Pahalgam terror attack: Govt asks airlines to ensure no surge in Srinagar airfares, urges to increase flights
Airlines have been directed to maintain regular fare levels, ensuring that no passenger is burdened during this sensitive time, an official release said on Wednesday.
26-yr old Navy officer, married just 5 days ago, killed in Pahalgam terror attack
Defence officials confirmed that the 26-year-old officer, who was posted in Kochi, had travelled to Kashmir for a short vacation after his marriage on April 16. His wedding reception was held on April 19.
Delhi-NCR Weather update: IMD issues heatwave alert from…, maximum temperature to rise to…
The department said that heat wave is expected to hit Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan from April 24 to 28, while Central India is predicted to see a 2-3 degree Celsius rise in maximum temperature over the next few days with little significant change thereafter.
What is TRF? Mask of Lashkar-e-Toiba, raised by Pakistan’s ISI? Mystery behind name revealed
Lashkar-e-Toiba or the LeT established the new terror outfit, The Resistance Front or the TRF, to hide its involvement in the terror activities after Pakistan came under international pressure.
Democrats, struggling for oxygen, blame the media – is AOC the answer?
Jim Clyburn is ripping the media. The Democratic congressman, who essentially handed Joe Biden the nomination in 2020, says the party is having trouble getting its message out. “I think the message coming from the Democratic Party is a good message,” the South Carolina lawmaker told MSNBC’s Ali Velshi. “The problem we’ve got, I’ll say, is that we have to depend upon the media to deliver it.” Let me stop right there. The party’s approval ratings are in the toilet – that’s not the media’s fault. The party lost every swing state to Donald Trump in November – that’s not the media’s fault. And the Democrats have no clear leader at the moment – again, not the media’s fault. SCHUMER SINKS, AOC SOARS IN NEW POLL AS LIBERAL VOTERS DEMAND HARDER LINE ON TRUMP “If we have The Washington Post, for instance, caving to this wannabe dictator and we’ve got other media entities that seem to rather push a narrative that will bring eyes to their newspapers or to their television sets and not really give a fair hearing or reporting to what we’re doing,” said Clyburn, exempting Velshi. “I would hope that there are people outside of the audience taking in what we’re saying because my message is gonna be very, very coherent. It’s going to be very – a little bit alarming. But it’s gonna be a message that I think everybody will understand if they were to hear it.” Sorry to break it to the esteemed congressman, but it’s not the media’s job to carry water against the man he calls a “wannabe dictator.” You and your colleagues can only do it by getting out there and making, uh, news. At the same time, everyone already hates us. So it’s hardly surprising that the left, as well as the right, is bashing our business. I mean, Joe Biden barely talked to journalists – even for a Super Bowl interview – and now we know why. BILL MAHER SAYS AOC SHOULDN’T BE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE IN 2028 DESPITE RECENT HYPE Gavin Newsom is clearly running for president in 2028 – and he makes news by appearing on Fox and right-wing podcasts. This shows that he’s willing to engage the other side. “I don’t know what the party is. I’m still struggling with that,” Newsom told the Hill. He also had California sue the White House over the tariffs. The buzz right now is about AOC running for president. This seems far-fetched on its face – not because she was once a bartender, which gives her street cred, but because of her uber-liberal record. Yet she and Bernie Sanders are drawing huge crowds around the country in what feels like a generational handoff – an image captured on the front page of Sunday’s Washington Post. After making an initial splash as a rebel, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez now works with the party’s leadership. POLLSTER NATE SILVER CALLS OCASIO-CORTEZ MOST LIKELY TO BE 2028 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE A conservative columnist for the Hill listed her as No. 1 for the next election, calling AOC “simply the most exciting figure in Democratic politics…Yes, she has a legion of detractors. But she also has charisma, authenticity and the ability to draw huge crowds.” But even the columnist, Niall Ferguson, asks: “Would a left-wing Latina from New York City really be the best option for a party that needs to win states like Michigan and Pennsylvania to take back the White House?” Axios says Ocasio-Cortez, 35, “has been cheered like a political rock star over the past two weeks” and knows how to make the cash register ring: “In the first three months of 2025, she raised $9.6 million – more than double what she’d ever raised in a quarter.” She would undoubtedly be opposed by center-left liberals like Josh Shapiro who would stress the importance of winning swing states like, uh, Pennsylvania. Now it’s a bit crazy to be talking about this just three months into Trump’s second term. Someone who’s “hot” now could easily cool off by then. Name recognition only takes you so far. SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES In a recent Gallup poll, just 25 percent expressed confidence in Democratic congressional leadership, an all-time low. Republicans don’t expect fair coverage from the media. But many Dems act personally offended when they draw critical coverage. The takeaway: Democrats have to make their own news, not just bash the media. But hey, we’re the easiest target out there.
Indian Railways: Big move by Modi govt as Vande Bharat train ticket prices may…
Passengers are concerned about the high ticket prices. However, there are reports that the government may reduce the cost of this premium service to make it more affordable for lower-income groups.
