ISLAMABAD – A Pakistani-American man accused of plotting attacks in New York City for Islamic State is scheduled to appear at an extradition hearing in a Pakistani court on Friday.

Talha Haroon, 19, was arrested in Pakistan in 2016 after U.S. authorities identified him as one of three men, along with a Canadian citizen and a man from the Philippines, planning attacks on Manhattan’s Times Square and the city’s subway. His lawyer and family deny the charges.

Haroon’s lawyer says his client is innocent and termed the investigation a sting operation carried out by an investigating officer motivated by career advancement.

“The FBI projected this as a high-level story, but these people don’t have the qualifications to kill a monkey,” said defense lawyer Idrees Ashraf.

Ashraf said that his client was only in contact with the investigating officer but never directly spoke with the co-accused, raising serious doubts about the nature of the investigation.

“According to the criminal complaint, the FBI agent communicated with Talha online and has said he was active in IS, but no proof of militant links has been provided,” Ashraf said.

One of the accused men, 19-year-old Canadian citizen Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, has been in U.S. custody since May 2016. He pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in October 2016, prosecutors said.

The third accused, 37-year old Russel Salic, was arrested in the Philippines in April, according to the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim.

Prosecutors say Salic maintained a pro-Islamic State social media presence, told the undercover officer that he had been communicating with El Bahnasawy, and sent the officer about $423 from the Philippines to help pay for the attacks.

Haroon has been in custody for over a year without being charged. A bail plea will be filed for his release during Friday’s hearing, his attorney said.

“He was one of the best students in his school,” Haroon’s father said, adding that Talha moved to Pakistan in 2014 after finishing high school.

“He is naive and speaks from his heart. He is not the sort of boy who can commit such brutal acts,” Ashraf said.

U.S. prosecutors said they expect Haroon and Salic to be extradited to face the charges, which include conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism and to support a terrorist organisation.

If convicted of the most serious charges, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

– Reuters

The post Pakistani-American faces extradition hearing on NYC attack plot appeared first on News India Times.

NEW YORK – Indian American filmmaker Mira Nair has received an Art of Change Fellowship from the Ford Foundation.

Nair was born and raised in Rourkela, India and attended Delhi University as well as Harvard University. She began her career as an actress before becoming a documentary filmmaker.

Her debut film in 1988, “Salaam Bombay!” won the Caméra d’Or and was nominated for an Academy Award for the ‘Best Foreign Language Film.’

The foundation notes that Nair is a “resourceful and determined independent filmmaker who casts unknowns alongside Hollywood stars,” and has made many good films, including; “Mississippi Masala,” “The Perez Family,” “Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love,” “Hysterical Blindness,” “Vanity Fair,” “The Namesake,” “Amelia” and “The Reluctant Fundamentalist.”

Her most recent film, “Queen of Katwe” which came out last year, starred Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo and is based on the true story of the Ugandan chess prodigy, Phiona Mutesi and her most acclaimed film, “Monsoon Wedding” ran as a musical at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California, where it was continually sold-out, this past summer.

According to the foundation, Nair received a Padma Bhushan award in 1998 while she used the profits from “Salaam Bombay!” to create the Salaam Baalak Trust, which works with street children in India and in 2005, established the Maisha Film Lab in Kampala, Uganda, a non-profit training initiative for emerging East African filmmakers.

The Art of Change Fellowships supports visionary artists and cultural leaders who create powerful works of art that help advance freedom, justice and inclusion along with strengthening democracy.

The post Mira Nair gets fellowship from Ford Foundation appeared first on News India Times.

NEW YORK – Ah, I hear they have removed the Taj Mahal from the tourist dossier, or maybe not. It does not represent Indian culture, they say. The Taj—Emperor Shah Jahan’s immortal paean to lost love— is synonymous with India.

Regardless of the cacophony, this Diwali, the Taj will still stand silent, untouched and opalescent in the darkness of a moonless night under the shimmer of starlight, rising high above the feuds and the fights of shrieking humanity.

In Ukrainian culture, art and beauty are considered to be talismans, a protection from evil. And, in Diwali, it becomes all the more significant to embrace beauty from around the globe when we invite light to enter our worlds and shatter the unfolding darkness.

Nearly every Indian household, lit with a thousand lamps, will be stocked with food, either the nutty halwa or the intoxicating sherbet or syrupy gulab jamun with thin silvery foils that are reminiscent of vintage Mughal cuisine.

And how about the Anglo-Indian festive treats – the distinctive European flavors in the vindaloo, the prawn and chicken cutlets, the Mulligatawny soup and the ubiquitous apple and grape chutney?

For surely, how can we erase history flowing in our veins for centuries? The mysterious legends that have sprung up by the side of the waters of our beloved rivers?

In our own ancestral house, Diwali was an explosive affair of lights, diyas, and food. People from all walks and stations of life would partake in the eclectic feast spread out on the table from end to end.

They would, in turn, cook for us during Eid or Christmas or Baisakhi or Navroze as their occasions would allow.

Religion was the farthest from the mind; it was all about shared humanity.

To quote a haiku written by a 17^th century Japanese poet, Matsuo Baisho:

Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening!

Layers of colored rice sprinkled with cashews and raisins, mutton jal-farazi, vegetable kofta, puris and alu dum, fish cutlets and desserts of payesh, gulab jamun, sandesh and chocolate mousse – an assortment of food, reflecting the many strands of our heritage, was the mainstay of our Diwali revelry.

Of course, the biriyani, the center-piece of Mughal cuisine, distilled to perfection with creamy and smooth yogurt, saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, nuts and apricot, sat atop the glowing dining table.

Folklore has it that Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved wife of Shah Jahan on her visit to the Mughal army barracks, found the soldiers weak and emaciated. Appalled by their condition, she recommended a meal of meat and rice to build up their stamina. The result was none other than the opulent biriyani.

Initially, the “biriyani,” the Persian counterpart, was cooked without the rice. The meat was made tender with marinated spices, oil, salt, apricots and lemon. The later additions are said to have been the introduction by Arab traders to the Malabar Coast of India.

Salma Husain’s book, The Emperor’s Table, The Art of Mughal Cuisine, notes that Mughal cooking was an epiphany of colors, fragrances, table manners and protocol.

The Mughals were prolific documenters with books such as Ain-i-Akbari, Akbarnama, Alwat-e Nemat, devoting several chapters to the Emperors extravagant tastes and culinary preferences.

The hakim (physician) set the menu according to medicinally beneficial ingredients with about hundred different recipes served at every meal. More than a hundred staff worked, simultaneously, to set it to a smooth perfection.

Flowing overlays of Iranian, Afghani and Turkish blends were evident in the luscious use of fruits, nuts, raisins, flower petals, gold and silver foils.

Fragrant and gracious food was the leitmotif of Mughal cuisine.

The Ain-i-Akbari chronicled that Babur did not care for the traditional Indian food of millets, lentils and rice. He was nostalgic for the meats, the apricots, the figs and the grapes of his home town in Samarkhand, Central Asia. However, the fabulously spiced fish stew was something that he greatly enjoyed which he did not get back at home.

Humayun brought in Iranian influences to the table while Akbar who was vegetarian three times a week, included Indian fusions from Kashmir, Punjab and the Deccan. He had his own kitchen garden which he cultivated with rose water to add a touch a fragrance to his vegetables.

When Shah Jahan was informed that the water in his new city of Shahjahanabad was contaminated, he insisted that the kormas, the kebabs and the curries be cooked with turmeric, red chilies and coriander, to increase its medicinal value.

Rose and badam sherbets, the faloodas honey- soft with pistachios and pomegranates were their signature beverages that now occupy a sunny and bright spot in our cuisine.

If Mughal cuisine was fruity, aromatic and sumptuous, the British, brought in mellow accents to cooking with their teas, flavored with ginger and cardamom, their cucumber sandwiches and salads with colored peppers, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables.

A distinctive change in the kitchen style, with a dining table replacing the mats on the floor as places to eat, the use of china instead of the traditional banana leaf and the introduction of forks and knives, revolutionized our Indian homes.

In the nineteenth century, during the British Raj, the Nobel Laureate poet, Rabindranath Tagore, who was also a die-hard food connoisseur, slipped in multi-cultural recipes from all around the world to try out in his rambling mansion, Jorasanko Thakurbari, in North Calcutta.

Indian, Turkish, Mediterranean and western influences that formed the center of his serendipitous discoveries dominated the Thakurbari kitchen.

Along with Bengali delicacies, there were lamb and chicken pies, mutton roasts, chicken with pineapple, puddings and kebabs – recipes of which were noted in treasured menu cards that the poet carried with him from his travels abroad.

The legendary bard would also give away food in big bowls to anyone who visited him at meal time with only a meagre portion left for the family to eat.

This was also a time when cooking was considered a hallowed art and the recipe exercise books were a much-coveted inheritance by the women in the household.

There was fierce competition among the wives to recreate the magic of food the Tagore brothers had tasted, the measures and proportions of which were, inevitably, kept secret.

These delicate cadences of east and the west interplay have only served to heighten our ancient Indian sensibilities, making us more open, cosmopolitan and outward looking.

India is a country where different faiths met, collided, traded, loved and lived building up imprints of civilizations, richer than the previous with its rich amalgamation of heritage, new spins and widening boundaries – a combustive fusion of elegance and euphoria that defeats stalemate.

In my own home, as the evening will set on Diwali night and the last lamp lit, I will join in prayer with the words of another beloved Japanese Haiku poem

Silent the old town..
the scent of flowers
floating . . .
And evening bell

(Poppy Mookerjee is a journalist and a writer for more than a decade with American and Indian publications)

The post Mughal, British influence in Diwali food appeared first on News India Times.

NEW YORK – Last year, in November, it was the Indian American Ro Khanna vs. the Japanese American Mike Honda, for a US Congressional seat, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Khanna won that ‘grudge’ contest between two Asian Americans, unseating the incumbent veteran eight-term Congressman Honda, in his second attempt for office.

Come next month, there will be another face-off by two Asian-origin candidates, albeit, for a state Senate seat, in the suburbs of Washington state: the Indian American Manka Dhingra – a Democrat like Khanna – will vie against the Korean American Jinyoung Lee Englund, a Republican, who works as vice president of strategy for the Digital Currency Council, advocates for the bitcoin currency.

Both Dhingra and Englund are debutants running for office, for the district represented by the late Andy Hill, who died last year.

The 45^th district stretches from Woodinville to Sammamish and includes Duvall and Kirkland. It’s one of the most keenly watched local races in the US. Both Dhingra and Englund have already raised over a million dollars for their respective campaigns.

Dhingra, 42, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, who supervises a mental health court, was born in India. She emigrated to the US at the age of 13. She has a juris doctorate from the University of Washington School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from UC Berkeley. She is married to Harjit Singh, an engineer at SpaceX.

Dhingra, a Sikh by faith, has a big advantage going into the general election, on November 7: she won the primaries in August, beating Englund by 10 percentage points, getting 14,605 of the 28,612 votes cast.

If Dhingra catapults to victory next month, as she is expected to, the Democrats will wrest power from the Republicans of the state Senate. That will, along with their majority in the state House and incumbent Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, give the party the reins of power in Olympia.

In essence, it will be the exact opposite of the scenario in the nation’s capital, where the GOP holds the power shift on Capitol Hill and the White House (well, that is, depending on President Trump’s political temperament and mood for affiliation on a day-to-day basis).

