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India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Pakistan is a theocratic state": All party delegation member John Brittas address Indian diaspora in Jakarta
Jakarta (Indonesia), May 31 (ANI): CPI(M) MP and member of the all-party delegation, John Brittas, while addressing the Indian diaspora in Jakarta on Friday, criticised Pakistan for choosing to become a theocratic state, stating that it was a nation formed in the name of religion who were triggered by hate. 'Pakistan is a theocratic state... They chose to be a nation in the name of a religion, and they are triggered by hate. India decided on its path. Two hundred million Muslims are in India, the second-largest Muslim community after Indonesia. This reflects the real character of India...' Brittas said. He emphasised that India is a secular democracy that celebrates pluralism and diversity, which represent the country's real culture. 'I am from Kerala. The unique nature of this delegation is that out of five political parties, three are against the ruling party, but we are here together for a mission. This represents the real culture of India. That is how India is distinct from Pakistan. India is a secular democracy, plural and diverse. Terrorism sponsored by the state is something more dangerous than an insurgency or a terrorist activity triggered by a criminal gang,' he further added. Brittas went on to say that the presence of diverse political voices in the delegation itself was proof of India's democratic coexistence. 'Asim Munir said something about how Hindus and Muslims are different. Can you ever vouch for that? And Salman Khurshid is here... We are all together. I am from Kerala... I am a Christian. In Kerala, we have three major religions. We coexist in harmony. That is the message of India. Pakistan has been asking for evidence. Khwaja Asif, the defence minister of Pakistan, in an interview, said that they have been indulging in this dirty job of nurturing and harbouring terrorist organisations for three decades...' he stated. He further stated that while India only wanted peace, Pakistan continued with the trajectory of sending terrorists. 'We don't require any more evidence... It's for all of us to see who is nurturing and harbouring terrorism. India wants peace... The Indus Waters Treaty gave 80% of the water to Pakistan. We had been cooperative with them... Still, Pakistan continued with the trajectory of sending across terrorists. That's why India decided that enough is enough. We want peace, but it shouldn't be at the cost of our precious lives...' he added. Brittas also touched on the role of the armed forces and the constant threat of terrorism, stressing the need for vigilance. 'Gandhiji said that he is a follower of Ahimsa, but soldiers must fight the battle to protect India.. You would have seen a scene in India during Operation Sindoor. Sophiya Qureshi and Vomika Singh flanked Vikram Misri. That is the poster of India... If you think that terrorism is inflicting India alone, it can turn up on the doorstep of any country anytime....' he added. The delegation to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Singapore is led by JD-U MP Sanjay Kumar Jha. It includes Aparajita Sarangi (BJP), Abhishek Banerjee (Trinamool Congress), Brij Lal (BJP), John Brittas (CPI-M), Pradan Baruah (BJP), Hemang Joshi (BJP), Salman Khurshid and Mohan Kumar. (ANI)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Military drill footage misrepresented as China airdropping aid into Gaza
"CHINESE cargo plane, with full protection escort, bringing food aid to 60,000 families in Gaza - entering through Egypt," reads an X post published May 17, 2025. The post shares a video of a large military aircraft flanked by fighter jets as the squadron passes over the Giza pyramids. The video circulated online as Palestinians scrambled for basic supplies after Israel imposed a near-total blockade on March 2. Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18 after talks to prolong a ceasefire stalled. It briefly allowed nine trucks carrying basic aid into the besieged territory on May 19, but humanitarian groups have said the amount falls far short of what is required to ease the crisis (archived link). The video purporting to show Chinese cargo planes delivering aid to Gaza spread widely on Facebook, X, and TikTok in Burmese and Chinese. Although China delivered aid to Gaza through Egypt in March 2024, the footage shared online is unrelated (archived link). The clip actually shows a joint military exercise between China and Egypt that ran from April to May 2025. Reverse image and keyword searches on Google found a matching Instagram video published May 17 (archived link). The footage was uploaded by an account that posts various clips related to military drills and air shows. "For the first time ever, Chinese and Egyptian fighter jets took to the skies in a powerful display of military cooperation during the joint exercise Eagles of Civilization 2025. Held in Egypt from April 19 to May 4, this landmark drill featured China's cutting-edge J-10C jets, KJ-500 surveillance aircraft, and YU-20 refuelers in full force," the caption reads. Subsequent keyword searches on Google found a Facebook post published May 17 by an account linked to Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) that details the joint exercise (archived link). The post includes matching images of the squadron's flight over the Giza pyramids. SIS said on their website that the military exercise occurred in April and continued for several days (archived link). China's Ministry of National Defense also released a statement about the conclusion of the joint exercise on May 8, sharing a video of its aircraft flying over the pyramids (archived link).
