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AP set to launch pothole-free road project with Danish tech
AP set to launch pothole-free road project with Danish tech

Time of India

time4 hours ago

  • Automotive
  • Time of India

AP set to launch pothole-free road project with Danish tech

Vijayawada: In a first-of-its-kind technology for road laying in the state, the roads and buildings (R&B) department is set to use the Danish Asphalt Reinforcing Fiber method for road construction. The govt will introduce the Denmark-based Danish Fibre Road construction method for the two-lane road between Mudigedu and Sanjamala. This project, costing 12.58 crore, will be constructed in the Banaganapalli constituency, represented by R&B minister BC Janardhan Reddy in Nandyal district, on a pilot basis starting Friday. Engineers from Danish Fibres AS will personally supervise the road construction process using the Danish Asphalt Reinforcing Fiber method between Mudigedu and Sanjamala in the Banaganapalli constituency. The Danish Asphalt Reinforcing Fiber is a unique, innovative, sustainable, and recyclable technology for reinforcing asphalt roads. It is designed to prevent 100% of potholes on asphalt roads, while also preventing cracks, rutting, and premature failures. This method extends the longevity of asphalt roads by 50% or more, thereby reducing maintenance costs. The Danish Asphalt Reinforcing Fiber is a high tensile strength synthetic fiber blend formulated with Aramid and Polyolefin fibers to reinforce asphalt mixes in both new roads and the rehabilitation of existing cracked roads. Minister Janardhan Reddy stated if the pilot project is successful, the technology will be implemented in all road construction projects across the state. The successful execution of the new technology in Andhra Pradesh will position the state as a pioneer in road construction, setting an example for the rest of the country.

Rushikonda Blue Flag Beach in Vizag will be beautified further, says A.P. Tourism Minister
Rushikonda Blue Flag Beach in Vizag will be beautified further, says A.P. Tourism Minister

The Hindu

time18 hours ago

  • The Hindu

Rushikonda Blue Flag Beach in Vizag will be beautified further, says A.P. Tourism Minister

Minister for Tourism Kandula Durgesh inspected the Rushikonda Blue Flag Beach on Thursday. Mr. Durgesh said that greater coordination between officials and the people's representatives was being ensured to ensure proper upkeep of the facilities created at the Blue Flag Beach. The Blue Flag tag was temporarily withdrawn by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education (FEE) after it received complaints related to poor maintenance of amenities at Rushikonda. However, the tag has been restored now, the Minister said. He assured the vendors managing stalls on the beach and the Life Guards posted there of providing a solution to the issues raised by them. He announced that apart from improving standards at the Blue Flag beach, measures would be taken for further beautification to improve the tourist footfall. Double-decker bus services on the Beach Road would be a major tourist attraction, Mr. Durgesh said. Terming the Blue Flag certification for Rushikonda Beach as a major achievement, the Minister said it would attract tourists from across the globe. With the facilities including washrooms, changing rooms and grey water treatment, the Blue Flad beach will attarct International tourists, he said. The Minister called upon the officials and visitors to ensure cleanliness, hygiene and proper upkeep of the facilities to ensure that the Blue Flag certificate was not withdrawn. 'The Tourism Department will undertake beautification of the beach at a cost of ₹24 lakh,' Mr. Durgesh said. He also spoke about the measures initiated for the revival of the cruise liner operation. A decision has been taken to operate the cruise liner four times till September this year. Measures will be taken to operate it through out the year,' Mr. Durgesh added. Bheemunipatnam MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao, District Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner Ketan Garg accompanied the Tourism Minister during the inspection.

