than spending energy on your social media persona, spend it on developing and nourishing relationships in real life. Remember these are the relationships which will be of value to you in your time of need. Having solid relationships with family and friends again proves to yourself that you really don’t have to bother with what other people think of you as you have the few people in your life who love you unconditionally. For you to have this you need to contribute towards it by also standing by them unconditionally.

3. Build strong personal ethics: Strive to do the right thing as much

as you can. When you live to a high personal standard, what others think really doesn’t matter anymore as you know that you are living your life with strong values. However, for this you need to be completely honest with yourself, you cannot justify your actions though you know what you are doing is not right.

How to have a healthy social media persona 1. Don’t use it for validation or self promotion: Use social media for the purpose it was established for, to connect and communicate with family and friends, while you can share photos, videos etc, don’t share them for validation or to show off.

This should not be the purpose.

2. Delete some Apps and limit phone time: If you feel you have too many apps and you feel the pressure to be in touch via all of them delete some apps and maybe use only 1-2 apps to stay in touch. This will also limit phone time. Make it a point to limit phone time and do activities in real life for entertainment and pleasure.

3. Don’t vent on social media: It has become a norm for people to post quotes which depict their mental state on social media making them an easy target for predators. Many vent their frustrations on social media to grab attention or complain.

This really doesn’t help in anyway and it creates negativity around your social media persona. Keep your mental state personal and speak to some real people who care about you if you need to. Don’t use social media to hurt anyone or make statements which indirectly target someone.

4. Don’t create a fake personality: This is a big No as this brings with it a gamut of problems and really will impact the way you live and your mental state. Anyone with self-worth really don’t need to do this. If you are attracted to doing this question yourself what is lacking in your life and what you can do to fix it.

5. Self esteem Vs social media: Finally your self esteem should not be affected by anything on social media, be it be followers or comments. If you feel this is impacting your self-esteem take a break from it.

About the Author: Vahini is the CEO and Founder of Health Academy Australia and Health Courses Australia. She is multi faceted in her skills and expertise which is backed by 20 years experience in the areas of education, health, ecommerce and Information Technology. She is a CEO, Passionate business owner, Author, Blogger, Nutritionist, Digital marketing expert and a Mum.

Apple AirPods may soon track body temperature, monitor posture

IANS

San Francisco, Oct 13 (IANS): After Apple Watch, the tech giant is now exploring to put health-focused tools in its AirPods for improved hearing, reading body temperature and monitoring posture, the media reported on Wednesday.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the plans "further demonstrate Apple's ambition to add health and wellness features to devices beyond the Apple Watch".

According to the report, these functions "aren't expected by next year and might never be rolled out to consumers or the timing could change."

Apple is also working on technology that aims to use iPhones to help diagnose depression and cognitive decline.

Reports last month suggested that the iPhone maker was exploring ways to add various sensors to

Watch, including monitoring blood pressure, temperature, sleep quality, blood oxygen, and blood sugar.

The Apple Watch Series 7 features a new Mindfulness app, sleep respiratory rate tracking and Tai Chi and Pilates workout types that can help improve overall wellness.

It continues to offer tools for health and wellness, including an electrical heart sensor and ECG app and a blood oxygen sensor app.

The Apple Watch Series 7 is the first Apple Watch to have an IP6X certification for resistance to dust, and maintains a WR50 water resistance rating, the company claimed.

The political package that must be delivered in Glasgow needs to contain at least three key elements: emissions reduction, financing for climate action in developing countries, and climate adaptation, he said.

"First, we must swiftly close the emissions gap. That means national pledges must collectively put us on track to reduce emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. And each country must be ready to update its climate commitments until we collectively get on track to reach the 1.5-degree objective," he said.

Second, developed countries must close the finance gap by providing and exceeding the promised $100 billion a year to developing countries for climate action, he said.

"And this is just a starting point.

Beyond that goal, all financial flows, public and private, must align with

a net-zero emissions and resilient development pathway."

Third, Glasgow must deliver a breakthrough on adaptation. Climate disruption is already here, affecting ever more lives and livelihoods every year, especially among the most vulnerable. Building resilience and adapting must be a priority for all, said Guterres.

"I ask each of you in your national capacity and as shareholders of national and multilateral development banks to consider allocating half of all public climate finance in support of developing countries for adaptation. And I ask that you reconsider how you calculate gross domestic product. Nature's resources still do not figure in countries' calculations of wealth. We need nature-based solutions for adaptation and mitigation. The current system is weighted toward destruction, not preservation.

'Glasgow conference must be turning point for climate action' United Nations, Oct 13 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, next month must be a turning point for climate action.

"COP26 must be a turning point if we are to fulfill the promise of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, protect populations from the impacts of climate change and ensure that all financial flows are consistent with the goals of net-zero emissions and sustainable development," he told the sixth ministerial meeting of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, in a video message, Xinhua reported.

With COP26 fast approaching, he said, he remained genuinely concerned over the lack of progress on these priorities.

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21

TRAVEL

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Craving an international vacation?

Feel very much like you're at Greece, France, Switzerland right here in your backyard

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Travel India Forum

hile travellers are looking ahead to booking trips to stunning locations around the globe, as the festive season approaches, their desire is still a dream far from reality. Travel from India to certain countries is still restricted, and there are still strong safety concerns for international trips. But here's what you didn't know India has many stunning tourist spots which have a heritage, beauty and feel of International hot spots.

Right from the picturesque hill stations, stunning beaches to peaceful getaways among nature and culture, there is an interesting choice of destinations across the country that can give stiff competition to international counterparts.

So, for your next vacation, visit one of these unique gems that can give you an essence of an international destination curated by EaseMyTrip. com: Pondicherry Known as the French capital of India, Pondicherry has an IndoFrench culture and has a lot to offer travellers. With beautiful beaches, enticing food, colonial architecture and historical monuments, Pondicherry has been long known as the Paris of the East. The French colony in Pondicherry has a row of vintage old houses and colourful walls which remind travellers of Italy and France. The White Town area of the city is known as the French Quarter, you will have a hard time distinguishing it from an actual street in France. Many of the

Andaman & Nicobar Utkal Today

Malana, Himachal Pradesh

structures were built by the French during their rule, and are deemed as heritage sites today. Pondicherry is also known for its authentic French cuisine, jazzy nightlife and lively marketplaces.

Andaman and Nicobar Island The striking beaches and turquoise waters of Andaman make it one of the most sought after holiday destinations. The unique island provides a scenic view, secluded beaches, and a range of activities, which give tough competition to their counterparts in Thailand. The island also provides travellers with an opportunity to explore totally untouched sites and experience an amazing culture like no other. The heavenly beaches in this region provide the opportunity to try exciting water sports such as sea walking, jet-skiing and snorkelling.

The region is also one of the most prominent destinations in the country for underwater diving. Apart from exotic beaches, the territory also has rich flora and fauna, vibrant corals, and scenic landscapes with an intriguing colonial past.

Auli, Uttarakhand Auli, known as the mini Switzerland World Ghumo

of India is one of the rare skiing destinations in India. Located at an elevation of 2,500 meters, Auli is known for its vast stretches of clean, snow-clad mountain slopes, and is surrounded by coniferous and oak forests, which provides its striking resemblance to the Swiss Alps.

The slopes in the region are suited for both professional and amateur skiers, and there are several centres in the city that offer training to prospective skiers at affordable rates.

The quaint hill station provides an exquisite view of the mighty Himalayas along with its peaks including Nanda Devi, Kamet and Dunagiri. In the summer season, hikers can enjoy walks around the picturesque roads or even explore mountain bike trails.

Malana, Himachal Pradesh Popularly known as 'Little Greece in Himachal Pradesh', Malana is a charming and serene village in the state. The topography, unique hilly terrains and pleasant weather in this pristine village will remind youof the beautiful landscapes in Greece.

Malana village has unique characteristics which make it different from other cities in the country. The village follows a local system that is

more Greek than Indian in both style and system. It has an overwhelming sense of seclusion from the rest of the country, because of which it looks absolutely different from any other city. It is a perfect location for tourists to enjoy hiking, surrounded by green lush and snow-clad mountains. It is also a perfect destination to camp and spends a night under the bright stars.

Shillong, Meghalaya Shillong is known for its tranquility and natural beauty and is popularly called the Scotland of the East due to its striking similarity to the country.

This nickname was given by the British as its green mountains, pine timberlands and beautiful lakes reminded them of Scotland. Visitors can immerse into the lap of nature and explore nearby vibrant spots and stunning landscapes that have a striking resemblance to Scotland.

The charming hill station has a very westernized culture and numerous heritage buildings that reflect British architecture. The rich flora and fauna, unique attractions, friendly people, and enjoyable weather, makes Shillong an ideal destination throughout the year.

Thrillophilia

Auli, Uttrakhand

Shillong, Meghalaya

With 22 new signings in 18 months, Marriott International expands footprint In South Asia

India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai: What You Need to Know

IANS

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n the heels of the 16th Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA 2021), Marriott International announced it has signed 22 new hotel agreements in South Asia – comprising India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal – in the past 18 months, expecting to add more than 2,700 rooms to its fast-growing portfolio. It is currently the hotel chain with the largest number of rooms in the South Asia region and expects to continue its solid growth with these new signings.

“In a highly unpredictable year, these signings are a testament to Marriott International’s resilience and agility in driving strong growth within a hospitality landscape that continues to evolve,” commented Rajeev Menon – President Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), Marriott International. “It is a sign of confidence from our owners and franchisees who have been an integral part of our growth journey.

We are grateful for their continued support and trust in the power www.indianabroad.news

of our brands as we continue to welcome back travellers.”

“These signings reinforce our commitment to South Asia as a high potential region where we continue to grow and engage with an expanding customer base by introducing more of Marriott’s brands and unique experiences in exciting destinations,” emphasized Kiran Andicot - Regional Vice President Development, South Asia, Marriott International. “We look forward to the opening of these new hotels in the future and to exploring future development opportunities throughout the region.”

Owner Desire for Luxury Brands More than a third of the newly signed projects in South Asia in the last 18 months include hotels and resorts in the luxury tier, comprised of brands such as JW Marriott and W Hotels. This reflects travellers’ growing demand for bespoke and superb amenities and services. Travellers can anticipate the debut of the W Hotels brand in

Jaipur with W Jaipur in 2024. Once opened, the hotel expects to disrupt the norms of traditional luxury with its iconic service, infectious energy, and innovative experiences.

