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Billionaire Donald Trump and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton won sweeping victories in the New York primary on Tuesday, bolstering their bids to secure the Republican and Democratic nominations for the White House. It was the most decisive New York primary in decades and leaves self-styled democratic socialist Bernie Sanders with a tough decision on how to proceed as Clinton extends her overwhelming lead over the Vermont senator. US networks called the race for Trump seconds after the polls closed, signaling a crushing victory that is likely to alarm his opponents desperately hoping to block his path to the nomination with a contested party convention in July.
Both Clinton and Trump will now look to replicate their wins in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, which hold primaries on April 26, as they edge closer toward a general election in November.
US pvt space industry opposes use of ISRO launch vehicles
Washington, Apr 21, 2016, (PTI)
Amid the US' push to expand cooperation with India in the space sector, the country's nascent private space industry has expressed its opposition to the large scale use of low cost ISRO launch vehicles for putting American satellites into orbits.
Such a move, corporate leaders and officials of the fast- emerging American private space industry told lawmakers this week would be detrimental to the future health of the private sector US space companies as it would be tough for them to compete against low-cost Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launch vehicles, which they alleged are subsidised by the Indian government.
"I think the concern about using Indian boosters is not so much the transfer of sensitive technology to a nation that is a fellow democracy, but rather whether the Indian launches are subsidised by the government to a degree that other market actors would be priced out of the market," Elliot Holokauahi Pulham, CEO of Space Foundation, said.
Testifying before a Congressional committee, Pulham said there has been some discussion about allowing US built satellites to fly on boosters such as the Indian PSLV.
Eric Stallmer, president Commercial Spaceflight Federation, opposed efforts to facilitate a government- subsidised foreign launch company.
"In this case, India, to compete with US companies. Such policy runs counter to many national priorities and undermines the work and investment that has been made by the government and industry to ensure the health of the US commercial space launch industrial base," Stallmer said.
He said the challenge right now is that the satellite manufacturers are making satellites at a quicker rate right now than the US has the launch capability. So a satellite is not making money while it's sitting on the ground, he said.
"Currently, the Indian launch vehicle PSLV has a sweet spot and has the capability of launching some of these satellites right now in a timely manner. We don't want to see US launches going overseas by any means, whether it's to India, Russia or whomever else. But right now, from the satellite, you know, producers and manufacturers, they need to get their assets up in the sky as quick as possible," Stallmer said.
Noting that the current policy with the waivers and the review is a sound policy, he said the US should stringently look at every launch that is taking place in every vehicle or every payload that the US are putting up on an Indian vehicle.
"I think it really needs to be evaluated. We hope to phase this out as a new generation of launched vehicles come online," Stallmer said.
"I've heard from a number of companies that build and operate small satellites that there isn't enough capacity in the (US) market at a price they can afford to meet their needs," said Congressman Brian Babin, Chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Space.
"India has stepped in and offered to fill, in part, this demand and is launching smaller satellites on their PSLV vehicle. The administration has provided a number of export waivers on a case-by-case basis for these launches, in part, because India is becoming a strategic ally in South Asia," Babin said.
"Unfortunately, the administration seems to lack a clear long-term policy to guide access to PSLV launches. What should US policy be with regard to Indian and other foreign launch vehicles?" the Republican Congressman from Texas said.
He asserted that if it can be shown that there is no viable US launch opportunities in the given time-frame to a required orbit, launches on Indian vehicles should continue to be considered on a case-by-case waiver review for US payloads, as been the practice for the last several years.
"This practice should continue while still relevant, but with the knowledge that this is definitely a temporary solution," Stallmer said.
'ISIS executes 250 women for refusing to become sex slaves'
London, Apr 21, 2016, (PTI)
The Islamic State, notorious for its brutality, has reportedly executed 250 girls in northern Iraq for refusing to become sex slaves, according to a media report.
The girls had been ordered to accept temporary marriages to the terrorists and were murdered, sometimes alongside their families, for their refusal to be sex slaves in Iraq's second largest city of Mosul.
ISIS began selecting women of Mosul and forced them into marrying its militants, calling it temporary marriage since it has taken control over Mosul, and the women who refused to submit to this practice would be executed, said Kurdish Democratic Party spokesman Said Mamuzini.
"At least 250 girls have so far been executed by IS for refusing to accept the practice of sexual jihad, and sometimes the families of the girls were also executed for rejecting to submit to IS's request," Mamuzini told London-based Kurdish news agency 'AhlulBayt'.
Another official from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party Ghayas Surchi said that human rights were being widely violated in all IS-held territories, particularly the womens' rights as they're seen as commodities and have no choice in choosing their spouses.
Surchi said that women were not allowed to go out alone in Mosul and cannot choose their spouses.
The executions follows a spate of similar killings that took place last August in which 19 Mosul women were slaughtered for refusing to have sex with ISIS fighters, the report said.
Up to 500 Yazidi women and girls were kidnapped and sexually abused by militants in August 2014.
In October, more than 500 Yazidi women and young girls were reportedly abducted by the ISIS when they stormed the Sinjar region in northern Iraq.
ISIS took control of Mosul in June 2014 after the fall of Iraqi army in the city and since then has been slaughtering its residents for various charges to spread fear.
US President Barack Obama said on Monday that he expected Mosul to be retaken from the ISIS "eventually".
