Padma Lakshmi Wins Three Emmy Nominations

The Television Academy announced the nominations for the 2023 awards, and Padma Lakshmi, popular TV host, model and activist secured three nominations. The Indian American was nominated in the Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program category for ‘Top Chef’ making it her third consecutive Emmy nomination as a host.

Lakshmi recently announced her decision to step down from her role as the host of ‘Top Chef’ to focus on her new show  ‘Taste The Nation With Padma Lakshmi’, where she serves as both the host and executive producer. She also earned a nomination for the new show in the Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series.

“I am so excited and grateful for THREE @televisionacad nominations this morning, thank you from the bottom of my heart! It feels incredibly sweet to end my tenure at @bravotopchef with nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition and one for me as Host,” Lakshmi, who hosted the show for two decades, wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.

She added, “But it feels supremely special to get one for Taste the Nation in the category of Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series. It’s a show built from an idea in my head that has come to fruition exactly as intended with so much help and love from a whole team of amazing people. I am so grateful to both of our crews behind the scenes, our producers, our network executives, and for everyone who has watched and supported us along the way.”

In June 2023, ‘Top Chef’ and ‘Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi’ tied for first place at the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Real TV prizes.

“France An Important Partner In Make In India”

Modi welcomed the bilateral agreements finalized in defense, digital technology visas, and other sectors during his trip. France is an important partner in Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Prime Minister Modi said on July 14 in a joint press briefing with French President Emmanuel Macron. The Indian leader who was on a state visit to France thanked Macron for his cooperation and hospitality during the visit.

Sharing the outcomes of his visit, Modi said that both countries have agreed on the importance of enhancing cooperation in diverse fields such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and digital technology. He welcomed the agreement signed between Indian Oil and France’s Total for export of LNG and the agreement to launch India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in France.

Hailing France as a natural partner in India’s developmental journey, the PM said, “We are celebrating 25 years of our strategic partnership. We are making a roadmap for the next 25 years on the basis of the strong foundation of the previous 25 years.”

In his address, President Macron mentioned the agreement on visa regulations. “We will work on our visa policies so that more students from India can study in France,” he said adding “By 2030, we want to send 30,000 French students to India.” PM Modi reiterated that all conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. “India and France have a special responsibility to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said and highlighted that both countries are working together for peace and believe that stringent measures should be taken to counter cross-border terrorism.

Further, the PM highlighted the strong people-to-people ties that bind India and France. He welcomed the decision to set up a new Indian consulate in Marseille and France joining as a partner for the upcoming National Museum in New Delhi. Concluding his address, Modi extended his best wishes to the President for the 2024 Paris Olympics and invited him to attend the G20 summit in India.

While in Paris, PM Modi met with Leena Nair, the global CEO of fashion brand Chanel, Thomas Pesquet, a French aerospace engineer, pilot, European Space Agency astronaut and actor and Charlotte Chopin, renowned French yoga teacher.  He invited Nair and Pesquet to explore investment opportunities and collaboration potential in India in the area of their expertise.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the strong “people-to-people connect” between India and France during his hour-long speech to the Indian diaspora at the La Seine Musicale in Paris on July 13. “Wherever we go, we create a “mini-India”,” the Prime Minister said thanking the community for the warm welcome that made him feel like he is in India.

Sharing the importance of his visit Modi said that the world is moving towards a new world order. “Be it climate change, supply chains, counter-terrorism or counter-radicalism, the world is looking to India,” he maintained.

During his speech, the Indian leader made significant announcements, including the extension of India’s Unified Payment System (UPI) to France. “In the coming days, UPI will begin from the Eiffel Tower, which means Indian tourists will now be able to pay in rupees,” he said.

The move will simplify financial transactions for Indian travelers in France, eliminating the need to carry foreign currency or forex cards. France joins the UAE, Nepal, and Bhutan as countries that have already adopted India’s UPI.

The Prime Minister further announced that Indian students pursuing master’s degrees in France. will be granted a five-year post-study work visa, an increase from the previous two-year visa. “The last time I came to France, it was decided that Indian students studying here would be given a two-year post-study work visa. Now, it has been decided that Indian students pursuing a Master’s degree will be given a long-term study visa of five years,” he said amid loud applause.

In a move to strengthen diplomatic ties and facilitate services for the Indian community, Modi announced the opening of a new consulate in Marseille, France. Addressing concerns regarding the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, he informed the audience that the issues in Reunion Island have been resolved, and OCI cards are now being issued there. Similar efforts will be made in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

In his speech, the Prime Minister also urged the Indian community residing abroad to invest in India, which is rapidly progressing toward becoming a developed nation. He stated, “Today, every rating agency is saying that India is a bright spot. You invest in India now. This is the opportune time. Those who invest early will reap benefits.” He also invited the diaspora to visit India.

During his state visit to France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of  Honour, the country’s highest award by President Emmanuel Macron. With this honour, PM Modi becomes the first Indian state head to receive the highest French honour in military or civilian orders.

“It is with great humility that I accept the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor. This is an honour for the 140 crore people of India. I thank President @EmmanuelMacron, the French Government and people for this gesture. It shows their deep affection towards India and resolve for furthering friendship with our nation,” Modi tweeted on receiving the honor.

President Macron said, “India and France are celebrating 25 years of strategic partnership made of trust and friendship, which are only getting stronger with time. “

The award ceremony took place at the Elysee Palace in Paris, where President Macron welcomed Modi and hosted a dinner in his honor, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. In the past, this highest honour has been received by few prominent leaders from across the world including former South African President Nelson Mandela and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel among others.

UN Chief Calls Delhi G20 Summit An Opportunity To Reform Global Financial System

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has denounced the international financial system as a relic of the colonial past and said that the G20 Summit in India offers an opportunity to start moving on reforming it.

The debt crisis faced by 40 per cent of the developing is because of the “inequality built into our outdated global financial system, which reflects the colonial power dynamics of the era when it was created”, Guterres said on Wednesday.

He referred to the recent international initiatives on dealing with the crisis and said, “The upcoming G20 Summit is an opportunity to take these ideas forward”.

The summit in September in New Delhi the G20, which is made up of industrialised and major emerging economies will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Setting the tone ahead of the summit at a meeting of the G20 finance ministers earlier this year, Modi called urgent action to reform the international financial institutions asserting that trust in them was eroding.

Picture : Mint

Even though India itself is not facing a debt crisis, it has taken up the cause of countries affected by it during its leadership of the G20 and was reported to be preparing a proposal in the context of the group to help the countries facing the worst debt crisis by taking drastic actions, including lenders taking “haircuts” or forgiving substantial portions of the loans.

The main international financial institutions were created in the aftermath of World War II.

Guterres, who was speaking at the release of the report on the international debt problem by the UN Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG), said, “Half our world is sinking into a development disaster, fuelled by a crushing debt crisis”.

The markets may not be feeling the impact of the crisis “because most of these unsustainable debts are concentrated in poor countries [and] they are not judged to pose a systemic risk to the global financial system,” he said.

But that is a “mirage” and even if markets aren’t, the 3.3 billion people are, Guterres said.

Explaining how the debt burden affects the development programmes of countries, the GCRG showed that the burden of interest payments for India was 1.2 times what the country spent on education and 5.2 times what it spent on health.

Highlighting the inequalities in the global financial system, the GCRG report said that developing countries have to pay much higher interest rates compared to developed countries.

Rebecca Grynspan, the coordinator of the GCRG, said that credit rating agencies made the problems worse for developing countries that receive lower ratings, which translate to higher interest rates.

Without reference to the fundamental indicators of the economies, credit rating agencies are “punishing” developing countries, said Grynspan, who is also the secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Asked about what can be done by the G20 to help deal with the crisis, she suggested increasing the capitalisation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).

She noted that the size of the WB’s capital was now one-fifth of what it was in 1960 in relation to the size of the global GDP.

Asked about the need for debts for development and the risk of their non-productive use, Grynspan said that to make up for their lack of capital, countries have to incur debts for the investments they need.

“When the debt is well used to expand the productive capacity of the countries the infrastructure and the basic needs of its people”, she said, and it “has a very high return”.

“The problem is, when you have done that, and suddenly that [interest rate] has become much more expensive and so you are no longer in a sustainable path because you have to dedicate a lot of your revenues inside the country or the revenues from export to pay your debt”, she said.

But “if it is ill-used, you can be in trouble”, she said adding that it was not the case for most countries and they “are in trouble because of systemic shocks, not because of the of the country’s individual decisions”.

“The Covid pandemic, climate change and the cost of living crisis have put a very heavy burden on the sustainability of the debt of the developing countries”, she said.

The conditions for the loans also matter and the private sector is reluctant to finance loans for development that require long periods, according to her.

“And that’s why we are insisting that the development banks have to be recapitalised and they have to use the resources to scale up the support for developing countries”, she added.

Alcaraz Wins Wimbledon in a Thrilling Comeback Against Djokovic

Following quite a while of premature moves, men’s tennis at last has a legitimate conflict between the ages.

In a frightening rebound that shook the All Britain Club’s respected Center Court, Carlos Alcaraz, the 20-year-old Spanish star who has blitzed the game in his concise profession, pulled off the almost unimaginable, beating Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon last on the grass that the man generally perceived as the best ever to play the game has long treated as his back yard.

In addition to attempting to win a Grand Slam, Djokovic wanted to put an end to the hopes of another well-known newcomer who was trying to challenge his dominance of the sport, which has resulted in 23 Grand Slam tournament victories. Alcaraz is the leading figure of the following gathering of players who should move the game past the time of the Huge Three, a period that incorporates Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and that Djokovic has administered longer than many anticipated.

Alcaraz won the U.S. Open last year in exciting, gymnastic design, serving notice that men’s tennis would have been stirred up by a strange ability. This year, he pulled out from the Australian Open to nurture a physical issue and was crushed by Djokovic in the elimination rounds at the French Open. In any case, the buzz around him and his future won’t ever lessen.

“It’s perfect for the new age,” Alcaraz said, “to see me beating him and making them feel that they are proficient to make it happen.”

Down after the principal set and battling just to stay away from shame, Alcaraz rediscovered his novel blend of speed, power and contact and sorted out the nuances of grass-court tennis at the last possible second.

In an epic, 85-minute second set, when he was one point away from what appeared to be an insurmountable two-set deficit, he clawed his way back into the match.

He took control of the match in the middle of the third set, but in the fourth set, he faltered as Djokovic, the four-time defending champion and seven-time winner of Wimbledon, rediscovered the footwork that has been the foundation of his success for a long time.

Alcaraz rose once more to claim victory, 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, not only overcoming Djokovic’s endless skills and talents but also breaking his spirit. Djokovic is as dangerous as he has ever been when facing defeat.

At the point when the energy swung one final time, as Alcaraz wrenched a strike down the line to break Djokovic’s serve right off the bat in the fifth set, the Serb with the steely brain crushed his racket on the net post. He had wasted a chance to take control a few points earlier by hitting a floating forehand in the middle of the court and sending it into the net. Presently, only a couple of moments later, what has so seldom happened to him as of late — a misfortune to an overall novice on a fabulous stage, particularly this terrific stage — was occurring.

Djokovic, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, finally beat Nadal and Federer, his longtime rivals, last month. But this defeat cost him a chance at one of the few prizes he hasn’t won: becoming the first player since 1969 to win all four major tournaments in a single year and complete the Grand Slam in men’s singles. Two years ago, he was one match away from accomplishing the feat. This time, at 36 years of age, an age when most bosses have resigned to the transmission corner, he was eight matches away.

It appeared to be so close, but Alcaraz demonstrated why everyone has been so obsessed with him for so long in the final game. He beat Djokovic with his most seductive shots: a silky drop shot, a skillful topspin lob, a powerful serve, and a final ripping forehand that Djokovic reached for but was unable to hit over the net.

Alcaraz dropped to the ground and moved on the grass, his hands over his face in dismay. He embraced Djokovic at the net, warmly greeted the umpire, got a free ball from the grass and drop-kicked it into the group prior to heading into the stands to embrace his folks and his mentor, Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Alcaraz stated, “It’s amazing for me to beat Novak at his best, in this stage, make history, and be the guy to beat him after 10 years unbeaten on that court.”

In the wake of taking the top dog’s prize from Catherine, Princess of Ridges, on a day that drew out Top notch VIPs like the entertainers Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Emma Watson and Hugh Jackman and the vocalist Ariana Grande, he got to mess with Lord Felipe VI of Spain, who additionally watched the youthful Spanish player’s victory. Alcaraz addressed the king, “Now that I won, I hope you are coming to more of my matches.”

One of Alcaraz’s many tutors, Nadal, the incomparable Spanish player who had deposed one more Wimbledon symbol, Federer, in 2008, composed via virtual entertainment that Alcaraz had brought “monstrous satisfaction” to Spanish tennis.

“A very firm hug, Champion, and enjoy the moment!!!” wrote Nadal, who had recent hip and abdominal surgery and was unable to participate in the tournament.

The misfortune made an intriguing second for Djokovic, who recognized that on this day basically he had lost to a superior player.

“An extreme one to swallow,” Djokovic said of the misfortune. After that, he looked at his son, who was smiling at him from a seat near the courtroom, and fought back tears. He thanked his family for supporting him. We can all love one another, and I’ll give you a big hug.

On Saturday, Mats Wilander, the seven-time Huge homerun victor who is currently quite possibly of the most regarded voice in the game, put Djokovic’s possibilities beating Alcaraz and winning the four 2023 Huge homerun occasions at 90%.

“He has such a large number of weapons,” Wilander said. ” He is familiar with the sport in its entirety. He knows everything exactly how to do it. The rivals aren’t prepared for him.”

Wilander appeared to be prescient in the opening minutes of Sunday’s final. It appeared as though the most important men’s tennis match would be fought between two players who had entered Centre Court under completely different circumstances.

Djokovic had his typical July Sunday. However, Alcaraz was playing in his most memorable Wimbledon last, and that weight was made heavier after the pressure prompted, full-body cramps he endured during his elimination round confrontation with Djokovic at the French Open a month ago. That had been the principal significant second when Alcaraz, the favorite and the world No. 1, did not live up to his promise.

Sunday was unique. Be that as it may, not from the start.

From the initial minutes, Djokovic stuck Alcaraz in the back corner of the court with low cutting shots that made it unthinkable for Alcaraz to go on the assault. He squashed assistance returns, focusing on the earthy colored patches of soil at Alcaraz’s feet and sending him running in reverse.

Before the half-hour mark of the match, Djokovic had a 2-0 lead and was being set up.

After an epic second set that lasted three times as long as the first, Alcaraz’s chance of reaching his first Wimbledon final came down to a crucial tiebreaker. Djokovic excels at tiebreakers. Entering the last, he had won 14 straight in Huge homerun matches.

The second drawn out the best in the two players — the huge serves to the corners; frightful drop shots; fresh, point-saving victors with the adversary shutting in at the net — and the stuffed group, with rotating serenades of “Novak, Novak,” and “Carlos, Carlos” reverberating around the Middle Court overhangs.

And afterward right when maybe Djokovic was ready to snatch a directing two-set lead, he sent two strikes into the net to allow Alcaraz an opportunity to draw even. Alcaraz then broke Djokovic’s serve with a backhand return down the line to tie the match at one set apiece.

The previous heavyweight champion Mike Tyson once said that everybody has an arrangement until they get hit in the mouth.

Alcaraz had handled a shot to Djokovic’s jaw, and Djokovic felt it. Djokovic made a lot of mistakes in the third set. He fought to recapture a traction in the match, never more so than a game halfway through that went to 13 deuces, that finished with a Djokovic forehand into the net.

As he generally does when he is down, Djokovic took an extensive restroom break before the fourth set. He talks to himself in the mirror while splashing water on his face. Ordinarily, he arises an alternate player, and Sunday was the same, as he held onto the drive again, breaking Alcaraz’s serve halfway through, getting back in his mind and accepting the set as Alcaraz, again tense and on edge, twofold blamed.

They were back where they started nearly four hours later. Almost five hours of show would boil down to a couple of seconds.

“He astounded me. Djokovic said of Alcaraz, “He surprised everyone.” In his eyes, Alcaraz had taken elements of his, Nadal’s, and Federer’s styles and produced a prowess on grass — his grass! — much sooner than he anticipated. I haven’t played a player like him, of all time.”

Marketa Vondrousova Wins Wimbledon and Her First Grand Slam Title

The Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova is no longer one of the most unlikely Wimbledon champions. Vondrousova stunned herself, her family, and the tennis world when she defeated Ons Jabeur, a pioneering Tunisian who was a heavy favorite, in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.

Vondrousova, 24, turned into the principal unseeded player to win Wimbledon and the most recent in a long queue of Czech-conceived ladies to lift the main prize in the game, returning to Martina Navratilova’s mastery of Wimbledon during the 1980s, after Navratilova had deserted to the US.

Vondrousova is a left-handed player with a nasty slice serve, like Navratilova, who watched the match from a box. She used it in the tenseest moments throughout the afternoon when Jabeur attempted to take control of the match or mount yet another comeback.

The similitudes with Navratilova, a forceful serve-and-volleyer who burst into the game as a youngster, for the most part end there.

Vondrousova, who won a mistake filled match that compensated for what it needed quality with shock, is currently a definitive unnoticed player subsequent to going three-for-three at pulverizing tennis fantasies. In 2021, she defeated Naomi Osaka at the Olympics in Tokyo, just a few days after Osaka set the Olympic standard as a favorite to win a gold medal at home.

On Thursday, Vondrousova defeated Elina Svitolina, a Ukrainian new mother who fought hard to reach the semifinals and inspired her people as they fight against Russia’s invasion.

On Saturday evening it was Jabeur’s chance to have her fantasy squashed by Vondrousova’s precarious and unconventional game in a competition that Vondrousova said was difficult to win, given her sparse history of progress on grass.

“At the point when we came I was very much like, ‘Attempt to win two or three matches,'” Vondrousova said. ” Presently this occurred, it’s insane,” Vondrousova said.

She had a lot of organization asking exactly the same thing, taking into account she had a cast on her wrist following a medical procedure during Wimbledon last year. This time, Vondrousova’s husband decided to stay at home and care for their bald Sphynx cat instead of coming to watch her play on Saturday.

Stepan Simek, on the other hand, rushed to find a cat sitter after Vondrousova defeated Svitolina in the semifinals and boarded a flight to watch his wife play in the Wimbledon final. They intended to commemorate their first wedding anniversary on Sunday.

“There will be one day we will have grandchildren and I’m simply anticipating the day when I can recount the narrative of their grandma winning Wimbledon,” Simek said.

Vondrousova’s dearest companion and copies accomplice, Miriam Kolodziejova, said she didn’t really accept that Vondrousova could bring home the singles championship.

She stated, “It’s like a dream for us.”

For Jabeur, the misfortune in a moment straight Wimbledon last against a cultivated undeniably less rival than different ladies she thump en route to the slope of tennis history, was nothing not exactly disastrous. Jabeur has now lost three of the last five Huge homerun finals, missing the mark regarding turning into the main lady of Middle Easterner drop and from Africa to come out on top for the main titles in tennis.

She, like the majority of tennis players, has long desired to win Wimbledon, and the previous year, she set her phone’s lock screen to a picture of the women’s trophy.

In the first set, Jabeur broke a nervous Vondrousova’s serve multiple times. She played tight from the outset yet held a 4-2 lead in the main set when she started to unwind, sending forehands into the net and drifting strikes past the gauge.

Jabeur lost her serve to begin the second set and was down a set before she knew it. As far as concerns her, Vondrousova was doing all she expected to, keeping the ball in play, whipping her twisting, turning shots that were so not quite the same as the power which Jabeur had looked in her new matches.

Jabeur regained her composure and even took a 3-1 lead in the second set, but she was unable to recover, was unable to locate the court, and threw too many shots into the middle of the net. Five of her last six games were defeats.

Vondrousova at long last finished Jabeur’s horrendous evening with a running strike volley out of the shadows court, and one more lady from Czech Republic was the Wimbledon champion, staggering anybody who could have imagined that situation however only not with Vondrousova in the featuring job.

“My mentor let me know after the last, he was like, ‘I was unable to accept how quiet you are,'” Vondrousova said. ” That was the title’s primary key.

Jabeur, who is known as the “Minister of Happiness” due to her almost always upbeat demeanor, removed her bandana from her head as the ball twice bounced far out of her reach. She then began her slow, sad, and becoming more and more familiar plod toward the net.

Vondrousova arrived a little behind schedule. At the end of the final point, she had collapsed on the grass. She got up to give Jabeur a hug, but she was soon back in the middle of the court, kneeling, trying to figure out how she had done this unlikely run. Jabeur sat in her seat and cleaned away tears.

There were seriously during the prize service, as Jabeur held the second place platter in one hand and covered her eyes and her nose with the other.

She said, “This is the most painful loss of my career,” before attempting to channel some positive energy.

“I won’t surrender, and I will return more grounded,” she let a group know that was at long last ready to thunder for her the manner in which it had been needing to throughout the evening.

For Vondrousova and Czech tennis, the festivals were simply starting. The Czech Republic, with a populace of generally 10.5 million individuals, has turned into a ladies’ tennis production line dissimilar to anything that exists in the game. There are eight Czech ladies in the best 50, the majority of them, as Vondrousova, in their mid-twenties and more youthful.

At the point when the competition started, Petra Kvitova, positioned tenth on the planet, seemed like the most probable Czech finalist. A double cross Wimbledon champion in 2011 and 2014, Kvitova had won a grass court competition in Berlin only weeks prior.

There were really during the prize service, as Jabeur held the second place platter in one hand and covered her eyes and her nose with the other.

She said, “This is the most painful loss of my career,” before attempting to channel some positive energy.

“I won’t surrender, and I will return more grounded,” she let a group know that was at long last ready to thunder for her the manner in which it had been needing to throughout the evening.

For Vondrousova and Czech tennis, the festivals were simply starting. With roughly 10.5 million people, the Czech Republic has transformed into a women’s tennis manufacturing facility unlike any other in the sport. There are eight Czech women in the top 50, most of whom are in their mid-20s or younger, like Vondrousova.

Petra Kvitova, ranked 10th worldwide, appeared to be the most likely Czech finalist when the tournament began. A double cross Wimbledon champion in 2011 and 2014, Kvitova had won a grass court competition in Berlin only weeks prior.

Watching Muchova had enlivened Vondrousova, who had made the French Open last in 2019 when she was only 19-years of age. Muchova’s profession had likewise gotten derailed wounds yet there she was playing on one of the game’s greatest stages.

Like Muchova, Vondrousova didn’t be aware at first whether specialists would have the option to take care of her wrist issue. The injury sidelined her for a drawn out period, and Simek said it caused her to see the value in tennis more.

“You can’t play, play tennis as work, you need to appreciate it, you need to adore it,” Simek said. ” She truly appreciates it and she adores the game. She even enjoys watching the game, something that I don’t think many players do.

Vondrousova began a steady march through seven opponents at Wimbledon, including five seeded players and several known for their grass-court prowess, such as Jabeur. Muchova lost in the first round, but Vondrousova won the rest of the tournament. Jessica Pegula had a game point and a 4-1 lead in the final set in the quarterfinals, but Vondrousova came back and won the final five games.

Then, at that point, came her last two matches against rivals playing for purposes a lot bigger than themselves, a weight that can both stimulate and engage yet in addition debilitate and trouble a player.

Svitolina and Jabeur came to Centre Court tight and flat against Vondrousova, shadows of the players who had thrilled crowds and promised a comeback that would be talked about for years, if not decades. On the opposite side of the net was Vondrousova, a player most popular for the body workmanship on her arms, who had made a wagered with her mentor, Jan Mertl, a previous Czech player, that assuming she won a Huge homerun he would get a tattoo to honor the victory. Holding her victor’s platter, Vondrousova said they would head the tattoo parlor on Sunday.

Why Hollywood Stars Are On Strike

The contracts between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) expired, indicating that no agreement had been reached between the two organizations. The negotiating committee of SAG-AFTRA voted unanimously to suggest a strike to the organization’s national board, which then announced a strike on Thursday afternoon.

On June 5, almost 65,000 of the roughly 160,000 individuals that make up List AFTRA supported a hit approval with a 97.91% “yes” vote. Actors, dancers, DJs, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists, and other professionals in the media are all members of the union.

SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP—Amazon/MGM, Apple, NBCUniversal, Disney/ABC/Fox, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, and Warner Brothers—engaged in contract negotiations two days later. On June 30, the agreements between the two were expanded, lapsing at 12 PM on Wednesday.

“There has been a sea change in the entertainment industry, from the proliferation of streaming platforms to the recent explosion of generative AI, and at stake is the ability of our members to make a living,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, said in a letter about the strike authorization referendum. “We must ensure that new developments in the entertainment industry are not used to devalue or disrespect the performers who bring productions to life.”

On Tuesday, Droop AFTRA consented to AMPTP’s somewhat late solicitation for government intervention, which would get an impartial outsider to help pursue a split the difference. However, SAG-AFTRA made it clear that the negotiations would not be extended a second time.

“We won’t be occupied from haggling in that frame of mind to get a fair and simply bargain by the termination of our understanding,” the organization said in a public statement. ” We are focused on the arranging system and will investigate and debilitate each conceivable chance to make an arrangement, but we are not certain that the businesses have any goal of bartering toward an understanding.”

Among Droop AFTRA’s requests are expanded least compensation rates, expanded streaming residuals (neither of which have stayed aware of expansion), and worked on working circumstances. Eminence installments, which are dependent upon the quantity of a show’s reruns, are at this point not solid. Streaming, which has moved to more limited seasons over longer timeframes, has made less work accessible to entertainers. Additionally, union members demand assurances from studios and production companies regarding the precise manner in which artificial intelligence will be utilized. They want to safeguard their identities and ensure that they are compensated fairly in the event that any of their labor is utilized to train AI.

On June 27, a larger number of than 300 entertainers — including Meryl Streep, Quinta Brunson, and Jennifer Lawrence — marked a letter to the Hang AFTRA Initiative and Arranging Panel expressing that “Droop AFTRA individuals might be prepared to make forfeits that initiative isn’t.”

“We trust you’ve heard the message from us: This is an uncommon expression point in our industry, and what may be viewed as a reasonable setup in some other years is basically sufficiently not,” the letter peruses. ” We believe that the power of our union, our wages, our craft, and our creative freedom have all been diminished over the past decade. We really want to invert those directions.”

“I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us,” Fran Drescher said in a passionate speech on Thursday afternoon when she announced the strike against AMPTP.

At the union’s press conference on Thursday afternoon to announce the strike, Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, discussed the impact that AI and streaming have had on the business model of the industry.

“This is a snapshot of history and is a decision time. On the off potential for success that we don’t have tall the present moment, we will be in a difficult situation,” she said. ” We will be in risk of being supplanted by machines and huge business who care more about Money Road than you and your loved ones.”

The association won’t acknowledge “gradual changes on an agreement that no longer distinctions what’s going on right now with this plan of action that was foisted upon us,” Drescher said, adding: ” On the Titanic, what are we doing, moving furniture around? It’s insane. So the dance is up AMPTP.”

Who belongs to SAG-AFTRA?

Entertainers and media experts become qualified for participation in List AFTRA by finishing an entire day of association work in a head or talking job, finishing three days of association fill in as a foundation entertainer, or being utilized under a subsidiary entertainers’ association.

Individuals from various associated associations — AEA, ACTRA, AGMA or AGVA — are qualified for List AFTRA enrollment following one year (and one chief agreement) under their own association’s purview.

Equity, the United Kingdom’s acting union, and SAG-AFTRA jointly issued a statement on Thursday stating that they “will support SAG-AFTRA and its members by all lawful means” for overseas films.

“Value U.K. remains in unflinching fortitude with List AFTRA and its individuals in their work to accomplish a fair and impartial agreement, and to ultimately benefit entertainers working all over the planet,” the assertion read.

However, U.K. actors working under Equity contracts cannot legally strike in support of the U.S. union because of “existing anti-trade union laws.” According to the statement, “SAG-AFTRA members working under an Equity U.K. collective bargaining agreement should continue to report to work.”

When did Hang AFTRA last take to the streets?

Strikes and boycotts have been common in SAG-AFTRA’s long history. In 2021, the association banned Donald Trump from truly rejoining in light of the fact that he hindered the quiet exchange of capacity to Joe Biden — and due to his assaults on columnists. ( Trump had left the gathering before that month.)

After the global advertising agency stated that it would no longer honor its long-standing contract with the union, SAG-AFTRA announced a strike against Bartle Bogle Hegarty in 2018. After ten months, the promoting office consented to sign Droop AFTRA’s new plugs contract.

When SAG and AFTRA merged in 2012, they went on strike together for the first time in 2016 against eleven American video game publishers. This was the longest strike in SAG history.

In 2000, preceding they consolidated, Hang and AFTRA gave a dubious half year work stoppage over the convention for paying entertainers who show up in television ads. Twenty years earlier, Hang and AFTRA mutually required a fruitful blacklist against 1980s’ Emmy Grants, striking for an expansion in least compensations.

How the continuous journalists’ strike factors in

In 1960, Hang took to the streets against AMPTP over pay, joining the Essayists Society of America (WGA), which had proactively been protesting for over a month with comparable requests, to a great extent over pay rates. That was Hollywood’s first industry-wide strike.

Today, the WGA has been on strike since the beginning of May, and if SAG-AFTRA’s demands are not met this time, it will join the WGA on strike, bringing Hollywood to a near standstill. This is a historical echo. SAG-AFTRA has asked members to volunteer to be strike captains, and WGA captains, who are already on strike at a number of studios, have offered to train from the picket lines.

How this affects motion pictures and Network programs

If Hang AFTRA individuals really do protest, any film or television creation that has not as of now been ended by the WGA strike will basically close down. Abroad creations, specifically, where studios have attempted to keep shooting a few shows without WGA essayist makers, are probably going to feel the effect.

Americans Divided on Supreme Court’s Decisions

Depending on their political affiliation, Americans had a wide range of opinions regarding the most recent decisions made by the Supreme Court, including those that restricted the use of race-based affirmative action in higher education and prevented student loan forgiveness.

New surveying directed by ABC News/Ipsos shows that Americans’ reactions to the High Court have been uneven, with the level of conservatives and free thinkers who view the court’s choices as driven by governmental issues remaining to a great extent unaltered. Meanwhile, Democrats are becoming more and more vocal about their belief that the justices base their decisions on their political opinions rather than the law. While just 33% of conservatives and a big part of free movers say the court leads basically based on hardliner political perspectives, 3/4 of leftists currently have that perspective – – a spike of 20 rate focuses since eighteen months prior when the inquiry was posed to in a January 2022 ABC News/Ipsos survey.

ABC News sought out poll participants to learn more about their perspectives. According to follow-up interviews with poll respondents, there is a high degree of polarization, and opinions within partisan groups are somewhat varied. Individuals from the two players have differing insights about the level of the court’s politicization, whether it involves concern, and the thing to do about it. All respondents requested to be recognized simply by their most memorable names aside from where generally showed.

Conservatives

A solid greater part of conservatives – – around 66%, as indicated by ABC News/Ipsos surveying – – accept that High Court judges pursue their choices based on regulation, not legislative issues.

Asha Urban, who spoke with ABC News earlier this month at a Trump rally in South Carolina, says that the justices are focused on the law. She advised, “Rule on the law, and push other things back to the states that need to be ruled in the states.”

Urban believes that former President Donald Trump’s tenure was marked by the appointment of three Supreme Court justices. She also believes that the Trump-appointed justices are reversing a legacy of politicized rulings prior to his presidency.

She stated, “He campaigned on bringing in conservative judges who would be constitutionalists rather than politicians.” I believe that is what the vast majority of us need.”

Michael, a South Carolina Republican, has a different perspective. He was surprised to learn that Republicans were more likely than Democrats to believe that Supreme Court justices rule based on their personal political views. He is one of about a third of Republicans who believe this.

He jokingly stated, “It distresses me that I might lean toward the Democrats.” He concurs with the court’s new choices on governmental policy regarding minorities in society and understudy loans. In any case, the 74-year-old is worried by the way that the court’s navigation could turn out to be in an exposed fashion political later on – – a pattern he sees as connected with the country’s polarization overall.

He stated, “I’m worried that they’re not following the law.” They weren’t chosen. We have no recourse when a president serves them up—and it’s for life. They can’t be voted out.

Concerns about the direction of the court were expressed by Dwight Edward Allen, a 47-year-old Kentucky man who describes himself as “more of a conservative than a Republican.” While he accepts that the judges pursue sound legitimate choices more often than not, including their new choice with respect to educational loans, he said that the court is turning out to be more political, and explicitly that it is “going in reverse.”

“That is great assuming you’re white or special, yet in the event that you’re simply attempting to scrape by, then, at that point, it’s not,” he said.

Democrats According to ABC News/Ipsos polling, many Democrats view the Supreme Court as an increasingly politicized institution after a year of controversial rulings.

One such Democrat who is concerned about partisanship on the Supreme Court is Natalie. She stated that her upbringing as a Filipina immigrant gave her a profound appreciation for nonpartisan judicial systems and that she is concerned about what she sees as the weakening of democracy in the United States as a whole.

“I know what it’s like to live under a dictatorship because I spent my childhood in the Philippines under martial law. She stated, “I know what it’s like when the politicians in power influence the Supreme Court.”

Natalie said that the Supreme Court’s recent decisions on affirmative action, President Joe Biden’s policy on student loan debt, and abortion show that the court doesn’t always follow the law.

“Experiencing childhood in a nation where we generally admired the majority rule standards of the US, and perceiving how it’s getting disintegrated the present moment, is troubling to me,” she added.

Another Democrat who is concerned about partisanship on the court, Vicki, claims that politics have become more influential on the court in the past year. She shared, “I think that they are more partisan now than they have been in the past.”

Vicki emphasized that justices should adhere to the letter of the law and should not be influenced by political parties or politicians—something that, according to her, has not been the case in recent months.

She stated, “I idealistically believe that they should be ruling based on what is written in the Constitution, rather than what the party supporting the president that appointed them might support.”

According to ABC News/Ipsos polling, independents are roughly evenly divided regarding whether the court rules primarily on the basis of the law.

Greg Freeman, an autonomous, said that albeit the ongoing High Court judges’ decisions convey hardliner inclinations, they are sensible translations of the law.

He stated, “Even though it appears that what they’re doing right now is partisan…” He added, “I think we’re just seeing that the decisions of the court are very reflective of the presidents who nominated them.”

That Freeman still has faith in the Court despite partisanship. The 49-year-old South Carolinian, who asserts that he has major concerns with both political parties, views it as a natural part of a democracy’s power struggles.

“At the point when certain issues were deciphered contrastingly in past High Court decisions, moderates jumped on a ‘liberal’ court. In an email to ABC News, Freeman wrote, “Liberals are railing against a mostly conservative court now that the reverse is arguably true.” Partisanship in the Court is the same old thing, and it has a major impact in how presidents are picked by citizens. Continuously has, consistently will.”

Dan, another California independent, concurred with Freeman’s diagnosis but expressed concern about the trend. He declined to discuss specific cases but stated that he senses that the court has become more political over the past decade. He self-identifies as a swing voter.

“The current court appears to be biased, in my opinion,” he stated. “I’m concerned that the current Supreme Court would change long-term positions.” A decade prior, I could never have said that.”

Dan said that he wouldn’t uphold extending the quantity of judges on the court, an answer that has been proposed by a few Vote based legislators, assuming that the judges were still politically named. However, he expressed broad support for the establishment of term limits for Supreme Court justices and other measures to make the court less partisan.

Meta’s App Threads Experiences Explosive Growth, Challenges Twitter’s Dominance

Meta’s new application Strings saw a blast of new clients in its initial not many days, unparalleled by some other organization meaning to equal striving web-based entertainment stage Twitter — or practically any application in the previous ten years. According to data from Quiver Quantitative, more than 100 million users are thought to have joined Threads in less than five days.

The app, widely regarded as a competitor to Twitter, had already been downloaded by 2 million individuals within two hours of its launch on July 5. According to internal company data, users had already posted more than 95 million posts and received 190 million likes by the beginning of July, as reported by The Verge. By the morning of July 7, recruits had outperformed 70 million, a figure President Imprint Zuckerberg said was “far past our assumptions.”

Twitter and its owner, Elon Musk, have not forgotten the company’s early success, as evidenced by his criticism of the app on the platform on Thursday evening. In response to Threads, Twitter’s legal team reportedly sent a letter claiming that Meta had engaged in “unlawful misappropriation” of its trade secrets.

Meta’s Twitter Rival ‘Threads’ Crosses 100 Mn Sign-Ups

Meta’s Twitter rival, Threads, has finally crossed 100 million user sign-ups within a week of its launch, while Twitter is experiencing a decline in traffic.

Threads reached the milestone even faster than OpenAI’s ChatGPT that passed that mark after two months, reports The Verge.

Meta launched Threads last week for iOS and Android users in 100 countries, and it is currently the top free app on the App Store.

The new app crossed 2 million sign-ups in just two hours after launch, 10 million users in seven hours and 30 million in just 12 hours.

IT service management company Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince on Sunday tweeted a graph showing Twitter’s declining domain name system (DNS) ranking from January to now.

Twitter-owner Elon Musk on Monday posted, “You will get more laughs from this app than everything else combined.”

In response to a tweet about Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s investment in the Metaverse, Musk said, “Censorship pays them well.”

Last week, Zuckerberg had said that the launch of the new app has been “way beyond our expectations.”