For the Democrats, Dhingra’s win will also be an endorsement of many of the liberal, anti-Trump positions she has taken, including supporting the now nationally-recognized state Attorney General Bob Ferguson in his numerous lawsuits to overturn Trump’s travel ban on some Muslim countries, and help illegal immigrants from deportation; healthcare and health services for women, and to ban the sale of guns for those who are convicted of domestic abuse.

Dhingra – who founded a local chapter of Chaya, an Indian American organization who helps victims of domestic abuse – steers clear, however, of mentioning Trump in her pitch to swing voters, Reuters noted in a report. She has got overwhelming support from the community, with around 2,000 volunteers joining her campaign.

“The Trump reaction, the way it works is by invigorating volunteers,” Dhingra was quoted by Reuters. “There are a lot of people, like myself, who decided we cannot be bystanders.”

While Khanna’s win over Honda was styled more as battle of the young looking to unseat an ageing politician, with both belonging to the Democrat fold, Dhingra’s contest against Englund has the potential for bigger repercussions nationally: her win will resonate all over the US as a rebuke of the Trump administration, sting the Republicans hard.

If Dhingra wins, Republicans will dread an encore of the situation in Washington in legislative races across the country. At present, the GOP control 26 state governments and two-thirds of legislative chambers.

As Reuters reported, the tide seems to be turning slowly in favor of the Democrats, as Republicans face scathing criticism for failure to get legislative action fulfilled: from New Hampshire to Oklahoma, Democrats have flipped eight Republican-held seats in special legislative elections this year. Democrats have flipped legislative seats in Florida, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and New York in 2017. Republicans picked up an uncontested seat in Louisiana.

In Oklahoma, where Trump won 65 percent of the vote in the 2016 general election, the Democrats flipped three seats in districts he carried. Candidates doubled down on local issues, such as a budget crisis forcing four-day school weeks.

With Trump refusing to scale down on his wilting sarcasm and vicious criticism of domestic and international issues issues, including lambasting the hapless residents and officials of Puerto Rico for not being able to turn the tide of their miserable situation after being hit by a monster hurricane; escalating the war of words with North Korea and Iran; estranging his own party’s elected representatives with orders to overturn Obamacare with little heed for the effect it may have on millions of poor and middle class voters, Democrats feel they just need to galvanize their support base, pitch reasonable and capable candidates – even if they are novices, to turn the trick in their favor, come Election Day.

The GOP’s implosion, as the Democrats reckon, will hasten the inevitable.

(Sujeet Rajan is Executive Editor, Parikh Worldwide Media. Email him: sujeet@newsindiatimes.com Follow him on Twitter @SujeetRajan1)

The post Why Manka Dhingra is important for Democrats appeared first on News India Times.

Land

More than a dozen hotels have partnered with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority to offer 15 to 40 percent off stays from Dec. 15 to March 31. Hotels participating in the Time to Lime promo include St. Kitts Marriott Resort, Sugar Bay Club and Timothy Beach Resort. Rates vary. For example, four nights in a garden room at Sugar Bay Club in early January starts at $494, including tax, a savings of $166. Blackout dates and restrictions apply. Book by Oct. 29. Info: www.stkittstourism.kn/promotions/island-wide-savings

Generations Riviera Maya, a Karisma Hotels & Resorts property in Mexico, is offering a $1,000 resort credit and up to 43 percent off rates. Nightly rates start at $198 per person double and include all meals served a la carte, premium alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, 24-hour room service and taxes. Book the Gift of Paradise deal by Oct. 31; travel Dec. 1-March 31. Three-night minimum stay required. Rooms typically go for $309. The credit is valid on spa services, private beach dinners, room upgrades and more. Info: 866-527-4762, www.karismahotels.com

Sea

Grand Circle Cruise Line is offering free airfare and $750 off the January departures of its new Suez Canal Crossing: Israel, Egypt, Jordan & the Red Sea cruise. The 17-day cruise starts at $6,395 per person double (vs. $8,195) and includes round-trip air from Washington Dulles to Tel Aviv, with return from Jerusalem; six-night cruise aboard a private small ship; hotel accommodations in Tel Aviv, Luxor, Petra and Jerusalem and on the Dead Sea; 42 meals, including local restaurants; onboard beer, wine and soft drinks; 19 tours; trip leaders; transfers; gratuities; and taxes. Depart Jan. 10 or 24 for the Haifa-to-Aquaba route and Jan. 13 or 27 for the reverse itinerary. Book by Nov. 1 and use promo code OCTSAVINGS 18. Info: 800-221-2610, www.gct.com

Celestyal Cruises has savings on its seven-night Idyllic Aegean cruise, which sails round trip from Piraeus, Greece. Five departures in April and May start at $1,319 per person double (plus $113 port charges), a savings of $310; three departures in June start at $1,379, plus port charges, a savings of $320. The cruise sails to Kusadasi, Turkey, and four Greek islands, and docks overnight in Santorini and Mykonos. Cruise fare covers unlimited drinks and three shore excursions. Book by Dec. 31. Info: 877-259- 9189, americas.celestyalcruises.com/en

Save $3,000 on Abercrombie and Kent’s Wonders of Japan cruise departing on May 16. The 16-day trip starts at $15,495 per person double, down from $18,495, and includes pre-cruise stay at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, tours and meals; 11-night cruise from Osaka to Sapporo; all onboard meals, drinks and gratuities; shore excursions; airport transfers; and taxes. The deal applies to cabin categories 1-3 booked by Nov. 30. Info: 888-785-5379, www.abercrombiekent.com

Air

Take a group trip to South Africa and earn a free flight from South African Airways. Ten travelers who purchase round-trip airfare from Washington Dulles to Johannesburg receive the 11th ticket free. Fare typically starts at about $882. Travel Oct. 26-Dec. 9 and Jan. 11-March 31. Purchase by Oct. 31 at 800-722-4768 by Oct. 31. Info: www.flysaa.com

Package

Globus is offering $699 round-trip airfare on select 2018 trips to Italy. For example, the six-night Taste of Italy trip departing in mid-July starts at $2,998 per person double and includes round-trip air from Washington Dulles to Rome, with return from Venice; six nights’ hotel in Rome, Florence and Venice; eight meals; motorcoach transportation; tour guide; several tours; airport transfers; and taxes. By comparison, flights typically cost $1,632. Promotion applies to select trips departing May 1-Oct. 31. Book by Nov. 7. Info: 866-755- 8581, www.globusjourneys.com/special-offers/italy-vacations

THE WASHINGTON POST

The post Travel deals: Free airfare for a Suez Canal cruise and $1,000 resort credit in Mexico appeared first on News India Times.

Chicago, IL: Just four days after completing his state-wide “Don’t Close Our Communities” tour on Oct. 8, Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar declared he was withdrawing from the Democratic primary for governor.

The primary election is scheduled six months from now. Pawar, the 47th District alderman, said he was not able to compete against wealthier  competitors.

“We raised $828k from 2,526 donors; that is amazing. But as you know, the race for Illinois governor will set a record as the costliest race in American history,” Pawar said in a statement to media ending his campaign.

Pawar had released a video based on the theme “Unity” when he kicked off the second leg of his campaign of Don’t Close our Communities. His plan included touring 14 cities in 4 days and he was joined by his running mate, Tyrone Coleman. Pawar’s platform, A New Deal for Illinois, illustrated his vision for the state where a “people’s government” would invest in communities, create good paying jobs, and provide opportunities for working families to get ahead.

“What’s missing is the political will to make everybody pay their fair share, and quite frankly make wealthy people pay their fair share. And wealth doesn’t have to be demonized. We just have to stop worshiping it.” Pawar at that time, adding, “We are told over and over again that the state is broke. And it is true that it is broke on paper. But for perspective, the size of the Illinois economy is $700 billion. It’s the 5th largest in the country. It’s bigger than most other countries around the world. So, the idea that we don’t have the money to pay for the things that we care about, or more importantly to take care of each other, is just patently false,” Pawar contended.

Pawar raised just $828,000 in total since January, not enough to stay in the race, compared to candidate Chris Kennedy, the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, who has raised $2.75 million, with $500,000 coming from his personal donation, according to news reports.

In his statement opting out of the race, Pawar said that the only two options he had were to either cut staff or to take personal debt and both the options were not practically possible. He said he feels bad for people who supported him but he neither had wealth nor connections to continue the race.

The post Indian-American Democratic candidate exits Illinois gubernatorial race appeared first on News India Times.

LONDON – An Indian-origin teenager has made a fortune by selling houses through his online estate agency business during his school lunch breaks and has become one of UK’s youngest millionaires, a media report said.

While other youngsters were kicking a ball around the playground, Akshay Ruparelia, 19, was quietly negotiating huge property deals on his mobile, the Daily Mirror reported.

He hired a call centre service to answer his company switchboard while he was in class and rang clients back after the school bell rang.

Within months, investors were buying shares in Ruparelia’s firm “www.doorsteps.co.uk”. In little more than a year, the company has been valued at 12 million pounds and the teenager has sold 100 million pounds worth of homes.

Ruparelia’s school friends nicknamed him “Alan Sugar” after Baron Sugar, the business tycoon and “Apprentice” star.

The teenager said he is now on a mission to put traditional High Street estate agents out of business because they charge thousands of pounds in commission to sell a house — and he does it for just 99 pounds.

His idea is proving so popular that this week Ruparelia’s company became the 18th biggest estate agency in the UK — just 16 months after his website went live, the Mirror reported.

The firm, which the teenager started after relatives loaned him 7,000 pounds, already employs 12 people and is set to double in size with investors having already handed him 500,000 pounds to get their hands on shares.

He is raising five million pounds with a share issue and is recruiting an expanding network of mums across the UK who work self-employed showing clients around properties he has been asked to sell.

“I want to rip up the old-style way we sell homes in this country,” said the teenager, who set up the business between lessons at Queen Elizabeth High School in Barnet, London, and still managed to get five A Levels, three at A* and two A grades in maths, economics, politics, history and financial studies.

“People have had enough of being ripped off by High Street agents in flash suits and cars charging them a fortune, but actually doing not a lot to sell their home,” he added.

“Why give an estate agent a small fortune just for putting photos of your house on the internet?

“Quite rightly people trust mums. Every mum who works for me will be honest and tell the truth. It is important. For the majority of people selling their home is the biggest financial transaction of their lives,” he said.

Akshay Ruparelia has put plans of studying economics and management at Oxford University on hold because of his expanding business.

The post Indian-origin teenager Akshay Ruparelia is UK’s ‘youngest millionaire’ appeared first on News India Times.

Until early this month, Indian jewelers expected the traditional surge in gold demand from the Hindu Festival of Diwali to be muted.

The industry was struggling to cope with a slump in sales caused by a government crackdown on the black market, and efforts to increase financial transparency. In August, jewelers were dealt a fresh blow by a decision to bring them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act — a move they likened to being bracketed with those selling arms and ammunition.

Vigorous lobbying persuaded the government to reverse the decision, freeing customers from a requirement to provide their tax identity for every purchase above 50,000 rupees ($772). While the move will be reviewed, the backtrack lifted the mood and brought a positive change in sentiment before Diwali this week, according to Metals Focus Ltd.

