The Indian Panorama

Month: July 2022

  • Home remedies to remove skin tan

    From hiking and spending time on the beach to exploring a city, or just regularly going to school/ office/market exposes us to harmful sunrays. Be it summers, monsoons or winters, staying outdoors make our skin tanned. The melanin production in our skin increases when our body is exposed to the Ultraviolet radiation of the Sun. Pigmented cells start to accumulate, and the dead cells create a dull, dark and thick layer on the skin.

    But don’t worry, as we have curated a list of homemade anti tan packs for skin that are pocket-friendly and give your skin the care it deserves.

    –              Apply tomato juice to your face and wash after 15-20 minutes. Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C. It will naturally lighten the skin, reduce dark spots, and protect the skin from sunburn.

    –              Take 2-3 tablespoons of Aloe Vera gel and honey and add a teaspoon of turmeric powder. Apply the paste to your face and wash it after 10-15 mins.

    –              Take 2-3 tablespoons of milk or curd. Add 2 teaspoons of gram flour (besan), rosewater, and a pinch of turmeric. Apply the paste to your face and wash it after 15-20 minutes. It will nourish your skin and make it radiant.

    –              Take some Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth) and add milk/curd/water. Add a pinch of turmeric and squeeze in a few drops of lemon. Apply the paste to your face and neck. Wash it with lukewarm water after the pack starts to dry. Your skin will feel fresh and oil-free.

    –              Take equal parts of lemon juice and honey and add in milk powder to make a paste. Apply it to the face and wash it off with cool water after half an hour. 6. Potatoes work like a charm on tanned skin. You can slice a potato, make a paste/juice or use the potato peel for your skin. Take potato juice and add lemon juice to it. Leave it on your tanned skin area for half an hour and wash it after 10 minutes.

    Tip – Use the de tan packs that suit your skin type. De tan packs won’t give you immediate results. Give it a month or two to see the effects on the skin.

                    Source: News18

  • Dhansak Mutton

    Dhansak Mutton

    Dhansak is an ever-popular Parsi dish which people make by combining lentils and the meat of chicken or mutton. This dish is a fan favourite and quintessential comfort food among many Parsi. People who have had the pleasure of sampling their cuisine can vouch for this too. Dhansak can be enjoyed by vegetarians as well, we’re told it’s just as tasty without the meat. However, meat is why you’re here. So, for that reason, we’ve got a Mutton Dhansak recipe for you below that you’ll surely enjoy.

    Ingredients

    –              ½  kg mutton

    –              11/2 cup tur dal preferably wet ½ an hour before cooking

    –              2 small brinjals cut into 4 pieces each

    –              Few mint leaves, coriander leaves and curry leaves

    –              1 big tomato diced nicely

    –              ½  tsp haldi powder

    –              1 tsp red chilli powder

    –              11/2 tsp dhanajeera powder

    –              11/2 tsp dhansak masala powder

    –              ½  tsp garam masala

    –              Salt to taste

    –              1 or 2 green chillies slit into 2

    –              1 tsp ginger garlic paste

    –              1 tsp oil or ghee

    Method

    –              Wash the dal and mutton

    –              Take oil or ghee in the cooker put curry leaves , mint leaves and Ginger garlic paste and slit green chillies last add nicely diced tomatoes and fry over sim for

    –              Few moments then add mutton and cook till the mutton is nicely coverd in the masalas

    –              Then add all the dry masalas let the mutton roast for sometime now add the dal and 1 glass Full of water and put the cooker lid on.

    –              Cook for ½  an hour.

    –              Open and add finely chopped Coriander leaves.

  • Coming from family of doctors, Manisha Ropeta is Pakistan’s first Hindu woman DSP

    Coming from family of doctors, Manisha Ropeta is Pakistan’s first Hindu woman DSP

    Karachi (TIP): ManishaRopeta is making heads turn not only because she is among the few female officers in authoritative positions in Sindh Police but also for the fact that the 26-year-old is the first woman from the minority Hindu community in Pakistan to become a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

    In Pakistan’s male dominated society and culture, it is difficult for women to join professions considered as “manly” such as the police force. “From childhood I and my sisters have seen the same old system of patriarchy where girls are told if they want to get educated and work it can only be as teachers or doctors,” Ropeta from Sindh’s Jacobabad area says. Belonging to a middle class family from Jacobabad in interior Sindh province, Ropeta says she wants to end this sentiment that girls from good families shouldn’t have anything to do with the police or district courts.

    “Women are the most oppressed and the target of many crimes in our society and I joined the police because I feel we need ‘protector’ women in our society,” she says.

    Ropeta, who is currently under training, will be posted in the crime-infested area of Lyari. She feels that working as a senior police officer really empowers women and gives them authority. “I want to lead a feminisation drive and encourage gender equality in the police force. I myself have always been very inspired and attracted to the police work,” the DSP says. Her three other sisters are all doctors and her youngest brother is also studying medicine.

    Asked what prompted her to choose a different profession, Ropeta says she had failed by one mark to clear her MBBS entrance examinations. “I then told my family I was taking a degree in physical therapy but at the same time I prepared for the Sindh Public Services Commission examinations and I passed that getting 16th position among 468 candidates.” Ropeta’s father was a trader in Jacobabad. He passed away when she was 13 after which her mother brought her children to Karachi and raised them.

    She admits though it is not easy to be in a senior position in Sindh Police and to get on field training in a place like Lyari, her colleagues, superiors and juniors treat her with respect for her views and hard work.

    Ropeta recalls that in her hometown it was not a usual practice for girls to pursue higher education and even when her relatives came to know she was joining the police force they said she wouldn’t last for long as it is a tough profession. “So far I have proven them wrong,” she says. Ropeta is hopeful of playing a big role in portraying a better image of the police whom many people still don’t trust and thus don’t report crimes. (PTI)

  • ParvezElahi sworn in as Pakistan Punjab’s new CM amid high political drama

    Islamabad/Lahore (TIP): PML-Q leader ChaudhryParvezElahi was sworn in as chief minister of Punjab by Pakistan President early July 27 morning, in a boost to ousted premier Imran Khan whose party approached a top court seeking dismissal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government. Elahi, the 76-year-old leader backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was sworn in at the directions of the Supreme Court which dealt a big blow to Prime Minister Sharif-led coalition by removing his son as the executive head of the country’s politically crucial province. A three-member bench – comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice IjazulAhsan and Justice MuneebAkhtar – on Tuesday night ruled that Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Elahi will be the new chief minister of Punjab, paving the way for a change in the country’s most populous province and political heartland. Elahi, who lost the election held on Friday despite getting a majority vote, had challenged the ruling of deputy speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari who handed victory to Hamza. Elahi secured 186 votes against 179 votes of PML-N candidate Hamza but lost after Deputy Speaker Mazari rejected 10 votes of his PML-Q lawmakers.

    Mazari refused to count the vote after PML-Q chiefChaudhryShujaatHussain through a letter directed his party lawmakers to vote for Hamza, son of Prime Minister Sharif and PML-N president.

    The apex court declared Mazari’s controversial decision to reject 10 votes as “illegal”. It ordered Punjab Governor BalighurRehman to administer the oath to Elahi. However, Rehman refused to perform his duties.

    Following Rehman’s refusal, Elahi left for Islamabad late Tuesday night where he was sworn in as the chief minister by President ArifAlvi at the Aiwan-e-Sadar in the early hours of Wednesday.

    Alvi sent a special aircraft to bring Elahi to Islamabad for the oath-taking ceremony, Geo News reported. (PTI)

  • Explosion in shop near Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Afghanistan’s Kabul, no casualty

    kabl (TIP): A day after the Taliban regime urged its minority communities to return claiming to have addressed their security concern, a bomb reportedly exploded near the main gate of GurdwaraKarteParwan in Kabul, Afghanistan. However, no loss of life was reported in the incident.

    A month ago, a deadly terror attack was executed by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) at the gurdwara claiming two lives, including a Sikh, and leaving the holy place vandalized.

    Puneet Singh Chandok, president of India World Forum said that the explosion occurred in a shop selling herbal medicines owned by an Afghan-origin Sikh family. “It was an alarming development that the explosion occurred in broad daylight targeting a shop owned by a Sikh ‘hakim’, located in a lane near the gurdwara. The members of Sikh and Hindu community are safe,” he said. A video also went viral in which the owner of the shop selling herbal medicines explained that a ‘time bomb’ was planted at his shop when he was away to have lunch at another place. Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been targets of violence in Afghanistan.

    All claims of the Taliban, that assumed charge of Afghanistan since 2021, fall flat if the repeated attacks on minorities is any indication. It is learnt that around 167 Sikhs and Hindus lived in trouble torn Afghanistan since Taliban took over. Five among them do not possess passports. They all had applied for e-vias (emergency visas). This number has decreased with the Indian government issuing e-visas to facilitate their safe evacuation. (TNS)

  • Ready to listen to democratic protesters: Sri Lankan PM Dinesh Gunawardena

    Colombo (TIP) July 27 : Sri Lanka’s newly-appointed PM Dinesh Gunawardena said the government was ready to listen to the demands of democratic public protesters, but denounced acts of terrorism, calling it the “greatest threat to democracy”. Gunawardena, 73, an ally of the Rajapaksas and a school friend of the newly-elected President RanilWickremesinghe, was sworn in as the Sri Lankan PM last week amid an unprecedented economic and political crisis. Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, Gunawardena said the Sri Lankan government was ready to listen to the democratic public protests, but they could not accept acts of terrorism. (PTI)

