NEW YORK (TIP): Priyanka Chopra was appointed as UNICEF global Goodwill Ambassador at UNICEF’s 70th Anniversary celebration at the United Nations headquarters in New York, December 11. The ‘#Quantico’ actress celebrated her appointment alongside Ambassadors David Beckham and Orlando Bloom. The actress has served with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in India, where she has been a longtime girls’ rights advocate.
The ‘Quantico’ actress poses with David Beckham at the United Nations headquarters in New York
“My involvement with UNICEF began almost 10 years ago in India. Today, I stand here humbled, enriched and committed, because of it. Thank you, UNICEF, for the amazing journey so far as well as this huge honor. Along this decade old journey, with UNICEF, I have been on many field trips to villages and centers across India. On those trips, I spent time with numerous young girls and their families and experienced firsthand the transformative power of empowering young girls with opportunities that are rightfully theirs”, said Priyanka.
The actress also took to Twitter to express her joy. She wrote, “Can’t believe it’s been 10 years! Honored to now serve as UNICEF Global Goodwill Ambassador along with this amazing group For Every Child.”
TRENTON, NJ (TIP): New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is pushing a bill that would hit the newspapers that hounded him over the Bridgegate scandal where it hurts.
The proposed legislation, which passed through the Assembly appropriations and Senate budget committees Thursday and is headed to a vote, would torpedo the state law that requires governments, businesses and people to publish legal notices in print newspapers.
Instead, government agencies and municipalities would get the green light to post the notices on their websites, thus depriving already struggling newspapers a big source of revenue.
Assemblyman John Wisniewski called it a “revenge bill.”
“This is nothing more than a politically-motivated crackdown on the press in New Jersey,” said Wisniewski, a Democrat.
State Senator Loretta Weinberg said the bill surfaced out of the blue on Monday and that if Christie was really interested in helping municipalities save money, which is the stated goal of the proposed legislation, “there are lots of other things he could have proposed.”
“Those of us who know New Jersey politics, who know how Gov. Christie works, are not shocked that the governor could be behind this,” Weinberg, who is also a Democrat, told NBC News.
Wisniewski and Weinberg both pushed for the investigation that resulted in convictions last month of two key Christie allies who conspired to cause a traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge to punish the Democratic mayor of a nearby town for not endorsing the Republican governor’s bid for re-election.
Christie, whose political fortunes faded as a result of the scandal, has denied knowing in advance about the scheme.
In response to a question from NBC News asking whether the bill was payback for the New Jersey newspapers’ aggressive coverage of Bridgegate, Christie spokesman Brian Murray released a statement.
“Once again, the team of Weinberg and Wisniewski don’t let the facts get in the way of their George Washington Bridge obsession,” he said. “This legal notices reform bill, which will save taxpayers and citizens going through foreclosure $80 million annually, was first proposed in 2010, not 2016. It had nothing to do with the press then and nothing to do with them now.” Michael Darcy, executive director of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, said Murray is correct that this bill was first proposed six years ago. But it died a year later and Darcy said it was Christie’s office that revived it now.
“I don’t know for sure,” Darcy said, when asked why Christie decided to try and make this law again. “This is being fast-tracked.”
That said, Darcy said his group supports the legislation. He said it gives municipalities the option of posting legal notices online but also allows them to continue advertising in print newspapers if they so desire.
The Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s biggest newspaper, said it’s not clear the bill will save anybody money, but 200 to 300 reporters statewide would lose their jobs if this revenue source dried up.
“If you want to give state and local politicians free reign to do their dirty business in the dark, this bill is a Godsend,” the paper’s board wrote in a Wednesday editorial. “If you want to hasten the decline of the press in the era of Donald Trump, this one is for you. Be ready to rely more on fake news posted on Facebook.” (Source: NBC News)
LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The Indian Panorama hosted a well-attended fundraising dinner for the Eye Foundation of America on Tuesday, December 13 at Cotillion in Jericho, Long Island.
V.K. Raju, Founder and Medical Director of the Eye Foundation of America (EFA), a charitable organization that provides eye care to children in 21 developing countries
Dr. VK Raju, an internationally reputed ophthalmologist who is founder and president of the Eye Foundation of America, was the guest of honor and Mr HR Shah, CEO, TV Asia was the Chief Guest.
This is an evening with a purpose to recognize the tremendous humanitarian work done by Dr Raju”, said The Indian panorama Chief Editor Prof. Saluja, in his welcome note
In his welcome speech, Prof Indrajit S Saluja, Publisher and Chief Editor of The Indian Panorama said, “I thank everyone present here for their support to a beautiful and noble cause. This is an evening with a purpose to recognize the tremendous humanitarian work done by Dr Raju.” Prof Saluja spoke about the charitable work the Eye Foundation of America was doing to prevent blindness among children in India. The Foundation is dedicated to the elimination of avoidable blindness in children worldwide, and, in India. This is Dr. Raju’s way of paying back to the country of his origin, Prof. said, amid thunderous applause from the gathering.
After the lamp lighting ceremony Dr Raju gave a brief presentation about his mission – ‘To eliminate avoidable childhood blindness.’
“We need three things to bring a change. First is education, second is education and third is education”, said Dr. VK Raju, Founder and President of the Eye Foundation of America, in his impassioned speech dwelling on his vision of making the world free from childhood blindness.
“For last 38 years, I am working on this issue which is so close to my heart. And I am so honored to see Prof. Saluja and through him my new friends here joining me in this regard”, said Dr Raju. He described through his presentation how visually impaired or blind children grow up without the same advantages as sighted children and become a burden on their families and communities. “We need three things to bring a change. First is education, second is education and third is education.”
A Q &A session followed and Dr. Raju answered a few questions from the gathering.
While introducing the Chief Guest of the event Mr HR Shah, Prof Saluja said, “He needs no introduction. He has created an empire in the field of media. His greatest virtue is that he did not forget the ladder and his past. He always took lesson from his past.”
HR Shah, Chairman & CEO of TV Asia said, without vision, there is no world for a person and extolled the effort of Dr. Raju in working to prevent avoidable childhood blindness
Mr HR Shah in his speech stressed on the importance of ‘Vision.’ “Without eyes, you can’t see the world. It is dangerous than any other disease. The eye foundation is doing a great job for the society.” He requested people to donate generously as he feels that ‘Laxmi ka alankaar Daan hai.’
The Eye Foundation of America presented tokens of appreciation to Purnima Desai, Peter and Dorothy Bheddah, Anumolu Rao, Tina Shah and Zinda Singh, and Srinu Maddula for their support to the Foundation.
Maddula, who calls himself ‘Foster child of Dr Raju’ as he saved him from blindness by doing corneal transplant said, “Giving money is easy but doing the actual work is difficult.”
A plaque was presented to Dr Raju by The Indian Panorama in appreciation of the great humanitarian work being done by him and his Eye foundation. Dr. Raju was also presented a proclamation from the New York State Assembly. HS Toor from the office of Assemblyman David Weprin presented the proclamation which eulogized Dr. Raju for his humanitarian services.
Dr Raju presented, on behalf of the Eye Foundation, a token of appreciation to HR Shah.
Dr. Leela Raju, daughter of Dr. Raju was among the prominent guests which included Air India Regional Manager Vandana Sharma and District Manager Mohan Kothekar, Consul KD Nair from the Indian Consulate, HAB Vice President Rizwan Qureshi, Rajeev Bhambri, CEO of India Abroad, AAPI National President Dr Ajay Lodha, AAPI-QLI President Vaijnath Chakote and his team which included , among others, Dr. Sunil Mehra, Dr. Satish Anand and Dr. Rakesh Dua; Dr. BK Verma, Shikshayatan and Sriniketan Founder and President Purnima Desai, Philanthropists Peter and Dorothy Bheddah, business magnate Anumolu Rao, community activists Tina Shah and Zinda Singh, Dr. Seema Jain, President, Queens democratic Party, IAF Chairperson Indu Jaiswal, HS Toor from the office of Assemblyman David Weprin, Ms Anu Jain, community activist, INOC (USA) Chairman George Abraham and General Secretary Harbachan Singh, John Joseph, America Tamil Sangam General Secretary, Former Nassau County Director Mohinder Singh Taneja, INOC (I) Chairman Shudh Jasuja, NJ community activist Dave Makkar, Sikh community leaders Master Mohinder Singh, Himat Singh Sarpanch, Mohan Singh, Paramjit Singh Bedi, Omni Mortgage President Herman Singh, Jackson Heights business community leaders Shiv Dass and Mohinder Verma, and International Hindi Conference co-ordinator Ashok Ojha. The list by no means is exhaustive and some prominent persons may have been missed out.
At the ceremonial inauguration with traditional lighting of the lamp. L to R: Dr. Seema Jain, Consul KD Nair, Anumolu Rao, Dr. VK Raju, Prof. Indrajit Saluja, Dr. Ajay Lodha, Mrs. Purnima Desai, Rajeev Bhambri, HR Shah, Vandana Sharma, Peter Bheddah, Indu Jaiswal, Dorothy Bheddah
A view of the gathering
Friend of the Eye Foundation of America is honored. Mrs. Purnima Desai, Founder and President of the wonderful educational and cultural institutions Shikshayatan and Sriniketan is presented a token of appreciation. L to R: Purnima Desai, Dr. VK Raju and HR Shah
Friend of the Eye Foundation of America is honored. Anumolu Rao, a business magnate, is presented a token of appreciation. L to R: Anumolu Rao, Dr. Raju, HR Shah
Friend of the Eye Foundation of America is honored. Srinu Maddula who likes to be known as foster child of Dr. Raju, because Dr. Raju saved him from going blind, is presented a token of appreciation. L to R: Mrs. Vandana Sharma, Regional Manager, Air India, HR Shah, Srinu Maddula, Dr. Raju
Friend of the Eye Foundation of America is honored. Tina Shah and Zinda Singh, philanthropists and community activists are presented a token of appreciation. L to R: Mrs. Vandana Sharma, HR Shah, Tina Shah, Zinda Singh, Dr. VK Raju, Karan Beri
HS Toor from the office of Assemblyman David Weprin (right) presents a New York Assembly proclamation to Dr. Raju.
The Indian Panorama honors Dr. VK Raju with “Humanitarian Services Award”. L to R: Prof. Saluja, Mrs. Vandana Sharma, HR Shah, Dr. VK Raju
AAPI-QLI presents donation check to Dr. Raju. L to R: AAPI National President Dr. Ajay Lodha (2nd), AAPI-QLI President Dr. Vaijnath Chakote (3rd), Dr. Satish Anand (4th), Mrs. Anand (5th), Peter Bheddah (6th). Second row- L to R: Zinda Singh, Dr. Raju (3rd)
Friend of the Eye Foundation of America is honored. Dr. VK Raju presents a token of appreciation to HR Shah.L to R: Mrs. Vandana Sharma, Prof. Saluja, Dr. Raju, HR Shah, Karan Beri
Dr. VK Raju and Prof. Saluja with community leaders. L to R: Prof. Saluja, Himat Singh Sarpanch, Dr. Raju, Master Mohinder Singh, Ranjit Singh Mahmatpur, Zinda Singh, Herman Singh, HS Toor, Mohinder Verma
Coming together for a picture. L to R: Dr. Satish Anand, Mrs. Anand, Peter Bheddah, Dr. Ajay Lodha, Zinda Singh, Rajeev Bhambri, Indu Jaiswal
The media community which graced the occasion included Sharanjit Singh Thind, Publisher of the South Asian Insider, Jay Jasbir Singh, Publisher of Hum Hindustani, and Parveen Chopra, Managing Editor of the South Asian Times, from the print media. The electronic media at the event included TVAsia represented by Mukesh Gangani and Gunjesh Desai; and PTC TV represented by Davinder Singh, Jaya Sharma, Balwant Hothi and Gurinder Hothi. Freelance journalist Hema Virani also graced the occasion.
There was a brief entertainment session presented by Jyoti Gupta and Dr Rakesh Dua who enthralled the audience with a duet song. The entertainment segment was organized by Shyam and Indu Gajhwani.
The Indian Panorama Assistant Editor Bidisha Roy, Karan Beri, Jaskiran Beri, Chitagam Saluja and Kabir Beri supervised all arrangements, including the vital department of hospitality which incidentally came in for a lot of praise for the pleasant ambience of the place and great food at Cotillion.
NEW YORK (TIP): President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks have created a buzz as he is building it with his allies, old friends, and even some past rivals. But interestingly, list of his nominees as of Dec. 15, 2016, includes two billionaires and at least nine millionaires, with a combined net worth of about $5.6 billion, according to a report by the Bloomberg. There were no billionaires in the first confirmed cabinet of his predecessors – George W Bush and Barack Obama.
The report also says that fewer than half of Trump’s nominees have any prior government experience. Only 44% of appointees as of December 15, have government experience while it was 96% for Bush and 87% for Obama.
Here’s a look at the billionaires and millionaires whom Trump has picked so far:
Mike Pence, Vice President (Net Worth – $635K) – Pence, the 50th and current Governor of Indiana who served 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, will provide a channel to Congress for the new administration. The former radio talk-show host has championed limited government and social causes, such as opposition to abortion.
Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State (Net Worth – $365M) – Rex Tillerson is the chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation, the world’s sixth largest company by revenue. An Exxon lifer, Tillerson would have to sell his 2.6 million shares of the company’s common stock, which had a value of about $240 million as of Dec. 14, He is stepping down as CEO and chairman at the end of the year.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, Attorney General (Net Worth $7.4M) -The Alabama senator became one of the first members of Congress to endorse Trump this February. He became an adviser on almost every major decision and policy proposal Trump made during the campaign. As the chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Sessions helped Trump craft a hardline immigration plan that he touted would prevent people from entering the country illegally. Sessions has opposed nearly every immigration bill that has come before the Senate the past two decades that has included a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally.
Rep. Tom Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services(Net Worth $18.7M) – Georgia Rep. Tom Price, the six-term Congressmanis the fierce opponent of the Affordable Care Act. A Republican with a plan to simultaneously repeal and replace Obamacare, Obama’s signature legislative accomplishment, Price, 62, an orthopedic surgeon from the Atlanta suburbs and the chair of the House Budget Committee, began focusing his energies on dismantling Obamacare almost as soon as President Obama signed the landmark health insurance law in 2010.
Betsy DeVos, Secretary of the Department of Education(Net Worth $130M) – DeVos is aschool-choice activist, philanthropist and Republican mega-donor. The 58-year-oldbillionaire philanthropist, heads the American Federation for Children. Her group advocates for charter school education and she has been an advocate for school vouchers. Her foundation (American Federation for Children) has been mainly focused on trying to further the privatization of public education, not on strengthening it.
Elaine Chao, Secretary of Transportation (Net Worth $25.6M) – Trump tapped Chao, a former labor secretary, to head the Department of Transportation. Chao is the first American woman of Asian descent to be appointed to a President’s Cabinet in nation’s history. Having served from 2001-2009, she is the longest tenured Secretary of Labor since World War II, and the only member of President George W. Bush’s original cabinet to have served the entire eight years of his Administration.
Steve Mnuchin, named Secretary of Treasury, has a net worth of $655 million
Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury (Net Worth $655M) – Mnuchin, a banker, film producer, and political fundraiser served as the Trump campaign’s national finance chair and was largely considered the frontrunner for the job. He began his career at Goldman Sachs, where he spent 17 years and rose to become a partner. He left to start his own hedge fund and went on to become a financier of Hollywood films like “Avatar” and “American Sniper.” Throughout his career, Mnuchin showed only a limited interest in politics and remained mostly behind the scenes during Trump’s run.
Ben Carson, HUD Secretary (Net Worth $23M) – Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has never held elected office, unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, rose to national prominence for the successful 1987 separation of twins conjoined at the head at the John Hopkins Hospital.
Andrew Puzder, Labor Secretary (Net Worth $110M) – Fast-food magnate Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, which owns the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. chains, was an economic adviser to Trump during the campaign.
Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce(Net Worth $2.9B) – The 79-year-old billionaire former banker, is known for restructuring failed companies in industries such as steel, coal, telecommunications, foreign investment and textiles. He also has been an outspoken critic of free trade agreements, which was a hallmark of Trump’s campaign. His relationship with Trump goes back decades. Ross helped Trump keep control of his failing Taj Mahal casino in the 1990s by persuading investors not to push out the real estate mogul.
