UK is facing an economically toxic combination of recession and rising interest rates. Critics blame the economic downturn on the Conservative Party and what they call its “series of miscalculations”.
Rishi Sunak is the next Prime Minister of UK, tasked to steer the economically floundering nation days after his predecessor Liz Truss stepped down, conceding defeat. At age 42, he is the youngest and the first person of colour to hold the post.
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Modi also offered prayers to Ram Lalla at Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya. This is Modi’s first visit to Ayodhya after a “bhoomi pujan” for the construction of a Ram temple on August 5, 2020.
Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya set a new Guinness World Record for lighting the maximum number of earthen lamps – over 15 lakh- on the banks of the Saryu as Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the historic Deepotsav celebrations on Sunday, on the eve of the festival of Diwali.
Modi and chief minister Adityanath displayed the Guinness Record certificate on the occasion.
Beginning his speech with ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Modi addressed a gathering on the occasion of Deepotsav. “From the holy birthplace of Lord Ram, I pass on Diwali wishes to my countrymen,” Modi said.
Modi also said people have to learn as much as they can from Lord Ram.
“Lord Ram doesn’t leave anyone behind, doesn’t turn away from anyone,” Modi said.
Earlier, Modi offered prayers to Ram Lalla at Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya. This is Modi’s first visit to Ayodhya after a “bhoomi pujan” for the construction of a Ram temple on August 5, 2020.
“I got the opportunity of Lord Ram’s darshan due to his blessings; happy that people across the world watching Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya,” Modi said.
Immediately after reaching Ayodhya for the Deepotsav celebrations, the PM went to the makeshift Ram temple and offered prayers to Ram Lalla. He lit an earthen lamp there and performed an “aarti”. Temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das applied vermillion on his forehead.
Modi was also briefed by officials on the construction going on for a grand Ram temple at the site. Modi also performed the Rajyabhishek of the symbolic Bhagwan Ram in Ayodhya.
“Shri Ram Lalla’s ‘Darshan’ and then ‘Rajyabhishek’ of King Ram, this good fortune is obtained only by the grace of Lord Ram. This Deepawali has come at a time when we have completed 75 years of independence. ‘Sankalp Shakti’ of Lord Ram will take India to new heights,” the PM added.
Earlier, Modi was welcomed by governor Anandiben Patel and chief minister Yogi Adityanath. He attended the Deepotsav celebrations.
Ayodhya divisional commissioner Navdeep Rinwa had earlier said more than 15 lakh earthen lamps will be lit as part of the Deepotsav celebrations by over 22,000 volunteers at Ram ki Paidi near the Saryu bank. The rest will be placed at important intersections and spots in the town.
Five animated tableaux and 11 Ramlila tableaux showcasing dance forms from different states will also be presented during the Deepotsav.
“Deepotsav of Ayodhya started 6 years ago with the guidance and inspiration of PM Narendra Modi. This festival of UP became a festival of the country. Today, it is touching new heights of success,” Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on the occasion.
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India has increased its impact of humanitarian assistance globally by providing aid to countries that need it, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “From India’s donations of medicines, medical equipment and vaccines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to humanitarian assistance and development finance to Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, India has been increasing its impact on the international stage. India is today a partner of choice of the UN,’’ said Guterres while addressing students while giving an address in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai.
complimented India for stepping up its efforts to supply vaccines to many countries during the peak of Covid 19. Meanwhile, Guterres complimented India as being the biggest contributor in UN Peacekeeping.
“India is also the biggest provider of military and police personnel to UN missions, including the first all-women UN police contingent to a peacekeeping mission. Over 200,000 Indian men and women have served in 49 peacekeeping missions since 1948, a remarkable contribution to peace in the world,’’ he added.
He also said that as a member of the UNSC for two years, India’s contributed significantly to promoting multilateral solutions and addressing crises. “India was a founding member of the United Nations. The drafters of the UN Charter took great inspiration from Gandhiji’s message of peace, non-violence, and tolerance,’’ he added.
