Charles III Crowned As King Of United Kingdom In Once-In-A-Generation Ceremony

May 8, 2023May 15, 2023 Staff ReporterCulture, World 0

King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, were crowned during a grand coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6^th, 2023. The couple, escorted by around 200 members of the British military, began their procession from Buckingham Palace to the ceremony in a golden carriage drawn by eight horses.

During the grand and religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey, King Charles III was formally crowned as monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries. Although Charles had ascended to the throne on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II last September, his coronation was the traditional crowning of the monarch. This marked the first time since 1953 that a coronation was held at the historic site.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby placed the St. Edward’s Crown, a 360-year-old symbol of monarchy, on Charles’ head during the most significant moment of the day. Welby declared, “God Save the King” in a service that reflected the fact that Charles is not only head of state but also the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

They were surrounded by over 1,000 soldiers, sailors, and Royal Air Force personnel. At Westminster Abbey, Charles and Camilla were welcomed by church officials and support staff before the formal ceremony began. One of Charles’ first speeches emphasized his intent to “serve, not to be served” and follow in the footsteps of the “king of kings.” After taking on a series of oaths, Charles was presented with symbolic items such as swords and spurs from various historical periods before putting on the heavy crown.

The coronation was completed with the oath of allegiance pledged by the highest members of Britain’s clergy and Charles’ son, Prince William. The ceremony, which was steeped in history and tradition, has been modernized in certain ways. During the service, when acknowledging the various faiths observed in the UK, the archbishop said the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely.”

One modern innovation saw the King become the first monarch to pray aloud at his coronation. Charles asked to “be a blessing” to people “of every faith and conviction.” This prayer was considered the most sacred part of the ceremony. The King was also anointed with holy oil by the archbishop and presented with the coronation regalia, including the royal Robe and Stole, during the investiture part of the service.

For the first time in coronation history, the archbishop invited the British public and those from “other Realms” to recite a pledge of allegiance to the newly crowned monarch and his “heirs and successors.” This invitation caused criticism from the media, and the Church of England then revised the text of the liturgy to offer a choice between saying “God save King Charles” and reciting the full pledge.

Music played a central role in the proceedings, with five new compositions commissioned, including an anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The newly crowned king and his wife rode back to Buckingham Palace in a grand coach drawn by six horses, accompanied by the Household Cavalry, after which a much larger parade took place featuring 4,000 members of the armed forces, 250 horses, and 19 military bands.

The ceremony also featured a reading from the Bible by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and gospel music, which was a first for a coronation. Following the coronation, Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla was crowned in her own, shorter ceremony with Queen Mary’s Crown, making it the first time in recent history that a new crown wasn’t made specifically for this occasion.

The weather was wet during the proceedings, which saw tens of thousands of well-wishers gather in central London despite the rain. The rain appeared to have little effect on the proceedings, which concluded with the customary balcony appearance by the King and family members, who watched a flypast of military aircraft.

The two-hour-long ceremony saw the monarch proclaim his faith and devotion to his subjects, invoking integrity and humility, and the whole nation. Charles’ coronation is a historic event that upholds the traditions of the British monarchy, representing a modern touch with the introduction of the pledge of allegiance and modern hymns. Charles will continue to work towards building a better future for the United Kingdom and its allies.

Royal ceremony witnesses global dignitaries and renowned personalities

Thousands of royal fans camped alongside the 1.3-mile (2km) route that extends from London’s Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British monarchy, to Westminster Abbey, the coronation church since 1066, to catch a glimpse of King Charles III’s procession. However, the London Metropolitan Police Service had to close all the viewing areas along the processional path due to overfilling.

The size of the congregation, about 2,300 people was much smaller than that in 1953, when temporary structures had to be erected at the abbey to accommodate more than 8,000 people on the guest list. The abbey doors were opened just before 8 a.m. and guests, including top British officials, faith leaders, and international representatives, were expected to take their seats more than an hour before the ceremony began. The event was attended by hundreds of VIPs, hinting at the logistical challenges presented by a ceremony of this magnitude.

The guest list was comprised of notable British public figures and politicians like Rishi Sunak’s living predecessors as Prime Minister. Other attendees included UK opposition leader Keir Starmer, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt. Heads of states from approximately 100 countries and dozens of members of foreign royal families also made their way to London for the service. Notable international attendees include Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel.

US President Joe Biden was absent from the ceremony, and Jill Biden led the US delegation, sitting beside Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska. Several celebrities graced the occasion, including singers Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, musician Nick Cave, actresses Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Joanna Lumley, and Judi Dench, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and broadcaster Stephen Fry.

The last to arrive, just before the King and Queen, were Prince Charles’ siblings and children, including Prince Harry, who travelled from the United States to the UK without his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two young children. It was also Prince Archie’s 4th birthday. After the ceremony, Prince Harry did not join the family for the start of the traditional balcony appearance, and CNN revealed that he did not receive an invitation to join the family for this moment. Similarly, Prince Andrew was not present on the balcony due to his ties to Jeffery Epstein, a convicted pedophile. The prince announced that he would step back from royal duties in 2019 and, in January 2022, was stripped off his military titles and royal patronages after a judge ruled that a sexual abuse civil lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre would proceed. The case was later settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Challenges and Controversies Surrounding the Coronation of King Charles III

The Coronation ceremony of King Charles III has been a subject of controversy despite the grandeur of the occasion. While the British monarchy and its supporters relished the event, several citizens disapproved of the millions of pounds spent on the ceremony, calling it an insensitive use of taxpayers’ money, especially during the economic downturn.

The biggest challenge of the event was security, since security for such large-scale events is one of the costliest aspects. Given this, the London Metropolitan Police Service, ahead of time, announced that the coronation day would be the largest single-day policing operation in decades, with over 11,500 policemen on duty in the city. The event also faced unwanted anti-monarchy demonstrations, and a few protesters were arrested in Central London on Saturday morning, before the event commenced. Republic, a campaign group that vehemently opposes the monarchy, deemed the concept of the “homage of the people” on the coronation day “offensive, tone-deaf, and a gesture that holds the people in contempt.”

Earlier this week, the enforcement of a controversial UK public order bill, which has faced wide criticism, raised eyebrows. Since the Queen’s passing last year, there has been an increase in instances of anti-monarchists turning up unexpectedly at royal events to voice their objections to the monarchy. The new rule, signed into law by King Charles III just before the coronation, gives the police greater authority to take stronger legal action against peaceful protesters.

Despite the grandeur of the event, some people had criticized spending millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on the ceremony amid an economic crisis. The security costs, which are usually the costliest part of large events, were also a concern, with over 11, 500 police officers on duty across London.

After returning from his coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were welcomed by hundreds of military personnel in ceremonial uniforms on the vast lawn at the rear of Buckingham Palace.

They then appeared on the long balcony at the front of the building, where thousands of supporters had gathered to catch a glimpse of the newly crowned King and Queen. Despite raining heavily, the couple was joined by select members of the royal family as the audience looked on.

While the Air Force jets roared overhead, leaving behind a trail of smoke in the national colors of red, white and blue, Charles raised his eyes but did not look up, seemingly preoccupied with managing the delicate balance of his crown.

Headlined by popular artists such as Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Take That, the “Coronation Concert” was held at Windsor Castle on Sunday evening, and people were encouraged to volunteer in their communities on Monday, the final day of the long holiday weekend.

President Biden Praises VP Kamala Harris Ahead Of 2024 Campaign

May 8, 2023May 15, 2023 Staff ReporterUSA 0

President Biden has come to the defence of Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming that she has not received the recognition she deserves. In a recent interview with MSNBC, Biden stated that “Vice President Harris hasn’t gotten the credit she deserves…she was an attorney general in the state of California. She has been a United States senator.” Biden went on to call the Vice President “very, very good” and expressed concerns that she has not received enough attention for her hard work.

This sentiment was echoed by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who stated on ABC’s “This Week” that Harris has struggled to receive positive press coverage and credit for her work. He emphasized that she is ready to run and be president if necessary and that both he and President Biden have great confidence in her abilities.

Harris has been playing a significant role in President Biden’s administration, with many speculating that she will be a key figure in the 2024 reelection campaign. There have been concerns raised about Biden’s age, and Harris has been touted as a potential successor. Acknowledging those speculations, Biden himself said that while he is “more experienced than anybody who’s ever run for the office,” he recognizes that Harris is a vital member of his team.

Harris’s record as attorney general and senator of California has been widely lauded. During her time as attorney general, she became known for her efforts to combat human trafficking and reduce recidivism. As a senator, she was an outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform and a champion for women’s rights. Her presence and work have been noted by her colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Despite her impressive resume, Harris has faced criticism from some quarters, including suggestions that she received special treatment during her political career because of her ethnicity and gender. However, her supporters argue that these criticisms are baseless and that Harris has earned her place on the national stage through her hard work and dedication.

Moving forward, it seems likely that Harris will continue to play an instrumental role in President Biden’s administration, with many hoping that her influence will continue to grow. She has proven herself to be a hardworking and passionate public servant, and while she may not have received the recognition she deserves thus far, it seems clear that she is a force to be reckoned with. As President Biden himself noted, “I think I’ve proven myself to be honorable, as well as effective. And so has Kamala Harris.”

WHO Declares End To COVID-19 Global Health Emergency

May 8, 2023May 15, 2023 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Friday that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency; a decision reached after the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee discussed the pandemic at its 15th meeting on the virus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the public health emergency of global concern, or PHEIC, declaration should end, stating that “for more than a year the pandemic has been on a downward trend”. However, while Covid-19 remains a threat, the virus is evolving, and the WHO has said it would not hesitate to convene another emergency committee meeting and declare a global health emergency again if there was a significant rise in Covid-19 cases or deaths in the future.

A PHEIC creates an agreement in which countries abide by the WHO’s recommendations for managing the emergency. Each country then makes its own public health emergency declaration, declarations that carry legal weight. Countries use them to marshal resources and waive rules to ease a crisis. However, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead and head of its program on emerging disease, said that the emergency phase of the Covid-19 crisis is over, but the disease is “here to stay” and the coronavirus that causes the disease is not going away anytime soon, as cases are expected to continue to occur epidemiologically.

Dr. Mike Ryan, the Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, noted: “There’s still a public health threat out there, and we all see that every day in terms of the evolution of this virus, in terms of its global presence, its continued evolution and continued vulnerabilities in our communities, both societal vulnerabilities, age vulnerabilities, protection vulnerabilities, and many other things”.

While the pandemic appears to be decreasing, Covid-19 cases and deaths remain significant, with more than 765 million confirmed cases worldwide and nearly seven million people dead. Europe has had the most confirmed cases overall, but the Americas have reported the most deaths, approximately 1 in 6 of all total deaths being American. Cases reached their highest rate in December 2022 as Omicron swept the globe, hitting the Western Pacific significantly. However, billions of vaccine doses have already been administered globally, and deaths have remained far below previous peaks.

Tedros has emphasised that Covid-19 “has left and continues to leave deep scars on our world” and that these should be a permanent reminder of the potential for new viruses to emerge with devastating consequences. Tedros also highlighted that “one of the greatest tragedies of Covid-19 is that it didn’t have to be this way. We have the tools and technologies to prepare for pandemics better, detect them earlier, respond to them faster, and communicate their impact. But globally, a lack of coordination, a lack of equity, and lack of solidarity meant that those tools were not used as effectively as they could have been”. He went on to stress the importance of developing better preparedness and coordination for any future global health emergencies.

There remains a global disparity in vaccine distribution, with billions of people unvaccinated and at risk of contracting Covid-19, and officials continue to warn against complacency and the need to maintain vigilance in managing the pandemic. Van Kerkhove said “While we’re not in the crisis mode, we can’t let our guard down. Epidemiologically, this virus will continue to cause waves. What we are hopeful of is that we have the tools in place to ensure that the future waves do not result in more severe disease, don’t result in waves of death and we can do that with the tools we have at hand”.

While Covid-19 is no longer considered a global health emergency by the WHO, the virus remains a threat, and the need for preparedness, collaboration, and vaccine distribution to manage future waves of the pandemic are crucial. As the world struggles to emerge from the pandemic, officials warn that complacency is not an option and that vigilance is needed to protect lives, reduce transmission, and prevent future pandemics.

Vivek Murthy Urges Americans To Combat Loneliness And Prioritize Relationships

May 8, 2023May 15, 2023 Staff ReporterHealth 0

Loneliness and social isolation have become prevalent issues that are affecting the mental and physical health of Americans, according to a warning from the surgeon general issued on Tuesday. The advisory is the first of its kind to address the problem of loneliness. It points out a 2021 poll that found more than half of Americans are lonely, with young adults twice as likely to feel isolated as those over 65.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, who has written a book on the subject “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World,” is calling for the country to strengthen its social fabric by prioritizing meaningful relationships. Dr. Murthy advises that everyone can benefit from rebuilding and cultivating connections with others, regardless of whether they consider themselves lonely or not. In light of this, he has offered some practical advice on addressing loneliness.

Dr. Murthy emphasizes the importance of acknowledging loneliness as a normal and prevalent experience. In seeking solutions, he encourages people to build up their support networks by prioritizing relationships and setting aside time for socializing. He advises setting realistic expectations when making connections, accepting that building strong relationships takes time and effort.

Dr. Murthy also recommends that people take steps to develop deeper connections through activities that involve shared interests and values. Social media can be helpful in fostering existing relationships, but Dr. Murthy recommends focusing on in-person interactions whenever possible. In conclusion, he emphasizes that loneliness affects everyone differently, and that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem of social isolation. However, by taking steps to strengthen our social bonds, we can all benefit from the healing power of human connection.

Nurture Relationships

Maintaining healthy relationships is a vital part of our lives. Whether it is familial or platonic, relationships require nurturing. Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, former Surgeon General of the United States, recommends taking 15 minutes each day to connect with a friend or family member. Dr. Murthy suggests putting a reminder in your calendar as a helpful tool to make this a priority.

“Those brief in-person interactions can make us feel good for a long time because we are hard-wired to connect,” says Dr. Murthy.

Dr. Murthy advises people to “be real” when conversing with others. You do not have to pretend to be someone you are not, just be the real you. At first, this might be scary, but remember that people are wired to connect. Sharing honestly and inviting others to reciprocate can be “incredibly powerful,” according to Dr. Murthy. Remember, your relationships need nurturing to thrive, so take time to connect with your loved ones.

Put Down Your Devices and Focus on In-Person Communication

Cell phones have the ability to distract us from personal interactions and reduce the quality of our relationships. It is important to give people our full attention, and to listen attentively to what they have to say. According to a recent report, despite the rise of social media, Americans report having fewer friends than they had in the past. This decrease in social connection has been attributed to disconnected communication caused by technology.

In-person communication enables the exchange of more than just words, but also allows for the exchange of nonverbal cues and a deeper experience of connection. It is important to remember to put down cell phones, reduce use of social media, and provide full attention while communicating in person to create more meaningful relationships.

“Over thousands of years we evolved to not only understand the content of what someone was saying but also to respond to the tone of their voice, to read their body language, and to experience their presence,” said Dr. Murthy, emphasizing the importance of face-to-face communication.

Don’t Ignore Calls, Pick Up and Talk

Imagine receiving a call from your college best friend whom you haven’t talked to for a while. However, instead of picking up, you decline the call, intending to call back later when you have enough time to talk.

Next time, Dr. Murthy said, pick up the phone and talk. If you’re in the middle of something, say, “Hey, it’s really good to hear your voice,” and then find another time to talk.

“That 10 seconds feels so much better than going back and forth on text,” he said.

Volunteering for Others Can Help Combat Loneliness

According to research, volunteering can alleviate loneliness and expand our social connections. You could contribute your time to a local organization or offer assistance to your family, colleagues, or acquaintances.

“When we help other people we establish an experience or a connection with them — but we also remind ourselves of the value that we bring to the world,” Dr. Murthy said. “And that’s essential because when people struggle with loneliness over time, it does erode their self-esteem and their sense of self. It can make them believe over time that they’re lonely because they’re not likable or they’re not lovable. And when we serve others, we come to see that that’s not the case.”

Seek Assistance

If you are experiencing loneliness, do not hesitate to confide in a family member, friend, therapist, or healthcare provider. Additionally, if persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness are disrupting your daily routines and hindering your participation in activities you enjoy, seeking professional help is crucial. Having thoughts of harming yourself is a serious issue that requires immediate attention, so use the 988 crisis hotline for assistance.

India Slips To 161 Position Out Of 180 In World Press Freedom Index

May 8, 2023May 15, 2023 Staff ReporterMedia 0

India’s ranking has fallen to 161 in the World Press Freedom Index-2023 in the list 180 countries. It is for the second year India is slipping in the ranking. According to the report by global media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) alias Reporters without Borders, India is down 11 points in the index this year. The situation has gone from “problematic’’ to ‘very bad’ in three countries, including India and Tajikistan, it added.

World Press Freedom Index 2023 is revealed by the overseer of Media Industry, Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This is the 21st edition of the annual report, according to which, Norway acquired the topmost position whereas the lowest was North Korea. Norway has a self-regulated press and it is for the 7th time that this Northern European Country remained dominant.

Reporters Without Borders is a non-profit organisation that examined 180 nations across the world and highlighted their working conditions in terms of Journalism and Mass Media. India has shown a disheartening performance in the index as it got a poor global score of 36.62.

In its annual report, the Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) assessed the state of freedom for media countries. In 2021, India’s ranking was 150, down from a ranking of 142 on the press freedom index. The report also stated that violence against journalists, the politically partisan media and the concentration of media ownership all demonstrate that press freedom is in crisis in the world’s largest democracy.

The RSF released the report on Wednesday with details of media freedom collected from across 180 countries. Pakistan is ranked at 150, seven points up, while Nepal is at 95. Sri Lanka is up 11 points at 135, while Myanmar at 173 has moved 3 points higher. The report has stated that the Indian media landscape is like India itself–huge and densely populated–and has more than 1,00,000 newspapers including 36,000 weeklies, and 380 TV channels.

“Originally a product of the anti-colonial movement, the India press sued to be seen as fairly progressive, but things changed radically when Narendra Modi became prime minister and engineered a spectacular rapprochement between his party, the BJP and the big families dominating the media.”

In 2022, India reached the 150th rank and now it lost 11 positions to get down to 161 which is quite bad for the journalism environment. RSS is of the view that the situation is worse than it seems. The organisation evaluated the situation as “very serious” in 31 countries and “difficult” in 42.

Not only this, the status of the press is termed as “problematic” across 55 nations and “good” or “satisfactory” in 52. Only 3 out of 10 nations reveal satisfactory results in the worldwide record of 2023.

The report said that Mukesh Ambani owns more than 70 media outlets across India that are followed by at least 800 million Indians. “Indian journalists who are too critical of the government are subjected to all-out harassment and attack campaigns”, the report stated.

It further said: “At the national level, the Central government has seen that it can exploit this to impose its own narrative, and is now spending more than 130 billion rupees a year on ads in the print and online media alone.”

The list focuses on the quality of the mass media environment around the globe which has declined in the past few years. It explains disturbances and changes that are simultaneously occurring in the Media Industry. These revolutions can be social, political and technological considering today’s scenario.

World Press Freedom Day was held on May 03 (Wednesday) this year and the report of the global rankings was also published on the same day. India got the 161st position out of all 180 countries that were given global scores as well.

India’s Supreme Court Allows Waiver Of Waiting Period For Divorce

May 5, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia 0

The Supreme Court has made a significant ruling that it has the authority to dissolve marriages based on “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” invoking special powers under Article 142. This ruling comes with a further decision that the mandatory waiting period of six months for divorce through mutual consent can be waived, provided certain conditions are met.

The Constitution Bench comprising of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, AS Oka, Vikram Nath, and JK Maheshwari has laid down factors that can determine when there will be an irretrievable breakdown of marriage. They have also outlined how to balance out equities, specifically with regard to maintenance, alimony, and the rights of the children.

The Court grants a “cooling-off” period of six months to a couple seeking a divorce, with the aim to save the marriage. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that this period of six months can be waived if certain requirements and conditions are met.

The Court stated that “The time gap is meant to enable the parties to cogitate, analyse and take a deliberated decision. The object of the cooling-off period is not to stretch the already disintegrated marriage, or to prolong the agony and misery of the parties when there are no chances of the marriage working out. Therefore, once every effort has been made to salvage the marriage and there remains no possibility of reunion and cohabitation, the court is not powerless in enabling the parties to avail a better option, which is to grant the divorce. The waiver is not to be given on mere asking, but on the court being satisfied beyond doubt that the marriage has shattered beyond repair”.

The court further clarified that a party cannot directly approach the Supreme Court and seek relief of dissolution of marriage on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage directly from it. The remedy of a person aggrieved by the decision of the competent judicial forum is to approach the superior tribunal/forum for redressal of their grievance.

The original issue referred to the Constitution Bench was whether the mandatory waiting period for divorce by mutual consent, as prescribed under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, could be waived by the Supreme Court. However, during the hearing, the Constitution Bench decided to consider the issue of whether marriages could be dissolved on the ground of irretrievable breakdown.

“Article 142 must be considered in light of the fundamental rights. It should contravene a non-derogable function of the Constitution. Court under the power is empowered to complete justice,” the bench said.

This case was referred to a five-judge bench seven years ago by a Division Bench of Justices Shiva Kirti Singh and R Banumathi. After hearing arguments, the Constitution Bench reserved its judgment on September 29, 2022.

This ruling has far-reaching implications on the divorce proceedings in India, as it empowers the Supreme Court to dissolve marriages based on irretrievable breakdown, thereby reducing the burden on family courts and lessening the time required for obtaining a divorce. The ruling also provides relief to those couples who may have been forced to remain in a broken marriage due to the mandatory waiting period of six months.

The Supreme Court has provided a groundbreaking decision that has significant implications for divorce proceedings in India. The Court’s ruling that it has the power to dissolve marriages on the ground of “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” and its waiver of the mandatory waiting period of six months subject to certain conditions will help reduce the burden on family courts and provide relief to couples who may have been forced to remain in a broken marriage.

Ajay Banga Confirmed as New World Bank President: An In-Depth Look into the Future of the Global Development Lender

May 5, 2023May 8, 2023 Staff ReporterEconomy, Profile 0

Ajay Banga has been appointed as the next president of The World Bank, as the development lender faces increasing pressure to reshape its role in order to better address climate change. Mr. Banga is due to take over from David Malpass on June 2, for a five-year term, and has been tasked with leading the bank through a difficult period for the world economy, characterized by slowing global growth and high interest rates in many major economies. Mr. Banga will also be required to play a leading role in driving forward the lender’s evolution plans, which aim to allow it a $50bn lending boost over the next decade, helping it to address global challenges like climate change.

The appointment of Mr. Banga is significant not only because he will be leading The World Bank through a challenging period, but also because the appointment comes at a time when there have been growing calls from emerging and developing economies for the US to relinquish its grip on the presidency of the lender. As a US citizen himself, Mr. Banga’s appointment has been met with a mixture of anticipation and skepticism, with many voices in the developing world demanding that the appointment does not dilute the bank’s focus on the pressing economic development needs of developing economies.

One of Mr. Banga’s key priorities, according to a statement from the bank, will be to work with the private sector to help tackle financing for global problems. “There is not enough money without the private sector,” he said, adding that the World Bank should set up a system that could share risk or mobilize private funds to achieve its goals.

In recent years, there has been growing concern about the ability of low-income countries to cope with the double shock of higher borrowing costs and a decline in demand for their exports due to the tough economic conditions prevailing in many developed economies. The IMF’s chief Kristalina Georgieva warned last month that this situation could fuel poverty and hunger, and called for urgent action to address it. It is hoped that Mr. Banga’s experience in bringing together governments, the private sector and non-profits to deliver on ambitious goals will help The World Bank to meet this challenge.

Mr. Banga himself has acknowledged the difficult conditions facing the global economy, but has expressed his confidence that The World Bank will be able to rise to the challenge. “These are all tools in the toolkit and I’m going to try and figure it out,” he said.

One of the most pressing challenges facing The World Bank is the need to address climate change, conflict and the pandemic, which the bank estimates will require developing countries to find $2.4tn every year for the next seven years. Plans to reform the bank have been broadly welcomed, but there is concern that new objectives could relegate the pressing economic development needs of member countries. “We want to make sure that the development agenda is not diluted in the climate agenda,” said Abdoul Salam Bello, a member of The World Bank’s executive board representing 23 African countries.

Despite these concerns, many experts believe that Mr. Banga’s appointment marks a turning point for The World Bank, and that his leadership will be instrumental in helping the lender to take a more decisive approach to the global challenges facing it. The appointment of Mr. Banga is just one step along the way for The World Bank, but it is an important one, and if he can navigate the many challenges facing the lender, he could leave behind a lasting legacy.

Messi’s Saudi Arabia Adventure Raises Eyebrows Ahead Of 2030 World Cup

May 5, 2023May 8, 2023 Staff ReporterSports 0

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has suspended superstar Lionel Messi for two weeks and intends to dock his pay following his decision to fly to Saudi Arabia to attend promotional events for Visit Saudi, his personal sponsor. Messi’s absence from PSG’s upcoming matches could compromise the club’s chances of securing what would be a historic 11th Ligue 1 title, as they are only five points ahead of the team in second place, Marseille, with five matches left to play. As senior officials at PSG have stated, the club intends to create a culture focused on a collective brand rather than on individual stars.

This point is particularly relevant to PSG, which has previously been accused of having a “team of superstars” rather than a true team working together. Hence, this suspension is the club’s way of drawing a line and setting the record straight. PSG’s President, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who leads Qatar Sports Investments, is determined to establish a new culture of team spirit at the club.

While PSG’s decision to suspend Messi is a brave one, it could cost them his services in the future. Despite being on a two-year deal, it’s likely that Messi will leave PSG this summer, with rumours of possible moves to Saudi Arabia, Inter Miami, or even back to Barcelona.

This incident comes in the months following Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup and this year’s world cup which saw Messi finally lift the trophy he had been chasing for so long. In contrast, Saudi Arabia hosted some of Messi’s promotional events. However, Qatar and Saudi Arabia may face a different type of battle: hosting the 2030 World Cup.

The bidding process for hosting the 2030 World Cup began in June this year, and the winner will be announced at the 74th FIFA congress in 2024. There are currently four confirmed bids. The first is a joint bid by Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine which was announced in 2022. The second bid is a South American co-production comprised of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile. In March of this year, Morocco replaced Ukraine and joined forces with Spain and Portugal following their semi-final finish at the World Cup. Finally, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Greece are expected to submit a combined bid.

However, Saudi Arabia’s bid may be negatively impacted by Messi’s recent suspension, which could suggest a lack of discipline and possibly affect the country’s ability to host large international tournaments.

“A South American bid for 2030 is very strong,” its co-ordinator Fernando Marin told The Athletic. “The region is a generator of talent that expresses itself all over the world. Additionally, on the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, it would be a fitting location.”

Lionel Messi’s recent agreement to promote tourism in Saudi Arabia could possibly hinder South America’s joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup. Messi became an ambassador for “Vision 2030” last year, which according to the government is a “unique transformative economic and social reform blueprint that is opening Saudi Arabia up to the world”. As hosting the World Cup is linked to promoting tourism, it is speculated that Saudi Arabia’s bid for the tournament is connected to their overall vision. Saudi Arabia has been making efforts to improve its reputation globally by making it more attractive for foreign investors. Some of these include acquiring the English Premier League club Newcastle United, backing the LIV Golf breakaway tour, a 10-year, $650million deal to host Formula One races, and hosting the 2019 heavyweight boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz.

Messi signed the agreement with Saudi Arabia last year, and its terms and length have not been disclosed. Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly rejected a promotional offer worth over £5million per year to promote Saudi tourism. However, sources familiar with ambassadorial roles in the Gulf region claimed that Messi’s deal may be worth five times Ronaldo’s annual fee. Representatives for Messi declined to disclose the figures involved, and the Saudi government did not respond to requests for comment.

The joint bid between Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile for the 2030 World Cup was first introduced in 2017, where Messi and Luis Suarez of Barcelona teamed up to promote their countries. While Messi initially expressed great interest in supporting the bid, his role as an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry is raising concerns that it could impact South America’s chances of hosting the tournament.

The bid itself has been seen as a symbolic one, as the inaugural World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930, with Argentina finishing runners-up in that tournament. However, it has also been received with mixed reviews due to political tensions between Chile and Argentina that emerged from the Falklands War. The bid is also in competition with the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Morocco for the hosting rights.

Messi’s ambassadorial role in Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry has raised questions due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record which includes the imprisonment of activists and financing of international terrorism. Since Saudi Arabia is considered a controversial destination for sports teams and fans due to these issues, Messi’s agreement has been met with criticism from fans and human rights organisations like Amnesty International.

The relationship between Messi’s role in Saudi Arabia and the 2030 World Cup bid remains uncertain. While there is some concern that Messi’s Saudi ties could harm the South American joint bid, there has been no official statement from the Argentina Football Association or Messi himself on the matter. For many fans, the priority remains on the ethics of Messi’s association with Saudi Arabia and the impact it could have on promoting tourism in a country with a questionable human rights record.

“This is not his first visit to the kingdom and it will not be the last,” said Ahmed al-Khateeb, the Saudi minister of tourism, in a tweet that showed Messi’s welcome at King Abdulaziz International Airport.

“Discovering the Red Sea #VisitSaudi,” read the caption on Instagram, where Messi has over 370 million followers. The post was labelled as a “paid partnership” with Visit Saudi, which is a subsidiary company of the Saudi Tourism Authority.

Messi later joined Princess Haifa Al-Saud, assistant minister of tourism, on a tour of old Jeddah. “I am glad that he was mesmerized by its essence, heritage and beauty,” Princess Haifa said on Twitter.

Amidst a great number of scandals concerning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi has taken a role in promoting their country as a tourist destination. The page now on the Visit Saudi website featuring Messi urges people to “unleash their inner thrill-seeker” and take part in all that the nation has to offer. Whilst his representatives have been tight-lipped about how regularly he will visit or if this partnership will clash with his home country’s efforts to host a World Cup in 2030 – the potential conflict of interests between him and UNICEF remain unclear.

The region is reportedly backed by ample resources which may aid in staging the global sporting event nine years from now should they choose to pursue their bid; however, there are worries that Morocco’s involvement with Spain/Portugal’s joint bid may steal away votes from Middle Eastern/North African countries who may have otherwise supported them, thus making it more likely for them to wait for 2034. Coupled with this, FIFA pulled out of sponsoring Visit Saudi for the Women’s World Cup following protests by many nations – though Messi’s mission remains vital. When asked about Neymar Jr.’s agreement to promote tourism in Saudi Arabia despite any alleged human rights violations, his team were not available for comment.

As a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 2010, it raises suspicion as to whether his connection with such a state could go against his position. For example, UNICEF reported in 2021 that over 10,000 children had suffered death due to Saudi-led conflicts in nearby Yemen – but neither NEYMAR JR., UNICEF nor any other associated parties responded when asked about this apparent dilemma. Regardless of these issues, Neymar Jr.’s involvement is expectedly driven by immense financial gain – having earned an estimated $120million during 2020 according to Forbes Magazine alone – through partnerships such as one with Cryptofan Token Firm Socios ($20million deal), NFT-based game Sorare and much more besides Adidas, Pepsi, Budweiser and Ooredoo. Clearly there exists an ever growing tension between how much our most influential figures are willing to be used and what degree we are prepared accept them being sponsored/associated with depending on its negative influences – if any exist at all.

Therefore one can assume it may only get harder for Messi and other celebrities like him to make decisions and form relationships without coming under scrutiny from those around them.

“Dancing on the Grave”

May 5, 2023May 8, 2023 Staff ReporterCinema 0

Shakereh Khaleeli was described as “rich and beautiful” and belonging to one of the “most aristocratic families” in southern India, yet she tragically vanished in 1991. For three years, her second husband – Murali Manohar Mishra, who went by Swami Shraddhananda – made up stories about her whereabouts. It was only in 1994 that her remains were excavated from beneath their Bengaluru home after Shakereh had been drugged, forced into a wooden casket and buried alive. In 2003, the trial court convicted Shraddhananda for her murder and issued him the death penalty which was later confirmed by the High Court. The courts found that he had married her for her wealth and properties worth billions of rupees. However, it was ultimately commuted to life imprisonment without remission by the Supreme Court-describing it as a case of “a man’s vile greed coupled with devil’s cunning”.

Recently, there has been renewed interest in this tragic story due to Amazon Prime Video releasing a four-part web series called “Dancing on the Grave” – derived from reports that Shraddhananda held dance parties over Shakereh’s grave. Chandni Ahlawat Dabas of India Today Originals Production states that “despite being 30 years old, we felt that this was a crime that needed to be shared because it’s such a mystery even today”. After immersing viewers into Shakereh’s life with its first two episodes (granddaughter of Sir Mirza Ismail- credited with building several landmark buildings and monuments; fashionista who drove vintage cars), the docuseries next looks at shocking circumstances surrounding her murder- namely how someone so affluent could have been swayed by Shraddhananda despite his lack of social background or magical powers claims.

Throughout investigations and trials which lasted thirty long years, Shraddenanda continuously insisted on his innocence. Now while viewing Dancing on the Grave you may be grappling with doubts- however producer Patrick Graham asserts “we hear his side of the story more so because we never heard from him in past three decades…and moreover he gave us invaluable insights into Shakereh’s character”.

Through interviews with jail inmates and drawings done by Shraddenada himself revealing intricate details about his lifestyle during imprisonment; one single question comes to mind- did he commit this heinous act out of an innate desire for power? Or is he truly innocent? The show does not definitively answer this query however questions posed are undeniable refreshing compared to regular true crime episodes where criminals come across as geniuses – something Schradenada can categorically be excluded from due to playing psychological games as evident when producers claimed they were done getting swayed by him after having robust conversations leading up to his rant about being innocent aboard unjustly treated.

This series is sure to captivate audiences across all ages offering suspenseful flashbacks while ultimately concluding “with viewers drawing their own conclusions” just like eight judges did before them- sentencing Shakereh Khaleeli’s murderer thirty long years ago.

Indian Artisans Create Sustainable Sisal Carpet for Met Gala 2023

May 5, 2023May 8, 2023 Staff ReporterArt, Fashion 0

The recent Met Gala 2023 event witnessed many stunning celebrity looks, debuts, and some memorable moments. However, one constant factor throughout the evening was the beautiful carpet laid on the stairs for attendees to walk on. The carpet was created by Indian artisans and made in India with sustainability as its core value. The white carpet with blue and red stripes was designed by Neytt.Extraweave, a Kerala-based brand founded by Sivan Santhosh and Nimisha Srinivas. This year’s carpet measured around 6,960 sq meters and was made using sisal fiber sourced from Madagascar.

“We sourced the best quality sisal fiber, which is durable, specifically from Madagascar. The carpet was weaved using 120 cm of the raw material,” said Sivan. The carpet took between 60 to 70 days to create from scratch and had the input of Japanese architect Tadao Ando, who decorated this year’s Met steps along with event planner Raul Àvila. Interestingly, this is not the first time Neytt. Extraweave’s carpet was laid on the Met steps, as they designed one for last year’s event as well.

The carpet’s sustainable properties come from the fact that it was made using sisal fiber, which is a natural and biodegradable resource. Additionally, the carpet was manufactured using a machine in India, and hand-painted in the United States. Indian artisans have long been known for their craftsmanship, and Neytt.Extraweave is continuing that tradition while also prioritizing the environment.

The carpet’s vibrant design was eye-catching and proved to be a stunning backdrop for some of the night’s most memorable fashion moments. A number of celebrities walked on the carpet, including Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, both of whom made their debut at the event. With sustainability becoming an increasingly important issue in the fashion industry, the use of natural and biodegradable materials such as sisal fiber can serve as a model for others to follow.

The carpet’s success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Indian artisans who created it. Their expertise and craftsmanship, along with the sustainable materials used, brought the design to life, and the result was a stunning work of art that perfectly complemented the Met Gala’s glamorous atmosphere. As the fashion industry continues to evolve, it is important to remember the importance of responsible stewardship of our planet’s resources, and firms such as Neytt.Extraweave are setting an example for others to follow.

