Latest news with #Talisman
The Hindu
3 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Avinashi Road flyover works to be completed by August 15, says Minister
A flyover that is under construction on Avinashi Road in Coimbatore city will be completed by August 15, Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu said here on Saturday. The ₹1,791.23-crore project spans 10.1 km from Uppilipalayam to Goldwins. The Minister told the media the flyover would have eight ramps. Work on one ramp was delayed due to a legal case pending before the Madras High Court. The steel girders above the railway section (near Hope college) was over and the flyover work was progressing. When asked about the absence of pedestrian subways along the flyover, the Minister said such facilities were generally not included in these types of projects. 'The focus is on the main carriageway and the entry and exit ramps. Once the project is completed, if a need arises, we will consider it,' he said. The Minister also inspected the ongoing construction of the Thanthai Periyar Library and Science Centre in the city. He said the construction would be completed by December and the facility was expected to open in January. The library and science centre were developed at a cost of ₹300 crore and would cover 1,98,000 sq. ft. To a question on the Talisman amulet (dhrishti bommai) placed at the construction site, the Minister said he did not support such practices. 'I am a Periyarist and do not encourage these. But the contractors may follow certain beliefs. I do not comment on that. Once the work is completed, there will not be any such structures,' he said.
7NEWS
15-07-2025
- Politics
- 7NEWS
CHRIS REASON: As PM charms China, Australia hosts 19-nation war games with eyes on Beijing
The timing was as extraordinary as it was unfortunate. The very week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese chose to go charm China, Australia's armed forces begin training to go to war with them. It's quite the diary clash; his appointments secretary might need to reconsider their position. Exercise Talisman Sabre. It's locked in around the same time every two years and has been since 2005. And this year was the biggest, most ambitious, and significant iteration of them all: 19 nations, 40,000 troops, all coming together to focus on just one increasingly troubling adversary: China. There was a time Talisman would rattle that sabre at a so-called 'unknown adversary' and the assembled press and generals would wink and nod their heads, knowing that was code for the People's Republic. Like fine China itself, identification was always handled with care. Not anymore. The fingers of 19 nations are firmly pointed at the neighbourhood rogue; happy to point China out. There's almost an urgency about it now. At the Talisman Sabre opening ceremony, held on the expansive landing deck of the Australian giant HMAS Adelaide on Sunday, the ADF Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones, had no hesitancy or inhibitions in putting China's name firmly on the table. When asked what message the coalition of Talisman partners was sending in the three-week exercise, it was all about China. 'Well, I will leave it to China to interpret what 19 friends, allies and partners wanting to operate together in the region means to them,' he said. 'But for me, it's nations that are in search of a common aspiration for peace, stability, a free and open Indo-Pacific and adherence to international law.' Vice Admiral Jones was also happy to openly discuss the expected arrival of China's spy ships. 'I fully expect that the People's Republic of China will want to come and observe the activities that occur as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre,' he said. 'They've made a habit of those over preceding iterations of the exercise.' Adding cryptically: 'And we have measures in place to cater for that.' But he also revealed that if they were on the way, they're late. 'There is no sign yet,' he said. It could be that the PLA Navy leadership held back any orders to dispatch their ships while Mr Albanese was still their official visitor this week. A gesture of goodwill, perhaps. But they won't want to leave it much longer; there's a lot to spy on. Exercise Director Brigadier Damien Hill, who's been planning the event for the last 700 days, says he's counted a total of 79 defence 'innovations' about to be unveiled at Talisman. Two of which the organisers were happy to discuss publicly. The first is Australia's newly-acquired HIMARS highly mobile rocket launch system — the so-called 'shoot and scoot' weapon. It can fire rockets at a range of up to 500km. Even out to sea — almost as far as the Chinese ships conducting live fire exercises off the coast in February. The ADF has bought 42 units. And it's excited. These were the first items displayed in a breathtaking live fire exercise at Shoalwater Bay on the opening day of the exercise yesterday. The second breakthrough acquisition: the ADF's new submersible drones. I asked the US Deputy Commanding General, Lt Gen Joel Vowell, if we'd see any used in TS25. In fact, I'd walked straight past one as we boarded the Adelaide. And he confirmed, it will be used. The boldly-named 'Ghost Shark' was jointly developed and funded between Defence and Anduril Australia. They are a naval warfare game changer — able to be used for long-range stealth operations at a depth of 6000m and gather intelligence, or deliver strike capabilities. World-leading Aussi-tech — on-budget, ahead of schedule. They are one of the rare success stories of ADF procurement. Expect to see a proliferation of