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☆ India investigates alleged Hindu nationalist attack on foreign students offering Ramadan prayers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Authorities in western India have launched an investigation after far-right Hindus allegedly attacked foreign university students offering prayers during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as religious tensions simmer ahead of a crucial general election. One eyewitness told CNN the students were offering prayers when a group of people arrived and repeatedly told them to stop, while chanting Hindu slogans. “One of the students got up and slapped a member of the group,” the Gujarat University student, who does not want to be named out of fear of retribution, told CNN. We request the university to shift us to a safe place.”Another student told Gujarat First News that the university had given them permission to pray on campus. Gujarat University vice chancellor Neerja A. Gupta confirmed clashes broke out between two groups after which some foreign students were injured.

Persons: Malik, Randhir Jaiswal, Narendra Modi’s, “ Jai Shree Ram, Lord Ram, ”, ‘ Jai Shree Ram, ’, “, Neerja A, Gupta, Modi, Asaduddin Owaisi Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Gujarat University, “, India’s Ministry, External Affairs, clarion, News Capital Gujarat, Gujarat, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP Locations: India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Ahmedabad, ” Ahmedabad, “, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat

☆ India election: Date set for largest democratic vote in human history
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to secure another five years in power, ruling an India that has become increasingly polarized along religious lines. Under Modi’s leadership, India is poised to become a 21st-century powerhouse as its economy rapidly expands. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, marked a significant step for an opposition struggling to regain national significance. In August, India made history by soft-landing a rover on the moon, becoming just the fourth nation to do so. The election commission said 968.8 million people have registered to vote in the 2024 polls – a 6% increase from 2019.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Indira Gandhi, Modi, Weeks Organizations: CNN, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Modi’s BJP, Organization for Economic Cooperation Locations: India, Lok, New Delhi, INDIA, Australia, United States, Ayodhya, China

☆ Bangalore water crisis: India’s ‘Silicon Valley’ is running dry as residents urged to take fewer showers, use disposable cutlery
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

As layers of tarmac swept through the city, Bengaluru lost its ability to absorb water, Ramachandra said. One woman begins to hit the vessel to check its water levels. No one sparedWhile the city’s poorest are bearing the brunt of Bengaluru’s water crisis, it hasn’t spared the upper middle class either. Activists and BJP members hold empty water pots during a protest against the state government over the severe water crisis, in Bengaluru on March 12, 2024. Idress Mohammed/AFP/Getty ImagesYet, for the city’s residents, the tit-for-tat arguments mean little as they experience the worst of the shortages.

Persons: ”, Ram Prasat Manohar, Ramachandra, “, Karnataka Raj Bhavan, Arijit Sen, D.K, Shivakumar –, Vishwanathan, Idrees Mohammed, Kumkum, Idress Mohammed, Geeta Menon, hasn’t, India’s, Maher Taj Organizations: India CNN, Infosys, Wipro, Ecological Sciences, Bengaluru –, “, Hindustan Times, Getty, Private, Authorities, Susheela, CNN, Management, won’t, Reuters, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Congress Locations: Bengaluru, India, India’s, Bandepalya, Bengaluru –, Bangalore, ”, Karnataka Raj, Karnataka, Whitefield, AFP

☆ India joins select group of nations able to fire multiple warheads on a single ICBM
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Brad Lendon | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Delhi CNN —India said Monday it had joined the world’s top nuclear powers by mastering the ability to put multiple warheads atop a single intercontinental ballistic missile. The successful test of multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology on the indigenously developed Agni-V ICBM puts India in a club that includes the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom. Neighboring Pakistan has also claimed to have MIRV technology, but experts say the claim is unverified. “Various Telemetry and radar stations tracked and monitored multiple re-entry vehicles. India did not give an exact number of reentry vehicles released during the Agni-V test, but MIRVed missiles can carry a dozen or possibly more MIRV warheads.

