Decades after inspiring a best-selling novel that brought readers into slums near Kolkata, 86-year-old ascetic Gaston Dayanand is still working for India's poorest.

His life helping people in the mega-slums of Pilkhana formed the plot of Dominique Lapierre's 1985 book "The City of Joy", which was later turned into a Patrick Swayze movie.

Born in 1937 to a Swiss working-class family in Geneva, Brother Gaston said he remembered deciding at six years of age to dedicate his life "to Christ and the poor".

"I never wanted to be a priest," the brother of the Prado congregation told AFP at the Inter-Religious Centre of Development (ICOD), an NGO he co-founded in Gohalopata, a village 75 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of Kolkata.

"The church would never have let me live in a slum with the poor, but my life was about sharing with the poorest."

A trained nurse, Brother Gaston arrived in India in 1972 to work with a French priest in a small self-help centre in Pilkhana.

"It was the biggest slum in India at the time, they said in the world!"

Having arrived on a tuk-tuk, he surprised the local residents by entering on foot.

"I didn't want to enter a place where there are so many poor people, on a rickshaw, like a rich person," he said.

"I went to places where there were no doctors, no non-governmental organisations, no Christians. That is to say, places that were completely abandoned."

<h2>'Chicago on the Ganges'</h2>

One day in 1981, Brother Gaston said he received a visit from Dominique Lapierre, who was "sent by Mother Teresa".

The well-known French author, who wanted to write a novel "about the poor", convinced the ascetic of his sincerity.

The two men became friends.

Lapierre, who died last December, described Brother Gaston as "one of the 'Lights of the World' whose epic of love and sharing I had the honour of recounting in my book 'The City of Joy'."

Translated throughout the world, Lapierre's novel, published in 1985, sold several million copies.

"He financed all my organisations at a rate of $3 million a year, almost all his royalties, for almost 30 years," Brother Gaston said.

But the film adaptation of the novel, in which Swayze plays a fictional doctor, displeased him: "I frankly hated this film. 'The City of Joy' has become 'Chicago on the Ganges'."

<h2>Surrounded by leprosy</h2>

At the time of Lapierre's visit, Mother Teresa was receiving medicine from all over the world.

She donated large quantities to the self-help centre, which Brother Gaston was able to use.

He trained nurses and established a dispensary.

"I had the medicine, I didn't need anything else," he said.

"We quickly had more than 60,000 patients the first year, 100,000 the second. Three years later, we had a small hospital."

As soon as he arrived in India, he decided to adopt the nationality.

"It took 20 years, of course," he said.

Brother Gaston was born with the surname Grandjean.

In India, he chose the surname "Dayanand", meaning "blessed (ananda) of mercy (daya)".

He worked for a long time with Mother Teresa's brothers caring for people suffering from leprosy in Pilkhana.

"I stayed for 18 years, surrounded by 500 lepers, in a very small room," he said.

Abdul Wohab, a 74-year-old social worker, said: "Gaston is a saint."

<h2>'A board to sleep on'</h2>

Now white-haired and confined to a wheelchair, Brother Gaston is still trying to help those in need in the northeastern province of West Bengal.

Of the 12 NGOs he founded since moving to India, six are still active, including the ICOD, which has taken in 81 people of all faiths, including orphans and the elderly, as well as those suffering from disabilities and mental health problems.

Brother Gaston said he spends "three-quarters of (his) days meditating" on his bed, facing Christ.

"I had never had anything else but a board to sleep on. Now I live like a bourgeois in a big bed," he said.

"But it's not me who wanted it," he added with a laugh.

"The worst part is that I accept it."

The ICOD's co-founder and director, Mamata Gosh, nicknamed "Gopa", watches over the man who taught her to be a nurse 25 years ago.

"Before him, I didn't know anything," the 43-year-old told AFP.

"He is my spiritual father."

Brother Gaston's day begins at 5:00 am with three hours of prayer, in front of a reproduction of the Shroud of Turin overhanging an Aum, the symbol of Hinduism, in his tiny oratory adjoining his room.

Dressed all in white and barefoot, he sits in his electric wheelchair and visits each of the residents of the thatched hamlet, then returns to his room in the late morning.

On his bedside table sits a Bible, a crucifix, his glasses and an old laptop that he uses to keep in touch with his NGO's donors.

"I will earn my bread until the last day of my life," he said.

&nbsp;

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Decades after inspiring a best-selling novel that brought readers into slums near Kolkata, 86-year-old ascetic Gaston Dayanand is still working for India's poorest.

Decades after inspiring a best-selling novel that brought readers into slums near Kolkata, 86-year-old ascetic Gaston Dayanand is still working for India's poorest. His life helping people in the mega-slums of Pilkhana formed the plot of Dominique Lapierre's 1985 book "The City of Joy", which was later turned into a Patrick Swayze movie. Born in 1937 to a Swiss working-class family in Geneva, Brother Gaston said he remembered deciding at six years of age to dedicate his life "to Christ and the poor". "I never wanted to be a priest," the brother of the Prado congregation told AFP at the Inter-Religious Centre of Development (ICOD), an NGO he co-founded in Gohalopata, a village 75 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of Kolkata. "The church would never have let me live in a slum with the poor, but my life was about sharing with the poorest." A trained nurse, Brother Gaston arrived in India in 1972 to work with a French priest in a small self-help centre in Pilkhana. "It was the biggest slum in India at the time, they said in the world!" Having arrived on a tuk-tuk, he surprised the local residents by entering on foot. "I didn't want to enter a place where there are so many poor people, on a rickshaw, like a rich person," he said. "I went to places where there were no doctors, no non-governmental organisations, no Christians. That is to say, places that were completely abandoned." 'Chicago on the Ganges' One day in 1981, Brother Gaston said he received a visit from Dominique Lapierre, who was "sent by Mother Teresa". The well-known French author, who wanted to write a novel "about the poor", convinced the ascetic of his sincerity. The two men became friends. Lapierre, who died last December, described Brother Gaston as "one of the 'Lights of the World' whose epic of love and sharing I had the honour of recounting in my book 'The City of Joy'." Translated throughout the world, Lapierre's novel, published in 1985, sold several million copies. "He financed all my organisations at a rate of $3 million a year, almost all his royalties, for almost 30 years," Brother Gaston said. But the film adaptation of the novel, in which Swayze plays a fictional doctor, displeased him: "I frankly hated this film. 'The City of Joy' has become 'Chicago on the Ganges'." Surrounded by leprosy At the time of Lapierre's visit, Mother Teresa was receiving medicine from all over the world. She donated large quantities to the self-help centre, which Brother Gaston was able to use. He trained nurses and established a dispensary. "I had the medicine, I didn't need anything else," he said. "We quickly had more than 60,000 patients the first year, 100,000 the second. Three years later, we had a small hospital." As soon as he arrived in India, he decided to adopt the nationality. "It took 20 years, of course," he said. Brother Gaston was born with the surname Grandjean. In India, he chose the surname "Dayanand", meaning "blessed (ananda) of mercy (daya)". He worked for a long time with Mother Teresa's brothers caring for people suffering from leprosy in Pilkhana. "I stayed for 18 years, surrounded by 500 lepers, in a very small room," he said. Abdul Wohab, a 74-year-old social worker, said: "Gaston is a saint." 'A board to sleep on' Now white-haired and confined to a wheelchair, Brother Gaston is still trying to help those in need in the northeastern province of West Bengal. Of the 12 NGOs he founded since moving to India, six are still active, including the ICOD, which has taken in 81 people of all faiths, including orphans and the elderly, as well as those suffering from disabilities and mental health problems. Brother Gaston said he spends "three-quarters of (his) days meditating" on his bed, facing Christ. "I had never had anything else but a board to sleep on. Now I live like a bourgeois in a big bed," he said. "But it's not me who wanted it," he added with a laugh. "The worst part is that I accept it." The ICOD's co-founder and director, Mamata Gosh, nicknamed "Gopa", watches over the man who taught her to be a nurse 25 years ago. "Before him, I didn't know anything," the 43-year-old told AFP. "He is my spiritual father." Brother Gaston's day begins at 5:00 am with three hours of prayer, in front of a reproduction of the Shroud of Turin overhanging an Aum, the symbol of Hinduism, in his tiny oratory adjoining his room. Dressed all in white and barefoot, he sits in his electric wheelchair and visits each of the residents of the thatched hamlet, then returns to his room in the late morning. On his bedside table sits a Bible, a crucifix, his glasses and an old laptop that he uses to keep in touch with his NGO's donors. "I will earn my bread until the last day of my life," he said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Brother Gaston, inspiration for Dominique Lapierre's 'City of Joy', still working for India's poor

Turkish economy is witnessing a downturn as the country's currency, the lira, plunged to a record low of over 20 against the US dollar on Friday (May 26).&nbsp;

The lira touched 20.00 against the U.S. currency and continued to impend near that level. It closed at 19.8695 on Thursday (May 25) and has dropped 6.4% so far this year.

Since the first round of Turkey's presidential election, which took place on May 14, Turkey's sovereign dollar bonds and equities have descended, whereas the cost of certifying exposure to Turkish debt has risen.

Erdogan, on Thursday evening, in an interview said that the Gulf states had recently sent funding to Turkey, briefly helping facilitate the central bank and markets. He further added that he plans to meet and thank the leaders of the countries personally after Sunday's runoff.

