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Several prominent Kannada writers have been receiving threats via post since April last year. The letters are handwritten, and the writing seems similar, according to writers who spoke to this reporter. The messages were directed at writers and intellectuals who have been speaking against religious radicalism and Hindutva. Most of these letters were posted from central Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, and a few from places like Shivamogga and Tumakuru to districts across the state where the writers live. On August 22, a group of progressive writers and intellectuals met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to discuss threats they had been receiving for over 15 months. The delegation was led by writers K Marulasiddappa and Dr Vasundhara Bhupathi. Cumulatively, they have filed multiple complaints, with seven FIRs being lodged so far. But there has been no progress and the letters have continued.  After the meeting with Siddaramaiah, the first since the Congress came back to power in

मध्य प्रदेश मुख्यमंत्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान ने एक कार्यक्रम के दौरान आगामी विधानसभा चुनाव के मद्देनज़र महिलाओं के लिए कई योजनाओं की घोषणा की. जिसमें सस्ते दरों पर महिलाओं के लिए घरेलू गैस सिलेंडर उपलब्ध कराने का वादा किया गया. लेकिन शिवपुरी जिले में जमीनी हकिकत बिल्कुल विपरीत है. सस्ती दरों पर गैस सिलेंडर खरीदने की उम्मीद लेकर यहां पहुंची कई महिलाओं को खाली हाथ लौटना पड़ा.  मालूम हो कि कार्यक्रम में शिवराज सिंह चौहान ने कहा था, “सावन के महीने में रसोई गैस 450 रुपये में तुम्हारा भैया दिलवाएगा. और इसके बाद परमानेंट मैं व्यवस्था बनाऊंगा ताकि महंगी गैस हमें परेशान ना करें”  #WATCH | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, "In the month of Sawan, we will provide LPG cylinders for Rs 450. After that, I will make permanent arrangements for it.." pic.twitter.com/TDoIJUFvq8 — ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 27, 2023 इस दौरान मुख्यमंत्री ने भाजपा सरकार द्वारा जनवरी में घोषित लाडली बहना योजना  के फायदे के बारे में भी बात की. इस योजना को राज्

After the Hindenburg report accused the Adani Group of stock manipulation earlier this year, the conglomerate’s stocks had seen a sharp dip, and the Supreme Court had ordered a probe amid protests by opposition parties. It had appeared to be one of the largest economic scandals in the history of modern India with the group’s perceived proximity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The expert committee convened by the court, however, is yet to get to the bottom of it. The essence of the allegations was that some of the Adani Group’s key “public” investors were in fact Adani insiders, a possible violation of Indian securities law. But none of the agencies contacted by the expert committee were able to identify those investors, since they were hidden behind secretive offshore structures.  Now, exclusive documents obtained by OCCRP and shared with The Guardian and Financial Times – including files from multiple tax havens, bank records, and internal Adani Group emails – shed light on the

India’s “so-called lawful interception monitoring systems” are helping create a “backdoor” that allows “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to snoop” on citizens as “part of the country’s growing surveillance regime”, according to a Financial Times report .  The report states that the government mandates that telecommunication networks install hardware “to search, copy and pump that data to Indian security agencies on demand, with the help of AI and data analytics” – a situation allegedly conducive for firms that sell private surveillance tools. The report identifies these companies as Vehere, Cognyte and Septier. Septier was deemed as a “potentially irresponsible proliferator” by US think-tank Atlantic Council in 2021, and in the same year, Meta had accused Cognyte of aiding the surveillance of journalists and politicians in several countries. Septier, in its promotional video, claimed to extract data in “voice, messaging services, web surfing and email correspondence”. It

दिल्ली के एक सरकारी विद्यालय की शिक्षिका के खिलाफ कक्षा में ‘सांप्रदायिक टिप्पणी’ करने के आरोप में प्राथमिकी दर्ज की गई है. इससे पहले उत्तर प्रदेश के मुजफ्फरनगर के एक निजी विद्यालय की शिक्षिका द्वारा एक मुस्लिम बच्चे को उसके सहपाठियों से पिटवाने का वीडियो सामने आया था, जिसकी खूब आलोचना हुई थी.  फिलहाल, चारों बच्चों के परिवार की शिकायत के बाद शिक्षिका हेमा गुलाटी के खिलाफ गांधी नगर पुलिस स्टेशन में एफआईआर दर्ज की गई है. भारतीय दंड संहिता की धारा 153A (दो समुदायों के बीच धर्म के आधार पर नफरता फैलाना), 295A और 298A (धार्मिक भावनाओं को ठेस पहुंचाने के लिए सविचार शब्दों का प्रयोग करना) के तहत मामला दर्ज किया गया है.  9वीं कक्षा के चार छात्रों ने गुलाटी पर आरोप लगाया कि बीते बुधवार को उसने चंद्रयान-3 की सफलता पर बात करते हुए मुस्लिम छात्रों का अपमान किया.  छात्रों के मुताबिक, शिक्षिका ने उन्हें कहा, “कुरान में लिखी गई सारी बातें गलत हैं. तुम लोगों के दिल में ज़रा भी हमदर्दी नहीं है. तुम लोग मासूम जानवर को मारते और खाते हो. देश विभाजन के समय तुम लोग पाकिस्तान क्यों नहीं गए? आज़ादी की लड़ा

गुजरात कांग्रेस के अध्यक्ष शक्ति सिंह गोहिल ने बीते शनिवार को पार्टी मुख्यालय पर एक प्रेसवार्ता की. जिसमें उन्होंने एक पत्र दिखाया. यह पत्र गुजरात ऊर्जा विकास निगम लिमिटेड (जीयूवीएनएल) के महाप्रबंधक जेजे गांधी ने 15 मई, 2023 को अडानी पावर मुंद्रा लिमिटेड (एपीएमयूएल) के प्रबंध निदेशक को लिखा था. पत्र के मुताबिक, 15 सितंबर 2018 से 31 मार्च 2023 के बीच जीयूवीएनएल ने अडाणी ग्रुप की एपीएमयूएल को 13 हज़ार 802 करोड़ रुपए दिए हैं. हालांकि, दोनों कंपनियों के बीच हुए समझौते में तय नियमों के मुताबिक एपीएमयूएल को सिर्फ 9902 करोड़ रुपये का ही भुगतान करना था. यानी इन पांच सालों में गुजरात सरकार ने अडाणी ग्रुप की कंपनी को 3900 करोड़ रुपए ज्यादा दे दिए. न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री के पास यह पत्र मौजूद है.   पत्र में आगे लिखा गया है कि इस तथ्य को ध्यान में रखते हुए कि एपीएमयूएल को ऊर्जा बिलों के लिए अतिरिक्त भुगतान प्राप्त हुआ है. ऐसे में एपीएमयूएल से अनुरोध किया जाता है कि वह अतिरिक्त पैसा तत्काल वापस कर दे ताकि राज्य के उपभोक्ताओं पर अतिरिक्त भुगतान के कारण अनुचित लागत का बोझ न पड़े. दरअसल, गोहिल ने बताया कि अडाणी