“It’s a good thing for the market that there’s a government who is ready to listen,” said Chirag Sheth, a Mumbai-based analyst at the precious metals research firm. “The implementation of the rule was cumbersome for the trade.” Purchases in the two weeks that run up to the Dhanteras festival on Oct. 17, two days before Diwali, usually total 20 to 30 metric tons and they may now be higher because of this latest shot in the arm, he said.

Dhanteras is the biggest and most auspicious day of the year to buy gold. While the three months through September were a “washout” in terms of demand, with the money laundering curbs damping purchases during the seasonal monsoon, sales for the full year are seen recovering 5 percent to about 700 tons from 2016, said Sheth. Last year was the worst for demand since 2009.

Shares of jewelers climbed in Mumbai on Monday. Titan added almost 1 percent to 631 rupees, Gitanjali Gems was up as much as 1.9 percent and Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri gained as much as 2.3 percent.

But clouds over the Indian gold industry haven’t been swept away entirely, and will almost certainly be a subject of discussion at the London Bullion Market Association conference in Barcelona, also taking place this week.

“The 50,000 rupees limit has been removed by the government, but we are again waiting as they may come out with a new ceiling,” said Ketan Shroff, joint secretary at the India Bullion and Jewellers Association. The industry has been spooked by repeated government interventions, and jewelers will have to be strict at maintaining records of sales “because the scrutiny may come anytime at a later stage,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year banned higher denomination notes to bring unaccounted cash back into the system, introduced tougher proof of identity for purchases, capped the amount of cash used in transactions and introduced a new national goods and services tax in July. Adapting to these changes have kept buyers and the industry busy.

“Consumers have had to contend with a hell of a lot of changes in the last year,” Simona Gambarini, a commodities economist in London at Capital Economics Ltd., said by phone from London. “Modi seems to be introducing new regulations every month. It’s bound to impact demand.”

Buyers like Swapnali Kansara, a 43-year-old airline employee in Mumbai, now insist on receipts for their purchases. “I keep all my bills because you never know when you will be asked to show them to the authorities.”

Kansara has been buying gold coins or jewelry during the festival season for years, a tradition she shares with many Indians. “While my husband considers it a dead investment because we never sell our gold, he lets me buy every year because he knows of my love for it.”

Indians will continue to make their traditional token purchases, Harish Galipelli, head of commodities and currencies at Inditrade Derivatives & Commodities, said from Hyderabad. Galipelli himself will be queuing up on Dhanteras to pick up gold coins for his wife. “I am looking at a comfortable 20 percent appreciation in prices over the next year,” and the current levels are right for investors to buy, he said. Gold prices in India are down about 8 percent from last year’s high.

As for Barcelona, an overlap with the busiest period in the calendar for the Indian industry has seen many participants skipping the LBMA conference this year. “Looks a bit difficult for everybody this time because of Diwali,” said Saurabh Gadgil, chairman of Pune PN Gadgil Jewellers, who has attended for several years, but will be absent this time.

(Bloomberg)

The post Gloom to boom: gold gets sparkle back for India’s festivals appeared first on News India Times.

More than a third of Americans in a new national survey said they think the heightened focus on diversity at work has overlooked white men, according to the consultancy firm Ernst & Young. Thirty-two percent of male respondents, meanwhile, reported feeling “personally excluded” in the office.

Employment data, however, show men continue to dominate the top ranks of virtually every field, including business, politics and academia.

Karyn Twaronite, EY’s global diversity and inclusiveness officer, said the company wanted to better understand why some male workers said they did not feel engaged in efforts to boost employees who have been historically underrepresented in higher roles.

“It’s a fair point that most of these efforts have drawn more airtime to women and ethnic minorities because there are real equity issues to solve,” Twaronite said. “We also have to acknowledge that work is not always a walk in the park for men, either.”

The survey, conducted between June and August, was small – roughly 1,000 working adults from all racial backgrounds across the country participated – but James Wright, a diversity and inclusion strategist in San Francisco, said the sentiment is prevalent.

“People in the majority don’t feel like they’re part of that dialogue,” Wright said. “No one wants to feel left out, even though you may actually be a top person.”

The EY survey found that 35 percent of respondents overall, including women, thought diversity initiatives left out white men. Of that group, 62 percent said they thought white men were missing promotions and other advancement opportunities.

The reality is: Men, and mostly white men, dominate the business world.

At the 16 Fortune 500 companies that share detailed employee demographic data, men hold 80 percent of leadership roles, a recent Fortune analysis shows. Seventy-two percent of that share is white. Three percent of senior executives are Hispanic, and two percent are black.

Ninety-six percent of chief executive positions at S&P 500 companies, meanwhile, are filled by men, according to Catalyst, which tracks gender data. Eighty-nine percent of directors at those firms are men. The majority, again, are white.

Men also comprise about four-fifths of seats in the House of Representatives. They make up about 80 percent of the Senate. Four in five voting members of the House and Senate are white, according to the Pew Research Center.

And while more than half of U.S. college students are women, men comprise three-quarters of college presidents, according to the American Council on Education.

Wright, the human resources consultant, said employers need to do more than highlight the demographic imbalance: They need to ask men, particularly white men, to be part of the mission to fix it.

“If I as an African American talk about it, someone might say, oh it’s because you’re black,” Wright said. “However, when someone like a Bernie Sanders or Howard Schultz at Starbucks talks about race, people think, ‘wait a minute… This is a problem?’ ”

Female and minority advocates are leading a critically important charge, he stressed, but it’s harder to create a healthier culture without everyone buying in.

Margaret Spence, president of Douglas Claims and Risk Consultants, said employers would benefit from being more blunt about diversity efforts.

“To create a different environment, we have to be willing to acknowledge that we’re making them uncomfortable,” she said. “They’re afraid to say, ‘I know you’ve been used to this norm, but that norm wasn’t okay, and this is why we’re going in this direction.’ ”

Twaronite emphasized that boosting women and minorities is an economically smart move. Companies can better avoid group think, and studies have shown more diversity can boost a firm’s bottom line.

“The business benefits are really clear,” she said. “If you have more diverse and inclusive teams, they’re more accurate, they perform better and they’re more innovative.”

(The Washington Post)

The post White men rule the business world. They still feel left out at work. appeared first on News India Times.

The South Asia Institute at Harvard University has changed its name after a windfall from Indian-origin steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. He and his family’s Mittal Foundation announced a $25 million gift to establish an endowed fund for the Institute which will now be called the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute, the university announced Oct. 11.

Over the last ten years or more, the Institute has funded faculty and student research and built a network of South Asia specialists and a better understanding of the region and its challenges, and just this year, Harvard as a whole offered some 143 South Asia-related courses, the university said in a press release.

“International centers like the South Asia Institute at Harvard University serve as a vital conduit between the University and the world we study,” Harvard President Drew Faust is quoted saying in the press release. “The generous support from the Mittal family is a testament to both the important work being done by this community of scholars and students and the continuing impact it will have in the region.”

Mittal, chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel company, said, “South Asia has played a dynamic and influential role in the development of our world since the very first civilizations. Ensuring that we fully understand its history and unique dynamics is a critical enabler in helping to shape a successful future.”

“As someone who was born in India, the long-term prosperity of India and its neighboring countries matters a great deal to me and my family,” Mittal added, crediting Harvard with being one of the world’s “greatest” learning institutions.

Founded in 2003, the South Asia Initiative became a University-wide interdisciplinary institute in 2010 under the leadership of its current faculty director, Tarun Khanna, the Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at Harvard Business School. Khanna thanked the Mittal Foundation and said the additional monies will enable expansion of ongoing work relating to South Asia.

The Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute covers Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as well as diaspora populations from these countries, including Indian-Americans. It currently engages more than 250 faculty from a variety of disciplines across Harvard and peer institutions; provides annual funding for more than 50 students to participate in research, internships, and immersive language study; supports postdoctoral fellowships; hosts visiting artists at Harvard; sponsors lectures, conferences, and leadership training in the region and on campus; and works with government, academic, and civil society organizations in-region, especially through its local offices in India and Pakistan, the press release said.

The post Harvard’s South Asia connection gets $25 M infusion from steel czar appeared first on News India Times.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington DC chapter of Pratham USA, a four-star rated charity that provides quality education to underprivileged Indian children, hosted their annual gala on September 30 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, VA.

The event, which was attended by more than 360 guests, raised $275,000 to combat childhood illiteracy. The gala marks a successful year for the DC chapter, which has raised over $500,000 so far.

Actor, writer and filmmaker R. Madhavan made an impassioned plea with his keynote address underscoring the importance of tangible results when giving back.

“Pratham is doing an extraordinary job in making a huge difference in the lives of people, especially children and women, in India,” Madhavan said.

The organization’s low-cost education programs provide scalable and effective solutions for improving children’s reading and math skills.

The crowd was visibly moved by Nisha Sisodiya, a young woman from Rajasthan, who bravely told her story of how she overcame an abusive marriage to become a successful entrepreneur after discovering Pratham’s vocational program. Pratham provided her seed funding and mentorship to be able to launch her own beauty salon where she provides livelihood for other women in the community.

Rousing performances by South Asian a cappella group Penn Masala and songwriter Vasuda Sharma added to the energy in the room.

“From the beginning to the end, the evening was electrifying,” said Chapter President Chethan Rao. “We welcomed so many guests and successfully highlighted Pratham’s achievements. This year marks an important moment for our growing chapter, and it’s a testament to our strong community in the DC metro area and our collective support for the great work Pratham is doing.”

The event’s success would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of the gala committee, chaired by Advisory Board member Alpa Bhungalia; the Pratham DC Board; and the generosity of event sponsors including Casepoint, Harmonia, NETE, Murthy Law Firm, Lancesoft, Gates Foundation, PWC, Newmark Knight Frank, VTECH Solutions, Octo Consulting, and Axar Hotels and OMM who collectively contributed over $200,000 for the benefit of Pratham.

Established in the slums of Mumbai in 1995, Pratham is now one of India’s largest non-governmental education organizations, having affected the lives of more than 50 million underprivileged children in the past two decades. To achieve its mission of “every child in school and learning well,” Pratham develops practical solutions to address gaps in the education system and works in collaboration with India’s governments, communities, educators and industry to increase learning outcomes and influence education policy.

The post Pratham raises $275,000 at gala in Virginia appeared first on News India Times.

NEW YORK – The Interfaith Institute of the Islamic Center of Long Island (ICLI) presented its second annual award to Prof. Diana Eck of Harvard University for her seminal work in the field of religious pluralism. It also acknowledged her contributions to the religious dimensions of America’s new immigrants; in particular, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and Zoroastrian communities.

An elite audience representing different faiths attended the event at the Islamic Center in Westbury, New York, October 1. Dr. Eck is a noted writer and professor of comparative religion and Indian studies, and director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University. She is also faculty dean of Lowell House at Harvard.

Dr. Eck, author of ‘A New Religious America: How a “Christian Country” Has Become the World’s Most Religiously Diverse Nation,’ spoke about building bridges between communities and creating an infrastructure to facilitate that. She spoke with dismay about the anti-Semitic march in her ancestral home of Sweden and the anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic movements in the US and pointed out the linkages between them.

She praised the role of ICLI, which has grown as a model Islamic center, reaching out to the other communities in the area and also for its work as an interfaith center.

Just like the city needs an infrastructure, people need a cultural network to build bridges between them, especially when diversity has become the hallmark of the country, she said.

