As many as 258 Taliban terrorists were killed and 156 were wounded in the last 24 hours in military operations conducted by Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in several provinces across the country.
Taking to Twitter, Afghan Defence Ministry said that terrorists were killed in operations in several provinces including Nangarhar, Laghman, Faryab, and Helmand. “258 Taliban terrorists were killed and 156 were wounded as a result of #ANDSF operations in Nangarhar, Laghman, Paktia, Zabul, Herat, Farah, Ghor, Faryab, Balkh, Jowzjan, Helmand, Takhar and Baghlan provinces during the last 24 hours. Also, 76 IEDs were discovered and defused by ANA,” the ministry said.
This comes amid a recent surge in violence due to the Taliban’s undeclared spring offensive.
On Thursday, 19 Taliban terrorists were killed and 8 others were wounded in clearing operations conducted in Shah Joy and Shinkai districts of Zabul province. In a separate operation, 19 Taliban terrorists including a prominent commander named “Abdul Rahman” were killed in operations conducted in Helmand province.
As US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) foreign forces continue to scale down their presence in Afghanistan, the Taliban have been gaining ground in some parts of the country.
Back in April, US President Joe Biden announced plans for US and allied forces to completely depart the war-torn country till September 11 this year.
As the deadline draws near, top Pentagon officials on Thursday said that terrorist groups like al-Qaeda could pose a threat from Afghanistan to the United States and American allies in two years after the full withdrawal of international troops from the country.
“It would take possibly two years for them to develop that capability,” US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had said during a congressional hearing yesterday. (ANI)
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a unique initiative has roped in a tree surgeon, also known as an arborist or arboriculturist to assess old trees and protect them from falling.
On a pilot project, arborist Vaibhav Raje has been appointed in BMC’s D-ward, which includes areas like Malabar hill, Tardeo and Peddar Road etc in Mumbai. He will study around 100-150 trees of the D-ward and suggests ways to prevent them from falling.
An arborist analyzes a tree for any kind of fungal infections, decay or any other vulnerability and also suggests ways to protect them. Such a task will help reduce accidents
Speaking to ANI, Raje explained the work of an arborist and said, “A lot of times when floods occur, or there is a heavy downpour, or even due to other reasons, trees tend to fall, due to decaying trunks, fungal infection or loose roots. Such things cannot be seen from the outside. To reduce the risk of accidents and prevent them from falling, I have been appointed to identify them in advance and work on them.”
Elaborating on the process, he said, “First physical attributes of the trees are recorded. Then we identify structural, physiological defects, presence of any decay or disease, condition of the soil and roots, along with the condition of the site where it is growing.”
“It is a good approach in urban tree management. We get a base map on the trees under of high-risk and low-risk. It builds a road map to work on the trees. It is like preparing a medical history of trees,” he added.
Raje expressed his happiness over people understanding the importance of an arborist.
“Nowadays, people are understanding the value of arboriculture. I am happy to work for Mumbai and other parts of the country too,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar informed that after analysing the result, it will be decided if the projects needs to be expanded to other areas of Mumbai.
“We are trying to promote indigenous trees which hold the ground for many years. D-ward has started this pilot project to protect the trees. We will analyse the results of this pilot project and then we will take a call if we have to implement this project of arborist all over Mumbai to protect our trees,” she said. (ANI)
American lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret on Friday signed a new roster of female brand representatives that includes actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, to replace its supermodels (or Angels as they were called), and focus on women empowerment, giving a platform to female athletes, activists and entrepreneurs.
Victoria’s Secret announced the creation of two new partnerships, designed to positively impact the lives of women. The brand’s previous campaigns had come under scrutiny for their embodiment of male fantasy over an accurate representation of what women seek in undergarments. The new partnerships are ‘The VS Collective’ and ‘The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers’.
Chopra, being one of the founding members of both the partnerships will be leading this drive to positive change. She and six other new brand ambassadors called the ‘VS Collective’ will model for Victoria’s Secret products, advise the brand and promote it on social media.
