Tag: MEDIA SCAN

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MEDIA SCAN: Plea to clear NGO foreign funds today and Nepal protests China projects

A plea will be heard by the Supreme Court today, for non-profits to receive funding from abroad against the Centre’s refusal to renew licences and people in Nepal have started protesting against China for various reasons…writes Joyeeta Basu

News in brief from South Asia

India

Plea to clear foreign funds to 6,000 NGOs in Supreme Court today: A plea will be heard by the Supreme Court today, for non-profits to receive funding from abroad to carry on their humanitarian, advocacy, and other operations in India, against the centre’s refusal to renew licences, reports NDTV.

COVID-19: India showed a marginal improvement as the country reported 3.06 lakh COVID-19 cases today, which is marginally lower than yesterday. Currently, India is the second worst-hit country after the US, reports NDTV.

Assembly elections 2022: The BSP has released its list of star campaigners for the first phase of the elections in UP as Former Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has confirmed he will contest the upcoming elections from his home turf of Patiala, reports DNA India.

Mayawati. Pic credits IANS

CBSE Class 10, 12 Term 1 Results: Board likely to announce results today: CBSE has released the Term-2 sample question papers on the official website and Term-2 exams are slated to be conducted in March-April 2022. Students are advised to check the official websites – cbse.gov.in or cbseresults.nic.in for updates, reports DNA India.

Alert in Bihar ahead of Republic Day 2022: An alert has been issued in Bihar and authorities have been asked to observe Naxal dominated areas. The Indian Railways have also suspended important services ahead of the nationwide celebrations on January 26, reports DNA India.

Financial news

Online tracking of food grains from April to help cut storage cost: To bring in operational efficiency in the storage, movement, and distribution of food grains in India, the government will roll out a digital system to provide real-time data about the volume and quality of food grains with government agencies from April 1, reports the Financial Express.

Pakistan

Imran Khan says he would be more dangerous if forced to step down: “If I take to the streets, then you (opposition parties) won’t find any place to hide,” the Prime Minister Imran Khan said, adding that he would be more dangerous if forced to step down, reports The Hindu.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh makes it to the ICC Women’s Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022: Bangladesh registered its third win while Malaysia won their first in the ICC Women’s Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022, reports ICC Cricket.

Pic credits ANI

Afghanistan

‘I’ve already sold my daughters; now, my kidney’: winter in Afghanistan’s slums: Crushing poverty is forcing starving displaced people to make desperate choices, says a special report by The Guardian.

India ready to ship wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan: India and Pakistan have finally reached an agreement to transport 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan via the Attari-Wagah border in February, reports The Times of India.

Nepal

Nepal citizens voice concerns over China’s BRI project, allege encroachment: People in Nepal have started protesting against China for various reasons including Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship Belt Road Initiative, reports Republic World.

On a lighter note…

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s daughter Vamika’s face revealed; fans call her ‘mini Virat’: Anushka Sharma and her daughter Vamika’s were spotted enjoying Virat Kohli’s match and the leaked pictures have gone viral, with many calling her ‘mini Virat’, reports The Times of India.

Priyanka Chopra fans slam critics for calling ‘surrogacy a trend’: Twitter has been flooded with critics trolling the celebrity couple for having a baby through surrogacy to avoid pregnancy pain. However, an equal number of supporters came out in support of the stars and urged everyone to respect their privacy, reports Mid-day.

Kim Sharma holidays in Bahamas with Leander Paes: Actress Kim Sharma is currently holidaying in the Bahamas with her ‘best person’ and former tennis ace Leander Paes, reports Mid-day.

ALSO READ: MEDIA SCAN: Trudeau condones deaths of Indians and inflation skyrockets in Sri Lanka

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MEDIA SCAN: ‘Eternal flame’ not being put out, clarifies India and call to ban Bangladesh’s RAB intensifies

The Amar Jawan Jyoti or the “eternal flame” for soldiers will not be put out, said India as rights groups are protesting actions by Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion to the UN…writes Joyeeta Basu

News in brief from South Asia

India

Flame honouring soldiers, not being put out, says Centre: India has clarified its stance on the Amar Jawan Jyoti or the “eternal flame” for soldiers at India Gate and said it will not be put out after 50 years but merged with the torch at the National War Memorial in a ceremony today, reported NDTV.

Rishi, Priti not on same page on Boris: The two Indian origin senior ministers in the UK government – Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Priti Patel – are not on the same page in terms of support to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, according to the British media. Sunak’s support of his boss is “tepid”, while Patel is wholesomely loyal to him, they said.

COVID-19: India added nearly 3.50 lakh new COVID-19 cases today, a nine percent jump from yesterday’s 3.17 lakh cases, which was the highest in eight months. India is the second worst-hit country after the US, reported NDTV.

A healthcare worker collects a nasal sample from a passenger for the COVID-19 test, at New Delhi Railway Station in view of rising Omicron cases, in New Delhi. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS)

Aparna Yadav’s shares ‘blessing’ pic: As assembly polls heat up in UP, Aparna Yadav, who switched to the BJP, tweeted a photo of her meeting with Samajwadi Party founder and father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Ex-AAP member attacks party through YouTube: Ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, where Aam Aadmi Party is hoping to win big, a former member of the party has brought out an “insider account”, in the form of a web series, which claims the party has deviated from its principles.

Mortal remains of two Indians to reach country today: The mortal remains of the two Indians killed in a blast, carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, in the UAE on January 17 will reach India on Friday, reported the Indian Express.

Financial news

Rupee to depreciate on firm dollar: The rupee is expected to depreciate today amid firm dollar and risk aversion in the global markets. Further, the rupee may slip on elevated crude oil prices and persistent FII outflows, the Financial Express reported.

Pakistan

COVID-19: Pakistan registered 7,678 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the highest daily figure since the start of the pandemic, reported Geo TV.

Woman sentenced to death for ‘blasphemous’ message: A Pakistani court sentenced a woman to death for sending ‘blasphemous caricatures of holy prophets’ on WhatsApp to her estranged friend, reported India Today.

Bangladesh

Rights groups want UN to ban Bangladesh’s RAB from peacekeeping: Twelve human rights groups have written to the UN to exclude Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion from peacekeeping operations following evidence of widespread abuses, reported Al Jazeera.

Bangladesh’s anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) stand guard with guns on the road in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Str/Xinhua/IANS)

Afghanistan

Taliban PM urges international recognition for government: Taliban leader Mohammad Hassan Akhund has called on the international community to recognise the Taliban government, reported the Indian Express. “I ask all governments…that they should start recognition,” he said.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka settles sovereign bond payment as reserves dwindle: Sri Lanka has paid $500 million due on sovereign bonds from its badly depleted foreign reserves despite calls by experts to defer the payment and use the sum to import essential foods and medicine, according to Money Control.com.

On a lighter note…

Deepika Padukone: I revisited experiences, mental health issues: Speaking of her next film, Gehraiyaan, directed by Shakun Batra, Deepika said: I had to revisit experiences from my own life, as well as [my experience of] dealing with mental health issues. All of that [helped me play] this character that needed to be raw, naked, and vulnerable,” reported Mid-Day.

Watch the trailer below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY8mh4Iqa7O/

Ayushmann wishes wife with ‘special’ video: Ayushmann Khurrana has wished his wife Tahira on her birthday, by singing and making her an memorable video. What made it more special was that the song ‘Bade Acche Lagte Ho’, was the first one he had sang to her.

Watch the video here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY99cjNsAR0/

‘We miss you SRK’ trends on Twitter: Bollywood actor SRK has been avoiding Twitter since his son, Aryan Khan, was arrested and his fans are missing him. A new hashtag “We miss you SRK” is going viral. His fans and supporters are saying, ‘Shah Rukh Khan is called the ‘King of Bollywood’ for a reason!’

Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CY-tQ56hcjp/

Categories
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MEDIA SCAN: India extends flight ban and Afghanistan faces half-million jobs losses

India has extended a ban on scheduled international commercial flights till February 28, and half a million Afghanistan jobs have been lost under the Taliban …writes Joyeeta Basu.

News in brief from South Asia

India

India extends international flight ban: India on Wednesday extended a ban on scheduled international commercial flights till February 28, 2022. “However, flights under Air Bubble agreement will not be affected,” said the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation in a press release, reports AsianLite.

COVID-19: India’s daily Covid graph saw a worrying upward curve today as the country added 3.17 lakh COVID-19 cases – a new high in the third wave – taking the tally to 3.82 crore, reported NDTV. Meanwhile, Maharashtra will reopen schools for Classes 1-12 from Monday with COVID-19 protocols, reported the Times of India.

(Photo Anupam Gautam_IANS)

India offers reward on Germany-based SFJ member: The National Investigation Agency, which has lodged a case of unlawful activities prevention act against Germany-based Sikhs for Justice member Jaswinder Singh Multani, has now declared a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on him, reported Asian Lite.

“Wearing Hijab Is Indiscipline”: Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh has accused the opposition of politicising the issue after the students sought help from the PFI-affiliated Campus Front of India over their right to wear a hijab to class. “We want justice”, said a student as the matter escalated today, reported NDTV.

Assembly elections 2022: The first candidate to be declared against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur is Bhim Army chief and Dalit leader, Chandrashekhar Azad. Meanwhile, Pramod Gupta, the brother-in-law of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, joined the BJP on Thursday, in a blow to the party, reported the Times of India.

