Suriname rules out state funeral for ex-dictator Bouterse
On the 10th February 1947, Prime Minister Clement Atlee made a historic speech to the Commons chamber stating that India would be granted independence by June the following year. He also confirmed the appointment of Viscount Mountbatten as Viceroy whose responsibilities would be to oversee Britain leaving India and facilitate constitutional self-government. Mountbatten had been a naval commander throughout World War 2 but he found the choppy waters of Indian politics more difficult to navigate. Nehru and Jinnah's adherence to the wishes of their respective parties tested his powers of mediation, ultimately leading to his decision to hasten the Government's exit strategy. In a climate of increasing communal violence and repatriation Mountbatten decreed that the transfer of power and the partition to create the states of India and Pakistan would come into effect on the 15th August. He would remain as Governor-General of India for another tumultuous year before returning to the familiar environs of the Admiralty. The 1947 partition of the Subcontinent divided Punjab into two parts – the West Punjab, belonging to Pakistan and the East Punjab, which became part of India. It was associated with massive violence within the six month time frame, large exchanges of population (approximately ten million), and significant involvement of the government in evacuating and protecting the refugees. The enforced movement of the Hindu, Sikh and Muslim populations of Punjab has been described as by the historians ‘on a scale absolutely unparalleled in the history of the world’. Around five-and-a-half million Muslims migrated to West Punjab, and around four-and-a-half million Hindus and Sikhs moved to east Punjab. Violence is regarded as the main cause of the mass migrations that occurred in Punjab and it became notorious in history as the “bloody battlefield of the Partition whereby far the greatest number of massacres of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims occurred.” According to Ian Talbot, a renowned British historian, "on both sides of the 35-mile-long road between Amritsar and Lahore, there were heaps of corpses. It appeared as if the entire territory had been converted into an extensive graveyard.” Revisiting Lord Mountbatten From A Pakistani Perspective One of the main reasons for the violence was the partition of India into two separate states-India and Pakistan. The issues of transfer of power and partition of India are well known and adequately covered by academic literature. However, it is rarely discussed that what role did the Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, played in the partition. He, as the viceroy of India was given, the duty to peacefully transfer power to Indians and protect the His Majesty Government’s interests in India. This article looks at how and why he materialised this task. The intimate story of a unique partition not only ends the heights of British glamour and power but also descends into infidelity, manipulation, and disaster through the heart of the twentieth century India. Mountbatten, an instrumental figure behind this unparalleled historical trajectory became the last Viceroy of India, in March 1947, with the mandate to hand over ‘the jewel in the crown’ of the British Empire within one year. Mountbatten worked with Nehru, Gandhi and the leader of the Muslim League, Jinnah, to devise a plan for partitioning the empire into two independent sovereign states; India and Pakistan, on 15 August 1947. Dr Chawla argues that it was spectre of violence and insurmountable communal strife that convinced Mountbatten to withdraw from his idea of unity of India and reluctantly accept the partition. Arguably, the creation of Pakistan cannot be solely attributed to the collaboration between Congress and British authorities Professor Muhammad Iqbal Chawla, one of the finest historians in Pakistan is known as a magnetic historiographer of modern South Asia has explored in his work titled Mountbatten, Cabinet Mission and Provincial Boundaries: Insight and Controversies that what is the true story behind controversies such as Indian Partition, the political relations between Mountbatten, Nehru, and Jinnah? Was Mountbatten one of the outstanding leaders of his generation, or a man over-promoted because of his royal birth, high-level connections, film-star looks and ruthless self-promotion? The main objective of the book, as explained by the author, is to present fresh insight into Mountbatten’s decisions regarding the partition of India and their socio-political impact on the state apparatus and society of the two states-India and Pakistan. The books take into account the significant historical events that took place during Mountbatten’s viceroyalty such as outbreak of violence, partition of India and partition of Punjab and Bengal subsequent Radcliff Award and his actions as Indian Governor General regarding Princely States of Jammu and Kashmir. Lahore As It Once Was: Fortress At The Nerve Centre Of An Empire Professor Chawla offers a candid account of Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of British India, reveals his frank, and often astounding, assessment of the events, personalities and issues of the time. He has utilised revelatory documents, primarily Viceroy’s Personal Reports to the Secretary of State for India, and also other interesting documents such as Jinnah Papers detailing his emotional reaction to the draft plan for transfer of power. He argues that the Partition