Trump takes U-turn, now blames Putin for 2016 US poll meddling

VOL 12 ISSUE 28 ● NEW YORK / DALLAS ● JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2018 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 www.theindianpanorama.news

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RRss 11,,448844 ccrroorree (($$222233..0066 mmiilllliioonn)) ssppeenntt oonn PPMMMMooddii''ss ffoorreeiiggnn ttrraavveell ssiinnccee 22001144,, RRSS ttoolldd

NEW DELHI (TIP): An expenditure of Rs 1,484 ($223.06million) crore was incurred on chartered flights,maintenance of aircraft and hotline facilities duringPrime Minister Narendra Modi's visits to 84 countriessince June 2014, according to the government.

contd on Page 32

Prime Ministers Narendra Modi disembarking a plane (File photo)

Ganga in extremely bad state, says NGTSays work done not adequate, regular monitoringrequired

NEW DELHI (TIP):

The National GreenTribunal (NGT) onThursday, July 19,expressed dissatisfactionover the cleaning up ofGanga and said thesituation wasextraordinarily bad andhardly anything effectivehad been done to clean it.

A Bench headed byNGT chairperson JusticeAK Goel said despiteclaims by the authorities,

contd on Page 32

Despite an expenditure of Rs. 27304.64 crorefrom 2015 to March 2017, the 2,525 km long

Ganga remains dirty and polluted

Trump takes U-turn, now blamesPutin for 2016 US poll meddlingWASHINGTON (TIP): US President

Donald Trump said, July 19, he holds hisRussian counterpart Vladimir Putinpersonally responsible for the allegedmeddling into the 2016 presidential elections,as he went into damage-control mode todouse a flurry of criticism over his recentcomments about Russia.

Trump has been on the defensive for thepast two days after failing to defend theAmerican intelligence community during amuch-talked about press conference withPutin in Helsinki on Monday, July 16, aftertheir first summit.

The US President seemed to lend credenceto his Russian counterpart's insistence thathis government was not involved in the effortto influence the 2016 election campaign.

contd on Page 32US President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) at the

press conference in Helsinki, July 16.

Two Indian-origin candidates inrace for London Mayoral Election

L O N D O N

(TIP): TwoIndian-origini n d iv i d u a l sare among 10shortlisted byB r i t a i n ' sr u l i n gConservativeparty as

prospective candidates to run for London Mayor in 2020against Labour's Pakistan-origin Sadiq Khan.

Lucknow-born businesswoman Ruby McGregor-Smith joins the race alongside British Sikh politicianKulveer Ranger, both of whom will go head to head withthe others at hustings next month before a vote on thefinal candidate by October.

contd on Page 32

Ruby McGregor-Smith (left), KulveerRanger (right)

DDOOYYEENN OOFF HHIINNDDII PPOOEETTRRYY GGOOPPAALL DDAASSNNEEEERRAAJJ DDIIEESS AATT 9933

NEW DELHI (TIP): Doyen of Hindi poetryGopal Das Neeraj passed away on Thursday,July 19 evening at the AIIMS trauma centerhere. He was 93. A Padma Bhushan awardee,Neeraj contd on Page 32

Composer of "Karavan guzar gaya ghubardekhte rahe" is no more

2 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018ADVERTISEMENT

3NEW YORKTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

NEW HYDE PARK,

NY (TIP): The law firm ofPegalis & Erickson, LLCCannounced, July19, thatattorney Isabel C. Mirahas joined the Firm. Ms.Mira has been adistinguished advocate forplaintiffs' rights for morethan 16 years in theUnited States and in SouthAmerica. At Pegalis &Erickson, LLC, sheconducts pre-triallitigation representingpatients in medicalmalpractice actions.

Previously, sheadvocated for clients withdisabilities in administrative courtproceedings including court hearings andappeals. Although already an attorney whenshe first arrived in the U.S., she beganworking as a legal assistant in a plaintiffs'personal injury law firm. Ms. Mira gainedexperience in debt collection rights when shenegotiated plaintiff's settlements andmanaged pre-trial litigation includingmotions and pleadings. She enjoyed a mid-career opportunity to intern at Glen Cove, NY,City Court assisting the Honorable JosephMcCain with legal research and decisiondrafting. In her native country of Colombia,South America, Ms. Mira represented clientsin civil litigation matters, as a solopractitioner. In addition, she practiced law fora government agency that enforcedenvironmental policy, preparing legalresponses to public petitions, administrativedecisions, and official documents on

e n v i r o n m e n t a lregulations.

Ms. Mira is a member ofthe Nassau Suffolk TrialLawyers Association, theNew York State TrialLawyers Association, theAmerican Association forJustice, the NassauCounty Bar Association,the Long Island HispanicBar Association, and theNassau County Women'sBar Association. She isadmitted to practice law

in New York andColombia, as well as in theFederal Courts for theEastern and Southern

Districts of New York. She obtained her lawdegree from Universidad de Medellín,Colombia. She graduated with a Master ofLaws degree from St. John's UniversitySchool of Law. Isabel C. Mira can be reachedat [email protected]

Pegalis & Erickson, LLC is a New York lawfirm for those suffering as a result of medicalerrors and personal injury. We are advocateswho obtain justice for our clients afterhospitals, doctors, medical personnel,construction companies, or motor vehicledrivers commit avoidable errors that causeour clients life-altering harm. In our 46 yearsof practice, we have won some of the largestverdicts in New York State history and strivefor medical accountability to ensure safermedical practices for better patient care. Visitus at www.pegalisanderickson.com.

(Based on a press release issued by EllenChristie (516) 684-2900)

Hicksville Attorney from Colombia Isabel C. Mirajoins the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC

At Pegalis & Erickson, LLC, AttorneyMira conducts pre-trial litigationrepresenting patients in medical

malpractice actions.

Indian Consulate with Shradhaa Foundation Celebrates Vijay Diwas

NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Indian Consulatealong with Shradhaa Foundation celebratedthe Vijay Diwas at Indian Consulate in NY on18th July 2018. It is the first time an event ofthis nature has been celebrated. The Victory atKargil in 1999 was celebrated and all those wholaid down their life in the service to nationwere remembered.

The event started with the Indian Nationalanthem by Col (Ret.) Virendra Tavathia. Ms.Seema Jagtiani introduced the ShradhaaFoundation to the audience. A comprehensivepresentation of the Kargil war in general andbattle of Tololing and Tiger Hill was made byCol Tavathia. Entire audience was moved bythe sacrifice made by the gallant soldiers ofIndian Army fighting at the highest battlefield.The actions of Indian Air Force and Navy wereappreciated. The audience was overwhelmedby the courage, determination and will powerof our Infantry Soldiers who defied all odds toachieve impossible victory. Some soldiers whoactually participated in the Kargil war werealso present.

Shradhaa Foundation, a New Jersey Non-Profit Organization is committed to supportthe families and children of our martyrsorganized the event in the true traditions ofIndian Army. The Foundation has been helpingthe families of our martyrs since 2011. Theefforts and support received from Tri ServiceEx-servicemen Welfare Organization was wellrecognized. Major Krishna Chari gave adetailed account of the activities of ShradhaaFoundation.

Consul General Sandeep Chakravartiappreciated the efforts and sacrifices of theIndian soldiers in his emotional address to the

audience. He appreciated the efforts ofShradhaa Foundation and announced that theVictory Diwas will be celebrated annually atthe Indian Consulate.

On behalf of Shradhaa Foundation, RatilalPatel, trustee, Dr Avtar Ganju and Lt ColSuresh Mehra, current President presented the

painting of Major Vivek Gupta, MahavirChakra (Posthumous) to Consul General ofIndia. Consul General thanked the officebearers of Foundation and said that thispainting will find most appropriate place in theIndian Consulate. Young Yash Kansara andVicky Kohli presented the emotional patriotic

songs with perfection to bring tears in the eyesof listeners.

The entire Shradhaa Team including thevolunteers Dhara Desai (Editor of the VideoPresentation), Rajnish Balyan and RajeevChaudhary worked very hard to make theentire arena like a battle field. The deliciousfood was provided by Deewan Banquet Hall,Piscataway, NJ. Ms. Seema Jagtiani thankedMr. Harpal Singh Obhan of Deewan BanquetHall, and all the volunteers who helped inputting up this memorable event. The eventculminated with the thank you note by thePresident.

Shradhaa Foundation will be hosting theirannual fund raiser on 03rd August at AkbarBanquet Hall in Edison, NJ. The stories ofsome unsung heroes will be presented to thecommunity. An educational entertainment isin offing in honor of those who gave theirTODAY for our TOMORROW.

(Based on a press release)

Seema Jagtiani, co-founder of ShradhaFoundation welcoming and speaking about

the event

Col Virendra Tavathia, co-founder of ShradhaFoundation, speaking about the Kargil

operation

Trustees and officers of Shradha Foundation with Consul GeneralSandeep Chakravorty A View of the audience

4 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018INDIAN ABROAD

Indian American DevoteesDonate INR 13.5 Crore toTirupati Temple

TIRUPATI (TIP): Indian American Ika Ravi andGuthikonda Srinivas, who hail from Andhra Pradesh,donated INR 13.5 money to the temple 'Hundi' and varioustrusts run by Tirupathi temple authorities.

Mr Ravi, Founder CEO of Rx Advance, a pharmaceuticalcompany based in Boston, donated INR 10 crore to 'Hundi',while Mr Srinivas, CEO of JCG Technologies, a softwaredevelopment and consulting firm based in Florida, donatedINR 3.50 crore to the trusts.

They met the officials of Tirumala TirupathiDevasthanam (TTD), which manages the richest Hindutemple in the world, handed over the checks in the presenceof Andhra Pradesh's Industry Minister Amarnath Reddy.The Minister lauded the gesture of the NRIs. Thousands ofdevotees, who visit the hill shrine every day, make theirofferings in 'Hundi' while some devotees make theirdonations online. TTD runs several trusts engaged in social,religious, literary and educational activities. According toTTD officials, the temple's earnings during 2018-19 areexpected to be INR 2,894 crore, of which the offerings intemple 'Hundi' are likely to be INR 1,156 crore.

INDIAN ORIGIN BANKERFOUND DEAD IN UAE

ABU DHABI (TIP): An Indian- origin banker working inUAE has been found dead, a week after he went missing, amedia report said on July 18. Jabar KP hails from Kerala.He stayed in Abu Dhabi city, but his body was found fromMussafah industrial area at city's outskirts, as reported.Jabar's body was initially kept in the mortuary as anunidentified corpse. Later social workers and communitygroups stepped in to locate a relative. On Monday hisbrother reached the mortuary and identified him, said thereport. "We hail from Kannur district of Kerala. Jabar wasstaying in Abu Dhabi for nine years and he went missinglast week," said Muneer, Jabar's brother who works with thesame bank.

"I don't know about the day that the body was found on,but the location is Mussafah. Nor do I know the reasonbehind my brother's death. He never had problem withanyone. I came to know about the news through socialworkers and identified the body. I have lost my brother," headded. Jabar is survived by his wife and two children. Thecause of death will be known following an autopsy, thereport said.

Indian American Pilot among 3dead in mid-air collision

WASHINGTON(TIP): An Indian American is oneamong two other personsafter two small planescollided mid-air in the USstate of Florida, aviationauthorities said.

Nisha Sejwal, 19, waskilled in the accident onJuly 17, Tuesday alongwith Jorge Sanchez, 22,and Ralph Knight, 72, theFederal AviationAdministration said. Thepolice said they weretrying to trace the whereabouts of a possible fourthpassenger after both planes belonging to the DeanInternational flight school crashed mid-air. The search andrescue effort that were suspended due to low visibility lateon Tuesday, would resume on Wednesday, an officer said.

Read full story on www.theindianpanorama.news

Indian origin Yoga Championnamed ‘British Indian of the year’

LONDON (TIP): Indian-originschoolboy who is the under-11 UKnational yoga champion has been namedthe British Indian of the Year for hisachievements in the field.

Ishwar Sharma, 8, has won a string oftitles in both individual and artistic yoga,most recently a gold medal representingGreat Britain at the World StudentGames 2018 in Winnipeg, Canada, inJune.

"I believe I am competing with myselfrather than anyone else, which makes mechallenge myself to do the difficultpostures," said the schoolboy, who studiesat St Michael's Preparatory School inKent. "I will always be a student of yogaand am deeply grateful to my teachers forthe wisdom they have shared with me,"he said.

He was named British Indian of theYear in the Young Achiever category atthe sixth annual awards ceremony heldin Birmingham earlier this week.

"We feel proud of his achievements andit has improved his academicperformance. We want him to inspireadults and other children with thislifestyle habit," said his fatherVishwanath, himself a keen yogapractitioner.

"He and I perform Vedic Yoga with

choreography to music, which includesHatha Yoga postures with Acroyoga andartistic yoga," he said.

The family is originally from Mysore,home to world-renowned yoga gurus, andtravel to the region annually.

"He rejuvenates himself there andwould love to stay for more time and getyoga training with the teachers there,"added Vishwanath.

His son has performed in more over 100events across the UK and worldwide andamong his many skills is the ability tochant up to 50 'shlokas' from the 'Vedas'

and 'Bhagavad Gita'. He won a gold medalat the Euro Asian Yoga Championshipsin Turkey in May and has also performedat a number of charity events to raisefunds for the under-privileged.

Some of his upcoming competitionsinclude one in Chile in December andthen Beijing in January next year. He isalso training for the World Games inCanada next year.

"Ishwar is determined to spreadawareness about yoga and its benefits,especially among children," his fathersaid.

Ishwar Sharma, 8, has won a string of titles in both individual and artistic yoga

Indian American Sabrina Singh is key player to offensivecommunication strategy of the Democratic party

WASHINGTON (TIP): Sabrina Singhjoined the Democratic NationalCommittee (DNC) last year as itsspokeswoman and deputycommunications director. She allegedthat the ruling Republican party has"created a toxic environment" and isstruggling with telling the truth thusbeing a key player in the offensivecommunication strategy of theDemocratic party against the allegeddivisive policies of the Donald Trumpadministration.

The Democratic leader said she isinspired by the works of her grandfatherSardar JJ Singh to fight the divisivepolicies of the Trump administration.

As head of the India League ofAmerica, JJ Singh was a key figureamong Indians in America fighting forthe right to US citizenship.

Some 18 months after Donald Trumpentered the White House, Ms Singh said,the Democrats have gone on the offensive."Democrats certainly have the wind attheir backs right now. We're holding theadministration accountable and we're notgonna let up until November and onwardstill 2020. We just have to keep harnessingthe momentum to keep chargingforward," she said.

"What one sees every day is the Trumpadministration lobbying new attacks atdifferent groups whether it's Latino's orAsian American and Pacific Islander(AAPI). The Trump administration hasnot done their job of their promise of'draining the swamp'. I think, if anything,it has gotten swampier," Ms Singh said.

In 1940s, JJ Singh along with a group offellow Indians mounted a nationwidecampaign against racially discriminatorypolicies of the US which led the thenpresident Harry Truman to sign the Luce-

Celler Act on July 2, 1946. The Act alloweda quota of 100 Indians to immigrate to theUnited States per year.

The Act also permitted Indiannationals already residing in the US (ofwhom there were approximately 2,500-3,000 at the time) to become naturalizedAmerican citizens.

Prior to the Luce-Celler Act, Indianswere barred from becoming US citizensand they were allowed to enter thecountry only as visitors and tourists. "It'sa really important time to be working atthe DNC. It's a really important time to bea woman of colorworking inWashington," Ms Singh said.

"While the environment can be tough towake up to see a tweet from DonaldTrump saying 'fake news, this is riggedand that is rigged and everyone's out toget me', I think we're seeing a lot ofincredible activism," she said referring tovarious popular protests against the

Trump Administration.Ahead of the November mid-term, Ms

Singh said the focus of the DNC under itschair Tom Perez is to get as many seats aspossible from the Congress to electedposts at local level.

"People are excited about the mid-terms. People are ready for change.People are seeing that Trump is notdelivering on some of the things that hecampaigned on," she claimed.

Responding to the criticism that theDemocratic party has now become aparty of protests and marches, Ms Singhsaid, "We are holding the administrationaccountable. And one way to do that is torally and to protest and to speak out. Idon't think there's anything wrong withpeople going to the border to protest theadministration's policies that areseparating families."

"We are not just anti-Trump. We areorganizing and making sure that we areelecting leaders at all levels...We are goingto fight to make sure that women have theright to make the choices about their ownreproductive health," she added.

Ms Singh alleged that the White Housestrategy is not to tell the truth to the pressor the public. "You see Sarah Sanders orRaj Shah get in front of the podium everyday and essentially lie to the Americanpeople," she alleged.

At the same time, Ms Singh noted thatMr Trump uses Twitter "very effectively"and is able to reach his base.

"Many of his supporters like that he isvery honest and truthful, but I think it'salso a bit scary for many people in thiscountry to see Trump attacking our alliesover twitter, or name calling sittingsenators, and members of Congress,whether it's racial slurs or derogatorynames," she said.

The Democratic leader said she isinspired by the works of her grandfather

Sardar JJ Singh to fight the divisivepolicies of the Trump administration

Image/ courtesy Twitter

Tirupati Temple is the richest Hindu temple in the world

Indian American pilot NishaSejwal, 19, was killed whentwo small planes collided inmid -air on July 17. Image/

courtesy Twitter

5ADVERTISEMENTTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

6 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018NEW YORK

Celebration of National ‘Bastille’ Day 2018 in FranceNEW YORK (TIP): The Indian Diaspora

Council International (IDC) congratulates thepeople of France on the 229th anniversary ofBastille Day, the La Fête Nationale,commemorating the day in 1789 when crowdsstormed the Bastille, a fortress used as aprison in Paris. The event marks thebeginning of the French Revolution andhonors democracy and equality in France.

The storming of Bastille on 14th July 1978sent a signal to the French monarchy that theFrench people were embracing therevolution's motto, liberté, égalité, fraternité,or liberty, equality and brotherhood. The riotwas a call for the establishment of a republic

in France in the face of an oppressive regimeand food shortages that spurred on therevolution.

"Justice and power must be broughttogether, so that whatever is just may bepowerful, and whatever is powerful may bejust." ~ Blaise Pascal

Prejudices are what fools use for reason" -Voltaire

IDC also recognizes the sizeable populationof persons of Indian origin (PIOs) and non-resident Indians (NRIs) in France, with rootsin Mauritius, Reunion Island and territoriesof the French Caribbean as well as India.PIOs in France and Francophone Territories

contribute significantly to France andFrancophone Territories, achievingprominent positions in all segments ofFrench society including businesses,academia, politics, media and sciences.

IDC conveys its best wishes to the people ofFrance for continuing progress inchampioning the cause of freedom, justice,human rights and liberty throughout theworld.

In addition, Congratulation, France! Theday after Bastille Day 2018, France are WorldCup 2018 champions and deservedly so after abreathless six-goal thriller against Croatia.

For more information contact: Ashook

Mayor De Blasio Announces Largest EverAffordable Housing Production In City’s History

New Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit will be dedicated to responding to tenant complaints of harassment in buildings across the cityNEW YORK CITY (TIP): Mayor de Blasio

announced, July 19, that his administrationfinanced 32,116 affordable homes last year,breaking the all-time record previously set byformer Mayor Ed Koch in 1989 of 25,243 units.The City also broke the record for the most newconstruction with 9,140 affordable homes;almost 60 percent of all homes financed willserve New Yorkers making less than $47,000 fora family of three. Additionally, the Mayorannounced the formation of the Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit that will be dedicated topursuing potential cases of maintenanceharassment in multi-family residentialbuildings and connecting tenants to legalservices resources, a complement to the City'sefforts against construction as harassment.

"This Administration has used every toolavailable to fight the affordability crisis in NewYork City. It is paying off - we have created moreaffordable housing than any other time in ourCity's history," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "Wewill not grow complacent. My Administration isforging ahead with new tools like the TenantAnti-Harassment Unit to help investigateharassment and hold bad landlordsaccountable. We have the backs of tenants as wecontinue to ensure that New York City is thefairest city in America."

"We have established a blueprint for building,for preservation - for overall affordability. We'rekeeping people in their houses, never giving upa square foot of affordable housing, andincreasing the supply of new homes. Asneighborhoods grow and change, our workensures that affordable housing will always be apart of our city," said Alicia Glen, Deputy Mayorfor Housing and Economic Development.

To celebrate this historic milestone, theMayor handed Destiny Armstead the keys toher new home at 1561 Walton, a new 60-unitbuilding near the Jerome Avenue area in theBronx, one of several neighborhoods that wasrecently rezoned to apply the City's newMandatory Inclusionary Housing policy. TheMayor was joined by Council MembersFernando Cabrera, Vanessa Gibson, and YdanisRodriguez, who have been working closely withthe administration to develop comprehensiveplans for their communities. Developed by non-profit Settlement Housing Fund, 1561 Waltonwas part of a major wave of constructionfinanced early in the de Blasio administrationthat has now rented up. Built on City-ownedland and a former parking lot, the project isadjacent to New Settlement Apartments, asignature Koch-era portfolio with 900 homes in14 buildings that was recently preserved byHPD. Renovations, including the installation ofsolar panels that will help ensure the long-termaffordability and sustainability of the building,

were recently completed. Settlement HousingFund also financed the renovation of thebeautiful children's playground across thestreet.

"Making good on the promises of HousingNew York, we set an all-time record foraffordable housing production in New YorkCity," said Department of Housing Preservationand Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. "With 32,116 affordable homes, 2018also marks the most new construction inhistory. A full 57 percent of those homes willserve some of the city's lowest income families.By advancing developments on large publicsites, implementing policies to require moreaffordable housing on private sites, pushing tosecure the affordability of large Mitchell-Lamas, and seeing new programs to reach smallbuildings take hold, among other initiatives, wesurpassed the new baseline established in HNY2.0. Our work is far from done. That is why todaywe also launch a new Tenant Anti-HarassmentUnit at HPD to expand our efforts to combatharassment and displacement. All of theseresults are a testament to our partners and thedevoted HPD and HDC teams. I want to thankthem and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for theirvision and ongoing commitment to a building afairer, more affordable city."

