Response by Dr Makarand Paranjape to Dr Chinnaiah Jangam's rebuttal "Are you stating Facts, Dr Paranjape?" - Alt News
Alt News Desk
15th May 2017 / 1:07 am / Last updated: 12th July 2018
Dr Paranjape wrote to us wanting to respond to Dr Jangam’s rebuttal. The full text of Dr Paranjape’s response is reproduced below.
Response by Makarand R. Paranjape to:
“Are you Stating Facts, Dr. Makarand Paranjape?”, Dr. Chinnaiah Jangam presents his side of the story”
Re: the incident of 3 May 2017 at Carleton University, I would like to counter Asst. Prof. Chinnaiah Jangam on two grounds: facts and principles. But since most people have little time and less patience for the point by point refutation below, let me state the main issue simply and concisely. This is not a debate over whose politics or ideology is better, Asst Prof Jangam’s or mine. He believes that he should stop those whose views he disagrees with from undertaking legitimate and invited activities at Carleton University. It is this attitude that I totally disagree with; far from being a champion and defender he is an intolerant opponent of liberalism and freedom of expression. In this particular case, he actually succeeded in his design. The recording to which I was invited was cancelled.
Now to a more detailed rejoinder.
Part I: Facts
1. Asst. Prof. Jangam accuses me of the “secretive use” of the campus of Carleton University. But earlier in the same paragraph, speaking of my travels, he observes: “He has been on an overseas tour on the invitation of the organisation ‘Indic Book Club’ and has been publicising his talks regularly on Twitter. On May 2, 2017, he tweeted ‘Next stop: Carleton U, with Dr. Harsha Dehejia (with a picture of Dehejia), speaking on ‘Drishti: Is there an Indian Way of Seeing,’ to be recorded for CU TV.” How is my Carlton visit “secretive” if I publically announced it? In this regard, Dr. Dehejia reiterated to me in his email received on 12 May 2017: “Your event was not at all secretive. It was cleared by Prof. Shane Hawkins, Chair of the College of the Humanities. … Over the last 15 years, I have made about 10 video conversations with visiting artists and academics all of which I regularly use in my course RELI2515. This enriches my course and sometimes gives a different point of view.”
2. The above verifiable email puts paid to Asst Prof Jangam’s claim that I did not have “an official invitation from Carleton.” On the contrary, I was not only officially invited by Adjunct Professor Dr. Harsha V. Dehejia, but confirmed in an to Ms. Judy Donaldson, College Administrator, College of Humanities, Carleton University, my acceptance of the invitation and my permission to be recorded. I was also offered a modest honorarium from Carleton University for this recording. The prerequisite of any such payment has to be an official invitation, with a paper/email trail to prove it. Needless to say, after Asst Prof Jangam’s crusade scuppered the recording at the Media Centre, I declined and returned the payment. Therefore, at Asst Prof Jangam’s instigation, not only was an official programme, with an official invitation, cancelled, but such a cancellation also resulted in financial loss to me. Asst Prof Jangam not only tarnished my reputation, but caused me a quantifiable financial loss.
3. Asst Prof Jangam claims that I used Carleton “campus name and legitimacy” to promote the “recording as an achievement” of my “political campaigns on social media.” Wrong: I neither seek Carleton’s name nor legitimacy—my work speaks for itself. But isn’t it also possible that Carleton gains by visits by internationally published and known academics like me? As to seeking “legitimacy” for my “political campaigns on social media,” the charge is uninformed, if not unintelligent. I am an academic, not a politician; I entered the social media space quite recently not to conduct political campaigns but to publish information about my popular writings, especially columns in newspapers and periodicals. In the process, I have also posted brief comments and formulations, which may easily be misread, as often happens on SM. But I have invariably refrained from any hurtful or inflammatory posturing. In contrast, in the few tweets of Asst Prof Jangam that I have I encountered, he has already called me “liar” and other unsavoury epithets several times. In addition, I have posted originally composed haikus, because the 140-character medium is eminently suitable for such sharing. In my self-description, I also declare that I “not merely a political animal.” My point is that SM, especially Twitter, cannot be the sole means to “judge,” “brand,” and “condemn” a person’s politics, as Asst Prof Jangam seems to do, let alone declare him persona non grata on a campus.
4. Asst Prof Jangam claims that I do not “stand for the Canadian values.” This accusation seems contra-factual given that I’ve had several multiple-entry visa and have been invited to several Canadian universities. I’ve was invited to Carleton itself way back in 2002, long before Asst Prof Jangam’s hire. I have spoken on numerous occasions, participated in several academic activities, and given lectures in scheduled classes, and recorded several programmes for Carlton University TV. Some of the latter have been used by several batches of students of the introductory Hinduism and other India-related courses, plus members of the public. Not one person has found anything objectionable, let alone clashing with “Carleton values.” What makes Asst Prof Jangam pontificate or adjudicate on said values or stigmatise even ban those who don’t conform to his way of thinking?
5. Asst Prof Jangam avers: “At no point did I ask him to cancel the recording.” After I read this denial, I emailed Dr. Dehejia. May I be permitted to quote him verbatim: “I decided not to go ahead with the video conversation with you only when he [Asst Prof Jangam] said, ‘I do not want this event to go through. Prof. Paranjape should not be allowed to use the facilities of Carleton University.’” Asst Prof Jangam adds, “I was not against Paranjape’s visit to campus and if it was an open lecture I myself would have attended and asked questions. But I do not support this secretive claim of legitimacy and would like to register my protest.” I have already established that there was nothing “secretive” about the recording, nor was it a “claim to legitimacy.” But Asst Prof Jangam’s distinction between “secretive” recording and “open lecture” is utterly specious; the two are different, but equally legitimate and “official” activities, serving different functions. The former to be broadcast to students and interested viewers does not require an audience or prior announcements, let alone publicity. That does not somehow make it underhand or sinister. An open lecture, on the other, hand, may be open to all or only to registrants. There might be many other valid and valuable formats too, such as the recording of a lecture before a studio audience, followed by Q&A; an “open” lecture broadcast on FB live, followed by a web Q&A; a live lecture without recording or broadcast; and so on. A rudimentary experience of academic life would obviate an explanation such as this. I suspect that Asst Prof makes inconsequential and irrelevant distinctions between these formats to justify his disruption. More germane to the matter is that he did not “register his protest” as he claims, so much as stop the recording. If he had wanted to, he could have conveyed his objections, then left; instead, from what I have gathered, he insisted that the programme not go through as planned.
6. According to Asst Prof Jangam, I have “been writing against the affirmative action for Dalits (untouchables in India).” False again. I am not anti-Dalit, let alone being anti-reservations, but I believe that they should not be based solely on caste. Economic criteria should also be applied. I have often asked reservation activists: won’t caste-based reservations reinforce rather than annihilate caste? How long should caste-based reservation continue? Won’t caste-based quotas end up in an even more rigid caste system? Frankly, I have not found satisfactory answers to such questions. Before going to the next point, I also want very strongly to object to his use of the phrase “untouchables in India”; he should know that untouchability has been outlawed in India since our independence.
7. Asst Prof Jangam accuses me of the “endorsement of anti-Muslim … ideas and violence.” False again. Once again, let me state my position. I oppose violence in the name of any religion, in addition to theologically sanctioned terrorism, vandalism, conversion, and hatred. That is why I have argued that modern-day Muslims, especially those professing to be liberal and democratic, ought to condemn such acts more vocally. There are several such hate-mongers in our midst today in India. This is an example of what I oppose: the lynching of Mohammad Hussain in Bengaluru for being a BJP worker. Or this diktat by radical Muslim organisation Hizbul Mujahideen. Does Asst Prof Jangam support such hatred and violence in the name of Islam? How can its condemnation make one “anti-Muslim”? Just to be additionally sure that Asst. Prof. Jangam understands, I also deplore “cow-vigilantes” and the violence of the Hindu right.
8. I would not like to engage with Asst. Prof. Jangam on his “casteist” slurs on the Overseas Friends of India, who at very short notice organised an alternate event. But I very strongly object to the falsehood that Dr. Dehejia “went ahead to hastily organise a talk by Dr. Paranjape in a restaurant following this incident,” which “also demonstrates dishonesty.” I would like to state quite categorically that Dr. Dehejia had nothing to do with the alternate event; he merely attended it. In fact, when invited to say a few words at the end, he politely declined and sat down. That event was solely the responsibility of the Overseas Friends of India, who put out the press release too.
I am sure Dr. Dehejia, one of the most respected members of the Indian community in Ottawa, does not need my defence. He is one of the most admired physicians and allergists in Ottawa, with a successful practice stretching over fifty years. He has served the community in multiple ways, including offering free medical consultation to the Indian High Commission in Ottawa. He has helped and healed thousands during his long and illustrious career. He is also an eminent Indologist and writer, having earned a PhD from the Anantacharya Institute of Indological Studies, Mumbai University, in addition to his MD. As Adjunct Faculty in Humanities at Carleton, he has taught a popular and successful introductory course in Hinduism for years without taking a single penny from the university. In fact, he has created a Dehejia Hindu Fund primarily with his own money to sponsor or assist important Indian public figures, academics, creative artists, and eminent persons of all ideological hues and dispositions. I personally know that his list of invitees in recent years includes many who cannot, even by a severe stretch, be labelled as Right Wing: for instance, Geeti Sen, Devdutt Patnaik, Ashok Vajpayi. He must apologise for calling Dr. Dehejia dishonest.
9. Asst Prof Jangam says, “It is no wonder that he has been chosen to lead the Institute of Advanced Studies in Shimla, a plum post as Dr. Dehejia reminded me on May 3. Please see this article on how he was also shortlisted … as a potential VC of Nalanda University last year.” I have never claimed that I have been “chosen,” even shortlisted, “to lead” IIAS, Shimla; perhaps, Asst Prof Jangam is relying on newspaper leaks, rumours, or Dr. Dehejia’s own kindly, if hopeful, wish. Someone else has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University; re: IIAS Shimla, like anyone else, I cannot say what the outcome might be. But the important thing to note is that such shortlisting or being tipped for higher administrative positions is not new; even under the previous UPA regimes, my name made the rounds, even reached the final stages of the selection process for one or two key appointments. Doesn’t this suggest the opposite of Asst Prof Jangam’s insinuation—the consideration of my candidature is not because of ideological affiliation but in spite of it? Please, Asst Prof Jangam, this spat is not about credentialism vs. favouritism, but freedom vs. intolerance on campuses; do not try to obfuscate the issue.
10. My last point in the “facts” part of my response is Asst Prof Jangam’s assertion that I have “aligned” myself “more openly than ever before … with the RSS.” For those who do not know it, the RSS or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, is perhaps the largest socio-cultural organisation in the world, with multiple sub- and sister bodies. Much has been researched and written on it; indeed, this is not the place to determine what it stands for or what its true character is. Let me unequivocally state that I am not a member of the RSS, but I do not agree with Asst Prof Jangam’s slur that it represents “regressive, undemocratic, non-secular values … against the basic Canadian values of equality, secularism, and humanism.” I am nobody to defend the RSS, which has attained greatness, influence, and power because hundreds of thousands of selfless volunteers and patriots have devoted decades in the service of the nation under its aegis. If it is a crime to move closer to the RSS, then let me plead “guilty.” Let me tell Asst Prof Jangam and my other detractors why this has happened. I have been sick and tired of the divisive and infructuous politics of Left vs Right, Hindu vs Muslim, Sikh vs Hindu, Dalit vs Upper Caste, secular vs Hindu, woman vs man, North Indian vs South Indian, “Aryan” vs “Dravidian,” Khalistani vs Indian, and so on; it nauseates me by its hypocrisy and lack of integrity. I support the RSS because it is perhaps the only organisation in the present scenario which avers, “We are one, regardless of caste or creed: we are all Indian, all Bharatiya.” I like this message of the RSS. I intend to continue to support it until I know otherwise.
Part II: Principles
I had ten factual disputations with Asst Prof Jangam, but when it comes to principles, I have only one. The fundamental principle on which I disagree with Asst Prof Jangam is his belief that he can arbitrate for everyone else what Canadian values are, what Carleton stands for or, for that matter, who should or should not be allowed on his campus. Furthermore, he refuses to discuss, debate, dissent but tries to, in this case, succeeds in, shutting down what other people are doing. I would submit that such matters are open to varied interpretations and must be worked out carefully, with room for differing views. In this case, my recording on “Drishti: Is There an Indian Way of Seeing?” had nothing to do with his work, his field of advertised expertise or, for that matter, his politics, which centres on caste. Yet, because he detests some of my purported beliefs or alleged ideological leanings, he had the temerity to interfere, disrupt, and shut down an official Carleton event. Asst Prof Jangam needs to learn that that is not what Canadian, Carleton, or indeed, democratic values in free societies all over the world, stand for.
Last year, when he listened to my invited Gandhi talk in one of the Carleton courses and joined me for lunch, I told him how proud I was of him and his achievements, especially since he studied at two institutions, University of Hyderabad, where I taught, and JNU, where I have been Professor for nearly seventeen years. After his attack on me, I decided to take a closer look at his work. I am afraid that I am constrained to revise my view of him. I find that he comes across primarily as a polemicist and crusader, internationally “caste-lashing” India, indulging in rampant name-calling, fact-twisting, and “Hindu bashing.” If I may address him directly through this forum, I would tell him, “Sir, there is much more to academics than invective, slating, and ranting. Indeed, mere philippic does not a scholar make. Name-calling, distortion of truth, quoting out of context, making irrelevant and unsubstantiated allegations and, ultimately, using all these to justify the unjustifiable, in this case, your assault on the freedom of expression on an internationally renowned university of which you have the privilege to be a member, does not behoove you, the institutions that trained you, or the country and culture that you come from.”
Conclusion
From all the evidence at hand, it is fairly obvious that Asst Prof Jangam disrupted and stopped an official programme at Carleton because he was opposed to the alleged ideology of one of the participants. A simple test of this hypothesis is to raise the contra-factual possibility of what might have happened if he had not intervened? Wouldn’t any sensible person agree that the recording would have gone ahead as scheduled? If the only reason it was cancelled was his presence and protest, accompanied by real or veiled threats, how can he evade responsibility? How can he try to shift the blame onto someone or something else? What is more, his statements clearly indicate his intentions, even if he does not own up their outcomes. He definitely intended to stop the programme; no, not just that, he believed and still does that both his actions and intentions are justified.
May I finally and respectfully point out that we are not debating the content of our respective ideologies, beliefs, or political positions. What we are debating is whether Asst Prof Jangam had the right to disrupt, shut down, or stymie those he disagrees with or whose positions he dislikes. Even a modicum of understanding of liberal values would clarify that they imply multiple, even contrary points of views, not for one person’s dogmatic opposition to someone else’s view to push the latter out of the public space. While Asst Prof Jangam has every right to adhere, even espouse, what he believes, he cannot decide for the University, for Canada, or for India what liberal values are or what is “not good for any society.” He certainly does not have the right to stop others from doing what they believe in on the basis of the certainty of his convictions. That is why I used the word “bullying” to describe his conduct; I could have used worse. Because, frankly, his mode of functioning is the very antithesis of what liberal academics is. Armed with some belligerent notion of political correctness or the other, he, and many others all over the world, strut about and stalk our campuses, scaring opponents into submission or silence. They may consider themselves intellectual “activists,” but some of their actions better fit the epithet “intellectual terrorists.” I have not—and will not—characterize Asst Prof Jangam thus, but I will call out his aggressive and intimidating tactics against ideological and political opponents. I will also question, critique, and oppose, whenever I must, his hiding behind some pseudo-noble ideal to rationalise wrong-doing. People like Asst Prof Jangam claim to be victims, but come across as aggressors; they speak in the name of liberal values but reveal themselves to be intolerant even to differing, let alone opposing, views.
To end, let me quote another social justice activist, also from an underprivileged background, who says in a moving article that “Hinduism and Indian Civilisation belongs to Dalits and ‘lower castes’ as much as it belongs to any other community. In fact, it belongs to us even more. If you erase Indian civilisation and Hinduism, you erase us too”— what a clear and straightforward message, though so contrary to your way of thinking.
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An important free speech statute that protects journalists in Texas is in danger
Camille Fassett
March 19, 2019
Back in 2005, a local newspaper in Texas was sued by a housing developer for its investigation, claiming that the paper’s reporting was a defamation attempt. And in 2008, a home health care business sued FOX 4 after it exposed alleged widespread fraud carried out by the company.
These suits are representative of the meritless legal action that news organizations in the state of Texas were vulnerable to until the passage of the Citizen Participation Act in 2011. Now, that statute is in serious danger.
The Texas legislature is considering narrowing the state’s law that allows courts to quickly dismiss baseless libel lawsuits that attempt to harass and intimidate those that report on or criticize powerful individuals and corporations — including journalists and news organizations.
The 2011 Citizens Participation Act (TCPA) offered protections against these silencing legal attacks, called ”strategic lawsuits against public participation”, or SLAPP. Texas’s anti-SLAPP law was backed from the beginning by a large coalition of media organizations, some of which had been previously sued.
Freedom of the Press Foundation has written previously about SLAPP lawsuits, and the dangerous implications they could pose to protest, free speech, and press freedom.
First Amendment attorney Laura Prather was involved with the passage of the 2011 statute, and she continues to fight against SLAPP in Texas.
“People were seeing that there was a rush of litigation against individuals and public interest groups when they spoke out, and there was interest at that time in preserving people’s free speech rights,” Prather said of the political climate in the Texas legislature at the time the statute was passed.
Now, she says, vocal opponents are pushing for the law to be narrowed in a way that strikes at the heart of the law, which would undermine the important protections it has codified. The legislative effort by lobbying group Texans for Lawsuit Reform to weaken TCPA — HB 2730/SB 2162 — is outwardly an attempt to cut down on the instances in which the law is used to dismiss “legitimate” libel lawsuits, but Prather notes that the vast majority of the time, the statute is used as intended.
“The citizens have overwhelmingly benefitted from this law,” she said. “You can’t even measure the amount of times it has deterred SLAPP lawsuits.” Any refinement of the statute, according to Prather, should be done with a scalpel rather than a sledgehammer.
“The bills would also remove clearly articulated categories of protected speech relating to matters of public concern from the Texas anti-SLAPP law,” wrote Rick Blum, Policy Director at Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “The legislation drops the definitions of those categories of public speech and deletes anti-SLAPP protections for communications between parties on matters of public concern. This would eliminate clear protection under TCPA for meritless defamation lawsuits.”
A narrowed, less robust anti-SLAPP statute in Texas threatens such protections elsewhere, according to Prather. Many anti-SLAPP provisions across the country are based on Texas’s, which is particularly robust.
“Speech will be chilled, because [news organizations] won’t necessarily have the resources to fight against meritless lawsuits if they won’t be able to cover fees. They may self-censor out of caution because they can’t afford a lawyer, and even when they can, media organizations and journalists will be left in the court system for far longer.”
A group of Texas news organizations and transparency groups are joining together to oppose the bill and maintain the state’s strong free speech-protecting statute.
“The heart and soul of this statute must be preserved,” reads the coalition website. “The Texas Legislature shouldn’t allow this effective and equitable law to be eviscerated and the citizens of Texas to be deprived of its free speech protections.”
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China: Three Public Expenditures and State Secrets · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The term, “three public expenditures” or san gong jingfei, refers to government expenses for overseas trips, food and entertainment and public vehicles. The three expenditures have been considered by the general public as one of the main sources of corruption of government officials.
In May 2011, the State broadcaster Central Television Station revealed that the country's annual spending for the “three public” items was up to RMB1900 billion [zh] in 2010, which accounts for 60% of all administrative expenses. In order to cut the spending, the Ministry of the State demanded that all 98 central government departments and offices disclose their “three public expenses”.
On 30 June 2011, the Steering Committee of the National People Congress disclosed the Central Government's “Three Public Expenditures”. The figure was up to RMB 9.4 billion  [zh] (approximately USD 1.5 billion). Despite a great deal of resistance, so far most of the 98 central government departments and offices have disclosed their spending. However, in the past two days, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Overseas Chinese Affairs (OCA) and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs (HKMA) claimed [zh] that their “three public expenditures” are State secrets.
As the Ministry of State's move towards budgetary transparency of the “three public expenditures” has very strong public support (in an opinion poll conducted in July 2011, more than 96.4% of the interviewees supported it [zh], the pretext of “State secret” has outraged the majority of Chinese people. Below is a cartoon by Zhai Haijun showing how difficult it is to bring change to the government with the “three public expenditures” problem. (via China Media Project)
Blogger He Jun points out that “State secret” is an excuse to protect privilege and corruption:
国家机密，很有意思。原来以为导弹发射设计图，军事基地内部情况，自主创新的科研数据，相关经济数据，宝贵的矿藏地质资料……这些，才是国家机密，却不料，三公花费，官员们拿国家的票子，人民的劳动成果，咱们那个老百姓的纳税金，坐了轿车，吃了公饭，出了国考了察，这么一种特殊享受的花费，居然也是“国家机密”！
任何一个中国人，一旦沾上点“国家机密”的好处，一定会铁了心跟D走，因为，这些好处如此甜蜜可爱令人生出无比动力——再不能当傻逼乱嚷嚷政治上不成熟了，弄上三公的好处你就偷偷乐去吧，然后坐在主席台上装比样子一脸马列主义三个代表四个现代化三大纪律八项注意，“人民”知道个啥？反正人民是个看不见的东西。反正有“国家机密”给咱们护着。。。
Lisa criticizes the MFA for its failure in diplomacy from a nationalistic point of view:
外交部作为联系五洲四海的一个纽带，肯定是“三公消费”的大户，这不足为怪。问题是你花了钱究竟办了多少事，交了多少朋友？。。。可是，放眼一望，南海诸岛还有多少属于中国？有多少渔民、船长被外邦无理扣押？以牺牲领土为代价换取所谓的和平环境，以屈辱外交换取好伙伴、好邻居、好朋友咄咄逼人的联合吼叫，外交部的“三公经费”究竟干什么用了？
花了大头钱，没办多少事，还丢了大片国土。那么，外交部还有脸面公布“三公经费”么？不敢公布还拿什么国家机密来说事，来遮丑，真是天大的谎言。
Having spent so much money, we still lost our land. Of course the MFA dare not disclose its “three public expenditures”. However, it still dares using “State secret” to hide their shame. This is such a big lie.
In Weibo, there are a number of discussion threads about this newly invented “State secret” item. Below is a selection of immediate responses from Weibo users in the 21cbh's news thread [zh]:
天边火林中风 外交部怎么做账的？机密开销放到三公经费里？(今天 09:32)
老狼_深圳 可笑，他们花我们的钱，我们只不过要个帐单，他们居然说这是是秘密！！！(今天 09:31)
峰回路转转路回峰 费用高了 敌对势力不就发现我们的外交很猛(今天 09:40)
李晋宁AARON 陈水扁当初也是用同样理由贪腐的，如果外交部执意不公布，那干脆就从国务院里独立出去，省得毁了一锅汤。(今天 09:39)
风一逸 国家丑闻当属国家机密，(今天 09:35)
共和一体 公款吃喝，公款出国，公款购车…为神马不能公开？除非我们养的间谍太多？？(今天 09:45)
老狼_深圳 They spend our money, all we are asking is a receipt and they dare to tell us it is a State secret!!!
峰回路转转路回峰 When enemy forces see our huge spending, they know how strong our MFA is.
李晋宁AARON Chen Shui Bian [Former Taiwan President] used the same reason to defend his corruption. If the MFA insisted on not disclosing its three public expenditures, it should be independent from the Ministry of the State, or it will ruin the whole government.
风一逸 State scandal is of course State secret.
共和一体 spending public money for banquets, travel and vehicles, why can't this be disclosed. Unless we feed too many spies.
More reactions [zh] from the Weibo Headline news thread:
飘泊在南方的云 不公開也罷，看那些公開的又有幾份是真實帳？！(今天 11:12)
法拉盛上官 其他已经公布三公的部门郁闷了,怎么之前没想到郭家咪咪这一招(今天 10:03)
lemon5212011 除了要给国外的亲属生活费学费什么的还有养着一帮国内的杂碎，能公布吗？(今天 10:02)
蘇奕安 三公系指公车、吃喝、差旅，这个也涉及机密？莫非系秘密与基地组织吃饭游玩？？
法拉盛上官 Other departments which had disclosed their expenses must feel regret, how could they not have thought of using “State secret” as an excuse.
lemon5212011 They have to pay for their family's expenses and school fees aboard and feed their running dogs inside the country, of course they can't disclose the figure.
蘇奕安 the meaning of “three public expenditures” is vehicles, banquets and travel. How can that have anything to do with secrets? Are they eating and traveling with terrorist groups??


Catering company wins Near West Side business competition | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Elliot Hughes
September 27, 2017
Lisa McKay, center, is presented with a $10,000 check that will help her move her business into a storefront on the Near West Side. Also pictured is Doug Gordon, CEO of WaterStone Bank, left, and Keith Stanley, executive director of Near West Side Partners. (Photo by Elliot Hughes)
Lisa McKay and her husband have spent months scoping a vacant building on the Near West Side as a potential headquarters for their catering business, but they haven’t made a move because the money hasn’t been there.
It’s made McKay antsy. She doesn’t want to lose the building to someone else.
But last Wednesday, she may have gotten the resources she needs to make that building home for the business she started from scratch about 10 years ago.
McKay took home $11,000 and other resources by winning the second annual  event, a small business competition hosted by , Inc. to bring new businesses and jobs to the neighborhood.
“All week I had been so crazy and tired and I had a lot of catering jobs and I had so much on my plate,” McKay said after the announcement in front of about 300 people at  ballroom. “I hadn’t been to church in a while but Sunday, I just had to just go to church. I was so tired from just preparing (for the competition). I still went to bed last night still not feeling prepared. This morning I got up and i just felt so much confidence. Everything just fell in place.”
Keith Stanley, executive director of Near West Side Partners, announces the winners of the second annual Rev-Up MKE small business competition. (Photo by Elliot Hughes).
McKay, who owns , beat out 30 applicants and five other finalists in the competition. The six finalists all presented 10-minute pitches to the judges and an audience of about 300 people last Wednesday before announcing the winner.
McKay worked for multiple corporations as an executive assistant until she entered the catering business. It started with small events for friends and family in 2007. The following year, she pulled off her first wedding.
Since then she has gotten a culinary degree from  and won a “chef of the year” award from the , according to the business website.
McKay said her business catered 92 events in 2015, 220 in 2016 and is projected to cover 242 events in 2017. She said she employs four chefs — one full time. Her company is also involved with a summer culinary camp for kids and volunteering in schools to advocate healthy eating.
She said the panel of five judges probably selected her because she has already established a growing business and a positive reputation in the city.
“I have a solid company,” she said. “I have been doing this for over eight years. I’m stable, I’m a woman of my word.”
As the first-place winner, McKay won $10,000 in funding from WaterStone Bank; more than $25,000 in in-kind services, such as business consulting and communication support; one year of computer power, storage space and internet bandwidth; and advertising from the Near West Side Partners. McKay also won $1,000 for the audience favorite award.
Coming in second place, with a $4,000 prize, was Annalies Tilley-Grantz and her . Tilley-Grantz provides after-school piano lessons for elementary and middle school students at . In her pitch, she said she hopes to expand the program to more schools in Milwaukee and open up a headquarters to offer lessons to students in high school.
The four other finalists were:
All six finalists were paired with a mentor organization — either , ,  or  — which offered resources and support for the competition.
“In the economy we’re in, we have to focus on entrepreneurs,” said Keith Stanley, executive director of Near West Side Partners. “This is exciting for me to work with these local business owners that hopefully will be that engine, that life blood for us to move forward in economic development in the Near West Side.”


Angola: Endangered species caught and sold · Global Voices
Paula Góes

MESUMAJIKUKA [pt] publishes a picture of someone caught red handed by the camera with a  young sea turtle, caught on the coast Angola, in a car which was seen at Deolinda Rodrigues Road last August 14, 2008. According to the post, the Angolan guy also said that this was the second animal he caught at the request of some Chinese people with vehicle number plate GNR-B039, LD 50-88-AL and based in Viana.


The bird in the video is an ‘Andean condor’ and the video was shot in Argentina - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 20, 2020
A video is being widely shared on social media with the claim that the bird in the video is ‘Jatayu’ and it was sighted in a forest in Kerala. ‘Jatayu’ bird is mentioned in the Hindu mythology ‘Ramayana’ and is considered divine by Hindus.  Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Video of ‘Jatayu’ bird sighted at Sadayamangalam forest in Kerala.
Fact: The bird seen in the video is not ‘Jatayu’, it is an ‘Andean condor’. The video shows it being freed by rescuers in Argentina in 2014. So, the claim is FALSE.
When the screenshots of the video were subjected to reverse image search technique, a certain keyframe was found in an article of ‘The Dodo’. As per the article, the bird seen in the video is an ‘Andean condor’ named ‘Sayani’ and it was freed by rescuers in Argentina after its treatment in 2014. In 2012, ‘Sayani’ was found close to death in Catamarca (Argentina) after being poisoned by the ranchers in the region. Other articles about the incident can be read here and here. The complete video of ‘Sayani’ being set free by rescuers can be seen here.
To conclude, the bird seen in the video is an ‘Andean condor’ and the video was shot in Argentina.
Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?


Portugal: Cartoon Satirizes Merkel’s Influence on Upcoming Greek Elections · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

A cartoon of German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the Uncle Sam of Europe, with her finger pointed saying “I respect your right to vote, as long as you vote right”, is the way Portuguese ‘guerrilla’ designer Gui Castro Felga [pt] addresses the upcoming Greek elections on June 17. She wonders whether Europe is “going to ‘let’ the greek people say NO to austerity and the IMF policies”.


‘Those men were me’: Youths accuse MPD of mistreatment | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
March 7, 2016
jsonline.com


Saudi Arabia: Genie in Court · Global Voices
Haifa Alrasheed

“I was under the influence of a genie” is the latest excuse for administrative corruption in Saudi Arabia. According to the Saudi newspaper Okaz [Ar], a judge in Al Madina was accused of corruption, taking bribes and taking over real estate. His defense was: “It was not me, I was under the influence of a genie!” It is therefore no a surprise, when Saudi netizens decided to have fun with the story. Soon enough, the hashtag #jinni -which refers to genie in Arabic- started trending on our Twitter timelines. Here are some of the reactions.
Ahmad Bagadoodexplains why he crossed the traffic light:
Fouad Hassan calls for the genie:
Khalid or @Mashi9a7 made a few remarks on this:
Wajd announces a new movie:
As a follow up,  Okaz published a story [Ar] about a religious man named Fayez Al-Gothami who has made the genie “talk” to him in a setting attended by some members of the religious police. According to Al-Gothaimi, the court's judge Fahad Al-Muhaimeed, asked him to prepare a letter explaining all the details of the interrogation and the corruption scams the “genie” had confessed to.
Yaser Alrefai justifies the genie's confessions:
Shaker AlSufyani thinks of taking advantage of the situation:
:P
Essam Al-Zamel remarks on Jeddah's crises:
wasazib would like to improve his work situation:
يا جماعة أبغى أزبط مديري الجديد….أحد يعرف جني فاضي من هنا و لا من هنا؟ #jinni
Feras Aalam asks to take a serious position on this regard:
Bader (Abu Jehad) talks about the release of a new book:
Okaz [Ar] then published a story saying that the religious police denied witnessing the “genie's hearing session.”
MsSDigitaL writes:
Finally, Manal Fahmy comments:
Good Saudis are celebrating #halloween this year in their special way #Jinni


Jamaica: The Best of Caribbean Theatre · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp posts the results of his poll on the Top Ten Caribbean Theatre Classics.


Kenya: A nation laughing at itself · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Is Kenya ready to laugh at itself? A new blog called Peculiarly Kenyan intends to make Kenyans laugh at themselves. Peculiarly Kenyan is “a testimony to the curiously Kenyan habits, smells, tastes and flavours that make this country of ours hilarious at best and annoying at worst.”
Peculiarly Kenyan:
This blog will be a testimony to the curiously Kenyan habits, smells, tastes and flavours that make this country of ours hilarious at best and annoying at worst.
To begin with, let's look at entering a lift in any building. You stand on the ground floor, waiting for the lift doors to open. Civilization prevails as those around you blankly stare up at the numbers depicting the painstakingly slow descent of the lift. 5, 4, 3….3…..3….3-who the hell is keeping the lift on the 3rd floor for so bloody long??-2, 1…1….1…..arghhhhhh why couldn't that lazy oaf take the stairs one floor down? ahhh finally, ground floor. Lift doors open, all sense of civility vaporizes as the crowd around you pushes and shoves itself into the lift, without waiting for the occupants to empty out. And since you were in the middle of the crowd, you find yourself physically lifted up and into the vestibule, dodging the filthly looks of the visibly irritated occupants trying to extricate themselves out. Oh goodness, somebody left something in the lift, it's a strong distinctly palpable body odour that is almost a living being, an invisible stalker in the corner of the lift that very nearly engulfs you and assaults your nasal passages!
Do you know of a road in Nairobi that miraculously transform itself from a two lane highway into an 8 lane highway in the same speed it takes a Porsche to attain maximum speed 0-100mph in 4 seconds?:
it's official, Thika Road has now been designated Thicker Road. And only because it's the only road in Nairobi that can miraculously transform itself from a two lane highway into an 8 lane highway in the same speed it takes a porsche to attain maximum speed 0-100mph in 4 seconds…or something along those lines. I was driving upcountry to Nanyuki to spend a lovely madaraka day weekend. In extremely typical fashion, a guy in a peugot 504 (which have become extremely rare contraptions in this Toyota country) has car problems on the right lane and makes the utterly wise decision to deal with said problems on the spot. To his right, is the road shoulder, not even 3 feet away where he and the other male occupant of the car could have pushed the problematic car. To his left is a long snake of at least 3 semi-trailers heavily laden with goods en route to the North Eastern frontier that have reduced traffic to a snail pace.
In the time it takes to say, what the bloody hell, sixty four matatus have taken the very space that 504 man should have parked his vehicle to form another 4 lanes of traffic to maintain the Soul II Soul mantra of “keep on moving”. Needless to say, we came to a complete standstill at the bewitching hour of 1 p.m.
What about meeting a client “holding a scrunched up handkerchief, wet with nasal productivity but still full of utility judging by the way he kept wiping his nose as he strode masterfully into the room”?:
Went to see a new client today. He walks into the room holding a scrunched up handkerchief, wet with nasal productivity but still full of utility judging by the way he kept wiping his nose as he strode masterfully into the room. I silently cringed, praying feverishly that he would not proffer his hand for the ubiquitous handshake that is so part of civility in this Nairobi. Frankly speaking, if we had to do without this unhygienic social norm I don't think any one of us would be the worse for social wear. Needless to say, my prayer hit the highway to heaven and was answered in remarkable time (memo to self, send thank you note to God) and he bustled into his seat and started off the meeting with nary a physical acknowledgement.
Do you drive 40 kms per hour on the right lane of a two lane highway in Nairobi? Then, you must be driving a Toyota Vitz and you need to put Peculiarly Kenyan blog on your blacklist:
if you drive a Toyota Vitz, stop reading this right now and put this blog on your blacklist. I hate Vitz drivers. why? every first time driver who's got a pay rise and can therefore afford to take a car loan from a bank defaults to buying a Vitz. so what happens, the person driving at 40 kms per hour on the bloody RIGHT lane of a two lane highway such as Thika Road or Jogoo Road or Mbagathi way is always A VITZ driver…..arghhhh! the person making a U Turn, yes U turn on bloody Ngong road at 5:45 p.m peak driving time is always a VITZ driver, the person who decides to overtake the slow moving lorry and then forgets mid-overtaking that the rest of the cars behind him are also trying to overtake is always a VITZ driver…..


Old photo of ‘Go Back Modi’ slogan on a Kolkata street shared as that from Tamil Nadu - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 15, 2021
A photo of ‘Go Back Modi’ slogan painted on a street road is being shared on social media claiming it as the anti-Modi graffiti displayed on a street in Tamil Nadu. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim:  Photo of a Tamil Nadu street with ‘Go Back Modi’ slogan painted on the road.
Fact: The anti-Modi graffiti shared in the photo is related to a protest against the CAA and NRC in Kolkata. This protest was held amid PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Kolkata in January 2020. This photo has nothing to do with Tamil Nadu. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On reverse image search of the photo shared in the post, we found a similar photo in a tweet made by Kolkata-based Journalist Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh on 11 January 2020. Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh reported it as an image from Esplanade, the busiest street in Kolkata.
This is one of the busiest roads in Kolkata. #Esplanade. Lakhs and lakhs of people commute, jam packed traffic r seen. Just look at this place tonight. Roads turned into graffitis, no traffic, all roads blocked, students protesting overnight.
This is #Kolkata #modiinkolkata pic.twitter.com/jDaf6vufXi
Further search led us to news articles dated January 2020 which carried a similar photo but from another angle. According to these articles, the photo is of a protest against CAA and NRC in Kolkata. These articles can be read here and here.
Also, in a better version of the photo shared by the journalist, the sign ‘METRO CHANNEL CONTROL POST, ARE STREET POLICE STATION’ is visible on a building besides the road. Taking a cue from here, a search on Google maps with relevant keywords led us to the location which is indeed in Kolkata. With all this, we can conclude that the image is related to protest in Kolkata against CAA and NRC and has nothing to do with Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, when the same photo falsely linked to the Bihar Assembly elections, FACTLY published a fact-check article on it. It can be seen here.
To sum it up, an old photo of ‘Go Back Modi’ slogan painted on Kolkata streets shared as the anti-Modi graffiti in Tamil Nadu.


Navika Kumar wrongly claims P.V. Narasimha Rao was the first non-Gandhi PM of India - Alt News
Arjun Sidharth
19th November 2018 / 6:49 pm
Was P V Narasimha Rao the first Prime Minister from the Congress party who did not belong to the Gandhi family? Apparently so, according to Navika Kumar, managing editor with Times Now and anchor of the prime time show The Newshour. Kumar was speaking live on November 16, 2018 ahead of her prime time show.
Navika Kumar on #ModiChaiwalaDare
Posted by TIMES NOW on Friday, November 16, 2018
As can be seen in the above video from around 1:20 to 2:13, Kumar can be heard saying, “The Prime Minister has said once again that they just cant get over the fact that a chaiwala has become a Prime Minister.” She continues, “If Nehru had made such democratic attempts at creating infrastructures in this country, then why have there been hardly any non-Gandhi prime ministers in this country? why has Nehru only nominated his own daughter Indira Gandhi to be his successor? Why was there nobody else who could have stepped into Nehru’s shoes? Why was P V Narasimha Rao who became the first non-Gandhi Congress PM of this country treated the way he was; when he died, his dead body was not even brought inside the Congress office?
It must be noted here that while Kumar has ostensibly quoted the Prime Minister, PM Modi in his speech had referred to his humble origins and the chagrin of the Congress party over his election as Prime Minister. He did not make any reference to P V Narasimha Rao or non-Gandhi prime ministers from the Congress party. These are the words of Navika Kumar herself. She begins by quoting PM Modi and then goes on to convey what is presumably her opinion.
The context of this monologue by Kumar was the recent statement made by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who had said that it was the establishment of institutional structures by the Congress party led by Nehru that made it possible for a ‘chaiwala’ to become the Prime Minister of the country.
Navika Kumar’s statement that P V Narasimha Rao, who became the Prime Minister in 1991, was the first PM of the Congress party who did not belong to the Gandhi family, is false. The list of politicians who have served as Prime Minister of India is available on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Posted below is a screenshot of the same.
Chronologically, Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister from August 15, 1947 to May 27, 1964, the day he died. Nehru was followed by Gulzari Lal Nanda who served as the acting Prime Minister for 13 days, from May 27, 1964 to June 9, 1964. On June 9, 1964, Nanda was replaced by Lal Bahadur Shastri who served as the Prime Minister of India from June 9, 1964 to January 11, 1966.
Both Gulzari Lal Nanda and Lal Bahadur Shastri belonged to the Indian National Congress, and neither belonged to the Nehru-Gandhi family. While Nanda served as the acting PM twice (he was sworn in again for 13 days following Shastri’s death in 1966), Shastri was a full-time Prime Minister who served from June 1964 to January 1966.
Information about Prime Ministers who have served India is freely and readily available online and only requires the most basic research, if one is unaware of the political history of post-independent India. In its eagerness to project the Prime Minister as a target of the Congress party’s ‘elitism’, Times Now misled viewers with inaccurate and biased information.
Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming.
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Old unrelated videos shared as recent visuals of the earthquake in Turkey - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 7, 2023
In the context of a major earthquake that struck Turkey and parts of Syria on 06 February 2023 killing hundreds of people, a video of a collapsing building is being widely shared on social media claiming it shows the latest visuals of the earthquake in Turkey. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Update (07 February 2023):
A few other videos are being shared on social media claiming as the CCTV footage showing the terrifying moments during the earthquake in Turkey on 06 February 2023. Let’s check the veracity of the claims made in these posts.
Video 1:
This post claims that the video shows terrifying moments during the recent earthquake in Turkey. On reverse image search of the screenshots of the video, a video with similar visuals was found published by the ‘Syria Stream’ YouTube channel on 30 October 2020. This YouTube channel described it as the visuals showing the scary moments during the earthquake in Izmir, Turkey. So, it can be confirmed that the video shared in the post shows the visuals of the 2020 earthquake in Turkey and not the latest one.
Video 2:
Another video is also being shared on social media claiming it is the visuals of the earth trembling during the recent earthquake in Turkey. On reverse image search, a video with similar visuals was found in an article published by a news website in May 2022. This news article reported it as the terrifying moments captured from inside a car during the earthquake in Japan. A YouTube user published this video in 2019, mentioning it is the video taken on a Metropolitan Expressway during the 2011 earthquake in Japan. From all these pieces of evidence, it can be concluded that the video shared in the post is old and does not show recent visuals from Turkey.
Published (06 February 2023):
Claim: Visuals of a building collapsing in Turkey due to earthquake on 06 February 2023.
Fact: Visuals show a building that collapsed in Izmir, Turkey on 30 October 2020 when an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Aegean Sea in October 2020. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A reverse image search of the viral video led us to the original video uploaded by ‘Guardian News’ YouTube channel on 30 October 2020. The title of the video reads- “Turkey earthquake footage captures moment building collapses in İzmir”. As per the media reports, a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck the city of Izmir on 30 October 2020.
Similarly, other clips shown in the viral video also belong to this 2020 earthquake in Turkey. They can be seen here.
To sum it up, old videos from the 2020 Turkey earthquake are being shared as recent visuals.


Russia: Putin’s Controversial Order · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog writes about the controversy surrounding Vladimir Putin's “recent order to ‘find and destroy’ the Islamic terrorists who killed Russian embassy workers in Iraq”: “Human rights groups call [it] illegal; Duma makes it legal.”


Of the Unrealized Tax Revenue, the proportion of ‘Amounts under Dispute’ increases to 84%
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 17, 2019
Along with the tax revenue realized by the government, substantial amounts of tax revenue remain unrealized because of disputes and non-payment. Of the total unrealized tax revenue up to 2017-18, proportion of ‘amounts under dispute’ was a whopping 84%.
Taxes are the main source of revenue for the Governmentof India (GoI). As per the budget presented for the FY 2019-20, the actual receipts of central
government for 2017-18was Rs. 21.37 lakh crores, of which the revenue through taxes was 12.42 Lakhsi.e. approximately 58% of the total GoI revenue.
Since tax revenue is a major source for allgovernment expenditure for implementation of various initiatives, tax revenuesnot realized result in reduced expenditure. The analysis of the numbersregarding tax revenues raised but not realized present a very concerning picture.
The receipt budget for 2018-19 indicates thatas of reporting year 2017-18, a total of Rs. 8.99 lakh crores of tax revenue wereraised but not realized, which is almost 75% of the GoI’s actual tax revenue in2017-18.
Total unrealized Tax revenue increased by 6
times over the last 10 years
The total amount of tax raised but not realized has seen a consistent increase every year for the period 2013-18. For the year 2013-14, the unrealized tax revenue amounted to around Rs. 5.83 lakh crores, while by the year 2017-18,it increased to Rs. 8.99 lakh Crores i.e. an increase of 54%.
Whereas, during the earlier five-year period of2008-13, the unrealized tax increased by Rs. 3.75 lakh crores. In the year 2008-09, the amount was Rs. 1.17 lakh crores whichincreased to Rs. 4.92 lakh crores by 2012-13 i.e. an increase more than four times. Overthe last 10 years, i.e., from 2008-18, the unrealized tax revenues increased byRs. 7.82 lakh crores i.e. by more than 6 times.
Correspondingly, during this 10 year period (2008-18), the actual tax revenue of GoI increased from Rs. 4.56 lakh crores in 2008-09 to Rs. 12.42 lakhs in 2017-18 i.e the actual tax revenues has nearly tripled.
Proportion of Unrealized Tax revenues under
dispute increases over the years
The budget reports regarding thenon-realization of tax revenues, categorizes the unrealized tax amounts into – ‘Amountsunder dispute’ and ‘Amounts not under dispute’.
The reasons for unrealized tax amounts could include: the challenges involved in tax filing, non- compliance, interpretation of the tax laws which could either lead to under reporting of the taxable amount or evasion of tax etc. Such non-compliance could lead to notices being issued by the tax authorities and litigation with the tax authorities giving rise to ‘Tax Disputes’. Taxpayers can appeal against these notices with their arguments which are taken up on different levels including – CIT (A) (Commissioner of Income Tax – Appeals) , ITAT (Income Tax Appellate Tribunal) for Income Tax and Customs Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) for indirect taxes. Further appeals will lie with the High Court or the Supreme Court.
The un-realized tax amount which is under dispute between the tax authorities and the taxpayers is classified as ‘amounts under disputes’. The rest of the unrealized tax revenues are considered as ‘amounts not under disputes’.
The share of disputed amounts in the total unrealized tax revenues has increased over the last 10 years.  For the year 2008-09, the disputed amount was 61% of the total unrealized tax revenue. Over the 10-year period, it has consistently increased and for the year 2017-18 the disputed amount accounted for 84% of the total unrealized amount. It needs to be noted that both the disputed amounts as well as non-disputed amounts have a near regular increase over the last 10 years, especially over the last five years.
For the total Rs. 7.77 lakh crores underdisputes as of 2017-18, around Rs. 3.55 lakh crores i.e. 45% is pending between1-2 years. A further Rs. 3.47 lakh crores are pending between 2-5 years with aroundRs. 57000 crores pending between 5-10 years.  Around Rs. 17000 crores is pending for morethan 10 years.
Pendency of tax dispute cases increasing each
year
Responding to a question in Rajya Sabha on 03 April  2018, the Minister for Finance had provided details of the total cases relating to tax disputes in various appellate institutions. A total of 4.27 lakh cases for Direct Taxes and 1.45 lakh for Indirect taxes were pending by the end of 2016-17.
The number of pending cases has increased overthe three years from 3.75 lakh in 2014-15 to 4.27 lakh in 2016-17 in the caseof direct taxes and from 1.27 lakh in 2014-15 to 1.45 lakh in 2016-17 in thecase of indirect taxes.
The increase in pendency of cases is both dueto the increase in number of new cases and disposal not being on par with thenumber of new cases being lodged
Total number of new appeals accepted in variousAppellate institutions have increased from 1.5 lakh in 2014-15 to 2.05 lakh in2016-17 in the case of direct taxes. On the other hand, number of new appealsrelating to indirect taxes have also gone up from 53,497 in 2014-15 to 69,853in 2016-17.
Correspondingly the number of disposals increasedfrom 1.11 lakh in 2014-15 to 1.76 lakh in 2016-17 in the case of direct taxesand from 44,669 in 2014-15 to 59,930 in 2016-17 in the case of indirect taxes.
While the rate of disposal is not on par withthe rate of new appeals being lodged, it can be observed that the number ofdisposals for both the direct and indirect taxes have increased over the threeyears 2014-2017.
Of the total pending cases for direct taxes asof 2016-17, 68% (2.9 lakh) are pending with Commissioner of Income Tax – Appeals.This is the first appellate institution, before the cases move to otherinstitutions of appeal. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has 22% (92,386) ofthe pending cases in the case of direct taxes.
As for indirect taxes, CESTAT (Customs Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal), which is the second level of appellateinstitution has 57% (83,338) of the pending cases. The Commissioner- Appeal has31% (45,163) of the pending cases.
The rest of the appeal cases for both directand indirect taxes are pending with Supreme court and various High Courts.
One trend that is clearly visible in this three-yearperiod 2014-17, as per the data provided in the in Rajya Sabha,  is thedecrease in the number of new appeals in the Supreme court for both direct andindirect taxes.
Withdrawal of appeals and standardizing interpretation
of the law are among the measures initiated
In the same answer, the Ministry of Finance has acknowledged thehigher rates of pending litigations in the various appellate institutions andhas provided the actions being taken to reduce the number of litigations. Thecomplexity of the existing Income Tax laws and the various interpretation ofthe provisions of the law are cited as the reason for the high number oflitigations for direct taxes.
According to the government, following are thesome of the initiatives being undertaken to reduce pendency.
Featured Image: Unrealized Tax Revenue


National Image: Lai Mohammed Says Fake News Has Assumed Frightening Proportion - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
May 15, 2019
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed says the spate of fake news has assumed frightening proportion and has affected the nation’s image globally.
The minister made this known during the inauguration of the Aso Television Station and Aso Radio ultra-modern studio in Abuja.
He called on media practitioners to rise up to the challenge and place national interest above any primordial ones.
The Minister added that with measures that had been placed in front of President Muhammadu Buhari, all these challenges would be a thing of the past in the very near future.
Earlier, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Muhammad Bello said one of the dispositions of the present administration on assumption of office four years ago was to reposition the Abuja Broadcasting Corporation, ABC to be relevant to residents.


India: Mob Justice · Global Voices
Rezwan

I love life… so I explore thinks that “mob justice may not be correct or fair, but it is effective and efficient”, especially in the context of corruption in the judiciary and police forces of India.


Brunei: Anti-corruption drive · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The anti-corruption drive in Brunei seems to be working as reported by the 2009 Global Corruption Barometer of Transparency International


Abuja-Kaduna Route: FG Targets One Train Per Hour - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 2
April 19, 2019
The Federal Government has said it would increase the number of trains plying the Abuja-Kaduna route to run a train per hour before the end of 2019.
Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Freeborn Okhiria, said this as part of activities of the Belt and Road Initiative’s celebration to mark 1,000 days of smooth operations of the rail system in Nigeria in Abuja.
Okhiria said that the increase in the number of trains was in response to complaints by Nigerians.
The NRC boss also said that the Federal Government had begun creating an e-ticket system to ease the burden of passengers.
He added that the e-ticketing system would also be developed bearing the future in mind.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari, confirmed that the Federal Government was in the final stages of compliance with the e-ticket system.


5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 20 | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sam Woods
January 20, 2023
It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.
Walker’s Point Center for the Arts is opening its newest exhibition, “Music to My Fingers.” The exhibition is a collection of fiber art work by Abigail Engstrand “connecting to music while looking at musical and performing artists at work.” The exhibition runs until March 31, but the opening exhibition happens from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20 at Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, located at 839 S. 5th St.
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges has organized a “mutual aid shed” where Metcalfe Park residents can get items such as clothing, cleaning supplies and diapers. The shed is open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20 at 2620 N. 34th St.
Health Connections Inc. is hosting a series of community conversations to provide updated health information. Learn about Black health needs and gather feedback on how to reduce racial disparities in health outcomes. This week’s conversation will take place from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21 at Center Street Nail Technology Academy, located at 3819 W. Center St.
Voces de la Frontera has organized a coat drive where you can drop off or pick up gently used winter clothing for men, women and children. The drive will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Voces de la Frontera office, located at 1027 S. 5th St.
Join Amani United and neighborhood partners to discuss housing issues and economic development strategies for the Amani neighborhood. Bethany Sanchez from Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council will give a presentation about housing in Milwaukee. The meeting takes place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 2927 N. 26th St.
This monthly pop-up market featuring Black-owned businesses returns to Sherman Phoenix from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 3536 W. Fond Du Lac Ave.
Young people ages 12 to 16 years old are invited to “youth night” hosted by the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition. At this event, youths will create collages based on the question “who are we without our dreams and desires?” The event takes place from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22 at 5235 S. 27th St. Materials will be provided.


Mekong Eye - News, analysis and opinion focusing on the environment and sustainability of the Mekong region

21 June 2016 at 3:56  (Updated on 11 January 2024 at 0:39)
Mekong Partnership for the Environment
Journalists from across the Mekong region met villagers, government officials and NGOs to understand and write stories about the costs and benefits of the Don Sahong dam. Mekong Partnership for the Environment partner Cambodia Institute for Media Studies convened 20 local and four regional journalists in Stung Treng from May 26-28 to learn about the dam and it’s  effect on communities, the environment and the dolphin and fish populations.
The event “Investigative Reporting Skills on Don Sahong Dam and Reporting on Environmental Impact and EIA Safeguard Policies” also featured discussion of Cambodian safeguard policies and a government presentation about Cambodia’s efforts to strengthen their EIA and public participation policies.
The journalists met with Cambodian government officials, non-governmental organizations, and affected communities and visited ecotourism sites that may be affected by the construction. Members of the Regional Technical Working Group on EIA, facilitated by MPE, from the NGO Forum on Cambodia and the Cambodian Ministry of the Environment presented and took questions from the journalists.
The event is the kick-off event for CIMS, who is establishing the first-ever Cambodian environmental journalist network, as part of their grant with MPE. The network will bring together journalists from across Cambodia to help them connect and find opportunities to improve their reporting. The new network is being established by MPE journalism training alumni, and as this nascent network develops, MPE aims to connect them with other networks in the region, all of whom have partnered with MPE on grants, training and stories.
Several stories have already been produced based on the training, including a piece focusing on the dam’s impacts on rare dolphins and villagers, published on the front page of the print edition of The Nation in Thailand, with a follow up article the following week. Local reporters also covered the event, including this piece in FanKhmer.
The event was part of the Mekong Matters Journalism Network’s efforts to support environmental journalism in the region. The Mekong Eye is a portal for Mekong Matters and other environmental stories from the region.
Page one story from a workshop participant in May 30 issue of The Nation (Source: MPE)
This is a public relations announcement from Mekong Partnership for the Environment (MPE), a non-profit project which is a key supporter of The Mekong Eye.


Syria: Mock Interview · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Mock Interview! Find out where Ammar stand these days on the issue of regime change in Syria.


Who fact checks online disinformation in West Africa’s Bambara language? · Global Voices
Kpénahi Traoré

Si ni kɛnɛya (“Longevity and health”), a Bambara/Jula language inscription on a bush taxi in Burkina Faso. Image/translation by Coleman Donaldson/An ka taa and used with permission.
Editor’s note: This personal essay was written following a Twitter campaign organized by Global Voices sub-Saharan Africa and Rising Voices where each week, a different language activist shared their perspectives on the intersection of digital rights and African Languages as part of the project, “The identity matrix: Platform regulation of online threats to expression in Africa.”
A few weeks ago, I received a WhatsApp message consisting of a voice message and a video about COVID-19 in the Bambara language. The 26-second audio alleged that the virus was created in a laboratory by white people.
Screenshot from a video received on WhatsApp, of a man displaying a liquid which he claims cures coronavirus in Bambara language.
The second file, this video, was about a supposed herbal treatment for the coronavirus. For almost two minutes, a man displayed a bottle filled with a colorless liquid, which he claims cures COVID-19.
This type of disinformation is rife among the Mandingo community and sadly, people believe it.
With a population of 11 million people, the Mandingo ethnic group cuts across the West African countries of Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
Mandingo (also called Mandenkan, Maninka, Mandingo, or Manding) is a tonal language but with different varieties spoken across countries in Western Africa. In Mali, it is called Bambara/Bamanankan. In Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso, it is known as Dioula. In Guinea, they say Malinke, while in Senegal and the Gambia, it is called Mandingo.
There has been abundant public discourse on false information in news channels, particularly in international languages like French and English, and in major African languages.
This is because mis- and disinformation has a great public impact on people's lives; the inability to distinguish facts from fallacy is the challenge of our times. In the case of COVID-19, mis- and disinformation and propaganda are major obstacles in fighting the virus, especially in Africa.
But who cares about mis- and disinformation in a minority language like Bambara?
There is currently no control mechanism to track fake information in Bambara. Communities have not been educated that digital platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook are also potentials vectors of fake news.
False information is a big issue in most African languages like Bambara. People spread fake news unintentionally because they do not realize the danger. They cannot imagine that someone can write or record something that could be false.
Misinformation and disinformation in Bambara spread in various digital platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. This has become more pronounced with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some examples are that Africans are immune to coronavirus or this disease infects only the wealthy. Others claim that the virus does not exist. These falsehoods delay the implementation of protective measures against the new coronavirus.
Les médias crédibles essaient de combattre les fake news en consacrant des émissions au coronavirus dans les langues locales comme le #bambara
— GV SSAfrica (@gvssafrica) April 30, 2020
Credible media are trying to fight fake news by devoting programmes to the coronavirus in local languages like #bambara
Disinformation about COVID-19 had already taken root among Bambara users in some countries before authorities started awareness campaigns like maintaining social and physical distancing in public places. For instance, Rémi Djandjinou, Burkina Faso’s minister of communication explains (as shown in the video embedded in the tweet below) in Dioula/Bambara language on hygiene measures to fight coronavirus.
For example in this video Burkina Faso communication minister try in #bamaba #dioula language to explain th barrier gestures against coronavirus. This is good but not enough https://t.co/jwoL6kf7QJ
— GV SSAfrica (@gvssafrica) April 30, 2020
Mɔgɔ man ɲi (“People are bad”), a Bambara language inscription on a bus in the busy traffic of Bamako, Mali. Image/translation by Coleman Donaldson/An ka taa and used with permission.
There is a similarity between the spread of false information and the transmission of COVID-19.
Someone receives false news from a digital platform, consumes it and then shares it with a dozen people. The recipients equally share it with others as well, and soon, the message goes viral.
In the case of the coronavirus, one person can infect more than five people, according to a recent study by Steven Sanche and five other scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory, United States. The infected people will equally transmit the disease to others.
Due to the massive sharing of disinformation, WhatsApp recently imposed a limit on message forwarding to curb the spread of rumors and viral messages that lead to disinformation.
In August last year, Facebook partnered with Africa Check, a nonprofit media organization, to integrate more African languages in the fight against fake news: Yorùbá and Igbo (Nigeria), Swahili (Kenya/Tanzania), Wolof (Senegal), Afrikaans, Zulu, Setswana, Sotho, Northern Sotho and Southern Ndebele (South Africa).
Sadly, there is no project with Bambara.
It is time for african local languages as #bambara to take a place on the internet. The many languages missing from the internet #africanlanguagesmatter https://t.co/jQvqxafG2Q via @BBC_Future
— Kpénahi Traoré (@Kpenahiss) May 13, 2020
I recently asked a journalist from Africa Check in Senegal why Bambara was not considered in the Facebook collaboration on African languages. He said that since neither he nor his colleagues are Bambara speakers users, they cannot possibly fact check mis- and disinformation in that language.
Unfortunately, this was a lost opportunity to work on a specific project to identify and check disinformation in Bambara.
Bambara is hardly considered in many international interventions unlike Yorùbá and Igbo (languages from Anglophone Africa). Oftentimes, African languages from French-speaking countries are often forgotten in local language development projects.
At RFI (Radio France International) where I work, the Bambara language newsroom is streamed on the internet. But this is a French public media project and not an initiative from Bambara speaking countries.
Digital platforms can give Bambara a new breath by showing that it is a dynamic language. There are few projects and initiatives to promote Bambara on the internet.
Coleman Donaldson, a linguistic anthropologist at the University of Hamburg is the founder of An ka taa (“let’s go”) an online project that teaches Bambara language. An ka taa also makes information about Bambara cities like Bamako or Bobo Dioulasso, where Bambara is spoken, available online. It is an ambitious project, considering that it is a nonprofit and lacks institutional financial support.
In Mali and Burkina Faso for example, offline local media promotes Bambara. Even if they want to be visible online, they can’t because they lack internet access.
Je souhaite qu'un jour les locuteurs du bambara puisse des espaces de discussion sur internet, des espaces qui prennent pleinement en compte l'orthographe et l'évolution du vocabulaire de la langue, que le bambara évolue avec le monde #identitymatrix
— GV SSAfrica (@gvssafrica) May 1, 2020
I hope that one day, Bambara speakers can find spaces for discussion on the internet, spaces that take full account of the spelling and evolution of the language's vocabulary, that Bambara evolves with the world #identitymatrix
Another obstacle is that digital technologies are not designed for African languages, even though the “choice to create and disseminate information through the internet” in one’s language is digital right, as stated in the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedom.


NIMASA DG Lists Incentives To Boost Nigeria’s Maritime Sector - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
October 29, 2021
Jamo made this known during his presentation on “Maritime Safety Administration and the Growth of the Nigerian Economy in the 21st Century’’ at a seminar organized by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms BPSRs, in Abuja.
He was represented by Director Maritime Safety, NIMASA Olu Aladenusi.
According to him, NIMASA has been modernising and reforming the Nigerian Ship Registry to support national tonnage growth and fleet development.
He said besides flag protection, the government has provided several incentives for Nigerian flagged vessels.
Jamoh said recent developments being pursued by the agency included an MoU with Maritime Academy India to provide sea time for cadets trained by the Agency, Nigerian Seafarer’s Development Programme NSDP and the training of seafarers.


Sri Lanka: Stop The Exodus · Global Voices
Rezwan

Serendipity opines that many in Sri Lanka want to leave the country for various reasons and the government is doing nothing to stop this exodus.


Burnaby council votes unanimously to include caste as a protected category - New Canadian Media
Shilpashree Jagannathan
April 26, 2023
Mayor and council in Burnaby, B.C. have voted to add caste as a protected category in the city’s code of conduct. The motion, tabled by Councillor Sav Dhaliwal on Monday, was passed unanimously to include caste as a protected category in city policies.
This follows two recent steps taken by Canadian jurisdictions to ban caste-based discrimination specifically.
Last month, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal penalized two people for using casteist slurs against a person belonging to a low caste $9,000. In March, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) also voted in favour of adding caste as a discriminatory category in its policies. TDSB has yet to write to the Ontario Human Rights Commission to create a framework for implementation.
“I thought things are better in Canada. It was naïve of me to believe so. I was made aware of people continuing to practice caste and was very disheartened to know,” councillor Sav Dhaliwal told New Canadian Media over the phone on Tuesday. “At Burnaby city council, we have included other categories of discrimination based on colour, last name, gender, faith and religion. Now caste will also be included.”
“As a minority, I understand what it means to be discriminated, as I have experienced it myself. To learn that we are discriminatory is not ok, so we had to take some measures to include caste as a protected category,” he added. Dhaliwal said he has been tracking recent developments like Seattle banning caste-based discrimination and the B.C. tribunal case.
“These recent developments, of course, spurred action on our part. We hope more city councils in Canada will adopt similar action to ban caste,” Dhaliwal said.
The caste system is a rigid South Asian social structuring system that has existed for thousands of years, and separates people into different social groups based on a hierarchy at birth. A person’s caste can be identified by their last name, family background, food habits, occupation, or racial profile. People in “lower castes” have historically been relegated to jobs that are deemed menial, and are afforded lower social status. In Hinduism, those at the bottom of the hierarchy are called Dalits or “untouchables,” and versions of the caste system exist among other religious groups in South Asian countries.
Burnaby council will soon create a policy framework to teach its employees, councillors, and managers about what caste is and how discrimination based on caste looks. Staff will be trained to make sure they are aware of caste bias, if any, for internal city policies, hiring, promotion, rewards, and wages.
Caste-based policy changes have seen some opposition from certain South Asian communities. Canadians for Hindu Harmony and Canadian Organization for Hindu Heritage Education (COHHE), ran an online petition for parents in Toronto to mobilize support against the TDSB vote.
These organizations said they oppose caste-discrimination being added to official policies because there is no data on the existence of casteist practices among South Asians in Canada. The groups believe current laws are adequate to address any caste-based bias, and that any further legislation could divide and paint South Asians and Carribeans as bigots.
“I don’t expect any pushback,” Dhaliwal said. “The city of Burnaby is quite progressive. In the event of any pushback, we will stand our ground; the city councillors have been sensitized about the issue, we have had these conversations, so we are aware.”
Globally and in B.C., anti-caste bias activists celebrate and observe April as Dalit History Month. A few years ago, Burnaby city council declared April 14 the ‘Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Equality Day’ to mark the birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who oversaw the drafting of the Indian constitution and was a champion of minority rights and feminist movements in India.
Shilpashree Jagannathan is a journalist from India. She now lives in Toronto and has worked as a business reporter for leading newspapers in India. She has tracked telecom, infrastructure, and real estate news developments and has produced podcast series. She currently focuses on human rights, feminist movements, and other related issues in Canada and  India. Her weekends are spent bird watching in one of the Toronto birding hotspots; she loves trails, biking, and a lot of sun.


Cuba: A Cuban Christmas  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iván's File Cabinet says that “although the city does not have a Christmas atmosphere…in their way, Cubans celebrate Christmas.”


South Korea: The 30th anniversary of the Kwangju Uprising · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of the Kwangju uprising in South Korea, matt from Gusts of Popular Feeling has a roundup post on historical resources about the incident.


Urban farming taking root in Malaysia - 360
Jia-Qi Cheong
Published on April 4, 2022
Almost 10 million Malaysians face food insecurity. Initiatives to support alternative food sources are taking root, but challenges remain.
The pandemic’s impact on food supply chains showed how quickly urban communities can face shortages and spiralling food costs. In Malaysia the price of cooking oil spiked in February 2022, following record prices for soybean oil and palm oil in 2021.
Unicef estimates the pandemic will leave 9.76 million Malaysians food insecure.
In response, a growing movement seeks to convert empty spaces in Malaysian cities into urban farms. Malaysia’s government is acutely aware of the country’s dependence on food imports, and wants to see the agricultural industry boosted by technological adoption. This will also create much-needed jobs, with unemployment still above pre-pandemic levels.
But Malaysia has limited land for urban agriculture, and further challenges include inadequate resources, uncertain returns, lack of knowledge and insufficient training.
Planned urban agriculture can address limited farmland – and beautify city environments. Cities around the world have set up vertical farms using advanced facilities to contribute to food sustainability.
Urban farming specialists, tech businesses, academics and young talent have collaborated to produce transformative resolutions through agrotech.
Mainstream urban farming methods now offer a well-structured set-up that requires minimum irrigation and zero pesticides. This allows mass implementation any time and anywhere.
Urban farming has numerous benefits. First, it minimises waste: around 30 percent of fresh produce perishes during transport to shops and supermarkets. By contrast, urban farming provides an on-demand harvest that guarantees freshness.
Second, urban farming can be implemented by individual households. It provides alternative food sources to combat hunger and malnutrition, and improve community health.
Relatedly, urban farming means households can save money by consuming produce they have grown themselves. It can deliver an alternative source of income if households sell their excess produce.
Still, urban farming is a daunting task that involves the consistent cultivation, processing and distribution of food. Its goal is to create a parallel food supply chain.
Urban farming requires capital investment for which returns are not immediate. It also requires labour, though technology can alleviate this requirement.
The bigger challenge for Malaysia is competing with the global supply chain.
Mega-farms, extensive transport connections, well-established distribution networks and intensive food-preservation technologies create economies of scale that allow the global supply chain to deliver the most competitive prices for fresh produce.
To begin to meet this challenge, the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries has set aside 17,000 hectares of land for paddy cultivation under a food security scheme that runs to 2025.
The program promotes private-sector cooperation with paddy owners. It sets out to improve Malaysia’s rice self-sufficiency by using a modern agricultural approach and efficient management to increase yields. .
Urban farming can address the supply-chain gaps and vulnerabilities that COVID-19 has exposed. It has the potential to increase food supply, stabilise food prices and lessen the impact of supply disruptions.
Jia-Qi Cheong holds a PhD in economics and is a senior lecturer at University Malaysia Sabah. She works in the areas of gender earning differentials, youth employment, food insecurity, and small and medium industries.
The author declares no conflict of interest.


