There was panic in the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after efforts to advertise its relief operations in Cyclone Amphan-hit West Bengal, went awry.
According to the details, the MHA had taken to Facebook to highlight the work that personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which falls under the ministry, were carrying out in the Trinamool Congress-governed West Bengal.
However, with ‘work from home’ having its perils, one of the handlers of MHA’s social media accounts inadvertently posted images of two bottles of whiskey and snacks along with those of the rescue and relief work
While the photos were posted on MHA’s official Facebook around 9 am and were taken off around 30 minutes later, screenshots of the post started doing rounds over social media. The post sparked exasperation and elation in equal measure as some were enraged by the “irresponsible behaviour” and others saw the funny side of the “accident”.
The MHA refused to comment on who uploaded the picture but reports quoted officials as saying that the ministry was treating it as a case of human error that should not be shown out of proportion.
They added that although most officers were enraged at the “callousness”, many other civil servants laughed off the “disaster”.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered his army to strengthen the training of its troops and “prepare for war”, foreign media outlets reported.
The Chinese president said that it was important to “comprehensively strengthen the training of troops and prepare for war”, “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty” and “safeguard the overall strategic stability of the country”.
Xi’s speech comes amid rising tensions with the United States (US) and escalating clashes with the Indian army at the Ladakh border. Both armies are said to have deployed additional troops in sensitive areas along the boundary with experts predicting a lengthy standoff.
As per a report by ThePrint, Beijing has also increased up security on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by locating an estimated 1,200 to 1,300 troops near the Pangong Lake.
Xi, who chairs China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), made the comments at a meeting of the delegation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and People’s Armed Police Force (PAPF) on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s parliament.
He emphasised on preparing for a military struggle “…to flexibly carry out actual combat military training, and to comprehensively improve our military’s ability to carry out military missions”.
“This epidemic prevention and control struggle is a practical test for national defence and military reform, fully embodies the effectiveness of the reform, and also puts forward new requirements for reform,” he added.
Two days back, Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, criticised the efforts of some US politicians to fabricate “rumours” and “stigmatise” China to blame it for the pandemic.
A Himalayan border standoff between old foes India and China was triggered by India’s construction of roads and airstrips in the region as it competes with China’s spreading Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Indian observers said on Tuesday.
Soldiers from both sides have been camped out in the Galwan Valley in the high-altitude Ladakh region, accusing each other of trespassing over the disputed border, the trigger of a brief but bloody war in 1962.
About 80 to 100 tents have sprung up on the Chinese side and about 60 on the Indian side where soldiers are billeted, Indian officials briefed on the matter in New Delhi and in Ladakh’s capital, Leh, said.
Both were digging defences and Chinese trucks have been moving equipment into the area, the officials said, raising concerns of a long faceoff.
“China is committed to safeguarding the security of its national territorial sovereignty, as well as safeguarding peace and stability in the China-India border areas,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s office said in a statement.
“At present, the overall situation in the border areas is stable and controllable. There are sound mechanisms and channels of communication for border-related affairs, and the two sides are capable of properly resolving relevant issues through dialogue and consultation.”
There was no immediate Indian foreign ministry comment. It said last week Chinese troops had hindered regular Indian patrols along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
But interviews with former Indian military officials and diplomats suggest the trigger for the flare-up is India’s construction of roads and airstrips.
“Today, with our infrastructure reach slowly extending into areas along the LAC, the Chinese threat perception is raised,” said former Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao.
“Xi Jinping’s China is the proponent of a hard line on all matters of territory, sovereignty. India is no less when it comes to these matters either,” she said.
After years of neglect Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has pushed for improving connectivity and by 2022, 66 key roads along the Chinese border will have been built.
One of these roads is near the Galwan valley that connects to Daulat Beg Oldi airbase, which was inaugurated last October.
“The road is very important because it runs parallel to the LAC and is linked at various points with the major supply bases inland,” said Shyam Saran, another former Indian foreign secretary.
“It remains within our side of the LAC. It is construction along this new alignment which appears to have been challenged by the Chinese.”
China’s BRI is a string of ports, railways, roads and bridges connecting China to Europe via central and southern Asia and involving Pakistan, China’s close ally and India’s long-time foe.
