KATHMANDU (TIP): The Yeti Airlines aircraft which crashed in Nepal last month killing 71 people, including five Indians, lost thrust and fell after the propellers of both engines went into a feathered position, according to a preliminary probe report which lead investigators to suspect human error behind the deadly crash.
Yeti Airlines flight 691, after taking off from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport on January 15, crashed on the Seti River gorge between the old airport and the new airport in the resort city of Pokhara.
There were 72 people including four crew members onboard the ATR-72 aircraft when it crashed, but rescue officials have so far managed to recover only 71 bodies with the other missing passenger presumed dead.
It is rare for the propellers of both engines to come to a feathered position, said one of the members of the five-member probe committee, which is also mentioned in the 14-page preliminary report posted on the website of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation of Nepal.
“Human factor in the accident could not be disregarded. So it is an issue of investigation,” said the member on condition of anonymity. “When both propellers were feathered, the investigation team observed that both engines of 9N-ANC were running flight idle condition during the event flight to prevent over torque,” states the preliminary report. “As per the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) all the recorded parameters related to engines did not show any anomaly,” adds the report.
“When Air Traffic Controller (ATC) gave the clearance for landing at 10:57:07, the Pilot Flying (PF) mentioned twice that there was no power coming from the engines,” the report further says.
“During the time of the crash, the prevailing visibility was 6 km and the sky was almost clear with only a few clouds,” points out the preliminary report.
According to experts, the pilots unintentionally pulled the condition levers causing the engine to shut down and feather the propellers. Each lever starts and stops the fuel supply, and controls the idle speed for its respective engine.
One investigator said that they found the levers pulled down at the crash site.“We are waiting for a detailed report. We cannot ascertain what happened before that,” said a probe committee member. “Yes, there is also the issue of flaps. There are questions about why the pilots delayed extending the flaps. The routine checklists were not followed.
There are many factors to look at,” Joint Secretary at the Tourism Ministry Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane – a senior member of the probe committee — was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post newspaper. (PTI)
Year: 2023
-
Nepal plane crash preliminary report: Investigators suspect human error
-
Afghanistan: Ruling Taliban display rare division in public over bans
ISLAMABAD (TIP): A rare public show of division within the ranks of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban emerged in recent days when Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, a powerful government figure, gave a speech seen as an implicit criticism of the movement’s reclusive supreme leader.
The Taliban leadership has been opaque since the former insurgents’ takeover of the country in August 2021, with almost no indication of how decisions are made.
In recent months, the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has appeared to take a stronger hand in directing policy. In particular, it was on his orders that the Taliban government banned women and girls from universities and schools after the sixth grade.
The bans raised a fierce international uproar, increasing Afghanistan’s isolation at a time when its economy has collapsed — and worsening a humanitarian crisis. The bans also appeared to contradict previous policies by the Taliban government.
Between the Taliban takeover until the December ban on attending universities, women had been allowed to continue their studies. Taliban officials repeatedly promised that girls would be allowed to attend secondary school, but a decision to allow them back last year was suddenly reversed.
Haqqani made his comments in a speech over the weekend at a graduation ceremony at an Islamic religious school in the eastern province of Khost. “Monopolizing power and hurting the reputation of the entire system are not to our benefit,” Haqqani said, according to video clips of the speech released on social media by his supporters. “The situation cannot be tolerated,” he added. Haqqani said now that the Taliban have taken power, “more responsibility has been placed on our shoulders and it requires patience and good behaviour and engagement with the people.” He said the Taliban must “soothe the wounds of the people” and act in a way that the people do not come to hate them and their religion.
Haqqani did not refer to Akhundzada, but the remarks were seen by many commenting on social media as directed at him. Haqqani also did not mention the issue of women’s education, but he has said publicly in the past that women and girls should be allowed to go to schools and universities. Zabihullah Mujahed, the top spokesman for the Kabul government, said in an apparent reaction to Haqqani’s comments — without naming him — that criticism is best voiced privately. “If someone criticizes the emir, minister, or any other official, it is better — and Islamic ethics also say — that he should express his criticism directly and secretly to him,” not in public, he said. (AP) -
‘100,000 funerals’: Turkey’s quake survivors wait amid rubble, to search or say goodbye
ANTAKYA (TIP): Hamid Yakisikli has waited outside the pile of concrete that used to be his house since an earthquake devastated his home in the ancient city of Antakya. He and his two brothers have endured freezing conditions, in big jackets and wool hats, waiting for rescuers to retrieve the body of their mother, Fatma, from under the rubble. Ever since the Feb. 6 earthquake decimated swaths of Turkey and Syria, survivors have gathered outside destroyed houses and apartments, refusing to leave.
Hundreds of buildings were reduced to rubble; ancient buildings lie in ruins; and the streets of Antakya’s historic centre were blocked by mounds of debris and furniture, dividing the city into small blocks of apocalyptic destruction. It was the most deadly quake in Turkey’s modern history. Over 2 million people have left the disaster zone in Turkey, according to the government. But here in the worst-hit city, hundreds are still waiting. At every corner, a few people look at a pile of rubble, praying for a wife, a sister, a son or a friend.
Yakisikli, a retired cook, was closest to his mother. She lived right below him. He was home when the quake struck. “We were on the third floor, and we just found ourselves on the ground,” he said. His mother’s second-floor apartment was deep underground.Yakisikli and his brothers initially tried to climb the rubble in search of their mother. One caught a glimpse of her head through the debris — she was lifeless, lying on her back. Unable to free her body, they began a long wait. “I can’t have peace of mind without burying her,” said Yakisikli, as he watched an excavator claw at the remains of the building behind his home.
The Yakisiklis only slept when the excavators turned off their engines, in a tent pitched in an abandoned school near their former home. There was no water, electricity or toilet in the tent. “We will not feel good about leaving. We must get her out and bury her and then we see what we have to do,” he said. The Yakisikli brothers find solace in the company of the living — and the occasional laugh, as they spend days swapping stories about their travels.
Some of the people are waiting for a miracle.
On Wednesday, Abdulrizak Dagli and his wife read the Quran and raised their hands to the skies, as they waited for rescuers to retrieve their son and his wife, and a missing grandchild. Their 1-year-old granddaughter was pulled out of the debris alive five days after the earthquake. Other survivors have refused to move to guard savings, valuable belongings and homes. Some search for documents they hope could help them rebuild the life they knew; others simply look for memories.
“We can’t leave our house,” said Gulsen Donmez, a 46-year-old survivor, leaning back on a plastic chair in a park opposite her damaged house. She left for a few days but soon rushed back. (AP) -
China’s leader Xi Jinping to make state visit to Iran
BEIJING (TIP): Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to Iran, Beijing’s foreign ministry said February 16, as a three-day trip to China by the Islamic republic’s leader drew to a close.
