Tag: Faces

Comer faces make-or-break moment on Biden probe

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And unless Comer’s yet-to-be-released findings — based on bank records and payments made to Biden family members — contain that hard proof, his maneuver is at serious risk of backfiring just as he’s ramping up efforts to get more buy-in for his probe.
“It’s an investigation of Joe Biden,” Comer said in a brief interview, asked if Wednesday would focus on the president or more broadly on his family. “The thing that’s been most frustrating to me in the media: They say we’re investigating Hunter Biden. We’re investigating Joe Biden. This is all about Joe Biden.”
Comer said he would “talk about” further details, such as whether any bank records showed a direct link to President Biden or any distinctions he’d make between potentially unethical versus illegal actions, at his press conference Wednesday.
Democrats, the White House and their off-Hill allies are already gearing up to push back on the Oversight chair, betting that Republicans will fail to conduct the independently legitimate oversight that Comer once insisted upon.
“There’s a lot of innuendo and a lot of gossip taking place and much of it is recycled from prior claims,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said in a brief interview.
That’s not to say that Wednesday marks the end of Comer’s investigation. He plans to unveil his next “investigative actions,” which will likely include requesting a broader swath of third-party financial records, as part of the press conference. But he’s also fighting to gain traction, after getting pushback from high-profile pundits within his own party, while kvetching that “mainstream” media have also downplayed his probe.

“There’s a lot of innuendo and a lot of gossip taking place and much of it is recycled from prior claims,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said.
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Francis Chung/POLITICO
Still, the press conference marks the most information Comer’s been willing to share about the investigation in months. Though he disclosed in March that Biden family members had received money from an associate who had made a business deal with a Chinese energy company, much of the information about the Kentuckian’s subpoenas has come from Democrats on the committee. Even some Republicans on the panel have indicated that they aren’t in the loop on his investigation.
And there are other Biden investigations competing for the spotlight.

Recently, Comer subpoenaed the FBI and accused the bureau of having a document alleging a “criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.” The deadline for the subpoena is also Wednesday. The allegation from Comer provided no details — though Democrats and Trump allies have signaled they believe it is related to Ukraine. Asked about that theory, Comer singled out Raskin, saying he’d advise that “sometimes it’s best to keep your mouth shut when you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Meanwhile, Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who is also a member of Comer’s Oversight Committee, is conducting a separate investigation into a 2020 letter from 51 former intelligence officials who warned that a New York Post story related to Hunter Biden could be the product of Russian disinformation. Jordan’s also gobbled up weeks of media attention over a high-profile standoff with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over his investigation involving former President Donald Trump.
And unspoken but far from forgotten, Justice Department officials still have to decide whether to charge Hunter Biden as part of a yearslong tax- and gun-related case. That probe into Hunter Biden began in 2018 and initially centered on his finances, related to overseas business ties and consulting work. Investigators later shifted their focus to whether he failed to report all of his income and whether he lied on a form for buying a gun.
But the larger sweep of the Biden family is where Comer’s piled a lot of his chips. It’s also the investigation that has earned him skepticism from some members of his own party and made the once under-the-radar GOP lawmaker a target of Democrats, the White House and outside groups.
Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), another member of the committee, credited Comer for handling the political crosswinds of his high-profile committee. Asked about his expectations for Wednesday, he caveated that lawmakers “don’t prosecute crimes” but he believes Republicans will lay out “very clearly that the Biden family was influence peddling.”
“You’re not getting Jim Jordan lite. You’re getting a very different person,” Armstrong added of Comer. “He’s methodical. He’s smart. He trusts his staff. He trusts his members and he communicates well. Pretty good place to be when you’re dealing with a pretty fractious caucus.”
Democrats have knocked Comer for probing payments made to Biden family members while brushing off similar questions about Trump family members. (Comer has argued Trump’s family has been the subject of its own investigations in previous Congresses and that he will eventually craft ethics and financial disclosure legislation that would impact both presidents’ family members.)
Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, accused Comer of a “history of playing fast and loose with the facts and spreading baseless innuendo while refusing to conduct his so-called ‘investigations’ with legitimacy.”
“He has hidden information from the public to selectively leak and promote his own hand-picked narratives as part of his overall effort to lob personal attacks at the President and his family,” Sams added.
Meanwhile, Comer has a right flank pushing him to go further, faster. His committee is stacked with conservative firebrands including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.). Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), a member of the Freedom Caucus and Comer’s panel, described the allegations that will be unveiled Wednesday as “damning.”
Asked if he meant for President Biden or Hunter Biden, he said: “Both.”
Comer and Greene, meanwhile, are in frequent contact, with the Georgia Republican floating potential investigative avenues and raising questions. But she’s also going down lanes that Comer isn’t following: Greene and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is not on Comer’s committee, have met with a woman who has accused Biden of sexual assault dating back to his time in the Senate, an allegation the president denies.
And while Comer has thanked Trump when he’s voiced support for the Kentucky Republican’s investigation, he’s also bristled when he gets questions about any talks with the former president, noting that he voted to certify Biden’s Electoral College win despite coming from a deeply red district.
“I get asked … ‘What do you and Trump talk about?’ I haven’t talked to Trump,” Comer said in a recent interview. “I voted to certify the presidential election. … I don’t know why people think I’m on the phone with Donald Trump all the time.”
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#Comer #faces #makeorbreak #moment #Biden #probe
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

