WORLD WIDE MIRROR

While many superlatives come to mind when defining an iconic brand like Breguet, creativity, innovation and flawless aesthetics are closest when it comes to the brand's true blue character. In an attempt to reinterpret the unique heritage of this brand, Breguet has launched the Breguet Marine equation Marchante 5887-a sophisticated horological complication with a stunning finish. It simultaneously indicates civil time and true time by means of two separate minutes hands. The complexity that the running equation of time summons to this model is naturally complemented on this Grande Complication by a perpetual calendar. The date appears inside the chapter ring by means of a retrograde hand tipped with an anchor motif, sweeping across an arc running from 9 to 3 o'clock. The watch also flaunts a third complication: a 60-second tourbillon with a titanium carriage housing a Breguet balance with a silicon balance spring. This truly magnificent timepiece also boasts a new aesthetic si

Preti Taneja comes up with a thought provoking adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear set in contemporary India. What is Delhi about if not land and money? Delhi of a certain kind, of course. The kind that needs a golf cart to motor through their farmhouses; that swathes their women in diamonds and no dignity; that ensures their men are trust fund babies for the rest of their lives; that think little of the lives of others. Former journalist and now a filmmaker, Preti Taneja's We That Are Young is a searing expose disguised as King Lear, and one of the finest novels to have come out of the new liberalised Delhi, of manicured public prettiness and ungoverned private cruelty. How did you get the nuances of a rich property-based family living in the outskirts of Delhi so well? Some of my earliest memories are of running around the back stairs of fine hotels across India while my mother, a cookery writer and entrepreneur, met with the chefs to discuss recipes for her books. In

Why companies need to provide employees childcare support in the workplace.  While companies interested in attracting and retaining talent aim to offer a level playing field for women and men, there are still some challenges that are difficult to overcome. For instance, the professional setback that women can experience when they become mothers. It is a fact that women are likely to reduce the hours they put into work, or quit their jobs altogether, to care for their children due to lack of alternative, affordable, quality childcare services. With more women leaving the workforce, this can also pose a significant attrition cost to an employers' bottom line to rehire and retrain new employees. Increasing access to quality childcare has therefore become vital for companies who want to enable both parents partake equally in the workforce. Companies that want to invest in improved working conditions and equal opportunities for their employees should consider assessing their childc

80 per cent of children detected with cancer have a great chance to fight the disease and become cancer free. Over the years of raising funds for underprivileged cancer patients, I have noticed a unique fact. The resilience of the girl child. Koel Dutta was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was just nine years old. Her father, who lives in a village in Malda, West Bengal, had lung cancer but was determined to treat his child. He sent his wife along with Koel to Mumbai where her treatment began. The journey back and forth took four long years and a significant depletion of all their savings. One thing remained constant though, the smile on Koel's face. It is remarkable how she took four years of trauma with a smile. Today, she is the beaming mascot behind all of Tata Medical Centre's campaigns. We can never forget the sight of Amina Khathun, a thin girl crouched on the bed at our hospital. All one could see was her long tresses reaching below her waist. Her trauma was losin

The irony of Pakistan permitting Kulbhushan Jadhav's family to visit him as a "humanitarian gesture" is that he has ceased to be treated as a human being for some time now. Pakistanis on social media castigated their government for their supposed soft heart, while Indians shed copious crocodile tears but reserved their genuine emotion for the cursing of Pakistan. On social media, 'patriots' have claimed ownership of the outrage over Jadhav's death sentence. Film director Madhur Bhandarkar got in on the act, tweeting that the insults shouted by overzealous Pakistani journalists at Jadhav's family were bad, but not as bad as the silence of actors, human rights activists, and liberals about Jadhav's plight. Gangster Democracy Angry about the absence of the district civil surgeon from an event in Maharashtra, Hansraj Ahir, minister of state for home affairs, said the doctor was disrespecting not just Ahir but democracy itself. If doctors, he added, "

As an Arctic vortex gripped some areas of US, with temperatures dipping to -38 degrees Celsius in Minnesota, frost blanketed parts of the Niagara Falls and AP reported it could freeze completely this winter. It certainly will be an unprecedented incident as ice has never completely stopped the flow of water, save for a blockage upstream in 1848. However, the cold conditions has not stopped tourists from thronging to the iconic place – the collection of three waterfalls that straddle the border between the US in the state of New York and Canada in the province of Ontario – which has turned into a marvellous, winter wonderland at the moment. Local visitors who went to see the frozen spectacle took to social media to share photos of the Niagra

Tens of thousands of New Zealanders took to streets and beaches, becoming among the first in the world to usher in 2018.  As the new year dawned in this southern hemisphere nation, fireworks boomed and crackled above city centres and harbours, and party-goers sang, hugged, danced and kissed. Meanwhile, Australians will welcome 2018 with a rainbow-themed fireworks in Sydney. At least 1.5 million spectators are expected to witness the pyrotechnics, AFP reported. "This is a fabulous way to see out 2017 -- the year that four out of five Sydneysiders said a resounding 'Yes' to marriage equality," Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore told AFP.

