Latest news with #Press
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Emergency, seen in the cartoons of Sudhir Dar
Many see the Emergency as the harshest test the Press has faced since Independence. In the early hours of June 26, 1975, when the Emergency was declared, citing 'internal disturbances', the Press was the first casualty. Challenged and threatened, the Press persevered through various means and techniques. The common folks who read between the lines in the cartoons had the last laugh. (Sudhir Dhar) The Hindustan Times attempted reporting the events as they were, trusting their readers to read between the lines. When it became hard to get past the chief censor appointed for the purpose, Sudhir Dar's cartoons became the vehicle of the occasional satire couched in various disguises. Electricity to most media houses had been cut off to paralyse them but the June 28 edition reported to its readers thus: 'The city edition on Friday and the dak editions of Friday and Saturday could not be brought out as no power was available from 12:45pm on Thursday till 7:15pm on Friday'. It was hard to miss the irony implied in simply placing this announcement between two articles headlined 'Mrs Gandhi believes in Press freedom' and 'Press censorship for first time,' respectively. The same edition of the paper also carried a blank white space where perhaps the editorial ought to have been, marking the impact of censorship. Although it caught attention, this technique of blank spaces was not a sustainable one given that the Emergency was indefinite. Sudhir Dar's 'This Is It!' cartoons carried the satirical baton forward. A man in a cartoon published on March 11, 1976, complains about the increase in rail fare: 'My wife went home to Kerala three months ago… Now I can't afford to bring her back'. And then, lest the cartoonist be hauled up for attacking the authorities such, he transforms the cartoon into a misogynist joke by having the male listener think to himself, 'And he's complaining!!'. When he really struck, Dar's political comments were marked by a scathing sense of humour. In a cartoon published on July 15, 1976, Dar makes a direct comment on the state of democracy. The domestic help of a couple in their house carries a tray in his hand but the tea-cup and saucer are precariously balanced on his head. While the man looks aghast the woman consoles him: 'His mind is like the De ______ these days… frequently cloudy!'. The readers' prior knowledge from reading the newspapers in those days helps them fill in the blank with the oft-used word: Democracy. In another cartoon on September 16, 1975, Dar uses a carefully chosen newspaper headline to set the context: 'Man slashes Dutch masterpiece'. Dar unexpectedly transforms this into a direct comment on censorship of the time as a reporter in the cartoon entering what looks like the office of a media house thinks to himself: 'Somebody slashes Indian masterpieces every day!'. The comment is evidently upon the censor who rejects publication of the work of hard-working reporters. So, what did these cartoons achieve? Before announcing the general elections in 1977, the Prime Minister consulted her Cabinet and the newspapers to know if national sentiments were conducive for the same. But both had been effectively censored. Contrary to their predictions, the ruling party lost by a significant margin. The common folks who read between the lines in the cartoons had the last laugh. Neha Khurana teaches Liberal Arts at Vidyashilp University (Bengaluru). The views expressed are personal.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
PR to assemble 200 Chinese trains
Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi stated on Tuesday that 200 advanced Chinese trains are currently being manufactured at the Railway Carriage Factory under a technology transfer agreement. He made these remarks while speaking at the "Meet the Press" event at the National Press Club in the federal capital. Abbasi called the development of Pakistan Railways (PR) key to the country's progress, highlighting the major initiatives taken during his first 100 days in office that have resulted in meaningful improvements. He said the uplift of PR is also vital for the success of strategic projects such as Thar Coal, Reko Diq, and regional connectivity. "Without the upgradation of ML-1, ML-2, and ML-3, the development of railways cannot be envisioned," he stated. Abbasi maintained that 200 advanced Chinese trains are currently being manufactured at the Railway Carriage Factory through a technology transfer agreement. On the occasion, he noted that the Punjab government had allocated billions in the 2025-26 budget, including Rs250 billion for three years for the renewal of the Lahore-Rawalpindi track — expected to reduce travel time between the two cities to two hours and benefit over 30 million people. Additionally, Rs50 billion was earmarked for the development of eight railway stations, and Rs9 billion allocated for the upgradation of level crossings across Punjab to help reduce accidents. The minister shared that the Balochistan government has allocated Rs3 billion, with a commitment to increase the amount, for upgrading existing stations and establishing new ones. He added that development initiatives are also being planned in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Highlighting passenger amenities, Abbasi said that steps have been taken to improve the overall passenger experience - including the establishment of information desks, sanitation facilities, upgraded food outlets at stations, a modern helpline system, and other services.
Zawya
5 days ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Oman: Civil Aviation Authority refutes false claims about committee formation
Muscat: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has officially denied claims circulating regarding the formation of a committee linked to recent international developments. In a statement, the Authority clarified that these claims are not based on any official source. The CAA urged the public to rely solely on official channels for accurate information and cautioned against spreading misinformation. 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
'Defiant' Israelis show little sign of backing down against Iran - but as the country continues to pay the price for its resilience, its citizens ask 'We're doing the world's dirty work, so why can't you British give us some moral support?'
