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Getty ImagesA grooming gang victim has called for an inquiry to examine the scale of the problem in Wales.
The woman, who goes by the pseudonym Emily Vaughn, also accused the Senedd’s presiding officer Elin Jones of “downplaying” her experience when it was shared in the Senedd earlier this week, during a clash with Conservative group leader Darren Millar.
Jones said she had been “seeking to protect victims of abuse”.
The Welsh government said there were “no current widespread issues with grooming gangs” in Wales.
Warning: this story includes details of sexual abuse
Ms Vaughn, who is now in her 30s, said she was first groomed at the age of 11 and then abused from the age of 14.
She added she was trafficked to Telford, Blackpool and within Wales, and was raped over and over again.
“It was almost every single day,” she told BBC Politics Wales.
“People think with sexual exploitation that you’re taken to a place, and you’re raped once. You’re not.
“People think sexual exploitation is just rape. It’s not. You’re being tortured, you’re being bitten, you’re beaten.”
The issue of grooming gangs has been in the headlines since the start of the year, after comments by tech billionaire Elon Musk sparked fresh calls from the Conservatives and some Labour MPs for a UK-wide public inquiry into the matter.
Backing the calls, Ms Vaughn said: “Perpetrators are so advanced – they’re cleverer than the police. They’re smarter than a lot of people think they are, and things are changing all the time.
“The public need to be aware of it. The public need to be involved in it.”
Asked if there should be a Wales-specific public inquiry into the issue, she said: “I think it’s something that’s been needed for a long time.
“There’s a lot of things in Wales that people aren’t aware of. I think there’s a lot in Wales to come out.”
The issue of grooming gangs was raised in the Senedd on Tuesday by the leader of the Conservative group Millar.
During his questions to the first minister, Millar referred to Ms Vaughn’s story, sparking a heated exchange with the Senedd’s presiding officer, Elin Jones.
She accused him of being “overly descriptive” and “verging on not being totally respectful of the victim”.
She added “the use of language in this place needs to make sure that you are keeping well away from inflaming any kind of discrimination or inciting any kind of discrimination”.
Millar insisted he was not “trying to inflame anything” but was “trying to hold the Welsh government to account”.
Ms Vaughn said: “It was quite hard to watch. It felt like she was downplaying my experience and other victims’ as well.
“She obviously thought I would not want him to say anything like that, but he was saying the right things because it’s got to be talked about.”
In a statement, Jones said “in calling on members to avoid using what could be triggering and distressing language, I was seeking to protect victims of abuse”.
“I understand now that Emily Vaughn has spoken publicly about her experience. I was not sufficiently aware of that at the time,” she said.
“I applaud Emily Vaughn’s courage in speaking out, and I support her and other women and girls in their pursuit of justice.”
PA MediaThe home secretary has now called a review of grooming gang evidenceas well as five local inquires – in Oldham and four other areas yet to be announced.
The decision was welcomed by the Welsh government which said it would “continue to do everything it can to ensure young people in Wales are safe from the horrific crimes of exploitation and sexual abuse”.
A spokesman added the government had “received assurances from all Welsh police forces that there are no current widespread issues with grooming gangs here”.
On Friday, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales Rocio Cifuentes said the Welsh government had been “too slow” in implementing the recommendations made in the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published in 2022.
Speaking on BBC Politics Wales on Sunday, Ms Cifuentes rejected calls for a Welsh specific inquiry into child sexual exploitation.
She said the report by Prof Alexis Jay into child sexual exploitation heard from 6,000 victims in England and Wales and the “priority” should be implementing the recommendations of that “extensive piece of work”.
She said the victims “shared their harrowing stories” and would be hoping for action to “actually come from that contribution”.
“We owe it to them and we owe it to children now to make sure that we do actually put in place the improvements that were found to be needed from that really extensive piece of work.
“I don’t want anything to detract from that and that for me needs to be the priority”.
The Welsh government accepted in principle all six of the recommendations in the report relevant to Wales, but Ms Cifuentes said “we haven’t made enough progress in Wales”.
She said: “One of the really important recommendations that hasn’t been progressed relates to making sure that all victims can have access to specialist therapeutic support and that is so important and I’m sure would be something that the victim that we heard from would absolutely welcome.
“So getting on with that implementation is just so important and we haven’t made enough progress in Wales.”
The Welsh government has been asked for further comment.
If you’ve been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) chairman T. Sham Bhat and member S.K. Vantigodi will visit Mysuru on Monday, January 20.
According to an official statement, the SHRC chairman and member will visit Mysuru Central Jail at 10 a.m. and meet with the jail superintendent. They will later visit K.R. Hospital and inspect the premises with officials.
Published – January 19, 2025 06:48 pm IST
The future is “uncertain and unclear” in Gaza after a long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began, BBC Middle East Correspondent Rushdi Abualouf has said.
“People don’t know if it’s a real ceasefire on the ground, or a fragile ceasefire”, he added.
You can follow live updates on this story on the BBC.
There has been an uproar over land in Begusarai. As soon as information was received that one party was plowing the land, the police who reached the spot were attacked with bricks and stones. In which many policemen including the police station incharge have been injured. The incident took place in Pranpur village of Bakhri police station area.
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As soon as information about the uproar was received, police from all the nearby police stations including SP Manish and Bakhri DSP reached the spot. The uproar has been quelled. The injured police personnel have been treated at Bakhri PHC. The investigation of the matter is going on. SI Archana Kumari, SI Pushpalata, ASI Kundan Kumar, Driver Chandan Kumar etc. are going on in PHC.
A police vehicle is damaged. Bakhri police station incharge Faisal Ahmed Ansari has also been injured. Two years ago, 150 Mahadalits had built a house on a plot of 16 bigha land of Khata No. 1 and Khesra No. 396 in Pranpur. Land holding owners Abu Nasar and Sadiq Akhtar etc. took the matter to court.
SP has reached the spot after the attack on the police.