Extraweave, the company responsible for manufacturing process expressed their excitement about showcasing their product to the world. According to an Instagram post by the company, “It was a huge day for us, and for India. We are proud to showcase our beautiful sisal carpet…” The carpet was woven in Alleppey and hand-painted in the US, and the company was honored to share the stage with famous designers and celebrities.

For the Kerala-based manufacturers, it was a proud moment to display their skills and craftsmanship to a global audience. The founder of Extraweave, Sivan, said, “We were a little unsure of how the design would look when we got the first draft, but the way it was laid out — it was looking beautiful.” The carpet’s appearance added to the glamour of the event, and it was recommended to Met Gala organizers by a US-based customer.

Americans Express Not Enthused Over Prospects of Biden-Trump Rematch in 2024

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterUSA 0

President Biden is reportedly set to announce his reelection campaign early next week, but many Americans express exhaustion over the prospect of a 2024 rematch between Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll. The survey of 1,530 U.S. adults, conducted from April 14 to 17, found that 38% chose exhaustion out of eight emotions when considering another Biden-Trump campaign. Among registered voters, the number was even higher at 44%. No other sentiment managed to break the 30% mark among all Americans.

A Biden-Trump rematch would be the first general election for president since 1892 to feature the incumbent and his defeated predecessor competing as major-party nominees. Moreover, it would be the first White House race in U.S. history in which one candidate is facing indictment and possible criminal prosecution for conspiring to overturn his prior loss. Such factors naturally trigger fatigue and anxiety among voters.

However, voters are not as pessimistic about a Biden-Trump sequel as they were a few months ago. In December, a nearly a third of them (32%) told Yahoo News and YouGov that “if Joe Biden and Donald Trump run against each other for president again in 2024,” the result would be either “the worst thing that could happen” (15%) or “mostly bad” (17%); only 23% said it would be “mostly good” (11%) or “the best thing that could happen” (12%). Now, a negative view accounts for 29%, while 26% express a positive view. About 3 in 10 continue to say it’s “a mix of good and bad.” Positive views have increased since December among both Republicans (33%, up from 30%) and Democrats (24%, up from 17%).

In contrast, Republicans express hope (+20), excitement (+10), and pride (+5) at higher rates than Democrats. Much of the liberal aversion to another Biden-Trump contest likely reflects the former president’s staggering unpopularity among Democrats, with a full 68% of them expressing “very unfavourable” opinions of him. Yet Democrats’ overall negativity also underscores their unease about Biden. While they overwhelmingly approve (80%) of his performance in office, anxiety about Biden’s status as the oldest president in U.S. history—80 years old—seems to dampen confidence in his candidacy.

Republicans are more likely to see a rematch positively than negatively, while Democrats are more likely to see a rematch negatively than positively. Exhaustion, for example, is more prevalent among Democrats (44%) than Republicans (26%) by an 18 percentage-point margin, and fear (+12 for Democrats), sadness (+15), and anger (+9) are more common on the left as well.

Asked in June 2020 how concerned they were “about Joe Biden’s health and mental acuity,” just 28% of Democrats said they were either somewhat (10%) or very concerned (18%); the other 72% said they were either slightly (28%) or not at all concerned (44%). Over two and a half years later, however, the combined percentage of somewhat or very concerned Democrats has risen to about 40%, while the combined percentage who were slightly or not at all concerned has fallen by the same amount, to about 60%, according to a late February Yahoo News/YouGov poll. Overall, nearly 7 in 10 voters (68%) said in February that Biden would be “too old for another term,” with more Democrats agreeing (48%) than disagreeing (34%).

Despite Biden’s approval rating remaining below 50% among all Americans, it is now at its highest level (44%) since September 2021 (up from about 40% for much of 2022). His approval rating on the economy (at 40%) is now 4 points higher than it was in early February, while his approval rating on inflation (36%) increased by 5 points over the same period. And he performs three or four points better on each of those measures among registered voters.

Biden’s approval numbers are still lower than the White House would like them to be, but current trend lines favor the president over his recently indicted predecessor. In a general election matchup, Biden now leads Trump by a four-point margin (46% to 42%) among registered voters, up from a two-point lead the previous month.

In conclusion, Americans express exhaustion over the prospect of a 2024 rematch between Biden and Trump, but they are not as pessimistic as they were a few months ago. While some Republicans hope for a rematch, some Democrats feel anxious about Biden’s age and health. Biden’s approval rating on the economy and inflation has improved, and he enjoys a four-point lead over Trump in a general election matchup among registered voters.

US Supreme Court Allows Abortion Drug For Now

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterWomen, USA 0

The US Supreme Court has decided to maintain women’s access to a drug commonly used in abortions, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues. The drug in question is mifepristone, which is used in combination with misoprostol in more than half of all abortions in the US. The drug has been approved for use in the country since 2000, with more than five million people having used it. The justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and Danco Laboratories, which makes mifepristone. They are appealing a lower court ruling that would roll back Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the drug. Two of the nine justices voted to allow restrictions to take effect, with Justice Samuel Alito issuing a four-page dissent. The next stop for the case is at the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which has set arguments for May 17.

The challenge to mifepristone is the first abortion controversy to reach the Supreme Court since its conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade 10 months ago and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright. Even with their court victory, abortion opponents returned to federal court with a new target: medication abortions, which make up more than half of all abortions in the US. Women seeking to end their pregnancies in the first 10 weeks without more invasive surgical abortion can take mifepristone along with misoprostol.

The FDA has eased the terms of mifepristone’s use over the years, including allowing it to be sent through the mail in states that allow access. The abortion opponents filed suit in Texas in November, asserting that the FDA’s original approval of mifepristone 23 years ago and subsequent changes were flawed. They won a ruling on April 7 by US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, revoking FDA approval of mifepristone. The judge gave the Biden administration and Danco Laboratories a week to appeal and seek to keep his ruling on hold. Responding to a quick appeal, two more Trump appointees on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the FDA’s original approval would stand for now.

Their ruling would have effectively nullified changes made by the FDA starting in 2016, including extending from seven to 10 weeks of pregnancy when mifepristone can be safely used. The court also would have halted sending the drug in the mail or dispensing it as a generic, and patients who seek it would have had to make three in-person visits with a doctor. Women also might have been required to take a higher dosage of the drug than the FDA says is necessary. The administration and Danco have said that chaos would ensue if those restrictions were to take effect while the case proceeds. Potentially adding to the confusion, a federal judge in Washington has ordered the FDA to preserve access to mifepristone under the current rules in 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia that filed a separate lawsuit.

President Joe Biden praised the high court for keeping mifepristone available while the court fight continues. “The stakes could not be higher for women across America. I will continue to fight politically-driven attacks on women’s health. But let’s be clear — the American people must continue to use their vote as their voice, and elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade,” he said in a statement.

The justices weighed arguments that allowing restrictions contained in lower-court rulings to take effect would severely disrupt the availability of mifepristone. Alito questioned the argument that chaos would result, saying the administration “has not dispelled doubts that it would even obey an unfavorable order in

Facebook Users Can Apply For A Share In $725 Million Lawsuit Settlement

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterMedia 0

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has agreed to pay out $725 million as part of a settlement for a privacy lawsuit that stemmed from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The former British political consulting company reportedly accessed the personal information of approximately 87 million Facebook users in 2018, which they used to target voters during the 2016 US presidential campaign. Users who held Facebook accounts from May 2007 to December 2022 are now eligible to apply for a share of the settlement funds.

To apply, individuals can either submit their forms online or send them by mail before the deadline of August 25th. The application form requires users to provide their personal information, such as name, address, contact information, birthday, Facebook handle, and payment information.

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, faced scrutiny from the US Congress on account of the scandal. The members accused the social media platform of failing to protect user data. The settlement represents one of the world’s largest privacy-related payouts, reflecting the severity of the allegations leveled against Facebook.

In the words of Meta’s general counsel, “We are pleased to have reached a settlement in this case, which we believe is fair and reasonable.”

The settlement amount will be split among eligible users, with individual payouts varying based on the number of valid claims. The company also committed to tightening its data protection policies and implementing measures to prevent instances of data misuse.

According to the lawsuit, Facebook was accused of not monitoring third-party access to user data or use of that data. This legal action was taken after it was discovered in 2018 that Cambridge Analytica had obtained private information from millions of Facebook users’ profiles without their consent, in one of the biggest data breaches in Facebook’s history. As a result, Cambridge Analytica was able to use the social media activity of millions of users in the United States to create voter profiles that were then used to assist Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Meta previously denied any wrongdoing, but the company agreed to settle the lawsuit by setting aside $725 million for claimants. Claimants will receive one point for each month they had an activated Facebook account. The total number of points assigned to all claimants will be calculated and then divided by the net settlement amount, which is $725 million minus administrative costs and other fees, in order to determine the amount of money available for each point. Each claimant will receive the amount multiplied by the number of points they were assigned.

It’s important to note that Meta’s directors and legal representatives are not eligible for the settlement, and users have until August 25 to file their claims by filling out their mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and Facebook user names, and confirming their use of Facebook between May 24, 2007 and Dec. 22, 2022. The final hearing to approve the settlement is scheduled for September 7 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

As Meta continues to face scrutiny over privacy concerns on its social media platforms, the company has recently announced that it will be introducing more tools to protect user privacy. However, the settlement for this lawsuit serves as a reminder of the importance of user privacy and the consequences that companies may face if they fail to protect it.

As stated on the settlement’s website, “Users who participated in Facebook’s service between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022 must be given proper control over sharing their personal information with third parties. This settlement is a reminder that we must enforce our rights to privacy.”

Pope Francis Gives Women Right To Vote At Synod

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterReligion 0

The Pope will for the first time allow women to vote at an influential global meeting of bishops in October – a move that has been welcomed as a historic first.

The new rules announced on Wednesday will give five religious sisters voting rights at the synod, which is a papal advisory body.

In the past, women were only allowed to attend the gathering as auditors.

Men will still cast the majority of the votes at the influential gathering.

Nevertheless, the reforms are seen as a significant shift for the Roman Catholic Church, which has been male-dominated for centuries.

The US-based Women’s Ordination Conference, which advocates for women priests, has called the reform “a significant crack in the stained glass ceiling”.

“For years Vatican representatives and bishops resisted, moving the goalpost with every synod as to why women were not allowed to vote,” the group wrote on Twitter. “The unspoken reason was always sexism.”

“In the near future, we hope that the synod continues to develop into a fully representative body of the people of God.”

In a further break with tradition, Pope Francis announced that voting rights would also be extended to 70 hand-picked non-clerical members of the religious community, moving the synod away from being a meeting solely of the Church hierarchy.

The Pope, who has championed reform, has said that he hopes half of these will be women and there has also been an emphasis on including young people.

“It’s an important change, it’s not a revolution,” said Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, a top organizer of the synod.

Christopher Lamb, Vatican correspondent for the Catholic news publication The Tablet, told BBC World Service’s Newshour programme that the changes were “highly significant” and an attempt by the Pope to make decisions about the Church’s future more inclusive.

He added that the reforms concerning women reflected an “unprecedented” dialogue over the issue of female representation that had been happening for some time.

But Mr Lamb predicted the Pope would face “significant resistance” from some parts of the Church over this latest decision.

GOP-Led Congress Passes “Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023”

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterMoney, USA 0

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 as the debt ceiling debate continues in the nation’s capital. House speaker Kevin McCarthy introduced the legislation on April 19, which would “limit federal spending, save taxpayer dollars,” and “grow the economy.”

The legislation passed 217-215. Four Republicans voted against the bill, which did not get a single vote from a Democrat.

The vote allows the US to raise the nation’s debt limit for one year and limit federal spending growth to 1% annually. The plan, titled the “Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023,” would increase the debt limit by $1.5 trillion, or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first.

McCarthy also plans to repeal key parts of Democrats’ signature legislative package and President Biden’s college student debt cancellation program. The GOP bill would also remove $80 billion that Democrats approved last year to improve the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). However, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that repealing the measure would increase the deficit.

McCarthy said on the House floor that limiting government spending would reduce inflation and restore fiscal discipline in Washington. He added that if Washington wants to spend more, it will have to find savings elsewhere, as every household in America does. McCarthy noted that Medicare and Social Security would not be impacted by the cuts. The framework also includes work requirements for adults without dependents enrolled in federal assistance programs.

According to a press release, the legislation would specifically:

“End the Era of Reckless Washington Spending
“Reclaim Unspent COVID Funds
“Defund Biden’s IRS Army
“Repeal ‘Green New Deal’ Tax Credits
“Prohibit [President Joe] Biden’s Student Loan Giveaway to the Wealthy
“Strengthen the Workforce and Reduce Childhood Poverty
“Prevent Executive Overreach and Restore Article I
“Lower Energy Costs and Utilities”

The plan also includes “a responsible debt limit increase.”

However, Democrats remain critical of any efforts to link debt ceiling negotiations to legislation that would require work requirements for those on assistance programs. David Scott, the House Agriculture Committee ranking member, said that holding food assistance hostage for those who depend on it in exchange for increasing the debt limit is a nonstarter.

The US hit its current debt limit of $31 trillion in January. The Treasury Department is employing what it refers to as extraordinary measures to essentially act as a band-aid for several months. Those measures are set to run out in early summer. Should Congress fail to raise the debt limit by then, there would be an unprecedented debt default, something that would throw worldwide financial markets into dire straits and likely lead to a recession.

In a speech, McCarthy blasted the president for not meeting with him to negotiate. The pair last met in February and remain at odds over how to address the debt limit. Biden has repeatedly said he wants to sign a clean debt limit bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has also said that efforts to address spending cuts “belong in the discussion about budget, not as a precondition for avoiding default.”

The proposal is likely to face opposition in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Passing the bill would require bipartisan support, which may be difficult given the current political climate. Nonetheless, McCarthy remains optimistic that the proposal will succeed.

“Limited government spending will reduce inflation and restore fiscal discipline in Washington,” McCarthy said. “If Washington wants to spend more, it will have to come together and find savings elsewhere — just like every single household in America.”

“Our plan ensures adults without dependents earn a paycheck and learn new skills,” he said. “By restoring these commonsense measures, we can help more Americans earn a paycheck, learn new skills, reduce childhood poverty and rebuild the workforce.”

“By including these radical proposals as a lever in debt limit negotiations, Speaker McCarthy and his extreme Republican colleagues are ensuring their failure,” David Scott, D-Ga., House Agriculture Committee ranking member, said of McCarthy’s proposal for work requirements.

“President Biden has a choice: Come to the table and stop playing partisan political games, or cover his ears, refuse to negotiate and risk bumbling his way into the first default in our nation’s history,” McCarthy said.

Russia’s Richest Billionaires Added $152 Billion To Their Wealth in 2022

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterBusiness, Money 0

Russia’s richest individuals have seen their collective wealth increase by $152 billion over the past year, according to Forbes Russia. The billionaires on Forbes’ list increased to 110, up 22 from last year, and their total wealth has grown to $505 billion. However, the list would have been longer if it were not for five billionaires renouncing their Russian citizenship.

The Forbes’ report highlights that “last year’s rating results were also heavily influenced by predictions about the Russian economy, which led to apocalyptic projections”. Forbes said the total wealth of Russia’s billionaires had reached $606 billion in 2021, before the Ukrainian war.

Despite the war, which led to the West imposing severe sanctions on Russia’s economy, the country was able to sell oil, metals, and natural resources to global markets, particularly to China, India, and the Middle East. Last year, the price of Urals oil, the lifeblood of the Russian economy, averaged $76.09 per barrel, up from $69 in 2021, and fertilizer prices were high.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its growth forecast for Russia in 2023 to 0.7% from 0.3% earlier this month, but lowered its forecast for 2024 to 1.3% from 2.1%, citing labor shortages and the exodus of Western companies that could harm the country’s economy.

According to Forbes’ Russia list, Andrei Melnichenko, who has made a fortune in fertilizers, was the country’s richest man, with an estimated worth of $25.2 billion, more than double his estimated worth from last year. Vladimir Potanin, the president and biggest shareholder of Nornickel, the world’s largest producer of palladium and refined nickel, was ranked as the second wealthiest person in Russia with a fortune of $23.7 billion. Vladimir Lisin, who controls steelmaker NLMK and was ranked as Russia’s richest person last year, was placed third on the Forbes Russia list with a fortune of $22.1 billion.

Over the past year, several billionaires renounced their Russian citizenship, including DST Global founder Yuri Milner, Revolut founder Nikolay Storonsky, Freedom Finance founder Timur Turlov and JetBrains co-founders Sergei Dmitriev and Valentin Kipyatkov. The Forbes’ report suggests that Russian domestic demand has remained strong despite years of sanctions, as new billionaires have emerged from snacks, supermarkets, chemicals, building, and pharmaceuticals.

The billionaires on the Forbes’ list made their fortunes during the Soviet Union’s collapse, and a small group of tycoons known as the oligarchs convinced the Kremlin to hand over control of some of the world’s largest oil and metals companies. The privatization deals often catapulted the tycoons into the league of the world’s wealthiest individuals. Under Putin, original oligarchs, such as Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Boris Berezovsky, were stripped of their assets, which eventually ended up under the control of state companies typically run by former spies.

Western sanctions are viewed as clumsy and even racist by many of Russia’s billionaires. Although sanctions have disrupted some industries, the country has diversified its exports and attracted investments from non-Western economies. Also, domestic demand has remained strong, with middle-class Russians weathering the economic downturn.

Russia’s billionaires have become more prominent in the nation’s politics, with some billionaires financing opposition parties, while others support Putin’s United Russia party. The Kremlin has vigorously resisted Western efforts to curb the influence of Russian billionaires, even as several have become subject to international investigations, raising suspicions of corruption and fraud.

The nation’s economic progress in recent years has prompted some observers to question whether Putin’s aggressive foreign policy and authoritarian rule are sustainable. The Kremlin has used the nation’s newfound wealth to promote its agenda abroad, including military interventions in Syria and the Middle East. However, Russia’s economic growth is now showing signs of stagnation. The nation’s GDP growth rate has been below 2% since 2013, and economists predict it will stay that way until structural reforms are undertaken.

In conclusion, Russia’s billionaires have seen a sharp increase in their collective wealth over the past year, driven by high commodities prices and their ability to diversify into non-Western economies. Despite years of sanctions and geopolitical tensions, their domestic businesses have remained buoyant. However, geopolitical risks and structural challenges could threaten the nation’s continued economic growth.

Warren Buffett Worried About Nuclear Threats And Pandemics

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterMoney 0

Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor, expressed that he is not worried about the success of his company, Berkshire Hathaway, despite current economic headwinds such as banking failures and rising interest rates. Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” the 92-year-old said, “I never go to bed worried about Berkshire and how we’ll handle a thing.” He added that, at his age, he has other things to worry about, such as “the nuclear threat” and “a pandemic in the future.”

Berkshire Hathaway, under Buffett’s leadership since 1965, has become one of the world’s largest companies with a market capitalization above $707 billion. Its portfolio of investments includes Geico, Dairy Queen, Duracell, and Fruit of the Loom. Buffett’s history of optimism is well-documented, with data scientists identifying a surplus of positivity in his annual letters to shareholders.

Buffett’s investment strategy is to choose investments he believes in, regardless of their current price, and take advantage of stock drops to buy more of companies he trusts. During a volatile market period in 2016, he advised investors not to watch the market closely when stocks are down. He is known to be supremely self-confident, with “99 and a fraction percent” of his net worth invested in Berkshire, along with several family members.

When confronted with scary issues that are outside of his control, such as nuclear war or future pandemics, Buffett attempts to reduce his stress by focusing on situations and tasks that he can actually solve himself. “I worry about things nobody else worries about, but I can’t solve them all,” he said. “But anything that can be solved, I should be thinking about that.”

Regarding Berkshire’s future, Buffett has already selected the company’s next CEO, Greg Abel, who has stated that he does not plan to diverge from Buffett’s successful formula. Buffett trusts the leaders of Berkshire’s portfolio companies to make the right business decisions and expects Abel to do the same. “I am not giving [Abel] some envelope that tells him what to do next,” but Berkshire Hathaway is “so damn lucky” to have Abel taking the reins, Buffett said.

In conclusion, Warren Buffett’s optimism and confidence have helped him build and sustain one of the world’s largest companies. Despite economic headwinds, he remains unworried about the future of Berkshire Hathaway and instead focuses on things he can control. With a trusted successor in place, Buffett is confident that the company’s success will continue long after he steps down.

NYU Researchers Find Ways To Prevent Grey Hair

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterHealth, Science 0

Researchers at the Grossman School of Medicine at NYU have discovered new evidence as to why human hair loses its natural colour over time, which they believe can also be applied to preventing the greying of human hair. The study examined the melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) that control hair colour, and found that earlier in life, these cells can be remarkably dynamic. However, with age, these cells tend to slow down, getting trapped in what is known as the hair follicle bulge, meaning they do not get a chance to finish the job they were created to do. Reinforcing these cells could mean the end of grey hair, according to the team at NYU.

“The newfound mechanisms raise the possibility that the same fixed positioning of melanocyte stem cells may exist in humans. If so, it presents a potential pathway for reversing or preventing the graying of human hair by helping jammed cells move again,” said study leader, Qi Sun,a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health

Lab mice that had their hair “physically aged” by plucking and forced regrowth were observed to have a 15% higher concentration of McSCs stuck in that follicle bulge before their hairs were pulled. Following the intervention, the percentage of hairs that no longer had pigment generating abilities rose to nearly 50%. With the greater understanding of the stalled-out cells and their probable responsibility for loss of hair colour, researchers are now focusing on how to get the McSCs back on track.

The next research step will be “to investigate means of restoring motility of McSCs or of physically moving them back to their germ compartment, where they can produce pigment,” according to lead researcher Professor Mayumi Ito,PhD

Dr Doris Day, a dermatologist affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, commented that although the new study is interesting and needed, it is still “early days” for any human hair solution.

Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan Honoured at MIT

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterEducation 0

Indiaspora and Agastya International Foundation celebrated esteemed mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Thursday, April 20, 2023. The day began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil a bronze bust of Ramanujan that was donated to MIT by the Agastya International Foundation.

“Indian mathematicians have left an indelible legacy over the centuries, having developed some of the earliest mathematical concepts such as the decimal system, zero, and algebra,” said Indiaspora founder MR Rangaswami.

Indiaspora’s Executive Director, Sanjeev Joshipura, Indiaspora founder MR Rangaswami, renowned philanthropist Dr. Desh Deshpande, Padma Vibushan Dr. Vasudev Aatre, Head of the MIT Math Department Professor Michel Goemans, Indiaspora Board Member Professor Priya Natarajan, and Indiapsora friend Professor Ranu Boppana spoke briefly in the morning session acknowledging Ramanujan’s unparalleled stature, the importance of education, vital educational experiences and supportive institutions. There was a tour of the “South Asia and the Institute: Transformative Connections” exhibit. The campus events wrapped up with a screening of the movie The Man Who Knew Infinity, a biopic about Ramanujan’s life.

There was a reception in the evening at The Royal Sonesta Hotel for Boston area Indiaspora community leaders. The inspiring session included a fireside chat with leading CEOs Reshma Kewalramani, MD FASN, and Niren Chaudhary and a panel with academics Priya Natarajan, Sunil Kumar (Tufts), Tarun Khanna and Sunand Bhattacharya.

The Tamil Nadu-born Ramanujan — who was only 32 when he died in 1920 — grew up in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, in a one-room house he shared with five other family members. He had no formal education, and developed his theorems from his own discoveries. No one in his village or his state could understand his work; thus, the young mathematician started writing to professors at various colleges in England.

Sir Francis Spring, a civil engineer who worked in Madras, is credited with discovering Ramanujan, a clerk in his office. Spring sent the young mathematician’s work to GH Hardy at Cambridge University.

“He proved more theorems in one day than many of us do in one year,” the luminary Princeton mathematician Manjul Bhargava said, during a preview of a film based on Ramanujan’s life “The Man Who Knew Infinity.”

In 2010, the Agastya Foundation donated a bust to Cambridge University to memorialize Ramanujan at his alma mater. The Agastya Foundation has also gifted a bust of Ramanujan to TIFR’s Centre for Applicable Mathematics in Bangalore, and the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras, with the aim of inspiring and sparking creativity amongst young Indians.

China Balks At India Overtaking It As World’s Most Populous Country

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterWorld 0

China has responded indignantly to news that India, its neighbor and rival, will soon surpass it as the world’s most populous country. Reports have suggested that India may already have overtaken China as the most populous country. Both countries will have almost 1.43 billion people, according to the United Nations World Population Dashboard. China is facing a demographic crisis that could hamper its bid to rival the United States, with Chinese officials arguing that western coverage of the population statistics is an excuse to “bad mouth” Beijing.

Chinese officials and state media are arguing that America and the West are focusing only on population size, rather than education, industrial output, and economic clout, the latter seeing China far outweigh India. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated that it was important to look at not just the size but also the quality of its population. The state broadcaster CCTV suggested that China was being “slandered” despite “creating a miracle of sustainable and stable economic development with a huge population”.

To China, being the most populous nation does not count for anything in and of itself. What’s important is to be seen as a developing, modern, and functional country. Dimitar Gueorguiev, an associate professor who teaches Chinese politics at Syracuse University, suggests that what matters to China is consumer and investor confidence. He said: “it is not hard to see why Chinese officials are pushing back on the argument that a population decline spells economic decline”.

China has a far larger economy than India, with its GDP almost seven times that of India, which is placed fifth. However, both countries face their own challenges. China’s aging population fell last year for the first time in six decades, and this raises serious questions about the country’s ability to maintain, let alone enhance, its economic status. India has not achieved the same development in manufacturing and infrastructure as China. Its population is younger, but more of them are unemployed or living in extreme poverty.

Despite a booming technology sector, India is struggling to create enough jobs to keep up with demand. Only 2.2% of workers between the ages of 15 and 59 have received formal vocational training, according to government figures. In China, 26% of the workforce are classified as “skilled”. Despite the population statistics, India does not seem entirely thrilled about claiming the top spot. A survey conducted by the UN in conjunction with this week’s report found that many Indians listed economic issues as their top concern when thinking about population change, followed by worries about the environment, health, and human rights.

Andrea Wojnar, the United Nations Population Fund’s representative for India, said that the findings suggest that “population anxieties have seeped into large portions of the general public,” even though the numbers should be seen as a sign of development, rather than a cause for anxiety.

Despite the fierce competition between China and India, some Chinese citizens are unconcerned about the population news. “Population does not equal national power,” said Zhang Han, 29, a business student from the eastern province of Shandong. Retired teacher Liu Quan, 57, said he doesn’t care about the population news at all. “We just want peace” between the quarrelling neighbours, he said. “I believe both India and China don’t want conflict.”

In conclusion, while China is facing a demographic crisis, it believes that its economic strength and quality of its population are more important than just population size. India may be set to become the world’s most populous nation, but it is struggling to create enough jobs and provide sufficient vocational training for its young people. However, despite the fierce rivalry between the two countries, some Chinese citizens do not believe that population size equals national power and want peaceful relations with their

Even Short Walks After Meals Can Reduce Blood Sugar Levels

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterHealth 0

Walking after a meal has long been considered a beneficial habit for clear thinking and improved digestion. However, it has been discovered that even small amounts of walking, for as little as two to five minutes, can activate benefits, particularly reducing blood sugar levels. A recent meta-analysis published in the journal Sports Medicine looked at seven studies that examined the effects of walking versus sitting or standing on heart health. The studies showed that light walking after a meal can improve blood sugar levels, which is particularly helpful in warding off Type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Kershaw Patel, a preventive cardiologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, who was not involved in the study, says that “each small thing” you do will have benefits.

For example, light walking almost instantly impacts blood sugar levels, especially when done within 60-90 minutes after eating a meal. This can make a significant difference in minimizing blood sugar spikes. Walking during this time can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes because sharp spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels are thought to contribute to developing the condition.

Very light walking reduces blood sugar levels

The seven studies that examined walking versus sitting or standing showed that light walking improves blood sugar levels compared to sitting at a desk or lounging on the couch. When participants walked even for short amounts of time, their blood sugar levels rose and fell more gradually. For people with diabetes, sharp fluctuations in blood sugar levels can be particularly problematic, making it more important for them to stabilize their levels. Those with pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes can benefit from walking, as spikes and troughs in blood sugar levels can contribute to a higher risk of developing the disease.

Walking within 60 to 90 minutes after eating delivers the best results.

Standing also helps lower blood sugar levels, but it does not have the same degree of impact as light walking. Standing has some benefits, but the researchers found “light-intensity walking was a superior intervention.” Light walking challenges muscles and uses fuel from food circulating in the bloodstream, reducing excess glucose in the muscles. Jessie Inchauspé, author of the book Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar, says that “your muscles will soak up some of that excess glucose,” indicating that light walking helps reduce the impact of a meal on the body.

Mini-walks are more practical during the workday

Aidan Buffey, a graduate student at the University of Limerick in Ireland and author of the research paper, recommends a mini-walk of two to three minutes during a workday. It is more practical to perform during the workday, and people are more likely to engage in this activity than to go for a run. Buffey suggests getting up to make coffee, walk down the hallway or take a stroll after lunch. These activities can lead to measurable changes, as shown in the studies, and will enhance other dietary changes that people may be making to improve their blood sugar levels.

Dr. Euan Ashley, a cardiologist at Stanford University, who was not associated with the study, says “moving even a little bit is worthwhile.” He provides a continuum concept of incremental benefits that show each step or walk seems to have a benefit. Dr. Patel agrees with this concept and indicates that the benefits of physical activity exist on a continuum. He notes that “it’s a gradual effect of more activity, better health.”

Taking a small walk after a meal can benefit those who want to stabilize blood sugar levels, which is especially important for people with diabetes and for those who want to avoid developing it. Walking for just two to five minutes after a meal can make a difference in comparison to sitting at a desk or lounging on the couch. For the most significant impact on stabilizing blood sugar levels, taking a short walk within 60 to 90 minutes of eating is the most effective. A mini-walk of two to three minutes during a workday is more practical and feasible for most people, which makes it an excellent option to improve overall health.

Indian Food, Tea And Turmeric Lowered Covid Severity, Deaths

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterFood, Health 0

Indian diet rich in iron, zinc, and fibre, regular consumption of tea, and use of turmeric in meals lowered severity and death due to Covid in the country, according to a study published in the April edition of the Indian Journal of Medical Research by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the death rate was reportedly 5-8 fold lower in India which is densely populated as compared to lesser-populated western countries.

The study, conducted by an international team of scientists including from India, Brazil, Jordan, Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia, aimed to investigate whether dietary habits were associated with the variations in Covid-19 severity and deaths between Western and Indian population.

“Our results suggest that Indian food components suppress cytokine storm and various other severity-related pathways of Covid-19 and may have a role in lowering severity and death rates from Covid-19 in India as compared to western populations,” said the researchers including from Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology at Institute of Integrative Omics & Applied Biotechnology, in West Bengal, and Policy Center for Biomedical Research at Translational Health Science & Technology Institute in Haryana.

“However, large multi-centered case-control studies are required to support our current findings,” they added. The findings showed that the components of Indian diets, which maintain high iron and zinc concentrations in blood and rich fibre in foods, played a role in preventing carbon dioxide (CO2) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated Covid-19 severity.

LPS is a common inflammatory mediator to induce inflammatory processes in the brain.

Further, regular consumption of tea by Indians helped maintain high HDL (high-density lipoprotein), also called “good” cholesterol. The catechins in tea also acted as a natural atorvastatin (a statin medication used to prevent cardiovascular diseases) in lowering triglyceride in blood.

Importantly, they said, regular consumption of turmeric in daily food by Indians led to a strong immunity. The curcumin in turmeric may have prevented pathways and mechanisms associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and Covid-19 severity and lowered the death rate, said the researchers.

On the other hand, increased consumption of red meat, dairy products and processed foods resulted in an increase in the severity and death due to Covid in the western populations.

These foods “activate cytokine storm-related pathways, intussusceptive angiogenesis, hypercapnia and enhance blood glucose levels due to high contents of sphingolipids, palmitic acid and by-products such as CO2 and LPS” they wrote in the study.

Palmitic acid – the most common saturated fatty acid found in the human body – also induces ACE2 expression and increases the infection rate, the team said.

Coffee and alcohol that are highly consumed in western countries also led to an increase in severity and death rates from Covid-19 by deregulating blood iron, zinc and triglyceride levels.

For the study, the team used blood transcriptomes of severe Covid-19 patients from three western countries (showing high fatality) and two datasets from Indian patients.

Gene set enrichment analyses were performed for pathways, metabolites, nutrients, etc., and compared for Western and Indian samples to identify the food- and nutrient-related factors, which may be associated with Covid-19 severity.A

Data on the daily consumption of twelve key food components across four countries were collected and a correlation between nutrigenomics analyses and per capita daily dietary intake was also investigated. (IANS)

Creating New Records AAHOA CON23 Concludes

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterTourism 0

The 2023 Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) Convention & Trade Show in Los Angeles last week broke various records in the association’s history.

AAHOA, the largest hotel owners association in the world, hosted its annual Convention & Trade Show, AAHOACON, with nearly 8,000 attendees at the Los Angeles Convention Center for what is dubbed the “Super Bowl” of hospitality events.

There were 20+ education sessions, 500+ exhibiting companies, an immersive do-it-yourself product demo experience, top-level keynote speakers, and four networking events, including the Welcome Reception at the world-famous LA Coliseum.

With a record level of booth sales for the trade show, it was the largest trade show in AAHOA’s 34-year history, and a 22% increase over 2022. There were nearly 520 total exhibiting companies, the second largest exhibitor total in AAHOACON history.

The AAHOACON23 Trade Show was sold out, and a wait list was created – the first time ever in AAHOA history! AAHOACON23 also generated a very strong number of first-time exhibitors, 167, which is the second-largest number of first-time exhibitors in AAHOA history.

On top of that, the Exhibit Sales team achieved a new record in exhibit booth sales for AAHOACON24. A total of 170 exhibitors have rebooked and will return for AAHOACON24 in Orlando next year. This number represents more than 40% of the show floor space and 100% of all exhibiting hotel brands rebooked for AAHOACON24.

Word from the exhibit floor is that AAHOACON23 was the best trade show for business transactions in recent memory, and the excitement for Orlando is mounting.

“The adjectives and praise to describe AAHOACON23 and our remarkable AAHOA Team keep pouring in,” said AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake. “I could not be prouder of how AAHOACON23 turned out, and we are so thankful for all the sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, and attendees who helped make this convention and trade show one of the very best. We could not have done any of this without each and every one of you.”

Our General Session special guests and keynote speakers included comedian and activist Hasan Minhaj, BAPS Leader Swami Brahmaviharidas, and the Honorable Sadhguru. AAHOACON23 also offered HerOwnership-driven workshops and learning sessions created just for women hoteliers, including a luncheon and a HerOwnership & Women Own the Room panel, along with two Young Professionals Sessions and a Young Professionals Reception.

Florida hotelier Bharat Patel, CHO, CHIA, became the new Chairman of AAHOA’s Board of Directors, and Rahul Patel of Bradenton, Florida, became the new AAHOA Secretary.

AAHOA Members also elected 10 members to the Board of Directors to replace those with expiring terms, recognized the achievement and excellence of the AAHOA Award recipients, and partnered with Covenant House California at this year’s AAHOACON to help raise money and awareness for youth facing homelessness and trafficking.

To give back, AAHOA Members bought AAHOACON23-branded socks and t-shirts at the AAHOA Booth during the Trade Show, where up to 80% of the proceeds went directly to Covenant House California.

AAHOA also announced the launch of its AAHOA Charitable Foundation. Forming later this year as an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the AAHOA Charitable Foundation will aim to support humanity, providing disaster relief, educational scholarships and grants, charitable initiatives for worthy causes, and humanitarian aid.

