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New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Alleged hate speech against Christian community in Andhra Pradesh: SC to hear plea on Monday
NEW DELHI: Enraged by certain anti-religious remarks and hate speeches delivered by certain members of an organisation against the Christian community in Andhra Pradesh, the petitioner has moved the Supreme Court by filing an appeal by challenging the State High Court's order refusing to take action against the accused persons. A two-judge bench of the top court, headed by Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi is scheduled to hear the appeal filed by lawyer, Rana Sandeep Bussa in the case. The alleged hate speech was delivered on 01, September last year by certain members of one Siva Shakti Foundation, which organised its 9th Anniversary function in AP. The event saw a gathering of around 1,000 people and 10,000 viewership on live telecast of the programs on social media. It was titled as, 'Which religion is good for the nation." The host and the guests on the Dias mocked the Christian Religion, the Bible, the crucifix and enraged the sentiments of Christian's in the state of AP. Thereafter the President of the foundation on 08, September made certain further alleged and gross comments on YouTube live instigating the followers to trample the bible and urinate over the Bible.


Boston Globe
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Nearly 20 years after reuniting, Os Mutantes are still on the move
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'So we played, and of course it sucked,' said Dias on a recent video call. 'But the energy was there.' Advertisement Some of Dias's bandmates figured they'd play a few songs. Four, maybe? 'I said, 'My ass, man. We're gonna do 23.'' As it turned out, Dias assembled a 10-person band with a full horn section, and the band played a long set to an enraptured audience. When they finished, the musicians boarded an elevator to the green room underground. They had no idea the crowd was cheering and clapping, sustaining a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. The revamped band, with Dias at the helm, continues to tour almost two decades later. The band will play club shows in Portsmouth, N.H., (at the Press Room on Advertisement To facilitate their US touring schedule, Dias lived for more than a decade in Las Vegas. 'I fell in love with the place,' said Dias, who recently moved back to his native São Paulo. 'The mountains keep changing colors. That blew my mind, because I'm used to green.' He was just 14 when he and one of his brothers, Arnaldo Baptista (Sérgio's full name is Sérgio Dias Baptista), formed a band called the Wooden Faces. Another brother, Cláudio César Dias Baptista, built instruments for the group, including Sérgio's guitar and various electronic effects. The two performing brothers soon teamed with young singer Rita Lee to form a new band. Dubbed Os Mutantes — 'the mutants' in Portuguese — by a popular Brazilian TV host just before an on-air appearance, the group bonded over the instrumental surf-rock of the Ventures, the Beatles's increasingly hallucinogenic music, and Dias's obsession with guitar innovators such as Les Paul and the largely unknown gypsy jazz player Elek Bacsik (a cousin of Django Reinhardt). The result was a singular brand of cosmic MPB (música popular brasileira) that combined bossa nova, go-go, acid rock, and a fractured take on show-tune melodies. Dias often practiced without using the index finger on his fretting hand — to strengthen the other three fingers, 'to attack my weakest points,' he said. The brothers took cues from their artistic parents. Their father, César, was a poet and singer, and their mother, Clarisse Leite, was a concert pianist. Advertisement 'They gave some input,' Dias remembered, 'but we were very much self-sufficient.' At one point, the Baptistas' father was arrested as an 'enemy of the state' by Brazil's secret police, the Department of Political and Social Order (DOPS). Soon, the younger generation of artists would be labeled 'dissidents' for their radical revision of the country's popular culture. Throughout Os Mutantes's early years, the group played a 'cat and mouse' game with the secret police, according to Dias, changing the lyrics to their songs to avoid censorship. Sometimes, however, they went the other way, changing the words to be more subversive than the originals. In 1969 the DOPS arrested two of the leaders of the Tropicália movement, the singers Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Exiled, they lived for a few years in London. Os Mutantes visited often, but their tight-knit scene in Brazil began to fall apart. 'The music in Brazil started to go down after Caetano and Gil were arrested,' Dias said. 'They cut the head off the movement.' His band managed to hang on until 1978. By then, Arnaldo was struggling with heavy LSD use, and Lee had branched out on her own. During Os Mutantes's long hiatus, their reputation grew among certain connoisseurs. Kurt Cobain wrote the band a letter in 1993, imploring them to reunite. Advertisement Dias is the only remaining long-standing member of Os Mutantes in the band's current version. Arnaldo left the reunited band in 2007. Lee, who had a long career post-Mutantes — she would be nicknamed the 'Queen of Brazilian Rock' — died in 2023. Yet Dias keeps recruiting new members from the group's international pool of enthusiasts. 'It's a beautiful thing,' he said. Though Os Mutantes 'never had a golden album, were never played too much on the radio,' he's proud of the legacy they've built. 'We were damn good, you know,' he said. 'All my life I survived by playing guitar. I never did anything else,' Dias added. 'Now I'm 74, and I'm still doing it, and preparing to go on another tour.' While in Europe recently, he came down with pneumonia. It was 'an old-guy thing,' he said with a smile. 'I lost my voice, and I thought I was never going to be able to sing again. But I'm singing like a bird now.' OS MUTANTES At the Press Room, 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, N.H., Monday, July 14, 7 p.m. Tickets $32.85 and up, At the Drake, 44 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, Wednesday, July 16, 8 p.m. Tickets $30-35, James Sullivan can be reached at jamesgsullivan@