May 10, 2023
Hyderabad: Renowned gynaecologist Zaibunnisa faces death threats

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Hyderabad: Renowned gynaecologists Dr Zaibunnisa have filed a police complaint regarding the verbal and physical threats they have been facing from certain individuals after exercising their constitutional right of choosing a sector of Islam and renouncing the Mahdavia faith. The senior citizen has written a complaint letter to the Inspector of Police South East Zone, Hyderabad.
She has claimed that she has been facing extremely dirty verbal threats that violate her dignity as a woman and have caused mental trauma. The situation has now escalated to death threats being sent to them via WhatsApp audio.
She accuses Asrar Ahmed Khan of Chanchalguda, Hyderabad, the main mastermind behind the threats. She lives alone and has multiple health concerns, feels that they are in their last phase of life and it is unfortunate that they should undergo this kind of mental trauma and threats of death.

Dr Zaibunnisa is a well-known senior gynaecologist based in Malakpet, Hyderabad. With so many years of experience in her field, she has earned a reputation as a skilled and compassionate medical professional.
Dr Zaibunnisa is dedicated to providing quality healthcare to women and has helped countless patients with a range of gynaecological issues. Her expertise in the field has earned her the trust and respect of her patients as well as her peers. She is highly regarded in the medical community for her commitment to excellence and her patient-centric approach to care.
She has also mentioned a previous attack in 2011 by other persons where they entered their home, damaged their furniture, and threatened them. She has requested the police to take the strongest possible action against the accused Asrar Ahmed Khan of Chanchalguda.
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#Hyderabad #Renowned #gynaecologist #Zaibunnisa #faces #death #threats
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 8, 2023
Fire-Boltt Invincible Plus 1.43″ AMOLED Display Smartwatch with Bluetooth Calling, TWS Connection, 300+ Sports Modes, 110 in-Built Watch Faces, 4GB Storage & AI Voice Assistant (Black)

Price: [price_with_discount]
(as of [price_update_date] – Details)

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From the manufacturer

1 AMOLED Display 2 600 NITS Peak Brightness 3 Always On Display 4 60HZ Refresh Rate

1 Luxury On Your Wrist 2 Bespoke Design 3 Hi-End Stainless Steel 4 Rotating Crown

TWS Connection – The watch supports your earbuds to be connected with the watch while you sit back and enjoy the songs being played with a 4GB internal storage
300 Sports Modes – Fire-Boltt Invincible Plus ensures a fit and healthy living. The watch consists of 300 sports modes to track your activities with minute details. Tracking steps, calories, km and taking one step ahead now you can track your dance class and much more
110 Inbuilt Watch Faces – The watch can store upto 110 watch faces for you to style each day and never get enough of it
Bluetooth Calling – This watch allows you to make and receive calls on the go, with the inbuilt mic and speaker function you can talk through the watch anytime, anywhere
AI Voice Assistant – With Fire-Boltt Invincible Plus, you can activate your mobile phone’s voice assistant with one single tap and get the work done in a better manner
Sleek Design – The watch has a rotating button which helps you to quickly change the watch face, land to functions faster. The display has an Always On Display function that enables you to view the time on the analog dial all the day. With a wrist wake function the watch also lets you optimize the battery
Smart Health Metrics – With the latest HRS3605 technology track your heart rate anytime of the day or even while you perform some activity. The optical sensors assure results so accurate. Monitor your blood oxygen levels to stay fit and health

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#FireBoltt #Invincible #AMOLED #Display #Smartwatch #Bluetooth #Calling #TWS #Connection #Sports #Modes #inBuilt #Watch #Faces #4GB #Storage #Voice #Assistant #Black

May 5, 2023
Tennessee Has Two White Faces. I’ve Seen Both of Them.

