Latest news with #Brunner
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Gandhi portraits: India, Hungary seek Unesco tag
New Delhi It was January 8, 1934, and Mahatma Gandhi had granted young Hungarian artist Elizabeth Brunner exactly 15 minutes. Brunner, undeterred by the Mahatma's scepticism about portrait painting, began sketching his downward gaze—capturing not just his weathered features but what she saw as his inner spirit. That brief encounter, which Gandhi would later sign and treasure, now anchors an ambitious cultural preservation effort. India and Hungary are jointly seeking UNESCO's prestigious Memory of the World status for Brunner's remarkable collection of over 2,000 portraits documenting India's independence era, officials at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts announced. The bid runs parallel to a separate joint application with Nepal to inscribe Emperor Ashoka's ancient stone edicts Brunner's path to that fateful veranda began with dreams—literally. Driven by recurring visions of Rabindranath Tagore, she arrived in India from Hungary in 1929 with her artist mother, Elizabeth Sass Brunner. Financial hardship and bureaucratic hostility nearly forced their deportation, but refuge came at Tagore's Santiniketan under master artist Nandalal Bose. There, Brunner developed what would become her signature gift: an ability to perceive and capture her subjects' inner essence. Tagore himself, moved by her early work, became her first major Indian subject, granting her unprecedented access. It was encouragement from one of Gandhi's close aides, impressed by her Bombay exhibition, that eventually led her to the Mahatma's veranda. What began as reluctant cooperation evolved into profound collaboration. Brunner's portfolio became a visual chronicle of modern India's founding generation: Tagore in contemplation, a gesticulating Jawaharlal Nehru, a young and intense Indira Gandhi, the regal Maharani Gayatri Devi, and the serene Dalai Lama. 'She didn't just paint faces; she painted presence,' the IGNCA official explained. 'There's a depth to her work—she sought the spirit within the person.' Her portraits were encounters rendered in charcoal and paint, informed by her unique position as an outsider who had embraced India as her 'homeland-to-be.' Her 1962 return to Gandhi's image, now housed in the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya's reserve collection, bears her handwritten inscription echoing his philosophy: 'Let us have the courage and determination to stand together and do our very best in this time of need.' The IGNCA, guardian of Brunner's legacy, holds over 800 meticulously preserved and digitised works from the collection, which officials describe as having 'outstanding universal significance' for embodying a unique cultural dialogue between Europe and Asia during a transformative historical period. The UNESCO campaign The path to UNESCO recognition, targeting 2026, demands extensive documentation. Applications must demonstrate global impact, rarity, integrity, and lasting relevance through precise historical records, rigorous preservation plans addressing threats like decay, concrete strategies for public access (bolstered by existing digitization efforts), solid legal custody documentation, and thorough stakeholder consultation. India has had recent success: the April 2025 inscription of Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra manuscripts brought the country's total Memory of the World inscriptions to fourteen. IGNCA recently convened scholars and UNESCO experts to refine dossiers for both the Brunner Collection and Ashokan edicts applications. The parallel nominations represent different but complementary aspects of India's cultural legacy. Ashoka's stone edicts, carved millennia ago, preach peace and moral governance. Brunner's charcoal portraits, drawn during the struggle for independence, capture the human faces behind the ideals of modern India's founding. 'The edicts speak of statecraft; the portraits breathe the human struggle,' the IGNCA official observed. Both legacies, deeply woven into India's identity and its message to humanity, now seek acknowledgment in the world's shared memory. The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme, established in 1992, preserves documentary heritage of outstanding value to humanity. If successful, the Brunner Collection would join an elite list of cultural treasures, ensuring global recognition and protection for an extraordinary artistic testament to one of history's most significant independence movements.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Fubar' Season 2 review: Arnold Schwarzenegger is back to drive this middling spy comedy
