Old video of domestic violence shared as woman lynched for refusing to take off hijab - Alt News
Kalim Ahmed
25th February 2022 / 1:23 pm / Last updated: 25th February 2022
A video of a group of men thrashing a woman is widely being circulated on social media with an Arabic caption. It has been claimed that a Muslim woman in India was lynched to death by a mob of men for “refusing to remove her hijab”.
The video is viral in India amidst the Hijab ban controversy that started at a PU college in Karanataka and has spread across the nation with various Hindu outfits demanding a ban on hijab within the campuses of educational institutions.
On Twitter, the video has been shared with the hashtag #طرد_السفير_الهندي (Expell the Indian Ambassador). The tweet below is by Talal al-Kashti, director of Etijahat Studies Center in Kuwait.
#طرد_السفير_الهندي اصبح ضرورة واجبة ، بعد ضرب وقتل المسلمات بحجة رفضهن نزع الحجاب…
هذا دليل على الحقد الدفين على الاسلام والمسلمين pic.twitter.com/i5p2oz4JCS
— طلال الكشتي (@Talal_Alkashte) February 23, 2022
من يبدأ شرارة المقاطعة من الشركات بإعلان طرد عمالتهم !
أين رجال الأعمال !
ألا تنتفضون لأجل هذه المسلمة التي اجتمع عليها هؤلاء الوحوش دون رحمة !
والله وتالله لو أعلن عدد من التجار لتغير الوضع للأفضل في الهند ولخف الضغط على إخواننا#भारतीय_राजदूत_को_खदेड़ना#طرد_السفير_الهندي pic.twitter.com/6TQywe0dOL
— عبدالرحمن النصار (@alnassar_kw) February 23, 2022
Several others from Kuwait have linked the video to the ongoing hijab ban controversy in India.
#طرد_السفير_الهندي
كل هؤلاء الهندوس
بوحشيتهم واجرامهم
مجتمعون على امرأة مسلمه
لنزع حجابها وضربها بكل عنف
حتى الموت
pic.twitter.com/CKlRejCT43
يا امة الاسلام :
لمثل هذا يذوب القلبُ من كمدٍ
إن كان في القلبِ إسلامٌ وإيمانُ .
— د. خالد عبدالعزيز المرداس (@Dr_ALmrdas) February 23, 2022
The video has been shared with the same claim on Facebook. Alt News has also received requests on its official WhatsApp helpline number (+91 76000 11160) to verify the authenticity of the claim.
We broke down the video into keyframes and performed a reverse image search on one of the stills using Yandex. This led us to the same video uploaded on Facebook in May 2020. As per the caption of the post, the video is from Balrampur, UP.
Another shocking video of Uttar Pradesh (UP)where mob lynched a women. Day by day UP is turning into a lawless state. Its from Balrampur, Rahre Nagar.
Another shocking video of Uttar Pradesh (UP)where mob lynched a women. Day by day UP is turning into a lawless state. Its from Balrampur, Rahre Nagar.
Posted by HILAL Hayder 24 ×7 LIVE on Friday, 22 May 2020
Upon close observation, a UP police patrol car can also be seen in the video at the 1:00 minute mark.
According to a news report by Amar Ujala published in May 2020, the woman (Sushila) and her husband (Ashok) had a dispute regarding the selling of their property. During this dispute, Sushila called the police after which her husband began to thrash her.
A video statement by the police is also available on Twitter.
#balrampurpolice थाना रेहरा बाजार में महिला के साथ हुई मारपीट की घटना के संबंध में तत्काल अभियोग पंजीकृत कर चार अभियुक्तों को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया है। https://t.co/gf77mo8Fl2 pic.twitter.com/LudK5T9RqC
— BALRAMPUR POLICE (@balrampurpolice) May 23, 2020
As per the police, the woman was thrashed by the husband, her brother-in-law and others. A total of four out of six of them were arrested and police officials present at the scene who did not stop the violence were suspended. The woman did not succumb to her injuries, unlike claimed in viral posts.
Hence, a video of domestic violence due to a family dispute is circulating with the false claim that a Muslim woman was thrashed for refusing to take off her Hijab.
Kalim is a journalist with a keen interest in tech, misinformation, culture, etc
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar…
In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin…
The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…
Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile…
Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…


China: Urumqi International Bazaar · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Xinjiang Far West tours its readers around the largest Bazaar in the World, the International Grand Bazaar at the heart of Uyghur, Xinjiang province.


South Korea: Samsung, National Champion or Corporate Evil?  · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Sure, Samsung might be seen by some as a national champion, but there are many who also see it as the epitome of corporate evil—and not without reason
Wrote Robert Koehler in his blog post on a poll result showing South Koreans still support Samsung in its patent legal battle against Apple. Click the link to see interesting discussions formed around the post.