Announcing her collaboration with the brand, Priyanka posted on her Instagram handle, “Representation matters. It’s crucial for us to show EVERYONE all over the world that they matter and are seen! As a founding partner of #TheVSCollective and advisor to the business, this is exactly what I intend to do.”
She added, “It’s been so incredible to see your reactions to yesterday’s announcement. It’s fuelled me further and I am excited to bring about meaningful change at one of the world’s most iconic brands. I’m so proud to be in the company of the Collective of incredible women that will helm this change.”
“Ps: thank you to my dream team for always thinking big with me. For going on the wild rides I want to embark upon. And for fighting the big fights! Love u and am especially proud of u on this one!” Priyanka concluded the post.
Besides Chopra, the roster comprises American soccer star Megan Rapinoe, Brazilian transgender model Valentina Sampaio, 17-year-old Chinese American freestyle skier, and soon-to-be Olympian Eileen Gu, 29-year-old biracial model and inclusivity advocate Paloma Elsesser, photographer and Los Angeles-based media personality Amanda de Cadenet and South Sudanese-Australian model Adut Akech.
“At Victoria’s Secret, we are on an incredible journey to become the world’s biggest and best advocate for women. This is a dramatic shift for our brand, and it’s a shift that we embrace from our core. These new initiatives are just the beginning. We are energized and humbled by the work ahead of us,” said Martin Waters, Chief Executive Officer, Victoria’s Secret.
Talking about ‘The VS Collective’ partnership, Martha Pease, Chief Marketing Officer, Victoria’s Secret, said, “With the VS Collective, we are creating a platform that will build new, deeper relationships with all women. Through a series of collaborations, business partnerships and cause-related initiatives, we’re bringing new dimensions to our brand experience. In marrying our new partners’ energy, creativity and perspectives with our network and scale we can transform how we connect with and show up for women.”
Among the first initiatives, the founding members of ‘The VS Collective’ will share their stories in a 10-episode recurring podcast hosted by award-winning broadcaster, Amanda de Cadenet. Each episode will showcase the remarkable experiences and perspectives of a member of the Collective, as well as reveal further details of their partnership with the brand.
Furthering on their mission, ‘The VS Global Fund for Women’s Cancers’ with longstanding partner, Pelotonia. will fund innovative research projects aimed at progressing treatments and cures for women’s cancers and investing in the next generation of women scientists who represent the diverse population they serve.
Through the partnership, Victoria’s Secret will grant and award at least USD 5 million annually to examine and address racial and gender inequities and unlock new innovations that improve cancer outcomes for all women. Annual grants will be awarded to individual scientists or research “dream teams” who are collaborating across institutions. The brand will be joining forces with Stella during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. She will bring her experience, perspective, energy and voice to the mission in order to educate and support.
She said, “Breast cancer awareness has always been a cause very personal to me. It is a global issue impacting the lives of millions of women and their families every year. I’m hopeful this initiative will provide easier access to information, support and services to a huge community of women around the world. I’m excited to play a small part during this pivotal moment on this vital issue.”
Talking further about the partnership, Laura Miller, Chief Human Resources Officer, Victoria’s Secret, stated, “Eradicating cancers, especially female cancers, is a cause important to our associates and our customers. Through the Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers and our partnership with Stella McCartney, we believe we can improve access to treatment and early detection methods while educating and empowering women to take control of their own health. In doing so, we can improve and save the lives of millions of women around the world.”
Victoria’s Secret, which introduced raunchy lingerie to the masses in the 1970s, has been overshadowed in recent years by brands that have openly embraced both ethnic and bodily diversity. After ages, the brand has now decided to drop Angels in a step towards women empowerment. (ANI)
As June 18 marks the death anniversary of Rani Laxmi Bai, actor Kangana Ranaut took to Instagram Story to pay tribute to the late Indian freedom fighter.
Rani Laxmi Bai, popularly known as Queen of Jhansi, had played an important role during India’s first war of independence (1857-58).
