Month: August 2021

Due to political uncertainty following the collapse of the former government to the Taliban, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Saturday estimated that 500,000 Afghans will leave the country in the next four months.

According to the UNHCR, until now there had not been mass migration, but the evolving situation will lead to a large number of people leaving the country, reported Tolo News.
“While we have not seen large outflows of Afghans at this point, the situation inside Afghanistan has evolved more rapidly than anyone expected,” said Kelly T Clements, Deputy High Commissioner.

The UNHCR asked neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to Afghan refugees.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) has asked the United Nations to provide the organization with USD 12 million to provide food for in-need Afghans, reported Tolo News.

As per residents, the political uncertainty, unemployment and security issues have forced them to leave the country.

Habibullah’s family is one of the thousands of families waiting outside Kabul airport hoping to leave the country.

“I worked for four years with the foreigners, but now I am jobless. I heard rumours that the Taliban are searching houses for people who worked with foreigners and killing them. I have to leave the country,” Habibuallah said.

“Unemployment and security threats have forced us to leave the country to save our lives,” said Ezatullah, Habibullah’s son.

A number of Afghan women say that they are facing an uncertain future. They say they have studied and worked hard but do not know what is going to happen to them, reported Tolo News.

“We accepted challenges and studied in Afghanistan. Now we do not know what will happen to us. I am worried about the future of girls in the country,” said Rahila, a Kabul resident. (ANI)

Actor Richa Chadha has different ways of dealing with breakdowns in life.

On Sunday, Richa took to Instagram and conducted a virtual session with fans, wherein several social media users asked her random questions.

When a particular user asked her about how she deals with breakdowns, Richa wrote, “I breakdown. I fully feel the depth of the pian..I cry, i sulk, I watch rom coms and call my friends.”

While opening up about her breakdowns, Richa also asked everyone to stay hopeful always.

“And then the sun rises again…stay hopeful,” she added.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Richa is currently busy writing something.

Druing her interaction with Instagram followers, Richa further said, ” (I have said) no to quite a few scripts recently. I am writing something right now and producing, And of course there’s a film too..but it’s vilaayti.”

Richa is also waiting for the release of her web series ‘Candy’, which also stars Ronit Roy. (ANI)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday indicated that Pakistan, after losing two wars to India, had started resorting to proxy war and that terrorism had become an integral part of its state policy.

Addressing the faculty and students of Defence Service Staff College Wellington on Sunday, Singh said, “After losing two wars, one of our neighbouring countries (Pakistan) has started resorting to proxy war, and terrorism has become an integral part of its state policy. It has started targeting India by providing arms, funds, and training to terrorists.”
The country has started targeting India by providing arms, funds and training to terrorists, he added.

“Despite challenges at our borders, the countrymen today are confident that there will be no comprised with India’s national security,” stated Singh.

“The belief that India would not only end terrorism on its own land but also not hesitate to conduct counter-terrorism operations on their land if needed is gradually becoming stronger,” he added.

“I want to salute the armed forces who defeated the neighbour (Pakistan) which has been targeting our nation,” said Singh.

“If a ceasefire (between India and Pakistan) is successful today, it is because of our strength. In 2016, cross-border strikes changed our reactionary mindset into a proactive mindset, which was further strengthened by the Balakot airstrike in 2019,” further stated Singh. (ANI)

Dushyant Chautala, the President of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) on Sunday said that the federation will award Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist Bhavina Patel with Rs 31 lakh.

India’s para table tennis player Bhavina won silver as she lost the gold medal match to China’s Zhou Ying 3-0 in the women’s singles – Class 4 in the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics on Sunday. With this silver medal, Bhavina is the first table tennis player ever to win a medal at the Paralympics for India and the second female athlete after PCI chief Deepa Malik to achieve this feat. Malik had won silver at Rio 2016 in women’s shot put.
“TTFI will give Rs 31 lakhs to Bhavina Patel for winning a Silver medal at Paralympic Games,” said Chautala during a press conference on Sunday.

After scripting history in Tokyo Paralympics, paddler Bhavina Patel said she is disappointed on not giving her hundred per cent in the gold medal match.

“I am very happy on one side and on one side I was very nervous, so that’s why I wasn’t able to give my hundred per cent in the match. I am not satisfied and a little bit disappointed. But I will fulfill all the shortcomings in the next tournament,” Bhavina told ANI after the match.

World number one Zhou Ying overwhelmed Bhavina Patel in straight sets by 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-6) in just 19 minutes. Talking about her mental composure and resilience during the match against the Chinese, Bhavina said: “I am able to control my mind very well. It’s not a big thing for me. But this was my first experience. The Chinese player played very well. She had a very fast moment and have a huge experience so that’s why I was nervous.”

“I tried to give my hundred per cent but I wasn’t able to give and that’s why I am disappointed. If I gave more effort, definitely I would have done it [win gold].” (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the 80th edition of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme and applauded India’s Yuva Shakti.

In his address, PM Modi said, “India’s youth is giving emphasis to quality. Today’s youth does not want to walk on the pre-decided road. They want to step into the unknown world. Their destination is new, their goal is new, their path is new and their desire is new. Once our youth gets determined, they work hard to achieve that goal. They start working day and night on it.”
“When it comes to sports, it is natural that the entire young generation is seen in front of us in our minds and when we look closely at the young generation, we see that a big change is visible. The mind of the youth is evolving and today’s young mind wants to do something new from the worn-out old ways, wants to do it differently,” said PM Modi.

The Prime Minister also lauded India’s space sector and said that India’s space sector reforms have captured the imagination of the youth, informed a tweet by PMO India.

