Nobel laureate Amartya Sen today said he felt the demonetisation decision was taken hurriedly without thinking about its consequence. “I don’t think that this (demonetisation) decision was taken after considering all sides. It was taken hurriedly without thinking of consequences,” he told media persons here.
Amartya Sen. AFP
“So far economics is concerned I find no reasoning behind this decision. It will have adverse effect,” Sen said.
The Nobel laureate, who chairs Pratichi Trust, which works in the areas of health and education with special emphasis on gender equality, said implementation of midday meal project is not up to the mark in West Bengal.
“This project is very successful in Tamil Nadu, partly in Uttar Pradesh and other states. But in West Bengal the performance is average,” he said after attending a programme of the trust here.
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) will trim production of iPhones by about 10 percent in the January-March quarter of 2017, the Nikkei financial daily reported on Thursday, citing calculations based on data from suppliers.The company had slashed output by 30 percent in January-March this year due to accumulated inventory, the paper said. Apple’s shares were down 0.84 percent in midday trading, in line with the Nasdaq stock index.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.
(Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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JERUSALEM Israel’s anti-terrorism directorate issued a travel warning for India on Friday, citing an immediate threat of attack to Western and tourist targets, particularly in the south-west of the country.”A particular emphasis should be put on events in the coming days in connection with beach and club parties celebrating the New Year where a concentration of tourists will be high,” part of the warning said.The statement recommended that tourists avoid participation in such parties. It also called on families in Israel to contact their relatives in India and tell them of the threat.In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas. Unusually, the warning was published on Friday evening in Israel, after the start of the Jewish Sabbath, when government offices close for business.
The directorate did not say what prompted the warning.In 2012, the wife of Israeli diplomat stationed in India, her driver and two others were wounded in a bomb attack on her car. Israel and India share close military ties.
(Writing by Ori Lewis, editing by Larry King)
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JERUSALEM Israel’s anti-terrorism directorate on Friday issued a travel warning for India, citing an immediate threat of attack to Western and tourist targets, particularly in the south-west of the country.”A particular emphasis should be put on events in the coming days in connection with beach and club parties celebrating the New Year where a concentration of tourists will be high,” part of the warning said.
(Writing by Ori Lewis; editing by Jason Neely)
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LONDON The cause of singer George Michael’s death this week is unclear after an initial autopsy and more tests are needed, British police said on Friday.British singer Michael, who became one of the pop idols of the 1980s with Wham! and then forged a career as a successful solo artist, died at his home in southern England on Sunday. He was 53.”A post mortem examination was carried out yesterday as part of the investigation into the death of George Michael,” Thames Valley police said.
“The cause of death is inconclusive and further tests will now be carried out. The results of these tests are unlikely to be known for several weeks,” they added in a statement.British police had said that Michael’s death was “unexplained but not suspicious”. Michael’s manager, Michael Lippman, said he had died of heart failure.
In the mid-1980s, Wham! were one of the most successful pop duos with singles such as ”Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, ”Careless Whisper”, “Last Christmas” and “The Edge of Heaven”.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Stephen Addison and Alison Williams)
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Howrah: At least 31 people were injured when a bus hit a lorry on NH6 due to dense fog in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Friday, police said.
The private bus with a complement of 50 passengers was heading to the beach resort of Digha from Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas when it hit the lorry from behind at Ashariya village on NH6 near Bagnan, a police officer said.
At least 31 people, including the driver and the helper, were injured and rushed to Uluberia General hospital. The condition of four, including a woman, was stated to be critical, the officer said.
The lorry driver fled with the vehicle but the bus, which sustained damage, has been seized, the officer said.
SANTIAGO Chilean authorities said on Thursday they are investigating allegations that female sailors were secretly videotaped in their quarters on a naval vessel and that those images were then shared via social media by other crew members.The Navy detained the sailors accused of secretly recording their female counterparts. It said “it roundly rejects these types of actions that insult our personnel and we reiterate our respect for the privacy of those that form part of the institution.”Chile’s Defense Minister Jose Antonio Gomez said that sanction for these actions would “set an example.”After receiving a complaint from a sailor who had seen the recordings of the women shared on a WhatsApp group, Chile’s naval prosecutor opened an investigation into at least nine seamen, the Estrella de Valparaiso newspaper reported on Thursday. Other local media said eight sailor are being investigated.According to the paper, investigators found “elaborate and complex technical [filming] apparatus” in various strategic locations on the ship.
“If it’s true what happened on the frigate Lynch it is unacceptable,” Chilean President Michelle Bachelet wrote on Twitter.”Let’s end all forms of violence against women!”
Earlier in December, a Chilean business leader sparked a social media storm and criticism by Bachelet for presenting the nation’s economy minister with an inflatable sex doll as a gift at an industry dinner.Despite being South America’s most prosperous nation by most measures, Chile is more socially conservative than many of its neighbors and traditional gender attitudes persist.
Abortion is illegal in all circumstances, divorce was only legalized in 2006, and women’s participation in the labor market remains low. (Reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Andrea Ricci)
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MUMBAI Tata Sons demanded former chairman Cyrus Mistry return all confidential information and documents regarding the company in his possession, in its second legal notice in as many days.The letter, sent by Tata Sons’ lawyers, further demanded that Mistry sign a letter pledging not to disclose any confidential information regarding the company, including to affiliates, relatives and family members.”We have credible information that you have wrongfully and dishonestly taken movable property being confidential information,” said the letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.
The notice comes after Tata Sons, the holding firm for the $100 billion Tata conglomerate, on Tuesday accused Mistry of breaching confidentiality rules, and said it would take legal action against him.
(Reporting by Rafael Nam)
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The government has appointed Viral V. Acharya, a professor of economics at New York University, as one of the Reserve Bank of India’s four deputy governors for a term of three years, according to a statement on Wednesday.
Reuters
The RBI had a vacancy for deputy governor after Urjit Patel was promoted to Governor earlier this year.
The statement did not mention which portfolio Acharya would be assigned. Patel had headed the prestigious monetary policy, which is now overseen by RBI Deputy Governor R. Gandhi as part of a widened remit.
Acharya teaches at the Stern School of Business in New York university. According to his resume, he has research interests in regulation of banks, corporate finance, credit risk and asset pricing.
New Delhi: A major mishap was averted in Delhi at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport on Tuesday after an Indigo and a SpiceJet aircraft came face-to-face on the runway.
Representational image. Reuters
“An Indigo flight 6C-729 which was coming from Lucknow to Delhi with 176 passengers on board, post landing on the taxi way saw a SpiceJet aircraft in front of it,” Indigo spokesperson Ajay Jesra told IANS.
“The incident occurred on Tuesday morning and the matter has been reported to Air Traffic Control (ATC) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),” Jesra said.
According to officials, the DGCA has ordered a probe into the incident.
On Tuesday, a Jet Airways flight from Goa to Mumbai skidded off the runway at Goa’s Dabolim airport, reported ANI. The flight 9W-2374 veered off the runway due to some technical glitch. There were 161 people onboard the flight, including the crew members.
Some people sustained minor injuries. According to ANI, all the passengers were safely evacuated.
Jet Airways issued a statement saying, “All guests and crew have been safely evacuated. Few guests have sustained injuries during the evacuation process.”
Koraput (Odisha): Maoists murdered the husband of a naib sarpanch in Odisha’s Koraput district and torched at least seven vehicles engaged in road works, police said on Saturday.
A group of Maoists attacked G Appa Rao’s house at Kotubu village, bordering Andhra Pradesh in Pottangi area late on Thursday night and dragged him out charging him to be a police informer.
Representational image. AFP
They then reached the road construction and set seven vehicles on fire, the police said adding Rao’s body was found on Friday.
Police recovered few Maoist posters of Koraput-Malkangiri-Srikakulam division of CPI (Maoist) in Odia and Telegu from the site.
The Maoists through the posters opposed the construction of a 4.5 km PMGSY road from Upper Goloru to Pedapadu in the area and warned three villagers of dire consequences if they supported the work.
Brushing aside allegations that the killed person was an informer, Koraput SP Charan Singh said probe into the incident is on.
A lady police constable was attacked with acid by unknown assailants in Vellore city of Tamil Nadu on Friday, reports said.
According to PTI, the incident took place at Tiruppattur in Vellore district. The constable, named Lavanya suffered injuries on her face and right hand, police said. She has been admitted to a nearby hospital. A probe is on to ascertain the reason for the attack and nab the culprits. According to ANI the Tamil Nadu Police has formed a special team to nab the culprits.
New Delhi: Finding no common ground on the issue of dual control or cross empowerment that deals with assessee jurisdiction, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council’s 7th meeting that came to an end on Friday raised grave concerns about its 1 April implementation date while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying that he was trying his best.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. PTI file photo
“I am trying my best (on deadline of 1 April). I don’t want to hasten the process of discussion and don’t want to delay the implementation,” Jaitley said at a press briefing after the Council meet ended.
The Finance Minister however said: “There was no issue raised on dual control today as we were working on legislations.”
The drafts of Central GST (cGST) and the compensation law have been mostly approved with the only portions relating to dual control being left out, he added.
Jaitley said that the two principle issues that still remain before the Council are Integrated GST (iGST) and cross empowerment.
“In iGST, definition of territory of states is pending. And the division of authority between assessing authorities of Centre and states is pending. The two issues will be taken up together at the next meeting on January 3-4,” he added.
On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs announced a list of rules to be followed while issuing new passports. Here’s a full list of the updated rules, as reported by a press release on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) website:
Vikas Swarup. Image courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia
PROOF OF DATE OF BIRTH:
As per the extant statutory provisions of the Passport Rules, 1980, all applicants born on or after 26/01/1989, in order to get a passport, had to hitherto submit their birth certificate as proof of date of birth (DOB). It has now been decided that the applicants may submit any of the following documents as proof of DOB: (i) Birth Certificate (BC) issued by the registrar of births and deaths or the municipal corporation or any other prescribed authority that is empowered under the Registration of Birth & Deaths Act, 1969, to register the birth of a child born in India. (ii) Transfer certificate/school leaving certificate/Matriculation certificate issued by the school last attended and recognised by the educational board containing the DOB of the applicant. (iii) PAN card issued by the Income Tax Department with the DOB of applicant. (iv) Aadhar card/E-Aadhar having the applicant’s DOB of applicant. (v) Copy of the extract of the service record of the applicant (only for government servants) or the pay pension order (in respect of retired government servants), duly attested/certified by the officer/in-charge of the administration of the concerned ministry/department of the applicant, having his DOB. (vi) Driving licence issued by the transport department of the concerned state government, having the DOB of applicant. (vii) Election photo identity card issued by the Election Commission of India having the DOB of applicant. (viii) Policy bonds issued by the Public Life Insurance Corporations or companies having the DOB of the holder of the insurance policy.
