Only those leaders who were afraid of the Enforcement Directorate met in Patna.
The meeting might be the last one as already fissures had surfaced, he said, adding that with the all-party meeting held under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah,
normalcy should return in Manipur soon.
Earlier, Mr. Raja inaugurated an exhibition, organised by BJP Sivaganga district unit, showcasing the nine-year achievements of the Narendra Modi’s government at the Centre.
BJP leader H. Raja has condemned the alleged assault on a Bishop in Tirunelveli by DMK MP S. Gnanathiraviam and his supporters.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, he said the DMK high command’s weak leadership was the reason for such lawlessness. “When a person in the stature of an MP can assault a Bishop, one can imagine the plight of common man in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
On the alleged plan by actor Vijay to enter politics, he said anyone could enter politics, and endorsed the views of VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, who had said cinema alone would not qualify a person for politics.
On the issue concerning Natarajar Temple in Chidambaram, Mr. Raja said the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department had no right to go into the domain of the temple.
The officials or the Minister were not aware of the issue. “They will soon get exposed for their ignorance,” he said.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin wrote to President Droupdadi Murmu against the conduct of governor RN Ravi and sought the dismissal of the Governor for his ‘political slant’ -- taking the ongoing CM vs governor battle in the state to the highest level.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai called it a ‘cry note of corrupt Stalin’ and gave a point-bypoint rebuttal. RN Ravi recently fired minister V Senthil Balaji from the Cabinet after he was arrested in the cash-for-job scam.
Hours later, the order was withdrawn as questions were raised about whether the Governor could take the decision without consulting the chief minister. Citing this incident and other recent points
of clashes between Stalin and Ravi, the chief minister, in his letter to the President, wrote: “By way of his behaviour and action, the Governor has proved to be partial and ineligible to hold the office of Governor; Ravi is fit to be removed from the high office.”
Stalin wrote he was leaving the matter of Ravi’s removal from office to her decision -- whether Ravi’s continuation in the post would be desirable or suitable considering the sentiments and dignity of the founding fathers of India’s Constitution.
RN Ravi versus MK Stalin: Here’s what Stalin wrote
In his letter which Stalin shared on Twitter, the Tamil Nadu chief
minister said a governor who looks for opportunities to pull the state government ruled by a party which is not at the Centre can be regarded as a ‘mere agent’. RN Ravi is a threat to Tamil Nadu’s peace, Stalin added.
Stalin wrote he believes that the President would accept that a governor must be above party politics and secular in outlook. Annamalai’s rebuttal to Stalin’s accusation: ‘How is the governor responsible’
State BJP chief Annamalai said Stalin and the corrupt DMK government is an ‘acting puppet for sand smugglers and money launderers’. How the governor is responsible for the ‘rampant corruption in every department of the TN government’, Annamalai asked.
Chief minister M.K.Stalin and his brother M.K.Azhagiri’s meeting at Gopalapuram residence in chennai today has received political attention. Will he come back into the party? Are the two reconciled? udhayanidhi stalin has replied about that.
Many political observers say that M.K.Azhagiri is the man who built madurai and Southern DMK. On the other hand, there is a criticism that he introduced a new formula in the political field of tamil Nadu by giving money to the voters in the madurai Tirumangalam byelection. He went into a silent mood after former chief minister Karinani karunanidhi ordered his removal from the party.
M.K.Azhagiri’s supporters jumped on the side of leaders on the party’s timeline. The rest avoided the political arena. In this case, when the DMK government was formed under the leadership of M. K. stalin in 2021, the family problems started to dissolve gradually. At the end of 2022, after Udayanidhi stalin took charge as the minister, Periyappa met M.K.Azhagiri while visiting Madurai.
M.K.Azhagiri considered this very proud. He shared his childhood memories of Udayanidhi. After that, there was a buzz that M.K.Azhagiri would come to the party and become the DMK’s southern commander. Meanwhile, there will be no political activities of M.K.Azhagiri as before. You can also make kai moves from behind if you want. They also said that field work is not possible.
But the talk about Alagiri did not rise much. Dayalu Amma’s 91st birthday is celebrated today. On this occasion, chief minister M.K.Stalin and his brother M.K.Azhagiri went to Gopalapuram house in Chennai. The highlight is that it went at the same time. Then both of them talked. DMK mp Kanimozhi also visited.
Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party president K Annamalai on Sunday said that the Governor RN Ravi is fulfilling the needs of Stalin what he demanded when he was a Leader of Opposition in the state. “Cannot understand what Stalin is complaining about when the people of the state have a lot to complain about his governance. Stalin and the corrupt DMK government are an acting puppet for sand smugglers and money launderers and has turned the state into one lawless jungle just like his friend in West Bengal.
He must stop complaining and start delivering, “ he said in a tweet. Subsequently, the retired IPS turned politician raised 16 questions to the chief minister MK Stalin. “How is the Governor refusing to accept the GU Pope’s translation of Thirukkural disrupting the functioning of the government? How does calling out missionaries for destroying the essence of Tamil literature disrupt the functioning of the government? Is the Governor responsible for the delayed justice in Vengaivayal? How should the Governor react to the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s son and son-in-law earning Rs 30,000 crores in just a year through corrupt means? Should the Governor remain a mute spectator to a police officer
accused of rigging passports is made the head of intelligence? Has the Governor stopped the government from fulfilling its electoral promises? Why hasn’t the corrupt DMK government not fulfilled its 90% of poll promises even after two years? Should the Governor bury his consciences and read out a prepared lie in the assembly? Is the Governor responsible for the lawlessness in the state today? Is the Governor responsible for the illegal sand and gravel smuggling in the state today? Is the Governor responsible for the death of government officials who stopped sand smuggling? Is the Governor responsible for SCSP funds unutilised for two consecutive years?, “ he questioned. “Is the Governor responsible for the hooch deaths in the state? Is the Governor responsible for falling standards of education in the government schools? Is the Governor responsible for lockup deaths in the state and for lying in the assembly that nothing of that sort happened? Is the Governor responsible for the rampant corruption in every department of the Tamil Nadu government? Is the Governor responsible for the hike in prices of essential commodities? “ Annamalai questioned further.
On Friday, the Congress party said Mr Gandhi would appeal against the order in the Supreme Court. Mr Gandhi will not be arrested until he has exhausted all legal appeals as his arrest was put on hold. Friday’s decision is being seen as a setback for the Congress leader as it means he cannot contest national elections due next year. While dismissing his appeal, the Gujarat high court said Mr Gandhi’s conviction was “just and proper”.
The Gujarat high court has dismissed Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s appeal seeking a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case. Mr Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail in March for his 2019 comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname at an election rally. He was disqualified as an MP following his sentencing.
Addressing a press conference later in the day, party leader and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the case was “a matter of free speech and expression”. These complaints have been filed by the workers of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said. “The aim of this government is to control the freedom of expression,” he said. “That is why the law of defamation has been misused.” Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said Mr
Gandhi was “fighting for truth” and would continue this fight. Mr Gandhi lost his seat in parliament a day after his conviction on 23 March due to a Supreme Court order which says that a lawmaker convicted in a crime and sentenced to two or more years in jail is disqualified with immediate effect. The party criticised Mr Gandhi’s conviction and accused the governing BJP of political vendetta. The BJP denied this, saying that due judicial process was followed in the case.
The defamation case against Mr Gandhi, brought by BJP lawmaker Purnesh Modi, revolved around comments Mr Gandhi made in Karnataka state in 2019 during an election rally. “Why do all these thieves have Modi as their surname? Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi,” he said.
Nirav Modi is a fugitive Indian diamond tycoon while Lalit Modi is a former chief of the Indian Premier League who has been banned for life by the country’s cricket board.
In his complaint, Purnesh Modi alleged that the comments had defamed the entire Modi community. However, Mr Gandhi said that he made the comment to highlight corruption and it was not directed against any community.
A lower court had granted Mr Gandhi bail to appeal against his conviction, but it’s the stay or suspension of his conviction that’s crucial to reinstating him as an MP.
BJP and Apna Dal had ‘freed the State from the disruptive forces’, Home Minister says at a ‘Jan-Swabhiman Divas’ programme on late Apna Dal founder Sone Lal Patel birth anniversary Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah on Sunday in Lucknow asked National Democratic Alliance (NDA) workers to pledge to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi the PM again in 2024.
