Month: July 2024

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Bollywood Lite Blogs Music

Saira Banu Shares Heartfelt Memories with Manoj Kumar

Saira then walked down memory lane and explained how she became a part of ‘Purab Aur Paschim’ despite her and Dilip Kumar’s decision about her not working in films after their marriage…reports Asian Lite News

Veteran actress Saira Banu, who is known for sharing anecdotes from her life and about her late husband, the cinema icon Dilip Kumar, penned a heartwarming note for Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner and Padma Shri Manoj Kumar.

On Wednesday, the actress took to her Instagram and shared a bunch of throwback monochromatic pictures featuring herself, Dilip Kumar and Manoj Kumar.

The actress penned a long note in the caption and recollected how her husband and Manoj would often bond over kites and different kinds of omelettes.

She wrote: “Soon after my first film, I received so many offers amongst which was ‘Shaadi’. Here for the first time, I played opposite Manoj ji. I was a very shy youngster and I had this peculiar habit of really being awkward on the sets while doing romantic numbers. Manoj ji is very understanding he would quietly just move away from the set while my solo shots were being filmed. We were both people of very few words but worked comfortably together.”

She shared that her husband was Manoj’s idol: “They were close and would always venture to make different types of omelettes, fly kites, and indulge in ‘Sher-O-Shayari’.”

She then shared a “big joke” about Dilip and Manoj starring together in ‘Aadmi’. During the making of the film, Manoj started to assume the gestures associated with Dilip Kumar. After which Dilip Kumar laughingly told Manoj: “Yaar tu meri tarah shots kar le, main kuch aur tareeka nikaltaa hoon (you take the shots the way I do, I’ll think of something else).”

Saira then walked down memory lane and explained how she became a part of ‘Purab Aur Paschim’ despite her and Dilip Kumar’s decision about her not working in films after their marriage.

She continued: “Sahib and I had decided that I would not be continuing with my film career after our Shaadi but behold! I had signed ‘Purab Aur Paschim’ before marriage, wherein I played a Westernised young girl against Manoj ji. Manoj ji declared that he would shelve his project if Sahib did not allow me to work on it. Later on, in the film I was unwell and Sahib told Manoj ji that we will never misunderstand if he replaces me, but Manoj ji committed that he would rather shelve the film than replace me. I will always respect him for this magnanimous gesture.”

The actress also shared that Manoj’s wife Shashi once told her if a bumble bee came into the bedroom, Manoj would go under the bed sheet and ask her to drive out the insect.

She shared another story from the sets of ‘Balidaan’ when Manoj and she were shooting in China Creek.

She shared: “Both of us were running away from the Daaku who was approaching us on a horseback and we were running away barefoot in the flowing water handcuffed to each other.”

“As the camera came on, the Bandit was whipping away in the air in pursuit of us and Manoj ji was supposed to grab the whip and stand in front of me to protect me like He Man, instead of this when the shot started Manoj ji quickly ran behind me instead of protecting me. What a laugh! In the later, years Manoj ji remained close to our family,” she concluded.

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Arts & Culture Books Lite Blogs

Banaras Lit Fest Seeks Entries for First Book Awards 2025

Banaras Lit Fest Kalidas Award for Scheduled Indian Language amounting to Rs 51,000, and Bhartendu Harishchandra Lifetime Achievement Award of Rs 1 Lakh have also been announced…reports Asian Lite News

The Banaras Lit Fest has called for nominations for the First BLF Book Awards 2025, an initiative which aims to celebrate and recognise literary excellence in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translation across Hindi, English, and other Indian languages.

To be judged by juries comprising literary figures, critics, and scholars, the winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 51000 in each category along with a trophy and promotional support.

Different awards for excellence in Hindi have been announced, including Kabir Award for Poetry, Premchand Award for Fiction, Mahadevi Verma Award for Translation, and Rahul Sankrityayan Award for Non-Fiction.

The English category will consist of Sarojini Naidu Award for Poetry, Ruskin Bond Award for Fiction, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award for Non-Fiction, and Rabindranath Tagore Award for Translation.

Besides these, the Banaras Lit Fest Kalidas Award for Scheduled Indian Language amounting to Rs 51,000, and Bhartendu Harishchandra Lifetime Achievement Award of Rs 1 Lakh have also been announced.

Submissions for the BLF Book Awards 2025 will be accepted in both Hindi and English, for which books published between January 2023 and December 2024 are eligible.