Taliban have denied claims of joining Kashmiris’ freedom movement and attack New Delhi in retaliation against Indian atrocities under Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s regime that Pakistan and the international community fear is leading to the ethnic cleansing of the troubled valley’s majority Muslim community.
According to Hindustan Times, the militant group has underlined that the Taliban “do not interfere in internal affairs of other countries”, saying the statement published in the media about the group joining Jihad in Kashmir was wrong.
“The policy of the Islamic Emirate is clear that it does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.” Suhail Shaheen, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the political wing of Taliban calls itself, tweeted in Arabic.
— Suhail Shaheen. محمد سهیل شاهین (@suhailshaheen1) May 18, 2020
The clarification came after officials monitoring social media noted a spike in posts around claims that Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had said it was impossible to be friends with India unless the Kashmir dispute was resolved. The spokesperson was also claimed to have said that the Taliban, after capturing power in Kabul, would also “capture Kashmir from infidels”.
Diplomats based in Kabul and Delhi said that the Taliban spokesperson’s clarification came after India worked the backchannels to confirm reports about the group’s approach to India, and on Jammu and Kashmir.
New Delhi was told that the social media posts were fake and did not reflect Taliban’s position.
But analysts have also underlined that Taliban comprises people holding different beliefs. For example, while the group has alleged deep linkages with the deep state of some countries, there are also some who favour an independent line.
Indian TikToker Faizal Siddiqui’s account was banned after he ‘glorified’ acid attacks in a clip posted recently. The famed TikToker’s account was revoked “due to multiple community guidelines violations”.
Siddiqui, who has a following of 13 million people on the social media app, came under fire after he enacted a scene that shows Siddiqui is throwing a liquid on a girl’s face for betraying him.
“Keeping people on TikTok safe is a top priority and we make it clear in our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines that clearly outlines what is not acceptable on our platform. As per the policy, we do not allow content that risks the safety of others, promotes physical harm, or glorifies violence against women,” the app spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Many people called out the app and the star for the action. Acid attack survivor Laxmi Aggarwal on whom the film Chhapaak also raised her voice on social media, “We are working day and night to stop the acid attacks, violence against women. This cringe activity is not called influencing but promoting crime. Such persons are a curse to our society. So it is important to ban such videos and accounts from social media.”
Pakistani Twitterati on Wednesday eagerly jumped on the Turkey bandwagon to trend “#BoycottUAE [United Arab Emirates]” after Turkish journalist Ali Keskin asked them to do so while seeking sanctions on the Gulf country over its strengthening relationship with India among other reasons.
Raising objections apparently over Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi being given UAE’s highest civilian award and the country sending medical supplies to India amid the pandemic, the journalist alleged that Emirates was biased towards India and also silent on the Kashmir issue while Turkey had stood by Pakistan on the same.
This led to a war of words over the micro-blogging website. Reactions to the trend were myriad, with many netizens highlighting Pakistan’s outstanding debts to the UAE and how it has been, along with China, among the main avenues for Pakistan to seek bailouts.
Boycott UAE? Sure, first return them the billions of $$ Pakistan owes them. Today showing love for Turkey, Pakistani keyboard warriors are trending Boycott UAE. https://t.co/iariXWnQCT
It may be noted that the Turkish tweet came amid UAE’s growing support for warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces after they criticised Turkey’s actions in the Eastern Mediterranean, extending support for Libya’s legitimate government along with countries like Israel and Russia. Pakistani netizens, on the other hand, jumped on the bandwagon agreeing that Pakistan should impose sanctions against UAE when its relations with India were highlighted.
Pakistan, however, has been a heavy borrower of the UAE, and owes the country $30 billion dollars.
Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, who hit out at former Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi for his comments on Kashmir during a recent visit to the Pakistan-administered side of the valley, is being trolled by Pakistanis for saying that “Kashmir belongs to India” and “one Indian is enough for 125,000 Pakistanis”.
As per the details, a video clip of Afridi speaking to the people of the Azad Kashmir village went viral on social media, which showed the former Pakistani cricketing star criticising Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for deploying forces in Kashmir and making it a living hell for Muslims.
