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  • After military raid, India looks at more ways to pressure Pakistan

    By Sanjeev Miglani NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Beyond Thursday's raid by Indian special forces into Pakistan's side of divided Kashmir, New Delhi is considering new economic and diplomatic measures to bring pressure to bear on its neighbour, Indian officials said. In a rare public acknowledgement, Indian officials said teams of elite troops crossed the de facto border dividing the nuclear-armed rivals in the Himalayan state, killing several militants it believed were planning to attack major cities. The raids were a direct response to an attack earlier this month on an army base in Kashmir that India blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

    Reuters

  • Sushant: Dhoni Was Very Comfortable Opening About His Love Life To Us

    SpotboyE.com catches up with the cast a day before the film hits the silver screen

    Spotboye

  • Where were Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Kareena Kapoor Khan partying last night?

    This month has been a big one for the Kapoor family, with not one but three birthdays to celebrate. Just days after Kareena Kapoor Khan turned 36, Ranbir Kapoor celebrated his 34th birthday, and the cousins’ aunt, Rima Jain brought in her 60th birthday with a star-studded night to remember. There to party with Manoj and Rima Jain were the couple’s sons, Aadar and Armaan Jain, and extended family including Kareena and Saif Ali Khan, Karisma, Babita and Randhir Kapoor, Neetu and Rishi Kapoor, and Rajiv Kapoor too. Other guests included close friends Jaya, Amitabh and Shweta Bachchan, Tina and Anil Ambani, Anil Kapoor, Suneil, Athiya and Mana Shetty, Karan and Hiroo Johar, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor,

    VOGUE India q

  • Amul’s Smart Ad About MNS’ Threats To Ban Pakistani Artistes

    Recently, they came up with a cleverly worded ad on the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s demand that all the Pakistani artists must leave the country within 48 hours or be pushed out. MNS, led by Raj Thackeray, gave an ultimatum to all the Pakistani artists to leave the country within 48 hours. Amidst all the speculations, it has been reported that Fawad Khan, a Pakistani actor of the Kapoor and Sons fame following the threat has left the country.

    Business of Cinema

  • Here’s What Anupam Kher Wants Pakistani Actors To Do!

    Veteran actor Anupam Kher also opened up on the recent attacks on Indian soldiers and ban on the Pakistan artists. At a recent event, the actor said that Pakistani actors should say 'I condemn the unfortunate massacre of Indian soldiers'. The actor further added that there are people from Pakistan who are wonderful and are great hosts.

    Business of Cinema

  • Is Hrithik Roshan prepping up for a final showdown with Kangana Ranaut?

    Mumbai: Hrithik 's father Rakesh Roshan's recent comment that his son's revelations regarding Kangana Ranaut will shock the public, was no casual offhand comment. If you thought Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut controversial drama was over, then you are mistaken. Hrithik and his legal team are all set for the next and final round of conflict with the actress which hopefully will culminate in the truth coming out in public. According to a source close to Hrithik, "While Hrithik was shooting and completing Kaabil, his team was burning the midnight oil gathering all data, going through content and internet and deciding the next level of action. Now all the facts and documented evidence of Hrithik's

    Deccan Chronicle q

  • Get Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's make-up look this festive season!

    New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) Which girl wouldn't want to look like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan? This festive season get your make-up in place and look like the Bollywood diva by following a few simple tips coming straight from the experts who worked with her.

    IANS India Private Limited

  • Uri attack: Arrested PoK duo brought to Delhi for grilling, remanded to 10-day custody

    New Delhi [India], Sept. 28 (ANI): The two accused arrested from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) for their involvement in the Uri terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, have been brought to the national capital for further interrogation. The accused have been remanded to 10 days' police custody, up to 7th October. Earlier today, NIA today took into custody two men from PoK, who were arrested by the Army in connection with its probe into the attack.

    ANI

  • 10 obscene displays of wealth that shock average Americans

    Fascinating findings from a new Reddit thread on wealth.

    MarketWatch q

  • Modi May Push For Radical Changes In 2016-17; As Usual, Opposition May Continue To Be Hostile

    The effervescent Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi, will turn 66 on 17th September. In this birthday special article, Ganesha predicts the likely fortunes of the PM in the coming year.