Media analysis: How 'fanatic evangelism' was declared as motive behind Gurgaon shooting - Alt News
Pooja Chaudhuri
19th October 2018 / 8:35 pm / Last updated: 22nd March 2019
On October 13, the wife and son of a Gurgaon district judge were shot in broad daylight by their personal security officer (PSO) while on duty. On October 16, the police declared that the sole motive behind the murder was “sudden rage”. Several initial media reports had, however, linked the murder to “religious conversion” even before the police concluded its investigation. They declared that PSO Mahipal pressurised the judge’s family to embrace Christianity, which led to frequent altercations, and the subsequent attack. The basis of these reports was the perpetrator’s spiritual inclination and the multiple statements he gave during police interrogation.
Dainik Jagran had first reported the incident on October 13, according to which, Mahipal’s motive behind the murder was yet to be ascertained by the police. However, in another report published two days hence, the Hindi news outlet declared that the “entire matter linked to religious conversion.”
This article began with reporting that the police were in the lookout for Mahipal’s “guru” and “guru ma”. It subsequently meandered to incidents in the past when according to “CID sources” the duo was detained for converting people in the lieu of medical assistance. Mahipal too was allegedly involved in the same. “सीआईडी सूत्रों की मानें तो महिपाल अभी तक 2 दर्जन से अधिक युवाओं का धर्म परिवर्तन करा चुका है। (If CID sources are to be trusted, Mahipal has till now religiously converted two dozen people),” Dainik Jagran reported.
Immediately after establishing a link between Mahipal and his ‘Christian’ leaning, Dainik Jagran connected it to the murder. Umbrellaed under the sub-heading “was pressurising Judge’s wife and son to religiously convert”, the report narrated that Judge Kant’s wife Ritu and son Dhurv opposed to Mahipal’s religious impositions which led him to behave indecently with them and get fits of rage. “इसी वजह से आरोपी ने रेणु और उनके बेटे ध्रुव को शनिवार को गुरुग्राम के सेक्टर 49 स्थित आर्केडिया मार्केट में गोली मार दी। (For this reason the accused shot at Renu (Ritu) and her son Dhruv on Saturday at Arcadia market in Gurugram sector 49),” declared Dainik Jagran.
Dainik Bhaskar published a report on October 15, titled – “Judge family murder case: Was this the only reason the gunner shot the judge’s wife-son, the entry of ‘guru’ and ‘guru ma’ into the shootout (translated).”
The media outlet reported about a “religious conversion gang” which was run by Mahipal’s alleged ‘guru’ Indraraj. The police were also searching for this ‘guru’ and another ‘guru ma’ who seemed to have had a strong influence on the accused.
In a subsequent paragraph, Dainik Bhaskar declared of its own violation that the motive behind the murder was ‘religious conversion’ – “मीडिया रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, सूत्रों से यह भी पता चला है कि महिपाल कई महीनों से जज की फैमिली पर धर्म परिवर्तन का दबाव बना रहा था। यह भी कहा जा रहा है कि एक महीने से इस बात को लेकर जज के परिवार से उसका झगड़ा भी हो रहा था। शनिवार को मौका पाकर उसने जज की पत्नी-बेटे को गोली मार दी। (According to media reports, sources say that Mahipal was imposing religious conversion on the judge’s family for several months. It is also being said that since the last month, he had been getting into fights with the judge’s family for the same reason. Taking an opportunity on Saturday, he shot the judge’s wife-son.)”
On October 15, Oneindia had published a report on the incident, titled – “Gurugram shootout: Gunner Mahipal was involved in a religious conversion racket, wanted to make judge’s wife Christian.”
According to the report, अतिरिक्त जिला एवं सत्र न्यायाधीश गुरुग्राम की पत्नी रेणु व उनके बेटे ध्रुव पर महिपाल यादव धर्म परिवर्तन का दवाब डाल रहा था। दोनों ने उसकी बात नहीं मानी, तो आरोपी ने उनके साथ अभद्र व्यवहार और उन पर गुस्सा करना शुरू कर दिया था। सूत्रों का दावा है कि इसी वजह से आरोपी ने रेणु और उनके बेटे ध्रुव को शनिवार को गुरुग्राम के सेक्टर 49 स्थित आर्केडिया मार्केट में गोली मार दी| (The wife Renu and son Dhruv of Additional District and Sessions Judge Gurgram were pressurised by Mahipal to convert to Christianity. When both of them did not listen to him, he became furious. According to sources, the accused shot Renu (Ritu) and her son Dhruv on Saturday at Arcadia market situated in Gurugram sector-49.)
The news organisation’s reportage was identical to that of Dainik Jagran’s. Same as the latter, Oneindia wrote that Mahipal murdered the judge’s wife and son because they had opposed forced evangelism.
In an October 17 report, news organisation Eenadu India also declared that Judge Kant’s wife and son were murdered because they opposed religious conversion imposed upon them by Mahipal. According to this report, “महिपाल, जज की पत्नी रेणु व उनके बेटे ध्रुव पर भी पिछले काफी समय से धर्म परिवर्तन का दबाव बना रहा था. दोनों ने उसकी बात नहीं मानी, तो आरोपी ने उन पर गुस्सा करना शुरू कर दिया था. इसी वजह से आरोपी ने रेणु और उनके बेटे ध्रुव को शनिवार को गुरुग्राम के सेक्टर-49 स्थित आर्केडिया मार्केट में गोली मार दी. (Since the last few months, Mahipal was pressurising the judge’s wife Renu (Ritu) and son Dhruv to religiously convert. When both of them did not listen to him, he became furious. For this reason, the accused shot Renu (Ritu) and her son Dhruv on Saturday at Arcadia market situated in Gurugram sector-49.)”
News organisation Aaj Tak had initially reported the incident bereft of Mahipal’s ‘Christian’ links. After his spiritual leaning came up during the police investigation, Aaj Tak published another report which obliquely connected the murder with religious conversion.
“उसने हिन्दू धर्म को त्याग कर ईसाई धर्म अपनाया था. बताया जा रहा है कि धार्मिक बातों पर जज की पत्नी के साथ उसकी बहस होती थी. पुलिस हिरासत में भी महिपाल कह रहा था कि धर्म परिवर्तन को लेकर जज की पत्नी उसे परेशान करती थी. (He surrendered Hinduism and embraced Christianity. It is being told that he used to have arguments with the judge’s wife on religious matters. Even in police custody, Mahipal said that the judge’s wife used to trouble him on the matter of religious conversion),” reported Aaj Tak.
While the article did not explicitly link the murder to ‘religious conversion’, the title of the report was provocatively worded and implied the same.
On October 14, Swarajya published an article titled – “A Christian ‘Inquisition’ In India? Gurugram Shooting Being Probed As An Act Of Fanatical Evangelism By A Neoconvert”. The title suggested that the ‘religious conversion’ angle wasn’t something that came up during police investigation but was being probed as a probable motive behind the murder.
The report claimed that Mahipal was allegedly forcing the judge’s family to convert. Incidentally, Swarajya also quoted a statement of Commissioner of Police KK Rao which hinted at Mahipal’s Christian leanings but did not establish that the murder was being probed as an act of ‘fanatical evangelism’. “Investigations are on and we are still to know the real motive. Yes, he had been speaking about the Bible,” said Rao.
Unlike most of the before-mentioned Hindi news organisations, Swarajya did not directly link the murder to religious conversion or the family’s opposition to it, however, the prejudiced language used in the report attempted to prematurely blame Mahipal’s spiritual inclination for the crime.
OpIndia’s reportage was similar to that of Swarajya’s. Its October 14 article was titled – “Gurugram double shooting being perceived as a result of fanatic evangelism by a neoconvert.”
In the first paragraph, the media outlet – “the initial investigation insinuates that the shooting may be a result of fanatical evangelism of the gunman.” Incidentally, the source hyperlinked for this information was Swarajya.
OpIndia’s article was largely similar to Swarjya’s report. Though in the title there was an attempt to subtly suggest a link between religious conversion and the shooting, the outlet did not go as far as to directly connect the dots.
Following the October 13 incident, Gurugram police began probing the possible motive behind the crime. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was also formed for the purpose. The police were investigating all facets that might have led Mahipal to shoot his employers, and during the probe, Mahipal’s religious inclination was discovered. Many news organisations declared this as the motive behind the murder. However, there were several others that reported it only as a police discovery and refrained from prematurely linking it to the murder.
NDTV published several reports on the incident (1, 2, 3, 4). None of these either linked the crime to fanatic evangelism or quoted any police officer as saying that the motive behind the murder was Ritu’s opposition to embrace Christianity.
The Times of India also extensively covered the crime. In the report where the media organisation talked about Mahipal’s religious leanings, the title of the article itself explicitly mentioned that the cops were “clueless” and searched for the accused’s spiritual guru. This report was published on October 15, the same day Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar and One India declared fanatic evangelism as the motive behind the murder.
The Times of India also reported that the police’s investigation found that Mahipal’s ‘guru’ and ‘guru ma’ had a strong influence on him. However, the media outlet followed this statement with – “but none of this has yet helped them (police) understand what led a man with no history of misconduct or violent behaviour to shoot at a family he was assigned to protect…”
In an October 16 report, The Times of India quoted a judicial officer, who is also Judge Kant’s colleague, as saying, “the guard was heard saying ‘devil’ and ‘shaitan’ while firing (at Ritu and Dhruv). The use of this kind of words indicates something else. This doesn’t reflect normal stress and frustration.” This was comprehended by several media organisations as ‘Satanic’ terms. However, DCP Sulochana Gajraj, who is heading the SIT probe into the attack, was quoted by The Times of India as saying that Mahipal told the cops during interrogation that the words meant “bad and dirty person.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sumit Kumar gave an identical statement about the use of the words ‘devil’ and ‘shaitan’ to Hindustan Times. This was reported in an October 14 article.
In a subsequent October 15 report published by the media outlet, DCP Kumar also said that “Mahipal had been watching videos related to religion and it is suspected that he had been attending ‘conversion’ camps.” However, Hindustan Times clarified in the following sentence that the news organisation “could not independently verify the claim” and that “the police also could not explain as to how his alleged attendance at such camps could be connected to Saturday’s shooting.”
A report published by The Tribune was used by several media outlets to claim that Mahipal was speaking about the Bible. This report was published by the news organisation on October 14 and it indeed mentioned that Mahipal spoke about the Bible with investigation officials. He said that “it was every Christian’s duty to eliminate demons.” However, in the immediate paragraph, The Tribune quoted Commissioner of Police KK Rao who said, “Investigations are on and we are still to know the real motive. Yes, he had been speaking about the Bible.”
Another reportage that stood out was an October 16 article published by News18. The news organisation visited the accused’s village and spoke to family members to understand what provoked him to kill. According to News18’s ground investigation, Mahipal had a troubled personal life and in 2014, he changed his religion to Christianity, which several of his relatives resisted. However, they were shocked to hear the news of the attack as his demeanour gave them no reason to suspect.
Haryana Police chief B S Sandhu said the motive was still not clear as there was no record of violent behaviour before. “We are trying to ascertain the reason behind this ghastly act. Our top priority is to solve the case,” he said, per News18. While some of Mahipal’s friend’s said that he was unhappy with the job as the judge’s family made him run household chores, the police were yet to ascertain the motive behind the attack.
The Haryana police held a press conference on October 16 to provide details about its investigation into the attack. “After probing all aspects of the case, we have reached the conclusion that Mahipal left the car unattended when the judge’s wife and son went shopping in Arcadia market, Gurgaon. When he was questioned and rebuked for not returning on time, he shot the duo in a fit of rage,” said DCP (crime) Sumit Kumar.
One of the reporters questioned if this was the sole motive behind the murder, to which DCP Kumar replied, “Mahipal praised the judge’s family during interrogation and said that they never troubled him.” He added that the accused did seem to have a temper, and the sole motive behind the murder was the rage he felt when his absence was questioned and he was asked to hand over the car keys.
DCP Kumar also clarified that the claims suggesting that Mahipal’s family said that he was under tremendous work pressure were not discovered by the police and only reported by the media.
Alt News contacted DCP Kumar and questioned if the probe revealed any connection between ‘fanatic evangelism’ and the attack, to which, the officer perspicuously reiterated that the sole motive behind the murder was “sudden rage”.
After the press conference, news organisations that had previously linked the murder to ‘religious conversion’ also reported the police’s statements. However, none of them provided any clarification on their earlier misreporting based on which the ‘evangelism’ angle was viral on social media.
A journalist with Swarjya, Vikas Saraswat, made an entire thread of tweets based on faulty media reports and portrayed that the murder was linked with fanatic evangelism.
Gurugram double shooting a result of fanatic evangelism? Accused constable Mahipal, himself a recent convert, was pressurising judge’s family to convert to Christianity. He has converted 14 others including CRPF men. https://t.co/fdusljLdCg
— VikasSaraswat (@VikasSaraswat) October 14, 2018
Madhu Kishwar, who has circulated misinformation multiple times in the past, retweeted Saraswat’s tweet adding, “But English papers are hiding this fact. Given the aggressive planting of churches in Haryana & Punjab along with gross methods, including financial lure & crazy psychic games being played by missionaries, they are attracting social misfits & anti-social elements into their fold.” Kishwar is followed by Prime Minister Modi on Twitter.
But English papers are hiding this fact. Given the aggressive planting of churches in Haryana & Punjab along with gross methods, including financial lure & crazy psychic games being played by missionaries, they are attracting social misfits & anti social elements into their fold https://t.co/Burr7DbUco
— MadhuPurnima Kishwar (@madhukishwar) October 15, 2018
Another usual suspect Prashant Patel Umrao also made tweets on the attack.
#Gurgaon Judge Krishnkant Brahmin family was killed by Mahipal yadav because he had concerted to Christianity 6 months before & was talking about superstitious things continuously & when she interrupted him, then he killed them.
— प्रशान्त पटेल उमराव (@ippatel) October 14, 2018
At a time when communal divide in the country is aggravated by vested interests, the role of the media is to not provocate but present unbiased information. In the rat race of ‘breaking’ news, sensationalism ensures the maximum audience but premature and/or prejudiced reporting not only provides twisted facts but also sways public opinion in the wrong direction. Giving the Gurgaon attack a ‘fanatic evangelism’ angle wasn’t an isolated instance of provocative reporting. Earlier this month, several news organisations fueled communal hate-mongering on Anki Garg’s murder.
Pooja Chaudhuri is a senior editor at Alt News.
Following Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win against Argentina in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, speculation about…
The brutal murder of Shraddha Walker has been widely covered across news media over the…
A 1:34-minute-long CCTV camera clip is being widely circulated on social media in which viewers…
The teaser of a movie titled ‘The Kerala Story’ is being widely shared on social…