Persons: Narendra Modi, “, ” Modi, X, Rajnath Singh, ”, Amit Shah Organizations: Delhi CNN, DRDO, Defence Research, Development Organisation, Mission, Defense Ministry, Indian Defense, ., Center for Arms Control, Center for Strategic, International Studies Missile Defense, United States, Minuteman, National Museum of, US Air Force, US, Union of Concerned, US Defense Locations: Delhi, India, United States, Russia, China, France, United Kingdom, Neighboring Pakistan, Bay, Bengal, Bharat, Pakistan, Beijing

☆ Angry farmers once forced India’s hardline leader into a rare retreat. As the election looms, they’re back
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Modi promised “a fresh start,” agreeing to meet the farmers’ demands and work with them to move forward. Police fire teargas to disperse farmers marching towards New Delhi during a protest at the Haryana-Punjab state border on February 21, 2024. It was a massive victory for the farmers, who pushed the Indian leader into a rare and uncharacteristic climbdown. The abject poverty and debt faced by many of India’s farmers has forced some to take extreme measures. “About 86% of Indian farmers are dependent on the markets.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, “, ”, Narinder Nanu, Devinder Sharma, Gurpreet, Prakash Singh, Arjun Munda, Sharma, ” Sharma, ’ Modi, Arati Jerath, Jerath, ” X Organizations: CNN, Police, Getty, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Rapid Action Force, Bloomberg, Agriculture, India Brand Equity Foundation, country’s Department of Commerce, Farmers, “ Farmers, Roads Locations: New Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, AFP, Uttar Pradesh, China, India, Brazil, BJP, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Shambhu, Patiala district

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) announced the coalition late Tuesday, naming former premier Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister and Asif Ali Zardari as president. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty ImagesIndependent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Khan’s Pakistan Tehereek-e-Insaf (PTI) party secured the most parliamentary seats, in a stunning victory for the jailed cricket icon. But none of the three major parties that contested won the necessary seats to declare a majority in parliament. Shortly after the coalition announcement, the PTI accused the PMLN and PPP of stealing their mandate to govern. Sharif is on course to become prime minister for the second time, with Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of Pakistan’s slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, by his side.

Persons: Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, “, ” Sharif, Aamir Qureshi, Khan’s, ”, Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Asim Hafeez, Sharif, Pakistan’s, Benazir Bhutto Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party, Getty, PTI, Pakistan People's Party, Bloomberg Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Kasur, Punjab, Khan’s Pakistan, Karachi

☆ India’s main opposition party says tax authorities have frozen its funds, weeks before nationwide election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Vedika Sud | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New Delhi CNN —India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, said Friday that its bank accounts had been frozen by federal tax authorities, just weeks before an expected nationwide election. He added that the Income Tax Department had issued a payment demand for 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) in connection to the ongoing probe. Maken said the action taken against his party was equivalent to “freezing our democracy.”“The Congress party’s bank accounts haven’t been frozen. CNN has reached out to India’s Income Tax Department and Finance Ministry, and multiple leaders within the Congress Party for further comment. The Congress Party, a once formidable force in Indian politics, has been languishing in the polls since Modi rose to power a decade ago.

Persons: Ajay Maken, Maken, ”, “, Vivek Tankha, Tankha, Mallikarjun Kharge, Narendra Modi’s, Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gandhi, Modi, Modi’s Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, India’s, Indian National Congress, Income, Department, Party, CNN, Finance Ministry, Congress Party, ” Allies, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Former, Indian, Modi’s BJP Locations: New Delhi, India