Beijing and Tehran reinforced their strong economic ties in 2021 by signing a 25-year “strategic cooperation pact” but have been under pressure from Western nations over their positions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Iran is also under strict US sanctions for its nuclear programme. Xi “gladly accepted” an invitation by President Ebrahim Raisi to make a trip to Iran, both countries said in a joint statement issued on Thursday. No date was given for the visit, which would be Xi’s first to the Middle Eastern nation since 2016.
Iran agreed with major world powers in 2015 to rein in its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of punishing sanctions. But then-President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, resulting in Tehran rolling back its commitments. Efforts to revive the agreement have stalled for months, and the US and Israel continue to accuse Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons — a claim it denies.
Beijing and Tehran on Thursday called for an end to sanctions, blaming current tensions on Washington’s “unilateral withdrawal” from the deal. “Both sides emphasised that lifting sanctions and ensuring Iran’s economic dividends are an important component of the agreement,” they said in the joint communique.
“All relevant sanctions should be fully abolished in a verifiable manner, promoting the agreement’s full and effective implementation,” they said.
‘Solidarity’
Beijing rolled out the red carpet for Raisi’s arrival on Tuesday, with the Iranian leader trailed by a large trade and finance delegation in the first such visit for over 20 years.
Xi later hailed China’s “solidarity and cooperation” with Iran “in the face of the current complex changes in the world, times, and history,” Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Beijing “supports Iran in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national dignity… and in resisting unilateralism and hegemonism,” Xi said, according to CCTV.
China “opposes external forces interfering in Iran’s internal affairs and undermining Iran’s security and stability,” he added.
The two sides signed a number of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of agriculture, trade, tourism, environmental protection, health, disaster relief, culture and sport, CCTV reported. (AFP) -
‘Plastic waste in disguise’: Donated clothing worsening Kenya’s pollution crisis
PARIS (TIP): One-third of all second-hand clothing shipped to Kenya in 2021 was “plastic waste in disguise”, creating a slew of environmental and health problems for local communities, a new report said February 16.
Every year, tonnes of donated clothing are sent to developing countries, but an estimated 30 per cent of it ends up in landfills — or flooding local markets where it can crowd out local production.
A new report shows that the problem is having grave consequences in Kenya, where some 900 million pieces of used clothing are sent every year, according to the Netherlands-based Changing Markets Foundation.
Much of the clothing shipped to the country is made from petroleum-based materials such as polyester, or is in such bad shape they cannot be donated.
They may end up burning in landfills near Nairobi, exposing informal waste pickers to toxic fumes. Tonnes of textiles are also swept into waterways, eventually breaking down into microfibres ingested by aquatic animals. “More than one in three pieces of used clothing shipped to Kenya is a form of plastic waste in disguise and a substantial element of toxic plastic pollution in the country,” the report said.
The research was based on customs data as well as fieldwork by non-profit organisation Wildlight and the activist group Clean Up Kenya, which conducted dozens of interviews.
Some of the clothing items were stained with vomit or badly damaged, the report found, while others had no use in Kenya’s warmer climate.
“I have seen people open bales with skiing gear and winter clothes, which are of no use to most Kenyans,” Betterman Simidi Musasia, Clean Up Kenya founder, told AFP.
‘Enormous waste problem’
Between 20 and 50 percent of all donated clothing was not of a sufficient quality to be sold on the local secondhand market, the report found. Unwearable items might be turned into industrial wipes or cheap fuel for peanut roasters, swept into the Nairobi river, scattered around the market or sent to immense plastic graveyards outside the capital, such as the Dandora landfill. Several waste pickers working at Dandora said they contracted breathing and asthma issues by inhaling smoke from burning plastic at the site, according to the report. Musasia said items should be better sorted at the point of donation before being shipped to Kenya, instead of being blindly passed on, to try and prevent the problem at the source. (AFP) -
Banksy’s ‘Valentine’s Day Mascara’ mural removed by UK council
Margate (TIP): British street artist Banksy’s painting– his gift for Valentine’s Day–was removed by council officials hours after it was unveiled by the artist in Margate in southeast England on February 14.
The painting had reportedly appeared on the back of a building just off Grosvenor Place in Margate, Kent.
While fans flocked to the seaside town to pose for selfies by the painting, officials moved in and carried away the freezer on “health and safety grounds,” reports said.
The mural depicts a 1950s-style housewife with a swollen eye and a missing tooth seemingly shoving her male partner into a real chest freezer, Arab News reported.
The mural, titled “Valentine’s Day Mascara,” had seen its chest freezer, broken garden chair, blue crate and empty beer bottle taken away by a local council, Irvine Times reported.
The elusive Banksy, whose true identity remains unconfirmed, posted three images of the work on his Instagram account. Two of the images were close-ups showing the woman, wearing a blue pinafore and yellow washing-up gloves, smiling but seemingly with a battered face.
The removal of the freezer prompted bemusement — and even conspiracy theories — among bystanders.
“People were sort of like, ‘Stop, stop, you know, this is a Banksy, right?’” local resident Laura Holden, 35, told AFP.
“And they (the workers) were like, ‘Yeah, no, we’ve got permission to take everything away’,” she said.
The local council announced on Wednesday however that it had returned the old appliance.
“The freezer which council operatives removed from the Banksy installation in Margate has now been made safe,” said a statement from Thanet District Council, which administers Margate.
“It has been returned to its original position at the site of the artwork today.”
The council acknowledged that Banksy had raised an important issue in dealing with domestic abuse in his latest work.
It was in touch with the owner of the property to find out what they intended to do to preserve it, it added. (AFP) -
China sanctions US defence firms Lockheed Martin, Raytheon for Taiwan sales
BEIJING (TIP): China on February 16 imposed trade and investment sanctions on Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon for supplying weapons to Taiwan, stepping up efforts to isolate the island democracy claimed by the ruling Communist Party as part of its territory.
Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Technologies Corp.’s Raytheon Missiles and Defense are barred from importing goods into China or making new investments in the country, the Ministry of Commerce announced. It said they were added to the “unreliable entity” list of companies whose activities are restricted because they might endanger national sovereignty, security or development interests.
It wasn’t clear what impact the penalties might have. The United States bars most sales of weapons-related technology to China, but some military contractors also have civilian businesses in aerospace and other markets.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war. The island of 22 million people never has been part of the People’s Republic of China, but the Communist Party says it is obliged to unite with the mainland, by force if necessary. President Xi Jinping’s government has stepped up efforts to intimidate Taiwan by flying fighter jets and bombers near the island and firing missiles into the sea.
The United States has no official relations with Taiwan but maintains extensive commercial and informal contacts. Washington is obligated by federal law to make sure the island’s government has the means to defend itself. The United States is Taiwan’s main supplier of military equipment.
Raytheon Missiles and Defense, part of Raytheon Technologies Corp., was awarded a $412 million contract in September to upgrade Taiwanese military radar as part of a $1.1 billion package of U.S. arms sales to the island. Boeing Defense received a $355 million contract to supply Harpoon missiles. Beijing responded to that sale by announcing sanctions against the CEOs of Raytheon and of Boeing Defense but gave no details of what they were.