"My expectation is that by the end of the year, we will have created the conditions whereby Mosul will eventually fall," Obama had said.
Nepal's first billionaire success story in English memoir
New Delhi, Apr 22, 2016, (PTI)
High ambition, organisation building, market awareness and keeping oneself updated about trends are among the mantras that Nepal's first billionaire industrialist Binod Chaudhary spells out for entrepreneurial success.
In his autobiography "Making it Big" (Penguin Random House), the 61-year-old Nepali businessman of Indian origin talks about banking on his experiences to "make decisions that even a Harvard professor would recoil from without several rounds of surveys".
The chairperson of Chaudhary Group (CG), a conglomerate of 122 companies that include banking, insurance, finance, hotels, food, real estate, retail and electronics and has collaboration among others with the Taj Group, is famed for creating the Wai Wai brand of instant noodles, which has expanded into India.
The story of Wai Wai, says Chaudhary began around 35 years ago when a friend noticed large quantities of the noodles arriving on the Bangkok-Kathmandu flights into a market that imported a large quantity of Nestle India Limited's Maggi.
Chaudhary ventured into the market and grew into a company that has "sold more than a billion packets in India" and sells in over 35 countries.
The baron writes about how he used a four-pronged approach to fight challenges by launching many cheaper brands, producing creative advertisements and creative programmes and changing the organisational structure to include more locals to create a company with an annual turnover of Rs 250 crore.
The creation of his first multinational venture Taj Asia and the struggles in his partnership with the Taj Group are also detailed.
There is also mention of the part played by Chaudhary in reuniting Nepali migrant boy Jeet Bahadur with his family in Nepal in 2012.
In the memoir, Chaudhary also traces the origins of his family, particularly his grandfather who was born in Shekhawati in Rajasthan and who moved to Nepal when he was less than 20 years old to open a textile store.
Chaudhary's father set up Nepal's first department store and Chaudhary joined the business at age 18 and went on to be listed in the Forbes's list of billionaires.
2 top Generals among 11 officers dismissed by Pak Army Chief
Islamabad, Apr 21, 2016, PTI:
Pakistan's two senior Generals were among 11 top officers dismissed by Army Chief General Raheel Sharif on charges of corruption, a rare move in the country where the military wields enormous power.
A Lieutenant General, one Major General, five Brigadiers, three Colonels and one Major were dismissed by the Army Chief on corruption charges, security officials said. Two soldiers were also dismissed on similar charges.
Gen Raheel's move came days after he demanded "across the board accountability", saying the ongoing war against terrorism and extremism cannot bring enduring peace and stability unless the menace of corruption is not uprooted.
"Therefore, across the board accountability is necessary for the solidarity, integrity and prosperity of Pakistan," he had said. So far no official announcement was made but all local TV channels also reported the sacking of the officers.
Gen Raheel's move to dismissed the top officers assume significance in the wake of raging scandal in Pakistan over embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's family offshore wealth after the Panama Papers leak mentioned his children's name for having shell companies.
Sharif's two sons and one daughter were mentioned in the Panama papers for offshore account and companies. Opposition leaders have demanded a probe into the scandal, with some demanding Sharif's resignation.
It is believed that decision by the Army Chief may have impact on the political government and demand of Sharif's resignation might increase. Pakistan is a powerful institution and has ruled the country for more than half of its history since Pakistan was created in 1947.
Rajan, Sania, Priyanka among 100 most influential people: Time
New York, Apr 21, 2016, (PTI)
RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, tennis star Sania Mirza, actress Priyanka Chopra, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and founders of Flipkart Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal have been named by Time magazine in its list of the '100 Most Influential People in the World'.
Time's annual list, released today, includes pioneers like American composer Lin Manuel-Miranda, leaders like IMF head Christine Lagarde and icons like Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio who are "exploring the frontiers of art, science, society, technology and more."
Terming Rajan as "India's prescient banker," Time said he is among a rare breed of "economic seers" who he "steered" India through the global crisis and fallout, "playing a large role in making it one of the emerging-market stars of the moment.
While serving as the youngest chief economist of the IMF from 2003 to 2006, Time said Rajan predicted the subprime crisis that would lead to the Great Recession, standing up to critics like former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who labeled him a "Luddite".
"Since then, more and more of the economic establishment has come to share Rajan’s view that debt-fueled growth is just a saccharine substitute for the real thing," Time said.
In a profile for Mirza, cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar writes that her "confidence, strength and resilience reach beyond tennis" and she has inspired a generation of Indians to pursue their dreams " and to realize that they can also be the best."
Tendulkar described Mirza, who recently was awarded India's third highest civilian honour the Padma Bhushan, as an "inspiration" on the court. He lauded her "dedication and willpower" to reinvent herself fully as a doubles player when her singles career was cut short by wrist injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was among the probable contenders for the list, was not in the final list determined by Time’s editors. Modi was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world last year.
On Chopra, who was awarded the Padma Shri this year, actor Dwayne Johnson said she is a "star rising higher" and lauded her "drive, ambition, self-respect, and she knows there’s no substitute for hard work."
Time said Flipkart founders Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal may have come across as arrogant when they told investors the company they started in 2007 as an online bookstore could be worth USD 100 million in a decade.
"It turned out to be modesty: Flipkart now has 75 million users and a USD 13 billion valuation," Time said.
