Leonardo DiCaprio draws international attention to Chennai water crisis

DiCaprio, who is also a passionate environmentalist, shared a post on his Instagram, drawing attention to the crisis.

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Tamil Nadu News: Oscar-winning Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, known for his environmental activism, has drawn attention to the ongoing water crisis in Chennai.

DiCaprio took to Instagram to re-share a photograph of a dry well which had been posted by BBC News.

The post read, “’Only rain can save Chennai from this situation.’ A well, completely empty, and a city without water. The southern Indian city of Chennai is in crisis, after the four main water reservoirs ran dry.”

“The acute water shortage has forced the city to scramble for urgent solutions and residents have to stand in line for hours to get water from government tankers. As the water levels depleted, hotels and restaurants started to shut temporarily, and the air con was turned off in the city’s metro.”

“Officials in the city continue to try and find alternative sources of water — but the community continue to pray for rain.”

Chennai has been facing a severe water crisis. Chennai Water Crisis

Kerala sets up special purpose vehicle for IPL-style Champions Boat League

The inaugural edition of the Champions’ Boat League (CBL) will get under way with the Nehru Trophy Boat Race on August 10 at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha.

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Kerala News: As part of showcasing Kerala’s famed snake-boat race in the backwaters in six districts across the state, the Kerala government has decided to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to conduct the IPL-model Champions Boat League (CBL) as an annual event in August-November, state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said on Wednesday.

Surendran, along with various stake-holders, met Finance Minister Thomas Isaac to finalise the setting up of the SPV.

The inaugural edition of the Champions’ Boat League (CBL) will get under way with the Nehru Trophy Boat Race on August 10 at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha.

The competitions in the CBL will start a week later at Pulinkunnu (August 17). In subsequent Saturdays, races will be conducted at Thazhathangadi (August 24), Piravam (August 31), Marine Drive (September 7), Kottappuram (September 14), Ponnani (September 21), Kainakari (September 28), Karuvatta (October 5), Kayamkulam (October 12) and Kallada (October 19), before concluding in a grand finale at the President’s Trophy Boat Race at Kollam on November 1.

At the meeting attended by representatives of boat owners, boat clubs and rowers’ associations, Surendran said that the SPV company is primarily intended to generate revenue through telecast rights, advertisements and sponsorships for conducting the premier event, besides deciding on… continue reading full story

Chargesheet filed against mother’s partner in brutal murder of 7-yr-old boy in Kerala

As per the chargesheet, Arun Anand, who brutally beat the seven-year-old boy, is the first accused, while the boy’s mother is the second accused in the case.

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Kerala News: A chargesheet has been filed in the death of a seven-year-old boy in Kerala, who was brutally attacked by his mother’s partner. Thodupuzha Deputy SP KP Jose on Tuesday submitted the chargesheet before the Muttam First Class Magistrate Court in Idukki.

“As per the chargesheet, Thiruvananthapuram Nanthancode native Arun Anand (36), partner of the boy’s mother, has been named the first accused and the mother is the second accused of the case,” KP Jose said.

“On June 21, we submitted another chargesheet before the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court against the accused Arun Anand, who sexually abused the sibling of the seven-year-old boy. The trial of the two cases will begin soon,” the DySP added.

Arun Anand brutally attacked his partner’s seven-year-old son around midnight on March 28. The boy was admitted to Chazhikattu Hospital, Thodapuzha, in a serious condition and later shifted to Kolanchery Medical College. He was placed on a ventilator and after a 10-day struggle for survival, the boy died on April 6.

It had also been revealed through CCTV footage at the private hospital that Arun and the mother had tried to delay treatment for the… continue reading full story

Fact check: 2018 video of beheading from Mandya circulated as rape case from Chennai

It was circulated on social media by several users claiming that the video was related to a rape case from Chennai and a message also warned that this is what would happen to those who indulge in rape.

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Karnataka News: A 2018 video of a man carrying the severed head of another man was circulated by social media users as a video related to a rape case from Chennai.

The video, which shows a man walking to a police station with the severed head, is from Karnataka’s Mandya district and was shot in September 2018. It was shot by person who was present at the Malavalli police station.

It was circulated on social media by several users claiming that the video was related to a rape case from Chennai. Social media users also warned that this is what would happen to those who indulge in rape.

The video is from a 2018 incident from Mandya district in Karnataka. A man named Pashupathi from Malavalli in Mandya carried the severed head to the Malavalli police station after murdering his friend Girish over an argument. According to Pashupathi, he was angered by Girish making a comment about his mother and killed him in a fit of rage.

After committing the crime, Pashupathi walked into the police station in Malavalli at around 10:15 am carrying the severed head of Girish in his hand.  According to Mandya Superintendent of Police (SP) Shivaprakash Devaraj, Pashupathi brought the severed head to Malavalli from… continue reading full story

Impasse over use of 150-yr-old church land may delay Namma Metro Phase-II

While activists are against construction activity inside the compound of the 150-year-old All Saints Church, the BMRCL is unlikely to budge from its original plan.

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Karnataka News: A tough stand by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on the contentious construction activity inside the tree-dotted compound of the 150-year-old All Saints Church may delay the progress of construction of Gottigere-Nagavara Line. The Gottigere-Nagavara Line is part of the Reach 6 of Phase-II of Namma Metro and is set to be ready by March 2023.

This as those opposed to the BMRCL’s hardline approach in using part of the 150-year-old church complex as a temporary workshop and resultant culling of over 150 trees are considering moving the Karnataka High Court.

