Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is the perfect antidote to the troll culture that has seeped into the crevices of the film industry. Karan Johar returns to the big screen as a director with his favourite muse – Alia Bhatt, who often becomes instant fodder for naysayers to pinpoint and make toxic comments about. Social media might have labelled her as the poster girl for nepotism and him, the Kingpin of the movie mafia, who can make or break careers. But, what has stood the test of time and is unbreakable is their love and passion for the craft of movie-making. So, when Karan Johar returns to direction after a hiatus of seven years, there is a lot that has changed. His lead pair, Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, were last seen in a gritty rustic setting in the underbelly of Mumbai in ‘Gully Boy’. No designer labels and chiffon sarees were adding to the glamour of their already radiant stardom.
Rocky Randhawa (Ranveer Singh) is the flamboyant OTT (over- the-top) boisterous boy from Delhi who stands for everything that the actor playing this character has made an image of. Ranveer’s public image and persona, much like Rocky, is a reflection of the loud, camp, boom-box-clutching boy whose cleavage gives the fairer sex a run for their money. When Rocky meets an unlikely match in Rani (Alia Bhatt), who is the polar opposite of him, sparks fly. It doesn’t take too long for these sparks to ignite embers from the past.
Rocky’s amnesia-ridden grandpa Kanwal (Dharmendra) and Rani’s grandmom Jamini (Shabana Azmi) have a history. In this amalgamation of two states where North (Delhi) meets East (Kolkata), a lot of cultural differences and hilarious awkward exchanges fill in much for a fast-paced and sharp first half. Jaya Bachchan plays the vamp (Rocky’s granny), who becomes a hurdle for Rocky and Rani to manifest their true love. She stands for everything that is traditionally righteous for women in the family to do. Her values are regressive and she has a temper that could roast any YouTuber who thinks he’s the Ricky Gervais of his universe.
Karan Johar’s films have become part of a legacy and spawned a genre that has often been imitated but rarely duplicated. So, when the OG comes to play, you can tell that he’s come loaded with some serious ammo. His sense of humour, sarcasm, wit, dark humour and rebuttals are all in place. The playoff between the cultured Chatterjee family and the loud Randhawas sets the tone for some of the most hilarious scenes.
Source: India Today
Month: July 2023
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Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani: Ranveer, Alia shine bright like diamonds
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Manoj Bajpayee, Prachi Desai start shooting for Silence 2
The makers of Silence 2 on Thursday , July 27, unveiled an interesting update of the second season of the show. Taking to Instagram, official page of Zee5 shared the post that the show is coming soon and captioned it, “Silence! Silence! Silence! Something is coming up. #Silence2onZEE5.” The film, which is being directed by Aban Bharucha Deohans and stars Manoj Bajpayee, a national award-winning actor, will be a suspenseful whodunit that will have you on the edge of your seat.The incomparable Manoj Bajpayee returns to the role of ACP Avinash. Apart from him, Prachi Desai, Sahil Vaid, and Vaquar Shaikh will be seen in pivotal roles in the show.Peeling back the layers of a complex web of deceit, lies, and hidden truths, ACP Avinash embarks on an investigation into the mysterious death of a prominent woman in the first book. The audience is led on an intense journey that culminates in a startling revelation as the suspense grows. The filmmakers promise yet another captivating story in Silence 2, complete with darker secrets and shocking turns. Each scene in Silence will contain a clue, making it difficult for viewers to put the puzzle together as the story develops.
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Jennifer Aniston throws baking bash for Sandra Bullock’s 59th birthday
Jennifer Aniston celebrated her friend Sandra Bullock’s 59th birthday on Wednesday by inviting her over to her Bel Air home for some baking fun.
Aniston shared a video on her Instagram Story of Bullock and another close pal, Will & Grace star Sean Hayes, making chocolate pumpkin brownies from Lil Luna in her spacious mid-century modern-style kitchen.
Bullock, who starred with Aniston in The Net and The Proposal, was in charge of mixing the ingredients in a bowl, while Hayes acted as her assistant. Aniston filmed the whole process and gave them instructions from behind the camera. “What step are we at now, missy?” Bullock asked Aniston, who replied, “I’m folding it in!” Bullock then echoed a joke that Aniston made, saying, “That’s what he said,” which made Hayes repeat it loudly and Bullock burst into laughter.
‘The Lost City’ star also jokingly chastised one of their friends who was off-camera, telling him, “Don’t pick your nose and then tell us how to cook!”
The brownie recipe they were following involved canned pumpkin, chocolate, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, which seemed more appropriate for a fall-themed treat than a summer dessert. The ‘Murder Mystery’ star also posted several photos of Bullock on her Instagram Story to mark her birthday. She revealed that she calls Bullock “Sand-a-La” in the first photo, writing, “Happy Birthday Sand-a-La!!” She also shared a photo of them hugging at an event, a photo of Bullock posing with a dog, and a photo of them wearing matching masks.
Bullock received a lot of love from her celebrity friends on her 59th birthday, including Octavia Spencer. The two acted together in A Time to Kill (1996) and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005).
Spencer, 53, posted a photo of her and Bullock grinning for the camera on Instagram, as well as a cute snap of them hugging at the 2012 Academy Awards ceremony.