REPORT OF THE INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE:
A three-member committee, comprising officials of the ministry of external affairs and the ministry of women and child development, was constituted to examine various issues pertaining to passport applications where the mother or child has insisted that the name of the father should not be mentioned in the passport, and also relating to passport issues of children with single parents and of adopted children. The report of the committee has been accepted by the minister of external affairs.The following policy changes have been made inter-alia on the basis of the recommendations of this committee: (i) The online passport application form now requires the applicant to provide the name of father or mother or legal guardian, ie only one parent and not both. This would enable single parents to apply for passports for their children and to also issue passports where the name of either the father or the mother is not required to be printed at the request of the applicant. (ii) The total number of annexes prescribed in the Passport Rule, 1980, has been brought down to nine from the present 15. Annexes A,C,D,E,J and K have been removed and certain annexes have been merged. (iii) All annexes that are required to be given by applicants would be in the form of a self-declaration on a plain paper. No attestation or swearing by or before any notary/executive magistrate/first class judicial magistrate would be henceforth necessary. (iv) Married applicants would not be required to provide Annexure K or any marriage certificate. (v) The passport application form does not require the applicant to provide the name of her/his spouse in case of separated or divorced persons. Such applicants for passports would not be required to provide even the divorce decree (vi) Orphaned children who do not have any proof of DOB, such as birth certificate or matriculation certificate or the declaratory court order, may now submit a declaration given by the head of the orphanage/child care home on their official letterhead confirming the DOB of the applicant. (vii) In case of children not born out of wedlock, the applicant for the passport of such children should submit only Annexure G while submitting the passport application. (viii) In case of issue of passport to in-country domestically adopted children, submission of the registered adoption deed would no longer be required. In the absence of any deed to this effect, passport applicants may give a declaration on a plain paper confirming the adoption. (ix) Government servants, who are not able to obtain the identity certificate (Annexure B) or no objection certificate (Annexure M) from their concerned employer and intend to get the passport on urgent basis can now get the passport by submitting a self-declaration in ‘Annexure N’ that s/he has given a prior intimation letter to his/her employer informing that s/he was applying for an ordinary passport to a passport issuing authority. (x) Sadhus and sanyasis can apply for a passport with the name of their spiritual guru mentioned in the passport application in lieu of their biological parent(s) name(s), subject to their providing of at least one public document such as election photo identity card, PAN card, Aadhar card, etc., wherein the name of the guru has been recorded against the column(s) for parent(s) name(s).
Necessary notifications would be soon published in the official gazette to confirm these changes. Instructions are also being issued to the passport issuing authorities in India and abroad on these revised regulations.
The ministry of external affairs expects that the above changes in passport rules would further ease the process for passport applicants in getting their passport. At the same time, it would enable this ministry to continue to deliver passport-related services to the citizens in a timely, transparent, more accessible and reliable manner, and in a comfortable environment through streamlined processes and committed, trained and motivated workforce.
New Delhi: The Income Tax Department has identified 67.54 lakh potential non-filers, who carried out high value transactions in 2014-15 but failed to file returns for the assessment year 2015-16, an official statement said on Thursday.
Thinkstock
“The Income Tax Department has conducted the fifth cycle of data matching which has identified an additional 67.54 lakh potential non-filers who have carried out high value transactions in the financial year 2014-15 but did not file return of income for the relevant assessment year 2015-16,” said a Finance Ministry statement.
The information relating to the identified non-filers has been made available in the ‘compliance module’ on the e-filing portal of the income tax department. The information will be visible only to the specific PAN holder when they log into the e-filing portal at https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in.
“The PAN holder will be able to respond electronically and retain a copy of the submitted response for record purpose,” the statement said.
“While the Government urges all tax payers to disclose their true income and pay taxes accordingly, the department would continue to pursue the non-filers vigorously till all the high potential non-filers are covered,” it added.
Finland’s Nokia Corp (NOKIA.HE) said on Wednesday it had sued Apple Inc (AAPL.O), accusing the iPhone maker of violating 32 technology patents.Apple sued Acacia Research Corp (ACTG.O) and Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc [GEGGIM.UL] on Tuesday, accusing them of colluding with Nokia to extract and extort exorbitant revenues unfairly and anticompetitively from Apple.Nokia’s lawsuits, filed in courts in Dusseldorf, Mannheim and Munich, Germany and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, cover patents for displays, user interfaces, software, antennas, chipsets and video coding.
“Since agreeing a license covering some patents from the Nokia Technologies portfolio in 2011, Apple has declined subsequent offers made by Nokia to license other of its patented inventions which are used by many of Apple’s products,” Nokia said in a statement.
Apple and Acacia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr)
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Ahmedabad: A 33-year-old cashier with the State Bank of India allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence at Tharad in Banaskantha district, police said.
Though the police refused to assign any motive to the extreme step taken by Prem Shankar Prajapati, his wife said he had talked about “heavy work pressure” at Tharad branch of the bank.
Representational image. Reuters
He originally belonged to Barmer in Rajasthan.
“Prajapati was a native of Barmer and has been working as a cashier at SBI’s Tharad branch for last one-and-half-years. Due to some unknown reasons, Prajapati committed suicide by hanging himself from ceiling fan today morning. We have not found any suicide note from the spot,” said Tharad police inspector J G Chavda.
However, Prajapati’s wife Manjula claimed her husband had once complained about the work pressure.
“My husband used to remain tensed after coming home from the bank. He once said that there is so much work pressure. He did not talk much due to tension,” Manjula told reporters outside police station.
NEW DELHI Five men were sentenced to death by a court on Monday for their role in two deadly bombings in 2013 in the city of Hyderabad, including the co-founder of an outlawed Islamist group accused of involvement in a series of attacks.The convictions last week of Yasin Bhatkal, founder of Indian Mujahideen, and the others marked the first time members of the group had been found guilty, the National Investigation Agency, India’s chief counterterrorism organisation, said after the sentences were handed down.Two bombs ripped through a busy market in Hyderabad, a major information technology centre in southern India, in February 2013, killing at least 17 people.
The man police accuse of masterminding the blasts remains on the run.The trial took place in a special court run by the NIA and the five convicted are expected to appeal against the judgment.
India sentences dozens of people to death each year but had been reluctant to carry out executions. An undeclared moratorium on capital punishment ended in 2012 when India executed a militant convicted for an attack in 2008 in Mumbai.
(Reporting by Tommy Wilkes; Editing by Alison Williams)
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TOKYO Real Madrid suffered an almighty fright before a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick hauled them back from 2-1 down and gave them a 4-2 win over rank outsiders Kashima Antlers in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.Two goals from Gaku Shibasaki stunned the European champions as the Japanese hosts took a 2-1 lead early in the second half before a Ronaldo penalty brought Real level on the hour.The 11-times European champions then survived several more scares and a possible sending-off for captain Sergio Ramos before Ronaldo scored twice more in the first period of extra-time.Real, who won the tournament for the second time in three years and were crowned champions for a fifth time overall, appeared set for an easy victory when Karim Benzema gave them a ninth-minute lead but Shibasaki changed the story by levelling one minute before halftime.Kashima were the first Asian team to reach the final although they qualified for the tournament as champions of host nation Japan. Asian champions Jeonbuk Motors had lost in the quarter-finals.”We knew it was not going to be an easy one. They were very aggressive,” Real coach Zinedine Zidane told reporters. Real went ahead when Luka Modric’s volley was parried by Hitoshi Sogahata and Benzema tapped in the rebound.
Kashima refused to be overawed, continued playing their neat football and snatched a shock equaliser just before the break.Shoma Doi’s cross found Shibasaki, whose first touch was poor but he was gifted a second attempt when Raphael Varane failed to clear and he smashed the ball into the net.Shibasaki struck again six minutes after the break when he collected a poor Real clearance, got away from three opponents and fired a low shot past Keylor Navas from 25 metres.Real were facing their first defeat since they lost to VfL Wolfsburg in April, a run of 36 competitive games, until Lucas Vazquez was bundled over by Shuto Yamamoto and Ronaldo converted the resulting penalty on the hour.
Kashima continued to give as good as they got and had three good chances in the final minutes of normal time.Fabricio’s goalbound drive was tipped over by Navas and the Costa Rican goalkeeper came to the rescue again one minute later by blocking Mu Kanazaki’s shot after he got free of the Real defence.Yasushi Endo could have won it with the last kick but fired wide at the far post while Sergio Ramos was lucky to escape a second yellow card for a push on an opponent, a decision which Kashima coach Masatada Ishii said “lacked courage”.Ronaldo ended Kashima’s dream when he collected Benzema’s sliderule pass and fired past Sogahata eight minutes into extra-time, then settled the match six minutes later with an emphatic finish into the roof of the net.
“We gave Real Madrid problems,” said Ishii. “That’s what we were able to do. But we made small mistakes in positioning and judgment so it’s frustrating.” (Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Toby Davis)
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Imphal: Curfew was imposed on Sunday in certain parts of Imphal East district of Manipur in view of continued violence in the region following Friday’s triple blasts. The curfew comes into force from this noon and covers Porompat and Sawombung subdivisions of Imphal East district and will continue till further directions, an order issued by the District Magistrate said.
The government’s decision to clamp the curfew follows the shutting down of mobile internet services in Imphal West district to halt spreading of rumours through social networking sites. The landlocked state has been experiencing severe hardship in supply of essential items since 1 November after United Naga Council (UNC) imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the two national highways that serve as lifeline for the state.
The blockade was imposed following the state government’s announcement of formation of seven new districts, four of which have been formally inaugurated. Tension in the state heightened after suspected militants continued their violent attacks on Manipur Police and other state forces in the last few days that left three policemen dead and 14 others injured last Thursday. The attack was followed by triple bomb blasts at Nagaram area in Imphal West district allegedly by Manipur Naga People’s Front on Friday.
In another incident, suspected militants overpowered a small outpost of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) at Nungkao area yesterday in Tamenglong district and fled with nine service weapons.
Hyderabad: The head of a bank was injured when an unidentified person fired at him at his apartment on Sunday, police said.
Manmath Dalai, Chief Executive Officer of KBS Local Area Bank, was shifted to a private hospital and he is said to be out of danger.
The incident occurred in Masab Tank in the heart of the city.
Police said a man came to the apartment inquiring about Dalai. He went to the official’s flat and after a few minutes the guard heard the sound of gunfire.
“A bullet hit the bank official in his leg. We have launched a hunt for the unidentified attacker who escaped on his motorbike,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Venkateswara Rao.
WASHINGTON The White House on Thursday said it could not address the potential scope of vulnerable material from Yahoo Inc’s most recently disclosed hack, adding that the FBI is investigating the breach.Speaking to reporters at a daily briefing, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that U.S. investigators would have to ensure that releasing any public information about those behind the attack would not compromise the probe.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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NEW DELHI The Reserve Bank of India has infused more than 5 trillion rupees ($73.66 billion) of currency notes into the banking system since Nov. 8, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das told reporters on Thursday.This is a fraction of the 15.44 trillion rupees in 500- and 1,000-rupee notes that were circulating before Prime Minister Narendra Modi abolished them last month, in a surprise move targeting counterfeiters and people holding undeclared wealth.
($1 = 67.8801 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Malini Menon)
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PARIS Portugal and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or award for the fourth time on Monday after claiming the European Championship and Champions League titles in 2016.Ronaldo is now one short of his La Liga rival Lionel Messi‘s record tally of five.”For me it’s a great honour to receive my fourth golden ball. The emotion is like for the first one, it’s a dream come true again. I never thought in my mind to win four times. I’m so happy,” said Ronaldo, who won the award in 2008, 2013 and 2014.
“I take the opportunity to thank all my team mates, from the national team and for Real Madrid. I feel so proud and happy.”
The Ballon d’Or, which merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year award from 2010-15 to create the FIFA Ballon d’Or, returned to France Football magazine this year, with only journalists voting and not national team coaches and captains.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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New Delhi: Cyclonic storm Vardah, which was earlier expected to weaken considerably, may not see its intensity going down when it makes landfall near Chennai on Monday. According to the Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department, (IMD), Vardah, which is currently, a very severe cyclonic storm, will weaken, but only to a severe cyclonic storm.
Cyclone Vardah over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
The earlier forecast made by the IMD was that it would weaken into a cyclonic storm, thereby reducing its intensity considerably. At 9.30 am, the cyclone was lay centered around 105 kms east-northeast of Chennai.
By the time it makes a landfall, its wind speed is expected to be 100-110 kilometres per hours with winds gusting up to 120 kmph. The wind speed during a very severe cyclonic storm is 120 to 130 kmph. In a severe cyclonic storm the wind speed is somewhere between 110 to 80 kilometres per hour. One of the major reasons for destruction in any cyclone is the wind velocity, apart from heavy to heavy rains and flooding.
Rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is very likely during 36 hrs. The rainfall intensity will increase gradually becoming heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-19 cm) at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall (20 centimetres) over Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh on 12 December, the IMD said.
Tidal wave of about one metre height above the astronomical tide is very likely to inundate the low lying areas of Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh during the time of landfall.
New Delhi: Cyclonic storm Vardah, which was earlier expected to weaken considerably, may not see its intensity going down when it makes landfall near Chennai on Monday. According to the Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department, (IMD), Vardah, which is currently, a very severe cyclonic storm, will weaken, but only to a severe cyclonic storm.
Cyclone Vardah over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
The earlier forecast made by the IMD was that it would weaken into a cyclonic storm, thereby reducing its intensity considerably. At 9.30 am, the cyclone was lay centered around 105 kms east-northeast of Chennai.
By the time it makes a landfall, its wind speed is expected to be 100-110 kilometres per hours with winds gusting up to 120 kmph. The wind speed during a very severe cyclonic storm is 120 to 130 kmph. In a severe cyclonic storm the wind speed is somewhere between 110 to 80 kilometres per hour. One of the major reasons for destruction in any cyclone is the wind velocity, apart from heavy to heavy rains and flooding.
Rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is very likely during 36 hrs. The rainfall intensity will increase gradually becoming heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-19 cm) at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall (20 centimetres) over Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh on 12 December, the IMD said.
Tidal wave of about one metre height above the astronomical tide is very likely to inundate the low lying areas of Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore districts of Andhra Pradesh during the time of landfall.
Sixty-eight years ago, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To mark the occasion every year since 1950, 10 December is celebrated as Human Rights Day. But safeguarding human rights hasn’t been easy. Over the years, several people journalists have lost their lives while reporting about human rights violations, corruption and for doing their job. In India too, since 1992, when the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) started keeping records of journalist deaths, 40 journalists have been killed for doing their job.
On Human Rights Day, we take a look at some of those deaths and analyse the data available with CPJ to remind you of the importance of press freedom and the journalists who lost their lives.
The number of killings mentioned are only those where the motives have been confirmed, actual number of journalists killed could be higher.
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>1. Live Updates: Jayalalithaa suffers cardiac arrest; Chennai on edge, heavy security outside Apollo HospitalTamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is said to be critical after she suffered a cardiac arrest in the hospital where she was admitted over two months ago. Read more.2. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani gives Pakistan a $500 mn snub on terror”Pakistan,” he told representatives of nearly 50 countries or organisations attending the Heart of Asia conference, including Pakistan Foreign Affairs and Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz, “has pledged 500 million dollars for Afghanistan’s development. This amount, Mr Aziz, can be spent to fight terrorists and extremists in Pakistan.” Read more.3. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key resignStating that he had never seen himself as a career politician, Popular New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced his shock resignation. Read more.4. Despite note ban, Kerala liquor baron hosts lavish wedding for daughterDr Biju Ramesh hosted his daughter Megha’s wedding at the Rajdhani Gardens where a replica of Mysore Palace was created to greet around 20,000 guests at the venue. Read more.5. India v/s England: Ajinkya Rahane’s maiden homecoming in TestsIndia vice-captain will play his first Test at homeground Wankhede from Thursday, hoping to come out of lean patch. Read more.
Pakistan Premier’s foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz along with foreign ministers of four countries on Sunday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi who told them that it was important to end terrorism and violence for fostering stability in Afghanistan and the region.
The Foreign Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Slovakia, which holds the European Union Presidency this month, along with Pakistan Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Aziz called on Modi ahead of the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process on Afghanistan.
PM Narendra Modi with Nawaz Sharif. PTI file image
Modi welcomed the Foreign Ministers and stressed it was the collective responsibility of all those in the region to work together to help Afghanistan out of its current difficulties, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
The Prime Minister stated that his several interactions with both the common people of Afghanistan and the country’s leadership had convinced him that the Afghan people were tired of the continuing violence and terrorism. Prime Minister Modi stressed on “the need to end terrorism and violence for fostering stability, security and development in Afghanistan and our region,” Swarup said. In this context, the Prime Minister hoped that discussions in the Ministerial Conference tomorrow will produce good results.
Agreeing with the Premier on the need to end violence in Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministers shared Prime Minister Modi’s view that Afghanistan’s stability, security and prosperity are integral to the region’s, Swarup said. “They greatly appreciated the continued commitment and engagement of India and its leadership for these ends.
The Foreign Ministers warmly thanked India for hosting the Conference and expressed confidence that all friends of Afghanistan will work together for realising the aspirations for peace and development,” he said.
Bareilly (UP): A panchayat official has been suspended and the manager of a college booked for allegedly posting objectionable pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in separate WhatsApp groups in Bareilly. Panchayati Raj Department official Hifazat Ullah Khan was suspended after he posted an objectionable picture of Modi on a WhatsApp group managed by the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), a senior official said today.
Khan, who was posted at Bahedi panchayat, had been served a show-cause notice and his response was not satisfactory after which he was suspended, the official said.
In a similar incident, a college manager, Hariom Singh, was booked for circulating an objectionable picture of Modi on WhatsApp.
A case has been registered against Singh based on a complaint filed by BJP’s district president Ravindra Singh Rathore at Faridpur kotwali police station and investigation into the matter is on, a police officer said.
SEOUL Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) said on Tuesday it is reviewing options for its optimal corporate structure including the possibility of establishing a holding company amid growing calls for improved transparency and governance. Samsung, in a statement, said it is also considering the potential benefits of listing its shares on other overseas markets and hired advisers for a thorough review.
“The review does not indicate the management or the board’s intention one way or another,” the company said, adding the review process would take at least six months.
(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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At least seven people were injured at Ohio State University, CNN reported, after school officials reported an active shooter on campus on Monday.The seven injured were transported to the hospital, according to CNN. The suspected shooter was shot, local television station WBNS reported, citing law enforcement sources.Columbus police said on Twitter they were assisting university law enforcement. Representatives for the university did not immediately return calls.
WBNS showed images of more than a dozen police cars parked at an intersection at the school and a line of about 10 ambulances parked nearby.Ohio State student Wyatt Crosher told CNN he heard what sounded like gunfire and then emergency sirens.
Crosher said that he was staying in his dorm room near the scene of the reported shooting.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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Jammu: Three people died and six other got injured on Saturday in a devastating fire that destroyed over 150 “jhuggis” in Jammu, officials said.
Ramesh Gupta, superintendent of medical college hospital Jammu said three charred bodies were brought to the mortuary of the hospital during the night while six persons suffering critical burn injuries were being treated.
According to ANI, the three people who died in were Myanmar migrants. Nearly 300 families have been affected by the fire that engulfed 80 slums.
The fire started in Narwal area of Jammu city around 12 am in the slum where dozens of families of Rohingya Muslims who were uprooted from Myanmar because of persecution have taken shelter.
Besides these Rohingya Muslims, dozens of other families of slum dwellers were also living in the over 150 “Jhuggis” those were completed destroyed in the blaze.
FRANKFURT Thyssenkrupp executives left open the possibility on Thursday that the German industrial group could keep the majority in any new entity formed by a merger of its European steel operations with those of a competitor.”The most important thing for us is that by a consolidation and by the underlying plan we can address the issues of overcapacity,” Chief Finance Officer Guido Kerkhoff told analysts on a conference call.”We have never stated consolidation, non-consolidation or discussed percentages and we don’t do that today either.”
He added that an initial public offering of the business without a merger would offer no solution to the underlying overcapacity issue.
(Reporting by Georgina Prodhan)
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Agartala: The counting of votes of the by-elections to the Barjala and Khowai assembly seats in Tripura began on Tuesday, an official said.
Representational image. PTI
Polling for the two scheduled caste reserved seats in Tripura took place on Saturday amidst tight security.
The Barjala seat fell vacant after Congress legislator Jitendra Sarkar resigned on 6 June following an internal feud within the party while the Khowai seat turned vacant following the death of veteran CPI-M legislator Samir Deb Sarkar.
Five candidates each contested from the two constituencies.
Islamabad: The Pakistan Army on Saturday claimed to have shot down an Indian drone which it alleged had “intruded” into Pakistani territory across the heavily-guarded LoC.
“Indian quadcopter has been shot down by Pakistani troops at 1645 (hrs), fell in Pak territory & taken over by Pak troops,” army spokesman Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa tweeted.
He claimed the drone had “intruded 60 metres into the Pakistan side of LoC” and its debris “fell near Agahi Post in Rakhchakri Sector”.
There have been a whopping 286 incidents of firing and shelling along the LoC and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani troops that have resulted in the death of 26 people, including 14 security personnel, since the surgical strike on terrorist launch pads in PoK on September 29 after the Uri terror attack.
Srinagar: An unidentified militant was today killed in an encounter with security forces in a village in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, police said.
Security forces this evening launched an anti-militancy operation after receiving a tip-off about their presence at Begumbagh village in Kakapora area, 25 km from here, a police official said.
Hiding militants opened fire on noticing the security forces who retaliated, triggering a gunbattle, he said.
One militant was killed in the gunbattle, the official said, adding the identity and group affiliation of the slain militant is being ascertained.
Guwahati: Three soldiers were killed after suspected militants fired at an army convoy in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Saturday, defence officials said.
The incident took place at around 5.30 am, in the Pengeri area, Defence public relations officer Lt. Col. Suneet Newton said.
“They (the militants) had planted an improvised explosive device (IED) on the road. When the IED exploded, the convoy stopped. Then the militants fired indiscriminately,” Newton said, adding that although the forces retaliated, four soldiers were injured of which one succumbed in the hospital.
Locals said that the militants had fired upon the vehicle from both the side of the road, which are forested areas.
On Wednesday, militants attacked a van of the Pengeri tea estate killing one person and injuring two others.
PARIS Bollywood actor Mallika Sherawat and her partner were assaulted in Paris last week, AFP and other media reported on Thursday, just over a month after U.S reality TV star Kim Kardashian was attacked and robbed in the French capital.The assault on Sherawat took place on Nov. 11, AFP said. “Sherawat was punched in the face and sprayed with tear gas by masked attackers who tried to steal her handbag,” the French news agency said, citing a police source.
The attackers fled without taking anything, a source close to the investigation told AFP.
Nobody was immediately available to comment at the Paris prosecutor’s office. A police spokesman declined to comment.
(Reporting by Matthias Blamont; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>People in eight villages surrounding a bird sanctuary in the district are not bursting crackers during Diwali for the last 17 years as they fear that its loud sound might scare away the migratory birds.About 750 families live in the surrounding eight villages of Vellode bird sanctuary, established in 1996 in 80 hectares of land.They decided not to burst crackers for Diwali 17 years ago as they feared its loud sound may scare away thousands of birds arriving at the sanctuary during the September-December season.Birds from faraway places mainly from Australia and New Zealand will arrive at the sanctuary during the season, build their nests, lay eggs and leave with the young ones after two to three months.Chinnasamy Gounder, a 73 year-old villager, said they used to burst crackers years back. However, few years after the sanctuary was established, the villagers decided to stop bursting the crackers.Villagers near the sanctuary were very much concerned about the sanctuary and the birds coming there, he said.”Till two years back, even sparklers were not used in the village. But now some children are using them. However, crackers were still not used,” he said.
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee has said India and New Zealand can become partners for promoting security, stability and prosperity in their regions and beyond, as he welcomed visiting Kiwi Prime Minister John Key.
File image of President Pranab Mukherjee. PTI
Key called on the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday.
Mukherjee, while welcoming the PM and his delegation, said India values its relationship with his country and the sustained momentum of high level contacts reaffirms the growing strength and dynamism of bilateral engagement between India and New Zealand.
The President, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said, said India and New Zealand share a unique bond based on shared values and synergies, being two multicultural, vibrant democracies that believe in and respect the rule of law.
“New Zealand can be a key partner in India’s quest for food security. Bilateral trade in goods and services has nearly doubled in the last eight years. Currently, total trade in goods and services in 2015 amounted to USD 1.45 billion.”
“India and New Zealand can be partners in promoting security, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond. The two countries can work together in areas such as maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and in countering terrorism,” he said.
The President added that there exists a strong desire amongst the people of the two countries to improve relations.
On his part, the spokesperson said, Key reciprocated Mukherjee’s sentiments and said his government would like to grow and strengthen the bilateral relations.
He thanked Mukherjee for his visit to New Zealand earlier this year and said India’s economic growth provides many opportunities.
“There is a strong and growing Indian community in New Zealand,” Key said, adding the high-level contacts between the two countries provide the foundation stone for a better understanding of each other’s perceptions.
New Zealand beat India by 19 runs in the fourth one-day international to level the five-match series at 2-2 as the hosts suffered a mid-innings collapse at Ranchi on Wednesday.Chasing 261 for a series clinching win, India were all out for 241 with eight balls to spare.Opener Ajinkya Rahane’s fluent 57 put India on course for the chase and the right-handed batsman added 79 for the second wicket with the in-form Virat Kohli (45).India looked firmly in the driver’s seat when Rahane and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (11) were batting but then they lost five wickets for just 39 runs which put paid to their hopes of bagging the series with a match to spare.Seamer James Neesham dismissed Rahane and Dhoni in successive overs and paceman Tim Southee (3-40) picked up two wickets in consecutive deliveries as India were reduced from 128-2 to 167-7 in the space of a few overs.Axar Patel (38) and Amit Mishra (14) added 38 for the eighth wicket while tailenders Dhawal Kulkarni (25 not out) and Umesh Yadav added 34 for the last wicket to take India close but their efforts were not enough.
Earlier, openers Martin Guptill (72) and Tom Latham (39) gave New Zealand a brisk start after the visiting captain Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bat on a slow surface.The duo added 80 in the first 10 overs of fielding restrictions but Dhoni then brought on his spinners to restrict the flow of runs.
Guptill and Latham added another 16 for their opening stand before the latter fell to left-arm spinner Patel midway through the 16th over.Mishra made a diving effort but could not hold on to a chance from Guptill on 29 and the batsman had another life on 62 when the same fielder misjudged a chance in the deep and let the ball narrowly go over his head for a boundary.Leg-spinner Mishra made amends by dismissing the dangerous Williamson (41) and Neesham in quick succession.
BJ Watling, who replaced Luke Ronchi behind the stumps, and Ross Taylor (35), who was run out by a superb back-handed flick by Dhoni, also fell in the space of an over to rob the momentum off New Zealand’s innings.The two teams will now travel to Visakhapatnam for the series decider on Saturday. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>India and New Zealand agreed on Wednesday to strengthen ties in key areas of trade, defence and security during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Kiwi counterpart John Key, who also assured that his country will contribute “constructively” to the process currently underway in the NSG to consider India’s membership.After the “productive” talks between the two Prime Ministers, the two sides inked three pacts including one pertaining to Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and decided to establish Foreign Minister-level dialogue as well as exchanges on cyber issues. Asserting that they had detailed and productive discussions on all aspects of the bilateral engagement and multilateral cooperation, Modi at a joint media event with Key said, “I am thankful to Prime Minister Key for New Zealand’s constructive approach to the consideration of India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).”There was no clear word of support on India’s entry into 48-nation NSG from the visiting leader, who only said, “New Zealand would continue to contribute constructively to the process currently underway in the NSG to consider India’s membership.” Noting that they had a “detailed” discussion on India’s NSG bid, Key also said, “New Zealand is committed to working with NSG members to reach a decision as soon as possible.” New Zealand acknowledged the “importance to India of it joining the NSG”, a joint statement issued after the talks said, adding that India stressed that this would provide the predictability necessary for meeting India’s clean energy goals in the context of the Paris agreements.New Zealand was one of the countries that took the stand at the last NSG plenary in South Korea in June that no exception can be made in the case of India, a non-NPT country, while considering its membership bid of the elite group that regulates trade in nuclear material. At the plenary, despite strong US support, China had blocked India’s bid on the ground that it was a not a signatory to the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT).On security and counter-terrorism ties, Modi said they have agreed to strengthen security and intelligence cooperation against terrorism and radicalisation, including in the domain of cyber security. According to the joint statement, the two Prime Ministers agreed to enhance cooperation, bilaterally as well as in the framework of UN and especially in 1267 Committee, to combat the full spectrum of terrorist threats in all their forms and manifestations.”They called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and stopping cross-border terrorism. Both sides called for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that would contribute to the further strengthening of the international counter-terrorism legal framework,” it added. Asserting that trade and investment ties were one of the key areas during the talks, Modi said they recognised the need for greater economic engagement in order to effectively respond to the growing uncertainties in the global economy. It was agreed that expanding business and commercial ties should continue to be one of the priority items of the partnership, he said, adding that the large business delegation accompanying Prime MinisterKey will witness firsthand the investment opportunities on offer in India’s growth story. Identifying food processing, dairy and agriculture, and related areas in their supply chain as some of the areas of particular potential for bilateral cooperation, Modi said New Zealand’s strength and capacity in these sectors can combine with India’s vast technology needs to build partnerships that can benefit both the societies. “We also agreed that actions by both governments should also promote greater business connectivity, including through movement of skilled professionals, between our two economies and societies. “In this regard, we have agreed to continue to work closely towards an early conclusion of a balanced and mutually beneficial Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement,” he said.He further added that along side extensive bilateral engagement, the bilateral cooperation also extends to the global arena. On regional issues, the two sides have agreed to enhance cooperation, including in the East Asia Summit process. Noting that reform of international governance institutions is a shared priority for both of them, Modi said, “We are thankful for New Zealand’s support to India joining a reformed UN Security Council as a permanent member. “As we make our own contribution to the developmental efforts of the Pacific Island countries, we will continue to consult closely with New Zealand to complement and supplement each other’s efforts.”Modi also said it was a particular pleasure to receive Prime Minister Key in India during the festive season given that it was now a regular feature for the New Zealand Parliament to celebrate the festival of Diwali and, Key has also participated in several of these festivities.
At the invitation of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, undertook a state visit to India from 25-27 October, 2016. Prime Minister Key was accompanied on his visit by his wife, Bronagh Key, as well as a delegation comprising Parliamentarians; businesspeople from a range of sectors of bilateral significance, including innovation, technology and tourism; and representatives of New Zealand educational institutions and cultural organisations with interests in India.
The two Prime Ministers reaffirmed their shared desire to further strengthen the growing bilateral relationship between India and New Zealand, which is founded on shared democratic values and Commonwealth heritage, as well as vibrant people-to-people relations and sporting links. The two Prime Ministers noted the strong diaspora connections between India and New Zealand, with Indians now making up around four percent of New Zealand’s population.
The two Prime Ministers underlined the fact that India and New Zealand are both maritime nations with a strong interest in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions being stable and prosperous, including by ensuring the safety and security of sea lanes and freedom of navigation. Accordingly, the two Prime Ministers agreed to further strengthen the political, defence and security relationship enjoyed by India and New Zealand.
In order to drive this enhanced political-security relationship, the two Prime Ministers agreed that India and New Zealand would:
· Establish a bilateral ministerial dialogue through annual meetings, either in India, New Zealand or on the margins of regional or global gatherings
· Hold annual Foreign Ministry consultations at the senior officials level
· Promote cooperation and dialogue between the two countries on cyber issues
· Explore prospects for information sharing in support of our mutual interests in maritime security
· Continue negotiations for a customs cooperation arrangement to facilitate information sharing and to provide a framework for the exchange of new customs procedures and techniques;
· Undertake defence education exchanges, by placing Indian and New Zealand defence personnel on each other’s defence courses and staff colleges
· Encourage naval ship visits to each other’s ports, with the next visit of an Indian vessel to coincide with the Royal New Zealand Navy’s 75th anniversary commemorations in November 2016.
PM Narendra Modi and PM John Key during Key’s visit to India. PTI
The two Prime Ministers commemorated the shared history of sacrifice of New Zealand and Indian servicemen and servicewomen, who had fought and served alongside one another around the world over the past century. They observed that ongoing commemorations of the centenary of World War I were a reminder of this shared history of service and sacrifice.
The two Prime Ministers agreed to enhance cooperation, bilaterally as well as in the framework of UN and especially in 1267 Committee, to combat the full spectrum of terrorist threats in all their forms and manifestations. They called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and stopping cross-border terrorism. Both sides called for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that would contribute to the further strengthening of the international counter-terrorism legal framework.
Prime Minister Key expressed New Zealand’s appreciation for India’s support for its campaign for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The two Prime Ministers pledged to continue the close coordination between the two countries on issues of mutual interest during and beyond New Zealand’s UNSC term, including terrorism sanctions, peacekeeping policy and UNSC reform. The two Prime Ministers called for reform of the UN Security Council including through the ongoing inter-governmental negotiations (IGN) at the UN General Assembly. New Zealand reiterated its support for India’s membership in a reformed UN Security Council, including in any expansion of permanent membership. New Zealand also said it would give careful, positive consideration to India’s candidature as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2021-22.
New Zealand welcomed India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime, which would strengthen global non-proliferation objectives.
New Zealand acknowledged the importance to India of it joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). India stressed that this would provide the predictability necessary for meeting India’s clean energy goals in the context of the Paris agreements. Prime Minister Key stated that New Zealand would continue to contribute constructively to the process currently underway in the NSG to consider India’s membership. New Zealand is committed to working with NSG members to reach a decision as soon as possible.
India acknowledged the importance to New Zealand of a strong non-proliferation and disarmament regime. It reiterated its commitment to the total elimination of all weapons of mass destruction including in particular nuclear weapons. Pending the global elimination of nuclear weapons, India will uphold global non-proliferation and work with partners such as New Zealand to advance nuclear disarmament.
The Prime Ministers underscored New Zealand and India’s cooperation in regional forums, including the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus and the ASEAN Regional Forum. The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of these regional bodies for furthering the security and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. Both sides emphasised the importance of all parties maintaining peace and stability in the region.
The Prime Ministers acknowledged the strong and growing education and migration links between New Zealand and India, noting the opportunities in New Zealand for Indian students seeking high value, high quality education programmes which can provide them genuine pathways to fill skill demands in New Zealand, and the strong international linkages between institutions of New Zealand and India. The Prime Ministers recognised the importance of active oversight and regulation to ensure all students are provided high-quality education experiences and underlined the need for on-going coordination between agencies in New Zealand and India to ensure that the existing linkages continue to expand to mutual benefit. They also applauded the commitments made during the visit to strengthen the education relationship.
PM Modi greets PM John Key in India. PTI
In recognition of the significant contribution being made to Indian and New Zealand society and economy through people-to-people connections, the Prime Ministers welcomed:
· The signing this year of a cultural cooperation arrangement, to facilitate the promotion of range of cultural activities between India and New Zealand in such areas as literature, dance, film, music and visual arts
· The signing of an amendment to the existing sports cooperation arrangement to facilitate greater bilateral youth exchanges.
The two Prime Ministers welcomed the growing flows of tourists between India and New Zealand, and undertook to work towards agreeing amendments to the New Zealand-India air services agreement consistent with air services policy changes made by the Government of India earlier this year.
The two Prime Ministers agreed that the commercial and trading relationship between India and New Zealand was strong, noting that two-way trade was now worth US $1.8 billion in goods and services annually, an increase of 42 percent in the past five years. However, the Prime Ministers noted that bilateral commercial relations could and should be even stronger. The Prime Ministers expressed their wish for greater bilateral trade and investment:
· Committed to continue to work towards a high-quality, comprehensive and balanced bilateral free trade agreement which would deliver meaningful commercial outcomes to both sides
· Vowed to ensure that India and New Zealand contribute to a high-quality, comprehensive outcome to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations, of which both countries are parties
· Announced amendments to the bilateral double taxation agreement to bring its tax cooperation provisions into line with international best-practice
· Announced the conclusion of a food safety cooperation arrangement to encourage greater coordination between New Zealand and Indian food safety authorities, and supporting more efficient trade in food products.
Prime Minister Modi outlined his vision for the transformation of India, including through the Digital India, Startup India, Make in India, Swachh Bharat and Smart Cities initiatives, and invited New Zealand government and commercial entities, including members of the delegation accompanying Prime Minister Key, to participate in them. The two Prime Ministers agreed that New Zealand participation in these initiatives would include:
· The promotion of FDI in India in support of India’s Make in India campaign and development objectives
· Greater involvement by New Zealand scientific and commercial entities in Swachh Bharat, including the Clean Ganga initiative, which harnessed New Zealand’s expertise in the clean technology and renewable energy sectors.
The two Prime Ministers reflected on India and New Zealand’s shared love of cricket. Prime Minister Key thanked Prime Minister Modi and the people of India for the warm hospitality extended to the Black Caps during their current tour of India.
Prime Minister Key thanked Prime Minister Modi, and the Government and people of India, for the generous hospitality extended towards him and his delegation during this visit. He invited Prime Minister Modi to undertake a reciprocal visit to New Zealand. The invitation was graciously accepted by the Indian side.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks on Wednesday with his New Zealand counterpart John Key, who arrived on a three-day India visit on Tuesday, during which he is likely to seek Wellington’s support for India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
New Zealand PM John Key arrives in India. PTI
New Zealand was one of the countries that took the stand at the last NSG plenary in South Korea in June that no exception can be made in the case of India, a non-NPT country, while considering its membership bid of the elite group that regulates trade in atomic material. At the plenary, despite strong US support, China had blocked India’s bid on the ground that it was a not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Ahead of Key’s visit, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said India will tell New Zealand it had “all the credentials” to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and that it would strengthen the NPT regime. “We believe that we have all the credentials to be a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and we hope that at the end of the day the 48 member grouping will see the logic of India’s entry because it will only strengthen the global non-proliferation regime,” Swarup had said.
Key, who was scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on Monday, cancelled that leg of his tour, due to a technical problem in his aircraft. Apart from Delhi, where Key will hold extensive talks with Modi on key bilateral issues and call on President Pranab Mukherjee, besides attending a business summit, he will also travel to Kochi on Thursday.
In Kochi, he and his delegation will undertake a short tour of the new Cochin International Terminal and the work undertaken by the New Zealand company, Glidepath. Key will be accompanied by members of New Zealand Parliament Mark Mitchell, Chair of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee and Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, MP. He had last visited India in 2011.
India needs to change tack in its quest for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Apart from concentrating on China, which had blocked its entry earlier this year, it also needs to focus on the half a dozen or more countries that had reservations over the admission process. The objections of these NSG members to making an exception for India for the second time without laying down a procedure for membership remain a major challenge for Indian negotiators.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President Xi Jinping. Reuters
New Zealand, Ireland, Switzerland and Austria were among the handful of countries that had called for setting the criteria for admission of countries that had not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Most of them were not opposed to India’s entry but were in favour of drafting guidelines or conditions for membership. India is not a signatory to the NPT.
Though India had blamed China for thwarting its bid at the NSG plenary meeting in June 2016, these countries too had a significant role in ensuring India’s application was not taken up at the meeting. Pakistan’s last minute application for membership to the NSG gave an added cause for their reservations.
India has begun its preparations for the next meeting of the NSG that is likely to take place in late November. The NSG plenary meeting in Seoul had ended with an agreement that a special meeting would be held before the end of the year. It was also decided that Argentinian envoy Rafael Grossi would undertake informal consultations to build consensus on the criteria for admission.
The campaign to muster support within the NSG membership began gathering momentum at the time of the Brics summit in Goa earlier this month. Four of the Brics countries – Russia, China, Brazil and South Africa are members of the Nuclear Supplier’s Group. Russia backed India’s candidature at the Seoul meeting. In keeping with his personalised style of diplomacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally took up the NSG issue in his bilateral meetings with the Brics leaders.
Modi spoke to Brazil’s new President Michel Temer for support at the NSG, but Brazil remained non-committal with Temer merely stating that he “understood” India’s aspiration to be a member of the NSG. There was no positive reference to NSG after Modi’s meeting with South African President Jacob Zuma. Chinese President Xi Jinping assured Modi that the second round of talks between China and India on non-proliferation would be held soon.
China had proposed that the top disarmament and arms control officials of India and China meet to discuss the nuclear issue. The first round of talks was held in late September. At the same time, China is going ahead with its support to Pakistan on its NSG membership. China held a round of arms control discussions with Pakistan in late September just a few days after its talks with India. Following the talks, Beijing had suggested a two-step process to explore a ‘non-discriminatory formula’ that would be applicable to all non-NPT states seeking to join the NSG.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key’s arrival in Delhi on Tuesday evening for a four-day state visit would be another occasion to put forward India’s case. New Zealand is a staunch supporter of nuclear non-proliferation and has been at the forefront of international moves calling for progress towards disarmament. It was a founder of the New Agenda Coalition, comprising Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico and South Africa that gave a call for a nuclear weapons free world. It also has a strong public movement against nuclear weapons that took strong roots when the US and later France had conducted nuclear tests in the South Pacific region.
Brazil has indicated that though it supported India, it favoured a laid down process for entry. This was on the same lines as other countries that were not in favour of yet another exception being made for India, instead of evolving criteria that would apply to all new members.
India’s diplomatic offensive has to work on parallel processes to convince China as well as the other NSG members querying the admission process. India had misread the signals emanating from several capitals before the Seoul meeting. It had banked on the fact that the 48-member NSG had approved of a special exemption for India in 2008 to allow it access to nuclear technology. In that context, it had underestimated their depth of concern over altering the NSG norms on NPT and not expected it to be a major hindrance to its candidature.
India has to find a way to address the reservations expressed by the NSG members. With Pakistan’s application in the background, backed by China, it would not be an easy task to convince the NSG members to change their stance.
Virat Kohli hit an unbeaten 154 to make short work of a seemingly steep target as India beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the third one-day international in Mohali to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series on Sunday.New Zealand, who won the last match in Delhi to tie the series at 1-1, were all out for 285 in the 50th over after India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to field.India chased down the target with 10 balls to spare, riding on Kohli’s 26th century in the 50-over format.The hosts lost both their openers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane inside nine overs and, with the required run rate climbing, needed a solid partnership to get back on track.Kohli, who was dropped on six by Ross Taylor off Matt Henry, and Dhoni (80), who promoted himself up the batting order to number four, provided just that with a brisk third-wicket stand of 151 runs.
India’s test captain Kohli, who will turn 28 next month, finished things off with an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 97 with Manish Pandey (28 not out).With India needing 23 from 18 balls, the stylish right-handed batsman, who scored an unbeaten 85 in the first ODI, tore into paceman Trent Boult, hitting three fours and a six in his over to plunder 22 runs.Earlier, James Neesham (57) and Matt Henry (39 not out) added 84 for the ninth wicket to prop up New Zealand after the touring side had been reduced to 199 for eight following a middle-order collapse.
Opener Tom Latham top-scored for New Zealand with a 61 and the side were comfortably placed at 153 for two in the 29th over with a promising stand of 73 between Latham and Taylor (44).But they lost their next six wickets for 46 runs needing some rearguard action from Neesham and Henry.
Paceman Umesh Yadav and off-spinner Kedar Jadhav each picked up three wickets for the hosts though the former proved expensive, giving away 75 runs in his 10 overs.The fourth ODI will be played in Ranchi on Wednesday. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Clare Fallon)
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<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to seek New Zealand’s support to India’s bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group when he holds talks with his counterpart of the island nation John Key in Delhi next week. Key will pay a four-day visit to India from October 24-27.External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said India’s bid for NSG membership is likely to figure in talks between the two prime ministers besides other issues. In the June Plenary of NSG in Seoul, despite strong American support, China stonewalled India’s bid to get entry into the group on the grounds that it was a not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.New Zealand, a member of the 48-nation grouping, is known to have strong position on nuclear non-proliferation. The NSG works under the principle of unanimity. Key will arrive in Mumbai on the evening of October 24 where he will deliver a key note address at an event organised by Bombay Stock Exchange in association with Chambers of Commerce.Key will also meet with the Governor and Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He will also be attending Innovation showcase event to celebrate innovation in New Zealand-India business partnerships. In Delhi, Key will hold one-to-one meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed by official delegation level meeting to discuss growing bilateral relations. He will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee and attend a business summit.On conclusion of visit, Key will depart Delhi on October 27 via Kochi where he and his delegation will undertake a short tour of the new Cochin International Terminal and the work undertaken by the New Zealand company, Glidepath. Key will be accompanied by members of New Zealand Parliament Mark Mitchell, Chair of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee and Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, MP. He had last visited India in 2011. President Pranab Mukherjee visited New Zealand in May this year.
NEW DELHI Captain Kane Williamson struck the first hundred for New Zealand on their tour of India to set up a thrilling six-run victory in the second one-day international and end his side’s winless run.Chasing 243 for victory, the hosts were reduced to 183 for eight in the 41st over but all-rounder Hardik Pandya (36) and number 10 batsman Umesh Yadav (18 not out) added 49 for the ninth wicket to take their team close.But Pandya fell in the penultimate over and then Tim Southee bowled out last man Jasprit Bumrah in the final over for his third wicket as India folded for 236 with three balls to spare.The 26-year-old Williamson, New Zealand’s batting mainstay, hit a measured 118 off 128 balls to anchor his team’s innings after India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to field.Williamson’s eighth ODI hundred had put New Zealand on course for a big total but the hosts, who won the first match of the five ODI series after blanking the tourists 3-0 in the tests, pulled things back brilliantly in the last 10 overs.
The skipper added 120 for the second wicket with Tom Latham (46) after New Zealand had lost Martin Guptill without scoring in the opening over but the side could manage only 40 runs for the loss of six wickets from their final 10.Paceman Bumrah and leg-spinner Amit Mishra picked up three wickets each for the hosts.India’s chase got off on the wrong foot in the face of some disciplined bowling by New Zealand who picked up wickets at regular intervals to put pressure on the batsmen.
Dhoni (39) and Kedar Jadhav (41) steadied the innings with a 66-run stand for the fifth wicket after the side had been reduced to 73 for four in the 20th over.But after Dhoni fell to a superb one-handed return catch by Southee, the chase seemed to be out of India’s reach.
New Zealand’s grip on the match tightened after Axar Patel and Mishra fell in the same over to Guptill’s part-time off-spin before Pandya, the player of the match in the first ODI, and Yadav took India to the brink.The third match of the five-ODI series will be played at Mohali on Sunday. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai,; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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INDORE, India Cheteshwar Pujara struck his eighth test century and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin engineered another spectacular batting collapse to help India crush New Zealand by 321 runs in the third test and complete a 3-0 series sweep on Tuesday.Ashwin, who claimed 6-81 in the first innings, resumed his role as New Zealand’s wrecker-in-chief, claiming 7-59 as the tourists, chasing 475 for an improbable win, were dismissed for 153 to lose inside four days.After Umesh Yadav dismissed Tom Latham to earn an early breakthrough, Ashwin spun a web around the batsmen as New Zealand lost nine wickets in the final session.Ashwin dismissed captain Kane Williamson (27) for the second time in the match, ended Ross Taylor’s breezy 32 and sent back Luke Ronchi to rip out the Kiwi top order before returning to blow away the tail.Fittingly, Ashwin caught Trent Boult off his own bowling to end New Zealand’s innings with career-best bowling figures.The spinner finished the series with 27 wickets and was the obvious choice for the man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series awards.
“Could not have asked for anything better,” India captain Virat Kohli said at the presentation ceremony.”The bowlers have responded beautifully in the series every time we’ve been under a bit of pressure. Every time the Kiwis had a partnership, someone put his hands up and brought those breakthroughs for us.”Earlier, Gautam Gambhir struck 50 on his test return and Pujara scored 101 not out as India declared their second innings on 216 for three around an hour before tea.
Resuming on 18-0, the hosts lost opener Murali Vijay cheaply but Gambhir, who had retired hurt with an injured shoulder on Monday, returned to score fluently.Gambhir hit six boundaries before completing his 22nd test fifty off 54 balls but was dismissed when he drove off-spinner Jeetan Patel to Guptill at cover.
