Latest news with #Swastikas
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
UP Rural Tourism Push: 465 village women being trained in local crafts near tourist spots
With an aim to expand rural tourism in Uttar Pradesh, villages near popular tourist destinations are being developed as rural tourism hubs by the UP tourism department under its rural tourism project. As part of this initiative, local stakeholders are being trained in various skills, officials said. Local women and youth in selected villages are being trained in manufacturing and providing tourism-related products and services to help them become self-reliant. Regional tourism officer of Prayagraj, Aparajita Singh, said that ODOP (One District One Product) items and local crafts have been chosen for the initiative. A total of 465 women have been selected from the Prayagraj division, including 185 from the Prayagraj district, she added. These women are being trained in villages like Gadha Katra, Ghoorpur, Shringverpur, and Uparhar. The training includes skills for homestay owners, local boatmen, and tourist guides. Trainers from the Manyavar Kanshi Ram Tourism Management Institute in Lucknow are being engaged for this purpose, she said. Training aligned with local identity The Academy of Management Studies, Lucknow, is the implementing agency providing training in different crafts. Its head, Anand Sagar Tiwari, said that 11 crafts and services have been selected for training across rural areas in Prayagraj. The selected crafts include jute and handbag making, moonj craft, pearl garland making, plaster of Paris statue crafting, cow dung products, amla-based items, and embroidery. Skilled trainers have been deployed in villages for hands-on sessions. Trainer coordinator Vandana Rathore said that priority is being given to crafts that use raw materials readily available locally. Items made from cow dung, temple flowers, moonj, and jute are being promoted. In religious tourism zones, products like Swastikas made from cow dung, bandhanwars, and decorative door hangings are also being developed. While selecting crafts, care is being taken to ensure that products are closely linked to local tourist sites. This approach encourages visiting tourists to purchase these items, generating income and economic activity for the villagers, officials added.
ABC News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
'Violent' vandalism targets women vying for election in federal seat of Calare
Two female candidates vying for the federal seat of Calare say they believe their campaigns have been "violently" targeted due to their gender. Corflutes belonging to male candidates have been stripped from fences at Orange in the NSW Central West but those belonging to Labor's Julie Cunningham and Independent Kate Hook have been torn up. Two poles were also put through an image of Ms Hook's face, while racist remarks were written on another poster. Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on "It is disappointing when it seems to be conveying a bit of violence," Ms Hook said. " If one person has a bit of an issue with a woman running in the election then maybe that would drive them to do that. " Ms Hook believes the vandalism may be gender-related. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) It is the latest act of vandalism in the area during the election, with NSW Police investigating the theft of corflutes and drawings of Nazi-symbols on billboards. Ms Cunningham agreed the latest incident was a "violent" act, which was "unacceptable". "Some of the features of the damage and vandalism that occurred is really concerning and was very clearly directed at female candidates," she said. "We have already seen within Australia the high rates of women being killed and subject to violence and we don't need this in an election campaign." Read more about the federal election: ANALYSIS: ANALYSIS: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 More than a dozen corflutes were vandalised on the corner of Summer and Woodward Street in Orange. The seat of Calare is seen as critical in the Coalition's bid to win the election, after incumbent MP Andrew Gee defected from the Nationals to the crossbench in 2022. More than a dozen corflutes have been damaged on the corner of Summer and Woodward streets. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) Vandalism within the election Earlier this year, Photo shows The word Swingers lit up as a neon sign followed by how to win an election. The ABC iview logo is below it. Australia has never had more swinging voters. Casey Briggs takes stock of how we vote and how that's changing politics. Stream now on ABC iview. "That is inexcusable by anyone … an election is a contest of ideas and it is part of the great democracy that we have in this country," Mr Farraway said. " Whether it was the Swastikas put over my corflutes or people's corflutes being stolen or defaced — it's not on. " Ms Cunningham has reported the latest act of vandalism to police. "It is really important that we adhere to and protect all aspects of the democratic process," she said. "They (the corflutes) are an important part of the democratic process … [so] that voters can understand who is available to vote for — it (vandalism) is just unnecessary." A sign at the entrance to Orange linking Independent Kate Hook with the prime minister. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
Axios
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
ADL: Antisemitic incidents hit record level in 2024
The number of antisemitic incidents in the U.S. has surged almost 900% in 10 years, and last year reached its highest level recorded in nearly half a century, an annual Anti-Defamation League (ADL) survey released Tuesday found. Why it matters: Antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, which became a flashpoint on college campuses and a pretext for the Trump administration to later threaten college funding and revoke visas for students. The big picture: Some Jewish leaders have warned that President Trump 's invocation of antisemitism to justify slashing college funds and deporting student protesters risks making Jewish people scapegoats for his policies. Those policies come as conservatives have urged colleges to adopt rules to combat antisemitism on the left but have largely remained silent about antisemitism on the right. By the numbers: The annual ADL audit recorded 9,354 incidents of antisemitic assault, harassment and vandalism across the country in 2024. The total represents a 5% increase from 2023 (the last record-setting year) and an 893% jump over the past 10 years. It's the highest level recorded since ADL started tracking this data in 1979. The 12-month total for 2024 averaged more than 25 targeted anti-Jewish incidents in the U.S. per day, more than one an hour. Zoom in: A majority of all incidents (58%) were related to Israel, the survey found. More than 6,500 incidents involved harassment language that includes antisemitic slurs, stereotypes or tropes. More than 2,600 incidents involved vandalism, defined as cases where property was damaged, such as graffiti of Swastikas or arson. The ADL also recorded 1,694 antisemitic incidents on college campuses, which is 84 percent higher than in 2023. Caveat: The ADL said it did not count criticism of Israel as an antisemitic incident, but did count incidents as antisemitic if someone called for the destruction of Israel or used antisemitic tropes in discussing Israel. The ADL said it considers slogans like "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" as antisemitic. What they're saying: "This sustained elevation indicates the (post-Oct. 7) experience was no temporary spike," Oren Segal, ADL senior vice president for counter-extremism and intelligence, told reporters. "There has been a fundamental shift in the landscape. Antisemitism has become a persistent reality of the American Jewish community." Context: The data collected by the ADL's Center on Extremism not only includes hate crimes — defined as violence stemming from a victim's race, color, sexuality, religion or national origin — but also cases involving verbal harassment and speeches on college campuses. The ADL previously faced criticism for including campus protests against Israel's actions in Gaza as part of its tally, but the group says it only counts protests if it sees clear evidence of antisemitism, like stereotypes. Zoom out: The ADL report comes weeks after a Crime and Justice Research Alliance analysis shared with Axios showed a 12% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2024, and an 18% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in more than 40 major U.S. cities.
