Latest news with #Achar
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Activist raises concerns over boundary demarcation in Macaque Sanctuary
Shivamogga: An environmental activist from Shivamogga has raised concerns about boundary demarcation within the Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary in Sharavathi Valley, spanning across Hosanagar and Sagar taluks. Girish Achar claims forest officials assisted encroachers through illogical boundary fixing. Achar submitted a letter to various authorities, including the central empowered committee and the Union ministry of environment and forest, urging protection of the Sharavathi Valley, which received sanctuary status in 2019. He explained that the Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary was redesignated as Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary in 2019, incorporating Jog, Channakonda, and Ambargudda state forests. He said some influential individuals damaged local biodiversity and occupied vast forest areas, subsequently applying for Bagair Hukum sanctions. From Jan 27 to March 3, the Shivamogga foresters marked the boundary of the 1974 notified sanctuary, neglecting the 2019 notification at the time of declaring the Macaque Sanctuary, and were found to be self-interested in helping the encroachers, he said. This resulted in Western Ghats forest areas increasingly falling into encroachers' possession. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo These individuals targeted sloped areas without flowing streams, destroying dense forest along stream banks, severely impacting local wildlife populations. Achar has called for urgent intervention from relevant authorities, requesting legal action against encroachers, cancellation of unauthorised sanctions, prosecution of officials enabling encroachment, and implementation of strict measures to safeguard the sanctuary.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
UAE entrepreneur develops energy drinks using only date pits
Hamdan bin Zayed meets Noura Al Mazrouei and recognises her efforts in transforming date kernels into innovative food products/ Image: Instagram-emiratesroyalfamily From pastries to pasta, rice, energy drinks, cosmetics, and even kohl , Emirati innovator Noora Al Mazroui is creating an entire product line from a single item: date pits. The 60-year-old UAE national has made it her mission to prove that no part of the palm tree should go to waste , especially not the stone-like pit found at the heart of every date. 'The palm tree begins with a pit and ends with a pit,' Al Mazroui told Khaleej Times. It started with a question: Why throw the pits away? Al Mazroui's journey began decades ago, inspired by her upbringing and her deep connection to nature. In the 1980s, she and her husband received a plot of farmland from the late Sheikh Zayed, the founding father of the UAE, as part of a nationwide initiative to allocate land to citizens. There, she began growing palm trees and started questioning why date pits were discarded after eating the fruit, according to Khaleej Times. A mother of eight, she balanced family life with her passion for crafting. In her free time, she made traditional items from palm fronds, such as 'Sarood' mats for food, date baskets, and umbrellas. She also began experimenting with ways to repurpose every part of the palm. 'In 2004, I participated in the Liwa Date Festival. I wanted to showcase something unique. I made date pickles (Achar), kohl (eyeliner), charcoal, and incense from date pits. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo I also combined 'Sarood' with 'Talli' to create new designs,' she told Khaleej Times. Food, beverages, cosmetics , all from the humble pit Through years of research and experimentation, Al Mazroui has developed a full suite of products made entirely from date pits: Date pit flour: Used in pastries, pasta, biscuits, crackers, cakes, and even rice. Beverages: She has created coffee, tea, soups, soda, and even energy drinks. 'When I sent the drink to the lab, they informed me that it qualifies as an energy drink,' she said. In the personal care space, she also produces: Natural kohl (eyeliner) Body scrubs Skincare products 'My work focuses on transforming by-products into food, medicine, care products, and beverages without harming nature,' she explained. She said her mission aligns with the principles of a circular economy, citing inspiration from Sheikh Zayed, who once said: 'We focused on farming because we want to live well and rely on ourselves.' 'Everything contributes to reducing waste and protecting the environment. It also preserves the legacy of the palm tree. This is not merely a product; it represents progress for our country, land, and future generations,' she said. How It's made: A simple yet careful process Al Mazroui collects date pits from trusted sources, then: Washes and boils them Dries the pits Grinds them in two stages until they become a fine powder Sends the powder to a laboratory for safety analysis before packaging 'This powder is sent to a laboratory to ensure its safety before being packaged in sealed containers,' she told Khaleej Times. She stresses that the value lies not just in the process, but in the natural nutrition of the pit itself. According to Al Mazroui, date pits are rich in fibre, minerals, and antioxidants , they aid digestion and contribute to overall body strength. 'Making these products benefits the economy by converting waste into useful products. It enhances food safety by providing options sourced from the UAE,' she said. She began with simple tools at home, experimenting with local ingredients, and incorporating date pit flour in small amounts into coffee, pasta, and tea. Each product was sent for lab testing to ensure it met health standards. 'I would never offer anything to people unless I knew it was safe,' she said. Documenting her work, inspiring future generations As her creations grew more sophisticated, Al Mazroui made sure to document every recipe and process. 'I wanted to keep track of it all and maybe share it one day,' she shared. For larger batches required during exhibitions, she partners with factories , as her home-based tools aren't sufficient for mass production. Looking ahead, she hopes her journey can be an educational model for children, showing how to create food, health, and care products from the land , a combination of heritage, sustainability, and science.
