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Tag: making

  • Zeenat Aman opens up about making a comeback on silver screen

    Zeenat Aman opens up about making a comeback on silver screen

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    Mumbai: Ever since she made her Instagram debut, veteran actress Zeenat Aman has been spilling the beans about her personal and professional life. On Sunday, the ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ actress opened up about whether she is making a comeback on the silver screen or not.

    Taking to Instagram, Zeenat penned a long note, which read, “There’s been some speculation that my presence here is the precursor to my return to the silver screen. I am a notoriously private person, and I suppose this sudden sharing has set tongues wagging. The truth is that I have been in the public eye since I was 16-years-old, and have experienced the perils of being misquoted, taken out of context, censored, and gossiped about. Now as a septuagenarian I am enjoying the opportunity to reflect on my life and career in my own words. That too without any pressures from managers or studios or brands.”

    She added,” I am not, per se, planning a return to the silver screen, but nor am I closing that door. Creativity does not retire, and I would love to sink my teeth into a nuanced and impactful character. I’m of course quite aware that such roles for older women are few and far apart. Some days ago I read about the Annenberg Foundation study that analysed 1,000 Hollywood films released between 2007 and 2017. They found that less than 25% of the women on screen were over the age of 40. The numbers for the Indian film industry are unlikely to be much better.”

    Zeenat shared that she is learning online lingo.

    “So, in short, I nurture optimism not expectations. In the meanwhile, my sons are helping me understand online lingo. I just learnt what a “thirst trap” is!,” she continued.

    On Friday, Zeenat opened up about embracing grey hair. She also spoke about the stereotypical notion of society and the standards set by them for a woman’s beauty.

    She shared a picture clicked by her son Zahaan Khan. She is sitting in a garden area. While her back is to the camera, the picture is noticeable for her ‘silver bob’ which she discussed in her caption.

    “As women, we are told that our social worth lies in youth and physical beauty. If not explicitly, then in a thousand subliminal ways. This is especially true for the entertainment industry. In general, as we age, men are bequeathed gravitas but women are at best offered sympathy,” she wrote.

    Zeenat revealed that she “was initially reluctant to stop dyeing my hair, and was strongly advised against it. Some well wishers even said it would negatively impact my work opportunities.”

    “It was only once I contemplated upon my own hesitations that I realised I really don’t care to buttress our society’s idolisation of youth. Being young is wonderful, but so is being old. It thrills me to see more and more silver-haired women (of all ages) challenge the status quo,” she added.

    Zeenat is best known for featuring in films such as ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’, ‘Don’, ‘Yaadon ki Baraat’, ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’, ‘Qurbani, Dostana’, ‘Dharam Veer’, among others.



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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • India-US making efforts for cooperation in nuclear energy sector

    India-US making efforts for cooperation in nuclear energy sector

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    New Delhi: In the face of growing global concerns over energy security triggered by the Ukraine conflict, India and the US are giving a fresh look at exploring practical cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector after failing to move forward since inking a historic agreement over 14 years back for partnership in the area.

    Ways for possible cooperation in nuclear commerce under the framework of the India-US nuclear agreement of 2008 figured prominently in the talks US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey R Pyatt had with his Indian interlocutors in Delhi on February 16 and 17.

    In an exclusive interview to PTI, Pyatt described India as a “very crucial” partner for the US in ensuring global energy security in view of serious disruptions in supplies of fossil fuel resulting from Russia’s “brutal” invasion of Ukraine.

    “I am very focused on how we can develop opportunities for future civil nuclear cooperation, recognising that if we are stuck at issues, we have to work them through, the famous liability question,” he said.

    “The business model of the civil nuclear industry is changing. In the US, we made a huge commitment to small and marginal reactors which could be particularly suitable to the Indian environment as well,” he said without elaborating further.

    The senior Biden administration official also said the US supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “incredibly ambitious” energy transition goal of having 500 GW (gigawatt) of energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.

    Pyatt served at the US Embassy in New Delhi as Political Counselor from 2002 to 2006 and as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2006 to 2007, a period that saw intense negotiations between the two sides on the civil nuclear pact.

    The actual cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector eluded in the last over 14 years primarily due to differences between the two sides over India’s liability rules relating to seeking damages from suppliers in the event of an accident.

    “It was the first big thing that our two governments did together. It was so powerful for the rest of the world,” Pyatt said about the 2008 pact.

    The US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy said the “civil nuclear renaissance” that the people were talking about got derailed to some considerable degree following the accident at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011.

    However, he said Japan is now reconsidering the importance of nuclear power as part of its overall response to the “incredible disruptions of the global energy markets that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin has caused with his invasion of Ukraine,” he said, adding the climate crisis is another reason for preferring clean energy.

    Pyatt suggested that New Delhi is very keen to take forward civil nuclear energy cooperation as part of the overall bilateral energy ties.

    “The US-India energy and climate agenda is one of the most important that we have anywhere in the world,” he said.

    In 2016, US energy firm Westinghouse and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCI) broadly agreed on terms for setting up of six nuclear reactors in India.
    However, the negotiations were derailed after the American company declared bankruptcy in 2017.

    There has been renewed focus globally on nuclear energy after the Ukraine war resulted a fossil fuel crisis.

    The US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy said overall energy cooperation between India and the US will form a major part of the strategic ties between the two sides.

    “When I look at where our strategic relationship is going, I see the issues that I am now responsible for as being right at the centre of the picture because there is so much potential to build on the strong foundation to do even more,” he said.

    Pyatt said the US is keen on forging strong cooperation with India in areas of green hydrogen energy as well.

    India on January 4 approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore to develop a green hydrogen production capacity of five million tonnes a year by 2030.

