'This Is Not India': Indian-American Racially Abused By Compatriot In California

 

An Indian-American man has been racially abused by a compatriot in the US state of California who hurled racist slurs that he is a "dirty Hindu" and a "disgusting dog,'' days after another hate crime was reported against four women from the community in Texas.

Krishnan Jayaraman was verbally attacked by 37-year-old Singh Tejinder in the Taco Bell at Grimmer Boulevard in Fremont, California on August 21, NBC News reported on Wednesday.

Tejinder, of Union City, was charged on Monday with a hate crime in violation of civil rights, assault and disturbing the peace by offensive language, the Fremont Police Department said.

Tejinder was listed in charging documents as "Asian/Indian," the report said.

Jayaraman recorded the tirade, which lasted over eight minutes, on his phone, capturing the moment Tejinder told him: "You're disgusting, dog. You look nasty. Don't come out in public like this again."

In the foul-mouthed rant, Tejinder called him a "dirty Hindu," repeatedly used the N-word, insinuated that Jayaraman didn't eat meat and yelled beef! in his face. He appeared to spit at Jayaraman twice in the video.

At one point Tejinder was seen saying: "...this ain't India! You...India up, and now you're...America up, the report said.

Jayaraman said he was frightened by the incident and was even more upset to learn later that the perpetrator was also Indian.

"I was scared, to be honest with you. I was infuriated on the one hand, but I was scared that what if this guy becomes too belligerent and then comes after me?" he told NBC Bay Area.

"I'm not here to pick a fight with you," Jayaraman said. "I asked, 'What do you want?' He said you know you Hindus are a shame, disgusting. Then he spat on me," KTLA.com website reported.

Jayaraman says that's when he and a restaurant employee called Fremont Police. He says the man continued yelling for more than eight minutes. Fremont Police are still investigating the incident.

Jayaraman's video ended with Fremont Police officers arriving, abc7news.com reported. The police chief later addressed the community on social media.

Police Chief Sean Washington wrote: "We take hate incidents and hate crimes seriously, and understand the significant impact they have on our community. These incidents are despicable. We are here to protect all community members, regardless of their gender, race, nationality, religion, and other differences."

"We would like to urge the community to be respectful of each other and to immediately report any circumstances such as this that, upon investigation, may rise to the level of a crime. In the event of a hate crime, we will devote all available resources to follow up and investigate. Fremont is one of the nation's most diverse communities, and we are thankful for the contributions of community members from different cultures and backgrounds," the statement said.

On August 26, four Indian-American women were racially abused and smacked by a Mexican-American woman in the US state of Texas who hurled racist slurs at them that they are "ruining" America and should "go back to India".

The incident took place on Wednesday night in a parking lot in Dallas, Texas. The woman, identified as Esmeralda Upton, has been arrested. The incident has shocked the Indian-American community across the country.

West Mourns Gorbachev As Peace Champion, Russia Remembers His Failures

 

Mikhail Gorbachev (Reuters)

Mikhail Gorbachev was mourned in the West on Wednesday as a towering statesman who helped to end the Cold War, but his death received a cool response in Russia, engaged in a war with Ukraine to regain some of the power it lost when he presided over the Soviet Union’s collapse.

Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, died at the age of 91 in a Moscow hospital on Tuesday after two years of serious illness.

In six heady years between 1985 and 1991, he forged arms treaties with the United States, and partnerships with Western powers to remove the Iron Curtain that had divided Europe since World War Two and bring about the reunification of Germany.

But his internal reforms, combining economic and political liberalisation, helped weaken the Soviet Union (USSR) to the point where it fell apart — a moment that President Vladimir Putin once called the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe” of the 20th century.

U.S. President Joe Biden called Gorbachev “a man of remarkable vision” and, like other Western leaders, emphasised the freedoms he introduced, which Putin has steadily eroded.

“As leader of the USSR, he worked with President (Ronald) Reagan to reduce our two countries’ nuclear arsenals … After decades of brutal political repression, he embraced democratic reforms,” Biden said. “The result was a safer world and greater freedom for millions of people.”

It took Putin more than 15 hours to publish the text of a condolence telegram in which he said Gorbachev had had a “huge impact on the course of world history” and “deeply understood that reforms were necessary” to tackle the problems of the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

French President Emmanuel Macron called Gorbachev “a man of peace whose choices opened up a path of liberty for Russians”.

German ex-chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in communist-ruled East Germany, said she had feared that Gorbachev’s Moscow would crush an uprising against communist rule in 1989, as it had done elsewhere in eastern Europe in previous decades. “But… no tanks rolled, no shots were fired.”

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Merkel’s successor as chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has abandoned decades of detente to make Germany’s foreign and defence stance much bolder.

‘Democracy Has Failed’

He said Gorbachev’s “perestroika” reforms had made it possible to bring down the Iron Curtain and reunify Germany, adding pointedly: “He died at a time when not only has democracy in Russia failed … but also when Russia and Russian President Putin have dug new graves in Europe and begun a terrible war.”

While Western news outlets ran lengthy reports, Russian media were far less interested in Gorbachev’s passing.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told an educational forum that Gorbachev’s “romanticism” about rapprochement with West had been misplaced. “The bloodthirstiness of our opponents showed itself,” he said.

