The Straits Times World
중도 성향
기타
Priest who said aliens were demons removed as exorcist for Washington
The archdiocese did not elaborate on which church teaching the priest had undermined.
"ELABORATE" · 총 39건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 86,997건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.2(균형)입니다. 긍정 4,284건(4.9%)·중립 80,574건(92.6%)·부정 2,139건(2.5%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 14.9(중도 균형)입니다.
The archdiocese did not elaborate on which church teaching the priest had undermined.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday “categorically rejected” India’s remarks regarding upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), calling them “baseless” and part of a “carefully choreographed attempt to conflate fact with fiction”. General elections in GB are scheduled for Sunday (June 7), after a four-month delay attributed to harsh winter weather. The PPP and other political parties have staged a series of rallies across the region and ramped up efforts to garner support ahead of the polls. In a statement, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Tahir Andarabi said India remained in “illegal occupation of the internationally recognised disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” and termed New Delhi a “global leader in propagating fake narratives and tendentious propaganda”. “We unequivocally reject this latest Indian rhetoric with the contempt it deserves,” the statement said. New Delhi, in a statement issued by its foreign ministry earlier on Friday, objected to the upcoming elections in GB, claiming that “the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the so-called ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’, are integral and inalienable parts of India”. Reiterating Islamabad’s position, the FO said the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was the longest unresolved item on the UN Security Council agenda and originated from India’s “forcible and unlawful occupation” of the state in 1947. The only just and durable settlement, it added, lay in implementing relevant UNSC resolutions guaranteeing the Kashmiri people their “inalienable right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices”. The statement further said that said India’s “unfounded assertions” on GB could not divert attention from “grave and systematic human rights violations” in India-occupied Kashmir. The FO elaborated that Indian forces enjoy impunity under “draconian laws” and termed it “state terrorism” against unarmed Kashmiris. Pakistan called on India to vacate all occupied territories, reverse “all illegal and unilateral actions” taken in occupied Kashmir since August 5, 2019, and repeal draconian laws. Islamabad also urged New Delhi to allow access to neutral observers, international human rights and humanitarian organisations, and the international media to ascertain the situation on the ground. “India must also enable the Kashmiri people to exercise their right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the statement read. Earlier this year, a minister of the caretaker setup in the region, Ghulam Abbas, rejected what he termed Indian propaganda, saying the people of GB have always been loyal to Pakistan and have consistently struggled to become a formal part of the country. Speaking at the ‘Meet the Press’ programme at the National Press Club, it was highlighted that Gilgit-Baltistan separated from India without major violence, as the people of the region voluntarily chose to hoist the Pakistani flag. “The Indian propaganda and the statements of Narendra Modi claiming that the people of GB are protesting against Pakistan to join India have become a laughing stock in the region,” Abbas said, adding that “this narrative is not even being accepted by the international community.”
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Mumbai: It is India's fourth biggest company by revenue, but the managing director of precious metals trader Rajesh Exports (REL) apparently doesn't know how and from where it gets the biggest chunk of the revenue, show the findings of a regulatory investigation.In its investigation report, the Securities and Exchange Board of India observed allegedly unscrupulous activities by REL's promoters, such as accounting irregularities and siphoning off of company funds into personal accounts, and also pointed out lapses by its auditors. The regulator said the company and its auditors were non-cooperative."The acts of REL constitute a deliberate device, scheme and artifice to mislead and defraud investors dealing in the shares of REL by portraying an inflated and misleading picture of its operational scale, revenue and financial health," Sebi observed in its report.The company, eponymously named after its chairman Rajesh Mehta, is accused of committing an elaborate financial fraud that includes dressing-up of revenues of ₹15.15 lakh crore over the years, personal gold trades covered up as corporate sales and phoney gold mine investments of ₹1,035 crore, according to the interim report.REL denied the charges of misdeeds. In a press release Thursday, the company said the revenues stated in its financials were correct and that the confusion arose because of a mix-up between Ebitda and revenue numbers at Swiss refiner Valcambi SA, an indirect subsidiary.Sebi has not made any adverse observation with regard to earnings, the company said, claiming that the regulator has only observed suspicion with regard to revenues which was primarily because of confusion over the Valcambi numbers.Numbers don't add upIn fiscal 2025, REL reported consolidated