Evening news wrap: China reacts to Dalai Lama's remarks; DK Shivakumar backs Siddaramaiah & more
China on Wednesday asserted that any successor to the Dalai Lama must be approved by Beijing, shortly after the Tibetan spiritual leader said only traditional Buddhist practices—not Chinese authority—should decide his reincarnation.
In Karnataka, the Congress party's attempt at a unity front faltered within a day, as deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said he had 'no option' but to support chief minister Siddaramaiah despite earlier leadership ambitions. In Kolkata, police said the Detective Department will take over the investigation into the gangrape of a law student, who alleged she was assaulted inside her college campus after being lured with a political post.
In Bengaluru, a 30-year-old Infosys employee was arrested for allegedly filming a female colleague in a washroom at the company's Electronics City office. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to six months in jail in a contempt of court case—her first conviction since being ousted from power.
'Successor must be approved by us': China reacts strongly to Dalai Lama's remarks
China on Wednesday said the Dalai Lama's successor must be "approved by the Chinese government," hours after the Tibetan spiritual leader ruled out Beijing's authority in picking the 15th Dalai Lama.
Ahead of his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama reiterated that the process to find his successor must follow traditional Tibetan Buddhist practices, not political imposition.
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Congress 'unity show' flatlines? DK Shivakumar backs Siddaramaiah; cites 'no option'
The "unity show" within Karnataka Congress flatlined within 24 hours after Siddaramaiah's deputy DK Shivakumar on Wednesday claimed that he has no "option" but to support the chief minister and party high command's decision.
A day after Congress said that there would be no change in leadership and Siddaramaiah will continue as chief minister, deputy chief minister Shivakumar, who was hopeful of a promotion, said that whatever the party has decided, it will be fulfilled.
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Law college gang rape: Detective department to take over case, say Kolkata Police
The Detective department will take over the probe into the gangrape of a law student inside a south Kolkata college campus, Kolkata Police said, according to news agency ANI on Wednesday.
The survivor, an active participant in campus politics and a Trinamool supporter, said she was lured to the union room on June 27 evening with the promise of a key post.
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Bengaluru Infosys techie arrested for filming woman inside office washroom
Police in Bengaluru have arrested a 30-year-old employee of Infosys after he was allegedly caught recording a female colleague in a washroom on the company's campus.
The incident occurred on 30 June at the firm's Electronics City office, according to a complaint filed by the victim, a 35-year-old woman working as a Technical Test Lead.
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Sheikh Hasina sentenced in contempt case: ICT hands ex-Bangladesh PM 6-month jail term; first conviction since ouster
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Wednesday sentenced Bangladesh's ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison in a contempt of court case, according to the Dhaka Tribune reports.
The three-member bench led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder delivered the judgement, according to local Bangladesh newspaper.
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Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Behind the scenes stories of Dalai Lama, from his long-time secretary & companion
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the most revered voices for peace, compassion, and non-violence in the modern world, turns 90 on Sunday (July 6). Here's a behind the scenes look at the man in the words of Tenzin Geyche Tethong, who served in the Dalai Lama's office for more than four decades from 1963 to 2008. The 14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama was born as Lhamo Thondup on July 6, 1935, in the small village of Taktser in northeastern Tibet. He was recognised as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two, and was formally enthroned in Lhasa at age four and given the spiritual name Tenzin Gyatso. Educated in Buddhist philosophy, logic, metaphysics, and poetry, the Dalai Lama assumed full political power in 1950 following China's invasion of Tibet. What followed was a decade of tension and communist suppression of the Tibetan identity. After a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Lhasa, the Dalai Lama fled the Potala Palace in 1959 and took refuge in India: he crossed the border on March 31, 1959. He has lived in exile in McLeodganj since 1960, where he helped establish the Central Tibetan Administration and became the global face of the Tibetan struggle. Despite advancing age and retirement from political leadership in 2011, he continues to travel, teach, and inspire. 'He has always been very optimistic that he will return to Tibet. It is amazing how he has been able to keep the spirit alive in Tibetans hearts and minds. He has this unique ability to keep Tibetan culture and traditions intact. Today, what the world knows about Tibet and the Tibetan struggle,' Tenzin said. Renowned for his promotion of interfaith harmony, secular ethics, and universal responsibility, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. A man of many interests Behind the scenes, the Dalai Lama is a man of many interests. 'I am amazed to see the amount of time he spends reading Buddhist scriptures. You will always find scriptures in his hands,' Tenzin said. 'He is also a very good listener. In most cases, while deciding on any important issue, he always focuses on the consensus.' Then there is the Dalai Lama's love for gardening. As Tenzin put it: 'He loves flowers'. 