Month: November 2020

The 2020 US Presidential election is much different from the previous elections owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the relations between the US and China being the key talking points of the election campaigns.

Here is a look at what promises President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden have made to the US citizens for the next four years.

Donald Trump

1. COVID-19: Develop a vaccine by the end Of 2020, return to normal in 2021 and refill stockpiles and prepare for future pandemics
2. Jobs and tax: Will create 10 million new Jobs in 10 Months and cut taxes to boost take-home pay and keep jobs in America
3. China: Promised to “do plenty” with China. Would make the US into a manufacturing superpower and end “our reliance on China once and for all”
4. Energy: Continue Deregulatory Agenda for Energy Independence
5. Healthcare: Lower Healthcare Insurance Premiums, cover all pre-existing conditions, protect social security and medicare, protect veterans and provide world-class healthcare and services
6. Education: Teach American exceptionalism
7. Immigration: Block illegal immigrants from becoming eligible for taxpayer-funded welfare, healthcare, and free college tuition; mandatory deportation for non-citizen gang members; dismantle human trafficking networks; end sanctuary cities to restore our neighborhoods and protect our families; prohibit American companies from replacing US citizens with lower-cost foreign workers; require new immigrants to be able to support themselves financially.
8. Defense: Stop endless wars and bring our troops home, maintain and expand America’s unrivalled military strength, wipe out global terrorists who threaten to harm Americans, and build a great cybersecurity defense system and missile defense system.

Joe Biden

1. COVID-19: To Fix Trump’s testing-and-tracing fiasco, personal protective equipment (PPE) problems, provide clear, consistent, evidence-based national guidance, plan for the effective, equitable distribution of treatments and vaccines, protect older Americans and others at high risk, implement mask mandates nationwide and rebuild and expand the defenses that Trump has dismantled to predict, prevent, and mitigate pandemic threats, including those coming from China.
2. Jobs and economy: Provide state, local, and tribal governments with the aid they need so educators, firefighters and other essential workers aren’t being laid off; extend COVID-19 crisis unemployment insurance to help those who are out of work; provide a comeback package for Main Street businesses and entrepreneurs.
3. China: Force China “to play by the international rule” on trade, treatment of foreign companies and its actions in the South China Sea.
4. Immigration: Modernise America’s immigration system, welcome immigrants in our communities, rescind the un-American travel and refugee bans, also referred to as “Muslim bans”, reassert America’s commitment to asylum-seekers and refugees, tackle the root causes of irregular migration, and implement effective border screening
5. Energy: Build a modern infrastructure, position the US auto industry to win the 21st century with technology invented in America, achieve a Carbon Pollution-Free Power Sector by 2035, make dramatic investments in energy efficiency in buildings, including completing 4 million retrofits and building 1.5 million new affordable homes, pursue a historic investment in clean energy innovation, advance sustainable agriculture and conservation, and secure environmental justice and equitable economy opportunity
6. Gun Violence: Ban the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, regulate the possession of existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act, Buyback the assault weapons and high-capacity magazines already in our communities, reduce stockpiling of weapons, end the online sale of firearms and ammunition.
7. Indian-American Community: Support the U.S.-India Partnership, Eliminate language barriers for the Indian American Community, Streamline Processing for Religious Worker Visas, address the security needs of Houses of Worship. (ANI)

Remembering old days, actor Rajkummar Rao revealed he was a dramatics teacher at a school in Gurugram for a brief period.

The 36-year-old actor shared how before his acting career took off in Bollywood, he has taught students in a Gurugram school.

“The call center had just started coming up in Gurgaon and a lot of my friends had joined call center jobs and I was not really good with language,” Rajkummar said.

During his second year of college, the ‘Trapped’ actor thought of making some extra pocket money and as a result, he picked up a job which he loved.

“I thought what should I do everybody making extra pocket money I was in second-year college? Then I thought let me do what I love so I just joined the school called KV public school in Gurgaon sector 14 – then I did 1 play for their annual day function. I was there for 3 months then I focused on myself and learnt,” he added. Adding on why students love Rajkummar a lot he said, “Students love me because we were pretty much their age. There was not really age difference. So they treated me like a friend.”

In his upcoming film ‘Chhalaang’, Rao will be seen essaying the role of a PT teacher.

Helmed by Hansal Mehta, the film is a Luv Films production and is presented by Gulshan Kumar and Bhushan Kumar. Produced by Ajay Devgn, Luv Ranjan, Ankur Garg the film will feature Rajkummar Rao and Nushrratt Bharuccha in lead roles along with Saurabh Shukla, Satish Kaushik, Zeeshan Ayyub, Ila Arun and Jatin Sarna in pivotal roles.

