The Indian Panorama

Month: September 2018

  • Indian-Origin Family Faces Hate Crime Attack in UK

    Indian-Origin Family Faces Hate Crime Attack in UK

    LONDON (TIP):  An Indian-origin family of four faces hate crime according to police in the UK. They had a lucky escape when their house was targeted in an “unprovoked” arson attack.

    Mayur Karlekar, called as Mac Karlekar, and his wife Ritu and two young children were asleep in their home when they were woken up by their neighbors, who had called in the fire brigade to tackle a huge blaze outside their home in south-east London’s Borkwood Park area of Orpington.

    “The Metropolitan Police is investigating this as a hate crime. It is being dealt with as a case of arson and criminal damage. No arrests have been made so far,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.

    CCTV images from the area reportedly show a group of four-five youths, dressed in hoodies, attempting to start a fire on the hedges outside the Karlekars’ home.

    “We all were sleeping and were luckily woken up by neighbors on time. Though most of the damage was done to the hedges leaving the house now exposed, my son’s bedroom was just saved – he was sleeping in it at the time of the incident,” said Mayur Karlekar, a digital consultant who move to the UK from Mumbai in the late 1990s.

    “We are glad it was stopped on time but the damage to our neighborhood, our society, to our home has been done, irrecoverably. We have not caused any trouble to anyone and have only helped others in all our lifetime. I was special police myself doing voluntary unpaid work. This act happening to us was a complete shock,” said the 43-year-old, who has been appealing for information to bring the suspects to justice across various social media channels.

    Mayur Karlekar, originally from Dombivali in Thane district of Maharashtra, said he wanted to ensure no other families in the neighborhood become victims of a similar hate crime.

    “Hope this kind of arson attack does not happen to any family as it happened on ours unprovoked. If you know anyone or seen any video floating around on social media of dares, please help stop it. Be safe, be vigilant,” he said in his appeal.

    Images posted on social media reveal huge flames and extensive damage to the outside of the property in the residential suburb in the borough of Bromley in London. Mayur Karlekar has expressed his unhappiness with the nearly 32-hour delay in the Met Police starting their investigation into the case.

    “This is the second incident in this area, the first one being a robbery, but we feel more may have happened or are going unreported. We want those people to come out and raise their voice too,” he said.

    British police describe hate crimes as those perceived as motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic and monitor it under five strands – race or ethnicity; religion or beliefs; sexual orientation; disability; or transgender identity.

    According to official figures released earlier this year, incidents of hate crime had registered a spike in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit referendum in 2016. There were 80,393 offences in 2016-17, compared with 62,518 in 2015-16, the largest increase since the UK Home Office began recording these figures in 2011-12.

     

  • Indian-Origin British Businessman First Person to get top Royal Navy Post

    Indian-Origin British Businessman First Person to get top Royal Navy Post

    LONDON(TIP): Wales-based Indian- origin businessman has become the first ever Indian origin person to be appointed Honorary Lieutenant Commander in the UK’s Royal Navy.

    Raj Aggarwal, who is India’s Honorary Consul in Wales, was appointed to his naval post by Admiral Sir Philip Jones following the formal approval of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.

    The move will see the pharmacist and healthcare expert take on the rank of honorary lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy, which is equivalent to the rank of an army major, and he will be affiliated to the Royal Navy ship ‘HMS Dragon’ in his new role.

    “Raj is a great friend and advocate of the Naval service and his appointment will deepen the relationship between the community and the Royal Navy,” Royal Marine Brigadier Graeme Fraser told the ‘Wales Online’ newspaper.

    “Our Armed Forces are inclusive employers; we recognize the value of diversity and proudly serve all members of our communities at home and overseas. As the only Honorary Royal Navy officer in Wales, it is fitting that we celebrate his appointment. He will wear his Naval officer’s uniform at the ceremony with pride,” Mr Fraser said.

    Each honorary officer is expected to bring a breadth of experience and make a contribution in their own distinct way to the Royal Navy. The official inauguration ceremony, which took place on Sunday on ‘HMS Cambria’ – the only Royal Navy base in Wales, was dubbed the Royal Naval Mela in honor of Aggarwal’s Indian roots.

    Mr Aggarwal said, “It is my great honor to accept this position in the Royal Navy as one of the ‘special’ honoraries. I want to use this position to create greater diversity in the Navy, to show the community that the Navy will be supportive and that there are amazing careers on offer, with first rate skills-training and opportunities to see the world”.

    Raj Aggarwal, chairman of pharma firm RK Aggarwal Ltd, migrated from Kenya to Wales in 1967 and studied pharmacy at Cardiff University before settling down in Cardiff.

     

  • Indian- Origin British Officer Honored in UK for “Toughest Policing Role”

    Indian- Origin British Officer Honored in UK for “Toughest Policing Role”

    LONDON(TIP): Indian-origin British counter-terrorism chief has won the Asian Achievers’ Award in the Uniformed and Civil Services category for his contribution to policing in the UK.

    Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, who is the Metropolitan Police’s National Lead for Counter Terrorism and the Head of the Met Police’s Specialist Operations, had sent a colleague from the force to receive the award on his behalf at the 18th annual awards event, organized by UK-based media house Asian Business Publications Limited (ABPL) Group.

    The award citation described Mr Basu’s job as “one of the toughest policing roles in the country” and praised his hard work and dedication in achieving such seniority within the force as the “first officer of Asian heritage to hold the post in the UK”.

     “(British Asians) continue to excel across all spheres of society…I am determined to ensure the government looks more like the country it serves, and to see a new generation creating opportunities for people across the whole of the UK,” Prime Minister Theresa May noted in her message for the awards night at Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair, London.

    Among some of the other key winners, selected by a panel of judges made up of academics and entrepreneurs, included Rishi Khosla, the CEO of unicorn start-up OakNorth who was named Businessperson of the Year, and Adarsh Radia, the founder of the popular Dishoom chain of Indian restaurants in the UK who was named Entrepreneur of the Year.

    “The awards have grown in stature year after year and once again we received an overwhelming number of nominations, which is an indication that the success of the British Asian community in various fields continues unabated,” said CB Patel, the founder-chairman of ABPL Group and Editor and Publisher of ‘Asian Voice’ and ‘Gujarat Samachar’ – the weekly newspapers which invite its readers to nominate achievers for the annual awards

    “Our awards recognize all those unsung heroes within the Asian community – many of whom arrived here as migrants. They have made great strides, not just within their communities and professional sectors but have made huge contributions to British society and the UK economy,” added Patel, who presented a special Editor’s Award to leading NRI hotelier and Chair of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London, Joginder Sanger, for his contributions in the field of business and philanthropy.

     The Asian Achievers Awards has helped to raise around 1.5 million pounds for various causes and charities since its launch in 2000. This year’s chosen beneficiary was Oracle Cancer, a leading charity funding research into head and neck cancer, which attracted nearly 100,000 pounds through donations and an auction hosted by famous British author Lord Jeffrey Archer.

    The high-selling auction lots for the night included a shirt signed by the Indian cricket team, which went under the hammer for 5,000 pounds, and a seven-night luxury tour aboard India’s ‘Deccan Odyssey” train clinching 10,000 pounds.

    Leading general practitioner (GP) and honorary secretary of the Welsh Division of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) Hasmukh Shah was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

    Other major winners on the night were Indian-origin BBC presenter, author and documentary filmmaker Babita Sharma in the media and arts category and healthcare entrepreneur and CEO of Regent’s Park Healthcare Anil Kumar Ohri, who was named Professional of the Year.

  • Paul Manafort and special counsel close to deal for guilty plea, reports CNN

    Paul Manafort and special counsel close to deal for guilty plea, reports CNN

    WASHINGTON(TIP): Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman embattled by criminal indictments, may no longer fight the charges related to his Ukrainian lobbying operation, says a CNN report.

    He and the special counsel’s office are close to a deal for a guilty plea ahead of his upcoming trial, according to a source familiar with the matter. A deal is expected but the source cautioned the two sides have been close before.

    The incentive appears to be to reach a deal ahead of a pretrial motion hearing scheduled for Friday and before jury selection begins Monday in DC District Court. That’s also a week before Manafort and prosecutors make new filings in Virginia to discuss the charges and convictions he faces there.

    A plea Friday, September 14, would bring to an end one of the most active criminal cases in the DC federal court system this year. Manafort’s lawyers have filed hundreds of pages in courts to fight prosecutors’ allegations and have brought two appeals unsuccessfully, and his legal fees mounted to more than a million dollars, according to two people familiar with his case.

    Proceedings scheduled for Monday would kick off a second grueling, expensive, politically explosive three-week-or-longer trial in federal court. Manafort faces seven counts of foreign lobbying violations, money laundering conspiracy and witness tampering. The trial was likely to put on display the secret dealings of Washington’s lobbying and law firm elite.

    Manafort is accused in DC of not disclosing to the Justice Department his work for Ukrainian politicians and laundering that income. Prosecutors allege he set up meetings with lawmakers and fashioned public relations efforts in the US on the Ukrainians’ behalf.

    A jury convicted Manafort in Virginia last month on eight bank and tax fraud charges related to his lobbying wealth after a three-week trial. The evidence was largely about how he had kept money off his books and relied on others to help him lie to banks and the government. At trial, prosecutors showed how Manafort worked for pro-Russian Ukrainians and funneled millions of dollars in income through Cypriot accounts.

    It was not clear if the deal with the special counsel’s office would include cooperation. The plea is expected to address both sets of charges he faces — for the upcoming trial in DC and the 10 counts he still faces in Virginia.