The immigration bill signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 opened the doors for immigration from all lands, she noted. It resulted in the religious diversity we see now, she added

“The Bill of Rights guarantees religious freedom to all in America. In his inaugural address back in 2009, President Barack Obama correctly said that ‘we are a country of Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, believers and non-believers,” she said. “Who are we? How are we coping with the new religious diversity? Different religious traditions are like rivers flowing through the land.

She added: “America is changing, though more than 80 percent of the population is still Christian. We have to accept the new realities. We see the turban-wearing Sikh man and the bindi-wearing Hindu woman on the streets.”

The change in demographics has affected governing too. The Seattle Airport has an evergreen Christmas tree, which is too religious. The Army has no place for worship for the Wiccas in its rank and file. There was also the issue of the Somali taxi drivers who refused to pick up gay people from Minneapolis Airport, she pointed out.

“Some people, not me, worry that the white population might become a minority. Car companies like Ford Motors have a global workforce with people from different faiths. These are the realities and we cannot escape from it,” she noted.

Dr. Faroque Ahmed Khan, board of trustee chair of the Interfaith Institute, noted how his father spoke highly of the Jewish hosts who took care of him when he was a student at Harvard. Years later, when Dr. Khan settled in New York, there were no Jews nearby. When he inquired about it, he was told that Jews were not welcome in the area, which was a shock for him.

Khan started his speech introducing his wife, saying he had heard rumors that she plans to retire next year from the Long Island Jewish Hospital after working there for 50 years. The room resounded with laughter.

He said anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim propaganda and threats were the reason that the interfaith institute was launched, as a response.

He quoted an Imam who had said earlier that children are born with no prejudices but they are made to acquire them. We are not here to preach, but to interact. We get inspiration from the holy books, which instruct us to translate life to service. Within Islamic faith, interfaith relations are highly respected. You may not despise one another, the Koran says, he noted.

Dr. Isma Chaudhry, president of the ICLI, described the work of the center and the institute for promoting better relations with different communities.

Dr. Qamar Zaman, chair of the board of trustees of ICLI, said technology had brought the world closer. However, 9/11 changed everything. Muslims became the target of attacks, both physical and verbal. It created an opportunity too, as more people started to learn about Islam.

He lamented that religion these days is interpreted by fundamentalists. They have done much harm to all. Let us work for a world of love without anti-Semitism or Islamophobia, he said.

Rev. Thomas W Goodhue described the start of the program ‘Know your Neighbors.’ It helped people to not only know each other but also learn from each other.

Jean Kelley, executive director of Interfaith Nutrition Network, Long Island, spoke about an incident when she worked in a soup kitchen. Two women belonging to two different sects of Christianity came for the food without knowing each other’s religion. They feared the other group till they met. She underscored the need to love others irrespective of their religious affiliation.

Farooq Kathwari, co-chair of the Muslim Jewish Advisory Council, spoke about his rise as chair, president and CEO of Ethen Allen Interiors, a company started by Jews. He also spoke about the continuing work for interfaith relations.

Dr. Unni Mooppan, trustee board member of the Interfaith Institute, and ICLI, noted that 54.5 percent of the world’s population follows Abrahamic faiths and the rest the other faiths. He emphasized the need for understanding and cooperation between the followers of various faiths. “You would not have come here if you don’t believe in interfaith relations,” he said.

He introduced some of the guests who were among the audience: Mr. Satnam Singh Parhar (past president of Indian Association of Long Island, and chairman of the SBN Singh Cultural Association), Bala Ramanathan and his wife Dr. Rohini Ramanathan, a corporate trainer, classical music vocalist and the secretary of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin), Dr. Harsha Reddy representing the Buddhists, Joeph Kadapuram and Jacob Manuel (Kairali TV ), Dr. Harshad Bhatt and Niranjan Patel, representing BAPS mandir of Melville,  L.I.), Leela Maret, president of the Women’s Forum of FOKANA and representing India Catholic Association, Dr. Teresa  Antony,  a retired professor, and E.M. Stephen and Thambi Thalappillil, representing Kerala Center.

Dr. Harshad Bhatt spoke about BAPS mandir and the concept of understanding between various faiths. Dr. Rohini Ramanathan gave a beautiful rendition of a Sanskrit Shloka from Upanishads and its English translation, which is relevant to people of any faith.

Seema Rahman was the emcee.

The post Interfaith Institute of Islamic Center honors Harvard Prof. Diana Eck appeared first on News India Times.

The Washington Post national NBA writer Tim Bontemps surveyed the NBA and ranked his top 100 players according to their overall talent level heading into the new season. See how they stack up.

1. LeBron James

Small Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers

Entering his 15th NBA season, James remains the game’s undisputed top player. With Kyrie Irving now in Boston, Isaiah Thomas out until at least January and both James Harden and Russell Westbrook getting star sidekicks this summer, everything has lined up perfectly for him to be the favorite to land his fifth most valuable player award. If he chooses to pursue it, that is.

2. Kevin Durant

Small Forward, Golden State Warriors

Durant proved all his doubters wrong last year, as he made good on his move to Golden State by leading the Warriors to a championship and winning Finals MVP. Now he’ll look to do both again, and build on what looks like it could be the NBA’s next dynasty.

3. Kawhi Leonard

Small Forward, San Antonio Spurs

Looking at San Antonio’s roster, it’s natural to wonder if this is the year things will finally begin to slip for the Spurs. If they don’t, it will be Leonard – even more than Coach Gregg Popovich – that keeps them among the NBA’s elite.

4. Stephen Curry

Point Guard, Golden State Warriors

At times last season, people wondered what was “wrong” with Curry as he adjusted to his new superstar teammate. Truth is, nothing was wrong – he had basically the same season he did two years ago, when he won his first MVP award. He remains an offensive force.

5. Russell Westbrook

Point Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder didn’t make a deep playoff run last year, but Westbrook’s successful chase for a season-long triple-double was the story of the season. Winning the league’s MVP award was just icing. Now, with Paul George and Carmelo Anthony at his side, he won’t need to go it alone. But he still remains one of the league’s most explosive guards.

6. James Harden

Shooting Guard, Houston Rockets

The combination of Harden and Coach Mike D’Antoni worked wonders in Houston last year, lifting the Rockets back into the upper echelon of the Western Conference and keeping Harden in the thick of the MVP conversation. The arrival of Chris Paul could hamper his stats, as could the rule changes to limit three-shot fouls, but he still will be an offensive juggernaut in D’Antoni’s system.

7. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Small Forward, Milwaukee Bucks

The Greek Freak continues to evolve, and officially leaped into superstar status last season with an electric year – including a dominant showing in the All-Star Game in his first appearance. Now, with another year under his belt, Antetokounmpo has a chance to be in the MVP conversation if he can lift the Bucks into the top half of the weak Eastern Conference.

8. Anthony Davis

Power Forward, New Orleans Pelicans

Davis continues to be outstanding while toiling in the near-obscurity that comes with playing in New Orleans. If he and DeMarcus Cousins can’t combine to lift the Pelicans into the playoffs, it’s hard to see how Davis will be in the Big Easy for the long haul.

9. Jimmy Butler

Small Forward, Minnesota Timberwolves

Butler was the first big domino to fall of the offseason, getting traded to Minnesota to reunite with Tom Thibodeau and lead the Timberwolves to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.

10. Karl-Anthony Towns

Center, Minnesota Timberwolves

Towns is only entering his third season, but already has the tools to be considered the league’s most well-rounded center. If he can wield those tools consistently, the Timberwolves will take a big leap and he will move even higher up this list next season.

11. Draymond Green

Power Forward, Golden State Warriors

The ultimate glue guy, Green manages to make a massive impact on any game even while rarely scoring more than 10 or 12 points. He should remain one of the league’s elite defensive players for the foreseeable future.

12. Chris Paul

Point Guard, Houston Rockets

After spending his prime with the Clippers – and failing to advance past the second round of the playoffs – Paul engineered a trade to Houston to pair with James Harden and hopefully advance deeper this year. His fit with Coach Mike D’Antoni could prove complicated, but he and Harden should be a devastating pairing once they figure it out.

13. John Wall

Point Guard, Washington Wizards

There were doubts about Wall entering last season after he underwent surgery on both knees the previous summer. All he did was make his first all-NBA team and lead the Wizards to the second round for the third time in four years. Washington should get at least that far, if not farther, this season.

14. Klay Thompson

Shooting Guard, Golden State Warriors

On a team with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, it’s easy to lose track of Thompson and his understated presence and game. But having the second-best shooter in the league – who also is an excellent defender – makes him the ultimate fit next to Curry in Golden State’s backcourt.

15. Paul George

Small Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder

George has long been one of the NBA’s best two-way players as the leading man in Indiana. Now that he’s teamed up with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, will he continue to be the same level of offensive dynamo, or will he take a slight step back – for the betterment of the team – to ramp up his defense even further?

16. DeMarcus Cousins

Center, New Orleans Pelicans

After years of toiling in Sacramento on a dysfunctional team that never won, Cousins now finds himself with another dysfunctional franchise in New Orleans. The difference: he’s playing alongside a top-10 player in Anthony Davis. He will also spend the season with speculation about his future – he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

17. Gordon Hayward

Small Forward, Boston Celtics

Hayward blossomed into an all-star last season in Utah, helping lead the Jazz to the second round of the playoffs. He then left in the offseason as a free agent to reunite with his college coach, Brad Stevens, on the Celtics. How he adjusts to the dramatically different spotlight on him in Boston will be interesting.

18. Rudy Gobert

Center, Utah Jazz

Gobert is in the mix with Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green for best defensive player in the league. The Stifle Tower will need to at least replicate his performance from last year – if not exceed it – if the Jazz are going to make up for the loss of Gordon Hayward and remain a playoff team this season.

19. Marc Gasol

Center, Memphis Grizzlies

At the peak of the “Grit ‘N’ Grind” era in Memphis, Gasol was a bruising, skilled big and defensive anchor. Now, under Coach David Fizdale, he’s toned his body and stretched his jump shot beyond the three-point arc. If he remains healthy, his game should continue to age extremely well because of his well-rounded skillset and extremely high basketball IQ.

20. Kyle Lowry

Point Guard, Toronto Raptors

Lowry went into last season expecting to receive a five-year max contract worth around $200 million. Instead, he got a three-year deal worth half that amount. As he moves into his 30s, can he remain one of the NBA’s elite point guards, or will his game begin to decline?

21. Paul Millsap

Power Forward, Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets signed Millsap to one of the best contracts of the summer, getting him on a three-year deal for $90 million with a team option for the third year. In doing so, they filled their power forward spot next to Nikola Jokic with the perfect player to pair with their exciting young center.

22. Blake Griffin

Power Forward, Los Angeles Clippers

Heading into the preseason, there were questions about how limited Griffin would be due to offseason toe surgery. But he’s shown no limitations so far, and the Clippers will need him to be healthy and productive all season long – something he hasn’t done in three years – for the Clippers to remain among the West’s elite.

23. Mike Conley

Point Guard, Memphis Grizzlies

Conley just continues to improve, even as he moves into his second decade in the NBA. If he and Marc Gasol can stay healthy, the Grizzlies may be able to defy the odds and make the playoffs once again, even in the stacked Western Conference. But arguably no two players in the league have a heavier burden on their shoulders than those two.

