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…

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…

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

May- 2023 -

29 May

411

PM Modi congratulates Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election as Turkish President

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Recep Tayyip Erdoan. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election as President of Turkey. PM Modi said that he is confident that the bilateral ties between the two nations and cooperation on global issues will continue to grow. PM Modi tweeted, “Congratulations @RTErdogan on re-election as the President of Turkiye! I am confident that our bilateral ties and cooperation on global issues will continue to grow in the coming times.” PM Modi’s congratulatory message on Twitter comes after Erdogan was declared the winner of Turkey’s presidential runoff election on Sunday.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won Turkey’s presidential election, extending his rule to a third decade,…
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29 May

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Canal water in Venice turns fluorescent green, authorities launch probe

The prefect has called an urgent meeting with the police to investigate the origin of the liquid. Rome: Authorities in Venice, Italy are investigating after a patch of fluorescent green water appeared in the famed Grand Canal on Sunday morning. “This morning a patch of phosphorescent green liquid appeared in the Grand Canal of Venice, reported by some residents near the Rialto Bridge. The prefect has called an urgent meeting with the police to investigate the origin of the liquid,” Veneto regional president Luca Zaia wrote on Twitter. The local prefect spokesperson said that they immediately took water samples, reviewed CCTV surveillance tape and asked local gondolier pilots and boat drivers if they saw anything suspicions, before calling an emergency meeting to investigate…
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29 May

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First domestically-made passenger jet takes flight in China

China’s first domestically-made passenger jet has flown its maiden commercial flight, as the country looks to compete with industry giants such as Boeing and Airbus in the global aircraft market. The C919 plane, built by the Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (Comac), carried about 130 passengers on the flight, according to state-owned newspaper China Daily. The jet took off on Sunday morning from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and landed less than two hours later in Beijing. The flight was operated by state-owned China Eastern Airlines, and the side of the plane was emblazoned with the words: “The World’s First C919.” The inaugural flight comes as Comac looks to break into the single-aisle jet market in a direct challenge to Airbus and…
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29 May

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Ukraine war: Britain ‘playing with fire’ over F-16 jets, warns Russia

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Western nations were “playing with fire” by agreeing to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, describing the move as an “unacceptable escalation” of the conflict. In an excerpt from a Russian television interview, Mr Lavrov said: “It’s playing with fire, without a doubt”. Mr Lavrov denounced it as an attempt to “weaken Russia” by “Washington, London and their satellites in the EU.” Earlier this month, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte agreed to work together to build an “international coalition” to help support Ukraine with training and procurement of F-16 jets. Washington later agreed to allow Western allies to send their US-made jets to Ukraine. Ukraine’s defence…
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29 May

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Inside Sudan’s decade-long effort to preserve culture threatened by devastating conflict

As Sudan is devastated by a conflict that has cost hundreds of lives already, preserving the country’s culture and history becomes ever more important. Fighting erupted in Sudan on 15 April, and while a ceasefire is currently in place at least 730 civilians have been killed and 1.3 million people have fled their homes. Omdurman Ahlia University’s library is believed to be just one of the buildings that have recently been set on fire by looters, as Sudan’s cultural institutions are caught in the crossfire. The Sudan Memory team has spent the last decade developing a huge digital archive aimed at preserving Sudanese history, with participants explaining that the latest destruction demonstrates exactly why it matters so much. Marilyn Deegan, Emeritus Professor of Digital…
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29 May

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Three dead in sea and river tragedies as warm weather sparks safety warning

Three people have died in two separate water-related tragedies as the UK recorded its hottest spell of the year. Two men in their 20s lost their lives after being pulled from the water off the coast of Torbay, Devon and Cornwall Police said on Sunday. Officers were called to assist the Coastguard at around 9am on Saturday following reports of two people in the water at Oddicombe. Following an emergency rescue operation, the two men were pulled from the water and one was declared dead at the scene. The second man died after being taken to Torbay District Hospital. Their next of kin have been informed, and inquiries continue while a file will be prepared for the coroner. The operation involved the Coastguard Rescue Team from…
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29 May

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Erdogan claims victory as rival slams ‘unfair’ election

Erdogan’s challenger has launched a fiery speech – condemning President Erdogan’s authoritarian government and what he called an unfair election. “You should know that we will stand against those difficulties awaiting us,” he says. Supporters after #Erdogan winAlhamdhulillah a great day for #Turkey and Islam pic.twitter.com/bNzKKREnlE— Tam Khan (@Tam_Khan) May 28, 2023 What he didn’t do was admit defeat – even if the results are all heading in that direction. He thanked the 25 million Turks who voted for him, to loud cheers in the auditorium. “Stand up, and walk proudly,” he said. Erdogan's supporters celebrate the victory of the incumbent president across the country Outside the office of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party in Istanbul, people sing, dance,…
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29 May

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Ex-Mossad chief: Saudi-Iran deal won’t block Israel normalization

The Saudis’ deal with Iran will not block potential Israeli normalization with Riyadh, former Mossad director Yossi Cohen said Sunday. Israeli normalization with Saudi Arabia “is needed and is possible,” he said at an Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) conference related to the issue. The most recent former Mossad chief gave the audience an unusual personal insight into how Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) thinks. Although Cohen, in making his prediction, said he could not confirm he has met with MBS (even though the Israeli censor as of 2022 finally allowed Israeli media to publish that such meetings have occurred), he gave an unequivocal analysis of what MBS wants. MBS lost patience with the US, not insulting Israel MBS was…
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28 May

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From struggling newbie to mass leader, the rise and rise of Imran Khan

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Iman Khan Islamabad: Imran Khan, who lived a lavish life throughout his cricketing days, became one of the strongest headed captains of the Pakistan cricket team that lifted the 1992 World Cup and the country’s most respected philanthropist. He came into the political arena to challenge the political structure formed around the dynastic politics of the Sharif and Bhutto families. In the political arena Imran Khan was seen as a start to the process of a positive change, because of his image as a celebrity and a philanthropist. It took Imran Khan years before he could achieve relevance in the political system. However, his popularity continued to soar because of his philanthropic activities and his team…
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28 May

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Turkish voters to choose their president: Erdogan or Kilicdaroglu

Neither candidate crossed the 50-percent mark for an outright win on May 14, triggering an unprecedented run-off vote. A man sells Turkish flags before Turkey’s May 28 presidential run-off vote, in Ankara, Turkey, May 27, 2023 [Yves Herman] Istanbul, Turkey – After months of campaigning by two dozen political parties, four presidential candidates and a bewildering lineup of electoral alliances, Turkish voters head to the polls, again, on Sunday, to make a critical choice between two men. The presidential run-off between incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu marks the final moment in what has been widely billed as Turkey’s most important election in recent history. The election period, which officially started on March 18, has seen numerous twists and turns,…
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