Manicures may seem pretty straightforward, but there are probably a few things you’re doing that could seriously harm your nail health.
Not washing your tools
Sanitizing your tools should be the first step and your number one priority. According to research, the area around and under our fingernails stores the largest amount of harmful bacteria, and if these tools are not being washed with disinfectant you are allowing the spread of germs and risking contamination. In addition, storing tools in a sealed bag, allows bacteria to fester.
So the best way to store your tools is in a breathable container and use disinfectant or alcohol to clean them before and after each use.
Cutting your cuticles
We’ve all been guilty of doing this because we’ve seen it occasionally done to us by professionals, but, cutting your cuticles is a major health risk, due to the fact that you leave unprotected cuts on your fingers which could potentially get infected. In addition to that, when the cuticles start growing again, they come back flaky and messy looking which completely ruins your look.
If you love the look of nipped cuticles, then the best thing for you to do is to use a rosewood stick and push them back. This way you will protect your fingernails from getting an infection while still achieving the aesthetic look that you desire.
Not using a base coat
A lot of people believe that a basecoat is unnecessary and a waste of time so they skip this step when they are getting their manicure. However, basecoats were originally created to bind with your natural nails and make your manicure last up to one week longer. This happens because our nails produce natural oils that prevent the nail polish from binding well with the nail, so a base coat keeps the oils out and keeps the manicure or gel polish from chipping.
Applying thick coats of polish
We all like a very pigmented look on our nails that takes less time to complete and looks solid, and that automatically makes us apply thicker coats of nail polish. Even though this may seem the best way to go, it is actually a major mistake when you are doing your manicure. Thick coats of nail polish take twice as long to dry and underneath take approximately 5-6 minutes which is a recipe for a smudging disaster. Nail polish, in general, is not designed to dry well when it’s thick in order to be protected when it’s housed in the bottle. So the best thing to do is apply 3-4 thin layers of nail polish instead of 1-2 thick ones.
Using Q-tips
Q-tips are proven life-savers especially when it comes to makeup, so we slowly started incorporating them into our manicure routine as well. When nail polish gets on the skin around the nail, we just get a cotton pad and start wiping, but it takes the slightest motion to bring chaos to the whole look and have to start over from the beginning. The cotton fuzzies, no matter how many millimeters they are away from the wet nail polish have a tendency to stick to the manicure and ruin the whole look, forcing you to start from the beginning.
Instead of using Q-tips, use a very thin makeup brush to clean the area.
Month: July 2023
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Manicure mistakes that may be destroying your nails
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How humor can change your relationship
A sense of humor is an attractive trait. There is abundant cross cultural evidence that shows that being funny makes you more desirable as a mate, especially if you are a man. But once the initial flirting is over, and you are in a romantic relationship, how large a role does humour play?
For dating couples, use of positive humour (for example, using humour to cheer up your date) can positively contribute to relationship satisfaction. The use of aggressive humour, on the other hand (teasing and making fun of your partner) has the opposite effect. These feelings can fluctuate on a day-to-day basis depending on each partner’s use of humour.
For long-term relationships, such as in marriages, couples generally share a similar sense of humour – although similarities in sense of humour are not associated with greater marital satisfaction, nor with longer marriages. Perhaps not surprisingly, the research that resulted in this finding also found that couples with fewer children laugh more, compared to couples with a larger number of children.
In another study, conducted with 3,000 married couples from five countries, both husbands and wives were found to be happier with a humorous partner, but this trait was reported to be more important for the marital satisfaction of the wives than the husbands. Interestingly, both husbands and wives thought that the husband was humourous more often. Regardless, married couples overwhelmingly say that humour has a positive impact on their marriages.
Conflict resolution
But what happens when things aren’t going so well? Humour is a great ice breaker and a social lubricant, but can it also help resolve conflict in marriages? In one study, researchers observed 60 newlywed couples when they discussed a problem in their marriage. They coded how much humour was used in the conversation. The couples also completed a measure of life stress. What researchers found when they followed up 18 months later was quite surprising. In couples that reported high stress, the more the husband used humour, the greater the chance the couple would separate or divorce.
By contrast, in a similar study with 130 married couples, a wife’s use of humour predicted greater marital stability over six years, but only if the humour led to a decrease in their husband’s heart rate. In other words, if the humour calms the husbands, then it might be beneficial to their marriages.
These two studies show the disparate function of humour for men and women. For men, humour might serve as a way to distract from dealing with problems in the relationship, perhaps in an attempt to reduce their own anxiety. Women, on the other hand, may use humour to create a more relaxed atmosphere that can facilitate reconciliation. -
Homemade Malpua
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoon almonds
1 teaspoon saffron
milk as required
1/2 cup wheat flour
2 tablespoon pistachios
boiling water as required
Method
– For the malpua batter: take a mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, wheat flour and milk as per the requirement. Begin to stir till its a thick flowing batter without lumps. Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.
– Meanwhile, blanch the almonds and pistachios by soaking them in hot water.
– Next, to prepare the sugar syrup: Put a pan on low flame and add sugar in it along with 1/4th cup water. Stir it well till the sugar melts. (Note: You need to have a 1/2-1 inch string consistency in the sugar syrup or wait until the syrup is sticky. Add saffron in the sugar syrup.
– Now, we are ready to prepare the malpuas. Put a pan on medium flame and melt some ghee in it. When the ghee is hot enough, take 2-3 tablespoons of the flour batter and gently pour it into the hot ghee. Spread the batter in round shape lightly with the back of the spoon.
