Google-owned YouTube is helping Indian creators unlock ‘fandoms’ in three ways — creation, monetisation and community – allowing them new tools to generate revenue directly from dedicated fans, Ishan John Chatterjee, Director-India, YouTube, said on Tuesday.

Speaking to IANS, Chatterjee said features like Super Chat, Super Stickers and Channel Memberships are allowing Indian fans to financially support their favourite creators while deepening their connection.

A decade ago, YouTube FanFest in Mumbai marked a pivotal moment in Indian pop culture, as fans embraced creators with the same fervour reserved for movie or sports stars.

“Today, marking the 10th anniversary of YouTube Fanfest, fandom has evolved into a powerful force shaping trends, communities, and the entertainment industry itself,” said Chatterjee.

A recent survey by Google and SmithGeiger noted that 62 per cent of Gen Z fans agree that they are a part of a fandom that no one they know personally is a part of.

“This diversity means there’s a fandom for everyone, and new communities are constantly emerging,” Chatterjee added.

He said that at YouTube, they offer more creative formats than other platforms to experiment and express yourself — from a 15-second short, to a 15 minute video, a 1.5 hour podcast or even a 15 hour livestream.

“We’re making our tools more intuitive and accessible, enabling fans of all levels to express their passion through creative content. From easy-to-use video editing features such as the Create App to formats like Shorts, we’re lowering the barrier to entry for fan participation and expression,” Chatterjee noted.

The YouTube Partner Programme established the first sustainable pathway for creators to thrive, giving creators more freedom, choice and opportunity to build a business and a community online.

“Besides, ads, subscriptions and our BrandConnect platform for sponsored deals, we give creators tools to leverage the power of community to earn in ways that are fun & engaging for them and their audience,” the senior company executive informed.

From posts and vertical live, multi-language audio and Gen-AI dubbing, the platform said it is giving creators the tools they need to connect with their fans on a deeper level. AGENCIES

Two children are confirmed dead in a knife attack on Monday in Southport, Merseyside, in northwest England, according to local police.

Nine other people have been injured, six of whom are in critical condition, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

It is understood that the children were attending classes at the “Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop” for minors aged seven to 11 when the attacker entered. Among the injured are two adults who were intervening in the attack. “We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked,” the police said.

A 17-year-old boy from Banks in Lancashire has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

The motivation behind the attack remains unclear as the investigation is still in its early stages, the police said.

Police declared the stabbing a “major incident,” adding that it is not being treated as terror-related at this time.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the attack is “truly awful” and the “whole country is deeply shocked.”

The knife attack was reported at around 11:50 a.m. in a property on Hart Street, Merseyside Police said in a statement earlier on Monday. AGENCIES

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for “calm and restraint” as students resumed their protests that were suspended last week, according to his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres “remains deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh”, Dujarric said on Monday at his daily briefing.

“He notes reports of the resumption of student protests today and reiterates his call for calm and restraint,” Dujarric said.

The UN has raised its concern with “relevant authorities, both in the capital, Dhaka, and here in New York, and we count on Bangladesh to respect and uphold human rights, including as a top troop-contributing country to United Nations peacekeeping missions”, he added.

The students had been protesting against a 30 per cent reservation in government jobs for relatives of freedom fighters who wrested independence for Bangladesh from Pakistan in a bloody civil war in which, according to Dhaka officials, 3 million people were killed in the genocide by Pakistani troops and their supporters.

After the Supreme Court slashed the reservations to 5 per cent, student leaders last week put the protests on hold.

But the demonstrations resumed on Monday because the students said that the government ignored their demand to release all their leaders.

More than 175 people, including police, have been killed and over a thousand injured in the upheaval that has shaken the nation.

Guterres is “alarmed by emerging reports about the excessive use of force by security forces and credible evidence of human rights violations” and “reiterates his call for all acts of violence to be investigated promptly, transparently, and impartially, and for those responsible to be held to account”, Dujarric said.

Last week, the UN said it had “serious concern” about reports that Bangladesh authorities had deployed vehicles with UN insignias during the riots.

Dujarric said on Monday that the UN had taken note of statements from Bangladeshi authorities that UN-marked vehicles are no longer being deployed within the country.

With 5,859 Bangladeshi troops deployed in UN peacekeeping operations, the nation is the third-largest contributor of personnel to current UN missions. agencies

Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday called for a “rapid and effective global response” to climate change in this “critical decade” while expressing their commitment to working together with Pacific partners to ensure the resilience and prosperity of the region.  

