Other titles showcased during Films Day included: ‘Chakda Express’, inspired by the life of cricketer Jhulan Goswami, starring Anushka Sharma…reports Asian Lite News
Netflix India’s Vice-President (Content) Monika Shergill has said five Indian titles have featured on Netflix’s global top 10 lists so far this year. Viewership of Indian films on the streaming service has gone up by 50 per cent from last year, reports ‘Variety’.
Hits for the service include Alia Bhatt’s ‘Gangubai Kathiyawadi’, pan-India blockbuster ‘RRR’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, starring Kartik Aaryan and Tabu.
Shergill also pointed out in an interview with ‘Variety’, coinciding with the streamer’s Films Day on Monday, that Indian movies featured in the Netflix non-English charts for 31 of the last 34 weeks.
Another hit Alia film has been ‘Darlings’, whose story revolving around domestic abuse, which debuted as the biggest non-English language original film opener for the service worldwide. The movie, co-produced by Alia with Red Chillies Entertainment, also features powerful performances by Shefali Shah and Vijay Verma.
Other titles showcased during Films Day included: ‘Chakda Express’, inspired by the life of cricketer Jhulan Goswami, starring Anushka Sharma; heist thriller ‘Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga’, starring Yami Gautam and Sunny Kaushal; ‘Jogi’, which is set against the backdrop of the 1984 Delhi anti-Sikh riots, starring Diljit Dosanjh and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar; the satire ‘Kathal’, starring Sanya Malhotra; Vishal Bhardwaj’s spy thriller ‘Khufiya’ featuring Tabu, Ali Fazal, and Azmeri Haque Badhon; and Anurag Kashyap acolyte Vasan Bala’s whodunnit ‘Monica O My Darling’, with Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte.
Also a part of the showcase were Shashanka Ghosh’s romantic comedy ‘Plan A Plan B’, starring Riteish Deshmukh and Tamannaah Bhatia; the intense drama ‘Qala’, directed by Anvita Dutt, which will see Irrfan Khan’s son Balih making his film debut; Zoya Akhtar’s comic book adaptation ‘The Archies’; and the Indian version of Keigo Higashino’s Detective Galileo novel, ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’, headlined by Kareena Kapoor Khan and directed by Sujoy Ghosh (“Kahaani”).
The traders have also demanded the government allow imports from Wagah border to address the shortage issue….reports Asian Lite News
The Pakistan government will take a decision to import food items from India after consulting its coalition partners and key stakeholders, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said on Wednesday.
The country is facing a shortage of vegetables and other food items after devastating floods destroyed crops, increasing their prices to unimaginable levels, The News reported.
The traders have also demanded the government allow imports from Wagah border to address the shortage issue.
However, in the meantime, the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday decided to import onions and tomatoes from Afghanistan and Iran to control soaring prices in the country.
Ismail said that more than one international agency has approached the government to allow them to bring food items from India through the land border, The News reported.
“The govt will take the decision to allow imports or not based on supply shortage position, after consulting its coalition partners and key stakeholders.”
On Tuesday, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) urged the government to permit vegetable import from India through the Wagah border.
LCCI President Nauman Kabir requested the government to grant permission to import vegetables from India to control its prices, Geo News reported.
“The recent floods have destroyed crops of tomato, onion, potato and other vegetables across the country,” he said, adding that the crisis is expected to prevail for the next three months.
The vegetable crisis could further worsen in September, October and November, he added.
It will take a few days to transport vegetables from India to Pakistan via the Wagah border.
There were no immediate comments from the Indian Army or the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi on the participation of Indian soldiers at the Vostok-2022 military exercises in Russia….reports Asian Lite News
The United States has concerns about any country conducting military exercises with Russia which has waged an “unprovoked and brutal” war against Ukraine, the White House has said after Moscow announced the Vostok 2022 drills will involve more than 50,000 troops from China, India and several other countries.
Russia said on Monday that the Vostok 2022 military exercises will be held from September 1 to 7 in different locations in the Far East and the Sea of Japan and involve more than 50,000 troops from China, India and several other countries.
The exercises will allow the armies of the participating countries to “practice defensive and offensive operations” at seven training grounds of the Eastern Military District and in maritime and coastal areas of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, the Russian Defence Ministry was quoted as saying by the state-owned TASS news agency in a statement.