24. Damian Lillard

Point Guard, Portland Trail Blazers

Lillard is constantly underappreciated and overlooked, thanks to playing in Portland for a Trail Blazers team that’s been on the fringes of contention since he got there. They’ve never actually achieved it, though. Given how stacked with stars the Western Conference is, he could once again find himself on the outside looking in when the all-star teams are announced.

25. DeAndre Jordan

Center, Los Angeles Clippers

Jordan’s defense may not be quite as good as the general consensus about him, but his offense is better than the general consensus about him, making this ranking just about right. The curious thing will be how Jordan is able to stay effective as an offensive player with his favorite lob partner and fellow insurance pitch man, Chris Paul, now plying his trade in Houston.

26. Nikola Jokic

Center, Denver Nuggets

Jokic enters this season – probably for the last time – as the most enjoyable player to watch that casual fans probably don’t know. A wonderful offensive player in every way (including one of the very best passers in the entire league, despite being a center), the question now is whether Jokic can become decent enough defensively to become a true star.

27. Kyrie Irving

Point Guard, Boston Celtics

By demanding a trade this summer to leave LeBron James, Irving declared to the world that he wants to be the man for a team. And, by trading for him, the Celtics have stated he can be that guy for them. There is no player with more pressure on him entering this season, and it will be fascinating to see if Irving embraces that, or instead is swallowed up by it.

28. Isaiah Thomas

Point Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers

After one of the great offensive seasons in league history – let alone from someone well under 6-feet tall – Thomas will now miss the first couple months, at least, recovering from a hip injury. How he plays when he comes back will not only have an impact on Cleveland’s title chances, but also will determine what his market is in unrestricted free agency next summer.

29. Al Horford

Center, Boston Celtics

Horford may not be the kind of player that moves the needle for fans, but his ability to be above average at every facet of the game makes him an extremely valuable player – particularly at center, a place where teams are struggling to find adequate two-way players. His decision to go to Boston also set up the moves the Celtics have made over the past 18 months.

30. Bradley Beal

Shooting Guard, Washington Wizards

When the Wizards chose to sign Beal to a five-year contract extension last summer, many questioned whether the deal would work out for them. It only took one season for those doubters to be proven wrong. Now, the goal for Beal is to make the all-star team in the East – and, as it stands now, that’s a goal he should attain if he stays healthy.

31. DeMar DeRozan

Shooting Guard, Toronto Raptors

It’s remarkable how DeRozan went from a player once deemed as unworthy of a four-year, $40 million contract extension a few years ago to one that’s made multiple all-star teams and was an all-NBA selection last season. The one thing he’s never been able to do, though, is add a three-point shot. If he somehow finds range this year, he could take yet another jump up this list.

32. Kevin Love

Power Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers

Love has settled into a complementary role next to LeBron James, and now should be the team’s second scoring option with Kyrie Irving in Boston – that is, until Isaiah Thomas gets healthy. Playing Love at center, as Cleveland seems to be leaning toward doing full-time, could cause defensive issues, but should turn Love into an offensive juggernaut.

33. C.J. McCollum

Shooting Guard, Portland Trail Blazers

The partnership between Damian Lillard and McCollum has given Portland one of the NBA’s best backcourts. But for as good as they are together offensively, their combined defensive issues leave the Trail Blazers with an intriguing question if the team doesn’t take a step forward this season: Can this tandem work long-term? In the short-term, though, it’ll be awfully fun to watch them continue to tear up opposing defenses.

34. Andre Drummond

Center, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons looked like a team on the rise 18 months ago, with their talented young center as the hub. But after a disappointing season for both the team and Drummond, this year could determine the future for both parties.

35. Carmelo Anthony

Power Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder

No, Anthony isn’t the same superstar-level player he once was. But at 33, he remains an elite scoring option, and now playing alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George in Oklahoma City, he has the chance to be far more efficient this year than he was when forced to be a first option.

36. Kristaps Porzingis

Power Forward, New York Knicks

With Carmelo Anthony now in Oklahoma City, Porzingis is the face of the Knicks. There’s little doubt the Knicks will do everything they can to try to put what was a rough few months for them and their young star behind them, but how will he receive that? And, more importantly, how will he handle all of the attention that’s coming to him now that Anthony is gone?

37. LaMarcus Aldridge

Center, San Antonio Spurs

Aldridge and the Spurs are now entering the third season of what’s become an uneasy partnership between the talented scoring big man and the league’s most buttoned-up franchise. Guys like Aldridge are basically players from another era in today’s NBA, and how he adjusts to playing center full-time is the latest possible flashpoint here.

38. Kemba Walker

Point Guard, Charlotte Hornets

Since arriving in the NBA, Walker has kept improving, overcoming his lack of size to become the leader of the Hornets. But despite a terrific season a year ago, and his first all-star appearance, Charlotte missed the playoffs. Now he’ll try to both match that performance from last season and turn the Hornets back into something like the 48-win team they were two seasons ago.

39. Eric Bledsoe

Point Guard, Phoenix Suns

It seemed like the Suns might trade Bledsoe when they shut him down for the final few weeks of last season. Instead, Bledsoe is once again back in Phoenix, and with a young team that’s seemingly going nowhere soon, he’ll remain one of the most speculated players about a potential trade throughout this season.

40. Khris Middleton

Shooting Guard, Milwaukee Bucks

Entering last season, Middleton seemed like he’d miss the entire year after a bad hamstring injury suffered during the preseason. Instead, he came back around the all-star break and became a big piece of Milwaukee’s push to the playoffs and competitive first round series with Toronto. With a full summer of good health and work on his game, can he take another step forward this season?

41. Avery Bradley

Shooting Guard, Detroit Pistons

Bradley was traded by Boston as part of some salary cap maneuvering to sign Gordon Hayward this summer. Detroit brought him in to replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who the team let walk after not offering him a long-term contract. Now Bradley, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, will get a chance to both earn himself a big check and try to reset a Pistons team that desperately needs it.

42. Dwight Howard

Center, Charlotte Hornets

The issues with Howard are well documented. But those personality issues have overshadowed the fact that he remains an effective player – particularly for a Charlotte team that can pair him with Cody Zeller for 48 minutes of quality center play. The lack of that after Zeller’s injury prevented Charlotte from making the playoffs.

43. Jrue Holiday

Point Guard, New Orleans Pelicans

After needing to miss part of the regular season last year because of a medical issue involving his wife, Holiday came back and played quite well, eventually earning himself a large contract to re-sign with New Orleans. Now he, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins will try to change the narrative around the Pelicans and get them back into the playoffs.

44. Brook Lopez

Center, Los Angeles Lakers

Lopez has toiled in relative obscurity during his career in Brooklyn, but that will no longer be the case after being dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. Now a year from free agency, Lopez will need to stay healthy in order to try to land another big contract when he hits the open market.

45. Andre Iguodala

Small Forward, Golden State Warriors

Despite some hard bargaining on his part, Iguodala is back with Golden State on a three-year, $48 million deal that he signed on the opening day of free agency this summer. And while he isn’t a player that logs high minutes anymore, he showed in the playoffs that he’s still capable of being hugely effective when it matters most.

46. Harrison Barnes

Power Forward, Dallas Mavericks

Barnes came to Dallas last season needing to prove to people he was more than a bit part of Golden State’s run to dominance the prior two years. And, to his credit, he did that, largely living up to the max contract he was given by the Mavericks and showing improvement in many facets of his game. As the Mavericks continue to rebuild, however, they’ll be hoping he can keep growing.

47. Otto Porter

Small Forward, Washington Wizards

By deciding to re-sign Porter after he received a max contract in free agency, Washington committed to paying the luxury tax for the first time under owner Ted Leonsis. Porter needs to return the favor by continuing to improve upon the career year he had last season, when he shot over 43 percent from three-point range.

48. Goran Dragic

Point Guard, Miami Heat

With the “your turn, my turn” era leaving with Dwyane Wade last year, Dragic again began to look more like the player he was in Phoenix. Now, as the Heat have committed to the core of the team that went 31-10 in the second half of last season, Miami will be hoping he can perform at an all-star level this season.

49. Eric Gordon

Shooting Guard, Houston Rockets

Gordon’s signing last summer was questioned after his myriad injuries in New Orleans. But he found a new lease on life in Houston, returning to the kind of explosive scoring option he was earlier in his career and making the four-year, $52 million deal he signed look like a bargain. He’ll be in a similar role this season, as he slots in behind James Harden and Chris Paul in Houston’s high-octane offense under Mike D’Antoni.

50. Danilo Gallinari

Small Forward, Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers decided to remake their team after trading Chris Paul just before free agency by signing Gallinari to play next to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in their frontcourt. There are questions here – specifically the fit next to Griffin, given both are better as power forwards, and their respective injury issues – but there’s no questioning Gallinari’s ability to be an impact player when he’s available.

51. Nicolas Batum

Shooting Guard, Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets took a hit this preseason when it was announced Batum would miss 8-12 weeks after tearing a ligament in his elbow. When he returns, Charlotte will be hoping he can help ease the burden on Kemba Walker to be the hub of Charlotte’s entire offensive output.

52. Danny Green

Shooting Guard, San Antonio Spurs

Green is one of the elite “3-and-D” players in the league, and with Kawhi Leonard limited in camp and Tony Parker still rehabbing from offseason surgery, the Spurs will certainly need his shooting to be ready to go right from the start of the season.

53. Andrew Wiggins

Shooting Guard, Minnesota Timberwolves

There are few players in the NBA more divisive than Wiggins. For some, he’s a budding star, a 20-point scorer with loads of athleticism and room to grow. For others, he’s an empty calories player, one who puts up hollow stats that don’t contribute to winning teams. With the addition of Jimmy Butler to the core of Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, this is the time – as he moves toward signing a contract extension – for Wiggins to show which side of that argument is right.

54. Jae Crowder

Small Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers

Crowder should be a very nice fit in Cleveland, slotting next to LeBron James to provide another solid shooter and defender who can take on an opposing wing player instead of The King. His presence will do something that the Cavaliers couldn’t do last year – allow James to not have to defend someone like Kevin Durant for 48 minutes in a playoff series. It may not be enough to swing that series Cleveland’s way, but it is an important role that the Cavaliers have now managed to fill.

55. George Hill

Point Guard, Sacramento Kings

Hill has long been one of the more underrated guards in the league, thanks to his understated game and his ability to both play on and off the ball, shoot well from distance and defend either spot. Now he’s been brought to Sacramento to mentor De’Aaron Fox – which could potentially make him a trade candidate later this season if Fox begins to look like he’s ready to take over the team.

56. Serge Ibaka

Power Forward, Toronto Raptors

Ibaka re-signed for three years in Toronto, joining up with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to try to keep the best era in Raptors history going for a couple more years. The interesting question to ponder is whether Ibaka will play primarily as a center, or if he’ll line up more often than not next to Jonas Valanciunas.

57. Ricky Rubio

Point Guard, Utah Jazz

Utah decided to replace George Hill with Rubio, a move that will likely mean the Jazz are a very different team this season. Unlike Hill, Rubio is an iffy shooter who thrives with the ball in his hands, which should require some changes in Coach Quin Snyder’s preferred system. But Rubio is a gifted passer, and he’s also a much better defender than many give him credit for.

