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Modi's aura is tarnished by India's Instagram generation Z ahead of state elections
Narendra Modi posted a rare video of himself, saying he was sorry for their suffering and promised to take remedial measures. The late-night video posted on Instagram by CJP, which had amassed 22 million mostly Gen Z followers within a few days in May, did not satisfy the thousands who had gathered to protest in central Delhi and braved the massive police crackdown a couple of days before. The education minister resigned on Saturday in response to the main protesters' demand. This was a rare setback for Modi. Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as Education Minister is a major victory for the CJP. Their young supporters openly mocked Modi with raps, posters and graffiti. This was an unthinkable event only a few weeks ago in a nation whose politics have been dominated almost exclusively by Modi ever since he took power in 2014. Sanjay Srivastava is an anthropology professor from SOAS University of London. He said that a large number of those who attended the protest were likely his supporters. "What could be interpreted as an achievement is that a wider cross-section now questions the government." A wider group of people are now questioning the notion that the government is good for the nation. Analysts said that the protests were sparked by a leaked "medical entrance exam". But there are also other issues. These include youth unemployment, and fears among young people that AI might take away their jobs at places like India's IT back offices. Amitabh T. Tiwari, a political analyst, said that the paper leak was a "trigger point". It is "largely" a reflection on the anxiety, nervousness and discontent among youth. Rajnath Singh, Modi's senior colleague in the cabinet, said that "understanding our students' real concerns and addressing them quickly is the top priority of government". GOVERNMENT IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH GEN Z, SAYS ANALYST Tiwari stated that Indians between 18 and 40 years old make up approximately 40% of the population, but only 10% of the seats in lower house parliament. This is down from the more than double the number of seats they held in 1950. The average age of the cabinet is over 60. The CJP, though not a political group, has tried to take advantage of the opportunity they saw in the recent protests against Modi by taking up their cause. Next year, Modi's state Gujarat and the state with the highest population of Uttar Pradesh could see the first test of youth anger. Both Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat are run by the BJP. Modi's biggest risk could be the national elections of 2029 if the CJP becomes a political party. Abhijeet Dimple, its founder, said that no decision has been taken yet about joining electoral politics. Analysts claim that young voters have voted mainly along religious or class lines in the past, resulting in a vote for Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. But things could be changing. A Gen Z actor, who ran for his party and was allied with the opposition parties, was elected as chief minister of Tamil Nadu in the southern state. His Instagram-first fanbase propelled him to victory. Anurag Minus verma, an author, said: "This has been a moment for reckoning for Modi. It shows that he is completely out of touch with the wants of Gen Z." "For many years, the BJP’s digital strategy focused on platforms such as X where most of the political?conversation occurred. Instagram is now the place where people are talking about politics, especially among young users. The BJP has 23 million followers on X and 18 million on Facebook, while Modi's personal followers are massive, ranging between 60 and 107 millions. Modi has between 60 to 107 million followers across all social media platforms. The BJP only has 18 million followers on Facebook and 23 million on X. Santosh Desai, a columnist, said: "You have to be authentic on Instagram." "Pre-laboured and carefully massaged messages will not work. This medium was developed by this generation, and it is what it is today because of this generation. This generation does not reverence the past." Modi's government has been resisting the pressure to sack ministers for a decade. Modi had to face protests from Indian farmers for almost a year in order to repeal controversial farm laws. Tiwari stated that "a leader who is willing to listen will do well in the future." Modi wants to demonstrate this. Reporting by Tora Aggarwala in New Delhi and Krishna N. Das Editing by Gareth Jones
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Flooding and torrential rains are possible in Southern China following the landfall of Noul