– Fry the malpuas on low to medium flame from both sides until they are golden and crisp. Thereafter, drain them on kitchen towels. Then immediately place them in the warm sugar syrup. Gently coat the malpuas with the sugar syrup with a spoon or small tongs.
– After a minute or two, remove them from the syrup and place them in a serving tray or plate. Garnish with chopped almond and pistachios along with hot rabdi. -
Margot Robbie shines as Barbie at London premiere of ‘Barbie’ movie
Actress Margot Robbie continues to dazzle as she embraces the spirit of Barbie, stepping onto the pink carpet at the London premiere of the “Barbie” movie in yet another stunning ensemble.
This time, Robbie paid tribute to the iconic Barbie Enchanted Evening 1960 Fashion Doll, channeling its glamour and elegance.
Robbie, 33, radiated in a custom Vivienne Westwood gown in a soft pastel pink hue. The exquisite dress featured a rosette at her hip, which gracefully flowed into a trailing train. A standout feature of the gown was the oversized off-the-shoulder ruffled collar, adding a touch of drama to the ensemble. Completing the look, the 33-year-old actress accessorized with white opera-length gloves and clear heels, capturing the essence of Barbie’s style.
The star-studded London premiere also saw the attendance of co-stars Ryan Gosling, Dua Lipa, America Ferrera, Hari Nef, Sam Smith, and Simu Liu. Each celebrity embraced the movie’s theme by donning their own fashionable interpretations inspired by Barbie, with vibrant shades of pink dominating the red carpet. Throughout her worldwide press tour, Robbie, along with her stylist Andrew Mukamal, has been paying homage to Barbie by recreating some of the doll’s most iconic looks.
At the Los Angeles premiere, the ‘Wolf of the Wall Street’ actress channeled the spirit of the 1960s Solo in the Spotlight Barbie, stunning in a strapless gown by Schiaparelli Haute Couture.
In Seoul, Robbie showcased two separate outfits inspired by the famous Day-to-Night Barbie from 1985.
Not to be outdone, Ryan Gosling, who portrays Ken in the film, embraced the Barbiecore aesthetic with his own ensemble. Gosling sported an initial necklace in the doll’s signature font, paying tribute to his partner Eva Mendes.
With just one more week until the mostly-anticipated theatrical premiere on July 21, fans are eagerly awaiting the unveiling of more jaw-dropping looks from Margot Robbie and the rest of the cast.
The “Barbie” movie promises to be a celebration of fashion and style, showcasing the enduring influence of the beloved doll. Stay tuned for more fabulous fashion moments as Robbie continues to bring Barbie to life on the big screen. Source: HT -
Spider-Man star Tom Holland opens up about battling alcoholism
Actor Tom Holland, best known for playing Spider-Man on the big screen since he was a teenager, has opened up about his alcohol addiction, and subsequent sobriety. In a new interview, Holland said that as a challenge last year, he gave up drinking for a month, but realised very soon that it was ‘all that he could think about’, day and night. After continuing his challenge till June, he was a transformed person; he was sleeping better, and was less on-edge at work.
Holland appeared on the Jay Shetty podcast, where he opened up about his alcoholism, being unable to function socially in the early stages of his sobriety, and eventually finding replacements that help him continue down this path. He said that he probably inherited a taste for alcohol from his mother’s side of the family, and revealed that his mother has also given up drinking along with him. “Anyone that has a beer a day probably has a little bit of a problem,” he said.
“One of the problems with alcohol is that if you came out with alcohol right now, and alcohol wasn’t a thing, and you were like, ‘I’ve invented this drink that’ll make you either really happy, or really aggressive, or really stupid, and we’re just going to sell it to the masses’, people will be like, ‘No, mate, keep your funky juice, we don’t want that, that sounds terrible’.”
About his own journey, the actor said, “I’ve had periods in my life where I’ve given up drinking and gone back to drinking, but this time, it was just different. I really worked to change my mindset, and I asked myself, ‘Why do you drink?’ And a lot of the time, my answer would be, ‘To feel more comfortable in a social environment’. And I just put myself in those environments. I’d force myself to hang out, and go to a club, go to a bar, go to a dinner…” He admitted that he was avoiding those places in the beginning, because he didn’t feel that he could go and ‘not have a drink’, but later, he discovered that if he’s only enjoying himself when he’s drinking, he has a problem. “With me, most of it is just the ritual of cracking something open and sharing it with friends and drinking it. Whether it’s sparkling water or beer, I now can’t see a difference.” Source: Indian Express -
Fans call Tom Cruise ‘biggest star in the world’
Tom Cruise-starrer Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One has released in theatres worldwide. The film is the seventh part of the hit franchise, known for its action scenes and cool stunts, often pulled off by lead star Tom himself.
Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One release live updates: Tom Cruise during the premiere in New York.
Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One release live updates: Tom Cruise during the premiere in New York.(AP)
Dead Reckoning is directed by Christopher McQuarrie and also stars Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby and Henry Czerny. At Tuesday, July 11, night’s screening, Tom talked to the people present in theatres. “We made it for you,” he told the people in an Atlanta cinema hall.
Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, “TOM CRUISE – ‘MI7’ WINS RAVE REVIEWS… #MissionImpossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is undoubtedly the biggest release of 2023… The reviews are through the roof and are breaking #TomCruise’s own previous records.” -
Kartik Aaryan kickstarts Kabir Khan’s Chandu Champion shoot
On Wednesday, July 12, night, Kartik took to Instagram and shared the particular update with fans and followers. “Shubh Aarambh. And the most challenging and exciting journey of my career begins… with the captain @Kabirkhan#ChanduChampion,” he wrote. Kartik also shared a photogram with Kabir Khan from the sets. He looks super cool in the photo rocking a blue and black check cardigan with black joggers and a white beanie as he points at the clapboard for the first take of Chandu Champion which Kabir can be seen holding while wearing a black t-shirt with navy blue jogger pants and white sneakers.