The court had ordered to vacate the land
On August 17, 2024, the Sub-Divisional Court gave its verdict in favor of these people and ordered Bakhri CO to vacate the land. But, the land was not being vacated. Today there was an uproar regarding this land. When the police arrived on the information of the uproar, the police were also attacked.
Mohammad Sadiq says that this plot of about 16 bighas belongs to us. On this, people of Mahadalit community had forcefully built houses overnight. When we went to court, the court ruled in our favor. Today when we were passing by there, we saw a tractor moving on the same land. We informed the police. When the police reached the spot, people attacked them.
The fields were being plowed after ordering a tractor.
With the help of local land mafia Abdul Salam and Mohammad Vakil, they were plowing the fields by ordering a tractor from Rupkant Rai, a resident of Bahadurpur in Khagaria. We informed the police. If we had not run away, there were 40-50 men and women including Bouyelal Sada, Yogendra Sada, Triveni Sada, Amir Sada, Malechu Sada, Mohan Sada, Biranchi Sada, Suresh Sada, they would have killed us too. They were also armed with weapons.
Police lathicharged on mother and sisters
The other side says that this is the land of Bakas owner, the landlord says that it is our land. Today those people came with the administration and started lathicharge on our mothers and sisters. We said that houses have been built on government land and they are plowing it. As soon as he said this, the police started lathicharge. There is no one to see us.
The notice to vacate the land had come from the SDO. We went to the Human Rights Commission and the Mahadalit Commission. Applications were given to everyone, we were telling the administration that we were getting tractors plowed, then the administration caught them. We were asking him to leave, the administration said that this land is not yours.
The house was set on fire.
Various cases were filed against many people from our side. Today we were plowing that land with a tractor to plant vegetables. Then those people came and beat us, set our houses on fire. The police also came on the side of those people and beat up the women of our family.
At present, as soon as information about the incident was received, SP Manish immediately sent Bakhri DSP and all the nearby police stations to the spot and he himself also reached the spot. The incident is under investigation. The tractor plowing the field has been confiscated. Police is camping at the spot, the situation is peaceful. But there is a situation of tension in the village.
BBC/Xavier VanpevenaegeAnastasiia Fedchenko, 36, wails in anguish – her agony echoing around the gilded walls of St Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv.
She sits with her hands resting on both sides of her stomach. She is heavily pregnant with her first child, a baby girl. Her husband Andriy Kusmenko is just inches away, in uniform – in an open coffin.
The marine commander was killed in action in eastern Ukraine on 4 January this year. He is now and forever 33. While Andriy fought in the war, Anastasiia wrote about it, as a journalist.
His brothers in arms file past, dropping red roses into his coffin. As funeral prayers come to an end, Anastasiia leans forward and gives “the love of her life” one last kiss.
BBC/Xavier VanpevenaegeOutside the cathedral she pays tribute to her “most handsome husband” who died for his country.
“I am sorry my daughter will never see her father,” she tells the BBC, “but she will know that he was a soldier, an officer, and that he did everything he could for Ukraine to exist for her and for other generations.”
“This war will last as long as Russia does. I truly fear our children will inherit it from us and will have to go and fight.”
Not according to Donald Trump, who famously claimed he could end the war in a day, and who returns to the White House next week. He is already pushing for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
That would dishonour the dead, according to Sgt Dmytro, call sign “Smile”, who fought alongside Andriy and came to the cathedral to mourn him.
“Let the people in power decide, but I don’t think the ones who fell would want them [Ukraine’s leadership] to sit around the table,” he says.
“After the funeral, we are heading back to work. We will fight for every Ukrainian who fell.”
Plenty here believe – like Anastasiia and Dmytro – that far too many Ukrainians have been killed to try to do a deal with Russia. But public opinion is shifting, and others believe there is too much death and destruction not to do a deal.
BBC/Xavier VanpevenaegeAs Ukraine battles through its third winter of war, one word is now little spoken here – “victory”.
In the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, we heard it everywhere. It was a rallying cry for a nation suddenly confronted by columns of enemy tanks. But the past is truly a foreign country – and one with more territory.
Moscow now controls almost one-fifth of its neighbour (including the Crimean Peninsula, captured in 2014) and says any peace talks must take that into account.
The Ukraine of 2025 is a place of cold, hard realities – where cities empty, graveyards fill, and plenty of soldiers desert their posts.
BBC/Goktay KoraltanSix hours drive from the capital, in the heart of Ukraine, a young soldier is in the dock.
Serhiy Hnezdilov, a burly 24-year-old, is locked in a glass cubicle in a packed courtroom in the city of Dnipro. He is on trial on charges of desertion, and is one of many.
Since 2022, around 100,000 cases have been opened against soldiers who left their units, according to data from Ukraine’s General Prosecutor’s office.
When Hnezdilov went absent without leave, he went public with demands for a clear time frame for ending military service. He says he is ready to fight but not without a plan for demobilisation. He has already served for five years, including two before Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“We must continue to fight,” he told me during a break in the hearing, “we have no other choice.”
“But soldiers are not slaves. Everyone who has spent three years or more on the front line deserves the right to rest. The authorities have been promising for a very long time to set terms of service, but they have not done it.”
In court he also complained of corruption among commanders, and of deadly incompetence.
After the brief procedural hearing, he was handcuffed for the journey back to prison. If convicted he faces up to 12 years in jail. “Help Ukraine,” he told us, as he was led away.
BBC/Goktay KoraltanMany other Ukrainian soldiers are still straining every sinew on the front lines, trying to at least slow the Russian advance.
Mykhailo, 42, the chain-smoking commander of a drone unit, does battle every night fuelled by “Non-Stop” – a Ukrainian energy drink.
He is with the 68th “Jaeger” Brigade, fighting to hold on to the eastern front-line city of Pokrovsk – a key transportation hub. The Russians are closing in on two sides.
Mykhailo drives us to a Ukrainian position – a journey we can only risk after dark, and in an armoured car. The Russians too have eyes in the skies. Their drones are a constant threat. He is watchful, and weary.