    “The US investment in hydrogen complements the Indian investment in hydrogen and what I am interested in right now is to build bridges between our respective efforts so that we can leverage each other’s expertise,” he said.

    To a question, Pyatt said there is significant scope for joint projects between the companies of the two countries in the area.

    Pyatt said just like Reliance Industries is looking at green hydrogen in India, ExxonMobil Corporation, an American multinational oil and gas corporation, has also made a big commitment to the clean energy source.

    He said India and the US can work in areas of hydrogen fuel cells, and how to scale up storage mechanisms for hydrogen energy and green shipping.

    “There is fantastic scope for it. The market is going to have to decide how we use this product,” Pyatt said.

    The American diplomat said the US is looking at possible energy cooperation under the framework of Quad as well.

    “Quad is a fundamental organising principle for us. If you look at the different ways in which our four governments are active – all four have made a big commitment to hydrogen (energy). Australia has a big hydrogen programme, India has a large commitment. Our hydrogen ecosystem is going to grow very fast, the Japanese have a long-standing interest in hydrogen (energy),” he said.

    Besides India and the US, the Quad comprises Japan and Australia.

    The top diplomat further added: “This visit is focused on how to build up the US-India bilateral strategic energy partnership. But I think as that partnership becomes stronger and moves into the future-oriented areas, there is a natural opportunity to go from there into the Quad setting.”

    Pyatt said the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created an incentive, particularly in places like Europe, to accelerate the energy transition.

    “It is important to understand that Putin thought he could bring Europe to its knees by holding back gas resources, (but) that has failed and now that it has failed, he cannot play that card again. We have to make sure that he is never in a position to do that to anybody else,” the senior diplomat said.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Making waves: the female athletes plotting a course for SailGP history | Emma John

    Making waves: the female athletes plotting a course for SailGP history | Emma John

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    If you wanted to see how SailGP is changing the culture of sailing, last month’s event in Singapore offered a perfect visual. Each of the boat’s crews carry two grinders, usually a pair of towering men with Popeye biceps whose arms can generate the same power output as an Olympic rowers’ legs. When the US boat won the second race of the heats, however, there was a woman at the winch. She was 5ft 4in and 19 years old.

    “I’m probably the world’s smallest grinder,” says a laughing CJ Perez, the team strategist who also grinds when winds are especially light. “The first time I did it, two years ago, I was gassed afterwards.”

    She took herself to the gym and worked on her strength. After the race in Singapore, she screamed with delight as they crossed the finish line. “I was just so happy, I felt I had helped the team a lot.”

    This is season three of SailGP, the global competition designed by the America’s Cup legend Russell Coutts to be the Formula One of sailing. In its roster of “grand prix”, foiling catamarans fly around courses at such high speeds that their hulls never need to touch the water and sailors are pinned to the sides of the craft by the G-force. On Saturday and Sunday, spectators will flock to the Sydney shoreline to watch the spectacle, promising everything from physics-defying manoeuvres to dramatic capsizes and, occasionally, collisions.

    Natasha Bryant, strategist for Australia SailGP, at the Spain Sail Grand Prix in September.
    Natasha Bryant, strategist for Australia SailGP, at the Spain Sail Grand Prix in September. Photograph: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP

    Not so long ago, there was no such thing as a professional racing career in sailing. The apex of the sport, the America’s Cup, takes place every four years and opportunities to take part have always been restricted to a handful of athletes. They have always been men.

    SailGP’s inaugural season in 2018 was an all-male affair, but when it returned for its second edition in 2020-21, the rules required every team to take to the water with at least one female crew member. Their “women’s pathway programme” was intended to open up elite racing and its immediate success proves how powerful such structural interventions can be.

    Perez grew up in Honolulu, but while all her friends surfed she never tried watersports until six years ago. “I didn’t come from a family of sailors,” she says, “and I don’t want to say I was clueless, but all I wanted was to get on the water and go fast. It wasn’t until I started going abroad and racing internationally that I saw, wow, there aren’t enough females in the sport.”

    A natural from the moment she stepped in a boat, Perez won her first world title within two years. Jimmy Spithill, captain of SailGP’s USA team, was the youngest winner of the America’s Cup in 2010 and when he saw videos of Perez he knew he was looking at a future star. In 2021, she made her SailGP debut, the first Latina and the youngest woman in the competition.

    She admits to more than a few rookie mistakes. “The first day I went on the F50 I had put my wetsuit on backwards,” she says. “The guys on the chase boat pointed it out. The logos were all on my butt.”

    The generation gap with the rest of the crew (at 43, Spithill is old enough to be her father) makes for equally amusing culture clash at the team’s HQ, where the soundtrack is usually 80s music and country. “I want to listen to hip-hop and talk about boys, but I don’t think they’re into that.”

    Natasha Bryant, of the Australia team, is three years older than Perez. Growing up in north Sydney, her ambition was to play soccer for her country. “I had my heart set on being a Matilda,” she says. “But my brother was getting competitive with his sailing and he needed a training partner.”

    Aged 11, she went out on the water with him every day after school, a sibling rivalry that pushed them both. Their next-door neighbour and babysitter Jason Waterhouse, who won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, was their sporting role model. He’s now Bryant’s crew-mate on the Australia team.

    CJ Perez, strategist for the USA team, after a practice session for the Denmark SailGP.
    CJ Perez, strategist for the USA team, after a practice session for the Denmark SailGP. Photograph: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP

    Like Perez, Bryant had been surprised by the small pool of female talent. “At our first youth world championships there were 250 boats and less than 20 of those were girls’ teams.” Having missed out on selection at her first SailGP trial, she found herself on an F50 a few weeks later and was handed the wheel by the Australia captain, Tom Slingsby.

    “I was there as the reserve sailor, so I wasn’t even sure if I’d get on the boat,” says Bryant. “But Tom didn’t give me any time to think about it, he just said ‘here you go’… I was really naive. Everyone laughs at me, but I’d only been in dinghies before, so I’d never sailed anything with a wheel. I was thinking: ‘OK, it’ll be kind of like driving a car.’ It wasn’t.”

    Skippering an F50 is like nothing else on earth. Flying speeds of up to 60mph (Olympic-class boats top out at less than 20mph) require quick thinking and nerves of steel. They also demand perfect communication between the crew, especially the wing trimmer, responsible for managing the windpower to the boat, and the flight controller, whose job is to keep the boat off the water and gliding on its foils. Two grinders work on the winch handles to move the wing back and forth as required.

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    The remaining role, which all of the women on the pathway programme assume, is that of strategist, feeding information that helps the team make best use of conditions and anticipating the movements of the other boats to find the driver the fastest route. “The races are so short that if you collide or get stuck with traffic it’s really hard to get out of it,” says Bryant. “And everything happens so quickly that the further ahead you can plan the easier it is to have a smooth clean race.”

    For Hannah Mills, the role came naturally. She and Ben Ainslie are the most successful British Olympic sailors of all time and their skills complement each other well. “Ben used to be a single-handed sailor, whereas I have always sailed double-handed,” she says. “I came from Tokyo with a lot of skills and experience in communicating in a team.”

    Hannah Mills at the San Francisco SailGP last year
    Hannah Mills at the San Francisco SailGP last year. Photograph: Thomas Lovelock for SailGP

    Bryant found the most urgent lesson was when to talk and when not to. “In my first few races I got so nervous I was a little bit quiet.” The encouragement of her more experienced male teammates gave her confidence. “Now I pretend I’m the one driving and think: ‘What input would I like to hear right now?’”

    All three women want to become drivers and they can achieve that only by gaining experience on the F50s, which is hard when the athletes sail the boats for only three days each race weekend. “The lack of training time is the biggest challenge,” says Perez.

    “The organisers have talked about putting in a training block next season to have the women on the boat for longer, but you need funding to do that.” She will miss the next two races to give other women on the US team the opportunity to sail.

    The Australia GP will be Mills’s third race; she debuted in 2021 before stepping back to have her first baby. Off the boat, she took responsibility for a number of gender equality and sustainability projects including the Athena Pathway, which she and Ainslie launched last August to fast-track female athletes into high-performance foiling and encourage young people into careers within the sport. It is the engine room for the British campaign to win the first Women’s America’s Cup and defend the Youth America’s Cup in Barcelona next year.

    Returning post-pregnancy was a feat of physical preparation. “I was nervous because I’d gone from being in the best form of my life at the Tokyo Olympics to a very different body,” says Mills. In Singapore, she had her ankles taped to combat the softening of ligaments that occurs when breastfeeding.

    Motherhood contributed to her decision not to launch an Olympic campaign for Paris 2024, but the opportunities afforded by SailGP are also a factor. Bryant, who missed out on selection for Tokyo, says even a year ago she never imagined any career in sailing beyond the Olympic Games. “It was what I wanted to do for so many years and it’s weird to change my mind, but SailGP has given us an avenue I never really thought was possible. I enjoy being with this team and I’m learning so much.”

    Thanks to her fellow crew, Bryant owns her first Moth, a foiling dinghy for single-handed racing, while Perez will soon be in Miami, trialling for the USA team for the Women’s America’s Cup. “In high school I didn’t even think sailing was a profession,” she says. “This is history in the making.”

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    ( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

  • Making dinner means dicing with danger, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take

    Making dinner means dicing with danger, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take

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    There were a few seconds, immediately after the blade sliced deep into the tip of my left index finger and shortly before the blood began to gush, when I merely watched. There always seems to be a moment like this following an injury in the kitchen; a stillness, before the crisis management kicks in, when we are lost in bafflement at our clumsiness or stupidity or just plain bad luck.

    In this case, it was a mixture of all three. My knife skills do not deserve the name. I am a home cook, not a trained chef, and I haven’t quite mastered the business of folding my finger tips under while resting my knuckles against the blade. I was shredding spring onions. I was distracted. Now I was injured.

    The wound took a month to heal. Now I have a crescent-shaped scar at the tip. It gets to join all the other scars. There is the long, slug-shaped pale mark on my right wrist where it fried against the top edge of a very hot oven as I reached in with a spatula.

    We assume these things fade with time, but I’m now made of older skin and bone; that one will be with me for life. There are the polka dots of multiple small burns on the ball of my left hand, caused by reaching in to get the oven tray. Now there is this new one.

    Anyone who cooks regularly has these marks. I am not proud of them. I would be very happy if none of these minor accidents had occurred; if I were unscarred. No one should make light of potential disfigurement.

    Happily, though, they are minor enough that I can now be curiously fond of them. They are my life in the kitchen, written on the body, the physical marks of someone who has diced vegetables and chopped onions, fretted over stock pots and poked at roasts, tasted sauces, deep fried and charred and blitzed.

    The fact is that cookery is not risk free. It involves fire and knives. While the possibility of injury may decrease with experience, the likelihood of it happening increases because of repetition.

    Behold the professionals. My friend Jeremy Lee, revered chef at Quo Vadis, has been cooking all day, almost every working day, for more than 30 years. “The marks really come out in the sun,” he says. “My forearms make me look like a zebra. And you look at them and go, ah, there you are.”

    The great Manchester chef Mary-Ellen McTague says her attitude to minor injuries has changed over the years. “Once, they were a badge of honour,” she says. “If your finger was hanging off and you were still cooking, it was weirdly heroic. Now, I’d rather just be safe. But I do feel an affection for my scars.”

