#indian budget 2022

[shannendoherty-fans]

Shannen Doherty’s Untimely Death Sparks Important Conversations About Healthcare Access And Equity

By Janice Gassam Asare

Shannen Doherty, the actress best known for her roles in Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed has died after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 53. In a 2015 statement to People magazine, the actress revealed her breast cancer diagnosis, stating that she was “undergoing treatment” and that she was suing a firm and its former business manager for causing her to lose her health insurance due to a failure to pay the insurance premiums. According to reports, in a lawsuit Doherty shared that she hired a firm for tax, accounting, and investment services, among other things, and that part of their role was to make her health insurance premium payments to the Screen Actors Guild; Doherty claimed that their failure to make the premium payments in 2014 caused her health insurance to lapse until the re-enrollment period in 2015. When Doherty went in for a checkup in March of 2015, the cancer was discovered, at which time it had spread. In the lawsuit, Doherty indicated that if she had insurance, she would have been able to get the checkup sooner—the cancer would have been discovered, and she could have avoided chemotherapy and a mastectomy.

Under the IRS, actors are often classified as independent contractors, which comes with its own set of challenges. Although it is unclear what Doherty’s situation was, for many independent contractors, obtaining health insurance can be difficult. Trying to get health insurance as an independent contractor can be a costly and convoluted process. A 2020 Actors’ Equity Association survey indicated that “more than 80% of nonunion actors and stage managers in California have been misclassified as independent contractors.” A 2021 research study revealed that self-employment (which is what independent contractors are considered to be) was associated with a higher likelihood of being uninsured.

Doherty’s tragic situation invites a larger conversation about healthcare access and equity in the United States. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare,” was signed into law in 2010 and revolutionized healthcare access in two distinct ways: “creating health insurance marketplaces with federal financial assistance that reduces premiums and deductibles and by allowing states to expand Medicaid to adults with household incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.” The ACA helped reduce the number of uninsured Americans and expanded healthcare access to those most in need. It also helped close gaps in coverage for different populations, including those with pre-existing health conditions, lower-income individuals, part-time workers, and those from historically excluded and marginalized populations.

Despite strides made through the ACA, healthcare access and equity are still persistent issues, especially within marginalized communities. Research from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) examining 2010-2022 data indicated that in 2022, non-elderly American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN) and Hispanic people had the greatest uninsured rates (19.1% and 18% respectively). When compared with their white counterparts, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) and Black people also had higher uninsured rates at 12.7% and 10%, respectively. The Commonwealth Fund reported that between 2013 and 2021, “states that expanded Medicaid eligibility had higher rates of insurance coverage and health care access, with smaller disparities between racial/ethnic groups and larger improvements, than states that didn’t expand Medicaid.” It’s important to note that if a Republican president is elected, Project 2025, the far-right policy proposal document, seeks to upend Medicaid as we know it by introducing limits on the amount of time that a person can receive Medicaid.

When peeling back the layers to examine these racial and ethnic differences in more detail, the Brookings Institute noted in 2020 that the refusal of several states to expand Medicaid could be one contributing factor. One 2017 research study found that some underrepresented racial groups were more likely to experience insurance loss than their white counterparts. The study indicated that for Black and Hispanic populations, specific trigger events were more likely, as well as “socioeconomic characteristics” that were linked to more insurance loss and slower insurance gain. The study also noted that in the U.S., health insurance access was associated with employment and and marriage and that Black and Hispanic populations were “disadvantaged in both areas.”

Equity in and access to healthcare is fundamental, but bias is omnipresent. Age bias, for example, is a pervasive issue in breast cancer treatment. Research also indicates that racial bias is a prevalent issue—because the current guidelines in breast cancer screenings are based on white populations, this can lead to a delayed diagnosis for women from non-white communities. Our health is one of our greatest assets and healthcare should be a basic human right, no matter what state or country you live in. As a society, we must ensure that healthcare is available, affordable and accessible to all citizens. After all, how can a country call itself great if so many of its citizens, especially those most marginalized and vulnerable, don’t have access to healthcare?

[thozhar]

Gulf migration is not just a major phenomenon in Kerala; north Indian states also see massive migration to the Gulf. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar accounted for the biggest share (30% and 15%) of all Indian workers migrating to GCC1 countries in 2016-17 (Khan 2023)—a trend which continues today. Remittances from the Gulf have brought about significant growth in Bihar’s economy (Khan 2023)—as part of a migrant’s family, I have observed a tangible shift in the quality of life, education, houses, and so on, in Siwan. In Bihar, three districts—Siwan, Gopalganj, and Chapra—send the majority of Gulf migrants from the state, mostly for manual labor (Khan 2023). Bihar also sees internal migration of daily wagers to Delhi, Bombay, and other parts of India. Gulf migration from India’s northern regions, like elsewhere in India, began after the oil boom in the 1970s. Before this time, migration was limited to a few places such as Assam, Calcutta, Bokaro, and Barauni—my own grandfather worked in the Bokaro steel factory.

Despite the role of Gulf migration and internal migration in north Indian regions, we see a representational void in popular culture. Bollywood films on migration largely use rural settings, focussing on people who work in the USA, Europe, or Canada. The narratives centre these migrants’ love for the land and use dialogue such as ‘mitti ki khusbu‘ (fragrance of homeland). Few Bollywood films, like Dor and Silvat, portray internal migration and Gulf migration. While Bollywood films frequently centre diasporic experiences such as Gujaratis in the USA and Punjabis in Canada, they fail in portraying Bihari migrants, be they indentured labourers in the diaspora, daily wagers in Bengal, or Gulf migrants. The regional Bhojpuri film industry fares no better in this regard. ‘A good chunk of the budget is spent on songs since Bhojpuri songs have an even larger viewership that goes beyond the Bhojpuri-speaking public’, notes Ahmed (2022), marking a context where there is little purchase for Gulf migration to be used as a reference to narrate human stories of longing, sacrifice, and family.

One reason for this biased representation of migration is that we see ‘migration’ as a monolith. In academic discourse, too, migration is often depicted as a commonplace phenomenon, but I believe it is crucial to make nuanced distinctions in the usage of the terms ‘migration’ and ‘migrant’. The term ‘migration’ is a broad umbrella term that may oversimplify the diverse experiences within this category. My specific concern is about Gulf migrants, as their migration often occurs under challenging circumstances. For individuals from my region, heading to the Gulf is typically a last resort. This kind of migration leads to many difficulties, especially when it distances migrants from their family for much of their lifetime. The term ‘migration’, therefore, inadequately captures the profound differences between, for instance, migrating to the USA for educational purposes and migrating to the Gulf for labour jobs. Bihar has a rich history of migration, dating back to the era of indentured labor known as girmitiya. Following the abolition of slavery in 1883, colonial powers engaged in the recruitment of laborers for their other colonies through agreements (Jha 2019). Girmitiya distinguishes itself from the migration. People who are going to the Arabian Gulf as blue-collar labourers are also called ‘Gulf migrants’—a term that erases how their conditions are very close to slavery. This is why, as a son who rarely saw his father, I prefer to call myself a ‘victim of migration’ rather than just a ‘part of migration’. It is this sense of victimhood and lack of control over one’s life that I saw missing in Bollywood and Bhojpuri cinema.

— Watching 'Malabari Films' in Bihar: Gulf Migration and Transregional Connections

[catgirltoes]

The state of tribal children in these traumatic residential schools is worse. The truth is that students in these schools are being stripped off their identities, and even after multiple exposés on deaths and sexual abuse cases in government-run residential tribal schools in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Assam, no concrete measures are being taken. Instead, the government plans to set up more residential schools by 2022 under the garb of tribal education and development. Every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons will have an Ekalavya Model Residential School, said the finance minister in his budget speech this February.

India has never evaluated the dangers, purpose and politics of setting up these residential model schools for tribal children. Since the mid 1990s, post liberalisation, many corporations have started operating residential tribal schools as a part of their CSR policies. These companies have a strategic interest in the lands that tribal communities inhabit. Most private-run residential schools in India receive large amounts of funds from companies which wrest control over tribal lands. In fact, residential schools have become a new-age displacement mechanism, under the pretence of an assimilationist education system.

This seems extremely similar to the explicitly genocidal Indian Residential Schools in Canada.

