Issue 33

US restates North KoreaRussia cooperation trend of ‘great concern’ after Kim-Putin summit

Friday, 21 June 2024

The United States reiterated on Wednesday that growing cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a trend of “great concern”, after Pyongyang and Moscow signed a pact calling for mutual aid if either side comes under attack.

A State Department spokesperson made the point after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inked a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty at a summit in Pyongyang on Wednesday amid concerns about the security implications of their military ties.

“Deepening cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is a trend that should be of great concern to anyone interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non-proliferation regime, abiding by U.N. Security Council resolutions, and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia’s brutal invasion,” the spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency via email.

“As we have said before, we don’t believe any country should give Mr.Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression against Ukraine,” the official added. The spokesperson also stressed that Russia is “blatantly violating the U.N. Charter and working to undermine the international system.”

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the clear violations of international law Russia has committed in Ukraine,” the spokesperson said. A Pentagon official gave a cautious response, saying that it is aware of the reports on the summit between Putin and Kim.

“We’ve seen the reports and will continue to monitor the situation,” the official said. The Pyongyang summit came amid deepening concerns that military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow would help prop up Russia’s war effort in Ukraine and advance North Korea’s weapons programs to the detriment of regional and global security.

Will

continue to work ‘closely’ with India under Modi 3.0, reiterates US

The US reiterated on Thursday that it continues to consider India a “close partner” and looks forward to continuing to work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in its third term.

This reassertion came at the US State Department’s briefing in response to a question.

“India continues to be a close partner of the United States, not just at the government level but at the people the people level we do share close economic ties, close cultural ties, they continue to be a partner that we work with on our Indo Pacific strategy, and we will look forward to continue to do that with the government with Prime Minister Modi’s government,” spokesperson Mathew Miller said.

See Pg. 02

India

calls for universal

condemnation of countries providing arms to terrorists

By Arul Louis

Warning about the increased sophistication of small arms and the use of drones to get them to terrorists, India has called for universal condemnation of countries providing weapons to terrorists.

“The increase in volume and the quality of the arsenal acquired by these terrorist organizations reminds us time and again that they cannot exist without the sponsorship or support of States,” R. Ravindra, the Charge d’Affaires of India’s UN Mission, said.

“This aspect needs to be unequivocally condemned,” he said on Tuesday at the UN

Conference reviewing the progress of the program against illicit small arms. He did not name any country arming terrorists, but Pakistan is principally behind the flow of weapons to terrorists operating against India.

“For several decades, my country has suffered immensely due to cross-border terrorism and violence carried out by terrorist groups using these illicit weapons smuggled across our borders, including now through the use of drones. India views illicit possession and misuse of small arms and light weapons by non-state groups and terrorists as a violation of state sovereignty,” Ravindra said.

India recalls Kanishka flight bombing as Canadian Parliament ‘honors’ Khalistani terrorist Nijjar

ven as the Canadian Parliament ‘honored’ a Khalistani terrorist, the Indian Consulate in Vancouver reminded the world of the bombing of Air India flight 182 (Kanishka) in which 329 people, including 86 children, were killed.

The ‘India in Vancouver’, the official Twitter account of the Consulate General of India in Vancouver in a post on Wednesday said, “India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat.”

“23 June 2024 marks the 39th Anniversary of the cowardly terrorist bombing of Air India flight 182 (Kanishka), in which 329 innocent victims, including 86 children, lost their lives in one of the most heinous terror-related air disasters in the history of civil aviation,” mentioned the post.

The consulate will also hold a Memorial Service at 1830 hrs on June 23 at the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park’s Ceperley Playground area.

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Will continue to work ‘closely’ with India under Modi 3.0, reiterates US

Prime Minister Modi and President Joe Biden spoke shortly after the election and met briefly on the sidelines of the recent G7 meetings in Italy.

In response to another question about the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan, Miller said, “We value our important relationships with both India and Pakistan. As we have said, we support direct discussions between India and Pakistan. But the pace, scope and character should be determined by those two countries, not by us.”

2

India calls for universal condemnation of countries providing arms to terrorists

Under-Secretary-General Izumi Nakamitsu, speaking earlier, mentioned the dangers of terrorists getting small arms.

“There is nothing ‘small’ or ‘light’ about the damage these weapons cause. They aggravate crime, displacement and terrorism,” she said.

She warned, “The situation is growing worse, as new developments in the manufacturing, technology and design of small arms — such as 3D printing — make their illegal production and trafficking easier than ever before.”

Nakamitsu noted that the New Agenda for Peace proposed last year by SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres “calls for regional efforts across borders to stem the flow and trafficking of small arms and light weapons”.

Ravindra proposed a novel program, Regional 911, bringing together countries in a region to dismantle arms trafficking, and improve tracking and security of small

and light weapons to keep them out of the reach of “wrong hands”. He spoke of the scourge of the illicit trade and the transfer of small and light arms in vulnerable areas.

“In post-conflict situations, we often witness that non-State actors continue to possess these weapons illegally, which hinders disarmament, demobilization and reintegration efforts,” he said.

“India maintains strict export controls over all munitions and related items, including small arms and light weapons,” he said.

He offered to share the nation’s expertise with countries New Delhi, he noted, is a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement, an international pact against the illegal transfer of arms and dual-use items. (Pakistan and China are not participants in it).

India has also signed all the thirteen counterterrorism conventions and has ratified the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol on Firearms, he added.

India recalls Kanishka flight bombing as Canadian Parliament ‘honors’ Khalistani terrorist Nijjar

“@cgivancouver encourages members of the Indian Diaspora to join the event in a show of solidarity against terrorism,” said the consulate in the post.

As India reminds the world of the horrors of terrorism, the Canadian Parliament marked the first anniversary of the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar by holding a moment of silence in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

This comes days after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said that there is an “alignment on several big issues” with India and he sees an “opportunity” to engage with the new Indian government...”. Trudeau had said this after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Italy during the G7 summit.

Nijjar was gunned down in Canada’s Surrey, outside a parking lot on June 18 last year. India had put him on a list of ‘designated terrorists’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Canada has alleged that Indian officials were involved in the killing but has failed to provide evidence of this. This has strained ties between Ottawa and New Delhi. India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.

India has no right to question references made on J&K in Pak-China joint statement, says Pakistan Foreign Office

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that New Delhi holds “no authority or ground” to raise questions on references made on Jammu and Kashmir in the Pakistan-China Joint statement issued in Beijing after talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on June 8.

“It is an established fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally-recognized disputed territory. The dispute has been on the agenda at the UN Security Council for over seven decades,” read a statement issued by the Pakistan Foreign Office.

“The relevant Security Council resolutions clearly stipulate that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through

the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations,” the statement added.

Pakistan Foreign Office stated that India’s claims over Jammu and Kashmir have “no basis and are unfounded and misplaced”.

In a joint statement issued by Pakistan and China on June 8, it was stated that the “Jammu and Kashmir dispute is left over from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved”.

India took note of the joint statement and rejected references on Jammu and Kashmir as “unwarranted”.

“We have noted unwarranted references to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in the joint statement between

China and Pakistan of 07 June 2024. We categorically reject such references. Our position on the issue is consistent and well-known to the concerned parties. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has the locus standi to comment on the same,” Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s External Affairs Ministry said on June 13.

“The same joint statement also mentions activities and projects under the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), some of which are in India’s sovereign territory under forcible and illegal occupation by Pakistan. We resolutely oppose and reject any moves by other countries to reinforce or legitimize Pakistan’s illegal occupation of these territories, impinging on India’s

sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the MEA spokesperson added.

India’s criticism of references made in the Pak-China joint statement on Jammu and Kashmir has sparked a diplomatic cross-border exchange of statements as Islamabad called out New Delhi and asserted that it should not try to “mislead the international community on CPEC”.

CPEC is a flagship project of China’s ambitious One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative and holds massive value for Pakistan and its economic development objectives.

“Instead of making baseless claims about CPEC, India should implement, at the earliest, the relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir,” stated Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.

Contd. from Pg. 01

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3 Top Stories

Despite China’s criticism, US delegation meets Dalai Lama, pushes for Tibet’s autonomy

In a significant show of diplomatic power politics, a high-level bipartisan delegation from the US, comprising ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others, met Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the latter’s residence here despite criticism by China.

This move signals a potential escalation in diplomatic tensions as the US lawmakers asserted their stance on global human rights issues, pushing for the autonomy of Tibet within China.

“His Holiness Dalai Lama will live a long time and his legacy will live forever, but to you President of China, you will be gone and nobody will give you credit for anything,” said Pelosi, a long-time supporter of the Tibetan cause, while accusing China of not doing justice with Tibet.

Pelosi’s visit exemplifies solidarity and a commitment to global human rights, challenging Chinese policies.

Holding a copy of the Resolve Tibet Act,

a bipartisan Bill to enhance US support for Tibet and promote dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama towards a peaceful resolution of the long-standing dispute, the Dalai Lama said, “The issue of Tibet is an issue of justice. It is not about a religious or political cause, but about the rights of the people to preserve their culture, language, and identity. The Tibetan struggle is a struggle for human rights and dignity.”

Jake Sullivan’s Delhi visit to deepen already strong US-India partnership, says John Kirby

By: Hamza Ameer

White House National Security Communications Advisor

John Kirby has said that US NSA Jake Sullivan’s visit to New Delhi will further deepen the already strong US-India ties to create a safer and more prosperous Indo-Pacific.

During a news conference on Monday, Kirby told reporters, “As the world’s two oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India share a unique bond of friendship, and Mr Sullivan’s trip will further deepen the already strong US-India partnership to create a safer and more prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

Sullivan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on Monday. During the second Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, also known as iCET meeting, both the NSAs had set the vision for the next chapter of our strategic technology partnership, a statement issued by the White House said.

The White House said that both the NSAs underscored their commitment to orienting our cooperation around breakthrough achievements in priority critical and emerging technology areas and enhancing coordination with like-minded nations to deliver secure, reliable, and cost-competitive technology solutions for the American and Indian people and our partners around the world.

Since the launch of iCET in January 2023, both nations have made significant strides toward deepening and expanding strategic cooperation across key technology sectors including space, semiconductors, advanced telecommunications, artificial intelligence,

quantum, biotechnology, and clean energy, it said.

Preparing for the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, a jointly developed satellite that will map the entirety of the Earth’s surface twice every 12 days as the US and India work together to combat climate change and other global challenges, it said.

The White House announced launching a new partnership between the US Space Force and the Indian startups, 114ai and 3rdiTech, including on advancing space situational awareness, data fusion technologies, and infrared sensor semiconductor manufacturing.

Kirby did not reply to questions on Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s murder accused Nikhil Gupta who has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic. Gupta had pleaded not guilty when he was produced by a federal court in New York on Monday.

The US NSA’s two-day visit that ended on Tuesday, June 18, is the first trip to India by a senior official of the Joe Biden administration after the Modi government came to power for the third term.

The copy of the Resolve Tibet Act was presented by the Congressional delegation led by Chairman Michael McCaul, Nicole Malliotakis, Gregory W Meeks, Jim McGovern, Ami Bera, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, besides Pelosi, who were seen waving American and Tibetan flags.

The bipartisan delegation flew into Dharamsala on Tuesday to meet the

88-year-old Nobel peace laureate and other top officials of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

At the felicitation ceremony, Republican representative McCaul said the Bill reaffirms America’s support for the Tibetan right to selfdetermination.

“Just this week our delegation received a letter from the Chinese Communist Party, warning us not to come here... But we did not let the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) intimidate us for we are here today,” McCaul said.

Beijing, which considers the Dalai Lama a ‘separatist’, had said that it was seriously concerned about the visit of the US lawmakers to Dharamsala. The US delegation visit came a day ahead of a planned trip by the Dalai Lama to the US to undergo medical treatment for his knees. However, his office said that there will be no public engagement, including public audiences, of the Dalai Lama during the visit.

The Dalai Lama has been living in selfimposed exile in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959.

Biden and Trump prepare for first fiery debate for 2024 White House run

Marathon rehearsals, informal consultations, campaign rallies: Joe Biden and Donald Trump are each preparing in their own unique way for their televised debate next Thursday, the first in the 2024 race for the White House between the bitter rivals.

With a week to go, the Democratic president was set to head to Camp David, a mountainside retreat for US leaders close to the capital Washington, to hone his attack lines and rebuttals.

Few details have been released about the 81-year-old Democrat’s preparations, except that his former chief of staff Ron Klain will be involved, and that one of Biden’s aides will play the part of Trump in mock debates.

The Trump campaign has been downplaying the need for the formal dress rehearsals candidates usually plan, a change of tack from 2020 when the former president practiced with former New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

“President Trump takes on numerous tough interviews every single week and delivers lengthy rally speeches while standing, demonstrating elite stamina,” senior Trump advisor Jason Miller said in a statement.

“He does not need to be programmed by staff or shot up with chemicals like Joe Biden does.”

In lieu of traditional training sessions, Trump has surrounded himself with influential senators and vice-presidential

candidates to discuss issues likely to come up, from foreign policy to immigration, according to media reports.

The Republican, who was convicted of 34 felony charges of business fraud in New York in May, has also reportedly been crafting possible responses for when the debate inevitably turns to his legal troubles.

The showdown, scheduled for 9:00pm (0100 GMT Friday) in Atlanta, is the third between the two men.

“It should be a big evening. They say Super Bowl numbers,” Trump told a crowd at his 78th birthday gathering in West Palm Beach, Florida, last week -predicting a large television audience.

The last debates between the two men in 2020 were tension-filled affairs, with Biden at one point snapping “will you shut up, man?” as Trump repeatedly talked over him.

This time, moderators for host network CNN have more tools than usual to maintain decorum, with the microphones muted throughout, except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak.

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Friday, 21 June 2024

A critical analysis of Trump’s immunity claim and the Supreme Court’s role

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Dr. (H) Avi Verma

Publisher

By Dr. Avi Verma Publisher

The pending decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on former President Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution for actions taken during his tenure has stirred considerable speculation and concern. Former Attorney General Eric Holder recently expressed apprehension over potential outcomes, suggesting that prolonged deliberation by the justices could lead to a perilous conclusion regarding presidential accountability.

The Immunity Claim

Trump’s defense centers on the assertion that as president, he enjoyed immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts. This claim is pivotal in several ongoing legal battles, including charges related to the handling of classified documents and his alleged involvement in events surrounding the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot.

Supreme Court’s Deliberation

The Supreme Court’s handling of this case has been characterized by cautious deliberation. Despite expectations of a decision by the end of the month, the prolonged consideration has raised concerns about the potential implications of the ruling. Holder’s comments on MSNBC underscored fears that some justices might entertain the idea that a president could violate criminal laws under the guise of official duty—a notion he deemed

both absurd and dangerous.

Legal Precedents and Arguments

The debate hinges on interpreting precedents like Nixon v. Fitzgerald, which established executive immunity from civil suits for official acts. Trump’s legal team contends that this immunity extends to criminal prosecutions as well, arguing for a broad application of presidential protection. Conversely, critics, including conservative legal analyst George Conway, anticipate a significant legal setback for Trump, pointing to the Court of Appeals’ earlier ruling against immunity.

Potential Outcomes and Implications

Several potential outcomes loom over the pending decision:

Complete Denial of Immunity: If the Supreme Court aligns with the Court of Appeals’ stance that former presidents are not immune from criminal prosecution, Trump could face expedited legal proceedings, potentially impacting the upcoming election cycle.

Partial Immunity or Clarification:

Alternatively, the Court could carve out exceptions or provide guidelines on what constitutes official versus private actions, influencing the pace and scope of future proceedings against Trump.

Delay’s Impact: The extended deliberation, while ensuring thorough legal scrutiny, has also

raised concerns about justice delayed being justice denied. It allows Trump to maintain a narrative of victimhood and political persecution, potentially influencing public opinion and future electoral dynamics.

Conclusion

As the Supreme Court prepares to deliver its verdict, the stakes are undeniably high. The decision will not only determine the immediate legal fate of Donald Trump but also set crucial precedents regarding presidential powers and accountability. While the Court’s meticulous approach reflects its commitment to upholding constitutional principles, the prolonged timeline invites scrutiny over the broader implications of delay.

The American public, legal scholars, and political commentators alike await the Supreme Court’s ruling with keen interest, cognizant of its potential to shape the contours of executive authority and the rule of law in the United States for years to come. As Holder aptly summarized, anything less than a clear affirmation that presidents are bound by the same laws as all citizens would mark a troubling departure from democratic norms—a sentiment that underscores the gravity of this judicial moment in American history.

Best Regards, Dr. (H) Avi Verma Publisher, IndoUS Tribune

PM Modi continues to bat on front foot for Global South in his third innings

The Group of Seven (G7) Summit held in Italy’s Apulia last week has further solidified India’s image as the leader of the Global South, right at the start of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third consecutive term.

Having given resonance to the voice of the Global South over the last decade, especially during India’s G20 presidency, PM Modi once again chose a major global platform to spotlight the concerns of developing countries during his first overseas trip after assuming office, earlier this week.

“The countries of the Global South are bearing the brunt of global uncertainties and tensions. India has considered it its responsibility to place the priorities and concerns of the countries of the Global South on the world stage,” the Prime Minister said in his address at the Outreach Session of the G7 Summit.

With India having strongly established itself as an all-weather friend of Africa during his tenure, PM Modi also emphasized New Delhi’s commitment to the continent.

“We have given high priority to Africa in these efforts. We are proud that the G-20, under India’s chairmanship, made the African Union a permanent member. India has been contributing to the economic and social

Iran condemns Canada’s blacklisting of IRGC

Iranian Caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has condemned the Canadian government’s “provocative and irresponsible” decision to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist entity”.

He made the remarks in a post on Thursday on social media platform X while reacting to an announcement on Wednesday by Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc that his country had decided to list the IRGC as a “terrorist group”. Bagheri Kani said Canada’s act of blacklisting the IRGC, which is an integral part of Iran’s official armed forces, was a “provocation” of the principles and rules of international law and threatened regional peace and stability.

In his remarks on Wednesday, LeBlanc vowed that Canada would use all the tools at its disposal “to combat the terrorist activity” of the IRGC while accusing the Iranian armed force of disregarding human rights both inside and outside of Iran. Thousands of senior Iranian officials, including top IRGC members, are now banned from entering Canada, and those already inside the country may be investigated and removed, LeBlanc said.

As a consequence of the decision, Canadian financial institutions are required to immediately freeze the property of a blacklisted entity, and it is a criminal offense for anyone in Canada and Canadians abroad to knowingly deal with property owned or controlled by a terrorist group, according to a press statement issued by Public Safety Canada.

development, stability, and security of all African countries, and will continue to do so,” he assured the world leaders gathered at the G7 event.

On Saturday, hours after his meeting with PM Modi at Borgo Egnazia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz backed the Indian Prime Minister’s efforts to further amplify the voices from the emerging countries and the Global South at international fora.

“The G7 is not an exclusive club. That is why here in Apulia we continued what we started in Elmau and spoke to many representatives of the Global South. This must continue to be the case in the future. Because we want a partnership from which everyone benefits,” Scholz posted on X along with a photograph of him engaged in an animated discussion with PM Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the G7 event last week.

Even as he pursues the goal of having a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, PM Modi has made it clear that India’s efforts to drive South-South cooperation will receive fresh momentum during his third term.

The attendance of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Seychelles Vice-President Ahmed Afif, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay at the PM’s swearing-in ceremony sent a strong message that India will always remain committed to the cause of the Global South and the developing countries.

India’s position as a voice of the Global South is expected to further consolidate during Modi 3.0 using the Prime Minister’s 5S approach of ‘Samman, Samvad, Sahyog, Shanti, and Samriddhi’, as was listed in the ‘Sankalp Patra’ released by the BJP for the justconcluded Lok Sabha elections.

“A distinct global image has been built in the last 10 years as India has emerged as a Vishwa Bandhu. Its maximum advantage will begin now. I am fully confident that the next five years will be extremely useful for the country as far as the global environment is concerned,” the Prime Minister asserted in his first comments after staking a claim to form the government for the third consecutive time, last week.

Sri Lankan President inaugurates India-funded projects during EAM Jaishankar’s Colombo visit

Marking strong neighborhood ties between South Asia’s historical allies India and Sri Lanka, visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday jointly inaugurated the formal commissioning of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) under a $6 million grant from India.

Placed at vital points in the Indian Ocean Island, the MRCC has centers at the Navy Headquarters in Colombo, a sub-center in Hambantota, and crucial unmanned installations at Galle, Arugambay, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kallarawa, Point Pedro, and Mullikulam.

Jaishankar and President Wickremesinghe jointly unveiled the virtual plaque to mark the formal commissioning of the MRCC established by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).

They also joined the virtual handing over of 154 new houses built under the Indian housing development partnership initiative. As many as 106 houses have been built in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Matale districts while 24 houses each were built in Colombo and Trincomalee districts.

They add to the already-built 3,700 houses which are part of 4000 houses to be built under Phase-3 of the Indian Housing Project (IHP), an initiative taken by India after the destruction caused by the three-decade-long war which ended in 2009.

Following the end of the civil war, the Indian government launched a project to build 50,000 houses at a cost of (Sri Lankan) Rs 33 billion across Sri Lanka, covering all 25 districts including war-torn north and eastern provinces and at the central hills where Indian-origin Tamils work in tea plantations.

This is Jaishankar’s first official visit after the formation of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also met PM Dinesh Gunawardena and his counterpart M.U.M. Alisabry.

White House calls Netanyahu criticism ‘perplexing’ and ‘disappointing’

The US government has expressed its anger at statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he asserted that Washington is withholding arms deliveries to Israel. White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby on Thursday called Netanyahu’s recent video message “perplexing to say the least,” “deeply disappointing” and “vexing”.

“This President put fighter aircraft up in the air in the middle of April to help shoot down several hundred drones and missiles, including ballistic missiles, that were fired from Iran proper at Israel,” Kirby noted.

Kirby said “no other country was doing more” to help Israel in its fight against Hamas and that the White House had “no idea” what prompted Netanyahu to make the comments in a video released on Tuesday. In it, Netanyahu said it was “inconceivable” that the US had been “withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel,” but did offer specifics.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who recently met with Netanyahu, has also pushed back. Blinken said earlier that all arms shipments were moving as they “normally” would to Israel, apart from certain bombs that could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza. Those explosives have been paused pending a review.

Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden have been at loggerheads for months.

Washington prioritizes Ukraine, postpones military supplies to others

The US government plans to postpone the delivery of some military equipment to other countries to prioritizes strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses. White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that given Kiev’s urgent needs, the US government had made the “difficult but necessary” decision to postpone certain planned arms sales to other countries, in particular missiles for the Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems.

These should go instead to Ukraine, whose armed forces urgently need additional air defense capacities, he added. The countries concerned had been informed, Kirby said, though he did not say which countries were involved. All are to receive what they had ordered, just a little later than originally planned, he added.

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Secret Service agent robbed at gunpoint during Biden’s California trip

The US Secret Service said one of its agents was robbed at gunpoint on Saturday night as Joe Biden was visiting Los Angeles for a starstudded campaign fundraising event, officials said.

The agent was returning from work when he was accosted in a residential neighborhood in Tustin, about an hour’s drive south-east of Los Angeles, according to the Secret Service.

Someone called the Tustin police department shortly after 9.30pm to report the robbery. The agent, who was not injured, fired his gun during the confrontation, police said. The Secret Service said they did not know if anyone was shot. Police said the assailants stole the agent’s bag at gunpoint.

US reporter’s closeddoor Russian trial set for June 26

The closed-door trial against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia for alleged espionage will begin on June 26, a regional court in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural federal district said on Monday.

“The trial will take place in camera,” the court said in a statement, according to the Tass agency, meaning that the public will not be allowed to attend.

The US journalist was indicted for allegedly collecting information on the production and repair of defense technology last year on behalf of the CIA, the US intelligence agency. The target of the alleged espionage was the Uralvagonzavod company in the city of Nizhny Tagil in the Urals.

Gershkovich, his employer, and the US government have rejected the accusation. The Russian side has not made any evidence public in the proceedings to date. The correspondent was detained in Yekaterinburg in March 2023 during a research trip to the Ural region. He was held in custody in Moscow while on remand.

Gershkovich is seen as a bargaining chip that Moscow can use to put pressure on the US government. Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Russian region of Sverdlovsk, is located nearly 1,800 km east of Moscow.

US reels under sweltering heat wave

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre paused her daily briefing on Tuesday to check on a reporter who passed out because of severe heat conditions sweeping through Washington and other states in the US. Spring officially ended in the US on Thursday, June 20, but the summer is not waiting.

“It is hot in here,” Jean-Pierre said as she resumed the briefing and asked the reporters if anyone needed water. The intern was treated by the White House medical staff.

Temperatures are hovering in the upper to mid 90-degree Fahrenheit (around 32-33-degree Celsius). Outside the White House briefing room, the temperature was around 91 F. And it is expected to get hotter later in the week, touching 100 F.

The heat index -- a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature -- has touched 100 F in Florida in the south of the country right up to Maine, the northernmost state that borders Canada on the east coast.

An estimated 70 million Americans are caught in this heat wave.

States in the midwest were enveloped in punishing heat earlier in the week. Residents of Chicago flocked to the beaches and swimming pools that had opened for the summer on Monday, when the temperature

The heat wave has since shifted eastward, enveloping the region. Washington has declared an extended heat emergency until the end of the week and activated cooling centers, which can be day centers, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, senior wellness centers, public libraries, recreation and community centers, youth centers, and spray parks.

The meteorological phenomenon behind this intense heat wave is called a ‘heat dome’.

US railway ordered to pay $400 million to indigenous group for oil transport

ATexas-based railway company must pay some $400 million to a Native American community after it transported crude oil through the group’s reservation without authorization, a US judge in Seattle ordered on Monday.

Railway company BNSF has had permission from the indigenous Swinomish Indian Tribal Community to use tracks that run through the community’s territory in Washington state since 1991, the Seattle Times reported.

However, the agreement stipulates that a maximum of 25 wagons are allowed to pass through per day and the community must be informed of the type of cargo. The Swinomish people sued in 2015 after BNSF sent significantly more train cars carrying crude oil to nearby refineries without having received specific permission for the freight or the quantity.

A previous ruling had already deemed the company to have acted in violation of the 1991 agreement. In the current case, the court was to determine how much the company earned from the transportation of crude oil as well as the proportion owed to the indigenous community.

The judge said that it is unclear how BNSF invested its “ill-gotten” profits and what returns were generated as a

result. He said he assumes that those responsible made far more profit from their misconduct.

“The court finds that, in the interest of justice and equity, supplemental enhancement in an amount that approximates the money market return is appropriate here,” the judge added.

The Swinomish people’s territory is situated on the Pacific coast in the northwest of the United States. Fishing holds significant cultural and economic value for the community. Last year, a large amount of diesel fuel spilled on their land after two BNSF trains derailed.

It’s a high-pressure system that develops high above in the atmosphere enclosing the region below in a pot-like heat build-up. The high-pressure system compresses hot air, which gets hotter over time with sustained pressure from above.

Heat wave is described as a rise in temperature and heat dome is a highpressure system that traps heat. Heat domes are linked to climate change and global warming. A leading meteorologist told The New York Times that in the 1970s, there was a cold wave for every heat wave, while now there are more heat waves in the ratio of two to one cold wave.

15 shot during Juneteenth celebration in Oakland

Ashooting during a Juneteenth celebration at Lake Merritt in Oakland, US state of California, left 15 people injured, the police said.

The crowds were peaceful until around 8:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday when an illegal sideshow involving vehicles and motorbikes occurred near Grand Avenue and Bellevue Avenue, Oakland Police Department said on Thursday in a press statement.

During the sideshow, someone walked onto the hood of a car, which led to the occupants getting out and assaulting that person. Then came the gunfire, Oakland Police Department Chief Floyd Mitchell said at a press conference on Thursday noon as reported by Xinhua news agency.

The Oakland Fire Department said it transported at least four gunshot victims to a local hospital. Police also took some victims to nearby hospitals. Other victims were self-transported.

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climbed to 95 F. Cincinnati in the neighboring state of Ohio had crossed the 100 F-mark to 102 F.

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Judge in Trump classified documents case reportedly rejected suggestions to step aside

Aileen Cannon, the Florida judge who has come under fire for her handling of classified document charges against Donald Trump, ignored the advice of more senior colleagues to decline the case and pass it to another jurist, it has been reported. Two senior judges on the Florida bench urged Cannon to defer when it was randomly assigned to her last June, in part due to a perception that she was biased in Trump’s favor because of her actions after the allegations against him of illegally retaining sensitive government documents first came to light.

According to the New York Times, Cannon – who was appointed to the federal bench by Trump – rejected the advice and kept the case, in which the former president faces charges being prosecuted by the special counsel Jack Smith. She has since issued a series of widely criticized rulings that have had the effect of delaying the trial, playing into Trump’s legal strategy of holding the case at bay until after November’s presidential election, when he

Wildfires rage across California, engulf acres of forest

The fast-growing Sites wildfire in Northern California remained just 5 per cent contained, officials said. The Sites Fire, about 100 miles northwest of Sacramento, the capital city of the western US state of California, broke out on Monday and is among over a dozen wildfires that have ripped through the state.

The blaze, currently the largest and fastestgrowing wildfire in Northern California, has engulfed some 15,656 acres in Colusa County. Evacuations are ongoing, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

In Sonoma County, the Point Fire, which erupted Sunday in Geyserville and has burned more than 1,207 acres, was 50 per cent contained as of Tuesday evening. In Calaveras County, a blaze that erupted on Monday afternoon has been dubbed the Aero Fire, and it has been deemed a threat to more than 3,600 structures. It was 33 per cent contained on Wednesday afternoon, having charred more than 5,351 acres.

Officials warned that the risk of new fires erupting in Northern California remained high. The probability of ignition is “still up at around 100 per cent,” said fire behavior analyst Jonathan Pangborn of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

could be elected president once again and be in a position to instruct the Department of Justice to drop the charges.

Her rulings have drawn the scorn of Trump’s former White House counsel, Ty Cobb, who this month described as “dangerous and incendiary” Cannon’s refusal to grant a gag order request from Smith against Trump. Smith had asked for the order after the former

president falsely alleged that the FBI was “locked and loaded” and ready to kill him and his family when officers entered his Mar-aLago home to retrieve a trove of documents in 2022. In fact, the raid had been agreed with Trump’s lawyers in advance and timed to take place when he would not be present.

The attempt to persuade Cannon to step aside was reportedly prompted by her actions after the FBI seized the documents – when she intervened on Trump’s side after he had filed suit claiming they were his personal property, appointing a special master to review them before prosecutors had a chance to see them.

This ruling was later reversed by the 11th court of appeals in Atlanta, which issued a rebuke of Cannon’s judgment, saying she had no authority to bar investigators from seeing the documents.

The argument that this episode was sufficient reason for Cannon to pass on the case was reportedly put forward by Cecilia Altonaga, the chief judge of Florida’s southern district.

Biden opens green card path to undocumented immigrant spouses of US citizens

The White House announced Tuesday that the Biden administration will, in the coming months, allow certain spouses of U.S. citizens without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually, citizenship. The move could affect upwards of half a million immigrants, according to senior administration officials.