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My family’s history in North America begins in North Carolina, where an ancestor, Lucy Hardiman, was enslaved. She must have been a resistor because her daughter, Mary Coleman, would weep when recounting the lashes Lucy received during her involuntary entrapment.
Mary moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where my family lived from the late 1800s to 1941 during the first phase of their inhabiting the state; a younger generation returned to Tennessee in the early 1990s.
The first phase of my family’s Tennessee history was marked by abandonment, murder, mental illness and alcoholism. Like many Black southern families, there exist cold cases. My grandfather Mack Hopkins was murdered by a white man who said my grandfather had threatened him with a knife. One version of the murder was that my grandfather knocked on the wrong door. There was an inquest, and the white man went free.
My grandfather, a laborer, supplemented the family’s food supply by hunting. My only photo is of him posing in front of a car. About a dozen rabbits, a source of protein, are strung up. It’s bad enough that the capitalist system has opposed Blacks acquiring assets, but the murder of Black men compounds the loss, depriving their survivors of assets these victims might have accrued.
My mother was 17 when she visited my grandfather in the hospital; his clothes were soaked with blood. As he was lying near death, he told her he’d overheard the doctor say, “Let that n—-r die.” Years later, when I received a copy of the death certificate, his cause of death was listed as “shock,” with the sentence, “stabbed by some man.”
Four years after my grandfather’s death, I was born in the hallway of the same hospital.

Book jacket for “Black Girl from Tannery Flats,” by Thema V. Reed
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Courtesy of Ishmael Reed
I haven’t been able to obtain the inquest report, but in court my mother called the murderer of my grandfather a liar. She was tough like that, an attribute she inherited from her grandmother, Mary Coleman, who opened a food stand in her front yard after her Irish husband abandoned her. Mary catered to white workers who were employees of the pipe manufacturer located near the Tennessee River in Chattanooga. She insisted that they call her Mrs. Coleman.
The 1930s were difficult for my mother. In 1930, Mary Coleman, her grandmother, died. In 1934, her father was murdered. In 1938, she became pregnant by a Knoxville college student. He refused to support her, leaving her and me in poverty while he married into the Black aristocracy.

We ultimately moved to Buffalo, New York, in search of a safer existence, but until then, my mother found a way for us to survive in the Tennessee of the 1930s and 1940s. In her 2003 memoir, “Black Girl From Tannery Flats,” she called it her “Southern Strategy.”

Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Grote, members of one of the most powerful Chattanooga families.
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Courtesy of Ishmael Reed
What she had learned was that good white people would protect you from the bad ones. That was her Southern Strategy. My grandfather’s murderer represented white evil. And my mother could call her father’s murderer a liar because present in the court was Mrs. Clifford Grote, a member of one of the most powerful Chattanooga families, a family that represented the other side of white Tennessee. She employed both my mother and grandmother. Even though my mother was unmarried, Mrs. Grote pulled strings to get her an apartment in the projects. When my grandmother became schizophrenic (the family version was she was under a HooDoo curse), the Grotes were there to support her. They lived in a plantation-styled estate, columns and all. I remember there being an elevator that connected the floors. Mrs. Grote called me G.W. because I was born on February 22, sharing a birthday with the first president. Family members still call me by that name.
They weren’t the only good white folks. When my mother’s boyfriend, a pretty boy with “good hair,” was caught in bed with a white woman at the Read Hotel where he worked, another employer, a white man named Herbert Spencer, helped to get him out of town safely. When my mother was stabbed during a race riot on a Knoxville bus, her employer, a white woman, insisted that she receive a settlement from the bus company. “You’d do it for me,” she said. My mother also used this strategy in Buffalo. When it came time for my younger brothers to be ensnared in the criminal justice system, she warned the cops assigned to the ritual that young Black men must maneuver that she worked for Judge Sedita, a member of an important Italian American family. His brother Frank was mayor. The cops backed off.
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#Tennessee #White #Faces #Ive
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

May 5, 2023
boAt Wave Call Smart Watch, Smart Talk with Advanced Dedicated Bluetooth Calling Chip, 1.69” HD Display with 550 NITS & 70% Color Gamut, 150+ Watch Faces, Multi-Sport Modes, HR, SpO2, IP68(Mauve)