The submission dates are from August 1 to December 31.

The shortlisted books will be announced in January 2025, while the final winners will be declared in February 2025 at the Banaras Lit Fest.

Not just publishers, authors can also send individual entries of their works.

Deepak Madhok, President of Banaras Lit Fest, said, “Recognising and strengthening languages is one of the key aims of the BLF Book Awards. We hope to identify and celebrate authors with exceptional bodies of work, enabling readers across India to experience the best of Indian literature. By showcasing these literary gems, we strive to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of our nation.”

Brijesh Singh, Secretary, Banaras Lit Fest, added, “Inviting self-nominations is an excellent idea. It makes the award process democratic, transparent, and inclusive. By allowing authors to submit their own work, we ensure that all voices have an equal opportunity to be heard and celebrated.”

ALSO READ-BOOKSHELF: The Fertile Earth

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Food Lite Blogs Recipes

Recipe: Delicious Chilli Paneer Fried Rice

Ingredients

  1. Onion – 1 [ chopped into cubes]
  2. Yellow Capsicum – 1 [small, chopped in cubes]
  3. Red Capsicum – 1 [small, chopped in cubes]
  4. Green Capsicum – 1 [small, chopped in cubes]
  5. Garlic Cloves – 3 [chopped]
  6. Spring Onions – ¼ cup [chopped]
  7. Soya Sauce – 2 tbsp
  8. Schezwan Sauce – 1 tsp
  9. Red Chilli Sauce – 1 tsp
  10. Salt – a pinch
  11. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
  12. Cooked Rice – 2 cups
  13. Sugar – 1 tsp
  14. Oil – as needed

Ingredients to marinate the paneer

  1. Soya Sauce – 1 tbsp
  2. Corn flour – 2 tbsp
  3. Salt – ¼ tsp
  4. Paneer – 100 g

Method

  1. In a large bowl add corn flour, paneer, soya sauce, pepper powder and salt. Mix everything well.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp oil on low- medium flame in a wok. Add in the panner and fry it until desired crispiness. Set aside once done.
  3. In the same wok, add 2 tbsp of oil and add in the chopped garlic. Cook for a minute until the raw smell goes.
  4. Add in the onions and capsicum. Cook for a minute.
  5. Add in the soya sauce, schezwan sauce, red chilli sauce, pepper powder, salt and sugar. Saute for a few seconds. Add in the cooked rice and fried paneer. Continue tossing and finish it off by garnishing with spring onions.

ENJOY!

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-Top News Africa News

African Union calls for continental integration  

In his remarks, AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat stressed the role the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) played in promoting integration in the continent…reports Asian Lite News

The African Union (AU) opened its sixth mid-year coordination meeting in Accra, the capital of Ghana, calling for peace and solidarity in the continent.

The meeting on the theme of ‘Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century’ brought together the AU, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and the AU members, among some others.

In his remarks, AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat stressed the role the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) played in promoting integration in the continent.

“The AfCFTA is obliged to become a lever that catalyses structural reforms which, in turn, will facilitate the creation of wealth, through the improvement of economic governance, the mobilisation of financing and human capital,” Faki said.

The chairperson further called on African countries to maximise the potential of the AfCFTA to make it an engine of growth and diversification of the economies to increase trade within the continent.

Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who opened the meeting, said that some regions in Africa are still being plagued by conflict, instability, and violence that hinder development and pose a threat to broader continental security.

The president therefore called on his African counterparts to work hard to find solutions to a myriad of conflicts on the continent.

The AU introduced its mid-year coordination meeting in 2017 as the principal forum to align the work of the AU and RECs and coordinate the implementation of the continental integration agenda.

Nod for AI strategy

The executive council of the African Union (AU) has approved its Continental Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy and African Digital Compact to boost Africa’s digital development, an official said.

AU Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization Amani Abou-Zeid said this in an interview Friday during the 45th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council, a prelude to its 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, reported Xinhua news agency.

“Our council approved the AU strategy for artificial intelligence and the strategy for using digital technologies, which will set the path for Africa’s use of digital technologies for development,” Abou-Zeid said.

These strategies would provide direction on the use of technology to find solutions to Africa’s challenges, help fast-track many projects and programmes, and guard against the unethical use of technology, she said.

“The technology must help us preserve our identity, preserve our languages and cultures, and be helpful rather than harm us,” the commissioner said.