On Pichai, author Bill Nye said the "internet's chief engineer" has "helped change the world".
The Chennai-born was the "head guy" on Google Drive and worked on Google Chrome, Gmail and Android phones and the world is now watching what he comes up with next, Nye said in his profile.
On activist Sunita Narain, author Amitav Ghosh said her ideas have shaped some of the "key debates of our time" and "hers is a voice that urgently needs to be heard in this era of climate change.
"As an activist, Narain is a pioneer," he said, adding that she and her organization New Delhi–based Centre for Science and Environment, have been campaigning to reduce the Indian capital's dangerous air-pollution levels for almost two decades.
Also on the list is Indian-origin actor and comedian Aziz Ansari and Indian-origin Raj Panjabi, CEO of organization Last Mile Health.
"The way Aziz talks about his ethnicity and career is so interesting, and the entertainment-industry world he writes about is hysterical and on point," his colleagues from the industry Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson said.
On Panjabi, who at 9 had escaped a civil war in his home country of Liberia former, US President Bill Clinton said, "to spend time with Raj Panjabi is to see up close what happens when someone with uncommon courage and compassion puts himself on the front lines of the world’s most complex challenges."
Clinton said the "heroic work" Panjabi and and his organization did to train 1,300 community health workers in Liberia was critical in helping the government contain the Ebola epidemic.
This year's list includes Pope Francis, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla, Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Barack Obama, French President François Hollande, Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Democratic Presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, her Republican rival Ted Cruz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
On Suu Kyi, Obama wrote for the Time that "The Lady" remains a "beacon" of hope, "now more than ever," for 50 million people reaching for justice, and for millions more around the world.
Time Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs said the people on this year's list "have lessons to teach. We can debate those lessons; we don’t have to endorse them or agree with them. But the influence of this year’s TIME 100, to my mind, is that down to the last person, they have the power to make us think. And they are using it."
London mayor candidate uses Indian language campaign song
London, Apr 19, 2016, (PTI)
Supporters of London's mayoral candidate for the Conservative party Zac Goldsmith have launched a multi-lingual campaign featuring a song in several Indian languages, including Hindi and Urdu, to help him win.
Goldsmith is up against Pakistani-origin Labour candidate Sadiq Khan, believed to connect better with Asian-origin voters who make up almost 20 per cent of London's population, in the May 5 election.
Grassroots organisation, Conservative Connect, this week decided to launch 'Zac Goldsmith Jeete Ga' in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali in an attempt to woo a wide voter base.
The chorus line of the song also features some Mandarin and the tune is a blend of jazz, reggae and Indian folk.
"Zac Goldsmith is everyone's favourite leader" and "he is worthy of appreciation, he is patient and he is brave" are some of the lyrics of the song, which has an accompanying video of the candidate making speeches and interacting with party leader, Prime Minister David Cameron.
The song has been created by the same group which had launched the Hindi campaign song 'Neela Hai Asmaan' for Cameron during the May 2015 general elections in the UK.
"This is the first time in British political history that a multilingual campaign song has been used in order to connect with ethnic minority voters. The main target audience of the song is London's British-Asian community, who make up almost 20 per cent of London's total population," said chairman and founder of Conservative Connect Raza Anjum.
"The multilingual nature of the song reflects London's diverse and dynamic nature. It is this diversity which makes London a leading global city and the song emphasises that Zac is a mayoral candidate who work in the best interests of all Londoners. Zac is the only mayoral candidate who has with the vision and ability to deliver for London."
Goldsmith is the brother of Jemima Goldsmith – the former wife of Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan – and son of late billionaire Sir James Goldsmith.
The race to succeed Boris Johnson as the next mayor of London is hotting us with only 15 days to go.
Trump, Clinton win New York primary; move closer to nomination
New York, Apr 20, 2016, PTI:
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton today won the potentially game-changing New York primary and wrested back control of the US presidential race from their rivals, reviving hopes of winning the nomination outright.
The win gives Clinton and Trump edge over their rivals Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz and solidify their frontrunner status after a series of losses recently. It also resoundingly answers questions about their command of the race.
Trump's win means he could sweep the state's 95 delegates and position himself to win the Republican nomination without going through a contested convention in July.
Clinton's win could blunt Sanders' momentum once and for all and leave Sanders with a tough decision on how to proceed as she extends her overwhelming lead in the Democratic race.
"Today you prove once again there is no place like home... This win is personal," said Clinton, joined by her husband ex- president Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea, in her victory speech. "The race for the Democratic nomination is in the home stretch and victory is in sight."
Calling out Trump and Cruz for their remarks against Muslims and women, she said, "Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have a vision for our country that's divisive and dangerous- rounding up immigrants or banning Muslims is just not who we are."
"Threatening to ban Muslims" and treating American-Muslims like "criminal" go against "everything America stands for." "We are about lifting each other up, not tearing each other down. Our country is at its best when we come together -- no one knows that better than New Yorkers," she said.
In a passing reference to Sanders, Clinton said it was not enough to just diagnose the problem. "America is a problem-solving nation. We have set progressive goals for creating more jobs and providing dignity and pride," she said.
As polls closed, media reports said that controversial billionaire Trump, 69, and Clinton, 68, have won. Clinton, who was senator of New York for eight years, was conformably ahead of Sanders, 74, winning 59.3 per cent of the votes so far, way ahead of 40.8 per cent votes won by Sanders.
Sanders in a tweet said that he was looking ahead to the northeast and mid-Atlantic states that vote next week. "Thank you to all those who came out tonight in New York! Onward to five more states voting next week," he tweeted.
With half of the polls in, Trump, whose campaign has appalled establishment Republicans, was way ahead of Cruz and Governor John Katich, winning 61.4 per cent of the votes.
Trump's big victory in his home state gave him renewed momentum in the Republican race and pushed him closer to the 1,237 delegates required to win the nomination.
He also appeared like a different candidate in his victory spppech at his Trump Tower in Manhattan. His speech focussed on jobs and trade and the economy but did not mention Clinton.
"We don't have much of a race anymore," Trump said to applause and cheers from his supporters. "Sen Cruz is just about mathematically eliminated."
Trump told the cheering supporters that he will focus on bringing jobs back from Mexico and "all other countries" and invest in US military and its veterans.
Flanked by his family, friends and business associates, he said he will use America's great business people to negotiate "unbelievable trade deals so we bring our jobs back."
CNN predicted Trump would take the lion's share of the 95 Republican party delegates up for grabs in New York.
The billionaire real estate mogul appeared to be on pace for a massive victory and is likely to sweep most of the 95 delegates in New York. For Democrats, 291 delegates were at stake.
Clinton leads the overall delegate count with 1,307, while Sanders has 1,094 delegates. The one who clinches 2,383 delegates in all wins the party's nomination.
A total of 1,237 delegates are needed to sew up the Republican nomination. Before the New York win, Trump led the total delegate count with 743, followed by Cruz with 543 and Kasich with 144.
Hillary says New York win 'personal', blasts Trump, Cruz
New York, Apr 20, PTI:
Vowing to "lift each other up", Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton lambasted her Republican rivals Donald Trump and Ted Cruz for promoting a "divisive and dangerous" vision for the US as she celebrated her victory in the crucial New York primary today.
"Thank you New York," Clinton said to a thundering cheer from supporters following the impressive win in the state where she served eight years as Senator.
"Today you prove once again there is no place like home... This win is personal," said Clinton, joined by her husband ex- president Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea during the speech.
The former Secretary of State was projected to win comfortably having got 57.4 per cent of the votes, ahead of 42.6 per cent votes polled by her rival Bernie Sanders.
Vowing to move forward and work with the American people, Clinton reaffirmed to pass comprehensive immigration reform and guarantee equal pay for women. She also stressed on taking out systemic racism and reforming the criminal justice system.
Calling out Trump and Cruz for their remarks against Muslims and women, she said, "Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have a vision for our country that's divisive and dangerous- rounding up immigrants or banning Muslims is just not who we are."
"Threatening to ban Muslims" and treating American-Muslims like "criminal" go against "everything America stands for." "We are about lifting each other up, not tearing each other down. Our country is at its best when we come together -- no one knows that better than New Yorkers," she said.
Making a passing reference to Sanders, Clinton said it was not enough to just diagnose the problem, but have to explain how you solve them. "America is a problem-solving nation. We have set progressive goals for creating more jobs and providing dignity and pride," she said.
Clinton termed "humbling" the trust shown to her by New York for the "responsibilities that await our next president." In his victory speech, Trump vowed to bring jobs back to America. "New York state has problems like virtually every other state in the union. Our jobs are being sucked out of our states, they are being taken out of our country and we are not going to let it happen anymore. We are going to stop this."
Flanked by his family, friends and business associates, he said he will use America's great business people to negotiate "unbelievable trade deals so we bring our jobs back."
"We don't let our companies go to Mexico and all of these other countries anymore," he said. "Illegal immigrants are being taken care of in many cases better than our vets, that is not going to happen anymore."
Trump vowed to get rid of Obamacare - a healthcare reform law that expands and improves access to care, calling it a "total disaster."
He also took on the establishment Republicans, saying the party should not try to "take an election away" from the runaway vote and delegate leader. He said there was not much of a race left and "senator Cruz is just about mathematically eliminated."
Modi expected to visit US in June, fourth visit after becoming PM
Washington, Apr20, 2016, (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the US on June 7 and 8, a bipartisan group of four top American lawmakers said today and asked the Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan to invite him for a joint meeting of the Congress.
There has been no official announcement from either the White House or the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi.
"Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Washington on June 7 and 8 of this year," Congressmen Ed Royce, Eliot Engel, George Holding and Ami Bera said in a letter to Ryan.
Royce is Chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee and Engel is its Ranking Member. Holding and Bera are Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.
"Given the depth of our relationship with India across a range of areas -- defence, humanitarian and disaster relief, space cooperation, conservation, and innovation, -- we believe this is an ideal opportunity for the Congress to hear directly from the Prime Minister," they said.
"Therefore, we ask that you invite Prime Minister Modi to address a Joint Meeting of Congress. It is our understanding that if invited, the Prime Minister would accept," the four lawmaker said in their letter dated April 19, a copy of which was released to the press. The bipartisan group of Congressmen said the US partnership with India is based on a foundation of shared values, including the rule of law, electoral democracy, and religious pluralism.
"This renewed partnership has found champions in the leadership of both parties, including both President Clinton and President George W Bush, and has been further emboldened in the United States by a strong, proud, and growing Indian-American diaspora," the letter said.