    Manafort has not yet entered a new plea before the judge in DC and prosecutors have not yet revealed the terms of any deal reached with him. If a deal comes through, it will likely be announced at the court hearing at 11 a.m. Friday.

    Plea signs

    In the last few days, the prosecutors’ activities shifted from trial preparation to negotiations, according to a person familiar with the case.

    Then indications added to the possibility that a plea deal was in the works. Members of Manafort’s legal team were spotted spending several hours at the special counsel office’s Thursday, even sending a junior member of the defense team to bring lunch inside. Uzo Asonye, a prosecutor who tried Manafort’s case in Virginia, was also at the office Thursday.

    Several news outlets reported on possible ongoing talks this week. ABC News reported Thursday evening that Manafort had tentatively agreed to a deal.

    The judge overseeing his case in DC, Amy Berman Jackson, delayed a major court hearing about his upcoming trial twice this week. First, she moved it from Wednesday to Friday. Then, as lawyers inside the special counsel’s office began to leave Thursday, the judge pushed the hearing back another hour and a half Friday morning, giving no reason.

    Months of pressure

    Manafort has maintained that he is not guilty since special counsel Robert Mueller’s office first charged him with foreign lobbying and financial crimes last October. But he has had several reasons to cut a deal. With it, he could lessen the risk of another conviction and of harsh sentences, escape paying thousands of dollars for three or more lawyers to try the case and avoid the attention on himself, his associates and family.

    His unwillingness to cooperate with prosecutors since before his indictment has unspooled into several sets of new charges, making his case more complicated.

    Adding to the complications in the negotiations, Manafort’s legal team has attempted to preserve the possibility of a presidential pardon, the prospect of which a lawyer for President Donald Trump suggested to members of his earlier legal team, according to people briefed on the matter.

    After the first indictment in October, the White House distanced itself from Manafort and downplayed his time leading the Trump campaign. But in recent weeks, as Manafort faced a conviction in his related case in Virginia, Trump sympathized with him.

    “I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family,” the President tweeted the week of his conviction. ” ‘Justice’ took a 12-year-old tax case, among other things, applied tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to ‘break’ – make up stories in order to get a ‘deal.’ Such respect for a brave man!”

    Manafort, Trump’s top political operative from May to August 2016, has long been considered one of the bigger fish for the special counsel’s office to hook in its probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign. In addition to the financial and lobbying charges against Manafort, the special counsel’s team has said it’s investigating allegations he colluded with Russia while working for Trump.

    It is not known the extent that Manafort was still in touch with his Russia-friendly clients from Ukraine in 2015 and 2016, though even after his arrest he has stayed in touch with a Russian associate, Konstantin Kilimnik, whom prosecutors say has ties to the country’s military intelligence agency.

    Speculation that Manafort could flip to help prosecutors has built since his first charge, even leading to a judge in Virginia accusing prosecutors of trying to get Manafort to “sing” and “get” Trump. “You really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump or lead to his prosecution or impeachment or whatever. That’s what you’re really interested in,” Judge T.S. Ellis said in court in Virginia in May.

    One year under indictment

    Over the past months, Manafort’s legal options slimmed as the special counsel notched several wins against him, including sending him to jail, securing several cooperators and gaining convictions.

    Manafort’s case marked the first indictment in Mueller’s investigation. The allegations revealed last October reiterated a year of news reports that Manafort had secretly funneled income from Ukrainian lobbying contacts for years.

    After his arrest in October, he was detained by the court in his Alexandria, Virginia, home for more than eight months.

    Prosecutors pressured Manafort further when they filed new mortgage and tax fraud charges against him in February — weeks after they discovered he was offering to secure his bail with homes tied up in his alleged mortgage fraud.

    At the time, prosecutors gave Manafort the option of keeping all his charges in the DC federal court. Instead, he gambled on splitting the case into two trial tracks, in two demographically different courts.

    Prosecutors also gained the cooperation of his longtime associate Rick Gates, who had been indicted alongside him. Gates pleaded guilty in February to helping Manafort use bank accounts in Cyprus and Grenadines to hide millions they had made while lobbying for Ukrainian politicians. Gates testified against Manafort in the Virginia trial, saying his former boss had directed him to commit the fraud.

    The special counsel’s office added a second potential cooperator against Manafort in late August when another lobbyist for Ukrainians, Sam Patten, pleaded guilty to a foreign lobbying charge. Patten’s name is likely to appear in evidence against Manafort, prosecutors said, and he has agreed to help the special counsel’s office as part of his plea. Patten worked with Manafort’s Russian associate Kilimnik through 2017 and admitted in court to illegally using a straw purchaser to buy Trump inaugural tickets for an oligarch.

    In June, prosecutors won another boost when a DC-based grand jury added witness tampering charges to Manafort’s indictment.

    Manafort and Kilimnik were accused by prosecutors of reaching out to potential witnesses in his case and coaching their possible testimony. Kilimnik has not appeared in US court or entered any plea. He has not been charged with other crimes.

    After the witness tampering accusation surfaced, a federal judge in DC revoked Manafort’s bail, sending him to jail. He is still being detained in Alexandria.

    On August 21, prosecutors won the first conviction of Manafort following the trial. Though the Virginia jurors convicted him of eight counts, they deadlocked on 10 remaining charges, splitting 11 guilty votes to one not guilty. The judge declared a mistrial on those counts. Prosecutors had not yet said what they’d do with those charges, and Manafort had not yet appealed the conviction.

    (Source: CNN)

  • Letitia (Tish) James pulls historic victory in Attorney General Race

    Letitia (Tish) James pulls historic victory in Attorney General Race

    NEW YORK(TIP):  New York City Public Advocate Letitia James has won a four-way Democratic primary for attorney general in New York. The race was a competition over who could best use the office to antagonize President Donald Trump.

    James would become the first black woman to hold statewide elected office in New York if she wins in the general election.

    In her victory speech Thursday, September 13 night, James took aim at Trump, saying he “can’t go a day without dividing us” and telling her supporters they’re “in the middle of a fight to save our democracy.”

    She said Trump “can’t go a day without threatening our fundamental rights,” or the rights of immigrants.

    The 59-year-old was an early favorite in the race after getting endorsements from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other top Democrats.

    James is a favorite to win, as she faces a little-known New York City attorney, Republican Keith Wofford, in November. Even otherwise, New York is considered a preserve of Democrats.

     

  • Andrew Cuomo wins Democratic nomination for New York governor

    Andrew Cuomo wins Democratic nomination for New York governor

    BROOKLYN, N.Y (TIP):  Gov. Andrew Cuomo won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination for the third time Thursday, September 13, overcoming a spirited progressive challenge that highlighted the ongoing ideological divide within the Democratic Party.

    Cuomo defeated Cynthia Nixon, 52, an actress and education activist backed by an array of left-leaning groups, who had trouble convincing voters that she had the experience needed to run the fourth-largest state in the country.

    Both Cuomo and Nixon sought to make the election about Trump. “Together, we can show the entire country that in the era of Donald Trump, New Yorkers will come together and lead our nation forward,” Nixon wrote Wednesday evening in a final message to supporters.

    Cuomo, for his part, spent millions on ads to argue that he’s the most qualified candidate to push back against the White House. He also touted liberal accomplishments such as gun control, free public college tuition and a higher minimum wage.

    Cuomo, 60, a two-term incumbent, is due to face Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican, and former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, a Democrat running as an independent, in the November general election. He is heavily favored to win a third term.

  • A Young Student’s Perception of Mesopotamian and Egyptian Civilizations

    A Young Student’s Perception of Mesopotamian and Egyptian Civilizations

    By Chitagam Saluja

    “Egypt was a more stable civilization compared to Mesopotamia and also fuller of life and fun. Economically perhaps Mesopotamia flourished more than Egypt, and in art and culture Egypt edged over Mesopotamia”, says the young scholar.

    Mesopotamian and Egyptian Civilizations of Middle East and North Africa were closely interlinked and influenced by each other. In more ways than one these civilizations grew up in contrast of each other.

    The structure of Government of Egypt was central and authoritative and Mesopotamian stressed mostly on city state layout. The difference in architecture was huge. Where the Egyptians liked majestic structures, the Mesopotamian art was simple and had a strong literary element which Egypt lacked.

    The bureaucracy was endlessly affected by the structures.  Mesopotamians were more practical in their thinking and did not believe in the Egyptian preparation for afterlife.

    Both these civilizations carried out extensive trading, but the economic implication varied in most cases. Mesopotamia was more technological in its approach and the environment was very difficult to manage than the Nile valley. The contacts of trade were a lot vaster and far flung and special importance was given to the merchant class and commercial law.

    The social differences were also huge. Like the difference in social status of women in the two contrary civilizations. It is concluded that in Egyptian society women were given more importance as well. To stabilize the Egyptian monarchy women of the upper class were important and were treated with much care and respect which wasn’t the case in Mesopotamian.

    Since these civilizations grew up in similar environments they had a symbiotic relationship. Their origins are largely different; so is their way of working.

    Egypt- The prosperity of the ancient civilization came partly from the ability to adapt to the condition of the Nile valley

    Egypt was a more stable civilization compared to Mesopotamia and also fuller of life and fun.
    Economically perhaps Mesopotamia flourished more than Egypt, and in art and culture Egypt edged over Mesopotamia.