Review: Karnataka HC Rules That Hindu Female Becomes Absolute Owner of Partitioned Property, Cannot Devolve on Siblings.
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 29, 2023
In this week’s review of Court Judgments we look at Delhi High Court upholding the dismissal of a judicial officer, Karnataka High Court’s observation that a Hindu female becomes an absolute owner of the property received after partition, ITAT’s ruling that a husband is entitled to TDS credit on interest earned from amount gifted to his wife, Madras High Court’s note regarding claims relating to forest rights and Supreme Court’s Observation that an accused can’t claim right of hearing before registration of FIR.
Delhi HC: Upholds judicial officer’s dismissal  for accepting favour from stranger.
A divisional bench of the Delhi High Court upheld the dismissal of a judicial officer for allegedly accepting a favour from a stranger. It remarked that a judge is always open to being judged and refused to reduce the penalty of dismissal of service.
In the case, Naveen Arora vs. High Court of Delhi and Anr, a plea was moved by the judge against a Full Court decision and an order issued by the Office of Principal District & Sessions Judge of Dwarka Courts. The petitioner has requested reinstatement along with payment of arrears and other benefits for continuity of service.
As per the details of the case, an inquiry was initiated against the said judge, after some discrepancies were found in his submissions regarding the hotel bookings by an unknown person for his and his family’s foreign travel in 2016.
As per the Inquiry Report dated 28June 2021, a decision was taken by the High Court’s Full Court to dismiss him from service.
In his plea, the petitioner judge stated that there was a confirmation bias against him. He also highlighted that in the initial Article of Charge, the hotel bookings abroad were made by a friend or client of his younger brother and paid for by a stranger. However, in the amended Article of Charge, that name was removed as if to mean that the payment was directly made by the stranger.
Another contention was that there was no mala fide on his part as he has not withheld any information about the payments made by the ‘stranger’ and has also informed that he owed money to the ‘friend/client’ of his brother on account of the hotel bookings done abroad. He has offered money in lieu of bookings done before leaving for a trip abroad but was told that the money would be accepted upon return.
It is alleged that the person who sponsored the trip was a friend/client of the judicial officer’s wife and brother, both of whom are associated with a law firm bring run by the officer’s old collegemate.
The High court bench comprising Justice Manmohan and Justice Saurabh Banerjee, dismissed the petition. They noted that the petitioner judge has initially neither challenged the inquiry proceedings nor raised any doubts about the decision-making process followed by the inquiry officer. Hence, it can be inferred that the judicial officer followed the principles of natural justice at all the stages of inquiry.  The judges also noted that the name of the stranger was not included in the initial list of witnesses filed by the petitioner and was included only after the examination of the witnesses during the cross-examination stage.
The bench noted that the facts reveal that the acceptance of the payment was indeed from a stranger and this is unbecoming of a judicial officer, especially when he is officiating. Further, the bench highlighted that the acceptance from a stranger is admitted but was not reasonably explained, which is sufficient for the petitioner to be held guilty. While acceptance in any form need not always be quid pro quo, the present petition does not inspire confidence.
It further stated that as per Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the court is not a court of appeal nor can it interfere with the findings of the inquiry officer unless they shock the court’s conscience, which is not the case here.
Karnataka HC: Hindu female becomes absolute owner of partitioned property, cannot devolve on siblings.
In the case, Basangouda and Muddangouda & Others, Karnataka High Court held that a female Hindu becomes the absolute owner of the property upon acquiring the property as part of the partition agreed upon by the family and this property cannot be termed as inheritance thereby reverting to siblings after death.
As per the details of the case, Eshwaramma acquired ownership of a property based on the oral partition between her father and brother. This was recorded in a memorandum of partition and registered. After she passed away, her husband filed a suit claiming that since she died childless, he would be the exclusive legal heir of that property.
He submitted that there were some discrepancies regarding the property rights as her brothers continued in the record of rights. He alleged, that the brothers are taking advantage of these hallow entries and are obstructing the peaceful possession of the said land.
The trial court dismissed this suit and the order was upheld by the first appellate court. They held that Section 15(2) of the Hindu Succession Act was attracted in this case and therefore the property allotted under the partition deed would devolve back to her siblings. Hence, he made an appeal to the High court.
The argument put forth by Basangouda was that since the property was acquired by his wife as part of the partition, she has become the absolute owner of the suit, as per Section 15(2) of the Hindu Succession Act.
The single-judge bench agreed with the argument that by registering the memorandum of partition, Eshwaramma and her siblings have given effect to the partition entered between them. It observed that the acquisition of the property by virtue of the Memorandum of Partition by Eshwaramma cannot be construed as inheritance as per Section 15(2) of the Hindu Succession Act. It stated that ‘inheritance’ in this section was used in light of intestate succession i.e. when there is no will.
The court allowed the appeal filed by Basangouda and set aside the orders of the trial and first appellate court.
ITAT: Husband entitled to TDS credit on interest earned from amount gifted to his wife.
The Pune bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has ruled that the husband is entitled to TDS credit on interest earned on the amount gifted to his wife.
In the case, Anil Ratanlal Bohora Vs ACIT, the tribunal has held that in the cases where the income on which tax has been deducted is accessible to someone other than the deductee,  the credit for the tax deducted shall be given to the other person rather than the deductee.
The assessee in this case filed a return declaring total income. An intimation was issued disallowing the credit for tax deducted at source on interest income. The assessee appealed against the intimation and submitted to the Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) (CIT(A)) that he gifted a certain amount to his wife, out of which she made deposits with the State Bank of India. She earned interest income after deducting tax at source.
Since the deposit was made out of the gift made, the assessee included proportionate interest income in his total income and also claimed credit for proportionate tax deducted at source.
CIT(A) found that provisions under Rule 37BA(2) were not followed and thus the assessee was not entitled to the credit for tax deduction at source.
After reviewing the details of the case, ITAT held that merely because the wife of the assessee did furnish a declaration in the bank, the amount of tax deducted at source cannot be allowed to remain with the bank without a corresponding credit to the person for whom the tax was deducted.
Supreme Court: Accused can’t claim right of hearing before registration of FIR
Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli, held that an accused cannot claim to have a right of hearing before the registration of an FIR. They stated that the principles of natural justice are not applicable at the stage of reporting a criminal offence.
The bench made this observation in the case, State Bank of India vs. Rajesh Agarwal, while deciding the issue of whether borrowers have the right to be heard before their accounts are classified as fraudulent in terms of RBI’s Master Directions on Frauds.
The argument in this case and other similar cases was that the classification of accounts as fraud will lead to the registration of FIR, resulting in criminal consequences and hence the borrowers have the right to be heard.
Addressing this argument the bench observed that the principles of natural justice are not applicable at the stage of reporting a criminal offence. This is a consistent position adopted by the court.
The bench has, however, held that the borrowers have a right to be heard before their accounts are classified as fraud.
Madras HC: No forest rights merely because ancestors resided in forest, must establish sole dependency on forest.
A single judge bench of Madras High Court has noted that rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006, cannot be claimed merely on the ground that the ancestors originally resided in the forests.
Refusing relief to a group of persons claiming benefit under this Act, Madras High Court stated that for claiming rights, it was necessary to establish that the persons were solely dependent upon the forest for their bona fide livelihood.
As per the details of the case, AC Murugesan and others vs. The District Collector and others, the petitioners have initially challenged the eviction notices issued by claiming that the land was not forest land. However, this was dismissed by the court.
The parties then filed a Special Leve Petition. This was dismissed by the Supreme Court but it gave liberty to the parties to claim rights under the Forest Rights Act.
In the current litigation, the petitioners claimed that they have been in possession of the land for more than 75 years and that the eviction orders were passed merely on the ground that there was no documentation to prove their possession. The contention by the petitioners was that the rights cannot be denied based solely on this ground. Another argument put forth was that their ancestors were uneducated and hence, it was the duty of the official to verify the records before taking a decision.
They also contended that merely because they are living outside the forest area, they cannot be evicted.
Meanwhile, the authorities submitted that there was no evidence for the claims made by the petitioner. Since they cannot prove their existence beyond 75 years, they cannot be considered as ‘Other Traditional Forest Dwellers’.
To be claimed as ‘other traditional forest dwellers’ under this act, it must be proved that at least three generations prior to 13 December 2004, primarily resided in the forest and were dependent on the forest for their bona fide livelihood. Under this Act, a generation implies 25 years.
Bona fide livelihood included ploughing, irrigation, and planting for the purpose of livelihood, but not for commercial exploitation of the land.
The court highlighted that initially, the petitioners have claimed that the land itself was not forest land. It was only later they claimed benefits under the Act. It noted that the petitioners have failed to establish that they primarily depended upon the forest for their livelihood. Since there was no merit in the claim, the court dismissed the petition.


Russia-Ukraine: Giving Kiev the blame for gas conflict · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Peter Lavelle has his say about the ongoing gas conflict between Russia and Ukraine, putting the blame heavily on Kiev.


Fake News: Lord Ayyappa devotee commits suicide over entry of women inside Sabarimala temple - Alt News
Jignesh Patel
9th January 2019 / 11:39 am
The ongoing conflict surrounding the Supreme Court verdict allowing entry of women of all age groups inside temple has led to tension and violence in Kerala. It is now being claimed that a devotee named Jayarajan from Valanchery, Kerala has committed suicide in the wake of the incident where two women activists entering Sabarimala and there by allegedly ‘desecrating’ the temple. Among many social media users, ShankhNaad, who has repeatedly spread divisive misinformation, also tweeted this claim.
@Partyvillage017, an individual handle tweeted a photograph of the devotee with the same narrative. It has garnered close to 1300 retweets.Several individuals on Facebook are also circulating the photograph with the identical narrative.
Officials have denied the links between the suicide and the controversy around women’s entry in Sabrimala.
In a conversation with Alt News, Gopi, brother-in-law of Jayaranjan said, “The suicide is not at all linked to the Sabarimala issue but of course he was a Sabarimala devotee. He was a retired post-master. Neither was he mentally ill nor did he have a financial problem.” Gopi confirmed that Jayarajan committed suicide on January 1, 2019. It must be noted that the two women went inside the Sabarimala temple on January 2.
In a statement given to Alt News, Inspector P Pramod said, “His family is denying the fact. They are saying there is no definite reason for suicide and it is not related to Sabarimala. The family has given a complaint that on social media, it is being linked to Sabarimala but it is not. His daughter had approached us with the complaint.”
Speaking to Boom Live, Inspector P Pramod said, “His death was reported by his brother-in-law at the police station. We carried out the procedures and are waiting for the post-mortem report.”
In conclusion, an incident of suicide which was in no way related to the Sabarimala temple row was falsely linked with the recent development in Sabarimala. The incident of suicide happened on January 1st and the two women entered the holy shrine on January 2nd. Therefore, the suicide cannot be related to the entry of the women in the temple. The Sabarimala issue has been at the centre of a massive misinformation campaign with multiple instances being reported last year as well.
Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University.
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar…
In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin…
The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…
Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile…
Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…


South Korea: Protests Against 30 Minutes Pizza Delivery System · Global Voices
Lee Yoo Eun

Korean net users have filed an online petition[ko] urging big pizza chains to halt their 30 minutes delivery system which have cost several young lives and injured numerous delivery people, especially during snowy season.


