The Indian Panorama

Year: 2022

  • I-T Dept raids multiple premises of Hero MotoCorp, CEO Pawan Munjal

    I-T Dept raids multiple premises of Hero MotoCorp, CEO Pawan Munjal

    New Delhi (TIP)- The Income Tax Department on Wednesday, March 23,  raided multiple premises linked to Hero MotoCorp Chairman Pawan Munjal and other top executives of the company amid allegations of tax evasion. Sources said Pawan Munjal’s home and offices in Gurugram, Delhi and few more cities were searched, as a team of officials examined financial documents and other business transactions of the company and its promoters.

    “The searches are being conducted at Hero MotoCorp Chairman Pawan Munjal premises. Over two dozen premises of Hero MotoCorp and its senior executives are also being searched. It is a search and seizure action on suspicion of tax evasion,” a source said.

    The company said Hero MotoCorp is an ethical and law-abiding corporate, and maintains the highest standards of impeccable corporate governance. Led by Munjal, the company has presence across 40 countries spanning Asia, Africa, and South and Central America.     Source: TNS

  • Asian shares struggle, oil edges lower as Ukraine worries linger

    BEIJING (TIP)- Asian shares were volatile on Thursday, March 23,  and oil prices turned lower as the latest developments in the Ukraine war and more hawkish comments from U.S. Federal Reserve officials left investors uneasy. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan recouped some of its earlier losses to be off 0.34%, on the day, with Chinese stocks leading the declines.

    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.3% while the mainland’s blue-chip index slid 0.6%.

    Japan’s Nikkei, however, reversed losses to gain 0.25% and end the session at a nine-week high, buoyed by a retreat in crude oil and buying into the end of Japan’s fiscal year this month.

    “It is still a relatively volatile market, (which) suggests that these ripping moves in stocks ought to be treated with caution,” said Kyle Rodda, an analyst at IG markets.

    European markets are set for a stronger open, as indicated by early futures trading. The pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures were up 0.29%, German DAX futures rose 0.25% and FTSE futures were up 0.2%.

    E-mini futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.4%.

    Driving some of the volatility, Federal Reserve policymakers on Wednesday signaled they stood ready to take more aggressive action to bring down runaway inflation, including a possible half-percentage-point interest rate hike at the next policy meeting in May.           Source: Reuters

  • ANZ becomes first Australian bank to mint stablecoin

    Australia and New Zealand Banking Group said on Thursday it carried out an Australian dollar stablecoin payment, in a landmark transaction to become the first Australian lender to mint a digital asset linked to the country’s currency.

    A stablecoin is a kind of digital asset that is devised to keep its value stable in relation to another asset, and are frequently used as a portal to other cryptocurrencies or to generate income in decentralised financial systems. ANZ said it has delivered the Australian dollar stablecoin, which it calls A$DC, to a private wealth management firm for digital assets – Victor Smorgon Group – through digital asset investment platform Zerocap.

    The company’s move to mint digital assets linked to the Australian dollar comes after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said last year the growth of digital wallets could allow the exchange of tokens or digital forms of money that could be backed by the RBA, even as the central bank remains sceptical of the digital currency.

  • Fitch cuts India’s growth forecast to 8.5% on high oil prices, inflation

    Fitch cuts India’s growth forecast to 8.5% on high oil prices, inflation

    Rating agency Fitch on Tuesday , March 22, slashed India’s growth forecast for the next fiscal to 8.5% from 10.3%, citing soaring energy prices and rising inflation on account of the Russia-Ukraine war. It has revised upwards the GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal by 0.6 percentage points to 8.7%. “However, we have lowered our growth forecast for FY 2022-2023 to 8.5% (-1.8 pp) on sharply higher energy prices,” Fitch said. For 2023-24, it is estimated at 7%. In its Global Economic Outlook-March 2022, Fitch said the post-Covid pandemic recovery is being hit by a potentially huge global supply shock that will reduce growth and push up inflation.

    “The war in Ukraine and economic sanctions on Russia has put global energy supplies at risk. Sanctions seem unlikely to be rescinded any time soon,” the agency said.

    Last week, another global rating agency Moody’s had slashed India’s growth estimate for the 2022 calendar year to 9.1% from 9.5% earlier, saying high fuel and fertiliser import bill could limit capital expenditure.

    Russia supplies around 10% of the world’s energy, including 17% of its natural gas and 12% of oil.

  • India crosses $ 400 bn milestone in exports

    India crosses $ 400 bn milestone in exports

    New Delhi (TIP)- The country’s exports for the first time crossed the USD 400 billion mark in a fiscal on healthy performance by sectors such as petroleum products, engineering, gems and jewellery, and chemicals, according to the commerce ministry’s data released on Wednesday, March 23.

    The merchandise exports rose by by 37 per cent to USD 400.8 billion in 2021-22 until March 21 against USD 292 billion in 2020-21. Previously, the outbound shipments had touched a record of USD 330.07 billion in 2018-19. Imports during the period stood at USD 589 billion, leaving a trade deficit of about USD 189 billion.

