Month: February 2021

As Valentines Day approaches, First Lady Jill Biden installed large heart-shaped structures on the North Lawn of the White House which were her “Valentine messages to the country.”

According to The Hill, the pink, red and white hearts modelled after “conversation hearts” contained words such as “unity,” “compassion” and “courage,” and were seen throughout the backdrop.

Many members of the US media posted snapshots of the White House’s North Lawn.

In a statement to reporters, the first lady’s office said the hearts are a reference “back to the days of sharing candy hearts between friends and family,” as quoted by The Hill.

“As you may know, the First Lady is known for her sense of humour, love of surprises, and celebrating traditions, especially with her family,” the statement added. “Valentine’s Day has always been one of her favourite holidays. Sending messages of healing, unity, hope and compassion, this is her Valentine to the country.”

“Healing; Courage; Love; Compassion; Gratitude; Peace; Amor; Strength; Kindness; Family; Unity. Love, Jill,” the first lady wrote from her official account @FLOTUS on Twitter.

The outlet also reported that photos and videos early Friday showed the first lady and President Biden taking a morning stroll on the lawn with their dogs.

President Joe Biden told reporters that “Valentine’s Day is a big day, Jill’s favourite day.”

When asked by reporters what inspired her to install Valentine’s hearts, Jill Biden said, “I just wanted some joy and I think just, with the pandemic, everybody’s feeling a little down, so it’s just a little joy, a little hope. That’s all.”

President Biden then recounted his first Valentine’s Day as vice president, saying that his wife had put a heart in each windowpane of his office that said, “Joe loves Jill.”

When asked how he would “extend that love story to the American people that are so down right now,” he responded, “Tell them there is hope. There is hope. Stay strong.” (ANI)

After RJD MP Manoj Jha asked for a high-level inquiry into fudging of COVID-19 testing data in Bihar, state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said that the state administration is looking into the matter and action will be taken against people found guilty.

“I just came to know about the matter after somebody raised it in Rajya Sabha. I had a word with the Principal Secretary of the state about it, and he said the matter has been investigated. A total of 22 districts have already been looked into. This was seen at one location and action is being taken,” Kumar said.

He said the state administration also spoke to the journalist who reported the matter in a newspaper.

“However, I review the data on testing every day. The daily figures show we have tested heavily. I will look into the details of the matter tomorrow and if somebody is found guilty, action will be taken against the person. The Principal Secretary said he will review all the districts today and give me the report by tomorrow,” the Chief Minister said.

RJD MP in Rajya Sabha cited a leading English daily and said the COVID-19 testing data is being fudged in Bihar and demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter. He said that according to state records the testing figures in Bihar increased at a very fast pace.

Jha also asked the Speaker to ask the state government to use ID cards like Aadhaar card and Pan card for data maintenance. (ANI)

Ace filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actor Taapsee Pannu are reuniting for a new age thriller titled ‘Dobaaraa’.

Anurag took to Twitter to share an announcement teaser of the upcoming film. He wrote, “See what happens when you travel time across the dimensions of the universe. Filming begins soon! #Dobaaraa.”

In the teaser announcement video, Taapsee and Anurag can be seen interacting virtually with each other. The intriguing teaser, which doesn’t give away much about the film’s plot, shows Taapsee is seen entering her apartment. She settles down and then looks at some of the film scripts lying around and later asks Alexa to switch on the television. After listening to the news, she asks Alexa to play a film that is edgy and has a vibe.

A few seconds into the video, Anurag starts interacting with her through the television and asks her to do a film with him. Taapsee is shocked to see Anurag on her television screen. He asks her if she believes in time-travel, to which she responds by saying yes. Taapsee asks Anurag what’s the name of the film when he tells her that he has sent a script for her to read. He says, “Time kya hai. Naam hi time hai aur time hi naam hai.” Taapsee looks at the watch and says, “Do baarah.”