The film is all set to release on Amazon Prime Video on November 13. (ANI)

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a judicial probe into the death of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan and raised questions over his son and party chief Chirag Paswan.

“The nation is in shock due to Ram Vilas Paswan’s death but LJP chief Chirag Paswan was seen smiling during shooting the next day after last rites. He was talking about the cut to cut shooting due to several questions are being raised by some section of Ram Vilas’s admirers and relatives,” read the letter.

“On whose directions, the hospital where Ram Vilas Paswan was admitted did not release medical bulletins? On whose directions, only three people were allowed to meet Ram Vilas Paswan at the hospital?” it said.

HAM stated that there are several doubts over Ram Vilas Paswan’s death that bring his son Chirag Paswan in question.

Ram Vilas Paswan had passed away on October 8 this year after a long illness.

A video showing Chirag prepping for a speech in front of a photograph of his late father Ram Vilas Paswan has gone viral on social media last month. In the two-minute clip, he was seen giving multiple takes while attempting an ode to his father.

The Opposition parties had alleged that he “was not sad enough” while talking about his father.

However, he said that he doesn’t need to prove to anyone how sad he is due to his father’s demise and hit out at chief minister Nitish stating that he never expected the Janata Dal (United) chief to stoop so low. (ANI)

The air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘very poor’ category for the third consecutive day on Monday, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data revealed.

The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 362 in Sonia Vihar, 345 in Bawana, 326 in Patparganj and 373 in Jahangirpuri; all four in ‘very poor’ category, as per the CPCB data.

An AQI between 0-50 is marked good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor and 401-500 is considered severe.

To tackle the rising air pollution, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched the “Green Delhi” app, which would enable people to register complaints about violation of anti-pollution norms.

“Today we are launching the Green Delhi app to involve every citizen. You can file any kind of complaint regarding pollution via this app, which is available on the Play Store. If you witness industrial pollution or dust, you can upload its video, picture, or audio. Automatically the location will be sent to us,” said Kejriwal. (ANI)

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday unveiled what she called an “incredibly diverse” Cabinet, appointing former finance minister Grant Robertson as her new deputy.

He is the first openly gay person to hold the position. He also retains the finance portfolio, Al Jazeera reported.

Women and the Maori community were also strongly represented in the 20-member Cabinet, including new Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who has a “moko kauae” – a traditional Maori tattoo on her chin.

Ardern has revamped her ministerial line-up in the wake of a landslide election victory in October.

“The next three years will be very challenging for New Zealand,” she told reporters in Wellington. “With the global outlook worsening, we won’t be immune to the ongoing effect COVID is having around the world.”

Taking pride in her Cabinet’s diversity, Ardern added appointments were made on merit.

“It is both a Cabinet with huge merit and talent and which is incredibly diverse,” the 40-year-old said.

“I think it’s an important point to make – these are individuals who have been promoted for what they bring to the Cabinet, they also reflect the New Zealand that elected them. I think as a country we should be proud of this,” she said.

Prime Minister Ardren is now set to serve a second term.

With 87 per cent of the votes counted, Ardern’s centre-left Labour Party has won 48.9 per cent of the vote, meaning her party looks likely to score the highest result that any party has achieved since the current political system was introduced in 1996. (ANI)

Using the One Belt and One Road (OBOR) project, the Chinese government is trying to do what the Anglo-Americans did in the last 300 years, according to Albanian historian Olsi Jazexhi.

Olsi, in an interview on YouTube, revealed how China is following the Britain model for its imperialist plan with the Belt and Road Initiative.

The project which started in 2013 comprises both overland and maritime access routes through the installation of new, as well as up-gradation of existing transport and communication infrastructure in countries hoping to reap the dividends.

Regarding China’s OBOR project, he said that “Imperialism usually comes with trade. Then, later come the soldiers who will defend the traders, and later they will topple the government. This is how imperialism works.”

Over the long term impact of the OBOR on Xinjiang, the historian said, “The conflict over Xinjiang is the conflict of Chinese imperialism. Belt and Road project is a Chinese imperialist project. What the Anglo-Americans did with invasion and battles for the past 200-300 years to impose Pax Britannica on the rest of mankind, the Chinese are trying to do with the Belt and Road Project.”

“We know the history of British imperialism. They did not invade India immediately. First, there was the East India Company. Imperialism usually comes with the trade,” he added.

Over a question of Pakistan’s silence on the atrocities of Uyghur Muslims, he said, “Pakistan very well knows what is going on in China. What they tell me is that they go privately to the Chinese and tell them please don’t do this and don’t do that. But publicly cannot do anything against China because Pakistan without the military and economic support of Beijing would collapse as a state.”

