White House refuses to comment on whether
South Korea should send artillery shells to Ukraine
Friday, 02 March, 2024
The White House has declined to comment on whether South Korea should provide 155-mm artillery shells to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, saying it is a military decision for Seoul to speak to.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made the remarks during a press briefing Wednesday, expressing America’s gratitude for the Asian ally’s continued support for the war-torn country. “I am going to let South Korea speak to their own military decisions and their bilateral relations,” she told a press briefing.
“We are grateful for their support to Ukraine obviously as they continue to defend against Russia’s aggression.... But I am not going to speak to their own military decision that is something for them to speak to,” she added.
Jaishankar’s Korea visit: A further step to enhance ties with diaspora
Continuing with his endeavors to further cement India’s relations with its diaspora, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to meet the small but significant Indian community in the Republic of Korea as he begins his first visit to Seoul on March 5.
While one is well aware of the Korea-based Indian actor Anupam Tripathi who became a household name after ‘Squid Games’, the nation is home to around 15,000 Indians with many professionals contributing to the country’s IT, shipping, and automobile sectors.
Some other notable Indian names in the country include Aria, originally named Gauthami, a member of a global K-pop girl group called X:IN.
See
Hindu vote becomes a factor in US elections
Niraj Antani, a Republican running for US Congress, is aggressively projecting his Hindu faith. Bhavini Patel, a Democrat running for Congress, is battling allegations of courting Hindu nationalist donors. And Indian-descent donors are pressing the BidenHarris campaign for a “Hindu page” in its 2024 campaign manifesto.
The “Hindu Vote” appears to have become a factor in US politics.
There is no rock solid count of Hindus in the US because the US Census does not record religious affiliation in its surveys. But there are several estimates.
Pew Research Center said 0.7 percent of Americans were Hindu in 2015 and that their number is projected to grow to 4.8 million by 2050. Harvard Divinity School estimated their number to be 2.5 million in 2018. And some Hindu Americans put the number generously
at 5 million, which, they concede, includes Sikhs and Jains.
As crucial as their number is US politics, so is their ability to write big donation checks.
Niraj Antani, an Ohio state lawmaker who is running in the Republican primary for a congressional seat, has frequently described himself as Hindu and posted this message on X, to mark the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya: “As the 1st Hindu American State Senator in Ohio history, today it was my privilege to do Darshan to Lord Ram at @BAPS Cincinnati Mandir to mark the opening of his Mandir in Ayodhya. As we celebrate this occasion, let us stand for religious freedom around the world.
Jai Shri Ram!”
Indian innovation key to solving health, agriculture, climate issues: Bill Gates
Indian innovations across the spectrum are fantastic and are the key to solving problems in the field of health, agriculture, gender and climate, Microsoft Co-founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates, said in the national Capital on Thursday.
Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), who is on an India tour, was speaking at IIT-Delhi on innovations for public good.
“I am looking at innovators in India that can help with all kinds of problems, starting with health, but also agriculture, gender and
climate.
“Indian innovation gets stronger all the time. It is a fascinating time and the need for innovation to deal with many different challenges is greater than ever. But the pace of innovations is also rising to meet the challenge,” he told the gathering.
The tech mogul advised students to work towards “achieving social equality” along with making a financial impact in their future roles.
“We have many problems in the world, and only by taking that point of view can we shape innovations to improve the world as much as possible,” Gates said.
8th Indian in Qatar to return after fulfilling ‘certain requirements’: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday that the eighth Indian Navy veteran who was sentenced to death in Qatar along with seven others on espionage charges will return home after fulfilling ‘certain requirements’.
India scored a diplomatic victory with seven of its former navy personnel, who were working for Doha-based Dahra Global and were taken into custody in August 2022, returning home earlier this month.
They were identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Rajesh.
While Commander Purnendu Tiwari has been released from prison along with others, he is yet to land in India with sources indicating his arrival by next week.
VOL: 01 • ISSUE: 17 We serve community first 2 MARCH 2024 www.indoustribune.com MIDWEST EDITION
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Pg. 02
Pg. 03
See Pg. 03 See
See Pg. 02
Indian innovation key to solving health, agriculture, climate issues: Bill Gates
Contd. from Pg. 01
He said the Gates Foundation worked along with Indian manufacturers to bring several vaccines to India, which were once available only in rich countries, and that includes rotavirus vaccine, pneumococcal and measles vaccine.
Gates said more has to be done for TB that is the number one infectious disease killing millions globally.
Beyond infections, he also said that it was important to focus on malnutrition and anaemia, which will work towards improving the physical and mental health of mothers and children.
The billionaire also hailed India’s digital public infrastructure.
“India leads in digital public infrastructure. No country is able to take government benefits and get them out more efficiently and effectively to citizens like India can,” he said.
White House refuses to comment on whether South Korea should send artillery shells to Ukraine
Contd. from Pg. 01
In response, Seoul’s defence ministry said its policy stance against the provision of weapons to Ukraine remains unchanged. “Related to the support for Ukraine, our existing stance has not changed in particular,” defence ministry vice spokesperson Lee Kyung-ho said during a regular press briefing Thursday.
On Monday, Yuri Kim, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasian affairs, expressed hopes for South Korea to provide more defense material support to Ukraine, stressing the importance of air defense assistance. When asked about the nature of the defence material support, a foreign ministry official in Seoul restated Thursday that the government will continue to provide support as it “comprehensively” takes into account the war and humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
“We have been providing humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine, including non-lethal security support ... and by non-lethal security support, you can think of the mine clearing equipment and pickup trucks that we have previously provided (Ukraine) with,” the official said. Seoul has maintained a stance to provide humanitarian and non-lethal defence assistance to Ukraine, such as protective suits, demining equipment and other military supplies.
But in December, The Washington Post reported that South Korea’s “indirect” provision of 155-mm shells to Ukraine in 2023 has made it a larger supplier of ammunition for the war-ravaged country than all European countries combined.
Trump says he cannot get fair trial this year in classified documents case
IndoUS Tribune Newsdesk
Donald Trump’s lawyers told a U.S. judge on Thursday that he believes he cannot get a fair trial this year on charges of mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House, while he campaigns to try to recapture the presidency.
U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is bringing the case against Trump, asked on Thursday for a July 8 start to the trial. Lawyers for the former president said in their filing that Trump “strongly asserts that a fair trial cannot be conducted this year in a manner consistent with the Constitution.”
After making that assertion on the filing’s first page, however, they went on to suggest an Aug. 12, 2024, start to the trial on the seventh page. A Trump attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the discrepancy.
The filings were made ahead of a Friday court hearing where U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon plans to consider arguments
on when to start the trial, one of four criminal prosecutions facing Trump, the clear frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.
Cannon previously pushed back several pre-trial deadlines, but said she would
Bangladesh building fire kills at least 46, injures dozens
IndoUS Tribune Newsdesk
At least 46 people were killed in a deadly fire that broke out at a six-storey commercial building on Baily Road in Dhaka late on Thursday night. Of the deceased, 33 died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and 10 in Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen.
He added that more than 22 people were severely burned are battling for their lives. Around 75 people, including 42 in an unconscious state, were rescued from Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall.
The Fire Service says the Green Cozy Cottage houses Kacchi Bhai biriyani shop, an outlet of retailer Illiyeen, and several other shops. Live videos shared by people on Facebook showed a fire engulfing the building while onlookers gathered outside.
Locals and firefighters were seen rescuing the people trapped inside the building in some of the videos. Mohammad Rashed,
a rescue worker of the Fire Service, exited through the back of the building with five other workers. All of them escaped out of the building with air jumping bags.
A security guard in an adjacent building recounted his experience saying, “There was no fire at first, we only saw smoke. When I went to the ground floor of the building to inspect the matter I heard a gas cylinder burst and the fire spread to the upper floors of the building.”
“The fire spread so fast that the Fire service was struggling to rescue people. Some got down from the building by climbing a rope, but many were injured in this way,” he added. Around 10-15 people have been taken to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for sustaining injuries from the fire.
Three platoons of paramilitary, Bangladesh Ansar and one of the specially trained Ansar Guard Battalion have been deployed to help in the fire and rescue operation working together with the Fire service.
wait until Friday to consider moving the scheduled May 20 trial.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 40 federal counts accusing him of retaining sensitive national security documents at his Florida resort after leaving office in 2021 and obstructing U.S. government efforts to retrieve them. Trump is charged alongside his personal aide Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira, a property manager at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Trump has repeatedly sought to delay all four of the criminal cases against him, which he has claimed are part of a politically motivated effort to damage his election campaign.
Trump is due to face trial in state court in New York beginning on March 25 on charges that he falsified records to pay hush money to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. The timing of the other three cases remains uncertain and it is unclear whether any will go to trial before the November election.
Jaishankar’s Korea visit: A further step to enhance ties with diaspora
Contd. from Pg. 01
The visit of EAM Jaishankar, who has always thanked and praised the diaspora while calling them ambassadors of India, comes at a time when a significant number of Indians are choosing the nation as a study-abroad destination. According to recent MEA estimates, more than 1,300 Indian students are studying in South Korea and a large number of them are pursuing post-graduate and Ph.D programmes, mostly in pure sciences.
With popular education destinations like the UK and Canada tightening immigration rules, many Indian students are considering Korea owing to its quality education, affordable tuition fees, and the cost of living.
For instance, a Korean D-2 Student Visa permits working up to 20 hours per week and after graduation, students can apply for a D-10 visa and start looking for jobs.
In September last year, Minister Lim Sang Woo (Deputy Head of Mission), Embassy of the Republic of Korea, said Korea is keen on more students, researchers, and highly skilled workers, and aims to attract 3,00,000 international students by 2027.
The two countries were also exploring a new migration agreement last year to ensure easier mobility for professionals of the two countries across a range of areas including technology and automobiles.
With EAM Jaishankar co-chairing the 10th India - Republic of Korea Joint Commission Meeting with his counterpart Cho Tae-yul, it is likely that these issues will come up for discussion.
www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 2 Top Stories
Hindu vote becomes a factor in US elections
His pinned post on X is an endorsement from the Hindu American PAC. Bhavini Patel, a Democrat who is seeking to unseat the incumbent Democrat in a congressional race in Pennsylvania, is being attacked by her opponent for courting Hindu nationalist donors, as also for her unstinting support for Israel.
A fundraising call she hosted with Mihir Meghani, a co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation was being cited as proof of her courting Hindu groups. Meghani is also the chair of the Hindu American PACs whose endorsement is a pinned post on Antani’s X feed.
The Patel campaign has denied these allegations. The back and forth only demonstrates the growing presence of a Hindu vote in US politics.
“There was always a Hindu vote, which was not recognized publicly,” said Ramesh Kapur, a longtime Democratic donor and strategist.
“But it is being recognized now, and has come to the fore in the context of the 2024 elections.”
A bunch of donors are also pressing the Biden-Harris re-election campaign to include a “Hindu Page” in its manifesto, whenever it is announced.
The same group had tried but failed to convince the Biden campaign to feature the same page in its manifesto that ran on the campaign’s website as “Joe’s Vision”. It had sections dedicated to Muslims, Jews, African Americans, and so on. The campaign did issue Biden’s agenda for Indian Americans but this group of Hindu donors were insistent on a “Hindu Page” in “Joe’s Vision” specially because of the observances in the section for Muslims.
“Joe Biden has been disappointed by the measures that the government of India has taken with the implementation and aftermath of the National Register of Citizens in Assam and the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act into law,” it had said, referring laws that sought to fast-track citizenship request from nonMuslims fleeing neighboring countries and keeping a national registry of citizens Both laws remain un-enforced.
These donors are pressing for the page with an offer to provide President Biden the cushion of Hindu American votes to offset the possible boycott of Arab and Muslim votes over the administration’s support of Israel offensive against the Hamas in Gaza, especially in the key swing states that tend to determine most presidential races.
A phrase being used frequently in this context is “plug the gap”.
8th Indian in Qatar to return after fulfilling ‘certain requirements’: MEA
Contd.
“As you know, all eight Indian nationals who were involved in the Dahra Global case have been released. Seven of them have returned to India,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday.
“The eighth Indian national has certain requirements to fulfill, he will return as and when those are completed,” he added.
The spokesperson did not elaborate on the requirements that Commander Tiwari needed to fulfill to ensure his return to India. Earlier, Commander Tiwari’s cousin, Dr. Meetu Bhargava, had expressed her joy upon hearing the news of his release, which she said would not have been possible without Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s help.
The MEA spokesperson also confirmed that the first group of civilian crew replacing Indian troops has reached Maldives.
“The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter at Gan has reached Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel that were until now operating it,” Jaiswal said in response to a question.
“That is where it is as far as the core group meeting is concerned. We will have more details later,” he added.
In a statement released on Monday,
The MEA spokesperson also confirmed that the first group of civilian crew replacing Indian troops has reached Maldives.
the Maldives’ Ministry of Defence said: “The civilian crew who will operate the helicopter in place of the Indian troops currently stationed in Seenu Gan (Addu city) has arrived in Maldives this evening.”
As of now, there are close to 80 Indian military personnel in the island nation to operate two Indian helicopters and an aircraft. The Maldivian defence ministry also stated that the helicopter stationed at Kadhdhoo Airport would be returned to India for maintenance, adding that a replacement helicopter would arrive aboard an Indian warship.
Maldives’ pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu promised to remove Indian troops from the island nation after winning the country’s presidential election in November 2023.
Earlier this month, he said the first group of Indian military personnel will be sent back before March 10, while the remaining will be withdrawn by May 10.
