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  • Theater / Films

    Theater / Films

    Socially Relevant Film Festival 2018, NY

    By Mabel Pais

    “(This year) we have been able to incorporate films from more (countries) and have been able to hone in on specific social issues in more depth.”
    Nora Armani, SRFF’s Founder-Artistic Director

    Founder-Director Nora Armani interview on Red Carpet
    Photo/ SRFF ™
    (Top left) Apne Aap’s Ruchira Gupta with other panelists on Spotlight Panel
    Photo/ SRFF ™

    The SR Socially Relevant Film Festival™ 2018 New York (SRFF 2018) kicks off its Fifth Season at Cinema Village in downtown Manhattan, New York and neighboring venues such as SVA Social Documentary Film Campus and CRS (Center for Remembering and Sharing), March 16 – 22, 2018.

    What is SR?

    The SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival New York was founded by award-winning actress Nora Armani. Its mission is to shine the spotlight on filmmakers who tell compelling, socially relevant™, human interest stories, across a broad range of social issues. The festival was created as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling in media and entertainment. SR™ believes in the power of cinema in raising awareness towards social issues and promoting positive social change.

    Festival Founder and Artistic Director Nora Armani says, “SRFF 2018 is very happy with our fifth year’s selection. We have been able to incorporate films from more (countries) and have been able to hone in on specific social issues in more depth. This year’s festival goes back to basics: the filmmakers, the films, and the issues, with a number of interesting partners and sponsors accompanying us.”

    The Official Selection to be screened in the heart of Greenwich Village covers a diverse mix of five narrative features, 15 documentaries, 38 shorts, and more. There will also be a script-writing contest with readings from finalist scripts. The Festival includes expert panels on film industry and social issues. The films represent over 22 countries.

    Opening night will take place Friday, March 16, 2018, 7:00 PM with the narrative feature film Lou Andreas-Salomé: The Audacity to be Free (Germany). A stunning period piece on the 19th-century female novelist, poet, and essayist, the film follows Salomé as she shuns traditions in pursuit of intellectual perfection.

    Among the other selected narrative feature films are:

    Darcy (USA), Find Your Voice (Australia, New Zealand), Hot Country, Cold Winter (Armenia, The Netherlands, Germany).

    Highlights from the selected documentary features include Cause of Death: Unknown (Norway), Sands of Silence: Waves of Courage (Mexico, USA), Shiners (Canada, Japan, USA), Stitching Palestine (Lebanon), Talien (Italy), Tampon, Our Closest Enemy (France).

    Themes for selected short film groupings include Ageing Gracefully, Dreamers Having a Nightmare, Sustainable Communities, Where is Home? Whose Disability?

    Spotlight Panel: Women | Gender Equality | Human Trafficking

    Monday, March 19 features a keynote evening event celebrating women, in partnership with Apne Aap – an organization that rescues women and girls in India from sex-trafficking – including a series of films from India and elsewhere that promote empowering women and young girls. A panel discussion follows, lead by Ruchira Gupta.

    A number of workshops and panels complement the film screenings as the educational component of the festival, and these touch upon such topics as editing, distribution, pitching for film projects, filming in New York from the Governor’s Office for Film, Low Budget Film Production at SAG-AFTRA, Measuring the social impact of films, and others.

    The script writing competition features readings with actors, in the presence of the scriptwriters, from the seven finalist scripts. Other workshops and panels include industry forums, an engaged theatre workshop, a live music performance to silent films, and more.

    Presented with Gear VR provided by Samsung, the festival presents cutting-edge VR/360º experiences that push the boundaries of immersive storytelling. Among the six selected pieces is The Great – a VR Great White Shark Experience, which shows firsthand the grace and beauty of this misunderstood and endangered creature.

    The festival will close on the evening of March 22 with a glistening Awards Ceremony and screening of the winning films at Cinema Village, and party for the filmmakers at Doux Supperclub featuring appearances from NYC local filmmakers and industry veterans.

    The winners of each category are awarded special prizes in the form of trophies created by support from individuals and film industry and professional partners.

    Spokespersons and guests of SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival NY include Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, Erin Brockovich, Martin Sheen, Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning writer Robert Schenkkan, prolific and best-selling French novelist Marc Levy, Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Award Winner Guy Davidi, American TV commentator and author Gretchen Carlson, and Liaison Officer of Tibet and the Dalai Lama, Kunga Tashi.

    Partner organizations and schools receive substantial discounts. Contact ratedsrfilms@gmail.com, if interested.

    For more information on the Film Festival, or to purchase tickets, visit www.ratedsrfilms.org.

    NJSO presents MOZART’S REQUIEM

    Xian Zhang conducts NJSO
    Photo/NJSO
    Montclair State University (MSU) Choir
    Photo/NJSO

    The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) and Music Director Xian Zhang present Mozart’s Requiem, March 15–18 in Newark, Princeton and Morristown. A trio of vocal pieces, including a pair of a cappella works performed by the Montclair State University Singers, open the program.

    Performances take place on Thursday, March 15, at 1:30 pm and Saturday, March 17, at 8 pm at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark; Friday, March 16, at 8 pm at the Richardson Auditorium (RICHAUD) in Princeton; and Sunday, March 18, at 3 pm at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) in Morristown.

    Continuing a multi-year partnership with the Curtis Institute of Music to present its finest student musicians, the NJSO welcomes a quartet of vocal soloists from the Institute—soprano Emily Pogorelc, mezzo-soprano Kendra Broom, tenor Roy Hage and baritone Doğukan Kuran—for Mozart’s masterwork.

    The program opens with Mozart’s Ave verum corpus, followed by Joseph Rheinberger’s Abendlied and Ben Parry’s Flame—two a cappella works showcasing the Montclair State University Singers under the direction of Heather J. Buchanan.

    NJSO Accents include #ChoraleYou—a “sing in” in NJPAC’s lobby following the March 17 concert, when audience members will get to give their own performance of the NJSO concert’s opening piece—Mozart’s Ave verum corpus. Montclair State University’s Heather J. Buchanan will conduct a brief rehearsal and performance that is open to all ticket-holders. More information is available at www.njsymphony.org/choraleyou.

    The Orchestra hosts its annual food drive and will collect non-perishable food donations at all performances. More information is available at www.njsymphony.org/fooddrive.

    For more information on the concerts and to purchase tickets online, visit www.njsymphony.org, or call 1. 800.ALLEGRO (255.3476).

    (Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Health and Wellness, and Spirituality)

  • Indian Americans among top investors in residential property in US

    Indian Americans among top investors in residential property in US

    MUMBAI (TIP): A Times of India report published July 21 says that the pall of gloom owing to protectionist policies has not kept Indians residing in the US from investing in real estate. By purchasing residential property worth $7.8 billion during the 12-month period ending March 2017, Indians emerged as the fifth largest investors in real estate in the US. Backed by mortgage finance, these properties were largely acquired for use as primary residence or for use by a child studying in the US.

    Chinese nationals were the biggest buyers, purchasing residential property worth $31.7 billion in the same period. They were followed by the Canadians, British, Mexicans and, lastly, Indians.

    Between April 2015 and March 2016, Indians had invested $6.1 billion and occupied third place on the list of biggest buyers. However, a surge of investments from other nationalities resulted in Indians slipping to fifth position in 2016-17.

    The bulk of buyers from China, India, and Mexico were working and residing in the US, while most buyers from Canada and the UK were non-resident buyers, adds the report, “2017- Profile of international activity in US residential real estate” released recently by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

    More than a third of the Chinese buyers purchased residential property in California. Compared to the other major foreign buyers, Indians were not as concentrated in any state in the US and the location of their jobs largely determined their purchase. While California, New Jersey, Texas, Massachusetts, and Kentucky were top destinations, more than two in five Indian buyers purchased in another state.