Typhoon Noul hit southern China early Sunday morning, bringing torrential rainfall and gale force winds to the province of Guangdong and Hong Kong. Authorities warned that heavy rains and storms would continue until Tuesday. Noul is the 12th tropical storm of the year, and the third one to strike China in this month. Authorities said that it has forced more than 700,000. people to relocate in Guangdong Province. Noul, China's strongest typhoon in 2026 so far, hit the coast of Huidong County in the southern Guangdong Province at 3:50 am Saturday (1950 GMT) as a powerful typhoon. State broadcaster CCTV said that as the storm moves inland, it will bring heavy rain and strong winds to southern provinces, including Jiangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi. The rainfall is likely to continue 'until Tuesday. The National Meteorological Centre predicted heavy to torrential rainfall from Sunday to 8:00 am Monday in much of southern China. Extremely heavy to extraordinary downpours are expected in certain areas, including southern Fujian. The highest level of alert was placed in several provinces for flash flooding. Local governments should pay special attention to construction sites, mountain-river areas, valleys and bridges. Hong Kong's?Observatory reported on Sunday that the typhoon was weakening while it moved further inland. It also noted that gale-force southwesterly wind continues to?affect parts of the city. The authorities in the Asian financial center downgraded Typhoon Signal No. 8 to Signal No. At 12:40 p.m. on Sunday, authorities in the Asian financial hub downgraded Typhoon Signal No. 3 at 12:40 pm on Sunday. The storm alert was raised to the second highest Typhoon Signal No. 9 overnight. The storm was only 80 miles (50 km) from Hong Kong when it passed. The Hong Kong airport authorities announced that flight operations will slowly resume on Sunday afternoon, after being suspended in large part for over 12 hours.
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Southern China is soaked as Typhoon Noul hits land
Typhoon Noul hit southern China early on Sunday, bringing with it 'heavy rains and gale force winds in the Guangdong province and neighbouring Hong Kong. This led to the cancellation of flights at Hong Kong International Airport. Noul, or the glow of sunrise in Korean, is the third typhoon to hit China in this month and the 12th in the Pacific this year. Authorities said that it has forced more than 340,000 people to relocate in Guangdong Province. Hong Kong's?Observatory reported on Sunday that the typhoon was weakening while it moved further inland. It added that strong?gales continued to affect?much? of the city. The Observatory has issued an Amber Rainstorm Warning due to heavy rains and warned residents of flash floods. The Observatory said that rain exceeding 30 mm an hour (1.2 inches) has fallen, and it is expected to continue. The Asian financial hub upgraded the storm alert from Typhoon Signal No. 9 to Typhoon Signal No. Early on Sunday, as the storm approached Hong Kong within 80 km (50 miles), authorities in the Asian financial hub raised the alert to Typhoon?Signal No. At 7:10 am Saturday morning (2310 GMT), the storm was downgraded to Signal?No. Typhoon 'Signal?No. The observatory said that the Typhoon?Signal No. 8, which closes most businesses and transport routes, would be in effect until at least noon. The airport authorities have announced that flight operations will resume gradually after Sunday evening at 6:00 pm.
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Iran claims that a Ukrainian vessel attacked in the Caspian Sea has killed a sailor
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned on Saturday an attack by Ukraine on a commercial Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea. It said that a resulting explosion killed one sailor and injured another. Throughout the Ukraine war, Kyiv had to combat drones designed by Iran that were deployed by Moscow. Kyiv offers its drone intercepting expertise to Middle East countries that have been hit by?Iran. Tehran called the attack on the Iranian vessel an act of aggression, and said it would defend national security and interests. It also accused Kyiv of trying to escalate the conflict in Ukraine. The Iranian denial coincided with the comments of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who said that Kyiv noted Russia's passing on of its'satellite observation in?the Middle East' to Iran in order to allow it to direct attacks in the region. Zelenskiy said earlier that Ukraine's military forces had struck a Russian ship and vessels transporting military cargo with ties to Iran in the Caspian Sea. In a series of?remarks on X, the Ukrainian president said that Kyiv has been recording since July 1 "active Russian satellite monitoring of the gulf states and U.S. Military facilities there." These images then appear in Iran." Zelenskiy stated that "there is a correlation between the Russian satellite imagery of the sites and the Iranian strikes - both before they were launched, as a 'preparation,' and afterwards, when assessing the damage done." He claimed that on July 19 and 20, he had observed four air bases, two in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. Reporting by Enas Alashray in Cairo, Editing by Ron Popeski and Rod Nickel
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Houthis attack Saudi oil sites, but no US strikes on Iran for the first time in two-weeks
Yemen's Houthi militants, who are aligned with Iran, fired on Saudi oil facilities in two ports along the Red Sea Coast on Saturday. However, the U.S. did not launch air strikes against Iran for the first time in two weeks. Washington did not explain why it abruptly stopped a 13-night streak of escalating attacks in retaliation of Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz after an interim agreement to end hostilities failed. Hossein Kirmanpour, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, said on X: "It appears that our dear Iran enjoyed a peaceful sleep last night." No reports were made on Saturday about attacks by Iran against its Gulf neighbours like the ones that have been reported daily as a response to U.S. strikes. Axios cited two unidentified people familiar with the issue to report that Donald Trump had instructed the military on Friday not to launch any new attacks against Iran. The Pentagon and White House didn't?return any messages seeking comments on the pause of air strikes or the Axios Report. Trump stated on Friday that the U.S. was in talks with Iran to end their conflict but reiterated that Tehran wasn't ready to make a deal. The Gulf is quiet, but the fighting between Iran's Houthi and Saudi Arabia could indicate that the conflict, which has already disrupted the energy supply through the Strait Of Hormuz and Yemen's civil war, will spread to another major shipping route. WAR THREATENS SPREADING TO YEMEN Yahya Saree, the Houthi's military spokesperson, said that the group had struck successfully sites owned by Saudi Aramco at Jizan and Yanbu. A video shared on social media, and confirmed by, showed a column of smoke rising in the direction of Aramco's refinery in Jizan. Two Asia-based sources reported that they were informed of "potential damage" to the fuel and oil storage facilities at Jizan. Aramco has not responded to requests for comments. According to Greek security sources, in Yanbu, two missiles fired at oil installations by the Greek army were intercepted using a Patriot battery made by the U.S. military and operated by it in Saudi Arabia under an agreement signed with Riyadh. Yanbu, Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port, is where millions of barrels of oil are loaded every day. It has also become the main route for Saudi oil to bypass the Strait of Hormuz which Iran has blocked. Jizan is a Red Sea refinery that can produce 400,000 barrels of oil per day. It's located near the Yemeni border. Yemeni officials reported that the air force of Saudi-backed and internationally recognised government in Yemen, which has been fighting the Houthis since more than a century, had?struck Houthi launch sites for missiles and drones and weapons depots' in the Marib ad al-Jawf Provinces. The Saudi-led alliance had earlier claimed that it bombed Houthi positions in the Red Sea Port of Hodeidah on Friday. Officials in Yemen said that both sides of the civil war in Yemen are mobilising their forces on the front. SAUDI?COALITION ATTACKS HODEIDAH Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab coalition fighting against the Houthis since more than a century, when the fighters aligned with Iran captured Yemen's capital Sanaa. Since 2022, the Yemeni civil war has been on hold. During this time, hundreds of thousands of people have died in fighting and from famine. This truce ended this month when the Houthis joined the larger war that their Iranian allies are waging since they were attacked by Israel and the U.S. Houthis have declared a naval blocade against Saudi Arabia in the last week. Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Houthi leader, said that all Saudi oil installations could be targeted. Brent crude oil prices rose above $100 per barrel this week for the first since May. Trump said on Friday that he would "impose major military punishment" against Tehran and the Houthis, after they attacked two Saudi tankers at the Red Sea. Two weeks ago, an interim truce intended to end the war collapsed when U.S. forces struck targets in southern Iran as a response to Iranian disruption of the shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has recently threatened to expand the list of targets, including Iran's bridges and energy plants, to send ground forces into its oil hub, Kharg Island. He also said he would bomb Pickaxe Mountain, a nuclear-linked deep-underground site. Trump, however, said on Friday that he hadn't yet decided whether to launch any major new strikes.
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Kremlin calls attacks on Kazakhstan's Caspian Pipeline Consortium terrorism
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, was quoted on Saturday as saying that the suspected Ukrainian attacks on facilities connected to 'Kazakhstan Caspian Pipeline Consortium' amounted "energy terrorism", aimed at Kazakhstan and Russia. Kazakhstan announced on Thursday that it had cut oil production after suspected Ukrainian drone strikes forced the CPC-operated Black Sea export terminal to close. Peskov was quoted by RIA as saying: "This is clear energy (terrorism), this is what they are doing in 'the Black Sea, in 'the Sea of Azov". These are terrorist acts, international terrorist acts, which could be extremely dangerous. RIA reported that he said the attacks were aimed at the United States because 'the consortium has a U.S. shareholder. The suspension of the CPC pipeline's loadings, which exports a little over 2% of world oil, is adding to the global oil worries already exacerbated by the war in Iran, which has disrupted Saudi Arabian and other Gulf producers. (Reporting and Editing by Louise Heavens).
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Modi's aura is tarnished by India's Instagram generation Z ahead of state elections
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a rare video of himself, expressing his pain at the suffering of India's Cockroach Janta Party leaders. He promised to take remedial measures. The video posted late Thursday night?on Instagram where CJP had amassed 22 millions mainly Gen Z fans in just a few days in May was not enough for the thousands of demonstrators who gathered in central Delhi and braved an intense police crackdown a couple of days before, inspiring protests throughout the country. The education minister resigned on Saturday in response to the main protesters' demand. This was a rare setback for Modi. Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as Education Minister is a major victory for the CJP. Their young supporters openly mocked Modi with raps, posters and graffiti. This was an unthinkable event only a few weeks ago in a nation whose politics have been dominated almost exclusively by Modi ever since he took power in 2014. Sanjay Srivastava is an anthropology professor from SOAS University of London. He said that a large number of those who attended the protest were likely his supporters. "What could be interpreted as an achievement is that a much wider cross-section is now questioning the government. A wider group of people are now questioning the notion that the government is good for the nation. Analysts said that the protests were sparked by a leaked exam for medical entrance. But there are also other issues, including youth unemployment, and fears among young people that AI might take away their jobs at places like India's IT back offices. Amitabh TIwari, a political analyst, said that the paper leak was a "trigger point". It is largely the result of the "anxiety, nerves, discontentment, frustration, and anger" among youth. Rajnath Singh, Modi's senior Ministerial Colleague, said that the Government's "top priorities remain to understand and address our students' concerns promptly, as well as ensure they are aware of their voices being heard". GOVERNMENT IS OUT OF TOUCH with what Gen?Z wants, analyst says Tiwari stated that Indians between 18 and 40 years old make up approximately 40% of the population, but only 10% of seats are held in the lower chamber of Parliament, a decrease from the more than doubled number in 1950. The average age of the cabinet is over 60. The CJP, though not a political group, has tried to take advantage of the opportunity they saw in the recent protests against Modi by supporting the students' cause. Next year, the first test of youth anger will be the elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Modi’s home state Gujarat. Both Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are run by the BJP. If the CJP becomes a political party, the biggest risk to?Modi would be the national elections in 2029. Abhijeet Dimple, its founder, said that no decision has been taken yet about joining electoral politics. Analysts claim that young voters have voted largely along religious or class lines in the past, which has benefited Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Things may be changing. A Gen Z actor, who ran for his party and was allied with the opposition parties, was elected as chief minister of Tamil Nadu in the southern state. His Instagram-first fan base was a major factor. Anurag Minus verma, an author, said: "This is a moment of reckoning for Modi. It shows that he's completely out of touch with Gen Z." "For many years, the BJP’s digital strategy has been centered on platforms such as X, where most of the political discussion took place. But the conversation is increasingly moving to Instagram, especially among younger users. The BJP, which claims to be the largest political party in the world, has only 10 million Instagram fans in the last few years. This is less than half of what the CJP achieved in a matter of days. The BJP is followed by 23 million