Amber heard

Fox News host Sean Hannity railed Friday against former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch as a "narcissistic diplomatic snowflake" in his latest defense of President Donald Trump. Trump himself received widespread criticism and allegations of witness intimidation for ridiculing Yovanovitch on Twitter during her testimony before House lawmakers Friday. But Hannity, one of Trump's most prominent cheerleaders on Fox News, labeled her and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff "liars" and narcissists. Hannity described her as a "snowflake" for testifying Friday about attorney Rudy Giuliani and other Trump administration officials leading a smear campaign against her. Although Trump's tweet did not directly threaten Yovanovitch, the law also covers intimidation and harassment, which is an impeachable offense punishable by up to three years in prison. Hannity followed the president's lead and repeatedly labeled Yovanovitch a self-important official looking to make … [Read more...] about Sean Hannity attacks Marie Yovanovitch, calling her a “narcissistic diplomat snowflake”

Twelve women from abroad have filed an intervening application in the Madhya Pradesh High Court's principal bench in Jabalpur, seeking action against the Gundecha brothers of Bhopal-based Dhrupad Sansthan over allegations of sexual harassment against them. Those who have filed the intervening applications (IAs) the previous day were once students of the Dhrupad Sansthan, who are now in the United States, Sweden, Canada, Poland, Spain, Austria and Germany. The complainants, too, have alleged that they were sexually harassed by the famous Gundecha siblings the late Ramakant Gundecha, Umakant Gundecha and Akhilesh Gundecha, who plays pakhawaj, the women's counsel Dhruv Varma told PTI. The IA has been filed in support of an inquiry report of an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which investigated the sexual harassment allegations against the Gundechas of the Dhrupad Sansthan , a UNESCO-accredited institution after the accusations surfaced on social media in 2020, Mr. Varma … [Read more...] about Twelve women from abroad move MP HC against Gundecha brothers accused of sexual harassment

W hen the Gundecha Brothers recently performed at the beach-side Spaces, the experimental arena set up by dancer-choreographer Chandralekha, the sea proved to be a great metaphor for their music. Like the long coast line, their voice has an extraordinary range, soaring and tumbling like the waves that lash the shore. They unravel the nuances of dhrupad as if sifting through grains of sand. Their steady and introspective notes appear like the night sky above the gleaming water. The brothers, Ramakant and Umakant, have been an intrinsic part of Chandralekha’s last choreographic work ‘Sharira’ since 2001, when it was conceptualised. They were in the city for her tenth death anniversary tribute festival. “Sharira came to us when we were on an inward journey, exploring dhrupad and our own musical sensibilities. It was important to save the art from decline, open up its repertoire and reach out to the contemporary audience. We began to find a meeting point for the dhrupad’s integration … [Read more...] about The Dhrupad revivalists

The Madras High Court on Monday refused to stay all further proceedings pursuant to registration of a First Information Report (FIR) registered against former AIADMK Minister S.P. Velumani for alleged irregularities in award of corporation contracts. Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N. Mala rejected a plea for interim stay. They directed Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram, representing Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption, to file a counter affidavit to the FIR quash petition within three weeks. Senior Counsel N.R. Elango representing DMK’s R.S. Bharathi and advocate V. Suresh, representing anti corruption outfit Arappor Iyakkam, were also given time to file their counter affidavits. Mr. Bharthi and the NGO had approached the court in 2018 for registration of a case against the Minister. Then, the court appointed Superintendent of Police R. Ponni to probe into the complaints of irregularities in award of contracts by Greater Chennai and Coimbatore … [Read more...] about Madras High Court refuses to stay FIR against former Minister SP Velumani

Tamil Maanila Congress president G.K. Vasan on Monday urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately set up special courts for POCSO cases in four districts as announced a year ago. The Hindu had in a recent report pointed out that the courts had not yet come up despite the government making an announcement that they would be set up in Dindigul, Dharmapuri, Theni and Tiruvallur districts to handle the high volume of cases. Mr. Vasan, in a statement, said the delay would only lead to higher pendency of cases and create societal and financial pressure on the affected children and their families. “The Tamil Nadu government must create a situation where women and children are safe and do not face any sexual harassment. But it is worrying that such incidents keep happening,” Mr. Vasan said. Repeatedly going to the courts for hearings would lead to financial losses and a feeling among the affected children and families that justice was not being given at the right time., the Rajya … [Read more...] about Set up special courts for POCSO cases, Vasan urges govt.