Patel removed Kohli (17) lbw for the second time in the match but Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane (23 not out) added 58 quick runs before India declared.”It was important that we get a big total in the first innings but it was not to be,” Williamson said.”Credit to India, obviously they’re the number one in the world now. A fantastic effort and well-deserved.” (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Ed Osmond)
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<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Former Supreme Court (SC) chief justice RM Lodha on Tuesday said that the commission headed by him has not frozen the bank accounts of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) but has only asked for two specific payments from the board to its state associations be stopped.The former chief justice’s clarification came after BCCI president Anurag Thakur reportedly said on Monday: “The board would have to cancel the remainder of the New Zealand series because its bank accounts had been frozen following a directive from the Lodha committee”.”There can’t be any tournament without money. Cricket cannot run without money. We don’t take money from the government. We are not allowed to make payments. I can’t say anything about the India-New Zealand series. Team India is No. 1 today, when we are financing state boards, questions are being raised,” Thakur was quoted as saying.On Tuesday, the Justice Lodha panel’s website made the air clear: “No direction has been given to banks — Yes Bank and Bank of Maharashtra — to freeze the accounts of BCCI, but only that two specific payments from the board to its state associations be stopped.””Any payment required for routine affairs, such as organising matches, can go on as they did earlier,” the website said.New Zealand Cricket has not received any communication from the BCCI on this issue and the Kiwi players were practising as per schedule in Kolkata for the third Test in Indore and will be travelling to the host city on Wednesday.On Tuesday, dna had quoted a source in the panel as saying, “The BCCI largesse of Rs 70 crore (an addition of Rs 10 crore to the existing infrastructure subsidy of Rs 60 crore) to state associations and Rs 28 crore each to full members as compensation for the cancellation of the Champions League T20 were being cleared by the BCCI in an emergency meeting on October 1.”This combined amount comes to more than Rs 2,000 crore. Is it some kind of a joke that a body like BCCI, which has to implement the orders of the SC, could distribute large sum like this to state associations? In the Lodha panel’s opinion, the disbursement of such funds was not routine,” said the source. The panel is expected to put all this in front of the apex court on Thursday.Why BCCI can’t use the moneyOn July 18, when the SC ordered sweeping changes at the BCCI, the Justice Lodha panel was given the task to implement its orders in six months. Justice Lodha, subsequently, gave BCCI a time line to implement the decisions and to conduct “routine business” only after the entire reforms process was completed. On October 1, the BCCI called a Special General Body Meeting (SGM) to take the views of members on the implementation of Lodha panel reforms. This meeting also decided to disburse “over and above routine funds” to all member-states. This was why the Lodha panel asked the two banks to not disburse the funds.
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s devastating five-wicket haul after a late batting blitzkrieg put India firmly in command as they reduced a hapless New Zealand to 128 for 7 on the rain-hit second day of the second cricket Test here.The Indians, resuming at 239/7, produced a purposeful batting performance in the morning session with Wriddhiman Saha (54 not out) scoring his third Test half-century to help the team reach 316 all out in 104.5 overs.In reply, the Kiwis were tottering at 128/7, still 188 runs behind and facing the prospect of another big defeat after the 197-run drubbing in the opening Test in Kanpur. The wrecker-in chief was Bhuvneshwar with a sensational 5-33, his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests, from 10 overs that broke the back of New Zealand’s batting.The Kiwis faced 34 overs in all today after a bulk of the final session was held up due to wet ground conditions and stumps were drawn early because of bad light. It was a turnaround of sorts for India, who had staggered to 239/7 yesterday on a pitch that offered uneven bounce. But the lower order came up with a confident performance to push India over the 300-run mark, helped to a large extent by Saha’s gritty knock which came off 85 balls and was laced with seven fours and two hits over the boundary line.With a good total on the board, the Indian bowlers were incisive against their rivals in the post-lunch session, reducing them to 85 for 4. However, weather played spoilsport close to tea and an early break was taken which eventually lasted two and a half hours.Passing showers of less than 10 minutes were enough to leave the ground unplayable for more than two hours. However, once play got underway, Bhuvneshwar lit up the gloomy atmosphere with his feisty spell.Included in place of Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar was at his furious best bowling a tidy line and length as he removed stand-in skipper Ross Taylor (36) in his first over after play was resumed following a two and half hours delay.Bowling a beautiful line, Bhuvneshwar dismissed Taylor after he jabbed the ball at first slip and took two wickets in two balls by removing Mitchell Santner (11) and Matt Henry (0) off successive balls. Mohammed Shami (1/46) bowled with pace and bounce to tighten the noose at the other end.Reduced to 23/3 shortly after lunch break when Bhuvneshwar castled Henry Nicholls, Taylor and Ronchi (35) put in their best effort to build a partnership but it did not last long with Jadeja (1/17) cutting it short at 62 runs.Ronchi was trapped on his backfoot by Jadeja off a delivery which seemed to be going down the leg but umpire Rod Tucker had other ideas. In fact, Ronchi’s innings almost ended at 16 but he was dropped at point by substitute Gautam Gambhir who seemed slow to react and let down a regulation catch.Suddenly a thick cloud covered the Eden sky and passing showers meant that the match had to be stopped for an early tea break. Earlier, youngster Nicholls, who replaced skipper Kane Williamson in the side, dragged a widish delivery onto his stumps in a replay of Shikhar Dhawan’s dismissal as India kept taking regular breakthroughs. In reply to India’s 316, New Zealand lost Tom Latham (1) and Martin Guptill (13) in successive overs with Shami and Bhuvneshwar taking the wickets.Shami struck in his first over to trap Latham LBW, while Guptill continued with his woeful run to be bowled by Bhuvneshwar when the ball hit his elbow before crashing on to the stumps. In the morning session, the highlight was Saha’s gritty 54 not out — his third Test half-century in India. He was involved in a quick 31-ball 35 last wicket partnership with Shami (14 from 14 balls; 3×4) which took India past 300.Resuming the day at 14, Saha got hit on his elbow by a rising delivery from Matt Henry and was up against an attacking field with a packed slip cordon, a forward short leg and a leg gully.But he was calm, unnerved and slowly came into his own replying to Henry with a delicate boundary dissecting the packed slip cordon as India went past 250. At the other end, Jadeja, who was yet to open his account endured a testing time from the three Kiwi pacers — Henry, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner. The left-hander could only breathe easy after spin was introduced in the 10th over of the day. Jadeja looked to break free after stepping out to left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner for a six in the previous over but Wagner set him up brilliantly.Jadeja pulled a straight catch to Matt Henry at fine leg for the day’s first dismissal. India were soon reduced to 281/9 but the two local lads in Saha and Shami scripted a revival. Saha looked effortless and made steady progress. He was all attack when spin was introduced. Saha hit Santner over mid-on for a boundary and followed it up with a glorious inside-out shot over long off to bring up his first fifty in India.For Saha, who has had one century and two fifties, this half-century came at a crucial period when India looked in danger of being dismissed for under 250 after yesterday’s poor show in the first hour. Matt Henry was the top wicket-taker for New Zealand with his 3/46, while Neil Wagner, Trent Boult and Jeetan Patel accounted for two each. India lead the three-match series 1-0 with their massive 197 runs victory in Kanpur Test.
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>It seems like India’s global isolation plan is going rather well. On Friday, Russia tore into Pakistan in an official statement saying: “We are concerned with the aggravation lately of the situation along the line of control between India and Pakistan. We are calling on the parties not to allow any escalation of tension and to settle the existing problems by political and diplomatic means through negotiations. We stand for decisive struggle against terrorism in all its manifestations. We expect the government of Pakistan to take effective steps in order to stop the activities of terrorists’ groups in the territory of the country.”Now, USA joined the chorus saying nuclear states should show more restraint. With Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton asserting that Islamabad is running at full speed to develop tactical nukes in their continuing hostility with India, the United States has called on Pakistan to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities. Addressing the media, State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said in a clear message to Pakistan that nuclear-capable states have a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities.Pak defence minister Asif said: “actical weapons joh hain, joh hamne yeh progammes develop kiya hua hai, yeh apne hifazat ke liye develop kiya hua hai. Hamne devices jo hain just as showpieces toh nahin rakhe hue. Lekin agar hamare salamati ko khatra hua, toh hum nestanabhut kar denge unko (Tactical weapons, our programmes that we have developed, they have been developed for our protection. We haven’t kept the devices that we have just as showpieces. But if our safety is threatened, we will annihilate them (India).”Talking about the continued surge in tensions between India, Pakistan especially after the recent surgical strike by the Indian Army in Pakistan occupied Kashmir on terror launch pads, Toner stated that the U.S. is following the situation on the ground very closely and urges calm and restraint by both sides. We understand that the Pakistani and Indian militaries have been in communication and we believe that continued communication between them is important to reduce tensions. I think we certainly dont want to see any kind of escalation and certainly any kind of break in that communication, he said.Re-iterating that the U.S. condemns the deadly Uri attack, he added that the Barack Obama-led government has repeatedly and consistently expressed its concerns regarding the danger that cross-border terrorism poses for the region.And we continue to urge actions to combat and de-escalate and delegitimize, rather, terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba, rather Haqqani Network, as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad, Toner said.Asserting that U.S. does not want to see tensions between India and Pakistan escalate any further, the spokesperson stated that the Secretary of State John Kerry is engaged and talking to senior Indian leadership consistently regarding the matter. India has said Pakistan approaching the UN over the issue of surgical strikes in PoK has not found any resonance in the world body and rejected claims that the UN mission monitoring ceasefire “has not directly observed” any firing along the LoC.India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin dismissed remarks made by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) “has not directly observed any firing across the LoC related to the latest incidents”, a reference to the surgical strikes conducted by India on September 29 targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Akbaruddin told reporters at the Indian Permanent Mission here yesterday that the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody has “observed” it or not.”I have nothing to say because what (Dujarric) said was ‘directly observed’. It’s a call that they have to take. I cannot place myself in their boots and directly observe something,” the Indian envoy said when asked to comment on Dujarric’s remarks.Akbaruddin said the “facts on the ground do not change whether somebody acknowledges or not. Facts are facts, we presented the facts and that’s where we stand.” India on Thursday carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting “significant casualties” on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK.When pressed at the daily press briefing to explain how UNMOGIP can say it did not observe any firing even as India said it has conducted the surgical strikes, Dujarric repeated that UNMOGIP has not “directly observed” any of the firing.”They are obviously aware of the reports of these presumed violations and are talking to the relevant concerned authorities,” he had said.Akbaruddin said while Pakistan has reached out to the UN Chief and the 15-nation Council over the issues of the surgical strike and Kashmir, it’s call for intervention by the world body has not found any resonance as there was no further discussion on the matter.”Yesterday there was some action. You are also aware of the reaction,” Akbaruddin said referring to Pakistan’s envoy Maleeha Lodhi meeting New Zealand’s UN Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, president