The Indian Panorama

Month: October 2018

  • Bazar, Entertainment, Fireworks Attract Thousands to AIA-NY 31st Deepavali Festival

    Bazar, Entertainment, Fireworks Attract Thousands to AIA-NY 31st Deepavali Festival

    NEW YORK CITY, NY(TIP): The Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter (AIA-NY) celebrated their 31st Annual Deepavali Festival at the South Street Seaport in New York City on Sunday October 7th, 2018 from 12 noon till 7pm.

    The event was attended by thousands of people throughout the day, that enjoyed Indian culture and heritage, food, shopping, live performances and a spectacular display of live fireworks, sponsored by Cheapoair and Qatar Airways. Deepavali was a full day extravaganza with highlight performances by British Asian superstar Jaz Dhami; Bollywood playback singer, Shilpi Paul; Indian TV actors, Aman Dhaliwal and Karan Khanna; local NYC singer G. Sing and popular Gujarati Band all the way from India, KB Music with their lead vocalist, Jigardhan Gadhavi.

    Jaz Dhami, the celebrity singer, with enthusiastic crowd behind. (Inset) Shilpi captivated with her song numbers
    Jaz Dhami, the celebrity singer, with enthusiastic crowd behind. (Inset) Shilpi captivated with her song numbers

    The highly sought after inter-collegiate dance competition, Naach Inferno presented by Star Bharat, in its fifth year saw first-time entrants East West Dance Academy as their winner this year. SA Grooves alongside its founders, Tanya Thanawalla & Asees Singh interacted with the audience and made the audience dance. Jaz Dhami had the entire South Street Seaport with their hands up in their air as he performed his hit song ‘High Heels’ and many more. Shilpi Paul had both families and the youth alike sing and dance to her tunes both on and off stage in the audience. Shilpi Paul & Jaz Dhami’s performances were presented by Sony TV.

    Deepavali, meaning ‘A row of lamps’ is also popularly known as Diwali, or ‘Festival of Lights’.  It signifies the triumph of ‘Good over Evil’, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. “The AIA-NY tries to spread this message of Hope and attempts to bridge the gap in the communities with events such as Deepavali and brings the community together”, said Gobind Munjal, President of AIA NY Chapter. “We invite all local communities to become a part of this mega festival. Deepavali has become an important part of American life committing to AIA’s role in the community.”

    Although the Festival caters to all ages; children, youth, middle aged and the seniors. The emphasis recently has been shifted more towards youth, as their involvement is considered essential for the longevity of the association. With that objective in mind, AIA-NY launched “Desi Next”, and arranged a lot of activities geared towards the younger generation, including bringing young artists to perform at the Deepavali Festival. “AIA’s goal to incorporate more young adults into the mainstream activities of the community was accomplished,” said Munjal.

    The children area came alive with the presence of Ronald McDonald himself and his coming and playing games with the children. The Health Fair attracted many. People enjoyed the variety of Food, shopping, and free coffee from McDonald’s Mccafe. Corporate sponsors gave away freebees. Qatar Airways was raffling two free air tickets to anywhere in the world.

    Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India in New York wished the Indian American community a Happy Diwali. Seen in the picture, from L to R: AIA-NY Chapter President Gobind Munjal, Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Harish Thakkar

    The event culminated with citations and addresses by the various dignitaries. Among others; Consul General Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, NY City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and John Liu graced the occasion.

    In addition to the coverage of the event by ITV, TV Asia and other media partners; Jus Punjabi, 8K Radio and Radio Dil provided with the live broadcast of the entire program. The evening was indeed a memorable one for all. The grand finale of the festival was the display of live Fireworks dazzling the NY skyline over the East River, enthralling thousands of New Yorkers.

    In addition to support from CheapOair and Qatar Airways, other corporate sponsors; such as McDonald’s, Pepsi, New York Life, Kotak Bank, among others; helped made this event possible.

    Spectacular fireworks
    Organizers all- the AIA-NY Chapter organizing committee

    The Association of Indians in America (AIA) is one of the oldest not-for-profit organization of Asian Indians in America founded on August 20, 1967. It is the grassroots national organization of Asian immigrants in the United States. With chapters and membership spread across the United States of America, AIA represents the hopes and aspirations of those immigrants who are united by their common bond of Indian Heritage and American Commitment. For more info, please find us on Facebook and visit our website at www.theaiany.org.

    (Press Release)

     

     

  • Weekly Horoscope October 15 – October 21, 2018

    Weekly Horoscope October 15 – October 21, 2018

    By Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla

    Aries: Ganesha says you crave emotional excitement and a change in routine. You are bored with the status quo. You want to do something radically different and seek out people you would normally have no intercourse with in any way whatsoever. This has its dangers but you are ready for the fallout. You know what you are doing. You are impulsive but not dangerously rash. You break the rules and if you are a team leader you pioneer new and better way of doing things.

    Taurus: This is an interesting period with several possibilities. There are obsessions and indulgences and you are prone to compulsive behavior. If you have addictions, you may sink deep into the quagmire. You need to look at yourself with honesty and clarity. This is a period of introspection and self-analysis, and confrontations with the self. There could be altercations too, as others may how you a mirror and you don’t like the reflection.

    Gemini: There is more stability now and this can be an excellent period for all kinds of mental work. You plan for the future with decisiveness. You are positive, confident and determined to make something of yourself. You are not one to wallow in muddy waters for too long. You realize your mistakes and work on yourself. You realize that you have to work in a team and this sudden realization and humility are met with applause. There is work-related travel and business expansion.

    Cancer: You are moved ahead like the latest bullet train. You are disciplined, and your critical faculties are sharp. This is an excellent time for business transactions and negotiations. You want to be the top gun, and that could be the only hitch. You are open to divergent views, as they invest in the larger vision. Ego drives are high, and you attract arguments and altercations, but you manage to get your way through in the end.

    Leo: There are different and opposing trends this period. There could be confusion and uncertainty, new awareness   and sensitivity, aggression, conciliation, withdrawal, competition, confrontation and self-assertion. You could act surreptitiously and face the consequences too. You also go looking for a guru and take recourse to yantra, tantra and mantra. There are expenses and family time, ill health and remission, generation, rejuvenation and eccentricities.

    Virgo: You are fascinated by every vista of life that opens before your eyes. There are surprises and upsets. Plans may go away, and you will have to move like water. ‘The species that adapts to change is the species that survives,’ said Darwin. If you are rigid, you are stuck. In this phase you may embark on one course of action and then move on to something completely different. You are the lichen riding the ocean waves.

    Libra: ‘Truth is a pathless land,’ said J. Krihnamurti. Relationships are the prime focus now. You look for reliable, stable partners. Those in long – term relationships go about sorting out issues that may have caused possible rifts. You can be objective and you understand the realities of life. You do not make unrealistic demands and just expect partners to live up to their obligations. There is steadiness and sobriety in all your exchanges.

    Scorpio: You make money and spend it. There are many new investments, holiday plans and new deals in the offing. You are a mover and shaker, filled with zest, zeal and energy. You want to be a person of renown, and the winter chill won’t dampen your inherent desires to excel. There are love and longing, fun, festivities, joyous moments and family reunions. Children bring happiness. There could also be an addition to the family.

    Sagittarius: This is a great period for physical activity, as your energies are high. You are filled with hope, joy and bonhomie. You are strong, vigorous, hard – working and determined. Your exuberance is contagious, and it draws everyone around you in its sweep. You are not foolishly overconfident. You watch your step and take calculated risks. You live and love large. Success crowns you without a doubt.

    Capricorn: There is travel on the cards. It may be time for a foreign holiday. You also look seriously at spirituality and go searching for a guru. You are looking for answers to life’s profound questions. Certain queries may never be answered but ask you must. New vistas open and someone from a different culture may make a lasting impression on you. It needn’t be a romantic liaison, but it could well change the way you look at the world.

    Aquarius: You take a break from the rush of life and meet with your buddies at cafes and over dinners and movies. You visit art galleries and attend poetry readings and private screenings of offbeat cinema. If you are artistically inclined, you find time for your creative urges. You take off into the woods and frolic with rabbits and foxes. You have been there and done that. And the winner of the rat race remains a rat. You want a clean break from it all. Ganesha smiles.

    Pisces: ‘Instead of getting depressed or falling into guilt when we see what is wrong in ourselves, we need to say, Wow! Creator, thank you for letting me see my demons. Now, how can I go above them?’ said Karen Berg of the Kabbalah Centre. You may be inclined to identify your ego with your possessions and wealth. This can set tongues wagging and you could come in for some flak. You could also look at short cuts and unethical means to reach your ends.

     

  • Indian American USIBC President Nisha Biswal will deliver keynote at Ekal Vidyalaya’s Washington gala

    Indian American USIBC President Nisha Biswal will deliver keynote at Ekal Vidyalaya’s Washington gala

    WASHINGTON, DC(TIP): Indian American USIBC President Nisha Desai Biswal will deliver the keynote address at the Ekal Vidyalaya’s Washington, DC, area gala,which will be held at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD, on October 12.

    The event will consist of a dinner, auction, and fundraiser to support rural development in India.

    Biswal, who served as an assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs from 2014 to 2017, is one of a number of prominent Indian Americans scheduled to attend the event. Others include Sonal Shah, executive director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University, and Vinod Prakash, president & CEO of the India Development and Relief Fund Inc. USA (IDRF).

    Prakash, an economist who worked for the World Bank for several years, will be honored at the event for his lifetime of service.

    “The goal of the gala is to raise money for the integrated development of Indian villages,” said Dr. Sudhir Sekhsaria, convener and chair of the gala. “Ekal mainly focuses on four areas for the development of villages: primary education, preventive healthcare, economic empowerment of villagers through skills training, and spreading awareness among villagers about right to information.”

    Sekhsaria, a prominent physician in the Washington area, said Ekal’s village adoption program costs $1,000 per village, and the goal of the gala is to facilitate the adoption of 300 villages.

    A number of prominent Ekal leaders, including Ekal USA President Suresh Iyer, its former President Vinod Jhunjhunwala, Executive Director Ranjani Saigal, Ekal Abhiyan Trust Board secretary Bajrang Lal Bagra and gala co-chair Dr. Suresh C. Gupta, will speak at the event.