<h2>Erdogan takes an early lead in polls</h2>

Turkey held one of the most important elections in the country's modern 100-year history on May 14. The pivotal, crucial election could have significant consequences for the country's future, it could extend the current President's two-decade grip on power or put the mostly Muslim nation on a more secular course. As per preliminary results, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took an early lead.

Turkish state news agency Anadolu showed the incumbent president picking up more than 51 per cent of the vote, while his main challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu trailed with around 43 per cent.

Anadolu's figures, as per AFP, were based on 60 per cent of the ballots. However, Kilicdaroglu, in a tweet, claimed that his party's own vote count showed him winning.

"We are leading," he wrote.

A count by the pro-opposition Anka news site showed that the two leaders were tied, falling just short of the 50-per cent threshold needed to avoid a May 28 runoff.&nbsp;

Both Anka and Anadolu show third-party candidate Sinan Ogan was picking up five per cent of the vote.

Early votes from heavily pro-government districts appeared to be giving Erdogan the lead, but as more ballots were counted, his lead appeared to be shrinking.

"We are seeing a positive picture, according to our data," opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) spokesman Faik Oztrak told the press.&nbsp;

He added that they would not release any numbers until the number of opened ballot boxes reach a meaningful level.

"We will start to give the numbers when the number of opened ballot boxes reaches a meaningful level." 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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Turkish economy is witnessing a downturn as the country's currency, the lira, plunged to a record low of over 20 against the US dollar on Friday (May 26). The lira touched 20.

Turkish economy is witnessing a downturn as the country's currency, the lira, plunged to a record low of over 20 against the US dollar on Friday (May 26). The lira touched 20.00 against the U.S. currency and continued to impend near that level. It closed at 19.8695 on Thursday (May 25) and has dropped 6.4% so far this year. Since the first round of Turkey's presidential election, which took place on May 14, Turkey's sovereign dollar bonds and equities have descended, whereas the cost of certifying exposure to Turkish debt has risen. Erdogan, on Thursday evening, in an interview said that the Gulf states had recently sent funding to Turkey, briefly helping facilitate the central bank and markets. He further added that he plans to meet and thank the leaders of the countries personally after Sunday's runoff. Erdogan takes an early lead in polls Turkey held one of the most important elections in the country's modern 100-year history on May 14. The pivotal, crucial election could have significant consequences for the country's future, it could extend the current President's two-decade grip on power or put the mostly Muslim nation on a more secular course. As per preliminary results, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took an early lead. Turkish state news agency Anadolu showed the incumbent president picking up more than 51 per cent of the vote, while his main challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu trailed with around 43 per cent. Anadolu's figures, as per AFP, were based on 60 per cent of the ballots. However, Kilicdaroglu, in a tweet, claimed that his party's own vote count showed him winning. "We are leading," he wrote. A count by the pro-opposition Anka news site showed that the two leaders were tied, falling just short of the 50-per cent threshold needed to avoid a May 28 runoff. Both Anka and Anadolu show third-party candidate Sinan Ogan was picking up five per cent of the vote. Early votes from heavily pro-government districts appeared to be giving Erdogan the lead, but as more ballots were counted, his lead appeared to be shrinking. "We are seeing a positive picture, according to our data," opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) spokesman Faik Oztrak told the press. He added that they would not release any numbers until the number of opened ballot boxes reach a meaningful level. "We will start to give the numbers when the number of opened ballot boxes reaches a meaningful level." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Turkish lira witnesses record low ahead of presidential election runoff

A Delhi court, on Friday, partially allowed an application moved by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the issuance of an "ordinary passport".

The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi granted the no-objection certificate to India’s top opposition leader for 3 years.

On Friday, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Mehta said that Gandhi is granted NOC valid for 3 years.

"People who have been involved in graver offences have been granted passports for ten years. It includes 2G and Coal scam etc. Issuance of passport for ten years is given as a matter of routine," advocate Cheema added.&nbsp;

Former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, during earlier submissions, filed the reply in the Delhi Court, opposing the Congress party leader's plea and submitted that the applicant (Rahul Gandhi) has no-valid or effective reason for the passport to be issued for 10 years.

In the reply, it is submitted that "the application is devoid of any merit for issuance of passport for 10 years."

He further in his reply submitted that the court may exercise the prudence to give permission after investigating and examining all the other matters that are correlated before deciding on the litigation of the applicant in the broad spectrum of areas of justice and law.

He added that at this stage, the NOC for the passport for the applicant may not be more than one year and may be reviewed annually or as deemed fit by this court. &nbsp;

"The right to hold a passport, like all other Fundamental Rights, is not an absolute Right and is subject to reasonable restrictions imposed by the Government in the interest of national security, public order, morality, and prevention of crime," Swamy added.

The Delhi Court had asked Subramanian Swamy, on Wednesday (May 24), to file his written submissions by Friday while hearing the plea for a fresh passport by Rahul Gandhi, who is an accused in the National Herald case.

Gandhi, who moved to the court seeking NOC to secure an ordinary passport, had surrendered his diplomatic travel document after his disqualification as an MP.

<h2>No pending criminal cases against Gandhi, says counsel</h2>

Counsel for Gandhi, Advocate Tarannum Cheema, who appeared along with advocates Nikhil Bhalla and Sumit Kumar, pursued the grant of the no objection certificate (NOC), stating that there are 'no criminal cases pending' against him, as per news agency ANI.

"The applicant ceased to be a Member of Parliament in March 2023 and as such he surrendered his diplomatic passport and is applying for a fresh ordinary passport. By way of the present application, the applicant is seeking permission and no objection from this Court for issuance of a fresh ordinary passport to him."&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi's advocates submitted that there are no criminal proceedings pending and that travelling abroad is a fundamental right.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A Delhi court, on Friday, partially allowed an application moved by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the issuance of an "ordinary passport".

A Delhi court, on Friday, partially allowed an application moved by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the issuance of an "ordinary passport". The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi granted the no-objection certificate to India’s top opposition leader for 3 years. On Friday, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Mehta said that Gandhi is granted NOC valid for 3 years. "People who have been involved in graver offences have been granted passports for ten years. It includes 2G and Coal scam etc. Issuance of passport for ten years is given as a matter of routine," advocate Cheema added. Former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, during earlier submissions, filed the reply in the Delhi Court, opposing the Congress party leader's plea and submitted that the applicant (Rahul Gandhi) has no-valid or effective reason for the passport to be issued for 10 years. In the reply, it is submitted that "the application is devoid of any merit for issuance of passport for 10 years." He further in his reply submitted that the court may exercise the prudence to give permission after investigating and examining all the other matters that are correlated before deciding on the litigation of the applicant in the broad spectrum of areas of justice and law. He added that at this stage, the NOC for the passport for the applicant may not be more than one year and may be reviewed annually or as deemed fit by this court. "The right to hold a passport, like all other Fundamental Rights, is not an absolute Right and is subject to reasonable restrictions imposed by the Government in the interest of national security, public order, morality, and prevention of crime," Swamy added. The Delhi Court had asked Subramanian Swamy, on Wednesday (May 24), to file his written submissions by Friday while hearing the plea for a fresh passport by Rahul Gandhi, who is an accused in the National Herald case. Gandhi, who moved to the court seeking NOC to secure an ordinary passport, had surrendered his diplomatic travel document after his disqualification as an MP. No pending criminal cases against Gandhi, says counsel Counsel for Gandhi, Advocate Tarannum Cheema, who appeared along with advocates Nikhil Bhalla and Sumit Kumar, pursued the grant of the no objection certificate (NOC), stating that there are 'no criminal cases pending' against him, as per news agency ANI. "The applicant ceased to be a Member of Parliament in March 2023 and as such he surrendered his diplomatic passport and is applying for a fresh ordinary passport. By way of the present application, the applicant is seeking permission and no objection from this Court for issuance of a fresh ordinary passport to him." Rahul Gandhi's advocates submitted that there are no criminal proceedings pending and that travelling abroad is a fundamental right. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Delhi court grants No Objection Certificate to Rahul Gandhi for issuance of ‘ordinary passport’ for 3 years

A powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolted eastern Tokyo city in Japan on Friday. On the other hand, A Cambodian man lost his life in a brutal attack by at least 40 crocodiles. The incident occurred at his family’s reptile farm in Siem Reap.