“I went to the enlistment office in the first days,” he tells us, “and I hoped everything would go quickly. Honestly, I am tired. Time off is rare [in his case a total of 40 days in three years]. The only thing that saves me is that I can video chat with my family.”
BBC/Goktay KoraltanWe arrive at a disused house where Mykhailo and his men unload their equipment and set up a pop-up drone position. Screens are carried in, and cables connected.
Outside, troops erect an antenna taller than a two-story building. They work fast under torchlight – using red beams not white as these are harder to detect. Then they assemble bombs to arm their “vampire” – a supersized attack drone.
For the next few hours, we have front-row seats as Mykhailo – call sign “Admin” – pilots the drone, his eyes darting from screen to screen. First, he drops supplies to front-line Ukrainian troops and then drops an anti-tank mine on Russian forces underground. It falls slightly wide of its target.
He is up against high winds and Russian jamming. All the while he is on the look-out for incoming enemy drones.
BBC/Goktay KoraltanMykhailo detects a Russian warplane in the skies. Minutes later we hear the distinct thud of three Russian glide bombs. “It’s far,” he tells us. That turns out to mean two to three kilometres away.
During a lull, I ask Mykhailo if he thinks a peace deal is possible. “Maybe not,” he says. “This [Putin] is a completely unstable person, and that’s putting it very gently.”
“I hope that at some stage the enemy will stop because they tire out, or someone with a sound mind comes to power.”
He won’t comment on President Trump.
While Mykhailo is a veteran of this war, one of his men is a beginner. Twenty-four-year-old David joined up last September as the Russians neared his hometown. He now spends his time handling explosives – though he would prefer to be at college learning languages.
BBC/Goktay Koraltan“No-one knows how long the war will last,” he says, “maybe not even the politicians”.
“I would like it to end soon so that civilians won’t suffer, and people won’t die anymore. But considering how things are now on the front line, it won’t be soon.”
He believes that if the guns are silenced, it will be only a pause, before Moscow comes back for more.
The winds get stronger and the vampire drone crash-lands. It’s out of action for now. The unit pack up and leave, as fast as they came. They will be back in action at nightfall, resuming the duels in the sky.
But on the ground the Russians keep inching forward, and the Trump presidency will mean pressure for a deal. And there is one more hard truth here: if it comes it is unlikely to be on Ukraine’s terms.
Additional reporting by Wietske Burema, Goktay Koraltan, Anastasiia Levchenko and Volodymyr Lozhko.
Salil Tripathi and Ranvir Shah at The Hindu Lit for Life in Chennai on January 19, 2025. | Photo Credit: M.Vedhan
In the session, ‘The Dominance of Gujaratis: From Mahatma Gandhi to Narendra Modi’, journalist and author Salil Tripathi spoke about his new book, Gujaratis: The Portrait of a Communityin a conversation with entrepreneur and cultural activist Ranvir Shah. The book, which is part of a series on the various communities of India, brought out by Aleph Book Company, has been edited by David Davidar.
Mr. Tripathi, a Gujarati who grew up in Mumbai, described himself as an “outsider looking in and an insider looking out.” Through several small chapters, he writes about the “community of 55 million people in India who consider Gujarati to be their mother tongue and possibly six million more abroad.” Gujarat has produced some of the most successful industrialists of India (Tata Group, Reliance, Adani, Wipro); made their mark in politics (Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai, Narendra Modi); and produced excellent cricketers, artists, dancers, among others.
While many of these facts are well-known, Mr. Tripathi spoke about the little-known contribution of the Gujaratis in the armed forces. He pointed out how Gujaratis played a crucial role in the supporting services of the Army. “There are two aspects to this. The Army cannot march on an empty stomach. Even Subhas Chandra Bose’s main storekeeper was a Gujarati. I found out recently that the husband of a cousin is part of storekeeping of the U.S. armed forces.” He was quick to add: “Second, they are also in the armed forces.”
The most famous personality from Gujarat is arguably Gandhiji. Mr. Shah said that while most Gujaratis equate Gandhiji with ahimsa (non-violence), Mr. Tripathi’s book also speaks of asmita (self-awareness). Mr. Tripathi explained how the humble concept has changed over the years to acquire a more aggressive tenor. “Narsinh Mehta [the poet] spoke about asmita. He said, ‘In the whole universe, there is only one god’. But Kanhaiyalal Munshi gave the word a more muscular sense. Then, it became a political concept with the re-erection of Somnath and later the Narmada movement. From self-awareness, it came to mean pride, then arrogance, and now it is equated with bigotry,” he said.
Speaking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Tripathi compared and contrasted him with Gandhiji. “At the risk of sounding glib, I would say that Gandhi was passionate about the empowerment of women and cleanliness, just as Mr. Modi is. He was stubborn, just like Mr. Modi is known to be. He did not drink alcohol and neither does Mr. Modi. But while Gandhi was a left-hander, Mr. Modi is a right-hander; while Gandhi had terrible handwriting, Mr. Modi has beautiful handwriting, and while Gandhi would persuade people to do something, Mr. Modi simply orders people around.”
From individual personalities, the discussion veered towards the polycultures of Gujaratis. On being asked specifically about the plight of Dalits in Gujarat, Mr. Tripathi pointed out that the “situation is bad.” He said, “The NGO Navsarjan’s FCRA has been taken away. We saw what happened in Una [In 2016, several Dalits were flogged on the pretext of cow protection]. I’m used to the Dalit Panthers, having grown up in Bombay, but you don’t see that [assertiveness] in Gujarat.” However, while there has been violence, there have also been many fighting for peace, he said. “They are little candles lighting up the place.”
Finally, Mr. Tripathi spoke about one of the most prominent communities in Gujarat, the Sarabhais. He elaborated on the contributions of Anasuya Sarabhai, Mrinalini and Vikram Sarabhai, Mallika Sarabhai, and now Anaita Sarabhai. “Ramachandra Guha once wondered why the Sarabhais are not mentioned as one of India’s Renaissance families. Apart from the Sarabhais, there are others too,” he said.