Linda McMahon, Small Business Administration (Net Worth $1.4B) – Linda McMahon co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment and shares a net worth of at least $1.35 billion with her husband, Vince. She spent $97 million on two failed bids to win a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut and gave an additional $7.5 million to the Trump campaign.
You are working out in the gym for six days a week and also watching your diet, yet your abs are not shaping the way they should. Why do you think is that happening? These slipups are holding back your desired results.
You are focusing too much on crunches
Many people get this wrong. They feel that to get washboard abs, they need to crunch, crunch and crunch. But that’s not how it works. In fact many fitness experts feel that crunches are overrated. They are not as beneficial as they are touted to be.
Doing isolation moves
Heard of the transverse abdominus (TVA) muscle? If you are ignoring this muscle, it could be the reason for you to not see the desired results. TVA is a deep seated muscle group in your abdomen, which gets activated only if you do compound moves. For the uninitiated, compound moves work on two muscle groups simultaneously just like abdominal bicycle and dumbbell squats. Pelvic twists are also effective but caught in the rut of regular exercises, we often miss out on the goodness of exercises like pelvic twists.
You are ignoring your back
You cannot build flawless abdominal muscles if you are ignoring your back muscles. Ab exercises put a lot of pressure on your back muscles and if you are not engaging your back muscles, you are making yourself prone to injuries.
You are not eating right
“Perfect abs are made in kitchen!” If your diet is not supplementing your workout, the abs will not show any signs of improvement. High protein, ample fiber, lots of water, light and early dinner and low-carb diet are some of the components of a flat tummy diet. “Having detox water throughout the day is also an effective way to lose tummy fat,” recommends nutritionist Mansi Chatrath. Take these seriously and you are sure to see results.
Same exercise routine day after day
Celebrity fitness expert, Deepesh Bhatt explains, “When you follow the same workout routine day after day, your body eventually gets used to it and stops responding. So the trick to get faster and better results is to continue changing your workout. It could be some change in workout timing or introduction of new moves and techniques. You basically have to shock your body to get maximum output.”
Never tried HIIT?
Ab-specific exercises are a great way to go about building your muscles but one cannot ignore the importance of a full body workout. Skip the treadmill and try High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT cardio workout involves high- intensity moves that help burn calories faster, thereby helping you achieve the perfectly chiseled abs.
Not getting enough sleep
Sleep and your weight are interlinked. If your body is not well rested, it doesn’t matter how hard you gruel yourself in the gym, it won’t respond the way it should. Less sleep also affects your hunger hormones and impacts the amount of calories you burn in a day. Sleep well and your abs will definitely thank you!
Let’s admit this. We all have some friends that we never want our boyfriend to meet. “There are some friends that stir up a sense of insecurity within us and creates a feeling of discomfort,” says relationship expert Madhu Kotiya to TOI.
Here is a list of the variety of friends we need to be more careful of :
1. The jealous lover friend We all have that one friend, don’t we? That friend who secretly likes us. The friend we deliberately don’t mention in front of our boyfriend. And if we don’t even mention him, making him meet the man would only cause problems, which we do not want, right?
2. Your ex who’s NOW a friend You would never want to do that, would you? Making your ex-turned-friend meet your current boyfriend?Think again, ladies! It does NOT seem to be a good idea. After all, the ego game could be too strong to handle!
3. The Third-wheel Yes, we all have planned dates with our best friend in tow sometimes, but all the time? Not a bright idea! We want our time alone with our man and would really not want a third wheelie tagging along, always!
4. That super hot friend Sounds too familiar? There is always that one friend who is too hot to handle and somewhere inside us, we’re jealous. The last person we would want our man to meet is this friend. What if he finds her better?What if that perfect figure lures him into changing his mind about you?
5. The unnecessary flirt There’s that friend, the one who will flirt with anything from the opposite sex moving. This kind should be strictly off-the-list. Do not even consider this option.
6. The ‘Frenemy’ She may be at a better job or better looking. And she doesn’t leave a chance to prove that to you. This is the breed which can turn out to be dangerous if introduced to your one true love. Why? Because all your insecurities will be standing right in front of you and staring.
7. The ‘always correct’ friend Aren’t you already used to being the ‘always correct’ diva? Familiarizing this category will make you look like Ms Lost-erson. Avoid this kind, as much as you can.
Mattel and producers Walter F Parkes, Laurie MacDonald and Amy Pascal have teamed up for the project, which is aimed at putting a contemporary spin on beauty, feminism and identity.
Sony had hired three scribes to pen separate screenplays, with the studio picking Hilary Winston’s idea and script. Schumer is expected to rewrite the script with her sister, Kim Caramele.
A search for a director is still on.
Barbie doll, launched in March 1959 by El Segundo, California-based Mattel, is one of the biggest toy brands in the world.
The movie will try to address those in a story that begins in a perfect land of Barbies, where one woman slowly awakens to the fact that she doesn’t fit in. She is expelled from the idealistic land and journeys to the real world, where she discovers that being unique is an asset.
The 49-year-old adopted Isabella, 23, and Connor, 20, with her former husband Tom Cruise. She has biological daughters Faith, 5, and Sunday Rose, 8, with her husband Keith Urban. And now, she and Urban have thought about having more children.
“It’s something I have thought about. But you never say ‘never’ about children, do you?” Kidman told.
However, Kidman added that the couple have their “hands full” with their children at the moment.
She said: “(We) have got our hands full at the moment.”
Singer Keith Urban says actress and wife Nicole Kidman is an incredible mother.
Urban and Kidman share two children together – Sunday, eight, and Faith, five and Urban is constantly amazed by how his wife handles being a parent.