Remembering her bravery, Kangana, who essayed the role of the warrior queen in ‘Manikarnika: Queen of Jhansi’, shared one of the ‘iconic’ scenes from the movie and wrote: “On this day when Rani Laxmi Bai made supreme self sacrifice. Remembering her iconic roar which shook British empire — ‘Main apni Jhansi nahin dungi’.”
Actor Urmila Matondkar, too, paid her respects to Rani Laxmi Bai.
“Courage, Honor, Integrity, Bravery, Loyalty, Love and Pride for the land looked like this,” Urmila tweeted.
Rani Laxmi Bai died fighting British colonial rulers near Gwalior in a place known as Kotah-ki-Serai in 1858. (ANI)
Gatka, an indigenous art form that is popular in Punjab, was the “last resort” for peace-loving saints from the region.
Having seen his father and fellow countrymen face extreme torture from the then rulers, a young sixth Nanak of the Sikhs – Guru Har Gobind Ji – laid foundation of this martial art form by adorning himself with two swords he called “Miri” and “Piri”.
The former was for self-defence and the latter was to protect the honour of others who were too weak to fight back.
Interestingly, gatka crudely translates to stick in local language. The stick is also the weapon of initiation to any new disciple of the art reveals Gurpreet Singh Khalsa, the same 75-year-old warrior we mentioned at the start. The octogenarian runs the Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Academy in Chandigarh where boys and girls, some as young as five, turn up everyday in a traditional attire to learn the ropes of the 17th century art form and hone their skills on the many weapons that complete a gatka warrior. The arsenal includes a myriad of weapons including two-sided swords, daggers and spears apart from the humble stick, all of which give its bearer an edge over the opponent.
The sixth Nanak of the Sikhs, Guru Har Gobind ji is credited with creating Gatka back in the 17th century.
The intensity is there to be seen in their eyes and expressions. The clanging of metal as a pair of sword and shield takes on half a dozen other pairs leaves you stunned. It’s a fight alright, but not a real one and you wish no one gets hurt because the might of the swinging arm is real. What leaves us even more awestruck is the fact that the martial art expert is almost 75 years old and his energy is supposed to match the collective force of his younger opponents.
This indigenous art form is not just about fighting. It is also about building character.
While the weapons can be deadly, it is not what defines the prowess of a gatka warrior. Like in most martial art forms, even in gatka, the onus is on the mind and body of the warrior than on the his or her weapon. “That is one of the most important things anyone who takes up Gatka needs to understand,” says the Khalsa. ‘While we start with training the body, it is also training the mind that needs to be managed. Having that balance is very important not just in Gatka but also in our daily lives.”
The disciples who turned up on the day we visited the akhada were an interesting bunch. While some parents left their children for training, a handful of them joined them as well. There were also an entire family – both mother, father, daughter and son – who regularly come for training at this akhada. Considering the physical nature of training one wonders if these youngsters get hurt in the process? “Of course, they do” says Khalsa ji. “We take every precaution to avoid but cuts and bruises are something you need to take in your stride.”
Gurpreet Singh Khalsa, 75 who runs one of the few Gatka akhadas in Chandigarh.
The children look fit and extremely agile and showed the same inquisitiveness of most urban youngsters. When not training one could hear them discuss everything from the best smartphone in town and to the Tucson’s panoramic sun roof which some of them experienced while being driven down to the akhada with us. One would really question their frail-looking bodies’ ability to manage some of these mighty weapons. But with years of training, the weapons look like harmless toys in their hands. The agility, the somersaults, gravity-defying body roll in the air all hint towards their more evolved control over their bodies than most of us. And when the training stops, you can’t miss a smile on every face. Gatka isn’t something they are doing because they have been told to, it is something they do because they want to.
After a couple of hours of intense training, they pack their weapons. But the day isn’t over. “Pehle sangat, phir pangat” is an old-age saying for the Khalsas. So, post the training, most head to the traditional langar at an adjoining gurudwara. As you might be aware, the Sikhs take pride in feeding everyone in need. A simple and unlimited serving of lentil curry and roti is what we relished that day. Not only eating it but also serving it to others. “Gatka isn’t just about the art of fighting an oppressor,” says the Khalsa. “It looks at the holistic development. Our Guru’s ultimate aim was to make sure that everyone lives together in harmony which will come with mutual respect and our ability to stand up for those who are oppressed.”