To qualify, an immigrant must have lived in the United States for 10 years as of Monday and be married to a U.S. citizen. If a qualifying immigrant’s application is approved, he or she would have three years to apply for a green card, receive a temporary work permit and be

shielded from deportation in the meantime.

About 50,000 noncitizen children with a parent who is married to a U.S. citizen could also potentially qualify for the same process, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on the proposal on condition of anonymity. There is no requirement on how long the couple must have been married, and no one becomes eligible after Monday. That means immigrants who reach that 10-year mark any time after June 17, 2024, will not qualify for the program, according to the officials.

Senior administration officials said they anticipate the process will be open for applications by the end of the summer, and fees to apply have yet to be determined.

Trump proposes green cards for noncitizen college graduates

Former President Donald Trump suggested in a podcast released Thursday that noncitizens in the U.S. should “automatically” get green cards when they graduate from college.

“What I want to do and what I will do is you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” Trump said. “And that includes junior colleges, too.”

Trump made similar comments during his 2016 campaign, only to limit legal migration when he was in office. Trump was responding on the podcast to a comment from one of its hosts, who said, “We need high-skilled workers in this country.” Another chimed in, noting that three of the four hosts are immigrants.

“Can you please promise us you will give us more ability to import the best and brightest around the world to America?” a host asked, prompting Trump’s green card response.

Trump said he did promise that, adding that it was “so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools, and lesser schools that are phenomenal schools, also.”

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on his position.

Moments before, Trump had repeated his frequent unfounded claim that migrants crossing the southern border into the U.S. are coming from jails, prisons, mental institutions and insane asylums. He also asserted without evidence that “we have terrorists coming into our country at a level that we’ve never seen before.”

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Indian-origin Shawna Pandya onboard Virgin Galactic’s new space research flight

Indian-origin researcher

Shawna Pandya will be part of the second research mission by Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) to fly to space aboard the Delta Class spaceship.

It will be the second research mission that IIAS is conducting with Virgin Galactic after the ‘Galactic 05’ mission in November 2023, which tested novel healthcare technologies and examined how fluids behaved in low-gravity to help inform designs for future medical technologies and lifesupport systems.

The IIAS astronaut crew expected in the research mission includes Kellie Gerardi, a bioastronautics researcher and IIAS Director of Human Spaceflight Operations; Pandya, a physician, aquanaut, bioastronautics researcher, and Director of IIAS’ Space Medicine Group, from Canada; and Norah Patten, an aeronautical engineer and bioastronautics researcher from Ireland.

Pandya was on the first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero gravity in 2015. To date, she has flown 10 parabolic flight campaigns, culminating in over 160 parabolas of experience in micro- and reduced gravity.

“We were thrilled with the results from our fluid cell experiment on ‘Galactic 05’, which demonstrated our ability to accurately predict the behavior of fluid in a container in a weightless environment,” said Gerardi.

Virgin Galactic’s VP of Government Affairs and Research, Sirisha Bandla, flew on Virgin Galactic’s ‘Unity 22’ spaceflight, which made her the second Indian-born woman to go to space.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with IIAS in an expanded capacity,” said Bandla.

Another Indian-American on strong track to be elected to US Congress

By: Arul Louis

“Samosa Caucus” -- the group of Indian-Americans in US Congress -- has a strong chance of getting another member next year with the victory of Suhas Subramanyam in the Virginia Democratic primaries.

He won the intra-party election on Tuesday to pick the Democratic candidate to contest the November general election for the House of Representatives from a constituency held by it. The constituency includes some suburbs of Washington.

Meanwhile, in primaries in New Jersey last week, Indian-American Rajesh Mohan won the Republican ticket for a House seat but faces an uphill battle because it is in a strongly Democratic constituency.

There are now five Indian-Americans in the House of Representatives, all Democrats who call themselves the “Samosa Caucus”:

Ami Bera and Ro Khanna from California; Pramila Jayapal from Washington State; Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois, and Shri Thanedar from Michigan.

A State Senator, Subramanyam bested 11 other candidates in an ugly contest where his main adversary faced allegations of sexual harassment. He was backed by the retiring House member Jennifer Wexton, who flipped the seat to the Democratic side in 2018 and was reelected twice, winning 53 per cent of the votes in 2022 making it a safe seat for the party.

Subramanyam’s family is from Bengaluru. A 37-year-old lawyer, he was President Barack Obama’s technology advisor working on cybersecurity and modernizing government agencies. In 2019, he was elected to the Virginia General Assembly, and the State Senate last year. He is also a volunteer medic and firefighter.

Nikhil Gupta produced in US court, pleads not guilty in ‘murder plot’

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-forhire plot against a Sikh extremist on American soil, on Monday pleaded not guilty in the case at a federal court here.

Gupta, 52, was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic on Friday.

He was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on the charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. Pannun holds dual American and Canadian citizenship.

Gupta was produced before a federal court in New York on Monday, where

he pleaded not guilty, according to his attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe. The Czech constitutional court last month rejected a petition by Gupta against his extradition to the US to face the charges. US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta had been working according to the directions of an unnamed Indian government official.

India has, however, denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted a high-level investigation into the allegations.

“This is a complex matter for both our countries,” Gupta’s attorney Chabrowe said ahead of his client’s arraignment in a federal court in NY. Earlier, the Czech Justice Minister confirmed that Gupta has been extradited to the US.

Siddhesh Sakore, a farmer and the founder of AGRO RANGERS, from Maharashtra, has been named Land Hero by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

On the occasion of World Desertification and Drought Day, the UNCCD announced the names of 10 Land Heroes in a program in Bonn, Germany, on Sunday. Apart from Sakore, other Land Heroes are from Brazil, Costa Rica, Germany, Mali, Moldova, Morocco, the Philippines, the US, and Zimbabwe.

Belonging to a farmer family, Sakore has a graduation degree in mechanical engineering.

“I am passionate about natural farming and have technical expertise in waste management. In Vigyan Ashram, I developed several costeffective mechanical devices to convert organic waste into compost. I have innovated several social innovations about solving real-life problems of society by using eco-friendly and costeffective technology,” his website at WordPress reads.

“He is passionate about solving the problems of soil degradation on agricultural land. He is committed to empowering small and marginal farmers from his community through innovative agroforestry models,” UNCCD said in its citation.

“Growing up in the farmer’s community, I witnessed the misery and poverty which seemed to be the inevitable fate of a farmer in Maharashtra,” Sakore said, adding that the combination of economic crisis and the use of toxic chemicals that lead to unsustainable farming methods, as well as the effects of climate change, form a heavy burden on farmers.

NIA arrests key operative linked with Canada-based Khalistani terrorist

Akey operative linked with a Canadabased Khalistani terrorist was on Thursday arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during its multi-state searches. Jaspreet Singh was held from Ferozepur district in Punjab, the NIA said in a statement. The probe agency seized one .32 bore revolver, 69 cartridges of various bores, 100 gm heroin, 100 gm opium, Rs 2,20,500 in cash and various digital devices from Jaspreet, who was found to be associated with foreign-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, it said.

“Cracking down on proscribed terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), the NIA on Thursday conducted multi-state searches and arrested a key operative linked with designated terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa,” the statement said. Premises connected with 10 suspects were searched on Thursday by the NIA teams across Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab, leading to the arrest of Jaspreet, it added. NIA had registered a case on July 10 last year and investigations had revealed the involvement of Landa in terror conspiracies of the banned Khalistani terrorist organization.

India’s Siddhesh Sakore named Land Hero by UN agency

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Now, NRIs can get documents attested online

The district administration has appealed to NRIs and their families hailing from the district to apply for attestation/countersigning of documents through online mode. Under the e-Sanad Project, a centralized platform for contactless and paperless document verification, attestation and apostille service is provided to Indian citizens and foreigners who have obtained documents from document issuing authorities (DIAs) in India. These include all types of documents — personal, educational and commercial.

To avail the service, the applicant will have to register on the e-Sanad portal, https:/ /esanad.nic.in.

At present, the service has been started only in Ludhiana and Mohali districts under the first phase of the project.

Indian Embassy in Italy shares condolences as Indian national dies in farm accident

The Indian Embassy in Italy has expressed its condolences following the tragic death of an Indian national in the city of Latina, Italy. The worker, identified as Satnam Singh, died on Wednesday after being left by the road following an accident that severed his arm.

The Indian embassy confirmed that it is coordinating with local authorities and making efforts to reach out to the family to provide consular assistance. Satnam Singh sustained severe injuries on Monday while working on a farm in Latina, a rural area south of Rome where many Indian migrant workers are employed.

According to Labor Minister Marina Calderone, who addressed parliament, “The Indian agricultural worker involved in a serious accident in the countryside of Latina and left in critical condition... has passed away.” She condemned the incident as an act of barbarity and assured that a probe is launched with hopes of justice.

Reports from the Flai CGIL trade union indicate that Singh, who was working without legal documentation, lost his arm while operating a hay-cutting machine.

“The employers, instead of assisting him, callously abandoned him near his residence,” the trade union reported. Following a distress call from Singh’s wife and friends, local police responded promptly and dispatched an air ambulance.

Akash Oza from Chicago successfully attains bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from DePaul University

Akash Oza from Chicago got his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the prestigious DePaul University. Akash is one of the 4000 people including students who received degrees from varied lines like Business of Administration, Faculty of Arts, Computer Science etc. in a graduation ceremony held at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.

Akash is the grandson of Chicago’s very popular News Media Journalist Jayanti Oza, who has been working with some of the biggest names in the media landscape of Chicago.

King Charles honors India-born brain trauma expert David Krishna Menon

An India-born brain trauma expert and Professor of Anesthesia at the University of Cambridge has been conferred with one of the high honors by Britain’s King Charles III for “services to neurocritical care”. Prof. David Krishna Menon, Head of Division of Anesthesia at the University of Cambridge, was conferred with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the 75-year-old monarch in his annual Birthday Honors list over the weekend.

Prof. Menon, who trained in Medicine, Anesthesia and Intensive Care at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) in Pondicherry, founded the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit (NCCU) at Addenbrooke’s National Health Service (NHS) teaching hospital in Cambridge and is renowned for his global clinical and research leadership in traumatic brain injury.

“I am deeply honored to be nominated for a CBE and accept it on behalf of all those who have worked with me during what has been - and continues to be - a very rewarding career,” said Professor Menon.

David Krishna Menon, the son of P.G.K. Menon - a senior official at

All India Radio (AIR) in Delhi, was raised in the city before going on for training in the field of medicine with his research interests focused on neurocritical care, secondary brain injury, neuroinflammation, and metabolic imaging of acute brain injury.

According to the Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust, as the first director of NCCU, he pioneered the first recognized training program for specialist neurocritical care

in the UK. Protocols developed improved clinical outcomes in severe head injury and the management of acute intracranial hemorrhage.

Prof. Menon has been an intensive care consultant on the NCCU since 1993, and remains active as a full member of the neurocritical care clinical team. He is also a director of research, principal investigator in the Wolfson Brain Imaging Center, and principal investigator in the van Geest Center for Brain Repair, at the University of Cambridge.

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With days left for 3 new criminal laws to come into force, CM Mamata urges PM to postpone implementation

With just nine days left for the three new criminal laws to come into force in India, the West Bengal Chief Minister has urged the Prime Minister to postpone their implementation for now.

Sources in the state secretariat Nabanna said the process of updating the curriculum at police training schools was yet to be completed regarding the provisions of the three new criminal laws namely the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

In fact, the lack of preparedness on this count has been reflected in a letter from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the latter to postpone the implementation of the new laws for the time being.

A copy of the letter dated June 20 had

Delhi HC reserves order on ED’s plea against CM Kejriwal’s bail in excise policy case

The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its order on the Enforcement Directorate’s plea seeking a stay on the release of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on bail. A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to the Chief Minister in connection with a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped excise policy, but the high court has stayed the order till it pronounces its final order on ED’s plea, which also means that the CM will remain in judicial custody.

The high court said that it would pass its order in two to three days. The ED on Thursday had sought a 48-hour deferral in signing the bail bond following the pronouncement of the order. However, the trial court firmly denied the ED’s plea for a stay.

On Friday, the ED moved High Court challenging the lower court’s bail order. The plea was urgently mentioned before a vacation bench comprising Justices Sudhir Kumar Jain and Ravinder Dudeja by Additional Solicitor General, S.V. Raju, on behalf of the ED.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the High Court directed that the bail order should not be enforced until the matter is heard in full. “The bail order will not be given effect. We have not passed the final order. You may argue as much as you can,” the Bench stated, effectively halting CM Kejriwal’s release.

surfaced on Friday. The letter to the Prime Minister states that the preparatory work for smooth transition to the new system is far from over. “…practically, the request for postponement stems from a pragmatic assessment of the challenges and preparatory work required for smooth transition, particularly concerning the training program

‘Vishwa

of law enforcement personnel and Judicial Officers,” the letter from the Chief Minister read.

In the letter, CM Mamata Banerjee has also argued that any far-reaching legal change would require meticulous groundwork beforehand to ensure effective enforcement and administration.

“And we do not have any reason to avert the homework,” the Chief Minister’s letter read.

State secretariat insiders said that a lack of coordination between the Center and state governments on this homework is also a hurdle in implementing the preparatory and training programs, an issue which the Chief Minister herself has expressed concern about.

On June 16, the Union Ministry of Law and Justice had organized a seminar on the subject in Kolkata and the grievance of the state government in the matter is that the Union ministry has not involved the West Bengal government in the matter at all.

Bandhu’ India begins new chapter of friendship with SE Asian nations at Nalanda University

The attendance of Heads of Missions of 17 countries at the inauguration of the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar’s Rajgir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday once again brought to the fore India’s continuous push to keep the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or the ASEAN, at the heart of its ‘Act East’ policy.

The foreign diplomats, many of them from countries with which India shares millenniaold cultural and civilization linkages, were left awestruck as the university - conceived as a collaboration between India and East Asia Summit (EAS) nations - seeks to revive the glory of Nalanda as a hub of knowledge, learning and excellence.

In his address at the event, PM Modi mentioned that Nalanda carries the heritage of the world, Asia and many countries and its revival is not restricted to the revival of Indian aspects which was evident from the presence of so many countries at Wednesday’s ceremony.

The visiting diplomats posted their

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said that the southwest monsoon has picked up momentum as it has advanced into some more parts of Maharashtra, remaining parts of Vidarbha, and some parts of Madhya Pradesh.

The IMD said that monsoon has also moved into more areas of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, some parts of Gangetic West Bengal, remaining parts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal and some parts of Jharkhand. This represents good news for the economy as the Kharif sowing which had slowed with the stalling of the monsoon

photographs from the inauguration ceremony, their interaction with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, the new campus, and also the ruins of the ancient university.

Nick McCaffrey, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to India, was also delighted to attend the landmark event.

As many as 10 Indians recruited by the Russian Army for its conflict with Ukraine have been released and repatriated back to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) revealed on Friday.

The government on June 11 had said that two Indian nationals who had been recruited by the Russian Army had been killed in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. New Delhi had then strongly taken up the matter with the Russian Ambassador here and with Russian authorities in Moscow for early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army. Earlier, India had also demanded that there be a verified stop to any further recruitment of its nationals by the Russian Army.

“Such activities would not be in consonance with our partnership. We also urge Indian nationals to exercise caution while seeking employment opportunities in Russia,” the MEA stated on June 11.

will now pick up speed.

The monsoon plays a key role in the Indian economy as over 50 per cent of the country’s farmland depends on rain. The monsoon rain is also crucial for recharging the country’s reservoirs and aquifers from which the water can be used later in the year to irrigate crops.