The Interfax news agency quoted the Kremlin as saying it had not been decided whether Gorbachev would receive a state funeral.

Sergei Naryshkin, director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service and one of the “siloviki” or men of power close to Putin, said: “‘Perestroika’ has long become history, but today we all have to deal with its consequences. It fell to Gorbachev to lead the country in a very difficult period, to face many external and internal challenges, for which an adequate response was not found.”

Western Partnerships

After decades of Cold War tension and confrontation, Gorbachev brought the Soviet Union closer to the West than at any point since World War Two. But his legacy was finally wrecked as the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 brought Western sanctions crashing down on Moscow, and politicians in both Russia and the West began to speak of a new Cold War — or worse.

“We are all orphans now. But not everyone realises it,” said Alexei Venediktov, head of the liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy, which closed down after coming under pressure over its coverage of the Ukraine war.

When pro-democracy protests rocked Soviet-bloc nations in communist Eastern Europe in 1989, Gorbachev refrained from using force, breaking with the legacy of previous Soviet leaders who had sent tanks to crush uprisings in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968.

But the chain of largely bloodless revolutions fuelled aspirations for autonomy in the 15 republics of the Soviet Union, which disintegrated over the next two years in chaotic fashion.

Gorbachev — who was briefly deposed in August 1991 by party hardliners attempting a coup — struggled in vain to prevent that collapse.

Turbulent Reforms

“The era of Gorbachev is the era of perestroika, the era of hope, the era of our entry into a missile-free world … but there was one miscalculation: we did not know our country well,” said Vladimir Shevchenko, who headed Gorbachev’s protocol office when he was Soviet leader. “Our union fell apart, that was a tragedy and his tragedy,” RIA news agency cited him as saying.

On becoming general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party in 1985, aged just 54, Gorbachev had set out to revitalise the system by introducing limited political and economic freedoms, but his reforms spun out of control.

His policy of “glasnost” allowed previously unthinkable criticism of the party and the state, but also emboldened nationalists who began to press for independence in the Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and elsewhere.

Many Russians never forgave Gorbachev for the turbulence that his reforms unleashed, considering the subsequent plunge in their living standards too high a price to pay for democracy.

Vladimir Rogov, a Russian-appointed official in a part of Ukraine now occupied by pro-Moscow forces, said Gorbachev had “deliberately led the (Soviet) Union to its demise” and called him a traitor.

Ruslan Grinberg, a liberal economist and friend, told the news outlet Zvezda after visiting Gorbachev in hospital: “He gave us all freedom – but we don’t know what to do with it.” (Reuters)

Rahul Gandhi To Walk 'All The Way' In Cong's Biggest Mass Contact Programme

The Congress on Monday said the 150-day Bharat Jodo Yatra from September 7 covering 3,500 kms will be the party's biggest ever 'Jan Sampark' programme and Rahul Gandhi will walk "all the way" from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

The BJP is "rattled" by the enthusiasm and response to the Yatra and it will indulge in "diversionary tactics" to distract people, claimed Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, K.C. Venugopal and Digvijaya Singh at a joint press conference after a meeting of all state unit chiefs and office bearers to finalise the Yatra plans.

Singh said the Bharat Jodo Yatra will start on September 7 with a massive rally in Kanyakumari at 5 pm.

"The march will start on September 8 morning with the participants walking around 6 to 7 hours every day and holding mass contact with people across the country," he said, adding they will organise marches from 7 am to 10 am in each assembly constituency across India to coincide with the yatra.

Asked if Rahul Gandhi will walk throughout the Yatra, Singh said, "Exactly. He will walk all the way." He added that the former Congress chief may campaign in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in between.

The yatra will try to connect with the people at the grassroots and highlight the issues of unemployment, price rise and economic situation while helping unite the country's social fabric which is "strained under the BJP", Singh said

He said at Monday's meeting, the Congress' state unit chiefs and coordinators discussed the detailed arrangements of the programme. "It has been decided that the Yatra is going to pass through only 10 states. Wherever the Yatra is not passing through, state-level Bharat Jodo Yatras should be held," Singh said.

All state unit presidents and Congress Legislative Party leaders would hold the Bharat Jodo Yatra in their respective states, he added.

Venugopal said on September 7 at 5 pm when Bharat Jodo Yatra begins from Kanyakumari, "Our party workers will hold rallies in all assembly constituencies".

"The entire country is now waiting for this march. All Congress workers are enthusiastic about it. This yatra is going to be historic and massive and that is why the BJP is very much worried about it. They will do all diversionary politics on this yatra," he said.

Ramesh said the Yatra will be undertaken in five months starting September and will try to connect with as many people as possible and listen to their grievances and concerns.

 

Despite Lightning Hits, NASA Moon Rocket Ready For Launch

 

Astronauts could return to the moon in a few years, if this six-week test flight goes well
(Representational Image)

NASA's new moon rocket remained on track to blast off on a crucial test flight on Monday, despite a series of lightning strikes at the launch pad.