  • Fear and suspicion as Ukraine hunts for traitors in the east

    Fear and suspicion as Ukraine hunts for traitors in the east

    Kutuzivka, Ukraine (TIP), July 28 : As Ukraine hunts for traitors, the fear of Russian infiltration extends east, far from the capital. The sense of paranoia runs deepest here, in eastern Ukraine, where suspicions of treason committed by locals divide formerly occupied villages like Kutuzivka, a once-sleepy hamlet east of Kharkiv, where signs of a recent Russian presence are everywhere. Stray dogs roam over broken glass as the sound of shelling echoes overhead, with Ukrainian troops still fighting off a near-constant barrage of artillery fire by Russian troops north of the village when Reuters visited at the end of May. When Russian troops arrived in Kutuzivka in early March, they quickly set up a local puppet administration. NataliiaKyrychenko, a 55-year-old farm owner in the village, was hiding in her house with several neighbours when Russian soldiers came to her door. Villagers said a Russian commander brought Kyrychenko and her neighbours out onto the street and informed them that a local woman named NadiiaAntonova would now head the village. Kyrychenko said she was interrogated for two days by Russian forces about her son-in-law, who is in Ukrainian law enforcement. The soldiers told her, Kyrychenko recounted to Reuters, that Antonova had informed them about her son-in-law and accused her of working as a spotter for Ukrainian troops, tasked with tracking movements of Russian soldiers. “When the Russian soldiers took me away I honestly didn’t think I would come back,” she said. “I couldn’t believe that someone in our community would turn me in.” Kyrychenko was eventually released. Russian officials at the Kremlin did not respond to Reuters’ questions about the case. In late April, Ukraine successfully pushed back Russian troops and liberated Kutuzivka. Antonova was swiftly detained and placed under criminal investigation for collaborating with Russian soldiers. She faces more than a decade in jail if convicted. Antonova’s lawyer did not respond to Reuters’ questions. In a speech earlier this month, President VolodymyrZelenskiy spoke about the high toll Russian infiltration was taking on the country. Below the highest levels of treason he highlighted, there are many more cases that fall into a grey area. These cases can range from those who post pro-Russian content on social media to those who cooperate in any way with occupying Russian troops.

    “Our population played a very big role in informing police, alerting us to saboteurs,” said YevhenYenin, the first deputy minister of the internal affairs ministry, which oversees the national police. Though the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is officially tasked with investigating such cases, much of the practical work of gathering information has fallen to the police, Yenin said. The National Police have so far detained more than 1,000 people suspected of sabotage and reconnaissance activities on behalf of the Russian authorities, according to the internal affairs ministry. In Kharkiv, about 40 kilometres from the Russian border, four police officers began their night patrol just after the city’s 10 p.m. curfew in late May. Touting AKs and wearing bulletproof vests, the officers scoured the city’s darkened streets for suspicious figures. (Reuters)

  • Russia launches missile attack on Kyiv area

    Kyiv (TIP), July 28 : Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Kyiv area for the first time in weeks on July 28 and pounded the northern Chernihiv region as well, in what Ukraine said was revenge for standing up to the Kremlin. Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, announced a counter-offensive to take back the occupied Kherson region in the country’s south, territory seized by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces early in the war. Russia attacked the Kyiv region with six missiles launched from the Black Sea, hitting a military unit in the village of Liutizh on the outskirts of the capital. — AP

  • 94 migrants escape suffocation in truck in Mexico

    Mexico City (TIP) July 29 : Authorities in Mexico said July 28 that at least 94 migrants had to bash their way out of a suffocating freight trailer abandoned on a highway in the steamy Gulf coast state of Veracruz. Carlos Enrique Escalante, the head of the state migrant attention office, said migrants had to break holes in the freight container to get out, some apparently through the roof. Some were injured when they leapt from the roof of the trailer, but their injuries did not include any broken bones and were not considered life-threatening.

    Escalante said local residents near the town of Acayucan heard the noise, and helped open the freight container.

    A much larger number of migrants were believed to have been aboard and fled after escaping. But the 94 migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were turned over to immigration authorities.

    The discovery of the trailer Wednesday recalled the tragedy in San Antonio, Texas on June 27, when 53 migrants died because they had been left in a sweltering freight truck. In the southern Mexico state of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala, yet another group of migrants continued demanding temporary visas they would permit them to travel across Mexico. They were still in the town of Huixtla on Thursday after leaving Tapachula earlier this week, saying they can’t wait months for slow immigration paperwork in Tapachula. AP

  • ‘New Cold War’’: Russia and West vie for influence in Africa

    Johannesburg (TIP) July 28 : Russian, French and American leaders are crisscrossing Africa to win support for their positions on the war in Ukraine, waging what some say is the most intense competition for influence on the continent since the Cold War. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emanuel Macron are each visiting several African countries this week. Samantha Power, head of the US Agency for International Development, went to Kenya and Somalia last week. The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will go to Ghana and Uganda next week. “It’s like a new Cold War is playing out in Africa, where the rival sides are trying to gain influence,” said William Gumede, director of Democracy Works, a foundation promoting good governance.