[whileiamdying]

Mississippi Masala: The Ocean of Comings and Goings

By Bilal Qureshi MAY 25, 2022

often remark that my Punjabi parents immigrated to the American South woefully unaware that they’d brought us to a place with an incurable preexisting condition. Racism doesn’t belong exclusively to the South—the former Confederacy—but it was implemented at industrial scale across the region’s economic, political, and cultural life. Alongside this landscape’s sublime natural beauty—rivers, fields, and bayous—sits the history of America’s unsparing brutality against its Black citizens. On the other side of the world, in South Asia, as well as among its global diasporas, anti-Blackness is embedded in ideas of colorism and caste, in tribal imaginaries and policed lines of “suitable” marriages.

The possibility to live—and to love—across racial borders is the theme of Mira Nair’s extraordinarily prescient and sexy second feature film, Mississippi Masala (1991). Three decades later, it speaks to a new generation as groundbreaking filmic heritage—but also with an almost eerie, prophetic wisdom for how to live beyond the confinements of identity and color. Even by today’s standards, the film is a radical triumph of cinematic representation, centering as it does Black and Brown filmmaking, acting, and storytelling. It is also a genre-defying outlier that would likely be as difficult to get financed and produced today as it was then. Part comedy, part drama, rooted in memoir and colonial history, the film that Nair imagined was a low-budget independent one with global settings and ambitions. The notion of representation—perhaps more accurately described as a correction of earlier misrepresentations—wasn’t its point or its currency. Race was its very subject. Nair has said she wanted to confront the “hierarchy of color” in America, India, and East Africa with the film—the kinds of limitations that she had experienced firsthand by living, studying (first sociology, then film), and making documentaries in both India and the United States. In a shift that began with her first feature film, Salaam Bombay! (1988), Nair set out to transform those real-world issues into fictionalized worlds, translating her sociological observations into works suffused with beauty, music, and, in the case of Mississippi Masala, humid sensuality.

Nair first engaged with the questions at the heart of the film when she came to the United States from India to study at Harvard in the mid-1970s. As a new arrival to the country’s color line, she has recalled, both its Black and white communities were accessible to her, and yet she belonged to neither. The experience of being outside that specific American binary would be a formative and fertile site of dislocation for the young filmmaker. Nair trained in documentary under the mentorship of D. A. Pennebaker, among others, and her first films were immersive explorations of questions that haunted her own life. The pangs of exile and homesickness for lost motherlands became the foundation of So Far from India (1983), and the boundaries of “respectability” for women in Indian society the subject of India Cabaret (1985). Salaam Bombay!—made in collaboration with her fellow Indian-born classmate, the photographer and screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala—carried her Direct Cinema training to extraordinary new heights. Working, from a script by Taraporevala, with nonactors on location in the streets of Mumbai, Nair found a filmic language that could merge the rigor of realism with the haunting emotion of fiction. It would become the creative model for Nair and Taraporevala’s translation of the real-life phenomenon of Indian-owned motels in the American South into a spicy cinematic blend of migration, rebellion, and romance.

During research trips across Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina that Nair made in 1989, she discovered that many of the Indian motel owners in the South had come to the United States from Uganda following their expulsion by President Idi Amin in 1972. Ten years after the East African country gained its independence from British rule, Amin had blamed his country’s economic woes on its privileged and financially successful South Asian community. In the racial politics of empire, the British had privileged the Indian workers they had imported to East Africa, creating racial hierarchies Amin now wanted to destroy by way of politicizing race anew. In a line that is repeated in the screenplay, the mission was “Africa for Africans,” and for tens of thousands of Asian families, it was an uprooting and dislocation from which some would never recover.

In Mississippi Masala, the classically trained British Indian actor Roshan Seth plays Jay, the immigrant father who is the focal point of the “past” of the film’s dual narrative, which is beautifully balanced in the way that it interweaves the perspectives of two generations. In the film’s harrowing overture, Jay—along with his wife, Kinnu (Sharmila Tagore), and their daughter, Mina (Sarita Choudhury)—is being forced to flee Kampala, and he laments that it will always be the only home he has known. With stoic reserve, holding back tears, Seth conveys the gravity of the loss, as the camera captures the lush beauty of the family’s garden and the faces of those they must leave behind. Throughout the film, as Kinnu, Tagore—an acclaimed Indian film star and frequent Satyajit Ray collaborator—is a composed counterpoint to Seth’s troubled Jay in her character’s strength and resilience. When the film picks up with the family two decades later, Kinnu is shown managing the family’s liquor store, while an aging Jay writes to petition Uganda’s new government to reclaim his lost property. Nair’s camera pans up from his writing desk to reveal through his window the parking lot of a roadside Mississippi motel. This is where Jay works and exists in a permanent state of nostalgia, until he is jolted awake by Mina’s demands for a home and a life of her own.

Even as Jay dreams in sepia-toned memories, the film itself never descends into saccharine longing or scored sentimentality. The rigor of the research and on-location filmmaking in both Mississippi and Kampala is reflected in an unvarnished and immersive visual style. While Nair herself clearly understood the fabric of the lives of the Gujarati Hindu families she was portraying, she has discussed how Denzel Washington became a critical collaborator in ensuring that southern Black life was rendered with equal attention to detail, cultural specificity, and dignity. The result is a film whose homes and communities are etched with a palpable sense of reality.

All of Mississippi Masala’s disparate threads are bound together by a distinctly sultry southern love story, which naturally remains the best-remembered feature of the film. The meet-cute of Mina and Washington’s character, Demetrius, is quite literally a traffic collision, a not-so-subtle suggestion that, without a bit of movie magic and melodrama, these two southerners might never have been maneuvered into the exchanged numbers and glances, and palpable wanting, that still burn the screen today. The film is fueled by the gorgeousness and megawatt charisma of both its stars, the young Washington paired with Choudhury in a prodigious debut as a woman at the edge of adulthood—her mane of wavy hair, their sweaty night of dancing to Keith Sweat, aimless late-night phone calls, dark skin in white bedsheets, secret meetings, consummated desires.

In the background of the R&B song of young, electric love are the film’s quieter, deeper notes on migration. A string leitmotif by the classical Indian violinist L. Subramaniam recurs whenever the vistas of Lake Victoria across the family’s lost garden in Kampala appear on-screen in brief flashbacks. Nair’s mastery with music has only deepened with time, resulting in films that integrate archival and original music with a free-form alertness that is distinctly her own. Both for the African American people living amid strip malls in the dilapidated neighborhoods of a region to which their ancestors were brought by bondage, and for the Indian families forced by Amin to flee their homes, exile is expressed in stereo. As Jay pines for the country he lost, Demetrius’s brother dreams of visiting Africa and saluting Nelson Mandela—disparate but recognizable longings and family histories shared over a southern barbecue, American bridges.

There wouldn’t be racial borders, however, if they weren’t policed, and the policing authorities here come from across the racial spectrum. When Mina and Demetrius’s relationship is discovered by nosy Indian uncles, those boundaries flare up. From the Black ex-girlfriend who asks why the good Black men can’t date Black women, to the Indian uncles who barge into Demetrius and Mina’s hotel room, to the gossiping aunties who during phone calls mock Mina’s rebellious scandal, there is a veritable chorus of condemnation. It is portrayed with great comedic timing and wit, including from Nair herself, who delivers some of the sharpest lines of disapproval in the role of “Gossip 1.” But the implications of those judgments remain unfunny by design. The film’s remarkable achievement is the way it never buckles under the thematic weight of these uncomfortable truths. Nair always delivers her cerebral punches with a lightness and warmth that are precisely calibrated. These are the markers of a filmmaker in full control of the tone, color, production design, and, always, music to accompany the emotional demands of her material, and that facility has only gotten sharper in such masterpieces as Monsoon Wedding (2001).

Mississippi Masala showed at festivals in late 1991 and was released commercially in American cinemas in February 1992, within weeks of Wayne’s World and Basic Instinct. Working outside Hollywood’s conventions, Nair joined an extraordinary flowering in independent filmmaking that continues to be celebrated. The year 1991 had been a landmark one for Black cinema already, with the release of Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust, Mario Van Peebles’s New Jack City, and John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood. Spike Lee’s opus Malcolm X, with Washington in the title role, would be released in the U.S. in late 1992. Nair’s film was shown at the same 1992 Sundance Film Festival at which a landmark panel about LGBTQ representation heralded a movement, named New Queer Cinema by moderator B. Ruby Rich, devoted to reclaiming stories of love and suffering from Hollywood’s gaze. These were parallel currents that echoed larger shifts and openings happening in global culture. The collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of apartheid in South Africa, India’s economic liberalization, and the rise of a youthful southern Democrat in the U.S. following a decade of Republican rule were stirrings of a new order. The possibilities were being felt all over the world as Nair’s film of southern futures arrived. Described by the New York Times at the time as “sweetly pungent” and by the Washington Post as a “savory multiracial stew,” Mississippi Masala opened in American cinemas to rave, if exoticizing, reviews, less than a decade after Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi and Steven Spielberg’s portrayal of Indian characters eating monkey brains during a ritual dinner in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Realistic international cinema featuring everyday South Asian life—as opposed to the Indian musical tradition or Hollywood’s tropes about foreignness—had almost no precedents or peers at the time. The depiction of South Asian characters as ordinary working-class Americans navigating questions of family, money, and love remains a radical achievement. Mississippi Masala also manages to decenter whiteness altogether. In a film about racial hierarchies, white characters appear only in the background, as the motel guests, patrons, and shopkeepers of Greenwood society. By design, this is first and foremost a film about Mina and Demetrius, and the families and communities that formed them. Despite all the extraordinary accomplishments in the streaming age by the current generation of filmmakers of color, Mississippi Masala’s layered portrayal of race and love still feels unparalleled. To hear its characters speak candidly about the real lines that divide them, and reflect on the costs of crossing those lines, is to recognize the rigorous thinking—and living—that informed the screenplay. Even more disappointing than the lack of contemporary equals to the film, perhaps, are the offscreen parallels in South Asian communities like my own, where colorism and anti-Blackness are stubborn traditions yet to be fully dismantled. Stories of interracial love are still rarely told on-screen, and these relationships—the masala mixes—are still not visible enough to become as normalized as they deserve to be.

One of Nair’s first films, So Far from India, was filmed between New York City and Gujarat. It opens with a folk musician in the streets of Ahmedabad, a sequence that serves as a prelude to the film, about an Indian immigrant and the wife he has left behind. Nair, as narrator, translates his singing about the ocean of comings and goings. With Mississippi Masala, Nair positioned herself as both a great chronicler and a great navigator of that vast ocean of comings and goings. America is one of Nair’s homes, and she has made several films about the immigrant experience there, including her adaptations of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake (2006) and Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012). Each has sought to look at the country through the eyes of those usually on the margins in order to dramatize and problematize the idea of the American dream. It is these poetic and cinematic ruminations on identities in flux that feel like her most enduring, almost personal, gifts to hyphenated viewers like myself.

When I was younger, I thought Mississippi Masala embodied Mina’s rebellion, the promise of independence, and the freedom to choose whom and how to love. But now, twenty years after I first saw the film, at university, Jay’s longing for home and his incurable displacement feel equally, achingly resonant. With the limitations of America laid bare by the gift of adulthood, migration is no longer only a hurtling forward toward the rush of freedoms; it is now also the unknowable costs borne by my parents, the homes and selves they left behind.

The film’s closing credits, braiding Jay’s return to Kampala with glimpses of Mina and Demetrius kissing in the warmth of the southern sun, capture Nair’s exquisite feat of balancing—and blending—in Mississippi Masala. For a film traversing so many geographies and registers, there is finally a seamless harmony between father and daughter, between tradition and future, between here and there. As seen anew in restored colors, Mississippi Masala endures not for its spicy and pungent aromas of cultural specificity or representational breakthrough but for this profound commitment to multiplicity. It is a timeless song for and to those who live—and love—in multitudes.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

The Malaysian government revealed its plans to counter Islamophobia by distributing copies of the Quran translated into several languages, setting aside more than $2 million in its 2023 budget.

Malaysia spends $2,000,000 USD to counter ‘Islamophobia’ by distributing copies of Qur’an worldwide https://t.co/dpBtgXhab1

— Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) March 5, 2023

This would be the first time the country embarked on such a plan under Malaysia’s new prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim. Twenty thousand copies produced under the project would be sent to Sweden, where a far-right Swedish-Danish activist Rasmus Paludan lit the Quran on fire while staging protests.

After attending an event called “International Forum on Islamophobia” held in Malaysia’s administrative capital Putrajaya, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim told the media that the 10 million Malaysian ringgit (equivalent to 2.2 million US dollars) set aside from the program is meant to foster greater understanding of Islam.

“We will print 20,000 in Swedish – and other languages too – for the purpose of better understanding,” the prime minister told reporters. “Why it has become an issue is because those against Islam never read the holy book. …. So, we have to go back to the text or at least the translation to save and enlighten others about the deeper meaning of the religion.”

I wish they had spent this money on proper education.

— Harshal (Indian) (@HarshalMagar7) March 5, 2023

Anwar believes the translations, distribution, and publication of the Quran in several languages would show maturity and wisdom on Malaysia’s part amidst growing anti-Muslim sentiment worldwide.

“Yes, we must protest, but it is also important we must give our understanding and do our utmost to ensure the message of the Quran is alive,” Anwar said, according to local media sources.

Sweden’s ambassador to Malaysia, Joachim Bergström, welcomed Anwar’s plan announcement.

“I am personally delighted that the Al-Quran, this globally important text, will be more accessible in my native country and in Europe,” Bergström said.

“I even own several copies. I have spent many years of my life living and working in the Muslim world – including as Sweden’s special envoy to combat Islamophobia between 2016 and 2021 – and I am convinced that knowledge and dialogue are the way to promote understanding and peace.” Bergström added.

Couldn't they just e-mail everyone?

— OneTwoMany (@OneTwoMany6) March 5, 2023

Although this would be the first time Malaysia would distribute copies of the Quran worldwide, it’s not the first Muslim-majority country to do so. In 2000, Saudi Arabia spread 138 million copies of the religious text to several countries, the most recent being Kenya in 2022, which received 30,000 copies of the Quran.

But only some in Malaysia are convinced with the plan, with some Malaysian netizens saying it would be a waste of resources and it would be better to spend the money on other social programs.

What a waste of money , could have been used to feed the poor

— $AY MY NAME (@LenaMeraNaam) March 5, 2023

A hardline Malaysian Islamist group also expressed skepticism of the plan, insisting that Malaysia should take harsher measures against Sweden, such as boycotting Swedish goods.

==

This is obviously a waste of money, but there's a nugget of a good idea in there: translate the quran into Malay. Since Arabic is not an official language of Malaysia and few people speak it, encouraging them to read it in their own language would do the country a world of good.

[usafphantom2]

USAF releases new images of the stealth B-21 Raider bomber

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/07923 - 18:30 in Military

The U.S. Air Force has released two new photos of the advanced B-21 Raider bomber, with one of them taken from a slightly higher place than the previous images.

The prototype of the B-21 manufactured by Northrop Grumman is difficult to detect, it was made in stealth technology and in the form of a flying wing. The future strategic bomber has the mission of strengthening the capabilities of the United States in terms of deterrence.

“The B-21 changes everything. With this aircraft, we deliver a new generation of stealth technology designed for the U.S. Air Force to fulfill its most complex missions. The world has never seen technology like the B-21," said Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden when she revealed the aircraft with a similar appearance to the predecessor bomber, the B-2.

The U.S. Armed Forces, along with Northrop Grumman, made the official presentation of the B-21 Raider bomber on December 2, 2022, emphasizing that it is the world's first sixth-generation bomber. The two new images were made on November 28, days before the presentation.

The new aircraft with nuclear capacity is the culmination of seven years of work in the latest type of stealth bomber and is the first new aircraft in its category in more than 30 years. As announced at a ceremony in Palmdale, California, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, the new aircraft should be the "backbone" of U.S. Air Force firepower and incorporate the "integrated deterrence" strategy.

Even the most advanced air defense systems will have trouble detecting the B-21 in the sky, Austin assured.

He also praised its long range, durability, versatility, "beginning of the space age" and adaptability to new weapons.

According to the announcement, the U.S. Air Force must acquire at least 100 aircraft. The first ones should be produced next year. The estimated cost of a bomber is about $730 million and, according to Bloomberg, the cost of labor on the new aircraft was within the originally planned budget of $25 billion, which is very rare.

As mentioned by Austin, the name of the aircraft, Raider, refers to the participants of the so-called "Doolittle's Raid" of 1942, a daring bombing of Japanese cities that was the first attack on Japanese territory and a symbolic revenge for the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Tags: Military AviationNorthrop Grumman B-21 RaiderUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work throughout the world of aviation.