    (The author is an undergraduate student at Nassau County Community College in New York. He can be reached at agysaluja1@gmail.com)

     The Indian Panorama invites young students to contribute their articles. They may write on any subject under the Sun. Articles may please be submitted to editor@theindianpanorama.com

     

     

  • Why Should NRI’s Invest in India?

    Why Should NRI’s Invest in India?

    By Dave Makkar
    By Dave Makkar

    New York NRI Evicted from his own business without any due process, with Maharashtra Government officials conniving

    Harssh Madhok a very well-known and well-established businessman based in Manhattan for last 30 years has embarked on a new journey to fight bureaucratic, political and legal corruption in India. His new journey began after he made a big investment in Mumbai, Maharashtra for his first state of the art dealership of Volkswagen under the banner of Novaa Motors Pvt. Ltdin a70,000 SQ. Ft. facility on a leased property from Akshar Automobiles aka Patel Bros. on Aug. 14, 2017. His goal was to set up 25 state of the art Volkswagen dealerships all over India in the first phase, and gradually moving to 100 dealerships. All his plans turned sour because of the alleged concealment of important material facts by landlord, and the bureaucratic and political meddling in the very first dealership that was providing jobs to 200 local residents.

    On 30th October 2017, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC)sealed the entire 70,000 Sq. Ft. facility for non-payment of past Taxes and some unauthorized construction.  TMC was told that this matter was between the landlord and TMC at the relevant time. The new owner who has invested crores of rupees must be given time to rectify the problems while running their day to day operations. Moreover, thiswas never disclosed by landlord Patel bros that there is any unauthorized construction and they owe back taxes to TMC at the time of signing the lease. The facility remained closed for about 2 months because TMC refused to cooperate. Rather, it put a condition to pay all the back taxes with interest & penalty and correct the construction irregularities.

    Volkswagen Company advised Madhok that since the sales/service were shut down and customers faced inconvenience, let the facility be taken over by Modi Auto Corp Pvt. Ltd aka Nihar Modi an experienced Dealer with multiple dealerships in India, including one in Mumbai. Attorneys for Madhok, Modi & Patel bros. exchanged e-mails, draft documents and held meetings and finalized financial numbers for the takeover by Modi with the consent of Patel bros.  Patel Bros.assured Madhok that they will settle the issue of all types of financial losses sustained by him due to the closure of the facility separately.They also assured/agreed that there will be no rent until the takeover is complete by Nihar Modi. The Security Deposit of Madhok will be held by them and they will not go to the court to dispossess/evict Madhok.

    All of a sudden, around mid-April Patel Bros.  changed their mind when the takeover by Modi was near completion. Akshar Automobiles Agencies Pvt. Ltd. aka Patel bros. executed a new/separate Lease and License Agreement with M/s Tejpal Motors Ltd. of Mr. Pawan Kumar Kamal Alsinghani on May 3, 2018. Same day Patel bros approached Madhok to vacate the premises and said, otherwise “there could be deadly consequences.” On June 6, 2018 their attorney sent a notice to Madhok to vacate the premises which Madhok’s attorneys replied on June 14, 2018 explaining their legal rights of possession of the premises as per the lease agreement dated Aug. 14, 2017.

    On June 19, 2018, Showroom and workshop locks were broken without any due process and Court orders. On the same day Madhok lodged a complaint with Kapurbawdi Police Station (KPS), Thane. On June 21, 2018, all the relevant documents were submitted with KPS and an FIR was registered vide CR No. I-177/2018 for the offence punishable U/s. 420, 448, 506, 34 of IPC.  Patel Brothers and Directors of M/s. Tejal Motors Ltd. filed for Anticipatory Bail. Upon inspection with police, Madhok found Tejpal Group contractor was doing renovation work while some of his belongings were kept aside and a large number of articles were missing.

    Initially the KPS was sympathetic to Madhok, but on 08.07.2018, his guards were picked up by the KPS and threatened by an Officer and told not to enter the premises and let Tejpal group contractor work there. According to Madhok, policestopped taking interest in his case after a call by a bureaucrat from the chief minister’s office.

    At the press conference, Madhok claimed that he had tried to contact the chief minister’s office and other higher officials, including PMO & 20 Central Ministries/Departments for a quick resolution of the issue. He also said that “I had waited for more than two months for a resolution of the issue despite stating financial, physical and emotional losses I suffer due to the abrupt closing of my business, but never got any response from anyone in the government. Without naming any specific person, Madhok claimed that he had received threats to life if he did not leave Mumbai and went back to America. He was moving in Mumbai with private armed body guards. He was literally forced to leave Maharashtra to get back to the U.S.

    He said that visiting Indian politicians, irrespective of their party affiliations or the state they come from, should be confronted with the question of corruption, bribery, political and bureaucratic interference that frustrate NRI investors like him and generally discourage them from giving back to their motherland.

    Madhok appealed to all the NRI’s around the world to share if they have similar experience on his website https://www.justiceformadhok.comHe further requested everyone should write to the Indian Consulate or Embassy to demand justice for him and protection for future NRI investors in India. He repeatedly called for ending bureaucratic and political interference saying that police were not able to help him due to “pressures from higher authorities.” and urged the NRI community to take a united stand against corruption and injustice to him.

    (The author is a social activist. He can be reached at davemakkar@yahoo.com)

     

     

                         

  • Netflix Matchmaking Show Seeks Single South Asian Millennials

    Netflix Matchmaking Show Seeks Single South Asian Millennials

    NEW YORK(TIP): A new Netflix Global documentary series is offering a select group of single South Asian men and women the chance to find their perfect match by working with India’s most elite matchmaker.

    The series will follow upwardly mobile millennials in North America and India as they search for their perfect partner.  If selected, they will have the opportunity to work with the top desi matchmaker in the world, who will present them with curated matches from her extensive database of global clientele.  All services will be free of charge to selected candidates.

    Those who are single and serious about getting married and want the opportunity to work with one of the world’s top matchmakers should send an email to:

    MatchmakingProject2018@gmail.com

    More info: https://matchmakingproject.wixsite.com/2018

  • Apple unveils largest, most expensive iPhone

    Apple unveils largest, most expensive iPhone

    iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max will start at USD 750, USD 1,000 and USD 1,100

    NEW YORK(TIP): Technology giant Apple has unveiled new iPhones, including one that is its largest and the most expensive one.

    In one of the company’s signature launch events at its headquarters in Cupertino, California Wednesday, September 12, Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, the most advanced iPhones ever.

    The 5.8-inch iPhone Xs and 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Max feature Super Retina displays, a faster and improved dual camera system, the first 7-nanometer chip in a smartphone among other features. The company said the new iPhones would start at USD 750, USD 1,000 and USD 1,100. Last year, the starting prices were USD 700, USD 800 and USD 1,000.

    iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, September 14, and in stores beginning Friday, September 21.

    “iPhone Xs is packed with next-generation technologies and is a huge step forward for the future of the smartphone,” Apple’s senior vice-president of Worldwide Marketing Philip Schiller said.

    He said iPhone Xs is not one, but two new iPhone models, and iPhone Xs Max offers the biggest display ever in an iPhone with the biggest battery ever in an iPhone, delivering up to an hour and a half more battery life.

    iPhone XR will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models in white, black, blue, yellow, coral and red starting at Rs 76,900 through Apple authorized resellers. Customers will be able to pre-order iPhone XR beginning October 19 with availability beginning October 26 in more than 50 countries and territories including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, New Zealand and US.

    iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max build on the all-screen design of iPhone X and feature the sharpest displays with the highest pixel density of any Apple device, the company said. iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max come with iOS 12, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system.

    Apple also introduced the Apple Watch Series 4, redesigned and re-engineered to help users stay connected, be more active and manage their health in new ways. While retaining the original iconic design, the fourth-generation Apple Watch has been refined, combining new hardware and software enhancements into a unified form.

    The Series 4 watch with watch OS 5 includes revolutionary health capabilities, including a new accelerometer and gyroscope, which are able to detect hard falls, and an electrical heart rate sensor that can take an electrocardiogram (ECG) using the new ECG app, which has been granted a classification by the US federal agency Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    “The completely redesigned Apple Watch Series 4 continues to be an indispensable communication and fitness companion, and now with the addition of groundbreaking features, like fall detection and the first-ever ECG app offered directly to consumers, it also becomes an intelligent guardian for your health,” Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams said.

    Beginning September 14, Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS) will be available to order in 26 countries and territories and Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) will be available to order in 16 countries and territories. Both models will be available in stores beginning September 21.

    Apple explained that the Series 4 watch enables customers to take an ECG reading right from the wrist using the new ECG app, which takes advantage of the electrodes built into the Digital Crown and new electrical heart rate sensor in the back crystal.

    With the app, users touch the Digital Crown and after 30 seconds, receive a heart rhythm classification. It can classify if the heart is beating in a normal pattern or whether there are signs of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), a heart condition that could lead to major health complications. All recordings, their associated classifications and any noted symptoms are stored in the Health app in a PDF that can be shared with physicians, Apple said.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Dr. Leana Wen to Serve as President of Planned Parenthood

    Dr. Leana Wen to Serve as President of Planned Parenthood

    First Physician to Lead Organization in nearly 50 Years

    NEW YORK, NY(TIP): Planned Parenthood Federation of America has  announced that Dr. Leana Wen will serve as its sixth president — the first time in nearly 50 years that a physician will helm the organization.

    Planned Parenthood provides essential health care to more than 2.4 million women, men, and young people through more than 600 health centers across the country and is the largest provider of sex education in the country, reaching 1.5 million people a year. With more than 12 million active supporters, Planned Parenthood works to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights nationwide.