Two other notable items included Virdee taking home the top prize in the 2023 AAHOA Tech Pitch Competition, Co-Powered by HFTP. Members were able to take part in the AAHOA Garage, a new feature for AAHOACON23, which included a demo area for exhibitors to showcase tips and tricks to solve common issues that many owner/operator hoteliers face in areas such as housekeeping, maintenance, repairs and troubleshooting. Additionally, there were new learning opportunities for members in the form of deep-dive masterclasses.

“Becoming AAHOA Chairman at such a historic and record-breaking event is an incredible feeling,” AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel said. “I received so many thank yous and expressions of gratitude for a job well done that I lost count, and I want to return the same showing of appreciation to everyone who attended and made AAHOACON23 one for the record books.”

Vedant, Actor Madhavan’s Son Bags 5 Gold Medals

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterYouth, Sports 0

Indian Actor R Madhavan’s son Vedaant participated in the 58th MILO/MAS Malaysia Invitational Age Group Swimming Championships and has won five gold medals for India. Madhavan expressed delight in sharing the news about his son’s victory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “Elated and very grateful,” Madhavan shared on Twitter.

According to the tweet, Vedaant participated in the 58th MILO/MAS Malaysia Invitational Age Group Swimming Championships. Photos shared on social media also feature Madhavan’s wife Sarita Birje with Vedaant.

Vedaant has also gained recognition at the Khelo India 2023 tournament. He represented team Maharashtra and won five gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 150m events, as well as two silver medals in the 400m and 800m events. Madhavan shared the news in February on social media.

The 17-year-old, born in 2005, won his first international title in the form of a bronze medal at the Latvia Open in March 2021 and then bagged seven medals (four silver and three bronze) at the Junior National Aquatic Championships in the same year. He then bagged a gold medal at the Danish Open swimming event in April 2022. He moved to Dubai for a six-months swimming training in 2021. He has also won the 48th Junior National Aquatics Championships.

Vedaant received greetings from the film and sports fraternity to which Madhavan responded. Legendary cricketer Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar said, “This is the start of a beautiful journey.”

Music Mozart A R Rahman appreciated the parents and said, “Credits to you and your wife for the sacrifice and right decisions taken to nurture him.” Actor Abhishek Bachchan congratulated Vedaant on Twitter.

Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori’s Take On Cancer Care In India

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterHealth, Science 0

Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori, a world renowned Indian-American oncologist, has been appointed as the senior advisor to the Chennai-center of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from New York. The Padma Shri awardees was named one of the top doctors in America for the treatment of cancers, especially in women. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), a cancer treatment and research institution in the borough of Manhattan in New York City is one of the world’s top cancer centers.

The center’s Chennai facility is its first overseas center, which opened last year. Dr. Nori stated that the opening of the center in India is a big deal and aims to bring the best practices of cancer treatment from the United States to India. He also emphasized the importance of providing the best treatment for cancer patients. The center’s presence in India will help to increase awareness in the fight against the deadly disease and save a large number of lives.

Speaking to the media, Nori said that he gets a lot of patients from India whom he treats at MSKCC. He noted that Indian patients look out for different hospitals and opinions, and they spend a lot of money going to different centers before reaching MSKCC. And therefore, he had aimed to have one of its centers open in India.

According to him the India centre will make a second opinion option available to Indians within the country, eliminating the need to travel to the US. Nori emphasized that the first treatment for cancer cure should be the best. “There is no room for catching up,” the doctor said.

A MSKCC centre was opened in Chennai, India in 2020. However, Nori mentioned that good cancer centers are coming up in the country in the last ten years, but they are not able to cater to the needs of all cancer patients. He recommended the Indian government to focus on controlling the incidents of cancer through screening and early detection. The doctor is also trying to introduce new programs in India that were successful in the US.

Speaking on the importance of early screening, Nori said that in the US it has reduced the occurrence of cervical cancer by 24 per cent, mammography has reduced the mortality of breast cancer, and awareness programs about smoking caused a downward trend of lung cancer. He revealed that he will be introducing some of these programs in India.

The Padma Shri awardee who hails from Andhra Pradesh obtained his medical degree from Kurnool Medical College and a postgraduate degree from Osmania Medical College. He is known for the development and application of brach.

Arjun Tendulkar Makes IPL Debut

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterSports, Youth 0

Arjun Tendulkar, son of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar made his debut in Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 16, 2023. He was bowling for Mumbai Indians, the team once captained by his father. The Tendulkars became the first father-son duo to play in IPL, which started in 2008.

The 23-year-old left-hander was given the new ball in the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Arjun went wicketless in his two over spell, giving away 17 runs.

After the match, Sachin penned an emotional note on social media marking his son’s debut. “Arjun, today you have taken another important step in your journey as a cricketer. As your father, someone who loves you and is passionate about the game, I know you will continue to give the game the respect it deserves and the game will love you back,” he wrote on Twitter.

“You have worked very hard to reach here, and I am sure you will continue to do so. This is the start of a beautiful journey. All the best!,” hiz tweet further read.

Junior Tendulkar made his national team debut for the U19 side in 2018. In a Test series against Sri Lanka, he picked up his first wicket for the national team. He played his first domestic T20 match for the Mumbai team during the 2020/21 Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy.

Kumar Barve Appointed To The US State’s Public Service Commission

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterProfile 0

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has announced that Delegate Kumar Barve will be appointed to the Public Service Commission. The appointment will occur after the 2023 legislative session.

“I am proud to announce the selection of Delegate Kumar Barve to serve on the Public Service Commission. He is a veteran of the Maryland House of Delegates and his leadership within the Environment and Transportation Committee makes him the ideal candidate for this role.” said Gov. Moore. “I am confident in Delegate Barve’s ability to bolster my administration’s commitment to environmental stewardship while ensuring ratepayers are protected.”

Barve has been a member of the House of Delegates since 1991 and is the first Indian-American elected to a state legislature in the US. The Public Service Commission regulates public utilities and certain passenger transportation companies in Maryland.

While representing District 17 in Montgomery County, Barve served as Chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee since 2015 and his policy accomplishments include economic development, environmental regulation, energy generation, energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, and tax policy.

Delegate Kumar Barve was the first Indian-American elected to a state legislature in the United States. He has been a member of the House of Delegates since January 1991. While representing District 17 in Montgomery County, he served as Chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee since 2015. He served as Democratic House Majority Leader from 2003-2015.

Delegate Barve’s various policy accomplishments include economic development, environmental regulation, energy generation, energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, and tax policy. He sponsored several climate change laws, led Maryland’s effort to promote high tech job creation, and was a central player in closing corporate tax loopholes and in transforming Maryland’s tax code to be more progressive.

Delegate Barve also has more than 40 years of experience as an accountant. He has been the Chief Financial Officer of the Environmental Management Services, Inc. since 1993; he was the Financial Manager of UNISYS Corporation from 1987 to 1990; and from 1981-1987, he was the Economic/Proposal Manager of the Space Communications Corporation.

Delegate Barve earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Georgetown University. He is the recipient of numerous awards.

After Indian Court Rejects Rahul Gandhi’s Appeal, Vacates Bungalow

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia 0

A court in Gujarat’s Surat city has rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s application for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark. The court rejected Gandhi’s application – filed on April 3 – for a relief pending his appeal against a lower court’s order sentencing him to two years in jail in the case.

The conviction in the criminal defamation case and two-year jail term led to Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha. He represented Wayanad in Kerala as an MP.

The verdict prolongs the uncertainty over whether he will be able to participate in the national elections scheduled for next year. Gandhi was sentenced to two years in prison for making remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname during an election rally in 2019. He will not be arrested until he has exhausted all legal remedies.

His lawyer, Kirit Panwala, has stated that they will contest the decision in the Gujarat High Court. Furthermore, Gandhi lost his parliamentary seat a day after his conviction on 23 March due to a Supreme Court order that disqualifies a lawmaker who is sentenced to two or more years in jail with immediate effect.

The Congress party has criticized Mr. Gandhi’s conviction and accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of political vendetta. However, the BJP has rebutted these allegations, stating that due judicial process was followed in the case. Earlier this month, Mr. Gandhi had filed petitions to suspend his sentence or secure bail, and to suspend his conviction in a court in Surat. The court granted him bail to appeal against his conviction, but it is the stay or suspension of his conviction that is critical to reinstating him as a Member of Parliament.

The case against Mr. Gandhi, brought by BJP lawmaker Purnesh Modi, centered around his remarks made in Karnataka state in 2019 during an election campaign, where he said, “Why do all these thieves have Modi as their surname? Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi.” Nirav Modi is a wanted Indian diamond merchant, while Lalit Modi is a former chief of the Indian Premier League who has been banned for life by the country’s cricket board. Modi’s complaint stated that the comments defamed the entire Modi community. However, Mr. Gandhi said that he made the comment to expose corruption and that it was not directed against any specific community.

A stay on conviction by the sessions court could have paved the way for Gandhi’s reinstatement as a Member of Parliament. Now that his application for stay has been rejected, he will continue to remain disqualified.

Gandhi can now appeal against the rejection in a higher court and the same cycle of hope and despair would continue. He can only be reinstated as a Lok Sabha MP only after the conviction is stayed or dismissed.

The Congress on Thursday said it will continue to avail all options still available under the law. “Isn’t it exceptional enough to get a 2 years sentence for criminal defamation? Just long enough to be disqualified from Parliament,” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted.

The BJP hailed the court’s decision as “victory” of the judiciary and the people. BJP leader Sambit Patra said that the decision is a “slap on the face of the Gandhi family”.

Hindu And Indian American Coalition Launched In Support Of Republican Party

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterCommunity, USA 0

In an effort to reach out to the Indian American community ahead of the 2024 elections, the Republican Party has launched a new Republican Hindu and Indian American Coalition, with well-known Indian-American Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar serving as its national chairman.

Making the announcement, Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said, “Republicans stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Hindu and Indian American families and I am excited to announce this important coalition, alongside Shalli, to build upon our historic investments in Hindu and Indian American communities.

“We celebrate the contributions of the Hindu and Indian American community at large for strengthening America as entrepreneurs, tech innovators, physicians, IT professionals, owners of hundreds of thousands of small businesses and service members, ” she added.

According to the official statement, the new coalition will expand outreach to the important Indian American community in 2024 as well as build upon the Republicans’ permanent investment in Hindu and Indian communities across the country.

Describing the chairwoman as a true ally of the 6 million strong community of Hindu Americans, Kumar said, “I am honored to serve on the RNC’s Hindu and Indian American Coalition, to continue my work alongside Chairwoman McDaniel to convert a large number of Hindu and Indian American voters permanently from Democrat to Republican and also strengthen the bond between the United States and India.”

A Punjabi industrialist based in Chicago, Kumar came to the United States for further studies in 1969 and went on to found the AVG Group of Companies, which designs and manufactures electronic components and products supplied worldwide.

He has also founded the National Indian American Public Policy Institute (NIAPPI), a think tank focusing on issues relevant to Indian Americans and the Republican Hindu Coalition. Kumar is known for playing a crucial role in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, which has been documented by James Kahrs in a book titled “Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkar.” The formation of the coalition by the Republicans reflects the significance of the Indian diaspora community in US electoral politics.

Radha Pyati Named Chancellor Of Penn State Berks

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterEducation 0

Indian-American academician Radha Pyati has been named the next chancellor and dean of Penn State Berks, effective July 1, 2023. She will succeed former chancellor George Grant Jr.,according to Penn State Press.

An award-winning environmentalist and a leader in STEM education, Pyati is presently dean of the college of sciences and mathematics at West Chester University (WCU). Under her leadership, the College of Sciences and Mathematics raised over US$3.4 mn for scholarships, faculty support and STEM programming, and planned the US$130 mn Science and Engineering Complex.

Lauding Dr Pyati’s appointment, Kelly Austen, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor of Penn State, said “She has a proven track record of success as an educator and academic leader. The faculty, staff and students at Penn State Berks will benefit from her experienced leadership. She deeply understands the essential mission of our Commonwealth Campuses, and shares these values of the University — all have which have made her the right person to lead Penn State Berks.”

Pyati has championed efforts to increase the diversity of faculty and students in her college and led several major environmental research projects in the Lower St. Johns River Basin.

Reacting to the news, Pyati commented, “I met some wonderful students, faculty and staff during my visit, and I can’t wait to work with them. Elevating student outcomes and the growth of Penn State Berks is an inspiring mission to me.”

Before WCU, Pyati worked at the University of Colorado, and the University of North Florida. Most recently, she was a Fulbright Specialist at the University of ĐàNẵng in Vietnam. An accomplished researcher and City of Jacksonville Environmental Protections Board Award of Merit recipient, she has authored many papers, book chapters, and reports in chemistry and environmental science and participated in over thirty research projects as a principal investigator.

Vidya Balan Named Brand Ambassador For Seattle-Based Shobitam

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterWomen 0

Shobitam, a Seattle-based ethic clothing brand, co-founded by Indian-American sisters Aparna and Ambika, has appointed renowned actress Vidya Balan as their brand ambassador. Vidya Balan is globally recognised to be a passionate supporter of Handloom.

Credited for reviving the saree on the red carpet and making it fashionable for a new generation, Balan has significantly aided social programmes that support the economic independence and quality of life of traditional handloom weavers, the brand said in a statement.

Sharing thoughts on this partnership, the actress said “Shobitam is a leading ethnic fashion brand and I love the beautiful sarees and ethnic wear that they offer to customers. As a brand ambassador, I am pleased to support the vision of Shobitam to work closely with our talented weavers to deliver unique creations with Silk Mark Certified quality to customers globally. Together, we look forward to creating products which truly stand out in quality, variety, value, and service.”

Aparna Thyagarajan, Co-founder at Shobitam said, “We are excited to have Vidya come on board as our brand ambassador, as we look forward to growing our brand connect with our customers globally. Vidya is an influential global icon who perfectly embodies the saree drapes and resonates well with the brand ethos of Shobitam, with her real and approachable persona.”

The strategic relationship will help Shobitam pave the road for client acquisition from the Indian diaspora both in India and around the world, promote quick expansion, and support its status as a world-class ethnic wear brand, the news release noted.

NITI Aayog Vice Chair Suman Bery Leads Discussion On Indian Economy In New York

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterMoney 0

The Indian Consulate in New York held a Round Table on India’s economy on April 20, 2023, which was led by India’s Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog Suman Bery, who is on a visit to the United States.

The Round Table was entitled, Indian Growth Story: Speed, Scale, and Opportunities, and it was attended by high-profile guests from the business sector such as Deepak Raj, managing director of private investment firm Raj Associates and Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media.

Caption: Vice Chairman of India’s NITI Aayog Suman Bery, speaking at the Round Table on India’s economy held April 20, 2022, at the Indian Consulate in New York. PHOTO: Indian Consulate.

“It was a pleasure participating in the roundtable discussion on the Indian Growth Story: Speed, Scale and Opportunities at the Consulate General of India, New York (@IndiainNewYork) last evening,” Bery, an economist who took over at NITI last year in May, tweeted after the meeting.

The event was attended by approximately 50 corporate leaders from various sectors such as IT, technology, finance, healthcare, high-level executives, and policymakers.

Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media, asking a question at the April 20, 2023, Round Table on India’s economy with Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Suman Bery, held at the Indian Consulate in New York. Also seen are other high profile participants, as well as India’s Deputy Consul General Dr. Varun Jeph, right. PHOTO: Indian Consulate

Among the subjects discussed were the markers of India’s economic growth making it one of the world’s fastest-growing economies; elements of India’s energy transition, New Delhi’s Free Trade Agreements which give a strong push to Indian trade, India’s G20 leadership, women’s empowerment, etc.

Businessman from New Jersey Deepak Raj, addressing India’s NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery (not in picture) at the April 20, 2023, Round Table on India’s economy, held at the Indian Consulate in New York. PHOTO: Indian Consulat

The International Monetary Fund estimates India’s growth projections at 5.9 percent in 2023, and 6.3 percent in 2024, compared to the much lower World Output at 2.8 percent in and 3.0 percent, Bery noted accompanied by a visual table.

India has signed 13 Free Trade Agreements and 6 preferential pants so far with its trading partners for ensuring greater market access for domestic goods and promoting exports, Bery pointed out, with appropriated visual representations. The most recent FTAs signed are with Mauritius, UAE, and Australia.

More than 50 high- profile attendees were present at the April 20, 2023, Round Table on the Indian economy, held at the Indian Consulate in New York, with Vice Chair of India’s NITI Aayog Suman Bery. PHOTO: Indian Consulate

India is also actively engaged in FTA negotiations with countries like United Kingdom, European Union, and Canada.

India’s energy transition includes elements of – increasing electrification; higher penetration of cleaner fuels in energy mix; accelerated adoption of energy-efficient technologies; rising digitalization, among other efficiencies, Bery noted.

On the same day, April 20, Bery was the chief guest at a Student Roundtable and Lunch in Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs.

Before being appointed Vice Chair at NITI Aayog, Bery served in various capacities – Senior Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi; a Global Fellow in the Asia Program of the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in Washington D.C.; and a non-resident fellow at Bruegel, an economic policy research institution in Brussels.

In 2012 until mid-2016, Bery was Shell’s Global Chief Economist, where he advised the board and management on global economic and political developments. He was also part of the senior leadership of Shell’s global scenarios group.

Prior to that, Bery served as Director-General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research, one of India’s leading socioeconomic research institutions.

Bery also served at various times as a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, of India’s Statistical Commission, and of the Reserve Bank of India’s Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy.

He also worked at the World Bank, engaged in research on financial sector development and country policy and strategy, focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Do The Rich Pay Their ‘Fair Share’?

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterMoney 0

Tax Day has recently passed and according to a recent Pew Research poll, Americans’ frustration with the tax code has reached its highest point in recent years. The majority of Americans, 56%, say they pay “more than their fair share” of taxes, with the number having increased from 51% from 2019.

It is also no surprise that almost two-thirds of Americans believe that the wealthy do not pay enough taxes, with 61% supporting the idea of raising taxes on households earning over $400,000. However, the definition of what constitutes a “fair share” of taxes is subjective and many Americans may not understand how much of the tax burden the rich bear.

In 2020, the top 1% of taxpayers paid $722 billion in income taxes, which accounted for 42.3% of all income taxes paid – the highest percentage in modern history. In contrast, the bottom 90% of taxpayers paid $450 billion in income taxes, or just 26.3% of the total, representing their lowest percentage of the tax burden in decades. This means that the top 1% of taxpayers pay a far greater share of the nation’s tax burden than 142 million of their neighbors combined.

The wealthy do not pay a larger amount solely because they earn the most money. In 2020, the top 1% of taxpayers earned 22% of all adjusted gross income, while their 42.3% share of income taxes is nearly twice their income share. The opposite is true for the bottom 90%, who earned more than half of the nation’s income but paid only 26.3% of the taxes, representing roughly half of their share of the nation’s income. This was not the case in 1980, where the tax burden was more evenly shared. The bottom 90% earned 68% of the nation’s income and paid 52% of the income taxes, while the top 1% earned 9.6% of the nation’s income and paid 17% of the income taxes.

One of the reasons for the progressive tax system in the United States is the massive expansion of social programs delivered through the tax code over the past three decades. Many of the most significant programs aimed at lower-income families and those with children, such as the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit, are run through the IRS, which deliver roughly $180 billion in benefits each year, much of which is refundable. Since the mid-1990s, tax credits have multiplied, with credits for adoption, child care, senior care, college tuition, buying electric cars or solar panels, and buying health insurance, among other things. However, these responsibilities are beyond the capacity of a tax collection agency, making it difficult for the IRS to function.

Record numbers of taxpayers now pay no income taxes after claiming their credits and deductions, with 34% of tax filers paying no income taxes due to generous credits and deductions in the tax code. In 2019, 54 million tax filers, equal to 34%, paid no income taxes because of the tax code’s generous credits and deductions. In 1980, only 21% of tax filers paid no income taxes due to credits and deductions.

Despite politicians’ rhetoric about ensuring the fair share of taxes, the burden on top earners continues to climb. If the wealthy were indeed able to use loopholes to avoid paying taxes, many of them would need better accountants.

India’s Workforce Is Weighed Down By People With Worthless College Degrees

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterEducation, Youth 0

India’s education system is failing the country’s workforce, with scores of people graduating from small private colleges lacking the skills required to secure employment. While some of India’s tech industry leaders come from top colleges, such as Sundar Pichai of Alphabet and Satya Nadella of Microsoft, lesser-known private institutes frequently have incompetent teachers, outdated curricula, and no opportunities for on-the-job training. This has resulted in a glut of incompetent workers within the workforce, with a study by employee assessment firm Wheebox revealing that half of all future graduates in India are expected to be unemployable.

Despite the lack of opportunities that many colleges provide, Bloomberg’s interviews with youths in India revealed several reasons for spending money on higher education, such as increasing their economic status to attract better suitors for marriage and securing government employment. However, the pursuit of higher education at private universities has also led to fraud, with one such institution investigated by the Indian government for selling fake degrees.

Manav Bharti University in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh sold up to 36,000 degrees since its founding in 2009, with qualifications being offered for as low as $1,362. Such fraudulent behavior highlights a need for greater regulation and accreditation of educational institutions in India. The country’s unemployment rate is 7.45% as of February, according to the Indian news outlet, The Economic Times.

The failing education system is particularly concerning as India’s population is set to overtake China’s by mid-2023, with the United Nations Population Fund’s “State of World Population Report” estimating India’s population will reach 1.4286 billion, which is 2.9 million more than China’s 1.4257 billion people. Anil Sadgopal, a former dean of education at Delhi University, has stated that “calling such so-called degrees as being worthless would be by far an understatement.” He told that Bloomberg,”When millions of young people are rendered unemployable every year, the entire society becomes unstable.”

The education system failures are particularly evident in small private colleges that lack adequate resources to provide quality courses, leading to an imbalance in employment opportunities between those who have attended top-tier schools and those who have attended lower-tier schools that may lack resources or accreditation. While there is great potential in India’s youth, particularly in the tech industry, it is a need of the hour to restructure and regulate the country’s higher education system to ensure that all young people have access to high-quality education that prepares them for the workforce.

Inadequate training and poor educational opportunities for the majority of Indian college students mean that few graduates are equipped with the skills or critical thinking abilities necessary for the modern workplace, particularly in fields such as technology, engineering, and business. Such issues have led to the creation and implementation of new regulations, such as the National Education Policy, designed to revamp India’s education system and reduce the number of unemployable college graduates.

In conclusion, India’s higher education system is failing its youth, and the consequences are dire. Millions of young people are graduating from inadequate programs with limited prospects for employment, which threatens to create instability throughout society. Moreover, the fraudulent practices occurring by some educational institutions have further discredited India’s education system. Therefore, it is essential that the government takes the necessary steps to revamp and regulate the education system to ensure quality education for all. Such initiatives will help India to fully leverage its greatest asset, its youth, to drive the country’s growing economy and social development.

Indian-Americans Protest Against Racist Hate Crimes

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterCommunity 0

A peaceful rally was held by Indian Americans in California to protest against a Democratic senator’s proposed bill in the state’s Senate seeking to ban caste-based discrimination. State Senator Aisha Wahab, the first Muslim and Afghan American elected to the state legislature, introduced the bill on March 22. If passed, California, America’s most populous state, could become the first state to outlaw caste-based bias in the United States.

Participants at the peace rally organized by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) expressed that the legislation introduced by Senator Wahab contradicts the fundamental principles of equality and justice for all, regardless of race, religion, and ancestry. Harsh Singh, a Fremont city resident and tech worker, said, “This bill presumes guilt, profiles and stereotypes Hindus and Asians, which will increase hate and target our kids.”

Protesters displayed posters and banners against the legislation, appealing to California lawmakers not to single out Hindus or presume that they are guilty of being oppressive simply due to their birth. Participants of the peaceful rally in front of Senator Wahab’s office said that legislation SB-403 proposes to add “caste” as a protected category in California. The protesters argued that the proposed bill is based on unproven and biased data that targets South Asians, along with other people of color such as those from the Japanese, African, and South American communities. CoHNA argued that if passed, the bill would violate the civil rights of South Asians and other people of color and deny them equal protection and due process.

The bill was introduced exactly one month after Seattle became the first US city to outlaw caste discrimination after its local council passed a resolution moved by an Indian-American politician and economist, Kshama Sawant. Sudha Jagannathan, a Bahujan Hindu American and a mother, expressed her anger and frustration that America is forcing this identity on her while “all my life this was never an issue.” She said, “SB 403 will entrench the false and dangerous concept of caste as solely connected to Hindus. It reinforces the very discrimination that its supporters claim to stop via SB 403! My children and children will be branded with a caste, despite not knowing what it is!”

Aldrin Deepak, a tech worker, LGBTQ, and Dalit American activist, expressed dismay at how hate groups like Equality Labs seek to co-opt his identity and weaponize it against the very traditions that nourished and gave succor to millions through the ages. He said, “They seek to deny the place of Valmiki and Vyasa, authors of the world’s most glorious and influential epics-the Ramayana and Mahabharata.” He rejected the attempts from Equality Labs and California lawmakers to speak for him or his community. Mr. Deepak expressed his concern that SB403 would profile them and leave them subject to being judged by so-called experts based on subjective criteria like last names, dietary preferences, skin color, and more.

Nearly 100 people went to speak at Fremont City Hall to make their concerns heard after the peace rally. After introducing the legislation last month, Ms. Wahab told reporters that the “historic legislation is about workers’ rights, women’s rights, queer rights, and civil rights.” She said, “We want to ensure organizations and companies do not entrench caste discrimination in their practices or policies, and in order to do that, we need to make it plainly clear that discrimination based on caste is against the law.” Ms. Wahab also said, “Caste goes beyond religion and nationality. This legislation primarily protects millions who live in silence and have never had such protection because there is little understanding of this issue. This bill is about protecting people who are vulnerable.”

Equality Labs, which led the movement against caste discrimination in Seattle and is now spearheading a nationwide campaign, has asserted that caste-based discrimination exists in various sectors in California, such as technology, education, construction, restaurants, domestic work, and medicine. However, some Indian Americans are apprehensive that including caste in public policy could exacerbate instances of Hinduphobia in the US.

There have been reports of Hindu temples and statues, including those of Mahatma Gandhi and Maratha emperor Shivaji, being vandalized in the last three years, which many believe is aimed at intimidating the Hindu community.

Indian Americans constitute the second-largest immigrant group in the US, with approximately 4.2 million individuals of Indian origin according to the 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) conducted by the Census Bureau. It is worth noting that India has prohibited caste discrimination since 1948 and enshrined it in the Constitution in 1950.

MIT Neuroscientist On What Sets People With ‘Excellent Memory’ Apart From Others

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterScience 0

A strong memory is essential to maintaining a healthy and productive lifestyle. Neuroscientists at MIT Sloan have discovered two simple exercises to boost both working and long-term memory. These exercises can be done daily to improve memory.

Chunking: Strengthen your working memory

The first exercise is chunking, breaking down long or complex pieces of information into smaller chunks. A phone number like “3-3-2-1-6-7,” can be divided into “33,” “21,” and “67” and given a special meaning. Chunking is also useful for presentations where lengthy talks can be divided into key points with a list of catchphrases to remember them.

Space repetition: Strengthen your long-term memory

The second exercise is space repetition, which focuses on memory retention over longer intervals. After learning a fact, it should be repeated out loud a few times, then again after a few hours, days, and weeks. If needed, start the process again to reinforce the memory.

In addition to memory exercises, a healthy lifestyle can also contribute to improved cognitive function. Exercise plays an important role, with cognitive decline being almost twice as common among adults who are inactive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity for adults.

A healthy diet is also essential for cognitive function with a colourful variety of vegetables and plants being recommended. Darker vegetables such as kale and eggplants are particularly beneficial, as are foods containing high levels of polyphenols, such as coffee and dark chocolate in moderation.

Clearing headspace can help reduce information overload. Taking time to think about what is important and what is easily recalled can enable intentional changes to be made in daily life, leading to a reduction in forgetfulness.

According to MIT Sloan neuroscientist, “Chunking and space repetition are two easy exercises that can be done daily to improve the memory strength of an individual especially to help to ward off memory issues later on. Any mentally stimulating activity will boost your brainpower, but it is important to have plenty of exercise, a healthy diet and clear up headspace on regular basis”, she added.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity for adults. A healthy diet is also essential for cognitive function with a colourful variety of vegetables and plants being recommended.

Dr. Tara Swart Bieber is a renowned neuroscientist, medical doctor, and senior lecturer at MIT Sloan. She is the author of “The Source: The Secrets of the Universe, the Science of the Brain,” and hosts the podcast Reinvent Yourself with Dr. Tara. She works with leaders to help them achieve mental resilience and peak brain performance.

Radha Iyengar Plumb Confirmed As Deputy Under Secretary Of Défense

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterProfile 0

The US Senate has confirmed Radha Iyengar Plumb, a national security expert, as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the latest Indian-American to be named by the Biden administration for a key position.

President Joe Biden had nominated Radha Iyengar Plumb, currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, to this prestigious position in June 2022.

“By a vote of 68-30, the Senate confirmed Radha Iyengar Plumb to be the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense,” US Senate Periodical Press Gallery tweeted on Tuesday.

Plumb had previously worked as a senior economist at the RAND corporation focused on improving the measurement and evaluation of readiness and security efforts across the Department of Défense and was previously Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Défense.

She has also worked at Google and Facebook. Plumb’s research covers a range of areas related to violence reduction and prevention, and she has a PhD in economics from Princeton University. In her LinkedIn profile, she describes herself as an experienced leader with deep technical analytical skills.

President Joe Biden had nominated Radha Iyengar Plumb, currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defence, to this prestigious position in June 2022.

“By a vote of 68-30, the Senate confirmed Radha Iyengar Plumb to be the Deputy Under Secretary of Defence,” US Senate Periodical Press Gallery tweeted on Tuesday.

Prior to her appointment as the Chief of Staff, she was the Director of Research and Insights for Trust and Safety at Google and had previously served as the Global Head of Policy Analysis at Facebook.

Plumb previously was a Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation where she focused on improving the measurement and evaluation of readiness and security efforts across the Department of Defence.

She also held a number of senior staff positions on national security issues at the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the White House National Security Council.

At the outset of her career, she was an Assistant Professor at the London School of Economics and did her postdoctoral work at Harvard.

Plumb received her Ph.D. and M.S. in Economics from Princeton University, and she holds a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to her profile released by the White House in June last year.

In her Linkedin profile, Plumb describes herself as an experienced leader with deep technical analytic skills and a demonstrated history of working in the government, academia, and industry.

IMF Discusses India’s Innovations In Digital Public Infrastructure

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia, Technology 0

On the side-lines of the 2023 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an IMF Seminar held on the theme, “Digital Public Infrastructure [DPI]: Stacking Up the Benefits,” on April 14, 2023, discussed India’s advancement and achievements on DPI and important lessons the world can benefit from its digital innovations.

Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, India’s Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman, Managing Director of IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, Co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda Gates, Co-Founder and Chairman, Infosys Technologies Limited, Nandan Nilekani, and President and CEO, PayPal, Dan Schulman participated in the seminar, which was moderated by Anchor, CNN International, Julia Chatterley.

Appreciating Queen Máxima and Minister Sitharaman for their participation in the seminar, Georgieva said, “I’m very deeply touched that Queen Máxima has… come again to the IMF to talk about digital infrastructure and the role it plays to promote deeper financial inclusion, a topic that Her Majesty has championed for years,” adding she was “equally very, very grateful to Minister Sitharaman. India is a shining light in this area, and I could not be more excited to have a chance to hear from you about India’s experience.”

Noting the importance of financial inclusion and DPI’s role in enabling access to resources and opportunities, Georgieva commended efforts by both Queen Máxima and Sitharaman. “But it is not going to happen without concerted attention and effort, and Queen Maxima as the United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development has been marshalling to the world in the right direction,” she said. “And secondly, to say that when we discuss this topic, it is so much more effective not to talk only about the things we aspire to do. But to talk about the things we have actually done, and who is better but Minister Sitharaman to talk about the things that are actually done.”

In her opening remarks, Queen Máxima while reminding everyone that “These are challenging times for the world economy and people living in emerging markets are being hit particularly hard,” highlighted, that as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate, in the past decade, she has witnessed “how inclusive DPIs can have a transformative impact on even the poorest households and businesses.”

She said DPIs helped deliver welfare straight to digital wallets, and exemplified India. “India has shown one way with India Stack. It combines foundational digital ID, an interoperable payments system, a digital credentials ledger, and account aggregators to support empowerment and protection. The results have been dramatic: India has achieved over 80 per cent financial inclusion in just six years – compared to the 46 years it would have taken without a DPI approach. So, six years versus 46 years.”

In her role as the Honorary Patron of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, Queen Máxima said, “I am really delighted that we are crafting policy recommendations for DPI under the Indian Presidency.”

Underscoring the importance of DPI, Sitharaman, recalled, “In India, during the last couple of years, we have seen how DPI can contribute to targeted, quick and efficient and inclusive service delivery through innovative methods developed by both public and private sector initiatives,” adding “digital payments and consent based data sharing has helped us to improve our governance, bring ease of doing business, and enable ease of living for our people.”

Pointing out to India’s 462.5 million low-cost bank accounts with 56 per cent women account holders, Sitharaman noted, “This has enabled us to transform the garment service delivery by building the world’s largest [DPI based] direct benefit transfer systems…” helping 650 million people receive $322 billion directly into their accounts, and ultimately resulting in $27 billion of overall savings across key government services and initiatives.

“The interoperability of DPI, as in the case of India, allows for multiple solutions to be developed for promoting inclusion. For instance, the UPI [Unified Payments Interface] our payment system is used not only for smartphones, but also feature phones by just dialing a *99# or in assisted mode, with no phone at all,” Sitharaman said. “As a result, UPI transactions are increasingly rapidly moving forward. Today, more than 68 per cent of total payments are made through UPI in India in March 2023. In just March 2023, alone, India has witnessed 8.7 billion UPI transactions and overall growth of 82 per cent in financial year 2022-23 over the previous year.”

Nilekani said, a digital ID, bank account, and a smart phone are three key tools for the New World. About India’s digital transformation that started a decade ago, Nilekani said “Well, I think Digital Public Infrastructure is actually a philosophy and a belief that technology can actually transform a society, can improve our lives, can do financial inclusion, then can create economic growth in a more equitable manner.”

Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sitharaman as “Digital First Ministers” Nilekani said, “when they look at a public policy issue, they say, can we do this digitally? And that’s how companies think how to be digital. First, we have governments thinking about that. So that’s a big part of the success of the Indian model,” while crediting the political will for India’s success.

Gates credited DPI in helping weather COVID related economic shocks in India. “If you’re a woman in society, when you get money in your hands, it’s power, money is power. And it changes everything in your household. And so I have met women all over the world, in Tanzania and Kenya and India and Bangladesh who say everybody in my household looks at me differently when I have money…” Gates said. “We’re actually finally talking about power and societal change. And I think as was said, well from the minister [Sitharaman], yeah, it brings in so many people who are on the margins of society to now participate in economic opportunity.”

Schulman, when asked about his view of DPI from a private sector point of view, said “All of our lives are digitizing rapidly, whether it be payments or any other form of our lives…” adding “And so I think the private and public sector need to come together here. We need to have an infrastructure that we can build on. It needs to be interoperable. And that’s an issue that I think we all need to think about because one country building a digital infrastructure that doesn’t have the same standards or regulations aligned with other countries makes it very difficult for the private sector…”

Tim Cook Impressed By Seeing Kids In India Learn Via Tech

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterBusiness, Technology 0

Apple has always believed that education is the great equalizer for people and the tech giant will continue to expand education and skilling initiatives in India to connect more underprivileged kids to the mainstream, Apple CEO Tim Cook told IANS on Wednesday.

Returning to India after seven years to launch Apple’s first own-branded retail store here, Cook paid a visit to Sitaram Mill Compound municipal school in Lower Parel area in Mumbai where Apple has integrated iPads and Apple TVs into the classrooms.