Ryan Reynolds also celebrated Bullock’s birthday with a reference to their 2009 movie The Proposal. Reynolds, 46, shared a clip on Instagram from the rom-com featuring their famous naked scene, making a joke about her birthday present this year. -
Kevin Spacey cleared of sexual assault charges
Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has been cleared of all charges after a four-week trial in London on claims of sexual assault. The Hollywood star, 64, had tears in his eyes as the jury at Southwark Crown Court found him not guilty of seven counts of sexual assault and two counts of other serious sexual offenses.
The allegations covered a period between 2004 and 2013, when Spacey served as artistic director at the Old Vic theater in the British capital. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Spacey thanked the jury after it cleared him following 12 hours and 26 minutes of deliberation across three days. Today also marks his 64th birthday. In a brief statement to reporters outside the court shortly after the verdict, Spacey said he was “humbled.” “I imagine that many of you can understand that there’s a lot for me to process after what has just happened today. But I would like to say that I’m enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully, before they reached their decision. And I am humbled by the outcome today,” he said. -
Tom Brady and Irina Shayk spark dating rumors
Tom Brady seems to have found his partner after his split from Gisele Bündchen in October 2022. On Saturday, Brady and Irina Shayk had an apparent sleepover at his house. The rumoured couple were photographed showing PDA, by Page Six. An eyewitness informed Page Six that Brady picked Shayk on Friday afternoon from the Hotel Bel-Air and then the couple drove to his Los Angeles home. The next day,
Brady dropped Shayk back to the hotel. Last week, Brady again picked Shayk and at one point during their car ride, Brady was photographed caressing the Russian model’s face.
Since his divorce from Bündchen, Brady has been seen with several women. He has been linked with Kim Kardashian and Reese Witherspoon.
Notably, Shayk is the former wife of Bradley Cooper with whom she shares 6-year-old daughter, Lea. She dated football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo from 2009 to 2015.
Brady has a son and a daughter with former wife Bündchen. The exes split after more than a decade of marriage. “We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together. We are blessed with beautiful and wonderful children who will continue to be the center of our world in every way. We will continue to work together as parents to always ensure they receive the love and attention they deserve,” Brady had written on Instagram at the time. “The decision to end a marriage is never easy but we have grown apart and while it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always,” wrote Bündchen. -
China wants ‘consensus’ on its terms with India
New Delhi (TIP)– For all the Chinese talk about Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaching a “consensus” with President Xi Jinping at the G20 Bali summit dinner on stabilizing relations, the issuance of stapled visas to Indian Wushu athletes from Arunachal Pradesh for the Chengdu games shows that Beijing wants to keep bilateral ties permanently on the edge. Basically, consensus on Chinese terms.
While India has rightly decided to pull out the entire Wushu team from University games as a mark of protest on stapled visas, the Chinese decision is part of its wolf warrior diplomacy that began in August 2010 when they refused to issue a visa to the then Northern Army Commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal for military dialogue stating that Jammu and Kashmir was disputed territory.
Even though much has been made out of the Chinese readout of meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the BRICS NSA meeting in Johannesburg, fact is that since there was no agreed text, Beijing and New Delhi can interpret the meetings on their own terms and issue a statement. The same happened during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Wang Yi in his Foreign Minister avatar on the sidelines of the G-20 Ministerial in Bali. EAM Jaishankar described the meeting in a simple tweet, while Beijing issued a multi-page statement. Simply put, “consensus” is the Chinese description, perhaps mischievous, of PM Modi’s informal exchange with President Xi Jinping over the dinner table and may have to do with the Chinese leader’s visit to India for the G-20 summit in September. New Delhi, on its part, is not even wasting a breath on this description of bilateral ties as there was no agreed text, just a positive mandarin spin on an informal meeting.
However, India has taken the stapled visa issue very seriously as clearly with China the more things change, the more they remain the same with Beijing not moving a millimeter from its stated past positions on the LAC, Arunachal Pradesh or CPEC in Occupied Kashmir via Shaksgam Valley, illegally ceded by tributary state Pakistan to the Middle Kingdom. But the matters have got more complicated since the 2017 Doklam stand-off on India-Bhutan-China trijunction and after the May 2020 PLA belligerence on Pangong Tso in East Ladakh as Beijing threw out the 1993 and 1996 bilateral agreements out of the window.
In this context, the Modi government is under no illusions about expansionist China as there is PLA posturing all along the 3488 km LAC as well as the Indian Ocean, where Chinese surveillance and ballistic missile tracking ships are busy mapping route and ocean floor for Chinese nuclear submarines in the near future.
Source: HT -
India, Japan are natural partners’: Jaishankar at event with Hayashi
New Delhi (TIP)- Japan’s foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Friday, July 28, held up India as an “indispensable” partner for achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific, while his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar said the two sides are “natural partners” for taking on challenges in areas ranging from the economy to emerging technologies. The two ministers were speaking at the second India-Japan Forum organised by the external affairs ministry. India was the first stop on Hayashi’s three-nation tour, which will also take him to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. During talks on Thursday, Jaishankar and Hayashi discussed ways to step up Japanese investments in India and deepen defence cooperation.
Building on the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” vision unveiled by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a visit to New Delhi in March this year, Hayashi said Japan intends to deepen cooperation with India in all areas. Japan and India are also working closely together under their presidencies of the G7 and the G20 respectively, he said.
