The Indian Panorama

Month: November 2016

  • Tata JLR to create thousands of jobs in UK

    Tata JLR to create thousands of jobs in UK

    LONDON (TIP): In a major boost to Brexit-hit UK, Tata Motors’ owned Jaguar Land Rover today announced ambitious investment plans leading to the creation of thousands of jobs in the country as part of its efforts to double its output by 2020.

    JLR chief executive Ralf Speth confirmed the luxury car manufacturer’s aim of doubling its output to 1 million cars by 2020, which will include a big spike in the production of electric vehicles in Britain.

    “We have a greater ambition. Why should we challenge ourselves to build more than a million cars. If we double the volume of our cars we can double the workforce. We can only do this in partnership,” Speth said at an automotive sector meeting at Warwick University in the West Midlands region of England on Thursday night.

    He also indicated that the company was keen to bring the research and development and production of electric car batteries to Coventry and Warwickshire in the region.

    However, he called on the UK government to help create the framework of connected digital roads and also a reliable 5g network to enable cars to communicate.

    Speth said: “Germany is planning to be first and is planning the infrastructure as we speak. This is a race. We will be first or last.

    “There must be a hub, a smart city creating real life proof of concept. Bring the lab to the streets, a living lab around Coventry and Solihull.”

    UK Secretary of State Greg Clark, who was also present at the meeting, indicated the government was on board.

    “The story of JLR is one of the proudest points of success we have. We could not be more aligned in the opportunity and our intentions. The pace of this is quickening all the time and so is our commitment to it. This is a big moment,” he said.

    JLR currently has 40,000 staff employed in the UK. While the firm declined to put a precise figure on how many jobs will be added by producing electric vehicles in Britain, the impact on the UK economy is expected to be significant.

    Speth’s comment comes a week after the Tata Group firm had unveiled its new Jaguar I-Pace concept car simultaneously in London and Los Angeles.

  • EU gets tough: Bloc tells UK Brexit is lose-lose situation

    EU gets tough: Bloc tells UK Brexit is lose-lose situation

    LONDON (TIP): Since Britain voted to leave the European Union, UK officials have had one message: Brexit means Brexit.

    Now they have EU leaders’ reply: And it’s going to hurt.

    The prime minister of Malta, whose country is about to assume the EU presidency, is the latest leader to dash Britain’s hopes of an easy divorce, signaling that the 27 other nations will drive a hard bargain.

    Joseph Muscat told the BBC that “there will not be a situation when the UK has a better deal than it has today.”

    “In the UK it’s fair game to bash Brussels and then you don’t need to be surprised that in Brussels they bash you back,” Muscat said in an interview broadcast Friday. “So this is a bit of Catch-22. It won’t be a case whether one side gains and the other side loses. We are all going to lose something.”

    Malta, a former British colony, is usually one of the UK’s strongest supporters in Europe. The island nation is due to hold the EU’s rotating presidency for six months from Jan. 1 – a period that could coincide with the start of UK exit negotiations.

    British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will trigger Article 50 of the EU’s key treaty, beginning two years of exit talks, by March 31. She and her ministers have refused to set out in advance the type of deal Britain will seek, saying that would undermine their bargaining position.

    In the meantime, EU leaders have grown increasingly firm in their insistence that Britain won’t get an easy ride, and frustrated with Britain’s vagueness about its Brexit plans.

    Last week, Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who heads the group of 19 countries who use the common euro currency – accused British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson of “saying things that are intellectually impossible, politically unavailable.”

    In particular, he referred to suggestions by Johnson and others that Britain might be able to stay in the EU’s single market for goods and services while imposing limits on immigration from the bloc. Free movement of workers is a key EU principle, but many Britons who voted to leave the EU are insistent the UK take control of immigration.

    Muscat dismissed the idea that Britain could have both single-market access and movement restrictions.

    “And I could in theory win the 100 meters Olympic race,” he said. “It’s just not happening.”

    Muscat’s exasperated tone echoes the frustration voiced by other EU politicians.

    UK Brexit Secretary David Davis visited the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week to meet EU negotiators, and characterized the trip as a chance to get “to know each other and get to trust each other.”

    But Manfred Weber, the German caucus leader of the parliament’s main conservative group, said he came out of the meeting thinking Britain had “no idea what Brexit really means.”

    Others have made similar claims. A report from accountancy firm Deloitte that was leaked last week claimed that splits within May’s government have delayed development of a negotiating strategy with the EU. The government is divided between Brexit-backers like Johnson and others, including May and Treasury chief Philip Hammond, who campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU.

    Muscat said he would not be surprised if Britain failed to meet its self-imposed March 31 deadline. It is challenging a court ruling that lawmakers in Parliament must get a vote before Article 50 is triggered. The case is due to be heard by the Supreme Court in December, with a judgment likely early next year.

    And he suggested a deal between Britain and the bloc could even be “scuttled at the very end of the process” by a veto in the European Parliament.(AP)

  • Arrest of 4 thwarted ‘imminent’ terror attack in France: Officials

    Arrest of 4 thwarted ‘imminent’ terror attack in France: Officials

    PARIS (TIP): Four long-time friends in their 30s, living in the same French city and communicating through a closed phone line, were planning a terror attack in France as early as next week on orders from an Islamic State group member in Iraq or Syria, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said on Nov 26.

    The ‘commando’ of four arrested on Sunday in the eastern city of Strasbourg plotted to carry out an attack on Dec. 1, but investigators have not yet determined “the specific chosen target among all those considered by the group,” Molins said.

    A fifth suspect was arrested in the southern city of Marseille at the same time as the Strasbourg suspects. Molins told reporters that suspect was not in direct touch with the other four, but was ‘given guidance remotely’ from the same IS member.

    The prosecutor didn’t name any targets, but security was tightened this week at the Paris headquarters of France’s criminal investigations police, reportedly among the locations studied. French President Francois Hollande said a “large-scale attack” was thwarted.

    The night they were arrested, two of the Strasbourg group had just downloaded the Periscope application, which allows people to stream live on Internet with a cell phone. The app activity suggests they were preparing an “imminent” attack, Molins said.

    The four Strasbourg suspects also were in possession of guns and ammunition, he said. Among the weapons seized during home searches were two handguns, two automatic rifles, several cartridge clips and dozens of cartridges of different calibers.

    Investigators also found instructions for a money transfer, GPS coordinates and detailed explanations for obtaining more weapons on one suspect’s USB stick.

    All five men had a “clear will to find and to identify targets to commit an act in the very short term,” Molins said.

    In addition, the five “had common instructions to obtain weapons, instructions given by a person from the Iraqi-Syrian zone through encrypted applications popular among terrorists,” he said.