    Popular Indian American actor Omi Vaidya will be the master of ceremonies.

    Another feature of the gala will be a concert by Bollywood playback singer Sumitra Iyer.

  • Indian American entrepreneur invests $60 million in medical device company 

    Indian American entrepreneur invests $60 million in medical device company 

    FLORIDA(TIP): Indian American entrepreneur Dr. Kiran Patel has invested $60 million at “an undisclosed valuation” in Concept Medical Inc., a Florida-based medical device company.

    The newly infused funds will support clinical trials on cardiac devices, the company said in a press release.

    “Cardiovascular diseases are the number 1 cause of death globally, representing 31 percent of all global deaths, and it is increasing due to changes in lifestyle and the increase in hypertension amongst the young and old,” Patel said. “I am excited to be part of the CMI whose research and innovative technologies will meet a major unmet need in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This venture enables me to contribute to the millions of hearts beating around the world.”

    Concept Medical founder and Managing Director Manish Doshi said Patel’s “investment brings a series value add,” as his “vast experience” as a cardiologist “is synergistic.”

    “We want to make a world of difference to the way medical devices companies operate globally,” he said. “We are a young organization and innovation runs in the soul of our entire organization. This investment enables us in advancing innovation platforms vigorously. “

    Doshi, an Indian American, founded Concept Medical in 2008. It has a manufacturing subsidiary in India, Envision Scientific Pvt. Ltd.

    Concept Medical said it has approached the US Food and Drug Administration for an “Investigative Device Exemption” for its newly developed stents and balloons that open blocked coronary arteries. The balloon is coated with a substance called Sirolimus, which reduces rejection.

    An FDA exemption will allow these devices to be used in clinical studies.

    The company said the new funds will also be used to increase clinical data and registries to qualify for cost reimbursements in Europe, where the product is already in the market.

    Parts of the funds will be used to increase manufacturing operations, the company said.

    According to the release, Concept Medical has received 96 patents and dozens more under process in different countries, including the United States, China, Japan, India and several European nations.

    Patel and his wife, Dr. Pallavi Patel, have built and sold two-billion-dollar healthcare companies in the past two decades. In 2002, they sold WellCare, one of the largest HMOs in Florida, with more than 400,000 members and revenue in excess of $1 billion.

    They sold Freedom Health and Optimum Healthcare nearly a year ago.

    The Patels now run one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the state of Florida, the Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel Family Foundation. In September 2017, the foundation announced a $20 million contribution to the Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

     

  • Indian Overseas Congress, USA Protests against Prime Minister Modi and the Minister of Defense, Nirmala Sitharaman’s Corrupt Involvement in Rafale Loot

    Indian Overseas Congress, USA Protests against Prime Minister Modi and the Minister of Defense, Nirmala Sitharaman’s Corrupt Involvement in Rafale Loot

    RICHMOND HILL, NY(TIP): Indian Overseas Congress, USA staged a protest in Richmond Hill, New York, September 30th, to highlight the corruption by the Modi Government in the purchase of Rafale jets in the biggest defense scam in history. This protest also expressed grave discontent amongst NRIs who are of the opinion that Hindustan Aeronautical Limited should have been the building partner of the Dassault Aviation rather than Modi’s handpicked friend Anil Ambani who stands to gain 30,000 Crores Rupees in this scam at the expense of the tax-paying public.

    Dr. Amee Yajnik, member of the Rajya Sabha while addressing the crowd, expressed grave discontentment with lack of transparency and accountability in this whole affair. “While our farmers are suffering and many of them are on the verge of despair, the Modi Government’s focus is only to increase the coffers of their crony capitalist friends. The money that is supposed to be used for economic and social development is stolen from the people of India” Dr. Yajnik added.

    ‘Corrupt role played by the Minister of Defense, Nirmala Sitharaman is also of great concern to us, and we are also concerned that she has converted the ministry of defense into a puppet institution which dancing to the tunes of crony capitalists without any concern being shown to the defense establishment of the country along with national security” said Mr. Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA. “The secrecy by which Modi has dealt with this deal tantamount to organized loot, and we are asking for the resignation of the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister’, Mr. Gilzian added.

    George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of IOC, urged the Diaspora to become cognizant of the growing number of scandals plaguing the Modi regime and the secrecy with which Rafale Deal has been conceptualized. United Progressive Alliance first conceptualized the deal in the year 2012 when Government of India had agreed with Dassault Aviation, France to purchase a total of 126 Rafael fighter jet aircraft. This agreement was clinched with a cost of Rs. 526 for each aircraft.

    Initial 18 aircraft were to be purchased on an immediate fly-away condition and remaining 108 were agreed to be manufactured in India. Aircraft which were to be manufactured in India were agreed to be manufactured in association with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under the transfer of technology agreement. However, altering the terms of the contract to benefit the Ambanis may result in the lost employment opportunities which could have benefited the unemployed youth of Karnataka.

    A view of protesters

    Crowd held placards and chanted that “Modi is corrupt – Stop Deception and Corruption”, “End all Corruption – Down with BJP and Crony Capitalism”, “IOC condemns Corruption”, “Rafale, biggest Defense scam”, and “Vigilance should investigate Modi”.

    Mr. Ravi Chopra, the chairman of the Finance Committee, John Joseph, Vice-President, Mr. Satish Sharma, Chairman of Punjab Chapter, Mr. Charan Singh, President of Haryana Chapter, Mrs. Shalu Chopra, chairperson of the Women’s forum also spoke. Mr. Devendra Vora of the Maharashtra Chapter honored the Chief Guest Dr. Yajnik with a Shawl.

    (Press Release)

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Woman fatally shot while walking with mother, friend in Brooklyn

    Woman fatally shot while walking with mother, friend in Brooklyn

    Mohammed Jaffer

    BROOKLYN, NY(TIP): A woman was shot to death while walking with her mother in Brooklyn late Sunday, October 7 night and now the father of her children is in custody.

    Police say 24-year-old Sade Sanchez, a mother of two, was shot multiple times on St. Nicholas and Menahan streets around 10:30 p.m.

    Sanchez was walking down the street with her mother and a male friend when police say her ex-boyfriend and the father of her two young sons, 26-year-old Gabriel Rivera, came up and started shooting.

    The victim was shot several times with bullets hitting her in the neck, chest, shoulder and stomach.

    The friend who was with the victim ran to the nearby 83rd Precinct to get help. Sanchez was rushed to nearby Wyckoff Hospital, just blocks away, but died 15 minutes later.

    It’s not clear if the shooter drove up or ran up to the group, but no one else was injured. Apparently, the former couple had recently broken up.

    “I know both of them. He was like a little brother to me. That’s like my little sister, you know. This is just a bad situation. It shouldn’t have happened at all. It shouldn’t have happened this way,” family friend Joseph Ayala said.

    Police say Rivera turned himself in to police later Monday morning.

    The suspect’s surrender gave little solace to Sanchez’s family who say Rivera had essentially stalked the young mother for weeks and ignored an order of protection.

    “You do everything that you’re supposed to and then it’s just not enough,” the victim’s aunt, Leanna Santos, said.

    Rivera is charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

  • Man killed during early morning shooting in Flatbush

    Man killed during early morning shooting in Flatbush

    Mohammed Jaffer

    NEW YORK (TIP): — One man is dead after a shooting at a Brooklyn intersection early Monday, October 8., according to a 1010 Wins report.

    Police responded to a call of a man shot at the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Glenwood Road in Flatbush at around 3 a.m.

    When officers arrived at the scene, they found a 39-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the chest.

    The victim was taken to Kings Country Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

    It’s unclear what provoked the shooting and there were no arrests made as of 7 a.m.

    Police remained on the scene throughout the morning and the investigation will remain ongoing.

    The identity of the victim was being withheld pending family notification.

     

  • New York Journalist Prakash Swamy accused of Sexual Misconduct by a Woman in Chennai; Swamy says it is an Attack on Media

    New York Journalist Prakash Swamy accused of Sexual Misconduct by a Woman in Chennai; Swamy says it is an Attack on Media

    NEW YORK (TIP): Dr. Prakash M Swamy PhD (USA) has been a senior journalist for the past 40 years having worked in senior editorial positions at The Hindu, India Today, Press Trust of India, Ananda Vikatan, India Abroad USA to name a few. He used to continuously write for Asian Tribune too Prakash M Swamy.

    He is an accredited diplomatic correspondent to the United Nations for the past 10 years and serve as a senior journalist in Chennai and New York. He has a penchant for investigative reporting and studied as a special subject as part of his journalism degree in University of Florida. He worked closely with Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein the architects of investigative reporting in the US.

    Returning to India, he broke the news of first human belt bomb that killed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for The Hindu with forensic and scientific evidence that became global scoop of the decade, He was also mentioned as a fearless journalist by The New York Times and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York.

    As part of his assignment, he is working on leads to probe into the death of a non-resident Indian -Mr Sainath, a top executive of a multinational Pacific Basin in Hong Kong. In the process he is gathering relevant information from the deceased’s parents, wife Gayathri Sai, his colleagues and friends.

    It appears that Mrs. Gayathri Sai, 45, of Chennai, a movie group dancer and a former model, did not seem to appreciate Swamy following the leads and had directly and indirectly prevented him from pursuing the story.

    When everything failed, she has gone to the social media to accuse Swamy, 63, of alleged sexual misconduct and flooding the social media with abusive contents such as video and audio recordings – all cooked up – with a view to preventing Swamy from pursuing his investigative story which she feared may implicate her.

    Dr. Swamy has asked for evidence and solid proof from Mrs. Gayathri Sai like CCTV footage, building security register and verifiable independent proof of his misconduct. Without providing any of these and continue to level serious charges to damage his reputation and character on the social media without providing any credible evidence is a dangerous trend.

    In the absence of any evidence, we are forced to conclude that these charges are motivated and an attempt to silence the senior journalist from discharging his official duty. Such assault on the freedom of the press can’t and won’t be tolerated. Dr Swamy says the criminal gang had asked for ransom money to keep quiet and no police action was taken despite complaint to Cyber Crime in June this year.

    In the past, adversaries of the media used to send auto rickshaw with weapon slashing goons, throw acids on the face and now opponents take the easy way of digital terrorism to silence the media voice. We urge the Central and State Governments to ensure that the media persona is safeguarded against any kind of attacks that could be construed as brazen attack to silence the media.

    (Source: Asian Tribune)

  • US Calls for “Transparent” Saudi Probe into Journalist’s Disappearance

    US Calls for “Transparent” Saudi Probe into Journalist’s Disappearance

    US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, October 8, called for a thorough and open probe by Washington’s ally Saudi Arabia into the disappearance of journalist and Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi.

    “We call on the government of Saudi Arabia to support a thorough investigation of Mr Khashoggi’s disappearance and to be transparent about the results of that investigation,” Pompeo said in a statement, after President Donald Trump voiced concern for Khashoggi, who vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week.

    Turkish officials have alleged Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate, but Riyadh denies those claims and says he left the compound on his own.

    “We have seen conflicting reports on the safety and whereabouts of prominent Saudi journalist and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi,” Pompeo said.

    State Department senior officials have spoken with Saudi Arabia through diplomatic channels about the matter, the top US diplomat added.

    Khashoggi, a US resident for about the past year, has written articles critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

    On the eve of his planned marriage to a Turkish woman, he entered the consulate Tuesday and has not been seen since.

  • Newsweek magazine’s former parent company hit with $10M fraud indictment

    Newsweek magazine’s former parent company hit with $10M fraud indictment

    NEW YORK(TIP): The former parent company of beleaguered Newsweek ran a $10 million fraud scheme, tricking lenders into loaning out large sums to pay for high-end computer servers they never bought, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday.

    The magazine’s former owners, Christian Media Corp. and IBT Media, and its executives instead diverted the money to pay for day-to-day operations and past financial obligations, Manhattan prosecutors allege.

    The indictment comes nearly 10 months after investigators with the Manhattan DA’s office raided Newsweek’s offices for information about the magazine’s computer servers.

    A few weeks after the raid, Newsweek sacked its editor in chief and deputy editor and targeted for firing three reporters who were covering the DA’s investigation and a sexual harassment scandal at the magazine.

    Those fired included former Daily News reporter Celeste Katz, who co-wrote an expose in Newsweek about its parent company that ran in February, months after she was fired.

    “As we were reporting this story, Newsweek Media Group fired Newsweek Editor Bob Roe, Executive Editor Ken Li and Senior Politics Reporter Celeste Katz for doing their jobs,” an editor’s note atop the story read. “Reporters Josh Keefe and Josh Saul were targeted for firing before an editor persuaded the company to reverse its decision.”

    The fraud indictment names IBT co-owner Etienne Uzac, former Christian Media CEO William Anderson and Oikos Networks, a computer company that falsely claimed it had sold Dell servers with price tags ranging from $130,000 to $180,000 to the magazine.

    In fact, Oikos provided fewer servers than it had claimed, and those servers “were of inferior quality to the high-capacity servers called for in the financing agreements,” the indictment alleges.

    Uzac and Anderson created a fake auditing firm, Karen Smith, LLP, complete with a website, a phone number and a Staten Island business address, to gin up false financial statements to trick lenders into thinking the magazine was financially healthy, the indictment alleges.

    Uzac on Wednesday said Manhattan DA Cy Vance ordered a “very aggressive investigation” because IBT published a story that “uncovered that the Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. declined to press charges against Harvey Weinstein after his attorney paid Vance money.”

    “The firestorm that ensued badly bruised the DA’s office, led to his office to be investigated by the New York Attorney General and almost cost him his reelection,” Uzac wrote in a statement on IBT Media’s website. “Within 60 days of IBT publishing the story, the DA ordered that our server room be raided.”

    Newsweek’s former parent company, Newsweek Media group, split the magazine off from IBT, according to a statement last month.

    “There will be a brief transition period during which all of Newsweek operations will transition into a new company,” the statement reads. “As of September 14th, 2018, the Newsweek brand will be operating as a stand-alone separate entity under the leadership of CEO Dev Pragad. The remaining brands, including International Business Times, Medical Daily, Latin Times and Player One, will be operated separately under IBT Media Inc, with Johnathan Davis as CEO.”

     

  • 15 SAUDI REPORTERS ARRESTED IN PAST YEAR: REPORT

    15 SAUDI REPORTERS ARRESTED IN PAST YEAR: REPORT

    NEW YORK(TIP): At least 15 Saudi journalists and bloggers have been arrested over the past year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Wednesday, October 10, following the disappearance of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

    “In most cases, their arrests have never been officially confirmed and no official has ever said where they are being held or what they are charged with,” RSF, which defends press freedom around the world, said in a statement.

    Cases included that of Saleh al-Shihi, a journalist whose arrest was only confirmed in February when his family learned he had been sentenced to five years in prison, RSF said.

    He disappeared in December 2017, but his detention was not revealed until his conviction and sentence were announced in the kingdom, the organisation added.

    Economist and citizen-journalist Essam al-Zamel was put on trial this month for criticising the government’s economic strategy in a series of tweets and reports. It was only then officially confirmed he has been in jail for the past year.

    Another journalist and commentator, Turad al-Amri, has been missing since November 2016 after protesting in a tweet to a clampdown on Saudi media, including the blocking of an online newspaper for which he had written.

    Fayez bin Damakh, another reporter and poet, has also been reported missing since September 2017 when he was about to launch a TV news channel in neighbouring Kuwait.

    Local press reports suggested he was abducted and taken to Saudi Arabia, though this has never been confirmed.

    “The traditionally opaque methods used by Saudi Arabia to silence critical journalists constitute grounds for fearing the worst in the case of Khashoggi’s disappearance,” said Sophie Anmuth, head of RSF’s Middle East desk.

    Khashoggi, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States, vanished on October 2 after entering Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul to obtain official documents ahead of his marriage to his Turkish fiancee.

    On Wednesday, Turkish television released CCTV footage of him entering the consulate.

    Saudi authorities have said the journalist left the building after his visit and rejected Turkish police suggestions he might have been killed there.

    RSF is calling for an independent international investigation to determine his fate.

    A total of 25 to 30 professional and non-professional journalists are currently believed to be detained in Saudi Arabia, which is ranked 169th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2018 World Press Freedom Index, the organisation also said.

  • Elections Matter, Our Republic, Boiling Senate, Senator Susan Collins, Dr. Ford and Godspeed Justice Kavanaugh.

    Elections Matter, Our Republic, Boiling Senate, Senator Susan Collins, Dr. Ford and Godspeed Justice Kavanaugh.

    Ravi Batra

    “We need to save our Republic, to remain “Exceptional” and “American.” If we do that, harness SM to spread equality and fairness, then the politicians who weaponize mere majorities will fall, and the Supreme Court will not be called upon to settle Political or Societal disputes, and merely abstain as it gloriously did for almost two centuries”, says the author.

    Elections matter; Lindsey Graham is right about that observation. The party that controls the White House gets to nominate; and the party that controls the Senate, the “Cooling Saucer” as George Washington then-correctly noted, gets to “Advise and Consent,” an act between Constitutional “partners.” Only in times when a single party is controlling both White House and Senate, that Separated Powers’ dissent-benefit is reduced – as in President Obama’s First Term and now in President Trump’s First Term.

    It’s on Harry Reid and Barack Obama that the Senate Rule of 60 for judicial confirmation was abandoned, and by so doing hyperpartisianship was allowed to affect the noble bench as the Senate became the “boiling pot” it now is, kept red hot by the disintermediating Social Media (SM) and each party having its own opinion-supporting media outlets. That, perhaps, is the worst of all: as the SM & Partisan Media-Genie may never go back in the bottle!

    We are now a nation sharply divided, as we were before the Civil War – but for very different reasons; one structural (SM), and the other temporal: economic (as for too many Americans, the American Dream has become impossible to achieve). Dealing now only with the structural – our representative form of government – aka a Republic – its very structure was designed to cool off, at each circuit breaker-level, “hot” public sentiment and prevent induced-Mob Rule. Mob Rule doesn’t mean the guillotine during the French Revolution, but rather to avoid the insufferable tyranny of simple majority – something tried and failed over 2000 years ago in the City-State of Athens during the time of Socrates. As termites can destroy the wooden structure of a house, social media is destroying our Republic, with each side fueled by their own media, and converting our Constitutionally-cool “representatives,” be it the president, senators or representatives, into “warriors. “Representatives” are expected to sit, talk, deliberate, and together make bipartisan deals as our Constitution was designed to do with the Separated Powers regime & cherished-Dissent, enshrined in the First of all Amendments and core of American Exceptionalism. Political “Warriors” have weaponized politics, make war and bipartisan coming together for the greater public good be damned. We all just saw in horror the Kavanaugh Confirmation, a scandal worse than what occurred 30-plus years ago or the emotional self-defense by a nominee to the most powerful bench in history, let alone its most powerful swing seat.

    What happed between then-teenagers, Dr. Ford and Justice Kavanaugh only a trial, without a statute of limitations’ bar, could have proven – with presumption of innocence and cross-examination, the perfectly balanced Ying and Yang core of American Rule of Law. What we just witnessed was the grant and imposition of Presumptive Innocence without grant of the Constitutional full & free right to Cross-Examine – before an independent & impartial jury and judge. Senator Collins’ historic confirmatory speech contains a core farce – as no Prosecutor could ever win a single case in similar setting, as the accused and his supporters imposed a straight-jacketed on the Prosecutor/Accuser by denying their Constitutional right to cross-examine and present all witnesses – let alone before an independent jury and judge. Transplanting “Presumption of Innocence,” without granting right to Cross-Examination and presentment of all relevant witnesses, and that too without an impartial Judge deciding what is relevant, and a verdict to be rendered by an impartial jury: believe 100% certain Accuser-Ford or 100% certain Accused who denies. Before a doctor transplants a heart, there has to be a full body into which the transplanted heart can beat. Here, the “heart” was made to beat without a body that included an impartial judge and jury.

    While the Senate isn’t a trial, as it lacked both an impartial & independent jury and judge, but their grant of presumptive innocence while denying the Prosecutor/Accuser right to cross-examine and present all witnesses was fundamentally un-American and fatally unjust.

