The Indian Panorama

Month: October 2022

  • Stocks give up an early gain and close lower on Wall Street

    Stocks give up an early gain and close lower on Wall Street

    Stocks on Wall Street lost ground again Thursday, though the major indexes remained on pace for a weekly gain after a strong two-day rally earlier this week. The S&P 500 fell 0.8%. Nearly three-fourths of the stocks in the benchmark index closed in the red, with retailers, banks and industrial companies among the biggest weights. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.3% and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%. Small company stocks fell more than the broader market, pulling the Russell 2000 index 1.2% lower. Treasury yields continued rising to multiyear highs, a trend that’s helped push up rates on mortgages and other loans. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.23% from 4.14% late Wednesday and is at its highest level in 14 years. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which tends to track expectations for future Federal Reserve action, rose to 4.61% from 4.56%.

    Corporate earnings remained a big focus for Wall Street all week as investors try to get a better picture of how companies are faring amid the hottest inflation in four decades and how they see the economy moving forward.

    The results have been mixed so far. Several big companies released encouraging financial results, while others have disappointed investors with weak or worrisome warnings.

    “Earnings growth estimates for the current quarter are coming in 3.6% higher than they were a year ago,” said Bill Northey, senior investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. “Just a matter of months ago, the expectations were for 10% earnings growth in the third quarter. So there has been a material downgrade to the level of expected earnings growth this year.” IBM rose 4.7% after its third-quarter earnings and revenue topped analysts’ forecasts. AT&T jumped 7.7% after also reporting strong results.

    Tesla fell 6.6% after saying it will miss its target for vehicle deliveries this year. Union Pacific dropped 6.8% after the railroad operator predicted slower growth, suggesting that the economy may be slowing down. Rival CSX fell 3%. American Airlines fell 3.8% after reporting its latest results.

    Allstate slumped 12.9% after giving investors a disappointing financial update.

    All told, the S&P 500 fell 29.38 points to 3,665.78. The Dow lost 90.22 points to close at 30,333.59. The Nasdaq dropped 65.66 points to 10,614.84. The Russell 2000 fell 21.36 points, to 1,704.39. Markets in Europe closed higher. British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned following financial market turmoil caused by multiple policy U-turns.

    Investors remain concerned about inflation and the potential for recessions throughout world. Wall Street is particularly worried about the Fed’s ongoing plan to raise interest rates in order to slow economic growth and tame high prices. The U.S. economy is already showing signs of a slowdown and the Fed’s plan risks stalling the economy and causing a recession.

    The employment market has remained a strong area of the economy, along with consumer spending. The latest government data showed that the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week and remains historically low.                 Source: AP

  • Banks divert gold supply from India to China

    Banks divert gold supply from India to China

    Gold-supplying banks have cut back shipments to India ahead of major festivals in favour of focusing on China, Turkey, and other markets where better premiums are offered, three bank officials and two vault operators said. That could create scarcity in the world’s second-biggest market for gold, and force Indian buyers to start paying hefty premiums for supplies in the approaching peak-demand season. Leading gold suppliers to India — which include ICBC Standard Bank, JPMorgan and Standard Chartered — usually import more gold ahead of festivals and store it in vaults. But vaults now hold less than 10% of the gold they did a year ago, the sources said.

    “Ideally a few tonnes of gold should be there in vaults during this time of the year. But now we only have a few kilos,” said one Mumbai-based vault official. JPMorgan, ICBC and Standard Chartered declined to comment.

    In India, premiums over the international gold price benchmark have slid to $1-$2 an ounce, against around $4 this time last year. Premiums were driven sharply lower by a now-closed loophole that led some Indian trading houses to import gold as lower-tariff platinum alloy, allowing some to even offer gold at a discount, Chanda Venkatesh, managing director of Hyderabad-based bullion merchant CapsGold, said.

    Rupee bounces back to close at 82.79 against USD

    The rupee rebounded from its lifetime low to close 21 paise higher at 82.79 against the US dollar on Thursday, Oc atober 20, mid weakness in the greenback overseas. Forex traders said the local currency recovered on suspected RBI intervention after hitting a record low of 83.29 during the session.

    However, rising crude oil prices in the international market capped the rupee’s gain, they added.

    At the forex market, the local unit opened weak at 83.05 against the greenback but later lost ground to quote at 83.29. It also touched an intra-day high of 82.72.

    The rupee pared all its losses to end at 82.79, registering a gain of 21 paise over its previous close. In the previous session, the rupee had settled at an all-time low of 83 against the dollar.

    In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex rose 95.71 points or 0.16 per cent to close at 59,202.90, and the broader NSE Nifty climbed 51.70 points or 0.30 per cent to 17,563.95.

  • Meta to shut ‘Instant Articles’ format on Facebook in early 2023

    Meta will end support for its ‘Instant Articles’ format on the Facebook platform next year, as the company moves away from its news-related products and focus on TikTok-like offerings. According to Axios, the quick-loading article format, that was first launched in 2015, will shut down in April 2023. ‘Instant Articles’ was a mobile format to quickly load news articles on the Facebook app. Once the support is ended, news links on Facebook will take a user to a publisher’s mobile site. “Currently less than 3 per cent of what people around the world see in Facebook’s Feed are posts with links to news articles,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “And as we said earlier this year, as a business it doesn’t make sense to over invest in areas that don’t align with user preferences,” it added.