    Clearly accidents happen. Such is life. There is, however, one risk in the kitchen that every cook I’ve ever discussed it with winces at the thought of: the mandolin. “Watching someone slicing on a mandolin makes me very nervous,” McTague says. “I don’t know a cook who hasn’t lost a fingertip to one of those.”

    Lee understands why it happens. “Maybe you can’t find the guard,” he says. “So you go for it. And then we kick ourselves for just being silly sods and too gung ho.”

    That’s how it works. We plan to make something nice to eat. Then the hand slips. The blade does its worst. And we know, for certain, that the mark of our highly developed appetites will be with us for a long time to come.

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    ( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

  • Pot is making people sick. Congress is playing catch-up.

    Pot is making people sick. Congress is playing catch-up.

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    Even some of those most supportive of legalization, such as the co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), are calling for more regulation and better oversight.

    “One of the reasons I have fought so hard to be able to legalize, regulate and tax is because I want to keep this out of the hands of young people. It has proven negative consequences for the developing mind,” said Blumenauer, Capitol Hill’s unofficial cannabis czar.

    Last year, he and Joyce teamed on legislation, since enacted, to ease federal restrictions on researching cannabis for medical purposes and on growing marijuana for research.

    That could significantly improve understanding of the drug.

    They’re now talking about standards on dosing, mandates for childproof containers for edibles, and advertising restrictions aimed at protecting children. They’re also concerned about high potency cannabis and its effects.

    Federal agencies are also taking action. The FDA recently rejected applications from companies making products out of cannabis who were seeking regulation under the loose standards governing dietary supplements.

    The agency said that the use of cannabidiol, or CBD, an active ingredient of cannabis, poses safety risks and that Congress needs to bolster safeguards to mitigate risk.

    “We have not found adequate evidence to determine how much CBD can be consumed, and for how long, before causing harm,” said Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock in a statement.

    Despite its history, there hasn’t been much health research on pot until recently, said Giselle Revah, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa whose research last year in the journal Radiology linked marijuana smoking to the lung condition emphysema.

    Before her study, Revah said, “what was in the literature was extremely limited” because “it’s very hard to study something that’s illegal.”

    But recently, in addition to Revah’s work, new scientific studies have uncovered evidence of a rise in children accidentally ingesting edibles, a slight uptick in teenagers getting asthma in states legalizing marijuana, and growing rates of simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana among young adults.

    Sea change

    With public opinion turning pro-legalization, 21 states have moved to permit its use for medical reasons or for recreation. A further 16 allow medical marijuana.

    And marijuana use is becoming much more common.

    On the current trajectory tracked by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more Americans will use marijuana in 2030 than use tobacco products. Nearly 50 million people used weed in 2020, according to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an increase of nearly 75 percent since 2009.

    Researchers are only beginning to examine the data on how this massive increase in use is affecting public health.

    As states have opened up cannabis laws, pediatric edible poisonings in the U.S. have grown from 207 in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021, according to federal data, and states legalizing cannabis like Colorado have seen a bigger increase in hospitalizations and poison control visits than other states.

    Pre-proof research from late December found that legalization of cannabis for recreational use could be contributing to an increase in asthma among teens.

    The researchers found that from 2011 to 2019, teenagers in states that legalized recreational cannabis saw a “slight” uptick in asthma rates in kids ages 12 to 17 compared with states in which cannabis remained illegal. The team, from the City University of New York, Columbia University, the University of California San Diego and others, also found an increase in asthma among children in some racial and ethnic groups.

    Renee Goodwin, an adjunct associate professor at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, said it could be a sign of the downstream effects of legalization. Parents could be smoking more in the home, exposing kids to second-hand smoke, she said.

    “You’ve got these sweeping, very rapid changes in policy and there’s no science to inform them,” Goodwin said. “Ideally, there would be at least accompanying clinical guidelines for clinicians to advise parents.”

    The mental health impacts of using cannabis aren’t yet clear, though some studies have linked it to increased risk of depression and suicide.

    “We really have to slow down,” said Leana Wen, George Washington University public health professor and former Baltimore health commissioner. “We’re getting so far ahead of where the research is.”

    In a Washington Post column last year, Wen detailed “abundant research” that she said demonstrated “how exposure to marijuana during childhood impacts later cognitive ability, including memory, attention, motivation and learning.”

    Marijuana legalization also coincides with an increase in driving-while-high.

    The percentage of driving deaths involving cannabis has more than doubled from 2000 to 2018, according to a 2021 study in the American Journal of Public Health.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is running an ad campaign to combat that increase.

    Research published last month found that pediatric poisonings were much higher in Canadian provinces where edible sales are legal compared with a province that barred edibles.

    Canada’s rise came in spite of child-resistant packaging and THC content restrictions, said Daniel Myran, lead author of the study and fellow at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

    “It suggests that if you put cannabis into candy or chocolate, you’re going to see an increase in these poisonings,” Myran said. “It’s a question for regulators — do you need this product form? Can adult consumers get the choice and the option to purchase a legal cannabis product that doesn’t have to appeal this strongly to young kids?”

    The policy response

    Questions like that are raising the prospect of more regulation.

    The FDA called on Congress last month to create a new regulatory pathway for CBD, including labeling, content limits and a minimum purchase age to help avoid harm to the liver, interactions with medications and damage to men’s reproductive systems.

    Blumenauer and Joyce both say they plan to push for childproof packaging and rules to standardize dosing.

    “Consumers need to be able to know how much THC is in the products they are consuming, as opposed to the unregulated market we are currently facing which makes it nearly impossible to know,” Blumenauer said.

    That’s something public health advocates support. But many in the public health world are frustrated that policymakers eager to get on with legalization missed the opportunity to mitigate the consequences in advance.