As per a statement, ‘Chandu Champion’ is “based on the extraordinary real-life story of a sportsman and his spirit of never giving up.”With the film, the audience will see Kartik doing a film based on a real-life story in which he will portray the character of lead Chandu.
Meanwhile, Kartik is currently basking in the success of ‘Satya Prem Ki Katha’, which received a positive response from the audience. The film stars Kartik alongside Kiara Advani.
Helmed by Sameer Vidhwans, and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, ‘Satya Prem Ki Katha’ revolved around Kartik and Kiara’s love story. The film marks the actor’s second collaboration after the blockbuster ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, which was released in 2022. Source: ANI -
Akshay’s Oh My God 2 sent to censor board review committee to avoid controversy
In order to avoid an Adipurush-like backlash, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is looking at the dialogues and scenes in Oh My God 2 (OMG 2). The upcoming film is a sequel to Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal’s 2012 film OMG – Oh My God. As per a new report, the board’s revising committee seeks to ensure that the dialogues and scenes in OMG 2 ‘do not create any issues’. There is no clarity yet about which scenes or dialogues in Oh My God 2 have caused concern to the CBFC. Once the film goes to the revision committee, the CBFC will reportedly take a decision on the movie, which is set to be released in theatres on August 11.
As per sources quoted in a recent report by India Today, “CBFC does not want to repeat the backlash that Adipurush faced over its dialogues” and it will take a decision on Akshay Kumar-starrer Oh My God 2 after the board’s revising committee “looks over at the dialogues and scenes in the film”.
Sources told India Today that CBFC has now taken “preemptive measures” to avoid any backlash over Oh My God 2 dialogues and scenes. CBFC will send any movie dealing with subjects like God or religion for review and revision, added the source. -
Aditya Roy Kapur, Ananya Panday fuel dating rumors
Aditya Roy Kapur and Ananya Panday are currently in Spain where they attended a rock concert. Both of them shared individual posts on their respective Instagram handles but it was confirmed the two indeed attended the Arctic Monkeys’ concert in Spain. However, none of them shared any glimpse of themselves or each other from the musical night.
Ananya took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday to share a picture from the concert and wrote, “Nothing quite like the Arctic Monkeys. My favourite song ever.” She tagged the location as Madrid, Spain. Aditya Roy Kapur too shared a small video from the concert on his Instagram Stories along with a blue grinning emoji and a monkey emoji.
Later, Ananya shared glimpses of the sealine and the blue sky from Portugal on her Instagram Stories. She simply wrote “magic magic” in the caption.
Aditya and Ananya have been rumoured to be dating ever since they made a joint appearance at Kriti Sanon’s Diwali bash last year. They have since been spotted together at other film parties. Reacting to their linkup, Ananya’s mom Bhavana Panday told ETimes in April, “The fact is that Ananya is single and link-ups happen in a profession like this. It’s okay. It’s like that’s a part and parcel of an actor’s life, and you have to take everything in, good or bad. I feel like they get so much love and adulation, so I’d rather genuinely focus on that than the negativity that comes with it, because the positives definitely outweigh the negative.”
Ananya was recently spotted in the trailer of Karan Johar’s upcoming film, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. She was seen alongside Ranveer in a dance number.
Ananya will be next seen in Vikramaditya Motwane’s untitled cybercrime-thriller. She also has Farhan Akhtar’s Kho Gaye Hum Kahan opposite Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav. She also plays the female lead opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in the comedy film, Dream Girl 2. She will also be making her web series debut with Amazon Prime Video’s Call Me Bae.
Aditya was recently seen in a crime thriller film Gumraah. He is also riding high on the success of his debut web show The Night Manager, part 2 of which arrived recently on Disney+ Hotstar. He will next be seen in Anurag Basu’s Metro… In Dino. Source: HT -
Water level in reservoirs up, beats 10-yr average
New Delhi (TIP)- Unprecedented rainfall across North India over the past few days has led to an increase in water levels in the Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams. Reservoirs have filled up to levels that have not been achieved in a decade, according to the weekly report released by the Central Water Commission (CWC) today. The CWC releases a weekly report on the water level at all 146 dam reservoirs of the country. A comparison of the data released today and that of last week (July 6) shows that water level in the Bhakra dam has gone up by 30 feet within a week. The 260 sq km reservoir of the Pong dam has recorded a rise of 28 feet during this period. The water level in the Ranjit Sagar dam has risen by 34 feet. The water level, when seen against the full reservoir capacity of these dams, is higher in percentage than the 10-year average of the water levels, the CWC said.
20 bodies recovered in rain-ravaged Kullu; Punjab bus found in Beas
The bodies of 20 people, including the driver of a Punjab Roadways bus that had been missing for the past two days, were recovered in the rain-ravaged Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, July 13. The district had been grappling with unprecedented heavy rain over the past five days that led to the flooding of the Beas river and triggered landslides. The district authorities confirmed that 11 of the 20 victims had been identified.