Price: [price_with_discount]
(as of [price_update_date] – Details)

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From the manufacturer

Dial Pad- Its dial pad is super responsive and convenient. You can also save upto 10 contacts in this smart watch
Screen Size- Wave Call comes with a 1.69” HD Display that features a bold, bright, and highly responsive 2.5D curved touch interface
Resolution- With 550 nits of brightness get sharper color resolution that brightens your virtual world exponentially.
Watch Faces- Wave Call comes with 150+ Cloud watchfaces for you to pick from, complementing your every mood and outfit
Supported Applications- HR, SpO2, Fitness Tracker, Text SMS, Pedometer, Calender, Alarm. Note: HR and SpO2 readings are not for medical usage
Sports Modes- Choose from multiple sports modes which include Walking, Running, Cycling, Climbing, Yoga, Basketball, Football, Badminton, Skipping & Swimming

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#boAt #Wave #Call #Smart #Watch #Smart #Talk #Advanced #Dedicated #Bluetooth #Calling #Chip #Display #NITS #Color #Gamut #Watch #Faces #MultiSport #Modes #SpO2 #IP68Mauve

May 2, 2023
Debris blast from SpaceX rocket launch faces environmental scrutiny

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While the spectacle of SpaceX’s new Starship rocket blowing up over the Gulf of Mexico riveted the public’s attention, it was the explosive nature of the launch at ground level that was drawing heightened scrutiny from the government this week.
The shattering force of last Thursday’s launch in south Texas sent a cloud of pulverized concrete raining over a small town nearby, federal regulators said, raising fresh questions about the environmental impact of ramped-up launch operations at the site.
The blastoff from the SpaceX facility, adjacent to a national wildlife refuge near Boca Chica Beach, also hurled large chunks of concrete and metal thousands of feet away and ignited a 3.5-acre (1.4-hectare) fire on nearby grounds, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Damage to the launchpad, the floor of which was largely demolished during liftoff, was visible in photos of the aftermath. No one was hurt, and no dead birds or wildlife were found on lands owned or managed by the refuge, the agency said.
The rocket itself tumbled out of control and blew up in midair a few minutes into its flight.
SpaceX Starship rocket blows up minutes after launch – video
Environmentalists seized on the report as evidence that a more in-depth study of potential hazards to public safety and wildlife should be conducted before further Starship launches are conducted at Boca Chica.
“They contemplated debris from these launches, but not part of the launchpad itself being blown out miles away and scattered across the landscape,” said Jared Margolis, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “What happened is not what they anticipated.”
Nasa is counting on Starship as a major component of its Artemis program, aimed at returning astronauts to the moon in the next few years as a stepping stone to eventual human exploration of Mars.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Fish and Wildlife Service findings.
The 20 April launch was days after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted SpaceX a license to launch the Starship via its Super Heavy rocket booster. The uncrewed test flight was the first for the combined two-stage vehicle.
Despite the outcome, SpaceX hailed the aborted mission as a qualified success. The company said it was satisfied in getting Starship off the ground in its maiden test flight, the launch a valuable source of data for further development of the spacecraft.
The report by the Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the US interior department, was the first account from government regulators on the extent of collateral damage from the launch, apart from the aerial explosion of the Starship itself.
A piece of concrete blown off the launchpad litters the ground after the SpaceX Starship launch. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
Elon Musk, the billionaire founder and CEO of SpaceX, said on Friday that the California-based company now plans to install a water-cooling system and steel foundation for the next launch of the rocket, the most powerful ever built.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week said it had opened a “mishap” investigation, as required by law, effectively grounding the rocket ship until SpaceX determines a root cause for any failures and takes corrective action.
Concrete dust cloud
On the ground, the force of roughly 30 rocket engines firing at full power pummeled the launchpad at liftoff, carving a crater several feet deep into the ground.
A resulting plume of concrete dust drifted as far as 6.5 miles (10.5km) to the north-west, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Pulverized material fell over tidal flats in the area and on Port Isabel, a town near the state’s far south-eastern tip, said agency spokesperson Aubry Buzek.
An environmental assessment that the agency approved last year for the recently expanded Starbase facility envisions blastoff debris remaining within a 700-acre (approximately 1 sq mile or 283 hectares) zone around the launchpad.
Concrete chunks and metal shrapnel flung thousands of feet from the launchpad would likely have landed in critical habitat for the piping plover, a shorebird on the endangered species list, Margolis said.
Before the FAA granted the license, environmentalists had pressed for a more extensive environmental impact study. Margolis said the launch mishap proved the original environmental analysis was inadequate.
Reopening the SpaceX facility to a full-scale environmental review would set back Starship development, complicating Nasa’s Artemis timeline, as well as the anticipated use of the spacecraft for Pentagon and commercial missions.
Musk suggested last week that SpaceX could have planned upgrades to the launch site ready for installation before the next launch attempt in one to two months.
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#Debris #blast #SpaceX #rocket #launch #faces #environmental #scrutiny
( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

April 28, 2023
The enemy within? Ukraine’s Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church faces scrutiny

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Father Mykola Danylevych, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church, answered the phone before quickly hanging up. “I told you to call me on an encrypted line!” Danylevych, like his fellow high-ranking clergymen at the church, are in a state of paranoia and panic – their church, the biggest in Ukraine, is under threat.
“We are not holier than thou, we admit that there are some unresolved matters on our side … but we are for individual responsibility, not collective,” said Danylevych.
Since November, the Ukrainian state has been investigating the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church – alleging it is an arm of the Kremlin, disguising Russian propaganda as religious teachings.
Some of the top leaders of the church, along with several key monasteries, have been subject to searches, and several high-profile priests have been charged with treason and inciting religious hatred.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in December that any religious organisation found to be working for Russia would be banned, a move he explained was designed to prevent Russia from weakening Ukraine from within.
The Moscow-affiliated church has been told to leave its headquarters after its lease expired at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, the most important home of eastern Orthodoxy.
In the walled Lavra monastery on the riverbank in central Kyiv stand dozens of golden domed churches connected by winding cobbled streets. Since the eviction notice, priests, monks and seminarians dressed in the traditional long black Orthodox robes have been seen loading icons and items of furniture on to trucks.
The Ukrainian state’s investigation into the church – prompted by an undated video of congregants at the Lavra praying for “Mother Russia” – has sunk its already dwindling reputation. In wartime Ukraine, where at least 100 soldiers are injured or killed on the frontlines each day, collaboration with Russia is viewed as the ultimate sin.

But the Moscow-affiliated church rejects the charges. It says it broke its ties with Moscow after the February 2022 invasion and vehemently denies being influenced, controlled or financed by Russia.
Instead, it insists that even before February 2022 the only connection had been its spiritual recognition of the Moscow Patriarch as the mother Orthodox church and the church had administered itself and received no money from Moscow.
In an interview, the Metropolitan (bishop) Clement, the head of information policy at the Moscow-affiliated church in Ukraine, claimed the Ukrainian state’s investigation is a plot to sow disunity among Ukrainians by Russian agents in the Ukrainian presidential administration.
Metropolitan Clement also claimed that the video filmed at the Lavra had been doctored, and the singing was added over it. “Did you see anyone singing in the video?” Clement asked. “We have, are and will continue to help the country in the time of war, there are many [Ukrainian Orthodox] believers fighting in the army.”
Yet there many examples of high-ranking priests in his church propagating the Kremlin’s narratives before the 2022 invasion – such as saying in televised interviews that Crimea was Russian or that the war in the Donbas was a civil war, as well as refusing to criticise Russia or Vladimir Putin. Russia occupied Crimea and engineered a pro-Russian armed conflict in the Donbas in 2014.
The raids on the church by Ukraine’s security services since November have unearthed pro-Russian literature and flags, and even Russian passports.
Ukraine’s security services have also published wiretapped conversations allegedly featuring the church’s second most senior priest, Metropolitan Pavlo, celebrating the occupation of Kherson by Russia and discussing the Russian conspiracy theory that Russia was targeting US biolabs in Ukraine.
So, the question is not whether there are members of the Moscow-affiliated church who did, or still do, hold pro-Russian beliefs – or may even be on the Kremlin’s payroll – but more how widespread it is, and whether it warrants the Ukrainian authorities’ crackdown.
The UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) has expressed concern that the Ukrainian government’s actions against the church could be discriminatory.
“The FSB [Russian state security services] tries to act, not through the organisation, but through certain active members of the organisation,” said Sergei Chapnin, a senior fellow of Orthodox studies at Fordham University in New York. “But again, this is not the whole church.”
According to Chapnin, most of those with pro-Russian sympathies exist among the higher levels of the church.
He described how there had been several attempts to unify the non-Moscow Orthodox church and the Moscow-affiliated church starting in the 1990s but “Moscow agents” had worked to block the dialogue.
Cyril Hovorun, a theologian who used to be a senior member of the Moscow-affiliated church and then switched allegiance, compared the issue of pro-Russian infiltration in the church with the paedophile scandal in the Roman Catholic church – the leadership knows who is a Russian collaborator but turn a blind eye, or even defend the bishop in question, in order to protect the church.
“Some of those bishops are like FSB agents. Some of them are not, but they are still in parts of the same ‘corporation’,” said Hovorun.
“They lie to protect not themselves personally, but the corporation.
“The Kremlin quite early realised that in order to control the church, it’s enough to control its bishops.
“That’s why the Kremlin invested a lot into buying the loyalty of the Ukrainian bishops. And therefore, there is, I think, a disproportionate sympathy with the Russian cause among the bishops … a lot of people on the grassroots level, they are very dissatisfied with what the bishops say and do.”
Hovorun described how the grassroots clergymen are so disconnected from the leadership that, two months ago, they posed questions publicly about whether the church was now really independent or “just pretending to be”.
The head of the church, Metropolitan Onufriy, insists he has cut ties with Russia and used the term “Russian aggression” for the first time in February. In May 2022, the top priest met and removed all the references to the Russian Orthodox church from the church’s equivalent of its founding documents.
But Hovorun said that although they eliminated all explicit references to their relationship with the Moscow patriarchy, they introduced some implicit ones, which seem to leave the door open for the future.
“The Ukrainian society, because of that, doesn’t trust them,” said Hovorun.
Part of the problem is that the idea of Ukraine being part of the Russian world is ingrained in their religious education. Onufriy has a romanticised idea of Russia and “truly believes in his soul that there is a deep spiritual connection between Ukraine, Russia and Belarus”.
The Kremlin exploits the Russian world idea to get the priests to support it, said Hovorun. “It’s impossible to say what came first, the idea or the Russian state’s exploitation of the idea,” said Hovorun, noting that the idea has existed since tsarist times. “It’s like the chicken and the egg.”
Russian-Ukrainian oligarch turned deacon of the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian church, Vadim Novinsky, for instance, denied in an interview that Russia’s Patriarch Kirill supports the war in Ukraine and that the Russian Orthodox Church is used as influence instrument by the Kremlin – despite Kirill’s own proclamations.
“I haven’t heard that he’s pro-war,” said Novinsky, who also insists he supports Ukraine. Novinsky, who has Ukrainian citizenship, was sanctioned by the Ukrainian state in December for supporting Russia – a move he said is illegal because of his citizenship.
“Onufriy knows that there are collaborators but doesn’t want to deal with them and that’s a big problem,” said Hovorun.
As the security services continue their public investigation, believers and grassroots level priests of the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been increasingly switching their allegiance to the very similarly named Orthodox Church of Ukraine – which is around half the size of the Moscow-affiliated rival.
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which comprises almost exactly the same religious traditions but is not spiritually subordinate to Russia, was only recognised internationally in 2019.
Both the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church believe its proclamation of independence is schismatic – creating division.
Ukraine’s military intelligence, which is in charge of prisoner swaps, has suggested exchanging some of the 12,000 priests for Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia.
Despite them being Ukrainian citizens, Ukraine has already exchanged some of the charged Moscow-affiliated priests for Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, told Interfax News on Sunday – in some cases stripping them of their citizenship. “The enemy highly values its agents in cassocks – yes, one such person was exchanged for 28 Ukrainian servicemen,” said Malyuk.
Hovorun and Chapnin argue that the current policy is a mistake and will not eradicate pro-Russian ideas. This week, the police stationed themselves at the Lavra, prompting a heated response from the church and its believers.
Congregants that the Guardian met at the Lavra shortly after the nationwide searches began also said they believed the searches were a punishment from God, 100 years after Russian Tsar Nicholas II was murdered by the Bolsheviks in St Petersburg.
However the investigation progresses, the future of the Moscow-affiliated church, like all pro-Russian elements in Ukraine, is far from assured.
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#enemy #Ukraines #Moscowaffiliated #Orthodox #Church #faces #scrutiny
( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

April 25, 2023
Pakistan’s largest zoo faces permanent closure amid public outcry

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Karachi: Pakistan’s largest zoo in the port city of Karachi is facing a permanent closure after 145 years in existence due to its “very poor” living conditions for the animals, who face ill-treatment and are not being fed properly.
The Federal and Sindh governments are mulling the closure of the Karachi Zoo, the second oldest zoo in the country, after reports of the ill-treatment of several animals, particularly a 17-year-old elephant named Nur Jehan.
Earlier, the elephant was found in poor health condition. Despite undergoing successful surgery, the mammal’s health condition has deteriorated due to months of inadequate care and treatment.

