Latest news with #Swastikas
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Devotees get inked in devotion during Shrawan
1 2 Prayagraj: This Shrawan month, young devotees of Lord Shiva are embracing a profound expression of faith, adorning their bodies with sacred tattoos of revered symbols such as Om, Mahakal, and the majestic Trident. During the sacred month of Shrawan, young devotees of Lord Shiva are increasingly opting for tattoos symbolizing their devotion. Popular designs include the trident, Mahakal, Shivlings, Om, Swastikas, and serpents. Notably, tattoos featuring 'Mahakal' and 'Om Namah Shivaya' are particularly favoured among both young men and women, serving as a permanent expression of their faith. With Shrawan month being considered the biggest holy month for Lord Shiva worship, devotees are seeking blessings and expressing their faith through various rituals and prayers. Noted religious scholar Amitabh Gour says, "Tattoos of Lord Shiv's symbols are considered a mode to carry the deity's energy and blessings among devotees... Getting tattoos of spiritual and religious symbols is more popular among youngsters." Lakhan, a tattoo artist, said, "Youngsters are leaving no stone unturned to ink tattoos on their arms and finding it as the latest way of expressing their faith and devotion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The young devotees are connecting with tattoo artists to get inked with Lord Shiv images and symbols to feel a deeper connection with their deities." For Rishabh Kesarwani, tattoos are one's own choice to express devotion. "I, along with my younger brother, inked tattoos of Lord Shiva in the pious month of Shrawan. Inking a tattoo is not to seek any attention but to connect ourselves with the world of spiritualism." Another tattoo lover, Anupam, said, "I find tattoos the best way to express my love for the Lord."
New York Post
23-07-2025
- New York Post
Idaho sniper Wess Roley who killed 2 firefighters in ambush left behind twisted drawings of himself dying, goodbye letter to father
Gun-obsessed Idaho firefighter slayer Wess Roley left a chilling goodbye letter to his father, along with multiple twisted drawings depicting himself dying during his premeditated ambush on a pair of firefighters he killed in late June. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office shared the new documents detailing 20-year-old Roley's erratic behavior and his odd patterns of speech at a press conference Tuesday. Multiple drawings depicted crude sketches of Roley with gunshot wounds and even a Pentagram on his forehead, including one he titled 'Goodbye Wess.' Advertisement 6 Wess Roley fatally shot two firefighters and injured a third during an ambush in late June. 6 Police found multiple drawings that Roley left behind depicting his own death. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office 6 Roley wrote 'Kill Kill Kill' on one drawing. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Advertisement Investigators also found a letter riddled with spelling inaccuracies that Roley wrote to his father in his vehicle at the scene on Canfield Mountain, where he intentionally set a fire and waited just a few yards away for firefighters to arrive before opening fire, killing two and injuring a third. 'Hello Father, I write this to you in a concerned effort that you may read this in upmost sincerity. Tomorrow I shall go into battle if I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell, I hope that you shall live to the fullest extent as you have thus far,' Roley wrote. 6 Roley also wrote a goodbye letter to his father. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office 'I beg that you do not fall into the traps of modern existence, with media and other false pleasantries that plague the minds of individuals today. Propaganda of sorts. You are a upstanding individual and I wish you the best.' Advertisement The cryptic letter echoed Roley's posts on social media during the hours leading up to the shooting, including one saying he was 'going hunting.' He also displayed other disturbing patterns of behavior when he was still just a teenager and would often doodle Swastikas and weapons in his notebooks at school, according to investigators. Just one month before his deadly attack, Roley tried to apply to be a firefighter at the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department — the very station he would attack. 6 Roley wrote 'Run Away' on another drawing. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Advertisement During the application process, Roley, who had a history of unmedicated ADHD and marijuana use he struggled to quit, quickly 'became agitated with the process and left frustrated,' Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. He also tried to enlist in the US Army three times, but consistently neglected to follow up on required tasks and appointments, which led to his disqualification, KREM reported. 6 Another drawing had 'Peace and Solidarity' scrawled on it. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Many of the documents recovered during the ongoing investigation — including the shared letter and drawings — are still being reviewed, Norris said. On June 29, Roley shot and killed two firefighters responding to a fire he set in northern Idaho before turning the gun on himself. Eerily, the father he lauded in his goodbye letter previously threatened to set a fire and shoot his family with a sniper rifle during messy divorce proceedings in 2015. Because of his threats, a protective order was put in place at his mother's request, barring his father from contacting the family. It is unclear when the order may have expired.
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.