Lockheed Martin has supplied Taiwan’s military with radar, helicopters and air traffic control equipment. It plays a role in the island’s development of its own fighter jet and navy frigates. In China, Lockheed Martin has sold air traffic control equipment for civilian airports and helicopters for commercial use.
Beijing announced plans for the “unreliable entity” list in 2019 in response to U.S. restrictions imposed on Huawei Technologies Ltd., a Chinese maker of telecom equipment. (AP) -
Ukrainian Nobel winner calls for world to ‘hold Russian war criminals accountable’
Kyiv (TIP): Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian rights activist whose NGO was co-winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, called February 16 for the world to “hold Russian war criminals accountable,” in an interview with AFP.
“We must break the circle of impunity,” she said, urging the United Nations and the European Union to back Kyiv’s call for a special tribunal able to judge top Russian officials all the way up to President Vladimir Putin.
While acknowledging that getting a majority of UN member countries behind that goal was a “hard task,” Matviichuk said it was indispensable for any post-war peace that might follow the end of the conflict in her country.
“There will not be sustainable peace without justice,” she noted.
Her demand came nearly a year after Russia’s February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which followed its 2014 annexation of Crimea and support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s east.
She was speaking at Belgium’s University of Louvain just ahead of receiving an honorary doctorate there, alongside Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman and Adelle Blackett, a law professor at Canada’s McGill University.
The trio were being recognised for the fight for civil rights and a fairer society.
‘Everyone’s rights protected’
The Ukrainian NGO that Matviichuk runs, the Center for Civil Liberties, last year shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the Russian rights organisation Memorial and an imprisoned Belarusian pro-democracy activist, Ales Bialiatski.
Matviichuk’s Center for Civil Liberties, founded in 2007, has campaigned for rule of law and democracy in Ukraine.
That struggle has only become harder with Russia’s military offensive, but it has not been forgotten, she said — to the contrary, the values the NGO campaigns on are central to Ukraine’s efforts to one day join the European Union. “We have two main tasks: to survive and to resist, and to continue our democratic path,” Matviichuk said.
“We’re still a nation in transit, and we can’t concentrate energy only on this reforming path — we have in parallel the war with Russia.
“But after the large-scale invasion started, we still have no luxury to concentrate only on one goal, we have to fight for our survival. And we have to move on to join to European Union,” she said.
Ukraine’s ambition to become an EU member state could take many years, EU officials say, though some EU neighbours of Ukraine are lobbying for a faster timeline.
Becoming part of the European Union means becoming part of the “European civilisation space,” Matviichuk said.
Joining the EU would mean “we will have a chance to build our country where the rights of everybody are protected,” she said. (AFP) -
NRI businessman from Kerala donates Rs 11 crore for earthquake-hit Turkey, Syria
KOCHI (TIP): UAE-based entrepreneur from Kerala Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings, has donated Rs 11 crore as aid for earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria.
The aid has been handed over to the Emirates Red Crescent that is helping with relief efforts in the region.
The fund will be used to support rescue efforts by providing medicine and other supplies, relocating those who have lost their homes, and rehabilitating victims and their families.
Hundreds of families have been displaced after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the region on February 6, killing more than 34,000 people.
According to the World Health Organization, the natural disaster could affect up to 23 million people.
“This donation is part of our ongoing efforts to provide assistance to the relief work. My heart goes out to all affected by the devastating earthquake, and I hope this contribution will support their needs,” said Vayalil who is also the son-in-law of billionaire business magnate M.A.Yusuf Ali.
Vayalil has often contributed to aid efforts in India, including significant contributions to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. In 2018, he sent a flight of medical supplies and protective gear to assist Kerala in its efforts to fight the Nipah virus.
He has also launched a rehabilitation and reconstruction project in which a flood-damaged primary health center in the state was rebuilt as a model family health center.
He also joined The Giving Pledge, an initiative created by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and business magnate Warren Buffett to support good causes around the world. -
Indian-origin Sikhs in US told to shave or face strict action, slam correctional agency’s discriminatory beard policy
SACRAMENTO (TIP): Members of the penal law enforcement agency in the US state of California are now required to shave their facial hair, regardless of any religious or medical reasons they may have for keeping it, media reports said, a move civil rights activists say was disproportionately targeting religious minorities like the Sikhs and Black Americans. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in an order on February 1 said staff members are required to shave facial hair, irrespective of any religious or medical reasons they may have for keeping it.
A CDCR official said the policy change was prompted to comply with the department’s Covid-19 safety measures.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Sikh Coalition, the new policy would disproportionately target religious minorities like Sikh and Black Americans.
“They’ve rolled out this blanket, very over-broad policy, that all peace officers must shave to wear N-95s,” Harsimran Kaur, Sikh Coalition’s senior legal counsel, told media.
“But we know that there are alternative respirators out there that bearded people can wear safely to do their jobs… We think there’s a way to keep bearded people safe and not trample on their civil rights,” Kaur said.
A US federal court on December 23 last year ruled that the Marines Corps, a part of the US Armed Forces, can’t restrict entry to Sikhs with a beard and a turban, according to media reports. -
Indian American Neal Mohan set to head YouTube
Susan Wojcicki steps down as CEO of YouTube
NEW YORK (TIP): Indian-American Neal Mohan will be the new YouTube CEO, as current head Susan Wojcicki has announced to step down after 25 years at the Google-owned company.
Currently chief product officer, Mohan became part of Google, the parent company of YouTube, in 2008. He is a Stanford graduate and earlier worked with Microsoft.
Mohan and Wojcicki have worked together for nearly 15 years. He became YouTube’s chief product officer in 2015.
“Today, after nearly 25 years here, I’ve decided to step back from my role as the head of YouTube and start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about,” Wojcicki said in a blog post late on Thursday. She has agreed with Sundar Pichai to take on an advisory role across Google and Alphabet. “This will allow me to call on my different experiences over the years to offer counsel and guidance across Google and the portfolio of Alphabet companies,” she added.
Wojcicki managed marketing, co-created Google Image Search, led Google’s first Video and Book search, as well as early parts of AdSense’s creation, worked on the YouTube and DoubleClick acquisitions, served as SVP of Ads, and for the last nine years, was the CEO of YouTube. “I took on each challenge that came my way because it had a mission that benefited so many people’s lives around the world: finding information, telling stories and supporting creators, artists, and small businesses,” she noted.
“Mohan will be the SVP and new head of YouTube. I’ve spent nearly 15 years of my career working with Mohan, first when he came over to Google with the DoubleClick acquisition in 2007 and as his role grew to become SVP of Display and Video Ads,” said Wojcicki.