The human rights activists have, time and again, spoken about and highlighted the growing atrocities of Pakistan on the indigenous people of Balochistan and the deteriorating human rights situation as a result of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

However, Pakistan has denied all charges and failed to take any corrective measures. (ANI)

The race between China and the United States to develop a more capable navy is expected to further intensify with Washington planning to equip its destroyers with hypersonic missiles, South China Morning Post reported citing analysts.

The SCMP said that Washington will outpace China’s supersonic anti-ship missiles if it will equip hypersonic missiles.

The move to install the highly advanced weapons came after US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said in early October that the US Navy would need more than 500 ships in its fleet to ensure maritime superiority over China in coming decades.

The US will equip its attack submarines and its destroyers with hypersonic missiles in a bid to stave off the mounting threat posed by China in the Pacific, the SCMP reported citing US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Robert O’Brien.

“The Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike programme will provide hypersonic missile capability to hold targets at risk from longer ranges,” O’Brien said at an event at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire.

China is also modernising its navy which has acquired a wide array of platforms and weapons such as anti-ship ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

A report from the US Congressional Research Service released last month said the Chinese navy had already turned into “a formidable military force within China’s near-seas region” and was a “the first such challenge the US Navy has faced since the end of the Cold War”.

Timothy Heath, a security expert from US think tank Rand, said the fielding of hypersonic missiles on US navy ships would significantly increase their capacity to survive and lethally attack other ships and land targets.

“Current anti-ship missiles launched from US Navy destroyers can reach perhaps 300km to 560km. The hypersonic missile would dramatically increase the range to hundreds or perhaps thousands of miles. It would also be extremely difficult to shoot down with anti-missile systems, due to the speed of the warhead,” Heath said.

“The main benefit for the US navy in a conflict with China is that the US ships would be able to target Chinese ships that operate close to China’s coast under the protection of its counter-intervention capabilities,” said Heath, adding that US ships that tried to get close enough to China now could be sunk by Chinese land-based anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles.

Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military expert, said the Chinese navy would face a big threat once the US navy deployed hypersonic weapons on its destroyers and that would certainly push China to follow up.

“China has already taken measures like equipping the Type 730 close-in weapon systems and supersonic variants of YJ-18 cruise missiles to various naval vessels, improving surface-to-air missiles to intercept incoming targets,” he said. (ANI)

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullapally Ramachandran has stoked a controversy with a sexist remark. On Sunday at a protest meet here in Thiruvananthapuram, he accused the Left front government of relying on women with loose morals to hit out against the Opposition in order to deflect attention from the corruption charges it was facing. The State Congress leader, however, faced with sharp criticism, later apologized for his remarks.

Speaking at the Congress-led UDF protest in front of the secretariat today, Ramachandran said: that “if a rape victim has any self-esteem she will either die by suicide or ensure that she will not land in a similar situation anymore”.

“No one can trust a woman like her (an accused in the solar scam). If you (Vijayan) think you can get an adulteress to target us, people of the state will not believe it,” he said.

“If someone says it happened once, it’s understood, but she says everyone raped her. A woman with self-respect would end her life if raped or will try to prevent it from happening again,” Ramachandran said.

The Congress leader’s remarks came amidst reports that the state police is likely to transfer to the Crime Branch sexual abuse complaints filed by an accused woman in the solar scam against several UDF leaders.

Soon after his remarks were met with sharp criticism, the KPCC chief offered an unconditional apology.

This is not the first time the KPCC chief has landed in a controversy over misogynist remarks. Earlier, his remarks against state Health Minister KK Shailaja had sparked a row and had invited widespread protest. (ANI)

Congress district chief Anuj Mishra was thrashed by two women who alleged that he had been stalking and harassing them for a long time. A video of Mishra being beaten up by the women has gone viral on social media.

“In the video, two girls were seen beating a man. He has been identified as Anju Mishra. The matter is being investigated,” Yashvir Singh, Superintendent of Police told reporters.

One of the women who was seen thrashing Mishra alleged that he had been stalking her for a long time.”Congress district president Anuj Mishra has been bothering us for a long time. I run an NGO which sees participation by 100 to 200 girls. He used to telephone me and when I enquired about his identity, he said he is my lover. I have also complained about Mishra to UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu,” she said.

Mishra has refuted harassment allegations and said that he appointed the woman as party district secretary but later removed her from the post.

“Two women came along with four men on e-rickshaws who had phones to shoot the video. They started thrashing me. I was also getting blackmail calls. I appointed the woman named Maya Singh Parihar as party district secretary,” he said.

“During a meeting in Mahoba with State unit chief, I told her that I would have to remove some people who were not working. She was relieved from the party. When she was in the party, I helped her in obtaining construction materials on credit. When I sought payment for it, she refused to pay up. This is a conspiracy to malign my image,” he said. (ANI)