Of the bodies retrieved so far, three are of women. The bodies were found during rescue operations going for the past three days, said an official. “All these bodies have been found in different locations in Kullu. The wreckage of a PRTC bus was spotted in Beas river on July 13. The PRTC bus which was on its way from Chandigarh to Manali was parked on the roadside when Beas washed away a portion of the road. “The bus driver has been tracked but the conductor is still untraceable, there were no passengers in the bus,” said additional director general of police Abhishekh Trivedi.
Among the deceased, 10 victims were swept away by the raging Beas, while seven devotees lost their lives on the treacherous route of the Shrikhand Yatra (pilgrimage) in the Nirmand area. The devotees succumbed to extreme cold and lack of oxygen in the high-altitude area.The Punjab Roadways bus, which was going from Chandigarh to Manali when it went missing two days ago, was spotted in the Beas river as the water level receded on Thursday, July 13. The body of the driver was found but that of the conductor and the rest of the passengers are untraceable. Three bodies were recovered from debris after landslides hit Lankabekar, Patlikulah and Brau, respectively.
Source: TNS and HT -
Damaged regulator makes Yamuna water in Delhi flow back towards city; red alert issued in Faridabad
New Delhi (TIP)- Following heavy rain in its upper catchment areas, the Yamuna has been flowing above the danger mark in Delhi for the past five days. As the overflowing Yamuna disrupted daily life in parts of the national capital, a regulator of the Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control Department suffered damage near the Indraprastha bus stand and the WHO Building on Drain No 12, exacerbating the already dire situation. The compromised regulator allowed the Yamuna water to flow back towards the city, intensifying the challenges faced by residents. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal swiftly took action, directing immediate reinforcements to be dispatched to the site, according to a statement.
The Cyclone Warning Centre has issued a red alert for the Yamuna in Faridabad. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light showers in Delhi on Friday. A yellow alert has been issued for Saturday in the national capital.
Over the past three days, the ferocious river turned roads into streams, parks into watery labyrinths, and homes and shelters into submerged realms, severely disrupting daily life in the national capital. The water level, however, stabilised after reaching 208.62 metres, smashing the all-time record set 45 years ago by a significant margin.
As water from the Yamuna inundated more areas of Delhi and rescue efforts intensified, the city stared at a drinking water shortage. The Delhi government said the inundation of a pump house at Wazirabad impeded operations at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants, leading to a 25 per cent drop in water supply.
Central Water Commission Director Sharad Chandra said the rate of water flow rate at the Hathnikund barrage in Haryana dropped to 80,000 cusecs at 4 pm.
“The water level has stabilised … It is expected to drop to 208.45 metres by 3.00 am on Friday, July 13,” he told PTI.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Thursday directed that non-essential government offices, schools and colleges be closed till Sunday.
The city government has banned the entry of heavy goods vehicles, barring those carrying essential items, into the city from the four borders, including Singhu. Source: PTI -
‘26/11-Like Attack If…’: Threat call over Pak woman who came to India for lover
Mumbai (TIP)- The traffic control room of Mumbai Police has received a call from an unidentified person warning of a 26/11-like terror attack if Pakistani woman Seema Haider did not return to her country, an official said.
The call was received on July 12, he said on Friday, July 14.
The caller, who spoke in Urdu, said there would be a terror attack, like the one that took place on November 26, 2008, in Mumbai and that the Uttar Pradesh government will be responsible for it, the police official said.
Mumbai Police is investigating the threat call and a crime branch team has also been roped in, he said.
The call was made through an app, and the police were trying to track down the IP address of the caller, the official said.
Seema Haider, a Pakistani national, recently entered India illegally to marry her lover Sachin Meena, a resident of Greater Noida. The two had become friends while playing online game PUBG.
The Pakistani woman, around 30, and her Indian partner, around 25, were arrested by the police in connection with her illegal stay in India, but were granted bail by a court in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida last week.
On July 4, both Sachin and Seema confessed their love for each other in front of the media and police, urging the government to allow them to get married and stay together in India.
Source: PTI -
Some global forces use tech for social harm: Amit Shah at G20
Gurugram (TIP)- Union home minister Amit Shah said on Thursday, July 13, pushed for “uniformity” in global laws and a “united front” to deal with cyber threats, adding that some antisocial elements and global forces are using technology to cause economic and social harm to citizens and governments.
The home minister underlined threats emanating from cyber criminals using the darknet, metaverse, deepfakes, ransomware and toolkit-based misinformation campaigns, and who target critical information and financial systems. He asked members of the G20 to have a “dedicated common channel” to prevent financial irregularities through the use of digital currencies.
“Our vision for the internet should neither compromise the security of the nation by allowing excessive freedom nor should it adopt an isolationist structure like digital firewalls,” he said, explaining the need for a balanced vision for the internet.
“Today, we live in a big global digital village. Although technology is a positive development in bringing human beings, communities, and countries closer, there are also some antisocial elements and global forces that are using technology to cause economic and social harm to citizens and governments,” Shah said while inaugurating the two-day “G20 Conference on Crime and Security in the Age of NFTs, Artificial Intelligence and Metaverse“ in Gurugram.
Over 900 participants from G20 countries, nine special invitee countries, international bodies such as Interpol, and technology leaders and domain experts from India and across the world are attending the conference.
While the home minister did not name any country, there have been instances of cyberattacks by China-backed hackers on India’s key establishments in the recent past, including the hacking of All India Institute of Medical Sciences servers last year. Asserting that the metaverse may create new opportunities for terrorist organisations, primarily for propaganda, recruitment, and training, Shah said, “This will make it easier for terrorist organisations to select and target vulnerable people and prepare material according to their vulnerabilities.”