“The living conditions are very poor and the animals are clearly not well taken care of. There have been complaints of animals not being fed properly. So, the option of shutting the zoo down is under consideration but not final as yet,” a top official in the provincial government said.
He said Federal Minister and Senator Sherry Rehman and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto had suggested closing the recreation park and the zoo.
“We are looking at moving the animals to safer places,” the official said.
The provincial government has already removed zoo Director Khalid Hashmi for his negligence and cruel behaviour towards animals, in particular Nur Jehan who is fighting for her life after falling into a concrete pond inside her small enclosure at the zoo last week.
The fall came after a team of veterinarians from a global animal welfare organisation visited the zoo and treated Nur Jehan and other animals who were sick.

Nur Jehan was one of four African elephants who were brought to Karachi in 2009. Nur Jehan and Madhubala were put in the Karachi Zoo while Malik and Sonu were taken to the Safari Park.
Numerous reports have highlighted the cruelty shown by the zookeepers and the administration of the Karachi Zoo towards the animals.
The poor living conditions of animals have raised eyebrows of the wildlife experts who are demanding that the Karachi Zoo be shut down and the animals be shifted to safer sanctuaries.
Officials at the zoo say the animals are suffering because there are no adequate funds.
“What can we do without a proper budget? The money generated is not enough to feed all the animals properly and keep the zoo neat and clean,” one official said.
Established in 1878, the Karachi Zoo was formerly known as Mahatma Gandhi Garden. It is the largest zoo in Pakistan and the second oldest zoo in the country after the Lahore Zoo.
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#Pakistans #largest #zoo #faces #permanent #closure #public #outcry
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 18, 2023
Karnataka polls: Mangaluru SDPI candidate faces sedition, under NIA watch

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Bengaluru: The candidate of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) for Mangaluru constituency, Riyaz Farangipet who has submitted nomination to contest from the Ullal constituency in Mangaluru, faces alleged sedition charges and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is closely watching his movements.
The SDPI has fielded a formidable candidate in the form of Riyaz, to wrestle the Mangaluru constituency from Congress, U.T. Khader, former minister and senior Congress leader. The constituency is considered as the bastion of Congress so far.
Riyaz, the national secretary of SDPI, was accused of hatching a conspiracy to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Phulwari Sharif Aarea of Bihar on July 12, 2022. The investigations allegedly revealed Riyaz’s links with accused persons. The NIA had filed an FIR against him. He is alleged to have taken part in the meetings with accused persons in planning.

In 2022, NIA had lodged an FIR against him on charges of sedition. The case is being investigated under IPC Sections 120, 120 (B), 121, 121 (A), 1s3(A), 1s3(B) read with 34.
Apart from this, there are many cases lodged against him in Belthangady, Mangaluru South, Konaje, Mangaluru North, East police stations in Dakshina Kannada district. He is facing charges of creating enmity between groups, obstructing the duty of policemen.
Riyaz Farangipet had taken out a massive rally to file nomination for the Mangaluru constituency on Monday. Sources said that the SDPI had aggressively campaigned against Congress candidate Khader, in the wake of hijab controversy and boycott call on Muslim traders.
Khader had won from this constituency three times since 2008 by defeating BJP candidates. In 2018 Khader defeated Santhosh Kumar Rai Boliyaru from BJP by more than 19,000 votes. BJP had won this constituency constantly for three times between 1994 to 2004.
Khader, known as a progressive leader, is facing stiff competition from the SDPI this time in the Muslim dominated constituency. It was the only constituency to be won by the Congress in the 2018 elections. All seats of the district were won by BJP.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 18, 2023
Shinde govt faces Opposition heat over sunstroke deaths at Maha award event

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Thane: The Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra on Monday faced criticism over the sunstroke-linked death of people at a mega award function in Navi Mumbai, held in an open ground under a scorching sun, with the Opposition demanding a probe into organisation of the programme as the toll rose to 13, while eight patients still remained hospitalised.
While the Congress sought registration of a case of culpable homicide and said the government should quit, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) sought a probe into the tragedy.
Tens of thousands of people had gathered in a 306-acre ground in the Kharghar area in Raigad district on Sunday for presentation of the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ award to spiritual leader and social reformer Appasaheb Dharmadhikari. The nearest weather station to the spot had recorded a maximum temperature of 38 degrees Celsius.

