Tomorrow our nation will be observing the 77th Independence Day. Long ago we made a tryst with density, when on August 15, 1947, our beloved country got Independence from British Raj. It was the spirit of our freedom fighters and citizens of those times that they fought for freedom with determination and gave us the wonderful gift of democracy. Thus, Independence Day serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by freedom fighters and visionaries who envisaged a sovereign, democratic India.

The fluttering tricolour, patriotic songs, and fervent celebrations across the length and breadth of the country are more than mere symbols; they stand as a testament to India’s unity in diversity. As citizens come together, regardless of caste, creed, or religion, the spirit of the day is about hope, resilience, and unwavering love for the motherland. It rekindles pride and reaffirms our shared responsibility towards nation-building.

Tomorrow our national flag will be hosted by our Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi. The national flag is hosted two times every year on Republic Day and on Independence Day. Even though both of these events appear the same as they give respect to Tiranga, however, there lies a difference between the two in regards to how the flag should be hosted. Let us have a look: 

It is the positioning of the flag that holds great significance. The flag’s position highlights the distinction between unfurling and hoisting. On Independence Day, the national flag is hoisted at the pole’s base. To mark the day’s historical significance, the Prime Minister lifts and hoists the flag. On the other hand, on Republic Day, the flag is unfurled and secured at the pole’s peak. The President unfurls the flag on this day without lifting it, celebrating the adoption of the National Constitution.

The act of hoisting the flag on Independence Day represents the birth of a nation free from British colonial rule. On August 15, a rope is pulled from below, then released and raised by the country’s PM. This tradition of the Prime Minister hoisting the flag is rooted in history. At the time of independence, India had no President, making the Prime Minister the government’s head. Dr Rajendra Prasad became the first President on January 26, 1950, assuming the role of the ceremonial head of state. Therefore, following the tradition, annually, the Prime Minister hoists the flag at the Red Fort in New Delhi.

On the other hand, the President of the country unfurls the flag, symbolising India’s evolution as a republic. The country had already gained independence before celebrating its first Republic Day. This act marks the nation’s readiness to embrace its republican identity. The flag is unfurled on Republic Day at Rajpath now known as Kartavya Path in New Delhi.

A cloudburst at Jadon Village of Solan district in Himachal Pradesh claimed at least Seven lives. The calamity caused major devastation causing loss of life and property in the region, leading to two houses being washed away by the disaster in Jadon Village. The Indian Meteorological Department warned of Heavy to Hefty rainfall in several districts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The statement issued by the Indian Meteorological Department stated, “Extremely remote locations in Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar are very likely to see very heavy to extremely heavy rain, thunderstorms with lightning, and very strong to extremely severe spells during the next 24 hours.”

The IMD issued a warning in Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, Una, Kinnaur, Lahaul, and Spiti, that the chances of Heavy/excessively heavy rainfalls accompanied by Thunderstorms in the region. On Monday, the CM of Himachal Pradesh tweeted, “I was devastated when I heard of the horrific cloudburst occurrence in Village Jadon in Dhawla Sub-Tehsil of the Solan District, which claimed 7 precious lives. My condolences are with the affected families. In this trying time, we feel your grief and loss with you. We have instructed the authorities to provide the afflicted families with the necessary support and assistance at this tough time.”

Himachal’s Maldevta District saw the demolition of the under-construction building of Dehradun Defence College due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the region. A red alert has also been issued in Rishikesh, followed by six other districts of HP. As per reports, the total number of deaths has risen to 52, and the count of injured became 36. The Uttrakhand’s disaster management department stated that the state has lost Rs. 650 crores. Troops from the SDRF and the NDRF have been sent to Uttarakhand’s severely drenched areas. In disaster-prone locations, two helicopters have also been maintained on standby. Over the last 24 hours, heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh has caused landslides and blocked multiple highways, including the Shimla-Chandigarh route, which was closed to buses and lorries.

Alright, let us talk about tattoos and how they are more than just ink on the skin. Tattoos actually hold great significance as people’s way of self-expression that spans cultures, history and individual narratives. Moreover, for many, it is about engraving one’s soul, beliefs, experiences and aspirations on their bodies. Tattoos have historically served as emblems of belonging, whether to a tribe, a religious sect, or a rite of passage. These tattoos acted as indicators of identity and belonging. While some people still get tattoos for these reasons, many others see it as a way to express themselves. Each design, whether a simple symbol or a complex mural, has a distinct meaning that resonates strongly with the individual. This distinctiveness emphasises the uniqueness of each person’s journey.