“Cybercriminals are perpetrating incidents ranging from ransomware attacks, sale of critical personal data, online harassment, and child abuse to fake news and misinformation campaigns with ‘toolkits’. At the same time, there is also a growing tendency to strategically target critical information and financial systems. Such activities are a matter of national concern, as their activities have a direct impact on national security, law and order, and the economy. If such crimes and criminals have to be stopped, then we have to think and also act by rising above the conventional geographic boundaries,” Shah said.
The home minister noted that terrorists are leveraging technology, which is becoming a challenge for law enforcement agencies. “The transformation of our security challenges from ‘dynamite to metaverse’ and ‘hawala to crypto currency’ is a matter of concern for countries across the world. Terrorists are finding new ways to perpetrate violence, radicalise youth and raise financial resources. New methods in the form of virtual assets are being used by terrorists for financial transactions”.
Cryptocurrencies are not recognised as payment instruments in India and the government is yet to take a call on whether to restrict the conversion of rupees to any of the cryptocurrencies — which effectively amounts to a complete ban. It does, however, apply a 30% tax on inward conversions, and has urged at international forum a concerted decision on how these currencies can be used.
“And all of us, together, have to devise a common strategy against it,” Shah added.
Emphasizing that no single country or organisation can combat cyber threats alone, Shah said that “it requires a united front”.
“We aim to create a ‘cyber success world’ and not a ‘cyber failure world’. Together, we can harness the potential of these technologies while ensuring a ‘secure and prosperous digital future for all. Let us seize this opportunity to collaborate, share our ideas and forge international partnerships,” he said.
Commenting on the rise in cybercrime involving digital currency, Shah said the nature of the cyber threat landscape has spread across national boundaries, necessitating cooperation and sharing of information by nations, organizations and stakeholders to effectively combat cybercrimes. Source: HT -
EAM raises security of envoys with Britain
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday, July 13, met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Jakarta on the sidelines of a set of ASEAN-related ministerial dialogues. The meeting, among a large number of bilaterals, is significant, as was the one with his UK counterpart James Cleverley in which he brought up concerns pertaining to the security of Indian diplomats in the UK. Jaishankar also met his South Korean counterpart Park Jin to discuss critical minerals and cutting-edge technology. He raised the security of Indian diplomats with Cleverly days after NSA Ajit Doval asked his British counterpart Tim Barrow to take strong public action such as deportation against extremist elements threatening officers of the Indian High Commission in the UK.With Lavrov, Jaishankar discussed bilateral economic issues and matters related to the Ukraine conflict. India has become a major buyer of Russian oil, but there is no agreement with Russia on how to utilise the rupees that have accumulated due to western sanctions. India would want the rupees to be invested in its infrastructure sector or government bonds while Moscow wants the money to be repatriated before deciding what to do with it.
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Army Intensifies Tech Operations Across Buffer Zones In Manipur
The army has intensified use of tech-driven operations in the buffer zones of violence-hit Manipur, sources in the army said. For the last two months, the army has been using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV for surveillance in the buffer zones of sensitive areas.
UAVs and high-range quadcopters have been a big help for the security forces, who are busy establishing and dominating buffer zones between the hills and valley regions to keep away the warring Kuki and Meitei communities. These are also being used to find and destroy illegal bunkers, sources said.
“Surveillance along the Indo-Myanmar Border to detect movement of insurgents who are staying in camps across, and supporting operations — like UAV cover for patrols, combing operations and Mobile Vehicle Check Posts, convoy monitoring on NH-37 and NH-2, monitoring rescue operations, monitoring mob build-up and preventing violence by guiding security forces have seen major use of technology,” said a senior army official involved in ground operations on condition of anonymity. The intensification of tech-based operations comes at a time when security agencies have reports that short-range quadcopters have been put to use by warring factions — Meiteis, mostly concentrated in Imphal valley, and Kukis, mainly on the hillside — to know each other’s positions -
Coal block allocation: Ex-MP Vijay Darda, ex-coal secretary HC Gupta convicted
A Delhi court has convicted former Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda, his son, Devendra Darda, former coal secretary H C Gupta, and four others in a case related to irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh.
Special judge Sanjay Bansal on Thursday, July 13, held the seven guilty under the Indian Penal Code (IPC)’s Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and under the Prevention of Corruption Act. JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal and two officials K S Kropha and K C Samria are among others who have been convicted.
The seven were acquitted under IPC’s section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servants). The matter has been listed for arguments on the quantum of punishment on July 18.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said 13th convictions have been secured in the coal allocation scam, which rocked then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government in 2012.
The Supreme Court in 2014 declared allocations of over 200 coal blocks to power, steel, and cement companies since 1993 illegal. In its report in 2012, the Comptroller and Auditor General said underpriced sales cost the exchequer. The scandal was dubbed as “Coalgate”.
In its first information report (FIR) in the case related to the allocation of the coal block in Chhattisgarh, the CBI said JLD Yavatmal wrongfully concealed the previous allocations of four coal blocks to its group companies in 1999-2005. A closure report was later filed saying the coal ministry gave no undue benefit to the company.
The report said that nothing substantial emerged to establish that the coal ministry officials and JLD Yavatmal Energy directors were involved in cheating and criminal conspiracy.