☆ Twin mosque demolitions in India underscore deep religious polarization months before nationwide election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Aishwarya S Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The demolitions drew incensed residents onto the streets and at least six people have been killed in clashes with police. The image of India that Modi wants to project is one of a confident, vibrant, and modern superpower. In India, a country of diverse faiths, religious groups follow their own laws for matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance. Mohammad Zakir Hussain has said he barely slept since the demolition of his mosque, the madrasa, and his home in India’s capital Delhi. “(The government) rationalizes everything by blaming Mughal emperors,” he said, referring to India’s ancient Islamic rulers.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Ram, ”, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, Imtiyaz Khan, Asaduddin, “, Mukhopadhyay, Mohammed Zakir Hussain, Mohammad Zakir Hussain, Aishwarya Iyer, Sanjay Katyal, Rana Safvi, ” Safvi, ” Mohammad Aman, Mohammad Arif, what’s, Mohammad Aman Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, CNN, Authorities, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian, Anadolu, Getty, Amnesty International, Delhi Development Authority, –, Court Locations: New Delhi, India, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, Haldwani, AFP, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India’s, Jammu, Kashmir, BJP, Delhi’s Mehrauli, Akhondji

☆ India’s Modi to inaugurate Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the United Arab Emirates to inaugurate a Hindu stone temple, boosting his credentials as a global statesman months before he heads to the polls in a nationwide election where he is seeking a rare third term in power. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Ahmedabad state of Gujarat, India on January 9, 2024. Yet, analysts expect this will not present an issue for Modi during his visit, given India’s rising prominence, its growing economy and strategic position on the global stage. In 2015, the UAE government allocated land for the development of the temple, in a major win for the diaspora. President Joe Biden visits Raj Ghat memorial with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and other G20 leaders, Sept. 10, 2023, in New Delhi.

Persons: CNN —, Narendra Modi, Modi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al, ”, Asim Ali, ” Ali, “, Ram, Nicolas Blarel, Blarel, Swaminarayan, ” Blarel, Kadira Pethiyagoda, that’s, Joe Biden, Raj, India Narendra Modi, Kenny Hoston, Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Powers, ” Pethiyagoda Organizations: CNN, CNN — India’s, United, United Arab Emirates, Emirates, Guard, Indian, PIB, Getty, Bharatiya Janata, International Relations, Institute of Political Science, Leiden University, BJP, Brookings, Reuters Locations: United Arab, Abu, United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Anadolu, UAE, New Delhi, Abu Dhabi, The Netherlands, South Asia, Indian, “ India, Saudi Arabia, East, Europe, “, China, Russia, Ayodhya, India’s

☆ Analysis: Pakistan’s youth deliver stinging rebuke to military elite by backing jailed leader Khan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —His political party is effectively banned, his speeches are barred from television, and he faces at least 14 years in prison. But as the Pakistan election results show, Imran Khan cannot be suppressed. Independent candidates affiliated with the former prime minister’s Pakistan Tehereek-e-Insaf (PTI) party secured the most parliamentary seats in last week’s nationwide election, the election commission announced Sunday. “Now show the strength of protecting your vote.” Khan’s team has previously used AI to deliver his speeches from behind bars. Akhtar Soomro/Reuters/FileWhen he rose to power in 2018, it was, according to analysts, with the backing of the military.

Persons: Pakistan CNN —, Imran Khan, Khan, “, ”, Khan’s, –, Hashim Ali Dogar, Shayan Bashir Nawaz, Raoof Hassam, Madiha Afzal, Akhtar Soomro, Rabiya Arooj, Nawaz Sharif, Husain Haqqani, Anwar Gargash, Manahil Ahmed, Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sundas Kalsoom, Insaaf, Gohar Ali Khan, Hasham Ahmed, Fahd Humayun Organizations: Pakistan CNN, Independent, PTI, CNN, Foreign, Brookings Institution, Pakistani, United, Hudson Institute, Washington D.C, Getty, Haqqani, Political, Neubauer, Tufts University, “ Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Lahore, “, Punjab, Washington, Imran Khan Pakistan, British India, It’s, United States, Pakistani, Abu Dhabi, Peshawar, Buner, AFP, Egypt

☆ Pakistan election 2024: Millions will head to the polls in an election mired in controversy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Millions in Pakistan will head to the polls on Thursday for a general election in which old dynasties are vying for power while the country’s widely popular former leader languishes behind bars unable to stand and militants ramp up deadly attacks. Mobile internet has been suspended in various districts of the province, leading to concerns of a nationwide blackout. A street is festooned with posters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on February 4, 2024. Sharif remains widely popular in Pakistan’s Punjab province – the country’s most populous and a key electoral battleground – where his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party has been lauded for advancing mega infrastructural projects. Standing against him is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, seeking to reestablish his Pakistan People’s Party as a major political force.