Click on the headlines to read more:

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/62-quake-jolts-eastern-coast-near-japans-tokyo-596778">6.2 earthquake jolts Japan’s eastern coast, shakes buildings in Tokyo</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/05/26/354577-tokyo.jpeg?imwidth=1920" />

A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake (on the Richter scale) struck eastern Tokyo city in Japan on Friday, local media reported citing the meteorological agency.&nbsp;

The epicentre was recorded at a depth of 50 kilometres off eastern Chiba Prefecture on Friday at 7.03 pm (10.03 GMT). &nbsp;No tsunami warning has been issued so far.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-sc-quashes-plea-seeking-inauguration-of-new-parliament-building-by-president-instead-of-pm-596700">Indian SC quashes plea seeking inauguration of new Parliament building by President instead of PM</a>

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India's Supreme Court on Friday quashed a plea that sought directions from the top court that the inauguration of the new Indian Parliament building should be done by the President of India Draupadi Murmu instead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The bench consisting of Justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha declined to entertain the Public Interest Litigation which was filed by petitioner Advocate CR Jaya Sukin.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-killed-23-injured-after-russian-missile-strikes-medical-clinic-in-ukraines-dnipro-596819">Two killed, 23 injured as Russian missile strikes clinic in Ukraine’s Dnipro</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/05/26/354587-medical.jpeg?imwidth=1920" />

At least two people were killed and more than 23 injured, including two children, after a missile struck a medical facility in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday.&nbsp;

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that missile was Russia-made, and called it a 'crime against humanity' as he shared a video of the place where the missile hit. It showed smoke coming out of the roofless buildings with blown-out windows.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-in-shocking-viral-video-salman-khans-security-pushes-vicky-kaushal-away-at-iifa-596642">In shocking viral video, Salman Khan's security pushes away Vicky Kaushal at IIFA</a>

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Something has gone down between Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Vicky Kaushal. In a much-talked-about video that has now gone viral, Salman and Vicky can be seen attending IIFA in Abu Dhabi. As Salman Khan enters, Vicky Kaushal who is busy posing with fans and generally interacting with those there, is seen being pushed away by the former’s security personnel.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/berlin-police-to-investigate-roger-waters-for-incitement-to-hatred-over-donning-nazi-style-uniform-596794">Berlin police to investigate Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters for inciting hatred by donning ‘Nazi-style’ uniform</a>

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Last week, Roger Waters, the co-founder and former lyricist of the rock band Pink Floyd, drew flak for donning a 'Nazi-style uniform' at a concert in Berlin.

As per the local media reports, Waters performed at Germany's Mercedes-Benz Arena on May 17, where the words, "The show will start in 10 minutes and a court in Frankfurt has ruled that I am not an antisemite, just to be clear, I condemn antisemitism unreservedly," were projected on a screen.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/40-crocodiles-tear-apart-cambodian-man-after-he-accidentally-falls-into-their-enclosure-596773">40 crocodiles tear apart Cambodian man after he accidentally falls into their enclosure</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/05/26/354552-20220330delgadocrocodile-capture-at-farm5568-1800x1240.jpg?imwidth=1920" />

A Cambodian man was killed by 40 crocodiles on Friday after he fell into their concrete enclosure. The incident took place at his family’s reptile farm in Siem Reap. 72-year-old Luan Nam was reportedly trying to move a crocodile where it had laid eggs from the cage. The man was using a stick as a goad; however, the crocodile attacked the goad and pulled it towards itself, causing the man to lose balance and fall right into the enclosure.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-indicts-five-soldiers-for-failing-to-rescue-27-migrants-killed-in-2021-english-channel-tragedy-596808">France indicts five soldiers for failing to rescue 27 migrants killed in 2021 English Channel tragedy</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/05/26/354578-5cguky7thbls7nmdiw65v5pl7a.jpg?imwidth=1920" />

Five French security personnel have been handed a preliminary charge over their failure to respond to distress calls made by migrants in 2021, which led to the killing of at least 27 people. The migrants, including six women and one young girl, were travelling on a flimsy boat in the treacherous English Channel. Four dead bodies are yet to be discovered.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bird-flu-fowls-the-mood-kills-nearly-9000-marine-creatures-in-chile-france-develops-vaccine-for-ducks-596812">Bird flu 'fowls' the mood, kills nearly 9,000 marine creatures in Chile, France develops vaccine for ducks</a>

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Bird flu, a highly pathogenic avian influenza, has caused significant damage to poultry production worldwide, resulting in the culling of over 200 million birds in the last 18 months.&nbsp;In Chile, the disease, as per AFP, has killed close to 9,000 sea lions, penguins, otters and small cetaceans. France, which has also been severy affected by the disease, has now announced its intention to launch a vaccination program against bird flu in the autumn following successful tests on ducks, according to the farm ministry.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/wion-explains-smile-rancher-makes-people-cry-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-latest-ponzi-scheme-596879">WION Explains | 'Smile Rancher' makes people cry. All you need to know about the latest ponzi scheme</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/05/26/354634-live-blog-9.png?imwidth=1920" />

In India's Bihar, a Ponzi scheme fueled by a rumour promising substantial profits from buying virtual pigs has cost villagers hundreds of thousands of rupees. As reported by Boom Decode, the scheme had people investing in pigs and other livestock online through a game, with the expectation of high returns.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/second-day-of-disruption-at-heathrow-airport-as-british-airways-cancels-dozens-of-flights-596890">Second day of disruption at Heathrow Airport as British Airways cancels dozens of flights</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/04/29/138517-british-airways-afp.jpg?imwidth=1920" />

Travellers at Heathrow Airport in London continued to be at discomfort as British Airways cancelled 42 more flights on Friday (May 26) following Thursday's disruption due to an IT problem. The airline said that the situation on Friday was a 'knock on effect' of the problem faced by the airline due to Thursday's technical issue. According to BBC, some 16000 passengers have been affected due to the issue this time.

A powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolted eastern Tokyo city in Japan on Friday. On the other hand, A Cambodian man lost his life in a brutal attack by at least 40 crocodiles.

A powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolted eastern Tokyo city in Japan on Friday. On the other hand, A Cambodian man lost his life in a brutal attack by at least 40 crocodiles. The incident occurred at his family’s reptile farm in Siem Reap. Click on the headlines to read more: 6.2 earthquake jolts Japan’s eastern coast, shakes buildings in Tokyo A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake (on the Richter scale) struck eastern Tokyo city in Japan on Friday, local media reported citing the meteorological agency. The epicentre was recorded at a depth of 50 kilometres off eastern Chiba Prefecture on Friday at 7.03 pm (10.03 GMT). No tsunami warning has been issued so far. Indian SC quashes plea seeking inauguration of new Parliament building by President instead of PM India's Supreme Court on Friday quashed a plea that sought directions from the top court that the inauguration of the new Indian Parliament building should be done by the President of India Draupadi Murmu instead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The bench consisting of Justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha declined to entertain the Public Interest Litigation which was filed by petitioner Advocate CR Jaya Sukin. Two killed, 23 injured as Russian missile strikes clinic in Ukraine’s Dnipro At least two people were killed and more than 23 injured, including two children, after a missile struck a medical facility in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that missile was Russia-made, and called it a 'crime against humanity' as he shared a video of the place where the missile hit. It showed smoke coming out of the roofless buildings with blown-out windows. In shocking viral video, Salman Khan's security pushes away Vicky Kaushal at IIFA Something has gone down between Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Vicky Kaushal. In a much-talked-about video that has now gone viral, Salman and Vicky can be seen attending IIFA in Abu Dhabi. As Salman Khan enters, Vicky Kaushal who is busy posing with fans and generally interacting with those there, is seen being pushed away by the former’s security personnel. Berlin police to investigate Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters for inciting hatred by donning ‘Nazi-style’ uniform Last week, Roger Waters, the co-founder and former lyricist of the rock band Pink Floyd, drew flak for donning a 'Nazi-style uniform' at a concert in Berlin. As per the local media reports, Waters performed at Germany's Mercedes-Benz Arena on May 17, where the words, "The show will start in 10 minutes and a court in Frankfurt has ruled that I am not an antisemite, just to be clear, I condemn antisemitism unreservedly," were projected on a screen. 40 crocodiles tear apart Cambodian man after he accidentally falls into their enclosure A Cambodian man was killed by 40 crocodiles on Friday after he fell into their concrete enclosure. The incident took place at his family’s reptile farm in Siem Reap. 72-year-old Luan Nam was reportedly trying to move a crocodile where it had laid eggs from the cage. The man was using a stick as a goad; however, the crocodile attacked the goad and pulled it towards itself, causing the man to lose balance and fall right into the enclosure. France indicts five soldiers for failing to rescue 27 migrants killed in 2021 English Channel tragedy Five French security personnel have been handed a preliminary charge over their failure to respond to distress calls made by migrants in 2021, which led to the killing of at least 27 people. The migrants, including six women and one young girl, were travelling on a flimsy boat in the treacherous English Channel. Four dead bodies are yet to be discovered. Bird flu 'fowls' the mood, kills nearly 9,000 marine creatures in Chile, France develops vaccine for ducks Bird flu, a highly pathogenic avian influenza, has caused significant damage to poultry production worldwide, resulting in the culling of over 200 million birds in the last 18 months. In Chile, the disease, as per AFP, has killed close to 9,000 sea lions, penguins, otters and small cetaceans. France, which has also been severy affected by the disease, has now announced its intention to launch a vaccination program against bird flu in the autumn following successful tests on ducks, according to the farm ministry. WION Explains | 'Smile Rancher' makes people cry. All you need to know about the latest ponzi scheme In India's Bihar, a Ponzi scheme fueled by a rumour promising substantial profits from buying virtual pigs has cost villagers hundreds of thousands of rupees. As reported by Boom Decode, the scheme had people investing in pigs and other livestock online through a game, with the expectation of high returns. Second day of disruption at Heathrow Airport as British Airways cancels dozens of flights Travellers at Heathrow Airport in London continued to be at discomfort as British Airways cancelled 42 more flights on Friday (May 26) following Thursday's disruption due to an IT problem. The airline said that the situation on Friday was a 'knock on effect' of the problem faced by the airline due to Thursday's technical issue. According to BBC, some 16000 passengers have been affected due to the issue this time.

Top 10 world news: 6.2 earthquake jolts Japan, Russian missile strikes clinic in Ukraine’s Dnipro and more

Google on Wednesday removed a controversial game from its app store that triggered outrage in Brazil.