Pointing to Kishida announcing the new FOIP plan in New Delhi, he said: “This fact itself is a reflection of the critical importance Japan places on India, as your nation is an indispensable partner in achieving FOIP.”
Hayashi added: “At a time when there are many pressing challenges, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Japan and India fully share the necessity to lead the world to cooperation, rather than to division and confrontation.”
Lauding the Indian G20 presidency’s focus on the Global South, Hayashi said the call to uphold a rules-based international order may sound like a slogan if there isn’t an adequate commitment to address challenges facing developing countries. At the same time, he noted that food security has deteriorated because of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Hayashi said India and Japan have made progress in new initiatives in areas such as cyber and space, while discussions are underway for “substantial cooperation” in defence equipment and technology.
In his speech, Jaishankar highlighted key challenges confronting the world, including artificial intelligence, building reliable supply chains, ensuring trust and transparency in the digital domain, and upholding democratic values.
Jaishankar said India and Japan are natural partners for jointly addressing these challenges. “I would say today whether it is the future of the international order, strategy, economics, technology, culture or indeed whether it’s history or geography, I think India and Japan have a lot going for each other,” he said.
Hayashi also spoke about Japan’s plans to revise its “Development Cooperation Charter”, the basic document for development cooperation. “Under this revised charter, we will continue to undertake efforts to build quality infrastructure in India, including high-speed rail and urban transportation,” he said.
When a Japanese reporter pointed out that a bilateral partnership is tested by a war or a crisis and asked how the two sides would collaborate in case of a war in the Taiwan Strait or a conflict on the India-China border, Jaishankar replied: “I fundamentally disagree with your question because I think it is actually peacetime cooperation which is when you are tested, because if you don’t work every day to build a relationship and to put in place capabilities, comfort and structures, then when something more severe comes – if I can’t handle a good day, how will I handle a difficult day.” Source: HT -
50% financial aid to firms for semiconductor units, says PM Modi
GANDHINAGAR (TIP)- Tech firms will be given 50 percent financial assistance for setting up semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, July 28, as he announced that his Government has rolled out red carpet for semiconductor industries. Speaking after inaugurating the Semicon India 2023 conference in Gandhinagar, Modi said every industrial revolution that the world has witnessed was driven by the aspirations of people at different times. The PM said he believes that the fourth industrial revolution being witnessed now is driven by India’s aspirations. Modi said India is establishing an entire ecosystem for the semiconductor industry to grow in the country. “We were offering incentives as part of the Semicon India programme. It has been increased, and now technology firms will get 50 per cent financial assistance to set up semiconductor manufacturing facilities (in India),” Modi said.
The semiconductor industry will witness exponential growth in India, Modi said. “A year ago, people used to ask why they should invest in the Indian semiconductor sector. Now they ask why not invest in India,” he added. India is becoming a grand conductor for investments in the semiconductor sector, Modi said. The world needs a trusted and reliable chip supply chain, he said. Modi said 300 colleges in India have been identified for starting courses on semiconductor design. “Today the world is becoming witness to Industry 4.0. Whenever the world has passed through any such industrial revolution, its base has been the aspirations of the people of a particular region. The same relation was seen between the first industrial revolution and the American dream,” he said. -
Bhima-Koregaon: SC grants bail to two activists after 5 years in jail under UAPA
New Delhi (TIP)- Nearly five years after their arrest under the UAPA for alleged Maoist links in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence case, activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira have been granted bail by the Supreme Court. The “materials available against them at this stage cannot justify continued detention”, the court observed.
The two were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and jailed in August 2018.
The top court bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia on Friday said that the five-year-long incarceration of the activists makes them eligible for bail despite the charges being “grave”.
The court noted that Gonsalves was earlier convicted of offences, including under the UAPA, and had cases pending against him, and imposed a series of conditions for the bail. It stated that the two activists must not leave Maharashtra without the trial court’s permission and should surrender their passports with the NIA, among other conditions.
Over the years, the police and the central agencies arrested a hoard of activists and academicians in the Bhima Koregaon case, including Stan Swamy, Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Vavlakha, Varavara Rao and Sudha Bharadwaj. Newslaundry has reported extensively on how in most of these arrests, rights and rules were violated.
This report delved into the weak case against writer Anand Teltumbde, while this detailed the apathy of the authorities towards activist Stan Swamy, who died in prison after being denied medical care. In this interview, human rights lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj had spoken about her journey and what shaped her ideology.
The top court asked Gonsalves and Ferreira to not leave Maharashtra, surrender their passports, use only one mobile phone and keep it charged through the day, share location and pair their devices with the investigating officer, give their addresses to NIA, and be present in the local police station once a week. Violation of any of these conditions, or those imposed by a special NIA court, would entitle the federal agency to seek cancellation of bail, the court said.
“There is nothing against the appellants to prima facie establish that they had indulged in the activities which would constitute overawing any public functionary by means of criminal force or the show of criminal force or attempts by the appellants to do so. Neither were they found to have caused death of any public functionary,” the order added.
Gonsalves and Ferreira were among 16 activists, lawyers and researchers who were arrested in 2018 in connection with the violence that broke out during the bicentennial commemoration of a British-era war in Maharashtra’s Bhima Koregaon village. One person died during the violence that also sparked sweeping protests by Dalit groups who gather in the hundreds of thousands at the war memorial every year. The Pune police, and then NIA, have argued that an event in Pune on December 31, 2017 – called the Elgar Parishad, where allegedly inflammatory speeches were made – stoked the violence. -
Paris-bound flight returns to Delhi after ‘tyre-burst’
A Paris-bound Air India flight returned to the national capital shortly after the take-off on Friday afternoon, following a sighting of suspected tyre-burst on the runway after departure.