MADURAI: Expelled DMK leader M K Alagiri on Sunday welcomed Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's entry into politics. ''His political entry will certainly bring a change in Tamil Nadu and I congratulate and welcome Rajinikanth announcement to enter into politics,'' Alagiri said here. "I am planning to meet Rajinikanth soon," he added. Meanwhile, fans of the actor celebrated his announcement to float a new party, by taking out rallies, firing crackers and distributing sweets to the public in Madurai and Southern districts of the State. It may be recalled that Alagiri met Rajinikanth at the latter's Poes Garden residence in Chennai on March 14, 2014, after he was expelled from the DMK for anti-party activities. He told media persons after meeting Rajinikanth that he had not discussed politics with him. "Rajini is my old friend and I came to inquire about his health," he said.

SYDNEY:  Six people were killed when a seaplane crashed into a river in Australia on Sunday, police said, with divers recovering three bodies so far. The plane went down in the Hawkesbury River near the suburb of Cowan 50 km north of Sydney, said the police in New South Wales state. Acting Superintendent Michael Gorman told reporters the single-engine aircraft was lying in 13 metres (43 feet) of water. "Police divers are on scene and three bodies have so far been recovered," police added in a statement. There were no details on the identity of the occupants and investigators did not yet know why the plane crashed. Debris and an oil slick was spotted by a rescue helicopter after the crash, with local media reporting the aircraft was from scenic flight company Sydney Seaplanes. Sydney Seaplanes is popular with celebrities and recent passengers have included Pippa Middleton, sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, and husband James Matthews during their honeymoon in Aust

ATHENS: A strong earthquake Sunday struck central Greece and was felt in the capital Athens, some 80 km to the southeast. According to a preliminary estimation by the Athens Geodynamic Institute, the 4.6 magnitude tremor occurred at 6:02 am at a depth of 5 km on the coast of the Corinth Gulf, in a sparsely populated area. No damage has been reported so far. Earthquakes of this magnitude are common in Greece.

TEHRAN: Iran Sunday warned that protesters will "pay the price" after a third night of unrest saw mass demonstrations across the country in which two people were killed and dozens arrested. As videos on social media showed thousands marching across the country, an official in the small western town of Dorud confirmed two people had been killed during protests, but denied security forces had fired on the crowd. "A number of people took to the streets responding to calls from hostile groups," Lorestan province deputy governor Habibollah Khojastehpour told state television. "Unfortunately in these clashes two citizens from Dorud were killed. No bullets were fired by the police, military or security forces towards the people," he said. Videos on social media overnight showed demonstrations in Isfahan, Mashhad and many smaller cities but travel restrictions and limited coverage by official media made it difficult to confirm reports. Semi-official cons

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has decided to give Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" a UA certificate and has suggested the director to change the film's title to "Padmavat".   According to a release issued by the CBFC, the board had a meeting of their examining committee on December 28 and decided to give the film a "UA certification along with some modifications and likely change of the film's title on the basis the attributed material/creative source".   Bhansali, who appeared before a parliamentary panel, has said his lavishly mounted 150 crore period drama, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, is based on the 16th century epic poem "Padmavat" by Malik Muhammad Jayasi.   The board also suggested modifications in disclaimers, pertinently adding one regarding not glorifying the practice of "Sati" and also relevant changes in the song "Ghoomar" to befit t

London [U.K.]: Tennis star Andy Murray, who is recovering from a hip injury, has been handed a bye in the first round of the Brisbane International.   Prior, the Briton lost one-set exhibition match to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in Abu Dhabi, after stepping in as a late replacement for injured Novak Djokovic.   Murray, who is seeded second at the Brisbane International, has been given a first-round bye prior to facing American Ryan Harrison or Argentine Leonardo Mayer in the second round, reports the Daily Express.   The Scot has not appeared in a competitive match since being knocked out of the Wimbledon owing to the injury.