The 322-foot (98-metre) Space Launch System rocket is the most powerful ever built by NASA. It's poised to send an empty crew capsule into lunar orbit, a half-century after NASA's Apollo programme, which landed 12 astronauts on the moon.

Astronauts could return to the moon in a few years, if this six-week test flight goes well. NASA officials caution, however, that the risks are high and the flight could be cut short.

In lieu of astronauts, three test dummies are strapped into the Orion capsule to measure vibration, acceleration and radiation, one of the biggest hazards to humans in deep space. The capsule alone has more than 1,000 sensors.

Officials said on Sunday that neither the rocket nor capsule suffered any damage during Saturday's thunderstorm; ground equipment also was unaffected. Five lightning strikes were confirmed, hitting the 600-foot towers surrounding the rocket at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre. The strikes weren't strong enough to warrant major retesting.

"Clearly, the system worked as designed," said Jeff Spaulding, NASA's senior test director.

More storms were expected. Although forecasters gave 80 per cent odds of acceptable weather on Monday morning, conditions were expected to deteriorate during the two-hour launch window.

On the technical side, Spaulding said the team did its best over the past several months to eliminate any lingering fuel leaks. A pair of countdown tests earlier this year prompted repairs to leaking valves and other faulty equipment; engineers won't know if all the fixes are good until just a few hours before the planned lift-off.

After so many years of delays and setbacks, the launch team was thrilled to finally be so close to the inaugural flight of the Artemis moon-exploration programme, named after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology.

"We're within 24 hours of launch right now, which is pretty amazing for where we've been on this journey," Spaulding told reporters.

The follow-on Artemis flight, as early as 2024, would see four astronauts flying around the moon. A landing could follow in 2025. NASA is targeting the moon's unexplored south pole, where permanently shadowed craters are believed to hold ice that could be used by future crews.

Justice U U Lalit Sworn In As Chief Justice Of India

 

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit (PTI)

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was on Saturday sworn in as the 49th Chief Justice of India. President Droupadi Murmu administered him the oath at a brief ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers were present at the ceremony.

Justice Lalit's predecessor, Justice N V Ramana, was also present.

Addressing a function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Friday, the outgoing Chief Justice N V Ramana termed pendency of cases as a "huge challenge" and rued that the judiciary has "fallen short of people's expectations" at times.

He also said the appointment of 11 Supreme Court and 224 High Court judges during his tenure was a reflection of the "coherence and determination" of judges to strengthen the judiciary.

The 48th CJI, who had succeeded S A Bobde on April 24, 2021, spoke at two events on his last day in office and expressed regret for not being able to pay much attention to issues of listing and posting of matters for hearing in the Supreme Court.

The jurisprudence has evolved considerably in the last 75 years, and "our judiciary is not defined by a single order or decision...most of the times, it has championed the cause of the people", he said.

Justice Ramana thanked his colleagues in the collegiums and consulting judges for being able to recommend so many names for judgeships.

"I am happy to inform you that thanks to my collegium judges and consulting judges, in the last 16 months, we could appoint 11 judges to the apex court, and out of the 255 recommended for the various high courts, 224 judges are already appointed. This amounts to nearly 20 per cent of the total sanctioned strength of the High Courts. Due to our concerted efforts, we could make considerable progress in appointing more women judges and promoting social diversity on the bench. We got 15 new chief justices for various High Courts during the same period. This process is a reflection of the coherence and determination of the judges to strengthen our institution, to further the goal of justice," Justice Ramana said. (PTI)

AAP MLA Accuses BJP Of Trying To Honeytrap Him

 

AAP MLA Somnath Bharti alleged on Thursday that the BJP, after failing to lure his party MLAs with money, was attempting to honeytrap him, and lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police.

The MLA from the Malviya Nagar constituency claimed two attempts had been made to honeytrap him since Wednesday, and alleged the BJP was behind the move as it failed to lure AAP MLAs with money or threat of probe by central agencies.

"Shocked to share that after BJP has failed to lure us with money or scare with ED/CBI raid, since yesterday (Wednesday) this is the second attempt to get me honeytrapped. I urge Delhi Police to investigate this as I have a strong suspicion that BJP is behind this. They are after AAP government," Bharti tweeted.

In the tweet, the AAP lawmaker also attached screenshots of WhatsApp messages sent to him on his phone. Later in the evening, Bharti registered a complaint with the police.

"Have officially lodged complaint...Hope now the truth will be unearthed," the AAP leader said in another tweet.

Earlier in the day, the AAP alleged that 40 of its Delhi MLAs were targeted by the BJP with an offer of Rs 20 crore each to switch sides.

The BJP has rejected the charge and said it was an attempt by the AAP government to divert people's attention from the liquor "scam" being probed by the CBI and the ED.

17-Year-Old Pilot Sets Record For Solo Flight Around The World

 

Mack Rutherford waves after landing in Sofia-West airport (AP)

A 17-year-old pilot became the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft after he landed on Wednesday in Bulgaria, where his journey kicked off five months ago.

Mack Rutherford, a Belgian-British dual national, landed on an airstrip west of Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, to complete his task and to claim two Guinness World Records.

Along with becoming the youngest person to fly around the world by himself, Rutherford is the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe in a microlight plane.

Rutherford said he hoped his achievement would inspire young people to pursue their dreams.

"Just follow your dreams, no matter how old you are, work hard and move forward to achieve your goals," he said after he stepped out of the aircraft.

His sister, Zara, who finished her own trip global flight in January at age 19, previously held the ultralight record.

Mack Rutherford took the age record from Travis Ludlow of Britain, who was 18 when he made a solo flight around the world last year.

The journey, which began March 23, took Rutherford through 52 countries over five continents. He turned 17 during the trip.

To set a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records, he crossed the equator twice.

Born into a family of aviators, Rutherford qualified for his pilot's license in 2020, which at the time, made him the youngest pilot in the world at the age of 15.

His solo trip flying around the world kicked off in Bulgaria because his sponsor, the web hosting company ICDSoft, is headquartered in Sofia and loaned him the plane.

Like his sister, Rutherford flew a Shark, one of the fastest ultralight aircraft in the world with a cruising speed reaching 300 kph. Normally a two-seater, it was modified for his long journey by replacing the second seat with an extra fuel tank.

Initially planned to take up to three months, the trip lasted longer because of several unexpected obstacles along his way, including monsoon rains, sandstorms and extreme heat.

But most of the delays were caused by waits to obtain permits and other documents required for further flight or having to alter the scheduled route if they were rejected.

The flight took him through Africa and the Gulf region to India, China, South Korea and Japan.

He crossed the northern Pacific and landed after 10 uninterrupted hours in the air on a volcanic island near the Bering Strait.

From there, he headed to Alaska and down the West Coast of the United States to Mexico. Rutherford then headed north again along the U.S. East Coast to Canada, and across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe.

On Wednesday, a huge crowd of people had arrived at the airport to welcome Rutherford and to celebrate his achievements.

Among them were the three members of his immediate family.

His father, Sam Rutherford, said he was extremely happy and proud of his children's achievements.

He told reporters that such an event is especially encouraging for children to follow their dreams and parents to support them in their endeavours.

His sister, Zara Rutherford, said she kept in close touch with her younger brother during his journey.

"While he was flying, I constantly tried to keep in touch and help him. Our parents called him every day, and I joined in those conversations. I gave him advice on the route, on the flight, so that I could be useful to him," she said.

Mack Rutherford said he will now focus on his education.

"The next thing I'm going to do is to go back to school and catch up as much as I can," he said. (AP)

 

Three IAF Officers Sacked For Accidental Firing Of Brahmos Missile That Landed In Pak

Three officers of the Indian Air Force were sacked on Tuesday for the March 9 accidental firing of a Brahmos missile that landed in Pakistan.

An official statement said the services of the officers were terminated after a Court of Inquiry (CoI) found that deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) by them led to the accidental firing of the missile.

Following the incident, the Defence Ministry described it as "deeply regrettable" while Pakistan lodged a strong protest over it.

"A BrahMos missile was accidentally fired on March 9. A Court of Inquiry (Col), set up to establish the facts of the case, including fixing responsibility for the incident, found that deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) by three officers led to the accidental firing of the missile," the statement said.

"These three officers have primarily been held responsible for the incident. Their services have been terminated by the central government with immediate effect. Termination orders have been served upon the officers on August 23," it said.

Though the Indian Air Force did not mention the ranks and names of the officials whose services have been terminated, it is learnt that a Group Captain is among the three.

The incident had taken place on March 9 and Pakistan had lodged its protest with India the next day. On March 11, the Defence Ministry said the missile was fired accidentally and it landed in Pakistan.

The ministry had said then that it was caused by a technical malfunction in the course of the routine maintenance of the missile, adding the government has taken a serious view of the incident.

Separately, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament on March 15 that SOPs for operations, maintenance, and inspection of such systems were being reviewed.

Following the incident, Pakistan summoned India's Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad and conveyed its strong protest over the "unprovoked" violation of its airspace by the supersonic "projectile" of Indian origin.

Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, the Director-General of the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan, said the unarmed projectile entered the Pakistani airspace travelling 124 km.

The Pakistan foreign office said the "super-sonic flying object" entered into Pakistan from India's Suratgarh and fell to the ground near Mian Channu city, causing damage to civilian property.

The Pakistan Foreign Office also called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident and demanded that its outcome be shared with Islamabad.

J&K Jolted By Four Earthquakes In Eight Hours

Four earthquakes jolted Jammu and Kashmir in less than eight hours on Tuesday. No loss of life or damage to property was reported, officials said.

The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at 2.20 am, was 61 km east of the Katra area in Jammu region, they said.

The officials said the quake hit at latitude 33.07 degrees north and longitude 75.58 degrees east at a depth of 10 km.

The second earthquake of 2.6 magnitude on the Richter scale occurred 9.5 km northeast of Doda in Jammu region at 3.21 am, they said. The quake hit at latitude 33.23 degrees north and longitude 75.56 degrees east at a depth of 5 km.

The third quake of 2.8 magnitude occurred 29 km east of Udhampur in Jammu region at 3.44 am today, they said. The quake hit at latitude 32.89 degrees north and longitude 75.45 degrees east at a depth of 10 kilometres.