The game dubbed as 'Slavery Simulator' allowed players to buy and sell enslaved Black characters.

Launched by Magnus Games on 20 April, the game was downloaded more than 1,000 times before being removed, as per local media reports.

According to CNN Brasil, the country's Public Prosecutor’s Office launched a probe into the reason why the game was made available for download on the Google play store.

The authorities requested “specific information about the game” from Google, adding a “great number of racist comments” were also identified in the Google platform.

Within the game, users could “exchange, buy and sell slaves,” images show. “Choose one of two objectives at the start of the slave owner simulator: the Path of the Tyrant or the Path of the Liberator. Become a wealthy slave owner or achieve the abolition of slavery,” said the game’s description.

According to local media reports, in one of the modes that were offered to the players, the game said, “Use slaves for your own enrichment. Prevent the abolition of slavery and accumulate wealth.”

As per the images of the game, the prompts of the user included, “Slave level: the highest the level, the highest the profit the slave will bring,” and “You need guards! You have slaves but no one is guarding them. Without guards, the slaves will run away or rebel. Hire some fighters. Usually, 1 guard is enough for 30 slaves,” showed the screengrabs of the game.

<h2>Netizens react</h2>

The game took social media by storm in no time with several users condemning the developers of the game and tech giant Google.

Multiple users took to Twitter and criticized the game.&nbsp;

“The normalization of violence against Black people is so wide than then things like this happen,” Levi Kaique Ferreira, an influencer activist and professor, wrote on Twitter.

“Our country was built with the blood of the Black population. People were killed, tortured. A “Slavery Simulator” is not a theme for games,” lawmaker Denise Pessoa posted on Twitter.

Another lawmaker, Orlando Silva, made a formal complaint to the Public Prosecutor against the “macabre” game. “This is apology to crime, this is recreational racism, they have to answer criminally,” he said on Twitter.

Google, in a statement to CNN Brasil, said, “We have a robust set of policies that are designed to keep users safe and that all developers must follow. We don’t allow apps that promote violence or incite hatred against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin, or that depict or promote gratuitous violence or other dangerous activities. Anyone who believes they have found an app that violates our rules can file a report. When we identify a policy violation, we take appropriate action”.

At the time of removal, the game had a rating of four out of five stars, with one review reading: "Great game to pass the time. But I think it lacked more torture options."

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Google on Wednesday removed a controversial game from its app store that triggered outrage in Brazil. The game dubbed as 'Slavery Simulator' allowed players to buy and sell enslaved Black characters.

Google on Wednesday removed a controversial game from its app store that triggered outrage in Brazil. The game dubbed as 'Slavery Simulator' allowed players to buy and sell enslaved Black characters. Launched by Magnus Games on 20 April, the game was downloaded more than 1,000 times before being removed, as per local media reports. According to CNN Brasil, the country's Public Prosecutor’s Office launched a probe into the reason why the game was made available for download on the Google play store. The authorities requested “specific information about the game” from Google, adding a “great number of racist comments” were also identified in the Google platform. Within the game, users could “exchange, buy and sell slaves,” images show. “Choose one of two objectives at the start of the slave owner simulator: the Path of the Tyrant or the Path of the Liberator. Become a wealthy slave owner or achieve the abolition of slavery,” said the game’s description. According to local media reports, in one of the modes that were offered to the players, the game said, “Use slaves for your own enrichment. Prevent the abolition of slavery and accumulate wealth.” As per the images of the game, the prompts of the user included, “Slave level: the highest the level, the highest the profit the slave will bring,” and “You need guards! You have slaves but no one is guarding them. Without guards, the slaves will run away or rebel. Hire some fighters. Usually, 1 guard is enough for 30 slaves,” showed the screengrabs of the game. Netizens react The game took social media by storm in no time with several users condemning the developers of the game and tech giant Google. Multiple users took to Twitter and criticized the game. “The normalization of violence against Black people is so wide than then things like this happen,” Levi Kaique Ferreira, an influencer activist and professor, wrote on Twitter. “Our country was built with the blood of the Black population. People were killed, tortured. A “Slavery Simulator” is not a theme for games,” lawmaker Denise Pessoa posted on Twitter. Another lawmaker, Orlando Silva, made a formal complaint to the Public Prosecutor against the “macabre” game. “This is apology to crime, this is recreational racism, they have to answer criminally,” he said on Twitter. Google, in a statement to CNN Brasil, said, “We have a robust set of policies that are designed to keep users safe and that all developers must follow. We don’t allow apps that promote violence or incite hatred against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin, or that depict or promote gratuitous violence or other dangerous activities. Anyone who believes they have found an app that violates our rules can file a report. When we identify a policy violation, we take appropriate action”. At the time of removal, the game had a rating of four out of five stars, with one review reading: "Great game to pass the time. But I think it lacked more torture options." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Google removes controversial game 'Slavery Simulator' from app store after widespread criticism in Brazil

A politician in the Philippines proposed a 'no homework law' arguing that the kids should take rest and rejuvenate on weekends instead of doing homework as they already spend more than 10 hours in their respective schools on weekdays.

Sam Versoza, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for Tutok To Win Party-List, put forward the proposal aiming at banning teachers from giving homework on weekends to the students of elementary and high school.

As per The Star reports, in 2010, a memorandum circular by the Department of Education advised teachers to assign just reasonable homework on weekdays to the students of public elementary schools. The circular further added that there should be no homework given to the students.

The bill proposed by Versoza is aimed at institutionalizing the concept for all elementary and high schools across the country.

Since the 17th Congress, from 2016 to 2019, the lawmakers in the country have taken several measures to institute a no-homework policy on weekends.

However, such measures are still pending before the House Basic Education and Culture Committee.

In a privilege speech on Monday (May 22), Versoza said that the students work extra hours to complete their homework.

He added that in some cases even parents take up the responsibility to finish the tasks assigned by teachers to their kids.

“The Filipino youth are overworked and yet the Philippines is trailing behind other countries,” Versoza said in his privilege speech.

He further cited recent reports that the average intelligence quotient (IQ) of Filipinos was 81.64, while the global average IQ was 100. The Philippines ranked 111th out of 200 countries in terms of average IQ.

“This is alarming and proves that the Philippines is in the middle of an educational crisis. If the system is not working, let us improve the system,” Versoza said.

He said that progressive nations like Finland, China, South Korea, and Japan, already cut back on giving homework to students and that the Philippines should also consider doing the same.

Versoza said an hour of homework a day was “sufficient to achieve satisfactory results” and that increasing the number of hours for homework “may cause stress to students and their families”.

The lawmaker also highlighted the disparity between the rich and poor in completing school tasks.

“Kids from wealthier homes are more likely to have resources such as computers, internet connection, dedicated areas to do schoolwork, and parents who tend to be more educated and more available to help them with their homework,” The Star quoted Versoza as saying.

"On the other hand, children from disadvantaged homes are more likely to take on after-school jobs, be at home without parents’ supervision, or take care of siblings instead of doing homework."

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

A politician in the Philippines proposed a 'no homework law' arguing that the kids should take rest and rejuvenate on weekends instead of doing homework as they already spend more than 10 hours in their respective schools on weekdays.

A politician in the Philippines proposed a 'no homework law' arguing that the kids should take rest and rejuvenate on weekends instead of doing homework as they already spend more than 10 hours in their respective schools on weekdays. Sam Versoza, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for Tutok To Win Party-List, put forward the proposal aiming at banning teachers from giving homework on weekends to the students of elementary and high school. As per The Star reports, in 2010, a memorandum circular by the Department of Education advised teachers to assign just reasonable homework on weekdays to the students of public elementary schools. The circular further added that there should be no homework given to the students. The bill proposed by Versoza is aimed at institutionalizing the concept for all elementary and high schools across the country. Since the 17th Congress, from 2016 to 2019, the lawmakers in the country have taken several measures to institute a no-homework policy on weekends. However, such measures are still pending before the House Basic Education and Culture Committee. In a privilege speech on Monday (May 22), Versoza said that the students work extra hours to complete their homework. He added that in some cases even parents take up the responsibility to finish the tasks assigned by teachers to their kids. “The Filipino youth are overworked and yet the Philippines is trailing behind other countries,” Versoza said in his privilege speech. He further cited recent reports that the average intelligence quotient (IQ) of Filipinos was 81.64, while the global average IQ was 100. The Philippines ranked 111th out of 200 countries in terms of average IQ. “This is alarming and proves that the Philippines is in the middle of an educational crisis. If the system is not working, let us improve the system,” Versoza said. He said that progressive nations like Finland, China, South Korea, and Japan, already cut back on giving homework to students and that the Philippines should also consider doing the same. Versoza said an hour of homework a day was “sufficient to achieve satisfactory results” and that increasing the number of hours for homework “may cause stress to students and their families”. The lawmaker also highlighted the disparity between the rich and poor in completing school tasks. “Kids from wealthier homes are more likely to have resources such as computers, internet connection, dedicated areas to do schoolwork, and parents who tend to be more educated and more available to help them with their homework,” The Star quoted Versoza as saying. "On the other hand, children from disadvantaged homes are more likely to take on after-school jobs, be at home without parents’ supervision, or take care of siblings instead of doing homework." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Politician in Philippines proposes 'no homework law' on weekends

A noodle vendor in Vietnam, famous for impersonating the famous celebrity chef "Salt Bae", was sentenced to five and a half years in prison on Thursday for allegedly mocking a powerful government official, said the police after a court supposedly found him guilty of anti-state propaganda.