Taapsee also shared the teaser announcement video of the movie on Instagram, writing, “Some associations ask for a deserving beginning and some deserve to be seen ‘once more’ #DOBAARAA. Expectations are bound to be high because this is going to be one of its kind. Time. Space. Universe. 2021 will make you question everything. Filming begins soon! @anuragkashyap10 time to add some lights and colour to your frame again, let’s do it #DOBAARAA.”

The upcoming film will mark the director-actor duo’s third collaboration after 2018’s hit ‘Manmarziyaan’ and biographical drama ‘Saand Ki Aankh’, which had Anurag on board as producer.

‘Dobaaraa’ will be produced by Cult Movies – a division under Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms, along with Sunir Kheterpal’s ATHENA and Gaurav Bose’s The Vermillion World Production.

Anurag spoke about the upcoming film, saying, “Our vision with Dobaaraa is to bring a fresh, new story to the audience and I am very excited for it. This will be my third collaboration with Taapsee and this time the attempt is to bring an interesting new take on thrillers. After all, this is my first with Cult Movies”.

Taapsee also spoke about the film and said, “This is going to be one of its kind thriller. I have been very lucky with the thriller genre in my career so far and I always look forward to pushing the envelope under this genre. This is going to be unique more so because it’s got someone like Anurag directing it and Ekta backing it. It’s my second collaboration with Anurag after Manmarziyaan and Sunir after Badla so I know there are expectations riding on this. Also, it’s the first time I am working with a superwoman like Ekta so it’s going to be a memorable experience for sure.”

Anurag was last seen in ‘AK vs AK’, which was directed by Vikramaditya Motwane. The film also starred Anil Kapoor. His last release as a director was the Netflix film ‘Choked’ (2020), starring Saiyami Kher and Roshan Mathew.

Meanwhile, Taapsee has a flurry of films in her kitty including ‘Shabaash Mithu’, ‘Haseen Dillruba’, ‘Rashmi Rocket’ and ‘Looop Lapeta’. (ANI)

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Friday said the ongoing farmers’ protest will go on for indefinite period as there is no planning regarding the duration yet.

“Farmers’ protest will go on for indefinite period as there is no plan currently. It might continue till October,” Tikait told ANI.

He said this in response to the statement of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Gurnam Singh Charni that the farmers’ protest will continue till October.

Tikait had earlier warned the farmers’ agitation will not conclude unless government repeals the three newly enacted agriculture laws and it may go on till October.

On Friday he mentioned that the farmers do a protest every year on October 2 at the Ghazipur border.

“Tear shells and bullets were fired at the farmers on October 2, 2018, at the Ghazipur border. Every year we do a programme here at the Ghazipur border and will also do it this year,” he said.

Asked about the debates in the Parliament on the farmers’ issues, Tikait said it is good that the issue is being raised and debated in the Parliament.

He further said there must be a genuine reason that the country’s farmers are protesting for so long.

“The entire nation’s farmers are on streets protesting, there must be a reason to it. If the farm laws are not accepted by the farmers, then what is the compulsion of not repealing them?” Tikait asked.

He agreed with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark of ‘Hum do hamare do’ as he believed that it truly seemed like only four people are running the country.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

The United States on Thursday (local time) condemned China for banning the broadcasting of BBC World News for reporting on issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang and the country’s handling of COVID-19.

“We absolutely condemn the People Republic of China’s (PRC) decision to ban BBC World News. The PRC maintains one of the most controlled, most oppressive, least free information spaces in the world. It is troubling that the PRC restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China,” said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price during a press briefing.

He further added: “Beijing’s leaders use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation. We call on PRC and other nations with authoritarian controls over their population to allow their full access to the internet and media.”

Price asserted that media freedom is an important right and is key to ensuring that an informed citizenry can share their ideas freely among themselves and their leaders.