The strategies would create an enabling environment for the development and use of digital technology, Abou-Zeid said, adding that the AU policy would guide the governments of various members to develop the necessary policy and regulatory frameworks for the sector.

“The strategies will help us create a single digital market and guide all sovereign countries on how to use digital technology to boost their development processes,” she said.

“There must be rules and regulations to punish the negative use of AI and digital technologies to prevent further abuse,” Abou-Zeid said, adding that seven African countries now have AI policies, but the continental body would like to see all members develop their policies.

Push for integration

Initiative by the AU Commission and AUDA-NEPAD in cooperation with African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat; the Africa CDC; the African Peer Review Mechanism; the Pan-African Parliament; and the Regional Economic Communities. The initiative is an AU Flagship Resource Mobilisation Programme for the acceleration of the implementation of Agenda 2063 Second Ten-Year Implementation Programme. The Programme is expected to be launched in 2025.

Underscoring the importance of continental integration and the effective coordination between the African Union and the regional economic commissions to address the economic, social and security challenges the continent faces, and which continues to negatively impact Africa’s development, H.E. Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and Chair of the African Union called for better integration of national development plans into continental programmes.

“This ensures a better integration of the continent and promotes the uniqueness of its voice at the global level, particularly at the United Nations, the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank, as well as at the G20, thus giving it the means to contribute to the articulation of global agendas on critical issues for Africa, such as the reform of the global financial architecture, international tax cooperation, reducing illicit financial flows, and actions for financing sustainable development.”

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-Top News Arab News Saudi Arabia

Israeli Raids Kill 30 at Gaza School

The strike occurred as Israel continues its months-long military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians…reports Asian Lite News

 Israel’s military has struck a school near Deir al-Balah, a city in central Gaza, killing at least 30 Palestinians and injuring more than 100.

Gaza’s health ministry said footage showed the victims were civilians and most of them were children. The BBC verified a video that shows children among the injured.

Gaza’s civil defence service said the school was sheltering displaced people. Hamas condemned the attack in a statement on Telegram, saying “displaced, sick and wounded people, most of whom were women and children” were killed.

Verified video from the scene shows a chaotic situation, with people running around a compound covered in rubble. Men carry two bloodied children in their arms while a woman hugs another, and a group carries an injured man on a stretcher. A body lies on the ground covered in a blanket.

The IDF said that before the strike it took steps to reduce the risk to civilians “including the use of appropriate munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence”.

The strike occurred as Israel continues its months-long military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The war started when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

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Unity Effort

The Beijing Declaration on ending the 17-year internal division between the two Palestinian rivals, Fatah and Hamas, would promote security and peace in the Middle East, Palestinian political experts have said.

At the invitation of the Chinese side, high-level representatives of 14 Palestinian factions held a reconciliation dialogue in Beijing from July 21 to 23 and inked the Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity, bringing precious hope to peace and stability in the Middle East.

The signing of the declaration comes amid a large-scale conflict in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians so far and caused great damage to residential buildings and infrastructure.

During recent interviews with Xinhua, Palestinian political observers considered the Beijing Declaration a key step toward ending the Palestinian internal division, highlighting China’s role in promoting security and peace in the Middle East region.

“The declaration at this time is very important, especially after almost 10 months of comprehensive war waged by Israel against the Palestinian people and their cause, particularly by exploiting the factor of Palestinian division, which has helped it violate Palestinian rights not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank,” Hussam al-Dajani, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua.

China, as a major world power, bases its diplomatic policy on the principles of equality and peace, he said.

China has succeeded in reconciliation efforts between Saudi Arabia and Iran after a long period of hostility between the two sides, and has played a prominent role in achieving economic stability in developing countries through the Belt and Road Initiative, al-Dajani added.

Al-Dajani stressed that China can play an effective role in monitoring and supporting the Hamas and Fatah movements for the benefit of the Palestinian people, as well as strengthening the Palestinian position at the United Nations.

Ayman Yousuf, a Ramallah-based Palestinian expert, said that China is helping the Palestinians selflessly, as it believes that peace and security are the only paths to achieving global prosperity.

Yousuf expressed the hope that the Beijing Declaration will turn into a clear mechanism on the ground, noting he is cautiously optimistic because there have been previous failures and internal obstacles from Fatah or Hamas, “but in my opinion, the project can succeed if China throws its weight behind it and follows it up with work.”