Rooted in holistic well-being, JW Marriott properties offer a haven designed to allow guests to focus on feeling whole – present in mind, nourished in body, and revitalized in spirit. Expecting to debut across several distinctive locations within South Asia over the next five years, travellers can look forward to JW Marriott Ranthambore Resort & Spa located at one of India’s most prominent wildlife sanctuaries, The Ranthambore National Park; JW Marriott Chennai ECR Resort & Spa on India’s beautiful Southern coastline; JW Marriott Agra Resort & Spa in the land of the TAJ MAHAL; and the debut of the JW Marriott brand in Goa and Shimla -- two of India’s most famous resort destinations -- with JW Marriott Goa and JW Marriott Shimla Resort & Spa. JW Marriott Hotel Bhutan, Thimphu is expected to mark the debut of the JW Marriott brand in Bhutan, is anticipated to open in 2025 and offer curated experiences that celebrate the peaceful spirit of the land.

Maldives anticipates its second JW Marriott hotel in 2025, when the JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Embhoodhoo Finolhu - South Male Atoll featuring 80 pool villas is expected to open.

The signing follows the newly opened The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, strengthening Marriott’s footprint on the famed leisure destination.

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IANS

xpo 2020 Dubai with the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, is a celebration of human creativity, mastery and artistry bringing together 192 nations.

The Dubai Expo is the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, this years Expo is also the first time in World Expo history that each participating country has its own individual pavilion, with more than 200 in total to explore. In light of the recent pandemic, the six-month event has adopted the most stringent guidelines from the authorities to prioritize the health and safety of all of its visitors and staff.

Expo 2020 Dubai is significant for both the UAE and India to further integrate the India-UAE bilateral ties, it explores new opportunities for entrepreneurs and start-ups.

The theme for the India Pavilion is ‘Future is in India’, reflecting upon the country’s culture, heritage and technologies.

Here are some of the highlights from the India Pavilion: India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai offers a digital recreation of India’s past, present and future. Located in the Al Forsan area, the pavilion takes visitors on a journey, presenting the country as a global power through its ‘Five Ts’ – talent, trade, tradition, tourism and technology.

The Pavilion showcases the country’s cultural diversity, achievements, and leading opportunities with cutting-edge technologies,

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as well as tourism and hospitality, space exploration, pharma, IT, renewable energy and telecoms.

India Pavilion will also be hosting a series of contests, festival celebrations and key calendar dates, such as its special National Day on 26 January 2022 to coincide with the country’s Republic Day, creating a moment to highlight the culture and achievements of India with a flag-raising ceremony, followed by speeches and cultural performances.

Expo 2020 Dubai will also witness Diwali celebrations on 4 November 2021.

India will be hosting a Country Business Briefing at the Business Connect Centre on 26 January 2022, enabling organisations to leverage the presence of its heads of state, leaders and industry experts, to shed light on the business and growth opportunities, and cultivate valuable dialogue and connections with the wide range of business stakeholders visiting Expo 2020 Dubai.

India also is presenting a bounty of homegrown talent, including celebrity chef Rohit Ghai, who launched a branch of his acclaimed restaurant, Kutir, based in London’s Chelsea, in the Opportunity District at Expo 2020 Dubai, showcasing an authentic yet experiential menu.

A. R. Rahman, the renowned Indian film composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, mentored the all-female Firdaus Orchestra, which premieres at Expo 2020 Dubai.

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Celebrated Indian film director, actor and producer Shekhar Kapur is an advisor to Expo 2020 Dubai.

For its People and Planet programme, India will host a World Majlis event on 19 October 2021, ‘Lessons from Space: Applying Approaches from Space to Fight Climate Change’, which explores how adopting the recycling principles of astronauts can help us live more sustainably.

With the ongoing IPL season, Rajasthan Royals display Expo 2020 Dubai as principal sponsors on the front of their jerseys to spread the message of the event among cricket fans. Adding to this, the team will host a cricket-coaching clinic at Expo 2020.

It runs from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022

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TRAVEL

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Travel like James Bond T he world’s most famous secret agent is back. Celebrating its 25th edition, and after being postponed for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, No Time to Die the highly anticipated movie of 2021 will not give you some edge-of-yourseat action but also features some of the world’s most spectacular and remarkable destinations. From the quaint English countryside to the vibrant streets of Istanbul, previous movies of this franchise have been careered through iconic locations all over the globe, making this agent one of the most frequent travellers in the secret agent industry.

According to Booking.com research, 55 per cent of Indian travellers want to travel to a destination because of what they have seen in a movie or TV show. With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, the platform has delved into its more than 28 million listings across over 152,000 destinations to inspire fans of the movie to experience a slice of the secret agent life themselves with a stay in one of these famous filming locations for whenever it’s safe and responsible to do so again.

Taj Lake Palace - Udaipur, India A stay at the Taj Lake Palace, also known as the floating palace, is a once in a lifetime travel experience.

Situated in the middle of Lake Pichola, this luxury hotel was one of the filming locations for the secret agent movie in the eighties.

The property is built with marble and features majestic architecture.

Guests can only reach the hotel by boat, which makes the property even more unique. But no worries, the city centre is still within walking distance, so guests can easily make a day trip to Udaipur, also known as the ‘Venice of the East' as the city is surrounded by the serene waters of Lake Pichola. After a short boat ride, travellers can explore the beautiful architecture, temples and Indian cuisine the city has to offer.

Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel London, United Kingdom In 2012, the secret agent famously took a swim in the rooftop pool of the Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel.

With views over the River Thames and London city, the Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel boasts elegant rooms that will make any agency feel at home during their time in the city. The hotel is a short walk from the Tube station and Canary Wharf Pier, which offers links to the Thames Clipper Boat, giving access to London’s most popular attractions. For the biggest fans of the film franchise, London even offers secret agent guided tours that will introduce fans to many of the

other filming locations in the city.

Fontainebleau Miami Beach Miami, USA The inner spy in all of us comes to life in Miami as the city was the backdrop for multiple movies in this famous film franchise. For travellers who not only want to experience movie magic for themselves but also want to soak up the sun, a stay at Fontainebleau Miami Beach is a must. Parts of the third edition from the secret agent series were filmed in this enormous beachfront resort, and it’s not hard to understand why - the spectacular resort features scenic ocean views and six outdoor swimming pools. The resort is an ideal stay for travellers who like to relax but at the same time love entertainment, as the resort has its own nightclub, nine restaurants, and a spa. Guests can enjoy their Martini, shaken not stirred, in one of the resort’s lounge bars, while enjoying the stunning Miami beach views.

Grandhotel Pupp - Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic In 2006, the secret agent played Russian Roulette at an impressive casino which in real life is Grandhotel Pupp. Located in the historical centre of Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, just a two-hour drive from Prague, this hotel has a tradition dating back to 1701. The hotel offers spacious rooms and suites, a restaurant and an exclusive spa where guests can enjoy multiple wellness options. Karlovy Vary is not only famous for its scene in a spy movie, the Czech city is also famous for its amazing thermal springs, which were discovered in the 14th century. A must-go destination for travellers who enjoy relaxation and wellness during their travels to return back home completely zen.

Gran Hotel Ciudad de México Mexico City, Mexico The opening scene of the twenty-fourth edition of the popular secret agent movie started with the Day of the Dead parade in the streets of Mexico city where the unrecognizable agent casually strolls through the street in a skull mask.

It was Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico where the secret agent walked, changing into a suit and kicking off the action. The hotel features historic architecture and is a great place to stay for those who enjoy exploring the city and local culture during their trip as it’s located within walking distance to main attractions such as the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Presidential Palace, which can also be explored by joining a Full-Day Tour of the City.

GoldenEye - Oracabessa, Jamaica Right under the Jamaican sun

IANS

GoldenEye - Oracabessa, Jamaica

Gran Hotel Ciudad de México - Mexico City, Mexico

Fontainebleau Miami Beach - Miami, USA

Taj Lake Palace - Udaipur, India

Canary River side Plaza Hotel, London, UK

Grandhotel Pupp - Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

is where this now-famous spy franchise all started. The original writer of the secret agent novel series wrote all 14 novels about the

world-famous secret agent at the tropical property GoldenEye. This property features private beaches, hidden coves and a saltwater

lagoon, a perfect retreat for travellers (or spies in training) who prefer privacy while enjoying a relaxing beach vacation. And for fans of the

blockbuster movies, it’s a must-visit destination since multiple movies from the franchise were also filmed in Jamaica.

IHCL continues its expansion spree with the opening of Taj Lakefront, Bhopal IANS

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outh Asia’s largest hospitality company, IHCL, announced the opening of its new hotel, Taj Lakefront in Bhopal. With its landmark location and contemporary design, the hotel draws inspiration from the rich architecture, history and culture of Madhya Pradesh.

www.indianabroad.news

Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, said, “IHCL’s iconic brand, Taj, steps into Bhopal with Taj Lakefront. This addition is in line with IHCL’s strategy of being present in every state capital. Bhopal, one of the greenest cities in India, has tremendous

business and tourism potential. It is the doorway to Madhya Pradesh, one of the largest states in India.

We look forward to bringing our trademark service ethos, which has defined us for over a century, to the city of Bhopal.”

The 152-room Taj Lakefront,

Bhopal, with panoramic views of the lake and picturesque hills, is a comfortable driving distance from the airport as well as important leisure and commercial centres. The design of the hotel weaves in the rich arts and crafts of the region. Taj Lakefront introduces two signature restaurants to Bhopal – Machan, the popular all-day diner, and House of Ming, with its renowned Chinese cuisine. Guests can also enjoy innovative cocktails at Infinity Lounge and Bar and a selection of brews and bakes at Emperor Lounge.

With its tastefully designed banqueting and conferencing spaces with independent access and breakaway rooms, is perfect for events and weddings. The hotel also features the award-winning Jiva Spa, a gym, tennis court and the city’s first rooftop infinity pool offering stunning views.

