Black Student's Suspension From US School Over Hairstyle Sparks Controversy

A black male high school student in Texas was suspended from school twice for wearing his hair in twisted dreadlocks. After serving his first in-school suspension, he returned to school the next day with his hair in the same style. He was immediately suspended again.

Darryl George, a junior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, received multiple disciplinary action notes and was placed on in-school suspension for wearing his locs hairstyle in a ponytail, his mother, Darresha George, told CNN.

She said Darryl was suspended the same week the state's CROWN Act, a law prohibiting discrimination based on one's hair texture or protective hairstyle such as locs and braids, went into effect.

According to CNN, school officials told George his loc hairstyle violated the Barbers Hill Independent School District dress and grooming code, which states, "Male students' hair will not extend, at any time, below the eyebrows or below the ear lobes."

Darresha George mentioned that her son is feeling frustrated because of the current situation.

"He's very anxious and very aggravated right now because he keeps getting punished for something that's irrelevant to his education," she said.

"He has to sit on a stool for eight hours in a cubicle. That's very uncomfortable. Every day he'd come home, he'd say his back hurts because he has to sit on a stool," she told NBC News.

In George's family, all the men have dreadlocks, going back generations. To them, the hairstyle has cultural and religious importance, his mother said.

"Our hair is where our strength is; that's our roots," Darresha George said. "He has his ancestors locked into his hair, and he knows that."

George stated that her family has retained legal representation and is contemplating taking legal action.

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Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Malaika, Pooja Visit Shilpa Shetty's Puja

Shilpa Shetty's Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations is one of the popular ones in Mumbai. Celebs from film fratenity offer prayers at Shilpa's home. The ritual continued this year too. On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, celebs like Malaika Arora, Pooja Hegde, Govinda with family, Tanishaa Mukerji, Abhimanyu Dassani, Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D'Souza visited Shilpa's house on Tuesday. They were dressed in their festive best. Starting with Malaika Arora's OOTD. Malaika chose an orange fusion dress for the occasion. Later she was pictured with fashion designer Vikram Phadnis.

Pooja Hegde chose a green saree and looked absolutely gorgeous.

We also spotted Shilpa's sister Shamita Shetty with their mother.

Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D'Souza twinned in red. They were accompanied by their sons.

Govinda, with wife Sunita Ahuja and son Yashvardan Ahuja also attended Shilpa's puja. Rakul Preet Singh with Jackky Bhagnani were spotted at Shilpa's home. Take a look at the video here:

Take a look at Tanishaa Mukerji, Abhimanyu Dassani's OOTD here:

Shilpa, who is known for sartorial choices, shared a family picture on her Instagram. In the picture, Shilpa, husband Raj Kundra, son Viaan and daughter Samisha were dressed in co-ordinated clothes. While Shilpa and her daughter can be seen looking at the camera, Raj and Viaan are captured with their back to the camera. Shilpa wrote in the caption, "Ganpati Bappa Moriya. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to you all. Sukhee Bhava."

Take a look at Shilpa's post here:

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A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty)

Meanwhile, Shilpa's upcoming movie Sukhee is to hit the thetares on September 22. Sukhee marks the directorial debut of Sonal Joshi and is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vikram Malhotra, and Shikhaa Sharma. Apart from this, Shilpa will be seen in Rohit Shetty's OTT debut Indian Police Force, which also stars Sidharth Malhotra and Vivek Oberoi. The series will stream on the OTT platform Amazon Prime. She will also act in KD-The Devil as Satyavati alongside V Ravichandran, and Sanjay Dutt. The pan-India multilingual will be released in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi.

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Ganesh Chaturthi: Anushka, Kohli Perform Puja; Karisma Has Special Message

Fresh from the Asia Cup triumph, the Indian cricket team is enjoying a mini-break before the India vs Australia ODI series starting on Friday. Star batter Virat Kohli was part of the Asia Cup but he has been rested for the first two ODIs of the three-match series against Australia. On Tuesday, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, the former Indian cricket team captain's wife and actor, celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi and performed Puja. Actor Karishma Kapoor wished them on the occasion.

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A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma)

A day after Indian cricket team's Asia Cup triumph, the squad for the Australia ODI series was announced on Monday. There were several surprises in the squad for the three-ODI series. The biggest one being the return of Ravichandran Ashwin, who last played an ODI in January, 2022. Another surprise was that the team management rested the star trio - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya - for a series that is being seen as the final dress rehearsal before the World Cup.