    Lavrov, in his travels across the drought- and hunger-stricken continent, has sought to portray the West as the villain, blaming it for rising food prices, while the Western leaders have accused the Kremlin of cynically using food as a weapon and waging an imperial-style war of conquest — words calculated to appeal to listeners in post-colonial Africa. Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has been working to win support in Africa for several years, reinvigorating friendships that date back a half-century, when the Soviet Union backed many African movements fighting to end colonial rule. “Now that campaign has gone into high gear,” Gumede said. Moscow’s influence in Africa was on display in March during the UN vote to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    While 28 African nations voted in favour of the resolution, a significant minority of countries on the continent — 25 — either voted to abstain or did not vote at all.

    Russia’s top diplomat this week visited Egypt, Congo, Uganda and Ethiopia, pledging friendship and charging the US and European countries with driving up food prices by pursuing “reckless” environmental policies.

    “The situation in Ukraine did additionally negatively affect food markets, but not due to the Russian special operation, rather due to the absolutely inadequate reaction of the West, which announced sanctions,” Lavrov said in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. Lavrov was warmly received in Uganda by President YoweriMuseveni, who for years has been a US ally but has refused to criticise Russia over the invasion. (AP)

  • Sunny Deol in US for medical treatment

    Sunny Deol in US for medical treatment

    Actor-politician Sunny Deol is not in pink of health. He is getting medical treatment in the United States. According to Sunny’s spokesperson, the ‘Border’ star sustained a back injury a few weeks ago during the shoot of one of his projects. He underwent treatment in Mumbai for a week and then flew to the US for the treatment. Due to his injury, Sunny, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur, Punjab, had to miss the voting of President Droupadi Murmu.

    “Sunny Deol sustained a back injury a few weeks ago at a shoot, he was undergoing back treatment first in Mumbai and then he flew to the USA for his back treatment two weeks back. The presidential elections happened during this time and he was not in the country as his treatment is still not over. He should be returning to India post his recovery,” the spokesperson informed. Sunny will be seen sharing screen space with Pooja Bhatt and Dulquer Salmaan in R Balki’s ‘Chup’. He is also coming up with ‘Gadar 2’ and ‘Apne 2’. Sunny also has Soorya in his kitty. Reportedly, the film is a Hindi remake of the Malayalam crime thriller ‘Joseph’. In April, he unveiled his look from the film in which he was seen sitting on a staircase, looking lost in some deep thoughts. “Describing his character, Sunny wrote, “He had all the happiness, but then the journey of life took away his happiness and he was left with hate, anger and vengeance. But Soorya found a purpose….#Soorya,” Sunny had posted.

    Source: ANI

  • Alia reacts to trolls who mocked actor for her pregnancy

    Alia reacts to trolls who mocked actor for her pregnancy

    “You don’t plan great things, they just happen,” says soon-to-be-mother Alia Bhatt, who believes in trusting her instincts in most of her professional and personal life decisions. Bhatt, 29, announced her pregnancy in June on Instagram, two months after she tied the knot with fellow Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, 39. While the couple was flooded with best wishes, Bhatt was subjected to online trolling for embracing motherhood early in her life. “Everything a woman does is put in headlines. Whether she has decided to become a mother, she is dating somebody new, she is going for a cricket match or on a holiday. For some reason, the eyeballs are always on women’s choices,” the actor told PTI in an interview. Bhatt, who had shared the news of her pregnancy while shooting for her Hollywood debut “Heart of Stone” in London, was soon targeted for making a life-altering decision at the peak of her career.

    Source: PTI

  • Dobaaraa trailer out,  Taapsee Pannu promises an engaging murder mystery

    The trailer of Taapsee Pannu’s much-awaited film, Dobaaraa, was released today [July 27]. The film marks the reunion of Taapsee and director Anurag Kashyap after their 2018 hit film Manmarziyaan. By the looks of the trailer, Taapsee Pannu-starrer promises an engaging murder mystery. The trailer of Dobaaraa generates curiosity amongst the audience to know what unfolds next. The story of Dobaaraa revolves around how a woman gets an opportunity to save the life of a 12-year-old boy who witnessed death during a thunderstorm that happened 26 years ago. The film’s trailer sheds light on the same. Director Anurag Kashyap shared the official trailer of Dobaaraa on his Instagram handle. While sharing the trailer, Anurag wrote, “The portals have opened up. The mystery has been revealed. Antara is determined to make sense of it all, are you? Watch Dobaaraa in cinemas on Aug 19. (sic).” Much before Dobaaraa’s theatrical release, the film will premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on August 12, 2022. Expressing happiness over the same, Anurag said in a statement, “Excited to be showcasing our film and being elected as the opening night film for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. I have previously been to IFFM and have first hand seen the unison with which Indian films and film from the subcontinent are celebrated and showcased with much vigour. Dobaaraa is a special film for me as a filmmaker and I’m looking forward to showcasing it at this platform.”

