AUSTRIA: INDIA BAGS 18 MEDALS
India’s special athletes continue to make India proud by winning 18 medals so far in the ongoing 2017 Olympics World Winter Games in Austria. The medal tally includes six gold, four silver and eight bronze. The team of 89 differently-abled sports persons of the Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) is participating in the competition. Over 2,600 athletes from 105 nations are taking part in the event.
India’s gold came on the third day, yesterday from six special athletes for ‘Alpine skiing’ and ‘snowboarding’. Shamsher Singh won a silver for the country on the first day. 24 year old Singh bagged a silver medal at snow shoeing- form of hiking in the snow with special foot wear-100m race on Sunday. 16-year old Jyoti Bala grabbed bronze medal for the same sport on Monday.
MARK RUTTE THE ULTIMATE CHOICE
Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s comfortable victory over far-right firebrand Geert Wilders was officially confirmed by the Dutch Electoral Council on Tuesday.
Rutte’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, the VVD, won 33 seats in the national parliament out of a total of 150.
Dutch Electoral Council has announced the official results of the parliamentary elections, which turned out to be very close to the preliminary polling predictions and confirmed the victory of the Netherlands’ ruling People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
The VVD, the party of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, secured an electoral victory by gaining 33 seats in the Dutch parliament’s lower house out of 150 and becoming the largest parliamentary faction, according to the data presented by the Dutch Electoral Council.
Wilders’ Freedom Party, the PVV, won 20 seats, one more than the mainstream Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and Democrats 66 (D66) parties Wilder’s calling for Islamic schools to be closed and the Quran and burqa to be banned. PVDA (Labor) party, which had previously been in government with Rutte’s VVD, plunged from 38 seats to nine.
Dutch Electoral Council, the turnout in these parliamentary elections, which were held on March 15 amid an escalating spat with Turkey, was 81.9 percent – the highest since 1986. A total of 13 parties are represented in the parliament – the highest number since 1972.
Wilders conceded defeat to Rutte late on March 15, soon after the preliminary voting results were announced, and said he would like to be invited to coalition negotiations. The formal negotiations about a government coalition are expected to start after the new parliament convenes on March 23.
HOLLYWOOD CALLS PRIYANKA CHOPRA THEIR MOST BANKABLE BADASS !
The April cover of Marie Claire International pays tribute to the rebels, risktakers and power players and their unwavering renegade style. And who better than our very own Priyanka Chopra to represent that as she persistently proves that there is truly nothing she can’t do !
Referring to her as “Hollywood’s Most Bankable Badass” , Marie Claire features global icon Priyanka Chopra on the cover dressed in a fiery,fierce red ensemble.
From presenting at the Oscars and the Emmy’s, to being named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine , the country’s highest paid actress with her talent,passion and drive truly exemplified what it meant to be a go-getter .
The two-time People’s Choice award winner, has featured on 17 international covers including Emmy, Elle, Time, Instyle, Flare, Flaunt and Women’s Weekly among others and was also part of VarietyMagazine’s IMPACT list, that featured LA’s most influential and impactful women of 2016.
The superstar is now all set to turn on the heat, as the villianess in Baywatch ,also starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, as millions of her fans across the world wait with baited breath.
As the film is all set to release worldwide this year ,Marie Claire International now touting her as Hollywood’s Most Bankable Badass, holds testimony to how our very own Desi Girl has wowed the Wild Wild West.
It was only last year that Dwayne Johnson aka “The Rock” welcomed Priyanka Chopra to the Baywatch family ,calling her “insanely talented” , “relentlessly smoking” and “extremely dangerous”.
Referring to her as one of the biggest stars in the world, the Hollywood star welcomed Priyanka to the badass dysfunctional Baywatch family.
CHIKKA, CHIRAGH CALL THE SHOTS IN ROUND ONE OF KOLKATA CLASSIC
Chawrasia makes a steady start
Kolkata, March 21, 2017: Established names and former PGTI Order of Merit champions Chikkarangappa and Chiragh Kumar called the shots in round one of the Kolkata Classic 2017 with matching scores of four-under-68 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC).
While Bengaluru-based Chikka regained his putting form on Tuesday, Delhi’s Chiragh Kumar continued to impress following a creditable top-25 at the recently concluded Indian Open.
The Mhow-based duo of Mukesh Kumar and Om Prakash Chouhan, Chandigarh’s Feroz Singh Garewal and Delhi’s Ikramuddin Shah were bunched together in tied third at three-under-69.
The tournament’s star attraction, SSP Chawrasia of Kolkata, returning to his home course after his second consecutive Indian Open win, made a steady start with a one-under-71 to lie tied 18th.
Chikkarangappa, the 2015 PGTI Order of Merit champion, reaped the rewards of going back to the putter that was part of his golfing arsenal for 11 years and contributed to his tremendous success at the junior, amateur and professional levels. The brief spell in between when the two-time Asian Development Tour (ADT) winner tried out several different putters hadn’t been very fruitful.