India has emerged as a key exporter of foodgrains but had to resort to curbing overseas shipments of sugar, rice, wheat and onions in order to increase domestic supplies and keep prices in check due to the erratic monsoon last year which hit farm production. A robust growth in the farm sector helps to keep inflation in check.

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10 Indians recruited by Russian Army released and repatriated to India, reveals MEA

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Quota row: Maharashtra government delegation meets striking OBC leaders in Jalna

Aministerial delegation called on the striking OBC leaders Prof Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare and discussed the community’s quota concerns, at the Wadigodri village on Friday.

The ministers included Girish Mahajan, Atul Save and Uday Samant, besides MLC Gopichand Padalkar, and they called up Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis from the hunger strike venue.

Both Shinde and Fadnavis reassured Prof Hake and Waghmare that “no injustice will be meted out to the OBCs’ cause” while deciding on the quota for the Marathas, Mahajan told media persons later. The CMDy CM also requested Prof Hake and Waghmare to send a delegation to Mumbai to resolve their issues to which the OBC leaders agreed.

The OBC leaders have insisted that the state government must give a written assurance that the existing 29 per cent OBC quota will not be touched while accommodating any other community’s quotas, plus other related demands.

On Thursday, Congress’ Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar met Prof Hake and Waghmare in Wadigodri and expressed full support for their cause.

In February this year, a special session of the state legislature unanimously passed the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Economically Backward Bill, 2024, paving the way for 10 per cent quotas to the Maratha community.

However, Maratha leader and Shivba Sanghatana chief Manoj Jarange-Patil have been demanding that the state should declare Marathas as ‘Kunbis’ and grant them a separate quota from the OBCs, plus give reservation to ‘sage-soyare’ (bloodline) that would widen the scope of reservation.

NEET-UG row: Rahul Gandhi slams government, says Opposition to raise issue in Parliament

With the NEET-UG paper leak case snowballing into a major controversy, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP-led Central government on Thursday, saying that the Opposition will raise this issue in the upcoming session of the Parliament.

Addressing a press conference here, the Congress MP mentioned that during his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ from Manipur to Maharashtra, hundreds of youth brought up the issue of paper leaks. He also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that while it was claimed that the PM stopped the Russia-Ukraine war, he seems unable or unwilling to prevent paper leaks in India.

“The reason for paper leaks is that the BJP’s parent organization has taken control of the education system. Unless this is reversed, paper leaks will continue,” he said, attributing the “capture of the education system” to Prime Minister Modi.

He also labeled this as an “anti-national activity”.

Rahul Gandhi further pointed out that institutions in the country are “no longer impartial and have become associated with a single ideology”, as he criticized the Center for exonerating the National Testing Agency

(NTA), responsible for conducting NEETUG.

On the cancellation of the UGC NET on Wednesday, a day after the test was held, Rahul Gandhi emphasized the need for a thorough reassessment and redesign of the pre-existing system. He also advocated for a comprehensive probe into

the NEET-UG paper leak and urged for accountability against those responsible.

About 24 lakh aspirants appeared for NEET on May 5 for admission to medical colleges. The results were announced before time on June 5 but were marred by allegations of paper leak and awarding of grace marks to over 1,500 candidates.

Bengal train collision: Preliminary findings suggest combination of human, procedural lapses

Preliminary investigation by a joint observation committee in the Kanchanjunga Express–goods train collision on Monday morning suggests that a combination of two procedural lapses was the reason behind the accident, sources said on Thursday.

Sources said that the first procedural lapse was that the “absolute block system” was not followed in the case of the goods train that had hit Kanchanjunga Express from behind.

The absolute block system (ABS) is followed by railways in case the automatic signaling system is inactive within a particular area between two stations. In that case, a train will not be allowed to leave one station unless the preceding train in the same line (the ‘block’) leaves or crosses the next station ahead. However, as per a preliminary report, the goods train was given permission to leave the Rangapani station before the Kanchanjunga Express, which was moving in the same line, crossed the next station which was Chatter Hat.

Had the ABS been strictly followed in this case the accident, which has taken 11 lives so far, could have been avoided.

While this was the first procedural lapse, as per the preliminary findings, the next human error was on the part of the loco-

pilot (now deceased) of the goods train, where he overshot the prescribed speed limit while crossing a distance where the automatic signaling system is non-functional. As per norms, for the trains passing through such a distance, the speed should never exceed 15 km per hour, to maintain a reasonable distance between the two trains passing on the same line.

Preliminary findings suggest that the

collision occurred due to the violation of the speed limit between the Rangapani and Chatter Hat stations.

At the same time, sources said, from the impact of the collision on the last four coaches of Kanchanjunga Express, the last two being the parcel coach and guard’s compartment, it was clear that the speed was well above the prescribed limit of 15 km an hour.

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Canada unveils national school food policy

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled the federal government’s policy to deliver the National School Food Program across the country.

With an investment of 1 billion Canadian dollars ($730 million) over five years, the program will provide meals to up to 400,000 more kids every year, beyond those served by existing school food programs, according to a news statement from the Prime Minister’s website.

On average, the program is expected to save participating families with two kids up to 800 Canadian dollars ($584) a year in grocery bills, the statement said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

The program includes investments that will support school food programming for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities as well as Self-Governing and Modern Treaty partners, many of whom have some of the highest rates of food insecurity in Canada, the statement added.

According to Statistics Canada estimates, in 2022, 22.3 per cent of families and more than 2.1 million children under the age of 18 in Canada reported experiencing some level of food insecurity over the past 12 months.

Russia says Ukraine peace summit achieved ‘zero’ results

The Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland over the weekend achieved nothing, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official spokesman said in Moscow on Monday. A total of 93 states and international organizations participated in the talks near Lucerne. A large majority backed the final declaration that stressed Ukraine’s sovereignty within internationally recognized borders.

“If one talks about the results of this meeting, then they tend naturally to zero,” Spokesman Dmitri Peskov said. Moscow was not bothered by the fact that several normally friendly states had voted for the final declaration, he added.

“We will of course take into account the attitude that these countries have taken. It’s important to us. We will continue to explain our arguments to them,” Peskov said. The final declaration noted that the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya, which is occupied by Russia, should be under Ukrainian control. Russia was not invited to the summit, and China declined to attend.

Major countries that did attend did not sign the final declaration, including Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa.

Dozens die in extreme Haj heat, toll feared to be in hundreds

Dozens of Muslims have died during the annual Haj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia this year due to heat-related medical issues amid scorching temperatures, according to figures released by several countries.

Tunisia’s state news agency TAP reported on Wednesday that at least 35 Tunisian pilgrims had died, while Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim agency said 11 Iranian citizens were also among the dead. Senegal confirmed three of its citizens had died.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that 41 Jordanian pilgrims had lost their lives, meaning the total death toll stands at least at 90. There are fears the number is far higher. Unconfirmed reports circulating on Wednesday said that hundreds of Egyptians had died. But neither Egyptian officials nor Egypt’s state media have commented. Saudi Arabia has also not given any figures.

Muslims from around the world started the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on

Friday. Saudi Arabia expected around two million people. The temperature in Mecca and other holy sites in the surrounding area hovered around 50 degrees Celsius through Tuesday’s final

Netanyahu dissolves Israeli war cabinet after resignations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet on Monday, a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister confirmed. The key political decision-making body for how the war in Gaza was being conducted was dissolved just more than a week after the withdrawal of influential Opposition leader Benny Gantz. Israeli media had earlier leaked the news about the disbanding of the cabinet, which was formed after the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7. A spokeswoman for Netanyahu confirmed the news on Monday.

Government sources said that Netanyahu would discuss critical decisions regarding the conflict in smaller forums in future. The cabinet had been formed in an attempt to demonstrate political unity after the Hamas attack.

Romania clears way for Dutch PM Rutte to become NATO chief

Romania is endorsing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to become NATO Secretary General, clearing the final hurdle on Rutte’s path to the top job, according to a press release published by the office of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday. Iohannis had put himself forward for the role, but “informed his NATO allies at the end of last week that he had withdrawn his candidacy for the post,” the press release said.

On Thursday, Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense “declared themselves in favor of Romania’s support for the Dutch

prime minister’s candidacy,” according to the statement. The announcement means no obstacles remain to Rutte becoming the next NATO chief. Romania was the only NATO country that had not yet endorsed Rutte, who needs the unanimous support of

all 32 member states. Hungary and Slovakia endorsed Rutte after a European Union leaders’ summit earlier this week.

The term of current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is due to end on October 1. In Washington on Tuesday, Stoltenberg said, “I think it’s obvious that we are very close to a conclusion in the alliance, for allies to select the next secretary general. And I think that’s good news.”

Romania’s opposition to Rutte’s candidacy followed from its support for Iohannis, the country’s head of state. But Romania’s northwestern neighbor, Hungary, resisted Rutte in particular until this week.

pilgrimage day. Authorities called on participants to carry parasols, avoid being outside during the particularly hot midday hours and drink plenty of water.

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Putin lauds ties with Hanoi on state visit to Vietnam

By Susitha Fernando

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of expanding his country’s strategic partnership with Vietnam, state media reported, at talks with Vietnamese President To Lam on the first day of his state visit to the Southeast Asian country.

The Russian leader also invited Lam to participate in commemorations in Moscow next year, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, the Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Putin arrived in Hanoi late on Wednesday after a visit to North Korea. Having been isolated on the international stage, Putin is seeking to shore up support from Russia’s remaining allies. Commentators suggest his brief tour of Vietnam and North Korea is of practical as well as symbolic importance.

“Putin’s trip to Vietnam will reinvigorate their comprehensive strategic partnership

Foreign experts to help investigate Malawi’s plane crash

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera has said that his government has engaged foreign support to help investigate the plane crash that claimed the life of the country’s Vice President Saulos Chilima and other officials. The local military experts were already in the middle of a preliminary probe, Chakwera said at a state funeral ceremony, stressing the need for a thorough investigation to address some questions troubling Malawians and the President himself.

“We have already engaged some countries to help conduct a thorough investigation to establish what went wrong for that plane to crash,” Chakwera said in front of thousands packed in the country’s 40,000-seat Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, reported Xinhua news agency. The government has called for peaceful mourning amid some signs of tension following conspiracy theories making rounds.

Hundreds of security officers have since been deployed to tighten security in the capital and Ntcheu district where Chilima will be buried on Monday, about 165 km south of Lilongwe.

The plane, a Dornier 228-202K, crashed near Mzuzu City in northern Malawi due to bad weather conditions shortly after it failed to land at an airport in the city and was returning to Lilongwe.

and shore up economic relations through trade and investment commitments by adopting a rouble-dong currency exchange mechanism for goods and services payments,” said Vietnam expert Carl Thayer, emeritus professor of politics at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Another item on the agenda could be Russia’s war with Ukraine. The Ukrainian

its

During his stay in Hanoi, Putin is staying at The Sofitel Metropole, a French-owned hotel. Prior to his arrival, a Russian-chartered jumbo jet shipped in limousines for Putin’s use throughout his visit.

Iran, Pakistan vow to enhance bilateral trade

Iranian Interim President Mohammad Mokhber and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reiterated the two countries’ commitment to further improving ties, according to a statement published on the website of the Iranian president’s office. The two leaders made the remarks on Sunday during a phone call, during which they also discussed bilateral relations as well as regional issues, including the situation in Gaza. Aiming to increase their annual bilateral trade to $10 billion in the near future, Iran and Pakistan should make efforts to swiftly remove the obstacles in the field of economic and trade cooperation, said Mokhber.

The Iranian Interim President added Iran always viewed Pakistan as its “strategic companion and partner”, underscoring his country’s commitment to improving their ties in all areas. The Pakistani Prime Minister, for

‘Illegal,

This part, also voiced his country’s willingness to further cement and strengthen its relations with Iran, particularly in the area of trade and economy, reaffirming his government’s commitment to reaching the trade target, according to the Iranian statement.

Sharif also wished Iran success in its upcoming presidential election, scheduled for June 28, according to the statement.

aggressive, reckless’: China slammed for provocative moves against Philippines in South China Sea

he Australian government on Tuesday expressed its concern over the “dangerous and illegal actions” by China against Philippine vessels within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone on Monday.

“China’s vessels engaged in dangerous maneuvers and illegal conduct, including the ramming of Philippine vessels, resulting in injury to crew and damage to vessels. The Australian government is deeply concerned by reports of the forcible boarding and towing of Philippine vessels and the seizure of equipment,” the Australian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Canberra said that all states have a responsibility to adhere to international

law, which is essential to peace and stability, including in the South China Sea.

“This is an escalation in a pattern of deeply concerning and destabilizing behavior by China. This conduct endangers peace and security in the region, threatens lives and livelihoods, and creates risks of miscalculation and escalation,” it said. Several countries, including the United States and Japan, have also condemned the Chinese action, calling it “escalatory and irresponsible”.

Politicians raise alarm over EU law to curb child sexual abuse online

Thirty-six lawmakers from across the European Union have called on member states to vote against plans by the bloc’s executive to require tech companies to monitor their platforms for child sexual abuse content, citing data security concerns.

In an open letter, the politicians said they were convinced the proposed measures are incompatible with EU basic rights. The European Commission in 2022 presented the proposed Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse, designed to curb the spread of material showing the sexual abuse of children.

The law would make it compulsory for social media platforms to scan private encrypted chats on social media platforms for certain identifiers that might flag child grooming or the sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and to report any suspicious activity. Under current law, this monitoring of online activity is voluntary. Critics have slammed the proposed measure as “chat control.” They see it as an attempt to scan all online communication, including encrypted messages, raising fears of mass surveillance.

China, Australia ink MoU to restart strategic economic dialogue

The Chinese and Australian governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to restart strategic economic dialogue with a focus on forward-looking economic issues. Both countries on Monday agreed to enhance communication and exchange with the aim of fostering practical and effective economic cooperation, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planner.

The signature of the MoU was witnessed by leaders of the two countries. Liu Sushe, deputy head of the NDRC, and Treasurer of Australia Jim Chalmers represented their respective governments at the signing ceremony.

In the Australian capital Canberra on Monday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that China is willing to enhance coordination and cooperation with Australia at regional and international levels, calling for opposing camp confrontation and a “new Cold War”. Li made the remarks during the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

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ambassador in Hanoi, Oleksandr Haman, told dpa news agency that he does not expect Vietnam to abandon

neutral stance in the conflict.

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LG joins ChargePoint to expand EV charging infrastructure in US

LG Electronics said on Wednesday it has partnered with ChargePoint, the leading supplier of charging solutions for electric vehicles in North America, to expand its EV charging business on a global basis.

Under the memorandum of understanding, LG Electronics will supply its advanced EV charging equipment to ChargePoint, while the US company will provide software for the operation of the charging stations, according to the Korean company.

ChargePoint manages more than 306,000 active ports across North America and Europe. LG Electronics said the partnership is expected to help the company explore further business opportunities on a global scale through ChargePoint’s expansive network and industry-leading charger management solution.

The two companies will also cooperate in advancing charger management solutions and combining ChargePoint’s Home Flex residential charger with LG Electronics’ ThinQ smart home system, enhancing the synergy between the two companies’ technologies.

India becomes third-largest domestic airline market

Driven by robust growth in the aviation sector in the last decade, India is now the third-largest domestic airline market in the world, up from 5th position 10 years ago. Ten years ago, India was the smallest market with around 8 million seats, followed by Indonesia at 4th and Brazil at 3rd place, and the US and China occupying the top two positions. Today, the US and China remain the largest domestic aviation markets.

“However, India is surpassing the Brazilian and Indonesian domestic markets to become the third-largest domestic market with airline capacity of 15.6 million seats in April 2024,” according to OAG data.

India’s capacity growth rate of seats over a 10-year average is the highest, growing at 6.9 per cent annually. According to the OAG report, another interesting metric to consider across these large domestic markets is low-cost carrier (LCC) capacity share.