The fourth earthquake of 2.9 magnitude occurred 26 km southeast of Udhampur at 8.03 am, they said. The quake occurred at latitude 32.83 degrees north and longitude 75.40 degrees east at a depth of 5 kilometres.

However, there were no reports of any loss of life or damage to property, the officials said.

Singapore Announces Plans To Decriminalise Gay Sex

 

Singapore announced on Sunday that it will decriminalise sex between men by repealing a colonial-era law while protecting the city-state's definition of marriage.

During his speech at the annual National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he believed it is the right thing to do now as most Singaporeans will now accept it.

"This will bring the law into line with current social models and I hope provide some relief to gay Singaporeans," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said during his speech at the annual National Day Rally.

He said the government will also amend the Constitution to ensure that there can be no constitutional challenge to allow same-sex marriage.

"Even as we repeal Section 377A, we will uphold and safeguard the institution of marriage," Lee said. "We have to amend the Constitution to protect it. And we will do so. This will help us repeal Section 377A in a controlled and careful way."

No Stopping Praggnanandhaa As He Makes It Four Wins In A Row, Beats Aronian

 

Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa handed world No.6 Levon Aronian a 3-1 thrashing in the fourth round to notch up his fourth consecutive win in the FTX Crypto Cup, the American finale of Champions Chess Tour, on Friday.

The 17-year old Indian is in joint lead with 12 match points along with world No.1 Magnus Carlsen, who defeated Quang Liem Le of China 3-1.

Praggnanandhaa won the third game with white pieces after the first two in the four-game match ended in a stalemate. First, he won with white pieces to take a 2-1 lead after game three and stormed to victory in 44 moves in the fourth to seal an emphatic win over the acclaimed American star.

Having started his campaign with victory over Alireza Firouzja, the Indian GM has subsequently beaten Anish Giri and Hans Nieman.

Carlsen, meanwhile, secured a similar result, winning games three and four after the first two were drawn.

The duo of Praggnanandhaa and Carslen have a four-point lead over Alireza Firouzja, the world No.4 and the top-ranked junior.

Firouzja edged out Poland's Jan-Krzystof Duda 2.5-1.5 in another fourth-round clash while Dutchman Anish Giri scored his first win in the tournament, beating Hans Nieman by a similar margin.

Three more rounds remain to be played in the eight-player tournament. The eight-player all-play-all tournament is the American finale of Champions Chess Tour. There is USD 7,500 at stake for each match win at the event.

Each match will be played over four rapid games, with blitz tiebreaks in case of a 2-2 draw. 

Govt To Register Upto 2.5 Mn Voters In Kashmir

An aerial view shows houses in Srinagar (Reuters)

 

India is expected to register as many as 2.5 million new voters in the contested Jammu and Kashmir region, a top official said late on Wednesday, in a move local political parties said was an attempt to influence upcoming elections.

The Muslim-majority region is claimed in full but ruled in part by nuclear arch-rivals India and Pakistan, who have fought two wars over control of the territory.

India stripped semi-autonomy from its portion of the region in 2019, changing the Indian constitution to allow non-Kashmiris to vote and own land there.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer Hirdesh Kumar told reporters on Wednesday that more than 2 million new voters are expected to be enrolled in the region ahead of local polls due in November. The new registrants could increase the voter count by more than a third, adding to the existing 7.6 million voters in the region.

"We are expecting an addition of (2 to 2.5 million) new voters in the final list,” Kumar said, including non-Kashmiris living in the region.

Kashmiris fear the rule changes will allow the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to alter the demographics of the region, quelling a decades-long independence movement.

The BJP says its policies in the region are for the benefit of ordinary Kashmiris.

There has been sharp criticism from the main political parties in Kashmir over the move.

Former chief minister and J&K People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said it is aimed at influencing the election results.

“Allowing non-locals to vote is obviously to influence election results. Real aim is to continue ruling J&K with an iron fist to disempower locals,” she said in a tweet.

A second former chief minister Omar Abdullah, from the rival Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, was also critical of the decision.

“Is the BJP so insecure about support from genuine voters of J&K that it needs to import temporary voters to win seats?” he tweeted. (Reuters)

Centre Blocks 8 YouTube Channels For Spreading Disinformation

 

The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has blocked eight YouTube channels, seven Indian and one Pakistan based, for spreading disinformation related to the country's national security, foreign relations and public order.

The Ministry, utilizing the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021, had issued orders for blocking the eight YouTube news channels, one Facebook account, and two Facebook posts.

The blocked YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 114 crore, and were subscribed by over 85 lakh users.

Analysis of content revealed that the purpose of the content published by some of these YouTube channels was to spread hatred among religious communities in India.

False claims were made in various videos of the blocked channels and content was found to have the potential to create communal disharmony and disturb public order in the country.

The channels were also used to post fake news on various subjects such as the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir, etc. The content was observed to be completely false and sensitive from the perspective of national security and India's friendly relations with foreign States.