Persons: languishes, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Nawaz Sharif, ARIF, Volker Türk, ”, Liz Throssell, Imran Khan’s, Khan, Sharif, Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Islamic State, Mobile, Foreign, ARIF ALI, AFP, Getty, United Nations, Human Rights, “, Cricket, PTI, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, country’s, Balochistan, Islamic State Pakistan Province, Iran, Afghanistan, Lahore, Imran Khan’s Pakistan, Punjab

☆ Analysis: At this general election in Pakistan, old dynasties vie for power and populist Imran Khan languishes in prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

That sets the stage for a difficult road to recovery for whoever wins in a nation where no democratically elected prime minister has ever completed a full term in office. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan attends a lawyers' convention in Lahore on September 21, 2022. Veteran Sharif will face a strong challenge, however, from first-time candidate for Prime Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 35, son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto. Manahil Ahmed, 23, called Pakistan’s political environment “particularly hostile” right now. For Pakistan’s military and police forces, the last year was the bloodiest in a decade.

Persons: Imran Khan, –, Arif Ali, Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Khan –, Khan, Fareed Khan, ”, Rabiya Arooj, Khan’s, Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan's, Asad Zaidi, Pakistan’s, Farzana Shaikh, “, ’, Murtaza Solang, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Mohsin Raza, he’s, Raja Ikram, Ameer Hamza, Manahil Ahmed, Shaikh, Hussain Nadim, Maurice R, Greenberg, ‘, Aamir Qureshi, Shoaib Tanveer, Baou Nadeem, ” Shaikh, Farooq Naeem, “ Sharif, He’s, Tim Willasey Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Getty, PTI, World Bank, Pakistan, Bloomberg, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, CNN, for Research, Security Studies, Pakistan’s People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League, Baloch Liberation Army, Yale University, Pakistan Army –, Workers, King’s College London Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Pakistan CNN — Pakistan, Lahore, AFP, Karachi, “, Rawalpindi, Asia, Hafizabad, Khan’s, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, India, Afghanistan, Iran, State Khorasan, restive Balochistan, Balochistan, Punjab, Sharif, States, China, British

☆ Modi’s ‘divine India’ vision threatens to marginalize millions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“(Today) is the beginning of a new time cycle,” Modi said at the new temple honoring Hindu deity Lord Ram. “After centuries of waiting, our Ram has arrived.”Modi’s vision of a “divine India” is a far cry from the ideas of the modern country’s founding fathers. “India becomes a de facto Hindu nation, where the task of building national Hindu religious symbols falls to the state. And he reiterated his party’s desire to build the Ram Temple on the contested holy site. Hindu groups have for decades claimed the Mughals destroyed Hindu temples, building mosques and other monuments in their place.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, ” Modi, Lord Ram, “, Ram, ”, Gilles Verniers, officiates, ‘, Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani, Modi’s, ” Modi fasted, ” Narendra Modi, Prakash Singh, Pratishtha ”, –, Sunita Viswanath, “ Modi, tramples what’s, Ravi Agrawal, it’s, Babar, Douglas E, Curran, ” Agrawal, Ritesh Shukla, Aurangzeb, “ Aurangzeb, Policy’s Agrawal, Gilles Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Centre for Policy Research, Bloomberg, Getty, Indian, Human Rights, India’s, Ram Locations: Ayodhya, “, India, New Delhi, Babri, Delhi, India’s, Jammu, Kashmir, South Asia, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Varanasi

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Pakistan’s incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption, his Pakistan Tehreef-e-Insaaf (PTI) party said Wednesday, in the second legal blow to beset the beleaguered politician this week. Khan, who has been jailed since August on several charges, has also been barred from holding office for 10 years, the PTI said. Bibi was taken into police custody shortly after the sentencing, the party added. Wednesday’s sentencing comes almost one week away from a general election expected on February 8 and just a day after Khan was handed a 10-year sentence for leaking state secrets. That moment set the stage for a months-long showdown between Khan and the powerful military, who he accused of orchestrating his removal.