In April 2024, LCCs accounted for 78.4 per cent of domestic airline capacity in India, the highest LCC share of any of these five domestic markets. The country has seen robust growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paving the way for shaping the future of the aviation industry for the next 25 years.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman holds pre-Budget meeting with India Inc.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday chaired the third pre-budget consultation with industry leaders and associations in connection with the forthcoming General Budget 2024-25 in New Delhi on Thursday.

The pre-budget consultation meeting was also attended by Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, Finance Secretary, and Secretary, Department of Expenditure; Secretaries of Departments of Economic Affairs, DPIIT, Ministry of Heavy Industry and Ministry of MSME as well as the government’s Chief Economic Adviser.

Apex business chamber, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has in its wish list for the Union Budget 2024-2025 urged the government to maintain corporate tax rates at current levels to provide tax certainty for businesses.

CII is also seeking rationalization of Angel Tax by removing Section 56(2)(viib) in order to further nurture innovation & startups. According to the industry chamber, the scrapping of this section would “greatly aid in capital formation” for the startup sector. CII has also sought the rationalization and simplification of the Capital gains tax rate structure.

Besides, the apex business chamber is seeking the rationalization of stamp duty on land and phasing out the cross-subsidy on power rates to “reduce the cost of doing business”. CII has also suggested that captive power plants (CPPS) should be brought at par with the power sector for coal pricing, allocation, and transportation. It is also seeking a phasing out cross-subsidization of railway passenger fares by freight to cut logistics costs for businesses.

US regulators accuse TikTok of violating child privacy laws

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has referred a complaint against the popular video-sharing app TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance to the Department of Justice, alleging that they failed to protect the privacy of children. The FTC said in a statement that it “uncovered reason to believe” TikTok and ByteDance are “violating or are about to violate” the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The regulator did not provide any further details of the alleged violations in its statement.

The FTC said that it does not typically make referrals of complaints public, but “determined that doing so here is in public interest.”

The FTC is responsible for consumer protection in the US and also plays an important role in its competition policy. TikTok rejected the allegations in a statement on X, noting it had been in talks with the FTC for more than a year.

“We’re disappointed the agency is

pursuing litigation instead of continuing to work with us on a reasonable solution,” it said. TikTok also said that many of the FTC’s allegations related to past events and practices and were factually inaccurate or have been addressed.

In 2019, TikTok agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle FTC allegations against its predecessor company, Musical.ly, concerning the collection of data from children under the age of 13 without parental consent, in violation of US law.

According to the FTC, the current investigation into TikTok and its Chinesebased parent company ByteDance began with an audit to determine whether the platform was complying with the terms of the previous agreement. TikTok is currently involved in a separate legal battle in the US over a proposed law that would force a change of ownership.

US politicians are concerned that the Chinese government could potentially access data from American users through ByteDance and use the app for propaganda. TikTok denies the allegations and has taken legal action in the US.

Amazon fined about $6 million for violating labor laws in US

E-commerce giant Amazon has been fined nearly $6 million for violating labor laws in the state of California in the US. The California Department of Industrial Relations said in a statement that the e-commerce major didn’t provide employees written notice of quotas they have to follow — a requirement of the Warehouse Quotas law.

“The employer argued they did not need a quota system because they use a peer-to-peer evaluation system,” according to the statement. The law requires warehouse employers to provide employees the number of tasks they need to perform per hour and any discipline that could come from not meeting the quota.

“The peer-to-peer system that Amazon was using in these two warehouses is exactly the kind of system that the Warehouse Quotas law was put in place to prevent,” said Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower.

“Undisclosed quotas expose workers to increased pressure to work faster and can lead to higher injury rates and other violations by forcing workers to skip breaks,” Garcia-Brower added. The Labor Commissioner’s Office began its initial inspection on September 22, 2022. The investigation found there were 59,017 violations for the Moreno Valley and Redlands warehouses from October 20, 2023 to March 9, 2024.

Apple to shut down ‘Pay Later’ service, launching ‘installment loans’

Apple has announced to shut down its buy now, pay later (BNPL) service called ‘Apple Pay Later’ in the US. The service, which let users take out “pay later” loans that can be paid in four payments over six weeks, was launched in the US in October last year. Now, Apple is launching a new service called “installment loans”.

“Starting later this year, users across the globe will be able to access installment loans offered through credit and debit cards, as well as lenders, when checking out with Apple Pay,” the tech giant told 9to5Mac website. With the introduction of this new global installment loan offering, “we will no longer offer Apple Pay Later in the US,” said the company. Apple Pay Later was announced alongside the iOS 16 release.

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Biden bans US sales of Kaspersky software over Russia ties

The Biden administration on Thursday announced plans to bar the sale of antivirus software made by Russia’s Kaspersky Lab in the United States, with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo saying that Russia’s influence over the company poses a significant security risk. The software’s privileged access to a computer’s systems could allow it to steal sensitive information from American computers or install malware and withhold critical updates, enhancing the threat, a source said, noting that Kaspersky’s customers include critical infrastructure providers and state and local governments.

“Russia has shown it has the capacity and ... the intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans and that is why we are compelled to take the action that we are taking today,” Raimondo said on a briefing call with reporters.

Kaspersky said it believed the U.S. decision was based on “the present geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns, rather than on a comprehensive evaluation of the integrity of Kaspersky’s products and services.”

In an emailed statement, Kaspersky added that its activities did not threaten U.S. national security and that it will pursue legal options to preserve its operations. The Russian Embassy did not respond to requests for comment. Previously, Kaspersky has said that it is a privately managed company with no ties to the Russian government. The sweeping new rule, using broad powers created by the administration of former President Donald Trump, will be coupled with another move to add three units of the company to a trade restriction list, Raimondo said, dealing a blow to Kaspersky’s reputation that could hammer its overseas sales.

The moves show the Biden administration is trying to stamp out any risks of Russian cyberattacks stemming from Kaspersky software and keep squeezing Moscow as its war effort in Ukraine has regained momentum and the United States has run low on fresh sanctions it can impose on Russia. It also shows the administration is harnessing a powerful new authority that allows it to ban or restrict transactions between U.S. firms and internet, telecom and tech companies from “foreign adversary” nations like Russia and China.

US sues Adobe for hiding fees, preventing consumers from canceling subscriptions

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The US government on Monday sued software giant Adobe for allegedly hiding expensive fees and making it difficult to cancel a subscription. In the complaint, the Department of Justice (DoJ) claimed that for years, Adobe “has harmed consumers by enrolling them in its default, most lucrative subscription plan without clearly disclosing important plan terms.”

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said in a statement that it is taking action against software maker Adobe and two of its executives, Maninder Sawhney and David Wadhwani, “for deceiving consumers by hiding the early termination fee for its most popular subscription plan and making it difficult for consumers to cancel their subscriptions”.

A federal court complaint filed by the Department of Justice claimed that Adobe pushed consumers toward the “annual paid monthly” subscription without adequately disclosing that canceling the plan in the first year could cost hundreds

of dollars.

Wadhwani is the president of Adobe’s digital media business, and Sawhney is an Adobe vice president.

“Adobe trapped customers into yearlong subscriptions through hidden early termination fees and numerous cancellation hurdles,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

“Americans are tired of companies hiding the ball during subscription signup

and then putting up roadblocks when they try to cancel. The FTC will continue working to protect Americans from these illegal business practices,” Levine added.

According to the complaint, when consumers purchase a subscription through the company’s website, Adobe pushes consumers to its “annual paid monthly” subscription plan, pre-selecting it as a default.

Adobe prominently shows the plan’s “monthly” cost during enrollment, but it buries the early termination fee (ETF) and its amount, which is 50 percent of the remaining monthly payments when a consumer cancels in their first year.

Adobe’s ETF disclosures are buried on the company’s website in small print or require consumers to hover over small icons to find the disclosures. Despite being aware of consumers’ problems with the ETF, the company continues its practice of steering consumers to the annual paid monthly plan while obscuring the ETF, according to the complaint. Adobe didn’t immediately comment on the DoJ lawsuit.

Probe into imported Toyota, Yamaha models over fraudulent Japanese testing

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The South Korean government said on Thursday it has carried out a probe into some imported vehicles made by Japanese automakers Toyota Motor Corp. and Yamaha Motor Co. in connection with their improper certification tests in their home country.

Seoul’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it has looked into whether 38 models from Japanese automakers currently under investigation for fraudulent certification tests in Tokyo were being sold in South Korea.

The ministry said none of the models

in question have been imported into South Korea.

It, however, discovered that some models of Toyota’s Lexus RX line and Yamaha’s Tmax and YZF-R3 motorcycle models sold in the country were equipped with the same engines and horns as ones in problematic models. Accordingly, the ministry said it has been reviewing the three models for manufacturing defects since last week.

As of this month, there are 6,749 registered Lexus RX units, 1,910 Yamaha Tmax units and 1,318 YZF-R3 units in the country. The ministry said it plans to monitor measures taken by Japanese authorities and take proper action if the vehicles fail to meet safety standards.

California rejects AT&T bid to stop offering landline service in some areas

California rejected AT&T’s bid to stop offering landline telephone service and other services as the “carrier of last resort,” a state agency said on Thursday. Marin County said AT&T’s request made in March 2023 would have ended services to over 580,000 eligible households throughout the state.

The California Public Utilities Commission said in rejecting AT&T’s request that the decision did not prevent AT&T from retiring copper facilities or from investing in fiber or other facilities or technologies to improve its network.

AT&T California President Marc Blakeman said “we are fully committed to keeping our customers connected while we work with state leaders on policies that create a thoughtful transition that brings modern communications to all Californians.”

The company said it was committed to ensuring customers can keep their existing

traditional landline voice service until they have access to an alternative. “No customer will be left without voice and 911 services,” Blakeman said.

The CPUC said AT&T is pivotal in providing reliable telephone service to communities across the state and said it did not meet the requirements for withdrawal.

“We will protect customer access to basic telephone service – no matter where they live, income, or access to other forms of communication. Our rules were designed to provide that assurance, and AT&T’s application did not follow our rules,” said Commissioner John Reynolds.

The CPUC opened a new rulemaking proceeding on Thursday to adapt its regulations to evolving market conditions and technological advancements.

AT&T said it is required to go through a stringent review process by the Federal Communications Commission that ensures Californians retain access to reliable voice services.

It also cited proposed legislation that would ensure rural customers are not impacted. “We are fully committed to keeping our customers connected while we work with state leaders on policies that create a thoughtful transition that brings modern communications to all Californians,” AT&T said.

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Former India pacer David Johnson falls from apartment building, dies in Bengaluru

Former Team India cricketer David Johnson has died after falling from the fourth floor of his apartment in the Kothanur police station limits in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Police suspect that 52-year-old Johnson committed suicide by jumping off the apartment building. However, an official statement is yet to come in this regard. According to police, Johnson fell from the fourth floor of the SLV Paradise Apartment. Although he was immediately rushed to the hospital, the cricketer succumbed to his injuries.

The preliminary investigation indicated that the deceased, Johnson, was suffering from depression. Kothanur police are investigating the case. The police stated that Johnson had been facing health issues for a year and had spent the last week in the hospital.

Johnson was a former fast bowler known for his brief stint with the Indian cricket team. He played two Tests for India in 1996, taking three wickets. In domestic cricket, he picked up 125 wickets for Karnataka in 39 first-class appearances. The highlight of Johnson’s career was clocking a speed of 157.8 km/h during a Test match against Australia. He was born on October 16, 1971, in Arsikere town of Hassan district in Karnataka.

Euro 2024: Jovic’s last-gasp goal helps Serbia hold Slovenia to draw, recover from defeat to England

Luka Jovic scored a stoppage-time equalizer as Serbia salvaged a draw against Slovenia in an entertaining Group C clash in the UEFA Euro 2024 in Munich on Thursday. Jovic scored a last-gasp equalizer in the fifth minute of the second half and added time for a 1-1 draw that salvaged a point for Serbia. Serbia had lost their opening match to England on June 17 and with this draw opened their account in Euro 2024. Unchanged from the 1-1 draw with Denmark, Slovenia registered the game’s first chance when Adam Gnezda Cerin shot straight at Predrag Rajkovic from just outside the area. The Serbian goalkeeper was called into action again soon after, blocking Jan Mlakar’s low effort after the Slovenia wide man had broken clear inside the box.

Dragan Stojkovic’s side improved as the

first half progressed, Dusan Vlahovic flicking a header straight at keeper Jan Oblak before Aleksandar Mitrovic failed to make proper contact with a teasing ball towards the far post. However, Serbia were fortunate not to fall behind late in the half when Timi Elsnik sent a fierce strike against the post, with Benjamin Sesko directing the rebound high over the bar. Oblak produced a fine save at the feet of Mitrovic moments later as the teams went into half-time on level terms.

Mitrovic was denied by another superb Oblak stop within minutes of the restart as Serbia began the second period on the front foot. Slovenia remained a threat on the counterattack, though, and Rajkovic pulled a leaf out of Oblak’s book with a diving save to tip a curling Sesko drive over the woodwork.

The deadlock was finally broken after the hour mark. Karnicnik regained possession deep inside his own half before laying the ball off to Elsnik, whose low cross was slotted home at the far post by the Slovenia right-back. The 29-year-old was also in the right place at the right time moments later to deflect Mitrovic’s shot onto the bar. Yet there was little that he or his team-mates could do about Jovic’s thumping header past Oblak from a last-gasp Ivan Ilic corner, which denied Matjaz Kek’s men a valuable three points.

Five La Liga players to watch during Copa America 2024 in the US

Just a few days after Euro 2024 got underway in Germany, the United States is set to host the 2024 Copa America.

The upcoming tourna ment, scheduled to kick off next week with the game between Argentina and Canada at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, will feature several La Liga EA Sports stars, who will have the opportunity to compete for the trophy on American soil.

A look at the five La Liga players who fans should keep an eye on during the 2024 Copa America:

Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid & Brazil): In pursuit of a first title with his country

After leading Real Madrid to the La Liga and Champions League trophies this season, Vinicius Junior has set sights on winning his first title with the Brazilian national team.

The Selecao are considered favorites in their bid to celebrate a 10th Copa America success and Vinicius is regarded as the leader of an extremely talented team.

Ronald Araujo (FC Barcelona and Uruguay): The defensive pillar of La Celeste

Following an FC Barcelona campaign with several ups and downs, Ronald Araujo has joined up with his Uruguay teammates in preparation for the highly-anticipated Copa America. Injury issues prevented the talented center-back from making an appearance in the 2021 edition, which means that Araujo will now have the chance to take part in the competition for the first time. Having already become established as the leader of Barca’s defense, the 25-year-old defender will look to help Uruguay overtake Argentina in their joint tie for the most Copa America titles.

Ankita

Both nations currently have 15 and Araújo is determined to win his first.

Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico de Madrid & Argentina): Seeking another international title Having become a mainstay in Argentina’s midfield, Rodrigo de Paul will look to lead the Albiceleste to yet another trophy. After winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2021 Copa America, Argentina are the clear team to beat. The Atletico de Madrid midfielder started in all seven Argentina games on their way to their third World Cup and in all but one of their seven duels in the last Copa America.

Endrick (Real Madrid & Brazil): A chance to see Real Madrid’s future star

After landing Brazilian wonderkids Vinicius and Rodrygo, Real Madrid continued to comb the Brazilian market for more potential stars. Los Blancos were quick to spot the talents of

Bhakat secures

quota in archery at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Ankita Bhakat secured a quota for the women’s individual recurve archery event at the Paris 2024 Olympics by reaching the quarterfinals of the Final Olympic Qualifier tournament in Antalya on Sunday. Bhakat’s impressive performance ensured India’s presence in the coveted event, with eight individual quota places available and a maximum of one per National Olympic Committee (NOC).

Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa, known as Endrick, and reached a deal with Palmeiras that will see the Brazilian forward join the reigning Champions League winners this summer.

Savio (Girona FC & Brazil): A winger looking to continue his excellent form Savio Moreira de Oliveira, known as Savio, was one of the players who took La Liga by storm in 2023/24. Having joined Girona FC on loan from French side Troyes, the Brazilian prodigy started in 35 of his team’s 38 games in a historic campaign for the Catalan club, contributing to the team’s third-place finish in the league and their first-ever Champions League qualification. The 20-year-old winger recorded nine league goals, as well as 10 assists, which earned him a call-up to participate in the 2024 Copa America with the Brazilian national team.

T20 World Cup: Suryakumar and Bumrah propel India to a clinical 47-run win over Afghanistan

Top-ranked batter Suryakumar Yadav made an impressive 53 off 28 balls, while in-form Jasprit Bumrah led a relentless bowling show through a stunning haul of 3-7 as India maintained their unbeaten run in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup with a clinical 47-run win over Afghanistan in their first Super Eight match at the Kensington Oval on Thursday.

With the pitch being damp and slow, Suryakumar proved to be the difference by combining attacking shots with immaculate timing to hit five fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 189. He was also mighty effective with his sweep shots as his 19th T20I fifty put pressure on Afghanistan bowlers and took India to a strong 181/8.

His 60-run stand with Hardik Pandya (32) and a late cameo of 12 from Axar Patel helped India raise the tempo as 56 runs came in the last five overs, despite captain Rashid Khan and left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi taking three wickets each.

In reply, Bumrah bowled 20 dot balls in his searing spell, while Arshdeep Singh, despite being occasionally wayward, took 3-36 as India bowled out Afghanistan for 134.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz got Afghanistan’s chase off to a flying start by carting Arshdeep for four and six in the opening over. But the big-hitter was foxed by a cutter from Bumrah in trying to hit over cover and gave an outside edge behind to the keeper.

Ibrahim Zadran slashed to Kohli at point, but he dropped a simple catch off Arshdeep’s bowling. But Axar struck as Zadran didn’t get any elevation and hit straight to extra cover. Bumrah came back with an off-cutter which gripped off the pitch and took a leading edge off Hazratullah Zazai’s bat to backward point.

The triple strikes from India meant Afghanistan’s required run rate ballooned, despite Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib hitting five boundaries between themselves till the halfway mark.

But after a drinks break, Kuldeep broke the 44-run stand by having Naib miscue high in the air to the keeper and was followed by Ravindra Jadeja having Omarzai holing out to long-on. From there, the result was a foregone conclusion as Bumrah and Arshdeep ended up with three-fers, while Kuldeep had a two-wicket haul on his T20 World Cup debut in a comfortable win for India.

Golf: DeChambeau edges McIlroy for second US Open title

America’s Bryson DeChambeau won the US Open golf championships by one stroke, squashing Rory McIlroy’s chance to end a 10-year wait for a major title. He capped off a 1-over-par 71 for a 72-hole total of 6-under 274. DeChambeau, who carried a three-shot advantage into Sunday’s final round, survived a wild back nine that saw him lose the lead to four-time major champion McIlroy before executing a perfect bunker shot from 54 yards on the par-4 18th hole to 4 feet.

It came some 15 minutes after McIlroy lipped out a 4-foot par putt for his third bogey over his final four holes, dropping him one shot behind DeChambeau. The 30-year-old joined a select group of 23 golfers who have won multiple US Open titles, a list that includes Ben Hogan, Bob Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and fellow Mustang Stewart.

Like Nicklaus and Woods, he also owns U.S. Amateur and NCAA individual crowns to go along with his National Open victories, according to tournament stats.

Fellow American Tony Finau’s final-round

67 matched the day’s lowest round and earned him a career-best tie for third with compatriot Patrick Cantlay at 4-under 276.

Cantlay, an eight-time PGA Tour winner still seeking a first major title, fired a 70, while Matthieu Pavon, the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open champion who had never been in a

final-round final pairing in a major, posted a 71 for solo fifth at 277.

Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, finished sixth (278) after a finalround 70. Russell Henley and world no. 2 Xander Schauffele tied for seventh at 1-under 279 after shooting 67 and 68, respectively.

Former champion Barty to play Wimbledon invitation doubles

Former World No.1 Ashleigh Barty will return to Wimbledon this year in the legends’ invitation doubles draw, partnering fellow Australian Casey Dellacqua. Australian player Barty, who won three Grand Slam singles titles before retiring from tennis, will be reliving her success in doubles by playing in this event. “I can announce the band’s back together, ABCD,” Dellacqua told The AO Show Weekly on Thursday.

Barty, the 2021 Wimbledon champion, retired from professional tennis in March 2022 after winning her third major at the Australian Open. Last July, she gave birth to her first son, Hayden.

Between 2013 and 2017, Barty and Dellacqua won five WTA Tour doubles titles together, as well as reaching four Grand Slam finals -- including Wimbledon 2013, where they lost the final to Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai. Dellacqua, 39, retired from the sport in 2018 and currently works as a commentator.

That’s another role Barty will be taking on this year. The 28-year-old will also be joining the BBC’s commentary team during Wimbledon. Main draw action at Wimbledon begins on July 1, with the invitation events starting on July 9.

Lilly King gets engaged after her race at the US Olympic swimming trials FICA rebrands itself as the World Cricketers’ Association

Swimmer Lilly King might be aiming for Olympic glory next month, but she got at least one of her rings early after her longtime boyfriend proposed to her following her race at the US Olympic trials. After coming second in the 200m breaststroke final in Indianapolis on Thursday, the double Olympic gold medalist was greeted by boyfriend James Wells on the pool deck who got down on one knee to pop the question.

The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has said that it will now be known as the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA). The decision by the global players’ union to rebrand itself was made following a board meeting and the 25th anniversary celebration in New York, held during the ongoing 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup.

Friday, 21 June 2024

Justin Timberlake arrested for driving while intoxicated, released from police custody

Actor-singer Justin Timberlake was arrested on one count of driving while intoxicated and released from police custody in New York, according to his attorney. According to police, the singer was observed late on Tuesday “operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition” in New York.

Timberlake was driving a 2025 BMW when he reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign and failed to maintain his lane, according to a police statement reported on cnn.com. An officer initiated a traffic stop, and Timberlake told police he “had one martini and followed my friends home,” according to court records.

Court records indicated that Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy,” and there was a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” on his breath.

An officer described Timberlake as “unable to divide attention,” adding that “he had slowed speech, was unsteady on his feet, and performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests.”

Timberlake refused a chemical test three times, initially saying, “No, I’m not doing a chemical test.”

The report contains details of his field sobriety tests. He was placed under arrest and held overnight for arraignment, according to police.

He was also cited for running the stop sign and failing to stay in his lane, his attorney, Ed Burke, told CNN.

Timberlake was released without bail and has a court date scheduled for July 26.

Sag Harbor is a village located in the Hamptons on eastern Long Island. Timberlake left the American Hotel in the area shortly before his arrest, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

Timberlake is currently on tour with his most recent album, ‘Everything I Thought It Was’. He is next scheduled to perform in Chicago on Friday.

The 43-year-old singer is married to producer and actor Jessica Biel. The two got married in 2012 and are parents to Silas, 9, and Phineas, 3.

Entertainment

From Punjab’s fields to the global spotlight: Diljit Dosanjh makes historic appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’

In a groundbreaking moment for Indian entertainment, Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh made history as the first Punjabi artist to perform on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ this week. The singer and actor, renowned for his significant contributions to Punjabi music and cinema, delighted audiences with his charismatic presence and energetic performances of his hit tracks ‘G.O.A.T’ and ‘Born To Shine.’

Jimmy Fallon introduced Diljit as “the biggest Punjabi artist on the planet,” highlighting the global reach of his music. Dosanjh, who is currently on his Dil-Luminati music tour across North America, appeared on stage dressed in traditional Punjabi attire, complete with a matching turban and pleated fan, embodying his cultural roots. During his performance, Diljit made a memorable impact by slightly altering the lyrics of ‘G.O.A.T.’ to reflect his international reach. Pointing at Fallon, he sang, “Hollywood vich jine stars hai unade vich baitha sardar goriye,” signaling his presence among Hollywood stars. The original lyrics referenced Bollywood and its Khans.

Diljit also took a moment to sing the line ‘Mein hu Punjab’ from his film Amar Singh Chamkila with Imtiaz Ali, further cementing his cultural pride. Following his captivating performance, an impressed Jimmy Fallon joined him on stage, exclaiming, “That is how you do it!” Diljit responded by playfully rolling his mustache in true Punjabi style.

In an earlier interview, Diljit had shared his excitement and anticipation about the performance. “I don’t know how I feel, I will maybe feel it when I am there. Let’s go see first what happens there. I have watched Jimmy Fallon show before. I am going there for a musical act, we will perform a song,” he said. He also revealed his aspirations, saying, “I just had one dream that I want to become extremely famous and become a singer. This kept growing and it happened. I was quite young when I had this in mind. I had a strong feeling about it and always prayed, ‘god, I don’t want to know anybody, but let the entire world know me’.”

Diljit announced his appearance on the show a week ago on his Instagram, where he

Joe Biden, Helen Mirren, Edgar Wright and Ron Howard pay tributes to Donald Sutherland

After Canadian star Donald Sutherland passed away aged 88 after a long illness, a string of Hollywood personalities along with US President Joe Biden paid their tributes. President Biden took to X to honor Sutherland, who he described as “a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and one-of-akind actor who inspired and entertained the world for decades.”

Veteran star Helen Mirren, who starred with him in “The Leisure Seeker,” shared a statement, where she said Donald Sutherland was one of the smartest actors she ever worked with. Mirren added, “He had a wonderful enquiring brain and a great knowledge of a wide variety of subjects. He

combined this great intelligence with a deep sensitivity and seriousness about his profession as an actor.”

“This all made him into the legend of film that he became. He was my colleague and became my friend. I will miss his presence in this world.

Sutherland worked in over 200 film and TV credits over 60 years starring in films like “Ordinary People” and “Don’t Look Now.” Sutherland landed his first big role in 1967’s “The Dirty Dozen,” which later earned him a spot as surgeon Captain. “Hawkeye” Pierce in “MASH. His son Kiefer Sutherland called him “one of the most important actors in the history of film.”

wrote, “PANJABI AAGYE OYEE This Week’s Guest.” His fans responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, celebrating his achievement as a significant milestone for Punjabi artists on international platforms.

This appearance on ‘The Tonight Show’ is seen as a significant step in bridging the gap between Indian and Western entertainment industries. Fans and critics alike praised Dosanjh’s performance, highlighting the growing global influence of Punjabi music and culture. With his dynamic performance and magnetic charm, Diljit Dosanjh continues to break barriers and set new standards, solidifying his position as a global music icon.

Alka Yagnik reveals she has ‘rare hearing loss’ due to viral attack

Veteran Bollywood singer Alka Yagnik has revealed that she has been diagnosed with a “rare hearing loss” due to a viral attack, and hence she was missing in action. Alka Yagnik, one of the most prominent singers of the 1990s in Bollywood, took to Instagram and shared the news. She posted a picture of herself and wrote, “To all my fans, friends, followers, and well-wishers: A few weeks ago, as I walked out of a flight, I suddenly felt I was not able to hear anything.” The singer said that she mustered some courage in the weeks following the episode.

“I want to break my silence now for all my friends and well-wishers who have been asking me why I’m missing in action. It has been diagnosed by my doctors as a rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss due to a viral attack...”

She added, “This sudden, major setback has caught me completely unawares. As I attempt to come to terms with it, please keep me in your prayers.” Yagnik also shared a word of caution for young singers and fans.

“For my fans and young colleagues, I would add a word of caution regarding exposure to very loud music and headphones.”

Yagnik added, “One day, I wish to share the health perils of my professional life. With all your love and support, I am hoping to recalibrate my life and come back to you soon. Your support and understanding will mean the world to me in this critical hour.”

Friday, 21 June 2024

‘Seinfeld’

actor Hiram Kasten dies at 71 after prolonged illness

Actor Hiram Kasten, best known for his role in ‘Seinfeld’, has passed away at the age of 71. The news was posted on his official Facebook page. His obituary, which described him as “a truly charming guy,” revealed that he passed away on Sunday, reports Mirror.co.uk.

Kasten had been battling multiple illnesses for seven years, including prostate cancer and a lifelong struggle with Crohn’s disease. In the last six months, the comedian and actor revealed to those closest to him that he was terminally ill.

As per Mirror.co.uk, he received an outpouring of love and frequent Zoom calls from his friends, which his wife Diana said “prolonged his life for at least another two months, allowing him to laugh with his peers.”

Throughout his life, Hiram was an iconic figure in the New York City and New Jersey comedy scenes. He began his stand-up career in 1978 when Jerry Seinfeld passed him at an audition at ‘The Comic Strip’.

He became a staple in the comedy scene, entertaining audiences throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Speaking of his unforgettable comedy style, his obituary reads, “He channeled the greats in his demeanor onstage, always dressing for the occasion. With his open-collared shirts and natty sports jackets, always with a pocket hanky billowing forth, he stood out among his peers. He was the ‘missing link’ to another generation of comedians he watched as a child on TV. He emulated Alan King, Jackie Gleason, and Jerry Lewis.”

Hiram was also a talented actor, known for his beloved role on the hit sitcom ‘Seinfeld’. He played Michael, Elaine Benes’ co-worker, in three episodes.

He also appeared in numerous other hit television shows, including ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, ‘Saved By the Bell’, ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’, ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, and ‘My Wife and Kids’.

For Ali Fazal, 2024 has turned out to be extraordinary despite writers’ strike

Actor Ali Fazal, who has six projects scheduled for this year, stated that 2024 has been a boon for him despite experiencing hardships due to the writers’ strike in the West and now being involved in big projects in India.

Ali said, “This year has turned out to be quite extraordinary for me, despite the global writers’ strike. I had to take a significant break from international work, but life has been incredibly kind. Many exciting opportunities have come my way.”

The actor has ‘Mirzapur 3’ under Excel Entertainment, Anurag Basu’s ‘Metro... In Dino’, Mani Ratnam’s ‘Thug Life’ alongside Kamal Haasan, Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Lahore 1947’ under Aamir Khan Productions, the Hollywood film ‘Afghan Dreamers’ directed by Bill Guttentag, and another unannounced project.

“I’m thrilled to be part of Anurag Basu’s film ‘Metro... In Dino’ and Mani Ratnam’s ‘Thug Life’, as well as ‘Lahore 1947’ and several other projects. It’s been a chance to explore a variety of roles in a short time, especially considering ‘Mirzapur’ has been the only long-format show I’ve deeply engaged with over the past few years,” the actor added.

Ali added that as actors, “we love to grow, and the directors I’m working with are pushing me to perform in new and different ways.”

“I hope the audiences enjoy my performances and the stories I want to tell. On the production front, we’re excited

to launch ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ globally and find a home for it in India and other territories. We’ve also announced five other projects with some wonderful creators.”

“While not all of these projects will have us acting, some will. These are baby steps in shaping our production house, Pushing Buttons Studios. We aim to nurture new talents and ourselves as well,” he added.

Ali also spoke about the “nesting stage” as he and his wife Richa Chadha are set to welcome their first child.

“Of course, this is also a time where we are nurturing our personal lives -it’s what I call the nesting stage, as we hope to start a family soon. It’s a very exciting time, and I look forward to sharing more in the coming months,” he added.

Ian McKellen lands in hospital after falling off stage during performance

Veteran Hollywood star Ian McKellen was hospitalized after falling off stage during a performance at the Noel Coward Theatre in London’s West End. McKellen reportedly lost his footing during a battle scene, reports BBC.com.