    That said, I supported J. Brett Kavanaugh – as what he was alleged to have done with Ford & Ramirez, his own age group as over-zealous frolicking students can (very different from a fiduciary-Priest sexually assaulting a child), is perhaps of no moment to him and unworthy of memory; while the same event had a very different effect on the “girl.” A point made sharply by the different effect on Ford, as compared to Ramirez from two different allegations: in high school and at Yale. This is a societal issue for all of us together to be address: sensitizing our children (and adults) against Sexual Assault.  I expect Justice Kavanaugh in his opinions will rise to champion survivors of sexual abuse. It would be poetic justice.

    On September 20th, I tweeted: “Dr. Ford do NOT become Anita Hill – UNFAIR2 daughters/mothers; reject @Chuck Grassley KindOffer. It’s a fair4some: J. Kavanaugh ought not be held2TeenError.”

    The 50-48 Confirmation by a boiling, not cooling saucer, Senate is our larger problem as it robs us all – both sides – of what since 1776 we have rightfully claimed to be the very best in Humanity – well past the Magna Carta.

    Upon his confirmation, I tweeted: “Godspeed Mr. Justice Brett Kavanaugh – we wish your better angels to help guide you to find true & compassionate justice with logic for most of the distance and faith for the balance; and deliver on Lincoln’s Gettysburg Covenant of Govt FOR the People”

    We need to save our Republic, to remain “Exceptional” and “American.” If we do that, harness SM to spread equality and fairness, then the politicians who weaponize mere majorities will fall, and the Supreme Court will not be called upon to settle Political or Societal disputes, and merely abstain as it gloriously did for almost two centuries.

    (The author is a New York based attorney. He can be reached at ravibatralaw@aol.com)

     

  • Time to stand up for a free press: We’re not the enemy

    Time to stand up for a free press: We’re not the enemy

    By Layne Bruce

    Enough already.

    The last couple of years have been an unending barrage against the freedom of the press and the practitioners of this noble trade.

    From being called “liars,” “fake,” and “sick” by irate politicians to enduring capricious and punitive tariffs that are an existential threat to newspapers, the landscape for journalists today may be as inhospitable as it has ever been in the 242-year history of this great union of ours.

    All this while the public at large seems unable to break free of the social media echo chamber. We retreat there to endlessly bicker with those who don’t agree, or to bolster the confidence of our own positions by seeking solace from those who do.

    We’ve devolved into a nation of people who simply don’t want to hear it.

    And that’s incredibly dangerous.

    The bipartisan testimony of 20 members of Congress last month before the International Trade Commission in opposition to tariffs on Canadian imported newsprint is a good indicator a lot of talk about journalists being “enemies of the people” is utter hogwash. These men and women know the importance of community newspapers and their imperiled status in modern culture where too many marketers prefer digital analytics and too many readers prefer daily affirmation.

    They know the men and women who work at the local paper are most definitely not the enemy — nor the problem.

    But in a society where talk of the wicked media is hurled relentlessly on Twitter or cable “news” channels, all of us who take part in the honorable, constitutionally protected trade of reporting news and ferreting truth get amalgamated into a cynical act of political theater that’s threatening to the very fabric of democracy.

    And that’s what this Is really about.

    We’re arguing over political philosophies and cultural divides — not about whether news is biased. I bet you a week’s pay and a dozen doughnuts the people who use the argument that news is “fake” don’t any more believe that than they think the Space Force is coming soon to a quadrant near us.

    But the damage is being done. We as a nation are beginning to give a collective shoulder shrug the fundamental freedoms in the Bill of Rights.

    And we’ve got to snap out of it.

    We’ve got to accept that not all news is happy or affirming. We’re not always

    going to get what we want. I vaguely remember being taught that as a preschooler.

    Aaron Blake, a correspondent for The Washington Post, asked in a recent column if the media should go to war with the President.

    “Trump seems to want a war with his ‘enemy,”‘ Blake wrote. “But should the mediaoblige him? And if it doesn’t, isn’t it unilaterally disarming?”

    No, we should not go to war with the President. But It’s long past time to end the navel gazing and stand up for what we do. It’s our job to provide the best obtainable version of the truth and to champion the freedoms of the First Amendment.

    Thomas Jefferson — who had a notably tempestuous relationship with the press — was a president who still often rose to defend it.

    He once wrote while serving in Paris as Minister to France: “The people are the only censors of their governors, and even their errors will tend to keep them true to the principles of their Institution…

    “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.”

    If we’re unwilling to accept news that upsets us, or if we’re indifferent to differing views simply because we don’t want to deal with them, we’re essentially giving up on the notion we can ever truly be “one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

    I know it’s ironic, but l don’t believe we’ve given up because I don’t want to believe it.

    (The author is executive director of the Mississippi Press Association)

  • Ambassador Nikki Haley Capitalizes on her Resignation and Builds Political Capital

    Ambassador Nikki Haley Capitalizes on her Resignation and Builds Political Capital

    By Ven Parameswaran

    Kathleen Parker, a columnist for The Washington Post wrote: “In decades of writing about politics, I have run across few with Haley’s innate talents.  She is a natural with people, whether crouching with children on the ground in Africa—reminiscent of Princess Diana on similar travels—speaking to leaders in the tense theater of the United Nations.

    Ambassador Nikki Haley sitting by President Trump in the White House oval office announced her resignation.   The event was followed by a press conference.  The story was a stunt and received the widest media coverage for a couple of days.  First, I must congratulate Nikki Haley for her modus operandi and political skills in getting President Trump and the public to listen to her story from the oval office.  Never before, a resignation of a cabinet official has received such importance.   The exchange Nikki Haley had with Trump proved that they have the best rapport and cordial and professional relationship.  Perhaps, having refined her diplomatic skills at the United Nations, she emulated them at the White House.

    Nikki Haley, 46 started her political career 14 years ago as State Senator in South Carolina.  At the end of her third term, Nikki Haley ran as a Primary candidate for the Governor of South Carolina.  This was a tough fight and she won.  She won the Governor’s race with a wide margin.  Her performance as Governor enabled her to win her second term in 2014.   President Trump appointed her as Ambassador to the U.N. in 2017.   Thus, Nikki Haley became a durable political timber and unchallenged national leader.

    PERFORMANCE AT THE U.N.

    P stands for Performance and R stands for Reporting in Public Relations. Nikki Haley’s performance as Ambassador was extraordinary and outstanding.  When she took up the job, everyone underestimated her and she prove them wrong.  Nikki Haley developed the  best diplomatic relations with China and Russia.  This helped her to get their consent when the U.S. imposed severe sanctions against these countries and also Iran and North Korea.  She represented the USA and President Trump admirably and commanded the highest respect at the United Nations.

    She came to the UN post without previous foreign policy experience.  The position often thrust her into the spotlight and enabled her to win favor among conservatives for her staunch defense of Israel and sharp criticism of Iran and Russia.

    For a time at the UN, diplomats saw her as the face of U.S. foreign policy, noting differences between Trump and then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. She made a point at the UN to project the impression that she was close to Trump and that she “had his ears,” one diplomat said.

    WHY DID NIKKI HALEY RESIGN?  IS SHE SHOOTING FOR THE PRESIDENCY AFTER TRUMP?

    In 14 years, Nikki Haley has accumulated substantial political experience by representing South Carolina as a State Senator and Governor, and as Ambassador to the U.N.  She has proven legislative and executive  experience.  Everyone is speculating about her future potential, that is unlimited.  Nikki Haley is very popular.  Quinnipiac Poll gave her 75% approval rating by Republicans and 55% by Democrats.  President Trump sent her to Sudan and other African countries and India.  Ambassador Haley was well respected and received by one and all.  When Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s resignation was imminent there was speculation that Trump was considering her for the Secretary of State.    When the reporters asked Haley whether she would be running for President in 2020, she said she would not be running but would be supporting Trump.    As a conservative Republican woman with seasoned experience one can say she has the necessary credentials to run for President in 2024.   There is speculation that Trump may fire Attorney General Sessions after the Mid Term elections and was considering Senator Graham of S.C. If so, there is a possibility that Nikki Haley could be tapped to finish the term of Senator Graham till 2020, and get reelected.  Senator Graham may also be interested in the U.N. Ambassador’s job.  There is also speculation that Trump may want a woman as his running mate in 2020 and could offer the V.P. slot to Nikki Haley.

    There is also a report that Nikki Haley may be interested in private industry.  Her personal finances are not that strong and she could very well serve as C E O of a Fortune 500 corporation.  Such an assignment could give her multimillion dollar salary.    Thus, she is in demand.

    Kathleen Parker, a columnist for The Washington Post wrote: “In decades of writing about politics, I have run across few with Haley’s innate talents.  She is a natural with people, whether crouching with children on the ground in Africa—reminiscent of Princess Diana on similar travels—speaking to leaders in the tense theater of the United Nations.  As Governor, she led the legislature to remove the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds, while also guiding South Carolina through the shock and grief of the 2015 church massacre in Charleston.    It won’t  serve her presidential aspirations well to stay out of politics for long, as Haley surely knows.  Thus, the burning question—what is next?—has only one certain answer:  WHATEVER SHE WANTS?”

    The New York Times editorial wrote: “Ms. Haley, who is expected to pursue the presidency one day, may eventually find herself having to defend facilitating some of President Trump’s worst policies and instincts.  But she will also be able to point to more constructive roles she played. Indeed a replacement in her mold may be the best to hope for from Mr.Trump.”

    (The author based in Scarsdale, N.Y is Chairman, Asian American Republican Committee (founded in 1988). He can be reached at  vpwaren@gmail.com)

     

     

     

     

  • Time up for Akbar: Step aside or prove the #MeToo charges wrong

    Time up for Akbar: Step aside or prove the #MeToo charges wrong

    As skeletons tumble out of MJ Akbar’s dark closet with alarming frequency in the form of his former women subordinates narrating harrowing tales of sexual harassment, he may well turn out to be the Harvey Weinstein of the Indian media industry. Already, nine of his former colleagues have taken the #MeToo route to call out his sexually predatory behavior as editor. The common thread running through the explicitly hellish stories is one of a powerful boss misusing his position. He would pick on young professionals, lure them with jobs and plum assignments, summon them to posh hotels for interviews and try to force himself on them even as they had little redress to fall back on during the 90s. That being a known writer he was looked up to by wannabes with awe only traumatized them more as his true colors came to the fore.