    Hailing the country’s success in achieving its goods export target, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that this is a key milestone in India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ journey.

    The highest ever goods export target was achieved nine days ahead of the March 31 deadline.

    “India set an ambitious target of USD 400 billion of goods exports and achieves this target for the first time ever. I congratulate our farmers, weavers, MSMEs, manufacturers, exporters for this success. This is a key milestone in our Aatmanirbhar Bharat journey. #LocalGoesGlobal,” Modi tweeted.

    Briefing media, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that despite all adversities including Covid-19 pandemic, and Russia-Ukraine war, India has achieved this milestone.

    “First time in history, India has crossed USD 400 billion in merchandise exportsif this was a movie like The Kashmir Files, it would be called a Make in India blockbuster,” Goyal told reporters here.

    He added that closer interaction with states and districts; engagement with exporters; faster resolution of their issues; actively engaging with different export promotion councils, industry associations and other stakeholders have helped in reaching this milestone. On average, goods worth about USD 33 billion were shipped every month and about USD 1 billion every day. The key export sectors, which contributed to record healthy growth include petroleum products, engineering, gems and jewellery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The top five export destinations are the US, the UAE, China, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands.Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi said that going by the trend, “we would be adding USD 10-12 billion in the remaining nine days”, taking the exports by end of 2021-22 to over USD 410 billion. Commenting on the data, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai said crossing USD 400 billion is a remarkable achievement as exporters have added over USD 110 billion in one year to reach here despite huge logistics challenges, including container shortage, skyrocketing freight and liquidity constraints. Source: PTI

  • 9 Dalits, 20 OBCs: Yogi Cabinet caste matrix shows BJP’s eyes set on 2024

    9 Dalits, 20 OBCs: Yogi Cabinet caste matrix shows BJP’s eyes set on 2024

    New Delhi (TIP)- The Bharatiya Janta Party has returned to power in Uttar Pradesh for a second straight term in a historic election victory. Yogi Adityanath, too, has returned to office for a second consecutive term – a first in 37 years. The BJP, which traditionally had Brahmins and Thakurs as its core vote base, has gone to great lengths to woo the Dalits, in addition to the Bhumihars and Jats in the crucial state elections, seen by many as a semi-final before the high-stakes 2024 general election.

    As Yogi Adityanath took the oath of office on March 25,  52 leaders were sworn in as ministers at a ceremony that was reportedly attended by 85,000 people, including senior politicians. Of them, 18 have been given Cabinet berths and 14 are Ministers of State with independent charges and 20 are junior ministers. The party has carefully distributed the positions among leaders who represent the backward classes, who are Muslims and who are from the Sikh community.

    To break down Yogi Adityanath’s Cabinet on the basis of castes, 21, including the chief minister, come from upper castes, 20 are from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and nine are Dalits, while there is one minister each from the Muslim, Sikh and Punjabi communities. In addition, Yadavs have also been given prominence in representation.

    THE UPPER CASTES

    Yogi Adityanath’s Cabinet 2.0 has 21 ministers from the upper castes; seven are Brahmans, three are Vaishyas and eight, including the chief minister, represent the Thakurs. The Cabinet also has one Kayastha and two Bhumihar ministers. Of the seven Brahmin ministers, three are in the Cabinet, one has independent charge and three are junior ministers. While Brajesh Pathak is one of the two deputy chief ministers of the state, Yogendra Upadhyay and Jitin Prasada, who switched over from the Congress, have been given Cabinet berths. Pratibha Shukla, Rajni Tiwari and Satish Sharma took oaths as junior ministers.

    THE THAKURS

    Apart from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Jaiveer Singh has been made a Cabinet minister. JPS Rathore, Dayashankar Singh, and Dinesh Pratap Singh have been made Ministers of State with independent charges. Brijesh Singh, Mayankeshwaran Singh and Somendra Tomar are junior ministers.

    THE VAISHYAS-KAYASTHAS-BHUMIHARS

    Three ministers from the Vaishya caste have been made ministers in Yogi Adityanath’s second term in office. Of them, Nandgopal Nandi is a Cabinet Minister and Nitin Agarwal and Kapil Dev Agarwal are junior ministers. Suryapratap Shahi and Arvind Kumar Sharma have joined the Cabinet from the Bhumihar community. Arun Kumar Saxena from the Kayastha community has been given independent charge.

    THE OTHER BACKWARD CLASSES

    Of the 20 ministers from the Other Backward Classes, BJP’s allies Apna Dal and the Nishaad Party have been given one Cabinet berth each. BJP’s prominent OBC face Keshav Prasad Maurya has been reappointed as a deputy chief minister despite his poll defeat. Swatantra Dev Singh and Rakesh Sachan, both Kurmi leaders, have been given a Cabinet post along with Ashish Patel from Apna Dal, the BJP’s ally. In all, eight leaders from the OBC community have been given Cabinet seats. Jat leaders Lakshmi Narayan Chowdhury and Bhupendra Singh Chowdhury are Cabinet ministers, too. Anil Rajbhar from the Rajbhar community, Sanjay Nishad from the Nishad community and Dharampal Singh from the Lodh community are ministers. Six ministers who have been given independent charges are from Other Backward Classes: Sandip Singh from the Lodh community, Narendra Kashyap from the Nishad community, Girish Chandra Yadav from the Yadav community, Sanjay Gangwar from the Kurmi community, Dharambir Prajapati from the Prajapati caste, and Ravindra Jaiswal from the Kalwar caste. Six OBC leaders have been made junior ministers.