    “We’re in a massive natural experiment,” said David Jernigan, professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University School of Public Health. “Are we learning the lessons from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs when we go to regulate cannabis?” Jernigan asked. “Absolutely not.”

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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Cool your jets: Why the West is making Ukraine wait for fighter planes 

    Cool your jets: Why the West is making Ukraine wait for fighter planes 

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    Voiced by artificial intelligence.

    The West isn’t really saying “never” on fighter jets for Ukraine — it just wants to focus first on getting Kyiv weapons for a looming offensive.

    That’s the sentiment emerging in the wake of U.S. President Joe Biden’s blunt “no” — echoed to various degrees by leaders in Germany and the U.K. — to the question of whether he would be sending Ukraine the fighter jets it is requesting. While officials have publicly remained relatively unequivocal that no jets are forthcoming, private discussions indicate it may actually just be a matter of time.

    At the Pentagon, senior U.S. officials acknowledge Ukraine will need to modernize its aging Air Force with new fighter jets — eventually. But for now, officials are focused on sending the weapons Kyiv needs for the immediate fight. 

    The same conversations are happening in Europe. Countries like Poland, the Netherlands and France have indicated an openness to the idea, but officials stress there’s considerable work to be done just to get Ukraine the taboo-shattering weapons promised in recent weeks. 

    “I think it is an issue of longer-term perspective,” said one Eastern European senior diplomat. “We need to deliver what was committed in January as soon as possible. It is really impressive, but time is of the essence.”

    The chatter indicates that while the tenor is negative for now, the issue is one likely to linger behind the scenes and eventually reemerge. 

    It’s a pattern that has occurred over and over for the Western alliance since the war began: Something that was once forbidden — from German weapons in a war zone to Ukraine receiving modern tanks — creeps its way toward reality as the war grinds on, the West’s commitment deepens and equipment requiring significant training no longer seems irrelevant. 

    “A lot of people still don’t understand that the war is far from over,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk told POLITICO. “In fact, Putin appears to have even more of an appetite than ever. Without air support you can’t fight a modern war.”

    The world has changed

    The possibility of sending Ukraine fighter jets stretches back to the war’s early days.

    In the weeks after Russia sent troops streaming across the border, the Polish government claimed it was ready to transfer Soviet-era fighter planes to the U.S. so they could then go to Ukrainian pilots. 

    A stunned Washington shot down the offer. The training was too difficult, officials said, and sending planes from a NATO base into Ukraine could risk a direct confrontation with Russia. The subject faded away. 

    GettyImages 1371808335
    At the Pentagon, senior U.S. officials acknowledge Ukraine will need to modernize its aging Air Force with new fighter jets | Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

    Nearly a year later, much has changed. An early blitz on Kyiv has morphed into trench warfare. A war that may last days or weeks now could linger for years. 

    Along the way, Western allies have blown through one red line after another. Heavy weaponry, howitzers, long-range rocket systems, armored vehicles — all eventually made their way to Ukraine. And finally, in a watershed moment last month, allies joined together to pledge roughly 80 modern, Western-made tanks.  

    Suddenly, the idea of fighter jets didn’t seem so outlandish. Ukraine seized the moment, renewing its request. Momentum seemed to be growing. Then Biden and his European cohorts stepped in to slow things down. 

    Their caution reflected behind-the-scenes arguments from Western diplomats, who said it was impossible to send Kyiv jets and train pilots in time for a looming Russian offensive. And, they noted, new planes are not crucial for those upcoming battles anyway.

    Still, a military adviser to the Ukrainian government said the discussion on jets is simply in its “early days” and expressed confidence the Western position will evolve in the coming weeks. 

    “In Germany,” Melnyk recalled, “I learned that it was helpful to take people out of their comfort zone. Much of the population had no idea what weapons system the army even had in its arsenal. We helped to educate them.”

    U.S. officials, congressional aides and advisers involved conceded they are continuing to work on possible jet deliveries behind the scenes.  

    “They remember him saying ‘no’ to Patriot and Abrams for a while too,” said one U.S. defense official, recalling Biden’s evolving comments on air-defense systems and tanks.

    Fuel up for months of jet talk

    Indeed, the jets chatter is far from dead. 

    Kyiv has focused its demands on so-called fourth-generation jets like the U.S.-made F-16s, which have been in service since the 1980s. Ukrainian military officials estimate the F-16 training could take six months; some U.S. officials say it could even be as little as three to four months for seasoned Ukrainian pilots. The cutting-edge F-35s, meanwhile, have never been on the table.

    While it’s unlikely the U.S. would send its own fighter jets, which are in high demand for national security missions around the world, officials might consider letting other countries transfer their own F-16s, said a senior U.S. Defense Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. The U.S. must sign off on any F-16 transfers because of export restrictions.

    GettyImages 1432844049
    The West isn’t really saying “never” on fighter jets for Ukraine — it just wants to focus first on getting Kyiv weapons for a looming offensive | Omar Marques/Getty Images

    Some European countries with F-16s in their inventory, like the Netherlands, have already shown they are open to doing exactly that. France is also transitioning to an air force of Rafale planes, meaning Paris will have older jets it could give to Ukraine — jets that wouldn’t need American sign-off.

    “There are other countries that are talking about this. So, as they come forward with proposals for them to do it, I think we’ll have those conversations,” the senior DoD official said. “I don’t think we are opposed on the fourth-generation aircraft issue, I just think we have to make sure that we continue to prioritize.”

    Right now, officials are more focused on sending Ukraine air defenses to protect Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, as well as armor and artillery for the expected spring offensive. Sending Kyiv fighter jets “does not solve the cruise missile problem, it does not solve the drone problem,” the official said, adding that there have been no high-level discussions yet about sending F-16s.