He has set up a top-notch product and UX team, played pivotal roles in the launch of some of the biggest products, including YouTube TV, YouTube Music and Premium and Shorts, and has led the Trust and Safety team.
Mohan ensured that “YouTube lives up to its responsibility as a global platform”. “With all we’re doing across Shorts, streaming, and subscriptions, together with the promises of AI, YouTube’s most exciting opportunities are ahead, and Mohan is the right person to lead us,” said Wojcicki.
(Source: IANS) -
Four Indian Americans elected to National Academy of Engineering
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Four Indian Americans are among 106 new members elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), while three Indians figure among 18 new international members.
The seven Indian origin engineers — Shorya Awtar, Anirudh Devgan, TS Ramakrishnan, Anil Sachdev, Vikram S Deshpande, Aniruddha B Pandit, and Raman Sujith — and others in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting on Oct 1, 2023, according to an NAE press release.
This brings the total US membership to 2,420 and the number of international members to 319.
Election to the NAE, a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation, is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer, according to the release.
Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”
NAE’s mission is to advance the welfare and prosperity of the nation by providing independent advice on matters involving engineering and technology, and by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and public appreciation of engineering, the release said.
Four new Indian American members are:
Shorya Awtar, chief executive officer, Parallel Robotics LLC, Ann Arbor, Michigan. For inventing and commercializing game-changing surgical products that have made minimally invasive surgery affordable and accessible around the world. Anirudh Devgan, president and CEO, Cadence Design Systems, San Jose, California. For technical and business leadership in the electronic design automation industry.
TS Ramakrishnan, senior scientific adviser, Schlumberger-Doll Research Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts. For contributions to petrophysics, reservoir characterization, abandonment of production wells, and carbon sequestration and storage.
Anil Sachdev, principal technical fellow and lab group manager, General Motors Co, Warren, Michigan. For the research, development, and commercialization of lightweight materials to improve vehicle fuel economy.
Three new Indian origin international members are:
Vikram S Deshpande, professor, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. For contributions to mechanics of micro architected solids with applications to structures under extreme dynamic loading.
Aniruddha B Pandit, vice chancellor and UGC Professor, Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. For contributions to cavitational reactors from concept to commercialization, and engineering solutions to improve the lives of underserved people. Raman Sujith, chair professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. For applications of dynamical systems theory to the understanding and control of instabilities in engineering systems. -
Indian American employer Amee Patel ordered to pay $69K overtime
MICHIGAN (TIP): An Indian-origin owner and operator of three nursing homes in the US state of Michigan had to pay back $69,000 to managers who were not paid their overtime, according to a federal investigation.
Amee Patel owned and ran the operations at Chesaning Nursing Center and Detroit-based Beaconshire Nursing Center and Westwood Nursing Center.
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recovered the whole amount in back wages and damages owed to 45 managers who worked at these three centers.
It found that Patel paid the managers hourly wages when they worked fewer than 40 hours in the workweek and paid salaried wages when they exceeded 40 hours.
By regularly alternating the managers’ status from hourly to salary, Patel voided their claim that the managers were overtime exempt, the investigation found.
“Business operators cannot casually decide to pay workers as salaried in some weeks and hourly in others. By doing so, Amee Patel clearly violated federal laws by denying workers at her healthcare facilities all their hard-earned pay,” Timolin Mitchell, Wage and Hour Division District Director in Detroit, said.
The division assessed and received payment of $7,938 in civil money penalties for Patel’s repeat violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. In 2018, federal investigators found that Patel violated overtime regulations when she failed to pay drivers for all their travel and wait times.
In 2015, she failed to pay employees for attending mandatory training.
In total, the division recovered $17,173 in back wages for 12 Beaconshire Nursing Center employees, $14,205 in back wages for 21 employees at Westwood Nursing Center and $3,133 in back wages for 12 employees at Chesaning Nursing Center.
Patel also paid an equal amount in liquidated damages, for a total of $69,022.
In fiscal year 2022, the Detroit district office recovered nearly $2.2 million in back wages and liquidated damages for almost 3,000 workers in Eastern Michigan, of which nearly $500,000 was owed to healthcare workers. -
Annual convention of Indian-Americans physicians body to be held in Philadelphia
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The influential American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI) on Monday announced it will hold its 41st annual convention in Philadelphia in July this summer.
“It is with great pleasure that we announce that the 41st Annual Convention and Scientific Sessions organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI) will be held from July 6th to 9th, 2003 in the historical city of Philadelphia, PA,” Dr. Ravi Kolli, president of AAPI announced on Monday, February 13.
AAPI represents over 120,000 Indian American physicians, 130 local Chapters, who make up 10 per cent of total physicians in the US and nearly 50 per cent of International Medical Graduates, rooted in every corner of the nation, who serve every seventh patient in the US, DR Kolli said.
“We are proud of our achievements and our contributions to the healthcare industry and the millions of people we serve,” he said. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the convenor of AAPI Convention 2023. -
US launches artificial intelligence military use initiative
US declaration has 12 points, including that military uses of AI are consistent with international law
THE HAGUE (TIP): The United States launched an initiative on Thursday promoting international cooperation on the responsible use of artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons by militaries, seeking to impose order on an emerging technology that has the potential to change the way war is waged, an AP report says.
“As a rapidly changing technology, we have an obligation to create strong norms of responsible behavior concerning military uses of AI and in a way that keeps in mind that applications of AI by militaries will undoubtedly change in the coming years,” Bonnie Jenkins, the State Department’s under secretary for arms control and international security, said.
She said the US political declaration, which contains non-legally binding guidelines outlining best practices for responsible military use of AI, “can be a focal point for international cooperation.”
Jenkins launched the declaration at the end of a two-day conference in The Hague that took on additional urgency as advances in drone technology amid the Russia’s war in Ukraine have accelerated a trend that could soon bring the world’s first fully autonomous fighting robots to the battlefield.
The US declaration has 12 points, including that military uses of AI are consistent with international law, and that states “maintain human control and involvement for all actions critical to informing and executing sovereign decisions concerning nuclear weapons employment.” Zachary Kallenborn, a George Mason University weapons innovation analyst who attended the Hague conference, said the US move to take its approach to the international stage “recognizes that there are these concerns about autonomous weapons. That is significant in and of itself.”
Kallenborn said it was also important that Washington included a call for human control over nuclear weapons “because when it comes to autonomous weapons risk, I think that is easily the highest risk you possibly have.”
Underscoring the sense of international urgency around AI and autonomous weapons, 60 nations, including the US and China, issued a call for action at the Hague conference urging broad cooperation in the development and responsible military use of artificial intelligence.
“We are in time to mitigate risks and to prevent AI from spiraling out of control, and we are in time to prevent AI from taking us to a place we simply don’t want to be,” Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said.
The call to action issued in the Netherlands underscored “the importance of ensuring appropriate safeguards and human oversight of the use of AI systems, bearing in mind human limitations due to constraints in time and capacities.” The participating nations also invited countries “to develop national frameworks, strategies and principles on responsible AI in the military domain.”
