With Maharashtra gearing up for the assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged that the Congress party distributed blank copies of the Constitution at an event led by Rahul Gandhi in Nagpur, reported India Today.

According to details, the event’s theme in Nagpur was protecting and upholding the Constitution.

The Maharashtra BJP even posted a video on social media showing the books with the ‘Constitution of India’ written on the front. However, they contained only blank pages except for the preamble on the first page. The video has gone viral on social media.

“Congress wants to erase the Constitution of India like this. All laws written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar are to be deleted. That is why Rahul Gandhi had predicted that reservation would be cancelled in the interim.

“Remember, respected Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and his constitution is not an election issue but the foundation of life of India and Indians. So the people will teach a lesson to the anti-constitutional Congress,” the Maharashtra BJP tweeted.

Fadnavis hits out at Rahul Gandhi:

Apart from the blank pages row, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hit out at Rahul Gandhi for holding a ‘red book’, which he suggested indicated an inclination towards ‘urban Naxals and anarchists’.

“My allegations made two days back against Rahul Gandhi have proved true about his inclination towards ‘urban Naxals’. He showed the red book and tried seeking help (politically) from urban Naxals and anarchists,” India Today quoted Fadnavis as saying.

“Rahul Gandhi indulges in such drama regularly. He, on a daily basis, insults the Constitution in some or other way,” he added.

Congress replies:

The Maharashtra Congress hit back at the BJP accusing the party of peddling a false narrative. Congress said that the saffron party wants to do away with the Constitution.

“The whole of India knows that BJP and RSS are the enemies of the real constitution, no matter how much they try to spread a false narrative by putting the cover of the Constitution on a blank book,” it said in a post on X.

“BJP’s strategy is to end the Constitution by making false accusations against those who saved the Constitution. But under the leadership of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the Constitution-loving people of the country will never allow this cunning plan of BJP to succeed,” the party added.

Earlier on Wednesday, at the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Nagpur, Rahul Gandhi held a slim copy of the Constitution with a red cover and slammed the BJP and RSS for attacking the Constitution and thereby attacking the ‘voice of the country’.

He even repeated his call for a nationwide caste census and said that the exercise would take place after his party ‘will break the wall of 50 per cent’ reservation limit.

In today’s hyper-connected world, scrolling through social media at night has become a habitual ritual for many. Whether it’s checking Instagram, browsing Twitter, or endlessly watching TikToks, the allure of endless content can be irresistible. While it may seem like a harmless way to unwind before bed, nighttime social media scrolling can have several hidden dangers that can negatively impact both mental and physical health.

1. Disrupted Sleep Patterns

One of the most well-known dangers of nighttime scrolling is its impact on sleep. The blue light emitted by smartphones and other devices suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle. When melatonin levels are low, it becomes harder to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. This can lead to sleep deprivation, which in turn affects mood, cognitive function, and overall health.

Scrolling through social media also tends to be stimulating, whether emotionally or intellectually. Content that triggers strong emotions, such as anxiety or excitement, can make it more difficult to calm down and relax before bed. As a result, you might find yourself tossing and turning long after putting your phone away.

2. Increased Anxiety and Stress

Nighttime is often the only quiet time people have to reflect on their day, which makes it an ideal moment to use social media. Unfortunately, this also makes it a prime time for anxiety-inducing comparisons. As you scroll through photos of friends’ accomplishments, travels, or seemingly perfect lives, you might begin to feel inadequate or left out.

Moreover, the constant bombardment of news, opinions, and information, especially negative content, can increase stress and anxiety. Exposure to troubling world events or divisive conversations late at night can elevate cortisol levels, making it harder to relax and unwind. Over time, this can lead to chronic stress, which is associated with a range of health issues such as high blood pressure, weakened immunity, and mental health disorders.

3. FOMO and Social Comparison

The concept of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is exacerbated by social media. When you’re scrolling late at night, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing your life to the seemingly perfect lives portrayed by others. You might see friends attending events, achieving milestones, or simply enjoying life while you’re lying in bed alone.

These constant comparisons can lead to feelings of envy, dissatisfaction, and loneliness. Over time, this habit can have a detrimental impact on self-esteem, leading to negative body image, depression, or social isolation.

4. Addiction to Social Media

Nighttime scrolling can often turn into an addictive behavior. The dopamine-driven rewards of likes, comments, and new content can create a cycle where you feel compelled to keep checking your phone, even when you’re tired or know you should be resting. The endless scroll feature of many apps is designed to keep you engaged, making it difficult to stop once you’ve started.