Observing that US-India relationship has seen significant growth, the Congressmen said the US President Barack Obama has visited India twice, and Modi reciprocated with two trips of his own to the United States.
"Our two countries have signed a defense framework agreement to increase military cooperation and the civilian nuclear agreement, signed in 2008, will result in the construction of nuclear power plants in India," the letter said.
"Additionally, the United States and India are forging closer ties to address humanitarian crises, such as the aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal, in the renewable energies sector, and in space exploration. It is no wonder that the partnership has been characterised as the defining partnership of the 21st century," it said.
"The US-India relationship consistently garners strong bipartisan support. Inviting Prime Minister Modi to address a Joint Meeting will allow Congress to express support for this special global partnership," the four top American lawmakers said.
A 26-year-old American woman today filed a lawsuit against an Indian Bishop for reinstating a Catholic compatriot priest accused of sexually abusing her during his posting in the US between 2004 and 2005. Attorney Jeff Anderson filed the federal lawsuit in Minnesota against Bishop Amalraj for reinstating Joseph Jeyapaul to ministry after consulting with the Vatican. The victim said she felt "abused, degraded and re-victimised all over again" when she learned that Amalraj had lifted Jeyapaul's suspension in February.
She told reporters at a news conference in Minnesota that the reinstating the Indian priest would endanger kids in India.
Jeyapaul who served as a priest in the Crookston city of Minnesota in 2004 and 2005 was arrested in India in 2012 and extradited to the US in charges of sexually abusing two girls in a congregation.
He was later deported to India after serving his sentence. On January 16, with the permission of Pope Francis, Bishop Amalraj lifted the suspension of Father Joseph Jeyapaul.
"It may be the most irresponsible Vatican move we've ever seen: Catholic officials in Rome have lifted the suspension of a recently convicted predator priest. We are stunned and saddened by such blatant recklessness and callousness," Barbara Dorris of St Louis, Outreach Director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), an advocacy group of which the victim is also a member of, said yesterday.
"On January 16, 2016, with the permission of Pope Francis, Bishop Amalraj lifted the suspension of Father Joseph Jeyapaul," the group said, adding that in 2015, after his extradition from India, Jeyapaul plead guilty to criminal sexual conduct involving the sexual abuse of a minor girl while he worked in the Diocese of Crookston in 2005.
The victim yesterday said she will file a lawsuit against the priest and his church in India.
Sikh-American teen forced to remove turban at airport in US
San Francisco, Apr 20, 2016,(PTI):
A Sikh-American teenager, who penned a book about bullying of children from the community, was forced to remove his turban by airport personnel in the US state of California, according to a media report. Karanveer Singh Pannu, an 18-year-old high school student from New Jersey, had gone to talk about his book 'Bullying of Sikh American Children: Through the Eyes of a Sikh American High School Student' as an inspirational speaker to address the kids participating in the annual Sikh Youth Symposium in Bakersfield, California.
"After going through the metal detector at the airport, I was asked to do a self-pat down of my turban and a chemical swab test for explosive material. After a positive swab test, I was taken to a secondary screening room to be given a full pat down and was asked to remove my turban to be further scanned," Pannu was quoted as saying by NBC.com.
"I refused at first but when they threatened me that I could not fly, I agreed, provided they gave me a mirror to retie my turban," he added. "Before I removed my turban, Agent Hernandez asked the dreaded asinine question, 'Is there anything we need to be aware of before you remove your turban?' I politely answered that there is a lot of long hair and something called the brain underneath."
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) declines to comment on the specifics of any individual passenger's screening experience, but that all TSA officers and contracted screeners are trained to treat all passengers with dignity and respect and receive periodic training regarding cultural and religious sensitivities, A TSA spokesperson told the network.
When additional screening requires the removal of religious apparel, officers offer a private room. In 2007, TSA revised its screening procedures for head coverings based on discussions with the Sikh community, the spokesperson said. Pannu said he felt "utterly humiliated, shaken, distraught" by the experience.
Anger erupts as 1,700 still missing in Ecuador quake
Pedernales/manta (Ecuador), Apr 20, 2016, (AFP):
The death toll from Ecuador's earthquake was set to rise sharply after authorities warned that 1,700 people were still missing and anger gripped families of victims trapped in the rubble. Three days after the powerful 7.8-magnitude quake struck Ecuador's Pacific coast in a zone popular with tourists, 480 people are known to have died, the government said yesterday.
Sniffer dogs and mechanical diggers were busy at work in the wreckage of coastal towns such as Pedernales and Manta as the stench of rotting bodies grew stronger under the baking sun.
International rescuers and aid groups rushed to help victims as searchers dug for families trapped in the debris of homes, hotels and businesses.
"We have 2,000 people listed that are being looked for, but we have so far found 300," Deputy Interior Minister Diego Fuentes told reporters in the capital Quito.
Some 4,605 people were injured, according to the latest government figures. In a glimmer of good news as he toured the affected areas, President Rafael Correa said that 54 people had been rescued alive from the rubble.
Still, hope of finding more victims alive was fading fast as the crucial three-day mark was reached late yesterday.
Locals in devastated towns such as Manta - population 253,000 - started to lose patience.