The trial court in November 2014 refused to accept the closure report and directed the CBI to conduct further investigation into the matter. It said Vijay Darda “misrepresented” facts in letters written to Manmohan Singh, who then held the coal portfolio.The court said Vijay Darda, the Lokmat Group chairman, did so to get the Fatehpur (East) coal block in Chhattisgarh allotted to JLD Yavatmal Energy.It said private parties “prima facie” committed offence of cheating in “furtherance of a conspiracy” hatched with the public servants. The 35th Screening Committee allotted JLD Yavatmal Energy the Fatehpur (East) coal block. Source: HT
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Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Prachanda’s wife Sita Dahal passes away
KATHMANDU (TIP): Sita Dahal, wife of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, passed on July 12 after suffering from a rare neurological condition for a long time. She was 69.
Sita, who has been ill for a long time passed away Wednesday at Norvic International Hospital in Kathmandu. She was undergoing treatment at the hospital, where the doctors confirmed her death at 8. 33 am, according to his press coordinator Surya Kiran Sharma.
She was suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Parkinson, diabetes and hypertension diseases, according to a bulletin issued by the hospital. She was taken to the hospital on Wednesday after her health condition turned serious.
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare neurological condition that can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing.
Sita Dahal married Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda (“The Fierce One”), more than half a century ago when both were teenagers. Few details about their lives are on the public record, but Sita was by her husband’s side when he launched a decade-long insurgency against the government in 1996.
Sita was serving as an adviser to her husband’s Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Center), which entered mainstream parliamentary politics after the insurgency ended in 2006. “Our entire party is shocked by the tragic death of Comrade Sita Dahal,” the party said in a statement.
Sita “played a coordinating role as the parent of the entire party during the stormy years of the civil war, to resolve challenges, crises and disputes within the party”, the statement added.
Prime Minister Prachanda and wife Sita had three daughters and one son. Their eldest daughter Gyanu Dahal and son Prakash Dahal have already passed away.
She is survived by Prime Minister Prachanda and two daughters, Renu and Ganga. Renu Dahal is currently serving as Mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City. (Agencies) -
IMF approves much-awaited USD 3 billion bailout for Pakistan, saving it from defaulting on debt
ISLAMABAD (TIP): The International Monetary Fund on July 12 approved a much-awaited $3 billion bailout for Pakistan, the global lender said, a move that’s likely to save the nation from defaulting on its debt repayments.
The IMF said its executive board approved an agreement to release the funds over nine months to support Pakistan’s economic stabilization program. The announcement comes less than two weeks after Pakistan and the IMF agreed to the plan following meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and other officials.
“The arrangement comes at a challenging economic juncture for Pakistan. A difficult external environment, devastating floods, and policy missteps have led to large fiscal and external deficits, rising inflation, and eroded reserve buffers” in the fiscal year 2023, the IMF said in a statement. Sharif quickly welcomed the IMF decision, saying it was a major step forward in the government’s efforts to stabilize the economy and achieve macroeconomic stability.
“It bolsters Pakistan’s economic position to overcome immediate to medium-term economic challenges, giving the next government the fiscal space to chart the way forward,” he said in a tweet. “This milestone, which was achieved against the heaviest of odds & against a seemingly impossible deadline, could not have been possible without an excellent team effort.”
The bailout had been on hold since December when the IMF refused to release a critical $1.1 billion part of the loan because of the country’s lack of compliance with a 2019 agreement signed between the IMF and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
A breakthrough was announced recently after Sharif met with IMF head Kristalina Georgieva in Paris at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact to discuss the revival of the $6 billion bailout package amid shrinking foreign exchange reserves and increasing inflation, which resulted in an increase in food costs.
Sharif has been trying to overcome the economic crisis since he came into power after Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022. Pakistan’s economy witnessed a major shock last summer when devastating floods killed 1,739 people, destroyed 2 million homes and caused $30 billion in damage.
“Things are now moving in the right direction,” said Dar, the finance minister Wednesday.
According to analysts, Pakistan needs at least $20 billion in the next two years to pay back foreign loans with interest. However, earlier this year, foreign exchange reserves fell to less than $4 billion. This money was only enough for the import bill of four weeks, although Pakistan banned some of the imports to save dollars.
The approval for the IMF loan came a day after Saudi Arabia deposited $2 billion into Pakistan’s central bank. On Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates also deposited $1 billion to the central bank of Pakistan, according to the finance minister, Dar, who said the country’s economy was now again on the path of growth.
According to analysts, the approval of the IMF bailout will help Pakistan because it could encourage other international financial institutions to help Islamabad overcome economic challenges. Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have provided financial assistance in the past five months to avoid a default on debt payments.
Dar said Pakistan’s economy will be in a much better position when the government of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League party completes its tenure next month. The next parliamentary elections are expected to take place in October or November, Sharif said in his televised speech earlier in the day, saying he hopes Pakistan will avoid any further loans from the IMF by generating funds domestically. (AP) -
Thailand’s parliament is set to choose a prime minister, but it might not be the election winner
BANGKOK (TIP): Thai lawmakers are gathering on July 13 to select a new prime minister, a process whose outcome is far from certain even though the country’s most progressive party won both the popular vote and the most seats in the House of Representatives in the most recent election.
Thailand’s May 14 election was regarded as a major political turning point. The reformist Move Forward Party’s victory appeared to spell an end to nine years of unpopular army-supported rule. Two months later, it is unclear if that mandate for change will be honored.
Parliament is due to vote on whether to make Move Forward’s leader, 42-year-old businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, the country’s prime minister. His party captured 151 of the 500 House seats but has assembled a coalition government in waiting. The eight parties in the coalition won 312 seats combined, a healthy majority.
“This is a party leading a coalition, and they’ve won the election,” Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, said. “In most other countries, they would be in office by now.”