people on X, and 18 million people on Facebook. Modi has a massive following on all three platforms, ranging between 60 and 107 millions. Santosh Desai, a columnist, said: "You must have a certain authenticity to use Instagram." "Pre-laboured and carefully massaged messages will not work. This medium was developed by this generation, and it is what it is today because of them. "This generation does not reverence anything." Modi's government has been resisting the pressure to sack ministers for a decade. Modi had to face protests from Indian farmers for almost a year in order to repeal controversial farm laws. Tiwari stated that "a leader who is willing to listen will do well in the future." Modi wants to demonstrate this. Reporting by Tora Aggarwala in New Delhi and Krishna N. Das Editing by Gareth Jones
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Indian Education Minister resigns as a major victory for youth protesters
Dharmendra Pradhan, the Indian Education Minister, announced on Saturday that he had resigned. This was a major victory for 'youth protesters across India who demanded he resign to accept responsibility for leaks of examination papers. Police fired tear gas at 'young protesters' in New Delhi just hours before their leaders planned to hold another round of discussions with ministers. "Considering the?situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar, and throughout the country so that anti-national... Pradhan said in his blog that he had "sent my resignation letter" to the Prime Minister. "I deeply appreciate the feelings, aspirations and legitimate expectations of youth in this country." As the news spread, thousands of protesters in central Delhi and elsewhere erupted into cheers. The federal authorities have limited access to the Internet and '18 metro stations in order to curb the "protest" in the capital. The anger has been boiling since the police injured many students on Monday, using baton charges and tear gas to disperse protesters who were marching towards parliament. The protests are mainly led by youth and triggered by their discontent with the 'leakage of question papers' for high-stakes exams. They reflect anger about job shortages, corruption, and government accountability.
Romania shoots down a third Russian drone as the president declares breaches to be 'intolerable.'
The Romanian defence ministry announced on Sunday that an F-16 fighter jet pilot had shot down a Russian drone over the Black Sea. This was the latest in a string of airspace violations by NATO members, which?President Nicusor Dan deemed "inadmissible" and "intolerable".
Romania shares a land border of 650 km (400 miles) with Ukraine, and Russian drones repeatedly violated Romania's airspace throughout the four-year Ukraine conflict. Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian ports located across the Danube River.
Romania hadn't destroyed any drones before Friday, when a Romanian was able to safely bring down one in an uninhabited region. Three drones have been destroyed in the last few days.
Dan wrote in X Sunday that it was "inadmissible" and "intolerable" for the Russian Federation continue to violate Romania's airspace. This is also NATO and European Union airspace.
He said: "Such acts are unacceptable and we treat them seriously, along with our allies."
Moscow has not yet made any public comments on the incident.
ROMANIA SUMMITS?RUSSIAN ambassador OVER AIRSPACE BREACHES
NATO said that additional details about Sunday's incident are being investigated.
"The shootdowns are occurring as NATO, Romania and other nations acquire ground-based interceptors in order to enhance the allied and national capabilities of air defence," said U.S. Army Col. Martin O'Donnell. He is a spokesperson for NATO's Military Headquarters.
Dan said that Romania identified the drone used on Friday as a Shahed type unmanned aerial vehicle, which is commonly used by Russian forces. Dan also stated that investigations were still ongoing into those who were shot down Saturday and Sunday.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry said that it summoned Russia's ambassador "following repeated violations". Ilie Bolojan, the Prime Minister of Romania, called these violations "inacceptable".
The defence ministry said that the drone was safely shot down in the incident on Sunday, 12 km north-east of the coastal town of Sulina, above territorial waters.
"Romania is committed to protecting its airspace and sovereignty, but we must put an end to these provocations," said Radu?Miruta, Romanian Minister of Defence on Facebook.
According to the defence ministry, Russian drones have violated national airspace 33 times without permission since the start of war. This includes Sunday's violation.
The prosecution has recovered fragments from the drone that was shot down on Friday but is still searching for the pieces of the other two.
Romania's chief of army said on Friday that Russian attacks in the area around Odesa, Ukraine, had intensified ahead of harvest season. This increased pressure on vital energy and trade routes along the Black Sea. (Reporting and editing by Joe Bavier, Alan Charlish, Luiza Ilie)
(source: Reuters)