The building has not so much blown up as imploded. Thickets of metal protrude from what was once the roof of this apartment block. It's as if a vengeful god has reached down from the heavens and yanked out its steel entrails. Next to it a skyscraper stands scorched, its side mottled with soot. The asphalt on the street below is torn, gaping open like a wound. Nearby, a carpet of shattered glass glints in the morning light. I'm in Ramat Gan in central Tel Aviv, where an Iranian missile attack has just struck several residential buildings. Emergency services have cordoned off the impact site. Police warn curious onlookers to watch their step, as throngs of gathered Press push against the makeshift barriers. One cheeky TV crew tries to scoot around them and is gently pushed back. Just hours earlier, I was awoken in my hotel room by an air-raid siren sounding across the city. An automated Hebrew voice then wafted into my room: get to an air-raid shelter – fast. A couple of soft thuds later, I understood that the city had just been hit. Israel may indeed have mastery of Iran's skies. It may be deploying its air defences highly effectively. But Iranian missiles are nonetheless getting through, and they are striking the heart of Israel's premier city. One thing is clear to me: this war is far from over. Israelis understand this. And, for the moment, they are united behind their government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains controversial (and loathed by many), but for now the consensus is that resolving the country's domestic politics can wait. It's time to deal with Iran – once and for all. The Israelis have had enough. And I don't blame them. I have studied the drama of the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear programme, and by extension the Iran-Israel conflict, for almost 20 years. Iran's war on Israel has been relentless. The mullahs declared a proxy war against the state of Israel in 1991. Ironically, this came after Israel had quietly sold them weapons during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war. Jerusalem was desperate to rekindle relations with the state it had been allies with under the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, before he was ousted in the Islamic Revolution of 1979. It got a de facto declaration of war in response. Since then, the Iranians have expanded their malignant influence into Syria, Lebanon and Gaza to create what they call a 'ring of fire' around Israel – to scorch and burn the Jewish state at every opportunity. It's been effective. Even before the horrors of October 7, Iranian-backed proxies had killed and wounded thousands of Israelis. Shortly after I left the crash site, I spoke to Dr Meir Javedanfar, who teaches Iranian politics at Reichman University, on the Mail's weekly global news podcast, Apocalypse Now. Like so many Israelis, he looked tired, the result of sleep deprivation following repeated night-time missile attacks. Javedanfar was born in Tehran, and he explained proudly to me: 'Bar Mitzvah'd in Tehran, too!' Like so many others, including myself, he once thought that some type of reform could come to the Islamic Republic. But, like me, he saw that everyone who ever tried to bring reform was bypassed, imprisoned, tortured or killed. The Iranians have not let up against Israel, even for a moment. In a statement two days after October 7, Ayatollah Khamenei said that, while Iran was not involved in the Hamas massacre, the 'hands and forehead of its planners must be kissed'. Like so many Israelis, Javedanfar has had enough. 'From now on, Israel refuses to live with a regime that sponsors terror organisations who kill our civilians,' he told me. 'The Iranian regime wants Israel dead. It wants Israeli citizens dead. It denies the Holocaust. It is so depraved that it has Holocaust cartoon competitions. 'No Israeli government is willing to live with this any more. And so, on June 13 we acted – with amazing success, which was no surprise. Special operations are to Israel what watches are to Switzerland. Our expertise.' Make no mistake, the war is tough on the people here. As I walk through the streets, the normally bustling city is quiet, bereft of traffic. I stroll along the promenade on Frishman Beach. Normally I'd eat at Greko, a Greek restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. But it's boarded up. Matthew Morgenstern, Professor of Aramaic at Tel Aviv University, sets out what Israelis are facing now. 'Starting with Gulf War One in 1991, I've been through almost 35 years of wars here. But I've never experienced anything like this. Every single day, hundreds of people on the home front have lost their homes. 'It seems that they only need to get one missile through a day and the damage is done. I've been calling this 'Iranian Roulette' – will we be the ones to be hit this time?' The mullahs are hoping that these attacks will force the Israeli government into abandoning the fight. I'm sceptical. Throughout the day I trade messages and calls with a former defence official still in regular contact with the government and the security services. He sums up the mood here. 'The people of Israel are incredibly determined and defiant,' he tells me. 'Despite the awful price we are paying personally, physically, emotionally, there is still wall-to-wall support for this operation. Netanyahu is not a popular prime minister here. But after almost two years of fighting wars against Islamic death cults on seven fronts, all backed by Iran, the people of Israel are saying enough is enough.' I feel that sentiment all around me. It hangs in the air like the salt I smell drifting over from the Mediterranean Sea. Two events over the past week have hardened resolve yet further. The first is the killing of a seven-year-old Ukrainian girl, Nastya Buryk , and her family in an Iranian strike on the coastal town of Bat Yam. Nastya had come to Israel from Odesa for cancer treatment along with her grandmother Lena and two cousins, Konstantin, nine, and Ilya, 13, all of whom were killed alongside her. Her mother Maria is still beneath the rubble. The second is Thursday's missile attack on Soroka Hospital, in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, which serves the entire Negev region, not least the many Palestinians who go especially to be treated there. According to Israel's ministry of health, 71 people have been injured. The people are enraged. But they also know this cannot last for ever. And there is one question that naturally comes to the Israeli mind: will the Americans get involved? Well, the Israelis are certainly keen that they do. 