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 -

26 May

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Iran reveals its new ballistic missiles as tensions escalate with the West

Iran has unveiled what it calls the latest iteration of its liquid-fueled Khorramshahr ballistic missile amid wider tensions with the West over its nuclear program. Authorities showed off the Khorramshahr-4 to journalists at an event in the capital of Tehran, with the missile on a truck-mounted launcher. Defence Minister Gen. Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said the missile could be prepared for launch in a short period. Iranian officials described the missile as having a 1,240-mile (2,000 kilometre) range with a 1,500-kilogram warhead. They also released undated video footage purportedly showing a successful launch of the missile. The Khorramshahr has the heaviest payload of Iran’s ballistic missile fleet, which analysts say may be designed to keep the weapon under a 1,240-mile range limit…
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26 May

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Tipu Sultan’s bedchamber sword creates new auction record in UK

A fabled sword found in the private bedchamber of 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan has broken all auction records for an Indian object for Bonhams in London by fetching over GBP 14 million at its Islamic and Indian Art sale this week. The sword, from Tipu Sultan’s reign between 1782 and 1799, is described as a fine gold koftgari hilted steel sword referred to as sukhela – an emblem of authority. It was found in the private apartments of Tipu Sultan and presented to Major General David Baird by the Army of the East India Company as a “token of their high esteem of his courage and conduct in the assault” which resulted in the killing of Tipu Sultan – known…
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26 May

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China to help Pakistan meet debt repayments worth $2.3 billion

As Pakistan struggles to secure the critical pending loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the cash-strapped nation looks towards China to rollover more than $2 billion in debt due next month, media reports said on Thursday. Islamabad is still contemplating ways to meet other repayment deadlines as the country has about $3.7 billion in overseas debt due this month and in June against its current foreign exchange reserves of just $4.3 billion, The News reported. Beijing had committed to help the country meet two crucial debt repayments in June worth $2.3 billion by providing fresh funds immediately after Pakistan makes the payments, Financial Times reported. “The refinancing of the commercial loans worth $1.3 billion and a Chinese government loan of $1 billion would…
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26 May

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German economy enters recession as first quarter GDP falls unexpectedly

New figures show the German economy suffered an unexpected dip in the first quarter of this year, putting the country formally into recession. Data released Thursday by the Federal Statistical Office shows Germany’s gross domestic product, or GDP, down by 0.3% in the period from January to March. This follows a drop of 0.5% in Europe’s biggest economy during the last quarter of 2022. Two consecutive quarters of decline constitute a technical recession. The figures are a blow to the German government, which last month boldly doubled its growth forecast for this year after a feared winter energy crunch failed to materialize. It said GDP will grow by 0.4% — up from a 0.2% expansion predicted in late January — a forecast that…
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26 May

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3 dead after attack in central Japan; suspect with rifle and knife holed up in building

Three people including two police officers were killed in Nagano in central Japan on Thursday and a suspect with a rifle and knife was holed up inside a building, according to police and media reports. A witness told NHK public television that a woman fell while being chased by the suspect, who then stabbed her with a knife and shot at two police officers as they arrived at the scene in a patrol car in Nakano city in Nagano prefecture. The witness said he asked the suspect why he attacked her, and he replied that he wanted to kill her, NHK said. The three victims were taken to a nearby hospital, where the woman was later pronounced dead, police said. The two…
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26 May

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Trade between Russia, China expected to hit record $200 billion this year

Trade between Russia and China is expected to hit a new record level of $200 billion this year, according to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during his trip to China, as Moscow faces growing isolation from the West, local media reported. Russia has been hit by unprecedented Western sanctions since it unleashed a devastating war against Ukraine and has been shut out of much of the global economy, CNN reported. But China, which has declared “no limits” to its friendship with its northern neighbour, has thrown the Kremlin an economic lifeline, tempering the impact of its banishment from the global financial system, CNN reported. Last year, bilateral trade jumped nearly 30 per cent to a record $190 billion, mainly boosted by China buying Russian…
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26 May

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Pakistan government bars Imran Khan, wife from leaving country

Pakistan’s government has barred former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife along with at least 80 people from leaving the country, a media report said on Thursday. Khan and several top leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party are facing cases following the violence after he was arrested on May 9 in a corruption case. “The federal government has decided to add the names of 80 people, including PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, to the no-fly list,” the Samaa News channel reported. However, there was no official confirmation on the development from Khan’s party. In addition to Khan and Bushra, those included in the no-fly list and barred from travelling abroad include PTI leaders Murad Saeed, Maleeka Bukhari,…
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25 May

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Illegal Albanian migrants offer £3,000 to fake guarantors in latest scam

Albanians who have entered the UK illegally on small boats are offering up to £3,000 to fake guarantors in a scam to avoid being held at detention centres. Guarantors are advertising on social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook that they can provide the migrants with an address in the UK so that they can get bail and escape detention. Migrants must provide evidence of a legitimate address in the UK before they can be released on immigration bail. The guarantors, who have their own dedicated page on TikTok, are also offering to remove the Albanians’ electronic tags which are used to prevent the migrants from absconding once they are freed into the community. The scam comes as the Home Office…
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25 May

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Turkey election: Erdogan’s chance of winning goes up as Sinan Ogan pledges support

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan got a major boost towards a successive presidential term after Sinan Ogan, the third-placed presidential election candidate, assured his support to the incumbent president. Ogan announced his support for Erdogan in a press conference in Ankara on Monday. The support for Erdogan from Ogan, who received 5.17 per cent of votes in the first round of the presidential polls on May 14, comes ahead of the scheduled runoff vote between the incumbent president and the opposition’s Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Erdogan received 49.52 per cent of votes in the first round, with a five-point lead over Kilicdaroglu. Why is Ogan supporting Erdogan? This is because the incumbent president has promised to take forward some of Ogan’s key…
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25 May

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Russian military warehouse bursts into flames close to Ukrainian border

ARussian military factory 118 miles from the border with Ukraine has burst into flames just two days after a neighbouring region was overrun by pro-Ukrianian forces. A huge plume of black smoke could be seen billowing from the warehouse that had been hired vicariously by a private contractor for the Russian ministry of defence. The factory was known for manufacturing the Uran-9, an unmanned ground combat vehicle that has failed to make it on the Ukrainian battlefield due to technical issues. The fire broke out at 8.28am local time (5.28am GMT) and was extinguished within 45 minutes, according to local reports. It took place in the village of Dyatkovo, in the northern part of the Bryansk region, near Belarus. Russia’s Ministry of Emergency…
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