    Investigators recovered a notebook that contained 12 pages of writing that referred to an armed jihad, death in martyrdom and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State group leader, the prosecutor said. (AFP)

  • 6.5 quake hits China’s Xinjiang region, one dead

    6.5 quake hits China’s Xinjiang region, one dead

    BEIJING (TIP): A powerful 6.5-magnitude quake rocked a mountainous area of far western China Nov 25 night, with one person killed when a house collapsed in a region often plagued with seismic activity.

    The tremor struck southern Xinjiang, a vast region bordering central Asia, at a relatively shallow depth of 12 kilometres (seven miles), the US Geological Survey said.

    The quake hit near the Tajik border and some 170 kilometres west of the Chinese city of Kashgar.

    One villager died due to a house collapse while six buildings suffered damage in the sparsely-populated area, the state news agency Xinhua said, citing local authorities

    Pakistani authorities said the quake had been felt in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the National Disaster Management Authority said. There were no reports of damage there.

    The USGS said only a relatively small area would have perceived the shaking to be strong. (AP)

     

     

  • One by one, ISIS social media experts are killed as result of FBI program

    One by one, ISIS social media experts are killed as result of FBI program

    WASHINGTON (TIP): In the summer of 2015, armed US drones over eastern Syria stalked Junaid Hussain, an influential hacker and recruiter for the Islamic State.

    For weeks, Hussain was careful to keep his young stepson by his side, and the drones held their fire. But late one night, Hussain left an internet cafe alone, and minutes later a Hellfire missile killed him as he walked between two buildings in Raqqa, Syria, the Islamic State’s de facto capital.

    Hussain, 21, from Birmingham, England, was a leader of a band of English-speaking computer specialists who had given a far-reaching megaphone to Islamic State propaganda and exhorted online followers to carry out attacks in the West. One by one, US and allied forces have killed the most important of roughly a dozen members of the cell, which the FBI calls “the Legion,” as part of a secretive campaign that has largely silenced a powerful voice that led to a surge of counterterrorism activity across the US in 2015 as young men and women came under the influence of its propaganda.

    US military, intelligence and law enforcement officials acknowledge that the Islamic State still retains a sophisticated social media arm that could still inspire attacks like those in San Bernardino, California, and in Orlando, Florida, and remains a potent foe suspected of maintaining clandestine cells in Europe. But they point to the coordinated effort against the Legion as evidence of the success the US has had in reducing the Islamic State’s ability to direct, enable or inspire attacks against the West.

    Initially the threat posed by the Legion was primarily seen as a problem for law enforcement officials. But as the threat worsened last year, and the FBI stepped up the monitoring of terrorism suspects around the country, the bureau pressed the military to focus on the group, according to current and former US officials.

    While US and British forces conducted a series of drone strikes on members of the group, the FBI sifted through thousands of the Legion’s followers on social media to figure out who had actually been inspired to take action. In the last two years, it has arrested nearly 100 people in cases involving the terrorist group.

    Several of the arrests were of people who had direct contact with the Legion. Many of the others were “folks who first came on our radar because we became aware of them” through their connections with Hussain and Reyaad Khan, also a British citizen, who was another leader of the group, according to Andrew McCabe, deputy director of the FBI.

    Hussain wore a number of hats, including that of a hacker. He was linked to the release of personal information on more than 1,300 US military and government employees. In March 2015, his group posted the names and addresses of service members with instructions: “Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking they are safe.”

    More important were Hussain’s efforts as an online recruiter. According to court records, Hussain communicated with at least four men in four states, imploring them to initiate attacks or help spread the Islamic State’s message. (PTI)

  • Arrival MOVIE REVIEW

    Arrival MOVIE REVIEW

    arrivalSTORY: 12 mysterious UFOs touch down across the globe at seemingly random locations. A team headed by linguistics expert Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) is brought together to investigate these UFOs and their intent, in a race against time as the world perceives them as a threat to humanity.

    REVIEW: If the synopsis sounds like a typical bombastic sci-fi blockbuster, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. Armed with an outstanding screenplay by Eric Heisserer, and based on a short story by Ted Chiang titled ‘Story of Your Life’, director Denis Villeneuve creates an atmosphere of global dread with barely an explosion. The strength of Chiang’s story is so powerful that Villeneuve could probably replace the lead actors with most other Hollywood A-listers and still have the same impact.

    Not to detract from Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner though. Both deliver skilfully measured performances and Adams showcases a poignant range that provides the emotional backbone to the plot. Forest Whitaker however, is relegated to the generic army colonel tasked with figuring the objective of the aliens’ presence. He approaches Dr. Banks who previously helped him translate communication between insurgents. Along with Ian Donnelly, they approach one of the spaceships to contact the alien beings and establish a form of dialogue with them. Their interactions with the alien creatures are interspersed with flashes of Dr. Banks’ relationship with her daughter, which initially appear to be haphazard and irrelevant. But there’s an underlying connection between the intimacies of her life and the threat posed by a world at the brink of war, fearing hostile intent from the otherworldly visitors.

    While the logic behind how the linguistics expert manages to decipher the alien language is fuzzy at best, the true purpose of these intelligent extra-terrestrial beings is a jaw-dropping reveal that warrants a repeat viewing to find all the breadcrumbs left in the lead up to the crescendo. Bradford Young’s soothing cinematography and Jóhann Jóhannsson’s hypnotic score lend more weight to all the emotional beats laid out by Villeneuve’s mastery of the craft. Don’t let the deliberate pacing dissuade you; ‘Arrival’ makes you ponder the implications of time, love, life, and death, and the co-relation between communication and the human experience long after the credits roll, making it one of the unmissable films to watch this year.

  • Guardiola wants Messi to stay at Barcelona

    Guardiola wants Messi to stay at Barcelona

    MANCHESTER (TIP): Pep Guardiola insisted Nov 25 he had no intention of signing Lionel Messi, saying he wants the Barcelona star to see out his career at the Nou Camp.

    Manchester City manager Guardiola has been linked repeatedly with a move for the reigning world footballer of the year.

    Speculation has intensified because Argentina international Messi’s contract with Barcelona expires at the end of next season, and he has so far declined to agree an extension.

    Guardiola knows Messi well, having managed him for four years at the Nou Camp between 2008 and 2012, during which time Barcelona won the Champions League twice and La Liga three times.

    However, the City manager believes the forward would be better served by staying at Barcelona, where he has been since the age of 13.

    “I told you more than once that Messi will stay at Barcelona and will finish his career at Barcelona,” Guardiola said. “It’s my wish. I wish that he goes from the beginning to the end at Barcelona.”

