SRINAGAR: Intensifying the ongoing cleaning of Dal Lake in Srinagar ahead of the mega event of G-20, the J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) has placed men and machinery to work for maximum hours to ensure the cleaning of the water body on a fast-track basis, an official said on Tuesday.
LCMA Vice Chairman, Bashir Ahmad Bhat said that the cleaning of the Dal Lake is an ongoing process, but ahead of the G-20 event, they have switched the cleaning process on a fast-track basis.
“In view of the G-20 summit event, men and machinery have been pressed into work for maximum hours, and these days it starts from around 7 am to 9 pm on a daily basis,” he said.
He said they are cleaning the entire Dal and are maintaining the area of around 6.5 sq km, which they have cleaned up over the past two years so that there is no regrowth.
Bhat said there are some areas across the shoreline where they cannot take up cleaning with the help of machines, but they are deploying labor for manual cleaning in those areas alongside the work of dredging on the shorelines.
Pertinently, in order to add to the beauty of the lake and to attract more tourists, J&K LCMA in March this year installed an aerator/fountain inside the Dal Lake which shoots water up to 80 meters high.
According to the LCMA officials, the clusters of the aerators have been pre-programmed with different patterns of formations viz high jet, mist formation, and trumpet formation with changing colors which provides breath-taking and scintillating visuals.
As the G20—tourism summit is scheduled to be held at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake here from May 22 to 24 this year, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir—Srinagar is witnessing a major makeover—(KNO)
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party working president P K Ganju joined the Democratic Progressive Azad Party here on Saturday along with his supporters, a DPAP leader said.
DPAP chairman and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad warmly welcomed Ganju, JKNPP spokesperson S Bali and their supporters into the party fold and said their joining would further strengthen the party.
Earlier on April 19, JKNPP general secretary Anita Thakur had joined the DPAP along with her supporters.
DPAP Jammu president Jugal Kishore Sharma said prominent political activists joining the Azad-led party indicates that it is growing fast in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said social activist Shivita of Marh constituency of Jammu along with a large number of women also joined the DPAP.
Lane also appeared to have attended a meeting where 11 Arizona Republicans falsely declared themselves presidential electors. In a video of that meeting, which was posted by the Arizona Republican Party, a man wearing a Trump campaign jacket with the name “Lane” on it is seen passing out papers for people to sign “certifying themselves Arizona’s ‘duly elected and qualified electors.’”
POLITICO also obtained a video from September of 2021 — during which time Lane was working as an RNC “election integrity” official in Virginia — in which he fanned conspiracy theories about the election. Lane was speaking to a gathering of conservative grassroots organizers about the RNC’s statewide plan to deploy poll workers and watchers in the upcoming gubernatorial election.
It’s important that “we learn from mistakes, we learn from any fraud, stealing,” said Lane.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that last year was stolen. ‘Stolen’ means different things to different people. On one end, it can mean the Chinese, the Russians, uh, hacked machines, or there was an influx of ballots, or fake ballots, whatever,” Lane said in the video given to POLITICO from the group Documented, a non-partisan investigative watchdog that says it believes “democracy itself is under attack.”
“On the other end is, ‘Hey, Covid was a thing, Democrats took complete advantage of it, within the laws, and outside the laws.’ And there’s everything in between,” said Lane.
Lane was among a number of people from the 2020 Trump campaign who both received subpoenas from law enforcement and complied with those requests. The committee declined to comment about the incident or his work in the House. Lane, who does not appear to have faced any charges, did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Lane was a young aide on the Trump campaign at the time, fresh out of graduating from law school. But his career path from there through the House Administration Committee underscores how individuals connected to Donald Trump’s unsuccessful scheme remain well within the corridors of power, including on matters of election conduct.
The House Administration Committee is often considered a sleepy backwater that runs the logistics of the House, including doling out parking and office spaces. But it also has broad jurisdiction over elections — from campaign finance law to voting rights and election administration. Its chair, Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), did not vote to block certification of the 2020 election but it’s been holding numerous hearings recently about the 2022 election, some that include individuals who deny the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
Last week, it held a hearing featuring a number of individuals who participated in a recent Washington conference hosted by conservative groups pushing for voting restrictions. Among those who testified were Hans Von Spakovsky, the Heritage Foundation’s elections lawyer who has a long history of advocating for voting restrictions and insists the U.S. system is rife with voter fraud.
Lane’s role would typically include helping to plan hearings, recommend witnesses and draft questions and helping to draft legislation, according to a person familiar with the committee’s operations.
In a potential sign of Lane’s influence over the committee’s work, last month Lynn Taylor of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy testified before the election subcommittee on the issue of “election observer access.” Taylor worked closely in 2021 with Lane, whom she introduced at the September event, and Cleta Mitchell, an attorney who advised Trump in the 2020 election. Mitchell spread false election claims and participated in the former president’s infamous call with Georgia election officials where Trump urged them to “find” votes. Mitchell resigned from her law firm following criticism of her involvement in the call.
After the 2020 election, Mitchell created a network of activist groups to recruit and coach poll watchers and workers in multiple battleground states. Mitchell’s broader “Election Integrity Network” is now collaborating directly with Taylor, according to Lindsey Zea, a research analyst for the VIPP who spoke during a Feb. 21 Zoom meeting of activists obtained by POLITICO.
Mitchell has also spoken openly about having a working relationship with the House Administration Committee. At a meeting last week for the Election Assistance Commission, a federal agency that serves as a clearinghouse for election information and upon whose advisory board she serves, Mitchell praised the committee’s staff.
“They’ve been wonderful about working with and helping to educate volunteers and citizen activists on weekly calls,” Mitchell said of the staffers. Mitchell did not respond to a request for comment.
During those weekly meetings, which often occur over Zoom and include conservative activists, Mitchell has encouraged attendees to become familiar with local elections clerks as she pushes a menu of reforms that would reduce ballot access among certain groups, including university students.
In an April 13 call run by an allied group, Michigan Fair Elections, Mitchell said “we are at a turning point in our republic.” According to the call, which was obtained by POLITICO, Mitchell went on to say that U.S. “electoral systems” need to change or Republicans will “lose the presidential election” again in 2024. A lawyer on a separate April 6 call run by the same group spoke about plans to sue public universities in Michigan that help register students to vote.
Mitchell has served as a member of the EAC’s advisory board since late 2021, when she was appointed as one of the two representatives of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, an independent federal commission created in the 1950s. Her position there has been the subject of controversy given the key role she played in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Though the board does not have a policy-making role and meets irregularly, it can make recommendations on voluntary guidelines to the EAC. The EAC certifies voting systems and advises local election offices on compliance with federal election regulations.
Earlier this month, the progressive think tank Center for American Progress issued a report highlighting the “failure” to hold Trump and his allies “fully accountable” for their “scheme to destabilize the democratic system for political purposes.”
As a RNC official, Lane collaborated with Mitchell in Virginia’s off-year gubernatorial election in 2021, which Mitchell considered a test pilot for nationwide “election integrity” coalitions. And in a January 2023 letter to RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, Mitchell and other members of her coalition complained that Lane and some other “election integrity” officials had not retained their positions after the 2022 midterms. The letter referred to Lane as an “outstanding leader.”
“We were distressed, to say the least, to learn that all the state (election integrity directors) and the entire field staff were to be terminated,” the letter read. “Preventing cheating in our nation’s elections is a priority to voters,” it continued.
Shortly thereafter, Lane took up the job with the House Administration Committee, according to his LinkedIn page.
“I have already had the opportunity to meet with Secretaries of State and county election officials from across the country,” Lane said on his LinkedIn in announcing his new role. He said he is “ecstatic” to be in the position.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Srinagar, May 4: In a major breakthrough, police in Kashmir foiled a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) plot of a major militant attack when they arrested a militant associate of the outfit who was working in a five-star hotel as a driver.
Police last week arrested Farooq Ahmad Wani son of Abdul Rashid Wani, resident of Wagoob Hygam, Baramulla district from a five start hotel in Kashmir where he was working as a driver.
A senior police official told Excelsior that during the interrogation it was found that he was in touch with his handlers across in Pakistan and had sent pictures and other details of some of the 5-star hotels of Kashmir where high profile guests including Union Ministers and other top leaders and senior officials stay.
The plot has been foiled ahead of G20 group meeting in Srinagar that is being held from May 22 to May 24 and the officer said that it is a major success.
A grenade was recovered from his possession and he is being questioned and police is working on the leads provided by him.
He said that the security has been further tightened around the hotels in Srinagar and other places ahead of the G20 meet as there is serious input about possible militant strike in Kashmir.
It may be mentioned here that only yesterday, Additional Director General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, took a security review meeting in Srinagar during which a special focus was laid on the emerging threat of Vehicle Based Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) and other modes of potential militant attacks including Fidayeen.
Sensing the gravity of the threat after audacious attack in Poonch last month on Army and the presence of a militant in 5-star hotel, elite Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and National Security Guards (NGS) are being placed for the security of G20 Group meeting in Srinagar.
The official said that the hotel management had no knowledge about the driver having militant links. He further said that Wani had developed links several months after working in the hotel.
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SRINAGAR: Dr Farooq Abdullah, the National Conference (NC) President and Srinagar MP, addressed party members at the Nawa-e-Subha party headquarters in Srinagar on Saturday. He cautioned the public against the efforts of those working to weaken Jammu and Kashmir from within. In attendance were several NC figures, including General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, Addl General Secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal among others.
In a statement issued, Dr. Farooq Abdullah cautioned the functionaries about the forces that are working against the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said, “It is up to us to understand the consequences of dividing our voices. Any misstep at this juncture would have far-reaching consequences. They do not want the genuine representative voices of J&K to be heard. Having real and representative voices in place makes it more difficult for them to pursue reckless experimentation in the region.”
Dr Farooq called for increasing the party’s outreach to the people and stated, “Our workers should knock on every door and make people aware of the challenges facing the region. The party’s vision and mission must reach every household. We currently see the emergence of political parties and leaders in every corner of Kashmir. However, the political vacuum created by the decisions of August 2019 cannot be filled by such airdropped leaders. Only a representative government can instill faith in the hearts of the people and meet this challenge.” (KNO)
United Nations: The UN Security Council has unanimously condemned the decision by the Taliban to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan, calling on the de facto authorities to “swiftly reverse” policies and practices that restrict women and girls from exercising their human rights.
The 15-nation Council, under the current Presidency of Russia, unanimously passed the resolution on Thursday that “condemns the decision by the Taliban to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations in Afghanistan, which undermines human rights and humanitarian principles.”
The resolution also calls for the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women and girls in Afghanistan.
It also calls upon the Taliban to “swiftly reverse the policies and practices that restrict the enjoyment by women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms including related to their access to education, employment, freedom of movement, and women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in public life.”
It urges all States and organisations to use their influence, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, to promote an urgent reversal of these policies and practices.
Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the UN Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, delivering a statement on behalf of Japan and her country in their capacity as co-penholders on the Afghanistan file, said the restrictions imposed by the Taliban are unprecedented in the history of the United Nations, and they put the very presence of the UN in Afghanistan in jeopardy.
“By adopting this resolution, the Council would send an unequivocal message of condemnation and a clear call for the swift reversal, not only of this latest ban but of others restricting the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan,” she said.
Noting that over 90 states co-sponsored the resolution, not just from the Security Council, but from Afghanistan’s immediate neighbourhood, from the Muslim world, and from all corners of the Earth, Nusseibeh said: “This cross-regional support makes our fundamental message today even more significant: the world will not sit by silently as women in Afghanistan are erased from society.”
US Ambassador Robert Wood, Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs, told the Council that Muslim-majority countries have spoken out against the Taliban’s rationale for these decisions.
In January, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation emphasised that Islamic law calls for women’s education, work, and participation in public life.
The UN and its Member States will not remain on the sidelines when women and girls are deprived of exercising their human rights.
“The Taliban’s edicts are causing irreparable damage to Afghanistan they erase women and girls from society. They also move the Taliban further from its desire to normalize relations with the international community.
“The United States continues to urge an inclusive political process among Afghans that leads to a representative government a government that is accountable to its people and fully reflects Afghanistan’s rich diversity, including the meaningful participation of women and members of minority communities,” he said.
The resolution also reiterated its demand that all parties allow full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access for the personnel of United Nations humanitarian agencies, their partners, and other humanitarian actors and providers of basic services, regardless of gender.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that Moscow notes the efforts of UAE and Japan who searched for “compromise solutions” while taking into account a wide range of positions and wanted to draft a document that should account for the whole set of challenges that Afghanistan is faced with today.
“In this regard, it causes sincere regret and disappointment that steps towards a more prominent reflection of all these problems were actually blocked by a number of Western colleagues led by the United States,” he said.
Nebenzia added that Moscow does not welcome the decision of the Taliban to restrict the rights of women and girls and that these bans must be lifted.
“However, the real reasons for the unresolved issue of unfreezing Afghan assets that belong to the Afghan people; calls for increasing humanitarian assistance and restoring the country’s economy; and the negative consequences of unilateral sanctions did not make it to the resolution.
“This approach of Western colleagues no longer surprises us though. This is just another example of the double standards of the US and its allies when discussing various conflicts in the Council,” he said.
A record 28.3 million people in Afghanistan are in need of assistance this year, making Afghanistan the world’s largest aid operation, with the UN asking for USD 4.6 billion to fully fund relief efforts this year.
The decision by the Taliban earlier this month to prohibit Afghan women from working for the UN in Afghanistan was strongly condemned by leaders of the World organisation.
The UN was notified by the de facto authorities that no Afghan woman was permitted to work for the UN in Afghanistan and that this measure will be actively enforced.
The decision extended the directive previously announced in December last year, banning Afghan women from working for national and international non-governmental organisations.
The UN had approximately 3,900 staff in Afghanistan, approximately 3,300 are nationals and 600 internationals.
Of those, there are about 400 women nationals and 200 women internationals. The UN instructed all national staff men and women not to report to the office until further notice.
SRINAGAR: A 39-year-old woman was critically injured after being attacked by a black bear in Lolab area in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district this afternoon.
Shaheena Begum wife of Abdul Ahad Shah, a resident of Gangbugh Lolab was attacked by a black bear while she was busy working in her kitchen garden. The woman sustained grievous injuries in the incident and was immediately evacuated to SDH Sogam for treatment.
Quoting locals, GNS reported that a group of locals in the meantime rued the lackadaisical approach of Wildlife Department officials. “There are two black bears roaming in the human habitation for almost a week now and despite informing the Wildlife Department officials about this, no action has been taken so far”, they said.
“There is every apprehension that the presence of the bears may cost us precious lives if not neutralized timely”, they said adding “We again reiterate the authorities concerned to look into the matter to allay the terror created by the wild animal.”
Los Angeles: Despite years of being very private, singer Ellie Goulding is reportedly working on a documentary about life “beyond her music”.
The ‘Burn’ singer has spent years being notoriously private, but is now said to hope to use a film special to highlight campaign work including her fight against global warming, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
A source told The Sun: “Ellie is keen to let fans into her world and speak beyond her music. Earlier this year, she invited cameras to record her life away from red carpets and show the real her.
“The project will cover her music and time in the studio at home but Ellie also wants to shine a greater light on her work as a climate-change activist. She is really passionate about using her profile for good and thinks a documentary will do just that.”
Goulding has recently been involved in the United Nation’s ‘One Young World’ campaign, and will be following in the footsteps of other big name artists who have recently made films giving glimpses into their private lives including Lewis Capaldi, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
In November 2017, the singer was awarded the UN’s ‘New Voices Award’ in recognition of her activism and became a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Environment, and she’s a patron of women’s shelter ‘The Marylebone Project’.
Despite her previous privacy, she recently told The Independent newspaper she regrets responding to unfounded rumours she once cheated on Ed Sheeran with Niall Horan.
The singer has insisted she and Ed, 32, never dated.
But she made headlines in January when she took to TikTok to shut down years-old talk she had been unfaithful to him with 29-year-old former One Direction singer Niall – responding “False!” to one fan.
She said: “I shouldn’t give in to that (rumours.) For me to think that the right thing is to respond to rumours, knowing that in real life there aren’t just ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ like there are in the fake world of social media and tabloids… I think, by replying, I’m kind of making out that world is real, or adding validity to a world that is manufactured to keep us scrolling and keep us in fear and fascinated by celebrities.
“I think that the best thing for me is to stay in the real world.
“But sometimes you just gotta – occasionally; every, like, five years or so – put something out there….”
London: As part of a week-long crackdown on illegal migration, 60 delivery drivers, including Indians, have been arrested across London for working illegally, the UK Home Office said.
The drivers, working for companies including Deliveroo, JustEat, and UberEats, were arrested for offences, including illegal working and possession of false documentation.
The majority of offenders were of Brazilian nationality. Indian and Algerian nationals were also found to be working without the right to do so in the country, a UK Home Office statement read.
Of those arrested, 44 were detained by the Home Office, pending their removal from the UK, with the remaining 16 being released on immigration bail. It is also expected that a number of the arrests will result in voluntary departure from the UK.
“Illegal working damages our communities, cheats honest workers out of employment and defrauds the public purse. As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to going further and faster to prevent the abuse of our laws and borders,” Britain’s Indian-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in a statement.
“The British public deserve a labour market that is fair and honest and must have confidence that goods and services they buy are from legitimate businesses,” she added.
The operation also led to the seizure of weapons and cash suspected of being linked to criminal activity. Following thorough searches of properties linked to the arrests, imitation firearms and other weapons were found, while over 4,500 pounds was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Home Office statement said.
Immigration Enforcement carried out extensive intelligence-gathering ahead of the operation, to identify hotspots for illegal moped delivery drivers. Alongside relevant police forces, the Home Office deployed officers on six consecutive days (16 to 21 April), to make the arrests and detentions.
Indians are among the second-largest group of migrants crossing the English Channel illegally on small boats, with 675 recorded between January and March this year, according to recent statistics released by the UK Home Office.
The UK government said is clamping down on illegal working to ensure all companies and workers are contributing to the UK economy by complying with its tax and other regulations.
More widely, it can also be a pull factor for illegal migration, often trapping vulnerable people in poor conditions and exploitation while undermining the UK’s labour market. Employers in the UK can be jailed for five years and could pay an unlimited fine if they are found guilty of employing someone they knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to work in the UK.