“At a time when the whole world is fighting corona[virus], you are concerned about Kashmir. Kashmir is ours and will remain ours. Bring your 220 million, one [Indian] is enough for 125,000. You do the math,” Dhawan tweeted while tagging Afridi.
Is waqt jab saari duniya corona se lad rahi hai us waqt bhi tumko kashmir ki padi hai. Kashmir humara tha humare hai aur humara hi rahega. Chaiyeh 22 crore le ao, humara ek, sava lakh ke barabar hai . Baaki ginti apne aap kar lena @SAfridiOfficial
It wasn’t later that Pakistanis started trolling the Indian batsman, reminding him of what happened last year when an Indian Air Force (IAF) jet violated Pakistani airspace.
The jet was shot down by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the pilot captured. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was released a day later by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan as a goodwill gesture to promote peace between the two countries.
While Afridi himself is yet to respond, here are some other responses to Dhawan’s tweet:
Tumhari yahi Bateen sun k Abhi nandan yahan agya tha or hum ne jahaz sy utar k chae pila k wapis bheg dia is bar awo to peshawar k chappli kabbab khaye bghair Nahi Jana wrna hum naraz hojayen gy.
Atleast corona main to Kashmir ka khayal hai. Aap logon ko to round the year khayal nai hai. Forced unconstitutional integration is not an achievement.
As Diriliş: Ertuğrul fever continues to grip Pakistanis, fans have now started pointing out how two of the show’s characters look a bit too much like two South Asian cricketing stars… and to be honest, the resemblance is truly uncanny!
Turkish historic drama series Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been trending ever since its first episode aired on PTV Home. Pakistanis are loving the drama series and it has become a sensation in the country to the point that PTV is now aiming to set a new record with the series.
In an exclusive interview with The Current, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.
After the coronavirus outbreak, India is also under strict lockdown to control the spread of the virus. Amid all this when people do not follow the social distancing rules, Odisha village panchayat in India has come up with a new idea.
It has hired a Bollywood inspired ghost to keep people stay at their homes.
Apparently, hired by the village panchayat, a sari-clad woman with chalk-white skin roams around at night to ensure that people follow the lockdown. Her payal makes sound ‘chhan chhan’ when she walks. Villagers get scared and retreat as soon as they see her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM56Jkm3AWc
On 24 March 2020, the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. Later the lockdown was extended. India has reported almost 70700 coronavirus cases so far.
India fast bowler Mohammed Shami has revealed how he thought of committing suicide while struggling with personal problems before making a spectacular comeback to the national side.
Shami battled weight issues, injury and a legal quarrel with his estranged wife before a stellar performance at the World Cup last year re-established the 29-year-old as a key player.
With cricket and sports halted in the coronavirus lockdown, Shami opened up about his own and his family’s fears to teammate Rohit Sharma during an exchange on Instagram.
“I think if my family had not supported me back then I would have lost my cricket. I thought of committing suicide three times during that period due to severe stress,” said Shami.
“I was not thinking about cricket at all. We were living on the 24th floor. They were scared I might jump from the balcony.”
With Virat Kohli
Shami’s contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was withheld in 2018 because of allegations of domestic violence, only to be reinstated later.
The bowler also struggled with injury that saw him spend nearly a year on the sidelines, leading to weight gain. He said his family and friends helped him bounce back.
“My two or three friends used to stay with me for 24 hours (during my days of depression). My parents asked me to focus on cricket to recover from that phase and not think about anything else,” he said.
“I started training then and sweated it out a lot at an academy in Dehradun.
“Then my family explained that every problem has a solution no matter how big the problem. My brother supported me a lot.”
A lean and hungry Shami made a strong comeback in the Indian team at the 50-over World Cup. He took 14 wickets in four games including a match-winning hat-trick.
Shami has claimed 180 wickets in 49 Tests and 144 scalps in 77 one-day internationals since making his debut for India in 2013.
Last year Shami led the pace pack in the absence of yorker king Jasprit Bumrah and claimed 13 wickets during India’s 3-0 home Test sweep of South Africa.
Skipper Virat Kohli heaped praise on the fast bowler, saying, “he is someone who can change the complexion of the match totally when you don’t see it coming”.