The English medium BMC school is run by teachers and staff members who are part of The Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit organisation. The school currently has 470 students and 55 alumni, and each class has up to 40 students.

“Since the founding of the company, we’ve been very focused on education. It’s very deep in our DNA. The programs like this really make my heart sing because we can see our products live in a learning environment,” Cook told IANS.

The Akanksha Foundation now runs 26 junior kindergarten through Grade 10 schools in economically-deprived areas in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.

Student selection is done by lottery to ensure equity, and in addition to the core academic subjects, Akanksha places a strong emphasis on Socio-emotional and Ethical Learning.

Apple has sponsored their work since 2015. In addition to financial support, the company also helped them integrate iPad and Apple TV into their classrooms and several of their teachers have achieved Apple Professional Learning Specialist designation.

“You can clearly see how the learning cycles are accelerating these kids and the engagement that they bring is simply great. This education program is something that really makes me happy and we would expand such programs in India to help more kids leverage our technologies,” Cook noted enthusiastically, as local Mumbai trains continue to pass by.

Mandira Purohit is the school leader and has been with The Akanksha Foundation for 17 years.

According to her, iPads are helping kids develop creative and reading skills in a natural way and Cook’s first-ever visit to the school instilled a lot of confidence in not only kids but the entire teaching staff.

“iPads have changed the way teaching and learning is imparted here. We are sharing a lot of software skills when kids are working in groups or collaborating on various subjects. Moreover, Cook’s reactions to the kids as he visited their classrooms was very inspiring for all of us,” she told IANS.

Cook also met Nirjala, an alumnus of the school who comes from a large family with six children that was heavily impacted financially by the pandemic.

Nirjala surprised her teachers by reaching the top 10 per cent of her class within two years. When she graduated two years ago, she was selected to be an alumni ambassador for her class, wherein she connects and coordinates engagement events for her classmates.

She represented Akanksha at a New York fundraiser hosted by Bollywood actor Boman Irani. “It became so easy for us to learn with iPad and Apple TV in the classroom apart from books. Apps like Book Creator and iMovie and a host of other animation apps on iPad opened a new world for us,” Nirjala told Cook.

According to Chitra Pandit, Head of Communications and Development, they have been fortunate to have this Apple partnership going on since 2015. “It has just grown from strength to strength. Next year. We’re going to have all our 26 schools with iPads and we can’t wait to see all our children learn in a better and effective way so that they can perform at higher levels like children from anywhere,” Pandit told IANS.

For Cook, visiting the Sitaram Mill Compound municipal school was a heartening experience and the company will expand such initiatives to more schools and children in the country.

Diwali Comes To Disney World

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterCulture, Entertainment 0

The first-of-its-kind Diwali celebrations will take place at Florida’s Disney Springs, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and EPCOT as Jashn Productions will host a Diwali Dance Fest at Walt Disney World® Resort.

According to a statement by the organizers the event will take place from October 26-29th, 2023 and will feature the sights and sounds of the popular Indian festival. A showcase of vibrant colours, stunning costumes, and incredible performances by the dancers of South Asian dance schools from across North America will be the event’s highlight.

“We are thrilled to bring Diwali to Walt Disney World® Resort for the first time ever, ” said Jashn productions director, Jeanie Beri. “We want to share the joy and excitement of this important festival with the South Asian dance community. We hope that the Diwali Dance Fest will become an annual event at Walt Disney World® Resort, bringing people together to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of South Asia.”

The three-day festival will feature an official parade at Disney Springs, a dance showcase at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, and a VIP party at EPCOT, the organizers revealed.

Led by award-winning South Asian American dancer Beri, who is of South-Asian origin, Jashn Productions provides a platform for South Asian artists to display their talents on a world stage. Under Beri’s leadership South Asian talent has gained recognition at the Walt Disney World, NBA, and the Broadway stage!

New York Mayor At Indian American CEOs Roundtable

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterBusiness 0

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City addressed CEOs of leading Indian companies from diverse sectors such as banking, finance, pharmaceuticals, retail, diamond and IT at a CEO roundtable organized by the Consulate General of India in New York in partnership with the NYC Mayors Office for International Affairs on April 18^th, 2023 at the New York Indian Consulate in New York.

CEOs participating in the roundtable included Suresh Muthuswamy, Chairman, North America, Tata Consultancy Services, Michael McCabe, Tata Sons Country Head – North America, Bhavani Parameshwara, Executive Director and President, Indievat Inc. (an ITC-owned company). Amneal Pharmaceuticals Co-CEO New York Branch Chintu Patel, Strides Pharma Chief Business Officer Shivprasad Naikoti, State Bank of India (SBI) New York Branch CEO Prashant Tripathi, Canara Bank CEO Jaya Rajappan, Empire State Titans Founder and Owner Hiren Kumar, Kushal Choksey, co-founder of Tattva Truffles, Gaurav Varma of USISFP, Anjan Lahiri of Naikenz, Chief Regional Manager Amit Malik from Bharat Electronics, Akshay Chaturvedi Country Head-USA for ICICI Bank Ltd, Tejas Shah CEO of Kiran Jewels, Sandeep Shah of Sandeep Diamond and Co-Founder of Recognize Franscisco D’Souza.

Mayor Eric Adams said, “It is very important that we understand the role of the Indian community in the city’s prosperity in three areas. One, I want to encourage them to participate in the political scene, which should be part of their business plan.” Also, the Mayor suggested “making a bridge between school, high school kids and youth. With the company who has required skills our kids will need for the future. And lastly, it’s important that we give them the tools to help our kids intern and volunteer. We want to continue to expand and let them know that we are a partner in growing their business together,” Adams said.

Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General of India in New York, said the mayor’s discussion and roundtable with CEOs of major Indian companies provide an opportunity to see “how we can strengthen our business engagement with New York City and India.” On India-US relationship, he said, it helps, especially in economic ties in the startup, tech, finance, and energy sectors. Jaiswal highlighted that India is the world’s fastest growing major economy and the country is expanding digital public infrastructure at the fastest pace globally and the roundtable amplified this message.

Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for New York City Mayor Office for International Affairs, highlighted the priority and importance the Mayor’s Office places on attracting international businesses and companies to base as well as expand in the city. Chauhan said the office is focused on increasing economic engagement with the international business community and outlined the incentives being offered to companies looking to expand their footprint in the city’s five boroughs – Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Chauhan stressed that the mayor’s message is “GET STUFF DONE” New York City is a City of YES. Chauhan manages the portfolio of trade, investment and innovation for the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Officials accompanying the mayor included Mira Joshi, Deputy Mayor for Operations, Andrew Kimball, President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and Edward Mermelstein, New York City Commissioner for International Affairs.

Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff in the NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs Aisata Camara, Deputy Chief Counsel in the Office of the Mayor and Chief Counsel for City Hall Rahul Agarwal, Deputy Commissioner for Public Private Partnerships and Economic Development NYC Mayor In the Office of International Affairs Kristen Edgren Kaufman and senior official Rana Abbasova.

New York Mayor Names Udai Tambar To Racial Advisory Board

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterCommunity 0

New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed Indian-American CEO Udai Tambar to the newly formed advisory board on implementation of the Racial Justice Charter Amendments on April 17, 2023. The youth advocate will serve as part of the board that will advise the mayor on ways to fight racial injustice and end systemic inequity.

Tambar was named along with fourteen other diverse leaders to the board, which will help ensure the city continues to lead the nation in innovative, racial equity work and carries out the city’s newly enshrined charter changes, according to a news release by the Mayor’s office.

Champion of youth welfare, Tambar to has devoted much of his career to serving youth, including serving as chief of staff and director of Youth and Children Services for the NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and as the Executive Director for South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), which provides comprehensive youth development services for NYC’s under-resourced South Asian community.

Most recently, the Cornell University graduate served as vice president of Community Health at Northwell Health and is currently the president and CEO of New York Junior Tennis & Learning, the largest nonprofit youth tennis and education program in the nation, serving 85,000 K-12 NYC youth.

Speaking of the significance of the board, Mayor Adams said, “Our city has come a long way in the fight for racial justice, but there is still much more work to do to end systemic inequity. We are proud to announce the launch of this advisory board, which will help us apply the critical actions needed to these important initiatives. We are fully committed to advancing equity for New Yorkers from all backgrounds and walks of life.”

India Is The Most Populous Country

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia 0

India has surpassed China to become the world’s most populous nation with 142.86 crore people, according to a UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) State of World Population report. China stands second with an estimated population of 142.57 crore, the report states.

India has not conducted a census since 2011 hence most population figures published are not accurate but approximate calculations, a UN official said. The new data also marks the first time India has topped the UN list of most populous countries since the organization started collecting population data in 1950.

The data has revealed that 25 percent of India’s population is aged between 0-14 years, 18 percent is in the 10 to 19 age group, 26 percent are of 10 to 24 years, 68 percent between 15 to 64 years, and 7per cent are above 65 years. It further noted that India’s population is expected to keep rising for nearly three decades before it peaks at 1650 million and later begins to decline.

Commenting on the recent data, UN’s Chief of Population Estimates and Projection, Patrick Gerland, said in an interview with the BBC that any numbers about India’s real population size are “naive assumptions based on fragmented information. We don’t have real official data coming out from India,” he added.

It is to be noted that India has not conducted a census since 2011. The 2021 census was cancelled because of the COVID pandemic and has currently been pushed back again to 2024.

According to the new UNFPA data, China recorded a looming demographic decline as birth rates fell and the country’s workforce aged. According to the latest UN report, the global population will hit 8.045 billion by mid-2023. It further noted that countries in Europe and Asia could expect a demographic slump in the coming decades.

Dell Launches Next-Gen Poweredge Servers In India

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterTechnology 0

Dell Technologies has expanded its top-selling server portfolio, with an additional 13 next-generation Dell PowerEdge servers, designed to boost performance and reliability for powerful computing across core data centers, large-scale public clouds and edge locations.

Dell PowerEdge server portfolio expansion offers more performance, including up to 2.9x greater AI inferencing, the company said in a statement. Indian businesses across industries are looking at managing and working with increasing quantities of data.

“The next-generation Dell PowerEdge portfolio will accelerate their digital transformation with AI-driven innovation, automation, and zero-trust adoption,” said Manish Gupta, VP and GM, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies, India.

Next-generation rack, tower and multi-node PowerEdge servers, with 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, include Dell software and engineering advancements, such as a new Smart Flow design, to improve energy and cost efficiency.

Expanded Dell APEX capabilities will help organisations take an as-a-Service approach, allowing for more effective IT operations that make the most of compute resources while minimising risk, the company added.

“We have consistently deployed innovations in power management, thermals and processor upgrades that have increased the energy efficiency of the PowerEdge portfolio while dramatically reducing their energy intensity,” Gupta added.

Dell PowerEdge servers are designed with sustainability in mind, offering customers a 3x performance improvement, compared to 14th Generation PowerEdge servers with Intel Xeon Scalable processors launched in 2017.

Later this year, Dell Technologies will expand its Dell APEX portfolio to offer bare metal compute services on-premises, at the edge, or in colocation facilities.

Dell PowerEdge R760 has been available since February while Dell PowerEdge HS5620, HS5610 are available in April. Additional next-generation Dell PowerEdge servers will be global availability throughout the first half of 2023. Dell APEX compute services are planned for the second half of 2023, said the company. (IANS)

Adults In US And 16 Nations Say, Belief In God Is Not Always Linked To Morality

April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterReligion 0

(RNS) — Is a belief in God a prerequisite for being a moral person? Most Americans say it is not, and majorities of adults in other countries with advanced economies agree.

Pew Research Center released the findings — that also hold true among most of those affiliated with a religion — from its Global Attitudes Survey on Thursday (April 20).

“Even among people who are religiously affiliated, most do not think it is necessary to believe in God to have good values,” states the new report on questions asked in the spring of 2022. “In most countries surveyed, half or more of people who say they belong to a religion also say it is not necessary to believe in God to be moral.”

“Even among those affiliated with a religion, most say it’s not necessary to believe in God to be moral” Graphic courtesy of Pew Research Center

In the U.S., 56% of the religiously affiliated said morality and good values do not have to be linked with a belief in God. Globally, countries with the highest percentages of religiously affiliated people agreeing with that statement included Sweden (86%) and Australia (75%).

But differences are more striking in some countries whose general populations were surveyed.

While at least 60% of Europeans and North Americans do not say belief in God and morality must be linked, Israelis are more split on that, with 50% agreeing and 47% saying such a belief is essential. About one-fifth of Malaysians say people can be moral without a belief in God, while more than three-quarters disagree with that view.

Based on research in 16 countries beyond the U.S., a median of about two-thirds of adults say people can be moral without a belief in God, a bit higher than the U.S. share.

Across the globe, there are different views depending on religious and political affiliation.

In the U.S., about 9 in 10 who say religion is not at all important or not too important to them believe morality and belief in God do not need to be linked, but just half of those who think it is somewhat or very important to them agree.

“Most Americans say it’s not necessary to believe in God to be moral, but views differ by religion” Graphic courtesy of Pew Research Center

Black Protestants (39%) and white evangelicals (42%) were least likely among Americans to say it’s not essential to believe in God to be moral, while the religiously unaffiliated (88%) were the group most in agreement with that stance.

Democrats and those who lean Democratic are more likely than their Republican counterparts to say it is not essential to believe in God to be moral (71% compared with 59%). Americans younger than 50 and older adults reflect a similar difference in response.

“In nearly every country where political ideology is measured, people who place themselves on the political left are more likely than those on the political right to say that belief in God is not necessary to have good values,” the report states.

“In addition, younger adults in about half of the countries surveyed are significantly more likely than older respondents to say that a belief in God is not connected with morality.”

More than 4 in 5 Greek adults younger than 30, for instance, unlink morality from a belief in God, in contrast with half of Greek adults who are 50 and older (84% compared with 51%). Substantial age differences also occur in Canada, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

Although the new report focused on countries with advanced economies, 2019 Pew research found that, among 34 nations, including some with developing or emerging economies, higher shares of people in nations with lower gross domestic products said believing in God was crucial for morality.

The new report’s findings were based on a survey of 3,581 U.S. adults from March 21-27, 2022, who took part in an online survey panel, with an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. Outside the U.S., the report relied on nationally representative surveys of an overall total of 18,782 adults from Feb. 14-June 3, 2022. In some countries the surveys were completed by phone and in others by face-to-face interviews or an online panel. The margin of error ranged from plus or minus 2.8 percentage points in Australia to plus or minus 4.5 percentage points in Hungary.

Joe Biden Announces 2024 White House Run

April 27, 2023May 5, 2023 Staff ReporterUSA 0

President Biden has formally announced his campaign for re-election in 2024, asking Americans for four years to “finish this job”, possibly setting up an extraordinary rematch with Donald Trump.

Biden said: “When I ran for president four years ago, I said we were in a battle for the soul of America – and we still are.”

Announcing his intention on Tuesday, April 25^th, 2023 with a three-minute video, opening with pulsing images of the US Capitol attack, Biden warned that the US remains under threat from the anti-democratic forces unleashed by his predecessor, who he beat in 2020.

Biden launched his re-election campaign on the fourth anniversary of his return to politics in 2019, when he declared his third presidential run. Since then, the political landscape has changed.

The US is still grappling with the scars of a pandemic that killed more than 1.1 million and with inflation that has eased from historic highs but remains painful. Americans remain deeply divided, convulsed by the loss of federal abortion rights, near-weekly mass shootings and worsening climate disasters.

Already the oldest president, Biden would be 86 before the end of a second term, nearly a decade older than Ronald Reagan was when he left the White House in 1989. Trump is 76.

In his video, Biden warned that “Maga extremists” – Trump’s slogan is “Make America Great Again” – were working to strip away “bedrock freedoms”.

“Cutting social security that you’ve paid for your entire life while cutting taxes for the very wealthy,” Biden said. “Dictating what healthcare decisions women can make, banning books and telling people who they can love. All while making it more difficult for you to be able to vote.”

Biden is dogged by low approval ratings and concerns about his age. Only a quarter of Americans want him to run again, according to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Among Democrats, that figure is 50%. Should Biden win the nomination, as expected, most Democrats will support him.

Hours after making his candidacy official, Biden was greeted by chants of “four more years” during remarks to union workers at a conference in Washington DC.

“Our economic plan is working,” the president said in a speech rife with references to his working-class upbringing in Scranton, Pennsylvania. “Let’s finish the job,” he declared.

Biden has made clear he plans to run on accomplishments secured in the first half of his presidency, when Democrats had majorities in Congress.

Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, delivering financial assistance to those hit hard by Covid. He also approved a $1 trillion infrastructure bill; signed the first major federal gun safety bill in nearly 30 years; pursued initiatives to both treat veterans exposed to toxic burn pits and boost the semiconductor industry; and made Ketanji Brown Jackson the first Black woman on the supreme court.

Perhaps Biden’s most significant legislative achievement to date is the Inflation Reduction Act, the most significant US response to the climate crisis. While Biden’s policies are broadly popular, he has struggled to earn credit. He has spent the last few months attempting to sell his economic policies and rally Americans before a showdown with congressional Republicans over the federal debt limit.

On the world stage, Biden has rallied a global coalition behind Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion while seeking to strengthen US defenses against China. The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, however, was among the lowest points of Biden’s presidency, even as he fulfilled a promise to end America’s longest war.

Republicans greeted Biden’s campaign announcement by assailing his handling of immigration and the economy. “Biden is so out-of-touch that after creating crisis after crisis, he thinks he deserves another four years,” said Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee. “If voters let Biden ‘finish the job’, inflation will continue to skyrocket, crime rates will rise, more fentanyl will cross our open borders, children will continue to be left behind, and American families will be worse off.”

In his campaign video, Biden warned that individual freedoms are under attack by far-right Republicans who have trampled reproductive, voting and LGBTQ+ rights. “This is not a time to be complacent,” he said. “I know America. I know we’re good and decent people.”

After nearly a half-century in public life including 36 years as a senator from Delaware and eight years as the vice-president to Barack Obama, Biden called himself a “bridge” to the next generation of Democrats. But only two fringe candidates have challenged him for the nomination: the self-help author Marianne Williamson and anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy Jr.

The Republican field continues to grow. Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador, has entered the race. The South Carolina senator Tim Scott has taken steps to run. The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, is widely expected to announce soon. Mike Pence, Trump’s vice-president, is weighing a run.

Trump announced his candidacy after the midterms in November. He and Biden both face federal investigations over their handling of classified information. In Biden’s case, documents were discovered at his office and home. His lawyers have stressed they are cooperating.

In his video, Biden said: “Every generation of Americans has faced a moment when they’ve had to defend democracy. Stand up for our personal freedoms. Stand up for the right to vote and our civil rights.”

Shah Rukh Khan On TIME’s 2023’s 100 Most Influential People

April 27, 2023May 5, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia, Profile 0

Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood mega star, SS Rajamouli, director of the Oscar winning RRR, Padma Lakshmi an award winning chef and a Titan of her industry, owning many restaurants in addition to being a television celebrity, and Salman Rushdie, American-British-Indian award winning novelist are featured among the 100 most influential people in 2023, according to a List published by TIME last week.

First published in 1999 in Time Magazine (print), appearing on this list is seen as an honour, and Time ensures that entrants are recognized for their contributions to modern society.

New York’s nationally renowned host of the television show Top Chef, and globally known cultural icon, author and commentator, Padma Lakshmi, is among Time Magazine’s 2023 Top 100 ‘most influential people. She was joined by 2 other luminaries of Indian origin – Bollywood’s megastar and moviemaker Shah Rukh Khan, and Oscar-nominee film maker S.S. Rajamouli of ‘RRR’ fame and Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu.

Comedian and actress Ali Wong wrote the profile on Padma Lakshmi saying, “It’s Padma’s genuine love of food—and how freaking smart she is—that makes her electric to watch as the host of Top Chef, currently in its 20th season, and Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi, which returns for a second season in May. It also helps that she’s drop-dead gorgeous.”

Wong went on to describe Lakshmi as “an incredible writer” with a strong point of view, who is “honest and unafraid” of being disliked. “I’m always in awe of Padma because, yes, she really is that beautiful, talented, and charismatic. She’s iconic.”

On the news of her listing by Time, April 14, 2023, Lakshmi, posted a memorable photo on Facebook of herself with her own mother, noting: “This little girl is a #Time100 honoree.” Lakshmi is 4 years old in that picture, the cultural icon said in a detailed account of her journey from her arrival in New York as a child.

“At age 4 I joined my mom in America, arriving in New York to build a new life with her. From the start, I clung to the familiar foods of my motherland. Food was a link to my grandparents in India, to quieter streets with familiar street vendors, to what I knew,” Lakshmi recounted.

“Later, when we moved from New York to LA, I missed the after-school pizza slices and my neighbour’s empanadas. With every big move, I’d add new dishes to my personal canon. Laid out, they told the story of my life. Dish by dish, they also tell the story of America,” Lakshmi said, connecting her journey to that of legions of immigrants over the years who connect with their heritage through food and blend old recipes with the new culture.

“Once you realize that every dish has a story, you can’t stop looking for them… Over the years, the more I’ve eaten, the more curious I’ve become,” Lakshmi said, giving a shout-out to her upcoming 2nd Season of her show, Taste the Nation.

“I’ve loved learning about our history through this lens, one city and culture at a time. And I’m so honoured that the response has been as positive as it has, that it’s helped put me on a list among people I so admire. Whether it’s being shared with friends or screened in classrooms, I’m just happy knowing there are more hungry, curious people in the world,” Lakshmi added.

Author and former husband of Lakshmi, Salman Rushdie, globally famous for being the target of terrorists after publication of his book Satanic Verses, also made to the list. His brief is written by singer, activist, philanthropist of the world famous band U2, Bono, who noted that Rushdie, “has refused to be terrorized.” On Aug. 12, 2022, Rushdie was attacked while speaking at a book release event in upstate New York. The author lost an eye as a result of the attack.

“I was not surprised the great novelist was able to describe the attack on him on Aug. 12, 2022—as he was speaking about the U.S. as a safe place for exiled writers—with frame-by-frame specificity,” Bono says. “Salman didn’t miss a detail as he recounted the crisis he had prepared for since 1989. What did surprise me was that he made me laugh. “Really?” he recalled thinking. “After 30 years? Amongst these most kindly, casually dressed readers in Chautauqua, New York?” Rushdie said in bono’s recollection quoted in the Time brief.

Shah Rukh Khan’s profile on Time is written by fellow Bollywood star Deepika Padukone who recalls meeting Khan 16 years ago after arriving in Mumbai from Bangalore. “Shah Rukh Khan will forever be known as one of the greatest actors of all time. But what truly sets him apart is his mind, his chivalry, his generosity. The list goes on …,” Padukone says.

Shah Rukh Khan, 57, a household name in India, also sometimes called King Khan or Baadshah of Bollywood, was born in New Delhi to Meer Taj Mohammed Khan and Lateef Fatima Khan, graduated from Hansraj College. Khan lost his father in 1981 and his mother in 1991, after which he moved to Mumbai, where he found his calling, according to IMDB. Khan has been in more than 90 films. His latest one is Pathaan in which Padukone is in the lead role and his love interest.

SRK is married to Gauri Chibber and the couple has three children. Khan has won numerous awards during his career, and taken up humanitarian causes as well.

Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt writes the brief on film director S. S. Rajamouli, whose film RRR was nominated for the Oscar, and the signature song in the film, Naatu Naatu, composed by M.M. Keeravani, won the Oscar in 2023 for Best Original Song.

“Being directed by him in RRR was like going to school all over again. He knows the audience he’s serving. He knows what beats to hit, what turns to take. I call him the master storyteller,” Bhatt says. “India is a massive country with diverse demographics, tastes, and culture. But he gets that—and he unites us through his movies,” she adds.

Srisaila Sri Rajamouli, 49, who is involved mainly in Telugu cinema, was born in Amreshwara Camp in Karnataka to parents V. Vijayendra Prasad and Raja Nandini. He was brought up in Andhra Pradesh. His father was also a well-known writer and producer, according to IMDB. He is married to Rama since 2021, and the couple has two sons, S.S. Karthikeya and S.S. Mayookha.

India Court Dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s Appeal Against ConvictionIndia Court Dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s Appeal Against Conviction

April 27, 2023May 5, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia 0

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has had his appeal for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case rejected by a court. The decision means that the uncertainty over whether he can contest in next year’s national elections continues. Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail in 2019 for comments he made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname at an election rally. His lawyer, Kirit Panwala, told the BBC that they will challenge the decision in the Gujarat high court.

While Gandhi won’t be arrested until he has exhausted all legal appeals, he has already lost his seat in parliament due to a Supreme Court order which states that a lawmaker convicted in a crime and sentenced to two or more years in jail is disqualified with immediate effect. The Congress has criticised Gandhi’s conviction and accused the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of political vendetta. The BJP, on the other hand, has denied this, stating that due judicial process was followed in the case.

The defamation case against Gandhi was brought by BJP lawmaker Purnesh Modi and revolved around comments Gandhi made in Karnataka state in 2019 during an election rally. In his speech, Gandhi said, “Why do all these thieves have Modi as their surname? Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi.” Purnesh Modi alleged that the comments had defamed the entire Modi community, but Gandhi said that he made the comment to highlight corruption and it was not directed against any community.

Despite the conviction and loss of his parliamentary seat, Gandhi has filed appeals to suspend his sentence, secure bail, and suspend his conviction in a court in Surat. The court had granted him bail to appeal against his conviction, but it’s the stay or suspension of his conviction that’s crucial to reinstating him as an MP. Gandhi’s lawyer has stated that they will continue to pursue legal avenues to challenge the decision.

The uncertainty surrounding Gandhi’s political future has raised questions about the role of criminal defamation laws in India, which have been criticized for being used to stifle dissent and criticism of those in power. In recent years, several high-profile cases have been brought against journalists, activists, and politicians, raising concerns about freedom of speech and the independence of the judiciary. As India heads towards its next general election, the outcome of Gandhi’s legal battle could have far-reaching implications for the country’s political landscape.

US Supreme Court Keeps Status Quo On Abortion Pill For Now

April 27, 2023May 5, 2023 Staff ReporterUSA 0

The US Supreme Court has granted a full stay in a case over the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. The court’s decision was a 7-2 vote and preserves access to the drug as the Biden administration and manufacturer Danco Labs appeal a lower court’s ruling that would impose restrictions on the drug. The decision was applauded by the White House, which has pledged to continue to fight restrictions on the medication.
The case centers on the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, which was challenged in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of anti-abortion doctors and associations. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump-appointee, ruled in favor of the group in April, stating that the FDA exceeded its authority when it approved the drug in 2000.
The case has divided the nation, with more than 150 Republican lawmakers supporting the conservative plaintiffs, while Democrats and leading medical associations have pushed for mifepristone’s continued availability. Medication abortion quickly became the new focus of legal battles over abortion access following the Supreme Court’s decision to overrule Roe v. Wade last June.
“If allowed to take effect, the lower courts’ orders would thwart FDA’s scientific judgment and undermine widespread reliance in a healthcare system that assumes the availability of mifepristone as an alternative to more burdensome and invasive surgical abortions,” Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the Supreme Court in a filing this week. The Biden administration and Danco Labs have warned of possible wide-ranging consequences if the federal agency’s expertise were to be second-guessed. However, the Alliance Defending Freedom, representing opponents to the abortion pill countered the administration’s concerns amounted to a “sky-is-falling-argument.”
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case on May 17th. The case has been watched closely by reproductive rights advocates and opponents, as any decision could have far-reaching implications for access to medication abortion across the country.
Mifepristone, also known by the brand name Mifeprex, is used in combination with misoprostol to terminate early pregnancies of up to 10 weeks’ gestation. The medication has faced restrictions in various states, including mandatory waiting periods and in-person visits with healthcare providers. The COVID-19 pandemic has made access to medication abortion even more difficult, with some states seeking to restrict access to telemedicine appointments and mail-order delivery of the medication.
The FDA approved Mifeprex in 2000 after reviewing extensive clinical data showing the medication to be safe and effective. The medication has been used by more than 4 million individuals in the US and is considered a safe alternative to surgical abortion, which requires anesthesia and often includes an overnight stay in a healthcare facility.
The case before the Supreme Court has implications not only for access to medication abortion but also for the FDA’s authority to regulate prescription drugs. It will be closely watched by medical and legal experts as well as advocacy groups on both sides of the abortion debate.
“As a result of the Supreme Court’s stay, mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use while we continue this fight in the courts,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “I continue to stand by FDA’s evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and my Administration will continue to defend FDA’s independent, expert authority to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs.”

South Asians On World Stage

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia, World 0

The day Osman Salahuddin turned 27 was also the day he launched his political campaign. He announced his candidacy to run for City Council in Redmond, a city on America’s west coast where he grew up.

The city of Redmond, located 15 miles east of Seattle, in Washington state, with a population around 80,000, prides itself on its diversity and as a centre of technology – it is home to Microsoft, Nintendo, and AT&T, among other well-known companies.

Salahuddin is among a growing number of South Asians in the US taking up public office to serve their communities over the conventional fields of engineering, medicine, or law. As a Pakistani-American, Salahuddin is well aware that he is going against the grain for the ‘desi’ (South Asian) community.

“This actually might not be popular amongst the parents,” he said at his inaugural campaign meeting, addressing the youth in the room. Inviting them to join him in pursuing a career in public service instead of going into tech or medicine he added, “Your parents will tell you otherwise, but this is really important work.”

Growing pattern

His situation reflects a pattern of first-generation immigrants working in traditional ways to settle in and establish themselves in their adopted country, while the next generation can explore and make independent life choices.

A similar example is the Ahmed family in Bowie, Maryland – father Shukoor, an Indian-origin tech entrepreneur, and his pharmacist Pakistan-origin wife Nabeela support their daughters Raaheela and Shabnam in running for local elections so that they can represent religious minorities and people of colour. After losing her first election at the age of 18, Raaheela has held public office since she was 23.

Another notable case is that of Bushra Amiwala, a Pakistani-American student who stood for elections in Skokie, Illinois, and became the youngest Muslim woman ever to be elected to the US government at age 21. She has since become the subject of two documentaries.

Like Ahmed and Amiwala, Salahuddin too found his calling in public service during his University years. While studying neurobiology at the University of Washington, Seattle, as a pre-med student, he ran for student body president and was elected to serve over 45,000 students. He found the work so enriching that he took on community leadership roles after graduating.

A particularly humbling experience as student body president, he says, was the time he helped pass legislation that helped undocumented students (HB1488 from 2017-18) gain eligibility for the College Bound Scholarship. This increased access to funding opportunities to help them attain higher education.

“I really quickly figured out my true passion was serving the community,” says Salahuddin. Guests enjoying lunch at Osman Salahuddin’s campaign launch on February 25, 2023. Photo: Shailaja Rao / Sapan News

Widening support base

Salahuddin’s top priority is empowering the youth “who are our future – by offering new programmes and ensuring that we are keeping them as engaged as possible.” He also aims to support small businesses and protect and improve public parks and open spaces.

At the festive, invitation-only lunch meeting at a hotel in Redmond on February 25, 2023, the gathering of over 200 comprised mainly leaders and members of the local Pakistani community, with a sprinkling of Indian-origin Americans, many in their ethnic wear. Some non-Southasian supporters also joined.

Salahuddin has garnered several endorsements from elected officials and community leaders and has substantial South Asian support beyond the Muslim and Pakistani communities. This includes his boss, King County council member Sarah Perry, for whom he works as a communications and community engagement manager. A strong ally of the local South Asian community, Perry calls Salahuddin “a gem”, someone with strong leadership skills and a strong drive to accomplish any task he takes on.

Another supporter is Hamdi Mohamed, Seattle Port Commissioner and the first Somali woman elected to serve in Washington state. She knows firsthand how difficult it is for someone “different” to run for public office. She received hate mail when she first did that, targeted for her race and ethnic background. Some supporters even advised her to change her name. “My identity was attacked, something I did not have control over!” she said at Salahuddin’s campaign launch, urging him to remain steadfast and not let things get to him.

Born in Seattle, Osman Salahuddin has lived most of his life in Redmond. His father, Kamran Salahuddin, a small business owner, grew up in Islamabad, Pakistan, and came to the US in the 1980s to pursue a Master’s degree at Oregon State University. Osman’s mother, Sania Salahuddin, a long-time special education teacher for autistic preschool students, hails from Karachi.

The younger Salahuddin says he owes his perseverance and entrepreneurial spirit to his father. He looks up to his mother the most, constantly awed by her patience, selflessness and compassion.

Pakistani roots

The oldest of three, Salahuddin, grew up in a multi-generational household. He learned about India and Pakistan from his grandparents, imbibing the importance of holding onto his roots in America.

Salahuddin believes that his home, America, provides the opportunity to bridge the divide left by a brutal Partition, ongoing Hindu-Muslim tensions, and the continual conflict between India and Pakistan.

He believes his grandparents’ emphasis on cultural values – food, festivals, traditions, family – helps him “meet and connect” with those of different backgrounds.

Salahuddin hopes to win a large number of votes from Indian-American citizens. His strategy is “to learn exactly what our Indian-American community members want from representation and incorporate these learnings with some of our shared cultural backgrounds.”

Prominent supporters among the Indian community include Lalita Uppala, executive director of Indian American Community Services; Rituja Indapure, a council member from Sammamish; and Rita Meher, executive director of Tasveer South Asian Film Festival, Seattle.

Strategising his path forward, he says, “There are many steps to ensure a win. Some initial steps include urging people to donate to the campaign, knocking on as many doors as possible to connect with the voters, and hosting and participating in various community gatherings.”

The final candidate’s list on May 19, 2023, will tell whether there will be others running against him. In that case, there will also be a primary on August 1, 2023. If not, Osman Salahuddin will head straight to the general election on November 7, 2023. (The author is the board president of Tasveer South Asian Film Festival and a contributing editor at Sapan News. By special arrangement with Sapan)

Nirmala Sitharaman Highlights India’s Accomplishments, Challenges Facing North And South

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia, World 0

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized the global challenges facing countries of the North and the South, and highlighted India’s role as G20 President, during the Spring 2023 World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund meetings April 10- 16.

One of the main meetings was the Second G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting, under India’s Presidency. Sitharaman said many proposals discussed by India were very well received by participating members. She also emphasized that there has been a lot of momentum gained since the First G20 FMCBG held in February in Bengaluru this year.

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participating in a roundtable organized by USISPF and FICCI on April 11, 2023, at the Willard InterContinental in Washington DC. PHOTO: T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman, News India Times

During her visit for the Spring Meetings, and on its sidelines, Sitharaman followed a hectic schedule, participating in a series of events including a fireside chat on “Resilience of the Indian economy amidst tightening of financial conditions” hosted by Petersen Institute for International Economics (PIIE); a roundtable on “Investment opportunities for the long term: India on the rise” co-hosted by Confederation of Indian Industry and US-India Business Council; a roundtable on “Investing in the India Decade” organized by US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI); another roundtable on “Multilateral Development Bank Evolution: Building Shareholder Consensus” hosted by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. She also met with First Deputy Managing Director of IMF, Gita Gopinath, US Ex-Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker, and visited NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Speaking at a press conference April 13, following the FMCBG meetings, she said, “The discussions were very intense in the sense they were a lot of substantive inputs coming from the members. We were very happy to see most of India’s proposals have been well supported and there’s been an active engagement.”

Some 350 delegates with 13 invitee countries, and international and regional organizations participated in the FMCBG meeting which was grouped into three sections including sustainable finance, financial inclusion, and international taxation. The meetings wrapped up discussing progress made on India’s G20 Presidency, strengthening of Multilateral Development Banks, and challenges posed by Crypto Assets and debt distress in middle-income countries.

Sitharaman shared six key takeaways: recognition by members of the urgency to address debt vulnerability including strengthening multilateral coordination towards addressing the increasing debt distress in low income and middle-income countries; the issue of reforming multilateral development bank was very well received; the discussion on climate finance and sustainable financing of climate and climate related matters heading in a positive direction; Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, where digital public infrastructure has had tremendous traction; international taxation issues were discussed in detail with the members; and the issue of Crypto Assets were discussed taking into account all the risks.