Financial news

Fund Managers maintain bullish stand on stocks as inflation to fall in 2022:

Global fund managers continued to remain bullish on equities with a net 55 per cent overweight on the asset class, said Bank of America’s (BofA) Global Fund Manager Survey as it added that a majority of investors believe global inflation is still transitory and not permanent, reported the Financial Express.

Pakistan

Gwadar protests put Imran on hooks: The Gwadar protest against illegal fishing will resume after the government failed to fulfill demands a month after an agreement. This time, the protesters would not negotiate with anyone else, but with the Prime Minister and the Army chief, reported the Friday Times.

Bangladesh

Hasina vows to stem terrorism: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Wednesday that the image of the nation has been brightened by its success in curbing terrorism, as she urged all to work unitedly turn the country’s ‘developing nation’ status into ‘developed nation’ by 2041, reported Asian Lite.

Afghanistan

Taliban hold first-ever economic conference: The Taliban regime on Wednesday discussed the economic situation of the country for the first time after it captured power on August 15 last year. The one-day conference ‘Economy of Afghanistan’ was convened in Kabul, the Khaama Press reported.

Half a million Afghanistan jobs lost under Taliban: In a warning that the economy has been “paralyzed”, UN International Labour Organization said there have been huge losses in jobs and working hours under the Taliban, with women being the worst hit, reported NDTV.

On a lighter note…

“Family quarrel, not divorce’: South star couple, Dhanush and Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth recently announced their divorce after 18 years of marriage. But Dhanush’s father, filmmaker Kasthuri Raja, denied the divorce and said: “They are having a family quarrel just like how a normal husband and wife do which does not mean the end,” reported The Times of India

Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor support ‘queen’ Sania Mirza: Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor extended their support for Sania Mirza after she announced her retirement from tennis. Taking to their Instagram accounts they called her “Queen @mirzasaniar,” and “truly an inspiration to many @mirzasaniar.”

Varun Dhawan pays last respects to driver Manoj: Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan paid his last respects to his driver Manoj, whose sudden demise has left the actor heartbroken, reported Mid-day.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CY5vQQ4F0mS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

ALSO READ: MEDIA SCAN: Air India cancels US flights and Bangladesh hailed a model country

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MEDIA SCAN: India elections heat up as Pakistan falls under US terror scan

The assembly election battles in India are heating up in the run-up to polls next month, as Pakistan has come under scrutiny again for terrorism after the Texas synagogue hostage incident…writes Joyeeta Basu

News in brief from South Asia

India

Assembly elections: Akhilesh Yadav – whose Samajwadi Party was served a notice for violating COVID-19 safety protocols, hit back at the BJP in a tweet today for holding a roadshow in UP, also in violation of the rules. On the other hand, amid speculation that he was likely to re-join the Congress, Uttarakhand minister Harak Singh Rawat has been sacked from the government and expelled from the BJP for “anti-party activities” for six years. Meanwhile, AAP said it will announce its chief ministerial candidate for Punjab polls tomorrow.

Pandit Birju Maharaj dies: The living legend of Kathak, Birju Maharaj, who had been diagnosed with kidney disease a few days ago and put on dialysis, died at his home here late on Sunday. He was 83.

COVID-19: India’s COVID-19 cases showed marginal improvement today as the country reported 2.58 lakh cases —a five per cent drop from yesterday, according to the Health Ministry.

Modi addresses WEF’s Davos Agenda: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver a ‘State of the World’ special address at the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda at 8.30pm IST today. The virtual event will also have heads of state from Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Israel and China, among others.

Bad air impacting infant mortality: A new study has said that higher levels of exposure to polluted air (PM2.5) are associated with higher odds of neonatal and infant deaths in India. The study is led by the University of Colorado Denver, USA reports the Times of India.

Financial news

Budget 2022: The biggest Budget 2022 expectation in real estate, is increasing the s 2 lakh tax rebate on housing loan interest rates of the Income Tax Act to Rs 5 Lakh. It could ‘instantly infuse robust demand for housing’, reports the Financial Express.

Pakistan

Pakistan terror under US scrutiny: Pakistan is under scrutiny again for its global terrorism footprint after a man who took hostages in a Texas synagogue was shot dead by the FBI on Saturday. He had demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani-American serving an 86-year sentence on terror-related charges, reports the Times of India.

Bangladesh

BPL 2022 plans unveiled: The 2022 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is set to take place behind closed doors due to COVID-19, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has said. The tournament is scheduled to begin on January 21, according to CricTracker.

Nepal

Nepal slams Indian road: Nepal on Sunday asked India to stop “unilateral construction and expansion” of roads in the Kali River territory but stopped short of lodging a formal diplomatic protest. It comes days after PM Modi announced the expansion of the road, which Nepal claims as its own, reports AsianLite. https://bit.ly/3FDUWZU

On a lighter note…

Salman Khan locks horns over plot with NRI neighbour: A row has erupted between a retired US NRI Ketan Kakkad and his neighbour Bollywood actor Salman Khan over a plot of land in picturesque Raigad. Taking strong umbrage at Kakkad’s recent social media outbursts, the actor has hit back with a civil defamation suit against his neighbour, reports Mid-Day.