Russia's 'Mr Nobody' gambles all with film on Kremlin propaganda
Russia's 'Mr Nobody' gambles all with film on Kremlin propaganda

eNCA

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • eNCA

Russia's 'Mr Nobody' gambles all with film on Kremlin propaganda

When Moscow invaded Ukraine, Pavel Talankin, a staff member at a secondary school in Russia's Ural Mountains, was ordered to film patriotic lessons, songs and morning drills. Talankin, the school's event organiser and also a keen videographer, found the propaganda work so depressing that he wanted to quit his job in the industrial town of Karabash. Then he received what he says was the strangest message of his life. A Europe-based filmmaker got in touch, offering to collaborate on a project to document the abrupt militarisation of Talankin's school in the wake of Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbour. Talankin had earlier seen a post from a Russian company looking for people whose jobs had been affected by the war. Talankin said he was ready to talk. After receiving the foreigner's offer Talankin did not sleep all night. The project changed his life forever. After teaming up with David Borenstein and shooting many hours of footage, Talankin last summer fled Russia with seven hard discs, leaving behind his mother, brothers and sisters and the town he loved. Using the smuggled-out footage Borenstein, a Denmark-based US filmmaker, directed what became "Mr Nobody Against Putin", an award-winning 90-minute documentary which exposes the intensity of the propaganda at Talankin's school and throughout Karabash. It premiered at the 2025 Sundance film festival in January. - 'Persona non grata' - The project cost Talankin dearly. Local officials banned his former colleagues from contacting him, he became a hate figure for supporters of the war and his school librarian mother was upset. "I have become a persona non grata," Talankin, 34, told AFP from Prague, where he is now based. Russia outlawed all criticism of the Russian military and the Kremlin and Talankin knew he had taken huge risks. But he has no regrets. "I would do it all over again." He has been buoyed by the support of people featured in the film including those who lost their loved ones in the war. One former colleague said she became ashamed that she, too, was "part of the system." The documentary reaped awards at festivals and the film crew hopes it will be available to wider audiences in Europe later this year. Borenstein said the film's success had been a "relief" because the multi-national crew overcame numerous obstacles including communication and security. But above all he was "really scared" that if the film flopped Talankin's sacrifice would come to nothing. "I knew the whole time that Pasha would have to leave Russia to make this project happen," Borenstein told AFP, referring to his co-director by his diminutive. "That is a huge sacrifice for him, because his mum is there, his whole life is there, he does not speak English, not at that time." Talankin has not been able to join the crew to present the film at the Sundance festival in Utah and elsewhere due to paperwork issues, but the team hopes this will soon change. For now he is learning English and adjusting to his new life in Prague. - 'Like musketeers' - Talankin said he was heartened by the reactions at the screenings. One viewer in the Czech Republic said he hated Russians but the film made him reconsider. "We knew nothing about what was happening to you," Talankin quoted the Czech as saying. AFP | Michal Cizek "It is a powerful and poetic piece of cinema," said producer Alexandra Fechner, who is promoting the film in France. "This film shows the hidden side of propaganda in Russia, which targets the youngest members of society, children who are being taught a rewritten version of history and given guns!" she said. With the war in its fourth year, Moscow has put society on a war footing and leveraged the educational system to raise a fiercely pro-Kremlin generation. The film features Wagner mercenaries telling children about hand grenades and teachers calling Ukrainians "neo-Nazi", and includes an audio recording of a wailing mother at her soldier son's funeral. But critics also point to the documentary's empathy and light touch. In one episode, a history teacher tells pupils that the spiralling prices could soon make gas unaffordable for Europeans. "The French will soon be like musketeers, riding horses, and the rest of Europe too," he said. Borenstein said that by viewing the footage sent by Talankin nearly every day, he understood the effect of the dehumanising war-time propaganda. AFP | Yuri KADOBNOV While at the beginning he found some of the clips shocking, months later his mind had become so used to the onslaught of the propaganda that he did not see the footage depicting the Wagner mercenaries as something abnormal. "I was able to replicate among myself some of the feelings that maybe the students and people in the school felt," he said. "Looking at this propaganda every single day was a lesson in how desensitised you can become to it." A lot of the footage had not made it into the film, including the school's preparations for the possibility of a nuclear attack. Karabash is located close to one of Russia's most sensitive sites, the Mayak nuclear reprocessing plant. Talankin said Borenstein did not want the viewers to "drown in the enormous amount of negative material." "I have plans for this footage," Talankin said. "Sooner or later I will start slowly releasing it."