    In aggregate, foreign buyers purchased $153 billion of residential property in US between April 2016 and March 2017, which is a 49% jump from the figure of the corresponding previous period of $102.6 billion. In terms of number of units, foreign buyers purchased 2.84 lakh residential properties in US in April 2016-March 2017, up 32% from the previous period’s figure of 2.14 lakh properties.

    On an average, foreign buyers paid $536,852 for their properties, 12% more than the average price during the previous 12-month period. The average purchase price of properties bought by Indians was $522,440.

    “The political and economic uncertainty both here and abroad did not deter foreigners from exponentially ramping up their purchases of US property over the past year,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “While the strengthening of the US dollar in relation to other currencies and steadfast home-price growth made buying a home more expensive in many areas, foreigners increasingly acted on their beliefs that the US is a safe and secure place to live, work and invest,” he added.

    While a stronger dollar makes it more expensive to purchase US property, fears of a further weakening of a local currency against the dollar prompts some foreign buyers to accelerate their purchase.

    Referring to the value of the Indian rupee, the report says it depreciated modestly (by 2%) relative to the dollar over the entire survey period. However, post-demonetization in November 2016, which caused a severe liquidity squeeze, the rupee reversed course and began to appreciate.

    From November 2016 to March 2017 (the end of the survey period), the rupee had appreciated nearly 3% against the dollar. Data from June 2017 shows that the rupee had strengthened nearly 5% against the dollar from November 2016, suggesting that terms could improve for Indian buyers of US real estate next year.

    (Source: TOI)

  • At least 28 killed in barbaric Mexican prison fight

    At least 28 killed in barbaric Mexican prison fight

    ACAPULCO (TIP): At least 28 inmates were killed when a brutal fight broke out in a prison in the Mexican Pacific resort of Acapulco on July 6, one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country’s troubled penal system in recent years.

    Acapulco is the biggest city in Guerrero, one of Mexico’s most lawless states and a center of opium poppy production that has been a major concern to US officials. The prison carnage was particularly embarrassing to Mexico as it came the same day US Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was visiting Guerrero, in Mexico’s southwest.

    Guerrero state security official Roberto Alvarez told reporters the fight broke out between rival gangs in the maximum security wing of the prison. In addition to 28 dead, three people were injured, he said.

    Authorities found bodies throughout the wing, inside and outside the kitchen, as well as the area for conjugal visits, he said. A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, and told four of the dead were decapitated.

    Alvarez told Reuters the prison was close to 30 percent over capacity. It was built for 1,624 inmates but had 1,951 men and 110 women behind its walls, he said.

    Despite reports of gunfire in the prison, all the casualties were due to wounds from sharp instruments, such as the improvised weapons that are fashioned by inmates, Alvarez said. Violent crime in Mexico has jumped in recent months and 2017 is on track to be one of its bloodiest on record.

    The number of murder cases in the first 5 months of 2017 jumped nearly 30 percent and murder investigations hit a record high in May. Drug gangs have been battling for control amid a power vacuum following the January deportation of Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to the United States.

    The United States and Mexico are discussing how to crack down on the cartels now that most of the established capos have been killed or captured in a decade long, military led campaign.

    Kelly, one of the main links between Mexico’s government and the Trump administration on migration and security cooperation, arrived in Mexico on Wednesday and has held meetings with other top officials, including President Enrique Pena Nieto. He visited a military base outside Acapulco on Thursday to meet Mexico’s army and navy chiefs. Kelly discussed the military’s efforts to battle drug traffickers and observed the deployment of troops to destroy opium poppy fields, the defense ministry said in a statement.

    Acapulco, one of Mexico’s most famous beach resorts, was once a playground for Hollywood stars but in recent years has been roiled by vicious gang warfare. It is now ranked one of the most murderous cities in the world. The past week has been particularly bloody in Mexico.

    On Wednesday, at least 14 people were killed in a shootout in the northern state of Chihuahua, while 17 suspected gang members were shot dead by police late on Friday near Mazatlan in Guzman’s home state of Sinaloa. (Reuters)

  • Indian American wanted in Houston area murder arrested near Las Cruces

    Indian American wanted in Houston area murder arrested near Las Cruces

    LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO (TIP):  A murder suspect wanted in League City, Texas was arrested at the Border Patrol checkpoint in between Las Cruces and Hatch, according to the League City Police Department.

    Sayantan Ghose, 41, is awaiting extradition to Texas to face charges for the murder of 43-year-old Clarence Wayne Harris II.

    Jail records show Ghose was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center on a “fugitive from justice” charge.

    League City police said the shooting happened Wednesday night.

    The ABC affiliate in Houston reports police officers located the body of Harris II in a driveway alongside 36-year-old Amanda Harris.

    The woman was shot twice and is reportedly recovering at a nearby hospital. Police told the ABC affiliate Ghose is Amanda’s ex-husband.

  • ARREST WARRANT AGAINST INDIAN YOGA GURU IN US

    ARREST WARRANT AGAINST INDIAN YOGA GURU IN US

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): A Los Angeles judge has issued an arrest warrant for Bikram Choudhury, the Indian American “hot” yoga guru, after he failed to pay more than $7 million in 2016 to his former lawyer who was the victim in a sexual harassment case against him.

    Choudhury has not paid the lawyer and authorities believe that he has hidden his assets and left the country, ABC News reported on Wednesday.

    The 69-year-old yoga guru had claimed last year that he was nearly bankrupt as his business was no longer thriving. According to the report, the warrant, issued on Wednesday, allows authorities to arrest Choudhury if he returns to the US or, possibly, in Mexico.

    In January 2016, a jury determined that Choudhury had sexually harassed and then unfairly fired Minakshi “Miki” Jafa-Bodden, his onetime lawyer. He was ordered to pay nearly $6.5 million in punitive damages in addition to $924,000 in compensatory damages. Jafa-Bodden was general counsel to Bikram’s Yoga College of India but was fired after refusing to cover up allegations that Bikram had raped and sexually assaulted a yoga student.

    “I feel vindicated,” she told ABC News in 2016. “I’m elated.” She convinced the jury that Choudhury had repeatedly sexually harassed her and subjected her to obscene comments about women. Jafa-Bodden also claimed she was fired after she tried to investigate another woman’s sexual harassment and rape allegations against the yoga guru.

    During the trial over Jafa- Bodden’s allegations, Bikram strongly denied sexually assaulting any women. He also denied having any sexual contact with his students or followers. His bail was set at $8 million.

    Choudhury was one of the pioneers of yoga in the US, setting up shop in Beverly Hills in the 1970s.  His client list included top celebrities like Madonna, Andy Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow and Goldie Hawn. His yoga studios are franchised worldwide.

    Outside of court on Wednesday, Jafa- Bodden celebrated her latest legal victory, saying: “It’s a win for women everywhere who’ve endured sexual harassment.” “To have that bench warrant issued for Bikram…. It sends a message to a debtor like Bikram that he will be held accountable and that the wheels of justice, although they don’t turn as fast as we would want them to, they do turn,” she said. (Source: IANS)

  • DHS Report on Entry/Exit: More than 30,000 Indians overstayed in the US

    DHS Report on Entry/Exit: More than 30,000 Indians overstayed in the US

    WASHINGTON (TIP): In 2016, more than 1.4 million Indians entered the U.S. on different visas that were expected to leave the country, but more than 30,000 overstayed, according to an Entry/Exit Overstay report by the Department of Homeland Security. An overstay is a nonimmigrant who was lawfully admitted to the United States for an authorized period but stayed in the United States beyond his or her lawful admission period U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on May 22 released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Entry/Exit Overstay Report. The report provides data on departures and overstays, by country, for foreign visitors to the United States who entered as nonimmigrant visitors through an air or sea Port of Entry (POE) and were expected to depart in FY16.

