Demi Lovato reveals she was raped in her teenage despite being a star

News Network
March 17, 2021

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US singer Demi Lovato revealed that she was raped as a virgin during her teenage years as a Disney Channel actress and pop star, in a tell-all documentary that opened the online South By Southwest festival Tuesday.

Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, a series from YouTube Originals, centres on Lovato's notorious 2018 fentanyl overdose that caused her brain damage and partial blindness, and her ongoing battles with addiction.

The four episodes, presented as the opening night film of an SXSW forced online by the pandemic, also contained new details of sexual assaults suffered by Lovato, including an attack on the night of her overdose.

"I know what I'm about to say is going to shock people too. But when I was a teenager, I was in a very similar situation - I lost my virginity in a rape," says Lovato.

"We were hooking up but I said, 'Hey, this is not going any further. I'm a virgin and I don't want to lose it this way'," she recounts.

"And that didn't matter to them - they did it anyway."

Lovato, now 28, does not name her attacker but says the rape happened when "I was part of that Disney crowd," and that she "had to see this person all the time" following the assault.

Dubbing the incident "my #MeToo story," Lovato says that she reported the attacker but "they never got in trouble for it - they never got taken out of the movie they were in."

Lovato shot to fame with the Disney Channel movie Camp Rock, which was filmed when she was 15.

She has long spoken of her struggles with depression, eating disorders and addiction, belying her happy persona as a smiling star of the children's show Barney and Friends.

In the documentary, which features input from Elton John, music mogul Scooter Braun and actor Will Ferrell, Lovato says that quitting cold turkey has proven to not work for her, and she now allows herself to smoke marijuana and drink in moderation.

Her 2018 overdose prompted a flurry of statements of solidarity from fellow stars who praised her personality - although the attention also triggered a backlash from social media users, who noted that many non-celebrities suffer from drug overdoses with little fanfare.

SXSW Online 2021 opened earlier Tuesday with a virtual performance from Janelle Monae before a keynote talk with Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia lawmaker credited with recent key Democratic victories in the state.

The film, television, music and technology conference runs until Saturday. 

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News Network
December 16,2024

The Supreme Court on Monday while hearing a petition against the stand of Karnataka High Court's view that shouting 'Jai Sriram' inside a mosque was not an offence, sought the stand of the State of Karnataka in the matter.

A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Sandeep Mehta was hearing the matter.

"Alright, they were shouting a particular religious slogan. How is that an offence?" Justice Mehta asked, as bench posted the matter for January 2025.

The bench asked if the accused persons had been identified. Kamat replied that CCT visuals had been collected and the police identified the accused persons, as recorded in the remand report. The bench asked if merely spotting the accused near the mosque would mean that they shouted the slogans.

"Are you able to identify the actual accused? What material you have brought?" the Court asked. Kamat clarified that he was only representing the complainant (caretaker of the mosque) and it is for the police to conduct the investigation and collect the evidence. The FIR need only give information about the offence and need not be an 'encyclopedia' containing all evidence, he added.

This comes after a petition was filed in the Supreme Court questioning the Karnataka High Court's order of September 13, 2024 which quashed an FIR lodged against two men for raising the 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan within mosque premises.

The high court's single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna had said, "It is ununderstandable as to how if someone shouts 'Jai Shri Ram' it would outrage the religious feeling of any class, when the complainant himself states that Hindu - Muslims are living in harmony in the area".

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News Network
December 21,2024

New Delhi: The Ministry of Law and Justice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has made an amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules, restricting public access to certain electoral documents that were previously available.

The original Rule 93(2)(a) of the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules stated, “all other papers relating to the election shall be open to public inspection.” However, following the amendment on Friday, the rule now reads, “all other papers as specified in these rules relating to the election shall be open to public inspection.”

Activists have raised concerns, claiming that the insertion of the phrase “as specified in these rules” limits access to various official documents created during elections to Parliament and Assemblies, which are not explicitly mentioned in the rules.

RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak pointed out that there are numerous documents, though not listed in the rules, that are generated by election officials such as Presiding Officers, Sector Officers (responsible for constituency vulnerability mapping), and those in charge of EVM movement and replacement of defective machines on polling day. These include reports from general, police, and expenditure observers, as well as Returning Officers and Chief Electoral Officers.

Nayak emphasized, “Access to these documents is crucial for ensuring the fairness of elections and the accuracy of results.”

The amendment comes shortly after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Election Commission to provide video footage and documents related to votes cast at a polling station in the recent Haryana Assembly elections to lawyer Mehmood Pracha. Pracha has criticized the amendment, asserting that it will withhold essential information. “This is a reconfirmation of the Election Commission’s bias,” he said.

Nayak further stated, “This amendment undermines the principle of full transparency established by the Supreme Court in the Electoral Bonds case. The notification of this amendment on the very day Parliament was adjourned sine die has deprived MPs of the opportunity to challenge its necessity in real time.”

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News Network
December 16,2024

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Zakir Hussain, the legendary tabla virtuoso, passed away on Monday in a San Francisco hospital at the age of 73. Hussain’s family confirmed his death was due to complications arising from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a rare and progressive lung disease. He had been hospitalized for two weeks and moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) after his health deteriorated.

Hussain, widely celebrated for his unparalleled contribution to Indian classical music, is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola, a noted Kathak dancer, and their daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.

What is Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis? 
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease affecting the tissue around the lungs' air sacs (alveoli), causing it to thicken and stiffen. This permanent scarring, known as fibrosis, progressively makes breathing difficult. The term "idiopathic" indicates that the condition has no known cause, according to the American Lung Association.

Symptoms and Risk Factors 
IPF symptoms often start subtly but worsen over time. Common signs include persistent coughing and shortness of breath. Risk factors include:
•    Smoking
•    A family history of IPF
•    Advanced age

While some individuals experience slow disease progression, others may face rapid worsening or sudden flare-ups called acute exacerbations. Complications such as pulmonary hypertension and respiratory failure are common in advanced cases.

Treatment and Management 
Although there is no cure for IPF, treatments aim to slow disease progression, improve lung function, and enhance quality of life. The NHS recommends the following lifestyle adjustments for managing IPF:
•    Quit smoking: Improves lung health significantly.
•    Stay active: Regular exercise enhances overall fitness.
•    Eat a balanced diet: Supports the body’s health.
•    Get vaccinated: Annual flu and pneumococcal vaccines help prevent severe lung infections.
•    Avoid infections: Minimize exposure to people with respiratory illnesses.

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