    Reports last weekend suggested City were considering a colossal £200 million ($249 million, 235 million euros) move for Messi, and a contract of £500,000 a week.

    Luis Enrique, the current Barcelona manager gave a sharp answer when that speculation was put to him before the Spanish giants’ Champions League win at Celtic on Wednesday. “I don’t know — I have no idea,” he said. Guardiola is monitoring the fitness of Messi’s Argentina team-mate Sergio Aguero as he prepares his team for a Premier League visit to Burnley on Saturday.

    Aguero suffered a foot problem during Wednesday’s 1-1 Champions League draw against Borussia Moenchengladbach, but it is not thought to be serious.

    Guardiola, meanwhile, believes he has enough cover in central defence despite losing captain Vincent Kompany for around six weeks with knee ligament damage.

    Kompany suffered the 35th injury of his City career as he was forced to come off during last Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace, raising the possibility of Guardiola entering the transfer market in January to sign another defender.

    Guardiola, though, can play midfielder Fernandinho or full-back Bacary Sagna in central defence if necessary, and even has the option to move Yaya Toure there.

    Toure, recalled to the City team to face Palace for his first appearance since August after resolving a dispute with the manager, famously played as an emergency centre-back for Guardiola in the 2009 Champions League final, when Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0 in Rome.

    Guardiola said: “Yaya can play in many positions but I think we have other options to play as central defenders.

    “What happened with Yaya at Barcelona happened once in the final of the Champions League against Manchester United because we had a lot of problems there. We didn’t have players – and he played amazing

    “Now Yaya is going to play in more offensive terms and can decide the last terms, to score goals, in our build-up in the last third of the pitch.

    “We have other options. Fernandinho can play there, Sagna can play there. At Crystal Palace, after one and a half months injured, Bacary played the first game and he played central defender for many minutes. He was awesome. So we have other options to solve that problem.”

    (AFP)

  • Cilic recovers to give Croatia Davis Cup edge

    Cilic recovers to give Croatia Davis Cup edge

    ZAGREB (TIP): Croatia’s Marin Cilic battled back from a mid-match collapse to beat Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 6-2 in the opening rubber of the Davis Cup final in Zagreb on Nov 26.

    Former US Open champion Cilic appeared to be cruising towards a routine victory at the Zagreb Arena only to lose his way after storming into a two-set lead over the world number 41.

    Sixth-ranked Cilic, who made his second appearance at the ATP Tour Finals last week, secured the first two sets with a single break in each, but Delbonis claimed the third before racing through the fourth to force a decider.

    Backed by an impassioned crowd Cilic regained his nerve in the final set, breaking his opponent in the first game and building on that momentum to eventually close out victory in three hours and 30 minutes.

    Later, 2009 US Open champion and Olympic silver medallist Juan Martin del Potro takes on 37-year-old Ivo Karlovic in the second singles match.

    Del Potro, 28, is a veteran of two losing finals — both against Spain in 2008 and 2011 — while Karlovic is the oldest player to feature in a Davis Cup singles match since 43-year-old Australian NormanBrookes in 1920.

    Four-time runners-up Argentina are chasing a first title, while Croatia are looking to emulate their 2005 triumph over Slovakia.

    (AFP)

  • Mary Kom to receive ‘Legends Award’ from AIBA

    Mary Kom to receive ‘Legends Award’ from AIBA

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Celebrated Indian boxer MC Mary Kom is all set to add another honor to her glittering career when she receives the ‘Legends Award’ from the International Boxing Association (AIBA) on its 70th anniversary on December 20.

    An Olympic bronze-medallist and a five-time world champion, Mary Kom is also Rajya Sabha MP now.

    “I would like to thank the AIBA President and officials for this prestigious award. This recognition from AIBA will encourage young boxers in our country to work hard. It is a very emotional as well as a motivating day for me,” Mary Kom said reacting to the honour.

    “Even after so many years, if people remember you and your achievements it shows their generosity and love towards me. Thank you once again for this award, it’s a memory I would cherish for my lifetime,” she added.

    AIBA is celebrating its 70th Anniversary on December 20 during which it will present the award to Mary Kom.

    Mary Kom is also a multiple-time Asian champion and was named an AIBA brand ambassador during the World Championships earlier this year. (PTI)

  • Four Nations Hockey: India beat Malaysia 4-2

    Four Nations Hockey: India beat Malaysia 4-2

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Indian men’s hockey team got their first win of the Four Nations Invitational Tournament by beating 14th-ranked Malaysia 4-2 in Melbourne on Nov 25. A day after losing to world No 1 Australia 2-3, VR Raghunath’s team bounced back through goals to Nikkin Thimmaiah (21′, 55′), Rupinder Pal Singh (40′) and Akashdeep Singh (56′) plus an improved display from goalkeeper Akash Chikte for the three quarters he was custodian.

    India next play New Zealand on November 26 at 11:30am IST in what is a must-win game.

    Much like Australia did on Wednesday, Malaysia worked their way back into the game after India dominated the first quarter but the difference for India today was that Rupinder found more support and was crucially able to quickly put the Asian champions back in the lead after Faizal Saari drew level in the 39th minute. The second crucial passage came in the last few minutes, when Thimmaiah and Akashdeep scored in succession to overturn a 2-2 deadlock into an irreversible 4-2 lead.

    India, ranked sixth in the world, did most of the attacking in the early moments and proceeded to keep Malaysia largely in their own defensive half during the first quarter, with Sardar Singh and youngster Affan Yousuf producing some special play. Malaysia had one solid opportunity to score in the 11th minute but a brilliant save from goalkeeper Akash Chikte denied Ramadan Rosli from the right corner. That was the only real chance that India’s defenders allowed their opponents in the first quarter, though Malaysia did mount more pressure than in the first few minutes.

    In the 24th minute, just seconds after Birendra Lakra fed Affan a great chance from the left corner that wasn’t capitalized on and resulted in a foul, Nikkin Thimmaiah slotted a fierce shot into the back of the net to give India the advantage.

    Malaysia equalized midway through the third quarter, with Saari using their first penalty corner to slot in a superb goal, but less than a minute later an unstoppable PC from Rupinder made it 2-1. Credit for this goal also goes to Sardar, who fed a lovely pass to India’s drag-flick expert. Behind the line, there was further excellence from Lakra who stopped a strong reverse flick from Rosli that beat Chikte.

    India’s familiar nerves came to the fore during the last 15 minutes, but thanks to strikes from Thimmaiah and Akashdeep Singh in the span of seconds the result was a positive one. Abhinav Pandey took over from Chikte as goalkeeper and just moments into the last quarter, was left exposed as Shahril Saabah broke through with a PC goal in the 47th minute. Then were fumbles from Akashdeep and Satbir Singh too, but some great team-work from Sardar and Thimmaiah ensured India went up 3-2 in the 55th, with the latter finishing excellently. Then it was Akashdeep’s turn to strike, and his superb reverse hit made it 4-2.