    THE DALITS

    Nine Dalit leaders have been made ministers and only one – Baby Rani Maurya – has been given a Cabinet position. Maurya, who represents the Jaatav community, is being projected as the BJP’s counter to Mayawati in the state. Former Kanpur top cop Asim Arun, who voluntarily retired from his post to join politics, has been given independent charge. Arun, too, is from the Jaatav community.

    THE MUSLIM, THE SIKH AND THE PUNJABI

    The minority communities have also found places in Yogi Adityanath’s Cabinet. Danish Azad Ansari has replaced Mohsin Raza to secure a ministerial post. Baldev Singh Aulakh, representing the Sikhs, has once again been made a junior minister, while Suresh Khanna, a nine-time MLA from Shahjahanpur and representing the Punjabi community, is a Cabinet minister.

    The BJP has attempted to not just strike the right caste equation in Uttar Pradesh but also send a political message to the extremely crucial vote bank ahead of the 2024 elections. The party is planning ahead, and its push to the OBC and Dalit communities points to that. Its seat distribution hints at how the party is planning to bring the OBC-Dalit and the Jaatav votes into its fold on one hand, while on the other, to sway the Muslim vote bank with a ministerial post to a leader of the community. The party also has a hack to cut into the influence of farmers’ leader Rakesh Tikait and the Rashtriya Lok Dal on the Jats: leaders of the community have been assigned plum positions.

    Holds first meeting of Council of Ministers in Lucknow

    After taking oath as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the second consecutive term on Friday in Lucknow, Yogi Adityanath held the first meeting of the council of ministers in the state’s capital city on the same day. The meeting was held at Lok Bhavan after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top dignitaries left after attending the grand ceremony at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.           Source: India Today

  • Ooty: Queen of the Nilgiris

    Ooty: Queen of the Nilgiris

    Nestled amidst Nilgiri hills, Ooty, also known as Udagamandalam, is a hill station in Tamil Nadu which serves as a top-rated tourist destination. Once regarded as the summer headquarters of the East India Company, the Queen of the hills is a picturesque getaway. Dotted with tea gardens, serene waterfalls, winding country lanes, and charming colonial architecture, Ooty is the perfect respite everyone. Popular among couples and honeymooners, Ooty allures its visitors with the panoramic views of the Nilgiri mountains.

    The Nilgiri mountain railway is the steepest track in all of Asia. Remember the hit song ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ where Shahrukh Khan and Malaika Arora matching steps on top of a train? Remember the breathtaking locales as the train chugged its way across lush greenery? Yes, that was the Nilgiri Mountain Railways, and the Nilgiri Mountains all along.

    Nilgiri Mountain Railway

    The Nilgiri Mountain Railway built by the British in 1908 is a World Heritage Site. It’s a 46-kilometre beautiful toy train journey that starts from Mettupalayam and goes through tunnels, curves, bridges and beautiful scenery to reach Ooty in five hours. From 300 feet to 7200 feet, the Ooty toy train is definitely a ride to cherish. Here’s a tip – try to sit on the side that looks out in to the valley for the best views on the way up.

    Ooty Lake

    Ooty Lake is a popular destination for picnicking, paddle boating and enjoying Ooty leisurely. Built in 1825, it is a 2.5-kilometre long lake meandering through the scenic beauty of the Nilgiris.

    Botanical Garden

    Ooty Botanical Garden, spread over a huge area of 22 hectares and with more than 650 species of flowers and trees, is a horticulturist’s delight. The highlight of the garden is a fossil tree that is believed to be 20 million years old. Another attraction here is the Toda tribe settlement towards the top of the garden. Be privy in to the lifestyle and culture of this tribe during your visit.

    How to Reach Ooty

    Ooty’s colonial charm and innate splendor attracts tourists from all over the world every year. Ooty has a well linked network of Air, Rail and Road ways.

    By Air

    The nearest airport to Ooty is located in Coimbatore. The hill station is at a distance of about 98 kilometers from the Coimbatore Airport. The airport is connected to Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Cochin by Indian Airlines flights. In order to reach Ooty from the airport, one has to hire a taxi or a bus to reach Ooty.

    By Rail

    The hill station of Ooty has a railway station of its own. It is called the Udhagamandalam railway station and can be reached by The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (a.k.a. Toy Train) from Mettupalayam. Though the toy train isn’t very fast but the scenic beauty of this route attracts many tourists. Mettupalayam is the nearest major railway station to Ooty. One can also hire a private taxi to reach Ooty here. The distance of Ooty from Mettupalayam is about 52 km.

    By Road

    Ooty is also connected to all the nearby towns and cities by good roads. The hill station connects to various other important cities of South India like Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, etc. The road to Ooty from Coimbatore is popular for its scenic beauty. As Ooty is located on NH 67 several tourist buses and taxis commute here without any hassle.

    Shopping in Ooty

    Shopping in Ooty is one of the most exciting and thrilling experience for tourists who love to go on a shopping spree. Endowed with sprawling tea gardens and luxuriant green forest, Ooty is known for its fine flavored and aromatic tea leaves, delicious honey, eucalyptus oil and several fruits.

    The shopping malls of Ooty are flooded with natural products of forests. Ooty is a paradise for those who love shopping. Surrounded by tea gardens, the tourists can smell the enchanting scent of fresh tea leaves while taking a stroll in the long winding paths of Ooty.

    The fresh tea leaves are purchased by the tourists as a relic of the beautiful place of Ooty. Another prominent itinerary in the list of items while shopping in Ooty is the pure and sweet honey which is available in all the stores and shopping centers of the place. The natural oil of Eucalyptus has a great demand among the shoppers because of its medicinal value. The markets of Ooty are full of fresh fruits that impart a colorful look to the place.

  • Apple’s Shazam App to suggest nearby concerts

    Apple’s Shazam App to suggest nearby concerts

    Shazam, the music recognition platform acquired by Apple for reportedly $400 million in 2018, has gained a new feature designed to make it easier for users to locate and explore upcoming live music shows Shazam’s new concert feature is now available on iOS and Android. “Shazam has a long history of innovation in music discovery and connecting artists and fans,” Apple VP for Apple Music and Beats Oliver Schusser said.

    “With the reemergence of live music, we’re excited to give Shazam users access to concerts and bring even more discoverability to artists.” The planform has been also updated to version 15.0, with the app now able to spend more time listening to songs that are tough to recognise.

    Available as an update via the App Store, Shazam version 15.0’s update notes explain that the milestone update adds in a change to the way the feature functions. The app is free to download from the App Store, is compatible with all iPhones and iPads running iOS 13.0 and iPadOS 13.0 or later and weighs in at 34.2MB in size.

  • Massive dust cloud spotted by NASA’s Spitzer telescope could give insights into planet formation

    Massive dust cloud spotted by NASA’s Spitzer telescope could give insights into planet formation

    A group of astronomers made over 100 routine observations of a distant ten-million-year-old star called HD166191 using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and combined that with knowledge about the star’s brightness and size to arrive at information that will help scientists test theories about how planets are formed and how they grow. Their findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal. The Spitzer Space Telescope was an infrared space telescope that was launched by NASA in 2003 and continued operating for sixteen years before it was finally decommissioned in 2019. Most rocky planets, satellites and other celestial objects in the solar system, including the Moon and the Earth, were formed by massive collisions early in the early history of the solar system. Terrestrial bodies accumulate more material and increase in size with these collisions. They can also break apart into many smaller bodies this way.

    The astronomers, led by Kate Su of the University of Arizona, began making observations for HD 166191 in 2015. Around the star’s early life, dust left over from its formation has clumped together to form small rocky bodies called ‘planetesimals’, which are potentially seeds for future planets.

    After the gas that had previously filled the space between these objects dispersed, catastrophic collisions between them became more frequent. The scientists began makings these observations using Spitzer between 2015 and 2019, anticipating that they might be able to gather evidence of such collisions.

    Even though the planetesimals themselves were too small to be captured by the telescope, their smashups produce large amounts of dust. As an infrared light telescope, Spitzer was uniquely suited to detecting the dust and debris created by these collisions.

    Astronomers are able to record these observations by detecting when the debris cloud from one of these bodies passes in front of a star and briefly block light. This is called a transit.

    In mid-2018, the HD 166191 system became significantly brighter for the Spitzer telescope, which suggests an increase in debris production. During the time, the telescope also detected a transit, or a debris cloud blocking the star.

    The astronomers’ work suggests that this cloud is highly elongated with a minimum area estimated to be at least three times that of the star. However, the amount of infrared brightening detected probably means that only a small portion of the cloud passed in front of the star and that the debris from this event could even cover an area hundred times larger than that of the star. Source: The Indian Express

  • Google’s Chrome OS now supports variable refresh rates

    Google’s Chrome OS now supports variable refresh rates

    US-based search engine giant Google is reportedly planning to bring full support for variable refresh rate (VRR) displays to Chrome OS. As spotted by About Chromebooks, support for variable refresh rate displays is rolling out to the Chrome OS 101 Dev Channel. The variable refresh rate allows the monitor refresh rate to synchronise with the game frame rate to avoid lag. This update to Chrome OS will bring a better experience to the game.

    Google recently announced an early access programme called Chrome OS Flex that will bring its operating system to existing Windows and Macs.

