Latest news with #ABCD
Boston Globe
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Immigration restrictions on Head Start ‘deeply threaten' program's work, state leader says
Advertisement 'Immigration status has never been part of the equation of what families need to survive in this country,' Haimowitz said in an interview. 'And so any of these attempts to impose these requirements deeply threaten the work that we do.' Head Start, In Massachusetts alone, Head Start assists more than 11,000 children and their families each year, including connecting children to medical, dental, and vision screenings, according to the state organization. Advertisement Immigrants who are in the country without authorization have generally not been eligible for public benefits like food stamps. But some federally funded community programs, like Head Start, have not blocked immigrants from receiving help. President Trump Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump's HHS secretary, Kennedy said the ban 'restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.' The ban would apply to Head Start, along with other federally funded programs, including Community Services Block Grants, mental health, workforce, transitional housing assistance, and substance use and treatment services, according to HHS. Heather Yountz, an attorney with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, said the ban was 'shameful,' and is part of a larger effort to target immigrant children, including by allowing ICE to enter schools and cutting spending on legal services for children seeking asylum. Yountz raised several concerns about the order, which she believes is open to legal challenge. 'Trump's action will have a chilling effect on all immigrants, not just low-income babies and toddlers,' Yountz said in an e-mail. The federal ban comes months after the Trump administration Advertisement Sharon Scott-Chandler, the president and CEO of Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), which oversees Head Start services children living in Greater Boston and the Mystic Valley, said her organization was still trying to understand how the ban will affect their operation. In 2024, ABCD Head Start served around 2,000 families and more than 2,100 children, according to the organization. 'We want children to grow up and be productive, educated, healthy young people and then citizens,' Scott-Chandler said in an interview. 'So I think creating barriers [and] creating distinctions between children is going to have an impact on how we can make communities healthier.' People who rely on ABCD for assistance, and are worried about the ban, should continue coming to the organization, she said. 'We don't close the door on anyone,' Scott-Chandler said. Critics like Gladys Vega, president and chief executive officer of Chelsea-based La Colaborativa, which provides medical care and access to meals to Latino immigrants, said the ban's impact will be felt by American citizens. Many immigrant households include both people who are citizens and those who aren't, she said. 'We believe that no child should be neglected, left behind or punished for the status of their parents,' Vega said. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, in a statement, said Head Start has been a critical part of providing early childhood education. 'At the City level, we've seen how much the entire community benefits when we remove barriers for working families to access critical supports and when our youngest students have the best preparation for Kindergarten,' Wu said. Advertisement Elizabeth Sweet, the executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition, called for the ban to be rescinded. 'Cutting off access to essential early education opportunities for immigrant children is deeply harmful and misguided,' Sweet said. Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. John Hilliard can be reached at
Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
25 years of Kaun Banega Crorepati: More theme-based shows like Amitabh Bachchan's that you ought to explore
Amitabh Bachchan's Kaun Banega Crorepati has completed 25 years since it first aired on TV. Back when it started, the quiz show might have ended abruptly, but thanks to Amitabh Bachchan's baritone voice and the way he backed the show even through his own bankruptcy moment, the quiz show continues and is stronger than ever after 25 years of being. In fact, it is one of the earlier TV shows that featured a prominent star and that has made it iconic over the years. At this point, we have various theme-based TV shows that are gaining as much popularity, especially in the Hindi TV world. You deserve to explore a few of them. Amitabh Bachchan in Kaun Banega Crorepati From Shark Tank India to MasterChef India, now stream the best of theme-based TV shows on OTTplay Premium The best from the Indian business/finance world come together, call themselves Sharks, and try to find out which start-up business to invest in. The idea has connected with the youth who have come up with creative ideas throughout the seasons. Indian Idol Do you think you have the singing talent? Indian Idol is the platform to prove yourself! Singers like Arijit Singh, Abhijeet Sawant, and Rahul Vaidya have been a part of this show before making it big. The show often makes headlines for Neha Kakkar, but of course, talent speaks louder. Dance India Dance Like the name suggests, Dance India Dance is a dancing reality show that has introduced us to Remo D'Souza as the judge and dancer-turned-actor Raghav Juyal. In fact, many actors from the ABCD franchise films are chosen from this very dance-based show, and they match steps with legendary Prabhudheva in today's times. Masterchef India The cooking-based reality show Masterchef India has gained momentum with time. While Masterchef Australia remains iconic, the Indian version is just as loved for the innovative dishes and cooking techniques, and of course, the judging skills in the midst of all the challenges. Bigg Boss Like Amitabh Bachchan with KBC, Salman Khan stayed loyal to Bigg Boss and helped the Hindi version become iconic over the years. Now, there's an OTT version of the show, apart from it being expanded into other languages over the years.