    (PTI)

  • A 90-year-old parade that reflects the changing face of New York City Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

    A 90-year-old parade that reflects the changing face of New York City Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Like previous years, everything was there – floats, balloons, cheerleaders and dancers, clowns, marching bands and performance groups, and of course the first glimpse of Santa Claus. But amid the fun, high-fives and cheers, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2016 saw unprecedented security as there was a possibility of an extremist attack after a recent posting in an English language Islamic State group magazine that called the parade “an excellent target.” Thousands of people watching the 90th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade saw officers carrying assault rifles and portable radiation detectors and walking bomb-sniffing dogs, NYPD helicopters flying overhead, more than 80 sand-filled sanitation trucks parked at intersections and other spots along the route to serve as barriers against any kind of possible attack.

    But heightened security could not impede the festive spirit as spectators cheered and yelled, “Thank you!”holding signs and balloons as they watched Santa Claus and his reindeer, Ronald McDonald and SpongeBob Square Pants pass by.

    The parade stepped off at around 9 a.m. after a performance from The Muppets. Charlie Brown led the signature balloons as the parade kicked off with a ceremonial ribbon cutting before making its way down to Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street. This year’s three-hour event marked 90 parades. Sixteen character balloons, 27 novelty/ornament balloons, 26 floats, 1,100 cheerleaders and dancers, more than 1,000 clowns and 16 marching bands and performance groups made their way down the 2.5-mile parade route. Felix the Cat, the parade’s first-ever balloon, returned this year. Celebrities, including singers Tony Bennett and Sarah McLachlan and Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez, were among the attendees.

    Macy's Parade in 1920's. Some pretty queer looking pedestrians can be observed at large gatherings at Broadway, but some of the creatures who make their way down the famed thoroughfare in the annual Macy Thanksgiving Parade are enough to faze even a taxi driver. Here throngs of New Yorkers jamming Columbus Circle gape as a flying fish swings onto Broadway from Central Park West Photo/ Bettmann / Getty
    Macy’s Parade in 1920’s. Some pretty queer looking pedestrians can be observed at large gatherings at Broadway, but some of the creatures who make their way down the famed thoroughfare in the annual Macy Thanksgiving Parade are enough to faze even a taxi driver. Here throngs of New Yorkers jamming Columbus Circle gape as a flying fish swings onto Broadway from Central Park West
    Photo/ Bettmann / Getty

    The most popular holiday parade in America, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a Big Apple tradition since 1924. Attracting more than 3.5 million people to the streets of New York City each year, as well 50 million TV viewers nationwide, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has become so synonymous with Thanksgiving tradition in NYC that it’s often shortened to “The Macy’s Day Parade.”

    Like any great tradition in NYC, the Macy’s Day Parade in Manhattan features a long and storied history. In the 1920s, many of Macy’s department store employees were first-generation European immigrants. Proud of their new American heritage, they wanted to celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving with the type of festival their parents had loved in Europe.

    In 1924, the annual Thanksgiving parade started by Louis Bambergerin Newark, New Jersey at the Bamberger’s store was transferred to New York City by Macy’s.

    The first-ever Macy’s Day Parade actually took place on Christmas of 1924. Macy’s employees dressed as clowns, cowboys, and other fun costumes, and traveled with Central Park zoo animals and creative floats a lengthy six miles from Herald Square to Harlem in Manhattan.

    The parade was meant to draw attention to the Macy’s store in NYC, and the gimmick worked – more than 250,000 people attended the inaugural Macy’s Day Parade. It was decided that this NYC parade would become an annual NY event in Manhattan. In 1927, Felix the Cat became the first giant balloon to ever take part in the Macy’s Day Parade. The parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 as a result of World War II when commodities like helium and rubber were in short supply.

  • MALDIVES: BEYOND THE BEACHES

    MALDIVES: BEYOND THE BEACHES

    Sometimes the presumed “obvious” can be misleading, and delving deep into a place can reveal remarkable opportunities, and so Maldives – beyond the beaches present with some stunning tourist interests. Pristine white sand beaches, palm fringed islands and turquoise blue expanse of the Indian Ocean would be the first (and maybe the only) thing that comes to mind when one thinks about Maldives. But I am here to tell you about a different Maldives, buzzing with innumerable experiences, Maldives – beyond the beaches. After all, how many of us would know that Maldives before the 12th century was a Buddhist regime!There are a plethora of things to see and do in Maldives other than vegetating on fine white sand.

    Getting There

    Air India and Spicejet have direct flights to Male from Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. Flights from any other city in India have to be via one of these airports.

    Best Time to Visit December to April

    Visa

    The country follows a Visa on arrival policy provided the tourists have valid passports, proof of accommodation and return tickets

    Things to know

    Tourists are not supposed to carry idols, alcohol, pork meat or any other religious paraphernalia other than Islam, to Maldives. Tourists are frisked judiciously at the airport while entering and leaving the country.

    maldives-2MALE

    The capital city of Male doesn’t really show any signs of a 1400 year old Buddhist past. Although 35 mosques can be found in this seemingly expeditiously built colourful settlement, vestiges of the bygone era can still be traced to the most famous and tallest monument of Male – The Old Friday Mosque, built on a Buddhist Temple. With around 100000 people, the roads are almost crowded with scooters and mopeds. The colorful crisscrossing by-lanes are better to explore the city with every attraction being at an arm’s length. Another interesting fact about Maldives is that no other religion other than Islam can be practiced here, with the entire population being Sunni Muslim. Male presents with the best option of exploring the truest spirit of Maldives.

    THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

    The National Museum is a structure made up of steel and glass, and is a gift from China under a bilateral agreement, and was completed recently in 2010. The impressive part about this two floored building is the display of famous lacquer work boxes, age old cannons, broken pieces of Buddhist and Hindu idols, images of political events, and most importantly a replica of the pen that was used to sign the ‘Declaration of Independence’ from the British Empire. The tour begins downstairs with the galleries showcasing Maldivian history; they have items such as, weapons, religious items, and household items. The display on the second floor of the building is mostly from the modern period, and is a great eye opener to Maldivian history and culture. A particularly fascinating piece on display is the 6 m long skeleton of the Longman’s Beaked Whale, which is so rare that it is yet to be seen alive in the sea.