    Dr. Wen currently serves as the Commissioner of Health for the City of Baltimore. A patient advocate and emergency physician, she has led the Baltimore City Health Department — the oldest, continuously-operated health department in the United States — since January 2015.

    “Today is a historic day for Planned Parenthood and the millions of people it serves. After an extensive search, I’m proud to announce that Dr. Leana Wen will serve as our next president,” said Naomi Aberly, Chair of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Board of Directors. “A dynamic public health leader and practicing physician, Dr. Wen is the first doctor to lead Planned Parenthood in nearly 50 years. Not only will she help Planned Parenthood continue to provide high-quality care to women, men, and young people across the country, she will be a powerful voice in our fight to ensure women have the ability to make their own health care decisions — no matter what.”

    “After considering some truly formidable women, the search committee unanimously, even joyfully selected Dr. Leana Wen,” said Anna Quindlen, Chair of the Search Committee and former Planned Parenthood Board Member. “Like so many of our affiliate leaders, she is passionate about balancing public advocacy for reproductive freedom with the daily provision of quality health care. Like so many of our patients, she is an immigrant determined to do the best for this country. As she likes to say, her whole life has been leading to this position.”

    “For more than 100 years, no organization has done more for women’s health than Planned Parenthood, and I’m truly honored to be named its president,” said Dr. Leana Wen. “As a patient, I depended on Planned Parenthood for medical care at various times in my own life, and as a public health leader, I have seen firsthand the lifesaving work it does for our most vulnerable communities. As a doctor, I will ensure we continue to provide high-quality health care, including the full range of reproductive care, and will fight with everything I have to protect the access of millions of patients who rely on Planned Parenthood.”

    Dr. Wen has dedicated her career to expanding access to health care for the most vulnerable communities, reducing health disparities, and finding innovative solutions to address public health problems. Known as the “Doctor for the City” in Baltimore, she oversees more than 1,000 employees with an annual budget of $130 million; two clinics that provide more than 18,000 patients with reproductive health services; and medical programs for 180 Baltimore schools.

    “Anyone who has worked with Dr. Wen knows that when it comes to protecting her patients, she doesn’t back down from a fight,” said Representative Elijah Cummings. “In Baltimore, she has been a true partner in our shared mission to provide access to quality health care for all. She has expanded care, eliminated obstacles, and, most important of all, saved lives. Her brilliance and passion for her work shines through in everything she does. There is no question that in selecting Dr. Wen as its president, Planned Parenthood is gaining a powerful and effective advocate, and millions across this country will benefit from her leadership.”

    Over the last 18 months, Dr. Wen has fought to protect women and families in Baltimore from the Trump administration’s rollbacks of basic health care protections. In March 2018, on behalf of Dr. Wen and the Baltimore City Health Department, the City of Baltimore sued the Trump administration for cutting funds for teen pregnancy prevention, which resulted in a federal judge ordering the restoration of $5 million in grant funding to two Baltimore-based teen pregnancy prevention programs. She has fought Trump administration changes to Title X — the nation’s family planning program — to protect funding for 23 health clinics in Baltimore providing reproductive health care for women with low-incomes.

    As a practicing physician, Dr. Wen helped organized thousands of doctors and health professionals against President Trump’s proposed domestic gag rule, saying it fundamentally alters the nature of the doctor-patient relationship and will dramatically reduce the quality of care for thousands of women.

    Last month, Dr. Wen helped lead a lawsuit against the Trump administration for intentionally and unlawfully sabotaging the Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing health care for thousands of people in Baltimore.

    Under her direction, the Baltimore City Health Department leads the country in health innovations and was recently recognized by the National Association of County and City Health Officials as the Local Health Department of the Year.

    These innovations include:

    Facing an unprecedented number of people dying from opioid overdose, Dr. Wen issued a blanket prescription for the opioid antidote, Naloxone, to all 620,000 residents of Baltimore. Since 2015, this program has saved more than 2,800 lives.

    Under Dr. Wen’s direction, Baltimore’s B’More for Healthy Babies program has resulted in a nearly 40 percent reduction of infant mortality in just seven years.

    She started Vision for Baltimore, which provides glasses free of charge to every child who needs them.

    Following the 2015 Baltimore protests, Dr. Wen started programs to deliver medications and improve food access to seniors. She expanded trauma and mental health services; secured funding for Safe Streets, a program designed to treat gun violence as a contagious disease; and led public health campaigns on vaccinations, childhood obesity, and racism as a public health issue.

    Dr. Wen was born in Shanghai, China, and immigrated to the United States with her family just before her eighth birthday. She and her parents were granted political asylum, and they became U.S. citizens in 2003.

    Dr. Wen graduated summa cum laude from California State University, Los Angeles at the age of 18, and earned her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine before becoming a Rhodes Scholar. She obtained her master’s degrees at the University of Oxford and completed her residency training at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School. During medical school, she was elected president of the American Medical Student Association and took a year off to fulfill her leadership duties, including leading 65,000 physicians-in-training to fight for universal health and advocate for reproductive rights.

    Growing up, Dr. Wen, as well as her mother and younger sister, often relied on Planned Parenthood for health care. During medical school, she volunteered at a Planned Parenthood health center in St. Louis.

    Dr. Wen has received recognition as Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders and Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare. A Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and Academy of Medicine, she serves on the faculty at the George Washington University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In 2016, Dr. Wen was honored to be the recipient American Public Health Association’s highest award for local public health work. In 2017, she was named one of Governing’s Public Officials of the Year.

    Dr. Wen and her husband, Sebastian, have a one-year old son.

    Dr. Wen’s first day at Planned Parenthood Federation of America will be November 12.

    Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.

     

     

  • “Comedy Ka Tadka”: a unique blend of comedy and Indian cooking

    “Comedy Ka Tadka”: a unique blend of comedy and Indian cooking

    NEW YORK CITY(TIP): Amit Sharma of Cinemamit Productions is bringing an interesting recipe of comedy and cooking to the Indian American community with a new show called “Comedy Ka Tadka.”

    The show will feature local actors including Dimple Kapoor, Hervender Pal Singh,Jessie Nagpal, Neil Agrawal, Monica Agrawal and Kirti Jain, while Ashish Rego, a Sr.Music Producer and Composer from Mumbai, India who has worked for over 25 years,will be providing the background score for the show.

    “Comedy Ka Tadka” is a comedy show about a hilarious neighborhood which also provides very helpful and unique techniques for cooking Indian Food.

    “The goal is to present a simplified version of, the otherwise, complicated recipes of rich and delicious Indian cuisine in an entertaining manner. We aim to take Indian food to households globally with a unique twist of comedy and storytelling. The simplified version of the recipes will encourage, not only the young and grown up generations but also the non-Indian households to experience the deliciousness of the Indian food flavors,” Amit Sharma told us.

    Those involved in Tadka. From left to right: Neil Agrawal, Monica Agrawal, Shalini Polavarapu, Dimple Kapoor, Kirti Jain, Dina Sharma, Master Rudraaksh Sharma, Amit Sharma, Hervender Pal Singh

    A screening event for the show took place on September 10, 2018 at The Marigold Banquets in Somerset, New Jersey, to celebrate the two months of creative dedication that were put into the development of the show.

    Hervender Pal Singh (left) and Jessie Nagpal

    “We welcome any food brands that would like to promote their Indian spices or kitchen items on this show,” Sharma, who has worked for over 20 years in the field of television and film content production with prominent clients such as Viacom, Star Plus, Colors, NatGeo, Sony Entertainment, Zee TV, SCTV and Amazon, added.

    The aim is to air Season 01 of “Comedy Ka Tadka” by March 2019. For more pictures and update on Cinemamit Productions visit www.cinemamit.com

    (Based on a Press Release)

  • Tali Roth Concert at Juilliard Lincoln Center, with tango dancers, flute and guitar, September 22; Free Admission

    Tali Roth Concert at Juilliard Lincoln Center, with tango dancers, flute and guitar, September 22; Free Admission

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Tali Roth, Head of Guitar Program, The Juilliard School  Pre-College Division (www.taliroth.com), is organizing  a faculty recital as a part of the centennial Juilliard Pre-College celebration concerts, on Saturday, September  22nd, from 6 to 7 P.M. at Paul Hall, The Juilliard School, 155 West 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam ( Lincoln Center). Admission to Concert is free.

    Tali will collaborate with world renowned colleagues- flutist Carol Wincenc, tango dancers Martin Almiron and Maya Grego, guitarist Diego Campagna, and Juilliard Pre-College guitar and flute students and alums.

    Program includes Music by Piazzolla, Gardel, Ramirez, Boccherini, Bartok. Also, part of the program is Tali’s recording of sound track from the 2010 Woody Allen Film “You will meet a tall dark stranger”.

    See Sneak Previews- Short Video Promo with tango dancers

    https://www.facebook.com/789061911/posts/10156601119396912/

    And with Carol Wincenc

    https://youtu.be/Oah3rl3Pq2c

    Tali Roth sends to Readers of The Indian Panorama warm wishes for A Happy New Jewish Year – L’Shana Tova Umetuka!

  • AAPI-QLI, IALI Help build Restrooms in Chennai Schools

    AAPI-QLI, IALI Help build Restrooms in Chennai Schools

    CHENNAI / NEW YORK(TIP):  America Tamil Sangam and Shri Vari Foundation, New York have adopted two corporation schools in Chennai and constructed 10 restrooms partly with donations from American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) QLI and Indian Association of Long Island (IALI) New York.

