Afternoon brief: Nainital DM says Haldwani violence not communal; Manmohan Singh to retire from public life, more news

Nainital District Magistrate Vandana Singh said that the Haldwani incident, resulting in the loss of two lives, was not an instance of communal violence. Vandana Singh urged against portraying the incident as communal and clarified that no specific community engaged in retaliatory actions. Confirming the fatalities, she clarified that the property targeted was not a Madrasa."It is an empty property that has two structures, which are not registered as religious structures or have been given any such recognition. Some call the structure a Madrasa," she said. Dig deeper

More news on this: Haldwani violence was pre-planned, mob did not try to save structure, they just attacked us, says District magistrate

Haldwani communal violence: State clamps down with curfew, shoot at sight orders

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh is likely to retire from public life after a five-decade-long storied career, people aware of the matter said on Thursday. They noted that the 91-year-old leader's declining health has made it increasingly challenging for him to fulfil his duties as a parliamentarian. Singh, a member of the Upper House since 1991, has not been able to attend any sessions during this year's Budget session, with his last appearance in the House occurring at the beginning of the Winter session for just one day.“He is mentally well, but finds it difficult to move,” said an aide, requesting anonymity. “His return to the Rajya Sabha is out of the question.”

More news on this: ‘Strengthened democracy’ | Modi lauds Manmohan’s contributions

India's ‘best finance minister’ ever? Manmohan Singh & Yashwant Sinha, says Raghuram Rajan

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Global Matters

During an interview with former Fox anchor Tucker Carlson, Vladimir Putin asserted that his conflict with Ukraine could conclude within weeks. The Russian President suggested that his country's extensive invasion of Ukraine could be halted if Western nations ceased aiding Kyiv in its defence efforts. “If you really want to stop fighting, you need to stop supplying weapons,” referring to Western aid to Kyiv. “It will be over within a few weeks. That’s it,” he added. Dig deeper

Entertainment Focus

Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal have announced that they are expecting their first child. The couple revealed the news in a creative and endearing manner on Instagram. Known for their recent venture into film production with the critically acclaimed "Girls Will Be Girls," which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, the actors shared a joint post on their respective handles on Friday. The first image displayed an unconventional equation: 1 + 1 = 3, followed by a photo of the couple gazing into each other's eyes. Ali donned a vibrant shirt and white overcoat, while Richa wore a black dress with frilled sleeves. A pregnant emoji adorned the bottom of the picture. Dig deeper

Lifestyle and Health

Teddy Day 2024: Valentine's Week is here, and love is in the air, quite literally. Every year, Valentine's Day is celebrated with a whole lot of pomp and grandeur all over the world. Celebrated as the week of love, Valentine's Week starts with Rose Day and ends with Kiss Day. Valentine's Day is celebrated as the day of love on February 14. Valentine's Week comprises of Rose Day (February 7), Propose Day (February 8), Chocolate Day (February 9), Teddy Day (February 10), Promise Day (February 11), Hug Day (February 12), and Kiss Day (February 13). The fourth day of Valentine's Week is observed as Teddy Day. Dig deeper

Sports Goings

AB de Villiers ended the speculation regarding Virat Kohli's absence by disclosing on his YouTube channel that the Indian cricket star is spending time with his family due to the impending arrival of his second child with wife Anushka Sharma. However, just five days after this revelation, de Villiers made a surprising reversal on his statement, conceding that his earlier information was inaccurate and acknowledging his error. Dig deeper

That’s all we have at this hour in our Afternoon briefing. Catch you in the evening.