Got home yesterday after more than 24 hrs of travel between Dharamshala, India and Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Ate great Indian food.
A highlight was visiting the Dalai Lama's temple located adjacent to where we were staying in McLeod Ganj. We were fortunate to witness the hauntingly beautiful Tibetan Buddhist monks' throat singing. Their deep vibrations get you right in the heart and kishkes (Yiddish for "guts"). (Video attached, turn sound up.)
How a Bird Sparked a Conversation On Climate Rights in India
The Supreme Court of India recently acknowledged the fundamental right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change, making national headlines. This article explores how a petition demanding the conservation of a critically endangered bird led to this landmark statement, which sets an important precedent in climate justice cases around the world
Editorial in Dawn - Pakistan's oldest English Daily:
"The writing is on the wall. The time for incremental steps is over. The scale of the challenge requires bold, decisive actions that reflect the urgency of the moment."
OpIndia going after civilians - a random Muslim school principal who liked a few tweets supporting Palestine and critical of BJP. Imagine these "journalists" stalking random civilians' twitters...
X has #blocked the account of @KhaledBeydoun on its platform in India.
Software Freedom Law Centre, India (SFLC.in) has been reporting on the blocking of social media accounts and #websites. Please #report any blocking cases you may have seen to us.
Send us an email at mail@sflc.in or mention @sflcin on social media platforms.
In another context, there was a discussion, in recent past, that some members of Indian government suggested taking the extreme measure of blocking Proton due to a hoax bomb threat that were sent through Proton Mail. Finally it did not happen.
I believe that that Meta will not pull out of India and the existing encryption standards of WhatsApp will not change for Indian users. With more than 500 million active users in India, the stakes are too high from either side.
This 99% invisible episode is fascinating. It starts with some background on Zoroastrianism death rites, goes to the decline of vultures in India, and then the decline of Zoroastrian Parsi communities.
The White House went to extraordinary lengths last year to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra #Modi in a state visit meant to bolster ties with an ascendant power and potential partner against #China.
But even as the Indian leader was basking in #US adulation on June 22, an officer in India’s intelligence service was relaying final instructions to a hired hit team to kill one of Modi’s most vocal critics in the United States.
In #India, deepfakes and other #AI technologies are used in election campaigning Experts fear that very soon these methods will change elections in different countries of the world.
India is currently experiencing a severe heatwave, with very high temperatures in many areas. The heat is so intense that a TV presenter fainted live on air.
"Teleprompter Faded Away": TV Anchor Faints While Reading #Heatwave Updates
"Parts of #India are being seared under a heatwave with maximum temperatures ranging from 40 degrees celsius to 46 degrees celsius in many areas. Amid the intense heat, a TV anchor recently fainted while reading heatwave updates live on air."
Russian media claims server and storage supply has returned to pre-sanctions levels despite ongoing restrictions.
The lion's share of this influx likely came with help from Chinese distributors, whose willingness to send anything into Russia has contributed 89% of the processors used in the country today.
Hot, Happening, Not Heart-Warming: India’s Massive Forest Loss Between 2000 And 2023
In a report published by Global Forest Watch, from 2001 to 2023, India lost 2.33 Mha of tree cover, equivalent to a 6.0% decrease in tree cover since 2000