    The report specifies that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processed 50,437,278 in-scope nonimmigrant admissions at U.S. air and sea POEs who were expected to depart in FY16-of which 739,478 overstayed their admission, resulting in a total overstay rate of 1.47 percent. Of the more than 739,000 overstays, DHS determined 628,799 were suspected “in-country” overstays, resulting in a suspected incountry overstay rate of 1.25 percent.

    An individual who is a suspected in country overstay has no recorded departure, while an out-of-country overstay has a recorded departure that occurred after their lawful admission period expired.

    According to the report, Out of the total population, of the more than 21.6 million Visa Waiver Program (VWP) visitors expected to depart the United States in FY16, 147,282 overstayed the terms of their admission, with 128,806 suspected in-country overstays (a .60 percent suspected in-country overstay rate for VWP travelers). Of the more than 13.8 million non-VWP visitors excluding Canada and Mexico-expected to depart the United States in FY16, 287,107 overstayed the terms of their admission, with 263,470 suspected in country overstays. This resulted in a 1.90 percent suspected in-country overstay rate.

  • Trump Sends Nafta Renegotiation Notice to Congress

    Trump Sends Nafta Renegotiation Notice to Congress

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The Trump administration gave Congress official notice on Thursday that it plans to renegotiate Nafta, but provided only the vaguest of hints about modest changes President Trump would seek to an agreement that he has called “the worst trade deal ever.” In a brief letter to lawmakers, Robert Lighthizer, the newly confirmed United States trade representative, said the administration aimed to support better-paying jobs and economic growth through unspecified improvements to Nafta that would modernize the 23-year-old agreement. But the notice – a drastically scaled-back version of a draft the administration circulated this year – promised no major modifications of the sort that the president has hinted he will seek.

    Mr. Trump had threatened to withdraw completely from the agreement, only to relent in late April when the leaders of Canada and Mexico, the other parties to the deal, called and asked him to renegotiate instead.

    The president, whose campaign trail vows to tear up Nafta appealed to his base of disaffected working-class voters aggrieved by globalization, is under mounting pressure to follow through on his pledge. But Mr. Trump faces stiff resistance from business-minded Republicans in Congress and sectors that fear major changes would harm their bottom lines.”Today, President Trump fulfilled one of his key promises to the American people,” Mr. Lighthizer said on Thursday. “For years, politicians have called for the renegotiation of this agreement, but President Trump is the first to follow through with that promise.”

    The move was met with skepticism by organizations that have long pressed for major changes to Nafta and have argued that Mr. Trump had already fallen short of his promises on trade.

  • Miracle plant breeder Dilbagh Athwal passes away at 88

    Miracle plant breeder Dilbagh Athwal passes away at 88

    NEW JERSEY (TIP): Dr Dilbagh Singh Athwal, a “miracle plant breeder” who was among those who laid the foundation of the Green Revolution in the 1960s, passed away in New Jersey (USA), May 15 evening. He was 88. His family, including his two sons, were by his side when he breathed his last.

    Athwal, whose work was much appreciated by Nobel laureate and “father of global Green Revolution”, the late Dr Norman Borlaug, first developed hybrid “bajra” (millet) in the early 1960s and later segregated PV-18 and Kalayan-227, two high-yielding wheat varieties, from the material provided by Mexico’s International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, also known as CIMMYT.

    Recipient of Padma Bhushan, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Memorial Award and several national and international honors, Athwal was bestowed with the highest honor in 1967, when a wheat variety – Kalyan-227 – was christened after his Kalyan village, located on the outskirts of Jalandhar city.

    The Kalyan variety, commercially released in 1967-68, not only provided the country salvation from hunger, but India also became wheat-surplus soon thereafter. In fact, the production in 1970s went up so rapidly that there was not enough space to stock wheat. As a temporary arrangement, the stock had to be kept on school premises.

    While Athwal was working on the wheat production improvement program at Punjab Agricultural University, Borlaug visited him in Ludhiana. In 1967, he got an offer from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines. Many state leaders and MLAs requested him to stay back at PAU. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi even wrote to the Punjab CM to persuade him not to leave India, but he had already made a commitment to the IRRI authorities.

    In 1977, he joined the International Agriculture Development Services created by the Rockefeller Foundation that later merged with Winrok International Institute.

    He retired as a senior vice-president of Winrok in 1991, but remained in touch with Borlaug. Both co-authored some research papers.

  • Not Terminating NAFTA, for Now: President Trump

    Not Terminating NAFTA, for Now: President Trump

    WASHINGTON (TIP): In an apparent reversal of his stated position on NAFTA, U.S. President Donald Trump told the leaders of Canada and Mexico on Wednesday, April 26, that he will not terminate the NAFTA treaty at this stage, but will move quickly to begin renegotiating it with them, the White House said.

    President Donald Trump said he has told the leaders of Mexico and Canada that he will not pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement at this time, but could still withdraw if he concludes a renegotiated pact is not “a fair deal for all.”

    Trump tweeted early Thursday, April 27, that he has agreed to remain a partner in the much-discussed trade agreement in calls he received from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The White House released a statement late Wednesday saying only that Trump had assured the two leaders in phone conversations that the U.S. would not withdraw from NAFTA at this time.

    In his Twitter post, Trump called America’s relationships with the two hemispheric neighbors “very good” and said the prospects of a renegotiated deal are “very possible.” But he also said that his consent to remaining in NAFTA for now is “subject to the fact that if we do not reach a fair deal for all, we will then terminate NAFTA.”

    Speaking to reporters Thursday, April 27, before a White House meeting with Argentine President Mauricio Macri, Trump that he’d been planning to “terminate NAFTA as of two or three days from now,” but had been persuaded to reconsider, which he acknowledged “would be a pretty big, you know, shock to the system.”

    Trump added, “Now, if I’m unable to make a fair deal, if I’m unable to make a fair deal for the United States, meaning a fair deal for our workers and our companies, I will terminate NAFTA. But we’re going to give renegotiation a good, strong shot.”

    He later said renegotiation was “starting today.”

    The statement came hours after administration officials said Trump was considering a draft executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the deal – though administration officials cautioned it was just one of a number of options being discussed by the president and his staff.

    Some saw the threat as posturing by Trump to gain leverage over Mexico and Canada as he tries to negotiate changes to the deal. Trump railed against the decades-old trade deal during his campaign, describing it as a “disaster.”

    Senior White House officials had spent recent days discussing steps that could be taken to start the process of renegotiating or withdrawing from NAFTA before the end of Trump’s first 100 days in office, according to a person familiar with the president’s thinking. But the person, along with an administration official, said a number of options remained on the table, and stressed discussions are ongoing about the best way to proceed.

    Trump could withdraw from NAFTA – but he would have to give six months’ notice. And it is unclear what would happen next. The law Congress passed to enact the trade pact might remain in place, forcing Trump to wrangle with lawmakers and raising questions about the president’s authority to raise tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports.

    The moves came days after the administration announced it would slap hefty tariffs on softwood lumber being imported from Canada. Trump has also been railing against changes in Canadian milk product pricing that he says are hurting the American dairy industry.

    Trump told The Associated Press in an interview last week that he planned to either renegotiate or terminate NAFTA, which he and other critics blame for wiping out U.S. manufacturing jobs because it allowed companies to move factories to Mexico to take advantage of low-wage labor.

    “I am very upset with NAFTA. I think NAFTA has been a catastrophic trade deal for the United States, trading agreement for the United States. It hurts us with Canada, and it hurts us with Mexico,” he said.

  • Mexico voices ‘Irritation’ to Trump envoys

    Mexico voices ‘Irritation’ to Trump envoys

    “No use of military force in immigration operations,” and “no, repeat, no mass deportations”: Secretary Kelly

    MEXICO CITY (TIP): In a first and carefully worded rebuke senior Mexican officials have expressed “worry and irritation” about US policies during a visit by two of President Donald Trump’s top envoys, who in turn seek to cool tempers after weeks of tension between the two neighbors.