This comes after the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) of China barred the broadcasting of BBC World News on the mainland claiming that it has done a “slew of falsified” reporting on issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang based on interviews of victims surviving “re-education camps.”

Global Times, the Chinese Communist Party government’s mouthpiece, said that the broadcaster is responsible “for falsified reporting” on China’s handling of the coronavirus in the country.

The move came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that “BBC has made some false reports” on human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang after the British broadcaster reported systematic rape in so-called re-education camps.

China has been rebuked globally for cracking down on Uyghur Muslims by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities and sending members of the community to undergo some form of forcible re-education or indoctrination, although the country has been vehemently denying allegations of massive human rights violations.

On January 27, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had stated that his opinions on the genocide committed against the Uyghurs by China have not changed. (ANI)

Iran has slammed Pakistan for harbouring terrorists and terror outfits after Jaish ul-Adl, a Pakistan-based terrorist group, claimed responsibility for kidnapping Iranian soldiers.

Iran shares a nearly 1,000 km border with Pakistan. In recent years, Iran has witnessed several cross-border attacks carried out by Jaish al-Adl and other affiliated groups, which Iran considers as a terrorist group.

On February 5, the Iranian security forces conducted a surgical operation across the Pakistan border and rescued two of its soldiers from a terror camp, Greek City Times reported.

In October 2018, the Jaish ul-Adl, a Salafi jihadist terrorist organisations, kidnapped 12 Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).The group is also mentioned in the Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) list, in which the organisations considered to be terrorist by Islamabad are inserted and many of them are used to operate near the Iran-Pakistan border, Greek City Times reported.

The Jaish ul-Adl organisation operates in the Sistan-Baluchestan region, divided between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In spite of the redaction of the NACTA, Pakistan has seen itself involved in supporting extremist outfits and their camps for over three decades – first to secure its turn in the Cold War days, and later to influence the security dynamics in South Asia.

However, neighbouring India, Iran and Afghanistan have borne the brunt of cross-border actions.

After the terrorist attack, by Jaish ul-Adl which took place in 2019, killed 27 military personnel, Mohammad Bagheri, chief of general staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, said, “If, for whatever reason, the activities of the training centres and shelters of terrorist groups in Pakistan continue, Iran has the right to fight these centres based on the UN charter and will adopt related decisions if required.”

Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari said: “The Government of Pakistan knows the location of these elements that are dangerous to Islam and should be accountable for the crimes the terrorists have committed”.

Meanwhile, this tension led Iran seeking India’s help in combating terrorism in the region. Both India and Iran saw similar suicide attacks targeting their respective paramilitary forces. However, following India’s footstep, Iran began carrying out surgical strikes to finish off the terrorists inside Pakistan’s territory.

On February 14, around 40 CRPF personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district after a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into their convoy. The attack was orchestrated by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit.

Notably, both Jaish al-Adl and Jaish-e-Mohammed groups are based in Pakistan.This group is officially banned in Pakistan but it still operates and raised funds in the country.

Masood Azhar, JeM commander, is responsible for carrying out many attacks in India, yet pakistan denied to extradite him claiming the lack of evidence.

Moreover, thanks to its affinity with China, Pakistan could block this Indian request at UN level too, Greek City Times reported.

India responded it with a cross-border air strike killing over 300 terrorists after the terrorist outfit claimed the responsibility for the attacks.

Citing the report by United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Greek City Times reported that around 6,000- 6,500 terrorists belonging to Pakistan-supported Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) were present in Afghanistan in 2020.The report mentioned that the TTP is linked with the Afghan-based affiliate of the Islamic State Group and that some of its members have joined the IS.

The TTP terrorists represent a threat both for Afghanistan and Pakistan, because they are responsible for many horrific attacks in both countries.

Last year in the month of August, Afghanistan accused Islamabad’s border forces of killing at least 15 Afghan civilians in a border crossing point.Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry called for a serious investigation and Pakistan blamed Afghan security forces for starting the clash at the border. According to Islamabad, security forces responded in self-defence only.

The UNSC report came soon after India urged Pakistan to contemplate why it is universally acknowledged as the “international epicentre” of terrorism and the “best safe haven for terrorists”, reported Greek City Times.

Despite calls and pressures from the international community to take sustained, verifiable and irreversible actions against such outfits operating from its soil, Pakistan is yet to act. (ANI)

The number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against COVID-19 has reached 74.30 lakh on day 27 of the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination program.

“All states/Union Territories (UTs) except Mizoram and Daman and Diu reported vaccination activity today,” stated the press release by the Ministry of Health.

The cumulative number of healthcare workers and frontline workers vaccinated against COVID-19 is 74,30,866 (as at 7:00 pm today), as per the provisional report. 1,53,799 sessions have been held so far. 10,743 sessions were held till 7:00 pm today.

Of the cumulative coverage, 5,790,832 are healthcare workers and 1,640,034 are frontline workers.

4,13,752 beneficiaries were vaccinated till 7:00 pm today. Of these, 85,604 were healthcare workers, while the other 3,28,148 beneficiaries were frontline workers. Final reports would be completed for the day by late tonight.

47 adverse event following immunizations (AEFIs) have been reported till 7:00 pm on the twenty seventh day of the vaccination drive.

Meanwhile, India reported 12,923 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative count of people infected with the virus in the country to 1,08,71,294, informed the Union Health Ministry and Family Welfare on Thursday.

Besides these new cases, 11,764 recoveries were reported in the country in the same period, the Ministry said.

The total count includes 1,42,562 active cases and 1,05,73,372 recoveries. The COVID-19 death toll has reached 1,55,360 with 108 deaths in the last 24 hours. (ANI)

Slamming the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said, she does not fear any threat and she roars if someone tries to threaten her.

Addressing social workers at an event, Banerjee said, “If you are with me, I will stop all threats. I do not fear any threat. Who try to threaten me, I roar at them. Say goodbye to BJP. Stop them entering Bengal.”

On Wednesday, Mamata said that bringing BJP to power in the state means “encouraging riots”.

“Bringing BJP to power means encouraging riots. If you want riots then cast your vote for BJP. You cannot defeat Mamata as she isn’t alone, she has the support of the people. Till the time I am alive, I will not allow BJP here,” said Banerjee while addressing a rally at Malda.

Elections for 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal are slated to take place this year. (ANI)

Bollywood stars John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani and Tara Sutaria have been roped in for the sequel of the 2014 action-drama ‘Ek Villain’.

The second installment of the franchise has been titled ‘Ek Villain’ returns.

Film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter on Thursday and confirmed the making of the sequel. The movie will be released in theatres on February 11, 2022.

“IT’S OFFICIAL… JOHN – ARJUN – DISHA – TARA IN #EKVILLAIN SEQUEL… #JohnAbraham, #ArjunKapoor, #DishaPatani and #TaraSutaria to star in #EkVillain sequel… Titled #EkVillainReturns…,” tweeted Taran.

“Directed by #MohitSuri… Produced by Ekta Kapoor and Bhushan Kumar… 11 Feb 2022 release,” he added.

Post the announcement, John, Tara, Arjun and Disha took to their Instagram handles and expressed their excitement about the project.

Earlier last year, media reports suggested that Aditya Roy Kapoor was paired opposite Tara Sutaria for ‘Ek Villain Returns’, however, now the ‘Ashiqui 2’ star has been replaced by the ‘Ishaqzaade’ actor Arjun Kapoor.

Directed by Mohit Suri, the film’s first installment was released in 2014.

It follows (Sidharth Malhotra) Guru, a gangster whose life changes after he falls in love with (Shraddha Kapoor) Aisha and decides to mend his ways. When Aisha is murdered by a serial killer (Riteish Deshmukh), Guru begins to search for the murderer to seek revenge. (ANI)