    THE FRIDAY MOSQUE

    In the 12th century A.D., Abu al Barakat visited Maldives which was then a Buddhist regime. He convinced the Sultan to embrace Islam and the rest is history. The mosque is supposedly built on a Buddhist temple, and has been renovated couple of times, the last being in 1656. Coral made door and window frames adorn this venerable structure. Those wishing to visit this beautiful mosque, must seek permission from a Ministry of Islamic Affairs’ officer, but it has been noted that those who are well-dressed and respectful may gain access on the spot. One can find a cemetery on the mosque grounds, located on one side; it is dotted with carved tombstones.

    SUNSET CRUISE

    The beauty of Maldives is best experienced with its sunset cruises, as the stunning hues of the sky come alive during this time. The evenings in Maldives more often than not seem to be created by an errant painter who runs amok with a palette of colours in a quest to master the form of modern art. The calmness of the evening sea, pampering by the wine and dine options of the resort boat, and watching the sun bid adieu with a spectacular colour riot of different shades of crimson are precisely the reasons why a sunset cruise into the open waters is a must do in Maldives.

    BODUBERU DANCE

    Dating back to 11th century, it is the traditional dance form of Maldives. Performed by a group of 15 or more, it consists of one lead singer and lots of drums apart from variety of thumping instruments. The pace of the music and dance gradually picks up, and usually at the end of it the spectators would be dancing along with the group. The songs and dance styles are similar to the ones found in East and South West Africa giving rise to speculation that these might have been introduced to this tiny island nation by sailors from the African continent. Check out resorts which have the option of treating you with one such evening of Boduberu dance. In the night, by the beach side, under the sparkling stars you will be transferred to a different world altogether.

    LOCAL ISLANDS

    Get away from the coastlines, and explore the islands of Maldives. Maldives on backpacker’s budget was unheard of a few years ago, as it was always meant to cater to luxury travel. Swanky high end resorts with jaw dropping infinity pools, hedonistic spas and international cuisine to satisfy varied palates never gave any reason to look anywhere else. Maldives, whose economy depends entirely on tourism has now opened its arms to backpackers and budget travellers by giving them access to many local islands, such as Maafushi, Fulidhoo and Guraidhoo. Here one can find many guesthouses with an average of $60/night. By staying on these local islands, one can gain an insight into Maldivian life. The downside to these islands is that they are governed under Sharia law like the rest of the country. So unlike the privately owned resort islands, strict dress code would be the norm here which may be a deal-breaker when one is visiting any island. To counter this, the Government has recently designated a few beaches on these islands as “tourist beaches” where the dress code would not be applied.

  • THE POWER OF THE GAYATRI MANTRA

    THE POWER OF THE GAYATRI MANTRA

    The Gayatri Mantra is considered the most sacred of all mantras in Sanaatana Dharma (Vedic Hindu religion). Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that among all the mantras, He is the Gayatri. The Gayatri Mantra originates from the Rig Veda – the most ancient of Indian scriptures and the Mantra’s power was revealed to Brahmarishi Vishwamitra.

    It is known as Gayatri as it is set on the Vedic meter called ‘Gayatri’. It is made of three lines with eight syllables in each totalling twenty four syllables. It is also called ‘Savitri Mantra’ as it invokes ‘Savitr’ –a Vedic God who is often linked to the Sun God ‘Surya’.The Gayatri Mantra is unique in that it is a praise to God, a spiritual practice, and a prayer – all 3 rolled into one. It goes as follows.

    “Aum Bhoor Bhuvah Svahaa

    Thath Savitur Varenyam

    Bhargho Devasya Dhee Mahi

    Dheeyo Yo Nah Prachodhayaath”

    Basically, the meaning of the Mantra is “We behold the illuminating radiance of the Sun God (i.e., Savita). May He inspire our minds and lead us onto the righteous path”.

    The first part of this mantra is a praise to the Almighty who created the three worlds –the earth, the astral world and the heavens respectively – and who is that divine force that created everything and worthy of our admiration. The second part is a yogic practice which requests the Almighty who is the brilliant destroyer of sins to descend and grace our minds to remove our sins. The third part is a prayer to Gayatri Devi to enlighten our minds and raise our intellects to the highest levels possible towards righteousness or Dharma.

    This mantra, when chanted after knowing the meaning, makes the aspirant access the whole cosmos in a few syllables, draws the aspirant’s minds first outwards to the three major worlds, and then after the consciousness expands from dullness, it brings us back inwards with a spiral energy flow requesting the divine to burn the darkness in the aspirant’s brains and then elevate the aspirant’s consciousness outward again to the highest level possible – now as an individual soul more integrated with the Divine spirit present everywhere.

    Only twenty four sages since creation have been credited to have understood the essence of Vedas and obtained the grace of Gayatri Devi. Sage Vishwamitra was the first and Sage Yagynavalkya was the last.

    The perseverance and austere Tapas (penance) of Sage Vishwamitra are world recognized. As per the Indian epic “Ramayana”, He achieved in a single birth what was considered an impossibility – a warrior class person elevating to the higher Priest class by austerity and selflessness alone. Sage Vishwamitra was able to form a new heaven and new stars with constellations in the sky through the power of the Gayatri mantra. He also imparted various spiritual lessons and secret weapons to Lord Rama which was to help Sri Rama in his wars later for reinstating righteousness (Dharma). The Buddha pays homage to Sage Vishwamitra as one of the Saptrarishis (7 Highest Sages) who understood the Vedas and their messages. More recently, the author Hemad Pant also pays his respects to all Brahmarishis and Maharishis to bless the Sai Satcharita – which is the primary biography of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba’s holy life (Sage Vishwamitra is among those in his list).

    Gayatri Devi – the Goddess personifying the Gayatri Mantra, is the essence of everything i.e., Brahman -the Universal Spirit. She is depicted with five faces and is the equivalent of the Hindu Trinity of Gods –Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. She is also worshipped as the unified form of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati – the Goddesses who are consorts of the Trinity of Gods. It is well accepted for thousands of years that Gayatri Devi removes sufferings and adversity of whoever prays to Her and She motivates that devotee gradually towards the path of righteous wisdom.

    The All World Gayatri Pariwar – created by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya provides valuable guidance on Gayatri awareness, spiritual practices and self-realization Saadhana.

  • Bagalamukhi: The Goddess of Hypnotic Power

    Bagalamukhi: The Goddess of Hypnotic Power

    There is nothing like a Goddess scorned. And in case of Bagalamukhi (called the One who checks the mouth), she can be a towering personality to behold. While she protects her devotees, she can be the face of evil in case of any wrong doer. She is the eighth of the ten forms of the goddess known as dashamahavidya. Some ancient scriptures also call her crane faced. She is focused on her intent and gaze like the crane who waddles in the waters looking at its target. Those who pray to her whole heartedly, get the same kind of physiognomies to silence their enemies. But they can be granted their wish only when they are able to fulfill the rituals and manage to appease her long enough to grant a blessing.

    bagalamukhi-the-goddess-of-hypnotic-powerRecognizing the Goddess

    It is not only her crane face that is identified as her main feature. She is called Peetambari devi or Brahmastra Roopini in some of the northern regions of India. This is because she wears yellow colored clothes and has a golden aura around her. Her throne is also made of yellow lotuses. She has a crescent shaped moon on her head. In some images she is shown having two arms and in some she is four armed. In west Bengal her worshippers see her as a demon slaying demi goddess. She carries a club in her right hand and looks ferocious. With her left hand she is puling out the demon’s tongue. With this image one knows that the Goddess is capable of quashing her adversaries and has the ability to paralyze them completely. In a way her powers are such that a person who uses speech for evil doing is made silent. She can overturn failure into success. And in a metaphysical way she can also reveal the significance of life in death. She can transform defeat into victory for her followers.

    Goddess Bagalamukhi is a perfect example of duality – the ying and yang. One can easily find peace and balance in lie following her principles. In a more metaphysical way she embodies the consummation of the unborn into the uncreated.

    Legends about the Goddess

    Every God and Goddess is associated with some legend. How Goddess Bagalamukhi came to earth is an interesting tale. Eons ago there was a raging storm on earth. It was so strong that it would have wiped out all creation from it. The Gods were perturbed and held an emergency council to stop the flooding and destruction of Mother Earth. The meeting was apparently held in Saurastra (western India). The storm had to be weakened. From the Haridra Sarovar emerged the form of Goddess Bagalamukhi. This event has been faithfully recorded in the scriptures of Peetambari Peeth in Madhya Pradesh. As the power of the Goddess grew she assumed responsibility for her followers. They started to dedicate temples for her.

    Temples in her honor

    The most important shrine of the Goddess is in Guwahati in Assam. The temple is very close to Kamakhya where high ranked tantrics meet. She is also worshipped in Newar city (Patan, Nepal), Bankhandi (Himachal Pradesh), Peetambar Peeth (Datia, MP) and Nalkheda (Shajapur, MP).

    How the Goddess blesses her followers

    Most of the deeper religious texts in Hinduism deal with Tantra either in the dualistic or non-dualistic forms. An ordinary mortal identifies himself as a dualistic entity. They are different from the universe or any other form of divinity. In the higher stage, the duality is no longer existent. Now there is no separation between the divine and the mortal being. They are One. The followers of the Goddess have gone beyond the stage of duality and have become One with her. The use of the potent mantra is used to silence their critics and enemies alike. The hypnotic gaze and power of Stambhana (paralysis) allows things to be balanced.

    For the neophyte, non-dualistic followers the enemy is the ego. This called for ‘sadhana’ or meditation. It develops the follower into a more stronger being. With the continuous chanting of the mantra the breath is regulated and it is easier to get self-realization. This is the strength of the mantra. There are many other spiritual benefits that Her devotees get.

    Benefits and Blessings

    Goddess Bagalamukhi is pleased when she is respected and followed in the right manner. The correct recitation of the mantra has many benefits. It helps one to conquer the internal demons and external adversaries too. Mortal human beings suffer due to greed, lust, pride, enmity, and different attachments. Some relationships become toxic. Most humans forget that the goal of life is to get liberated eventually. Only the practice of meditation and regime of sadhana are useful to get self-realized. This way the cycle of birth and death are reduced. It is said that even Lord Krishna and his Pandava friend Arjun worshipped her.

    It is not easy to seek self-realization alone. The help of the guru is vital in this achievement. Even before starting the mantra jap, proper initiation is important. With the right kind of devotion to the Goddess, the soul moves on the path of enlightenment with guidance. As the kundalini rises, so does the soul.

  • Do you feel sleepy post meals? Blame the proteins and salts in your food

    Do you feel sleepy post meals? Blame the proteins and salts in your food

    Meals high in protein and salt can promote sleep and lead to longer naps, claim researchers.

    According to researchers, based in the US, at the Scripps Research Institute in the USA, what we eat influences post-meal sleep and its duration.

    After testing the consumption of salt, sugar and protein in fruit flies — insects used for their genetic similarities with humans — the scientists found that meals with higher levels of protein and salt could promote sleep and lead to longer naps.

    They identified a certain type of neuron— called leucokinin neurons — that play a role in the post-meal sleep mechanism. “A subset of leucokinin receptor (Lkr) neurons was necessary to initiate post-meal sleep in the presence of protein specifically,” explains first author Keith Murphy.

    “While we expected that flies defective in protein sensing would experience post-meal sleep in a similar way to those fed only sucrose, we found instead that they had a waking response. Our analysis suggests that ingested protein promotes both sleep and wakefulness, and that the wakefulness is counterbalanced by Lkr neuronal activity. “

    The research provides a starting point for future work investigating the genes and circuits that link meal size, protein and salt to post-meal sleep. Source: AFP

  • WORKOUTS THAT SLOW DOWN AGEING

    WORKOUTS THAT SLOW DOWN AGEING

    Let’s admit it, we all dread ageing. Expensive creams, beauty treatments, desi hacks, we do everything in our might to cease the incoming of the devil called wrinkles. A slow metabolism, declining stamina, setting in of chronic illnesses are some more troublesome signs of ageing. While you can’t do anything about the growing numbers in your age, you can do a lot to stop it from showing. How? A steady fitness routine. Creating a regular exercise routine helps you steer clear of chronic diseases, helps build stamina and strong muscles, and keeps you physically agile and just like that hide years off your age.

    Frank Frisch, PhD, director of kinesiology at Chapman University in Orange, California says that exercise makes you feel younger than you are. Here are some workouts that will keep the real age from showing.

    YOGA

    Yoga does not work on specific body parts but on your overall well being. Yoga experts believe that yoga helps you stay younger for longer. There are specific facial yoga asanas that help keep the wrinkles away. Agrees yoga expert Dinesh Dagar, “Stress is the biggest killer today. Yoga helps reduce stress thereby not letting its after effects reflect on your face and body.”

    WEIGHT LIFTING

    Most women shy away from weight lifting but that should not be the case if you want to have good bone health. Fitness experts as well as medical experts believe that weight training helps combat the onset of osteoporosis. However, make sure that you practice weight training under proper guidance.

    SQUATS

    Squats target the biggest muscles in the human body. They not only burn calories but also keep your legs strong. Most of us squat a lot during the day without even realizing, which makes the perfect squat posture all the more important. Picking heavy grocery bags or lifting a kid, they all require you to squat. An incorrect squat posture can lead to injuries and you surely don’t want that.

    WALKING

    There have been studies that say walking reduces the risk of dementia by one third. Not only does it protect you from that evil, a recent study stated that walking also helps improve your cardiovascular health. A healthy heart is a great means for a youthful body.

    COMPOUND MOVEMENTS

    Celebrity fitness instructor Deepesh Bhatt says, “Compound moves are extremely effective as compared to isolation moves. They give you an intense workout in a shorter span. It makes you hit more muscle fibers and makes your workout more effective.”

    CARDIO TRAINING

    Cardio is recommended even by many beauty experts for a younger looking skin. Cardio workouts such as swimming, cycling and dance up your heart rates, as a result pumping more blood in your body. Better circulation helps strengthen our heart and give us a beautiful skin.

  • Beauty usage of Mustard Oil

    Beauty usage of Mustard Oil

    Imparts a natural Skin Glow: Since centuries Indians have been applying Mustard Oil as body oil for massage before their baths. One can use it to massage dry areas prior to a bath. For removing tan, mustard oil can be mixed with besan, yogurt and lemon juice and used as a body pack.

    Prepping your skin: Dry patchy skin is a common problem that we all face during harsh winters and this can be a major hindrance while getting ready for a party. One can apply a few drops of mustard oil and rub it along the face, let it remain for few minutes before washing it in water. The skin becomes smooth and ready for applying foundation and make up.

    Perfect Hair Care: Who doesn’t want a glossy healthy mane to go with that perfect dress and makeup? Applying mustard oil regularly on the scalp takes care of winter hair woes like dandruff, itchy scalps, hair fall etc. One can do a hot oil treatment at home with mustard oil and wash off hair with a mild shampoo to experience healthier, shiny locks this season.

    Protects your lips: Chapped dry lips can play havoc on the overall appearance. Applying a few drops of mustard oil can heal chapped lips and is safer than packaged lip balms. Ironically, one of grandmothers’ old remedies say that sleeping with a drop or two of mustard oil on your naval will give you baby soft lips in the morning.

  • New York City Council honors Ranju Batra for securing Diwali Stamp

    New York City Council honors Ranju Batra for securing Diwali Stamp

    NEW YORK (TIP): The New York City Council honored, November 15, businesswoman, community leader and chairperson of Diwali Stamp Project, Ranju Batra for her singular achievement in having a Diwali Stamp issued by the USPS.

    Batra’s journey to have the US postal department issue a Diwali stamp started in 2010. She discussed the idea of a Diwali stamp with community leaders only to learn that many had already tried only to fail. But this did not deter Ranju. She was able to get support from multiple members of Congress and collected thousands upon thousands of paper petitions. The then-Consul General Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay authored the official poem of the Diwali Stamp Project and during the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, Ranju Batra asked Prime Minister Modi to support the stamp and the Prime Minister wrote to President Obama, as well as to the Postmaster General.

    Ranju Batra’s perseverance and single minded devotion bore fruit. On August 23, 2016, the announcement was made that the Diwali Stamp was approved. On October 5, 2016 at the Consulate General of India, history was made and Diwali Forever Stamp was unveiled at an official function of the USPS jointly with Consulate General of India and Diwali Stamp Project.

    Ranju Batra has dedicated her life to serving the public. Born in India, she immigrated to the United States in 1975. She has a successful business record and still finds time for social, civic, political and charitable activities, including working as a trustee of the Hindu Center in Flushing.

    She served as President of Association of Indians in America (AIA), New York Chapter in 2011-12.

  • AAPI President Ajay Lodha asks Trump to enact medical liability reform

    AAPI President Ajay Lodha asks Trump to enact medical liability reform

    NEW YORK (TIP): Dr. Ajay Lodha, president of the largest body of Indian-American doctors has asked President-elect Donald Trump to enact medical liability reform, which it claimed is driving up the healthcare cost in its current shape through “extra testing and the practice of defensive medicine”. “AAPI (American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) supports a healthy doctor-patient environment by curbing aggressive litigation targeting physicians,” AAPI president Ajay Lodha said in a statement in which he congratulated Trump on his victory in the presidential election.

    Lodha said, “such lawsuits have had a chilling effect and driven up the cost of healthcare, through extra testing and the practice of defensive medicine”.

    In the 112th Congress, The Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2011′, limited the conditions for lawsuits and punitive damages for healthcare liability claims.

    It established a statute of limitations and limited noneconomic damages to USD 250,000, he rued. AAPI wants modification of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), he said.

    Under the ACA, hospitals and primary physicians would transform their practices financially, technologically, and clinically to drive better health outcomes, lower costs, and improve their methods of distribution and accessibility.

    “We believe that the current ACA could be improved upon greatly. To merely repeal the ACA would result in 20 million losing their health insurance coverage and that would be problematic to say the least,” he said.

    “A more reformed system with emphasis on free-market while retaining the provisions protecting consumers with pre-existing conditions would be ideal,”he said.

    AAPI represents the interests of over 60,000 physicians and 25,000 medical students and residents of Indian heritage in the US.

    In the statement, Lodha also invited Trump to address the delegates at the next AAPI Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey next year.

  • Cuba’s iconic leader Fidel Castro dies aged 90

    Cuba’s iconic leader Fidel Castro dies aged 90

    NEW YORK (TIP): Fidel Castro, Cuba’s former president and leader of the Communist revolution, has died aged 90, state TV has announced. It provided no further details.

    Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost half a century before handing over the powers to his brother Raul in 2008. His supporters praised him as a man who had given Cuba back to the people. But his opponents accused him of brutally suppressing opposition. In April, Fidel Castro gave a rare speech on the final day of the country’s Communist Party congress.

    He acknowledged his advanced age but said Cuban communist concepts were still valid and the Cuban people “will be victorious”. “I’ll soon be 90,” the former president said, adding that this was “something I’d never imagined”.

    “Soon I’ll be like all the others, “to all our turn must come,” Fidel Castro said.

    A Timeline

    1926: Born in the south-eastern Oriente Province of Cuba

    1953: Imprisoned after leading an unsuccessful rising against Batista’s regime

    1955: Released from prison under an amnesty deal

    1956: With Che Guevara, begins a guerrilla war against the government

    1959: Defeats Batista, sworn in as prime minister of Cuba

    1960: Fights off CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban exiles

    1962: Sparks Cuban missile crisis by agreeing that USSR can deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba

    1976: Elected president by Cuba’s National Assembly

    1992: Reaches an agreement with US over Cuban refugees

    2008: Stands down as president of Cuba due to health issues

    (Source: BBC)

  • Trump election: Request for Wisconsin vote recount sent

    Trump election: Request for Wisconsin vote recount sent

    NEW YORK (TIP): The election commission in Wisconsin has received a request for a recount of the votes in the state narrowly won by Donald Trump.