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[cinemapremi]

20 Shows Like Game of Thrones to Watch

Game of Thrones, a groundbreaking fantasy series, captivated audiences worldwide with its epic battles, political intrigue, and complex characters. It set new standards for production values and dialogue quality, making it a landmark in television history. With the introduction of its prequel, House of the Dragon, fans are thrilled. But if you're eager for more Thrones-like entertainment or require a little persuasion to dive into House of the Dragon, we've got you covered. This article introduces 13 shows that will fill the void, offering a mix of drama, sex, battles, magic, and royal intrigue. 20 Netflix Series To Watch Right Now in 2023 From Crime to Comedy: Your Ultimate Indian TV Series Playlist on Netflix and Amazon Prime!

Table of Contents

House of the Dragon Black Sails The Rings of Power The Last Kingdom Outlander Spartacus The Witcher Peaky Blinders Knightfall Once Upon a Time Top 10 World Best TV-Series on NETFLIX- Watch Right Now in English/Hindi 1. House of the Dragon (2022) IMDb Rating: 7.4/10 Genre: Fantasy, Drama Description: "House of the Dragon" takes us back to the world of Westeros, exploring the history of House Targaryen. Filled with political intrigue, dragons, and familial power struggles, it's a must-watch for "Game of Thrones" fans. Fun Fact: The show is a prequel to "Game of Thrones" and is adapted from George R.R. Martin's book "Fire & Blood." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DotnJ7tTA34 2. Black Sails (2014-2017) IMDb Rating: 8.2/10 Genre: Adventure, Drama Description: "Black Sails" is a thrilling pirate drama that serves as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island." Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, it's filled with swashbuckling action and complex characters. Fun Fact: The character Long John Silver in "Black Sails" is a young and charismatic figure, quite different from the classic portrayal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FPRzH7Nrg4 3. The Rings of Power (2022) IMDb Rating: Currently unavailable Genre: Fantasy, Adventure Description: "The Rings of Power" is a highly-anticipated prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." It explores the Second Age of Middle-earth, with new and familiar characters. Fun Fact: Amazon's commitment to this series, with a reported budget of around $450 million, shows their dedication to bringing Middle-earth to life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8UAUAuKNcU 4. The Last Kingdom (2015-2021) IMDb Rating: 8.4/10 Genre: Action, Drama Description: "The Last Kingdom" is based on Bernard Cornwell's historical novels. It's a tale of Viking invasions, Saxon warriors, and the struggle for England's future. Fun Fact: The series is known for its gritty portrayal of medieval warfare and shifting alliances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxPApTGWwas 5. Outlander (2014-present) IMDb Rating: 8.4/10 Genre: Drama, Romance Description: "Outlander" combines historical drama, romance, and time travel. It follows Claire Randall, a World War II nurse who finds herself transported to 18th-century Scotland. Fun Fact: The series has gained a dedicated fan base, known as "Outlander Clan." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFFKjptRr7Y 6. Spartacus (2010-2013) IMDb Rating: 8.5/10 Genre: Action, Biography Description: "Spartacus" is a thrilling portrayal of the legendary gladiator Spartacus. It's filled with action, betrayal, and the quest for freedom. Fun Fact: The series faced a tragic setback when its original lead actor, Andy Whitfield, was diagnosed with cancer after the first season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSWtCLBrrAk 7. The Witcher (2019-present) IMDb Rating: 8.2/10 Genre: Action, Adventure Description: "The Witcher" is based on Andrzej Sapkowski's book series and follows Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter with supernatural abilities. Fun Fact: Henry Cavill's portrayal of Geralt has been praised by both fans of the books and gamers of "The Witcher" series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndl1W4ltcmg 8. Peaky Blinders (2013-2019) IMDb Rating: 8.8/10 Genre: Crime, Drama Description: "Peaky Blinders" is a British crime drama that revolves around the Shelby crime family in post-World War I Birmingham. Fun Fact: The series is known for its stylish wardrobe, particularly the peaked flat caps worn by the Shelby gang. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVzVdvGIC7U 9. Knightfall (2017-2019) IMDb Rating: 6.8/10 Genre: Action, Drama Description: "Knightfall" delves into the mysterious world of the Knights Templar and their quest for the Holy Grail during the last days of the Templar Order. Fun Fact: Actor Tom Cullen underwent intense physical training to prepare for his role as a Templar knight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9dtepkeR0I 10. Once Upon a Time (2011-2018) IMDb Rating: 7.5/10 Genre: Adventure, Fantasy Description: "Once Upon a Time" brings fairy tales to life in a modern setting, with classic characters navigating between two worlds. Fun Fact: The show features a diverse range of fairy tale characters, from Snow White to Captain Hook. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29217uc7fOo These TV series offer a diverse range of genres and historical settings, making them a treat for television enthusiasts. Whether you're into fantasy, historical drama, or gripping adventures, there's something for everyone on this list. Enjoy your binge-watching journey! Also check these must watch tv-series: Read the full article

[aroundtheworldiej]

Rishi Sunak : The youngest tenant of the 10 Downing Street

By Pierre Toussaint

Photo : Paul Grover/ShutterStock

Officially selected to be the new chief of the Conservative party, Rishi Sunak became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He replaced Liz Truss, who occupied the post for only 44 days. Now, let’s have a look back on the career and the aims of the new leader of the UK.

An exemplary career

Despite his young age, this son of Indians migrants, had already a brilliant career. He became a millionaire in his former job in the financial world. In 2015, he joined the House of Commons. It’s there that he defends Brexit. In 2019-2020 he occupied the position of Chief Secretary to the Treasury. After that, he was named the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the second government of Boris Johnson. A governement that he will quit for disagreement with Johnson. He was named at the head of the Conservative party in october 2022 after the resignation of Liz Truss. He officially became the Prime Minister of the UK the 26th october of 2022.

The missions of the new Prime Minister

Sunak has heavy tasks ahead of him. He will have to manage a country in crisis with an inflation of 10% and the energy bills which will increase. Nevertheless, the new Prime Minister has a budget plan to reassure the markets on the UK’s long term stabilization of public finances even if he warns about the difficult decisions to come. To help him in his mission, Sunak surrounded himself with a right-wing access government.

Photo : Creative Commons

First step on the international scene

Just nominated, he decides to start his missions really quickly. He already declares, in accordance with the American president Joe Biden, that Ukraine needs help. As if he looks very motivated, Sunak will need a lot of strength to rehabilitate his country and weigh on the international scene in this context of conflicts.

[mariacallous]

The federal government is reconsidering how the census collects race and ethnicity information from U.S. residents. While this might not capture many national headlines, it is an important process that many social science researchers—including education researchers—are paying close attention to. This is because decisions over how we collect race/ethnicity data are both highly consequential and inherently subjective. These decisions have direct implications for the allocation of public resources and shape how we understand what is happening in U.S. schools and society. Yet, there is no “correct” set of racial and ethnic categories, which leaves a wide range of outcomes for these decision-making processes.

In this piece, I describe how the process for identifying race/ethnicity categories works, why it matters, and what I believe the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should ultimately recommend to the U.S. Census Bureau to ensure that this revision process is a success.

The federal government takes another look at racial/ethnic categories

Race and ethnicity are sociopolitical constructs, with categories that are not natural, neutral, given, or static. As such, the process of choosing categories should mirror how we as individuals and as a society change over time. However, OMB and the U.S. Census Bureau have only occasionally taken up the issue (i.e., in 1977 and 1997). As a result, the current categories are outdated and not reflective of our diverse multiracial society.

How the census collects race/ethnicity data sets the precedent for all state and local agencies to follow. School districts, for example, are required by the U.S. Department of Education to collect race data using categories that closely align with those used in the census: Hispanic, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, white, and two or more races. In education, the decision to use these broad racial categories limits our ability to identify unmet needs, ensure services are accessible to all racial/ethnic groups, improve access to services, and advocate for an adequate and fair distribution of resources and funding. Although agencies can take initiative and gather their own more nuanced racial/ethnic data—as the Portland Public Schools and Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction have done—these agencies have been the exception, not the norm.

As a first step, OMB convened a Federal Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards, consisting of 14 principal statistical agencies and 25 other federal agencies. It held virtual public listening sessions beginning in late 2022 (which I participated in). Those conversations informed the Working Group’s suggestions for how the census should revamp its collection of race/ethnicity data. The Working Group has suggested changes that are aligned with our changing society. For example, they proposed eliminating the use of the terms “majority” and “minority,” removing “Negro” from the Black or African American description, replacing “Far East” with “East Asian,” and removing “Other” from “Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.”