Politico
13-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
American business titans greet Trump in Saudi Arabia
When President Donald Trump, flanked by Arabian horses, entered the Saudi Arabian Royal Court for an opulent state visit on Tuesday, he was met by an entourage of American business leaders representing a strikingly high-profile cross-section of the economy. Dozens of CEOs of the world's largest banks, hedge funds, defense contractors, tech firms and energy companies flew thousands of miles to Riyadh, where they descended on a lavish lunch with the president and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Elon Musk was there, as was his restaurateur brother, Kimbal. So were the CEOs of Google, OpenAI, NVIDIA, Uber, Blackrock, Blackstone and dozens of other moguls representing Fortune 500 companies or their own family offices. It was an unusually large, and unusually VIP, cadre of guests for a presidential foreign trip — the latest instance in which the American elite, once reproachful of Trump, has swiftly moved to impress him. 'It is emblematic of both how foreign governments try to lobby this president because of his business interests in their countries, and how the private sector has bent the knee,' said Donald Sherman, executive director and chief counsel at the Citizens for Responsibility in Washington, a watchdog group that is suing the Trump administration. The nearly three dozen business leaders were invited by the Saudi government, according to two White House officials and two other people close to the administration, all granted anonymity to discuss logistics, showing the extent to which a foreign government is trying to curry favor with the American president. Trump and his advisers have said expanding American business would be the primary goal of his first major foreign trip. And the kingdom, which has invested billions of dollars in Trump's family businesses, were eager to help him make good on that vow. 'There's no better place to make a future, or make a fortune, or do anything, frankly, than what we have in the United States of America under a certain President Donald J. Trump,' Trump said during an investment forum that served as the most high-profile visit of the day. In Riyadh, the president signed an agreement with the Saudis to invest $600 billion in the United States and with U.S.-based companies, including a $142 billion pact to supply the kingdom weapons and other military equipment from over a dozen American defense firms. 'Investment increased by 22 percent in President Trump's first quarter because business leaders around the world want to participate in the new Golden Age of America,' White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to POLITICO. 'The President was proud to celebrate the ever-growing partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia and a Middle East built on commerce, not chaos.' The guest list included representatives from several companies that donated millions of dollars to Trump's record-breaking inaugural committee, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, both of whom gave $1 million personally and $1 million through their companies. Also in attendance was Patrick Soon-Shiong, the biotech billionaire and owner of the Los Angeles Times, who reportedly instructed the paper's liberal editorial board not to make a presidential endorsement in the 2024 election. And Musk, a top White House adviser given broad powers to slash federal spending as his companies' regulatory issues fall away, got to bring his brother as well as two 'escorts,' including Antonio Gracias, a fellow billionaire and DOGE member now embedded in the Social Security Administration. A DOGE spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Earlier this week, in response to questions about Trump's business interests in the Middle Eastern countries where he is making the first multi-day foreign trip of his second term, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters it would be 'ridiculous to suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit' and that 'this White House holds ourselves to the highest of ethical standards.' Later in the week, Trump said he plans to accept a jetliner, valued around $400 million, from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One that would be donated to his presidential library after the end of his term. He called it 'a great gesture from Qatar' and suggested it would be 'stupid' not to take it. Many of the Wall Street heavyweights in attendance in Riyadh, including BlackRock founder Larry Fink and Blackstone Group's Stephen Schwarzman, have counted on Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund as a client and investor for years. Riyadh has emerged as a major investment hub over the last decade and top financiers have been flocking to the region to raise investment capital and source new deals. Several CEOs in Riyadh for the summit had also been speakers at last year's Future Investment Initiative conference, which is sponsored by a nonprofit that's overseen by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. 