58. Steven Adams

Center, Oklahoma City Thunder

Adams looked like a budding star with the way he pushed around both the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference playoffs in 2016, but he took a step back last season. Now with Paul George and Carmelo Anthony on the roster, will he continue to stay in the background, or return to the brute form he showed in the postseason two years ago?

59. Jeff Teague

Point Guard, Minnesota Timberwolves

Tom Thibodeau seemed set on replacing Ricky Rubio for most of last season, and quickly did so at the start of free agency by trading Rubio to Utah and then signing Teague. With Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins on the roster it’s unclear how often Teague will have the ball in his hands, but as Thibodeau’s hand-picked point guard, he should play plenty of minutes and have a big role.

60. Hassan Whiteside

Center, Miami Heat

Whiteside still remains a controversial player within the NBA. He puts up big numbers, and did so again last season, but questions remain about if he can be a reliable long-term fit for a team trying to win. If he can prove it this year in a weakened East, perhaps the all-star bid he’s previously sought will be within his grasp.

61. Clint Capela

Center, Houston Rockets

A perfect fit for the modern NBA, Capela is the defensive anchor of a Houston team that desperately needs one. Now paired with Chris Paul and James Harden, Capela should be the recipient of plenty of lobs at the rim for easy dunks, and if he can improve his free throw shooting even slightly, he’ll quickly turn himself into a really valuable player.

62. Trevor Ariza

Small Forward, Houston Rockets

Even as he hits his mid-30s, Ariza remains the model “3-and-D” guy in the NBA. It will be interesting to see if he can hold up once again under the strain of having to make up for the defensive lapses of those around him on the perimeter in Houston.

63. Derrick Favors

Power Forward, Utah Jazz

Favors dropped a long way from last season not because of anything to do with his game, but due to a seemingly never-ending series of injuries. If Favors can stay on the court for a full season, he’ll both set himself up for a fat contract next summer as a free agent and potentially bounce back up the list again.

64. Myles Turner

Center, Indiana Pacers

With Paul George now in Oklahoma City, the Pacers are officially Turner’s team. As the definition of a stretch-five in the modern NBA, Turner has a chance to become an elite player at both ends of the court. How quickly that happens – if it does at all – will likely determine how long Indiana’s rebuild takes.

65. Patrick Beverley

Point Guard, Los Angeles Clippers

While any team would be happy to land Chris Paul, losing Beverley is a blow for the Rockets, who benefitted greatly from both his cheap contract and his ability to be a perfect fit next to James Harden as a guy who could guard the opposition’s best perimeter player while also spacing the floor. It will be interesting to see what his role becomes with a Clippers team that has several varied options in the backcourt, as well as a star in Blake Griffin who likely will pick up some of the facilitating role Paul vacated when he left for Houston.

66. Gary Harris

Shooting Guard, Denver Nuggets

An up-and-coming young player that is still gathering attention, Harris is both a good defensive player and capable of shooting 40 percent from three-point range at shooting guard, making him highly valuable. The Nuggets look like a team primed to break back into the playoffs for the first time in five years, and Harris is a big reason why. Hence his new four-year contract.

67. Devin Booker

Shooting Guard, Phoenix Suns

Booker burst onto the scene in a big way last year by scoring 70 points in a loss to the Boston Celtics, and remains one of the most intriguing young talents in the league – especially when he enters his third season at 20 (he turns 21 on Oct. 30). Booker has become the face of the franchise in Phoenix, but now the Suns have to figure out the pieces to properly build around him.

68. Joel Embiid

Center, Philadlelphia 76ers

There is no more polarizing pick on this list than Embiid. When he’s healthy, he’s clearly a guy who should be at least 30-40 spots higher. But he’s only played 31 games over his three NBA seasons – all last year. He enters this season as one of the most compelling players in the league, both to see if he can stay healthy and if he can play up to the massive contract extension he was just handed.

69. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Shooting Guard, Los Angeles Lakers

Caldwell-Pope’s departure from Detroit this summer came as a surprise, but he found a nice landing spot in Los Angeles. The Lakers could use a defensive presence next to rookie Lonzo Ball, and if Caldwell-Pope can turn his pretty-looking jump shot into proven production this season, he should cash in next summer as a free agent.

70. Taj Gibson

Power Forward, Minnesota Timberwolves

Like Jimmy Butler, Gibson was brought in by his former coach in Chicago, Tom Thibodeau, to teach the young players on the Timberwolves – most notably Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins – the right way to do things. But Gibson is still a quality player, and should help shore up what was a surprisingly bad defense under Thibodeau last season.

71. Tristan Thompson

Center, Cleveland Cavaliers

A stalwart in Cleveland the past several years, Thompson appears headed for a bench role this season. That being said, he’s still going to be a very important part of what the Cavaliers do, considering he’s one of the few players on the team who is actually capable of being a factor defensively.

72. Dirk Nowitzki

Center, Dallas Mavericks

Even entering his 20th NBA season, Nowitzki remains one of the most effective floor spacers in the league. Now playing most of his minutes at center, he remains a big defensive liability. But that ability to space the floor is a big reason why the Mavericks have remained a quality offensive team even as they’ve struggled to be a mediocre one overall in Nowitzki’s twilight years.

73. Cody Zeller

Center, Charlotte Hornets

One of the more stunning statistics from last season was Charlotte’s success with Zeller (33-29) and lack of it without him (3-17). The addition of Dwight Howard will relegate him to a sixth man role this season, but that should make him one of the league’s elite bench bigs.

74. Lou Williams

Shooting Guard, Los Angeles Clippers

Williams has become the prototypical offensive dynamo off the bench over the past few seasons, including winning a sixth man of the year award. It looks like he’ll fill a similar role now that he’s landed with the Los Angeles Clippers, and it’ll be a critical one for a team that will need someone to give it a boost off the bench.

75. Jusuf Nurkic

Center, Portland Trail Blazers

After trading for Nurkic late last season, Portland looked like world-beaters down the stretch. If he can remain that kind of impact player for a full 82-game season, he’ll be paid handsomely next summer. Portland may have found a way to move itself into a new level of contender status in the West. That, however, remains a very big question mark.

76. Robert Covington

Small Forward, Philadlelphia 76ers

Covington is one of the lasting success stories from Sam Hinkie’s era in Philadelphia, and has developed into an elite role player on the wing. He should play big minutes this season for the 76ers, and should remain part of the plan in Philadelphia for years to come.

77. Wilson Chandler

Small Forward, Denver Nuggets

On a roster full of young players, Chandler – along with Paul Millsap – is going to be leaned on by Coach Mike Malone to help provide veteran leadership and a steadying influence. Chandler has every reason to buy into that plan, too, as unrestricted free agency beckons next summer.

78. Malcolm Brogdon

Point Guard, Milwaukee Bucks

One of the biggest surprises in the NBA last season was Brogdon developing from a second round pick into the rookie of the year. For an encore, he’ll be hoping to continue to grow into a core around Giannis Antetokounmpo and lift the Bucks to another level in the Eastern Conference hierarchy.

79. Tobias Harris

Power Forward, Detroit Pistons

A combo forward with the ability to create his own shot and knock down threes, Harris is a useful player. But he’s also, at this point, flattened out as that kind of player despite taking strides forward in his early 20s. Now that he’s 25 years old, it seems like if there’s a breakout season in Harris’s future, it will have to come soon – or not at all.

80. J.J. Redick

Shooting Guard, Philadlelphia 76ers

The Sixers made a point of bringing in Redick on a bloated one-year contract this summer – a move that made sense for both sides. Redick provides the kind of floor spacing the Sixers need around players such as Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and for a roster full of young talent he’s exactly the kind of veteran mentor this group could use.

81. Dwyane Wade

Shooting Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers

Wade has reunited with longtime friend LeBron James in Cleveland, but how well the second time around goes will likely determine on Wade’s willingness to accept his limitations. He’s still an effective player in several facets of the game, but his lack of shooting and defensive issues should make him a role player coming off the bench. Instead, he will start ahead of J.R. Smith.

82. Markieff Morris

Power Forward, Washington Wizards

With an assault trial now behind both he and his twin brother, Marcus, Markieff now must recover from sports hernia surgery that will knock him out for the first several weeks of the season. One of the biggest parts of Washington’s success last year was the stability of its starting lineup, so the Wizards will be hoping he can come back quickly and without incident.

83. Marcus Morris

Power Forward, Boston Celtics

With an assault trial now behind both he and his twin brother, Markieff, Marcus can settle into his starting power forward job with the Boston Celtics after arriving in a trade from Detroit this summer. On a team lacking in size, Morris will play a big role in Boston, and the Celtics will be hoping he can continue the form he showed in Detroit the past two seasons.

84. Dennis Schroder

Point Guard, Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have entered a full rebuild, leaving Schroder as the best player on the roster after Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard departed via free agency and trade, respectively. Schroder should put up big numbers this season by default, but it’s hard to see how that will translate into more wins when there is such a paucity of talent around him.

85. Reggie Jackson

Point Guard, Detroit Pistons

Two years ago, Jackson was a borderline all-star point guard and the Pistons looked like a team on the rise. Then last year, Jackson underwent preseason knee surgery and never looked right after coming back as the Pistons performed well under expectations. Now, similar to teammate Andre Drummond, he finds himself at a crossroads and entering a pivotal season to determine whether his time in Detroit will continue as the team’s starting point guard.

86. Rodney Hood

Shooting Guard, Utah Jazz

If the Jazz are going to survive the loss of Gordon Hayward, it’s going to be because Hood takes a step forward to become the wing scorer they now lack. His talent has never been in question, but his availability has been – he’s missed more than 20 games in two of his three seasons so far. That needs to change this season for him to climb up this list, and for the Jazz to remain a playoff team in the West.

87. Dion Waiters

Shooting Guard, Miami Heat

Waiters appeared to find a home in Miami after landing there on a small contract once his qualifying offer was pulled by the Oklahoma City Thunder the prior summer. After getting a four-year, $47 million deal to remain in South Florida as a free agent, he needs to prove his improved play last season wasn’t a fluke, and that he can be a key piece in Miami for the next few seasons.

88 Marcin Gortat

Center, Washington Wizards

Gortat has become a ruthlessly efficient partner to John Wall in the pick-and-roll in Washington while also being incredibly durable – he’s missed only eight games combined over the past four seasons. Even with Ian Mahinmi seemingly healthy after an injury-plagued first season with the Wizards, Gortat will still be relied upon.

89. Victor Oladipo

Shooting Guard, Indiana Pacers

Oladipo struggled playing next to Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, failing to take the kind of step forward some envisioned. Then he was dealt to Indiana as the key piece of the Paul George trade, and will theoretically become the team’s main offensive weapon on the wings. That should give him newfound confidence, but will he be up to the task of producing on that kind of level?

90. Jamal Murray

Point Guard, Denver Nuggets

Murray showed flashes of his potential as a rookie, and now seems to be in the lead for Denver’s starting point guard role this season. If he can hold off Emmanuel Mudiay for the job, Murray’s combination of shooting and playmaking has made him a piece Denver thinks can be an excellent long-term fit next to Nikola Jokic. Together, they could form the next contending Nuggets team.

91. Evan Fournier

Shooting Guard, Orlando Magic

When the Magic signed Fournier to a five-year, $85 million contract last summer, it seemed like a very solid deal. Then, as part of a miserable season on every level in Orlando, he saw his three-point percentage drop from 40 to 35.6 percent, and his game overall seemed to, at best, level off. Orlando will need Fournier to get back to where he was two years ago if the Magic hope to begin to reverse what now are several years of malaise.

92. Mason Plumlee

Center, Denver Nuggets

Plumlee is an interesting player. He’s a center who can handle the ball and pass, and he is athletic as a mobile defender. But he is incapable of shooting anywhere outside the paint, struggles at the free throw line and doesn’t block shots. That makes him an elite backup center because of the presence of Nikola Jokic, but Denver will be hoping to make the combination of Jokic and Plumlee work to allow them to get both of them on the court for more minutes.

93. James Johnson

Power Forward, Miami Heat

Johnson lost a ton of weight in his first season in Miami, and the results showed. The Heat rewarded him with a four-year contract and gave him a real home for the first time in his career. If he can replicate what he did last year, Johnson provides a unique skillset that every team wants in their power forward.

94. Joe Ingles

Small Forward, Utah Jazz

Ingles is a subtle player – the things he excels at don’t dramatically stand out. But what he does do well – move the ball, make the smart play, knock down open three-pointers and play solid defense – make him exceedingly valuable to winning basketball. That’s why Utah hung onto him this summer, and the Jazz will hope he can continue those things as they try to recover from losing Gordon Hayward in free agency.

95. Thaddeus Young

Power Forward, Indiana Pacers

It feels like Young has been around forever, but he’s still only 29 and has become a very solid, dependable option at power forward. If Indiana falls out of the playoff picture, he could be an intriguing trade chip for the Pacers to try to move for some future assets.

96. Julius Randle

Power Forward, Los Angeles Lakers

Randle finds himself in an interesting position. Held up as one of the faces of the Lakers the past couple of seasons, he now seems more likely than not to go elsewhere next summer as a free agent, assuming the team is able to be the kind of player in free agency it hopes to be. But Randle remains a player who has an interesting skillset, particularly as a ball-handler. It remains to be seen if he’s capable of taking the leap from becoming an average player to an above average one.

97. J.R. Smith

Shooting Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers

One of the league’s most enthusiastic gunners, Smith struggled last season after missing a bunch of time due to injury. Cleveland will be hoping he can bounce back this season and provide them some spacing that they’ll need with Kyrie Irving gone, Isaiah Thomas beginning the season on the injured list, and both Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade sucking up space as below-average shooters.

98. Patrick Patterson

Power Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder

For years now, Patterson has been one of the darlings of the analytics community. His ability to defend and stretch the floor as a big man made him vital to the Toronto Raptors the past few seasons, and he could make a similar impact on the Thunder this season. One area of concern, though: he didn’t look right last season after injuring his knee, and he’s still recovering from offseason knee surgery.

99. Ben Simmons

Power Forward, Philadlelphia 76ers

With last year’s foot injury behind him, Simmons spent the preseason looking like the kind of box score-stuffing player he was expected to be as a rookie. If he can stay healthy, he has so much talent in so many areas. He should work out for Philadelphia just fine in the long run.

100. Dennis Smith

Point Guard, Dallas Mavericks

Smith was expected to compete for the top spot in the draft, but wound up falling to the ninth pick for various reasons. There’s plenty of optimism about him in Dallas, however, and with management clearly trying to hand the team over to him right away, he has the potential to be an impact player even as a rookie.

(The Washington Post)

The post The Top 100 players for the 2017-18 NBA season appeared first on News India Times.

WASHINGTON – A woman who has said that U.S. President Donald Trump groped her during a 2007 meeting has subpoenaed his presidential campaign for any documents concerning similar allegations, according to a subpoena filed in New York State Supreme Court.

Summer Zervos, a former contestant on Trump’s reality TV show “The Apprentice,” sought all documents from his campaign pertaining to “any woman alleging that Donald J. Trump touched her inappropriately,” identifying nine by name, the subpoena said.

Trump has denied Zervos’ accusation in the past. On Monday, asked about the subpoena at an impromptu White House news conference, Trump called it “totally fake news.”

“It’s just fake. It’s fake. It’s made-up stuff, and it’s disgraceful, what happens, but that happens in the – that happens in the world of politics,” he said.

The Trump campaign did not immediately return a request for comment on the subpoena.

Last October, shortly before the Nov. 8 presidential election, Zervos held a news conference to say that Trump kissed her, touched her breast and tried to get her to lie down on a bed with him during a meeting about a possible job.

The accusation came a week after a 2005 video emerged showing the Republican candidate bragging about groping and making unwanted sexual advances.

While Trump said at the time the video was just talk and he had never behaved in that way, several women subsequently went public with allegations of sexual misconduct against the New York real estate magnate going back three decades. Trump denied all the allegations.

Zervos sued Trump for defamation in New York State Supreme Court after he denied her account of their meeting and accused her and other women of lying. The subpoena, part of that lawsuit, was served in March and entered into the court file in September.

Trump’s lawyers agreed to preserve the pertinent documents, but they are also trying to have the lawsuit dismissed or delayed.

“We served it simply to make sure that the documents get preserved,” Mariann Wang, one of Zervos’ lawyers, said in a phone interview on Monday.

BuzzFeed website first reported on the subpoena late on Sunday.

The post Woman accusing Trump of misconduct subpoenas presidential campaign appeared first on News India Times.

BOSTON – The top court in Massachusetts ruled against Yahoo on Monday by concluding that federal law does not bar it from providing the representatives of an deceased man’s estate access to his email account.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s decision marked a victory for two people who fought Yahoo for years after their brother’s death in 2006, seeking access to contents of his email account. A probate court still needs to decide whether Yahoo can refuse under its terms of service to provide access to the emails.

A lower-court judge had ruled that a 1986 federal law called the Stored Communications Act prohibited Yahoo from disclosing the emails to the siblings, who pursued the case in their capacity as representatives for John Ajemian’s estate.

But Justice Barbara Lenk wrote that the law, which regulated when service providers could disclose e-mails, did not prevent Yahoo from providing access to representatives of someone’s estate.

“Rather, it permits Yahoo to divulge the contents of the e-mail account where, as here, the personal representatives lawfully consent to disclosure on the decedent’s behalf,” Lenk wrote.

The ruling appeared to set a notable precedent governing what happens to email after someone dies. Trade groups including the Internet Association, whose members include Alphabet Inc unit Google and Facebook Inc, had urged the court to rule for Yahoo.

“There have been some other decisions on the periphery of the issue that are cited in the decision,” Robert Kirby, a lawyer for Ajemian’s siblings, said in an email. “But this is the first that addresses the issue squarely.”

Yahoo, now owned by Verizon Communications Inc, did not respond to requests for comment.

Ajemian died at age 43 in bicycle accident, leaving no will. He had opened the email account four years earlier.

His siblings Robert and Marianne Ajemian were named the personal representatives. They filed a complaint against Yahoo in probate court in 2009 after it declined to grant them access to the account’s contents, citing the 1986 law.

Yahoo also contented the terms of service governing the account separately allowed it to reject their request. In Monday’s ruling, the court sent the case back to the probate court for further proceedings on that question.

Chief Justice Ralph Gants partially dissented from the other five judges on that holding, saying the siblings “should not have to spend a penny more to obtain estate property in the possession of Yahoo that they need to administer the estate.”

The post Massachusetts court: Yahoo can give dead man’s emails to siblings appeared first on News India Times.

NEW YORK

Bollywood singer Richa Sharma performed for Shirdi Sai Dham, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, on October 15, at Nicholas Music Center, Rutgers University, NJ.

The concert was held to raise funds for the improvement of the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple located at 12 Perrine Road, Monmouth Junction, NJ.

The concert was a big hit and it was packed to its total capacity. Many distinguished guests also attended the concert and supported the good cause.

Sharma performed and sang all her hit songs and enthralled the audience. On many occasions, she danced a few steps with the public.

Shirdi Sai Dham was formed in 2003 to build the cultural and Sai Baba Center. The center and the temple was opened in 2015 on 12 acres of land. The center does many social and cultural programs to raise funds for the temple.

The post Richa Sharma performs for Shirdi Sai Dham fundraiser appeared first on News India Times.

NEW YORK

The Internet-based TV channel ‘Awesome TV’, founded by Ritesh Parikh and Nutan Kalamdani, celebrated its 3rd anniversary at Loveage Rooftop, in New York City.

The evening was marked in the style of a gala with sparkling décor, live music, dancing and entertainment. Indian artist Jashodhara Chatterjee, Latin performers like Fascination aka Mr. Boriqua Posse to a rapper Az Izz captivated the audience with their flavorful and varied music. A fascinating fire show and an LED wings performance by Ivanna Dudka was another high point of the event.

‘Team Appreciation Awards’ were presented to all the team members of Awesome TV.

“There are three kinds of people in this world – people who make it happen, people who watch what happens, and people who wonder what happened. Awesome TV and its team strive to make the best, go after the idea and make it happen,” said Kalamdani.

The highlight of the celebrations was the announcement of ‘Launch of digital only AWSM Radio, that’s slated to go on air by the fall of 2017. AWSM Radio will be coming to smart phones, tablets, laptops, PC, iOS and Android, according to a press release.

The post Awesome TV celebrates 3rd anniversary, in New York appeared first on News India Times.

A federal judge on Tuesday largely blocked the Trump administration from implementing the latest version of the president’s controversial travel ban, setting up yet another legal showdown on the extent of the executive branch’s powers when it comes to setting immigration policy.

The decision from Judge Derrick Watson in Hawaii is sure to be appealed, but for now, it means that the administration cannot restrict the entry of travelers from six of the eight countries that officials said were either unable or unwilling to provide information that the United States wanted to vet their citizens.

The latest ban was set to fully go into effect in the early morning hours of Wednesday, barring various types of travelers from Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Chad, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela. Watson’s order stops it, at least temporarily, with respect to all the countries except North Korea and Venezuela.

In a 40-page decision granting the state of Hawaii’s request for a temporary restraining order and blocking Trump’s order nationwide, Watson wrote that the latest ban “suffers from precisely the same maladies as its predecessor: it lacks sufficient findings that the entry of more than 150 million nationals from six specified countries would be ‘detrimental to the interests of the United States.'”

Watson also wrote that the executive order “plainly discriminates based on nationality” in a way that was opposed to federal law and “the founding principles of this Nation.”

The White House said in a statement that Watson’s “dangerously flawed” order “undercuts the President’s efforts to keep the American people safe and enforce minimum security standards for entry into the United States.”

“These restrictions are vital to ensuring that foreign nations comply with the minimum security standards required for the integrity of our immigration system and the security of our Nation,” the White House said. “We are therefore confident that the Judiciary will ultimately uphold the President’s lawful and necessary action and swiftly restore its vital protections for the safety of the American people.”

Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said the department would appeal in an “expeditious manner.”

“Today’s ruling is incorrect, fails to properly respect the separation of powers, and has the potential to cause serious negative consequences for our national security,” he said.

Opponents of the ban, though, hailed the judge’s ruling. Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin said, “Today is another victory for the rule of law. We stand ready to defend it.”

Omar Jadwat, who directs the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and was involved in a separate challenge to the ban in federal court in Maryland, said, “We’re glad, but not surprised, that President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional Muslim ban has been blocked once again.”

Trump had been blocked by courts from imposing his last two versions of the travel ban, but the ultimate question of whether he ever had the authority to do so remains somewhat murky.