In a statement, the airline said the flight landed safely at the Delhi airport at 1418 hours.
Sources said the aircraft had apparently suffered a tyre-burst and there were more than 200 passengers on board.
According to the Flight Radar app, the airplane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, circled over Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, about 100 km from Delhi, for about 40 minutes before landing safely at the Delhi airport. -
71K cases pending in High Courts for 30 years: MoS
Over 71,000 cases were pending in various High Courts across the country for more than 30 years, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday, July 28. In a written reply to a question, Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that over 1.01 lakh cases — more than 30-year-old — were pending in lower courts as well. As on July 24 this year, 71,204 cases were pending in High Courts for more than 30 years while 1,01,837 cases were pending for over 30 years in district and subordinate courts, he said. On July 20, Meghwal had informed the Rajya Sabha that pendency of cases in various courts across India had crossed the five-crore mark.
Over 5.02 crore cases were pending in the Supreme Court, the 25 High Courts and subordinate courts, the minister had said in a written reply.
“As per data retrieved from the Integrated Case Management System (ICMIS) by the Supreme Court of India, as on July 1, there are 69,766 cases pending in the Supreme Court. Total number of cases pending in High Courts and the district and subordinate courts as on July 14 are 60,62,953 and 4,41,35,357 respectively, as per information made available on National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG),” Meghwal had stated. The pendency of cases in courts could be attributed to several factors, including non-availability of adequate number of judges and judicial officers. -
Indian companies can go for overseas listing: Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday, June 28, said domestic companies could now go in for direct listing on foreign exchanges and the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Ahmedabad. Direct listing will allow Indian companies to access foreign funds on various exchanges overseas.
“Direct listing of securities by domestic companies will now be permissible in foreign jurisdictions. I’m also pleased to announce that the government has taken a decision to enable the direct listing of listed and unlisted companies on IFSC exchanges. So, this is a major step forward. This will facilitate access to global capital and better valuation,” said Sitharaman while speaking at an event to launch a corporate debt market development fund (CDMDF), which is a bailout facility for debt funds. The provisions for direct overseas listing were approved by the government as part of the Covid relief package announced in May 2020 but the rules in this regard are yet to be notified. Source: TNS -
Mumbai court acquits Chhota Rajan in trade union leader murder case
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday, July 28, acquitted gangster Chhota Rajan in a case related to the 1997 murder of trade union leader Datta Samant for want of evidence.
There was nothing on record to prove that Rajan — whose real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje — hatched the conspiracy, the court said.
The gangster, however, is not likely to be released from jail anytime soon as he is facing trial in dozens of cases in various cities. Samant, who organised the 1981 textile mill workers’ strike in Mumbai, was shot dead on January 16, 1997, while travelling in his Jeep to his office in Pant Nagar in suburban Ghatkopar. The assailants, who came on a motorbike, fired 17 rounds. The prosecution claimed that Rajan hatched the murder conspiracy. But special judge B D Shelke said in the verdict on Friday that nothing was produced to prove that Rajan hatched the conspiracy. “The material witnesses have turned hostile. They do not support the case of the prosecution. The testimony of other witnesses is not sufficient to prove the charges against the accused,” the court said.
In the first phase of the trial, the judgment was pronounced in July 2000.
In the case against Rajan, gangster Guru Satam and Rajan’s trusted lieutenant Rohit Verma were shown as absconding accused and their trial was separated. Rajan was arrested in October 2015 from Bali in Indonesia. Later, the CBI took over all the cases registered against him. Source: PTI -
Singapore hangs first woman in 19 years after she was convicted of trafficking 31 grams of heroin
KUALA LUMPUR (TIP): Singapore conducted its first execution of a woman in 19 years on July 29 and its second hanging this week for drug trafficking despite calls for the city-state to cease capital punishment for drug-related crimes. Activists said another execution is set for next week.
Saridewi Djamani, 45, had been sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking nearly 31 grams (1.09 ounces) of diamorphine, or pure heroin, the Central Narcotics Bureau said. Its statement said the amount was “sufficient to feed the addiction of about 370 abusers for a week.”
Singapore’s laws mandate the death penalty for anyone convicted of trafficking more than 500 grams (17.64 ounces) of cannabis and 15 grams (0.53 ounces) of heroin. Djamani’s execution came two days after that of a Singaporean man, Mohammed Aziz Hussain, 56, for trafficking around 50 grams (1.75 ounces) of heroin.
The narcotics bureau said both prisoners were accorded due process, including appeals of their conviction and sentence and petition for presidential clemency.
Human rights groups, international activists and the United Nations have urged Singapore to halt executions for drug offenses and say there is increasing evidence it is ineffective as a deterrent.
Singapore authorities insist capital punishment is important to halting drug demand and supply. Human rights groups say it has executed 15 people for drug offenses since it resumed hangings in March 2022, an average of one a month. Anti-death penalty activists said the last woman known to have been hanged in Singapore was 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen, also for drug trafficking, in 2004.