revenue of ₹4.23 lakh crore against a profit after tax of just ₹95 crore, translating into a net margin of barely 0.02%. The year before, on ₹2.8 lakh crore revenue, profit was ₹336 crore.Experts who have studied the Sebi report and the company's annual reports say the numbers did not add up. The business appeared to be operating at margins that were not merely thin but structurally negligible, they said."It looks like a case of pass-through accounting. There is no value creation. It was 'flow of gold' being booked as revenue," said a leading auditor on the condition of anonymity.Sebi, which began the investigations in March 2024 following a shareholder complaint about suspected accounting malpractices, said it found that about 97-99% of REL's consolidated revenues were attributed to its overseas subsidiaries, principally Valcambi. But Valcambi's own accounts, audited by KPMG SA, recorded only processing fees that were about ₹3,027 crore across five years.Valcambi refined gold on behalf of clients and never took ownership of the precious metal or recognised the value of gold as revenue in its books. Yet, Global Gold Refineries AG (GGR), the parent of Valcambi that had no independent operating business, recorded gross revenues running into hundreds of crores by including the gross value of gold that actually belonged to others, according to the Sebi report.Rajesh Exports, which owns GGR through a Singapore subsidiary, used those unaudited figures in its financial statements, significantly bumping up the company's revenue, it said.In its press release, REL said: "The core observation in the order is with regard to the misreporting of the revenues. This has emerged primarily due to confusion because Sebi has considered the Ebitda of Valcambi instead of revenue hence it has stated that there is a difference of about 97% in the revenue.""There is no reason for any listed entity to inflate revenue and maintain the earnings, this will only reduce the margins of the company, which would be adverse to the company," it said.Senior management in the darkThe senior management of REL told regulators that most of them were in the dark about the company's overseas operations and only the promoter, Rajesh Mehta, dealt with those activities."Valcambi SA does not have any gold mine on its own," managing director Suresh Gowda was quoted in the Sebi order as saying. "It refines the raw gold purchased by it from various entities, whose names I do not recollect, as these things are exclusively handled by Rajesh Mehta, chairman of REL. I have never interacted nor involved with any subsidiary/step-down subsidiary of REL, as these were exclusively taken care of by Rajesh Mehta," he told the investigators, as per the order.According to the report, REL booked ₹11,487 crore in sales between 2021-22 and 2023-24 to Affluence Shares and Stocks, a broker that made up to 66% of the company's standalone revenue for that period. But Affluence, in formal depositions to the regulator, said it had not done any business with REL.Following the transaction trail, the investigators found out that the transactions were personal gold derivative trades executed by promoter Mehta using his own brokerage account and then recorded in the company's books as corporate sales, the order said.The investigators also found that Mehta used corporate funds. As per the Sebi observations, bank records show REL transferred ₹338.90 crore directly into Mehta's personal accounts between April 2020 and September 2025.Unlike in the case of Nirav Modi or Gitanjali Gems, who are accused of bank fraud, Rajesh Exports doesn't appear to have borrowed big from banks or through sale of bonds, according to regulatory filings.The company's market cap was just over ₹3,000 crore, as per Thursday's closing share price. LIC (10.8%) and Bridge India Fund (8.46%) are its major institutional shareholders."It is striking that, even at a peak market capitalisation of ₹25,000 crore, the company did not hold any analyst calls, a basic expectation for a listed company of that scale," said Shriram Subramanian, founder and managing director of InGovern Research Services, a corporate governance advisory firm.The regulator in 2024 hired BDO India Services to investigate. But the forensic audit faced problems at almost every stage of the investigation. It was denied access to ERP systems and was not provided a complete journal dump, preventing independent verification of transactions recorded in the books, according to the regulatory report.And the company declined to share subsidiary-level records with the investigator, citing Swiss data protection laws, limiting auditors largely to reviewing financial statements prepared by the management itself rather than underlying evidence, it said.What's also come under the scanner was the conduct of statutory auditors for the last few years: CA PV Ramana Reddy, the proprietor at PV Ramana Reddy & Co, and CA PL Venkatadri, partner at BSD & Co.The company's FY24 and FY25 annual reports, filed with the stock exchanges, carry an unqualified opinion from BSD & Co, which concluded that the financial statements presented a "true and fair view" in line with Indian Accounting Standards.The company's FY24 Directors' Report noted that the statutory and secretarial auditors had made no qualifications, reservations or adverse remarks.The Sebi report said for over five months, the auditors sat on the regulator's request for missing documents and statements.Emails sent to both audit firms did not elicit any response.REL closed 5% lower at ₹103.92 Thursday on the NSE. The shares are down from their peak of ₹1,028.40 on February 6, 2023.