of India was an expedited process that resulted in significant turmoil. Lord Mountbatten had to push for independence, appointing Sir Cyril Radcliffe to draw the boundaries between India and Pakistan. Radcliffe, unfamiliar with the region, was influenced by political pressures, leading to lasting controversy and tragic consequences, affecting millions. Dr Chawla argues that it was spectre of violence and insurmountable communal strife that convinced Mountbatten to withdraw from his idea of unity of India and reluctantly accept the partition. Arguably, the creation of Pakistan cannot be solely attributed to the collaboration between Congress and British authorities. It was, in fact, a response to the prevailing ground realities, which encompassed widespread violence. The author is of the opinion that, amongst others, it was Redcliff Award combined with mass massacres in the result of partition has eventually contributed to the present day rivalry between India and Pakistan relations. Historians hold two divergent perspectives on the role of Mountbatten in the transfer of power process; one group of the historian argues that he implemented the partition plan impartially whereas other group is of the view that he exhibited prejudices against Muslim and engineered an unfair partition plan. Contrary to these two divergent perspectives on the biases of Mountbatten in the transfer of power process, Dr Chawla asserts that Lord Mountbatten tried to become a neutral umpire as he neither exclusively favoured Congress nor vehemently opposed the creation of Pakistan. Further, the author maintains that Mountbatten made sincere efforts, to the best of his abilities, to uphold the position of neutrality without compromising on the economic and political interests of British in South Asia. Tourism: An Industry With Great Potential On communal violence, in contrast to the critics of Mountbatten who portrays Mountbatten as indifferent or ignorant of the pains of violence, Professor Chawla opines that he partially managed to mitigate the riots through Punjab Boundary Force. In other words, he appreciates the role Mountbatten as an overseer of the transfer of power processes. Such appreciation augmented by the documentary evidence differentiates that book from the conventional portrayal of Lord Mountbatten in the nationalist historiography of Pakistan. From British institutional legacy to the South Asian modern politics, from the battlefields of Pakistan Movement to the partition of Indian, Mountbatten, Cabinet Mission and Provincial Boundaries: Insight and Controversies is a rich and classic and a powerful account of Indian partition that reveals the truth behind this historical trajectory. It is first full-length account of the remarkable man, Mountbatten, and the partition legacy. It is useful for all audiences, but voiced towards university students and independent researchers of modern South Asia alike or any citizen who is interested in a concise and authoritative exploration of partition studies.Suddenly defensive Alabama looks to keep rolling against South Dakota StateJamiya Neal's 19 points help Creighton beat UNLV 83-65
Team GB cyclist Katy Marchant falls into crowd and breaks arm after clash with German rivalThe superintendents of police are directly or indirectly involved with extortion in connivance with sub-inspectors or the officer-in-charges of police stations, said Barrister Zillur Rahman, deputy inspector general (DIG) of the Dhaka Traffic and Driving School yesterday. He made this statement at a seminar on "Prevention of Extortion in Bangladesh," organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Social Research Trust. Zillur said if SPs and DIGs are not complicit, extortion could be reduced by 50 percent. He said the focus has mainly been on blaming SIs and OCs for extortion. The police's image is not improving because of senior officers, he said. He further explained that responsibility for the issue is split: 49 percent lie with senior officers, 50 percent with political leaders, and 1 percent with other internal problems. "If senior officers are at least 25 percent effective, the police's image would improve," he said. He also pointed out that political leaders are equally responsible for not addressing the issue. Zillur referenced DB Harun Or Rashid, who received awards despite allegations of killing, due to recommendations from senior officers. M Khurshed Alam, chairman of BISR Trust, who chaired the seminar, revealed that only 25 percent of victims of petty crimes such as mugging or theft in Dhaka report them to the police. "In a survey of 400 people, we found that victims of mugging were often forced to file theft complaints instead," he said. Mamun Or Rashid, deputy commissioner (crime) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said although the police became ineffective after August 5, the situation has improved. He said they had successfully identified crime hotspots and times, and increased patrolling to bring the situation under control. Nazmul Haque, former additional inspector general of police, claimed that police officers are encouraged to use force for the chance to win awards like the Bangladesh Police Medal. He also said corrupt officers are often given the best postings, while honest officers are sidelined. "We have a good system, but it must be followed," he added. The superintendents of police are directly or indirectly involved with extortion in connivance with sub-inspectors or the officer-in-charges of police stations, said Barrister Zillur