    With a stern look while speaking to reporters on Thursday, February 23, after closed-door meetings with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security chief John Kelly, Videgaray said it is “a complex time” for Mexican-US relations.

    “There exists among Mexicans worry and irritation about what are perceived to be policies that could be harmful for the national interest and for Mexicans here and abroad,” Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray told a news conference on Thursday.

    The US government this week angered Mexico by saying it was seeking to deport many illegal immigrants to Mexico if they entered the United States from there, regardless of their nationality.

    The immigration guidelines are the latest point of tension between neighbors already tense over Trump’s vow to build a wall on the border and his attempts to browbeat Mexico into giving concessions on trade.

    Videgaray and President Enrique Pena Nieto have been criticized at home for being too willing to engage with Trump. However, relationships between the two countries have gone downhill in the past few weeks.

    Both sides on Thursday pledged further dialogue on migration, trade and security issues facing both nations.

    Kelly and Tillerson were much more measured in their words than either the Mexicans or Trump, who on Thursday said a military operation was being carried out to clear “bad dudes” from the United States.

    ‘No mass deportations’

    For their part, Kelly and Tillerson sought to cool tempers as they adopted a more measured tone than either the Mexicans or Trump, who on Thursday said a military operation was being carried out to clear “bad dudes” from the US.

    Kelly said there would be “no use of military force in immigration operations,” and “no, repeat, no mass deportations”.

    None of the US officials made direct references to the deportation of immigrants from third countries to Mexico, or to paying for the border wall planned by Trump, a red-flag issue for Mexico. Both sides at the Mexico City talks on Thursday pledged further dialogue on migration, trade and security issues facing both nations. Al Jazeera’s John Holman, reporting from Mexico City, said Mexico has been criticized as “timid” in confronting issues with the US in the past, but since Trump came into office it has grown “tougher”.

    “Usually, this is a quiet and cordial meeting. That’s how it has been for decades. But not under the administration of Donald Trump,” Holman said.

     

  • Chided by Donald Trump, Ford scraps Mexico factory, adds Michigan jobs

    Chided by Donald Trump, Ford scraps Mexico factory, adds Michigan jobs

    FLAT ROCK (TIP): Ford Motor has scrapped a planned Mexican car factory and added 700 jobs in Michigan following criticism by Donald Trump, as the US president-elect turned his attention toward rival General Motors Co with the threat of a “big border tax” over compact cars made in Mexico.

    Ford CEO Mark Fields called the move “a vote of confidence” in Trump, but primarily a response to a decline in North American demand for small cars like those that would have been made at the Mexican plant. He said Ford would have made the same decision even if Trump had not been elected.

    Ford will cancel plans unveiled in April to spend $1.6 billion to build the new plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, a project Trump urged the automaker to abandon and called an “absolute disgrace” during the election campaign.

    The No. 2 US automaker also said it would invest $700 million to expand the Flat Rock, Michigan factory and would make new electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles there.

    Trump’s efforts to browbeat the US car industry show he may go further than other modern presidents to try to influence corporate decisions, especially those related to trade and investment. In a Twitter post hours before Ford’s announcement, Trump wrote, “General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers-tax free across border. Make in USA. or pay big border tax!” GM, the largest US automaker, said making some of the Cruze cars in the plant in Coahuila, Mexico was part of its strategy to serve global customers, not sell those vehicles in the United States. Trump’s GM tweet was his latest broadside aimed at an American company over jobs, imports and costs even before he takes office on Jan. 20.

    Mexico’s government said it regrets Ford’s decision and has ensured that the company will reimburse San Luis Potosi state for any costs associated with the investment.

    “Obviously, this isn’t a good decision for us,” said Mexico’s economy minister, Ildefonso Guajardo.

    Ford said it still will shift production from Michigan of its Focus compact car to an existing plant in Hermosillo, Mexico. Fields said he expects Michigan to give incentives for Ford’s investment in Flat Rock.

    Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Flake said the automaker will save $500 million by not opening the new plant in the near term, but will have some undisclosed costs to retool the other Mexican plant to build the Focus.

    Ford shares closed up about 3.8 percent. GM shares rose about 0.9 percent. Top Ford executives personally notified Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence of their decision. Fields praised tax and regulatory proposals advocated by Trump and his fellow Republicans who control Congress.

    “Our view is that we see a more positive US manufacturing business environment under President-elect Trump and the pro-growth policies and proposals that he’s talking about, so this is a vote of confidence for President-elect Trump and some of the policies that they may be pursuing,” Fields said.

    Source: Reuters

  • DOLLAR, MEXICAN PESO, STOCKS TOPPLE AS DONALD TRUMP CLOSES IN ON WHITE HOUSE

    DOLLAR, MEXICAN PESO, STOCKS TOPPLE AS DONALD TRUMP CLOSES IN ON WHITE HOUSE

    SYDNEY (TIP): The US dollar sank and stocks plummeted in market mayhem on Wednesday as investors faced the real possibility of a shock win by Republican Donald Trump that could upend the global political order.

    European shares looked set to follow with losses of more than 4 percent as every new TV network projection in the US election showed the race to be far closer than anyone had thought, sending investors stampeding into safe-haven assets.

    Sovereign bonds, the Japanese yen and gold surged while the Mexican peso went into near free-fall in chaotic trading.

    “Markets are reacting as though the four horsemen of the apocalypse just rode out of Trump Tower,” said Sean Callow, a forex strategist at Westpac in Sydney.

    “Or at least 3 of them – it might be 4 when the prospect of a clean sweep of Congress sinks in.”

    As of 0525 GMT, Trump had 244 electoral votes to Clinton’s 215, with networks projecting the winner in 42 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It takes 270 to win.

    Several other key swing states were still too close to call.

    US stock futures dived 5 percent at one point, worse than the carnage caused by the British vote to leave the European Union in June that wiped trillions of dollars off world markets.

    Investors fear a Trump victory could cause global economic and trade turmoil and years of policy unpredictability, discouraging the Federal Reserve from raising interest rates in December as long expected.

    Fed fund futures were even starting to toy with the idea of a cut in rates next year <0#FF:> and it was possible the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank and others might be forced to ease policy yet further.

    South Korean authorities were thought to have intervened to steady their currency, and dealers wondered if central banks globally would step in to calm nerves.

    Japan’s top currency diplomat signaled Tokyo’s readiness to intervene if necessary as the surging yen threatened to snuff out its fragile economic recovery.

    “Lightning appears to have struck twice as Trump is set for an unexpected victory, following the shock Brexit vote earlier in the year,” said Geoffrey Yu, head of the UK Investment Office at UBS Wealth Management.

    “For markets, what happens to Fed Chair Janet Yellen will be crucial. The impact of her future will be felt globally,” he added. Trump and Republicans have criticized the Fed for keeping rates low for so long.

    The scale of the scare was clear in the Mexican peso, which plunged more than 13 percent against the dollar in the biggest daily move in two decades. There was speculation Mexico’s central bank would have to raise rates on Wednesday to try and stabilize the currency. The peso has become a touchstone for sentiment on the election as Trump’s trade policies are seen as damaging to its export-heavy economy. The risk of a global trade war likewise hammered currencies across Asia, with the Australian dollar leading the rout. The story was very different against the safe-haven yen, with the US dollar shedding 2.7 percent to 102.60 yen. The euro jumped 1.7 percent to

    $1.1218. Source: Reuters

  • Barack Obama’s Best Takedowns Of Donald Trump

    Barack Obama’s Best Takedowns Of Donald Trump

    Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has no shortage of critics. But the most outspoken – and funniest – is arguably none other than President Barack Obama, who has mastered the art of taking jabs at The Donald with barbed jokes. Here are his best takedowns of Trump so far.