2023 Campaign: PDP Condemns Attack On Atiku’s Convoy, Calls IGP To Stop Violence￼ - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 4
November 10, 2022
Scores of Atiku’s supporters were injured on Wednesday when hoodlums attacked the convoy of the presidential hopeful in Maiduguri, the state capital.
It was reported that Atiku’s convoy was attacked just as he left the Palace of the Shehu of Borno to Ramat Square, the venue of the presidential rally.
Shortly after the attack, PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, issued a statement, calling on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to arrest this constant incidence of violence being unleashed.
He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of orchestrating the attack by sponsoring the armed thugs.
The PDP spokesman commended the Borno people for coming out en masse to resist the APC thugs and ensured the success of the PDP’s Presidential Campaign Rally in support of Atiku Abubakar.
He said the main opposition party cannot be deterred by cowardly attacks, adding that Nigerians are already connected with the PDP’s issue-based campaign in the mission to rescue, rebuild and redirect our nation from the asphyxiating misrule of the APC.


Bahrain: Rotary Commitments · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif sheds light on his social commitments in this post.


Working in Brunei · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

What are some of the advantages of working in Brunei: “peace, no income tax, heavily subsidized petrol price, excellent education facilities for the kids and one of the lowest inflation rate in the region.”


Lagos postpones BECE, entrance exam dates | EduCeleb
2nd June 2019
The Lagos State Ministry of Education has announced a shift in the dates for the Screening Test into the State Model Colleges and Upgraded Schools, the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the Placement Test into JSS 1 in all Public Secondary Schools.
But no new date has been fixed.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Adebunmi Adekanye said that the postponement was necessitated by the inability of many schools and private individuals to adhere strictly to the dictates of the new full e-registration system adopted by the Examinations Board this year which has made most of the data submitted incomplete.
The Examinations Board had replaced the manual registration with e-registration to further frustrate the activities of middle men who have been extorting unsuspecting parents/guardians.
According to the Permanent Secretary, “There’s is need to clean up the data with a view to bringing every candidate on board thus necessitating the shift”.
Adekanye who appealed for understanding, explained that the various examinations will not hold as earlier scheduled and a new date will be communicated later.
The Ministry said it regrets all inconveniences.


Anguilla: Carnival Stabbing  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Corruption-free Anguilla reports on a fatal stabbing that has marred Anguilla's Carnival celebrations, while blogger Penny Legg says that the island “must clean up its act. Anguilla only has tourism…(it) needs to look critically at the problem it has with its youth.”


China: Apple’s new supplier responsibility report · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Samuel Wade from China Digital Times brings the readers’ attention to Apple company's new supplier responsibility report. The company pledges greater cooperation with Chinese NGOs in the future in the monitoring of labour condition.


FACTSHEET: Zimbabwe COVID-19 assistance - ZimFact
Ngoni Mhuruyengwe
April 2, 2020
Zimbabwean officials receive a consignment of medical supplies donated by the Jack Ma Foundation in Harare on March 24, 2020
The Zimbabwe government has appealed for international and domestic assistance to help it fight the Coronavirus pandemic which has devastated the world and forced many countries to lock down residents at home.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging African states to mobilise all possible resources to fight Covid-19, fearing that countries, particularly those with dilapidated and dysfunctional public health systems, will struggle to stem the spread of the disease.
Below is a snapshot of some of the donations that Zimbabwe has received  as of 30 March:
Tell us about the support initiatives in your areas, giving details of area and assistance mobilised.
COVID-19 is a respiratory tract infection that is highly contagious and spreads through droplets (coughing, sneezing) and close personal unprotected contact with an infected person (touching, shaking hands etc).
Signs and symptoms are typically respiratory related symptoms and include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and other flu-like symptoms. For more information about COVID-19 visit https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus and for daily updates from the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Case visit http://www.mohcc.gov.zw


Canada: “First Nation, Last Served” · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

Writer Mike Morey in Canada questions whether Canada's aboriginal communities will ever be rewarded with the degree of self-governance they seek.


Trudeau Maintains Debate Momentum - New Canadian Media
Ranjit Bhaskar
August 8, 2015
The morning after the first leaders’ debate of the federal election campaign Thursday night, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau was seen pressing home his perceived gain from the exercise by taking the battle into Finance Minister Joe Oliver’s Eglinton-Lawrence riding in Toronto.
“Joe Oliver might have a lot of ways to make his Ottawa numbers look good, but the Conservatives have no plan to make the numbers families crunch every day look any better,” Trudeau told a rally at the Columbus Centre, an Italian-Canadian cultural hub. “Stephen Harper is out of touch with Canadians, and I am determined to replace his government with a strong team and a new plan that will make a real difference in their lives.”
“While the second generation of all waves of immigrants always had the opportunity to do better, this is the first such generation facing a bleaker future. That opportunity, the aspiration to join the middle class has to be brought back.” – Adam Vaughn, Liberal candidate
While the crowd (pictured left) was made up of candidates and their supporters from all the downtown Toronto ridings, the home ground advantage belonged to Marco Mendicino, who had recently defeated former Conservative MP Eve Adams in a contentious nomination fight for the party ticket.
Asked if his decision to welcome Adams into the Liberal fold was a mistake that would hurt Mendicino’s chances, Trudeau deflected, saying he was proud of the open nomination process his party has used across the country.
On the absence of any specific message from Trudeau for new immigrants in Thursday’s debate, Adam Vaughan, another Liberal contender for a Toronto riding, said it would come out in subsequent debates.
“Canadians know an economy that works for the middle class means a country that works for everyone; that better is always possible.” – Justin Trudeau, Liberal leader
Speaking to New Canadian Media on the sidelines, Vaughn said immigrant specific issues like foreign credential recognition, precarious jobs and affordable housing will be addressed by his party’s “can do better” messaging. He said changes brought in by Bill C-24 and those made over the past few years, makes immigration the most broken of all systems.
“While the second generation of all waves of immigrants always had the opportunity to do better, this is the first such generation facing a bleaker future,” said Vaughan. “That opportunity, the aspiration to join the middle class has to be brought back.” The current MP from Trinity-Spadina, Vaughan will now be sparring with the NDP’s Olivia Chow in the newly created riding of Spadina-Fort York.
On C-51, the other bill that has come in for criticism and put the Liberals in a corner for supporting it, Vaughan said voters would understand his party’s position once they have a clear understanding of the Anti-Terrorism Act. He said independent judicial oversight is essential. “The party that brought in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms will get the balance right,” he stated.
In his speech to a crowd charged-up by his debate performance, Trudeau said Harper is telling Canadians to stay the course, but in reality, his plan gives billions in benefits to the wealthiest few and will do nothing to help the majority of Canadians get ahead. He said it has not worked for the middle class or for lower-income Canadians that have had to work harder and harder to find the ladder of opportunity.
“The Liberals have a plan that will deliver fairness and growth that works for everyone. We will cut taxes for the middle class and create one bigger, fair, automatic and tax-free monthly benefit that will help families with the high cost of raising their kids,” Trudeau said. “Canadians know an economy that works for the middle class means a country that works for everyone; that better is always possible.”
This aspirational message of doing better, which was his closing statement at Thursday’s debate, resonated well with a group of mostly new Canadian Liberal supporters who watched it on television at the Scarborough Centre office of candidate Salma Zahid.
“Tonight’s debate gave Canadians the opportunity to compare the Liberal plan for real change against Harper’s failed plan and [NDP leader] Thomas Mulcair’s empty promises.” – Ashwani Bhardwaj, Liberal party worker
“Although there were ups and downs for all leaders during the debate, the heat is on Harper,” said Ashwani Bhardwaj, a party worker. “Tonight’s debate gave Canadians the opportunity to compare the Liberal plan for real change against Harper’s failed plan and [NDP leader] Thomas Mulcair’s empty promises.”
“Justin’s ending was amazing,” exclaimed another partisan. “He was like Usain Bolt,” he said alluding to that extra speed the sprint champion produces when he nears the finishing line.
It was a fresh and different take from the boxing analogies the pundits were using because Trudeau is adept in that sport. To good measure, as part of the prep-up for the debate, Trudeau’s PR team had put out a photo of him working out that morning at Paul Brown Boxfit in Toronto.
But the photos that would be trending on social media are the hundreds of selfies Trudeau supporters had been taking throughout Friday. While there was some order at the Columbus Centre in the morning, it was all chaos at Zahid’s campaign office. The Liberal leader got a raucous welcome and did his best to accommodate as many selfie seekers as possible.
As the Friday prayers at the nearby mosque had just ended, the moot question is whether the timing chosen for the stop was deliberate. But as Trudeau’s campaign bus moved on, no one complained about the cramped space or limited parking. And the halal pizza laid out for the party volunteers quickly recharged energy levels for another round of phone calls, door knocking and distribution of lawn signs.
Ranjit is a Toronto-based writer with interest in Canadian civic affairs, immigration, the environment and motoring. Maytree and Al Jazzera English alumnus.