    The request has been filed by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

    Dr Stein has also pledged to file vote recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

    A win by Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin alone would not overturn Mr. Trump’s lead – it provides only 10 votes in the crucial electoral college that gave him victory in the 8 November election.

    But wins in Wisconsin, Michigan (16 electoral votes) and Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes) would have clinched the presidency for the Democrat.

    In a tweet, the Wisconsin Elections Commission said: “The Commission has received the Stein and Del La Fuente recount petitions.”

    It added that details would be released shortly. Meanwhile, Dr Stein tweeted that the recount would begin next week. Friday was the deadline for the request.

    Dr Stein’s campaign needs to raise millions of dollars to cover the fees for the vote recount in all three states. Dr Jill’s website says nearly $5.3m  has already been raised toward a $7m target. It says this is enough to fund the recounts in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

    Voting rights lawyers who urged candidates to request recounts, John Bonifaz and J Alex Halderman, have said the results need to be closely analyzed. The fact that the results in the three states was different from what polls predicted was “probably not” down to hacking, Mr Halderman said. Concerns over possible Russian interference had been expressed in the run-up to the vote.

    “The only way to know whether a cyber-attack changed the result is to closely examine the available physical evidence,” he wrote. Pennsylvania’s deadline is Monday, November 28 and Michigan’s is Wednesday, November 30.

    US officials have said there was no evidence of election tampering in the three states where Republican candidate Donald Trump had razor-thin victories over his Democratic rival. Mr Trump won 290 electoral votes in the November election, while Mrs. Clinton had 232 votes.

    Michigan is yet to declare results. Mr Trump’s camp has made no public comments on the recounts issue.

  • Volume 4 Issue 46 | Dallas | Nov 26

    Print Edition ~ Digitally 

    Issue 46 ~ Dallas ~ Nov 26

     

  • Volume 10 Issue 46 | New York | Nov 26

    Print Edition ~ Digitally 

    Issue 46 ~ New York ~ Nov 26

     

  • Veteran journalist Dileep Padgaonkar passes away at 72 in Pune

    Veteran journalist Dileep Padgaonkar passes away at 72 in Pune

    PUNE (TIP): Veteran journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, a well-known author and former editor of The Times of India, died at a private hospital here on Friday, November 25 morning, officials said.

    He was 72. He was admitted to Ruby Hospital on November 18 following a massive heart attack.

    Later, he suffered multiple organ failure and was on dialysis after his kidneys stopped functioning.

    Born in Pune and educated at St Vincent High School and Fergusson College here, he went to France and studied for a doctorate at the University of Paris-Sorbonne.

    In 1978, he served with the UNESCO at Bangkok and later in Paris in different capacities with its Information Section.

    Earlier, he was the Paris correspondent of the Times of India and later, after coming to India, became its editor.

  • Madhu Saran made Global Ambassador of Women Entrepreneurship Day

    Madhu Saran made Global Ambassador of Women Entrepreneurship Day

    UNITED NATIONS: Madhu Saran, a leading social entrepreneur from Chennai was named ‘Women Entrepreneurship Day Global Ambassador of India’ by Wendy Diamond, Founder Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) at a glittering function held in the United Nations headquarters on Friday, November 18.

    Women’s Entrepreneurship Day WED carries throughout the year in support of women in business globally and ignites women leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to initiate startups, drive economic expansion, and advance communities worldwide.

    WED is celebrated in 144 countries and 110 universities/colleges internationally reaching over 1.4 million people. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill

    de Blasio have proclaimed Women’s Entrepreneurship Day an official day.
    According to the Global Poverty Project, women make up half the world’s population and yet represent a staggering 70 percent of the world’s poor. Gender inequality affects women everywhere, not just in developing countries. In the US, equal pay for equal work is still a dream even in Hollywood. Nurturing the self-confidence of girls and young women is a must. It is these considerations that motivated entrepreneur Wendy Diamond to launch Women’s Entrepreneur Day (WED).

    After volunteering in Honduras with the Adelante Foundation, which provides micro credit to low-income women, Diamond decided to form an international event that would celebrate and advance the work of female business owners, entrepreneurs and change makers. The goal is to empower the 4 billion women on the planet and bring hope to 250 million girls living in poverty. From the immediate success of WED, it’s clear that the global movement to empower women entrepreneurs, innovators and job creators was waiting to be activated.

    WED was first held at the United Nations in 2014 and, incredibly, observed in 144 countries right from the start, opening a bounty of impact community service ideas across the world. The third annual International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day at the UN, led by serious discussions about critical issues affecting women and men worldwide.

    “Women worldwide have historically been underpaid, undervalued, underrepresented, underfunded – and underestimated…and still are,” says Diamond. “Women-owned businesses are set to increase by 90 percent in the next five years. We need to change the status quo because lifting women creates economic opportunity and vitality locally and globally,” said Diamond.

    According to WED report, Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, yet earn only 10 percent of the world’s income. At the same time, they account for 85 percent of consumer purchases and control $20 trillion in worldwide spending.

    “Our mission is to empower the 4 billion women across the globe to be catalysts of change and uplift the 250 million girls living in poverty globally. We are committed to gathering a think tank of inspiring women leaders who can amplify our message of expanding women in business in communities around the world,” said Diamond.

    Distinguished speakers for WED 2016 at the United Nations include Amir Dossal, founder and chairman of Global Partnership Forum, Amrith Rohan Perera, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the UN, Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, Cristina Gollach, UN Under-Secretary General for Communications, Ambassador Lizzie Flores; Dr. Shefali Tsabary (World-Renowned Clinical Psychologist); Monique Giggy (Director Singularity University Accelerator) and Randi Zukerberg, founder of Zuckerberg Media.

    Ms. Saran made her space printed in India and abroad over 16 years of business experience which includes software, construction, beauty industry, media and social Services. Ms. Saran is the spirit behind the success of strategy and directions as Managing Director of her companies. She combines her conviction that education is the most effective transformation tool and her unshakable belief in scalable and sustainable practices for social inclusion to champion the cause of academic – industry linkage.

    She leads the seamless integration of the firm’s strategy, people and customers with the intent to build a world – class organization committed to professional skill development, employability and inclusion. Her dream come true company is RIVER – The Power of Women is social service companies which focus only onto women’s.

    She is dedicating her time on to rural female and young rural girls onto their education, employability and molding the right females to become an entrepreneur in current industry. She holds a master degree from Madras University and has received several prestigious awards from many industries including from Government of India.