About strengthening global financial architecture, she said “There’s been a lot of discussion getting into details of how exactly the global financial architecture should be strengthened and what are the next steps and so on. So, through the India Presidency, I think we will be having several sessions to get into the details of how we want to look at the National architecture itself.”

Later addressing a panel discussion on “Empowering Women as Entrepreneurs and Leaders” at the World Bank, along with President of World Bank Group, David Malpass, Sitharaman recalled that the Financial Inclusion program was launched in 2014 when she was a junior Minister of Finance and went on to credit Prime Minister Narendra Modi for empowering women. She said “Prime Minister Modi’s first line, and that line continues till today – is that it has to be a women-led development for India rather than just women centric… So Prime Minister Modi gave a very prominent statement saying, I’m the Prime Minister of the country and I’m the guarantee for these loans, please give them the loans without a guarantee the government stands guarantee.”

When asked about specific initiatives that have enhanced economic conditions of women in India, she pointed to initiatives such as the National Rural Livelihood Mission, Floating Supermarket in Kerala, and Prerna Canteen run by women in Uttar Pradesh.

How Modi Can Impact G20?

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia, World 0

As the first quarter of India’s presidency of G20 comes to an end, it is time to assess the grave challenges that G20 faces today and the unique opportunities it has in near future. It is the first G20 meeting to take place in South Asia. Recent global events may prove to be turning points and they should be part of that overall assessment. They are seemingly unconnected but deeply entangled like the underground web of the roots of giant trees. The slow and silent spread of the roots has the potential to uproot the massive structures on the way. These recent events have the very potential to literally encroach on the regime of stability and uproot the existing systems and cause disruption.

G20, under India’s presidency, offers a unique opportunity to make transformational changes in the world order in wake of these events. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the host of G20 by rotation, has the capacity and mandate to make a difference. G20 preparatory meetings under India’s presidency till now are well conceived and planned with creativity. Though many events are India-centric, the scene is getting set for the main summit of G20 leaders to be held later in the year. As that summit gets nearer, there is an urgent need to assess these events that are likely to have a bearing on the expected outcome of the final G20 communique.

G20 started as a wider and more inclusive group than G7 which was considered a “partitioned pack of parallel power” to the United Nations. The roots of G20 are still dipped in an economic and financial cauldron; however, to be fair it has learned the lessons from the United Nations gallant efforts on Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, and the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. Peace on the planet is essential for economic growth and harmony with the nature ensures financial stability needed for the business and governments were those two key lessons. Partnership with the Global South is the sine qua non for the peace process.

G20 is a balanced representation of a total of 19 countries, developed and developing, plus the EU. Its members represent 85 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of international trade and two-thirds of the world’s population, 80 percent of global greenhouse emissions and 80 percent of the world’s forest cover. In a way, G20 follows the 80:20 rule – 20 countries represent 80 percent of the world and 80 percent of the world’s problems are closely connected to the policies and actions of 20 per cent of the countries.

The first of these events is the intense inflection point for global negotiations on climate change. It is about much talked about ‘climate justice’ that is globally agreed upon but has remained without delivering one. Modi frequently highlights climate inequality in a number of his speeches on international fora including the UN. But it has remained a quixotic concept.

Game-changing UN resolution

A game-changing UN General Assembly resolution drafted by a group of 17 Small Island Developing States (SIDS), including four from South Asia, and pioneered by Vanuatu, a tiny Pacific Island country, has now given practical shape to that concept.

That resolution has now been formally adopted by United Nations General Assembly calling for the advice of the top UN judicial body, the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The resolution emerged out of frustration that the world is witnessing the abysmal gap between agreed action and routine rhetoric on the climate crisis and the SIDS are the worst sufferers. Disillusioned and dejected by the existential threat looming large as their territory sinks fast under rising sea waters, the SIDS are reaching their limit of patience. Climate migration has already started with a major part of their population moving to other nearby safer countries. SIDS now has decided to test the water of the UN’s ability to deliver justice. Those who have contributed the least to the climate crisis are suffering the most and the first. Those who created and contributed the most still continue to aggravate the problem and negate the ‘polluter to pay’ principle.

The resolution, co-sponsored by nearly 120 countries, the majority of the member states of UN, basically requests advisory opinion from the ICJ on the issue of climate injustice. The opinion from ICJ is non-binding, but the start of the very process of interaction with ICJ has signalled a new era of international law-making for climate justice. Giving teeth to the climate-related lawsuits around the world and empowering vulnerable nations in international climate negotiations is big leap forward. The resolution was adopted unanimously. It is interesting that four G20 countries – USA, Russia, India and China – were not part of the 120 countries that explicitly co-sponsored the resolution. However, they did not oppose its adoption by the General Assembly either, probably seeing that majority is in favour of the resolution.

Modi has the opportunity to be with the SIDS by reassuring them that issue of climate justice is not only closer to the heart of large developing countries like India. Small Island countries are also part of ‘ Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family), a mantra of G20. He should proclaim that ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ (with all, development for all) is not only a national but also a global slogan. Talk on climate justice has now been set on the right path starting with open dialogue with ICJ. Modi should catalyze inclusive cooperation by G20 in the process of seeking climate justice. Modi should invite the literally-sinking SIDS – Vanuatu, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Singapore – as special guests to G20 along with former Maldivian president and present Majlis (parliament) speaker Mohamed Nasheed and Erick Solheim, former environment minister of Norway, who strongly connects South Asia’s climate future to global peace.

IPCC guiding posts

The second event that should matter to G20 is the 6th Assessment of IPCC ( Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) called AR6. ‘Final bell’, ‘Shrill warnings’, ‘Battle lines are drawn’, and ‘Can we really be back on track?’, were the messages flashed after AR6 was released. It is the last report before the planetary scale catastrophe is likely to set in by 2030, if the world does not bend down the rising curve of greenhouse gas emission. By 2030 global emissions should be reduced by 45 per cent as compared to the 2010 level as per AR6.

The limit of global warming by 1.5 deg C above the pre-industry level is now about to be breached. AR6 clearly states that warming is already reaching 1.2 deg C. That limit was pledged in Paris Climate Agreement at the insistence of the very SIDs that are now seeking the opinion from ICG to deliver climate justice for setting the new world order. The world is hanging on a cliff and G20 must now go beyond the debates and conferences on energy transition, carbon trading and climate resilience. They must now start accelerating energy transformation, renewable-energy trading and climate justice. The agreed promises of financial assistance to the developing countries, initiate massive mitigation of emissions along with stringent penal non-compliance measures are needed. G20 should even propose to become the implementation arm of COPs under UNFCCC.

G20 is coming just before the UN climate conference COP28 in the UAE. The window of opportunity to limit global warming to 1.5 deg C is a crack open as per AR6. Though the climate time-bomb is ticking, the IPCC’s report could serve as a how-to manual for defusing the climate time bomb. IPCC has not stopped just by blowing the emergency siren. It has laid out the milestones and guiding posts to achieve the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement as a matter of emergency. The dire message from AR6 is arrow-straight. We must start a massive mitigation drive literally, NOW! G20 needs to send that message not by stating how India is contributing to the emission reduction but by proposing systemic changes by inducting rigorous implementation mechanisms in the process of COP and UNFCCC, introducing the compliance provisions in the Green Climate Fund, which has a miserable record till now, having failed to replenish even 1 per cent of the agreed climate fund. There is a need to carry out financial reforms in World Bank, funding from which still includes aid and loans for electricity generation by fossil fuels.

In March 2023, International Energy Agency (IEA) hosted the COP28 president-designate Dr Sultan Al-Jaber for a roundtable discussion at its headquarters in Paris on ways to accelerate climate action. COP28 will mark the first global stocktake of emissions, enhanced NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) pledges, and plans since the Paris Agreement. The world is way off track in emission reduction as per the 2022 emission gap report of UNEP.

Dr Ali Jaber should be invited

“The bottom line is: the world needs to cut emissions by 43 per cent in the next seven years to keep (hope for limiting global warming to) 1.5 alive,” said Dr Al-Jaber at the IEA conference in Paris. “In the course of those same 7 years, the global population will exceed 8.5 billion and is on its way to 10 billion by 2050. Meeting the scale of the world’s fast-growing energy needs, while dramatically reducing emissions is one of the most complex challenges humanity has ever faced. Nothing short of transformational progress will do across mitigation, adaptation, climate finance and loss and damage.” added Al Jabar.

Modi should invite Dr Al Jaber to G20 as president-elect of COP28 not only to lay out his vision but to also engage him in a global programme of climate action as a legacy of his presidency. Masdar Solar venture was Al Jabar’s master stroke just like International Solar Alliance was promoted by Modi. Al Jabar as a visionary business leader sees the future in energy transformation by reducing the role of the oil and gas industry through ‘system-wide transformation’ and by recanalization of profits from the oil and gas industry for a GHG-free world. He has already achieved that to a certain extent through the Masdar Solar project in UAE and in other countries through investments there. That vision of transformation resonates well with the message of the UN Secretary-General that “massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe are needed. Our world needs climate action on all fronts — everything, everywhere, all at once.”

Is ‘system transformation’ possible?

Indeed, such a transformation of mindset and lifestyle is needed considering the fast-closing window of opportunity and cracking open main doors of solutions to win the battle against the climate crisis.

The words, “system transformation”, by Dr Al Jabar is the clarion call for the revolution in waiting. When the CEO of an oil company and Minister of Industry and Innovation of the country whose prosperity has emerged from the oil and gas, gives a call that “we need to step up efforts to hit net-zero emissions by adopting renewable and zero-carbon energies, decarbonising the current energy system and investing in proven and new mitigation technologies”, one gets the intense feeling that the revolution of “system transformation” has already begun. (Read more at: https://www.southasiamonitor.org/spotlight/can-modi-seize-moment-g20-india-can-be-global-changemaker-and-climate-pioneer)

AAPI Gets New Leadership For 2023-24 And Beyond

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterHealth 0

(Chicago, IL: April 16, 2023) “Congratulations and best wishes to the new team of AAPI leadership, who have been elected to lead AAPI in the coming years,” Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI, and Chief Election Officer Dr. Kusum Punjabi and Past BOT Chair of AAPI, jointly announced here today. “We thank the election officers Dr. Ashok Jain, Dr. Sunita Kanumury, Dr. Sharad Lakhanpal, and Dr. Shashi Shah, and all the members of AAPI for participating in the democratic election process and exercising their role as the electoral college members.”

While thanking the tens of thousands of Indian American physicians, who are active members of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), and the record number of large number voters who participated in the election process, Dr. Kolli said, “We have successfully concluded our elections for the year 2023-24 for AAPI leadership positions. We want to thank AAPI members who enthusiastically participated in the AAPI’s electronic voting process and have elected a new, diverse, balanced, and experienced team to lead AAPI, the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States in the coming year and beyond.”

Dr. Kusum Punjabi, Chief Election Officer – 2023, who along with the election committee conducted the elections and counting process in the virtual presence of all the candidates and their representatives communicated the results of the election to the AAPI president to be released to all the members of AAPI and noted that Dr. Amit Chakrabarty has been elected as the Vice President of AAPI, Dr. Sumul Raval was elected as the Secretary, and Dr. Sreeni Gangasani was elected Treasurer of AAPI for the year 2023-24.

Dr. Syamala Erramilli, Dr. Hetal Gor, and Dr. Narendra Maheshwari have been elected to the AAPI’s Board of Trustees for a three-year term. Dr. Vijay Gunuganti has been elected as the South West Central Regional Director of AAPI, and Dr. Anuradha Mann will be the new Regional Director of AAPI’s South East Central Region.

“As the incoming President of AAPI, I would like to congratulate my incoming new team for the fiscal year 2023-24,” said Dr. Anjana Samadder, who will assume charge as the President of AAPI during the 41st annual convention in Philadelphia, PA in July this year. “I’m very honored and consider myself fortunate to be bestowed with the responsibility of leading the four-decades-old strong organization with the cooperation and collaboration of an excellent team of dedicated, hardworking, and loyal officers and executive committee members who are with me to take AAPI to newer heights,” she added.

Dr. Sammader did not have to contest the election this year, as she has been serving as the President-Elect during the past year. Dr. Satheesh Kathula, who has been serving as the Vice President in the current year also did not have to face elections, as he automatically becomes the President-Elect of AAPI for the coming year.

Dr. Anjana Samadder, the only 5th woman president of AAPI in its 41 years long history, will have a dynamic and diverse team comprising of Dr. Satheesh Kathula as the President-Elect, Dr. Amit Chakrabarty as the Vice President; Dr. Sumul Raval as the Secretary; Dr. Sreeni Ganagasani as the Treasurer; and Dr. Lokesh Edara – as the Chair, Board of Trustees; Dr. Ravi Kolli will continue to guide AAPI as the Immediate Past President of AAPI.

Dr. Lokesh Edara will serve as the Chair of the AAPI Board of Trustees for the year, 2023-24. “As the BOT Chair, I am looking forward to working towards strengthening the goals and mission of AAPI and to help make AAPI a healthcare leader in the US and globally and work in the best interests of our Physicians and our community here in the US and serve our motherland, India,” said Dr. Edara. “We will work together to promote our values of professionalism, collegiality, and excellence in patient care and enhance AAPI’s reputation as a premier professional organization offering educational programs and advocacy.”

While congratulating the newly elected leaders to the Executive Committee, Dr. Kathula, the President-Elect in 2023-24 said here in a statement: “I want to congratulate all the winners of the election. I want to especially thank all the candidates for their passion and dedication to serving AAPI and regardless of the outcome, we need you as a valuable team member of our beloved AAPI.”

Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, who won the election to be the next Vice President of AAPI, said, “I am humbled and honored to be bestowed with this responsibility. Thank you all for your support and for making my 25 years quest come true. I thank all for believing in me. I will work to the fullest of my abilities to reach our goals, address the challenges, and advance the issues important to our members. I look forward to working with you and making AAPI a powerful force. I am a live example that dreams do come true with dogged perseverance, dedication, and loyalty to AAPI.”

Dr. Sumula Raval, Secretary-Elect of AAPI said, “It is with great joy and gratitude that I stand before you today as the newly elected Secretary of AAPI for the year 2023-2024. I am humbled by the overwhelming support and trust you have placed in me, and I am deeply honored to serve this esteemed organization in such a significant role. I am committed to building upon past achievements and leading AAPI with integrity, transparency, and innovation. I will focus on promoting diversity and inclusion in healthcare, advocating for the needs of our members, and fostering collaboration. Let us continue to work hand in hand to make a positive impact on healthcare and uphold the values of AAPI.”

Dr. Sreeni Gangasani, the newly elected Treasurer of AAPI said, “I am thrilled and deeply humbled to have been elected as AAPI Treasurer for 2023-24. It is an honor to have your trust and confidence in me to help manage the finances of this fantastic organization. I promise to uphold the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and integrity in managing our finances. I will work to ensure that our resources are used effectively to further our mission of promoting excellence in patient care, research, and education. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our organization.”

Dr. V. Ranga, the outgoing BOT Chair thanked the Election Committee for their meticulous planning and organizing the elections with integrity and fairness. He said, “I congratulate the winners and the new leadership who are entrusted with the responsibility of leading AAPI in the year 2023-24 and beyond. I wish them the very best and my wholehearted support.”

While conceding the election to Dr. Amit Chakrabarty to be the next Vice President of AAPI, Dr. Krishan Kumar said, “Thank you so much for supporting me all these years. I am glad to see the healthy spirit of all candidates (winners or not) for the association.” In his message, Dr. Raj Bhayani, while conceding the election said, “I am thankful to my supporters who gave me their precious vote honoring my many years of service for AAPI.”

Dr. Sujeeth Punnam in his message to the elected leaders, said, “Congrats to all the winners. We sacrifice time from family, practice, and resources to work in this great organization. The only reward is the ultimate feeling that we are contributing to the greater good of Indian physicians in the US and humankind in general. I wish Dr. Sumul Raval the best of luck as he moves forward with his new responsibility.” Dr. Mukesh Nigam in his congratulatory note to Dr. Gangasani and all the winners, said, “I will continue to serve this great association, AAPI. AAPI is a big family full of talented people. I cherish every moment of being part of it.”

The growing influence of physicians of Indian heritage is evident, as increasingly physicians of Indian origin hold critical positions in healthcare, academic, research, and administrative positions across the nation. We the physicians of Indian origin are proud of our great achievements and contributions to our motherland, India, our adopted land, the US, and in a very significant way to the transformation of Indo-US relations.

Serving 1 in every 7 patients in the US, AAPI members care for millions of patients every day, while several of them have risen to hold high-flying jobs, shaping the policies and programs, and inventions that shape the landscape of healthcare in the US and around the world.

“Since its inception in 1982, AAPI has been at the forefront, representing a conglomeration of more than 125,000 practicing physicians in the United States, seeking to be the united voice for the physicians of Indian origin. I trust and believe that the new Team under Dr. Anjana Samadder will continue the noble mission and strengthen our efforts to make AAPI reach greater heights,” said Dr. Ravi Kolli. For more details about AAPI, please visit: www.appiusa,org

Colleen Hoover, 2022 Bestselling Author

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterNews 0

“Just keep swimming” to “We finally reached the shore”, the 2022 bestselling author of the books ‘It Ends With Us and It Starts With Us’, Colleen Hoover, gave a great serve for the readers. Her journey from self-published author to bestselling author brought out many addicting storylines and story-plots. The genre of her books falls into the category of new adult and young adult, with readers ranging from teenagers to young adults to adults.

Her books are known for their thrilling romantic plots with twists and turns filled with heartbreaks, mental health struggles, sexual assaults, trauma, and abusive relationships. Many of the young readers waited for Colleen Hoovers ‘It Starts With Us’ at the beginning of 2023. The sudden surge in sales for ‘It Ends with Us was seen to be influenced by its massive popularity on TikTok, which comes under the #booktok subculture. Soon, the rest of Hoover’s books—Ugly Love, Reminders of Him, All Your Perfects, Verity, November 9, and others—reached fame.

But what is mostly overlooked and not addressed about the books are their features of abuse and sexual assaults without trigger warnings and their depictions of toxic men as romantic and desirable. These methods could be misleading and triggering for many young readers. Soon, other readers and communities started to share cryptic notes and thoughts about Hoover’s books. People found some of it questionable and uncomfortable.

The author’s attempt to release a colouring book based on “It Ends With Us” sparked the controversy. But as it turns out, the book was heavily centred on the content of domestic violence and trauma. The readers rose to address the sensitivity of the situation and criticised Hoover’s approach as be ‘tone-deaf.’ Later, Hoover took the issue to her Instagram and apologised for it.

The movie adaptation of her best-selling book, “It Ends With Us,” which will feature Blake Lively as Lily, was announced late in January 2023. The casting for the movie is also getting its fair share of criticism on Tik Tok and Instagram.

IAMC Condemns Indian Minister’s Denial Of Muslim Persecution, Seeks Retraction

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterNews 0

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) strongly condemns and vehemently refutes India’s Finance Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nirmala Sitharaman’s claim that Muslims are not being subjected to violence and persecution because their population, “is only growing in numbers.”

Speaking at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), a Washington, D.C. based think tank, Sitharaman claimed that there was a “negative Western perception” regarding India after PIIE President Adam S. Posen asked her how foreign investors’ perception of the country is affected by Western reporting on India’s political climate, including on the persecution of Muslims.

In response, Sitharaman outrightly denied Muslim persecution while backing it with the Hindu far-right conspiracy theory of, “Muslim population growth. [This is] not to even imply that I accept the perception that you’re referring to – India has the second largest Muslim population in the world, and the population is only growing in numbers,” Sitharaman said.

According to the Census data from 2001-2011, the growth rate of the Muslim population decreased to 24.6% compared to 29.5% in the decade prior. Data from India’s National Family Health Survey shows that over the past 25 years, the total fertility rate among Muslims decreased the sharpest out of all religious groups, including Hindus, from 3.6 in 1998-99 to 2.36 in 2019-21.

Sitharaman’s statement echoes the popular Hindu supremacist propaganda claim that the Muslim population is increasing at a rate disproportionate to Hindus. The idea that Muslims are “overpopulating” and “overtaking” Hindus in India is then used by BJP leaders and Hindu militant groups to whip up Islamophobia and violence against Muslim minorities.

“Sitharaman’s use of ‘population growth’ myth to justify the systemic oppression of Indian Muslims is nothing more than a twisted propaganda tactic widely used by the Hindu far-right to mask the reality of Muslim persecution and discrimination in India,” said IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed.

“Her statement is not just a flagrant denial of human rights abuses but also a dangerous attempt to spread disinformation and gaslight the global community about the atrocities committed against Indian Muslims. Sitharaman’s rhetoric must be debunked and condemned to ensure that human rights violations do not go unnoticed or unchallenged,” Ahmed added.

This blatantly false notion is not only a testament to the Sitharaman’s deliberate ignorance but also a willful disregard for the overwhelming evidence presented by numerous authoritative sources, including United Nations Special Rapporteurs , the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the US Department of State, the US Holocaust Memorial, and the world’s most prominent human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Most of these reports have noted that over the last nine years, the BJP government has openly promoted a divisive and discriminatory agenda that led to surge in the targeting of Muslims and other minorities.

The government has passed discriminatory laws like the Citizenship Amendment Act, which, combined with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), is designed to render Muslims stateless and has led to widespread protests and violence against the Muslim community throughout India. The beef ban laws, the anti-conversion laws, and the Hijab ban in Karnataka are only meant to marginalize Muslims further.

Hindu militant groups affiliated with the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), have been given a free hand to commit violence against Muslims, including pogroms, mob lynchings, and attacks on their homes, businesses, and places of worship.

In the past three months alone, at least 10 Muslims were lynched throughout India over the baseless accusations of transporting/ consuming beef or theft. In February, Bajrang Dal militants killed and burned the bodies of two Muslims over suspicion of transporting cattle in BJP-ruled Haryana State.

Furthermore, the government’s complicity in the horrific anti-Muslim pogroms in Delhi in 2020, which resulted in the death of over 50 people, mostly Muslims; the rampant bulldozing of Muslim homes, businesses, and mosques; the ongoing human rights violations in Kashmir and extreme surge in hate speeches calling for Muslim genocide are well-documented.

Two weeks back, the Supreme Court judges called the state “impotent” for failing to curb anti-Muslim hate speeches nationwide.

Just a week before Sitharaman spoke at the PIIE, Hindu extremist mobs during the Hindu festival of Ram Navami stormed Muslim localities in at least 6 Indian states, where they pelted stones, brutalized Muslim residents, torched vehicles, desecrated mosques, looted homes and businesses. These actions demonstrate a clear pattern of persecution and violence against Muslims in India, and Sitharaman’s comments only serve to minimize and trivialize the gravity of the situation.

In 2022, Genocide Watch, an NGO that monitors countries for signs of impending genocide, placed India at Stage 8 (persecution) of genocide on Dr. Gregory Stanton’s 10 Stages of Genocide. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum said India was among the top ten likeliest places for new mass killings in the world. USCIRF, a bipartisan, independent commission in the US, has designated India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for three consecutive years over its egregious violations of human rights and religious freedoms of minorities.

IAMC calls on the Indian government to immediately retract Sitharaman’s insensitive and inaccurate comments and take concrete steps to stop Hindu extremist violence against its Muslim citizens. We also call on the international community to hold the Indian government accountable for its actions and to take steps to ensure the protection of the rights of all religious minorities in India.

DACA Recipients To Be Eligible For Federal Health Insurance

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterHealth, USA 0

The Biden administration is expanding federal health care services to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients. According to a White House statement, the Department of Health and Human Services will shortly propose a rule amending the definition of “lawful presence,” for purposes of Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, to include DACA recipients.

DACA recipients often referred to as Dreamers are eligible immigrants who came to the United States as children dependent on their parents’ work visas. While they have grown up and received their education in America they are not recognised as U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The program does not grant them official legal status or a pathway to citizenship.

According to the statement, President Biden believes that the Dreamers strengthen U.S economy, and enrich schools and the community. His administration’s proposed plan will allow Dreamers to apply for coverage through the health insurance marketplace and through the state Medicaid agency just like other citizens.

“We are not done fighting for their pathway to citizenship, but we’re getting them the opportunities they deserve in the meantime,” Biden said making the historic announcement.

The democratic government aims to protect and strengthen the federal health insurance agencies by lowering costs and expanding coverage so that every American has the peace of mind that health insurance brings and the inclusion of DACA recipients is a step in that direction.

“The Administration continues to urge Congress to provide a pathway to citizenship to Dreamers, providing them the ultimate peace of mind they need and deserve,” the White House statement emphasized.

At present, schemes and programs available to DACA recipients include; AmeriCorps VISTA Program (to assist local organizations in alleviating poverty), a range of outdoor programming, environmental education, and volunteer service programs, and American job centers to help job seekers obtain employment and training to further their careers.

Assam’s Bihu Establishes World Record

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterNews 0

With “the largest Bihu performance at a single venue”, Assam made history and cemented its place in the record books. The massive attempt to break the Guinness World Record involved over 11,000 nasonis (dancers) and dhuliyas (drummers). The record was set around 5.45 pm on April 13 at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati.

Two new Guinness World Records were created at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati, Assam, as about 11,000 drummers and folk dancers performed the traditional Bihu dance in an effort to commemorate Bohag/Rongali Bihu.

The first-of-its-kind performance set two records in the presence of State Chief Minister Himanta Biswas Sharma and Guinness World Records Officials. The first record was for the largest Bihu dance performance and the second for the largest performance by traditional folk musicians employing instruments including the “dhol,” “pepa,” “gogona,” and “toka.”

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi appreciated the performers on achieving the historic feat and presented the Guinness record certificates to Sarma on April 14 during his one-day visit to Guwahati.‌‌

“Our festivals are not just cultural extravaganza but are a medium to unite everyone and inspiration to move forward together”, the Prime Minister said. “Rongali Bihu is a festival of heart and soul for the people of Assam. Removes differences and is a symbol of perfect harmony between humans and nature.”

Organized by the Assam government with the intention of highlighting the state’s rich cultural history, the performance featured artists from across the 31 districts of the state.

CM Sarma expressed optimism that the event will help to put Assam and its cultural history on the map throughout the world.

The chief minister also stated that the state government has set a goal for two world records: the largest Bihu dance in a single frame and the largest (dhuliya) drummer group. On the occasion, the certificate for the GI tag-recognised ‘Assamese gamusa (a type of towel)’ was also presented to the state government.

Earlier in March, the Guinness World Records had recognized a compilation of 42.9 lakh essays on Ahom commander Lachit Borphukan as the largest online photo album of handwritten notes.

Guinness World Records adjudicator Swapnil Dangarikar handed over the official letter of recognition to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at the Janata Bhawan in Guwahati. The certificate for the mega attempt will be handed over later.

Virdee Wins Top Prize In The AAHOA Tech Pitch Competition, Co-Powered By HFTP

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterTechnology 0

A panel of five judges with expertise in technology and hospitality chose Virdee’s guest experience technology platform from a field of eight finalists. Virdee Virtual Reception Software is aimed at helping properties become more efficient. Whether it’s to help front-of-house staffing, provide guests with their keys, or help them pay for their stay, their goal is to free up staff in a way that allows them to deliver a true guest experience.

The competition is designed to help identify and elevate companies with innovative ideas and products that will help the hospitality industry as hoteliers continue to face challenges, like labor shortages, from the pandemic.

“It’s super exciting when you start a company, and you start selling the product, and the first thing you want to do is get product market fit and start building your client base. And then any sort of recognition like this is a huge honor for us. So really, it’s a cool experience and a great feeling,” said the winner, Branigan Mulcahy, Co-Founder of Virdee, “There’s a lot of great things we learned from the other companies that presented. There are things that help housekeeping be more efficient, and hiring and in tipping, and all of these other technologies that come into the flow.”

“The AAHOA Tech Pitch competition gives us a small glimpse into the future,” said AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake. “I am grateful for the participants who shared their vision and original products to show us how technology is changing the way the hospitality industry does business. AAHOA remains committed to helping hospitality-focused tech companies share the next big idea on hospitality’s biggest stage at the AAHOA Convention & Trade Show.”

AAHOA is always searching for the latest and greatest technologies that are solving everyday issues for hotel owners, their team members, and their guests. Select companies pitched to seasoned professional judges with expertise in technology and hospitality. The winner received a complimentary booth at AAHOACON24, tremendous exposure to more than 7,000 attendees in Los Angeles, CA, and much more!

“Congratulations to all the contestants. There were a ton of amazing ideas brought to the competition, and we know it was hard to choose just one winner,” said incoming AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel. “Virdee makes their software user-friendly, so any hotelier, regardless of their technology background, can utilize this platform, leave the hard work to the experts, and be up and running within a few days.”

The panel of judges was composed of:

Emcee: RP Rama, AAHOA Lifetime Member

Neil Foster, HFTP’s Global President 2022-2023

Glenn Haussman, Hospitality Speaker, Podcaster, Writer

Anthony Melchiorri, Hospitality Expert and TV Personality

Mukesh Mowji, AAHOA Past Chairman (2006-2007)

Frank Wolfe, CEO of HFTP

“It was just amazing to be invited. There are a lot of amazing companies that presented as part of the tech pitch competition,” added the winner, Mulcahy. “I learned a lot about some of these other platforms, and it was great for us to be able to get our message out. We’ve been attending AAHOACON since we started the company, since the very first year back from the pandemic. So, we’ve met a lot of people here, we’ve established a lot of great relationships, and some of our investors are AAHOA Members and former chairs, so it’s good to be part of this organization, and we love the community here.

AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the nation, with Member-owned properties representing a significant part of the U.S. economy. AAHOA’s 20,000 members own 60% of the hotels in the United States and are responsible for 1.7% of the nation’s GDP. More than one million employees work at AAHOA member-owned hotels, earning $47 billion annually, and member-owned hotels support 4.2 million U.S. jobs across all sectors of the hospitality industry. AAHOA’s mission is to advance and protect the business interests of hotel owners through advocacy, industry leadership, professional development, member benefits, and community engagement.

US Lawmakers Push For Extension Of H1-B Grace Period

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterImmigration 0

Amid the massive ongoing layoffs in the tech sector, a group of lawmakers from Silicon Valley has written to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) enquiring about the federal agency’s efforts to ensure highly-skilled H-1B visa holders can remain in the country after losing their jobs.

With a bevy of employees laid off across tech giants including Microsoft, Google, Meta, in the past couple of months, the H-1B visa holders have been left in a limbo with a mere 60-day grace period to find another job, or leave the country.

“This group of immigrants possesses skills that are highly valuable in today’s knowledge-based economy and forcing them to leave the US is harmful to our nation’s long-term economic competitiveness,” the lawmakers wrote.

“This issue is of great importance to our constituents because layoffs in the tech sector have accelerated in recent months. The number of tech jobs lost since the beginning of 2023 has already surpassed the total number of layoffs in 2022,” they said.

The lawmakers urged the USCIS to extend the 60-day grace period for laid-off H-1B holders to secure a new job before losing their legal status.

They also requested that USCIS release data detailing the impact of the layoffs on affected immigrants, and inquires about whether the agency has issued guidance to adjudicators in response to the layoffs.

The USCIS had earlier stated that extending the grace period would require a lengthy rulemaking process that would take too long to benefit immigrants who are currently at risk of losing their legal status.

“While we understand that such a change may take time, we nonetheless urge USCIS to pursue an extension of the grace period, either as a standalone regulatory change or as part of a broader effort to reform the H-1B program,” the letter read.

The lawmakers said that extending the grace period will strengthen the country’s ability to retain immigrant talent in the future.

The USCIS recently said that the sacked H-1B workers have multiple options to stay in the country, and it is wrong to assume that they have no option but to leave within 60 days.

The number of tech jobs lost since the beginning of 2023 has already surpassed the total number of layoffs in 2022.

With the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank causing further disruptions in the tech sector, the lawmakers said they feared that the trend would continue.

Led by Representative Anna G. Eshoo, the letter was signed by Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, Zoe Lofgren, former Chair of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, and Representatives Jimmy Panetta and Kevin Mullin.

It sent a list of five questions to the immigration agency requesting it to respond by May 5.

The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that permits US companies to hire foreign workers in speciality occupations, which require theoretical or technical expertise.

It is the most sought-after work visa among foreign professionals, including Indians. (IANS)

In a letter they underlined significance of immigrants in knowledge-based economy and that forcing them to leave is harmful to country’s long-term economic competitiveness.

A group of lawmakers from Silicon Valley have raised concerns over the ongoing wave of tech sector layoffs and urged the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to extend the 60-day grace period for laid-off H-1B holders to secure a new job before losing their visa status.

In a joint letter to the USCIS’ director, Ur M. Jaddou, Representatives Anna G. Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren, Ro Khanna, Jimmy Panetta, and Kevin Mullin enquired about the agency’s efforts in retaining high-skilled immigrants in the U.S. after losing their jobs, and their employment-based visas.

Highlighting the 60-day grace period after which the H-1B visa status of a laid off employee gets invalid, the lawmakers said in the letter, “forcing them to leave the U.S. is harmful to our nation’s long-term economic competitiveness.” They argued that extending the grace period will strengthen the country’s ability to retain immigrant talent in the future.

Moreover, the lawmakers sought a response from USCIS on certain issues including number of H-1B visa holders who have successfully maintained legal status after losing their jobs and how many have departed the country or accrued unlawful presence; approval and denial rates on requests made by newly unemployed H-1B visa holders to change their visa status into visitor visa; time consumed to process such requests and penalty for applying for B-1/B-2 visitor visas by newly unemployed H-1B visa holders. They demanded a response by May 5, 2023.

Amid Layoffs, Tech Firms Continue To Exploit H-1B Visa Program

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterImmigration, Technology 0

Amid massive ongoing layoffs in the tech sector, the top 30 H-1B visa employers hired 34,000 new workers in 2022 and laid off at least 85,000 workers in 2022 and early 2023, an Economic Policy Institute (EPI) analysis found.

According to EPI researchers, tech and outsourcing companies are exploiting the highly-skilled H-1B visa program, created to fill labor shortages in professional fields, by laying-off a bevy of workers employed in firms like Meta, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, etc.

“Most employers hire H-1B workers because they can be underpaid and are de facto indentured to the employer,” the EPI research said.

Also, 13 of the top 30 H-1B visa employers were outsourcing firms that underpay migrant workers and offshore US jobs to countries where labor costs are much lower.

“Its implementation has been bungled by the US Departments of Labor and Homeland Security,” the analysis said, adding that since employers aren’t required to test the US labor market to see if any workers are available before hiring an H-1B worker or pay their H-1B workers a fair wage, employers have exploited the program.

ECI said, in 2022, 48,000 employers registered with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in hopes of hiring at least one H-1B worker, and nearly 30,000 employers ultimately hired at least one new H-1B worker.

Citing an example, the ECI research said Amazon was at the top of the list in terms of both new H-1B workers and layoffs. It hired 6,400 new H-1B workers in 2022, and hired the most new H-1B workers in 2021 as well, when it hired nearly 6,200 workers. The tech giant has either recently laid off or plans to lay off 27,150 of its employees — more than twice the number of H-1B workers it hired in 2021 and 2022 combined.

Google and Meta, both long-time top H-1B employers, together hired over 3,100 new H-1B workers last year.The duo laid off 33,000 employees, almost 11 times the number of new H-1B workers they hired in 2022.

The H-1B program is the largest US temporary work visa program, with a total of approximately 600,000 workers employed by 50,000 employers. Most of these workers are employed in occupations like computer systems analysis and software development.

Visas for new workers are capped at 85,000 per year, but many employers are exempt from that annual cap, including universities and their affiliated nonprofit entities, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations.

The study urged President Joe Biden to “implement regulations and policy guidance to prevent misuse of the program, stop the exploitation of college-educated migrant workers, and ensure the program is consistent with congressional intent”. (IANS)

H-2B Visas Open For Late Second Half Returning Workers For FY 2023

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterImmigration 0

The US will begin accepting petitions for H-2B visa workers for the late second half of fiscal year 2023 under the supplemental cap temporary final rule, the federal agency for immigration services announced.

