Tag: India

  • Punjab imposes partial smart lockdown for four days

    Punjab imposes partial smart lockdown for four days

    The Government of Punjab, after approval from the Chief Minister, has ordered “restricted movement” in some areas of Punjab to combat smog. 

    The areas of Lahore Division (District Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Kasur), District Gujranwala, District Hafizabad, and District Narowal, have the worst Air Quality Index (AQI), becoming potential hotspots for Conjunctivitis, and will go under lockdown.

    From Thursday to Sunday i.e., November 9, 2023, to November 12, 2023, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, gymnasiums, schools

    (public and private), and offices (public and private) will remain closed in these areas.

    Also, movement of people will be limited to and from these areas by public and private transport.

    The following will be exempted from closure:

    •           Pharmacies/ Medical Stores

    •           Medical Facilities and Vaccination Centers

    •           Petrol Pumps

    •           Oil Depots

    •           Tandoors

    •           Bakeries,

    •           Grocery / Karyana stores

    •           Milk / Dairy Shops

    •           Sweet Shops,

    •           Vegetable / Fruit Shops

    •           Chicken / Meat Shops

    •           E-commerce 

    •           Postal / Courier Services

    •           Utility Services (Electricity, Natural Gas, Internet, Cellular Networks /Telecom.

    Large departmental stores will only keep their grocery /pharmacy sections open while all other sections will remain closed.

    It has been suggested by the government that people buy groceries and medicines within the vicinity of their residence.

  • Indian man divorces wife over eyebrow threading

    Indian man divorces wife over eyebrow threading

    A man in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, divorced his wife after she shaped her eyebrows without permission. The matter came to the notice of the police as the woman went to register an FIR against her husband and in-laws.

    Gulsaiba and Saleem got married in January 2022. He left for Saudi Arabia on August 30, 2023, for an employment opportunity. Since then, the girl alleged, her in-laws were harassing her for dowry. In a statement given to the police, she told them that her husband is an extremely old-fashioned and orthodox person who has always raised objections over her fashion choices.

    During a video call on October 4, Saleem noticed that her eyebrows had been shaped and despite her explanations that she did it because her face looked unruly, he got angry and pronounced three talaqs. As per Gulsaiba, Salim said to her, “You went ahead and shaped your eyebrows despite my objections. From today, I free you from this marriage”. There has been no communication between the two since then.

    Gulsaiba stated in her complaint, “I had been married for only a year. My husband, who had previously disrespected me, has now given me triple talaq. I want the police to take appropriate action against him.”

  • Schools shut as toxic Smog engulfs India’s capital

    Schools shut as toxic Smog engulfs India’s capital

    Schools were shut across India’s capital on Friday as a noxious grey smog engulfed the megacity and made life a misery for its 30 million inhabitants.

    Smoke from farmers burning crop stubble, vehicle exhaust and factory emissions combine every winter to blanket Delhi in a choking haze.

    The public health crisis has persisted for decades and researchers have blamed the smog for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths across India.

    Levels of the most dangerous PM2.5 particles — so tiny they can enter the bloodstream — were on Friday almost 35 times the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organization, according to monitoring firm IQAir.

    “In light of the rising pollution levels, all govt and private primary schools in Delhi will remain closed for the next 2 days,” chief minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

    Delhi, one of the largest urban areas on the planet, is also regularly ranked as one of the world’s most polluted cities.

    Visible smog is a burden for residents through much of the year but the problem peaks at the start of winter around the Hindu festival of Diwali.

    The holy day coincides with the weeks when tens of thousands of farmers across north India set fire to their fields to clear crop stubble from recently harvested rice paddies.

    That practice is one of the key drivers of Delhi’s annual smog problem, worsening the impact of vehicle and industrial emissions.

    It persists despite efforts to persuade farmers to use different clearing methods and threats of punitive action for those who defy burning bans.

    Eye-stinging and lung-burning smog peaks from October to February when colder air traps pollution, with residents advised to wear face masks outside at all times.

    Authorities regularly announce different plans to reduce pollution, for example by halting construction work, but to little effect.

    India is hosting the Cricket World Cup and organisers have banned fireworks at matches in Mumbai and Delhi to avoid compounding hazardous air pollution levels.

    Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are due to play in Delhi on Monday, with little likelihood of the air clearing for their match.

    India captain Rohit Sharma told reporters Wednesday that the situation was “not ideal” for the tournament.