What’s missing from OMB’s race/ethnicity data collection recommendations

I support OMB’s recommendations. If these changes are implemented, they would create a new status quo in how government agencies approach racial/ethnic data collection. I also have thoughts on how we could further improve our processes for collecting these data:

First, race and ethnicity should be merged into one question allowing individuals to mark all that apply: “What is your race or ethnicity?” The status quo—with separate questions about race and ethnicity—results in  an estimated undercount of Latinos by five percent and overcounting of white individuals. This is especially concerning for school districts or state departments of education using this approach, given that Latinos represent 14.1 million K-12 students (or 28% of the public school population). A five percent undercount translates to hundreds of thousands of students potentially being misidentified. It’s important to note that two-thirds of Latinos consider “Latino” to be their race. Despite the fact that concepts of ethnicity and race are sometimes conflated, ethnicity is not the same as race, as it encompasses multiple dimensions, including language, culture, religion, and nationality. Since Latino is not an option for the race question, many feel forced to select “white” even if they do not identify this way and are not offered the privileges of being white in America. For Afro-Latinos, who constitute 12% of the Latino population, having separate questions has allowed them to mark Latino as their ethnicity and Black as their racial identity. The merge option would still allow them to mark both.

Second, the federal government should also consider collecting disaggregated race/ethnicity data. This would mean adding follow-up questions to the merged race/ethnicity question to allow respondents to provide more detailed data on how they self-identify. That is, after asking a merged race/ethnicity question, a follow-up question with additional subcategories would appear. The OMB working group has already proposed something along these lines—suggesting that the census also collect information on countries of origin as subcategories for each racial group (See Figure 1 below).

Collecting disaggregated data upfront would allow analysts to use aggregated data, if needed, but also examine subcategories to identity patterns or needs that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. For example, the Asian community is often treated as a monolith, but when examined further, Southeast Asians are dropping out from high school at higher rates and enrolling in college at lower rates compared to South and East Asians. The same data also defies the myth that Latinos are one big group, similarly, showing Central American students dropping out of high school at higher rates and enrolling in college at lower rates compared to other Latino subgroups. Our awareness of, and response to, these patterns require a nuanced understanding of them.

A potential approach to pilot would add an additional layer by asking for subcategories by region first, followed by specific countries of origin. For analysts and researchers disaggregating data, this option may prove useful since sample sizes may become too small for any meaningful disaggregation by country. For example, after selecting “Latinos,” there could be a drop-down list that could include the following subcategories: Puerto Rican, Mexican, Central American, Caribbean American, South American, Spanish, and/or Afro-Latino, followed by subgroup questions of countries of origin. Adding the Afro-Latino option under the Latino and Black subcategory is important to ensure that individuals who are Latino are still prompted to elect their Black identity (a concern expressed in the OMB listening sessions).

Third, for collecting data on Indigenous peoples, the options in the census form in Figure 1 should be guided by direct consultations with Native nations. The U.S. government has not collected Indigenous data accurately for centuries, leading to undercounting Native people and a way of seeing Indigenous communities through a deficit lens (e.g., using “Indian” until 1950). Here, it is important to note that the census relies on individuals’ self-identification of their racial and ethnic identities, whereas Native nations rely on tribe membership. Put another way, as Native writers have stressed, Native American is not a racial identity but rather a political one. This fundamental difference in identification has led to inaccurate data collection, undercounting, and potentially a masking of inequities.

Advocates and scholars argue for the decolonization of Indigenous data by repositioning the authority back to Indigenous peoples. In education, this means directing resources, data infrastructure, and investment in personnel capacity to tribally controlled schools and to the Bureau of Indian Education to give Native nations Indigenous data sovereignty–the right for each U.S. Native tribe to collect, own, and use its own tribe’s data.

By following these proposed changes, the federal government will set a model for other local government agencies to follow, and lead in a more accurate, nuanced, and respectful collection of data on race and ethnicity. Rather than convening every 30 or so years, OMB and the U.S. Census Bureau should have a standing working group to regularly gather feedback from communities to continuously improve data collection. These efforts will help us understand the inequities in our society, identify solutions to remedy these inequities, and make changes in our policies and institutions to address the effects of systemic racism. While thoughtful data collection is not sufficient for these pursuits, it is certainly necessary—and long overdue.

[ethereuminfracondholera]

DHOLERA SMART CITY PROJECT DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING

Dholera Smart City refers to one of the latest greenfield smart city projects in Gujarat that connects Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad. It is expected to stand out as an example for all the major smart cities of India. The Dholera smart city project is going to be the biggest greenfield project in Asia.

The speciality of the Dholera SIR Project is its non-polluted and clean ambiance. The total Dholera smart city project area encompasses 920 sq. km and offers immense growth and development possibilities including high-tech infrastructure, great connectivity, along with the overall sustainable development of the region including ample greenery all around.

The entire Dholera SIR area will be developed in different phases. Each phase will cater to the development of different activation area allocated to it. The phases are further broken down into six town planning schemes. The aim of the project is to fulfil the increasing need for homes that offer all amenities and are within a budget.

Is Dholera Smart City Ready?

The development of the Dholera smart city will be in different phases. The project's Phase 1 will include the First and Second Town Planning Schemes (1 & 2). The approximate area covered in Town Planning Scheme 1 is 51 sq. km. On the other hand, 102 sq. km is the approximate area for Town Planning Scheme 2.

However, the total Dholera smart city area will also cover 250 meters of the planned Expressway. This road will stretch for 110 KM more as a connecting link between Ahmedabad, Dholera Expressway, and Bhavnagar. Therefore, the people in Gujarat will be long-term gainers after the completion of this massive project.

Phase 1 of the Dholera smart city project is expected to be completed by 2023. However, the activation area or the area which is going to be industrial area majorly and is about 22.5 Sq. KM is still under construction will be operational.

The construction of the Dholera International Airport phase 1 will begin in 2022 and is expected to be completed by 2024. The construction of the Ahmedabad to Dholera Greenfield expressway will also be completed around the same time.

What is the Status of Dholera Smart City?

Dholera smart city is an upcoming city in Gujarat , India developed by Dholera Development Authority (DDA). Dholera SIR Phase 1 is completed with TP1 & TP2, which are industrial zones and residential zone areas with their own hub and city canter zone.

Further phase 2 will be developed in the next 10 years, and after that, phase 3, which will be developed after 20 years. Overall, Dholera SIR Project will be fully developed in 2043.

Is It Good to Invest in Dholera?

1. Great Connectivity in Dholera Smart City:

Great connectivity for the young and career-oriented Indians, Dholera will have Dholera International Airport, a seaport connectivity, metro train, and Ahmedabad Dholera Expressway.

2. World-class Planning in Smart City Dholera:

It certainly stands out as far as planning is concerned. It has world-class planning indeed. It is designed and planned by the best experts in the world. Solutions will be provided by CISCO and IBM. In a nutshell, Dholera is the next big thing in India. It's only wise to invest in land in Dholera.

3. Dholera SIR Investment Hub:

Dholera is expected to be a massive commercial hub. The area will be developed as a global manufacturing and commercial hub as it is the first smart city on Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

4. Create Jobs in Dholera:

Dholera will have innumerable job opportunities. A considerable number of jobs are likely to be created in this area, opening doors of opportunities for many, as Dholera is being developed as a global and Industrial Smart City.

Good Opportunity To Invest Right Now.

Invest in India’s First Platinum Rated Smart City.

We are deals in Residential, Commercial, Industrial NA land & Plots.

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[toomuchsky]

ok truly bc i couldn’t think of anything before: i did have some accomplishments in 2022 which WERE:

- i did not fall apart (too much) during the multiple Car Sagas

- i saw les mis on stage for the first time

- i survived surgery which truly was. so hard.

- i fixed??? my relationship w food!!! and eat way better and more protein and more often now!! and made some GOOD shit this year

- more movement even w all the wrist issues meaning there’s less actual exercise in my life now - i’ve been walking a lot more!

- got better at some routines

- started budgeting and caring more abt spending and saving

- even w all the shit that went down after, i did in fact buy my first car. that’s pretty big.