Mr. Shah was addressing a ‘Jan-Swabhiman Divas’ programme on the 74th birth anniversary of the late Apna Dal founder Sone Lal Patel. Mr. Shah said the BJP and Apna Dal had “freed the State from the disruptive forces”, hinting at the Samajwadi Party (SP). “BJP and Apna Dal together fought and won four polls. Now, the State is free from the disruptive forces,” he said at the event organised by the Apna Dal (S), a BJP ally, held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. The event saw sizeable participation of the smaller partner’s core support base — the Kurmi Other Backward Class (OBC) community. Mr. Shah said the present Union government had done a lot of work for the OBCs and listed the steps taken to empower them while focusing on increasing their representation in the Central government and in Parliament. “The NDA government headed by Modi-ji consists of the maximum number of Ministers from Backward Classes, the highest since Independence. By giving constitutional status to the Backward Classes Commission, the Prime Minister empowered the backward community. In the last nine years, a lot of work has been done for the backward classes,” he added. Mr. Shah alleged that during the previous Manmohan Singh government, Pakistani terrorists had attacked India while Mr. Modi had provided a feeling of security to the country and no terror attacks were taking place now due to the fear of “surgical strikes”.
in Lucknow on Sunday. Credit: Amit Shah Twitter | Photo Credit: ANI
Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah on Sunday in Lucknow asked National Democratic Alliance (NDA) workers to pledge to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi the PM again in 2024. Mr. Shah was addressing a ‘Jan-Swabhiman Divas’ programme on the 74th birth anniversary of the late Apna Dal founder Sone Lal Patel. Mr. Shah said
the BJP and Apna Dal had “freed the State from the disruptive forces”, hinting at the Samajwadi Party (SP). “BJP and Apna Dal together fought and won four polls. Now, the State is free from the disruptive forces,” he said at the event organised by the Apna Dal (S), a BJP ally, held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. The event saw sizeable participation of the smaller partner’s core support base — the Kurmi Other Backward Class (OBC) community.
Mr. Shah said the present Union government had done a lot of work for the OBCs and listed the steps taken to empower them while focusing on increasing their representation in the Central government and in Parliament. “The NDA government headed by Modi-ji consists of the maximum number of Ministers from Backward Classes, the highest since Independence.
By giving constitutional status to the Backward Classes Commission, the Prime Minister empowered the backward community. In the last nine years, a lot of work has been done for the backward classes,” he added.
Mr. Shah alleged that during the previous Manmohan Singh government, Pakistani terrorists had attacked India while Mr. Modi had provided a feeling of security to the country and no terror attacks were taking place now due to the fear of “surgical strikes”. Lauding the efforts
of the late Sone Lal Patel, Mr. Shah said the Apna Dal founder’s life had been spent fighting for the welfare of OBCs, Dalits and other deprived sections of society, with his daughter and Union Minister Anupriya Patel following his footprints in taking the party forward.
Ms. Patel leads the Apna Dal (S), a breakaway fraction of the original Apna Dal founded by her father. The BJP on its own won 62 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, while its smaller, the ally Apna Dal (S), secured two seats. The Apna Dal (S) enjoys the support of the Kurmis of eastern and central U.P., the community to which its founder belonged.
On the occasion, U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Mr. Modi had in the past nine years of his tenure worked for social justice, assimilating the slogan ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka
Prayas’. “The dreams of social justice for which Sone Lal Patel fought all his life, Prime Minister Modi made that come true in the last nine years,” Mr. Adityanath said, adding that the Government Medical College in Pratapgarh district had been named after Sone Lal Patel.
“The welfare schemes of the NDA government are being implemented in the country without any discrimination, with depressed sections getting proper benefit, which is a testament of social justice,” he added. The function was attended by several NDA leaders, also from the BJP, including Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak; State BJP president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh; president of the Republican Party of India (RPI) and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale; and Apna Dal (S) leader Ms. Anupriya Patel.
Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav addressed a seminar on the need for caste census organised by Kamera Chetna Foundation on the occasion of the Apna Dal founder’s anniversary.
Mr. Yadav, sitting alongside Krishna Patel, wife of the late Apna Dal founder and president of Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), pushed for a caste-based census in Uttar Pradesh, stating that proper representation and status for OBCs could be ensured only then.
Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) is the Apna Dal’s other breakaway faction.
“Without counting caste-wise population, the identity of the deprived, exploited class remains incomplete. It is necessary to know which castes are marginalised, and how much education, employment resources, land ownership or prosperity, different caste groups have. Who among the poor is the most marginalised? Who are the homeless people? Who is left most illiterate? Only then can we design the necessary policies for the upliftment of OBCs,” Mr. Yadav said, adding that the BJP-led NDA could not fight the social alliance OBCs, Scheduled Castes and minorities in the 2024 polls.
“The BJP is greedy for power. They want to retain power by taking away the rights of OBCs, Dalits and minorities. But they cannot withstand the alliance of the PDA (‘Pichde‘ or Backward Classes, Dalit, and ‘Alpasankhyak’ or minorities),” the SP leader said.
School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Monday said that private schools should appoint special teachers to teach Tamil for students.
“Even if it is a CBSE school, Tamil has to be taught. For students to read clearly in Tamil and English, the ‘Read Marathon’ app has been introduced,” he said, while participating in a function to give license renewal order to 350 private schools from five districts of Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, The Nilgiris and Namakkal.
Similar orders were recently issued to schools in 10 districts of Tiruchi region. Later, while addressing reporters, the Minister said private schools should not function without license.
“The education department authorities in each district have been giving reminders for schools to apply and get their license. If schools function without license, it cannot be closed just like that as they need to be given a warning and some time for the process.
For schools with violations in building norms, we have raised queries and approval will be given only after things get sorted out,” he said. Further, Mahesh Poyyamozhi said efforts were being taken to ensure that there is no data leak of students like what happened during 2018.
“Also, funds are awaited from NABARD to construct buildings in schools where students are studying under the trees,” he said.
Health minister Ma Subramanian on Sunday kick started medical camp at Government higher secondary school in Kodambakkam zone for sanitary workers under corporations and municipalities in the state. During the medical camps master body checkup would be done for more than 60,000 conservancy workers across the state, and the health department would provide treatment for them. While addressing the media, the minister said that as per the announcement made during the fiscal year 2023 – 2024, the medical camp for conservancy workers across the state has commenced. At least 60,587 sanitary workers will be benefitted through the camps, of which 19,088 workers from Chennai Corporation, over 21,000 and 14,000 sanitary workers from 20 corporations in Tamil Nadu respectively, and 5,376 workers from 490 municipalities. The state health department would carry out the medical camp for the sanitary workers at government medical college
hospitals. “The directorate of public health department would have the details of the patients and set timetable for the people when and where they should get the full body check-up including ECG, X-ray, and ultrasound. And the treatment for the same will be provided for the workers accordingly, also data entry will be prepared of the health issues of sanitary workers,” added Subramanian. Meanwhile, unlike the previous years, the counseling for MBBS in state and All India quota of 15 percent will begin at the same time. So, we had already started the application process for the medical courses. The counseling for MBBS would commence after the official announcement from the union government. Chennai mayor R Priya, deputy mayor M Magesh Kumaar, Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner J Radhakrishnan, health secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi, ward councilors, and other senior officials were present at the medical camp in Kodambakkam zone.
Parliamentarian Kanimozhi Karunanidhi met S Maharajan of Eppodumvendran, who has been selected for India’s national cricket team for the blind, during a Makkal Kalam event at Ethilapanayakkanpatti on Sunday and appreciated how he overcame obstacles and became a national-level cricketer. The event was held for the MP to interact with the public from Manjanayakkanpatti panchayat, and receive their petitions.
During the event, Kanimozhi inaugurated a slew of projects, including a community centre built at a cost of `38 lakh, and various road stretches laid under the Chief Minister’s rural road infrastructure development scheme.
“Chief Minister MK Stalin will distribute `1,000 to women family heads on September 15 on the occasion of former chief minister CN Annadurai’s birth anniversary. The state government also recently shut 500 TASMAC outlets in the state,” she said. The Thoothukudi MP also exhorted the public to vote for a party that respects Tamil Nadu and its people during the Lok Sabha elections next year.
legendary sporting figures like MC Mary Kom, PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Vijender Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli are among other winners.
Pistol shooter Abhinav Bindra, who won the first-ever individual gold medal for India at the Olympics at Beijing 2008, is the youngest sportsperson to win the Khel Ratna. Bindra won the award in 2001 when he was just 18. Olympic bronze medal-winning weightlifter Karnam Malleswari was the first Indian woman to receive the Khel Ratna in 1994-95.
Considered the pinnacle of sporting honours in India, the National Sports Awards are a collection of six different awards given out to sportspersons, coaches or organisations for their achievements and contribution towards the growth of Indian sports.