This kind of compulsive use of social media can interfere with healthy sleep habits and lead to sleep procrastination, where users stay up much later than they intended, compromising their ability to get adequate rest. Over time, this habit can contribute to chronic sleep deprivation, which affects memory, attention, and overall health.

5. Mental Health Implications

Frequent nighttime social media use has been linked to a number of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness. A study published in The Journal of Adolescence found that excessive social media use at night can significantly increase the risk of mental health problems, particularly in younger users.

Being constantly plugged into social networks can create a sense of pressure to always be available or “on,” which can lead to emotional exhaustion. The flood of information and visual stimuli can become overwhelming, contributing to feelings of burnout and mental fatigue.

6. Reduced Productivity and Focus

The effects of poor sleep due to late-night scrolling extend beyond just feeling groggy the next day. Lack of quality sleep impairs cognitive function, reducing your ability to concentrate, solve problems, and retain information. This leads to lower productivity at work or school, making it harder to accomplish tasks efficiently. Over time, this can compound stress and anxiety, creating a vicious cycle of sleep disruption and daytime exhaustion.

While nighttime social media scrolling might feel like a relaxing way to end the day, its hidden dangers can take a toll on both your mental and physical health. From disrupted sleep to increased anxiety and reduced productivity, the negative effects can quickly accumulate. By understanding these dangers and taking steps to break the cycle, you can create healthier habits and enjoy better sleep and overall well-being.

 

(This article is intended for your general information only. Zee News does not vouch for its accuracy or reliability.)

 

New Delhi: Concerned over an alarming rise in the number of bomb hoaxes, the government is discussing multiple solutions to check this nuisance by adopting the best global practices and banning people making such threats from flying.

The civil aviation ministry is studying the best model available globally and it’s also in talks with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to strengthen the Indian model of handling such cases, said top government officials.

“This is inconvenience not just to passengers and airlines but for every stakeholder. The aviation and home ministries and security regulator Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) are working at multiple levels to not just check this menace but bring in enough punishments to discourage people from doing it,” said a top government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Dealing with the threat

While the aviation ministry is bringing penal provisions for people involved in making these calls, the home ministry and security agencies are speaking to virtual private network (VPN) service providers to ascertain the location of these messages. The home ministry is also looking at rules under the existing cyber laws to deter people making such threats.

Most of these threats come through VPN, which encrypts data and masks IP addresses to create a secure connection between devices over the internet.

Indian airlines received over 27 bomb threats in four days through email, social media and calls and all of them turned out to be hoax. Today, two international flights—one each by IndiGo and Vistara—received bomb threat calls. Air India said five of their flights received threat calls today.

It could be a case where some hoax threat calls were made and others followed it, maybe just to inconvenience someone’s flight trip, a senior government official said. “Look at the case of the minor arrested by Mumbi police—we need to ensure that there are enough consequences built in in the system to deter such people,” the official added.

No punishment so far

The Mumbai Police detained the 17-year-old boy from Chhattisgarh—he is suspected of issuing a bomb threat to an Air India flight via social media.

Currently, aviation rules do not have any provision to penalize such people. The aviation ministry is looking at bringing in rules like adding such offenders to the no-fly list or banning them from flights for a long duration, the official said.

As of now, in case of any such threat, a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC), which is present at each airport, convenes to assess the threat. The committee comprises officials from the airport operator, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), BCAS, and the airline.

Factors such as the origin of the threat, specific details provided, and the timing of the message are evaluated. If a threat is classified as “non-specific”, the aircraft is not subjected to inspection. However, if the threat is deemed “specific”, flights are diverted to the nearest airport and then taken to an isolated bay, where passengers are evacuated and each and every luggage in the flight is checked. The aircraft is released for flight only after a thorough check

This set procedure won’t be reviewed and will continue to guide decisions on threat calls, officials said.

Social media platform TikTok is laying off hundreds of employees from its global workforce, including a large number of staff in Malaysia, the company said on Friday, as it shifts focus towards a greater use of AI in content moderation.

Two sources familiar with the matter earlier told Reuters that more than 700 jobs were slashed in Malaysia. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, later clarified that less than 500 employees in the country were affected.

The employees, most of whom were involved in the firm’s content moderation operations, were informed of their dismissal by email late Wednesday, the sources said, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to media.

In response to Reuters’ queries, TikTok confirmed the layoffs and said that several hundred employees were expected to be impacted globally as part of a wider plan to improve its moderation operations.

TikTok employs a mix of automated detection and human moderators to review content posted on the site.

ByteDance has over 110,000 employees in more than 200 cities globally, according to the company website.

The technology firm is also planning more retrenchments next month as it looks to consolidate some of its regional operations, one of the sources said. 

