September 20, 2024 – Page 7

20Sep

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Unwarranted & unsubstantiated: India on Pannun lawsuit in US | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: India dismissed Khalistan secessionist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's allegations in a US lawsuit against Indian govt officials, saying they were completely "unwarranted and unsubstantiate" imputations.Panun, who heads the radical Sikh for Justice outfit and has been designated a terrorist by India, has filed a civil lawsuit in a US federal district court demanding damages for the alleged foiled attempt to kill him on American soil last year."I would only invite your attention to the person behind this particular case, whose antecedents are well known," said foreign secretary Vikram Misri."I would also underline the fact that the organisation - so-called that this person represents - is an unlawful organisation, has been declared as such under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act o...

20Sep

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Politics

Mark Robinson stays in NC governor’s race amid bombshell report backlash – Times of India

North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, vowed to continue his campaign Thursday despite a damaging CNN report. CNN revealed inflammatory comments allegedly made by Mark Robinson over a decade ago on a porn site’s message board. Despite growing pressure from some GOP members to drop out, Robinson is determined to stay in the race.CNN reported that Robinson, under the username “minisoldr,” made a series of offensive posts between 2008 and 2012 on the website "Nude Africa." These posts included Robinson calling himself a “black NAZI” and expressing support for reinstating slavery. “Slavery is not bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring it [slavery] back. I would certainly buy a few,” he said.Additionally, Robinson is accused o...

20Sep

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Sports

Plucky Rawat helps India-A fight back

India A’s Shashwat Rawat. File. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam Under a blue sky, in front of an excellent crowd, India-A and India-C produced an engrossing day of cricket.The runs may have been hard to come by — at under three an over for much of the time — but those among the spectators who view the game as something more than the big hits must have enjoyed the opening day of the Duleep Trophy match. They would have particularly appreciated an exceptional knock under pressure by a young left-hander.Shashwat Rawat displayed technique, timing, grit and skills, as he rescued his side from a disastrous collapse up front. The 23-year-old’s sixth First Class hundred (122 batting, 235b, 15x4) helped India-A reach 224 for seven at stumps after being put into bat by India-C at the Rural Devel...

20Sep

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Politics

Taylor Swift: A pop phenomenon with presidential-level appeal in voters – Times of India

Taylor Swift’s 'Eras' tour, which began in March 2023, has drawn comparisons to a presidential campaign due to its reach and impact, spanning multiple states and drawing large crowds. However, the current reason Swift is now being mentioned in political conversations is due to her recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, which has sparked widespread attention and analysis, as reported by The New York Times.The endorsement, made on Instagram, quickly stirred up news coverage and analysis regarding Swift's potential influence on the campaign.Swift’s endorsement, posted on Instagram, came after months of speculation. In her post, she explained her support for Harris, writing, “She fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion th...

20Sep

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Opinion

Should children be barred from social media?

The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has announced a plan to set a minimum age to use social media platforms. Should children be barred from social media? Amanda Third and Aparajita Bharti discuss the question with Mandira Moddie. Edited excerpts: Amanda, could you tell us about the ongoing debate in Australia? Amanda Third: This policy decision has come out of the blue. It is not a debate that we have been having for a long time. Off the back of the pandemic and the large increases in time spent online by children, along with a recognition that some children are exposed to harm via social media, the debate has heated up.The debate in favour of a ban has largely been driven by parent groups. The government is under pressure to demand that technology platforms step up and assu...

20Sep

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Politics

Call to include State federations, regional unions in formulation of ‘Margdarshika’ guidelines

The Milma Ernakulam Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union has hailed the Union government initiatives to strengthen the cooperative ecosystem under ‘Sahkar-se-Samriddhi’ (prosperity through cooperation) scheme and called for the inclusion of State federations and key regional unions in formulating the ‘Margdarshika’ guidelines.With the authorities drafting the Margdarshika (standard operating procedure) for forming two lakh new MPACS (multipurpose primary agriculture cooperatives) and primary dairy/fishery cooperative societies in uncovered or undeserved villages/panchayats, the initiative will motivate the industry and bring hope to marginalized farmers across the country, ERCMPU said in a memorandum to Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah. The collaborative approach can be “s...

20Sep

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Entertainment

Ranveer Singh to begin preparing for ‘Don 3’ in March 2025: Report – Times of India

Farhan Akhtar's 'Don 3,' which has Ranveer Singh and Kiara Advani in the lead, would now be seen on the sets from May-June 2025.According to the reports, scheduled to start from January next year, the shoot is delayed as the director-journalist is still working on his ongoing project, '120 Bahadur.' The second film will be completed before he takes part in the third part of the trilogy.Reportedly, Ranveer Singh formally announcing his entry as the new face of the brand, will start prepping for his film in March 2025. The actor is currently engaged with Aditya Dhar's next and welcomed his first child with wife Deepika Padukone recently. Multiple commitments thus add up in his personal life. His co-star Kiara Advani of Don 3 has already been locked for War 2 with Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR.Ma...

20Sep

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Politics

India’s appetite for oil can a bargaining chip in a gloomy market: Official – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian refiners can leverage their combined consumption to seek better terms for next year’s annual contracts with suppliers, especially Russia, as a gloomy demand outlook subdues oil prices, a senior petroleum ministry official said on Thursday.“We have seen IEA (International Energy Agency) and all such agencies lowering demand outlook in recent times.But India has emerged as a major (demand) growth centre,” he said, alluding to the growing size of India’s consumption — pegged at about 5 million barrels/day — offers a substantial market for suppliers in a tepid market.On joint negotiations by the refiners with Russia, the official said “talks” among them “are ongoing”. Indian refiners sign annual contracts with major suppliers for part of their requirement and meet the rest th...

20Sep

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Culture

Video | iPhone 16 Series: Unboxing & First Look! Worth Buying?

iPhone 16 Series Unboxing & First Look! Get your hands on the latest Apple flagship! We unbox and give the first look on iPhone 16 series, showcasing its sleek design, innovative features, and cutting-edge tech. Watch as we: Unbox the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Explore the new camera capabilities Show off the stunning display and much more Stay ahead of the curve and join us for an exclusive first look. Share your thoughts in the comments!Source link

20Sep

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Opinion

Letters to The Editor — September 20, 2024

Simultaneous elections India is diverse, plural, participative, federal, accommodative and, most importantly, united. Instead of strengthening it, we are introducing the prefix ‘One Nation’ that attempts to erase India’s ethos in the name of democracy and national welfare (Page 1, “Simultaneous polls plan gets Union Cabinet nod”, September 19). It is high time that we re-read the Constitution of India, listen to the Opposition and understand the pulse of the public to know what should guide democracy and national welfare. R. Srivatsan, Chennai Simultaneous elections in a diverse and populous country such as India raise significant concerns. Logistics, security concerns, and the risk of undermining regional issues are critical challenges. Implementing such a system may lead to superficial g...

20Sep

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Opinion

Milestones and U-turns: On the government in its third term

As their third term in office gathers pace, the Narendra Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are eager to claim a seamless continuity with the first two terms, as a mark of effective governance and leadership. The government and the party have used the arbitrary 100-day milestone to showcase their achievements in various sectors, from renewable energy to infrastructure, and the successes of welfare schemes. They have also used the opportunity to pronounce that nothing has changed, despite the dependence of the government on a coalition in the 18th Lok Sabha. As if to prove the point that there is no rethink on any of its controversial agendas from the previous terms, the Union Cabinet, on Wednesday (September 18, 2024), approved a report by a committee headed by the former...

20Sep

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Opinion

India’s place in Russia-Ukraine peace-making

Two years after the Government of India held that “Europe’s problems are not the world’s problems” to distance New Delhi from the theatre of the Russia-Ukraine war, speculation about its determination to help resolve the war has gained traction. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits to Moscow and Kyiv, a possible meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations next week and with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS Summit next month, as well as the travels of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar all point in this direction.The fact that Mr. Modi “briefed” United States President Joseph Biden in a phone call after the Ukraine visit, and Mr. Doval told Mr. Putin that he had been tasked to “brief” him about the vi...

20Sep

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Politics

ENG Vs AUS: Travis Head’s Unbeaten 154 Guides World Champions To 13th Consecutive ODI Win

Travis Head's 150+ Score Vs England: It was a forgettable day for the home side as Australia thump England in the first ODI at Trent Bridge by registering a 7-wicket win, thanks to an unbeaten 154 from Travis Head. The 30-year-old is enjoying a stellar run past 18 months, as the Man of the Match in the ICC World Test Championship 2023 Final and ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Final has now recorded his highest-ever ODI score on Thursday. Travis Head silenced the English crowd. pic.twitter.com/BHSOxx3RYY — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 19, 2024The manner of defeat was so humiliating for the English fans that they started leaving the stadium even before the conclusion of the match, and with the win, Australia have now sealed their 13th consecutive ODI win, with their last de...

20Sep

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Opinion

Wrong notion: On simultaneous elections

Notwithstanding the opposition from political parties and many in civil society to the idea of simultaneous elections, the Union government has decided to accept the recommendations of a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to go ahead with the scheme. The committee envisaged simultaneous Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections as the first step, followed by municipal and panchayat polls within 100 days of the general election. In order to do so, the government would need to get constitutional amendments to be passed, in Parliament and in the State Assemblies. Two key reasons have been evinced for the proposal — first, the costs of conducting these elections would be significantly reduced if held together, and, second, not having simultaneous elections has kept po...

20Sep

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Opinion

Acclamation for an Indian leadership that still endures

‘Nehru’s ideal of an inclusive, modern society animated by the scientific spirit was a beacon light for many newly decolonised countries as it should be to India today’ | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Archives During his state visit to India last month (August 19-21, 2024), Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivered a lecture at the Indian Council of World Affairs on August 20. Its subject was “Towards a Rising Global South: Leveraging on Malaysia-India Ties”. Mr. Anwar dwelt on his vision of the Global South — its unity amidst “all our diversity, differences and discretions”. More importantly, he said that the rise of the Global South is not “meant to exclude the Global North” but to “work together as equals within our complex strategic contexts”.High praise He praised India’s role ...