    1. Conspiracy-Theoriest-in-Chief

    Obama had a lot of pep during the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner. Earlier that week, the state of Hawaii had released his long-form birth certificate, putting an end the arguably racist ‘birther movement’ led by Donald Trump. The birthers argued that Obama wasn’t born in America, so he was ineligible to be president. But only someone who sleeps in a tinfoil bed could cling to that conspiracy after Obama’s records were released.

    And Obama wanted to share that moment with Trump.

    “No one is happier to put this birth certificate matter to rest than The Donald. And that’s because he can get back to focusing on the issues that matter. Like did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?”

    2. Backing Trump’s Leadership

    At that same 2011 dinner, Obama backed Trump’s leadership credentials.

    “All kidding aside, we all know about [Trump’s] credentials and breadth of experience. For example…on an episode of The Celebrity Apprentice, at the steak house, the men’s cooking team did not impress the judges…and there was a lot of blame to go around. But you, Mr. Trump, recognized that the real problem was a lack of leadership. So ultimately you didn’t blame Lil Jon or Meatloaf. You fired Gary Busey. And these are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night.”

    3. Weighing in on the Wall

    Trump hasn’t served a day in the Oval Office, but the White House is already having to clean up his messes. Last April, President Obama revealed that he has to spend time discussing the implications of The Donald’s foreign policy with world leaders who are worried about a possible Trump presidency.

    “I am getting questions constantly from foreign leaders about some of the wackier suggestions that are being made,” Obama told the White House press corps last April.

    Those suggestions of course include building building a giant wall along the Mexican-American border wall and to preventing cross-border remittances – i.e. blocking people living in the United States from sending money to Mexico.

    “Good luck with that,” Obama quipped.

    4. The Millennial President

    When endorsing Hillary Clinton last July, Obama suggested that every millennial you know has basically the same presidential qualifications as Trump, who has mastered riling up supporters with his outrageous posts on Twitter.

    “Everybody can tweet, but nobody actually knows what it takes to do the job until you’ve sat behind the desk,” Obama told supporters at a rally in Wisconsin. “I mean, Sasha [Obama’s younger daughter] tweets, but she doesn’t thereby think that she thereby should be sitting behind the desk.”

    He also hammered Trump’s foreign policy credentials while praising Clinton’s work as secretary of state.

    “America is really great,” he told the crowd, countering Trump’s campaign slogan. “Part of the reason for that is because we had an outstanding secretary of state. Part of the reason is that Hillary understood and continues to understand that a bunch of tough talk doesn’t replace the hard work of diplomacy. A bunch of phoney bluster doesn’t keep us safe. And she understands that we can’t retreat from a world that needs American leadership.”

    5. Vetting Trump’s Business Record

    Obama has spent years criticizing Trump’s credibility. But he doesn’t expect Trump will change his ways and start taking things like foreign policy seriously.

    “The Donald is not really a plans guy,” he said at the Democratic National Convention last July. “He’s not really a facts guy either. He calls himself a business guy, which is true. But I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and women who have achieved remarkable success without leaving a trail of lawsuits, and unpaid workers and people feeling like they got cheated. Does anyone really believe that a guy who’s spent his 70 years on this earth showing no regard for working people is suddenly going to become your champion?”

  • First Presidential Debate turns #Trump into a Lying Machine

    First Presidential Debate turns #Trump into a Lying Machine

    Readers: This is a strange Election where one has to vote for the lesser of two evils; this being said who would you vote for – someone who makes a mistake and admits it or the one who lies and lies more to cover the previous lie.

    November 8 will go down in history as the day “The World Stood Still”.

    By any equation, Hillary Clinton crushed Donald Trump in the first presidential debate.

    Trump was erratic, inconsistent and incoherent. He did not make a memorable case on any issue except perhaps his temperament (lol).

    Below are some of the things our good candidate Lied about in front of over 100 million viewers.

    • He lied about the loan his father once gave him.
    • He lied about his company’s bankruptcies.
    • He lied about his federal financial-disclosure forms.
    • He lied about his endorsements.
    • He lied about “stop and frisk.”
    • He lied about “birtherism.”
    • He lied about New York.
    • He lied about Michigan and Ohio.  
    • He lied about Palm Beach, Fla.
    • He lied about Janet Yellen and the Federal Reserve.
    • He lied about the trade deficit.
    • He lied about Hillary Clinton’s tax plan.
    • He lied about her child-care plan.
    • He lied about China devaluing its currency.
    • He lied about Mexico having the world’s largest factories.
    • He lied about the United States’s nuclear arsenal. 
    • He lied about NATO’s budget.
    • He lied about NATO’s terrorism policy.
    • He lied about ISIS.
    • He lied about his past position on the Iraq War.
    • He lied about his past position on the national debt.
    • He lied about his past position on climate change.
    • He lied about calling pregnancy an “inconvenience” for employers.
    • He lied about calling women “pigs.”
    • He lied about calling women “dogs.”
    • He lied about calling women “slobs.”

    So… who won the debate?

  • Shocking! Brutal Man Repeatedly Throws Step Daughter In Pool; Jailed For 100 Yrs

    Shocking! Brutal Man Repeatedly Throws Step Daughter In Pool; Jailed For 100 Yrs

    In a shocking incident, a man was caught on CCTV drowning his three-year-old step daughter in a swimming pool at a hotel in Mexico.

    • Man was filmed repeatedly throwing the little girl into a swimming pool
    • Sickening murder took place in August 2015, and shocked South America 
    • Family were staying at a hotel in Morelia, Mexico, when it happened
    • The girl’s mother was asleep in their hotel room at the time 
    • Stepfather, identified as Jose David N,. held her under water at one point
    • He has been jailed for aggravated homicide, without a chance of parole 

    In the video the girl child can be seen battling to keep herself afloat. The little girl, however, died a short while later.

    The stepfather has been arrested and awarded 100 years in prison.

    WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT

  • Southwest Airlines flight experiences mid-air engine tear, makes emergency landing

    Southwest Airlines flight experiences mid-air engine tear, makes emergency landing

    NEW YORK: Over 100 people on board US’ Southwest Airlines flight had a lucky escape when a part of the plane’s engine was ripped off thousands of feet above the Gulf of Mexico with the passengers experiencing anxious moments before the jet managed to make an emergency landing.

    Southwest Airlines flightThe Southwest Airlines flight from New Orleans to Orlando, Florida, was forced to make an emergency landing in Pensacola after one of its engines fell apart over the Gulf of Mexico, a daily reported.

    Startled passengers on board Flight 3472 heard a frightening blast to the aircraft’s left at an altitude of 30,700 feet. Outside their windows, they saw smoke fuming from the exposed turbine blades at around 9:20 AM yesterday.

    “All of a sudden, outside my window, there was a loud explosion, and then the plane started shuddering,” passenger Tami Richards told KOCO-TV.

    Chunks of the engine’s cowling had fallen off, according to photos taken from the aircraft’s window mid-flight. Another photo shows a metal object had pierced the fuselage.

    (Picture Credit: Twitter)

    “Today, the Captain of Flight #3472 from New Orleans to Orlando made the decision to divert to Pensacola due to a mechanical issue with the number one engine. The flight landed safely without incident at Pensacola International Airport at 9:40 AM,” the Southwest Airlines said in a statement.

    “Initial reports indicate there were no injuries among the 99 passengers and five crew members on board. We have notified the NTSB, and when authorised, we will be inspecting the aircraft to assess the damage,” it said.

    The Federal Aviation Administration, in a statement, said, Southwest Airlines flight 3472, a Boeing 737, from Louis Armstrong New Orleans Intentional Airport to Orlando International Airport was diverted due to an apparent engine malfunction. The flight declared an emergency and landed safely at Pensacola International Airport just before 9:45 AM. The FAA will investigate.”