Transformative Justice Collective, a Singapore group that advocates for the abolishment of capital punishment, said a new execution notice has been issued to another prisoner for Aug, 3 — the fifth this year alone.
It said the prisoner is an ethnic Malay citizen who worked as a delivery driver before his arrest in 2016. He was convicted in 2019 for trafficking around 50 grams (1.75 ounces) of heroin, it said.
The group said the man had maintained in his trial that he believed he was delivering contraband cigarettes for a friend he owed money and he didn’t verify the contents of the bag as he trusted his friend.
Although the court found he was merely a courier, the man still had to be given the mandatory death penalty, it said. (AP) -
Saudi Arabia invests USD 10 billion to build Pakistan’s largest oil refinery in Gwadar
ISLAMABAD (TIP): Four Pakistani state-owned petroleum companies have signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia to build Pakistan’s largest oil refinery with an investment of USD 10 billion in the strategic Gwadar Port, according to a media report on July 29.
The MoU to set up the facility with a production capacity of 300,000 barrels per day was signed on Thursday with the state-owned Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDCL), Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL), and Government Holdings Private Ltd (GHPL) signed the MoU to join hands and provide comfort to the Saudi firm to enter Pakistan with a major investment, the Dawn newspaper reported.
The four SOEs would join the project through equity participation. The government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is reportedly in the advanced stages of negotiations with Saudi giant Aramco to execute the greenfield refinery project at the strategic Gwadar Port and wants to complete the initial paperwork before its tenure ends in two weeks. The tenure of Pakistan’s current government will end on August 14.
To facilitate the Saudi investment in refining, the government has recently passed a new policy under which a new deep conversion oil refinery of a minimum of 300,000 bpd achieving financial close of the project within five years shall be eligible for a customs duty of 7.5 per cent for 25 years on petrol and diesel of all grades produced effective from the date of commissioning of the refinery.
The project envisions setting up an integrated refinery petrochemical complex with a crude oil processing capacity of a minimum of 300,000 bpd along with a petrochemical facility.
The integrated complex shall comprise various components such as marine infrastructure, petrochemical complex, storage for crude oil and refines utilities, pipeline connectivity etc.
According to the Petroleum Division, despite being integral to the growth of the economy, no new refinery project has materialised in Pakistan for more than a decade and only two refineries have been added in the last 40 years.
Compared to the 20 million tonnes of refining capacity, the actual capacity utilisation is at around 11 million tonnes. This is mainly due to the decreasing furnace oil demand in the country as a result of a change in the energy mix in the power sector and the fixed production slate of refineries that cannot produce just petrol and high-speed diesel and all products are produced simultaneously. Thus, as furnace oil demand declines, refineries have to lower their overall production and struggle to maintain their throughput at optimal levels.
This is despite the fact that independent consultants forecast Pakistan’s demand for petrol and diesel to grow beyond 33 million tonnes per annum by 2023.
The said refinery shall also enjoy a 20-year tax holiday and would also be entitled to exemption from levy of customs duties, surcharges, withholding tax, general sales tax, any other ad valorem tax or any other levies and duties on import of any equipment to be installed, or material to be used in the refinery projects without any precondition for obtaining certification by the Engineering Development Board.
These fiscal incentives and other facilitation would be recorded and protected under the project agreements between the project company, the key sponsors, investors and the concerned government and would be protected through a grant to Special Economic Zones Act.
Minister for State Musadiq Malik, who witnessed the MOU signing ceremony, said the Saudi oil firm showed a willingness to inject the entire equity into the multibillion-dollar refinery project, leading the Pakistani government to decide on a joint venture with key SOEs, the report added. (PTI) -
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi moved from prison: Party official
YANGON (TIP): Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in a 2021 military coup, has been moved from prison to a government building, an official from her party said on July 28. Suu Kyi has only been seen once since she was held after the February 1, 2021 putsch — in grainy state media photos from a bare courtroom in the military-built capital Naypyidaw.
The coup plunged the Southeast Asian nation into a conflict that has displaced more than one million people, according to the United Nations.
“Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved to a high-level venue compound on Monday night,” an official from the National League for Democracy told AFP Friday on condition of anonymity.
The party official also confirmed Suu Kyi had met the country’s lower house speaker Ti Khun Myat and was likely to meet Deng Xijuan, China’s special envoy for Asian Affairs, who is visiting the country.
A source from another political party said Suu Kyi had been moved to a VIP compound in Naypyidaw.
In July, Thailand’s foreign minister said he had met with Suu Kyi, the first-known meeting with a foreign envoy since she was detained. A junta spokesman told AFP the meeting had lasted more than one hour but did not give details on what was discussed. There have been concerns about the 78-year-old Nobel laureate’s health since her detention, including during her trial in a junta court that required her to attend almost daily hearings.
Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 33 years in jail for a clutch of charges, including corruption, possession of illegal walkie-talkies and flouting coronavirus restrictions. Rights groups slammed her trial as a sham designed to remove the popular leader from politics. In June 2022, after more than a year under house arrest in Naypyidaw, Suu Kyi was moved to a prison compound in another part of the capital. There she was no longer permitted to her domestic staff of around ten people and assigned military-chosen helpers, sources told AFP at the time.
