Month: December 2020

Actor Kiara Advani in Wednesday shared her ‘Kashmir ki Kali’ look that she is donning in a song from her upcoming film, Indoo Ki Jawaani.

The Kabir actor took to Instagram to share a picture of her and co-star Aditya Seal, unveiling their first look in the song, Dil Tera, from the Abir Sengupta directorial.

In the picture, both the actors are seen recreating the look of veteran actors Sharmila Tagore and Shammi Kapoor from their iconic song, Yeh chand sa roshan chehra, from the movie Kashmir Ki Kali (1964).

The 28-year-old star is seen donning a traditional red Kashmiri dress as Sharmila wore in the 60s song. Whereas, Aditya is seen wearing a grey suit matching to what Shammi donned in the original song.

Advani captioned: Dil Tera (with a heart emoticon) and added a hashtag, “#retrobaby” with a couple dancing emoticon.

The post shared by Good Newwz actor garnered more than three lakh views within a few minutes of being posted with many complimenting them on their looks. (ANI)

By Ankur Sharma

Indian security forces in a recent operation went almost 200 metres inside Pakistan’s side to unearth a tunnel which was used by terrorists to infiltrate inside Indian territory, a top government official said on Tuesday.

“Security forces went inside Pakistan for almost 200 meters which was the starting point of the tunnel, used by the terrorists eliminated last week by Indian forces,” a top official said.

A 150-metre long underground tunnel suspected to be used by terrorists for infiltration was detected near International Border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba sector on November 22.

In the third week of November, security forces recovered mobile phones from the possession of terrorists killed by them which helped the forces to unearth a tunnel.

Border Security Force (BSF) DG Rakesh Asthana on Tuesday talked about the operation during Raising Day and said, “On the basis of the analysis of mobile phones recovered from terrorists eliminated by security forces, on November 22, BSF unearthed a tunnel used by terrorists to infiltrate in Samba sector.”

Asthana said this on the Raising Day of BSF while giving a speech. Though the DG BSF didn’t say anything on the operational part of it.

The tunnel was detected in a joint operation by Border Security Force (BSF) and Jammu and Kashmir police.

“It seems terrorists involved in Nagrotra encounter used this 150-metre long tunnel as it’s a fresh one. We believe they had a guide who took them till highway,” BSF Jammu frontier, Inspector General, NS Jamwal had said.

The tunnel exit was in thick bushes carefully concealed and meticulously covered with soil and wild growth. The mouth of the tunnel was strengthened and reinforced by the sandbags with markings of Karachi, Pakistan. It was a freshly dug tunnel and appears to be used for the first time. It appears that proper engineering effort has gone in making the tunnel which shows the hand of the establishment.

On November 19, security forces neutralized four terrorists in the Nagrota encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)

The cumulative Covid-19 positivity rate has decreased in India from 7.15 per cent to 6.69 per cent during November 11 to December 1 period, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan addressing a press briefing here said that cumulative positivity rate in the country dipped from 7.15 per cent to 6.69 per cent during November 11 to December 1 period. “In November this year, the number of recoveries has been more than the number of new Covid-19 cases,” Bhushan said.

With 31,118 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, India’s active cases stand at 4,35,603, much below the five-lakh mark, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) informed on Tuesday.

The share of active cases in the total positive cases has further shrunk to 4.60 per cent. While the Covid-19 case tally stood at 94,62,810, a net decline of 11,349 cases has been recorded in the total active cases in the last 24 hours. As many as 41,985 new recoveries were reported in the last 24 hours.

The total number of people who have recovered in the country now stands at 88,89,585 translating to a recovery rate of 93.94 per cent. The gap between recovered cases and active cases continues to grow and presently stands at 84,53,982, the health ministry said.

About 76.82 per cent of the new recovered cases are concentrated in 10 states/ Union Territories. The maximum number of single-day recoveries was reported from Kerala with 6,055 recoveries, followed by Delhi with 5,824 recoveries.

Maharashtra reported the maximum daily new cases with 3,837 recorded in the last 24 hours, while Delhi reported 3,726 cases and Kerala recorded 3,382 cases. As many as 482 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, out of which 81.12 per cent were from ten states/Union Territories.

The fatalities in Delhi constituted about 22.4 per cent of the new fatalities with 108 deaths. Maharashtra and West Bengal witnessed 80 and 48 deaths, respectively. (ANI)

West Pakistani refugees of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday cast their vote for local body elections for the first time.

Ramesh has been living in Jammu for the past 70 years, but never got his fundamental right to vote or to choose his local leader. However, after the abrogation of Article 370 during District Development Council (DDC) election he finally cast his vote.

“We have been staying here for 70 years, this the first time we got the opportunity to vote, we are really happy, and thankful to the government. Earlier even we were not getting the benefit of the government’s scheme; we were called ‘Pakistani’. My ‘Baba’ came here from Pakistan,” said Ramesh, a refugee living in Bassi Khurd village in Jammu.

However, the refugees have the right to vote in the Lok Sabha election but till last year, were not eligible to vote in Panchayat and urban local body polls.

“We are really happy that our people got the opportunity to vote in the DDC election. Leaders used to ignore us as we don’t use to have voting rights,” said Labha Ram Gandhi, President of West Pakistani Refugee Action Committee.

According to the State Election Commission, a total of 48.62 per cent of people cast their vote in the second phase of the DDC election.

“The overall voting percentage for the second phase of the elections has recorded a voter percentage of 48.62 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir. 65.54 per cent votes polled in Jammu division and 33.34 per cent votes polled in Kashmir division,” said KK Sharma, State Election Commissioner.