Persons: Pakistan CNN — Pakistan’s, Imran Khan, Khan, Bushra Bibi, Bibi, ” Khan Organizations: Pakistan CNN, National, Bureau, PTI Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Pakistan’s former leader Imran Khan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets, his political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said in a statement Tuesday. The former prime minister repeatedly alleged that Pakistani officials conspired with the country’s powerful military and the US to remove him from office. Khan has been behind bars since August after he was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to three years in prison. Despite being unable to stand in the upcoming vote, he remains a major political force owing to his widespread popularity. TV stations are banned from running Khan’s speeches, and many of his PTI party colleagues have been arrested.

Persons: Pakistan CNN — Pakistan’s, Imran Khan, Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi Organizations: Pakistan CNN, Cypher, PTI, US State Department Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Rawalpindi’s Adiala, Pakistani

☆ Pakistan accuses India of extrajudicial killings on its territory
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A top Pakistan official on Thursday accused India of killing two Pakistani nationals on its soil, citing what he called “a pattern” of alleged Indian assassination plots overseas and raising tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals. India has long accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists, particularly in the disputed and heavily militarized region of Kashmir, which both countries claim in its entirety. Qazi on Thursday compared the alleged killings in Pakistan to other purported recent Indian assassination plots in North America. India and many other countries have publicly warned Pakistan cautioning that it would be consumed by its own culture of terror and violence,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The Indian government has denied involvement in the American and Canadian cases and has set up a high-level committee to investigate the accusations in the US.

Persons: Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Muhammad Riaz, Shahid Latif, ” Qazi, –, Qazi, “, Randhir Jaiswal, Justin Trudeau Organizations: CNN, Pakistan, India’s, External Affairs, Canadian, American Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Kashmir, Sialkot, New Delhi, India, North America, Canada, United States, American

NORTH BELLMORE, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities seized about a hundred animals from a Long Island home packed with exotic species — including a giant African snail, a sulcata tortoise and a South American ostrich, advocates said Friday. The menagerie's owner was cited for 30 violations related to the illegal possession of animals, according to the advocacy group Humane Long Island. Especially not in someone’s shed or their basement,” said John Di Leonardo, the group's president and executive director. The group took custody of several dozen animals, including a five-month-old, female South American ostrich — or lesser rhea — named Eddy found in the crowded basement. Authorities said the investigation began after the man began appearing with animals at events like birthday shows and street fairs.

Persons: ”, John Di Leonardo, rhea —, Eddy, Di Leonardo, rhea, Matt Roper, Roper, ” Roper Organizations: — Authorities, Nassau County SPCA, Authorities Locations: North Bellmore, New York City, Nassau County

☆ Sri Lanka passes controversial bill to regulate online content
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Morayo Ogunbayo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Sri Lanka’s lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday regulating internet use among its citizens, in a move that has sparked fears among rights groups of a free speech crackdown. “Sri Lanka is still reeling from an economic crisis partly caused by misgovernment and failures of accountability,” said Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Meenakshi Ganguly in a statement Tuesday. Then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to flee the country after angry protesters, who blamed him for the financial situation, stormed his residence. But rights groups have accused him of cracking down on dissent and silencing protesters. “Sri Lanka’s repressive laws have facilitated widespread human rights violations for decades and contributed to economic and political crises,” said Ganguly.