Military analysts and artificial intelligence researchers say the longer the nearly year-long war in Ukraine lasts, the more likely it becomes that drones will be used to identify, select and attack targets without help from humans.
Ukraine’s digital transformation minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, told The Associated Press in a recent interview that fully autonomous killer drones are “a logical and inevitable next step” in weapons development. He said Ukraine has been doing “a lot of R&D in this direction”.
Ukraine already has semi-autonomous attack drones and counter-drone weapons endowed with AI. Russia also claims to possess AI weaponry, though the claims are unproven. But there are no confirmed instances of a nation putting into combat robots that have killed entirely on their own.
Russia was not invited to attend the conference in The Hague. China’s ambassador to the Netherlands Tan Jian did attend and said Beijing has sent two papers to the United Nations on regulating military AI applications, saying the issue “concerns the common security and the well-being of mankind, which requires the united response of all countries,” he said. -
Indian Community celebrates Black History Month
CONCORD, NC (TIP): As part of celebrating Feb 2023 as Black History Month, HSS (Hindu Swamyamsevak Sangh) Concord (North Carolina) chapter organized an event on Sunday, February 5th with
Speaking at the well-attended event that included men, women and several young kids, Willie Fleming (Founder & President, IMC-International Minority Coalition) said that the Indian community celebrating Black History Month and recognizing the struggles of the African American community is a great step forward. He said that ‘Unity is Strength’ and this synergy should continue in future and both communities should work on issues of common interest to build a strong and united society.Shante’ Burke-Hayer (District Court Judge, District 26) the youngest District Court judge in the Mecklenburg County said that Black History Month in the legal realm would take her back to Thurgood Marshall (First African American Supreme Court Justice) and to Ketanji Brown Jackson (African American Supreme Court Justice) as she stands on their shoulders and fight for the rights of all; especially the under-privileged communities in the legal world. Judge Shante thanked the organizers for extending the Black History Month event invite and appealed for unity to solve issues the community is facing.
Speaking on the occasion Tony Forman (Senior Member, IMC) who works with the Race and Relations committee in Mecklenburg County said that his roots are from Dominican Republic and Latino community and faced similar conditions like the African American community. He said that Black History month should not be a one-month event, but it should be practiced year long as it represents the hope that we can surmount any big challenge if we all come together.
David Hughes (Senior Member, IMC) and a Deacon from Greater Providence Baptish Church mentioned that many churches celebrate Black History Month to recognize the struggles the community went through. During the times of slavery even church services were done secretly in the woods after sundown shows the conditions that prevailed during those times and how the community faced and overcame the challenges, representing hope for future generations.
Resha Fortson (Political Coordinator SEIU-Service Employees International Union) said that SEIU is one of the largest employee unions in the country with a few million members. SEIU helps organize workers to give them a voice in the community. She said, it is important for employees of color to be organized at work to make sure their voice is heard and ensure all the doors are open for them as many of them come from under-privileged communities. Resha thanked the Indian community for inviting African American community leaders and celebrating Black History Month.Anitha Rajan (President, Framework for Future) said that her organization is a non-profit that provides a platform for youth to enhance their leadership skills. Coming together of Indian, African American, and Latino leaders to celebrate Black History Month is great progress. By working together, we can address the issues our communities face and make the world a better place.
To conclude Aravind Modini (HSS Volunteer, Outreach team) thanked all the participating community leaders and said that it was an honor to have to have them on one platform. The Hindu/Indian community believes in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (World is One Big Family) and so many leaders from different communities coming together to celebrate Black History Month truly reflects that spirit and this synergy should continue in future to positively impact the community.
The program ended with organizers from HSS thanking the community leaders for joining them to celebrate Black History Month and pledged to work together in future.
(Based on a press release)
-
Navika group acquires 2 stylish hotels with views of NYC skyline
Parveen Chopra
UNIONDALE, NY (TIP): Navika Group of Companies has acquired two stylish hotels with magnificent views of the New York City skyline from across the Hudson River. The premier commercial real estate company has added EnVue, Autograph Collection by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott, Port Imperial, Weehawken, NJ, to its stable that already boasts iconic hotels like Sheraton Mahwah, Marriott Long Island and Andaz Wall Street, rebranded as Hyatt Centric Wall Street.
EnVue, Autograph Collection Rated Best of the Best Hotels in NYC, it has a great location, right on the Hudson River across the street from the NY Waterway ferries to NY terminal. Guests can revel in spectacular views of the Hudson River and Manhattan skyline. In fact, as the name signifies, EnVue, Autograph Collection is New York City on exhibit.
Weehawken, NJ was once host to prominent ancestors, infamous neighbors, and the forefathers’ famous duel of 1804. Now, EnVue hotel rises from the revitalized Hudson River waterfront offering a clean slate for new generations to create their own history. You can gather with friends and family for intimate dinners or large, timeless events at Skyline, their 25,000 sq ft adaptable outdoor terrace encircled by NYC’s horizon. You can also host a meeting for about 800 attendees inside the WorldVue Ballroom, their most expansive venue. And showcase your vision with their state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, available in every meeting room. At night sleep well in their well-appointed suites and guest rooms with a host of amenities.
Residence Inn Weehawken Port Imperial The boutique hotel in Weehawken, NJ is located on the Hudson River with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. For those wishing to explore the city that never sleeps, the hotel is just an effortless ferry ride away from Central Park and Midtown Manhattan.
Spacious and innovative suites come with fully equipped kitchens. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, you can enjoy local Jersey hotspots or utilize the hotel’s grocery-shopping services and enjoy a night in. Also avail complimentary breakfast buffet and work out at the onsite fitness center.
Headquartered in Uniondale, N.Y., Navika Group possesses a big portfolio of income-producing properties nationwide in the hospitality, leisure and corporate markets, including hotels, office buildings, apartment complexes, shopping centers and golf courses. Its portfolio includes Limited and Full Service Hotels, which are flagged under global brands such as Marriott, Hilton, Intercontinental, Wyndham, and Best Western.
-
Advocates descend on Capitol to demand full funding for the MTA; rally with legislators
ALBANY, NY (TIP): On Tuesday, February 14, a broad alliance of elected representatives, community organizations, advocates, and MTA riders rallied at the Capitol in support of including funding for the “Fix the MTA” package in the state budget. Advocates, straphangers and elected representatives alike are calling on the one-house budgets to include funding to not only resolve the MTA’s fiscal crisis, but ensure improved service, without imposing fare hikes on working-class New Yorkers already stretched thin by the skyrocketing cost of living.
The “Formula Three” spending bill within the “Fix the MTA” package would fully fund the MTA and reject a fare hike to $3, fund greater frequency for 6-minute service, and make buses free. The package also includes programmatic measures: to increase the agency’s accountability through better reporting; establish prudent and accurate budget measures; and boost efficiency.