"The rescue has been very slow and precious lives have been lost. We relatives have been waiting here since Saturday night," said Pedro Merro, who said his cousin was under the wreckage of a three-floor market in Manta.
Luis Felipe Navarro said he was sure there were people alive in the concrete and twisted metal of a building he owned - one of around 800 structures toppled in the quake.
"I have received messages on my telephone. They say there are 10 of them in a cavity," he said. "But the rescue teams will not listen to me."
"It is very hard but we are moving forward," Correa told AFP in Manta, where he handed out food and water in what resembled a war zone.
Hundreds of emergency workers from Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Spain and other countries were helping overwhelmed Ecuadorian officials.
Fears rose for thousands of people left homeless by the quake, prey to disease-bearing mosquitoes and dirty drinking water.
Firefighting captain Freddy Arca pointed to the ruins of a hotel in Manta as drills and jackhammers rattled around him.
"We know that there is a man, his wife and their two-month-old baby in there. And there may be up to nine other people," he said.
UNICEF warned that 150,000 children were affected by the disaster.
ISIS may attack beach resorts across Europe: report
London, Apr 20, 2016, PTI:
Islamic State militants disguised as beach vendors selling ice creams or T-shirts may attack holiday resorts of Mediterranean coast in Europe this summer, according to a German media report. German security sources said 'Bild' newspaper that they fear Islamic state terrorists disguised as beach vendors selling ice cream or T-shirts could bury bombs in the sand under sunloungers.
According to the 'Daily Mirror', Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) troops could be drafted in to protect British tourists at holiday hotspots abroad.
One intelligence source told the newspaper: "It could be a whole new dimension of terror. Holiday beaches cannot be protected. Targets are said to include resorts in southern France, Spain's Costa del Sol and both east and west coasts in Italy."
Security officials are also investigating links between terrorists in Britain and those in Belgium and France that go back more than 15 years. These include some with ties to Molenbeek, the Brussels suburb which has been at the heart of the recent bombings and shootings in Europe.
Western European intelligence officers believe that the links set up a decade and half ago between extremists in the UK and those on the wider European continent have been maintained and have become more active since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
India and China today held the 19th round of talks to resolve the vexed border dispute amid a growing discord between the two nations over Beijing blocking India's bid to get JeM chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held the annual talks with Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi to discuss the road ahead to resolve the dispute which has bedevilled bilateral ties. Besides the border issue, Doval and Yang, the designated Special Representatives, also have a larger mandate to discuss all contentious bilateral, regional and international issues.
Considering their mandate, the second attempt by Beijing in an year to block India's bids to get the Pakistan' terror group's leaders banned is expected to figure in the talks. Last month, China had vetoed India's bid to get the Pathankot attack mastermind designated as terrorist by the UN Sanctions Committee, maintaining that the case "did not meet the requirements" of the Security Council.
The Chinese action evoked a strong reaction in India which said that it was "incomprehensible" that while Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) was banned by the UN, its chief was not.
Indian officials say while Azhar's listing was cleared by the four other UN Security Council permanent members, China has put a "technical hold", like it did in the case of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi earlier.
Since China, the veto wielding UNSC member, put a technical hold on Azhar issue, India has voiced its protests.
While India's UN Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin spoke of "hidden veto" at a UNSC open debate on 'Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts' in New York on April 16, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar called for a review of China's decision to strike a common stand against terrorism.
For its part, China continued to stick to its stand saying that its decision is based on facts and fairness.
Defending the stand, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying yesterday said "we oppose double standard in counter terrorism campaign."
"We have been dealing with the listing (of terrorists by UN) matter in accordance with the facts and relevant resolutions. We are also in sound communication with all relevant parties including the Indian side," she said.
Considering the heat generated over it, the issue was expected to figure prominently between Doval and Yang.
How the World Health Organization's cancer agency confuses consumers
By Kate Kelland, LONDON, April 20, 2016, (Reuters):
Thanks to scientists working under the auspices of the World Health Organization, you can be fairly sure your toothbrush won't give you cancer. Over four decades, a WHO research agency has assessed 989 substances and activities, ranging from arsenic to hairdressing, and found only one was "probably not" likely to cause cancer in humans. It was an ingredient in nylon used in stretchy yoga pants and toothbrush bristles.
All the other 988 substances, however, pose some level of risk or need further research, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is an arm of the WHO. Some things in IARC's top category of carcinogens are pretty obvious nasties, such as plutonium, mustard gas and smoking tobacco. Others are more surprising: Also ranked as "Group 1 Carcinogens" are wood dust and Chinese salted fish.
IARC has said that working as a painter causes cancer, using a mobile phone possibly does, and working shifts as a pilot or a nurse, for example - is "probably carcinogenic." Last October, it ranked processed meats in its top category of known carcinogens, alongside plutonium.
The findings have caused consternation, not least for non-scientists puzzled by what IARC's rankings mean.
As a global authority on cancer - a disease that kills more than 8 million people a year worldwide, with more than 14 million new cases appearing annually - IARC has enormous influence and commands much respect, even among its critics. Yet experts from academia, industry and public health say IARC confuses the public and policymakers. Some critics say the way IARC considers and communicates whether substances are carcinogenic is flawed and needs reform.
