New Delhi – In the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India has restricted access to the Instagram accounts of several prominent Pakistani cricketers. The accounts of Pakistan cricket team captain Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf have been made inaccessible within India.
Just a day earlier, the Instagram account of Pakistani javelin thrower and Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem was also blocked in India.
When users attempt to access these profiles, a message appears stating that the content is not available in India due to legal requests related to content regulation.
Previously, India had also blocked the YouTube channels of former Pakistani cricketers such as Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, and Basit Ali.
New Delhi: Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, not only has Pakistan intensified provocations along the border, but hacker groups backed by the country have also attempted to infiltrate Indian websites. On Thursday, there was an attempt to attack various websites under the Ministry of Defence. The ministry confirmed that the Pakistani cyber plot was successfully thwarted.
Hacker groups such as ‘HOAX1337’ and ‘National Cyber Crew’ were reportedly behind the attempt. They targeted websites of Army Public Schools in Jammu, a portal providing healthcare information for retired soldiers, the Army Institute of Hotel Management, and the Indian Air Force Veterans portal. The hackers allegedly planned to spread messages mocking the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack via these sites.
A similar attempt was made last week, prompting Indian authorities to bolster cybersecurity. Reports also suggest that apart from Pakistan, there are ongoing attempts to launch cyberattacks from regions like the Middle East, Indonesia, and Morocco. The Maharashtra Cyber Department has recorded over one million attempted cyberattacks on Indian systems following the Pahalgam incident.
The Defence Ministry remarked that such actions reflect Pakistan’s mindset and warned that the country should not test India’s patience.
Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Vizhinjam International Port to the nation in a grand ceremony held at the port. Speaking in Malayalam, the Prime Minister highlighted the project’s benefits and economic potential, stating, “The nation’s wealth will now stay within the nation, ensuring economic stability for Kerala and India.”
A Pillar of Developed India
PM Modi emphasized that port cities are central to the vision of a developed India. Through collaboration between the central and state governments, the Vizhinjam port has become a reality. He humorously remarked that Gautam Adani, who led the project, might face “displeasure from Gujaratis” for building such a massive port in Kerala.
Political Remarks and Satire
In his speech, Modi indirectly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while praising Adani. Key INDIA alliance leaders, including Pinarayi Vijayan and Shashi Tharoor, were present at the event. Modi mocked a statement by Ports Minister VN Vasavan, who called Adani a “partner,” saying, “It’s a positive change when a communist minister welcomes private investment.”
Kerala’s Development Initiatives
The Prime Minister noted that the Kollam and Alappuzha bypasses were swiftly completed by the central government. He also highlighted priority given to fishermen. Praising Kerala’s harmonious culture, Modi recalled the participation of the President and Minister George Kurian in a ceremony for the Pope, adding that he had the privilege of meeting the Pope multiple times. He concluded, “Let us build Kerala together. Jai Kerala, Jai Bharat!”
Notable Attendees
The event was attended by Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, Union Ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurian, MPs Shashi Tharoor and John Brittas, MLA M Vincent, and Mayor Arya Rajendran, among others.
Political Controversies
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the central government, claiming its contribution was limited to the VGF fund. He asserted that the Vizhinjam project was a state government achievement. His failure to mention former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy sparked controversy. Congress leaders labeled the commissioning a “political stunt” and criticized the exclusion of the Leader of Opposition.
Vriddhi Vishal, the young actress from movies like 2018, Identity, Kaduva, and Sara’s, is back with a new project. Loved for her dance videos on social media, Vriddhi is now part of a short film called Adavi. On her birthday, the film’s team shared a poster announcing her role.
Adavi, which means “forest,” is a story set in the wild. It shows that forests are not just scary but also caring and magical. The film will be made in five languages: Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi. An earlier poster for the film was already released.
The film is directed by Rahul K Shaji, who made popular short films like Kuliseen and Mattoru Kadavil. It is produced by Amal Gopalkrishnan under Kailasam Dreamworks. Rahul Raj is the music composer, and actor Ahmed Siddique wrote the story, script, and dialogues.
Bilahari is the editor, Rajesh Subramanyam is the cinematographer, and Sujith Designs created the poster. Nakul K Shaji, Nandu Nandan, Anoop Sukumaran, and Sundarlal Thiruvegapura helped with creative work. Aamir Vis and Jeena Anoop advised on wildlife filming, Prashobh K V managed production, and Jishnu Kailas took still photos.
Adavi will show the beauty and wonder of nature and is an exciting project to watch out for.
Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the capital city for the commissioning of the first phase of the Vizhinjam International Port. Landing at around 8:00 AM, he proceeded to the Raj Bhavan by road. In connection with the Prime Minister’s visit, stringent security measures have been put in place across Thiruvananthapuram. Approximately 1,000 police personnel have been deployed in and around Vizhinjam and the city since yesterday.
Tomorrow morning at 10:15 AM, the Prime Minister will travel to Vizhinjam by helicopter . Upon arriving at 10:30 AM, he will welcome the mother ship MSC Celestino Marasca. Following a tour of the port, he will participate in a public meeting. He is scheduled to depart from Thiruvananthapuram by 12:30 PM.
The inauguration ceremony is expected to draw around 10,000 attendees. Large LED screens have been set up for the public to view the event. The Vizhinjam Port is anticipated to be a milestone in Kerala’s economic development.
Thiruvananthapuram: Protruding teeth will no longer be considered a disqualification for government jobs that involve selection based on physical fitness tests. This decision was taken in a recent cabinet meeting.
The exemption applies specifically to uniformed posts in departments such as Home Affairs, Forest and Wildlife, Transport, and Excise. The cabinet decided to remove disqualification based solely on the presence of protruding teeth for these roles.
This move comes after receiving numerous complaints from candidates who were otherwise qualified but were rejected due to dental conditions. The government has now granted permission to amend the relevant provisions in the special rules of the respective departments.
Bengaluru: Three police officers have been suspended in connection with the death of a Malayali youth following a mob attack in Mangaluru. The suspended officers are Mangaluru Rural Police Station Inspector Shivakumar, Head Constable Chandra, and Constable Yallayinka.
The suspension follows allegations that the police delayed in taking the injured youth, Ashraf, to the hospital after he was beaten and left lying on the road. Reportedly, the body remained on the roadside covered with a tarpaulin sheet for nearly two hours.
Initially, the incident was reported as an unnatural death. However, only after three days was a case registered under mob lynching charges.
Ashraf, a native of Wayanad, was allegedly attacked and killed by a mob after being accused of shouting pro-Pakistan slogans.
So far, 19 people have been charged in connection with the mob violence, and 15 arrests have been made. According to police, the attack was led by a local resident named Sachin from Kudupu.
Kochi: In a setback for the Forest Department in the tiger tooth case, the Perumbavoor Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court has observed that there is no prima facie evidence against rapper Vedan.
The court made the observation while considering Vedan’s bail application.
It was noted that it has not yet been determined whether the tiger tooth in the chain is genuine. The item has currently been sent for scientific examination. The court also pointed out in the bail order that Vedan has no prior involvement in similar offenses.
Kochi: Following the arrest of Kochi Corporation employee Swapna in a bribery case, the Vigilance Department conducted a raid at the Kochi Corporation office. Vigilance officials stated that all documents in the office would be thoroughly examined. They also mentioned that all building permits approved by Swapna would come under scrutiny.
Swapna was arrested on Wednesday by the Vigilance team while allegedly accepting a bribe for issuing a building permit. She had demanded ₹15,000 from a resident of Vyttila in Kochi for granting the permit. Due to widespread complaints of bribery in various zonal offices of the Kochi Corporation, Swapna had been under Vigilance surveillance.
The building permit application was submitted by the Kochi resident in January. However, Swapna kept delaying the process citing various reasons. Eventually, she allegedly told the applicant that the permit would only be issued if money was paid. The Vyttila resident then approached the Vigilance.
Acting on their instructions, Swapna was caught red-handed while accepting the money on her way to Thrissur with her family. The case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
New Delhi: The Army has arrested a Bihar native on charges of spying after taking money from a Pakistani woman. The arrestee has been identified as Sunil (26), a native of Bihar. It has been found that he had passed on information about the military area to the Pakistani woman.
Investigation has also revealed that the Pakistani woman had paid Sunil for this. The Army was monitoring the WhatsApp chats of the Pakistani nationals.
