Houthis Strike Israel's 'Lifeline' & 'Nerve Centre'; 'Muslims Must Unite Against Netanyahu'
Read More
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
8 minutes ago
- Hans India
'Bedroom Jihadis' the new nuisance for security in J&K
Jammu: Security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir are grappling with a new and insidious threat in the form of "bedroom jihadis" -- people who manipulate social media from the safety of their homes to spread misinformation and incite communal discord, officials said. This kind of enemy, far removed from the traditional armed terrorists, is at the heart of a sophisticated cross-border effort to destabilise the region, the officials said. An in-depth investigation has uncovered a network of social media handles, believed to be controlled by terror groups and their sympathisers in Pakistan, that have been actively intruding into local digital spaces, disseminating inflammatory content and propaganda with the clear objective of creating sectarian clashes and unrest in the Kashmir valley. "After years of fighting armed terrorists, security agencies have been facing this hidden enemy in which these new-age jihadis use computers and smartphones to wage war from just about anywhere, spreading rumours and influencing youths," an official in the know of the developments said. The trend emerged in 2017 but ended after an effective crackdown with curbs on the Internet post abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. After the successful completion of assembly elections last year, the "bedroom jihadis" have surfaced again, possibly with an aim to destablise the elected government and create a sense of unrest, the officials said. Security agencies have also uncovered a sophisticated and concerted effort by terror groups and their sympathisers operating from across the border to use social media platforms to incite sectarian clashes and destabilise the region. The investigation, which has been underway for several weeks, involved scrutinising thousands of social media posts, comments and private messages and its analysis provided compelling evidence of a direct link between these malicious online activities and handlers located in Pakistan. During Muharram days observed by the Shia community recently, there was tension between the two sects of the Muslim community over a post but effective handling by Srinagar police doused the fire before it could spread, the officials said. Former Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Kuldeep Khoda says the successful identification and disruption of this cross-border social media plot highlight the evolving nature of threats to security in Jammu and Kashmir. "While traditional terror activities remain a concern, the digital battlefield is increasingly becoming a front where external forces seek to destabilise the region by exploiting local tensions, which should be nipped in the bud," he feels.
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
How do Israelis see Gaza war, Palestinian suffering?
People demanding release of all Israeli hostages (AP) As the Israeli government works on expanding its military campaign in the occupied Gaza Strip, it is coming under increasing domestic criticism. Over the weekend, the country saw some of the biggest protests against the ongoing military campaign in Gaza, with tens of thousands of Israelis on the streets. There are still around 50 Israeli hostages being held by the militant Hamas group inside the Gaza Strip, and their families fear President Benjamin Netanyahu's new Gaza plan will only further endanger their loved ones. "We know that a decision to occupy more land is going to put the lives of the hostages at risk," Gil Dickmann, the cousin of hostage Carmel Gat, who was killed by her captors, told DW. "That's exactly what happened to Carmel. She was in Rafah, they [the Israeli army] decided to occupy Rafah. Her guards decided to execute her and [five] other hostages," Dickmann said. "We know that the only way to get them back alive is with a deal [for] all of them," added Naama Shueka, a cousin of Evyatar David, the Israeli hostage recently seen in a video released by Hamas. "So we are shouting: Please stop [the fighting]. Please save our loved ones. Please don't let them starve to death." Majority of Israelis want a deal The number of Israelis who agree with the hostages' families is growing. Ongoing surveys by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), a non-partisan think tank, show how attitudes have changed. In mid-October 2023, shortly after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, only 17% of Israeli thoughttheir government should negotiate to free the hostages even if that meant ending thefighting. By the anniversary of the attac, 53% felt that way. In mid-July this year, a poll conducted by local Israeli media outlet Channel 12 showed that 74% of Israelis supported their government reaching an agreement with Hamas in order to free all the hostages and end fighting in Gaza. No sympathy for Gaza While the majority of Israelis say they want to get the hostages back, save Israeli soldiers' lives and disapprove of the Netanyahu's government's conduct, other research indicates they don't feel much sympathy for Palestinians, nor do they like the idea of cooperating with them. For an IDI survey conducted at the end of July, researchers asked, "to what extent are you personally troubled or not troubled by the reports of famine and suffering among the Palestinian population in Gaza?" Over three-quarters of Jewish Israelis — 79% — were not that troubled or not troubled at all. Jewish Israelis also said they believe the Israeli military is doing enough to avoid unnecessary suffering. Arab Israelis took the opposite view, with 86% being very or somewhat troubled by reports of famine and suffering. In the past, the IDI has also asked Israelis about the most important reason for ending the war. Over half said it was important to free the remaining hostages. Only 6% argued the war should end because "of the great cost in human life" and a desire for peace. It is true that more people are now talking about what's happening in Gaza, one Tel Aviv resident told DW. This resident requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. "But the general focus is on the hostages and the soldiers and a reluctance to become embroiled in an endless war." Gazans and Israelis are living very different realities, they noted. "Then again, the 17-year blockade of Gaza, with all its devastating consequences for the population before the war — and just an hour's drive from Tel Aviv — also didn't really interest people in Israel," the Tel Aviv resident said. Extremist attitudes now mainstream? In March 2025, Tamir Sorek, a professor at Pennsylvania State University who studies how culture relates to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, commissioned a poll which found 82% of Jewish Israelis could imagine having Palestinians expelled from Gaza completely. Judging by that March 2025 poll, Sorek concluded that what were once considered marginal, extremist attitudes about the Palestinians had now migrated to the Israeli mainstream. "They date back to the 1930s," Sorek wrote, "and have gained steam — and more public acceptance — as prospects for peace fell apart in the 1990s, existential anxiety among Israelis has grown, and religious Zionists have gained more political power in the 21st century." A March 2025 poll by the US' Pew Research Center found only 21% of Israelis think Israel and a Palestinian state can coexist peacefully, part of the so-called two-state solution. That was the lowest percentage since 2013, researchers
News18
32 minutes ago
- News18
Zelensky says we will not leave Donbass and rules out land swap with Russia
Kyiv [Ukraine], August 13 (ANI): Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has ruled out any voluntary withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from territories still under Kyiv's control in Donbass, dismissing suggestions they could be part of a potential land swap with Russia, RT to reporters on Tuesday, Zelensky said, 'We will not leave Donbass. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the main issue, our territories are illegally occupied," adding that ceding land in Donbass to Russia would only allow it to start a new war in a couple of years and push deeper into Ukraine, RT reported.'Any issue of territories cannot be separated from security guarantees. Otherwise, now they want to gift them about 9,000 square kilometers; this is about 30% of the Donetsk region, and this is a springboard for their new aggression," he claimed, according to remarks follow repeated comments by US President Donald Trump that a potential peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv would likely involve a land swap and territorial concessions from both sides. 'They've [Russia] occupied some very prime territory. We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine," Trump said on Monday, as cited by Lugansk (LPR) and Donetsk (DPR) People's Republics, along with the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, became part of Russia after referendums in 2022. While the LPR was fully taken by Russian forces earlier this year, Moscow's control over the other regions remains partial. Kyiv continues to claim all four territories, as well as Crimea, which joined Russia in 2014 following a referendum held shortly after the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kyiv, RT has repeatedly rejected any territorial concessions to Russia, while Moscow insists any peace deal must involve Ukraine's withdrawal from the country's newly incorporated regions, according to RT. The remarks highlight the continuing deadlock between Ukraine and Russia over territorial control. (ANI)