The Supreme Court had been scheduled to hear arguments on his second travel ban, inked in March, which barred the entry of citizens from six Muslim majority countries and refugees from everywhere. But a key portion of that ban expired and Trump issued his latest ban before the hearing.

That prompted the justices to remove oral arguments from the calendar. They later dismissed one of the challenges to the March version of the ban.

Meanwhile, the State of Hawaii, the International Refugee Assistance Project and others who had sued over the March travel ban asked judges to block the new one in federal courts in Hawaii, Washington and Maryland. They argued that Trump had exceeded his legal authority to set immigration policy, and the latest measure – like the last two – fulfilled his unconstitutional campaign promise to implement a Muslim ban. As of Tuesday afternoon, the judges in Hawaii and Washington had yet to rule, though arguments in Washington are scheduled for Oct. 30.

“It exceeds the limits on the President’s exclusion authority that have been recognized for nearly a century, by supplanting Congress’s immigration policies with the President’s own unilateral and indefinite ban,” the challengers in Hawaii wrote of the new ban. “And it continues to effectuate the President’s unrepudiated promise to exclude Muslims from the United States.”

The state asked a judge to block the ban with respect to all the Muslim majority countries, though they did not challenge the measures imposed against Venezuela and North Korea.

Watson did not address whether the ban was constitutional; rather, he limited his analysis to whether Trump had exceeded the authority that Congress has given the president to impose restrictions on those wanting to enter the United States. Of particular concern, he said, were that officials seemed to treat someone’s nationality an indicator of the threat they pose – without providing evidence of a connection between the two.

“As discussed herein, because [the executive order’s] findings are inconsistent with and do not fit the restrictions that the order actually imposes, and because [the executive order] improperly uses nationality as a proxy for risk, Plaintiffs are likely to prevail on the merits of their statutory claims,” Watson wrote.

He added that the order did “not reveal why existing law is insufficient to address the President’s described concerns,” and it was internally flawed – for example, exempting Iraq from the banned list, even though that country had failed the U.S. government’s security assessment.

Legal analysts had said those challenging the latest travel ban would face an uphill battle. That was particularly because measure was only put into effect after an extensive process in which the United States negotiated with other countries for information, putting those on a banned list that could not or would not meet a baseline standard.

Such a process, legal analysts said, presumably would help the government defeat arguments that president had not made the appropriate findings to justify his order. The list of countries affected also was changed to include two countries that are not Muslim-majority – Venezuela and North Korea – potentially helping the government argue against the measure was not meant to discriminate against Muslims.

Challengers to the ban, though, sought to link the new directive to its predecessors, and they asserted that even the additions were mainly symbolic. The ban only affects certain government officials from Venezuela, and very few people actually travel to the United States from North Korea each year. They noted Trump himself promised a “larger, tougher, and more specific” ban – meaning the new version would have the same legal problems as the prior iterations.

The directive imposed more complete bans on some countries than others, and the Trump administration has indicated countries could make their way off the list if conditions changed.

For Syria and North Korea, the president’s proclamation blocked immigrants wanting to relocate to the United States and nonimmigrants wishing to visit in some capacity. For Iran, the proclamation blocked both immigrants and nonimmigrants, though it exempted students and those participating in a cultural exchange.

The proclamation blocked people from Chad, Libya and Yemen from coming to the United States as immigrants or on business or tourist visas, and it blocked people from Somalia from coming as immigrants. The proclamation named Venezuela, but it only blocked certain government officials.

The post Federal judge blocks Trump’s third travel ban appeared first on News India Times.

NEW YORK

News India Times and Desi Talk have endorsed Senator Jack Martins as the candidate for Nassau County Executive, running on the Republican Party line.

As a son of immigrants, a husband and the father of four daughters, Martins is focused on making Nassau County a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Jack was a New York State Senator and also the Mayor of Mineola. He has the experience Nassau needs for this important job.

As Nassau County Executive, Jack will be committed to ending the corruption that has compromised the public’s trust in government, protecting local property taxpayers and creating an economic renaissance to provide a brighter future for the middle class.

Jack has plans to fix the fiscal situation in Nassau County, starting with fixing the broken property tax assessment system and finding a way to hold the line on taxes and balance the budget.

He also knows it is critical that government finds a way to earn back the public trust. As such, he has proposed a new Nassau County Code of Ethics that includes:

Enhanced vetting to prevent nepotism and improper instances of simultaneous employment with multiple governmental entities or county contractors.

Rigorous review of all county contracts and vendors to prevent conflicts of interest.

More expansive financial disclosure requirements for elected officials and policymakers.

Creation of a new electronic filing system to facilitate the enforcement of these requirements.

Another important issue is the heroin and opioid addiction problem. The cornerstone of Jack Martins’ plan to combat heroin and opioid abuse in Nassau County is to convert vacant facilities at Nassau University Medical Center into a full-service in-patient treatment center for patients combatting heroin and opioid addiction. The new in-patient treatment center will provide comprehensive medical detoxification and rehabilitation services, with all the additional benefits associated with being located at the Medical Center. Given the depth of the opioid problem on Long Island, the region does not currently have a sufficient number of beds. In fact, the region lost capacity with the closing of Long Beach Medical Center after Superstorm Sandy and, before that, with the closure of Topic House in Plainview.

Jack Martins is an honest, sincere, hard-working and proven leader which is so much needed with what is going on in our county. His opponent Laura Curran wants to look backward and talk about corruption of other people. Martins wants to look forward and discuss ways to make Nassau the best it can be.

We urge voters to elect the right candidate, Jack Martins, in the best interest of the county.

The post Jack Martins for Nassau County Executive appeared first on News India Times.

US President Donald Trump signaled a radical shift in a much awaited speech recently, spelling out his policy towards South Asia, a region he neglected in his first controversy-tinged six months in office. If one’s reading were correct, it meant the final demise of India-Pakistan equivalence – a work in progress during the previous two administrations – and weighing in strongly in favour of India.

Speaking at Fort Myers, Trump declared that his administration’s “new strategy is to change the approach and how to deal with Pakistan”. He said “we can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations” and said “it is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order, and to peace”.

The words did not go down well in Pakistan. There were official and citizen protests over the new US move which had enormous implications for the region. Trump also said “another critical part of the South Asia strategy for America is to further develop its strategic partnership with India – the world’s largest democracy and a key security and economic partner of the United States.”

Is the South Asia strategy of the Trump administration a radical change from the past? Does it herald a new era of Indo-U.S. ties which had been in a state of drift for the last few years despite summit-level direction?

Democratic President Barack Obama, who assumed office in January 2009, broadly continued the policy of the previous Republican administration of President George W Bush, keeping South Asia high on the administration’s radar, particularly because of the ongoing “war on terror” in Afghanistan and the growing salience of India in US eyes because of “shared values” and democratic practices.

Early in his term Obama, a somewhat idealistic president, had sought a change in the administration’s South Asia outlook when he told aides he wanted to end the zero-sum game and shift the focus to India, where there were opportunities for American. He said too much time was being spent on Pakistan, which was playing a smoke-and-mirrors game with the US, and its counter-terrorism cooperation had become not just questionable but dubious. “I would like to see a more India-focused South Asia strategy,” Obama reportedly told aides.

It was obvious to Washington that its stakes in India were going to be much higher. India is likely to pass China to become the world’s most populous nation in the next 20-25 years. It is a country whose middle class now numbers 300 million and is expected to double over the next twenty years. That will be more than the current population of the EU, which will decline over that period. It will be a growing market for American goods and services.

As Robert O Blake, Assistant Secretary, South and Central Asian Affairs, US State Department, said in a speech at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, in 2009, “India is a country with which the United States shares increasingly convergent values and interests.”

This policy orientation coincided with the time of re-evaluation of Pakistan’s role in the region where it was seen to promise much but deliver selectively in targeting terrorists and their safe havens. Pakistan was seen as an increasingly desperate place with terrorism increasing, social parameters declining and, according to a former official, growth stunted both physically and morally. Towards the end of the Obama administration, Pakistan had turned into what was called a “frenemy.” There were rising grievances in the administration and how it was conveniently blindsided in dealing with groups like the Haqqani network, that was a favorite of Pakistan’s military and intelligence establishment, but was the bete noire of the US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan. This was also the time when the Americans began to find alternatives to Pakistan’s perceived indispensability in the ‘war on terror’ with their role as logistical conduit to American counter-terror forces in the war in Afghanistan. It took some months before the Americans could find a logistical fallback in Central Asia, which has now become the its main launch pad for Afghanistan operations, reducing thereby Islamabad’s importance in its South Asian strategic calculus.

During one such South Asia review meeting, Obama is said to have remarked that he wanted to go beyond a “strategic partnership” with India, saying he was not interested so much in selling India weapons as in educating its children and investing in their future.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington on June 25,2017, it was sheer happenstance that the Trump administration had just completed its South Asia review and ties with China were wilting, particularly when Trump realized that Xi Jinping would not honor his promise on helping the US contain North Korea’s military ambitions. With Pakistan’s critical supporting role having diminished, if not ended completely, with the creation of an aerial logistical bridge to Afghanistan from Central Asia, Modi’s visit could not have been better timed.

According to people in the know, if Modi had come earlier he may have met a man who was still finding his presidential feet, was mired in domestic battles and was yet to focus on South Asia, a remote and unfamiliar geopolitical arena for him. Among Asian leaders, he had met Chinese President Xi and was left quite charmed by him. But that honeymoon didn’t take long to sour.

Trump had always been wary of China’s economic policies and has been pressuring China to open its doors wider to American business. He even talked of investigating China’s suspected violation of international trade law by alleged stealth of intellectual property. This could lead to tariffs and restrictions on Chinese investment in the US, which would seriously impair ties.

Trump and Modi exuded good optics and Trump said all the right things about India. But Trump, a man with a mercantile world view, also added a caveat on the Indian partnership being predicated on New Delhi’s good behavior on trade issues.

While talking about the need to pursue a strategic partnership with India, Trump said rather gratuitously that “India makes billions of dollars in trade with the United States, and we want them to help us more with Afghanistan, especially in the area of economic assistance and development”. What that help means is open to interpretation. But earlier administrations have goaded New Delhi to take on a more proactive role in the “Indo-Pacific region” commensurate with its size and status.

India needs to get off the fence and get on to the pitch, said one former official, implying that sections in the Trump administration wanted India to either put boots on the ground or share in some measure for the counter-terror operations that were in its interests as well. India has already rejected any active military involvement in Afghanistan, knowing well that such action would entail huge security risks.

Whatever the vicissitudes in American politics, India is likely to remain a key strategic partner for the US for the next few decades as Washington seeks to hedge what it sees as a  menacing rise of China with a network of allies and partners with New Delhi as the fulcrum of its strategy.

At the same time, Washington will not push Islamabad into a corner – Defense Secretary James Mattis said the US will try “one more time” – but will work on it in a measured way to make it realize the futility of its double-dealing, terror-nurturing tactical policies. But can a leopard change its spots?

(The author is a veteran journalist and President, Society for Policy Studies.  Basu can be contacted at tarun.basu@spsindia.in). This article first appeared in the South Asia Monitor. Used here with express permission from the author.

The post U.S.- South Asia policy: Betting on India, but not giving up on Pakistan appeared first on News India Times.