Wisconsin, one of the swing states, will be critical. Biden won this state by 20,000 in 2020. It has an estimated 38,400 Hindu Americans and they may be able cushion the blow from the boycott by the state’s 68,000 Muslims to an extent. These numbers come from a document prepared by these donors to make their case.
Hindu Americans are more confident of their ability to help Biden better in Georgia, a state he won by roughly 12,000. The state is home to 172,000 Hindu Americans, who can more than compensate for its 123,000 Muslims.
In Pennsylvania, which Biden won by 44,000, Hindu Americans number 129,700 to 149,500 Muslim Americans. Hindu Americans are not able to fill the gap completely but, they are arguing, they can help the campaign fill the gap.
But all this presumes Hindu Americans will turn up and vote and not, as mostly before, staying home.
These Hindu Americans feel particularly confident of their clout on account of two key political developments.
One, they believe, they helped Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, win the Governorship of Virginia, and, two, convinced Gavin Newsom, the California Governor with widely acknowledged
Vladimir Putin’s
White House aspirations, to veto a legislation passed by the California legislatures to add “caste” to the list of prohibited discriminatory practices.
Hindu Americans are mostly of Indian descent but a sizable number of them are also from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Caribbean, Afghanistan and American converts such as former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s family.
Indian Americans have been a growing political force in the US, but many among them have begun to differentiate themselves as Hindu Americans, a trend that has been helped along by the rise of the BJP in India, specially the immense popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Multiple groups have cropped up with names wrapped around the word “Hindu” -- Republican Hindu Coalition, American Hindu Coalition, Hindus 4 America, Hindu American PAC (Political Action Committee).
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal, the three Indian American members of the House of Representatives are all Hindu, but they have rarely, if ever, flouted their faith to further their politics. And they have now been members of US Congress since 2017, serving three terms. Shri Thanedar, who joined them in the House in 2023 has been demonstrably bolder. He heads the Hindu Caucus in the House.
war not only threatens Ukraine but also US, says Blinken
US Secretary of state department Antony Blinken has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war not only threatens Ukraine but also Washington, NATO allies and free open international trade.
On the second anniversary of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, the US state department in a statement said: “The US has built a coalition of 50 countries, including all NATO members and the G7 in defence of the freedom of
a sovereign democratic nation. Together, we will continue to impose costs on Putin’s Russia for its actions and ensure accountability for its crimes.”
Expressing solidarity with Kyiy, the US said it will continue to stand resolutely with the Ukrainian people in their defence of their homeland.
“Together, we will continue to impose costs on Putin’s Russia for its actions and ensure accountability for its crimes. We are imposing additional costs for Russia’s internal repression, the death of Aleksey Navalny, and the war against Ukraine,” it added.
www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 3 Top Stories
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Stress Testing Congress: Political Turmoil in Himachal Pradesh amid BJP’s Rajya Sabha Victory
The recent events unfolding in Himachal Pradesh have sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape. The decision by Congress MLAs to vote against their own party’s nominee for the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, resulting in the seat being secured by BJP’s Mr. Harsh Mahajan, has raised temperatures and created turmoil in the region. Additionally, the call for Chief Minister Sukhu’s resignation by dissident MLAs and the subsequent resignation and retraction of resignation by Vikramaditya Singh have added fuel to the drama. The BJP’s claim of having the support of dissident MLAs to form a government has further intensified the political instability in the state. This raises important questions about the impact of such instability on the overall well-being of Himachal Pradesh. Is political instability of this nature conducive to the progress and development of the state?
Furthermore, the handling of the situation by the top brass of the Congress party comes under scrutiny. Has the Congress leadership failed to effectively manage the crisis and prevent its escalation? Moreover, speculation looms regarding the potential involvement of the BJP behind the scenes in orchestrating this turmoil. In light of these developments, it is imperative for both the Congress and the BJP to provide clarity and transparency regarding their respective roles and intentions in this matter. The people of Himachal Pradesh deserve a stable and accountable government that prioritizes their welfare above all else.
Amid this turmoil, Congress minister Vikramaditya Singh’s reaction to reports of his resignation highlights the ongoing dialogue and action within the party. His statement reflects the nuanced approach to addressing internal dissent and resolving the crisis. Additionally, state Congress chief Pratibha Virbhadra’s acknowledgment of issues since the formation of the government underscores the need for prompt resolution by the party high command. These internal reflections within the Congress further emphasize the depth of the crisis and the urgency for decisive action.
The recent political upheaval in Himachal Pradesh is not an isolated incident but rather a culmination of simmering tensions and power struggles. The BJP’s victory in the Rajya Sabha election served as a catalyst for the crisis, exacerbating existing tensions within the Congress.
The BJP’s strategic maneuvering, coupled with internal dissent within the Congress, has plunged Himachal Pradesh into a state of political turmoil. As the state grapples with the fallout, it is essential for all stakeholders to prioritize the interests of the people and work towards restoring stability and good governance in Himachal Pradesh. The people of the state deserve a government that is committed to their welfare and capable of addressing their needs effectively.
Best Regards,
Dr. (H) Avi Verma Publisher, IndoUS Tribune
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Japan releases 4th ocean discharge of Fukushima nuclear-tainted wastewater despite opposition
Japan on Wednesday started the fourth-round of release of nuclearcontaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. Despite opposition from local fishermen, residents as well as backlash from the international community, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the plant’s operator, started discharging the radioactive wastewater.
Similar to the previous three rounds, about 7,800 tons of the wastewater, which still contains tritium, a radioactive substance, will be discharged over about 17 days. Hit by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered core meltdowns that released radiation, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.
The plant has been generating a massive amount of water tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down the nuclear fuel in the reactor buildings, which are now being stored in tanks at the nuclear plant.
Mexican Foreign Minister urges US to regularize migrants’ legal status
Highlighting the importance of Mexican migrant workers to the US economy, Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena has again urged Washington to regularize their legal status. Addressing a press conference, Alicia Barcena said Mexicans working in the US contribute over $324 billion annually to the nation’s economy in such essential sectors as agriculture, services and construction.
“The regularization of Mexicans is not unprecedented. In 1986, 3 million Mexicans were regularized,” she said. Mexico is requesting the US to make “a similar and fair gesture” to regularize undocumented Mexicans who have worked there for more than five years, including half a million young people protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act.
The influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border rose to unprecedented levels at the end of 2023. In December 2023, US Customs and Border Protection recorded nearly 250,000 encounters with migrants crossing the US-Mexico border, the highest monthly total on record.
To curb mass emigration, the US needs to approve a budget of 20 billion dollars annually to promote development in Latin America and the Caribbean, Barcena said, calling on Washington to lift its sanctions on Venezuela and trade embargo against Cuba.
Republican primary: Trump tightens grip on nomination, Haley stays in race
Former US President Donald Trump tightened his grip on the Republican nomination for the White House defeating Nikki Haley, former UN ambassador and the only other candidate in the field, by a crushing margin in the South Carolina primaries. But he did not achieve what he wants so desperately now -- end this race and pivot to the race against his general election rival President Joe Biden.
Trump has taken an unassailable lead in the Republican primaries and is all but certain to be the Republican nominee unless he is convicted in some of the criminal cases going on against him. His exit from the race, if it comes to that, will throw the race into a tizzy. If Haley is still around at that stage she could stake claim to the nomination as the only candidate standing, but the party may want to go with someone else.
Trump did not name Haley in his victory speech on Saturday and talked about unity in the Republican party and restoring global respect for America, which is a theme that he taps often, along with shutting the border to migrants.
Haley made clear in her speech, she is not
giving up. “I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run. I’m a woman of my word,” she said. “I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.”
South Carolina was touted as a makeor-break contest for Haley being her home state, where she was born, raised and became a politician and two-term Governor. A defeat in the home state would be fatal to her campaign, it was said. And acutely conscious of the talk, Haley had said before that she would stay in the race no matter what happened in the primaries tonight.
The votes were still being counted at the time of this report. Trump was ahead with about 59 per cent of the votes polled and Haley was at around 40 per cent. “I’m an accountant,” she said. “I know 40 per cent is not 50 per cent but I also know 40 per cent is not some tiny group.”
Haley’s long-shot campaign survived the night, but the question everyone’s asking is how long can she hold on; more importantly, how long will donors continue to put money into her election effort despite dismal outcomes in the primaries. She continues to raise huge sums of money and she out-raised the former president last month.
According to the foreign ministry, Mexico is one of the few countries that has to grapple with all phases of the immigration cycle, from being a source of migrants to being a transit country, a destination and a point of return for deportees. There are 37.3 million Mexicans living in the United States, with some 5.3 million being undocumented, according to the Mexican government.
Biden expects Gaza ceasefire by March 4
US
President Joe Biden has said that he expects a ceasefire to take effect in Gaza by next Monday (March 4) on the conclusion of negotiations to free Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.
“I hope by the end of the weekend,” he said on Monday when asked by reporters when he expected a cease-fire. “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a cease-fire.”
Biden was in New York and made these remarks at a stop at an ice cream store. Israeli negotiators are in Doha for hostage negotiations with mediators from Egypt and Qatar, who are separately in talks with Hamas representatives.
The Israeli war cabinet cleared terms this past weekend for the release of 40 hostages in return for a six-week truce, which could take effect at the start of Ramadan.
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Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has already proposed these measures to his US counterpart Joe Biden, along with others, such as controlling the flow of US weapons into Mexico, said the minister.
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US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win in Democratic and Republican primaries in key swing state Michigan, as per media report. Biden defeated Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips, his only opponent left in the Democratic primary. On the Republican side, Trump’s victory over former US Ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley marks the fifth state the former president has swept in the primary.
The economy is the top issue for 31 per cent of Michigan voters, followed by immigration, threats to democracy, healthcare, housing affordability, education, crime, and abortion access, according to a new Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey.
Biden, Trump projected to win in presidential primaries in Michigan Pentagon leak defendant Jack Teixeira to plead guilty
Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, is expected to plead guilty to charges related to his alleged leaking of classified military information on a social media platform in what was one of the most serious U.S. national security breaches in years, according to a court filing.
Federal prosecutors asked a judge in Boston to schedule a Monday hearing for Teixeira, 22, to change his plea following his arrest in April on charges he leaked classified documents to a group of gamers on the messaging app Discord. The material included highly sensitive U.S. military assessments, including on the war in Ukraine. Further information, including what charges Teixeira would plead guilty to, was not immediately available. He had been facing six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to national defense.
Lawyers for Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, did not respond to requests for comment. The leak was considered the worst U.S. national security breach since more than 700,000 documents, videos and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010. The documents leaked on Discord included highly classified information on U.S. allies and adversaries, with details ranging from Ukraine’s air defenses to Israel’s Mossad spy agency.
In December, the U.S. Air Force moved to discipline 15 personnel over the leaking of classified military information allegedly by Teixeira.
US Senate approves bill to avert government shutdown, sends it to Biden
The Democratic-majority U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a short-term stopgap spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown, after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives backed it with less than 36 hours before funding would have begun to run out.
The bill, which passed the Senate in a bipartisan 77-13 vote, will next go to President Joe Biden’s desk for signing into law. It will set deadlines to fund one part of the government by March 8 and the other portion by March 22. In a statement, Biden said the passage was good news for Americans because it avoids a damaging shutdown, but added, “this is a short-term fix, not a long-term solution.”
Earlier on Thursday, in the House, 207 Democrats joined 113 Republicans in a 320-99 vote to approve the shortterm stopgap measure, which buys Congress more time to agree on funding for the full fiscal year that began Oct. 1. About two months have passed since Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, agreed on a $1.59 trillion discretionary spending level for the fiscal year.
Johnson, who has wielded the speaker’s
One killed as wildfire grows into one of largest in Texas history
At least one person was killed in fast-spreading wildfires in the Texas Panhandle that forced evacuations in more towns, knocked out power to thousands of customers and shut down a nuclear weapons plant, local media reported.
Fueled by high winds and dry air since Monday afternoon, the largest fire, known as Smokehouse Creek Wildfire, has burned through more than 850,000 acres as of Wednesday evening with only 3 per cent contained. It now ranks as the second largest in Texas history. The blaze in Moore County scorched an estimated 142,000 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service on Wednesday night.
These wildfires are “quicker than anybody can get around,” said a spokesperson for the service. Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties and said more counties could be added.
An official with the city of Borger confirmed a death linked to the wildfire on Wednesday without providing additional details, local media reported. In
the town of Canadian, at least 30 homes were reportedly burned to the ground.
Pantex Plant, a major nuclear weapons facility in the United States, suspended its operation Tuesday night due to the raging wildfires. The plant, located 21 miles (33.8 km) east of Texas Panhandle’s largest city Amarillo, assembles and disassembles the country’s nuclear arsenal. Rain could arrive in the Texas Panhandle later this week, according to local media reports.
Healthcare providers hit by frozen payments in ransomware outage
Healthcare providers across the United States are struggling to get paid following the weeklong ransomware outage at a key tech unit of UnitedHealth Group with some smaller providers saying they are already running low on cash. Large hospital chains are also locked out of processing payments with some absorbing the upfront costs of being unable to collect, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA), which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, healthcare systems, networks and other providers.
The problems began last week after hackers gained access to UnitedHealth’s Change Healthcare unit, a vital lynchpin in the complex U.S. system for making and clearing insurance claims. It also affected electronic pharmacy refills and insurance transactions, particularly among independents, with some reverting to paper transactions. UnitedHealth said it understood the impact the hack has had on payments but did not immediately respond to requests for comment on how it is affecting hospitals with the issue now a week old.
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gavel only since late October, once again relied on a procedural move that required Democrats to provide most of the support to pass the stopgap spending bill, a tactic that could anger hardline conservatives.
That and 97 “no” votes from his 219-member Republican conference could spell trouble for the speaker as he takes up six full-year appropriations bills next week and moves on to the thorny issue of Ukraine aid.
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Republicans blast US Defense Secretary Austin over health secrecy
Republican lawmakers slammed U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a hearing on Thursday for failing to disclose his prostrate cancer diagnosis, his surgery and his subsequent hospitalization to President Joe Biden or even his deputy at the Pentagon.
Austin, with support from Democrats on the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, sought to dispel accusations that his secrecy jeopardized national security or that his unnoticed absence demonstrated his lack of influence in Biden’s Democratic administration. But Republicans, who are seeking to defeat Biden in the presidential election in November, questioned how the U.S. president could go for days without discovering Austin was hospitalized.
Trump is disqualified from Illinois ballot, judge rules
An Illinois state judge on Wednesday barred Donald Trump from appearing on the Illinois’ Republican presidential primary ballot because of his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but she delayed her ruling from taking effect in light of an expected appeal by the former U.S. president.
Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter sided with Illinois voters who argued that the former president should be disqualified from the state’s March 19 primary ballot and its Nov. 5 general election ballot for violating the anti-insurrection clause of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
The final outcome of the Illinois case and similar challenges will likely be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments related to Trump’s ballot eligibility on Feb. 8.
Porter said she was staying her decision because she expected his appeal to Illinois’ appellate courts, and a potential ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. The advocacy group Free Speech For People, which spearheaded the Illinois disqualification effort, praised the ruling as a “historic victory” in a statement.
Austin did not tell Biden or even his own senior staff about his cancer diagnosis or
initial prostate cancer surgery in December. He also made no such notification calls
US cautions after Hawaii neighbor Kiribati gets Chinese police
in the Pacific Islands in an intensifying rivalry with the United States.
The United States on Monday cautioned Pacific Islands nations against assistance from Chinese security forces after a report from Reuters highlighted that Chinese police are working in the remote atoll nation of Kiribati, a neighbor of Hawaii.
Kiribati’s acting police commissioner Eeri Aritiera told Reuters last week uniformed Chinese officers were working with police in community policing and a crime database program. Kiribati is a nation of 115,000 people whose closest island is 2,160 km (1,340 miles) south of Honolulu, and the news comes as Beijing renews a push to expand security ties
Kiribati is considered strategic not only given its relative proximity to Hawaii, but because it has one of world’s biggest exclusive economic zones, covering more than 3.5 million square km (1.35 million square miles) of the Pacific.
It hosts a Japanese satellite tracking station and China has announced plans to rebuild a World War Two U.S. military airstrip on Kiribati’s Kanton Island, prompting U.S. concern. The United States countered with a pledge in October to upgrade the wharf on Kanton island, a former U.S. military base, and said it wants to open an embassy in Kiribati.
when he was hospitalized on Jan. 1 for post-surgical complications. Austin’s aides who were with him at the hospital decided on their own to transfer his authorities to his deputy when he was moved on Jan. 2 to the intensive care unit, since he would no longer be able to access secure communications.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks had been on a beach vacation in Puerto Rico and was not told how long she would be in charge, that Austin was in the hospital or even that he was ill, officials say.
Republicans pounced on him, saying Biden himself wouldn’t have known who to call in a crisis. Hicks also would not have realized the gravity of the situation.
“If any American worker did what you did, they would be fired,” Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican, told Austin during one heated exchange.
US CDC drops five-day COVID isolation guidelines
The U.S. CDC on Friday dropped its five-day COVID-19 isolation recommendations under a new guidance, instead suggesting that people return to normal activities if symptoms improve and they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without needing medicines.
The guidelines had not been updated since December 2021, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had shortened the recommended isolation time for Americans with asymptomatic cases to five days from 10 days.
“CDC is making updates to the recommendations now because the U.S. is seeing far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID and RSV,” the agency said in a statement.
CDC recommended that once people resume normal activities, they should take additional prevention strategies, including keeping a distance from others, for the next five days to curb the disease spread.
The agency’s recommendations include enhanced precautions to protect those most at risk for severe illness, including those over 65 and people with weakened immune systems.
CDC data estimated nearly 92.3% of COVID-19 cases in the United States for the two weeks ending Saturday were caused by the sub-variant JN.1, classified as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization.
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Indian-origin Sridhar Ramaswamy named CEO of data cloud firm Snowflake
Indian-origin Sridhar Ramaswamy has been named as the Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of US-based data cloud company Snowflake.
Ramaswamy, who previously held the position of Senior Vice President of AI at Snowflake, replaces Frank Slootman who has decided to retire but will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board.
“In the last 12 years, Frank and the entire team have established Snowflake as the leading cloud data platform that is providing enterprises with the secure, scalable and cost effective data foundation and cutting-edge AI building blocks they need to build for the future,” said Ramaswamy.
“I am honored to have been chosen to lead the company into this next chapter of growth. We have an enormous opportunity ahead to help all customers leverage AI to deliver massive business value. My focus will be on accelerating our ability to bring innovation to our customers and partners,” Ramaswamy added.
Since joining Snowflake in May 2023 in connection with the company’s acquisition of Neeva, the world’s first private AIpowered search engine, Ramaswamy has been spearheading Snowflake’s AI strategy.
He led the launch of Snowflake Cortex, Snowflake’s new fully managed service that makes AI simple and secure for all users to quickly drive business value.
Slootman said that there is no better person than Ramaswamy to lead Snowflake into the next phase of growth and deliver on the opportunity ahead in AI and machine learning.
“He is a visionary technologist with a proven track record of running and scaling successful businesses. I have the utmost confidence in Sridhar and look forward to working with him as he assumes this new role,” Slootman said.
Prior to joining Snowflake, Ramaswamy co-founded Neeva in 2019. Previously, Ramaswamy led all of Google’s Advertising products, which included search, display and video advertising, analytics, shopping, payments, and travel.
During his 15 years at Google he was an integral part of the growth of AdWords and Google’s advertising business from $1.5 billion to over $100 billion.
Ramaswamy also held research positions at Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies, and Bell Communications Research (Bellcore). He was a Venture Partner at Greylock Partners from October 2018 until recently, and he sits on the board of trustees at Brown University.
Thousands of devotees take part in ‘Palkhi Yatra’ at BAPS UAE temple
Thousands of devotees took part in a grand procession of the Hindu community members at the newlyinaugurated BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi which is set to open its doors to the general public from March 1. Dressed in traditional Indian attire, singing and dancing to devotional songs, more than 1,100 people participated in the “Palkhi Yatra”, which usually precedes or follows the opening of a new temple, Khaleej Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Idols from the seven main shrines of the temple were placed on decorated palanquins and taken around the temple during the Sunday’s procession, held as part of the ‘Festival of Harmony’ -- an event that marked the majestic temple’s opening on February 14. This was followed by an address to the community by Brahmviharidas Swami, the project head of the BAPS Hindu Mandir.
“I’ve never seen so much devotional joy and
color as we danced around the Mandir. We thank the BAPS Mandir for opening their hearts to all of us and making everyone feel welcome. We truly feel it is our Mandir. And all that is thanks to the guru, Mahant Swami Maharaj,” Lina Barot, a community member, told Khaleej Times. The temple authorities
announced on Tuesday that the Mandir will open its door to the public from March 1 from 9 am to 8 pm and it will remain closed to visitors every Monday. The temple was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the Gulf nation and was attended by over 5,000 invitees.
Indian-origin former prison officer jailed for bribery bid in Singapore
A57-year-old Indian-origin former prison officer in Singapore was sentenced to more than three years in jail on Friday for attempting to seek bribes totaling SG$133,000 in exchange for transferring an inmate out of his jail cluster. Kobi Krishna Ayavoo, a retired senior chief warder, was convicted of eight charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, The Straits Times newspaper reported.
In addition, he was found guilty of instigating his colleagues to access the prison system to view the inmate’s
information in July 2017 following which he was suspended.
The prosecution told the court that Kobi sought bribes from an inmate named Chong Keng Chye on eight separate occasions between September 2015 and March 2016 to pay his car loan installments, house renovations, a
birthday celebration, and credit card bills. Chong, who was sentenced to 20 years of preventive detention in 2005 for beating his girlfriend’s seven-year-old son until the child died, wanted a transfer out of a cluster in Changi Prison.
Kobi tried to obtain between SG$3,000 and SG$42,000 but did not receive any money from him as Chong knew Kobi did not have the capability or the authority to help him, the court was told.
Claiming that Chong lied, Kobi denied asking for money from him on any of the eight occasions and said that he spoke to him only during yard time when there were always inmates within hearing distance.
India-born economist Geeta Batra named as first woman Director of World Bank’s GEF
Geeta Batra, an Indian economist, has been named as the new Director at the Independent Evaluation Office of the World Bank’s Global Environment Facility (GEF), making her the first-ever woman from a developing country to hold the coveted post. Batra, 57, is currently the Chief Evaluator & Deputy Director for Evaluation at the GEF’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), affiliated to the World Bank.
Her name was unanimously recommended for the coveted position at the 66th GEF Council Meeting held in Washington on February 9 and was announced last week.
“My top priorities will be to deliver sound evaluative evidence on the results and performance of the GEF, provide leadership
to ensure that the GEF IEO stays at the forefront of environmental evaluation and strengthen the IEO teams and invest in skills,” Batra said.
She will also build partnerships with multilateral and bilateral agencies, foundations and networks, and share knowledge of what works, where and why.
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23 lakh Indian diaspora are reinforcing IndoCanadian relations: Jitendra Singh
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Twenty-three lakh Indian Diaspora are reinforcing New Delhi-Ottawa relations and contributing to the development of both nations, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said as he met a high-level delegation on Wednesday. Singh told Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan province who was leading the delegation, that the presence of the Indian Diaspora in the Canadian Parliament and the cabinet is a testimony of longstanding relations between the two countries.
Acknowledging the positive contributions made by the Indian community, the minister said they act as a bridge between the two nations as Canada is one of the most favored destinations for Indian students for higher education. Singh also mentioned PM Narendra Modi’s invitation to India’s diaspora to do research in India’s premier institutions and contribute to its progress under the VAIBHAV fellowship program.
Cooperation and collaboration in areas like Electric Vehicles, Cyber Physical System, Quantum Technologies, Future Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen Fuel, Deep Ocean Mining etc were also
discussed, a Ministry of Science & technology release stated. He told the delegation that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India established the ‘Anusandhan’ National Research Foundation. The foundation prioritises research in areas of technology and science to foster and revitalize the innovation ecosystem with around 60-70 per cent participation of the private sector.
He also emphasized that the government is keen on opening arms to welcome nongovernmental organizations to contribute
Family of slain British Indian teen slams UK cops for ‘mismanagement’
Slamming the police for ‘mismanagement’, families of the victims of Nottingham murders, which included an Indian-origin student, said they will continue to raise ‘serious concerns’ about the case and ‘will not be silenced’. British-Indian Grace O’Malley-Kumar, fellow student Barnaby Webber, both aged 19, and 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates were stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane near the University of Nottingham on June 13, 2023. In a joint statement, the families also accused the Nottinghamshire Police of ‘gagging’ the media in an attempt to stop details of case failings being made public, the Shropshire Star newspaper reported.
Calocane, 32, was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order last month after prosecutors accepted his plea of guilty to manslaughter based on diminished responsibility with psychiatrists saying that
he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. The victims’ families -- who had hoped for a murder trial -- reacted with shock and anger to the verdict, which said that Calocane would not face a murder trial due to ‘mental illness’. Further, they criticised the police after it emerged during a misconduct hearing that they shared details about the murder victims on a WhatsApp group.
“We will not be silenced. This behavior must be addressed and urgent changes made as this must not happen again to other innocent families,” the families said in the statement released on Monday. They said their ‘lengthy and detailed statement’ was sent to highlight their concerns and ongoing mismanagement by the Nottingham Police. They also mentioned in the statement that the police force held an off-the-record press briefing last week, where they told the journalists that they could not report the information discussed.
As of now, the families are awaiting a response from the Home Secretary and have also written to Opposition leader Keir Starmer, seeking a meeting with him and his shadow ministers. Calling for a public inquiry into the case, the families have also met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who promised them that “we will get the answers”. Meanwhile, Attorney General Victoria Prentis KC MP said the sentence of manslaughter by diminished responsibility and attempted murder was ‘unduly lenient’ and will be referred to the Court of Appeal.
to technology development and support them. The meeting comes as India is keen to develop research collaborations with Canadian R&D institutions and technology collaborations with Canadian industries.
Speaking of Canada and India relations, Moe said it has made great strides in recent years and has become truly multidimensional, spurred by a significant convergence of interests, mutual goodwill, and exchanges. He said the relationship has grown between India and Saskatchewan,
Indian
restaurant
especially after opening their office in Delhi, and strengthens their resolve to work with India and achieve collective growth. Saskatchewan is home to 15,660 Indians, according to the 2021 census, and from 2016 to 2021, immigrants from India made up 18.4 per cent of total immigrants moving into the province.
The province’s exports to India stand at more than $1 billion and roughly make up a third of Canada’s total exports to the country. In addition, the province also has a trade and investment office in New Delhi.
manager ‘killed’ in UK; suspect due for court appearance
A24-year-old man is due to appear in a UK court on Wednesday in connection with the murder of an Indian restaurant manager who was hit by a vehicle as he was cycling home from work last week. Shazeb Khalid of no fixed address was arrested and charged with one count of murder on Tuesday, following an investigation by the police, and is due to appear at Reading Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Vignesh Raman, aged 38, was declared dead at the Royal Berkshire Hospital after he was hit by a vehicle on Addington Road in Reading on February 14.
Police said seven other men from Reading, aged between 20 and 48, who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, have all been released on bail.
“Our thoughts remain with the family of Mr. Raman, who are being supported by specially trained officers. We are continuing our investigation into the circumstances of his death, and arrests have now been made,” Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Brangwin of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, said.
He also appealed to people with information on the case to get in touch with the police and added that there will be a visible police presence in the area as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, a fundraising page has been set up to help Raman’s grieving family with repatriation costs, and funeral expenses.
Describing him as a “loving husband, dedicated son, and accomplished professional”, the JustiGiving page said that Raman was “a committed restaurant manager at Vel, where he poured his heart and soul into his work, earning recognition for his exceptionally warm nature, customer service, and work ethics”.
“His dream of reaching a senior management position in the hotel industry was within reach, with an exciting opportunity awaiting him at Hyatt Regency Mayfair London,” the page, which hopes to raise 50,000 pounds to support Raman, read.
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Himachal political crisis: Cabinet minister Vikramaditya meets rebels
The “political crisis” in the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh seems yet to be over as Cabinet minister Vikramaditya Singh, who too raised a “banner of revolt” against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Friday reached Delhi after meeting rebel MLAs in Chandigarh. A day earlier, Congress’ observer D. K. Shivakumar informed that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government will stay, and all the MLAs want a Congress government for five years. Out of six rebel MLAs, facing disqualification under the provision of the anti-defection law, two MLAs did not meet Vikramaditya Singh.
Vikramaditya Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, resigned on February 28 from the Council of Ministers. He openly said that legislators had been sidelined,
Karnataka to set up separate secretariat for NRIs: Home Minister Parameshwara
Karnataka will establish a separate secretariat for nonresident Indians (NRIs) in line with the ones set up by the Kerala government, Home Minister G. Parameshwara announced on Wednesday.He made the announcement after welcoming NRIs from more than 15 countries seated at the visitors’ gallery of the state Assembly.
“NRIs have placed a demand towards having a separate ministry. We had included it in our manifesto. In the coming days, we will establish a separate secretariat,” he said.
Addressing the NRIs, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that a large number of people from the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts have settled in foreign countries. “They have not forgotten their culture... The relationship with them should be strengthened. It will also help to bring investments.”
Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Arvind Bellad, said: “The NRIs have made this country proud. Strengthening bonds with them will help in the development of the state... The NRIs are appreciating the governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
ignored and there were fiscal mismanagement.
“All these issues were raised from time to time with the High Command in Delhi but they deliberately ignored the concerns,” he had said.
After two days of parleys and series
of meetings by party’s central observers -- D.K. Shivakumar, former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress state president Pratibha Singh and her son Vikramaditya were pacified. Second-time legislator Vikramaditya Singh did not withdraw his resignation till the observers announced a six-member committee for coordination between the government and the party organization.
Political observers said ignoring Vikramaditya Singh and mother and Member of Parliament Pratibha Singh, under whose leadership the party sought votes, could be the thorn that can prick where it hurts the most, if their family stature in state politics is ignored.
Pratibha Singh, who was mollified by the party high command that her legislator son will be accommodated suitably later, is the
Khushbu Sundar slams Mamata for ‘not coming to rescue’ of Sandeshkhali women
Actor-politician and member of National Commission for Women (NCW), Khushbu Sundar, on Thursday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not coming to the rescue of women of Sandeshkhali, who were allegedly subjected to exploitation by leaders of her party.
The BJP leader said despite being a woman, Mamata Banerjee was ‘deaf and dumb’ to the sufferings of the women of Sandeshkhali. Khushbu was addressing a public meeting as part of BJP’s Vijay Sankalp yatra in Hyderabad.
She alleged that there is rampant corruption in states ruled by Congress and other non-BJP parties. She said these state governments were also not implementing the welfare schemes of the BJP-led government at the Centre. Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working for the sake of the country and its people for the last 10 years, she exuded confidence that he will become the Prime Minister for a third time and the BJP-led NDA will cross the 400 seats mark in Lok Sabha.
The BJP leader said PM Narendra Modi worked hard for the real empowerment of women and appealed to the women to strengthen his hands by making him Prime Minister for another term. She said that the country is witnessing women-led empowerment. She stated that the country has made tremendous progress during the last 10 years and that PM Modi is leading India on the path to become a developed nation.
“Ten years ago, we were at rock-bottom. There was rampant corruption, poverty and unemployment,” she said. She added that the entire world was watching India which has become one of the top five economies.
Khushbu Sundar said while Congress and other parties work for their families, the BJP works for the entire country. She mentioned that when Congress was in power, every scheme and place was named after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
“There was only one family politics but today the BJP government is working for the progress of all people,” she said.
Samajwadi Party reiterates demand for ballot papers instead of EVMs in polls
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has told the Election Commission (EC) that people had lost faith in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and ballot papers should be used in polling. In a meeting with the EC team on Thursday evening, other opposition parties raised the issue of alleged malfunctioning in EVMs, irregularities in electoral rolls, abuse of government machinery by the ruling party and strict enforcement of the model code of conduct during elections.
SP also raised objection to the EC’s directive to the political parties to refrain from using children in election campaigns. “Elections are considered a festival of our democracy and people of all age groups, including children, participate in the election activities,” said Naresh Uttam Patel, SP State President.
The EC team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar is in Lucknow on a three-day visit to review the preparation in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
widow of party veteran Virbhadra Singh, who remained at the helm of the state for a record six times and led numerous political battles single-handedly, even when he turned octogenarian. The veteran leader passed away early in July 2021 in Shimla at the age of 87, leaving behind a rich political legacy of pursuing politics on his own terms, rather than banking on his proximity to the party high command.
A group of six Congress legislators, now facing disqualification from the party, crossvoted for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls as they were “disappointed” with the working style of the Chief Minister and seeking his replacement. Even Vikramaditya Singh at the time of his resignation told the media that the government was formed with everyone’s contribution but the MLAs were overlooked and attempts were made to stifle their voices.
INSV Tarini embarks on historic expedition by women navy officers
Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Tarini has embarked on a historic expedition, from INS Mandovi (Goa) to Port Louis (Mauritius), in the first-ever trans-oceanic sortie undertaken by Indian women in a doublehanded mode, the Navy said on Thursday. Lt Commanders Dilna K. and Roopa A. are participating in this expedition, conducted under the aegis of Indian Naval Sailing Association, showcasing ‘Nari Shakti’ (woman power) in the maritime domain. The venture not only highlights the exceptional skill and dedication of the Navy’s women personnel but also underscores the nation’s commitment to promote gender equality and inclusivity in traditionally male-dominated fields, it said.
Their endeavor also serves as a crucial part of their preparation for the upcoming circumnavigation of the globe, scheduled later this year, a Navy official said. The two officers have been preparing themselves for the last two and a half years, following a rigorous selection process. Prior to the present expedition, the two, as part of a crew of six, sailed from Goa to Mauritius and back in 2022, followed by an expedition from Goa to Rio De Janeiro via Cape Town and back last year.
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Gujarat Vidyapith honors Morarji Desai on 129th birth anniversary
Gujarat Vidyapith on Thursday celebrated the 129th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Morarji Desai, with Gujarat Governor and Chancellor, Acharya Devvrat, naming the main auditorium as ‘Morarji Desai Mandapam’.
Speaking on the occasion, ViceChancellor Harshad Patel talked about the institution’s pioneering initiative to integrate cultural and spiritual education with technology. The event also commemorated Morarji Desai’s contributions to the nation and the institution through a cleanliness campaign on the Vidyapith campus.
FM Sitharaman hands over 101 precious antiquities seized by Customs to ASI
Finance Minister Nirmala
on Thursday handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as many as 101 valuable antiquities that were seized from smugglers by different field formations of the Customs Department.
The antiquities included an idol of Lord Vishnu (Perumal) belonging to the late medieval period. Some of these antiquities will be displayed at ‘Dharohar’ -- the National Museum of Customs & CGST in Goa.
The Finance Minister virtually presided over the handing-over ceremony held at seven different locations, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar and Guwahati. The minister also released a brochure ‘Puravshesh ke Prahari’, depicting select antiquities that were a part of the ceremony.
The Finance Minister pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been making sure that stolen artefacts and antiquities are brought back to India from various countries for which bilateral negotiations keep on taking place.
Defence Secretary highlights India as investment destination for German defence industry
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Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, who is visiting Germany, on Wednesday held an interaction with the defence industry and cited India as an attractive destination for investments.
Meeting representatives of the Federal Association of the German Security and Defence Industry (BDSV) at Berlin, he outlined the recent changes in the Indian defence industry through progressive reforms, making it attractive to invest in India, and to enter into partnerships with the Indian defence industry, the Defence Ministry said.
The Defence Secretary highlighted that India is progressively moving towards becoming the next defence innovation, manufacturing, and maintenance hub in Asia.
BDSV Managing Director, Dr Hans Christoph Arzpodien, welcomed him and provided the German defence industry perspective.
The meeting was also attended by Indian envoy P. Harish. A number of
German defence companies were present, represented by their top leadership, and an engaging discussion on business and investment possibilities was conducted.
Earlier, Defence Secretary Aramane cochaired the India-Germany High Defence Committee meeting in Berlin with State Secretary, German Ministry of Defence, Benedikt Zimmer. Both sides discussed
Trinamool suspends Sheikh Shahjahan from party for six years
The Trinamool Congress has suspended Sheikh Shahjahan, the accused mastermind behind the attack on ED and CAPF teams at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5, from the party for six years, state Education Minister Bratya Basu announced on Thursday.
Shahjahan, who was arrested from Minakhah in North 24 Parganas district late on Wednesday night after being on the run for 55 days, was remanded to 10day police custody by a district court on Thursday. A local Trinamool strongman in Sandeshkhali, Shahjahan is also accused of harassing villagers in the trouble-torn area.
“This (decision to suspend Shahjahan) proves that the Trinamool Congress takes steps against those facing specific allegations. This is nothing new for us.
Trinamool Congress had done this before as well,” Basu told mediapersons.
Drawing comparison between BJP and Trinamool, the minister said, “BJP is not like Trinamool Congress. I challenge the Prime Minister to suspend party leaders like Suvendu Adhikari, Narayan Rane and Himanta Biswa Sarma. What steps have been taken against the Chief Minister of Manipur or BJP leaders like Brij Bhusan,” Basu asked. Meanwhile, state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar termed the suspension as nothing but a face-saving exercise.
“Till yesterday, the ruling party was denying Shahjahan’s involvement in any kind of wrong-doings. Both the arrest and the suspension are part of a scripted drama. The way in which Shahjahan entered the district court, it didn’t seem that he was under arrest. It seemed as if Shahjahan has arrested the cops,” Majumdar said.
a range of bilateral security and defence issues, with a focus on developing defence cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Germany.
They exchanged views on the regional security situation, discussed likely joint exercises with Germany in the Indo-Pacific, and deliberated on potential defence industrial projects and proposals, the Defence Ministry added.
Twelve-member panel to supervise inventory of Ratna Bhandar at Jagannath Temple
Following the direction of the Orissa High Court, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of former Supreme Court judge Arijit Pasayat for the supervision of the inventory process for ornaments, jewellery and other valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar (treasure room) of the famed Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, official sources said on Thursday.
Notably, the Ratna Bhandar has two chambers. The outer chamber is opened regularly whenever precious ornaments are required for rituals, while the inner chamber was opened once in 1985 only.
The inventory of ornaments and jewelleries in the Ratna Bhandar was prepared last in 1978.
The public outcry for opening of the Ratna Bhandar and inventory of valuables stored in the treasure room grew louder after the news about the missing key of the Ratna Bhandar surfaced in 2018. Demands have also been made to open the Ratna Bhandar for repair work after some cracks were spotted on its walls.
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Japan’s PM Kishida apologizes for kickback scandal ‘involving’ LDP
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday apologized for the secret slush fund scandals “involving” the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at a parliamentary panel.
During a televised session of the House of Representatives political ethics committee, Kishida vowed to advance political reforms and to amend the political funds control law to restore public trust, Xinhua news agency reported.
Kishida became the first incumbent prime minister to attend the deliberative council on political ethics, last held in July 2009, national news agency Kyodo reported.
The committee is responsible for examining the political and moral conduct of lawmakers who face allegations of wrongdoing.
Heavy rains trigger flash floods in Indonesia
Flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta on Thursday inundated 34 roads, causing traffic disruptions and evacuation of residents in some areas of the city, according to authorities. Indonesia’s weather agency on Thursday issued a warning for potential heavy rains across the capital of Jakarta and its satellite cities for the next eight days.
Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) meteorology deputy head Guswanto said in a statement that heavy rains and strong winds could hit Jakarta and its satellites, including Bogor, Depok and Bekasi, between March 1 and March 8, Xinhua news agency reported.
He said an increase in rainfall in Jakarta, home to around 10 million inhabitants, has been observed since Tuesday with rainfall with extreme intensity happening in the northern areas of the city, such as Kelapa Gading and Tanjung Priok.
“BMKG will continue to monitor weather conditions and changes based on the latest data,” Guswanto said, calling on the public to remain al
South Korea probes company on US sanctions list over Russia connection
ASouth Korea-based company sanctioned by the US over its alleged connection to Russia is currently under investigation by authorities, a Foreign Ministry official said.
Daesung International Trading, a company located in South Korea’s southeastern city of Gimhae, was one of 93 entities added to an “entity list” for export restrictions by the Bureau of Industry and Security under the US Commerce Department on Friday.
“Regarding the company, we shared information with the US in advance, and our relevant authorities are also currently conducting an investigation,” the official said, noting the government plans to continue to work closely with Washington and other key nations in implementing sanctions against Russia, Yonhap news agency reported.
According to a South Korean
government official, the head of Daesung International Trading is a Pakistani national. South Korea’s Trade Ministry said it and the country’s customs agency are looking into the company’s alleged law violations, such as the Foreign Trade Act. After the probe, the government
plans to punish and sanction it if any breach of law is found. The US sanctions were announced on the eve of the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in the wake of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Russia to develop countermeasures against Sweden’s NATO membership
Five people were killed after a cargo ship rammed into a bridge, leading to collapse of a portion of the structure on Thursday morning in China’s Guangdong province. The victims included driver of a bus without passengers, a motorbike rider and three people who were in vehicles that fell into the river under the bridge, Xinhua news agency reported.
The accident occurred early morning when the container ship hit the pier of the Lixinsha Bridge in Nansha District. Five vehicles, including a motorbike, were involved in the accident. Two of the vehicles plunged into the river while the others fell onto the vessel, a preliminary
investigation has found.
Three other people suffered injuries and were sent to hospital for treatment. Two of them fell from the bridge and sustained bone fractures and soft tissue contusions, and they are in stable condition, according to the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yatsen University.
Guterres condemns killing of over 100 around food convoy in Gaza
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday condemned the killing of more than 100 people in incidents in northern Gaza and repeated his demands for a ceasefire, his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
On the day Gaza’s Health Ministry announced that the death toll crossed the 30,000 mark since Israel’s attacks began on October 8, 104 people were killed and more than 700 injured in the incidents around a food convoy in the Gaza City area, according to the Palestine news agency, Wafa.
The agency said that according to medical sources, Israeli troops had opened fire with heavy machine guns at people waiting for trucks laden with
humanitarian assistance for distribution.
“The Secretary-General condemns
the incident today in northern Gaza in which more than a hundred people were reportedly killed or injured while seeking life-saving aid,” Dujarric said.
He added that Guterres “is appalled by the tragic human toll of the conflict in Gaza, in which more than 30,000 people have now reportedly been killed and more than 70,000 injured. Tragically, an unknown number of people lie under rubble”.
His statement did not name Israel in the attack, and Dujarric explained to reporters that the UN did not as yet have direct knowledge of what happened, but he said that acts of violence caused the incident.
UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk called the killings in Gaza, “carnage”.
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Myanmar declares martial law in 2 townships of eastern state
Myanmar’s State Administration Council imposed martial law in Momeik and Mabein townships in Shan state of eastern Myanmar, media reported. According to the media report, the council said on Wednesday in its order statement that the martial law was imposed to ensure security, uphold the rule of law, and maintain peace and stability in the region.
Subsequently, in its separate order, the council granted administrative and judicial power for the townships to the commander of the northern command to effectively carry out the works on security, law enforcement, and peace and stability of the region, the report added. Myanmar has remained under a state of emergency, which was initially declared in February 2021 for one year and subsequently extended five times, each for six months, until end of July this year.
Pakistan court indicts Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi in graft case
An accountability court in Pakistan on Tuesday indicted former prime minister and jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Rs 50 million graft case. Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana, while framing charges against Imran Khan and his wife, asked them if they were guilty, which both of them denied. The court has deferred the matter till March 6. The case pertains to the settlement of about Rs 50 billion, which the UK’s National Crime Agency sent to Pakistan after recovering the amount from Pakistani property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain. The money was said to misappropriated by Imran Khan, the then prime minister.
Imran Khan is the main accused while his wife Bushra, former accountability czar Shahzad Akbar, former aide to premier Zulfiqar Bukhari, Zia Mustafa and Farah Shazadi aka Farah Gogi are co-accused, The Express Tribune reported.
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German Defence minister rules out sending troops to Ukraine
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has ruled out sending German ground troops to Ukraine after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested a day before that European nations might do so.
“Boots on the ground is not an option for the Federal Republic of Germany,” Pistorius told a press conference after meeting with Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner in Vienna on Tuesday as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. Tanner also called Macron’s remarks “a worrying signal”.
Macron said at a gathering of European leaders on Monday that while there was no official consensus among European leaders, the possibility of sending Western
Jordanian king warns of Gaza conflict expansion during Ramadan
King Abdullah II of Jordan has warned that a continued war in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan could risk expanding the conflict. King Abdullah made the remarks on last week at a meeting in Amman with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, during which he called for maximum efforts to reach an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and to protect innocent civilians, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the Royal Hashemite Court.
The king noted that Jordan will continue to provide humanitarian, relief, and medical assistance to the people in Gaza, the statement added. The king reiterated Jordan’s rejection of any attempts to separate the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, while urging the continuation of Arab coordination to find a just solution to the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution. Abbas, for his part, voiced appreciation for Jordan’s steadfast position on the Hamas-Israel conflict, stressing the need to continue close coordination and consultation between the two sides to serve the Palestinian cause and protect holy sites in the city.
Iraqi, Armenian presidents hold talks in Baghdad to boost ties
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and his Armenian counterpart Vahagn Khachaturyan met in Baghdad and discussed means to enhance bilateral ties in various aspects. A statement by the media office of the Iraqi presidency said on Tuesday that the two leaders discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields, including the economy, trade and investment.
During the meeting, Rashid stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts to “continue combating the threat
of terrorist organizations and extremist ideology that target the security and lives of everyone without exception,” the statement said.
Rashid also commented on the tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
stressing Iraq’s position calling for dialogue and adopting political solutions to settle their differences.
Later on Tuesday, the two Presidents held a joint conference, during which Rashid welcomed Khachaturyan and expressed his readiness to “work with his Armenian counterpart to make this visit an essential milestone in improving relations between the two countries”.
For his part, the Armenian President told the press conference that the talks discussed ways to develop bilateral relations and many issues related to regional developments.
troops to Ukraine “should not be ruled out,” adding that the West will do everything to ensure Russia does not win the ongoing war.
Russia to ban gasoline exports for six months from March 1
Russia will introduce a sixmonth ban on gasoline exports, beginning March 1, a spokesperson for Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday.
Talking to reporters, the spokesperson said the move aims to offset the growth in demand in spring and summer and another possible measure is to increase the diesel sales rate on the stock exchange to 16 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.
The restriction will not apply to the countries in the Eurasian Economic Union, the report said.
Previously, Russia introduced a ban on gasoline exports from September 21 to November 17 in 2023 to stabilize the price situation in the domestic motor fuel market.
The ban was lifted after the domestic fuel market reached saturation and a supply surplus was established.
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South Korean President, Meta CEO Zuckerberg discuss cooperation on AI
South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol and Meta Platforms CEO, Mark Zuckerberg met in Seoul on Thursday and discussed ways to expand cooperation in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR) sectors, a presidential official said. Zuckerberg was in Seoul on a three-day visit, during which he met with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan and other businesspeople to discuss collaborations in the cutting-edge industries, Yonhap news agency reported.
During their meeting at the presidential office, Yoon and Zuckerberg discussed their visions for an open AI digital ecosystem and ways to strengthen cooperation between Meta and South Korean companies, as well as the need for Meta, as a global platform, to play an active role in building a trustworthy digital society, Sung Tae-yoon, Director of national
Amazon aggregator Thrasio files for bankruptcy in US
Thrasio Holdings Inc, an aggregator of private brands on Amazon, has filed for bankruptcy in the US in order to reduce its losses from a massive debt load, the company said on Wednesday.
The company filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code and received commitments from certain of its lenders for up to $90 million in new financing. Thrasio entered into a restructuring support agreement with some of its lenders to reduce debt of $495 million, the company said.
“We are taking steps to build on this progress by strengthening our financial position and working with our lenders to support our future success,” Greg Greeley, Chief Executive Officer of Thrasio, said in a statement.
According to the company, the infusion of new capital ($90 million) is expected to provide sufficient liquidity to support the company throughout this process and beyond.
According to a document filed with the New Jersey bankruptcy court, the company listed assets between $1 billion and $10 billion, and liabilities between $500 million and $1 billion. According to reports, the company clocked over $500 million in revenues and a profit of $100 million in 2020. The startup was valued at over $3 billion in February 2021.
policy at the presidential office, said during a Press briefing. Yoon especially noted that South Korean companies rank first and second in the world in memory chips, an essential part of AI systems, and called for close cooperation, saying the government is ready to provide active support, given the close supply chain cooperation mechanisms established between
the South Korean and US governments.
Yoon also explained South Korea’s efforts to nurture the metaverse industry and the potential for big synergy if Meta pairs up with South Korean companies, which are strong in hardware, to develop XR headsets for the metaverse industry.
Bill Gates visits Microsoft India Development Centre
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Wednesday visited the company’s India Development Centre (IDC) in Hyderabad, a centre of innovation that he envisioned in 1998. IDC is celebrating its 25th year of groundbreaking research, engineering, and development, marking its pivotal role in shaping world-class products such as Azure, Windows, Office, Bing, Copilot, and other AI applications.
“It was rewarding to watch Bill address some of India’s brightest engineering minds at IDC, our biggest asset,” Rajiv Kumar, Managing Director, Microsoft IDC, and CVP, Experiences + Devices India, said in a statement.
“Echoing his optimism over the opportunity for an AI-powered India, IDC is excited to drive innovation from India for Microsoftfrom AI and cloud to security and gaming,” he added. Earlier this week, Gates announced his plans to visit India in a LinkedIn post, saying, “I can’t wait to learn about how India is finding
innovative new ways to advance health, digital public infrastructure, and climate to improve the lives of billions.”
In his blog, the Microsoft co-founder mentioned that he is visiting this week to learn about “how we can continue working with India to help its ideas and inventions reach everyone who needs them, no matter where they live.”
“This will be a main topic when I meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week,” Gates added.
Zuckerberg acknowledged the high reliance on South Korean-made parts, especially in the context of geopolitical risks surrounding Taiwan, home to semiconductor manufacturing company TSMC, according to a presidential official.
He also noted the important place Samsung holds in the global economy as a leading foundry business and how that could serve as an important factor in collaborations with the company, the official added.
Meanwhile, Yoon asked Meta and other big tech platform companies to pay special attention to the threat posed by a growing volume of fake news and fabricated material exploiting AI in an election year in many countries around the world.
Zuckerberg explained Meta’s efforts to prevent election fraud, such as by placing watermarks or labels on videos to mark whether they are AI-generated, the official said.
Tech Mahindra, Pegatron sign MoU to develop AI-enabled private 5G networks
Tech Mahindra and global leader in technology and electronics manufacturing Pegatron on Wednesday announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024. Under this partnership, the two organizations will develop private AI-enabled 5G solutions for global enterprises. According to the company, the partnership will leverage a purpose-built private 5G product portfolio marketed under Pegatron 5G business unit, coupled with Tech Mahindra’s proven expertise in large-scale 5G transformations, to provide end-to-end 5G for Enterprise (5G4E) solutions for global enterprises and manufacturing customers.
“We are honored to collaborate with Tech Mahindra, which will unlock opportunities for enterprises across the globe to experience this strong 5G product portfolio to create resilient and efficient network solutions around AI-led use cases that will help optimize their investments,” said Dr Shue, Chief Technology Officer, Pegatron.
Boeing agrees to $51 mn settlement for US export violations, including in China
Boeing said on Thursday it had reached a $51 million settlement with the U.S. State Department for numerous export violations including Chinese employees in China improperly downloading documents related to U.S. Defense Department programs. The State Department said from 2013 through 2017 three Chinese employees at Boeing facilities in China downloaded technical data involving programs including the F-18, F-15 and F-22 fighter jets, the E-3 airborne warning and control system, the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and the
AGM84E cruise missile. Boeing said there were additional unauthorized downloads of technical data at Boeing and partner facilities in 18 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Morocco, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2018.
The administrative settlement covers unauthorized exports of technical data and resolves 199 violations of the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the State Department said. The State Department said the settlement
“highlights the importance of exporting defense articles only pursuant to appropriate authorization” and followed “an extensive compliance review” by the government. Boeing also engaged in some unauthorized exports of defense material and technical data related to defense programs to a number of countries including Israel, Turkey and Lebanon, the State Department said. Boeing voluntarily disclosed the violations, which mostly occurred before 2020, and the government documents did not allege disclosure of classified material. The department said Boeing cooperated and “has incorporated numerous improvements to its compliance program since the conduct at issue.”
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captivating chat: Gautam Adani, Uber CEO discuss future collaborations
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Adani Group Founder and Chairman Gautam Adani on Saturday met Uber’s global CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and discussed future collaborations in India, as the country doubles down on green and sustainable energy.
In a post on X, Gautam Adani posted pictures of him with Khosrowshahi, who is currently on a visit to India.
The meeting came as Indian green and renewable energy is booming, which will benefit the Electric Vehicle (EV) sector the most. Uber is replacing its fleet with EV vehicles across the globe, including in India. Earlier this month, the ride-hailing platform said its eco-friendly, global EV service, called Uber Green, is now available in Delhi.
‘Uber Green’ was displayed at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2024, visited by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal.
Meanwhile, Gautam Adani has said he will invest an estimated $100 billion into India’s green energy transition over the next 10 years, with plans to scale up to 10 GW of solar manufacturing capacity by 2027.
“India is on the cusp of becoming a global leader in renewable energy and Adani Green Energy is in the vanguard of this revolution,” he said last December.
Adani Green Energy in December announced that the promoters of the company would infuse Rs 9,350 crore into it through preferential issuance of warrants at a price of Rs 1,480.75 per share.
“This investment by the Adani family underscores our commitment not only to making our nation’s clean energy dream a reality, but also to an equitable energy transition where we phase down traditional power sources while simultaneously phasing up green, affordable alternatives to fuel our accelerating growth and development plans,” said Gautam Adani.
Musk sues OpenAI, its CEO Sam Altman over agreement breach around AI
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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging they breached their original contractual agreements around AI. The lawsuit, filed in a court in San Francisco in the US, revolves around OpenAI’s latest natural language model titled GPT-4.
The X owner alleged that OpenAI and Microsoft (which has poured billions of dollars into Sam Altman-run company) have “improperly licensed GPT-4” despite agreeing that artificial general intelligence (AGI) capabilities “would remain non-profit and dedicated to humanity”.
“Musk has long recognized that AGI poses a grave threat to humanity -- perhaps the greatest existential threat we face today,” read the lawsuit. Musk’s lawsuit details complaints such as contract breach, fiduciary duty violation, and unfair business practices. Musk was an original board member of OpenAI until 2018. According to the lawsuit, OpenAI’s
initial research was performed in the “open, providing free and public access to designs, models, and code”.
When OpenAI researchers discovered that an algorithm called “Transformers,” initially
Vijay Shekhar Sharma quits as Paytm Payments Bank Chairman, Board member
Leading financial services company Paytm said on Monday that its founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma has stepped down as Non-Executive Chairman and Board Member of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL), as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ban on the bank’s operations inches closer.
In a BSE filing, the company said that the PPBL has reconstituted the Board with the appointment of Central Bank of India’s former Chairman Srinivasan Sridhar, retired IAS officers Debendranath Sarangi and Rajni Sekhri
Google Gemini AI
Xowner Elon Musk on Wednesday continued his tirade against Google, saying its artificial intelligence (AI) model Gemini is super racist and even “sexist”. The billionaire responded to a follower who said that Google Gemini replied to his prompt that “white people should absolutely acknowledge their white privilege”.
“Google Gemini is super racist and sexist,” said the Tesla and SpaceX CEO. Another follower commented to Musk’s post that “Gemini holds Asians to similar standards as Whites when it comes to privilege”.
“This just shows more and more how Gemini is programmed with the exact same narratives that our higher education teaches,” an X user posted.
Sibal, and Bank of Baroda’s former Executive Director Ashok Kumar Garg.
PPBL’s future business will be led by a reconstituted Board by One 97 Communications Ltd (OCL), after the RBI ban on the bank operations from March 15. They recently joined as Independent Directors.
invented by Google, could perform many natural language tasks without any explicit training, “entire communities sprung up to enhance and extend the models released by OpenAI”.
Altman became OpenAI CEO in 2019. On September 22, 2020, OpenAI entered into an agreement with Microsoft, exclusively licensing to Microsoft its Generative PreTrained Transformer (GPT)-3 language model.
“Most critically, the Microsoft license only applied to OpenAI’s pre-AGI technology. Microsoft obtained no rights to AGI. And it was up to OpenAI’s non-profit Board, not Microsoft, to determine when OpenAI attained AGI,” the lawsuit further read.
Musk said that this case is filed to compel OpenAI to “adhere to the Founding Agreement and return to its mission to develop AGI for the benefit of humanity, not to personally benefit the individual defendants and the largest technology company in the world”.
is super racist and sexist, says Elon Musk
Musk recently accused Google of running “racist, anti-civilisational programming” with its AI models.
“Given that the Gemini AI will be at the heart of every Google product and YouTube, this is extremely alarming,” he had posted earlier this week. One of his followers commented on his latest post on Google Gemini, saying “just remember who is programming it.
“There’s your problem and your answer. If the left can control the narrative, we will never have honesty again. Truth will be censored or not even added to the database. It will only be left talking points. That’s scary.”
Musk had claimed that a senior Google executive called him after screenshots of Gemini’s response to “misgender” Caitlyn Jenner to avoid a nuclear apocalypse went viral on social media.
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France’s 2018 World Cup winner Paul Pogba banned for four years for doping
France’s World Cup winner and current Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been banned from football for four years after failing a dope test that was conducted in August last year. The punishment was confirmed on Thursday by the Italian National AntiDoping Tribunal.
Pogba, a former Manchester United player, had failed a random dope test after playing an Italian Serie A match for Juventus. He tested positive for DHEA, a banned substance that boosts endogenous testosterone. His ‘B’ Sample was then counter-analyzed, which also returned a positive result.
Former general secretary of the All-India
Germany beat Netherlands to qualify for Paris Olympics in women’s football
Germany secured a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s football event with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League’s third-place play-off.
Following this win, Germany joins Spain, who clinched the Nations League title by defeating France 2-0, and the host nation France, as the three European representatives in the Olympic women’s football tournament.
Germany have participated in five of the seven Olympic women’s football tournaments. They won gold in 2016 at Rio Olympics (but did not qualify to defend the title in 2021) and also took bronze in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
A total of 12 teams will play in the women’s football tournament at the 2024 Games. Matches will be played in Bordeaux, Decines, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Paris (with the final at Parc des Princes) and Saint-Etienne. Also qualified so far are defending champions Canada, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand and four-time winners the United States, with two teams from Africa to be decided in April.
Football Federation (AIFF), Shaji Prabhakaran shared the news on X.
“Paul Pogba has been suspended from
football for four years after a failed antidoping test. Pogba was initially handed a provisional suspension by NADO (the Italian Anti-Doping Organization) in Sep-
Indian pro-boxer Neeraj Goyat squares off against Jake Paul in Puerto Rico amidst heated fisticuff
The ongoing saga between internet sensation Jake Paul and Indian proboxer Neeraj Goyat has reached a boiling point as the two rivals engaged in a dramatic face-to-face encounter on the streets of Puerto Rico.
Amidst the tension and anticipation, Goyat boldly declared, “I’ll smack your head off,” solidifying his unwavering determination to settle the score with Paul once and for all.
“Jake Paul, I’m the man of my word. I’m here. I’m in your country. I’m here in your town. I’m here in your gym, man. Now abuse... You are using a translation application and you are abusing the Indian language. Now abuse,” said Neeraj, the 32-year-old boxer who had previously given a shout-out and Paul responded using a Hindi translator, further fueling the intensity of their exchange
Goyat’s bold declaration stems from a deeprooted determination that has been brewing for months, marked by an unyielding pursuit to confront Paul head-on.
Across various social media platforms, particularly on his Instagram feed, Goyat has been a relentless force, consistently issuing challenges to Paul. Each post has served as a rallying cry, urging Paul to step into the ring and face him like a true competitor. Goyat’s relentless pursuit has garnered attention from
fans and the boxing community at large, creating an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement surrounding the potential showdown.
As the tension between the two fighters reached its peak on the streets of Puerto Rico, Goyat’s months-long campaign culminated in a dramatic face-to-face encounter, emphasizing the depth of his commitment to proving himself against Paul.
Elena Norman resigns as Hockey India CEO
Long-serving CEO of Hockey India, Elena Norman on Tuesday resigned from her post after holding the position for nearly 13 years. During her regime in the top job, the Indian Men and Women’s Hockey teams soared to great heights, achieving career-best world rankings as well as a historic feat in the Tokyo Olympic Games where the Indian Men clinched a bronze medal ending a 41-year long medal drought while the women finished at an unprecedented fourth position.
tember after the failed test, which followed his side Juventus’s 3-0 win at Udinese on August 20,” he wrote.
Soon after being provisionally suspended by the Italian anti-doping agency, Pogba claimed that the intake of the banned substance was ‘unintentional’. Pogba’s lawyers had rejected a plea deal and hoped to get their client a lighter sentence after claiming he had unwittingly ingested the drug via a supplement, thus causing the positive test.
However, Pogba’s defence was rejected by the Italian prosecutors and the National Anti-Doping Tribunal has now handed the French star the maximum punishment possible.
Marais Erasmus to retire from international cricket umpiring after Aus-NZ Tests
Veteran South Africa umpire Marais Erasmus said he would be retiring from his international umpiring career after the ongoing Test series between New Zealand and Australia.
Erasmus had played as a seam-bowling allrounder for Boland in South Africa’s domestic cricket circuit, before transitioning as an umpire at the international level since 2006. As of now, he umpired in 80 Tests, 124 ODIs and 43 T20Is played by men, as well as in 18 women’s T20Is, and being the TV umpire in 131 men’s internationals across the formats.
Erasmus won the ICC Umpire of the Year award thrice — in 2016, 2017, and 2021, leveling alongside Richard Kettleborough and Aleem Dar in a list topped by Simon Taufel, who got the honor five times. He joined the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires from 2010.
Asked about his plans after retiring from international umpiring, Erasmus said, “For the first couple of months I’m just going to take the winter off. We have some travel planned domestically, and from September I’ll be in the hands of CSA.
“We still need to finalize how they want to use me. I’ll umpire in domestic cricket next season and play a mentoring role. I might go to the Khaya Majola Week (a schools event) or the club championships, and I’ll be watching and advising umpires.”
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Sports
‘If trials are only in the hands of WFI, and government can’t do anything then we won’t participate in it’, says Bajrang Punia
Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia on Thursday made it clear that they -Vinesh Phogat, retired Sakshi Malik and other protesting wrestlers – will not take part in the national trials announced by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), till the government intervene in the matter and provide a “proper solution”. On Monday, the WFI has invited the protesting grapplers to participate in the trials in March to select the teams for two top Asian competitions, including the 2024 Paris Games Qualifiers in Kyrgyzstan.
Bajrang said, “We don’t know what is happening. Why is the government not doing anything? WFI is holding state elections, using government money, and holding trials despite getting suspended by the sports ministry. This is really disheartening. If trials are only in the hands of WFI (Wrestling Federation of India) and the government won’t do anything, then we will not go for the trials too.”
“He (Sanjay Singh) is making a mockery of all the rules and the government is not doing anything. This is bizarre. We need a proper solution to this.”
Earlier this month, the United World Wrestling (UWW) lifted the suspension
Morgan Geekie’s hat trick helps Bruins edge Knights
Mason Lohrei scored the game-winning goal with 4:37 left in the third period and Morgan Geekie netted his first career hat trick as the Boston Bruins held off the visiting Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 on Thursday night.
Boston let a 3-0 lead slip as Chandler Stephenson scored a shorthanded goal at 5:01 of the third to tie the game at 4-4. However, Kevin Shattenkirk set up Lohrei for the power-play one-timer that clinched the game following a kill of defenseman Matt Grzelcyk’s minor seconds earlier.
of the Indian wrestling body with a condition that the three grapplers would be given fair chance and not be discriminated against for protesting against former national federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The three have been demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan for his alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers. The sports ministry had also suspended the WFI last year in the wake of the serious
allegations and instituted an ad-hoc panel to run the affairs of the sport. The newlyelected body under Sanjay Singh was also suspended by the ministry.
However, with UWW backing, the WFI is now holding trials. Interestingly, the government can’t interfere in the matter of the WFI directly, otherwise UWW will suspend it and Indian wrestlers will have to play under their banner in major tournaments.
Beijing to host 2027 World Athletics Championships
Beijing will host the 2027 World Athletics Championships, the global governing body of the sport has announced. The decision was made at the 234th World Athletics Council Meeting, held in Glasgow on Wednesday ahead of the World Athletics Indoor Championships, March 1-3.
The 2027 World Athletics Championships will welcome the sport’s biggest stars back to the Beijing, 12 years on from the Chinese capital’s successful staging of athletics’ flagship event and almost two decades on from the Beijing Olympic Games. China will also host next year’s World Athletics Indoor Championships, in Nanjing.
The last edition of the World Athletics Championships was held in Budapest in August, while Tokyo will host the 2025 event.
Paolo Banchero returns to guide Magic past Jazz
Paolo Banchero scored 29 points in his return from a two-game absence caused by an illness, lifting the Orlando Magic to a 115-107 home win over the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. Banchero made 10 of 16 shots, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out six assists to help the Magic win for the fifth time in six games. On the down side, he committed a game-high six turnovers.
Orlando’s Jalen Suggs added 15 points, all in the second half, and hit three clutch 3-pointers in the final three minutes. Moritz Wagner contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Franz Wagner added 14 points and six assists. The Magic scored the final eight points of the first quarter, with Joe Ingles’ 3-pointer putting the hosts up 29-21.
Orlando used another eight-point surge, in-
New Zealand bowler Neil Wagner retires from international cricket
Fast bowler Neil Wagner has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing down the curtains on a 12-year-old Test career during which he played 64 Tests, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Tuesday. Wagner revealed the news on the eve of New Zealand’s two-match Test series at home against Australia. The 37-year-old will not be in the starting XI for the first Test at the Cello Basin Reserve and will be released from the squad ahead of the second Test in Christchurch.
cluding two dunks by Moritz Wagner, to build a 13-point lead in the second quarter. The Jazz went on an 11-0 run, capped by a Markkanen 3-pointer with 13.1 seconds left, to trail just 53-51 at halftime. Utah went up 65-62 with a 7-0 spurt and held an 82-80 advantage after three quarters.
The teams battled back and forth until Banchero broke a 99-99 tie with a bucket at the 4:22 mark. Suggs made it a four-point lead by hitting a trey with 2:50 left, but the Jazz pulled back within one after three free throws from George. Suggs then helped put the game away with his consecutive 3-pointers.
Thompson beats Ruud to win his first ATP Tour title at Los Cabos
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Jordan Thompson lifted the first title of his career after beating Norway’s Casper Ruud at the Los Cabos Open. Following his singles victory, Thompson got the better of Ruud for a second time in the doubles’ semifinals in Los Cabos. The Australian teamed up with Max Purcell for a triumph against the Norwegian and his partner Blumberg, allowing Thompson to become the first player since Nick Kyrgios to sweep the singles and doubles titles at the same ATP Tour event.
Veer Savarkar on Times Square: Randeep Hooda’s film gets prime billing
The upcoming film ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’, which marks the directorial debut of actor Randeep Hooda, recently got its promotional video featured at the iconic Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan area of New York City.
The film’s date announcement video featuring Randeep in the titular role was played at a billboard in Times Square.
‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’, which has booked its release for March 22, this year, presents the tale of VD Savarkar. Randeep, who has also helmed the film, stars in the titular role.
The film also stars Ankita Lokhande, and Amit Sial. Produced by Zee Studios, Anand Pandit, Sandeep Singh, Randeep Hooda, & Yogesh Rahar, and coproduced by Roopa Pandit, Sam Khan, Anwar Ali and Panchali Chakraborty. The film is set to release on March 22, 2024 in Hindi and Marathi.
Arjun Kapoor opens up on playing villain in ‘Singham Again’
Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor, who plays the antagonist in director Rohit Shetty’s upcoming film ‘Singham Again’, has said that life has come full-circle for him with this role as he started his career by doing characters with grey shades. The actor also said that he owes it to Aditya Chopra and Rohit Shetty for believing in his ability to portray negative roles.
Talking about the same, Arjun said: “I started my career in the industry by playing characters with negative shades in ‘Ishaqzaade’, ‘Aurungzeb’ and after all these years, here I’m, playing a villain in ‘Singham Again’. While, Aditya Chopra saw it in me to play characters that are flawed then, now, I’m thankful to Rohit Shetty for having the belief that I could play an out and out villain in his ambitious and much-loved cop universe film. Rohit Shetty instilled faith in me and has been a guide at every step of the way.”
The actor continued, “Both these people have been true mentors in my film career and I’m grateful that a hit-machine film-maker like Rohit Shetty believes that I could surprise people by playing a villain in ‘Singham Again’.”
The actor said that playing the villain in Rohit Shetty’s film gave him the chance to experiment as an actor.
Year of the Stork for celeb couples: Ranveer-Deepika, Virushka, and more
It seems the stork has strutted through B-Town as at least five film industry couples are either all set to embrace parenthood or have just welcomed their second bundle of joy home.
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli: The two, who kept the second pregnancy a subject of intense speculation till South African cricketer A.B. de Villiers literally let the stork out of the bag, announced on February 20 that they welcomed their second child, a son, whom they have named Akaay, on February 15. The name Akaay means “someone who is greater than the physical manifestation”.
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh: After days of speculation, Ranveer and Deepika finally revealed this week that they are stepping into the world of parenthood. The two took to Instagram, where they shared that they are set to welcome their first bundle of joy in September.
Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal: On February 18, Varun and Natasha, who got married in 2021, announced that they are expecting their first child with a heart-warming picture on social media. The doting father-tobe captioned the monochrome image: “We are pregnant ... need all your blessings and love.. #myfamilymystrength”
Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal: The couple, who first met on the sets of ‘Fukrey’ in 2012 and got married in 2022, took to their respective Instagram handles on February 9 to confirm the news about their first child. They posted an image that read: “1 + 1 = 3”.
Yami Gautam and Aditya Dhar: Unlike other couples, Yami and Aditya did not share the pregnancy news on social media; instead, they revealed the beautiful news during the promotions of their latest release the box office sizzler ‘Article 370’.
Natalie Portman opens up about how Jodie Foster reached out to her
Actress Natalie Portman said that acclaimed star Jodie Foster had once reached out to her after she got to know that Portman was ‘sexualized as a young actor’.
The actress shared on an episode of the ‘Smartless’ podcast.
Jodie gained stardom at 12 when she was cast in filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s iconic film ‘Taxi Driver’ as a child sex worker.
Natalie, meanwhile, was just 11 when she was featured in ‘Leon: The Professional’, which
served as her own acting breakthrough.
“I did a speech at a Women’s March about being sexualized as a young actress, and she reached out to me after that, and we talked and it was amazing,” Natalie said.
The actress added: “She’s still a role model.”
Natalie said that she learned at a young age to project a tough exterior on film sets to avoid sexualization, reports variety.com.
“That kind of projection of seriousness protected me in a way,” she said.
“‘Cause I feel like it was almost a warning signal like, ‘Oh, don’t do shit to her.’ Not that anyone ever, you know, deserves it or is asking for it. But I felt like that was my unconscious way of doing it.”
Natalie, who studied psychology at Harvard University but never left acting fully behind, shared that her mother “was with me all the time and made sure that no one got near me” while working as a child actor. Then, “When I went to college, my dad was like, ‘Okay, that was cute. Time to move on. Let’s find another job -- a real job.’ ” .
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Friday, 02 March, 2024
Jennifer Aniston wears huge diamond ring, sparks engagement rumors
Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston has sparked engagement rumors after she was seen wearing a humongous diamond ring on her left hand at the SAG Awards. The actress, who is popular for depicting Rachel in the sitcom ‘Friends’, was nominated for her role in ‘The Morning Show’ but lost out to Elizabeth Debicki from ‘The Crown’.
Aniston looked ravishing in a figure-hugging shimmery silver dress with a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit. However, it was her sparkling piece of jewelry that caught the eyes. It is not known if the actress is dating anyone currently. However, the actress has been married twice before. She was first married to Brad Pitt in 2000 before their split in 2005. She was then married to Justin Theroux in 2012, but then also separated in 2018. She has dated Tate Donovan, Paul Rudd, Vince Vaughn and John Mayer.
State funeral for ghazal’s finest ambassador: Pankaj Udhas gets hero’s farewell
The late ghazal singer, Pankaj Udhas, who passed away after his battle with cancer, was given a state funeral in Mumbai on Tuesday. The band and troops gave him a hero’s farewell. His mortal remains were wrapped in tricolor at his residence, 6A, Hill Side in Mumbai.
Singer and musician Anup Jalota broke down as he paid tributes to his ‘yaar’ Pankaj Udhas at the latter’s residence, calling it a ‘personal loss’. Anup was present at the residence to pay last respects to the Padma Shri awardee.
Speaking to the media persons, Anup got emotional and said: “It’s very difficult to forget him. For people it is Pankaj Udhas who has gone, for me -- I have lost a ‘yaar’. We have spent a beautiful time together -- singing ghazals and songs. I don’t understand the person who has worked his entire life for cancer patients, died due to cancer.”
He said he is sad and hurt as it feels he has lost a family member.
“We used to meet, eat food together, sing songs everywhere even on our world tours. It’s a personal loss for me. May his soul rest in peace,” Jalota said.
‘Euphoria’ star Hunter Schafer arrested during pro-Palestine protest in US
Actress Hunter Schafer, who is known for her work in the drama streaming series ‘Euphoria’, was taken into police custody for storming 30 Rock during the taping of US President Joe Biden’s ‘Late Night’ appearance.
The cops and sources said that she was booked along with 33 protesters, reports ‘New York Post’. Sources have said that the actress was issued a summon for trespassing, after she participated in the protest. The protest was organized to demand a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
As per ‘New York Post’, Schafer, who essays the role of ‘Jules’ in ‘Euphoria’, was photographed wearing a “Cease-fire now” t-shirt while she was escorted out by a New York City Police Department officer with her hands restrained behind her back.
She joined other protesters with the organization “Jewish Voice for Peace” as they sat in the lobby of 30 Rock holding banners. The banners read, “Jews to Biden: Stop arming genocide” and “Lasting cease-fire,” according to videos posted to social media.
“No more weapons, no more war.
Cease-fire is what we’re fighting for”, the group chanted along with: “Not in our name”.
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Vin Diesel confirms ‘Fast XI’ will mark ‘grand finale’ of ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise
Actor-producer Vin Diesel has shared an update on the next installment of the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise christened ‘Fast Xi’ and has promised that it will indeed be a grand finale.
The film is reportedly marking the end of the long-running franchise, at least for the actor, who plays Dominic Toretto.
He has started connecting with the public again after a December lawsuit was filed against him by an ex-assistant, accusing him of sexual battery. However, he has denied the allegations, reports deadline.com.
Vin Diesel took to Instagram to share the plans and wrote: “Just finished our end of the week Fast meeting with the writers and the whole team…. To say the excitement for our finale was incredibly powerful is an understatement. Wow. So exciting…
Diesel added: “While everyone was heading into the weekend amped and excited, I thought of you all… reminded of the countless moments when your enthusiasm and passion became the driving force behind our creative journey. Your commitment to our saga has had a unique impact on its success and evolution… as my youngest daughter would say, it’s profound.”
The actor thanked his fans for being the “backbone of this global saga that because of you, transcends the screen”.
The actor concluded: “This grand finale is not just an ending; it’s a celebration of the incredible family we’ve built together. Hope to make you proud!”
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In loving memory of Shakuntala Devi Bhandari, affectionately known as Mata Ji
Shakuntala Devi Batta, born on March 13, 1922, in pre-partition Punjab, embarked on her eternal journey at the remarkable age of 102. A dutiful, spiritual, and resilient soul, Mata Ji faced life’s challenges with immense strength.
Enduring numerous hardships, she gave birth to ten children, witnessing the passing of four, a testament to her indomitable spirit. In the early 1990s, Mata Ji embraced a new chapter in America, conquering the English language to proudly attain citizenship.
As one of six siblings, she inherited resilience, assuming the role of family matriarch after losing her husband, Inder Pal Bhandari, in 1989. Mata Ji was and will always be the glue that keeps her ten children, 19 grandchildren, and 23 greatgrandchildren together no matter where they are. Her extreme strength, positive attitude, and steadfast faith, will live on within each person that has gotten to know her.
Even as her appetite decreased over the years, some ice cream always put a smile on her face. Her love for Wheel of Fortune, reading and reciting Hindu religious literature, and watching her family grow kept her strong through a full 102 years.
Her guiding mantra, “Ishwar di mauj ah,” echoed the profound belief that life’s twists
and turns were ultimately in the hands of a higher power.
May her spirit continue to inspire strength, resilience, and faith in the face of life’s uncertainties. Mata Ji’s journey was a tapestry of love, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion. She will be dearly missed but forever cherished in our hearts.
Shakuntala Devi Bhandari (March 13, 1922 – March 1, 2024)
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Heartfelt Condolence
Dharam Karam
A warm welcome to Kashi Jangamwadi ‘Math’ in Lord Shiva’s beloved city
The Kashi Jangamwadi ‘Math’ stands as a timeless testament to the rich spiritual heritage of Kashi, tracing its origins back to the dawn of time itself. Founded in the Kritayuga by Shree Jagadguru Panchakshara Shivacharya Bhagavatpadji, the ‘Math’ has witnessed the passage of ages, nurturing the spiritual growth of countless souls. Through Tretayuga and Dwaparyuga, illustrious leaders like Shree Jagadguru Panchavaktra Shivacharya Bhagavatpadji and Shree Jagadguru Vishwakarna Shivacharya Bhagavatpadji guided the ‘Math’, imparting the timeless wisdom of Veerashaiva philosophy. In the inception of the Kaliyuga, Shree Jagadguru Vishwaradhya Shivacharya Bhagavatpadji manifested from the Kashi Vishweshwar Jyotirlinga on the auspicious day of Mahashivaratri, establishing the Jnana Simhasana Peetha, known as Jangamwadi ‘Math’. This sacred institution was founded for the welfare of society and the propagation of Veerashaiva Siddhanta, a philosophy deeply rooted in the reverence for Lord Shiva.
The tradition of sitting on the Jnana Simhasana for religious discourses and initiation by successive Jagadgurus continues to this day, preserving the ancient wisdom for future generations. The historical significance of this ‘Math’ is a testament to the enduring power of spiritual enlightenment in Kashi.
Importance of Kashi
Kashi, also known as Varanasi, holds a unique position as one of the oldest living cities in the world, steeped in cultural and spiritual significance. Revered as the abode of Lord Vishwanath and Mother Annapurna, Kashi’s importance resonates through Vedic scriptures and Puranas. The city, known by many names like Avimukta Kshetra and Mahasmashana, is believed to bestow liberated knowledge upon its visitors.
Bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganges in Kashi is considered the pinnacle of purification, with the river’s northward course uniquely winding through the city. Moreover, Kashi has served as a seat of learning for millennia, attracting seekers and scholars alike to its hallowed grounds. Prominent temples such as the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple, along with iconic Ganga Ghats like Dashashwamedh Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat, add to the spiritual ambiance of the city.
Location and Connectivity
Situated at D35/77, Jangamwadi Rd, Jangamwadi, Varanasi 221001, Uttar Pradesh, India, the Jangamwadi ‘Math’ holds a strategic position in the heart of Kashi. Its proximity to
the revered Lord Vishwanath temple and the holy Ganges ensures easy access for pilgrims and seekers of knowledge.