Governor Hochul’s executive budget does not provide the funding necessary to avoid a fare hike to $3, and provides no funding for the service that MTA riders deserve.
Over 50 advocates and MTA riders joined Assembly Member Zohran K. Mamdani, NYS Senate Deputy Leader Gianaris, Senator Jessica Ramos, Senator Andrew Gounardes, Senator John Liu, Senator Jabari Brisport, Senator Natalia Fernandez, Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman, Assembly Member Juan Ardila, Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, Assembly Member Amanda Septimo, Assembly Member Robert Carroll, Assembly Member Tony Simone, Assembly Member Michaelle Solages, Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest, Assembly Member Chantel Jackson, Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, Assembly Member Sarahana Shrestha, Betsy Plum, Executive Director, Riders Alliance, Alfred Lynch Jr., a member of Riders Alliance and Lisa Daglian, Executive Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory to the MTA.
“This is the budget where we move beyond the bare minimum when it comes to the MTA. Dozens of my colleagues and I see this year as the one where we freeze the fare, fund frequency, and make buses free. Whether we speak to them on subway platforms or at bus stops, our constituents are clear that now is the time to break the Albany cycle of disinvestment and disinterest, and instead take critical steps towards creating a transit system that is affordable, reliable, and universally accessible,” said Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani.
“The MTA is on an express track towards fiscal calamity and it is imperative we intervene to save and improve the nation’s most important transit system,” said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. “Freezing fares, improving service and providing free bus service would be game-changers that would set the tone for the rest of the country and put the MTA on solid footing for a better future.”
“Ridership on the 7 train, which runs the length of my district, remained relatively steady throughout the pandemic because of the essential workers who kept commuting and kept our city running. We should recognize their contributions with reliable service, not fare hikes. New Yorkers are already feeling the squeeze of rising prices. We can either muster the political will to fix the MTA, or we can take half measures at the expense of working families who rely on our public transit infrastructure,” said State Senator Jessica Ramos.
“Fixing the MTA is not just about repairing tracks and trains, it’s about restoring faith in the backbone of our city’s infrastructure and the millions of New Yorkers who rely on it every day. Access to reliable and affordable public transportation is not a luxury, it’s a necessity – and providing free bus service from suburban communities to the city is a crucial step towards ensuring equitable opportunities and a thriving local economy for all,” said Assembly Member Michaelle Solages.
“I’m proud to stand in support of the #FixtheMTA bill package. I am speaking up alongside other legislators, advocacy groups, and working people who rely on the MTA to demand real investments in our public services. Now, more than ever, we must revitalize our public transportation to build a future of sustainability and equality. In NY, the rich have abandoned our public transportation, but that doesn’t mean the burden of fare increases should rest on working-class communities like mine. We must increase the availability and affordability of the MTA and make our public services truly public,” said Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes.
“Governor Hochul owes millions of New York bus and subway riders a targeted investment in six minutes or better service all day, every day,” said Riders Alliance Executive Director Betsy Plum. “More frequent public transit service will attract more riders, improve safety, enhance equity and is essential to both mitigating and adapting to climate change. In a state with a multibillion dollar surplus and money available to support industries from horse racing to Hollywood filmmaking, there’s no question that New York can afford the public transit service we need and deserve. With transit virtually defining our competitive edge, more frequent service is a policy change we can’t afford not to make.”
“Transit is the backbone of our region—an essential service—and it deserves to be funded as such,” said Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC). “An investment in better transit is an investment in a stronger city, state, and region. Riders need our state legislators and Governor to pass key aspects of the Fix the MTA package—including funding the MTA, increasing and improving MTA transparency, and give a greater voice to rider representatives on the MTA Board—which together will help build the transit system riders deserve. We can’t afford to face exorbitant fare hikes or service cuts—the millions of riders who depend on transit every day need our state leaders to fix the MTA. We thank Assemblymember Mamdani and the Assembly and Senate co-sponsors for proposing legislation that would transform our transit system and the lives of riders.”
“New York currently has a surplus of over 8 billion dollars. There’s no reason why we can’t adequately fund the MTA and meet the Chair’s $350 million ask to stave off another fare hike. I’m proud to have recently introduced a new bill as part of the “Fix the MTA” legislative package that would also help support the MTA’s overall fiscal health. The bill would allow certain tax revenue to go directly to the MTA without legislative appropriation. If enacted, the MTA would have more immediate access to much-needed funds, improve its credit, and prevent potential budget cuts in the future. I urge my colleagues to pass this bill this session and work together to help improve public transit without passing the buck to struggling New Yorkers,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “Mass transit is the lifeblood of New York, and our state budget should reflect the significant impact that it has on the wellbeing of all New Yorkers. The economic success of Bronxites and all working class New Yorkers is reliant on access to efficient, safe, and affordable buses and subways. Furthermore, beyond mere investments in mass transit, we must ensure that our transit authorities are spending this money with the best interest of riders in mind. Adding rider representation to the MTA Board would ensure that this valuable perspective is included in key decisions, and I’m proud to support the Fix the MTA package to enact systemic reform as well as paradigm-shifting investments in mass transit service for New Yorkers.”
“Transit is an irreplaceable public good that provides us access to our homes, our jobs, and the city around us. For the millions of working class New Yorkers who rely on our public transit, proposed fare hikes and long wait times are unacceptable,” said State Senator Julia Salazar. “I join my colleagues in urging the Governor to align the State’s investments with the needs of New Yorkers–and pass an executive budget that includes funding for the entire Fix the MTA package.”
State Senator John Liu said, “Hiking fares to cover for lagging ridership without addressing critical flaws like excessive wait times is counterintuitive for a mass transit system that is supposed to be accessible to all New Yorkers. This legislative package looks to make a fiscally sound, accountable and efficient system that will fully fund the MTA, create reliability, and make buses free for all, as has already been achieved in major metropolitan areas like Washington D.C. Many thanks to Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and our colleagues from both houses who recognize the urgency and necessity of this effort to improve transit and increase ridership.”
State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “New Yorkers shouldn’t settle for a transit system with unaffordable fares and unreliable service. This package would take a transformative approach to America’s largest transit system, treating the MTA like the public good that it is. Rejecting a fare hike, phasing in free buses, and implementing 6-minute service throughout the day would tangibly improve the lives of working-class New Yorkers. If the Governor is serious about her commitment to the MTA, she will make the investments necessary to guarantee reliable, affordable service for all New Yorkers.”
“The MTA’s impending fiscal cliff presents us with a fundamental choice. We could balance their budget on the backs of working class New Yorkers who rely on the buses and subways, while doing little to improve service and reliability. Or we could seize the moment to make transformative investments and create a system that’s beloved by every New Yorker, with dependable 6-minute service, frozen fares on the subway and free rides on the bus. It’s up to us in this year’s state budget,” said Assembly Member Emily Gallagher.Learn more about the legislation and the campaign at fixthemta.org
ABOUT “FIX THE MTA”: The campaign, supported by Riders Alliance, the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, Transportation Alternatives, the Democratic Socialists of America, New York City Chapter, New York Communities for Change, and the Invest in Our New York coalition advocates for the “Fix the MTA” package of bills introduced in the NY State Legislature this session. The package makes the MTA safer, more reliable, and affordable by rejecting a fare hike; increasing service; and making buses free. The package includes programmatic measures: to increase accountability through better reporting; establish prudent and accurate budget measures; and boost efficiency. Read more at fixthemta.org.
-
Nikki Haley has all credentials to be next US President: eminent Indian Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Several eminent Indian-Americans believe that Republican leader Nikki Haley, who launched her White House bid, has great credentials and leadership skills to be the next president of the US.
Haley, 51, formally launched her 2024 presidential bid on Wednesday, casting herself as a younger and fresher alternative to the 20th century politicians like her one-time boss and former president Donald Trump.
“Nikki Haley comes with great credentials, as governor of South Carolina and with foreign policy experience as US Ambassador to the United Nations,” M R Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora told PTI.
Haley, a former two-term governor of South Carolina, is the third Indian American to have launched a presidential bid. The other two are Bobby Jindal in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2020. Harris is now the Vice President of the country. “It is gratifying to see the rise of Indian Americans in the Republican Party, mirroring their prominence on the Democratic side,” Rangaswami told PTI.
“She (Haley) represents the majority of the middle. She is not extreme either. The way she ran South Carolina was amazing,” said Raj Vasudeva, from South Columbia who has known her for more than 30 years now.
Vasudeva and his wife both were present at the formal launch of the presidential campaign. We believe in her. She has got a great heart and a great head. We believe she can bring both sides together,” he said.
“I think she would do great things for the country,” Vasudeva told PTI.
Dr Anil Yallapragada, who grew up in South Carolina and has lived in South Carolina for the past three decades along with his parents, said Haley is an extraordinary and special person.
“I believe South Carolina has a lot to do with her success in terms of the environment,” he said. Describing Haley as “a highly talented and gifted leader” Dr Yallapragada said that her leadership would take the country to a new level and unite its people.
“The (Indian American) community is proud of her. She represents the best and brightest of us,” he said.
“She is a great human being,” he said.
“We want the best person for the job to run the country. There are very few people who are prepared to be the president of the country. She is one of them,” Dr Yallapragada told PTI.
He was among the small group of Indians to attend the launch of his presidential campaign of Haley.
Dr Yallapragada resides in his hometown of Charleston and is a practicing Neurohospitalist and Board Certified Vascular Neurologist. He currently serves on the American Heart Association National Advocacy and Policy Board and the World Stroke Association Global Policy Board.
Kartar Singh, also from South Carolina, who has known the family of Nikki Haley for more than three decades, said that the former governor and the former US ambassador to the United Nations have all the credentials to be the president of the country.
“She’s a hard worker. She is very intelligent. She is very sincere in what she says. She is not like other politicians. I feel she had a very good chance in primaries,” said Singh, who now leads a retired life in South Carolina.
“She is very conservative. She is very reasonable. She’s outspoken. She is not afraid of anything. If something is right she will stick her head,” Singh said, referring to Haley’s decision to remove the confederate flag during her term as governor following a mass shooting in a church in Charleston.
“She can make brave decisions. She did a very good job as a governor, revived a lot of industries and opened up new ones in South Carolina,” Singh said. Dr Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education and senior advisor of the National Sikh Campaign said that it is a proud moment for people of color in America that a first-generation American of Sikh background is aspiring for the top post in America.
“You may disagree with her policies and her political views but it is still a remarkable journey. Her father is a proud Sikh and wears a turban and had attended her swearing-in ceremony when she was elected governor of South Carolina,” Singh said.
“It is important for Americans to see that she belongs to a rich heritage and turban-wearing Sikhs are part of her immediate family. This widens the horizon for many people including Sikhs to aspire for higher office in the United States,” he said.
According to him, Haley’s running will also help sensitize Americans about Sikh identity and turban.
“Still a majority of Americans have a misconception about Sikhs and Sikh identity. So there is a good chance that her political campaign will help educate about the Sikhs in America as an additional benefit,” he said.
(Source: PTI) -
India-US ties deeper with announcement of Air India-Boeing deal: US
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The mega commercial plane deal between Air India and Boeing is an opportunity to deepen an already profoundly intertwined relationship between India and the United States, the US said Wednesday, February 15. “It’s an opportunity to deepen what is already a profoundly intertwined relationship based on shared interests, based on shared values, based on our deep economic ties. And with the announcements between Boeing and Air India yesterday, those ties are all the deeper,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.
The “landmark” Air India-Boeing deal, according to US President Joe Biden, will create up to 1 million jobs across 44 states in the US.
“It is something that we’ve heralded. It is an opportunity not only for the American economy and for workers here in this country, but it’s an opportunity for the Indian people as well,” Price said in response to a question, a day after the historic airplane deal between the two countries.
“The United States is engaged around the world – not just in India but around the world – in what we refer to as commercial diplomacy, seeking to find concrete, tangible, practical ways to deepen our economic ties with countries around the world in a way that benefits the American people back here at home,” he said.
“I think the agreement that was announced yesterday between Boeing and Air India is a vivid example of that – the number of jobs it creates here, the number of opportunities it creates in India, and the possibility it provides to deepen that partnership even further,” Price said.
On Tuesday, Air India announced its agreement to purchase 190 Boeing 737 MAXs, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777Xs – a total of 220 firm orders valued at a list price of USD34 billion which will support more than one million American jobs across 44 states, many of which will not require a four-year college degree.
“I’m very happy to learn of this new piece of the robust US-India economic partnership. Strengthening the ties that bind our nations, the world’s oldest democracy and its largest, will support American jobs while bringing greater security and prosperity to both our citizens and the wider world,” Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said in a separate statement.(Source: PTI)
-
Biden reconstitutes his national economic team, retains Indian-American Bharat Ramamurti
Lael Brainard will now serve as Director of National Economic Council and Jared Bernstein is being nominated as Chair of Council of Economic Advisers
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden has reconstituted his national economic team at the White House but has retained Indian-American adviser Bharat Ramamurti who has been with him since day one of his presidency. Lael Brainard will now serve as Director of the National Economic Council and Jared Bernstein is being nominated as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, the White House said Tuesday.
Ramamurti would continue to serve as Deputy Director of the National Economic Council and as an Adviser for Strategic Economic Communications, the White House said, reflecting that the president has kept him as part of his core team. Biden also named Heather Boushey, who currently serves as a Member of the Council of Economic Advisers, to also serve as Chief Economist to the Invest in America Cabinet.
He named Joelle Gamble, who currently serves as Chief Economist at the Department of Labor to be Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, according to a White House statement.