He explained that China has become a peacemaking country in the Middle East, especially after it mediated between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and it is now seeking to bring Fatah and Hamas closer for the benefit of the Palestinian people, amid increasing talk about Gaza’s future after the conflict.

In Beijing, Iran and Saudi Arabia declared the resumption of diplomatic relations in April 2023 after years of estrangement. China’s success in facilitating reconciliation between the two sides has been an incentive for a new dawn of detente in relations between Middle Eastern countries, experts have said.

Speaking of the follow-up after the signing of the Beijing Declaration, Hani al-Masri, another Ramallah-based political expert, said that “changing the reality is difficult, but not impossible … and the establishment of a Palestinian state as a solution has enjoyed growing international support.”

He added that China is playing a big role in finding a real solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and promoting peace in the region, and China believes that Palestinians should join forces to gain their rights as soon as possible.

ALSO READ-Australia Sanctions Israel Amid West Bank Tensions

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-Top News China India News

Jaishankar Urges ‘Effective’ Code Of Conduct For SCS

Jaishankar stressed that a “substantive and effective” code of conduct should be in place that is “consistent with international law and should not prejudice legitimate rights and interest of nations not party to the discussions”.

The Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) passing through the South China Sea are crucial for peace, stability, prosperity, and development of the Indo-Pacific Region, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said at the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministerial meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on Saturday.

He stressed that a “substantive and effective” code of conduct should be in place that is “consistent with international law and should not prejudice legitimate rights and interest of nations not party to the discussions”.

“The EAS process completes two decades next year and India will contribute towards a stronger EAS process,” he said in a post on X, mentioning the statements he conveyed at the meeting.

He said the Act East Policy, announced at that 9th EAS, has completed a decade, and India will continue to “uphold ASEAN unity and centrality through our Act East Policy.”

The EAM emphasised that India remains a steadfast supporter of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and values its convergence with the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).

Additionally, he stressed that the country encourages more EAS members to join the IPOI.

He said India has consistently contributed towards the EAS Plan of Action, citing the summit conference on Maritime Security and Cooperation held in Mumbai on July 4-5.

Jaishankar also mentioned the realisation of the Nalanda University resolution, highlighting it as an “important commitment” to the EAS.

Calling for de-escalation and restraint in Gaza, the EAM said, “India continues to extend humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine. Attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea are concerning. India is independently contributing to ensuring the safety and security of maritime shipping.”

On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he maintained the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He also said that India “stands ready to contribute” in any manner possible.

Underlining the significance of EAS in bringing together nations at a time when “differences are sharp and interests are diverse”, the EAM said, “India will always stand firm in its commitment to the EAS process.”

ALSO READ: Modi To Visit Ukraine, First Since Russia’s Invasion

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-Top News Europe India News

Modi To Visit Ukraine, First Since Russia’s Invasion

PM Modi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in June on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy, reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Kyiv in August, his first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 24, 2022, sources said.

July saw high-level exchanges between the two nations with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Ukraine counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and NSA Ajit Doval and his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Yermak holding telephonic talks.

EAM Jaishankar, on his social media platform X, had shared that he spoke about furthering the bilateral relationship between the two nations.

PM Modi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in June on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy.

On June 4, when PM Modi recorded the third straight victory in the general elections, Zelensky congratulated him and invited him to visit the war-ravaged country.

In a telephone conversation with Zelensky in March, PM Modi discussed ways to strengthen India-Ukraine partnership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence of the President of Russia near Moscow. (ANI Photo/Video Grab)

While reiterating the nation’s people-centric approach, PM Modi had assured Zelensky that India would continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution.

PM Modi, during his two-day Moscow visit earlier this month, stressed, “There is no solution on the battlefield. Dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward.”

The Prime Minister said India has always called for respecting the United Nations Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty.

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-Top News Business World News

G20 Seeks Fairer Global Tax System

The Group of Twenty (G20) also urged reforms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the strengthening of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), reports Asian Lite News

Finance ministers and central bank presidents of the Group of Twenty (G20) concluded their third meeting in Rio de Janeiro, adopting a joint communique that calls for a more just, stable, and efficient international tax system.

“We acknowledge the urgency and importance of realignment in quota shares to better reflect members’ relative positions in the world economy, while protecting the quota shares of the poorest members,” the communique states, also addressing the development needs and priorities of low- and middle-income countries.