'These are all people who do big business in [Saudi Arabia],' said a person who has worked with the Saudis, granted anonymity to discuss their business dealings. The business leaders 'travel regularly to kiss [Bin Salman's] ring,' the person added. The Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At least one invitee, LinkedIn co-founder and major Democratic donor Reid Hoffman, didn't make the trip. The White House listed Hoffman as attending, but his chief of staff quickly went to social media to correct the record. But other attendees appeared to have vested interests in an audience with the president. One surprising participant was Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who briefly ran for the Republican nomination for president and will be term-limited out of his job as mayor in November. He has expressed interest in becoming U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, three people with ties to Miami politics told POLITICO. The people were granted anonymity to relay private conversations. The job of Miami mayor is considered to be part time. Suarez also works as a lawyer for the firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, which has an office in Riyadh. As mayor, he helped bring the Saudi sovereign wealth fund's Future Investment Initiative to Miami and spoke at the trade conference in February. Suarez spokesperson Ana Isabel Hume said the mayor's public and private sector roles 'together expand his reach and impact' and that expenses for the trip didn't come from the city of Miami. The White House did not directly answer a question about whether Suarez was in the mix for the job or who invited him to the luncheon in Riyadh. The tech delegation in Riyadh leaned heavily toward AI companies, cloud providers and chipmakers — a sector of the industry that has come to see the Middle East as a rich source of both investment cash and customers. The trip was accompanied by a flurry of business announcements, many tied to Saudi state-controlled investment funds and companies. Google, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD and Uber pledged $80 billion toward joint tech investments. Google and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund announced more details about a planned AI Hub aimed at accelerating AI adoption across key industries in the kingdom. American chipmaking giant Nvidia said it would build 'AI factories of the future' in the kingdom. And a slate of companies, including NVIDIA, Qualcomm, AMD and AWS announced strategic partnerships with the new Saudi AI firm Humain, backed by Bin Salman. Kimberly Leonard, Felicia Schwartz, Christine Mui, Mohar Chatterjee, Sam Sutton, Dasha Burns, Jake Traylor and Ali Bianco contributed to this report.
CAF
11-05-2025
- Sport
- CAF
TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON Group Stage Best XI named, Sierra Leone's Kamara stars
Published: Sunday, 11 May 2025 Sierra Leone star Momoh Kamara has been named in the official Best XI of the group stage at the TotalEnergies U20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025, as announced by the CAF Technical Study Group (TSG). The dynamic playmaker, who scored four goals in four matches, was instrumental in Sierra Leone's historic qualification for the quarter-finals in their debut appearance at the tournament. Kamara's performances earned him a clean sweep of individual honours, taking home the awards for Best Player and Top Scorer of the group stage. The TSG of the comeptition selected a balanced 1-4-2-3-1 formation for the Team of the Group Stage, recognising standout performers across the competition's 20 matches. Zambia's Levison Banda was named Best Goalkeeper and takes his place between the posts, with a defensive line comprising Nigeria's Odinaka Okoro and Daniel Bameyi, Ghana's Dacosta Antwi, and Sierra Leone's Nathaniel Jalloh. In midfield, South Africa's Lazola Maku and Kenya's Kevin Wangaya provide the engine, while Kamara is flanked in attack by Morocco's Othmane Maamma and Zambia's Joseph Sabobo. DR Congo forward Samuel Ntanda-Lukisa leads the line after his two goals helped secure his side's progression. Morocco's Mohamed Ouahbi was named Best Coach for guiding his injury-hit squad to an unbeaten group stage finish. Ghana received the Fair Play Award for exemplary discipline throughout the opening round. With the knockout phase set to begin on Monday, the spotlight will remain firmly on these standout players as they look to inspire their nations toward continental glory. CAF U20 AFCON Egypt 2025 – Group Stage Best XI (1-4-2-3-1): Goalkeeper: Defenders:2. Nathaniel Jalloh – Sierra Leone3. Odinaka Okoro – Nigeria4. Daniel Bameyi – Nigeria 5. Dacosta Antwi – Ghana Midfielders:6. Kevin Wangaya – Kenya7. Lazola Maku – South Africa 8. Momoh Kamara – Sierra Leone Forwards:9. Joseph Sabobo – Zambia10. Othmane Maamma – Morocco 11. Samuel Ntanda-Lukisa – DR Congo Individual Awards (Group Stage): 🏆 Best Player: Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone) 🥅 Best Goalkeeper: Levison Banda (Zambia) ⚽ Top Scorer: Momoh Kamara (4 goals, Sierra Leone) 👔 Best Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco) 🏅 Fair Play Team: Ghana
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shaikin: Jack Flaherty grateful for L.A. World Series moment even though it didn't last