The conviction by the court is the latest in what as per the rights group is the government's wide-ranging attempt to silence the voices that are disapproving of the ruling Vietnamese Communist Party.

In November 2021, a video of 39-year-old Bui Tuan Lam went viral when it was shared days after a powerful Vietnamese official was captured eating gold-encrusted steak at the London restaurant of the Turkish chef whose real name is Nusret Gökçe.

Lam, who described himself in a Facebook post uploaded alongside the video as "Green Onion Bae", was arrested late last year.&nbsp;

On Thursday, he was convicted of "making, storing, distributing, or disseminating information, documents, and items against the state", the Danang police department said after a one-day trial.

"They charged the defendant based on posts and video clips Lam had on his accounts on social media platforms," lawyer Le Dinh Viet told AFP.

He added that there was nothing about the Salt Bae clip.

Lam denied the charges and said he had only "expressed his personal viewpoint and exercised his right to freedom of speech".

As per Reuters reports, apart from running a beef noodle stall in the city, Lam had been a public advocate for democracy in Vietnam and had also been an active participant in many anti-China and pro-environment protests.

The Danang police department also cited Lam's indictment as saying he had posted 19 articles and 25 videos on social media to "distort and smear the state."

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, called on the Vietnamese government to stop prosecuting Lam and others for criticising the Vietnamese Communist Party.

"The list of posts and videos listed as 'evidence' of Bui Tuan Lam's 'crimes' shows the extreme lengths to which the Vietnamese go to block any sort of online criticism of the government," Phil said.

"For the Vietnamese leadership, even songs are a threat to their monopoly of power," he added.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

A noodle vendor in Vietnam, famous for impersonating the famous celebrity chef "Salt Bae", was sentenced to five and a half years in prison on Thursday for allegedly mocking a powerful government official, said the police after a court supposedly found him guilty of anti-state propaganda.

A noodle vendor in Vietnam, famous for impersonating the famous celebrity chef "Salt Bae", was sentenced to five and a half years in prison on Thursday for allegedly mocking a powerful government official, said the police after a court supposedly found him guilty of anti-state propaganda. The conviction by the court is the latest in what as per the rights group is the government's wide-ranging attempt to silence the voices that are disapproving of the ruling Vietnamese Communist Party. In November 2021, a video of 39-year-old Bui Tuan Lam went viral when it was shared days after a powerful Vietnamese official was captured eating gold-encrusted steak at the London restaurant of the Turkish chef whose real name is Nusret Gökçe. Lam, who described himself in a Facebook post uploaded alongside the video as "Green Onion Bae", was arrested late last year. On Thursday, he was convicted of "making, storing, distributing, or disseminating information, documents, and items against the state", the Danang police department said after a one-day trial. "They charged the defendant based on posts and video clips Lam had on his accounts on social media platforms," lawyer Le Dinh Viet told AFP. He added that there was nothing about the Salt Bae clip. Lam denied the charges and said he had only "expressed his personal viewpoint and exercised his right to freedom of speech". As per Reuters reports, apart from running a beef noodle stall in the city, Lam had been a public advocate for democracy in Vietnam and had also been an active participant in many anti-China and pro-environment protests. The Danang police department also cited Lam's indictment as saying he had posted 19 articles and 25 videos on social media to "distort and smear the state." Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, called on the Vietnamese government to stop prosecuting Lam and others for criticising the Vietnamese Communist Party. "The list of posts and videos listed as 'evidence' of Bui Tuan Lam's 'crimes' shows the extreme lengths to which the Vietnamese go to block any sort of online criticism of the government," Phil said. "For the Vietnamese leadership, even songs are a threat to their monopoly of power," he added. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Noodle vendor in Vietnam gets imprisoned for mocking top government official's lavish dining

Last week, Roger Waters, the co-founder and former lyricist of the rock band Pink Floyd, drew flak for donning a 'Nazi-style uniform' at a concert in Berlin.

As per the local media reports, Waters performed at Germany's Mercedes-Benz Arena on May 17, where the words, "The show will start in 10 minutes and a court in Frankfurt has ruled that I am not an antisemite, just to be clear, I condemn antisemitism unreservedly," were projected on a screen.

On Friday (26 May), Berlin police released a statement saying that they were investigating Waters for incitement to hatred.

As per the images circulated on social media, Waters could be seen wearing a long, black coat with red armbands on stage at the Mercedes-Benz arena last week.

"We are investigating on suspicion of incitement to public hatred because the clothing worn on stage could be used to used to glorify or justify Nazi rule, thereby disturbing the public peace," police spokesman Martin Halweg told AFP, confirming an earlier report by Jewish News.

"The clothing resembles the clothing of an SS officer," Halweg added.

Waters is known to be a pro-Palestinian activist and has also been condemned for holding anti-Jewish views.&nbsp;

In recent weeks, the singer has performed in several German cities as part of his "This Is Not A Drill" tour.

The crooner has denied the anti-Semitism condemnations arguing that he was demonstrating against Israeli policies and not the Jewish people.

As per AFP reports, at the controversial Berlin concert, Waters flashed the names of several deceased people on a large screen, including that of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager who died in a Nazi concentration camp.

<h2>Israeli Foreign Ministry condemns Roger Waters</h2>

What drew particular outrage from social media users in Israel and the Israeli Foreign Ministry was Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh being listed immediately before Holocaust victim Anne Frank.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Good morning to every one but Roger Waters who spent the evening in Berlin (Yes Berlin) desecrating the memory of Anne Frank and the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. <a href="https://t.co/4tcrV6f8mt">pic.twitter.com/4tcrV6f8mt</a>
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Israel/status/1661272469238435840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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"Good morning to everyone but Roger Waters who spent the evening in Berlin (Yes Berlin) desecrating the memory of Anne Frank and the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust," Israel's foreign ministry tweeted earlier this week.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre also took to Twitter and criticised the event further calling for the German authorities to officially charge Waters for invoking and distorting Holocaust images.

"Shame on Frankfurt authorities and Mercedes Benz arena in Berlin — a place from where Jews were deported by the Nazis — for providing anti-Semite #RogerWaters this venue for his concert with no concern/care for the Jewish community," the centre tweeted.

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Shame on Frankfurt authorities and Mercedes Benz arena in Berlin — a place from where Jews were deported by the Nazis — for providing anti-Semite <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RogerWaters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RogerWaters</a> this venue for his concert with no concern/care for the Jewish community. <a href="https://t.co/XYAS4bFi7h">https://t.co/XYAS4bFi7h</a>
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/simonwiesenthal/status/1661144197578248193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

"Will Germany prosecute #RogerWaters for Holocaust distortion or will promoters rush to book the anti-Semite for more lurid 3-D anti-Israel + #Antisemitic hatefests masquerading as concerts?" it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Last week, Roger Waters, the co-founder and former lyricist of the rock band Pink Floyd, drew flak for donning a 'Nazi-style uniform' at a concert in Berlin. As per the local media reports, Waters performed at Germany's Mercedes-Benz Arena on May 17, where the words, "The show will start in 10 minutes and a court in Frankfurt has ruled that I am not an antisemite, just to be clear, I condemn antisemitism unreservedly," were projected on a screen.

Last week, Roger Waters, the co-founder and former lyricist of the rock band Pink Floyd, drew flak for donning a 'Nazi-style uniform' at a concert in Berlin. As per the local media reports, Waters performed at Germany's Mercedes-Benz Arena on May 17, where the words, "The show will start in 10 minutes and a court in Frankfurt has ruled that I am not an antisemite, just to be clear, I condemn antisemitism unreservedly," were projected on a screen. On Friday (26 May), Berlin police released a statement saying that they were investigating Waters for incitement to hatred. As per the images circulated on social media, Waters could be seen wearing a long, black coat with red armbands on stage at the Mercedes-Benz arena last week. "We are investigating on suspicion of incitement to public hatred because the clothing worn on stage could be used to used to glorify or justify Nazi rule, thereby disturbing the public peace," police spokesman Martin Halweg told AFP, confirming an earlier report by Jewish News. "The clothing resembles the clothing of an SS officer," Halweg added. Waters is known to be a pro-Palestinian activist and has also been condemned for holding anti-Jewish views. In recent weeks, the singer has performed in several German cities as part of his "This Is Not A Drill" tour. The crooner has denied the anti-Semitism condemnations arguing that he was demonstrating against Israeli policies and not the Jewish people. As per AFP reports, at the controversial Berlin concert, Waters flashed the names of several deceased people on a large screen, including that of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager who died in a Nazi concentration camp. Israeli Foreign Ministry condemns Roger Waters What drew particular outrage from social media users in Israel and the Israeli Foreign Ministry was Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh being listed immediately before Holocaust victim Anne Frank. Good morning to every one but Roger Waters who spent the evening in Berlin (Yes Berlin) desecrating the memory of Anne Frank and the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. pic.twitter.com/4tcrV6f8mt — Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) May 24, 2023 × "Good morning to everyone but Roger Waters who spent the evening in Berlin (Yes Berlin) desecrating the memory of Anne Frank and the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust," Israel's foreign ministry tweeted earlier this week. The Simon Wiesenthal Centre also took to Twitter and criticised the event further calling for the German authorities to officially charge Waters for invoking and distorting Holocaust images. "Shame on Frankfurt authorities and Mercedes Benz arena in Berlin — a place from where Jews were deported by the Nazis — for providing anti-Semite #RogerWaters this venue for his concert with no concern/care for the Jewish community," the centre tweeted. Shame on Frankfurt authorities and Mercedes Benz arena in Berlin — a place from where Jews were deported by the Nazis — for providing anti-Semite #RogerWaters this venue for his concert with no concern/care for the Jewish community. https://t.co/XYAS4bFi7h — SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) May 23, 2023 × "Will Germany prosecute #RogerWaters for Holocaust distortion or will promoters rush to book the anti-Semite for more lurid 3-D anti-Israel + #Antisemitic hatefests masquerading as concerts?" it added. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Berlin police to investigate Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters for inciting hatred by donning ‘Nazi-style’ uniform

Asserting that an International Atomic Energy Agency equivalent would be required to safeguard humanity from the risks posed by fast-developing Artificial Intelligence, the makers of ChatGPT —&nbsp;OpenAI, have called for the regulation of 'superintelligent' AIs.