Food Security: President Buhari Approves 109 Integrated Farms Nationwide - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (A.M)
September 6, 2021
Executive Secretary of the Agency, Paul Ikonne, said the directive was part of the outcome of his meeting with Buhari in Abuja.
According to him, the President has inaugurated one of such integrated farms in Daura, Katsina, adding that the agency is poised to accomplish the remaining 109 farms, in line with the presidential directive.
He also, explained that the aim was to ensure that the giant strides already made in agriculture under the current administration were sustained and called on state governments to partner with NALDA to achieve the goal by donating land for the integrated farms in their respective domains.
Ikonne, however expressed the hope that the scheme would help the country generate more employment and attain food security. He also added that the president had directed NALDA to put up the integrated farm estates in the remaining 108 senatorial districts.


Ukraine: Economy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Orange Ukraine writes about the problems and successes of Ukraine's economy: “Furthermore, as much progress as has been made, some sectors of the economy are still sadly backwards. The prime example is the grain market, still subject to grossly inefficient government quotas and bureaucratic meddling.”


Malaysia: Penang’s Bicycle Lanes · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

anilnetto writes about the proposed 12.5km bicycle lane in Penang, Malaysia. The first phase of the project has already started and completion is targeted in the next two years.


‘Will I bring it home today?’ Essential workers share their COVID-19 stories | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Edgar Mendez
April 3, 2020
(Photo by Adam Carr)
Not every worker can stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those deemed “essential” have clearance to leave to perform tasks deemed crucial for human safety and health.
And they risk exposure to COVID-19 by doing so.
We asked some of them to share their experiences. Names of individuals and some details have been withheld or altered to protect their identity and jobs. The stories have been edited slightly for clarity.
The residents where I work are 55 years of age and older and they all have some sort of behavioral health issue. Within the last couple weeks, we have had seven residents taken out for COVID-19 symptoms. The first one tested positive and has already passed away. The second is asymptomatic and still at the hospital, and the others are more recent, so we are waiting on their test results.
Our head nurse has been out sick for at least three weeks now. One of my employees in the kitchen had tested positive and has been out for two weeks. Other employees are scared and not coming in at all or are sick and haven’t gone for testing. We have been taking all the necessary precautions that we can, but it seems like that’s not stopping it.
We are so short-staffed that we are running ourselves ragged. Trying to order supplies has been crazy, too. They are either out, in short supply, or the delivery times have been pushed back so far that we’re only able to get what we can get. My oldest daughter also works there, so I am extra afraid of either one of us bringing it home to my other two daughters or my 72- year- old mother who lives upstairs from us and watches them.
I feel anxious and nervous, and I’m pretty much drained every day when I get home. To be honest, if they take any more residents out for this, I probably will stop going in. I have to do what I have to do to keep my family safe.
I work at a local hospital. Unfortunately, I am considered an essential worker so there’s no staying at home. While I felt fortunate still having a job while everyone was losing theirs, the great risk of being infected and bringing it home was scary. As the days went by, it has become a nightmare working in this field.
We are treated horribly by our staff. We are not provided the right personal protective equipment, and we are forced to clean COVID-19 rooms and report to work sick. I’m currently under in-home quarantine due to symptoms. Even after reporting the symptoms, I was told to report to work, but instead went to the emergency room. I believe we are frontline workers, but we get treated like garbage.
Essential worker here. I used to work in an oncology setting. If you know cancer survivors, you know they feel a great deal of anxiety before they go in for their 3-6-9-12 month checkups. They fear finding out that they have cancer again.
I feel like that. Every. Single. Day. I sit on the edge of my bed thinking … is this the day? Will I bring it home today? If I do, how will I fare? I’ve revised my living will just to make sure, if my life were to end, it ends as I want it to.
I work at Walmart and as a tax preparer. At Walmart, it’s like Black Friday every single day. I have been yelled at for not having toilet paper and called an [expletive] at work for asking for ID to sell ammunition. Tax preparation has increased due the stimulus check and we get nonstop calls about it. It has been stressful, but I am thankful I am able to work when so many cannot. But kindness does go a long way.
I worry so much about my daughter who just had my first grandbaby. I have not met her because there’s no way I am putting them at risk. My heart hurts due to the fact a lot of people don’t appreciate what we as retailers go through every day since this started. We get yelled at, spit on and called names. Just always remember: Do unto others as you would want done to you. One person, one cart. If you don’t have to go out, don’t. Don’t risk your family.
I work as a medical assistant in a women’s health clinic. I still have to go to work, and it makes me nervous. I’m doing the best I can at my job to keep everyone safe, so we are all wearing masks and cleaning everything every day. But it does make me scared. I have two family members who have already contracted the virus. I’m just afraid to be around people.
I’m an Amazon flex delivery driver. Work there has slowed way down, not that there’s no work, but because there are so many drivers so it’s hard to get deliveries. There are more workers because a lot of people have lost or been laid off from their normal jobs.
Right now, Amazon is basically delivering only essential things. It’s a little scary going to work, having to be in the warehouse where a lot of other people are and touching cars and packages that other people are touching. It makes me a little nervous and anxious.
I work as a staffing consultant in the Milwaukee area. We are still putting people to work despite the COVID-19 and stay-at home order. Of course, we have had to switch our process and limit walk-in applications and have switched over to phone screens and online applications. We are a small office (four in total), so half of the office is working from home and half is currently in the office. We are practicing social distancing.
Working for me is bittersweet. I have little ones so of course I would like to be at home and spend more time with my children, but unfortunately, I am not able to work from home. But I am also grateful that I still have a job and I am able to support my family during these rough times. Luckily, I have a great support system. Since I must work in the office, I limit my travels to only work and home. The less I can put myself out there, the less risk I have on potentially catching something and infecting my family.
I’ve been welding at my company for a couple years, and we’re still up and running as we speak, and it’s a scary thing. My fiancé and I are worried everyday especially with the rapid spread of the disease. We have kids and her parents are in their 60s. So our worst fear is for one of us to catch COVID-19 and then spread it to one of them. Recently, there was a situation/scare at work. One of our welders wasn’t feeling good.
He went into the emergency room Sunday and died in the hospital. I didn’t go to work for two days this week because I wasn’t feeling good and had flu-like symptoms. I didn’t hear about his death until I got a text about it from friends at work. None of them knew how or why he died. So I decided to go back to work because I couldn’t afford to miss any more days. When I went into work the rumor around the plant was that he died because of liver problems. Well, after I spoke to my supervisor, he wanted me to pair up with the same guy who was working with the individual who died. So I did. Rumor has it that supervisors are scrambling because it’s been confirmed that the guy who died was COVID-19 positive.
Come to find out it’s all true. The guy who died was positive. We had a meeting and were told to start taking more precautions to stay safe like washing our hands, using sanitizer and implementing six feet of safe distance.
We have no real answers about what’s gonna happen next. Just that they’re going to investigate everything more. I kind of flipped out and told them they had me working in the same area as the guy who died and that now I could be contaminated as might EVERYBODY else in the plant as well. So the company told me to stay home and go get checked for COVID-19 and to keep them posted. So mentally, this is all stressful and scary because any moment you can catch it.


South Korea: New Labour Law  · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jamie has explained key issues concerning the Korean new labour law controversies at interlocals.net.


Pakistan: Volunteers For IDPs in Swat Region · Global Voices
Rezwan

Chowrangi blog calls for coordination and collaboration between volunteers engaged in the relief works for the IDPs of Swat and Malakand in Pakistan.


BRIEF: City of Hamilton to Fund Concerts in BIAs – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

April 12, 2022
The City of Hamilton is funding a summer concert series this year which will see one concert in each of Hamilton’s 13 Business Improvement Areas.
“The program builds on the Music Mondays model,” says the City’s Director of Tourist and Culture Carrie Brooks-Joiner.
She says the City is responding to requests to expand from “being exclusively offered at City Hall to being available across the city.”
The City will fund all costs for BIAs to host one concert with two artists for a 90-minute show, Brooks-Joiner says.
“We want to showcase the diverse artists that are practicing music within our community, as well as the variety of musical genres that are available and active in the community,” says Senior Project Manager of Animation and Placemaking Sarah Ehmke.
The program is not just exclusive to BIAs. Other commercial areas can apply to host concerts. More information will be released in the coming weeks.


This photo of PM Modi & Others with shadows as that of lions is a photoshopped one - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
July 8, 2020
A photo of PM Narendra Modi, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief MM Naravane taken during Modi’s recent visit to Ladakh is doing the rounds on social media. The photo has the trio’s shadows on the ground seen as that of lions and the post claims it is not photoshopped and it is a message from nature. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Photo of PM Narendra Modi, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief MM Naravane with shadows as that of lions.
Fact: The photo is photoshopped. In the original photo, the trio have their own shadows on the ground and not the shadows of lions. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The photo posted has Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief MM Naravane in it. It was taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Ladakh to address the Indian soldiers. The photo can be found in a tweet on the official Twitter account of the Press Information Bureau of India (PIB India). But in the photo, the trio Narendra Modi, Bipin Rawat and Naravane have their own shadows on the ground and not the shadows of lions. So the photo posted is edited using tools like ‘Photoshop’.
To sum it up, the photo of PM Narendra Modi, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief MM Naravane having their shadows as that of lions is photoshopped.
Did you watch our new video?