Like many art forms, Gatka has also evolved. It is now also famous for various kinds of stunts that have been incorporated. While all that is popular and gimmicky, the core values of this ancient form are apparent at these non-glamourous akhadas supervised by gurus such as Gurpreet Singh Khalsa. Gatka may have born with the need to fight oppression but today it resonates more with the broader quest of fighting the demons within us as much as outside. In consequence, the fight is still for peace.
The origin of the acronym, TINA (or There is No Alternative) is credited to the late British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, the Conservative Party leader who was in office from 1979 to 1990. Thatcher used it as a slogan to lend credence to her belief that there was no alternative to a market economy where free trade and free markets were the only way to build and distribute wealth. Later, the phrase “TINA factor” was appropriated by Indian political commentators who have used it to describe situations where one powerful party or head of government seems so strong that there seems to be virtually no alternative to replace him or her.
Famously, the phrase was used for the late Indira Gandhi who was the second longest-serving Prime Minister of India (she served from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984). More recently, even as the present Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is serving his second term, the phrase has been cropping up again with various political analysts speculating whether there is a TINA factor at work and whether there is in reality no alternative to Modi.
With the near decimation of the only other significant national party, the Indian National Congress, which after decades of being in power, is now reduced to holding a mere 52 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha; and 36 of the 245 seats in the Rajya Sabha, the question of whether the Modi-led, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-dominant regime has anyone to challenge it in elections. In addition, the BJP, or alliances in which it participates, is part of the government in 18 of India’s 31 states and Union Territories and the party has publicly proclaimed its mission to have a “Congress-free” India.
In the absence of a comparably strong and cohesive party to challenge the BJP at the national level, the alternative in the form of a challenger could, at least theoretically, be a coalition of parties—strong regional ones or one that can be led by the Congress but comprising many smaller parties. Some political analysts have punted for the Mamata Banerjee-led All-India Trinamool Congress (AITC) as a possible key player in evolving a coalition of regional parties. That view has gained ground in the aftermath of the recent West Bengal elections in which despite the BJP’s deployment of a high-powered campaign, Ms. Banerjee comfortably cruised to victory, effectively retaining chief ministership for the third term.
Stable coalition governments are common in many parts of the world, including, in particular, in Europe where in countries such as Switzerland, Finland, Belgium, Italy, and Germany, it is almost a given. In India, both at the national as well as the regional levels, coalitions are not novel arrangements. They have been tried but the outcomes, at least in terms of stability, have been mixed. Unless led by a single party that has a significant clout in terms of the number of seats it wins in Parliament, coalition governments have been short-lived in India. In 1996, after a fractured electoral verdict, when the BJP, led by the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, emerged as the single largest party in Parliament and was invited to form a government and cobble together a majority (by wooing other smaller parties), it failed to do so and collapsed in 13 days.
It was replaced by the United Front, which was closest to a copybook version of a political coalition with 13 different parties coming together to form an alliance. The coalition formed two governments between 1996 and 1998, the first headed by Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, and the second by I. K. Gujral. The United Front managed to stay in power for less than two years.
The current crisis in terms of finding a worthy challenger to the BJP is accentuated by the fact that the Indian National Congress’ strength has been getting dissipated over the past few years. Its leadership, which for all practical purposes, rests with the Nehru-Gandhi family, has been unable to provide either cohesion or expansion. Rahul Gandhi, who briefly became head of the party between 2017 and 2019 has been an enigmatic leader, often appearing reluctant or indecisive. In recent months, the party has witnessed an exodus of key young leaders, many of whom could have been groomed to lead the historic party whose origins go back to 1885. Many of these young leaders have left to actually join the BJP, the Congress’ arch rival.