The Supreme Court on June 27 agreed to hear on June 28, a plea of the Centre challenging the Tripura High Court orders on a PIL challenging grant of security cover to industrialist Mukesh Ambani and his family members in Mumbai . A Vacation Bench of Justices Surya Kant and J.B. Pardiwala was told by Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta that the High Court has no jurisdiction to entertain the PIL as the State Government has nothing to do with the security cover provided to the Ambanis by the Centre on recommendation of the Maharashtra Government. Mr. Mehta said he wants the appeal to be heard urgently as the High Court has asked Home Ministry officials to appear before it on June 28 with original records with regard to the threat perception to the Ambanis, and stated no more adjournment will be granted. The Tripura High Court had on a PIL filed by one Bikash Saha had passed two interim orders on May 31 and June 21 and had directed the Central Government to place the original file … [Read more...] about Supreme Court to hear Centre’s plea against Tripura HC order on security cover to Ambanis

It’s not every day that you see a tiger lose grip on his marked territory! It is extremely rare — and when it happens, almost always the tiger falls prey. The Shiv Sena today seems to have not only lost over two-thirds of its elected legislators, but also seems incapable of having enough influence to get its people elected in numbers required to retain or form government. The roaring tiger which used to be synonymous with the formidable Balasaheb Thackeray no longer seems to be an accurate representation of its inheritors: Uddhav and Aaditya. The journey of the Sena from being an indispensable power centre dictating its terms to now having to stoop to the whims of Balasaheb’s arch political enemies just to stay relevant is a telling lesson in contemporary Maharashtra politics. This is not an overnight event: Sena’s downfall was truly scripted when Uddhav Thackeray began to take control over the party affairs pushing aside mass leaders like Raj Thackeray and Narayan Rane in the years … [Read more...] about Tiger Loses Its Roar: Decoding Why Shiv Sena Has Crumbled Like a Cookie

BharatPe co founder and former managing director Ashneer Grover has come into the spotlight again, but this time it is not the feud that he is famous for. Grover has recently expressed his interest in launching a new venture of his own following his bitter exit from BharatPe that saw a months-long exchanges between him and other administrators of the company. He said that this time he will not go back to investors and will make the new company profitable. Ashneer Grover was speaking at TiECon-2022, which is an entrepreneurial event that was held in Chandigath lately, The Tribune newspaper reported. “I don’t want to go to the investors again,” he was quoted as saying by the media house. He called is own feud with the board of BharatPe as a badly fought corporate battle. “It’s a badly fought corporate battle,” Grover said while refusing to be drawn into the alleged misconduct with shareholders that had put him in the limelight. On being asked about the viral audio clip that … [Read more...] about Ashneer Grover to Start New Venture With Own Money; Know Why He Won’t Go Back to Investors

After cementing his place as a prominent actor and a heartthrob in the Bengali film industry, Abir Chatterjee has set foot in the Hindi film industry with his debut web series, Avrodh 2. He plays the role of intelligence officer Captain Pradeep Bhattacharya and he tells us that playing the characters of Sleuths (Byomkesh Bakshi, Feluda Sona Da) back home has helped him prepare for his part in the series. However, he added new layers to it to avoid repeating himself as an actor. During the free-wheeling conversation, he tells us about the series, and how he prepared for the role and also mentions that he feels like a debutante right now. Excerpts from the interview. What made you choose Avrodh 2 as your Hindi debut? This is my first OTT work and my first major break on the national platform so I am excited and slightly nervous. When I got the offer for Avrodh, the first thing that struck me is this is a known brand. Avrodh 1 was very popular and when I was prepping for the … [Read more...] about Abir Chatterjee on Avrodh 2: Was Happily Doing Bengali Films And Looking for Right Opportunity to Go National | Exclusive

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport worldwide and has gained massive following in recent years even in countries that don’t get to roll out the red carpet for racing; India being one of those countries and this author being one of those followers. This column is my attempt to connect with other new fans of the sport and share with them my journey of exploring this fast, furious, and yes, at times, frustrating, sport. “Four DRS zones in Melbourne. You just know someone will waste them all, appealing deliveries which clearly pitched outside the line of leg stump.” That took a second reading, didn’t it? The perfect summation of my go-to- confusion when I, a rookie fan, first heard of DRS in Formula One . Four DRS zones in Melbourne. You just know someone will waste them all, appealing deliveries which clearly pitched outside the line of leg stump. — Tom Arron (@norramot) April 5, 2022 In a cricket-obsessed country, you (and I) will be forgiven for thinking it stands … [Read more...] about Rookie on F1 Grid: DRS Chicken is Leaving a Bitter Taste Among Fans But It Stays on the Menu for Now