One of several potential roadblocks to Pita taking power is that the prime minister is elected through a joint vote of the House and the 250-seat Senate, whose members owe their positions to the military-backed regime established by a 2014 coup. Pita, or any other candidate, therefore needs a minimum of 376 votes to become head of government.
The biggest bone of contention between the liberals backing Move Forward and the deeply conservative Senate is the campaign pledge of Pita’s party to amend a law that makes defaming the royal family punishable by three to 15 years in prison.
The monarchy is sacrosanct to members of Thailand’s royalist establishment, and even minor reforms that might improve and modernize the monarchy’s image are anathema to them. Move Forward’s coalition partners also have not endorsed the proposed legal change, and other parties ruled out joining the coalition because of the idea.
Thitinan thinks that given the massive voter support for Move Forward and the Pheu Thai Party, its top partner and political ally, Pita stands a good chance “because of mounting public pressure on the senators. It will depend on the will, the resilience and the intransigence of the royalist conservative establishment.”
But if Pita cannot win over enough senators, his options appear nil. The options for the eight-party coalition as a whole appear more viable. (AP) -
Russian lawmakers move to further restrict transgender rights in a new legislation
TALLINN (TIP): Russian lawmakers on July 13 approved a toughened version of a bill that outlaws gender transitioning procedures, with added clauses that annul marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bar transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents.
The bill received swift, unanimous approval from Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, in its key second reading, and lawmakers scheduled the third and final reading for Friday. There is little doubt that the bill, a crippling blow to Russia’s oppressed LGBTQ+ community, will be adopted amid the Kremlin’s crusade to protect what it views as the country’s “traditional values.”
The bill bans any “medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person,” as well as changing one’s gender in official documents and public records.
New clauses added to the bill also amend Russia’s Family Code by listing gender change as a reason to annul a marriage and adding those “who had changed gender” to a list of people who can’t become foster or adoptive parents.
Lawmakers portray the measure as protecting Russia from “the Western anti-family ideology,” with some describing gender transitioning as “pure satanism.”
It has rattled the country’s transgender community and has drawn criticism not only from LGBTQ+ rights advocates but from the medical community as well.
Lyubov Vinogradova, executive director of Russia’s Independent Psychiatric Association, called the bill “misanthropic” in an interview with The Associated Press. Gender transitioning procedures “shouldn’t be banned entirely, because there are people for whom it is the only way to … to exist normally and find peace with themselves,” Vinogradova said.
The crackdown on LGBTQ+ people started a decade ago when President Vladimir Putin first proclaimed a focus on “traditional family values,” a move ardently supported — and fueled, to a certain extent — by the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 2013, the Kremlin adopted the first legislation restricting LGBTQ+ rights, known as the “gay propaganda” law that banned any public endorsement of “nontraditional sexual relations” among minors. In 2020, Putin pushed through a constitutional reform that outlawed same-sex marriage. (AP) -
China’s top diplomat says Beijing, Moscow to deepen ties
JAKARTA (TIP): China’s top diplomat said on July 13 Beijing would strengthen ties with Russia in areas of strategic communication and coordination, as the allies’ contacts grow closer after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
Beijing says it is a neutral party in the war but its refusal to condemn the invasion has led many of Kyiv’s allies to accuse it of favouring Russia after emerging as Moscow’s most important ally in its current bout of international isolation.
Wang Yi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Jakarta, where both will take part in an 18-nation East Asia Summit ministerial meeting Friday.
“The two sides should… strengthen strategic communication and coordination,” Wang was quoted as saying by the Chinese foreign ministry in a statement.
“China and Russia firmly support each other in safeguarding legitimate interests, adhere to the path of harmonious coexistence and win-win development.” Wang was representing Beijing in the Indonesian capital because Foreign Minister Qin Gang was ill, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Lavrov said Moscow and Beijing were maintaining “high-level exchanges” and a March meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia had “injected strong momentum into bilateral relations”, the Chinese ministry’s readout said.
“We have more and more areas where interests and plans converge, so I am looking at further development with optimism,” Lavrov said, according to a Russian foreign ministry statement.
China and Russia have ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts in recent years.
Both sides “exchanged views on strengthening coordination and cooperation under multilateral frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation,” Wang said, according to the Chinese foreign ministry statement.
Wang also said both countries would “guard against external interference” and support the ASEAN bloc to grasp “the correct direction of cooperation in East Asia, and maintain… stability in the region”.
Xi warned last week against “colour revolutions” and a “new Cold War”, according to a state media readout of his virtual speech to a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in India.
Putin, in his first summit since a short-lived mutiny last month by the Wagner mercenary group, said Moscow would “continue to resist external pressure, sanctions and provocations”. (AFP) -
UK government offers millions of public sector workers pay raises in push to end strikes
LONDON (TIP): The British government offered millions of public sector workers pay raises on July 13 in a bid to end an array of strikes, including a five-day walkout from doctors in Britain’s publicly funded health service.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that the government was accepting the recommendations from pay review bodies, which will see a 7% rise for police, 6.5% for teachers and 6% for the striking junior doctors, who are at the early stages of their careers in the National Health Service.
Sunak said the offers, which are not being funded by extra borrowing, are “final” and that there would be no more pay discussions.“We will not negotiate again on this year’s settlements and no amount of strikes will change our decision,” he said.
The prime minister said the leaders of the teaching unions have agreed to recommend that instructors stop their strike. The question is how other unions will respond to what is in effect an ultimatum.