'This is Trump's Churchillian moment,' the former Israeli defence official tells me. 'He has the opportunity, with a day or two's work, to strike at the heart of the worst and most destabilising regime since the end of the Second World War. 'You don't want the world's most dangerous weapons in the hands of the world's most dangerous regime. 'Israel has already done most of the work. Trump can and must finish the job.' Trump can indeed finish the job. As John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern Institute at West Point, told me on my podcast, the US has 'one of the quickest solutions to the remaining nuclear sites. The massive ordnance penetrator, the GBU-57 – a 30,000lb bunker-busting munition that can penetrate 200ft into concrete and reinforced steel.' Moreover, as Spencer also pointed out, it can only be deployed by the US B-2 bomber. 'This is really the only military solution, and only an American bomb dropped from an American plane can deliver it,' he said. But is it certain to destroy nuclear facilities buried deep in the mountains? And will Donald Trump sanction its use? So far the signs are mixed. Trump has been deploying the plural pronoun on social media, claiming 'we' – rather than Israel alone – have achieved extraordinary feats against the mullahs. Trump remains wary of war. But, clearly, the urge to claim credit for what is – so far – an extraordinary military operation is pressing on him. He's given the ayatollahs two weeks to make a deal. This is probably no surprise. If there's one thing Donald Trump enjoys more than making a deal, it's making a deal when the other side is so desperate he can put them over a barrel. He's betting that the mullahs, getting smashed up daily by Israel, need respite. He's betting that he can exploit this fact to demand terms so tough that Iran's path to a nuclear bomb is blocked, at least for now. But Iran's leadership also have a say. And they run a dictatorship, not a democracy. Concede too much and they risk emboldening enemies, not least their own people. For a regime built on projecting strength and fear, humiliation is fatal. If the mullahs refuse to fold, Trump may well decide to step in at the final moment and then take the credit. If the Israelis are defiant, they are also confused. In going after Iran's nuclear programme, they are doing the world a service. 'We are happy to take them out ourselves,' a friend told me as we drank smoothies in a cafe just off Dizengoff in central Tel Aviv. 'But why can't you just give us your moral support? We're doing this for everyone.' She's right. As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently observed: 'This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us.' And yet, it seems we struggle to acknowledge even that. From our own government we hear the usual cringeworthy calls for calm and 'de-escalation'. Don't they understand how ridiculous they sound? If Britain, with all its history and expertise and capabilities, has truly given up on trying to influence world events then it's better to just say nothing. Now is not the time to back down. The question is simple. What would we in Britain do if a country had for decades promised to wipe us off the face of the Earth? What would we do if that country paid for proxy groups to launch thousands of rockets over decades at our towns and cities – at our children? If it provided the funding and training for the biggest massacre of British people since the Second World War? What would we in Britain demand that our government do? The answer is unequivocal: bring that regime to an end. The Israelis are just trying to take out Iran's nuclear programme – to everyone's benefit.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
It opened. It closed. It opened. Here's what to finally try at this hotly anticipated Wine Country café
Each week, critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan shares some of her favorite recent bites, the dishes and snacks and baked goods that didn't find their way into a full review. Want the list a few days earlier? Sign up for her free newsletter, Bite Curious. After an unexpected permitting hiccup that forced a temporary closure, Under-study in St. Helena is back open. The museum café-bakery-marketplace still doesn't have its seating sorted out, but until then visitors can eat their expertly laminated danishes and sweet and sour pig ears on the adjacent patio at sister restaurant Press. You should definitely get both, and be sure to tack on the heirloom tomato ($14) as well. On the menu, it's described as coming with 'preserved plum, toasted sourdough,' but this is no toast. Expect instead an intensely flavorful sculptural salad with precariously stacked tomato and plum segments, tweezered herbs and lacy sourdough crisps. Under-study. 595 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena. Dafna Kory, the pectin whisperer behind East Bay company INNA Jam, will be shuttering her company in September after preserving the best of summer's figs, berries and stone fruit. INNA is best known for its jams and chutneys, but I recently took home a bottle of its Albion strawberry shrub ($16.95), a vibrant drinking vinegar that can be mixed with seltzer (and the spirit of your choice, if you're inclined). I'll be stocking up on a few more bottles while I still can. You can find INNA products at various local retailers including Bi-Rite Markets and Epicurean Trader locations and, of course, online. Respect the palate cleanser! Whether it's bites of pickled ginger at a sushi counter or sips of Pink Champ, a tart soda specifically developed to reset your taste buds between licks of ice cream, professional eaters need moments of brightness and pause. My favorite course at San Francisco's two-Michelin-star Birdsong was a palate cleanser (part of a $325 tasting menu), but also so much more. Its melange of fresh flavors (ginger, chamomile, lemon) and textures (shaved ice, marmalade, tapioca, sorbet), together with the zing of Meyer lemon zested tableside, slapped me in the face like Cher in 'Moonstruck,' prepping me for the final dessert courses ahead.