The trio, along with Kuldeep Yadav, has been for the first two ODIs, while they will make a comeback in the third ODI. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who announced the squad, was asked by a journalist about the reason behind resting the stars ahead of 'Bharat Darshan' at the World Cup. The reference of 'Bharat Darshan' was given because India will be the most-travelled team in the ODI Cricket World Cup as it will be playing all it group stage matches in different cities.

Agarkar gave a deft reply to the query. "Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) have been around forever and obviously Hardik is an important player for us, we want to manage him," he said.

"Kuldeep is in great form. It also gives us a chance to look at some of the other guys. That's the thing. Luckily, we got a fair amount of cricket in the Asia Cup.

"If not we might have looked at it some other way. At some stage or the other, more than physical, guys sometimes need a mental break which is not such a bad thing, leading up the tournament (Cricket World Cup).

"But comes the third game, everyone will be available to play. We will play our World Cup squad. It does give us a chance to play some other guys who have been sitting outside and it has been a strong squad," said BCCI Chief selector Ajit Agarkar. 

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"Madhya Pradesh Belongs To The Tribals, Others Came Later": Kamal Nath

Madhya Pradesh belongs to the tribal people and everyone else came later, former Chief Minister and the party's state chief Kamal Nath said.

Kamal Nath made the remark while addressing a programme in Bhopal on the day tribal leaders Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah were killed by the British in 1857.

"A father and his son - Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah - fought against the British, went to jail and later they were blown up with cannon. If we look at the history of Madhya Pradesh, the state belongs to the tribal people. Everyone else came later. But today, the tribals have to fight for their rights," he said.

"You (tribal) learned to do the hard work but did not learn how to use your mouths. This is a big flaw in you. If anyone has the first right in the state then it is the tribal people and we together will fight for this right," he added.

"Many atrocities were committed against the tribal people in the state which were never reported and didn't come to light. Madhya Pradesh is number one in tribal atrocities and it embarrasses the state," Mr Nath said.

Coming down on the BJP, the Congress leader said that instead of giving, the BJP has snatched from the tribal people in the last 18 years. "If you (tribal) people didn't fight unitedly, you would remain there. You should make a demand letter," he said.

"The upcoming assembly polls later this year are not of any candidate or the party. It is the election of the future of Madhya Pradesh. I have the most amount of hope from the tribal people. Don't support Congress or Kamal Nath. But support the truth. Tribal people have always supported the truth. If the tribal people are determined, no one can stop them from making changes," Kamal Nath added.

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US Auto Union Chief Warns Ready To 'Amp Up' Strike If No Deal

Workers and management from the iconic "Big Three" auto giants were to face off at the negotiating table Saturday on the second day of a strike threatening to disrupt the economy and rock the 2024 presidential election campaign.

After a failed last-minute push by General Motors, Ford and Stellantis to produce an agreement before the deadline late Thursday, United Automobile Workers members walked out Friday.

They appeared determined to stick with the action, even as Ford quickly announced that ripple effects from the walkouts meant temporary layoffs of 600 jobs.

UAW President Shawn Fain said late Friday that it wasn't true "negotiations have broken down."

However, he added that "our members and allies are standing strong at the picket lines. Anyone who wants to stand with us can grab a sign and hold the line."

"Tomorrow, we expect to be at the bargaining table," he said. "All three companies have received a comprehensive counteroffer from our union, and we await their response."

Only about 12,700 of the 150,000 workers represented by the UAW are on strike. However, the decision by the rival companies' employees to act in unison sent a powerful message in their battle for pay increases of 40 percent.

The upheaval in the crucial sector, involving brands like Jeep, threatens the US economy in a period of strong growth and inflationary pressure.

President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection next year, gave his backing to the strikers, saying he understood their "frustration."

Speaking on live TV from the White House, Joe Biden said workers had not been able to benefit from enormous corporate profits, which exceeded $20 billion for the three giants in just the first half of 2023.

"The companies have made some significant offers but I believe they should go further to ensure that record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW," the Democrat said.

Underlining the unions' political clout, leftist Senator Bernie Sanders and Michigan's Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, addressed a crowd of strikers late Friday.

"This is the richest country in the history of the world and families in this country and families in the auto industry should not have to live under this kind of stress," Sanders said.

- Hourly workers left behind -
Fain said the union would strike at one plant at each company: a GM factory in Wentzville, Missouri; a Stellantis facility in Toledo, Ohio; and a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, but only in the final assembly and paint operations.

The threat however was clear that the strike could expand.

Many hourly workers say the auto giants must produce significantly better packages to make up for what they call meager wages and benefit cuts after the 2008 financial crisis, when both GM and Chrysler, now part of Stellantis, underwent bankruptcy reorganizations.

"This company has been making money off of us for years," said Paul Sievert, who has worked at Ford's Wayne plant for 29 years. "I think it's time that we got back."

Sticking points also include raising pay and benefits for junior employees to match the level of more seasoned workers, who currently make a top rate of around $32 an hour.

General Motors upped its offer Thursday, lifting a proposed wage increase to 20 percent. The company had previously proposed an 18 percent rise, according to the UAW.

In a statement Friday, GM said it would "continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible."

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US Woman Loses All Four Limbs After Eating Contaminated Fish

A tragic incident has unfolded in California, where a woman has tragically lost all four of her limbs. This devastating outcome is the result of her contracting a bacterial infection, reportedly stemming from the consumption of undercooked tilapia fish that had been contaminated with a lethal strain of bacteria, according to accounts from her friends.

Laura Barajas, a 40-year-old mother, underwent the lifesaving surgery on Thursday after a months-long stay in the hospital, the New York Post reports.

"It's just been really heavy on all of us. It's terrible. This could've happened to any of us," Ms Barajas' friend Anna Messina told KRON.

Messina said Barajas became sick after eating the fish that she had purchased at a local market in San Jose and made for herself at home.

"She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator," Ms Messina said.

"They put her into a medically induced coma. Her fingers were black, her feet were black, and her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis, and her kidneys were failing," she added.

Ms Messina has stated that Barajas contracted Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly bacterium commonly found in raw seafood and seawater. This underscores the critical importance of properly preparing and handling seafood to avoid such severe health risks.

"The ways you can get infected with this bacteria are, one, you can eat something that's contaminated with it [and] the other way is by having a cut or tattoo exposed to water in which this bug lives," UCSF Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode told KRON.

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Sonia Gandhi Announces Six-Point Scheme Ahead Of Telangana Polls

The Congress has announced six guarantees if it comes to power in Telangana in what now is becoming an increasingly familiar strategy. Buoyed by its massive victory in next-door Karnataka earlier this year, the Congress has announced provisions for all -- women, farmers, youth, statehood activists the elderly population and the homeless.
 
"I, along with my colleagues, had the opportunity to be part of the birth of this great state. Now it is our duty to take it to a new height," said former party chief Sonia Gandhi while making the announcement.

"It has been my dream to see the Congress government in Telangana that will work for all sections of society. Are you all going to give us your support?" she asked the people.

Telangana was formed in 2014 when the UPA was still in power after Mrs Gandhi gave the assurance for the formation of a new state. The decades-long agitation was spearheaded by K Chandrasekhar Rao, who helmed the state since its creation and is hoping for a third straight term in power.

The biggest announcement is for the women in the southern state -- the Mahalakshmi scheme -- not only involves Rs 500 subsidised gas and free travel in state transport buses, it also includes a financial Rs 2,500 per month.

The scheme for farmers include the a Rs 15,000 annual grant, Rs 500 bonus for paddy crops and Rs 12,000 for agricultural laborers.

Under the Gruha Jyothi Guarantee, all households will receive 200 units of free electricity and under Indiramma Indlu Guarantee, those without their own homes will be provided house sites and Rs 5 lakh.
Those who held agitation for the Telangana movement will receive 250 sq yard plots.

The schemes for students and young people will include Vidya Bharosa Cards worth Rs 5 lakh and an International School in every district.

The elderly will get a monthly pension of Rs 4,000 and Rs 10 lakh coverage under the Rajiv Arogyasri insurance.

Most of the schemes top the state government schemes many of which are the best in the country.

Mr Rao's government, for example, already pays Rs 2016 as pension, which is among the highest in the country. But they have said they may match the amount the Congress is offering.

The state's farmer investment support scheme Rythu Bandhu gives Rs 4,000 per acre to each farmer in the growing season, but it is only for landed farmers and not the tenants or landless labourers.

The Arogyasree health insurance is already one of the best in country and better than the Centre's Ayushman Bharat. But Rs 10 lakh cover is the higher limit.

The state also offers a fee reimbursement scheme for higher education for almost every category of students.

The KCR government also has a 2BHK  housing scheme.

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