Persons: ”, Lanka’s, Meenakshi Ganguly, “, Wickremesinghe, Jeff Paine, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Rajapaksa, Ganguly Organizations: CNN, Safety, Rights Watch, Asia Internet Coalition, United Nations Human Rights Locations: Lanka’s, Sri Lanka, Lankans

☆ Photos: Ayodhya Ram Mandir temple inaugurated in consecration ceremony overseen by Modi
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Crowds gather during the opening of a temple dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Ram, in Ayodhya, India, on January 22, 2024. Inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple Monday, Modi presided over the Pran Pratishtha, or consecration ceremony, of an idol of Lord Ram, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plays a leading role in the ceremony consecrating a statue of the god Ram. “Today our Lord Ram has come. A man prays on the banks of Sarayu River on the occasion of Ram temple's consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Lord Ram, Rajesh Kumar Singh, –, Modi, Pran Pratishtha, Ram, Imtiyaz Khan, ” Modi, “ Ram, Money Sharma, Hinduism's Lord Ram, Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani, Anupam Kher, Beckham, ”, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Katrina Kaif, Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal, Alia Bhatt Rajesh Kumar Singh Organizations: CNN, Indian, Anadolu, Getty Locations: Ayodhya, India, India's Uttar Pradesh, Sarayu, Babri

WWE's weekly television show “Raw” will move to Netflix next year as part of a major streaming deal. “Raw,” which debuted in 1993, has produced 1,600 episodes to date and features wrestlers such as Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins and Rhea Ripley. “We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said in a prepared statement. WWE, which is part of TKO Group Holdings Inc., said Tuesday that “Raw” will air on Netflix starting in January 2025. This will be the first time that WWE will air on the network in prime time.

Persons: “, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Bela Bajaria, Mark Shapiro, ”, Dwayne “, ” Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Netflix, USA Network, WWE, Punk, Holdings Inc, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc, NBCUniversal, NBC Locations: U.S, Canada, America, Fox

Workers walk in front of the site of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, India, while it is under construction on December 29, 2023. Anushree Fadnavis/ReutersIndian engineering group Larsen and Toubro is constructing the temple within a 70-acre (28 hectares) complex, with the construction expected to cost about 15 billion rupees ($180 million). The government has not provided funds for its establishment and donations of about 30 billion rupees ($361 million) have been collected for the complex. Three sculptors carved murals of Lord Ram, one of which was picked by a panel to reside inside the sanctum sanctorum. The black stone sculpture weighs between 150 – 200 kgs (440 lbs) and depicts the deity as a five-year-old boy.

Persons: Anushree Fadnavis, Larsen, Toubro, Lord Ram Locations: Ayodhya, India, Indian

☆ Ayodhya temple: India’s Narenda Modi hails a new ‘divine India’ as he inaugurates Ram Mandir ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Helen Regan | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

By moving ahead of building the temple, now we all take the oath of building a national, capable, successful, beautiful, and divine India,” Modi said. His promise to build the Ram Mandir helped spur that initial election success. A devotee gets anoint the name of Lord Ram on his forehead ahead of the Inauguration of the Ram Mandir Temple on January 20, 2024 in Ayodhya, India. Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images“I have come here to seek blessings from Lord Ram and Sita, I am very happy today,” she said. “I have come here to seek blessing from Lord Ram, Modi has done so much,” he said.

Persons: Narendra Modi’s, Lord Ram –, Ram, ” Modi, “ Ram, Modi, Lord Ram, Rafiq Maqbool, Pran Pratishtha, Mohan Bhagwat, ”, Yogi Adityanath, Acharya Mohanjodaro Bharadwaj, Babar, Money Sharma, Maulana Badshah Khan, “, ” Khan, weaponizing, Modi “, Modi fasted, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, Chandravanshi, Ritesh Shukla, Sita, Lal Singh Khushwa Organizations: CNN, “, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Human Rights, AP, YouTube Locations: India, India’s Ayodhya, Babri, Ayodhya, Vedika, India's, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, New York, Square, South Asia, Sarayu, New India, US, Tamil Nadu, “, Chhattisgarh

He also signed an executive order to ban gender-affirming surgery for minors but vetoed a bill that would ban all gender-affirming care for minors. They would require psychiatrists, endocrinologists and medical ethicists to have roles in creating facility-wide gender-affirming care plans for patients of all ages. The big academic medical centers providing gender-affirming care already employ the required specialists. It’s not clear when the Ohio rules might take effect, or in what form if they are finalized. The measures were unveiled Jan. 5, the same day DeWine signed an executive order banning gender-affirming surgery for those under 18.