“The strategic manoeuvres will bring together over 50,000 troops and more than 5,000 items of armaments and military hardware, in particular, 140 aircraft, 60 combat ships, gunboats and support vessels,” it said, adding that it will engage troops from China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria and several ex-Soviet nations.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre, while responding to questions on the military exercises hosted by Russia, said the US has voiced its concerns.
“The United States has concerns about any country exercising with Russia while Russia wages an unprovoked, brutal war against Ukraine. But, of course, every participating country will make its own decisions. And I’ll leave it at that,” she told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.
When she was specifically asked why “not put any pressure on India”, Jean-Pierre said, “My first sentence there is saying that we have concerns over any country exercising with Russia while Russia is waging this unprovoked war.”
When the reporter further asked if the US planned to take any action or do anything about it, the press secretary said, “I don’t have anything else to share.” “But we have — we have been pretty public — I’ve been asked this question with other countries as well, and we’ve been pretty consistent in our statements,” she said.
There were no immediate comments from the Indian Army or the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi on the participation of Indian soldiers at the Vostok-2022 military exercises in Russia.
Russia’s military contingent in the drills will involve military command centres and troops of the Eastern Military District, Airborne Force units, long-range and military transport planes, the Russian defence ministry said.
“The drills are set to master the skills of commanders and headquarters in exercising command and control of combined arms and coalition forces to repel acts of aggression in the Eastern direction and in the Far Eastern maritime zone, raise compatibility and interoperability of the collation forces in jointly coping with the objectives of maintaining peace, protecting interests and ensuring military security in the Eastern region,” the ministry said.
Last year, India attended Exercise ZAPAD 2021 drills in Russia in which 17 countries including China and Pakistan took part.
The Russian defence ministry stated earlier that during the drills the participating forces would practice measures to maintain military security in the eastern region.
Nighttime temperatures are not expected to offer much relief, with lows struggling to get below 80 Fahrenheit in many places…reports Asian Lite News
A “dangerous” heat wave was taking hold of the southwestern United States Tuesday, with punishing temperatures expected for the next week.
Forecasters said the mercury could reach as high as 112 Fahrenheit (44 Celsius) in the densely populated Los Angeles suburbs as a heat dome settles in over parts of California, Nevada and Arizona.
“Dangerously hot conditions expected through the week,” the National Weather Service warned.
“A prolonged period of excessive heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities,” the NWS said.
“Those without access to adequate or reliable cooling or hydration will be at most risk, but much of the population could be susceptible to impacts as well.”
Nighttime temperatures are not expected to offer much relief, with lows struggling to get below 80 Fahrenheit in many places.
Things were heating up in and around Los Angeles on Tuesday, with inland areas already experiencing stifling temperatures.
But, said David Sweet, a meteorologist at the NWS in Oxnard, California, it is going to get worse.
“We’re looking at a heat wave starting on Wednesday and continuing through at least Monday of next week,” he said.
“During that time, we’ll be looking at conditions hot enough to warrant an excessive heat warning,” he added.
It is not unusual for southern California to experience heat waves in September, but temperatures above 100 Fahrenheit are considered hot even for a place almost perpetually baked by sunshine.
The heat wave comes after swathes of the southwest were lashed with torrential rains over recent weeks.
Some areas, including the notoriously dusty Death Valley, suffered flooding, and one person died after being swept away in Zion National Park in Utah.
Scientists say global warming, which is being driven chiefly by humanity’s unending appetite for the power that fossil fuel provides, is making natural weather variations more extreme.
Heat waves are getting hotter and more intense, while storms are getting wetter and, in many cases, more dangerous.
President says Gorbachev’s belief in “glasnost” (openness) and “perestroika” (restructuring) weren’t mere slogans, but a forward-looking path for the people of the Soviet Union who were isolated and deprived…reports Asian Lite News
World leaders including President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, following Gorbachev’s death Tuesday.
In a statement that called Gorbachev “a man of remarkable vision” and “a rare leader,” Biden reflected on a 2009 meeting with the former Soviet president in the White House.