them in the years to come. Proud acquisitions — but the reality remains that whatever new toys Australia purchases for its tiny 60,000-strong military, it is dwarfed by the size and scale of the Chinese war machine. The PLA consists of two million personnel, 2500 aircraft, 7000 tanks and 350 ships. The ADF is currently made up of 327 aircraft, 59 tanks, and 34 ships. But here's the thing about Talisman — if you combine the strengths of the 19 members, suddenly China looks challenged. The combined membership matches it in personnel with two million total, and dwarfs China on assets with 15,000 aircraft, 50,000 tanks and 400 ships. It's quite the exercise coalition. Led, of course, by the world's biggest military machine, the US (the original co-founding member along with Australia). It now boasts almost all of the region's key players: India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand (with Malaysia and Vietnam attending as observers). On top of that, there are multiple NATO heavy hitters: Canada, France, Germany and the UK. Any and all of whom could be handy in a new global order where America First means Australia second. The coming years could well see us looking to lean on the countries above for greater security assistance. Not that the Americans involved in Talisman are having any of that. Lt Gen Vowell still describes the US-Australian alliance as 'ironclad'. 'It's one of our treaty alliances . . . of the seven the United States has,' he said. 'Australia is a key anchoring ally in the Indo-Pacific.' 'Big things have small beginnings, and just a few years ago, this was a bilateral exercise,' he said. 'And now with 19 nations involved, it's a signal of just how important staying and working together is in this region.' Lt Gen Vowell said that ultimately, there are two things that Talisman Sabre provides. 'It's the readiness to respond when our nation's call is to do that,' he said. 'And it's effectively a deterrent mechanism.' 'Because our ultimate goal, is no war.' The mixed messages Australia and Mr Albanese are sending to China right now might not be as contradictory as first thought.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What to Say When a Loved One Comes Out
Credit - Photo-Illustration by TIME When someone trusts you enough to come out to you, it's essential to choose the words you respond with carefully and thoughtfully. 'Empathy is, in that moment, the most important tool you have to be an ally and to be there for the person you love who's opening up to you,' says Max Talisman, a queer filmmaker, actor, and founder of Malibu, Bro Productions. 'Letting them know you're hearing them is everything in that moment.' To signal they have your full attention, don't interrupt your friend or family member as they talk, he adds. Unless they ask you a question, 'Let them speak,' Talisman says. 'Don't interject, and don't make jokes. It's all about showing love and respect.' We asked a handful of leading voices in the LGBTQ+ community exactly what to say when someone you care about comes out to you. When people come out, they're still the same person they were five minutes or hours or days before that monumental moment. If anything, they're more themselves. That's why it's so important for those on the receiving end to make it clear they're not going anywhere. When Talisman came out to his parents, the first thing his mom said to him was: 'So?' 'It was the most calming thing she could have said, because it meant that it didn't change a thing,' he recalls. 'It was the same with my dad. It didn't change anything for them. I was still their son, and they still loved me so much.' You could thank your friend for opening up to you. But Talisman prefers putting a spin on it and, instead, thanking them for being them. You might word it like this: 'I love the person you are, and I'm grateful to be here with you when you're being more authentic than you've ever been.' Thanking your friend is a much better approach than telling them you're not surprised by their news. That's a common response when someone comes out, Talisman says, and he doesn't understand why some people feel compelled to say it. 'It doesn't add anything to the moment, and in fact, you're almost taking away this moment of vulnerability because you 'knew' the whole time,' he says. As a Lutheran deacon, Ross Murray, who's the vice president of education and training at the GLAAD Media Institute, spends a lot of time working with LGBTQ+ teenagers. He's seen over and over again what happens when young people struggle to find support at home after coming out, and it can be dire. Up to 40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+, he points out. Read More: 14 Things to Say Besides 'I Love You' That's why, if you're the parent of someone who just told you they're queer, it's crucial to reassure them and instill a sense of safety and security. Telling them you love them is 'the initial piece of affirmation that's going to let them know the relationship isn't changing,' Murray says. 'They're going to receive that love and support, and whatever's going to follow will still be grounded in a caring, healthy relationship.' People who are coming out should be in control of their own journey, including how and when they share the news with other friends or family members. While it's important not to overstep, they'll probably appreciate it if you ask them for specific ways you can show support. 'It's never appropriate to out somebody,' Murray says. 