Earlier, UN Chief paid tributes to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. “Terror is absolute evil. There are no reasons, no pretext, no causes, and no grievances that can justify terrorism. terrorism is absolute evil. It has no room in today’s world,” Guterres added.
“I feel deeply moved to be here where barbaric terrorist acts took place where that led to the loss of 166 lives. I want to pay tribute to the victims they are heroes of all world and I want to express my deepest condolences to their families, to their friends, to the people of India, and to all those that are coming from other parts of the world that have lost their lives in Mumbai,” he said. He also said that “fighting terrorism must be a global priority for every country on earth and fighting terrorism is a central priority for the UN”.
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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said it is an honour for him to receive the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award and he looks forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.
Nadella, who plans to visit India next January, formally received the award for distinguished service, from India’s Consul General in San Francisco, Dr T.V Nagendra Prasad, last week.
The 55-year-old CEO of Microsoft was named one of 17 awardees earlier this year. On receiving the award, Nadella said: It’s an honour to receive a Padma Bhushan Award and to be recognised by so many extraordinary people.
“I’m thankful to the President, Prime Minister, and people of India, and look forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.”
During the meeting, Nadella discussed with Prasad the critical role digital technology plays in empowering inclusive growth in India.
The discussion focused on India’s growth trajectory and the country’s potential to be a global political and technology leader, according to Microsoft.
” We are living in a period of historic economic, societal and technological change,” said Nadella following his meeting with Dr Prasad.
” The next decade will be defined by digital technology. Indian industries and organisations of every size are turning to technology to help them do more with less, which will ultimately lead to greater innovation, agility and resilience,” Nadella said.
Hyderabad-born Nadella was named CEO of Microsoft in February 2014.
In June 2021 he was also named the company’s Chairman, an additional role in which he will lead the work to set the agenda for the board.
The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service).
The award seeks to recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.
The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
Nadella plans to visit India in January 2023, his first visit to the country in nearly three years, Microsoft said.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday launched Mission LiFE, a global plan of action aimed at saving the planet from the disastrous consequences of climate change.
The launch comes ahead of next month’s mega UN climate meet in Egypt.
The action plan – a list of ideas on lifestyle changes that can be taken up as climate-friendly behaviour – along with the logo and tagline for Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) were jointly launched by Modi and Guterres.
Modi said Mission LiFE will strengthen the concept of a pro-people planet, adding it aims at following a three-pronged strategy for changing people’s collective approach towards sustainability.
This includes nudging individuals to practice simple yet effective environment-friendly actions in their daily lives (demand), enabling industries and markets to respond swiftly to the changing demand (supply), and to influence government and industrial policy to support both sustainable consumption and production (policy).
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PONTEVEDRA: Sajan Bhanwala became the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to win a medal at the Under-23 World Championship when he edged past Ukraine’s Dmytro Vasetskyi on ‘criteria’ to emerge winner in the bronze play-off, here.
It was the Ukrainian who pulled off a four-pointer on the edge of the circle for a solid start but Bhanwala bounced back immediately with a strong move that got him into a position from where he could pin his rival.
Though he could not pin his rival, it was good enough to earn four points. Bhanwala lost two more points and got into defensive mode.
For staying passive, Bhanwala put on a ‘Par Terre’ position, something Indian wrestlers are very poor at defending and the Ukrainian pulled off another four-pointer from the ground position for a handsome 10-4 lead.
Bhanwala scored two points with a take-down move and with 35 seconds left in the bout, managed to push his rival on the back to level the scores.
The bout ended at 10-10 but since the Indian had scored the last point he was declared winner on criteria.
Bhanwala had begun with a 3-0 win over Lithuania’s Aistis Liaugminas but lost his pre-quarterfinal bout to Moldova’s Alexandrin Gutu.
