International

    Opinion: Falsehood trumps limping truth

    Monopolisation of social media and other digital platforms is empowering right-wing forces to control the world Propaganda, misinformation and fake news are nothing new in our society. It can be traced back to the time of Mahabharata when Yudhisthir, known for his unwavering truthfulness, misled Drona by declaring that Ashwathama was killed but murmured the latter part, “I do not know if it is a man or an elephant,” so softly that Drona could not hear it clearly. Believing Yudhisthir that his warrior son Ashwathama was killed, Drona bowed his head and was beheaded. Drona was one of the epical victims of fake news or disinformation. Propaganda and misinformation have taken a new turn now with the widespread availability of sophisticated methods of information and communication technology. The sharing of text, images, videos or links online often allows information to go viral within no time. Merriam-Webster defines misinformation as false…
    International

    Indian woman found murdered in car boot in UK, Police hunting for Indian-origin husband

    Harshita Brella, an Indian was found murdered and her body left in a car boot in Ilford area of London. Police are u=hunting for her Indian-origin husband London: The UK police investigating the murder of 24-year-old Harshita Brella, whose body was recovered from a car boot in east London, have launched a manhunt for her Indian-origin husband who they suspect fled the country after killing his wife earlier this month. In an updated statement from the Northamptonshire Police on Sunday, Chief Inspector Paul Cash said more than 60 detectives were working on the case as the force released an image of Pankaj Lamba, the accused husband, in an appeal for information. “Our inquiries lead us to suspect that Harshita was murdered in Northamptonshire earlier this month by her husband Pankaj Lamba,” Cash said. “We suspect Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford by car. We believe he has now fled…
    International

    Number of Indian students applying to UK universities drops 20%, reveals report

    Student groups attribute trend to limited job prospects, safety concerns following recent anti-immigration riots in some cities London: Indian students are being put off applying to UK universities, adding to their financial woes at a time when education institutions are already coping with constrained budgets, a new report into the stability of the higher education sector in England has revealed. Based on UK Home Office data on confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) by UK providers from 2022-23 to 2023-24, an Office for Students (OfS) analysis shows a 20.4 per cent drop in Indian student numbers — down from 139,914 to 111,329. Indian student groups in the UK said the fall was to be expected amid limited job prospects and safety concerns following recent anti-immigration riots in some cities. “There has been a considerable decline in student visa applications from prospective non-UK students in some major source countries,” notes the report by OfS, a non-departmental…
    International

    Trump picks ‘Great’ Elon Musk, ‘Patriot’ Vivek Ramaswamy to lead Dept of Govt Efficiency

    Says they will help his administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, restructure federal agencies Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Tesla owner Elon Musk and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” Trump announced. Ramaswamy is the first Indian American to have been tapped by Trump into his administration beginning January 20 next year. “Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies — essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” Trump said. “This will send shockwaves through the system and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people!” said Musk, as per the statement issued by Trump. The US President-elect…
    International

    21 killed, 46 injured in Pakistan railway station blast

    Preliminary reports indicate that explosion took place at Quetta railway station’s booking office just before Jaffer Express arrived at the platform Peshawar: At least 21 people were killed and 46 others injured in a bomb explosion at Quetta‘s railway station in Pakistan on Saturday, according to a media report. Preliminary reports indicate that the explosion took place at the railway station’s booking office just before the train arrived at the platform, Geo News reported. The Jaffer Express was scheduled to depart for Peshawar at 9 am, the report said, quoting railway officials. The officials said the train had not yet arrived at the platform when the explosion took place. Given the station’s usual crowd, there is a high risk of significant casualties, the report said.
    International

    Vivek Ramaswamy says Trump’s victory is hopefully US’ comeback

    A Trump win will result in the renewal of national self-confidence, says the Indian-American politician and close confidant of President-elect Washington: Donald Trump‘s victory in the US presidential election will renew national self-confidence, an Indian-American politician and a close confidant of the President-elect has said, expressing hope that his comeback will signify America’s comeback. In a historic election on Tuesday, Trump defeated his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris and was elected the 47th President of the United States, becoming only the second commander-in-chief in over a century to win two nonconsecutive presidential terms. “America has this great tradition. We believe in our own manifest destiny…We are born to be the greatest nation that sets an example for everybody else of what’s possible for human capacity,” Vivek Ramaswamy told the Tucker Carlson Show in an interview. “I think that that’s the kind of leader we need right now to bring that back. And that’s Donald Trump as a…
    International

    Indian Americans hail Donald Trump’s victory, say he is a ‘strong leader’

    Say the country needs a leader like him who will deliver on his promises to tame inflation and curtail illegal immigration New York: Members of the Indian-American community welcomed Donald Trump‘s victory in the US presidential election, saying the country needs a “strong leader” like him who will deliver on his promises to tame inflation and curtail illegal immigration. In a historic election, Trump defeated his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris and was elected the 47th President of the United States, becoming only the second commander-in-chief in over a century to win two nonconsecutive presidential terms. Before Trump, it was Grover Cleveland who had served two nonconsecutive terms as President from 1885-1889 and 1893-1897. With his electoral victory, Trump also became the first convicted felon and twice-impeached to be elected President. However, Trump’s criminal cases, his rhetoric or baggage from his previous tenure as President, including the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol, had little…
    International

    Australia proposes social media ban for children under 16

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland announced plans on Thursday to legislate a minimum social media age limit of 16. While Albanese had earlier committed to proposing age restriction legislation by the end of 2024, this is the first time a specific age limit has been confirmed. Canberra: Australian children younger than 16 will be banned from using social media under a proposal put forward by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Albanese and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland on Thursday pledged to legislate a minimum age limit of 16 years for social media access. The Prime Minister had previously announced an intention to introduce legislation to parliament for the age limit before the end of 2024 but had not committed to a specific cut-off age. He said on Thursday that the legislation would take responsibility for enforcing the minimum age limit on social media platforms, Xinhua news agency reported. “Social…
    International

    Cause for concern: 2024 likely to be the hottest year on record again!

    News of a likely second year of record heat comes a day after Republican Donald Trump, who called climate change a “hoax” and promised to boost oil drilling and production Chicago: For the second year in a row, Earth will almost certainly be the hottest it’s ever been. And for the first time, the globe this year reached more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming compared to the pre-industrial average, the European climate agency Copernicus said. “It’s this relentless nature of the warming that I think is is worrying,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus. Buontempo said the data clearly shows the planet would not see such a long sequence of record-breaking temperatures without the constant increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere driving global warming. He cited other factors that contribute to exceptionally warm years like last year and this one. They include El Nino — the temporary warming of parts of…
    International

    Will concede defeat, but not the fight, says Harris in her concession speech

    Says she spoke to President-elect Donald Trump and congratulated him on his victory, noting that her administration would facilitate a peaceful transfer of power Washington: US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has delivered a concession speech at Howard University in Washington, DC, saying that she is proud of the campaign and stressing that “when we lose an election, we accept the results”. “I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it. Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, united by the love of the country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future. And we did it with the knowledge that we all have so much more in common than what separates us,” Harris said in the speech at her alma mater. “While I concede this election,…

    International

    • Mar- 2024 -
      16 March
      4,353

      US Senator asks social media companies about preparations for elections in India

      Washington: An influential American Senator on Friday asked the US social media companies as to what preparations they have made for elections in India, where social media platforms, including Meta-owned WhatsApp, have a long track record of amplifying misleading and false content. The letter, written by Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Intelligence and Rules Committees, which has oversight over US elections, comes on the eve of the announcement of elections in India by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The letter by Bennet to the leaders of Alphabet, Meta, TikTok, and X is addressed to seeking information from these companies about their preparations for elections in various countries, including India. “The dangers your platforms pose to elections are…

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    • 16 March
      3,142

      Gaza ceasefire on cards as Israel likely to agree release of Palestinian prisoners

      Tel Aviv: A six-week ceasefire is on the cards in the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel after both sides communicated to the mediators on stepping down from their earlier demands. While Hamas has agreed to climb down from the demand for a permanent end of the war to a pause for six weeks, Israel has almost agreed to release 1000 Palestinian prisoners including 100 charged with grievous crimes including murder. There were a series of meetings in Doha, Cairo, and Paris in the last two days with different negotiators brokering a truce between Israel and Hamas Sources in Israeli intelligence agencies told IANS that Qatar has communicated to the Hamas leadership that it would “not hesitate to deport them from…

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    • 15 March
      3,237

      Imran Khan’s party to merge with SIC if election commission approves latest intra-party polls

      Islamabad: A top leader of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s party has said that his party would merge with the Sunni Ittehad Council if the election commission accepted its recent intra-party polls and returned its iconic poll symbol, a media report said on Friday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Asad Qaiser in an interview with DawnNewsTV said if the party got back its cricket bat electoral symbol after the recent organisational polls, then both parties would merge and “remain as PTI”. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) is a political alliance of Islamic political and Barelvi religious parties in Pakistan. It was joined by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party-backed independents who won the February 8 elections. When asked whether PTI-backed candidates who joined the SIC…

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    • 15 March
      3,177

      Vessel struck in Red Sea as Houthis promise attacks on more shipping lanes

      A merchant vessel has been damaged in a missile strike in the Red Sea off Yemen, marine security monitors said, as the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels threatened to expand their attacks on shipping which have disrupted global trade. The crew was not injured and the vessel continued its journey, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and security firm Ambrey, after the incident west of the rebel-held port of Hodeidah on Friday. The British Navy’s UKMTO said the ship reported being “struck by a missile”. “The vessel has sustained some damage,” the UKMTO said, and described the crew as being “safe”. The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, which comes as its leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said…

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    • 14 March
      3,074

      Earthquake of magnitude 5.3 jolts Afghanistan

      Kabul: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Afghanistan on Wednesday, the National Center for Seismology reported. In a post on X, the NCS wrote, “Earthquake of Magnitude:5.3, Occurred on 13-03-2024, 20:54:10 IST, Lat: 36.28 & Long: 70.25, Depth: 146 Km, Region: Afghanistan” No reports of material damage or casualties have surfaced yet. Further details are awaited.

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    • 14 March
      3,105

      SpaceX’s mega rocket blasts off on a third test flight from Texas

      Mexico City: SpaceX‘s mega rocket blasted off on another test flight Thursday, aiming to make it halfway around the world this time. The first two flights last year lasted mere minutes before blowing up over the Gulf of Mexico. Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, soared from the southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border and headed out over the gulf. No people or satellites were on board. The rocket and futuristic-looking spacecraft towers 397 feet (121 meters), easily exceeding NASA’s past and present moon rockets. SpaceX’s Elon Musk was shooting for a shorter, hourlong flight on the latest demo, with the Indian Ocean as the spacecraft’s finish line. He noted that the company made thousands of upgrades and…

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    • 14 March
      4,638

      Mrunal Thakur to speak at UN panel on human cost of conflict-related sexual violence

      Mumbai: Actress Mrunal Thakur, who is known for ‘Sita Ramam’, ‘Hi Nanna’, ‘Dhamaka’, and others, is set to participate in a panel discussion titled ‘Human Cost of Conflict Related Sexual Violence’. The panel is set to be hosted at the UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday, and the actress will attend the event virtually owing to her work commitments. Mrunal’s work in ‘Love Sonia’ brought her a lot of acclaim, as the film sheds light on the grim reality of human trafficking. The panel aims to explore the global context and impact of sexual violence in conflict zones, including its links with human trafficking. Mrunal’s presence adds significant weight to the discussion, given her portrayal of the harrowing experiences faced by…

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    • 14 March
      568

      ‘Death trap’: Israeli forces kill six aid seekers in Gaza City

      Israeli forces have shot dead at least six Palestinians and wounded 83 in Gaza City as they were waiting for food and humanitarian supplies at the Kuwait Roundabout, an area where large groups of people gather for arriving aid trucks. The attack on Thursday took place hours after at least five people were killed by an Israeli air strike on a food distribution centre in Rafah, southern Gaza, run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which is the main humanitarian agency in Gaza. There has been an uptick in fatal assaults by Israeli troops on crowds of starving civilians lining up for aid in recent weeks. On Monday night, Israeli forces killed…

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    • 13 March
      385

      UK grants asylum to Palestinian citizen of Israel in ‘seismic’ U-turn

      London, United Kingdom – The United Kingdom has granted asylum to a Palestinian citizen of Israel, ruling that he would likely be persecuted if he returned – a decision the refugee’s legal team has described as “seismic”. Hasan’s lawyers told an immigration tribunal that he faced an “enhanced risk of persecution” in Israel, given his Palestinian ethnicity, Muslim faith, anti-Zionist beliefs, and history of pro-Palestinian activism in the UK. Hasan, who has lived in the UK for most of his life – more than 20 years according to his lawyers, first sought asylum in 2019. The decision for his case was initially delayed, likely by the coronavirus pandemic and successive lockdowns, his lawyers said. In 2022, the Home Office rejected Hasan’s…

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    • 12 March
      476

      Israel’s war on Gaza live: 400 aid seekers killed in two weeks

      At least eleven people were killed when Israeli forces again targeted aid seekers in Gaza. The Government Media Office says that more than 400 aid seekers have been killed since the “flour massacre” in late February. The WHO chief says an aid mission managed to reach al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, bringing food and medical supplies, as the Health Ministry says 2,000 medical workers in the north face famine. Israel has carried out strikes in the vicinity of Lebanon’s Baalbek, nearly 100km (62 miles) from the Lebanon-Israel border. Israel imposes restrictions on West Bank worshippers entering Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, as 35,000 gather for prayers on the first day of Ramadan. At least 31,184 Palestinians have been killed…

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