Chikka started the week in style with three birdies on the first four holes but then had a torrid time from the fifth to the eighth, dropping four consecutive bogeys as a result of some erratic hitting.
After being level-par through 14 holes, the 23-year-old produced a final flourish which began with a 75-feet eagle conversion on the 15th. He signed off with two more long birdie conversions on the 17th and 18th.
“I think I’ve putted so well after almost a year. I missed some short ones on the front-nine but it was a different story on the back-nine where I kept draining it from long range,” said Chikka, who mixed an eagle and seven birdies with five bogeys.
He added, “I was trying out new things and kept changing my putter over the last one year. But that didn’t help. So, two weeks back, during the Indian Open, I went back to the putter that won me most of my titles since the junior level.
“Now, I feel much more confident on the greens. As the putter is perfectly in sync with my routine, I don’t think too much and just make my stroke. This thing was missing in my game over the last one year.
“I’m now looking to post a top finish here at the RCGC, the venue where I won the PGTI year-ending championship in 2015. That would also help me get my Asian Tour season back on track since I missed cut in four consecutive events on the tour before the Indian Open.”
Chiragh Kumar, fresh from an impressive tied 22nd finish at the Indian Open, continued the good work with a solid start to the Kolkata Classic week. Chiragh, one-over through the front-nine, kick-started his round with a 45-feet birdie conversion on the 10th. From there on, he went on to add an eagle and three birdies at the cost of just one bogey.
Chiragh, the 2012 PGTI Order of Merit champion, said, “My second shot from over 200 yards that landed within five feet and resulted in an eagle on the 15th was the highlight of the day.
“I’ve enjoyed a good start to the Asian Tour season with a top-5 in Bangladesh and another decent result at the Indian Open. I’m playing well and have been consistent of late. Hitting and putting, it all came together today,” added Chiragh, a tournament winner on the Asian Tour.
SSP Chawrasia sank three birdies against two bogeys on day one to occupy tied 18th place at one-under-71.
Chawrasia said, “An under-par round here at RCGC is always a good start. There’s a lot of golf yet to be played this week and being three off the lead in round one is not too bad.
“I feel the one week break from golf after the Indian Open has done me a lot of good. It was necessary for me to recharge my battery, so that I could get rid of the physical and mental fatigue after such a demanding week at the DLF Golf & Country Club. I feel, I’m now back in the competitive zone.”
Kolkata-based rookie Viraj Madappa, playing his first professional event in his home town, shot a 79 to be placed tied 101st.
600 MILLION CHILDREN TO BE IN WATER SCARCE IN 2040
Nearly 600 million children will live in areas with extremely limited water resources by 2040 -UNICEF
Poorest children will be most affected as climate change worsens
An ongoing water crisis
Photos and video are available for download here: http://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AMZIFDMEO9
New Delhi, 22 March 2017 –Some 600 million children – or 1 in 4 children worldwide – will be living in areas with extremely limited water resources by 2040, according to a UNICEF report released on World Water Day.
The report, Thirsting for a Future: Water and children in a changing climate, looks at the threats to children’s lives and wellbeing caused by depleted sources of safe water and the ways climate change will intensify these risks in coming years.
“Water is elemental; without it, nothing can grow. But around the world, millions of children lack access to safe water — endangering their lives, undermining their health, and jeopardizing their futures. This crisis will only grow unless we take collective action now,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.
According to the report, 36 countries are currently facing extremely high levels of water stress, which occurs when demand for water far exceeds the renewable supply available. Warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, increased floods, droughts and melting ice affect the quality and availability of water as well as sanitation systems.
Population growth, increased water consumption, and higher demand for water largely due to industrialization and urbanization are draining water resources worldwide. Conflicts in many parts of the world also threaten children’s access to safe water. In India, around two thirds of the rural districts are affected by extreme water depletion: the water table in these districts has decreased by four meters in the past 20 years[1].
All of these factors force children to use unsafe water, which exposes them to potentially deadly diseases like cholera and diarrhoea. Many children in drought-affected areas, particularly girls, spend hours every day collecting water, missing out on a chance to go to school. Girls are especially vulnerable during these times.
The poorest and most vulnerable children will be most impacted by an increase in water stress, the report says, as millions of them already live in areas with low access to safe water and sanitation.
The report also notes that:
- Up to 663 million people globally do not have access to adequate water sources and 946 million people practice open defecation.
- Globally, women and girls spend 200 million hours collecting water every day.
The impact of climate change on water sources is not inevitable, UNICEF says. The report concludes with a series of recommendations that can help curb the impact of climate change on the lives of children. Such measures include:
- Governments need to plan for changes in water availability and demand in the coming years; Above all, it means prioritizing the most vulnerable children’s access to safe water above other water needs to maximize social and health outcomes.
- Climate risks should be integrated into all water and sanitation-related policies and services, and investments should to target high-risk populations.
