Gulf News in its editorial, calls for action against "preachers of hate" in the Indian media
The story was first published by newslaundry.com (read the original post by clicking here.)
Dubai-based Gulf News, a leading daily newspaper, printed an editorial yesterday saying that "toxic" Indian TV news channels should not be allowed to "spread Islamophobia and vitiate atmosphere".
Headlined "Stop Indian media from exporting hate to Gulf", the piece said there have been several instances of Indian expats in the UAE being "terminated by employers after they posted abusive content on social media" or "called out for hatred and religious discrimination".
Last month, prominent Arab personalities had reacted to racism and bigotry displayed by Indians living in the Middle East.
The piece continued: "But the bigger question is why long-term residents who are familiar with local laws and sensitivities are posting such abusive content on social media? The culprit is Indian media, specifically some news channels which are exporting the narrative of hate against Muslims from India to the Gulf countries."
The piece said it's "well-known" that "popular channels twist news and build fake narratives to target Muslims in India". For example, "media watchdogs have pointed out fake news of Muslims spitting on fruits to spread Coronavirus. This fake news was repeated on some news channels until people actually started believing it...This hateful content on prime time reaches Gulf countries, including the UAE where these channels are widely available."
Newslaundry had reported on this specific form of prejudice, of the coronavirus-positive Muslim fruit vendor. Channels like TV9 Bharatvarsh lent legitimacy to such rumours by broadcasting misleading segments, coining terms like “corona criminals” for Muslim vendors.
Gulf News urged authorities in the UAE to "take action" against channels that are "preachers of hate", specifically Republic TV, Zee News, India TV, Aaj Tak, ABP and Times Now. "They must not be allowed to vitiate the social atmosphere of Gulf countries where tens of millions of diverse ethnicities and religious background work and live peacefully."
Following the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi, and the subsequent spike in coronavirus cases, sections of the India media lost no time in spreading communal hatred, conspiracy theories, and fake news. It's part of how several TV news channels participate in a cycle of misinformation and hate.
The story was first published by newslaundry.com (read the original post by clicking here.)
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AI-powered robotic canal cleaning system commissioned in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) (PTI): In a major step to phase out manual scavenging and ensure the safety of sanitation workers, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation commissioned G-Spider, an AI-powered robotic canal-cleaning system, at the Amayizhanchan canal near the railway station premises at Thampanoor here, officials said on Thursday.
The system was launched by Minister for Local Self-Governments MB Rajesh at a function presided over by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor VV Rajesh on Wednesday.
The AI-powered canal cleaning project is a joint initiative of the city corporation and Technopark-based Genrobotic Innovations, which developed Bandicoot, a robotic scavenger.
As per the agreement, Genrobotics will bear the full cost of deploying the robotic system, while the corporation will supervise its operation and maintenance.
Speaking at the event, the minister said Genrobotics has set an example of how innovative ideas can be transformed into impactful entrepreneurship.
He said that of the seven compressed biogas (CBG) plants to be commissioned in the state for solid waste management, one will be set up in the state capital.
Rajesh said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Rs 100-crore CBG plant at Brahmapuram in Kochi on February 28, adding that 90 per cent of the nine lakh metric tonne of accumulated waste at the site has already been removed.
He further said work on the Palakkad plant will be completed in February, while construction of another plant in Thrissur is progressing, and a plant at Changanassery is in the pipeline.
The minister added that the construction of four sanitary plants will be inaugurated next week.
In his address, the mayor reiterated the corporation’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies for waste management and lauded the Genrobotics team, stating that the civic body would explore all possible ways to utilise the company’s technology.
Repeated manual cleaning efforts in the area had led to serious safety incidents, including the death of sanitation worker Joy in 2024.
In this backdrop, the corporation initiated the deployment of robotic cleaning technology in strict compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, with the aim of eliminating human entry into hazardous canal-cleaning operations, officials said.
Corporation Deputy Mayor Asha Nath GS, Divisional Railway Manager Divyakant Chandrakar, and Genrobotic Innovations CEO and co-founder Vimal Govind MK were present on the occasion.
G-Spider is designed to operate in complex, high-risk canal environments without requiring human entry.
Built on a cable-driven parallel robotics architecture integrated with AI-enabled vision and sensor systems, the robotic platform enables precise detection, assessment and removal of accumulated waste.
The system uses machine vision and intelligent sensors to autonomously identify and assess waste in real time, dynamically adapting to varying waste types, water flow conditions and structural constraints within canals, officials said.
Guided by AI-driven vision algorithms, the robotic mechanism performs precise waste extraction through a five-degrees-of-freedom configuration, enabling accurate positioning, stable gripping, and reliable debris removal.
The extracted waste is automatically transferred to designated collection vehicles, enabling a fully hands-free, end-to-end canal cleaning process from detection to disposal, they added.
