Full page ad in Washington Post newspaper questions press freedom in India as Modi visits US
Washington: During his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received a grand welcome and is engaging in various activities and meetings with notable figures. However, alongside the warm reception, rights advocates, activists, and critics have voiced their concerns and called on the United States to address issues related to Modi's tenure as Prime Minister.
In a notable display of dissent, trucks in New York City carried screens urging US President Joe Biden to raise crucial questions about recent events in India during his meetings with Modi. These questions revolve around ongoing protests by wrestlers and the detention of activists, including Umar Khalid. The Committee to Protect Journalists and its partners on press freedom issues in India took a significant step by publishing a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post.
The advertisement prominently featured the photographs of six journalists currently detained in India: Aasif Sultan, Gautam Navlakha, Sajad Gul, Fahad Shah, Rupesh Kumar Singh, and Irfan Mehraj. It underscored the dichotomy of India being the world's largest democracy while also being one of the most perilous countries for media professionals. The ad highlighted the increasing threats faced by journalists, including physical violence, harassment, baseless lawsuits, and hate campaigns on social media platforms.
The advertisement called upon leaders worldwide who value democracy to exert pressure on those in power in India, urging them to put an end to the threats against journalists and ensure press freedom.
Adding to the chorus of concerns, a group of 75 Democrats, comprising senators and members of the House of Representatives, wrote a letter to President Biden earlier this week, urging him to address specific issues during his discussions with Prime Minister Modi. The letter called for attention to be given to press freedom, internet access, and religious intolerance in India.
A full-page ad by CPJ and partner organizations in the @washingtonpost on Wednesday highlights the #pressfreedom crisis in #India ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the @WhiteHouse.@wppressfreedom @RSF_inter @globalfreemedia @IWMF @JamesFoleyFund pic.twitter.com/nSpVH21NPw
— CPJ Asia (@CPJAsia) June 21, 2023
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Man City makes it six Premier League wins in a row with 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest
Manchester (England) (AP): Rayan Cherki kept Manchester City's Premier League title challenge powering on with a late winner at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The France forward's 83rd minute strike secured a 2-1 victory at the City Ground to make it six league wins in a row for Pep Guardiola's team.
City is on an eight-game winning run in all and provisionally moved to the top of the standings — one point ahead of Arsenal, which was playing Brighton later on Saturday.
“Today is a big win,” Cherki told TNT Sports. “I'm proud of the team because this game is very complicated to win.”
It was Cherki's second goal in three games and fifth over all. He also provided an assist with an intricate pass to Tijjani Reijnders to put City ahead three minutes into the second half.
Omari Hutchinson equalized for relegation-fighting Forest, which was holding out for a crucial point until Cherki fired through a crowded box for the winner.
Guardiola looks like a man who believes his team is ready to regain the title it surrendered to Liverpool last season. He joined in the celebrations with the traveling fans after the final whistle — acting conductor as they celebrated wildly after another win.