    Behind the scenes, U.S. administration officials are careful not to rule out jet shipments. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby refused multiple requests to elaborate on the president’s comments on Tuesday. A Pentagon spokesperson said there were no new announcements.

    “The biggest risk is prolonging the conflict,” former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told POLITICO on Wednesday. “That’s why we have an interest in ending the war quickly with weapons.” 

    Western allies, Rasmussen said, must ship Ukraine everything it needs without delay.

    “If we deliver all the weapons Ukraine needs, they can win,” he argued, stressing that even included retaking Crimea, the region Russia annexed in 2014 that many Western allies consider a no-go zone for the moment.

    The next major moment on defense ministers’ calendar is February 14, when officials gather at NATO headquarters in Brussels for a meeting of the so-called Ramstein format — the grouping for allies to discuss weapons shipments for Ukraine. 

    While the issue of jets is likely to come up at the gathering, officials see the conversation on jets as a “long-term” project, as one senior European defense official put it. Ukraine may raise the topic at the February meeting, the official said, “but the focus will still be on air defense, tanks, ammo.”

    Back in Paris, the mood was nonetheless upbeat on Tuesday as Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov met with French officials. Reznikov predicted Ukraine could receive F-16s, the Swedish-made Gripens “or something from France.” 

    During the recent discussions around tanks, France moved early to send Ukraine light tanks — a decision it argues set the stage for allies to later approve the norm-breaking battalion of heavy tanks. Now, France is sending cryptic signals it may aim to play a similar role. 

    “I wonder what the messaging means,” said Pierre Haroche, a Paris-based lecturer in international security at the Queen Mary University of London. “If France wants to retain leadership, it has to follow words with actions.”

    Lili Bayer and Matthew Karnitschnig contributed reporting.



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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

  • Saudi Arabia: Will football become a major factor in making an impact on the world map?

    Saudi Arabia: Will football become a major factor in making an impact on the world map?

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    Dubai: Till now, the economic and social impact of football was largely visible only in Latin American countries, but after the successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup by Qatar, the way Arab countries have realised the power of this game and started working in that direction is commendable and also going to become an example of foresight.

    Football is an important part of Saudi Arabian culture and has been played for many years. With the recent signing of football superstars like Ronaldo, Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr Club has signed a deal worth Rs 170 billion, indicating that Saudi Arabia wants to use football to promote tourism and culture in the country.

    The manner in which Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a luxurious 5-star suite of 17 rooms to live in, as well as exemption from the law which prohibits unmarried cohabitation, it is clear that the purpose of this agreement and its effect is not going to be limited to playfield.

    Two of Saudi Arabia’s biggest clubs, Al Nassr and Al Hilal, are investing heavily in their teams to make them globally competitive. This has increased interest in the sport among both locals and tourists alike.

    Al-Nassr’s rival Al Hilal is reportedly making a whopping offer of 24 billion rupees per season for Argentine striker Lionel Messi, according to a report in Barca Universal. Al Hilal is said to be Al Nassr’s biggest rival.

    Messi’s contract with his French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is set to expire in June, and the Saudi club is keen to sign him as soon as possible. Al Hilal is currently not allowed to add any players until the next transfer window, according to regulations, but they are open to signing the Argentine star now and allowing him to join the club in the summer.

    Speaking to IANS, former Gulf News editor Bobby Naqvi said, “Football is also being used as a tool for social change in Saudi Arabia. It has been able to bring together people from different backgrounds and cultures. It is helping, as well as providing an outlet for young people who previously did not have access to entertainment or other forms of entertainment.”

    “Football’s popularity is growing in Saudi Arabia year by year and now it has become an important part of the culture. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar have played at Al Nassr, Al Hilal, and Al Wehda.

    “With news of signings for teams such as Saudi Arabia, it is inevitable that more people from around the world will be attracted to watch sports in Saudi Arabia. This increased interest will contribute to an influx of tourists resulting in increased ticket sales, merchandise May contribute to the economy through growth in sales, hospitality, and business.

    “These efforts are part of Saudi Vision 2030, a national transformational roadmap launched in 2016. The roadmap aims to position Saudi Arabia as an economic powerhouse in the world. Saudi Arabia strives to establish itself as an attractive destination for visitors and investors and to provide excellent quality of life to its people. Football has much to offer to Saudi Arabia and can be seen as a step toward cultural progress.”

    As part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision 2030, Saudi Arabia prioritised sports in 2016. Since then, the sports industry in Saudi Arabia has been progressing toward three major goals. Increasing community participation in sports to 40 per cent by 2030, improving Saudi athletes’ overseas exposure, and boosting the sports economy.

    One of the goals of Vision 2030 was to make the state a hub for top professional sporting events, which would have significant implications for the country, such as job creation.

    According to the 2020 Sports Ministry report, the sports sector created more than 14,000 jobs that year. In addition, jobs in sports clubs have increased by 129 per cent over three years due to new sporting offerings. Between 2018 and 2021, administrative jobs grew by 156 per cent, while career opportunities in sports increased by more than 114 per cent.

    The economic impact of tourism is another important benefit of hosting sporting events in the Kingdom, as these events contribute to an increase in the number of foreign visitors from around the world who can spend money and boost the Saudi economy.

    According to the ministry, sporting events generated 36.9 million Saudi riyals ($9.8 million) in ticket revenue and visitor spending in 2020. In addition, the sports sector contributes to hotel spending and the hospitality industry in general. Both the cities of Jeddah and Riyadh host events such as Formula E, Formula 1 and Race on the Red Sea during the first eight months of 2022.

    One of Saudi Arabia’s biggest obstacles in promoting sports was the low participation of women. Top-down reforms have helped address this problem. In 2018, families-not just men-were allowed to enter the stadium. Following this change, the number of participants in athletic events increased by 152 per cent.