The Hindu Lit for Life event is presented by KIA India and is in association with Christ University. Associate Partners: LIC, RR Donnelley, Blue Star, Brigade Group, NITTE Deemed-to-be University, PROchure, Singer, Chennai Port Authority & Kamarajar Port Ltd, Uttarakhand Tourism, Vajiram and Ravi, Indian Bank, Akshayakalpa and ICFAI Group. Realty Partner: Casagrand. Bookstore Partner: Crossword. Food Partner: Wow Momo, Beverage Partner: Beachville, Radio Partner: Big FM, TV Partner: Puthiya Thalaimurai Gift Partner: Anand Prakash. Supported by: US Consulate, Chennai, Water Partner: Repute
Published – January 19, 2025 06:24 pm IST
LDA has demolished the illegal plating being done on agricultural land in Lucknow. The team of Additional Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Srivastava has taken this action. This action has been taken by running a campaign on behalf of the Municipal Corporation in Dhawa, Purseni and Sonai Kanjehra villages. plait in it
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Municipal Corporation camp set up in Bharwara.
Barren and pond land was encroached upon
Khasra number 247,248 barren land in Dhwa village, 252 Marghat, 252 number, 253, 254, 243 number, 157 total area of 1.345 hectare and Khasra number of Purseni village 1072 b pond, 1062 b pastoral, 1008 usar, 950 usar total area 3.337 Khasra number-624B of Sonai Kanjehara village including hectare, 625 cattle, total area of 0.502 hectare land was being illegally occupied and plotted. Property dealers on the spot also protested against the action, but the police and officials present on the spot carried out the action peacefully. During this period, illegal encroachment has been removed from a total of 5.1840 hectares of land from three villages.
ongoing campaign against encroachment
Municipal Corporation officials say that they are continuously running a campaign against encroachment. Officials have been instructed to take action on the spot. At the same time, in three villages, a joint team of Municipal Corporation and Tehsil Administration went to the spot and took action. The team of officer in-charge, property officer Sanjay Yadav, Tehsildar Municipal Corporation Lucknow Arvind Pandey has taken this action. Police from Chinhat and Mohan Lalganj areas were also present on the spot to ensure security.
A hidden cross-border tunnel used to smuggle migrants and contraband between the US and Mexico will be sealed, Mexican border officials have said.
Running between Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and El Paso in Texas, which sit next to each other on either side of the border, the 300m tunnel was concealed in a storm sewer system and only discovered last week – despite official estimates it took at least a year to build.
Investigators are now looking into whether local officials knew of its construction, local media says.
Security has been ramped up on both sides of the border ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has vowed to launch mass deportations of illegal immigrants once in office.
The tunnel had been reinforced with wooden beams to prevent collapses and was equipped with lighting and ventilation.
Such a structure could have taken one or two years to build, General Jose Lemus, commander of Ciudad Juarez’s military garrison, told Mexican media.
The Mexican Attorney General’s Office has been tasked with investigating whether local officials had been complicit in the construction of the tunnel, Mr Lemus said.
The tunnel was discovered on 10 January, after US border patrol agents removed a metal plate covering the entry hole to the tunnel and then alerted their Mexican counterparts to its existence.
The flow of migrants from Mexico in the US has long overshadowed relations between the two neighbours and became a defining issue of the 2024 US presidential election race that culminated in Trump’s victory last year.
Raids to detain and deport migrants living in the US without permission could begin as early as Tuesday – the day after Trump officially returns to the White House – according to US media reports.
Under US diplomatic pressure, Mexico has been conducting its largest ever migrant crackdown, bussing and flying non-Mexican migrants to the country’s south, far from the US border.
But Trump campaigned on a promise to seal the US-Mexico border and his threat to impose 25% tariffs was seen as an attempt to force Mexico into doing more to stop undocumented migrants from reaching the southern border of the US.
In response, the recently-elected Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she will ask the US take action to stop the flow of weapons being smuggled from the US into Mexico.
Huma Qureshi (centre) and Shinie Antony (right) in conversation with Nandini Krishnan (left) during a discussion Wonder Women: Powerful Women in Fiction at The Hindu Lit for Life held at The Hindu Pavillion in Chennai on January 19, 2025.
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
Challenging gender stereotypes, actor Huma Qureshi who has turned author with her debut novel Zeba: The Accidental Superhero and author Shinie Antony with her book Eden Abandoned: The Story of Lilithoffered thought-provoking quotes in their session on Wonder Women: Powerful Women in Fiction on the second and last day of The Hindu Lit for Life.
Moderated by Nandini Krishnan, the panel explored the portrayal of women protagonists who are seen as misfits if they break boundaries and the accepted structure in society.
Ms. Qureshi said her book is a homage to every woman who breaks every rule. “I am obsessed with the idea of misfits saving the world. My version of reluctant superhero is nothing like the powdered and manicured well-behaved person but a girl like Zeba, a rich New Yorker who pot-smokes, has a therapist, and manages to defeat an evil king of a make-believe kingdom,” she said.
Huma’s book is set in an imaginary country in the Himalayas with its own socio-political twist. “For every woman, a big part of our lived experience is to be shamed. It is like Cerelac, you take one spoon before you step out of the house and another spoon after you return,” Ms. Qureshi reminded, though she comes from a nurturing and fairly progressive family that provided her the education and confidence she needed.
Ms. Antony, said her book is about Jewish mythology rediscovered by a Jewish feminist. The character Lilith is cast out of Eden to shatter myths such as a woman ends up distraught when she doesn’t find that one man meant to be waiting for her. “Lilith understands to to reduce the significance of that one man, she had to make many other men special,” she said.
The speakers talked about how in every religion and culture women are shamed for everything from their clothes to hair, even taught and told to laugh gently and for everything women are advertised while men are praised. An angry man could be seductive but an angry woman is an oxymoron. “Women can use their anger judiciously; an angry woman who articulates is a complete work of art,” she said.