Russia's 'Mr Nobody' gambles all with film on Kremlin propaganda
Russia's 'Mr Nobody' gambles all with film on Kremlin propaganda

Time of India

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • Time of India

Russia's 'Mr Nobody' gambles all with film on Kremlin propaganda

Live Events 'Persona non grata' 'Like musketeers' (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel When Moscow invaded Ukraine, Pavel Talankin , a staff member at a secondary school in Russia's Ural Mountains, was ordered to film patriotic lessons, songs and morning the school's event organiser and also a keen videographer, found the propaganda work so depressing that he wanted to quit his job in the industrial town of he received what he says was the strangest message of his life.A Europe-based filmmaker got in touch, offering to collaborate on a project to document the abrupt militarisation of Talankin's school in the wake of Russia's February 2022 invasion of its had earlier seen a post from a Russian company looking for people whose jobs had been affected by the war. Talankin said he was ready to receiving the foreigner's offer Talankin did not sleep all project changed his life teaming up with David Borenstein and shooting many hours of footage, Talankin last summer fled Russia with seven hard discs, leaving behind his mother, brothers and sisters and the town he the smuggled-out footage Borenstein, a Denmark-based US filmmaker, directed what became " Mr Nobody Against Putin ", an award-winning 90-minute documentary which exposes the intensity of the propaganda at Talankin's school and throughout premiered at the 2025 Sundance film festival in project cost Talankin dearly. Local officials banned his former colleagues from contacting him, he became a hate figure for supporters of the war and his school librarian mother was upset."I have become a persona non grata," Talankin, 34, told AFP from Prague, where he is now outlawed all criticism of the Russian military and the Kremlin and Talankin knew he had taken huge he has no regrets."I would do it all over again."He has been buoyed by the support of people featured in the film including those who lost their loved ones in the former colleague said she became ashamed that she, too, was "part of the system."The documentary reaped awards at festivals and the film crew hopes it will be available to wider audiences in Europe later this year. Borenstein said the film's success had been a "relief" because the multi-national crew overcame numerous obstacles including communication and above all he was "really scared" that if the film flopped Talankin's sacrifice would come to nothing."I knew the whole time that Pasha would have to leave Russia to make this project happen," Borenstein told AFP, referring to his co-director by his diminutive."That is a huge sacrifice for him, because his mum is there, his whole life is there, he does not speak English, not at that time."Talankin has not been able to join the crew to present the film at the Sundance festival in Utah and elsewhere due to paperwork issues, but the team hopes this will soon now he is learning English and adjusting to his new life in said he was heartened by the reactions at the viewer in the Czech Republic said he hated Russians but the film made him reconsider. "We knew nothing about what was happening to you," Talankin quoted the Czech as saying."It is a powerful and poetic piece of cinema," said producer Alexandra Fechner, who is promoting the film in France."This film shows the hidden side of propaganda in Russia , which targets the youngest members of society, children who are being taught a rewritten version of history and given guns!" she the war in its fourth year, Moscow has put society on a war footing and leveraged the educational system to raise a fiercely pro-Kremlin film features Wagner mercenaries telling children about hand grenades and teachers calling Ukrainians "neo-Nazi", and includes an audio recording of a wailing mother at her soldier son's critics also point to the documentary's empathy and light one episode, a history teacher tells pupils that the spiralling prices could soon make gas unaffordable for Europeans."The French will soon be like musketeers, riding horses, and the rest of Europe too," he said that by viewing the footage sent by Talankin nearly every day, he understood the effect of the dehumanising war-time at the beginning he found some of the clips shocking, months later his mind had become so used to the onslaught of the propaganda that he did not see the footage depicting the Wagner mercenaries as something abnormal."I was able to replicate among myself some of the feelings that maybe the students and people in the school felt," he said. "Looking at this propaganda every single day was a lesson in how desensitised you can become to it."A lot of the footage had not made it into the film, including the school's preparations for the possibility of a nuclear is located close to one of Russia's most sensitive sites, the Mayak nuclear reprocessing said Borenstein did not want the viewers to "drown in the enormous amount of negative material.""I have plans for this footage," Talankin said. "Sooner or later I will start slowly releasing it."