"HDC is proud to have contributed more than$1.6 billion in bond financing towards this year'shistoric housing production, and more than $7.1billion since the start of Housing New York,"said New York City Housing DevelopmentCorporation President Eric Enderlin. "Oursuccess under the housing plan has been madepossible thanks to the exceptional efforts of ourCity-wide team and valued public and privatepartners who have worked around the clock toensure our limited affordable housing resourcesare deployed with the greatest impact. Theaffordable housing the City has created andpreserved to date will provide greateropportunity to some of our most vulnerablehouseholds as well as our more moderateincome New Yorkers, reflecting ourcommitment to ensure New York is a city foreveryone."

"Like so many New Yorkers, findingaffordable housing remains a primary concernfor older adults living on limited incomes.Preserving affordable housing helps moreseniors remain in the communities where theyraised their families and have a network offormal and informal supports, which areessential for them to age in place," saidDepartment for the Aging Commissioner DonnaCorrado.

"As we plan for the future of New York City, itis vital that we remain a city for all. ThroughMandatory Inclusionary Housing and other

programs, we are creating unprecedented levelsof affordable housing for today and tomorrow'sNew Yorkers," said Department of CityPlanning Director Marisa Lago.

"This Administration has proudly fought tomake New York City a more equitable place tolive," said NYCEDC President and CEO JamesPatchett. "This is a historic milestone and we'reproud to have worked side by side with oursister agencies to help raise the floor for NewYorkers across the five boroughs."

The cornerstone of the Mayor's housing plancontinues to be the preservation of affordabilityin existing buildings, many of which are in needof physical and financial assistance or faceexpiring protections. Last year, the City used awide array of programs and tools to extendaffordability and finance needed improvementsin 22,976 homes. This preservation work is keyto keeping people in their homes andneighborhoods and accompanies a robust set ofstrategies to combat displacement, including anew citywide Certification of No HarassmentProgram, a Speculation Watch List, and now anew HPD Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit.

The newly established Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit will have ten dedicated staff,including two attorneys to initiate litigationagainst unscrupulous owners and landlords.The new Unit will use data analysis to identifypotential buildings and portfolios whereharassment is occurring; respond to emergencycomplaints; partner closely with theDepartment of Buildings and other agencies toaddress issues in buildings where maintenanceas harassment has been identified; and connecttenants with legal services resources.

The new Unit will enable HPD to increase thenumber of buildings with potentialconstruction or maintenance harassment thatHPD can inspect from 200 buildings annually toapproximately 1,500 buildings. HPD will alsoseek civil penalties for harassment wherewarranted.

The record-breaking progress of the lastfiscal year brings the total number of homesfinanced under HNY to date to 109,767,exceeding the original goal established inHousing New York, and the new target set lastyear in Housing New York 2.0. Through HNY2.0, the Mayor committed to accelerate andexpand the pace of Housing New York toachieve 300,000 affordable apartments by 2026 -100,000 more than initially planned. Already theCity had ramped up to produce more than 20,000affordable homes a year, and now, has achieveda new baseline of 25,000 affordable apartments ayear, ahead of schedule.

The total direct City investment under theMayor's housing plan last year was $1.582billion, and the total bond financing issued by

the New York City Housing DevelopmentCorporation (HDC) was over $1.6 billion inbonds. To date, the City has spent $4.375 billionin City subsidy, which includes City capital,HDC Corporate Reserves, and Reso-A. In total,HDC issued bonds worth more than $7.1 billionsince the start of the plan.

Affordable housing numbers are availablehere.

The plan continues to live up to its initial

promises:

REZONING AREAS / CITY OWNED

LAND: Made progress on large public sites inrezoning and urban renewal areas like ConeyIsland, East New York, Far Rockaway, andDowntown Jamaica, financing 1,390 new homes.These are some of the 2,513 newly constructedunits financed on public land last year; bringingthe total under HNY to 8,844 homes.

421A: Produced 760 affordable apartmentsacross 64 projects through 421a with noadditional City funding. This doubles thenumber of stand-alone units created, most ofwhich are in high-cost neighborhoods.

MANDATORY INCLUSIONARY HOUSING

(MIH): Doubled the production created throughMIH to 805 permanently affordable homes. TheCity is tracking 8,500 MIH units throughrezoning applications; including 4,900 MIHapartments in 51 projects approved by Councilthat have not yet closed.

SENIORS: Launched Aging in Place, part ofour new Seniors First program, and closed thefirst project to ensure seniors in preservationprojects get the improvements they need to stayin their apartments and age in place. Last yearsaw the most senior housing with 1,888apartments; bringing the total number of seniorhomes produced under HNY to 6,507.

Read more at www.theindianpanorama.news

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced July 19 theformation of the Tenant Anti-Harassment Unit

7NY/NJ/CT THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

At a live TV event, Pandit Jasraj unveils biographyin the US

EDISON, NJ (TIP):Legendary classicalvocalist Pandit Jasraj unveiled his firstauthorized biography during a book releaseceremony at the TV Asia auditorium inEdison, NJ on July 17.

Titled, "Rasraj Pandit Jasraj," the biographyis written by Sunita Budhiraja and publishedby New Delhi-based Vani Prakashan.

The event was jointly hosted by theConsulate General of India in New York, TVAsia and the Pandit Jasraj Institute andbroadcast live on TV Asia across the US as partof its "Focus Live"nightly show. The event wasalso the first public gathering in the USannouncing the launch of the biography,before the official India release later this year.

The biography's release was followed by a90-minute interaction on TV Asia's "FocusLive" with Pandit Jasraj; Consul GeneralSandeep Chakravorty; Durga Jasraj, PanditJasraj's daughter; author Sunita Budhiraja;publisher Arun Maheshwari and TV Asia hostand senior producer Vikas Nangia, followed bya question-answer session with the audience.

During the panel discussion, Budhiraja saidthat while Pandit Jasraj's ragas were soulful,the book focused on several untold strugglesthat went behind those renditions."The book isessentially the story behind his music, thechallenges and many other yet unknowninspiring aspects of Panditji's life," she added.

When asked about the importance of lyrics,Pandit Jasrajsaid he believed in immersing

himself into the words before singing."Words are absolutely important in my

songs because I want to live them, understandthem, go into their depths and then sing thesong. The process for me is to completelyunderstand the words and then immersemyself in those words, that world," he said. Healso recalled during the conversation howthankful he was to former Prime Minister AtalBehari Vajpayee for calling him "Rasraj,"which has been borrowed in the tittle for thebiography.

One of India's best known classicalvocalists, Pandit Jasraj, 88, was born in Hisar,Haryana, in a family of classical musicians ofthe Mewat gharana. His father, PanditMotiram, a noted classical singer, passed awaywhen Pandit Jasraj was just 4. From a youngage, Pandit Jasraj began accompanying hiselder brother and first guru vocalist PanditManiram as a tabla artiste. At 15, stung by amusician's snide remark about his lack ofunderstanding of classical music because hewas a minor artist, Pandit Jasraj decided totake up singing. He gave his first publicconcert at 22. He was honored by the Indiangovernment with both the Padma Bhushan(1990) and Padma Vibhushan (2000).

Blessed with a soulful and sonorous voice,which traverses masterfully, Pandit Jasraj'svocalizing is characterized by a harmoniousblend of the classic and opulent elements,giving his music a unique and sublime

emotional quality.The live TV event was interspersed with

audio-visuals of Pandit Jasraj's concerts aswell as a brief story of his life, frequentlyapplauded by the audience.

Consul General Chakravorty said duringthe panel discussion that despite PanditJasraj's legendary status as a musician, his"tolerance and respect" for all types of musicwas unique and a testament to his character.

Durga Jasraj spoke about what it meant tobe growing up in a family, where his father wascontinuously traveling on concerts. "He has ahigh expectation from himself even at this age.All of us in the family, including our father,have sacrificed for music, but we have alsolearned so much from Panditji about mentaland physical tenacity."

Earlier, while introducing Pandit Jasraj, TV

Asia chairman and CEO H R Shah offered ananalogy, saying the legendary classicalvocalist was a "rare gem" with a large fan-following despite the challengingnature of hismusic that yet transcended all age groups.

More than 200 guests, including severalprominent members of the Indian Americancommunity, attended the book release.Among those present, included TriptiMukherjee, senior disciple of Pandit Jasrajas well as founder and director of PanditJasraj Institute; Dr Naveen Mehta,chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan USA;president of FIA of NY-NJ-CT SrujalParikh, who along with FIA board of trusteeRam Gadhvi, presented Pandit Jasraj with aplaque of appreciation; Sunil Nayak, AINApresident and Peter Kothari, IACSpresident.

Pandit Jasraj, third from left, unveiling his biography, "Rasraj Pandit Jasraj," at a live TV eventat the TV Asia auditorium in Edison, NJ on July 17. Others in the photo are, from left, VikasNangia, TV Asia host and senior producer; H R Shah, TV Asia chairman and CEO; Sandeep

Chakravorty, India's Consul General in New York; Durga Jasraj, Pandit Jasraj's daughter; SunitaBudhiraja, author of "Rasraj Pandit Jasraj" and Arun Maheshwari, publisher of the biography.

The panelists during "Focus Live" show at the unveiling of Pandit Jasraj's biography, from left,Vikas Nangia, TV Asia host and senior producer; Pandit Jasraj; Sandeep Chakravorty, India's

Consul General in New York; Durga Jasraj, Pandit Jasraj's daughter; Sunita Budhiraja, author of"Rasraj Pandit Jasraj" and Arun Maheshwari, publisher of the biography

More than 300 guests attended the book launch and the live TV event.Photos / courtesy Gunjesh Desai/TV Asia

Ex-NY Senate Leader Dean Skelos, son found guilty of corruption charges in retrialNEW YORK (TIP): Former state Senate Majority Leader

Dean Skelos, once one of the most politically influentialofficials in New York, was convicted Tuesday, July 17 of usinghis considerable influence to secure $300,000 in low-show jobsand payment for his son.

A jury in Manhattan federal court found Skelos, 70, and hisson Adam, 36, guilty of eight felonies in the high-profileretrial, including two counts of conspiracy, three counts ofextortion and three counts of bribery, according to the U.S.Attorney's Office.

Skelos, a Nassau County Republican, pressured threepolitically connected firms to steer hundreds of thousands ofdollars to his son via a $20,000 cash payment and well-payingjobs that required little to no work.

The companies - AbTech Industries, Glenwood Managementand a company tied to Physicians' Reciprocal Insurers - all hadsignificant business before the state, which prosecutors saySkelos implicitly and explicitly exploited to benefit his son.

Major corruption convictionsThe verdicts Tuesday came just five days after another

major Albany-related corruption conviction.Former SUNY Polytechnic Institute President Alain

Kaloyeros was found guilty Thursday of rigging the bid formore than $850 million in state-funded contracts to build Gov.Andrew Cuomo's top economic-development projects.

"Yet again, a New York jury heard a sordid tale of bribery,extortion, and the abuse of power by a powerful public officialof this State," Robert Khuzami, deputy U.S. Attorney for NewYork's Southern District, said in a statement.

"And yet again, a jury responded with a unanimous verdictof guilt, in this case of Dean Skelos and his son Adam - sendingthe resounding message that political corruption will not betolerated."

The elder Skelos was one of the three most powerful peoplein state government as Senate majority leader in 2008 and from2011 through 2015, leading the Senate Republican conference innegotiations over the state budget and all key pieces oflegislation.

Three-year saga

The conviction Tuesday was the latest step in a three-yearlegal saga for the Skeloses, who were first indicted in 2015.

They were convicted later that year, with Dean Skelossentenced to 5 years in prison and Adam Skelos sentenced to 61/2 years.

But their convictions were later overturned in 2016 after theU.S. Supreme Court narrowed the corruption law the pair wasconvicted under.

Prosecutors, however, were allowed to retry Skelos and hisson under the narrowed definition. And the more-restrictivelaw ultimately had little impact: The Skeloses were convictedon all counts in both trials.

A similar situation played out with former AssemblySpeaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat who was alsoindicted in 2015 and convicted of fraud.

Like Skelos, Silver's initial convicted was tossed in 2016 buthe was found guilty in a retrial earlier this year.

Silver and Skelos were powerful leaders of their chambersand made up two of the "three men in a room" who negotiatedstate budgets and legislation with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Corruption at high levelsIt was the fourth major corruption conviction touching the

highest levels of state government this year.Along with Skelos, Silver and Kaloyeros, former top Cuomo

aide Joseph Percoco, then a close personal friend of thegovernor's, was convicted in March of accepting more than$285,000 from companies with business before the state.

Read more at www.theindianpanorama.news

Former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and sonAdam Skelos were found guilty in the retrial

FIFA World Cup 2018 was an all-European show. If France won theCup, Russia, the hosts, won the

hearts. The Americas - north, south andcentral - were all cut to size not only onthe playfields of Russia but also inpolitics. It turned out to be a wonderfulcarnival of fun, sport and politics thatwitnessed many upheavals, besidesshowcasing Russia as a modern, dynamicand "normal" nation, ready for inclusionin the global economic, political, andsporting landscapes.

Not only did all 32 nations thatqualified laud the event as the "best ever",a certificate of appreciation also camefrom FIFA president Gianni Infantinowhen he commented "the whole world fellin love with Russia" for hosting the bestWorld Cup ever.

FIFA World Cup 2018 was no differentfrom the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and2016 Rio Olympic Games for grabbingcriticism on corruption, organizationallapses and failure to provide "clean,healthy and sporting environs for freeand fair competitions". Intriguingly, atthe end of these events, this criticism waschanged to praise.

The allotment of FIFA World Cup 2018to Russia was not without a controversy.FIFA itself was dogged by allegations ofcorruption and impropriety. Sepp Blatter,the infamous suspended FIFA chief, was aspecial guest of Russian PresidentVladimir Putin.

Allotment was made in 2011 and Putinhad promised that the event would changethe way the planet saw his "nation". Hehad put in place a mechanism to keep theshowcase event of FIFA free from threatsof hooliganism, terrorist attacks ordisruptions by political activists.

Russia, an offshoot of the erstwhileSoviet Union, got the World Cup at a timewhen its relationship with both Europeand the US had touched the lowest ebb indecades. Its recent actions in Syria andUkraine fractured further these ties.

But unlike the 1980 Moscow OlympicGames held a year after the invasion ofAfghanistan, this FIFA World Cupwitnessed no boycotts. It was all the morecredible to have a full FIFA house inRussia, especially when the hosts remainon the "suspension list" of theInternational Olympic Committee. In thelast Olympic Winter Games inPyeongChang, Russia was not allowed,though its athletes participated under thebanner of Olympic Athletes Russia. TheWorld Cup provided a pleasant change.Between June 14 and July 15, the 64 gamesplayed in 11 cities not only saw Icelandmaking an impressive debut, but alsodefending champions Germany making

an exit after the group matches.For Asia, it was Japan that carried the

flag to the pre-quarterfinals, as otherAsian contenders - Iran, Saudi Arabia andKorea -could not cross the group matcheshurdle.

Though India has seldom qualified forthe prestigious FIFA event, it had itsnominal representation through Rishi Tej(10) and John K Nathania (11) who werechosen to carry the ball for the games onJune 18 and 23 in the Russia World Cup.Besides there were 100-odd football fansfrom India, including Amitabh Bachchan.There were also some volunteers fromIndia.

The FIFA World Cup is an event that isas prestigious, if not more, as the summerOlympic Games are. Russia spent morethan $11.6 billion on infrastructure forthe FIFA World Cup. Four years earlier, ithad put in a huge amount for the WinterOlympic Games, an event that at the endsoiled its credibility for conspiring to"drug" the games, with critics calling the2014 Sochi Winter Olympics as "chemist"games.

Besides the Russian Government'sexpenditure on making the World Cup anevent to make the "planet" change itsoutlook about Russia, FIFA's budget forthe just-concluded World Cup was awhopping $1,943 million.

Compared to it, when Bhubaneswarholds the World Cup Hockey Tournamentlater this year, the total cost is estimatedat about $19 million. The event will bespread over 19 days and feature 16 teamsand 36 matches. FIFA World Cup, a 35-dayevent, witnessed 64 games played in 11different cities.

There were nearly half a millionfootball fans, including several thousandfrom Peru alone, drinking on the streets

of Russia, through the World Cup days.As the event progressed to its knockout

rounds, some icons like Argentina, Spain,Portugal, Brazil and Uruguay madeunceremonious exits, losing by resultsfacilitated either by late goals, penalties,own goals or penalty shootouts. Therewere 29 penalties awarded in thetournament besides "own" goals,including the first goal of the finalbetween France and Croatia. And then,the second goal came from a penalty.

By the time the tournament reached thesemi-final stage, the challenge of Asia,Africa and the Americas had ended. Thesemi-finals and final were an all-European affair. Though Croatia made itto its first final of a World Cup, it couldnot stand up to the experience of theFrench, who won their second World Cuptitle in 20 years, and thus became only thesixth nation to win the elite soccertournament two or more times.

Harry Kane (England), Luka Modric(Croatia), Kylian Mbappe (France) andThibaut Courtois (Belgium) wereadjudged among the best players of thisWorld Cup that also saw the fading awayof Lionel Messi (Argentina), even asCristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and Neymar(Brazil) may continue to hawk headlinesfor some more time.

And who can forget the CroatianPresident, Kolinda Grabbar-Kitarovic,who spent her own money to travel toRussia, sported the team jersey to watchthe "silver team" play the final, from thestands, and greeted and consoled eachmember of the losing finalist team with awarm hug?

(The author is a senior journalist. He isexecutive editor with the PTC TV

Channel)

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AS I SEE IT

GUESTCOMMENT

By Prabhjot Singh

8 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018EDITORIAL

Trump - Putin RockySummitDonald Trump did enough, and more, tomess up his meeting with Vladimir Putin

Asummit between the leaders of theworld's strongest nuclear powers,which fought the Cold War for

decades, is an opportunity to discuss areas ofshared interest, find ways to dial downmutual tensions and work together toaddress global issues. But well before DonaldTrump and Vladimir Putin sat down for theirfirst formal summit meeting, in Helsinki,there were concerns that it would beovershadowed by allegations of Russianinterference in the 2016 U.S. presidentialelection. The uproar in Washington over Mr.Trump's remarks on the Russian meddlingscandal - with even accusations of treason -and his subsequent U-turn suggest that suchconcerns were valid. Mr. Trump could havecertainly managed the summit better byaddressing genuine concerns in the U.S. overallegations of Russia's election meddling.Days earlier, the U.S. Justice Departmentindicted 12 Russian intelligence officials forhacking and leaking emails of topDemocrats. It therefore seemed surreal whenthe President accepted the Russian versionover that of his own intelligence agenciesand the Justice Department. Away from thecontroversy, the closed-door meeting betweenthe leaders can be evaluated only on theprogress made on a number of contentiousissues before both.

The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty(START) is set to expire in 2021 and Russiahas shown interest in extending it. For aconsensus, high-level talks between the U.S.and Russia are needed. From the crisis inUkraine to the civil war in Syria, Russia-U.S.cooperation is vital to finding lastingsolutions. The Iran nuclear deal, for whichMr. Putin and Barack Obama workedtogether despite differences, is in a shambles.Most of these issues, including the threatposed by nuclear weapons andintercontinental ballistic missiles, werediscussed at the summit. But it's not clearwhether the talks will lead to any significantchange in policies. Since the Ukraine crisis,the West has tried different methods,including sanctions and pressure tactics, toisolate Russia and change its behavior. Butthose methods have proved largelyunsuccessful as Russia is now a far moreambitious foreign policy power with anenhanced presence in Eastern Europe andWest Asia - even if its sanctions-hit economyis struggling. Instead of continuing a policythat has failed and ratcheted up globaltensions, the Western alliance should junk itsCold War mentality and engage with Russia;Russia, in turn, will have to shed its rogueattitude and be more open and stable in itsdealings. The stakes are high, and thebitterness of the past should not hinder U.S.-Russia relations. That should have been themessage from Helsinki.

(The Hindu)

FIFA was Russia’s coming out partyMoscow splurged over $11 bn to make the FIFA World Cup anevent to make the 'planet' change its outlook about Russia. Itworked, leading the FIFA chief to say," the whole world fell inlove with Russia.''

9PERSPECTIVETHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

By Ravi Arvind Palat

Decoding Trump’s attack on EuropeHis incendiary tour of the continent seeks to reverse the gains Europe has achieved over the last 70 years

Mr. Trump's blisteringattack on Europeanstates for not meetingtheir military spendingobligations is misplaced.Not only does he fail torecognize that theirmilitary spending hasrisen since 2014 whenthey agreed to raise theirmilitary spending to 2%of their GDP by 2024 butalso that European statesare not positioned to beglobal powers. Unlike theU.S. which is bordered bythe Atlantic and PacificOceans, Europe has noneed for navies to patroldistant oceans and matchthe U.S. in defensespending. Moreover,rather than spendingmassively on defense asthe U.S. has opted to do,European states providetheir citizens with healthcare, education, andother welfare benefits."

“Far from Russia posing a threat to the Western alliance, the major source of destabilizationto the EU comes from the flow of migrants from Africa. In this context, it is not highermilitary spending by member states that is crucial but the provision of aid. Members of the

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development had pledged to contribute 0.7% oftheir GDP as aid to the poorest countries. Germany and the U.K. spend 0.66% and 0.7%,respectively, of their GDP in aid while the U.S. spends a mere 0.18%; Mr. Trump is threatening toslash even that by a third. Spending on aid, especially to African countries, will help stem the tideof refugees coming to Europe far more effectively than policing the Mediterranean."

U.S.President Donald Trump'sincendiary tour of Europehas justly generated

extensive coverage for his disregard fordiplomatic niceties and attacks on his allies,especially on German Chancellor AngelaMerkel and British Prime Minister TheresaMay, both of whom are facing stiff domesticopposition. Yet, mainstream commentarieson Mr. Trump's attacks on the EuropeanUnion and the North Atlantic TreatyOrganization (NATO) do not place the trans-Atlantic relationship in the broaderhistorical context.

In the first instance, in the aftermath ofthe Second World War, the U.S. promotedeconomic integration among its Europeanallies as an essential condition for the post-war revival of world trade. At war's end,wealth had become concentrated in the newsuperpower - it accounted for 48% of worldindustrial capacity and 70% of gold reserves.With the demobilization of some 10 millionsoldiers in the U.S., the shift to a peacetimeeconomy needed allies to open their marketsto U.S. products and investments. ItsEuropean allies were too poor to provide amarket and the notorious 'meat-axe' 80thCongress unwilling to undertake a programfor European reconstruction.

In this context, the U.K. government'sadmission in February 1947 that it could nolonger intervene in the Greek Civil Warprovided an opportune moment for U.S.President Harry Truman to follow SenatorArthur Vandenberg's advice to "scare thehell out of the American people" bymanufacturing the Cold War. A Congressthat was not willing to aid Clement Attlee's"socialist welfare state" was eager to rebuildWestern Europe and Japan as levees todefend the 'free world' against 'godlesscommunism'.

Along with NATO founded in 1949 was theMarshall Plan instituted in 1948. It wasinnovative not because of its size - $17 billionover four years was not substantially morethan the $9 billion the U.S. had channeled toits European allies in the previous two years- but because it pressured West Europeanstates to reduce tariffs between themselvesand to standardize regulations to facilitatethe creation of a market viable enough toreap the economies of scale and for U.S.corporations to invest in the continent. Thistrans-Atlantic U.S. corporate expansion waswelcomed by European governments andtrade unions as these were the only entitieswith the funds to create employment.

Post-war reconstructionA trans-Atlantic military alliance and

European economic integration were thusthe twin projects of a successful post-warreconstruction. Economic integrationproceeded rapidly over the last 40 odd years,with the European Union (EU) becoming thelargest economy on the planet and therebythreatening the U.S.

At the same time, the rationale for theNATO military alliance - to protect WesternEurope from Soviet expansion and to tieGermany to its neighbors - has largelyevaporated with the breakup of the USSR

and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.

The Russian angleIn the context of the current outcry

among NATO member states about theRussian annexation of Crimea from theUkraine, it is important to recall that U.S.President George H.W. Bush and otherleaders had assured Russia in 1991 that thetrans-Atlantic alliance would not extendbeyond East Germany's borders. Then whenRussia was immensely weakened in the1990s, U.S. President Bill Clinton led thecharge to invite states in Central andEastern Europe into the alliance. It was thisexpansion that led to a new confrontationwith Russia once it had stabilized itselfunder President Vladimir Putin.

Nevertheless, there is clearly no Russianthreat to Europe. Even in the case of theUkraine, as Steven Cohen, emeritusprofessor of Russian studies at New YorkUniversity, has argued, the crisis wasprecipitated in 2014 when the EU pressuredthe Ukrainian government to sign anagreement that would have disadvantagedRussia. When then Ukrainian PresidentViktor Yanukovych hesitated, he wasoverthrown by EU- and U.S.-supporteddemonstrators even though he had signed anagreement brokered by three EU foreignministers the previous day to form acoalition government. It was this march ofNATO to the frontiers of Russia thatprovoked Mr. Putin to intervene in theUkraine.

Recasting securityFar from Russia posing a threat to the

Western alliance, the major source ofdestabilization to the EU comes from theflow of migrants from Africa. In thiscontext, it is not higher military spending bymember states that is crucial but theprovision of aid. Members of theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment had pledged to contribute 0.7%of their GDP as aid to the poorest countries.

Germany and the U.K. spend 0.66% and 0.7%,respectively, of their GDP in aid while theU.S. spends a mere 0.18%; Mr. Trump isthreatening to slash even that by a third.Spending on aid, especially to Africancountries, will help stem the tide of refugeescoming to Europe far more effectively thanpolicing the Mediterranean.

In this context, Mr. Trump's blisteringattack on European states for not meetingtheir military spending obligations ismisplaced. Not only does he fail to recognizethat their military spending has risen since2014 when they agreed to raise their militaryspending to 2% of their GDP by 2024 but alsothat European states are not positioned to beglobal powers. Unlike the U.S. which isbordered by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans,Europe has no need for navies to patroldistant oceans and match the U.S. in defensespending. Moreover, rather than spendingmassively on defense as the U.S. has opted todo, European states provide their citizenswith health care, education, and otherwelfare benefits.

Mr. Trump's support for Brexit and hishumiliating undermining of Ms. May, hisoutrageous comments on Germany beingbeholden to Russia and on Ms. Merkel inparticular, and his alleged offer of a tradedeal to French President Emmanuel Macronif France leaves the EU are all designed tobreak up the organizationso that he can dealfrom a position of strength with small states.As Britain's difficulties in exiting the unionindicates, supply chains are so integratedacross the continent that breaking up the EUwould have disastrous consequences forproduction for all its member states and mayeven risk a global economic downturn.

In short, what Mr. Trump is seeking to dois to reverse the gains Europe has achievedover the last 70 years and make it beholdenonce again to the U.S.

(The author is a professor of sociology at theState University of New York at Binghamton,

U.S.)

(Source: The Hindu)

President Donald Trump and other leaders at NATO summit in Brussels, July 11Photo / courtesy Bloomberg

10 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018SOUTH ASIA

Doctor on fast forciblyairlifted, his supportersthrashed in Nepal

KATHMANDU (TIP): Dr Govinda K C, who has beenon a crusade for providing people of all economicbackgrounds with access to medical services, wasforcibly airlifted to Kathmandu from Jumla where hehad been on an indefinite hungerstrike for the past 20days, urging restrictions on mushrooming privatemedical colleges. The security forces also lobbed teargasshells at, and lathi-charged, his supporters.

The 60-year-old Dr KC, as he is known, was brought toKathmandu in a Nepal Army helicopter on Thursdayevening, ostensibly for talks. However, Prime Minister KP Oli had already said that he would not yield to anyonejust because “he is fasting”.

A noted orthopedic surgeon and professor, Dr KC wenton fast, mobilising huge public support, demanding thatuniversities should stop giving affiliations to privatemedical colleges in Kathmandu. His other demandswere that each region should have one medical college,in which reasonable fees and scholarships to the poorwere guaranteed.

His fast has triggered a political storm, with theopposition Nepali Congress resolving to obstructParliament and state legislature business until thegovernment addressed his demands. Nepali Congressand civil society groups took out protest rallies in thecapital as police were rampaging the venue of Dr KC’sfast.

Dr KC began his fast after the government introduceda Bill on medical education in Parliament, which,according to him, went against the spirit of previousnegotiations and understandings reached with him.

“I will not talk to the government unless it withdrawsthe Bill,” he said before being forcibly airlifted fromJumla. (IE)

Rohingya report moreviolence, persecution inMyanmar

DHAKA (TIP): Muslim Rohingya refugees reachingBangladesh say violence, including torture, persistsagainst them in Myanmar and the overall environmentremains “menacing” for ethnic and religious minorities,UN human rights investigators said on Thursday.Members of the Independent International Fact-FindingMission on Myanmar ended a five-day visit to therefugee camp of Kutupalong in Cox’s Bazar where theyinterviewed new arrivals among the more than 700,000Rohingya who have fled Rakhine state since an armycrackdown last August.

“They referred to the overt threats they faced ofviolence and persecution, being cut off from theirsources of livelihood, and the overall menacingenvironment that finally compelled them to leave forBangladesh,” the investigators said in a statement,adding that the arrival of new refugees reflects the “thecontinuing gravity of the human rights violations inMyanmar.”

There was no immediate reaction from authorities inMyanmar, where it is a holiday. Previously, they havedenied widespread abuses. The United Nations struckan outline deal with Myanmar in May aimed ateventually allowing hundreds of thousands of Rohingyain Bangladesh to return safely and by choice. But thesecret agreement, seen by Reuters, offers no explicitguarantees of citizenship or freedom of movementthroughout the country.

“The young men I spoke with were particularlyanxious, showing signs of deep trauma. Withouteducation and livelihood I fear for their future,” saidinvestigator Radhika Coomaraswamy. (Reuters)

Afghanistan: Air strike nearKunduz kills 14 civilians

Afghan officials said the incident was still being investigated and it wasunclear whether the casualties had been caused by Afghan or USaircraft, both of which flew missions in support of the operation.

KUNDUZ (TIP): As many as 14 people,including women and children, werekilled in an air strike carried out duringan operation by Afghan security forcesnear the northern city of Kunduz onThursday, officials said. Afghan officialssaid the incident was still beinginvestigated and it was unclear whetherthe casualties had been caused by Afghanor US aircraft, both of which flewmissions in support of the operation. Astatement from the US military said therewas no indication that its aircraft wereresponsible.

The civilian deaths add to a total thatreached record levels in the first half ofthe year, according to a United Nationsreport this week that noted a sharp jumpin casualties from air strikes. NematullahTemori, a spokesman for the Kunduzgovernor, said women and children wereamong 14 people killed in the raid inChardara, a district outside Kunduz citythat has long been fought over betweenTaliban and government security forces.

The incident underlined the risks fromthe increased use of air power under astrategy designed to force the Taliban toaccept peace talks.

As air strikes have increased, the U.N.report said civilian casualties from aerialattacks rose by 52 percent in the first halfof the year to 353 killed and wounded. Iturged forces to improve civilianprotection in air operations.

Mohammad Radmanish, a spokesmanfor the ministry of defence, confirmedthat a number of civilians had been killedbut said details were still unclear. “Aninvestigation team from Kabul has beendeployed to the province to investigate theincident,” he said. “For the moment, it isdifficult to say how many civilians werekilled or wounded and who carried outthe air strike.”

A statement from the US militarycommand in Kabul said U.S. forces hadconducted strikes in the area in support ofAfghan-led ground operations, but that itson-the-ground assessment of those strikesgave no indication US forces had causedcivilian casualties. A statement from the

Taliban said 28 civilians had been killed.It said most of the victims were womenand children and blamed US forces.

According to the United Nations, atleast 1,692 civilians were killed in theconflict during the first half of the year,the highest total for the first half of a yearthat the world body has recorded since itadopted its method of tallying casualtiesin 2009. Kunduz, a key strategic target forthe Taliban that briefly fell to theinsurgents in 2015, has seen repeatedincidents in which civilians have beenkilled by air strikes. In April, dozens werekilled by a strike on Dasht-i Archi districtthat local villagers said hit peopleattending a religious ceremony. (Reuters)

Thailand’s cave boys wake up athome for first time in weeks

During a national TV broadcast they smiled, joked and showedsolidarity with one another, as they shared details of their traumatic

experience inside the flooded Tham Luang cave complex.THAILAND (TIP): Thailand’s rescued

cave boys woke up in their own homes forthe first time in more than three weeks onJuly 19, with many rising at dawn to takepart in a religious ceremony. The 12 boys,aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coachwere discharged from a hospital in thenorthern province of Chiang Rai onWednesday and later made their firstpublic appearance.

During a national TV broadcast theysmiled, joked and showed solidarity withone another, as they shared details of theirtraumatic experience inside the floodedTham Luang cave complex. Many of theboys hail from the sleepy district of MaeSai, near the border with Myanmar. Somewere greeted with hugs, tears and smilesfrom waiting relatives and friends whenthey returned home on Wednesday. Otherswere blessed with water as they enteredtheir homes.

On Thursday, some of the boys and theirrelatives took part in religious ceremoniesat Mae Sai’s Wat Pha That Doi Wao temple– an ancient temple with scenic views ofthe surrounding countryside. Reporters

were not allowed close to the boys andtheir families at the temple to give themprivacy.

The last of the group of 13 were broughtout of the cave last Tuesday, ending agruelling 18-day ordeal that claimed thelife of Samarn Kunan, a volunteer diverand former Thai navy SEAL who came tohelp with the rescue mission. He died on

July 6 after losing consciousness during amission to place oxygen tanks deep insidethe cave, just two days before the first boyswere brought to safety.

During their TV news conference theboys said when they entered the cave onJune 23 they had planned to only be insidethe cave for about an hour after soccerpractice. (Reuters)


12 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018US

Over 400,000 people living in‘modern slavery’ in US, report findsThe report, by the Global Slavery Index, also estimates 40.3million globally,

with most victims living in Asia, North Korea topping the list.WASHINGTON (TIP): More than 400,000

people could be living in "modern slavery" inthe US, a condition of servitude broadlydefined in a new study as forced and state-imposed labor, sexual servitude and forcedmarriage.

The Global Slavery Index, published onThursday, July 19, by Walk Free Foundation,describes modern slavery as a complex andoften hidden crime that crosses borders,sectors and jurisdictions. The US number, thestudy estimates, is almost one hundredth ofthe estimated 40.3 million global total numberof people it defines as being enslaved.

"The United States is one of the mostadvanced countries in the world yet has morethan 400,000 modern slaves working underforced labor conditions," said the group'sfounder, Andrew Forrest, in a news release.

"This is a truly staggering statistic anddemonstrates just how substantial this issue isglobally. This is only possible through atolerance of exploitation," Forrest added.

The report estimates most victims ofmodern slavery live in Asia. North Korea hasthe highest prevalence of modern slaveryglobally, with one in 10 of the population, or 2.6million people, victims of modern slavery.

A third, or 15 million, of victims of modernslavery enter through forced marriage, anissue that disproportionately affects womenand girls. "Overall, the cultural practice offorced marriage places women at greater riskof exploitation, and the potential subjection toa life of servitude, financial bondage andsexual exploitation that comes with modernslavery," the report said.

The report also argues the US figures are inthemselves deceptive because the USexacerbates the global slavery problem byimporting products, including laptops,computers, mobile phones, garments, fish,cocoa and timber, at risk of being producedthrough forced labor.

The group recommends making forcedmarriage illegal, creating a minimummarriage age of 18, a national database oftrafficking and forced labor cases, and workingto improve supply-chain transparency to helpbring the US numbers down.

It estimates China is by far the largestsource of at-risk goods, with the United Statesimporting $122bn of electronics and clothingfrom the country. Vietnam was the secondlargest source with $11.2bn, and India thirdwith $3.8bn.

Smaller values of goods were also sourcedfrom Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina,Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, Ghana,Ivory Coast and Peru.

"There is no quick solution to this andgovernments, businesses, and consumers alikemust wake up to the fact that they must changetheir behavior if they wish to tackle this

abhorrent issue, both at home and abroad,"Forrest wrote.

Walk Free Foundation, a global humanrights organization with a mission to endmodern slavery in a generation, was foundedby Australian philanthropists, Andrew andNicola Forrest.

Some have criticized the methodologybehind the Index, which extrapolates itsfigures based on various risk factors and a"Vulnerability Model."

Walk Free notes that, because of the changesto its methodology, the national slavery figuresare not comparable with previous editions ofthe Global Slavery Index.

It says: "As such, while comparability fromprevious years is lost, the changes are justifiedby the need to continually improve ourknowledge base."

People march against modern slavery through London wearing face masks representing thesilence of modern slaves in forced labor and sexual exploitation on 14 October 2017 in London.

China on wrong side of religiousfreedom: Mike Pompeo

WASHINGTON (TIP): China is on thewrong side of the religious freedom which is afundamental human right, US Secretary ofState Mike Pompeo alleged on July 19.

Next week, the State Department will host athree-day summit on religious freedom tobring together government officials,representatives of internationalorganisations, religious leaders, rightsadvocates and members of the civil societyfrom around the world.

Pompeo said that the Trump administrationis considering taking multiple actions againstMyanmar on the Rohingya refugee crisis.

“The State Department has made it clearthat with respect to this issue (religiousfreedom), we think they (China) are on thewrong side of religious freedom, that they area country of concern connected to that,”Pompeo told VOA news.

He was responding to a question onrepression against the Uighur Muslims andTibetan Buddhists in China.

“We understand that religious freedom is atrisk in many places in the world, and yet theUS has complex, broad relationships with

many countries, including China, acrosseconomic and military and political sets ofissues,” he said.

Pompeo said that the US puts religiousfreedom, this fundamental human right, at thevery center of its discussions with everycountry with whom it interacts.

“The Trump administration has beenincredibly strong in promoting religiousfreedom. It is the case that there are manycountries, indeed countries that we often workalongside, who are allies in other places, we

work to demonstrate to them that religioustolerance and freedom is good for them,”Pompeo told EWTN Television network.

US Vice President Mike Pence would delivera key note address at the conference next week.

The issue of religious freedom in Indiaincluding some recent incidents of violence isexpected to be raised during the conference,informed sources said.

The conference, Pompeo said, will be layingout a path where the US can lead a processwhere religious freedom is raised as a priorityfor the citizens of every country.

“We will have our teams in the subsequentweeks and months in the field talking aboutreligious freedom on a continued basis,” theSecretary of State said in another interview toFRC Radio.

Religious freedom, he said is good for theircountry; it’s good for their government. “It’llbring investors; it’ll make their people moreproductive. We think these are all – thisfundamental human right, this concept thatevery individual ought to have the right topractice their own faith, we think makes theircountries stronger too,” Pompeo said. (Reuters)

Missouri: At least eightkilled as ‘duck boat’capsizes, says police

MISSOURI (TIP): An amphibious vehiclecapsized on a lake in Missouri with morethan 20 people on board, leading to a “masscasualty incident,” the Southern StoneCounty Fire Protection District said onThursday. Several people were taken tohospital following the incident on the “Ridethe Ducks” amphibious vehicle on TableRock Lake, Stone County, near Branson,Missouri, the fire district said in posts onTwitter.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader saidthere were fatalities when the boat carrying31 people, some of them children, capsizedand sank, television station KY3 Newsreported. Rader said he did not know howmany people were killed and divers were onthe scene searching for passengers, KY3News reported.

The Stone County Sheriff ’s Office couldnot immediately confirm the report. RideThe Ducks, a company in Branson,Missouri, that operates amphibious duckvehicles in the area, did not respondimmediately to a request for comment.Duck amphibious vehicles have beeninvolved in a number of fatal accidentsaround the world in the past two decades,with some sinking or being swamped orothers colliding with vehicles. (IE)

Bulk of familiesseparated at US-Mexicoborder remain apart

LOS ANGELES (TIP): With one week lefton a court-ordered deadline to reunitechildren and parents separated by USimmigration officials, government lawyersreported on July 19 that 364 of some 2,500families with children aged 5 and older havebeen brought back together. It was unclearfrom the status report, filed as part of anAmerican Civil Liberties Union lawsuitchallenging parent-child separations at theborder, exactly how many morereunifications were likely.

Of more than 2,500 parents identified aspotentially eligible for having their childrenreturned to them, 848 have been interviewedand cleared for reunification, attorneys forImmigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) told the court. Another 229 parentshave been deemed ineligible because ofcriminal records, or because they “waived”reunification or for other reasons. The restare pending review.

The report also said more than 700 of theparents in question have final deportationorders, though a federal judge has barred theexpulsion of those parents until at least aweek after they regain their children. TheACLU asked the judge to require thegovernment to provide a list of all the adultimmigrants with final deportation orders,saying those parents would need legalcounsel about options for themselves andtheir children. Attorneys for the USgovernment and the ACLU are due in courtagain on Friday for a status hearing beforeUS District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diegoon reunification progress.

The parents and children were separated aspart of President Donald Trump’s “zerotolerance” crackdown on illegal immigration.Many of the families entered the UnitedStates illegally, while some sought asylum atborder crossings, after fleeing violence andupheavals in their home countries. Childrenwere sent to multiple care facilities across theUnited States, while their parents wereincarcerated in immigration detentioncenters or federal prisons.(AP)

13USTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

Detained Indian Immigrants being treated like criminals: Turbans

of Sikhs taken away in US JailOREGON (TIP): The detained Indian

immigrants, mostly Sikhs, seeking asylum inthe US are being treated like criminals withtheir turbans taken away in a federal prison inOregon after getting caught up in the Trumpadministration's controversial "zero-tolerance"policy, according to volunteers from legaladvocacy groups.

President Donald Trump's toughimmigration policy has separated nearly 2,000children from their parents and guardians andplaced into holding facilities between April 19and May 31 of this year.

The controversial decision however hasbeen reversed by Trump through an executiveorder following widespread protests againstthe move.

"It's heartbreaking when you go in there andyou see the young kids like the ages are close tostarting from 18 onwards, 22 to 24 in thosejumpsuits...And you wonder how they endedup being treated as criminals. They've notcommitted a crime, they have crossed theborder and they have asked for a refugee orasylum and that is a law of this land," NavneetKaur, a community college professor, told themedia.

Over the past several weeks, Navneet hasinteracted with most of the 52 Indian inmatesin the federal prison at Sheridan in Oregon.She has volunteered to work as a Punjabitranslator for the non-profit legal firmInnovation Law lab, which is providing legalassistance to the illegal immigrants in jail.

The Indians form the largest group ofdetainees in the total 123 illegal immigrantsbeing held at a facility in Sheridan.

"Right now, they are (in) a miserable(condition)," she said.

Of the 52 Indians, a majority of them arePunjabi speaking and are Sikhs. When theywere arrested, Navneet said, the Indian asylumseekers were chained.

"When they were in handcuffs and chains for24 hours they ate with their handcuffs on. Eventhe hardcore criminals are not treated likethat. Then they were kept for 22 hours a day ina cell with the people who did not speak thelanguage," she said. "It's inhuman," she said.

The situation is worse for the Sikh inmatesas their turbans have been taken away in thejail. "Their turbans have been taken away. In acountry where everyone has right to practicetheir own religion these men there don't haveturbans to cover (their head). Not even a pieceof cloth to cover their heads," Navneet said.

During the last few days the local

community leaders have managed to givebeanies to a few of the Sikh inmates so thatthey can cover their head.

"They (Indian inmates) are in a state ofshock," she said, adding but none of theseIndian asylum seekers want to go back home.All of them are seeking asylum in the US onthe grounds that they fear for their life in Indiaand that they are subject to political andreligious persecution, she added.

"They are feeling very shocked... They areprobably all wondering like, is this worth it ifI'm going to be treated this way," VictoriaBejarano Muirhead, development director atthe non-profit Innovation Law lab, told themedia.

The Innovation Law lab has filed a lawsuit toseek access to these inmates and have beenproviding legal assistance to all the Indianasylum seekers who want one.

Some of the Indian asylum seekers havehired their own attorney. As a result of theintervention of the Innovation Law Lab thecondition of these inmates hasimproved, andthey are being allowed to make calls bothdomestic and internationally.

Innovation Law Lab has been sending itslegal team of volunteers accompanied withtranslators like Navneet to the Sheridan jail ona daily basis.

"I am horrified at how the US is treatingpeople who are seeking asylum. I'm horrifiedat how they're treating immigrants just ingeneral," Muirhead said.

"Right now, there's so much public attentionon this issue, but in reality, many of theseissues that we have now are just getting worse,but they were already there even before Trump

was elected as president," she said."For example, the mass detention of

immigrants, the mass deportation ofimmigrants, those were issues that werealready ongoing before Trump was elected. ButI think since his election, it's just gotten to thenext level. We already were detaining families,but now Trump is saying let's detain themindefinitely. That's taking it to the next level.So, it was, it's very concerning," Muirheadsaid.

Despite the inhuman conditions theseinmates are living in, none of them are willingto go back home, both Navneet and Muirheadsaid.

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco hadrecently sent its officials to meet these inmates.But it is not clear if these Indian citizensaccepted the offer of the Indian government tohelp them go back home.

The next step for those who wish to seekasylum is to have a credible fear interview,which takes place with an asylum officer andwith the individual during which the officialwill try to assess whether or not they have beenactually persecuted or have a reasonable fear ofpersecution, Muirhead said.

Secondly, they will try to assess whether ornot that persecution is related to a reason forhaving asylum, she added.

The Innovation Lab law has put in a formalnotice to the government that it is providinglegal counsel for a certain number ofindividuals. Then the government is requiredto tell them when they have scheduled to thatinterview so that the they can assure they'reprepared and accompany them to theinterview. (Source: PTI)

US, allies set to evacuate Syrian aid workers from southwestWASHINGTON (TIP): US officials say the

United States is finalizing plans to evacuateseveral hundred Syrian civil defense workersand their families from southwest Syria asRussian-backed government forces close in onthe area. Two officials familiar with the planssaid on july 19 that the US, Britain and Canadaare spearheading the evacuation that wouldtransport members of the White Helmets groupto transit camps in neighbouring countries.

From there, they will be sent to thirdcountries, including Britain, Germany, theNetherlands and possibly Canada, according tothe officials who spoke on condition ofanonymity because they were not authorized topublicly discuss the matter.

The officials, and a member of the White

Helmets who is due to be evacuated fromQuneitra province, said the operation appearsto be imminent as the Syrian army continues togain ground in its latest offensive. The WhiteHelmets, who have enjoyed backing from the USand other Western nations for years, are likelyto be targeted by Syrian forces as they retakecontrol of the southwest, according to theofficials.

The officials said planning for the evacuationhas been taking place for some time butaccelerated after last week’s NATO summit inBrussels. “These are hard hours and minutes,”the White Helmets volunteer in Quneitra said,speaking on condition of anonymity for fear forhis life. “This is the worst day of my life. I hopethey rescue us before it is too late.”

The evacuation is expected to take place fromQuneitra, which straddles the frontier with theIsraeli-occupied Golan Heights and where thecivil defense team is trapped. It is the last sliverof land still outside government control in theregion. Since the government offensive beganin June, the area along the frontier with theGolan Heights has been the safest in thesouthwestern region, attracting hundreds ofdisplaced people because is along thedisengagement line with Israel demarcated in1974 after a war. The Syrian government isunlikely to fire there or carry out airstrikes.Negotiations are also ongoing to evacuatearmed rebels and their families who don’t wantto accept the return of the rule of BasharAssad’s government to Quneitra, which the

rebels have controlled for years. The fighterswill be evacuated to the northern part of Syria,where the opposition still holds sway. Exceptfrom that sliver of land, the southern tip of thesouthwestern region lies along the border withJordan and the Golan Heights and is occupiedby an Islamic State-affiliated group. The area isexpected to be the target of the nextgovernment advances and the civil defenseteams don’t operate there.

The White Helmets are not withoutcontroversy. They only operate in opposition-held areas, where government services arealmost non-existent and aerial bombings arerecurrent. Syrian government supportersaccuse them of being politically affiliated withthe rebel groups. (AP)

US needs to invest injob training to continueeconomic miracle:Donald TrumpAsserting that the US is experiencing thelongest positive job growth streak in itshistory, Trump said to "keep thismomentum going, to continue thiseconomic miracle," they must invest in jobtraining and vocational education.

WASHINGTON (TIP): The US needs toinvest in job training and vocationaleducation to continue the economic miracle,President Donald Trump said today as hesigned an executive order to establish theNational Council for the American Worker.

Asserting that the US is experiencing thelongest positive job growth streak in itshistory, Trump said to “keep this momentumgoing, to continue this economic miracle,”they must invest in job training andvocational education.

“The fact is that companies are pouringback into our country… companies that,frankly, left 10 and 20 years ago, and they’recoming back. And we need people to work forthose companies. We need talented people.We need people with training,” he said at aWhite House event wherein he signed theexecutive order to establish the NationalCouncil for the American Worker.

Among the key tasks of the council will beto develop a national workforce and strategyto equip Americans of all ages and at allstages of their career with the skills theyneed to thrive in the modern economy.

“Whether it’s a high school student lookingto land their first job ever. They’ve got a lot ofenthusiasm, and they lose that enthusiasmwhen they don’t land that job, but nowthey’re all landing jobs. Or a late-careerworker who wants to learn a new trade, wewant every American to have the chance toearn a great living doing a great job that theylove, where they wake up in the morning andthey can’t get to work fast enough.

“A lot of these people know that feeling.That’s why they’re in the position they’re in,”Trump said. Trump said that there’s neverbeen a better time to hire and grow inAmerica. “We’ve created 3.7 million jobssince the election. In the month of Junealone, we grew the workforce by more than600,000 workers. We’re in the longest positivejob growth streak in American history.

“Every day, we are lifting our forgottenAmericans off the sidelines, out of the marginsand back into the workforce. We are giving asecond chance at life to the 620,000 formerinmates who reenter society each year. There’snothing like a great, great jobs market to takecare of that situation,” the President added. (PTI)

14 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 INDIA

INDIA INVITES DONALDTRUMP TO BE GUEST AT 2019REPUBLIC DAY

NEW DELHI (TIP): United States President DonaldTrump has been invited to be the chief guest at India’sRepublic Day parade in 2019, PTI reported quotingunidentified officials. The report added that the UnitedStates has not yet responded to India’s invite, though “theinitial indication has been positive”.

In June 2017, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’sbilateral talks with Trump in Washington, the US presidenthad said he would visit India. If Trump attends the event, hewill be the second US president to do so. In 2015, formerPresident Barack Obama had attended the Republic Dayparade. Former President Bill Clinton was invited in 1994,but did not attend. Source: PTI

Modi to meet Chinese PresidentXi Jinping on BRICS sidelines

NEW DELHI (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is setto meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of theBrics Summit in Johannesburg on July 25 in continuation ofthe “Wuhan spirit” of stepping up their bilateralengagements, officials familiar with the planning of the tripsaid on Thursday.

Modi will also meet South African President CyrilRamaphosa, who assumed office in February this year, andis expected to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin, theysaid. Bilateral meeting with the leaders of the other Bricscountries are still being worked out, added one of theofficials cited above.

The 10th Brics Summit will be held from July 25 to July27. Modi will arrive in Rwanda on July 23 for a bilateralvisit. He will then be in Uganda for a two-day visit, beforearriving in South Africa on July 25.

“The meeting will give an opportunity for both PrimeMinister Modi and President Xi to take stock of the ties,”said an official. The “Wuhan spirit” is a reference to the two-day informal summit between Modi and Xi at the Chinesecity of Wuhan in April.

India is slated to host China’s defence minister WeiFenghe in the coming months. Source: HT

Passports of 8 NRI husbandswho abandoned wives cancelled

NEW DELHI (TIP): Passports of eight NRIs, whoabandoned their wives and absconded, have been cancelled,a senior official of the Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment said on Thursday. An inter-ministerial agencyof the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministryof External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs hasformed a committee to look into the cases involving NRIoffenders, who abscond after abandoning their wives. Thepanel has received 70 complaints in last two months.

Rajya Sabha passes amendments to anti-graft law

NEW DELHI (TIP): Rajya Sabha on July 19 passed theamendments to anti-graft law making it more stringentwhich include making bribe-giving an offence.

The bill, seeking amendments to the Prevention ofCorruption Act, 1988, was first floated by the Congress-ledUPA in 2013. It was taken up today by the Upper House afterbeing sent back to it by its Select Committee.

A total of 46 amendments were proposed in the bill.The amendment bill redefines criminal misconduct to

expand its application encompassing misappropriation ofproperty and the possession of disproportionate assets.

Replying to the debate on the bill, Minister of State forPersonnel, Public Grievances and Pension Jitendra Singhsaid the need for amendments was a continuing process ofimprovement in existing laws. "Had the law been perfect,there would have been no need to constitute CAT, CVC, andenact Right to Information Act, come up with bill on LokPal." This was in response to Congress Deputy Leader in theHouse Anand Sharma's remarks that ample laws were invogue, and enough could be achieved by invoking them,provided the intent was right. He said the bill sought tomake the anti-graft law robust. The bribe givers will also bebrought to book, but enough safe guards have been taken toprevent its misuse. Source: The Tribune

India, US to hold 2+2 dialogue onSeptember 6 in New Delhi

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI (TIP):

The inaugural 'two-plus-two dialogue'between India and the US will be held onSeptember 6 in New Delhi, the StateDepartment announced today.

Last month, the US had postponed themuch-awaited dialogue due to"unavoidable reasons".

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo andDefence Secretary James Mattis wouldtravel to India for the dialogue.

"The United States is pleased toannounce that the inaugural US-India'2+2 dialogue' will be held in New Delhi,India, on September 6," StateDepartment Spokesperson HeatherNauert said in a statement.

Pompeo and Mattis "look forward tomeeting with their Indiancounterparts," Minister of ExternalAffairs Sushma Swaraj and Minister ofDefence Nirmala Sitharaman, "todiscuss strengthening strategic,security and defence cooperation" as theUS and India jointly address challengesin the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,Mr Nauert said.

The dialogue was announced last yearduring Prime Minister Narendra Modi'smeeting with President Donald Trumpat the White House. After June last year,the two countries have tried to schedulethe dialogue many times with severaldates having been considered.

Last month, the US postponed thedialogue scheduled to be held inWashington due to "unavoidablereasons".

The dialogue is seen as a vehicle toelevate the strategic relationshipbetween the two countries.

Meanwhile, a senior StateDepartment official told reporters thatthe co-operation among quad countries -the US, Japan, India and Australia -would come up in the next week's US-

Australia Ministerial Consultations inPalo Alto.

"I think it will publicly come up in thecourse of the discussions. We've beenencouraged by the two quad meetingsthat have taken place at the assistantsecretary level to date, and we lookforward to continuing holding thesemeetings," the official said.

"We believe it's a constructive way forlike-minded nations in the region tohave a chance to share views and tocoordinate to the extent possible toensure that we reach our mutualobjectives in the region.

"Our fundamental objectives are laidout in our Indo-Pacific strategy, and Ithink whether it's Australia, the US,Japan or India, we all have some veryclose-held, very similar views on thefundamental importance ofmaintaining a rules-based system andinternational norms, our commitmentto free and open markets, all thesethings," the official said.

The announcement of the 'two-plus-two dialogue' comes amidst prospects of

India being imposed with unintendedsanctions that are targeted at Iran andRussia.

"The unfortunate reality is that Indiahas been caught in the crossfire of theTrump administration's secondarysanctions against both Russia and Iran.

"Although this is undoubtedly aserious challenge in the bilateralrelationship, it is not insurmountable.Both sides will have to focus theirefforts in finding a solution thatpreserves both their respectiveinterests," Ronak Desai, vice-chair,India Practice at Steptoe & JohnsonLLP, told PTI.

In the past, the US recognised thecentral role Iranian crude oil plays inIndia's energy security. At the sametime, New Delhi gradually curtailed itsoil imports to comply with USsecondary sanctions and secure therequisite waivers from Washington.

"In this instance, India has alreadybegun reducing its oil supply from Iran,but it is unlikely that it can, or will, doso completely," he said. Source: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with US president Donald Trump in the WhiteHouse, in Washington DC, in 2017.

Swami Agnivesh alleges attack by BJP workers in Jharkhand

RANCHI (TIP): Social activist Swami Agnivesh was allegedlyattacked on Tuesday by workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party’syouth wing in Jharkhand’s Pakur district, police said, promptingchief minister Raghubar Das to order a probe into the incident.

Agnivesh said he suspected it to be a sponsored assault anddemanded a judicial probe.

“As soon as I came out of the venue, BJYM and ABVP activistsattacked me without any provocation. They alleged that I wasspeaking against Hindus,” he was quoted as saying by newsagency PTI.

“I thought Jharkhand was a peaceful state, but my views havechanged after this incident,” he said.

Agnivesh was in Pakur to address a tribal festival organised tocommemorate the 195th foundation of Damin-i-Koh, part of landallocated to Santhals, at Littipara stadium, around 350kmnortheast from state capital Ranchi.

The incident took place outside a hotel under town policestation, around 30km from the venue of the festival. TheBharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers were holding ademonstration with black flags outside the hotel since morningand shouted slogans of “Agnivesh go back”.

Agnivesh was attacked by the protesters when he came out ofthe hotel, police said.

He was dragged, beaten up and his cloth was torn during theassault and reportedly received injuries on his arms, legs and

head. A district administration medical team is treating him atthe hotel.

Pakur BJYM president Prasanna Mishra, however, denied theallegation of assault. He alleged that Agnivesh had called menarmed with traditional weapon like bows and arrows to attackthem. “We are peacefully protesting his visit to Pakur. Agniveshcame here to mislead innocent tribal and misguide them againstthe government as he was to deliver a speech at a festivalsponsored by missionaries,” he said.

Social activist Swami Agnivesh after he was allegedlyassaulted by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers,

during his visit to Pakur on Tuesday, July 17, 2018.

15INDIATHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

RBI TO SOON ISSUE NEW RS 100NOTES IN LAVENDER COLOUR

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Reserve Bank on Thursday saidit will soon issue new Rs 100 notes in lavender colour havingmotif of ‘Rani ki vav’ – a stepwell located on the banks ofSaraswati river in Gujarat’s Patan.

“All Rs 100 banknotes issued earlier will also continue tobe legal tender,” the central bank said while announcing theissue of the new Rs 100 notes.

The base colour of the note is Lavender.The note has other designs, geometric patterns aligning

with the overall colour scheme, both at the obverse andreverse.

Dimension of the banknote will be 66 mm x 142 mm,making it smaller than the current Rs 100 notes. The size ofcurrent Rs 100 notes is 157 mm x 73 mm.

“As is normal, when a new design of banknote isintroduced, printing and supply of these notes fordistribution to public through the banking channel willgradually increase,” said the RBI, which issues currency inthe country.

The new Rs 100 note follows new notes in denomination ofRs 10, Rs 50 and Rs 500.

Besides, the central bank introduced a Rs 200 note inaddition to currency note in denomination of Rs 2,000 afterthe demonetisation on November 8, 2016. Source: PTI

Rajnath Singh blames fake newson social media for lynching incidents, asks states to take action

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Centre on Thursday condemnedthe recent incidents of mob lynching saying it had advisedthe states to take stringent action against the culprits andasked social media service providers to install checks tostop spread of rumours and fake news.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh condemned theincidents and made a statement in the Lok Sabha duringZero Hour while responding to Congress leader KCVenugopal, who raised the issue of lynching, last week’sattack on Swami Agnivesh in Jharkhand and trolling ofExternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Singh said several people were killed in the lynchingincidents, adding that it was a matter of grave concern forthe government.

He said lynching happened because of rumours andunverified or fake news.

Observing that law and order was a state subject, Singhsaid the Centre could not remain silent on the issue.

“I have issued advisories to state governments in 2016 and2018. We have asked social media service providers to installcheck. Such incidents are unfortunate. We have asked thechief ministers to take firm action against the culprits,”Singh said. Source: PTI

India, US discuss military relationsNEW DELHI (TIP): Four days after India made it clear

that it will ignore US pressure to impose sanctions on anynation maintaining military ties with Russia, Ministry ofDefence on Wednesday, after an Indo-US dialogue, issued astatement listing out the outcome of the India-US defencepartnership.

Four days ago, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharamanmade it clear that it would be going ahead with the S-400missile deal with Moscow days despite the US threat ofsanctions.

Today in New Delhi, the 7th Defence Technology andTrade Initiative (DTTI) meeting was conducted where it wasreiterated that the India-US defence cooperation is one ofthe core pillars of the defence relationship between the twocountries.

The meeting was co-chaired by, Secretary DefenceProduction Dr Ajay Kumar and Under US Secretary ofDefence for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen M Lord.

CBI names P Chidambaram, Karti in Aircel-Maxis case charge sheet

NEW DELHI (TIP): Congress leaderP Chidambaram and his son KartiChidambaram were on July 19 named asaccused in a charge sheet filed by theCBI in the Aircel-Maxis deal case inwhich they have been charged foralleged criminal conspiracy andmisconduct.

The agency filed its supplementarycharge sheet before special CBI judge OP Saini who fixed it for consideration onJuly 31.

Besides Chidambaram and Karti, theCBI named 10 individuals, includingpublic servants, and six companies asaccused in the case.

The charge sheet was filed for thealleged offences of criminal conspiracyunder the Indian Penal Code (IPC),public servant taking illegalgratification, punishment for abettingthis offence and public servantcommitting criminal misconduct underthe Prevention of Corruption Act.

If convicted, the offences entail amaximum punishment of seven years.

According to the sources, the CBI isyet to obtain sanction to prosecute thepublic servants.

The money alleged to be given asillegal gratification was taken from aMalaysia-based company and AircelTeleventures Ltd, they said.

The CBI was conducting probe as tohow Chidambaram, who was the financeminister in 2006, granted ForeignInvestment Promotion Board (FIPB)approval to a foreign firm when only theCabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) was empowered to do it.

The senior Congress leader's role hadcome under the scanner of investigating

agencies in the Aircel-Maxis deal of Rs3,500 crore and INX Media caseinvolving Rs 305 crore.

In its charge sheet filed earlier in thecase against former telecom ministerDayanidhi Maran, his brother KalanithiMaran and others, the agency hadalleged that Chidambaram had grantedFIPB approval in March 2006 toMauritius-based Global CommunicationServices Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary ofMaxis.

The Maran brothers and otheraccused, who were listed in the CBIcharge sheet earlier, were discharged bythe special court which had said that theagency had failed to produce anymaterial against them to proceed withthe trial.

The CBI had alleged in the charge

sheet against the Marans that GlobalCommunication Services Holdings Ltdhad sought FIPB approval for USD 800million for which only the CCEA wascompetent, but Chidambaram had givenapproval to the firm in March 2006.

It had claimed that the financeminister was competent to accordapproval on project proposals of up to Rs600 crore and proposals beyond thisrequired the approval of the CCEA.

The Enforcement Directorate is alsoprobing a separate money launderingcase in the Aircel-Maxis deal in whichChidambaram and Karti have beenquestioned by the agency.

Both Chidambaram and Karti havedenied the allegations levelled againstthem by the CBI and ED.

Source: PTI

A file photo of former finance minister P Chidambaram with his son KartiChidambaram (right).

WhatsApp to cap message forwarding to five chats in India

to counter fake newsNEW DELHI (TIP): WhatsApp on

Friday said its users in India will not beallowed to forward more than five chatsat once and the company will remove thequick forward button that appears nextto media messages, as part of its effortsto reduce circulation of fake messageson the platform that have even incitedmob lynching incidents.

In a blogpsot, WhatsApp noted that itsusers in India "forward more messages,photos, and videos, than any othercountry in the world".

The Facebook-owned company hasover one billion users globally, of whichover 200 million are in India.

"Today, we're launching a test to limitforwarding that will apply to everyoneusing WhatsApp. In India... we'll alsotest a lower limit of five chats at onceand we'll remove the quick forwardbutton next to media messages," theblogpost said.

WhatsApp has received flak from theIndian government over fake news andfalse information being circulated on itsmessaging platform. Such messages

have incited mob-fury, triggeringmultiple cases of lynching across thecountry.

On Thursday, the government shot offa second notice to WhatsApp asking it tocome out with effective solutions to curbthe menace of fake news beyond justlabelling forwards.

It also warned the company thatmediums used for propagation ofrumours are liable to be treated as'abettors' and can face legalconsequences if they remain "mutespectators".

While the company is yet to respond tothe notice, the blogpost said thecompany believes that "these changes -which we'll continue to evaluate - willhelp keep WhatsApp the way it wasdesigned to be: a private messaging app".

"We built WhatsApp as a privatemessaging app - a simple, secure, andreliable way to communicate withfriends and family. And as we've addednew features, we've been careful to tryand keep that feeling of intimacy, whichpeople say they love," it said.

WhatsApp had introduced the optionof forwarding multiple chats at once afew years ago, it added.

"We are deeply committed to yoursafety and privacy which is whyWhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, andwe'll continue to improve our app withfeatures like this one," the blog said.

WhatsApp had previously stated thatit had launched new safety features,including a label that clearly identifiesforwarded messages and controls forgroup conversations in the last fewweeks. Source: PTI

16 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018PROFILE

NJ Native M.D. Returns After Success WithHouston Texans, Rockets, Astros and Dynamo

By Mabel Pais

Dr. Arun Rajaram, M.D. is a New Jersey native, born andbrought up in Morris County, New Jersey.

Dr. Rajaram completed his orthopaedic surgery residency atYale University. He completed his orthopedic sports medicinefellowship through the Baylor College of Medicine at the TexasMedical Center, the largest medical center in the world. Duringhis fellowship, he gained phenomenal experience while servingas an assistant team physician for multiple professional teams,including the Houston Texans, Rockets, Astros andDynamo. He received his medical degree (withdistinction) and bachelor's degree incomputer science from The GeorgeWashington University.

An orthopedic surgeonspecializing in sports medicineand arthroscopic surgery, Dr.Arun Rajaram uses the mostadvanced techniques availableto surgeons.

Dr. Rajaram chattedwith Mabel Paisabout his work as anOrthopaedicsurgeon.What is yourspecialty?

I'm a board-certifiedorthopaedic surgeon with aspecialty in Sports Medicine andarthroscopic surgery, using themost advanced techniques. I'm fromthe IGEA Division of Orthopaedicsand Sports Medicine. Prior toreturning home to practice in NewJersey, I was an assistant team physician formultiple professional teams, including theHouston Texans, Rockets, Astros andDynamo.

What are some of the most commoncauses of back issues?

Are there preventive measures?Some of the most common causes of back issues can come

from traumatic injuries, overuse injuries or postural imbalance.Many of these injuries can be prevented by strengthening thelumbar muscles and the core muscles of our body.

What are some of the common problemsyou have found in your patients?

When you are sitting at a desk for severalhours a day, a lot of your muscles tend to

develop tightness and weakness. We see alot of patients develop shoulderproblems such as rotator cufftendonitis and shoulder pain becauseof their position on the keyboard, theposition at their desk. We also seepeople develop knee pain issues fromtheir position at the desk or sitting intheir vehicle for long periods of time.This puts a lot of pressure on theinside of the knee and causes kneesymptoms. The problems we see in a

lot of athletes, we also see in a lot ofprofessionals working at the desk.

Do you use holisticapproaches to

treatment? Explain.As a result of the experience I gainedworking with professional athletes, I have

incorporated many biologic treatmentoptions into my practice. Working in

that world of orthopaedics, I haveincluded alternative methods,

therapies in my practice.Many of these

treatments help thebody repair

a n d

recover from a variety of athletic, work related, and day to dayactivities. As a result, in addition to surgical options, biologictherapies are also available for my patients.

Ortho-Biologics such as Platelet Rich Plasma is an alternativetherapy where we draw blood from the patient's arm and thenthe blood is placed in a centrifuge. It is then spun for 5 minutesin the centrifuge, which then separates the blood from theplasma layer. We then extract the plasma layer with all of theplatelets. Then we inject the platelet-rich plasma back into thesite of the injury. This is a common form of biologic cell therapy.It has been very successful. The 4 most common joints that weuse this therapy for are the knee, elbow, hip and shoulder. Wehave many other treatments whereby we are able to optimize thepatient's recovery and healing and enable them to return to theirnormal activities.

What is the connection between the brain,spine, and sports medicine?

The most common brain injury we see in sports medicine isconcussions. Spine injuries can also occur in sporting activities.The brain and spine injuries must be taken very seriously andcared for by the appropriate team of specialists.

Explain the use of the Stability Ball?The stability ball helps to strengthen and stabilize the core

muscles of our body which help improve and prevent a lot ofinjuries. The two most important core muscles are theabdominal muscles and the lumbar muscles. These musclesstabilize your core, whether you're standing, walking or sitting.These muscles stabilize the central portion of the body in allactivities.

What self-help or healing modalities do yourecommend to your patients?

We absolutely recommend exercises on quadriceps-strengthening to help improve the function of the knees. Idemonstrate these exercises to the patients in our office. I alsowork closely with many physical therapists to continue ourpatient's treatment plans outside of the office.

Do you incorporate exercise and nutritionin your therapy?

I spend a lot of time on nutrition. Protein in the diet will helpwith muscle healing and growth. We discuss the importance offruits and vegetables in our diet, and Vitamin D for the need forstrong bones, and overall a well- balanced diet to fuel the body.

How long have you been in practiceoverall?

I've been in practice with IGEA since December 2017 and inSports Medicine since 2014.

Why choose to practice in IgeaNeuro?What I like about IGEA is that we are a multi-specialty

practice that is able to help patients from head to toe and we'reable to provide world-class care in a comforting private practicesetting. We strive to provide excellent care and create greatrelationships with our patients in the IGEA.

Why do you love your job?One of the things that makes me most excited about going to

work everyday is that I have the ability to truly help people getback to the activities and things that they love to do in their life.

The entire mission of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine is to helppeople get back to doing everything they want to do in life.

At which locations do you practice? I practice at the following locations: Union, Florham Park,

and Hazlet in New Jersey; and New York City at 86th Street &Park Avenue and Broad Street in the Financial District.

For more information on Arun Rajaram, M.D. and IGEA, visithttps://youtu.be/yOaMptTNr3w

https://www.igeaneuro.com/nj-neurosurgeons-physicians/arun-rajaram-md/(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues,

Health and Wellness, and Spirituality)

(What) makes me most excited about going to workeveryday is that I have the ability to truly help people getback to the activities and things that they love to do intheir life."- Arun Rajaram, M.D.

Arun Rajaram,M.D.


18 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 BOLLYWOOD

B’DAY BASH: NICK JONAS,PRIYANKA CHOPRA TAKE

LONDON BY STORM

After Striking BollywoodGold, Mouni Roy will beMade In China

Actress Mouni Roy has just confirmedthat she will be seen oppositeRajkummar Rao in an upcoming "quirky

comedy"- Made In China. Mouni will playRajkummar Rao's wife in the film, which will bedirected by Mikhil Musale. Made In China is setto roll in September this year and will be shot inMumbai, Gujarat and China. Rajkummar Raowill play a struggling Gujarati businessman inthe film while Mouni will play a Mumbai girlwho moves to Ahmedabad after her wedding.The story revolves around a newlywed couple,who are seeking an opportunity for a betterlivelihood.

Mouni Roy, who will make her Bollywooddebut with Gold also has two movies in the line-up. Reema Kagti-directed Gold also starsAkshay Kumar, Amit Sadh, Vineet Kumar andKunal Kapoor. The film, which will hit screenson Independence Day this year is a fictionalretelling of Indian's epic win at the 1948Olympics in field hockey - it was India's firstgold medal as a free nation.

The 32-year-old actress is currently shootingfor Ayan Mukerji-directed Brahmastra, whichalso stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor,Alia Bhatt and Nagarjuna. The first part of thefantasy trilogy is expected to release in Augustnext year. Team Brahmastra is currentlyshooting the film in Bulgaria and Mouni seemsto be having a lot of fun on the sets. Earlier shehad shared with her Instafam, a photo with herco-star Nagarjuna and the film 's director AyanMukerji.

Priyanka Chopra’s birthdaycelebrations are in full swing inLondon. The actor was spotted on

several occasions with her rumouredboyfriend, Nick Jonas. A day afterstepping out for dinner together, the twowere photographed wearing matchingwhite outfits, stepping out of their hotel.

The photos have been shared online byseveral fan clubs. Priyanka can be seenwearing a white shirt and a slit skirt,while Nick is wearing a plain tee withdark trousers.

On Wednesday the two rang inPriyanka’s 36th birthday at The ChilternFirehouse. She was wearing a black shirtand a polka dotted bottoms while Nickwore a grey sweatshirt. They wereclicked walking hand in hand.

A couple of days earlier, Priyanka andNick were spotted on a double date at 34Restaurant in Mayfair with Nick’sbrother Joe and his fiance, the actorSophie Turner.

Over the last several weeks, Priyankaand Nick have made their relationshipsemi-official by introducing each otherto their families. While Priyankaattended Nick’s family wedding, heaccompanied the actor to India where hemet her mother and other familymembers. The couple was first spotted at2017’s Met Gala; they were later spottedon several dates, including a dinner datein New York City and a Beauty and theBeast Live in Concert show in LosAngeles.

Recently, Priyanka told People aboutNick, “We’re getting to know each otherand I think it (travelling to India) was agreat experience for him... I think hereally enjoyed it. It was really beautiful.He had a great time.”

Malaika Arora cancels Australia appearance non-payment of fees: Report

Malaika Arora has reportedly cancelled an appearance at the last minute overdifferences with regards to payment, says report. She was scheduled toappear at a fashion event in Australia this week.

Malaika was supposed to fly down to Victoria on Wednesday to make it in time forher appearance at the show, organised by Elite Vin Productions and Friends IndiaEntertainment (FIE). According to a Mid-Day report, Malaika backed out of the showminutes before the flight because the organisers allegedly did not meet therequirements of the contract. Malaika was supposed to be paid in full prior to herarrival.

“Passes for the VVIP, VIP, Gold and Silver tables of the Denim & Diamonds eventwere already sold. While she was set for the performance till Tuesday, she called it offthe next day, few minutes before she was to board the flight. The organisers hadpromised to pay her the full amount before Wednesday. Since they did not honour theircommitment, Malaika declined to go. It was a fair and professional call taken by her,”a source was quoted as saying.

Several popular Bollywood stars earn crores from appearances on dance tours, suchas the ongoing Dabanng Reloaded Tour led by Salman Khan. That tour, too, has seenits fair share of problems, with reports of double-selling of tickets doing the rounds.

When Mid-Day reached out to the organiser for comment, he said, “The event gotcancelled due to various reasons. There was no issue from the celebrity’s [Malaika]end. It’s just bad luck and we will plan the event again soon.” Talking about whetheror not money was the reason behind the cancellation, he said, “Yes, there was somemisunderstanding, but it has been ironed out, and the event has been rescheduled.”

Sacred Gamesactor defendssex scenes

Her portrayal of agangster’s wifeSubhadra, in the web-

series Scared Games, hasbeen a revelation and it hasearned Rajshri Deshpandeaccolades from all quarters.However, there have alsobeen instances of her love-making scenes in the seriesbeing taken out of context bysome sections of theaudiences. Some of thosescenes have also beenuploaded on porn websites.

“It was a tender momentbetween a husband andwife,” she says referring tothe love-making scenebetween her character andactor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’son screen avatar, GaneshGaitonde.

Source: HT

Katy Perry has revealed she spent time in a mentalhealth retreat following the failure of her last album,saying she suffered from "situational depression". The

singer said she checked herself into the Hoffman Institute, a"personal growth retreat" in California, for a week after thedismal commercial performance of Witness.

"I have had bouts of situational depression and my heartwas broken last year because, unknowingly, I put so muchvalidity in the reaction of the public, and the public didn'treact in the way I had expected to... which broke my heart," shetold Vogue, ahead of her Australian tour this month.

"Music is my first love and I think it was the universe saying:'Okay, you speak all of this language about self-love andauthenticity, but we are going to put you through another testand take away any self validating blankie. Then we'll see howmuch you do truly love yourself.'"

Witness, Perry's fifth album, was released to middlingcritical reviews and an indifferent public reaction last June.Lead singles Bon Appetit and Swish Swish failed to resonatewith fans, peaking at #35 and #22 on the ARIA charts.

The singer was also routinely derided for her desperateexploits to drum up publicity ahead of its release, including a

politically hollow re-branding of her sound as "purposeful pop"and reigniting a long dormant feud with Taylor Swift in pressinterviews.

Lest we chide the 'tortured artist' narrative coming from a

star famous for singing lines like "sun-kissed skin, so hot, willmelt your popsicle" and "are you brave enough to let me seeyour peacock?", Perry says the experience "gave me awholeness I never had" and she has recommended therapy toher friends, "other artists who are looking for a breakthrough".

"There are a lot of people who are self-medicating throughvalidation in audiences, through substances, throughcontinually running away from their realities – denial,withdrawal. I did that for a long, long time, too," she told themagazine.

"I was with someone recently who asked: 'Well, don't youthink that if you do too much therapy it will take away yourartistic process?' And I told them: 'The biggest lie that we'veever been sold is that we artists have to stay in pain to create.'"

The pop star has previously discussed her struggles withmental health. In a therapy session with Dr Siri Sat Nam Singhfilmed for Viceland last June, Perry was in tears as shediscussed the toll of living her public persona.

"Sometimes I've built up this Katy Perry thing and it'sfantastic, but it's more of a facade than a real thing," she said,revealing she'd struggled with suicidal thoughts, inspiring hersong By the Grace of God.

19HOLLYWOOD THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

SCARLETT JOHANSSON QUITSTRANSGENDER ROLE IN RUB

AND TUG AFTER LGBT BACKLASH

Jessica Simpson's husband makes her want to 'stay young'

Actress Jessica Simpson thinks herhusband Eric Johnson is the reason sheis "hot".

"He keeps me hot, I have to say... He's alwaysthrowing around the kids, and he's just anamazing father, it makes me want to stay young.Like how can you be so active? I mean watchingthe kids running makes me exhausted,"Simpson told etonline.com.

Although they are very loved up, the actressand her beau have no plans to add anymorelittle ones to their brood because their twochildren keep them on their toes already.

"We're good, we are chilling. I mean we'revery happy and we know how to make babiesvery well but, we got the little one here," shesaid.

Simpson regularly gushes about how proudshe is of her children.

"The most rewarding part of being a motheris really just watching my kids grow. It's like,how much knowledge they have about life is justso meaningful to me, and how much heart theyput into everything they do. There's just nothinglike the innocence of a child," she said.

Source: IANS

Katy Perry reveals mental health struggle following flop album

Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has dropped outof a role in which she was going to play atransgender man following backlash from the

LGBT community.The actor exited the drama film Rub and Tug a little

more than a week after her casting sparked backlash amidtrans groups and activists.

“In light of recent ethical questions raised surroundingmy casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfullywithdraw my participation in the project. Our culturalunderstanding of transgender people continues toadvance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community sincemaking my first statement about my casting and realise itwas insensitive.

“I have great admiration and love for the transcommunity and am grateful that the conversationregarding inclusivity in Hollywood continues. Accordingto GLAAD, LGBTQ+ characters dropped 40 per cent in 2017from the previous year, with no representation of transcharacters in any major studio release,” Johansson toldOut Magazine in a statement.

Rub and Tug focused on Dante Tex Gill, a crime kingpinwho used his massage parlour as a front for prostitution inthe ‘70s and ‘80s. Gill lived his life as a trans man, which ledmany on social media to wonder why a trans actor was nottapped for the role. “Oh word?? So you can continue to playus but we can’t play y’all?” Trace Lysette, a transgenderactress best known for appearing on Amazon’s“Transparent,” wrote on Twitter after the castingannouncement. “Actors who are trans never even get toaudition FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN ROLES OFTRANS CHARACTERS,” tweeted Jamie Clayton, anothertransgender actress known for her role on Sense8.

“While I would have loved the opportunity to bringDante’s story and transition to life, I understand why manyfeel he should be portrayed by a transgender person, and Iam thankful that this casting debate, albeit controversial,has sparked a larger conversation about diversity andrepresentation in film.

“I believe that all artists should be considered equallyand fairly. My production company, These Pictures, activelypursues projects that both entertain and push boundaries.We look forward to working with every community tobring these most poignant and important stories toaudiences worldwide,” Johanssson added. Source: PTI



22 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018WORLD

North Korea denuclearization in ayear not likely: US intelligence chiefSINGAPORE (TIP): US Director of

National Intelligence Dan Coats said onThursday it was technically possible forNorth Korea to eliminate its nuclearweapons program within a year, but addedthat it was not likely to happen.

Asked at the Aspen Security Forum inColorado about White House nationalsecurity adviser John Bolton’s statementthat North Korea could denuclearize in ayear, Coats said: “It’s technically possible butprobably not going to happen.”

“It’s a much more complicated processthan most people think,” Coats told theforum. He added that Secretary of State MikePompeo had “clearly said this is hard, this isgoing to take some time” and projected a“longer time frame.”

There has been no sign of concrete actiontoward denuclearization by Pyongyang sinceUS President Donald Trump and NorthKorean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit inSingapore on June 12. Pompeo visitedPyongyang in early July and the two sidesstruggled to make headway on thedenuclearization issue.

Trump on Tuesday told reporters therewas “no rush” and “no time limit” ondenuclearization negotiations with NorthKorea.

Coats said on Thursday that Kim had madea commitment to denuclearize and that heand other senior officials had continued toreassert that commitment.

“I don’t think we should go forward withthe assumption that all this is going to work,”Coats said. “But having the opportunity totry to succeed here instead potentially goingto war with a potentially nuclear-armednation and what we have evaluated as asomewhat unstable leader, why not give it ashot?”

Coats said it was not a matter of trustingthe North Koreans but of ensuring properverification mechanisms were in place.

“We know, and we have the capability toknow, what they’re doing, and we’re going tomake sure we do it right,” he said.

The U.S. intelligence chief said sanctionsagainst North Korea were still broadlyholding, supported by China, Russia andother nations, dramatically driving downPyongyang’s exports and forcing Kim toconsider “a potential collapse of his economyif he can’t do something moving forwardwith this.”

While acknowledging there had been someship-to-ship transfers of energy suppliesdespite the embargo, Coats said it had notbeen so significant as to prevent NorthKorean leaders from seeing the“consequences of sanctions.” (Reuters)

Philippines to expel ‘undesirable’Australian nun who irked Duterte

The Nun is accused of taking part in news conferences, labour-related fact-finding missions and protests calling for political prisoners to be freed, forhuman rights and land rights to be respected and for martial law to be lifted onthe southern island of Mindanao.

MANILA (TIP): The Philippinesblacklisted and ordered the deportation onThursday of an elderly Australian nun at oddswith President Rodrigo Duterte, calling her an“undesirable alien” who broke terms of hermissionary visa by engaging in politicalactivism.

The resolution was the second timeimmigration chiefs have sought to deportPatricia Fox, 71, who two months ago had beengranted a reprieve by the justice department.

Fox has worked in the Philippines since theearly 1990s and is a coordinator of acongregation of Catholic nuns called NotreDame de Sion.

The 10-page order said her continuedpresence in the country “poses a risk to publicinterest” and she would be barred fromreturning.

She is accused of taking part in newsconferences, labour-related fact-findingmissions and protests calling for politicalprisoners to be freed, for human rights and landrights to be respected and for martial law to belifted on the southern island of Mindanao.

Duterte has made no secret of his annoyanceat Fox and has said he personally ordered aninvestigation into her activities. He said herefuses to hear criticism from anyone who isnot Filipino.

Thursday’s order specifically referred to

Duterte’s admission that he had asked for Foxto be investigated.

Fox is the latest in a growing number ofpeople who have challenged Duterte and foundthemselves investigated, detained, humiliated,and sanctioned for offences that his opponentssay usually amount to technicalities or minor

infringements.“That’s the law,” presidential spokesman

Harry Roque said of the order to send Fox backto Australia.

Local media quoted Fox as saying she wasdisappointed but would challenge the order.(Reuters)

Turkish court sentencesjournalist to jail underanti-terror law-Report

ISTANBUL (TIP): A Turkish courtsentenced a journalist from the oppositionCumhuriyet newspaper to more than twoyears in jail on Thursday on charges ofmaking people potential targets for militantgroups through her reporting, the papersaid.

Human rights organisations have voicedincreasing concern about media freedom inTurkey, where President Tayyip Erdoganwon elections last month triggering a moveto a powerful executive presidency.

The case was triggered by an article whichCanan Coskun wrote last September aboutprosecutors’ questioning of detainedlawyers for two hunger-striking teachersallegedly linked to the leftist DHKP-Cmilitant group, designated a terrorist groupby Turkey.

The court found that Coskun, who coveredIstanbul courts for the paper, made “peopleinvolved in the fight against terrorism atarget”, the Cumhuriyet said.

A lawyer for Coskun told the court that thenaming of a prosecutor in that article didnot amount to making that person a targetand denied the charges against her, rightsgroup Amnesty International reported onTwitter.

“Another punishment for press freedom,”main opposition party lawmaker SezginTanrikulu, who attended the hearing, wroteon Twitter. “Writing a story and being ajournalist is sufficient for a court to take anegative view.”

In April, a court sentenced 14 staff ofCumhuriyet – one of the few remainingvoices critical of the government – to jail oncharges of terrorism and supporting a US-based cleric blamed for organising anattempted coup in July 2016.

Since then more than 120 journalists havebeen detained and more than 180 mediaoutlets closed on suspicion of links to thenetwork of the Islamic preacher, FethullahGulen.

Free speech advocacy group ReportersWithout Borders in April ranked Turkey 157out of 180 countries in its annual report onglobal press freedom, and estimated about 90percent of Turkey’s newspaper coverage ispro-government.

Erdogan has frequently lashed out atmedia criticising the crackdown thatfollowed the abortive putsch in 2016 andTurkey’s military operations into northernSyria. (Reuters)

EU Commission calls onmembers to step upBrexit preparations

BRUSSELS (TIP): The EuropeanCommission on July 19 called on EUcountries to increase preparations for alloutcomes in Brexit negotiations, sayingBritain’s withdrawal from the bloc waslikely to cause disruptions.

“Today’s text calls on member states andprivate parties to step up preparations andfollows a request by the European Councillast month to intensify preparedness at alllevels and for all outcomes,” the EUexecutive said in a statement.

“While the EU is working day and nightfor a deal ensuring an orderly withdrawal,the UK’s withdrawal will undoubtedly causedisruption – for example in business supplychains – whether or not there is a deal,” theCommission added.A Commissionspokeswoman said the EU executive wantedto be ready for all outcomes but did not saywhich is the more likely scenario. (Reuters)

SEOUL (TIP): A company claiming tohave found the wreck of a Russian warshipwith $130 billion in gold "treasure" off thecoast of South Korea has drawn scepticismfrom researchers and regulators in Seoul.

Shinil Group, which lists a Singaporeaddress on its website, said on Tuesday it haddiscovered the wreck of the Dmitrii Donskoi,a Russian armoured cruiser built in the 1880sand sunk in 1905 after battling Japanesewarships.

The company said the ship held 150 trillionwon ($130 billion) in gold and it wouldprovide evidence next week to support itsclaims.

Shinil Group representatives did notrespond to requests for comment, but its

news release said the company was the "onlyentity in the world" to have discovered theship.

The release was accompanied by photosand video of a wreck, including a section thatappeared to show the ship's name. It said thesearch team included experts from Britain,Canada and South Korea.

The announcement was disputed by thegovernment-run Korea Institute of OceanScience and Technology, which told SouthKorean media that it discovered the wreck in2003.

The institute did not respond to a requestfor comment, but its website showed photosdated from 2007 of what it said was the wreck,along with maps of its general location.

A South Korean construction company hasalso laid claim to being the first to discoverthe Russian warship, South Korean mediasaid.

Some academics have cast doubt on pastreports of a massive treasure on the ship.South Korean financial regulators alsocautioned against investing in treasurehunting ventures.

In a separate statement on its website,Shinil Group described its newly launched"Donskoi International" crypto currencyexchange as linked to the find.

The company said it would "share profits"from the Russian wreck with the public byhanding out its virtual currency to anyonewho signed up to use the exchange. It

promised additional coins to those whohelped sign up others.

Shinil Group's English website wasregistered in January, according to the Whoisinternet domain registry, and has manysections marked "under construction".

South Korea's Financial SupervisoryServices on Wednesday warned against"overheated" investment, citing past cases oftreasure-hunting companies that saw theirstock skyrocket after a discovery only to endup filing for bankruptcy.

"Investors need to be cautious as it'spossible they could suffer massive losses ifthey bank on rumours without concrete factsregarding the recovery of a treasure ship,"the regulator said in a statement. (Reuters)

23WORLDTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

Israeli parliament passescontentious Jewish nation bill

Israelis, including President Reuven Rivlin and attorney general, voiced oppositionto the earlier draft of the bill. Israelis opposed to the bill, deeming it discriminatory,

took to the streets to protest in large numbers on Saturday in Tel Aviv.JERUSALEM (TIP): Israel’s parliament

approved a controversial piece of legislationon July 19hat defines the country as thenation-state of the Jewish people but whichcritics warn sidelines minorities. Thegovernment says the bill, passed in the earlymorning hours, will merely enshrine into lawIsrael’s existing character. Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu called its passage a“historic moment in the history of Zionismand the history of the state of Israel.”

“Israel is the nation-state of the Jewishpeople, which honours the individual rights ofall its citizens,” he said. “I repeat this is ourstate. The Jewish state.”

“Lately, there are people who are trying todestabilize this and therefore destabilize thefoundations of our existence and our rights,”he added. “So today we have made a law instone. This is our country. This is ourlanguage. This is our anthem and this is ourflag. Long live the state of Israel.”

Israel’s 1948 declaration of independencedefined its nature as a Jewish and democraticstate, a delicate balance the country hasgrappled to maintain for 70 years. Opponentsof the new bill say it marginalizes thecountry’s Arab minority of around 20 per centand also downgrades the Arabic languagefrom official to “special” standing.

The law passed with a 62-55 backing, withtwo members of the Knesset abstaining. Thelegislation, defined as a “basic law,” grantingit quasi-constitutional status, will likely face achallenge at the Supreme Court.

Lawmakers took turns to passionatelyexpress their views in a rowdy, hours-longdebate in parliament overnight. Ayman Odeh,the head of the Arab Joint List, pulled out ablack flag and waved it during his speech,warning of the implications of the law.

“This is an evil law,” he told lawmakers,adding that “a black flag hovers over it.”

“Today, I will have to tell my children, alongwith all the children of Palestinian Arabtowns … that the state has declared that it

does not want us here,” Odeh said in astatement later. “It has passed a law of Jewishsupremacy and told us that we will always besecond-class citizens.”

Benny Begin, son of former Israeli PrimeMinister Menachem Begin, the founder ofNetanyahu’s ruling Likud party, abstainedfrom voting, warning of the party’s growingdisconnect from human rights. “This is not adecision I expected from the Likudleadership,” he said.

Eugene Kontorovich, international lawdirector at the Kohelet Policy Forum, aconservative Jerusalem think tank, defendedthe bill, arguing it “is similar to provisions inmany Western democratic constitutions,which provide for an official language andnational character that reflects the majorityof the population.” Kontorovich dismissedthe “faux outrage” against the bill as “simplyanother attempt to single-out the Jewish stateand hold her to a double standard.” AmericanJewish organizations also expressed theirdisapproval of the law.

The American Jewish Committee, a grouprepresenting the Jewish Diaspora, said it was

“deeply disappointed,” adding that the law“puts at risk the commitment of Israel’sfounders to build a country that is bothJewish and democratic.” Jeremy Ben Ami,president of J Street, a Washington liberalpro-Israel group, said the bill’s purpose is “tosend a message to the Arab community, theLGBT community and other minorities inIsrael, that they are not and never will beequal citizens.”

“Strong connection between Israel andJews worldwide is based on these values thatIsrael is both a Jewish and democratic state,”Ben Ami said, adding concerns the bill would“weaken the strength of Israel’s democracy.”

Lawmakers had removed the mostcontentious clause of the bill on Sundaywhich would have allowed the establishmentof “separate communities” and which criticshad called racist.

Israelis, including President Reuven Rivlinand attorney general, voiced opposition to theearlier draft of the bill. Israelis opposed to thebill, deeming it discriminatory, took to thestreets to protest in large numbers onSaturday in Tel Aviv. (AP)

Australia PM MalcolmTurnbull calls on Pope tofire archbishop

CANBERRA (TIP): Australia’s PrimeMinister Malcolm Turnbull has called onPope Francis to fire an Australianarchbishop who is the most senior RomanCatholic cleric ever convicted for covering upchild sexual abuse.

Turnbull said two weeks ago that AdelaideArchbishop Philip Wilson should haveresigned when he was convicted in May offailing to report to police the repeated abuseof two altar boys by a pedophile priest in theHunter Valley region north of Sydney duringthe 1970s.

Turnbull told reporters on Thursday the67-year-old cleric should not be allowed toremain an archbishop while he appealedagainst his conviction.

Wilson has said he would only offer hisresignation to Francis if his appeal againsthis conviction fails in the New South Walesstate District Court. (AP)

Lava from Kilauea‘collapse explosion’destroys Hawaii structures

HAWAII’S (TIP): A “collapse explosion”at the summit of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano onJuly 18 sent a surge of lava that destroyedstructures in an evacuated housingdevelopment, geologists and civil defenseauthorities said.

The blast sparked by the gradual collapseof the volcano’s crater was equivalent to a 5.3magnitude earthquake and caused lava toburst from a fissure 25 miles (40 km) east,destroying at least one home in LeilaniEstates, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)and Hawaii County Civil Defense said.

These lava surges on Hawaii’s Big Islandhave become an increased concern duringthe volcano’s 11-week eruption, which hasdestroyed some 712 homes but so far claimedno lives, according to the County of Hawaii.

A massive explosion on Monday caused bymolten rock flowing into the ocean sent a“lava bomb” through the roof of a tour boat,injuring 23 people.

Geologists say such explosions may be due,in part, to large volumes of lava rapidlyflowing into the Pacific Ocean. (Reuters)

A Ship Wreck with $130 Billion ‘Treasure’ mayhave just been discovered

The company said the ship held 150 trillion won ($130 billion) in gold and it would provide evidence next week to support its claims.

Open relationships aren’t foreveryone — in fact, they’re notfor most people. It might not be in

your nature to be cool about sharingyour partner with another woman (ormultiple other women), and it’s notsomething you can fake. If you relate toany of the following, you’re probablybetter off staying monogamous.

YOU CAN’T CONTROL YOURJEALOUSY

In an open relationship, there’s reallyno room for jealousy of any kind. You’rein an agreement with your partner tohave other options, lovers andrelationships. This game isn’t one-on-one, so if you can’t help but envy otherplayers, then you need to get out of thegame.

YOU’RE DREAMING OF YOURHAPPILY EVER AFTER

If the only reason you agree to anopen relationship now is because you’rehoping he’ll change his mind in thefuture, you’re making a big mistake.You’re sacrificing your own happinessfor his. You can’t risk your heart on aforever after that might never come. Youneed to live in the now and stop puttingyour happiness (and sanity) off for asomeday dream.

YOU’RE NOT INTO CASUAL SEXFor you, sex and emotions are

irrevocably connected. You’re not aprude, you’ve just never been interestedin sleeping around. You prefer to haveone steady partner — that doesn’t meanyour sex life is boring, it just means youdon’t take sex lightly. For you, there’snothing casual about it, because ifyou’re sleeping with someone, then it’salways serious, and there is no room toshare.

YOU’RE OBSESSED WITH DTR… AKADEFINING THE RELATIONSHIP

In the modern dating scene, it can feel

like everyone rejects labels, but itshouldn’t be about the “status” for you.It’s about knowing where you stand withone another. An open relationship can bepretty damn complicated and endlesslyconfusing, so for a girl who needs thelines to be drawn out clearly, opennesswill never be your comfort zone.

YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO YOUR OWN THING

Open relationships are all about spaceand separation. To you, that could sounda lot like loneliness. You want a guy whowill always be there — a partner, loverand very best friend all rolled into one.You might be a strong, independentwoman, but you still want a partner youcan lean on. You want a life that’s alwaysintertwined with your partner becauseseparation is your nightmare.

YOU KEEP TABS ON YOURSIGNIFICANT OTHERS

When you’re in a relationship, you’realways checking in with your partner. It

doesn’t mean you don’t trust them and itdoesn’t make you needy or controlling —it just means you like steadycommunication. It goes both ways. Healways knows where you are and whatyou’re doing, and he keeps you updatedon his day-to-day life. You don’t havesecrets, you’re 100% open and despite itbeing called an “open” relationship, it’sfull of keep it to yourself material.

YOU CARE TOO MUCH WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK

An open relationship just isn’t thenorm. That doesn’t make it wrong. Youcan live your life however you please, butpeople are always going to haveopinions, so if you’re going to invest inan open relationship, you need to be ableto brush off the criticism. The onlyopinions that matter are yours and yourpartner’s, but if you’re the type ofperson who always lets publicperception in, then you’re not the type ofgirl who could handle an openrelationship.

Ingredients 500 Gram Mutton, 8-10 Arbi, 1 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder, 1/4 tspTurmeric powder, 2 tsp Coriander powder, 1 tsp Garlic paste, 1tsp Ginger paste, 3 Tbsp Fresh coriander leaves, 2-3 Greenchilli, 2 Tomatoes, 2 Onion, 1 Cinnamon stick, 1 Blackcardamom, salt to taste, 4-5 Tbsp Oil for frying

Method Wash and peel the arbi. After removing the skin cut in to

halves and wash. In a pan take little oil and deep fry the arbi until they are

golden in colour as fried potatoes. Heat oil and add cinnamon stick, black cardamom and

finely chopped onions, fry onions till golden brown. Add the meat and sauté for a minute. Add ginger garlic

paste and fry for a few minutes. Add coriander, turmeric and red chilli powder and salt and

cook on a low flame. By adding few sprinkles of water inbetween shall prevent it from burning.

Add finely chopped tomatoes and let it cook untiltomatoes are soft.

Add water to the mutton and mix. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and

cover lid to and let it cook until mutton is cooked. Add fried arbi pieces and green chillies and simmer for

about 5 minutes. Now add water depending on how thin you want the gravy.

Mix well and bring to boil, until the Arbi become soft. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.

24 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 WOMEN

ARBI GOSHT

COULD YOU HANDLE ANOPEN RELATIONSHIP?

F O O D C O R N E R

GET RID OF PUFFY EYES

Waking up with puffy eyes can be really frustratingwhen you have a big day ahead. Puffy eyes are oneof the most common beauty problems.

This occurs when the eyes begin to swell for variousreasons, including excessive crying, excessive physicalstress, genetics, dermatitis, hormonal changes in the body, achange in weather, sinus problems, hangovers, bad diet, lackof sleep and some allergic reaction. Puffy eyes can make youlook tired and ill. But you can easily take care of them withsome simple, natural home remedies.

Here are the top 10 ways to get rid of puffy eyes.

Water The easiest way to get rid of puffy eyes is to drink

water. When the body is well hydrated, there is lesschance of water retention that can cause your under-eye area and other parts of your body to swell. Wateralso helps flush toxins out of the body.

To stay well hydrated, drink at least 8 to 10 glasses ofwater each day. In addition to this, you must reduce theamount of salt you eat to reduce water retention in thebody. Also, avoid caffeinated and carbonated beveragesthat can be dehydrating.

Cold Spoons This simple home remedy is surprisingly very

effective. It will help tighten up the skin around youreyes as well as relax the blood vessels, thus offeringrelief to puffy and tired eyes.

Chill 5 or 6 metal spoons in your refrigerator for 10 to15 minutes.

Hold the rounded portion of one of the cold spoonsagainst your eye for a few minutes until the spoonbecomes warm.

As the spoon warms, replace it with another cold onefrom the refrigerator.

Tea BagsBe it green tea bags or black tea bags, both can help soothe

puffy and irritated eyes. They contain anti-irritantproperties that help reduce swelling around your eyes. Theycan also relieve redness and inflammation. Put 2 used tea bags in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Lie down and put the tea bags over your eyelids. Leave them in place for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat a few times a day.

CucumbersChilled cucumbers make a good remedy for treating puffy

eyes. The enzymes and the astringent properties incucumbers help reduce inflammation and help tighten theskin. This remedy will also help get rid of wrinkles and darkcircles around your eyes. Cut a cucumber into thick slices. Chill the slices in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Place the cold slices on your eyelids for about 10

minutes or until they become warm. Repeat the process several times a day.

Egg WhitesEgg whites have skin-tightening properties that can help

banish under-eye bags as well as help prevent wrinkles. Separate the yolks from 2 eggs and put the whites in a

bowl. Whip the egg whites thoroughly until you get a stiff

consistency. Add a few drops of witch hazel, a natural skin-

tightening astringent. Use a brush or soft cloth to apply this mixture under

your eyes and allow it to dry. Leave it on for about 15 minutes. Do this daily for a few days.

25HEALTH & FITNESSTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

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Eating salamis, hotdogs can lead tomanic episodes

Chemicals in processed meat snacks, such as salamisand hot dogs, can contribute to mania, an abnormalmood state characterised by hyperactivity, euphoria

and insomnia.The study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry,

found that people hospitalised for an episode of mania hadmore than three times the odds of having ever eaten nitrate-cured meats than people without a history of a seriouspsychiatric disorder.

Experiments in rats by the researchers from JohnsHopkins University in the US showed that mania-likehyperactivity after just a few weeks on diets with addednitrates.

The study adds to evidence that certain diets andpotentially the amounts and types of bacteria in the gut maycontribute to mania and other disorders that affect the brain.

"Future work on this association could lead to dietaryinterventions to help reduce the risk of manic episodes inthose who have bipolar disorder or who are otherwisevulnerable to mania," said Robert Yolken, from the JohnsHopkins University.

Mania, a state of elevated mood, arousal and energy thatlasts weeks to months, is generally seen in people withbipolar disorder, but can also occur in those withschizoaffective disorder.

Manic states can lead to dangerous risk-taking behaviourand can include delusional thinking, and most of thoseaffected experience multiple hospitalisations in the course oftheir psychiatric illness.

Researchers collected demographic, health and dietarydata on 1,101 individuals aged 18 through 65 with and withoutpsychiatric disorders.

About 55 per cent of the participants were female and 55per cent were Caucasian, with 36 per cent identifying asAfrican-American.

A study of their records between 2007 and 2017 showed thatamong people who had been hospitalised for mania, a historyof eating cured meat before hospitalisation were about 3.5times higher than the group of people without a psychiatricdisorder.

Cured meats were not associated with a diagnosis ofschizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder in people nothospitalized for mania or in major depressive disorder.

No other foods about which participants were queried hada significant association with any of the disorders, or withmania. Source: PTI

EATING FRUITS WITHMEALS: IS IT BAD FOR YOU?

Fruits are powerhouses ofnutrition and they provide ourbody with a wide range of

vitamins, minerals and other nutrientsthat are essential for a healthy body.They also find a number of uses incooking and you can get extremelycreative with fruits to include them indishes both savoury and sweet. But,there are a lot of questions that plagueour minds about healthy practicesrelated to consumption of fruits. Forexample, whether it is healthier to eatraw fruits rather than having fruitjuices, or whether we should eat fruitsfirst thing in the morning or at night.One such question related to fruitconsumption is that a lot of people areconfused about is whether it is okay toconsume fruits with meals or not. Thereare some conflicting schools of thoughtabout the same.

In some Indian homes, it's commonpractice to eat one portion of fruitsduring lunchtime, with the meal.Usually, we Indians tend to eat whateveris in season, after our afternoon meal.It's a way to satiate our sweet tooth andalso tuck in some nutrients at the sametime. During the summers, for example,a lot of lunchtime meals include a fewpieces of mango. But, is it healthy orshould this practice be discontinued?According to clinical nutritionist Dr.Rupali Dutta, eating fruits with yourmeal is completely alright. "Accordingto allopathy, there is no contra-indication to the habit of eating fruitswith meals," she says, adding that a lot ofthese doubts about consumption offruits with meals may come fromindividual and anecdotal experiences.

"There may be some people whoexperience digestive stress or bloating

(when they eat fruits with meals)," saysDr. Dutta, concluding that if one doesn'texperience any such discomfort, thenthe practice may by all means becontinued.

She suggests it may even be healthierfor people who have a sweet tooth, as byeating fruits with lunch, they canindulge their sweet tooth withoutconsuming too many extra or harmfulcalories.

However, Dr. Dutta says that fruitsshould be ideally consumed as mid-mealsnacks, ahead of lunch or in the evening,before dinner. "The main purpose ofeating fruits as mid-meal snacks isreplenishing our body's store ofelectrolytes," says Dr. Dutta, adding thatif you consume your daily fruit portionduring lunch, then you may have to

forgo the snack.However, celebrity acupuncturist and

beauty expert Dr. Jewel Gamadia hassomething else to say. Recently, he saidon his Instagram page that one shouldavoid eating fruits with meals, saying,"It's not a good idea for those who sufferwith digestive issues. Every food has adifferent enzyme to digest. The enzymesneeded for a normal meal are verydifferent than those needed for fruits.Hence, it makes a problem for yourstomach. So, try having fruit aftersometime." What about fruit juices? Dr.Dutta says that it's okay to drink freshfruit juices with your meals, if you arenot restricting your daily calorie-count.Also, as a general rule, it's healthier toconsume whole foods rather than juicingthem. Source: NDTV

Testosterone treatment can bringnew hope for cancer patients

Treatment with hormonetestosterone could be effective atcombating a condition of loss of

body mass in cancer patients andimproving the quality of life, sayresearchers.

Approximately 20 per cent of cancerrelated deaths are attributed to thesyndrome of cachexia, which in cancerpatients is often characterised by a rapidor loss of fat and skeletal muscle.

These findings are important, as thereare currently no established therapiestargeting this loss of skeletal muscle,and without an intervention, patientslose muscle function and becomefatigued and weakened.

“We hoped to demonstrate thesepatients would go from not feeling wellenough to even get out of bed to at leastbeing able to have some basic quality oflife that allows them to take care ofthemselves and receive therapy,” saidMelinda Sheffield-Moore, Professor atthe University of Texas Medical Branch,in the US. She said previous nutrition-focused treatment failed to combat thissevere loss of body mass.

“We already know that testosterone

builds skeletal muscle in healthyindividuals, so we tried using it in apopulation at a high risk of muscle loss,so these patients could maintain theirstrength and performance status to beable to receive standard cancertherapies.” Sheffield-Moore said.

For the study, published in theJournal of Cachexia, patients with atype of cancer known as squamous cellcarcinoma were treated with standard ofcare chemotherapy and/or radiation inaddition to seven weeks of treatmentwith either testosterone or placebo.

Those receiving testosteronemaintained total body mass andincreased lean body mass by 3.2 per cent.

Sustaining body mass is importantconsidering most patients experience a20 per cent decrease in body mass ormore depending upon the type of cancer.

Patients also demonstrated enhancedphysical activity.

“They felt well enough to get up andtake care of some of their basicactivities of daily living, like cooking,cleaning and bathing themselves,”Sheffield-Moore said. Source: IANS

26 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 SCIENCE & TECH

NEW NASA MINI SATELLITE TOPEER INTO MILKY WAY’S HALO

Atiny NASA satellitehas been deployedfrom the International

Space Station (ISS) that willhelp scientists search for theuniverse's missing matter bystudying X-rays from the 'halo'of hot gas surrounding ourMilky Way galaxy.

Astronomers keep comingup short when they survey"normal" matter, the materialthat makes up galaxies, stars and planets.

To look for this missing matter, a NASA-sponsoredCubeSat mission called HaloSat was deployed from the ISS onJuly 13.

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the oldestlight in the universe, radiation from when it was 400,000years old.

Calculations based on CMB observations indicate theuniverse contains five per cent normal matter protons,neutrons and other subatomic particles, 25 per cent darkmatter - a substance that remains unknown - and 70 per centdark energy, a negative pressure accelerating the expansionof the universe.

As the universe expanded and cooled, normal mattercoalesced into gas, dust, planets, stars and galaxies. However,when astronomers tally the estimated masses of theseobjects, they account for only about half of whatcosmologists say should be present.

"We should have all the matter today that we had backwhen the universe was 400,000 years old," said Philip Kaaret,principal investigator at the University of Iowa (UI) in theUS, which leads the mission.

Researchers think the missing matter may be in hot gaslocated either in the space between galaxies or in galactichalos, extended components surrounding individualgalaxies.

HaloSat will study gas in the Milky Way's halo that runsabout 2 million degrees Celsius. At such high temperatures,oxygen sheds most of its eight electrons and produces the X-rays HaloSat will measure. Source: PTI

INSTAGRAM’S PUBLIC ACCOUNTSCAN REMOVE FOLLOWERS

Instagram is testing a new feature that will give publicaccount holders more control over followers. The newfeature will allow users with an open account to remove

followers while maintaining their public account, The Vergereported. When a person removes someone from thefollowers list, Instagram won't send them a notificationthereby keeping things discreet and flexible at the same time.

Source: ANI

SHAPE-CHANGING ROBOTCAN HELP FIND PEOPLE

TRAPPED IN DEBRISScientists have developed a robot that can change its

shape to crawl through tight spaces and climb over roughterrain, an advance that may help search and rescue

teams locate people trapped under debris.The Rising Sprawl-Tuned Autonomous Robot (RSTAR)

utilises adjustable sprawling wheel legs attached to a body thatcan move independently and reposition itself to run on flatsurfaces, climb over large obstacles and up closely-spacedwalls, and crawl through a tunnel, pipe or narrow gaps.

"The RSTAR is ideal for search and rescue operations inunstructured environments, such as collapsed buildings orflooded areas, where it must adapt and overcome a variety ofsuccessive obstacles to reach its target," said David Zarrouk,from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel.

Researchers designed RSTAR to function simply andreliably, change shape and overcome common obstacleswithout any external mechanical intervention.

Its speed and relatively low energy consumption make therobot ideal for a broad range of applications that may requirelonger work time.

The robot uses its round wheels to travel more than threefeet per second on hard flat surfaces and switches to spokewheels to traverse extremely soft or granular surfaces, likethick mud or sand, without getting stuck.

It also climbs vertically and crawls horizontally by pressingits wheels to walls without touching the floor.

The team is working on a larger STAR robot version thatwill climb over larger obstacles, including stairs, and carry

more than four pounds of sensors and supplies.A smaller STAR or RSTAR will piggyback on the larger

robot to use in hard-to-reach areas and sneak in betweennarrow cracks and passages. Source: PTI

Facebook to remove posts that spur violenceAccused of helping to spur violence in

countries like Myanmar, Sri Lankaand India, Facebook has said it will

begin removing misinformation that leads toviolence and physical harm.

Currently, Facebook bans content thatdirectly calls for violence but the new policywill cover fake news that has the potential tostir up physical harm, CNET reported late onWednesday.

"There are certain forms of misinformationthat have contributed to physical harm, andwe are making a policy change which willenable us to take that type of content down,"Facebook said in a statement.

"We will begin implementing the policy

during the coming months," it added.Facebook-owned WhatsApp is facing the

flak in India for allowing the circulation oflarge number of irresponsible messages filledwith rumours and provocation that has led togrowing instances of lynching of innocentpeople.

In June, Facebook removed content thatalleged Muslims in Sri Lanka were poisoningfood given and sold to Buddhists.

A coalition of activists from eightcountries, including India and Myanmar, inMay called on Facebook to put in place atransparent and consistent approach tomoderation. In a statement, the coalitiondemanded civil rights and political bias audits

into Facebook's role in abetting human rightsabuses, spreading misinformation andmanipulation of democratic processes intheir respective countries.

Besides India and Myanmar, the othercountries that the activists represented wereBangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, thePhilippines, Syria and Ethiopia. The demandsraised by the group bore significance asFacebook came under fire for its failure tostop the deluge of hate-filled posts against thedisenfranchised Rohingya Muslim minorityin Myanmar. Sri Lanka temporarily shutdown Facebook earlier in 2018 after hatespeech spread on the company's apps resultedin mob violence. Source: IANS

HOW TO USE TRUECALLER’S NEW CALL RECORDING FEATURE

Truecaller has introduced a newfeature for its premium users onAndroid. Truecaller users can

now record their calls andconversations from the app itself. Thecompany says that this move will helpusers “report harassment related orfraudulent calls.”

Most smartphones come pre-loadedwith call recording feature. At the sametime, there are multiple third-partyapps on Play Store through which onecan record call conversations. But withan in-built feature, this will help activeTruecaller users record calls seamlessly.

This feature has been released forTruecaller Premium only which is thepaid version of the app. TruecallerPremium can be availed at Rs 30 permonth and Rs 270 per year.

How to record calls on Truecaller When users receive a call on their

phone, there will be a recordingicon just below the caller ID.

One can toggle the option on tostart recording their conversation.

The recorded conversations willbe saved in the user’s phone.

Truecaller says that the calls willnot be saved in the company’ssystems.

In addition to call recording, thepremium version of Truecaller offersad-free usage, 30 contact requests permonth, a ‘Pro Badge’ on their profile,and options to know who viewed yourprofile. Truecaller Premium users alsohave the option to view others profilesprivately. Users can subscribe toTruecaller Premium by tapping on themenu bar and selecting ‘Upgrade toProfessional’. Here, they can choosebetween the monthly and yearlypackage.

27BIZ & FINANCETHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

OIL PRICES FALL ON RISEIN US STOCKPILES, DEMAND WORRIES

LONDON (TIP): Oil prices fell on Wednesday after news of arise in US crude inventories last week, defying analysts’expectations for a big fall, while concerns about weakdemand also resurfaced.

Brent crude oil was down 60 cents at $71.56 a barrel by 0750GMT. The benchmark hit a three-month low on Tuesday.

US light crude was down 50 cents at $67.58, not far offTuesday’s one-month low of $67.03 per barrel.

Oil markets have fallen over the last week as Saudi Arabiaand other members of the Organization of the PetroleumExporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia have increasedproduction and as some supply disruptions have eased.

Investors have also begun to worry about the impact onglobal economic growth and energy demand of the escalatingtrade dispute between the United States and its tradingpartners, including China.

The US oil market has been tight in recent months but dataon Tuesday from the American Petroleum Institute (API)showed an unexpected a rise of more than 600,000 barrels innational crude inventories.

Analysts had forecast a decline of 3.6 million barrels in UScrude stocks for the week through July 13.

Official numbers from the US Department of Energy’sEnergy Information Administration are due at 10:30 a.m.EDT (1430 GMT) on Wednesday.

“Oil is trading lower this morning on the back of the APIrelease, and price action later today will largely depend onwhat the EIA release,” said ING commodities strategistWarren Patterson. “A number broadly similar to the APIcould put some further pressure on the market later thisafternoon.”

On the demand-side, intensifying risks over trade tensionsbetween the United States and China could drag on the globaleconomic outlook, BMI Research said. Source: Reuters

Stable coin: IBM backs a new‘price stable’ cryptocurrency

NEW YORK (TIP): International Business Machines(IBM)? is backing a new cryptocurrency pegged to the USdollar, in a partnership with US-based financial servicesprovider Stronghold that adds stability to a sector known forits volatility, the companies said.

The so-called stable coin, Stronghold USD, launched onTuesday on the Stellar blockchain platform. Buyers of thecoin will deposit greenbacks with the company’s partnerbank, Nevada-based Prime Trust for Stronghold to issue thetokens based on a 1-to-1 ratio.

Stable coins, pegged to an asset like gold, or majorcurrencies such the euro, pound and US dollar, have emergedas issuers seek to expand uses for digital currencies, whichare unregulated and volatile. Bitcoin, the most well-knowntoken, has fallen around 55%?so far in 2018 against the dollar,after surging more than 1,300%?last year.

Cryptocurrencies are powered by blockchain, a shareddatabase maintained by a network of computers connected tothe internet. Source: Reuters

Amazon valuation crosses $900 billion for the first time

Amazon.com’s stock market valuereached $900 billion onWednesday for the first time,

marking a major milestone in its 21-yeartrajectory as a publicly listed companyand threatening to dislodge Apple asWall Street’s most valuable jewel.

After Jeff Bezos founded the onlinebook-selling company in his garage in1994, Amazon survived the dot-com crisisand then expanded across the retailindustry, altering how consumers buyproducts and setting off a Darwinianstruggle among brick-and-mortar stores.

After announcing on Wednesday thatit sold more than $100 million productsduring its annual Prime Day sale, theSeattle, Washington company’s stockbriefly touched $1,858.88, giving Amazona stock market value of $902 billion. Itlater reversed, trading down 0.16% forthe session.

Amazon’s stock has surged more than57% in 2018, bringing its increase to over123,000% since it listed on the Nasdaq in1997. An investor who bought 1 share ofAmazon for $18 in the IPO would nowhave an investment worth more than$22,200, including three stock splits inthe 1990s.

Amazon, video streaming serviceNetflix and a handful of heavyweighttechnology companies have fueled WallStreet’s rally in recent years and theyremain key parts of portfolio managers’portfolios.

Apple replaced Exxon Mobil in late2011 as the US company with the largeststock market value. The Silicon Valleycompany’s shares have risen 12 percentin 2018, bringing its stock market valueto $935 billion.

The calculations for Apple andAmazon’s market capitalizations arebased on the number of sharesoutstanding in their March-quarterreports. Amazon has increased its sharecount by over 1 million shares perquarter in recent years, and if itcontinued that in the June quarter, itsstock market value may already haveexceeded $900 billion.

Amazon reports its results on July 26

and Apple, which has been reducing itsshare count through buybacks, reportsits June-quarter results on July 31.

As Amazon expands into groceryretail through its acquisition of WholeFoods Market last year, and as morebusinesses move their IT departmentsonto the cloud, its stock price has beenred hot, recently trading at 111 timesexpected earnings, compared to more-profitable - but slower growing - Apple’svaluation of 15 times earnings.

Amazon dislodged Microsoft Corp asthe No. 3 US company by marketcapitalization in February. Since then,Microsoft has been overtaken by Google-owner Alphabet. Source: Reuters

Google fined record $5 billion by European Union,told to alter Android model

Google was fined 4.3 billion euros ($5 billion) by the EuropeanUnion and ordered to change the way it puts search and webbrowser apps on Android mobile devices, setting a global record

for antitrust penalties.The penalty -- the same amount the Netherlands contributes to the EU

budget every year -- is far higher than any other dished out by the US,Chinese or other antitrust authorities. More significantly, Google wasgiven 90 days to stop what the EU said were “illegal practices” oncontracts with handset manufacturers that push Google services infront of users.

“Google has used Android as a vehicle to cement the dominance of itssearch engine,” EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager saidin an emailed statement. “These practices have denied rivals the chanceto innovate and compete on the merits.”

Google has built a massive business of banner and videos ads, thankslargely to its central role on Android devices. Google will account for athird of all global mobile ads in 2018, according to research firmeMarketer, giving the company around $40 billion in sales outside the USGoogle risks losing that traction if it is forced to surrender its real estateon millions of Android phones.

Google immediately said it would challenge the ruling at the EUcourts. Source: Bloomberg

Govt set to inject Rs 2000crore into fraud-hit PunjabNational Bank by next week

India is said to bepreparing to infuseabout Rs 2000 crore

($290 million) into PunjabNational Bank by nextweek to help it meet dueson its perpetual bonds,people familiar with thematter said.

India’s third-largeststate-run lender will issue preferential shares to thegovernment, the people said, asking not to be namedas the information isn’t public. This will help restorecapital to the level needed to pay the coupon that’sdue July 25, they said.

PNB needs to pay about Rs 135 crore to cover the8.98% annual interest on Rs 1500 crore worth of so-called AT1 bonds sold in July 2017.

Unless PNB gets fresh capital in time, it may beunable to make the payment because anunprecedented loan-fraud wiped out its profits andpushed the bank’s capital below mandated levels,according to the local unit of Fitch Ratings. PNB’score tier I capital was at 5.96 percent as of March 31,below the Reserve Bank of India’s minimumrequired 7.375%.

“A plain reading of the RBI’s rules could beinterpreted as if the bank is below the minimumcore tier I capital requirement, they would facerestrictions on payment of coupon,” said PrakashAgarwal, head -- financial institutions, at IndiaRatings & Research, the local unit of Fitch. “Thegovernment is expected to step in.”

A spokesman for Punjab National Bank said thebank will be making the coupon payments on the duedate, subject to regulatory approvals. He didn’tprovide any further details. Source: Bloomberg

28 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018ASTROLOGY

W E E K LY H O R O S C O P EJULY 23 - 29, 2018

Aries: Ganesha says there is a semblance ofstability. You have emerged from the maze ofthe mind. You realize that a lot of time hasbeen wasted in your shenanigans and youneed to get cracking. 'When you haveeliminated the impossible, whatever remains,however improbable, must be the truth,'noted Arthur Conan Doyle, physician andwriter. You now work with whatever remains.You get down to the hard slog of making aliving.

Taurus: The heat is on in more ways than one. Thereis fire in your belly and you are steamingaway. There could be travel, and new vistasopening. You may meet with someone froman entirely different culture and form aprofound bond. 'People don't notice whetherit is winter or summer when they are happy,'said Anton Chekov. Right on! Thesubcontinent is heating like an oven, but thisdoesn't get to you even if you live in mybackyard.

Gemini: You are busy with domestic issues. Thehealth of elders could be a cause of concern.If you are living with an elderly parent,hospitalization may be necessary. Your healthtoo may need to be scanned. You meet up withfriends and loved ones and bask in thecomfort of familiarity. I must mention herethat all influences have many sides to them.What manifests depends on the personalhoroscope. These are mere indicators. I wishyou well. So, does Ganesha.

Cancer: You are bogged down by life. Yes, life can betough, even cruel. You want excitement inyour life. You want to do new things, live andlove large. There could be foreign travel.Some of you may even seriously consideremigration. A new breeze flows in throughthe windows left open. There are manyoptions. Use your free will and instinct tochoose the right one. Ganesha is pleased.

Leo: This is a profitable phase for creative pursuits.Those in the media are crowned with success.Your mind plays tricks, but if you use itsoffbeat aroma, miracles may happen. This is agreat chance to step out of your comfort zoneand chase new trails. You could gobackpacking to unusual locales and check outthe many wonders of the world you inhabit.You also lend a shoulder to others to lean on.People come to you with their sob stories andyou patiently hear them out.

Virgo: This period is ripe with opportunities. Makethe most of it. Like the Bard said, 'Take the tideat the flood.' There are expenses andheightened passions. Someone you meet at aparty or gatherings leaves you breathless andpanting. This may not be love and shouldn't beconfused with a normal longing of the flesh.Ask me. I know, having lived over eight decadeson this planet. This is a great period for thosein realty and stocks.

Libra: You are high on energy. You also display yourcharm and captivate one and all. You are atyour irresistible best. You dazzle. There arelove and longing and you play the field. Thereare fun times and festivities, possibly anaddition to the family. Pet lovers may bringhome an exotic creature. There could beengagements and weddings, fun, frolic andfestivities. You live in the 'now' and that is thekey. Enjoy, says Ganesha.

Scorpio: You broaden your scope of work. There arenew ventures in the offing. You sign on thedotted line. Money flows through your fingersas silky smooth as water in the desert. But it isnot money wasted. You are savvy and craftyand negotiate giant deals in your favor. Youlook through every detail with a magnifyingglass, armed with a team of legal and fiscalexperts. You cannot go wrong. There arepowerful ego drives too but remember that lifecan turn on its head in a jiffy.

Sagittarius: Expenses continue. You may purchaseexquisite works of art. You may even invest ina country home. You are in full flow, like aflamingo in flight across the blue yonder. Youractions are also tempered by kindness. Youhelp out the less fortunate and volunteer inhospices and halfway houses. The universe hassent you the message of humility. You touch allyour ventures with it, along with the sweetaroma of gratitude.

Capricorn: You are networking like there is no tomorrow.You reach out to people and places. Even eldersplay with the modern marvels ofcommunication. There are gatherings, festivetimes and travel. You may go solo just to testthe waters. You are filled with bravado and willattempt anything. You are warned that youmay get scorched by newness but that doesn'tdeter you.

Aquarius: There is more stability now, though I mustwarn you that tendencies from one periodoften spill over into the next. You get down tothe hard slog. There is work, and money to bemade and you sense the opportunities. Youmay also go in for a complete sartorialmakeover. You could also get a new hairdo andsimply transform yourself. You want toreinvent yourself and do the tango with life.The home and heart are also calling. And youare not one to shirk from responsibilities.Ganesha applauds.

Pisces: You could well be in for a new job, businessexpansion and more money and perks. On thepersonal front, you could take your love to thealtar. There could be indulgences, and a roll offat around your waist. Need I say more? Thecompatibility of partners and also the type oflife the individual will lead are judged from theplacement of stars in the horoscope. In humanbeings, this attractive force manifests as loveand beauty.

Shree Ganeshaya Namah

Bejan Daruwalla is world's most famousastrologertoday. He appears regularly onworld wide TV shows. Bejan who has been aprofessor in English, hasauthored a numberof books on astrology. India'sPrime MinisterNarendra Modi , on March 29, 2012,lunchedone of Bejan's books, '2012- End oftheWorld? Bejan contributes to a number ofjournals andnewspapers in many parts of theworld which includeBerkley Communications(London) Times of India(Delhi, Mumbai,Kolkata, Chennai) and The IndianPanorama (New York and Texas). Bejan'spredictionshave mostly been correct andpeople the world overrely on his predictions.

Bejan Daruwalla is available for astrological

consultations. He can be reached at

[email protected] and on phone

011-91-8141234275www.bejandaruwalla.com

Shravan mahina, or Sawan month, is oneof the holiest Hindu months and isdedicated to Lord Shiva in North India.

Shravan Month 2018 is from July 23 to August22.

Shravan Month is the fifth month in atraditional Hindu lunar calendar followed inNorth India. This calendar is followed mainlyin Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, MadhyaPradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana,Bihar and Chhattisgarh and other NorthIndian states. A month in these regions iscalculated from the day after Purnima or fullmoon to the next Purnima. The year in theHindi Calendar is Saka 2072.

The Mondays or Somwar in Shravan monthis dedicated to worship of Shiva. People makeit a point to visit Shiva temples on SawanMondays

Shravan Month is also the first month inthe Chatur Maas - four holy months.

Shravan Mahina, or Sawan Mas, in theHindi calendar is dedicated to Lord Shiva.Special prayers and rituals are performed inLord Shiva temples and in sacred placesassociated with Siva. Kanwarias travel to theorigin of Ganga River to collect holy water, orGangajal, to bath the Shivling at their homesor in villages. Somvar or Mondays in themonth is considered highly auspicious for theworship of Lord Shiva.

It is believed that Lord Shiva to save theworld drank the poison ‘halahala’ that cameout during the Samdura Manthan or churningof ocean. It is said that the gods in Hindupantheon assembled to witness this holy act ofShiva. Water from Ganga is offered to coolLord Shiva and to alleviate the ill effects ofthe poison.

The main Shravan Puja is the worship ofShivling with Gangajal, Bilva leaves or purewater. Some people observe fast on Mondays.Many people observe different vows duringthe month like having only vegetarian food, orreading a particular Holy Scripture on alldays of the month.

Shiva temples across North India havespecial poojas in this month. DeogharBaidhyanath Dham and Kashi VishwanathTemple is visited by millions of Hindus in themonth of Sawan.

Another unique feature is the strictobservance of Sawan Somwar Vrata.Mondays are dedicated to Lord Shiva and theMondays in Shravan Mahina are even moreauspicious.

Mangala Gouri Puja is performed onTuesdays in Shravan Month.

Saturdays in Shravan month is dedicated tothe worship of Lord Shani.

Millions of devotees visit the BabaBaidyanath Dham in Deoghar and offer Gangawater collected from Sultanganj as Abhishekon the Shivling at the Deoghar Temple. This isthe period of the Shravani mela at the temple.

Daily pujas in Marathi Shravan monthMonday – Shiva PujaTuesday – Mangala Gouri PujaWednesday – Budha PujaThursday – Brihaspati PujaFriday – Jara Jivantika PujaSaturday – Maruti PujaSunday – Aditya Puja

Why is Shravan maas given so much important?

During Shivaratri and Shravan maas, theeffect of the Jupiter on Earth is such that, it

holds the harmful gases present in theatmosphere, and allows the useful gasespresent in the ozone layer go closer to Earth’ssurface. Ozone layer which contains pureoxygen and higher prana, elevates the prana(life force) of living being with increased stateof awareness. The effect is the highest duringsunrise and sunset. Therefore, performingRudra puja during this time of the day is mostconducive.

Benefits of worshipping Shiva this holy month Lord Shiva has the power to protect us

from the ill effects of Grah or planetaryDosh, including Shani Dosh

Rudrabhishekyagya nullifies the evileffects of the planets

It bestows prosperity and blesses theperson with a child

Unmarried women worship Lord Shivawith the aim of getting a husband likehim, as Shiva is considered to be theideal of the Purush

It helps you defeat your enemies; Itbestows good physical and mentalhealth. Devotees who observe Shiva pujacan see their health improving rapidlyand are protected from ailments anddeadly diseases

Worshiping Lord Shiva can move onecloser towards salvation of the soul orMoksha after death

All your wishes are fulfilled. PerformingPuja/Abhishek can bring great wealthand prosperity to the lives of devotees.

Other Celebrations in Shravan MaasThere are so many festivals and events

observed during this month such as NagPanchami, Govatsa, ShravaniPurnima ,VaraLakshmi Vrata, Rishi Panchami,RakshaBandhan, Avani Avittam,Kalkyavatara and Putradaikadashi, eachhaving its own significance. Shravan Maas asa whole is therefore considered highlyauspicious. Here is a brief on some of thesespecial days.

AVANI AVITTAM is celebrated withimmense zeal in Orissa, Maharashtra andsouthern states of India and is also known as

Janeyu Purnima. On this occasion, Brahminsritually change their upanayana threadaccompanied by chanting 1008 Gayatri mantrajapas, vedic rituals and yagnas.

KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI is celebratedas a day when Lord Krishna was born. It iscelebrated across the world with bhajans,feasts, dance and reading of scriptures.

RAKSHA BANDHAN (also known asRakhi Purnima) is celebrated in many parts ofIndia and Nepal. The sisters tie the rakhi ontheir brothers’ wrists signifying andcelebrating the bond between brothers andsisters. Click here to read more about thisfestival.

NARALI PURNIMA (Shravan Purnima)is celebrated in Maharashtra, Gujarat andGoa. On this day an offering of coconut ismade to the sea, as a respect to Lord Varuna (the sea God). It is celebrated as the beginningof fishing season, by calming down the seaafter the monsoon season.

NAG PANCHAMI is celebrated as a daywhen Krishna defeated Kalia ( the 10 headedpoisonous snake) and saved the lives ofBrindavan. During monsoon season thesnakes come out of their holes looking forshelter and food and might harm humanbeings. On this day people offer milk and riceto the snakes, for the wellbeing of mankind.

PAVITROPANA celebrated in Gujarat, as agrand celebration of worshipping Lord Shiva.

SHRI BALADEVA BIRTHDAY iscelebrated on Shravan Purnima, as thebirthday of Krishna’s elder brother Balram.

PAVITHRA EKADASHI is celebrated inMaharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan, as thebirth of Pushtimarga, the path of grace. Onthis day, Lord Krishna appeared in front ofShri Vallabhacharya. Shri Vallabhacharyaoffered him a thread (soothan), which waspious (pavitra). Such threads are offered fromEkadashi till Raksha Bandhan.

SALONO FESTIVAL is celebrated inHaryana and Punjab, in addition to RakshaBandhan. The priests tie amulets on people’swrist as a protection against evil. The threadtied on this occassion is called ponchis.

SHRAVANI MELA is a major festivalcelebrated at Deogarh in Jharkhand.Thousands of saffron-clad pilgrims travel 100kms on foot to fetch holy water from riverGanges in Bihar and travel to BaidyanathDham (in Deogarh, Jahrkhand) to performabhishekam to Lord Shiva.

10 THINGS YOU MUST DO DURING SHRAVAN MAAS

Devotees must wake up early in themorning, take shower. One must getdressed up with clean and washedclothes and perform puja for LordGanesha and Lord Shiva with milk,sugar and rice as offerings.

The devotees’ house should be cleanbefore the start of the puja.

One can keep fast on every monday ofthis Shravan maas, by eating a singlesatvik meal during the day and lightmeal after sunset. Eating lots of fruits,milk and milk products like curd andcottage cheese is recommended duringthe fast. One should drink lots liquidand eat vegetables. One should also bemore with one’s self by being in silencewhile fasting.