    The company is now giving news publishers six months to readjust their Facebook strategies.

    The company once called itself a Fifth Estate, and launched revamped News tab that included a dedicated local news section among other topics, including breaking news alerts. Earlier this month, Meta announced to shut down its newsletter product called Bulletin for creators and writers by early 2023.

  • Mark Zuckerberg: WhatsApp Is ‘Far More Private and Secure’ Than iMessage

    Mark Zuckerberg: WhatsApp Is ‘Far More Private and Secure’ Than iMessage

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has criticised Apple’s iMessage as being less secure and private in comparison to WhatsApp in a new ad campaign. Zuckerberg made the critical comments in a post that was shared on his public Facebook and Instagram pages. The comments are also accompanied by an advertising image directly comparing iMessage’s Green and Blue bubble approach vs the ‘Private’ bubble on WhatsApp.

    In a message, Zuckerberg wrote, “WhatsApp is far more private and secure than iMessage, with end-to-end encryption that works across both iPhones and Android, including group chats.” He also pointed out that WhatsApp supports the ability to let all new chats disappear and it also comes with “end-to-end encrypted backups too.” That last bit is important and Zuckerberg knows this too. That’s because Apple’s iMessage does not have end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups.

    Zuckerberg ends his status by saying, “All of which iMessage still doesn’t have,” in a scathing criticism of Apple’s popular iMessage service. As The Verge notes, Meta is going on a full frontal assault on iMessage in the US. Apple’s messaging platform is very popular in the US as several reports have noted, especially among teens and college students. It looks like Meta wants to change the narrative in WhatsApp’s favour.

    According to The Verge, a Meta spokesperson said that this same privacy-focused ad “will appear on broadcast TV, digital video, outdoor, and social across the United States.” This appears to be part of a larger campaign to increase WhatsApp’s user base in the US.

  • Earth is not round and gravity is still shaping our planet, say researchers

    Earth is not round and gravity is still shaping our planet, say researchers

    Gravity is why we stand on Earth the way we do, it is the sole reason that dominates space-time and new research indicates it is not only at the heart of Earth’s unique shape, but it is still shaping the planet from within. And if you think Earth is round, you are wrong, and for those who think it’s flat, this will be a revelation.

    The Earth’s shape is ellipsoid thanks to gravity hammering it throughout its lifetime like all other planets in our solar system. The ellipsoid shape is the reason why there is a greater distance between the center of Earth and the surface at the equator than the center of Earth and the surface at the poles.

    Researchers have now found how gravitational forces deep within the Earth have helped in the evolution of its landscape and shape, these forces are deep under the mountain belts that trigger dramatic movements along faults. These faults result in the collapse of the mountain belt and exposure of rocks that were once over 30 kilometers below the surface.

    While Earth’s shape has been impacted by gravity, there are other factors at play as well. These include the uneven surface of the planet, varying levels of resource distribution within the planet’s interior, and irregular layers within the crust and mantle.

    The study published in the journal Nature Communications states that gravitational forces generated by topography and crustal movement cause an upward flow pattern of the lower-middle crust. The findings could give new insight into the understanding of the evolution of our own planet.

    Scientists studied exposures called the metamorphic core complexes, which are a fossil signature of past mountain belts in the Western United States around the areas of Phoenix and Las Vegas to reach the conclusion.

    Researchers have long been analysing the relationship between climate and tectonics. A study published earlier simulated the landscape and erosion/deposition history of the region before, during, and after the formation of these metamorphic core complexes.

    Geologists also showed that the peak in mammal diversification can be statistically tied to the peak in the extensional collapse of the ancient mountain belts, quantifying how deep Earth forces combine with climate to influence the landscape and impact mammal diversification and species dispersal found within the fossil record.                Source: India Today

  • Google Meet calls can now be transcribed into text

    Google Meet calls can now be transcribed into text

    Tech giant Google has announced that Meet calls can now be transcribed into text, and users can further save them in a Google Doc format. According to Android Central, the saved file can be accessed from Google Drive.

    Google Meet is one of the most popular apps, especially after replacing the Google Duo app for iOS and Android devices. However, Google has stated the new feature that can be accessed in Google Meet for desktop or laptop clients and is available only for the English language.

    Google said the transcribed file can be stored in the same “Meeting Recordings” folder of the Google Meet app from the accompanying Google Drive storage.

    Before joining the Google Meet call, attendees will be notified that the call is transcribed.

    These transcripts are intended to capture the meeting’s discussion, serves as a record, and is helpful as a follow-up to attendees or host if they want to recall a particular segment or point in the whole discussion.

    Another nifty feature is that the “transcript will automatically be attached to the associated calendar invite for the meeting”.

    And for meetings involving more than 200 attendees, the transcribed file will be shared with meeting organisers, hosts, co-hosts, and individual users who initiated a transcription.

    The new feature is expected to roll out starting October 24. It will be available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and the Teaching and Learning Upgrade customers.       Source: IANS

  • Ways to get relief from arthritis pain

    Arthritis is a disease related to the joints. This includes pain, swelling or stiffness. Although arthritis occurs in the older population above the age of 50, this disease is now being experienced by people in their 30s as well. Since it is a broad term, arthritis is of two types. The first one relates to inflammation like rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and lupus, which are degenerative. The second type is osteoarthritis, which is a common type of arthritis, affecting millions of people across the world.