Also, Instagram head Adam Mosseri had clarified that Meta does not want to replace Twitter but create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Elon Musk-run platform “that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, but not all of Twitter”. (IANS)

A New Variety of Wheat To Keep Diabetes, Obesity In Check

The Ludhiana-based institution, which played a pivotal role during the Green Revolution to make India surplus in foodgrains by developing high-yielding strains, has bred a new wheat variety with high amylose starch content, known to reduce risks of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

From “quantity” to “quality” and from “food security” to “nutritional security” — this seems to be the new research focus of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

The Ludhiana-based institution, which played a pivotal role during the Green Revolution to make India surplus in foodgrains by developing high-yielding strains, has bred a new wheat variety with high amylose starch content, known to reduce risks of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Eating chapatis made from this wheat — called PBW RS1, with RS being short for resistant starch — won’t cause an immediate and rapid rise in glucose levels. The high amylose and resistant starch, instead, ensure that glucose is released more slowly into the bloodstream. Being slower to digest also increases a feeling of satiety; a person consuming 4 chapatis from normal wheat would now feel full after having just two.

It has total starch content, almost the same as the 66-70 per cent in other wheat varieties. But it has 30.3 per cent resistant starch content as against only 7.5-10 per cent for other varieties including PBW 550, PBW 725, HD 3086 and PBW 766, show trials conducted by PAU over four years. The other varieties have 56-62 per cent non-resistant starch content which is nearly half (37.1 per cent) in PWB RS1. Similarly, PBW RS1 has 56.63 per cent amylose compared to only 21-22 per cent in other varieties.

“Chapatis and biscuits made from its whole grain flour also have lower glycemic index (a value used to measure how specific foods increase blood sugar levels), which is linked to the decreased digestibility of the starch. So, it can help bring down the prevalence of diet-related diseases, including obesity and diabetes (especially type 2),” said Achla Sharma, principal wheat breeder at PAU, which was rated the country’s top state agricultural university in 2023 as per the National Institute Ranking Framework.

The variety has been developed over a period of 10 years by a team of wheat breeders led by Dr V S Sohu, head, department of plant breeding and genetics. PAU is the first to combine five novel alleles (genes) affecting resistant starch levels for developing this variety.

Earlier, PAU had released two varieties – PBW Zn1 with high zinc content, and PBW1 Chapati whose flour had premium chapati quality that remained fresh for long – on nutritional lines but none had features as PBW RS1.

Sharma noted that millets are considered healthy because they don’t lead to a spike in blood sugar levels. Dieticians even recommend that diabetic and obese persons give up wheat altogether. “But the fact is that both production and consumption of wheat are much higher and not everyone can have millets on a daily basis. Our idea was, therefore, to breed a wheat variety which feels and tastes like normal wheat, but has higher RS and lower glycemic index,” she said.

But PBW RS1 has a significant drawback that might come in the way of its cultivation by farmers. The average grain yield from the variety at PAU’s field trials has been recorded at 43.18 quintals per hectare. This is below Punjab’s average yield of 48 quintals, which has touched 52 quintals in some years with many farmers harvesting 60 quintals or more.

PAU vice-chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, however, felt that a beginning towards ushering in nutritional security had to be made. He has urged the Punjab government to promote PBW RS1 flour as a product with “high medicinal and nutritional value”. With proper marketing, the wheat could “fetch higher price” from buyers, similar to the premium that millers are paying for basmati paddy over regular parmal varieties.

“Yes, lower productivity is a challenge. But then, PBW RS1 should be identified as a special-trait variety that will be priced high enough to incentivise farmers to grow it. We have pitched the idea for marketing it as a special quality flour to Markfed (the Punjab State Cooperative Supply & Marketing Federation),” Gosal told The Indian Express, adding that PBW RS1 is the country’s first ever improved wheat variety bred for quality, and not just quantity.

Sharma said seeds for the new variety will be made available to farmers in September to enable them sow in the upcoming rabi season. Apart from its nutritional attributes, PBW RS1 is “completely resistant” to yellow rust and “moderately resistant” to brown rust fungal diseases.

“Chapatis and biscuits from its flour taste just like normal wheat. The high amylose/resistant starch content, translating into increased total dietary fibre, would also be advantageous to bakers and food processors. They can produce products without incorporating fibre or additives from other sources to their formulas,” she said.

Spyware Found on Google Play Store

Network protection investigators uncovered two record the executives applications accessible on the Google Play Store that are really spyware, putting the security and security of up to 1.5 million Android clients in danger. So on the off chance that you have one of the most amazing Android telephones with these applications introduced, erase them immediately.

An alert issued this week by Pradeo, a leading mobile cybersecurity company, identified the suspicious applications as File Manager and File Recovery & Data Recovery. Both of the apps, developed by the same developer, are programmed to launch without the user’s knowledge and secretly transfer sensitive user data to Chinese servers.

According to screenshots of their respective Play Store pages shared in Pradeo’s report, File Recovery & Data Recovery was downloaded more than one million times and approximately 500,000 people installed File Manager. According to Bleeping Computer, Google removed the apps from the Play Store relatively recently. In the Play Store screenshots, Wang Tom is listed as the developer of both apps. Therefore, despite the fact that the Play Store contains a number of apps with the name File Manager, spyware has only been detected in the one developed by Wang Tom.

While the applications say they don’t gather any information from the client’s gadget, it turns out this wasn’t true. Pradeo’s social investigation motor found the applications exfiltrate the accompanying information: contacts that are stored on your device; contacts through social media and email; images, audio, and video that have been compiled in the app; continuous client area; device model and brand; mobile phone number; Name of the network provider; what’s more, working framework rendition number. All of this without ever asking for permission to collect this data.

The majority of the above data is not required for file management or data recovery operations, although the apps may have a valid reason to collect some of it to improve performance and guarantee compatibility across devices. The sheer volume of data transferred without the user’s knowledge is even more concerning. Pradeo says that each app sends more than one hundred messages, which is “an amount that is so large it is rarely observed.”

The applications can likewise manhandle the consents the client endorses during establishment to restart the gadget and discreetly send off behind the scenes. Additionally, there are steps involved in deleting them from your phone. The applications hide their home screen symbols to make uninstallation all the more a problem, as clients need to go to their application list in the Settings menu to erase them.

If you don’t see File Manager or File Recovery & Data Recovery on your home screen, go to your Settings menu right away to get rid of them. While you’re at it, you might want to install one of the best Android antivirus apps on your phone to protect it from malicious apps in the future. Google likewise carried out a few new updates to its Android biological system in June, including a convenient little security highlight that allows you to check whether your Gmail address has been uncovered on the dull web.

The Election That Couldn’t Happen in High School

The high school student government vote in the classic 1999 film “Election” has everything: bare desire, crusade banner destroying, voting form control, unfaithfulness and then some Tracy Flick is played by Reese Witherspoon, who can differentiate between “morals” and “ethics” and always raises her hand first in class. Jim McAllister, who has been named teacher of the year three times, is played by Matthew Broderick. He doesn’t like Tracy and gets a popular jock to run against her for student body president.

In any case, what the skilled author Tom Perotta probably couldn’t envision was a political race wherein two disliked competitors get down to business for president. That doesn’t occur in secondary school, even in an ironical film.

While a great deal can occur before the primaries start one year from now, the two driving competitors right now, President Joe Biden and previous President Donald Trump, are both disagreeable with the American public.

Only 41% of Americans, according to a June CNN poll, approve of Biden’s performance. Trump finished his administration in 2021, days after the January 6 US State house revolt, with a typical endorsement rating that was even lower – 39%. 59% of all Americans believe that Trump should end his campaign following his indictment this year on federal charges of mishandling classified documents.

“This puts a lot of Americans in a position they don’t want to be in,” Harry Enten wrote last month. At this point, a historically high percentage of them dislike either man. “A plurality (36%) viewed neither candidate favorably, while 33% viewed Trump favorably and 32% viewed Biden favorably,” according to a CNN poll.

“Even with his mediocre approval ratings,” Biden has advantages over some of his predecessors, according to historian Julian Zelizer. He has “a formidable legislative record,” as he puts it. He can boast of a robust economy with numerous jobs and price stability now that inflation has subsided. But he argued that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s primary challenge must concern the president. Biden also benefits from the specter of a second Trump presidency, which is enough to rally Democrats and scare voters who might otherwise be tempted by a challenger.

Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush are just a few examples from history who lost out in crucial primaries. Large numbers of Biden’s 2020 allies are disappointed with the president, and any assaults Kennedy will release could additionally harm Biden and give an establishment to conservatives to pursue him in the mission,” composed Zelizer. If Biden’s name is not on the ballot, RFK Jr. could even win the New Hampshire primary. The president is in favor of depriving that state of its right to hold the first-in-the-nation primary in favor of South Carolina, which was the state that gave Biden’s 2020 campaign a lot of energy.

Trump Inconveniences

Trump has a sizable lead over his kindred GOP competitors yet faces a remarkable arrangement of legal difficulties originating from his two prosecutions, other forthcoming examinations and common claims. Trump’s opponents, both within and outside the party, have more cause for concern as his MAGA base proclaims its love for the former president.

Consider Sen. Lindsey Graham’s participation in a Trump rally over the weekend. Despite the fact that he was in his home province of South Carolina just miles from his origin, the congressperson was completely booed by Trump’s allies, as Dignitary Obeidallah called attention to.

“While the roasting served as yet another reminder of how some Trump supporters demand absolute loyalty to the former president, I must admit that it was fun to watch Graham bomb with the audience. When Trump said that Graham and everyone else makes a “mistake,” it seemed like the mistake was not being completely loyal to Trump.

Trump has been promoting the idea of “bringing back” retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and was pardoned by the former president. “The United States would be in for quite a scary ride if Flynn were to be brought back into a senior national security role in a possible second Trump administration, based on Flynn’s tight embrace of the Christian nationalist right and wild conspiracy theories,” wrote Peter Bergen and Erik German.

Featuring in a “Enliven America Visit,” “Flynn is named, without incongruity, ‘America’s general,’ and, at the occasion we went to in May, America’s general was the certain superstar. Flynn told the crowd, many of whom had paid hundreds of dollars for tickets to the event and the cost of staying at the Trump resort, that there was a conspiracy to take over the world while standing on stage at a podium flanked by jumbotron TVs draped with red Trump flags.

“As per Flynn, this scheme is driven by … the World Financial Discussion,” Bergen and German composed. In recent years, bizarre conspiracy theories have become a hotbed of discussion at the World Economic Forum, which is best known for its annual Davos conference, which brings together CEOs and world leaders.

The Conservative Public Board of trustees requires up-and-comers who partake in its discussions to make a vow that they will uphold the party’s possible candidate, who could be Trump. It’s a serious mix-up, composed Geoff Duncan, a GOPer who previously filled in as lieutenant legislative head of Georgia. The requirement that “every GOP presidential candidate must state, without equivocation, that the 2020 election was not stolen” would be a better policy. No really moving around the issue with a wink and a gesture about ‘worries’ about Coronavirus time strategies making the way for expected extortion… ”

“It’s well beyond time for the Conservative Alliance to show our freedom from previous President Trump. The GOP’s losing streak through the 2018 midterms is a result of his politics, personality, and policies. We must first change our party’s leadership before we can change the direction of our country.

Reverberations From SCOTUS Rulings

The climactic finish to the High Court term kept on resonating the week before. It was just a year prior that the court’s moderate larger part upset Roe v. Swim, a disagreeable move that permitted liberals to score a few major political wins and keep away from a lamentable midterm political race.

The current year’s choices, dismissing governmental policy regarding minorities in society in school confirmations and striking down Biden’s understudy loan pardoning plan, are more averse to assemble electors, contended David Imprint.

David Mark wrote, “Democrats plan to put the Supreme Court on trial in the lead up to the elections in 2024.” However, Democrats face the challenge of the court’s views on the issues pertaining to higher education being more in line with voters’ values than their own. However their political fight intend to defame the High Court has as of recently been to a great extent effective, liberals are ready to make a significant error on the off chance that they expect the current year’s choices will push more individuals against the court and in this way further into Popularity based arms… ”

“Consider that in the country’s transcendent blue stronghold of California, Biden cavorted to triumph against Trump. However, on the same ballot, voters rejected a measure repealing California’s affirmative action ban from 1996 by 57%-43%.

Problem with free speech Kara Alaimo wrote that a Supreme Court decision “that makes it harder to hold people responsible for harassment” got lost in the rush of the end of the term. Online harassment is protected by the First Amendment unless the perpetrator disregards a “substantial risk that his communications would be viewed as threatening violence,” according to the court, which overturned a man’s conviction for stalking and inflicting “emotional distress” on singer Coles Whalen.

“While the court may claim to be defending free speech by ruling that the threats were protected by the First Amendment,” the decision is likely to censor and silence harassment victims.

In court and beyond, “Finding the right balance between free speech and protecting people from abuse is difficult.”

Twitter Tested

Disregard the expected enclosure battle between Imprint Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. The genuine clash erupted for the current week when Zuckerberg’s Meta carried out Strings, a Twitter rival that is intended to take advantage of Instagram’s now immense crowd.

“The two men are great at setting sparkling items before our eyes,” composed media pundit David Zurawik. ” They are adept at the art of disorientation and distraction, just like politicians. Consider the concept of a cage fight.

“We largely ignore the much larger societal questions, like how it is that Musk — who re-tweets conspiracy theories and posts antisemitic tropes — now controls such an important cultural space, a channel that once served as a platform for foreign meddling in the 2016 election, as we direct our gaze toward that ridiculous and exhibitionist proposition.”

“Zuckerberg’s Facebook also played a shameful role in the 2016 election by publishing misinformation produced by what we now know to be a Russian troll farm,” reads the statement.

Legends And Superheroes

With Hollywood zeroed in on establishments, superhuman universes and spin-offs, there’s rising rivalry to discover some subject that will stick out.

For Sara Stewart, there is one remarkable exertion: ” Director, musician, and activist Boots Riley created Amazon Prime’s “I’m a Virgo,” a satire set in Oakland, California, about a 13-foot-tall Black teenager named Cootie (Jharrel Jerome). In its debut end of the week, the series was accounted for to be the most famous one on the stage.”

“I can confidently say that “I’m a Virgo” is also the most original new show currently available on Prime or anywhere else. This series has so many big ideas that it’s nearly impossible to pick one out all at once; Visceral harms from capitalism, racism, and the police state, as well as the role of mainstream pop culture in encouraging complicity in all three, are major concerns.

One more motivated move, composed Holly Thomas, was the projecting of Phoebe Waller-Extension in the new Indiana Jones film featuring Harrison Passage.

Indy’s last movie is said to be “Dial of Destiny.” In the film, “we meet Indy in 1969 no less than 25 years over the hill, snoozing through the moon arrival and debilitated to the back teeth of his occupation as a schoolteacher. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena, his cunning goddaughter, wakes him up from his slumber. Together, they set out determined to recover the Antikythera, a time-traveling gadget concocted by Archimedes (yes).”

“It’s a mantle-passing in each sense: From Jones to his younger relative, and from Hollywood legend to millennial side-eye queen. The differentiation is uplifted by Waller-Scaffold’s mooring in the famous creative mind as Fleabag — of which we are continually reminded, on account of Helena’s bare personal responsibility at times tempered by looks at heart.”

Unprecedented Heatwave Sweeps Across the Globe

It is humid. Very warm. Furthermore, summer is only a few weeks away. A scorching heatwave is currently affecting Texas and a portion of the US’s southwest. At a certain point, in excess of 120 million Americans were under some type of intensity warning, the US Public Weather conditions Administration said. This represents more than one-third of the population.

The June heat not only shattered all-time records in the UK, but it also set new ones. It beat the previous record, set in 1940, by 0.9 degrees Celsius. That is a gigantic room for error.

Similar instances of unprecedented heat have occurred in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather predicted that June would be the hottest on record globally.

The heat has also not subsided. The three most sizzling days at any point recorded were in the previous week, as per the EU environment and weather conditions administration, Copernicus.

According to Prof. Richard Betts, a climate scientist at the Met Office and the University of Exeter, these highs are consistent with what climate models predicted. On Monday, July 3, the average global temperature reached 16.89C, and on July 4, it reached 17.04C for the first time. Provisional data suggest that temperatures reached 17.05C on July 5.

He asserts, “We should not be at all surprised with the high temperatures around the world.” This is each of the an obvious sign of what we’ve known for quite a while, and we will see perpetually limits until we quit developing more ozone depleting substances in the air.”

We tend to focus on the temperature of the air when we consider how hot it is because that is what we experience every day.

Be that as it may, a large portion of the intensity put away close to the outer layer of the Earth isn’t in the environment, however in the seas. What’s more, we’ve been seeing a few record sea temperatures this spring and summer.

For instance, the North Atlantic is experiencing the highest surface water temperatures ever recorded at the moment.

That marine heatwave has been especially articulated around the banks of the UK, where a few regions have encountered temperatures however much 5C above what you would ordinarily expect for this season.

It has been classified as a heatwave of Category 4 by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Outside of the tropics, this term is rarely used, and it means “extreme” heat.

According to Daniela Schmidt, an Earth Sciences professor at the University of Bristol, “such anomalous temperatures in this part of the North Atlantic are unheard of.”

El Nio Is Forming In The Tropical Pacific

El Nio is a weather pattern that occurs frequently when warm waters rise to the surface and spread across the ocean off the coast of South America.

Global sea surface temperatures for both April and May were the highest ever recorded in Met Office data dating back to 1850, given that heatwaves were occurring in the Atlantic and Pacific.

Tim Lenton, a climate change professor at Exeter University, says that if the seas are warmer than usual, you can also expect higher air temperatures.

A large portion of the additional intensity caught by the development of ozone harming substances has gone into warming the surface sea, he makes sense of. That additional intensity will in general get blended downwards towards the more profound sea, however developments in seas flows – like El Niño – can take it back to the surface.

“At the point when that occurs, a great deal of that intensity gets delivered into the climate,” says Prof Lenton, “driving up air temperatures.”

It’s not difficult to consider this uncommonly blistering climate surprising, however the discouraging truth is that environmental change implies encountering record-breaking temperatures is presently ordinary.

Emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise annually. The pace of development has eased back somewhat, yet energy-related CO2 outflows were still up practically 1% last year, as indicated by the Worldwide Energy Organization, a worldwide energy guard dog.

According to Friederike Otto, a climatologist at the Grantham Institute of Climate Change at Imperial College London, the likelihood of heatwaves increases with the global temperature.

“These heatwaves are more continuous, yet in addition more blazing and longer than they would have been without an unnatural weather change,” she says.

Already, experts predict that the developing El Nio will likely make 2023 the hottest year on record.

They are concerned that it might temporarily push the world past a crucial 1.5C warming threshold. And that is only the beginning. Temperatures will continue to rise unless we drastically reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases.

The Met Office said for this present week that record June temperatures this year were made two times as reasonable in view of man-made environmental change.

Ecosystems around the world are already experiencing fundamental and almost certainly irreversible changes as a result of these rising temperatures.

For instance, unprecedented deaths of fish in UK rivers and canals were aided by record-setting June temperatures.

Prof. Schmidt of the University of Bristol warns that the UK will not be affected by the current marine heatwave because we have never experienced one this intense.

“In different areas, around Australia, in the Mediterranean, whole environments changed, kelp backwoods vanished, and seabirds and whales starved,” she says.

The world is successfully in a race.

It is clear we are speeding towards a consistently more sweltering and more tumultuous environment future, however we truly do have the advances and devices to cut our emanations.

Now, the question is whether we can move quickly enough to slow down the climate juggernaut and limit the effects of global warming to a level that is manageable.

Elton John Ends an Era of Musical Brilliance

Elton John gave his final tour performance, complete with gold confetti and glitz on Saturday last week. The last show was set in Stockholm, Sweden. It marked the conclusion of the British singer’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, which lasted for five years and included 16 Gucci suits and 330 performances. The visit is viewed as the most elevated netting in Announcement Boxscore history. Last month, it turned into the very first visit to make more than $900 million.

Before the show, John wrote on Instagram, “What a journey this tour has been and now we find ourselves at the end of it.”

Several of John’s most famous songs, like Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man, and Candle in the Wind, were performed in the performance.

In heart-molded pink shades, he said thanks to his fans for their help consistently.

“You have no clue about how it affects me, your consideration. I’ve had the most great vocation,” he said. ” How fortunate I am to perform. But if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you.”

The around the world, goodbye visit started off in 2018, however had to stop in 2020 for almost two-years because of the pandemic. The 76-year-old headlined the Glastonbury Festival last month, marking the end of his U.K. tour.

In 2021, the worldwide pop star let NPR know that he anticipated resigning from visit so he could invest more energy with his youngsters.

“A decade ago, all I planned to do was tour and make records. John stated, “And I had nothing planned for the rest of my life except to make music and tour.” And afterward we had two remarkable young men. And afterward David, my better half, said, all things considered, what is it that you deeply desire now? Do you actually need to visit? “No, I don’t,” I declared.

“As much as I love playing, I want to be with my boys now,” he said later. I need to show up for them.”

Who Has Joined Strings?

Sensor Tower and data.ai provided the media with data indicating that on its launch day, Threads was the most downloaded non-game app in a decade. As of July 6, it had amassed around 40 million overall downloads, as per Sensor Pinnacle.

While data.ai says Nintendo’s Mario Kart Visit was the quickest truly developing application, Strings came in second and its send off outperformed those of well known applications like Pokemon Proceed to Important mission at hand Portable. Zuckerberg revealed that Strings arrived at 30 million clients in under 24 hours.

According to data.ai, it took Instagram 15 months to reach 30 million downloads, whereas TikTok did so in just under two years. ChatGPT’s application, delivered toward the finish of last year, is barely short of 18 million downloads, data.ai says. The Business of Apps says that 368 million people visit to Twitter every day, so the early numbers still pale in comparison.

A significant piece of the stage’s allure is the way that for the vast majority, the networks they’ve fabricated online are promptly open — clients can without much of a stretch sign up through their current Instagram records and move over their following from photograph based application. Additionally, a significant number of well-known accounts were granted early access to Threads in order to assist in populating the platform prior to its launch. Bill Gates, Shakira, and Oprah Winfrey were among the early adopters, as were brands like Netflix.

Being a household name gives Threads Meta an advantage because it already has a lot of the social media infrastructure in place. It’s a benefit to be related with a major brand,” Darrell West, senior individual at the Brookings Foundation’s Middle for Innovation Development, told TIME beforehand. ” Strings won’t be a specialty player.”

Already, Threads is making you feel nostalgic. A few clients have contrasted the experience on the application with Twitter in its initial days.

It is not yet clear assuming String’s prosperity will proceed, Kevin Driscoll, colleague teacher at the College of Virginia’s Division of Media Studies, gave the current time. ” The fact that these highly centralized platforms’ primary focus is growth, scale, and early user acquisition means that there is less discussion of long-term sustainability, which is one of the issues that has plagued both Twitter and Facebook.

Some essential features, like a search function, hashtags, and a following feed, are still missing from the app. The organization got some pushback for a strategy that would require clients attempting to erase their Strings record to likewise erase their Instagram profile. In a Threads post, Meta’s chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth stated that the business is working on fixing it.

Due to regulatory concerns, Meta also faces difficulties launching Threads in European Union countries. The district is a major market for Meta. Europe represented generally 22% of Meta’s $28 billion in promoting income during the principal quarter of 2023, as per the Money Road Diary.

Twitter’s Reaction

In the midst of the application’s initial achievement, Meta’s President Imprint Zuckerberg, didn’t avoid taking swipes at Strings’ fundamental rival. Zuckerberg stated in a post that Threads would be “focusing on kindness,” implying that Twitter had been lacking in this regard. That is one motivation behind why Twitter never prevailed however much I figure it ought to have, and we believe should do it any other way,” he said.

Many have described the new app as a “Twitter-killer,” posing a serious threat to X-Corp, which Musk founded and merged with Twitter earlier this year. Only hours after String’s send off, X-Corp’s lawful group sent a letter to Zuckerberg-communicating “serious worries that Meta has taken part in orderly, will, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s proprietary advantages and other protected innovation” Semafor covered Thursday.

A spokesperson for Meta reportedly responded by posting: Nobody in the Strings designing group is a previous Twitter representative — that is simply not a thing.”

Musk criticized the app in a series of tweets on Thursday night, describing it as a “closed source, algorithm-only system,” implying that the “manipulation of what information people see is essentially undetectable” is possible. He wrote, “Any social media monopoly is despair,” in response to a tweet about Meta’s social media dominance.

After a string of high-profile scandals and missteps in recent years, Meta is currently riding a win. These include mass layoffs and criticism from activists and regulators regarding the company’s failure to protect users from harm on its platforms and mishandling of user data.

“This is as great of a beginning as we might have expected!” Zuckerberg posted on Strings. ” It feels like the beginning of a special thing.”

Democrats Push for Passage of Equality Act to Protect LGBTQ+ Community

The Equality Act, which provides legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community, was reintroduced last week Wednesday, according to Democrats in the House and Senate.

During a news conference on Capitol Hill, Democrats joined LGBTQ+ leaders to say that the laws currently in place make that community vulnerable to discrimination in employment and many other areas.

Senate Greater part Pioneer Hurl Schumer, R-N.Y., and House Minority Pioneer Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., vowed to make a solid effort to get the Correspondence Act passed notwithstanding resistance from conservatives.

The Equity Act would revise the Social equality Demonstration of 1964 to broaden securities for instruction, lodging, and work for the LGBTQ+ people group by growing insurances to incorporate sexual direction and orientation character.

As evidence that the Equality Act has a path forward, they cited the Respect for Marriage Act, which enshrined the protection of gay marriage and passed last year with bipartisan support.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., stated, “Progress must not be mistaken for victory.” who once again introduced the bill in the Senate. “[ We should fight] until all Americans have the opportunity of fairness.”

According to Jeffries, the Equality Act has not been modified since it failed to gain traction a year ago. However, the rash of state laws that target the transgender community has contributed to the creation of some momentum in the effort to take action to safeguard the LGBTQ+ community.

“Until we get it over the finish line, the Equality Act is and will continue to be one of our top priorities,” Jeffries stated. Choosing hopefulness over hatred is the purpose of the Equality Act, which seeks to combat discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.

Common liberties Mission said 525 bills have been presented by states that have designated the local area and have harmed freedoms. At the news conference, HRC President Kelly Robinson stated that gay, lesbian, and transgender people are subject to different laws than the rest of the country.

According to conservatives, the law would probably violate religious liberties and rights. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said that the bill will be difficult for any GOP member to sign in 2021 because it does not provide enough protections for those with deeply held religious beliefs.

Bill Gates Says Warren Buffett Taught Him To Value Free Time

As President of Microsoft, Bill Doors had a pressed timetable — in any event, sending 2:00 a.m. solicitations to workers. Gates didn’t realize how to be kind to himself and his staff until he looked at the personal daybook of Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett.

“I had consistently pressed, and I felt that was the main way you could get things done,” Entryways told writer Charlie Rose in a meeting with Buffett in 2017. “[ I] recollect Warren showing me his schedule … he [still] has days that there’s nothing on it.”

Buffett’s sparser timetable showed Entryways a significant example: ” You control your time … It’s anything but an intermediary of your reality that you fill consistently in your timetable. I can purchase anything I need, essentially, yet I can’t delay,” Buffett added.

Science actually supports Buffett’s strategy, which is essentially “work smarter, not harder.” Laborers’ capability steeply declines when they work over 50 hours out of each week, a 2014 Stanford College concentrate on found.

Individuals who stir as long as 70 hours seven days get a similar measure of work done as the people who slouch over their PCs for 55 hours, the examination uncovered.

That lesson hasn’t just been hard for Gates’ CEO. For instance, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed to CNBC’s David Faber in May that he now sleeps at least six hours per night. Musk had previously stated that he frequently worked all-nighters to get to work. “I’ve tried [to sleep] less, but… even though I’m awake more hours, I get less done,” Musk stated. What’s more, the cerebrum torment level is terrible in the event that I get under six hours [of rest for each night].”

For some, getting there might be difficult. It took Doors years to find a solid balance between serious and fun activities, he said in a new beginning discourse at Northern Arizona College.

I didn’t take vacations when I was your age. I didn’t trust in ends of the week. Gates stated, “I didn’t think the people I worked with should either.”

He continued, “Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson.” Take your time to nurture your relationships, recoup from your losses, and rejoice in your accomplishments. Whenever you need to, take a break. Resist the urge to stress about individuals around you when they need it, as well.”

Pope Francis Puts His Stamp On Church’s Future With New Cardinals

Pope Francis on July 9th reported that he would raise 21 churchmen to the high position of cardinal, again putting his imprint on the gathering that will one day pick his replacement after his passing or renunciation.

The 86-year-old Pontiff announced that the installation ceremony, known as a consistory, would take place on September 30. Since being elected as the first pontiff from Latin America ten years ago, this will be the ninth consistory called by the pope.

The new cardinals come from nations including the US, Italy, Argentina, Switzerland, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania, and Portugal. Eighteen of the 21 are under the age of 80, so they will be able to attend a secret conclave to select the next pope. They are known as cardinal balloters.

All cardinals, no matter what their age, are permitted to participate in pre-conference gatherings, known as Broad Assemblies, giving them a say in the sort of individual they figure the more youthful cardinals ought to pick.

In the Church hierarchy, Cardinals are second only to the Pope and his closest advisors. Because of their authentic power and impact, they are as yet called the sovereigns of the Congregation, despite the fact that Francis has told them not to live like sovereignty and to be near poor people.

There will be 137 cardinal electors following the consistory in September, with approximately 73% of them selected by Francis. This expands the likelihood that the next pope will share his vision of a more moderate, comprehensive Church.

Francis has likewise expanded the likelihood that the next pope will come from Asia or Africa, having reliably named cardinal balloters from those mainland and giving less significance than his predecessors to nations in Europe.

Three of the new cardinals were as of late named as heads of significant Vatican divisions, including Argentine Ecclesiastical overseer Victor Manuel Fernandez, top of the Vatican’s doctrinal division.

Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-Yan of Hong Kong was the recipient of an additional significant appointment. Chow is one of the significant connections to the Catholic Church in socialist China, where the Vatican is attempting to further develop conditions for Catholics. In April, the bishop went to Beijing.

Another is American Archbishop Robert Francis Prevost, who was recently elevated to head of the Vatican department that assists the pope in selecting new bishops, one of the most powerful positions within the Vatican.

Harvard Professor Claims 3 Habits Helped Him 10 Years Younger

A Harvard genetics professor who only gets six hours of sleep each night and does not exercise every day claims that three habits helped him age by a decade. David Sinclair consumes polyphenols in a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt in the morning, green matcha tea, and 80 percent dark chocolate on occasion to maintain his healthy lifestyle.

However, Sinclair, a 54-year-old Harvard Medical School professor of genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, is not rigid about everything.

In a recent interview, he told GQ that he doesn’t usually exercise every day and doesn’t sleep more than six hours a night (standard guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and between seven and nine hours of sleep each night).

Despite this, he claims that his regimen has helped him maintain a biological 10 years younger than his age, highlighting the modern phenomenon known as “reverse aging” or fighting decline and disease caused by age.

Sinclair tells GQ, “I think a lot of us think that when you’re in your twenties, you’re impervious to aging and illness. What we now know is that the epigenetic clock starts to tick from birth and that what we do in our twenties does affect our ultimate longevity.”

Experts say that your epigenetics are the focus of research that is relatively new on delaying and reversing aging. The 12 hallmarks of aging, which include epigenetic changes, cellular senescence, and chronic inflammation, have been outlined by longevity experts. The aging process may be slowed down by lifestyle choices and other treatments that target one or more of these characteristics.

Sinclair previously stated to Fortune, “Biological age is a much better representation of health status than birthday candles.” Birthday candles don’t tell you how well you’ve been living or how many years you have left in your life.

He is of the opinion that we will one day be able to go back 20 years. He continued, “I see no reason why that wouldn’t be possible.” The only question is when.

So, how does Sinclair manage to stay young and healthy as she gets older? In his early thirties, he started working on it. The longevity researcher started out in three ways:

Consuming Resveratrol Sinclair swears by resveratrol, a natural polyphenol or antioxidant that can be found in peanuts, red wine, and berries. Each morning, he takes it as a supplement along with “a couple of mouthfuls of yogurt.” Sinclair also has green matcha tea, which is high in polyphenols like ECGC catechins.

Antioxidant properties of polyphenols have been shown to improve mood, strengthen the gut microbiome, lower the risk of tissue damage, and increase heart strength.

Sinclair, on the other hand, consumes the micronutrient as a supplement, which is not regulated by the FDA in the United States; As a result, the dosage may be ambiguous and higher, increasing the likelihood of adverse effects like nausea and vomiting. The Cleveland Clinic says that the whole food source of the micronutrient is more likely to help you than the micronutrient in a supplement.

Sinclair tells GQ that for about 15 years he has made morning polyphenols a priority. Skipping breakfast Sinclair does intermittent fasting, in which he waits between 16 and 18 hours between large meals—a practice that is supported by many C-suite executives.

He tells GQ, “That’s basically having a very late lunch or a big dinner.” However, he warns against malnutrition and starvation and says that starting this regimen when you’re younger can be risky.

Intermittent fasting may reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and dementia, all of which are common causes of aging. Fasting, on the other hand, is not for everyone and can be harmful to one’s health, as well as a trigger for people who struggle with eating disorders or disordered eating. Without being excessively severe, there are additional ways of fasting that might work for you.

Specialists suggest beginning little, making feasts exceptionally nutritious, and remaining hydrated. Sinclair began reducing his intake of sugar and meat. He centers around a plant-based diet; Rice, couscous, and almonds make up a typical dinner.

According to what he tells GQ, “I rarely, rarely eat anything other than plant-based and nut-based foods, including milk.” Even though drinking wine is a part of the Mediterranean diet, Sinclair has given up the nightcap.

I’ve stopped eating dairy and alcohol as well. I rarely consume food or drink, but when I do, I’m happy to do so for a celebration or other occasion, but that’s what I focus on. Additionally, he admits to having an “occasional french fry.”

He claims that his diet “made a huge difference to my blood biomarkers and epigenetic age” within months. A plant-based diet is related with medical advantages like bringing down the gamble of diabetes, dementia, stoutness, and hypertension. Additionally, eating foods made from plants lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to Harvard Health, excessive sugar consumption, particularly added sugar in highly processed foods, is linked to diabetes, obesity, and heart issues.

“My memory also returned when I switched to this new diet. He tells GQ, “I used to have a hard time remembering phone numbers and key codes. Now it’s easy. As a result, I returned to my 20-year-old mind.”

India’s Growing Role in America’s China Strategy Fueled by Mistrust of Beijing

India’s position in America’s China strategy is growing as a result of mistrust of Beijing. In the meantime, the relationship between the United States and India has become fueled by cooperation on technological and geoeconomic issues.

For India’s part, public outrage has been sparked by China’s salami-slicing strategies to seize territory along the long Himalayan border between the two countries. New Delhi’s natural partner to counter China’s military advantages is the United States.

India has the potential to be a useful partner for the United States in the fight against China’s efforts to drive Washington out of the Indo-Pacific region and in restoring strategic equilibrium there.

As a result, pragmatism is in charge. Technological cooperation has benefited greatly from the easing of inhibitions between the United States and India that existed during the Cold War. Washington and Delhi have begun to collaborate on a comprehensive partnership that includes semiconductors, supply chains, defense coproduction, and digital public goods.

Given the growing landscape of geoeconomic rivalry between major powers, such cooperation is essential. China and Russia have intensified their geoeconomic ties ever since the Ukraine conflict began. New Delhi naturally feels constrained by the fusion of Eurasian energies to its north, given its historical reliance on Russian defense technologies and border issues with China.

India and the United States see each other as important players in their respective geopolitical and economic strategies.

Washington is establishing a new economic system based on cutting-edge technologies with countries like India and others who share its values. In the coming years, technology appears to be going to be the driving force behind relations between the United States and India. This will lead to enormous economic opportunities, increased national security for both countries, and the formation of a new geoeconomic global order.

The “new Washington consensus” was outlined by Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, in April.

Restructuring supply chains through “friend-shoring” and “de-risking,” creating economic frameworks to avoid dependence on individual nations, and forming advanced technology coalitions are all essential components of this initiative.

“The Biden administration’s international economic vision is centered on a deeper partnership between the U.S. and India,” Sullivan stated to an Indian newspaper last month.

In May 2022, the U.S. and Indian efforts in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, space, telecommunications, biotechnology, defense, and semiconductors were announced as part of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies.

During Top state leader Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington last month, he joined an “India-U.S. Greetings Tech Handshake” occasion to encourage associations between the startup biological systems of the two nations. The importance of the relationship to young entrepreneurs is demonstrated by the fact that Zerodha’s co-founder, Nikhil Kamath, was invited to the prestigious White House state dinner for Modi.

Another area in which the partnership is reaching its peak is semiconductors. India is seen as a crucial counterweight as the United States blocks the flow of technology that China needs to support advanced chipmaking.

While Modi was in Washington, U.S. chipmaker Micron Innovation reported that it would contribute $825 million to construct a semiconductor gathering and test plant in Gujarat, the top state leader’s home state. By the year 2020, the brand-new facility should be operational. Applied Materials, another key American chip tech organization, said it would set up a designing place in Bengaluru zeroed in on growing new advances for semiconductor fabricating hardware.

India was also welcomed into the Minerals Security Partnership, a crucial minerals coalition that included Australia, Japan, South Korea, and seven Western allies to support supply line diversification and security. In order to facilitate private investment and public financing, the purpose of this group is to share information on crucial opportunities in the mineral sector.

Several Indian businesses made investments in support of Washington’s efforts to increase domestic production of green technologies while Modi was in Washington. Epsilon Carbon will invest $650 million in a battery component factory in the United States for electric vehicles. VSK Energy said it would put up to $1.5 billion in sunlight based charger producing in Colorado and other U.S. areas. The Ohio foundry of JSW Steel will be upgraded for $145 million to support the production of offshore wind energy platforms.

Strangely, Modi likewise endorsed on to the Artemis Accords, a U.S.- drove astropolitical alliance to advance space participation. India attempted to reconcile the Artemis Accords with the China and Russia-led International Lunar Research Station effort for some time.