Confinement in the isolated capital is a far cry from the years Suu Kyi spent under house arrest during a previous junta, where she became a world-famous democracy figurehead. During that period, she lived at her family’s colonial-era lakeside mansion in commercial hub Yangon and regularly gave speeches to crowds on the other side of her garden wall. (AFP) -
Philippine ferry was overloaded when it flipped over, leaving 27 dead, official says
MANILA, Philippines (TIP): The skipper of a Philippine ferry that flipped over in a lake in an accident that killed 27 passengers decided to sail despite knowing that his boat was filled beyond capacity, the coast guard chief said on July 28. Forty-three passengers were rescued after the M/B Aya Express capsized in Laguna de Bay on Thursday shortly after leaving Binangonan town southeast of Manila in what should have been a 30-minute cruise to nearby Talim Island, officials said.
Coast guard, police and other government personnel continued to search the lake Friday but said they had no idea whether anyone was still missing because of uncertainties over the number of passengers on the ferry. No more survivors or bodies were found.
Two coast guard inspectors allowed the ferry to sail after being shown a manifest that listed only 22 passengers in addition to the boat’s three-member crew, coast guard chief Admiral Artemio Abu said at a news conference.
The two inspectors were removed from their post and will be investigated, coast guard officials said. They said the skipper and the two other crew members and the boat owner may face criminal complaints.
Sea accidents are common in the Philippines because of frequent storms, poorly maintained boats, overcrowding and weak enforcement of safety regulations. In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.
The Aya Express had a capacity of 42 passengers, the coast guard said.
Under questioning by authorities, the skipper acknowledged that the ferry had exceeded its passenger capacity when it left port, Abu said.
The skipper said only 22 passengers were aboard the ferry at first but the number swelled when more people desperate for a ride arrived. The passengers had been stranded for days after stormy weather forced the suspension of ferry services earlier this week, Abu said.
“On his way back to the boat, he said that he saw far too many people have gone onboard and he could no longer convince them to disembark,” Abu said. “Those who were stranded had insisted on staying onboard.”
Shortly after leaving port, the Aya Express was pummeled by strong winds which caused the passengers to panic and rush to one side of the boat. The vessel tilted and its outrigger broke, causing it to capsize just 46 meters (150 feet) from shore, police and coast guard officials said.
“This is really a tragic event that has to be investigated,” coast guard Rear Adm. Hostillo Arturo Cornelio said Thursday night at a news conference.
Investigators will look into reports that many of the passengers were not wearing life vests as required by safety regulations, Cornelio said.
The boat accident brought the death toll from a week of stormy weather across the main island of Luzon to 40.
In addition to the 27 ferry deaths, Typhoon Doksuri left at least 13 people dead, mostly due to landslides, flooding and toppled trees. Twenty people remained missing, including four coast guard personnel whose boat overturned Wednesday while on a rescue mission in hard-hit Cagayan province. (AP) -
Two arrested over suspected rape of tourist in Paris park: prosecutors
PARIS (TIP): French authorities have detained two men on suspicion of taking part in an alleged gang rape of a Mexican tourist in the Champ de Mars park, which lies at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in central Paris, prosecutors said on July 28. The men were detained on Thursday in an ongoing investigation into the suspected rape of the woman, Paris prosecutors said.
The Le Parisien daily, which first reported the incident, said that the 27-year-old woman was attacked by five men, meaning that three suspects were still at large. This has not been confirmed by prosecutors.
The Champ de Mars is a large park extending from the Eiffel Tower which is hugely popular with tourists and locals.
It will be a key site during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris when beach volleyball is to be held at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and judo and wrestling at the temporary Arena Champ de Mars at the other end of the park.
Unlike most Paris parks which close during the night, the Champ de Mars can be accessed round-the-clock.
The reported rape revived pressure on Paris’s Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo to close the park at night for safety reasons.
“How many sexual assaults and rapes does Anne Hidalgo expect there to be before she agrees to close the Champ de Mars at night so that Parisians and tourists are safe?” said Rachida Dati right-wing mayor of Paris 7th district where the park is located arrondissement, on Twitter which is being rebranded as X. (AFP) -
Poland’s lawmakers approve a divisive law on Russian influence
WARSAW (TIP): Poland’s lawmakers voted on July 28 to approve an amended but divisive law on Russian influences believed to be targeting the opposition and criticized by the U.S. and the European Union. The law was proposed in May by Poland’s ruling right-wing Law and Justice party and critics see it as primarily targeting opposition leader and former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, before a parliamentary election scheduled for this fall. Following criticism, President Andrzej Duda proposed urgent amendments to tone it down.
The lower house, or Sejm, voted 235-214 with four abstentions to reject the Senate’s veto to the draft law amended by Duda. It only now requires Duda’s signature to take effect.
The amended bill calls for a commission to check whether between 2007 and 2022 politicians have taken decisions under Russia’s influence that could threaten Poland’s security. Duda has said it is needed for transparency’s sake and to prevent Russia from influencing Poland’s stability in the future.
Poland is supporting neighbouring Ukraine to fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion and is supplying weapons, humanitarian aid and political backing for Kyiv. That has drawn harsh comments from Moscow.
The previous, more restrictive law is currently in effect, but the commission members haven’t been chosen yet.