Partly it is hard to make the concept of a coalition government functional at India’s national level because of the nature of the nation. India is a pluralistic society that is like few others. The sheer diversity of a country with a population of 1.4 billion that is more like a continent made up of several “countries” is what makes things particularly difficult when it comes to forging alliances between different parties. The differences in languages, cultures, economic development, among several other parameters, is so wide-ranging that very often it is difficult for outsiders to grasp the enormity of the complex politics in the country. There are differences between regions (north and south, is an example); between states that can be neighbouring ones (each of the southern states has a different language); and between castes and gender.
Coalitions work better in countries where the population is small and less diverse. In Europe, governments made up by alliances of political parties with seemingly different views and ideologies have been comparably more stable than similar arrangements in India. Besides being easier to govern because of their size (some European countries have populations that are smaller than those of large Indian cities), the degree of plurality when it comes to ethnic diversity, cultures, language, and so on, is much smaller than those that exist in India.
To be sure, however, even the ruling BJP-led government is a coalition. Modi is the Prime Minister of a coalition government formed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which comprises at least 14 different parties. Besides being united by ideology (most of the NDA’s constituents are right wing oriented), in the BJP it has a powerful leader: of the 334 seats in Lok Sabha that the NDA now controls, 301 are BJP members. That is the kind of strong glue that makes coalitions work in India. For regional parties, such as Ms. Banerjee’s AITC, it can be difficult to achieve a position where it can provide such a cohesive glue. The same goes for other regional parties such as, for example, the Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh; or the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar. All of them have the potential to score electoral victories in their respective regions but have little political leverage when it comes to making it big on the national scene.
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 17 (ANI): Close on the heels of Mukul Roy who recently returned to the Trinamool Congress, several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders including MP Sunil Mondal, Rajib Banerjee has voiced their criticism against the BJP.
TMC General Secretary Kunal Ghosh on Thursday confirmed to ANI that seven to eight BJP MLA along with three MPs are in touch with TMC and wanted to rejoin the party.
“Seven to eight BJP MLA along with three MPs are in touch with TMC and they want to join the TMC. They have claimed that they are not happy in BJP as they are not getting space to serve the people,” said Ghosh.
He further added, “Not only this there are even leaders who were in BJP but now want to join TMC. But we cannot take all who desire to come to the party. The ultimate decisions will be of our High Command (TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee ).
“Actually, those leaders who went to BJP, thought that BJP will come into power but unfortunately that did not happen and we all know how BJP works. Now there are clashes among themselves, this shows BJP is going to finish,” Ghosh added. (ANI)
A third possible wave in India by the prevailing COVID-19 virus variant is unlikely to disproportionately affect children than adults, a seroprevalence study conducted by the World Health Organisation and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has revealed.
The SARS-CoV-2 sero-positivity rate among children was high and were comparable to the adult population in the survey, which conducted in five selected states with a total sample size of 10,000. Data of 4,500 participants were taken for the results of the time of midterm analysis from four states of India and more results are likely to come in the next two to three months. It was found that in resettlement colonies in South Delhi’s urban areas which have a very congested population had a very high (highest reported yet in any sero-assessment) seroprevalence of 74.7 per cent, Dr Puneet Misra, Professor of Community Medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, who led the survey said.
Even before the second wave, children below the age of 18 in South Delhi had as much seroprevalence (73.9 per cent) as the below 18 years (74.8 per cent).
“These areas in Delhi and NCR (Faridabad) may have higher seroprevalence after the intense second wave. Probably, these levels of seroprevalence may be protective against any ‘Third wave’,” Dr Misra said.
“In congested Urban areas of Delhi, since children already have high seroprevalence, opening schools, may after all not be a very risky proposition. During the second wave, the NCR region of Faridabad (rural area) has a seroprevalence of 59.3 per cent (almost equal in both age groups), could be considered high compared to previous national surveys,” the survey said.
Gorakhpur Rural has a very high seroprevalence of 87.9 per cent (2-18 years) with 80.6 per cent and above 18 years with 90.3 per cent. These levels are likely to ward off the “third wave”. The survey says Gorakhur is mostly affected in rural areas that means more chances of herd immunity
The accelerated peaks and precipitous decline in Covid-19 cases in Both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh could be explained partially by these findings.
