The Subcontinent: 11 February 2021
India, China Start Withdrawing Troops from Pangong Tso
Twitter Suspends 500 Accounts in India
Koo, the Twitter Challenger from India
Lahore White Tiger Cubs May Have Died Due to COVID
Pebbles Wins Top Honor at Rotterdam Film Fest
1. India, China Start Withdrawing Troops from Pangong Tso
India and China have started withdrawing their tanks and troops from Pangong Tso. The withdrawal is phased, and troops will continue to maintain strategic heights (The Hindustan Times).
China's Official Announcement
The Chinese Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying:
"China, India start synchronized disengagement of frontline troops: Defense Spokesperson."
Read the original statement here.
India's Official Statement
The Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh made an official statement in the parliament today.
Read the original statement here.
Casualties
Indian : Twenty Indian soldiers had died in the skirmish at Galwan on June 15, 2020.
Chinese : The Chinese government did not provide an official figure, though the Russian news agency TASS claimed that 45 Chinese soldiers had died (TASS).
Sequence
15 May 2020: First reports of clash between soldiers
15 June 2020: Galwan clash
29-30 August 2021: Another clash between soldiers
3 September 2020: Defence Ministers meet
24 January 2021: Ninth round of Corp Commanders talks
2. Twitter Suspends 500 Accounts in India
Twitter has suspended nearly 500 accounts, and hidden an unspecified number from public view within India. The government had asked Twitter to take down over 1200 accounts (The Subcontinent: 9 February 2021).
Prison Threat To Employees
Following a prison threat for Twitter employees, the micro-blogging platform relented (The New York Times).
Government Warning
While speaking in the parliament, the Indian Union IT Minister has warned social media platforms of action over the spread of fake news (Times Now).
Twitter's Reaction
Twitter wrote a blog post explaining their position and stating that they would "continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people" (Twitter Blog).
It has refused to block accounts of journalists, politicians, and activists.
3. Koo, the Twitter Challenger from India
Koo is a new social media micro-blogging platform that seeks to provide an Indian alternative to Twitter. It is available as a website and as an app (Koo App).
The app had won the Atma Nirbhar App Innovation Challenge, along with Zoho and Chingari (The Economic Times) (The Indian Express).
Who is Behind Koo?
Aprameya Radhakrishna is the CEO and co-founder of Koo. Bangalore-based Bombinate Technologies Private Limited has created the platform. It hopes to have 10 million users in its first year (Mint). Koo also has a Chinese investor who is exiting (Money Control).
Supports 11 Indian Languages
Besides English, it supports eleven Indian languages, including Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, and Gujarati.
Who has Joined?
Indian ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal, and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan have joined the platform (Deccan Herald).
A number of Indian government departments and ministries have also signed up.
Celebrities joining Koo include cricketers Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, and actor Anupam Kher (Financial Express).
Accused of Data Leak
A French security researcher, Robert Baptiste (Elliot Alderson on Twitter), has accused Koo of leaking user data (India Today).
4. Lahore Zoo White Tiger Cubs May Have Died due to COVID
Two white tiger cubs have reportedly died at the Lahore Zoo due to COVID-19. Their postmortem revealed intestinal swelling and lungs that were squeezed due to an infection (Pak Observer).
Both cubs were three months old. They died on February 4, 2021.
Six Employees Tested Positive
Six employees of the Lahore Zoo have also tested positive, and it is suspected that they may have infected the cubs.
Read
Autopsy shows Lahore Zoo's white tiger cubs might have died of coronavirus: Geo TV
Lahore tiger cubs may have died due to COVID-19: report: Samaa TV
Can Animals Die of COVID?
COVID originated in bats, and experts have been investigating whether animals can die of COVID. Several species have been infected so far - cats, dogs, lions, tigers, pumas, mink, and, most recently, snow leopards (Vox).
5. Pebbles Wins Top Honor at Rotterdam Film Fest
Pebbles, a drama set in Tamil Nadu, has won the Tiger Award for the best film at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). The film is directed by Vinothraj P.S. (Hollywood Reporter). IFFR is regarded as the destination for experimental cinema.
Real Life
The movie is inspired by a real-life story of the director's sister, who was driven out of home by her alcoholic and abusive husband. He, along with his son, then sets out to bring back his wife (The Indian Express).
Accolades
The jury described it as "a lesson in pure cinema" (IFFR).
Reviews
Visual Rewards Complement A Primal Tale In This Noteworthy Indian Indie (Variety)
A Masterful Film About The Mutation Of Misery (The Wire)
A Sensational Debut From P S Vinothraj That Is Evocative, Visceral And Powerful (The Hindu)
Trailer
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