Kashi’s well-established air and railway connectivity further enhance accessibility, with Varanasi airport located approximately 25 KM away and Varanasi Junction railway station merely 6 KM away. This seamless connectivity facilitates the pilgrimage journey of devotees and scholars, allowing them to immerse themselves fully in the spiritual ambiance of Kashi.
Accommodation
The Jangamawadi ‘Math’ extends its warm hospitality to students pursuing Sanskrit studies and pilgrims visiting Kashi. With free boarding and lodging facilities available for students from primary to research levels, the ‘Math’ serves as a nurturing ground for learning and spiritual growth. The spacious accommodations, including Bhakta Niwas rooms and dormitories, can host over 3000 people simultaneously, ensuring that all visitors to Kashi find comfort and solace within the premises of the ‘Math’. This provision of accommodation reflects the commitment of the ‘Math’ to providing a conducive environment for spiritual contemplation and education.
Guru Parampara
The lineage of spiritual leaders at the Jangamwadi ‘Math’ spans millennia, each Pontiff carrying forward the sacred mantle of guidance and wisdom. From the divine incarnation of Shree Jagadguru Vishwaradhya Bhagavatpadji to the present-day stewardship of Shree 1008 Jagadguru Dr. Chandrashekhar Shivacharya Mahaswamiji, the ‘Math’ has been blessed with illustrious leaders dedicated to the betterment of society.
The historical accounts detail the significant contributions of each Peethadhipati, from the establishment of Gurukuls and libraries to the generous donations made by kings and emperors. Their tireless efforts in propagating Veerashaiva philosophy and nurturing the spiritual fabric of Kashi have left an indelible mark on the city’s cultural landscape. This unbroken lineage of spiritual guidance underscores the commitment of the ‘Math’ to preserving and disseminating ancient wisdom for the benefit of humanity.
Historical Events and Donations
Throughout its history, the “MATH” has received generous donations from kings and emperors, including Kashi Naresh, Nepal Naresh, and Mughal Emperors. These contributions, spanning centuries, have played a crucial role in the sustenance and expansion of the activities here. Historical events, marked
by the visitations of prominent figures like Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, Yogi Ji Chief Minister of UP, spiritual leader and businessman Baba Ramdev, renowned singer Anuradha Paudwal, and businessman Dr. (H) Avi Verma, attest to the enduring influence of the ‘Math’ and its relevance in contemporary times.
Veerashaivism
Rooted in the close relationship between Shiva and Jiva, Veerashaivism is a universal philosophy that transcends caste and creed. The ‘Math’, as a bastion of Veerashaiva tradition, upholds these timeless principles, guiding devotees on the path of devotion and
righteousness. Through discourses, rituals, and community service initiatives, the ‘Math’ fosters a deep understanding of Veerashaiva philosophy, fostering spiritual growth and social harmony among its followers.
Conclusion
As the doors of Kashi Jangamwadi ‘Math’ open to the faithful, a new chapter unfolds in the annals of spiritual enlightenment. With its rich history, divine lineage, and unwavering commitment to Veerashaiva philosophy, the ‘Math’ stands as a beacon of light in the sacred city of Kashi, inviting seekers from far and wide to experience the transcendental wisdom of Lord Shiva. In preserving ancient traditions and fostering spiritual growth, the ‘Math’ continues to be a sanctum of solace and enlightenment for generations to come.
www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 21
The present 86th Mahaswamiji Dr Chandrashekhar Shivacharya and future successor 87th Mahaswamiji Dr Mallikarjun Vishwaradhya Shivacharya
Shree 1008 Jagadguru Dr. Chandrashekhar Shivacharya Mahaswamiji
Uttar Pradesh CM, Yogi Adityanath’s visit to the’Math’
Dr. Avi Verma, Publisher IndoUS Tribune seeking blessing
Dr. Avi Verma and Mrs. Neelam Verma at the Jangambdi ‘Math’ with Mahasawami Ji
Industrialist Dr. Baba Kalyani, Chairman of Kalyani Group and his wife
PM Modi Ji and CM Yogi Ji at the ‘Math’
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www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 24 Dharam-Karam
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www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 25
HAF & DoE conduct webinars for Hindu American student awareness
Over the last few years, HAF has witnessed a nationwide rise in Hinduphobic incidents around the U.S, particularly within schools and on college campuses. In order to equip the students about their rights on the campus, HAF in collaboration with DoE organized two webinars last week to discuss different aspects of thriving as Hindu American students on campus.
Through the“Know Your Rights” webinar, HAF and attorneys from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) educated students about certain rights and the code of conduct when a student finds himself in tough situations. They focused on things like:
4 What you should do when you or someone you know faces Hinduphobia on campus
4 What role the U.S. Department of Education plays in safeguarding students
4 What Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is and how it protects Hindu students. These informative webinars had live Q&A sessions that helped people bring
out their concerns openly. HAF Executive Director, Suhag Shukla, Esq. and Education Director, Vijay Satnarine, Ph.D. were the key speakers who guided students in the best possible way. During the presentation, OCR staff also discussed recent real-world investigations and resolutions of harassment complaints based on ancestry and ethnic characteristics. The OCR stands ready to support schools, students and parents in ensuring every student’s right to learn without discrimination.
HAF believes that all students within our school communities have the right to learn in our nation’s schools free from discrimination. OCR wants schools, students, and parents to be vigilant in protecting students’ rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI).
www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 26
Community
Growing businesses need cash flow. We can help.
Together, we’ll put together a loan structure for your business that can get it done—the right way—for your bottom line. SBA 7(a) loans help small businesses grow by offering longer, more flexible terms and lower-equity contributions.
Together, we’ll put together a loan structure for your business that can get it done—the right way—for your bottom line. SBA 7(a) loans help small businesses grow by offering longer, more flexible terms and
contributions.
Benefits to Business
Benefits to Business
• Longer amortization allows for lower loan payments
Size of Loans
• Longer amortization allows for lower loan payments
• No future balloon payment (fully amortizing loan)
Size of Loans
• Up to $5 million
• No future balloon payment (fully amortizing loan)
• Non-collateral dependent loans available
• Non-collateral dependent loans available
• Closing costs can be included in loan
• Closing costs can be included in loan
Typical Customers/Use of Funds
Typical Customers/Use of Funds
• Real estate acquisitions or refinancing—up to 90% financing available (51% owner-occupied)
• Up to $5 million
Terms of Loans
Terms of Loans
• Up to 25 years for real estate debt
• Up to 25 years for real estate debt
• Up to 15 years for non real estate debt (term can be blended if the debt includes both real estate and non real estate debt)
• Real estate acquisitions or refinancing—up to 90% financing available (51% owner-occupied)
• Construction Loans—up to 90% financing available
• Up to 15 years for non real estate debt (term can be blended if the debt includes both real estate and non real estate debt)
Interest Rates
• Construction Loans—up to 90% financing available
• Franchise financing
• Franchise financing
• Business acquisitions
• Business acquisitions
• Insurance Agency Acquisitions
• Insurance Agency Acquisitions
• Machinery & equipment acquisitions or refinancing— up to 100% financing available
Interest Rates
• Variable and fixed rate options
Loan Fees
• Variable and fixed rate options
Loan Fees
• The SBA Guarantee fee ranges from 2% to 3.5% of the guaranteed portion of the loan
• Machinery & equipment acquisitions or refinancing— up to 100% financing available
• Line of credit restructuring
• Line of credit restructuring
• Lease refinancing
• Lease refinancing
• Business Expansion Loans
• Business Expansion Loans
• The SBA Guarantee fee ranges from 2% to 3.5% of the guaranteed portion of the loan
• Other fees include packaging fees, third party reports, lien filings, title charges, etc. (closing fees can be incorporated into the loan)
• Other fees include packaging fees, third party reports, lien filings, title charges, etc. (closing fees can be incorporated into the loan)
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©2017 Byline Bank. Member FDIC. Name name name name name name name name Title title title title title title title title title title title Phone phone Cell cell cell cell Email email email email email HuyTran Development Officer (920)475-1152 (920)475-1152 htran@bylinebank.com sba 7(a) loan program
small business capital
lower-equity
©2017 Byline Bank. Member FDIC. Name name name name name name name name Title title title title title title title title title title Phone phone Cell cell cell Email email email email email HuyTran VP - Business Development Officer (920)475-1152 (920)475-1152 htran@bylinebank.com
Fitness
Thoughtful habits to include in your daily routine
While you go about your dayto-day lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of tasks and distractions. This may leave you feeling disconnected and overwhelmed. However, by incorporating simple yet powerful habits into your routines, you can cultivate greater thoughtfulness and vigilance, leading to a more fulfilling life.
1. Writing 10 Positive Points Daily
Positive Points: Keep a journal where you write down ten good things about your day before sleeping.
Contents: Entries may include favorite parts of the day, moments of laughter or smiles, observations of beauty, successful challenges overcome, joyful times with loved ones, new experiences, inspiring readings, connections
with nature, and realizations of one’s place in the universe.
Benefits: Spending just fifteen minutes at bedtime on this activity can create a calming mindset and enhance your alertness the following day. This practice helps clear up any negativity harbored throughout the day and encourages a focus on joyful and beautiful aspects of life.
2. Task Listing
Writing Tasks: Make it a habit to write down all tasks you need to accomplish during the day to avoid forgetfulness and increase awareness.
Awareness: By consistently revisiting the task list, you maintain awareness of your responsibilities and commitments.
Benefits: This simple technique aids memory retention with the concept of spaced repetition. Revisiting the written tasks
regularly strengthens memory recall, signaling to the brain the importance of retaining this information.
www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 28 Health &
www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 29
Does wearing makeup age your skin?
For many people, applying makeup every day is more than a routine; it’s a ritual that boosts confidence and brings out inner beauty. However, many beauty fans have a lingering question: Does using cosmetics age the skin? We begin on a journey to find out the complex relationship between cosmetics and skin aging in this exploration, seeking the views of experts to shed light on how various makeup practices may contribute to premature aging and solutions to prevent it.
While cosmetics are not a direct cause of aging, Dr Neena Kondapally outlines certain behaviors that can lead to skin problems over time:
Clogged Pores: Heavy or oil-based cosmetics can clog pores, resulting in blackheads and acne. This can cause textural difficulties and an aged appearance over time. To lessen the danger of clogged pores, choose harmless makeup.
Inadequate Cleansing: Failure to fully remove makeup interferes with the skin’s nightly renewal process, producing irritation and inflammation over time. Remove makeup with a gentle cleanser before bedtime to allow your skin to go through its natural procedures.
Dehydration: Some cosmetic products can be drying, creating dryness and fine wrinkles if not properly hydrated. Maintain skin health
by following a consistent skincare routine that includes hydration and sunscreen.
Sleeping with Makeup: Sleeping with makeup is a skincare sin that has repercussions for your skin’s natural regeneration process. Leaving makeup on can contribute to aging, including the development of fine lines and wrinkles, by interfering with nightly repair and regeneration.
Skintermittent: Skintermittent is like intermittent fasting for your skin to allow your skin to breathe and prevent the skin
from stripping the natural oils. Set aside your makeup, serums, toners, and creams, and instead, cleanse your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser. For moisturizing, consider using aloe vera gel or a commercially available natural moisturizer.
Never ignore Hydration: Never underestimate the power of hydration. Properly hydrated skin has a smoother texture and makeup application is much smoother. Hydration plumps up the skin, which can significantly reduce the
appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Using a hydrating and non-stripping cleanser is the first step toward your skin being wellhydrated. Look for products that contain sodium hyaluronate and niacinamide. You can also go for treatments like Hydra Facial, Viscoderm Hydrobooster, and Microdermabrasion which elevate skin hydration, smoothing texture, reducing fine lines, and boosting skin elasticity. Because these are gentle treatments, there’s no need for recovery time, making them convenient options for achieving well-hydrated and rejuvenated skin.
www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 30 Beauty &
Entertainment
Fashion
Ethnic outfit inspired from new-age Bollywood celebs
Every new Bollywood diva that comes on the scene always dresses too dazzle. These contemporary Bollywood divas are renowned for their impeccable style and take traditional outfits a notch higher. If you have a wedding on the cards, here are a few looks to get down pat.
Taapsee Pannu
Taapsee is renowned for wearing some of the most attractive costume combinations for a variety of events. The Thappad star has style inspiration for everyone, whether you’re the bride or her friend. This Indo-Western outfit with a long jacket and a pair of pants will gracefully dominate the wedding festivities.
Ananya Panday
Ananya Panday’s clothing options are refreshing, fun, and young. She understands how to rock a lehenga in any color, as evidenced by her frequent use of the silhouette. This wedding season, the black lehenga is the epitome of shimmers.
Sara Ali Khan
With her love of ethnic and Indian clothing, and quirky, carefree, and honest Sara Ali Khan
has won over many Indians. This traditional lehenga replete with embroidery and dressed with jewellery is a perfect statement.
Bhumi Pednekar
Bhumi Pednekar is not just a talented actor but also a true trendsetter. The actress is a style icon, and her admirers should undoubtedly take style cues from her. Bhumi recently wore a glittering saree that was flawless, inspiring the
ideal wedding night attire.
Janhvi Kapoor
It’s time to have a look at her stylish and sophisticated wardrobe selections, which turn heads. Should you have an affinity for traditional attire you should save this image of her donning a pink dupatta and a golden lehenga.
www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 31 Beauty & Fashion
Beauty &
Fashion
www.indoustribune.com Friday, 02 March, 2024 32