Overall, more than half (62.3 per cent) of the rural population surveyed showed evidence of past infection.
The Agartala Rural site had the least seroprevalence (51.9 per cent) probably because it also included some tribal population which generally have lower mobility resulting in lower vulnerability to COVID19 infection. (ANI)
Kerala High Court granted interim anticipatory bail for a week to filmmaker Aisha Sultana in the sedition case registered against her in Lakshadweep for her ‘bio-weapon’ remark and has reserved its final order.
Single Judge Bench of Justice Ashok Menon directed her to appear on June 20 before Kavaratti Police for interrogation. The court gave the directions while considering her anticipatory bail plea here on Thursday.
The court, which reserved the final order on the plea, said she has to appear before police for interrogation as per Section 41A CrPC notice.
“In the event of arrest, she should be released in interim anticipatory bail for one week on the execution of Rs 50,000 with two solvent sureties for the like sum to the satisfaction of the arresting officer. She will also be entitled to the benefit of the presence of her counsel during interrogation,” the court said in its order.
During hearing Aisha Sultana told the court that custodial interrogation is not required and she is willing to appear for interrogation.
Her counsel said the words “bio weapon” was used in the context of criticizing the relaxations of COVID protocol in the island and was made to represent the aggrieved lot.
“She never knew that this word can have such implications. She apologised the next day. COVID restrictions were relaxed in Lakshadweep leading to spike in cases. The word bi-weapon was used in that context,” the counsel said.
Counsel for Lakshadweep Administration opposed the bail plea.
“The excuse of her having issued an apology (should) not to be entertained. A person who issues an apology after committing murder will not be let free on the ground that the person offered an explanation for his actions. It is a very, very serious offence. Indulgence by this court will send a wrong message,” the counsel said.
“She made a powerful, noxious assertion against the Government of India. This has been made in the context of protests in Lakshadweep against the new regulations. She has to co-operate with the investigation. It is a very serious offence. Very fairly, the police has issued a notice under Section 41A CrPC. It was our obligation also to register the FIR as per Lalita Kumari judgment. She has been given 10 days notice. The Police has not acted in haste or mala fide manner. They are following the procedure. Police acted cautiously in this case. FIR registered only after circumspection,” the counsel added.
The counsel also said she made reference “to bio-weapons used by China and said bio-weapon has been used by Government of India against Lakshadweep residents”.
“Facts of Vinod Dua case are distinguishable from this case. What she has done in this case is that a totally baseless, noxious allegation is made, a very damaging allegation has been made, which can make people think Union government has targeted them.
She has practically sowed the seeds of separatism in the minds of people. Imagine a school-going girl hearing her statements. She is a filmmaker in a position of influence. The offence is complete the moment the statement was made by her. Subsequent clarifications made by her will not change the offence,” the counsel said. (ANI)
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar on Thursday paid a visit to the “bravehearts” of the Border Security Force (BSF) and spent a memorable day with them.
The ‘Mission Mangal’ actor took to his Twitter handle and shared a series of photos from his visit to the LoC, where he interacted and even shook a leg with the BSF soldiers. Along with the photos, Akshay tweeted, “Spent a memorable day with the @bsf_india bravehearts guarding the borders today. Coming here is always a humbling experience… meeting the real heroes My heart is filled with nothing but respect.”
Dressed in a camouflage print hoodie and pants, the actor looked dashing as ever. He rounded up his dapper look with a cap, white sneakers and cool shades. While in one of the pictures, Akshay can be seen striking a pose with the BSF personnel in front of a chopper, in another one he is seen shaking a leg with them.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Akshay had been shooting for his upcoming movie ‘Ram Setu’ with Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha. The movie is being helmed by Abhishek Sharma.
Apart from ‘Ram Setu’, the actor has several other exciting films in the pipeline including ‘Housefull 5’, ‘Bachchan Pandey’, ‘Atrangi Re’, ‘Bell Bottom’ and ‘Sooryavanshi’. (ANI)
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