    Nemesis has finally caught up with him and more such offenders in the media and entertainment fields. Emboldened by the relatively supportive and sympathetic #MeToo movement, India’s victims of sexual misconduct are also baring their old scars to expose the men who had earlier escaped unscathed in the oppressively patriarchal setups they created. It seems to be the beginning of “time up’’ for such predators even as society scrambles to find ways — both legally and socially — to deal with this newfound aggressive non-tolerance by women to the assault of their private space comprising both body and mind. Significantly, in cases of sexual transgression, shame is now being directed at the perpetrators rather than the hapless victims. This is an encouraging trend. It needs to penetrate every section of society for true emancipation of women from regressive social shackles.

    Then there is the added impetus of both the judiciary and the government actively promoting women’s causes. In such circumstances, it is morally incumbent upon the beleaguered ‘Super Editor’, now Minister of State for External Affairs in the NDA government, to take a call on the demand for his resignation as the flood of charges shifts the onus of proving his innocence on him.

    (Tribune, India)

  • Automaker Ford plans layoffs blames Trump tariffs for $1 billion loss: report

    Automaker Ford plans layoffs blames Trump tariffs for $1 billion loss: report

    NEW YORK(TIP): Ford’s reorganization could include upwards of 24,000 job cuts, NBC News reported Monday, Oct 8. The automaker has not provided hard figures on the number of employees it will let go, but its leaders have said President Donald Trump’s tariff war with China could impact the company’s overhaul.

    The NBC report cited a Morgan Stanley analysis that estimates a 12 percent reduction in Ford’s global workforce, resulting in the loss of roughly 24,000 workers. Bob Shanks, Ford’s chief financial officer, described the cutbacks as a “redesign” that would include its 70,000 white-collar employees.

    With sales lagging well behind its domestic competitor General Motors, Ford has launched a $25.5 billion reorganization plan. It began in earnest in May 2017 when then-CEO Mark Fields was removed.

    The company has previously announced it would drop production of its sedan, wagon and coupe models — save for the popular Mustang — and concentrate on SUVs and trucks.

    Meanwhile, Ford has found itself regularly at odds with the president. As a candidate, Trump threatened Ford with tariffs when it proposed building a plant in Mexico. The company backed out of those plans and opted to expand in China instead.

    The main blow from the Trump tariffs have delivered to automakers has been in the cost they have added to many of the parts they import from China.

    (Source: NOLA.com)

  • Hurricane Michael batters Florida Panhandle: At least Six Dead; 1.3 Million without Power

    Hurricane Michael batters Florida Panhandle: At least Six Dead; 1.3 Million without Power

    PANAMA CITY(TIP): At least six people were killed by the most powerful storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in recorded history. Officials warned Thursday, October 11, that the number was likely to rise as search crews struggled to gain access to ravaged areas and sift through the piles of debris.

    Utility companies said more than 1.3 million customers remained without power from Florida to Virginia on Thursday evening as Michael — still a tropical storm more than a day after landfall — remained dangerous, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.

    Michael made landfall in Mexico Beach, Florida, on Wednesday just shy of Category 5 hurricane strength, with winds gusting at 155 mph. While the storm weakened through the night as it passed over Georgia, it still proved deadly.

    “Unfortunately, in these types of things as we go through and sift through damage, ultimately those who didn’t heed warnings, particularly around the Mexico Beach area — we typically see deaths climb, unfortunately,” Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said on CBS on Thursday.

    Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday morning: “This hurricane was an absolute monster. And the damage left in its wake is still yet to be fully understood.”

     

  • Asia Society Honors Indra Nooyi and other Inspiring Game Changers in Dazzling Ceremony

    Asia Society Honors Indra Nooyi and other Inspiring Game Changers in Dazzling Ceremony

    NEW YORK CITY, NY(TIP): Asia Society honored Indra Nooyi, the barrier-shattering chairman and former CEO of PepsiCo, as 2018 Game Changer of the Year at the fifth annual Asia Game Changer Awards. In a dazzling ceremony held Tuesday, October 9 night in lower Manhattan, the India-born Nooyi, who served as PepsiCo’s chief from 2006 until her retirement earlier this month, was recognized for her transformative stewardship of the iconic American company.

    Former U.S. President Bill Clinton presented Nooyi with the honor, recognizing her work to steer Pepsi toward healthier products in spite of investor pressure not to.

    “Yes, she’s my friend,” Clinton said. “And I’d be here under any circumstances. But she’s the real deal.”

    PepsiCo Chairman and former CEO Indra Nooyi delivers an acceptance speech.
    Photo / Courtesy Jamie Watts- Asia Society

    Under Nooyi’s leadership, PepsiCo experienced remarkable financial success. But in her acceptance speech, the pioneering executive cited achievements that transcended the company’s bottom line. “I believe that a company has to be more than creating value for shareholders, but for society as a whole,” she said. “I ran a company that championed women, sustainability, health, and wellness. A company that lifted people up and built bridges. A company that did well by doing good. These were the values from my first days in India to my last days at Pepsi. They’re also the values of the Asia Society.”

    Lulu & Anthony Wang Asia Society President & CEO Josette Sheeran delivers welcoming remarks at the 2018 Asia Game Changer awards.
    Photo / Jamie Watts – Asia Society

    In addition to Nooyi, Asia Society recognized eight other individuals and groups on Tuesday: Wang Shi, the Chinese real estate developer and great advocate for environmental sustainability; Mira Rai, child soldier turned champion distance runner from Nepal; Munjed Al Muderis, a doctor who fled Iraq only to become a pioneering surgeon in Australia; the founders of Koolulam, a musical initiative buildings bridges through song in Israel; the remarkable, award-winning Afghan Girls Robotics Team; heroes who saved lives during Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster; the incomparably brave and determined White Helmets of Syria; and, in their first-ever appearance on American soil, survivors from this summer’s incredible rescue at Thailand’s Tham Luang caves.

    Heroes from Thai Cave Rescue accept the Asia Gamechanger Award.
    Naronsak Osatnakorn, governor of Chaing Rai, Thailand accepts the Asia Gamechanger Award alongside Ekkpol Chantawong (L) and Adul Sam-on (R), two survivors rescued from the Tham Luang Caves in Thailand this June.
    Photo / Courtesy Jamie Watts- Asia Society
    Asia Society Trustee and businesswoman Betsy Cohen (L) distance runner Mira Raj ©, and Asia Society Trustee and businesswoman Zhang Xin ® pose with Raj’s Asia Gamechanger Award.
    Photo / Courtesy Jamie Watts- Asia Society

    Afghan Citadel Software Company Founder Roya Mahboob, Afghan Girls Robotics team members Kawsar Roshan and Fatemah Qaderayn, and Asia Society Trustee and former US Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy pose an Asia Gamechanger Award.
    Photo / Courtesy Jamie Watts- Asia Society

    Adul Sam-on, one of the 12 Thai boys whose rescue captivated the entire world, was joined on stage by Ekkapol Chantawong, the boys’ soccer coach, and Naronsak Osatanakorn, the local governor who coordinated the international group of rescuers with efficiency and grace.

    “I hope this experience inspires people to start living for others,” Osatanakorn said. “That would be a game changer for the world.”

    It was a night to celebrate remarkable women from across Asia. Nooyi, a daughter of India turned celebrated leader of U.S. corporate giant. Rai, an internationally celebrated runner from a country, Nepal, where athletic opportunities for girls and women are scarce. And the Afghan Girls Robotics Team, a group of remarkable young women who overcame tremendous obstacles — and personal tragedy — to thrive in competitions around the world.

    Speaking on behalf of the Afghan girls, Roya Mahboob, founder of the Afghan Citadel software company, said: “We need to cast aside the misconceptions of the past and embrace the potential of Afghan girls and women to succeed.”

    The Asia Game Changer Awards was also an occasion to recognize those who have braved extraordinary risks to save lives. Syria’s White Helmets, a group of volunteers pulled from all walks of life, have rescued many thousands of innocent civilians trapped in the country’s civil war. The heroes of Fukushima worked tirelessly in the desperate days after the 2011 earthquake to contain a crisis that threatened Japan. And Dr. Al Muderis, who fled Iraq and endured many trying months as a refugee in Australia, pioneered a surgical procedure that has given injured men and women the gift of mobility.

    “I dream that one day we’ll wake up and not spend money on war machines, but [rather] foresting the desert and managing the earth’s large population,” he said.

    All the Asia Gamechangers from the class of 2018 pose for a group photo.
    Photo / Courtesy Jamie Watts- Asia Society

    But before the 2018 class of Asia Game Changers parted ways, they made time for music. Koolulam, whose sold-out concerts in their native Israel have created a sensation, convened their first-ever performance outside their homeland. As Koolulam founder Or Taicher directed proceedings from the stage, the assembled guests, native to dozens of countries from around the world, stood and, in unison, clapped their hands, danced, and sang. It was living proof that, as President Clinton said a few hours before, “our differences make life interesting — but our common humanity matters more.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Air India Regional Manager -Americas Vandana Sharma given a warm send off

    Air India Regional Manager -Americas Vandana Sharma given a warm send off

    Congressman Tom Suozzi recommends Stronger US India relationship

    HICKSVILLE, NY(TIP):  Mrs. Vandana Sharma, Regional Manager of Air India was hosted to a warm send off by the Indian American community here, October 8.

    Congressman Tom Suozzi presenting a Congressional Recognition to Mrs. Vandana Sharma, Regional Manager-Americas, Air India, October 8

    The dinner co-hosted by Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Publisher/Editor of The Indian Panorama, Attorney Ravi Batra and his wife Ranju Batra at Antun’s in Hicksville , was attended by over a hundred community representatives and officials, which included Consul General of India in New York , Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty who was accompanied by wife Taruna Chakravorty, and Congressman Tom Suozzi, besides leaders of various community organizations, officials from different sectors, and friends.

    Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India in New York had all praise for Mrs. Vandana Sharma

    Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty recalled the tremendous work done by Mrs. Vandana Sharma to take the Indian national carrier Air India to new heights. He mentioned how Mrs. Sharma played a leadership role in times of emergencies and set an example of customer care. He congratulated Mrs. Sharma for her achievements and wished her well in her new position.

    Ambassador Chakravorty also spoke about the ever-strengthening relationship between India and the US and said much more needed to be done. He appreciated the large Indian Diaspora in the US for their contribution to ever growing relationship between India and US. H e mentioned briefly the enormous contribution of Indians in various spheres in the US.

    Congressman Tom Suozzi extended his good wishes to Mrs. Sharma and presented her a Congressional Recognition for the great work she did as Regional Manager of Air India.

    Congressman Tom Suozzi spoke at length about his long and happy relationship with the South Asian community, of which Indian American community is a large segment. He said he represents New York’s Congressional District 3 which includes the largest number of South Asians in a District in the whole of US.  He spoke about how the Indian American community has been growing in his district both in numbers and in strength, economically and politically.

    Speaking about US India relations, the Congressman commended both US and India for having worked in close cooperation in various fields. He said there was need to not only keep up the pace of cooperation but also to accelerate it. He referred to growing ambition of China to “dominate” the world “economically and militarily”. It is in the interest of both the US and India to come together to counter China’s growing power, he said. He called upon the Indian American community to continue their effort at strengthening the close cooperation between the two great democracies of the world.

    Mr. Suozzi also recalled his memorable visit to India where besides meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi (The Indian Panorama had published the news report) and other leaders including India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, he went for sightseeing. He grew nostalgic about the Taj Mahal in Agra in his mention of the places. He said he found India a great place and Indians a great people.

    Referring to the contribution of the Indian American community (which he never fails to do), he observed that the community has done well and is influential. However, he suggested that the community should get more involved in the political system.

    All through his address, he repeatedly returned to Mrs. Vandana Sharma, praising her as a fine person and as an efficient administrator of India’s largest airline Air India. He wished her “continued success and 8happiness in your future endeavors” and presented the Congressional Recognition which said “I thank you for spending your time, talent and treasure with Air India-Americas. Your sincerity and dedication to those you serve has not gone unnoticed and is appreciated. Best wishes for continued success and happiness in your future endeavors”.

    Attorney Ravi Batra, a co-host of the send off dinner, dwelt on how important it is for the Indian American community to intelligently define their relationship with the country of their adoption.

    Attorney Ravi Batra spoke about the tremendous contribution in refurbishing the image of Air India
    Ranju Batra recalled how Mrs. Sharma helped her at every step in her effort to have the Diwali Stamp issued.

    Ranju Batra who introduced Vandana Sharma, spoke very highly of Mrs. Sharma, describing her as the finest human being and a true friend.  She recalled how Mrs. Sharma had extended all cooperation when she was waging a relentless struggle to have the Diwali stamp issued.

    Mrs. Vandana Sharma expressed her gratitude to the Indian American community for their cooperation and love
    Mrs. Vandana Sharma surprised all with a soulful playing on Violin

    Mrs. Vandana Sharma was visibly emotional while speaking to the gathering. She thanked the community for their cooperation and love during her 3 year stay in New York. She said she had received immense love from all quarters- he colleagues, customers, and community. She invited the gathering to Delhi where she said she would love to receive them with all warmth and live over the happy days spent in New York.

    Prof. Indrajit S Saluja extending a word of welcome

    Earlier, Prof. Indrajit Saluja extended a word of welcome and mentioned how Mrs. Sharma endeared herself to all with her affable nature. He described Mrs. Sharma is a pleasant person who will be deeply missed. However, he said, most people land at Delhi airport while visiting India, and since Mrs. Sharma is taking over as Deputy General Manager, Delhi Airport, it will be easier to look her up.

    The presentation of bouquets to guests was ably handled by 7-year-old Kabir Raj Beri, Prof. Saluja’s grandson.

    Mrs. Vandana Sharma with community leaders who penned down their good wishes for her on a Card which was presented on their behalf to Mrs. Sharma by Prof. Indrajit S Saluja
    Photos / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia

    Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, presented, on behalf of the community a good wishes card signed by over 100 persons present in the room.

    Kolkata based Sarod virtuoso Apratim Majumdar and Tabla Player Amit Chatterjee cast a magic spell on the audience

    Kolkata based Sarod virtuoso Apratim Majumdar and Tabla Player Amit Chatterjee cast a magic spell on the audience. Apratim is the most thinking and creative Sarod player, a composer of a very special quality, and a brilliant performer.

    Amit Chatterjee is a highly gifted Tabla player who received training from the famous internationally reputed Tabla Maestro Pandit Sankha Chatterjee.

    The two were joined by another gifted artist- Suresh Kumar Ketwaroe who was not only incredible with his Guitar, but also entertained the gathering with superb rendering of Hindi and Punjabi songs.

    Mrs. Purnima Desai, Founder and Director of Shikshayatan and Sriniketan- the two institutions dedicated to promoting Indian culture and classical music and dances, who had only last week organized a two-day International music concert in which around 50 eminent artists participated, was kind enough to invite all three to the send off dinner to Mrs. Vandana Sharma.

    Pratibha Goyal who gave a superb performance of Kathak
    A view of the gathering

    Another extremely talented artist present and performing was Pratibha Goyal who gave a superb performance of Kathak. Mrs. Gunjan Rastogi, President of India Association of Long Island discovered the artist for the occasion.

  • October 12 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    October 12 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

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  • Is India ready for Advanced Plastics?

    Is India ready for Advanced Plastics?

    Dr Aniket Vyas with 3 D Printer
    The author says that the market for polymer and plastic products is growing steadfastly in India. Yet, India seems to be lagging in accepting new inventions and products for a variety of reasons.

    After studying nanocomposite polymer system during PhD at university of Cincinnati, the first opportunity I had with product development in real life applications was coatings to support 3D printing. It was an independent invention at the end of my doctoral studies in collaboration with another graduate student in lab across hallway, Brad Ruff, an expert in mechanical engineering who introduced me to the world of 3D printing along with problems it faced. I was excited to be part of this entrepreneurial project as 3D printing is one of the latest advancements in material science still in its infancy and India is yet to catch up in this application. The problem was that the first layer of any object should stick to a surface while it is being 3D printed, but once the object is made, it should be easily released. There was no such product till 2014 that was made specifically for this application, and a deep understanding of polymers is necessary to innovate such a product as adhering and releasing are two opposite phenomena that should be exhibited by a single product. Once we had porotypes’, we went live on Kickstarter with our coated substrate plate “Geckotek” for 3D printers which was successful with initial seed funding raised to $60,000.

    As the product began to be sold commercially, I obviously took this product to India to share with various companies involved with 3D printing. Although the product received a great appreciation yet there was hesitation to adapt such technology. The first road block was the pricing and currency exchange rates as production was being done in USA. Secondly, production in India would not make it cheap as ingredients used in making Geckotek coating were highly specialized and engineered that were not available in Indian market and had to be imported from USA or European countries. Thirdly, Indian 3D printing manufacturers are focused on making big production scale 3D printers for mass manufacturing while in USA there is big group of 3D printer hobbyists who love to try new designs and products. The first generation of Geckotek coatings was not meant for manufacturing scale 3D printers and was more for hobbyists or small scale jobs, but the bigger picture was that Indian Entrepreneurs were not interested in spending resources on developing a new substrate for large scale 3D printers, as they were content with conventional way of 3D printing such as ABS slurry of kepton tape which are often inefficient or unsafe. While Geckotek coatings were appreciated and well received in American market, it was perceived mostly as a “geeky” innovation in India. That made me realize how these two countries operates so differently when it comes to market for materials. In spite of having cutting edge research Institutes like ICT and IITs we often are not able to launch new products due to non-willingness of market to change which in turn is due to mindset of end consumers and restricted spending habits (which is good in a way).  On the other hand, in USA, not only resources are available for research, but market is also open to try new ideas and test new concepts. Thus, one can make a co-relation, for any country to be technologically advanced, an open market provides fertile conditions where new inventions and innovated products are accepted.

    Another important application for polymeric material is baby diapers which is a huge global market and India is one of the fastest growing markets in baby care while USA is approaching stagnation. With the help of polymeric materials, we have come a long way for baby diapers from using milkweed leaf, animal skin, moss, linens and other natural resources to cloth diapers and to super absorbent breathable disposable diapers.

    The most important properties for baby diaper users are leakage prevention and design features that enhance the fit and perceived comfort of baby diapers. Most of the ground-breaking research occurred in USA as evident by numerous patents issued to American companies.  Scientists worked diligently on several aspects of diapers manufacturing to ensure that a) the back sheet does not leek but is porous enough to allow passage of air b) elastic tab should be stretchable just enough to fit baby’s waist without being very tight, and they should have strength to survive in case mother over stretches them, c) A lot of non-woven are used in diapers which are again polymer coated fibers to provide comfort and softness to baby’s skin.

    All of above-mentioned research took place primarily in USA because the consumers were ready to accept a new product decades ago while Indian consumers at the time were not ready to spend money on something like diapers and the practice was to stick to traditional ‘langot’ type diaper made of cloth. According to report published by Research and Markets in Indian Diapers Market, 2021 “In India, of late, the hygiene industry is experiencing an unprecedented growth as hygiene products are being adopted into the lifestyle of the masses. With the increased awareness and increasing purchasing power, customers are fast shifting from cloth nappies to baby diapers. Consumers today are looking for baby diapering solutions that go beyond the basic benefits of dryness and go the extra mile to incorporate value-adding features such as softness and caring for their baby’s delicate skin.”

    The market for polymer and plastic products is growing steadfastly in India. Plastic industry is usually associated with non-biodegradable material that is not good for environment, but it is equally important to understand that plastics are making extraordinary human achievements possible through applications in aerospace and satellites due to light weight designs. They are making everyday life better by preventing food wastage through applications in Food Industry for packaging and preserving. Plastics are the most sought out material for production as the processing of these material is highly efficient and sustainable requiring less energy and natural resources and generates fraction of greenhouse gas emission compared to alternative materials – metals or ceramics. It also increases efficiency for transportation and freight due to light weight vehicles in ground transportation and aviation. Moreover, with the advancement in polymer technology, these materials can be designed to have desired properties that has added convenience and luxury to our modern life.

    However, at the same time the non-biodegradable waste that is associated with single-use plastic also needs to be addressed. Plastic pollution has emerged as a global phenomenon over the decades of accumulation that requires global and comprehensive solution. India is visibly one of the countries that is affected badly by plastic pollution in spite of having lower per capita consumption of plastic compared to other developed countries. About 300 million tons of plastic is produced globally each year, out of which roughly 6% is produced in India. Out of total plastic produced in India, 80% is discarded as waste, and due to lack of awareness and proper protocols to discard plastic waste for recycling, most of it goes into landfills and oceans. Govt. is taking strong steps to reduce plastic pollution for example banning of single use plastic in Maharashtra, but this is not going to be enough as plastics are used almost everywhere from a wallet in pocket, wrist watch and eye glasses, plastic bottles and packaging material to bikes and cars. Moreover, the consumption of plastic is increasing at a drastic rate in India due to increased buying power of middle class.  With increasing demand and consumption of plastics, there need to be more cognizance about proper disposal of plastic waste for efficient recycling. It is a responsibility not only for the government but also the plastic manufacturers and eventually end consumers to spread awareness and tackle plastic pollution strategically and boldly. Else our luxury today will become a burden for our future generations.

    (The author is a Polymer Scientist, earned his Doctorate in Material Science from University of Cincinnati, Ohio. He is co-inventor of Geckotek, a specialty coating that is used in 3D printing. He is active researcher in application of polymeric material in health and hygiene sector.)

     Disclaimer – The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.

  • Unique start to unique Olympics!!!

    Unique start to unique Olympics!!!

    Special Report by
    Prabhjot Singh


    Have you ever heard or imagined opening ceremony of Olympic Games being held outside a stadium! Buenos Aires is all set to create history by holding the opening ceremony of the 3rd Youth Olympic Games on Saturday. The ceremonial start to the World Youth Games organised by the International Olympic Committee on the pattern of summer and winter Olympic games will be a celebration like no other. Downtown of Buenos Aires, the second Olympic city of South America – after Rio that hosted the 2016 summer Olympic Games – will have its streets bursting into life with a display to complement gender equality, inclusiveness and Argentina’s Latin spirit.
    On Saturday, October 6, the ceremony will begin outside the confines of any Olympic Stadium Instead the organisers are throwing an enormous street party. The festivities will take place in downtown Buenos Aires at the famous Obelisk landmard, with all members of the public welcome.Believe me the event is free and all are welcome.The opening ceremony will involve 2000 people, including 350 performers, technicians and musicians from Argentine theatre company Fuerza Bruta. More than half a million spectators are expected to line the Avenida 9 de Julio, with millions more following on TV and online.
    Incidentally, Buenos Aires will be the first Olympic event ever to feature equal number of male and female participants.This equality will be reflected in the opening ceremony, where a man and a woman will light the cauldron together. Nearly 4000 athletes have already arrived in Buenos Aires  who will compete in the city’s venues over the following 12 days.
    The innovative event is designed to capture the audiences’ imagination with displays that awaken the senses.

    Once all 241 events in 32 sports have been completed, the closing ceremony will then be held on October 18 in the Youth Olympic Village.

    The 2018 Games in Buenos Aires will be so much more than a festival of first-class sport.The Argentine capital is also known as the Paris of South America due to its diverse culture, culinary delight and European history..
    You must have heard a lot about Tango.In Buenos Aries it is seen as a lifestyle, not a hobby. African and gaucho styles Fast-forward to modern times and the seductive dance enjoys global popularity with every race and class.The original areas have stayed true to their routes and tango dancers can be seen entertaining and taking photos with tourists on the streets today.For something a little more authentic, you can visit a milonga and enjoy some live music while watching or partaking in the tango with a local dancer.
    You cannot think of Buenos Aires or Argentina without football. The city has produced one of the game’s greatest ever players in Diego Mardona , who wore the famous blue and yellow of Boca Juniors  and led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory in 1986. Boca’s iconic La Bombonera stadium is famous for its electric atmosphere, especially when arch rivals  Plate are in town for the Superclásico. Intense football rivalries are a mainstay of the Argentinian top division, where 8 of the top 20 teams hail from the capital.Despite not being as popular as football,polo is also a highly-revered sport in Buenos Aires with a rich history – demonstrating perfectly the cosmopolitan nature of the city. Fun fact: Argentina won polo Olympic gold at Paris 1924 and Berlin 1936.  Eva Peron’s story was given worldwide recognition when Madonna played her character in the Hollywood film Evita. The Argentinian First Lady was the nation’s spiritual leader,  working tirelessly for women’s rights and helping sick and poor Argentinians.Maybe this is part of the reason why the streets and monuments of Buenos Aires. Puerto Madira neighbourhood are almost exclusively named after women.She famously addressed the nation from the presidential headquarters in Buenos Aires, the Casa Rosada  which still retains its distinct pink colour today.Her grave can be seen in the opulent La Recoleta Cemetery, which features hundreds of hand-carved mansion tombs. Parillas or Barbeque grill restaurants are everywhere in Buenos Aires  where cooking steak is an art form.If you like your beef slow cooked in coals, served with minimal seasoning and washed down with affordable, first-class red wine… you’re in luck.If steak is too much for your pallet, why not try a tasty empanada or two. These are small, baked pastries with a variety of different fillings and are available on most street corners.And for pudding? Buenos Aires shows its strong Italian influence with his many gelatos serving delicious ice cream by the kiloBuenos Aires has more book stores per capita than any other city in the world.There are at least 734 shops, providing the ideal escape from the city’s bright lights.Elsewhere there are approximately 300 theatres catering to every taste: From popular musicals to independent underground shows.Buenos Aires has also become a global hub for some of the world’s best street art. A mix of international and local artists have turned the streets of Palremo, Colegiales, Barracas, Montserrat and La Boca into colourful open-air galleries.

    (The author is executive editor with PTC TV )
  • UN International Day Of The Girl Child

    UN International Day Of The Girl Child

    Plan International USA’s NYCLC to Hold Second Annual Fundraiser
    Special Guest Honored: Journalist Tim Swarens
    By Mabel Pais

    The NYC Leadership Council

    The NYC Leadership Council is a women’s volunteer group of passionate New York City and tri-state business owners and professionals who support Plan’s global gender equality initiate, Because I am a Girl, designed to ensure girls everywhere can learn, lead, decide, and thrive. They know that the potential of girls in developing countries is far greater than the poverty they are born into.

    This year’s theme is “Girls Belong Here: Let’s Change the Future for Girls,” celebrating the potential of girls globally.

    Plan and the NYC Leadership Council believe girls belong in school, on corporate boards, and as government leaders, anywhere and everywhere boys or men belong.

    These women have dedicated themselves to raising awareness and funds to

    Projects:

    The Child Trafficking Prevention:The Fight to protect girls in Nepal from being bought and sold like pieces of property.

    The Champions of Change: To Empower boys and girls in El Salvador to challenge gender norms and promote gender equality.

     Outreach Activities:

    Salons:NYCLC hosts small gatherings in private homes with Plan International USA’s program experts to spark discussion and inspire learning.

    International Day of the Girl Celebration: Observed on October 11, the International Day of the Girl is their largest fundraising event. This year’s event takes place on October 10.

    Corporate women’s groups:NYCLC partners with corporate women’s groups to increase awareness and expand the network of advocates for girls’ rights.

    For more information on the NYCLC, their projects or to join, visit www.planusa.org/nyclc.

    Plan International USA

    Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan believes in the power and potential of every child. Working together with children, young people, supporters, and partners, Plan strives for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

    For more information, visit www.PlanUSA.org.
    “The world is better when all girls can learn, lead, decide, and thrive no matter what course they choose in life or where they live”
    – Dr. Tessie San Martin, President & CEO of Plan International USA (PLAN)
     The UN’sInternational Day Of The Girl(IDG)observed on October 11, will be hosted and celebrated on October 10 in New York City by Plan International USA’s (PLAN) New York City Leadership Council (NYCLC).

    Plan International USA’s NYC Leadership Council hosts its second annual fundraiser in celebration of the International Day of the Girl.  Plan’s theme this year is “Girls Belong Here: Let’s Change The Future For Girls.”  This is a celebration of the potential of girls around the world!

    This event honors special guest journalist Tim Swarens, who will also speak at the event.

    Too often, girls are prevented from realizing their basic rights like learning, leading, and deciding when and whether to marry and have children. They are silenced and excluded from the choices that shape their futures. But NYCLC and PLANUSA say, “Girls belong HERE!”

    Girls belong in schools and in leadership roles. They belong on an even playing field with boys. Supporters of their project can help them get there!

    “I fell in love with Plan’s work….. after attending the Youth Leadership Academy (YAB) in 2016 and wanted to get more involved with the organization……. in order to voice youths’ opinions and speak up for those who can’t”.
     – Fatima, Youth Advisory Board Member, PLAN

    Girls Belong Here: Challenges and Triumphs

    Hear about some of the issues girls around the world face every day—obstacles that keep them out of school, forced into marriage too young, or sold into sex trafficking—and the solutions and inspiring stories you can be part of.

    The event also features a panel discussion about the challenges girls face around the world and how these barriers can be overcome. The panelists will be moderated by Craig Geddes, Senior Program Manager for Education and Protection at Plan.

    Event Details

    Date:        Wednesday, October 10, 2018

    Time:      6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

    Cost:         $95 – $500

    Location:    Grant Thornton, at 47thand 3rdAvenue, New York, NY

    Theme:Girls Belong Here: Let’s Change The Future For Girls

    Program

    Wine reception, food, networking, and silent auction to benefit Plan International USA’s project to protect girls from sex trafficking.

    Tessie San Martin

    Opening Remarks:Dr. Tessie San Martin, President & CEO, Plan International USA

    Dr. San Martin is a seasoned executive with 30 years of experience working in international development, focused especially on economic growth and political reform.