The audience had to evacuate from the theater, and the evening show was canceled. A representative for the theater shared that McKellen will “make a speedy and full recovery” and that the 85-year-old actor is “in good spirits,” reported Variety. com.

“Thank you to our audience and the general public for their well wishes following Ian’s fall during this evening’s performance of ‘Player Kings’,” read the statement.

“Those affected will be contacted by their point of purchase as soon as possible tomorrow. Thank you to doctors Rachel and Lee, who were in the audience and to the entire venue staff for their support.”

McKellen plays John Falstaff in ‘Player Kings’, which is a production of William

Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Parts One and Two.” It began its 12-week run on the West End in April. After navigating a fight scene involving two other characters, McKellen apparently fell off the front of the stage.

According to the BBC, “As the house lights came up, the actor cried out, and staff rushed to help.” An audience member speaking to the BBC described the incident as “very shocking,” adding, “As far as I saw, he was conscious because he

was asking for assistance.”

McKellen is a frequent Shakespeare actor, with stage roles including ‘Macbeth’, ‘King Lear’, ‘Richard II’, ‘Coriolanus’, ‘Iago’, and ‘Richard III’. He also played ‘Hamlet’ this year in a film adaptation directed by Sean Mathias.

McKellen is also famous for his roles as Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and Magneto in the ‘XMen’ movies.

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21 Dharam - Karam

Friday, 21 June 2024

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Indian Seniors of Chicago organizes event to honor Father’s Day

By Jayanti Oza

The General meeting of the Indian Seniors of Chicago was held on Saturday, June 8 at the Mahalakshmi Hall of Manav Seva Mandir which saw a participation of over 300 members. The entire proceeding of the event was successfully managed by Mr. Chandrakant Patel. The event commenced with Mr.Bhupendra Suthar and other members reciting a Sarva Dharma Prathna and Shri Hanuman Chalisa. Then the treasurer of the organization, Shri Hemant Modi, presented the income and expenditure account for the month of May and announced the names of the people who donated to the organization.

Mr. Bhupendra Suthar called the seniors whose birthday falls in the month of June. These members were then honored with flowers which were presented by the chief guest, Mayuriben. All members

participated in birthday wishes, sang songs and indulged in merry making.

Gujarati film producer Mr. Ramesh Punatar gave information for Father’s Day and his acclaimed movies ‘Mane Lei Ja’ and ‘Kasumbo.’ President of the organization Mr. Dilip Patel gave information about the upcoming picnic organized for the members.

Dilip Patel presided over the ex-executive committee members appreciation program.

Dr. Narsinhbhai Patel, Mr. Chittaranjan Desai, Mr. Bipin Shah and Mr. Nalin Shah were felicitated on behalf of the organization for their active work as members of the Executive Committee and their various activities were noted and honored.

The Father’s Day celebration was conducted by Panna Shah and Daksh Parikh. They sang a song befitting the occasion and talked about the place and

importance of a father in life. On this occasion, Shri Narsinhbhai Patel, Shri Chittaranjan Desai, Shri Nalinbhai Shah, Bipinbhai Shah, Shri Shiva Patel and Shri Sarad Shah were felicitated on behalf of the organization and each was presented with a bouquet.

Group President Dilip Patel thanked all participants and Jayanti Oza (News Media Journalist), Satish Parikh and Pravin Darji for their help. At the end, the members departed after singing prayers and enjoying a delicious lunch.

Seniors whose birthday falls in the month of June were given flowers by the chief guest, Mayuriben.

On the occasion of Father’s Day, Shri Narsinh Patel, Shri Chittaranjan Desai, Shri Nalin Shah, Bipini Shah, Shri Shiva Patel and Shri Sarad Shah were honored.

Dr. Narsinh Patel honored Daxa Parikh, Satish Parikh (Grand Sponsor) to giving a bouquet.

Friday, 21 June 2024

United Senior Pariwar celebrates 16th anniversary with great fervor

By Vandana Jhingan

The United Senior Pariwar (USPC) of Chicago celebrated its 16th anniversary on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at Manav Seva Mandir, Bensenville, IL. The event was honored by Chief Guest Shri Sanjeev Kumar Pal (Consul from the Consulate General of India, Chicago) and Guest of Honor Shri Mafatbhai Patel (Chairman of the Trustee Board and owner of Patel Brothers). Other notable guests included Dr. Bharat Barai, Dr. Dhiren Mistry, Shri Ramanlal A. Patel, Shri Narasihnbhai Patel, Shri Dilipbhai Patel, Mrs. Hema Shastri, Shri Dayabhai Prajapati, Ms. Vandana Jhingan, Mr. Amar Upadhyay, and Mrs. Usha Kamaria.

The celebration began with a birthday celebration for members born in June, followed by a Deep Prajwalan ceremony conducted by the key dignitaries present. Acharya Rohit Joshi

offered blessings with a traditional Hindu prayer. Shri Rameshbhai Chokshi presented a welcome speech, and Shri Rohitbhai Joshi introduced the chief guests and invited them to address the audience.

Shri Sanjeev Kumar Pal expressed his gratitude for the invitation and conveyed best wishes from the Consulate General of India in Chicago. He lauded USPC’s growth and its dedication to serving seniors.

Shri Mafatbhai Patel encouraged organizing more such events, while Dr. Narasihnbhai Patel emphasized the importance of happiness and health for a worry-free life.

Shri Virendrabhai Patel, along with the executive committee, outlined USPC’s vision and goals, highlighting the need for emotional support within the community.

The founders of USPC, Shri Haribhai Thakkar, Shri Ramanbhai

and

contributions

for

The event featured a musical program by Chicago artists Rajesh Chalam, Nipa Shah, Pavitra Anand, Hitesh Master, Anand Master, Richard Krischian, and Gopal Shah. Treasurer Shri Kiritbhai Pandya concluded with a vote of thanks. The celebration ended with a delicious meal catered by UruSwati Restaurant of Devon, Chicago.

Award-winning Gujarati film ‘Mane Lai Ja’ screened at Haridham YDS Temple

On Sunday, June 16, the auditorium of Haridham YDS Temple became a hub of cultural celebration and social awareness as it hosted the screening of the acclaimed Gujarati film ‘Mane Lai Ja.’ This heart-touching film, which has won 14 awards, drew an audience of over 125 guests who were moved by its powerful message.

‘Mane Lai Ja’ promotes the ‘Beti Bachao’ (Save Daughters) campaign and underscores the importance of treating adopted children with the same love and care as biological children. The film poignantly addresses the need to embrace and nurture orphaned children, advocating against neglect and emphasizing the value of every child’s life.

In a generous gesture, all proceeds from the screening were donated to Haridham YDS Temple by Sean Patel and Ramesh Punatar of USA Film Productions. Their contribution reflects a commitment to both cultural enrichment and social responsibility, reinforcing the film’s message of compassion and care.

S. Patel,

Shri Kanubhai H. Patel were all recognized

their

with a Sanman Patra.

Community Indian American Community gathers to celebrate PM Modi’s victory

The Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP) organized a grand celebration in Chicagoland to honor Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent electoral victory.

By Rakesh Malhotra

The event marked the triumph of the BJP-led NDA and brought together various community organizations across the region.

The meticulously organized program commenced with the traditional lamp lighting ceremony and a heartfelt rendition of “Vande Mataram” by Shikha Joshi, a talented singer from Lake County. This was followed by a touching tribute to the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee given by Rakesh Malhotra by reading one of the Hindi poems penned by Atal ji.

The celebration saw the enthusiastic participation of over 250 Indian Americans, who gathered to express their support and congratulations. A sumptuous Satvik lunch was served, setting the stage for the felicitation of core OFBJP volunteers. Dr Adapa Prasad, President of the OFBJP, mentioned that OFBJP organized such victory celebrations in twenty cities across 16 states in the United States due to enthusiasm and excitement among the Indian American Community for the historic win of Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi for the third consecutive time.

Dr Vijay Chauthaiwale, in charge of overseas affairs, congratulated the Indian diaspora via video message and assured the diaspora that under the Modi 3.0 regime, the US relationship would further be strengthened. He thanked the diaspora for their efforts and contribution.

Amar Upadhyaya, the Chicago Coordinator, warmly welcomed the attendees and provided an overview of the NDA’s victory. He praised the volunteers for their dedicated efforts.

Dr. Bharat Barai, addressing the audience, extended his congratulations to PM Modi and urged for an honest

introspection in areas where results did not meet expectations.

Dr. Subhash Pandey, founder of the Uttar Pradesh Association of Greater Chicago, lauded the Modi government’s development work over the past decade. Similarly, Sameer Bongale, President of Maharashtra Mandal, emphasized the importance of continuing the development agenda and commended the infrastructure improvements. The founder of National India Hub, Harish Kolasani, also spoke at the event, offered his best wishes to the new government, and provided an overview of social and community activities offered by his organization.

Dr. Manish Braham Bhat, representing the state of Gujarat and the Senior Association, applauded the growth of the economy and poverty alleviation efforts, calling for ongoing support from NRIs to help India become a global leader. Dr. Uma Kaitki, a supporter of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), congratulated PM Modi on his third-term victory and expressed optimism for the new era of development in Andhra Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.

The event was lively, with a diversified audience from various parts of India enjoying interactive sessions, delicious food, and vibrant music. Participants danced to the rhythmic beats of the dhol and other musical performances. The celebration concluded with dance and music performances, adding to the joyous atmosphere.

Prominent community leaders in attendance included Joy Shah, Rohit Joshi, Phani Krishna, Vandana Jhingan,

The event showcased the unity and enthusiasm of the Indian American community in supporting and celebrating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA government’s leadership and achievements.

Shailesh Rajput, Bhailal Patel, Kanti Patel, Yogesh Shah, Arvind Anklesaria, Hemant Patel, Radhika Garimala, Gowri Magati, Nitin Patel, Anil Singh, Jatin Trivedi, and Aparna Rail.

Yoga Day 2024

India rejoices as the world celebrates Thousands of yogis create island of stillness at New York’s frenetic Times Square

Message of UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres

The International Day of Yoga recognizes the ancient practice’s unmatched power to deliver healing, inner peace and physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing.

With roots in India but now embraced worldwide by people of all faiths and cultures, yoga unites people with its values of balance, mindfulness and peace with people and planet alike.

This year’s theme -- “Yoga for Self and Society” -- reminds us of yoga’s important role in enhancing people’s lives and the wider community.

On this important day, let us all be inspired by yoga’s timeless values and its call for a more peaceful and harmonious future.

By Arul Louis

Thousands of yogis created an island of stillness in the frenetic whirl of ‘Crossroads of the World’. Aptly named, ‘Mind Over Madness’, the day-long yoga event featured seven massed yoga practices that included lessons for newbies at Times Square, on Thursday, the Summer Solstice Day.

“People seek stillness, they seek that peace in a frenetic world that we live in, and what better place than at Times Square to really practice that,” said Tracy Warfield, a yoga teacher, as she prepared to lead a session.

Cealia Brannan, another yoga teacher who led a session, said the day’s celebration “I feel like it’s kind of homage to yoga”.

In the microcosm of the world -- people with origins across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and beyond -- stood with Swati of Indian origin warming up for a session with her husband and two sons.

“I’m immensely proud that it has become a global phenomenon,” she said.

“I love it that people are coming to embrace the Indian culture and Indian values and they are adapting and embracing spirituality,” she said.

The Indian Consulate General was the

sponsor of the first event of the day and Consul General Binaya Pradhan greeted the yogis and highlighted the benefits of the ancient art. It was the longest day, and also the hottest so far this year at 33 degrees Celsius. About 8,000 people had pre-registered for the event, according to the organizers, and thousands more dropped by.

As the yogis reached for Nirvana in the media strip of Times Square, overhead ads for movies, luxury watches, clothes and food and drinks floated by on electronic billboards, the NASDAQ building flashed the ups and downs of the stock market, characters dressed as the Statue of Liberty and Walt Disney characters sauntered, the area fixture “Naked Cowboy” strummed his guitar, and gawking tourists stopped to watch and sometimes imitate the asanas impromptu.

The ‘Mind Over Madness’ yoga celebrations at Times Square on Solstice Day have been going on for 22 years, starting a dozen years before the United Nations General Assembly created the International Day of Yoga.

Cofounder of the event, Douglas Stewart said that the millennia-old yoga from India is relevant to the people of New York as everywhere as it is “a template for living” relating mind, body and spirit creating a relationship with nature”.

“It slowly begins to unfold to other parts of the world and will continue to express itself as a template for life,” he said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in about six Americans now practice yoga -- 17 per cent or about 55 million people. About 30 per cent of them do yoga to treat and manage pain, the federal agency said in a brief published this month. Many of the yoga enthusiasts at Times Square like Brannan and Warfield said they first came to yoga seeking a panacea for pain.

“I started because I had low back pain,” Brannan said. “But then I just started realizing all the other awesome ways that I felt after” starting yoga. The Indian Consulate had earlier arranged yoga classes at Bryant Park and Central Park.

PM Modi leads Yoga Day celebrations with hundreds of participants on banks of Dal Lake in Kashmir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday greeted the people of the country and the World on the 10th International Day of Yoga while celebrating the event in J&K’s Srinagar city. He told the participants at the SKICC, located on the banks of Dal Lake, that it is in the sanguine environment of Kashmir and Srinagar that one gets the unique feeling of the strength that Yoga gives us.

“When we proposed this program in 2014, 177 countries supported India’s move and that in itself is a record. In 2015 a record number of 35,000 people participated in the Yoga celebrations in Delhi. Last year, representatives from 130 countries participated in the Yoga celebrations in the US. I am happy that over 100 institutions have received World recognition for imparting the training of Yoga,” said the PM.

“Interest in Yoga and the awareness towards its benefits is fast increasing. At the global level, when I meet leaders they ask me about the benefits of Yoga. Great

World leaders are making Yoga a part of their daily life. In 2015, I inaugurated a Yoga institute in Turkmenistan. In Saudi Arabia, Yoga has been included in the academic curriculum. In Mongolia, there is a Yoga center today. In European countries also the interest in Yoga is increasing. In Germany, 1.50 crore people practice Yoga. 101 French women have dedicated themselves to the knowledge of Yoga and this they did without coming to India,” PM Modi mentioned.

“In the last 10 years, perception about Yoga has changed and today Yoga has become a movement. Authentic Yoga lessons are now available at airports and hotels. Markets are selling Yoga apparel and equipment. People are engaging Yoga trainers for personal fitness and this has increased employment avenues for our youth,” PM Modi said.

He said that the theme of the 10th International Yoga Day is ‘Yoga for Self & Society’ and the World is today looking at Yoga for help amid the tensions

in daily life. Yoga gives us the opportunity for oneness of mind, body and soul. Focus is the most important part of life and this is achieved through meditation. Today Yoga is an essential part of training for the Army and the sports persons. In space projects, Yoga training is given

to astronauts. Yoga classes are held for inmates in jails.”

“I am sure that the inspiration of Yoga will help tourism in Kashmir. Today, rain created some problems, but the interest in Yoga in Kashmir is highly encouraging. Today, 50 to 60 thousand people participated in Yoga in Kashmir despite inclement weather and for this, I greet the people of J&K,” PM Modi said. Heavy rain interrupted the outdoor Yoga celebrations and the program got delayed till 7.45 a.m. because of heavy showers in Srinagar city. PM Modi and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha participated in the 10th International Yoga Day.