Now, I get it, not everyone is into tattoos. And hey, that is cool. But for those of us who are, each tattoo is truly like a chapter in the book of our lives. Choosing a tattoo is an introspective practice in itself. People spend days, if not years, contemplating the ideal design, I do that as well. It necessitates them delving deep inside their psyche, assessing past events, current feelings, and future goals. It is understandable if someone chooses a tattoo to commemorate a lost loved one for example, it’s a tribute, an eternal reminder of memories shared and love that endures. Tattoos can also be about transformation. Got a scar and you are self-conscious about it? Turn it into art. Want to reclaim your body after a major life event? Go slap on some ink. It is like a rite of passage, a way of saying, “This is me, take it or leave it” and honestly that is amazing, it feels great to own oneself. 

One should also notice that tattooing is not just about the individual. It rather is a saga between the person getting inked and the artist. Tattoo artists are not just service providers, they are collaborators in this deeply personal journey and to be honest, if your artist messes it up, the tattoo will be chaos so remember to choose the right artists always. The trust one places in an artist to permanently mark their body is profound. Artists, in return, often share in the emotional experience, channelling the narrative and sentiment of their client into beautiful artworks.

Over time, as one adds more tattoos, their body becomes a canvas, a living diary of moments, beliefs, and personal evolution. Some tattoos might represent youthful exuberance, while others, done years later, might reflect mature reflection or a changed worldview. Also, tattoos also evolve as we do. Some peeps might get a tat in their wild 20s, then later think, “Why did I get a pizza tattooed on my ankle?!” Well, hey even if you end up regretting the design, it still tells a story. It might be a reminder of that crazy summer with friends, so do not ever regret any design.

In the end, it’s all about freedom, ain’t it? Freedom to express, to remember, to transform. Tattoos are a shout-out to the world, saying, “This is who I am, and this is my journey.” Just like life, it’s permanent, beautiful, messy, and uniquely ours. A tattoo is more than just a fashion statement for real. So, whether you are inked up from head to toe or just enjoy the art from a distance, always remember: tattoos are more than just a mere design. They are a journey of the soul.

The Monsoon session of the parliament started on 20th July 2023. A highlight of the session was the suspension of various prominent and reputed ministers for unruly behavior. With the suspension of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary from Lok Sabha, here are some more leaders who got suspended from the two houses. 

Recently, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of the opposition in the House, was suspended by the Lok Sabha on Thursday for unruly behavior and repeatedly provoking disturbances, and his case was referred to the privileges committee. The motion of suspension of the minister was brought in by Parliament Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi.  In his speech in the No-Confidence motion, he compared the Leader of the Ruling Party, PM Narendra Modi with a blind king. He said that when Dhritrashtra (the blind king from Mahabharata) was blind, Draupadi (the wife of Pandavas) was humiliated. The king is sightless and there is no distinction between Manipur and Hastinapur. As he began his speech, PM Modi walked into the Lok Sabha. Chowdhury said that it is the power of the no-confidence motion that has got the Prime Minister to the Parliament today. He continued, “we were all unconcerned with this motion of no confidence. We merely asked PM Modi to visit the Parliament and address the Manipur issue. We just wanted our PM to be present in the Parliament.”

Also read:- PM Narendra Modi addresses Lok Sabha on the major issues 

On July 24th, Sanjay Singh, a Rajya Sabha member from the AAP was expelled from the Rajya Sabha on July 24th for “repeatedly violating” the Chairman’s instructions. Piyush Goyal, the leader of the House, submitted a resolution requesting his suspension, stating that this type of conduct is completely against the ethics and rules of the House. 

Later on, the only MP from the AAP in the Lok Sabha, Sushil Kumar Rinku was suspended from Lok Sabha because of disciplinary issues as he threw papers at the chairman of the Lok Sabha. Rinku was suspended for the remainder of the session, as the motion of suspension of the minister was brought in by Parliament Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi.

Raghav Chadha, an AAP MP who was charged with ‘forging’ the signatures of five Rajya Sabha MPs, was expelled from the Upper House of Parliament on 11th August 2023. This suspension will last till the privileges committee has finished its investigation and submitted a report. Piyush Goyal proposed the suspension and said that Raghav Chadha’s behavior was immoral. Goyal accused Chadha of violating privilege and claimed that Chadha’s behavior was unexpected and unworthy of a member of Parliament.