“Not long ago, India opened its space sector and on seeing that, the youth of our generation grabbed the opportunity and took benefitted from it. The students of colleges, universities, young people working in private sector stepped forward as well. And I am sure that in the coming days, a large number of such satellites will be used by our youth. Our students, our colleges, our universities, students are working in labs in this regard,” PM Modi said.

“Mann ki Baat” is the Prime Minister’s monthly radio address, which is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month. (ANI)

India reported 45,083 new COVID-19 cases and 460 deaths in the last 24 hours said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.

Notably, of the total new cases recorded in the country, Kerala reported 31,265 new COVID cases and 153 deaths on Saturday.
As many as 35,840 patients recovered in the country from the disease in the last 24 hours taking the total recoveries to 3,18,88,642. The current recovery rate is at 97.53 per cent.

The active number of COVID cases stands at 3,68,558 which accounts for 1.13 per cent of the total cases.

The total number of samples tested till today is 51,86,42,929 including 17,55,327 samples tested on Saturday. The current positivity rate is at 2.57 per cent.

Under the nationwide COVID vaccination drive, 63.09 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to Para table tennis player Bhavina Patel and congratulated her on winning a silver medal at Tokyo Paralympics.

Prime Minister lauded her efforts and told Bhavina that she has scripted history. He wished her the very best for her future endeavours, sources said.
Bhavina Patel hails from Sundhiya in Vadnagar, Mehsana. Prime Minister told her that he’s been to Sundhiya often and asked her who all from her family are still there, to which Bhavina replied that her parents are there.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders congratulated India’s para table tennis player Bhavinaben Hasmukhbhai Patel who clinched a silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics on Sunday.

Congratulating Patel for ‘scripting history’, PM Modi said her life journey is motivating and will draw more youngsters towards sports.

PM Modi tweeted, “The remarkable Bhavina Patel has scripted history! She brings home a historic Silver medal. Congratulations to her for it. Her life journey is motivating and will also draw more youngsters towards sports.”

India’s para table tennis player Bhavinaben Hasmukhbhai Patel won silver as she lost the gold medal match to China’s Zhou Ying 3-0 in the women’s singles – Class 4 here at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium — Table 6 on Sunday. With this silver medal, Bhavina became the first medal winner for India in this edition of the Games. (ANI)

Following a two-day national convention at the Singhu border, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday called for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ on September 25.

In a statement, the farmers’ union spearheading the movement against agriculture laws at the Delhi borders for the past nine months said SKM National Convention at Singhu Border has decided to “Form joint committees of the SKM in all states and districts in India, to ensure a pan-India expansion and intensification of the farmers’ struggle.”

SKM said that at the convention, it was also decided to make the Muzaffarnagar Kisan Mahapanchayat on September 5 a massive success.

“This will inaugurate ‘Mission Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand’ which will be taken down to the grassroots to ensure the defeat of the BJP regimes in both the states,” the statement said.

The national convention of SKM was held on August 26-27 at the Singhu Border near Delhi. Over 2000 delegates from hundreds of organisations from 22 states attended this convention, said the statement. (ANI)

Almost all foreign members of ISIL-K and al-Qaida have entered Afghanistan via Pakistan and the leaders of these outfits along with those of the Taliban have been living in Pakistan, according to a new United Nations report.

The UN Monitoring report has also established symbiotic ties between ISIL-K, Taliban and al-Qaida.

“A significant part of the leadership of Al-Qaida resides in the Afghanistan and Pakistan border region, alongside Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent. Large numbers of Al-Qaida fighters and other foreign extremist elements aligned with the Taliban are located in various parts of Afghanistan,” said UN report from Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

Al-Qaida continued to suffer attrition during the period under review, with a number of senior figures killed, often alongside Taliban associates while co-located with them, the report said. It said the primary component of the Taliban in dealing with Al-Qaida is the Haqqani Network.

Ties between the two groups remain close, based on ideological alignment, relationships forged through common struggle and intermarriage. The Taliban has begun to tighten its control over Al-Qaida by gathering information on foreign terrorist fighters and registering and restricting them.

“The Taliban takeover of Kabul has already invited the radical/extremist/terrorist groups in the region to move into Afghanistan. The creeping aggression of Pakistan will soon turn Afghanistan into a breeding ground of terror, jeopardizing international peace and security,” said Mahmoud Saikal, former Afghanistan envoy to the UN.

According to the UN report, the primary component of the Taliban in dealing with Al-Qaida is the Haqqani Network. “Ties between the two groups remain close, based on ideological alignment, relationships forged through common struggle and intermarriage.”

Taliban has begun to tighten its control over Al-Qaida by gathering information on foreign terrorist fighters and registering and restricting them.

“However, it has not made any concessions in this regard that it could not easily and quickly reverse, and it is impossible to assess with confidence that the Taliban will live up to its commitment to suppress any future international threat emanating from Al-Qaida in Afghanistan,” UN report said.

Al-Qaida and like minded militants continue to celebrate developments in Afghanistan as a victory for the Taliban’s cause and thus for global radicalism, the report added. (ANI)

India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 63 crore doses, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.

“In a significant achievement, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 63 Crore (63,00,67,629) landmark milestone as per the 7 pm provisional report today,” reads the release.

On vaccine doses administered on Saturday, the release said more than 65 lakh (65,39,745) vaccine doses had been administered on Saturday as per the 7 PM provisional report.

“Final reports would be completed for the day by late tonight,” the release says on the final data for the day.

As of today, more than 48.53 crore people have been administered with at-least one dose of the vaccine, while more than 14.46 crore people are fully vaccinated.

On Saturday, more than 40.78 lakh people were given their first dose of the vaccine while more than 24.61 lakh people got their second dose. (ANI)