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 -
      23 May
      323

      ‘So expensive’ – Paris Olympics ticket prices mar image of Games for all

      Athletes have joined the clamour of criticism at the high cost of tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics, decried as undermining organisers’ promises of a Games accessible to all. (AFP) PARIS: Athletes have joined the clamour of criticism at the high cost of tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics, decried as undermining organisers’ promises of a Games accessible to all. Phase two of sales got underway on May 11, with nearly 1.5 million individual tickets available, after over three million were sold as multi-event packs during phase one. Sales have been swift with two thirds of the latest batch snapped up on the first day, organisers said. Tickets for the men’s judo heavyweight final, in which France’s triple Olympic gold medallist…

      Read More »
    • 23 May
      358

      PM Announces Plan To Keep China At Bay

      Modi said India decided to establish a super-specialty cardiology hospital in Fiji Prime Minister Narendra Modi poses with leaders of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Monday, May 22, 2023.  New Delhi: In a bid to counter China’s growing influence on the Pacific island nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a slew of Indian medical and development assistance measures to benefit these 14 small nations, including in healthcare and medical treatment, desalination, renewable energy, technical education scholarships and small and medium enterprises. Addressing the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation  (FIPIC) at Port Moresby in Papua New Guineaon Monday, Modi announced India’s decision to “establish a super-specialty cardiology hospital in Fiji…

      Read More »
    • 23 May
      383

      Facebook owner Meta expected to be hit with record privacy breach fine

      Meta is expected to face a record fine later over its transfer of Facebook’s European user data to US servers, according to reports. Reuters news agency cited two anonymous sources familiar with the matter as saying that the penalty from EU regulators will be higher than the previous record – a €746m (£647m) fine for Amazon over its flouting of EU privacy standards. The regulators, led by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), are expected to publish a ruling on Monday morning, which is likely to order that Facebook stop using “complex legal instruments” to move EU data to the US. Concerns have been raised over these trans-Atlantic data flows because they could leave Europeans exposed to the US’s weaker privacy…

      Read More »
    • 23 May
      369

      UK Junior doctors’ union announces new three-day strike in June

      The British Medical Association (BMA) said they will strike in England from June 14-17 in a bid to force ministers “to put forward a credible” salary rise. They warned that if the government “doesn’t change their position, we will strike throughout the summer”. A spokesperson for the department of health said it is “both surprising and deeply disappointing” that further action has been declared “while constructive talks were ongoing”. But the BMA said talks “have now reached a stage where they are currently unproductive”. Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairs of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, said: “Accordingly, we are in a position where we must call new industrial action. “We are today announcing that junior doctors in…

      Read More »
    • 23 May
      370

      Belarusian journalist pulled off diverted flight ‘receives presidential pardon’

      Adissident Belarusian journalist who was pulled off a flight that was forced to land in the country and sentenced to eight years in prison says he has received a presidential pardon, the Belarusian state news agency reported. “I literally just signed all the relevant documents that I was pardoned. This, of course, is just great news,” Raman Pratasevich was quoted as saying by the news agency Belta. Mr Pratasevich was convicted and sentenced on May 3 for organising unrest and plotting to seize power. He ran a Telegram messaging app channel that was widely used by participants in mass protests against the disputed August 2020 election that gave authoritarian Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. The protests,…

      Read More »
    • 23 May
      344

      European people trafficker details exactly how migrants are smuggled into UK from Turkey

      More smugglers will fill the void left as existing criminal networks are broken up and arrested, a trafficker has warned. In the second of a series of special reports, the Daily Express details how migrants are brought into Europe from Turkey. But a career people smuggler, Ari, warned the huge police crackdown across the continent will not end the migration crisis, adding, “Tomorrow, if you arrest 100 people, 200 more will come”. The 42-year-old Iraqi Kurdish criminal said “many” smugglers are also trafficking drugs to bolster their already vast profits. But Ari claimed “there is some stuff that if you don’t do it, you won’t get caught”, insisting he has managed to hide in the shadows for 20 years, despite smuggling in…

      Read More »
    • 23 May
      358

      Europe’s most active volcano erupts and flights cancelled as ash spewed onto airport

      Planes were grounded and an airport shut last night after Mount Etna erupted. Europe’s most active volcano was spewing a huge dark cloud into the sky on Sunday, raining ash down on Catania, eastern Sicily’s largest city, and forcing a suspension of flights at the city’s airport. No injuries have been reported following the blast, which caused a great plume of molten liquid to fire out of the mountain. Ash was seen raining down and covering cars near the volcano. Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said that ash had fallen on Catania and at least one town on Mount Etna’s inhabited slopes. People in the towns of Adrano and Biancavilla reported hearing loud booms emanating from the volcano on Sunday, the…

      Read More »
    • 23 May
      341

      Airline sued over ‘absolutely disgusting’ business class seat

      A passenger is taking Emirates to a small claims court in the UK over his “grubby” AU$3,240 (£1,728) business class seat. Brodie Chapman, 20, claims that the airline mis-sold his ticket, after he boarded to find an “absolutely disgusting” plane and a seat that didn’t even recline. He is hoping to win back almost AU$5,000 (£2,667). Mr Chapman runs a wholesale energy firm and travels with the airline up to 20 times a year. Last month he was travelling from Oslo to Dubai when he experienced what he called a “misrepresentation of the brand”. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Mr Chapman – who divides his time between Perth and the UK – said: “The seats were grubby, there were socks stuck down the…

      Read More »
    • 22 May
      329

      Greece’s Mitsotakis seeks second vote after election win

      Despite winning Sunday’s vote, the ruling New Democracy party was still short of winning an absolute majority to rule. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis walks at the Presidential Palace, at a meeting with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, to receive an official mandate to try to form a coalition government after the general election, in Athens, Greece [Elias Marcou] Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he would not form a coalition government after his party won Sunday’s election but was short of securing a majority. Mitsotakis now hopes for a new election on June 25 after President Katerina Sakellaropoulou formally offered him an opportunity to form a coalition under the constitution. His party, the centre-right New Democracy (ND), won 40.79 percent of the…

      Read More »
    • 22 May
      322

      Turkey’s Camlica Mosque: Ottoman heritage or modern nationalism?

      Traditionally linked to secular republicanism, Turkish nationalism may be changing with Erdogan’s Ottoman-inspired mosque. A man waves a Turkish flag at the courtyard of the Grand Camlica Mosque in Istanbul, on May 3, 2019 [File: Murad Sezer] Istanbul, Turkey – Istanbul’s skyline has been rapidly transforming over the years as towering new skyscrapers pop up and expansive bridges connect the metropolis that spans two continents. Since 2019, Grand Camlica Mosque – which stretches over 57,500sq metres (620,000sq feet) and has six minarets and a towering central dome – has been the most visible structure on the Anatolian side of Turkey’s cultural capital. Perched on the hill after which it is named, the now-largest mosque in Turkey opened its doors to the…

      Read More »
    Previous page Next page
    Back to top button

    Notice: ob_end_flush(): Failed to send buffer of zlib output compression (0) in /home4/eveningd/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5464