Lastly, Derek O’Brien, the leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was suspended by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday for the remainder of the present session of parliament due to disorderly behavior unbecoming of a Rajya Sabha Member. He was nevertheless permitted to participate in the session later since the suspension motion was not put to a vote.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Lok Sabha on the 3rd day of the No-Confidence Motion. The PM replied to debates regarding the no-confidence motion and responded to the opposition’s allegations. 

Modi slammed the opposition by saying, “The people have no confidence in I.N.D.I.A, the Indian National Congress, and the Gandhi Family while ending the three-day discussion on No-Confidence, he said, “No matter how much the opposition mistreats democracy or how many derogatory remarks they make towards me, the Indian people will undoubtedly make the future of an NDA-led India more promising. The no-confidence motion will turn out to be fortunate for us (BJP) once more.” The PM said, appreciating the opposition for introducing it. 

The opposition staged a Walkout from the No-Confidence motion as they alleged the PM for not including the issue of Manipur Violence even after 90 minutes into the speech, leading to his Government winning the motion of No-Confidence. The PM reassured the people of Manipur that India and Parliament were on their side and that both the State and Central governments were working tirelessly to restore peace and development to the State. 

Also read the news on Amit Shah in latest Lok Sabha session

PM Modi held Congress accountable for the situation in Manipur. He quoted, “ Whose government was there in Manipur when the picture of Mahatma Gandhi was not allowed in Government Offices? Whose government was there when the decision that didn’t allow the National Anthem in Schools was taken?” directing towards the incapability of Congress to think outside of politics. Adding to this he said he visited the state more than 50 times in the past nine years while his ministers visited there more than 400 times.

“In my third term, India would become one of the top three economies of the world,” the Prime Minister declared on Wednesday. He further  added, “Based on past performance, India will overtake China as the third-largest economy in the world during the third term of our administration.” Continuing on the topic of governance, he claimed to provide a stable system of Governance, in contrast to I.N.D.I.A, which was multi-pronged. He claimed that the opposition lacked understanding and they don’t have faith in the future of this country, mocking the opposition. He continued, “Congress stood obsolete in fast-changing India. Congress did not trust the capability and the prowess of the country, and they doubted the hard work of the people of the country.” 

Modi countered Gandhi’s remarks, “I will speak from my heart and not from my mind.” “The country knows the condition of his brain and the country will soon Know the condition of his heart too.”

On JD(U), the party that broke its alliance with BJP to join I.N.D.I.A, Modi quoted, “The successors of Ram Manohar Lohia should know that Mr. Lohia accused Nehru of not developing the North-East region deliberately.” The ruling party won the hearts of the people and got the upper hand in the discussion as the opposition staged a walkout.

Magic, madness, heaven, sin, saw you there and I thought, “ Oh, my God, look at that post-Taylor Swift just made! It is finally happening! Tay-Tay is releasing 1989’s Taylor Version and honestly, we swifties are losing our calm but well that is understandable. The album is on its way and will be released on October 27, 2023, Mark the date! Swift gave this good news on her latest Eras Tour and then later made a post on Instagram. 

Taylor Swift’s resounding mission to snatch back her musical legacy continues with this forthcoming release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). As a sign of creative empowerment and ownership, this re-recorded masterpiece follows in the footsteps of her recent banging comebacks with Fearless, Red, and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). Okay, okay, even though I was kinda hoping for Reputation to be released, but guess what? We gonna Shake It Off this time!

Coming back to 1989, our Miss Americana picked October 27 to re-release the album because it is a significant day and a big deal. The date is exactly nine years after the OG 1989 album’s debut and Taylor is all set to embark on a new era of rediscovery and innovative expression. This album is packed with 21 banging tracks – the classics, and FIVE secret ‘vault tracks’. It will be like finding that hidden vinyl in grandma’s attic, the feeling of nostalgia is going to hit hard.

The hype? It is through the roof as fans are waiting for the chance to pre-order this musical journey. In her announcement, Taylor spilled the beans and said “Surprise!! 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is on its way to you (soon)! The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out on October 27th. To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVOURITE re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long! Pre-order 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on my site.”

Taylor Swift’s announcement of ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ has got the musical world buzzing, it has made everyone wait with excitement. The teases, the hints, it has got us all on our toes. With each re-recorded album, Swift’s legacy and determination to preserve her artistic concept shines brighter because our lady never goes out of Style. Get ready to jam to 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and bask in the magic of the Swift Verse!

Asianet News Media and Entertainment Private Limited (AMEL) has ended the last financial year with increased profitability in its digital business. This marked the second consecutive year where its online platform has returned positive EBITDA margins, having first become profitable in the financial year 2021-22.