“She’s an incredible mom. Loving, maternal, and she’s teaching me a lot about how to raise children, especially girls. I have no reference for girls. I grew up in a house of boys, so it’s quite the learning curve,” Urban said.
The ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ actress says she constantly gets fashion advice from her two young daughters.
“I would go to the school to pick them up, and they’d be like, ‘Please don’t pick me up in sweatpants or jeans’. They’re like, ‘Can you just get dressed up and do your hair and put on makeup and wear heels?’,” Kidman said.
STORY: Workers, engineers and corporate heads try to escape the Deepwater Horizon oil rig after a devastating explosion.
CAST: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson, Gina Rodriguez DIRECTION: Peter Berg GENRE: Action DURATION: 1 hour 48 minutes
REVIEW: Deepwater Horizon lies somewhere between an epic disaster movie and a dramatic retelling of a devastating incident. But it definitely leans more towards the former.
It even follows the disaster-movie rulebook: first, we see the tiny cracks that will blow up into something bigger. Next come the happy-sleepy lives of soon-to-be victims, followed by aerial shots of the explosion site in pristine condition. And finally, we’re thrown into the eye of the storm.
Mike (Mark Wahlberg), Jimmy (Kurt Russell) and Andrea (Gina Rodriguez) all report to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig for duty. Jimmy soon realizes that the company that commissioned this drilling expedition is ready to overlook safety measures for quick results. He tries to put his foot down but loses to corporate hierarchy. Work resumes and soon enough, tragedy strikes.
The highlight is a scene where Mike’s daughter uses a soda can, a metal tube and some oil to demonstrate on a small scale, what will eventually happen on site. It is part of the beautifully cut trailer that raises expectations.
But the expectations start to plummet when, 45 minutes into the movie, you have oil rig jargon coming out of your ears. The screenplay, adapted from a New York Times article, sadly only picks up the technical details, leaving the human stories behind. The explosion thus comes as a much-needed adrenaline shot that boosts the movie into action-extravaganza territory. It is enjoyable hereon, but it beats the purpose. Instead of underlining the horrors of the incident, the movie glamorizes the explosion as a Michael Bay-esque plot point that leads to heroic survival tactics.
In a surprisingly understated performance, Mark Wahlberg is convincing as a regular oil rig worker who finds strength within. He even gets a few chuckles out of you. Kate Hudson’s vulnerable wife act brings calm to the chaos.
As an informative piece on the catastrophe at the Deepwater Horizon, the movie just doesn’t dig deep enough. But as a visually rich disaster movie, it passes the test.
Anushka Sharma says like any normal girl she would like to get married at some point in life, but is in no hurry to tie the knot. The 28-year-old actress, who is having a golden run in her career, said she is not thinking about getting married right now
“Marriage is on the cards, but I don’t know when will it happen. I haven’t thought about it yet. I have done everything in my life very normally. And marriage is definitely there on my agendas in life. But I don’t know when will it happen.” Anushka said.
The ‘Sultan’ star believes actresses now get meaty roles even after they start a family. “I feel things are changing now. Actresses are working at same pace even after getting married or having kids. This is an amazing time for women in industry. I also would like to continue things like a normal person (after marriage). It is important to be that way. I didn’t like when people said that actresses have shelf life.” she added.
“I friend zone guys very quickly. I always draw a line. In industry Ranbir Kapoor is my very good friend. We have recently worked a lot together and share a good bonding.”
Priyanka Chopra is busy with her career in Hollywood, but the actress says she misses Bollywood a lot and want to a film here soon.
During a Q&A session on Twitter a fan asked the 34-year-old star if she misses working in Hindi films, to which she replied “Yes I miss Hindi films. Can’t wait to do my next one…”
Another fan asked her how it feels to be nominated at the People’s Choice Awards, second year in a row.
The actress said, “I’m so grateful to be nominated in such an illustrious category with such august company.”
The actress has made a place in the nomination list this time along with stars like Ellen Pompeo, Kerry Washington, Viola Davis and Taraji P Henson.
Priyanka is also gearing up for the release of her Hollywood debut ‘Baywatch,’ alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.
STORY: Vidya Sinha (Vidya Balan) has only one obsession in life. She wants to see her teenage daughter Mini, who is paralysed waist-downwards, walk again. But, is this scenario as obvious as it seems? Or is Vidya an impersonator of Durga Rani Singh from Kalimpong, who is wanted for kidnapping and murder?
REVIEW: This sequel directed by Sujoy Ghosh after a gap of four years is a whodunit that definitely serves up intrigue, but fails to keep a tight grip on proceedings throughout its duration. So unlike the first part, that hit the ground running and set a benchmark in the genre, this one lacks the shark-bite. But you do invest in Vidya Sinha, a harrowed, working mum from Chandan Nagar in West Bengal and her handicapped teenage daughter, who like most middle-class people overcome hurdles to go through the daily grind. So much so, that when Mini goes missing and Vidya meets an accident, there is a sense of void. Enter, Indrajit(Arjun Rampal), the cop-on-the-case, who is the first one to discover that the woman in a coma resembles Durga(Vidya Balan again!), a school clerk from Kalimpong, who is a fugitive-on-the-run.
Here it is important to say that the film works because Vidya the mother or Durga the murderer are both believable and solid characters. As is the cop piecing the mystery together. And, to give out anything more about the plot is unfair.
Shot majorly at night and on real locations, the film has the authentic texture. If you fell in love with Kolkata in the 2012 outing, you will love Kalimpong here. The background score gives stomach-knots (as it must) and the camera work is good.