When it takes effect, the law will create a powerful committee of experts but not lawmakers to investigate Russian influence in Poland and name politicians who allegedly allowed them, thus barring them in practice from holding public positions. However, critics say it is primarily targeting Tusk, who also served as a top EU official. Law and Justice accuse Tusk of having been too friendly toward Russia and President Vladimir Putin as prime minister between 2007 and 2014, and making gas deals favourable to Moscow before he went to Brussels to be the president of the European Council between 2014 and 2019.
Law and Justice party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Tusk are longtime political rivals.
Critics say the law violates the Polish Constitution and could keep government opponents from holding public office by having a negative effect on their eligibility, especially in a parliamentary election later this year. Amendments by Duda, who holds a law doctorate, allowed for the commission verdict to be appealed to court.
The U.S. State Department and EU authorities have strongly criticized the law in its first version and expressed concerns about Poland’s democracy. The 27-member EU, which Poland joined in 2004, also threatened to take measures, if it became fully clear that such a law would undermine democratic standards.
When Duda proposed the amendments in June, he also bowed partially to critics and sent the bill to the Constitutional Tribunal for a review for conformity with the supreme law. That verdict is still pending. (AP) -
Hong Kong court rejects government ban on democracy protest song
HONGKONG (TIP): A Hong Kong judge denied on July 28 a government request for an injunction banning “Glory to Hong Kong”, a defiant anthem that emerged from the city’s huge pro-democracy protests in 2019.
The Hong Kong government had in June requested an injunction order so that the song — penned anonymously — would be banned from being disseminated or performed “with the intention of inciting others to commit secession or with a seditious intent”.
But Judge Anthony Chan wrote in his ruling on Friday that freedom of expression was a “highly important right” and that an injunction could cause “chilling effects” to innocent third parties even if that was not the government’s intent.
“I cannot be satisfied that it is just and convenient to grant the injunction,” said Chan, who is among a pool of jurists handpicked by the government to handle security cases.
“I believe that the intrusion to freedom of expression here, especially to innocent third parties, is what is referred to in public law as ‘chilling effects’,” he wrote.
“Whilst I entirely accept that no chilling effect is intended behind the Injunction, it is the duty of the Court to keep in mind that there is a whole spectrum of Hong Kong people” with varying degrees of knowledge about the injunction, Chan explained.
“Glory to Hong Kong” first emerged in August 2019 when the city was undergoing massive and at times violent pro-democracy demonstrations, with millions taking to the streets to demand political freedoms.
Its Cantonese lyrics integrated a key protest slogan — “break now the dawn, liberate our Hong Kong; in common breath, the revolution of our times” — and was widely adopted by protesters.
The song has raised the Hong Kong government’s ire in recent months, as it has been repeatedly mistaken as the city’s anthem, playing at international sports competitions.
Officially, Hong Kong does not have an anthem and it follows China’s national anthem, “March of the Volunteers”.
Following the 2019 protests, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law, quelling political dissent, and courts have penalised multiple people for performing it in public or circulating it online.
Technology minister Sun Dong this month said that tech giant Google had refused to delist “Glory to Hong Kong” from online search results unless the government had proof of the song’s illegality.
The government application to ban the song, first announced last month, prompted a surge of interest and “Glory to Hong Kong” dominated the iTunes download chart in the city for days. Police have arrested 260 people under the national security law, with 79 of them convicted or awaiting sentencing in Hong Kong.
AFP has contacted the Hong Kong government for comment. (AP) -
A pollution tax on older cars can be extended to London’s suburbs after a British court ruling
London (TIP): A British court ruled July 28 against London suburbs that tried to block a pollution tax on older cars as green policies become a hot political issue in the U.K. amid increasingly dramatic impacts of global climate change. The High Court ruled that Mayor Sadiq Khan had the authority to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone, or ULEZ, which charges drivers of older gas and diesel vehicles 12.50 pounds ($16) a day they operate, to the city’s outskirts next month.
Five conservative councils challenged Khan’s right to impose the measure. They criticized the expansion to an area where there are fewer public transport options and people are more reliant on cars, and because of a disproportionate impact on lower-income drivers who can’t afford newer, cleaner cars.
Khan said the ruling would allow the expanded zone to take effect on Aug. 29 and help reduce air pollution. He said he would also expand a program that provides financial assistance to some families and small businesses to scrap older cars.
“The ULEZ has already reduced toxic nitrogen dioxide air pollution by nearly half in central London and a fifth in inner London,” said Khan, a member of the Labour Party. “The coming expansion will see 5 million more Londoners being able to breathe cleaner air.” The five councils that challenged the zone issued a joint statement saying they were “hugely disappointed”. While they accepted that Khan may have the legal right to implement the measure, they questioned whether it was morally right. “It is evident that the mayor of London and (Transport for London) do not realize the damage the extension will have to the lives of residents and businesses in outer London as well as those outside of its borders,” the group said.
The city’s transportation agency said most gas vehicles under 16 years old and diesel vehicles less than 6 years old comply with the standard.
In April, a study from London City Hall found levels of nitrogen dioxide exceeded the legal limit in 14 of the city’s 32 boroughs. Khan argued he had a statutory responsibility to take measures to improve air quality.
Nine out of 10 cars on the road in outer London on an average day comply with standards, Transport for London said. The Royal Automobile Club said nearly 700,000 licensed cars in London are unlikely to comply.
Fury over the ULEZ expansion was credited last week with helping Tories hold one of three seats in Parliament in a special election.