Belgrade [Serbia]: Serbian Tennis star Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the next week's Qatar Open due to his ongoing elbow injury.   The defending champion has now indicated serious doubts about his participation in the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open.   The 30-year-old was set to make a return in Abu Dhabi this week but was unable to play because of his six-month injury-layoff.   A statement made by Djokovic on his personal website read, "Unfortunately, the situation with the elbow has not changed for better since yesterday. I still feel the pain. Therefore, I will have to withdraw from ATP tournament in Doha."   He added, "However, after the thorough consultations with the medical team, we decided to keep up with the therapies and elbow treatments."   "Only when I'm 100% ready to play, I will be able to come back. I hope it will be soon," he said.   The 12-time Grand Slam winner has not pla

The Indian startup ecosystem has been growing and acting more mature, strong and valuable.   With the dawn of 2018, here are some startups that witnessed exceptional pace in reaching out to tier II and tier III cities.   Roposo   India's one-of-a-kind 'TV by the people' - that allows users to express, connect, and interact to make the world sit up and take notice of how millennials celebrate their experiences, the digital way. Over the span of three years, Roposo saw its user base eventually grow to five million where users were creating content which belonged to a whole variety of genres ranging from fashion to food, travel, music, and many more.   Apart from English, Roposo recently launched their interface in eight regional languages - Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada to connect itself to even more users across the country, especially focusing on Tier II and Tier III cities.   Netmeds   Leading onli

New Delhi: As the year comes to an end, the Centre has revealed that a 27 per cent hike was witnessed in the investment on electronic manufacturing, with the total volume of investment at Rs 1.57 lakh crore in 2017, compared to Rs 1.43 lakh crore last year.   As per the data released by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, there has been almost 60 per cent rise in the production of mobile phones, with 17.5 crore units produced compared to 11 crore units last year. This has also added 4 lakh direct and indirect jobs in the sector.   The data also highlighted a 300 per cent growth in digital transactions during this year.   The smartphone revolution gained momentum this year, as India is now home to 40 crore users as compared to 30 crore in 2016. The number of internet users has grown from 40 crore in 2016 to 50 crore in 2017.   On the Aadhaar front, the ministry reported that the total number of Aadhaar account holders reached 119 crore in 2017, compared to 104 cr

Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh):  Bangladesh wants to send up to 100,000 Rohingya back to Myanmar in the first batch of repatriations of Muslim refugees who fled ethnic violence this year, officials said today.   Senior minister Obaidul Quader said a list of 100,000 names was to be sent to Myanmar authorities on Friday so repatriations could start in late January under an accord between the two governments.   More than 655,000 Rohingya from Myanmar's Rakhine state have sought refuge in Bangladesh since a military crackdown in late August, fleeing what the US and United Nations have described as ethnic cleansing.   That added to more than 300,000 in camps in Bangladesh after fleeing earlier violence in the Buddhist majority state.   The two governments signed an agreement in November allowing for repatriations from January 23. Many aid groups and diplomats doubt that fearful Rohingya will agree to return.   The Rohingya have been the target of past pogroms

Moscow [Russia]: Russia on Friday amended its law in order to crack on terrorist activities in the country and to stringently punish those who finance terrorism or recruit terrorists.   According to Xinhua, the amendments of the Criminal Law were published on Russia's official website of legal information. These were signed by the Russian president Vladimir Putin.   As per the new amendments, suspects convicted of funding terrorism or recruiting terrorists will face eight to 20 years in jail, along with a hefty fine of 300,000 roubles to 700,000 rubles or a life imprisonment, if the charges are more severe.   The amendments also introduced a 'propaganda of terrorism' to the Criminal Law, and the convicted will face five to seven years in prison with a fine of 300,000 roubles to one million roubles.   Before the amendments were made, such criminals will face a prison term of up to ten years.   Earlier, Russian Federal Security Service director A

Lahore [Pakistan]: Pakistan's opposition has interpreted the embattled Sharifs' Saudi trip as a move to win the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).   Pakistan's former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who, along with his family, is facing multiple cases in courts, is likely to leave for Saudi Arabia on Saturday.   According to the Dawn, the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Khursheed Shah of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said, "If Saudi Arabia intervenes [for reconciliation between the Sharifs and the establishment] it will be shameful that Pakistan - a nuclear power - cannot make its own decisions."   Moreover, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has vowed to resist the Sharifs' move.   However, rejecting the opposition's objections, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, in a statement, argued, "None, including Khursheed Shah, has the right to object to the Sharifs' visit to the king