    The new version of Chrome OS, designed for businesses and schools and can be installed within minutes.

    Devices running Chrome OS Flex will also have the ability to be managed with the same setup and licensing as enterprise and education Chromebooks without any differences in the process.

    Chrome OS Flex is basically an upgraded version of CloudReady, which has the same functionality. CloudReady was developed by NeverWare, which Google acquired in 2020. The company’s free CloudReady installer can make it easy to transform an old Windows PC into a Chrome device.

              Source: IANS

  • Tesla named ‘most trusted’ brand developing fully-autonomous vehicles

    Tesla named ‘most trusted’ brand developing fully-autonomous vehicles

    Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle company Tesla was recently named the “most-trusted” brand in the pursuit of fully-autonomous vehicles, according to a new study. The study surveyed consumer perception regarding fully-autonomous vehicle technology, reports Teslarati. Fifty-six total automotive brands were options for consumers to pick in the study, a release from AutoPacific, who performed the study, said. Tesla topped the list, earning 32 per cent of the votes, beating out Toyota with 19 per cent and BMW with 18 per cent. “With 32 per cent of consumers, Tesla claims the crown for being the most trusted brand for developing safe and reliable fully-autonomous vehicles,” the study said. “This likely can be credited to much more ‘buzz’ surrounding the automaker’s pricey and controversial Full-Self Driving driver assistance tech in which current Tesla owners are able to sign up as volunteers and help demo the Level 2 semi-autonomous hands-free capability for Tesla’s own R&D efforts,” it added.

    Source: IANS

  • Parineeti Chopra to star in Imtiaz Ali’s Chamkila

    Parineeti Chopra to star in Imtiaz Ali’s Chamkila

    Actor Parineeti Chopra is all set to star in filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s upcoming movie Chamkila. The film marks the first collaboration between Parineeti and Imtiaz. As Parineeti has to begin prep for Chamkila, the actor has, unfortunately, decided to opt out of Animal. A trade source said, “Parineeti is going to work with Imtiaz Ali for the first time in her career as the heroine in the ace director’s next, Chamkila. It is a huge moment for her because she has always wanted to creatively collaborate with the visionary director.” He added, “She has to get into prep immediately for the shoot and unfortunately due to this development, she won’t be able to shoot for Animal as there is a major overlap of dates between the two films. So, RK and Pari fans will have to wait a little bit longer for a new project to bring them together on screen.” Parineeti Chopra had signed Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal last year. The film, also starring Anil Kapoor, will be helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga of Kabir Singh fame. It is scheduled to release during Dussehra festival this year. Chamkila marks Imtiaz Ali’s return to direction after Love Aaj Kal (2020).

  • Saudi Aramco storage facility targeted by Houthi attack causing fire

    Saudi Aramco storage facility targeted by Houthi attack causing fire

    RIYADH (TIP): Yemen’s Houthis said they launched attacks on Saudi energy facilities on March 25 and the Saudi-led coalition said oil giant Aramco’s petroleum products distribution station in Jeddah was hit, causing a fire in two tanks but no casualties. A huge plume of black smoke could be seen rising over the Red Sea city where the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is taking place this weekend, an eyewitness said. Unverified videos shared on social media showed fire raging in oil tanks in an Aramco facility on the outskirts of Jeddah. There was no immediate comment from Aramco or the energy ministry when contacted by Reuters. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement that has been battling a coalition led by Saudi Arabia for seven years launched missiles on Aramco’s facilities in Jeddah and drones at RasTanura and Rabigh refineries, the group’s military spokesman said. He said they also targeted “vital facilities” in the capital Riyadh. Saudi state media had earlier reported that a string of drone and rocket attacks by the Houthis was foiled by the coalition. Saudi air defences also intercepted and destroyed a ballistic rocket launched towards the port city of Jazan, which caused a “limited” fire to break out at an electricity distribution plant, state media reported. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, said earlier this week it would not bear responsibility for any oil supply disruptions to global markets as a result of Houthi attacks that have intensified in the past three weeks. – Reuters

  • North Korea fires suspected missile into sea

    North Korea fires suspected missile into sea

    Seoul (TIP): North Korea fired at least one suspected ballistic missile towards the sea on March 24, its neighbours’ militaries said, apparently extending its barrage of weapons tests that may culminate with a flight of its biggest-yet intercontinental ballistic missile. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t immediately say whether the weapon involved in the launch was ballistic or how far it flew. Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office Defence Ministry said the North fired a possible ballistic missile. It was North Korea’s 12th round of weapon launches this year and came after it fired suspected artillery pieces into the sea on Sunday. Experts say the North’s unusually fast pace in testing activity underscore its dual goal of advancing its weaponry and applying pressure on Washington, over a deepening freeze in nuclear negotiations. The North has also tested a variety of new missiles, including a purported hypersonic weapon and its first launch since 2017 of an intermediate range missile potentially capable of reaching Guam, a key US military hub in the Pacific.