Even the WHO, which oversees IARC, was caught off guard by the agency's announcement that red and processed meat should be classified respectively as probable and known carcinogens. The WHO's official spokesman, Gregory Hartl, issued a statement saying WHO's Geneva headquarters had been flooded with queries and requests for clarification. IARC's ruling did not mean people should stop eating meat, he said.
Asked about the relationship between IARC and the WHO, Hartl told Reuters: "WHO works closely and continually with IARC to improve the way the two bodies collaborate and communicate on the knowledge of potential and real hazards and risks to the public."
At stake are judgments that can affect the lives of millions of people and the economic activities of states and multinational companies. IARC's rulings influence many things, from whether chemicals are licensed for use in industry to whether consumers choose or spurn certain products or lifestyles.
But its methods are poorly understood and do not serve the public well, according to Bob Tarone, a statistician formerly at America's National Cancer Institute and now Biostatistics Director at the International Epidemiology Institute. He said of the way IARC works: "It's not good for science, it's not good for regulatory agencies. And for people? Well, they are just being confused."
Paolo Boffetta worked at IARC for 19 years, rising to become head of the genetics and epidemiology team, and describes himself as "still a strong supporter" of the agency. Nevertheless, Boffetta, now at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the United States, said IARC's approach sometimes lacks "scientific rigour" because its judgments can involve experts reviewing their own research or that of colleagues.
Some institutions have also clashed with IARC. The agency is currently embroiled in an acrimonious dispute with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) over glyphosate, an ingredient of widely-used pesticides. IARC says glyphosate is "probably carcinogenic." EFSA says it isn't. The glyphosate row has thrown up concerns about potential conflicts of interest at IARC: It involves an adviser to the agency who is closely linked to the Environmental Defense Fund, a U.S. campaign group opposed to pesticides. (See ).
In the face of its critics, IARC steadfastly defends its methods and aims. "This is really the strongest possible process," Kurt Straif, the head of IARC's classification programme, told Reuters when asked about the way his agency evaluates possible causes of cancer.
IARC's director, Chris Wild, has also defended the agency against criticism in scientific journals. In a letter to one of the journals, he said the scientists involved in its classification decisions "are motivated by a desire to improve public health by identifying the causes of human cancer and thereby contributing to disease prevention."
Richard Sullivan, a professor of cancer policy and global health at King's College London, says any confusion is due to a widespread misunderstanding of IARC's role.
"IARC is purely there to do the science. And the science is absolutely fine," he told Reuters. "But there is a disjunction between the pure science and the policy and public health messaging. That's where problems arise."
SEMI-DETACHED AGENCY
From the beginning, IARC has been a compromise. Born out of a French initiative, it was originally envisaged as an independent agency with a huge budget. It ended up as a semi-autonomous part of the WHO with modest funds. IARC, based in Lyon, had revenue of about 30 million euros ($34 million) in 2014, whereas the British charity Cancer Research UK had income of about $875 million and the U.S. government's National Cancer Institute had a budget of $4.9 billion in 2014.
Despite its limited financial heft, IARC was a pioneer and established itself as a world-leading authority. Its assessments of whether something is a cause of cancer catch the eyes and ears of policymakers and the public.
To produce its assessments, IARC assembles groups of experts who review the existing scientific evidence and then place a substance or activity in one of five categories: carcinogenic to humans; probably carcinogenic; possibly carcinogenic; not classifiable as carcinogenic; and probably not carcinogenic. These reports are known as "monographs."
The public sometimes misunderstands what IARC means by its classifications. The agency says it assesses "hazard" - the strength of evidence about whether a substance or activity can cause cancer in any way. It takes no account of typical levels of human exposure or consumption. So it is not measuring "risk" or the likelihood of a person getting cancer from something.
IARC gives no view on the relative levels of risk of getting cancer from, say, plutonium or alcohol; what it does say is that there is clear evidence that both are capable of causing cancer. Therefore it ranks both substances in its top category of being carcinogenic.
Geoffrey Kabat, a cancer epidemiologist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the United States who has publicly criticised IARC, says the classifications do the public "a disservice."
"What the public wants to know is: What are the agents in our surroundings that are likely to have palpable effects on our health? Not theoretical exposures which might, under some far-fetched conditions, possibly have an effect," said Kabat, who is also author of the book "Hyping Health Risks."
The risks of public misapprehension were evident in some of the media reaction to IARC's announcement on red and processed meats. The Huffington Post declared: "Meat is the new tobacco." Britain's Daily Mail said "health chiefs" had "put processed meat on same level as cigarettes."
Such interpretations are misleading, in IARC's view. Straif told Reuters that the blame for any confusion lies with industry, activist groups and the media.
"There are stakeholders on various sides that want to make it look ridiculous," he said. "There are activist groups who want to say, 'This is now an IARC carcinogen and we need to take all actions against it'. And then there is a third dimension - the media, who have their own interests in being sensational."
Straif defended the decision to place processed meat in the same hazard category as plutonium, saying that "for both of these things there is clear evidence that these are human carcinogens."
"NAIVE, IF NOT ANTI-SCIENTIFIC"
Some critics say the problems with IARC's monographs begin well before they become headlines. Their concerns focus on the composition of the "expert working groups" that decide which of the five IARC categories a substance or activity should go in. These experts sometimes include people who have spent years publishing research on whether the substance or activity under scrutiny can cause cancer. They may be part of IARC working groups that review their own research or that of close colleagues.