After performing the Somvar vrata,soak the thread in turmeric and tie it tothe devotee’s wrist.

One should avoid or reduce rajasik dietand activities which engage our senseorgans more to the outside world ratherthan our own self.

One should have a healthier and easy todigest kind of diet during this month, asthe digestive fire is low and as a resultmost of the food gets converted to toxins.One should also drink more water.

29SPIRITUALITYTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

SHRAVAN MAAS: AUSPICIOUSMONTH OF THE SOLAR YEAR

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‘If Hindus don’t maintain Hinduism, who shall save it? If India’s ownchildren don’t cling to their faith, who shall guard it? Indian alone can

save India, and India and Hinduism are one.’

30 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018CLASSIFIEDS

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32 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018MISCELLANY

contd from page 1

Trump takes U-turn...Trump, a Republican, defeated his Democratic party rival

Hillary Clinton in the election. Trump's comments sparked abarrage of criticism from the media and lawmakers across thepolitical spectrum, with many calling on him to correcthimself.

Speaking to CBS News, Trump said he would consider Putinculpable because he was Russia's leader. "I would because he'sin charge of the country just like I consider myself to beresponsible for things that happen in this country," Trumpsaid.

"So, certainly as the leader of the country you would have tohold him responsible," he said. Facing huge criticism, Trumpquickly took a U-turn and attributed his comments at the jointpress conference with Putin to a simple mistake.

Looking forward to 2nd meeting with PutinUS President Donald Trump said on Thursday, July 19, he

looked forward to his second meeting with Russian PresidentVladimir Putin, insisting that the first meeting was a successdespite howls of criticism at home and abroad

Summit with Russia was a great success, except with thereal enemy of the people, the Fake News Media. I look forwardto our second meeting so that we can start implementing someof the many things discussed," he wrote on Twitter

Forces in US trying to derail Peace: Putin President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, July 19, accused

forces in the United States of trying to undermine the successof his first summit with US President Donald Trump, and saidthe two leaders had managed to begin to improve US-Russiaties anyway

Putin, speaking to Russian diplomats from around the worldassembled in Moscow, said on Thursday that the summit hadbeen a success overall, but complained about what hedescribed as "powerful" US efforts to sabotage it. (With inputs

from PTI)

Rs 1,484 crore...The details of Modi's foreign travel expenditure under the

three heads were shared in the Rajya Sabha by Minister ofState for External Affairs V K Singh.

According to the data, a total of Rs 1088.42 crore was spenton maintenance of the prime minister's aircraft and Rs 387.26crore on chartered flights during the period between June 15,2014 and June 10, 2018.

The total expenditure on hotline was Rs 9.12 crore.

Modi visited a total of 84 countries in 42 foreign trips sincetaking over as prime minister in May 2014.

The details provided by Singh did not include expenditureon hotline facilities during his foreign visits in financial years2017-18 and 2018-19.The cost of chartered flights for visits in2018-19 was also not included.

According to Singh's reply, the prime minister visited amaximum of 24 countries in 2015-16 followed by 19 in 2017-18and 18 nations in 2016-17.

In 2014-15, Modi had visited 13 countries with first one asprime minister to Bhutan in June 2014. In 2018, he travelled to10 countries with the last one being to China last month.

The cost for chartered flights to overseas destinations in2014-15 was Rs 93.76 crore while in 2015-16, it was Rs 117 crore.In 2016-17, the cost was Rs 76.27 crore and in 2017-18, theexpense on chartered flight was Rs 99.32 crore.

"Diplomatic outreach during this period (since May 2014)has included first ever visits from India to several countries atthe head of government level," Singh said.

He said the outreach has led to enhanced engagement ofIndia's foreign partners in its flagship programs. (Source:

PTI)

Doyen of Hindi poetry...had suffered a head injury following a fall at his house in

Agra and was undergoing treatment at a hospital there, DrRajesh Malhotra, chief of the AIIMS trauma center, said.

"He was shifted to the trauma center here last night in acritical condition. He had kidney failure, infection all over hisbody and head injury. He passed away today at around 7.30 pm,"he said.

Neeraj's family was by his side during his last hours.The poet had also written songs for Bollywood films. Neeraj

had penned several hits such as 'Ae Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo','Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya', 'Dil Aaj Shayar Hai', 'Likhe Jo KhatTujhe, among others.

He was awarded Padma Shri in 1991 and Padma Bhushan in2007. (Source: PTI)

Two Indian-origin..."It's time for a Mayor who will re-ignite the possibility,

opportunity and the confidence of the greatest city on earth.That's why I'm running to be London's Mayor," McGregor saidin reference to her bid on Wednesday.

The 55-year-old peer in the House of Lords made history asthe first Indian-origin woman to run a FTSE-250 company,Mitie Group, nearly a decade ago. She was awarded a

Commander of British Empire (CBE) honor by QueenElizabeth II in 2012 for services to business and promotingdiversity.

Ranger, a former transport adviser in the London Mayor'soffice, also made the Tory shortlist for the mayoral race heldevery four years. "I was born here, grew up, studied, haveworked in and for London. I am proud and humbled to be partof this list," he said. (Source: PTI)

Ganga in extremely bad...the work done on the

ground for Gangarejuvenation was notadequate and regularmonitoring was required toimprove the situation.

The Green panel orderedsurvey to seek views ofcommon man about what hefeels on ground about thepollution in Ganga and saidthe feedback could be giventhrough e-mail of theauthorities concerned. TheBench also comprisedJustices Jawad Rahim and RS Rathore, said.

The NGT had earlier rapped the National Mission for CleanGanga for not filing a report on the steps taken by the Centreand the UP and Uttarakhand governments to clean the river inthe stretch between Gomukh and Unnao.

The NGT had passed directions to rejuvenate Ganga,declaring 'No Development Zone' an area of 100 meters fromthe edge of the river between Haridwar and Unnao andprohibiting dumping of waste within 500 meters from it.

Ganga Action Plan Launched in two phases by then PM Rajiv Gandhi on Jan 14,

1986, to free Ganga of pollution, domestic sewage andindustrial chemical wastes. In first phase, it covered 25 townsin 3 states; in second, 59 towns in 5 states

River Basin Authority Established on February 20, 2009 by the UPA government for

ensuring effective abatement of pollution and conservation ofthe river by adopting a river basin approach

Namami Gange Mission set up by the Narendra Modi govt in 2014 to

accomplish twin objectives: abatement of pollution, riverrejuvenation

(With inputs from PTI)

FACT FILE● 2,525 km Total

length of Ganga

● 800 tanneries'dump in it

● Rs 20,000 croreto clean it from2015-2020

● Rs 7,304.64 crorespent up to March2017

LETTERS REVEAL LIGHT ON HOW NELSONMANDELA SURVIVED 27 YEARS IN PRISON

"The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela," edited by South African journalist Sahm Venter, was released thismonth and features 255 letters from Mandela - about half of which have never been seen publicly before.

LONDON (TIP): Nelson Mandela spent 27years in prison, most of them isolated onRobben Island off the coast of Cape Town,South Africa. His encounters with visitorsfrom the outside world were brief and strictlycontrolled; he spent much of his time alone,uncertain of whether he would ever emergealive.

But a new collection of Mandela's lettersfrom prison show how the freedom fighterwho would become South Africa's first blackpresident kept himself grounded andconnected to the outside world, even asapartheid leaders tried to silence him. "ThePrison Letters of Nelson Mandela," edited bySouth African journalist Sahm Venter, wasreleased this month and features 255 lettersfrom Mandela - about half of which havenever been seen publicly before.

Venter, who spent nearly a decadereviewing Mandela's letters, said in an emailto The Washington Post that the wisdomMandela displayed in his letters is"particularly relevant in the world today,which is experiencing the rise of . . . racism,sexism and xenophobia."

The book reveals the personal side of SouthAfrica's most famous man - a side Mandelawas somewhat reluctant to share publicly

after his imprisonment and before thepublication of his memoir, "Long Walk toFreedom." While in prison, Mandela missedraising his children and burying both hismother and elder son, Thembi, who was killedin a car accident in 1969. His correspondencebrings to light the efforts he made tohumanize himself to prison officials as herequested special permission to attend familyfunerals - requests that were denied. They alsooffer a lens into the pain Mandela experiencedin remaining isolated as he grieved for hisloved ones.

"The feeling of anguish & depression thathad hit me so viciously when I received thehorrible news of his death returned andbegan to gnaw away mercilessly at myinsides," he wrote to his wife, Winnie, after avisit from Thoko Mandela, his son Thembi'syoung widow, not long after the 24-year-oldwas killed.

Letters to his children also reveal howMandela tried to be an active father fromprison - often coming up short. While hisdaughters were young when he was arrested,Mandela addressed his family's difficultieshead-on and did not shy away from explainingwhere he was and what his incarcerationmeant. His letters to various family friends

expressed concern over how the children werefaring, especially after the arrest of Winnie in1969.

That year, Mandela wrote to his daughtersand acknowledged that they would now lackthe comforts they had come to expect fromtheir mother. "[F]or long you may live likeorphans," he wrote. The letter also revealedhis deep agony over Winnie's arrest and hiswillingness to share that pain with his youngchildren. "My heart bleeds as I think of hersitting in some police cell far away from home,perhaps alone and without anybody to talk to,and with nothing to read," he wrote.

In a letter to Winnie herself, he describedhow, in hearing she had been imprisoned, his"faculties seemed to have ceased functioning."Knowing she was free, he told her, was part ofthe way he was able to retain a sense offreedom and joy.

"One day we will have the privacy whichwill enable us to share the tender thoughtswhich we have kept buried in our heartsduring the past eight years," he wrote. It wasJune 1969; Winnie Mandela would spendanother 15 months or so in solitaryconfinement, and Mandela himself would notbe released from prison until 1990.

The words Mandela sent to his family

reveal remarkable patience and positivity. ButVenter said one of her most unexpecteddiscoveries was finding "detailed letters to theprison authorities in which he complainedabout conditions in prison."

In 1970, Mandela asked the commandingofficer to reconsider his refusal to providehim with four pounds of honey each month,which Mandela claimed he needed for medicalpurposes. In another he requested Pond's ColdCream for his dry skin, complaining that hewas instead given Vaseline. Many of hisletters to prison officials included requests fornew study materials - he was pursuing a lawdegree from his cell. One lengthy letter from1976 describes how he has "slept naked on acement floor that becomes damp and coldduring the rainy season" for 13 years andurgently needs pajamas, noting that whiteprisoners have always been provided pajamasand only black prisoners have not.

"He was not allowed to write about prisonconditions or other prisoners in his letters tofamily and friends," Venter said. "So it isthrough these letters that we can today learnof exactly what it was like for him and hiscomrades in prison."

(The washington Post)

33TRAVELTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018

Abeautiful emerald lake surrounded bygreen hills, quaint old cottages andmarkets , and a web of walking

tracks—there are plenty of picturesque placesto visit in Nainital. One of the most popularhill destinations in India , Nainital is also apart of the 'lake district' of the Kumaonregion of Uttarakhand , with lakes such asBhimtal , Sattal and Naukuchiatal in thevicinity. Nainital's charms include everythingfrom boating and sailing to old temples andheritage buildings, and of course, scenicviews at every other step. Here's your guide tothe hill town's most captivating spots.

NAINI LAKEThis beautiful lake lies at the heart of

Nainital, with its waters reflecting the colourof the surrounding green hills. The hillstation itself is divided into parts: Mallital,the northern side of the lake, and Tallital, thesouthern end of the lake. Boating in the lakeis a favourite tourist pastime. There arerowboats and pedal boats available at variousspots. For a more thrilling alternative, trysailing on the lake with a small yacht. TheNainital Boat House Club has facilities forrenting yachts, guided by a boatman. Apromenade circles the entire lake and is agood stretch for walking, taking in the viewsand the cool breeze from the lake.

NAINA DEVI TEMPLEPerched on the banks of Naini Lake, this

temple plays a central role in the origin mythssurrounding Nainital. It is believed that afterthe death of his wife Sati, the Hindu god Shivawas so distraught that he began a tandavadance of cosmic destruction. In order to stophim, Sati’s body was scattered all over theearth. This was the exact spot where her eyefell, creating the lake. The temple's opencourtyard also offers scenic views and coolbreeze from the lake.

RAJ BHAWANAlso known as Governor's House, this was

the official residence of the Governor ofNorth-West Province in colonial India. It isnow the residence of the UttarakhandGovernor, and is one of the few Raj Bhawansopen to the public. Built towards the end ofthe 19th century, the imposing building isspread over an area of 220 acres. Its Gothic-style architecture was inspired by theBuckingham Palace.

The two-storey mansion contains around113 rooms, but visitors are only allowed in itsvast lawns and in the 18-hole golf coursewithin its premises. Constructed by theBritish in 1924, the golf course is set around ascenic forest , and is home to several rarespecies of flora and fauna. Visitors can play agame of golf for a small fee or lounge in itsclubhouse and restaurants.

GURNEY HOUSELocated on Ayarpatta Hill, this beautiful

cottage was the former residence of Britishhunter, conservationist, and beloved writerJim Corbett. This British-style building wasbuilt in the 19th century by the Corbett family.Jim Corbett lived here with his sisterMargaret between 1920 and 1947, followingwhich, they left for Kenya. During his timehere, Corbett famously hunted man-eatingtigers in the Kumaon region, and pennedseveral books based on his experiences. Thehouse has been carefully preserved, and still

has Corbett’s possessions, including histrophies, furniture, books, and boat. It is nowa private property, but informal tours can bearranged by contacting the owners via phoneor email.

GOVIND BALLABH PANT ZOOHome to a variety of endangered animals

and a wide variety of flora, the Pt. GB PantHigh Altitude Zoo is the perfect way to explorethe mountain wildlife. Lay your eyes on rarespecies of animals such as the KhaleejPheasant, Siberian Tiger, Snow Leopard, GoatAntelope-Ghooral and Serao, among severalothers. If you are an avid bird lover, you willbe more than happy to hear that this zoo ishome to several high altitude birds like theGolden Pheasant, Rose Ringed Parakeet, RedJungle fowl and Lady Amherst Pheasant.Most of these are kept according to theirnatural habitat, ensuring that they feel rightat home. The zoo was founded in the year 1984

but it was opened to visitors in 1995.

TIFFIN TOPThe panoramic beauty of soft white clouds,

rocky peaks, emerald jungles, and greenverdant valleys from Tiffin Top can not be putinto words. The place is only about 4 km fromthe heart of Nainital and makes for awonderful trek. Alternately, you may go thereon horseback.

Tiffin Top is also known as Dorothy’s seatas it was built in the memory of an Englishartist name Dorothy Kellet by her family. Withso much to offer, no wonder, the place is adelight for dozens of artists, photographers,and nature enthusiasts.

SNOW VIEWWith a towering height of 2,270 metres, this

hilltop is an old tourist favourite for itsbeautiful views of the surrounding hills.Situated at a distance of 2.5 kilometres from

the town, it is easily accessible by an aerialropeway, which connects Snow View pointwith Mallital in Nainital. There's anamusement park with bumper car ride forkids, and stalls offering tea and snacks. Youcan also trek from here to Naina Peak orChina Peak, which is the highest peak inNainital and also offers stunning views ofsnow-clad Himalayas.

ARYABHATTA RESEARCHINSTITUTE

This astronomical observatory is located onthe Manora peak, and is the perfect place toindulge in star-gazing. The observatory hasfacilities for viewing celestial bodies on clearnights between 7 pm and 9 pm, through itshigh-powered telescopes. The institute wasestablished in 1955, and is a major centre forastrophysical research. To book a visit, callthe observatory or make a reservationthrough their website.

NAINITAL: THE LAKE DISTRICTOF UTTARAKHAND

HOW TO REACH Kathgodham Railway Station, located

around 34 km away, is the nearest railheadto Nainital.

Plenty of trains connect Nainital withDelhi and Dehradun.

Passengers coming from Kolkata,Lucknow, Agra and Mathura, can even takea train till Kathgodam and then hire aprivate cab or shared taxi for Nainital.

One who is inquiring about how toreach Nainital has also option of flight. Thenearest Domestic Airport from Nainital isPantnagar Airport, Pantnagar, roughly onehour drive from the city. It is well connectedto New Delhi and Mumbai via Jet Airways,Air India and Spice Jet. The nearestInternational Airport is Indira GandhiInternational Airport, Delhi, roughly fivehour drive from Nainital.

34 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018 SPORTS

End Croatian dream run, bring home trophy after 20 yearsFRANCE WIN FIFA WORLD CUP

MOSCOW (TIP): France won the WorldCup for the second time by ending battlingCroatia's dream of a first title with a 4-2victory on July 15 in one of the mostentertaining and action-packed finals fordecades.

France led 2-1 at halftime after a MarioMandzukic own goal and an AntoineGriezmann VAR penalty, with Ivan Perisicbriefly bringing first-time finalists Croatialevel.

Quickfire strikes by Paul Pogba andKylian Mbappe midway through the secondhalf put France on course for the title butMandzukic was gifted a goal by Frenchkeeper Hugo Lloris to set up a nervous last 20minutes.

France, however, withstood a spiritedCroatia assault to lift the trophy for thesecond time, following their success on homesoil 20 years ago, and ensure there was norepeat of two years ago when they werebeaten in the European Championship finalby Portugal in Paris.

The victory means that Didier Deschamps,captain of the 1998 side, becomes the thirdman to win the World Cup as player andcoach after Brazil's Mario Zagallo andGermany's Franz Beckenbauer.

It was the highest-scoring final sinceEngland beat West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in 1966 and the highest in normal timesince Brazil beat Sweden 5-2, 60 years ago.The landmarks came thick and fast in thefirst half too.

Croatia had started full of energy but fellbehind when Mandzukic, who scored theextra-time winner against England in thesemi-final, became the first man to score anown goal in a World Cup final when aGriezmann free kick skidded in off his headin the 18th minute. It was the 12th own goalof the tournament.

That meant it was the fourth successiveknockout game that Croatia had concededfirst but Perisic, who got the equaliseragainst England, was on hand again to level

the scores 10 minutes later, smashing in alow shot after Sime Vrsaljko had headedLuka Modric's free kick across the box.

But it was then Perisic's turn go from heroto zero when he flapped an arm at a cornerand, after a VAR review, Argentine refereeNestor Pitana awarded the 28th penalty ofthe tournament, another record, whichGriezmann stroked home in the 38th minutefor his fourth goal of Russia 2018.

That made it the highest-scoring first halfsince 1974, when West Germany led theNetherlands 2-1 -- also the final score then. Itwas harsh on Croatia, who had made most of

the running, and they were on top againafter the break, continually winning theirone-on-one duels in the air and in everytackle and forging forward in the French boxwith plenty of variety.

But France's defence, so impressive alltournament, held and they went 3-1 up on thehour as Mbappe and Griezmann combined toset up Pogba on the edge of the box. Hisright-footed shot was blocked but he coollycurved the rebound in with his left.

After three successive extra-timeknockout games the chances of anotherCroatian comeback seemed slight but they

looked dead and buried six minutes later.Lucas Hernandez tore down the left to set upMbappe who drilled a low shot beyondkeeper Danijel Subasic for the 19-year-old'sfourth goal of the tournament.

An awful blunder by Lloris revivedCroatia, as the French keeper tried to dribblearound Mandzukic only for the striker to tapthe ball straight into an unguarded net.

Croatia, beaten by the French in the semi-finals in their first World Cup appearance in1998, continued to press but their energy wassapped and France safely held out for thevictory. Source: Reuters

France players celebrate after winning the world cup.

England beat India to win third ODI and seriesHEADINGLEY (TIP): To the utter disbelief

of their army of supporters who had throngedHeadingley in anticipation of a grand finale,India produced a limp show on the mostimportant day of the limited-overs leg of theirtour as they were outperformed by England inall departments in the third and final ODI onJuly 16.

Having conceded the psychological edge toEngland at Lord’s, the visitors lost the plot inthe series decider on Tuesday as the rampagingEngland outplayed Virat Kohli’s men by eightwickets to clinch the ODI series 2-1.

After restricting India to a below par 256/8,Joe Root (100 no) and captain Eoin Morgan (88no) lead the chase with authority.

It was abject surrender as the Men in Blueput up an abysmal batting show and wereequally listless on the field. They failed to makeany impact on England with the ball and thegame was over as a contest in the first 10 oversof the second half.

India were 32/1 after the first powerplayperiod; England had raced to 78/2 in 10 overs.

It undid the psychological advantage Indiahad gained by dominating the early exchangesas England ticked all boxes in preparation forthe 2019 World Cup.

The India pace bowlers only needed to keep

it tight for the spinners to try and buildpressure. But by the time the spinners got intothe attack, England had reached 74/1 in nineovers. It left them with simply too much to do.It was pedestrian stuff from India’s new ballbowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik

Pandya. There was no movement in the air andnothing off the pitch. They were wayward aswell. It was a complete performance byEngland. They won the battle with dangermanKuldeep Yadav as well. To his luck, Root was atthe crease when he came to bowl and the

England Test captain, who hit 113 at Lord’scontinued from where he had left, workingaround Kuldeep’s bowling. The chinamanbowler’s first spell read 4-0-23-0 before hefinished wicketless, going for 55 runs in 10overs.

England elected to bowl and their bowlersput up a strong showing to pin down India’spowerful batting. After playing on sun-kissedgrounds, India faced tough English conditionson Tuesday. Shikhar Dhawan (44 runs), ViratKohli (71), Dinesh Karthik (21), MahendraSingh Dhoni (42) and Hardik Pandya (21) all gotstarts but couldn’t capitalise.

Mark Wood and David Willey bowled wellwith the new ball, but the men who made thedifference were spinners Adil Rashid andMoeen Ali.

Leggie Rashid made the biggest splash. In adream spell of 10-0-49-3, he put England on topin the decisive game. It was his double strike inthe 31st over that knocked the wind out ofIndia’s sails. Rashid produced the ball of theseries to knock Kohli’s off-stump, with adelivery which pitched outside leg and turnedacross to the disbelief of the India captain.Raina fell on the last ball of the over, turning aleg spinner into the hands of the leg-slipfielder.

Joe Root during the 3rd ODI against India in Headingley.



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