In a year which saw turbulent economic conditions across the world where a plethora of industry bigwigs announced layoffs, Asianet News Digital continued on its growth journey and managed to steer its digital business towards profitability. This is primarily due to its high revenue growth along with strict measures of optimization of resources across various departments in the organization.

Highlighting the efforts that went behind the achievement, AMEL Chief Operating Officer, Samarth Sharma commented, “We are proud to deliver positive EBITDA for the second year in a row despite the macro-economic instability during the year. This is largely due to our growth in revenue and audience, which stem from the ability of our teams at Asianet News Digital to operate with a high degree of efficiency and to remain adaptable to the changes in market conditions. Would also like to thank our client and vendor partners, as without their support this would not have been possible. Extremely confident of scoring a hat-trick next year as we reinvest our profits in our people and strategic projects.”

Neeraj Kohli, AMEL’s Chief Executive Officer, added, “I want to express my gratitude to our talented workforce for this remarkable accomplishment. We have always propagated sustainable growth through positive unit economics with our ARPUs being among the best in the industry. Being EBITDA positive for the second consecutive year has given us confidence to push through new initiatives that focus on increasing the audience reach and engagement, while delivering unparalleled value to our stakeholders.”

In the current financial year, Asianet News Digital is recommitting its profit margins to fuel its expansion plans of going national and global in the upcoming quarters. Besides its prowess in South India, the company is also rapidly expanding in Hindi and English, which command a monthly active user base of over 30 million. It is also introducing several new products leveraging generative AI, machine learning, and first-party data to enhance user experience.

The AMEL group has a multi-media presence across the country in multiple languages via its TV Channels (Asianet News and Suvarna News), Print Publication (Kannada Prabha), Radio Channel (Indigo Music), and Digital platform in 7 languages (AsianetNews.com).

In a high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan on 9th August 2023 in Chennai’s Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, the hosts defeated the Pakistani Team 4-0. This match led to the Pakistani team getting knocked out of the race to the Semifinals of the tournament. The Indian Captain, Harmanpreet Singh, scored two goals off penalty corners, Jugraj Singh also added to the tally. While Akshdeep Singh thrashed the last nail into the coffin.

As the first quarter of the game started, the Pakistani team started celebrating within 90 seconds of the clock, as Hanan Sakhid scored a goal that was later disallowed bringing a sigh of relief for the Indian fans and disappointment for the Pakistanis. The next few minutes were just free-flowing hockey, with teammates freely passing the ball to each other. Until the last few moments of the first quarter, India got its first penalty corner, leading to the captain not missing any opportunity to score a goal. The score at the end of the first quarter was 2-0 in India’s favor. 

The Second Quarter was no different for Pakistan. With the brilliance of Jugraj Singh, India scored another one in the 23rd Minute. Pakistan was struggling at 3-0 at the end of the 2nd Quarter. An Exit from the tournament for the Pakistani team was quite obvious by this time. With a brilliant pass from Mandeep Singh and a feather touch from Akshdeep Singh, the ball went flying into the opponent’s goal post. Bringing the scoreline to 4-0. Despite Pakistan showing intent in the first and second quarters, they were knocked out of the tournament with India marching on to the Semis. India will face the defending champions Japan in the Semi-finals on 12th August. 

At halftime, the Pakistani coach was obviously not pleased, and neither was assistant coach Rehan Butt, who referred to the first goal’s disqualification as a “contentious” decision. He believed it may have given his squad the early advantage it so urgently needed to put their more skilled rivals under strain. 

Coach of the India team Craig Fulton said, “That is what video referrals are for.” “Umpires announced their choice…We did a good job playing and defending. Therefore, it’s significant to us.

There are some incidents in history, which sound more like a nightmare than reality. In World War II, when Japan was about to bring the grand alliance of Allied powers to its knees with its refusal to surrender. Everyone was thinking of how to stop Japan, the Americans came up with a plan to drop the first nuclear weapon in the history of mankind on Japan. On 6th August 1945, Truman dropped the first nuclear bomb named ‘Little Boy’ on Hiroshima and then within 3 days on 9th August, the Americans dropped the second nuclear bomb named ‘Fatman’ on Nagasaki. In this aerial bombing, the hands of America were stained with the blood of more than 2 lakh people, most of them civilians. In this mass destruction, Tsutomu Yamaguchi was the only man in history who survived two nuclear bombs. 