“We’re making these changes as part of our ongoing efforts to further strengthen our global operating model for content moderation,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.

The company expects to invest $2 billion (roughly Rs. 16,812 crore) globally in trust and safety this year and will continue to improve efficiency, with 80 percent of guidelines-violating content now removed by automated technologies, the spokesperson said.

The layoffs were first reported by business portal The Malaysian Reserve on Thursday.  

The job cuts occur as global technology firms face greater regulatory pressure in Malaysia, where the government has asked social media operators to apply for an operating licence by January as part of an effort to combat cyber offences.

Malaysia reported a sharp increase in harmful social media content earlier this year and urged firms, including TikTok, to step up monitoring on their platforms.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

A 31-year-long treasure hunt that drew in thousands of enthusiasts across France appeared to have come to an end Thursday, after official social media accounts linked to the search said the token needed to claim the grand prize had been found.

The hunt, “On the Trail of the Golden Owl,” was based on a book of riddles published in 1993. Participants had to solve 11 puzzles in the book — and a 12th one that was hidden — to decipher the exact location of the token.

“Don’t go digging!” warned a message on a channel on the chat app Discord with tens of thousands of followers. “We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was unearthed last night,” the message read, unleashing a wave of sad and crying emojis. “It is therefore useless to go digging.”

The solutions provided by those who claimed to have unearthed the token were currently being vetted, the message said.

The book, published in 1993 by author Régis Hauser and artist Michel Becker, built a cult-like following with a community of more than 200,000 players, known as “owlers,” from France and abroad, according to the hunt’s official website.

The search spawned a collection of other books, pamphlets and internet sites, the BBC reported.

Treasure hunter finally finds Golden Owl after decades https://t.co/UQDzMLc6KM

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 3, 2024

In a documentary posted on YouTube, Becker said he oversaw and financed the creation of the prize, an owl made of more than 6.5 pounds of gold and nearly 16 pounds of silver, with diamond chips on its face.

A documentary on the treasure hunt by French broadcaster Canal+ said earlier this year that the value of the owl is estimated to be $165,000, the BBC reported.

Events where “owlers” could meet and share tips were organized across France.

Hauser, the intellectual architect of the riddles, had initially used the pen name Max Valentin to prevent the most assiduous treasure hunters from seeking him out. He died in 2009, French newspaper Le Monde reported.

He and Becker decided to bury a replica of the owl, keeping the precious original in a safe place. 

In order to claim the treasure, the winning player would need to submit the replica along with the answers to all of the book’s enigmas.

Becker did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

On Discord, members of the hunt channel were quick to react to the news that the replica owl may have been found, with thousands of messages pouring in.

“Time to get the tissues out,” one wrote. “It’s the end of an era,” said another.

French media outlets also marked the end of the three decade-long chase, one of the world’s longest unsolved scavenger hunts. “I’m disappointed because I thought I was close but at the same time relieved that it’s stopping,” one participant from the south of France said on France Inter radio.

The 30-year-old man said he had spent all his weekends searching for the owl over the past two years, and had at times found himself digging in the middle of the night.

On the official website, Becker reminds “owlers” not to dig holes on either public or private property without authorization.

According to a 2021 documentary, the concept was inspired by The Masquerade, a 1979 book of riddles by Kit Williams, where hunters also had to solve several enigmas to find a golden rabbit.

CNN
 — 

Actress Kirstie Alley, star of the big and small screens known for her Emmy-winning role on “Cheers” and films like “Look Who’s Talking,” has died after a brief battle with cancer, her children True and Lillie Parker announced on her social media.

She was 71.

“We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” the statement read.

“She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead,” the family’s statement continued. “As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”

“Our mother’s zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did,” the statement said.

A representative for Alley confirmed to CNN via email on Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer prior to her death.

A two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner, Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1951.

After a standout role in 1982’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” she played roles in movies like 1984’s “Blind Date” and 1987’s “Summer School” opposite Mark Harmon.

That same year, Alley would follow Shelley Long to play the lead opposite Ted Danson in the latter part of TV classic sitcom “Cheers,” which premiered in 1982. Alley first appeared in 1987, playing strong and independent bar manager Rebecca Howe, staying on the acclaimed show until it ended in 1993.

After winning the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 1991 for “Cheers” and another for lead actress in a miniseries or special for 1994’s “David’s Mother,” she again found TV success in the late ’90s with series “Veronica’s Closet,” which scored her another Emmy nod.

Additionally, Alley starred in a number of memorable films, like the “Look Who’s Talking” movies, 1990’s “Madhouse” and 1999’s “Drop Dead Gorgeous” with Ellen Barkin.