    To encourage women’s participation in sports, the Ministry of Education issued a decision in 2017 to implement sports classes in girls’ schools, which were not previously available in public schools. All these reforms helped women’s participation in sports skyrocket by 150 percent from 2015 to 2019. Today, the state has over six thousand female athletes and twenty-seven women’s sports teams.

    Saudi Arabia has participated in the FIFA World Cup six times and the number of clubs playing professional football in Saudi Arabia is over 100, with 16 clubs playing in the Saudi Professional League, 20 clubs in the First Division, 28 clubs in the Second Division and 32 in the Third Division.

    As India has withdrawn the bid to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia is left as the sole bidder for it, and it is for Saudi Arabia to claim the FIFA World Cup after successfully hosting the Asian Cup.

    Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing to stake claim to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. If we talk about Arab countries, then this country with a population of about 36 crores has always been enthusiastic about sports. Saudi Arabia has also won many medals in the Summer Olympic and Winter Olympic Games.

    Apart from football, equestrian sports, horserace, athletics, formula one, and karate are also very much liked by the people of Saudi Arabia and their participation is visible. As it is clear that Saudi wants to separate its economy from oil, sports and tourism can become its main source of income. In the coming days, we can see a lot of sports-related activities here.

    Saudi Arabia, a mostly desert country with summer temperatures touching 50 degrees Celsius, has been chosen to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games and is building one such sports complex in the $500 billion mega-city Neom. which will remain cold and snowy year-round for the winter sports complex.

    The Saudi capital Riyadh will host the Asian Games in 2034.

    Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal told media that hosting the Olympics was the kingdom’s “ultimate goal”. Saudi money has knocked the world of golf with the LIV tour of golf by investing huge money. Top players have been lured by record-breaking prize money and hefty sign-on fees. Former world number one Dustin Johnson has been one of the major beneficiaries, earning $35 million in total prize money in the inaugural season – having been given $150 million just for agreeing to play. The LIV will expand its 54-hole, part-team format this year to a 14-tournament international event offering a record $405 million in prize money.

    In cricket, Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil exporter and one of its richest companies, began sponsoring major events organised by the International Cricket Council, including the men’s and women’s ODI and T20 World Cups. Saudi Arabia has overtaken horse racing with the $20 million Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race. The last two editions have been won by Saudi-owned horses.

    Not only Saudi, but other neighbouring countries are continuously investing to build Arab ownership and influence in football.

    Qatar wants to invest in the English Premier League (6 billion Pounds), the world’s richest and most watched league, with its Sports Fund (QSI). Recently held investment talks with London-based club Tottenham Hotspur. Qatar has bought a 22 percent stake in Portuguese club SC Braga for 19 million Pounds. QSI is also exploring options in Belgium, Spain, and Brazil.

    The English Premier League is closely related to the Gulf countries. The royal family of Abu Dhabi bought Manchester City Club in 2008. The club has won the Premier League 6 times since Abu Dhabi bought Manchester City and Manchester City is also in financial profit. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought English Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021 for 300 million Pound. Qatar also owns beIN- the sports broadcaster for Europe and the Middle East. Apart from football, Qatar is now taking interest in Squash, Tennis, and Formula One with its Sports Fund (QSI).

    Another important factor behind the promotion of tourism through sports and games is the nomadic nature of the Saudi people. Every year, about $50 billion is spent by Saudis travelling abroad. It is the effort of the Saudi government to give the young generation of working age above 35 years the option to spend within the country.

    In Saudi Arabia, 60 per cent of the population is under the age of 35, who are standing with Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the winds of Saudi change. This is a Saudi population that is educated abroad, speaks English, and is ready to be a change agent with technology.

    According to statistics, tourists in Saudi Arabia spent 27 billion riyals ($7.19 billion) during the first six months of 2022, making tourism one of the most promising sectors in the kingdom.

    The Investment Ministry said that 3.6 million foreign tourists visited the kingdom during the second quarter of the year, which greatly contributed to the plan to diversify sources of income as part of Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia aims to become a top five global destination by 2030, and to this end opens the country to foreign tourism and investment.

    Turki Alalsheikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, said six million people attended the Riyadh Season 2022 winter festival within a month of its launch on October 21.

    Saudi Arabia has opened its borders to international luxury hospitality brands and welcomed foreign visitors for the first time to its ancient heritage sites and pristine coastline while opening up new wonders for the world to see.

    With the inclusion of sporting and entertainment events around the world, Saudi Arabia is creating more opportunities for its citizens and foreign tourists to explore. According to Saudi Vision 2030, the country aims to increase the private sector’s contribution to GDP to 65 per cent by 2030. Saudi Arabia has also allowed its citizens to rent Airbnb-style property through a new portal similar to the global rental marketplace.

    The recent announcement of Saudi Entertainment Ventures, to invest more than SAR 50 billion to build 21 entertainment destinations that will provide unique and innovative world-class entertainment experiences and global partnerships from within the sector.

    SEVEN recently announced the beginning of construction of its entertainment destination in the Al Hamra district of Riyadh as well as the location of the upcoming projects in 14 cities across the Kingdom: Riyadh, Kharj, Makkah, Jeddah, Taif, Dammam, Khobar, Al Ahsa, Madinah, Yanbu, Abha, Jazan, Buraidah, and Tabuk.

    Saudi Entertainment Ventures has announced the beginning of construction of its entertainment destination in Tabuk.

    With a development value of more than SAR 1 billion, SEVEN’s entertainment destination in Tabuk will transform the entertainment landscape in the region with a wide range of attractions and experiences.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Subhash Ghai thanks Salman Khan for making his birthday special

    Subhash Ghai thanks Salman Khan for making his birthday special

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    Subhash Ghai thanks Salman Khan for making his birthday special

    Mumbai: Veteran director Subhash Ghai was elated as Salman Khan gave him a pleasant surprise on his birthday.