India.com
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet Amitabh Bachchan's heroine, who suffered heavy debts due to father's habit of gambling, started working at 9 to save her family, is now…, name is…
Aruna Irani's glittering 65‑year career hides a foundation built on survival. As the eldest of eight siblings, she began working in films at the mere age of nine because 'there was a lot of poverty, but there was never a realisation that we're poor… We just wanted our stomachs to be full.' When her father succumbed to illness and gambling, her mother couldn't manage, leaving young Aruna to feed and clothe her brothers and sisters. 'Some days, we just survived on plain rice. But we never complained… It was a very nice childhood.' No formal school, only street smarts Despite her innate thirst for knowledge, Aruna faced resistance: 'I was an unpadh (uneducated) woman in that era. … I forcefully got myself educated till fifth or sixth standard.' While her brothers attended school, she learned ABCD and relied on life experience. Her theatrical break came in her father's drama troupe—an unexpected yet vital lifeline. Debt, drama, and a house on the block After a stint in theatre, her father's betting on racehorses plunged the family deeper into debt. With Rs 8–8.5 lakh plus interest owed, creditors even threatened to auction their home. 'When I finally got work … my mother and I would keep worrying … where we'd get the money from,' she said. But through persistent film earnings—just Rs 10,000–12,000 per project—she repaid every rupee. A daughter's pride: Father's final words At her father's deathbed, the words that healed her wounds: 'Today, I'm very proud. Arun is my son, not my daughter. I'm content now that you'll take care of everyone.' His acceptance grounded her in a lifetime of sacrifice and strength. Love, choice and child‑free life Aruna's personal life was no less tumultuous. She fell in love with filmmaker Kuku Kohli when he was still married. 'When you're lonely … you just take on what you're getting then.' They eventually married, but at age 40, she chose not to have a child, fearing 'My child shouldn't go through the same [family trauma]. Kids are very impressionable.' From side roles to leading lady Despite her turbulent journey, Aruna Irani's performances—especially opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Bombay to Goa—earned her iconic status in Indian cinema. She helped birth her siblings, drove a family through bankruptcy, and forged a path in an industry that offered hope when life gave hardship.
Mint
29-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
How digital gold hackers struck Aditya Birla Capital Digital
Aditya Birla Capital Digital (ABCD) has restored client gold lost to hackers and conducted a forensic audit of the matter, even as the breach highlights vulnerabilities around application interface protocols (APIs) that helps apps work with each other. On 24 June, ABCD filed a first information report (FIR) with the cyber cell of the Mumbai Police, stating digital gold of ₹1.95 crore was sold off without customer consent. The company's information security team found digital gold from 435 accounts was sold without authorization on 9 June. The complaint also said an unknown person had hacked the API endpoint of the ABCD app. Digital gold allows customers to own gold without having to store it physically. These are backed by gold stored in vaults. Mint has seen a copy of the FIR. 'We have conducted an independent forensic audit, and recommended actions have been implemented to enhance robustness of the platform," an ABCD spokesperson said in an emailed response. 'We have also enforced additional preventive measures, including strengthened encryption and validation checks to reinforce platform security." APIs are snippets of code that help online services work with each other. These allow financial services to authenticate a person's identity, accept payments and more, acting as digital gateways that interlink any app with any service on the internet. 'This person (hacker) bypassed the normal transaction flow and illegally initiated digital gold sales from various customer accounts without their consent," the FIR said. It said that when customers who want to purchase or sell digital gold through the ABCD app must register their mobile number. Purchases can be made directly, but sales require OTP (one-time password) verification sent to the registered mobile number. The proceeds from these unauthorized transactions, the complaint said, were transferred into several bank accounts. Cyber security experts said such breaches are common globally, raising concerns on them surfacing at more Indian companies. Lalit Kalra, partner and leader, cyber security and data privacy at EY India, said that unsecured or misconfigured API endpoints, which Aditya Birla faced, is 'a growing threat for all". 'From leaking personal data to enabling account takeovers, APIs have become a goldmine for attackers," said Kalra. Most modern data breaches aren't about breaking in—they're about walking in through a forgotten API, he said, adding that common issues like insecure authorization and sensitive data in responses can leave organizations exposed. The app is housed under Aditya Birla Capital Digital Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd that was incorporated in March 2023. It cost ₹100 crore to build, according to statements by company executives at its launch, and has products around credit, investments, insurance and payments. 'All our services on the platform are live and fully secure. All the impacted customers have been proactively reached out by us and their Digi Gold holdings have been systematically restored to their respective accounts," the company spokesperson said. According to Sidharth Mutreja, co-founder and chief technology officer of homegrown cyber security firm RockLadder Technologies, API vulnerabilities are what cyber criminals track in their quest to find a 'backdoor". 'There is an increasing number of managed security solutions that help track such vulnerabilities. Even then, weak encryption is one of the most common factors for these breaches proliferating globally," Mutreja added. EY's Kalra said that with increasing regulations such as India's Cert-In rules and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, companies will face 'increasing cost of compliance if their technical gateways such as API endpoints are not adequately guarded." 'The costs, especially for smaller companies, can be crippling," he added. Cert-In mandates a six-hour reporting window for hacks such as ABCD's digital gold breach, failing which companies face punitive measures from the government.
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Terence recalls ‘melting' moment at Lauren's big day in Tuscany
Dancer and ABCD actress tied the knot with London-based director Tobias Jones on June 11 in a dreamy ceremony under the Tuscan sun. The wedding was attended by close friends and family, including choreographer and long-time friend Terence Lewis. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Describing the event, Terence said, 'Lauren and Tobias got married under the Tuscan sun, and the wedding was not just romantic, it was cinematic.' Though he initially wasn't sure he'd make it, fate intervened. Terence told Mumbai Mirror, 'I had a mind-body dance therapy retreat in Italy that coincided with the wedding. It was just two hours away,' he shared. Calling the ceremony emotional and heartwarming, Terence recalled a memorable moment during dinner. He said, 'Someone clinked glasses to get them to kiss, and instead of a shy peck, they broke into a slow dance right there. We all just melted.' He added, "From the setting, to the decor, to the 7 course menu , to all the arrangements that were so well curated, that it was the best way to experience Tuscany n Tuscany never looked better—or felt more full of love!." He also revealed a humorous exchange during Tobias's vows. 'Tobias got emotional reading his vows and Lauren whispered, 'You better cry — you made me wear heels on gravel!' We were all in splits,' Terence laughed, summing it up as 'intimate, hilarious, and filled with a lot of love.' Terence and Lauren have been friends for the past seven years and have also worked together on many corporate events. This is how Terence Lewis handles trolls