A lot of technical talent is required for the rapid advancement of advanced technology. Anecdotal evidence indicates that Silicon Valley is largely supported by Indian-born tech professionals and executives. India is a treasure trove of such talent. Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden have subsequently been coaxing the Indian American people group to get a sense of ownership with coordinating the tech areas of California and Bengaluru.

India and the United States are becoming increasingly entwined on a geopolitical and economic level. By building tough innovative establishments, the two nations can each propel their plans for Indo-Pacific security.

Judge Rules Biden Administration Violated First Amendment with Censorship During Pandemic

A federal judge in Louisiana has ruled that the Biden administration probably broke the First Amendment by censoring negative views on social media during the coronavirus pandemic, calling the measures “Orwellian.”

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and all employees of the Justice Department and FBI are all prohibited from having any contact with social media firms for the purpose of discouraging or removing speech protected by the First Amendment, according to a broad preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty.

The decision and request from Bold, a deputy of previous President Donald Trump, are the most recent improvements in a long-running claim led by conservative drove states charging that the organization compelled online entertainment organizations to eliminate posts containing implied deception about the Covid, political race security and different issues.

“During the Coronavirus pandemic, a period maybe best described by broad uncertainty and vulnerability, the US Government appears to play expected a part like an Orwellian ‘Service of Truth,'” Courageous wrote as he would see it, which was delivered as most bureaucratic courts were shut for the Freedom Day occasion.

The ruling by Doughty appears to take effect right away, but the Biden administration can appeal it to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans because it is not a final decision on the suit. On Tuesday, the Justice Department declined to provide any commentary. A representative for the White House didn’t quickly answer a solicitation for input.

The judge says in his decision that a wide range of topics, including opposition to Covid vaccines, masking, lockdowns, and the lab-leak theory, were “all suppressed” on social media at the direction of administration officials; opposition to the election’s legitimacy in 2020; opposition to the policies of the president and other officials; and statements asserting that the account of a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, Biden’s son, was accurate.

Every theme “smothered” was a moderate view, which “is very telling,” Bold pronounced. “This designated concealment of moderate thoughts is an ideal illustration of perspective segregation of political discourse,” he proceeded. ” The evidence presented thus far portrays a scenario that is almost dystopian; American citizens have the right to freely debate the significant issues affecting the nation.

However, the judge also mentioned previous attempts to delete or suppress content from anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who announced in April that he will challenge Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024.

In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry praised the decision, describing it as a “historic injunction” against the Biden administration that prevents it “from censoring the core political speech of ordinary Americans on social media.”

“The proof for our situation is stunning and hostile,” Landry added. In the case, the Justice Department has argued that federal officials’ speech was protected by the First Amendment because they were simply encouraging social media companies to police their platforms. Although top officials have occasionally harshly criticized the businesses, federal officials have consistently denied using threats or coercion to force the companies to de-platform particular speech or speakers.

“They’re killing individuals,” Biden said in July 2021, subsequent to being gotten some information about the presence of hostile to immunization content on Facebook and different locales. ” The main pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated, and they’re killing individuals.”

Audacious has been regulating the suit the lawyers general of Missouri and Louisiana documented last year guaranteeing that the organization’s tension on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube was extraordinary to such an extent that it added up to oversight. In a censure to Brave in January, the fifth Circuit impeded endeavors to compel previous White House press secretary Jen Psaki to affirm for the situation.

Time for the US to Hold China Accountable for Sovereign Debt

Every nation ought to settle its sovereign debt. We are informed that default is not an option. Yet, has anybody told China? The People’s Republic of China owes the United States approximately $850 billion in interest. However, American bondholders hold China’s sovereign debt, which is currently in default.

This fact has been ignored by subsequent administrations in the United States, allowing normal trade and business with China to continue. Policymakers ought to reconsider this appalling failure of justice now that the relationship with China has soured and the People’s Republic of China has emerged as the greatest adversarial threat to Western and American security.

It’s time for some history. Prior to 1949, the Republic of China (ROC) issued a large quantity of long-term sovereign gold-denominated bonds to private investors and governments for the construction of infrastructure and financing of governmental activities. These bonds were secured by Chinese tax revenues. Set forth plainly, the China we realize today could never have been conceivable missing these bond contributions.

The ROC defaulted on its sovereign debt in 1938, during the conflict it was having with Japan. The ROC government fled to Taiwan after the communists won their military victory. In the end, the People’s Republic of China gained international recognition as China’s new government. The “successor government” doctrine holds that the current Chinese government, led by the Chinese Communist Party, is responsible for repaying the defaulted bonds in accordance with established international law.

These gold-denominated bonds are held by a small group of private Americans. The American Bondholders Foundation (ABF), a group led by citizens, is the trustee with power of attorney for around 20,000 bondholders whose bonds are worth well over $1 trillion.

A British settlement agreement on the same Chinese bonds was reached in 1987 as a result of Margaret Thatcher, the then-prime minister of the United Kingdom,’s tough negotiation stance regarding the return of Hong Kong to China. Thatcher stated that China needed to honor the Chinese sovereign debt held by British subjects that had defaulted in order to gain access to the capital markets in the United Kingdom. China agreed when presented with that stark choice.

Sadly, the United States did not adopt such a sensible stance. Despite publicly rejecting its sovereign debt obligations to American bondholders, China continues to have access to U.S. capital markets today.

It doesn’t matter how old these bonds are, just in case anyone is curious. The fact that this is a sovereign obligation is what matters. In 2015, Great Britain made payments on bonds issued in the 18th century, and the German government made its final payment for World War I reparations in 2010.

The Biden administration and the Congress of the United States have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to uphold the internationally recognized principle that governments must pay their debts. The United States must view the repayment of China’s sovereign debt as essential to its interests in national security, just as the United Kingdom did in 1987. The United States government ought to take one, both, or neither of the two actions that are currently being discussed by members of Congress.

The first would be to acquire the Chinese bonds held by the ABF and use them to offset (partially or completely) China’s ownership of more than $850 billion in U.S. Treasury securities, thereby lowering the amount of daily interest paid to China by up to $95 million. The national debt would be reduced, and the United States’ financial situation would improve globally.

The second is pass regulation that expects China to keep worldwide standards and rules of money, exchange and business. This would include adhering to the rules governing capital markets and exchanges’ transparency, ending its practices of exclusionary settlement, discriminatory payments, selective default, and rejecting the doctrine of settled international law that the successor government has adopted. All U.S. dollar-denominated bond markets and exchanges would be closed to China and its state-controlled entities if those obligations are not met.

Again, this is just common sense, and the Chinese government would do exactly this if the situation were reversed. Throughout the course of recent many years, there has been repetitive bipartisan help in Congress for bondholders to address China’s default with a few legislative goals. Notwithstanding this, progressive U.S. organizations have been quiet on this issue, deciding to put the issue off indefinitely, expecting that China would ultimately change and embrace Western standards and values.

This inaction must end immediately.

This issue can finally be addressed by both Congress and the Biden administration due to the deterioration of relations with China and the consensus among both parties regarding the threat posed by China. Not only is it right and just for bondholders to get a settlement for this defaulted debt, but if done correctly, it could also be a huge win for the taxpayers of the United States.

Washington D.C. Includes Sikhism in Social Studies Standards

The newly adopted social studies standards will be implemented in local schools starting from the 2024-2025 academic year. The District of Columbia State Board of Education recently made a decision to incorporate Sikhism into the new social studies curriculum in schools. With this development, Washington, D.C. becomes one of the 17 states that have incorporated accurate information about Sikhs into their social studies standards for public schools.

The decision is part of the Sikh Coalition’s multi-year campaign, which aims to provide accurate information on Sikhism to public school students across the United States. According to a release, approximately 49,800 students in the state will now have the

The new standards, voted on by the District of Columbia State Board of Education on June 21, will give approximately 49,800 students the opportunity to learn about the Sikh community. The new standards will be implemented in local schools starting from the 2024-2025 academic year. The Sikh Coalition, which worked with local education authorities on this issue, said the District of Columbia joins 17 states across the nation to include accurate information about Sikhs in their public school social studies standards. “We are thrilled that the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education has chosen to ensure that the Sikh community is represented and included in their standards,” said Harman Singh, Sikh Coalition senior education manager.

“Inclusive and accurate standards are an important first step to combat bigotry and to reduce bullying, and they benefit all students by increasing baseline cultural competency and decreasing ignorance,” Singh said. Earlier in April, the US State of Virginia voted in favour of new social studies standards to include Sikhi, or the Sikh faith, in the school curriculum for the first time ever. Sikhism is one of the largest religions in the world and the members of the community have contributed to American society for over 125 years in the fields of civil rights, politics, agriculture, engineering, and medicine.

Vivek Ramaswamy Launches Scholarship For Young Americans

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy committed $250,000 to fund a new scholarship program that aims to foster national pride among young Americans, as he believes patriotism is declining in the country. The scholarship program aims to revive national pride among the younger generation.

Highlighting the need for such a scholarship, Ramaswamy cited studies that shed light on the current state of American pride in the younger generation. According to the findings, only 16 per cent of Gen Z say they are proud to be American, while a staggering 60 per cent of teens on TikTok would rather give up their right to vo

“In honor of our son’s 1st birthday today, Apoorva & I are committing $250,000 to fund a new scholarship to foster national pride among young Americans,” he announced on Twitter. “Ten winners will be selected by a panel to receive a $25,000 scholarship for post-secondary education, entrepreneurial endeavors, or their commitment to serve in the military or law enforcement role.”

The tech mogul lamented the relatively poor state of patriotism in American youths, noting “[o]nly 16% of Gen Z says they’re proud to be American. 60% of teens on TikTok would rather give up their right to vote than their social media account. Our military suffered a 25% recruitment deficit last year. This bodes poorly for our nation.”

“As an entrepreneur, I believe in solving problems through private behavior whenever possible,” he continued. “That’s why we are funding a new scholarship to revive patriotism: this year, ten high school students will be eligible to receive a $25,000 scholarship for concisely articulating what it means to be an American in 2023. The scholarship will be administered by @IncubateDebate, a nonprofit organization that leads U.S. students to debate important issues of public importance.”

Applicants must submit a 2-minute video answering the question “what does it mean to be an American?”

Considered something of a longshot candidate, Ramaswamy’s announcement comes as he appears to be enjoying a poll surge. A recent Echelon Insights survey shows him taking 10% of the Republican primary electorate, placing him in third, behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

US To Return 150 Antiquities To India

India’s Culture Secretary Govind Mohan, briefing reporters Sunday on the third G20 Culture Working Group meeting in Hampi, said this is the first lot of antiquities that the Met has willingly agreed to return to India.

These will be among the 150 antiquities that will return to India from the US in 3-6 months, he said, adding that besides the 15 objects returned by the Met, the others are those confiscated by US authorities and kept in the office of the New York Attorney General. “We are making efforts to have our team go there, verify them and bring them back,” Mohan said.

According to an investigation in March by The Indian Express, in association with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the UK-based Finance Uncovered, a treasure trove at the Met was traced to antique dealer Subhash Kapoor who is serving a prison term in Tamil Nadu for smuggling antiquities.

On March 30, the Met issued a statement saying it would “transfer 15 sculptures for return to the government of India, after having learned that the works were illegally removed from India”. It said “all of the works were sold at one point by Subhash Kapoor, a dealer currently serving a prison sentence in India.”

Of the 15 items listed in the search warrant, 10 were flagged in The Indian Express report. Significant among these are the Celestial Dancer, a 1st century BCE Yakshi terracotta from West Bengal; a bronze sculpture of God Revanta Returning from the Hunt (10th century CE); and a 15th century Parikara (Backplate).

The other works that are set to return to India include antiquities in different mediums such as marble, terracotta and sandstone, span a period of 1,600 years, from the 1st century BC to the 15th century AD, and hold significant historical and market value, officials said.

Restitution of cultural heritage is among the main themes of the cultural track under India’s G20 Presidency. The 1970 UNESCO Convention enjoins upon all the signatories to voluntarily return all the artefacts that have either been taken there due to colonial plunder or post-colonial misappropriation through smuggling, theft or other such means, Mohan said.

“The 1970 convention has been discussed extensively among all the countries and there are some countries who are not signatories so far. We are trying to develop a broad consensus that at least all the G20 countries become signatories to the convention. India would be a big gainer from this process,” he said.

Picture : Indian Express

India is pursuing agreements pertaining to the return of antiquities through both bilateral and multilateral routes. According to the Cultural Property Agreement signed between India and the US, which found mention in the joint statement after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State visit last month, “the US will do all that is within its power to intercept smuggled goods at the border and return them expeditiously”.

“With the US having accepted this kind of a framework, we are hopeful that the other countries will also look at something similar, if not identical,” Mohan said, adding that presently, India is pursuing bilaterally for such agreements with the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Australia.

As many as 50 delegates are attending the third CWG meeting, including those from member countries, guest nations and multilateral organisations. Progress has been made towards bridging opinions during deliberations and arriving at a consensus, Mohan said.

Dr. Joseph M. Chalil Honored with AAPI’s Presidential Award

Philadelphia, PA: July 12th, 2023: Joseph M. Chalil, MD, MBA, FACHE was honored with the prestigious Presidential Award by the Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) during the 41st annual Convention held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown on July 8th, 2023.

Dr. Chalil was bestowed with the award in recognition  of his Outstanding Leadership and Excellence in Community Service. Dr. Prem Reddy, CEO & Chairman of Prime Health presented the award during the concluding ceremony of the convention in the presence of an audience of over 1,000 during the Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly of AAPI–the largest ethnic organization of physicians in the U.S. Dr. Ravi Kolli, Immediate Past President of AAPI, lauded Dr. Chalil’s leadership and contributions as the Strategic Advisor of AAPI.

“Connecting to the brand of AAPI and its extensive US Physician network will lead to an increased visibility of pharmaceutical clinical trials here in the USA,” commented Prof. Joseph M. Chalil, MD, MBA, FACHE, an author and the Chief Strategy Officer of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. He is also the Chief Medical Officer of Novo Integrated Sciences, a Nasdaq-listed company that runs hundreds of clinics in North America.

Dr. Chalil is the President of Clinical Consultants International. He serves as the chairman of the health system advisory board, a professor at the college of business, and a member of the NSU MD executive leadership council at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

A veteran of the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, Dr. Chalil is also board certified in healthcare management, and has been awarded Fellowship by the American College of Healthcare Executives, an international professional society of more than 40,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations.

Dr. Chalil holds three US Patents, and his research includes Clinical Trial Management in Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Myeloma, and publications in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. He was the recipient of the 2013 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award. A Visiting Professor at various universities and board member of various companies, Dr. Chalil is an expert in US Healthcare policy and a strong advocate for patient centered care. The American Association of Cardiologists of Indian Origin (AACIO) honored Dr. Chalil for his achievements in the field of Cardiology in 2013.

His book, “Beyond the Covid-19 pandemic: Envisioning a Better World by Transforming the Future of Healthcare,” is an Amazon Best Seller. In addition, he is the author of several scientific and research papers in international publications and the publisher of “The Universal News Network.”

SRK’s Jawan Prevue Shatters All Past Records

The pre-release video of Jawan effortlessly surpassed all previous records held by teasers and trailers in the Indian film industry in terms of 24-hour view counts. With 112m views across all platforms,  the video’s immense traction has shattered the existing benchmarks, establishing a new pinnacle for the Indian film industry.

Jawan’s Prevue reigns supreme as the most-watched video in the first 24 hours, a testament to SRK’s widespread popularity, the universal appeal of the film and the rising anticipation surrounding the film’s release.

The record-breaking views for Jawan signify the power of engaging storytelling and effective marketing in an increasingly competitive entertainment landscape.

The video has surpassed all expectations and left a significant mark on the Indian digital landscape. The overwhelming response to the video reflects the massive fan base that the film has garnered even before its theatrical release.

Jawan is a Red Chillies Entertainment presentation, directed by Atlee, Produced by Gauri Khan and Co-produced by Gaurav Verma. The film will release worldwide in theatres on September 7th, 2023 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages.

The much-awaited look of Shah Rukh Khan’s mega film, ‘Jawan’, is all set to be unveiled on 10th July at 10:30am. This exciting news was revealed by Shah Rukh Khan himself through his social media, fuelling the JAWAN frenzy among fans and movie enthusiasts alike.

The anticipation and excitement surrounding the film have reached unprecedented heights and has led to nationwide speculation over social media and more. The curiosity to see SRK is unparalleled, the collaboration between Shah Rukh Khan and director Atlee, marking their it first-ever partnership showcasing SRK’s unmatched stardom with Atlee’s creative vision.

Jawan is a Red Chillies Entertainment presentation, directed by Atlee, Produced by Gauri Khan and Co-produced by Gaurav Verma. The film will release worldwide in theatres on September 7th, 2023 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages.

US Presidential Commission Approves Green Cards Recapture

Now the wait time for Green card may be reduced, thanks to Ajay Bhutoria’s recommendation that unused green cards for family and employment categories since 1992 will be recaptured.

In an effort to address the issue of green card backlogs, the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) approved a recommendation that allows the recapture of unused green cards for family and employment categories from 1992 to 2025.

According to media reports, the recommendation moved by Indian American Ajay Bhutoria, a member of the commission, allows green cards that were left unissued due to bureaucratic delays and slow USCIS processing to be allocated back to applicants.

At the commission’s recent meeting, Bhutoria said, “Bureaucratic delays in the green card application process have resulted in the full number of available green cards not being issued, despite a significant number of people waiting in backlogs to receive them.”

The commission’s approval means that processing will be initiated for a  portion of the 230,000 unused green cards every year in addition to the annual limit of 1,40,000. This would majorly benefit thousands of applicants who have been facing delays in getting their green card due to backlogs.

In addition to recapturing unused green cards, Bhutoria emphasized the need for a new policy that confirms all green cards, per annual limit, remain available for an eligible immigrant even if the concerned agencies cannot process the relevant paperwork in that fiscal year.  He added, “This policy should be applied retroactively to recapture green cards that were unused before the new policy goes into effect.”

Bhutoria argued that recapturing unused green cards could attract billions in the US economy, and reduce waiting for green cards and address bureaucratic gaps in legal immigration.

Is Rupee Going to be Internationalized?

An Inter-Departmental Group (IDG), constituted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has suggested that India must continue exploring alternatives to both the USD and the Euro to defend itself against economic sanctions. The group has recommended a host of measures to increase the acceptance of Indian rupee (INR) outside the country’s borders.

The group has recommended a host of measures to increase the acceptance of Indian rupee (INR) outside the country’s borders.

Among the short-term recommendations, the group has asked the bank to encourage opening of INR accounts for non-residents both in India and outside India as well as integrating Indian payment systems with other countries for cross-border transactions.

“An account in the currency of a resident country in the non-residents’ own jurisdiction allows them to leverage their existing financial relationships and provides them the flexibility to move funds and execute financial transactions in their time zone,” the working group chaired by Radha Shyam Ratho said in the report.

Additional recommendations include allowing banking services in INR outside India through off-shore branches of Indian banks and achieve higher level of trade linkages with other countries so that INR becomes preferred as a “vehicle currency” by other economies.

“The higher usage of INR in invoicing and settlement of international trade, as well as in capital account transactions, will give INR a progressively international presence,” the group emphasized adding that the internationalization will reduce the cost of doing business and reduce need for holding foreign exchange reserves.

Kamal Haasan’s ‘Project K’ to Debut at San Diego Comic-Con

Kamal Hassan starrer Project-K directed by Nag Ashwin will become the first Indian film to debut at the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2023, the actor said on Twitter.  SDCC will take place in San Diego, California, from July 20, 2023, to July 23, 2023. The film produced by C Aswani Dutt’s Vyjayanthi Movies, will also feature prominent Indian actors like Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, and Disha Patani.  Additional details of the film are yet to be released.

The event will take place in San Diego, California, from July 20, 2023, to July 23, 2023 According to a Variety report, exclusive footage from the film will be released at the convention on Thursday, July 20, 2023, in a panel called “This is Project K: First Glimpse of India’s Mytho-Sci-fi Epic”, with will feature Deepika Padukone, Prabhas, and Kamal Hassan. The teaser and release date will also be disclosed at the event.

Celebrating the proud moment, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan wrote on Twitter, “I never realized how important and big this is.” Deepika also took to social media to express her excitement. “Proud to be a part of the first-ever Indian Movie to go to Comic-Con. See you there,” she wrote.

“India’s storytelling tradition has ancient roots, with its epics serving as the origins for many civilizations worldwide. A world as big as this needs a platform as big to introduce it to the people. Comic-Con felt like the perfect place, where the honesty and enthusiasm needed for ‘Project K’ will be found,” Director Ashwin was quoted saying in the Variety report.

San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, since 1970. BAPS NJ showcases versatility of Bharatanatyam

SAHELI to Broaden its Mission

Twenty-six years ago, Saheli emerged as a new hope for domestic violence survivors. What once began as a small group of men and women, is now a state-recognized and funded non-profit organization that has given a new life to over 1,000 survivors.

“The need for Saheli’s services kept increasing with the growing South Asian population in Massachusetts. In 2017, the (Massachusetts) Department of Public Health recognized the uniqueness and importance of Saheli’s services by giving Saheli a contract,” Priya Murali, Director of Development at Saheli, told INDIA New England News in an email-interview. “Through this contract, Saheli was able to establish a stable presence by renting an office and adding paid staff. It was the initial impetus for many more foundation and government grants, further strengthening Saheli’s services.”

She added that the community’s outpouring of love and support further assisted Saheli in its expansion and growth.

“We are so grateful to all our supporters who continue to give generously for Saheli to provide vital services to the community,” said Murali.

Saheli received its name from the Hindi word “friend,” and since its founding in 1996 by its two board members—Usha Vakil and Gouri Banerjee, the organization has been nothing but a dedicated and passionate ally to South Asian and Arab women. Throughout the 26 years Saheli has been advocating for, serving, and protecting women, the organization has grown into a pillar of the community.

Through extensive support services, Saheli provides solace to those who are in a dark place. With their unwavering commitment to help and empower women, Saheli fosters a community of resilience and compassion.

Saheli has helped over 1,000 women by providing them with transitional housing, scholarships, legal advocacy, in-house mental health counseling, and much more, according to its website.

Today, 16 staff members passionately dedicate their time to the cause under the guidance and supervision of 17 board of directors and 22 advisory board members. However, the non-profits’ growth is not just intrinsic. Now, Saheli’s outreach has expanded to include Arab women, broadening their multilingual advocacy to include Arabic and opening their arms to more women.

Saheli believes there is still more room to grow and is doing so by extending their services for South Asian and Arabs in the LGBTQ+ community. Taking progressive steps to move towards equality and inclusion, Saheli’s forward-thinking commitment does not end there.

“Saheli would also like to bring back the Men’s Initiative, where men are allies in the empowerment of women and children,” Murali continues to say. Putting a stop to domestic violence in the South Asian community is not just a women’s issue and change will only begin when men actively engage.

Saheli has worked with countless organizations including the India Association of Greater Boston (IAGB) which gave rise to Saheli in 1996. As a non-profit organization, Saheli is active in the community and is heavily connected with local government and law enforcement. Legal advocacy is an integral service Saheli provides for survivors. Fiercely defending them is a lawyer who works closely with the organization. Saheli holds training sessions for law enforcement, legal aid, and law students, making it certain that future survivors have the finest resources available to them.

“The community can help by educating their network about domestic violence,” says Murali, calling for support and effort from the community. “We are looking for partners and collaborators in this work, and the community can aid us in making connections and expanding our network.”

How is Saheli adapting with emerging social change and progressive conversations?

“Saheli has always been at the forefront of advocating for positive social change,” says Murali. “Saheli supports legislative actions that will benefit immigrants and more specifically, immigrant survivors of domestic & sexual violence. Saheli is advocating for two such bills: the tuition equity bill and the act related to coercive control.”

How can you help Saheli?

You can volunteer, attend Saheli events, do outreach for the organization, host events to help increase awareness about domestic and sexual violence. You can reach out to Saheli at info@saheliboston.org for more information.

US Authors Sue OpenAI, Meta Over Copyright Infringement

Comedian and author Sarah Silverman, along with authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, have sued Sam Altman-run OpenAI and Mark Zuckerberg-owned Meta over dual claims of copyright infringement.

The lawsuits alleged that OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s LLaMA (a set of large language models) were trained on illegally-acquired datasets containing their works.

Their works were allegedly acquired from “shadow library” websites like Bibliotik, Library Genesis, Z-Library, and others, noting the books are “available in bulk via torrent systems,” reports The Verge.

“When ChatGPT is prompted, ChatGPT generates summaries of plaintiffs’ copyrighted works — something only possible if ChatGPT was trained on Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works,” the lawsuit claimed.

The lawsuit alleged that chatbot never bothered to “reproduce any of the copyright management information Plaintiffs included with their published works.”

In a separate lawsuit against Meta, it alleged the authors’ books were accessible in datasets Meta used to train its LLaMA models.

“Many of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted books appear in the dataset that Meta has admitted to using to train LLaMA,” it read.

Silverman owns a registered copyright in one book, called The Bedwetter while Golden owns registered copyrights in several books, including Ararat.

Kadrey owns registered copyrights in several books, including ‘Sandman Slim’.

In both lawsuits, the authors said that they “did not consent to the use of their copyrighted books as training material” for the companies’ AI models.

Each lawsuit contains six counts of copyright violations, negligence, unjust enrichment, and unfair competition.

The authors are looking for statutory damages, restitution of profits, and more.

The suits alleges, among other things, that OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s LLaMA were trained on illegally-acquired datasets containing their works, which they say were acquired from “shadow library” websites like Bibliotik, Library Genesis, Z-Library, and others, noting the books are “available in bulk via torrent systems”. (IANS)

Atrocities Against Christians In India Increasing Drastically Year-On-Year

The violence in Manipur has been raging for over two months now, and hundreds of churches and many precious lives have been lost. This year we have just completed half a year of 190 days and we have already witnessed 400 incidents of violence against Christians across 23 states in India with Uttar Pradesh leading the chart with 155 incidents. Last year during the same period (January to June 2022) 274 incidents of violence against Christians witnessed.

There are six districts in Uttar Pradesh which are witnessing incidents of violence against Christians with 13 incidents in Jaunpur, 11 incidents EACH in Rae Bareilly and Sitapur, 10 in Kanpur and 9 each in Azamgarh and Kushinagar districts. But the highest number of incidents of violence against Christians in a district has gone to Bastar in Chhattisgarh with 31 incidents.

This year, the month of June in 2023 has witnessed the highest number of incidents against Christians with 88 incidents (almost 3 incidents a day) followed by 66 incidents in March, 63 in February, 62 in January, 50 in May and 47 in April. Last year, 2022, the same period January won the sad distinction of being on top of the chart with 121 incidents (almost 4 incidents a day), followed by 40 in May, 31 in February, 29 in April, 28 in March and 25 in June.

All these 400 incidents of violence against Christians are spread across the length and breadth of our country, irrespective of which political party is in power. There are twenty three (23) states which are witnessing incidents of violence against Christians. Uttar Pradesh – leading with 155 incidents, followed by Chhattisgarh with 84 incidents, Jharkhand – 35, Haryana – 32, Madhya Pradesh – 21, Punjab – 12, Karnataka – 10, Bihar – 9, Jammu & Kashmir – 8, Gujarat – 7, Uttarakhand – 4, Tamil Nadu – 3, West Bengal – 3, Himachal Pradesh – 3, Maharashtra – 3, Odisha – 2, Delhi – 2 Andhra Pradesh – 1, Assam – 1, Chandigarh – 1, and Goa – 1.

As per the reports recorded by the United Christian Forum (UCF), the incidents of violence against Christians have been increasing sharply and steadily since 2014: 147 incidents in 2014, 177 in 2015, 208 in 2016, 240 in 2017, 292 in 2018, 328 in 2019, 279 in 2020,505 in 2021, 599 in 2022 and 400 incidents in first 190 days of   2023.

Ironically, despite being the victims in all these atrocities, it is the Christians who are facing more FIRs than the accused, as the police fail to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of such mob violence. There are 63 FIRs lodged against Christians on false allegations of conversions under the Freedom of Religion Act.There are 35 Pastors still in Jail with bails being denied repeatedly. Moreover, those who are getting bail find themselves still incarcerated due to bureaucratic delays in processing their release. Several representations by leaders of the Christian community to the President, Prime Minister and the Home Minister are still awaiting any response.

Update On Petition On Violence Against Christians Before Supreme Court Of India

The matter came up for hearing on 10th July 2023. The Union government opposed our petition. Our advocate Colin Gonsalves submitted an interim prayer for SIT comprising officers outside the respective states to register FIRs, investigate and prosecute; police protection prayer meetings conducted by the Christian community and to provide legal aid to all the victims. Next hearing will be on 14th July 2023.

India Denies Visas To U.S. Panel On Religious Freedom

India has turned down a travel request for members of a U.S. government panel seeking to review its religious freedom, saying such foreign agencies had no standing to assess the constitutional rights of citizens.

Since taking power in 2014, the Indian government has faced criticism for attacks on Muslims and the panel has called for the world’s biggest democracy to be designated a “country of particular concern”, along with China, Iran, Russia and Syria.

The call by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was made in an April report urging sanctions against officials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government after it excluded minority Muslims from a new citizenship law.

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the government firmly repudiated the surveys of the commission, which had little knowledge of the rights of Indian citizens, describing it as biased and prejudiced.

“We have also denied visas to USCIRF teams that have sought to visit India in connection with issues related to religious freedom,” he told a lawmaker from Modi’s ruling group in a June 1 letter.

The step was taken because the government saw no grounds for a foreign entity such as the USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens’ constitutionally protected rights, he added.

Reuters has reviewed a copy of the letter to Nishikant Dubey, an MP who had raised the issue of the panel’s report in parliament.

USCIRF spokeswoman Danielle Saroyan Ashbahian said its team wanted to travel to India for constructive dialogue with the government.

“As a pluralistic, non-sectarian, and democratic state, and a close partner of the United States, India should have the confidence to allow our visit, which would give it the opportunity to convey its views directly to USCIRF in a constructive dialogue,” she said in an email.

The commission is a bipartisan U.S. government advisory body that monitors religious freedom abroad and makes policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state, and Congress. However, these are not binding.

Vivek Ramaswamy Leans Into His Hindu Faith to Court Christian Voters

This spring, Bristol Smith, a manager at a McDonald’s in Maryville, Tennessee, came across the name Vivek Ramaswamy shortly after the entrepreneur Mr. Ramaswamy announced that he was running for president. Mr. Smith was drawn in. He liked Mr. Ramaswamy’s plan to send the military to the southern border to fight drug cartels and the way he “stands up against the wokeness.” He regarded Mr. Ramaswamy’s insight as a money manager worth countless dollars.

Then, at that point, Mr. Smith, 25, looked for Mr. Ramaswamy’s confidence. Mr. Smith is an evangelical Christian who recently established a modest church at his parents’ house.

He recalled, “I looked up his religion and saw he is Hindu.” I planned to decide in favor of him until that surfaced.” Mr. Smith believes that the nation needs to be “put back under God,” and he doesn’t want to risk it with a non-Christian.

By then, he said, “I got back on President Trump’s train.”

Mr. Ramaswamy, 37, is a practicing Hindu who was brought up in India by immigrants. Some conservative Christian voters, who make up a significant portion of the Republican primary electorate and are accustomed to evaluating candidates not only based on their policy proposals but also on their biographies and personal beliefs, including religious faith, face a dilemma as a result of this.

A candidate’s faith is a sign of a candidate’s values, lifestyle, loyalties, and priorities as a leader for many conservative voters. It’s the classic Sunday morning question about which candidate you’d like to have a beer with most: Who is a good fit for your church?

“It’s another obstacle individuals need to cross to go to him,” Weave Vander Plaats, a powerful fervent forerunner in Iowa, said of Mr. Ramaswamy.

Mr. Vander Plaats as of late had Mr. Ramaswamy’s family over for Sunday dinner at his home, where the feast opened with a request and the perusing of an entry from the Good book. He said that Mr. Ramaswamy’s message aligned with the priorities of many evangelical voters and that he left impressed. He referred to Mr. Ramaswamy’s list of ten fundamental “truths,” the first of which is as follows: God really exists. The subsequent: There are men and women.”)

“I believe he’s truly interfacing with the crowds in Iowa,” said Mr. Vander Plaats, who has not embraced an up-and-comer. ” He is open to more in-depth inquiries. In the most recent national polls, Mr. Ramaswamy receives less than 5% of the vote.

Mr. Ramaswamy has taken the direct approach of addressing the issue and arguing that he shares more similarities with observant Christians than they might think.

“I’m not Christian. In June, he addressed Mr. Vander Plaats in front of a small audience at the Family Leader’s headquarters. “I was not raised in a Christian household.” However, we truly do have the very Christian qualities that this country was established on.”

In a meeting in late June, in the wake of leaving a gathering with a couple dozen ministers in New Hampshire, Mr. Ramaswamy said his confidence instructed him that Jesus was “a child of God, totally.” ( That “a” will be a sharp qualification from the focal Christian conviction that Jesus is the child of God. Many Hindus believe in a plethora of deities, and some even consider Jesus to be a single teacher or god.) Hinduism is a fluid and expansive religion.

Mr. Ramaswamy pointed out that even though he is not a Christian, he openly discusses why belief in God is important, why increasing secularism in the United States is bad for the country, and values like marriage fidelity, duty, religious liberty, and self-sacrifice.

Regarding the theological differences between Hinduism and Christianity, he stated, “I don’t have a quick pitch to say, ‘No, no, that doesn’t matter.'” It’s that I see precisely why that would make a difference to you.”

Mr. Ramaswamy cites Thomas Aquinas and makes references to Bible stories at campaign stops, including the crucifixion of Jesus. He frequently discusses his time spent attending a Cincinnati “Christian school” (Catholic St. Xavier High School). Also, he differentiates “religions like our own,” which have gone the distance, with the contending perspectives of “wokeism, climatism, transgenderism, orientation belief system, Covidism,” as he put it to a group of people in New Hampshire.

The campaign of Mr. Ramaswamy has distributed videos of him responding to a New Hampshire man who asked about his “spiritual beliefs” at a town hall and of a pastor in Iowa comparing him to King David from the Bible. A woman blessed Mr. Ramaswamy in the name of Jesus Christ by placing her hand on his chest in Iowa.

“So be it,” Mr. Ramaswamy said as she closed her request.

Mr. Ramaswamy will be able to win over evangelical primary voters in the crowded Republican field in part because of outside forces. Rather than seeking a “pastor-in-chief,” many conservative voters now say they are looking for someone who shares their political and cultural goals and will fight on their behalf.

“The culture has changed, but theology is important. America has changed,” said David Brody, the boss political expert for the Christian Telecom Organization, who has talked with Mr. Ramaswamy. Mr. Brody stated that the fight against “cultural Marxism” and reversing the course of “a country gone haywire” are currently the most important goals.

He compared evangelical priorities in the Iowa caucuses the following year to those in 2008 and 2012, when conservative Christian candidates Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee won.

Mr. Brody stated, “I don’t buy it at all the lazy narrative that he’s Hindu so he can’t appeal to evangelicals.”

As political divides have widened, theological boundaries have become increasingly muddled. Few temples split nowadays over old discussions like the specific timing of the final days or the job of through and through freedom in salvation. About portion of American Protestants presently say they like to go to a congregation with individuals who share their political perspectives, as per surveying from Lifeway Exploration.

Mr. Ramaswamy’s accentuation on his faith in one God has a long history for Hindus in the US, particularly those addressing white Christian crowds, said Michael Altman, a teacher of strict examinations at the College of Alabama.

Master Vivekananda, who addressed Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893, went to considerable lengths to portray his confidence as monotheistic, rather than the generalizations of its devotees as “pagan” polytheists. Although the religion has a number of deities, they are typically subordinate to a single supreme “reality.” Its theology, according to many scholars and Hindus, is too complicated to be classified as either entirely monotheistic or entirely polytheistic.

“The polytheism obstacle is the principal thing that must be tended to” for the majority American Christian crowds, Mr. Altman said. He believes that Mr. Ramaswamy’s argument against “wokeism” is a way to dispel myths that Hinduism is synonymous with yoga, hippies, and vegetarianism.

According to evangelical observers, former President Donald J. Trump paved the way for Republican candidates who weren’t necessarily the kind of people voters would expect to sit next to on Sunday mornings at church. Numerous fervent citizens embraced the rough, threefold wedded gambling club financier not on the grounds that he was one of them but since they accepted he would battle in the public square for their benefit.

Most Indian Americans, including Hindus, are leftists. However, a segment of the population that places a high value on family, marriage, and education presents a chance for conservatives. Mr. Trump celebrated Diwali at the White House while serving as president, and the Republican National Committee introduced a brand-new Republican Hindu and Indian American Coalition in April. When he appeared with President Trump in Houston in 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew a crowd of 50,000 people, making him a well-known figure to a growing group of right-wing Indian Americans. Mr. Ramaswamy talked last year at a celebration coordinated by the conservative U.S. bunch HinduPACT, which is lined up with Mr. Modi’s style of patriotism.

Nikki Haley, one more Indian American competitor in the 2024 essential, has also underlined her experience as the girl of foreigners. However, Ms. Haley converted to Christianity and now attends a large Methodist church in South Carolina, despite the fact that she was raised Sikh. Bobby Jindal, a Republican from Louisiana who ran for president in 2016, was born and raised Hindu, but he has said that he is an “evangelical Catholic.”

Mr. Ramaswamy goes to a similar sanctuary in Dayton, Ohio, that he did as a youngster that his folks actually do.

In 2015, he had his wedding in New York City officiated by one of the priests from the temple. His wife, Dr. Apoorva Ramaswamy, stated that he, his wife, and their two young sons attend the temple on holidays and for special occasions, including the younger son’s first birthday in early July.

Dr. Ramaswamy, who has spoken out about the family’s faith on the campaign trail, stated that serious and nominal adherents to the same faith share more similarities than committed believers from different traditions.

