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 -
      28 May
      361

      Putin demands UK ‘unfreezes’ Russian assets ‘immediately’ as sanctions hit

      Vladimir Putin has demanded the UK and its allies remove sanctions on Russia “without any conditions”, as the economic restrictions placed on the embattled country start to bite. According to the House of Commons library, 1,604 individuals and 228 entities are subject to UK sanctions under the Russia regime. Further, the UK has targeted 130 Russian oligarchs with a net worth of £140 billion. Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters today: “Britain and other countries that encroached on Russian assets are obliged to unfreeze them immediately without any conditions. “Otherwise, they violate all the norms and rules of both their domestic legislation and international law”. In March 2023, the Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs (REPO) Task Force, which is made up of…

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    • 28 May
      348

      Travellers faced long queues at major UK airports after electronic passport gates failed

      Passengers arriving at major airports in the UK at the start of the bank holiday weekend faced long delays after problems with electronic passport gates. Travellers expressed their anger on social media over queues of several hours at a number of airports including Heathrow and Gatwick as arrivals had their passports checked by hand instead of the automated machines. This was Malaga recently. A number of Brits missed their flights. Oh well, they had plenty of time to admire their lovely new blue passports. pic.twitter.com/UyDtKbvw5W— Chris Fair (@ChrisAndrew1399) May 19, 2023 On Saturday afternoon a Home Office spokesperson said the disruption began Friday, resulting from an IT issue which had since been resolved. “Following a technical border system fault which…

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    • 27 May
      370

      FBI releases documents reveal plot to kill Queen Elizabeth II in 1983

      The documents were published after a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by American media outlets. Washington: Newly released Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents have revealed an alleged plot to assassinate the late Queen Elizabeth II while she was a visit to the US in 1983, the media reported on Friday. On Monday, the FBI released a 102-page cache of files, which was uploaded on the agency’s information website Vault, relating to the late British monarch’s travels to the US, following her death last year, reports the BBC. The documents were published after a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by American media outlets. The assassination threat was made to a police officer in San Francisco, the files reveal. Aan officer who frequented an…

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    • 27 May
      370

      China witnesses fresh wave of Covid cases from XBB variants

      The new outbreak may be the greatest wave of illnesses ever recorded since China’s stringent zero-Covid programme was abandoned last winter Beijing: The Chinese authorities are rushing to push out vaccines to combat an ongoing new wave of the coronavirus that is expected to peak in June and infect as many as 65 million people a week since the new XBB variants of the virus are evolving to overcome the immunity developed after China‘s abrupt departure from its “zero covid” policy last year, reported The Washington Post. According to official media sources, quoted by The Washington Post, leading Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan on Monday said that two new vaccinations for the XBB omicron subvariants (including XBB. 1.9.1, XBB. 1.5, and XBB. 1.16)…

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    • 27 May
      362

      Rights groups slam severe Taliban restrictions on Afghan women as ‘crime against humanity’

      Two top rights groups on Friday slammed the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls by the Taliban in Afghanistan as gender-based persecution, which is a crime against humanity. In a new report, Amnesty International and the International Commission for Jurists, or ICJ, underscored how the Taliban crackdown on Afghan women’s rights, coupled with “imprisonment, enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment,” could constitute gender persecution under the International Criminal Court. The report by Amnesty and ICJ, titled, “The Taliban’s war on women: The crime against humanity of gender persecution in Afghanistan,” cited the ICC statute, which lists gender-based persecution as a crime against humanity. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in…

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    • 27 May
      337

      Ukraine warns of Russian plan to ‘simulate accident’ at Zaporizhia nuclear power plant

      Intelligence chiefs in Kyiv have issued an alert over what they claim are Russian plans to simulate an accident at the occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, in an attempt to halt the Ukrainian counteroffensive aimed at retaking territory. An emergency leak of radioactive substances will be announced in the coming hours, the defence ministry claimed in an online statement oN Friday evening, warning that Ukraine will “traditionally be blamed for the incident”. “The occupiers are preparing large-scale provocations to create a centre of radiation danger,” the message read. “The rioters”, it warned, would simulate an accident at Zaporizhia, which is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and has been under Russian control for more than a year. “For this, a strike will…

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    • 27 May
      361

      UK Illegal Migration Bill could see 3,000 detained and deported each month

      More than 3,000 asylum seekers could be detained and deported every month under the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill, according to reports. Leaked briefing papers on the implementation of the Home Office-backed Bill, obtained by The Guardian, reportedly suggest that once in place, the legislation could see the Government removing 3,163 asylum seekers each month from January onwards. According to the newspaper, the documents were prepared for Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and the Ministry of Justice permanent secretary Antonia Romeo. The briefing is believed to be a draft and had not been seen by the minister. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We do not comment on leaks.” The documents reportedly warned Mr Chalk that the Government could face judicial review proceedings if legal advice is not…

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    • 27 May
      369

      World’s first ‘plastic forecast’ predicts microplastics downpour in Paris

      The world’s first “plastic forecast” has predicted at least 300kg of microplastics will fall over Paris in the week beginning Monday, 29 April. Minderoo Foundation’s forecast has been developed using research on atmospheric plastic dynamics with traditional forecasts to estimate the daily “plastic fall” in the French capital, to help visualise the extent of the problem. It comes after a study published in Environmental Science & Technology estimated that 74 metric tonnes of microplastics dropped out of the atmosphere onto Auckland in 2020. Source

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    • 27 May
      341

      Israeli settler kills Palestinian who army says attempted stabbing, amid rise in violence

      AL-MUGHAYYIR, West Bank (Reuters) -An Israeli settler shot dead a Palestinian man who the military said tried to carry out a stabbing attack in a settlement in the occupied West Bank on Friday. The incident came as several European countries condemned Israeli demolitions and settler violence in the West Bank, which flared again as Palestinian farmers said Jewish settlers fired at them while they were working on their agriculture land. The military said a suspect infiltrated the gated area in the southern West Bank near the city of Hebron on Friday morning and tried to stab a resident before being “neutralised”. There were no Israeli casualties, it said. The Palestinian health ministry said it was informed by the unit that…

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    • 26 May
      414

      Modi cites Oz event to criticise Oppn boycott

      Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese during his visit to Australia. NEW DELHI: In an apparent message to the Opposition parties boycotting the new Parliament building inauguration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, upon his return from a three-nation tour on Thursday, lauded the show of “democratic soul and strength” at the event organised by the Indian diaspora to welcome him in Sydney. Addressing people who had gathered to welcome him outside the Palam airport, the PM alluded to the presence of not only Australian PM Anthony Albanese along with ruling party functionaries but also a former PM and the country’s Opposition members to highlight the role of the Opposition in a democracy. “This was the atmosphere of…

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