    Here are ways you can reduce arthritis pain:

    DIAGNOSIS

    Get yourself diagnosed immediately when you have symptoms. “You have to understand that the treatment of each type of arthritis is different. Each individual would also have different kinds of medicine,” added Dr Mendiratta, Senior Consultant-Rheumatology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.

    STOP USING PAINKILLERS

    Do not use too many painkillers as it affects the kidneys, warned Dr Mendiratta. Over-the-counter pills should be used to the bare minimum. “Biological injections are being used now for arthritis. This is an advanced treatment to help the joints from getting bent. The treatment should be done within 6 months of diagnosis,” he said.

    CREATE AWARENESS

    The best way to avoid this disease is to create awareness. “Get yourself diagnosed as soon as possible if you see the symptoms. This is a reversible disease and therefore, people can feel better if they get the right treatment at the right time,” Dr Mendiratta said.

    NO AYURVEDIC PRACTICES

    He also suggested that one should avoid ayurvedic solutions for joint pain.          Source: India Today

  • Hair straightening chemicals associated with higher uterine cancer risk

    Hair straightening chemicals associated with higher uterine cancer risk

    Women who used chemical hair straightening products were at higher risk for uterine cancer compared to women who did not report using these products, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health. The researchers found no associations with uterine cancer for other hair products that the women reported using, including hair dyes, bleach, highlights, or perms. The study data includes 33,497 U.S. women ages 35-74 participating in the Sister Study, a study led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of NIH, that seeks to identify risk factors for breast cancer and other health conditions. The women were followed for almost 11 years and during that time 378 uterine cancer cases were diagnosed.

    The researchers found that women who reported frequent use of hair straightening products, defined as more than four times in the previous year, were more than twice as likely to go on to develop uterine cancer compared to those who did not use the products.

    “We estimated that 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70; but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05%,” said Alexandra White, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Environment and Cancer Epidemiology group and lead author on the new study. “This doubling rate is concerning. However, it is important to put this information into context – uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer.”

    Uterine cancer accounts for about 3% of all new cancer cases but is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system, with 65,950 estimated new cases in 2022. Studies show that incidence rates of uterine cancer have been rising in the United States, particularly among Black women.

    Approximately 60% of the participants who reported using straighteners in the previous year were self-identified Black women, according to the study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Although, the study did not find that the relationship between straightener use and uterine cancer incidence was different by race, the adverse health effects may be greater for Black women due to higher prevalence of use.

    “Because Black women use hair straightening or relaxer products more frequently and tend to initiate use at earlier ages than other races and ethnicities, these findings may be even more relevant for them,” said Che-Jung Chang, Ph.D., an author on the new study and a research fellow in the NIEHS Epidemiology Branch.           Source: Nih.gov

  • Potential new approach to treat long Covid conditions found

    Potential new approach to treat long Covid conditions found

    Scientists have discovered a new approach for delivering treatments to patients suffering from serious, long-term COVID symptoms. The team at University of Miami, US, conducted experimental studies on mice and found that placing a peptide ‘net’ around the spike protein of the virus reduced deaths from organ failure and also improved overall outcomes.
    The SARS-CoV-2 virus uses the spike protein to enter and infect the cells.
    “Despite the advances in vaccines, a significant percentage of infected patients develop long-term problems of the brain, lungs, heart, liver, or kidneys,” said Michael J. Paidas, lead researcher of the study published in the journal Molecular Neurobiology.
    “Our laboratory research has focused on preventing the SARS-CoV-2 virus from attaching to the cell and finding a potential therapy for infected individuals fighting the lasting effects of COVID,” Paidas said.
    Researchers said this is the first study to follow laboratory animals over a long period of time and identify pathological changes to the brain, heart and other organs in mice that would take many years to find in humans.
    “We observed pathological changes in multiple organs and blood vessels 12 months after these mice were infected with a coronavirus model,” said research assistant professor Arumugam R Jayakumar. “However, treating the infected mice with a small-molecule synthetic peptide, patented as SPIKENET, prevented the binding of spike protein. That significantly reduced disease progression and pathological changes to the brain, heart, lungs, and other organs,” Jayakumar said.
    He added that the long-term COVID study results are consistent with the research team’s prior study on the acute phase of COVID infection.
    While the underlying mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-induced multi-organ failure and death are largely unknown, the inflammatory response of the immune system can lead to edema, a rapid build-up of fluid in cells damaging tissues and organs, said Paidas.
    Source: PTI

  • Chicken Keema Palak

    Chicken Keema Palak

    Ingredients
    300g chicken mince, 300g baby spinach, washed and chopped
    75g Saffola Masala Classic Masala Oats, 100g onion, finely chopped, 100g fresh tomato puree
    1 green chilli, finally chopped
    1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
    1 tablespoon Saffola Oil
    1 bay leaf
    1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
    1 teaspoon red chilli powder
    1 teaspoon jeera
    1 tablespoon ginger, julienne
    Onion rings and coriander leaves to serve
    Method
    Dry roast oats in a pan for 3-4 minutes on medium heat, and keep it aside
    Wash spinach leaves in a big pot of water to clean it thoroughly and chop it. Keep it aside
    Heat the oil in the pan and saute onion and ginger garlic paste in it until light brown
    Add all the whole spices and ground spices and pureed tomatoes
    Cook on medium heat till water is dried. Add minced meat, stir well and cook covered on medium heat for 4 minutes. Now add chopped spinach and 1 cup of water, mix well and cook it covered for 5 minutes more
    Add roasted oats now, cook for 3-4 minutes more
    Remove the lid mix in garam masala powder. and finely chopped green chilis. Serve it hot garnished with fresh green coriander leaves, slit green chilli, ginger julienne and lemon juice.

  • Get the perfect almond nails

    It is not just about choosing the right nail colour, the right nail shape is an equally important manicure decision, too. If you are bored of the usual round, square or pointed nails, go for the fave almond-shaped nails. Favoured by several women, this nail shape also helps keep your nails strong. Here’s how you perfect it…
    Almond nails are nothing but shaping your nails similar to how an almond would look like. Start the process by pushing your cuticles back.
    Then file your nails on the right side towards the middle.
    Repeat the process on the left side, too. But remember not to file away too much making it look pointed on both the sides.
    Once you have filed both the sides, you will notice that the centre of your nails will be sharp. Now, round off the harsh point into an oval shape.
    Do some final touches and your almond-shaped nails are ready to be polished!

  • Keep your skin glowing

    Keep your skin glowing

    As summer transitions into winter, you ought to take good care of your skin while getting exposed to the sun and its rays. Give your skin more fluids and eat right for healthy skin, says an expert.
    October being the beginning of the festive season, is generally the time when most people plan their vacation. The days tend to be very hot and humid in October. So, Chandrika Mahendra, Principal Scientist, Personal Care, The Himalaya Drug Company, suggests how to keep skin glowing all day long.
    – One of the basic mantras for beating the October heat is to get more fluids into your body. Your skin glows and appears healthier when your body is adequately hydrated. If you are heading to one of the beaches in southern India, treat yourself generously with tender coconut water. It is not only low in calories but has anti-oxidants, Vitamin C and other essential minerals that enrich your skin.
    – Excessive oily food may cause acne, and the heat only makes it worse. Look for fruits that are rich in Vitamin C such as orange, lemon and kiwi. They help to maintain moisture balance in your skin and Vitamin C also helps build protection against skin wrinkling.
    – Peel-off that tan: After a day-out in the sun, try out a natural anti-tan peel off mask. An orange-based peel off mask is a good pick. Oranges are rich in Vitamin C and the antioxidants present in the orange peel will work collectively to provide an even-textured skin and act as a natural cleanser. Ingredients such as honey can also act as an anti-bacterial element with healing properties.

  • Get your home Diwali-ready

    Get your home Diwali-ready

    In India, Diwali means creating a new look and an altogether diverse vibes. Most of us are eager and full of receptivity to perform the rituals. Get the purchases done also meeting near and dear ones. Above all, one main ritual of this festival is cleaning and decorating home. It is also believed that the Goddess of Prosperity, peace and wealth, Goddess Lakshmi enters the clean home on the day of Diwali.
    Easy Stick on Wallpaper
    Many of us prefer to get our homes painted at the time of Diwali. Things have changed due to the current pandemic scenario. Easy stick on wall papers are easily available in market. You can pick the design of your choice and paste it on one side of your wall or can even cover different walls with different shades. Let’s see how creative you get.
    Indoor Plants
    The most soothing colour for our eye is green. You can deck up your home by adding on indoor plants, which helps in purifying the air and also relaxes nerves. And at evening you can enhance the look of your home by adding candles and lights which would change the layout of the house.
    Accessories and Fixtures
    And if you want to give a modern look to your home. It’s the right time to invest on the abstract accessories, such as side lamps, fruit baskets, candle holders, diya stands, and so on. And if the budget gets tighter, all you can do is just cut out the cardboard into round shape and you can create your own spectacular wall art like.
    Adding Wall art
    Plain walls look boring, especially when Diwali is just a week away. You can easily make a stunning collage with a couple of countryside or traditional art form. I feel delighted to see warli paintings around me. As they are fascinating and also adds life to the wall. Or just grab a canvas and make your design using acrylic colours and your art piece will be ready.
    Fresh or Artificial Flowers
    Flowers be it natural or artificial adds beauty to the surrounding. They have the ability to make us feel energetic and amazing. Flowers are known to elevate mood when we are dull. All you have to do is just keep a flower anywhere in your home. Be it your living room, dining area or bedroom. Most importantly if you are using fresh flowers. Keep changing the flowers as they wither or if you are using artificial flowers ensure that you dust them from time to time. Also wash them once in a while to make them look new as ever.
    Cushions and covers
    Changing furniture is not practical as it need a lot of funds and especially during the festive season when we already have a lot of expenses to be done. But we can definitely make some alterations in that case. It’s simple. Just get some vibrant cushions. Or you can also change the fabric of your old sofa and make it look fantastic. Else you can make it colourful all by yourself by using any of your silk saree that you won’t use. This way you will be giving a fresh look to your home.
    Source: Anamikamishra.com