The content blocked by the Ministry was found to be detrimental to sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, India's friendly relations with foreign States, and public order in the country. Accordingly, the content was covered within the ambit of section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The blocked Indian YouTube channels were observed to be using fake and sensational thumbnails, images of news anchors and logos of certain TV news channels to mislead the viewers to believe that the news was authentic.

All the eight channels were displaying advertisements on their videos having false content detrimental to communal harmony, public order and India's foreign relations.

With this action, since December 2021, the Ministry has issued directions for blocking 102 YouTube based news channels and several other social media accounts.

"The government of India remains committed towards ensuring an authentic, trustworthy, and safe online news media environment, and thwarting any attempts at undermining India's sovereignty and integrity, national security, foreign relations, and public order," the Ministry said.

Rohingya Rrefugees In Delhi To Be Given Flats, Security

 

Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in India's capital will be allotted apartments and provided with police protection, a government minister said on Wednesday, signalling a change in the stance towards members of the Muslim minority.

"India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge," Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said on Twitter, outlining new provisions for Rohingya refugees in New Delhi.

"India respects & follows UN Refugee Convention 1951 & provides refuge to all, regardless of their race, religion or creed," Puri said.

Puri did not elaborate on what he said would be "round-the-clock" police protection but there have been isolated incidents of violence towards Rohingya in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has previously tried to send back members of the Muslim minority from predominately Buddhist Myanmar, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled from persecution and waves of violence in their homeland over the years. (Reuters)

Myanmar Court Convicts Suu Kyi On More Corruption Charges

Aung San Suu Kyi (Reuters)

 

A court in military-ruled Myanmar convicted the country's ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on more corruption charges on Monday and sentenced her to an additional six years in prison, a legal official said. 

The trial was held behind closed doors, with no access for media or the public, and her lawyers were forbidden by a gag order from revealing information about the proceedings. 

In the four corruption cases decided Monday, Suu Kyi was alleged to have abused her position to rent public land at below market prices and to have built a residence with donations meant for charitable purposes. She received sentences of three years for each of the four counts, but the sentences for three of them will be served concurrently, giving her a total of six more years in prison.

She denied all the charges, and her lawyers are expected to appeal.

She already had been sentenced to 11 years in prison on sedition, corruption and other charges at earlier trials, after the military ousted her elected government and detained her in February 2021.

Analysts say the numerous charges against her and her allies are an attempt to legitimize the military's seizure of power while eliminating her from politics before the military holds an election it has promised for next year. 

 

Attack On Salman Rushdie Is 'Appalling': NSA Sullivan

 

Author Salman Rushdie

The attempt on the life of renowned writer Salman Rushdie is "appalling" and "reprehensible", US National Security Advisor James Sullivan has said.

Rushdie, who faced Islamist death threats for years after writing The Satanic Verses, was stabbed by a 24-year-old New Jersey resident identified as Hadi Matar on stage on Friday while he was being introduced at the event of the Chautauqua Institution in western New York.

A bloodied Rushdie was airlifted from a field adjacent to the venue to a hospital in northwestern Pennsylvania where the 75-year-old writer underwent surgery.

"Today, the country and the world witnessed a reprehensible attack against the writer Salman Rushdie. This act of violence is appalling," Sullivan, National Security Advisor to the US president, said hours after the writer was attacked on stage moments before he was to deliver a speech in New York.

"All of us in the Biden-Harris Administration are praying for his speedy recovery. We are thankful to good citizens and first responders for helping Mr. Rushdie so quickly after the attack and to law enforcement for its swift and effective work, which is ongoing," Sullivan said in a statement.

Rushdie, who won the Booker Prize for his novel Midnight's Children, was unable to speak.

Rushdie "will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed, and his liver was stabbed and damaged," the writer's agent Andrew Wylie told The New York Times.

The author spent about 10 years under police protection in the United Kingdom, living in hiding after Iran's late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie's execution.

A bounty of over $3 million has been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie, who has been a prominent spokesman for free expression and liberal causes. Since 2000, Rushdie has lived in the United States.

Rushdie was being introduced at about 10:45am when the assault happened, CNN quoted a witness as saying. 

Modi Celebrates Raksha Bandhan With Daughters Of PMO Staff Members

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrates Raksha Bandhan festival with children of PMO staff (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Raksha Bandhan on Thursday with the daughters of his office staffers tying rakhis on his wrist. He gave them a national flag each for the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' programme.

"A very special Raksha Bandhan with these youngsters," the prime minister tweeted and posted pictures from the event.

Officials said the daughters of sweepers, peons, gardeners, drivers and other such members of the Prime Minister's Office staff tied rakhis on Modi's wrist.

They also shared a video of the celebration and the prime minister's interaction with them.

The prime minister was seen handing them national flags to hoist at their houses.

His government has urged people to hoist or display the national flag during August 13-15 as part of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign to mark the 75th anniversary of India's independence. 

Modi said in a tweet, "Every Indian has a special bond with the Tiranga. Gave the Tiranga to my young friends earlier today. The smile on their faces says it all."

In another tweet, he said the kind of enthusiasm being seen among people for the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign is a symbol of the unwavering spirit of the country's unity and integrity. This feeling is going to take India to a new height in the 'Amrit Kaal', he added. 