                    Source: India Today

  • Sonakshi to feature in brother Kussh Sinha’s directorial debut

    Sonakshi Sinha is all set to play leading lady in yet another venture – this time in her brother Kussh Sinha’s upcoming project. Kussh Sinha will be making his directorial debut with the film Nikita Roy And The Book of Darkness and it is expected to feature Sonakshi in the lead role. Sonakshi Sinha took to Instagram to share the first look poster of the film which features amidst a mysterious backdrop. While details of the film are kept under wraps, the actress also revealed that actors Paresh Rawal and Suhail Nayyar will be playing prominent roles in the film. The actress posted it saying, “# NikitaRoyAnd TheBookOfDarkness Filming begins soon ???? Making his directorial debut is @kusshssinha and im looking forward to sharing screen space with the dynamic @pareshrawalofficial sir and @suhailnayyar!”

  • Demi Moore regrets shaving her head for ‘G.I. Jane’

    Hollywood star Demi Moore famously shaved her head to play the lead role in 1997’s G.I. Jane but she’d now be “hard-pressed” to alter her trademark waist-length tresses again because she has nothing to “prove”.

    “I think now that I’m older, I also know I don’t have anything to prove. So if they really need my hair different, they can give me a wig,” she said. She added: “It’s also not as clear how it would grow back!”

    While the Indecent Proposal actress has tried a variety of styles over the years, these days she does “as little as possible” with her locks and finds it “stressful” when people even touch her hair. She said: “I’ve done everything to my hair. I’ve shaved it. I’ve dyed it. I’ve had a bob. When I’m not working, I try to do as little to it as possible. It’s stressful even having someone touch it. If I don’t have anywhere to go, I don’t put heat on it; I just try to let it do its own thing. And I don’t wash them too often. I get regular tiny trims. The rest comes from the inside out. You have to eat well, all those things.” The actress vowed to keep her hair long to defy stereotypes. She said, “I remember hearing someone say that when women get older, they shouldn’t have long hair. And something about that stuck with me. Like who says? It made me feel like, well, if it can grow and it’s not unhealthy, then why shouldn’t I?” “I’m not comfortable with rules that don’t seem to have any real meaning or justification,” she said.

    Source: IANS

  • Angelina Jolie wins case against Brad Pitt over French winery

    Angelina Jolie wins case against Brad Pitt over French winery

    Brad Pitt had earlier accused his ex-wife Angelina Jolie of damaging the reputation of the wine business they bought together in 2008. He accused her of selling her half to a stranger. The former couple had an agreement to not sell their interests in Chateau Miraval without the other’s consent. However, by selling her stake to a unit of Stoli Group, a spirits maker controlled by oligarch Yuri Shefler, the actress broke the agreement. Soon, they got into a legal battle over this. As per a new report, Angelina Jolie has won the legal battle. The actress’s legal team has subpoenaed documents from Brad as well as his company and his business manager on July 22, as per the report. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had bought the Chateau Miraval winery in 2008 for an estimated $28.3 million. They had agreed not to sell their interests in the company. However, Brad sued Angelina, accusing her of selling her part of their French vineyard. The couple also got married and spent several family holidays in the South of France vineyard and home Château Miraval.

  • Kate Winslet, HBO reteam for ‘The Palace’ Limited Series

    Hollywood star Kate Winslet is all set to star in authoritarian limited series The Palace for HBO from critically acclaimed film and television director Stephen Frears, who is well-known for his classics Dangerous Liaisons and High Fidelity. According to Variety, Kate Winslet will star in the series, which tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of an authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel. The actress will also executive produce the series. Will Tracy created the show and will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Stephen Frears is attached to direct and executive produce, with Frank Rich also executive producing. Seth Reiss, Juli Weiner, Jen Spyra, Gary Shteyngart, and Sarah DeLappe will also write for the show. “We are honored to be working with this incredibly talented group of filmmakers on ‘The Palace,’” said Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming. “The notion that Kate Winslet and Stephen Frears, two of our industry’s leading lights (who – remarkably – have never collaborated before now), are joining forces to bring Will Tracy’s wildly original, prescient, and dazzling scripts to life at HBO is a dream come true for us.” Kate Winslet previously starred in the HBO limited series Mildred Pierce in 2011 and Mare of Easttown in 2021, both of which earned her Emmys. HBO is also currently developing the limited series, Trust, based on Hernan Diaz’s novel, with Winslet set to star and executive produce. In Trust, a wealthy financier is upset about how he and his wife are portrayed in a book based on his life.

  • Marvel announces 2 New Avengers movies

    Disney announced a slew of Marvel superhero movies including two new “Avengers” films Saturday at Comic-Con, as it offered screaming fans an emotional first glimpse at its upcoming “Black Panther” sequel. The record-breaking Marvel movies have dominated Hollywood and global box offices in recent years, with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” briefly becoming the highest-grossing film of all time at more than $2.79 billion. “I wonder if you guys wouldn’t mind looking ahead a little bit?” studio president Kevin Feige asked the wildly cheering hall of die-hard superhero fans toward the end of a raucous hour-plus presentation at a San Diego convention center.