Persons: Mike DeWine, Ashton Colby, Columbus, Colby, ” Colby, ” DeWine, ”, Kellan Baker, Whitman, DeWine, Dan Tierney, Dara Adkison, “, Mimi Rivard, Rivard, Carl Streed Jr, ” Streed, “ I’m, It’s, Rhea Debussy, “ He’s, Erin Upchurch Organizations: Gov, Whitman - Walker Institute, Ohio Department of Health, state's Department of Mental Health, Addiction Services, World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Outreach Wellness, U.S . Professional Association for Transgender Health, Equitas, ” GOP, Department of Mental Health, Equitas Health, Kaleidoscope Youth Locations: Ohio, Washington, Columbus, Boston, Cleveland, Florida

☆ Ayodhya Ram Mandir: A decades long Hindu nationalist dream is about to be achieved. What does this mean?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Ahead of the event, Modi has been fasting and praying in an 11-day ritual steeped in Hindu religious symbolism. But many Hindus believe the Babri Masjid was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple, allegedly destroyed by Babar, the first Mughal emperor of South Asia. The site is significant to them because they believe it’s the birthplace of Lord Ram, now honored with the construction of the new Ram Mandir. Hindu nationalist groups had for years campaigned to demolish the mosque to build a temple in its place. Muslims pray for peace ahead of verdict on a disputed religious site in Ayodhya, inside a mosque premises in Ahmedabad, India, November 8, 2019.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Lord Ram, ”, ” Modi, Babar, Douglas E, Curran, “, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Amit Dave, “ Young, Asaduddin Owaisi, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Larsen, Toubro Organizations: CNN, country’s, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, YouTube, India’s, AP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Indian National Congress Locations: Indian, Ayodhya, India, Babri, South Asia, Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad

“The Bear” had a bearish night indeed, fully dominating the comedy category in its first season, winning the top prize and three acting awards. And the chaotic, darkly humorous “Beef” was the other big victor, winning best limited series, with leads Steven Yeun and Ali Wong becoming the first Asian Americans to win in their categories. Oliver tried to test the new system after winning best scripted variety show: “I’m not leaving without being played off by Anthony Anderson’s mom. You said maybe, if I win!”A BIG BEAR HUG, ER, KISSCould “The Bear” replicate its success from the Golden Globes? Yes, chef, with Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri winning for best actor and best supporting actress in a comedy, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach winning a supporting actor award.

Persons: Cousin Greg, ”, Roy, Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Quinta Brunson, “ Abbott, ” “, Ally McBeal ”, Natasha Lyonne, Tracee Ellis Ross, Lucy ”, John Oliver beseeching, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Anthony Anderson, Mom Doris, . Anderson, Jo Koy, Anderson wasn’t, Anderson, Mister Rogers, ” Anderson, Jesus, Doris Bowman, Bowman, “, Jennifer Coolidge, Oliver, Anthony Anderson’s, Bracco, Michael Imperioli, “ Ally McBeal ”, Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Chandra Wilson, Sandra Oh, –, Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, George Wendt, Norm, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers, “ Martin ”, Matthew Macfadyen, Wamsbgans, Snook, ” Nicholas Braun, ” Snook, Shiv Roy, ” Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss, Bachrach, Moss, Matty Matheson, Matheson, BURNETT, Carol Burnett, Christina Applegate, Burnett, ” Applegate, Brunson, Abbott, Isabel Sanford, Norman, —, Martin Luther King Jr, Edebiri, Niecy Nash, Betts, “ Dahmer, Jeffrey Dahmer, Nash, “ I’m, Glenda Cleveland, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor Organizations: “, Golden Globes, Liverpool football, HBO, Globes, WIN, WHO, Netflix Locations: Philadelphia

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