Dilip Suryavanshi, Chairman and Managing Director, Dilip Buildcon Limited, said, “We are delighted to partner with Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) for Taj Lakefront, Bhopal. The company is renowned for putting destinations on the global tourist map. We believe this association will benefit Bhopal and will start a new chapter for the hospitality industry in the city.”

/IndianAbroadNews

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ART & CULTURE

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Believing that art matters, again Quantum leap for J&K's culture, tourism and economy New Delhi, Oct 6: Post its first session last year,'I Believe Art Matters' is back to help the Indian artiste community. As a part of the ongoing advocacy and fundraising initiative to revitalise artistes and artisans, Art Matters has announced 'I Believe Art Matters 2021' with the primary purpose to provide artistes with an opportunity to engage in cross genre collaborations and create original work.

This edition has paired some well-known artists in partnership with emerging performers to create 10 individual pieces in the space of visual and performing art. The creative collaborations include theatre, music, dance, visual art and poetry. The aim is to open avenues of dialogue and create platforms for artists and artisans to continue to

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ammu and Kashmir is home to a blend of rich and diverse cultures. People of multi-religious, ethnic, lingual identities live here.

The UT prides itself on its fairs and festivals which have great cultural, traditional, and religious significance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a special interest in bringing Jammu and Kashmir to the mainstream and integrating it with the rest of India.

One rather famous fair of this season is the Mela of Sudhmahadev, known as the Kudd of Sudhmahadev, a four-day long major cultural event of Chenani (Udhampur, J&K). The traditions of Chenani are closely linked with its cultural and religious heritage.

The festival begins with a series of religious rituals called Jattars.

Kudd is the folk dance of the region performed around a bonfire at night during the harvest season to pay regard to the Kul Devi - Devtas (local deities).

Back in the day, the Kings of Chenani used to participate in this Kudd, as Sudhmahadev was their summer camp office. With them, Kudd was popularized far and wide.

The season is very pleasant at this time with large fields of maize and seasonal crops ready to be cut. It is said some evil entities called Zogans and Dyans harm the crops through rain, wind, storm, and unfavorable climate. To rid themselves of ill-effects the farmers show their gratitude to the Gods for the ripened crop and offer male sheep or goats in the hope to please Kul Devtas for prosperity and good yield of crops and protection from natural calamities. The picturesque Sudhmahadev and glories of Lord Shiva's blessings on the locals at Sudhmahadev are also a reason for celebration. This year Kudd was held on September 10, 2021.

Celebration processions are carried through the villages with leaders carrying symbolic Iron made weapons of deities on their shoulders.

The followers carry burning wood torches, Jagara, in their hands through dense maize fields, plains, and hilly slopes of the village in darkness shouting "Hos - Dayo - Hos - Dayo" without stopping till they reach Sudhmahadev.

While the main procession starts from Chorat, two other processions start from Kuna-Laid and Batal area towards Sudhmahadev. The leaders of the procession and tantriks called Dawala ease villagers' concerns on safety and prosperity. They are continuing a tradition of centuries started by their ancestors in Rudhar area of Doda District. It is also the symbol of unity among the people in villages.

The Kudd of Sudhmahadev is held after all the Jattars are successfully wrapped up. It is unique in its setup and rituals and the Peer of Shri Shool Panishwar Shiv Ji Sudhmahadev Temple is honored greatly. The community dresses in the typical Dogra dress and Kudd dance is performed in a circle on different tunes of Dhol and Bansuri, along with Dogri singing, through the night under the open sky.

The bazaar of Sudhmahadev is beautified like a bride on this occasion. Bangle sellers, sweet shops, and fruit sellers raise stalls; the Gaddi, Gujjar, Sippy, and Kohli communities residing on hilltops all participate on this day. Local delicacies like Khameere, Ambal, Madra (lintel cooked in curd), Dal Patt, Kheer, Mitha Bhat (sweet rice) are served on the leaves of a wild fig tree.

After the dance, the people take a holy bath in Papnashni Bowli and seek blessings of Lord Shiva in Shri Shool Panishwar Temple, returning home in satisfaction of pleasing the Lord.

In the wake of spiritual tourism in the country, the ChenaniSudhmahadev- Khellaini road project is in full swing, granting access to Sudhmahadev, Gauri

Kund, and Mantalai temples to more people across India. It will help launch J&K to the rest of the country. Boost in employment and trade will uplift the socio- economic standard of the region.

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), owned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, are also eager to bring Udhampur in limelight as construction for an International Yoga Centre at Mantalai is underway.

But the region's most awaited construction is the Zojila tunnel and the Z-Morh tunnel. The Zojila tunnel (between Baltal and Minamarg on the Srinagar-Leh section of the NH1), will be Asia's longest (14.15 km) and highest bi-directional all-weather tunnel on completion and will surpass the Atal tunnel at 11,575 feet above sea level. It will reduce travel time from 3.5 hours to just 15 minutes! Currently, the Chenani-Nashri tunnel is the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia standing at 10.89 km.

The Z-Morh, another bi-directional 6.5 km tunnel, will allow all-weather access between Srinagar and Kargil (between Gagangir and Sonmarg).

Both projects are being built to the highest safety standards with provisions for escape tunnels under NHIDCL, and are expected to be completed by December 2023.

These tunnels will further boost tourism and convenience and put the region on the world map.

Ladakh's harsh winters separated it from the rest of the country for six months in a year, but with this project accessibility to the region will be highly improved. Added to this J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha has announced that Kashmir will be connected to Kanyakumari by train by the end of 2022.

With the liberal funding of GOI Union Minister Nitin Gadkari showed a green light to projects worth Rs 3,612 cr in the UT, including the Srinagar Ring Road project.

It will help upgrade the existing carriageway on the BaramullaGulmarg section of National Highway-701A; the construction of a new double lane bypass from Donipawa via Ashajipora connecting NH-244 and NH-44; the construction and upgrade of a 28 km stretch from Vailoo to Donipawa on the KhellaniKhanabal section of NH-244. The UT is going through tremendous developments after the revocation of Article 370, ensuring a stable ecosystem that rewards hard work and the products of the people.

Popular Kerala cartoonist Yesudasan passes away IANS

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 6: Popular Kerala cartoonist C.J. Yesudasan, popularly known as Yesudasan, passed away at his residence at Kochi early on Wednesday, family sources said. He was 83.

He had tested Covid positive and was hospitalised last month and was www.indianabroad.news

resting at home after his recovery, when he breathed his last.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state has lost a hugely talented son who brought out the political scenario through his sketches and he will be missed by all.

Yesudasan began in 1955 in a magazine edited from Kottayam and his career took a huge turn when he joined leading vernacular daily Malayala Manorama, where he came out with memorable cartoons in his stint till 2010.

The first Chairman of the Kerala Cartoon Academy, he had been a father figure for several cartoonists plying their trade today.

He also has authored four books besides writing the dialogues for the hugely successful Malayalam film "Panchavadi Palam" and also scripted the film "Ente Ponuthampuran".

create and connect with each other and an interested virtual audience.

Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts said: "I Believe #ArtMatters 2021 has engaged and collaborated with some of the finest celebrated and emerging artists from the country, in creating 10 exclusive pieces of multi-dimensional arts across genres. It has successfully provided support to over 5,800 artists and will hope to do much more with this on-going initiative."

The list of artists involved with the initiative includes Bharatanatyam dancer Rukmini Vijayakumar; music composer-director and singer Shekhar Ravjiani; story writer and lyricist Anvita Dutt; Kashmiri folk singer Noor Mohammad Shah; dancer from Assam Shilpika

Bordoloi; multi-faceted UK based artist and dancer Shane Shambhu; singer Harpreet; award-winning singer and composer Bindhu Malini Narayanswamy; drummer, educator and composer Darshan Doshi; young musician and mridangam artist BC Manjunath, percussionist Pramath Kiran, director, composer and percussionist Praveen D. Rao, and master nagada player Nathulal Solanki; award-winning director Jino Joseph; Delhi-based musician Stefan Kaye; stand-up comedian Abish Mathew; celebrated playback singer Kailash Kher; and actor Arjun Mathur.

The 10 acts will premiere on Sunday, October 10, 2021 at 7 p.m.

IST, as part of the second edition of I Believe Art Matters.

B'luru artist to perform at Parliament of World's Religions on Oct 18

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eepti Navaratna, the current Regional Director of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, has been invited to perform at the prestigious Parliament of the World's Religions scheduled to be held on Oct 18.

She is a trained Carnatic singer from Bengaluru who is set to become the first female artist from India bestowed with the honour of performing at an event at the Parliament of the World's Religions.

She will be staging aspects of her concert "The Dialogues with the Divine" -- a specially curated musical experience that amalgamates sacred music from various faiths.

Navaratna, trained as a neuro-scientist, came up with the concept of this concert to explore the similarity of the cognitive effect of sacred music on a varied audience. She wanted to explore the idea of introducing unfamiliar religious identities to an uninformed audience while basing it on common denominators of prayers and mindfulness.

"The Dialogues with the Divine" project was created for the greater goal of cultural diplomacy. It will combine sacred music from seven major religions across the world

with sacred text to create this experience," she says.

"It will include the following -- The Yin Factor: Shakti -- Shekinah (Hinduism- Judaism), Praying for Transcendence: Piyut and Prarthana -- (Judaism-Hinduism), Unforming Godliness: Shabad and Kriti (Sikhism-Hinduism), Unboxing the Heart: Heart Sutra and Chant (Buddhism and Christianity), Inner Guru: Antaratama and Assisi (Christianity and Hinduism), Zikr and Zen -- (Sufi Islam and Shinto faith)," Navaratna added.

All sacred music from around the world has the power to rewire the human brain towards universal love chemically and structurally.

Instead of shying away from sacred texts and music, they are being used to encourage and negotiate better inter-cultural understanding among inter-religious identities. It showcases the commons of our relations with a higher power, she says.

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the conference will be conducted virtually this year. Navaratna and her artists will be telecasting their performance from Bengaluru.

Navaratna has travelled to multiple places for her concert and the

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experience has been unparalleled for the audience. The scheduled programme is an amalgamation of cultures -- five Hindu children will sing a Yiddish song in a Jewish temple accompanied by the south Indian drum and north Indian Sarod.