The six core awards which constitute India’s National Sports Awards are the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award or simply the Khel Ratna, the Arjuna Award, the Dronacharya Award, the Major Dhyan Chand Award, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy, also called the MAKA Trophy, and the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar.
Since 2004, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award has also been given out along with the six National Sports Awards, making it an informal part of the list.
The National Sports Awards are
allocated annually by India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Nominated sportspersons receive their awards from the President of India at the Presidential Palace, generally on India’s National Sports Day - August 29 – which marks the birthday of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
Considered India’s highest sporting honour, the Khel Ratna was established in 1991-92 as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award before it was renamed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
The Khel Ratna is awarded for outstanding performances in sports spanning over a period of four years and winners get a medallion, a certificate and a cash prize.
Indian chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand was India’s firstever Khel Ratna winner. A slew of
Named after Arjuna, the main protagonist from the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, the Arjuna Award was set up in 1961. It was India’s highest sporting honour before the Khel Ratna came into being.
Given out for consistent good performance over a period of four years, the winners of the Arjuna Award receive a statuette of Arjuna, a certificate and a cash prize.
India’s football Olympian PK Banerjee was among the 20 recipients of the Arjuna Award in its inaugural edition in 1961. Hockey player Anna Lumsden was the first woman to win the Arjuna Award.
As per current rules, a Khel Ratna winner cannot be nominated for the Arjuna Award. However, an Arjuna
winner can be nominated for the Khel Ratna.
The Dronacharya Award, instituted in 1985, is India’s highest sports honour for coaches. It is awarded to individuals for producing medal winners at prestigious international events.
Interestingly, Dronacharya or Drona was Arjuna’s guru or coach in the Mahabharata. Awardees receive a bronze statue of Dronacharya, a certificate and a cash prize.
Wrestling coach Bhalchandra
Bhaskar Bhagwat, boxing mentor Om Prakash Bharadwaj and legendary athletics coach OM Nambiar, credited for moulding Indian sprint queen PT Usha’s career, were among the first Dronacharya Award winners.
The first woman to win the Dronacharya award was athletics coach Renu Kohli in 2002.
The Dronacharya Award is given out for both recent accomplishments and lifetime contributions.
Another award named after India’s hockey magician Dhyan Chand, the Major Dhyan Chand Award represents India’s highest honour for lifetime achievements in sports.
Presented for good performance and contributing towards the promotion of sports in an individual capacity since 2002, the winners get a Dhyan Chand statuette, a certificate and a cash prize.
Olympian boxer Shahuraj Birajdar, Indian men’s hockey team player Ashok Diwan and Aparna Ghosh, an accomplished player and coach with the Indian women’s basketball team, were the first recipients of the Major Dhyan Chand Award.
The oldest National Sports Awards in India, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy or the MAKA Trophy was instituted in 1956–1957.
Named in honour of Indian freedom fighter and the country’s first education minister Abul Kalam Azad, the award is given to the university for top performance in inter-university tournaments over the last one year.
Bombay University claimed the inaugural award but since then, the Guru Nanak Dev University from Amritsar, Punjab, has dominated the winners’ list, clinching 22 of the 64 awards given out. The reward comprises a rolling MAKA Trophy, that gets passed on to the winner each year, and a cash prize.
Awarded to organisations or corporates (both private and public) and individuals for playing a role in the area of sports promotion and development over the last three years, the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar has been a fixture in the National Sports Awards list since 2009.
The name of the award, translated from Hindi to English, means National Sports Promotion Award. Nominees are decided in four
different segments - identification and nurturing of budding and young talent, encouragement to sports through corporate social responsibility, employment of sportspersons and sports welfare measures, and sports for development.
Winners from each category get a citation and a trophy. There can be multiple winners in a single category in a year.
Tenzing Norgay, an Indian of Nepali origin, and Kiwi mountaineer Edmund Hillary were the first two men to scale Mount Everest – the world’s highest peak.
Established in Norgay’s memory in the year 1994, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award seeks to recognise outstanding achievements in the field of adventure activities or sports on land, sea and air.
Activities like mountaineering, skydiving, open water swimming and sailing are considered.
The adventure sports equivalent of the Arjuna Award, the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure awards have been conferred alongside the six core national awards since 2004. Before the award was established, accomplishments in adventure sports were also honoured with the Arjuna Award.
Typically, the award is divided into four categories each year - land adventure, water (sea) adventure, air adventure and lifetime achievement.
The Tamil Nadu government announced a list of categories of women who will be eligible to receive Rs 1,000 monthly under its ambitious Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (Kalaignar women’s entitlement scheme).
Women who will be considered eligible for the benefit should have an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh and own less than five acres of wetland and 10 acres of dry land. The annual domestic power consumption should be less than 3,600 units. Each family can nominate one woman member on the ration card for the benefit. Any woman above 21 years of age is eligible to apply for the scheme. This includes unmarried and widowed women heading families. Also eligible are transgender people, as per an official release. Income tax payees, professional tax payees, employees
of state and central governments and public sector undertakings, bank employees, pensioners, elected representatives in local bodies and those who own a four-wheeler are ineligible to apply for the scheme.
Chief Minister M K Stalin, speaking at a review meeting on Friday, said the government had allocated Rs 7,000 for the scheme. He said it would be rolled out on September 15, on the birth anniversary of the state’s first chief minister, C N Annadurai. The government expects to receive 1.5 crore applications under the scheme.
District collectors have been asked to conduct special camps at ration shops to accept applications and to ensure enough security so that there are no large gatherings and untoward incidents.
“The collectors should ensure that poor, downtrodden, tribals, pavement dwellers and sanitary workers are benefited by the scheme. Even if they don’t have the family card, Aadhaar card and other necessary documents, the collectors should ensure that they get the benefit,” Stalin said. A monitoring committee has been formed under the chief secretary to oversee the implementation of the scheme.
Ever since the announcement of the scheme, the Opposition AIADMK and BJP have been criticising the government for not fulfilling the DMK’s poll promise of monthly Rs 1,000 to all homemakers.
Amid continuing legal battles for leadership, former chief minister O Panneerselvam on Saturday ruled out any rapprochement with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and his supporters. He said BJP leaders were in touch with him, details of which would be made known at an appropriate time.
After a marathon session with the district secretaries appointed by him, Panneerselvam told reporters he safeguarded the interests of the EPS government but Palaniswami did not reciprocate the gesture. “We
patiently waited for four-and-half-a-years. Our political advisor told us not to commit that mistake. That’s the wish of the cadres too. We will act according to their wishes,” the former CM said. Reiterating that the western belt was a strong fortress of the AIADMK and the cadres were rallying behind him, Panneerselvam said poor showing by the AIADMK in the Erode East byelection reflected the lack of support for the EPS group.
OPS’s political advisor and veteran, Panruti S Ramachandran said that a resolution was passed by
the cadres at a public rally in Trichy in April, expelling the office bearers of the AIADMK, including Palaniswami, several district secretaries and branch secretaries. “We are not authorised to take them back. The question of merger does not arise.
The EPS supporters can, however, opt for OPS leadership and join us. They are welcome,” he told TOI.
Ramachandran said the question of merging the factions was not in the agenda and the OPS group did not support it. “EPS and his supporters have chosen a wrong path, which is ruinous. We have nothing against them personally but at the same
time we cannot welcome them into our fold,” he added. The OPS group is gearing up for a public rally in one of the districts in the western region, the stronghold of EPS and
alliance. “In the last two years of DMK rule, people have lost their faith in DMK. There are bright chances for parties in DMK alliance to join our alliance at the time of 2024 Lok Sabha election,” said Jayakumar. He however, did not spell out the names of the parties that might switch sides.
his supporters. Panneerselvam held discussions with the district functionaries of the region on the conduct of the meeting. The venue will be known soon, OPS said.
said Jayakumar.
Leaders of the non – BJP parties including DMK met in Patna on June 23 and discussed the prospects of forming an alliance for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Jayakumar said Stalin’s participation in the Patna meet was insignificant and would have no impact in Tamil Nadu. He took a dig at Stalin for visiting Patna, `when there were umpteen issues in TN to be addressed.’’
Former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar said there was a possibility of some parties in DMK alliance joining the AIADMK front.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Sunday, Jayakumar said that people are disillusioned with the DMK government and that even DMK’s allies are set to leave their
Jayakumar said that the unity of the non – BJP parties who participated in the Patna meet would also not last long. “There are 10 months left for the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Anything might happen in the meantime. There is doubt whether they will stay united till the election,”
“In fact, he was not welcome there. ‘Go back Stalin’ was trending on social media ahead of his visit,” Jayakumar said.
Asked about the ‘Kalaignar’ pen memorial, he replied that if the memorial was constructed in the sea it would pose a great threat to people.