'He also had a habit of dismantling things. For instance, he used to dismantle and re-assemble watches. I remember His Holiness once joked, 'People leave their watches with me thinking I can repair them. I dismantle those watches after which they get even worse than the time they were left with me,'' Tenzin said. Recounting another incident, Tenzin said, 'Once, I went to his room and found that he had dismantled the entire kerosene oil heater and all the parts were spread out'. That said, the Dalai Lama is not too keen on using modern gadgets and technology. 'Rather, he spends most of his time reading Buddhist scriptures. You will find these scriptures in his hands, even at the breakfast table,' Tenzin said. Monk who gets angry at times 'The Dalai Lama loves to meditate and interact with people from different religions, cultures and traditions,' said Tenzin. He is kind and compassionate, so much so, he has often spoken of having compassion for the Chinese as well. 'Once a monk who was imprisoned in Tibet escaped and reached here. His Holiness granted him a private audience and asked what he feared the most while in prison. The monk replied saying he feared losing his compassion towards the Chinese. That is the feeling that Buddhist monks have… [They are] full of compassion,' Tenzin said. The Dalai Lama has also authored numerous books on happiness, science, and compassion, and has engaged deeply with global thinkers — including scientists and religious leaders — on the relationship between mind, matter, and morality. But this does not make the Dalai Lama completely immune to anger. 'If you are late, if you have not done your work properly, [if you] lack sincerity — these are the things that make him angry sometimes,' Tenzin said, quickly adding: 'But, he overcomes this anger very quickly'. Even today, the Dalai Lama follows a strict daily routine. 'He has always been a very early riser. He begins his day around 3 am and retires very early around 6.30-7 pm.' During his youth, he used to frequently trek to Triund [a hill top some 9 km from McLeodganj]. He was an extremely brisk walker. Nobody could match his pace,' Tenzin said. Except for his knees, the Dalai Lama is in great health for his age. As CTA president Penpa Tsering told The Indian Express, 'He sometimes shows his teeth and says that even at 90, he hasn't lost even a single tooth. Whereas I have already got five [teeth] implanted…'. Dalai Lama's seven siblings The Dalai Lama was one of seven siblings, and one of three reincarnated Rinpoche (revered teachers) in the family, along with his oldest brother Jigme Norbu (known as Taktse Rinpoche) and younger brother Ngari Rinpoche. While Jigme Norbu, who was settled in the US, passed away in 2008, Ngari Rinpoche stays in Dharamshala with his family. The Dalai Lama had two sisters — the late Tsering Dolma and Jetsun Pema, who lives in Dharamshala. Both are respected figures in the Tibetan diaspora for their contribution to the Tibetan Children's Villages (TCVs). Tsering established TCVs to provide education to children of Tibetan refugees; after her passing, Jetsun took over their administration. Jetsun also headed the education portfolio in the CTA. The Dalai Lama's older brother, Gyalo Thondup, passed away a few months ago in Kalimpong. Gyalo played a crucial role in the initial years of exile in Sino-Tibetan dialogue. He was the one who initially tried to engage talks between China and the Dalai Lama. He also authored the book Noodle Makers of Kalimpong. The Dalai Lama's younger brother Lobsang Samten passed away a long time ago. His son, Tenzin Taklha, is currently serving as the Dalai Lama's secretary. Samten also headed the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute.
Hans India
36 minutes ago
- Hans India
Ramchander Rao ups the ante against Congress and Kharge
Hyderabad: On his very first day as the Bharatiya Janata Party Telangana unit chief, N Ramachander Rao strongly criticized the Congress and its recently held 'Samajika Nyaya Samara Bheri' meeting, which was anchored by AICC chief Mallikarjuna the senior leader of BJP paid tributes at the Telangana Martyrs Memorial. He then led a colourful procession to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Bhavan, the BJP's state headquarters, where he formally assumed charge in the presence of party leaders and supporters. Addressing the media later, he stated that the Congress had failed to consider the needs of people during its 50 years of governance. "The public, fed up with the corrupt rule of the Congress, has defeated the party three times in a row, demanding a Congress-mukt Bharat. While the BJP works for the people, the Congress works for power and corruption," he observed. Deploring the Congress, he remarked that 'AICC' stands for the 'All India Cheating Committee'. He said that the Congress party in the state had been encountering significant opposition from the public shortly after assuming power—something no other party had experienced so quickly. He predicted that in the upcoming elections to local bodies, people would send a strong message to the Congress. Regarding the Congress's claim that it would win 100 MLA and 15 MP seats in the next Assembly and parliamentary elections respectively, he commented that perhaps the Congress leaders misspoke and actually intended to say that the BJP would achieve these numbers. Ramachandra Rao expressed his confidence that in the coming days, people of Telangana would chant slogans like "Congress- mukt Bharat," emphasizing that the BJP would mount a just fight against the Congress government for deceiving the public. He decried that Telangana, once a prosperous state, had been reduced to a state of begging under the Congress now and BRS earlier. However, he asserted that the BJP would work unitedly to bring the party to power in the state, contesting all positions in the elections to local bodies, from ward members to ZPTCs, and winning the most seats. The state BJP chief stated that the BJP was growing stronger and was certain to come to power in