Washington DC: The United States is considering withholding a USD 255-million aid to Islamabad due to Pakistan's inability to destroy terror safe havens.   According to a New York Times report, the growing disagreement between the two countries and Pakistan's inability to neutralise the terrorist networks operating from its soil could possibly affect the decision in providing financial aid to the Islamabad.   The US administration will take the final call in a meeting in coming weeks.   "The United States, which has provided Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid since 2002, said in August that it was withholding the $255 million until Pakistan did more to crack down on internal terrorist groups. Senior administration officials met this month to decide what to do about the money, and American officials said a final decision could be made in the coming weeks," the report said.   The report cited the major disappointment for the US was Pakistan

The Supreme Court on Saturday turned down Navalny's appeal against the Central Election Commission's move, saying that the decision to bar him from the race fully conforms to law. Russia’s highest court has upheld election officials’ decision to bar opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running for president in March’s election. The Supreme Court on Saturday turned down Navalny’s appeal against the Central Election Commission’s move, saying that the decision to bar him from the race fully conforms to law. President Vladimir Putin, whose approval ratings top 80 per cent, is set to easily win a fourth term in the March 18 vote. Navalny has campaigned for the presidency all year despite an implicit ban on his candidacy due to a fraud conviction was seen by many as politically driven. Election officials formally barred him from the ballot Monday. Navalny responded to the ban by calling for a boycott of the vote. The Kremlin said authorities will look into whether such a call vi

A little self-help goes a long way on the road to success, counselled  Priyanka Chopra  to a house full of mostly-young audience during the Penguin Annual Lecture at the Siri Fort Auditorium in Delhi on Tuesday. Speaking on “Breaking The Glass Ceiling: Chasing a dream”, the National Award-winning actor-producer told guests that her secret pick-me-up mantra through her long career has been the triple F-word: to be “fierce, fearless and flawed”. “I want to tell you a little secret. I am not very fond of this phrase, ‘breaking the glass ceiling’. Why does it annoy me? Because it takes the context of everything that I have done, all my achievements, all my hard work, and puts it in into a box. As if my ambition was that I want to find a glass ceiling and break it… All I wanted was to chase my dreams… I wanted to become the best version of me that I could be,” said the actor who was featured in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world last year. Chopra’s brief speech –

According to a statement given by Facebook spokesperson, the company is prompting users to sign-up with their Aadhaar name, as part of a small test. However, Twitterati chose to give their opinion on the same. While the Supreme Court has delayed the linking of  Aadhaar  with other documents until March end, it seems as if  Facebook  has something else in mind. Facebook India is asking new users to  register their first and last names based on their Aadhaar card . This new feature was spotted by a Reddit user, who then posted a screenshot of the same on the site. “Using the name on your Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise you,” it read. Though this new feature is stated to be only on trial basis and not every new user is promoted with the sign-up, it has caused quite a buzz among people on social media. People have been sharing the screenshot of the prompt on various social networking platforms and voicing their opinion on the same. Check out the feature screen

As of now, the proposal is waiting the approval of SDMC commissioner P K Goel, who will  examine if the move is in accordance with the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act before making it a rule Often, to attract customers, shopkeepers display non-vegetarian food items outside their shops. However, this may soon discontinue due to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (SDMC) latest proposal. SDMC has proposed that such food items cannot be displayed out in the open. The proposal was brought in during the last House meeting on December 20, and approved by Leader of House Shikha Rai. Rai said that the move was proposed to “maintain hygiene and to respect people’s sentiments since not everyone eats non-vegetarian food”. As of now, the proposal is waiting the approval of SDMC commissioner P K Goel, who will  examine if the move is in accordance with the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act before making it a rule. This is being done because displaying of non-veg items in the open is prone t

European nations also have baulked at the deteriorating state of human rights and democratic institutions in Turkey, especially in the wake of last year's failed military coup. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signalled he wants to mend fences with the governments of several European nations he’s quarrelled with this year, saying Turkey must “decrease the number of enemies and increase friends.” In comments published yesterday in Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper, Erdogan described the leaders of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium as “old friends,” called recent contacts with them “quite good” and noted that they, like Turkey, oppose a controversial US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “We have no problems with Germany, or with the Netherlands or Belgium,” Erdogan told journalists on his return from a trip to Africa. “On the contrary, those in power there are my old friends. They have wronged me, but that’s another matter.” Ties between Ankara and

The UN Security Council last week unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, seeking to further limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil. US President Donald Trump on Thursday said China has been “caught” allowing oil into North Korea and said such moves would prevent “a friendly solution” to the crisis over Pyongyang’s nuclear program. “Caught RED HANDED – very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. China earlier on Thursday said there had been no U.N. sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea after a South Korean newspaper said Chinese and North Korean vessels had been illicitly linking up at sea to get oil to North Korea. An official of the U.S. State Department said the U.S. government was aware of vessels engaged i