  • Henry Cavill all set to return as Superman in Man of Steel 2: Report

    Henry Cavill all set to return as Superman in Man of Steel 2: Report

    After several ifs, buts, and maybes, it seems Henry Cavill is back as Earth’s mightiest superhero. A new report suggests that the British actor will don the red and blue caped costume and reprise his role as Superman in a stand-alone sequel of his 2013 film Man of Steel. As per the report, the makers are currently developing the film with Henry in mind, and its part of the larger DC Extended Universe.
    Henry had made his debut as Superman aka Clark Kent in Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder. The film laid the foundations of the DCEU and Henry reprised his role in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). However, after Zack Snyder’s exit from the DCEU and studio Warner Bros change of focus regarding the future of the franchise, Henry also quietly exited the universe. Despite fans calling for his return, till very recently, it looked unlikely.
    In September, news had emerged that Henry was back as Superman after industry insiders claimed that the new management at Warner Bros Discovery had managed to convince him. Last week, the leaked post-credits scene of DC’s upcoming Dwayne Johnson-starrer Black Adam teased a Henry cameo and many assumed this was the film insiders were talking about. However, a new report from The Hollywood Reporter says that is just the tip of the iceberg.
    The report stated that the top brass from Warner Bros. Discovery–CEO David Zaslav and Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, has shown ‘intense desire to reprise the Cavill iteration of’ Superman. As per the report, the project would ‘essentially be Man of Steel 2’. It is being produced by Charles Roven and is currently in search for writers.
    The caveat is that this is all still in early stages and there is a long road to be travelled before filming can commence, and a release date of 2024 or 2025 may just be optimistic. However, fans can rejoice in the news that at least, for now, things are falling in place for their favourite Superman’s return.
    Source: HT

  • Drew Barrymore can go without sex for ‘years’ but she clarifies ‘I do not hate it’

    Drew Barrymore can go without sex for ‘years’ but she clarifies ‘I do not hate it’

    Hollywood actor Drew Barrymore recently got candid about her thoughts on intimacy in a new blog post after a fan claimed the star “hates sex.” According to Fox News, Barrymore had originally commented on the news that Andrew Garfield had abstained from sex for six months while preparing for his role in ‘Silence’.
    “What’s wrong with me that six months doesn’t seem like a very long time? I was like, ‘Yeah so?’” she said during an episode of her talk show ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’.
    Giving clarification on that statement, the actor has now revealed that she has not been in an intimate relationship since her split from ex-husband Will Kopelman in 2016.
    “Some people can get out of a marriage or relationship and in the near future find themselves in another relationship. There is nothing wrong with that! Not one bit. I do not judge! I celebrate their journey! Because for some people that really works. It didn’t work for me,” Barrymore wrote in her Sunday blog post, reported Fox News. She continued, “I needed to stay very celibate and honoring and in some sort of state of mourning of the loss of a nuclear family that I swore I would have for my daughters and to find grace and acceptance and what our new normal of a blended family would be.” “I do not hate sex! I have just finally come to the epiphany that love and sex are simply not the same thing I searched my whole life for, which is to be a calm woman and not a bombastic party girl. Also, when you grow up and are in a marriage with kids and you think you’ll only be with this one person for the rest of your life and then that doesn’t happen? It rocked me to my core, to put it lightly,” the actor added.
    As per Fox News, Barrymore and Kopelman divorced in 2016 after being married for four years. The former couple shares two daughters; Olive and Frankie. Source: ANI

  • Ali Fazal shares burning poster of Sajid Khan, demands his eviction from ‘Bigg Boss 16’

    Ali Fazal shares burning poster of Sajid Khan, demands his eviction from ‘Bigg Boss 16’

    Actor Ali Fazal has called for #MeToo accused Sajid Khan’s eviction from the controversial reality show ‘Bigg Boss 16’. He also shared a graphic image, where the filmmaker’s picture is being set on fire.
    Many actresses and models have come forward and raised their voice against Sajid, the younger brother of filmmaker Farah Khan, for exploiting his position of power.
    Sajid has been accused of sexual assault which includes flashing his private parts at parties, asking female actors to send him their nude pictures as part of the casting process and watching porn in front of women. Ali took to his Instagram story where he shared an image of Sajid’s picture being lit on fire by a person with #MeToo written on the wrist.
    He captioned his post: “Evict Sajid Khan from Bigg Boss now.” Ali is not the first person who wants Sajid to be ousted from the show. Previously, Sherlyn Chopra and Sona Mohaptara had voiced their opinion on Sajid’s participation in the show.
    Source: IANS

  • ‘Black Adam’, Dwayne Johnson’s latest, took ‘a lot of edits’ to avoid R rating

    ‘Black Adam’, Dwayne Johnson’s latest, took ‘a lot of edits’ to avoid R rating

    Dwayne Johnson’s starrer ‘Black Adam’ producers Beau Flynn and Hiram Garcia confirmed that the movie originally received R-rating by the MPA. “Just kill them,” says Dwayne Johnson’s title character says at one point in Black Adam, according to his co-star Mo Amer. The comedian said he was taken aback by the departure from the honourable tough-guy persona Johnson has crafted through so many other films, as per the reports of Deadline.
    “It just took me a second to recalibrate and be like, ‘Oh wow, this is going to be amazing,’ ” Amer told Collider recently. “He just completely — he obviously has a body of work, but you don’t see The Rock. You see Black Adam, truly.” The producers claimed that they wanted to give the character and the movie a darker, more brutal tone, but this caused some problems with the MPA.
    According to Deadline, producer Beau Flynn told Collider it took “four rounds [with the MPA], and [the movie] just got the PG-13, I think, maybe four or five weeks ago.” Source: ANI