Eastern Nagaland Tribes Hold Public Rally Demanding Separate State

The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) on Tuesday held a public rally in six districts to demand the creation of a separate state of ‘Frontier Nagaland’.

ENPO is the apex body of seven tribal organizations in Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator districts and Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) Headquarter, Kiusam in Shamator district.

The ENPO started demanding ‘Frontier Nagaland’ in 2010, lamenting that their area has been left behind in all aspects of development, including education and infrastructure.

The six districts under ENPO have 20 legislators.

The public rally which started at around 10 am from all tribal headquarters ended ‘very peacefully’ with the cooperation of the respective tribal organisations, ENPO general secretary Manpang Phom told PTI.

During the rally hours, all business establishments, educational institutions and offices remained shut in solidarity with the ENPO’s demand for a separate state.

The rally saw the participation of people of all ages, in their respective traditional attire, with banners and placards demanding a separate state.

After the rally, the tribal organisations approached the respective Deputy Commissioners in the districts and submitted their demand for the creation of a separate state.

Phom said that ENPO has been holding democratic rallies every year, pressing for a separate statehood. Phom told PTI, “ENPO will continue pressing for Frontier Nagaland till it is achieved.”

CSIR Gets Its First Woman Director General In N Kalaiselvi

 

Dr Kalaiselvi will also hold the charge as secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (PTI)

Senior electrochemical scientist Nallathamby Kalaiselvi has become the first woman director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, a consortium of 38 state-run research institutes across the country.

Her appointment is for a period of two years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier, an order of the personnel ministry said on Saturday.

Kalaiselvi succeeds Shekhar Mande, who superannuated in April. Rajesh Gokhale, secretary, Department of Biotechnology, was given the additional charge of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) upon Mande's retirement.

Known for her work in the field of lithium ion batteries, Kalaiselvi is at present director of the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute at Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu.

She will also hold the charge as secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Kalaiselvi has risen through the ranks in CSIR and had broken the proverbial glass ceiling by becoming the first woman scientist to head the Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) in February 2019.

Congratulations poured in from across the scientific community and science administrators on her appointment to the key post.

"Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Dr N Kalaiselvi," Ajay Sood, principal scientific adviser to the government said.

Sood's predecessor K Vijay Raghavan, former Department of Biotechnology secretary Renu Swarup, former Earth Sciences secretary Madhavan Rajeevan and fellow scientists also greeted Kalaiselvi.

Former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss said he was proud that Kalaiselvi hailed from Tamil Nadu.

Ramadoss said he was confident that as the first woman director general of CSIR, Kalaiselvi will take India to great heights in scientific innovations.

Kalaiselvi started her career in research as an entry-level scientist at CSIR-CECRI.

Hailing from Ambasamudhram, a small town in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, Kalaiselvi did her schooling in Tamil medium, which, she said, helped her grasp the concepts of sciences in college.

Kalaiselvi's research work of more than 25 years is primarily focused on electrochemical power systems and in particular, development of electrode materials, and electrochemical evaluation of in-house prepared electrode materials for their suitability in energy storage device assembly.

Her research interests include lithium and beyond lithium batteries, supercapacitors and waste-to-wealth driven electrodes and electrolytes for energy storage and electrocatalytic applications.

She is currently involved in the development of practically viable Sodium-ion/Lithium-sulfur batteries and supercapacitors.

Kalaiselvi also made key contributions to the National Mission for Electric Mobility. She has more than 125 research papers and six patents to her credit.

Chinese Military Intensifies Drills Around Taiwan After Pelosi's Visit

 

The plane carrying US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi takes off from Taipei Songshan Airport (Reuters)

Smarting from the successful visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei, the Chinese military on Wednesday conducted a series of naval-air joint drills around Taiwan amid speculation that it may be attempting a blockade of the self-ruled island.

The drills featured the Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force and Joint Logistic Support Force in the sea and air space north, southwest and southeast of the Taiwan island, the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said.

The PLA will also conduct live-fire military drills from August 4 to 7 in six different areas that encircle the island of Taiwan from all directions, official media reports said.

China has intensified the drills as Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, disregarding intense rhetoric from China against the visit to the island, which Beijing claims as part of it and vows to integrate with the mainland, even by force.

PLA drills around Taiwan will continue to rehearse reunification operations and the exercises to blockade the island will become routine, state-run Global Times reported.

Pelosi, who is the third highest official in the US, arrived in Taiwan by a US Air Force jet amid intense speculation about adverse actions by Beijing. The visit of Pelosi is the first by a top US leader to Taiwan in 25 years.

Responding to China's threats Taiwanese President Tsai-Ing-wen said Taiwan will respond firmly to Beijing's military intimidation.

Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down, Tsai said at her meeting with Pelosi on Wednesday.

"We will firmly uphold our nation's sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defence for democracy," the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted her as saying.

Military experts said the PLA could send drones over Taiwan and conduct regular drills in the coming weeks to vent its anger over Pelosi's visit.

The exercises are unprecedented as the PLA conventional missiles are expected to fly over the island of Taiwan for the first time, the PLA forces will enter an area within 12 nautical miles of the island and that the so-called median line will cease to exist, the Global Times quoted Chinese experts as saying.