    GaneshaSpeaks.com

  • Nitish blasts Katju for FB post offering Bihar to Pak

    Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday blasted retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju for the latter’s uncharitable Facebook remarks  against Bihar. Katju, who is also the former chairman of Press Council of India (PCI), in one of his posts on FB, offered Pakistan Kashmir from India but asked the neighbouring country to take Bihar too. “We offer you Kashmir but you have to take Bihar also. It’s a package deal. Either you take both. Or else, you get nothing,” wrote Katju. An infuriated Nitish lambasted Katju for his misdemeanour. “Some people, in order to get free publicity, are trying to become Mai-Baap (guardian) of Bihar. Hamare malik hain kya woh jo aisa offer kar diya? (Is he our

    Deccan Herald q

  • This Rail Accident Survivor in Mumbai Is Working Actively to Ensure the Safety of Passengers

    In January 2014, Monika More, an 18-year-old resident of Mumbai lost both her hands when she slipped into the gap between the platform and the ladies compartment footboard of a local train at Ghatkopar railway station. Two years after recuperating from the near-fatal accident, Monika is working hard to ensure that no commuter has to face something like this again. She has been continuously involved in raising awareness about railway safety measures along with the Railway Police Force. In her awareness drives, she tries to help commuters understand the perils of boarding a moving train and crossing unmanned railway tracks. Source: Facebook The first year B Com student is the only rail accident victim in a committee of over 15 members. She attends meetings organised by Central Railway officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) station to discuss how to improve the quality of service and address passenger woes in local trains. She has also made various proposals regarding the appropriate height of railway platforms, the need for increasing the frequency of trains and making sure that the seats reserved for physically disabled people are not used by the people without disabilities. "What happened to me should not happen with anyone. I want to keep pursuing the issue of improving our railway system. People should not get scared of boarding a train thinking they might lose a limb or their life,” Monika told The Indian Express. Monika was  rushed to the KEM Hospital after the accident but her arms couldn’t be surgically reattached. She spent six months recovering in the hospital and was gifted with prosthetic arms manufactured by a German company. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai gave her a compensation of Rs. 23 lakh. While the electronic limbs enable her to write, eat with special spoons and even use a laptop, it is very difficult for her to wear them for a long period of time because they weigh over a kilo each. Monika was in the news last year for securing 63% in her higher secondary examinations in spite of all these hurdles. Today, she is steadfast in her resolve to lead a normal life. She wakes up around 7 am after which she goes to SNDT college for her classes. She then returns home for a bit in the afternoons and later heads out to attend tuition classes. But her busy routine has never stopped her from raising awareness about grave issues that affect people using local trains in Mumbai. Her parents are extremely supportive and her mother also accompanies Monika to all the events and meetings. Her father is of the opinion that people are especially receptive to Monika’s inputs because she is a survivor. Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on Whatsapp!

    The Better India

  • Indian rupee plunges to a week's low

    New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) The Indian rupee on Thursday tumbled to its lowest level in the last one week after the army announced that it had carried out "surgical strikes" on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan. The Indian currency, which opened at 66.44 to a US dollar, had already depreciated in the initial hours of the day's trade in line with the weakness in Asian currencies.

    IANS India Private Limited

  • Sensationalism May Turn Out To Be Donald’s ‘Trump’ Card, Feels Ganesha

    Donald Trump – one of the leading US Presidential Elections candidate has been like a conjurer and has amassed an enviable number of fans. There are also people who disagree with his views. But, will he trump over all obstacles?

    GaneshaSpeaks.com

  • Dubai airport shuts airspace for nearly 30 mins due to drone activity

    Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest airport for international travel, closed its airspace for almost 30 minutes on Wednesday morning due to unauthorised drone activity, causing flights to be disrupted for nearly an hour. It is at least the second time in recent months that the airport's airspace was closed because of nearby drone activity. On its Twitter feed, government-owned Dubai Airports, which operates Dubai's two main airports, said airspace around Dubai International was closed from 8.08am to 8.35am, resulting in a number of flight delays.

    Reuters

  • Tannishtha Chatterjee upset with racism on 'Comedy Nights Bachao'

    Mumbai, Sep 28 (IANS) Critically acclaimed actress Tannishtha Chatterjee is aghast at the "regressive and blatantly racist" attack she experienced when she was invited as a guest to "Comedy Nights Bachao". This is so deep rooted and linked to our perceptions of caste, class and skin tone.

    IANS India Private Limited

  • `Better fall in line, or else we will make you fall in line`, SC tells BCCI

    New Delhi [India], Sept 28 (ANI): Launching a scathing attack on the Board of Control for Cricket in India for defying its orders on reforms in the cricketing body, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the BCCI are 'behaving like lords' in stalling its proposed reforms. The apex court made scathing observations after the Justice Lodha committee said in its status report that the BCCI was not implementing its recommendations aimed at reforming the country's cricket governing body. Heading a special bench that had appointed the Justice Lodha panel, Chief Justice of India T.S Thakur said, "You (BCCI) are behaving like lords.

    ANI

  • Indian worker's suicide in Qatar raises concern over stranded migrants

    By Tom Finn DOHA (Reuters) - The death of an Indian labourer in Qatar who had complained about not being paid and later committed suicide on a building site has focused attention on migrant workers struggling amid an economic downturn in the Gulf state ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Scaffolder Ajaya Behara, 44, hanged himself in the basement of the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center on September 7, weeks after asking his employer to pay outstanding wages and renew his expired visa, according to his family and co-workers.