    Her work has taken her all over the world, where professional initiatives have involved supporting disenfranchised populations, a significant number of which are women and young girls.

    Tim Swarens

    SPECIAL GUEST HONOREE & SPEAKER:

    Tim Swarens, Journalist, Indianapolis Star

    A columnist with the Indianapolis Star, Tim Swarens recently completed a 16-month-long project on child tracking called EXPLOITED. The 10-column series was published across the USA TODAY Network, reaching more than 5 million readers. His commentary has been published in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. He has also appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and the BBC. Tim was also the editor or writer on projects that in recent years have won awards from Sigma Delta Chi, National Headliners, Scripps Howard, American Society of Newspaper Editors, and Robert F. Kennedy Excellence in Journalism. He was the 2016 recipient of the Eugene C. Pullman Fellowship for Editorial Writing.

    Craig Geddes

    MODERATOR:

    Craig Geddes, Senior Program Manager of Education and Protection, Plan International USA.

    Craig Geddes has worked in non-governmental development programming, as well as in government relations and advocacy in Washington DC, spending the majority of his career overseas, most recently in Sub-Saharan Africa. Mr. Geddes is responsible for overseeing education and child protection projects funded by Plan International USA donors around the world.

    Fatima

    PANELIST:

    Fatima, Youth Advisory Board Member (YAB), Plan International USA

    Fatima has been a member of Plan International USA’s Youth Advisory Board for about two years. “I joined Plan’s Youth Advisory Board because I strongly believe in its mission to achieve children’s rights and equality,” she said. “After attending the Youth Leadership Academy in 2016, I fell in love with Plan’s work and wanted to get more involved with the organization and share my passion for girls’ empowerment and quality education. Most importantly, I joined the YAB in order to voice youths’ opinions and speak up for those who can’t.”

    Jenny Lewis

    PANELIST:

    Jenny Lewis, Vice President, the Kimberly-Clark Foundation

    Jenny Lewis is Vice President of the Kimberly-Clark Foundation. She leads the Foundation’s efforts for global strategy, governance, and financial oversight. Jenny and her team lead K-C’s global CSR agenda, with an emphasis on delivering innovative solutions to systemic issues facing underserved communities, while also delivering business results. She is based at Kimberly-Clark’s world headquarters in Dallas.

    Antonie deJong

    PANELIST:

    Antonie deJong, Former Director of Resource Mobilization, United Nations

    Antonie “Ton” de Jong served as the Director of Resource Mobilization on the Strategic Partnerships Division of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), a position he held from 2010 until his retirement last year. Over his career, he worked for organizations including the United Nations Development Fund for women, the United Nations Population Fund, and the UNAIDS joint program on HIV/AIDS in Haiti. Mr. de Jong also served as a diplomat in the Foreign Service of the Netherlands, working in the Dutch Embassies in Lagos, Nigeria, and Bogotá, Colombia.

    For more information about the event or to buy tickets, visit www.planusa.org/girls-belong-here

    (Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, Spirituality, The Arts and Entertainment, and Health and Wellness)

  • Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas celebrates Gandhi’s 149th birthday

    Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas celebrates Gandhi’s 149th birthday

    IRVING, TX(TIP): On October 1, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas (MGMNT) celebrated Gandhi’s 149th birthday at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza in Irving, Texas, during which many participated in the “Gandhi Peace Walk,” wearing white t-shirts and caps.

    According to a press release, Wipro CEO Abidali Neemuchwala along with his wife Hassena, were the Guests of Honor at the celebration while Irving City Council Member Allen Meagher and Texas State Representative Matt Rinaldi were Special Guests.

    While MGMNT Secretary Rao Kalvala welcomed the gathering, MGMNT Treasurer B.N introduced all of the board members of IANT, IAFC, MGMNT and the guests.

    MGMNT Co-Chair Kamal Kaushal said that Gandhi’s deeds will last for generations to come as he sacrificed his life for a valuable cause, which is why we are still celebrating him today.

    MGMNT Board of Director Kuntesh Chokshi thanked the community and Irving City for their support and introduced Representative Matt Rinaldi, who told the audience that it was heartening to see Indian Americans come thousands of miles away from their homeland and still celebrate events like these, also appreciating the contributions of Indian Americans toward the development of Texas.

    Irving City Councilmember Meagher said that he was delighted to attend this event for the second time in a row and was pleased to see more and more Indian Americans contributing to the economic development of the city.

    In his remarks, Neemuchwala congratulated MGMNT Chairman Dr. Prasad Thotakura and his team for visualizing and executing in building the largest Gandhi Memorial in North America, adding how it was an honor for him to stand in the shadow of Gandhi as he was a peace icon and an inspiration to many world leaders.

    “If everyone can adopt at least 10 percent of Gandhi’s principles, the world will definitely be a better place to live in. We all need to remember his famous quotation ‘be the change you wish to see in the world,’” he said, according to a press release.

    “We are all proud to celebrate the 149th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi this year and are extremely excited to celebrate the 150th, next year with big fanfare. Though Gandhi spent most of his life in the Indian freedom struggle, his message and philosophy made him a citizen of the world. As Indian Americans, our responsibility is doubled now. We all need to rededicate ourselves for the better society in India and a stronger community in the U.S. Thus, it is our civic responsibility to go out and vote for our voice to be heard,” Thotakura added, encouraging the community to register to vote by October 9.

    In addition to the “Gandhi Peace Walk” and speeches, a yoga session was conducted while 10 white doves were released into the open air as a symbol of spreading peace across the world.

    Tributes were paid to Gandhi by offering flowers and breakfast was served to all of the attendees.

     

  • Weekly Horoscope October 8 – October 14, 2018

    Weekly Horoscope October 8 – October 14, 2018

    By Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla                                                     Contact: 08141234275

    Aries: Ganesha says your mind is razor-sharp. Your exchanges with others are quick and to the point. You know what they want from you intuitively and you know you can deliver. You are alert and savvy. This is a favorable period for all kinds of commercial transactions. You are shrewd and cunning and strike the best possible deal. You could even be ruthless and run the risk of being unethical too. You sight money and short cuts to get where you want.

    Taurus: You could be firefighting all period depending, of course, on your personal chart. There is some tension between your personal needs and your professional duties, and you are pulled in several directions. Sometimes you may even feel that the foundations you had built are breaking. You may get emotional over it and downsize all rationale. On the flip side, you could seize this period and channelize the inherent tension into one of achievement.

    Gemini: ‘Life is involvement. Where there is no involvement, there is no life,’ says Sadhguru, today’s popular mystic. There are expenses along with windfall deals. This is a lucky period and you get what you want. There could be international travel, rewards and awards, accolades and applause, money and honey. You are the toast of your peer group. You have the Midas touch. Nothing goes wrong in your life. In fact, everything falls in place according to plan. Life is smiling at you and inviting you for the first dance.

    Cancer: You are canny enough to sight success and what needs to be done to achieve it. You roll up your sleeves and get down to the hard slog. You resemble Chris Gayle in his many blitzkriegs in the IPL. You bat on the front foot, and like him, send the best bowlers packing. You simply cannot go wrong. The cards are in your favor. You are the favorite child of the gods. Ganesha is happy for you.

    Leo: There is stability, continued success and big money. You live and love large. You don’t believe in half measures. There are expenses, but you consider them business investments. Your love life is flamboyant. You wear it on your sleeve and boast about your conquests. Those with steady partners bond ethereally. You meet with people from all over the world, and new vistas open.

    Virgo: You have struck a purple patch. You are the lion in Serengeti with scores of lionesses to do your bidding. It is an easy life. Fortune smiles on you. You realize this and are generous to a fault. Your philanthropic instincts are aroused and you help out in old-age homes and with the less fortunate. You could take to activism and win laurels for your efforts. Your ego rides high and you perceive any affront as a challenge to your authority.

    Libra: You take step back and examine your goals and expectations from life. You look at what has worked for you and what needs to be ejected from your life. You separate the grain from the chaff and decide on what to nurture and what to drop. You do a SWOT analysis. You engage with friends, family, loved ones and the larger society. You get the views of others to reach on objective conclusion. You try your best to keep subjectivities, prejudices and preconceptions out of the reckoning. You want to evolve and grow, and you are prepared to do all that it takes.

    Scorpio: Your money mind is everywhere, even in the remotest swathes of the Sahara. You are moving in several different directions all at once like a giant eel setting out from a meal. Unless you harness the mind and give it direction, nothing of consequences will be achieved. But inaction is also a kind of action. Watch our mind and you know where you are headed. ‘The pessimist sees difficult in every opportunity. You live them all one by one. Ganesha holds your hand.

    Sagittarius: You are in communication mode using every bit of technology to advantage. You want to reach out to the world at large and this is exactly what you do. ‘the ones that will create the new culture that is needed are those that are not afraid to be insecure,’ said Pema Chodron, the monk. You get out of your comfort zone and traverse uninhabited trails. You listen to your inner drummer and break all the rules. There are maudlin moments, and you feel insecure.

    Capricorn: There is more stability in this phase and you indulge in different kinds of activities. You assert yourself without offending others. You call a spade a spade, but you are also politically very correct. You are direct, even brutally honest, without being abrasive. There is balance between your need to be an individual and your need to relate to the world at large. You are charming, friendly and agreeable. You still manage to do your thing, but no one takes offence.

    Aquarius: This is the period when you make new discoveries, encounter new people and open new windows to your world. You are filled with energy, gusto and zeal and want to explore life. But, at the same time, you could be too rigid, and that can break the momentum of your plans and actions. But this is also a period of many revelations and startling new ideas. Life opens up in several new dimensions. There is fun and entertainment and bizarre expressions of your individuality.

    Pisces: You are basking in the arms of amour. Your desires are aroused and you play the field. Those in committed relationships take ecstasy to new heights. There are fun times and parties as you meet up with old friends and lovers. This is a gregarious influence and you just love being the center of attention. You love the spotlight and it loves you too. This is a good time too for artistic activities as creativity bursts through your pores. Children bring joy, but it is tinged with sadness, as they may be fleeing the coop.