An African American gospel singer wrapped in a sari teaches 'Amazing Grace' to more than 20 Hindu men and women. A Jewish cantor and a Hindu singer are accompanied by a violinist from Libya and a drummer from Palestine as they sing in Sanskrit which is part of the concert.

Anonymous artist Princess Pea says 'Khud Se Pooche'

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ven as her practice has evolved with its relationship to diverse women through multiple age groups over the past decade -- looking at participants through the lens of gender and urbanisation, she asserts, "Over the years it has moved into thinking about the politics and aesthetics of care, women-led narratives of self, and economies of domestic life amongst women and children."

Gurugram-based 'anonymous' artist Princess Pea, who is part of a women-centred campaign 'Khud Se Pooche', aimed at raising awareness on access to dignified healthcare for women in Patna, says that the project resonates with the many years of her artistic practice.

For someone, who has been working with housewives, small entrepreneurs, differently-abled women along with those who have suffered abuse, suffer from body image-related violence and mental health amongst themes of visibility and systemic erasure, the latest project enables to build empathy and understand the gaps in healthcare.

"At many levels, thinking about 'care' and what it means when it comes to self, family, and society as large, I intend to manufacture a workshop module to build ambassadors in Patna's small clusters, and along with the women, develop a 'Symbol of care with dignity'. The symbol is not just a drawing but an emblem of their collecting voice to claim dignity and build knowledge, about care and self-worth," says the artist who broke into the art scene in the year 2009 with her solo at the India Art Fair.

Through the sessions, women will work with Princess Pea to co-create a visual representation of dignified healthcare that will be backed by personal narratives and creative expression. They will go on to use textiles, embroidery, and patch-work to co-create this symbol

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which will then form a site-specific art installation to be displayed in the city in October.

Talk to her about how she decided to be 'anonymous', and the artist says it is more than just about privacy as anonymity gives the power to send the message across -- of equality in society.

"With this identity being carefully guarded, I have succeeded in being more relatable to a wider audience.

I am no longer limited to what society deems appropriate for us, as her alter-ego, and therefore, I am able to break those barriers and engage more people. Throughout the practice, I have been interested in this reverse process with the idea of 'dis-identification' - I'm Nobody!

Who are you?"

Stressing that while the pandemic has been harsh on everybody, especially children and the elderly,

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Princess Pea asserts that it has strengthened her resolve to carry on.

"It can also be seen as an opportunity to make new starts, it is a pause.

It has made us rethink some of our fundamental beliefs and most of all, realise the importance of community. Being an anonymous artist and curious listener has allowed me to open and engage in dialogue with people across all walks of life, both online and offline."

The artist, who has been working with artisans in the small village of Etikoppaka (Andhra Pradesh), for the next series of sculpture toys based on disability in sports, adds, "Now this is a sector that is very traditional but resilient. I have been working with 35 women and developing new sculptures which become a unique edition of labor, love, and care," she concludes.

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LITERATURE

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

'The Tunnel' a perfect introduction of Ruskin Bonds's magic for intermediate readers IANS

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he steam engine shot out of the tunnel, snorting, and puffing like a green, black, and gold dragon, a beautiful monster out of Ranji's dreams.

Fascinated by the midday train, Ranji would find himself waiting near the tunnel to catch a glimpse of the engine come roaring out of it.

But the tunnel has more surprises for him. From a jungle full of lush green trees, comes a timeless tale of unexpected friendship, curiosity, duty, and wildlife.

Peppered with delightful illustrations and woven as a heart-warming story, Ruskin Bond, in "The Tunnel" (Penguin) is a charming chapter

book intended for intermediate readers aged seven upwards -- a perfect introduction for beginners to the world of India's favourite writer for children.

Written in Ruskin's inimitable charm, this chapter book has a unique cast of characters and is a timeless story brought to life through a simple and endearing narration and gorgeous illustrations highlighting the nail-biting scenes making readers fall in love with nature and wildlife.

Born in Kasauli in 1934, Ruskin Bond grew up in Jamnagar, Dehradun, New Delhi and Shimla.

His first novel, "The Room on the Roof", which was written when he was 17, received the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then, he has written over 500 short stories, essays and novellas (including "Vagrants in the Valley" and "A Flight of Pigeons") and more than 40 books for children.

He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for English writing in India in 1993, the Padma Shri in 1999, and the Delhi government's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. He lives in Landour, Mussoorie, with his extended family.

Anecdotal, thought-provoking memoir on India's banking system IANS

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his is a highly anticipated account of some of the critical periods in the history of Indias financial sector by one of the countrys most talented and established banking professionals in the country, Rajnish Kumar, former Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI), Indias largest commercial bank.

"The Custodian of Trust" (Penguin) is the story of Rajnish Kumar's incredible journey as a banker.

Debuting as a writer with his memoir, Kumar shares his stories

- from being a probationary officer in SBI to becoming its chairman in 2017 - capturing the many changes he witnessed in India's banking sector during his career. Recounting his experiences about the aftermath of demonetization; challenges in YES Bank; the crisis in Jet Airways and NPAs, this book is anecdotal, engaging and thought- provoking, and will attract a wide spectrum of readers.

"I am pretty excited to share my journey of 40 years with State Bank of India and offer glimpses of my personal life," Rajnish Kumar said.

"SBI is considered a proxy to the Indian Economy. In that sense, the book is also an account of the tremendous progress made by the country as well as the banking and financial system in the last four decades. The removal of poverty has been the biggest challenge and banks have played a critical role in the fight against poverty. There are many untold and unknown stories in the book, which I am sure readers will find interesting and inspirational," he added.

Even before its official launch, "The Custodian of Trust" has received generous praise and endorsements from the stalwarts of India Inc. and the banking industry. Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, remarked that "this book is not just about the banking system

of our country, but a chronicle of contemporary economic history".

Uday Kotak, CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said about the book: "It has the potential to be a Bollywood blockbuster."

Premanka Goswami, Executive Editor at Penguin Random House India, said: "Rajnish Kumar assumed the responsibility to lead the country's biggest commercial bank at a critical time when India's financial sector was going through a turmoil. 'The Custodian of Trust' opens a window to these times. We, at Penguin House Random House India, are excited to publish Kumar's memoir."

Rajnish Kumar joined SBI as a probationary officer in 1980. He served the bank in various capacities across the country and overseas. Prior to his appointment as Chairman, he was Managing Director (National Banking Group) at the bank overseeing the Retail business and Digital Banking. He was Chairman of the Indian Banks Association and served on the boards of many other companies while serving SBI. Currently, he is a director on the boards of HSBC Asia Pacific, L&T Infotech Ltd and Lighthouse Communities Foundation. He is also an exclusive advisor to Kotak Investment Advisors Ltd and senior advisor to Baring Private Equity Asia Pvt Ltd.

Depicting the courage of women under trying circumstances

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IANS

he late Jnanpith award-winning author Indira Goswami was a great literary writer of her generation and a feminist icon. Most of her major works have been translated from Assamese into English; however, some of her works are yet to be discovered by a larger audience. "Five Novellas About Women" (Niyogi Books) represents a cross-section of her writing, with a special focus on the courage of women under trying circumstances.

Sensitively translated, with detailed notes on the translation, these stories bring to light the human condition that Goswami portrayed in her writing. The lives of the rural poor, the situation of widows, the plight of the urban underclass and various social constraints under which people are forced to live are depicted in these impactful narratives.

The deft use of language, striking imagery and strong characters are a hallmark of Goswami's writing.

The stories in this selection exhibit these unique characteristics of her work in abundance. These nuanced translations bring the literary creations of one of the great writers of our times to new life and a wider audience.

An Introduction, Translator's Note and Author's Timeline add value to the book by discussing the nuances of the translation process as well as contextualising the author's life and work.

Indira Goswami (1942e2011), who wrote as Mamoni Raisom Goswami in Assamese, popularly known as Mamoni Baideo, wrote about people rarely represented in Indian writingewomen, the maginalised, the powerless, the unfortunate.

Apart from India's highest literary award, the Jnanpith (2001), Goswami also honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award (1983), and the Principal Prince Claus Laureate (2008), She was also an editor, poet, professor, and scholar, best known for her novels such as "The Moth Eaten Howdah of the Tusker", "Pages Stained with Blood" and "The Man from Chinnamasta".

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ational Award-winning actress Divya Dutta, who turned an author in 2017 with her memoir 'Me and Ma', is now all set to release her second book titled 'Stars In My Sky'.

Her second book 'Stars In My Sky', will have her emotional journey of becoming an actor along with some of her defining moments as an artiste.

Talking about her book, Divya said: "The journey in the movies has been gratifying and it wouldn't have been possible without all those who have touched my life personally and professionally."

The book also includes her interactions and experiences with some Bollywood legends like Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan, and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra among others who played an important role in her journey as an actor.

She added: "Though I feel that a new journey has started when it comes to my career, with some really exciting roles; through this book, I am happy to share with my readers, my experiences with people I connected beautifully with, be it my co-actors or directors who impacted me big time."

'Stars In My Sky' by Divya Dutta will be published by Penguin Random House India and it is expected to be out on October 25.

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books of translations of Assamese poets Sananta Tanty and Kamal Kumar Tanti, and an academic book, besides numerous writing credits in edited volumes, journals and websites.

He was born in Assam and now lives in Delhi, where he works as a journalist and editor and runs the independent publishing outfit Red River.

Literature Nobel brings back focus on post-colonialism, identity, cultural drift

Divya Dutta comes out with her second book titled 'Stars In My Sky' IANS

She is also known for her attempts to structure social change, both through her writings and through her role as mediator between the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Indian government through the People's Consultative Group, a peace committee.

Translator Dibyajyoti Sarma has published three volumes of poetry (the last being "Book of Prayers for the Nonbeliever", 2018) and two

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mid resurgent questions over cultural identity and colonial legacies, the Nobel Prize for Literature 2021 has been awarded to the first writer since Sir V.S. Naipaul (2001) to deal with the vexed impact of colonialism and the dilemmas of travellers - forced or voluntary among differing cultural millieus.

And new Nobel laureate - the Zanzibar-born, UK-based academician-cum-writer Abdulrazak Gurnah has, in his academic career, guided plenty of research on Sir Vidia, as well as Salman Rushdie, G.V. Desani, Anthony Burgess, and above all, Joseph Conrad, whose most powerful works dwelt on colonialism and its "civilising legacy" - in its very heyday.