A source in the BMRCL claimed that there won’t be any relook in the alignment from BMRCL’s side. Despite multiple attempts, BMRCL MD Ajay Seth could not be reached for comment.

Confident that the actions by the BMRCL tantamount to contempt of court, the protestors say that they have no option other than seeking a stay on the construction for the sake of the environment, human health and the city’s heritage.

Leo Saldhana, the senior lawyer and coordinator of the Environment Support Group, said, “Alignments should not be decided based on what engineers decide as per convenience. If that was the case, then the metro alignment was more suited to be taken through Vidhana Soudha. They could have even taken the metro under Vidhana Soudha without damaging any roads meant for… continue reading full story

Broccoli Cheese Balls Recipe

Snacks Recipes | Broccoli Cheese Balls Recipe

Indian Food Recipes: Broccoli Cheese Balls Recipe

DIRECTIONS

1. Take an egg and crack them up in order to give them a good whisk.

2. Now in a big mixing bowl, add steamed broccoli and smash it with the back of a spoon.

3. Add minced garlic, finely diced onion, salt to taste and pinch of black pepper.

4. Put grated cheddar cheese, bread crumbs and stir it all.

5. Pour in the whisked egg in the bowl.

6. Stir it and then create small balls out of the mixture. Place it on a plate.

7. Now add some bread crumbs on a plate and roll the balls in the crumbs.

8. Take a pan, turn on the gas, brush some oil and then one by one place each broccoli bite in the pan.

9. Fry all of them until they achieve a lovely golden brown colour.

10. Serve it hot with some ketchup/chutney.

Video Recipe → Broccoli Cheese Balls Recipe

Carrots & Potato Chips Recipe

Snacks Recipes | Baked & Tossed Carrots & Potato Chips

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Indian Food Recipes: Carrots & Potato Chips

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 Potatoes
  • 3 Carrots
  • Butter
  • 1 tsp Garlic
  • 1 tsp Green Chillies
  • 1 Onion
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
  • Salt
  • 1 tsp White Sesame Seeds & Black Sesame Seeds

DIRECTIONS

  1. Take potatoes chopped in long french fries form and place it over a baking tray covered with silver foil.
  2. Then add grated carrots over the potatoes.
  3. Bake at 180 degree Celsius for about 15 minutes.
  4. Now put some butter in a pan.
  5. Put garlic, green chillies, onion and saute it for a while.
  6. Add in the baked potato and carrot in this pan.
  7. Sprinkle some salt, cook and toss the contents in the pan.
  8. Add few spoons of tomato ketchup, white and black sesame seeds.
  9. Stir and cook for a while.
  10. Ready to Serve.

Video Recipe → Carrots & Potato Chips Recipe

30 Food Memes That Will Make You ROFL

In these times of outrage, heated debate and fake news, the best (and possibly the only redeeming) thing about the Internet is MEMES! And we love them memes.

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Food Stories: They never fail to make a tough day slightly better and what’s even greater than memes?

Food Memes, of course! We bet this collection of the choicest 30 food memes from all over the internet will have you in splits by the end.

Don’t forget to share this with fellow foodies who will relate.

White people and their assumption that all Indian food is spicy *insert roll eyes emoji*

I mean, who says no to dessert?!

Talk about disappointment.

All Indian Tupperware has trademark haldi stains. Yes?

Read more → Food Memes

Mini Vada Pav Bites Recipe

Mini vada pav bytes, a mouth-watering delicacy which no one can resist.

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Indian Food Recipes: Everthing in mini size and vada and pav too these can be served in starters they look cute too,small vadas placed in between small vadas make them more attractive.

DIRECTIONS

  1. Take few bread slices and slice the sides off.
  2. Now in a muffin mold, place bread in it
  3. Bake at 180 degree Celsius for about 7-10 minutes.
  4. In a big bowl, add mashed potatoes, garlic, green chillies, salt to taste and pinch of sugar.
  5. Pour in some fresh lemon juice and mix it all together.
  6. Make small pieces of the mixture and create round balls.
  7. Take some gram flour in a bowl along with cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste.
  8. Stir and mix all. Add some water in the bowl and create the batter.
  9. Put the balls in this batter made. Coat all of them nicely and allow to let it soak for 2-3 minutes.
  10. In a pan, take some oil for frying purpose and leave the mini balls one by one and fry till it’s golden brown in colour.
  11. Put the vada pieces in the bread slices.
  12. Drizzle some coriander-mint chutney and serve it hot.

Video Recipes → Mini Vada Pav Bites

Corn Cheese Palak Dosa Recipe

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Indian Food Recipes: Corn Cheese Palak Dosa Recipe

INGREDIENTS

  • Dosa Batter
  • Melted Butter
  • Boiled Corn
  • Cheese
  • Salt to taste
  • Blanched Spinach Puree
  • Black Pepper Powder

DIRECTIONS

  1. Take dosa batter in a bowl.
  2. Pour a blanched spinach puree in the dosa batter and mix it. Stir and create it in the form of a green palak batter.
  3. Take a frying pan and polish it with melted butter.
  4. Spread a ladle full of the batter in the pan.
  5. Sprinkle some boiled corn, grated cheese, black pepper powder and salt to taste.
  6. Cook and then take it out on a plate.
  7. Serve with tomato ketchup/sauces or chutney.

Video Recipe → Corn Cheese Palak Dosa Recipe