On top of that, it urges reforms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the strengthening of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), Xinhua news agency reported.

The G20 Ministerial Declaration on International Tax Cooperation was issued at the meeting and calls for strengthening tax transparency, preventing base erosion and profit shifting, as well as applying progressive taxation to ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

Brazil’s Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, the coordinator of the meeting, said that the release of the joint communique is a victory for the international community after several years.

“The G20 needs to take advantage of the Financial Track to strengthen cooperation mechanisms,” Haddad added.

Brazil has held the rotating presidency of the G20 since last December. During its one-year term, the Brazilian government focuses on three priorities: combating hunger, poverty, and inequality; sustainable development; and global governance reform.

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Asia News Columns UK News

A PM committed to South Asian Communities

Sir Keir has demonstrated his full commitment to South Asian communities across our country. I would like to illustrate this with the appointment of an individual, who I have had the immense pleasure of getting to know over the last year or two and working with. Vidhya Alekson OBE – who was recently appointed Political Director at Number 10 … writes Professor Kishan Devani BEM

Sir Keir Statmer has shown not just in words but in action his undying commitment to the South Asian Diaspora in the UK. Whether it is through his own work in his Camden Constituency or through his own offices while he was Leader of the Opposition and now in Number 10.

Sir Keir has demonstrated his full commitment to South Asian communities across our country. I would like to illustrate this with the appointment of an individual, who I have had the immense pleasure of getting to know over the last year or two and working with. Vidhya Alekson OBE – who was recently appointed Political Director at Number 10.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Prof. Kishan Devani BEM

Vidhya is an inspiration to many of us in the diaspora as she was appointed to this role by Sir Keir after the General Election victory, but prior to that Vidhya served as Sir Keir’s Director of External Relations & Stakeholder engagement – while he was Leader of the Opposition. Having worked with Vidhya, myself, I can say to the wider South Asian Community that there is not a better person for the role and that it is a matter of pride that we have a member of the South Asian Diaspora at the heart of Number 10. Her humiliy, passion and dedication to our country through her public service. Vidhya was previously instrumental in starting up Power to Change – an independent trust, established in 2015 to support and grow community-led businesses across England. She led the trust from 2015 to 2022. 

Prior to this, Vidhya was the deputy chief executive at the Resolution Foundation, an independent think tank focusing on living standards, and was also the mental health lead for the personal health budgets delivery programme at NHS England. Vidhya worked at the US Department of Health and Human Services in Washington D.C. from 2006-2010 and before that at the UK Treasury and the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. 

Vidhya Alakeson

Vidhya has a modern languages degree from the University of Oxford and an MSc from the London School of Economics. She is a former Trustee of the Young Foundation. This appointment in itself illustrates our Prime Ministers commitment to the South Asian Community, by having individuals such as Vidhya at the heart of Government is a matter of pride for all of us and shows Sir Keir’s commitment to our wider community. We now have a Labour Prime Minister in Number 10 who is committed to Equality, Diversity and inclusion.

With his formidable Cabinet, Parliamentary team and his Number 10 Team – he is a force for good and will bring about the change necessary to give South Asian Communities across our country the ability to thrive and flourish.

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Celebrity Fashion Gallery

GALLERY: Kanwal Toor

Kanwal is now a Model, Actor, entrepreneur and a social activist based in London and Dubai.

Kanwal Toor is a media personality, Bollywood and television actress living in London. She participated in the Femina Miss India contest in 2001 and later went on to represent India in Miss International 2001. Kanwal is now a Model, Actor, entrepreneur and a social activist based in London and Dubai.

Kanwal started her career in modelling and has worked for various brands, such as Vogue, Pepsi, Mercedes-Benz, LG, Gillette, and Yamaha. She has acted in serials on major channels in India and has also appeared in music videos. She hosted the show Filmi Fever, which aired on Zoom TV. And also hosted the show out & about on Zee TV (Europe). She made her film debut through the critically appraised Bollywood film Cheeni Kum, co-starring alongside Amitabh Bacchan and Tabu.

In 2009 Kanwal dabbled briefly in politics and stood a s a parliamentary candidate in the 2009 general elections from Slough. She was a town councillor in Beaconsfield too. Kanwal is now full time back into acting and modelling and is looking forward to doing some ” meaty” roles both in Dubai and London.