Gurnah is known for a relatively small but significant oeuvre dealing with the 'clash' between homegrown tradition and colonialism in Africa and elsewhere, the disruptions in cross-culture encounters, especially for refugees, and construction of identity and memory, leavened with autobiographical elements.

Awarded for his "uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the

/IndianAbroadNews

fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents", he is the second writer after Japaneseborn but UK-settled Kazuo Ishiguro (2017) to be conferred the Nobel for his work in English, despite it not being his "mother" tongue, and the first writer originating from out of the "West" since China's Mo Yan in 2012.

Gurnah, who came to the UK in the 1960s to study and eventually settled there as a refugee, obtained his PhD in 1982. After a stint at a Nigerian university, he has been teaching in the UK and his academic focus is postcolonial writing and colonial discourse, with focus on Africa, the Caribbean and India.

This is reflected in his works - 10 novels in slightly over two decades, and a collection of short stories.

Set in an unnamed East African coastal town at the end of colonial rule, his literary debut "Memory of Departure" (1987) is a coming of age novel, in first person narration, picturesquely depicting the local culture and the role of its dynamics in moulding the persona of the protagonist, who finally decides to strike out for bigger prospects.

The autobiographical elements recur in "Pilgrim's Way" (1988), a humorous but a bit dark account of a Muslim Tanzanian student Daud's fight for survival against marginalisation in an English provincial town, with his wit, imagination, mental mockery and letter-writing being his only weapons against the cultural philistines - unlike his Biblical namesake (David).

"Here I sit, making a meal out of asking you to dinner. I don't really know how to do it. To have cultural integrity, I would have to send my aunt to speak, discreetly, to your aunt, who would then speak to your mother, who would speak to my mother, who would speak to my father, who would speak to me and then approach your mother, who

/indianabroadnews

would then approach you," goes one letter by Daud to a prospective date.

But it was "Paradise" (1994), shortlisted for the Booker Prize and Whitebread Prize, that brought Gurnah into the centre stage.

Entertwining myth, storytelling, and East African and European literary traditions, it is the rite of passage of Yusuf pawned by his father to a rich merchant he must accompany on dangerous trading expeditions from the East African coast into the interior as European rule looms. The contrasts with Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" are telling.

In "Admiring Silence" (1996), Gurnah deals with how distance affects the memory of a "perfect" homeland.

The story of a Zanzibari man, who marries an English woman and writes romantic tales of the Africa he "remembers", it goes on to depict what ensues when he returns home.

"Desertion" (2005) lives up to its name. A combination of two stories - the account of a bunch of young siblings in the period of transition for colonialism, and a half-century old story of colonial contacts, cross-cultural romance and its impact, the story brings both strands into one in the unforgiving present.

But Gurnah doesn't always remain in the past. "Gravel Heart" (2017) is set in the Zanzibar of the 1970s, and while it reprises some elements of "Pilgrims' Way", it does so in a more unsentimental and harsher way.

His most recent work is "Afterlives" (2020), which deals with a different, shorter but more harsher colonial past, as the conflict in Europe spreads its shadow on Africa.

A welcome move by the Swedish Academy, which will help to dissipate its reputation for "Eurocentrism", Gurnah's Nobel is a welcome step recognising voices dealing with one of the most vexing and patently ambiguous historical conundrums of present times.

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Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

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26

SPIRITUALITY & DEVOTION

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Surya as Hanuman’s Guru Detechter

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he story about Hanuman (who was named Bajrang by his parents) trying to eat Surya because he mistook Surya to be a mango is well known. In this story Indra hurled his thunderbolt at Bajrang and disfigured Bajrang's jaw. Bajrang was then called Hanuman as it means one with a disfigured jaw. It is interesting to note that naming someone after their physical impairment was not viewed in a negative light.

The story associated with Surya's role as Hanuman's Guru is not that well known. When Hanuman was born, Surya had promised Hanuman's parents that he would teach Hanuman when the time was right. When Hanuman was ready, his parents encouraged him to seek Surya and become Surya's student.

When Hanuman asked Surya to be his teacher, Surya indicated that a good student has to be with and face the Guru all the time. Because Surya was always moving across the sky, Surya asked Hanuman how he proposed to meet the condition

of always being in front of him.

Hanuman indicated that these conditions would not be a problem as he would sit in front of Surya and move backwards at Surya's pace. That way, he will always be facing his Guru. Surya was also concerned that his radiance might blind Hanuman especially when Hanuman is sitting close to him. But Hanuman reminded Surya that he had the blessings of the Gods and hence will not be blinded by Surya.

Surya was impressed with Hanuman's resolve and dedication and agreed to teach Hanuman.

Over time Surya taught Hanuman the Vedas. At the conclusion, Surya remarked that the Vedas are only the key to knowledge and Hanuman needs to reflect on everything he had learned. Hanuman was told to develop his own wisdom after suitable reflection. Hanuman was very pleased having received scriptural education from Surya.

Hanuman asked Surya what he wanted for Guru Dakshina. Surya wanted nothing because like all good teachers, he viewed a student's dedication to learning as sufficient reward. At Hanuman's insistence on giving Surya a Guru Dakshina, Surya wanted Hanuman to help his son Sugriva to be a good king.

The following are some lessons from the above story.

1. A dedicated student is willing to undergo pain to acquire knowledge from the right person. Hanuman willing to sit near Surya and move backwards illustrates this.

2. One needs the support of others to complete one's studies. Hanuman could face Surya and not be blinded by his radiance only because of the divine blessings he received.

3. Learning never ends and one

must always keep reflecting on what one has learned and how to improve one's understanding. The Guru sets the student on a path, but it is the student's responsibility to progress on the path. Surya does not tell that Hanuman's education is over.

4. All Gurus value dedicated students. Educating a good student is a

reward in itself. Hence a true Guru does not want anything in return for imparting knowledge.

5. Guru Dakshina is not necessarily for the benefit of the Guru. While Sugriva was Surya's son, Hanuman's role was to help Sugriva to benefit his subjects. Surya did not directly benefit from this.

Diwali: a global festival for Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains

Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions of India) or Deepavali, is popularly known as the “festival of lights” and is celebrated between mid-October and mid-November by Sikhs, Hindus and Jains for different reasons.

For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Deepavali is celebrated for five days according to the lunisolar Hindu Calendar.

It begins in late Ashvin (between September and October) and ends in early Kartika (between October and November). The first day is Dhan Teras. The last day is Yama Dvitiya, which signifies the second day of the light half of Kartika. Each day of Deepavali marks one celebration of the six principal stories associated with the festival.

For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC. Lord Mahavira, the last of the Jain Tirthankar of this era, attained Nirvana or Moksha on this day at Pavapuri on Oct. 15, 527 BC, on Chaturdashi of Kartika.

Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhorh Divas to mark the return of the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, who was freed from imprisonment and also managed to release 52 Hindu Kings (political prisoners) at the same time from the famous fort of Gwalior by making clever use of Emperor Jahangir’s orders to allow any who could hold on to the Gurus coat tails to leave the fort with the Guru (October, 1619). And so the kings/ rajahs were freed and the Guru became known popularly as the Bandi Chhor (deliverer from prison).

He arrived at Amritsar on the Diwali day and the HarMandar (also known as the Golden Temple) was lit with hundreds of lamps to celebrate his return and hence the day came to be known as the “Bandi Chhor Divas” (the day of freedom).

The name Diwali is a contraction of Deepavali, which translates into ‘row of lamps’. Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends.

The festival starts with Dhanteras on which most Indian business communities begin their financial year. The second day of the festival, Naraka Chaturdasi, marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the third day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess

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of wealth, in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation, vanquished the Bali, and banished him to Patala. It is on the fourth day of Deepawali, Kartika Shudda Padyami, that Bali went to Patala and took the reins of his new kingdom in there. The fifth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj), and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.

Diwali: A Global Festival Apart from Indian subcontinent, Diwali is celebrated in various parts of the world, particularly those with large populations of Hindu and Sikh origin. These include countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Guyana, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. With more and more Indians now migrating to various parts of the world, the number of countries where Diwali is celebrated has been gradually increasing. While in some countries it is celebrated mainly by Indian expatriates, in others it has become part of the general local culture. In most of these countries, Diwali is celebrated on the same lines as in India, but some important variations occur in every nation.

Diwali in Australia and New Zealand In Australia, Diwali is celebrated publicly among the people of Indian origin and the local Australians in all the major cities today. For instance, the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ) in association with Brisbane City Council organises deepawali celebrations almost every year, mostly in King George Square, Brisbane.

On 21 July 2002, the organisation The Australian Indian Innovations Incorporated (AIII) consisting of a conglomerate of independent organisations and individuals was formed to celebrate Indian festivals in Melbourne. AIII facilitated opportunities to depict the cultural kaleidoscope of India and assist Indians in Melbourne to showcase Indian art, culture, style, traditions, and food via various activities, seminars, festivals, fairs, and events. The first Inaugural Diwali

Festival-2002, was held at Sandown Race Course on Sunday, 13 October, 2002. Since then, until October 2008, about 140,000 people visited this Australian Indian Cultural Extravaganza filled with culture, fun, and cuisine. This 10-hour festival has been depicting India through various stalls, food stalls, and a day-long cultural programme with DJ, Children’s rides, and spectacular fireworks over the last 7 years.

Similar events and programmes are held in all the major Australian cities.

In New Zealand, Diwali is celebrated publicly among many of the South Asian diaspora cultural groups.

There are main public festivals in Auckland and Wellington, with other Diwali events around the country becoming more popular and visible every year. An official reception has been held at the New Zealand Parliament since 2003.

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BEAUTY

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Skin Minimalism is here to stay Harnaaz Sandhu crowned LIVA Miss Diva Universe 2021 IANS

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arnaaz Sandhu from Chandigarh is the winner of LIVA Miss Diva Universe 2021, Ritika Khatnani from Pune is

LIVA Miss Diva Supranational 2021 and Sonal Kukreja from Jaipur was crowned LIVA Miss Diva 2021 – 1st Runner-u at the 9th edition of LIVA Miss Diva 2020.