Vidya, shorn of make-up and glamour breezes through her dual role in autopilot mode. Arjun impresses as the cop hankering for a promotion and is believable as the husband. If you have an appetite for thrillers (albeit, with some flaws) give this one a try.
As expected, the latest Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meet, headed by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and with state finance ministers as members, could not arrive at any policy decision as far as the dual control of assessees is concerned. Consequently, the switchover to a single GST, subsuming almost all other commodity taxes will miss the stipulated date of its implementation, April 1, 2017.
The Union Finance Minister has now set September 16 as the new deadline. For the first time, a tax would be placed in the Concurrent list, which our Constitution makers meticulously avoided so as to ensure smooth Centre-state financial relations. One should go slow in view of the turmoil created by the demonetization drive. Jaitley’s contention that GST must be implemented before September 16 is not convincing. With the consent of states, the implementation could be postponed. The adoption of VAT took nearly 30 years, though it did not have any implications for our federal set-up. It simply replaced state sales tax by state VAT and central excise duty by Cenvat.
The chaos created by the demonetization drive has shaken the confidence of some states. After GST, they consider it the second blow to states’ autonomy, even though demonetization and the GST regime are aimed at ensuring transparent transactions. GST will neutralize the ill-effects of demonetization like fall in demand, market shrinkage and unemployment by extending market frontiers.
As GST ensures that tax credit is given to producers/ sellers for the taxes already paid, specialization and efficiency in production will be promoted. Producers and traders will get tax credit even on inter- state movement of goods and services. India will emerge as one common national market, with a seamless flow of goods and services across the country. There will be no tax on tax, so production and distribution of goods would become less costly, thereby boosting consumption and investment. Producers will be induced to invest in logistics and building warehouses and inventories, giving a fillip to ease of doing business. Implementing GST should not be viewed as a matter of prestige by the states or the Centre and both should adopt a pragmatic approach.
The most significant impact of GST will be on extending the volume of trade. A National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) study has evaluated the possible impact of GST on India’s international trade. It has been observed that, “The differential multiple tax regimes across sectors of production are leading to distortions in the allocation of resources as well as production inefficiencies. Complete offsets of taxes are not being provided to exports, thus affecting their competitiveness”. The study has estimated that “implementation of a comprehensive GST across goods and services will enhance the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by between 0.9 and 1.7 per cent”. Boosting trade, both internal and external, with forward and backward linkages may lift the GDP by 1-2 per cent. Of course, the organized sector may gain at the cost of the unorganized sector, yet the conversion of the informal sector into the formal is the prerequisite for reducing poverty and inequalities. Demonetization too has induced the informal sector to convert into the formal sector.
The continued disruptions of the Lok Sabha provoked a strong reaction from a sidelined BJP veteran, LK Advani.
The latter has blamed both Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and his one-time protégé, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, for the logjam. The superannuated leader, who gave voice to public disgust at the systemic paralysis, found an opportunity to get even with the BJP leadership which thought it had justifiably consigned him to political oblivion. The Advani rap has re-emphasized the established democratic norm that it is the ruling party’s responsibility to smoothly run Parliament. Prime Minister Modi’s call to the party MPs to “expose” the Opposition got lost in the political excitement that Advani’s sudden outburst generated.
Opposition parties, too, need to have second thoughts if they think they are entitled to public gratitude for repeatedly highlighting hardships over demonetization. Noise is not a substitute for debate. Nor is disruption appreciated by the people who pay for it. Getting the day’s allowances without work should weigh on their conscience. It needs a level-headed legislator to articulate what agitates him. Who benefits from thoughtless sloganeering and kicking up of ruckus? A divided Opposition has weakened its case. AAP and TMC insist on a repeal of the demonetization notification. Most parties support the move against black money but agitate over its flawed implementation without offering alternatives or ways to plug loopholes. There was a lot opposition parties could do to pin down the government but by running away from debate they have perhaps ended up playing to the government-scripted tune.
With just three effective sittings left for the winter session the government has got away lightly. A Bill to tax black or undeclared money was cleared by voice vote within minutes of being taken up as a money Bill in the Lok Sabha without a discussion. If GST is delayed, the blame would be passed on to the recalcitrant Opposition. Both sides have managed to skip a debate or action on the related issue of political funding. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has demanded that bribing voters and paid news should be made cognizable offences. For the Opposition and the government these do not seem to be priority issues.
BERKLEY, CA (TIP): Surjeet Rajendran,assistant professor of physics at University of California, Berkeley, was named one of six winners of the 2017 New Horizons in Physics Prize during a gala announcing the annual winners of the Breakthrough Prize.Hosted by Morgan Freeman, the award ceremony was held December 4 in Silicon Valley and was attended by founders Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. A combined total of$25 million was awarded at the gala ceremony, marking the organization’s fifth anniversary recognizing top achievements in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics and Mathematics. Each of the Breakthrough Prizes is worth $3 million, the largest individual monetary prize in science.
This year, a total of seven of these prizes were awarded to nine individuals, along with a $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, which was split between three founders and more than a thousand members of the LIGO team. In addition, three $100,000 New Horizons in Physics Prizes were awarded to six early-career physicists, and a further three $100,000 New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes were awarded to four young mathematicians. And this year there were two winners of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, each receiving up to$400,000 in educational prizes for them, their teacher and their school.
“There has never been a more important time to support science,” said Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. “The 2017 Breakthrough Prize laureates represent the leaders in scientific research in physics, math and life sciences. Their breakthroughs will unlock new possibilities and help make the world a better place for everyone.”
