
Self-regulation is the only way to avoid government interference in regulating news media, two industry bodies representing news channels, magazines and newspapers told the parliamentary standing committee on communication and information technology on Thursday. The Editors Guild of India (EGI) and the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA), along with senior officials from the ministry of information and broadcasting, deposed before the committee led by BJP Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey. The discussion centered on weaponisation of laws to curb press freedom, functioning of the government’s fact-check unit, and issues with communal and fake news on news channels. EGI, NBDA and the ministry have been given 10 days to submit written responses to the Lok Sabha secretariat addressing questions raised by committee members. EGI said various laws, including the Information Technology Act, were being weaponised to curb press freedom. The guild highlighted section 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that carries up to three years in jail and/or a fine for publishing false information with intent to create enmity. The EGI said the definitions under the law are vague and prone to abuse. The guild also noted that in September 2024, the Bombay high court had struck down the central government’s attempt to establish a state-run fact-check unit through a 2023 amendment to the IT Rules as unconstitutional. Ministry officials, including joint secretary C Senthil Rajan, said since the amendment was struck down, the Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit could only label misleading content related to the central government but couldn’t issue takedown notices. To be sure, the amendment did not clarify whether the government’s FCU would have had takedown powers, a point of confusion that was argued at length during the court proceedings in Bombay HC. In the meeting, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale cited two instances where false information was spread by government officials themselves but was not fact checked by the PIB FCU. First, when Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs, in a public statement said that the blocking of the social media handles of Australia Today in Canada after it carried an interview with foreign minister S Jaishankar “highlights the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech” even though the handles had been blocked by Meta because of the platform’s May 2023 decision to end the availability of news content on its platforms in Canada. Second, when Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had got the Ukraine-Russia war paused. Gokhale asked whether the government of India and its ministers and officials were exempted from being fact checked by the PIB FCU even as the unit fact checks individuals on social media and news organisations. He also asked for details about the FCU’s methodology and for information about how many misleading or false claims by the central government itself had been fact checked by the PIB FCU. MIB officials said that the PIB FCU did not take suo motu cognisance of content to fact check through its social media handles; it relied on complaints being made to it and no complaints had been made about false claims by government officials. The parliamentarians asked for a written submission to that effect. Dubey, in the meeting, said that PIB was set up to spread information about the central government and was responsible for and answerable to the government, not to the people. Gokhale asked MIB officials about the watermarked version of the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill that was circulated among select stakeholders in July which was ultimately withdrawn. Regulating news channels NBDA chairperson Rajat Sharma told the committee that the news broadcasters who are members of the NBDA do not interfere with the functioning of its adjudicatory arm, the News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA), which is chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice AK Sikri. Sharma told the committee that a number of media houses become members of the NBDA but when the NBDSA issues orders against them, they leave the self-regulatory body so that they do not have to comply. He said that the NBDA cannot force people to join as it is a voluntary exercise. Anuradha Prasad, honorary treasurer of the NBDA (chairperson and MD of News24), suggested to the committee that the government should make registering with a self-regulatory body an obligatory licence condition for news channels, a suggestion that Dubey echoed to MIB officials. Gokhale said that penalty amounts imposed by NBDSA are restricted to a maximum of ₹ 5 lacs, a paltry amount for shows such as Sharma’s whose advertising revenue for an hour-long show runs in high double digit lacs. The TMC MP asked how such small amounts could act as effective deterrent. Sharma informed the committee that the NBDA was considering revising the penalty to ₹ 25 lacs. Gokhale also said that there was no separate mechanism for channels that repeatedly flouted standards and instead, each offence was treated as the first offence. Sharma said that that would be placed before the board. Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also alleged that NBDA/NBDSA was not acting against repeat offenders such as News18 that routinely broadcast “communally-charged, misleading and false news”. She cited independent fact checker AltNews’s data as per which despite there being more than 300 instances of News18 broadcasting communal programming, NBDA/NBDSA took action in only five instances. Lok Sabha MPs Devesh Shakya (Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh) and Rajesh Verma (Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas), Bihar) raised the issue of local cable news channel operators and YouTubers who ran “extortion rackets” where they blackmail politicians into paying them money for not running false and damaging stories about them. MIB officials said local cable operators were regulated by the district collector or magistrate. Dubey said that it was unfair of the MIB to hold the district collector or the magistrate responsible for this when they were already burdened by other duties. He told the MIB that the ministry couldn’t absolve itself of responsibility. Gokhale also raised the question of how social media posts from personal accounts and public appearances from channel editors and owners were regulated by the NBDA. AI generated false news Sharma said that he himself had been a target of deepfakes where deepfakes of him selling some medicines for diabetes were being shared on social media. Chaturvedi raised the issue of news channels broadcasting the AI generated voice notes posted by the BJP on the eve of the Maharashtra assembly elections on Tuesday. She said that all channels continued to run the synthetic voice notes as fact without comparing them to their existing archives with the voices of the public personalities. It is only on Wednesday, after independent fact checker Boom said that three of the four voice notes were definitely fake, that some news channels started fact checking the BJP’s tweets, she said in the meeting. She asked the NBDA if it circulated any advisories to its members, telling them to fact check if one of the members had done so, and how the agenda for prime time debate shows was set. In response, Prasad, in the meeting, said that political parties also had to take responsibility for the amount of fake news being put out as they had entire ecosystems (referring to ‘troll armies’ and ‘IT cells’) spreading misinformation. Issues with the Press Council of India The EGI also raised concerns about the Press Council of India, especially about the selection of its chairperson. The EGI said that the PCI had become partisan and instead of being accountable to the Parliament, as required under the Press Council of Act, 1978, it had been cornered by the executive. Dubey said that the rules around the selection of the PCI chairperson had remained unchanged since 1978 to which EGI said that it was not just the current government but each successive government that had made the PCI toothless. The guild offered to submit a written submission about the problems with the selection of the PCI chair, an offer that was accepted by Dubey. Under the PCI Act, the PCI chair is nominated by a committee made up of the Rajya Sabha chairperson, the Lok Sabha Speaker and a person elected by a Council that is nominated by the central government.
Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant declares for NFL draft6,000 inmates escape from prison during unrest in Mozambique
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet as he speaks with reporters after meeting with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks with reporters after meeting with Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, arrives for a meeting with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet as he speaks with reporters after meeting with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him National Politics | The Trump and Biden teams insist they’re working hand in glove on foreign crises National Politics | ‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration National Politics | Trump is threatening to raise tariffs again. Here’s how China plans to fight back National Politics | Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. “I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week.None
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Kailyn Gilbert scooped in a layup with 1.6 seconds remaining and then stole the ball on the last play of the game to give No. 7 LSU a 68-67 win over Washington in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship first round on Monday. Flau’Jae Johnson had to save the ball from going into the backcourt during a scramble that ended in Gilbert's go-ahead basket. Gilbert corralled the loose ball over a diving Washington player, sliced through the defense and tossed up a shot that hung on the back of the rim before falling through. Gilbert's ensuing steal sealed it. Aneesah Morrow had her 80th career double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Tigers (7-0). Johnson also had 19 points and Sa'Myah Smith added 16 with a career-high 15 rebounds. Sayvia Sellers had a career-high 24 points for the Huskies (6-2). Ellie Ladine had 14 points and nine rebounds. Washington, 16-15 last year, 6-12 in its final Pac-12 season, showed a lot of grit. LSU also showed a lot of grit in pulling out a win despite shooting a season-low 33%, going 3 of 19 from 3-point range. Sellers hit a tough step-back 3-pointer to bump the Washington lead to 62-57 with 4:31 to play and 18 seconds later she fouled out. The Husky reserves played 27 minutes and didn't score. LSU was 15 of 21 from the foul line as two Husky starters had four fouls in addition to Sellers fouling out. Washington shot 7 of 10 from the line. The Tigers also had 26 second-chance points off of 27 offensive rebounds. LSU plays N.C. State or Southern on Wednesday in the tournament's championship game. Washington will play before that game against the loser of N.C. State-Southern. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballAdventure Commodities unveils hulling plant to boost sesame quality
Insights into the Air Scrubber Market and Future Trends at a CAGR of 8.5% by 2030 11-25-2024 07:05 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: www.alliedmarketresearch.com An air scrubber effectively eliminates air pollution, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), surface pollutants, pet dander, odors, and dust by continuously generating negative ions as air circulates through the ducting system. These negative ions actively seek out and neutralize contaminants suspended in the air, too small to be captured by conventional air filters. The global air scrubber market size was valued at $1,883.3 million in 2020, and is projected to reach $4,306.4 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 8.5% from 2021 to 2030. Request PDF Sample Copy @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A08473 Competitors in the air scrubber market employ strategic maneuvers like mergers, acquisitions, and market initiatives to fortify their market positions. For example, in June 2020, Daikin Industries, Ltd. and WASSHA Inc. established Baridi Inc. to pioneer an air conditioner subscription service. Leveraging Daikin's renowned air conditioners, known for their durability, efficiency, and eco-friendliness, as well as their extensive service networks, this partnership aims to cater to diverse industries such as hospitals and chemical plants, reducing air pollution in their surroundings and addressing growing health concerns, thus enhancing market growth prospects. Request Customization On Demands: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/A08473 Investments and supportive government policies aimed at meeting air quality index standards and greenhouse gas emission limits are anticipated to drive the growth of the air scrubber market. For instance, in May 2019, Germany implemented a national air pollution management program mandating significant emission reductions by 2030, including reductions in fine particulate matter and compliance with the SLCP black carbon standard. Moreover, the establishment of 58 low-emission zones in over 70 cities in Germany has led to a substantial decrease in the number of older, more polluting vehicles on the roads. These initiatives, prioritizing clean air, are expected to present opportunities for growth in the air scrubber industry during the forecast period. Inquire Before Buying @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/A08473 Top Players: Advanced Air Technologies Inc., Amaircare Corporation, Camfil AB, Croll Reynolds, Inc., Daikin Industries, Ltd., Honeywell International, Inc., Novatek Corporation, Parker Hannifin Corporation, SPX Corporation, and Waves Aircon Pvt. Ltd. Key Findings Of The Study • The report provides an extensive analysis of the current and emerging air scrubber market trends and dynamics. • Depending on product type, the wet segment dominated the market, in terms of revenue in 2020. • By end user industry, the metal processing registered highest revenue in 2020. • Asia-Pacific is projected to register highest growth rate in the coming years. • The report provides an extensive analysis of the current trends and emerging air scrubber market opportunities. • In-depth air scrubber market analysis is conducted by constructing estimations for the key segments between 2021 and 2030. • The key players within the air scrubber market are profiled in this report, and their strategies are analyzed thoroughly, which help understand competitive outlook of the air scrubber industry. Read More Reports: Quick Couplers Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/quick-couplers-market-A166484 Piping Systems Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/piping-systems-market-A47273 Wire Pulling And Tensioning Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/wire-pulling-and-tensioning-market-A53505 Steel Structure Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/steel-structure-market-A238354 Superalloy Melting Equipment Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/superalloy-melting-equipment-market-A26761 Underground Electric Construction Equipment Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/underground-electric-construction-equipment-market-A74389 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports Insights" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. This release was published on openPR.The NFL issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union on Thursday after recent burglaries involving the homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo obtained by the Associated Press, the league says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” Law enforcement officials noted these groups target the homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted. Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood. Burglars have entered through side doors, via balconies, or second-floor windows. They have targeted homes in secluded areas and focus on master bedrooms and closet areas. Players were warned to avoid updating any social media with check-ins or daily activities until the end of the day. Posting expensive items on social media is discouraged. The homes of Mahomes and Kelce were broken into within days of each other last month. The break-ins happened just before and the day of Kansas City’s home victory over the New Orleans Saints. No injuries were reported in either case.MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans went to the polls Sunday for a second round of voting to choose their next president , with the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month's vote . The staid election has turned into a hard-fought race between Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party's candidate, and Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, a coalition of leftist and center-left parties that governed for 15 years until the 2019 victory of center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou . The Broad Front oversaw the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and the sale of marijuana in the small South American nation of 3.4 million people. Orsi's Broad Front took 44% of the vote while Delgado's National Party won 27% in the first round of voting Oct. 27. But other conservative parties that make up the government coalition — in particular, the Colorado Party — notched 20% of the vote collectively, enough to give Delgado an edge over his challenger. Congress ended up evenly split in the October vote. Most polls have shown a virtual tie between Delgado and Orsi, with nearly 10% of Uruguayan voters undecided even at this late stage. Many said they believed turnout would be low if voting weren't compulsory in the country. “Neither candidate convinced me and I feel that there are many in my same situation," said Vanesa Gelezoglo, 31, in the capital, Montevideo, adding she would make up her mind at “the last minute.” Analysts say the candidates' lackluster campaigns and broad consensus on key issues have generated extraordinary indecision and apathy in an election dominated by discussions about social spending and concerns over income inequality but largely free of the anti-establishment rage that has vaulted populist outsiders to power elsewhere . “The question of whether Frente Amplio (the Broad Front) raises taxes is not an existential question, unlike what we saw in the U.S. with Trump and Kamala framing each other as threats to democracy," said Nicolás Saldías, a Latin America and Caribbean senior analyst for the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit. “That doesn't exist in Uruguay.” Both candidates are also appealing to voter angst over a surge in violent crime that has shaken a nation long regarded as one of the region’s safest, with Delgado promising tough-on-crime policies and Orsi advocating a more community-oriented approach. Delgado, 55, a rural veterinarian with a long career in the National Party, campaigned on a vow to continue the legacy of current President Lacalle Pou — in some ways making the election into a referendum on his leadership. He campaigned under the slogan “re-elect a good government." While a string of corruption scandals rattled Lacalle Pou's government last year, the president — who constitutionally cannot run for a second consecutive term — now enjoys high approval ratings and a strong economy expected to grow 3.2% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Inflation has also eased in recent months, boosting his coalition. Delgado served most recently as Secretary of the Presidency for Lacalle Pou and promises to pursue his predecessor's pro-business policies. He would continue pushing for a trade deal with China that has raised hackles in Mercosur, an alliance of South American countries promoting regional commerce. "We have to give the government coalition a chance to consolidate its proposals,” said Ramiro Pérez, a street vendor voting for Delgado on Sunday. Orsi, 57, a former history teacher and two-time mayor from a working-class background, is widely seen as the political heir to iconic former President José “Pepe” Mujica , an ex-Marxist guerilla who raised Uruguay's international profile as one of the region's most socially liberal and environmentally sustainable nations during his 2010-2015 term. “He's my candidate, not only for my sake but also for my children's,” Yeny Varone, a nurse, said of Orsi. “In the future they'll have better working conditions, health and salaries.” Mujica, now 89 and recovering from esophageal cancer , was among the first to cast his ballot after polls opened. “Uruguay is a small country, but it has earned recognition for being stable, for having a citizenry that respects institutional formalities,” he told reporters from his local polling station. “This is no small feat.” While promising to forge a “new left” in Uruguay, Orsi plans no dramatic changes. He proposes tax incentives to lure investment and social security reforms that would lower the retirement age but fall short of a radical overhaul sought by Uruguay's unions. The contentious plebiscite on whether to boost pension payouts failed to pass in October, with Uruguayans rejecting generous pensions in favor of fiscal constraint. Both candidates pledged full cooperation with each other if elected. “I want (Orsi) to know that my idea is to form a government of national unity,” Delgado told reporters after casting his vote in the capital's upscale Pocitos neighborhood. He said that if he won, he and Orsi would chat on Monday over some yerba mate, the traditional herbal drink beloved by Uruguayans. Orsi similarly pledged a smooth and respectful transition of power, describing Sunday's democratic exercise as “an incredible experience" as he voted in Canelones, the sprawling town of beaches and cattle ranches just north of Montevideo where he served as mayor for a decade. “The essence of politics is agreements,” he said. “You never end up completely satisfied.” Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Villa Tunari, Bolivia, contributed to this report.