Between 2012 and 2015, for example, IARC published or started 18 monographs involving 314 scientists. A Reuters analysis found that at least 61 of those scientists served on monograph working groups that considered their own scientific research. The analysis did not include the number of scientists on working groups that reviewed the research of close colleagues.
In letters, commentaries and articles in scientific journals, Tarone of the International Epidemiology Institute and other scientists have questioned whether such people "are the best judges of the validity and methodological soundness of their own and allied work."
IARC's Straif said the agency's working groups consist of "the world's best experts" who critically review the scientific evidence and are not swayed by previous findings in their own work, or that of close colleagues. "IARC has a strong belief, for good reasons, that those who know the most about certain exposures are those who have worked on such exposures," he said.
Straif said IARC's rules ensure no "author or associated colleague" can directly evaluate a study they have published. And neutrality is assured, he said, because the discussions involve 20 to 30 people in an environment where "advocacy of any kind ... is not tolerated."
Tarone regards IARC's assumption that all experts will be detached and independent as "naive, if not anti-scientific." He told Reuters: "It's absurd to assert there are no issues of bias related to self-interest, reputation or careerism. It has nothing to do with bad motives, it's just human nature."
Tarone and other critics say IARC is inconsistent in its treatment of potential conflicts of interest and cite as an example a study of radiation of the sort emitted by mobile phones. In June 2011, IARC concluded such radiation is "possibly carcinogenic." That ranking put mobile phone use in the same category as lead and chloroform.
Anders Ahlbom, a senior professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, was originally invited to chair the working group on electromagnetic radio frequencies in May 2011. However, Ahlbom, who thinks there is little evidence to suggest mobile phones cause cancer, was asked to step down about a week before the meeting was due to begin after he told IARC he had been contacted by a journalist. The journalist had questioned him about being on the board of his brother's consulting firm, which helps clients lobby on telecoms issues.
IARC decided that Ahlbom had a perceived conflict of interest. Ahlbom accepted this decision, although he said there was no conflict since he had no financial interest in his brother's company. Ahlbom said his departure upset the balance of the IARC working group, which, he and five other scientists said, included researchers who already viewed mobile phones as likely to raise the risk of brain tumours.
"It appears that IARC handles conflicts of interest differently depending on who the person is and which 'side' he is assumed to represent," Ahlbom told Reuters.
Straif said IARC "takes all conflicts of interest seriously, regardless of the individuals or organisations involved." He said that Ahlbom's exit from the working group did not leave it with an imbalance.
"It is difficult to perceive how a strong working group of 32 internationally renowned experts would suddenly not have a balance anymore because of one single expert who had a conflict," he said.
SEEING RED
At the meetings of IARC working groups, invited observers who have "relevant scientific credentials" are allowed to attend; but they have to sign confidentiality agreements and cannot discuss the proceedings. Straif says this is to ensure the scientists can speak candidly, without fear of having their disagreements or discussions reported externally without their consent.
One observer, a specialist in food and animal science who attended the working group on red and processed meats in 2015, spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The person alleged that the expert panel reviewing the scientific evidence appeared to aim for a specific result.
In its meat assessment, IARC went beyond its normal remit of assessing hazard, not risk. It gave specific warnings about the risk of eating red and processed meat products.
IARC said, for example, that for each 50 gram piece of processed meat eaten daily, the risk of a person developing colon cancer increases by 18 percent. The observer who spoke to Reuters said these data appeared "to come from nowhere, overnight."
The observer said: "I expected that the science would be reviewed with a high level of rigour. But quite frankly, at the end of the 10 days, from a scientific standpoint I was really quite shocked."
Straif said the numbers came from "a combined analysis" of the scientific papers under review, and were issued by IARC because there was sufficient evidence in human epidemiological studies for the working group experts to feel confident in them.
Straif told Reuters parts of the working group discussions may have been missed by some observers: "We really worked around the clock, up late into the night and all weekend, so I'm not sure if the observers were there at all times."
In a subsequent email to Reuters, he said the risk estimates and corresponding scientific papers were part of the monograph discussions from "the very first working drafts and through all revisions." He added: "It is very difficult to understand how any participant could have missed this discussion."
While not disagreeing with IARC's assessment of meat as a carcinogen, the WHO headquarters issued a series of tweets giving context. The WHO stressed that "the health risks of processed meat are vastly different of those cigarettes and asbestos" and that "meat provides a number of essential nutrients and, when consumed in moderation, has a place in a healthy diet."
The controversy has raised questions at WHO headquarters about the organisation's control over IARC. "There is talk here now of needing to rein IARC in," said a Geneva-based WHO insider.
Charles Clift, a global public health specialist at the Centre on Global Health Security at Britain's Chatham House, said the WHO should have taken more of a role in IARC's presentation of its conclusions on red and processed meat.
"The WHO should be there to give authoritative guidance," Clift said, "not just endorse things that can be misinterpreted - either from IARC or anybody else."
The WHO's spokesman, Hartl, told Reuters that IARC was a "functionally independent" agency, and that when IARC flags up cancer hazards, the "WHO assesses or re-assesses the levels of risk associated with those hazards. Based on the risk assessment, WHO reaffirms existing or issues new guidance aimed at safeguarding public health."
Straif of IARC said: "I'm very happy with the way we do things at the moment. We are really at the head of the scientific community."