The grand finale featured performances by the actress Malaika Arora, and singers Sukriti & Prakriti Kakar. Sachin Kumbhar lightened the mood with his witty one-liners that helped keep the mood light as anxious contestants waited for the final crowning moment. The judges included the well-known celebrities like actress Kriti Sanon, singer Kanika Kapoor, billiards and snooker player Pankaj Advani, who is a 23-time world champion and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, filmmaker and writer for films like Nil Battey Sannata and Bareilly Ki Barfi amongst others.

Despite the fear of the pandemic, LIVA Miss Diva 2021 co-powered

by MX TakaTak and Kailon, went ahead with the motto that the show must go on giving aspiring divas an opportunity to apply from the comfort of their homes. In a new dynamic format, the pageant continues its tradition of finding that one girl who will revolutionise the definition of beautiful, confident and will whole-heartedly aim to extend

support to the new generation of women who has the potential to lead and represent the country.

Earlier this year, the pageant announced a nationwide hunt to select representatives from across the country where aspirant divas could participate to transform their dreams to reality. The selection process of these finalists entailed an online registration process inviting specific audition task submissions on India’s leading short video platform - MX TakaTak, post which the aspiring divas were shortlisted to Top 20. Thereafter, the shortlisted 20 finalists underwent rigorous training and grooming and were revealed on 22nd September at the St. Regis in Mumbai.

Built with the power of clean science, Kailon came on board as co-powered by sponsor. Backed by a team of experienced professionals, the brand promises to provide precious hair & skin care experiences, crafted here in India, to bring about radiance and balance, empowering you to be the best version of yourself.

Catch the Grand Finale showcase on Saturday, 16th October at 7pm on MTV - India’s most popular youth channel.

Time for the total hair reboot!

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n today's social media world, where we have mastered the art of capturing the perfect selfie-stating #nofilter or #sunkissedlook, don't underestimate the significance of the crown that we never take off. Beauty trends aren't just about skincare anymore; complete head-to-toe-care is essential for enhancing the features of an overall appearance, which can boost confidence.

Hair sets the tone of the entire look and hence is important to keep a strong identity. Around 80-85 percent of the hair is composed of a protein called keratin, which is essential for the health of our hair.

Lack of protein can lead to brittle hair, breakage, hair thinning, and slow growth. Therefore, we should optimise our protein intake by consuming a healthy diet and a good hair care regimen. Here are some tips to reboot your hair health shared by Plabita Sharma, National Training Manager, The Body Shop India: Understand your hair type: The first and most important step is to understand your hair type, which

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will help you decide on your next course of action and implement an effective hair care regimen. Along with understanding the scalp's moisture types being dry, oily or flaky, it is essential to consider other factors like hair's porosity, texture, and structure as well. To determine the hair condition, either seek professional advice or observe the hair and scalp post-wash for self-understanding. As an example, if the scalp becomes greasy after washing the hair on the second day and the hair appears limp and flat, the hair is most likely oily.

Cleanse: The main purpose of shampoo is to cleanse the dirt and oil from the scalp and hair shaft.

This action basically helps to reduce scalp inflammation, itching & odour.

Choose a shampoo that has a mild surfactant like SLES which is less aggressive yet effectively cleanse the hair. Also, depending upon the scalp and hair type, opt for natural ingredients like tea tree, shea, ginger, etc. and advanced keratin formula-based products. Look for benefits like refreshing, intense hydration, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory,

and anti-oxidant properties. Limit the washing to 2-3 times a week and always remember to dilute it for better results.

Condition: Conditioner is usually the second step in hair washing, which is often neglected or avoided.

The function of a hair conditioner is to replenish the lost moisture that improves the feel and manageability of hair. It reduces the friction between strands and improves the overall texture and elasticity of the hair, making it appear healthy and frizz-free. Opt for a silicone-free conditioner to reap the benefits in the long run. Silicone-free products allow the hair shaft to absorb the moisture and nourish it better.

Target: Ideally, hair masks are recommended to be used once or twice a week to significantly improve hair texture and appearance. A hair mask is usually a thicker & creamier version of conditioner which is more potent & loaded with nutrients like natural oil, lipids, & keratin that provide deep conditioning, helping the damaged hair to repair and heal.

Look for ingredients like shea and banana that are naturally rich in moisture and promote overall hair health.

Accessories: Last but not least, opt for hair accessories that are hair-friendly. Choose a lightweight wide-tooth wooden comb over the plastic ones to prevent tangles and breakage. Invest in a microfibre towel that soaks up all the excess water without frizzing the hair.

Allow the hair to dry naturally and go trendy with the silk scrunchies that are super smooth & gentle for the hair.

e all want flawless, glass skin that looks dewy and fresh throughout the day. We do so much, use so many products just for that one desired look which is a trait in the Asian community. We even follow a 10step skincare routine that involves double cleansing, exfoliation, masks, five different steps for hydration etc. But is it really worth it? Is it suitable and necessary for our skin?

Well, the thing is, such a skincare routine might sound fascinating, but it is neither a sustainable choice nor healthy for our skin as we know excess of everything can be harmful.

Due to these standards of beauty, we start questioning the appearance of our skin which has pores which is absolutely normal to have.

So, what can we do? The answer is Skin Minimalism. This trend is here to stay for the long run. It involves basic steps of skincare, is economical, sustainable and healthy for your skin. For us, this is the way to go ahead in our skincare journey. So, what all steps does it include? Let’s have a look and get the answer to many such questions and mysteries revolving around our skin shared by Rajat Mathur, Education Manager, Kiehl’s India. Ready? It involves only 4 steps: A Gentle Cleanser: In a skincare routine, the first and foremost step is always Cleansing. Cleansing helps your skin to get rid of dirt, impurities and excess oil which may read to breakouts and of course, none of

us wants that. Sleeping with makeup on can also be a cause of breakouts so it’s better to cleanse your face twice a day during the morning and at night. Doing this alone can make a big difference as this step ensures better penetration of all the other skincare products that you use after cleansing. Do not use a cleanser that is too harsh and gives your skin a squeaky feeling as it means that it has removed all the natural oil of your skin along with the impurities.

That’s why it is suggested that you should use a gentle and hydrating cleanser and cleanse the skin for 45-60 seconds before pat drying it.

Exfoliation, Treatments and Serums: Did you know that our skin is clever enough to get rid off of the dead skin cells on its own? Well, it is true.

Our skin is smart enough to do that.

Exfoliation comes next after cleansing as it removes the dead skin cells making them smooth and healthy.

You can choose to go with either physical or chemical exfoliation.

Physical exfoliation involves the use of scrubs which can sometimes be harsh to the skin whereas chemical exfoliation is basically using acids to exfoliate the skin. Chemicals and acids sound scary but it’s not as scary as you think. It can be much gentler and more effective as compared to physical exfoliation. It is advised to use exfoliators only once or twice a week as excessive exfoliation may lead to irritated and inflamed skin and cause further damage to it. Serums are a formulation that includes ingredients catering to a

specific concern like skin brightening, reducing fine lines, reducing pigmentation, acne etc. You can include it in your skincare routine but it’s not that essential.

Moisturizer a Must: We all love and desire that healthy dewy look. Don’t we? The key to achieving it is hydration and only hydration. Hydration is one of the most important steps in any skincare routine and so is skin minimalism. Even if your skin is oily and looks like it doesn’t need a moisturizer, you still can’t skip this step. It is a myth that people with oily skin can skip moisturizers. Yes, you can choose a different formula in moisturizers suitable for your skin type, but you still have to use it otherwise your skin will be forced to produce oil and it’ll just look oilier than ever. Talking about formula, for dry skin, one should use creambased formula whereas as for oily or combination skin, one should use lightweight, gel-based moisturizers.

Sun Protection: Nothing is more important than sunscreen in the skincare routine. All the products will go in vain if you miss out on this step as no matter how many products you apply, they cant protect you from sun damage. UV rays of the sun are enough for increasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, uneven skin tone, etc. It is advised to use sunscreen with an SPF of more than 30. Also, you must reapply the sunscreen after every 2-3 hours even after leaving the house.

Blend the beauty rules

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or those looking for killer makeup without killing their wallet, Morphe is more than just a beauty brand, it's a brand created for creators and dreamers.

The global Gen Z brand adds to your makeup repertoire.

The #MorpheBabe can let her

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passion and creativity for beauty fly high by blending the rules.

Formulated with nourishing ingredients, its vast offering and variety of cool makeup palettes, will effortlessly change the way you do beauty. Whether you need an upscale glam look or something bold

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and festival-worthy, there’s a palette to suit your style.

The brand started with professional-yet-affordable brushes and went on to dominate in colour, with irreverent and irresistible eyeshadow palettes, lip colours, and more.

Commenting on the launch - Eden Palmer, Vice President of Global Brand, Morphe says, “Morphe is thrilled to be strategically expanding our global distribution and launching this month with Nykaa, India’s largest omnichannel beauty destination. As a global brand with a young, and extremely diverse customer base, we view this partnership as the perfect opportunity to continue our global growth and bring the brand to Morphe fans in India. We’re confident that the values of Nykaa’s customers are aligned with our brand pillars of Artistry, Inclusivity and Accessibility and synergistic with our mission to offer aspirational, high-performance, and affordable artistry products while nurturing a positive, inspiring, and connected community of makeup lovers. We couldn’t be more excited about the promise and the potential of this relationship.”

Bestsellers available on Nykaa include-- Eye Obsessed Brush Set, Flawless Beauty Sponge, 18f Truth Or Bare Artistry Palette, 35g Bronze Goals Artistry Palette, Jaclyn Hill Palette Volume II, Lip Crayon Lylas, and more.

In India, Morphe will be available on the Nykaa website + app and in select Nykaa stores, 26th August 2021 onwards

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FASHION

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Six fall essentials every woman should have in her closet

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ome fall and one can feel the nip in the air, see the colours change from bright to earthy and feel the layers of clothing getting luxe and plush. Be it a soft shrug, a cashmere or decadent silks and velvets, there's a reason why fall fashion is everyone's favourite.

Read on to discover the season's essentials: Black To Basics Leggings have become a wardrobe staple. However, it’s a classic black that needs to be part of your winter dressing. From basic cotton and velvet to glam leather and spandex, black leggings can be styled in so many ways - you can pair it with a statement blouse or an oversized hoodie, team it up with a sharp blazer and a bomber jacket or just wear it with a crisp white shirt.