  • Deepika Padukone is only Indian among world’s 10 most beautiful women

    Deepika Padukone is only Indian among world’s 10 most beautiful women

    In a recent survey conducted by Dr. Julian De Silva, Deepika Padukone is the only Indian to have made it to the list of top 10 most beautiful women. The scientific method, referred to as ‘Golden Ratio of Beauty’, is expected to use the symmetrical features as tools of measurement. As per this method, Jodie Comer has been declared as the most beautiful woman, followed by Zendaya and Bella Hadid.
    Speaking about the Golden Ratio of Beauty, Dr. Julian De Silva was quoted in Yahoo UK saying, “Jodie Comer was the clear winner when all elements of the face were measured for physical perfection. She had the highest overall reading for the positioning of her nose and lips, with a score of 98.7 percent, which is only 1.3 percent away from being the perfect shape. Jodie also had the highest score for her nose width and length and she was near the top for the shape of her lips and the position of her eyes.”
    Deepika Padukone received a score of 91.22. Besides Jodie Comer, Zendaya, Bella Hadid, and Deepika Padukone, the other women in the top 10 list of most beautiful women included Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Jourdan Dunn, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardarshian, and HoYeon Jung.
    Coming to Deepika, is currently busy with three major projects in Bollywood. The actress will be seen alongside Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan in the Pan India film Project K. She also has the comeback vehicle of Shah Rukh Khan, Pathaan, that also stars John Abraham. Besides these two, she will be paired alongside Hrithik Roshan for the first time in Fighter.
    Source: Bollywoodhungama

  • Urvashi Rautela chops her hair to support Iranian women

    Urvashi Rautela chops her hair to support Iranian women

    After calling herself a victim of ‘bullying’ online, and comparing her situation to that of Mahsa Amini, Urvashi Rautela has decided to chop off her hair to extend support to Iranian women who have been killed in protests.
    Urvashi took to Instagram to share a photo where she can be seen getting her hair chopped. She wrote a message along with the photo — “Chopped my hair off! Cutting my hair in support of Iranian women and girls who have been killed in protests after the death of Mahsa Amini. And for 19-year-old girl Ankita Bhandari from Uttarakhand. Around the world, women are uniting in protest against the Iranian government by chopping their hair…Once women come together and consider one women’s issue as an issue of the entire womankind, feminism will see a new vigour.” Urvashi is currently in Australia, and since she revealed that she is there, netizens have been brutally trolling her for ‘stalking Rishabh Pant’.

  • PM Modi to launch drive to fill 10 lakh posts in government, PSUs

    PM Modi to launch drive to fill 10 lakh posts in government, PSUs

    New Delhi (TIP)- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday, October 22, launch a mega job drive to recruit 10 lakh personnel. The ceremony, to be held in virtual mode, will witness appointment letters being handed over to 75,000 newly inducted appointees. The PM will also address the appointees on the occasion.
    “This will be a significant step forward towards fulfilling the continuous commitment of the Prime Minister to providing job opportunities for the youth and ensuring welfare of citizens. As per the directions of the Prime Minister, all ministries and departments are working towards filling existing vacancies against sanctioned posts in ‘Mission Mode’,” a PMO statement said. The new recruits, selected from across the country, will join 38 ministries and departments of the Government of India. The appointees will join the government at various levels viz. Group-A, Group-B (gazetted), Group-B (non-gazetted) and Group-C. The posts against which appointments are being made include of central armed police forces personnel, sub-inspector, constable, LDC, steno, PA, income tax inspector, MTS, among others.
    “The recruitments are being done in ‘Mission Mode’ by ministries and departments either by themselves or through recruiting agencies such as the UPSC, SSC and Railway Recruitment Board. For expeditious recruitment, selection processes have been simplified and made tech-enabled,” said the PMO.
    The drive is part of the PM’s June 14 directions to all ministries to fill vacancies in mission mode and employ 10 lakh people over 18 months. The directions had come after the PMO conducted a review of human resource situation across Central Government departments and found a very high rate of vacancies.
    As of March 1, 2020, as many as 21.7 per cent of all sanctioned posts were lying vacant. There are in all 40,04,491 sanctioned posts for Central Government civilian regular employees and only 31,32,698 of these are filled. The highest backlog of unfilled posts with over 37 per cent vacancies or more is in key departments like revenue, agricultural research and education; agriculture and farmers’ welfare; civil aviation; defence (civil) and posts. In defence (civil), out of 6,33,139 posts, 3,85,637 are filled leaving 39 per cent (2,47,499 posts) vacant. Of the 15.07 lakh posts in the Indian Railways, a whopping 2.37 lakh are vacant.