Fubaris back for its second season with just as many call-backs to Arnold Schwarzenegger's blockbuster movie career. There is him dancing the Tango with the sexy former spy and lover, Greta Nelso (Carrie-Anne Moss), reminding one of True Lies. He also says his catch phrase from the Terminator movies, 'I'll be back.' There are other reminders of True Lies peppered all through the eight episodes of the spy comedy, from James Cameron (who directed True Lies) lending a deep sea exploration vessel to using sodium pentothal as a truth serum and Tom Arnold (who plays Schwarzenegger's friend in True Lies) as ace interrogator, Norm Carlson. There is mention of other Schwarzenegger blockbusters, including Total Recall and a riff on Schwarzenegger's one-liners, with him confessing, 'Sometimes I kill a guy and I cannot even come up with a funny line.' When a show gets that meta, it does not bode well. Fubar Season 2(English) Creator: Nick Santora Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Monica Barbaro, Milan Carter, Fortune Feimster Episodes: 8 Runtime: 42 t0 59 minutes Storyline: Team Brunner has to find an international terrorist and stop a nuclear war while former and current spies muddy the waters Fubar tells the story of a highly decorated spy, Luke Brunner (Schwarzenegger), and his daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro), also in the CIA, getting up to all kinds of trouble. Season 2 opens with a severe case of cabin fever as Brunner, Emma, and their team are in a safe house after the events of Season 1. In the safe house are Brunner's ex-wife Tally (Fabiana Udenio); Donnie (Andy Buckley), who Tally was going to marry before Brunner crashed the party; and Emma's boyfriend, the nice, kindergarten teacher, Carter (Jay Baruchel). Brunner's CIA team includes tech officer, Barry (Milan Carter), Agent Roo (Fortune Feimster) of the salty tongue, and hot dude, Aldon (Travis Van Winkle), who has a thing for Emma. Aldon gets a cute piglet called Hamsteak to prove he can care for another. Dr. Pfeffer (Scott Thompson), the CIA psychologist, drops in on the safe house in various disguises, including as a pizza delivery person. When regional CIA director Dot (Barbara Eve Harris) tells Brunner that the evil, anonymous nihilist, Dante Cress, is out to reset the world by starting a nuclear war, the new mission parameters are drawn. Greta, who was an East German spy during the Cold War and with whom Brunner had a relationship, seems to be carrying out Cress's orders. Theo (Guy Burnet) is working with Greta but falls deeply in love with Emma. Uncovering who Cress is is the first order of business. After several false starts — including a CIA accountant who seems to be laundering money, buying superhero collectables much to the dismay of the interim regional director, Reed (Enrico Colantoni), and a Russian handler — they seem no closer to finding out who the dangerous puppet master is. Tina (Aparna Brielle), the NSA data analyst who Barry is in love with, might or might not be helping team Brunner. With the action moving all over the globe from Tallinn to Kolkata, Fubar maintains a frantic pace and fills up the empty spaces with jokes that sometimes work. All in all, Fubar is that kind of time-pass show that you can watch while knitting or texting, or putting together that 1000-piece Agatha Christie jigsaw puzzle that you always meant to solve. Fubar is currently streaming on Netflix
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU member states agree to host Ukrainians fleeing war until 2027
EU member states have agreed in principle to extend temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine by another year until March 2027, according to a statement issued on the sidelines of a meeting of EU interior ministers in Luxembourg on Friday. This extension would allow Ukrainian citizens to continue accessing EU labour markets, social benefits and medical care without having to apply for asylum. Friday's political agreement marks an important step, although the decision still needs to be formally adopted by EU member states - a move that is expected in a subsequent meeting. In parallel, EU countries are discussing a recommendation from the European Commission to prepare a coordinated return strategy for Ukrainians. This would help Ukrainians who fled to the bloc access other forms of residence permits such as work or student visas. Information about return options should also be improved, paving the way for Ukrainians to gradually return to their country of origin. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner announced the appointment of a special envoy for Ukrainian refugees. Brunner had previously indicated that if the situation in Ukraine stabilizes, the protection status could also be lifted prematurely. Since the beginning of Russia's war on Ukraine, more than 4.3 million people have fled from Ukraine to the European Union, according to the commission. Germany has taken in the largest overall share, more than 1.2 million people.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
City of Albuquerque looking for input from business owners about downtown parking
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – There might be plenty of high-rise parking garages, but there are still plenty of complaints about a lack of downtown parking. Now, the City of Albuquerque is asking for ideas on how to fix it. 'That's kind of a big debate amongst the public and our businesses. Some folks think there's not enough parking and some think there's too much,' said Director of Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Terry Brunner. Story continues below New Mexico Crime Files: Grocery store worker hands out semen-tainted yogurt Film: These productions were filmed at White Sands. Have you seen them? New Mexico News Insiders: Who Will Fix New Mexico's Mental Health Problems? News: Governor's Office: Operation Zia Shield is different than situation in California The city hopes to soon settle that debate by getting answers about what is or is not working with downtown parking. Now in the middle of their first major parking survey in almost a decade, the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency said there are plenty of gaps the city needs to fill in for drivers. 'They want to know about pricing, they want to know about safety. About convenience and when parking is available and where it's available,' said Brunner. The action comes as part of the Downtown 2050 Redevelopment Plan. There are at least 21,000 parking spaces downtown, but the city said a big part of the issue comes down to how and where people like to park. 'We're looking at also trying to understand what people's desires are around walking and parking to understand how far away they're willing to park from a place that they want to go,' added Brunner. After conducting a public survey, next week the city will get feedback from downtown businesses and organizations virtual meetings on Monday June 16 at 4 p.m. and Tuesday at 12 p.m. It's something local performing arts center, FUSION, hopes to weigh in on. 'The more parking we have, the more people will come downtown. We have parking, we just need to better utilize it,' said Executive Director of FUSION, Dennis Gromelski. Another priority, adding more way-finding kiosks downtown to help get people to places they can easily park and eat. There will be another meeting next week about that topic. The downtown parking study should be done by summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EU extends asylum protections for Ukrainian refugees, stressed as ‘temporary'
June 4 (UPI) -- The European Union's Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner spoke Wednesday in Brussels, Belgium to announce the EU has extended its deadline in regard to the unchallenged, but temporary, provision of asylum to displaced Ukrainians by an extra year. The EU had already put in action a decree that Ukrainians do not need to apply for asylum to enter EU member states, which was also rolled out to avoid potentially overwhelming national asylum systems. That decree, originally set to expire in March 2026, will now continue until March 2027. "Temporary protection was part of our commitment to Ukraine, an unprecedented measure to show solidarity with the millions of people uprooted by Russia's illegal aggression," Brunner said. He stressed that this protection is designed to be temporary, and that the EU has begun to create an exit strategy to send displaced people back to Ukraine "once they are able to, or when temporary protection ends." The EU also proclaimed it has added more than $4.5 billion in funds related to migration and asylum in addition to the over $17 billion provided to member states who are involved with those who seek asylum. "After all, hosting 4.3 million people creates challenges, and some member states have been under particular pressure," Brunner said. He further explained that should Russia's war on Ukraine end before the 2027 deadline, the temporary protection could also end earlier than that point. As for Ukrainians now located in EU countries, they are welcome to apply for work and student visas. Ukrainians are also allowed to return to their home country now, as it is facing worker shortages, so EU member states will provide what Brunner describes as "go-and-see" visits in order to explore if a return to Ukraine is workable, then come back to the EU member country if need be. "As Russia's attacks against Ukraine intensify, we will extend protection for another year, while also preparing for various scenarios to support Ukrainians' decision to remain or return," Brunner later posted Wednesday to X that. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov also publicly spoke with Brunner in Brussels, and later posted to social media Wednesday that, in conjunction with its international partners "we are also developing mechanisms for the voluntary return of Ukrainians. Our goal is to jointly create the conditions for Ukrainians to return home safely, with dignity, and at the right time."