Under this rule, which was announced in December last year, there are 10,000 visas limited to returning workers regardless of country of nationality, for the late second half of fiscal year 2023, that is May 15 to September 30.

“The 10,000 visas made available under this allocation are limited to returning workers who were issued H-2B visas or held H-2B status in fiscal years 2020, 2021, or 2022,” the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said.

These supplemental visas are available only to the US businesses that are suffering irreparable harm or will suffer impending irreparable harm without the ability to employ all the H-2B workers requested in their petition, as attested by the employer on a new attestation form.

On December 15, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) jointly published a temporary final rule increasing the cap on H-2B non-immigrant visas by up to 64,716 additional visas for all of FY 2023.

Of the 64,716 additional visas, 44,716 are available only for returning workers (workers who received an H-2B visa or were otherwise granted H-2B status in one of the last three fiscal years).

The remaining 20,000 visas are set aside for nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (collectively called Northern Central American countries) and Haiti, who are exempt from the returning worker requirement.

As of April 10, 2023, USCIS has received petitions requesting 11,537 workers under the 20,000 visas set aside for nationals of Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

USCIS is continuing to accept H-2B petitions under this allocation.

This is the first time the Departments have issued a single rule making available H-2B supplemental visas for several allocations throughout the entire fiscal year, including an allocation for the late second half.

The temporary final rule features several provisions to protect both, the US and H-2B workers, from exploitation and abuse.

The H-2B visas are issued for seasonal/temporary jobs which allow employers to hire skilled or unskilled workers to fulfil the shortage of workers in the US.

The employer must obtain a Department of Labor certification before the visa application can be initiated. (IANS)

Indian- Origin Academicians Named To AAU Task Force

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterEducation, Science 0

The task force was created in coordination with the Biden administration’s U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), which seeks to grow technological and industrial collaboration between the two nations.

A group of renowned Indian-origin academicians were appointed with varying roles to the newly created task force of The Association of American Universities (AAU), that aims to expand research and higher education partnerships between the United States and India.

The co-chairs of the AAU Task Force include Pennsylvania State University president Neeli Bendapudi, University of California San Diego chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, University at Buffalo president Satish K. Tripathi, and current Johns Hopkins University Provost, senior vice president for Academic Affairs Sunil Kumar, who is set to become president of Tufts University on July 1, 2023.

The task force was announced by AAU President Barbara Snyder during the launch of the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology which was jointly launched by U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in May 2022.

As per the mandate, the task force will make efforts to advance academic and research partnerships between both sides. The group of academicians are set to meet monthly to determine key focus areas for bilateral research and education cooperation, to identify existing programs that could provide blueprints for future partnerships, and to formulate strategies on how best to move forward, AAU said in a statement.

In addition to the co-chairs, several Indian-origin members from various universities were inducted into the task force. They include dean of engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Venkataramanan Balakrishnan, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, Emory University, Ravi V. Bellamkonda, vice president for research and economic development, University at Buffalo, Venu Govindaraju, chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University, Amita Gupta, professor and Qualcomm endowed chair, to name a few.

AAU is composed of America’s leading research universities. Association’s member universities collectively help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation; promote best practices in undergraduate and graduate education; and strengthen the contributions of leading research universities to American society.

Ascend’s A-List Includes Indian-Origin Professionals

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterEducation 0

The Ascend Foundation aims to increase recognition of pan-Asian leadership through initiatives like the 5-Point Action Agenda, the Ascend Impact Fund, and other research, education, volunteerism and advocacy efforts.

Indian-origin business leaders from diverse sectors were honoured for their resiliency and success during times of economic uncertainty by The Ascend Foundation during their A-List Award Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on April 3, 2023.

The list of 30 honorees includes the chief health officer of Elevance Health Dr Shantanu Agrawal, executive leader in the workplace investing business for Fidelity Investments Sangeeta Moorjani, chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer of Deloitte, Kavitha Prabhakar, chief operating officer of Citi Anand Selvakesari, vice chair of EY Americas Consulting Raj Sharma and president and chief executive officer of Perkin Elmer Prahlad Singh.

Baltimore resident and Cambridge alumnus, Dr Agrawal is passionate about improving health outcomes and reducing disparities and serves on numerous boards and committees that deepen his commitment to advancing health, his profile reads.

India-born, Moorjani is known for approaching business strategy, fresh perspective and innovative thinking to meet the need of business. She received her bachelor of commerce degree in 1988 and her MBA in marketing in 1990, both from the University of Pune in India.

A woman in technology, and champion for social change, Prabhakar spearheaded the release of Deloitte’s DEI Transparency Report, first issued in 2020, and is credited for setting a new standard for racial, ethnic, and gender data transparency and accountability.

Having begun his career at Citi India in 1991, Selvakesari has over 30 years of experience in consumer banking, wealth management and commercial banking, across multiple markets globally.

In his role with EY Americas Consulting, Sharma leads 25,000 consultants across the Americas service line, according to the company. He holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science from the Birla Institute of Technology, India.

Singh held various leadership roles in different companies. Northeastern University alumnus, Singh earned a doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His research work has resulted in several issued patents and publications in peer-reviewed journals, according to his profile.

Founded in 2005, Ascend is the first and largest global network advancing API professionals in the workplace. Ascend’s 60+ chapters partner with global organizations to cultivate and empower API talent as they rise to their full potential.

Jyoti Thottam’s Book Wins Christopher Award

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterCulture 0

Jyoti Thottam’s book shares the lives of six Sisters who traveled from Kentucky to India to establish a hospital more than seven decades back.

Indian –American author and journalist Jyoti Thottam was awarded the 74th Christopher Award for her book “Sisters of Mokama- The Pioneering Women Who Brought Hope and Healing to India” (Viking/Penguin Random House).

Her book highlights the story of the six Sisters of Charity of Nazareth nuns who established Nazareth Hospital in Mokama, Bihar. In 1947 the sisters served everyone, regardless of caste or religion, and offered new opportunities to women there looking to pursue careers in the medical field, according to the book release. Thottam’s mother was part of an extraordinary group of Indian women who challenged the odds and travelled to Bihar to train to be a nurse at Nazareth Hospital.

Fascinated by her mother’s inspiring journey, Thottam researched Nazareth Hospital and authored the book Sisters of Mokama, the release added.

The New York Times editor Thottam was Times South Asia Bureau Chief in New Delhi from 2008 to 2012, where she wrote numerous cover stories, including award-winning stories about the Ganges River and the Mumbai terrorist attacks, her profile shared.

India-born Thottam grew up in Texas and graduated from Yale and Columbia. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, her profile shared.

The Christophers is a nonprofit founded in 1945 by Maryknoll’s Father James Keller. The Christopher Awards celebrate writers, producers, directors, authors, and illustrators whose work affirms the highest values of the human spirit and reflects the Christopher motto.

Humans Will Soon Upload Consciousness In Computers

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterScience 0

Humans will be able to upload consciousness and sensibility in computers by the end of 2023, claims an Indian-origin computer scientist.

Dr Pratik Desai has asked people to start recording their loved ones’ voices, which will “live” even after their death.

In other words, users can create a computerised avatar that resembles their loved one before their death, which can live forever on their screens.

“Start regularly recording your parents, elders and loved ones,” Desai recently wrote on Twitter.

“With enough transcript data, new voice synthesis and video models, there is a 100 per cent chance that they will live with you forever after leaving physical body.

“This should be even possible by end of the year,” he noted.

Desai is not the only one who has claimed this.

Previously, metaverse company Somnium Space offered an AI-based “live forever” mode. It aims to allow individuals to talk with their loved ones in the metaverse.

In an interview with Motherboard, the company’s founder and CEO Artur Sychov said his project will allow people to store the way they talk, move, and sound until after they die, when they can come back from the dead as an online avatar to speak with their relatives.

“Literally, if I die — and I have this data collected — people can come or my kids, they can come in, and they can have a conversation with my avatar, with my movements, with my voice,” Sychov was quoted as saying to Vice.

“You will meet the person. And you would maybe for the first 10 minutes while talking to that person, you would not know that it’s actually AI. That’s the goal,” he added.

Another US-based company Deepbrain has also developed a programme called “Re;memory” which allows users the opportunity to walk down a memorial hall dedicated to a late loved one and even interact with the person “through an actual conversation”. (IANS)

Bullish On India, Tim Cook Unveils Apple Retail Stores In India

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterBusiness, Technology 0

As Apple firms up its plans to put India on its global manufacturing and retail map, the company’s CEO Tim Cook will be in India next week to inaugurate Apple’s brick-and-mortar stores in Mumbai and Delhi.

Reliable sources told IANS that Cook will inaugurate Apple’s own branded retail stores — at Jio World Drive Mall in Mumbai and at Select CityWalk mall in Saket, Delhi — that will be the first for the tech giant which has doubled down on its India growth plans.

Apple set another all-time revenue record for the India market in the quarter that ended December 31, 2022.

In the analysts’ call after posting its quarterly results, Cook said, “India is a hugely exciting market for us and a major focus.

“We brought the online store there in 2020. We will soon bring Apple Retail there,” Cook had announced.

“I’m very bullish on India,” he added.

According to the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), Apple’s ‘Make in India’ smartphone now constitutes 50 per cent of total exports.

Reports surfaced earlier this year that Cook-led Apple will quickly shift some of its China manufacturing to India and Vietnam in the next 2-3 years.

India is likely to produce 45-50 per cent of Apple’s iPhones by 2027, at par with China, where 80-85 per cent of iPhones were produced in 2022, according to estimates.

India accounted for 10-15 per cent of iPhones’ overall production capacity at the end of 2022.

Apple became the first smartphone player in India to have exported $1 billion worth iPhones in the month of December.

It currently manufactures iPhones 12, 13, 14 and 14 Plus in the country.

As Apple gears up to throw open the gates of its first branded retail store in India this month, its physical stores have left an indelible impression on millions worldwide.

For millions of Indians, visiting an Apple Store in the country will be a delightful experience. Those who have a constant yearning to be ‘delighted’ at Apple Stores at world-famous tourist spots, India will soon be on the Apple’s retail global map. (IANS)

Larsen & Toubro Technology Fined US$9.9 Million For Visa Fraud

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterTechnology 0

The company was accused of acquiring B-1 visas which allow immigrants to conduct temporary business in the U.S rather than the more expensive H-1B visas for their staff.

Indian multinational tech company, Larsen & Toubro Technology Services will pay US$9,928,000 as settlement for committing visa fraud between 2014 to 2019, a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Carolina said.

According to the authorities, the firm has admitted to violating the False Claims Act by acquiring inexpensive B-1 visas, rather than more expensive H-1B visas for its personnel employed at the offices in Edison New Jersey. During the time of the crime, B-1 visas, which do not allow holders to work in the United States, ranged from $200 to $300 while H1-B visas were between approximately $4,000 to $6,000.

The investigation into the case began after a whistleblower filed a complaint in the United States District Court in Charleston, South Carolina. Investigations were carried out by Homeland Security Investigations, the USCIS Nebraska Service Center Fraud Detection Unit, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, a news release noted.

“This settlement is a success in deterring companies in seeking to evade and violate the laws and regulations governing the non-immigrant visa programs managed by the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security,” said Chris Hileman, special agent in charge, Department of State, Office of Inspector General.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold accountable those who skirt this country’s visa requirements,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Adair F. Boroughs. “Our immigration laws are intended to protect American jobs for American workers, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure companies securing work visas for foreign nationals strictly comply with those laws.”

Sikh Youth Symposium 2023 Held In Cincinnati

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterYouth 0

Youngsters between ages 6 to 20 from Cincinnati and Dayton participated in the symposium in 5 different groups. The Sikh Youth Alliance of North America (SYANA) in Ohio, USA, recently organized its annual Sikh Youth Symposium 2023, a public speaking competition at Guru Nanak Society of Greater Cincinnati Gurdwara Sahib in Cincinnati.

Supported by the Sewadar Committee, the event was attended by youngsters between ages 6 to 20 from Cincinnati and Dayton, who participated in 5 different groups, the news release revealed.

The local convener for the Symposium Sameep Singh Gumtala disclosed that each group was given a book three months in advance to answer three questions given to them in the form of speech for 5-7 minutes. “This year first group was given the book, “Basic Knowledge of Sikhism”, the second group, “Sikh Sakhis for the Youth”, the third group, “The Turban”, and the fourth group, “Guru Granth Sahib – A Supreme Treasure,” Gumtala said.

The program commenced with the recital of Ardas and Hukumnama. Harjinder Singh, who earlier volunteered as local convener in 2006, addressed the gathering saying the symposium provides youth with a platform to learn and reflect on many topics, including the basics of Sikhi and an in-depth study of Gurbani. His son Jaipal Singh recollected how the Sikh youth were taught and mentored year after year.

Weekly classes continue to happen at Gurdwara Sahib in public speaking and Gurmat concepts. The participants were awarded trophies and books, such as “Fauja Singh Keeps Going”, “The Garden of Peace”, and “Why Am I Here.”

Gyani Amrik Singh, chief Granthi of the Gurdwara Sahib, thanked all participants, parents, volunteers, and Sewadar Committee members for making the event a success.

C.R. Rao Honored With The ‘Nobel’ Of Math At Age 102

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterProfile 0

Noted Indian-American mathematician and statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics for his work more than 75 years back, which continues to exert a profound influence on science. The award is often considered the “Nobel Prize” of math and statistics.

Rao, 102, will receive the prize, which comes with a $80,000 award, this July at the biennial International Statistical Institute World Statistics Congress in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

“In awarding this prize, we celebrate the monumental work by C.R. Rao that not only revolutionized statistical thinking in its time but also continues to exert enormous influence on human understanding of science across a wide spectrum of disciplines,” said Guy Nason, Chair of the International Prize in Statistics Foundation, in a statement.

Rao demonstrated three fundamental results that paved the way for the modern field of statistics and provided statistical tools heavily used in science today in his 1945 paper published in the Bulletin of the Calcutta Mathematical Society.

Combined, these results help scientists more efficiently extract information from data.

Rao is currently a professor emeritus at Pennsylvania State University and Research Professor at the University at Buffalo.

Born in 1920 in Karnataka, he was the eighth child born in a family of six brothers and four sisters.

He secured an MSc in Mathematics at Andhra University in 1941, an M.A. in statistics from Calcutta University in 1943 and a PhD degree at King’s College in Cambridge University in 1948.

Cambridge University awarded him the prestigious Sc.D. degree in 1965, and he has received 31 Honorary Doctoral degrees from universities in 18 countries.

In India, under the direction of P.C. Mahalanobis, Rao worked to set up statistical bureaus in different states and developed a network of statistical agencies at the district level for collecting data.

India honoured Rao with a Padma Bhushan in 1968 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. It has also instituted a biennial national award in Statistics known as the ‘The Professor C.R. Rao’ award.

In his honour, the Pennsylvania State University has established a C.R. and Bhargavi Rao Prize in Statistics.

The first International Prize in Statistics was awarded in 2017 to David R. Cox for the development of the Cox proportional hazards model, which allows researchers to investigate patient survival rates in complex studies.

Awarded biennially at the ISI World Statistics Congress, the International Prize in Statistics aims to enhance public understanding of the depth and scope of statistics.

Luxury Jewelry Market Size Is Projected To Reach USD 95.8 Billion By 2030

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterMoney, Fashion 0

The Global Luxury Jewelry Market is anticipated to grow at a 7.85% CAGR and is estimated to be worth USD 95.78 Billion by the end of 2030.

Luxury Jewelry is well-known for its sophisticated designs and utilization of the most precious and uncommon unrefined substances. The Luxury Jewelry Market is vigorous and quickly developing. It’s also exceptionally divided and determined by buyer conduct and style. In the nearing years, huge market development is normal, from increasing extra cash and amplifying buyer consumption of extravagant merchandise. Assimilating the luxury gems industry with diversion and allure businesses has set new open doors for the market.

One of the main points herding the Luxury Jewelry Market is boosting discretionary cash flow. When the population’s discretionary cash flow develops, so does their purchasing power, bringing about amplified interest and utilization of luxury gems. Also, the traditions embracing extravagant metals are necessary components driving the interest in extravagant adornment pieces.

Amplifying interest in men’s adornments addresses viable freedom for the development of the market over the figure time frame. Generally, ladies are more minded than men toward buying luxury gems. Be that as it may, this pattern is remodelling, inferable from expanding the focal point of men on self-grooming and graceful allure.

The Global Luxury Jewelry Market is segmented into five regions; North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Europe represented the biggest portion of the global industry on the lookout, followed by North America. These areas comprise created nations with high per capita pay, just as significant luxury brands, filling the market development. Also, the high female workforce interest rate in these countries is a significant factor that adds to the development of the market. Besides, the Asia- Pacific area is expected to have a high CAGR during the estimated time frame.

Asia Pacific dominated the market for luxury jewelry and was considered for the largest revenue share of 65.4% in 2021. China and India are the two largest markets for luxury jewelry in the region. The latest styles and the requirement for high-quality jewelry among top customers are two eloquent drivers driving the market for luxury jewelry in this region.

The region is anticipated to see an increase in the popularity of online distribution. The majority of luxury jewelry is bought for special occasions or events like marriages and engagements. Further, due to continuous restrictions on international travel and the augmentation of domestic duty-free zones in China, demand from younger customers as well as those who shop domestically is anticipated to climb.

The global Luxury Jewelry Market’s prominent key players are Buccellati Holding, Italia SPA, Chopard International SA, Mikimoto & Co. Ltd., Bulgari S.P.A., Graff Diamond Corporation, Companies Financiere Richmond S.A., Tiffany & Co., Societe Cartier, Harry Winston Inc., Guccio Gucci S.P.A., Chanel, LVMH Moet Hennessy, Signet Jewellers, Cartier International SNC, Rajesh Exports Ltd.

Indo American Arts Council Announces Art Festival

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterCulture 0

The Indo-American Arts Council has announced its upcoming Literary Festival scheduled for November 2023. We will be celebrating and exploring the vibrant and diverse cultures of India through the written word, including works written by Indian and diaspora authors as well as those who have been inspired by the many facets of the country. We invite submissions of published books of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, drama and children’s literature that illuminate this year’s theme Courageously Creative. We are looking for works that examine and showcase the beauty, challenges, complexity, diversity and richness of Indian culture and its relationship to society, history, politics, spirit and the human experience. We accept original works in the languages of India with English translations.

Chosen entries will be featured in New York City at an in-person event, featuring renowned and emerging voices. These energetic, interactive discussions will be complemented by a series of recorded programs that will be exclusively launched on our online platform.

In the past, the IAAC Literary Festival has had the honor of hosting prominent authors such as Salman Rushdie, Suketu Mehta, Dr. Amartya Sen, Indra Nooyi, Barkha Dutt, Deepti Naval, Deepak Chopra, Anupam Kher, Rakesh Kaul, Dr. Ravi Shankar, Newbery Honor recipient Veera Hiranandani, Booker Nominee Avni Doshi, Dr. Sudha Murthy, Narayan Hegde, Megha Majumdar, International Booker Prize winner Daisy Rockwell, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dr. Kailash Satyarthi, Kal Penn, Vishakha Desai, Anupam Kher, Ambassador Haksar and Member of Parliament Dr. Shashi Tharoor.

We have organized book launches for eminent authors such as Ramchandra Guha, and Madhur Jaffrey, and in 2021 launched Acrobat by Nandana Sen, and the official biography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Interest in the IAAC Literary Festival has continued to garner international attention with its spotlight on topics such as Women’s Empowerment, Health & Wellness, Diversity, and Equity. IAAC strongly believes in sustaining community to help create a world where literature can thrive and has partnered with several prominent organizations such as Poets & Writers, Kundiman, and the Asian American Writers Workshop.

The only criteria besides a focus on India or work by an Indian or diaspora author is literary excellence, whether you are a children’s book author or a poet…

IAAC recognizes the impact that COVID-19 has had on the literary community. It has therefore expanded its support for artists generally and authors specifically. IAAC will:

Pay an author honorarium
Pay a moderator honorarium
Allocate a social media budget for each author on top of the IAAC marketing
Include the Publisher logo with approval in all IAAC media marketing
Include links to author and moderator social media handles

The Indo-American Arts Council is a not-for-profit arts organization passionately dedicated to promoting, showcasing, and building an awareness of the arts and artists whose heritage lies in the Indian subcontinent in the performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, and folk arts. IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk, and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. They work cooperatively with colleagues around the United States to broaden collective audiences and create a network for shared information, resources and funding. The IAAC’s focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work in the United States. www.iaac.us

Here is information on some of our past festivals: https://iaac.us/iaac-literary-festival-2022/

Twitter’s NPR Saga Demonstrates The Challenge Of Labeling Media

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterMedia 0

The decision by Twitter to label National Public Radio (NPR) as “state-affiliated media,” which it then changed to “government-funded media” after a barrage of criticism, underscores the need to rethink the role of major social media platforms as critical gatekeepers in the public sphere, the need for better labels for news media, and the importance of insulating these designations from political interference or mercurial interventions by billionaire founders.

When Twitter placed a state-affiliated media label on NPR last week, it put the award-winning public media outlet in the same category as Russia’s RT, the state-controlled international media network, and China’s Xinhua News Agency, providing fodder to partisans around the world who would happily denigrate public service media by equating it with state-owned media.

On April 12, NPR announced that it will no longer post on its 52 Twitter channels to protect its credibility, though its journalists are still able to use the platform for newsgathering.

Figuring out which news media are propaganda or arms of the states that fund them, and which ones provide a public service and are insulated from editorial interference by the government, has once again become a flashpoint in the debate over content moderation and discrimination on social media—not long after major social media platforms began instituting labels on some media accounts.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) called it “an insult to the notion of a free press to conflate an editorially independent nonprofit organization like NPR with state-controlled propaganda mills” in Russia and China. Meanwhile, Republicans, who have long pushed to defund NPR and object to its public interest mandate, cheered the new label.

In an apparent response to the outcry, Twitter established—at least for now—a new “government funded” label on both NPR and BBC accounts, despite the fact that less than two percent of their budgets come from public funds. This term is equally misleading, since many news outlets around the world receive government funding through subsidies, state advertising, and emergency relief during the pandemic.

In Canada, for example, the government has provided millions of dollars directly to media outlets through direct cash infusions and tax breaks. The U.S. and Europe support public interest media around the world through overseas development assistance, providing critical state funding to media working in challenging conditions around the world. In these and other examples, does that make them either state-affiliated or government-funded?

The terms state-controlled and government-funded raise questions about the utility of employing such blunt terms and not including information about how other news media are funded and operate. The selective application of labels to some news media and not others also raise concerns about perception and consistency.

Public media outlets, such as NPR, are editorially independent, provide transparency into their budgets, masthead, and editorial processes, and publish their standards and provide corrections when necessary. The fact that these outlets receive some funding from the U.S. federal government does not make them “state-affiliated” in the same sense as outlets like RT and Xinhua, which are fully state-funded and provide minimal transparency regarding either their operational or editorial processes. Media outlets like NPR and the BBC are better characterized as public interest and publicly funded media.

Efforts to categorize news media are not only about labels; they also impose restrictions on advertising, targeting, and algorithmic amplification. Twitter’s move to reclassify NPR directly impacts its reach, since Twitter’s policy states it “will not recommend or amplify” accounts that receive the state media label. Shadow banning tactics, which suppress the reach of a social media account without outright deactivating it, can also affect the visibility and monetization of their news content, with implications for news media sustainability. These results could happen despite the original intent of adding such labels, which is to provide social media users with additional information about the content they were seeing and create a signal that algorithmic systems could use to moderate content or enable certain features.

Content labeling harms independent media

Media outlets care about the label they get. Al Jazeera, which was originally labeled as funded by the Qatari government, lobbied successfully to persuade Facebook it was editorially independent and shouldn’t get a label. “The reason we object so forcefully is because for us, perception is reality in the world in which we live,” Michael Weaver, Al Jazeera’s Senior Vice President Business Development and Growth, Digital Division, told me at the time. “If we’re being undermined by other platforms, it spreads across not only what Al Jazeera is doing but it spreads across all these geopolitical conflicts that are happening in the area. It could be a death blow to the network.”

The risks of conflating editorially independent outlets with state-controlled propaganda mills not only detracts from the media and information literacy goals of such labeling, but also undermines the safety of journalists working for the outlet. Labeling independent public interest media as state-affiliated provides cover to authoritarian governments to designate those organizations and their journalists as foreign agents or spies, which could have significant implications for their safety.

In this sense, NPR’s decision to withdraw, at least partially, from using Twitter sends a principled message that will help insulate its reporters in the field from backlash. Ideally more media outlets, including the BBC, which now has the same label as NPR, would consider doing the same and break out of Twitter’s stranglehold on journalism. Unlike Google and Facebook, which form the backbone of the digital advertising and audience infrastructure upon which the news media rely, Twitter is a considerably more important platform for journalists, politicians, and other elite who believe it to be the digital public square.

mRNA Vaccine Shows Promise Against Melanoma

April 19, 2023 Staff ReporterHealth, Science 0

The vaccine technology America learned about during the pandemic was originally aimed at cancer, but its use against infectious diseases took off in the pandemic. Now a new study suggests specially designed mRNA shots can help prevent recurrences of melanoma, a dreaded skin cancer.

The study, presented Sunday at a research conference, showed that after nearly two years, patients who received a personalized mRNA vaccine made by Moderna and Merck were 44% more likely to be alive and avoid new tumors than those who received only the standard of care.

If the results hold up in a larger, longer study planned to start later this year, it will mark a dramatic turnaround for cancer vaccines, which have been tested and failed for decades.

“It’s probably the first real data that suggests that this personalized approach to vaccination may be worth exploring further,” said Dr. Ryan Sullivan, an oncologist at Mass General Cancer Center, who was a co-author on the study.

Instead of using a vaccine to try to prevent or shrink a tumor, the new mRNA vaccines are aimed at reducing the chances of a high-risk cancer recurring.

“This represents a big shift in how we’re using cancer vaccines,” said Dr. Robert Vonderheide, who was not involved in the study but is the program committee chair of the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting, where the study was presented.

The pandemic proved that mRNA vaccines, already in development for cancer, could be used safely and developed quickly, said Vonderheide, who also directs the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Benefits seen in melanoma, a cancer known to be controlled by the immune system, are likely to hold up in other cancers that are affected by the immune system, he and several other experts said. The next one to be tested will be non-small-cell lung cancer, which kills about 100,000 Americans a year.

But it made sense to try first in melanoma.

“No cancer is as immunotherapy sensitive as melanoma is,” said Dr. Rodabe Amaria, a melanoma oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who was not involved in the study. “You have to prove it in melanoma before you try it in other cancers.”

How would an mRNA cancer vaccine work?

These vaccines are designed to prevent cancer recurrences, not an initial run-in with the disease.

After surgical removal of a tumor or a separate biopsy, scientists send a sample of tissue and blood for genetic sequencing, looking for proteins that are unique to the cancer and not present in healthy tissue.

The mRNA vaccine is then designed to target 34 of these distinctive proteins, getting the immune system to recognize them and hopefully kill the cells that make them without damaging healthy tissue.

Because there are so many possible neoantigens, resulting from a patient’s own genetics and the evolution of their tumor cells, the vaccine must be bespoke, designed specifically for each person.

Researchers aren’t sure how many neoantigens to target or which are likely to offer the most benefit, “so we cram in as many potential neoantigens as possible,” said Dr. Eliav Barr, chief medical officer of Merck, which supported the trial.

Each vaccine takes about eight weeks to manufacture and is based on tumor cells removed during surgery. While the patient waits for their personalized vaccine, they start taking the drug pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda), made by Merck, which unleashes the immune system to attack cancer.

Pembrolizumab is given as a 30-minute infusion every three weeks for a year. Patients receive two or three doses of pembrolizumab and then, when their vaccine is ready, they get nine doses along with their next nine infusions, before completing pembrolizumab.

According to findings released Sunday by the researchers, but not yet peer reviewed, among 107 volunteers who received both the experimental vaccine and pembrolizumab, the cancer returned in 24 (22%) within two years. There were 20 recurrences (40%) among the 50 people who received only pembrolizumab.

(Keytruda sells for a list price of $185,000 a year, although most people will not pay the list price, according to Merck. It’s too soon to know how much companies will charge for mRNA vaccines.)

Melanoma is diagnosed in about 100,000 Americans per year. If caught early, nearly everyone survives for at least five years, but only one-third of patients whose cancer has spread widely survive that long.

“Pembro” already dramatically decreased recurrences, but the new study showed a 44% extra benefit with the addition of the mRNA vaccine, called mRNA-4157/V940.

“We’re already reaping those benefits (from pembro), and now, in such a short period of time to have an additional therapeutic agent that builds on that progress is a very exciting thing,” Amaria said.

Side effects of mRNA vaccine for cancer

The addition of the mRNA vaccine did not seem to add substantially to the side effects already seen with pembrolizumab.

Pembro often affects the endocrine system, Amaria said, causing diabetes and potentially permanent thyroid problems. Other common side effects include exhaustion, muscle pain, rash, diarrhea, fever, cough, decreased appetite, itching, shortness of breath, constipation and nausea.

As more patients live longer with melanoma, these side effects are becoming more noticeable, Amaria said. “In some patients, the benefit goes hand-in-hand with the toxicity,” so side effects may be a sign the treatment is working.

“In some patients, we’re fundamentally changing their quality of life,” she said, but “most people do have normal lives, recovered from side effects.”

What is mRNA?

Messenger RNA carries instructions from a cell’s DNA code to the cellular machinery that manufactures proteins, telling it what to make. Delivered as a vaccine, the short-lived mRNA turns cells into factories that produce desired proteins.

With COVID, mRNA vaccines produce the spike protein found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, training the immune system to recognize and wipe out viral cells.

In the case of these cancer vaccines, the mRNA triggers the body to produce the 34 neoantigens, training the immune system to recognize and target them.

In cancers that have spread beyond an initial tumor, surgeons can’t remove all the cancerous cells. In people with Stage 2 melanoma or above, this dangerous spread has already begun and the risk of recurrence after surgery is very high.

The vaccine should help prevent these dangerous recurrences, Barr said.

The mRNA vaccine can’t be used to prevent disease, as it is with COVID, because the neoantigens don’t exist until the tumor does, Barr said. But it appears to work well when designed to target a specific person’s cancer and hopefully providing long-term memory, so even future cancer cells will be killed.

BioNTech, the German company that helped develop the other mRNA vaccine against COVID, is also working on cancer vaccines, including against ovarian and lung cancer, as are several other companies.

It’s not really clear why an mRNA vaccine would be effective against cancer when so many other approaches have failed, several experts said. The technology may simply spur more reaction from tumors, Sullivan said.

What happens next?

The new study, launched in 2018, was relatively small and only lasted a few years, so Merck hopes to start a large, Phase 3 trial later this year. It will be open to people with Stage 2 or Stage 3 melanoma.

Amaria said she and her colleagues at MD Anderson are considering participating. Patients often come to her asking for an mRNA vaccine against their cancer, she said.

Dr. Jeffrey Weber, who led the new study and is the deputy director of the Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, said he’s optimistic about the future of mRNA vaccines against cancer.

“It’s got a ways to go, but I do believe that these results will hold up over time,” he said.

Nandini Gupta Crowned Femina Miss India 2023

April 19, 2023April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterFashion, Women 0

Nandini Gupta, 19 from the state of Rajasthan has been crowned Femina Miss India World 2023. Nineteen-year-old Nandini hails from Kota, one of biggest coaching hubs in the country for engineering and medical aspirants. The beauty with brains holds a degree in Business Management, Nandini is dedicated to taking up challenges and succeeding. Nandini dreamt of competing in the Miss India pageant since she was 10 years old.

The 59th edition of India’s most prestigious pageant pulled off another season’s grand finale in a historic ceremony at the Indoor Stadium, Khuman Lampak, Imphal, Manipur — the beautiful city which played the perfect host to the mesmerizing event. Along with her, Delhi’s Shreya Poonja became the first runner-up, while Manipur’s Thounaojam Strela Luwang was crowned the 2nd runner-up.

The star-studded extravaganza celebrated the ethos of beauty in diversity and featured memorable performances by India’s heartthrobs, the ever-so-dashing Kartik Aaryan, and the very pretty Ananya Panday. Another performance that became the highlight of the evening was one put together by the former winners, Sini Shetty, Rubal Shekhawat, Shinata Chauhan, Manasa Varanasi, Manika Sheokand, Manya Singh, Suman Rao and Shivani Jadhav, who took the stage in exquisite and finely crafted lehengas from Mohey. The emcees for the evening were none other than the very witty Maniesh Paul and the very vivacious Bhumi Pednaker, who kept the engaged with impromptu antics.

The grand event featured the best in fashion in the form of multiple rounds dedicated to fashion, featuring the beautiful and intelligent winners from 30 states, showcasing stunning collections by fashion greats, Namrata Joshipura for Trends, Rocky Star and Robert Naorem, with whose help the beauties showcased impressive traditional costumes.

The state winners were judged by a panel of judges consisting of Femina Miss India Universe 2002 and Mentor Neha Dhupia, Indian boxing icon Laishram Sarita Devi, ace choreographer Terence Lewis, filmmaker and writer Harshavardhan Kulkarni and ace designers Rocky Star and Namrata Joshipura. The state winners had insightful interactions with the jury panel and answered all their questions with great determination.

Pageant aspirants from various parts of the country battled for the national title to win a platform to put their aspirations across. A nationwide hunt was organized to select representatives from 29 states (including Delhi) and a collective representative for all Union Territories (including J&K), adding up to 30 participants.

Acknowledging False Claims, Fox News Agrees To Pay $787.5 Million In Dominion’s Defamation Lawsuit

April 19, 2023April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterMedia, USA 0

Fox News settled Dominion Voting Systems’ blockbuster defamation lawsuit just as it was about to go to trial, agreeing to pay it $787.5 million, media reports stated. “The parties have resolved this case,” Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric M. Davis said in court Tuesday afternoon.

It is the largest publicly disclosed settlement for a defamation lawsuit in US history. Davis, who has been presiding over the case, previously decided to push back the start of the case one day, giving lawyers for both sides an extra day to devote to settlement discussions.

Dominion CEO John Poulos criticized Fox for broadcasting lies about the company and thanks election officials throughout the US. “Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that caused enormous damage to my company, our employees, and the customers that we serve,” he said. “Nothing can ever make up for that.”

In a statement, Fox News said it was “pleased to have reached a settlement” which it claimed represented a commitment to journalistic standards. “We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false,” a Fox spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues.”

The settlement is a victory for Dominion, which no longer has to contend with the prospect of a six-week trial and potentially years of grueling appeals if it had won. But it also means that Fox News’s many detractors won’t get to see the right-wing media network’s biggest executives and stars — including Rupert Murdoch, Tucker Carlson, and Sean Hannity — grilled on the witness stand.

Fox News hosts will not be required to issue retractions or many any other statements under the terms of the agreement, a person familiar with its terms told Insider. In a press conference after Davis announced the settlement, Justin Nelson, an attorney for Dominion, said the $787.5 million payout represented “vindication and accountability.”

“People across the political spectrum can and should disagree on issues even of the most profound importance,” he said. “For our democracy to endure for another 250 years and hopefully much longer, we must share a commitment to facts.”

Settlement talks have been brewing

On Sunday night, Davis pushed back the trial’s start from Monday to Tuesday. Several outlets reported that both sides were in settlement discussions.

At the same time, on the court docket, each side slung filings arguing over technical issues that could determine how much Dominion would be able to claim in damages in the trial.

On Tuesday morning, the case still seemed headed to trial as Davis completed jury selection. Dominion and Fox each had about two dozen lawyers present in court.

But Davis extended the jurors’ lunch break by more than two hours as he retreated to his chambers — beckoning attorneys from both parties to join him — and gave rise to more speculation among the journalists assembled in court that a settlement was imminent.

Dominion filed its lawsuit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corp., in March 2021. It alleged the network defamed it when its hosts Jeanine Pirro, Maria Bartiromo, and Lou Dobbs brought on conspiracy theorist lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell as guests.

Trump hired Giuliani and Powell to challenge his loss in the 2020 election. The two spun a fantastical, false tale claiming Dominion — in cahoots with rival election technology company Smartmatic — rigged the election by switching votes from Trump to now-President Joe Biden.

Fox News hosts, Dominion alleged, either endorsed or didn’t sufficiently push back against those claims when they invited Powell and Giuliani on their shows.

Davis had already ruled it was “CRYSTAL clear that none of the Statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true,” and that Dominion only had to prove Fox acted with “actual malice” — the legal standard for defamation cases involving public figures. Fox, for its part, claimed it was simply reporting the news and that its broadcasts were protected by the First Amendment. First Amendment experts overwhelmingly believed it was Dominion’s case to lose.

In brief remarks on Tuesday afternoon, Davis thanked the jurors for their service and praised attorneys from both Fox and Dominion for their professionalism and the quality of their legal briefs. “I’ve been on the bench since 2010, and I think this is the best lawyering I’ve ever had — ever,” he said.

Fox News’s secrets have already been spilled

Two years of litigation have already dealt Fox heavy blows. In court filings leading up to the trial, Dominion shared excerpts from numerous depositions, texts, and emails from Fox’s executives, hosts, and producers. They depicted a newsroom desperately trying to stay on Trump’s good side while fending off competition from Newsmax, a further-right media network that more explicitly embraced his election lies. Fox News was more interested in protecting its viewership ratings than reporting the news, Dominion argued.

Internal messages showed that Powell shared an email demonstrating her claims of election fraud relied in part on someone claiming to be a time-traveling headless ghost. Carlson, Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and multiple producers all privately believed she had taken leave of her senses, though they didn’t say as much on air and were slow to accept Biden’s electoral victory anyway. People close to Murdoch believed Giuliani, for his part, was frequently drunk. Ingraham called him an “idiot.”

Carlson — the Fox News host with the highest primetime ratings — said in texts that he “passionately” hated Trump and thought him a “demonic force” who nonetheless had the capacity to “destroy” the network. He and Hannity tried to get a Fox News reporter fired when she fact-checked Trump on Twitter.

“We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights,” Carlson wrote as he lost the 2020 election. “I truly can’t wait.” Murdoch had recognized that Fox News’s audience was in Trump’s thrall and said it “would have been stupid” to alienate them. After the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, he said it was time to make Trump a “non-person.”

Throughout this period, Dominion sent Fox 3,600 fact-checking messages, which it said were widely circulated throughout the network. One executive “received Dominion’s fact check so many times that on November 14 he wrote a colleague: ‘I have it tattooed on my body at this point,'” Dominion lawyers wrote in a filing.

After being told that Dobbs ran false information about election fraud on one of his shows, one producer responded, “Jesus Christ. Does anyone do a fucking simple google search or read emails?” according to a filing. A top executive said “the North Koreans do a more nuanced show” than Dobbs.

As for airing ads from Mike Lindell — the MyPillow CEO who shared an even more outlandish conspiracy theory about Dominion and Smartmatic than the one pushed by Powell and Giuliani — Murdoch agreed in a deposition that he was happy to take his money.

The case has also been beset by late twists. The judge has admonished Fox’s lawyers for withholding certain discovery evidence until right before the start of the trial. And Abby Grossberg, a former producer for Carlson and Bartiromo, alleged that Fox’s attorneys coached her answers in a deposition given for Dominion’s lawsuit. “They’re activists, not journalists,” Grossberg said of Fox News producers in court filings.

It was a common sentiment on Twitter: Fox News has disgraced American democracy by pushing lies that the 2020 election was stolen, Fox’s detractors say. A reckoning in a courtroom, where a judge has no patience for falsehoods, is an important way to bring a reckoning, these people say. A settlement — on the eve of a trial, no less — would let Fox News escape accountability once again, the argument goes.Fox is not out of the woods

The prospect of shareholder lawsuits may complicate any payout to Dominion. One such lawsuit, already working its way through Delaware Chancery Court, alleges Fox Corp. breached its fiduciary duties by allowing Fox News to broadcast election lies and expose it to litigation from Smartmatic and Dominion.

A settlement, First Amendment experts say, may also make Fox the target of future defamation lawsuits from plaintiffs who believe they’ll get a payout. Murdoch already has a record of settling lawsuits: A Washington Post analysis found his companies paid out nearly $750 million over the past 13 years to settle legal claims, including sexual harassment and hacking allegations.

A potentially greater risk is a case from Smartmatic, which asks for $2.7 billion in damages. That lawsuit, filed in New York state court, also names Giuliani as a defendant. (The company’s lawsuit against Powell is progressing through a court in Washington, DC, for jurisdictional reasons.) Court filings indicate that Smartmatic has drawn on some of the evidence in the Dominion lawsuit for its own case.

“Dominion’s litigation exposed some of the misconduct and damage caused by Fox’s disinformation campaign. Smartmatic will expose the rest,” Smartmatic attorney J. Erik Connolly said in a statement Tuesday. “Smartmatic remains committed to clearing its name, recouping the significant damage done to the company, and holding Fox accountable for undermining democracy.”

Kamla Harris Steps Into Spotlight On Abortion, Guns

April 19, 2023April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterUSA 0

Vice President Harris has found herself at the center of multiple key policy pushes and national debates in recent weeks, giving her a significant platform as she and President Biden ready a reelection campaign.

Harris became the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit Africa when she traveled to the continent late last month. Last week, she made a quickly arranged trip to Nashville after two Black Democrats were expelled from the state legislature for engaging in gun violence protests.

And Harris has again found herself as the administration’s leading voice on protecting reproductive rights in the face of a judge’s ruling against a popular abortion drug and a Florida ban on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy.

“I’ve been thrilled to see her in the spotlight on these two issues in particular over the past couple of weeks here. And it makes sense as we’re really starting to focus on the reelection campaign here,” said David Thomas, a Democratic strategist who was an aide to then-Vice President Al Gore.

“These are two issues, guns and abortion, that are really such stark contrasts between Democrats and Republicans, and the fact she’s out there being really active on these outside of Washington, D.C., is exactly where she should be,” Thomas added.

The vice president stepped into the foreign policy spotlight late last month when she traveled to Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia as part of a week-long trip to Africa. Harris’s presence was intended to reiterate the Biden administration’s commitment to the continent, and it was backed up by billions of dollars in government and private sector investments in bolstering economic opportunities for women and efforts to adapt to the changing climate.

The trip also took on a personal tone for Harris, who is the first African American woman to serve as vice president. After touring an old slave trading post in Ghana, she delivered somber remarks about the need to remember history and learn from it.

Upon returning to the U.S., Harris quickly found herself at the center of a major national news story when she flew to Nashville with little notice to meet with the “Tennessee Three,” a trio of state lawmakers who were targeted for expulsion because of protests over gun violence on the state House floor following a school shooting.

Former government officials were particularly impressed with how rapidly the trip came together, as Harris was on the ground speaking with lawmakers in Tennessee within 24 hours of the expulsion votes.

This week, Harris has reprised her role as the White House’s leading voice on the issue of reproductive rights, with key developments over access to abortion playing out in the courts and statehouses.

A federal judge invalidated the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone, a popular abortion medication, in a decision the Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court, which issued a temporary stay on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate, signed into law a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, though many women do not yet know they are pregnant by that point. Advocates have expressed concern that the Florida law will drastically limit abortion access across the South.

Harris on Wednesday hosted a meeting of the White House’s task force on reproductive health care to discuss ways to protect patient privacy. On Saturday, she appeared at a Los Angeles rally in support of reproductive rights.

On Tuesday, she will travel to Nevada for an event with actress Rosario Dawson and Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve to discuss how the fight for abortion access impacts young Americans.

“Let us clearly understand the moment we are in: a moment in which our hard-won freedoms are under attack,” Harris told a crowd of supporters Friday at the National Action Network’s convention.

A spokesperson for Harris stressed that the vice president has been active in addressing gun violence and abortion access throughout the Biden administration, noting her response to a shooting in Highland Park, Ill., and her visit to Buffalo, N.Y., after a shooting at a grocery store.

The recent stretch in the spotlight has been notable for Harris, who frequently attracts scrutiny from Republicans, particularly over her role as the White House’s point person on addressing migration from Central America.

Conservatives have repeatedly zeroed in on the influx of migrants at the southern border, placing the blame on Harris and questioning whether she’s qualified for the job.

Among Democrats, Harris’s performance has at times sparked speculation about whether Biden should consider picking a different running mate for 2024 — or if Democrats would unite behind Harris should Biden opt not to run for a second term. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) made waves in January when she was asked if Harris should remain Biden’s running mate and said she’d defer to Biden.

A March 21 survey from Monmouth University found Harris with a 36 percent approval rating, 5 percentage points lower than Biden’s in the same poll. The vice president’s approval rating in that poll among Democrats was 76 percent, 10 percentage points lower than Biden’s with the same group.

Biden and his team have repeatedly voiced public support for Harris, and some Democratic strategists and Harris allies believe the vice president has shown she can be a valuable asset when she is outside of Washington, discussing issues such as gun violence and abortion, which have proven to be key drivers of turnout for the party.

Rev. Al Sharpton, a leading civil rights activist, welcomed Harris on Friday as a keynote speaker at the National Action Network’s convention in New York, hailing her as a symbolically and substantively important politician and comparing the vice president to the Biblical figure Esther.

“She was built for this. She was born for this. She was raised for this. She can take every shot you shoot, because she’s been through shots worse than this,” Sharpton said. “She’s tough enough, she’s strong enough.”

Bharat Patel Assumes Charge As Chairman of AAHOA

April 19, 2023April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterProfile, Tourism 0

Florida hotelier Bharat Patel, CHO, CHIA, is the new Chairman of AAHOA’s Board of Directors. Patel became chairman at the conclusion of the 2023 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show in Los Angeles, CA., which set a record level of booth sales for the Trade Show, making it the largest in AAHOA history.

“I am honored to serve America’s hotel owners as the newest AAHOA Chairman,” Patel said. “Like the theme from AAHOACON23, I look forward to honoring the past and creating a bolder future by working with AAHOA’s nearly 20,000 Members to ensure we reestablish strong partnerships with our state associations, grow the AAHOA PAC to new record levels, and make advocacy front and center to AAHOA’s mission and vision.”

Patel has been an active member of AAHOA since 2008. He served as an Ambassador for several years before his election to the Board of Directors as the Regional Director for Florida in 2015.

Bharat is a second-generation hotelier who learned the hotel business through hands-on experience at properties owned by his parents. Today, he is Partner at Gulf Coast Hospitality, a company based in Sarasota, Fla.

From a young age, I wanted to make a difference, which is why I wanted to join AAHOA,” Patel said. “AAHOA Leadership meets with legislators at the highest levels of government, and we’re doing so while simultaneously showing the industry, and beyond, that representation matters.”

Bharat plays an active role in his community and previously served on the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Board of Directors, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Hotel and Restaurant Advisory Council, the Sarasota County Tourism Development Council, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Advisory Board.

“Congratulations to Bharat Patel on becoming AAHOA’s newest Chairman,” said AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake. “Working alongside you as Vice Chairman over the past year has been a pleasure, and I am looking forward to all that you will accomplish in the year ahead.”

Patel is a graduate of the University of Florida and resides in Sarasota with his wife, Manisha, and their two children.

“My main focus is all about AAHOA priorities, strategic planning, and laying the path for the future of AAHOA,” Patel said. “We will continue to create educational and networking opportunities for the next generation, create new revenue streams for AAHOA, new sponsorship opportunities, and focus on how AAHOA can provide more value for our members and loyal industry partners for years to come.”

Rahul Patel of Bradenton, Florida, is the new AAHOA Secretary. Patel is the Proprietor of Wisdom Group, LLC.

AAHOA Members also elected the following ten members to the Board of Directors:

Arkansas Regional Director: Danny (Chintu) Patel
Florida Regional Director: Chetan (Chris) Patel
Georgia Regional Director: Vikesh (Vik) Zaver
Greater Los Angeles Area Regional Director: Naresh (ND) Bhakta
North Central Regional Director: Bhavesh N. Patel
North Pacific Regional Director: Ankit Panchal
North Texas Regional Director: Dhiren Masters
Director at Large Western Division: Nalin (Neil) Patel
Young Professional Director Eastern Division: Dylan Patel
Women Hoteliers Director Eastern Division: Purnima Patel

“Congratulations to our new AAHOA Secretary, Rahul Patel, and all of our newly elected board members. It is truly encouraging to see so many members volunteering to serve America’s hotel owners,” said incoming AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel. “Together, we are continuing to showcase the value and importance of AAHOA, the largest hotel owners association in the world, and I am thrilled to start working alongside the new AAHOA Officers, our Board of Directors, and the entire AAHOA Team.”

“Congratulations to Rahul Patel and to all our newly elected board members. These individuals are excellent additions to the Board of Directors of America’s premier hotel owners association,” said AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake. “I am thankful for their dedication to our members and to the hospitality industry, and it is truly an honor to work with our Officers, Board of Directors, and the entire AAHOA team as we continue to lead this industry as the largest hotel owners association in the world.”

US Ambassador Eric Garcetti Takes Over As New Envoy To India

April 19, 2023April 27, 2023 Staff ReporterIndia 0

The pink auto has again taken the route of the US Embassy in India and this time, dropped off America’s ambassador Eric Garcetti has taken over as the new envoy. Garcetti, who arrived in India on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, came in a “pink auto” and met all the members of the Embassy, according to the video shared by US Embassy in India on its official Twitter account.

“Excitement fills the air as we welcome Ambassador-Designate Eric Garcetti to India! We are excited to personally greet him and confident the U.S.-India partnership will advance through his leadership. #USIndiaTogether,” US Embassy in India tweeted.

On Garcetti’s arrival in India, Indian Embassy in the US tweeted, “Namaste, Ambassador-Designate Eric Garcetti! We’re thrilled to welcome you to #IncredibleIndia and work with you to build even stronger ties between our two great nations.”

On March 24, Garcetti was sworn in by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris as the new US Ambassador to India, after the U.S. Senate on March 15 confirmed the nomination of the former mayor of Los Angeles.

Garcetti, who is a close ally of Joe Biden, was nominated for the post by the US president in 2021. But his appointment was held up after allegations that he had overlooked accusations of sexual harassment against an aide when he was mayor. Garcetti denies any wrongdoing.

The US has not had an ambassador to India since January 2021 even though the two countries have strong security and trade ties.

Garcetti won the mandate by a vote of 52 to 42, a major victory for US President Joe Biden as well, who stuck by his political ally in the face of the allegations and the prolonged process that has left the world’s most populous democracies without US representatives.
After the result, Garcetti said in a statement, “I’m thrilled with today’s outcome, which was a decisive and bipartisan decision to fill a critical post that has been vacant for far too long. Now the hard work begins.”

Garcetti’s appointment also comes at a time when Russia has become a major irritant between Delhi and Washington. India’s neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has frustrated the US. Delhi has not explicitly condemned the war but has talked about the importance of “the UN Charter, international law, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states”.

India is also the biggest market for Russian military equipment and continues to import huge quantities of crude oil from the country, ignoring bans in the US and parts of Europe. “The United States-India relationship is extremely important,” Senator Chuck Schumer said after a test vote on Wednesday. “It’s a very good thing we now have an ambassador.”

A graduate of Columbia University, Garcetti was an officer in the US Navy for 12 years before he made his foray into politics. In 2013, he became the youngest mayor of LA in 100 years and the first Jewish person to be elected for the role. He held the post until 2022.

“I’m deeply grateful to President Biden and the White House for the confidence and support throughout this process, and to all Senators on both sides of the aisle — whether they voted for me or not — for their thoughtful consideration. I’m ready and eager to begin my service representing our critical interests in India,” he added.

Ambassador Sandhu receives ‘Sikh Hero Award’

April 13, 2023April 13, 2023 Staff ReporterCommunity, News 0

India’s ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu was conferred the ‘Sikh Hero Award’ along with other eminent Sikh Americans by Sikhs of America at an event organized in Washington DC on April 8, 2023.

Commenting on the honor, the seasoned bureaucrat expressed his gratitude and remembered the tenets of Sikhism. “Delighted to receive Hero Award from Sikhs of America. Spoke about important tenets of Sikhism: seva, brotherhood, equality, inclusion & honesty. Highlighted the strengthening of US-India partnership and tech and infra transformation taking place in India and huge opportunities for the youth,” he tweeted after the event.

Refering to the recent acts by Sikh separists, Sandhu said, “Khalsa, which was created on the Baisakhi day, by Guru Gobind Singh is a uniting and not a dividing force.”

The ambassador also highlighted the Sikh community’s valuable contribution in different sectors including the economy, health and entrepreneurship, according to a release. In his call to Punjab and the youth in Punjab to connect with the multi-dimensional revolution happening in India, he underlined,“The government, people and in particular the youth must take advantage of the expanding partnership with the US in various fields that Prime Minister Modi and President Biden are trying to put in place.”

In his opening statement, the chairman of Sikhs of America, Jasdip Singh Jassee shared the contributions of the recipients of the ‘Sikh Hero Award’ in their respective fields and said that violence has no place in society.

Former New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Singh Grewal, entrepreneur and philanthropist Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, former Hoboken Mayor Ravi Singh Bhalla, and entrepreneur Manraj Singh Kahlon were earlier awarded the ‘Sikh Hero Award.’ Late Sikh police officer Sandeep Dhaliwal was also presented the award posthumously.

Dhvani Bhanushali’s ‘Vaaste’ Garners Over 1.5 Billion Views

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterEntertainment, Youth 0

Singer Dhvani Bhanushali, who is known for her tracks like ‘Vaaste’, ‘Ishare Tere’ and ‘Leja Re’, has clocked 1.5 billion views for her song ‘Vaaste’ on YouTube.
Among the Indian songs that have crossed the 1 billion milestone are the devotional song ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ topping the list followed by regional songs like the Punjabi song ‘Lehanga’ and a Haryanvi song ’52 Gaj Ka Daman’ making Dhvani’s song the fourth most viewed song nationwide.
This has made Dhvani the youngest Indian musician to achieve the milestone. ‘Vaaste’ has been composed by Tanishk Bagchi and written by Arafat Mehmood, with Nikhil D’Souza featuring as the co-singer, the music video is directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru.
Expressing her gratitude, Dhvani said: “‘Vaaste’ is like that magical thing that happened in my life. I’ll always be grateful to all the people who have watched it more than a billion times on YouTube. It was the team of Tanishk, Arafat, Nikhil, Radhika Ma’am, Vinay Sir and Siddharth that we could break so many records back then and even today. Most importantly it’s all the love and support by the audiences; it only inspires me to work harder and create more magic. I want to thank everyone who was involved in making this beautiful song with me, our mark will live on forever.”
Dhvani made her debut in the pop world with ‘Ishare Tere’ and followed it up with another hit, ‘Leja Re’. However, it was ‘Vaaste’ that catapulted her to the A-list of Indian musicians.
The song became a massive hit and was also listed among the top 10 most-liked music videos globally, with Dhvani featuring as the only Indian music artist in YouTube Rewind 2019. The song was released under the label of T-Series. (IANS)

Johnson & Johnson To Pay $9 Billion To Settle Talc Claims

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterBusiness 0

US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has proposed to pay almost $9 billion to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits the company faces in North America over claims that its baby powder and other talc-based products cause cancer, the media reported.

The healthcare giant said it still believed the claims were “specious” but was hoping the new settlement offer would help conclude its legal battle, the BBC reported.

The figure marks a big boost over the $2 billion it had proposed previously. The new offer has significant support from people tied to the case, it said.

The company is facing more than 40,000 lawsuits from former customers who say using its talc-based baby powder caused cancer, including some who allege the product contained cancer-causing asbestos.

It stopped US sales of its talc-based baby powder in 2020, citing “misinformation” that had sapped demand for the product, applied to prevent nappy rash and for other cosmetic uses, including dry shampoo.

Last year, it announced plans to end sales globally. Before that decision, the company had sold the baby powder for almost 130 years. It continues to sell a version of the product that contains cornstarch.

The company has been trying to resolve the lawsuits in bankruptcy court since 2021, after creating a subsidiary responsible for the claims.

But its efforts ran into trouble after an earlier bankruptcy court ruling found the subsidiary was not in financial distress and could not use the bankruptcy system to resolve the lawsuits.

“The company continues to believe that these claims are specious and lack scientific merit,” said Erik Haas, worldwide vice president of litigation for Johnson & Johnson.

“Resolving this matter through the proposed reorganisation plan is both more equitable and more efficient, allows claimants to be compensated in a timely manner, and enables the company to remain focused on our commitment to profoundly and positively impact health for humanity.”

Johnson & Johnson said it had won a majority of the talc lawsuits against it. But it has been stuck with some significant losses, including one decision in which 22 women were awarded a judgement of more than $2 billion.

The company said it had commitments from about 60,000 current claimants to support the new settlement terms. (IANS)

Pathaan Vs Tiger To Unite Superstars After 28 Years

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterCinema 0

Following the immense success of Pathaan, Yash Raj Films (YRF) will be producing a film starring Bollywood heavyweights Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. The news was shared by Bollywood trade analyst, Taran Adarsh on Twitter, who revealed that the film will be directed by Pathaan director Siddharth Anand.

Touted to be the biggest Bollywood film till date, Tiger VS Pathaan is expected to go on floors in 2024. According to media reports, the film is part of the YRF Spy Universe, which is centered on a series of spy action-thriller films, featuring various fictional RAW agents duch as Tiger (Salman Khan) in Ek Tha Tiger, Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) in WAR and Pathaan(SRK) in Pathaan.

The upcoming movie will mark the onscreen return of Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in USAlead roles after their last performance together in the 1995 film Karan Arjun. Since then, the duo collaborated on and off on movies, making special appearances in each other’s films, including their latest Tiger, Pathaan, Zero, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Hum Tumhare Hai Sanam. According to the media, Shah Rukh is said to be appearing in a cameo in Salman and Katrina Kaif’s third instalment of the Tiger franchise. Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 will feature Emraan Hashmi playing the role of an antagonist. The film will hit the theatres on November 10.

Chinese Scientists Publish Long-Awaited Data On Covid Origins

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterHealth, Science 0

The Huanan seafood and wildlife market in China has been a focal point in the search for the origin of the coronavirus that has impacted the world as none other in the past three years. People around the world have been seeking to identify the origin of the deadly virus.

Now a research team in China has published analysis of samples taken more than three years ago from the market linked to the outbreak of Covid-19. This is the first peer-reviewed study of biological evidence gathered from the market back in 2020.

By linking the virus with animals sold in the market, it could open new lines of inquiry into how the outbreak began. The research reveals swabs that tested positive for the virus also contained genetic material from wild animals.

Some scientists say this is further evidence that the disease was initially transmitted from an infected animal to a human. But others have urged caution in interpreting the findings and it remains unclear why it took three years for the genetic content of the samples to be made public.

Another theory has centered on the suggestion that the virus accidentally leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan.

No definitive proof

The Chinese research team posted an early version of their study online back in February 2022, but they did not publish the full genetic information that was contained in the samples gathered from the market.

In March this year, another international group of researchers shared their own assessment of what those crucial market swabs had revealed, after spotting that the genetic sequences had been posted on a scientific data-sharing website.

This new analysis, which has been validated by other scientists before being published in the journal Nature, includes more important detail about the content of those samples, which were collected from stalls, surfaces, cages and machinery inside the market. Before the 2020 outbreak, scientists took photos of animals, including racoon dogs, being sold in the Huanan market

The Chinese research team’s paper showed that some samples – collected from areas where wildlife was being sold – had tested positive for the virus. Their analysis also showed that animals now known to be susceptible to the virus, particularly raccoon dogs, were being sold alive in those locations.

But the Chinese researchers have pointed out that their discoveries fall short of definitive proof of how the outbreak started. “These environmental samples cannot prove that the animals were infected,” the paper explains. The possibility remains, it adds, that the virus was brought into the market by an infected person, rather than an animal.

Prof David Robertson, from the University of Glasgow, is a virologist who has been involved in the genetic investigation into the origin of SARS-CoV-2 since it emerged in 2020. He told BBC News: “The most important thing is that this very important dataset is now published and available for others to work on.”

But he added that the contents of the samples were “compelling evidence that animals there were probably infected with the virus. It’s the whole body of evidence that’s important,” he said. “When you bring this together with the fact that the early Covid-19 cases in Wuhan are linked to the market, it’s strong evidence that this is where a spillover from an animal in the market occurred.”

According to BBC, the published findings come amid signs that the lab leak theory is gaining ground among authorities in the US. The Chinese government has strenuously denied suggestions that the virus originated in a scientific facility, but the FBI said it now believes that scenario is the “most likely”, as does the US Department of Energy.

Various US departments and agencies have investigated the mystery and produced differing conclusions, but on March 1^st, the FBI’s director accused Beijing of “doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate”, and disclosed the bureau had been convinced of the lab leak theory “for quite some time now”.

The FBI has not made their findings public, which has frustrated some scientists. The lead researcher of the new report, from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) in Beijing, has been contacted by the BBC for comment.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr To Challenge Biden For White House

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterUSA 0

Robert F Kennedy Jr, 69-year-old son of assassinated Senator Robert F Kennedy and nephew of President John F Kennedy has filed election paperwork to run for US president in 2024 as a Democrat.

The environmental lawyer’s campaign treasurer, John E Sullivan, confirmed the filing on April 5thm 2023. Kennedy is an outspoken anti-vaccine campaigner. Instagram removed his account in 2021 for “repeatedly sharing debunked claims”, the company said.

Both Democratic and Republican parties hold their own contests – called primaries – to find their presidential nominee. Kennedy will be a rank outsider for the Democratic nomination.

President Joe Biden has indicated he will run for re-election, though he has not yet formally declared his candidacy. He was previously expected to launch his campaign in early April, but aides say his timeline has shifted. CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, has reported that he is expected to formally announce a run in early summer. Last month, another Democrat, Marianne Williamson, joined the presidential race.

On the Republican side, Donald Trump was first to declare his candidacy and he has been joined by others including former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley.

In March, Kennedy said on Twitter he was considering a run for president At the time, he said: “If I run, my top priority will be to end the corrupt merger between state and corporate power that has ruined our economy, shattered the middle class, polluted our landscapes and waters, poisoned our children, and robbed us of our values and freedoms.” Kennedy told a New Hampshire crowd in March that he had “passed the biggest hurdle” – his wife greenlighting the run.

As the co-founder of an environmental law firm, Kennedy won plaudits for campaigning on issues such as clean water, including working to clean up the Hudson River in New York. But his anti-vaccine views go back years and have provoked a strong backlash, including from his own family. In 2021 his sister, Kerry Kennedy, called him “very dangerous” on the issue.

In 2019, three other family members penned an op-ed in the news outlet Politico, denouncing Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views. His sister Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, brother Joseph P Kennedy II and niece Maeve Kennedy McKean said his views were “tragically wrong” and have “deadly consequences”.

In 2022, Facebook and Instagram removed accounts for an anti-vaccine group founded by Mr Kennedy, Children’s Health Defense, for “repeatedly” violating company policies on medical misinformation.

Although Kennedy’s vaccine scepticism long predates Covid, he found a new audience during the pandemic, when revenues to Children’s Health Defense doubled to $6.8m (£5.5m). Kennedy also published a book, The Real Anthony Fauci, in which he accused the former US infectious disease chief of “a historic coup d’etat against Western democracy”.

He also invoked Nazi Germany during an anti-vaccine speech in Washington, DC last year. Kennedy has a voice disorder, spasmodic dysphonia, which affects the muscles in his voice box. He married actress Cheryl Hines in 2014 and lives in Los Angeles, California. (Courtesy: BBC)

Restoring Ties, Saudi & Iran Seek Mideast Stability

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterWorld 0

Long-time Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia took another significant step toward reconciliation last week, formally restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift, affirming the need for regional stability and agreeing to pursue economic cooperation.

The agreement was reached in Beijing during a meeting between the Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers, a month after China had brokered an initial reconciliation agreement between the two regional powerhouses.

The latest understanding further lowers the chance of armed conflict between the rivals, both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region. It could bolster efforts by diplomats to end a long war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched.

The announcement also represents another diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider region.

But it remains to be seen how far the reconciliation efforts will progress. The rivalry dates back to the 1979 revolution that toppled Iran’s Western-backed monarchy, and in recent years the two countries have backed rival armed groups and political factions across the region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian laid out details of the agreement in a tweet, after his talks with Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The minister wrote that Thursday marked the beginning of “official diplomatic relations … economic and commercial cooperation, the reopening of embassies and consulates general, and the emphasis on stability, stable security and development of the region.” Amirabdollahian said that the issues are “agreed upon and on the common agenda.”

The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, said that in addition to reopening embassies in the two capitals, diplomatic missions would start operating in two other major cities — Mashhad in Iran and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The report said both sides also agreed to study the prospects of resuming flights and official and private visits between the two nations, in addition to how to facilitate the visa process for their people.

China’s Foreign Ministry last month reported that both sides had agreed to reopen their embassies and missions within two months. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the two foreign ministers signed a joint statement and expressed their determination to improve ties in line with their talks in Beijing last month.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency carried a brief news item on the meeting, saying “discussions were held on joint relations and ways to enhance cooperation in many fields,” with both sides aiming to “enhance the security, stability, and prosperity of the two countries and peoples.”

Thursday’s talks in Beijing marked the first formal meeting of senior diplomats from the two nations since 2016, when the kingdom broke ties with Iran after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts there. Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric with 46 others days earlier, triggering the demonstrations.

The warming of ties shows that “regional countries have the will and ability to take the lead” in maintaining peace, Mao said at the briefing. She said China is ready to support both sides in fostering good relations, urging the international community to help the Middle Eastern countries resolve their differences. “The colonial hegemonic tactics of stirring up contradictions, creating estrangement and division should be rejected by the people all over the world,” she said.

The United States has welcomed diplomatic progress between Saudi Arabia, with which it has a close but complicated alliance, and Iran, which it considers a regional menace. But U.S. officials have also expressed skepticism about whether Iran will change its behavior.

“If this dialogue leads to concrete actions by Iran to curb its destabilizing activities in the region, including the proliferation of dangerous weapons, then of course, we would welcome that,” said Vedant Patel, the principal deputy State Department spokesman.

While the reopening of embassies would mark a major step forward, the extent of the rapprochement could depend on peace efforts in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has been at war with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015, following the rebels’ capture of the capital and much of northern Yemen.

Saudi Arabia is also deeply suspicious of Iran’s nuclear program, which has advanced significantly since the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from a 2015 agreement with world powers to curb Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

“I know from my conversations with the Saudis, they are going to be watching the Yemen space,” Tim Lenderking, the Biden administration’s envoy for Yemen, told a think-tank audience in Washington earlier this week.

“If the Iranians want to show that they’re really turning a corner on the conflict, then there won’t be smuggling of weapons to the Houthis anymore in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.” He pointed to alleged Iranian involvement in smuggling narcotics as well.

Lenderking cited Iran’s support for an ongoing truce there as a recent positive sign, and called on Iran to support political efforts for a lasting peace agreement.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the restoration of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran is “a very important development” to increase stability in the region, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday.

5 Indian Americans Among 100 Most Influential Women In US Finance

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterBusiness, Women 0

Five Indian Americans are in Barron’s fourth annual list of the 100 Most Influential Women in US Finance for achieving positions of prominence in the financial-services industry and are helping to shape its future.

The list includes Anu Aiyengar of JP Morgan, Rupal J. Bhansali of Ariel Investments, Meena Lakdawala-Flynn of Goldman Sachs Group, Sonal Desai from Franklin Templeton and Savita Subramanian of BofA Securities.

Aiyengar is the global head of Mergers and Acquisitions at JP Morgan — a role she assumed in January after serving as co-head of the division since 2020. She offers clients equal measures of expertise and steadiness when navigating challenging markets.

According to Barron’s, she “has long credited her love of number crunching, legal contracts, and building client relationships for bringing her to the mergers-and-acquisitions sphere”.

Bhansali, 55, chief investment officer and portfolio manager of Ariel Investments’ global equity strategies, sees the current state of the market as a time when investors should reposition their portfolios, because what worked in the past is “unlikely to work in the next decade”.

She believes that managing money is what she was born to do, and is passionate about encouraging women to work in finance.

Desai, 58, became the first woman chief investment officer in Franklin Templeton’s history in 2018. She oversees $137 billion in assets. She joined the firm in 2009 after working for the International Monetary Fund, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, and Thames River Capital.

Lakdawala-Flynn, Co-Head, Global Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs Group, wears several hats, including co-chairing the global inclusion and diversity committee. She did an internship at Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, working on the institutional equity sales desk.

According to Barron’s, her career in finance began soon after a sports injury. A zealous gymnast who at one point wanted to compete in the Olympics, Lakdawala-Flynn had to stay at George Washington University one summer to rehabilitate her knee.

Subramanian is head of US equity and quantitative strategy at Bank of America Securities. She is responsible for recommending US sector allocations for equities and determining forecasts for the S&P 500 and other major US indices, as well as developing and marketing the firm’s quantitative equity strategy to institutional and individual clients.

Barron’s is a leading source of financial news, providing in-depth analysis and commentary on stocks, investments and how markets are moving across the world.

Water Bank Foundation Trust Brings Top 100 Innovations Of India To UN

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterEnvironment 0

The Water Bank Foundation (WBF) Trust, a non-profit, held five events at the United Nations World Water Day conference which falls annually on March 22.

The WBF Trust introduced 100 top innovations from India around World Water Day, related to water conservation, according to an April 3, 2023, press release from the organization.

The events included the global launch of next generation drinking water purifier, kick-starting tech enabled mission BarterWATER for sustainability, as well as virtual events to boost the role of social institutions like Academia & Panchayat for water action.

The webinars in conjunction with the UN 2023 Water Conference, “allowed almost 250 experts to brainstorm to align to boost UN’s recognized Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via India’s local self-governance model – Panchayat,” the press release said.

More than 30 academics, politicians, world leaders, and industry professionals took part in the March 24 sessions in New York, highlighting the “benefits of Healing Water Meditation, to highlight the importance of water within us, and around us.”

The global launch of OáS Well Drinking Water Purifier, a leap in clean-water technology, part of the Top 100 innovations in India, topped the list of innovations in WASH (Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene). The day ended with the introduction of Water Bank Foundation’s flagship mission, BarterWATER for sustainability, “to make water the basis of a local-sustainable economy, and to use drinking water as the basis to boost the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

At the live event, Rajat Gupta, chairman of WHEELS Global Foundation and Ruyintan (Ron) Mehta, president of WIN Foundation, signed an MOU with VAS Bros. Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., (Organic Aqua Solutions) in an effort to pilot a sustainable model for Arsenic-mitigation, in one panchayat (a cluster of Arsenic-poisoned villages) in Bihar.

“Apart from providing a sustainable solution to avail arsenic-free, pure, safe, and healthy drinking water to the villagers, we aim to demonstrate a robust rural WASH model using bartering water for the behavior change in sanitation,” Saket Kumar, president and managing trustee of Water Bank Foundation Trust, is quoted saying in the press release.

Founded by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) alumni, WGF focuses on their six pillars; water, health, education, energy, livelihood, and sustainability while WIN Foundation supports and facilitates innovation in the areas of Water and Sanitation (WatSan) and Maternal and Child Health (MCH), primarily in India and apply it in empowering and improving the lives of underprivileged sections in a sustainable manner.

The final UN event hosted by Water Bank Foundation focused on highlighting the role of academia to boost sustainable technology development, an event in which more than a dozen water action agenda commitments were taken by WBF, and its partner organizations.

Petition To U.S. Postal Service For Issuing Yoga Stamp Launched

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterCulture 0

The Committee for Yoga/Meditation Stamp has been campaigning with US Postal Service since 2016, when I and a few friends joined to establish the organization. We have yet to see concrete results of that campaign. However, last year in a response dated May 26, 2022, the USPS informed the Committee that this topic remains under consideration as a possible future postage stamp. This topic will remain under consideration until the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) assigns it to a program year.