    Everyone knows that,” he said. “Looking at our future generation… it’s quite important that they get to live without any fear.”

    A Lancet study in 2020 attributed 1.67 million deaths to air pollution in India during the previous year, including almost 17,500 in the capital.

    And the average city resident could die nearly 12 years earlier than expected due to air pollution, according to an August report by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute.

    India is heavily reliant on polluting coal for energy generation. Its per capita coal emissions have risen 29 percent in the past seven years and it has shied away from policies to phase down the dirty fossil fuel.

  • Indian journalists, opposition leaders ‘targeted by state-sponsored attackers’

    Indian journalists, opposition leaders ‘targeted by state-sponsored attackers’

    Several prominent leaders from India’s opposition parties, including members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), have recently been alerted about potential security breaches concerning their Apple devices.

    Indian National Congress’s Shashi Tharoor and Pawan Khera, Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra, and Aam Aadmi Party’s Raghav Chadha are among those who received warning emails from Apple, highlighting the threat of state-sponsored attacks targeting their iPhones.

    The news broke when The Wire, an online publication, revealed that even Siddharth Varadarajan, the founding editor of The Wire, and Samir Saran from the Observer Research Foundation, were also on the list of individuals who received the warning emails.

    The situation prompted immediate action from various quarters, including the media, with several journalists and opposition leaders reportedly receiving similar notifications from Apple about potential state-sponsored attacks.

    Shashi Tharoor, Pawan Khera, Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Siddharth Varadarajan confirmed the receipt of the warning emails during the late hours of Monday night and early Tuesday morning.

    Tharoor, who noticed the email on Tuesday morning, emphasized the importance of making these threats public, citing the necessity of transparency in safeguarding security. Expressing his concern, Tharoor highlighted the misuse of public funds and the urgent need to address more significant national security threats.

    The situation escalated further when The Wire alleged that the language used in the warning emails was similar to previous alerts from Apple, although this claim could not be independently verified by Newslaundry.

    Tharoor took to Twitter, sharing that the emails were sent from “threat-notifications@apple.com”.

    Mahua Moitra, a member of the Trinamool Congress, later added that individuals within Rahul Gandhi’s office had also been targeted.

    In response to the unfolding events, Apar Gupta, the founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation, provided a detailed analysis emphasizing the importance of not dismissing these alerts as false alarms.

    Seeking clarification from Apple, Newslaundry contacted the company’s official spokesperson, seeking information about the origin of the alleged attacks and the number of affected users. Apple responded, stating that while they do not specifically attribute the notifications to any state-sponsored attackers, the detection process is complex and evolving.

    Notably, the alerts were not limited to India alone, as it was discovered that individuals from nearly 150 countries had also received similar threat notifications from Apple.

    These developments have emerged approximately two years after reports of India’s alleged use of Israeli spyware for targeted surveillance, indicating a continued focus on digital security concerns within the country.

  • Friday prayers banned for second week in a row in occupied Kashmir

    Friday prayers banned for second week in a row in occupied Kashmir

    Jamia Masjid in Srinagar was closed down last Friday, October 20, during Friday prayers to bar prayers for Palestine.

    Kashmir Life reported that a press release from masjid authorities stated that for the second consecutive Friday, “police officials once again closed the gates of Jama Masjid Srinagar and informed the Auqaf not to open the gates for Friday prayers”.

    Jammu Kashmir People’s Freedom League Chairman Muhammad Farooq Rehmani condemned authorities for barring Muslims from praying and banning them to pray for Palestine.

    He highlighted the restraining of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and others throughout Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK) who had been praying for peace and safety in Gaza.

    He further called out on Modi and his approach towards Palestine as it contradicts the central stance of India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and other advocates of the freedom movement.

    India had taken a pro-Palestine stance in 1948 in the UNSC and voted against the Palestinian segregation to provide a separate state for the Jews in Palestine.

    He also reflected on undermining peace and freedom in Kashmir and Palestine, both, under India and Israel through forces.

  • Indian father welcomes back divorced daughter with a ‘Baraat’

    Indian father welcomes back divorced daughter with a ‘Baraat’

    The father of a divorced daughter in Jharkhand, India, Prem Gupta broke away from all the norms and welcomed back his daughter with a grand procession similar to that of a ‘baraat’. In a viral video of the event, women can be seen chanting and welcoming the daughter with open arms. The beat of a drum follows her as she greets everyone.

    Mr. Gupta posted the video himself with a caption that stated, “When your daughter’s marriage is done with great pomp and show and if the spouse and family turns out to be wrong or does wrong things then you should bring your daughter back to your home with respect and honour because daughters are very precious.”

    As per the details, Sakshi Gupta got married to Sachin Kumar in April. A few days into the marriage she found out that the man was already married twice and that there allegations of harassment were filed against him. Divorce was filed with an alimony of INR 17 lakh that Gupta gave to her in-laws at the time of wedding is to be paid back to her. Sakshi is happy to have such supportive parents and Mr.Gupta has set an example to shatter the stigma around divorce.

  • Israeli propaganda getting help from Indians

    Israeli propaganda getting help from Indians

    Ahead of the statement given by Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, about being “overwhelmed” by the unprecedented response he has received from the country, Indians have become an active part of the Israeli propaganda team all across social media.

    In his interview to The Economic Times, Gilon stated that with this kind of support from Indians, he believes “he could have another IDF with the (Indian) volunteers” because everyone is calling him to offer help. He goes on to elaborate that “the closeness India and Israel has is understandable but cannot be explained, It’s something very unique.”

    The Ambassador also posted messages of solidarity by spectators in the Pak vs India match and as recently as some hours ago posted about Hamas being the culprit behind the bombing of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. Indian media quotes him as their official resource as Gilon retweets journalists and media houses propagating the false narrative.

    There are a number of accounts on social media titled Indians for Israel or India stands with Israel. Added to that are fake accounts posing as Palestinians, even Al Jazeera reporters (Farida Khan) spreading Anti-Hamas and Pro-Israeli narrative. A number of tweets were found and reported to have similar content.

    Al-Jazeera has reported about the virality of disinformation caused by the blue-ticked accounts terming them “disinfluencers” with budding Islamophobic conspiracy theories. The article takes a closer look at the “BJP IT Cell” to which most Islamopobic content and trolling is likely to be attributed to.
    Author and Journalist Marc Owen Jonas has revealed many instances of fake-news including a video circulating on social media, mostly shared by Indians, gaining millions of impressions and retweets about girls becoming sex-slaves for Hamas. A closer look shows them to be happily chatting and using phones.

    However, there are some voices of dissent too, which get rebuked but stand tall in their stance. Ravi Nair, an esteemed journalist, not just voiced his opinion on India’s growing inclination towards right-wing but also exposed the original supporters of Zionism.
    In one of his tweets he said, “Hello, Israel, we Indians don’t support right-wing criminals whether Zionists or Hindutavaadis.”

    To which he got hate from American Hindu Republican Renee Lynn in these words, “If you want to support Terrorists because you are brainwashed and want to shout Allahu Akbar then go away. You are not the majority in India”.

    Pratik Sinha associated with ALT News, a credible fact checker resource has said, “With India now exporting its disinformation actors in the Indian mainstream media and on social media in support of Israel, hopefully the world will now realise how the Indian right-wing has made India the disinformation capital of the world”.

  • Iphones lost, bags stolen at Narendra Modi Stadium during Pakistan-India match

    The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad witnessed a high-octane World Cup clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on Saturday. The world’s biggest cricket stadium was filled to capacity as more than one lakh spectators came to watch the most anticipated match of the year.

    But while the majority of the fans got what they wished for and went back home with smiles on their faces after India’s resounding victory, a section of the crowd was left wondering who stole their mobile phones.

    Bollywood actress Urvashi Rutela couldn’t see Naseem Shah bowl due to his recent injury and unfortunately lost her phone during the match too.

    “Lost my 24 carat real gold i phone at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad! If anyone comes across it, please help. Contact me ASAP! Tag someone who can help,” Urvashi tweeted on Sunday.

    A video by Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta is currently going viral on social media, wherein he disclosed incidents of mobile phone and purse thefts during the Pakistan-India match in Ahmedabad.

    Gupta stated, “While entering the ground, my friend’s mobile phone was stolen from his pocket, and several other spectators also reported incidents of mobile and purse theft.” Criticizing security officials, he highlighted the possibility of mismanagement and security issues in handling such a massive crowd. He emphasized that thefts taking place in the ground surpass the concerns of mismanagement and security glitches.

    Many other people lost their phones that day.

    Meanwhile, there was one fan who even got his iPhone back as a security guard managed to catch the thief.

    Another X user, @tricatrio also lost her phone. She wrote, “Lost my iphone 15 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad!”

    User @shizmaite wrote, “Chaos at the gates & no one to handle the crowd. A good day ended on a bad note! #indvpak”

  • ‘Hitman’ Rohit raises India’s World Cup hopes

    ‘Hitman’ Rohit raises India’s World Cup hopes

    Rohit Sharma has led India from the front in their three unbeaten matches of the World Cup to boost his cricket-mad nation’s hopes of winning the title at home.

    The Indian captain has already amassed 217 runs including a record century against Afghanistan, showing no signs of the pressure on his shoulders.

    Rohit succeeded superstar Virat Kohli as white-ball captain in 2021 with the aim of securing the national team a third World Cup and first international title since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

    Australia great Ricky Ponting lavished praise on Rohit for handling the pressure of the job with ease.

    “Someone like Virat, who is a bit more heart-on-the-sleeve, and probably listens to the fans and plays up with the fans a little bit more, someone with his personality would probably find it a bit harder,” Ponting wrote in an International Cricket Council column on Tuesday.

    “But I think Rohit will be fine with it. He’s a terrific bloke and has been a great player for a long time, and he’s done a great job as leader of India.”

    Rohit, 36, has enjoyed franchise success as a skipper with five IPL titles with the Mumbai Indians and then led India to the Asia Cup title last month in a key test of form ahead of the World Cup.

    That success would have helped ease a little of the pain suffered when, under his captaincy, India were defeated in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.

    Rohit has never let expectations get to him and Ponting, once his captain at Mumbai and then coach, said the veteran batsman takes pressure in his stride.

    “He’s very laid back,” said Ponting. “You can even see that by the way that he plays. He’s a pretty laconic sort of batsman as well, and that’s the way he is both on and off the field.”

    – ‘Nothing is impossible’ –

    Rohit, an opening batsman nicknamed “Hitman” for his ability to get big scores quickly, was out for a duck in the team’s opening win against Australia, but was lauded for his captaincy moves.

    He soon regained form with 131 against Afghanistan as he surpassed compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with a record seventh World Cup century.

    His ton in 63 balls was the fastest by an Indian in a World Cup to better Kapil Dev’s hundred in 72 balls against Zimbabwe in 1983.

    Rohit took his form to the hotly-anticipated clash with arch-rivals Pakistan and smashed a match-winning 86 to thrash the opposition as India climbed to the top of the 10-team World Cup table.

    In his career, he has accumulated 10,329 ODI runs including 31 centuries in 254 matches since his debut in 2007.

    Rohit, who was not selected for India’s last World Cup triumph at home in 2011, said he relishes the role of being leader.

    “Nothing in life is impossible, you can make it possible if you have the belief,” Rohit said.

    “If you trust in it, if you have the will to go forward, it’s everyone’s dream firstly to be part of the team and then to captain the team is definitely the icing on the cake. I never thought I would be captain one day.”

    “I also believe that good things happen to good people. I kept my head straight, kept working hard on my game. I am sitting here today with a wonderful opportunity to bring glory to this beautiful country.”

    Rohit’s deputy in the World Cup, Hardik Pandya praised the leader for his ability to bring the best out of players through his faith in them.

    “Since he has come, he has backed a lot of boys and we see the result now as well with how the boys are going and expressing themselves,” all-rounder Pandya said.

    “So that’s why Rohit has been special in giving them enough opportunity and at the same time telling them that ‘you know what, I got your back’.”

  • Constable suspended in India for a pro-Palestine post

    Constable suspended in India for a pro-Palestine post

    A new wave of anti-Palestinian hatred is sowing seeds in the religiously charged environment of India.

    The latest victim is UP constable Suhail Ansari, a Bareilly resident posted in Lakhimpur Kheri district since the past few months.

    A departmental enquiry has been launched against the constable for sharing a post, two days ago, in support of Palestine amid the ongoing war between Palestine and Israel, as per a report from The Hindustan Times.

    The Deputy Superintendent of Police in Kheri, Sandeep Singh informed media that the constable was suspended for sharing an objectionable post in which one dollar was to be donated for Palestine on sharing that post through his Facebook account. He said, he’ll be probed and if found guilty then stern action will be taken against him.

    The post read, “Help save Palestine. 1 repost=$ 1. All donations are directly to IslamicRelief USA. Add to the story to help save Palestine.”