    Richards said her three children — and many of the 99 passengers — were crying as the oxygen masks dropped and the Boeing 737 made its dramatic descent about 25 minutes into the flight.

    “I held my kids, and one was freaking out, crying,” Richards was quoted as saying.

    Amid the panic, some passengers took selfies while donning the oxygen masks.

    The pilots managed to stabilise the aircraft and made the quick-thinking decision to divert the flight to Pensacola with only one working engine. The plane was on the ground without any further mishap.

  • Ford recalls 830,000 vehicles to fix faulty door latches

    Ford recalls 830,000 vehicles to fix faulty door latches

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Ford Motor Company on August 4 announced the recall of 830,000 cars and vans in the United States and Mexico for the replacement of faulty side-door latches.

    While drivers may have difficulty in shutting doors, doors may also open after having been closed, posing a safety risk, the company said.

    “In certain situations where the door is able to be closed, the door may unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury,” it said.

    Ford said there was one reported accident and one reported injury that may be related to the defect.

    Recalled vehicles include certain 2013 to 2015 C-MAX cars and Escape sport utility vehicles, 2012-2015 model years of the Focus, and 2014-2016 Transit Connect vans as well as 2015 Mustang and Lincoln MKC model years.

    Reported problems were more prevalent in hotter, sunnier climates, meaning the recall was focused on US states across the south, Hawaii, California and the Pacific Northwest, the company said.

    About 61,000 of the affected cars are in Mexico.

    The announcement follows recent recalls of Ford vehicles in 2016 and 2015, including Lincoln MKC and Ford Explorer vehicles for the replacement of engine block heaters and of F-650 and F-750 trucks to replace cable connector clips in parking brakes.

    The company in May recalled 271,000 2013 and 2014 F-150 pickups to replace brake master cylinders.

    Recorded in the third quarter, this latest recall will cost$270 million, the company said in a regulatory filing. But Ford remains on track to achieve 2016 pre-tax results equal the $10.8 billion reported last year, it said. Source: AFP

  • Mexican taxi driver seeks to ride Pokemon Go craze

    Mexican taxi driver seeks to ride Pokemon Go craze

    MEXICO (TIP): A Mexican taxi driver has jumped on the Pokemon GO craze sweeping the world by driving smartphone-armed customers around in search of the augmented reality game’s target creatures.

    The mobile phone game has become an instant hit with more users in the United States than Twitter a week after launch. Players are spending longer on the application than they do with some of the most popular social platforms such as Instagram or WhatsApp.

    The Nintendo Co game is not yet available in Mexico, but some users have worked out how to access the game.

    To play the augmented reality mobile phone game players must physically walk or drive around in the real world to capture Pokemon creatures.

    Emilio Cacho, a 29-year-old cab driver from the city of Minatitlan in the eastern state of Veracruz, said he began offering services as a “Pokemon hunter” on Monday and has received more than 20 calls since the start of the week.

    “I didn’t know about the game, but I heard a lot of talk about people going out to look for Pokemons, so I thought it was a good way to make money, now that the economic situation in Veracruz is so difficult,” he said by telephone.

    He charges 130 pesos ($7.04) for the first hour to pursue Pokemons, then 100 pesos for each subsequent hour, he said.

  • WHY WOMEN LIVE LONGER THAN MEN

    WHY WOMEN LIVE LONGER THAN MEN

    It’s queer but true – women have a longer lifespan compared to men.

    Researchers Steven Austad and Kathleen Fischer of the University of Alabama explored this riddle in their latest perspective piece.

    “Humans are the only species in which one sex is known to have a ubiquitous survival advantage,” the researchers write in their review covering a multitude of species.

    “Indeed, the sex difference in longevity may be one of the most robust features of human biology,” they added.

    Though other species, from roundworms and fruit flies to a spectrum of mammals, show lifespan differences that may favour one sex in certain studies, contradictory studies with different diets, mating patterns or environmental conditions often flip that advantage to the other sex.

    With humans, however, it appears to be all females all the time.

    “We don’t know why women live longer. It’s amazing that it hasn’t become a stronger focus of research in human biology,” said Austad.

    One of the evidences of the longer lifespan for women includes ‘The Human Mortality Database,’ which has complete lifespan tables for men and women from 38 countries that go back as far as 1751 for Sweden and 1816 for France.

    Again, longer female survival expectancy is seen across the lifespan, at early life (birth to 5 years old) and at age 50. It is also seen at the end of life, where Gerontology Research Group data for the oldest of the old show that women make up 90 percent of the super centenarians, those who live to 110 years of age or longer.

    Longevity may relate to immune system differences, responses to oxidative stress, mitochondrial fitness or even the fact that men have one X chromosome (and one Y), while women have two X chromosomes.

    But the female advantage has a thorn.

    “One of the most puzzling aspects of human sex difference biology,” write Austad and Fischer, “something that has no known equivalent in other species, is that for all their robustness relative to men in terms of survival, women on average appear to be in poorer health than men through adult life.”

    This higher prevalence of physical limitations in later life is seen not only in Western societies, they say, but also for women in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and Tunisia. But this is just one of several plausible hypotheses for the mystery of why women live longer, on aver age, than men.

  • Toxic poll campaign causing fear in US schools

    Toxic poll campaign causing fear in US schools

    NEW YORK (TIP): The abrasive and at times toxic rhetoric of the US election campaign is having a “profoundly negative impact” on children, a report has claimed. It says the campaign is producing fear and anxiety among minority pupils, and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom.

    The Southern Poverty Law Centre said teachers also reported an increase in the crease in the bullying, harassment and intimidation of students whose races, religions or nationalities have been the verbal targets of candidates. Many students feared being deported.

    “We’re deeply concerned about the level of fear among minority children who feel threatened by both the incendiary campaign rhetoric and the bullying they’re encountering in school,” said Richard Cohen, the group’s president.

    “We’ve seen Donald Trump behave like a 12-year-old, and now we’re seeing 12-year-olds behave like Donald Trump.”

    The Trump Effect: The Impact of the Presidential Campaign on Our Nation’s Schools — involved the questioning of around 2,000 teachers across the US. The group said the survey cannot be considered scientific, but said it provided an insight into the impact of the unusually heated election campaign. The Republican primary campaign has been criticised for the anti-immigration rhetoric of many of the leading candidates, including Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Trump has said he wants to build a wall along the US border with Mexico, deport Muslim immigrants to the US, and called Mexicans migrants “rapists and murderers”. More than two-thirds of the teachers reported that students — mainly immigrants, children of immigrants and Muslims -have expressed concerns or fears about what might happen to them or their families after the election. More than half have seen an increase in uncivil political discourse. More than third have observed an increase in anti-Muslim or anti-immigrant sentiment, the report said. More than 40% are hesitant to teach about the election. While the survey did not identify candidates, more than 1,000 comments mentioned Trump by name. More than 500 comments contained the words “fear,” “scared,” “afraid,” “anxious,” or “terrified” to describe the campaign’s impact on minority students.

    “My students are terrified of Donald Trump,” wrote a teacher from a middle school with a large population of African Americans.

  • New York based Michelin-star chef Hemant Mathur turns a restaurant baron

    New York based Michelin-star chef Hemant Mathur turns a restaurant baron

    With six restaurants in his pocket the Michelin Star chef is now certainly a restaurant baron. When this man landed in New York 22 years ago with his Indian culinary expertise, he had a tough job ahead – to win over New Yorkers’ hearts with distinctive Indian tastes & flavors, not the typical ones. In a few years he not only achieved that but also became one of USA’s top Tandoor masters and the main inspiration behind the success of some of the city’s top Indian restaurants. And now Hemant Mathur, one of the top five Indian chefs in America (as picked by GQ Magazine), owns six of the top Indian restaurants in New York City. These are – Chola, Chhote Nawab, Dhaba, Haldi, Kokum and Malai Marke. In the menu and offerings of these restaurants he brings 30 years of culinary expertise and professionalism, each specializing in distinctive and Indian regional cuisines.