Yamaguchi was the lone warrior who eyewitnessed the terror of nuclear bombing in 2 different cities in just 3 days. A 29-year-old naval engineer who was on his business trip to Hiroshima was prepared to leave the city on 6 August, but the city is full of immutable smog which was caused by the ignition of ‘Little Boy’ , the first nuclear bomb. After enduring the immediate aftermath of the Hiroshima blast, Yamaguchi and two colleagues navigate a hellish cityscape to find a functioning train station. Their journey takes them through scenes of apocalyptic destruction, culminating in a train ride to Nagasaki. 

Also read the article on Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb & the movie of the century: Today’s world has seen the new Oppenheimer moment and many are still processing 

Just after 3 days when he was narrating the horrors of Hiroshima to a mistrusted colleague, fate hit a second, disastrous blow. However, the Yamaguchi spirit was still undamaged. Despite being dangerously close to the epicentre, Yamaguchi survived, only to face an eerily similar scenario three days later in his hometown of Nagasaki. There the “Fat Man” roared, and once again Yamaguchi survived to tell the horrifying tale.

Apart from the aftermath of the bombing, it is very important to understand why these attacks only happened in Japan. The Pacific Theater saw Japan expand its territories, leading to increased tensions with the United States. After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States officially entered the war. In the following years, fierce battles took place in the Pacific, where both sides suffered serious losses. By 1945, the United States had developed the atomic bomb, a weapon of unprecedented destructive power. Faced with a costly invasion of Japan and hoping for a quick end to the war, President Harry Truman made the fateful decision to deploy this new weapon. The collective effects of these bombings forced Japan to surrender and brought the elongated World War II to an end.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Parliament for the No-Confidence Motion on 9th August 2023 over the issues of Manipur violence. In his speech that went on for a little over two hours, Shah emphasized the major issues in the country ranging from the Manipur violence to the removal of Article 370 in Kashmir. 

The Major issues that were addressed by Amit Shah were– during his speech, he called the No Confidence Motion unnecessary and deceptive for the people of the country. Shah stated, “The purpose of the motion was just to create a situation of tumult. They are neither beneficial for the poor and the depressed class nor for the farmer”

Regarding Manipur, the Home Minister expressed his sorrow for the brutality there that claimed the lives of 152 people since May 3. Also blaming the opposition for politicizing the issue. He also denounced the video of Manipur women being raped. He questioned if the unfortunate incident happened on May 4 then why the video came out just before the start of the parliament session, claiming to arrest all the nine accused and changing the DGP and Chief Secretary of the state, and adding 36000 security personnel for the security of the state.

Amit Shah highlighted the violence that occurred in Manipur during Congress’ reign, claiming that none of the Union MInisters stayed in the state during that time but he stayed in Manipur for 3 days slinging with the Minister of State Shri. Nityanand Rao, who stayed there for 23 days.

Targeting the Opposition Amit Shah said “During the No Confidence motion against the Narasimha Rao Government, which the ruling party won, The Congress bribed the leaders of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to secure votes in their favor.” 

Amit Shah also mocked Rahul Gandhi with his statement, “There is a leader in this house who has attempted to enter politics 13 times so far and failed each time.” The Union Minister also criticized the opposition leaders for making the remarks over COVID-19 vaccine, “The native vaccination from India was resisted by the opposition. I recall that Rahul Ji and Akhilesh Ji ran an anti-vaccine campaign and called it the Modi vaccine. Even the lockdown was opposed by them. Although the opposition does not support Modi Ji, the Indian public does, and as a result, 130 crore people received the vaccine, making India free of Covid.”

The Home Minister praised Prime Minister Modi for working hard. He stated how PM Modi is the Most popular PM in India since our Independence, PM Modi has won the hearts of the people while working tirelessly for the country. 

The Union Minister also smashed the opposition over freebies also called ‘Revadi’ culture by the BJP, “They (UPA) continue to claim that they will forgive farmers’ loans. We advocate creating a system where taking out a loan is unnecessary rather than simply waving them off. Although we haven’t handed farmers free anything, we have helped them become independent.”

Shah spoke about the repeal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and declared that the administration will not engage in talks with either the Hurriyat or Jamaat or Pakistan. The government, according to him, will only speak with Kashmir Valley youth. “Cinemas have reopened in Kashmir after 33 years. Due to a number of measures the Modi government made to encourage trade and tourism in the valley, night shows, and the Shikara Festival have already started, and 1.80 crore people visited the valley last year.

Shah also discussed the government’s efforts to combat drug use and internal security concerns. He recalled the return to India of Sachin Bishnoi, who was charged with the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, from Azerbaijan. He continued by saying that the NIA had been informed of the attacks on India’s diplomatic missions in London, Ottawa, and San Francisco.