The DDC election is being held in eight phases and will go on till December 19. The counting of votes will take place on December 22. The elections are the first being held after the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)

In a scoff at Pakistan Founding Father Muhammad Ali Jinnah, an alcoholic drink seems to have been named after him suggesting that he had “enjoyed” activities that are forbidden in Islam like pool billiards, cigars, pork sausages as well as fine scotch, whiskey and gin.

A Twitter user posted photos of a bottle of gin named ‘Ginnah’ after Jinnah. The label on the bottle reads, “In the memory of the man of pleasure who he was: Ginnah”.

ANI could not confirm the veracity of the bottle. However, several Twitter users have been posting about it with ‘#Ginnah’.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah was born on December 25, 1876, in Karachi, now in Pakistan, but then part of British-controlled India. He campaigned for an independent Pakistan and became its first leader. He is known there as ‘Quaid-I Azam’ or ‘Great Leader’ in Pakistan.

“Mohammed Ali Jinnah was the founder of Pakistan that came into being in 1947 as a secular state,” the back label of the bottle read.

In an apparent reference to Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, a Pakistani four-star general, who had deposed then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977 coup d’etat, the label of the bottle read that the “country was pushed over the cliff by a military dictator aided by supported in Washington DC and converted into a troubled place where he and some of the religious clergy pursued their sinister designs”.

“MA Jinnah would never approve of that for he much enjoyed pool billiard, cigars, pork sausages as well as fine scotch whiskey and gin,” the label further quipped.

Intoxicants and betting are considered as ‘haram’ or forbidden in Islam.

Haram is an Arabic term meaning “forbidden”. Acts that are haram are prohibited in the religious texts of the Quran and the Sunnah. If something is considered haram, it remains prohibited no matter how good the intention is, or how honourable the purpose is.

Pakistani Twitter users took to social media to react on the matter.

“Needs to be made the national drink #Ginnah,” a user quipped.

“Damn! We have gin named after our founding father,” another tweeted. (ANI)

By dedicating its new doodle, dairy brand Amul on Tuesday commemorated the selection of Malayalam film ‘Jallikattu’ as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the Oscars.

Amul shared the new cartoon titled ‘Jalli Good’ on Tuesday evening.

The doodle features the mascot holding a butter brick in a plate as she cuts it with a knife, as the protagonist also, holds a butter smeared knife. The protagonist is seen standing aside a buffalo as they both eye on the Oscar trophy in the backdrop, and celebrate the nomination to the international awards.

The mascot is seen dressed in the signature white dress with red polka dots, while the protagonist sports a vest and a chequered piece of cloth (lungi), while he carries a rounded rope on his shoulder.

Amul gave the artwork a quirky twist naming the cartoon as ‘Jalli good’ and an additional text on it reading, “Kattu a piece of butter?”

“#Amul Topical: Jallikattu, India’s official entry to the 2021 Oscars!” tweeted Amul with the cartoon.

Directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, Malayalam film ‘Jallikattu’, has been selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards. ‘Jallikattu’ is the third Malayalam film after ‘Guru’ (1997) and ‘Adaminte Makan Abu’ (2011) to be chosen as the country’s official entry for the Oscars.

‘Jallikattu’ will certainly face stiff competition at the Oscars, but do not be surprised if it becomes the first Indian film to get that honour after ‘Lagaan’ in 2001. Before that, ‘Mother India’ (1957) and ‘Salaam Bombay!’ (1988) had made the grade. (ANI)

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday that meeting with representatives of protesting farmers was “good” and the fourth round of talks will be held on December 3.

The minister told the media after Tuesday’s talks that the government was keen on a group being formed but farmers’ leaders wanted that the talks should be held with everyone.

“The meeting was good and we have decided that the talks will be held on December 3. We wanted a small group to be constituted but farmers’ leaders wanted that the talks should be held with everyone, we do not have a problem with it,” the minister said.

The government had asked farmers’ leaders to give names of four to five people from their organizations and constitute a committee which will also have representatives from the government besides agricultural experts to discuss new agricultural laws.

The government also gave a detailed presentation to the farmers’ leaders on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act during the meeting.

Tomar also appealed to farmers to suspend their protest.

“We appeal to the farmers to suspend the protests and come for the talks. However, this decision (of suspending the agitation) depends on farmers’ unions and farmers,” he said.

Thousands of farmers are protesting in Delhi and its border areas against three new farm laws. They are demanding the repeal of the three laws. (ANI)

Sputnik V, the first registered Covid-19 vaccine from Russia arrived in India on Tuesday for clinical trials.

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories today initiated the clinical trials of the vaccine, the Indian pharma company said.

Russia became the first country to register the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine on August 11. Sputnik V was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry.

The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a well-studied human adenoviral vector platform that had proven safe and effective with no long-term side effects in more than 250 clinical trials globally conducted during the past two decades (while the history of use of human adenoviruses in vaccine development started in 1953). More than 100,000 people have received approved and registered drugs based on the human adenoviral vectors.

Last month, Russia on Wednesday said that its vaccine Sputnik V is 92 per cent effective at protecting people from Covid-19 according to the first interim analysis.

“The Sputnik V vaccine efficacy amounted to 92 per cent (calculation based on the 20 confirmed Covid-19 cases split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo),” the RDIF said in a statement read.

Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19 will be tested in India on 100 volunteers, the Indian Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation’s Drug Controller General (DCGI) told Sputnik in October.DCGI has granted permission to pharmaceutical giant Dr Reddy’s Laboratories for conducting tests. (ANI)