Highlighting that a lot of time is left for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, NTK leader Seeman, in Sivaganga on Sunday, said they are ready to join hands with non-Dravidian parties if they are ready to form an alliance and face the election under his leadership.
He said the call would be taken during the election phase. His party has no faith in Dravidian and national parties because, over the past years, whichever parties joined alliances with these parties had to compromise their stands. “Arvind Kejriwal was able to win in New Delhi.
So why is it not possible for Seeman to compete in the elections alone and win in Tamil Nadu? Even AIADMK, under J Jayalalithaa, was able to win in the 2014 Lok Sabha election without any alliance,” he added.
He further criticised the DMK government for the `1,000 aid scheme, through which they have made women beg before them. This is not a Kalaignar urimai thogai scheme, but rather it is just taking the public money and giving it back, he added.
Further speaking, Seeman said he feels there is no need for Uniform Civil Code as the government is already incapable of implementing the 33% reservation for women.
He also criticised the DMK government for the vegetable price hike. The Dravidian government has been incapable of providing powercut-free days for people though both the DMK and AIADMK have been ruling the state for years. Seeman
also condemned the disqualification of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, stating that it violates the principles
of democracy. He further alleged that the ongoing violence in Manipur is created by the BJP.
PM Modi lauded Droupadi Murmu, hailing from a tribal community, for rising through the ranks to become India’s 15th Presiden. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, during his address to a joint session of the US Congress, referred to President Murmu as an icon of women-led development in India. Modi added that the country’s vision is not just built on initiatives that benefit women, but with them at the forefront. He lauded Murmu for rising through the ranks to become India’s 15th President despite hailing from a tribal background.
“...today in modern India, women are leading us to a better future. India’s vision is not just of development that benefits women. It is of womenled development
where women lead the journey of progress. A woman has risen from a humble tribal background to be our Head of State...,” he said.
It was the second time that Modi addressed the US Congress, a first for any Indian prime minister. He is the second world leader after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be accorded the privilege of addressing a joint House more than once. Calling India the ‘mother of democracy’, even as he faced a question earlier from the US media on the protection of Muslims and other
minorities in the country, Modi said it is one of our sacred and shared values. “Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse. Democracy is the culture that gives wings to thought and expression.
India is blessed to have such values from time immemorial,” he added.
Modi also said India celebrates all faiths in the world and that “diversity is a natural way of life”. He also praised the historic achievement of Kamala Harris, the first female, first Black and first Asian-American vice president.
reported that the plant has been used in Asia medicinally for over 2,500 years and as a cooking spice for at least 4,400 years.
Not only is ginger tea a warm, zesty drink to sip, it offers a number of health benefits, too.
There’s evidence that the brew, which is derived from a plant that’s been used medicinally for thousands of years, can help ease ailments ranging from nausea to menstrual cramps, and it boasts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It’s also easy to make— you can do so with just a piece of fresh ginger and boiling water.
Here’s a closer look at what ginger and ginger tea are, and the potential health benefits this beverage offers.
Ginger is a plant that’s native to parts of Asia, including India, China and Japan. The part of the plant that’s traditionally used in food and for medicinal purposes is the plant’s rhizome, or underground stem. The rhizome is bulbous and knotted in appearance, with a thin beige skin, whereas the above-ground portion of the plant has long, narrow green leaves and flowers that are either white or yellowish-green in color.
Ginger has a long history of use in both cooking, where it’s often used as a spice, and in medicine. It’s
“Despite being called a tea (which usually involves tea leaves), ginger tea is a concoction or infusion of the rhizome of ginger,” says Kantha Shelke, Ph.D., certified food scientist, who serves as a principal at food science and research firm Corvus Blue LLC and a senior lecturer at Johns Hopkins University.
Ginger tea is made by placing fresh ginger into boiling water and allowing it to steep, or by stirring a spoonful of ginger preserves into hot water. “Steeping fresh ginger may take 10 minutes or more with boiling water to obtain benefits and break down the plant,” says Monique Richard, an integrative functional dietitian who owns a private practice based out of Johnson City, Tennessee.
Ginger has been used medicinally for thousands of years
due to its perceived health benefits, and there is now data backing up some of the potential advantages. In many cases, however, studies are preliminary and further research is needed.
Additionally, Shelke highlights that the potential benefits derived from ginger tea depend on a number of factors, including how strong the concoction is, what else it’s consumed alongside, the form of the ginger and how often ginger tea is consumed. Shelke and Richard both advise drinking ginger tea in moderation and note its potential interaction with blood thinners and blood pressure medications, as well as in individuals with bleeding disorders. Individuals with certain conditions, such as people with gallstones, diabetes or people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, may also consider talking to their doctor before consuming ginger.
Here’s a look at the health benefits you may derive from sipping this spicy tea.
Regularly sipping ginger tea can be a great way to incorporate vital minerals and vitamins into your diet. According to Richard, ginger contains vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, fiber and water.
Vitamins and minerals are essential to the body’s development and normal function. Vitamin C, for instance, helps the body absorb iron, maintain tissue health and heal
wounds. Meanwhile, vitamin B6 aids in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of brain function. Magnesium is involved in over 300 of the body’s biochemical reactions, such as nerve and muscle function.
Both Richard and Shelke flag ginger’s anti-inflammatory effects as one of its benefits. Studies show that several of the active components in ginger can reduce inflammation, including by suppressing proinflammatory cytokines and down-regulating the induction of inflammatory genes.
For example, studies show promising evidence that ginger can help relieve pain in people who have osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis that’s due to the breakdown of or damage to joint cartilage[3].
Historically, ginger has been used to help alleviate nausea and vomiting, and current scientific evidence backs up ginger’s efficacy in this regard. Particularly, studies suggest that ginger could be helpful for alleviating these symptoms during pregnancy[4]. A separate study found that the effects of ginger were stronger than a drug in reducing nausea and vomiting after a procedure due to general anesthesia[5].
Individuals should still always defer to their health care provider
when determining what treatment is appropriate for them.
Ginger is often “used to affect gastrointestinal motility—i.e., how quickly food exits the gastrointestinal tract,” says Shelke. Studies find that ginger has a positive effect on the amount of time it takes a person to digest food as well as on dysrhythmia, a disorder that impairs the movement of food through the digestive system[6].
However, it’s worth noting that the negative effects of ginger for some people can include gastrointestinal effects, such as some bloating or general distress, says Richard.
Another possible benefit of ginger tea is treating dysmenorrhea, or pain that occurs with menstruation, according to Richard.
In fact, a review of evidence from six different trials found that there was no significant difference between ginger and NSAIDs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, in treating menstrual pain, though further research is needed.
Ginger’s “warming effect is used in weight management-related products,” due to its “metabolic effect,” says Shelke, referring to evidence of ginger’s thermogenic properties, which can stimulate the metabolic rate (the amount of calories your body burns). According to one study, ginger can moderate
obesity through a number of mechanisms including thermogenesis, appetite control and the inhibition of intestinal fat absorption, among other.
Beyond potential weight-related effects, older studies also found that ginger may help lower cholesterol. It may also prevent blood from clotting, which can help with the prevention of heart disease. Additionally, it’s been found that ginger may help improve blood sugar among those with type 2 diabetes.
Richard notes ginger’s potential to “protect brain health from oxidative stress,” a benefit that evidence from scientific studies supports. Oxidative stress is a condition that can occur when there aren’t enough antioxidants to
get rid of an overabundance of free radicals in the body, which can result in damage to the cells and tissues. This is associated with degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Specifically, studies found that ginger’s antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties are what can contribute to the reduction in oxidative stress as well as inflammation markers.
Especially if you enjoy the taste, it’s easy to see why ginger tea can be a great addition to your diet. You can sip it for its vitamins, minerals, anti-inflammatory and other beneficial properties, or if you’re seeking some relief from nausea or menstrual cramps.
And as an added bonus, it’s simple and relatively affordable to brew at home.
bjp state president annamalai, TAMAGA president GK Vasan and AAMUK general secretary DD Vidhinakaran have insisted that the women’s rights amount should be given to all heads of households without any conditions. In this regard, they have said in the reports released yesterday: Annamalai: In the election promise, the DMK government, which came to power by saying that all the daughters will be given an entitlement amount of Rs. 80 percent will not get it: Out of that,
the monthly income of the family should not be more than Rs.20,833. Next, electricity consumption should not exceed 300 units per month. In june last year, the tamil Nadu government had informed that 99.6 lakh households in tamil Nadu were using less than 300 units of electricity. In these families, if anyone earns more than Rs.20,833 per month, they will also not be given this entitlement amount. Then how will one crore women benefit from this scheme says the Chief Minister?