'However, they might say, 'Would you want to intercede with Grandma for me?'' Follow your loved one's lead, he instructs, and remember that everyone will need something different—and your friend might not know yet exactly what that looks like. This works any time someone comes out, but it's particularly meaningful for trans people, says Suzanne Ford, executive director of San Francisco Pride (and the first trans woman to hold that role for the organization). 'It demonstrates that you value the other person being authentic, and you value their trust, and that's really important,' she says. 'If you start there, it's probably going to go well.' Read More: The Worst Thing to Say to Someone Who's Depressed Whatever you do, don't make the conversation about yourself and how the revelation will affect your life. 'When I came out to my mother, it became about her,' Ford says. 'She lost her son. A lot of people do that, and that's the worst thing you could do, because it's not about you, it's about them.' Step one: Find out what pronouns your friend prefers. Step two: Actually use them. When someone comes out as trans, you can also ask them if they're changing their name, and if so, to what, Ford advises. Would they like you to use that name to address them? 'You shouldn't make any assumptions,' she says. 'Everybody comes out at different points in their transition, and they may not be ready for that.' Even before someone comes out, you can make it clear that you're a safe person to confide in, says Zachary Zane, sex and relationship expert with Grindr, a dating app for gay, bi, trans, and queer adults. Do that by using gender-inclusive language, and avoiding assumptions about gender or relationship norms. Read More: 10 Things to Say When Someone Won't Get Off Their Phone 'You can share your own experiences if it's appropriate," he says. 'If you're comfortable, mention supportive attitudes or experiences, like talking about LGBTQ events you went to, or somehow signaling acceptance in a way that's more subtle than, like, 'If you were gay, I would still love you.'' Less is more in the initial conversations when someone comes out, Zane says. It's best not to pepper them with questions, especially about the future, because they probably don't yet have all the answers. After he came out as bi, a family member asked him: 'Does that mean you're going to marry a man or woman?' 'I'm like, 'I have no idea,'' he says. ''I'm just exploring my new attractions to people, and I'm going to start dating men in addition to women.'' This is a great way to show you fully embrace your friend, however they identify, says Jason Mitchell Kahn, a wedding planner who specializes in LGBTQ+ weddings and author of We Do: An Inclusive Guide When a Traditional Wedding Won't Cut It. 'It's really simple, and it comes from a place of 100% support,' he says. 'Coming out is a major, major step for a lot of people, and sometimes it takes years to grow comfortable even doing it.' The fact that your friend felt ready to share how they identify? That calls for a grand celebration. Not everyone wants to launch into a lengthy conversation after coming out. 'Some people are ready to declare it, but they don't want to talk in detail about it,' Khan says. By asking how much your friend feels comfortable sharing, 'you're giving the person that's coming out permission to do it on their own timeline.' This is a lovely sentiment, Kahn says: It reinforces that you think of your friend just as highly as you did before, that the status of your relationship hasn't changed, and that they can count on you however and whenever they need you. He suggests adding: 'I'm so happy you're one step closer to living in a way that's true to yourself. I love you just the same, and if you ever want to share more details about what you're going through, I'm here for you.' Wondering what to say in a tricky social situation? Email timetotalk@ Contact us at letters@
Time Magazine
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
What to Say When a Loved One Comes Out
When someone trusts you enough to come out to you, it's essential to choose the words you respond with carefully and thoughtfully. 'Empathy is, in that moment, the most important tool you have to be an ally and to be there for the person you love who's opening up to you,' says Max Talisman, a queer filmmaker, actor, and founder of Malibu, Bro Productions. 'Letting them know you're hearing them is everything in that moment.' To signal they have your full attention, don't interrupt your friend or family member as they talk, he adds. Unless they ask you a question, 'Let them speak,' Talisman says. 'Don't interject, and don't make jokes. It's all about showing love and respect.' We asked a handful of leading voices in the LGBTQ+ community exactly what to say when someone you care about comes out to you. 'So?' When people come out, they're still the same person they were five minutes or hours or days before that monumental moment. If anything, they're more themselves. That's why it's so important for those on the receiving end to make it clear they're not going anywhere. When Talisman came out to his parents, the first thing his mom said to him was: 'So?' 'It was the most calming thing she could have said, because it meant that it didn't change a thing,' he recalls. 'It was the same with my dad. It didn't change anything for them. I was still their son, and they still loved me so much.' 'Thank you for being you.' You could thank your friend for opening up to you. But Talisman prefers putting a spin on it and, instead, thanking them for being them. You might word it like this: 'I love the person you are, and I'm grateful to be here with you when you're being more authentic than you've ever been.' Thanking your friend is a much better approach than telling them you're not surprised by their news. That's a common response when someone comes out, Talisman says, and he doesn't understand why some people feel compelled to say it. 'It doesn't add anything to the moment, and in fact, you're almost taking away this moment of vulnerability because you 'knew' the whole time,' he says. 'I love you, and I support you.' As a Lutheran deacon, Ross Murray, who's the vice president of education and training at the GLAAD Media Institute, spends a lot of time working with LGBTQ+ teenagers. He's seen over and over again what happens when young people struggle to find support at home after coming out, and it can be dire. Up to 40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ+, he points out. That's why, if you're the parent of someone who just told you they're queer, it's crucial to reassure them and instill a sense of safety and security. Telling them you love them is 'the initial piece of affirmation that's going to let them know the relationship isn't changing,' Murray says. 'They're going to receive that love and support, and whatever's going to follow will still be grounded in a caring, healthy relationship.' 'Is there anything I can do to be there for you?' People who are coming out should be in control of their own journey, including how and when they share the news with other friends or family members. While it's important not to overstep, they'll probably appreciate it if you ask them for specific ways you can show support. 'It's never appropriate to out somebody,' Murray says. 'However, they might say, 'Would you want to intercede with Grandma for me?'' Follow your loved one's lead, he instructs, and remember that everyone will need something different—and your friend might not know yet exactly what that looks like. 'Thank you so much for trusting me with your truth.' This works any time someone comes out, but it's particularly meaningful for trans people, says Suzanne Ford, executive director of San Francisco Pride (and the first trans woman to hold that role for the organization). 'It demonstrates that you value the other person being authentic, and you value their trust, and that's really important,' she says. 'If you start there, it's probably going to go well.' Whatever you do, don't make the conversation about yourself and how the revelation will affect your life. 'When I came out to my mother, it became about her,' Ford says. 'She lost her son. A lot of people do that, and that's the worst thing you could do, because it's not about you, it's about them.' 'What are your preferred pronouns?' Step one: Find out what pronouns your friend prefers. Step two: Actually use them. When someone comes out as trans, you can also ask them if they're changing their name, and if so, to what, Ford advises. Would they like you to use that name to address them? 'You shouldn't make any assumptions,' she says. 'Everybody comes out at different points in their transition, and they may not be ready for that.' 'I have to tell you about this cool Pride event the other day.' Even before someone comes out, you can make it clear that you're a safe person to confide in, says Zachary Zane, sex and relationship expert with Grindr, a dating app for gay, bi, trans, and queer adults. Do that by using gender-inclusive language, and avoiding assumptions about gender or relationship norms. 'You can share your own experiences if it's appropriate," he says. 'If you're comfortable, mention supportive attitudes or experiences, like talking about LGBTQ events you went to, or somehow signaling acceptance in a way that's more subtle than, like, 'If you were gay, I would still love you.'' 'I really appreciate you sharing with me—I know that wasn't easy.' Less is more in the initial conversations when someone comes out, Zane says. It's best not to pepper them with questions, especially about the future, because they probably don't yet have all the answers. After he came out as bi, a family member asked him: 'Does that mean you're going to marry a man or woman?' 'I'm like, 'I have no idea,'' he says. ''I'm just exploring my new attractions to people, and I'm going to start dating men in addition to women.'' 'Wonderful! When are we celebrating?' This is a great way to show you fully embrace your friend, however they identify, says Jason Mitchell Kahn, a wedding planner who specializes in LGBTQ+ weddings and author of We Do: An Inclusive Guide When a Traditional Wedding Won't Cut It. 'It's really simple, and it comes from a place of 100% support,' he says. 'Coming out is a major, major step for a lot of people, and sometimes it takes years to grow comfortable even doing it.' The fact that your friend felt ready to share how they identify? That calls for a grand celebration. 'How much do you feel comfortable sharing right now?' Not everyone wants to launch into a lengthy conversation after coming out. 'Some people are ready to declare it, but they don't want to talk in detail about it,' Khan says. By asking how much your friend feels comfortable sharing, 'you're giving the person that's coming out permission to do it on their own timeline.' 'In me, you have an ally.' This is a lovely sentiment, Kahn says: It reinforces that you think of your friend just as highly as you did before, that the status of your relationship hasn't changed, and that they can count on you however and whenever they need you. He suggests adding: 'I'm so happy you're one step closer to living in a way that's true to yourself. I love you just the same, and if you ever want to share more details about what you're going through, I'm here for you.'
