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

    • Jun- 2023 -
      6 June
      351

      Ukraine says Russian forces blew up Nova Kakhovka dam in Kherson

      Ukrainian authorities are evacuating residents in several areas following the destruction of large Soviet-era dam. A satellite image shows Nova Kakhovka dam in Kherson region, Ukraine, on June 5, 2023 Ukraine’s military said Russian forces have blown up a large dam in southern Ukraine, while the Moscow-installed official in the city of Nova Kakhovka in the Russian-controlled portion of the country’s Kherson region blamed the dam’s destruction on Ukrainian shelling. “The Kakhovka [reservoir] was blown up by the Russian occupying forces,” the southern command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Tuesday on its Facebook page. “The scale of the destruction, the speed and volumes of water, and the likely areas of inundation are being clarified,” the army said. Ukraine’s military…

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    • 6 June
      371

      World needs to invest, coordinate to prevent next pandemic, says Gilbert

      According to Nikolaj Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of PATH, a global health organisation, the world needs to make significant investments to possibly prevent another pandemic. Hyderabad: Ramping up disease surveillance systems and vaccine manufacturing facilities, coupled with expanding global research on potential pathogen candidates, can help the world improve its preparedness for the next pandemic, according to a top global bio-sciences expert. According to Nikolaj Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of PATH, a global health organisation, the world needs to make significant investments to possibly prevent another pandemic. “When people travel (around the world), we are going to see more epidemics. Local epidemics become regional or potential pandemics because we are more interconnected. Today, the world is…

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    • 6 June
      371

      Microsoft to pay $20M to settle US charges of illegally collecting children’s data

      Federal Trade Commission charged that Microsoft gathered the data without notifying parents or obtaining their consent, and that it also illegally held onto the data. San Francisco: Microsoft will pay a fine of $20 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it illegally collected and retained the data of children who signed up to use its Xbox video game console. The agency charged that Microsoft gathered the data without notifying parents or obtaining their consent, and that it also illegally held onto the data. Those actions violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the FTC stated. In a blog post, Microsoft corporate vice president for Xbox Dave McCarthy outlined additional steps the company is now taking to improve its age…

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    • 6 June
      411

      Floods in Haiti kill 42, displace 13,000 people

      85 people were injured, while 11 others remain unaccounted for after intense rainfall over the weekend in Haiti, reported CNN. Workers clean the Saint-Croix hospital after it was flooded by heavy rain last Saturday, in Leogane, Haiti, Monday, June 5, 2023. Port-au-Prince: At least 42 people have died and 13,000 others displaced after heavy floods triggered by torrential rain inundated homes across Haiti, according to a statement issued by the countrys Civil Protection Agency. The statement issued on Monday said that 85 people were injured, while 11 others remain unaccounted for after intense rainfall over the weekend caused several rivers throughout Haiti to overflow, which in turn sparked flash floods, flooding, rockslides and landslides, reports CNN. The displaced and mission persons were reported…

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    • 6 June
      380

      Apple unveils a $3,500 headset as it wades into the world of virtual reality

      Apple CEO Tim Cook hailed the arrival of the sleek goggles — dubbed “Vision Pro” — at the company’s annual developers conference. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the annual WWDC22 developer conference with the announcement of the new Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. (Getty Images) California: Apple on Monday unveiled a long-rumored headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter’s ability to popularise new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public’s imagination. After years of speculation, Apple CEO Tim Cook hailed the arrival of the sleek goggles — dubbed “Vision Pro” — at the company’s annual developers conference held on a park-like campus in Cupertino, California, that Apple’s late co-founder…

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    • 6 June
      453

      Odisha train accident: King Charles III sends message of condolence to President Murmu

      King Charles III on Monday sent a condolence message to President Droupadi Murmu, expressing his profound shock and sadness London: Britain’s King Charles III on Monday sent a condolence message to President Droupadi Murmu, expressing his profound shock and sadness over the deadly train accident in Balasore, recalling his fond memories of a visit to Odisha 43 years ago. The accident, involving three trains, is one of the worst in the country and took place in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday night which has claimed an estimated 275 lives and left over 1,200 people injured. “Both my wife [Queen Camilla] and I have been most profoundly shocked and saddened by the news of such a dreadful accident outside Balasore. I would like to…

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    • 6 June
      451

      China derides India’s military as no threat to Beijing and ‘unlikely to catch up’

      India’s military cannot challenge China as it is “unlikely to catch up” with it in the next few decades, said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) delegation at Asia’s top security summit, as ties between the two nuclear neighbours continue to plummet. The delegation of the Chinese army at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore said India’s current capabilities in defence manufacturing and military modernisation are insufficient to counter Beijing. He underscored that PLA would, however, prefer dialogue, exchanges and negotiation to resolve territorial disputes. The armies of the two countries are involved in a continuing standoff over their shared border in the Himalayanan region. “India is unlikely to catch up to China in the coming decades because of its weak industrial infrastructure, while China…

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    • 6 June
      470

      Saudi Arabia welcomes Venezuelan president on official visit

      Saudi Arabia has welcomed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on an official visit, reaching out to another US foe as the oil-rich kingdom engages in a flurry of diplomacy. Mr Maduro arrived late on Sunday in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where he was greeted by Saudi officials, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. It did not give a reason for the visit or elaborate on his schedule but Saudi Arabia is hosting an international conference on combating extremism later this week in the capital, Riyadh. The gathering will be co-chaired by US secretary of state Antony Blinken. Saudi Arabia has been a close US ally for decades but relations have been strained in recent years. Over the last…

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    • 6 June
      476

      Joe Biden Says He is ‘Heartbroken’ By Train Crash in India, Xi Jinping ‘Shocked’ at Odisha Tragedy

      US President Joe Biden on Saturday expressed his condolences on the train crash in Odisha and said he is heartbroken by the tragic news that killed over 280 people. The crash in Odisha’s Balasore district involving three trains is one of the worst rail accidents in India in nearly three decades. At least 288 people are dead and over 1,100 injured. “(First Lady Dr) Jill (Biden) and I are heartbroken by the tragic news of the deadly train crash in India. Our prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones and the many who suffered injuries in this terrible incident,” Biden said in a statement. “The United States and India share deep bonds rooted in the ties of…

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    • 6 June
      442

      Eurostar forced to stop running London-Amsterdam trains for almost a year in 2024

      On the day on which Eurostar’s final Disneyland Paris train from London departs, it has emerged that the cross-Channel rail company could be forced to stop running trains from London to both Rotterdam and Amsterdam for almost a year because of work being carried out on the station in the Dutch capital. Unless a solution can be found, it will see the Eurostar network reduced from a pre-Brexit total of 13 year-round stations to just four: London, Lille, Paris and Brussels. At 10.34am on Monday, the final Eurostar “Disneyland Express” will depart from London St Pancras International. The direct high-speed rail link to the heart of the theme park east of Paris has been running since 1996, except for a pause during the Covid crisis.…

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