    It also conducted two medium-range tests from near its capital area in recent weeks that the US and South Korean militaries later assessed as involving components of the North’s largest ICBM, the Hwasong-17, which they said could be tested at full range soon.

    North Korea’s official media insisted that those two tests were aimed at developing cameras and other systems for a spy satellite. Analysts say the North is clearly attempting to simultaneously resume ICBM testing and acquire some level of space-based reconnaissance capability under the pretence of a space launch, to reduce international backlash to those moves. The launch may possibly come around as a major political anniversary in April, the birthday of state founder Kim II Sung, the late grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-Un. The North’s previous ICBMs demonstrated potential range to reach the American homeland during the three flight tests in 2017.

    Its development of the larger Hwasong-17, which was first revealed in a military parade in October 2020, possibly indicates an aim to arm it with multiple warheads to overwhelm missile defences, experts say. (AP)

  • Australia set to roll out fourth Covid shot ahead of winter

    SYDNEY (TIP): Australia will roll out a fourth dose of Covid vaccines to its most vulnerable population starting next month, authorities said on March 25, as the country looks to limit fresh outbreaks ahead of winter. The decision comes amid a steady rise in cases fuelled by the highly contagious BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron strain and concerns of co-circulation of Covid and flu viruses during colder months as most social distancing restrictions end. A second booster shot will be offered from April 4 to people who had their previous booster shot at least four months ago and are over 65 years, Indigenous Australians over 50, people with disability or severely immunocompromised, Health Minister Greg Hunt said during a media briefing. — Reuters

  • Zelenskyy appeals to NATO for more weapons

    Zelenskyy appeals to NATO for more weapons

    Lviv (TIP): Ukraine’s president has pleaded with NATO to provide his embattled nation with military assistance. In a video address to the NATO summit March 24, VolodymyrZelenskyy said Ukraine needs “military assistance without limitations”, as Russia is “using its entire arsenal” against the country. Zelenskyy urged NATO to provide Ukraine with “1% of all your planes, 1% of all your tanks”. “We can’t just buy those,” Zelenskyy said. “When we will have all this, it will give us, just like you, 100% security.”    Ukraine is also in dire need of multiple launch rocket systems, anti-ship weapons and air defense systems, Zelenskyy said. “Is it possible to survive in such a war without this?,” he asked.

    Zelenskyy said Russia used phosphorous bombs on Thursday morning, killing both adults and children. He reminded NATO leaders that thousands of Ukrainians have died in the past month, 10 million people have left their homes, and urged NATO to give “clear answers”.

    “It feels like we’re in a gray area, between the West and Russia, defending our common values,” Zelenskyy said emotionally. “This is the scariest thing during a war—not to have clear answers to requests for help.”          Zelenskyy did not reiterate his request for a no-fly zone or ask to join NATO, according to a senior Biden administration official.

    Germany says it has sent about 10,000 metric tons of essential aid to Ukraine using a recently created “rail bridge” of trains shuttling back and forth between the two countries.

    Transport minister Volker Wissing told the Funke media group in an interview published Thursday that the rail link was established two weeks ago to bring much-needed food, drink and hygiene products from Germany to Ukraine. Speaking at a Berlin cargo terminal Thursday, Wissing said many of the goods being sent to Ukraine by train had been donated.

    “We hope this war is over soon and will do everything to ease the suffering,” he said.

    German rail company Deutsche Bahn has separately organised additional trains to bring refugees from the Polish-Ukrainian border to Germany.

    The Czech Republic’s Parliament has approved a plan to deploy up to 650 Czech service members to Slovakia as part of an multinational NATO force set up in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Parliament’s lower house approved the deployment Thursday after the upper house gave the green light last week.

    The United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia will also contribute troops to the unit, expected to include up to 2,100 soldiers.

    The plan is part of the NATO initiative to reassure member countries on the alliance’s eastern flank.

    The alliance stationed troops in the Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – and Poland after the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula by Russia. After Russia attacked Ukraine, NATO decided to boost its presence along the entire eastern flank by deploying forces in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. AP

  • Ukraine president pleads for worldwide show of support

    Kyiv (TIP): Ukraine President VolodymyrZelenskyy called on people worldwide to gather in public on March 24 to show support for his embattled country on the one-month anniversary of the Russian invasion that he said breaks the heart of “every free person on the planet.”Zelenskyy — whose video messages have repeatedly riveted the world’s attention — also said he would speak to NATO members by video to ask the alliance to provide “effective and unrestricted” support to Ukraine, including any weapons the country needs to fend off the Russian onslaught.

    “Come to your squares, your streets. Make yourselves visible and heard,” Zelenskyy said in English during an emotional video address late on Wednesday that was recorded in the dark near the presidential offices in Kyiv. “Say that people matter. Freedom matters. Peace matters. Ukraine matters.”

    When Russia unleashed its invasion on February 24 in Europe’s biggest offensive since World War II, a swift toppling of Ukraine’s government seemed likely. But with Wednesday marking four full weeks of fighting, Moscow is bogged down in a grinding military campaign.