In 2005, Alley co-wrote and starred in the Showtime comedy “Fat Actress” before making a foray into reality TV.

She appeared in “Kirstie Alley’s Big Life” in 2010, was a contestant on Season 12 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” the next year and placed second on Season 22 of the British version of “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2018. In 2022, she competed in Season 7 of Fox’s “The Masked Singer.”

Though she had an impressive body of work, the later part of her career was marked by Alley’s penchant for stirring controversy, especially through social media.

In a 2007 interview, Alley said she was proud of her no holds barred ways.

“I’ve always felt like if someone asks me something, they want the real answer,” Alley told Good Housekeeping. “I think there’s also something about being from Kansas. Usually people think I’m from New York. The only similarity between New Yorkers and Midwesterners is that what you see is what you get.”

John Travolta, who costarred with Alley in 1989’s hit “Look Who’s Talking” as well as two sequels, wrote on Instagram on Monday, “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”

Jamie Lee Curtis – who worked with Alley in 2016 on episodes of TV’s “Scream Queens” – shared a statement on Facebook to pay tribute to the late actress, writing, “She was a great comic foil in @tvscreamqueens and a beautiful mama bear in her very real life. She helped me buy onesies for my family that year for Christmas. We agreed to disagree about some things but had a mutual respect and connection. Sad news.”

Josh Gad tweeted, “My heart breaks for Kirstie and her family. Whether it was her brilliance in ‘Cheers; or her magnetic performance in the ‘Look Who’s Talking’ franchise, her smile was always infectious, her laugh was always contagious and her charisma was always iconic. RIP.”

Alley’s “Cheers” co-star Ted Danson told Deadline he had just watched Alley in an episode of the show while on a plane before learning of her death.

“I was on a plane today and did something I rarely do. I watched an old episode of ‘Cheers,’” Danson told the outlet. “It was the episode where Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie, who keeps saying no, even though she desperately wants to say yes. Kirstie was truly brilliant in it. Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hysterically funny.”

“She made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene, and she made me laugh today just as hard. As I got off the plane, I heard that Kirstie had died. I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh,” Danson added. “I send my love to her children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her.”

Another “Cheers” star, Rhea Perlman, told CNN in a statement that she and Alley became friends instantly on the set of “Cheers.”

“Kirstie was a unique and wonderful person and friend. Her joy of being was boundless,” Perlman said. “We became friends almost instantly when she joined the cast of Cheers. She loved kids and my kids loved her too. We had sleepovers at her house, with treasure hunts that she created. She had massive Halloween and Easter parties and invited the entire crew of the show and their families. She wanted everyone to feel included. She loved her children deeply. I’ve never met anyone remotely like her. I feel so thankful to have known her. I’m going to miss her very, very much.”

“Baywatch” actor Parker Stevenson, who was married to Alley from 1983 to 1997 and is the father of her two children, also paid tribute to her on social media. In an Instagram post, confirmed to be Stevenson’s by a representative for the actor, he wrote: “Kirstie, I am so grateful for our years together, and for the two incredibly beautiful children and now grandchildren that we have. You will be missed.”

CNN
 — 

George Clooney has a surefire way for staying out of trouble as a public figure in the age of social media: stay off of it.

In a profile for the Washington Post published on Friday, the Oscar-winning actor said he manages to avoid too much exposure to today’s 24/7 media cycle by not engaging on those platforms, which he acknowledges would be problematic “if I have three drinks at night.”

He also shared, “I don’t think you can be a star and be that available.”

It was part of a larger conversation in which Clooney identified how certain movie stars that came before him like Gregory Peck and Paul Newman – both of whom were friends of his before they died – exemplified how to carry oneself in the spotlight.

“It doesn’t mean you can’t be goofy and do stupid things, but it means stand up for the things you believe in, carry yourself with a little bit of dignity,” the “Ticket to Paradise” star said. “And both of them had great humor about themselves.”

Clooney, who is being honored at the Kennedy Center this month alongside Gladys Knight and U2, among others, is active in humanitarian efforts in addition to his pursuits as an actor, producer and director.

Ethan Hawke, who directed Clooney in a voice role as Newman in this year’s HBO documentary “The Last Movie Stars,” observed that it’s no surprise he’s getting such a prestigious honor. (CNN and HBO Max are both part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.)

“It’s interesting that he’s getting the Kennedy Center Honors this year because Newman got it too. They fit in a long line of really responsible artists, people who make a contribution to American culture and are civic leaders,” Hawke told the Post. “Whether you like George’s politics, or admire where he gives his money and time, you have to admire his willingness to lead, and his willingness to care.”

