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

    • May- 2023 -
      30 May
      488

      Venice discovers famed canal turns bright green due to non-toxic fluorescein

      The spectacular transformation of a stretch of Venice’s Grand Canal to fluorescent green was due to fluorescein, a non-toxic substance used for testing wastewater networks, local authorities said on Monday. Residents noticed a stretch of Venice’s Grand Canal turned bright green Sunday, prompting police to investigate amid speculation it could be a stunt by environmentalists. But analysis showed “the presence of fluorescein in samples taken”, said the the Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention and Protection of Veneto (Arpav).   The results “have not shown the presence of toxic elements in the samples analysed”, the statement said, without specifying the origin of the substance.  The change in colour noticed by residents raised eyebrows, with police looking into whether Sunday’s development could be a…

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    • 30 May
      430

      Novak Djokovic sparks controversy writing anti-Kosovo message on camera lens after French Open win

      Novak Djokovic sparked controversy at Roland Garros for writing a political statement appearing to deny Kosovo’s independence. Writing on the camera lens after his straight sets win over Aleksandar Kovacevic, Djokovic wrote: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop violence.” Kosovo — a former province of Serbia, mainly populated by ethnic Albanians — has been NATO-backed since 1999 and declared independence in 2008. However Serbia has refused to recognise its statehood and tensions between the two regions have flared in recent days, with several injured in violent clashes between Kosovo’s police, NATO-led peacekeepers and local Serbs. After his match, Djokovic told Serbian newspaper Blic that he felt “responsible” to speak out. “I am not a politician and I have no…

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    • 30 May
      524

      Israeli forces kill Palestinian officer in clashes

      JENIN/HOMESH, West Bank (Reuters) -Israeli forces killed a Palestinian security officer during clashes in the occupied West Bank flashpoint city of Jenin on Monday, the Palestinian Fatah faction said in a statement. The Israeli military said its forces had come under heavy Palestinian fire while seeking the arrest of security suspects in Jenin and had returned fire at the gunmen. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party identified the officer as Ashraf Sheikh Ibrahim, saying he had died “as he confronted the aggression and the occupation’s storming of the city of Jenin”. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade militant group, associated with Fatah, claimed him as a member. In another part of the West Bank on Monday, Jewish settlers inaugurated a seminary in a…

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    • 29 May
      506

      Explosions as Russia launches 15th air assault on Kyiv in May

      Overnight missile attack comes a day after Russia unleashed its largest ever drone assault on the Ukrainian capital. A firefighter works at the site of a tobacco factory damaged during Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 28, 2023 [Pavlo Petrov/Press Service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout ] Several explosions have rocked the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, according to officials, in the 15th Russian air attack on the city this month and the second overnight attack in a row. “A missile shot down near Kyiv,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging channel in the early hours of Monday. “Air defence working!” He added that blasts were heard in several districts of the city, including Kyiv’s historic…

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    • 29 May
      418

      China to send its first civilian astronaut into space

      Payload expert Gui Haichao will set off for the Tiangong space station as part of a three-person mission on Tuesday. Astronauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao attend a press conference before the Shenzhou-16 spaceflight mission [China Daily] China will send its first civilian astronaut into space as part of a crewed mission to the Tiangong space station on Tuesday, according to officials. Gui Haichao, a payload expert, will take off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Tuesday at 9:31am local time (01:31 GMT), the China Manned Space Agency said on Monday. Until now, all Chinese astronauts sent into space have been members of the People’s Liberation Army. A spokesman for the space agency told…

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    • 29 May
      434

      Everest continues to attract climbers 70 years after first summit

      The first ascent brought Nepal to the world’s attention and its mountains have since captivated both adventurers and tourists. The eight-day trek to the Everest base camp is among the most popular hikes in Nepal [File: Tashi Sherpa] When Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first climbed Mount Everest 70 years ago, they paved the way for thousands of foreign climbers to try to follow in their footsteps. The eight-day trek to the Everest base camp is among the most popular multiday hikes in Nepal with tens of thousands of tourists making the journey every year. What were small farming villages when the British expedition passed through in 1953 have since been transformed into tourist hubs with hotels, tea houses and equipment…

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    • 29 May
      377

      News|Israel-Palestine conflict

      Not just Ben-Gvir: A new Al-Aqsa provocation is building up The Israeli minister’s visits have deep roots in religious Zionism. But his approach is now finding new takers too. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visiting the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem’s Old City on May 21, 2023 [Temple Mount Administration/Handout ] Itamar Ben-Gvir’s second visit to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as Israel’s national security minister on May 21 represents a dangerous mix of religion and politics. Ben-Gvir was seen standing and reading off his phone, apparently in prayer. Such an act would be forbidden under the current “status quo” governing Al-Aqsa, referred to as the Temple Mount or Har Habayit by Jews, even though a small group of Orthodox Jews…

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    • 29 May
      444

      Tinubu sworn in as Nigeria’s president, succeeds Buhari

      Tinubu, Nigeria’s fifth president since the return of democracy in 1999, faces economic and security challenges. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress meets with supporters at the party’s campaign headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, after winning the presidential election on March 1, 2023 [Ben Curtis] Bola Tinubu, the former Lagos governor who is credited with helping the city-state increase its revenue base, has been sworn in as Nigeria’s new president. He took the oath of office from Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola in a colourful ceremony on Monday in Abuja, the capital. Tinubu, 71, succeeds Muhammadu Buhari, who was ineligible to run again after two four-year terms that began in 2015. The new president, the fifth since the return of democracy…

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    • 29 May
      456

      Lira hits record low, but stocks rise after Erdogan win in Turkey

      The Turkish leader won the presidency for a third time after a run-off vote on Sunday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrates with his supporters after his win in the presidential run-off on May 28, 2023 [Umit Bektas] The Turkish lira has plunged to record lows after the re-election of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a sign that currency markets are not confident in the country’s economic future after the longtime leader’s re-election. The Turkish currency weakened to 20.01 to the dollar on Monday after the high-stakes run-off a day earlier. But Turkish stocks, on the other hand, rose as Erdogan entered a third decade in power with the benchmark BIST-100 index up 3.5 percent and the banking index rising more than…

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    • 29 May
      539

      Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez calls early election for July 23

      Prime minister says he will dissolve Spain’s parliament after his party performed poorly in local and regional polls. Pedro Sanchez has called for a snap poll Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, has called an early general election for July 23 after his party suffered a major setback in local and regional polls. In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Sanchez said he had informed King Felipe VI of his decision to dissolve parliament. It came a day after his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and its junior ally Podemos lost ground during the polls, while rival conservative People’s Party (PP) and far-right party Vox outperformed. “I took the decision when looking at the results of the…

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