“It was easy to understand why so many worldwide held him in such high esteem,” Biden said. Biden praised Gorbachev’s democratic reforms, crediting him with fostering “a safer world and greater freedom for millions.”
Biden went on to say that Gorbachev believed in “glasnost” (openness) and “perestroika” (restructuring), not as mere slogans, but as the way forward for the people of the Soviet Union after so many years of isolation and deprivation.
The Cold War had already lasted for nearly 40 years when Gorbachev came to power, Biden continued, adding that only a few high-ranking Soviet officials had had the courage to admit that things needed to change.
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden said he had witnessed Gorbachev do this and more.
“As leader of the USSR, he worked with President (Ronald) Reagan to reduce our two countries’ nuclear arsenals, to the relief of people worldwide praying for an end to the nuclear arms race.”
Even years after leaving office, Gorbachev was still deeply engaged, Biden added, recalling a 2009 visit the former Soviet leader made to the White House during which the two had spoken at length about how to reduce US and Russian nuclear stockpiles.
“It was easy to see why so many worldwide held him in such high esteem,” the President concluded.
Gorbachev, the Nobel Peace laureate and the leader of the Soviet Union, died on Tuesday evening “after a serious and long illness”.
The statesman is to be buried next to his wife in Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery, the burial place of many of Russia’s most famous politicians, writers and composers.
Meanwhile, Putin expressed condolences following Gorbachev’s death, according to a statement reportedly sent to Russian news agency Interfax. Gorbachev oversaw the end of the Cold War, and subsequently, the Soviet Union. He died Tuesday at 91.
The leaders ideologically disagreed during Putin’s tenure. Gorbachev, who had opened up Soviet society after decades of repression, wrote explicitly of “costs” associated with Putin’s “authoritarian” actions for Time in 2017.
For his part, Putin, who was serving in the KGB in East Germany during Gorbachev’s time as leader, made it clear over the years that he saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the Eastern bloc in Europe as humiliating to Russia.
Western leaders saluted Gorbachev for his achievements.
Other leaders also contrasted Putin with Gorbachev in their condolence messages. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who met Gorbachev both in Russia and the United States, described him as “a bold leader who was unafraid to confront reality.”
Gorbachev “would never be the war criminal that Putin is,” Leahy said.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said Gorbachev’s “absence has loomed large amid Putin’s bloody, unprovoked war in Ukraine.”
On Twitter following his death, she paid tribute not only to Gorbachev’s loved ones, but also to pro-democracy Russian opposition leaders including Alexei Navalny.
Elsewhere in the United States, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), recalled stopping his car on the Minneapolis interstate in 1990, as Gorbachev’s motorcade passed.
“A new, more peaceful and promising world seemed to be on the horizon,” Phillips said. “I mourn his passing and his courage, as I do the country he tried so hard to reform.”
Former Secretary of State James Baker III, one of the last surviving world leaders from the Gorbachev era, told Reuters: “History will remember Mikhail Gorbachev as a giant who steered his great nation towards democracy. He played the critical role in a peaceful conclusion of the Cold War by his decision against using force to hold the empire together.”
In a statement on Twitter, the Reagan Institute described Gorbachev as “a man who once was a political adversary of Ronald Reagan’s who ended up becoming a friend.”
Accompanied by a five-member delegation, General Pande’s visit comes on an invitation by his Nepal counterpart General Parbhu Ram Sharma….reports Asian Lite News
India’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Manoj Pande will arrive in Kathmandu on September 4 on a four-day visit to the Himalayan nation, the Nepali Army said in a statement on Wednesday.
Accompanied by a five-member delegation, General Pande’s visit comes on an invitation by his Nepal counterpart General Parbhu Ram Sharma.
The main events in the Indian Army chief’s itinerary include paying homage at the martyr’s memorial in the Army Pavilion, receive a guard of honor at the Army Headquarters, hold a meeting with General Sharma, hand over various non-lethal military items to the Nepali Army, interaction with student officers at Army Command and Staff College, Shivapuri, and a visit to the Mid-Command Headquarters in Pokhara, the statement said.
As Nepal and India are celebrating the establishment of 75th years of diplomatic ties, General Pande will announce a huge military assistance to Kathmandu, sources said.
The main highlight of the visit will be the conferment of the rank of an Honorary General of the Nepali Army to General Pande by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on September 5.