of the Council for the month of September, and raising in the UNSC the issue of the action by India.”Yesterday the Pakistan ambassador did approach New Zealand. What they didn’t tell you after that was what happened. Did anyone raise anything after what was explained to in the UN Security Council. The answer that I know of is that there was no further discussion of this (surgical strike and Kashmir matter),” Akbaruddin said. He said Pakistan had raised the issues through the New Zealand ambassador in “informal consultations” of the Council.”Was there a resonance. I didn’t hear that, nor did anybody else in those informal consultations. We are a responsible state. It is not our intention to aggravate the situation.”However as a responsible state we will not tolerate any impunity. We will not be indifferent to territory being used to kill innocent citizens of our country,” Akbaruddin said adding that India hopes and expects “support from Pakistan also in that endeavor”.”Ultimately they are committed to a bilateral understanding on this.” The Indian envoy also added that Pakistan had raised the Kashmir issue in the General Assembly but asked how many nations “supported” it.”By my count there were none,” he said adding that there is “no resonance” among UN member states for Pakistan’s claims on Kashmir.”At the high-level General Debate, there was a specific and long Pakistani submission (on Kashmir). I did not hear any resonance of that among any of the member states who took the floor. Ultimately 193 of them took the floor. There was no resonance. If you find anything contrary I’m willing to listen,” Akbaruddin said.Akbaruddin stressed that as a responsible state, India will not be “indifferent to impunity” as an option.”Our approach is that the response (surgical strike) we undertook yesterday…was a measured, proportionate, counter-terrorist strike. It was reflective of our desire to stop a clear and imminent threat. Our objectives have been met and that effort has since ended,” he said.He reiterated that India’s effort as a “responsible state” is to respond proportionately and in a measured manner and achieve its objectives.”In that case, we consider our objectives fulfilled. What spin somebody puts, whether somebody has seen it or not seen it, is not a germane to the issue. That it was undertaken, that we feel that it achieved our objective is important for us as a country,” he said.On whether India has been approached by the office of the Secretary General or the Security Council regarding de-escalation of the situation, Akbaruddin said, “I did not hear any response to the submission (by Pakistan) yesterday.” He said as a normal diplomatic practice, if there are any requests to him or other Indian diplomats on any matter, “it is our job as diplomats to respond to them.” “In the UN we have a very expansive agenda. We have an agenda that deals with peace and security and also climate change, sustainable development goals. It also deals with having a culture of peace integrating and working together with others.”We are focused on that expansive and extensive agenda. We are not a one agenda state,” he said.The surgical strike by India came just days after the attack by Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM on the Indian army camp in Uri in Kashmir that killed 18 jawans.With inputs from agencies
<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>India has said Pakistan approaching the UN over the issue of surgical strikes in PoK has not found any resonance in the world body and rejected claims that the UN mission monitoring ceasefire “has not directly observed” any firing along the LoC.India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin dismissed remarks made by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) “has not directly observed any firing across the LoC related to the latest incidents”, a reference to the surgical strikes conducted by India on September 29 targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Akbaruddin told reporters at the Indian Permanent Mission that the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody has “observed” it or not.”I have nothing to say because what (Dujarric) said was ‘directly observed’. It’s a call that they have to take. I cannot place myself in their boots and directly observe something,” the Indian envoy said when asked to comment on Dujarric’s remarks.Akbaruddin said the “facts on the ground do not change whether somebody acknowledges or not. Facts are facts, we presented the facts and that’s where we stand.” India on Thursday carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting “significant casualties” on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK.When pressed at the daily press briefing to explain how UNMOGIP can say it did not observe any firing even as India said it has conducted the surgical strikes, Dujarric repeated that UNMOGIP has not “directly observed” any of the firing.”They are obviously aware of the reports of these presumed violations and are talking to the relevant concerned authorities,” he had said.Akbaruddin said while Pakistan has reached out to the UN Chief and the 15-nation Council over the issues of the surgical strike and Kashmir, it’s call for intervention by the world body has not found any resonance as there was no further discussion on the matter.”Yesterday there was some action. You are also aware of the reaction,” Akbaruddin said referring to Pakistan’s envoy Maleeha Lodhi meeting New Zealand’s UN Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, president of the Council for the month of September, and raising in the UNSC the issue of the action by India.”Yesterday the Pakistan ambassador did approach New Zealand. What they didn’t tell you after that was what happened. Did anyone raise anything after what was explained to in the UN Security Council. The answer that I know of is that there was no further discussion of this (surgical strike and Kashmir matter),” Akbaruddin said.
In a massive setback to India, China along with three other countries on Thursday including Brazil, Austria and New Zealand opposed India’s induction into NSG citing India being a non NPT state. The plenary session of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) began in Seoul on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held parleys with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tashkent to make a last minute push for New Delhi’s entry into the 48-member elite group.<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar is presently in Seoul to lobby for India’s entry into the elite group. Sources told ANI the NSG members will be meeting for a special session in Seoul tonight and India’s membership bid is likely to come up for discussion.Sources also said that the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President is crucial in Tashkent because the decision taken there will be informed to the Indian team in Seoul. China, till now, has been playing the role of a dampener on the issue of clearing the way for India’s admission to the NSG by repeatedly stating that it is not on the agenda of the grouping, which began its plenary session in Seoul on Monday.China has maintained that more talks were needed to build a consensus on which countries can join the 48-nation NSG following the United States’ push to include India in the elite group. The countries, who oppose India’s membership, argue that its inclusion in the group would further undermine efforts to prevent proliferation and also infuriate New Delhi’s rival Pakistan.Islamabad, which enjoys the backing of its close ally China, has also responded to India’s membership bid and asked for its admission as well. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had said that the government’s “active and successful foreign policy” has blocked India’s entry into the NSG, adding that New Delhi would not be able to join the group alone.He also said that he had recently approached many countries, including Russia, Mexico, South Korea and New Zealand, to gain their support on Islamabad’s viewpoint that there should be a criteria-based approach while deciding about inclusion of any country into the NSG. With agency inputs19:50 IST Thursday, 23 June 201619:52 IST Thursday, 23 June 2016 Ireland and Turkey opposed India’s induction into NSG citing India being non NPT state.19:52 IST Thursday, 23 June 2016Mexico backed India’s induction into NSG
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said that the government’s ‘active and successful foreign policy’ has blocked India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).He added that New Delhi would not be able to join the group alone.”We have been successful in preventing India from gaining access to the NSG and I am hopeful that whenever it happens, we will both join it together and India will not be able to join the NSG alone,” the Dawn quoted Aziz as saying on Monday during a debate in the Senate on an adjournment motion regarding the agreement signed by India, Iran and Afghanistan for development of the Chabahar Port.<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>He also said that he had recently approached many countries, including Russia, Mexico, South Korea and New Zealand, to gain their support on Islamabad’s viewpoint that there should be a criteria-based approach while deciding about inclusion of any country into the NSG.
President Pranab Mukherjee has said India needs to make efforts to improve its presence in the Asia Pacific region to counterbalance the growing influence of China. “You know nothing happens automatically. We shall have to make efforts,” he said when asked about Chinese influence in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and New Zealand.The President was talking to reporters on board the special Air India flight while returning after a six day trip to PNG and New Zealand, his first state visit to the two countries. He also said India was ready to work for early conclusion of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand. “I conveyed India’s willingness to work towards an early conclusion of an FTA keeping in mind the need to find a satisfactory resolution of our mutual concerns,” the President said.<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>”We are not maintaining silence. Ten rounds of discussions have taken place on FTA. Unfortunately the negotiations began in 2010 and we have not been able to finalise it. There are some problems about some of the agricultural products but I think we have come a long way from the days when our agriculture required total protection because we are the largest producers of the liquid milk. So apart from green revolution, white revolution has also been achieved,” he said.The President said the policy followed by the government in the 1960s and 70s or even 80s may not be relevant in 2015-16. “I understand government is considering this aspect carefully. Of course when you enter into an FTA, it boosts your bilateral trade substantially,” he said and cited an example of Sri Lanka with which India’s bilateral trade grew 20 times after signing of FTA.One of the events that President attended in New Zealand.He lauded the Narendra Modi government for having organised two summits of Asia Pacific Island countries. “The third summit is being held at PNG and I do hope Indian delegation will consist of high-level representatives.”Therefore, a beginning has been made and it will naturally be taken to its logical conclusion in course of time,” he said. Mukherjee said he was satisfied with his visit to the two countries.”So far PNG is concerned, not even a politician ever visited PNG. On the other hand, you look at their approach, they have voluntarily extended their support to India’s legitimate claim to permanent membership of UNSC,” he said. “Therefore, I do feel that this visit was important and I am satisfied with the outcome of this visit….I do feel it is time for us to expand our relationship, both horizontally and vertically in trade, commerce, investment and sharing technical expertise in respective fields,” he said.
Auckland: President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday left for home from Auckland, wrapping up his six-day official visit to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand where he met top leaders of the two countries and inked a few important deals as part of India’s ‘Act East’ policy.
President Pranab Mukherjee. PTI
Concluding the three-day visit to New Zealand as part of the second leg of his two-nation tour, Mukherjee talked about cooperation in agriculture, dairy, food processing, education and skill development as well as high technology between the two countries.
During the course of the visit, India and New Zealand also signed a deal that opens the door for direct flights between the two countries with an aim to boost tourism and trade sectors.
Mukherjee’s trip is the first high-level visit from India in 20 years after Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to the island nation.
Prominent amongst whom he met here include New Zealand Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae and Prime Minister John Key.
Earlier, as part of his two-day maiden state visit to PNG, the President had sought for freedom of navigation saying sea lanes of communications should be devoid of tension and rivalry.
The two nations, as part of measures to strengthen bilateral ties and ensuring energy security, signed a few agreements even as India offered a USD 100 million line of credit for development of infrastructure in PNG and agreed to jointly develop new avenues of cooperation to explore and develop the Pacific nation’s vast oil and gas resources.
India also offered the country, during the visit, its technology, financial wherewithal, skilled manpower and institutional support to harness the mineral-rich country’s abundant natural resources and establish mutually beneficial economic and commercial ventures.
The President, while in PNG, met his counterpart Sir Michael Ogio.