Junior doctors on the frontline of Thursday’s walkout will face a decision on their first day of what is being described as the longest-ever strike in the National Health Service. They are asking for a 35% pay bump.
The British Medical Association, the doctors’ union, has asked for a big leap in pay to bring junior doctors’ pay back to 2008 levels once inflation is taken into account. The workload of England’s 75,000 or so junior doctors also has swelled as patient waiting lists for treatment are at record highs following the coronavirus pandemic.
“Today marks the start of the longest single walkout by doctors in the NHS’s history, but this is still not a record that needs to go into the history books,” said BMA leaders Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi.
Britain, like other countries, is grappling with high inflation for the first time in years. Price rises were first stoked by supply chain issues resulting from the pandemic and then by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent energy and food prices soaring. Though inflation has come down slightly from its peak — to 8.7% — it remains far above the 2% level the Bank of England is tasked to target.
The doctors’ strike will cause huge disruption for the already embattled NHS, with operations and consultations postponed or even cancelled.
The doctors taking the strike action say they know the impact of their walkout on the health service but insist that they have been left with no alternative.
“This isn’t a celebration, this is years of declining pay, declining conditions, frustration, and this is what has culminated as a result,” Alex Gibbs, a striking 31-year-old doctor said outside University College Hospital in north London. (AP) -
Italian authorities seize migrant rescue ship Ocean Viking
ROME (TIP): Italian authorities have ordered the Ocean Viking migrant rescue ship to remain in a port near Rome after it failed an inspection, the charity that owns it said on July 13.
The ship underwent a seven-hour inspection Tuesday by the coast guard in the port of Civitavecchia, north of the Italian capital, after disembarking 57 migrants it had rescued in the Mediterranean.
It was then placed under administrative detention for “an indefinite period” after “a few small technical and administrative problems” were discovered, SOS Mediterranee said in a statement.
The coast guard did not respond to an AFP request for information.
SOS Mediterranee press officer Francesco Creazzo said the problem raised by the Italian coast guard related to the number of lifeboats and specialised operators on board.
The Ocean Viking has undergone seven inspections by the coast guard in the past three years, Creazzo said.
Italy’s hard-right government, which came to power in October 2022, has taken numerous measures to restrict the activities of ships operated by non-governmental organisations that rescue migrants in trouble on the crossing from North Africa.
In February, parliament approved a government decree that limited charity ships to one sea rescue at a time, requiring them to dock at a port assigned by authorities following each rescue.
The NGOs say this amounts to forcing the ships to ignore other emergencies on the water following rescue and sending them to distant ports instead of closer ones. (AFP) -
Six killed, four wounded in mass shooting in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG (TIP): A mass shooting in South Africa left six people dead and four wounded when three men entered the yard of a home and opened fire, police said on July 12. The shootings happened on July 11 night in the township of Kwanobuhle near the town of Kariega in the Eastern Cape province. The suspects have not been arrested and a search was underway, police said.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and at least 2,629 people were killed with a firearm in the first three months of this year, according to official crime statistics. That’s a rate of 30 people a day. Police said five men and a woman were killed in Tuesday’s shooting and a woman was among the wounded.
“It is alleged that … three unknown males entered the yard and opened fire at people who were in the property or nearby to the house,” said police spokesperson Col. Priscilla Naidu. “Two females were shot at the gate. One female succumbed to her injuries while the other sustained gunshot wounds.” Police said the motive for the shooting is unclear. There has been a series of mass shootings in South Africa recently, including at least three this year before Tuesday. Eight people were fatally shot at a birthday party in the same Eastern Cape province in January. A child was among 10 members of the same family killed at a house in April. (AP) -
Ukraine says downed 20 Russian drones, two cruise missiles
KYIV (TIP): Ukraine said on July 13 it had downed 20 Russian attack drones and two cruise missiles in an overnight attack that killed one and wounded at least four in the capital Kyiv. “We have a successful air defense operation,” air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat told national television. “Twenty Shaheds were destroyed — all those flying were downed.” The 20 Iran-made Shahed attack drones were destroyed “mainly in the Kyiv region”, Ukraine’s air force said in a separate statement on Telegram. The drones had “entered the capital from different directions”, Kyiv’s military administration said on Telegram earlier, adding air defences had destroyed “about a dozen” in the city’s airspace. Falling debris was reported in five city districts, it said, adding that a 19-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man had been hospitalised with shrapnel wounds. Two people were wounded in Darnytsky district “as a result of falling debris”, Sergiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, wrote on Telegram.
It was unclear if they were the same two people. Emergency services were responding to calls in Solomyansky, Shevchenkivsky, Podilsky and Darnytsky districts following “explosions in the capital”, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said earlier.
In Podilsky district, firefighters discovered the “body of one dead person”, Klitschko posted on Telegram.
Klitschko also said two people had been “hospitalised” in Darnytsky district after falling debris damaged a residential building.
It was not clear if they were the same two people mentioned by the military administration.
Two others in Shevchenkivsky district had been treated at the scene, Klitschko said.
Fires broke out in an apartment building in Shevchenkivsky and in a non-residential building in Podilsky district, he said, adding emergency services were on site. A picture posted on Telegram by Kyiv’s military administration showed a room in a high-rise building with part of its wall blown out, in what it said was the result of falling debris in Darnytsky district.
Ukrainian air defences also destroyed two Kalibr cruise missiles during the night, Ukraine’s air force said on Telegram.
It said an Iskander-M ballistic missile had also been launched from Crimea, a southern peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Information was “still being clarified” regarding the missile launch, it said. (AP)