After the celebrations, PM Modi interacted with Yoga practitioners on the banks of the Dal Lake. He also took selfies with young participants on the lawns of the Sher-iKashmir International Conference Center (SKICC) before he left the venue for Raj Bhawan. The PM is flying back to Delhi in the day.

celebrates International Yoga Day 2024

From Lumbini to Pokhara, India spreads message of yoga in Nepal

More than 900 yoga enthusiasts attended a large-scale event organized by the Embassy of India in Nepal at Lumbini -- the revered birthplace of Lord Buddha which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- on Thursday.

How Yoga made Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma fearless in space Yoga Day 2024

NJokh Bahadur Mahara, the Chief Minister of Lumbini and also the Chief Guest for the program, thanked the Indian Embassy for organizing the significant event at the sacred birthplace of Lord Buddha and for strengthening India-Nepal cultural ties. He underlined that the International Day of Yoga (June 21) will help generate greater awareness about yoga, leading to a more healthy and balanced society.

Ambassador of India to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, underlined that yoga has become a global phenomenon, particularly since the United Nations designated June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in 2014 based on a proposal moved by India.

“The sacred land of Lumbini, a symbol of peace and harmony, provides a perfect setting to celebrate the timeless practice of yoga. The Indian Embassy will collaborate every year with the Lumbini Development Trust to celebrate the International Day of Yoga,” said the Indian Ambassador.

The Indian Embassy has been organizing a series of events across various cities in Nepal to celebrate the 10th International Yoga Day. The Indian Embassy also organized yoga demonstrations at three iconic landmarks of Pokhara, the tourism capital of Nepal, on Thursday.

V Raghuram, yoga teacher of Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma and the founder of Yoga Bharati, on Wednesday revealed that yoga made Sharma “fearless and more adaptable than any other astronaut” in his team. He was sharing some of Sharma’s encounters in space at a conference on ‘Yoga for Space’ held in Bengaluru, India.

The Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy (CCRYN), in collaboration with Svyasa, organized the conference at S-Vyasa University, Bengaluru, to mark the 10th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2024. The conference’s focus was on the convergence of experts from various fields to enhance society, including astronauts.

According to Ministry of AYUSH, these initiatives aim to raise awareness in society and promote vigorous yoga practice, recognizing that a healthy individual fosters a healthy society, as proclaimed by the theme of ‘IDY 2024’.

Dr Raghavendra Rao, Director of the Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy, Delhi, shed light on the inclusivity and diversity inherent in the IDY journey, showcasing yoga practices in extreme conditions on land, in the ocean, and throughout a day spanning from Japan to California, culminating in the exploration of yoga in space with this conference.

Dr BR Ramakrishnan, Pro-Chancellor of S-Vyasa University, spoke about the amalgamation of ancient wisdom with space science, stressing the convergence of the best from the East and the West.

Discover your inner peace with Mindful Meditation Yoga

Mindful Meditation Yoga, a Federation of Indian Associations FIA – Chicago, GSA Global Eye Magazine, United Punjabis of America with the Consulate General of India, Chicago is celebrating International Yoga Day 2024, on June 23rd from 10 am to 12 noon.

This is a free event, that will give you an unforgettable experience, and revitalize your body, mind and spirit. It

is the perfect place for you to discover your inner peace, health from your past, experience new positive energies and joy. Along with Yoga and Mindfulness practices, arrangements for live music, lunch and refreshments are also available. The session will be taken by Ms. Anu Malhotra, who is a Certified Yoga Teacher.

Date: 23rd June 2024

Time: 10 am to 12 noon CDT

Venue: Naperville Yard Indoor Sports Complex, IL 60563

Indian Embassy celebrates International Yoga Day in Washington

The Indian Embassy in the US also organized a Yoga session in Washington ahead of International Yoga Day, which is celebrated worldwide on June 21. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy shared, “International Yoga Day 2024 celebrated by the Indian Embassy in the US at the picturesque and serene Wharf in Washington. Various community organizations participated enthusiastically in the Yoga and meditation session.”

Emphasizing the global reach and popularity of Yoga, Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy Supriya Ranganathan noted that the ancient practice of Yoga has travelled far and wide following its inception in India and today there are hundreds of millions of followers of this discipline around the world.

Outlining the theme of International Yoga Day 2024, “Yoga for Self and Society”, the event also aimed to promote adopting environment-friendly products and practices in daily life.

“Highlighting International Yoga Day 2024 theme celebrating #YogaForSelfAndSociety, the event included elements to inspire the embrace of environment-friendly products and practices in daily life,” the Embassy stated in another post.

Foreign diplomats hail Yoga as priceless gift from India to entire humanity

By Arul Louis

Several diplomats serving their respective missions in India joined the International Day of Yoga celebrations with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday. The diplomatic community hailed Yoga as a priceless gift from India to entire humanity.

“Yoga is one of the many precious treasures and heritages given by India to the world. Yoga literally means to join, and its celebration is a celebration of our common humanity. These days yoga is also very popular in Russia,” said Denis Alipov, the Russian Ambassador to India.

May-Elin Stener, the Norwegian

Ambassador to India and Sri Lanka, who started practicing Yoga while serving at Norway’s mission at the United Nations in New York - and is currently mastering the headstandsays that she completely agrees with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Yoga is one of India’s greatest gifts to the world.

“Thank you Dr S Jaishankar for the Yoga session this 10th International Yoga Day. Happy Yoga day to everyone and congratulations to India on giving Yoga to the world and creating great enthusiasm,” said the Ambassador after attending the Yoga session organized by the Indian government on Friday.

Several missions also organized Yoga sessions at their respective Embassies which saw the participation of several enthusiastic people.

“Few things are as universal and yet as personal as Yoga. It is highly introspective and at the same time, it connects us as mindful human beings. This morning, me & my team had a wonderful session in the garden of my residence. Happy International Yoga Day to everyone!” posted Philipp

Ackermann, the German Ambassador to India and Bhutan.

British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron said that she was “delighted” to be celebrating International Yoga Day with EAM Jaishankar in Delhi.

Marking the International Day of Yoga, staff members of the Embassy of France in India gathered for a session in the spirit of this year’s theme, ‘Yoga for self and society’. Sporting T-shirts in the French tricolor, the participants enthusiastically performed ‘asanas’ in an hour-long session under the guidance of a yoga coach.“The morning practice was also a celebration of well-being at the workplace and a moment of camaraderie among colleagues,” stated the Embassy.

Health Corner

Medical Doctor Program (MD) - 4 Year Hybrid Study

IndoUS Tribune Newsdesk

The International University of the Health Sciences (IUHS) School of Medicine offers a flexible and accredited 4-year MD program, with a 5-year option available. This hybrid program combines online and in-person study, making it ideal for allied health practitioners and recent graduates who want to become medical doctors without quitting work or relocating.

Program Highlights

Hybrid Learning: The first two

years consist of pre-clinical studies conducted online, complemented by local physician mentorships. The final two years involve clinical rotations in hospitals.

Innovative Technology: The program employs award-winning tools like the DxR virtual patient simulator and the Distributed Online Campus System, allowing students to study from anywhere in the world.

Global Reach: Graduates are eligible to sit for licensing exams in numerous countries, including the USA, Canada,

Australia, Mexico, UAE, India, and South Africa.

Affordable Tuition: The program’s tuition is competitively priced, averaging only 40% of the cost of most other private medical universities.

Course Structure

Years 1 & 2 - Pre-Clinical Years

The pre-clinical phase is a 92-week program divided into 11 blocks, focusing on the basic sciences and the development of clinical skills.

4Block 0: Introduction to Medicine

(12 weeks)

4Block 1: Introduction to Basic Medical Science (8 weeks)

4Block 2: Microbiology & Immunology (8 weeks)

4Block 3: Respiratory & Cardiovascular Systems (8 weeks)

4Block 4: Endocrine & Reproductive Systems (8 weeks)

4Block 5: Gastrointestinal & Renal Systems (8 weeks)

4Block 6: Central & Peripheral Nervous Systems (8 weeks)

4Block 7: Hematology, Musculoskeletal, Pathology, Dermatology, Anatomy, Behavioral Science (8 weeks)

4Block 8: Epidemiology, ENT, Histology, Legal, Autoimmune & Tropical Diseases (8 weeks)

4Blocks 9 & 10: Exams & remediation, customized study plan for board exams (16 weeks)

Throughout the pre-clinical years, students participate in a mentorship program with local physicians to gain early exposure to patients and clinical environments.

Years 3 & 4 - Clinical Years

The clinical phase involves 80 weeks of rotations in hospitals, divided into core and elective rotations:

Core Rotations (48 weeks):

4Internal Medicine (12 weeks)

4Surgery (12 weeks)

4Obstetrics & Gynecology (6 weeks)

4Pediatrics (6 weeks)

4Psychiatry (6 weeks)

4General Family Practice (6 weeks)

4Elective Rotations (32 weeks): Students can choose specialties based on their interests and career goals.

Additional Information

Award-Winning Innovation: IUHS was awarded the Zairi Award for Excellence in Digital Innovation in 2023 for its advanced use of technology in medical education. Year-Round Applications: IUHS accepts applications year-round, with start dates in May and September.

Supportive Learning Environment: The university fosters a collaborative and supportive learning environment, integrating technology with best practices in medical education.

Join IUHS to transform your dream of becoming a medical doctor into reality.

For more information and to apply, visit www.iuhs.edu

Health Corner

Pounding headache? Relief is possible!

By The Health Corner, IndoUs Tribune

Everyone has experienced the pain of a headache, which can range from mild and annoying to debilitating (they don’t call them “splitting headaches” for nothing). Different types of headaches are caused by different things, and some are easier to relieve than others.

Tension Headaches

The most common type of headache, tension headaches result from the things we do when we’re stressed out or anxious — clenching the jaw, skipping meals, or skimping on sleep.

Pain from a tension headache is most often concentrated on both sides of the head, but can center behind or between the eyes, or across the cheeks or forehead.

Migraine Headaches

Migraines are a chronic illness that typically features recurring moderate to severe pain on one side or both sides of the head. The throbbing, pulsating pain typically lasts between four and 72 hours if left untreated.

“The most common associated symptom of migraine is fatigue and feeling drained of energy,” said Steven Meyers, MD, a neurologist with Endeavor Health.

A migraine also causes sensitivity to light, smell, and noise, nausea, and vomiting. Simply moving, coughing, or sneezing can make the pain worse.

Poor posture and neck or shoulder tension can trigger a migraine. Alcohol consumption can too.

Most people who get migraines have a family history, and they’re likely genetic. Migraines can occur any time of day, but most frequently happen in the morning. Sometimes they happen before menstruation or a period of stress.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are rare, but severe. They strike suddenly, are very painful, and concentrate on one side of the head near or behind one eye.

“Cluster headaches are notorious for rapid escalation to a severe retro-orbital headache often within 15 minutes,” Dr. Meyers said. “They occur like clockwork at the same time every day for anywhere between weeks and months.”

The headaches then subside for months or years before reoccurring.

They sometimes include a pre-headache aura and nausea. They often wake people up while sleeping and may cause redness, swelling, or tearing to the eye, and a stuffy or runny nose on the affected side.

Interventions That May Work

Fortunately, relief is possible for many headaches. Here are some interventions that may work:

4Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as ibuprofen can work wonders on a tension headache. NSAIDs can be helpful if taken right at the onset of a migraine, but sometimes prescription medications are needed to fully ease the pain.

4Meditation and mindfulness practices can help improve migraine pain tolerance or make headaches easier to manage.

4Neck stretches can help relieve some headache pain.

4Taking a hot shower or applying moist heat to the back of the neck can also help ease infrequent tension headaches, as can massage and gentle neck exercises. If heat doesn’t work, cold might. Apply an ice pack to your head or neck.

4Acupressure, a traditional Chinese medicine that uses pressure points to balance the body’s energy, can help ease all types of headaches.

4Studies have found that acupuncture may reduce the frequency of tension headaches and can help treat migraines.

4Some research suggests essential oils — specifically lavender, rosemary, peppermint, chamomile, and eucalyptus — can help ease headaches. At the least, essential oils can help reduce stress, and lower stress can help ease headache pain.

Prevention Techniques

Preventing headaches, including migraines, requires some self-regulation. Try to include these activities in your daily schedule:

4Hydrate. Make sure you drink at least 4-6 cups of water throughout each day.

4Get regular sleep. Research shows

there’s a connection between sleep deprivation and headaches. Aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, starting at the same bedtime, every night.

4Exercise. Regular exercise can help

4

4Soothe stress. Stress and headaches go hand in hand. Find a stress reliever that works for you and incorporate it into your daily routine.

For more information and tips on managing diabetes, consult your healthcare provider and stay tuned to Health Corner,

The real estate commission shakeup: A buyer’s (and seller’s) market emerges

The way Americans buy and sell homes is undergoing a significant shift, driven by a recent court ruling and changes to the traditional real estate commission structure. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening:

4The National Association of Realtors (NAR), a powerful industry body established in 1908, has long held sway over real estate practices via its control of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and its recommended commission structure (typically 5-6% of the sale price, split between seller’s and buyer’s agents).

4However, a landmark court decision in Missouri (2023) challenged the NAR’s monopoly on commission practices. This ruling, coupled with years of simmering discontent, has paved the way for a more open market.

The New Landscape:

Effective August 17th, 2024:

4Negotiable Fees: Both sellers and buyers will need formal contracts outlining fees and the specific services provided by their agents. This shift empowers both parties to negotiate commission rates, potentially leading to lower costs.

Rise of Lite-Service Agents:

4Some brokers may offer “litecontracts” with lower flat fees. However, these will likely include fewer services, requiring buyers and sellers to handle more tasks themselves.

DIY Options:

4The changes may entice some to attempt selling or buying a home independently (DIY). However,navigating the legal and marketing aspects without professional guidance can be risky for the uninitiated.

MLS Exclusivity Ends:

4Homes sold outside the NARaffiliated MLS may operate under different rules regarding commissions and buyer representation.

Uncertainties and Opportunities:

4The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is currently reviewing its policy against paying real estate commissions. A potential change in

this policy could further impact the market, particularly for veterans.

4Overall, the new landscape creates a more dynamic and potentially costeffective environment for buyers and sellers. However, it also demands greater consumer awareness and potentially more responsibility in navigating the process.

Analysis: This shift away from the NAR’s long-standing control signifies a potential power struggle within the industry. Independent

brokerages and technologydriven platforms may see a rise in popularity. While this move towards a more open market could benefit consumers through negotiation and potentially lower costs, it also raises concerns about the quality of service and the potential vulnerability of inexperienced buyers and sellers. As the dust settles and the market adapts, it’s likely we’ll see a more diverse range of real estate services emerge, catering to different needs and budgets.

The Old Guard Gives Way:

Summers can be harsh on our skin, leading to issues such as dryness, irritation, and sun damage.

Taking care of your skin during the summer months is essential to avoid common skin issues and maintain healthy, glowing skin. Choosing the right skincare products is key to preventing summer skin issues. Avoid using products that are too harsh or heavy, as they can cause irritation or clog your pores. In addition to sun protection, keeping your skin hydrated is crucial during the summer months. High temperatures and humidity can cause your skin to lose moisture, leading to dryness, flakiness, and even cracking. Drinking plenty of water and using a lightweight moisturizer can help to keep your skin hydrated and healthy.

Here are 5 DIY masks that can be easily made in your kitchen and will keep your skin hydrated and ready to battle the summer heat.

Cucumber and aloe vera mask

Mix 1/2 cucumber (peeled and pureed) with 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat your skin dry.

Honey and yogurt mask

Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat your skin dry.

Coconut oil and turmeric mask

Mix 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat your skin dry.

Papaya and honey mask

Mash 1/2 cup of ripe papaya and mix it with 1 tablespoon of honey. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat your skin dry.

Mint and cucumber mask

Blend 1/2 cucumber with a handful of fresh mint leaves. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat your skin dry.

Summer skincare: 5 homemade cooling face masks to help you have a glowing skin