The Foreign Minister elaborated that the cause was Russia's security problems through Ukraine's involvement in NATO
Lanza Atelier’s simple, powerful pavilion features an actual serpentine brought to life in a wave of rust-coloured brick – a material never used for the structure before Serving looks all summer on the green carpet of Kensington Gardens, the often wildly experimental Serpentine pavilion is best viewed as a piece of architectural haute couture. For the last 25 years, it has hosted all sorts of fashionistas, from the American Frank Gehry, whose pavilion resembled an explosion in a lumber yard, to Swiss magus Peter Zumthor, who built a charcoal-walled hortus conclusus (contemplative room), that tuned out the wider park landscape entirely. The Serpentine’s rules of engagement are simple: the selected architect should not have built in the UK, so it’s a chance to showcase new or unsung talent. The constellation of largely white male superstars doing elaborate parodies of themselves, which characterised the pavilion’s early imperial phase, has given way to what might be described as more nuanced midlife, featuring younger emerging architects from more diverse backgrounds. Continue reading...
Lawyer Dastan Omary elaborated on the laws governing the detention, arrest, and prosecution of minors accused of killing their colleagues at Utumishi Girls Academy.
Peonies symbolizing wealth and honor, pine trees expressing wishes for longevity, lotus blossoms representing prosperity, orchids and plum blossoms evoking nobility and the ideal spirit of the scholar — all auspicious meanings are brought together in a single ornamental floral pot. When King Gojong sought to strengthen ties with France in 1888, among the treasures he dispatched to French President Marie Francois Sadi Carnot was a pair of "banhwa," elaborate ornaments fashioned as flowering plant
ENCORE: A toxic couple orchestrates an elaborate plan to kill a mother. "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports Saturday, June 6 at 10/9c* on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. (Following the WNBA on CBS)
Given the limited seating capacity at Glass House in Lok Bhavan, entry has been restricted strictly to invited guests and passes have already been issued to VIPs, VVIPs and other categorised invitees.
Political bigwigs on Tuesday sought to garner public support in Gilgit-Baltistan (BG) as PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari addressed rallies ahead of the June 7 elections. General elections in GB are scheduled for Sunday, after a four-month delay attributed to harsh winter weather. Addressing a public gathering in Skardu, where First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari was also present, Bilawal called for greater rights for the people of GB. “I have to struggle along with GB’s new generation […] If we have to implement the manifesto of roti, kapra, makaan in its true sense, then we will have to work on three rules — we will have to attain the right to haq-i-hakimiyat (right to govern), haq-i-malkiyat (right to ownership), and haq-i-rozgaar (right to employment),” Bilawal said. He further said, “The struggle of PPP’s new generation will be to get you your right to govern, and that will happen when GB will get the protections, facilities and powers provided in the 18th Amendment.” Bilawal had begun his speech by condemning Israeli attacks on Iran. Recalling the US-Israel’s deadly strikes on Iran, including one that killed students at a school, as well as the assassination of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Bilawal said it did not seem “appropriate to run an election campaign” in an elaborate manner. “I toured GB on foot in the last elections. I wanted to do the same this time,” he said, adding that there was an “air of grief” for the people in GB and him. The PPP chairman praised Pakistan’s ongoing efforts for peace in the region, including the role played by CDF Munir. “It is extremely important that the effort for peace succeeds, because the people of Iran and Palestine and the entire Muslim world are bearing the burden of this war, but at the same time, the entire world’s youth are also facing that burden,” he said, noting the conflict’s economic impact and the resulting inflation. The Bhutto scion asserted that the PPP was the “only party that represents the underprivileged and the poor”. “We first think of the underprivileged, then we ask the developing. We first think of the labourers, then ask the business people. We first ask the farmers, then ask the landlords,” he added. Bilawal emphasised that the country could only develop once the working masses and the youth were economically empowered, claiming that other political parties were in favour of making the affluent wealthier. “Progress is when the farmer gets their hard work’s fruit, progress is when employment opportunities are created for the youth,” he said, recalling that the policies of his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto “made labourers the owners of mills”. He went on to recall a slogan from the tenure of his mother, ex-premier Benazir Bhutto — “Benazir aye gi, rozgaar laye gi [Benazir will come, and bring employment]” — prompting the supporters to raise the same chants. He also praised his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, for launching the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) during his previous tenure as president. Earlier in the