  • Prashant claims Nitish in touch with BJP, says don’t be surprised if he joins hands with it again

    Prashant claims Nitish in touch with BJP, says don’t be surprised if he joins hands with it again

    New Delhi (TIP)- Political strategist Prashant Kishor claimed on Wednesday that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is in touch with the BJP and that he may go for a tie-up with the party again if situation demands so, a suggestion dismissed by the JD(U) as misleading and aimed at spreading confusion.
    Kishor, who is on a padyatra in Bihar in what is widely seen as a precursor to his fresh entry into active politics, told PTI that Kumar has kept a line of communication open with the BJP through JD(U) MP and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh.
    Harivansh declined to comment but his party rejected the claim and asserted that Kumar will never join hands with the BJP again.
    Kishor said, “People who are thinking that Nitish Kumar is actively building a national alliance against the BJP will be surprised to know that he has kept a line open with the BJP. He is in touch with the BJP through his party MP and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh ji.” He suggested that Harivansh has not been asked to resign his Rajya Sabha post for this reason even though the JD(U) has severed ties with the BJP.
    “People must keep this in mind that whenever such circumstances arise, he can go back to the BJP and work with it,” he said.
    The Janata Dal (United) slammed Kishor, with its spokesperson KC Tyagi noting that the Bihar chief minister has publicly announced that he will never again in his life join hands with the BJP.
    “We strongly refute his claims. Kumar is in active politics for over 50 years and Kishor for six months. Kishor has made such a misleading comment to spread confusion,” Tyagi said.
    Kishor started his ‘padyatra’ on October 2 from the Gandhi ashram in Betiharwa in West Champaran. He has set out to complete a 3,500-km journey in the next 12-15 months through Bihar, seeking people’s support to ‘change’ the system.
    He was in the JD(U) for less than 18 months before being expelled from the party in 2020 for his strident criticism of Kumar for his support to the BJP over contentious measures like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Kumar was then a BJP ally.
    The JD(U) leader recently snapped his party’s ties with the BJP and joined hands with the RJD-Congress-Left alliance in Bihar and has vowed to work to build an alliance against the saffron party at the national level. A united opposition will topple the BJP from power at the Centre, he has asserted.
    After coming to power in Bihar in 2005 as the face of the BJP-led NDA, Kumar first broke ties with the party in 2013 and joined hands with the RJD-led opposition in the state in 2014.
    However, he switched sides in 2017 only to dump the BJP again in August this year. Source: PTI

  • US repatriates 307 antiquities stolen, trafficked from India

    US repatriates 307 antiquities stolen, trafficked from India

    A globe spanning, 15-year investigation has led to the repatriation of 307 antiquities by the US that were stolen and trafficked from India and valued at nearly four million dollars, the majority seized from disgraced art dealer Subhash Kapoor.
    Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Monday the return of 307 antiquities valued at nearly USD 4 million to the people of India.
    Of these, 235 antiquities were seized following the investigation by the office of the Manhattan District Attorney into Kapoor, “a prolific looter who helped traffic items from Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other countries.”
    All the antiquities were returned during a repatriation ceremony at the Indian Consulate in New York attended by India’s Consul General Randir Jaiswal, and US Homeland Security Investigations Acting Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Lau, a statement issued by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said.

  • Chinese woman held for identity theft, anti-national activities, was living as monk in Delhi

    The Delhi Police has arrested a Chinese woman for staying in India with forged identity and allegedly indulging in ‘anti-national activities’, officials said on Thursday.
    They said the woman has been identified as Cai Ruo from Hainan province in China.
    The woman had assumed the identity of a Buddhist monk, Dolma Lama, and wore a traditional deep red robe, with a short haircut. She was detained from Majnu ka Tila in north Delhi, a Tibetan refugee colony that is also popular with tourists near Delhi University’s north campus, police said.
    During verification, a Nepalese citizenship certificate in the name of Dolma Lama, was recovered from her. However, when enquired with Foreigners Regional Registration Office, it was revealed that she was a Chinese citizen and had travelled to India in 2019, police said.

  • Omicron Variant May Cause Another Covid Wave: WHO Chief Scientist

    Pune (TIP)- Chief scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Soumya Swaminathan, on Thursday said some countries may see “another wave of infections” with the XBB subvariant of Omicron, a variant of COVID-19 virus. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual general meeting of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) here, she clarified that as of now, there was no data from any country to suggest that these new variants are clinically more severe.
    “There are over 300 subvariants of Omicron. I think the one that is concerning right now is XBB, which is a recombinant virus. We had seen some recombinant viruses earlier. It is very immune-evasive, which means it can overcome the antibodies. So slightly that we may see another wave of infections in some countries because of XBB,” she said.
    Swaminathan said they are also tracking derivatives of BA.5 and BA.1, which are also more transmissible and immune-evasive.
    As the virus evolves, it is going to evolve more and more transmissible, she said.
    “As of now, there is no data from any country to suggest these new subvariants are more clinically severe,” she clarified.
    Suggesting the measures that need to be taken, Dr Swaminathan said monitoring and tracking are the key steps. Source: PTI

  • Yashodhara The Buddha’s Wife, a film by Neha Lohia premieres at the 12th Annual Queens World Film Festival in Queens, New York

    Yashodhara The Buddha’s Wife, a film by Neha Lohia premieres at the 12th Annual Queens World Film Festival in Queens, New York