    The two Long Island, NY based associations jointly donated around $15,000 to Chennai flood relief fund of the Tamil Sangam two years ago which was now utilized to construct restrooms for girl students in two schools.

    The kids were peeing in public in one school without any privacy while the other school had fewer restrooms for over a hundred children.

    At a function held at Dr Janaki MGR College in Chennai, Tamil Nadu State Minister for Social Welfare Dr V Saroja, an OBGYN, said building restrooms helps improve the health of girl students and praised America Tamil Sangam and Shri Vari Foundation for implementing the project. She said the role of AAPI-QLI and IALI was praiseworthy in reaching out to the needy in their motherland. She announced a government grant of Rs 10 lakhs to the anganwadi (day care center) to be set up in an aided school in Thuluvapushpagiri in Tamil Nadu whose principal in charge was honored at the event.

    Dr V. Maithreyan, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), guest of honor at the event, said non-resident Tamils played a big role in attracting investments for the development of the state and acting as a bridge between the state government and the country of their residence.

    Dr. J Jayavardhan, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha- South Madras), guest of honor at the event, said Tamil sangams abroad fostered language, culture, music and heritage and in addition America Tamil Sangam also chipped in to provide social welfare measures.

    Sivasankari, celebrated author and novelist, praised the role of American Tamil Sangam in putting a smile on the face of hapless children.

    Dr. R Natraj, Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and former Director General of Police, presiding over the function, offered his support and cooperation to any Tamil associations from abroad willing to take up development work in his Mylapore constituency.

    American Tamil Sangam honored Meena Rajan, headmistress in charge of government aided middle school in Thulvapushpagiri village in Thiruvannamalai district in Tamil Nadu. She had sold her jewels and her house to build classrooms and restrooms in the government school that had dilapidated class rooms with asbestos roof and no restrooms. She then went on to collect Rs 75 lakhs through donations to convert the dingy school into a smart class school with high tech facilities.

    The Sangam also honored Dr TG Srinivasan, Chennai City Health Education Officer of the Corporation of Chennai for his untiring work in spreading the message of hygiene and cleanliness under Swatch Bharat program in schools, colleges, welfare associations and slum areas. It also felicitated principals of the two adopted schools – Soundarya Priya and Murugan- for their dedicated service. Two social workers – MV Ramani and Raja Mohan, advocate were also honored.

    Prakash M Swamy, president of America Tamil Sangam, said the two schools were chosen for one school produced 100 percent results in tenth standard government exams for the past 8 years and the other excelled in promoting hygiene and discipline among students. Future plans include providing free sanitary napkins to girl students, improving the library and computer education, providing uniforms to students and sprucing up the campus. S Ravishankar, proposed a vote of thanks.

  • Indian Politician, Diplomat & Author to Launch Two Books at DIAC Literary Event

    Indian Politician, Diplomat & Author to Launch Two Books at DIAC Literary Event

    DALLAS, TX(TIP): Dallas Indian Arts Collective (DIAC), in partnership with Teamwork Arts, proudly presents a Fireside Chat with Indian politician, diplomat and author, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Center Stage, located at 111 Oak Lawn Avenue in the Design District. The conversation will be moderated by Sanjoy Roy, founder and producer of the world-renowned Jaipur Literature Festival.

    Tharoor, an award-winning author of 17 books of fiction and non-fiction, including Inglorious Empire (published in June 2018) and the newly published Why I Am A Hindu (not available for sale in North America until October 2018, but available at this event), is a second-term Member of Parliament representing Thiruvananthapuram and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. He has served as Minister of State for Human Resource Development and External Affairs in the Government of India.

    In a profound re-examination of Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest and greatest religious traditions, India’s leading public intellectual, Shashi Tharoor, lays out Hinduism’s origins and its key philosophical concepts, major texts and everyday Hindu beliefs and practices, from worship to pilgrimage to caste. Tharoor is unsparing in his criticism of extremism and unequivocal in his belief that what makes India a distinctive nation with a unique culture will be imperiled if Hindu “fundamentalists”— the proponents of “Hindutva,” or politicized Hinduism—seize the high ground. In his view, it is precisely because Hindus form the majority that India has survived as a plural, secular democracy. A book that will be read and debated now and, in the future, Why I Am a Hindu, written in Tharoor’s captivating prose, is a revelatory and original contribution to our understanding of the role of religion in society and politics.

    PRAISE FOR WHY I AM A HINDU (available for pre-sale at the event):

    “Shashi Tharoor is the most charming and persuasive writer in India. His new book is a brave and characteristically articulate attempt to save a great and wonderfully elusive religion from the certainties of the fundamentalists and the politicization of the bigots.”—William Dalrymple

    “[O]ne of India’s most articulate liberals and a leading voice of those who reject the aggressively fundamentalist strains of Hindu nationalism.” —Victor Mallett, Financial Times

    “A profound book on one of the world’s oldest and greatest religions.”—Hindustan Times

    In the eighteenth century, India’s share of the world economy was as large as Europe’s. By 1947, after two centuries of British rule, it had decreased six-fold. Beyond conquest and deception, the Empire blew rebels from cannon, massacred unarmed protesters, entrenched institutionalized racism, and caused millions to die from starvation. British imperialism justified itself as enlightened despotism for the benefit of the governed, but Shashi Tharoor takes on and demolishes this position, demonstrating how every supposed imperial “gift”— from the railways to the rule of law—was designed in Britain’s interests alone. He goes on to show how Britain’s Industrial Revolution was founded on India’s deindustrialization, and the destruction of its textile industry. In this bold and incisive reassessment of colonialism, Tharoor exposes to devastating effect the inglorious reality of Britain’s stained Indian legacy.

     “Rare indeed is it to come across history that is so readable and so persuasive.”—Amitav Ghosh

    “Tharoor’s impassioned polemic slices straight to the heart of the darkness that drives all empires. Forceful, persuasive and blunt, he demolishes Raj nostalgia, laying bare the grim, and high, cost of the British Empire for its former subjects. An essential read.”— Nilanjana Roy, Financial Times

    “His writing is a delight and he seldom misses his target … Tharoor should be applauded for tackling an impossibly contentious subject … he deserves to be read. Indians are not the only ones who need reminding that empire has a lot to answer for.”—Literary Review

    Tickets are $50 and are available at www.diactexas.org. Both Tharoor & Roy will be available for one-on-one media interviews, upon request, from 5 to 6 p.m. Media RSVP to Jitin@JingoMedia.com or 512.773.6679.

    (Based on a Press Release by Jitin Hingorani)

  • AAPI s Global Healthcare Summit to be held in Mumbai from December 28th to 31st, 2018

    AAPI s Global Healthcare Summit to be held in Mumbai from December 28th to 31st, 2018

    To collaborate with the Government of India’s healthcare program – Ayushman Bharat.

    NEW YORK(TIP):  Healthcare in India is one of the largest sectors, in terms of revenue and employment.  India is making tremendous progress in the healthcare sector and is building modern medical facilities throughout the country. Physicians of Indian origin have earned a name for themselves in the medical field and India is now being touted as a medical tourism hub. With a rise in population, there is an urgent need to create additional health infrastructure, which entails a higher level of planning, collaboration, and investment in the Indian healthcare market in the coming years.

    It’s in this context, the groundbreaking AAPI Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) from December 28th to 31st, 2018 in Mumbai, organized by the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in collaboration with the Government of India, with participation from some of the world’s most well-known physicians, and industry leaders becomes very critical and significant.

    “This international healthcare summit is a progressive transformation from the first Indo-US Healthcare Summit launched by AAPI USA in 2007,” Dr. Naresh Parikh, President of AAPI, says. “Providing a forum for innovative opportunities for learning, networking and giving back to our motherland that have now enabled us to plan ahead and prepare for an outstanding event that will have over 300 very prominent and talented physicians and surgeons from abroad, in addition to the hundreds of physicians from India, who are very passionate about serving their homeland, mother India.”

    “Under the leadership of Dr. Naresh Parikh this year, AAPI is poised for a quantum leap in its activities in India with initiatives in new directions,” says Ravi Jahagirdar, M.D., Chairman of 2018 Global Healthcare Summit.  “The Global Health Summit in December this year, will witness an expanded International Research Competition for budding residents and physicians – overseen by all the Medical Schools in Mumbai, with generous awards for the winners.”

    For the first time, GAPIO (Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) will team up with a sizable representation, to promote a worldwide platform for Global Health. In keeping with its “needs based” approach, AAPI has identified the specter of Muti-Drug Resistant TB as the “Challenge of the Year,” and starting with a think tank, will oversee multisite implementation and monitoring, with involvement from the US Embassy and its Health Attache – who also represents the interests of Human and Health Resources in the USA, and works in tandem with the Clinton and the Gates Foundations.

    The Women’s Leadership Forum this year is spearheaded by Mrs. Amruta Fadnavis, the dynamic and talented young wife of the Chief Minister, who is also the Chief Hostess for the entire event, Dr. Asha Parikh, Chairwoman for the Women’s Forum announced.

    “While seeking to identify ways for greater collaboration and cooperation between the physicians and health care providers in India with those of Indian origin and major healthcare providers abroad, the Summit will focus on prevention, diagnosis, treatment options and share ways to truly improve healthcare transcending global boundaries,” says Dr. Raj Bhayani, Co-Chair of the GHS.

    With the objective of enabling people in India to access high quality, affordable, and cost-effective world class health services, the Summit to be held in collaboration with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs & Ministry of Health, will

    provide a platform for planning for new initiatives and strengthening the past programs and actions.

    As a testimony to ensuring continuity in previous initiatives, the hugely successful CPR training of police officers continues yet another year, as part of the Trauma Brain Injury (TBI) initiative.

    Anwar Feroz, Strategic Advisor of AAPI, said, “For the first time at a CEO Forum – this year will have a full dedication to the AYUSHMAN BHARAT initiative by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Government of India, an ambitious project to provide financial support for about 500 million needy but poor patients.”

    The participants will arrive from AYUSH, healthcare industry, academia, and from regulatory and clinical leaders, to brainstorm this gigantic challenge, and how to make it work.

    For relaxation and entertainment, there will be a kaleidoscope of cultural presentations of Western India, featuring well known artists. Being held in Mumbai, one cannot be surprised to have special appearance by top stars from the Bollywood world.

    “With the changing trends and statistics in healthcare, both in India and US, we are refocusing our mission and vision of GHS 2018, and AAPI would like to make a positive meaningful impact on the healthcare in India,” Dr. Parikh says. “In our quest to fulfill the mission of AAPI, we are proud to share best practices and experiences from leading experts in the world and develop actionable plans for launching demonstration projects that enable access to affordable and quality healthcare for all people.”

    With such a striking agenda, this 2018 Global Health Summit in Mumbai promises to be one of the best ever. Register ASAP – to get the better rooms and locations. There will be NO AAPI CANCELLATION CHARGES until November 1st, 2018 – just in case you may have to change plans afterwards. Still more, the Early Bird Special with the discounted rates has been extended to September 30th. Do not miss the opportunity. For more information on Global Healthcare Summit 2018, please visit www.aapiusa.org

     

     

     

  • Weekly Horoscope September 17 – September 23, 2018

    Weekly Horoscope September 17 – September 23, 2018

    By Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla

    Aries:Ganesha says a lot depends on biorhythms and other influences too. Astrology never compels. Plus, remember, this is a general reading and I do not have your personal chart. This can be a period of contrasting emotions. You look for salvation. Old wounds open their hoods. You go looking for a guru and take recourse to yantra, tantra and mantra. You take time out from work and family and may do something completely different from the norm.

    Taurus:‘Fiction gives us a second chance that life denies us,’ said Paul Theroux, the novelist. Your mind is in a million places all at once. You are simply unable to be precise. You cannot put pen down to paper. You are all thought and no action. You cannot walk the talk. This is a phase of deep anguish as you are unable to activate your thoughts. It is an impotent period. There are expenses and many domestic challenges.

    Gemini:The leak in the boat is finally fixed. You are back on terra firma. The winter sun is scorching the bones and you realize that time is flying. You have to get cracking before it is too late. You get back to the business of making a living. It’s a tough choice but there is no room any more for indulgences. Those in jobs work double shifts and freelancers spread their net wide. You have to make both ends meet and prepare a nest egg too.

    Cancer:You are all pumped up and raring to go. In the mood you are in, you can perform miracles. Nothing is beyond you. You reach for the stars and may even touch them on tiptoe. There are awards and rewards, applause and kudos. You are the toast of your peer group. This is a fantastic time for creative folk and those in the visual arts. If you are also looking to cleanse your soul, you will succeed. You are in the quest for the holy grail. Ganesha urges you on.

    Leo:Jung, the great analyst, said, ‘Show me a sane man and I will cure him.’ You are living out your inherent contradictions in splendor. You wear them on your sleeve and could be easily the most misunderstood person on the planet now. Your emotions are bubbling over like a volcano erupting. At home, the health of elders will be a cause of concern. Those in committed relationships take bond to new heights.

    Virgo:There is powerful intensity propelling you. Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, today’s popular mystic says, ‘There is security in repetitive life patterns, but there are no possibilities, no growth.’ You realize the import of his words. You want to change the status quo, you want to challenge everything that has been said and said again down the ages. You want to flirt with danger, even kiss a cobra on its hood like they do in Thailand, or eat broken glass, or walk over the Niagara Falls on a tripwire.

    Libra:‘An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox,’ said Lao-tzu. You find new ways to tackle the issues on your plate. There is success, and money too. You win applause. You also spend time with social work and may help with the less fortunate. You lend a shoulder and an ear where necessary. You are the toast of your neighborhood as you espouse causes common to all. You excel in group discussions, contractual negotiations and conferences.

    Scorpio:You live and love large. You make money by the bushels and spend it too. You play the field and are caught in the deep coils of amour. Nothing makes sense to you anymore but the sweet fragrance, however fleeting, of your beloved. This is a great period for those in realty and the stock market. There could be an addition to the family, possibly an adoption. At the very least, you may bring an exotic pet home. Ganesha smiles.

    Sagittarius:You scale new heights. There are expenses, ego drives, passions, altercations and misunderstandings. You stand your ground on flimsy issues and take even the most trivial arguments to heart. This doesn’t fetch you brownie points and you will have to examine your core to see what has disrupted it so much that you flinch and retort at the slightest perceived disagreement. You play the field. Youngsters will be tough to rein int.

    Capricorn:You are with your buddies, be it the boy gang or the girl gang or the mixed gang. It is party time and you are not one to miss out on the fun. You could be travelling too, and letting your hair down on the Riviera or some other exotic locale. You are also in line for a windfall, possibly an inheritance. This is a lucky period. You strike gold in the most barren spaces. Bob Marley said, ‘I have no education. I have inspiration. If I was educated, I would be a damn fool.’ You are inspired to take the moment to dizzy heights. Ganesha joins you.

    Aquarius:You are in a philanthropic bent of mind. You want to serve others and there are no full stops in your yearning to do so. You want to give back to society and the stars support you in all your endeavors. You have the endearing softness and sentimentality in your sign now and there is new love, fellowship and selfless giving. You could put Mother Teresa in the shade in the mood you are in. I shall end with a quote from J. Krishnamurti: ‘It is only when the mind is completely quiet, free of conflict – it is only then that the mind can go very far into the realms that are beyond time, thought and feeling.’ Ganesha wrings his hands in thrall.

    Pisces:‘A scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not deemed to be a scholar,’ said Lao-tzu. You want to be a person of renown, a person of letters, someone society can respect for his / her knowledge and erudition. But you may have a long distance to go. You need to traverse the razor’s edge, you need to get out of your comfort zone and get scarred. It is only after you emerge from the plain of struggle – like a caterpillar that becomes a butterfly – that you can delight in the prowess of true empirical knowledge.

  • US Open through Jay Mandal’s Lens

    US Open through Jay Mandal’s Lens

    The US Open from Aug 21 to Sep 9, 2018 in New York has been an experience for millions of lovers of Tennis the world over. Those who found opportunity to be at the stadium and watched games, have unforgettable memories of the great sporting event. So it has been with Jay Mandal, the ace photographer who is passionate about capturing action, wherever it is. We bring to our readers some exclusive pictures from his camera lens of the exciting tournament.

    Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment

    Andy Murray

    Carla Suarez

    Dominic Thiem of Austria
    Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment

    Dominic

    Khachanova

    Millman

    Novak Djokovic of Serbia, 2018 U.S. Open men’s singles champion.
    September8, 2018
    Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment

    Novak

    Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment

    Nadal

    Roger Federer at US Open
    Photo:- Jay Mandal/On Assignment

    Federer

    Serena Wuilliams
    Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment

    Serena

    Sharapova

    Yuk

    Sandeep Chakravorty & Taruna Chakravorty

    Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas at the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
    September 4, 2018
    Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment

    Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas

     

    Photo:-Nisha Biswal

    Photos / Courtesy Jay Mandal-on assignment

     

  • Much must change in Kerala

    Much must change in Kerala

    After the devastating floods, Kerala society as a whole now needs to reorient its relationship with nature

    By Pulapre Balakrishnan
    “Kerala society as a whole now needs to reorient its relationship with nature. However inclusive this development may have been — and there is reason to believe that some of the claims made are exaggerated — that by itself does not ensure that the assault on nature will now end”, says the author.

    In a national calamity, people look towards a leader to extend them empathy, a sense of somebody being in charge and a route to a more secure future. By any measure, Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala, has lived up to expectation on the first two aspects and may be expected to play a role in identifying the third after the State has had to face its biggest disaster in a century in the form of floods. He has reflected gravitas, displayed pragmatism and expressed a willingness to take assistance from any source. The last is a necessary corrective at a time when false pride, standing in the way of accepting the hand of friendship extended from the outside, is projected as a desirable nationalism. At the very same time, it is necessary to acknowledge the extraordinary outpouring of humanity and material assistance towards the people of Kerala from the rest of India. It is difficult to recall something on this scale as a response to a calamity in a distant corner of the country in recent times.

    Natural capital and progress

     Now that the Chief Minister has affirmed that the “last person has been rescued”, rehabilitation is progressing, and plans are afoot to rebuild Kerala, it is hoped that the last will be approached with an open mind. This would be a mindset that recognizes that much must change in Kerala’s civil society, which in turn would trigger change at the level of governance. Indeed, a paradigm shift, being a profound change in the perception of progress, is needed. The central element in this new perception must be that a continuous decline of a society’s natural capital cannot be seen as compatible with progress. Kerala has justifiably been identified as having carved out a niche, and not just in India but globally, as a society with high human development at a relatively low level of income. While it may be pointed out that globally, many other societies, particularly to the east of India, have achieved the same in terms of some standard social indicators, it must be remembered that, as a part of India, it had also to deal with an ossified social structure in the form of caste and the inequalities it perpetuated. Social stratification was far less in east Asian societies making it easier for them to transform. For Kerala to have overcome this burden through a non-violent political revolution is a considerable achievement.

    At times though, stories of our success relayed across the world may lead us to be somewhat swayed by praise. This may have happened to the leadership of Kerala society which extends beyond the political class to its intellectuals. While focusing on certain aspects of a society, external observers could miss others that are just as crucial in evaluating its development. Laudatory evaluations of Kerala have masked the decline in natural capital and associated ecosystem services that have accompanied the rise in income. The decline in natural capital has ranged from deforestation that contributes to rainwater run-off contributing to landslides, to sand-mining that leads to rivers over-flowing their banks and building on the flood plains that were meant to provide a cushion. All of these contribute to flooding.

    Too much consumption

    When we have it upon the word of Madhav Gadgil — who may be considered India’s ecological voice and has studied the Kerala topography and its alteration — that human action may have exacerbated the consequences of the unusually heavy rain this year, we would be advised to hear the message. We know exactly the corrective actions necessary to reverse, possibly only at a glacial pace at that, the accumulated man-made factors responsible for this. At the center of it is consumption. In relation to the ecological damage that it can wreak, Kerala consumes too much. At the center of this consumption is luxury housing and commercial holiday resorts, of course luxurious. Structures much larger than necessary cover the soil with concrete, heightening rainwater run-off, and through their weight increase subsidence. Houses here have historically been built with sand mined from rivers. Once this source got exhausted, river sand has been replaced by manufactured sand which is a by-product of quarrying. Large-scale quarrying has meant loping off the top of hills and allowing water to seep into them, making them unstable. So, at the back of much of the human factor that has exacerbated the flooding by changing the landscape is luxury housing. It is significant too that some of this housing is not even used or has very few persons living in them. This is hardly a rational use of a scarce resource such as land, especially when it has known catastrophic consequences.

    Unsustainable trajectory

    Altogether, Kerala’s much-acclaimed development trajectory is unsustainable as demonstrated during the recent floods and needs a change. The needed change is radical, and the reality is that its past cannot be a guide to its future. This past has been one of human development, but Kerala society as a whole now needs to reorient its relationship with nature. However inclusive this development may have been — and there is reason to believe that some of the claims made are exaggerated — that by itself does not ensure that the assault on nature will now end. Only the State’s civil society can guarantee its future on this score. Political parties are loathe to speak the language of responsible consumption for fear of losing out on votes.

    While, going forward, a path-breaking environmental movement in Kerala’s civil society is necessary, it does not mean that governance in Kerala should be left unaccountable out of concern for peaceability. Even in a past that has witnessed progress in the form of an elimination of social barriers, government in Kerala has remained unaccountable with respect to the economy. Malayalis have had to migrate in large numbers, leaving their families behind, to keep the home fires burning. Now with the new challenge of ecological sustainability arising, government — by which is meant the entire public sector — needs to assume accountability for the depletion of natural capital. Someone has to take responsibility for the pattern of land use in Kerala, the pathologies of which extend to building resorts on hillsides, turning every public space into a refuse dump for used plastic, and the continuous alienation of agricultural land, all of which may have had a role in exacerbating the floods. It is by now clear that the decentralization of government has been unable to prevent these developments. Land use in the State needs review at the level of the State government.

    Calling for a public review

    Mr. Vijayan has been statesmanlike in saying that he will take material assistance from every quarter. He must now extend this approach to listening to independent voices on the rebuilding of Kerala. The obvious place to start would be to institute a public review of the dams in Kerala and how they are operated, focusing in particular on how their operation may have affected the flooding. Such a demand has been made by a section of Kerala’s legislators. Even a conservative body such as the World Bank had instituted an independent review of the Sardar Sarovar Project in the 1990s and tailored its policy accordingly. Considerations of both transparency and confidence of the people in the functioning of the government machinery demand that such a review be instituted at the earliest.

    (The author is Professor of Economics, Ashoka University and Senior Fellow, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode)

     

     

     

  • The old and the new: the U.S. Open

    The old and the new: the U.S. Open

    There was a time when Pete Sampras’s tally of 14 Grand Slam singles titles — the last of which came at the U.S. Open in 2002 — seemed like the acme of sporting achievement in men’s tennis. Little did anybody expect that in the next 16 years, across 64 Majors, not one or two but three players would stand shoulder to shoulder with the American great. On Sunday, Novak Djokovic became that third man, defeating Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, for his third U.S. Open title at Flushing Meadows. The 31-year-old Serb has never been considered a once-in-a-generation talent, as have Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the ones above him in the trophy count. But nobody represents the modern-day game as well as Djokovic. He is the ultimate practitioner of the attrition-based baseline tennis, and at his best, with his supremely efficient patrolling of the court, is near invincible. Over two weeks in New York he hit these high many times over. In fact, the 95-minute second set in the final was a microcosm of Djokovic’s last two years. It was long and weary as fortunes swung back and forth. But adversity energized him, and he found a level which his opponent couldn’t match. Coming after his triumphant return at Wimbledon in July, the latest success is evidence enough that technically, tactically and physically Djokovic is back to his best.

    If it was about the restoration of the old order on the men’s side, it was the continuation of the new in the women’s section. There has been a first-time winner in four of the past six Grand Slam tournaments, and 20-year-old Naomi Osaka added to the eclectic mix by becoming the first Japanese to win a Major. In Serena Williams, the winner of 23 singles Slams, the most by any player in the Open Era, Osaka faced the ultimate challenge. It was also an inter-generational battle like none other. The 16-year age gap between Williams and Osaka was the second biggest in the Open Era for a women’s final, next only to Monica Seles (17) vs. Martina Navratilova (34) at the 1991 U.S. Open. To her immense credit, Osaka wasn’t awed by the stage. While growing up, she had revered Williams. After all, this is someone who chose Williams as her subject for a school essay in third grade. On Saturday she played like she knew the 36-year-old’s game like the back of her hand, absorbing everything the American threw at her, and redirecting them with much more panache. The magnitude of her achievement was nearly drowned out by the chaos in the aftermath of Williams’s tirade against the chair umpire. Yet, the manner in which Osaka, at an impressionable young age, closed out the match with a cold relentlessness showed she is here to stay.

    (The Hindu)

  • Indian Origin Assailants of Akali Dal Leader Manjit Singh GK Arrested

    Indian Origin Assailants of Akali Dal Leader Manjit Singh GK Arrested

    Parminder S Aujla

    SACRAMENTO(TIP): The Sutter County police arrested Jasbir Singh and his son, Gagandeep Singh on September 12, in connection with assault on Akali Dal leader Manjit Singh GK in a Yuba City Sikh Temple on August 25.

    Manjit Singh GK was attacked amid chants of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ by pro-Khalistan supporters in Yuba City in Northern California on August 25 where he had gone to pay obeisance to the Sikh Guru Granth Sahib.

    Releasing a statement immediately after the incident, Manjit Singh GK said,” I had come to Yuba city Gurudwara with other devotees. We had come here to pay our obeisance. Around 20-25 men entered the Gurudwara premises and attacked me. Considering the situation and respecting the sanctity of the Gurudwara I told my supporter to not react to such elements. Despite the brutality with which they have attacked me, I am absolutely fine”.

    Earlier in August, Manjit Singh GK was attacked by a group of Khalistan supporters. The first incident took place in New York where he and his family members were attacked. Minutes after the incident, Manjit Singh posted the video of the incident which took place when he had come out of a TV studio after participating in a debate.

     “A group of people attacked me and my relatives in New York. This will not scare me away from my path to serve the community. I have fought, and I will fight till my last breath. Such cowardly incidents do not scare me,” Manjit Singh tweeted.

    Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has alleged that the men who were behind the attacks have links with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. She also added that these attackers enjoy the support of senior Congress leader and the accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, Jagdish Tytler.

     “Heads of ‘Sikhs for Justice’ who are direct beneficiaries of ISI, and who work on their orders and are supported by those who are in direct touch with the likes of Jagdish Tytler, and Jasbir Singh and his son Gagandeep Singh, were seen attacking him (Manjit Singh GK). Jasbir Singh is the same person who has spent three months in jail for trying to intimidate an eyewitness against Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 massacre”, she said.

  • “We have no aspiration of dominance”- RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

    “We have no aspiration of dominance”- RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

    Manu Shah

    CHICAGO(TIP): It was a time for connecting and reflection for the 2500 Hindu delegates who had gathered at Hotel Westin in Chicago for the 2nd World Hindu Congress from 7-9 September. The mega initiative, a brainchild of IITian Swami Vigyananand, assessed ways to raise the visibility of Hindus on the world stage and work on challenges facing the community globally. Hindus from 60 countries were present with sizable delegations from Bharat and the US.

    The event had a historical significance as it commemorated the 125thanniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s iconic address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago.

    (Also Read ‘Fake Saviors of Hinduism at the World Hindu Congress in Chicago’ on page 9)

    Against the backdrop of a life like statue of Swami Vivekananda, RSS Chief Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, at the inaugural event, addressed the congress on the core theme drawn from the Mahabharat, “Think collectively, Act Valiantly.”

    He highlighted the need for Hindus to work together and said “We have stopped our descent and are contemplating how to ascend. Our universal values, now called Hindu values, lead to the welfare of the individual, the society, nature and the environment. It is the duty of Hindus to remind the world, the universal values from time to time.”

    Stressing the need for unity, Bhagwat said if a lion is alone, wild dogs can invade and destroy the lion. We must not forget that.”

    “We want to make the world better. We have no aspiration of dominance. Our influence is not a result of conquest or colonization,” he noted.

    Chair SP Kothari, said he and many speakers attending the conference received calls and petitions from organizations and individuals to withdraw from the Congress on the ground WHC or some of its organizers are “socially and religiously divisive.” “I urge them to listen to my talk and reflect on whether it is tainted with hate. I have chosen to disregard those petitions as originating from a lack of complete understanding of the World Hindu Congress.”

    Coordinator Dr. Abhaya Asthana stated that WHC is not an event, it is a community movement.  It seeks to encourage Hindus around the world to ascend to the highest levels of excellence. This Congress was important so we “may graduate from individual success to collective success.”

    Award winning actor Anupam Kher said “Hinduism is a way of life and one becomes a Hindu by living like one. Tolerance was the centerpiece of Vivekananda’s message. My roots are steeped in Hinduism… As a Hindu, it pains me deeply to see how ignorance and half knowledge are trying to destroy one of the oldest, world’s most peaceful religion.”

    Vice Chair, Raju Reddy, urged Hindus worldwide to become more visible as positive change makers in their respective countries they call home, wherever they may be today. He added, Hindus as a community should become economically more prosperous and be viewed as an economic powerhouse. Our immense soft power of Hindu teachings, Vedic knowledge and thought will be limited in its acceptance and reach without the accompanying economic power.

    India’s Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, keynote speaker for the concluding session, renewed Swami Vivekananda’s message and elaborated on some of the essential elements of Hinduism. Also seen in the picture is India’s Ambassador to the United States Navtej Sarna.
    Photo /Jay Mandal-on assignment

    India’s Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, keynote speaker for the concluding session, renewed Swami Vivekananda’s message and elaborated on some of the essential elements of Hinduism namely the breadth of its vision in treating the world as one family, tolerance and acceptance of plurality, and unity in diversity. True nationalism is in the preservation of India’s invaluable heritage, he said.

    Swami Poornatmananda of Bharat Seva Ashram, Chinmaya Mission Spiritual Head Swami Swaroopananda, Swami Paramatmananda, secretary general of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, Satguru Dalip Singh of Namdari, Madhu Pandit Dasa, chairperson of Akshaya Patra Foundation, ISKCON, Bangalore were some of the spiritual leaders who spoke at the event. Messages by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Holiness the Dalai Lama and Art of Living Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shanker, BAPS Spiritual Guru Mahant Swami Maharaj were played via video.

    Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, (D-IL) said “Some of my friends and constituents were very concerned about my presence here today…I decided I had to be here because I wanted to reaffirm the highest and only form of Hinduism that I’ve ever known and been taught…namely one that welcomes all people, embraces all people, accepts all people regardless of their faith including all my constituents.”

    (Also Read ‘U.S. Congressman Krishnamoorthi Challenged for World Hindu Congress Appearance’ on Page 13)

    Lt. Governor of Illinois Evelyn Sanguinetti, Congressman Bill Foster, Congressman Bruce Fraser were also present. Other eminent dignitaries who spoke were Vice-president of the Republic of Suriname Ashwin Adhin, entrepreneur and Grammy nominated artist Chandrika Tandon, renowned classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, author Amish Tripathi of the Shiva Trilogy and Mohandas Pai chairperson of Board of Manipal Global.

    Four organizations were recognized for their outstanding contributions to spreading Hindu philosophy. BAPS was honored for their architecturally beautiful temples, Chinmaya Mission for explaining the essence of the Gita, Geeta Press, Gorakhpur for making sacred Hindu literature accessible, and ISKCON for spreading the message of Gita.

    Seven conferences and three plenary sessions over the course of three days highlighted issues facing Hindus. The Political Conference suggested the need for a permanent secretariat in the US or UK for the cause of Hindu rights around the globe, asserting a strong political voice especially in countries like the Caribbean, Fiji and the African countries, and developing young political leaders.

    Other parallel sessions were on youth, media, economy, women, education, and Hindu organizations.

    To create awareness about atrocities committed against Hindus around the world, speak out against biased portrayals of Hindus, freeing temples from government control, making writing contemporary and relevant to the present generation, finding new ways to open trade, skill development, an Angel Investor group for women entrepreneurs and a global Hindu Women Business directory, a strategy for developing scholarship in religious studies were some of the recommendations of the conferences.

    Prominent Houstonian, Col. Raj Bhalla said “Being a Sikh, 87 years old, I always had a personal belief that Sikhs are part of Hindus. The World Hindu Congress further enlightened me and strengthened my conviction. My earnest desire is, in India, Sanskrit should be taught to children at a very young age so they learn about Vedic, Spiritual and Scientific knowledge that Hindus gave to the world 5000 years ago – a rightful matter of pride.”

    The third World Hindu Conference will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from Nov. 4 to 6, 2022. The theme will be “Victory of dharma, not adharma.”

     

     

  • Inferno in Boston after explosions: homes burn after multiple gas blasts; at least one killed, 12 injured

    Inferno in Boston after explosions: homes burn after multiple gas blasts; at least one killed, 12 injured

    ANDOVER, MA(TIP): Dozens of explosions, apparently triggered by a natural gas pipeline rupture, rocked three communities near Boston on Thursday, September 13, killing at least one person, injuring 12 and prompting the evacuation of hundreds, officials said.

    The blasts left dozens of homes and other buildings demolished or engulfed in flames as firefighters from some 50 departments raced for hours from one blaze to another and utility crews rushed to shut off gas and electricity in the area to prevent further ignitions.

    Police drove up and down streets with bull horns telling residents to vacate their homes immediately.

    Fire investigators suspected “over-pressurization of a gas main” belonging to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts led to the series of explosions and fires, Andover Fire Chief Michael Mansfield told a news conference.

    Columbia Gas, a unit of the utility giant NiSource Inc (NI.N), announced earlier on Thursday that it would be upgrading gas lines in neighborhoods across the state, including the area where the explosions occurred. However, it was not immediately known whether any work was being done in those communities at the time.

    “Columbia Gas is investigating what happened on its system today,” NiSource spokesman Ken Stammen said.

    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) said it was sending a team to support the state’s emergency response efforts.

    The former head of the agency, Brigham McCown, called the series of gas explosions “unprecedented, at least in recent memory.”

    “I can’t think of a series of natural gas-related incidents like this,” McCown, who led PHMSA under President George W. Bush, told Reuters by telephone. “We have had similar issues on a much smaller scale.”

    He said the National Transportation Safety Board was also sending a team headed by its chairman, Robert Sumwalt, to investigate the disaster.

    Live TV images showed firefighters battling blazes in the former mill towns of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, about 25 miles (40 km) north of the Massachusetts capital.

    The streets were darkened after nightfall with power cut off to the area as a precaution.

    Lawrence General Hospital said on its Facebook page it treated 13 people for injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to blast trauma. One of those patients, who was in critical condition, was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Officials told Reuters that patient later died.

    At least three people, including one firefighter, were hurt in Andover, the town said in a statement, but it was unclear whether any of those individuals were among the patients treated in Lawrence, some of whom were later released.

     “This has been an overwhelming event,” Mansfield told reporters, saying that fire companies responding to blazes were putting one house fire out only to discover another house on fire as they finished their work. “This event is not over tonight. This event will probably go on.”

    Massachusetts State Police said a total of 70 fires, explosions or investigations of gas odor had been reported. Some 50 fire departments responded to the emergency, said John McArdle, fire chief of Plaistow, New Hampshire, which sent a tower ladder and engine crew to the scene.

    State police urged residents served by Columbia Gas to evacuate their homes. Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera said residents in the southern part of the city had been asked to leave their homes whether or not they were Columbia Gas customers, due to planned power cuts.

     

  • Hurricane Florence Pounds North Carolina, bringing dangerous water surge and flash flooding: Worst to come; Almost 160,000 without power

    Hurricane Florence Pounds North Carolina, bringing dangerous water surge and flash flooding: Worst to come; Almost 160,000 without power

    NEW YORK(TIP): Hurricane Florence, with tropical storm-force winds hundreds of miles wide, began pounding the Carolina coastline on Thursday, September 13 night as officials made last-minute pleas for residents to evacuate.

    Hurricane-force winds are moving across portions of the North Carolina coast, and water levels were rising along parts of the coastline. The threat of tornadoes increases as Florence moves closer, with landfall expected Friday, September 14 morning.

    The storm surge is expected to worsen late Thursday and into early Friday during high tide in the Atlantic Ocean.

    Though the storm, once a Category 4, was downgraded Thursday night to a Category 1 from a Category 2, the danger is very real. Parts of North Carolina may see as much as 40 inches of rain and storm surges could be as high as 13 feet.

    “Flooding and the storm surge — those are the two main things that kill people, and this storm is not letting up,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday.

    The storm will churn very slowly Friday and Saturday, extending the damaging winds and huge amounts of rain that will hit the same areas of North and South Carolina for 24 hours.

    High winds and floodwaters could knock power out for several days, if not longer, officials said. Almost 160,000 customers already were without power in North Carolina Thursday evening — and that number is likely to rise.

    For those in an evacuation area, “there is still time to get out,” Cooper said Thursday. “Don’t risk your life riding out a monster storm.”

    “You’re potentially risking the life of a first responder who would try to come and help you, and we don’t need that,” he added. “I know it’s difficult to move, and I know that you are leaving things behind that you don’t want to leave behind, but no possession is worth your life.”

    South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster added: “Time is running out. Now is the time to go because that window of opportunity is closing on you very quickly.”

     

  • September 14 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    September 14 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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