Dr. Ramaswamy stated, “The fact that we are believers, that we have that sense of humility, that we raise our children with true respect, fear, and love of God — that is so much more unifying than the name of the God to whom people pray.”

The inquiry for her significant other’s mission is whether enough Christian citizens will concur.

Ken Bosse, the pastor of New Life Church in Raymond, New Hampshire, said that he is “an extreme follower of Jesus Christ” and that, all things considered, he would rather have a Christian in the White House. But because “we have had some professing Christians in that position who didn’t follow biblical principles,” he would be open to the right candidate who is not a Christian.

Mr. Bosse welcomed Mr. Ramaswamy to convey a concise discourse at his congregation on a Sunday morning in April. He enjoyed the competitor’s accentuation on recovering a positive American personality, he expressed, and on his story as an independent tycoon who is the offspring of workers. Right now, in any case, Mr. Bosse is inclining in the direction of supporting Mr. Trump. (Courtesy: The New York Times)

Pope Francis Names 21 New Cardinals, Showing Universality of the Church

Pope Francis on July 9 named 21 new cardinals, including the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Christophe Pierre; American-born Archbishop Robert Prevost, who oversees the appointments of Catholic bishops worldwide; and the new head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández.

The pope made the announcement at the end of his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer from a window in the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s Square. Francis said he would install the new cardinals during a consistory at the Vatican on Sept. 30, saying these new cardinals represent the universality of the global church and the “inseparable link” between the pope and dioceses around the world.

During the past 10 years, Pope Francis has created 121 cardinals from 66 countries, 23 of which had never been represented in the College of Cardinals. His appointments include the first Scandinavian since the Reformation, the first from Goa since an episcopal see was established there in 1533, the first from Latin America’s indigenous peoples, and the first from India’s Dalit class.

As of now, two-thirds of the cardinal electors have been cardinals created by Francis. Francis has shifted membership in the College of Cardinals away from Europe, making it all but certain that the conclave to choose his successor will be the first where Europeans do not account for a majority of electors.

Of the 21 new cardinals, 18 are under the age of 80 and would be eligible to vote in a papal conclave. As of Sept. 30, with the new additions, the total number of eligible cardinal electors will be 137.

Among the new cardinal-designates are three Vatican officials: Prevost, Fernández and Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, 67, an Italian archbishop who in Nov. 22 was appointed as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

Following the 2022 consistory, 83 of the cardinal electors had been appointed by Francis, 38 by Pope Benedict XVI, and 11 by Pope John Paul II.  Each of Francis’ consistories has increased the number of cardinal electors from less than the set limit of 120 to a number higher than 120, as high as 132 in 2022, though never as high as the record 135 set by Pope John Paul II in 2001 and 2003.

As of the conclusion of the 2022 consistory, of the 83 cardinals appointed by Francis who would be eligible to participate as electors in a papal conclave, only 28 (34%) are European. Some 52% of the electors were Europeans at the 2013 conclave that elected Francis, but only 40% are Europeans as of August 2022.

The creation of the new cardinal electors by the 86-year-old Francis will put the total number of cardinal electors well above the limit of 120 set by Pope Paul VI in 1975. Both Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI also exceeded that number at various points during their papacies.

The September ceremony to create new cardinals, being held on the eve of the pope’s highly anticipated Synod of Bishops in October, will be Francis’ ninth consistory for the creation of new cardinals since his election as pontiff in March 2013. He last created new cardinals in August 2022.

Picture : Vatican

Cardinals rank second only to the pope in the Church hierarchy and serve as his closest advisers. Due to their historical power and influence, they are still called the princes of the Church, although Francis has told them not to live like royalty and to be close to the poor.

Three of the new cardinals were recently named as heads of major Vatican departments, including Argentine Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal department.

Another significant appointment was that of Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-Yan of Hong Kong. Chow is one of the major links to the Catholic Church in communist China, where the Vatican is trying to improve conditions for Catholics. The bishop visited Beijing in April.

Another is Archbishop Robert Francis Prevost, an American who was recently named head of the Vatican department that helps the pope choose new bishops, one of the most powerful posts in the Vatican.

In announcing their names, Francis said the appointment of cardinals from across the globe “expresses the universality of the Church that continues to announce the merciful love of God to all men of the Earth.”

Cardinals serve as advisers to the pontiff on matters of teaching and administration, including the Vatican’s scandal-plagued finances. But their most crucial duty is gathering in a secret conclave to elect the next pontiff.

The full list of new cardinal electors:

Archbishop Robert Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops;

Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti; prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches;

Archbishop Víctor Fernández; prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith;

Archbishop Emil Tscherrig, retired apostolic nuncio

Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States;

Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem;

Archbishop Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa

Archbishop  Ángel Sixto, Archbishop of Córdoba, Argentina;

Archbishop Luis José Rueda Aparicio of Bogotá, Colombia;

Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś, Archbishop of Łódź, Poland;

Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, Archbishop of Juba, South Sudan;

Archbishop José  Cobo Cano, Archbishop of Madrid;

Archbishop Protase Rugambwa, coadjutor Archbishop of Tabora, Tanzania;

Bishop Sebastian Francis of Penang, Malaysia;

Bishop Stephen Chow, Bishop of Hong Kong;

Bishop François-Xavier Bustillo, bishop of Ajaccio, France;

Bishop Américo Manuel Alves Aguiar, auxiliary bishop of Lisbon, Portugal;

Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, Superior General of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

4 Indian American Women In 2023 Forbes List

Four Indian Americans featured in Forbes’ annual list of America’s 100 most successful businesswomen. Jayshree Ullal, Neerja Sethi, Neha Narkhede, and Indra Nooyi were named to the list of entrepreneurs, executives, and entertainers with a cumulative wealth of $124 billion.

Jayshree Ullal (62)

CEO and President of computer networking firm Arista Networks, Ullal has been ranked 15th on the list. The ranking is highest among Indian-origin business leaders. Arista Networks, a publicly-traded company, recorded revenue of nearly $4.4 billion in 2022. According to Forbes, Ullal owns about 2.4% of Arista’s stock. She is also on the board of directors of Snowflake, a cloud computing company that went public in September 2020. An electrical engineering graduate from San Francisco State University, she also holds an engineering management degree.

Neerja Sethi (68)

Neerja Sethi has been ranked 25th on the list with a net worth of USD 990 million. Sethi and her husband Bharat Desai, co-founded the the IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel in 1980. The duo started the business with an initial investment of just $2,000. French IT firm Atos SE bought Syntel in 2018 for $3.4 billion, and Sethi got an estimated $510 million for her stake. An MBA graduate from Delhi University completed her Master of Science from Oakland University.

Neha Narkhede (38)

Narkhede, co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer of cloud company Confluent is ranked 50th on the list. Her net worth is USD 520 million. Narkhede is a software engineer-turned-entrepreneur. She helped develop the open-source messaging system Apache Kafka to help LinkedIn’s massive influx of data. In 2014, she along with two LinkedIn colleagues found Confluent, which helps organisations process large amounts of data on Apache Kafka. In March 2023, Narkhede announced her new company, a fraud detection firm Oscilar. As per Forbes, the USD 586 million (2022 revenues) company went public in June 2021 at a USD 9.1 billion valuation; she owns around 6 percent.

Indira Nooyi (67)

Indira Nooyi is PepsiCo’s former chairperson and CEO. She has been ranked 77th on the Forbes 2023 list. She retired in 2019 after being associated with the beverage company for almost 24 years. Nooyi has a net worth of USD 350 million. Her wealth stalks from stock she was granted while working at PepsiCo. Nooyi was one of corporate America’s few female CEOs in 2006.

Half Of Americans Say The Best Age For A U.S. President Is In Their 50s

When asked about the ideal age of a president, around half of Americans (49%) say they prefer someone in their 50s, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Another 24% say it’s best for a president to be in their 60s, while 17% say they should be in their 40s.

Just 3% of Americans say they prefer a president to be in their 70s or older. An equally tiny share (3%) say it’s best for a president to be in their 30s. (The minimum age for a presidential candidate is 35.)

The survey asked Americans about the best age for presidents generally. It did not refer to President Joe Biden – at 80, the oldest president in U.S. history – or former President Donald Trump, who is 77.

Age differences in views of the ideal age for a president

Younger adults are more favorable than older Americans toward presidents being in their 30s and 40s. About half (48%) of adults under the age of 30 say it is ideal for a president to be in their 30s or 40s; only 6% of adults over the age of 50 share this view.

By contrast, older adults prefer a president who is in their 60s or older. For example, 41% of adults in their 50s or older say they prefer a president in their 60s or older. Only 11% of adults in their 30s or younger say the same.

Partisan views of the ideal age for a president

Democrats and Republicans have similar views about the best age range for a president.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are slightly more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners (25% vs. 15%) to prefer presidents in their 30s and 40s, while Republicans are slightly more likely than Democrats to prefer presidents in their 60s or older (32% vs. 24%). However, these minor differences are largely due to the age composition of the parties.

Among Democrats, views on the ideal age range for a president are similar to what they were during the 2020 presidential election cycle. The question was not asked of Republicans in the 2019 survey.

China and US Are Talking. That’s a Good Start

During her visit to China, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen expressed the hope that the United States and China could rekindle a relationship that had been in decline for a number of years and had recently veered off course due to significant points of tension, such as the conflict in Ukraine, a Chinese spy balloon that flew over U.S. territory and was shot down by the American military, and the escalating exchange of trade restrictions between the two countries.

Ms. Yellen stated at a news conference on Sunday that she believed the United States and China were on a steadier footing despite their “significant disagreements” after meeting for ten hours over two days in Beijing. “We accept that the world is large enough for both of our nations to flourish,” Ms. Yellen said.

Ms. Yellen said that the two sides would try to talk to each other more often at the highest levels. She said that better communication would stop mistrust from growing in a relationship that she called “one of the most consequential of our time.” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken made a similar excursion a few weeks earlier. Also, not long from now, John Kerry, the exceptional official emissary for environmental change, will visit China to restart a worldwide temperature alteration talks.

However, a significant decrease in economic tension may not be possible. On Sunday, when Ms. Yellen returned to Washington, she did not make any announcements about any breakthroughs or agreements to close the ever-widening rifts that exist between the two countries. Additionally, Ms. Yellen made it abundantly clear that the Biden administration has serious concerns regarding a number of China’s commercial practices, including the country’s treatment of foreign businesses and policies that the United States regards as attempts at economic coercion.

On her outing, the first by a U.S. Depository secretary in four years, Ms. Yellen met with four of the most remarkable Chinese pioneers engaged with financial policymaking under President Xi Jinping, who is toward the beginning of his third term in office: China’s No. 1 leader, Premier Li Qiang two official Ms. Yellen’s partner, Bad habit Chief He Lifeng; Liu Kun, the minister of finance; what’s more, the recently introduced party head of Individuals’ Bank of China, Skillet Gongsheng.

Xinhua, China’s official news agency, published a report on Ms. Yellen’s visit a few hours before her news conference. The report praised the talks as productive while also reiterating China’s key points of contention. The report communicated China’s proceeded with issues with the Biden organization’s accentuation on saving American public safety through exchange limitations.

According to Xinhua, “China believes that generalizing national security is not conducive to normal trade and economic exchanges.” The Chinese side communicated worry about U.S. sanctions and prohibitive measures against China.”

The U.S.- China relationship is immensely noteworthy. Together, their economies, the two largest in the world, account for 40% of global output and remain important partners in many ways. They sell and purchase basic items from one another, finance each other’s organizations, and make applications and motion pictures for crowds in the two nations.

Chinese authorities raised their own interests with Ms. Yellen. The secretary of the Treasury claimed that they discussed the still-in-place tariffs that the Trump administration imposed on Chinese imports. While Ms. Yellen has reprimanded duties as ineffectual, she proposed that the organization wouldn’t arrive at any conclusion about the tolls until a continuous inside audit of them was closed, emphasizing the place of the organization since President Biden got down to business.

She additionally recognized Chinese worries about approaching U.S. limitations on interest in China and said that she attempted to make sense of that such measures would be barely focused on at specific areas and wouldn’t be planned to comprehensively affect China’s economy. Experts and officials in China are also concerned that the administration’s efforts to restrict China’s access to certain technologies may impede the growth of high-potential industries like quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

Ms. Yellen stated on Sunday’s episode of CBS’s “Face the Nation” that “I explained that President Biden is examining potential controls on outbound investment in certain very narrow high technology areas.” She added that such restrictions “should not be something that will have a significant impact on the investment climate between our two countries.”

Since 2015, China has imposed additional, more stringent restrictions on foreign investment. The country has been encouraging Chinese households and businesses to invest abroad in strategic value sectors like aircraft production, heavy manufacturing, and cybersecurity rather than in overseas real estate speculation.

Wu Xinbo, the senior member of global examinations at Fudan College in Shanghai, forewarned that Ms. Yellen’s outing wouldn’t bring about a meaningful improvement in relations except if it was joined by changes in the Biden organization’s strategies toward China.

“Up to this point, we haven’t seen any sign that Biden will reexamine his financial approach toward China,” he said. Some analysts saw the desire for more dialogue as a significant development, with both nations finally discussing their disagreements after months of silence.

He Weiwen, a previous authority at China’s Service of Trade who is presently a senior individual at the Middle for China and Globalization in Beijing, invited Ms. Yellen’s remark that both China and the US could flourish. ” Because of the profound differences that exist between China and the United States, regular, open exchanges are not only beneficial but of crucial importance, he stated.

The Treasury Department, which has historically valued China as a significant investor in American bonds and as a potential market for American financial services, has a long history of working more closely with Chinese economic policymakers. The Business Division and the Workplace of the US Exchange Agent, with their more noteworthy accentuation on encouraging business and modern independence, have would in general have more peevish associations with their Chinese partners.

This was especially true during the time that Trump was in charge. Before he took over as vice premier four months ago, Liu He was in charge of international economic policy. He made numerous attempts to compromise with Steven Mnuchin, who was the Treasury Secretary under former President Donald J. Trump. In any case, Mr. Mnuchin couldn’t convince Mr. Trump, who wound up monumental levies on a large number of Chinese commodities as reprisal for what he said were unreasonable strategic policies.

Numerous U.S. organizations with binds to China, alongside Chinese authorities, had expected more amicable relations under Mr. Biden. Instead, since the spy balloon incident in February, tensions between the United States and China have only intensified over the past two years.

While Ms. Yellen’s visit was viewed as a positive step, numerous specialists in both China and the US forewarned against anticipating that a ton should change.

According to Mark Sobel, a former longtime Treasury official, “Yellen’s trip will likely turn down the temperature on the economic relationship for a bit and remind the U.S. and China that they share some commercial interests, even if they are waning, and they need to talk through thick and thin — perhaps business conditions will improve at the margins.”

Yet, given public safety worries in the two nations, a discernment in China that the U.S. looks to contain its financial progression and hawkish political language on the two sides, he said, “Yellen’s outing will scarcely adjust the basic dynamic and direction of the monetary relationship.”

Regardless of the conflicts between the U.S. what’s more, China, Ms. Yellen was welcomed energetically during her most memorable visit to Beijing as Depository secretary.

He mentioned that a rainbow had appeared overhead upon her arrival during a meeting with China’s second-highest official, Premier Li Qiang, and suggested that it was a sign of hope that ties between the two countries could be repaired.

After Ms. Yellen was spotted feasting at an eatery that serves food from the territory of Yunnan, Chinese state media expounded on her noteworthy utilization of chopsticks and revealed that appointments at the café were up after she was seen eating mushroom dishes via virtual entertainment.

Ms. Yellen also had lunch with a group of Chinese women who are economists and business owners and met with Chinese experts on climate finance. She recommended that there are numerous regions where the US and China can track down understanding.

Ms. Yellen stated at the lunch that “our people share many things in common — far more than our differences.”

Over 150 US Senators and Representatives Expected at ITServe Alliance’s Capitol Hill Day on July 18th-19th, 2023

(Washington, DC — July 6, 2023) “Following the success of our virtual Capitol Hill events in 2021 and 2022, ITServe Alliance is excited to host its first-ever in-person Capitol Hill Day in Washington, DC on July 18th-19th, 20023,” said Siva Moopanar, Director of ITServe Alliance Policy Advocacy Committee (PAC). “The conference will have participation by over 150 US Representatives and Senators, including influential committee chairs and members, whose decisions impact our businesses.”

Established a year ago, ITServe Connected PAC’s major goal has been to educate lawmakers and the greater community, using digital and traditional methods on the benefits of the H1-B program and eliminate misconceptions by meeting, collaborating, and lobbying with Congressmen and Senators to work together to help write and amend laws that are favorable to our members’ business interests.

ITServe Alliance has been consistently working to protect the needs of its members,” said Sateesh R. Nagilla, Connected PAC Board Chair. To that end, ITServe Alliance has been Lobbying with the Lawmakers on behalf of its members on Capitol Hill and with the US Administration.  Capitol Day will be the perfect way for ITServe Alliance to use its collective voice to communicate with policymakers on the issues that are important to our members.

According to the organizers, a Congressional Reception is planned to be held on July 18th from 5 pm to 7 pm. The daylong event on July 19th from 9 am to 5 pm will feature Capitol Hill Meetings with interactive sessions with US Congressmen and Senators.

A major objective of Capitol Hill Day is to showcase to the lawmakers some of the significant contributions of the ITServe members to the country’s economy through Technology & Innovation, local employment, and STEM education. The event will also address key concerns faced by small businesses, including high-skilled immigration reform.

Stressing the need for and importance of ITServe, Vinay Mahajan, President of ITServe said, “ITServe Alliance’s Capitol Hill Day will serve as a powerful platform in educating policymakers on the issues that are important to our members and the business community, ensuring our needs and views are reflected in policy debates and outcomes.”

ITServe’s vision has been to empower local communities by creating, retaining, and fostering employment opportunities within the United States. Moreover, ITServe is committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and actively contributes to local communities nationwide, particularly in the realm of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education.

Among the several initiatives, ITserve has supported the HIRE ACT Bill (High Skilled Immigration Reform for Employment), introduced in Congress in December 2022. Innovation, STEM education, and avoiding brain drain are the highlights of the Bill. It has advocated to have the STEM graduates with U.S master’s Degrees and/or Ph.D. holders from the H1-B CAP quota removed and make it unlimited to retain the top talent & innovation in the Country.”

Another area, where ITServe has focused is the STEM Program to promote the “American Ingenuity Account” to fund State-administered grants for STEM education and worker training.  Enhancing the current H1-B CAP limits – from   65,000 to 130,000 per year has been a major area where ITServe has placed its efforts in the past years.

Urging ITServe members to be active and work collaboratively in making this important event successful, Vinod Babu Uppu, ITServe Governing Board Chair said, “It’s our collective voice. I call upon every member to be part of this important event, advocate for ITServe, and make our voices heard in the corridors of power. Also, if you have a relationship with a member of Congress or their staff, please enter that information too.  Through your help we will be able to accomplish our goals through grassroots and advocacy.”

Jagadeesh Mosali, President-Elect of ITServe, while summarizing the importance of Capitol Hill Day said, “ITServe Alliance is consistently working to protect its members’ needs. To that end, ITServe Alliance, through its PAC team, is advocating on Capitol Hill and with the Administration.  ITServe Alliance will use its collective voice to communicate with policymakers on important issues to its members.”

ITServe Alliance comprises of small and medium-sized businesses that fulfill the growing demand for highly skilled professionals in America. Its members play a crucial role in developing and maintaining essential IT systems for corporations, governments, and various organizations. For information on ITServe and its many noble initiatives, please visit: www.itserve.org

Indian Christian Day Celebrated in New York

New York: Christians celebrated the Indian Christian Day with prayers and tears in light of the great calamity faced by the Christian community in Manipur. The celebration, which was supposed to be held on July 3, the day of St. Thomas, was held a day earlier at the Cathedral Hall of the Malankara Catholic Church in Elmont, New York. It was a rare gathering of Indian Christians from across denominations, regions, and languages who lived in greater New York. Church Fathers, priests, and dignitaries arrived with blessings and greetings.

Bryan Nerran, who had to spend seven and a half months in prison in India on trumped up charges, and Rev. Mark Mang, a native of Manipur whose cousin died at the hands of the militants and others, pointed to the rapid changes that are taking place as regards curtailing of religious freedom in India. Several choirs from various churches with their Singing made the ceremony more devotional.

Picture : TheUNN

Bishop of Marthoma Church, Isaac Mar Filoxenos Episcopa, who was the chief guest, mentioned the new trends by those in power to rewrite history. He went on to add that they may have political and social reasons to indulge in those efforts; however, the facts will not be erased from history. We should be proud of our history and heritage. The Bishop said, “Suffering and pain have also affected the people of Israel. They cried out while they were in captivity in Babylon. They lamented how we could sing God’s song in a foreign land. We are safe and content here in America. But we cannot accept the pains of our brothers in India. Let us pray for peace to be restored there. Let human rights be restored there. We may belong to different churches. But the important thing is that we stand together. We must stand together in the miseries facing humanity while accepting our differences. We owe it to ourselves to raise our voices. We must also be ready to die for the kingdom of God. As successors of St. Thomas the Apostle, we should be proud. The light of the gospel reached our country in the first century.”

“Saint Thomas is mentioned three times in the Bible. In the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus decides to go to Bethany to comfort the family of Lazarus. But the disciples, knowing that there were people there who could kill him, asked if it was necessary. Once Jesus decided to go, Thomas said we could go and die with him. In the fourteenth chapter, Jesus speaks of himself and his departure. Then Thomas says: ‘We do not know the way you are going. How do we know that?’ To which Jesus replied: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. Those who know me know the Father.’ The third opportunity is to see Jesus after the ascension. Jesus sees Thomas, who says he will not believe unless he sees Jesus face to face and touches the wound in his hand. We always remember Thomas’s response looking at the hands, ‘My Lord and my God.’ We have the tradition of St. Thomas, who always stood firm in his faith. We should never miss it – Bishop exhorted.

Picture :TheUNN

Bishop Mar Joy Allapat of the Syro-Malabar Church pointed out that even in America, there is no certainty of what will happen in the future. “After Manipur, some people said Kerala would be the next target. Christianity arrived in Kerala much before Europe Embraced it. However, today our brothers are facing difficulties back home in India. Historically we have faced persecution. However, Bible speaks about being strengthened in the face of persecution. As the Bible says, we are like sheep in the middle of wolves. Therefore, let us unite and encourage our brothers in Manipur,” the Bishop added.

Picture :TheUNN

Rt. Rev. Dr. C.V Mathew of the Evangelical Church spoke about the Manipur situation and wondered aloud why the Indianness of Christians is being questioned. He implored the authorities to respect the constitution that guarantees the religious freedom of every citizen. He also encouraged the people to unite and support those in harm’s way. Rt. Rev. Johncy Itty of the Episcopal Church applauded the organizers of the Indian Christian Day, pointing out that we would never give up faith because of persecution.

Rev. Mark Mang explained Manipur’s pain. He said he has been in America for eight years, currently serving as a Chaplain. We don’t know what heaven is like. But we think it’s all coming together so as this gathering. His cousin and four others fell victim to the unlicensed gun of the assailants while defending the village. The riot could have been stopped in one day. It didn’t happen. Three hundred fifty-four churches were destroyed, and it continues. It is not even possible to go and bury the dead bodies in the hospital. More than fifty thousand people are refugees in different states. There will be torture and killings, but in the end, God’s glory will be revealed there. Pray for us and bring help. He said that he is thinking of going to Manipur soon.

Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations President Koshy George (Fiacona) pointed out that it has been decided to celebrate St. Thomas’s Day, July 3, as Indian Christian Day everywhere. The day before, the celebration took place in Boston, and on July 3 rd across India as well. Efforts are being made to bring a new understanding that Christianity is two thousand years old in India, and St.Thomas came in A.D. 52 and was martyred on July 3, A.D. 72. There are thousands of denominations among Christians. But we all worship Jesus while believing in the Trinity. He asked if it would be best to set aside all our differences and meet at least for one day.

Guests were given a history of the seven and a half churches founded by St. Thomas and a report on atrocities in India. State Senator John Lou, Sibu Nair of the Asian Outreach Officer in the N.Y. Governor’s Office, Rev. Jacob George, and others spoke.

Rev. Wilson Jose offered the opening prayer, and Fr. John Thomas offered the closing prayer. Rev.N.K. Matthew offered a special prayer for the people in Manipur.

Picture :TheUNN

George Abraham, who expressed a vote of thanks, pointed out that those who are from Kerala do not know much about civil wars. We don’t know the condition of being chased away from home and worried about the future in the corner of some school or abandoned building. He encouraged everyone to help those who are driven into such a situation in Manipur. FIACONA was formed when there was an attack on Christians in Dangs district of Gujarat. When Graham Staines and his children were burnt to death, we condemned such a heinous crime. Unfortunately, only a few people know about this organization. Many people from all spheres of life are working hard with dedication in defense of religious freedom everywhere. Some people have paid a heavy price for their advocacy. John Prabhudoss, the chairman, is currently barred from entering India. There is a fear that the OCI card is being weaponized to silence the critics abroad. He expressed hope that NRIs will be energized to defend human rights and religious freedom here in the U.S. as well as in India.

CSI Jubilee Choir, New York Men’s Voices, IPC Jamaica Choir Rev. Milton James (solo), and Bethlehem Punjabi Church sang.

Koshi George, Dr. Leno Thomas, Mary Phillips, Dr. Anna George, Koshi Thomas, Paul D. Panakkal, George Abraham, Raju Abraham, Matthew P Thomas, Matthew Eapan, Jerin Joe James, Pastor Jacob George, Shaimi Jacob, Koshi Thomas, Rev. Milton G. James (Sr.), George Chacko, John Joseph, Chuck Pillai, Don Thomas, Dr. Cynthia Prabhakar, Rev. Anadhasekhar Manuel, rev. Christer Solomon, Lona Abraham, and others led the way.

Jain Entrepreneurship And Innovation Conference Held In New Jersey

The New York Chapter of Jain International Trade Organization USA (jitousa.org), held a successful innovation and entrepreneurship conference on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at the Jain Center of New Jersey.

More than 400 attendees from 20 states and 4 countries took part in the successful event, organizers said in a press release.

Some 20-plus industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and academic luminaries, explored the intersection of technology, business, and societal impact, sharing their knowledge and experience, and identified areas for socio-economic growth within the Jain community and the shared global community.

Rajeev Pandya, the JITO USA treasurer & New York Chapter chairperson and the organizer of the event discussed the journey of Jains in NY and the US, and how to continue fostering the Jain network.

Other speakers included Jigar Shah, coordinator of the event; keynote speakers Dr. Neeta Jain, founder and president of the International Ahimsa Foundation, and India’s Consul General Randhir Jaiswal who spoke on US-India relations.

The Keynote Speaker was Professor S.P. Kothari, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Other speakers from the organization included JITO APEX President Abhaya Srisrimal Jain, JITO APEX Secretary and Board Member Sanjay Lodha, JITO International Chairman Mahaveer Mehta, JITO USA Chairman Prem Jain, JITO USA President Dr. Sushil Jain, JITO USA Vice President Kamlesh Mehta, JITO USA Secretary Dipak Doshi and JITO USA Treasurer and New York Chapter Chairman Rajeev Pandya.

JITO USA President Dr. Sushil Jain spoke about the organization and its mission and purpose as well as its ambitions for expanding into several new chapters nationally.

Mukesh Chatter, the CEO of NeoNet, delivered an engaging technology keynote, focusing on the digital transformation currently revolutionizing industries worldwide.

The finance keynote, delivered by Rushabh Kapashi, Senior Partner at McKinsey, shed light on the changing landscape of the financial industry, and his personal journey and how Jain values have helped him in his professional career.

Chintu Patel, founder of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, shared his entrepreneurial journey and experience in the Healthcare/Pharma field. He emphasized the importance of ambition and personal conviction in his journey, shared his perspectives on healthcare innovation, research, and accessibility.

The conference also included interactive panel discussions. The technology panel, moderated by Kamlesh Mehta, founder, CTO, and VP of Engineering of nSolutions, focused on emerging trends and the pervasive growth of AI with panelists Prem Jain, CEO of Pensando, Sam S. Jain, founder and executive chairman of Fareportal (CheapOair and OneTravel), Shail Jain, founder of Foresight Ventures, and Yogendra Jain, CTO of Sonde Health.

The finance panel discussion was led by Apurva Shah, CTO of Launch Potato. Panelists were Naveen Shah, founder and CEO of Navika Group of Companies and Blue Sky Hospitality, Robin Shah, founder, partner & CIO of Tenor Capital Management, Anita Bafna, partner at Ernst & Young, and Saahill Desai, founder and director of DS Advisors.

The final panel discussion on healthcare and pharmaceuticals  highlighted the importance of affordability and innovation in the field. Moderator Dipak Doshi, CEO of Protocol Link, guided expert panelists including, Dr. Raj Bhayani MD, ENT and Facial Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Manoj Jain MD, Physician of Infectious Disease, Dr. Shardule Shah, co-founder and CEO of Lime Therapeutics, and Ayush Jain, VP Revolution’s Rise of the Rest.

A workshop focused on educating and motivating aspiring entrepreneurs was led by Yogendra Jain, and many of the industry panellists, as well as Chintan Shah, president of KNB Communications.

The JITO conference had 30+ volunteers and was emcee-ed by Shrija Pandya, Senior Growth and Performance Marketing Manager at AmorePacific US, Akshay Pandya, Growth and Operations Associate at Stay AI, and Vinit Shah, Data Scientist at Spotify.

The event was sponsored by Ami Shah CPA, ASHI Diamonds, Eckuity, International Ahimsa Foundation, Oncospark, Outamation, Sandeep Diamonds, Vertoz, and Yoda Tech.

An Important Skill Successful People Use At Work—And How To Develop It

There aren’t all people who are self-assured, well-organized, or great at solving problems who are happiest at work or who become millionaires before retiring?

According to Juliette Han, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist, a different skill gives successful people a competitive advantage in the workplace: Self-awareness.

Yet, Han, who is likewise an employee at Columbia Business college and a scholastic counsellor at Harvard Clinical School, says many individuals erroneously accept that mindfulness is “tied in with grasping your sentiments and defects.”

She adds that reflecting on your strengths and mapping them to your goals is part of being self-aware. Research recommends that creating mindfulness assists us with being more inventive, pursue sounder choices, convey better and assemble more grounded connections. Han describes it as “the most underrated skill” that successful individuals use to advance in their careers.

To discover your strengths and cultivate greater self-awareness, here are three suggestions:

Consider your skills and interests. What are your strengths? What activities do you enjoy? These are two of the main inquiries you ought to present yourself at work, whether you’re beginning a new position or crashing from burnout, says Han.

“For instance: Do you appreciate driving a group, or investigating information?” she says. ” You may be able to identify repetitive tasks with the assistance of these questions.”

When you have a decent comprehension of your assets and the work liabilities you’d appreciate, you can foster an arrangement to work on your abilities and spotlight on the ventures and errands that invigorate you.

When you meet with your boss or go out for coffee with a coworker, ask them for feedback by asking them these questions: Can you give me a specific instance when I contributed to your work?

Anything their response is will “assist you with gathering something important to you, the effect you have on those you work with and how others view you,” Han makes sense of.

Additionally, these conversations can assist you in determining which skills need improvement. For instance: On the off chance that a collaborator specifies a period your capacity to perform multiple tasks came in grasp on a significant venture, and this isn’t an expertise you use frequently, you should consider rehearsing that ability more.

Han asked her dear companions how they would portray her in three words, and “amusing” sprung up in pretty much every reaction. She understood that her humor not just made her an old buddy, as per her loved ones — it could likewise make help her be a more sympathetic, cordial chief.

Han adds, “Sometimes, you don’t realize your strengths until you see them through the eyes of someone else.”

Put forth objectives and keep tabs on your development

When you know which abilities you need to improve or integrate more into your work, you ought to lay out objectives and keep tabs on your development, which can assist you with remaining inspired and work all the more proficiently.

According to Han, the skill pays off in dividends, but it takes a long time to notice measurable improvements in self-awareness.

Han says, ” It is possible to possess all of the world’s technical skills and charisma, but if you are completely unaware of who you are, how you present yourself, and how you interact with others, it will be much more difficult to cultivate the friendships you need to truly succeed.

Impending Recession Fears, Contradicting Federal Reserve’s Projections

Roger Altman, a market veteran, claims that the United States is headed for a recession that is even more severe than what Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has predicted.

In a meeting with CNBC on Wednesday, the Evercore organizer and senior executive highlighted remarks from the main national broker, who said a downturn wasn’t the most probable likelihood for the US economy.

However, Altman believes that a downturn is the most likely outcome by the end of the year, and that is in contrast to the plethora of economic indicators that point to the contrary.

First, the yield on the 2-year Treasury has surpassed the 10-year yield by more than a full percentage point last week, marking the steepest inversion of the 2-10 Treasury yield curve in over 40 years. When inverted, the yield curve is a well-known indicator of a forthcoming recession.

As the Federal Reserve has aggressively increased interest rates to combat inflation, experts have been warning of increased recession risks for the past year. Due to the fact that the full tightening effect of rate hikes takes months to fully manifest in the economy, rates are currently at their highest range since 2007. This level has the potential to easily overtighten the economy and plunge it into recession.

As long as inflationary pressures continue to be a concern, Fed officials have also hinted that interest rates could rise this year. Markets are at present estimating in a 87% opportunity the Fed will climb rates another 25 premise focuses at its next strategy meeting, a move that would lift the fed supports rate to scope of 5.25-5.50%.

“Monetary policy was raised at the highest rate in 40 or more years. What’s more, once more, taking a gander at history, it would be too early for them to have their full impact now. a half year, different story,” Altman said.

Targeted Dream Incubation Boosts Creativity, MIT Study Finds

The MIT group needed to check whether they could expand that finding into domains all the more usually connected with inventiveness, for example, narrating. They also wanted to find out if they could control what people’s dreams contained and how that controlled content might affect the creative process.

“One of the objectives of our gathering is to give individuals more bits of knowledge into how their mind functions, and furthermore what their mental state is and the way that they might have the option to impact it,” Maes says.

Toward that end, Horowitz worked with a group of individual MIT Media Lab understudies in fostering a gadget called Dormio that could be utilized for designated dream brooding. Changes in muscle tone, heart rate, and skin conductance are three physiological sleep markers that are measured by the glove and sent to an app for a smartphone or laptop.

As somebody wearing the glove enters the N1 express, the application prompts them to dream about a particular point. When the wearer enters the next stage of sleep after a few minutes, the app wakes them up, asks them to describe their dream, and records their response.

According to Esfahany, who is majoring in computation and cognition, a program offered jointly by MIT’s departments of Brain and Cognitive Science and of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, “Before that device, there were no causal studies where people could guide dreams toward certain topics and then look at post-sleep behavior.”

In a 2020 paper, the researchers first demonstrated that they could utilize the Dormio device for targeted dream incubation. In their new review, they utilized this way to deal with investigate how dreaming, and designated dreaming specifically, impacts imagination.

In a 2020 paper, the researchers first demonstrated that they could utilize the Dormio device for targeted dream incubation. They used this strategy to investigate how creativity is influenced by dreaming, and specifically by targeted dreaming, in their new study.

The researchers divided 49 participants into four groups for this study. One group was given 45 minutes to sleep while the Dormio device asked them to dream of a tree and recorded their dreams. The wearer was again prompted to dream about a tree and encouraged to go back to sleep each time a dream was reported.

A different group of people napped while using the device, but they were only told to watch what they were thinking. Throughout the 45-minute period, two additional groups remained awake: The other was instructed to observe their thoughts, while one of these were given prompts to consider trees.

Subjects were asked to complete three tasks that have previously been shown to correlate with creativity after napping or being awake for 45 minutes. First was a narrating task, where the members were approached to compose an innovative story including “tree.”

Human raters who read the stories and were unaware of which participants were in each group determined that study participants who were instructed to dream about trees produced the most inventive stories. In addition, those who took a break without being prompted to do so displayed greater creativity than those who had remained awake throughout the experiment.

Divergent thinking tasks, two additional measures of creativity, gave the highest scores to those who were instructed to have dreams about trees. In one task, participants were required to think of as many inventive uses for a tree as possible. In the second, individuals were presented with a list of nouns and asked to respond with the first verb that came to mind for each one.

At the point when the specialists broke down each of the three errands, members who snoozed with designated dream brooding performed 43% more imaginatively than members who rested without designated dream hatching, and 78 percent more innovatively than the people who remained alert without brooding.

The scientists likewise found that inside the gathering told to dream about trees, the people who had a bigger number of dreams about trees likewise showed greater imagination in their accounts. These individuals additionally consolidated a large part of the substance of their fantasies in their accounts.

“That proof recommends that it’s not simply being in the N1 rest express that makes individuals more imaginative. According to Esfahany, “people are more creative because they are also utilizing the dreams that are occurring in that sleep state.”

Outfitting the psyche

The analysts likewise found that individuals who rested had the best execution on one more measure connected with inventiveness, known as semantic distance. The difference in meaning between two words or concepts is known as semantic distance. Mother and frog, for instance, would be further apart, while father and mother would be closer together.

The researchers found that people who napped produced word combinations with a much greater semantic distance than those who stayed awake in the verb generation and alternative use tasks. This supports the hypothesis that during rest beginning, the mind unites ideas that it probably won’t interface during waking hours.

“In the event that we guide your reasoning during that period, that amazing chance to look for farther separated ideas is additionally directed,” Esfahany says. ” If we direct you to have a dream about a tree, you’ll develop much broader associations with trees, which you can use to come up with creative responses.

The Dormio device is not required for targeted dream incubation, the researchers emphasize; It can be done with any device that can play and record sound, as well as track sleep. Additionally, they have developed a simpler version of their protocol that is accessible online to anyone who wishes to use it and makes use of a timer rather than tracking sleep states.