Co-founders Greg Brockman,&nbsp;Ilya Sutskever and the chief executive, Sam Altman, in a note published on the company's website, asked for an international regulator to begin working on ways to “inspect systems, require audits, test for compliance with safety standards, and&nbsp;place restrictions on degrees of deployment and levels of security” in order to reduce the “existential risk” such systems could pose.

“It’s conceivable that within the next 10 years, AI systems will exceed expert skill level in most domains, and carry out as much productive activity as one of today’s largest corporations,” the note read.&nbsp;

“In terms of both potential upsides and downsides, superintelligence will be more powerful than other technologies humanity has had to contend with in the past. We can have a dramatically more prosperous future, but we have to manage risk to get there. Given the possibility of existential risk, we can’t just be reactive.”&nbsp;

OpenAI leaders called for 'some degree of coordination' among the organisations working on artificial intelligence research in order to&nbsp;make sure that the development of AI models commixes steadily with society while also prioritising safety.

The US-based Center for AI Safety (CAIS), which works to 'reduce societal-scale risks from artificial intelligence', describes eight categories of 'catastrophic' and 'existential' risks that AI development could pose.

As per the creators of viral chatbot ChatGPT, those risks mean "people around the world should democratically decide on the bounds and defaults for AI systems”, but admit that “we don’t yet know how to design such a mechanism”.

“We believe it’s going to lead to a much better world than what we can imagine today (we are already seeing early examples of this in areas like education, creative work, and personal productivity),” the note read.&nbsp;

“Because the upsides are so tremendous, the cost to build it decreases each year, the number of actors building it is rapidly increasing, and it’s inherently part of the technological path we are on. Stopping it would require something like a global surveillance regime, and even that isn’t guaranteed to work. So we have to get it right.”

<h2>OpenAI CEO testifies before US Congress, calls regulation of artificial intelligence ‘critical’</h2>

Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, the startup which created ChatGPT, addressed a panel of United States lawmakers, on Tuesday (May 16), and said that regulation of the “increasingly powerful models” of artificial intelligence is “critical” to mitigate the risks the technology poses. Altman also spoke about how the use of AI to interfere with election integrity is a “significant area of concern”.&nbsp;

“OpenAI was founded on the belief that artificial intelligence has the potential to improve nearly every aspect of our lives, but also that it creates serious risks,” said Altman while addressing a Senate judiciary subcommittee hearing.&nbsp;

This comes as many companies across the board from companies large and small have raced to bring increasingly sophisticated models of AI to market, which has raised concerns among critics and industry experts who have warned about how the technology can exacerbate societal harms including factors like misinformation and prejudice.

While expressing concerns Altman also spoke about how AI is also beneficial to society and said that in time, generative AI developed by OpenAI will “address some of humanity’s biggest challenges, like climate change and curing cancer.”&nbsp;

“However, given the risks of the technology, we think that regulatory intervention by governments will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful models,” said the CEO of OpenAI.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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Asserting that an International Atomic Energy Agency equivalent would be required to safeguard humanity from the risks posed by fast-developing Artificial Intelligence, the makers of ChatGPT — OpenAI, have called for the regulation of 'superintelligent' AIs.

Asserting that an International Atomic Energy Agency equivalent would be required to safeguard humanity from the risks posed by fast-developing Artificial Intelligence, the makers of ChatGPT — OpenAI, have called for the regulation of 'superintelligent' AIs. Co-founders Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever and the chief executive, Sam Altman, in a note published on the company's website, asked for an international regulator to begin working on ways to “inspect systems, require audits, test for compliance with safety standards, and place restrictions on degrees of deployment and levels of security” in order to reduce the “existential risk” such systems could pose. “It’s conceivable that within the next 10 years, AI systems will exceed expert skill level in most domains, and carry out as much productive activity as one of today’s largest corporations,” the note read. “In terms of both potential upsides and downsides, superintelligence will be more powerful than other technologies humanity has had to contend with in the past. We can have a dramatically more prosperous future, but we have to manage risk to get there. Given the possibility of existential risk, we can’t just be reactive.” OpenAI leaders called for 'some degree of coordination' among the organisations working on artificial intelligence research in order to make sure that the development of AI models commixes steadily with society while also prioritising safety. The US-based Center for AI Safety (CAIS), which works to 'reduce societal-scale risks from artificial intelligence', describes eight categories of 'catastrophic' and 'existential' risks that AI development could pose. As per the creators of viral chatbot ChatGPT, those risks mean "people around the world should democratically decide on the bounds and defaults for AI systems”, but admit that “we don’t yet know how to design such a mechanism”. “We believe it’s going to lead to a much better world than what we can imagine today (we are already seeing early examples of this in areas like education, creative work, and personal productivity),” the note read. “Because the upsides are so tremendous, the cost to build it decreases each year, the number of actors building it is rapidly increasing, and it’s inherently part of the technological path we are on. Stopping it would require something like a global surveillance regime, and even that isn’t guaranteed to work. So we have to get it right.” OpenAI CEO testifies before US Congress, calls regulation of artificial intelligence ‘critical’ Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, the startup which created ChatGPT, addressed a panel of United States lawmakers, on Tuesday (May 16), and said that regulation of the “increasingly powerful models” of artificial intelligence is “critical” to mitigate the risks the technology poses. Altman also spoke about how the use of AI to interfere with election integrity is a “significant area of concern”. “OpenAI was founded on the belief that artificial intelligence has the potential to improve nearly every aspect of our lives, but also that it creates serious risks,” said Altman while addressing a Senate judiciary subcommittee hearing. This comes as many companies across the board from companies large and small have raced to bring increasingly sophisticated models of AI to market, which has raised concerns among critics and industry experts who have warned about how the technology can exacerbate societal harms including factors like misinformation and prejudice. While expressing concerns Altman also spoke about how AI is also beneficial to society and said that in time, generative AI developed by OpenAI will “address some of humanity’s biggest challenges, like climate change and curing cancer.” “However, given the risks of the technology, we think that regulatory intervention by governments will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful models,” said the CEO of OpenAI. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI cites ‘existential threat’ in call for AI regulation

Nvidia Corp soared about 26% on Thursday taking it closer to a market value of $1 trillion after its stellar revenue forecast showed that Wall Street has yet to price in the game-changing potential of AI.

The surge added to a more than two-fold rise in the stock this year and was set to increase the chip designer's value by about $196 billion to nearly $951 billion, putting Nvidia on course for the largest single-day value gain for a U.S. firm.

That market capitalization makes Nvidia twice the size of the second-largest chip firm, Taiwan's TSMC. In the United States, it trails only the trillion-dollar value companies Apple Inc, Alphabet Inc, Microsoft Corp and Amazon.com Inc.

The rosy earnings also sparked a rally in the chip sector and for AI-focused firms, lifting stock markets from Japan to Europe. In the U.S., Big Tech companies other than Amazon rose between 0.7% and 3.5%, while Advanced Micro Devices Inc jumped 10%.

Analysts rushed to raise their price targets on Nvidia stock, with 27 lifting their view on the idea that all roads in AI lead to the company as it dominates the market for chips used to power ChatGPT and many similar services.

The mean price target has more than doubled this year. At the highest view, a $644.80 price target from Elazar Advisors, Nvidia will have a value of $1.59 trillion, around that of Alphabet.

"In the 15+ years we have been doing this job, we have never seen a guide like the one Nvidia just put up with the second-quarter outlook that was by all accounts cosmological, and which annihilated expectations," Stacy Rasgon of Bernstein said.

Nvidia, the fifth-most valuable U.S. company, on Wednesday projected quarterly revenue more than 50% above the average Wall Street estimate and said it would have more supply of AI chips in the second half to meet a surge in demand.

CEO Jensen Huang said $1 trillion worth of current equipment in data centers would have to be replaced with AI chips, as generative AI is applied into every product and service.

The results bode well for Big Tech companies, which have shifted focus to AI on hopes the technology would help attract demand at a time their profit engines of digital advertising and cloud computing are under pressure from a weak economy.

Some analysts said Nvidia's results show that the generative AI boom could be the next big driver of growth.

"We're really just seeing the tip of the iceberg. This really could be another inflection point in technological history, such as the internal combustion engine - or the internet," said Derren Nathan, head of equity analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown.

