Latest news with #Hira
Time of India
12-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
From a bride at 12, rag-picker turns crusader against child marriage
1 2 Bhubaneswar: In the heart of Kadali Godam slum in the city, a 47-year-old rag picker has emerged as an unlikely hero in the fight against child marriage. Hira Bibi, who got married at 12, has successfully prevented six child marriages in the past four years, transforming the lives of vulnerable young girls. "I don't want anyone to endure the same pain I have been through," said Hira, reflecting on her own trauma as a child bride. "Giving birth at an early age is a curse. A girl has to go through the worst phase of life when she's not physically strong but must manage everything in the family." After losing her husband to liver disease 13 years ago, Hira has spent the last 25 years picking up garbage to support her five children. Despite her challenging circumstances, she has become a beacon of hope for her community, particularly in protecting young girls from the perils of early marriage and trafficking. Working closely with th Khurda administration and NGOs, Hira actively identifies and reports planned child marriages and cases where young girls are at risk of eloping. Her intervention has helped several teenagers return to school, with many now pursuing their education and building promising careers after receiving proper counselling. Her commitment to education extends to her own family. Recognising the devastating effects of drug abuse in her community, she secured rehabilitation for her eldest son and ensured her other children received proper education. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beachfront Living in Mumbai at Sunteck Beach Residences Sunteck Realty Learn More Undo Her son, Sheikh Badal, made history by becoming the first person from the slum to pass Class X. Despite facing resistance from some community members, Hira remains steadfast in her mission. "Parents are scared that their girls will elope with drug addicts, so they arrange their marriages before the legal age," she explained, highlighting the complex social issues she confronts in her work. Through her unwavering dedication, Hira has not only transformed her life but has become a powerful advocate for a change in her community. Her story serves as a testament to how one person's determination can create lasting positive impact, even in the face of significant adversity.
Deccan Herald
09-06-2025
- Climate
- Deccan Herald
Flood, dam water aggravate poverty, migration in Assam villages
Kampur (Nagaon, Assam): With all the paddy cultivated in three hectares of land, that she had taken on lease, destroyed by the flood that hit Assam on May 31, Fuleswari Hira looked helpless at Bahakabari village in Nagaon district, situated about 150 kms east of the state capital about 60, Fuleswari normally gets six quintals of paddy after giving 3.5 quintals to the landowner. This is sufficient to feed her five member family entire year. "This year it will be difficult to run the family," Hira told DH as she sat inside her bamboo-thatched tin-roofed house, half damaged by the deluge. "Flood this year hit us about 10 days ahead, before we could harvest the crops." .Floods caused by illegal diversions are drowning Bengaluru."As water increased in just a couple of hours, we had to run with whatever we could," she said. With more than 70 other residents of her village, Hira spent a week in a government school, situated on a high land. As water receded, they were asked to go back home to allow resumption of classes in the school. But most of them were worried as the flood damaged the crops and houses, a problem that villagers across Assam face due to the flood almost every year. Fuleswari's son Pinku works as a daily wager by driving others' tractors. "Who will plough land now in this flood?" she exclaimed. Chandradhar Deka, another farmer, who also lost his crop, said distress among farmers were growing as floods hit their livelihoods hard, year after year. "What else can we do as there is no work here?" he said. . Dam impactAlthough flood is not new in Assam, villagers said the impact was increasing due to unpredictable patterns of rain and release of water from the hydro power project on the Kapili river situated in neighbouring Dima Hasao, a hill district. .North-Eastern floods call for strategy reset."As water comes down the hills, the impact is quick and severe. I have seen flood since childhood but severity has increased in the past several years due to the dam water," Tilemai Hira, aged about 75 years, said. Although the district administration issues early warning, the villagers complained that the information reaches them late. Nagaon was one of the worst hit districts with over one lakh people affected this time. Pushing migrationAs flood hits them hard almost every year and there are no jobs locally, Kusum Hira's husband, Anil left for Hyderabad a few months ago to work as a security guard. Later his son, Karan quit his education in class X and joined his father. They are earning Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per month now. Like them, many youths in flood-hit villages quit education midway and move out to cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Guwahati in search of jobs. "About 35 to 40 villagers are working outside now. The number increases every year," Nilotpal Deka, a local youth said. Many girls, who quit education due to poverty and sit idle at home, are married off even before 18, he said. Over 6.4 lakh people were affected in 21 districts in the first wave of flood this year, between May 31 and June 6. Districts affected: 21Worst-hit districts: Cachar, Hailakandi, Nagaon, SribhumiPopulation affected: Over 6.7 lakhDeaths in flood, landslides: 26Crop areas hit: 14,977 hectares
Time of India
03-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Another TikTok star killed as Pakistan struggles with ‘honour'-based violence