Human Trafficking: NAPTIP, 2 Others Secure Release Of 15 Nigerian Girls Trafficked To Mali - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
February 21, 2022
The girls, whom one of them is havinag a three-year old boy and two pregnant, were released with the support of Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria, A-TIPSOM.
NAPTIP Director General, Fatima Waziri-Azi, while speaking during the arrival of the girls at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, stated that the return of the girls was achieved through collaborative effort.
A-TIPSOM is a project being implemented in Nigeria by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAP) and is being sponsored by the European Union (EU).
The NAPTIP Director General, who was represented by Head, Intelligent and International Corporation Unit, NAPTIP, Angela Agbayekhai said the process started through the information the agency got from NACTAL, an NGO working in partnership.
Also, NACTAL President, Abdulganiyu Abubakar, stated that the whole process was made possible based on the partnership they have with Civil Society Organisations, CSOs in the 16 West African countries. He added that NACTAL have implemented different mechanism in the 16 ECOWAS countries for the protection of children.


China: Glenn Beck takes aim at China · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In case you missed it, Glenn Beck on Hu Jintao's US visit: Burger King kids meals are a Chinese plot for world domination, and so was Leonardo da Vinci. Turns out, it doesn't add up quite so neatly. Next week: the Chinese run Opus Dei, too.


Uzbekistan: Rumors of a Sickly President · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nathan says that the rumors about Uzbekistan President Karimov being seriously ill have got new rebirth lately. The source, opposition-in-exile-leader Muhammad Solih says Karimov will soon head to Germany for medical treatments and may have to transfer some powers to subordinates.


China: More on Boycotting French Goods · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translated a few articles reflecting on the call for French goods boycott.


Wike’s Alleged n200m Gift: Resign Now As PDP’S Zoning Committee Chairman - Arewa Youths Tell Ortom - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (A.M)
March 28, 2022
National president of AYCF, Yerima Shettima, who made call accused
the Governor Ortom of compromise and bias, saying his acceptance of
the sum of N200m to Benue State from Governor Nyesome Wike of
Rivers State who is contesting the presidential election in 2023, clearly
has put the North at a disadvantage as far as zoning is concerned in the
PDP.
Shettima called on the PDP chairman , Dr Iyorchia Ayu, to come cleaof allegations of harbouring a hidden agenda in support of Ortom’s
actions and relieve him of the zoning task assigned to him or else near
the toga of a collaborator.
In a press statement issued


OPINION: 5 ways you can stay healthy this holiday season | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Dr. Bryan Johnston
November 24, 2020
Artist Mauricio Ramirez created this mural on the corner of South Sixth Street and West Lincoln Avenue to honor frontline workers and medical professionals. (Photo by Adam Carr)
Editor’s note: Have something on your mind? “Community Voices” is the place to let Milwaukee hear what you have to say. To be considered, we need your name, email address and phone number for verification. Please email your submissions to<EMAIL_ADDRESS>Dr. Bryan Johnston, a family physician working on the North Side of Milwaukee, returns again to offer advice on navigating the pandemic.
With COVID-19 looming, nobody I’ve talked to is feeling good about their holiday plans. Over a million Americans tested positive last week, with many more likely infected. As of this writing, Wisconsinites are testing positive at the fifth-highest rate in the country, a rate greater than any country in the world.
Hospitals and ICUs in many areas of the state are full and dozens of residents are dying each day. The pandemic’s second wave, which may last through the winter, looks to be far more devastating than the first. This is not the holiday season we had hoped for.
And yet this is a time we need what the holidays represent more than ever. We need the presence of community, mutuality and love. We need to feel grateful, to feel others’ gratitude. We (I) need a helping or two of my mother’s green bean casserole. Traditions are powerfully important, and many of us can’t imagine a Thanksgiving without family and friends gathering together in the same room for a meal.
As Dr. Anthony Fauci reminds us, COVID-19 doesn’t care about our weariness. It doesn’t care how much we value the image of satisfied faces around a turkey, or how difficult our planning has become. It is a relentless virus that waits for any opening. And what is the risk, exactly? According to a risk assessment tool created by Georgia Institute of Technology and based on local COVID-19 testing data, a gathering of 10 people in Milwaukee County has a 41% chance to include someone who has COVID-19. A gathering of 25 people has a 73% chance.
Many, many families are going to gather this holiday season, and many, many people are going to get sick.
I believe there are ways to enjoy the most important parts of the holiday season safely. Here are a few tips:
The Milwaukee Health Department and CDC have more guidance and resources—check them out. If you’d like to talk through options with a health professional, call your healthcare provider or the Milwaukee COVID-19 hotline, available through 2-1-1.
This winter is going to be a long one. The strain of missing out on holiday traditions can feel like the breaking point. There is a very human tendency to want to make an exception to months of careful precautions or choose to listen with a more optimistic ear. I am worried about this tendency. The vaccine news in the last few weeks has been incredibly positive. There is a good chance that in the coming year we will be able to have a holiday more in line with our traditions. I want you to see everyone at your table then. Please take care this holiday season.


No, Arvind Kejriwal didn't admit of having family ties with RSS; clipped video viral - Alt News
Jignesh Patel
9th March 2020 / 7:58 pm / Last updated: 12th March 2022
A 7-second video clip of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is being shared on social media where he appears to be saying, “Our family was of the Jan Sangh Parivar. We are born ‘BJPwallah’. My father was in Jan Sangh. He went to jail during the emergency.”
The video was shared by Congress member Mini Nagare after the AAP’s win the Punjab elections. The clip is being passed off as proof that Kejriwal admitted that his family has links with the RSS.
संघी लोग जश्न मना रहे हैं…
अब समझे आम आदमी पार्टी को सपोर्ट कहां से मिलता है 😂😂😂https://t.co/wAVoTOZmpy pic.twitter.com/HPm49qrssC
— Mini Nagrare (@MiniforIYC) March 11, 2022
One Twitter user Ajay had posted the clip amid the Delhi elections in 2020 along with the message, “Does anybody need further proof of Kejriwal’s RSS roots?”
Does anybody need further proof of Kejriwal’s RSS roots?
“I come from a Jan Sangh family, I was born in a BJP family. My father was in Jan Sangh & went to jail during Emergency”
Aur bolo #KejriwalTsunami !! 😂
Every vote for AAP = Vote for RSS pic.twitter.com/l7fNgusEer
— Ajay 🌈 (@SpeakingTigers) February 7, 2020
Alt News had also received a request on its official mobile application to fact-check the video.
Alt News found that the 7-second clip has been lifted from a February 2020 interview of Kejriwal with NDTV where he claimed that he was quoting a BJP supporter. The Delhi chief minister did not accept that his family has RSS roots.
At 7:15 minutes in the video posted below, Kejriwal can be heard saying, “I saw a ‘BJPwallah’ who was speaking on a channel. He said, ‘Our family was of the Jan Sangh Parivar. We are born ‘BJPwallah’. My father was in Jan Sangh. He went to jail during the emergency but this time I will vote for Kejriwal’.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snM01RM-wzQ?start=433]
Continuing with the man’s story, Kejriwal said, “But then he [the supporter] was asked why so? He said ‘My child studies in a government school and the school used to be in such bad condition. They have improved my child’s future. He said, ‘[Kejriwal] is the only guy who is asking for votes on the basis of his work. In 70 years, no [party] has asked for votes on the basis of their work'”.
He further quotes the BJP supporter’s response to the anchor’s query on Shaheen Bagh and said, “I have been in the BJP. I know their politics. They made this 10-day issue and they have created this Shaheen Bagh. In ten days, after the election, Shaheen Bagh will get over. After that only Kejriwal will be of use for our electricity, water, hospital and school”.
A 7-second clip was circulated on social media to falsely claim that Kejriwal admitted to having family links with the RSS. However, the Delhi chief minister claimed that he was quoting a BJP supporter talking about voting for AAP on the basis of their work.
Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University.
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar…
In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin…
The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…
Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile…
Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…


Taiwan: April 26th 2008, a Usual Day and a Special Day · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

Photo courtesy of Alhorn.
April 26th, 2008 should be a usual day, no more.
However, this March, Wenwei mentioned about a 24-hr photo activity held in 1992, and Yangphoto decided to hold a 24-hr photo blogging relay on April 26th:
照片具有歷史意義
影像能表達生命力
相機掌握在你手上
按下生命感動的快門
In response to this call,
來自台灣各個角落的一百九十位攝影者在當天拿起相機，按下快門，接力記錄台灣的24小時。
這些照片與連結將在今天（5月5日）在網路部落格完整呈現….
00:00-07:00:People finishing yesterday's work, people preparing for a new day, and people supporting the the former two groups of people.
07:00-11:00:People eating breakfast, people starting working, and people taking a day off.
11:00-15:00:Young people and cats waking up and hanging around, people keeping working, and people attending activities.
15:00-17:00:People keeping working, people playing, and more people playing.
16:54-21:00:People with their family, people with their friends, people with themselves, and people with food.
21:00-24:00:People keeping working, people going home, and people trying to find their home.
Yangphoto said,
而從這些照片來看，參與這次活動有媒體的攝影記者、高度使用網路部落格的學生、為人師表的老師、一般的市井小民…等[…]容或影像水準不一，容或是負面的台灣，但他們真實呈現了所看到的台灣。
Wenwei said this kind of activity can
使在台灣的每一人有命運共同體的體認。
He also hopes that in the future we can have
台灣企業的２４小時、台灣勞工的２４小時、台灣婦女的２４小時.
There is also a video including some photos in this activity on youtube (uploaded by ohho0625):


D.R. of Congo: heavy gunfire · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

What is happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Read Congo Girl's update: “Since daybreak, the gun and mortar fire has only worsened in intensity.  There is now one column of smoke rising from something or other when I look out the office windows either east or west.  I can't see much else but I tried recording some sound (uploads…sometime).  Had a tiny repos and have now given up on the mattress.  On to another cup of Nescafe to squelch the growls.”


Updated: MATC promises free tuition to qualifying high school graduates | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Andrea Waxman
September 10, 2015
Milwaukee Business Journal


Czech Republic: New Year’s in Prague · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Czech Daily Word provides some stats on the upcoming New Year's celebrations in Prague.


Barbados: Rihanna Not Attending PM’s Funeral  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados Free Press republishes the opinion of Barbadian blogger Kammie Holder, who says of Rihanna's inability to attend the late Prime Minister's funeral: “America has made her famous, but as a Cultural Ambassador with a diplomatic passport she also has a responsibility to her country.”


Farmers' protests: Old image falsely viral as woman standing up against policemen - Alt News
Anuradha Prasad
3rd December 2020 / 12:25 am
A photograph of a woman branding a lathi at policemen in riot gear has been linked to the farmers’ protest and shared on social media. A parody Twitter account that goes by the username @Rofl_Kamra shared the image on November 28. The caption made a reference to actor Kangana Ranaut who played the role of Rani Lakshmibai in a movie. It termed her ‘fake’ Jhansi Ki Rani and the woman in the photo as the real warrior queen.
नकली झांसी की रानी को देख चुके तो अब देखो असली झांसी की रानी जो किसान हक के लिए कूद पड़ी है युद्ध के मैदान में…माँ तुझे सलाम…🙏 pic.twitter.com/glJq6ho0gi
— Rofl Kamra 2.0 (@Rofl_Kamra) November 28, 2020
Lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat and Jharkhand Pradesh Youth Congress also circulated the picture with similar message taking a dig at Ranaut.
National President of Tipu Sultan Party Prof Shaikh Sadeque tweeted the picture as well. Several other Twitter users circulated the image and among the prominent ones were @Rayaan41, @The_vinaydubey and @Kavita_Meena1.
A reverse-image search on Bing led us to a Facebook page that had uploaded the picture in 2016.
Posted by Hyderabad Funny Club on Saturday, 10 September 2016
A Twitter user had shared the image in 2018 however without mentioning where it was shot. He used hashtags related to farmers’ protests.
തോൽക്കുമെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞിട്ടും അവർ പോരാട്ടം തുടരുകയാണ് അവർ തോറ്റുപോയാൽ തോൽക്കുന്നത് നമ്മൾ കൂടിയാണ്. !!!അവർ തീർത്ത വിയർപ്പിന് നമ്മുടെ വിശപ്പ് എന്ന് കൂടിയാണ് അർഥം….!!
ഇനിയും കണ്ടില്ലെന്ന് നടിയ്ക്കരുത്#കർഷകസമരം #withthem #farmers #Revolutions pic.twitter.com/NBuZC5Rs9F
— സിദ്ധാർത്ഥ് (@AkhilVR45852462) October 4, 2018
While Alt News could not establish further details about the image, it clearly does not represent an incident that took place in the ongoing farmers’ protests.
A journalist and a dilettante person who always strives to learn new skills and meeting new people. Either sketching or working.
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar…
In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin…
The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…
Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile…
Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…


DR of Congo : Discreet Commemorations of the 50th Anniversary of Patrice Lumumba’s Assassination · Global Voices
Julie Owono

Patrice Lumumba, photo Wikimedia
January 17th 2011 marked the 50th anniversary of Patrice Lumumba's assassination, first elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire. In 1997, with Laurent Désiré Kabila coming to power, this date has become a public holiday in the country. The irony of this morbid calendar is that January 16th 2011 marked the 10th anniversary of the same Laurent Désiré Kabila‘s assassination, head of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (ADFLC).
This confusion of memories has nevertheless not stopped the Congolese people and their diaspora from organizing some commemorations for the fiftieth year of Lumumba's death.
From the Radio Okapi website, one of the first Congolese Information radios, we learn that a mass was celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady, in Kinshasa. The peculiarity of this year is that the religious service also honored two companions of the hero of the Congolese indepedence:
“Contrairement aux précédentes commémorations, la messe d’action de grâce de ce lundi 17 janvier 2011 a été célébrée en mémoire de Maurice Mpolo et Joseph Okito, les collaborateurs de Lumumba tués avec lui.”
On the social network twitter, this day of commemoration was also the occasion to remember the last words written by Lumumba to his wife a few days before his death. JF Mikwa, as many others, has shared the link to the said letter.
Friends of the Congo, an organization based in Washington DC working on promoting good governance in Congo, organised this monday night, January 17th, in New York City, a screening of a documentary film on the former prime minister followed by panel discussions.
In Brussels, the blog Cheik Fita News, dedicated to online information of Congolese living in Belgium, reported that an organized march by the collective “mémoires coloniales” (colonial memories) occurred on January 16th 2011. We also learned that this same collective has started a petition untitled “Truth, justice and compensation to the the congolese people” requesting among other things for the Belgian government to ackowledge its responsibility in the assassination of the political figure:
“L'État belge et les divers acteurs de ces multiples meurtres doivent reconnaître leur responsabilité et les assumer”
MARCH FOR LUMUMBA IN BRUSSELS 20110116_144318
sent by CONGOLAISDEBELGIQUEINFO. – Current events in video.
Despite all these demonstrations, some may ask themselves about the extend of the tibute paid to Lumumba. Faraja Bm on Facebook, regretted that a real day of commemoration wasn't organized around this historical date in the African continent.
“This Guy should also have a day of observation… I mean real day of Observation!”


Cuba: The Capital’s Chinatown  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Iván's File Cabinet blogs about the evolution of Havana's Chinatown.


Grenada: Windies vs. South Africa Today  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Today, the West Indies plays South Africa in Grenada.  Writing for ttgapers.com,  Garth Wattley emphasizes how much is hinging on this particular game: “Both teams need no reminding that any more errors could be fatal now.”


Insurgency: Troops Foil Attack In Adamawa - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 4
February 12, 2019
The Nigerian Army has said its troops successfully repelled attack coordinated by the Boko Haram insurgents at Madagali town in Adamawa.
Deputy Director, Army Public Relations 7 Division Colonel Ado Isa, said in a statement that the troops killed several insurgents and recovered ammunition when they attempted to attack a military formation in the area.
Ado disclosed that troops of 143 Battalion, 28 Task Force Brigade had on February 9, at about 18:00 p.m. successfully repelled the insurgents’ attack when they attempted to infiltrate its location.
Ado listed the ammunition recovered to include five AK-47 rifles, four magazines, one Hand-held grenade, 13 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 45 rounds of Ant-Aircraft gun ammunition, two cell phones and one video camera.
The army spokesman also said one soldier and a civilian were killed while five others sustained injuries, adding that they were receiving medical attention.


China: defending political poem · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The prosecution of a SMS political poem written by a local civil servant, Qin Zhongfei in Pang Shui in Chongqing city, has raised great concern from local journalists and bloggers. Li Tian Lun comments that the poem was a great political poem and local government should accept criticism by people.(zh) Zan Ai Zong points out the silencing effect of the case (zh).


China: 1980s’ attitude towards sex · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Shanghaiist puts up a video stream from Tudou, which exploring how people born in the 1980s feel about sex.


Czech Republic: The Smallest Coin Must Go · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

The Czech Daily World reports that as of September Czechs won’t use the CZK .50 (50 heller coins). He adds, “after 116 years of existence of heller coins Czechs will only have ‘crown’ coins”


Armenia: King Without a Crown · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Faced with restrictions introduced under the current state of emergency in the country, the Armenia Now online weekly magazine has started up its own blog in an attempt to circumvent attempts to limit information to official sources only. In one of the first posts, an anonymous blogger compares the opposition to the authorities and says that both were responsible for the clashes which occurred on 1 March in downtown Yerevan and which left eight people dead.


Ecowas Parliament To Find Lasting Solutions In Mali - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
July 18, 2019
The Economic Communityof West African States, ECOWAS Parliament says it would find lasting solutionsto the humanitarian crisis in Mali and the entire sub-region.
The Speaker of ECOWASParliament, Moustapha Cisse Lo said this when he led a delegation ofparliamentarians on a fact-finding mission to Mopti and Bamako in Mali.
The mission was to knowthe situation of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the area.
Cisse Lo also called onthe Malian authorities to intensify its efforts in fostering peace andreconciliation among state actors to end the deadly attacks on its citizen.
The ECOWAS ParliamentSpeaker gave an assurance that appropriate actions would be taken to come upwith lasting solutions to humanitarian crisis in the sub-region.
However, Minister ofHealth in Mali, Michel Sidibe said that the situation was quite serious, addingthat the government was making concerted efforts to ensure peace in thecountry.ng8��^���


Supreme Court steps in after sexual assault verdict leads to public outcry in India · Global Voices
Anumeha Verma