We must press ahead to expand our lobbying for this ancient Indian practice, make it a household name, even though by now it is more popular in America than ever before.

Yoga is time-tested, scientifically embraced and globally accepted. Additionally, it has wide support and is of national interest. American physicians’ organizations like the American Medical Association, and Fortune 500 companies have advised and allowed its practice to their patients and employees for better physical and emotional well-being.

Many experienced people have made Yoga instruction their career. Higher educational institutions from Harvard, to Toronto and around the world have verified and approved the practice of Yoga.

Currently, 20-25% of the U.S. population with mental health issues can benefit from Yoga.

According to my estimate from research, 40 million Americans practice Yoga regularly, and an overwhelming number of Caucasian women are in that group.

I am a Doctor. I practice Yoga every day and I see the benefits of it. And the need for Yoga was heightened during the pandemic, during which I believe more people have used it and found it beneficial. And correctly so.

Our Committee has an ongoing online petition campaign on Change.org, and so far close to 500 people have sent petitions to USPS through that. And through snail-mail, we have received thousands of letters in support, and have forwarded them periodically to USPS.

We want to keep the pressure on. We have tried to make it so simple to sign on to the petition by just going on Google with the words – ‘Yoga stamp petition’

I also periodically attach articles from newspapers, magazines, etc., that speak of the benefits of Yoga, to the USPS.

Our Committee has also approached lawmakers, including the so-called ‘Samosa Caucus,’ of Indian-American elected leaders in Congress.

We need to do more. That is why I decided to write this appeal to our Indian-American and South Asian community – to join the campaign and approach your lawmakers and other influencers become part of the petition drive to the USPS, about issuing a Yoga stamp.

Yoga is an ascetic discipline, a part of which, rendering breath control, simple meditation and adoption of specific bodily posture, is widely practiced for health, relaxation, well-being and tranquility. It also leads to a life of self-discipline useful for holistic health of individuals and the world.

The committee requests all those in support of this campaign to write to the CSAC (Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee), 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW # 3300 Washington, DC 20260-3501, or find us easily on Change.org to sign the petition. For further information, please call (301) 477-2990. (Dr. Shailendra Kumar, Chairman of the Committee for Yoga/Meditation Stamp.)

Priyanka Chopra To Star Opposite John Cena, Idris Elba In Heads Of State

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterEntertainment 0

Ahead of the global debut of the streaming spy series ‘Citadel’, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is getting into business with Amazon Studios again, this time with John Cena and Idris Elba in ‘Heads of State’. The movie’s cameras roll in May.

‘Nobody’ filmmaker Ilya Naishuller is directing off a script by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, with an initial draft by Harrison Query based on Query’s original idea, reports Deadline.

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the film, which we first told you about, is being described as Air Force One meets Midnight Run. Producers are the Safran Company’s Peter Safran and John Rickard. EPs are Cena, Elba and Marcus Viscidi.

As per ‘Deadline’, in February 2021, Priyanka became a New York Times bestselling author with her memoir ‘Unfinished’. She’ll be starring with Richard Madden in Prime Video’s ‘Citadel’, set to begin streaming on April 28.

On the film side, she will next star in Sony’s ‘Love Again’ and most recently starred in Netflix’s Oscar-nominated feature ‘The White Tiger’, which she also executive produced.

Chopra Jonas’ production banner Purple Pebble Pictures is currently under a first-look film and TV deal with Amazon Studios and has also partnered with Paramount Global to create original content focused on diversity and inclusion for its entertainment and youth channels.

Ambani Cultural Center Inaugurated

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterCulture 0

The who’s who of the arts and entertainment world, both Indian and international, gathered for the grand inauguration of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) at the Jio World Gardens, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai, on Friday evening.

The Ambani family was in full attendance at the opening of Nita Ambani’s dream cultural project — Mukesh Ambani arrived with his daughter Esha and her father-in-law, Dilip Piramal, Akash Ambani came with wife Shloka Mehta, and Anant Ambani with fiancee Radhika Merchant.

Topping the list of A-list attendees were ‘Euphoria’ star Zendaya in a flowing sultry deep blue sari with a playful floral border and gold-embellished blouse and supermodel Gigi Hadid, who exuded in the words of ‘Vogue’, “a modern Devdas look with an ivory and gold sari”, with a gold bangle stack and jewelled blouse to complete the look. Zendaya’s significant other, ‘Spider-Man’ Tom Holland, stuck to a black suit and bow tie.

The red carpet saw a procession of celebrities, from ‘Citadel’ star Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas, who had landed in Mumbai on Friday afternoon, along with their daughter Malti Marie, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar (with wife Anjali and daughter Sara), to Bollywood’s Great Khans — Shah Rukh (with wife Gauri, Aaryan and Suhana), Salman, Aamir (dressed down in casual kurta and blue jeans, and with his many children).

The A-plus list included ‘Thalaivar’ Rajinikanth, who came in tees, jeans and sandals, Uddhav, Rashmi and Aditya Thackeray, celebrated sculptor Jeff Coons, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya, ‘Never Have I Ever’ star Poorna Jagannathan, and the American supermodel Gigi Hadid.

Giving them competition in getting paparazzi attention were Saif Ali Khan and Kareena (striking in red), Ranveer Singh and Deepika (looking lovingly into each other’s eyes for the cameras), Alia Bhatt (with Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan), Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput, Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, Ektaa Kapoor with father Jeetendra and brother Tusshar, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon and Sonam Kapoor.

The centre opens with an exhibition titled ‘Sangam/Confluence’, which features the works of artists Bharti Kher, Bhupen Khakhar, Ranjani Shettar, Ratheesh T., and Shantibai, and international trend-setters such as Anselm Kiefer, Cecily Brown, Francesco Clemente, Lynda Benglis, and Raqib Shaw.

The second opening exhibition is centred around the world of fashion and history. Curated by Hamish Bowles, global editor-at-large, ‘Vogue’, and designed by Patrick Kinmonth and Rooshad Shroff, the exhibition will showcase Western couture inspired by India.

The Centre’s opening will also feature the expansive musical, ‘Civilization to Nation: The Journey of Our Nation’. Playwright and director Feroz Abbas Khan has put up this kaleidoscopic narration of Indian history and culture told through the Natya Shastra, the ancient Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. This performance boasts over 700 performers and will feature dance, music, and puppetry.

USA, UAE Qualify For The 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterSports 0

The United States of America (USA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) have qualified for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier after finishing in the top two places of the six-team ICC Mens Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off in Namibia.

USA finished on top of the table with four wins from five matches, ahead of the UAE on head-to-head, who scored a final-day win over Jersey to level with the USA on points. Hosts Namibia and Canada put in some strong performances but fell just short of progressing with three wins each from their five games.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to progress to the Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, even though we see this as a big accomplishment for USA Cricket, we the players also know that it’s going to require lots of improvements for us to compete with the bigger teams.

The players and support staff has worked tirelessly prior and during this event, and the hard work paid off. As I said prior to the play-offs, we have an opportunity to play in two World Cups in less than twelve months, and this group continues to believe and work towards that goal,” USA captain Monank Patel was quoted as saying by the ICC.

The USA and UAE will now be vying with eight other teams during the qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe for two places in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to be held in India in October-November.

In the qualifying tournament, the three automatic qualifiers from ICC CWC League 2 — Scotland, Oman and Nepal will be present in addition to the bottom five-placed teams in the ICC ODI Super League.

Currently, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, West Indies are confirmed to feature at the Qualifier in Zimbabwe, while Ireland must beat Bangladesh 3-0 in their upcoming Super League series to leapfrog South Africa and gain direct entry to the World Cup.

“We are absolutely delighted to confirm our spot for the qualifiers in Zimbabwe. Heading into the tournament in Namibia, we had a clear objective of delivering our best and playing positive and fearless cricket. I want to thank the players and our entire support staff for their untiring efforts that have resulted in our success.

Our batters have been exceptional for us recently and the bowlers and fielders have backed them up really well. The entire team needs to perform at the same level and display the same commitment and passion for us to excel in Zimbabwe,” said Mohammad Waseem, UAE captain.

Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus was named Player of the Tournament in the qualifier play-off, with 279 runs in five games at an average of 69.75. USA’s Ali Khan topped the wicket charts with 16 wickets at an average of 12.37. (IANS)

Global Economy Heading For Weakest Period Of Growth Since 1990

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterEconomy 0

The global economy is heading for the weakest period of growth since 1990 as higher interest rates set by the world’s top central banks drive up borrowing costs for households and businesses, the head of the International Monetary Fund has warned, a media outlet reported.

Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, said that a sharp slowdown in the world economy last year after the aftershocks of the Covid pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine would continue in 2023, and risked persisting for the next five years, The Guardian reported.

In a curtain raiser speech before the fund’s spring meetings in Washington DC next week, she said that the global growth would remain about 3 per cent over the next five years – its lowest medium-term growth forecast since 1990.

“This makes it even harder to reduce poverty, heal the economic scars of the Covid crisis and provide new and better opportunities for all,” Georgieva said.

In a downbeat assessment as the world grapples with the worst inflation shock in decades, she said economic activity was slowing across advanced economies in particular. While there was some momentum from developing nations – including China and India – low-income countries were also suffering from higher borrowing costs and falling demand for their exports, the media outlet reported.

Ahead of the IMF publishing revised economic forecasts next week, Georgieva said global growth in 2022 had collapsed by almost half since the initial rebound from the Covid pandemic in 2021, sliding from 6.1 per cent to 3.4 per cent. With high inflation, rising borrowing costs and mounting geopolitical tensions, she said global growth was on track to drop below 3 per cent in 2023 and remain weak for years to come.

As many as 90 per cent of advanced economies would experience a decline in their growth rate this year, she warned, with activity in the US and the eurozone hit by higher interest rates, it added.

Comparing the challenge to “climbing one ‘great hill’ after another”, Georgieva said there were still more problems to overcome: “First was Covid, then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, inflation and a cost of living crisis that hit everyone.”

“So far, we have proven to be resilient climbers. But the path ahead – and especially the path back to robust growth – is rough and foggy, and the ropes that hold us together may be weaker now than they were just a few years ago,” she was quoted as saying by the media outlet. (IANS)

IRS Isn’t Calling You. It Isn’t Texting Or Emailing You, Either

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterMoney 0

Your phone rings and it’s someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service. Ominously, they say the police will be knocking on your door in minutes if you don’t pay your taxes right then and there.

Don’t fall for it. It’s not the IRS getting in touch with you.

Since 2018, more than 75,000 victims have lost $28 million to scammers impersonating the IRS over the phone, email, texts and more.

That’s according to data from the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces consumer protection laws, including those against fraud. The true number is almost certainly even higher, including reports to other agencies and victims who don’t make reports. And there are other types of tax scams altogether, like phony tax preparers and tax identity theft.

“Email and text scams are relentless, and scammers frequently use tax season as a way of tricking people,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a news release last month.

As Tax Day approaches, here’s how the IRS actually contacts taxpayers and how you can spot imposters.

How the IRS will really contact you

“If the IRS contacts you, they’re never going to contact you first via email or telephone — they’re going to contact you in writing a letter,” says Christopher Brown, an attorney at the FTC.

A call or a visit usually only happens after several letters, the IRS says — so unless you’ve ignored a bunch of letters about your unpaid taxes, that caller claiming to be from the IRS is probably lying.

The IRS won’t threaten to have the police arrest you or demand that you make an immediate payment with a specific payment type, like a prepaid debit card. “That’s a sure sign that it’s a scam,” Brown says.

Taxpayers can always question or appeal what they owe, according to the IRS. Caller ID can be faked, so don’t think it’s real just because the caller ID says IRS, Brown says.

If you think a caller claiming to be from the IRS might be real, the IRS says you should ask them for their name, badge number and callback number, which you can verify with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration by calling 1-800-366-4484. Then, you can either call the IRS back or report the scammer here.

What scams often look like

Aggressive and threatening scam phone calls impersonating the IRS have been a problem for years. Callers demand immediate payment, often via a specific payment method, and threaten arrest, driver’s license revocation and even deportation if you fail to pay up or provide sensitive personal information.

There isn’t data on the most common contact methods specifically for IRS imposter scams, but for government imposter scams overall, phone calls are the most common, Brown says.

These scams spread into emails and texts. Known as phishing and smishing scams, respectively, they were featured on this year’s “Dirty Dozen” list, an IRS campaign to raise awareness about tax scams.

“People should be incredibly wary about unexpected messages like this that can be a trap, especially during filing season,” Werfel, the IRS commissioner, said.

People get texts or emails that say “Your account has been put on hold” or “Unusual Activity Report” with a fake link to solve the problem. Clicking on links in scam emails or texts can lead to identity theft or ransomware getting installed on your phone or computer.

But scammers are always evolving. “Initially what we saw more was the threat with a demand that you make a payment, but then there was that new twist, which is, ‘Let’s not threaten, let’s sort of entice,’ ” Brown says.

That newer tactic of luring people with promises of a tax refund or rebate is more often employed over email or text as a phishing or smishing scam, Brown says. But both the threatening and enticing tactics are still prevalent, and they can be employed through any method of contact.

Consumers who are victims of imposter scams can report them to the IRS or to the FTC.

Regardless of the specifics, here’s a good rule of thumb from the FTC for spotting scams: “The government doesn’t call people out of the blue with threats or promises of money.” (NPR)

Justice Clarence Thomas’ Luxury Trips Paid For By Business Houses Diminish Supreme Court’s Standing

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterUSA 0

Chief Justice John Roberts’s stated mission to preserve the integrity of the Supreme Court suffered another setback this week when it was revealed that Justice Clarence Thomas had, for years, failed to disclose the acceptance of lavish gifts from a wealthy conservative donor.

A story published by ProPublica on the unreported gifts Thomas accepted — which included multiple trips on private jets and yachts owned by Texas billionaire and conservative donor Harlan Crow as well as stays at the mogul’s luxury retreat — put new pressure on Roberts to establish a binding ethical code of conduct for the nation’s highest court, experts said.

“Something needs to be done, and as long as Chief Justice Roberts sits on his hands he is baiting Congress to do something, and meanwhile undermining himself and the court,” Donald Sherman, deputy director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told Yahoo News.

Since being confirmed to the court in 2005, Roberts has led internal discussions about whether to establish a code of conduct for the justices. In 2019, Justice Elena Kagan said the court was studying the issue. But so far nothing has come of it.

Roberts has said the justices are encouraged to consult the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, which governs the behavior of most federal judges, but they are not bound by it. Still, the 1978 Ethics in Government Act requires judges to disclose most gifts over $415, and Thomas may have violated that statute by not disclosing the gifts from Crow, experts told ProPublica.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., has tried to tighten the requirements of the 1978 law so it applies to the Supreme Court. But in the wake of the Thomas story this week, even Whitehouse acknowledged that in order for binding changes to be put in place, they would have to be agreed upon by the justices themselves.

In other words, until undisclosed gifts like the vacations and travel received by Thomas are deemed by the people receiving them to be violations of a code of conduct, they will continue. “At the end of the day, there are no consequences for [Thomas’s] actions,” Sherman, who has testified multiple times before Congress on the subject of judicial ethics, said in an interview. “These facts continue to highlight the need for the court to have a binding code of conduct, a process for discipline — separate and apart from impeachment — and a transparent and independent process for recusals.”

Numerous legal experts have joined the growing calls for the court to voluntarily impose some accountability. “At a time when public institutions are redoubling their efforts to improve the public’s trust, we maintain that a formal, written Code, offering a uniform set of principles that justices and the public alike would look to for guidance, would benefit the Court and the nation,” a group of legal scholars wrote to Roberts last year.

Van Hollen, who chairs the appropriations subcommittee that has jurisdiction over the Supreme Court, told the Washington Post this week that he is considering using the power of the purse to extract a concession on this issue from the court. That could come in the form of legislation that would tie the court’s $200 million budget for fiscal year 2024 to the implementation of a code of conduct.

Meanwhile, amid rising political polarization in the U.S., and acrimony over the court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the leak of that opinion, public trust in the Supreme Court hit a historic low last summer. The Thomas story is only the latest blow for the court and may finally provide Roberts with the impetus to push the other justices to work together on a code of conduct.

Virginia Canter, a former government ethics lawyer who served under Democratic and Republican administrations alike, told BBC News there was no indication Justice Thomas sought a formal opinion on the matter. “There’s no accountability for the court… each justice seems to decide for themselves who they’re going to go for advice and what rules apply,” the lawyer, who spoke with ProPublica for its report, added.

Mr Crow, a leading donor to Republican and conservative political causes in the US, told ProPublica that the trips with him and his wife Ginni Thomas were “no different from the hospitality that we have extended to many other dear friends”.

Several Democratic lawmakers are now calling for an investigation and for a stricter code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices. The process of impeaching a Supreme Court judge is the same as that used to impeach other officials, and begins with the House of Representatives Sciencedrafting articles of impeachment. While only a narrow majority is needed to impeach a federal judge in the House, a conviction in the Senate would require a two-thirds majority.

Justice Thomas is one of six conservative-leaning justices of the nine-member Supreme Court. The recent report is not the first time that Justice Thomas’ private trips have come under scrutiny.

“As long as 9 justices are exempt from any process for enforcing basic ethics, public faith in SCOTUS will continue to decline, and dark money and special interests will maintain their relentless grip on our democracy,” Whitehouse tweeted.

“Monster On The Loose,” NASA’s Hubble Spots Black Hole Weighing As Much As 20 Million Suns

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterReligion 0

“Nothing like it has ever been seen before, but it was captured accidentally by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope,” NASA said.

American space agency NASA has warned that there is an “invisible monster on the loose”, in the form of a “runaway” black hole. According to a press release, the supermassive black hole is barrelling through the universe so quickly that if it were in our solar system, it could travel from Earth to the moon in just 14 minutes. It weighs as much as 12 million Suns and has left a never-before-seen trail of stars, measuring 200,000 light years, which is twice the diameter of the Milky Way.

“There’s an invisible monster on the loose, barreling through intergalactic space so fast that if it were in our solar system, it could travel from Earth to the Moon in 14 minutes,” NASA said in its press note.

“This supermassive black hole, weighing as much as 20 million Suns, has left behind a never-before-seen 200,000-light-year-long “contrail” of newborn stars, twice the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy. It’s likely the result of a rare, bizarre game of galactic billiards among three massive black holes,” the space agency added.

NASA explained that the black hole is pushing into gas in front of it to create the new star formation in a narrow corridor rather than eating up the stars ahead of it. It is assumed that the trail created a lot of new stars since it is almost half as bright as its host galaxy. “Nothing like it has ever been seen before, but it was captured accidentally by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope,” the space agency said.

The “invisible monster” is located at the end of the column of its parent galaxy, with a “remarkably bright knot” of ionised oxygen at the outermost tip. NASA scientists believe that either gas is being shocked and heated from the motion of the black hole or an accretion disk around the black hole is causing radiation.

“Gas in front of it gets shocked because of this supersonic, very high-velocity impact of the black hole moving through the gas. How it works exactly is not really known,” said Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University, as per the press note. “This is pure serendipity that we stumbled across it,” he added.

Mr Dokkum said that he was actually looking for globular star clusters in a nearby dwarf galaxy when he spotted the black hole. He described the trail of stars as “quite astonishing, very, very bright and very unusual”.

In order to figure out exactly what this bizarre image they were seeing was, Mr Dokkum and his team did a follow-up spectroscopy with the W. M. Keck Observatories in Hawaii, where they ultimately concluded they were seeing the aftermath of a black hole speeding through the galaxy.

According to NASA astronomers, the black hole was set free after two galaxies merged about 50 million years ago – which brought together two supermassive black holes at their centres. Then a third galaxy came with its one supermassive black hole, and three combined to form a “chaotic and unstable configuration”.

Researchers believe one of the black holes gained momentum from the other two and escaped out of its host galaxy, while the other two took off in the opposite direction.

Post a comment Now, scientists said that the next step is to confirm the explanation behind the black hole using the James Webb Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory for follow-up observations.

Aging Is Driven By Unbalanced Genes

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterHealth, Science 0

Northwestern University researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that drives aging. In a new study, researchers used artificial intelligence to analyze data from a wide variety of tissues, collected from humans, mice, rats, and killifish. They discovered that the length of genes can explain most molecular-level changes that occur during aging.

All cells must balance the activity of long and short genes. The researchers found that longer genes are linked to longer lifespans, and shorter genes are linked to shorter lifespans. They also found that aging genes change their activity according to length. More specifically, aging is accompanied by a shift in activity toward short genes. This causes the gene activity in cells to become unbalanced.

Surprisingly, this finding was near universal. The researchers uncovered this pattern across several animals, including humans, and across many tissues (blood, muscle, bone, and organs, including liver, heart, intestines, brain, and lungs) analyzed in the study.

The new finding potentially could lead to interventions designed to slow the pace of — or even reverse — aging. The study was published December 9 in the journal Nature Aging.

“The changes in the activity of genes are very, very small, and these small changes involve thousands of genes,” said Northwestern’s Thomas Stoeger, who led the study. “We found this change was consistent across different tissues and in different animals. We found it almost everywhere. I find it very elegant that a single, relatively concise principle seems to account for nearly all of the changes in activity of genes that happen in animals as they age.”

“The imbalance of genes causes aging because cells and organisms work to remain balanced — what physicians denote as homeostasis,” said Northwestern Engineering’s Luís A.N. Amaral, a senior author of the study. “Imagine a waiter carrying a big tray. That tray needs to have everything balanced. If the tray is not balanced, then the waiter needs to put in extra effort to fight the imbalance. If the balance in the activity of short and long genes shifts in an organism, the same thing happens. It’s like aging is this subtle imbalance, away from equilibrium. Small changes in genes do not seem like a big deal, but these subtle changes are bearing down on you, requiring more effort.”

An expert in complex systems, Amaral is the Erastus Otis Haven Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering. Stoeger is a postdoctoral scholar in Amaral’s laboratory.

Looking across ages

To conduct the study, the researchers used various large datasets, including the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project, a National Institutes of Health-funded tissue bank that archives samples from human donors for research purposes.

The research team first analyzed tissue samples from mice — aged 4 months, 9 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months. They noticed the median length of genes shifted between the ages of 4 months and 9 months, a finding that hinted at a process with an early onset. Then, the team analyzed samples from rats, aged 6 months to 24 months, and killifish, aged 5 weeks to 39 weeks.

It seems that, at a young age, our cells are able to counter perturbations that would lead to an imbalance in gene activity. Then, suddenly, our cells are no longer able to counter it. Thomas Stoeger Postdoctoral Scholar, Northwestern University

“There already seems to be something happening early in life, but it becomes more pronounced with age,” Stoeger said. “It seems that, at a young age, our cells are able to counter perturbations that would lead to an imbalance in gene activity. Then, suddenly, our cells are no longer able to counter it.”

After completing this research, the researchers turned their attention to humans. They looked at changes in human genes from ages 30 to 49, 50 to 69 and then 70 and older. Measurable changes in gene activity according to gene length already occurred by the time humans reached middle age.

“The result for humans is very strong because we have more samples for humans than for other animals,” Amaral said. “It was also interesting because all the mice we studied are genetically identical, the same gender and raised in the same laboratory conditions, but the humans are all different. They all died from different causes and at different ages. We analyzed samples from men and women separately and found the same pattern.”

‘Systems-level’ changes

In all animals, the researchers noticed subtle changes to thousands of different genes across samples. This means that not just a small subset of genes that contributes to aging. Aging, instead, is characterized by systems-level changes.

This view differs from prevailing biological approaches that study the effects of single genes. Since the onset of modern genetics in the early 20th century, many researchers expected to be able to attribute many complex biological phenomena to single genes. And while some diseases, such as hemophilia, do result from single gene mutations, the narrow approach to studying single genes has yet to lead to explanations for the myriad changes that occur in neurodegenerative diseases and aging.

“We have been primarily focusing on a small number of genes, thinking that a few genes would explain disease,” Amaral said. “So, maybe we were not focused on the right thing before. Now that we have this new understanding, it’s like having a new instrument. It’s like Galileo with a telescope, looking at space. Looking at gene activity through this new lens will enable us to see biological phenomena differently.”

Lengthy insights

After compiling the large datasets, many of which were used in other studies by researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and in studies outside Northwestern, Stoeger brainstormed an idea to examine genes, based on their length.

The length of a gene is based on the number of nucleotides within it. Each string of nucleotides translates to an amino acid, which then forms a protein. A very long gene, therefore, yields a large protein. And a short gene yields a small protein. According to Stoeger and Amaral, a cell needs to have a balanced number of small and large proteins to achieve homeostasis. Problems occur when that balance gets out of whack.

Although the researchers did find that long genes are associated with increased lifespans, short genes also play important roles in the body. For example, short genes are called upon to help fight off pathogens.

“Some short genes could have a short-term advantage on survival at the expense of ultimate lifespan,” Stoeger said. “Thus, outside of a research laboratory, these short genes might help survival under harsh conditions at the expense of shortening the animal’s ultimate lifespan.”

Suspected ties to long COVID-19

This finding also may help explain why bodies take longer to heal from illnesses as they age. Even with a simple injury like a paper cut, an older person’s skin takes a longer time to recover. Because of the imbalance, cells have fewer reserves to counteract the injury.

“Instead of just dealing with the cut, the body also has to deal with this activity imbalance,” Amaral hypothesized. “It could explain why, over time with aging, we don’t handle environmental challenges as well as when we were younger.”

And because thousands of genes change at the system-level, it doesn’t matter where the illness starts. This could potentially explain illnesses like long COVID-19. Although a patient might recover from the initial virus, the body experiences damage elsewhere.

“We know cases where infections — predominantly viral infections — lead to other problems later in life,” Amaral said. “Some viral infections can lead to cancer. Damage moves away from the infected site and affects other areas of our body, which then is less able to fight environmental challenges.”

Hope for medical interventions

The researchers believe their findings could open new venues for the development of therapeutics, designed to reverse or slow aging. Current therapeutics to treat illness, the researchers argue, are merely targeting the symptoms of aging rather than aging itself. Amaral and Stoeger compare it to using Tylenol to reduce a fever instead of treating the illness that caused the fever.

“Fevers can occur for many, many reasons,” Amaral said. “It could be caused by an infection, which requires antibiotics to cure, or caused by appendicitis, which requires surgery. Here, it’s the same thing. The issue is the gene activity imbalance. If you can help correct the imbalance, then you can address the downstream consequences.”

Other Northwestern co-senior authors include Richard Morimoto, a professor of molecular biosciences in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; Alexander Misharin, an associate professor of medicine at Feinberg; and G.R. Scott Budinger, the Ernest S. Bazley Professor of Airway Diseases at Feinberg and chief of pulmonary and critical care at Northwestern Medicine.

India, China To Account For Half Of Global Economic Growth In 2023

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterEconomy, World 0

The period of slower economic activity will be prolonged, with the next five years witnessing less than 3 per cent growth.

The IMF chief on Thursday said that the world economy is expected to grow at less than 3 per cent this year, with India and China expected to account for half of global growth in 2023.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva warned that a sharp slowdown in the world economy last year following the raging pandemic and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine would continue this year.

The period of slower economic activity will be prolonged, with the next five years witnessing less than 3 per cent growth, “our lowest medium-term growth forecast since 1990, and well below the average of 3.8 per cent from the past two decades,” she said.

“Some momentum comes from emerging economies — Asia especially is a bright spot. India and China are expected to account for half of global growth in 2023. But others face a steeper climb,” she explained.

“After a strong recovery in 2021 came the severe shock of Russia’s war in Ukraine and its wide-ranging consequences — global growth in 2022 dropped by almost half, from 6.1 to 3.4 per cent,” Georgieva said.

Georgieva said slower growth would be a “severe blow,” making it even harder for low-income nations to catch up.

“Poverty and hunger could further increase, a dangerous trend that was started by the COVID crisis,” she explained.

Her comments come ahead of next week’s spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank, where policy-makers will convene to discuss the global economy’s most pressing issues.

The annual gathering will take place as central banks around the world continue to raise interest rates to tame galloping inflation rates.

About 90 per cent of advanced economies are projected to see a decline in their growth rates this year, she said.

For low-income countries, higher borrowing costs come at a time of weakening demand for their exports, she said.

Georgieva added that while the global banking system had “come a long way” since the 2008 financial crisis, “concerns remain about vulnerabilities that may be hidden, not just at banks but also non-banks. “Now is not the time for complacency.”

Shaleen Sheth To Be Honored By Massachusetts AAPI Commission At Annual Unity Gala

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterProfile 0

Indian-American Shaleen Sheth of Lynnfield, MA is among the six honorees chosen to be honored by the Massachusetts AAPI Commission at its inaugural award ceremony for AAPI Unsung Heroes during the 15th Annual Unity Gala on May 6, 2023.

The Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission, known as AAPI, is the only permanent statewide body dedicated to advocating for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Unsung Hero Awards will be given to Connie Wong, Deputy Commissioner for Labor Relations, Boston Fire Department; Shaleen Sheth, Youth Activist; Master Nam and Sarah, Business people; Shaina Lu, Artist; Rev Dr. Ko Ko Lay, a pastor of Burmese Christian Church; and Maria Isabela Campos, Youth Activist.

“The AAPI Commission has created an AAPI Unsung Heroes Award, which will be presented annually to an individual or group who has worked tirelessly to support and uplift all communities but has not received the recognition they deserve,” said AAPI Commission Executive Director Yasmin Padamsee Forbes. “It is critical for us to recognize people who the community knows is the person who has assisted them in times of need, doing important and impactful work year after year.”

The Massachusetts AAPI Commission will be at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite. The event will feature keynote speakers, to be announced at a later time. One of the highlights of the Unity Dinner is the granting of awards to community leaders and organizations.

Shaleen Sheth is a socially conscious young professional based in Boston who has been actively involved in community service since 12. She graduated with honors from Babson College, majoring in business and finance. She co-founded Women Who Win, a non-profit organization that amplifies women’s voices worldwide through story-telling, skill-sharing, mentorship, and networking. As a Co-CEO, she scaled the organization to over 20k members in 80 countries, with support from institutions such as Bank of America, Linkedin, and Akshaya Patra USA. She is an Advisory Council Member for Saheli Boston, supporting South Asian domestic violence survivors, and was appointed to the Young Professionals Leadership Council for Akshaya Patra in 2022. Shaleen received a citation from the Massachusetts State Government for her leadership in women’s empowerment. Her mission is to use media and technology to uplift the voices of women and minorities globally.

Telugu Literary And Cultural Association Hosts Ugadi Festival, NYC Mayor Eric Adams Is Chief Guest

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterCommunity 0

More than 500 people, many in their cultural attire, attended the April 1, 2023, Ugadi festival in New York at the Ganesh Temple auditorium in Flushing, hosted by the Telugu Literary and Cultural Association (TLCA), under the leadership of President of TLCA Nehru Kataru. Among the high-profile attendees was NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and his Deputy Commissioner Dilip Chauhan. The Sreeramanavami festival was also celebrated alongside Ugadi on the same day.

Others who attended the event included Vice President Kiran Parvatala, and the Secretary Sumanth Ramsetty. Also attending were the TLCA Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Prasad Ankineedu, Secretary Nagendra Gupta, Treasurer Rao Voleti, Past Chairman’s Krishna Maddipatla, Venkatesh Mutyala, Dr. Purna Atluri, and many life trustees.

Ugadi is a Spring festival celebrating the start of the Telugu New Year. Each Telugu year is given a name and the year 2023-24 is named Shubhakruth.

The TLCA is one of the oldest Telugu associations in North America and has been promoting Telugu literature and culture in the New York Tristate region for the past 52 years, organizers said.

A strong contingent of 140 plus children and adults presented songs, dance, and drama items showcasing Telugu culture, mythology and history before a captivated the audience.

“It is the goal of TLCA to nurture and pass on the rich Telugu culture to the generations and every year Gurus and parents from this region strive to train the children for the programs,” the press release noted.

The mythological drama, Maya Joodam, a snippet from the epic Mahabharata, a dance-drama based on the theme of Ugadi, poetry recitals, classical dances and popular numbers from Telugu movies were the prime attractions. Guests enjoyed authentic festival food and delicacies bought from India, organizers said.

This was the first time in the history of the TLCA, that a Mayor was the Chief Guest of the day. “It was the most exciting experience for the community as this is the first ever visit by a Mayor of the City to the TLCA celebrations,” the press release noted.

Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation Dilip Chauhan, introduced the Mayor and explained the initiatives of the Mayor for bettering the lives of every New Yorkers.

In his speech Mayor Adam congratulated TLCA’s President Kataru for the wonderful show put up by his team. Adams said it is always in his agenda to promote diversity and encourage the communities to come together and work for the overall progress of the region. He said the Telugu community is blessed with highly qualified professionals such as doctors, engineers, and software professionals, contributing to the economic development of the region. He assured full support from his Office for any requests from TLCA.

Deputy commissioner Chauhan said he has been associated with the Telugu community in New York City and Long Island for decades. He said the community is very humble, peaceful and lives in harmony.

The Special guest of the evening, actress, Laya, honored the Mayor and the Deputy Commissioner with traditional shawls and bouquets.

President Kataru thanked the Mayor for attending and delivering an inspiring speech, as well as his assurance of support. He thanked Chauhan for his efforts to bring the Mayor to the event. Mr. Kataru said, the community treats Mr. Dilip Chauhan as part of the family for his continued encouragement for decades.

President Kataru said the Executive Committee under the guidance of the Chairman Ankineed Prasad Napaneni and the Board of Trustees, worked hard to mark the beginning of the Telugu New Year which is auspicious for all the Telugus in the community. He praised the parents of the budding young generation for their devotion to Telugu culture and for nurturing it in the children. He noted that the poetry recital was a new feature introduced this year and promised many more during his tenure to encourage the youth. He expressed great appreciation for the donors without whose support these events would not have been possible.

Chairman Nannapaneni explained the efforts of TLCA for over 5 decades to preserve and promote Telugu culture and pass it on to the next generation. The organization provides a popular platform to showcase young talent. TLCA encourages artists, art forms, and literature by bringing eminent artists from all over the world, he noted. Secretary Ramisetty presented vote of thanks for the overwhelming support from the community.

Madhur Jaffrey Receives ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’

April 12, 2023 Staff ReporterWomen 0

The James Beard Foundation announced March 29, 2023, that Madhur Jaffrey, “legendary cookbook author, writer, teacher, and actress” is its choice as the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. Jaffrey will be recognized at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 5 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual whose lifetime body of work has had a positive and long-lasting impact on the way we eat, cook, and/or think about food in America, the JBF press release noted.

Her first cookbook, An Invitation to Indian Cooking, was published in 1973, and was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2006.

Since then, Jaffrey has released more than 30 award-winning cookbooks, “cementing her status as the “Godmother of Indian Cooking,” JBG noted.

A Padma Bhushan recipient from the Indian government in 2022, Jaffrey is credited with bringing mainstream attention to Indian cuisine, both in the U.S. and the U.K.

In 2019, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.K. Guild of Food Writers. She becomes a nine-time James Beard Award winner with this latest Lifetime Achievement Award. “It’s a wonderful pinnacle to my career and I’m overjoyed,” Jaffrey is quoted saying in the press release about the JBF award.

The JBF announced a slew of award nominees in categories like Chef Award, Leadership Award winners, and Humanitarian of the Year and Lifetime Achievement honorees, in advance of the James Beard Awards® ceremonies in June. The nominees were announced March 29, during a live ceremony at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, TN.

“The James Beard Awards celebrate outstanding achievement and exceptional culinary talent, as well as all those doing incredible work on behalf of our communities and wider food system. This year’s nominees, winners, and honorees are inspiring exemplars of that,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of James Beard Foundation. “We congratulate all those recognized today and look forward to celebrating them at another exciting Awards Weekend in Chicago this June.”

The James Beard Awards, considered among the most prestigious in the country, “recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” the Foundation said.

TheUNN Corporation

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