    Mathur’s career began at the Rambagh Palace Taj Hotel in his hometown Jaipur when he was just 17. His next job was at the world renowned Bukhara Restaurant in the Maurya Sheraton Hotel in Delhi where Mathur perfected his tandoor prowess. After this early training, he served as a private chef for British financier Sir James Goldsmith, cricketer Imran Khan’s former father in law, in Mexico, and then returned to India as the opening chef for Sonar Gaon in Calcutta’s Taj Bengal Hotel before he was recruited by a group of German restaurateurs to bring his craft to Berlin’s Seeterrson and Kashmir Palace. In 1994 he landed in America.

    One of Hemant’s restaurants-Haldi-on Lexington Avenue
    One of Hemant’s restaurants-Haldi-on Lexington Avenue

    During his early years in New York, and before he earned his ‘stars’, he contributed to the success of some of the city’s top Indian restaurants at that time, and in the process laid the groundwork to elevate the popularity and respect of this ancient ethnic cuisine.

    Working with the late Raji Jallepali, he created huge buzz behind the line at Tamarind, that he helped open in 2000. In 2002 he served as Executive Chef of Diwan Grill and then moved on to the popular eatery Amma. In 2004, Mathur teamed up with Suvir Saran and started Devi where he helmed the kitchen for six years. In 2007, Devi became the country’s first Michelin-starred Indian restaurant.

    In 2010, he launched Tulsi in the upper midtown area. It soon became a hugely popular fine dining destination in the city and earned its Michelin-star rating in just a few months. Connoisseurs and newbies alike loved Tulsi, where Mathur’s specialty lamb chops, amazing starters and the handi biriyani delighted them. And the occasional chat with him as he emerged from the kitchen in his chef’s attire.

    At the onset of 2015, upon becoming the executive chef and co-owner of six restaurants that he currently runs, Mathur had to sadly quit Tulsi. “I had no options. After managing six restaurants I had no time for Tusli”, he sighs.

    The chef Hemant that most of his admirers know him as
    The chef Hemant that most of his admirers know him as

    In spite of all these accomplishments and accolades, the Indian restaurant mogul of New York City – Hemant Mathur is still a very down to earth man. He starts his day at “Chola” in Jackson Heights, and then moves to midtown to spend time at “Curry Hill” where he oversees “Chhote Nawab”, “Dhaba”, “Haldi”, and “Kokum”– and finally heads down to “Malai Marke” in East village, always staying close to the kitchen and, most importantly, creating signature eats and dishes inspired by each restaurant’s theme and its regional focus.

    He looks after all his guests and diners personally, paying attention to his old friends and newcomers alike. But some of his fans still feel sad as they miss the man in his trademark white chef’s outfit and the mouth watering dishes he used to personally prepare himself. “That’s not a problem at all. Just give me a call before you come to any of my restaurants and tell me what you want to have. I’ll put on my chef’s dress and go to the kitchen to cook. I’ll always be there for you”, assures Mathur who is not only food critics’ darling but loved by all restaurant goers for his warmth and kind gestures.

    Famous artists from music world recently dined at one of his restaurants- Haldi-on Lexington Avenue and said they never had such delectable Indian food anywhere before. Seen in the picture, from L to R: MS Cathy Cheongmi Park, MS Meeryung Hall, MS Rajlakshmi Ghosh and Hemant Mathur
    Famous artists from music world recently dined at one of his restaurants- Haldi-on Lexington Avenue and said they never had such delectable Indian food anywhere before. Seen in the picture, from L to R: MS Cathy Cheongmi Park, MS Meeryung Hall, MS Rajlakshmi Ghosh and Hemant Mathur

    Recently, we descended on one of his restaurants – Haldi- on Lexington Avenue. We had with us some famous personalities from the music world. And we wanted to treat them to delectable Indian food. MS Cathy Cheongmi Park from South Korea is a world famous pianist. MS Meeryung Hall, also from South Korea, is a famous singer. MS Rajlakshmi Ghosh is a well-known pianist and a fashion designer based in Kolkata. Hemant saw to it that he served them a variety which had them singing praises of the food, and of course, the chef himself. They are the only ones to have admired his culinary expertise. There are so many who carry the nostalgic memories of the tasty bites at the hands of this genius of a chef. At least, we look forward to visiting his restaurants as often as I can.

    When do you plan?

  • Pope’s record on paedophile priests tarnishes three-year report card

    Pope’s record on paedophile priests tarnishes three-year report card

    VATICAN CITY (TIP): Many words, little action – three years after Pope Francis’s election, victims of priest sex abuse are bitter and disappointed, accusing the Church of having failed to punish guilty clerics and end a culture of complacency on the issue.

    The recent Australian Royal Commission hearings of Vatican number three George Pell and a preliminary criminal probe into accusations that Lyon’s archbishop, Philippe Barbarin, covered up for a paedophile priest has put the question of Church complicity in abuse back at the top of the Vatican agenda.

    Francis came to power promising a crackdown on cover-ups and a zero tolerance approach to abuse itself.

    But victims still feel they are not been listened to, that bishops are still failing to hand criminal priests over to the appropriate authorities and that a conspiracy of silence remains the order of the day, right up to the top of the Vatican hierarchy.

    The growing discontent with Francis’s record on ridding the Church of the taint of paedophilia is in sharp contrast with how he has performed in other areas.

    As he prepares to celebrate Sunday’s third anniversary of his election, the Argentinian pontiff boasts genuine star status around the world thanks to his charismatic, simple style, his defence of the world’s poor and efforts to reform the Church and bring it closer to ordinary believers. But despite an encouraging start, Francis has failed to definitively draw a line under decades of abuse which ruined the lives of tens of thousands of young Catholics and badly tarnished the standing of the Church in the eyes of believers and broader society.

    Francis has made it clear bishops who cover up for abusers have no place in the Church and has put in place legal structures enabling paedophile priests to be tried under Vatican law. He also established his own advisory panel on the issue.

    But the panel is now disintegrating with one prominent member, Peter Saunders, recently telling AFP he felt betrayed by Francis and that he had been tricked into taking part in what he described as a whitewashing exercise.

    Francis won plaudits for meeting with victims in Rome and in Philadelphia during last year’s visit to the United States. But more recently he has come under fire for declining to repeat the gesture in Mexico or for the group that travelled from Australia to listen to Pell give evidence to the Royal Commission.

    With the Oscar-winning film “Spotlight” further increasing public awareness of the abuse issue, “there is a real risk of this issue becoming the thorn in the foot of this papacy,” said Marco Politi, one of Francis’s biographers and a leading Vatican expert.

    Politi said the “decisive test” of whether the Vatican hierarchy was serious about addressing the problem was whether Church authorities were truly willing to hand priests over to the criminal authorities. “Outside of cases where the judicial system gives them no option, the majority of bishoprics don’t want to talk about that.”

    Ignazio Ingrao, Vatican correspondent for Italian weekly Panorama, said many local dioceses remained “incapable of moving beyond the secrecy mentality and the reflex of burying scandals.” He also noted that the Vatican’s ability to handle cases brought to its attention was severely compromised by staff shortages.

    “I don’t doubt Francis’s desire to create a zero tolerance culture,” he added. “He has made it clear that the religious authorities must cooperate with civilian ones.”

    Direct to the point of bluntness on other issues, Francis seems to have a “gut-level hesitation” when it comes to tackling the abuse issue, possibly fuelled by a belief that it is something he does not fully understand, suggested American Vatican expert John Allen in a column for www.cruxnow.com.