Anushka’s emotional post: Anushka Sharma took to social media to recall Virat Kohli’s journey as Indian Test captain after he stepped down from the post on Saturday. Read the emotional post here.

Kabir Bedi opens up about Parveen Babi: Kabir Bedi has opened up about his relationship with late actress Parveen Babi and said: ‘She gave me enormous love’, reports the Times of India. Kabir Bedi wrote about his life in his recently released memoirs Stories I Must Tell.

Film on Kapil Sharma: Kapil Sharma’s life will be turned into a biopic called Funkaar. The movie will follow Kapil’s journey — from growing up in a modest Amritsar home and struggling in Mumbai — to finally becoming one of the most popular entertainers of India. The movie will be produced by Mahaveer Jain of Lyca Productions and directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba of the hit film, Fukrey.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY0oERIBSF2/

ALSO READ: MEDIA SCAN: India-China trade escalates as border row with Nepal deepens

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MEDIA SCAN: India-China trade escalates as border row with Nepal deepens

India-China trade in 2021 reached a record high amid bilateral tensions and India has replied strongly to its border row with Nepal… writes Joyeeta Basu

A quick look at the top news of the day in South Asia:

India

India-China trade hits $126 billion amid tensions: India-China trade in 2021 reached a record high amid bilateral tensions. As China’s exports to India increased by 46.2 per cent, China’s import of goods from India also went up by 34.2 per cent. Read more: https://bit.ly/3rGxsyD

Virat Kohli steps down: Virat Kohli stepped down as India’s Test captain on Saturday, a day after India’s 1-2 loss in the three-match Test series against South Africa. The prolific right-hander said he has always given his “120 percent” in everything he has done on the cricket field.

COVID-19: India’s Covid graph continued to show an upward curve as the country reported 2.71 lakh cases today. As many as 314 people have died of Covid during the past 24-hour period, according to the Health Ministry.

Army Day observed: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the Indian Army’s contribution towards national safety on Army Day, January 15. On this day in 1949, the Indian Army got its first chief, Field Marshal Kodandera M Cariappa.

Delhi shivers under a cold spell: The minimum temperature in the capital city settled at 6.1 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal. Other parts of India also reported a cold wave, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan, reports NDTV.

Financial news

Help for start-ups: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to liberate entrepreneurship from the complex maze of red tape, as he exhorted start-ups to “innovate for India and innovate from India”, writes the Financial Express.

Pakistan

Permanent residency scheme for rich foreigners: Pakistan has decided to offer a permanent residency scheme for wealthy foreign nationals, including Sikhs living in the US and Canada, Afghans and Chinese, to attract investment and boost its flagging economy and national growth, reports Hindustan Times.

Bangladesh

Flights from Tripura to Bangladesh to start soon: Air passengers will soon fly directly from Tripura’s Agartala to Dhaka and Bangkok. The Airport Authority of India officials said that they would soon start operations connecting Bangkok via Guwahati airport and Chittagong and Dhaka in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh

UN fund for vulnerable children in Bangladesh, Pakistan: Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN global fund for education, has announced $91.7 million in catalytic grant financing educational programmes in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burundi, Lebanon, Libya, and Sudan. So far, 42 emergency crisis countries have benefitted from the fund.

Sri Lanka

India tops aid to crisis-hit Sri Lanka: India on Saturday held talks with Sri Lanka and discussed joint projects by Indian companies to strengthen the economy of the island nation. The help extended by India is worth over $900 million with $1.5 billion more is in the pipeline, reports The Tribune.

Elephants die after eating garbage: Two elephants died after eating plastic waste in Sri Lankan dump.  About 20 elephants have died in eight years after eating plastic in an open landfill site in eastern Sri Lanka, reports The Guardian.

Nepal

India-Nepal in boundary row: Indian government has reacted to a series of statements made by political parties in Kathmandu, slamming India for allegedly undermining Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.India said its position on the India-Nepal border is “well-known, consistent and unambiguous”, reports the Times of India.

On a lighter note…

Priyanka Chopra denies divorce rumours: After the actress dropped her surname Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas’ surname Jonas from her social media handle, speculations about the couple’s split started surfacing. But denying the rumours, the Quantico star said: “It’s just a professional hazard…”

Taimur Ali Khan, the son of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, is trending on social today after an undated video of him surfaced online. The five-year-old, who is already a star in his own right, is seen struggling to get an ice cream cone from a Turkish ice cream vendor who keeps tricking him. Watch the video here

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