- Businesses need to work with communities to prevent contamination and depletion of safe water sources.
- Communities themselves should explore ways to diversify water sources and to increase their capacity to store water safely.
“In a changing climate, we must change the way we work to reach those who are most vulnerable. One of the most effective ways we can do that is safeguarding their access to safe water,” Lake said.
###
Notes to Editors:
Thirsting for a Future: Water and children in a dangerous climate is the third in a series of reports issued by UNICEF on the impact of climate change on and its effect on the lives of children. The reports include recommendations for how to minimize these impacts and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on climate action. The other reports are Clear the Air for Children and Unless We Act Now.
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
CII NORTH REGION: ANNUAL REGIONAL MEETING AT THE LALIT NEW DELHI
SMURFS SPREAD HAPPINESS ON THE SETS OF GOLMAAL AGAIN
The adorable characters- The Smurfs have been the first movie characters to be declared as the brand ambassadors of Happiness by the UN and all for good reason. They are the most cheerful film characters that have been brought to life by Sony Pictures Entertainment, India.
On International Happiness Day, to spread their joy, the Smurfs visited the sets of Golmaal Again to share some joy and smiles with our own Indian ambassadors of happiness of Bollywood- Team Golmaal! The Smurfs decided to bestow the Golmaal team as the Happiest in Bollywood and exclusively met the people behind the film!
The cast and crew of Golmaal Again, i.e Ajay Devgn, Director Rohit Shetty, Parineeti Chopra, Arshad Warsi, Kunal Khemmu and Tusshar Kapoor were pleasantly surprised and extremely excited to meet the most loved characters- Brainy Smurf and Smurfette. It was a sight to see everyone laugh and enjoy with the characters.
Smurfs-The Lost Village is all set to release on 21st April, 2017.
CRICKETER YUVRAJ SINGH’S SPORTS LIFESTYLE BRAND YWC AS A PARTNER FOR JABONG
Jabong invites you
to cover the brand launch of
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s sports lifestyle brand YWC as a partner for Jabong
by
YUVRAJ SINGH, Indian international cricketer and CEO, YWC
Gunjan Soni, Head, Jabong
Rahul Taneja, Chief Business Officer, Jabong
on
FRIDAY, 24 MARCH, 2017
4:00 PM onwards at
CSH-CPR URBAN WORKSHOP 28 MARCH_AURÉLIE VARREL
Dear All,
As part of our Urban Workshop Series, the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and Centre de Sciences Humaines (CSH), Delhi, are delighted to invite you to a workshop on The Metropolis and the Diaspora: Bangalore Property Market through the Transnational Lens by Aurélie Varrel, CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research), currently secunded to French Institute of Pondicherry.
Date: Tuesday, 28th March 2017
Time: 3.45 p.m.
Venue: Conference Hall, Centre for Policy Research, Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110 021
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
An analysis of the investment circuits fueling the growth of the real estate corporate sector in India cannot ignore the role of the diaspora, as India has been the first receiver of remittances in the world for almost one decade. Purchasing land and a house “back home” are common goals for migrants, and the well-off segment has not been immune to the property fever that has caught India. The diaspora also comes to the fore when one examines the development of this sector from the demand side. There is ample empirical evidence of the major role given to the diaspora / Non Resident Indians’ customers by the corporate sector of real estate, especially in the residential segment for a long time (Nijman, 1999; King, 2004). Yet urban studies and diaspora/transnational studies are domains of research that have largely ignored each other in the Indian context, but for some historical insights (Blunt & Bonnerjee, 2013).
This presentation will examine to what extent the desire to attract this specific source of transnational capital has (re)shaped partially the Indian real estate corporate sector, with a perspective from the South Indian metros, especially Bangalore. Developers have had to develop original, country-specific strategies to tap this source of capital, which has structured a distinct transnational market. This has turned migrants into city-makers in return to a certain extent. Nevertheless, the dependency on a reserve of customers located abroad also exposes this ethnic niche to the indirect effects of multiple changing local / national / international contexts and regulations, which makes it a fickle segment of the otherwise already highly volatile real estate market. This presentation is based on material collected in Bangalore and in the UAE since 2014. It has been partly funded by the French National Agency for Reserach (ANR) as part of the research programme Finurbasie (Financing Urbanization in Asia).
Aurélie Varrel is a CNRS researcher in Geography. She has been with the Centre d’Etudes de l’Inde et de l’Asie du Sud at Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris since 2010. She is currently secunded to the French Institute of Pondicherry, in the Department of Social Sciences. She holds a PhD degree (Geography) from the University of Poitiers, France. In her research she brings together migration studies and urban studies, with the aim of articulating a socio-spatial understanding of the contemporary transformations of South Indian metropolitan cities, especially Bangalore and Chennai. At the French Institute she is working on various topics, with a special interest for the urban fabric in Tamil Nadu.
No comments:
Post a Comment