Tag: Kashmir News

Misinformation threatens democracies, says US government official David Moyer

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Hyderabad: “It was imperative for Citizens to be aware of the misinformation ecosystem and counter it through truthful information. Misinformation threatens democracies across the world, as there is a divergence of opinion and no shared understanding of basic facts,” said David Moyer, Public Affairs Officer at the United States Consulate General in Hyderabad on Tuesday at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU). He was addressing the inaugural session as the chief guest of the one-day Training Workshop ‘Countering Disinformation for Urdu Journalists’ organized by the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ), MANUU in collaboration with the Department of MCJ, Osmania University (OU) and US Consulate General, Hyderabad.
Prof Syed Ainul Hasan, Vice Chancellor, MANUU presided over the function.
David Moyer said, “There is a need to change the nature of discourse in the media towards positive and factual information on the issues relevant to the public.” The workshop will help strengthen democratic foundations by empowering Urdu journalists with fact-checking skills and provide reliable news to the public, he added.

Prof Ainul Hasan urged the media to work to build trust by strengthening digital media literacy and empowering individuals to identify, critically analyse and counter disinformation. It is also our responsibility to know whether the information provided is correct or not. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of Independent India, and Maulvi Muhammad Baqir, who was the first martyr from the Indian journalist community, used journalism as a weapon during the freedom struggle, he remembered.
The guest of honour B. Sumathi, DIG, Women Safety, Government of Telangana, opined that countering disinformation may be used for the promotion and protection of women’s rights. Disinformation should not become a pretext to intimidate and harass critical voices, denigrate opponents or obstruct the legitimate activities of human rights, she remarked.
Prof. Stevenson Kohir, Project Coordinator and Head, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, OU outlined various topics of training sessions conducted by noted fact checkers led by Lead Trainer, U Sudhakar Reddy, Md. Abdul Basith, Media Advisor, US consulate General Hyderabad.
Prof. Mohammad Fariyad, Dean and Head, School/Dept. of MCJ delivered the welcome address. Prof. Ehtesham Ahmad Khan, Dept of MCJ proposed a vote of thanks. Ms. Uzma Sadaf, a student introduced the Chief Guest. A booklet “Standard Operating Tools” for Urdu Journalists was also released.
The resource persons – Mr. Krishna Sastry Pendyala, Umam Noor, Sudhakar Reddy Udumula, and M. A. Majid provided insights on various aspects pertaining to Countering Disinformation, Visual Content Verification, and misinformation.

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#Misinformation #threatens #democracies #government #official #David #Moyer
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
Heatwave across Telangana for the next 10 days

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Hyderabad: After scattered rains leading to humidity across Telangana including on Tuesday, a solid heatwave has been predicted to take over the state from Wednesday.
According to the weather forecast by the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), maximum temperatures are expected to be in the range of 39 degrees to 44 degrees, while the minimum temperatures are to be in the range of 26 degrees to 29 degrees.
In Hyderabad, maximum temperatures are expected to be in the range of 37 degrees to 40 degrees Celsius over the temperature for the next 3 days.

Light to moderate rain/thundershowers are expected at isolated places up to Wednesday. Thereafter, dry weather is expected.
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#Heatwave #Telangana #days
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
Muhammad Ali is The Greatest in boxing and abundance of unique traits

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The Greatest was a name that Muhammad Ali gave to himself back in the days when he was a youthful and arrogant boxing world champion. Over the years he mellowed and matured as a human being but the people continued to call him The Greatest. They accepted the fact that there was nobody like him because he had several unique qualities that he had displayed both inside and outside the boxing ring.
For one thing, he was a man of great courage. That is not unusual because every boxer has to have courage. But Ali’s courage went far beyond the confines of a boxing ring. Imagine how much guts it needed for any man to take on the world’s most powerful government and openly say that he disagreed with the government’s policies. Very few sportsmen can do it. These words and this attitude coming from a black man made the whites furious. The US government too was determined to use its muscle against this rebellious black sportsman.
The US administration manipulated the rules and saw to it that Ali was stripped of his boxing title and sent to jail. But Ali refused to bow down before this tyranny. For five years he fought a lonely battle in the courts before finally winning his bout. Like he had knocked out his boxing rivals, he also knocked out the government of the USA. Then he climbed back into the ring to reclaim the crown that they had taken away from him.

His daughter Hana Ali has written a book wherein she has portrayed a side of the champ that was never visible to the public eye. What was Ali like a father and a husband?
She writes that Ali had a sweet tooth and would often come home with a huge bag of sweets. Popsicles were his favourites. He and his children would devour these sweets in no time. It was only when he had a competition coming up that Ali would force himself to live without sweets. Two or three months before the competition, he would stop eating sweets as he went into practice mode.
Ali was a very popular person and had a huge number of friends who would often drop in at his house. Many of them were well-known Hollywood celebrities. They included actors John Travolta, Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood, Will Smith, singers Kris Kristofferson and Lionel Richie, and many others. There was not even a single day when Ali’s home did not have a visitor.
On top of that Ali would make new friends almost every day. As a way to pass the time, he would take the telephone directory and call any random number listed there. The person at the other end would pick up the phone and Ali would wish him good morning. The other person would be surprised and ask who was calling. To which Ali would reply that he was the world champion!
The other man wouldn’t believe it until Ali began reciting his rhymes in his well-known voice. He would convince the man that it was indeed Ali. It would be a telephone call that the unknown person would remember all his life. No wonder then that Ali was loved ardently by people from all classes. People in distant corners of the globe may not know who the President of the USA or Russia was, but they knew who Muhammad Ali was.

Once, when he was a young and proud man, he was traveling on a flight but he refused to wear a seat belt. When the air hostess instructed him to do so, he replied: “Superman doesn’t need a seat belt.” She retorted: “The real Superman doesn’t need an airplane to fly.” That quick repartee brought Ali to his senses and he quietly buckled on the belt.
Ali visited India twice. On one occasion he was invited to give away awards at a Bollywood function. He met Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and several actors and directors.
Another time he made a trip to India and met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He has already heard about the Indian Prime Minister and was her admirer. He told her: “You are the Greatest.” He also took the liberty of hugging her and planting a loud kiss on her cheek. Mrs. Gandhi was unused to such impetuous greetings and she blushed deeply. But she managed to retain her smile and welcomed the champ to India.
But in later life, the dreaded Parkinson’s disease fastened Ali in its deadly grasp. This proved to be a fight that Ali could not win. He eventually succumbed on 3rd June 2016. His daughter has described the circumstances of his passing. “Daddy went to sleep in the afternoon like he always did. But at some point, his stressed-out organs began to fail and thereafter he awoke in heaven.”
After he passed away, the Janazah (the last prayer of a departed soul on earth) congregation was attended by several VIPs including Turkish President Erdogan. Politicians such as Barack Obama, Hilary and Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and former UK Prime Minister David Cameron all paid rich tributes. His numerous fans and friends including Hollywood actor Will Smith, boxers Lennox Lewis, Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson laid him to rest. Ali’s memorial was watched by an estimated 1 billion television viewers worldwide. It was truly the end of a glorious era.
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#Muhammad #Ali #Greatest #boxing #abundance #unique #traits
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
16 involved with Hizb ut-Tahrir under IB, Telangana police lens

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Hyderabad: The Intelligence Bureau was keeping a close watch on the 16 persons who were detained in a predawn operation in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana for allegedly maintaining links with an International radical organization.
The agency in coordination with the counter-intelligence wing of the Telangana police and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Madhya Pradesh police detained 11 persons in MP and five others in Hyderabad city of Telangana.
The Intelligence agencies are keeping a close watch on the people who were directly or indirectly in contact with the members and sympathizers of Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), an alleged terrorist group after the arrest of Ziyavudeen Baqavi of Tamil Nadu was arrested in February 2022 for allegedly radicalising vulnerable Muslim youths to establish an Islamic state and enforce a constitution written by a radical preacher.

“The case pertained to the conduct of secret ‘bayaan’ classes by members of HuT, an offshoot of ISIS, a proscribed terror organisation, for radicalizing youths to establish an Islamic state or caliphate and enforce the constitution written by radical Islamic preacher Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani,” the NIA had stated in a press release issued then. Al-Nabhani is the founder of HuT.
Three of the persons who were detained in the operation are revert-Muslims. One of them is well known for his Islamic classes and actively involved in helping new revert Muslims in administrative matters. He was also on the radar of the Telangana police and central law enforcement agencies.
According to various agencies, HuT has avoided global scrutiny radar while spreading its ideology and was becoming a more dangerous ‘terrorist group’ than ISIS. India had inputs from global security agencies about its expansion plans. HuT is alleged to have a support base in nearly 50 countries.
Founded in Jerusalem in 1952 and headquartered in London, the group has branches in Central Asia, Europe, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, where it has managed to garner great influence, say agency reports.
In South Asia, HuT has a significant presence in Pakistan and Bangladesh. HuT claims to have organised a demonstration in 2010 at Batla House in Delhi in protest against Israel’s alleged atrocities. This was said to be one of the last reported HuT activities in India, according to security experts. The detained individuals are being questioned for more details.

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#involved #Hizb #utTahrir #Telangana #police #lens
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
UP civic polls: SP gave tickets to those responsible for riots in Kanpur, says Yogi

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Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday hit out at the Samajwadi Party, alleging those responsible for riots and curfews in Kanpur were its candidates in the urban local body polls.
On the last day of campaigning for the second phase of the civic polls, Adityanath addressed public meetings in Kanpur, Banda and Chitrakoot and appealed to voters to make the BJP victorious so that funds allocated by the Central and state governments for development and welfare schemes are utilized fully.
At an election rally in Kanpur, the chief minister said this city used to be known as the country’s textile hub and largest industrial city, but its neglect by the previous government was “known to everyone”.

Referring to Kanpur’s once-booming illegal firearms industry, he said ‘kattas’ (countrymade pistols) were manufactured in Kanpur under the SP rule, but a new node of the Defence Corridor is being built here now.
As the country’s centre for defence production, Kanpur is establishing a new identity, Adityanath said.
“Those who were responsible for riots and curfews in Kanpur and played with people’s faith in the past are today the candidates of the Samajwadi Party. The kind of remarks they have made on women and the holy epic ‘Ramayan’ are not hidden from anyone,” the chief minister said.
“The urban local body election is not only (a medium) to elect a mayor but also about making all the BJP candidates victorious in all the wards,” he said.
“This election is not about hatred and personal comments. This election is about making your city a smart city, a safe city and one which has all the basic facilities,” he said at the meeting.

Adityanath also referred to the work done by his government to clean river Ganga under the Namami Gange project.
“Mother Ganga is our faith and our identity. Due to the neglect by the previous governments, 14 crore litres of sewage were discharged into Mother Ganga through the Sisamau drain. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the work on the Namami Gange project started.
“At that time, there was a Samajwadi Party government in the state. The SP did not do any work for two years. In March 2017, the double-engine BJP government came to power, and today not even a single drop from the Sisamau drain falls into the Ganga,” he said.
The chief minister also appealed to voters to add “a third engine” to the “double-engine government” and make Kanpur better again with basic facilities.
“Double-engine” is a term often used by BJP leaders to refer to the party ruling at the Centre and in a state.
Addressing another rally at Banda, the CM said that the Bundelkhand region has overcome the problem of barren and rugged terrain and is set to become a heaven on earth.
“In the next four months, the work of providing pure tap water to every house in Bundelkhand is going to be completed,” he said.
Adityanath said the entire Bundelkhand region is writing a “new chapter of development today” and recalled that for years the unveiling of Maharana Pratap’s statue was stalled which he did when he visited Banda last time.
He said that prior to 2017, Bundelkhand faced a lot of problems related to drinking water, agriculture, employment, and security.
Earlier women had to bring water in pitchers from far-off places, but today through the Har Ghar Nal Yojana, tap water is being provided to every house in Bundelkhand and the exercise will be completed in the next four months, he said.
Addressing his last rally of the day at Chitrakoot, the CM said, “Chitrakoot has been freed from dacoits criminals and is being re-established as a holy place of Sanatan Hinduism.”
Taking a jibe at the opposition parties, he added: “Dr. Lohia started the Ramayana fairs, but the Samajwadi Party, which does politics in the name of Dr. Lohia, says that Ram did not exist. Its leaders are making unsavoury comments on Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas as well.”
Adityanath also said that the then Samajwadi Party government opened fire on the devotees of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
Adityanath was referring to police firing on ‘karsevaks’ gathered in Ayodhya on the saffron outfits’ call in 1990 when SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav was the UP chief minister.
“Their thinking is anarchic, opportunistic and dynastic. They can’t befriend a saint, but would readily garland a dacoit and allow them to exploit common people and traders,” he remarked further.
The second and final phase of the urban local body polls in UP will be held on May 11. The counting of votes will take place on May 13.
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#civic #polls #gave #tickets #responsible #riots #Kanpur #Yogi
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
Messi receives $400 million per year offer to join Saudi club Al-Hilal?

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The superstar footballer Lionel Messi after his two-week suspension from Paris St. Germain last week following an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, as per a report from El Chiringuito, has accepted an offer to join Saudi Arabia’s club Al-Hilal next season.
The report suggests that the contract of Argentina’s football striker with Al-Hilal would be worth a breathtaking $400 million offer to join Al-Hilal.
According to media reports, Messi received a special offer from Al Hilal to play against city rivals of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.

The reports came after the 2023 world cup captain Lionel Messi was recently suspended by PSG for his trip to Saudi Arabia for tourism promotion without their approval. reportedly Messi was suspended for two weeks after failing to appear in training on Monday.
Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets, a prominent Spanish footballer is also rumoured to join Al-Hilal along with Messi.
Messi, who joined PSG from Barcelona two years ago, has a commercial contract with Saudi Arabia to promote tourism in the Middle Eastern country. There has been speculation about Messi’s future, especially after reports that contract talks with PSG had broken down. Some PSG fans have even booed Messi amid the team’s inconsistent campaign. Messi has scored 15 league goals and leads the French league with 15 assists.
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#Messi #receives #million #year #offer #join #Saudi #club #AlHilal
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
Andhra Pradesh CM launches helpline to redress people’s grievances

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Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday launched a new programme, ‘Jaganannaku Chebudham’ aimed at redressing individual grievances pertaining to government services or schemes.
The Chief Minister launched a toll-free helpline number 1902 which allows citizens to directly call and raise their individual problems with the Chief Minister’s Office.
It is an upgraded version of ‘Spandana’ that aims to proactively reach out to citizens, gather their grievances in a focused manner, and address them in a mission mode. The Chief Minister launched this initiative in the presence of over 1 lakh government officials who were connected via a video call that was arranged in all village and ward secretariats across districts.

“Climbing the ladder brings with it great responsibility. I am not here to rule, but to serve. Starting with me, every government official from top to bottom will be at your service through Jaganannaku Chebudham,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said in his address.
Reiterating his government’s commitment to the public, he said: “The government is moving towards finding a solution to every problem that a citizen can have. This grievance redressal helpline under the Jaganannaku Chebudham program aims to resolve individual grievances relating to any government service or schemes in the most effective manner. Calling 1902 brings the grievance directly to my attention and I consider your problem as mine.”
With this toll-free number, individuals can quickly and easily raise governance-related grievances that are impacting them and their families. In addition to lodging grievances, citizens can also make inquiries about government services and welfare schemes from the comfort of their own homes.
The government claimed that through this initiative it has provided an effective option for individuals to simply call and share their concerns directly with the CM’s Office.
The government has also formed PMUs (Project Monitoring Units) to ensure timely and effective resolution of citizens’ issues. These special monitoring teams will work at various levels of government from the state-level to the mandal-level to regularly follow up and monitor the redressal process.

These teams are directly scrutinized by the Chief Minister’s Office, ensuring that every grievance receives the attention and action it deserves. With the support of PMUs, the government aims to address all citizen grievances raised on the helpline to be promptly taken up by the authorities concerned with the utmost care and attention. The citizens are also given a follow-up feedback call after their grievance has been resolved, officials said.
Furthermore, if a citizen feels that their issue needs to be revisited, the government will reopen the case and escalate it to a senior officer to ensure that every concern is addressed in the best possible manner, they added.
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#Andhra #Pradesh #launches #helpline #redress #peoples #grievances
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
May 10, 11 To Be ‘Traffic Dry Days’ On Srinagar-Leh Highway

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SRINAGAR: The authorities on Tuesday said that May 10 and 11 will be “Traffic Dry Days” on Srinagar-Leh in view of the road widening work along the Sonamarg-Minimarg stretch.
According to a communique, SSP Traffic Rural Kashmir advised Ladakh-bound motorists to avoid travel on these days.
“In view of widening work along the Sonamarg-Minimarg stretch of SSG road, owing to fresh snow fall in upper reaches of Baltal and Zojila, May 10 and 11 would be Traffic Dry Days on Srinagar-Ladakh road,” reads the communique.
“As such all Ladakh bound motorists are informed through the medium of this advisory that they shall avoid travel towards Ladakh on the dates designated as Traffic Dry Days,” it reads—(KNO)

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#Traffic #Dry #Days #SrinagarLeh #Highway
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

May 9, 2023
Israel min cuts India visit short, to return after meeting PM

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New Delhi: Within hours of his arrival in New Delhi for a three-day visit, Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has cut short his visit to return home owing to certain security-related developments in that country.
Official sources said that Cohen is expected to return later on Tuesday after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Cohen informed about his change of plans in a tweet.

Cohen had arrived earlier on Tuesday for a three-day day visit. His visit was being seen as preparing the groundwork for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled visit to India later this year.
“Foreign Minister Eli Cohen landed a short while ago in New Delhi, the capital of India, and as soon as he landed he received a security update,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.
“In light of the events in Israel, Foreign Minister Cohen decided to cut short his diplomatic visit to India and return to Israel after the meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that will take place today,” it said further.
According to reports from Tel Aviv, Israel has launched a major military offensive targetting some militants in Gaza Strip.

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#Israel #min #cuts #India #visit #short #return #meeting
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
KPDCL Negligence Turns Fatal In Two Cases

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by Babra Wani
SRINAGAR: The Kashmir power distribution corporation limited Kashmir (KPDCL) is making headlines again, though for all the wrong reasons.
The recent incidents of Soura (Srinagar) and Lidroo, (Pahalgam) resulted in two deaths and raised some serious questions on the corporation’s ground zero operations. While the corporation is working on installing smart meters in some areas, people from other areas are crying to the authorities for their pleas to be heard.
Soura Incident
In the Mir Mohalla, Awanta Bhawan, Soura area, which is located in the city outskirts a man lost his life to the negligence of the power department, the residents of the area alleged. The residents told local media that the power department had snapped the electric connection in the locality after some residents protested against the installation of smart meters.
Residents said the deceased man was on oxygen support and the snapping of power lines disrupted the air supply.
The residents alleged that the man, Muhammad Aslam Mir, was on oxygen concentrator support, and passed away due to the lack of oxygen supply when the power department snapped the electricity to the area after protests against installation of smart meters.
The locals have protesting against the KPDCL and are seeking action against the officials who snapped the power supply.

“My sympathies are with the family, if there was any such medical emergency, there should have been necessary alternatives or arrangements made,” a senior KPDCL official said. “Yes, the electricity was snapped to the area as the people did not allow the installation of smart meters.”
Lidroo incident
Located in South Kashmir’s Anantnag, residents of a small village Lidroo started panicking when a high-tension wire fell on a cow shed. The incident left four people injured among which one Mehraj ud din Reshi, a resident of nearby village Virsaran, succumbed to his injuries.
The injured were identified as Mubeena Bano wife of Sajad Ahmed Bhat, Naseema Bano wife of Nazir Ahmed Bhat and Nayeem Ahmed Bhat son of Sajad Ahmed Bhat all residents of Lidroo.
The injured were shifted to District Hospital Anantnag in Janglat Mandi where the two women were discharged yesterday and Nayeem who is a student is still undergoing treatment for his injuries. He has suffered some serious injuries and burns to his face. The doctors have asked him to consult plastic surgeons in SKIMS Soura for further treatment.
The villagers of Lidroo told this reporter that the wire was hanging for the past twenty years. According to village elders they had time and again requested the authorities to change the location of the power transformer, which is located on the roadside as there were houses nearby and people and cattle often pass by it, but their pleas were not heard.
Recalling the incident the residents said that the high-tension wire passed over the top of the cowshed. The wire somehow came in contact with the cow shed which resulted in a fire. And that is when the unfortunate incident took place. Eye witnesses said that when the fire broke out in the shed, the deceased Mehraj went to extinguish it but got stuck. The two women and the young student went to save him and got injured in the process. All four of them were immediately taken to the hospital where Mehraj lost his life.
The residents have requested the authorities to take the matter seriously, “For the sake of the Almighty kindly relocate the electric transformer and fix the electric poles, so that no other such incident takes place,” a local Farooq Ahmed on behalf of the residents said.
A KPDCL official stated that the concerned authorities are unavailable at the moment and will be able to talk after a few days.

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#KPDCL #Negligence #Turns #Fatal #Cases
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

May 9, 2023