As Gutu made the final, Bhanwala bounced back into medal contention via the repechage route and he made full use of that with a 9-6 win over Kazakhstan’s Rassul Zhunis.
Meanwhile, Vikas will fight for a bronze in the 72kg after losing his semifinal by technical superiority to Croatia’s Pavel Puklavec.
He will be up against the winner of the repechage contest between Georgios Theodoros Sotiriadis and Jpana’s Daigo Kobayashi.
Before losing his semifinal clash, Vikas beat Kyrgyzstan’s Adilkhan Nurlanbekov and home team rival Marcos Sanchez Silva Mejias by technical superiority, losing just one point across bouts.
In the 60kg category, Sumit got back to medal reckoning when he made the repechage round. He will be up against Kazakhastan’s Olzhas Sultan.
In the 67kg competition, Ashu bowed out after losing his qualification bout by technical superiority to Georgia’s Diego Chkhikvadze.
Six Greco-Roman wrestlers travelled to the Spanish city for the championship along with two women and one free-style wrestler while visas of 21 other Indians were rejected by the Embassy of Spain.
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India maintained their dominance in the Women’s Asia Cup with an eight-wicket demolition of a self-destructing Sri Lanka in the final here on Saturday for their seventh title in eight editions.
Sri Lanka, who were playing their first tournament final in 14 years, imploded after opting to bat on a slow and turning pitch.
They could only manage 65 for nine which India knocked off in 8.3 overs. Smriti Mandhana struck a sublime 51 not out off 25 balls.
It was a procession after Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu got run out in the third over following a mix-up with Anushka Sanjeewani who too got run out six balls later.
Renuka, who has been in top form since the Commonwealth Games in August, sent back Hasini Perera on the very first ball she faced. The left-hander checked her shot only to be caught at cover, leaving Sri Lanka at nine for four.
The Sri Lankans were in dire need of a partnership but Kavisha Dilhari’s fall made it 16 for five as she was bowled while trying to play an incoming delivery from Renuka across the line.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad got her first wicket after Nilakshi de Silva played onto her stumps while trying to cut a ball close to her body.
At 32 for eight, being bowled out for a sub-50 total was very much on the cards, but Ranaweera saved them from that ignominy with an unbeaten 18 off 22 balls.
The Indians bowled with discipline but poor shot selection contributed more to Sri Lanka’s steep slide. After a memorable win over Pakistan in the semifinals, it seemed the occasion got the better of Sri Lanka. India lost Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues cheaply in the run chase.
However, both the batters did well in the tournament, with Shafali getting back to form and Jemimah making a successful comeback from injury.
The elegant Mandhana played some exquisite strokes on way to completing the formality alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (11 not out of 14).
Smriti’s effort included three sixes and six boundaries. Fittingly, she sealed the win with a maximum off Oshadi Ranasinghe. The win is a shot in the arm for India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup next year.
They were able to test players for different roles during the competition, though that also contributed to their only loss in the tournament, against Pakistan in the league stage.
The Indians took a lap of the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium and, in a fine gesture, got clicked with the entire ground staff after their triumph, which was witnessed by a sizeable turnout.
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Payal Khatri and Sahil Dudhane won India’s fourth bronze of the championships in the same event, defeating Ane Torgersen and Hans Noestvold of Norway 16-14 in a close encounter.
Indian men’s 10m air rifle troika of Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Kiran Ankush Jadhav and Arjun Babuta won the country’s fifth gold medal in the ISSF World Championship, routing China 16-10 in the title round.
It was also Patil’s second senior world championship gold in his very first outing, having won the individual 10m air rifle event earlier. India also picked up a silver and two bronze medals on the day to take their tally to five gold, one silver and five bronze, to maintain their second place behind China in the standings. With the women’s 10m air pistol team also making the gold medal match, that tally is certain to go up further by the end of the tournament.