Rahman, deputy inspector general (DIG) of the Dhaka Traffic and Driving School yesterday. He made this statement at a seminar on "Prevention of Extortion in Bangladesh," organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Social Research Trust. Zillur said if SPs and DIGs are not complicit, extortion could be reduced by 50 percent. He said the focus has mainly been on blaming SIs and OCs for extortion. The police's image is not improving because of senior officers, he said. He further explained that responsibility for the issue is split: 49 percent lie with senior officers, 50 percent with political leaders, and 1 percent with other internal problems. "If senior officers are at least 25 percent effective, the police's image would improve," he said. He also pointed out that political leaders are equally responsible for not addressing the issue. Zillur referenced DB Harun Or Rashid, who received awards despite allegations of killing, due to recommendations from senior officers. M Khurshed Alam, chairman of BISR Trust, who chaired the seminar, revealed that only 25 percent of victims of petty crimes such as mugging or theft in Dhaka report them to the police. "In a survey of 400 people, we found that victims of mugging were often forced to file theft complaints instead," he said. Mamun Or Rashid, deputy commissioner (crime) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said although the police became ineffective after August 5, the situation has improved. He said they had successfully identified crime hotspots and times, and increased patrolling to bring the situation under control. Nazmul Haque, former additional inspector general of police, claimed that police officers are encouraged to use force for the chance to win awards like the Bangladesh Police Medal. He also said corrupt officers are often given the best postings, while honest officers are sidelined. "We have a good system, but it must be followed," he added.
Happy Holidays! As we’ve done the past few years here at Smart Money , we’re going to look “forward” to the next year by looking back at what we’ve talked about this year. But before we get to that, I wanted to deliver a holiday gift to you... a special report featuring my Top 7 Stocks for 2025 that’s free to you just for being an important Smart Money follower. Each one of these stocks capitalizes on one of the powerful megatrends we talk about here. I hope you’ll check that out . And this year, we’ve talked about a technology so powerful that its existence could either herald the end of the world – or, at the very least, the world as we know it – or usher in the beginning of an unprecedented utopia. That development is artificial general intelligence, or AGI. As we’ve only just begun traveling down the path toward AGI, I’d like the revisit a past Smart Money from this year where I answered your most pressing questions. Updates will be provided as needed. This article is from August of this year, titled Answering Your Biggest AGI Questions ... Let’s jump right in... Scientists and other bright minds have put forth a few different timelines as to when they believe AGI will be developed. For example... The truth is that we really don’t know when AGI will become a part of our lives. However, the common denominator here is that the technology is developing fast... and will be upon us soon. AGI is going to impact several industries in ways many folks — including those on Wall Street — have never even considered. They are industries that I also believe everyone should consider investing their capital in right now. I’m talking about data centers, raw materials and metals, energy, software, semiconductor chips, robotics, and healthcare. As AI infiltrates the medical field, the U.S. healthcare industry is on track to grow faster than any other sector in the U.S. economy. Companies are converging with AI to bring about massive amounts of innovation in the healthcare industry. In the biotech sector, for example, AI could revolutionize the economics of drug discovery. First, it could boost the success rates of new therapies by prequalifying potential drug candidates more expertly than traditional trial-and-error processes could. Second, it could reduce the average expense and timeline of advancing these candidates through clinical trials by shortening the drug-development time frame. Today, without AI, it can take more than a decade and over $1 billion to bring a new drug to market. AI could impart a game-changing efficiency to the drug-development process, and thereby shower pharmaceutical companies, in particular, with a pixie dust of enormous prosperity. Collectively, the pharmaceutical industry seems to be banking on the pixie-dust scenario. For example, all 10 of the top holdings in the iShares Biotechnology ETF ( IBB ) are actively integrating some facet of AI into their drug-development processes. Many of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world are paying tens of billions of dollars to snap up promising biotech companies. You could call it a biotech gold rush. The volume of merger-and-acquisition deals in the global healthcare sector surged about 22% last year, according to data provider Dealogic, even though M&A activity across all industries dropped about 23%. I believe that the pharmaceutical industry, in aggregate, will reap handsome rewards from the expansion of AI in healthcare, especially as AGI continues to advance. Overall, I expect AGI to impart fantastic benefits to the healthcare industry. When I say “stealth AI,” I’m usually talking non-tech companies that will adopt and apply AI with the goal of reaping huge gains in efficiency, productivity, and profits. In many old-school industries, like shipping or travel, new AI- and AGI-enabled processes could boost efficiency and fatten profit margins. I consider industries like these to be future-proof, meaning they’re not going anywhere, despite whatever AI and AGI do. And when you put stealth AI to work inside a future-proof industry, you have the potential for both reliable and outsized gains. Artificial intelligence has added a powerful tailwind to platinum demand... a tailwind that AGI will kick in to high gear. At present, electronics and technology end-uses account for only 3% of total platinum demand. However, thanks to AI, the tech sector’s platinum consumption could grow by double digits for several years in a row. According to research from Metals Focus, a boom in demand for AI applications will create an echo boom in demand for the high-specification semiconductors and sensors that enable AI technologies to operate optimally. Much of this next-gen hardware contains platinum. As the World Platinum Investment Council explains... The performance of the myriad of miniature transistors and capacitors embedded into an integrated circuit is enhanced by the deposition of thin platinum films onto semiconductor wafers... These platinum films are created using a technology known as sputtering, where platinum particles are ejected and deposited onto a surface, creating a thin (only a few atomic or molecular layers thick) platinum layer. AI-driven platinum demand could add an additional kicker to any new bull market that emerges. The rise of AGI is also boosting demand for copper, because data centers use enormous amounts of copper for power and cooling systems. Even moderately sized data centers can require several thousand tons of the metal. All this makes copper a very attractive business to be in – for mining companies and investors alike. There were great questions, folks. As AGI develops, the future that lies ahead is not simply a continuation of what has been... it is a complete departure from anything we have ever known. So, I hope you’ve found these answers to your most pressing AGI questions helpful. In fact, we could be months, weeks, or even mere days away from achieving AGI. After that happens, we may reach a point of no return. And I’m tracking this information closely. In fact, you will hear more about my 1,000 day countdown to AGI soon after the new year. It’s a comprehensive look at the most important technological revolution of our lifetime. Finally, one last thing before I go... Regarding the Top 7 Stocks for 2025 free report I shared with you up top... sometimes knowing when buy a stock is just as important as knowing which stock to buy. And my colleagues at TradeSmith have developed a new way potentially double your money, by foreseeing the biggest jumps on 5,000 stocks, to the day , with 83% back-tested accuracy. And on January 8, at 10 a.m., they’ll be unveiling this financial breakthrough during a special free presentation. You can sign up for that here. In short, we’ve developed a breakthrough way to pinpoint dates of the calendar when certain stocks – like the ones in my new report – shoot up – year after year, producing one winning trade after another. Essentially, it tells you what each stock’s “green day” is. On January 8, they’ll explain exactly how this works. And if you sign up to join the guest list for that special event , you’ll receive instant free access to their system. You can try it yourself right now to see the “green day” for 5,000 different stocks. Regards, Eric FryPresident-elect Donald Trump paid tribute to former President Jimmy Carter , who passed away Sunday at the age of 100. What To Know "I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday shortly after news of Carter's death broke. "Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History," Trump wrote. "The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. "Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time," he added. "We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers." This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Suriname rules out state funeral for ex-dictator Bouterse
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Hello Taoiseach Micheál Martin: The winners and losers of the 2024 General ElectionHyderabad: Raghu Vamsi Group , a Hyderabad-based manufacturer of high-precision, life-critical products for aerospace & defence, space, oil & gas, and medical sectors, is investing Rs 300 crore in setting up a new facility spread over eight acres at Hardware Park near the Hyderabad international airport. To be spread over 2 lakh sq ft across three buildings, the integrated R&D, assembly, and manufacturing facility will be equipped with dedicated manufacturing bays for 15 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The facility is expected to be ready for operations by the end of September 2025 and will create around 2,000 jobs over the next three years, Vamsi Vikas, Managing Director, Raghu Vamsi Group, said. The company currently employs over 800 people and has comprehensive in-house design and manufacturing capabilities, including CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, forging, gear manufacturing, electronics assembly, surface coatings, and product testing. Laying the foundation stone for the facility, Telangana IT & industries minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu said the facility will create around 1,200 direct jobs over the next three years. Raghu Vamsi Group, which has beefed up its manufacturing capabilities through strategic partnerships and joint ventures with global industry giants such as ITP Aero of Spain, Rave Gears of the US, Adani Defence, and Part East Robotics, said it will now be able to specialise in three core verticals thanks to its ongoing expansion. These include high-precision contract manufacturing, which includes manufacturing precision parts and assemblies, including aero-engine subassemblies, fuel nozzles, valve actuators, and landing gears for leading aerospace, defence, oil & gas, and medical OEMs such as Boeing, Eaton, Haliburton, GE Healthcare, Collins Aerospace, and others. It will also enable it to build to specification critical sub-assemblies such as rocket motor casings, thrust vector controls, and air bottles for Indian govt agencies like DRDO, ISRO, HAL, and BDL. The company will also be able to manufacture advanced deep technology products such as loitering munitions, unmanned guided vehicles, micro turbojet engines for missiles and UAVs, and target simulators for the Indian defence forces. The Hyderabad-based company has already established itself as a key supplier of critical components for engines that power aircraft such as Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 MAX and also partners with global aerospace giants such as GE Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, Safran, and Honeywell through the supply of precision-engineered components. The company, which has been growing at a CAGR of 35%, has an order book of over Rs 2000 crore and recently acquired UK-based PMC Group to boost its presence in the oil & gas sector.BERNAMA/DPA – The word manifest has been crowned Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2024, a title it earned following widespread use by celebrities like pop star Dua Lipa and gymnast Simone Biles, who credited manifesting as a key to their success. The term has surged in popularity on platforms like TikTok and other social media, leading to nearly 130,000 searches on the Cambridge Dictionary website this year. Editors revealed that this impressive figure made it one of the most-searched words of the year. Publishing Manager for the Cambridge Dictionary Wendalyn Nichols highlighted the growing interest in the term. “Lookups for manifest increased significantly this year,” she explained. “Its use has expanded across various media, reflecting how a word’s meaning evolves over time.” Dua Lipa herself spoke about manifesting her coveted spot as a headliner at the Glastonbury Festival, underscoring the word’s cultural resonance in 2024. Lexicographers said the term “to manifest” has evolved to be used in the sense of “to imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen”. Author of The Psychology of Misinformation and Professor of Social Psychology at Cambridge University Dr Sander van der Linden cautioned that the idea of manifesting success has no scientific validity. PHOTO: ENVATO PHOTO: ENVATO “Manifesting is what psychologists call ‘magical thinking’ or the general illusion that specific mental rituals can change the world around us,” he said. “Manifesting gained tremendous popularity during the pandemic on TikTok with billions of views, including the popular 3-6-9 method which calls for writing down your wishes three times in the morning, six times in the afternoon and nine times before bed. “This procedure promotes obsessive and compulsive behaviour with no discernible benefits. “But can we really blame people for trying it, when prominent celebrities have been openly ‘manifesting’ their success? “‘Manifesting’ wealth, love, and power can lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment. “Think of the dangerous idea that you can cure serious diseases simply by wishing them away. “There is good research on the value of positive thinking, self-affirmation, and goal-setting. “Believing in yourself, bringing a positive attitude, setting realistic goals, and putting in the effort pays off because people are enacting change in the real world. “However, it is crucial to understand the difference between the power of positive thinking and moving reality with your mind – the former is healthy, whereas the latter is pseudoscience.” The oldest sense of the word manifest – which English poet Geoffrey Chaucer spelled as “manyfest” in the 14th Century – is the adjective meaning “easily noticed or obvious”. In the mid-1800s, this adjective sense was used in American politics in the context of “manifest destiny”, the belief that American settlers were clearly destined to expand across North America. Chaucer also used the oldest sense of the verb “manifest”, “to show something clearly, through signs or actions”. Shakespeare used manifest as an adjective in The Merchant of Venice: “For it appears, by manifest proceeding, that...thou hast contrived against the very life of the defendant.” The verb is still used frequently in this way: for example, people can manifest their dissatisfaction, or symptoms of an illness can manifest themselves. Lack of confidence in a company can manifest itself through a fall in share price. The meaning of making something clear is reflected in the related noun “manifesto”: a “written statement of the beliefs, aims, and policies of an organisation, especially a political party”.
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Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Tech review: Earbuds and phones for those on your holiday list