day, ex-premier Nawaz reached Gilgit for a one-day visit and lamented the lack of development in the region. “I am speaking to you after many years. Isn’t that the case? Perhaps you have forgotten me,” Nawaz said while addressing the public in Gilgit, prompting roaring chants in his support. Noting that he was fond of mountains, Nawaz stressed he “wholeheartedly loved” GB. “When I love the area from my heart, then why would I not love the people from my heart? You live in my heart,” he quipped. The PML-N chief then went on to lament the lack of development in the region. “When I saw the condition of the roads after exiting the airport, I cannot even describe it. It hurt me immensely. Where is the Gilgit that I used to know?” he said. “My heart cries on why this was allowed, why the money that should have been spent on you all was not done so,” Nawaz remarked. Noting there were “so many potholes”, Nawaz recalled that the PML-N had in the past worked on constructing roads and asked why the project was not extended to Gilgit as originally planned. “I do not want to speak against any party or government, but my heart urges me to ask them that you got the chance to serve this country, then why did you ignore this area?” the ex-premier asked. He added that the PML-N did not seek votes by criticising other parties, but rather based on the work it did. “The road that I had started was not built up to here, it should have been and then built further till Khunjerab,” he said, highlighting that building the road till Skardu had cost Rs50 billion. “It is the right of the people of GB, not a favour that I am doing to you,” he added. The ex-premier highlighted that the PML-N government had constructed hospitals, power plants and hydel power plants. “Tell me if any other party has even placed a brick here,” he jibed, with supporters responding in the negative. “It saddens me that the airport has remained the same as it was in my tenure,” Nawaz said, pointing out that it had not been expanded and the air traffic to the tourist hotspot had not increased. The PML-N president then assured the GB residents that he would hold a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and ask him to expand the airport so that commercial jets could operate there. Flaunting the shortened commute time from Gilgit to Skardu, Nawaz said, “We reduced a nine-hour journey to three hours, saving you six hours, making things easy for your kids and families.” The former premier lamented, “Projects are launched here but they are never seen completed.” He highlighted that there was great potential for generating hydel and solar electricity in the region. Noting load-shedding of over 20 hours in winters and of up to 12 hours in summers, he said, “It is unacceptable to me.” Nawaz said that regardless of whether the PML-N wins the elections or not, “we cannot keep you deprived of these things”, vowing to speak to PM Shehbaz about electricity outages in GB. The PML-N supremo said he will urge both PM Shehbaz and his daughter, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, to visit GB, also pledging to visit the region every two to three months if his party is elected. Nawaz also mentioned his last ouster during his speech, recalling that he had formed a committee as the prime minister in 2017 on GB’s share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. “Do not complain to me. I am not ready to hear this grievance because this is your fault as well, that why you let a person like me be exiled,” he said. “Why did I have to leave the country and go abroad? Why were [we] jailed?” Terming GB the “centre” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Nawaz called for it to be developed further, with electric buses launched and hospitals built. He vowed that the cancer hospital built by the PML-N in GB would be expanded. He also advocated for housing loan schemes for the residents of GB and interest-free loan programmes for youth for their businesses. The PML-N president also pledged to have a women’s university constructed if his party got the chance to govern the region. “It is exam day for you three days from now,” Nawaz quipped, referring to the polling day. Nawaz was also set to meet with party ticket holders during his GB visit. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Rana Sanaullah, Punjab Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, senators Pervaiz Rasheed and Anusha Rahman, and MPA Kazim Ali Pirzada were accompanying Nawaz, state-run PTV said. Minister for Kashmir Affairs and GB Amir Muqam, Nawaz’s son-in-law retired captain Mohammad Safdar, PML-N’s former GB chief minister Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman and other party members welcomed the PML-N supremo upon his arrival. In a post on X earlier in the day, the PML-N said the Election Commission of GB had issued a no-objection certificate allowing Nawaz to visit GB and “lead his party’s political campaign for the upcoming general elections”. Elected as an MNA in the February 2024 general elections, Nawaz makes rare public appearances. However, he serves as the PML-N’s key decision-maker and as a political mentor to CM Maryam. Earlier in April, Nawaz had vowed that, if elected in GB, the party would focus on development in the region. Saad Rafique calls for ‘comprehensive plan’ for GB’s constitutional status Prior to Nawaz’s arrival, senior PML-N leader and former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique addressed