“That is actually our objective with a ton of this work: to give individuals more devices to figure out how to bridle their own personalities,” Maes says.

The analysts are presently investigating whether they can grow their fantasy brooding convention to later rest stages, like REM. They are also looking into ways to make the protocol easier to use and use it in other areas, like helping to treat distress caused by nightmares.

Professional Certificate on Generative AI as Part of the Skills for Jobs Program Launched

Microsoft has added another kind of preparation and affirmation to the setup takes advantage of the most recent interest and fervor around man-made intelligence. As part of the organization’s Abilities for Occupations program, the new expert declaration on Generative man-made intelligence will be given to anybody who takes the free classes on artificial intelligence and breezes through the expected test.

Accessible through LinkedIn Learning, the Profession Basics in Generative artificial intelligence program offers a free seminar on generative artificial intelligence, an innovation so named in light of the fact that it can create various types of content. This type of computer based intelligence has made a colossal buzz because of such organizations as OpenAI,

Microsoft, and Google sending off their own artificial intelligence chatbots that individuals can use to clarify pressing issues, get data, and make content.

With its recently discovered prominence, artificial intelligence has been saturating more items, administrations, and associations. This shift implies that more laborers should comprehend how to utilize man-made intelligence, an acknowledgment that provoked Microsoft to devise the new testament.

In an article distributed on LinkedIn, Kate Behncken, Corporate VP for Microsoft Philanthropies, called the drive the principal proficient declaration on generative computer based intelligence. Through the five classes, individuals will begin by learning the essential ideas of artificial intelligence and afterward advance into man-made intelligence structures. Passing the appraisal then qualifies somebody for the Vocation Fundamentals testament.

The course incorporates the accompanying individual meetings:

What Is Generative man-made intelligence? – Find out about the nuts and bolts of generative computer based intelligence, including its set of experiences, famous models, how it works, moral ramifications, and substantially more.

Generative simulated intelligence: The Development of Smart Web-based Search – Investigate the qualifications between web crawlers and thinking motors, with an emphasis on learning insightful pursuit procedures in the realm of generative artificial intelligence.

Smoothing out Your Work with Microsoft Bing Visit – Figure out how to use Microsoft Bing Talk to smooth out and mechanize your work.

Morals in the Time of Generative man-made intelligence – Realize the reason why moral contemplations are a basic piece of the generative man-made intelligence creation and organization process and investigate ways of tending to these moral difficulties.

Prologue to Man-made reasoning – Get an improved on outline of the top devices in computerized reasoning.

Presently presented in English, the endorsement will be accessible in Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Worked on Chinese, and Japanese before very long. Following Microsoft’s six other Vocation Basics Proficient Authentications in the Abilities for Occupations program, the man-made intelligence classes will be opened and free through 2025.

Past the testament driven preparing in artificial intelligence, Behncken said that Microsoft will start off a tool stash for educators and coaches who give preparing to various individuals and networks. The tool stash will contain downloadable substance for mentors on the viable purposes of artificial intelligence along with a man-made intelligence course intended for teachers.

Besides, Microsoft is sending off several difficulties pointed toward encouraging learning in computer-based intelligence.

Beginning July 17, its Acquire simulated intelligence Abilities challenge is intended to show individuals man-made intelligence abilities utilizing Microsoft items. The organization will likewise collaborate with GitHub and data.org on a Generative computer based intelligence Abilities Award challenge, an open award program designed for not-for-profit associations, social undertakings, and instructive or research foundations zeroed in on executing artificial intelligence for generally underestimated populaces all over the planet.

In view of a study for Microsoft’s new Work Pattern List, 62% of the respondents said that they invest a lot of energy looking for data in a regular business day. Furthermore, however close to half said they’re stressed regarding simulated intelligence possibly supplanting their positions, 70% said that they would offload however much work as could reasonably be expected to simulated intelligence to facilitate their jobs.

Biden Announces New Plans for Student Loan Forgiveness Under the Higher Education Act

President Biden on Friday reported new activities to offer understudy loan borrowers some pardoning, once again introducing his absolution plan grounded in the Advanced education Act (HEA).

For years, prominent Democrats and advocates for student loans have advocated for using the HEA to alleviate student debt. Proponents of the HEA argue that it grants the education secretary the authority to “compromise, waive, or release” student loans. Before this route can take effect, there will be a period of public comment and notice.

In remarks delivered at the White House on Friday afternoon, he stated, “We need to find a new way, and we’re moving as quickly as we can.”

The organization had tied the understudy obligation alleviation plan — struck somewhere around the High Court — to the public crisis laid out during the Coronavirus general wellbeing emergency, refering to the Advanced education Help Open doors for Understudies (Legends) Act. In the majority opinion that the court issued on Friday morning, Chief Justice John Roberts stated that the HEROES Act does not grant the authority.

Biden said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has taken steps to start the rulemaking process, but he didn’t say who would qualify or how much debt relief borrowers would get under his new plan to use the HEA.

Friday marked the beginning of the “negotiated rulemaking” procedure, with the department sending out a notice. The main formal review with regards to this issue will happen July 18 to get input from partners. Although the administration stated that it would make every effort to move “as quickly as possible,” the procedure may proceed smoothly until the end of 2023.

“This understudy obligation help isn’t being carried out consequently. This is a disaster. Debt Collective’s press secretary, Braxton Brewington, stated in response to the announcement, “This will be a bureaucratic nightmare.”

In addition, the president said that the administration will start an “on-ramp” repayment program for borrowers who might miss payments when payments start again this fall. The Education Department will not refer borrowers who miss payments to collection agencies or credit bureaus for a year, so there would be no risk of default or harm to credit ratings.

“In the event that you can take care of your month to month bills you ought to, however in the event that you can’t, assuming you miss installments, this entrance briefly eliminates the danger of default or having your credit hurt,” Biden said.

Understudy obligation installments have been stopped since the pandemic, yet in an arrangement with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to get an obligation roof understanding, Biden permanently set up the resumption of reimbursements starting in October. At the beginning of September, interest will begin to accrue once more.

More than 40 million borrowers were prevented from receiving loan forgiveness as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday, which marked a significant setback for one of the president’s most important campaign promises. Biden’s options for keeping that promise are limited by the decision.

If an individual’s income was less than $125,000, the program, which was announced in August, would have canceled up to $20,000 in loans for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for other borrowers.

Not long after the High Court struck down the president’s understudy loan pardoning plan, the White House said it was ready and that Biden had another activity to carry out.

The White House has been avoiding discussing its “Plan B” for months as student debt relief has been held up in court, prompting this announcement.

Netflix’s “Scoop” Sheds Light on Wrongful Arrest of Journalist in High-Profile Murder Case

The country was astonished by the sensational murder of India’s most famous crime reporter in June 2011 and the subsequent arrest of a female crime reporter on suspicion of involvement in the crime.

Jyotirmoy Dey, prominently known as J Dey, was shot dead in Mumbai by men on bikes on orders from perhaps of India’s most famous criminal, Chhota Rajan – he was sentenced in 2018 and is carrying out a day to day existence punishment for the killing.

However, newspaper journalist Jigna Vora became entangled in the commotion and was falsely accused of being involved in the murder.

Before being granted bail, she was held in Byculla jail for more than nine months. Ms. Vora, a single mother of a 10-year-old boy, was found not guilty in 2018 because the police didn’t have any evidence against her.

This account of a writer’s homicide – and of another’s illegitimate imprisonment – is the subject of Scoop, another web series on Netflix that is wowing pundits and watchers the same.

In light of Ms. Vora’s 2019 journal – Behind The Bars In Byculla: The gripping tale of a real-life crime, Mumbai’s mafia, and the role of the press and police in it is My Days in Prison – Scoop. Ms. Vora states that “the series makers have exercised cinematic leverage” despite the fact that many of the real-life incidents have been recreated.

As Ms Vora’s screen symbol Jagruti Pathak, who lives by pursuing scoops that would get her a byline on the first page, winds up in a jail cell with those she once covered, she likewise starts to ponder her life and needs.

Ms Vora let the BBC know that she’s satisfied with the manner in which the series has ended up yet it was hard to watch it.

“It was like going back to the entire trauma. It was hard to see on screen what I went through, the embarrassment and character death I confronted. Yet, I’m glad that the series got made on the grounds that individuals expected to see reality that I was not blameworthy.

A couple of months after J Dey’s homicide, bits of hearsay began whirling around that a female wrongdoing correspondent was engaged with the homicide. Police sources were cited in some of the media reports.

“We were likewise pondering who it very well may be? “I told her that I had no idea that it could be me.

She claims that when a report naming her appeared in a newspaper at the end of October, her initial reaction was shock. She then became aware that her arrest was imminent, and on November 25, she was apprehended.

“It was a very difficult time for me; I was afraid and even considered suicide, but my family motivated me to fight. They let me know that on the off chance that I committed suicide, individuals would feel that I was liable. I had to fight if I wanted to clear my name.”

Ms. Vora claims that the murder of J. Dey changed her life forever. The police said she was associated with the hidden world and had helped the killers by giving them data about J Dey. She was accused in accordance with the severe Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (Mcoca), a law that, in serious cases, carries the death penalty.

Some in the Mumbai press pursued her, with a significant number of her previous partners enjoying a vicarious her ruin. She was called a gangster’s mistress and a murderer. They conveyed unconfirmed stories, frequently credited to “sources in the police”, and censured her for being “excessively aggressive”.

She tells me, “I think there’s nothing wrong with being ambitious.” However, in my case, it was used to make me look bad.”

According to Ms. Vohra, “when female colleagues and editors made disparaging remarks about me, saying that I was sleeping around with people to get stories, but I had no-one to tell my side of the story” was the part of the experience that caused the most distress.

The show shows the circus that is the media as reporters harass her family, including her son. The child appears perplexed and terrified as television cameras ask him about his mother’s alleged crimes.

Ms. Vora asserts that her time in prison was “a very difficult phase of life, I think it would have been for anyone in my position.” She adds, however, that the inmates at the prison tried to cheer her up and were very helpful.

“The jail authorities additionally treated me well, they’d advise me advising me to require every day as it comes and that all that will be okay.”

Ms. Vora, who was found not guilty of any charges by both the trial court and the high court, claims that she “no idea who fixed me.”

“The only thing I am aware of is that it took place, and I accept it as my karma.” Presently regardless of whether I figure out who fixed me, could I have the option to transform anything?” She demands.

She claims that she did a lot of soul searching while she was in jail, and after she was granted bail, she “started the process of healing myself.”

“I began pondering and once out, I visited bunches of sanctuaries and all that assisted me with acquiring my internal strength. I was dependably a devotee, and presently my confidence in God expanded.”

Scoop has remained one of India’s most popular shows ever since it was released on Netflix at the beginning of June. Even now, just a few weeks after its release, it still ranks second out of the top 10 shows. It has likewise wowed pundits who have depicted it as “a holding story of the media” and “a should look for all columnists”.

Movie producer Hansal Mehta who coordinated Scoop says he had followed Ms Vora’s case in 2011.

“Yet, similar to all titles, her story was supplanted by another title. She and her family endured the trauma of being labeled without judicial process, even though it was contained within the pages,” he told The Times of India.

“The potential to engage with the audiences on a story that is both a cautionary tale and an important chronicle of our times,” he says when he read Ms. Vora’s book in 2020.

“I knew that he would be able to do justice to my story,” Ms. Vora says when she learned that Mr. Mehta would be the director. However, she claims that she was not prepared for this response.

“On social media, people are sending me love and respect, telling me that this series has helped them see the truth, and many are saying that I’m very strong – but what choice did I have?” She demands.

Ms. Vora, a tenacious reporter, had made a name for herself in the field of crime reporting in just a few years, but she never went back to the profession after serving time in jail. She now works as a life coach and astrologer, earning her living as a healer.

She is uneasy about the media trials she endured more than a decade ago, as well as the ones that take place every night in television studios and result in the destruction of reputations through speculative and unsubstantiated allegations.

According to her story, she, ought to act as an illustration for the press to be cautious on the grounds that their revealing can obliterate lives.

“The press is referred to as the “fourth estate” because of their immense power and the power to transform lives. I hope they will change their ways now that they know how serious their work is.

IIT Bombay Among Top 150 In QS World Ranking

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai has achieved its highest-ever ranking, entering the top 150 universities worldwide in the latest QS World University Ranking. This achievement is significant as it is the first time in eight years that an Indian higher education institution has made it into the top 150, with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore being the last to do so in 2016, ranked at 147.

In this year’s rankings, IIT Bombay has made an impressive leap, climbing 23 positions to secure the 149th rank globally. However, there have been notable fluctuations in the list, including a drop of 70 positions for IISc, which now stands as the third-highest ranked Indian institution. Similarly, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Madras have also experienced declines in their rankings.

The UK-based ranking agency, QS Quacquarelli Symonds, has attributed these fluctuations partly to a revision of the assessment parameters. Three new indicators were introduced, namely sustainability, employment outcomes, and international research network, each accounting for 5% of the ranking criteria. To accommodate these new indicators, QS made adjustments to the importance given to other parameters. The weightage of academic reputation was reduced from 40% to 30%, faculty-student ratio decreased from 15% to 10%, and employer reputation increased from 10% to 15%.

The reduced emphasis on faculty-student ratio has adversely affected institutions like IISc, which has a research-focused approach with a lower teaching load compared to the IITs. IISc’s ranking has been impacted due to the decreased weightage, although QS clarifies that other factors also contributed to the fall in rankings, such as drops in indicators related to global engagement, citations per faculty, and employer reputation.

IIT Bombay, on the other hand, has demonstrated excellence in employment reputation and citation per faculty. Notably, there has been a remarkable improvement in citation per faculty, with a rise from 55.1 to 73.1. Over the past five years, IIT Bombay has enhanced its employer reputation ranking and citations per faculty rank. The institute’s research productivity received a boost during the pandemic lockdown, resulting in numerous research papers published in high-impact journals, which contributed to the improved ranking.

Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director of IIT Bombay, highlights the institute’s impressive research output, with a substantial number of academic papers and citations. The research quality is evident, with 30% of the output published in the top 10% of academic journals by impact, surpassing the global average and outperforming Indian institutions. However, the institute still needs to show progress in internationalization metrics.

Chaudhari also emphasizes the institute’s success in the employment reputation parameter, surpassing the scores of international universities. This achievement reflects IIT Bombay’s mission to produce highly skilled professionals who are now leading in global companies.

India has demonstrated a strong presence in the global university rankings this year, with 45 universities being ranked. This places India as the seventh most represented country worldwide and the third in Asia, trailing only Japan with 52 universities and China (Mainland) with 71 universities. Additionally, two Indian universities, the University of Delhi (ranked 407th) and Anna University (ranked 427th), have made their debut in the top 500 universities globally. Furthermore, four new Indian universities, namely the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Chitkara University, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, and the Indian Statistical Institute, have secured rankings this year.

In terms of the overall rankings, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US has claimed the top spot for the twelfth consecutive year, followed closely by the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford from the UK. Notably, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has made significant progress, moving up three positions from last year’s 11th rank to become the first Asian university to break into the top 10.

Australia has also witnessed notable advancements in its universities, with three institutions entering the top 20. The University of Melbourne, achieving a ranking of 14th (a first for any Australian institution), has advanced by 19 positions. Additionally, the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney have both improved their rankings, moving up by 26 and 22 places, respectively, and now sharing the 19th position.

US Announces Pilot Program For In-Country H-1B Visa Renewal

The United States’ latest initiative to launch in-country renewable H-1B visas marks a significant milestone in permitting seamless movement of Indian IT professionals to client locations. This strategic approach not only improves their ability to understand client requirements, but it also develops deeper relationships and ensures the delivery of tuned solutions.

This development, which works by encouraging direct participation, has the potential to improve client satisfaction, create repeat business, and, eventually, raise IT exports. As the US is India’s primary market for IT exports, this decision is expected to have a significant beneficial influence on its IT services export business.

Expanded In-Country Renewable H-1B Visas

The US Department of State recently revealed its plan to launch a pilot program for domestic renewals of select petition-based temporary work visas, including those for Indian nationals. Set to commence later this year, this initiative aims to facilitate the streamlined renewal process for H1B and L visa holders, with plans for further expansion in 2024. Eventually, the program will encompass additional eligible categories, amplifying its scope and impact.

The decision to allow in-country renewable H-1B visas is expected to yield several far-reaching benefits. Firstly, it enables the timely completion of projects while ensuring high-quality outcomes, surpassing client expectations in the process.

The highly sought-after H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that empowers US companies to hire foreign workers in specialized occupations necessitating theoretical or technical expertise. Renowned technology companies heavily rely on this visa category to recruit tens of thousands of skilled professionals annually from countries like India and China. Typically, H-1B visas are issued for a duration of three years.

If you have an H-1B visa and it gets renewed, you’ll need to get your passport stamped with the new dates. This is important if you want to travel outside the US and come back in. Right now, you can’t get your visa stamped while you’re in the US. You can only do that at a US consulate.

By implementing in-country renewable H-1B visas, the United States has opened doors to greater collaboration and efficiency, benefiting both Indian IT professionals and the clients they serve. This progressive approach strengthens partnerships, fuels export growth, and propels India’s IT services industry towards unparalleled success on a global scale.

Planning a trip to India from USA? Look no further! Book your international flight tickets with Indian Eagle and get ready for an affordable and unforgettable journey.

US Ambassador Garcetti Announces Significant Reduction in Wait Times for Tourist Visa Interviews in India

The wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews in the United States has been reduced by over 50%, United States Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said last week. He further emphasized that the goal for 2023 is to process at least one million visas and highlighted the improved speed of visa processing in India.

United States Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, revealed that the wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews in the United States has been reduced by over 50%. Speaking at IIT Delhi, Garcetti highlighted the goal of processing at least one million visas in 2023, expressing confidence that they are already more than halfway towards reaching that target. He emphasized the efforts to streamline the visa process, including reducing the need for in-person interviews and opening new consulates, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Indian professionals can renew their work visas without traveling abroad.

Addressing the audience at IIT Delhi, Garcetti said, “We’re already doing this. We’re currently processing more visas, faster, than the US Mission in India ever has before. We have set a goal for ourselves to process at least a million visas in 2023, and we’re already more than halfway towards reaching that goal.” “Our investments have brought real results, and we’ve seen wait times for first-time tourist visa interviews fall by more than 50 per cent,” he added.

Garcetti stressed the importance of expanding visa operations and increasing staff to remove barriers for qualified travelers experiencing the United States

“We’ll find innovative solutions to streamline the visa process, such as reducing the need for in-person interviews, which allows consular teams around the world to assist in processing visas for the growing number of Indian travellers,” the envoy said.

India and US are doing every bit of effort to make the visa process smooth and in that process, recently, during his interaction with the Indian community in the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Indian professionals can renew their work visas without travelling abroad.

“America’s new consulates will be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. It has now been decided that the H1B visa renewal can be done in the US itself,” PM Modi said while addressing the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington DC.

India is going to open a new consulate in Seattle this year. Apart from this, Indian Consulates will be opened in 2 more cities in America. “Together we are not just forming policies and agreements, we are shaping lives, dreams and destinies,” said PM Modi.

Rep. Shri Thanedar Co-Sponsors Bill To Eliminate Visa Backlogs, Advocates For Merit-Based Immigration

Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has announced his co-sponsorship of the to address the long-standing Green Card backlog and create a merit-based immigration system. The bill, introduced by Congressman Larry Bucshon and Raja Krishnamoorthi, seeks to recapture unused employment-based Green Cards and exempt them from per-country caps. With an estimated 1.6 million individuals in the employment-based Green Card backlog, the bill aims to alleviate hardships for skilled workers, including many Indians, while meeting the demand for immigrants in American businesses.

“Proud to co-sponsor the H.R. 1535 Eliminating Backlogs Act of 2023, bipartisan legislation which increases employment-based immigration visas. Immigration needs to be merit-based, not dictated by arbitrary caps,” Thanedar tweeted on Thursday.

The Congressman had earlier said that the long Green Card backlog is creating hardships for skilled workers, including Indians, at a time when American businesses need more immigrants.

According to estimates, there are only six available workers for every 10 job openings in the US.

The bill, introduced by Congressmen Larry Bucshon and Raja Krishnamoorthi on March 10, would recapture the unused employment-based Green Cards accumulated over the past three decades, going back to 1992 when the current Green Card allotment system took effect.

Unused Green Cards are the ones left unissued due to bureaucratic delays and slow USCIS processing.

In addition, the bill would exempt these recaptured Green Cards from the 7 per cent per-country cap.

As a consequence of numerical limits, per-country caps, and administrative delays, the employment-based Green Card backlog reached 1.6 million by the end of Fiscal Year 2022, according to National Immigration Forum.

The US sets aside 140,000 employment-based green cards for skilled, unskilled, and professional workers from all around the world every year.

In addition to the numerical limit, Congress has put a limit on the maximum number of Green Cards that can be allocated to nationals of a particular country.

As per the existing federal law, individuals from any one country cannot be issued more than 7 per cent of the total number of Green Cards each year.

The existence of these per-country caps means that individuals from countries with high numbers of Green Card applicants, such as India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines, face backlogs lasting years or even decades.

Girish Panicker Receives International Conservation Research Award

Girish Panicker was recognized for his outstanding contribution in conservation research. The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) awarded Indian American researcher Dr Girish Panicker, the 2023 International Conservation Research Award for his outstanding achievements in conservation research.

Panicker currently serves as the director of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Research Program and a professor at the Alcorn State University in Mississippi. According a statement, his research on C-factor (Cover and Management) technology is used by graduate students and environmentalists to stop soil erosion and deal with climate change issues.

According to Alcorn University, the Kerala-born professor has experimented with blueberries to prevent lung cancer and coronary heart disease. He also has collaborated with the U.S. government impacting organic fertilizers, studied and produced muscadines with research designed to move toward eliminating breast cancer, and researched cover crops producing information for erosion prediction, nutrient management, and climate change.

Panicker’s efforts have gained him numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Pride of India Award and the 2020 Organic Achievement Award from the American Society of Agronomy, and others.

“This is a great recognition for me and Alcorn State,” Panicker said. “I was so blessed that I got the job here. Dr Bristow sent me to work on my PhD, and I came back to Alcorn because I knew that this project of conserving soil and water could help around the globe. Our research goes to so many countries around the world.”

The SWCS, a preeminent nonprofit scientific and educational organisation, honoured Panicker for his great contributions to conservation research. The SWCS promotes conservation professionals and science-based practices, programmes, and policies.

Shekhar Kapur, Mary Kom And Others Recognised At UK-India Awards

Sporting legend and India’s first-ever Olympic medallist in women’s boxing, Mary Kom, has been honored with the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the annual U.K.-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England.

Sporting legend and India’s first-ever Olympic medallist in women’s boxing, Mary Kom, has been honoured with the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the annual U.K.-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England.

The 40-year-old former Rajya Sabha member spoke of her 20-year journey of hard work and devoting her life to boxing as she accepted the award from Indian High Commissioner to the U.K. Vikram Doraiswami at a gala ceremony on June 29 night.

Picture : TheUNN

“I have been fighting for 20 years, putting in so much effort, hard work in my life, in boxing, it means a lot[…] making sacrifice for my country, for my family. I really thank from the bottom of my heart for this recognition,” she said.

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, behind Oscar-nominated ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’ received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the field of cinema across both nations at the awards, organised by IGF (India Global Forum) as part of U.K.-India Week.

The Nehru Centre in London, the cultural wing of the Indian High Commission, won the U.K.-India Award for Significant Contribution to U.K.-India relations.

“This is one of the most exciting times to be an Indian in the last many centuries, and India’s growing economy has made many others, including many Westerners, think differently about India. But India’s culture will actually make many others, including many Westerners, think differently period. And it’s our privilege at the Nehru Centre to contribute to the growth and to the popularisation of Indian culture in the West,” said author Amish Tripathi, Director of the Nehru Centre.

The awards, now in their fifth year, recognise outstanding contributions of leaders in business, professional services, government, culture and social impact, highlighting their remarkable achievements in strengthening bilateral ties.

“These awards are not just about recognising achievements of some outstanding contributors to the U.K.-India corridor, but also about celebrating the power of collaboration and the limitless potential that lies within our partnership,” said IGF founder and chairman Manoj Ladwa.

Spanning across several categories, the U.K.-India Award for Business Promotion Organisation of the Year was conferred upon the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) U.K.

Among the other awards were Market Entrant of the Year for startup investment platform CrowdInvest, Consultancy of the Year for SannamS4, Legal Practice of the Year for Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Financial Services Organisation of the Year for ICICI Bank U.K. PLC. While Mphasis bagged the Technology Company of the Year, Action Aid U.K. was named as the Social Impact Project of the Year.

The awards were selected from a shortlist by a jury of industry experts and marked the penultimate event of the six-day U.K.-India Week, which included a special reception hosted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street during which he committed to working towards a “truly ambitious” FTA (Free Trade Agreements) with India.

“It’s not just U.K.-India Week, but a whole Indian summer[…] over the next few weeks the eyes of the world will be on India. There’s the G20 in New Delhi, I can’t wait to be there,” Mr.Sunak said, indicating plans for a visit for the world leader’s summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September.

India Urges Quick UNSC Reforms

The UN General Assembly passed a draft oral decision to continue the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform at the 78th session

India has expressed its disappointment in the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) decision to roll over the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reform to its next session. Terming it as‘yet another wasted opportunity’, India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said the process could well go on for another 75 years without achieving genuine progress.

Concluding Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) for the current 77th session, The UN General Assembly passed a draft oral decision to continue the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform at the 78th session, that will commence in September 2023, an official release stated.

Picture : TheUNN

Kamboj emphasized that the roll-over decision of the IGN simply cannot be reduced to a mindless technical exercise. Highlighting development over the UN Security Council reforms, the Indian envoy added, “Even with these so-called changes, there has been no breakthrough whatsoever that may be described as progress. This state of affairs is clearly in the interest of those who seek a status quo, to keep this process frozen in repetitive cycles.”

The Ambassador maintained that as a responsible and constructive member of the United Nations, India will continue to engage in the process alongside reform-minded partners, and make continued efforts to move from repetitive speeches to text-based negotiations.

In her address, Kamboj praised the proactive and consultative approach demonstrated by the UNGA Co-Chairs on its functioning. She concluded, “However, for those of us who truly wish to fulfill our leaders’ commitment towards an early and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, looking beyond the IGN looks increasingly to us as the only viable pathway to a future UN Security Council that would better reflect the world of today.”

Coffee Is More Than Just Caffeine

For some individuals, the day doesn’t begin until their espresso cup is vacant. People drink coffee to wake themselves up and get more done because it is thought to make you feel more alert. Portuguese researchers concentrated on espresso consumers to comprehend whether that attentiveness impact is subject to the properties of caffeine, or whether it’s about the experience of drinking espresso.

“There is a typical assumption that espresso increments readiness and psychomotor working,” said Prof Nuno Sousa of the College of Minho, comparing writer of the concentrate in Wildernesses in Conduct Neuroscience and Field Boss Proofreader of the diary. ” It is possible to investigate the factors that may influence a biological phenomenon and even the potential benefits of that mechanism when you gain a deeper comprehension of the mechanisms that underlie it.

A kickstart with caffeine The researchers sought out individuals who consumed at least one cup of coffee per day and instructed them to avoid caffeine-containing foods and beverages for at least three hours prior to the study. They talked with the members to gather sociodemographic information, and afterward did two brief practical X-ray checks: one preceding and one 30 minutes after either taking caffeine or drinking a normalized mug of espresso. During the useful X-ray checks, the members were approached to unwind and allow their brains to meander.

In light of the realized neurochemical impacts of drinking espresso, the researchers expected that the utilitarian X-ray sweeps would show that individuals who drank espresso had higher joining of organizations that are connected to the prefrontal cortex, related with chief memory, and the default mode organization, associated with thoughtfulness and self-reflection processes. They found that the availability of the default mode network was diminished both subsequent to drinking espresso and in the wake of taking caffeine, which demonstrates that polishing off one or the other caffeine or espresso made individuals more ready to move from laying to chipping away at assignments.

However, coffee consumption also increased connectivity in the right executive control network and the higher visual network, which are brain regions involved in working memory, cognitive control, and goal-directed behavior. Waking up on the right side of the bed This didn’t occur when members just took caffeine. At the end of the day, if you need to feel ready as well as all set, caffeine alone will not do – you really want to encounter some espresso.

“Intense espresso utilization diminished the utilitarian availability between cerebrum locales of the default mode organization, an organization that is related with self-referential cycles when members are very still,” said Dr. Maria Picó-Pérez of Jaume I College, first creator. ” After drinking coffee, functional connectivity between the somatosensory/motor networks and the prefrontal cortex also decreased, whereas connectivity between regions of the higher visual and the right executive control network increased. Simply put, after drinking coffee, the subjects were more alert to external stimuli and ready to act.

“Considering that a portion of the impacts that we found were replicated by caffeine, we could expect other jazzed beverages to share a portion of the impacts,” added Picó-Pérez. ” Notwithstanding, others were explicit for espresso drinking, driven by variables like the specific smell and taste of the beverage, or the mental assumption related with polishing off that beverage.”

The creators brought up that it is conceivable that the experience of drinking espresso without caffeine could cause these advantages: this study couldn’t separate the impacts of the experience alone from the experience joined with the caffeine. This study did not test the hypothesis that the benefits claimed by coffee drinkers could be due to the alleviation of withdrawal symptoms.

“The progressions in network were contemplated during a resting-state grouping. The common function assigned to the regions and networks found is used to interpret any association with psychological and cognitive processes, but it was not directly tested,” Sousa warned. Additionally, it would be interesting to investigate individual differences in caffeine metabolism among participants in the future.

Loneliness Rewires the Brain

When Leo Tolstoy, a Russian philosopher, wrote the opening line of Anna Karenina, he might have been right. Blissful families are indistinguishable; each troubled family is miserable in its own specific manner.”

A new report distributed in Mental Science and drove by a researcher now at the USC Dornsife School of Letters, Expressions and Sciences, recommends that with regards to their cerebrums handling data, individuals who are not forlorn are similar, yet every desolate individual cycles the world in their own, peculiar way.

Overflowing examination shows that forlornness is inconvenient to prosperity and is many times joined by self-announced sensations of not being perceived by others. A new report from the US Top health spokesperson’s office alluded to depression as a general wellbeing emergency in response to the developing number of grown-ups experiencing this condition. Indeed, even before the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, around half of U.S. grown-ups revealed encountering quantifiable degrees of depression.

Forlornness is peculiar

While she was a postdoctoral individual at UCLA, Elisa Baek, partner teacher of brain research at USC Dornsife, looked to all the more likely comprehend what adds to such sensations of separation and being misconstrued. Baek and her group utilized a neuroimaging procedure called practical attractive reverberation imaging (fMRI) to look at the cerebrums of 66 first-year understudies while they watched a progression of video cuts. The videos covered a wide range of topics, from melodramatic music videos to party scenes and sporting events, giving researchers a wide range of scenarios to examine.

The UCLA Loneliness Scale, a survey that measures a person’s subjective feelings of loneliness and feelings of social isolation, was given to the participants, whose ages ranged from 18 to 21, prior to being scanned.

In view of the review results, the analysts isolated the members into two gatherings: desolate and “nonlonely” (those not encountering depression). After that, they used fMRI to scan each participant’s brain as they watched the videos.

Contrasting the cerebrum imaging information between the two gatherings, the analysts found that lonelier people displayed more different and eccentric mind handling designs than their non-desolate partners.

This finding is critical in light of the fact that it uncovers that brain comparability, which alludes to how comparable the mind movement examples of various people are, is connected to a common perspective of the world. This common perspective is significant for laying out friendly associations. Individuals who experience the ill effects of depression are not just less like society’s standard of handling the world, yet each desolate individual varies in novel ways, also. The feelings of loneliness and a lack of social connections may be exacerbated by this individuality.

Baek said, “It was amazing for observe that desolate individuals were even less like one another.” The way that they don’t track down shared trait with desolate or nonlonely individuals makes accomplishing social association considerably more challenging for them.

Dejection isn’t tied in with having or not having companions

All in all, does peculiar handling in forlorn people cause dejection, or is it a consequence of depression?

The specialists saw that people with elevated degrees of depression – ; regardless of the number of social connections or friends they had -; were bound to have eccentric cerebrum reactions. This raised the likelihood that being encircled by individuals who see the world uniquely in contrast to oneself might be a gamble factor for depression, regardless of whether one mingles routinely with them.

The study also suggests that a person’s idiosyncratic way of processing the world may be influenced by the degree to which social connections or disconnections change over time.

Looking forward, Baek said she is keen on analyzing individuals who have companions and are socially dynamic yet at the same time feel forlorn. In addition, the researchers are examining how lonely people react to specific situations in different ways. For instance, do desolate individuals show mannerisms while handling unforeseen occasions or questionable social settings in which things can be deciphered in an unexpected way?

July 3rd Was The Hottest Day Globally Ever Recorded

Monday, July 3, was the hottest day ever recorded globally, according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction.

The average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit), surpassing the August 2016 record of 16.92C (62.46F) as heatwaves sizzled around the world.

The southern U.S. has been suffering under an intense heat dome in recent weeks. In China, an enduring heatwave continued, with temperatures above 35C (95F). North Africa has seen temperatures near 50C (122F).

And even Antarctica, currently in its winter, registered anomalously high temperatures. Ukraine’s Vernadsky Research Base in the white continent’s Argentine Islands recently broke its July temperature record with 8.7C (47.6F).

“This is not a milestone we should be celebrating,” said climate scientist Friederike Otto of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Britain’s Imperial College London.

“It’s a death sentence for people and ecosystems.”

Scientists said climate change, combined with an emerging El Nino pattern, were to blame.

“Unfortunately, it promises to only be the first in a series of new records set this year as increasing emissions of [carbon dioxide] and greenhouse gases coupled with a growing El Nino event push temperatures to new highs,” said Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, in a statement.

Indian community in New York calls for action in Manipur

A resolution condemning violence was passed at the event which noted that the rioters’ objective appeared to be the ethnic cleansing of Christians from tribal land.

In the wake of the violent situation in Manipur, India, the Indian American Community in New York recently gathered at the Santoor Restaurant, New York to demand for the cessation of violence in the region. Dr Anna George, associate professor at Molloy University, led the program attended by about 23 eminent community leaders of various organizations and humanitarians who expressed concerns over the matter.

A resolution condemning violence was passed, which noted that the rioters’ objective appeared to be the ethnic cleansing of Christians from their tribal land. Addressing at the event, Dr. George said, “What is taking place in Manipur is horrible violations of human rights and religious freedom.”

Dr. George stressed on the need to support humanitarian crisis, as over 100 or more people were killed and about 80,000 people were displaced. “They are finding shelter in the forest; they have no homes to return to, so we must decide to do something to help the victims in Manipur,” she urged the audience.

Speaking at the event, George Abraham, vice chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, USA, highlighted the plight of Christians in the Kuki tribal community who have been primarily targeted. He added that in the absence of adequate shelter, food, and medicines the community has become refugees in their own homeland.

With support of organizations like the Federation of Indian Christian Organizations in North America (FIACONA) and others, the participants decided to organise a fundraising effort to support people in Manipur who have lost their homes.  Koshy George, FIACONA president lauded the initiative and appreciated those who came forward and pledged support to the cause.

Vivek Ramaswamy Supports Ban On Affirmative Action

Indian-American Republican presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, hailed the Supreme Court’s ruling to ban affirmative action at universities and colleges, which allowed educational institutes to admit an increased number of Black, Hispanic, and other minority students on campus. According to the Republican affirmative action is “one of the most disastrous and failed policy experiments of last century.”

Calling affirmative action as “one of the most disastrous and failed policy experiments of last century,” in a tweet Ramaswamy said that it was time to restore “colorblind meritocracy” in America. He also vowed to repeal President Lyndon Johnson’s executive order 11246 which mandated affirmative action in the private sector.

Johnson’s order required federal contractors to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and treated without bias during employment. According to Ramaswamy, the order was unfair to White Americans and Asian Americans as well as Hispanic and Black Americans who were looked down upon by their colleagues despite having achieved their positions based on merit.

“Everyone loses in the end,” Ramaswamy asserted and pledged that his goal after being elected as President of the U.S. will be to end affirmative action across all spheres of American life.

In another development, a US newspaper editor has apologized to Indian Americans for publishing an “offensive” cartoon that played on stereotypes of the community while trying to criticise Vivek Ramaswamy who is seeking the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.

“Racist and hateful ideas, words or images have no place in our publications, much less our society”, Tom Martin, the executive editor of the Quad City Times said in the apology to the community and Ramaswamy published in his paper on Friday.

He said that the cartoonist, Leo Kelly, has been banished from the newspaper.

But Ramaswamy came to the defence of the cartoonist in a letter published in the paper. “Let’s not go further or see people get fired over it; the cartoonist should in no way be ‘cancelled.’ We are all human”, he wrote.

“I’m empathetic to people who make mistakes once in a while”, he wrote while accepting the editor’s apology.

The cartoon sought to show Republicans as bigots with whom Ramaswamy was aligned, but it backfired as it was someone opposed to that party and the candidate who used the anti-Indian epithet.

The Quad-City Times is a regional newspaper based in Davenport, Iowa, which also covers parts of neighbouring Illinois. It is owned by the media company Lee Enterprises which publishes over 70 newspapers across the US, including the Dispatch-Argus, which also published the cartoon.

“We apologise today for letting such an image slip through our editorial process and into our opinion page Wednesday in the form of a political cartoon,” Martin wrote.

He added: “The cartoon, while intended to criticise racist ideas and epithets, uses a phrase that is racist and insensitive to members of our Indian American community.”

The phrase apparently is “Get me a slushee, Apu” that a character in the cartoon is shown shouting at Ramaswamy in an almost empty hall. “Apu Nahasapeemapetilon” runs a store in the popular animated TV cartoon serial, “The Simpsons”, and spoke in an exaggerated Indian accent voiced over by a White American comedian, Hank Azaria.