US President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in October and said he discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping how to "stop the lethal flow" of the drugs during his visit to China last month. The United States should take action to reduce demand for the drugs fuelling its deadly opioid crisis rather than simply accusing China of being the major source, a top Chinese drug control official said. “The biggest difficulty China faces in opioid control is that such drugs are in enormous demand in the US,” Yu Haibin of the China National Narcotics Control Commission said at a news briefing, the China Daily reported on Friday. US President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in October and said he discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping how to “stop the lethal flow” of the drugs during his visit to China last month. Opioids include prescription painkillers, heroin and fentanyl, a highly addictive synthetic

US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said earlier this month that he was not aware of any impropriety by Mueller's team. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he believes Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russia in the 2016 US presidential election, will treat him fairly. “There’s been no collusion. But I think he’s going to be fair,” Trump told the New York Times in an interview at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Some Republicans in the US Congress have in recent weeks accused Mueller’s team of anti-Trump bias, and have said that public trust in the investigation has eroded. Mueller has charged four Trump associates in his investigation. US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said earlier this month that he was not aware of any impropriety by Mueller’s team. Trump also told the Times he has “been soft” on China on trade and complained about oil shipments to North Korea de

The UN Security Council also condemned "the heinous and cowardly" terrorist attack and underlined the need to bring "perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice." The United States condemned a “barbaric” attack on a Shiite cultural centre in Afghanistan that killed 41 people and vowed to “work closely” with the Afghan government to hunt down the terrorists. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the “enemies” of Afghanistan will not succeed in their attempts to destroy the country and divide the Afghan people, who are resilient and committed to establishing peace and stability. “The US strongly condemns today’s barbaric attack at a cultural and social centre in Kabul, Afghanistan, and offers its deepest condolences to the victims and their families,” she said. She said, “The US stands firmly with the government and people of Afghanistan and will work closely with the Nati

Driven in part by a dismal economic outlook – including an unemployment rate almost three times the national average - young South Koreans are flocking to virtual currencies despite the risks and warnings from officials, analysts say. Hackers have stolen millions, lawmakers are pushing for new taxes and regulations, and a leading financial official has called them a “Ponzi scheme”. But that hasn’t cooled a frenzy for Bitcoin and other virtual currencies that is gripping young investors in South Korea. On a recent weeknight at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, more than a dozen students crammed into a classroom to share tips on investing in so-called cryptocurrencies, which have driven tales of fantastic returns for savvy investors. The group sat in rapt silence – broken only by a sudden shout of “there was just a big jump!” from someone monitoring his virtual currencies – as one student gave a presentation on how to read financial data and predict future trends. “I no longer

Recently retired army chief Constantino Chiwenga, who led a de facto coup last month that ended Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule, was installed as Zimbabwe’s vice president in Harare on Thursday. Chiwenga, whose appearance on state television on November 15 preceded armed soldiers taking to the streets, paving the way for Emmerson Mnangagwa to become president, is the latest in a string of military leaders to be elevated to government positions

The warning issued by the Chinese Embassy comes a day after a media report said that a Chinese citizen, suspected to be a spy, has been detained near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur. Worried over “many” of its citizens being fined, prosecuted and even imprisoned for breaking Indian laws, the Chinese government has told its people to respect local laws and not to go to areas restricted to foreigners. The warning issued by the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi on Thursday comes a day after a media report said that a Chinese citizen, suspected to be a spy, has been detained near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur. The advisory notes that “recently, many Chinese citizens were successively detained, fined or investigated, prosecuted and even imprisoned by law enforcement authorities on suspicion of violating Indian local laws”. The notice in Mandarin advises Chinese not go to the areas restricted to foreigners without the government’s permission. A 55-year-old Chinese national, identifi

Hyderabad: The recent trend of thin and lightweight laptops has been pushing the limits on shedding weight and staying as light as possible. Taking this trend a step further, Zero 1 Awards has dedicated a separate category to 'thin and light laptops'. This year, the winner for this category is Lenovo Ideapad 720s.   Lenovo Ideapad 720s (13-inch) is now better looking, startlingly sleek and comes with a fingerprint scanner and an enhanced touchpad. Treated with the same technique used to shape and polish diamonds, the Ideapad 720s has been redesigned with premium details and angled edges to look even thinner than it already is.   This 13.3-inch laptop offers 7th generation Intel Core i7 processing and additional high-performance PCIe SSD storage. Download movies, store photos and videos, and more. And with up to 8 GB RAM, you'll be able to multi-task with ease and speed. The dual fan cooling solution is now less noisy at full chatter and the heat management