    Taking to Instagram, Ghai posted an adorable post on Wednesday and captioned it, “God bless u dear salman @BeingSalmanKhan. For giving a pleasant surprise by coming home to wish me happy birthday so affectionately n to greet every family member with so much pure love. Proud of u being such a good human being. Keep soaring. Stay blessed.”

    Ghai directed Salman in ‘Yuvraaj’ which tanked at the box office. But it doesn’t seem to affect the relationship between Ghai and Salman. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Zayed Khan, Katrina Kaif and Boman Irani.

    Ghai hosted a star-studded birthday bash on Monday. Apart from Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Shatrughan Sinha with his wife Poonam attended the event.

    Subhash Ghai has directed and produced some iconic films in the 80s and 90s such as, ‘Vishwanath’, ‘Karz’, ‘Hero’, ‘Vidhaata’, ‘Ram Lakhan’, and ‘Khalnayak’ among others.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Mumbai: Two held for making fake passports, visas

    Mumbai: Two held for making fake passports, visas

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    Mumbai: Two persons, including a 62-year-old man, were arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch on Wednesday for allegedly making fake passports and visas and issuing bogus COVID test reports, an official said.

    The police are on the lookout for the third member of the gang, he said.

    The trio operated from a flat in suburban Andheri. The Crime Branch raided the apartment and seized 28 duplicate passports, 24 bogus visas of different countries and several fake COVID test certificates, said the official.

    Fake immigration rubber stamps of many countries were found in the flat, he said.

    The police have learnt that the trio was charging lakhs to make fake passports and visas. They suspect the gang has already sent many people out of India with the help of the fake documents made by it.

    The trio had made 414 fake rubber stamps carrying the names of government departments and officials, and bank staffers. There were fake rubber stamps in the name of officials from the state-run JJ hospital to issue COVID test certificates, which are required for travel to some countries, the official said.

    The Crime Branch also recovered stickers with images of the national emblem and the logo of the Income Tax department.

    Three colour printers, scanners and seven pen drives were seized from the flat, said the official.

    The trio was booked for cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Passport Act.

    A court has remanded the arrested persons in police custody till February 4, the official added.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • ‘This is not a moment to slow down:’ U.S. says Ukraine making new gains

    ‘This is not a moment to slow down:’ U.S. says Ukraine making new gains

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    The gains come as the U.S. and Western allies drastically ramp up support for Kyiv ahead of the expected spring counteroffensive. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin alluded to the upcoming operation last week after a meeting of defense ministers at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, noting that now is the time for the West to provide additional arms and training Ukraine needs to smash through Russian lines.

    “We have a window of opportunity here, you know, between now and the spring when they commence their operation, their counteroffensive,” Austin said Friday after announcing a $2.5 billion package of aid that includes additional armored vehicles and artillery. “That’s not a long time, and we have to pull together the right capabilities.”

    The new package included 59 Bradley Fighting Vehicles — in addition to the 50 provided in a previous tranche — 90 Stryker armored combat vehicles, 53 mine-resistant vehicles, 350 Humvees, as well as additional air defenses, missiles and artillery.

    At the same time, the Pentagon has begun large-scale training of Ukrainian forces on advanced tactics at a U.S. base in Germany. The training will enhance their fighting skills as the war enters a new phase, officials say.

    “This is not a moment to slow down when it comes to supporting Ukraine in their defense,” the senior military official said.

    The gains near Kreminna also come as Ukrainian officials sound the alarm about Russia laying the groundwork for a massive new campaign in the spring. The Ukrainian military has recently reported seeing increased Russian movement of troops, military equipment and ammunition in the Luhansk area.

    Kreminna is one of the towns along Russia’s Svatove-Kreminna defensive line, said Michael Kofman, research program director at CNA’s Russian Studies Program. Taking Kreminna would be an important step for any further advances into Luhansk, he said.

    “Seizing Kreminna would put Ukrainian forces on a path towards threatening Rubizhne, and provide one of the potential axes of advance towards Starobilsk, an important Russian logistics hub,” he told POLITICO.

    The fighting around Kreminna is a continuation of Ukraine’s counteroffensive that began in the fall, when Kyiv’s forces swept through the country’s northeastern Kharkiv region. Now, Ukrainian soldiers have turned south to focus on Luhansk, but are meeting stiff resistance as Russian forces dig in there.

    Moscow has in recent weeks sent in tens of thousands of replacement troops to bolster their front lines after suffering heavy casualties, particularly in the area around the city of Bakhmut in the central Donetsk region, the official said.

    The new troops are not necessarily arriving in organized units, but are “filling in gaps” where Russia needs replacements and reinforcements, the official said, noting that they are “ill-equipped, ill-trained, rushed to the battlefield.”

    “A key aspect is despite these increased numbers, in terms of replacements, reinforcements, not a significant enhancement in terms of the training of those forces,” the official said.

    In Kreminna, Kyiv is looking to “exploit opportunities along the Russian defensive lines,” the official continued.

    Top Pentagon officials have said Ukraine is unlikely to push Russia out of the country altogether this year. But Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley suggested on Friday that Kyiv could reclaim significant territory, depending on the new equipment and training Ukrainians receive in the coming months.

    The equipment in the new U.S. aid package, combined with the previous one, includes capabilities equivalent to at least two combined arms maneuver brigades or six mechanized infantry battalions, 10 motorized infantry battalions, and four artillery battalions, Milley said.

    “Depending on the delivery and training of all of this equipment, I do think it’s very, very possible for the Ukrainians to run a significant tactical- or even operational-level offensive operation to liberate as much Ukrainian territory as possible,” Milley said. “Then we’ll see where it goes.”

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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )