NoneMumbai, Dec 24 (IANS): Anti-graft activist Anjali Damania claimed on Tuesday that she had predicted way out in February (2024) that the MahaYuti ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)’s prominent OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal would veer towards the Bharatiya Janata Party. “I had said that Bhujbal would join the BJP, not today, but in February this year...” Damania told media persons as political speculation heated up on the sulking OBC leader’s next strategy after he was not included in the state cabinet last week. Damania said that all this was pre-planned as now they have staged a political drama by denying him (Bhujbal) a cabinet berth, then they pretended to be upset as both Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and state NCP President Sunil Tatkare did not meet him, and then he snubbed them by calling on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday (December 23). “It was delayed... because I had tweeted about the likely developments 11 months ago... But now Bhujbal is likely to join the BJP as the latter will get a strong OBC face in the party,” contended Damania. “Bhujbal on the path to BJP? Will the BJP, which once filed a public interest litigation against Bhujbal’s corruption, make him a big OBC leader? Will it make such corrupt people big, for politics? Where will this sin be paid for?” said Damania’s tweet of February 1. Political circles are agog with speculation on Bhujbal’s next political move in the wake of the recent developments, particularly after the party denied him a cabinet berth and his meeting with Fadnavis that raised eyebrows as the BJP is eager to have a big OBC leader in its fold. However, Bhujbal -- who is preparing for a vacation with his family -- has been critical of the NCP, taking potshots at its top leaders, how all decisions are taken by Ajit Pawar, Tatkare and Praful Patel without consulting anybody, but steadfastly refused to indicate if he plans to switch sides with the BJP. It has attracted comments from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Leader of Opposition in Council Ambadas Danve studying Bhujbal’s political moves closely. “First, Bhujbal was angry with Ajit Pawar, then he met Fadnavis, but Ajit Pawar or Tatkare didn't meet him. So what can anyone read from all this...?” wondered Danve, interacting with media persons. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader pointed out how earlier it was being said that Fadnavis was behind Bhujbal’s recent protests, “which, as per recent developments, may be true”. Danve said that Bhujbal may have more aces up his sleeve, since “such decisions cannot be taken in a single day”, and the air would clear up in the next few days. Bhujbal, who had skipped the Legislature Session in Nagpur, had dropped hints claiming that a few days back, Fadnavis had assured to look into the question of OBC representation in his cabinet, soon afterwards, the two met on Monday, sending alarms in the NCP circles. Sounding confident, Bhujbal said he had informed the CM how the OBCs are irked, and who understood the entire issue, and said he would consider it, probably after 10 days or so.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled Monday that the Venezuelan government violated the political rights of former opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles . The court, based in Costa Rica’s capital, said in a statement that the government violated his freedom of expression, his right to equality under the law and judicial protections. Capriles, an upper-middle class lawyer, used his charisma and non-combative style to win the support of millions and become an electoral threat to the since deceased President Hugo Chávez in 2012. Capriles would lose that election, and another the following year after Chávez’s death, to current President Nicolás Maduro. It was during that second bid in 2013 that the court on Monday said the government violated Capriles’ rights and favored Maduro. State resources were used to bolster Maduro’s candidacy, the court said. Even so, the result was exceedingly close. The court ruled that Venezuela’s government undermined the integrity of the election and affected the right of Venezuelans to freely elect their leader. In 2017, Maduro’s administration barred Capriles from running again for 15 years . Capriles already had a ruling from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in his favor. The court had ordered the Venezuelan government to lift the ban on his political participation, but it was ignored. In January, the Supreme Justice Tribunal ratified Capriles' ban until 2032. In July, Maduro was declared the winner of an election full of irregularities for which tally sheets from poll places gathered by the opposition showed their candidate, Edmundo González, had defeated Maduro by a wide margin. But Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, declared him the election winner hours after polls closed. ____ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
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-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email As the weather cools, I find myself returning to the kitchen after months of warm-weather reprieve. This dish came about more by happenstance than planning, but I’m deeply grateful for that serendipity. A few years ago, I wrote about the comforting magic of "soft and pliant" egg noodles, the base for one of my all-time favorite meals: my Nana's cream chicken. I described it as "a steaming bed of freshly boiled egg noodles, the curlicues dancing on the plate, topped with chunks of tender chicken and a blanket of creamy, rich sauce—its color reminiscent of Italian-American vodka sauce, but with flavors rooted in Eastern Europe. Best enjoyed in a large bowl, the sauce suffusing every nook and cranny of the chicken and noodles." For the longest time, that was the only way I ever ate egg noodles. But one day, tired of the usual side dishes like rice, potatoes or vegetables, I decided to try something simple: egg noodles tossed with butter. Related This 5-ingredient cream chicken with rich, tomato gravy is a winter weeknight must-have It was ... sensational. Over the years, I began experimenting — adding fresh or dried herbs, browning the butter, or tossing in a splash of stock or broth. One evening, while making a sautéed chicken dish with a rich cherry tomato and spinach sauce, I noticed a package of mushrooms languishing in the fridge. They were fast approaching the point of no return. I sliced them quickly and cooked them in a half stick of unsalted butter. As I’ve written before, mushrooms are like sponges — porous as heck — and they absorb whatever you "feed" them. That day, I was in a brown butter mood, so I cooked the mushrooms until they were deeply crisped and golden, their flavor intensified by the nutty richness of browned butter . I roughly chopped some parsley, stirred it in, and salted the mixture generously before tossing it with freshly boiled egg noodles and a few extra pats of butter. Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to Salon Food's newsletter , The Bite. Goodness gracious. Let me tell you: I devoured those mushroom egg noodles with far more enthusiasm than the chicken dish they were supposed to accompany. There was an unpretentious joy in the meal. I ate with gusto, going back for seconds of a "side dish" that completely outshone the main course. The combination of butter, mushrooms, noodles, and parsley elevated a humble, pantry-friendly dish to something extraordinary. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Note: I used parsley because it’s what I had on hand (flat-leaf, Italian-style), but dill — or practically any other herb, fresh or dried—would be just as delicious. European-style unsalted butter adds a little extra richness, but use whatever you have. The mushrooms were baby bellas, or creminis, though any variety will work. As I always say, "It’s your kitchen." We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism Egg noodles with mushrooms, brown butter and parsley Yields 4 servings Prep Time 2 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Ingredients 1 bag egg noodles (I love the No Yolks brand, extra broad variety) 1 stick unsalted butter, divided (or more? I won't tell) 1 pint mushrooms of your choosing, de-stemmed and sliced, but not overly thinly. This is a rustic dish so don't fret about the diameter of your mushroom slices, please. Bunch of fresh parsley, stems reserved, roughly chopped Kosher salt Directions Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a saucepan, melt a half stick of butter and toss in sliced mushrooms. Cook, undisturbed, for 5 to 7 minutes. Toss, stir or other disturb your 'shrooms, stirring them around as your butter gets nutty and browned and your mushrooms take on the butter's characteristics. Do not salt! As your mushrooms cook, salt water and add egg noodles to boiling water and cook according to package directions. When just shy of al dente, drain in a colander. Return pot to same burner you cooked the noodles on, add pasta back to now-empty pot and turn heat off (the residual heat will help melt the butter later.) When your mushrooms are sufficiently browned, season with salt and add freshly chopped herbs. Stir well and add to pot with noodles, along with a few more pats of unsalted butter or whatever you have on hand. Taste for seasoning; you might need a little more salt. Serve in large bowls and don't be alarmed when your family or friends nearly bowl you over in a mad rush to eat . . . this smells absurdly good. Read more about this topic The butteriest, lemoniest, simplest weeknight pasta sauce 3 biggest mistakes to avoid when cooking mushrooms Brown butter is culinary magic — here's how to use it in everything from pasta to dessert By Michael La Corte Michael is a food writer, recipe editor and educator based in his beloved New Jersey. After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, he worked in restaurants, catering and supper clubs before pivoting to food journalism and recipe development. He also holds a BA in psychology and literature from Pace University. MORE FROM Michael La Corte Related Topics ------------------------------------------ Brown Butter Butter Comfort Food Cooking Easy Recipe Egg Noodles Food Fresh Herbs Mushroom Parsley Recipe Vegetarian Related Articles Advertisement: