Pak jails 88 Indian fishermen

Karachi, Feb 22, 2016 (PTI)

A judicial magistrate today sent 88 Indian fishermen to jail here, two days after they were arrested by Pakistani authorities for allegedly fishing in the country's territorial waters.

A police official at the Karachi Docks police station said the arrested fishermen were handed over to the police and presented before a magistrate as per procedure.

"The magistrate has sent them to judicial remand in Malir jail," the official Hamid Khan said.
Hundreds of Indian fishermen are languishing in the Malir and Landhi jails in Karachi after being arrested for allegedly transgressing into Pakistani territorial waters.

An official of Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency (MSA) said the fishermen were arrested and 16 fishing boats seized early on Saturday from the Arabian Sea near the Karachi coast.

"The Indian fishermen were arrested by the MSA while they were fishing in Pakistani waters of the Arabian Sea," he said.

He dismissed Indian media reports that the Indian fishermen were taken into custody from near the Gujarat coast.

Although in December, India and Pakistan had agreed to revive the dialogue process when external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj visited Islamabad for a summit, but the same month 66 Indian fishermen were arrested by the MSA while last month another 45 were arrested.

Pakistan and India regularly arrest fishermen who venture into their waters due to a poorly-marked maritime boundary.

Some of them spend years in jail before being repatriated. In the past the two nations have released each other's fishermen as goodwill gestures.

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Modi govt under attack for 'authoritarian drift'

New York, Feb 22, 2016, (PTI):

The "authoritarian drift" of the Modi government has come under sharp criticism by two of the world's leading newspapers which squarely blamed it for "the lynch mob mentality" witnessed in New Delhi in recent days.

"India is in the throes of a violent clash between advocates of freedom of speech and the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its political allies on the Hindu right determined to silence dissent," the New York Times (NYT) said in an op-ed piece.

The confrontation "raises serious concerns about Modi's governance and may further stall any progress in Parliament on economic reforms", it said.

The newspaper carried a separate article on the events in Delhi after the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, JNU student leader, on charges of sedition and said that the message was clear--violence in the name of ultra nationalism is acceptable. "Not even the courts are safe spaces.  Challenge the state, or the BJP, at your peril."

The article was re-tweeted by tennis great Martina Navratilova with her comment, "what passes for sedition in India-ultra nationalism easily turns into violence at worst, bullying at best."

France's leading daily 'Le Monde' said in an editorial that "the horizon of Indian democracy has been oddly clouded" since the coming to power of Modi.

The arrest of a student leader and a former professor of JNU, both accused of sedition, "is the latest illustration of the authoritarian drift of the Hindu nationalist government determined to silence criticism".

It was "paradoxical" to see the Hindu nationalists defend the Indian flag they have long denigrated with their preference for the saffron flag, the editorial said.

The NYT said that the responsibility for the "lynch mob mentality" lay squarely with the Modi government. Indian citizens have the right to voice their "outrage at government threats to the exercise of their democratic rights".

The newspaper asked Modi to rein in his ministers and his party, and defuse the current crisis, or risk sabotaging both economic progress and India's democracy.

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US, Russia announce Syria truce from Saturday

Beirut, Feb 23, 2016 (AFP)

A landmark truce is to take effect in Syria on Saturday, the United States and Russia announced, but the "cessation of hostilities" does not include the Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front, the main jihadist factions.
The leading opposition group in the five-year conflict gave its conditional acceptance to today's announcement, but Israel said it was sceptical the deal would hold, and analysts warned any pause in the fighting would be dependent on Russia, Iran and President Bashar al-Assad.

The announcement came a day after the deadliest jihadist attack in Syria's brutal civil war, with 134 people - mostly civilians - killed in a series of blasts near Damascus.

In a joint statement, Washington and Moscow said the partial truce would begin at midnight Damascus time, suspending a vicious conflict that has left more than 260,000 people dead and seen half the population displaced.
"If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people," US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

US President Barack Obama and Russia's President Vladimir Putin discussed the deal by phone, the White House said.

"This is a moment of opportunity and we are hopeful that all the parties will capitalise on it," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.
Putin said Moscow would do "whatever is necessary" to ensure Damascus respects the agreement.
"We are counting on the United States to do the same with its allies and the groups that it supports," he said.

The two global powers are pursuing separate air wars in Syria, with Russia pounding rebel targets and a US-led coalition focused on IS jihadists.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the deal a "long-awaited signal of hope", and urged all sides to abide by it.
There was no immediate reaction from Damascus, but the main grouping of opposition factions said it "agreed to respond positively to international efforts to reach a truce deal".

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said he was sceptical that the ceasefire would succeed. "It is difficult for me to see a ceasefire while Daesh (the Islamic State group) and Al-Nusra Front (the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate) are not part of the process and the Russians say they will strike both organisations," he said in a statement.

The rise of IS, which has seized large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq and become the preeminent global jihadist group, has focused attention on the need for a solution. Analysts also had reservations about the deal. 

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Hawaii is not South China Sea: WH to China

Washington, Feb 23, 2016 (PTI)

The US has strongly refuted the Chinese claim that what it is doing in the disputed South China Sea is akin to the US' deploying of defence facilities in Hawaii, saying no other country has a claim on Hawaii.

"There is no other country that has a claim on Hawaii. But yet when you consider the land features in the South China Sea, there are a variety of overlapping territorial claims that a variety of countries have made on those features," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday.

Earnest's remarks came in response to Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying who yesterday said China was doing in the South China Sea what the US does in Hawaii.

"China deploying necessary national defence facilities on its own territory is no different from the US deploying defence facilities on Hawaii," Hua said.

Recognising that Chinese government may have disagreement about the claims made by other countries, Earnest said that is precisely the reason the US believes all the parties should resolve their differences about this matter in a way that does not provoke a military confrontation.

"That is why we have urged all parties who are claimants to these features - the US is not among them, we've encouraged all of the countries that do have claims to resolve them in a peaceful, legal manner and to avoid confrontation and to seek to avoid escalating the tensions in that area of the world," Earnest said.

Noting that America hoped that tensions in that part of the world would be reduced, Earnest said they can be reduced if all of the claimants to the land features in the South China Sea make the same kind of commitment that was seen from the leaders of ASEAN in California just last week.

"In the context of the summit, the leaders of ASEAN committed to not building up a military presence on those features that are the subject of competing claims," he said.

"That is a responsible way to resolve differences of opinion over those features, and we certainly would urge the Chinese and every other country that has a competing claim here to abide by that standard," Earnest said.

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Nepal heaves sigh of relief as fuel rationing lifted

Kathmandu, Feb 23, 2016 (PTI)

With significant improvement in supplies from India, Nepal today ended its five-month-long rationing of fuel imposed after the turbulence over the new Constitution saw a crippling blockade of key border trade points and violent protests in the landlocked country.

This is good news to thousands of people in the Himalayan nation who, under the quota, were getting merely five litres of petrol for two-wheelers and 15 litres for four-wheelers at a time besides half-filled LPG cylinders. Motorists will now get any amount of fuel, while households can buy fully filled cooking gas cylinders.

Stating that supply of petroleum products from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is increasing with every passing day after the blockade was lifted nearly a fortnight ago, Ministry of Supplies (MoS) took the decision to this effect yesterday.

"We have ended quota system in distribution of petroleum products," MoS spokesperson Deepak Subedi said, adding: "We have allowed gas bottlers to circulate full cylinders and also directed Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) as well as petrol pumps to distribute fuel as per the demand of the consumers."

"We are currently receiving 70 per cent of the demand. The quantum of supply is on the rise," Subedi said.

According to NOC, normal daily demand of petrol and diesel stands at around 1,100 KL and 2,700 KL, respectively. Similarly, daily demand for LPG is around 1,200 tons. NOC has been distributing 450 KL of petrol and 500 KL of diesel in the Kathmandu Valley every day which is higher than the demand of 350KL of petrol and 450KL of diesel on normal days.

IOC is loading 45 gas bullets a day, compared to 60 bullets before the blockade, My Republica reported.

"We have also asked NOC to maximise the supply of petrol," Subedi added.

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Donald Trump on protester: 'I'd like to punch him in the face'

Las Vegas, Feb 23, 2016 (PTI)

In another round of controversial remarks, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said he wanted to "punch" a protester in the face after the heckler was ejected from a campaign event here.

Trump, known for making controversial comments, also did not spare his nearest Republican rival Ted Cruz, calling him "sick" at the campaign rally ahead of the Nevada primary.

The protester -- the third one to interrupt him at the event and who Trump claimed had thrown punches at security guards -- drew the candidate's ire.

As the man was being escorted away, Trump repeatedly told the crowd that he wished for the "old days", adding, "You know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They'd be carried out on a stretcher."

"I'd like to punch him in the face, I'll tell ya," the 69-year-old was quoted as saying by the New York Times.

Trump has faced criticism over his response to protesters before as well.

After a Black Lives Matter demonstrator was pushed to the ground at one of his events in November, Trump said in an interview after the episode that "maybe he should have been roughed up" before later pulling back from his comments.

But in Las Vegas, he held nothing back, and the crowd of thousands met every one of his lines with cheers.

Addressing another protester, a man holding a sign that read, 'Veterans to Trump: End Hate Speech Against Muslims', Trump repeatedly said, "Get him the hell out" as the crowd booed the man's exit.

Trump did not limit his rough talk to protesters at the rally yesterday.

Referring to the Iranians who took 10 Navy sailors hostage in January, Trump said the leader of the Iranians was a "rough guy with a rough mouth. I'd like to smack the hell out of him."

He also repeatedly belittled Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the American soldier who was vilified by some as a deserter after his release by the Taliban in a prisoner swap in 2014. "I think they slapped him around pretty good," Trump said, referring to the soldier's time in captivity.

Pointing to his many victories in the presidential race, Trump said that he was winning the support of evangelicals over his rival Cruz because the Texas Senator was a "liar" and evangelical voters "don't like liars".

"This guy is sick," Trump said of Cruz, adding that, "There's something wrong with this guy".

He also made sure to remind his supporters about the importance of "voting".

"Don't make me have a miserable evening," he said.

During his campaign, Trump has also called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, triggering sharp reaction from across the world.

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Pasha admitted ISI's role in Mumbai attack: Ex-CIA chief

Washington, Feb 23, 2016, (PTI)

Soon after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack the then chief of Pakistan's ISI conceded that some of the powerful spy agency's retired members were engaged in training those involved in the heinous crime but refused to take action, a former CIA chief has said in a new book.
In his latest book 'Playing to the Edge', Michael Hayden, the former CIA Director, expressed his deep frustration of the "duplicity" of the Pakistani leadership when it came to taking action against terrorist groups in particular al Qaeda, Taliban, LeT and the Haqqani network.

Arguing that the Pakistan Army is built to fight against India and not terrorists, the top leadership in the country, in particularly those from its military in the past one decade, have repeatedly expressed its inability to take on the terrorist groups in the tribal regions as desired by the US, he wrote.

Referring to the Mumbai terrorist attack, Hayden, who was the CIA chief till 2009, said it was very clear that there seemed to be so many Pakistani fingerprints on the atrocity.

"I began routinely harassing my counterpart in Pakistan, now Ahmed Shuja Pasha (the former director general of Military Operations, the Pakistan army’s top operational post), on the phone, urging him to get to the bottom of the attack and to discuss it frankly with us," he wrote.

"We had no doubt that the attack was the work of LeT, and there was mounting evidence that preparation for and direction of the attack took place from within Pakistan, where LeT enjoyed the protection and support of ISI," Hayden said.

Pasha, who had come to ISI only a few weeks earlier and had no previous intelligence experience, came to the US on Christmas Day and spent most of the next afternoon in his office.

"He worked carefully from notes. His investigation had revealed that some former ISI members were involved with Lashkar-e-Taiba (no surprise there). Pasha admitted that these unspecified (and still uncaptured) retirees may have engaged in some broad training of the attackers, but he was characteristically vague about any detailed direction the attackers had gotten during the attack via cell phone from Pakistan," Hayden wrote in the book.

"I took to passing sufficiently sanitised intelligence to Pasha on what we believed was going on in order to try to goad him into action. If he knew that we knew...perhaps we could get some movement. We didn't have a whole lot of success," Hayden wrote.

Narrating an incident when the then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf refused to fill up gas in the airplane that flew him to Islamabad, where he had gone to press him to take action against terrorists, Hayden wrote: "One more bit of evidence that these guys really were the ally from hell".

The crew had forgotten their government credit card— you can't make this stuff up— and the Pakistanis wouldn't budge, he wrote.

Musharraf refused to take action, despite some crucial evidence being provided to him.  

"And every time he was pressed, the response was his army was built to fight India, not tribal insurgents, and he wasn’t going to bleed it in Waziristan’s mountains chasing Pashtun, Uzbek or Arab jihadists," Hayden said.

The US received similar response from other leaders of the Pakistan Army including General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the ISI's chiefs, he said.

"(The then) ISI chief Ashfaq Kayani didn’t say anything to ease our concerns when he reported that there was little prospect of the Pakistani military conducting robust ops in the tribal region. He said that it was less a matter of will than of capacity. His army was certainly India-focused," Hayden wrote.

"Indeed, one senior Pakistani official told me that his was the only army in the world that sized the perception of the threat (India) to meet the desired end strength of the military. So PAKMIL was big, artillery heavy, and road bound— and ill-suited to navigating mountain trails or dealing with insurgents," Hayden says in the book.

"When the US government presented Pakistani officials with intelligence that pinpointed an al-Qaeda leader and a plan of action to 'take him off the battlefield'", the response was "no, maddening delay, or our target suddenly and unexpectedly relocated".

Many Pakistanis viewed LET (like the Haqqani network and the Taliban) as some sort of strategic reserve rather than the strategic liability and regional danger they really were, he wrote.

Hayden said in his view, the United States will need to keep this capacity and be willing to use it.

"Islamist terrorism thrives in places— Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Mali, the list goes on— where governments cannot or will not act. In some of these instances, the United States must," he argued.  

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7,000 Hindus in Malaysia wrongly documented as Muslims: NGOs

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 23, 2016 (PTI)

Nearly 7,000 Hindus in Malaysia have been wrongly documented as Muslims on their national identity cards, according to a group of NGOs in the Muslim-majority nation.

The problem was widespread throughout Peninsular Malaysia and involved mostly practising Hindus from the lower income group who are documented as Muslims, Malaysia Hindu Sangam president Mohan Shan was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insider.

The task force of eight Hindu NGOs said they are assisting 500 Hindus, while some 7,000 others throughout the country were affected by the "system failure" in which anybody wishing to change their official religious status from Islam must first receive permission from the Shariah Court.

The Muslim Lawyer's Association of Malaysia (PPMM) said they would assist any registered Muslim who wish to change their official religious status.

Islam is the largest and state religion of Malaysia accounting for 61.3 per cent of the total population. Hindus account for about 6.3 per cent.

"This 7,000 people never were and do not have any intentions of converting," said Selangor Hindu Youth Organisation (HYO) adviser Arun Dorasamy.

Dorasamy, who also heads the Hindu Conversion Action Team, said he had met Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri regarding the matter.

"We were told that we would meet the Prime Minister in a week or two weeks," said Dorasamy.

The Hindu NGOs also provided some solutions, suggesting the Prime Minister’s Department to set up a temporary task force.

They had also suggested setting up a temporary online registry, so that the authorities would be able to estimate the number of cases involve in the matter.

The purpose of the meeting with the Prime Minister is also to amend an article of the constitution which states the religion of a person under the age of 18 years shall be decided by his/her parent or guardian.

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Pakistan part of Saudi-led multinational military exercise: FO

Islamabad, Feb 16, 2016, (PTI):

Pakistani troops have joined armed forces from around 20 countries for "the largest, most important military manoeuvres" ever staged by its close ally Saudi Arabia to ramp up their counter-terrorism skills.
The Foreign Office said Pakistani troops are part of the multinational military exercise being staged by Saudi Arabia.

In a statement issued late last night, it said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have close defence ties going on for decades.

"It is in this backdrop that Pakistan is participating in a multi-national exercise on counter-terrorism being held in Saudi Arabia," it said.

"This includes military exercises and intense training cooperation in various domains. Both countries have training exchanges in which trainers are sent to Saudi Arabia for multiple training areas and Saudi Armed Forces personnel also receive training in Pakistan," it said, without giving details about the schedule of the military exercise.

A small Pakistani defence contingent remains stationed in Saudim Arabia under a bilateral arrangement, it said.

The remarks by the Foreign Office came after Saudi Arabia announced it was conducting "the largest, most important military maneuvers" ever staged in the region. The "Thunder of the North" exercise involves ground, air, and naval forces.

According to official Saudi SPA news agency, troops from around 20 countries, including Pakistan, were gathering in northern Saudi Arabia for military exercises, sparking fears that these countries might also deploy ground troops in Syria.

The countries participating in the military exercise include Saudi Arabia's five partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal and Tunisia, the SPA reported.

Saudi Arabia is currently leading a military campaign against Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen.

Pakistan has already announced it will be part of Saudi Arabia's 34-nation alliance to fight "terrorism" in Islamic countries. But it had also said that it will not deploy troops in foreign countries in combat role.

Since the Saudi alliance excludes Shiite regional power Iran, it is feared that the initiative may further sharpen the sectarian divide in the region. 

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ISIS gets hands on Syrian anti-aircraft missiles

Washington, Feb 16, 2016 (PTI)

The dreaded Islamic State terror group has reportedly captured Syria's Russian-made anti- aircraft missiles, raising concerns that the deadly weapons could be used against US-led coalition jets.

Several SA-6 mobile anti-aircraft missiles were captured near the northeastern Syrian city of Dayr Az Zawr, where in recent weeks US and allied aircraft have conducted airstrikes against oil and gas facilities controlled by ISIS, Pentagon officials told the Washington Free Beacon.

Four missiles and two tracked mobile SA-6 launchers were captured by the group, the officials said.

However, it was not clear whether the associated fire control radar and other equipment needed to fire the missiles were captured as well.

Russian military forces, concerned that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) would use the anti-aircraft missiles against its warplanes, conducted airstrikes to try and destroy the SA-6s. But the Russians missed and the missiles were moved from the Dayr Az Zawr area and hidden, officials were quoted as saying.

A photo of a captured SA-6 was posted by an ISIS social media account on January 20, the report said.

The weapon is an unlikely threat to aircraft, a military official in the region said of the missiles.

However, missile warheads could be used by ISIS in suicide vehicle bombs.
"All they have is the missile, which could be used to make IEDs or truck bombs. They lack the launchers and radars," the official said.

ISIS probably lacks the expertise needed to use the launchers, even if they were able to capture those items, the official added.

ISIS frequently conducts suicide attacks using vehicle bombs when striking regime targets in Syria and government facilities in Iraq.

On the SA-6 missile threat, Colonel Steve Warren, a spokesman for the US-led military coalition in the region, said pilots are aware of the dangers.

"Coalition aircraft employ sophisticated self-defence measures on every mission. Make no mistake; our pilots are in harm's way, but force protection is our top priority," Warren told the news portal.

Coalition forces have carried out 10,242 airstrikes as of February 10, including 3,166 in Syria and 4,669 in Iraq, according to US Central Command.

The SA-6 is an older air defence system that has been in service around the world since 1970. The missile is armed with a 130-pound high-explosive warhead.

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George W Bush campaigns for brother, praises Haley

Washington, Feb 16., 2016 (PTI)

Ahead of South Carolina's pivotal Republican primary, former US president George W Bush praised the state's Indian-origin Governor Nikki Haley whose endorsement is important to his brother Jeb Bush's flagging campaign.
Bush returned to the political arena after a seven-year hibernation, trying to enliven Jeb's flagging campaign and stop Republicans from backing front-runner Donald Trump.
He privately met Haley prior to his appearance in Columbia, South Carolina.

He praised the nation's first Indian-American woman to become Governor. 44-year-old Haley's endorsement is highly coveted -- especially by the campaigns of Jeb.

"Thank goodness our country welcomed her parents from India when they immigrated here in 1969," Bush said of Haley, who is yet to endorse a candidate for primary vote.

In his speech, Bush – the 43rd president of the United States – took a dig at Trump.
"We need to nominate someone who can win in November, all the talk doesn't matter if we can't win. We need someone who can take a positive message across the entire country," said the elder Bush who is now 69.

"These are tough times and I know that Americans are angry, but we do not need someone in the Oval Office who mirrors and inflames our anger and our frustrations," Bush said making his first major political appearance after the end of his two four year terms on January 20, 2009.

"Strength is not empty rhetoric. It is not bluster. It is not theatrics. Real strength comes from integrity and character. And in my experience, the strongest person isn’t usually the loudest person in the room," Bush said urging South Carolinians to vote for his brother.

Jeb, who is said to be the first choice for the Republican establishment, is running behind Trump, and Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

To continue to be in the contention for the Republican presidential nominee, he needs to perform better in the South Carolina primary later this month.

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Trump threatens Cruz with legal action over his Canadian birth

Washington, Feb 16, 2016 (PTI)

 Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has threatened to sue his rival Ted Cruz over his eligibility to serve in the White House unless he receives an apology from the Texas Senator for spreading lies about the real estate tycoon's record.

"Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual. He is the single biggest liar I've ever come across, in politics or otherwise, and I have seen some of the best of them. His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous," Trump said, days ahead of South Carolina's pivotal Republican primary.

In a statement, Trump, 69, threatened to take legal action against Cruz for him being born in Canada and not in the US.

The businessman ordered Cruz to retract statements about his past inconsistencies on abortion rights and other social issues. Trump also demanded that the senator from Texas take down advertisements attacking him.

"It is hard to believe a person who proclaims to be a Christian could be so dishonest and lie so much," he said.

"Cruz has become unhinged and is lying with the hopes that his statements will go unchecked until after the election and he will save his failing campaign," Trump alleged.

"If Ted is going to continue to lie with such desperation, I have no choice but to fight back," he adding that one of the ways he can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and therefore cannot be President.

"If he doesn't take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately," Trump said.

Cruz, 45, fired back, claiming that he is simply pointing out Trump's actual positions.
"You cannot simply scream 'liar' when someone points out your actual positions," he tweeted.

The Texas Senator said he won't engage in personal attacks, but will continue to focus on his competitor's records, policies and vision.

The Florida Senator Marco Rubio also attacked Cruz and accused him of lying.
"Senator Cruz will say or do anything to win an election including employing underhanded tactics and making charges against all his opponents that he knows are outright lies. America can't afford more politicians like Ted Cruz who will easily sacrifice principle for political gain," said Joe Pounder, Rubio spokesman.

Cruz insisted that the election is about vetting the candidates.
"It is not being honest or candid for either Marco Rubio or Donald Trump to pretend that their records are different than what they are and simply to yell and scream at anyone who points to the words that have come out of their own mouths," he said.

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Indian sentenced to three years for espionage in Pakistan

Peshawar, Feb 16, 2016, (PTI):

A 31-year-old Indian national, who had gone missing in Pakistan in 2012, has been sentenced to three years in prison by a military court for espionage.
Hamid Nehal Ansari was convicted on Sunday by the military court in Kohat, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and was shifted to Peshawar Central Prison, a jail spokesman said.

He has a right to appeal under the Pakistan Army Act.
India had sought consular access for Ansari, an engineer, and asked Pakistan to ensure his safety and security.

According to Dawn, Ansari has confessed to illegally entering Pakistan from Afghanistan for espionage.

He had seven Facebook accounts as well as around 30 email addresses. He was reportedly found to be in possession of sensitive documents, it claimed.

Over three years after Ansari went missing in Pakistan where he had allegedly gone to meet a girl he had befriended on the Internet, authorities last month admitted that he has been in army custody and facing a trial in military courts.

In light of the information, a two-member bench had on January 13
disposed off a habeas corpus petition filed by Fauzia Ansari, the convict's mother, against his alleged illegal detention.

Court had asked the government to respond to the petition by Fauzia on the whereabouts of her son.

In response, Military Intelligence Directorate intimated that Ansari was in military custody and is being tried by a military court.

Ansari, a Mumbai resident, was taken into custody by police and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials in Kohat, about 70 kms from here, in November 2012. Ever since, his whereabouts were unknown.

Ansari's mother claimed he was in touch with some Pakistani friends who had suggested him to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan without a visa. She claimed that he had befriended a Pakistani woman through social media and had gone to Pakistan to meet her. 

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Russian helicopter firm eyeing contract with India

Singapore, Feb 16, 2016 (PTI)

 A Russian helicopter design and manufacturing company today said it is in discussion with Indian partners to conclude a contract for 200 choppers, more than 140 of which will be made in India under an inter- government pact.
"We are now discussing terms and conditions for the contract and copter configuration," Igor Chechikov, deputy CEO of Russian Helicopters (RH), told PTI today.

Sixty of the contracted helicopters will be supplied from RH's existing manufacturing facilities in Russia while planning will be worked out with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and other partners to manufacture more than 140 units, making it one of the biggest investment venture under 'Make in India' initiative.

The helicopters will be made in India under a pact signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Moscow in December.

The choppers will be supplied in collaboration with Rosoboronexport, a state export agency.

The ongoing discussions include the scope of setting up a helicopter plant in India which will be in partnership with a number of Indian entities including HAL.

"We expect to produce more helicopters from India, given the country’s demand for a wide range of defence and security related equipment," Chechikov said, pointing to the potential of growing the joint venture business as well as technology and knowhow sharing between the two countries.

India has a fleet of over 450 Russian helicopters operating all of which were supplied over the last three decades in various phases.

He also stressed on supporting the Russian hardware by establishing an after sales maintenance hub in India in the coming years.

"India is a very strategic market with a huge demand for helicopters," he said at the Singapore Airshow 2016.

Russian helicopters are widely used by the Indian air force, navy and border security force.

RH is showcasing a wide range of its technology-savvy helicopters and aircraft at the air show for the South East Asian markets.

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145-year-old letter, delivered by balloon, turns up in Aus

Sydeny, Feb 16, 2016, (AFP)

A letter from a man to his mother flown out of Paris by hot air balloon during the Prussian siege has turned up in Australia's National Archives, which today said it was keen to know the family's fate.

The Franco-Prussian War saw the Germans completely surround Paris for more than four months in 1870.

Balloon mail was the only way communications from Paris could reach the rest of France, with dozens of flights made, mostly at night, and hundreds of thousands of letters delivered. One of them has been discovered by the National Archives, penned in French on December 6, 1870 by a man named Charles Mesnier (or Mesmier) to his mother, care of Monsieur Grussin (or Grossin) at 8 Place de la Ville, Pont-Audemer, in Normandy.

"It's a intriguing human element to an important piece of history," National Archives assistant director-general Louise Doyle told AFP.

"We're not sure how it ended up in Australia, but it would be fascinating to know more. If people see this it would be interesting to have more context in relation to this record."

The letter was transferred to the archive's Brisbane office from the former Queensland Post and Telegraph Museum in 2001, but there is no information about its origin. It came to light recently as part of a joint project between the National Archives of Australia and the Archives Nationales in France.

In the letter, which is full of fervour, the man assures his mother he is in good health."We don't have meat every day and when we do get some it is not very much, but we can easily get by as things are and no one in our household is complaining," he wrote.

Mesnier added: "The desire to repulse the Prussians is right now the solitary concern of Paris. Any suffering can be borne rather than opening the gates of the capital to them."

He goes on to speak of "some real battles" around the city between November 29 and December 1.

"We have taken their cannon and captured 1,000 prisoners -- these days of good fortune have raised the morale of the fearful," he said.

"We cannot succeed in all our attacks but I have the firm conviction, my good mother, that the ultimate success will be for our just cause."

His hopes were dashed with the city surrendering in late January 1871 after sustained bombardment.

The single-sheet letter is just 207mm x 133mm (eight by five inches), folded into an envelope with the address on the reverse side and Eure, the department where Pont-Audemer is located, written on the top left along with "par ballon monte" -- for delivery by hot air balloon.

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3 Indian-Americans could be US Supreme Court judge nominees

Washington, Feb 16, 2016, (PTI)

Three Indian-American legal luminaries may be among the possible candidates whom US President Barack Obama could nominate as a Supreme Court judge following the sudden death of conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia.

Within hours of the death of Scalia at a ranch in Texas, the name of Chandigarh-born Sri Srinivasan popped up as the top contender to the post.

Sri Srinivasan, 48, is currently the US Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit which many call as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court.

He is not only considered as a favourite of Obama, who has called him as a trailblazer, but also his nomination to the Court of Appeals was confirmed by a record 97-0 votes, which is an achievement given the bitter political divide in the US Senate.

The White House yesterday refused to give any indication of the list of persons Obama is looking into to zero in on his nomination for the next Supreme Court judge.

But given his track record – wherein he has appointed a record number of Indian-American judges to various US courts – and him publicly praising some of them, it would not be a big surprise that in addition to Srinivasan a few other individuals from the community too figure up in his list.

Among them could be his home town resident Neal Katyal, who served as Acting Solicitor General of the US from May 2010 until June 2011 and California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is considered to be very close to Obama.

Harris, who traces her roots to Chennai, is currently running for the US Senate seat in California.

On Monday several media outlets mentioned Harris as among the potential ones who could replace Scalia in the Supreme Court.

Harris, 51, who was among the six people mentioned by New York Times, has not reacted to the speculation so far.

In 2011, she became the first African-American, Asian-American, Indian-American and woman to hold the post of California attorney general.

Many say Katyal, who would turn 46 on March 12, could emerge as a dark horse in the process.

With extensive experience in matters of patent, securities, criminal, employment, and constitutional law, he has orally argued 27 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, with 25 of them in the last six years.

Obama intends to nominate someone as Supreme Court judge who honours constitutional responsibilities, have impeccable credentials and understands how laws affect the daily realities of people's lives, the White House said. 

"I would not anticipate an announcement this week, especially given that the Senate is out on recess," White House Press Secretary Eric Schultz told reporters.

Schultz refused to engage in speculation about lists and names.

When asked about what kind of individual Obama is looking to nominate someone to be the next Supreme Court judge, Schultz said President's judicial nominees should adhere to a number of basic principles. 

"Number one, I'd say the President's judicial nominees are all eminently qualified with a record of excellence and integrity. The President looks for individuals who have impeccable credentials," he said. 

"Number two, the President intends to nominate individuals who honor constitutional responsibilities. These are individuals who have a commitment to impartial justice, respect the integrity of the judicial process, and adhere to precedent. The President seeks judges who will faithfully apply the law to the facts at hand," he said.

"And lastly, the President is also mindful that there are rare cases where the law is not clear, and we acknowledge that those incidents occur most often at the Supreme Court," he said, adding that in those times, a judge will have to bring his or her own ethics and moral bearings into a decision. 

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Indian-origin couple charged with keeping woman as slave in UK

London, Feb 15, 2016, PTI:

An Indian-origin couple has been charged with slavery offences in the UK for holding a 28-year-old compatriot woman in domestic servitude at their home in the East Midlands region of the UK.

Minu Chopra, from Bamford, was arrested by Greater Manchester Police on February 11 and charged under the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 on suspicion of slavery, servitude and forced labour offences.

The 47-year-old has been remanded in custody by Manchester Magistrates' Court until next month. Sanjeev Chopra, also 47, was arrested a few days later on February 13 and charged with the same offences and also remains in custody.

They are both accused of holding a person in servitude between 31 July last year up until their arrest. They are also charged with intentionally arranging or facilitating entry into the UK of a person with a view to exploit them, and knowingly holding a person in slavery or servitude between 1 January 2011 and 31 July 2015.

The alleged victim, also believed to be of Indian-origin and being held in the Chopras' house against her will, has been taken into the care of social service agencies in the city, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

"Minu Chopra has been charged with holding a person in slavery or servitude between 31/07/2015 and 11/02/2016, intentionally arranging / facilitating entry into the UK of a person with a view to their exploitation and knowingly holding another person in slavery / servitude between 01/01/2011 and 30/07/2015," a GMP statement said.

"Sanjeev Chopra has been charged with holding a person in slavery or servitude between 31/07/2015 and 11/02/2016, intentionally arranging/facilitating entry into the UK of a person with a view to their exploitation and knowingly holding another person in slavery/servitude between 01/01/2011 and 30/07/2015, following his arrest on Saturday 13 February 2016," the statement added.

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Boutros Boutros-Ghali, first UN chief from Africa, dies

Cairo, Feb 16, 2016, (AP)

Boutros Boutros-Ghali, a veteran Egyptian diplomat who helped negotiate his country's landmark peace deal with Israel but then clashed with the United States when he served a single term as UN secretary-general, has died. He was 93.

Boutros-Ghali, the scion of a prominent Egyptian Christian political family, was the first UN chief from the African continent.

He stepped into the post in 1992 at a time of dramatic world changes, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a unipolar era dominated by the United States.

But after four years of frictions with the Clinton administration, the United States blocked his renewal in the post in 1996, making him the only UN secretary-general to serve a single term. He was replaced by Ghanaian Kofi Annan.

The current president of the UN Security Council, Venezuelan Ambassador Rafael Ramirez, announced Boutros-Ghali's death at the start of a session today on Yemen's humanitarian crisis.

The 15 council members stood in a silent tribute.

Boutros-Ghhali died today at a Cairo hospital, Egypt's state news agency said. He had been admitted to the hospital after suffering a broken pelvis, the Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Thursday.

Boutros-Ghali's five years in the United Nations remain controversial. Some see him as seeking to establish the UN's independence from the world superpower, the United States.

Others blame him for misjudgements in the failures to prevent genocides in Africa and the Balkans and mismanagement of reform in the world body.

In his farewell speech to the UN, Boutros-Ghali said he had thought when he took the post that the time was right for the United Nations to play an effective role in a world no longer divided into warring Cold War camps.

"But the middle years of this half decade were deeply troubled," he said. "Disillusion set in."

In a 2005 interview with The Associated Press, Boutros-Ghali called the 1994 massacre in Rwanda in which half a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days, "my worst failure at the United Nations."

But he blamed the United States, Britain, France and Belgium for paralysing action by setting impossible conditions for intervention.

Then-US President Bill Clinton and other world leaders were opposed to taking strong action to beef up UN peacekeepers in the tiny Central African nation or intervening to stop the massacres.

"The concept of peacekeeping was turned on its head and worsened by the serious gap between mandates and resources," he told AP.

Boutros-Ghali also came under fire for the July 1995 Serb slaughter of 8,000 Muslims in the UN-declared "safe zone" of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia just before the end of the war.  

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Wikileaks' Assange wins U.N. ruling on 'arbitrary detention'

London, Feb 4, 2016, PTI:

A UN panel has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been "arbitrarily detained" in the UK, a media report said here today.

No official announcement has yet been made by the United Nations' Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in Geneva but BBC Radio 4 reported that it understands the decision has been made in Assange's favour.

The UN panel has been considering a request by Assange for a ruling. It is due to announce its findings tomorrow. Assange, 44, was granted political asylum by Ecuador, which has housed him since 2012 at its central London embassy.

The whistleblower has said he is willing to surrender to British police if the UN panel finds that the three years he was holed up inside the Ecuadorean Embassy in London does not amount to illegal detention.

In 2014, he had complained to the UN that he was being "arbitrarily detained" as he could not leave the embassy without being arrested by the British police. The Australian national is wanted for questioning in Sweden over sex assault allegations against two women, which he denies.

WikiLeaks, founded by Assange in 2006, released 500,000 secret military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and 250,000 diplomatic cables enraging the United States.

Assange fears being extradited to the US to be quizzed over the activities of WikiLeaks if he travels to Sweden.

The UN group does not have any formal influence over the British and Swedish authorities and the UK Foreign Office said it still had an obligation to extradite Assange.

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