a gathering in Skardu, where he emphasised the need to address the issue of GB’s constitutional rights through a “comprehensive plan”. “Till how long will the issue (GB’s constitutional status) remain undecided?” Rafique asked, stressing that while “Kashmir was an important issue, but so was the future of the people of GB”. “The time has come for the parliament to debate the matter,” he said, adding that it was the collective responsibility of all parties, state institutions and security institutions to take GB forward. The PML-N leader further called for an equitable share for GB and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the NFC Award. He also said that Nawaz would announce the party’s “charter” during his GB visit. Noting the lack of development in the region, Rafique acknowledged that “no government will be able to solve everything in five years”. However, he emphasised, a direction for the future could be determined. “The PML-N laid down that foundation in their last tenure,” he added. Recalling that the region had seen tenures of three different parties, he called on the people to “vote for whoever did the most work”. “Seven to eight flights operate from here every day; this can be quadrupled, dams can be made,” Rafique said, outlining potential for “small viable projects to tackle GB’s electricity issues” as well as improved internet and road connectivity in the region.
Given the limited seating capacity at Glass House in Lok Bhavan, entry has been restricted strictly to invited guests and passes have already been issued to VIPs, VVIPs and other categorised invitees.
For years, Pride Month gave companies an opportunity to launch elaborate marketing campaigns celebrating LGBTQ+ communities. But two years into President Donald Trump’s second term, much of corporate America’s enthusiasm appears to be undergoing a Pride pivot. During the Biden administration, Target’s annual Pride collection was a centerpiece of its June marketing strategy, dominating store ...
European Union (EU) top diplomat Kaja Kallas on Monday said the bloc sought stability in the region, adding that it was in everyone’s interest for the ongoing war in the Middle East to end and for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open. Kallas, who serves as vice-president of the European Commission and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to participate in the 8th round of the EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, which was held earlier today. In an interview on the Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Kallas said, “This is in everybody’s interest that this war is stopped and the Strait of Hormuz is opened. We are paying a very high price. There are a lot of things dependent on the Strait of Hormuz.” During the appearance on the show, she commended Pakistan for being a mediator between the United States and Iran, bringing all the parties together, adding that, “Eventually, the [warring] parties have to decide.” “Everybody is hoping that the first phase of this agreement is signed, so the talks on the difficult topics like nuclear can be started,” she said. Kallas added that the EU seeks stability in the region. “The problems of our neighbour today could be the problems for us tomorrow. We are all very interlinked.” She called the Strait of Hormuz a “chokepoint”, mentioning that the EU was also looking forward to diversifying its trade routes and supply chain. “You cannot remain dependent on a single route.” When asked if she sees any parallels between Russia’s war against Ukraine and Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon, she replied: “I see parallels in all these crises undermining international law. We have the UN Charter, which is very clear: you can’t attack another country; you have to respect another country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. No one should be above the law.” Talking about the renewal of Pakistan’s GSP+ status, Kallas said, “We discussed it with our counterparts today. The preferential access to our markets is also conditional.” “It is true that we have a report coming up in July, and then the question of renewing this preference,” she added. “However, the conventions have to be adopted, particularly on human rights issues, where we need to see improvements.” She elaborated that the renewal process goes through the EU Parliament. “The EU Parliament is always scrutinising, and we have been raising these issues on what more can be done to improve the situation,” she said. When asked whether the EU was satisfied with Pakistan’s legislation to meet the conditions, she said: “Our counterparts are mentioning what they are doing in various files, but this is something where we clearly need to see improvements.” “We are putting forward some very concrete questions. Hopefully, there is time for improvement in those areas, and then we can renew this scheme easily,” she concluded.
TTD EO directs officials to make elaborate arrangements for devotees attending the annual festivities
Justice M. Dhandapani closes the case after taking note that Justice N. Kirubarakan (since retired) had already passed elaborate orders in the matter
The convention attracted a diverse crowd of enthusiasts, many arriving in elaborate costumes inspired by their favourite characters.
Canadian Heritage didn’t elaborate on the allegations against the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, an arm’s-length office set up five years ago.