C.O.A.T From trench and cashmere to a parka and wrap styles, coats provide the perfect finishing touch to any look. There’s something altogether

classy about them - they’re versatile and can be styled in many ways.

You can dress it down with a pair of jeans and sneakers or up with a formal dress or even a sari. If you’re looking for a piece of clothing that works through the cold winter months, coats are your best bet.

Knit It: If there’s one fall trend that’s common to all fashion cities across the world, it’s knitwear. The most elegant trend of all, knits not only look super chic but also are very comfortable. Cushy sweaters, monotone co-ord sets, oversized cardigans, midi dresses and maxi skirts are amongst the many styles you can experiment with.

Comfort Over Everything You will definitely need some fun hoodies to add to your fall wardrobe.

They are super easy to throw on and are so fuss-free. Whether it’s WFH or a casual outing, hoodies make for the perfect pick. From luxe labels to high-street and homegrown brands,

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there isn’t a person who hasn’t experimented with this popular garment.

Bootie Chic: Ankle boots never really go out of fashion but this year it’s all about trying new styles. Ditch the boring black and brown for something edgier. Pastel colours, textured prints and metallic are the IT trends this year. If you’re looking for something out of the box, booties with structured heels, combat boots, sock style and platforms are some cool options.

Not So Skinny: We can officially say goodbye to skinny jeans, at least for a while.

The leg-hugging style that ruled the denim scene for so long has been officially replaced by a looser, slouchier and baggier fit. Denim are for everyone and there’s so much to choose from - mom jeans, straight, flared, boot-cut etc. Complete the look with a pair of high-heels, swanky sneakers or chic booties.

Deepika Padukone W talks all things denim

Combine sustainability with style

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othing like statuesque Deepika Padukone in a pair of jeans right? Well she gets our vote, as well as iconic denim brand Levi's who recently announced the launch of its collaboration Levi’s®️ x Deepika Padukone. Rooted in the brand's authentic style and updated with Padukone’s signature style, this inaugural collaboration exudes freshness and confidence.

It re-imagines Levi’s classics through its range of jeans and denims while introducing Padukone’s signature favourites like athleisure pieces, edgy faux leather pants and oversized shirts. “The endeavour with my first ever collaboration with Levi’s was for it to be an authentic representation of my personal style.

And I believe we’ve been able to stay true to that vision,” said Padukone.

The collaboration brings Padukone’s ultra-casual style to life through long varsity jackets, co-ord sweatsuits, crop-tops and bralettes. It also features modern and updated interpretations of Levi’s denims, with new on-trend 70’s-inspired high waist jeans and cut and sew wide leg silhouettes to be paired www.indianabroad.news

with extra-long or cropped trucker jackets, a range of oversized shirts, soft romantic tops with organza sleeves, easy graphic t-shirts and elevated sweatshirts. Overall, the collection features quintessential pieces that will stand out in any wardrobe.

The collaboration is responsibly made, in line with the brand's commitment to sustainability. 60 percent of the collaboration line is sustainably sourced with 100 percent of the line ethically produced.

Featuring organic cotton, super-soft Tencel made from wood pulp, cottonized hemp and denim produced with the brand’s Water<Less® technology, the line allows consumers to make a statement, with sustainability at the forefront.

IANS caught up with the actress to get her take on the collection and her personal favourites: Nothing beats a pair of denims, you can dress them up or down depending on your mood. Do you agree?* Padukone: Absolutely! I think a good pair of denims are an absolute must in anyone’s wardrobe. And the best part is that you can either dress it up or dress it down. That's what makes it extremely versatile apart from it also being extremely comfortable.

Although you're known to constantly experiment with your style, what we see now is a much more relaxed, athleisure vibe to your outfit choices. How come?

Padukone: Absolutely! While I love experimenting with fashion and my personal style, I have also always prioritised comfort; and with athleisure wear I am able to achieve both.

Share a few details about your new collaboration with Levis?

Padukone: The endeavour with my first ever collaboration with Levi’s was for it to be an authentic representation of my personal style.

And I believe we have been able to stay true to that vision.

A fashion icon from the yesteryear’s who’s style you admire and why?

Padukone: Over the years, my personal style has been influenced by several people. But if I really had

to choose one icon whose style I admire, it would have to be Rekha Ji and her most exquisite sarees.

I absolutely love sarees and could wear them almost everyday!

Millennials and Gen Z focus on utility, minimalism and the use they get out of a garment as much as the style. Do you agree?

Padukone: Absolutely! I think today, especially post the pandemic, sustainability and utility really are the two main areas of focus. I believe the world was headed in that direction anyway and the pandemic has only accelerated that process.

Which style of denims are you favourite and why?

Padukone: Honestly, it depends on my mood and the occasion. If it is for the day, I prefer denims that are lose and slouchy. Having said that, that would also be my style for an evening out. All I would do is pair them with different shoes. In the day, I would pair them with flip flops or sneakers. For the evening, I would probably wear the same look with a pair of heels. That’s what makes a pair of jeans so versatile!

“We are absolutely thrilled that Deepika Padukone’s first collaboration as brand ambassador for Levi’s®️ is so iconic yet personal. We have always believed in ‘authentic self-expression’ and the collaboration is just that. We wanted to work with Deepika because of her iconic sense of style and its influence on consumers. Her understanding of colours, fabrics and silhouettes is unique and extremely individual.

With this collaboration we see the inclusion of newer fabrics, finishes and fits. The introduction of athleisure pieces, faux leather pants, long varsity jackets and even the oversized shirts are a way for us to explore unknown textile territories and also relate to a newer fashion consumer.” Sanjeev Mohanty, SVP & MD- South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Levi’s®️ The Collaboration will be available at Levi’s retail outlets, Levi.in and select partner e-commerce platforms on October 8th 2021

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hen you see someone with perfectly pulled together street style, their sunglasses are often the first thing you see.

Choosing the right pair of sunglasses for every occasion is essential to complete the ensemble. Not only do they save you from the scorching sun, but they also shape your face and elevate your confidence, which makes investing in a versatile pair extremely crucial.

Looking to upgrade your style for occasions? The wait is over Arnette, a global mainstream street-style, sustainable eyewear brand for generations gives your wardrobe a street style makeover.

Casual Outings or Brunch: As good to look at as it feels, the lightweight frame features a trendy upsized calibre, on-point colour combos or total crystal frames with dark polar, colourful flash to add a dash of fun.

Cool Beach Party: Who doesn’t like to wear bright sunglasses to cool off when the weather warms up?

This low and wide campaign star is on a mission to make a difference in street style attitude, uber-cool crystal frames with dark mirror shades make it the coolest look for any beach.

Go-To Style: When you are wearing a casual outfit and wish to match it to a cool pair of sunglasses, then choose GOTH BOY - Lightening up the dark side, with quality of see-through layers over new lasers.

Go with matt black for an always-on statement look.

Flashy Sporty Look: Colour is getting increasingly playful in men’s sunglasses, especially sports shades.

Inspired by this year’s hottest street style trends, urban-future design, sustainable bioplastic, hypnotized by the light, this semi-rim visor is always ready to launch. So, when it comes to the future, this one will be there to catch the light.

Vacation Mode: Want to look elegant and stylish while you set out of town this weekend? The brightest of them all, the trendy bold profile frame is all about the future, vivid pop contrasts and flash shades make sure it will never miss a ray. Play with your take on making daring colour combos.

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WHAT’S ON

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33

ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

'Most Eligible Bachelor': Pooja Hegde ED summons Bollywood 'singled' out for praise by filmmakers actors Nora, Jacqueline in black money case Instagram

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ooja Hegde, who now awaits the theatrical release of her upcoming film, 'Most Eligible Bachelor', is receiving praise from south Indian filmmakers for her performance.

The makers of the film arranged for a pre-release function.

After watching the film, producer Dil Raju said, "We've first seen glamour in Pooja but slowly she started working on her character and by working on it she became a super performer. Being glamorous and a performer - very few heroines have this and Pooja did that in this movie."

Producer Allu Aravind said, "Pooja, my love as ever, though you've done it (performed well) in my films and though you've done it before, the best you did in this ('Most Eligible Bachelor'). I could not stop myself and I approached you and informed you that I liked your performance."

Filmmaker Hari Shankar, Bommarillu Bhaskar, Bunny Vasu, Naga Chaitanya and Akhil Akkineni were among those who spoke highly of the actress at the event.

Her upcoming projects include Thalapathy Vijay's 'Beast', Salman Khan's 'Bhaijaan', 'Cirkus' opposite Ranveer Singh, 'Acharya' with Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan, 'Radhe Shyam' opposite Prabhas and 'SSMB28' opposite Mahesh Babu.

Urfi Javed of 'Bigg Boss OTT' fame comes out in support of 'poor kid' Aryan Khan

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he Enforcement Directorate (ED) has again summoned Bollywood actresses Nora Fatehi and Jacqueline Fernandez in connection with an alleged Rs 200-crore money-laundering case, official sources said here on Thursday.

The case pertains to an FIR filed by the Delhi Police in connection

with an extortion racket allegedly perpetrated by scamsters Sukesh Chandrashekhar, Leena Maria-Paul and others, involving several bigwigs.

The central probe agency had already recorded their statements earlier and they are being summoned again as witnesses for further probe.

Avika Gor: Being a producer has made me a more humble actor

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ctress Avika Gor has wrapped up the shoot of her first and as yet-untitled production venture. She says being a producer has made her a more humble actor.

Avika was shooting in Goa for the maiden production venture and called it an "amazing experience".

"It's been an amazing experience as it's my first production. We shot in Goa for over 10 days and the whole vibe was so different," said the actress, who rose to fame with her role as Anandi from the television show 'Balika Vadhu'.

The 24-year-old actress did not divulge much about the film or the cast.

She shared: "I think being a producer has made me a more humble actor and it has also helped me grow as a person. I feel extremely proud of myself and can't wait to get this movie completed and released soon."

On the acting front, Avika was seen in the Telugu language thriller drama 'Net'. She will next be seen in the Telugu film 'Thank You'.

Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon-starrer 'Shehzada' to release on Nov 4, 2022 IANS

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inger Guru Randhawa and actress Mrunal Thakur had a playful time in Kashmir while shooting for the new music video 'Aise Na Chhoro Mujhe' which also captured their 'snow fight'.

While the entire team was under layers of clothes freezing in minus 10 degrees, both the artistes were having snow fights and were riding on the snowmobile all around the location.

Both the stars had so much fun on the set of the music video that director Aashish Panda had to break in and remind them to get back to work!

Presented by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, the love song penned by Rashmi Virag and composed by Manan Bhardwaj, is a romantic track that tells a modern-day RomeoJuliet love story

Zaira Wasim shares first picture 2 years after quitting showbiz

Malaika: Independence is at the 'core of my being' A

ctress Malaika Arora is going to be in the judge panel along with Terence Lewis and Geeta Kapur in the upcoming dance reality show 'India's Best Dancer'.

Malaika who herself is an actor, model, skilled dancer and a fitness enthusiast talks about why is it important for her to be an independent and a self sufficient woman.

"I believe independence is the core of my being! Moreover, in my line of work, I am very happy and fortunate to meet people who give me the right backing, the right push to do something," says the actress.

She adds: "Before starting out anything new and unexplored, I don't just go on a whim. I do a lot of research, I consult a lot of experts and understand where they are coming from and then I collaborate and associate with them. I am very headstrong like that. And, I think all women should be emotionally and financially independent."

'India's Best Dancer' will start from October 16 on Sony Entertainment Television.

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rfi Javed of 'Bigg Boss OTT' fame has joined the clan of Bollywood actors and others who are supporting Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan. Aryan found himself in a soup after the NCB took him into custody as he was said to have attended a cruise party where drugs were being consumed.

Aryan is presently in custody and the case is being investigated.

Urfi says: "He'll probably take a lot of time to come out of this trauma.

Even before the court's verdict people have started bashing him just because he is his father's son.

Why don't we show equal outrage for rapes and murders? We are so quick in shaming actors even before the court's verdict. Why aren't we as quick when it comes to shaming rapists?"

Urfi who is known for creating headlines for her airport looks and shows like 'Bade Bhaiyya Ki Dulhania', 'Meri Durga' and 'Bepannaah', shares her perspective on the same adding: "There are political leaders, religious gurus out there facing allegations of rape, still people worship them.

And then there is this poor kid who hasn't harmed anyone but is being publicly bashed so much."

Guru Randhawa, Mrunal Thakur's 'snow fight' in Kashmir!

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he shooting for Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon-starrer 'Shehzada' has begun. The film is set for a November 4, 2022 release.

'Shehzada' is directed by Rohit Dhawan. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Allu Arvind and Aman Gill.

Producer Bhushan Kumar said: "I've been wanting to mount a big scale family action-packed musical film for a long time, I'm excited to be teaming up with Rohit Dhawan, Allu Arvind and Aman Gill on this film, I'm eagerly looking forward to the magic Kartik, Kriti, Pritam and the rest of the team will create in 'Shehzada'."

The shooting commenced on

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Tuesday on a massive set in Mumbai. It also stars Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Ronit Roy, and Sachin Khedekar. The action-packed musical family film will be shot over various schedules in Mumbai and Delhi in the next several months.

The film's director Rohit, brother of actor Varun Dhawan, is once again collaborating with music director Pritam for the film's score.

Producer Aman Gill added: "Rohit has been working diligently and passionately over the last year to mount 'Shehzada' in the biggest possible way, we all are excited to back his vision in bringing this film to audiences on the big screen in theatres next year."

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Mumbai, Oct 6 (IANS) Zaira Wasim, who starred in films such as 'Dangal' and 'Secret Superstar', has shared a photograph on social media, two years after quitting showbiz in 2019.

Zaira took to Instagram, where she shared the image. In the photograph the former actress is seen dressed in a burqa and standing on a bridge.

Her face is not visible as her back is towards the camera. She captioned the picture: "The Warm October Sun." The photograph currently has 1,36,000 likes on the photo-sharing website.

In 2020, Zaira had requested her fans and followers to remove her photographs and videos from social media, stating that she is trying to start a new life.

She had written: "Hello everyone!! I want to just take a moment to thank each of you for the constant love and kindness you have showered me with. Y'all have been a constant source of love and strength, thank you for being there to support me through everything."

"I request you to please take down my pictures from your accounts and ask other fan pages to do the same," she added.

It was in 2019 that Zaira had announced her 'disassociation' from acting, saying she was not happy with the line of work as it interfered with her faith and religion.

Zaira's last film as an actor was 2019's 'The Sky Is Pink' featuring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Farhan Akhtar.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 1, Issue 17 Oct 16 -31, 2021

Vidyut Jammwal: 'Sanak' will inspire Taapsee Pannu reveals real reason she did 'Rashmi Rocket' you to be a better version of yourself

T

Instagram

aapsee Pannu did not know what gender testing is all about and that she was shocked when she learned about it. The actress says that she wanted to be the vehicle to present the problem which is relevant even today.

Talking to IANS if she knew what gender testing or gender verification was, Taapsee said: "I did not know about it and that is the one reason why I wanted to do it because I am such a sports lover and a sports enthusiast myself. So I was very shocked."

The sports drama, which is directed

by Akarsh Khurana, narrates the story of a small-town girl, who overcomes all societal barriers to become a national-level athlete, but is hindered when she is asked to undergo a gender test.

Taapsee added: "I went back and did a lot of research on it and saw the extent of the problem happening only to females. So that drove me even more that I need to be the vehicle to present this problem which is not being discussed about and is very much present since years till now as latest as this Tokyo Olympics. It had to be brought about."

The film will be released on ZEE5 on October 15.

A

ction hero Vidyut Jammwal is gearing up for the release of his upcoming high-octane actioner 'Sanak: Hope Under Siege'.

He says the film will inspire people to be a better version of themselves.

The makers on Tuesday released the trailer of the film directed by Kanishk Varma. It also stars Bengali superstar Rukmini Maitra, Neha Dhupia and Chandan Roy Sanyal among others.

Fighting to save his loved one from a high-risk situation, in the trailer Vidyut is seen pushing the envelope.

Apart from being an action thriller, the trailer of 'Sanak' also touches upon the love story between Vidyut and Rukmini.

Vidyut said: "The film was shot during the pandemic time and as every other Indian, we went to work and we have come up with this film.

Once you watch it, I can guarantee you that it will inspire you to be a better version of yourself and to help people around you."

Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah added: "We are so excited to bring 'Sanak' to Indian audiences. Our

Instagram

films really haven't explored the hostage drama space in depth and detail and 'Sanak' is our attempt at doing just that."

'Sanak: Hope Under Siege' is presented by Zee Studios in association

Rhea Chakraborty posts cryptic message amid Aryan Khan's drug case Instagram

Taniya Kalra opens up on playing a con woman in 'Girgit' Instagram

A

ctress Taniya Kalra who was last seen in Sidharth Shukla's digital series 'Broken But Beautiful 3', will be seen in yet another show 'Girgit'. Taniya will essay the role of 'Shamoli', a con woman, in her next stint. 'Shamoli' is a control freak and a narcissist.

Talking about playing a control freak character, Taniya said: "I play 'Shamoli' in the series. She is the manipulative and assertive one in a duo that you'll see in the series.

Anyone can easily fall for her. I play a con-girl and her endeavour is simple, that she needs to gather money that not only satisfies her basic needs but more."

Furthermore, the actress added: "I auditioned for the show and when I was handed over the script, I found it pretty interesting and something really different; something I've never done before. I've never been a part of a show like 'Girgit'. It is quite intriguing. I wanted to play with the character since I got the liberty to do so. And I did."

This will be Taniya's first big project as a protagonist. Taniya is currently dubbing for the project, though the shoot for the series has already been wrapped up.

The show has already been shot and is currently in post-production.

'Girgit' will be streaming in the last week of October on ALTBalaji and MX Player.

Swara Bhasker records statement in objectionable comments case Instagram

New Delhi, Oct 11: Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker on Monday recorded her statement at the Patiala House Court here, in a case where she has alleged that a YouTube influencer www.indianabroad.news

has made objectionable comments against her on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

Bhasker, who has always been the subject of heavy trolling on various

social media platforms, had on Sunday, filed a complaint at the Vasant Kunj police station as some messages doing the rounds on social media, she said, were "intended to outrage her modesty."

A police official informed that they have registered an FIR, based on her complaint, under sections 354 D and 509 of the Indian Penal Code and section 67 of the IT act. Sources said that the police have also initiated an investigation into the case.

Bhasker, 33, has always been the centre of attraction of all the trolls on social media platforms because of her open views on several political issues.

While speaking to a TV channel on Sunday, she said that this culture of trolling has become a menace these days.

Responding to a question as to why only she is being targeted by a certain section of trolls, Bhasker said that the prime reason is she engages with most of the people on social media. "I don't keep quiet, I respond," she said.

with Sunshine Pictures Pvt Ltd and will be streaming from October 15 only on Disney+ Hotstar Multiplex. It is a Vipul Amrutlal Shah production, directed by Kanishk Varma.

B

ollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, who was under the scanner last year after the death of actor and her boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput, has shared a cryptic message amid the ongoing drug case involving superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan.

The actress shared the cryptic message on her Instagram stories, which read: "Grow through what you go through."

It was last year, when Rhea made headlines after she was accused

by Sushant's family for abetment

to suicide and also siphoning off funds from the late actor. She was also named in a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) chargesheet along with her brother Showik in a drug-related probe into Sushant's death case.

The 29-year-old actress was arrested last year and spent a month in Mumbai's Byculla jail in September 2020.

In a claim, the NCB on Wednesday alleged that Aryan along with others, was prima facie involved in "illicit drug trafficking, procuring and distribution of contraband" banned under the NDPS Act. The agency also accused Aryan of being in touch with some persons abroad who could be part of an international illegal drug syndicate and it is continuing further investigations to unearth his links to contact the foreign agency through proper channels.

The NCB's statement came during a hearing of the bail applications of Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, Mohak Jaswal, Nupur Satija, Aachit Kumar, Shreyas Nair and Avin Sahu before Special NDPS Judge V.V. Patil.

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