    Andrea Tornielli, who writes for the website Vatican Insider and knows Francis well, says he does not detect any reticence to speak about the subject or when it comes to sanctioning offenders.

    “The pope has spoken unequivocally, referring to diabolic sacrifices. He is trying to change the mentality,” Tornielli told AFP. “One can very well understand the criticism levelled at him by victims and those close to them. But the most important task he has to accomplish is to create the conditions so that cover-ups do not happen ever again.”

  • FORD, GM TO OPERATE INDIA FACTORIES ROUND THE CLOCK

    FORD, GM TO OPERATE INDIA FACTORIES ROUND THE CLOCK

    MUMBAI (TIP): Three global automobile powerhouses either have started operating their India factories round the clock or are in the process of doing so to meet increasing export demand, in a resounding endorsement of the Prime Minister’s call to make in India.

    For the past six months, Ford Motor’s manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu is running three shifts a day, which is uncommon in the American carmaker’s global operations.

    Europe’s largest carmaker, Volkswagen, is set to start a third shift starting next week, while the US No. 1, General Motors, is expected to add another shift from the beginning of next year.

    Interestingly, these companies aren’t doing so well in the Indian market, and the incremental output is to cater to markets in Latin America, Europe and Africa.

    ET spoke to several vendors who supply parts to these carmakers and they said while the domestic market is expected to grow by a single digit, the likes of Ford India, General Motors India and Volkswagen India are targeting 20-60% jump in 2016 production, clearly indicating their export plans. While these carmakers have a market share of less than 3-4%in India, experts say high export volume is helping them make local operations viable.

    Automakers have committed to invest billions of dollars in India, enticed by the local market opportunity in the long term as well as its frugal manufacturing capabilities and abundant skilled manpower, which offer a cost-effective environment to make small cars and sell them at competitive prices internationally.

    In fact, even before Narendra Modi made the call to make in India a year and half ago, making in India for the world had already become part of global carmakers’ strategy and boardroom discussions. Hyundai Motor and Maruti Suzuki have long been shipping India-made cars to foreign markets, even as they ruled the domestic market as well. Companies such as Nissan and Renault, too, target foreign markets with compact vehicles produced in India.

    But now, with the government’s new push to promote manufacturing in India, companies are further expanding production and exporting more, even though the domestic market remains stuck in the slow lane.

    “We are committed to position India as a global centre of excellence for manufacturing small cars and low-displacement engines,” said a spokesperson for Ford India, which is churning out the EcoSport compact SUV for the global markets from its plant near Chennai.

    “Our unflinching commitment to India is reflected in the aggressive implementation of our growth plans, including more than $2 billion we have invested here so far,” he said.

    Volkswagen and GM are witnessing strong demand for their India-made cars in Mexico – for the Vento and Beat, respectively. The Vento is already the segment leader in the Latin American country, where it sells double the number compared with India.

    Volkswagen India Managing Director Andreas Lauermann said going past the capacity of the two-shift system due to higher demand is an important milestone for the company.

    “Volkswagen Pune plant will start off with the third shift soon and will ramp up the production over the year. This step is necessary due to the rising demand from exports as well as domestic market, especially through the new Ameo. Exports have helped VW to create a natural hedging against the weak Indian rupee and fluctuating domestic demand,” Lauermann said.

    Source: ET

  • Does Trump want a Wall to Prevent Mexicans from going back to Mexico?

    Does Trump want a Wall to Prevent Mexicans from going back to Mexico?

    My Dog Mexi (short for Mexi-can) hated winter the most and was in his usual complaining mood

    “Can’t wait for this winter to get over, would U pls raise the heat in the house??”

    “Well, it is already high enough and just to let you know, I am not a politician, just a small business man and this is the best I can afford.

    It’s a pity, he said. My friend, Buzzo (a large bull dog) at the park says he has bedroom for himself while I still sleep in one corner of the family room. He has invited me over so many times to show me his lifestyle

    “That’s fine”, I said, “maybe, U should go and take a look. Many times all is not what it looks.”

    “Aw come on” he said. “His master drives a Lexus and it is kind of embarrassing for me to jump out of a Nissan Sentra. Even the Collar he wears has class.”

    I was beginning to get a little complex “Well, a car is a car and a collar a collar. They serve the same purpose and for that matter I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

    He is served with “Organic Chicken and for the weekends with his favorite fish. I get to eat practically what you eat. Leftovers mostly”

    “That should make you happy. Not many dogs get to eat what their master does.Well U r lucky that U get to walk with and eat like your owner.”

    Mexi continued as if I have not spoken “Oh I forgot to mention,Buzzo’s master arranges for a weekly session with the Trainer which also included a warm water bath in the Jacuzzi and a special massage after that.”

    This was getting uncomfortable “Well that’s not very difficult. I can arrange that for you but without the trainer.”

    Mexi sounded alarmed “Oh No!! If it’s not done by a professional, then I am better off without it. Instead why don’t you let me make a trip to Mexico with all the money, you are saving. I have not met my relatives for a while and I am sure they enjoy a much better lifestyle”

    “Well, I don’t think so. If that was the case, they would not be pouring into America by the thousands. Also Donald Trump would not have to build “THE WALL.

    Mexi sounded a bit annoyed this time “That’s just an election gimmick. What you must know is Mr. Trump is building the wall to prevent the Mexicans from going back to Mexico and not the other way around. He wants to ensure the cheap supply of labor year around which he uses to build Trump towers.”

    I was taken aback by Mexi’s political knowledge “Well let me remind you that it is not just Mr. Trump but every American to become The President wants to build “The Wall”. Mr. Trump has discovered that Americans are mainly unemployed because of Mexicans. Also Mr. Trump has found out that many of your relatives are rapists and criminals. In fact, before he gets elected, we may have to even find out if you have entered the country legally or not.”

    Mexi sounded a little alarmed this time “What do you mean by that?? Dogs do not need to have any passports. Rules that govern you do not apply to us”. In fact, my relatives can visit the US anytime. Only their Masters will be prevented from entering by the “Wall”

    I pretended that I had begun to read a book. Mexi was right. He had the advantage, in this case, of being a Dog.

  • Meet Joann L. Chatfield, Vice President of Marketing at MoneyGram

    Meet Joann L. Chatfield, Vice President of Marketing at MoneyGram

    Joann L. Chatfield, MoneyGram Vice President of Marketing was in town, February 24 to speak at the launch of her company sponsored Cricket Bee contest. Addressing a gathering of media persons at a Midtown Manhattan restaurant, she said, “We are proud to sponsor the 2016 Cricket Bee. We know that the passion for cricket unites friends and loved ones around the world and brings them closer together. It’s always exciting to be a part of initiatives that support our South Asian communities”.

    Joann is enthusiastic about reaching out to the South Asian communities who have a lot of interest in cricket. She was particularly excited at the suggestion floated by The Indian Panorama editor Prof. Indrajit S Saluja that MoneyGram could establish a better rapport with the communities if they visited them at their places of worship and at their social and cultural events which are many and often huge, like Diwali, Dussehra, Vaisakhi and Eid.

    Joann has served as vice president of marketing, since January 2013, most recently responsible for the US, Canada, UK, Ireland and northern Europe. Chatfield previously served as vice president, global marketing and services, and director of marketing, US and Canada. Since joining MoneyGram in May 2011, Chatfield has a proven track record of building and leading highly productive global teams, as well as demonstrated her proficiency in the intricacies of a complex, global, multi-cultural brand.

    Joann has taken on several leadership roles and has consistently shown her business acumen with her innate ability to drive a wide range of internal and external marketing and communication strategies designed to establish market presence, and increase revenue and profitability.

    Prior to joining MoneyGram, Joann served in a number of business development and marketing roles within the finance and telecommunication industries. She is a graduate of the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.