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty shares a laugh with Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on Thursday. Flaherty, who won a World Series title with the Dodgers last season, is scheduled to start Friday when they receive their World Series rings. (Harry How / Getty Images) He held the World Series championship trophy aloft at a Lakers game, flanked by Mookie Betts on one side and Freddie Freeman on the other. He worked a shift at Villa's Tacos in Grand Central Market. On Wednesday he went out for dinner and someone thanked him. That is a taste of what the offseason was like for Jack Flaherty. The Dodgers and their fans had not enjoyed a parade in 36 years. No wonder so many people in Los Angeles stop him and say thank you. Advertisement The gratitude is reciprocal. 'I'm as thankful as you guys are that we were able to get it done and we were able to win the whole thing,' Flaherty said Thursday. 'That's what we all want as players. That's what I hope every fan wants, is to win. 'To be able to be on that side and be able to finish it off was special. And then, the reception and everything, that was special, for the entirety of the offseason when I was back around here.' Jack Flaherty pitches for the Dodgers against the New York Mets in Game 5 of the NLCS on Oct. 18. Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times Flaherty, holding the World Series trophy, is honored with teammates (from left) Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor, Brusdar Graterol, Freddie Freeman during a Lakers game at Arena on Nov. 8. Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times Flaherty, left, tries the food at Villa's Tacos in the Grand Central Market on Dec. 11. Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times It is the 'on that side' part that stings. If his story truly had a Hollywood ending, Flaherty would collect his World Series championship ring during Friday's ceremony at Dodger Stadium, then start the game for his hometown team. Advertisement He is scheduled to start the game, but for the visiting Detroit Tigers. The Dodgers will present him with his championship ring Saturday. Flaherty, the pride of Sherman Oaks Little League and Harvard-Westlake High, started Game 1 of the National League Championship Series and Game 1 of the World Series, both at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers grabbed him when they desperately needed a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. He ended up becoming the first kid to grow up in Los Angeles and then start a World Series game for the Dodgers since Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, in 1966. Read more: Plaschke: Honoring past, dominating present, unbeaten Dodgers shine in home opener Advertisement 'This is where I grew up and fell in love with the game, and then I got to live out a childhood dream last year in the second half and through the World Series,' Flaherty said. 'It holds a special place with me.' He would have happily stayed, but the Dodgers signed two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to a five-year contract before November was out. In January, as Flaherty shifted his focus to a short-term contract, the Dodgers added Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. 'The whole focus on this winter,' Flaherty said, 'was figuring out where the best place was for me to end up and let the pieces fall where they may.' Did he have any negotiations with the Dodgers? Advertisement 'I'm going to give you the same answer I just did,' he said. Flaherty made the rounds before Thursday's opener, catching up with Dodgers personnel from Dave Roberts to Clayton Kershaw to Joe Davis. 'It's not awkward, that's for sure,' Flaherty said. 'Just more interesting. Through the run of emotions and everything, knowing everything that occurred here last year, then being back here and opening up here, the emotions of opening day and starting off that way, throw a start and then you've got everything to celebrate from last year, all at the same time.' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said he had no concerns that the emotion surrounding the ring ceremony Friday might derail Flaherty's start. Advertisement 'I think it'll go perfectly fine,' Hinch said, 'because he'll be locked in on his start. He'll be focused on [Shohei] Ohtani to start the game.' Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty, who pitched for the Dodgers last season, speaks with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Harry How / Getty Images) Tarik Skubal, the Tigers' Cy Young winner, recalled watching Flaherty last season in his first start against his first team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Flaherty struck out 14 and took a shutout into the seventh inning. 'I expect him to be just as good as that time,' Skubal said. 'He's a good player. He lives for moments like these, and obviously he was a big part of the reason why they won the World Series. So I'm excited for him.' As a fan there is nothing better than a player who gets your team because he lived and died with your team. After he shut out the New York Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS, Flaherty launched into a passionate speech about the greatness of Kershaw. Advertisement Flaherty gets the Dodgers. Read more: Shohei Ohtani hits one of Dodgers' three homers to beat Tigers in their home opener 'It's so special,' he said. 'It's an incredible thing to think about and an incredible thing to be a part of. I got lucky enough to be on a team that got to win it in the fashion we did and make it happen in the way that we did. 'Growing up here and being a part of this — this city and this community — to give it all back and live it out in real time was awesome.' Flaherty gets you, L.A. He should get a nice ovation Friday. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