“Apu” has been turned into a racist taunt used against Indians, especially for bullying school children. The problem was highlighted in a documentary, “The Problem with Apu”, produced by Indian American comedian Hari Kondabolu. Because of protests over the way Apu was presented and how it became a tool for harassment, the character was taken off the show but has returned occasionally with non-speaking background appearances.

Azaria has repeatedly apologized for his role in spreading the stereotype of Indians telling an interviewer, “I did not know any better”.

After the cartoon was published, Ramaswamy tweeted, “It’s sad that this is how the MSM (mainstream media) views Republicans. I’ve met with grassroots conservatives across America & never *once* experienced the kind of bigotry that I regularly see from the Left.”

“Iowa’s @qctimes absolutely has the right to print this, but it’s still shameful”, he added.

Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley, the Indian American candidate for the Republican nomination, along with Tim Scott, an African American senator seeking the nomination have come for intense criticism from Democrats and their supporters who believe that non-Whites should be loyal only to their party. The cartoon sought to convey the idea that Ramaswamy was under bigoted attack by Republicans with the other characters shouting “Muslim” and “Show us your birth certificate” while he greets them saying “Hello, my MAGA friends”. (MAGA standards for Make America Great Again, a rallying cry of former President Donald Trump taken up by the Republican right.)

“It is the dripping disdain from the far left — the elite condescension from the Democrat Party — that we will never escape”, said Emily Compagno, a conservative TV host, referring to the cartoon.

US H-1B Visa Holders Can Apply For Canadian Work Permits Starting July 16, 2023

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, announced that H-1B users in the U.S. will be allowed to apply for a Canadian work permit. Additionally, the family members of these individuals will be able to seek work opportunities in the country. The applications will be available starting July 16, 2023.

The measure is part of Canada’s first-ever Tech Talent Strategy, which was announced at the Collision conference 2023 on June 27, 2023. As part of the strategy, Fraser announced the development of an Innovation Stream under the International Mobility Program to attract highly skilled individuals.

Under the new rules, those with H-1B visas will be allowed to acquire a work permit for up to three years for almost any employer anywhere in Canada. Additionally, their spouses and dependants will also be eligible to apply for a temporary resident visa, with a work or study permit. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that the initiative will be on for one year or until they receive 10,000 applications.

According to a release, these measures were devised to promote Canada as a destination for “digital nomads.” “We’re enthusiastic about the ambitious goals we have set in immigration because they aren’t just about numbers—they are strategic. With Canada’s first-ever immigration Tech Talent Strategy, we’re targeting newcomers that can help enshrine Canada as a world leader in a variety of emerging technologies,” said Fraser, in a statement.

He added, “I’m grateful for the collaboration of the tech, start-up and business communities, who have provided valuable insight to develop this strategy. Having a fast and flexible approach, one that is broadly supported by Canadians is truly Canada’s immigration advantage.”

This new strategy includes new measures and improvements on existing measures to help businesses in Canada thrive in a competitive landscape. As part of Canada’s first-ever Tech Talent Strategy, Minister Fraser announced the following aggressive attraction measures:

  • the creation of an open work permit stream for H-1B specialty occupation visa holders in the US to apply for a Canadian work permit, and study or work permit options for their accompanying family members
  • the development of an Innovation Stream under to the International Mobility Program to attract highly talented individuals, options for which include
    • employer-specific work permits for up to five years for workers destined to work for a company identified by the Government of Canada as contributing to our industrial innovation goals
    • open work permits for up to five years for highly skilled workers in select in-demand occupations.
  • a return to the 14-day service standard for work permits under the Global Skills Strategy
  • the promotion of Canada as a destination for digital nomads
  • the creation of a STEM-specific draw under category-based selection to issue additional invitations to apply under the Express Entry program
  • improvements to the Start-up Visa Program
    • We allocated more spots to this program for 2023, with further increases planned for 2024 and 2025.
    • Applicants will be able to apply for a work permit that is up to three years in duration instead of one year.
    • Applicants will be able to apply for an open work permit instead of one that limits them to working for their own start-up.
    • We’re making this three-year open work permit available to each member of the entrepreneurial team instead of only those who are essential and urgently needed in Canada.
    • We’re prioritizing applications that are supported by venture capital, angel investor groups and business incubators and have capital committed, along with applications that are supported by business incubators who are members of Canada’s Tech Network.

The Government of Canada is embracing Canada’s emerging role as a leader in global tech talent recruitment and attraction to ensure Canada is not only filling in-demand jobs today but also attracting the skills and business talent to create the jobs of tomorrow.

Indian-American, Ken Mathew is Mayor Of Texas City

Ken Mathew has become the first Indian American to be elected as the Mayor of Stafford City in Houston’s Fort Bend County. Mathew hails from a Kerala town and is also the first Malayalee to be elected to this position.

Having defeated incumbent Cecil Willis, who had been the Mayor of Stafford since December 12, 2020, Mathew was sworn in as Mayor during a ceremony held at the Council Chambers in Stafford.

Mathew, a former Stafford City Council member, won the race defeating incumbent Mayor Cecil Willis by 16 votes in a run-off race this month, crediting his victory to his faith in god, the Fort Bend Star reported.

He was administered the oath of office by Missouri City Mayor Robin Elackatt, also an Indian-American, at a special event attended by his family members and top officials.

Indian-American Fort Bend County Judge, K.P. George, who was present on the occasion, tweeted: “Congratulations to Stafford Mayor-elect Ken Mathew! It was an absolute pleasure to attend his swearing-in ceremony this evening. Wishing him all the best as he embarks on this important role.”

Texas representatives, Ron Reynolds and Suleman Lulani, and former Missouri City Mayor Owen Allen also graced the occasion.

Back home, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, also congratulated Mathew in a tweet. “Congratulations to Ken Mathew from Kerala for becoming the elected Mayor of Stafford, US. He is the first Indian to be elected to the post, in 67 years’ history of Stafford,” Chandrasekhar wrote.

Mathew served on Stafford Council since first being elected in 2006, and served on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission for several years before then.

He immigrated to the US in the 1970s after earning a degree from the University of Bombay, the Star reported. An MBA, Mathew worked as an accountant and financial executive for several corporations, including Toshiba in the Houston area. He has lived in Stafford since 1982.

The oath of office was administered by Missouri City Mayor Robin Elackatt, who presented Mathew with a personalized gavel as a gift on the occasion. Rep. Ron Reynolds, gifted him a Texas State flag that was flown over the Texas State Capitol Building in Austin.

Mathew has served on the board of Stafford Economic Development Corporation since 2008. He also served as a City Council member and on the Planning and Zoning Commission. He immigrated to the U.S. from Mumbai, India, in the 70s after completing his graduation from the University of Mumbai. He obtained MBA at the University of Detroit after arriving in the States, and made Stafford his home in 1982.

GOPIO And Indian Consulate Celebrate Yoga Day 2023

To commemorate the 9th International Yoga Day, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), Manhattan, the Indian Consulate General in New York, and Emmy-nominated filmmaker and Happy Life yoga speaker Tirlok Malik hosted a highly engaging and educational yoga Zoom event. The Yoga Zoom event on featured experts and speakers from various walks of life.

Consul Vipul Dev, who oversees press, information, and culture at the Indian Consulate in New York (USA), was the chief guest of the event, which was co-sponsored by The Indian Panorama and Indian American Forum. In his remarks, he said, “Yoga has become very popular in our life and I feel great that something like Yoga from my country has been adopted and owned by the rest of the world.”

Picture : TheUNN

GOPIO International chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham in his welcome remarks said, “Yoga has now become an international brand after the UN declaration in 2014 and Yoga Day is now celebrated all over the world.” While complimenting the Indian Consulate for continuing to support Yoga celebrations by the community groups in the Northeast of U.S. he thanked Consul General Randhir Jaiswal for hoisting the largest number of programs at the New York Consulate every month compared to other MEA missions around the world.

Dev shared that the Indian Consulate in New York had been celebrating Yoga Day with community groups starting from the first week of June, including an event at the Niagara Falls.

According to a release, Malik led an energetic and engaging yoga session during which he shared his vision behind Happy Life Yoga and its underlying philosophy. “A way of living inspired by the wisdom of Ayurveda, Yoga and Indian Philosophy, Happy Life Yoga is beneficial for one and all. The pandemic has made the world realize that it is of paramount importance to have good health, physically and emotionally, and the Happy Life Yoga platform can show how to achieve it,” Malik said in his brief remarks.

Experts and speakers from a variety of fields, who participated in the event included professor Indrajit Saluja (chief editor/publisher, The Indian Panorama), Indu Jaiswal (chairperson, Indian American Forum), Anil Narang (vegan ambassador), Lal Motwani (GOPIO International president), Neeta Bhasin (president, ASB Communications), Dr Renee Mehra (Reenbow Media), Deborah Fishman (founder of FED Talk), Neha Lohia (filmmaker), Radhika Bhagat (CEO, Sacred Earth Trust), Dr Tara Shajan (president, Indian Nurses Association), and Victoria Moran (Founder, Main Street Vegan Academy).

2 Indian Restaurants Among World’s Top 50

The recently released World’s Top 50 Restaurants list includes two Indian restaurants, making it a significant achievement for the Indian culinary scene. Notably, Tresind Studio and Gaggan Anand, the two Indian restaurants on this year’s list are not located in India.

Dubai’s Trèsind Studio secured an impressive 11th position on the list. It is the only one of the two Michelin-starred Indian restaurants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It takes pride in offering a dining experience that pushes the boundaries of traditional Indian cuisine, providing guests with a unique and innovative culinary journey.

Gaggan Anand, ranking 17 on the list, is located in Bangkok, Thailand, and named after the owner. Formerly known as Gaggan, the restaurant has been at the forefront of reimagining progressive Indian cuisine with remarkable success. It has garnered numerous accolades, including multiple wins at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards.

Kolkata-born Gaggan Anand, the culinary mastermind behind the restaurant, is known for his innovative menu that incorporates emojis to represent courses and encourages diners to interact with their food through immersive experiences, including the unconventional practice of plate licking.

Taking the top spot on the World’s Top 50 Restaurants list is Central a restaurant in Lima, Peru. The list is widely recognized globally as the definitive ranking and assessment of culinary establishments worldwide.

Ajay Banga Named In Carnegie’s 2023 ‘Great Immigrants’ List

World Bank President Ajay Banga has been named to this year’s “Great Immigrants” list by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which honors contributions by immigrants to American life.

Indian-American Banga, who became the 14th president of the top bank this year, was among 35 honorees from diverse backgrounds and fields whose contributions and actions enriched and strengthened American society and democracy.

From India, he is the only honouree in the prestigious Carnegie list, which has named more than 700 “Great Immigrants” since 2006.

With over 30 years of experience in key positions, Banga is expected to usher in transformative policies at the World Bank to combat poverty and address climate change, opening opportunities for people around the globe, a Carnegie statement said on Wednesday.

“We need to find ways to embrace the value and talent immigrants have to offer — not the least of which is their diversity. Their diverse perspectives and experiences make us stronger,” Banga was quoted as saying in the statement.

Earlier this month,Banga became the new president of the World Bank, the first-ever Indian American to lead the institution.

Picture : TheUNN

He started his career in India, spending 13 years at Nestle India and two at PepsiCo, and in 1996, he joined Citigroup, eventually leading the Asia-Pacific region as CEO.

Later moving to the US, he served as President and CEO of Mastercard for 12 years before being named executive chairman.

Among numerous honors, he was awarded the Foreign Policy Association Medal, Padma Shri and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

The Class of 2023 Great Immigrants has individuals from 33 countries, who, according to the Corporation, “have fostered opportunities for others through their work as educators, mentors, philanthropists, job creators, public servants, storytellers, and advocates”.

“The 35 naturalized citizens honored today embody that tradition, reminding us that the contributions of immigrants make our country more vibrant and our democracy more resilient,” said Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a naturalized citizen who first came to the US from Ireland as a graduate student.

Other honorees in the list are esteemed leaders in their fields, including two Nobel Prize laureates, an Olympian, a member of Congress, a university president, a public theologian and immigration advocate.

It also includes celebrities such Elle magazine editor-in-chief and TV personality Nina Garcia, bestselling novelist Min Jin Lee, seven-time Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette, Hollywood star Pedro Pascal, and Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan.

White House Condemns Harassment Of WSJ Journalist For Asking Modi A Question

The harassment of Wall Street Journal reporter Sabrina Siddiqui who questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his joint presser with US President Joe Biden last week on religious rights and free speech, is “unacceptable”, the White House said.

At a press briefing,  White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked about the “intense online” harassment the reporter was facing following her questions at the joint conference on June 22.

To this, he replied: “We’re aware of the reports of that harassment.  It’s unacceptable.  And we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances.  That’s just — that’s completely unacceptable.  And it’s antithetical to the very principles of democracy were on display last week during the state visit.”

At the White House on June 22, after Modi and Biden had read out their prepared statements, the President said: “I’m told there are two questioners: Sabrina (Siddiqui) from The Wall Street Journal and (Rakesh) Kumar from the (Press) Trust of India”.

Siddiqui asked him about criticisms from some in Biden’s party about the treatment of religious minorities and “crackdown on dissent”.

“It is in America’s DNA and, I believe, in India’s DNA that the whole world — the whole world has a stake in our success, both of us, in maintaining our democracies.  It makes us appealing partners and enables us to expand democratic institutions across — around the world,” Biden said.

He said that they had a “good discussion about democratic values”, and added, “we’re straightforward with each other, and — and we respect each other”.

Siddiqui then asked, Modi of “what steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech?”

Speaking in Hindi, Modi repeated Biden’s remarks about the DNA of democracy in both countries.

He said: “Our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, of democracy and that is in the form of our constitution.

“We have always proved that democracy can deliver.  And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender (and) here’s absolutely no space for discrimination.”

As a result of the question, the reporter faced widespread criticism online.

In response, Siddiqui posted a picture of her wearing a jersey of the Indian cricket team and another one with her father watching a match and cheering for the team.

“Since some have chosen to make a point of my personal background, it feels only right to provide a fuller picture. Sometimes identities are more complex than they seem,” she said in the Twitter post.

Oscar Awards Invites NTR Jr, Kjo, Ram Charan, Mani Ratnam To Be Members Of Academy Awards Panel

‘RRR’ star NTR Jr, who is currently busy with the shooting of his film ‘Devara’, has been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organisation behind the Oscars, as a new member along with Ram Charan, Karan Johar2, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Mani Ratnam and Chaitanya Tamhane, M.M. Keeravani, Chandrabose, K.K. Senthil Kumar and documentary filmmaker Shaunak Sen.

As members, they all will have several roles including but not limited to voting for the nominees for the annual Oscars ceremony. The Academy has also added international stars like Taylor Swift and Ke Huy Qwan.

Meanwhile, NTR Jr is reuniting with ace filmmaker Koratala Siva for ‘Devara’ which is currently being shot in Hyderabad. The film, which also stars actors Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor, is slated to hit the screens on  April 5, 2024.

He will also be working with KGF director Prashant Neel for ‘NTR 31’ which goes on floors in March 2024.

US-India Partnership To Turn Dreams Into Reality: Garcetti

Ambassador Eric Garcetti lauds Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, emphasizes its potential to strengthen India-US ties and turn dreams into reality

United States Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti spoke about the importance of Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United States in furthering India-US ties, which he believes have the power to turn dreams into reality.

Speaking at the “Peace, Prosperity, Planet, People : A New Chapter In U.S.-India Relations” event co-organized by the Asia Society Policy Institute and IIT Delhi, Garcetti used the phrase “Sapne sakar karna” (Making dreams into reality). He emphasized the need to work together for peace, prosperity, and the planet with a focus on bolstering bilateral security, promoting freedom, and people-to-people exchanges.

Sharing his experience of the PM’s US visit, the Ambassador said it as a momentous occasion during which he witnessed a profound celebration of the “defining partnership of this century” between the two great democracies.

“I saw history being made and our future framed,” Garcetti said welcoming the slew of joint initiatives announced across various fields which he believed could “change the world.” He highlighted IIT Delhi scholar, Anchal Sharma’s presentation alongside PM Modi and First Lady Jill Biden at the National Science Foundation (NSF), as one of his favorite moments from the visit.

The Ambassador acknowledged the shared dreams and visions of the Indian and American people, emphasizing the desire to leave a positive impact on the world. He highlighted the strong people-to-people ties between the US and India, stating that the Indian diaspora in the US plays a crucial role in fostering friendship and understanding between the two countries. He mentioned several statistics that reflect the close connection between the nations, including the significant number of Indian students studying in the US, the two-way trade volume, and the presence of Indian professionals in key sectors of the US economy.

Garcetti also shed light on the significance of visa policies in the US-India relationship. With over 200,000 Indians studying in the United States, he added, “We set a goal for ourselves to process at least a million visas in 2023, and we’re already more than halfway towards reaching that goal.”

Having completed his studies in India, the Ambassador expressed, “I may not be Indian, but India is a big part of me and has helped shape who I am today.” He went on to share his goal as an Ambassador was to present many more people with similar life-changing experience that he had while in India.

He concluded by stating India and USA are two sides of the same coin, and that he hopes to realize his dream of the countries partnering and bringing transformative changes to challenges together.

Australia Extends Post-Study Work Rights, Work-Hour Cap For Indian Students

Education/Immigration

Starting July 1, 2023, the working hours for international students per fortnight will go up from 40 to 48 hours.

Indian graduates from Australian tertiary institutions will have the opportunity to apply for an eight-year work visa starting July 1, 2023. Additionally, the work-hour limit of 40 hours per fortnight for all international students will go up to 48 hours.  This was done to address workforce shortages, as well as to ensure that student visa holders have enough time to dedicate toward studies while gaining work experience and supporting themselves financially.

The new visa rules are an outcome of a bilateral agreement signed between India and Australia in May 2023. Indian PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Anthony Albanese signed a migration deal, which included a new pilot program called the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES). The program was devised to benefit university graduates and early-career professionals, precisely 3,000 of them, to live in Australia for two years without requiring visa sponsorship.

Speaking of eligibility, candidates seeking to apply for the MATES visa must be under the age of 31. They must be pass-outs from recognized Indian universities with specialized degrees in the areas of engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, Agricultural Technology, Renewable Energy, etc. Details regarding fees and visa processing time for MATES are yet to be announced.

Neal Katyal Dubbed ‘National Hero’ After SCOTUS Rejects Independent State Legislature Theory

Indian-American lawyer Neal Katyal earned widespread acclaim for his arguments in of the most important constitutional cases in American history. The US Supreme Court ruled against the contentious Independent State Legislature theory.

The court’s 6-3 decision in the Moore v. Harper case, shut down the theory that gives legislatures unlimited authority to decide the rules for federal elections without interference from state courts.

Katyal, who is being dubbed as a ‘National Hero’ and ‘True Patriot played a significant role in achieving victory as he argued on behalf of voting rights groups Common Cause. He urged the bench to reject the election theory before the 2024 election.

“I am proud to stand with Common Cause, the leading nonpartisan group in our nation devoted to protecting the right to vote. As we argued to the Supreme Court, the independent state legislature theory was contrary to precedent and would have called into question hundreds of state constitutional provisions and decisions. Today’s ruling affirms the crucial role state courts play in overseeing federal elections,” he said.

A former Solicitor General, Katyal has reportedly argued 43 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, with 41 of them in the last decade. He is also a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center where he was one of the youngest professors to have received tenure and a chaired professorship in the university’s history. Additionally, he serves as Faculty Chair of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection.

Student Loan Forgiveness Program Deemed Not Legal By Conservative SOTUS Justices

The Biden administration’s student loan debt handout program cannot proceed, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday, June 3oth, 2023.

The court decided, with a vote of 6-3, that the secretary of education cannot cancel more than $430 billion in student loan debt under federal law.

“The Secretary’s arrangement dropped generally $430 billion of government understudy loan adjusts, totally deleting the obligations of 20 million borrowers and bringing down the middle sum owed by the other 23 million from $29,400 to $13,600,” Boss Equity John Roberts composed for the larger part. ” Six States sued, contending that the Legends Act doesn’t approve the advance dropping arrangement. We concur.”

President Biden firmly couldn’t help contradicting the court’s choice and will make a declaration Friday at 3:30 p.m. enumerating new activities to safeguard understudy loan borrowers, the White House said.

In a statement, Biden stated, “I will stop at nothing to find other ways to deliver relief to hard-working middle-class families.”

According to a source at the White House, Biden intends to blame Republicans for failing to provide student loan borrowers with the relief he promised.

Biden’s understudy loan drive, which had been waiting forthcoming case, involved the central government giving up to $10,000 in the red help — and up to $20,000 for Pell Award beneficiaries — for individuals who make under $125,000 every year. It was anticipated that the program would cost the government more than $400 billion.

Biden made the phenomenal push for obligation cancelation in August 2022, and his organization acknowledged about 16 million applications before conservatives protested and the program was required to be postponed.

Republicans argued that Biden did not have the authority to forgive student loans on his own. Gauges from the Legislative Financial plan Office said Biden’s arrangement would cost citizens generally $400 billion. Conservatives were offended at the aggregate, contending the absolution would be out of line to the people who either paid their direction through school, reimbursed their credits or never went to school in any case.

Two distinct legal challenges were presented to the justices. The court ruled that two private borrowers who wanted to challenge the loan forgiveness plan lacked standing to sue in one case, Department of Education v. Brown.

Biden v. Nebraska, in which six states sued to challenge the loan forgiveness program, is the second and more significant case. Because the program would open a state-established nonprofit government corporation called MOHELA, which would face an estimated $44 million in annual fees, the court determined that Missouri at least had standing to sue.

The HEROES Act, according to Biden’s administration, gave the secretary of education authority to “waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision applicable to the student financial assistance programs… as the secretary deems necessary in connection with a war or other military national emergency.” The law was used to enact the plan.

That argument was rejected by the majority of the court. The position to ‘change’ rules and guidelines permits the Secretary to make unassuming changes and increases to existing guidelines,” Roberts expressed, “not change them.”

Roberts proceeded to say the Branch of Training’s “changes” to the law “made a novel and in a general sense different credit pardoning program” than what Congress expected in the Legends Act. This program successfully conceded advance absolution “to virtually every borrower in the country,” Roberts said.

The chief justice wrote, “The Secretary’s comprehensive debt cancelation plan cannot fairly be called a waiver because it not only nullifies existing provisions, but also significantly augments and expands them.” It can’t be just a change because it’s “effectively the introduction of a whole new regime.” It also can’t be a combination of the two because when the Secretary wants to add to existing law, the fact that he’s “waived” some provisions doesn’t give him a free pass to avoid the limitations of the power to “modify.”

“That language cannot authorize the kind of extensive rewriting of the statute that has been done here, regardless of how broad the meaning of “waive or modify” may be.”

The three liberal justices on the court disagreed. 43 million Americans will no longer be eligible for loan forgiveness as a result of the majority’s decision, which overrules the collective judgment of the Legislative and Executive branches. “With respect, I respectfully disapprove of that decision,” wrote Justice Elena Kagan.

In the event of a ruling in the administration’s favor, Biden’s Education Department had already begun investigating alternate methods for providing handouts.

Conservatives disclosed their own arrangement to address understudy loans and high school costs in June, presenting a progression of five bills. The arrangement from Senate conservatives upholds programs pointed toward ensuring understudies grasp the genuine expense of school and furthermore stop credits for programs that don’t bring about compensations that are sufficiently high to legitimize those advances.

“This would forestall a portion of the most horrendously terrible instances of understudies being taken advantage of for benefit. It would drive schools to cut down cost and to vie for understudies. What an idea,” said Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville, said of the bill. ” Additionally, it would prevent students from becoming entangled in debt they will never be able to repay.”

Supreme Court Decision On Affirmative Action Matters To You?

Microsoft has added another kind of preparing and affirmation to setup takes advantage of the most recent interest and fervor around man-made intelligence. Part of the organization’s Abilities for Occupations program, the new expert declaration on Generative man-made intelligence will be given to anybody who takes the free classes on artificial intelligence and breezes through the expected test.

Accessible through LinkedIn Learning, the Profession Basics in Generative artificial intelligence program offers a free seminar on generative artificial intelligence, an innovation so named in light of the fact that it can create various types of content. This type of computer based intelligence has made a colossal buzz because of such organizations as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google sending off their own artificial intelligence chatbots that individuals can use to clarify pressing issues, get data, and make content.

With its recently discovered prominence, artificial intelligence has been saturating more items, administrations, and associations. This shift implies that more laborers should comprehend how to utilize man-made intelligence, an acknowledgment that provoked Microsoft to devise the new testament.

In an article distributed on LinkedIn, Kate Behncken, Corporate VP for Microsoft Philanthropies, called the drive the principal proficient declaration on generative computer based intelligence. Through the five classes, individuals will begin by learning the essential ideas of artificial intelligence and afterward advance into man-made intelligence structures. Passing the appraisal then qualifies somebody for the Vocation Fundamentals testament.

The course incorporates the accompanying individual meetings:

What Is Generative man-made intelligence? – Find out about the nuts and bolts of generative computer based intelligence, including its set of experiences, famous models, how it works, moral ramifications, and substantially more.

Generative simulated intelligence: The Development of Smart Web-based Search – Investigate the qualifications between web crawlers and thinking motors, with an emphasis on learning insightful pursuit procedures in the realm of generative artificial intelligence.

Smoothing out Your Work with Microsoft Bing Visit – Figure out how to use Microsoft Bing Talk to smooth out and mechanize your work.

Morals in the Time of Generative man-made intelligence – Realize the reason why moral contemplations are a basic piece of the generative man-made intelligence creation and organization process and investigate ways of tending to these moral difficulties.

Prologue to Man-made reasoning – Get an improved on outline of the top devices in computerized reasoning.

Presently presented in English, the endorsement will be accessible in Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Worked on Chinese, and Japanese before very long. Following Microsoft’s six other Vocation Basics Proficient Authentications in the Abilities for Occupations program, the man-made intelligence classes will be opened and free through 2025.

Past the testament driven preparing in artificial intelligence, Behncken said that Microsoft will start off a tool stash for educators and coaches who give preparing to various individuals and networks. The tool stash will contain downloadable substance for mentors on the viable purposes of artificial intelligence along with a man-made intelligence course intended for teachers.

Besides, Microsoft is sending off several difficulties pointed toward encouraging learning in computer based intelligence.

Beginning July 17, its Acquire simulated intelligence Abilities challenge is intended to show individuals man-made intelligence abilities utilizing Microsoft items. The organization will likewise collaborate with GitHub and data.org on a Generative computer based intelligence Abilities Award challenge, an open award program designed for not-for-profit associations, social undertakings, and instructive or research foundations zeroed in on executing artificial intelligence for generally underestimated populaces all over the planet.

In view of a study for Microsoft’s new Work Pattern List, 62% of the respondents said that they invest a lot of energy looking for data in a regular business day. Furthermore, however close to half said they’re stressed regarding simulated intelligence possibly supplanting their positions, 70% said that they would offload however much work as could reasonably be expected to simulated intelligence to facilitate their jobs.

Without race in the confirmations cycle, Kelly Kill, an associate teacher at Vanderbilt College who concentrates on governmental policy regarding minorities in society, hopes to see universities increment designated enrollment, grow monetary guide including free-school programs, and go test-discretionary, with an end goal to keep up with their ethnic and racial variety.

Yet, she says, “we have nothing that functions as actually at creating and improving racial variety as race-cognizant governmental policy regarding minorities in society. We have north of 20 years of information and examination on that.”

Rep. Rohit Khanna Introduces Bill Limiting SC Judges’ Term

The United States Supreme Court has come under criticism for its partisan views based on its rulings based on ideology, economic status, and who is able to finance Justices and families for their willingness to accept and use sponsors for their luxury trips around the world for Favors and favorable opinions in cases that favor their financiers,

A Majority of the US public and across the globe have lost faith in the Justices of the US Supreme Court, based on their ideology, political orientations, and the money power of their clients.

In this context, following the US Supreme Court’s rejection of President Biden’s student debt relief plan, Representatives Rohit Khanna and Don Beyer reintroduced The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act of 2021, which seeks to create an 18-year term limit for justices appointed to the court.

According to a release, a recent poll showed that only 37 percent of Americans have confidence in the Supreme Court while 68 percent support term limits for Supreme Court justices. The proposed legislation, which aims to restore judicial independence, states that after their 18-year terms, justices would be allowed to continue their service in lower courts.

Commenting on the bill’s significance, Indian American Representative Ro Khanna said, “Our Founding Fathers intended for lifetime appointments to ensure impartiality. The decision today demonstrates how justices have become partisan and out of step with the American public. I am proud to reintroduce The Supreme Court Term Limits and Regular Appointments Act to implement term limits to rebalance the Court and stop extreme partisanship.”

Rep. Beyer also joined Khanna on stating the implication of the ruling on the student borrowers. “I have long supported reforming the Supreme Court to limit terms to end lifetime tenures and ensure the Court remains a fair and impartial arbiter of justice. Our bill would achieve this and help restore balance to a heavily politicized Court,” he added.

Reps. Barbara Lee, Rashida Tlaib, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Sean Casten. and John Garamendi also extended their support in favour of the bill.

9th International Yoga Day on– Yoga for Wellness Held

The 9th International Yoga Day (IDY) was celebrated by FIA-Chicago, GSA Global Eye Magazine & Mindful Meditation Yoga in collaboration with the Consulate General of India, on Saturday, June 24th, 2023 in the indoor Sports Complex of Naperville Yard in Naperville IL. The event was well publicized prior to its celebration which resulted in more than 500 yoga enthusiasts, practitioners, students, prominent members of the Indian diaspora/Associations and several local organizations attending, probably the largest yoga event organized in Chicagoland. The program was properly arranged to spread awareness of yoga in all aspects.

Dignitaries in attendance were Consul General of India, Chicago Somnath Ghosh, Congressman Bill Foster, First Lady of Naperville, Lynda Wehri, Councilman Paul Leong along with his wife Artista Leong, Dr Vijay Prabhakar Chairman GSA Global Eye Magazine, Sunil Shah Chairman FIA-Chicago, Vinita Gulabani President FIA- Chicago, Anu Malhotra President Mindful Meditation Yoga, Esteem guests and Community leaders of Chicagoland.

Participants received a warm welcome by showering rosewater sprinkles by the IYD Welcoming Team of 40 Yoga Ambassadors upon their arrival and were escorted to their seats.

Picture : Asian Media USA

Anu Malhotra started the program promptly at 10am. In her welcoming remarks, she stated “Yoga brings celebration and skill in our life & Today’s large gathering confirms this fact. In these gloomy days, it’s very important that we keep our spirits alive, we   keep our enthusiasm alive and spread it all around us and Yoga can make this dream possible.”

Sunil Shah highlighted the Indian origin of yoga & its benefits in his welcome remarks.  Welcoming the participants joining the celebration, Dr Vijay Prabhaker encouraged everyone to join FREE Weekly Yoga/Meditation Sessions offered by Anu Malhotra through her Non for-Profit Mindful Meditation Yoga to enhance physical & mental health.

Lynda Wehrli highlighted the unifying force of Yoga & its immense benefits. Lynda also presented a Proclamation on behalf of Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli to Anu Malhotra for conducting free Yoga/ Meditation sessions for the community for the past 25 years through her non- for -profit Mindful Meditation Yoga & transforming hundreds of lives.

Adding to the excitement, Consul General of India Chicago expressed his immense joy to see the massive participation in the event. He promised that Consulate General of India Chicago would be happy to collaborate with the organizers in this celebration every year through contributing and inspiring more & more people to join.

“Events like this help remind us of the importance of finding time to take care of ourselves in the midst of our hectic lives. It also helps create a stronger and more united community, something that we can see with the mass number of individuals present here today” said Congressman Bill Foster.

The program was inaugurated with the traditional Lamp lighting Ceremony with the chants of Vedic Mantras joined  by Consul General Somnath Gosh, Congressman Bill Foster, First Lady of Naperville, Lynda Wehri, Councilman Paul leong with his wife Artista Leong, Dr Vijay Prabhakar Chairman, GSA Global Eye  Magazine, Sunil Shah Chairman FIA-Chicago, Vinita Gulabani President FIA- Chicago, Past FIA Presidents Hitesh Gandhi & Dhitu Bhagwaker, Seeta Bala GSA GE Events Chair, Shree Gurusamy GSA Chief Community Officer, Anu Malhotra President Mindful Meditation Yoga  &  Bharat Malhotra Co- Founder Mindful Meditation Yoga.

As part of the IYD celebrations, Anu Malhotra, an expert Certified Yoga Teacher conducted a common Yoga protocol session with demonstration of asanas, Pranayama & Meditation. Live Meditative Music played by a renowned Musician Navneet Malhotra   added high energy and enthusiasm to this yoga session. All participants, including dignitaries enthusiastically followed the yoga practice session.

A soulful Bhakti Yoga program organized by Vipul Srivastava, Director of Mindful Meditation Yoga presented devotional prayer songs by the prominent musicians & singers of Chicagoland; Anil Jha, Shreelekha Mohanty, Poonam Poddar, Prashant Kurdukar, Sanjiv Saraswat, Bharat Malhotra & Navneet Malhotra. Their enlightening prayer chants touched everyone’s hearts and created ripples of love, joy and peaceful vibrations.

Outland Media Team Anchor Anica Dubey conducted interviews with participants, dignitaries and community leaders to gather their overall experience of the event. Refreshment bags were handed to all participants while leaving the session by the IYD Yoga Ambassadors’ Team.

Anu Malhotra in her closing remarks thanked everyone for their vibrant participation and making this the most impactful event of Chicagoland. She reminded everyone to register for her Free Weekly Yoga/ Meditation classes to help achieve greater joy, greater peace & vibrant health by contacting her at 630-460-4271.

President Biden’s Age Emerges as Major Hurdle for Re-election Bid

The most significant obstacle President Biden faces in winning re-election next year appears to be voters’ concerns that he is too old to serve another four-year term.

Biden, at 80 years old, is now the most seasoned individual to act as president, and he would be 86 toward the finish of his subsequent term.

The life span would beat whatever other president who served overwhelmingly. Reagan completed his second term at the age of 77, while Trump, who is favored to win the GOP nomination, completed his first term at the age of 74.

In order to persuade voters that he possesses the mental and physical capacity to run for reelection, Biden has some work to do.

An astounding 68 percent of electors in a new NBC News survey said they stress over Biden’s wellbeing with 55% reflecting “major” concerns.

In a USA Today/Suffolk College survey of leftists and Free movers, 37% say the president’s age made them less inclined to decide in favor of him. According to a third survey conducted by The Economist and YouGov, 45% of independents believe that Biden’s health and age “severely limit his ability to do the job.”

“The president’s age is surely going to be a headwind on his re-appointment crusade. The surveying says as much, and the models will surely continue to come as he is in the public eye,” said Stewart Verdery, who served in previous President George W. Bramble’s organization.

However, Monument Advocacy’s CEO, Verdery, suggested that Biden’s age might not be as important in a general election against Trump, who is 77 years old.

“On the off chance that he were possible going against a cutting edge JFK on a boat, it very well may be a greater amount of an issue. However, “the president’s age may cause swing voters to pause before they still pull the lever for him,” he stated, “as long as his main adversary is in Mar-a-Lago.”

Questions about Biden’s health were pushed back this week by the White House.

“The president — shoot, he voyaged yesterday, he’s voyaging again today. During the midterms, you saw how far he traveled. What’s more, particularly his unfamiliar travel, this is somebody who is unquestionably dynamic as president,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday.

In recent speeches, Biden has become increasingly self-deprecating about his age, joking that he is 198, 103, or 110.

He has reportedly sought advice from Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, who is encouraging him to own his longevity like Harrison Ford and Mick Jagger. He has acknowledged that his age is a concern for some voters.

“Incidentally, I’ve been doing this quite a while. I realize I don’t look that old. I know. I’m somewhat under 103,” Biden said in ongoing comments. ” Yet, in all seriousness … I was a really strong congressperson.”

In any case, the 80-year-old president’s age is likewise now something that persists into all that he does, putting a physical or verbal stagger under an alternate sort of magnifying lens.

At the point when he stumbled and fell at an occasion recently, there were stresses over his wellbeing. To his political enemies, it was proof of his delicate state, regardless of whether a more youthful man could likewise have stumbled.

Biden, who has a long history of making false statements, mistook Ukraine for Iraq twice on Monday night and Tuesday.

These errors are used by opponents as evidence that Biden has fallen behind and should not run for a second term.

Conservative official competitor Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a meeting with Fox News this week, said he thinks California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is “moving behind the scenes,” and it would be intriguing to perceive how things work out “on the off chance that Biden doesn’t conclusively make it.”

“They would have a genuine comedian show in the event that Biden couldn’t make it,” he added. His remarks reverberation individual conservative official applicant Nikki Haley, who said in April that Biden is probably not going to “make it” to 86.

A few political examiners think the GOP is behaving recklessly in pursuing Biden’s age, regardless of whether it is an issue for certain electors. According to them, it might enrage older voters.

“You can call attention to it, however you would rather not incline in that frame of mind here,” said GOP specialist Doug Heye. ” Tone is significant here. You can discuss botches that he’s made, etc. However, if you go over the top, you run the risk of being attacked, particularly by older voters.

Jim Kessler, chief VP for strategy for the Majority rule think tank Third Way, said the best thing for the White House to do is center around the president’s achievements.

“They can make a counterargument, which is that his experience has had the effect. And what he has accomplished over the past two and a half years is close to a biblical miracle, if you look at it,” he stated. Like, nobody thought the quantity of bipartisan bills passed the last Congress was conceivable. What’s more, it worked out. He outsmarted Vladimir Putin.”

Biden’s use of a CPAP machine to improve his sleep quality was confirmed this week by the White House after reporters noticed lines on his face.

