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The festive season might have officially begun with the Pujos and Diwali, but the party season continues. For all the fun loving people around the city, the reasons to celebrate & party are innumerable and when you have such amazing drinks and cocktails to sip, do we actually need reasons to party?

Esteemed actor from Bengali film industry, actress Koneenica Banerjee hosted a fabulous post-Diwali party at Sab Ka Club on 9th November to continue the celebration. The party had a top notch guest list which included names like actress Richa Sharma, designer Neel Mukherjee, Drs. Supratim and Indrani Paul, designer Jyotee Khaitan, Kanaklata, model and educator Jessica Surana, theatre and stage personality Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee, humanitarian Mimi Das, food blogger Poorna Banerjee, designer Kanaklata and Amalin Dutta, MD Century Plywood Sanja Agarwal, Editor Monica Lahiri, entrepreneur Shaleini S. Biswas  and a host of eminent names from the city.

The guests and the host had a great time as they sipped on their Vodka Martinis made from the  Absolut Vodka. Known to be one of the leading brands of Premium Vodka, Absolut offers the true taste of Vodka and adds the right spirit to every party. And the ‘Celebration Continues’ hosted by actress Koneenica Banerjee served Absolut as the evening unfurled into a fun and engaging experience for everyone.

The guests were also served Whiskey Sour prepared from Europe’s No.1 Scotch Whiskey Ballantine’s Finest, which was also voted to be the best blended scotch in the world in the year 2020 with a recipe that stayed true to its original since 1910.

There were several lip-smacking food to accompany the evening like cream cheese bao, chicken celery dimsum, chicken stuffed bao, naan, biriyani, dal makhni and paneer butter masala.

Every bathroom has its unique style which stems from the individuality of its user and communicates their lifestyle to the world. The journey towards a perfect day starts right here, making it essential for the bathroom to be comprised of the best and most handy utilities. Häfele introduces the HIX Bath Collection, which embraces the thought of singularity while effortlessly adapting to diverse spaces, offering you perfectly functional and elegantly designed bathrooms.

Anyone who loves clothes dreams about having a dressing room. If you don’t have an additional room for this, the wish has remained a dream – until now! Because fortunately, the problem solvers at Häfele never allow themselves to be satisfied with “it can’t be done”. Their solution: a Walk-in Wardrobewhich provides plenty of room for dressing yet does not make the bedroom look cramped.

Häfele’s Walk-in Wardrobe fittings transform the wardrobe into a space, an environment to be lived in; its modular structure allows you to use the entire height available with one complete range of suspended shelves and accessories. The new, patented fixture system allows you to alter the number and position of the clothes rack, shelves and drawers at any time thus providing the best possible exhibition of shoes, shirts, pullovers etc.

Waking up with a throbbing head after your Diwali party is the very essence of the celebration. If you have not enjoyed some amazing cocktails at the Diwali party, you probably have missed a lot of fun.

Be it a Birthday party, New Year’s party, Bachelor Party or a Diwali party, a party without the right ‘spirit’ can never be a success and to set the spirit right, planning your cocktails is as important as planning your guest list.

With cocktails being the most loved drinks for any occasion, especially lunches and fashion parties, Absolut Vodka becomes an easy choice for such parties, all thanks to the amazing array of cocktails that can be made with this premium vodka.

So when Avama Jewellers decided to throw a Diwali bash at Hammer with an exclusive Diwali collection showcase at OCTA, they made sure there were ample bottles of Absolut Vodka to ensure that the party was an ‘Absolut’ success and the lovely guests were in the right spirit.

Launched in the year 1979, Absolut Vodka started a revolution in cocktail creations by launching their range of flavoured vodkas which made Absolut an icon in its own right. Some of the most loved flavours launched by Absolut are Lime, Pepper, Raspberries, Mango, Cherries, Apple and a load of other fruity flavours which make them perfect for the creation of some electrifying cocktails.

If you are looking to throw the most happening party in the town, with the most talked about drinks, do not just line up your booze bottles leaving the guests to their own device, instead, bring out some of the stunning cocktail recipes and prepare them with love and Absolut Vodka to make some noise.

March 2020 changed a lot of things not just in India but across the world. With months of lockdown, the economy went downhill affecting millions in India. But definitely, students seemed to be among the worst affected during this pandemic. With schools shutting down for an uncertain period of time, education has taken a backseat and has many parents questioning their children’s futures.

Today, 250 students of St John’s K.G. School at Amtala are facing a great deal of uncertainty about their future. For the last one and a half years, the students are hardly in touch with their school since online classes are impossible for many due to their family’s financial constraints.

What is worse was the effects of Cyclone Amphan which caused catastrophic damage to the school destroying a number of classrooms totally. Due to the lack of physical infrastructure, as well as school supplies such as desks and chairs, and teaching staff, the school cannot be reopened, hence making it even more difficult for the students to get back to their education.

However, in order to ensure a brighter future for the children of this school, Yeh Mera India, an NGO based in Kolkata in collaboration with the Techno India Group organized a virtual run to raise funds to rebuild this school and bring the light of hope and future to these children.

This interesting event where people participated in a virtual run is taking place from the 15th of August through the end of October 2021 as a gesture to celebrate the nation’s 75th Independence Day and thus contributing to the future education for these children.

For more info: http://oxyrunforindia.com/

“In what could potentially set off a probe under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), online retailer Amazon is conducting an internal investigation into a whistleblower complaint that has alleged bribing of government officials in India by some of its legal representatives. An Amazon India executive told The Indian Express that the investigation pertained to “certain accounting irregularities in payments” made to the company’s legal consultants, for which a Delhi-based in-house counsel has been sent on leave and a junior staffer at one of the law firms hired by Amazon India has been laid off.

Responding to a set of e-mail queries sent by this newspaper, asking the status of the probe, whether the company also planned to have an external agency look into the matter or Indian authorities were notified about the issue, an Amazon spokesperson wrote: “We have zero tolerance for corruption. We take allegations of improper actions seriously, investigate them fully, and take appropriate action. We are not commenting on specific allegations or the status of any investigation at this time”.

In a report on Monday, The Morning Context said a part of the legal fees by Amazon to one or more of its legal representatives have been “funnelled” into bribing government officials. The report said that while the internal investigation being carried out by Amazon was focussed on the role played by the company’s senior legal counsel, who has been sent on a leave, and a Delhi-based independent lawyer, it was also conducting a broader investigation into the issue and was questioning its other legal representatives for the same. This includes law firm AZB & Partners.

“The matter being investigated is very old and relates to mismatch in the utilisation of funds given to the company’s in-house counsel as well as the law firms retained by Amazon India,” the executive cited above, said. Mails sent to AZB & Partners did not elicit any response. Any implication of Amazon’s employees in India towards bribing government officials could expose the e-commerce firm to the FCPA in the US, which is enforced by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the US Department of Justice. The FCPA law prohibits US firms and individuals from paying bribes to foreign officials to further business deals. In the past several firms have been investigated by the US SEC for FCPA violations. In 2019, IT services firm Cognizant agreed to pay $25 million to settle violations of the anti-bribery, internal accounting controls, and record-keeping provisions. Two of Cognizant’s former officials were also charged with authorising a $2.5 million bribe payment to a government official in India.

Similarly, in 2017, snack-maker Mondelez International, which owns chocolate brand Cadbury, agreed to pay a $13-million-penalty for FCPA violations arising out of one of its subsidiaries making illicit payments to obtain government licenses and approvals for a chocolate factory in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, in India, following the reports of alleged bribery by Amazon officials, traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has demanded a CBI inquiry saying the matter relates to the credibility of the government and is counter to the vision of removing corruption at all levels within the government. CAIT, which has sent a communication to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, said it is also moving a representation to the US SEC Chairman Gary Gensler to demand a “fair and independent probe” into the issue.”

“Amazon has reportedly initiated an investigation against its legal representatives for allegedly bribing Indian government officials. The development came to light early last week, after a whistleblower, reportedly, at the eCommerce platform reported that few such representatives were funnelling money paid by Amazon to bribe Indian officials.

The said whistleblower had reportedly named Rahul Sundaram, senior corporate counsel at Amazon, and Vikas Chopra, an independent counsel based out of New Delhi, in his complaint. According to a report by The Morning Context, Sundaram has been sent on leave while Amazon conducts an internal investigation.

Chopra, on the other hand, has claimed that he never really worked with Amazon directly. Instead, he was hired by corporate law firm AZB & Partners to handle Amazon-related legal work on its behalf. However, it’s still not clear on the sort of tasks Chopra was handling.

The New Delhi-based independent counsel Chopra sent a legal notice to the Morning Context, which first reported the development. In the notice, he mentioned that his fee bills are raised to AZB & Partners and not Amazon. Meaning, he was working in association with the said law firm and not Amazon directly.”

93.5 RED FM, India’s leading private radio and entertainment network today announced the return of ‘Dugga Dugga Festival’, the biggest online music fiesta that will showcase Bengal’s iconic Durga Puja. The event will be streamed online on the RED FM Bangla YouTube channel on 9th October 2021 at 6PM.

The event will have Sujoy Prasad Chatterjee as the festival guide along with performances by renowned Bengali artists like Kaushiki Chakraborty, Raghab Chatterjee and Jayati Chakraborty. Durga Puja in Bengal is not just observed as a religious festival but is also celebrated with utmost grandiose. However, the festivities have been kept low ever since the outbreak of the pandemic, which has affected many people, included the idol-makers who have been hit the hardest. RED FM has decided to support these artisans of Kumartuli by raising funds in collaboration with ImpactGuru, a donation-based crowdfunding platform.

Speaking on the announcement, Nisha Narayanan, Director and COO, RED FM and Magic FM, said, “The experience of Durga puja cannot be expressed in words. It’s an emotion that people experience. However, this year's celebrations are a little different with the ongoing restrictions of the pandemic. We are happy to bring the festive cheer with another edition of ‘Dugga Dugga Festival’. In addition to the festivities, this year we are focussing on artisans of Kumartuli whose main source of income comes from the Durga idols. The livelihood of these artisans are surrounded by uncertainties and to help them overcome this crisis, we have collaborated with ImpactGuru to raise funds. ‘Dugga Dugga Festival’ is our humble effort to sends a message that perhaps what really matters most during a pandemic is a community coming together against all odds and helping each other while also enjoying the festivities.”

Just when we thought things are getting better, and life was getting back on its feet in the new normal world, the second wave hit us. And unfortunately, most of us took a big hit on a personal level too. We lost a lot of good people and this time even the young weren’t spared from the vicious claws of Covid19. We witnessed an epidemic that we had only read about in history books. We faced a major crisis in the supply of blood, oxygen, hospital beds and there was nowhere or no one to turn to! Amidst all this cacophony people came forward to help people.

Our social media timelines were flooded with helpline numbers and information. But just like Gotham City witnessed the rise of a Dark Knight who came forward to help those in needour warriors and superheroes did the same thing. They dove right into the centre of the chaos to help people forget their own needs and safety.

Mirchi Somak shares the thought behind this wonderful initiative when he said, “As we celebrate the month of freedom, Mirchi made sure to narrate the tales of people who fought the pandemic without thinking about their own safety or health. Just like the freedom fighters who are celebrated for their contribution in fighting the British Raj, it is also very important to fight against this ongoing pandemic and celebrate the fighters.”

Perhaps they were just a voice over the phone to some of us or someone delivering a bag of blood or a cylinder of oxygen, but these people gave up their personal lives to stand beside hundreds of strangers simply because they needed help. These warriors had no personal gain out of the situation. They earned no money or fame out of it but what they earned was beyond it all. They won hearts and they won the respect of hundreds of people! Mirchi Ka Salaam is a campaign dedicated to these warriors and their tales.

Mirchi Agni on the other hand, says “The 2ndwave of COVID 19 has taken away a lot from us. We have all seen people suffering and many of us have lost our loved ones, friends and relatives during this time. But we have also learnt and received something in return as well. We have seen people stepping out to help others in whichever way possible. While some delivered free food to the patients, some made endless calls to arrange hospitals beds and some gave up most of their savings to ensure there was enough oxygen for the patients. This initiative was taken to celebrate those warriors who restored our faith in humanity and taught us to stand beside one another and fight together is the most beautiful thing about humanity.”

With increasing real estate prices and shrinking spaces, the need for innovation in home interiors gains paramount importance. At Häfele we aim to create more functionality within the constraints of the space available so that you, our customer can get ‘more life per meter square’. ‘The Kitchen’ remains a constant study for us and we spend a lot of time curating innovative concepts that can optimize the space in every nook and corner of a kitchen without any compromise on ‘functionality’.

Häfele brings to you some attractive innovations from the house of Vauth Sagel that will travel a mile to effectively use the space in your kitchen – be it in the form of an unused corner, wasted gaps under your countertop and blind edges that leave no or little room for accessing cabinets.