Bombay High Court building in Mumbai, India. Image by A. Savin (Wikimedia Commons). Free Art License.
A judgement by the Bombay High Court of India on January 27, 2021, ruling that groping a minor, without skin-to-skin contact, could not be considered sexual assault was stayed by a Supreme Court judge who cited the judgement as disturbing.
Justice Pushpa Ganediwala of the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court in Mumbai modified a ruling given by the Sessions Court, in which the accused, a 39-year-old man, was found guilty of sexual assault and sentenced on January 19, 2021 to three years under the Section 8 of the Protection Of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Section 8 of POCSO stipulates that, “Whoever, commits sexual assault, shall be punished with imprisonment of either punishment for the description for a term which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to a fine.”
According to court records, the man was accused of taking the 12-year-old girl to his house in December 2016, when he allegedly gripped her breasts and tried to remove her clothes, for which he was sentenced by the Sessions Court. On appeal at the Bombay High Court, Justice Ganediwala found the accused not guilty because there was no skin-to-skin contact as the man did not remove the victim's clothes.
The Free Press Journal quoted the judge as saying, “The act of pressing the breast of a child aged 12 years, in the absence of any specific detail as to whether the top was removed or whether he inserted his hand inside her top and pressed her breast, would not fall under the definition of ‘sexual assault.'” The court then ruled that the man was guilty only under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which regards the offence as intent to “outrage” a woman's modesty, but not the more serious crime of sexual assault; he was then sentenced to one year in prison.
The verdict took the nation by storm leading to a public outcry. Journalist Dharmendra Jore highlighted recent controversial verdicts of female Justice Ganediwala:
[POCSO Acquittals] Supreme Court Collegium withdraws recommendation to make Bombay High Court judge permanent. Justice Ganediwala had handed down three acquittals under the POCSO Act in three separate cases, all within a week.
https://t.co/OQjYfuqaWS
— Dharmendra Jore (@dharmendrajore) January 30, 2021
Many citizens and activists said the January 19 verdict showed a lack of concern about the plight of minors who experience all types of sexual abuse, including groping, in public places and in their own homes.
Mishi Chaudhary, a legal professional, tweeted:
Who hasn't faced this in India?
Casually brushing, groping leaving young children shocked, confused and in trauma.
I faced this so often in India. Book fairs, weddings, markets. The fact that I was accompanied by a parent didn't matter to the pervs. https://t.co/U0O93V6bwv
— Mishi Choudhary (@MishiChoudhary) January 25, 2021
While some women, who experienced this type of assault as children were angry and disappointed at Justice Ganediwala's ruling, others considered the likelihood that such judgements would give offenders a free hand to continue.
Expatriate Indian music student Medha Nair said:
I didn’t get groped in middle school at 13 years old just for someone to say that groping with clothes on isn’t sexual assault. India, do better.
— Medha Nair #BLACKLIVESMATTER (@nairmedhaa) January 25, 2021
Another expat Indian Naz Iraj tweeted:
So a judge in India ruled out sexual assault because groping “over” clothes can’t be considered sexual assault?????
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY WOMEN WILL NOW BE SUBJECTED TO SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARLY SEXUAL ASSAULT?????
— Naz Iraj (@nazthepoet) January 26, 2021
Shobha De, a well-known writer and columnist also took umbrage with the verdict, with her words giving rise to responses from well-known psychologists, journalists and activists.
He who gropes, goes free. Breasts can be freely squeezed with zero consequences. So long as the groper does not penetrate! Ladies … prepare for a groping epidemic! Remember, only skin-to-skin counts.
Thanks, Justice Pushpa Ganediwala
— Shobhaa De (@DeShobhaa) January 25, 2021
As the outrage continued, the Attorney General of India prepared to move a petition against the order and requested the Supreme Court take a Suo Moto cognizance on the matter. The Suo Moto cognizance allows courts in India to take up a case on their own, without a petition being filed by any party.
Following the request, a bench comprising three judges of the Indian Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde, stayed the order on the basis of the nature of the verdict. The Attorney General considered the original ruling a dangerous precedent, where perpetrators of sexual assault might use it as a defence strategy after targeting minors.
The POSCO Act, 2012, was established to protect minors from sexual predators. The mood of the public showed that many felt Section 8 would be rendered toothless if skin-to-skin contact had to be established:
Law student Yash Kapasiya tweeted:
This Bombay High Court judgement will give many perverts a chance to fight in the court to be charged with a less serious offence of molestation (Section 354 of IPC) instead of sexual assault (Section 8 of POCSO). I understand the argument given. But can't understand the need. https://t.co/LIYlfc9ePR
— Yash Kapasiya?? (@Yash4Kapasiya) January 24, 2021
Feminist collective WhereAreTheWomen? tweeted:
#JusticePushpaGanediwala got this totally wrong. #POCSOAct Sec8 says: All physical acts for example-stalking, showing porn/sexual content, touching private parts of a child etc attracts imprisonment not less than 3-5yrs, also liable to fine.https://t.co/Ia6LDFMzKe
— WhereAreTheWomen? (@wherearewomen1) January 24, 2021
The rise in sexual assaults on minors in the country gave the public more cause of concern. Data released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in 2018 showed that 109 children face sexual abuse every day in the country—22 per cent more than in 2017. However, this jump could also indicate that more such cases are being reported, which may be considered a positive shift.
While staying the judgement by the Supreme Court is a welcome move, sexual exploitation of minors remains a sensitive subject and the role of the judiciary in setting an example by meting out justice will remain crucial to protecting the vulnerable.


Privileging Diversity in Canadian Newsrooms - New Canadian Media
George Abraham
February 4, 2017
Commentary by George Abraham in Ottawa
IN the summer of 2015, a roomful of Ottawa folks got together at the National Arts Centre, eager to gain insights into the question, “What Stories Swing Votes?” The next federal election – the one that eventually ended Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decade in power – were just around the corner, and up on the stage at this Canadian Journalism Foundation event were some of Canada’s best political pundits – Susan Delacourt, Frank Graves, Adam Radwanski, David Herle and Tom Clark.
I don’t recall much of what was said, except one particular expression Radwanski used. It has stayed with me ever since. He spoke of a “subterranean campaign” that would be waged in immigrant communities across Canada – presumably in foreign languages and in a vernacular that would be very different from appeals to the rest of Canada. He was predicting a different playbook in select ridings – a playbook that Radwanski assumed would be beyond his understanding.
Looking back, I suspect he was right: there indeed was a playbook that enabled the Liberals to win immigrant-rich ridings. It is widely believed that part of the Liberals’ victory in October 2015 came from immigrant communities switching their votes away from the Conservatives. The Liberals won the so-called “ethnic vote.”
However, Radwanski’s choice of expression has intrigued me ever since. The respected columnist writes for the Globe and Mail – a paper that I have consistently read ever since I set foot in Canada in 2002.
I know the paper to be resourceful, financially well-endowed and world class. As a reader, I see that it invests in its journalists, giving them generous travel budgets to report at great length from hotspots on every continent, but also giving its columnists lots of latitude. It is a great Canadian institution.
And so I was fascinated by the concept that a campaign could be “subterranean” when it dealt with massive, well-established communities, served by hundreds of ethnic media publications. Why did the Globe not already have a cadre of journalistic talent that would have helped it cover these “subterranean” communities just as it did all the other ridings in Canada? Why not use translators, when necessary, to make inroads into these sorts of communities?
Radwanski’s telling observation begged a larger question: Why is our journalism not as multicultural as the rest of society?
In the period since the October 2015 election, I have reframed my question to ask, Why are our journalists not as representative as our federal cabinet?
I would love to have been a fly on the wall as Prime Minister-Elect Justin Trudeau shared with the head of his transition team, Peter Harder, his thoughts on how he wanted to go about selecting cabinet ministers. Together they produced a masterpiece of Canadian diversity. How did they get it so right, without really inviting a backlash from those who have got so used to a monochromatic hegemony in all the levers of power?
More than one year on, I still have trouble reconciling to the fact that a turbaned Sikh immigrant is Canada’s Defence Minister.
I am not the first journalist in Canada to shine a light on the lack of diversity in Canadian journalism. A few years after I set up New Canadian Media, I had the honour of meeting John Miller, a former chair of Ryerson’s journalism school, somebody who made it his life’s mission to make newsrooms more representative, more reflective of their readership and viewership. Miller has researched the issue and written extensively on the topic, to little avail.
There are still spaces in Canada that media don’t understand and have made barely an effort to try to understand. The less charitable side of me thinks they’d simply label these spaces as “ghettos” and be done with them. I suspect there are newsroom managers who argue that these newcomer enclaves don’t see themselves as Canadian.
It is incumbent on our media to do better: our journalism must enable all Canadians to feel equally included.
Given that one in five Canadians born in another country and an equal number are the children of first-generation Canadians, the “immigrant” ethos is writ large. We’ve been adding 1 million new Canadians every four years. And, generally speaking, their ethnic profile tends to be different from that of earlier settlers – for the last three decades, the majority of our newcomers have come from Asia, nations such as China, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. Canada is changing right before our eyes.
In 2012, I took a tentative step toward blending my experience as a journalist in Asia into the Canadian milieu. By then, I was convinced that most newcomers and their children share a sense of dislocation, having moved to North America from regions that are racially and socio-politically very different from the origins of earlier arrivals. They have different mores, a different worldview and a different “lived experience.” They consume news differently and view the world through a different lens.
Interestingly, Canada has had a robust ethnic media sector for a very long time. Visit any grocery store in the suburbs outside the major cities and you will encounter scores of publications stacked in neat piles. A local radio station will play music from “back home,” and the newspapers will say very little about happenings in Canada.
This anecdote may be apocryphal, but a respected ethnic journalist recently told me about a Vancouver radio station that launches its broadcast with the words, “Good morning, Vancouver! The weather in Chandigarh is …”
Each of these publications covers a particular immigrant community, in a specific geographic region, often in a foreign language. Most ethnic media continue to be narrowly focused on issues concerning their communities.
They are staffed mainly by the hundreds of journalists who arrived in Canada wanting to continue in their profession, but find it hard to gain a foothold. About 200 of them have worked with New Canadian Media or participated in our training sessions. They possess experience and language skills that could perhaps help the mainstream media demystify their communities, but nobody has quite figured out a way to marry their talents with the current needs of newsrooms.
I would be the first to admit that not all journalists are created equal. Having lived in five countries, I know first hand that every nation has its own ways of doing journalism. I also know that ethnic and “mainstream” could not be further apart in their professional standards. It would be the rare ethnic journalist who has had the luxury of paying for a journalism degree in Canada.
Working for multicultural media is very different from working for, say, the Globe. The reporters often double up as advertising salespeople. Ethnic publishers roll from one financial crisis to another; scores of them go under every year, while others sprout in their place. The line between editorial and advertising is blurred.
These publications, though, remain a vibrant part of Canada’s media ecosystem and play a critical role in informing and welcoming new immigrants. They fulfill a vital democratic function – albeit an insufficient one.
We in the media need to do a better job of speaking for Canadians and being a mirror to society. This is a cliché, but readers, viewers and listeners want to see and hear themselves reflected in our newsrooms. They want to hear foreign-sounding accents and even a mangled English or French sentence once in a while.
Journalism is about reflecting the lives and times of all Canadians – in all their diversity, colour and socio-political complexity. Newcomers invariably do not fit into the preconceived notions of today’s mainstream media editors.
That’s why it is very important for newsroom managers to specifically empower journalists in our newsrooms from diverse backgrounds to speak up, not to be cowed by those who perhaps unwittingly crowd out more timid voices and offbeat perspectives. In short, let’s privilege diversity, rather than conformity.
As we imagine a new media landscape for future generations, I suggest a “third way” that enables Canada to become the first nation in the world to marry ethnic and mainstream – a true reflection of our unique demographics. Let’s recognize that our highly corporatized media organizations have lost touch and are excluding large segments of our population by continuing to hire candidates who could not possibly do justice to the worldviews or lived experiences of many communities, including immigrants.
I realize it will take more than a generation to achieve in the media what Trudeau has done with his cabinet. It will take more than resolve and window dressing. In the meanwhile, let’s find ways for the two media silos to work together, discover common ground, and, in the process, improve the coverage of communities that feel left out.
This commentary was first published in Policy Options and part of a special feature The Future of Canadian Journalism.
George brings 30 years of writing and newsroom management experience to New Canadian Media. He began his journalism career with The Times of India in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), followed by stints at the Khaleej Times in Dubai and as managing editor of The Peninsula in Qatar. A journalist with high ethical standards, George won the prestigious Nieman scholarship at Harvard University (1994-95), and more recently, pursued a Master’s in Journalism at Carleton University (2004).