Steven Soderbergh, whose 1998 masterpiece “Out of Sight” starred Clooney opposite Jennifer Lopez, said the actor is unique for not caring that his politics might compromise the reach of his stardom.

“The default mode really doesn’t lead you to a place of thinking about fairness, or defending people who can’t defend themselves. It’s great when people use that juice for those purposes, but that’s not the way the stream flows,” Soderbergh said of Clooney’s efforts through his Clooney Foundation for Justice alongside wife Amal, a human rights attorney.

“The stream flows in the direction of self-orientation and being in a mode of extracting whatever you can from this business, and whatever you can from the world at large. … He’s one of the few people who punches upward. That’s rare.”

Clooney will be featured as part of the Kennedy Center Honors on December 28 at 8 p.m. on CBS.

One of the world’s best-known online personalities is facing a lawsuit.

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as “MrBeast,” is a 26-year-old YouTube star with more than 300 million subscribers. He’s built an empire offering huge prizes to viewers on his videos.

The proposed class action lawsuit accuses MrBeast’s production company and Amazon Studios of “chronic mistreatment” and sexual harassment of contestants in an upcoming reality show. The plaintiffs also claim to be considered employees, not contestants, and dispute wages in the lawsuit.

Legal battle details

Five unnamed contestants in the upcoming Amazon reality show “Beast Games” are alleging MrBeast’s production company and Amazon Studios created a “toxic and hostile” environment, that “laid the groundwork” for sexual harassment, according to the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs cite an alleged production guide called “How to succeed in MrBeast Production,” which they say encourages obscenities and directs staff to “do everything” to “help” the talent “be idiots.”

The contestants also claim they were forced to endure “unsafe” conditions with a lack of access to medical care, food and water, and say they weren’t paid a fair wage.

“You can call them whatever you want to, but if they meet the definition of an employee, it doesn’t matter what you title them,” Lizelle Brandt, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said. “Our argument is that they are employees under California law.”

Amazon Studios and a spokesperson for MrBeast declined to comment.

“The hope, dream and expectation that you will get a payment is not the same thing as being an employee,” said CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson. “There’s a real legal battle here that the plaintiffs will have to convince a judge that this group who signed on to be part of a show should be considered as employees, not contestants.”

Previous allegations

The accusations come after YouTuber Jake Weddle, who claims to be a former MrBeast employee, alleged mental abuse during a 100-day isolation challenge.

“It got to the point where they weren’t turning the lights off,” Weddle said. “You know I asked them. I said, ‘Could we have like nighttime hours, you know?’ They said ‘No.'”

Donaldson, 26, has previously faced allegations of racism and inappropriate comments.

“When Jimmy was a teenager he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” a spokesperson for the YouTuber said in a statement to The Associated Press when the allegations surfaced. “Over the years, he has repeatedly apologized and has learned that increasing influence comes with increased responsibility to be more aware and more sensitive to the power of language. After making some bad jokes and other mistakes when he was younger, as an adult he has focused on engaging with the MrBeast community to work together on making a positive impact around the world.”

Pakistani actress Hania Aamir has identified the individual responsible for spreading her AI-generated deep fake videos, taken swift action to report the person, and urged her fans to do the same.

Hania Aamir, known for her charm and popularity in Pakistan’s entertainment industry, became the centre of controversy when explicit videos featuring her went viral on social media.

While initially unclear whether she was the person in the footage, it soon became evident that the videos were deepfakes—created using AI to superimpose her face onto someone else’s body.

The actress responded strongly to the incident on Instagram, calling out the dangers of AI misuse.

“This AI is extremely dangerous. Are there no laws to stop this?” Aamir asked, referring to the video, which she confirmed was not hers.

 

In a recent update, Hania Aamir revealed that she had tracked down the individual responsible for sharing the deepfake content.

The actress shared a screenshot of the Instagram account in question, belonging to a user named “Anureet Sandhu,” who had amassed over 22,000 followers.

 

 

The account featured more than 100 posts, many of which were AI-generated videos featuring her face.

The actress asked her followers to help by reporting the account, stating, “She has blocked me, but can you all report this account?”

Soon after her post, the account’s name was changed to “Core Sandhu” in an apparent attempt to evade detection.

The user later renamed the account once more to “Sandhu Core.”

The videos have since been removed, and her fans responded in large numbers by reporting the profile.

Further investigation revealed the account was created in India and had its location listed as Chandigarh.

 

According to a screenshot shared by the actress, the account had changed its name 18 times since it was set up in September 2022.

The incident has reignited conversations about the ethical challenges of AI technology and the need for stronger regulations to prevent its misuse.