    “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” will hit theaters in 2025, he then announced.

    The films will aim to follow in the footsteps of “Avengers: Endgame,” which built unprecedented hype by rounding off storylines presented in all the preceding Marvel films. The two new “Avengers” titles will conclude the next “saga” of more than a dozen inter-connected films and television shows in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” said Kevin Feige. “That will complete the second saga of the MCU, which of course is ‘The Multiverse Saga,’” he said. The Marvel franchise in recent films and shows has explored the “multiverse” concept popularized by superhero comic books, in which infinite universes — and infinite versions of each hero and villain — exist in parallel realities.

  • Job scam accused Partha Chatterjee sacked from Bengal Cabinet

    Job scam accused Partha Chatterjee sacked from Bengal Cabinet

    Heaps of money with denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 and bundles of cash in sealed envelopes were recovered from the flat of Partha Chatterjee’s aide Arpita Mukherjee during the ED raids. Kolkata (TIP)-  Partha Chatterjee, arrested in the West Bengal SSC recruitment scam, has been removed as a state cabinet minister with immediate effect, stated an official order issued by the Mamata Banerjee government on Thursday, July 27. The decision was reportedly taken in a cabinet meeting amid demands for the expulsion of Chatterjee. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee took over the departments till a new council of ministers is announced. “I have removed Partha Chatterjee as a minister. My party takes strict action. There are many plannings behind it but I don’t want to go into details,” Banerjee said. A TMC disciplinary committee meeting, to be held at the party’s headquarters in Kolkata at 5 pm, has been convened by the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of Mamata Banerjee. Chatterjee, secretary-general of the TMC, held the portfolios of commerce & industry, parliamentary affairs, information technology and electronics, and public enterprises & industrial reconstruction in the state cabinet. The meeting was convened hours after TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh demanded Chatterjee be sacked from the cabinet and expelled from the party after nearly Rs50 crore in cash was recovered from properties linked to him.

    “Partha Chatterjee should be removed from ministry and all party posts immediately. He should be expelled. If this statement is considered wrong, party has every right to remove me from all posts. I shall continue as a soldier of @AITCofficial (TMC),” Ghosh tweeted at 9.52 am. Following this, he told reporters that he has full faith in Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee who, he thinks, will take an appropriate decision.

    The chief minister recently said that if someone is found guilty, she would not spare that person, even if he is a minister. Nearly Rs 50 crore in cash, and gold, believed to be in kilograms, were recovered from apartments linked to Chatterjee’s close associate Arpita Mukherjee, besides documents of properties and foreign exchange, as per officials of the Enforcement Directorate, which arrested them. The CBI, as directed by the Calcutta High Court, is probing the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group-C and D staff as well as teachers in government-sponsored and aided schools on recommendations of the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC). The ED is tracking the money trail in the scam. Chatterjee was the education minister when the alleged irregularities took place.

  • SC upholds ED’s power to arrest, attach property, search & seizure under PMLA

    SC upholds ED’s power to arrest, attach property, search & seizure under PMLA

    New Delhi (TIP)- In a crucial judgment endorsing the powers of the Enforcement Directorate, the Supreme Court rejected almost all objections to its powers to probe, arrest and seize properties as proceeds of money laundering. A 3-judge Bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar, two days ahead of his retirement, upheld all the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The Bench, which also comprised Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar, held that Section 19 on ED’s power to arrest under challenge, does not suffer from the “vice of arbitrariness” and attachment of properties of those involved in the money laundering under Section 5 is also constitutionally valid. The Bench said money laundering affects social and economic fabric of the nation and also tends to promote other heinous offences such as terrorism, offences related to the NDPS Act (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act). Petitioners had argued that unchecked power to arrest the accused without informing them of grounds of arrest or evidence is unconstitutional. They further said that the recording of incriminating statements of an accused during questioning under the threat of being fined for withholding information amounts to compulsion.

    Petitioners had argued that unchecked power to arrest the accused without informing them of grounds of arrest or evidence is unconstitutional. The supply of ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) copy in every case is not mandatory as it is an internal document, the top court said, rejecting the petitioners’ challenge that it is similar to an FIR and the accused is entitled to a copy of the ECIR. It is enough if Enforcement Directorate, at the time of arrest, discloses grounds for such arrest, it said.

    Another major challenge, that filing PMLA charges in cases that occurred before 2002 (when PMLA came into existence) is unconstitutional, was also turned down. The Centre justified it saying that money laundering is a continuing offence, and not a single act but a chain. Proceeds of crime could have been generated before 2002 but could have still been in possession or in use by the accused post-2002. The petitioners included politician Karti Chidambaram and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, among others.