Ms. Qureshi said it was important for women to create stories that their younger selves would like to read. I had no role model when I was growing up; I feel women often do not find support in each other or are not represented in the appropriate manner in the popular media, she observed.
The authors left the audience with food for thought. Ms. Qureshi quipped that acts of absolute sacrifice by women were recurring motifs across mythology. If God is everything for Adam in her book, Lilith is able to take God’s name but in vain while Zeba gets chastised by her father for not taking her own God’s name in Huma’s story. “For a woman, being single, childless and aging is a superpower.”
The Hindu Lit for Life event is presented by KIA India and is in association with Christ University. Associate Partners: LIC, RR Donnelley, Blue Star, Brigade Group, NITTE Deemed-to-be University, PROchure, Singer, Chennai Port Authority & Kamarajar Port Ltd, Uttarakhand Tourism, Vajiram and Ravi, Indian Bank, Akshayakalpa and ICFAI Group. Realty Partner: Casagrand. Bookstore Partner: Crossword. Food Partner: Wow Momo, Beverage Partner: Beachville, Radio Partner: Big FM, TV Partner: Puthiya Thalaimurai Gift Partner: Anand Prakash. Supported by: US Consulate, Chennai, Water Partner: Repute
Published – January 19, 2025 05:56 pm IST
Guest teachers in Madhya Pradesh have prepared to launch a major agitation regarding their demands. In the provincial convention held at Parshvanath Jain Temple in Harda on Sunday, the Guest Teachers Coordination Committee and the Azad Guest Teachers Association together decided to form a federation.
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State President of the Federation KC Pawar and State President of Coordination Committee Sunil Parihar said that programs will be organized in all the districts of the state from 8th to 10th February. After this an ultimatum will be given to the government. If the demands are not met then all the guest teachers along with their families will protest in Bhopal.
Pawar said that due to being divided into different organizations, the strength of teachers was weakening. Now we will unite and fight for the demand of regularization. A large number of guest teachers including District President Jayashree Paul, Vashishtha Yadav, Surbhi Aggarwal, Sadiq Khan, Anamika Pare were present in the program.
The federation has been formed to protect the interests of guest teachers and their pending demands. Teachers say that they have been struggling for their demands for years, but till now no solution has been found. Pressure will be created on the government through the new organization, so that all the guest teachers can be regularized.
During his third-round win over Tomas Machac, Djokovic appeared exhausted at times and needed a medical timeout.
He looked fresher against Machac’s compatriot, taking control of the opening two sets and stopping Lehecka from earning a break point for more than an hour and 40 minutes.
When Lehecka broke back at the start of the third, an agitated Djokovic shouted towards his team – which includes his former rival Andy Murray – before complaining about noise from the stands while he was trying to serve.
But the seventh seed used the crowd to his advantage in the tie-break, conducting them after hitting a sublime backhand pass and cupping his ear after a deft volley brought up two match points.
“When you are feeling adversity the last couple matches, I think I handled it well,” Djokovic told Eurosport.
“Only people who have been there at the highest level understand what you have to deal with. There is a lot on the plate and you have to weather the storm when you are feeling challenged.”
Nobel laureate and biologist Venki Ramakrishnan, in a conversation with journalist and media entrepreneur Sashi Kumar, at The Hindu Lit for Life 2025 on Sunday (January 19, 2025), unpacked the biological and societal implications of ageing.
Drawing from his book, Why We Die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for ImmortalityMr. Ramakrishnan offered a broad view of the science behind mortality, framed by evolutionary theory and emerging research.
Mr. Ramakrishnan touched upon the biology of senescence, where cells lose their ability to divide. This natural process evolved as a defense mechanism against cancer, ensuring that damaged cells do not replicate uncontrollably. Instead, these cells become senescent, secreting inflammatory compounds to signal the immune system to repair or clear them, he explained. However, ageing disrupts this balance.
“As we grow older, the accumulation of senescent cells outpaces the immune system’s ability to remove them,” Mr. Ramakrishnan said. This leads to systemic inflammation, contributing to chronic diseases and age-related decline.
Mr. Ramakrishnan highlighted caloric restriction as a promising method to slow ageing, noting that it has extended lifespan in animals by activating pathways that enhance cellular repair. However, he cautioned that translating these results to humans remains a challenge due to safety and effectiveness concerns.
He also highlighted experimental approaches to slow ageing, including rapamycin, which extends lifespan in animals but has safety concerns for human use; NAD boosters, aimed at restoring cellular repair mechanisms as NAD levels decline with age; and parabiosis, where transfusions from younger to older subjects show rejuvenating effects in studies. While promising, these methods face challenges in proving safety, efficacy, and practicality for human applications, he said.
A central theme of the discussion was evolution’s role in shaping the human lifespan. Ramakrishnan explained that natural selection prioritises traits that enhance reproductive success, not longevity. “Ageing is a byproduct of evolution favouring genes that help us pass on our DNA. Beyond that, evolution doesn’t care how long we live.” he said.
This evolutionary framework also explains why large animals, like whales, tend to live longer. Their size offers protection against predators, allowing evolution to optimise longer lifespans. In humans, life expectancy has increased from 60 to over 80 in many regions, thanks to advances in public health, medicine, and nutrition. Yet, the maximum lifespan remains capped at about 120 years, said Mr. Ramakrishnan.
However, most of the increase in life expectancy came from solving problems in early life, largely through public health measures like sanitation, clean water, vaccination, antibiotics, and nutrition, he pointed out.
While Mr. Kumar pointed out that with declining birth rates and increasing longevity, many countries, including China, are incentivising larger families to counterbalance demographic shifts, Mr. Ramakrishna stated that slowing the ageing process might inadvertently slow the turnover of ideas, creating a society that becomes increasingly stagnant and resistant to change. This stagnation, he noted, could affect everything from governance to cultural evolution.
The Hindu Lit for Life event is presented by KIA India and is in association with Christ University. Associate Partners: LIC, RR Donnelley, Blue Star, Brigade Group, NITTE Deemed-to-be University, PROchure, Singer, Chennai Port Authority & Kamarajar Port Ltd, Uttarakhand Tourism, Vajiram and Ravi, Indian Bank, Akshayakalpa and ICFAI Group. Realty Partner: Casagrand. Bookstore Partner: Crossword. Food Partner: Wow Momo, Beverage Partner: Beachville, Radio Partner: Big FM, TV Partner: Puthiya Thalaimurai Gift Partner: Anand Prakash. Supported by: US Consulate, Chennai, Water Partner: Repute
Published – January 19, 2025 05:31 pm IST
The transfer list of NNM recently released by the Medical Department in Jhunjhunu has become a joke. NNM itself is surprised to see the transfer list. One NNM was transferred in the list but the name of the place was not given. Jhunjhunu district was simply written in the transfer list.
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Looking at the list, NNM is also confused as to where to join. Actually, the transfer list of ANM was released by the Health Department on January 15.
ANM Indravati Kulhari’s name was also in the list. But the name of the posting place was not in the list. It was simply written that “at a remote place outside Jhunjhunu district”.
The transfer list is being made viral on social media. People are raising questions on the transfer list. Jhunjhunu CMHO Dr Chhotalal Gurjar said that it was printed by mistake. The list has been corrected.
NNM Indravati told that she was selected for the post of NNM on 12 May 1994. The first posting was in Surpura (Surajgarh). After that, Surajgarh town, Berla, Hejampura, Nangli Deep Singh, Pakodi ki Dhani, Manaksas remained functional. At present Indravati is working in Indrapura village of Udaipurwati subdivision. Indravati Jhunjhunu city ward no. She is 54 years old. Due to distance from home, she was living in a rented house in Indrapura village. Husband is a social worker in Jhunjhunu. Had also contested councilor election. NNM’s husband Manoj Kulhari told that NNM posts were lying vacant in Jhunjhunu’s Government BDK Hospital, RCHO office, Marigsar and Bhurasar village. Therefore, Jhunjhunu MLA had given application for desire for posting here.
Galahad and Positano caught the eye when the horses were exercised here on Sunday morning (Jan. 19).
Inner sand:
600m: True Punch (rb) 41. Moved on the bit.
Grass:
600m: El Alamein (Rayan) 43. Moved freely.
1200m: Winfield (Aleemuddin) 1-27, 1,000/1-9, 600/40. Pleased.
Outer sand:
600m: Skagen (Indrajeet) 45. Easy. Iron Clad (Ramesh K) 45.5. Moved freely. Masato (Mudassar) 43.5. Shaped well.
1000m: Gismo (P. Mani) 1-14, 600/43.5. Moved on the bit.
1200m: Masaki (rb) 1-30.5, 1,000/1-13.5, 600/43. In fine trim.
1400m: Positano (Shreyas) 1-40, 1,200/1-25, 1,000/1-11, 600/42.5. Moved fluently.
1600m: Galahad (Shreyas) 1-52.5, 1,400/1-36.5, 1,200/1-23.5, 1,000/1-11, 600/42. In fine nick. Santorino (Pavan) 2-4, (1,600-600) 1-11.5. Eased up.
Inner sand — Jan 18:
600m: Blind Faith (Prabhakaran), Black Diamond (Siddaraju) 41. Former finished well ahead.
1000m: Kiss Of Grey (Shinde), Rose Hill (rb) 1-10, 600/40. They finished level.
1200m: Bourbonaire (Shinde) 1-22, 1,000/1-7, 600/39.5. Moved well. Mountain Jewel (Akshay) 1-23, 1,000/1-6.5, 600/38.5. Strode out well. Tesorino (Mark), Knotty Patton (Asirvatham) 1-22.5, 1,000/1-9.5, 600/41. Former finished four lengths ahead.
Outer sand:
600m: Stalingrad (Pavan), Zeppelin (Rozario) 46. They moved freely. Resplendence (Prabhakaran), Star Studded (Shinde) 44.5. Former finished six lengths ahead. My Vision (rb) 45. Easy. Iron Clad (Ramesh K) 45. Moved freely.
1000m: Yannick (Aleemuddin) 1-11.5, 600/42.5. Impressed. Irish Coffee (Tauseef) 1-16, 600/44.5. Easy. Ranquelino (Sandesh) 1-16, 600/45.5. Moved on the bit. Never Give In (Aleemuddin) 1-10, 600/41.5. In fine nick. Anabella (Aleemuddin) 1-12, 600/42. Moved attractively. Bold Act (Shinde) 1-15, 600/46. Easy. Mazal Tov (Aleemuddin) 1-12.5, 600/42.5. Shaped well.
1200m: Perfect Attitude (Sandesh) 1-24, 1,000/1-9.5, 600/42. A fine display. Lightning Blitz (Suraj), Ashwa Jimbabe (Shinde) 1-28, 1,000/1-12, 600/44. Former started three lengths behind and finished five lengths ahead. Verrazzano (Suraj) 1-27.5, 1,000/1-13, 600/46. In fine trim. Emphatic (Sandesh), Prime Abbess (Md. Akram) 1-29.5, 1,000/1-13, 600/44. Former finished four lengths ahead. Agrima (Srinath), Kazing (Afsar) 1-30, 1,000/1-14.5, 600/46. Former finished three lengths ahead. Berrettini (Mark) 1-31, 1,000/1-13, 600/42.5. Moved impressively. Isnt She Beautiful (Sandesh) 1-31, 1,000/1-12, 600/42. Maintains form. Golden Glory (Suraj), Priceless Prince (Shinde) 1-30.5, 1,000/1-13.5, 600/45. They finished together. Miracle Star (Sandesh), El Rey (Md. Akram) 1-30, 1,000/1-11, 600/42. Former finished three lengths ahead. Doncaster Belle (Akshay) 1-27, 1,000/1-12, 600/44. In fine shape. Ricardo (Sandesh) 1-30, 1,000/1-11.5, 600/42. Pleased. Everyone Godfather (Adarsh), Sea Jack (rb) 1-28, 1,000/1-13, 600/44.5. Former finished four lengths ahead. Darrington (Arvind), My Honey (Rozario) 1-29.5, (1,200-600) 42.5. They eased up in the last part. Brightest Star (Afsar) 1-29, 1,000/1-14, 600/43.5. In good shape. Westlake (Aleemuddin) 1-29, 1,000/1-14, 600/45.5. Strode out well. Sira (Robert) 1-29, 1,000/1-13, 600/43.5. Moved well. Czar (Aleemuddin) 1-29, 1,000/1-10, 600/42. Impressed. Gloriousness (Suraj) 1-26, 1,000/1-11, 600/43. A fine display. Legendary Impact (Suhas), Embosom (rb) 1-28.5, 1,000/1-12, 600/43.5. Former finished eight lengths ahead. Xanthe (Akshay) 1-28, 1,000/1-13, 600/44. Worked well. Skybolt (B. Nayak), Chinky Pinky (Aleemuddin) 1-31, 1,000/1-15, 600/44.5. Former finished two lengths ahead. Masaki (rb) 1-30.5, 1,000/1-15, 600/46. Easy. Flaming Sword (P. Trevor), Defence Counsel (Koshi K) 1-27, 1,000/1-11, 600/42.5. They moved fluently.
1400m: Force Of Nature (Koshi K) 1-45, (1,400-600) 57. Eased up. Ashwa Kali Bhavi (Suraj) 1-43, 1,200/1-28, 1,000/1-13, 600/45. In fine shape. Double Scotch (Jagadeesh) 1-44.5, 1,200/1-28.5, 1,000/1-13.5, 600/44.5. Moved freely. Agrador (Akshay), Aircraft (Mark) 1-42, 1,200/1-26, 1,000/1-11.5, 600/44.5. Former startet three lengths behind and finished six lengths ahead.
1600m: Inspire (P. Trevor) 1-54, 1,400/1-38.5, 1,200/1-25, 1,000/1-12, 600/44.5. Moved impressively. Excellent Lass (Suraj), Fearless Joy (Shinde) 1-55, 1,400/1-40, 1,200/1-25.5, 1,000/1-12, 600/44. Former showed out. Masa Musa (P. Trevor) 1-54, 1,400/1-39, 1,200/1-24.5, 1,000/1-10.5, 600/42. A fine display. Exceed (P. Trevor) 1-54, 1,400/1-38.5, 1,200/1-23.5, 1,000/1-9.5, 600/41.5. A pleasing display.
Published – January 19, 2025 05:06 pm IST
Rees-Zammit was known for his blistering speed and agility on the rugby field, which are coveted qualities in the NFL.
But the 23-year-old’s transition has not been without its challenges, with Rees-Zammit already having played multiple positions, including running back and on special teams.
Schecter believes that wide receiver might be his best fit.
“Ultimately, it’s all about developing his football IQ,” Schecter explained.
“He needs to absorb as much knowledge as possible about the game. It’s been tough for him, but his athleticism is undeniable, and that will give him a solid foundation.”
With a new head coach on the way in Jacksonville, Rees-Zammit’s future in the NFL remains uncertain.
The Jaguars have not opted to sign Rees-Zammit to a reserve/future contract, which franchises can use to prevent players from negotiating deals with other teams.
As a result, the former Wales wing is able to strike a deal with any of the NFL’s 32 teams, but he could find himself back with Jacksonville in the future.
“Their season is over now and they don’t really start going back until end of March, early April,” said Schecter.
“Nobody’s really in the building right now but he’s doing everything he can to make sure that he either can re-sign with the Jags or find another team.”
Former Union Minister Jayanthi Natarajan at The Hindu Lit for Life in Chennai on January 19, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
R. Ragu
Former Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, who quit Congress in 2015, listed out why the grand old party was not able to win elections in the recent times.
Ms. Natarajan has not been active in politics ever since she quit the party claiming that she had become a victim of a “vicious, false and motivated” media campaign by certain individuals.
At The Hindu Lit for Life 2025, Ms. Natarajan was a panellist on the topic ‘The Election That Surprised India’.
She said she always believed the Congress was centerist space and thus she chose to be part of it. She also noted that as many as 16 Congress chief ministers have quit the party. She accused the party of not being democratic, not giving reservation to women and representation to women in the party’s organisation structure. “Where is the credility,” she wondered.
Published – January 19, 2025 05:11 pm IST
My Guru has given me the name Swami Aravindananda Giri Maharaj. I am from Aavahan Akhara, Chaudah Madhi, Bhairon family. Just like you have families, saints also have families. Just like there are communities among common people, similarly we also have Giri, Puri, Bharti and Saraswati.
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It is about 25 years ago. My last job was in Japan. Was a mechanical engineer. Used to do product branding work. Life was going very well. I had everything. It was a world of happiness. I used to travel around the country and abroad for my job.
Today the food is in this country and the next day in some other country. Sometimes America, sometimes England, sometimes South Africa. I have worked in big companies. One day something came to my mind that I left everything and became Baba. Left everything and came to India without telling anyone.
Swami Arvindanand Giri says that when he left the job, he did not even tell his parents.
I was born in an ordinary family of Haryana. Everyone lived in the village itself. They were poor only. I received my education while staying in the house of aunt Rajkumari Sharma. She was the most educated woman in the village. She was also the principal of our school. She used to do everything for me, teach, feed, explain. If he did not listen, she would even slap him. He made me very knowledgeable in my childhood itself. There was no pressure from parents.
After school, studied from Thapar College, Patiala. Parents had got mechanical engineering done with difficulty. Was good in studies. He spent almost all his working life abroad. Like everyone else, I also thought that there would be good money, marriage, children. Life will be spent happily.
I liked my work very much. However, now I have no regrets even after my retirement. Many accidents happened in my life. Who changed my life a lot. At last a trigger point came due to which I suddenly left everything. First let me tell you about an incident which had a deep impact on my life.
It’s about Japan. My boss was Indian. My relations with him were family. Had to go home. Whenever I saw him with his wife, I used to think that there cannot be a more beautiful couple than them in the world.
One day when I went to his house, his wife started saying that Arvind, now you will never be able to come to my place. I am going. I was surprised and asked, where are you going? So she said that your boss is divorcing me. I become so numb. I said that even if this happens, I will definitely come to meet you. You are like my mother. I have a different relationship with my boss.
I couldn’t sleep that day. Kept thinking about their divorce the whole night. Seeing their relationship, I became worried about my relationship, because I also liked a girl. The next day I went to my boss and mustered up a lot of courage and talked to him about the divorce. He told that the divorce is at the final legal stage. He also told me thousands of faults of madam. Just like last night madam had made me count thousands of faults of my boss. I felt as if my own house was falling apart.
I kept talking to both of them for several days. One day I went to my boss’s house and told his wife that you really want a divorce? As soon as she heard this she started crying. I felt there was still room in the relationship. Next day I told the boss that you really don’t want to live with madam, last night madam was crying. The boss kept thinking about something for a while, then I don’t know what happened, tears came to his eyes too. The next day I invited both of them to my house for dinner. Told madam that you will cook the food today. Meanwhile the boss also arrived. He didn’t know that madam would also come. The boss was surprised to see his wife.
We talked a lot while eating. Some issues were so deep that both of them ended up deciding to get a divorce. Both started living together again. After that he made me his son. My love brought them both together. This incident had a deep impact on my life.
I also wanted to get married. Wanted to live with someone for the rest of my life. I wanted to create a family. Although we think one thing, something else is written in fate. What I thought didn’t happen. I can’t tell you much about what proved to be the trigger point in my life, I will just say that I did not do anything wrong. I never cheated anyone, killed anyone and never went to jail.
Swami Arvindanand Giri says that I also wanted to get married and raise a family.
Yes, I was in love with someone and I loved her very much, but I left her and came to India. How does it feel when you leave someone without whom you cannot live? Something similar happened with me. I did not accept his culture and he did not accept mine. I liked India and its culture, but she didn’t.
I did not accept living with his culture in a foreign country. He had refused to come to India. I couldn’t understand what to do. Then I took the most difficult and tough decision of my life. I had to leave him in limbo.
I finished everything in one fell swoop. Resigned from job. Left him, left his country. Gave up the package worth lakhs of rupees and the life of luxury in a jiffy. Bharat called his guru that I am coming. Even today I miss him.
When I remember, I start praying to God. Even in bhajan, when I remember him, feel pain, start thinking, then I go to my Guru. If something makes me cry, I try to forget it. You know even sages cry, because sages also have a society. The household of sages is the biggest household. You have one house, we have thousand houses.
I didn’t tell my parents that I had left the job. Knew that this would cause a lot of uproar. After coming to India, he went straight to his Guru’s ashram in Rishikesh. Told them that I have left everything.
About two months passed while staying in the ashram. My parents came to know that I had returned to India.
Actually, my guru Sumit Giri Maharaj is also from Haryana. Perhaps, one of his disciples saw me in the ashram and informed his parents. Those people came to take me. There was a lot of persuasion, but I had already taken the decision. Eventually they left.
I had decided to remain a monk throughout my life. I never even remember my parents. Yes, I miss aunt a lot. Don’t know whether he is also alive or not.
To be honest, today I have undoubtedly become a saint. This time I have to undergo Naga Sanskar and I am very happy. God has given me everything. Still, sometimes I cry when I remember her. 25 years have passed since that time. Still, when I remember, I feel uneasy. Then I start doing some work. I start talking to someone or the other and keep myself busy.
After staying in Rishikesh for a few years, I started managing Guru ji’s ashram in Faridabad. Met thousands of people in these many years of Sannyasa. Everyone told their problems. As I listened, I began to understand the web of human relationships.
I can never forget an incident. Had gone to meet a friend for some work. He was in a corporate job. When he reached his house, he was preparing to commit suicide. He was trapped in some financial compulsion and the family had refused to support him. That night I brought her with me. Kept him with me for two-three months. Got a job also. Looking at him, I thought that what is the use of a family that leaves you alone to die. That too just because you don’t have money. I have gone through so many stories of the mess of human relationships that I feel it is best to concentrate on God.
Swami Arvindanand Giri says that after Kumbh, there will be emphasis on education work.
After Kumbh, I want to share whatever I have read and learned with others. We want children to be modern as well as spiritual. Working on library and school college to club religion and modern education. We are building colleges in Madhya Pradesh and Prayagraj. An offer has come from some Seth that Maharaj, I also want to build a college. In this way, after Kumbh, the work of education will be in full swing. We have a special plan for Mumbai.
(These Swami Arvindanand Giri has shared these things with Dainik Bhaskar reporter Manisha Bhalla)
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Also read these stories of Sunday Jazbaat series…
1.Sunday Emotion – Sachin sent the children’s fees, I returned it: Kambli’s wife said – she married Vinod on the promise of giving up alcohol.
I am Andrea Hewitt, wife of cricketer Vinod Kambli. Have been a fashion model. Vinod’s health has not been good for the last few years. The situation is becoming increasingly serious. All this is happening due to shortage of money. Even if he was not drinking alcohol, he would smoke cigarettes. Read the full news…
2.Sunday Jazbaat- She was 15 years old, raped by 12 people: Panchayats of 80 villages said – marry whoever you like.
Some people forcefully picked me up and took me far away towards the forest, on the banks of the river. They started forcing themselves on me and beating me. As far as I remember, there were 12 people in total. There were men ranging from 18 years old to middle age. I was recognizing only one or two. Read the full news…
3.Sunday Emotions – Reached Dubai to get her face repaired, Death sentence: Lover made his daughter a servant on the pretext of marriage, where should we go now
I am Shabbir Khan. I live in Goyra Mugli village of Banda district of UP. My daughter Shahzadi has been sentenced to death in Dubai. Almost 22 months have passed since he was jailed. She may be hanged any day. Her only mistake was that she wanted to look like ‘normal girls’. Read the full news…