Under these ludicrous conditions, 80 percent of female heads of families in tamil Nadu have no chance of getting entitlements. Similarly, if the people of tamil Nadu have stipulated that there should be significant qualifications to take charge as tamil Nadu Ministers, what will happen to DMK? GK Vasan: It is not fair that the DMK has announced that Rs.1000 per month will be given to the heads of the families to get votes from the people during the elections, and now it is not fair that DMK is giving the right amount in the name of condition. It is fair to give the women’s rights amount to everyone without any restrictions. TTV Dhinakaran: tamil Nadu government should take steps to provide all the daughters’ rights unconditionally as promised. VK Sasikala: While the DMK welcomes Rs 1000 for women, it is an understatement to say that the right amount is only for eligible women. Rs.1000 per month should be taken for all heads of households. They said this.
MS Dhoni, who usually stays away from social media, dropped a surprise for his fans.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of India’s most decorated skipper, celebrated his 42nd birthday on Friday.
The ex-India cricketer was greeted with heartfelt messages from fans, former colleagues, and other renowned members of the sports fraternity on the occasion. Responding to the immense love he received, Dhoni, who usually stays away from social media, dropped a surprise for his fans. The veteran cricketer gave fans a glimpse of how he celebrated his birthday and shared a reel on Instagram.
In the video Dhoni can be seen cutting a small cake and feeding it to his pet dogs, most likely in his hometown Ranchi. The video was
flooded with likes and comments, fetching over a million reactions in less than 30 minutes. “Thanks a lot for all your warm wishes, a glimpse of what I did on my birthday,” he wrote in the caption.
Dhoni’s reputation as one of the most successful skipper and cricketer remains unparallel. He is the only Indian captain to have won all the three ICC trophies (2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013). The first finale of the ICC World Test Championship was played after his retirement.
Apart from his many laurels in the international arena, Dhoni is also regarded the best in business when it comes to Indian Premier League (IPL). The talismanic cricketer has led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to five IPL titles, the last being in the latest edition against Gujarat
Titans in Ahmedabad. With most anticipating the season to be Dhoni’s final appearance in the lucrative T20 league, the stadiums were covered in hue of yellow irrespective of the venue. Dhoni too matched the reputation of being a dangerous custodian, mesmerising fans with towering sixes in the limited chances he got. His lightning quick wicketkeeping too rewind memories from the past, for instance the Shubman Gill stumping in the finals against Gujarat Titans.
One thing that did trouble Dhoni was his left knee as it was seen heavily strapped on few occasions. Following the conclusion of IPL, the CSK captain also underwent a surgery in Mumbai for the same.
It is reported that Dhoni will need three to four months of rehabilitation time, after which he will start preparing for the next edition.
Allegations surfaced against Higher education Minister Ponmudi while he was a Minister of Transport from 1996 to 2001 under the DMK government.
In a big relief for DMK leader K Ponmudi, a special court in Chennai ordered his and nine others’ acquittal from a land grabbing case filed by the Anti-corruption Wing back in 2003.
Allegations surfaced against higher education Minister Ponmudi
while he was a minister of Transport from 1996 to 2001 under the same DMK government. According to the allegations leveled against Ponmudy, he misused his power as a minister to grab a land of 3,630 square feet in Srinagar west colony, Saidapet that belonged to the Government.
Ponmudi was also accused of threatening Kannan, who was residing in that piece of land and misusing his power to register it in the name of his mother-in-law Saraswati by creating fake documents and for constructing a building on the land worth Rs. 35 lakhs.
The Anti-Corruption Wing registered a case based on these allegations against 10 people
including Minister Ponmudi, his mother-in-law Saraswati, the then registrar Purubabu, Kittu etc. The case was registered on 27.8.2003 and the investigation was completed and a charge sheet was filed on the 10 people in the court on 2.9.2004.
Minister Ponmudi went for an appeal in the same court to acquit him from the case and the court even acquitted him on 26.4.2007. But the Anti-Corruption wing went for an appeal in the Madras High court against the acquittal and on 6.9.2017 the Madras High court dismissed the special court’s order and the judicial probe continued to take place in the Special court that hears cases on MPs and MLAs.
The Special court during the acquittal order stated that the “facts weren’t enough to prove the allegations on minister Ponmudi and the seven other accused.
Like toxic positivity and motivational pressure, resilience hype has started leaving a bad taste in some people’s mouths.
For many, resilience has been pitched as the hero’s journey in overcoming stress in one fell swoop, bouncing back with great velocity due to unparalleled bootstrap-pulling abilities—all while completely ignoring the conditions that cause us to need to be resilient to begin with. When resilience is pitched old-
school style—that it’s just a matter of sheer will or the lack of it that makes us adaptable, admirable humans, it’s no wonder we’ve become bitter.
Resilience resentment—trite, toxically positive nudges to disguise and conquer emotions and “just be strong” as if we’re grit-bots— is growing, and for good reason. Connotations of resilience like this deserve to be challenged. Not only are they off the mark, but they can get in the way of understanding how true
resilience can be cultivated. To start, resilience must be contextualized. None of us lives in a vacuum. When
we experience distress, it’s a proportionate reaction to our environment, not a moral failing. A systems view of resilience—one that accounts for the conditions being faced—is essential.
Resilience must also be considered according to the latest discoveries in brain science. Gone are the days when we evaluate it as a matter of character or toughness.
Despite popularized sentiments, we don’t need to be unwavering under stress in order to be resilient. In fact, research shows that we are capable of becoming more resilient when we acknowledge challenges and remain open to asking for help.
Reframing resilience based on the science of what helps us do well can better position us to grow it. Consider these essential reframes:
The belief that some people are just born with or without resilience is antiquated. The literature is clear— resilience takes time. Experience with suffering can help us build empathy, adaptability, and resourcefulness. But not in the flip of a switch. Our ability to integrate the learning from difficult experiences can be nurtured over time, with intention, rather than thinking we have an unlucky gene pool or somehow missed the memo on how to keep calm and carry on.
Pretending we are fine when we’re not is a hindrance, not a supporter of well-being. We are not rubber balls. Getting up after we’ve been knocked down without examining the lessons and nurturing ourselves can create unintended consequences.
Research shows that practices such as mindfulness that focus on acceptance of difficult emotions can serve to help us own and move through them in a way that’s more effective than blatantly ignoring them.
3. Resilience involves leveraging protective factors, not having the perfect life.
Life is hard. Relationships are complicated. Work and school can drain us. Research has shown that perfectionism has spiked 33 percent in the past 10 years.
We are incredibly hard on ourselves. Social media feeds make it seem like we’re hot messes if we haven’t slayed all day to meet our life goals by age 20. It’s easy to feel underaccomplished and unsuccessful when ideals of having an Insta-perfect life are seen at every turn.
Yet, research overwhelmingly cites the power of protective factors in our lives. These include caring relationships, living out our values, practicing awe and gratitude, time spent immersed in relaxing and fun activities, a sense of humor, and the ability to draw upon past experiences to solve current problems. There’s no such thing as a perfect life, but we can focus on building protective factors that provide needed buffers to life’s inevitable blows.
4. Resilience happens in a community. Staunch individualism can impede resilience. Relationships and a sense of belonging are associated with helping create the conditions of psychological safety—a sense of belonging without fear of being belittled or scrutinized. Knowing we’re not alone and having people who support us in living out values helps generate momentum and a sense of shared purpose. Resilience is built when we join forces to identify what helps sustain us. Candid, caring relationships are vital aspects of true resilience.
Resilience resentment is warranted when it’s based on old-school definitions laden with shame and outdated slogans. Yet, when we reframe resilience based on science, we can harness our adaptive potential without ignoring the complexities we’re trying to navigate. Rather than pressuring ourselves to be perfect or trying to hide difficult emotions, we can leverage protective factors, including relationships where we feel safe and seen.
The Congress on July 9 slammed the Narendra Modi government over reports that youth recruited under the Agnipath scheme were leaving training mid-way.
Taking to Twitter, Congress general secretary (Communication)
Jairam Ramesh said the scheme has shattered the dreams of the youth and created various apprehensions in their mind.
“Earlier it was a dream of the youth to join the army and serve the country. Respecting the resolve of the youth to serve the country, they were given better facilities and job security. The very foundation of Agniveer Yojana is wrong. It has shattered the dreams of the youth to serve the country and has created various apprehensions. The result is
before everyone,” he tweeted, tagging a news report that claimed recruits were leaving training midway.