“Along with Bharat, Heather, Joelle and other key members of my White House economic team, Lael and Jared will help bring a seriousness of purpose to the task of building a strong, inclusive, and more resilient economy for the future,” Biden said in a statement.
“Over the past two years, my economic strategy has delivered historical results for the American people. This team will be committed to implementing that strategy while managing the transition of our historic economic recovery to steady and stable growth. They will work tirelessly to ensure every American enjoys a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead, and that our businesses can thrive and outcompete the rest of the world. Let’s finish the job,” Biden said.
In December 2020, then as the president-elect, Biden appointed Ramamurti as Deputy Director for the National Economic Council for Financial Reform and Consumer Protection.
Previously he was the Managing Director of the Corporate Power programme at the Roosevelt Institute. In April, he was appointed to serve on the Congressional Oversight Commission for the CARES Act by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Ramamurti was the top economic adviser to Senator Elizabeth Warren during her 2020 presidential campaign and senior counsel for banking and economic policy in her Senate office. Born in Massachusetts, Ramamurti graduated from Harvard College and Yale Law School.(Source: PTI)
-
Air India relaunches direct flight from New York to Mumbai from JFK Airport, New York
Lighting of the lamp. Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Consul General of India at New York lights the lamp . (Photo:Vijay Shah) 
Mr. Roel Huinink, CEO, JFK Airport lights the lamp. (Photo : Vijay Shah) I.S. Saluja with Vijay Shah
NEW YORK (TIP): Tata Air India, on February 14, relaunched from JFK airport the direct flight from New York to Mumbai. Impressive ceremonies, from seeking Lord Ganesha’s blessings to the beat of the Maharashtrian Dhol Tasha, to exquisite dances, with the usual ribbon cutting, lamp lighting to cutting of the cake, marked the festive occasion. Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Consul General of India at New York who was the chief guest, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the relaunch ceremonies in the presence of Mr. Roel Huinink, CEO JFK Airport, Mr. Sunil Daware, Regional Manager (Americas) Air India, Mr. Girish Salian, Air India Manager at JFK, Capt. Shomu Sinha, Amarjit Singh, Deputy Manager, JFK, community leaders and Air India staff.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal thanked the Tata Group-who now owned Air India for relaunching the direct flight from New York to Mumbai which he said, will help the passengers to save time and experience less travel fatigue.
Mr. Sunil Daware, Regional Manager, Americas, Air India lights the lamp. (Photo : Vijay Shah) 
Air India New York to Mumbai flight crew poses for a photograph. (Photo : Vijay Shah) Mr. Sunil Daware gave a brief history of Air India. The airline came into being in 1932. Bharat Ratna J.R.D Tata founded the airline which was acquired by Government of Indian 1953. It is after 70 years that Air India came back to Tata Group on 27th, January 2022 . Tata Group now fully owns Air India. In order to strengthen the fleet, Tata Group has announced purchase of 470 aircraft with Airbus and Boeing, including 260 widebody planes, the largest order ever. Mr. Daware said that soon more direct flights on various routes will be added.”
Mr. Roel Huinink said that Air India will now increase traffic at JFK Airport since direct flights are going to be added for convenience of travelers. He appreciated the Indian community which he said is very diverse and courageous.
Ambassador Jaiswal, Mr Daware, Mr. Huinink, Capt. Shomu Sinha, Mr. Amarjit Singh, the Air India staff and a few community leaders joined in cake cutting, followed by a breakfast.
The Maharashtra Dhol Tasha celebrating the occasion.(Photo : Vijay Shah) 
One of the dance groups. (Photo : Vijay Shah) 
Ambassador Jaiswal presenting Air India Star award for excellent services to Amarjit Singh, Air India Manager at the JFK airport. (Photo : Vijay Shah) 
Time to cut the cake and celebrate the relaunch of the flight. (Photo : Vijay Shah) 
The check-in time. (Photo: Vijay Shah) -
Tax ‘surveys’ at BBC offices conclude after 60 hours
NEW DELHI (TIP): Amid the Income Tax ‘surveys’ at BBC offices that concluded on Thursday, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju hit out at those criticizing the move, saying some people trusted foreign news outlets but not Indian investigative agencies, a TNS report says. Sharing an opinion piece by former Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, who argued that the outrage over the BBC tax ‘survey’ was misplaced, he said: “These people trust foreign news agencies but they won’t trust Indian agencies. They swear by the BBC but they won’t believe Indian courts. They’ll even abuse the Supreme Court if one adverse judgment is passed,” he tweeted.
The operation, that began at the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai at 11.30 am on Tuesday, February 14, ended just after 10 pm on Thursday, February 16, clocking about 60 hours. The ‘surveys’ were carried out to look into issues related to international taxation and transfer pricing of BBC subsidiary companies. The survey teams, which sought answers on financial transactions, the company’s structure and other details, copied data from electronic gadgets to collect evidence, officials said. Opposition parties have denounced the action against the London-based broadcaster calling it “political vendetta” while questioning the timing — weeks after the BBC had aired a two-part documentary on the Prime Minister and the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Meanwhile, there has been no official statement from the Income Tax Department so far.
(Source: TNS) -
India organizes special exhibition on millets at UN headquarters
UNITED NATIONS (TIP): India has organized a special exhibition on the millets at the UN headquarters in New York to commemorate the ‘International Year of Millets 2023’. The focus of the exhibition launched on Tuesday, February 14, by India’s Permanent Mission to the UN was on the different kinds of millets grown in India, their nutritional value and health benefits, including information on calorific content. The exhibition was attended by over a hundred delegates from the UN member states and senior UN officials.
In her brief remarks, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj shared the reasons why India pursued making 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM) and how millets were an important solution in the collective march towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This was followed by a launch video on the IYM and a special address by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. The Co-Founder and Director of MRIDA Group, Arun Nagpal, shared his experiences on his journey with millets from the farm to the table. This was followed by a special address by the Chef de Cabinet of the UN Secretary-General Earle Courtenay Rattray, after which the exhibition was officially opened.
Millet-based savories were the other attraction for the guests to taste, while millet grains were also placed on display. The United Nations was treated to a sensory blend of seeing, touching, tasting, and learning about millets.
The millet exhibition will be on display at the United Nations General Assembly Delegates Entrance Exhibition area from 14-17 February 2023, a media release said.
The year 2023 has been designated as the ‘International Year of Millets’ after a proposal for it was brought forward by India and endorsed by Members of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Governing Bodies, as well as by the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly.
Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated in India with several evidence of its consumption during the Indus valley civilization. Being grown in more than 130 countries at present, millet is considered a traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa.
In India, millets are primarily a Kharif crop, requiring less water and agricultural inputs than other similar staples. Millets are important by virtue of their mammoth potential to generate livelihoods, increase farmers’ income and ensure food and nutritional security all over the world.
(Source: PTI)