Support FBI whistleblower Terry Albury, who is set to be sentenced next week
Camille Fassett
October 12, 2018
Terry Albury
FBI whistleblower Terry Albury, the second person prosecuted by the Trump administration for leaking information to the press, will be be sentenced next week in federal court. The documents he is assumed to have shared detail the FBI’s recruitment tactics and how the agency monitors journalists. For his act of courage, he could face years in prison.
Albury pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Espionage Act in March—each punishable by up to ten years in prison. Passed in 1917, the archaic law was originally intended for use against foreign spies, but since its inception, it has been weaponized against sources of journalists and whistleblowers. (Read more about the history of the Espionage Act here.)
Albury is no spy. His attorneys have described him as being driven to action by a “conscientious commitment to long-term national security and addressing the well-documented systemic biases within the FBI.” Albury has stated he witnessed discrimination both as by working as the only black field agent in the agency’s Minneapolis office, and by observing profiling of minority communities in Minnesota.
Although the complaint against Albury did not name a specific news organization, he is assumed to be the source behind The Intercept’s important “FBI Files” investigative series that  detailed controversial FBI tactics for investigating minorities and for monitoring journalists through National Security Letters (NSLs).
By using NSLs, the FBI can obtain journalists’ phone records with no court oversight whatsoever and can circumvent the Justice Department’s normally strict guidelines for spying on journalists. The fact that we know this is (presumably) thanks to Albury.
The charges against Albury came as the Justice Department ramped up its leak investigations by 800% since the previous administration. Albury’s case is the latest in a travesty of leak prosecutions under the Espionage Act, a practice normalized by the Obama administration and expanded on by Trump.
Albury will be sentenced on October 18 in St. Paul, Minnesota. His attorneys argue that guidelines suggest a sentence of approximately three years, but that given his moral character, role as a father of two young children, and the fact that he no longer works for the FBI, a sentence of probation would be most appropriate.
In the sentencing motion, Albury’s defense draw attention to his workplace environment, and how the racism he experienced within the FBI and the racial profiling witnessed the agency propagate in Minnesota sickened and isolated him.
“In 2016, Terry Albury, a highly-regarded and decorated FBI agent in the Minneapolis office (and who had previously served the FBI in Iraq), and the only black field agent in his region at that time, disclosed classified materials to a reporter relating to FBI surveillance, profiling, and informant-recruitment practices in national security cases,” the motion reads. “He did so as an act of conscience, of patriotism and in the public interest, and for no personal gain whatsoever.”
Trevor Timm, executive director of Freedom of the Press Foundation, noted in April that former FBI officials like James Comey and and Andrew McCabe have received extensive media coverage and public and financial support—and don’t face prosecution. But Albury, who apparently released information with huge implications for racial inequity and press freedom, has received very little such support.
Albury's lawyers have launched a GoFundMe page to help with his legal expenses, which you can contribute to here.
The justice system is deeply broken when a courageous whistleblower like Albury should face any prison time at all for speaking out about racial profiling and discrimination within his workplace and making details of monitoring of the press public.
Threats to press freedom around the world are at an all-time high. Sign up to stay up to date and take action to protect journalists and whistleblowers everywhere.
Thanks for signing up for our newsletter. You are not yet subscribed! Please check your email for a message asking you to confirm your subscription.


Jamaica: Being Caribbean  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Geoffrey Philp puts in his two cents’ worth on what “Caribbean” really means.


Jamaica: Sex tape cover up · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

Prominent Jamaican citizens are said to be “starring” in sex tapes found at the Kingston home of former ambassdor Peter King, who was murdered back in March. “The clout wielded by these ‘pillars of society’ has already set tongues wagging that the police may be party to an extensive cover-up to save the reputations of these individuals,” says Yardflex, who also quotes a child rights activist who expresses the hope that guilty parties will be charged if any of the tapes feature underage boys.


Iran:Blogger was released · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to Hanif Mazroi, the jailed blogger, Mojtaba Samiinejad,was released after being 18 months in jail [Fa].


Armenia: Copyright Infringement? · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

As a photojournalist as well as blogger, I have made low resolution images shot for next month's presidential election in Armenia available for free use by other bloggers in the hope that presentation in the local blogosphere improves. However, when licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works license I have to ask on my Armenia Election Monitor 2008 blog, can an official presidential election campaign site for one of the main candidates also use them?


Scripted video of a man withdrawing cash from an ATM using Vaseline applied card is shared as real incident - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 14, 2022
Video of a man in police uniform applying Vaseline to an ATM card wrapped with silver foil and inserting the card in ATM to withdraw cash is being shared as real incident. Let’s find out the truth behind the video.
Claim: Video of a man in police uniform applying Vaseline to an ATM card wrapped with silver foil and inserting the card in ATM to withdraw cash.
Fact: The original full-length video was uploaded on the Facebook page of ‘Adley’ on 11 March 2022. However, the uploader mentions it as a scripted video and is meant for entertainment purposes only. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Reverse image search using the keyframes extracted from the viral video led us to the original full length video  uploaded on the Facebook page of ‘Adley’ on 11 March 2022. The title of the video says, “ATMs don’t want you to know this”. However, the description mentions it as a pre-taped video intended for entertainment purposes only and not a real incident.
To sum it up, scripted video of man withdrawing cash from ATM by applying Vaseline to the card is shared as real incident.


Cuba: Musings on the Sixth Congress  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Laritza's Laws blogs about “the trap of socialist democracy”, while Octavo Cerco says that “after the close of the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party…the only point on the official agenda that seems to be right on the mark is the repression of the alternative groups that have been growing at a significant pace in recent years.”


France: Migrant Workers’Hostels 2010 Film Festival  · Global Voices
Anna Gueye

Blogger Menilmuche announces The Migrant Workers’ Hostels Film Festival in Paris, from June 5th to  June 26th [fr].


Unrelated old videos shared as visuals of Indians destroying idols due to their anger over COVID-19 - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
June 2, 2021
A video of a purported news bulletin by ‘Shia Waves’ news channel is being shared on social media claiming that a large number of Indian Hindus have thrown away the idols of Gods on the streets. This news bulletin had shared two different video clips of people disposing of the idols of Hindu Gods. This post claims it as the visuals of Indians expressing their anger towards the Gods for not protecting them from the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video clips of Indians throwing the idols of their Gods on the streets due to their anger over Coronavirus.
Fact: The first video clip in the post was captured in 2019, in Ahmedabad city in Gujarat. The second video clip was shot at Telangana’s Beechupally village in 2015. Both the video clips were shot well before the first COVID-19 virus case in the country. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The news bulletin shared in the post shows two different video clips of people disposing of the idols. Let’s find the details of each video clip one by one.
Clip-1:
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals is found in reply to a Tweet (archive) by IAS officer Vijay Nehra on 11 August 2019. In the tweet, IAS  Vijay Nehra mentioned Ahmedabad citizens’ appreciable gesture of leaving the Dashama idols on the riverbank of Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. Multiple users had shared the same video on social media in August 2019. They can be seen here and here. Hence, it can be confirmed that the video was shot well before the first COVID-19 virus case in India.
Thanks pic.twitter.com/6kjucsnJTn
In 2019, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had requested citizens to leave Dashama idols on the riverbank of Sabarmati to prevent pollution. Following the municipal corporation’s requests, devotees left their idols on the riverbank of Sabarmati. News articles and videos that reported this incident of Ahmedabadis leaving their idols on the riverfront of  Sabarmati can be seen here, here and here.
Clip-2:
On reverse image search, a video with similar visuals is found in a Facebook post by a user on 24 September 2015. This user mentioned it as the visuals of devotees immersing Ganapathi idols from the Krishna river bridge located on NH44 in Mahbubnagar district of Telangana.
When we searched to find the location of this bridge on ‘Google Maps’, the visuals of the bridge in the video matched with the Rangapur Krishna Pushkar Ghat bridge located at Beechupally village in Mahabubnagar district of Telangana. It can hence be concluded that the video shared in the post is an old one and not related to the coronavirus pandemic in India.
Also, we could not find any such news bulletin on the official YouTube channel of ‘Shia Wave’. We found an article published with a similar headline on the ‘Shia Wave’ news website. But, the images shared in the article are different from the visuals shared in the post.
To sum it up, unrelated old videos are shared as visuals of Indian Hindus throwing idols of their Gods on the streets due to their anger over COVID-19.


Sri Lanka: Fighting Homophobia · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Lost Landscape on the immense amount of work it takes to fight homophobia in Sri Lanka.


FG Probes 17 Firms Over Breach Of Customers’ Private Data, Hikes Fines - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
February 1, 2022
This was disclosed in the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation Performance Report 2020-2021, which was launched by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
The report further disclosed that seven investigations were concluded and sanctions were imposed on three entities.
It was also disclosed that the number of ongoing investigations on alleged data breaches rose from 15 in 2020 to 17 in 2021, while the number of investigations concluded rose from one in 2020 to seven in 2021.
In addition, the amount of fines issued rose from 1 million naira in 2020 to 15 million in 2021.
The report further shows NITDA that was partnering with key stakeholders to ascertain appropriate sanctions for different kinds of violations of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation.


Japan: no smoking · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lee in Tokyo Times blogs about  smoking restriction signs in Japan.


Martinique: Moving Memorial  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Repeating Islands’ Blog introduces us to the Anse Cafard Memorial in Southern Martinique – “a deeply moving monument to the losses imposed on African peoples through the slave trade.”