Take action against trollers of Hanan: Kerala CMO

Agencies
July 27, 2018

Thrissur, Jul 27: The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) of Kerala on Friday directed the State Police to take action against those who allegedly posted insulting comments on social media platforms against a 21-year-old-girl Hanan Hamid, who was trolled for selling fish to meet her needs.

The CMO has also directed the District Collector to give protection to Hanan.

Union Minister of State KJ Alphons has also extended his support to Hanan. Alphons posted on Facebook: Kerala sharks stop attacking #Hanan. I'm ashamed. Here is a girl trying to put together a shattered life. You vultures!"

Hanan, a native of Kerala's Thrissur, is the latest victim of cyberbullying. Since past few days she is apparently receiving a lot of flak after a video clip of her selling fish went viral on social media.

Hanan, a BSc in Chemistry student, lives with her mother and brother in a rented house. She sells fish after her college hours.

This college girl has become a fish seller out of necessity. She sells fish in the busy Thammanam junction in the city to meet the household expenses and college fees besides study material.

Hanan follows a daily routine. She wakes up at 3 a.m. Then she goes to Chambakkara riding her bicycle in the wee hours to buy fishes. After that she returns to a place in Thammanam junction to stock the fishes. Back from the college, she comes to Thammanam again and starts selling fishes.

Hanan's story was broadly shared on social media platforms by users, which included film artistes and politicians too. But, like always a section of viewers has raised questions on the authenticity of her story, and called it "fake" or a "publicity stunt".

A filmmaker, Arun Gopy, reportedly saw the video clip and offered her a role in a forthcoming film. Since then a twist in the tale has taken place. Viewers of the video clip on social media started trolling her and started a malicious campaign by accusing her of trying to promote the film.

A section of people on social media has also accused her of trying to make money by giving her bank account number through the media.

After receiving so much criticism, Hanan with teary eyes responded to the allegations and said, "People are making false allegations that it was for promotion of a movie. I am not a fraud. I have no other income. My main aim is to continue studies and support the family.

Hanan further said that she is ready to pay back the amount credited in her account. She further requested people not to torture her mentally and also not to send her any money.

Hanan also refuted claims of her working on a film.

Yesterday, Hanan arrived at her regular spot at Thammanam junction to continue her job of selling fishes but as ousted by the police as crowd thronged the area to catch a glimpse of Hanan.

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Agencies
May 20,2020

In a bid to help struggling small businesses in Covid-19 times, Facebook has introduced Shops to help set up a single online store for customers to access on both Facebook and Instagram.

While Facebook Shops is being rolled out from Wednesday, the company will introduce Instagram Shop, a new way to discover and buy products in Instagram Explore, this summer, starting in the US.

The social networking giant also announced that it will invest in features across its family of apps to inspire people to shop and make buying and selling online easier.

"Creating a Facebook Shop is free and simple. Businesses can choose the products they want to feature from their catalogue and then customise the look and feel of their shop with a cover image and accent colours that showcase their brand," Facebook said in a statement late Tuesday.

Any seller, no matter their size or budget, can bring their business online and connect with customers wherever and whenever it's convenient for them.

People can find Facebook Shops on a business' Facebook Page or Instagram profile, or discover them through stories or ads.

"From there, you can browse the full collection, save products you're interested in and place an order — either on the business' website or without leaving the app if the business has enabled checkout in the US," informed the company.

Last month, Facebook announced $40 million in grants for 10,000 small businesses in the US to help them get through these challenging time.

The grants will go to small businesses in 34 locations where Facebook employees live and work.

The company said that in Facebook Shops, users will be able to message a business through WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram Direct to ask questions, get support, track deliveries and more.

In the future, they will be able to view a business' shop and make purchases right within a chat in WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram Direct.

Later this year, Facebook will add a new shop tab in the navigation bar, so people can get to Instagram Shop in just one tap.

Facebook said it is making it easier to shop for products in real time.

Soon, sellers, brands and creators will be able to tag products from their Facebook Shop or catalogue before going live and those products will be shown at the bottom of the video so people can easily tap to learn more and purchase.

"We're starting to test this with businesses on Facebook and Instagram, and we'll roll it out more broadly in the coming months," said the company.

Facebook is also working with partners like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, ChannelAdvisor, CedCommerce, Cafe24, Tienda Nube and Feedonomics to support small businesses.

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued notice to some Bollywood celebrities named in a complaint against the promoter of a company for allegedly blackmailing and sexually assaulting a number of girls on the pretext of giving them a career in modelling.

Taking cognizance of the complaint filed by social activist Yogita Bhayana of People Against Rape in India (PARI), the NCW scheduled a virtual hearing presided by its chairperson on August 6.

The complaint against Sunny Verma, promoter of a company named IMG Ventures with its headquarter in Chandigarh, alleged that he has been blackmailing and sexually assaulting a number of girls on the pretext of giving them career in modelling.

PARI's Yogita Bhayana wrote a complaint letter to NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma.

"Through his company, he (Sunny Verma) invites the girls on the pretext of organising a Miss Asia contest with a claim that the contest will launch them as models. To make it look genuine, his company has also been taking an entry fee of Rs 2,950. Once the girls apply, they are alluded by the female accomplices of Sunny Verma to submit their nude pictures in order to get the better ranking in the contest," the complaint letter said on July 31.

It alleged that Verma, after receiving the pictures and sometimes even before, used to get in touch with the girls and ask for completely nude pictures and videos.

The complaint letter said that Verma also used to allude as well as threaten the girls to submit to his sexual desires if they were interested in modelling as a career or wish to win the contest.

"Once he established a physical relationship with the girls, he used to blackmail them for regular sexual favours. Many girls from across the country have suffered a sexual and mental assault from Sunny and his accomplices," said the complaint citing several letters, texts and audio clips from several girls as proof of this modus operandi of Sunny Verma and his company.

The complaint also said that Sunny Verma has been previously also arrested on charges of sexual assault.

"We would demand that NCW should investigate the case to its depth and get the guilty punished so that any other person should not dare to exploit these kinds of innocent girls on any pretext. It will be a message to people like Sunny Verma and all associated Bollywood stars. Looking forward to strict action from NCW against sexual offenders like Sunny Verma & others," the complaint said.

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Agencies
June 28,2020

The US space agency has thrown open a challenge to win over Rs 26 lakh, calling the global community to send novel design concepts for compact toilets that can operate in both microgravity and lunar gravity.

NASA is preparing for return to the Moon and innumerable activities to equip, shelter, and otherwise support future astronauts are underway.

The astronauts will be eating and drinking, and subsequently urinating and defecating in microgravity and lunar gravity.

NASA said that while astronauts are in the cabin and out of their spacesuits, they will need a toilet that has all the same capabilities as ones here on Earth.

The public designs for space toilet may be adapted for use in the Artemis lunar landers that take humans back to the Moon.

"Although space toilets already exist and are in use (at the International Space Station, for example), they are designed for microgravity only," the US space agency said in a statement.

NASA's Human Landing System Programme is looking for a next-generation device that is smaller, more efficient, and capable of working in both microgravity and lunar gravity.

The new NASA challenge includes a Technical category and Junior category and the last date to send designs is August 17.

NASA's Artemis Moon mission will land the first woman and next man on the lunar surface by 2024.

The Artemis programme is part of America's broader Moon to Mars exploration approach, in which astronauts will explore the Moon and experience gained there to enable humanity's next giant leap, sending humans to Mars.

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