Rajendran, 33, the Henry Shenker assistant professor of physics, works in the area of theoretical particle physics and searches for new theories to explain dark matter and other cosmological mysteries. He joined the UC Berkeley Physics Department in July 2014. The New Horizons prizes are awarded to promising early-career researchers who have already produced important work in either fundamental physics or mathematics.
WASHINGTON (TIP): On December 1, President Barack Obama announced appointment of Dave Ashok Chokshi as Member, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health. President Obama said, “These fine public servants bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their important roles. I look forward to working with them.”
Dr. Dave Ashok Chokshi is the Chief Population Health Officer of OneCity Health and Senior Assistant Vice President at New York City Health + Hospitals – the largest municipal health care system in the U.S. He practices primary care at Bellevue Hospital and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Population Health and Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. In 2012, he served as a White House Fellow at the Department of Veterans Affairs, where he was the principal health advisor in the Office of the Secretary. His prior work experience spans the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including positions with the New York City and State Departments of Health, the Louisiana Department of Health, a startup clinical software company, and a global health nonprofit dedicated to improving access to medicines in developing countries.
Dr. Chokshi has written on medicine and public health in The New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, Health Affairs, and Science. He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Parkland Health & Hospital System and was elected a Fellow of the American College of Physicians this year. Dr. Chokshi received a B.A. from Duke University, an M.Sc. from Oxford University, and an M.D. from University of Pennsylvania.
POTOMAC, MD (TIP): On December 2, Sreedhar Potarazu, 51, an Indian American ophthalmic surgeon based in Potomac, Maryland, pleaded guilty to charges of inducing interstate travel to commit a fraud and failing to account for and pay over employment taxes.
“For years Potarazu enriched himself by abusing the trust of his company’s many investors and stealing millions of dollars from them through a complex scheme of fraud and deceit, said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This case is a prime example of this office’s ongoing commitment to bringing white-collar crimi-nals to justice.” Potarazu was an ophthalmic surgeon who was licensed in Maryland and Virginia, founded in or about September 2000, VitalSpring Technologies Inc. (VitalSpring), a Delaware corporation. VitalSpring operated in McLean, Virginia and provided data analysis and services relating to health care expenditures. In or around the end of 2015, VitalSpring started doing business as Enziime, LLC, a Delaware corporation. From its inception, Potarazu was VitalSpring’s Chief Executive Officer, President, and served as a member of the Board of Directors.
“Sreedhar Potarazu viewed himself as above the law -deliberately defrauding investors and stealing from the U.S. Treasury – and with today’s guilty plea, he is held account-able for his criminal conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo. “Like other individuals who willfully ignore their employment tax obligations, Potarazu faces incarceration and substantial monetary penalties. The department will continue to work with its partners within the IRS to identify and prosecute these offenders.” Potarazu faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He will be sentenced on March 3, 2017.
TRENTON, NJ (TIP): An Indian origin New Jersey jewelry storeowner who used his business to further one of the largest credit card fraud schemes ever charged by the Justice Department was sentenced November 30 to 24 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Vinod Dadlani was sentenced to 24 months in prison on November 30
Vinod Dadlani, 53, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Thompson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Dadlani was indicted in October 2013 as part of a conspiracy – led by Tahir Lodhi, Babar Qureshi, Ijaz Butt, and others – to fabricate more than 7,000 false identities to obtain tens of thousands of credit cards. Since then, 19 people, including Dadlani, have pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme.
The scheme involved a three-step process in which the defendants would make up a false identity by creating fraudulent identification documents and a phony credit profile with the major credit bureaus; pump up the credit of the false identity by providing bogus information about that identity’s creditworthiness; then borrowed or spent as much as they could without repaying the debts – causing more than $200 million in confirmed losses to businesses and financial institutions.
Many of these debts were incurred at Dadlani’s Jersey City, New Jersey, jewelry store, among many other locations. During his guilty plea proceeding, Dadlani admitted he worked with other conspirators who came to his store and allowed them to swipe cards he knew did not legitimately belong to them. Dadlani would then split the proceeds of the phony transactions with the conspirators.
The scope of the criminal fraud enterprise required Dadlani’s conspirators to construct an elaborate network of false identities. Across the country, the conspirators maintained more than 1,800 “drop addresses,” including houses, apartments and post office boxes, which they used as the mailing addresses for the false identities.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson sentenced Dadlani to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay forfeiture of $411,000.
NEW YORK (TIP): Raju Venugopalan, an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University and a senior physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, has been awarded a Humboldt Research Award for his remarkable achievements in theoretical nuclear physics. This prestigious international award – issued by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Bonn, Germany – comes with a prize of
60,000 (nearly $70,000 U.S.) and the opportunity to collaborate with German researchers at Heidelberg University and elsewhere. Venugopalan joins 13 other Brookhaven National Laboratory physicists who have received this award since 1974.
“This is a great honor and I’m delighted to be in the company of other Humboldt winners over the past years,” Venugopalan said in a press release. “This award gives me a wonderful opportunity to build on and establish new collaborations with my colleagues in Germany, where I’ve been on sabbatical at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Heidelberg University for the past year. I look forward to widening and deepening these connections.”
Since 2009, Raju Venugopalan has served as an adjunct professor in Stony Brook University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Arts & Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. from Stony Brook in 1992. He came to Brookhaven Lab as an Assistant Physicist in 1998. He rose through the ranks, receiving a tenure appointment in 2002, and has held the title of Senior Scientist since 2007. From 2010 to 2015 he served as Group Leader of the Lab’s Nuclear Theory Group, ranked highest among 62 DOE-supported university and lab groups during that time. Venugopalan took a sabbatical as an Excellence Initiative Guest Professor at Heidelberg University’s Institute for Theoretical Physics from 2015-2016, and returned to his Group Leader role this fall.
Prior to joining Brookhaven, Venugopalan held post-doctoral appointments at the University of Minnesota (1992-94), the University of Washington (1994-96), and the Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen (1997-98).
NEW YORK (TIP): The Taxi and Limousine Commission on December 8 unanimously approved a package of rules that will create a framework for a city wheelchair accessible dispatch system that will allow people to request a wheelchair accessible yellow or green taxicab -or WAV- anywhere in the City of New York, and at the standard metered rate of fare. People will be able to request this service in multiple ways -from an easily downloaded app that we will announce in the near future, to texts, e-mails and phone calls. The service is expected to be getting underway in the early months of 2017.
Accessible Dispatch Program began in 2012, with less than 240 wheelchair-accessible vehicles on the road. The successful program is currently only able to serve passengers requesting rides from Manhattan to any destination in the five boroughs. There are now more than 1,200 wheelchair-accessible medallion taxis moving the riding public, an increase of over 350% since the program’s inception, and almost 600 wheelchair accessible green cabs on the road.
“Today’s vote was the culmination of tremendous effort, but it is really only the beginning,” said TLC Chair Meera Joshi. “We are anxious to continue the process of bringing this safe, convenient service of matching passengers with yellow and green cabs to New Yorkers and visitors alike, and hopeful that the creation of this never-before-available option will make a positive difference in people’s lives, as the current program has for so many.”
The service will be available to users beginning in the spring of 2017. Prospective users will not need to reserve ahead of time and may “hail” a wheelchair-accessible yellow medallion taxicab by calling 311, the dispatch center, texting a request, or using the Accessible Dispatch smartphone app.
NEW YORK (TIP): ThriveNYC’s Geriatric Mental Health Initiative, a package of mental health services that will be offered at 15 senior centers this year and at an additional ten centers in 2017, was launched on December 7 by First Lady Chirlane McCray, Deputy Mayor Richard Buery, and Department for the Aging Commissioner Donna Corrado.
Mental health clinicians will provide on-site therapy, as well as educational workshops, mental health screening, referrals, and engagement activities that help de-stigmatize mental illness. Through ThriveNYC, the Department for the Aging will also launch friendly visiting to homebound seniors to help prevent social isolation, which increases the risk of chronic health conditions, depression, anxiety and other serious health issues.
The service will be provided through trained volunteers working with coordinators at the case management agencies. The volunteers will seek to develop meaningful relationships with the individuals they visit and to engage them in activities like shopping, library visits, and local senior center visits. To enrich the service, volunteers and friendly visiting coordinators will be trained on mental health first-aid because social isolation can put seniors at risk for mental health problems. An important purpose of the visiting service will be to link clients identified by their visitors as needing mental health intervention to appropriate resources.
Nassau County Comptroller recommends an outside independent review of overtime assignment practices.
MINEOLA, NY (TIP): The Police Department’s overtime for 2016 is projected to exceed $69.9 million, by approximately $13 million, or about 23%more than budgeted. By 2016 year-end, over 30 police members are expected to earn more than $100,000 in overtime, and one police officer has already received almost $180,000 as of November 30, 2016, and may exceed $200,000 by year-end. It has been revealed in a press statement from the Comptroller’s office.
The overtime earnings also appear to be heavily skewed towards a relatively small number of police force members who tend to be the highest paid, with 90%also eligible for retirement. For example, 375 out of about 2300 active police force members (excluding cadets), or 16% of the members, earned approximately 41%of all overtime as of November 30, 2016, For the first time in 2016, Nassau County will have a number of police members who will earn more than $300,000 in total earnings. It is important to note that most police members, almost 84%, earned less than $50,000 in overtime pay, and as of November 30, the median overtime earned by all active police members was $22,300.
“Police overtime has been a recurring budget,” said Comptroller George Maragos. “While most officers appear to have reasonable overtime, greater oversight and better management of overtime would seem appropriate for those earning significantly above the median. An outside independent review of overtime assignment practices is strongly recommended.”
With one month remaining in the year, 281 police force members have already earned a combined salary including overtime, holiday pay, longevity pay, shift differential and other pay of more than $200,000. As of November 30, 2016, two officers have already earned more than $300,000 in total compensation, and by year-end, an additional six (6) police force members will likely exceed $300,000 in total compensation. Table 1 below shows the total compensation for the 25 top overtime 25 earners. .
NEW YORK (TIP): Late Indian spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy’s followers in USA set a Guinness Record by putting 72,585 candles on his 80-Feet-long birthday cake to mark his 85th birth anniversary. Taking place at the Sri Chinmoy Centre in New York, a team of 100 people worked together to make the cake, individually place each candle and then light them with 60 blowtorches. The candles remained burning for about 40 seconds, ensuring that the previous record went up in flames. The previous record was achieved in California in April, with a total of 50,151 candles.
Sri Chinmoy Kumar Ghose was born in the small village of Shakpura in East Bengal on August 27th, 1931. He entered the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Southern India as a youth and spent the next 20 years in spiritual practice. Sri Chinmoy serves as an inner spiritual guide to seekers and students in some 60 countries around the world. He encouraged a harmonious lifestyle that blends the inner discipline of prayer and meditation with the dynamism of modern life. Sri Chinmoy did not charge a fee for his spiritual guidance or concerts in the firm belief that meditation is everyone’s birthright.
In 1964, Sri Chinmoy moved to New York City to offer his dedicated service to the West through music, concerts, literary outpourings, athletics and art.
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