&nbsp;

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Nvidia Corp soared about 26% on Thursday taking it closer to a market value of $1 trillion after its stellar revenue forecast showed that Wall Street has yet to price in the game-changing potential of AI.

Nvidia Corp soared about 26% on Thursday taking it closer to a market value of $1 trillion after its stellar revenue forecast showed that Wall Street has yet to price in the game-changing potential of AI. The surge added to a more than two-fold rise in the stock this year and was set to increase the chip designer's value by about $196 billion to nearly $951 billion, putting Nvidia on course for the largest single-day value gain for a U.S. firm. That market capitalization makes Nvidia twice the size of the second-largest chip firm, Taiwan's TSMC. In the United States, it trails only the trillion-dollar value companies Apple Inc, Alphabet Inc, Microsoft Corp and Amazon.com Inc. The rosy earnings also sparked a rally in the chip sector and for AI-focused firms, lifting stock markets from Japan to Europe. In the U.S., Big Tech companies other than Amazon rose between 0.7% and 3.5%, while Advanced Micro Devices Inc jumped 10%. Analysts rushed to raise their price targets on Nvidia stock, with 27 lifting their view on the idea that all roads in AI lead to the company as it dominates the market for chips used to power ChatGPT and many similar services. The mean price target has more than doubled this year. At the highest view, a $644.80 price target from Elazar Advisors, Nvidia will have a value of $1.59 trillion, around that of Alphabet. "In the 15+ years we have been doing this job, we have never seen a guide like the one Nvidia just put up with the second-quarter outlook that was by all accounts cosmological, and which annihilated expectations," Stacy Rasgon of Bernstein said. Nvidia, the fifth-most valuable U.S. company, on Wednesday projected quarterly revenue more than 50% above the average Wall Street estimate and said it would have more supply of AI chips in the second half to meet a surge in demand. CEO Jensen Huang said $1 trillion worth of current equipment in data centers would have to be replaced with AI chips, as generative AI is applied into every product and service. The results bode well for Big Tech companies, which have shifted focus to AI on hopes the technology would help attract demand at a time their profit engines of digital advertising and cloud computing are under pressure from a weak economy. Some analysts said Nvidia's results show that the generative AI boom could be the next big driver of growth. "We're really just seeing the tip of the iceberg. This really could be another inflection point in technological history, such as the internal combustion engine - or the internet," said Derren Nathan, head of equity analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Nvidia close to becoming first trillion-dollar chip firm after stellar forecast

In what might be called as one of the biggest incursions from Ukraine since the advent of Russia’s invasion over a year ago, two alleged anti-Kremlin armed groups have claimed responsibility for the attack in the country's western Belgorod region.

The authorities in Moscow have condemned Ukrainian armed groups for the attack and initiated a terrorism probe into the incident.

Meanwhile, Kyiv has denied any involvement, saying that the assailants are Russian citizens.

<h2>Ukraine denies involvement</h2>

Ukrainian officials after the incident said that they are watching the situation as it develops, but the country “has nothing to do with it”. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak suggested that Russian “guerrilla groups” might be the ones responsible for the attack that occurred on Monday.

Notably, Ukraine has previously denied responsibility for several reported sabotage attacks on Russian territory.&nbsp;

He said, "The only driving political force in a totalitarian country of tightened screws is always an armed guerrilla movement. As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store, and underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens."&nbsp;

The Russian military, on Tuesday (May 23) said that it had crushed the cross-border attack from Ukraine after deploying jets and artillery to destroy an armed group a day after they attacked the border region with armoured vehicles. Moscow also claimed that it killed over 70 “Ukrainian nationalists” and destroyed four of their armoured vehicles.&nbsp;

According to Russia-installed officials, at least 12 civilians were wounded after what Moscow called a “sabotage” group incursion from Ukraine and introduced an “anti-terror regime” in the region of Belgorod.&nbsp;

Notably, the “anti-terror regime” grants special powers to security services, while also imposing a number of restrictions and measures, which include more security and communications surveillance in a region.&nbsp;

“In the course of the counter-terrorist operation, the nationalist formations were blocked and destroyed by air strikes and artillery fire,” said the Russian defence ministry in a statement.

It also said that Russia killed more than 70 Ukrainian fighters and destroyed four armoured vehicles and five pick-up trucks.&nbsp;

Following the incident, Belgorod’s governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that civilians from nine border villages had been evacuated. However, they haven't yet been asked to return. In response to the alleged attack, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “What happened yesterday is a cause for deep concern and once again confirms that Ukrainian militants continue their activities against our country.”&nbsp;

The Kremlin said that Putin has been informed about the incident. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that the "defence ministry, the FSB (security service) and the border service reported to the Russian president about an attempt of a Ukrainian sabotage group to break into the Belgorod region".&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Peskov said the incursion was designed to "divert attention" from Bakhmut and "minimise" Ukraine's loss of the eastern city, which Moscow claimed to capture.&nbsp;

<h2>Two ‘anti-Kremlin’ groups claim responsibility</h2>

As per Reuters reports, two groups claimed responsibility for the incursion - the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and the Freedom of Russia Legion.

RUSSIAN VOLUNTEER CORPS

Founded by a far-right Russian national in the month of August last year, the group comprises Russians who have been fighting in and for Ukraine against their own country, as per Reuters reports.

The group had claimed responsibility for a raid over the border in Russian territory in the month of March and also for the incursion into Belgorod.

According to Reuters, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency said that the RVC is an 'independent underground group' inside Russia that also has a unit in the Ukrainian Foreign Legion. However, the Foreign Legion says it has 'nothing to do' with the RVC.

A video posted by the RVC, seen by the news agency Reuters, claims to have seized an armoured Russian personal carrier.&nbsp;

Reuters was able to identify one of the men as Ilya Bogdanov, a Russian national who received Ukrainian citizenship in 2015 after fighting for Kyiv against Russian-backed forces in Ukraine's east.

FREEDOM OF RUSSIA LEGION&nbsp;

Freedom of Russia Legion is said to be formed in the year 2022 "out of the wish of Russians to fight in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Putin's armed gang."

According to the reports, the group is a Ukraine-based Russian militia group which cooperates with the Ukrainian armed forces and works under Ukrainian command.

It has claimed responsibility for the attack in Belgorod and asserts it has been fighting in eastern Ukraine.

On Monday, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency's spokesperson released a statement saying that the infiltrations in Belgorod only involved Russian citizens and that they were making efforts to create a 'security zone' to safeguard the Ukrainian civilians. &nbsp;

<h2>Leader of RVC warns Russia to expect more incursions</h2>

Combatants of the groups, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and Freedom of Russia Legion, which took responsibility for the incursions in Russia’s western Belgorod region, spoke to the media on Wednesday (May 24).

They held a news conference at a forest clearing in northern Ukraine, near the Russian border.&nbsp;

The leaders of the group while speaking to the reporters said that the Belgorod raid was their "first step" and that they would "continue to conduct more incursions into Russian territory in the near future".

"I think you will see us again on that side," said Denis Kapustin, who introduced himself as the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps group. "I cannot reveal those upcoming things, I cannot even reveal the direction. The ... border is pretty long. Yet again there will be a spot where things will get hot."

"You should be just a little bit patient, and wait just a couple of days to see us again on that side," Kapustin said in Russian referring to the Russian side of the border.

"The operation is ongoing. This is how I should put it, to be honest. It definitely has different phases. So, phase one we consider the successful phase, it's over now. But, the operation is ongoing," he said in English.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

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In what might be called as one of the biggest incursions from Ukraine since the advent of Russia’s invasion over a year ago, two alleged anti-Kremlin armed groups have claimed responsibility for the attack in the country's western Belgorod region.