- i made my house (apt) a home!!!! finding my interior design style has been so fun and fulfilling. lots of woodworking projects too

- saw a LOT of concerts!!! i went to so many this year: simple plan, rise against, and bloodywood being the big ones i was excited abt

- lots of fun travel and small travel. one of my childhood friends got married and we got to see a bunch of the indian community that grew up together come back together. saw a nascar race for the first time. reconnected w an old hs crush. made it to a friends engagement party even after my car broke down. saw some waterfalls. tried magnolia’s banana pudding for the first time and realized that the pa turnpike midway rest area 711 made a better one. listened to midnights at what felt like the end of the world in chicago

- dated??? question mark.

- hobbies! i made a little paper journal! made some really good charceuterie boards! wrote a lot of dumb shit! played my first longer than a one shot dnd campaign and a lot of board games!

- made some strides in learning how to drive a motorcycle (got a permit and took one (1) class)

[industrynewsupdates]

Influencer Marketing Platform Procurement Intelligence: Trends and Outlook

The influencer marketing platform category is anticipated to witness growth at a CAGR of 31.9% from 2023 to 2030. In 2022, North America accounted for 30% of the market share followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. Europe witnesses the fastest growth rate owing to wider adoption of branding practices and concentrating on expanding their market penetration and gaining a sizable consumer base through micro & nano-influencers.

In 2022, the fashion and lifestyle segment held substantial industry share in terms of end-usage owing to the growing number of high-end lifestyle and fashion brands trying to be more approachable to consumers. Influencers are used by a number of fashion brands to promote new apparel and accessories, keeping the public up to date on the newest trends. The potential of influencer marketing to build brand awareness in the fashion sector is one of its greatest benefits. Due to the proliferation of social media, it is difficult for companies to differentiate themselves from the competition because consumers are continually exposed to marketing from multiple brands. However, influencers have the ability to break through the clutter and connect with a niche audience.

Technologies such as virtual influencers, artifical intelligence, and data analytics are expected to strengthen influencer marketing platforms. In order to target the ideal customers, a virtual influencer gives more creative freedom and cost-effective customization. Several brands and businesses are having trouble evaluating the platform's outcomes even after it has been widely adopted. As a result, rising smartphone adoption, increased use of high-speed internet, rising numbers of social media accounts, falling data streaming costs, and the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are all contributing to the growing demand for video content and live interactive sessions.

Order your copy of the Influencer Marketing Platform Procurement Intelligence Report, 2023 - 2030, published by Grand View Research, to get more details regarding day one, quick wins, portfolio analysis, key negotiation strategies of key suppliers, and low-cost/best-cost sourcing analysis

Influencer marketing platforms saw a huge increase in popularity after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. The advertising agencies and production companies were compelled to postpone the planned commercial shoots due to the government-mandated lockdown limitations, which prompted the businesses to turn towards alternative promotion strategies such as influencer marketing. Influencer marketing was also made more prevalent by the increased social media activities during the lockdown. This trend is being continued even after there are no further lockdowns and the pandemic is in control. As a result, the outbreak of pandemic supported the global category in several ways such as increased number of live streams, bringing platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels into popular culture, fueling emergence of micro influencers, creation of authentic content in an unusual timeframe, discovering other paths to purchase, redistribution of media & advertising budgets, and higher consumption of content.

Influencer Marketing Platform Intelligence Highlights

• The global influencer marketing platform category is moderately fragmented, with majority of the key market players offering comprehensive solutions with a wide variety of features.

• India is the preferred low-cost/best cost country for sourcing influencer marketing. As the nation's digital infrastructure is getting better and more Indians have access to the internet, numerous opportunities are opening up for both businesses and marketers.

• The threat of new entrants is anticipated to stay low and it is relatively easy for new companies to start up and compete with established players.

• License cost / subscription fee, personnel, maintenance & upgradation, training & certification costs, and support are the major cost components of Influencer Marketing Platforms. Other costs include utility costs, administrative expenses, renewal costs, data migration costs, and security.

List of Key Suppliers 

• AspireIQ, Inc.

• CreatorIQ

• Grin Technologies Inc.

• JuliusWorks, LLC

• Klear.com Ltd.

• Kolsquare

• Mavrck LLC

• NeoReach

• Onalytica Ltd

• Traackr, Inc.

• Upfluence

• Webfluential Global Limited

Browse through Grand View Research’s collection of procurement intelligence studies:

• Business Intelligence Procurement Intelligence Report, 2023 - 2030 (Revenue Forecast, Supplier Ranking & Matrix, Emerging Technologies, Pricing Models, Cost Structure, Engagement & Operating Model, Competitive Landscape)

• Creative Advertising Procurement Intelligence Report, 2023 - 2030 (Revenue Forecast, Supplier Ranking & Matrix, Emerging Technologies, Pricing Models, Cost Structure, Engagement & Operating Model, Competitive Landscape)

Influencer Marketing Platforms Category Procurement Intelligence Report Scope

• Influencer Marketing Platform Category Growth Rate: CAGR of 31.9% from 2023 to 2030

• Pricing Growth Outlook: 5% - 10% increase (Annually)

• Pricing Models: Subscription-pricing, Competition-based pricing

• Supplier Selection Scope: Cost and pricing, Past engagements, Productivity, Geographical presence

• Supplier Selection Criteria: Years in service, geographic service provision, certifications, influencer search & discovery, free trials / demos, performance tracking, creator marketplace, content management, campaign analytics, and others

• Report Coverage: Revenue forecast, supplier ranking, supplier matrix, emerging technology, pricing models, cost structure, competitive landscape, growth factors, trends, engagement, and operating model

Brief about Pipeline by Grand View Research:

A smart and effective supply chain is essential for growth in any organization. Pipeline division at Grand View Research provides detailed insights on every aspect of supply chain, which helps in efficient procurement decisions.

Our services include (not limited to):

• Market Intelligence involving – market size and forecast, growth factors, and driving trends

• Price and Cost Intelligence – pricing models adopted for the category, total cost of ownerships

• Supplier Intelligence – rich insight on supplier landscape, and identifies suppliers who are dominating, emerging, lounging, and specializing

• Sourcing / Procurement Intelligence – best practices followed in the industry, identifying standard KPIs and SLAs, peer analysis, negotiation strategies to be utilized with the suppliers, and best suited countries for sourcing to minimize supply chain disruptions

[mansiinsight]

Budget-Friendly Makeup Brands That Rival High-End Products Discover top budget-friendly makeup brands in India that rival high-end products. Achieve stunning looks without breaking the bank with affordable beauty essentials from Maybelline, Lakme, L'Oréal, and more.

In the world of beauty, it's easy to assume that high-quality makeup comes with a high price tag. However, many budget-friendly brands offer products that perform just as well, if not better, than their high-end counterparts. Whether you're a makeup novice or a seasoned pro, you don't have to break the bank to look fabulous. Here are some top budget-friendly makeup brands available in India that rival high-end products.

1. Maybelline New York

Maybelline is a global brand that has earned a stellar reputation for its affordable and high-performing makeup products.

Star Products:

Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation: This foundation offers a natural, matte finish and comes in a wide range of shades. It provides buildable coverage and is perfect for oily and combination skin. It’s a favorite among makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts alike.

Colossal Kajal: With a smudge-proof and waterproof formula, this kajal lasts up to 24 hours. It's a must-have in every Indian makeup bag.

Stat: According to Statista, Maybelline held a 7.2% market share in the Indian cosmetics market in 2022.

2. Lakmé

Lakmé is an iconic Indian brand known for its innovative and affordable makeup products that cater to a variety of skin tones and types.

Star Products:

9 to 5 Primer + Matte Lip Color: This lipstick combines a primer and matte finish in one, offering long-lasting wear and vibrant color payoff.

Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer: This primer blurs imperfections and creates a smooth base for makeup application, rivaling many high-end primers.

Fact: Lakmé is ranked among the top five cosmetic brands in India.

3. L'Oréal Paris

L'Oréal Paris offers luxury-quality products at drugstore prices, making it a favorite among beauty lovers worldwide.

Star Products:

Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation: Known for its long-lasting and lightweight formula, this foundation provides a flawless matte finish.

Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara: This mascara offers dramatic volume and length, often compared to high-end mascaras like Too Faced's Better Than Sex.

Fact: L'Oréal Paris is the largest cosmetics brand in the world, with products sold in over 150 countries.

4. NYX Professional Makeup

NYX is a professional makeup brand known for its high-quality products and extensive range of shades and formulas.

Star Products:

Soft Matte Lip Cream: This lip cream delivers a velvety matte finish and comes in a variety of shades to suit every skin tone.