यौन अपराधों से बच्चों का संरक्षण अधिनियम (पॉक्सो) के तहत पत्रकार दीपक चौरसिया, चित्रा त्रिपाठी, अजीत अंजुम और राशिद हाशमी समेत आठ मीडिया पेशवरों पर गुरुग्राम की एक विशेष अदालत ने आरोप तय कर दिए हैं. ये मामला साल 2013 का है.  इन सभी पर भारतीय दंड संहिता की धारा 120बी (आपराधिक साजिश), 469, 471 (जालसाजी), सूचना एवं प्रौद्योगिकी अधिनियम की धारा 67बी (बच्चे को ऑनलाइन उत्पीड़ित करना) एवं 67 (इलेक्ट्रॉनिक रूप में अश्लील सामग्री को प्रकाशित या प्रसारित करना) और पॉक्सो एक्ट की धारा 23 (मीडिया द्वारा पीड़ित बच्चे की पहचान जाहिर करना) एवं 13सी (अश्लील प्रयोजनों के लिए बच्चों का उपयोग) के तहत मामला दर्ज किया गया है.  अतिरिक्त सत्र न्यायाधीश शशि चौहान ने कुल 8 लोगों के लिए ये आदेश दिए. गत सोमवार से ये आदेश सार्वजनिक कर दिए गए.  ये है पूरा मामला दरअसल, नाबालिग बच्ची के एक रिश्तेदार ने इस मामले की शिकायत दी थी. शिकायत में तीन समाचार चैनलों न्यूज़ 24, इंडिया न्यूज़ और न्यूज़ नेशन के खिलाफ रूपांतरित (एडिटेड) वीडियो प्रसारित करने के आरोप लगाए गए थे.  शिकायत में लिखा था, "2 जुलाई 2013 को आसारा

Forty percent in the US have never heard of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attitudes towards India have turned more negative over time in at least five European countries, and Mexicans and Brazilians are especially critical of Modi’s leadership.  These are among the findings of a new Pew Research Center analysis, which looks into global views on PM Modi, the scope of India’s global power and Indians’ views of other countries ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.  The survey was conducted from February 20 to May 22, among 30,861 adults in 24 countries, including India and countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.  A  median of 46 percent reported favourable views of India, compared to 34 percent with unfavorable views and 16 percent who did not share an opinion at all, according to the report.  On PM Modi, a median of 37 percent said they have confidence in the prime minister to take the right steps in terms of

Saeeduzzaman brings you news from Delhi, Manipur, the Supreme Court, the United States and Pakistan. Produced by Priyali Dhingra; edited by Samarendra K Dash. We have a new Sena project on Monu Manesar and his network of cow vigilantes.  Contribute now . source https://www.newslaundry.com/2023/08/29/daily-dose-ep-1441-delhi-teacher-booked-for-hurling-communal-slurs-jk-statehood

हिमाचल में भारी बारिश और बादल फटने की घटनाओं से दो महीने पहले जो आपदा शुरु हुई वो अब भी जारी है और हिमाचलवासियों के लिये राहत के आसार नहीं दिख रहे हैं. कुल्लू, मंडी शिमला और राज्य के दूसरे हिस्सों से लगातार भूस्खलन, इमारतें गिरने और सड़कों के टूटने की ख़बर आ रही हैं. राज्य के अन्य हिस्सों में भी हालात  ठीक नहीं हैं. इस आपदा में अब तक करीब 400 लोग मारे गये हैं और 12 हज़ार से अधिक घर क्षतिग्रस्त हुए हैं.  कुल्लू से करीब 60 किलोमीटर दूर है गडसा घाटी, जहां इस आपदा ने बड़ी तबाही की. न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री की टीम ने गडसा के लोगों से बात की जिनके दर्जनों घर, खेत और सड़कें इस बाढ़ में तबाह हो गईं.  इस गांव के निवासी और उप-प्रधान श्याम सुंदर कहते हैं, “यहां बादल फटने की घटनाएं हुईं हैं और 50-60 घरों में भारी नुकसान हुआ है. लोगों का कुछ नहीं बचा है. इतनी भारी बारिश पहले कभी नहीं देखी.” सुंदर गडसा घाटी की तबाही के लिये सड़क निर्माण के लिये हो रहे अंधाधुंध कटान और अवैध खनन को ज़िम्मेदार ठहराते हैं. “यहां इस काम के लिये भारी मशीनरी का प्रयोग और ब्लास्टिंग की जाती है,” सुंदर ने न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री को बताया.

Heavy rainfall has continued to wreak havoc across Himachal Pradesh with cloudbursts, landslides, and the collapse of buildings and roads in Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and other areas. Nearly 400 people are dead and more than 12,000 houses damaged so far. Newslaundry spoke to villagers in Gadsa valley, nearly 60 kilometres from Kullu. “There have been incidents of cloudbursts here and 50 to 60 houses have suffered heavy damage. People have nothing left; never seen such heavy rain before,” said Shyam Sundar, the deputy head of the village, adding that tree-felling and illegal mining had a role to play in the calamity. All the districts in Himachal are prone to landslides, as per the landslide atlas published by ISRO this year. But construction and mining has also weakened the mountains, including in Gadsa, villagers said. The financial loss this year, meanwhile, has been equal to what the state suffered over five years between 2017 and 2022. As per the state government’s disaster report,

Paving the way for a trial, a special Gurugram court has framed charges against eight media professionals, including anchors Deepak Chaurasia, Chitra Tripathi, Ajit Anjum, Md Sohail and Rashid Hashmi, in connection with a 2013 case filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The charges they face are sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 469 and 471 (which relate to forgery) of the Indian Penal Code; sections 67B (abusing children online) and 67 (publishing or transmitting sexually explicit content) of the Information Technology Act; and sections 23 (disclosure of identity of a child by the media) and 13C (indecent or obscene representation of a child) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. “The charges were read over to the accused to which they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial,” read the order passed by Additional Sessions Judge Shashi Chauhan. The order was made available on Monday but was dated August 25. An FIR was filed after a complain

The family of a journalist has alleged that he was assaulted and urinated on by the SHO of a police station after being arrested and framed in a robbery case in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur.  Mintu Dubey is a freelance journalist who has worked for organisations such as New Sadhna News and Ind24 . He was arrested hours after an FIR was filed on August 8, based on a complaint about an alleged robbery which took place past midnight on the same date.  But the complainant in the robbery case does not recognise his attackers. The police have not conducted any identification parade. And the FIR does not name the journalist.  Dubey’s sister Sunita Tiwari, who visited him after his arrest on August 10, said the journalist told her that he had only been targeted for an old report accusing the Civil Lines police station staff of extortion. She said Dubey had been “threatened” by the SHO earlier as well. Tiwari submitted a complaint of misconduct to Chhatarpur SP Amit Sanghi on August 19. Whi

On a humid Monday morning, Haryana police officials stood guard as vehicles queued up at the Ghamroj toll plaza along the Delhi-Haryana border, peering down windows to enquire about phone numbers and scheduled destinations of countless passengers. Haryana was on high alert with the planned resumption of a ‘Braj Mandal Shobha Yatra’, which was disrupted after violence in Nuh last month.  The rally was called by the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat this time. But Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had denied permission, and had urged the public to visit their local temples for a ‘jalabhishek’ instead of participating in the procession. The administration had earlier called meetings to boost coordination in case of a law and order situation, and a police spokesperson had said that around 2,000 police personnel and 24 companies of paramilitary forces had been deployed in Nuh.   Curbs on assembly were put in place with Section 144, and institutes and banks were shut in Nuh district, but

Saeeduzzaman brings you news from the Supreme Court, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi and Syria. Produced by Aryan Mahtta, edited by Saif Ali Ekram.  We have a new Sena project on Monu Manesar and his network of cow vigilantes. Contribute now . source https://www.newslaundry.com/2023/08/28/daily-dose-ep-1440-sc-asks-govt-about-kashmiri-lecturers-suspension-zubair-booked

In November 2020, Alphabet’s subsidiary DeepMind got the scientific community excited with its progress in solving the 50-year-old ‘protein-folding problem’. Across the world, DeepMind’s creation, AlphaFold, made headlines celebrating this breakthrough. The Guardian said DeepMind had cracked a problem that “stumped researchers for half a century”, Nature said DeepMind made a “gigantic leap in solving protein structures”, BBC said “one of biology’s biggest mysteries” had been “largely solved by AI”, and New York Times announced this could “accelerate drug discovery”. Two years later, we have over 200 million protein structures predicted by AlphaFold. These predictions are finding applications routinely in academia and  industries. But what is the protein folding question and what did AlphaFold solve? What are the implications of AlphaFold? This piece will attempt to bring you up to speed. Proteins: Sequences and structures Proteins are the workhorses of all forms of living bei