    Reuters

  • Check out: Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor recreate Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol's iconic train scene for Half Girlfriend

    Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor have been shooting for their romantic drama Half Girlfriend for a while now. After wrapping up New York schedule, the cast has now started their next schedule shooting in Mumbai. Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor were spotted shooting at local trains set. Arjun shared a photo from the shoot stating they were recreating Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s iconic train scene from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge but with a twist. He wrote, “Our very own DDLJ moment !!! @ShraddhaKapoor @mohit11481 @chetan_bhagat #halfgirlfriend #shootlife #mumbailocal.” Directed by Mohit Suri, Half Girlfriend is slated to release on 19th May 2017.

    Bollywood Hungama q

  • This Architect Has Mastered the Use of Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Materials in Construction

    The construction sector contributes to about 22% of India’s total annual CO2 emissions. Keeping this grave reality in mind, it is important that more architects, like Trupti Doshi of Mumbai, resolve to use eco-friendly building techniques. Trupti Doshi, an architect from Mumbai, says she was beyond shocked when, during a humanities class in college, she came to know about the “catastrophic levels of social and ecological devastation” that a construction project can lead to. So she set about learning more about the levels of pollutants released into the environment when conventional buildings come up. “That knowledge was extremely disturbing for me as a 20-year-old. I decided that I can’t follow a career on the beaten track; I had to do something different,” says Trupti. Today, after having successfully completed a rural development centre using sustainable materials, she has co-founded her own company and works on constructing eco-friendly buildings. Trupti started working on the Sharanam Rural Development Centre along with architect Jateen Lad, the Chief Co-Architect at Sri Aurobindo Society, the NGO wing of Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. This centre for rural transformation is spread across five acres of land on the outskirts of Pondicherry. What’s unique about the project? The entire building, from pillars to roof, is made of unfired earth. This means that the primary building material is the very soil the Centre stands on. The campus has multiple buildings – like a hall, offices, kitchen, etc., and they are all built using the very same earth. Explaining the process of construction, Trupti says she began with a topographical survey to select the region with the lowest contour. This area was dug to form a pond so that rainwater would flow in that direction and collect in the pond. The soil obtained from digging was then used to make Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks (CSEBs) to construct the building. The process of manufacturing CSEBs does not require firing or baking like conventional fired bricks. It just needs compression, following which the bricks are kept wet for about a month and then sun dried for three months. The use of such bricks helps counter pollution. According to Trupti, 99.9% of the buildings in India are made with fired bricks; this leads to the depletion of the fertile soil underneath. Moreover, brick-making in itself is a highly polluting industry. The team had decided from the beginning that they would minimise the use of steel and cement on the campus. “Sharanam is sustainable on all fronts – not just in terms of water, waste, and energy that most construction projects concentrate on. We have worked on everything – right from the building material and where you get the building material from, to how you can reduce the need for transportation and avoid carbon emissions,” says Trupti. Trupti and her co-architect employed and trained over 350 people from 40 neighbouring villages to work on this project. “Many of them were alcoholic men with no source of income. Today, they are specialised masons, carpenters, and people with high-skills in the building trade,” she says. The campus helps conserve water and energy as well. “Every drop of water falling on this land or on the roof of the building is collected, recycled and reused. The organic waste is also composted and used as fertiliser,” says Trupti, adding that the building is designed in a way that it provides thermal comfort and a fan is not required in the main hall that has the capacity to accommodate 350 people. The cost of construction was 40% cheaper than conventional concrete buildings. The development centre serves as the venue for several activities in the village. And the United Nations Environment Programme has recognised it as a model for sustainable development in India. Sharanam was ready in 2013, after which Trupti went on to co-found the Auroma Group with her brother Viral Doshi. This is an architecture company that works on residential and office space construction with an eco-friendly model. “Auroma is about how we can build places for communities that share an ideological connect and are willing to participate in the creation of a sustainable environment together. So we work on everything – the master planning, sustainability engineering, design, furniture, etc. The A-Z of design.” Auroma’s flagship project, the Auroma French Villament, is a gated-residential society located between Pondicherry and Auroville. The houses in this project are made from fly ash bricks. “Fly ash can be an excellent building material but can cause a lot of pollution if it goes to waste,” says Trupti, who has a team of 49 people. Everyone, right from the construction workers to the designers, is trained by the co-founders. “I feel that Mumbai, and most cities in India are highly influenced by the concept of square feet. Square feet become the measure of your standard of living. That was one idea in life that I did not agree with. If you follow the norm of packing life into square feet, then you will only have storage boxes. You cannot have architecture that enhances the quality of life,” she concludes. Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. NEW: Click here to get positive news on Whatsapp!

    The Better India