Daily Mirror
30-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
'Online misogyny is like a cult and the Tate Brothers are trying to sell it'
Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were charged in Britain for offences including human trafficking. Critic Aimee Walsh argues their brand of online misogyny is akin to a cult Misogynist influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were this week charged in Britain for offences against three women. You would have to be living under a rock - or at least without internet access - not to have heard of this pair. Andrew has over 10million followers on X, while his brother Tristan, is a second fiddle, at just 3million followers. For our sins, Andrew is a household name. Recently, he was name-dropped on the Netflix global hit-show Adolescence. The series depicts a broader societal issue and the fatal effects of weaponised misogyny. Andrew is mentioned in relation to his online presence as a, in his words, 'misogynist'. Technology has, to my mind, enabled the worst of humanity to find an audience. Social media platforms can connect people worldwide with a community of like-minded thinkers, sometimes completely anonymously. This has opened new avenues for hatred to bubble over unabated. Let me be clear: we are in the midst of a wave of heightened misogyny that we have never witnessed before. The popularity of the Tate brothers is a testament to that. Whether through morbid fascination or genuine interest, people are watching, following, listening in their millions. From the depictions of a lavish lifestyle - of cars and money - there is more than a whiff of cult-status about the manosphere. Cults by their very nature sell an ideal that is detrimental to their followers, giving them a false set of beliefs to rigidly live their lives by. The Tate brothers' videos do not hide claims that you, dear reader, can have what the misogynist influencers are selling, from online courses to Talisman tequila - which Tristan sells for $69 (£51) a bottle. A sleight of hand of both marketing and cults alike convinces the target audience that what is being sold will grant access to a lifestyle otherwise unachievable. Millions are buying it, if not in cash but in their attention spans and through digital capital - by clicking 'follow'. But what exactly are Tate's followers watching? On May 28, Andrew shared a video released on X which on the surface appears as a response to the British charges, cloaked in the claim of 'censorship'. At time of writing, the video had been viewed 255,000 times on X. In the video, Andrew is seen garbling words as if he is a toddler speaking circles around a point. It is nearly a parody: a man sat at a Big Desk saying Big Words, his hands clasped in front of him, exuding a performance of confidence. Sentences are over pronounced, as if to make room for the words to settle into a reality that is not forthcoming. Earlier this year, I interviewed a person who had been involved in a far-right group. They described an ultra-conservatism that hated women, but any reprimand by police or media was repackaged to followers as censorship - further promoting their cause. This performative victimhood is utilised as a mask for the hatred of minority groups. They said that this was a particular tactic of theirs: 'Everything that you saw in the news you'd find it recycled on these websites painted in a very conspiratorial way… anything that happened they would recycle to fit their [far-right] narrative.' Here lies the paradox of justice to misogynist groups: if the media or justice calls out bad behaviour, it is in a warped reality a form of proof not that the misogynist has done wrong and been caught out, but rather the opposite: the misogynist figure-heads claim that they are being censored precisely because they are right. Andrew says in the video posted on May 28: 'They censor me because I'm telling the truth. If I was lying to you they would allow me to speak… The fact is, time never proves me as a liar. Time proves me as a man who knows exactly what is going to happen.' Setting aside the issue of Andrew's soothsayer credentials, I wonder how somebody with 10million followers can claim censorship? Entertaining this line of thought is to collectively lose our grip on the meaning of the word. This is not censorship; this is throwing toys out of the pram in response to the fact that the justice system exists, that it is there to test the claims and allegations put forward. Beyond this, the video descends into a glorified advert for Tate's so-called Hustlers University. The online-education program claims to have 220,000 users, who can learn Tate's approach to fitness, business mindset, or, for some reason, copywriting. Tate says of 'financial education' that 'there is only one place you can learn it - Hustler's University.' I'm sure Harvard Business School is shaking in their boots. To point out, with reasoned arguments, the absurdity at play in both the online misogyny cult and the influence of the Tate brothers is to let logic erode away. Here, they have media space, despite their claims of being censored. No doubt, that won't matter an iota. But how to reason with a form of thought that thinks of me, a woman, as less than? There is no way, but this is what I must do, as to not pass comment or push back is to allow these views to go by unchecked, as they have been on social media.
