Tag: India

  • Fact-check: Is Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen dead or alive?

    Fact-check: Is Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen dead or alive?

    News about veteran Indian economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen’s death started circulating on social media today.

    A social media post about Sen’s death that the Indian media was quoting was from Claudia Goldin’s X (formerly Twitter) account, which turned out to be a fake account.

    Claudia Goldin is an American economic historian and has been announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize Economics for this year.

    Sen’s daughter took to X and tweeted:

    “Friends, thanks for your concern but it’s fake news: Baba is totally fine. We just spent a wonderful week together w/ family in Cambridge—his hug as strong as always last night when we said bye! He is teaching 2 courses a week at Harvard, working on his gender book—busy as ever!”

    Seema Chishti, Editor The Wire, corrected the misinformation, clarifying that Sen is very much alive.

    Other accounts also corrected the misinformation being spread about Sen’s death.

  • Indian journalists slam govt for not giving visas to Pakistani correspondents

    Indian journalists slam govt for not giving visas to Pakistani correspondents

    Senior Indian journalist Rajdeep Sardesai expressed disappointment on his government’s continuous delay in issuing visas for Pakistani journalists, stating that if Pakistan is playing the World Cup in India, visas cannot be denied to journalists.

    Rajdeep Sardesai asked why should journalists be politically demotivated. “We should adopt the attitude of good hosts,” he remarked, saying that he will expect the same from Islamabad in the future.

    Read More: World Cup 2023: Pakistani cricket presenter Zainab Abbas sent back from India due to safety concerns

    It should be noted that the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Zaka Ashraf, contacted Foreign Secretary Cyrus Sajjad Qazi in regards to the issuance of Indian visas to Pakistanis for the cricket World Cup.

    Here are some more reactions of Twitter users:

  • ‘Ban going to pathetic hosting countries’: Celebrities speak out against cricket presenter Zainab Abbas’ departure from India

    ‘Ban going to pathetic hosting countries’: Celebrities speak out against cricket presenter Zainab Abbas’ departure from India

    Sports presenter Zainab Abbas has left India, citing safety concerns after an Indian anti-minority lawyer filed a complaint against her over ‘anti-Hindu’ tweets. Her exit was met with severe criticism from Pakistani celebrities who expressed their disappointment at the lack of their country’s representatives at the World Cup.

    Director Nabeel Qureshi slammed Zainab’s departure as “ridiculous”, saying that already few fans and journalists from Pakistan are present in India.

    “This is the limit! Ridiculous, already so many fans and journalists are not getting a visa’s either.”

    Actor and singer Ahmed Ali Butt called it a pathetic move to target professional women.

    “A very pathetic move from a very pathetic world cup. Seriously!! We shoudl BAN going such Pathetic Hosting countries who target professional women.”

    According to the lawyer Vineet Jindal, the tweets were posted approximately nine years ago under the username zainablovessrk, which afterwards changed to ZAbbasofficial, and is currently the active account of the sports presenter.

    READ MORE: World Cup 2023: Pakistani cricket presenter Zainab Abbas sent back from India due to safety concerns

  • 150 still missing after glacial burst in Kolkata

    At least 42 people have reportedly died after flash floods swamped following a glacial lake burst its banks in the Indian Himalayas in Kolkata this week.

    150 missing people are still missing.

    On Wednesday, a cloudburst led to severe rain, causing Lhonak Lake to overflow and a consequential avalanche resulting in the flooding of Teesta river.

    It is said to be one of the worst calamities in the region in more than 50 years.

    Accoeiding to authorities in Sikkim, 22,000 people have been affected.

    “We got calls from people that river levels could rise at 3am and we ran for our lives,” Reuters quotes Javed Ahmed Ansari, 44, a resident of Teesta valley, who owns a river rafting business.

    “We ran towards the hill in the jungle … We saw houses getting swept away. I can now only see the first floor of our house which is filled with sand, everything is submerged.”

    According to Reuters, officials involved in the project said that scientists and government authorities had beenbworking on an early warning system for glacial floods at Lhonak Lake which could have given people more time to evacuate if it was fully operational.

  • Two prominent Bollywood actors summoned by Indian police regarding controversial betting app case

    Two prominent Bollywood actors summoned by Indian police regarding controversial betting app case

    In India, prominent celebrities were summoned by the Enforcement Directorate regarding an online betting app Mahadev Book. Ranbir Kapoor was summoned yesterday and now Shraddha Kapoor and comedian Kapil Sharma have been called up. These celebrities were summoned after an exclusive report by India Today in September revealed many prominent Bollywood public figures were attendants at the wedding ceremony of the Mahadev app promoter Sourabh Chandrakar.

    “In February 2023, Sourabh Chandrakar got married at RAK, UAE, and for this marriage ceremony, the promoters of Mahadev APP spent around ₹ 200 Crore in Cash,” ED responded in a statement.

    According to Times of India, Pakistani singers Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Atif Aslam was among the attendees at the wedding, who may also be summoned by the ED in the coming days.

    The betting app is currently under investigation by police officials from several states after the Enforcement Department alleged the app was being used by the company to enrol new users, create ID’s and launder money through a layered web of benami bank accounts.

    Actors like Hina Khan and Huma Qureshi were summoned for allegedly promoting the app, while Kapil Sharma was called up for attending the success party held by the company in Dubai in September. Ranbir Kapoor has requested the agency to give him more time before appearing in person.

  • Why is India hosting the World Cup with empty stadiums?

    Why is India hosting the World Cup with empty stadiums?

    Social media users are questioning the decision by the ICC to let India host the World Cup when there is no opening ceremony and barely any spectators in the first match.

    Interestingly, when the Asia Cup was being partially hosted by Pakistan, some Indians criticized the ‘empty stadium’ in Multan. Now, the tables have turned, India is the host, the first match is between New Zealand and England, finalists of the last World Cup, and the stadium is empty. There was no opening ceremony for ICC World Cup 2023 and honestly, we can’t see spectators either.

    This one’s hilarious, to be honest, does this remind you of Asif Zardari too?

    Twitter user Ahsan Shehzad said, “A complete empty stadium in Ahmedabad, is India the right place to host the WC??”

    Osama highlighted multiple issues regarding the World Cup being hosted in India

    Anas Tipu wanted a banter with Irfan Pathan, who blames everything on neighbors

    Trendulkar hopes that the stadium will fill up after office hours

  • Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan given divorce on grounds of cruelty inflicted by wife

    Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan given divorce on grounds of cruelty inflicted by wife

    On Wednesday, a Delhi court granted Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan divorce from his wife Aesha Dhawan, on grounds of cruelty inflicted by his spouse. The couple married in 2012, and share a 10-year-old son.

    According to NDTV, the family court judge accepted Mr Dhawan’s accusations of “mental torture’” inflicted by his wife, who was unable to prove the allegations to be false. The petition details multiple instances where Dhawan was exploited, put in mental agony after being refused to visit his son.

    The petition said that the wife had promised to move to India to help with Dhawan’s career after he was unable to move to Australia. However, it reveals Aesha backtracked and refused to move back, claiming she would be forced to give up custody of her children.

    “He (Dhawan) for no fault of his own had been through immense agony and anguish of living separately from his own son for years. Even though the wife denied the allegation, submitting that though she genuinely wanted to live in India with him, yet she did not choose to contest the claim. The respondent, by conducting herself in the manner, has inflicted such cruelty, agony and trauma on him, that it was impossible for the petitioner to save the marriage,” the statement from court said.

    The next example given in the petition recalls how Aesha forced the cricketer to make her to owner of the three properties he bought in Australia, and had complete ownership of one home while joint custody on the other two. She did not provide her own funds to contribute in the purchase, forcing Dhawan to pay child support not only for their son, but also for two daughters from the wife’s first marriage for whom she was already receiving payments from her first husband.

    “The respondent was required to prove that properties were purchased out of her fund as well or her name was included out of love and affection. Thus, Dhawan’s allegation that she compelled him to make her owner to some extent in all three properties or that she pocketed sale proceeds thereof has got to be believed as true,” it added.

    The court granted mandatory visitation rights to Dhawan to meet his son in India and Australia, and demanded Aesha to bring their child back to the country.

  • A man is a man and a woman is a woman, says Rishi Sunak

    A man is a man and a woman is a woman, says Rishi Sunak

    Rishi Sunak stated that it was “common sense” that “a man is a man and a woman is a woman.”

    On Wednesday, the British Prime Minister shared his stance on gender identity at a conference speech.

    “We shouldn’t be bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be, they can’t. A man is a man, a woman is a woman, that’s just common sense.”

    He announced a ban on trans women from female-only hospital wards.

    He also added that it “shouldn’t be controversial” for parents to be informed what their children were being taught about sex and relationships at school.

    “It shouldn’t be controversial for parents to know what their children are being taught in school about relationships. Patients should know when hospitals are talking about men or women.”

    He laid emphasis on family, saying that Conservatives should “never be afraid” to advocate its importance for a stable society.

    His comments come about as the debate about trans rights gains steam in Britain, and the rest of the western world. Conservatives and liberals have squared off about trans issues, most notably allowing children to begin hormone therapy, the inclusion of biological men in women’s sports and the matter of allowing trans women to be kept in women’s hospital wards, jails and bathrooms.

    The crowd responded to him with a loud applause on his views over gender, whereas people on X (formerly Twitter) got divided on his stance.

  • ‘Jeeteinge bhai jeeteinge’: Chahat Fateh Ali Khan’s World Cup song is winning the internet

    ‘Jeeteinge bhai jeeteinge’: Chahat Fateh Ali Khan’s World Cup song is winning the internet

    Social media personality and singer Chahat Fateh Ali Khan drove the internet to fits when he released the music video for his single ‘Jetain Gain Bhai Jeetay Gain’ for the ICC Cricket Men’s World Cup. The video was uploaded on his Twitter account.

    In the clip, Khan could be seen dancing around while singing the lyrics that paid homage to the Pakistani cricket team.

    It already has been a day, and Twitter users are in love with the track.

    Why did ICC walay even pick ‘Dil Jashen Bol’ when Chahat was right here with a great song?

    Even Indian fans would agree that this song should have been the Official World Cup single.

  • Anushka, Virat Kohli really want their friends to stop requesting them for World Cup tickets

    Anushka, Virat Kohli really want their friends to stop requesting them for World Cup tickets

    Chalien jee, you can stop name dropping your famous friends for perks because one couple has had it.

    The highly anticipated Indian ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has officially kicked off in India, but celebrity couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have a simple request for their close friends: stop asking them for free match tickets. The cricket player shared a hilarious message on his Instagram stories where he wrote:

    “As we approach the World Cup, I would humbly like to let all my friends know to not request me for tickets at all through the tournament. Enjoy from your home plz.”

    His wife, actress Anushka Sharma shared his post adding her own amusing quip to all the nay sayers: “And let me just add… please don’t request me to help if your messages get unanswered. Thank you for your understanding.”