Boston Globe
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Parker's Amazing Applesauce is made entirely from rejected fruit, and that's a beautiful thing
These days, he's doing the same for apples. Those that don't measure up to the better-looking specimens found in stores are now getting a second act as Parker's Amazing Applesauce — a slightly chunky, no-sugar applesauce made entirely from rejected fruit. Advertisement Dias sources these apples from New England farms, such as Foppema's Farm in Northbridge, Clark Brothers Orchard in Ashfield, and Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, Conn., among others. The upcycled applesauce is made from varying blends, including classic Macintosh and sweet Cortland, and each batch has its own unique flavor profile. 'Every batch of 200 gallons, or 1,000 jars, is different,' he says. Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up So why the name Parker's Amazing? That's a nod to Dias's 60-pound, adorable rescue mutt — a mix of pit bull, Labrador, spaniel, and Rottweiler — who's been his co-pilot and unofficial business ambassador for over a decade. 'Parker has been my wheelman and travels with me pretty much every day and is a welcomed guest wherever he goes,' says Dias. Advertisement Last year, Parker faced cancer and had a leg amputated. 'The way that he bounced back and the resilience he showed inspired me to make a resilient product to honor him,' says his owner. A portion of profits from the sale of Parker's Amazing Applesauce goes to animal welfare organizations, such as MSPCA-Angell (about $7 for 24 ounces). Available at Pemberton Farms Marketplace, 2225 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 617-491-2244; The Spirited Gourmet, 448 Common St., Belmont, 617-489-9463; Tendercrop Farm, 108 High Road, Newbury, 978-462-6972, and others, or at . Ann Trieger Kurland can be reached at


Time of India
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Two women receive Sahitya Akademi awards for Konkani literature
1 2 Margao: Konkani writer Nayana Adarkar was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2025 for her collection of stories 'Belabaicho Shankar Aani Haer Kanyo'. Glynis Dias received the Yuva Puraskar for her work 'Gaavgaathaa', a collection of short stories that captures the essence of rural Goan life. Adarkar's body of work spans multiple genres, including poetry collections such as 'Pratima', 'Mansanvar', and 'Kisran', alongside her story collections 'Spandan' and 'Krishnachud'. Her literary essays 'Povanam', 'Chanfo', 'Kantekunvar', and 'Batmogrim' resonated deeply with readers and critics alike. Her dedication to nurturing young minds through children's literature is particularly noteworthy, with numerous storybooks that enriched Konkani literature for younger audiences. Her writings were incorporated into the curriculum of the Goa Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, as well as the BA course at Goa University. Earlier, Adarkar received Goa govt's Yashodamini Puraskar and the Kerala Prachar Sabha's Saraswatibai Sahitya Puraskar. The Konkani Akademi and Konkani Bhasha Mandal both awarded her their respective Sahitya awards. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Dr T M Pai Foundation Prashasti Puraskar. Dias is an assistant professor of Konkani at the Govt College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Quepem. Her award-winning collection 'Gaavgaathaa' draws extensively from her intimate knowledge and observations of rural life. The title story of her collection holds particular poignancy, chronicling the tale of Kurdi village, which disappeared beneath the waters following the construction of the Selaulim dam more than three decades ago. Dias, whose parents originated from Kurdi, crafted a touching narrative around this submerged village that briefly resurfaces during the summer months when water levels recede. The award presentation ceremony will be announced later.


The Star
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Angola central bank reaffirms goal of lowering inflation to 17 pct
LUANDA, June 10 (Xinhua) -- The National Bank of Angola (BNA) said Tuesday that its projection to lower inflation to 17 percent by the end of 2025 remains unchanged, reducing the inflation rate by 10 percentage points compared to the end of 2024. Speaking at the presentation of the study "Banking in Analysis 2025," BNA Governor Manuel Tiago Dias said the inflation rate is currently at 22 percent. Dias said that successive declines in the indicator signaled economic recovery and the effectiveness of the adopted monetary policy measures. He also said that the future of the Angolan banking sector will be built on innovation, responsibility, and the contribution of all. According to the National Institute of Statistics of Angola, the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded a month-on-month increase of 1.34 percent in April 2025, representing a deceleration of 0.04 percentage points compared to the previous month. On a year-on-year basis, the CPI rose by 22.32 percent, which is 5.89 percentage points lower than in April 2024.