Can't Stop Won't Stop Foundation: This foundation offers full coverage and a matte finish that lasts up to 24 hours.

Stat: NYX Professional Makeup is one of the fastest-growing cosmetics brands globally, with significant popularity in India.

5. Wet n Wild

Wet n Wild is renowned for its affordable yet high-quality makeup products that cater to all skin tones.

Star Products:

Photo Focus Foundation: This foundation is tested under seven different lighting conditions to ensure a flawless finish in any light.

Color Icon Eyeshadow Palette: These palettes offer a range of highly pigmented and blendable shades, comparable to high-end eyeshadows.

Fact: Wet n Wild is a cruelty-free brand, making it a popular choice among conscious consumers.

6. Colorbar

Colorbar is an Indian brand that offers a wide range of affordable makeup products known for their quality and performance.

Star Products:

Velvet Matte Lipstick: This lipstick provides a creamy matte finish and comes in a variety of shades.

Perfect Match Primer: This primer smooths the skin and helps makeup last longer, similar to many high-end primers.

Fact: Colorbar has received numerous beauty awards, including the Elle Beauty Award and the Femina Beauty Award.

7. Makeup Revolution

Makeup Revolution is known for its affordable dupes of high-end products, offering similar quality at a fraction of the price.

Star Products:

Conceal & Define Concealer: This concealer provides full coverage and a matte finish, often compared to Tarte's Shape Tape.

Re-Loaded Eyeshadow Palettes: These palettes offer a wide range of highly pigmented shades that blend seamlessly.

Stat: Makeup Revolution has a strong presence in over 50 countries, including India, where it is rapidly gaining popularity.

8. PAC (Professional Artist Cosmetics)

PAC is an Indian brand that offers professional-grade makeup products at affordable prices.

Star Products:

Studio Finish Compact Powder: This powder offers a matte finish and provides buildable coverage.

Retro Matte Gloss: This liquid lipstick delivers intense pigmentation and a long-lasting matte finish.

Fact: PAC products are designed to meet the needs of professional makeup artists, making them a high-quality yet affordable option for consumers.

9. Swiss Beauty

Swiss Beauty is known for its trendy and affordable makeup products that deliver impressive results.

Star Products:

Liquid Concealer: This concealer provides excellent coverage and blends seamlessly into the skin.

Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette: These palettes offer a range of vibrant and pigmented shades that rival high-end eyeshadows.

Stat: Swiss Beauty has rapidly grown to become one of the most popular budget-friendly brands in India.

10. SUGAR Cosmetics

SUGAR Cosmetics is an Indian brand that offers high-quality, trendy makeup products at affordable prices.

Star Products:

Matte As Hell Crayon Lipstick: This lipstick provides a long-lasting matte finish and comes in a variety of shades.

Ace Of Face Foundation Stick: This foundation stick offers full coverage and a natural finish, making it a favorite among makeup enthusiasts.

Fact: SUGAR Cosmetics has a strong online presence and is known for its innovative marketing strategies, making it a favorite among millennials and Gen Z.

Conclusion

You don't need to spend a fortune to look your best. These budget-friendly makeup brands offer high-quality products that rival their high-end counterparts, ensuring you achieve a flawless look without breaking the bank. Whether you're a makeup newbie or a beauty guru, these brands provide everything you need to create stunning makeup looks. So, head to your nearest drugstore or shop online and discover the best affordable beauty products India has to offer.

[tritonmarketresearchamey]

UAV Battery Market: What’s Next?

In 2020, the total global consumer UAV or drone shipment was around 5 million units. Estimates suggest this number to reach around 9.6 million units by 2030. Despite the demand, UAVs tend to face short travel range issues, which has elevated the demand for robust electrical protection systems. Subsequently, the increased demand for lithium-ion, fuel cells, and nickel batteries is widening the scope of the UAV battery market globally.

In recent years, battery technologies such as fuel cells have gained momentum with benefits like greater energy density that enables superior control and stability during movement. Doosan’s DS30 drones powered by a 2.6 kW fuel cell is one such example having four to five times the higher energy density than other batteries.

As per industry sources, the battery market has witnessed tremendous technological developments in recent years. This has pushed the production and deployment of UAV batteries, influencing the studied market to evolve at 17.46% between 2022 and 2028.

UAV Battery Market: Progression Backed by Funding

Military investments and government support for drone technology have soared immensely, elevating UAV battery stocks. In line with this, operating players are streamlining their portfolios regarding components and affordability. This growth is majorly observed in North America and Asia-Pacific.

The Asia-Pacific UAV battery market is expected to witness the fastest growth at a CAGR of 18.01% due to rising investments in battery R&D and defense budgets, such as:

China, for instance, invested $293 billion in its 2021 defense budget, focusing primarily on security & surveillance, fueling the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Indian government liberalized drone rules by announcing a 100% subsidy for using UAVs in the agricultural sector.

The Japanese government is developing an autonomous combat drone to detect energy aircraft and eliminate any missile strikes. This development project is believed to be a joint undertaking with the US, with a prototype set to be ready for testing by 2025.

Such government measures have sored demand for lithium-based batteries, which leads the market in terms of product type. Their role in supporting long cycle life and energy efficiency in UAVs propels the segment’s growth. Hence, companies like Shenzhen Grepow Battery are launching high-technology lithium batteries to gain a competitive edge in the market.

However, geographically, North America UAV battery backs the highest position in 2021, with a CAGR of 17.54%. This growth is attributable to increasing military funding, with the United States accounting for a major share. For instance:

The US Department of Transportation FAA invested $2.7 million to support research on UAVs used in disaster preparedness, creating a high demand for Li-ion, fuel cells, etc.

The Federal government allocated around $7.5 billion to the Pentagon for the employment of numerous robotic technologies, including UAVs, for air, ground, maritime, and other domains.

Transport Canada introduced a Drone Strategy to 2025 program to provide a strategic vision for drones, raising awareness about their significance and untapped economic potential that will drive the sector’s growth.

Industry-wise Outlook: Surveillance Measures Widens Scope

Commercial, consumer, and industry verticals are key categories supporting the market’s growth. Among these, Defense, government, & law enforcement secures the majority of shares in the industry vertical segment. The high demand in the sector has guided companies like Boeing to develop drones like MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueling. In 2021, the drone completed carrier-based testing. And in early 2022, it became the first drone to refuel a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. As a result, prominent players like General Atomics Aeronautical and AeroVironment Inc have integrated new technologies to develop high-endurance batteries, thereby creating opportunities for the UAV battery market.

Commercial Drones to Star with Augmented Applications

Over the last few years, the commercial application of drones has expanded from photography to monitoring agricultural land, paving the path for smart operations. Their adoption in the e-commerce sector is also expected to soar over the near future. Companies like Amazon are fueling the adoption with the launch of Prime Air Fixed-wing Drones for delivery purposes. Although the market is projected to strengthen, it faces certain challenges such as:

Issues arise from a series of electrical malfunctions mid-flight and other thermal runaway complications.

Stringent regulations that are restricting the transport of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Nevertheless, the ongoing expansion in industries and capitalization from geographies are projected to create prospects for the UAV battery market over the forecast period.

FAQs:

Q1) What is the size of the UAV battery market?

The UAV battery market was valued at $4500.80 million in 2021 and is expected to attain around $13481.66 million by the year 2028.

Q2) Who are the big players in the UAV battery market?

Plug Power, Intelligent Energy, Sion Power, Eagle Picher Technologies, Inventus Power, Shenzhen Grepow Battery, Epsilor, HES Energy Systems, RRC Power Solutions, and Doosan Corporation are some players studied in the report.

[marketsndata]

India Biological and Biomedical Materials Market Assessment, Opportunities and Forecast, 2031

India biological and biomedical materials market size was valued at USD 2.5 billion in FY2023, which is expected to reach USD 7.6 billion in FY2031, with a CAGR of 14.8% for the forecast period between FY2024 and FY2031. The discovery of biomedical materials is imperatively revolutionizing modern medicinal treatment by restoring normal functioning and achieving healing for patients after undergoing complex surgeries. Living cells, tissues, metals, ceramics, and plastics can be reengineered into desired mold and parts, fibers, films that are progressively used in biomedical products and devices. Sealants and patches made from biomedical materials are significantly allowing damaged tissue to regenerate and heal in a shorter time. As patients with diabetic ulcers are prone to severe infections, they are treated with biomaterials, which leads to healing while reducing unnecessary dressing replacements.