In what might be called as one of the biggest incursions from Ukraine since the advent of Russia’s invasion over a year ago, two alleged anti-Kremlin armed groups have claimed responsibility for the attack in the country's western Belgorod region. The authorities in Moscow have condemned Ukrainian armed groups for the attack and initiated a terrorism probe into the incident. Meanwhile, Kyiv has denied any involvement, saying that the assailants are Russian citizens. Ukraine denies involvement Ukrainian officials after the incident said that they are watching the situation as it develops, but the country “has nothing to do with it”. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak suggested that Russian “guerrilla groups” might be the ones responsible for the attack that occurred on Monday. Notably, Ukraine has previously denied responsibility for several reported sabotage attacks on Russian territory. He said, "The only driving political force in a totalitarian country of tightened screws is always an armed guerrilla movement. As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store, and underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens." The Russian military, on Tuesday (May 23) said that it had crushed the cross-border attack from Ukraine after deploying jets and artillery to destroy an armed group a day after they attacked the border region with armoured vehicles. Moscow also claimed that it killed over 70 “Ukrainian nationalists” and destroyed four of their armoured vehicles. According to Russia-installed officials, at least 12 civilians were wounded after what Moscow called a “sabotage” group incursion from Ukraine and introduced an “anti-terror regime” in the region of Belgorod. Notably, the “anti-terror regime” grants special powers to security services, while also imposing a number of restrictions and measures, which include more security and communications surveillance in a region. “In the course of the counter-terrorist operation, the nationalist formations were blocked and destroyed by air strikes and artillery fire,” said the Russian defence ministry in a statement. It also said that Russia killed more than 70 Ukrainian fighters and destroyed four armoured vehicles and five pick-up trucks. Following the incident, Belgorod’s governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that civilians from nine border villages had been evacuated. However, they haven't yet been asked to return. In response to the alleged attack, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “What happened yesterday is a cause for deep concern and once again confirms that Ukrainian militants continue their activities against our country.” The Kremlin said that Putin has been informed about the incident. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that the "defence ministry, the FSB (security service) and the border service reported to the Russian president about an attempt of a Ukrainian sabotage group to break into the Belgorod region". Peskov said the incursion was designed to "divert attention" from Bakhmut and "minimise" Ukraine's loss of the eastern city, which Moscow claimed to capture. Two ‘anti-Kremlin’ groups claim responsibility As per Reuters reports, two groups claimed responsibility for the incursion - the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and the Freedom of Russia Legion. RUSSIAN VOLUNTEER CORPS Founded by a far-right Russian national in the month of August last year, the group comprises Russians who have been fighting in and for Ukraine against their own country, as per Reuters reports. The group had claimed responsibility for a raid over the border in Russian territory in the month of March and also for the incursion into Belgorod. According to Reuters, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency said that the RVC is an 'independent underground group' inside Russia that also has a unit in the Ukrainian Foreign Legion. However, the Foreign Legion says it has 'nothing to do' with the RVC. A video posted by the RVC, seen by the news agency Reuters, claims to have seized an armoured Russian personal carrier. Reuters was able to identify one of the men as Ilya Bogdanov, a Russian national who received Ukrainian citizenship in 2015 after fighting for Kyiv against Russian-backed forces in Ukraine's east. FREEDOM OF RUSSIA LEGION Freedom of Russia Legion is said to be formed in the year 2022 "out of the wish of Russians to fight in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Putin's armed gang." According to the reports, the group is a Ukraine-based Russian militia group which cooperates with the Ukrainian armed forces and works under Ukrainian command. It has claimed responsibility for the attack in Belgorod and asserts it has been fighting in eastern Ukraine. On Monday, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency's spokesperson released a statement saying that the infiltrations in Belgorod only involved Russian citizens and that they were making efforts to create a 'security zone' to safeguard the Ukrainian civilians. Leader of RVC warns Russia to expect more incursions Combatants of the groups, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and Freedom of Russia Legion, which took responsibility for the incursions in Russia’s western Belgorod region, spoke to the media on Wednesday (May 24). They held a news conference at a forest clearing in northern Ukraine, near the Russian border. The leaders of the group while speaking to the reporters said that the Belgorod raid was their "first step" and that they would "continue to conduct more incursions into Russian territory in the near future". "I think you will see us again on that side," said Denis Kapustin, who introduced himself as the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps group. "I cannot reveal those upcoming things, I cannot even reveal the direction. The ... border is pretty long. Yet again there will be a spot where things will get hot." "You should be just a little bit patient, and wait just a couple of days to see us again on that side," Kapustin said in Russian referring to the Russian side of the border. "The operation is ongoing. This is how I should put it, to be honest. It definitely has different phases. So, phase one we consider the successful phase, it's over now. But, the operation is ongoing," he said in English. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Explained | Belgorod raid: The combatants who infiltrated Russia and infuriated Putin

Investigators in Guyana suspect a fire that killed 19 people, mostly girls, locked in a school dormitory was deliberately set by a student who was furious that her mobile had been taken away, a top official said Tuesday (May 23).

The suspect in the late-Sunday fire, who was among those injured, had been penalised by the dorm supervisor for having an affair with an older man, according to National Security Adviser Gerald Gouveia. As per&nbsp;Gouveia, the student reportedly threatened to ignite the hostel and then set fire to a bathroom area.

14 children lost their lives in the incident at the scene and another five died in hospital. Six wounded kids were airlifted to the capital Georgetown, while around 17 others were admitted to the local hospital.&nbsp;

"14 youths died at the scene, while five died at the Mahdia District Hospital," said a statement from the fire department.

"Initial investigations suggest that it was maliciously set and our investigations are continuing," police commissioner Clifton Hicken said during a press conference.

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&nbsp;

He added that no suspects have yet been identified.

He further said that DNA analysis, which is required to identify 13 victims, will be conducted 'expeditiously'.

Earlier, the police had released a statement saying that one student who had witnessed fire in the dormitory bathroom, was awakened by screams.

Mark Ramotar, the director of the police communications department earlier on Monday said that most of the 19 children who lost their lives in the incident, were Indigenous. "The dorm usually houses students from Indigenous communities," he said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/20-kids-die-in-guyana-school-dormitory-fire-president-ali-calls-it-major-disaster-595155">20 kids die in Guyana school dormitory fire, President Ali calls it ‘major disaster’</a>

The youngest of the victims was a five-year-old boy, the son of the dormitory's caretaker.

As per a list from the Ministry of Education, all the other victims were girls and included several siblings and at least one set of twins.

President Irfaan Ali met with some parents of the deceased after visiting Mahdia's hospital. He released a statement saying that the country will hold three days of mourning.

Ali's statement further added that the victims' families are being provided with counselling and other support.

"There are no words that can describe this magnitude of pain that our brothers and sisters are going through," he said. "This is a pain we must carry as a nation and as a family."&nbsp;

"This is a major disaster. It is horrible, it is painful," he added.

Ali further asserted that he had ordered arrangements to be made in Georgetown's two major hospitals "so that every single child who requires attention be given the best possible opportunity to get that attention."&nbsp;

<h2>Anger mounts over the incident in Guyana</h2>

On Monday, around 50 people, who were the relatives and friends of the victims, took to the streets of Chenapau, a village close to Mahdia that is home to many of the school's pupils.

"The sheer pain, the agony, the trauma," Michael McGarrell, who lost two nieces in the blaze, told AFP. "Who will be held responsible?"

"Why are school children grilled up in death traps? What are we going to tell the parents?" said McGarrell, an activist with the Amerindian People's Association (APA) which is often at odds with the government over land rights.

"Firefighters did manage to rescue some 20 students by breaking holes in the north-eastern wall of the building," the fire service said.

The government said officials were supporting efforts at Ogle Airport in the capital to "receive the critical patients and coordinate an emergency plan of action."

"A full-scale medical emergency action plan has been launched," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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Investigators in Guyana suspect a fire that killed 19 people, mostly girls, locked in a school dormitory was deliberately set by a student who was furious that her mobile had been taken away, a top official said Tuesday (May 23).

Investigators in Guyana suspect a fire that killed 19 people, mostly girls, locked in a school dormitory was deliberately set by a student who was furious that her mobile had been taken away, a top official said Tuesday (May 23). The suspect in the late-Sunday fire, who was among those injured, had been penalised by the dorm supervisor for having an affair with an older man, according to National Security Adviser Gerald Gouveia. As per Gouveia, the student reportedly threatened to ignite the hostel and then set fire to a bathroom area. 14 children lost their lives in the incident at the scene and another five died in hospital. Six wounded kids were airlifted to the capital Georgetown, while around 17 others were admitted to the local hospital. "14 youths died at the scene, while five died at the Mahdia District Hospital," said a statement from the fire department. "Initial investigations suggest that it was maliciously set and our investigations are continuing," police commissioner Clifton Hicken said during a press conference. The fire at a schoolgirls' dormitory that killed 19 people in Guyana may have been started "maliciously," police sayhttps://t.co/huVroZgxa2 pic.twitter.com/JLnSUzKjyz — AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 23, 2023 × He added that no suspects have yet been identified. He further said that DNA analysis, which is required to identify 13 victims, will be conducted 'expeditiously'. Earlier, the police had released a statement saying that one student who had witnessed fire in the dormitory bathroom, was awakened by screams. Mark Ramotar, the director of the police communications department earlier on Monday said that most of the 19 children who lost their lives in the incident, were Indigenous. "The dorm usually houses students from Indigenous communities," he said. ALSO READ | 20 kids die in Guyana school dormitory fire, President Ali calls it ‘major disaster’ The youngest of the victims was a five-year-old boy, the son of the dormitory's caretaker. As per a list from the Ministry of Education, all the other victims were girls and included several siblings and at least one set of twins. President Irfaan Ali met with some parents of the deceased after visiting Mahdia's hospital. He released a statement saying that the country will hold three days of mourning. Ali's statement further added that the victims' families are being provided with counselling and other support. "There are no words that can describe this magnitude of pain that our brothers and sisters are going through," he said. "This is a pain we must carry as a nation and as a family." "This is a major disaster. It is horrible, it is painful," he added. Ali further asserted that he had ordered arrangements to be made in Georgetown's two major hospitals "so that every single child who requires attention be given the best possible opportunity to get that attention." Anger mounts over the incident in Guyana On Monday, around 50 people, who were the relatives and friends of the victims, took to the streets of Chenapau, a village close to Mahdia that is home to many of the school's pupils. "The sheer pain, the agony, the trauma," Michael McGarrell, who lost two nieces in the blaze, told AFP. "Who will be held responsible?" "Why are school children grilled up in death traps? What are we going to tell the parents?" said McGarrell, an activist with the Amerindian People's Association (APA) which is often at odds with the government over land rights. "Firefighters did manage to rescue some 20 students by breaking holes in the north-eastern wall of the building," the fire service said. The government said officials were supporting efforts at Ogle Airport in the capital to "receive the critical patients and coordinate an emergency plan of action." "A full-scale medical emergency action plan has been launched," it added. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Guyana school dorm fire that killed 19 was set off by girl over cell phone confiscation: Official

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