The experts also noted that by surrounding Taiwan entirely, the PLA is completely blockading the island, demonstrating the Chinese mainland's absolute control over the Taiwan question.

One analyst described the prospect of unprecedented PLA unmanned aircraft flights over the island as possible, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

Fu Qianshao, a retired equipment expert from the PLA Air Force, said that given their proximity to Taiwan, the large-scale drills would be a blockade of the island and marked a breakthrough in Beijing's military actions against the island in terms of location and intensity.

He told the Post that the PLA would also respond to any possible move by the US and Taiwanese air forces in those areas, with Thursday's drills showing for the first time that Beijing did not recognise Taiwan's territorial waters.

Oppn Seeks Review After SC Upholds PMLA Amendments

 

(File) Rahul Gandhi addressing the media along with leaders of
like-minded opposition parties outside Parliament (via INC Twitter)

At least 17 Opposition parties, including the TMC and AAP, on Wednesday expressed apprehensions about the long-term implications of the Supreme Court verdict upholding amendments to the money laundering act and called for a review.

In a joint statement, their leaders said the judgment will strengthen the hands of a government that 'indulges in political vendetta' to target its opponents and expressed hope that this 'dangerous verdict will be short-lived.'

"We place on record our deep apprehension on the long-term implications of the recent Supreme Court judgement upholding, in entirety, the amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, without examining whether some of these amendments could have been enacted by way of Finance Act," they said in the statement.

The parties said they hold and will always hold the Supreme Court in the highest respect. "Yet, we are compelled to point out that the judgment should have awaited the verdict of a larger Bench for examining the constitutionality of the Finance Act route to carry out amendments."

"These far-reaching amendments strengthened the hands of a government, indulging in political vendetta of the worst kind, by using these very amended laws relating to money laundering and investigation agencies, to target its political opponents in a mischievous and malicious manner," the opposition parties alleged.

"We are also very disappointed that the highest judicial authority, invited to give an independent verdict on the lack of checks and balances in the Act, has virtually reproduced arguments given by the executive in support of draconian amendments. We hope that the dangerous verdict will be short lived and constitutional provisions will prevail soon," the opposition leaders said in their joint statement.

Among the parties that have signed the joint statement are the Congress, TMC, DMK, AAP, NCP, Shiv Sena, CPI-M, CPI, IUML, RSP, MDMK, RJD and RLD.

The statement comes a day after raids were conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on the premises of the National Herald newspaper in the national capital and elsewhere. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were already questioned by the agency in a money laundering case.

Jabalpur Fire: NOC Of Hospital Had Expired; 4 Doctors Booked

 

Police and fire personnel assess fire damage at the Jabalpur hospital (PTI)

The preliminary probe into the Jabalpur hospital fire incident has revealed that the fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) had expired, besides several other shortcomings regarding fire safety, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday.

He said police have registered a case of culpable homicide against four doctors-cum-owners of the hospital and arrested its manager, a day after the devastating blaze killed eight persons, including four patients.

The doctors are on the run and police have sent out teams to nab them, a senior police officer said.

Prima facie, several shortcomings were found on the part of the hospital regarding fire safety. The preliminary probe has found that the fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) of the New Life Multi-Speciality Hospital had expired, Mishra said.

"The FIR was registered by the Jabalpur police against four owners-cum-doctors of the hospital under sections 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code)," he told reporters in Bhopal even as he termed the incident "very unfortunate". (PTI)

China Says Remains Of Rocket Booster Fall To Earth

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, the Long March 5B Y3 carrier rocket, carrying the Wentian lab module, blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in Wenchang in southern China's Hainan Province on Sunday, July 24, 2022

 

Debris from a rocket that boosted part of China's new space station into orbit fell into the sea in the Philippines on Sunday, the Chinese government announced.

Most of the final stage of the Long March-5B rocket burned up after entering the atmosphere at 12:55 a.m., the China Manned Space Agency reported. 

The agency said earlier the booster would be allowed to fall unguided.

The announcement gave no details of whether remaining debris fell on land or sea but said the landing area was at 119 degrees east longitude and 9.1 degrees north latitude. 

That is in waters southeast of the Philippine city of Puerto Princesa on the island of Palawan.

There was no immediate word from Philippine authorities about whether anyone on the ground was affected.

China has faced criticism for allowing rocket stages to fall to Earth uncontrolled twice before. 

NASA accused Beijing last year of failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris after parts of a Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean.

The country's first space station, Tiangong-1, crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 2016 after Beijing confirmed it lost control. 

An 18-tonne rocket fell uncontrolled in May 2020.

China also faced criticism after using a missile to destroy one of its defunct weather satellites in 2007, creating a field of debris that other governments said might jeopardise other satellites.

The July 24 launch of the Long March-5B, China's most-powerful rocket, carried the Wentian laboratory into orbit. 

It was attached on Monday to the Tianhe main module, where three astronauts live.

The remains of a separate cargo spacecraft that serviced the station fell into a predetermined area of the South Pacific after most of it burned up on re-entry, the government announced earlier.