Eleven people attending the event died due to sunstroke on Sunday, while two patients undergoing treatment succumbed later, taking the toll to 13, officials said on Monday.
The deceased included nine women and four men, while eight people were still undergoing treatment after suffering from sunstroke at the award function, they said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Kapil Patil were among those present on the occasion.
Shinde termed the deaths as “very unfortunate” and said the kin of the deceased will be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar sought an inquiry into how the award event was organised during noon time when the temperature was very high.

Pawar visited the MGM Hospital at Kamothe in Navi Mumbai late Sunday night and enquired about the health of people undergoing treatment after suffering from sunstroke.
Talking to reporters, he termed the incident as “most unfortunate” and said the priority was to ensure the patients get well soon.
The NCP leader claimed it was a function of the Maharashtra government.
It is a well known fact that during April-May, day temperature are very high. During these days, temperatures hover around 40 degrees Celsius, Pawar said.
“Hence, it needs to be probed as to who had fixed the noon timing for the award function,” the former deputy CM said.
Pawar said the function could have been held in the evening and Union Home Minister Shah could have taken a chopper to reach the venue.
Shah had conferred the state’s highest civilian award on Dharmadhikari at the event.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said a case of culpable homicide must be registered against the Shinde government for the sunstroke deaths.
“Appasaheb is working for humanity and when someone of his stature is being given an award, it is obvious lakhs of his followers would attend the function. The government knew this but air-conditioned mandap was made only for Union Home Minister Amit Shah, chief minister, deputy CM and other dignitaries,” Patole said in Pune.
“This is a state programme. Why was there no covering for the lakhs who attended? This is inhuman and that is why people are seeking that a case of culpable homicide be registered against the Maharashtra government,” he added.
The Maharashtra Congress chief said the state government must take responsibility for the deaths and should resign.
NCP Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule demanded the formation of a panel to probe the incident.
“I express condolences to the bereaved families. Since the temperature is increasing, everybody should be a little sensitive while organising a public event. I heard CM Eknath Shinde announcing an ex-gratia, but I would like to say that the worth of human life cannot be Rs 5 lakh,” Sule told reporters.
Asked about the Opposition demand for registration of an offence of culpable homicide for the deaths, she alleged the state government is also insensitive towards farmers, women’s safety, and damage caused by unseasonal rains.
“This is a tragic incident and it was a black day for the state. The state government should form a (probe) committee. It was the state government that had invited people who follow Appasaheb Dharamadhikari (the recipient of the Maharashtra Bhushan award) for the function, so the state should explain,” Sule demanded.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut blamed the Maharashtra government for the tragedy and claimed politics prevailed over the convenience of people.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut said, “The Maharashtra Bhushan award function could have been held in the evening, but Union minister Amit Shah had no free time. Thus, the programme was held during the day time and people got exposed to the scorching heat and sunlight.”
“Politics behind the award prevailed over people’s convenience,” the Rajya Sabha member said.
“The programme got stretched too long and people fell sick. A few of them even died because of it. The people who attended the event had come for Appasaheb Dharmadhikari and not for any other politician present on the stage,” Raut said.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson said there have been similar incidents in the past and the state should have learnt some lessons from them before organising such events.
Many of followers of Shree Parivar (Dharmadhikari’s organisation) had reached the venue on Friday and stayed there till the function concluded at around 1.30 pm on Sunday.
Union Home Minister Shah on Monday expressed grief over the tragedy.
“The death of people who attended yesterday’s Maharashtra Bhushan award function has deeply saddened me. I express my condolences to the families of the deceased. I pray for the recovery of those who are currently being treated,” Shah tweeted.
At the sprawling venue, some people complained of dizziness and other health complications. Some also fainted at the ground. They were initially treated at make shift medical facilities and later rushed to hospitals.
Dharmadhikari has a massive following in the state due to his tree plantation drives, blood donation and medical camps as well as de-addiction work in tribal areas.
The Maharashtra Bhushan is the state’s top civilian award given to people for their contribution towards the welfare of society.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 17, 2023