Telangana soon. He said that terms like "secularism" and "socialism" were introduced after the Emergency imposed by the then Congress regime. He claimed that the Congress had intertwined these concepts with religious politics, violating the rights of the people. Ramachandra Rao emphasized that the Modi government was dedicated to serving the poor and marginalized, adding 'Prime Minister Modi comes from a backward class'. More than half of the Chief Ministers in BJP-ruled states belong to Backward Classes. Ramachandra Rao highlighted that the BJP was gaining special support in rural areas. With victories in the last Assembly elections, when they won eight MLA and 8 MP seats, along with 3 seats in the recent MLC elections, the party was showing signs of strengthening, which is reflected in its steadily increasing vote share across the state. The BJP chief accused the Congress government of betraying the Backward Classes, stating that it had no genuine plan for ensuring 42 per cent reservation in elections to local bodies. It had merely made promises to divert attention from the BJP. He pointed out that the BJP supported the BC bill for 42 per cent reservation, and now it would implement its promise. Ramachandra Rao contested claims that the state was facing a shortage of urea and said that under PM Modi, the Centre had allocated 12 lakh metric tonnes of urea to Telangana -- 2 lakh metric tonnes more than what the state requires. He blamed the Congress-led state government for not supplying urea to farmers in time. He dared the Congress to debate the urea supply issue and disclose what they had done with the stocks received. Finally, he pointed out that the Congress government had pledged to provide 2 lakh jobs annually. With 1.3 lakh job vacancies remaining when the BRS government yielded power to the Congress, he questioned why the Congress government had not filled these positions. He reiterated that the Modi government had allocated Rs. 12 lakh crore for the development of Telangana and invited the Congress to debate this allocation.
Hindustan Times
38 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Airport choice to social media: What Harvard University advised new foreign students amid Trump crackdown
Harvard University has advised international students to be cautious about various things while landing in the US, including social media posts and data on their electronic devices. The showdown between the Donald Trump administration and Harvard University is continuing.(AP/ Reuters) According to a Bloomberg report, the school also warned some groups against arriving at Boston's Logan International Airport. The advisory was given by the representatives from Harvard's international office and a Harvard Law School immigration support group to the new international students in a support group call held last week. This comes as the university won a preliminary injunction against the Donald Trump administration's efforts to block its ability to enroll foreign students. The Harvard advisory for foreign students Bloomberg reported, citing students who participated in the private call, that Harvard administrators warned new foreign students that US state department officials have the authority to review social media accounts for student visa applicants, while US Customs and Border Protection can examine personal electronic devices and reject entry based on their contents. The students quoted in the report said the call's hosts included Maureen Martin, Harvard's director of immigration services, and Jason Corral, a staff attorney at Harvard Law School's immigration and refugee clinic. The university representatives said it wasn't clear whether the social media and device assessment was done by federal employees or artificial intelligence (AI). The exact red flags are also not known, although the focus seems to be on pro-Palestine content or anything that could be deemed anti-Semitic. Posts derogatory to the United States and its government also appear to be a point of focus. Any previous bumps into law enforcement could also attract attention. The school also warned that wiping devices clean risks inviting suspicion, according to the students. Harvard's advise to students from Iran and China The Harvard representatives reportedly advised Iranians and Chinese nationals studying in particular fields—including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and anything related to AI—to exercise particular caution when travelling. Iranians specifically have faced more scrutiny at Logan Airport and should fly into New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport instead, Jason Corral reportedly said on the call. It's not clear if other international students would face smoother immigration processes at other airports but several participants said they walked away from the call with the understanding that JFK, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport may be better options than Boston. Kseniia Petrova, a Russian-born Harvard researcher, was stopped by immigration officials at Logan Airport in February on her return from France and accused of attempting to smuggle frog embryos into the country. She was released on bail from federal custody by a Boston judge in June after spending four months in detention, but was indicted on additional charges later that month. The White House has made Harvard its primary target in its mission to reshape higher education. In addition to the attempted crackdown on international student enrollment, the Trump administration has cancelled more than $2.6 billion in research funding for Harvard and threatened its tax-exempt status. The government initially accused the school of fostering antisemitism, but the attack has since broadened to include accusations of political bias and criticism of diversity initiatives in hiring and admissions. It's not clear if Harvard students are being treated differently than those at other universities. The Trump administration is appealing the injunction over its ban on Harvard's international student enrollment.