The Agnipath scheme, launched in June 2022, recruits soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers. While 25% of the recruits would be eligible for permanent commission, others would be given monetary
The world’s best tennis players descend on south-west London once more for the sport’s most prestigious grass court tournament.
Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina will be out to defend their titles on the hallowed grass courts of the All England Club, as the world’s best players get set for two weeks of top-tier tennis at Wimbledon 2023. The third grand slam tournament of the year could see a changing of
compensation on completion of their tenure. The Centre had also announced that Agniveers or soldiers recruited under the scheme would get employment in Central Para-Military Forces (CPMFs) on completion of their four-year tenure. However, the announcement about CPMFs followed wide-scale protests over the short tenure.
the guard, with bright young stars such as 20-year-old World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and Italy’s Jannik Sinner hoping to unseat Djokovic in the men’s tournament. Poland’s Iga Świątek and Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka are, meanwhile, both strongly backed to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish -- the women’s tournament trophy -- for the first time. Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to
watch Wimbledon live wherever you are in the world.
Wimbledon 2023 takes place between Monday, July 3, and Sunday, July 16, at the iconic All England Club in south-west London. Play usually begins at 11 a.m. BST local time each morning (6 a.m. ET, 3 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 8 p.m. AEST in Australia), continuing through the afternoon and sometimes well into the evenings.
A full schedule for this year’s event can be found further down.
How to watch Wimbledon 2023 online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view Wimbledon locally, you may need a different way to watch the world’s greatest grass-court tennis players -- that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a WiFi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this. Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is
legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Linear TV coverage of Wimbledon this year will be split across ESPN (which, crucially, is showing both the men’s and women’s finals), ESPN 2 and ESPN 3/ABC. However, for tennis fans in the US, the best way to watch the tournament will be via ESPN Plus, with the streaming service providing the most comprehensive coverage across the two weeks of the tournament.
Most live TV streaming services offer a free trial or discounts during the first month and allow you to cancel anytime. All require a solid internet connection. Looking for
more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
Tennis fans in the UK will be delighted to hear that the BBC is once again showing the entire tournament across free-to-air channels BBC One, BBC Two and the Red Button.
That also means you can livestream all the action from the green sward of SW19 on BBC iPlayer.
Stream Wimbledon 2023 in Australia for free
Tennis fans Down Under can watch comprehensive live coverage of Wimbledon on free-to-air channel 9Gem.
That also means you’ll be able to watch the action online via the network’s streaming service 9Now. For dedicated tennis fans, pay-TV service Stan Sport is livestreaming every match on every court, ad-free. Stream Wimbledon 2023 in Canada
Comprehensive live coverage of Wimbledon 2023 will be available in Canada via TSN. Cord cutters can watch via the network’s streaming service TSN Plus.
Wimbledon 2023: Men’s and women’s singles full schedule
Monday, July 3: 1st round
Tuesday, July 4: 1st round
Wednesday, July 5: 2nd round
Thursday, July 6: 2nd round
Friday, July 7: 3rd round
Saturday, July 8: 3rd round
Sunday, July 9: 4th round
Monday, July 10: 4th round
Tuesday, July 11: Quarterfinals
Wednesday, July 12: Quarterfinals
Thursday, July 13: Women’s semifinals
Friday, July 14: Men’s semifinals
Saturday, July 15: Women’s final
Sunday, July 16: Men’s final
With four variables at play -your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming the tennis action live may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account.
Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location. All of the
VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing
Republican leaders and presidential candidates filed in to applaud Friday’s Supreme Court decision striking down President Joe Biden’s student loan relief program.
“I am honored to have played a role in appointing three of the justices that ensured today’s welcomed decision,” said former Vice President Mike Pence, who served under
Donald Trump in the White House and is now competing against him in the Republican presidential primary. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., another presidential contender, called the loan forgiveness plan an “illegal and immoral” bid to “transfer student debt to taxpayers.” “If you take out a loan, you pay it back,” Scott said in a statement.
Biden’s debt-forgiveness effort would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loans for millions of individual borrowers, at an estimated cost of $400 billion. Payments on those loans, which had been paused for more than three years by both the Trump and Biden administrations, are set to resume in October.
The 6-3 ruling, which split the conservative-majority court along ideological lines, sawed off a major plank of Biden’s sweeping agenda to provide relief for Americans impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s obviously a blow to the administration,” Katharine Meyer, an education policy expert and fellow at the Brookings Institution, said in an interview Friday. Meyer noted, however, that she doesn’t expect the ruling will mark an end to the efforts to forgive student loan debt. On Friday afternoon, the Biden administration announced that it was taking steps toward an “alternative path to debt relief” for “as many working and middle-class borrowers as possible.” “No President has fought harder for student debt
relief than President Biden, and he’s not done yet,” the White House said in a release. Pence and others in the GOP, including the Republican National Committee, condemned the president’s plan as a subsidy for wealthy college graduates, a category that tends to lean Democratic.
But most borrowers don’t fit into that group: One-third of them owe less than $10,000, and another 20% owe between $10,000 and $20,000, according to data last year from The Washington Post.
“The vast majority of borrowers are those that have taken out fairly small loans, and a large share of them never earned a college degree,” Meyer said. “A lot of the individuals who would have benefited in some way from this policy are lower-income Americans.” Other Republicans have put forward alternative plans for addressing the country’s burgeoning student loan debt.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the main GOP primary rival to Trump, has proposed putting universities on the hook when their students default on their debt. Earlier this month, a group of Senate Republicans put forward a package of bills aimed to address “skyrocketing” higher education costs. Canceling student debt is a popular idea: Polls have shown that most registered voters support at least some form of loan forgiveness. As of 1 p.m. ET on Friday, neither Trump nor DeSantis had weighed in on the ruling.
On a recent visit to a hillock at Kumittipathi in Coimbatore, former epigraphist R Jegadeesan and his team were shocked to find the rock art site in ruins. “The drawings were disfigured by overwriting and scribbling. Some had written their names and dates of birth on the drawings as though they were making memories. But they did not know they were ruining something invaluable,” said Jegadeesan.
In the naturally formed caves of the hill in Kumittipathi, considered home to humans who lived more than 2,500 years ago, two of the caves have walls covered with drawings — of a chariot, an elephant with a man atop it and another of a peacock, among others. These depictions of ancient life now lie disfigured. At Kovanur near Periyanaickenpalayam in Coimbatore, villagers were found lighting camphor directly below the drawings on rocks leading to a thick black deposit lining the rock surface as well as the drawings.
It is not just the hillocks of Kumitipathi and Kovanur in Coimbatore, several such art sites across Tamil Nadu have become similar targets of mindless destruction.
C Tamilvanan, a philatelist who organises heritage walks to several archaeological sites in Vellore district, says the art at Kolikondaimalai at Chennarayanpalli on GudiyathamLatheri Road is slowly fading. “Only a horse drawing is visible. A human figure with a long spear-like weapon sitting on a horse has faded due to lack of preservation. ”
A majority of such sites are found in remote corners of villages, in forests or on hillocks that often turn drinking havens of anti-social elements who, lacking awareness about the significance of the art, resort to vandalizing them, say experts. Requests from local heritage enthusiasts have fallen on deaf ears and the damage continues.
Historians say the rock art in Tamil Nadu is believed to be more than 2,500 years old. “It depicts the way of life of those who lived in that time. They drew what they saw in the wild, capturing the beauty of the wilderness,” says retired archaeologist R Poongundran. One
of the drawings in the Kumitipand armed with a stick. He faces another man in a similar position, on an elephant with tusks, while several other people are on foot, holding each other’s hands. “This rock art site too deserves immediate attention,” says Thenkongu Sathasivam, a carpenter turned archaeological enthusiast from Udumalpet.
The Karikkiyoor rock art in Nilgiris pictured the ecosystem of ‘mullai nilam’ (forest), one of the five types of landscapes, he says. “Human figures, bullfights, depiction of warriors, and wild animals including elephants, deer and wild boars are also drawn,” Sathasivam adds. This is the largest rock art site in the state, says Poongundran, adding that the drawings here are in both white ochre and red ochre.
ghats in the state, with the first of them discovered in the late 1970s at Mallapadi in Krishnagiri district. These depict combat scenes in battlefields, worship, rituals, hunting, festivities, wild animals, and some geometrical symbols.
The state department of archaeology has declared the sites of Kilvalai, Settavarai, and Alambadi in Villupuram district protected monuments, but the rest, including at Karikkiyoor, Vellerikombai, Sigur, and Iduhatti in the Nilgiris, Vellarukkanpalayam and Kumitippathi in Coimbatore district, Sirumalai in Dindigul district, Alangayam and Chennarayapalli in Vellore district, and Kidaripatti, Suruli hills, and Muttupatti in Maduri district are left unprotected.