ISLAMABAD: The vibrant life of 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf was cut short on Monday evening when she was shot dead in her Islamabad home in what police suspect may be yet another killing in the name of 'honour'. The incident, which sent shockwaves through Pakistan's digital and social spheres, underscores the persistent dangers faced by young women who dare to express themselves in a society grappling with deeply entrenched patriarchal norms. Sana, a rising social media influencer from Chitral, a breathtaking mountainous region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had captivated nearly 800,000 TikTok followers and 500,000 on Instagram with her vibrant content celebrating Chitrali culture, women's rights, and educational awareness. According to the FIR filed by Sana's mother, Farzana Yousaf, a man armed with a pistol entered their home in Islamabad's G-13 sector at around 5 pm on Monday. Without warning, he fired two shots directly into Sana's chest, killing her instantly. Police said the suspect has been arrested and the murder weapon and Sana's iPhone recovered from him. Hayat, a 22- or 23-year-old fellow TikToker and acquaintance of Sana, has confessed to the crime, though his motives remain under investigation, police said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Islamabad police said they are exploring multiple angles, including the possibility of an 'honour killing' — a crime rooted in the warped perception that a woman's actions, particularly those challenging traditional gender roles, bring 'dishonour' to her family. Sana's killing is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern of violence against young women in Pakistan, particularly those who leverage social media to amplify their voices. In Jan this year a 15-year-old girl named Hira was shot dead in Quetta by her father, Anwarul-Haq, in an alleged 'honour killing'. Hira's crime? Refusing to abandon her TikTok presence despite her father's disapproval of her 'dressing, lifestyle, and social gathering'. Having lived in the US for years, Anwarul-Haq returned to Pakistan with Hira only to orchestrate her murder in a premeditated act to which he later confessed. In 2016, social media star Qandeel Baloch was strangled by her brother in a high-profile killing, her bold online presence deemed a stain on 'family honour'. More recently, a female TikToker in Pakistan Punjab's Khushab was killed by her cousin, and another was found dead in Peshawar, highlighting a chilling trend of violence targeting young women who embrace digital platforms.
Tom's Guide
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
'Shogun' star just potentially revealed a major season 2 spoiler — here's what we know
We know some things about "Shogun" season 2: It takes place 10 years after season 1 and filming won't start until 2026. But we don't know who is starring alongside Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga and Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne. At least, not officially. Unofficially, though, one "Shogun" star might have just spilled the beans on their season 2 involvement. In an interview with MovieWeb, show star Takehiro Hira revealed that, shockingly, they're going to be in season 2. "It's going to be shot next year," Hira told MovieWeb's George Edelman. "And I am going to be in it, I think, as far as I know." That wasn't all Hira revealed, though. After dropping that surprise, unofficial casting announcement, he followed up with an absolute bombshell. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. "And then, you know, my character, Ishido, loosely follows an actual historical figure," Hira continued. "So I know he's going to die, but, um, I guess the creators, show runners are doing something creative to shed some light on different aspect of that character later on." First of all, dropping a surprise casting announcement is a bit of a spoiler in its own right. Especially since I wasn't expecting Hira's Ishido to appear in season 2 at all (more on that in a bit). But then, casually mentioning you're going to die in season 2 is a shocking reveal, and one I'm truly stunned Hira made. The biggest reason I'm stunned? ... Ishido should already be dead. As Hira correctly points out, "Shogun" follows historical events, and his character is based on a real historical figure from the Sengoku period. But he's not the only character with a grounding in historical fact. Fan favorite Toda Marino (Anna Sawai) is also based on a historical figure, and her character's fate and the fate of Hira's Ishido should be closely intertwined. Mariko is based on Hosokawa Gracia, and like Gracia, she died rather than being used as a political hostage, and her death was a major setback for Ishida Mitsunari, the real-life figure Hira's Ishido is based on. In both the show and the movie, this event contributes to the defeat of Ishido/Ishida at the Battle of Sekigahara, which occurs mere months after Mariko/Gracia's death. In real life, that battle ends with Ishido/Ishida's death, but in the show, we only see the warlord defeated, leaving his execution implied rather than explicit. Leaving Ishido alive in general would be a surprising deviation from historical events, even for a work of historical fiction. Keeping him alive for a further 10 years would be genuinely shocking. Hira's comments indicate that showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks have a detailed plan for Ishido in season 2, which leads me to believe his comments about Ishido returning for season 2. I'm not convinced the appearances won't ultimately be as flashbacks, but it certainly seems like Ishido will make an appearance in some form in "Shogun" season 2. Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Caretaker injured by elephant at Delhi zoo
An elephant caretaker in the Delhi zoo suffered injuries on Friday after an Indian elephant at the facility attacked him, zoo officials said, adding that the mahout (caretaker) has been admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital with fractured ribs. An official said the animal, Hira, was bothered by the mahout's behaviour. 'Indian elephants are docile by nature. Further, Hira is not in musth (a state where reproductive hormones increase in male elephants, leading to aggressive behaviour) either. There are no permanent mahouts and this can be characterised as mismanagement,' the official said. A video of the incident was shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which showed the elephant chained to a hook on the ground and three men engaging with him from a distance. Later in the video, the elephant gets aggressive and runs towards the men, while two of them flee. Hira then attacks the third man, injuring him. 'The video shows that the mahout was misbehaving, which likely agitated the elephant,' a zoo official said. Delhi zoo director, Sanjeet Kumar, said, 'The elephant was not in musth. The contractual staff slipped and came in contact with the elephant's trunk . He has been sent to RML hospital for check-up and treatment. He has been working at the facility for six months now.' Another zoo official, however, said that the elephant might have been in a pre-musth state.