Russia's 'Mr Nobody' gambles all with film on Kremlin propaganda
Russia's 'Mr Nobody' gambles all with film on Kremlin propaganda

France 24

time6 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • France 24

Russia's 'Mr Nobody' gambles all with film on Kremlin propaganda

Talankin, the school's event organiser and also a keen videographer, found the propaganda work so depressing that he wanted to quit his job in the industrial town of Karabash. Then he received what he says was the strangest message of his life. A Europe-based filmmaker got in touch, offering to collaborate on a project to document the abrupt militarisation of Talankin's school in the wake of Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbour. Talankin had earlier seen a post from a Russian company looking for people whose jobs had been affected by the war. Talankin said he was ready to talk. After receiving the foreigner's offer Talankin did not sleep all night. The project changed his life forever. After teaming up with David Borenstein and shooting many hours of footage, Talankin last summer fled Russia with seven hard discs, leaving behind his mother, brothers and sisters and the town he loved. Using the smuggled-out footage Borenstein, a Denmark-based US filmmaker, directed what became "Mr Nobody Against Putin", an award-winning 90-minute documentary which exposes the intensity of the propaganda at Talankin's school and throughout Karabash. It premiered at the 2025 Sundance film festival in January. - 'Persona non grata' - The project cost Talankin dearly. Local officials banned his former colleagues from contacting him, he became a hate figure for supporters of the war and his school librarian mother was upset. "I have become a persona non grata," Talankin, 34, told AFP from Prague, where he is now based. Russia outlawed all criticism of the Russian military and the Kremlin and Talankin knew he had taken huge risks. But he has no regrets. "I would do it all over again." He has been buoyed by the support of people featured in the film including those who lost their loved ones in the war. One former colleague said she became ashamed that she, too, was "part of the system." The documentary reaped awards at festivals and the film crew hopes it will be available to wider audiences in Europe later this year. Borenstein said the film's success had been a "relief" because the multi-national crew overcame numerous obstacles including communication and security. But above all he was "really scared" that if the film flopped Talankin's sacrifice would come to nothing. "I knew the whole time that Pasha would have to leave Russia to make this project happen," Borenstein told AFP, referring to his co-director by his diminutive. "That is a huge sacrifice for him, because his mum is there, his whole life is there, he does not speak English, not at that time." Talankin has not been able to join the crew to present the film at the Sundance festival in Utah and elsewhere due to paperwork issues, but the team hopes this will soon change. For now he is learning English and adjusting to his new life in Prague. 'Like musketeers' Talankin said he was heartened by the reactions at the screenings. One viewer in the Czech Republic said he hated Russians but the film made him reconsider. "We knew nothing about what was happening to you," Talankin quoted the Czech as saying. "It is a powerful and poetic piece of cinema," said producer Alexandra Fechner, who is promoting the film in France. "This film shows the hidden side of propaganda in Russia, which targets the youngest members of society, children who are being taught a rewritten version of history and given guns!" she said. With the war in its fourth year, Moscow has put society on a war footing and leveraged the educational system to raise a fiercely pro-Kremlin generation. The film features Wagner mercenaries telling children about hand grenades and teachers calling Ukrainians "neo-Nazi", and includes an audio recording of a wailing mother at her soldier son's funeral. But critics also point to the documentary's empathy and light touch. In one episode, a history teacher tells pupils that the spiralling prices could soon make gas unaffordable for Europeans. "The French will soon be like musketeers, riding horses, and the rest of Europe too," he said. Borenstein said that by viewing the footage sent by Talankin nearly every day, he understood the effect of the dehumanising war-time propaganda. While at the beginning he found some of the clips shocking, months later his mind had become so used to the onslaught of the propaganda that he did not see the footage depicting the Wagner mercenaries as something abnormal. "I was able to replicate among myself some of the feelings that maybe the students and people in the school felt," he said. "Looking at this propaganda every single day was a lesson in how desensitised you can become to it." A lot of the footage had not made it into the film, including the school's preparations for the possibility of a nuclear attack. Karabash is located close to one of Russia's most sensitive sites, the Mayak nuclear reprocessing plant. Talankin said Borenstein did not want the viewers to "drown in the enormous amount of negative material." © 2025 AFP

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