    NATO estimated that 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in four weeks of war in Ukraine, where fierce resistance has denied Moscow the lightning victory it sought. By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000 troops over 10 years in Afghanistan. A senior NATO military official said the alliance’s estimate was based on information from Ukrainian authorities, what Russia has released — intentionally or not — and intelligence gathered from open sources. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by NATO.

    In its last update, Russia said on March 2 that nearly 500 soldiers had been killed and almost 1,600 wounded.

    Ukraine has released little information about its own military losses, and the West has not given an estimate, but Zelenskyy said nearly two weeks ago that about 1,300 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed. Ukraine also claims to have killed six Russian generals. However, Russia acknowledges just one dead general. Putin has warned the West that an attempt to introduce a no-fly zone over Ukraine would draw it into a conflict with Russia. Western nations have said they would not create a no-fly zone to protect Ukraine.

    Zelenskyy appealed to Western countries to stay united in the face of Russia’s efforts to “lobby its interests” with “some partners” to bring them over to its side, and noted during his national address that Ukraine has not received the fighter jets or modern air-defence systems it requested. He said Ukraine also needs tanks and anti-ship systems.

    “It has been a month of defending ourselves from attempts to destroy us, wipe us off the face of the earth,” he said.

    In Kyiv, where near-constant shelling and gunfire shook the city on Wednesday as the two sides battled for control of multiple suburbs, Mayor VitaliKlitschko said at least 264 civilians have been killed since the war broke out. The independent Russian news outlet The Insider said Russian journalist Oksana Baulina had been killed by shelling in a Kyiv neighbourhood on Wednesday. (AP)

  • Ukraine claims Russia is preparing chemical attacks

    Kiev (TIP): The Centre for Counteracting Disinformation of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine has warned of possible chemical attacks being prepared by the Russian forces. “Russian channels tell their audience daily about mythical laboratories that allegedly create chemical weapons in Ukraine.” “This is how the enemy ‘grooms’ the population of the Russian Federation regarding the use of chemical weapons by ‘nationalists against the civilian population’. We emphasise that there are no such laboratories in Ukraine,” the Council said, Ukrayinska Pravda reported. Earlier, experts from the Russian Armed Forces have revealed new evidence of the involvement of the US Department of Defense in the development of biological weapons in Ukraine.

    This was stated at a briefing by the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry Igor Konashenkov.

    Experts from the Russian troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection, in the course of studying documents, revealed new facts proving the direct involvement of the US Department of Defense in the development of biological weapons components in Ukraine, he said, RT reported.

    According to Konashenkov, in the near future the Ministry of Defense will publish original documents that demonstrate that the Pentagon developed and approved the U-Pi-2 biological project.

    It is noted that the main goal of this project was to conduct a molecular analysis of especially dangerous infections that are endemic to Ukraine.

    “This work involved sampling the pathogen in old cattle burial grounds in order to obtain new strains of anthrax,” a Russian defence official said. –IANS

  • 7,000 to 15,000 Russian troops dead in Ukraine: NATO

    Kyiv (TIP): NATO estimated on March24 that 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in four weeks of war in Ukraine, where fierce resistance from the country’s defenders has denied Moscow the lightning victory it sought. By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000 troops over 10 years in Afghanistan. A senior NATO military official said the alliance’s estimate was based on information from Ukrainian authorities, what Russia has released — intentionally or not — and intelligence gathered from open sources. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by NATO. (AP)

  • Pakistan PM Imran Khan praises India’s ‘independent foreign policy’

    Pakistan PM Imran Khan praises India’s ‘independent foreign policy’

    Islamabad (TIP): Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 22 lauded India for following an “independent foreign policy”, saying it imported crude oil from Russia despite American sanctions. Khan, a fierce critic of the ruling NDA government led by Prime Minister NarendraModi, spoke highly of the Indian foreign policy.

    In his address to a public rally in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, he told his supporters that he would like to praise the neighbouring country India as it was having an “independent foreign policy”. Khan said that India, which is a part of Quad, has imported oil from Russia despite American sanctions. The prime minister said that his foreign policy would also favour the people of Pakistan. “I haven’t bowed before anyone and will not let my nation bow either,” said Khan, who is rallying public support ahead of a no-confidence vote against him in Parliament. Breaking from the tradition of not openly discussing complicated matters relating to foreign relations in public rallies, Khan mentioned that he had said “absolutely not” to the EU envoys seeking Pakistan’s support against Russia in the Russia-Ukraine conflict because “they broke protocol by making the request”. He said that Pakistan would have gained nothing by complying with the EU’s request. “We became part of America’s war against terror in Afghanistan and lost 80,000 people and USD 100 billion,” he said. It is for the second time he spoke against a statement by the EU and other Western countries asking Pakistan earlier this month to condemn the Russian intervention in Ukraine. In his previous address, Khan had also asked the EU if it would make a similar demand to India. (PTI)

  • Sri Lanka deploys military at fuel stations amidst shortage

    Colombo (TIP): Army personnel were deployed at all fuel stations run by Sri Lanka’s state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation on March 22 amidst a shortage that led to long queues of consumers.