Prominent government organizations and institutions are conducting innovative research on developing technologies and products leading to affordable healthcare under the mandated government program. An eminent collaboration of Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences Hyderabad and University of Hyderabad developed microneedles that are potentially impacting the iron and vitamin B12 status of 170 million Indian women lying in the reproductive age and around 480 million children. IISc Bangalore has developed Fluorescence based optical volume screening system (OVSS) for interrogating multicellular organisms.

Sample report- https://www.marketsandata.com/industry-reports/india-biological-and-biomedical-materials-market/sample-request

Incorporation of Innovative Biomedical Material into Drug Delivery Systems

Biomaterials are considered a prominent asset, significantly driving the advanced drug delivery systems; they can facilitate surgery, implantation, and treatment of serious oral diseases such as periodontitis, peri-implantitis, and severe dental problems. Natural polymeric substances such as calcium phosphate, chitosan, gelatin, are substantially used to prepare various drug delivery systems. Biomedical materials have significant characteristics like antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects and are potentially active in enhancing antibiotic activities in oral infections. In addition to oral delivery, biomedical materials are successively creating avenues for drug delivery through transdermal, pulmonary, ocular, and nasal routes where specific designing of biomaterials accomplish the desired delivery actions.

India has been progressive for spending enormous money on improving the healthcare sector. Under India’s National Health Policy, 2017, the government substantially aimed to increase spending on health by 2025 to 2.5% of GDP. In the Union Budget 2021-2022, the Indian government allocated USD 27 billion for the healthcare and wellbeing of its citizens. The huge potential of biological and biomedical materials in drug delivery systems has impeccable market opportunities to exponentially expand with the rising health sector and significant government investments.

Regulatory Adoption for Implementation of Biological and Biomedical Materials

Numerous international and country-specific standards and guidelines have been framed to regulate utilizing biological and biomedical materials. Assuring effectiveness and enabling execution, some of the recognized institutions are International Organizations for Standard guidelines, ASTM International, the United States Pharmacopeial Convention, and European Conformity Marking.  Several standard tests and practices are being incorporated like testing of polymeric biological materials that are extensively used in surgical implants, assessment of selected tissue effects of absorbable biomaterials for implant with respect to muscles and bones.

Hyaluronic Acid Biopolymer is Revolutionizing the Cosmetic and Pharma Industries

Hyaluronic acid (HA) biopolymer is a naturally occurring material, delivering an imperative role in the wound healing process, generating a massive potential in regenerative medicine. Due to its valuable physicochemical properties, HA biopolymer is progressively used for treating various medical conditions including arthritis treatment (osteoarthritis), dry eye syndrome, ocular surgery (ophthalmology), cosmetic space (plastic surgery, skincare), drug delivery, etc. Hyaluronic acid is engaged in soft tissue hydration and structural scaffolding that prominently provides viscoelasticity, leading to proper lubrications and impart shock absorbing functionalities.

An apex national organization of India IBHA, that represents the cosmetics, beauty, hygiene, and personal care units in India has an estimated industry size of USD 13 billion in 2021, which is substantially growing at 8-9% annually. A report published by National Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency estimated the market size of personal care and hygiene sector at around USD 15.050 billion, during the financial year 2022.

Biomedical Materials in Medical Implants is Successively Revolutionizing Market

The advancement in medical technology has consequently led to innovative medical implant materials varying from conventional silicone to 3D-printed biomaterials. Ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and hip replacement implants are progressively used in knee replacements. Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) can accomplish hip implants, removing the revision surgery requirement. 3D-printed implantable materials are gaining interest with a microfluidic approach that has prominently led to leaps in the vascularization of engineering tissues. In Australia, researchers have significantly developed a 3D printing Biopen device called Biosphere, enabling surgeons to repair damaged bones and cartilage by generating new cells directly.

India ranked 4th largest in the Asian medical device market and 20th globally. An extensive category of medical devices, from consumables to implantables, are utilized in India, where the majority includes drug-eluting stents, cardiac stents, orthopedic implants, intraocular lenses, etc. In April 2023, an achievement for Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices Ltd. was appraised as they successfully supplied 1.75 billion syringes. Medtronic, a leading biomaterial company, has hugely invested around USD 362.8 million in India to expand Medtronic Engineering & Innovative Center in Hyderabad, India.

Impact of COVID-19

The outbreak of COVID-19 had a devastating impact on mankind. Biomaterials, being an essential element for several medical implant practices, like treating arthritis, joint replacements, etc., has emerged incredibly. India has been at the forefront in developing indigenous diagnostics during the COVID-19 where the DBT has announced the call on “COVID Research Consortium” and successfully commissioned COVID-19 diagnostics kits. Biomedical materials have diverse applications for enhancing COVID-19 immunotherapeutic in developing preventing vaccines, infection treatments, healing, and regeneration of damaged tissues. The pandemic situation in India was ever-growing for the medical treatments and created huge potential for the biological and biomedical materials market.

Impact of Russia-Ukraine War

The invasion of Russia on Ukraine has led to unprecedented impact on various sectors subsequently leading to deterioration of global economy including healthcare. A project named KOROVAI designed for the international community is providing aid to Ukraine with the coordination of medical material gifting. The financial sanctions on Russia by the Western countries led to severe outcomes on Russian health care facilities as Russia imports massive number of medical devices from the United States and European countries. These imperative factors severely impacted the applications of biomedical materials in treatments. The measures adopted by significant government agencies to overcome the disaster of aggression and retain the economic instability.

 India Biological and Biomedical Materials Market: Report Scope

“India Biological and Biomedical Materials Market Assessment, Opportunities and Forecast, FY2017-FY2031F”, is a comprehensive report by Markets and data, providing in-depth analysis and qualitative & quantitative assessment of the current state of the India Biological and Biomedical Materials Market, industry dynamics, and challenges. The report includes market size, segmental shares, growth trends, COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine war impact, opportunities, and forecast between FY2024 and FY2031. Additionally, the report profiles the leading players in the industry mentioning their respective market share, business model, competitive intelligence, etc.

Click here for full report- https://www.marketsandata.com/industry-reports/india-biological-and-biomedical-materials-market

Contact

Mr. Vivek Gupta 5741 Cleveland street, Suite 120, VA beach, VA, USA 23462 Tel: +1 (757) 343–3258 Email: info@marketsandata.com Website: https://www.marketsandata.com

[usafphantom2]

Thai Air Force awaits U.S. response for purchase of two F-35s

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 10/09/2022 - 10:52 PM in Military

The newly appointed commander of the Royal Thai Air Force says he is not sure if the United States will agree to sell the F-35 fighters to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF).

Speaking after presiding over an RTAF meeting on Friday, Commander Alongkorn Wannarot said that the project was approved by a Thai Air Force committee and the offer and acceptance letter was sent to the U.S.

Now the RTAF awaits a response from the US, expected between January and July. If the US agrees to sell the jets, a letter of recommendation will be provided.

“However, if the U.S. refuses to sell the fighters, it means that we did our best [to acquire the jets],” he said. "The RTAF tried to provide as much information as possible required by the U.S.."

If the U.S. refuses to sell the jets, the RTAF will have to return 369 million baht (about $10 million) for purchase to the House committee examining the 2023 budget bill because the funds cannot be reused for other hunting purchases.

Alongkorn: "We did our best".

The RTAF will then create a committee to consider how to proceed with the acquisition goal, Alongkorn said.

Previously, the House panel that vetoed the 2023 budget bill accepted the appeal of the Thai Air Force and restored the requested funds necessary to proceed with the acquisition. It is now up to the U.S. Congress to decide whether to approve the sale of the jets.

In August, the House committee approved half of the budget of 738 million baht (US$ 19.6 million) requested by RTAF for the planned purchase of two US F-35A fighters.

Previously, a subcommittee on durable products, state-owned companies, equipment and rotating funds decided to exclude the Thai Air Force's request for 738 million baht from the 2023 spending plan.

Currently RTAF operates with Gripen shells.

The panel considered it unnecessary in the current security climate, mainly because it has not yet been approved by Congress. The Thai Air Force appealed, but agreed to reduce the budget by 50%.

The panel then approved the 369 million baht for the scheme, which would end up costing about $200 million in the next four fiscal years.

Source: The Bangkok Post

Tags: Military AviationLockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIRTAF - Royal Thai Air Force/Royal Thai Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. It has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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