    The centre justified the constitutional validity of the provisions of PMLA. It defended the amendments to PMLA, saying money laundering poses threat not only to financial systems but to the integrity and sovereignty of nations, since money laundering is conducted not just by corrupt businessmen like Vijay Mallya or Nirav Modi but also by terror groups. The top court agreed with the Centre’s contention.

    ED powers will have ‘far-reaching implications’ for our democracy: Congress

    The Congress on July 27 said that the Supreme Court’s judgement on the Enforcement Directorate’s powers will have “far-reaching implications” for the country’s democracy.

    On Wednesday, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement that the Supreme Court ruling will have consequences, especially when “governments are anchored in political vendetta”.

    “However, there is one specific aspect of the judgement I would like to address immediately,” the statement added. “I had moved the Supreme Court on the blatant misuse of the Money Bill route by the Modi Government, on the amendments made to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The Supreme Court had issued notice on my petition on July 2, 2019. This question remains unresolved in today’s judgement.” Ramesh was referring to a 2019 amendment in which provisions of the Act were changed to include possession of crime proceeds within the definition of money laundering. On Wednesday, the petitioners argued that concealing the “proceeds of crime” by itself should not qualify as money laundering. They submitted that the amendments were brought through Money Bills that need to be passed only in the Lok Sabha and not the Rajya Sabha.

    Money Bills concern with subjects dealing with government revenue and expenditure. But, the Supreme Court said the method of introduction of the amendments through a Money Bill would be separately examined by a larger bench. Ramesh, however, noted that the Supreme Court has agreed that it is “conscious of the fact that if that ground of challenge is to be accepted, it may go to the root of the matter and amendments effected vide Finance Act would become unconstitutional or ineffective”.

  • Active Covid cases decline in country

    Active Covid cases decline in country

    India logged 20,409 new coronavirus infections pushing the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,39,79,730, while the active cases declined to 1,43,988, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll climbed to 5,26,258 with 32 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The  active cases comprise 0.33 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.48 per cent, the ministry said. A decrease of 2,335 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year. It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year.

    Source: PTI

  • 139 & counting – 170% increase in suspension of MPs under Modi govt compared to UPA

    139 & counting – 170% increase in suspension of MPs under Modi govt compared to UPA

    New Delhi (TIP)- The number of MPs suspended from both Houses of Parliament in the eight years since 2014 — when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance rose to power — has gone up almost threefold compared to the previous eight years, data accessed by ThePrint from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats shows. While at least 51 MPs were suspended from the two Houses between the monsoon session in 2006 and February 2014 (the Lok Sabha elections were held in April 2014), at least 139 MPs have been suspended for misconduct and unruly behaviour between the monsoon session in August 2015 and now.

    On Monday, July 25,  4 opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha, and this was followed by 20 MPs being suspended from the Rajya Sabha Tuesday and Wednesday for disrupting proceedings.

    Parliamentary experts as well as opposition MPs agree that there has been a huge spike in suspension cases in the past few years, unlike earlier, when such instances were few and far between.

    P.D.T. Achary, former secretary general of the Lok Sabha, told ThePrint: “Of late, cases of MPs getting suspended have more than doubled. It indicates that there is great hostility between the treasury and opposition benches, where both treat each other as enemy instead of political adversary.”

    Not only does this impede the smooth functioning of Parliament, where bills are being passed without any discussion, the growing animosity also does not augur well for a parliamentary democracy, Achary said. “It’s a sign of a serious crisis…. Parliament cannot function like this. Earlier, there used to be healthy interactions among members of both sides. There was a lot of bonhomie. It was a sign of a mature democracy. That tradition of interactions is breaking down now,” he added. Rajya Sabha MP and former finance minister P Chidambaram told ThePrint that the Narendra Modi government is “strangling democracy” by not allowing any discussion or debate in Parliament.

    “If debate is not allowed and if protest is not allowed, why have democracy, elections, and a Parliament? The government is strangling democracy. It is dying a slow death. Let all citizens be aware of the danger,” he said.

    Chidambaram cited the suspension of 19 opposition MPs from the Rajya Sabha Tuesday as an example, saying, “The deputy chairman said the 19 MPs were suspended because of their ‘misconduct’ in the House. He should have asked what ‘conduct’ of the government caused the alleged ‘misconduct’.”

    Source: The Print

  • ED grills Sonia Gandhi for 6 hours; Congress MPs detained for stir

    ED grills Sonia Gandhi for 6 hours; Congress MPs detained for stir

    As the ED questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the third time, Congress MPs protested at Vijay Chowk over the government’s alleged misuse of investigative agencies and called it “murder of democracy”, claiming the Centre was trying to usher in an “Opposition-mukt Bharat”. She was given no fresh summons amid indications that her questioning might be over for now.  Gandhi reached the ED’s office at 11 am on July 28 accompanied by her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and son Rahul Gandhi. The session began at around 11.15 am. She left the ED office at around 2 pm along with Ms Vadra, who stayed with her all through at the ED’s headquarters to provide any assistance or medical care, if needed, to her mother. The sleuths’ questioning pertains to the charge of alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Pvt Ltd, which owns the National Herald newspaper.