    Military spokesman NilanthaPremaratna said that military personnel were deployed to monitor the distribution of fuel at the filling stations and maintain law and order among the consumers, reports Xinhua news agency. He said two military men were deployed at every fuel station as people had to stand in queues for as long as several hours.

    Three people died with one person killed in recent days while standing in the fuel queues in different parts of the country, leading to a tense situation in several areas.

    The government has assured that fuel would be distributed sufficiently and the required stocks were now arriving without disruption in the country. Sri Lanka is facing a fuel shortage due to a foreign exchange crisis which the government says is being resolved by seeking economic relief from friendly nations. IANS

  • Fire triggers blasts at Pakistan military depot

    Lahore (TIP): A series of powerful explosions rocked the border city of Sialkot after a fire was triggered by short circuit at a military depot on March 22. The incident created panic amongst the people, sparking rumours that the key army installation had been targeted by terrorists. The accidental fire broke out in an ammunition shed near Sialkot garrison, about 100-km away from Punjab province’s capital, Lahore.

    Pakistan Army’s media wing, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), in statement said, “Due to short circuiting, an accidental fire broke out in an ammunition shed near Sialkot Garrison. No loss of life. Effective and timely response contained the damages and fire has been extinguished.” The Pakistan Army did not share any further details regarding the incident.

    According to reports, the explosions rocked the city at 6 am. Fire brigade and Rescue 1122 reached the spot and doused the fire after several hours. When asked about damages, a spokesperson for the Rescue 1122 said that only the military was authorised to speak on the matter. — (PTI)

  • Taliban cancel girls’ higher education despite assurance

    Taliban cancel girls’ higher education despite assurance

    Kabul (TIP): In a surprise decision, the hardline leadership of Afghanistan’s new rulers has decided against opening educational institutions to girls beyond Grade six, a Taliban official said on March 23 on the first day of Afghanistan’s new school year. The latest setback for girls’ education is certain to receive widespread condemnation from the international community that has been urging the Taliban leaders to open schools and give women their right to public space.

    Words don’t match actions

    Taliban statements are often different from their actions. No one should believe Taliban have stopped blocking girls from secondary education until evidence shows that to be the case. —Heather Barr, Human Rights Watch

    The unexpected decision came late on Tuesday as Afghanistan’s education ministry prepared for the New Year opening of school, which was expected to herald the return of girls to school. A statement by the ministry earlier in the week urged “all students” to come to school.

    However, the decision to postpone a return of girls going to school in higher levels appeared to be a concession to the rural and deeply tribal backbone of the hardline Taliban movement, that in many parts of the countryside are reluctant to send their daughters to school.

    Girls have been banned from school beyond Grade six in most of the country since the Taliban returned to power in mid-August. In the capital, Kabul private schools and universities have operated uninterrupted.

    The religiously driven Taliban administration fears going forward with enrolling girls beyond Grade 6 could erode their base, said WaheedullahHashmi, external relations and donor representative with the Taliban-led administration. “The leadership hasn’t decided when or how they will allow girls to return to school,” Hashmi said. While he accepted that urban centres are mostly supportive of girls’ education, much of rural Afghanistan is opposed, particularly in tribal Pashtun regions. In some rural areas a brother will disown a brother in the city if he finds out that he is letting his daughters go to school,” said Hashimi, who said the Taliban leadership was trying to decide how to open education for girls beyond Grade 6 countrywide. — AP

  • March 25 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dual Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F03%2FTIP-March-25-Dual-Edition.pdf”][vc_single_image image=”122029″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/TIP-March-25-Dual-Edition.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F%20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_wp_posts number=”8″ show_date=”1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Vidya Balan says ‘people are shameless with types of roles they offer’

    Vidya Balan says ‘people are shameless with types of roles they offer’

    Vidya Balan is one of the most promising actresses in Bollywood. Time and again, she had proved her acting prowess in movies such as Sherni, The Dirty Picture, Kahaani, and others. She is currently basking in the success of her latest flick Jalsa. The movie also features Shefali Shah in a key role. The movie is directed by Suresh Triveni and garnered lots of appreciation for its storyline and the performance of the cast. Recently, in an interview with Indian Express, Vidya opened up on the kind of roles she has been offered even after performing as the lead lady in movies. While talking to the news portal, Vidya said that people are shameless and they come to her with anything. She said, “Not at all. People are quite shameless and will come to you with everything. Sometimes I go, ‘bhaisaab but aap mere paas kyu aaye ho (Brother, why have you come to me)? Hero ka role de rahe ho (Will you give me the hero’s role)? They just have no qualms and want to take a chance.” She then added that she is not saying that she will only play the most important role in a film. “I need something that I can dig my teeth into,” Vidya concluded. She also spoke about starting her career in the industry at the age of 26 and said that she feels fortunate about it and the kind of work she has gotten to do. She also added that she is proud of her work irrespective of the fact if it worked out or not.