New York’s Nassau County seeks to ban standing within 15 feet of cops under bill panned as unconstitutional
Lawmakers in Nassau County, New York, are pushing a measure to make it illegal to stand within 15 feet of police officers or other first responders during an emergency, although critics of the proposal argue that it is unconstitutional. People who enter the “buffer zone” for first responders during an emergency would face a misdemeanor charge and a $1,000 fine along with the possibility of up to a year behind bars, according to the bill introduced by the county Board of Legislators. The measure seeks to protect first responders from “threats, harassment, and physical interference,” lawmakers say. “It is important that first responders are not obstructed during emergency situations and that our frontline heroes are allowed to engage in the lifesaving actions they are trained to perform without distractions,” legislator John Ferretti, a Republican, told the New York Post. NEW YORK PROPOSAL WOULD BAN POLICE FROM MAKING TRAFFIC STOPS FOR MINOR VIOLATIONS TO PURSUE ‘RACIAL EQUITY’ State law already subjects people who interfere with first responders to up to a year in jail, three years of probation or a $1,000 fine. The new bill was introduced by Republicans but has garnered support from some Democrats, according to the newspaper. “Our cops and first responders shouldn’t have to fight crowds while they’re saving lives,” Democrat legislator Seth Koslow, who is running for county executive, told the New York Post. “This bill gives them the authority to keep chaos out and do their jobs without interference. It’s backed by both parties — because protecting those who protect us shouldn’t be political.” Despite the bipartisan support among lawmakers, critics say the bill goes too far and could be abused to curb people’s constitutional rights. “Floating buffer zones offer yet another way for police to keep their activities hidden from public scrutiny,” New York Civil Liberties Union senior policy counsel Justin Harrison told the New York Post. “Laws that make it harder to monitor the police don’t make anybody safer — in reality, they violate the Constitution, run counter to government transparency principles, and foster distrust in law enforcement.” Some other states have passed similar laws that were later struck down by the courts. VIDEO CAPTURES NEW YORK GRANDMOTHER, CHILDREN NARROWLY AVOIDING MANHOLE EXPLOSION Louisiana passed a law last year prohibiting people from being within 25 feet of police after being told to back up. But last month, a federal judge blocked the measure, finding that it violated the 14th Amendment’s due process regulations and could infringe on journalists’ press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment that grants them the right to film officers. Similar laws in Arizona and Indiana have also been blocked by federal judges. “We expect that Nassau’s law, if passed, will meet the same fate,” Harrison said.
Houthis say group downed US drone in northwest Yemen as US strikes continue
Al Masirah, a Houthi-affiliated outlet, says the US launched a series of strikes on several locations in the country. Yemen’s Houthis have said they shot down a US drone that was carrying out an attack on the northwestern Hajjah governorate whilst the Al Masriah news outlet has reported that United States air strikes targeted at least three areas across the country. In a statement on Tuesday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group’s “air defence shot down a hostile American MQ-9 Reaper drone while it was carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Hajjah Governorate”. Saree claimed that this is the seventh US drone that the group has downed so far this month, and the 22nd since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began 18 months ago. Al Masirah, a Houthi-affiliated outlet, said a series of strikes on Tuesday night targeted Kamran Island in the Red Sea, two air strikes hit the Al Salif district in western Yemen, and four air strikes were reported in the Al-Saleem district in the Saada province in the north of the country. The US has been carrying out near-daily, deadly air attacks against what it claims are Houthi targets in Yemen, killing more than 200 people – including women and children – since March. Advertisement The administration of US President Donald Trump has warned that its military campaign will continue until the Yemeni group halts all firings against vessels in the Red Sea, a major conduit for international trade. The Houthis have rejected the US assault, stressing that they are targeting ships in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and will stop when Israel ends its punishing war on the enclave. The latest attack comes just days after 12 people were killed in air strikes conducted by the US on Yemen’s capital Sanaa. Last week, the US launched 13 strikes on Hodeidah’s port and airport. It was three days after its deadliest attack to date targeted the Ras Isa port, also in Hodeidah, killing at least 80 people and wounding more than 150 others. Since November 2023, the Houthis have reportedly launched more than 100 attacks on vessels they say are linked to Israel, in response to Israel’s war on Gaza. The group halted attacks on shipping lanes during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year. But they pledged to resume strikes after Israel renewed its assault on the besieged enclave last month. Houthi attacks have paralysed shipping through the Suez Canal, a vital waterway through which approximately 12 percent of global shipping traffic normally passes, forcing many companies to resort to costly alternative routes around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Adblock test (Why?)