Republicans say that Trump has an advantage over Biden because of his apparent energy, even though he is close to 80.

If they win the debate and nominations for their respective parties, Heye stated, voters will eventually be able to compare the two.

Democrats are ignoring the verbal gaffes, pointing out that they also occurred when Biden was younger.

“President Biden’s age has been an issue since before the 2020 political race, and he’s been famous for making blunders the majority of his political vocation. “There really isn’t much new here,” a supporter of Biden stated.

Biden faces different difficulties, including the economy and child Tracker Biden’s legitimate issues, which have drawn GOP examination. His lower approval ratings, which have remained around 40%, are also due to these factors.

In any case, many see age as an issue where Biden will by and by need to demonstrate something to the electorate.

“The No. Regardless of where I am, one thing I hear about Biden is his age. Furthermore, that is valid for individuals who like them. That is valid individuals who could do without him,” Heye said. ” Therefore, he has a real issue there.”

Standing Where Prophet Muhammad Gave His Final Sermon, 2 Million Muslims Perform Hajj

Around 2 million Muslims are converging Tuesday in the valleys and hills around Mecca for the pinnacle day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. They’re gathering at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon about 1,400 years ago.

This is the largest pilgrimage since 2019, after which the Hajj was dramatically curbed due to coronavirus restrictions that limited the gathering to just a few thousand people.

Here, men and women spend the day in deep prayer and, in what is known as duaa and dhikr, practices in which Muslims recite Allah’s name, they read the Quran and pray for forgiveness, healing and mercy.

Hajj pilgrimage is expected to be the biggest since the COVID pandemic

It’s here, in the area of Mount Arafat on a hill called Jabal al-Rahma, or Mountain of Mercy, where the Prophet Muhammad told his followers in his final sermon that just as men have certain rights over women, that women, too, have rights over men. He described women as partners who must be treated well and with kindness.

He also spoke about racial equality in his sermon, saying that no person has superiority over the other based on ethnicity or race. He said distinction comes only through piety and good deeds. He called for unity and brotherhood among Muslims.

The seamless white terrycloth robes worn by male pilgrims are intended to embody that spirit of unity, so simple in appearance as to make one’s status and wealth nearly indistinguishable. Women are required to forgo makeup, perfume and other aesthetics during the Hajj, letting go of material trappings. They dress modestly in head coverings.

Egyptian pilgrim Haitham Abuwafiya, 41, said he has experienced random acts of kindness from other pilgrims on the Hajj. He said an Algerian man seated near him offered to share his meal rather than waste the food. In another example, a South African man was buying doughnuts in a food court in Mecca and insisted on buying for Abuwafiya, who was standing in line behind him.

“I told him I have money, but he insisted on paying,” he said. “You don’t feel strange or that someone else [from another country] is strange to you. Everyone is here for the same reason, for God and worship. People are compassionate and the mood is great.”

Rituals of the Hajj

While the Hajj in Islam follows the path the Prophet Muhammad once walked, it’s also believed to trace the paths the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail once took, or as they’re known in the Bible, Abraham and Ishmael.

Women also play a role in the history of the Hajj through the story of Ibrahim’s wife, Hajar (known as Hagar in the Bible).

As part of any pilgrimage to Mecca, Muslims walk between two hills seven times, retracing Hajar’s search for water for her dying son before a spring appeared that runs to this day there. The sacred well of Zamzam continues to provide drinking water for pilgrims.

That path between the hills today is marbled, shaded and has multiple floors to accommodate the large number of pilgrims performing this ritual known as sa’i, which represents life’s tribulations, God’s mercy and life’s constant movement.

Another key part of the Hajj is circling the Kaaba seven times and reciting prayers.

“Before anything, you have to have conviction,” Abuwafiya said about the Hajj. “You have to believe in it.”

The Hajj takes roughly five days to complete, including three days in Mina, a large tent city where Muslims cast stones at pillars in a symbolic act meant to represent the casting away of sins and spiritual renewal.

The Hajj is one of the largest and most logistically challenging gatherings of people on Earth. It consistently poses a challenge for Saudi authorities as they host people and manage crowds from nearly every country in the world. The kingdom also has mobile clinics and has built hospitals near the various stops of the Hajj to treat pilgrims who need it.

In 2015, more than 2,000 pilgrims died in Mina when crowds converged down a narrow street, causing a crush of people and stampede. The incident drew criticism over the kingdom’s management of the crowds, which were supposed to be directed down one-way roads to avoid this from happening.

The meaning of Hajj

Muslims who are physically and financially capable are required to perform the Hajj once in a lifetime. Many save up a lifetime to perform the Hajj while others rely on donations and charity to make the journey.

With flights, buses, accommodation and visas through authorized Hajj operators, the cost can vary around $1,000 per pilgrim to tens of thousands for those who can afford the upscale hotels overlooking the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

Muslims believe the Hajj offers a chance to wipe away past sins by surrendering to God for mercy and strength.

The Hajj coincides with several days of Eid al-Adha celebrations, in which Muslims around the world commemorate the Prophet Ibrahim’s test of faith. On the first day of the Eid, Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute its meat to those who cannot afford to buy and eat it.

Most pilgrims will spend a minimum of two weeks in and around Mecca for the Hajj, and many will also travel to the Saudi city of Medina before departing the kingdom to visit what is known as the prophet’s mosque, where Prophet Muhammad is buried. (NPR)

Germany Passes Ground-Breaking Law To Attract Migrant Workers

Germany’s parliament has recently passed a groundbreaking law aimed at attracting migrant workers to the country, in stark contrast to the restrictive migration policies being adopted by other nations. This new law seeks to reduce bureaucratic obstacles and lower barriers for migrant workers from countries outside the European Union, signaling a significant departure from previous practices.

The legislation introduces a points-based system similar to that employed by Canada, which takes into account various factors such as age, skills, qualifications, and any connection to Germany. Moreover, the criteria for salary, educational level, and proficiency in the German language will be adjusted, making it easier for migrants to relocate to Germany even without a job offer. In a bid to incentivize immigration, the law also allows migrants to bring not only their spouses and children but also their parents.

Germany’s shift in policy represents a notable departure from its historical stance. For many decades, successive German governments staunchly rejected the idea that Germany was a country of immigration. Even as German society became increasingly diverse, conservative-led administrations, including that of Angela Merkel, grappled with the notion of opening up to migrant workers. However, with over a quarter of the population either foreign-born or having at least one foreign-born parent, the need for a more inclusive approach became evident.

The pressing concern of a labor shortage further motivated this change in policy. After years of experiencing low unemployment rates, German business leaders are now raising alarms about the lack of available workers. Compounding this issue is the impending retirement of baby boomers born in the 1960s. Ministers have warned of millions of job vacancies that urgently require filling, characterizing the labor shortage as the most significant risk to the German economy.

The center-left Social Democrat SPD party, led by Olaf Scholz, emerged victorious over Angela Merkel’s conservatives in the 2021 elections. Easing migration rules became a flagship policy for the new SPD-Green-liberal coalition. Despite disagreements between the Greens and the business-friendly liberals on climate change policies, both parties concurred on the need for a more accommodating migration policy. However, the parliamentary debate surrounding the law was intense. Conservative factions opposed the bill, expressing outrage over provisions that would permit rejected asylum seekers already present in Germany to seek employment. The far-right AfD also voted against the legislation, arguing that Germany should prioritize its status as a “homeland” rather than embracing immigration.

It is worth noting that the AfD’s nativist perspective does not align with mainstream society’s recognition of the necessity for migrant workers in Germany. Nonetheless, the party’s popularity is surging, as indicated by its unprecedented support in recent polls. The latest ARD Deutschland Trend survey recorded the AfD’s approval rating at a record-high 19%, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD party saw a decline to 17%.

As Germany grapples with the complex issue of migration, the political climate remains polarized and charged. While the government and the economy seek to embrace migration, the question remains whether the broader electorate will accept these changes. The passage of this new law marks a significant milestone, but its full acceptance and integration into society may require ongoing efforts to address the concerns and hesitations of various factions within German society.

How Modi and Biden Turbocharged India-US Ties

US President Joe Biden hails the partnership with India as one of the “most consequential in the world” following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s grand state visit to Washington. Exploring the potential of this visit in strengthening ties between the two nations, experts highlight the transformative nature of the relationship. According to Michael Kugelman of The Wilson Center, the India-US summit indicates a broad and deep connection that has developed in a relatively short period. He states, “It underscores just how broad and deep it has become in a relatively short time.”

One significant driving factor behind the deepening relationship is the US’s aim to establish India as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. While the promise of India-US ties had previously been limited due to India’s liability law and a fading commitment during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s tenure, the enthusiasm to embrace the US has surged under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. Seema Sirohi, author of “Friends With Benefits: The India-US Story,” explains, “With Mr Modi, there has been a lot more enthusiasm about embracing the US. Mr Biden has also given an overall broad directive to make it work.”

The US has demonstrated its commitment to the relationship by actively pursuing substantial outcomes during Prime Minister Modi’s visit. Areas of focus include defense-industrial cooperation and technology transfer. Noteworthy collaborations include General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited partnering to manufacture advanced fighter jet engines in India. This move represents a significant transfer of US jet engine technology, emphasizing Washington’s willingness to not only sell arms but also share military technology.

Additionally, India plans to purchase $3 billion worth of MQ-9B Predator drones from General Atomics, which will establish a facility in India for assembly. This aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. While Russia remains India’s largest arms supplier, the US aims to become the primary provider in the coming years. The objective, as highlighted by Michael Kugelman, is to “strengthen India’s military capacity to counter China.”

Recognizing the importance of technology and the future, India seeks to establish itself as a semiconductor hub. Micron Technology, a US memory chip giant, plans to invest up to $825 million in building a semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, which will generate numerous job opportunities. Furthermore, Lam Research, a US semiconductor equipment maker, will train 60,000 Indian engineers to accelerate semiconductor education and workforce development. Applied Materials, the largest semiconductor manufacturing equipment supplier, will invest $400 million to establish an engineering center in India.

Seema Sirohi sums up the current focus of the India-US relationship, stating, “It is all about the future now. Both sides are talking about cutting-edge technologies and how to seed and shape the future.” While the relationship between India and the US has experienced fluctuations over the years, the recent visit signifies a more substantial and forward-looking connection.

India’s approach to geopolitics and its position in the global order has shaped its foreign policy, rooted in the strategy of nonalignment established by Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister. India has always sought to maintain its independence and avoid being perceived as subservient to any global superpower. Prime Minister Modi continues to uphold the ideals of “strategic altruism” in Indian foreign policy, despite leading a more economically and geopolitically influential India. He has developed close relationships with former US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and now with President Biden, while preserving India’s “strategic autonomy.”

While the Biden administration may have desired a stronger stance from India on Russia and China, Prime Minister Modi’s approach did not compromise India’s strategic autonomy. Although he refrained from mentioning Russia, he reiterated the importance of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. He also emphasized the significance of a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific without directly mentioning China. This delicate balance allowed Mr. Modi to push the boundaries of strategic autonomy without undermining the success of his visit.

The defense collaboration between India and the US has strengthened, with increased cooperation, joint exercises, intelligence sharing, and the utilization of each other’s facilities for refueling and maintenance purposes. This progress, without formalizing a full-fledged alliance, demonstrates Mr. Modi’s ability to test the limits of strategic autonomy. Michael Kugelman acknowledges his achievement, stating, “In the sense that he is getting about as close as you can to a major power without signing on to a full-fledged alliance.”

While trade disputes and tariffs have been contentious issues between India and the US in recent years, the two nations announced the resolution of six separate trade disputes, including tariff-related disputes, during the visit. The US is currently India’s top trading partner, and analysts see tremendous untapped potential for further growth, given India’s expanding middle class and its aspiration to become a manufacturing hub and an alternative to China in the global supply chain. Resolving trade disputes will undoubtedly provide a significant boost to India-US trade ties and help unlock their full potential.

Despite concerns raised by critics in Washington regarding democratic backsliding under Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), there is a bipartisan agreement to deepen and broaden the relationship between India and the US. While some progressives in the Democratic Party express concerns about the treatment of minorities in India, the broader consensus recognizes the importance of strengthening the relationship, especially considering the growing influence of China. Seema Sirohi asserts that the India-US strategic partnership has indeed reached the next level, characterized by mutual need and mutual benefit.

In conclusion, India’s foreign policy under Prime Minister Modi reflects a delicate balance between preserving strategic autonomy, fostering strong ties with the US, and positioning India as a significant global player. The successful state visit solidified the partnership between India and the US, with a focus on defense collaboration, the resolution of trade disputes, and the recognition of shared interests and benefits.

Modi and Business Leaders Forge Alliance for Technological Advancement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his optimism for a prosperous future as he met with business leaders from India and the United States at the White House, highlighting the collaboration between Indian talent and American technological advancement. During the India-U.S. Hi-Tech Handshake Event, PM Modi emphasized the promising outcomes of the meeting, stating, “This morning (meeting) is only among a few friends but has brought with it the guarantee of a bright future,” with President Joe Biden acknowledging his remarks.

PM Modi seized the opportunity to align President Biden’s vision and capabilities with India’s aspirations and possibilities, expressing gratitude for the U.S. leader’s presence at the meeting. Describing the development as “honhaar, shandaar, dhardaar” in Hindi, he emphasized its potential to pave the way for a new future. The timing of the meeting is crucial as both countries aim to deepen their ties in the high-tech sector.

Reiterating the significance of the collaboration between Indian talent and U.S. technological advancement, Prime Minister Modi stressed the diverse representation of business leaders from various sectors, ranging from agriculture to space. Notable participants included Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft; Tim Cook, CEO of Apple; Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google; Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI; Lisa Su, CEO of AMD; and NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, among others. The Indian business delegation comprised prominent figures such as Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries; Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group; Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha and True Beacon; and Vrinda Kapoor, co-founder of 3rdiTech.

President Biden emphasized that their partnership would contribute to a free, secure, and prosperous future for future generations. He stated, “Our cooperation matters, not just for our people but quite frankly to the whole world, as our partnership is about more than the next breakthrough or the next deal as big as they may be.” The President underscored the importance of collaboration in addressing climate change, exploring the universe, alleviating poverty, preventing pandemics, and providing real opportunities for citizens.

PM Modi’s four-day state visit to the U.S. has been hailed as historic and groundbreaking by Indian officials, marking a significant breakthrough in India’s pursuit of critical cooperation in cutting-edge technologies, including technology transfer and joint research. The meeting between the Indian and U.S. business leaders sets the stage for potential collaborations that could drive innovation, economic growth, and societal progress for both nations.

Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with business honchos from India and the United States signifies the fusion of Indian talent and American technological advancements, leading to a promising future. The engagement between the two countries’ leaders and business representatives paves the way for collaborative efforts in various sectors, addressing global challenges and exploring new opportunities for growth and development.

Modi Visit Fuels Concerns Biden Putting Human Rights On Back Burner

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit is fueling concerns from activist groups that the Biden administration is putting human rights on the back burner.

During the visit, President Biden held back from public criticism of Modi’s handling of human rights and democratic values — issues that led a handful of progressive lawmakers to boycott his speech to a joint address to Congress.

The president, instead, rolled out the red carpet for Modi with a celebratory welcome and hug, a 21-gun salute and a state dinner with notable White House guests, a charm offensive underscoring India’s economic and foreign policy importance to the United States.

Biden had previously come under criticism last July for a fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to Jeddah that advocates argue effectively ignored the Saudi government’s human rights abuses.

White House officials contend that tough conversations with allies behind closed doors — including Modi — are more productive than grandstanding and scolding in public.

“The prime minister and I had a good discussion about democratic values. … We’re straightforward with each other, and — and we respect each other,” Biden said during a press conference alongside Modi at the White House on Thursday.

But critics say that puts little pressure on governments and leaders like Modi to actually deliver on reforms.

The Indian leader in particular is criticized for failing to counter anti-Muslim hate and is cracking down on civil liberties and press freedoms — issues that strike at the core of respect for democratic governments.

“I would argue that the administration needs to be more explicit about backsliding allies, practically recommitting themselves to fundamental freedoms and the respect for human rights as the basis for an evolving global order,” said Tess McEnery, who previously served as Biden’s director for democracy and human rights at the National Security Council.

During his campaign, Biden put human rights at the center of his foreign policy messaging and identified strengthening democracy — at home and abroad — as key to pushing back against autocratic governments such as Russia and China.

Yet in pushing back on Russia and China, the U.S. also needs allies. And that has complicated efforts with human rights.

The White House sees India as an indispensable partner in its strategy with China; its population of 1.4 billion people is the only market that can compete with Beijing’s.

India represents a needed partner in the administration’s efforts to diversify supply chains away from China for critical materials such as semiconductors and rare earth minerals that are the building blocks of those technologies.

Modi recognized the power that India holds during his address to Congress on Thursday. “When defense and aerospace in India grow, industries in the states of Washington, Arizona, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania thrive. … When Indians fly more, a single order for aircrafts creates more than a million jobs in 44 states in America,” he said. “When an American phone maker invests in India, it creates an entire ecosystem of jobs and opportunities in both countries.”

The most robust applause from Congress came when Modi said the U.S. was one of India’s “most important defense partners” — an important statement given American efforts to turn New Delhi away from its reliance on on Russia’s defense industry and have it serve a bulwark against China’s growing military.

Being hospitable to Modi also has its domestic political benefits.

The U.S. is home to a more than an Indian-American community of more than 4.5 million people — a key voting bloc that the president hopes to hold onto ahead of what is likely to be a fraught 2024 presidential election.

“I think that President Biden is eager not to cede any of the, kind of, Indian-American community vote to the Republican Party,” said Daniel Markey, senior adviser on South Asia at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

Republicans and Democrats in Congress are largely united in supporting a robust U.S. and Indian partnership. A bipartisan and bicameral grouping introduced legislation Thursday to fast-track weapons sales to India in recognition of Modi’s visit.

And while more than 70 House and Senate lawmakers raised concerns over Modi’s human rights record in a letter to Biden ahead of the visit, only a little more than a handful of progressive Democratic lawmakers boycotted the prime minister’s speech.

“We are told that we must now turn a blind eye to the repression because of foreign policy concerns, even though human rights are supposed to be at the center of our foreign policy,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said during a policy briefing she hosted with human rights advocates after Modi’s address, which she boycotted.

Among the most pressing criticisms against Modi’s rule is the criminal conviction against Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who was sentenced to two years in prison for negatively using Modi’s surname during a political rally in 2019.

Advocates have also warned about freedom of speech and press freedoms in India in the wake of a tax raid on the offices of the BBC in India in March, and cases of journalists being jailed.

Freedom House, a nongovernmental organization that tracks democratic freedoms globally, rated India as “partly free” in its Freedom in the World report for 2023. The group claimed Modi’s government and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party “has presided over discriminatory policies and a rise in persecution affecting the Muslim population.”

“The constitution guarantees civil liberties including freedom of expression and freedom of religion, but harassment of journalists, nongovernmental organizations, and other government critics has increased significantly under Modi,” the group wrote.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, argued that a balance can be met between calling out human rights concerns while also supporting the U.S.-Indian relationship.

“It’s because we value our friendship with the Indian people that we also have to speak the truth about human rights abuses in India that are ongoing, well-documented by credible observers and deeply troubling,” he said at the policy briefing hosted by Omar.

“We don’t raise these issues to discredit India,” he continued. “We raise them because we know from our own experience that if human rights problems are not confronted and resolved, they will fester and deepen and undermine a country’s promise.”

Markey, of the USIP, said the Biden administration prepared for blowback over the decision to keep criticisms against Modi in private, but added that its excessive references to sharing appreciation for democratic governance did itself no favors.

“I think they went even farther than maybe they needed to do, for Indian consumption,” he said.  “They leaned into the shared-democracy issue, rather than pulling back from it,” Markey added. “They gave a lot of ammunition to those who would suggest that this is just pure hypocrisy at this point, rather than kind of edging around it.”

McEnery, who is now the executive director of the Project on Middle East Democracy, said the Biden administration needs to elevate defending democracy and human rights to an “interest” more than a value.

That would mean doing trade and economic deals centered on good governance principles, she said, or reforming arms and security relationships based on human rights.

“I saw this firsthand a lot, where many good, hard-working people inside every arm of the U.S. government, including the National Security Council, tried to make the case for democracy and human rights as a vital national security interest,” she said. “And I would see that shot down time and again by others throughout the government.”

Modi’s State Visit To US: Warm Welcome and Key Agreements Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Lawmakers expressed a warm reception as Prime Minister Modi addressed the House Chamber, with applause and a standing ovation. The Washington Post highlighted the grandeur of the state dinner held at the White House, featuring a photograph of Prime Minister Modi alongside President Biden and the Bidens. However, the accompanying article pointed out that the event lacked genuine enthusiasm.

The New York Times featured a front-page photograph of Prime Minister Modi greeting US lawmakers with a traditional ‘Namaste’ during his address to the US Congress. The caption noted that Modi deliberately avoided mentioning the names of Russia and China. Inside the newspaper, there was extensive coverage of the visit, including a photograph of President Biden placing his hand on Modi’s shoulder as they observed the ceremonial guard of honor, with the Washington Monument in the background. The report highlighted the joint initiatives in various fields, such as telecommunications, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence, which symbolized the deepening ties between the two nations.

The Financial Times captured a photograph of both leaders standing for the national anthems on the South Lawn of the White House. The caption emphasized the commitment to a “defining” relationship between the world’s two largest democracies. The report on the second page elaborated on the technology and defense agreements signed during the visit, which included the purchase of US spy drones. The FT report also highlighted the US’s strategic intent to strengthen its alliance with India and engage allies and partners in countering China.

In a separate article titled “US, India announce agreements on technology, defense,” it was reported that both President Biden and Prime Minister Modi announced significant agreements. Among them was a joint venture to manufacture GE fighter jet engines in India and efforts to secure supply chains for crucial technologies like microchips. The article emphasized the importance of these agreements in enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Overall, the media coverage reflected the ceremonial aspects of the state visit, with grand gestures and elaborate dinners. The agreements signed between the US and India in areas like defense, technology, and space cooperation demonstrated the intention to strengthen ties and foster a strategic partnership.

Narendra Modi and Joe Biden Foster Cooperation and Strengthen US-India Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden held a series of high-level meetings with American and Indian technology CEOs during Modi’s four-day visit to the United States. The leaders convened at the White House and later attended a luncheon at the State Department hosted by Vice-President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. As part of his visit, Modi also addressed business leaders at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, emphasizing his “Make in India” initiative.

The meetings between Biden, Modi, and the CEOs aimed to strengthen cooperation on various fronts, including artificial intelligence, semiconductor production, and space exploration. Both leaders emphasized the significance of the “Innovation Handshake” initiative, which seeks to address regulatory challenges hindering collaboration between the two countries and foster job growth in emerging technologies.

During the discussions, President Biden expressed his optimism about the future of technological advancements, stating, “We’re going to see more technological change … in the next 10 years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years.” Modi echoed this sentiment and highlighted the importance of merging talent and technology for a brighter future. He stated, “The coming together of talent and technology guarantees a brighter future.”

Modi had the opportunity to interact with prominent figures in the technology and business world, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, Reliance Industries chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani, and Zerodha & True Beacon co-founder Nikhil Kamath. Modi commended President Biden for recognizing India’s potential and expressed confidence in the future of the bilateral relationship.

At the luncheon hosted by Vice-President Harris and Secretary Blinken, Modi acknowledged the strengthened trust between India and the United States in the field of emerging technologies. He expressed his gratitude to the American leadership for the warm welcome he received during his visit. Modi also took the opportunity to appreciate Vice-President Harris and her family’s connection to India, recounting the story of her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, who maintained her ties with India despite being thousands of miles away.

In response, Vice-President Harris expressed her appreciation for Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to strengthening US-India ties. She acknowledged the significant contributions of Indian Americans across various sectors in the United States, remarking on their extraordinary impact. Harris also shared her personal connection to India, mentioning her mother’s roots in Chennai and her own deep ties to the country.

Secretary of State Blinken highlighted the indispensable partnership between the United States and India, emphasizing their mutual influence on each other’s cultures. He cited examples such as the popularity of Indian-American comedian Mindy Kaling’s work and the enthusiasm for Indian musician Diljit Dosanjh’s performances at events like Coachella.

In conclusion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States culminated in productive discussions and engagements with American and Indian technology leaders. The meetings underscored the commitment of both countries to deepen cooperation in critical areas of innovation and technology. The exchanges between the leaders and CEOs have laid the groundwork for future collaborations, fostering a stronger relationship between India and the United States in the ever-evolving digital age.

Indian Prime Minister’s Visit to Washington Signals New Era in US-India Relations

The recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington has ushered in a new era in the relationship between the United States and India. During his visit, Modi successfully advanced a seemingly strong bond between the world’s oldest and the world’s largest democracies, emphasizing cooperation on various fronts such as investment and trade. However, despite the fruitful discussions, Modi stopped short of explicitly endorsing a formal alliance or taking a stance on pressing global issues like the conflict between Ukraine and Russia or the longstanding border disputes between India and China.

This outcome is likely to result in a complex and ambivalent relationship, characterized by ongoing discussions and negotiations on trade, investment, and diplomatic and military priorities. While there may be occasional challenges and disagreements, Modi’s visit to Washington was undoubtedly a highlight that sets the tone for the near future. President Biden encapsulated the positive atmosphere during a state dinner at the White House, raising a toast to “Two great nations, two great friends, and two great powers.” In response, Modi lauded the India-America relationship, stating, “You are soft-spoken, but when it comes to action, you are very strong.”

Despite the cordial exchanges, Modi carefully maintained India’s historic position of neutrality in the power dynamics of Asia. While highlighting the close ties between India and the United States across various domains, he tactfully indicated that India would not abandon its reliance on Russia for defense equipment, including fighter planes. In his address to a joint session of Congress, Modi emphasized, “Today India and the U.S. are working together in space and the seas, in science and semiconductors,” underscoring the vast potential for cooperation. Throughout his three-day visit, tangible agreements were reached between Indians and Americans, spanning areas such as jet engines and supply chains.

President Biden, mindful of India’s relationship with Russia, focused on the overall potential of the India-American partnership, emphasizing their collective efforts in unlocking a shared future. Following their one-on-one conversation at the White House, Biden expressed optimism, stating, “Together we’re unlocking the shared future.” Both leaders, while celebrating the progress made, carefully navigated the complexities of global alliances and India’s strategic considerations, signaling that the path ahead for US-India relations will continue to be nuanced and multifaceted.

Biden emphasized the growing defense partnership and economic ties between India and America, stating, “We are growing our defense partnership with more exercises, and trade between our countries has doubled over the past decade.” Additionally, Indian firms were announced to be making significant investments totaling over $2 billion.

Addressing the sensitive issue of human rights, both Biden and Modi approached it with subtlety, taking into account the criticisms raised against Modi’s past. Biden acknowledged the value of universal human rights, highlighting that Indian-Americans of various faiths and backgrounds were pursuing the American dream.

Modi, while discussing the importance of negotiations and diplomacy for peace, aimed to reassure skeptics about India’s commitment to democracy and equal treatment of its citizens, irrespective of religious, cultural, or linguistic differences. He firmly stated, “Democracy is in our DNA, democracy is in our spirit, democracy runs in our veins. Democracy can deliver. There is no space for discrimination.”

Despite accusations of intimidation, political repression, and censorship of opposition parties and journalists during Modi’s tenure, he passionately defended Indian democracy in his speech to Congress. However, several members, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, boycotted his speech, criticizing Modi’s human rights record.

Modi, while emphasizing the shared values between India and the United States, described India as the “mother of democracy” and highlighted the country’s diversity. He focused on projecting himself as a unifying figure leading India towards a peaceful path in a turbulent world, calling for dialogue and diplomacy to prevent bloodshed and suffering.

Notably absent from Modi’s remarks were explicit mentions of India’s caste differences, poverty, economic disparities, or the ongoing border clashes with China in the Himalayas. While he acknowledged “dark clouds of confrontation” hanging over the Indo-Pacific, he emphasized the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, free from strategic leveraging of power and the need to combat terrorism.

Modi’s speeches aimed to present a unified vision based on the bond between India and America as imperfect democracies, evoking emotional responses and applause in Congress and the White House. He expressed optimism, stating, “We come from different histories, but we are united by a common vision. Democracy will shine brighter, and the world will be a better place.”

Biden emphasized the strengthening defense partnership and economic ties, saying, “We are growing our defense partnership with more exercises, and trade between our countries has doubled over the past decade.”

Modi defended Indian democracy, stating, “Democracy is in our DNA, democracy is in our spirit, democracy runs in our veins. Democracy can deliver. There is no space for discrimination.”

Modi highlighted the shared values between India and the United States, declaring, “We come from different histories, but we are united by a common vision. Democracy will shine brighter, and the world will be a better place.”

We Stand Together To Fight BJP In 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: Opposition Parties In India

Opposition parties convened in Patna, emphasizing the upcoming general election as a battle between “democracy and dictatorship.” The meeting aimed to present a unified front against the BJP, with a focus on setting aside past biases and working together. While no joint statement or seat-sharing formula was announced, the commitment to jointly combat the ruling party remained strong.

Highlighting their commitment to collaboration, the Opposition planned several future meetings, with the Congress scheduled to host the next gathering in Shimla around mid-July. Despite a few tense moments, particularly between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the overall atmosphere was cordial. Many opposition leaders urged the Congress to exhibit generosity, while the party, in turn, adopted a more reserved approach, prioritizing listening over speaking.

The meeting commenced with opening remarks from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, leader of the Janata Dal (United), and his Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) colleague Lalu Prasad. Kumar expressed confidence that as the election draws nearer in May 2024, more political parties would join their alliance. Prasad, who made his first appearance at a political gathering following a recent kidney transplant, called on the Congress to demonstrate magnanimity and suggested that the dominant force in each state should be given precedence—a sentiment echoed later by Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav.

Although Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was encouraged to speak as the leader of the largest party present, he opted to listen attentively and reserved his remarks for the conclusion of the meeting. Sharad Pawar, the patriarch of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), expressed his desire for a joint statement to be issued, but other parties felt it was premature to do so at this stage. Arvind Kejriwal advocated for embracing the motto of “nation first, party second,” urging flexibility from each party.

Nitish Kumar, according to sources, stated, “As we edge closer to May 2024, many more political parties will join this block.”

The conversation then shifted towards the much-anticipated discussion on electoral arrangements. M.K. Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), emphasized that there cannot be a “single formula for seat sharing across the country.” He explained that it would vary from state to state based on the political dynamics in each region. This viewpoint was supported by Omar Abdullah, leader of the National Conference, who deemed the idea of having one common candidate against the BJP in all 543 seats as “impractical.”

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal and leader of the Trinamool Congress, urged the opposition to strive for a “no vote to BJP” approach while being mindful that the fight should not devolve into a “BJP versus All” scenario. She emphasized that it should be framed as “BJP vs People of India.”

Rahul Gandhi, the former president of the Congress, addressed three key points towards the end of the meeting. He referred to Sharad Pawar’s comments, citing the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the NCP, Congress, and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as an example of how the opposition can overcome past differences and ideological issues. Gandhi emphasized that the Congress party would not be bound by its past preferences and dislikes, as unity among the opposition should begin with a clean slate. He also highlighted the BJP’s current monopoly over finances, institutions, and modes of communication, stressing the need for the opposition to build a common narrative to counter this dominance.

Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), emphasized that the opposition must prioritize addressing the issue of economic distress. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar criticized the BJP, stating that the party in power at the center is not acting in the national interest.

During a joint press conference at the conclusion of the meeting, Kumar condemned the BJP, stating that the party is not working in the national interest. Banerjee declared that the opposition would work relentlessly to stall the BJP’s progress, even if it meant facing challenges and adversity. She affirmed three resolutions: unity among the opposition, collective participation in the election against the BJP, and the organization of the next meeting in Shimla. She concluded by saying, “History has started from here.”

Mallikarjun Kharge mentioned that the next meeting would involve further discussions on region-specific political scenarios. Former Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah expressed concern that the very idea of India is under threat. Mufti stated that democracy and various institutions in the country are under attack, highlighting that what started in Kashmir is now affecting the entire nation. Abdullah expressed hope for free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Left leaders D. Raja, Sitaram Yechury, and Dipankar Bhattacharya echoed the sentiment of moving forward together and fighting unitedly to reclaim the essence of the Republic. Similarly, Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena, stated that the first step towards a joint effort against the BJP has begun in Patna. They expressed confidence in achieving their goal through unified efforts.

Hemant Soren, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Akhilesh Yadav, and Lalu Prasad also addressed the media, highlighting that the meeting was the initial step towards their shared objective.

M.K. Stalin elucidated that “there can be no ‘single formula for seat sharing across the country'” and that it will vary based on the political equation in each state.

Diwali, Indian Festival Of Lights, Is A Public School Holiday In New York City

The annual celebration of the triumph of light over darkness is observed by hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, and the announcement came after state lawmakers recently passed legislation to make it a holiday in the nation’s largest school system. This year, Diwali falls on Sunday, Nov. 12, so it is scheduled to be a day off school for the first time in 2024.

The mayor said he was “confident” that the governor, Kathy Hochul, would sign the bill. A spokeswoman for her office said that the governor is still reviewing it, while adding that she has supported other efforts to recognize Diwali. Mr. Adams said that the moment represented a symbolic declaration to those who feel unwelcome “that you are part of this city”

“We’re now saying New York is made for everyone,” Mr. Adams said. “No matter where you came from.”

Why it Matters: Families lobbied for years for recognition.

In New York, families have lobbied for the city’s public schools to close in observance of several major religious or cultural celebrations, joining existing holidays like Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Christmas. In 2015, the city announced it would close schools in honor of two major Muslim holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Many South Asian and Indo-Caribbean parents and advocates had been frustrated that Diwali had never been added to the list. The holiday is one of the most significant Hindu religious observances and is also celebrated by many Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists.

Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman of GIOIO International said, “GOPIO International and its chapters GOPIO-New York and GOPIO-Manhattan were involved and worked with New York City Mayor Eric Adams from the first meeting held at the City Hall. We then supported the legislation introduced by NY Assembly Woman Jenifer Rajkumar. This is a great recognition of the Indian American Diaspora community.”

On the day after his election, Mayor Adams promised Diwali would become a school holiday. But upon taking office, he declined to add the holiday himself.

Instead, he looked to state lawmakers, who had introduced a bill to recognize Diwali for the past two years. On Monday,Jenifer Rajkumar, the bill’s sponsor in the Assembly, said the announcement was decades in the making and showed that Diwali “is not just a holiday.”

Rather, “it is an American holiday, and the South Asian community is part of the American story,” said Ms. Rajkumar, the first Hindu American and first South Asian woman to be elected to state office in New York.

Background: The 180-day school calendar was an obstacle.

The push to add Diwali to the school calendar had faced a major obstacle: All school districts must offer at least 180 days a year of instruction under state law.

So, to add a holiday to the calendar, officials must replace another observance, or eliminate one of the extra days that offer latitude in case of snow or other emergencies.

After Mayor Bill de Blasio recognized Lunar New Year and the two Muslim holy days in the mid-2010s as school holidays, he said that the 180-day rule would prevent his administration from adding any other dates — including Diwali — to the system’s calendar.

Lawmakers began to consider removing “Anniversary Day,” which recognizes the city’s earliest Protestant Sunday schools. It falls in early June and dates back to the early 1800s. But the bill they passed left it up to the city to decide.

What’s Next? A push to make Diwali a federal holiday.

The efforts in New York City reflect the broader ways that schools across the country have grappled with when to close for religious or cultural celebrations. Some leaders argue that not all holidays can warrant a closure, but families often point out that a number of students might otherwise miss class time.

In San Francisco, the school board this fall reversed a decision to recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as holidays, angering many parents. The board said that “further analysis” was first needed to determine what dates should be added.

Those national debates are unlikely to end as the push to recognize major religious holidays continues.

Representative Grace Meng, a Queens Democrat, introduced legislation last month, for example, that would make Diwali a federal holiday. Doing so, Ms. Meng said, would “demonstrate that the government values the diverse cultural makeup of the nation.” (NYT)

Mary Shaya to Receive AAPI Presidential Humanitarian Award 2023 for Transforming Lives through Exceptional Leadership and Philanthropy

Mary Shaya, President of J & B Medical,  will be honored with the prestigious American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) Presidential Humanitarian Award 2023. This well-deserved recognition celebrates Ms. Shaya’s exceptional contributions to the Health and Wellness of Americans in need, and her relentless dedication to humanitarian and philanthropic initiatives, which have significantly impacted the lives of American veterans and seniors.

The AAPI Presidential Humanitarian Award 2023 recognizes Ms. Mary Shaya’s exceptional leadership and her relentless pursuit of making a difference in the lives of those in need. Her unwavering commitment to improving the Health and Wellness of Americans has set a benchmark for excellence in the industry.

“On behalf of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), it is with great pleasure that I extend my warmest congratulations to you on being selected as the recipient of the AAPI Presidential Humanitarian Award 2023,” said Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI. “This prestigious award is a testament to your outstanding contributions to the Health and Wellness of Americans in need and your relentless humanitarian and philanthropic initiatives.”

Ms. Shaya’s remarkable achievements will be celebrated at the AAPI Convention 2023, where she will join other esteemed leaders, physicians, and healthcare professionals. The convention provides a platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaborations, and advancing healthcare practices to benefit individuals across the nation.

Lauding her exceptional leadership, under whom J & B Medical has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to serving the most vulnerable members of the society, particularly veterans and seniors,” Dr. V. Ranga, Chair of AAPI BOT said.  “Your organization’s dedication to providing essential healthcare services and support to those in need has had a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals.:

Dr. Anjana Samadder, President-Elect of AAPI said, “Your commitment to enhancing the quality of life for our elderly population is commendable and inspires others in the healthcare industry. The AAPI Presidential Humanitarian Award 2023 is a recognition of your outstanding contributions and the positive impact you have made on the health and well-being of Americans in need.”