    Neha Lohia -woman filmmaker from India shines light onthe subject of inequality with her new film Yashodhara the Buddha’s Wife; both via the portrayal of the protagonist of her film and as a brown female identifying director and filmmaker to present Indian roots via a film in foreign land* She is also representing the country and is honoured to host the block titled “Voices of India” at this prestigious film festival which has been offering a strong platform to radicalnew voices and revolutionary filmmakers from across the globe for over a decade.
    The 12th Annual Queens World Film Festival (QWFF) runs in person for 6 days in 5 venues from November 1-6, 2022Screening 157 films from 27 nations. Neha’s film is part of this festival and will be showcased as part of Voices of India. “Yashodhara The Buddha’s Wife is my passion project” says Writer, Director, Producer and filmmaker Neha Lohia.
    Neha Lohia, a ground breaking Indian Filmmaker is churning out some thought provoking and meaningful global cinema. She is one of the very few young Indian Filmmakers who has glorified the Indian flag on international soil. As a Brown girl Neha feels accepted and received globally, she happens to be one of the few film makers who is slowly garnering a niche class of cosmopolitan fan following for her work and the compelling, heart-touching stories she says.
    “Yashodhara- The Buddha’s Wife” is the result of her long and interesting journey of exploring spirituality, eastern philosophy, and deeper relational understating while parallelly serving various studios and departments in the entertainment industry. After an amazing welcome received by the 12th Annual Queens World Film FestivalDirectors, Board and Jury in New York, “Yashodhara The Buddha’s Wife”, will give a glimpse on the lesser known aspect from Buddha’s life, his wife Yashodhara and her role as a woman who also suffered, also got enlightened, and was a figure of extreme compassion, one who personified love. “We all know of the Buddha but how many of us know of the wife and the child he left behind on the night of his child birth because he wanted to go seek enlightenment. This the story of Yashodhara, the Buddha’s wife. He left, she stayed. He came back enlightened after 12 years only to realise so did she! Partake of this long pending healing conversation and witness this intense, intimate, epic tale of love, loss and suffering which became a portal to both their enlightening” *explains Lohia*
    There is an incredible amalgamation of talent from the world that came together for this project. The music of this film has happened in 5 different parts of the world with a Shamanic track from a Shaman singer based in Hungary, a licensed title track from Andrea Scarsi and Sandesh from Germany, recreation of Raga Shivaranjani on flute by RK Bikramjit Singh from Pune India, a fresh new chant written by neha, composed by Shyamlala from Arunachala India and sung by Sanjukta Sen from New York, the overall sound edit has been done by Vera Manuel in Argentina.
    The film is shot in historic Chinese Scholar’s Garden at Snug Harbor in Staten Island and at Central Park in Manhattan with tremendous support from the local teams and crew members from New York, Zambia, India and Spain. The lead actors of the film are both Americans with Spanish, and Peruvian roots. “This short film has truly been a global melting pot bringing so many cultures and people together to bring it to life in today’s time and I am beyond grateful for all the support. “Buddha had a wife? Is something that I am often asked when I speak of this project to any one and it just make me reaffirm my reason to say this story as this woman is truly gone unsung in the pages of history who was the only one standing when all the men chose to leave following footsteps of Siddhartha and all that was left behind was a grieving kingdom filled with women, children and ageing people, all suffering!” Do we really need to suffer a lot to enlighten? Does suffering have to always be corelated with pain? How can we call it sacrifice if it were all done for love and with love? teary-eyed *neha* said. She further adds: “Yashodhara the Buddha’s Wife is a project of lifetime for me. This is one of those stories that have been in the hiding for thousands of years and it just needs to be told especially today with relationships are collapsing, the dating today break-up tomorrow phenomenon, increasing number of divorces, unhealed relational dynamics shouting all around us in a fragile society where nearly everyone is moving around with wounded hearts forgetting we are far more connected to each other than we think we are! This epic feminine compassionate figure, Yashodhara, has been part of my personal healing journey for over 8+ years. I have been researching her, Buddhism, the role of women, mythology, and historic data for 6+ years and it has taken me to many places and got me access to resources from many learned people on the subject of relational healing, and the path of love. I wish to make this project into a massive episodic WEB/TV Series, a movie series and a book as well in the times to come with all that I have collated and really take the audiences back to that era and that time, the royalty, the culture, music, art, the epic scale of this beginning of the beginning. This short film is a proof of concept that shows 1 scene from the heart wrenching and enlightening life of Queen Yashodhara. I hope it stirs open an enquiry about this epic character, what really happened back then and lets the world see this story for the first time from her eyes and perhaps I will one day make the epic saga that I want to if it’s meant to happen through me.
    As a young female filmmaker who is heart-centered and full of ideas, Neha Lohia aims to venture into unexplored realms of film making by experimenting with new themes and subjects. Her stories often raise questions that she is asking too and there by opening a portal of perspective to open and shine light on those topics.She envisions delving in to revolutionary and untrammelled areas and thus be able to discover and witness her inner self using the limitless possibilities and scope of cinema.
    Neha is a multi-passionate creator. Filmmaker, entrepreneur, author, and a commercial artist with over 18 years of storytelling background in the illustrious Advertising, Hollywood, and Bollywood industries, she takes on multifaceted roles as producer, director, and marketeer on projects and has garnered several accolades for her contributions. She is originally from India and is currently based in New York City. She loves Directing, Producing & Filming original content, short films, web series, features, advertising, socialand cultural content and anything that is creatively calling, spiritually nourishing, and healing. She is beyond excited and thrilled at the potential of storytelling and its capacity to help heal wounds of lifetimes, bring people together, open hearts and raise consciousness.
    You can see her short film Yashodhara The Buddha’s Wife live on Nov 4, 2022 at the historic Flushing Town Hall in Queens New York or you can see it as part of the virtual festival from anywhere in the world on film festival flix. The details of her film and tickets to the festival are available here:

    Yashodhara the Buddha’s Wife