US judge blocks Trump’s effort to shutter international news service
District judge orders administration to restore the capacity of broadcaster shuttered over claims of ‘leftist bias’. A federal judge has stated that US President Donald Trump illegally halted the operation of the Voice of America (VOA), a federally funded international news service created by Congress. In a ruling on Tuesday, US District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the Trump administration to restore the 83-year-old broadcaster’s capacity to the levels before Trump slashed funding and laid off scores of personnel. In a March court filing stating that all 1,300 employees had been placed on administrative leave, lawyers for VOA said that the broadcaster seeks to report the news “truthfully, impartially, and objectively”, pushing back against claims from the Trump administration that it promotes a “leftist bias” and is insufficiently “pro-American”. Judge Lamberth also ordered the administration to restore the capacity of two other broadcasters also funded by the federal Agency for Global Media, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, while those lawsuits progress. The judge also denied a similar request for two additional networks, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Open Technology Fund. Advertisement Trump and his allies have wielded federal funds to dismantle programmes and agencies within the government that they dislike and compel greater ideological compliance from media organisations and universities under the premise of combatting what the administration portrays as “left-wing” views. Kari Lake, a close Trump ally, was also placed in charge of the Agency for Global Media. The administration shuttered VOA in March, instituting funding cuts that Lamberth said reflected a “hasty, indiscriminate approach”. A labour union representing workers at the Agency for Global Media celebrated the ruling as a “powerful affirmation of the role that independent journalism plays in advancing democracy and countering disinformation”. VOA was first founded during World War II in an effort by the US government to counter Nazi propaganda and was later used to project pro-US views to countries around the world during the Cold War, a history that has led some to criticise the network as a means of promoting US interests around the world. “That simple mission [delivering impartial news] is a powerful one for those living across the globe without access to a free press and without the ability to otherwise discern what is truly happening,” lawyers for VOA wrote. Many other institutions created during the post-war era to project US political and cultural influence around the world, such as the humanitarian assistance agency USAID, have also come under attack by a Trump administration that sees them as ideological enemies or sources of bureaucratic bloat. Advertisement After largely gutting USAID, tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk said that the international assistance group had been a “viper’s nest of radical left Marxists who hate America”. Adblock test (Why?)
‘He gave us strength’: Gaza Christians remember calls with Pope Francis
Gaza City, Palestine – For 72-year-old Kamal Anton, Pope Francis was a source of comfort and support. Kamal has had to shelter since the start of the war in the same Catholic church compound in Gaza City – the Holy Family Church – that his wife and daughter were shot and killed by an Israeli sniper in. That was in December 2023, two months after the start of Israel’s war. Anton and the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza have often felt abandoned in the 18 months of conflict, in which more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, with hope of an end to the war still feeling remote. But the late pope, who died aged 88 in the Vatican City on Monday after a battle with illness, was in constant contact with Gaza’s small Christian community. Before his illness, he held calls every evening with those sheltering at the church, and continued to reach out, on a less regular basis, even after he fell ill. Kamal remembered his most recent call on Saturday, just two days before his death. Pope Francis was greeting the members of the church for Easter. Advertisement “During his call, he prayed for peace and resilience for us in Gaza,” Kamal said. “He never forgot the word ‘peace’ in any of his calls with us throughout the war. His support included all of us – Christians and Muslims alike. He prayed daily for our safety.” Kamal Anton’s wife and daughter were shot and killed by an Israeli sniper in December 2023 [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] Palestinian defender A deep sense of grief and sorrow permeates the Holy Family Church, where approximately 550 displaced Palestinian Christians continue to seek shelter. Israel has attacked the church and its neighbouring school several times during the war, including a July 2024 attack in which four people were killed. Another church, St Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church, has also been bombed. But the Holy Family Church is still a refuge. People gather inside the church every day, piano music accompanies hymns during prayer, and people greet Father Gabriel Romanelli. He’s the parish priest, an Argentinian who came to Gaza to lead the church 15 years ago. After the death of the pope, those in the church have largely dressed in black, the colour of mourning. The loss of the leader of their church was a solemn enough event, but Palestinian Christians know they have also lost one of their greatest defenders – a world leader who has long backed the Palestinian cause, and has earned the anger of Israel on a number of occasions for his defence of Palestinians. In his final public speech delivered on his behalf on Easter, Francis called for peace in Gaza and urged the warring sides to “agree to a ceasefire, release the hostages, and provide aid to a starving people longing for a peaceful future”. Advertisement Father Romanelli told Al Jazeera that the loss of Pope Francis was a tragedy for Christians around the world, and particularly in Gaza. He recalled that Saturday phone call with the pope. “He said he was praying for us, supporting us, and thanked us for our prayers,” Romanelli said. “People at the church waited for his call daily. He would speak to the children and reassure them. He was deeply human and incredibly supportive, especially during the war.” Catastrophe Kamal noted that support from Pope Francis was also material, in the form of aid arriving in Gaza until Israel blocked all entry of goods into Gaza in March, just before it unilaterally broke a ceasefire. “Everyone in Gaza knows how much the Vatican supported us,” Kamal said. “We always shared that aid with our Muslim neighbours too.” Kamal’s fellow Palestinian Christian, 74-year-old Maher Terzi, is also in mourning. Maher, who has been displaced since the first week of the war, had just sat in the mourning hall when he spoke to Al Jazeera. “He gave us strength,” Maher said. “He told us not to be afraid, that he was with us and would never abandon us, no matter what.” “He encouraged us to hold on to our land, and promised to help us rebuild our destroyed homes,” Maher added. “His death is a catastrophe and a shock for us during such a difficult time.” Palestinian Christian Maher Terzi said the death of Pope Francis was a catastrophe for Gaza [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] Adblock test (Why?)