The two countries held a 2+2 Climate and Finance Ministers Dialogue in Brisbane which was attended by

Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen attended the dialogue from the Australian side while New Zealand was represented by Minister of Finance Nicola Willis and Minister of Climate Change Simon Watts.

This was the second such annual discussion held between the two countries since the inaugural 2+2 Dialogue held in June 2023.

In the Joint Statement that was released after the meeting, both countries acknowledged the need for urgent yet orderly action to tackle climate change.

“Australia and New Zealand also recognise that climate change is the single greatest existential threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific. We remain committed to working together with Pacific partners to ensure the resilience and prosperity of the region,” it mentioned.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the two sides agreed to conduct a review into regulatory barriers to the net zero transformation, with an initial focus on regulatory interactions with standards for batteries and electric vehicle charging.

It was also decided to convene sector-based roundtables with representatives from the maritime sector including exporters, shipping lines, ports and other stakeholders to identify the conditions required for trans-Tasman green shipping corridors and the opportunity to strengthen supply chain resilience. AGENCIES

  Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged all Australians in Lebanon to leave the country.

He told reporters on Tuesday that the government’s official advice is for Australians to avoid travelling to Lebanon amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The travel advice very clearly is don’t go to Lebanon,” he said.

“People who are there who are Australian citizens should ensure that they take advantage of the commercial flights that are available out of Lebanon at this time, he said.

Australia’s Smartraveller service, which is run by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), on Monday issued a renewed warning against travelling to Lebanon due to the volatile security situation.

It said Australians in Lebanon should leave the country immediately, warning that the security situation could deteriorate rapidly with little or no notice.

Several airlines suspended flights to and from Beirut on Monday local time due to the security situation.

“This is a troubling area. We have been issuing these travel warnings for many months now, and it is important that people are cognisant of those warnings,” Albanese said on Tuesday.

In the 2021 Australian census, over 248,000 Australians reported having Lebanese ancestry, including 87,343 who were born in the Middle Eastern country.

According to the DFAT, approximately 15,000 Australians normally reside in Lebanon. AGENCIES

Australian police said on Tuesday that reports of human trafficking and slavery reached an all-time high in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, with an annual hike of 12 per cent.

Authorities received 382 reports of modern slavery and human trafficking offences, recording an increase of 12.35 per cent from 340 reports the previous fiscal year, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the latest figures released by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

Among them, 109 reports were related to human trafficking, with 91 regarding forced marriage. There were also 69 reports of forced labour.

AFP Human Exploitation Commander Helen Schneider noted that the statistics on human trafficking were more than just numbers.

“They represent innocent lives in the community. By raising awareness of the laws in Australia and supporting victims, we can make strides in eradicating this crime,” Schneider said.

“This increase is likely attributed to increased awareness of these crimes in the Australian community,” the commander added.

Tuesday also marked the United Nations (UN) World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, with this year’s theme focusing on “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.”

Data from the UN suggested that one in three victims of human trafficking globally is a child, and the majority of these trafficked children are girls. AGENCIES

 North Korea’s recent campaign of launching trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea has disrupted operations of Incheon International Airport, the South’s main gateway, on 12 occasions, a lawmaker said on Tuesday, citing government data.

According to data from the Seoul Regional Aviation Administration submitted to Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the main opposition Democratic Party, runways at the airport have been shut down for a total of 265 minutes across 12 occasions due to the balloons sent from North Korea, Yonhap news agency reported.

The first disruption incident occurred from 10.48 p.m. to 11.42 p.m. on June 1, four days after North Korea first began launching the balloons. The most severe disruption occurred on June 26, when runways were shut down on eight occasions, resulting in 166 minutes of halted takeoffs and landings.

“North Korea’s trash balloons not only have landed within the premises of the presidential office but also have had a broad impact on the operations of Incheon International Airport and flights there,” Yang said.

He added that the government must work to suspend the vicious cycle connected to both anti-North Korean leaflet balloons from the South and trash balloons from the North.

According to the South’s intelligence agency, the North has sent some 3,600 trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea this year, which the North has claimed are in retaliation for South Korean activists sending propaganda leaflets across the border. AGENCIES

The US and the Philippines held a Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) on Tuesday in Manila.

Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro Jr met with their counterparts, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin in Quezon City, for the fourth such dialogue between the two countries.