(AP) -
Niger general who led coup asks for support from the people and international partners
NIAMEY (TIP): The general who led a coup in Niger took to state television on July 28 to ask for support for the takeover, two days after members of the military detained the democratically elected president and set off political chaos that could set back the nation’s fight against jihadists and increase Russia’s influence in West Africa.
As Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani spoke, Niger state television identified him as the leader of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, the group of soldiers who said they staged the coup.
Tchiani, who goes by Omar, said the country needed to change course to avoid “the gradual and inevitable demise” and thus he and others had decided to intervene.
“I ask the technical and financial partners who are friends of Niger to understand the specific situation of our country in order to provide it with all the support necessary to enable it to meet the challenges,” he said.
Earlier, various factions of Niger’s military wrangled for power, according to an analyst and a Western military official. Tchiani’s appearance seemed to be an effort to show he was in charge, though the situation was still in flux. (AP) -
New England Indian American Community Extends a Warm Welcome to US Congressman Ro Khanna at Fundraising Event
LEXINGTON, MA (TIP): On a picturesque Sunday afternoon, the New England Indian American community gathered once again to extend a warm welcome to Congressman Ro Khanna, renowned as a member of the esteemed “samosa caucus,” representing Silicon Valley and California’s 17th district. The lunch meet and greet fundraiser, hosted by the US India Security Council’s President, Mr. Ramesh Vishwanath Kapur, along with esteemed co-hosts Thomas Arul, Mr. Ashok Bhatt, Dr. Suvas Desai, Sanjay Gokhale, Priya Samant, Amar Sawhney, Deepika Sawhney, Pramit Maakoday, Manoj Schinde and Abhishek Singh proved to be a remarkable occasion for celebration and camaraderie.
The event took place at the Clay Oven restaurant, nestled in the historic town of Lexington, MA, and was graced by the presence of many distinguished business and community leaders, including Mr. and Mrs. Puran Dang, Mrs. Ranjani Saigal, Ms. Amrita Saigal, Mr. Gope Gidwani, Mr. Dhruba Sen, Mr. Archan Basu, Dr. Smita Joshi, Puneet Kohli, Paru Sanghvi, Vijay and Madhu Narang, Dr. Dinesh Patel, Mr and Mrs. Yash Shah Mr. Guruprasad Sowle, Krishna Srinivasa and many others.
Mr. Ramesh Kapur, in his opening address, welcomed Congressman Ro Khanna to New England, emphasizing the Congressman’s unwavering perseverance and determination that led him to triumph in his third election, eventually defeating the incumbent. Notably, Congressman Khanna played a significant role in inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month to address the joint session of the US Congress.
During his remarks, Congressman Khanna emphasized the importance of recognizing India’s elected leaders and acknowledged that the relationship between India and the United States is pivotal. He stressed that India’s emergence as a powerful nation, two generations removed from colonialism, requires realistic expectations in terms of alignment with US policies.
In his closing statements, Mr. Kapur shed light on the upcoming visit of Congressman Khanna and other esteemed members of Congress to India in August, signifying the continued commitment to strengthening India-US ties.
This momentous event marked not only a celebration of Congressman Ro Khanna’s achievements but also a testament to the cohesive spirit and vibrant engagement of the New England Indian community in furthering bilateral relations between India and the United States.
The Indian American Community of Massachusetts successfully raised over $25,000 at this event. -
Legislator Lafazan Honors Locust Valley’s Jack Baker for Patriotic Acts of Community Service
LOCUST VALLEY, N.Y. (TIP): Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan (D – Woodbury) recently honored Locust Valley’s Jack Baker for channeling his patriotism into inspiring actions that brought comfort to the community.
Baker’s notable endeavors include the creation of a memorial display of more than 2,000 American flags at Bayville Village Hall to honor the memories of the friends and loved ones that have been lost to COVID-19, including his beloved grandfather. He also volunteered for Wreaths Across America and participated in the Tunnels to Towers Foundation’s annual run to honor all who lost their lives during the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. These accomplishments have led to Baker’s acceptance by the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation as a junior ambassador and his recent selection as a participant in the American Legion’s historic Boys State citizenship and leadership training program. On Thursday, June 22, Legislator Lafazan presented Jack with a Nassau County Legislature Citation.
“From a young age, Jack has demonstrated his love of the United States in ways that have touched countless lives in our community,” Legislator Lafazan said. “His recent acceptance to both the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation and Boys State are well deserved and bound to propel him to even greater heights. I’m excited to see what Jack will accomplish in the next chapter of his leadership journey!” -
Legislator Mulé Recognizes Merrick Mayhem Little League For Successful ALS Foundation Fundraiser
WANTAGH, N.Y. (TIP): Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé (D – Freeport) honored the coaches and members of the Merrick Mayhem 8 and Under Little League team for raising more than $4,000 for the ALS Association – a feat they accomplished by literally turning lemons into lemonade.
Guided by their community spirit and a desire to give back to the community, the team sold lemonade and snacks during a recent Little League game and set a goal of raising $1,400. The philanthropic lemonade stand was a massive hit, and by the time they were done, they had tripled their goal. “The tremendous success of this fundraiser is a beautiful demonstration of how Little League and other youth sports programs can instill important values that can serve a person well throughout their entire lives,” Legislator Mulé said. “I thank the coaches and the players of the Merrick Mayhem for working so hard on behalf of such a worthwhile cause.”