The Indian team raced ahead 14-2 in the final against a Chinese side which had Yang Haoran (double Olympic gold medallist and two-time world champion), Lihao Sheng (Tokyo Olympics silver medallist) and Song Buhan (world championship silver medallist). China mounted a strong comeback to win the next four series and narrow the gap to 14-10, but the Indians held their own in the final series to clinch the crown. Both the teams were at each other from Saturday itself when the Chinese prevailed over the Indians, both in round one of qualification of 28 teams and then in the top eight second round as well.
In round one, China edged India by 0.4, while 0.9 was the difference in round two. In the match that mattered the most, however, it was the Indians who finally stamped their supremacy over the Chinese in men’s air rifles in this world championship edition at least, winning both the individual and team titles. The air rifle women, who had a heartbreak in the individual event, redeemed themselves with a bronze in the team event, prevailing 17-11 in a nail-biter against Germany.
Meghana Sajjanar shot two consecutive 10.9s in the crucial stages to clinch the deal along with partners Elavenil Valarivan and Mehuli Ghosh. They had earlier finished third in qualification stage two to miss out on the gold match by 0.6 points. In stage one, they had shot 947.0 to finish second, a mere 0.1 behind China, among 30 teams. Manvi Jain and Sameer won India’s first silver of the championships, going down to China’s Feng Sixuan and Liu Yangpan 17-03 in the gold medal match of the 25m standard pistols mixed team junior competition.
They had come second in stage one of qualification with a score of 564 and then topped stage two with a combined effort of 378 to make it to the title decider. Payal Khatri and Sahil Dudhane won India’s fourth bronze of the championships in the same event, defeating Ane Torgersen and Hans Noestvold of Norway 16-14 in a close encounter. The pair had finished third in stage one with 563 and then third again in stage two with 368, to qualify for the bronze match. In the men’s 10m air pistol team competition, the Indian trio of Shiva Narwal, Naveen and Vijayveer Sidhu shot 580 in qualification stage two to finish fifth eventually.
Also, in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team Junior event, India’s Nishchal, Nikita Kundu and Nupur Kumrawat ended 10th in qualification with a score of 1278
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Inaugurated this past weekend, the museum has artefacts and digital display screens that are interactive and visitors will be able to interactively see the life events of the apostle of peace.
A museum dedicated to the life and message of Mahatma Gandhi has opened in the Atlantic City of the United States.
Inaugurated this past weekend, the museum has artefacts and digital display screens that are interactive and visitors will be able to interactively see the life events of the apostle of peace.
The event was attended by eminent Indian American community members and India’s Consul General in New York Randhir Jaiswal.
Developed in partnership with the Aditya Birla Group by the New Jersey-based Gandhian Society, it is the first museum dedicated to the “father of the nation” in the USA.
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Indian-American author Sarah Thankam Mathews is among the finalists for the 2022 National Book Awards, which will be announced on November 16 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
Mathews’ debut novel ‘All This Could Be Different’, is listed in the fiction category and tells the story of a young queer immigrant who creates a community for herself while grappling with the oppressive demands of capitalism.
“I simply will never be over this,” Mathews tweeted after her name was announced by The New York Times earlier this week.
Mathews grew up between Oman and India, and moved to the US at seventeen. Her work has been published in places including AGNI, SSENSE, and Best American Short Stories.
She was a 2020 Margins Fellow at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and the recipient of a Rona Jaffe fellowship at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
“Sarah Thankam Mathews has written one of the buzziest, and most human, books of the year,” the Vogue said.
“…an extraordinary novel, spiny and delicate, scathingly funny and wildly moving. Sarah Thankam Mathews is a brilliant writer, one whose every ringing sentence holds both bite and heart,” Lauren Groff, author of Matrix, said.
A total of 25 finalists will be contending for the awards. Publishers submitted a total of 1,772 books for this year’s National Book Awards: 463 in fiction, 607 in non-fiction, 260 in poetry, 146 in translated literature, and 296 in young people’s literature.
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