Corner Cabinets: A corner cabinet is not simply a cabinet placed in a corner. With this conceptual approach, Vauth Sagel has developed cabinet solutions that not only optimally utilize angled spaces but instead put the corner right in the centre of the kitchen experience. As a result, unseen perspectives in the kitchen are opened up, allowing people to experience space in a new way.

· The Cornerstone Maxx by Häfele transforms awkward corner space into an absolute storage asset. Large-area shelving has been designed to extend from the cabinet in a straight line, allowing for absolute convenience, without compromising access to neighbouring units. Straight-extending kinematics with energy storage support, floating design and simple installation - your kitchen is upgraded in every respect as a result.

~Schools and Villages to have sanitary napkin dispensers and napkin manufacturing machines installed ~

Mumbai, July 2021: With an aim to strengthen women’s health in rural areas, Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF) has conceptualized and implemented the Menstrual Hygiene Management Programme across 7 locations. To facilitate this program, ACF has partnered with Häfele, the Global Interior Fittings Specialist from Germany, and together they will extend support to these rural locations through the installation of Sanitary Napkin Making/Dispensing Machines together with educative initiatives to spread knowledge about menstrual hygiene and breaking the many myths and stigmas around it.

In rural areas, menstrual hygiene management and anemia have a huge impact on the overall development of girls. Sharing her views on the issue, Ms. Pearl Tiwari, Director & CEO, Ambuja Cement Foundation said, “Menstrual hygiene is a matter of public health. The main challenge is to address the shame, taboos and several myths attached to periods and menstrual hygiene. We need to work dedicatedly by identifying gaps and creating awareness to bring effective behavior change in not just women but in the whole society. Male members of the community also have a crucial role to play here, thus, increasing knowledge and awareness for male members is also a part of this MHM program.”

Talking about Häfele’s contribution to this initiative, Ms. Padma Gupta, Director - Human Resources & Customer Experience, South Asia said, “We believe in creating partnerships that make a difference to society. We are really happy to be associated with this public health cause and I am hopeful that our collaboration with Ambuja Cement Foundation will take their menstrual hygiene management program to the next level, by imparting sanitation education and support among young girls and women in rural areas.”

The purpose of the activity is to strengthen women and adolescent groups with building capacities and sustained support towards improving four pillars of menstrual hygiene management:

1. Access to knowledge and information

2. Access to menstrual absorbents

3. WASH structures and maintenance

4. Access to safe disposal

ACF will facilitate biodegradable sanitary napkin-making machines which will be installed through rural women federations where maintenance and output will also be monitored. Sanitary napkins will be manufactured by village SHGs under ACF’s income generation and livelihood project. Vending machines and incinerators will be installed in the schools and common points for easy access at various locations.

About Ambuja Cement Foundation:

Established in 1993, Ambuja Cement Foundation is a grassroots pan-India implementing organisation that harnesses the power of partnerships –between communities, Government and other like-minded corporates and NGOs – to help solve pressing community problems and to foster prosperity. For almost 3 decades, ACF has created a significant impact. A full-fledged Research and Monitoring Unit, along with numerous external, independent studies show significant change – in income levels, health indicators and overall harmony and happiness. Our work has spread beyond our core villages, and by working hand in hand with like-minded organizations, we aim to significantly impact the pressing issues currently inhabiting our country.

Häfele India:

Häfele India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Häfele global network and has been operating in India since 2003 under the leadership of Mr. Jürgen Wolf (Managing Director). The ability of the company to understand the diverse Indian market has made it an authority in the field of architectural hardware, furniture and kitchen fittings and accessories. The company also has a strong presence in synergized product categories namely Home Appliances, Furniture Lighting, Sanitary and Surfaces catering to the focused demand from these industries. The subsidiary has a strong nationwide presence with offices in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata and Cochin. It has full-scale operations in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh with Regional offices and Design Showrooms in both countries; and has also spread its operations to other regions of South Asia including Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives.

Imagine having your own barista right there in your own kitchen, making your perfect cup of coffee at any time you like and as often as you like. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

Professional baristas demand perfection in each detail when making coffee. Dosage, grinding, brewing pressure and temperature are parameters that need to be exact to make that perfect cup of coffee. Häfele introduces the Asko Elements Coffee Machine which with its Scandinavian design and a fundamental idea of making everyday life easier, is a unique combination of state-of-the-art technology, user-friendly interface and minimalistic aesthetics.