Dr. Joseph Chalil, Strategic Advisor of AAPI echoed similar sentiments. “Your tireless efforts in helping veterans and elderly Americans, through various initiatives, have truly made a difference in their lives. Through your leadership, J & B Medical has gone above and beyond to ensure that our nation’s heroes receive the care and assistance they deserve.”

Under the compassionate leadership of Ms. Mary Shaya, J & B Medical has demonstrated exceptional commitment to supporting veterans and elderly individuals in need. Through innovative programs and unwavering dedication, Ms. Shaya has spearheaded initiatives that have positively transformed the lives of those facing various health challenges.

“Your dedication and compassion have not only improved the health outcomes of veterans but also provided them with a renewed sense of hope and well-being. Furthermore, your philanthropic endeavors have touched the lives of American seniors, empowering them to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. Your leadership, compassion, and unwavering dedication exemplify the values that AAPI stands for, and we are honored to celebrate your achievements.”

Ms. Shaya’s tireless efforts to improve the lives of American veterans have provided them with essential healthcare services and unwavering support. Her initiatives have gone above and beyond to ensure that these esteemed individuals, who have dedicated their lives to serving their country, receive the care and assistance they deserve. Through her visionary leadership, Ms. Shaya has become a beacon of hope, improving countless veterans’ health outcomes and overall well-being.

Ms. Shaya’s philanthropic endeavors have made a profound impact on the lives of American seniors. Her dedication to enhancing the quality of life for elderly individuals has empowered them to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. Through her unwavering commitment to their well-being, Ms. Shaya has inspired others in the healthcare industry to prioritize the unique needs of seniors, fostering a culture of care and compassion.

American Association of Physicians of India origin (AAPI) was formed 41 years ago and is now the largest ethnic medical organization in the USA representing more than120,000 medicals professional in the USA and is deeply engaged in medical education in India through its mentorship activities with medical students in India and annual Global Healthcare Summit program bring together medical experts and academicians from the USA and India to interact with medical students and postgraduates in India with educational seminars and workshops at the summit. For more information, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

Stephen Shaya, M.D. to be Honored with the AAPI Presidential Healthcare Leadership Award 2023 for Revolutionizing Healthcare Delivery

Stephen Shaya, M.D., Managing Director of Akkad Holdings and Executive Servant Leader at J & B Medical,  has been chosen to be bestowed with the prestigious American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) Presidential Healthcare Leadership Award 2023. This highly coveted accolade celebrates Dr. Shaya’s outstanding contributions to the future of healthcare delivery and his visionary approach that has propelled innovation and reshaped the healthcare landscape.
Picture : TheUNN

“It is with great pleasure and admiration that I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Stephen Shaya, M.D. on being selected as the recipient of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (“AAPI”) Presidential Healthcare Leadership Award 2023,” said Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI. “This esteemed accolade recognizes your exceptional contributions to the future of Healthcare Delivery. Your visionary leadership as the Managing Director of Akkad Holdings and Executive Servant Leader at J & B Medical has been instrumental in driving innovation and transforming the healthcare landscape. Your dedication to improving the future of healthcare delivery is an inspiration to all, and we are honored to recognize your remarkable achievements.”

Dr. Shaya’s achievements will be celebrated during the upcoming AAPI Convention in Philadelphia on July 8th, 20203, where he will join other esteemed leaders, physicians, and healthcare professionals worldwide. The convention will provide a platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaborations, and advancing healthcare practices to benefit patients globally.

The AAPI Presidential Healthcare Leadership Award 2023 is a well-deserved recognition of Dr. Shaya’s exceptional contributions to the future of healthcare delivery. His visionary approach and commitment to innovation have propelled the industry forward and inspired countless healthcare professionals to embrace new possibilities. The prestigious award recognizes Dr. Shaya’s exceptional contributions to the future of healthcare and visionary leadership.

In his congratulatory note, Dr. V. Ranga, Chair of AAPI BOT said, “Your relentless pursuit of excellence and dedication to improving healthcare delivery has left an indelible impact on the industry. Through your visionary approach, you have consistently championed advancements in healthcare technology, research, and patient care.”

Dr. Anajana Samadder, President-Elect of AAPI said, “Your leadership and strategic insights have not only brought about positive change within your organization but have also inspired countless healthcare professionals to embrace innovation and embrace new possibilities. As we celebrate Dr. Shaya’s remarkable achievement, we eagerly anticipate witnessing the continued impact of his visionary leadership on the future of healthcare delivery.”  

Dr. Shaya’s relentless pursuit of excellence and unwavering dedication to improving healthcare delivery has impacted the healthcare industry immensely. Through his visionary leadership, he has spearheaded revolutionary initiatives that have transformed healthcare delivery, enhancing patient experiences and outcomes.

Picture : TheUNN

Acknowledging Dr. Shaya’s creative and innovative ways of providing healthcare delivery, Dr. Jospeh Chalil, Strategic Advisor of AAPI said, “Your efforts have not only revolutionized the way healthcare is delivered but have also enhanced the overall patient experience and outcomes. Your commitment to incorporating cutting-edge technologies and fostering collaborations within the industry has set new benchmarks for excellence.:

As Executive Servant Leader of J & B Medical, Dr. Shaya has consistently championed advancements in healthcare technology, research, and patient care. His forward-thinking strategies have reshaped the industry, creating a paradigm shift in how healthcare services are accessed and delivered. By incorporating cutting-edge technologies and fostering collaborations within the field, Dr. Shaya has set new benchmarks for excellence and pushed the boundaries of possibility.

As Managing Director of Akkad Holdings, his family office, his dedication and strategic investments in patient-centered care have revolutionized the healthcare experience. By placing patients at the heart of decision-making, Dr. Shaya has empowered individuals to actively participate in their healthcare journey, fostering a culture of shared responsibility and patient empowerment. His compassionate leadership has improved health outcomes and instilled a renewed sense of hope and well-being among patients.

Dr. Achitya Moulic, Chair of the AAPI CEO Forum at the AAPI Convention 2023, where Dr. Shaya will be a keynote speaker, said, “Your tireless advocacy for patient-centered care has been pivotal in shifting the focus towards holistic and personalized healthcare. By prioritizing patient needs and preferences, you have empowered individuals to actively participate in their own healthcare journey, fostering a culture of shared decision-making and patient empowerment.”

The AAPI Presidential Healthcare Leadership Award 2023 is a well-deserved recognition of Dr. Shaya’s exceptional contributions to the future of healthcare delivery. His visionary approach and commitment to innovation have propelled the industry forward and inspired countless healthcare professionals to embrace new possibilities.

“Dr. Shaya’s accomplishments are a testament to his unwavering commitment to improving healthcare and transforming lives. His visionary leadership and remarkable contributions have set new standards for excellence and inspired the entire healthcare community. As we celebrate Dr. Stephen Shaya’s remarkable achievements, we eagerly anticipate witnessing the continued impact of his visionary leadership on the future of healthcare delivery,” Dr. Kolli added. 

American Association of Physicians of India origin (“AAPI”) was formed 41 years ago and is now the largest ethnic medical organization in the USA representing more than 120,000 medicals professional in the USA and is deeply engaged in medical education in India through its mentorship activities with medical students in India and annual Global Healthcare Summit program bring together medical experts and academicians from the USA and India to interact with medical students and postgraduates in India with educational seminars and workshops at the summit. For more information, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

India-US Partnership Is The Biggest Success Story Of Mutually Beneficial Collaboration: Dr. Sampat Shivangi

“India-US Partnership is the biggest success story of mutually beneficial collaboration of the two great nations, the United States and India, especially in the backdrop of falling relations between the US and China,” said Dr. Sampat Shivangi, a physician, an influential Indian American community leader, and a veteran leader of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI).

The world order has changed since the Ukraine war, said Dr. Sampat Shivangi, National President of Indian American Forum and the Legislative Committee Chairman of AAPI, after he had attended the Luncheon hosted by the Vice President Kamala Harris in honor of the visiting Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on Friday, June 23rd, 20203.

Describing how the growing friendship between the greatest and the largest democracies of the world is mutually beneficial to both nations, Dr. Shivangi said, “The US needs a democratic giant cabot. It cannot find a better nation than India, the fifth largest economy and aspiring to be the third largest economy, as ben stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his historical address to the US Congress last week.”

Dr. Shivangi pointed out the way, President Biden, who was very much aware of negative propaganda against India regarding its treatment of the minorities, did not seem to have raised the issue with the Indian Prime Minister during their meetings in Washington. While Mr. Modi unequivocally defended India’s democratic values and the equal rights accorded to all of its citizens, President Biden “stood solidly behind India and signed historic treaties that include collaborative efforts to produce jet engines for fighter planes in collaboration with GE and HAL, a warning sign to China after a post-QUAD understanding.”

Dr. Shivangi justified President Biden calling China’s President a dictator immediately after the US Secretary of State returned home after so-called successful bilateral meetings between Blinken and his counter parts in Chiba.

Lauding the great achievements and contributions of the powerful Indian American community, Dr. Shivangi said, “They are reciprocal in supporting the several Treaties India and the US signed. The presence of the thousands of Indian Americans at the White House lawns was a testament to the strength and its support in developing newer and stronger ties between the two greatest democracies of our times. US government was quick to assess and make efforts to strengthen such a phenomenal transformation of relations.”

“In a changing world order, post-Ukraine invasion, India and Indian Americans explore the possibility of reduction in defense supplies from Russia to India a steady friend and partner of India for many decades,” the veteran AAPI leader told this writer. Between 2016 and 2020, India accounted for nearly one-quarter (23 per cent) of Russia’s total arms exports and Russia accounted for roughly half (49 per cent) of Indian imports, the CRS report said.

With India being in a tough neighborhood, Dr. Shivangi pointed out how Russia is unable to provide for the Indian defense requirements. “In this context, a treaty signed between India and the US to supply drones and Jet engine production in India is a great way to move forward and the Indian diaspora welcomes it with open arms.”

A conservative lifelong member of the Republican Party, Dr. Shivangi is the founding member of the Republican Indian National Council. Over the past three decades, he has lobbied for several Bills in the US Congress on behalf of India through his enormous contacts with US Senators and Congressmen.

A close friend to the Bush family, he was instrumental in lobbying for the first Diwali celebration in the White House and for President George W. Bush to make his trip to India. He had accompanied President Bill Clinton during his historic visit to India. Dr. Shivangi is Dr. Shivangi has worked enthusiastically in promoting India Civil Nuclear Treaty and recently the US India Defense Treaty that was passed in US Congress and signed by President Obama.

Dr. Shivangi has actively involved in several philanthropic activities, serving with Blind foundation of MS, Diabetic, Cancer and Heart Associations of America. Dr. Shivangi has initiated a number of philanthropic works in India including Primary & middle schools, Cultural Center, IMA Centers that he opened and helped to obtains the first-ever US Congressional grant to AAPI to study Diabetes Mellitus amongst Indian Americans.

Dr. Sampat Shivangi was awarded the highest civilian honor, the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Sanman Award in 2016 in Bengaluru by the Hon. President of India, Shri Pranap Mukhejee. He was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York in 2008. He is married to Dr. Udaya S. Shivangi, MD, and the couple are blessed with two daughters: Priya S. Shivangi, MS (NYU); Pooja S. Shivangi who is an Attorney at Law.

Addressing Diabetes in Asian Americans

In 2021, Shaheen Aamir found herself too exhausted to engage in active play with her children. She recalls telling them, “‘You guys can play, Mom wants to sit.'” Aamir admits to never exercising and being concerned about her weight at the time.

Fast forward three years, and now 32-year-old Aamir begins each day with yoga or dancing. This transformation occurred after she enrolled in a four-month course focused on preventing Type 2 diabetes. “It changed my life, health- and fitness-wise,” says Aamir, adding that she feels “light and energetic” and has experienced a boost in self-esteem.

Aamir, an immigrant from Pakistan with a family history of diabetes, was among nearly 550 individuals who participated in the South Asian Healthy Lifestyle Intervention Program (SAHELI). The study aimed to address and prevent diabetes and heart disease among South Asians residing in the Chicago area.

Compared to whites, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have higher diabetes rates and are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes at younger ages and lower body weights. South Asians, Filipinos, and Pacific Islanders face particularly high risks among Asian subgroups.

A team of Asian American researchers is working to uncover the reasons behind these disparities and develop programs like SAHELI to reduce diabetes rates. They are investigating root causes and improved solutions while advocating for their communities to adopt healthier habits. Here are some key findings that can make a difference.

Identifying the Dangers of ‘Skinny Fat’

In the mid-1990s, when epidemiologist Maria Rosario Araneta joined UC San Diego’s faculty, she noticed a pattern: numerous patients at a nearby Veterans Administration hospital suffering from kidney damage due to diabetes were slim Filipino men. “They weren’t obese, they weren’t overweight,” Araneta says, emphasizing that “they had access to care” and were required to exercise as part of their Navy service.

This trend resonated with Araneta, a Filipina, because her father and grandmother both developed diabetes while appearing slim and healthy. “I thought – I’m definitely at risk. My community’s at risk,” she remembers.

Although there is a well-established connection between being overweight or obese and the risk of diabetes, Asians in America are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than whites, despite having lower average BMIs.

Dr. Alka Kanaya, a diabetes researcher and professor of medicine at UC San Francisco, suggests that one explanation could be that Asian bodies tend to store fat “in all the wrong places.” Instead of accumulating fat under the skin around the hips or thighs, Asian Americans often deposit it “in the liver, around the abdominal organs, in the muscle, around the heart.”

This can result in a condition known as “skinny fat,” where an individual may appear thin externally but possess a significant amount of visceral fat deep within the belly and surrounding the organs. Araneta explains that “visceral fat is not just a place where we store excess calories,” but rather, this hidden fat may contribute to Type 2 diabetes risk by promoting inflammation and insulin resistance.

Researchers are currently trying to determine how to reduce visceral fat, suspecting that building muscle might help, but they have yet to gather sufficient data to confirm this theory.

Adapting Screening Guidelines for Asian Americans

There is limited U.S. research funding available for studying diabetes in Asian populations, leading to issues with screening and underdiagnosis due to the historical lack of data. However, Dr. George King, founder and director of the Asian American Diabetes Initiative at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, emphasizes that “it’s not that we have to wait for that for the research [to act]. There’s plenty we can do ourselves.”

King, Araneta, Kanaya, and other Asian American and Pacific Islander healthcare professionals successfully advocated for changes to screening guidelines. This was based on research indicating that many Asians develop diabetes at lower weights. In 2015, the American Diabetes Association began recommending that Asian Americans be screened for diabetes at a body mass index (BMI) of 23, instead of the BMI of 25 recommended for the general population.

The “Screen at 23” campaign helped spread this message, as Asian Pacific Islander physicians and others pushed for increased awareness and policy changes. Several states with high Asian populations have adopted these changes. The Asian American Diabetes Initiative provides a calculator that allows Asian Americans to check their BMI and determine if it falls within the at-risk or healthy range.

Double Screening for At-Risk Individuals

Araneta highlights issues with diagnostic tests, such as the A1C test, which measures blood sugar levels without fasting. An A1C level of 6.5% or higher indicates diabetes based on current medical guidelines, primarily derived from research on people of European descent. However, Araneta’s research shows that many Asians may have diabetes at lower A1C levels. In a study, the A1C test missed half of the Native Hawaiians diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes using the “gold standard” test and two-thirds of Japanese Americans.

This means that many Asians with diabetes might go undiagnosed for years until complications arise. To address this issue, Araneta and other researchers recommend that Asians with A1C levels in the “prediabetes” range (5.7% to 6.4%) undergo further testing for a more accurate diagnosis and proper interventions.

Understanding Subgroup Differences

Araneta stresses the importance of researching differences in diabetes risk among the diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander population, as some groups have much higher rates overall – South Asians, Filipinos, and Pacific Islanders. For example, while Chinese Americans generally develop diabetes at age 70 or older, South Asians tend to develop low insulin production at a younger age, leading to a subtype of Type 2 diabetes often associated with heart disease but not kidney problems, according to Kanaya.

Behavioural Changes for Prevention

While researchers continue seeking answers, doctors aim to reduce people’s risk now. The SAHELI diabetes prevention course that Shaheen Aamir participated in focuses on improving diet, exercise, and stress levels, proving even more effective than commonly prescribed drugs for warding off diabetes. The program is specifically adapted for South Asian foods and culture, addressing the stress of being an ethnic minority and the challenges faced when immigrating to a new environment.

Aamir credits the program with helping her change her family’s diet and lifestyle, resulting in weight management and increased energy to play with her children. Advocacy and prevention programs are making a difference, but the number of Asians and Pacific Islanders with diabetes continues to rise. Long-term lifestyle changes are needed to address the issue, and researchers are committed to this work for years to come.

New York City’s Congestion Pricing Program Aims to Reduce Traffic

The Biden administration is on the verge of permitting New York City to proceed with a groundbreaking initiative that will impose tolls on vehicles entering Lower Manhattan, known as the Central Business District Tolling Program or “congestion pricing.” This program, which is the first of its kind in the United States, aims to charge drivers for entering the traffic-heavy area below 60th Street in Manhattan. Proposed fees range from $9 to $23 during peak hours, with implementation planned for next spring.

After years of delay, the plan reached a significant milestone last month when the Federal Highway Administration approved the release of an environmental assessment. Following the end of the public review period on Monday, the federal government is expected to give its final approval. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) can then finalize toll rates and establish discounts and exemptions for certain drivers.

Congestion pricing advocates argue that the program is essential for New York City’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and for re-envisioning the city’s future. As Governor Kathy Hochul stated last month, “This program is critical to New York City’s long-term success.” The plan represents the culmination of over 50 years of efforts to implement congestion pricing in the city.

The primary motivation behind congestion pricing has been the need to enhance the city’s public transportation system. Lower Manhattan sees around 700,000 cars, taxis, and trucks enter each day, causing some of the worst gridlock in the country. The toll aims to reduce the number of vehicles entering the congestion zone by at least 10% daily and decrease the number of miles driven within the zone by 5%.

In addition to alleviating traffic, the program aims to minimize accidents, carbon emissions, and pollution. It also seeks to improve public transit, which accounts for approximately 75% of trips downtown. With public transit ridership currently 35% to 45% lower than pre-pandemic levels, the MTA anticipates that congestion fees will generate a vital revenue source to fund $15 billion in future investments to modernize the city’s century-old public transit system.

Kate Slevin, the executive vice president of the Regional Plan Association, emphasizes the importance of public transit for the city: “We’re relying on that revenue to pay for needed upgrades and investments that ensure reliable, good transit service.” Enhancing public transportation is crucial for New York City’s post-pandemic economic recovery and for creating more space for amenities like wider sidewalks, bike lanes, plazas, benches, trees, and public restrooms.

Sam Schwartz, former New York City traffic commissioner and founder of a consulting firm, believes that prioritizing pedestrians is key to the city’s future: “But the future of New York City is that the pedestrian should be king and queen. Everything should be subservient to the pedestrian.”

Congestion pricing has been successfully implemented in cities like Stockholm, London, and Singapore, resulting in benefits such as reduced carbon dioxide emissions, increased average speeds, and decreased traffic congestion. For instance, London experienced a 30% drop in traffic congestion and a similar increase in average speeds just one year after implementing its congestion charge in 2003. In Stockholm, a study revealed that children’s acute asthma visits to doctors dropped by about 50% after the introduction of the program in 2007.

Despite these successes, New York City’s congestion pricing plan faces opposition from several groups, including taxi and ride-share drivers, who are predominantly low-income and immigrant workers. They argue that the program could harm drivers already struggling financially, with the MTA estimating that congestion pricing could reduce taxi demand by up to 17% within the zone. Commuters and legislators from outer boroughs and New Jersey also express concerns that the program unfairly targets drivers who have no alternative means of reaching downtown Manhattan, disproportionately affecting low-income residents. However, the MTA states that only around 16,100 low-income individuals commute to work via car in Lower Manhattan out of a region of 28 million people.

Critics also worry about the potential for increased traffic and pollution from diesel trucks in lower-income areas, such as the Bronx, which already experiences the highest rates of asthma hospitalization in the city. To address these concerns, the MTA and other agencies have developed mitigation measures. For example, taxis and for-hire vehicles will only be tolled once per day, while drivers earning less than $50,000 annually or enrolled in specific government aid programs will receive a 25% discount after their first 10 trips each month. Trucks and other vehicles will benefit from a 50% discount during overnight hours.

Moreover, the MTA has committed $10 million to install air filtration units in schools near highways and $20 million for an asthma-fighting program, along with other investments to improve air quality and the environment in areas where traffic could increase. The outcomes of New York City’s congestion pricing program are being closely monitored by leaders in other cities, as its success could pave the way for similar initiatives in US cities grappling with pandemic recovery, climate change, and aging public infrastructure. As the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board stated last month, “It’s good to see New York City’s program moving forward. Los Angeles should watch, learn, and go next.”

Senate GOP Introduces “Lowering Education Costs and Debt Act”

Senate Republicans have announced their own plan to address student debt, which was introduced as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on President Biden’s student debt relief program. The GOP’s “Lowering Education Costs and Debt Act” comprises five bills aimed at tackling the underlying causes of the student debt crisis, including rising tuition fees and students taking out loans they cannot afford. The package was initiated by Senators Bill Cassidy, Chuck Grassley, John Cornyn, Tommy Tuberville, and Tim Scott.

Two of the package’s bills deal specifically with how colleges provide information to prospective students. The “College Transparency Act” would reform the way colleges report on outcomes of their graduates to provide more accurate and useful information for prospective students. On the other hand, the “Understanding the True Cost of College Act” would require colleges to use a standardized format for financial aid letters, including a breakdown of the aid offered, so that students can compare offers more easily.

The remaining three bills in the package concern student loans and look at improving the information provided to borrowers and limiting some forms of borrowing. The “Informed Student Borrower Act” requires individuals to acknowledge receipt of student loan entrance materials, and the materials must include information about loan repayment periods, monthly payment amounts, and potential earnings for graduates of specific programs. This information will be given to students annually.

One of the remaining bills in the package aims to simplify the nine different student loan repayment options available. The proposal cuts that number down to two, leaving the 10-year standard repayment plan in place and modifying the REPAYE repayment plan. The latter provides loan forgiveness to students with low balances and low incomes.

Undergraduate or graduate programs that have not been shown to lead to higher earning potential than high school graduates or bachelor’s degree holders will be ineligible for loans under the bill. The final proposal in the package aims to put pressure on graduate schools to reduce costs, which account for almost half of all student loan debt taken out each year. If passed, this legislation would end Graduate PLUS loans, a type of loan that has been left unrestricted since 2006 and that Republicans consider “inflationary.”

Sen. Cassidy remarked that “our federal higher education financing system contributes more to the problem than the solution. Colleges and universities using the availability of federal loans to increase their tuitions have left too many students drowning in debt without a path for success. Unlike President Biden’s student loan schemes, this plan addresses the root causes of the student debt crisis. It puts downward pressure on tuition and empowers students to make the educational decisions that put them on track to academically and financially succeed.”

Although Republicans do not control the Senate, they have a chance of winning approval for the bill if it gains the support of centrist Democrats, including Sen. Joe Manchin. Manchin recently joined with other senators, including Jon Tester and Kyrsten Sinema, in a vote to overturn President Biden’s student debt relief plan, which was vetoed by the White House. The Republican package was released ahead of a possible Supreme Court decision on the legality of Biden’s student debt relief program, providing the GOP with a plan to present should the high court strike down the president’s initiative.

Overall, the GOP’s Lowering Education Costs and Debt Act represents one approach to addressing student debt and the growing student loan crisis. With rising tuition costs and student debt levels that have reached unsustainable levels, addressing the root causes of the problem is critical to helping students cope with the costs of higher education and providing them with the resources necessary to succeed academically and financially. Whether the bill gains the support needed to become law remains to be seen, but the issue of student debt, and how it is addressed, will remain a key concern for lawmakers and students alike.

Global Organization Of Indian Christians Announces Leadership Panel For 2023

California: The Global Organization of Indian Christians (GOIC) announced its new leadership panel for 2023. The GOIC is an organization that brings together Christians who emigrated from India to other countries, regardless of denomination, and was founded in 2017 with the idea of upholding unity based on Christian values.

The Global Organization of Indian Christians is led by President Ginsmon P. Zacharia (USA). He is supported by Shajan Alexander (USA), who serves as General Secretary; Tomichen Puthenpurackal (USA), who serves as Treasurer; and Anil Augustine (USA), Tony Mathew (Australia), and Rosen Phillip (USA), who serve as Vice Presidents. The GOIC also has three Joint Secretaries: Shan Justus (USA), Georgekutty Meppurath (Canada), and Molly Thomas (USA), and one Joint Treasurer: Biji Jose (England).

Ginsmon is a familiar face among the American Malayali diasporas. He has a long history of leadership in community organizations and is a senior journalist and media entrepreneur with 19 years of experience. He is also the past trustee board chairman and president of the India Catholic Association of America (ICAA), an umbrella organization for the Syro-Malabar Church, Syro-Malankara, Knanaya, and Latin Catholic communities in the United States. The ICAA has around 2,000 members and played a significant role in providing spiritual guidance to early Christian immigrants from India who made America their home.

A well-respected journalist and media entrepreneur with a long and distinguished career, Ginsmon is also the founder of the Indo-American Press Club (IAPC), the largest organization of Indian journalists in North America, and served as its chairman from 2014 to 2016. He is also the Managing Director of Global Reporter TV, the Chief Editor of JaiHind Vartha, America’s most popular Malayalam newspaper, the publisher of Aksharam, a leading magazine in Malayalam, and the publisher of Asian Era, an English language newspaper catering to the Indian diaspora.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Ginsmon has held leadership positions in several organizations. He was the director of Jai Hind TV’s American division and worked for the European division of Deepika, one of the oldest Malayalam newspapers. He was also the first general secretary of the Liverpool Malayali Association and the secretary of the Indo-American Lawyers Forum, the Indo-American Malayali Chamber of Commerce, and joint secretary for the Kerala Samajam of Greater New York.

Ginsmon, a native of Thodupuzha Vazhiththala, graduated with a law degree from Bangalore University. He also has a postgraduate degree in business management. He is married to Siji Augustine, and they have three children: Andrew, Brionna, and Ethan.

Shajan Alexander, elected GOIC general secretary, is an MBA graduate and an entrepreneur here in the USA and in India. He is also an activist with the Frederick Douglass Foundation, Faith, and Freedom Coalition. He also held the Asian Faith Alliance Executive Director position and is a political consultant and analyst. He started his career at Walmart as a sales associate when he immigrated to the US in 2003. His parents, TC Alexander and his mother, Mariamma Alexander, are from Chengannur Pandanad in Kerala. He lives with his wife, Nissy Alexander, a psychotherapist and clinician, and two boys, Nathan and Nicholas.

Tomichen Puthenpurackal, GOIC’s elected treasurer, is an engineer by profession. He has a degree in mechanical and production engineering and has served with the military as an engineer and worked in various reputed firms in India and abroad. He has been an active participant and carried various roles in many organizations. His responsibilities included several leadership positions in social & religious organizations in India, UAE, Ireland, and in the USA. A philanthropist, team leader, and organizer, Tomichen is also enthusiastic about sports and games.

The GOIC is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2017. The GOIC is led by a 21-member board of directors, who formulates their ideologies and decisions and consists of representatives from 22 countries across the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. The GOIC’s motto is “United in Christ.” One of the GOIC’s main objectives is to lead activities that are beneficial to the community and to help the younger generation, who go for education in foreign countries, to maintain their faith and unity.

The organization will also lead efforts to unify the leaders of various Christian organizations under one roof to address the challenges faced by Christians in India, especially in Kerala. This organization is a community of Christian believers who are united by their faith in Christ. The organization’s goal is to help needy brothers and sisters in their time of need and to support their growth and survival at the material level.

The organization was founded on the message of Jesus Christ to be a good neighbor and to help those in need. The founders’ belief that growing together, rather than growing alone, is essential for the survival of our society and that we have a responsibility to help those who are less fortunate was the motivation for the start of the organization.

The members of this organization come from different Christian denominations, and as such, there will be some differences in their religious beliefs and spiritual views. This organization is committed to creating a community that respects everyone’s faith and, therefore, does not promote any discussion on religious matters, attempts to impose one’s faith on others, or the attitude that only one’s faith is correct. This organization believes that doing so could disrupt the community. Instead, this organization believes that spiritual life and growth in relationship with God should be shaped by each individual’s faith in relation to their faith, community, or church.

Each member of this organization will continue to be a member of their respective churches or associations and promote the good works that they are doing. The official interest of this organization is to help in the spiritual growth of all its members. This organization is not a platform for criticizing the activities of the churches or associations that its members are currently a part of. It has been decided that nothing that happens in these other organizations should affect the operations of this organization. This community is designed to achieve together what its members and their organizations cannot achieve on their own.

GOIC has no intention of becoming a church or similar organization. Its purpose is to help Christians grow and thrive, both physically and spiritually. This includes providing material support, spiritual guidance, and a sense of community. The organization would strive to create a safe and supportive environment where Christians can grow in their faith and live happy and peaceful lives.

Simply put, the Global Organization of Indian Christians is an organization that would help Christians achieve material growth while maintaining their Christian values. This group would be a place for discussions, decision-making, and taking action with the sole objective of ensuring the material growth and safety of Indian Christians around the world.

Nidhi Shukla Named President Of Girl Rising

Shukla will lead Girl Rising’s programmatic expansion to advance girls’ rights to a quality education and dismantle gender barrier

New York based, international non-profit organization Girl Rising, appointed Nidhi Shukla as president of the organization on June 13, 2023 with immediate effect.

Formerly the head of global programming based in India, Shukla will join CEO Christina Lowery in New York to drive the organization’s mission of using the power of storytelling to change the way the world values girls and their education, according to a press note.

As president, Shukla will lead Girl Rising’s programmatic expansion to advance girls’ rights for a quality education and dismantle gender barriers. She will work closely with a network of partners, supporters, and grassroots activists to integrate new areas of focus into the organization’s educational programming.

Primarily, Shukla will provide strategic guidance on integrating climate justice and climate change action into all aspects of Girl Rising’s programs. She has been a part of Girl Rising since 2015. Most recently, she served as the vice president of Global Health Strategies.

On her elevation to the top post, Shukla said, “I have seen firsthand how Girl Rising’s focus on storytelling to build understanding, forge connections, and create empathy is uniquely effective in breaking down gender barriers. I am thrilled to be taking this position, as Girl Rising moves into its second decade of impact.”

A former human rights lawyer, Shukla carries two decades of experience in the social justice sector and commitment to channel storytelling-based advocacy to impact marginalized populations. Previously, she worked with Lawyers Collective, Heroes Project – Richard Gere Foundation, and Johns Hopkins University – Centre for Communications Program.

Indians Bag Largest Share Of H-1B Visas In 2022

320,791 Indians were awarded H-1B visas in FY 2022, out of the total 441,502 applicants amounting for 72.6 per cent of the share.

An official report published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that three out of four job-seeker visas in the U.S. during the fiscal year 2022 were awarded to Indians.

According to the report, 320,791 Indians were awarded H-1B visas in FY 2022, out of the total 441,502 applicants amounting for 72.6 percent.

India was followed by China which accounted for 12.5 percent of approvals while Nepal received the least visas, with 2,057 applications being approved.

In 2021, the USCIS approved 407,000 H-1B applications out of which 301,000 were awarded to Indians, making up 74.1 per cent of the total share. In the previous year, the organization approved 426,000 H-1B applications out of which 74.9 percent went to Indians.

Not just skilled professionals, but India-born students seeking an education in the U.S. have also emerged in the top rungs. As per reports, one out of every five U.S. student visas were issued in India.

India Rejects Joining NATO, Insists on Countering Chinese Aggression Independently

India has clarified that it has no plans to join the Western-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi marking the completion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that the military alliance is “not suitable for India.” NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance comprising 31 member states – 29 European and two North American – with its primary objective being the protection of its members’ freedom and security through political and military means.

India’s critical stance comes just weeks after a prominent Congressional Committee suggested enhancing NATO Plus by incorporating India into the group. Currently consisting of NATO Plus 5, this security arrangement unites NATO with five aligned nations – Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea – in an effort to strengthen global defense cooperation. Including India would enable smooth intelligence sharing among these countries, allowing India to access cutting-edge military technology more quickly.

Despite these potential benefits, Jaishankar dismissed the proposal, stating, “NATO template doesn’t apply to India.” Notably, this suggestion from the United States emerged shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the country.

Why India should join NATO?

As per the US perspective, India should join NATO to protect its borders from neighboring China and bolster global security by countering the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Select Committee emphasized that “winning the strategic competition with the Chinese Communist Party and ensuring the security of Taiwan demands the United States strengthen ties to our allies and security partners, including India.” By incorporating India into NATO Plus security arrangements, the US and India could build upon their close partnership to enhance global security and deter CCP aggression across the Indo-Pacific region.

What does India believe?

India, on the other hand, believes that it does not need to join the alliance, as it is capable of countering any Chinese aggression on its own. This is currently possible given the separation between the two countries by the Himalayan region.

Furthermore, China is presently grappling with a looming economic crisis. Recent datashowed a decline in China’s exports and imports, suggesting an economic rebound following the end of anti-virus controls is slowing due to weakened global demand and higher interest rates. China’s global trade surplus has also narrowed.

The US Congressional Committee recommends that the United States “should strengthen the NATO Plus arrangement to include India” and “strengthen diplomatic deterrence by supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.” Additionally, they suggest amending the TAIPEI Act to ensure the US and its allies publicly oppose any attempts by the CCP to manipulate the status of Taiwan’s sovereignty through the misuse of UN Resolution 2758 or the US’ One China Policy.

Top 10 Billionaire Hotspots

In June, Wealth X unveiled its yearly analysis of the global billionaire population. Utilizing RelSci, a data-driven platform, the organization examined a database containing 11 million influential individuals and 1.8 million organizations to determine where billionaires reside, based on their primary business addresses. The report revealed that the top-ranked cities housed 29% of the world’s billionaires in 2022, with nearly all of them being major global cities. This demonstrates the ongoing appeal of high-end businesses, as well as cultural and lifestyle opportunities for the ultra-wealthy.

Here are the top 10 cities with the highest number of billionaires:

New York City

Hong Kong

San Francisco

Moscow

London

Beijing

Los Angeles

Singapore

Shenzhen

Mumbai

New York City leads the pack with 136 billionaires in 2022. Despite losing two billionaires from 2021 to 2022, the city remains the global capital for billionaires. As the report states, “New York is home to the world’s largest stock markets, New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, and is also considered the biggest regional economy in the U.S.”

Hong Kong follows closely behind with a total of 112 billionaires, experiencing a similar decrease of two billionaires. The Wealth X report explains that although Hong Kong’s wealth portfolios were less exposed to the fluctuating global economy, the region’s divided political developments impact its attractiveness for billionaire non-financial businesses.

San Francisco ranks third with 84 billionaires, one less than in 2021. Despite this slight decline, the city witnessed a 68% growth in its high-net-worth population between 2012 and 2022, according to a Henley & Partners report. A March study from Wealth-X and REALM reveals that “there’s one ultra-wealthy homeowner in San Francisco for every 505 residents.”

Over the past decade, San Francisco has become synonymous with Silicon Valley, which experienced significant growth in 2022. The tech hub extends from the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area to other cities such as San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Jose, Palo Alto, Cupertino, and Mountain View. Silicon Valley hosts major companies like Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Nvidia, and more.

India’s IIT Graduates in High Demand Globally

A significant portion, one-third, of graduates from India’s esteemed engineering institutions, specifically the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), choose to move abroad. A substantial 65% of these highly-skilled individuals make up the migrants bound for the United States, as revealed in a working paper (pdf) by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).

A striking statistic shows that 90% of the top performers in the annual joint entrance examination for IITs and other renowned engineering colleges have migrated. Furthermore, 36% of the top 1,000 scorers have followed suit, according to the paper released this month.

Many IIT graduates have become leading executives and CEOs in the US. The majority of these immigrants initially move to the US as students and later join the workforce. The NBER paper discovered that “83% of such immigrants pursue a Master’s degree or a doctorate.”

The report highlights the role of elite universities in shaping migration outcomes, stating, “…through a combination of signaling and network effects, elite universities in source countries play a key role in shaping migration outcomes, both in terms of the overall propensity and the particular migration destination.”

There are 23 IITs spread across India, with acceptance rates at many of these prestigious institutions being lower than those of Ivy League colleges. This is especially true for the most sought-after IITs at Kharagpur, Mumbai, Kanpur, Chennai, and Delhi. In 2023 alone, a staggering 189,744 candidates registered for the JEE, competing for a mere 16,598 seats.

Highly skilled Indians are in high demand across global economies

The NBER report highlights the US graduate program as a crucial migration pathway to attract the “best and brightest.”

In a similar vein, the UK’s High Potential Individual visa route allows graduates from the top 50 non-UK universities, including the IITs, to live and work in the country for a minimum of two years. For those with doctoral qualifications, the work visa extends to at least three years.

The report also mentions that recent IIT graduates seeking to move abroad benefit from a network of accomplished alumni and faculty members already settled overseas. Some of these connections even grant access to specific programs where they hold sway over admissions or hiring decisions.

The intriguing example of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is worth noting

In 2012, this century-old institution, also India’s first central university, was granted IIT status. Interestingly, this elevation took place without any alterations to the staff, curriculum, or admission system at the Varanasi-based institute in Uttar Pradesh.

The NBER report examined 1,956 BHU students who graduated with BTech, BPharm, MTech, or integrated dual degrees between 2005 and 2015. The study found a remarkable 540% increase in migration probability among graduates following the IIT status designation.

The report observed that “…the quality of education/human capital acquired by the students in the cohorts before and after the change remained constant, while only the name of the university on the degree received differed.”

-+=