    The protesting MPs were detained by the police. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “For the third day, Congress MPs staging legitimate and peaceful protests at Vijay Chowk have been taken away to God (and PM and HM know) alone knows where. This is Muzzling Of Democracy in India in action!” Mahila Congress and Youth Congress workers protesting against the alleged misuse of investigative agencies outside the AICC headquarters were also put in police buses and detained. On Tuesday , several MPs trying to march to Rashtrapati Bhavan were detained by the police. Several Opposition parties had written a memorandum to the President of India underscoring the “misuse of agencies” by the Central government against political opponents.

    Earlier, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal had been questioned by the ED in the National Herald case. The Congress insists that there has been no wrongdoing on the part of their leaders in the matter. The Congress claims that Young Indian Pvt Ltd is a “Section 25” company, meaning no money can be taken out to benefit its shareholders. I&B minister Anurag Thakur hit out at the Congress, accusing it of trying to “mislead and pressure” Central probe agencies through street protests.

                    Source: The Asian Age

  • Uproar in Parliament over Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s ‘Rashtrapatni’ remark

    Uproar in Parliament over Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s ‘Rashtrapatni’ remark

    New Delhi (TIP)- Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s “Rashtrapatni” remark against President Droupadi Murmu on July 28 snowballed into a major political row with the BJP accusing Congress president Sonia Gandhi of “sanctioning the humiliation of a self-made tribal woman”. The all-out attack by Union Minister Smriti Irani against Sonia in the Lok Sabha resulted in angry exchanges between the ruling and Opposition leaders inside and outside Parliament. There was also some unprecedented fracas in the House after the adjournment was announced.

    As different versions emerged, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the “brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation of one of the most dignified ladies of Indian politics, Sonia Gandhi, by the BJP” was “traumatic and sickening”. “That this assault by the BJP MPs took place inside Parliament reflected mob mentality,” he alleged.

    Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who led the charge in the Rajya Sabha, accused the Congress chief of “aggression”. “Some of our Lok Sabha MPs felt threatened when Sonia Gandhi came up to our senior leader Rama Devi to find out what was happening. When one of our members (Smriti Irani) approached her, she (Sonia Gandhi) said ‘you don’t talk to me’,” the FM said. “Instead of remorse from the Congress leader, we find greater and greater aggression,” she later said. Sitharaman also alleged that the remark was not a “slip of the tongue” as Chowdhury professed, but “a deliberate act to insult the President”.

    In the Lok Sabha, Irani said: “The Congress is not able to digest that a girl of a poor family has become the President. A journalist even told the Congress leader that he was insulting the President. Then too, the latter did not express regret. The Congress is anti-tribal, anti-woman, anti-poor and now insults the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.” Pointing towards Sonia, who was present in the House, Irani said: “Sonia Gandhi, apologise. You sanctioned the humiliation of Droupadi Murmu.”

    As the protests led to an adjournment, Sonia approached the treasury benches to talk to Rama Devi to “discuss” why her name was being taken. When Irani approached her, saying: “Ma’am, may I help you? I have taken your name in Parliament,” Sonia replied, “Don’t talk to me,” claimed eyewitnesses as MPs on both sides engaged in a war of words. Blaming Sonia for what happened, Rama Devi claimed she spoke to Irani angrily, “wagging her finger”. “Sonia Gandhi’s angry tone started it all,” she said outside Parliament.

    Congress MPs, however, said Sonia was only trying to reach out to ruling party leaders over the issue that they were raising. Congress MP Jyotsna Mahant said while Sonia was trying to talk to Rama Devi, “other BJP MPs started creating a ruckus”. Mahant along with NCP’s Supriya Sule and some other women MPs escorted Sonia out. “Prime Minister Modi should apologise on behalf of the MPs,” the Congress said. Accusing the BJP of making a mountain out of a molehill, Chowdhury claimed he used the remark once “inadvertently”. “I said it once by mistake… hang me if you want,” he said in a video message. Dismissing the demand of apology, Chowdhury said he had sought time from President Murmu and would apologise to her, if need be, but not to “these pakhandis”.

    Source: TNS

  • THE INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL PRESENTS “ERASING BORDERS” and “INDIA @ 75” DANCE FESTIVAL

    THE INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL PRESENTS “ERASING BORDERS” and “INDIA @ 75” DANCE FESTIVAL

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Indo-American Arts Council has announced the always eagerly anticipated dance performances this year,  including special events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence Day, August 15. The celebration will feature two live performances, August 6 & 7 at the Ailey Citigroup Theatre, and a virtual August 8th streaming with artists from India, Canada, and the U.S. Since its founding 15 years ago, the Indo-American Arts Council has distinguished itself with its presentations dedicated to furthering the knowledge and living practices of the arts of the Indian sub-continent.