Boston Globe
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Deli Boys' is a funny, timely ride for our distracted era
But when the brothers witness their father's gruesome death, they find out the true nature of their father's business: a criminal enterprise where kilos of cocaine are smuggled inside containers of Achar, the pungent South Asian vegetable pickle well known for its overpowering smell, and distributed throughout Philadelphia through DarCo corner store markets. Advertisement Ill-prepared to step into their father's blood-stained chappals, the Dar brothers must lean heavily on their family friend and fellow DarCo board member 'Lucky Auntie' (Poorna Jagannathan) to teach them the inner workings of the 'Dark DarCo' ring. The transition of power inside Dark DarCo leaves the enterprise hobbled and vulnerable at a time when a big deal with a Peruvian gang is already underway. If Dark DarCo doesn't sell off its inventory and repay the Peruvians, their lives will be at stake. Advertisement Saagar Shaikh and Asif Ali in "Deli Boys." Disney/James Washington/Disney What might have been a bloody ' Creator Abdullah Saaeed was previously known for his work on Viceland's 'Bong Appetit' cooking show, where he invited renowned chefs to cook with him using his weed-infused ingredients, and a weekly column turned documentary, 'Weediquette,' which examined the industry and culture around marijuana. He's clearly bringing some personal experience to bear on Raj's stoner new age outlook. But dig a little deeper, and the corporate-minded Mir character might also be a conduit for Saaeed's perspective on the current media environment. Take, for example, the scene when Raj gets stabbed in the stomach and urges his brother Mir to stick his fingers into the wound 'to smell for poop' as a means of determining infection. 'Didn't you watch ' Advertisement These two personalities undoubtedly seem like an odd duo to run a criminal enterprise, but this is what 'Deli Boys' does best: blends all of life, from the truly absurd to the shockingly dark, and even the hopelessly mundane. The characters are all exaggerated, and yet also deeply real at the same time, and the dialogue only plays up this duality. When Lucky Auntie, the right hand woman to the boys' father Baba Dar (Iqbal Theba), holds a board meeting for the more accurately named 'Dark Darco,' she says, 'We're in the red. Blood red,' without a hint of a smile, and yet the humor is palpable. In another scene, older brother Raj attempts to catch a runaway drug runner by leaving out a plate of pretzels as bait. 'Life is not a cartoon!' Mir exasperatedly snaps, only to see the plan actually work seconds later. Perhaps my favorite moment of all was when the brothers attempted to sell a local mob boss on the potency of their reformulated cocaine as a 'rebrand' effort. I began to gasp for laughter when the demonstration turned into a 'Shark Tank' demonstration, complete with dramatic music turns, an infomercial-esque skit, and an embellished final proposal. As Raj implores, 'Drugs are my passion. And I know with this blow, we can make Philly the cocaine capital of the world.' Advertisement With all the silly puns, comical plot twists, and unexpected Tarantino-esque violence, every prediction I had made about how this show would unfold was proven wrong – to my surprise and delight. You never know when a moment will become a poignant commentary on modern reality, or just a gag, and it is exactly this combination of the unknowable and relatable that kept my eyes glued to the TV and off my phone. For a second screen viewer or an undistracted television purist, 'Deli Boys' is a masterclass in wielding attention. The layers involved to make a joke land provided enough for the TV gourmands yet ample opportunities for the distracted viewer to dip in and out, all while transforming ridiculous scenarios into conduits for human truths. And that artistry, one that neither blindly accepts nor rejects audience behavior, may very well be the best path forward for the future of streaming TV shows. DELI BOYS Starring: Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Poorna Jagannathan, Alfie Fuller, Brian George. On Hulu. Jazmin Aguilera can be reached at