The four Secretaries discussed how to further enhance the two countries’ commitment to the alliance between the US and the Philippines while enabling a common programme supporting the rules-based international order, enhanced economic ties, broad-based prosperity, and solutions to evolving regional and global security challenges.

The third iteration of the 2+2 dialogue was held in April 2023 in Washington and concluded in a joint statement that reaffirmed full support for international law, modernising shared defence capabilities of the alliance, advancing economic and environmental security, and cultivating the vibrant and robust people-to-people ties between the two countries.

Blinken and Austin were also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos, Jr during their visit to Manila. AGENCIES

Warning against terrorists deploying new technologies, the Quad foreign ministers have reinforced their call for concerted international action against Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), as well as Al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State outfit.

After their meeting in Tokyo, the Quad ministers said in a joint statement on Monday that they were committed to working with international and regional partners to forestall “threats posed by the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes”.

“We reiterate the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al-Qa’ida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and their proxy groups,” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Foreign Ministers Penny Wong of Australia and Yoko Kamikawa of Japan said in their statement.

“We deplore the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, tunnels, and information and communication technologies by terrorists and terrorist entities,” they said.

Recalling the 26/11 Mumbai and the 2016 Pathankot terrorist attacks, they called for “bringing the perpetrators of these attacks to justice without delay”.

The ministers said the first meeting of the Quad Working Group on Counter-Terrorism established at the ministerial meeting in New Delhi last year had “fruitful discussions” at its first meeting and at the fourth tabletop exercise in Honolulu in December, and added that they looked forward to next exercise to be hosted by Japan in November.

The tabletop exercises look at scenarios to develop responses to an overwhelming terrorist incident in the Indo-Pacific region.

The 4,000-word joint statement ran the gamut from the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine, and China’s regional threats to cooperation on undersea cable connectivity and environment.

On Ukraine, where there are differences in nuances between India and the other three Quad partners who are all in on aiding Kiev, the statement said unequivocally, “We reiterate the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

India reiterating, this time in this forum, its joint commitment to upholding international law and the UN Charter in Ukraine comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow which drew criticism from the West and Ukraine and underlined its independent stand on international relations.

The joint statement did not name Russia.

The ministers’ statement made pointed references to the dangers to regional peace and security posed by China, but again, without naming it.

They reiterated their fundamental “steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient, and are united in our commitment to upholding the free and open rules-based international order”.

They called for upholding “sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes and prohibition on the threat or use of force in accordance with the UN Charter”, while also committing to “the principle of freedom, human rights, rule of law, (and) democratic values”.

Regarding foreign manipulation through exploitation of the information infrastructure, the four ministers vowed to “leverage our collective expertise and capacity to respond” to those threats.

They warned of “foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, which undermines trust and sows discord in the international community” which are tactics that are “intended to interfere with domestic and international interest”.

The ministers said they would promote human rights while “supporting media freedom, addressing online harassment and abuse, and countering unethical practices”. AGENCIES

 The Quad foreign ministers have said that they look forward to India hosting the Quad Leaders’ Summit later this year – a meeting with added symbolism because it will be one of Joe Biden’s last presidential travels abroad.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Foreign Ministers Penny Wong of Australia and Yoko Kamikawa of Japan welcomed the holding of the Quad summit in India in a joint statement after their ministerial meeting in Tokyo on Monday.

This year’s summit, which is India’s turn to host, was originally expected to be held in January, but did not happen because Biden reportedly wasn’t able to make it at that time.

White House National Security Spokesperson Advisor John Kirby confirmed last week that Biden would attend the upcoming summit in India.

“We’re still committed to there being a Quad leader summit this year, but there’s nothing on the calendar right now for it,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the summit with the participation also of Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese of Australia and Fumio Kishida of Japan.

The timing and venue of the last summit in 2023 were also disrupted by Biden’s travel plans.

By rotation, it was scheduled to be held in Australia, but was cancelled when Biden pulled out at the last minute citing domestic compulsions as he was in the middle of negotiations with Congress on raising the government limits on borrowing.

It was later moved to Hiroshima, but with Australian Albanese acting as the host and held on the sidelines of a summit of the major industrialised countries, the G7.

Biden, who announced this month that he will not be seeking another term as president, last visited India in September for the summit of the major economies, the G20 hosted by Prime Minister Modi. AGENCIES