“These too should be protected,” says S Balamurugan, secretary of Tiruvannamalai Centre for Historical Research (TCHR).
As per the book, ‘Rock Art of Tamil Nadu’, published by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology in 2005, more than 30 rock art sites were identified along the eastern ghats and western
Other experts suggest that people in the area concerned could be appointed as guides and security guards deployed. Also, archaeological enthusiasts say, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can be roped in to join with the local authorities to create fencing around the sites and to distribute pamphlets to spread awareness among the residents and others. “Going one step ahead, the local authorities can make a replica of the rock art site and keep it in the village concerned for public display. This way we can preserve the original rock art site,” says Poongundran.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will present the state budget today i.e. July 7 at 12 pm, the first after Congress assumed power in the state. This would be Siddaramaiah’s seventh Budget as a chief minister.
The budget session of the Karnataka Legislature began on 3 July with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot emphasising on the need to eradicate corruption in the state, and the ruling Congress and opposition BJP gearing up for a battle both inside and outside the Assembly.
Earlier in the month of February Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had presented the State Budget for the financial year 2023-24.
Ahead of the Budget, State’s Minister HK Patil said, “Natural that there are people’s expectations. There also have a lot of confidence in us. Congress party has built that credibility in Karnataka & also in the country. I am sure that we will be able to deliver and people will be happy after the Budget.”
The budget assumes significance as the CM has to make provisions for the five guarantees, which his Congress party had announced before the assembly elections.
The implementation of the five poll guarantees is expected to cost the state exchequer an estimated ₹60,000 crore annually. The Chief Minister had already said that some strict austerity measures will be announced. He has hinted that the size of the budget this year could be
about ₹3.35 lakh crore. On Tuesday, Karnataka Assembly witnessed an uproar scenes due to protests by the BJP against the ruling Congress leading to four adjournments by Speaker U T Khader. As planned, the opposition BJP staged protests inside and outside the Assembly alleging injustice and cheating by the ruling Congress in the name of five guarantees. Yediyurappa charged the Congress with ‘misleading’ people through their five guarantees.
“Our agitation is against the failure of fulfilling the five guarantees. We are also opposing the government’s stand to withdraw the anti-conversion and anticow slaughter laws, which our government had introduced in the past,” he said.
The Karnataka government is likely to table a bill scrapping the anti-conversion law called Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022, which was promulgated by the previous BJP government.
According to some Congress insiders, the government will also introduce a bill scrapping the anticow slaughter law called Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, news agency PTI has reported.
The government may also introduce a bill repealing the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act, besides another amendment pertaining to the Agricultural Produce Marketing
(Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Pandemonium is expected when the Congress presents the bill repealing the anti-conversion and anti-cow slaughter laws as the BJP is likely to protest it vehemently. Reacting to questions on the Cow slaughter bill, the CM had said “Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 already existed and an amendment was brought to the same.”
The exercise to ‘de-saffronise’ textbooks may also invite the BJP’s ire during the session.
The Siddaramaiah government will make budgetary provisions for its five guarantee schemes, namely Gruha Jyoti (offering up to 200 units free electricity for residential purposes), Gruha Lakshmi (promising ₹2,000 to women heads of BPL/APL ration card holders), Anna Bhagya (Promising 10 kg rice to each member of BPL ration card holders), Yuva Nidhi (offering ₹3,000 to unemployed graduates and ₹1,500 to unemployed diploma holders who passed this academic year, for 24 months) and ‘Shakti’ offering free bus rides to Karnataka women across Karnataka in non-luxury government buses.
Highlighting that a lot of time is left for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, NTK leader Seeman, in Sivaganga on Sunday, said they are ready to join hands with non-Dravidian parties if they are ready to form an alliance and face the election under his leadership.
He said the call would be taken during the election phase. His party has no faith in Dravidian and national parties because, over the past years, whichever parties joined alliances with these parties had to compromise their stands. “Arvind Kejriwal was able to win in New Delhi. So why is it not possible for Seeman to compete in the elections alone and win in Tamil Nadu? Even AIADMK, under J Jayalalithaa, was able to win in the 2014 Lok Sabha election without any alliance,” he added.
He further criticised the DMK government for the `1,000 aid scheme, through which they have
made women beg before them. This is not a Kalaignar urimai thogai scheme, but rather it is just taking the public money and giving it back, he added.
Further speaking, Seeman said he feels there is no need for Uniform Civil Code as the government is already incapable of implementing the 33% reservation for women.
He also criticised the DMK government for the vegetable price hike. The Dravidian government has been incapable of providing powercut-free days for people though both the DMK and AIADMK have been ruling the state for years.
Seeman also condemned the disqualification of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, stating that it violates the principles of democracy. He further alleged that the ongoing violence in Manipur is created by the BJP.
Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan on Monday gifted a car to Sharmila, a Coimbatore-based woman driver after quitting her job as a private bus driver following a controversy over the issuance of a ticket to DMK MP Kanimozhi. In a statement, Haasan said that the car was presented on behalf of the Kamal Cultural Centre to transform Sharmila to become an entrepreneur-driver on a rental basis. “She worked hard for her dream of becoming a bus driver and performed the challenging task effectively. She has received appreciation from various quarters for that. A recent discussion about Sharmila who is a great role model for women of her age came to my attention. I was very hurt. Sharmila should not be just a driver. My hope is that she should inspire thousands of Sharmilas,” he said. The actor-politician said that Kamal Cultural Center donates a new car to Sharmila. “Sharmila will resume her journey as a rental car driver cum entrepreneur. I want us as a civilized society to stand by women who have been suppressed for years and years to break their shackles and rise to the occasion. My best wishes to daughter Sharmila,” he said. On June 23, Kanimozhi travelled on the bus driven by Sharmila which plies between Gandhipuram and Somanur. Hours after DMK MP’s travel, she told Media that she had quit her job over the conductor asking Kanimozhi to get a ticket despite being told not to do so. When Sharmila raised the issue with the bus owner, he did not support her.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Tuesday took exception to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s speech that “Hindi provides a platform for expression and a bridge for national oneness and unity.”
Pattali Makkal Katchi(PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday said Chief Minister MK Stalin should raise the Mekedatu dam issue in the proposed meeting of opposition parties in Karnataka. Addressing reporters in Coimbatore, Anbumani also said Chief Minister Stalin and Governor RN Ravi should maintain cordial relations for the welfare of people. “They both should work in unison for the good of people,” he said.
He slammed the state government for imposing eligibility criteria for ‘urimai thogai’ scheme after announcing it for all women in the election manifesto during the run up to polls.
Anbumani said that the state government should focus on water management by sanctioning more funds. “In the last 60 years of Dravidian rule, nothing has been done towards water management. If PMK demands for building 10 check dams in Kollidam river, the government allows opening of ten sand quarries,” he said.
Claiming that the state government should have stocked tomatoes by developing cold storage facilities, when its prices remained low last month to be sold now and keep prices under check. On the election front, the PMK will announce its alliance before the Lok Sabha polls, Anbumani added. The PMK president also urged the government to hold talks with Sri Lankan and Indian officials along with fishermen organisations to resolve fishers issue and take steps to release 15 fishermen detained by the Sri Lankan Navy.
While addressing a meeting of ‘Hindi Salahkar Samiti, the Minister had said that while “we may use our regional languages, we should respect Hindi as the national language.”
Mr. Vaiko said that the Minister had denigrated other regional languages. “All 22 languages listed in the 8th schedule are national languages.
The ruling BJP’s efforts to impose Hindi and make it a national language is against the pluralistic nature of India.”
he said in a statement. The cultural unity of India can be protected only by treating all languages and cultures equally.
“The idea of one language, one culture and one country will be detrimental to the nation’s unity,” he warned.
the representation to the DME, Governor Soundararajan responded expressing her concern. “Concerned to see the dilapidated condition of the century old prestigious #OsmaniaGeneralHospital. Pride of this citadel of learning & healing must be restored soon,” she tweeted Tuesday night.
Minister T Harish Rao
Recently, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also flayed the state government for delay in starting the construction of a new building at the OGH. He asked why the needs of Hyderabadis were being neglected despite repeated requests from his party’s side.
After a social media post reminding the state government about the need for constructing a new building at Osmania General Hospital (OGH) in Hyderabad received ‘support’ from none other than Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao Wednesday retorted saying the Governor sees only politics and chooses to overlook the achievements of the government in the medical sector.
A group of junior doctors, alumni of OGH, paramedical and nursing staff, under the banner ‘Joint Association for New OGH’, have approached the Director of Medical Education (DME) listing out the hardships and inconveniences faced by health professionals as well as patients in the absence of sufficient space at the hospital.
They underlined the need for infrastructure to avoid overcrowding, especially in the wake of the increased inflow of patients.
To a tweet by the handle ‘Justice for OGH’, which shared some photographs as well as a copy of
Wednesday termed the Governor’s tweet as unfortunate. He said the number of outpatients visiting OGH, Gandhi Hospital, Niloufer Hospital, and Fever Hospital in the city has come down significantly due to the success of ‘basti dawakhanas’.
“The Governor does not see our achievements and does not appreciate the good work of our medical professionals but is quick to highlight the problems. The politics here is very clear,” the minister said, as he listed out the achievements of his department.
Recently, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also flayed the state government for delay in starting the construction of a new building at the OGH. He asked why the needs of Hyderabadis were being neglected despite repeated requests from his party’s side.
“This is blatant injustice against people of Hyderabad constituency. It is also a grave disservice to doctors, medical students & people of Telangana who come to Hyderabad for treatment. The dilapidated building doesn’t serve the needs of a modern hospital. The restoration of old building & construction was estimated to be ₹560 crores.
This amount is peanuts for a “prosperous” state govt that seems to have funds for everything in the world. What’s the use of public money if it’s not helping the poorest get life saving healthcare? What other reason is there for the delay in starting work on Osmania?” he tweeted.
The health minister said that chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao had visited the hospital in 2015 and announced Rs 200 crore to construct a new building but some people approached the court against this. While a group has approached the court seeking protection and conservation of the century-old heritage block, another group has sought demolition of all buildings for the construction of a new hospital building efficiently utilising the 26-acre campus.
The heritage block was vacated in 2020 when rainwater entered the building. Following this, patients have been accommodated in makeshift arrangements in the equally dilapidated outpatient block and Quli Qutb Shah building.
During his visit to the hospital in May last year, Harish Rao assured protection of the heritage block and said that the government would construct the new infrastructure by taking into account the recommendations of the courtappointed experts’ committee on the structural stability of the OGH and directions of the Telangana High Court. The six-member committee informed the court in July 2022 that the heritage block could be repaired and used for non-hospital purposes.
A doctor associated with Joint Association for New OGH, requesting anonymity, told indianexpress.com that the government is yet to submit its decision before the court.
“The committee has informed the government and in turn the court that the building cannot be used. During the last hearing on December 13, 2022, the HC asked the government to decide what it wants to do.
The court sought a comprehensive proposal and the government has not taken a decision yet,” he said. Adding that many patients are suffering and the government has to decide fast, he said, “We want a new building for the OGH. We cannot continue in this building, the government must act immediately in the interest of patients.”
An official from the hospital administration admitted overcrowding in the hospital. “We can put 1,157 beds depending on the needs and demands of units. There is overcrowding but it is due to space constraints and not because of the increased inflow of patients.
If you put 15 beds in the space for 10 beds there will be overcrowding,” he added. Hospital Superintendent Dr B Nagender was not available for comment.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national Mahila Morcha President Vanathi Srinivasan on Thursday said that the jailed Minister V Senthilbalaji should not continue as a Minister if there is to be a fair trial. Responding to the dismissal of incumbent Minister V Senthil Balaji by Governor RN Ravi, the BJP national Mahila Morcha president, and Coimbatore (South) MLA Vanathi Srinivasan said that if the dismissal of Senthilbalaji from the Cabinet is wrong, then the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) can appeal to the Court. Notably, the State BJP welcomed the move of the Governor sacking the jailed minister from the Cabinet. Taking to Twitter, the BJP state vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy said that corruption was dead under the rule of the Governor. “Done done..Gatham..Gatham..I said corruption,” he tweeted.
had a big role in this in the past few elections.” Lashing out at Mr Obama for his interview with CNN, in which he had said he would look to raise the subject of Indian Muslims with PM Modi, Ms Sitharaman said, “I was shocked. When PM Modi was campaigning in the US - and by campaigning I mean speaking about India - a former President of the US is speaking about Indian Muslims.”
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi from questions surrounding the treatment of Muslims in India and his answer on the subject during a press conference in the US.
Accusing the Congress and other opposition parties of raising “non-issues, without data” in the face of electoral defeats, she also lashed out at former US President Barack Obama, questioning his comments on Indian Muslims because the US under his rule had “bombed six Muslim-majority nations”.
“The Honourable Prime Minister himself, in the press conference in the US, has said how his government works on the ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ principle and doesn’t discriminate against any community. But the fact remains that
when people join in this debate and highlight issues which are non-issues in a way,” Ms Sitharaman said at a news conference.
“Out of the 13 awards that he has been given as Prime Minister of the country, six have been given by countries where Muslims are in the majority,” she said.
“There are issues to be raised which are being raised at the state level about law and order. There are people taking care of it. To just allege without basic data in hand just tells us that these are organised campaigns,” the BJP leader said. Slamming the opposition, she said, “I think because they can’t counter the BJP or PM Modi electorally - the Karnataka election result notwithstandingthat is why they are running these campaigns. And the Congress has
“And I am saying this with restraint because it involves another country. We want friendship with the US but there too we get remarks about religious freedom in India. A former President - under whose rule six Muslim-majority countries were bombed with more than 26,000 bombs - how will people trust his allegations?” she said.
Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com “I find this deliberate attempt to vitiate the atmosphere in this country because they think they cannot win against the developmental policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the minister alleged. Before Ms Sitharaman, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also of the BJP, had targeted Mr Obama for his comments, saying his state police “should prioritize taking care of” the many “Hussain Obama” in India - highlighting the former US President’s Muslim lineage.
Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan said Thursday that the Cauvery water sharing is “not an ordinary matter but a life issue” and that the state will never give consent for the construction of the dam across the river at Mekedatu by Karnataka.
Duraimurugan made the comments while speaking to reporters after he reached Chennai following a meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Delhi in the backdrop of the ongoing row over the construction of the Mekedatu dam.
“I have explained to the minister that this is not some ordinary matter but a life issue,” Duraimurugan said. The Tamil Nadu minister pointed
out that the state should have been receiving 12.213 thousand million cubic feet of water from Karnataka. However, he said, they have received only 2.993 tmc of water until July 3, which is a deficit of 9.220 tmc.
Duraimurmugan said if the situation continues, the short-term Kuruvai crops in delta districts may be affected. “Karnataka has to release the water to protect the crops in the Cauvery Delta districts and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has to hold talks or pass necessary orders for it to do,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu minister added he conveyed their concern to Shekhawat, who according to Duraimurugan has asked officials to
take necessary measures to convene a CWMA meeting. He said Karnataka is violating the Supreme Court order by not providing the quantum of water to Tamil Nadu.
When asked about the Karnataka Government’s remarks it will hold talks with Tamil Nadu over the construction of the dam at Mekedatu, Duraimurugan said even if they hold talks or write to them, the state will never give consent for the construction of the dam.
On Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai’s statement that his party would stage a ‘Go Back Stalin’ protest against Chief Minister M K Stalin if he takes part in the Opposition meeting in Bengaluru, Duraimurugan said ‘it is their wish’.
meeting, which is scheduled for July 3. The concept of a uniform civil code involves the formulation and implementation of personal laws that would apply to all citizens of India, irrespective of their religion, sex, gender, or sexual orientation.
At present, personal laws are governed by religious scriptures within various communities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has argued in favour of uniform laws for all citizens, highlighting the importance of equality as enshrined in the Constitution.
The Narendra Modi government is considering introducing a bill on implementing a Uniform Civil Code during the upcoming session of Parliament.
The Narendra Modi government at the Centre is considering the introduction of a bill on implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
highly -placed sources have revealed to India Today that the bill may be referred to the parliamentary standing committee, which will seek input from various stakeholders on the matter of a uniform civil code.
LiveMint could not independently verify the report.
This development follows a notice issued by the Law Commission of India, wherein it sought the opinions of stakeholders on this issue. The parliamentary standing committee on personnel, public grievances, law, and justice recently scheduled a meeting to discuss the UCC and announced its intention to gather the views of stakeholders.
Members of the committee, including BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi, have been informed that their input on the UCC will be sought and considered during the
On June 14, the Law Commission of India invited the public and recognized religious organisations to provide their views and ideas on the Uniform Civil Code.
This move demonstrates the commission’s commitment to examining this issue in a comprehensive manner.
The implementation of a uniform civil code would harmonise personal laws and ensure equal treatment for all citizens.
The government’s intention to table a bill on this matter underscores its efforts to promote equality and uphold the principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