Nepal and India have a long standing tradition of conferment of the rank of the honorary title to both armies since 1950.
General Pande is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who also holds the defence portfolio.
This is his first visit to Nepal after assuming office on April 30 after the retirement of his predecessor Manoj Mukund Naravane.
Nepal’s General Sharma was given the honorary title of Chief of the Indian Army by the former President Ram Nath Kovind in November last year.
So far the floods have injured 1,634, damaging nearly 10,000 homes, 149 bridges, 170 shops, and 3,451 km of road stretch…reports Asian Lite News
UN-affiliated NGO United Sikhs has rushed relief supplies for flood victims in Pakistan’s Charsadda district where thousands of people and the livestock were badly hit, besides unprecedented damage to the property.
Local Sikh volunteers of United Sikhs have setup a camp to move flood-affected families to safe areas and provide them with food, water, and other immediate supplies under the leadership of the organisation’s representative in Pakistan, Herdyal Singh.
So far the floods have injured 1,634, damaging nearly 10,000 homes, 149 bridges, 170 shops, and 3,451 km of road stretch as per the latest report of National Disaster Management Authority.
Ravi Kumar, a member of the Provincial Assembly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, visited Nowshera and met local families and appreciating the efforts of United Sikhs to support the relief efforts.
Another United Sikhs volunteer, Sagarjeet Singh, who is a member of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, said incessant floods collapsed the roof of Gurdwara at Shikarpur Singh, killing people and destroying the entire building.
The saroop, also called Bir in Punjabi, of the Guru Granth Sahib was retrieved safely and moved to the nearby home of a Gursikh family, he said.
The United Sikhs has issued a global appeal for relief and medical supplies for the medical camps it is arranging for the people.
Gorbachev won the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War and spent his later years collecting accolades and awards from all corners of the world. Yet he was widely despised at home…reports Asian Lite News
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday praised the “courage and integrity” of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader who died at age 91.
“I’m saddened to hear of the death of Gorbachev. I always admired the courage and integrity he showed in bringing the Cold War to a peaceful conclusion,” Johnson said on Twitter.
“In a time of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all,” he added, referring to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking outside a police station in Lewisham, southeast London, this morning, Johnson went further, saying Gorbachev had “changed the world and unquestionably changed it for the better”.
He said: “When you look at what he did to make Europe whole, free, to give freedom to the countries of the former Soviet Union – it was quite an extraordinary thing.
“And of course, Mikhail Gorbachev is one of those people who triggered a change, a series of changes, that perhaps he didn’t anticipate. Maybe he paid his own political price for it but when history is written, he will be, I think, one of the authors of fantastic change for the better in the world. And what I worry about today is that the current leadership in Moscow is intent on undoing the good of Mikhail Gorbachev, and is intent on a revanchist attempt, a revenge driven attempt, to recreate that Soviet empire, and you’re seeing that in Ukraine. That’s the tragedy, something that Mikhail Gorbachev would have thought was absolutely unthinkable, unwarranted.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer said Gorbachev was “one of the great figures” of last century who will “forever be remembered”.
In a tweet, he said: “One of the great figures of the 20th Century, Mikhail Gorbachev’s pursuit of reform forged a path for diplomacy over conflict.
“He will forever be remembered as the last leader of the Soviet Union who had the courage and conviction to end the Cold War.”
Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss, widely expected to succeed Johnson as prime minister next week, tweeted: “Mikhail Gorbachev was a remarkable statesman who made a profound contribution to global security and stability, working with Western leaders to end the Cold War. Now more than ever, this legacy of cooperation and peace must prevail.”
Truss’s Tory leadership rival, Rishi Sunak, tweeted this morning: “Gorbachev’s courage and vision helped bring peace to Europe and built a freer, more open society for millions. His legacy will be remembered by us all.”
During his seven years in office, Gorbachev waged a losing battle to salvage a crumbling empire but is seen by many to have produced extraordinary reforms that led to the end of the Cold War.
After their first meeting, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously quipped that Gorbachev was a man she ‘could do business with’.
President of the EU Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen posted: ‘Mikhail Gorbachev was a trusted and respected leader. He played a crucial role to end the Cold War and bring down the Iron Curtain. It opened the way for a free Europe. This legacy is one we will not forget. R.I.P Mikhail Gorbachev.’
French President Emmanuel Macron described Gorbachev as ‘a man of the world, whose choice opened the way to freedom for Russians’.
He added: ‘His commitment to peace in Europe has changed our shared history.’
A quarter-century after the collapse, Gorbachev told The Associated Press in an interview that he had not considered using widespread force to try to keep the USSR together because he feared chaos in a nuclear country.
‘The country was loaded to the brim with weapons. And it would have immediately pushed the country into a civil war,’ he said.
Many of the changes, including the Soviet breakup, bore no resemblance to the transformation that Gorbachev had envisioned when he became the Soviet leader in March 1985.
By the end of his rule he was powerless to halt the whirlwind he had sown. Yet Gorbachev may have had a greater impact on the second half of the 20th century than any other political figure.
“I see myself as a man who started the reforms that were necessary for the country and for Europe and the world,” Gorbachev told The AP in a 1992 interview shortly after he left office.
‘I am often asked, would I have started it all again if I had to repeat it? Yes, indeed. And with more persistence and determination,’ he said.
I'm saddened to hear of the death of Gorbachev.
I always admired the courage & integrity he showed in bringing the Cold War to a peaceful conclusion.
In a time of Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, his tireless commitment to opening up Soviet society remains an example to us all.
Gorbachev won the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War and spent his later years collecting accolades and awards from all corners of the world. Yet he was widely despised at home.
Russians blamed him for the 1991 implosion of the Soviet Union – a once-fearsome superpower whose territory fractured into 15 separate nations. His former allies deserted him and made him a scapegoat for the country’s troubles.
The official news agency Tass reported that Gorbachev will be buried at Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery next to his wife.
The day was also declared a national holiday and Taliban forces marked the night of the first anniversary in Kabul with fireworks and celebratory shots into the air….reports Asian Lite News
Taliban suicide bomber squads, homemade bombs assembled in oil containers, and old guards riding motorcycles in local uniforms were on display on Wednesday as the regime celebrated the one-year anniversary of the withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan.
The Taliban also made a show of strength by performing a military parade with the $7 billion worth of American military equipment left behind during the chaotic withdrawal of US-led NATO forces from the country, reports dpa news agency.
The event was conducted at Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul.
Bagram Airfield was the Americans’ largest military headquarters during the two decades they operated in Afghanistan.
It was used for planning and coordinating military operations against the Taliban.
The televised ceremony was aired live by local broadcasters.
The day was also declared a national holiday and Taliban forces marked the night of the first anniversary in Kabul with fireworks and celebratory shots into the air.
Speaking at the event, the Taliban’s Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund said they had fought for 20 years for the day.
However, he admitted that country’s economy has been paralysed due to US sanctions and called on the world to engage with them.
The last American soldier left the Kabul International Airport on August 30, 2021, in the midst of chaos marking the end of Western efforts to fight off the Taliban.
UAE sustained strong growth momentum through 1H22: OPEC
Among other stocks, Emirates NBD, DEWA, and TECOM increased 0.74 percent, 0.77 percent and 1.25 percent, respectively…reports Asian Lite News
The UAE financial markets on Tuesday posted gains of around AED4.1 billion in market cap fueled by continued upbeat sentiments at the realty and banking sectors and cash inflows by institutions and individuals alike.
Driven by Emaar, Dubai General Index (DFMGI) advanced 0.79 percent to 3,463.5927.16 pts, with the property blue chip closing higher at AED4.80 and AED6.04 for Emaar Development and Emaar Properties respectively.
Among other stocks, Emirates NBD, DEWA, and TECOM increased 0.74 percent, 0.77 percent and 1.25 percent, respectively.
Abu Dhabi index (FTFADGI) closed slightly 0.02 percent down to 9970.11 pts affected by conglomerate International Holding Company (IHC.AD), traded as ASMAK, slipping slightly down to AED338.800, after AED302 million of liquidity and FAB following suit to AED19.560.
Among other stocks, Alpha Dhabi rose 0.17 percent to AED24.240 and Multiply 0.46 percent up to AED2.180 while ADNOC Distribution moved 1.75 down to AED4.490.
