US,Russia,India driving China's nuclear modernisation:Pentagon

Washington, May 14, 2016 (PTI)

The defence capabilities possessed by the US, Russia and India are among the main factors driving China to modernise its nuclear force and bolster its strategic strike capabilities, the Pentagon has said.

In a report to Congress detailing China's nuclear power, Pentagon yesterday said the country was deploying new command, control and communications capabilities to its nuclear forces to improve control of multiple units in the field.

China, it said, insists that the new generation of mobile missiles, with warheads consisting of multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) and penetration aids, are intended to ensure the viability of its strategic deterrent in the face of continued advances in the US and, to a lesser extent, Russian strategic ISR (Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), precision strike, and missile defence capabilities.

"Similarly, India's nuclear force is additional driver behind China's nuclear force modernisation," the Pentagon said in its report.

Through the use of improved communication links, ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) units now have better access to battlefield information and uninterrupted communications connecting all command echelons, the report said.

According to the Pentagon, China is working on a range of technologies to attempt to counter the US and other countries' ballistic missile defence systems, including manoeuvrable re-entry vehicles (MaRVs), MIRVs, decoys, chaff, jamming, and thermal shielding.

China has acknowledged that it tested a hypersonic glide vehicle in 2014. The country's official media also cited numerous PLASAF (Peoples Liberation Army Second Artillery Force) training exercises featuring manoeuvre, camouflage, and launch operations under simulated combat conditions, which are intended to increase survivability, it said.

Together with the increased mobility and survivability of the new generation of missiles, these technologies and training enhancements strengthen China's nuclear force and bolster its strategic strike capabilities. 

China's nuclear arsenal currently consists of approximately 75-100 ICBMs, including the silo-based CSS-4 Mod 2 (DF-5A) and Mod 3(DF-5B), the solid-fueled, road-mobile CSS-10 Mod 1 and Mod 2 (DF-31 and DF-31A), and the more-limited-range CSS-3 (DF-4).

This force is complemented by road-mobile, solid-fueled CSS-5 Mod 6 (DF-21) MRBM for regional deterrence missions.

Pentagon said China's nuclear weapons policy prioritises maintaining a nuclear force able to survive an attack and to respond with sufficient strength to inflict unacceptable damage on an enemy.

"Further increases in the number of mobile ICBMs and the beginning of SSBN deterrence patrols will force the PLA to implement more sophisticated C2 systems and processes that safeguard the integrity of nuclear release authority for a larger, more dispersed force," it said.

The Pentagon said China continues to produce the JIN-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), with four commissioned and another under construction.

The JIN will eventually carry the CSS-NX-14 (JL-2) SLBM (submarine-launched ballistic missile) with an estimated range of 7,200 km. Together these will give the PLAN its first credible long-range sea-based nuclear capability. JIN SSBNs based at Hainan Island in the South China Sea would then be able to conduct nuclear deterrence patrols, it said.

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China has deployed more troops near Indian border: Pentagon

Washington, May 14, 2016 (PTI)

China has increased defence capabilities and deployed more troops along the Indian border, the Pentagon has said, as it warned of increasing Chinese military presence including bases in various parts of the world, particularly Pakistan.

"We have noticed an increase in capability and force posture by the Chinese military in areas close to the border with India," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for East Asia Abraham M Denmark told reporters during a news conference here after Pentagon submitted its annual 2016 report to the US Congress on 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China'.

However, Denmark said it is difficult to conclude on the real intention behind this. "It is difficult to say how much of this is driven by internal considerations to maintain internal stability, and how much of it is an external consideration," he said in response to a question on China upgrading its military command in Tibet.

Referring to US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter's recent trip to India, Denmark said he had a very positive and productive visit.

"We're going to continue to enhance our bilateral engagement with India, not in the China context, but because India is an increasingly important player by themselves. And we are going to engage India because of its value," he said.

The Defence Department also warned of China's increasing military presence including bases in various parts of the world, in particular Pakistan - with which it has a "longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests".

China's expanding international economic interests are increasing demands for the PLA Navy (PLAN) to operate in more distant seas to protect Chinese citizens, investments, and critical sea lines of communication, it said.

"China most likely will seek to establish additional naval logistics hubs in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and a precedent for hosting foreign militaries," the report said.

The Pentagon in its report expressed its concerns about Chinese military buildup near the Indian border.

"Tensions remain along disputed portions of the Sino- Indian border, where both sides patrol with armed forces.

"After a five-day military standoff in September 2015 at Burtse in Northern Ladakh, China and India held a senior-level flag-officer meeting, agreed to maintain peace, and retreated to positions mutually acceptable to both sides," it said.

The Pentagon said tensions remain with India along their shared 4,057-km border over Arunachal Pradesh (which China asserts is part of Tibet and, therefore, of China), and over the Askai Chin region at the western end of the Tibetan Plateau, despite increases in China-India political and economic relations. 

"China's interests are getting more global as their economy expands and as their economy grows more sophisticated and modern. Their interests are growing more global, which we see as a primary driver for, for instance, in the announcement of establishing a facility in Djibouti," Denmark said.

"And so naturally, it's understandable that they would be operating in new areas. But that does not include a value statement about the intentions behind these actions or the effects of these actions," he said.

The Pentagon said as China's global footprint and international interests grow, its military modernisation programme has become more focussed on investments and infrastructure to support a range of missions beyond its periphery, including power projection, sea lane security, counterpiracy, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance.

People Liberation Army's (PLA) global operations in 2015 included counterpiracy patrols, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, exercises, and sea lane security operations.

China's November 2015 public confirmation of its intention to build its first overseas military support facility in Djibouti likely reflects this more global outlook, as it will be utilised to sustain the PLAN's operations at greater distances from China, it said.

However, China's overseas naval logistics aspiration may be constrained by the willingness of countries to support a PLAN presence in one of their ports.

The Pentagon said Pakistan remains China's primary customer for conventional weapons. China engages in both arms sales and defense industrial cooperation with Pakistan, including LY-80 surface-to-air missile systems, F-22P frigates with helicopters, main battle tank production, air-to-air missiles, and anti-ship cruise missiles. In June 2014, Pakistan started co-producing the first two of 50 Block 2 JF-17s, which is an upgraded version of the Block I JF-17, it said.

In October 2013, Chinese and Indian officials signed the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement, which supplements existing procedures managing the interaction of forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The report said that China and India continue to accuse each other of frequent incursions and military build-ups along the disputed territories, with the most recent incident occurring in September 2015 along the LAC at Burtse in Northern Ladakh. After a five-day standoff, China and India held a senior-level flag meeting and agreed to maintain peace and retreat to positions mutually acceptable to both sides.

Noting that China's use of force in territorial disputes has varied widely throughout its history, it said some disputes led to war, such as China's border conflicts with India in 1962 and Vietnam in 1979.

In more recent cases, China has been willing to compromise with and even offer concessions to its neighbours.

Since 1998, China has settled 11 land-based territorial disputes with six of its neighbours. In recent years, China has adopted a coercive approach that eschews military conflict in order to deal with several disputes continue over exclusive economic zones and ownership of potentially rich, offshore oil and gas deposits, the Pentagon said. 

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UN official lauds India's move to tackle abuse by peacekeepers

United Nations, May 14, 2016 (PTI)

A top UN official has lauded efforts undertaken by India and other nations in designating focal points to facilitate paternity and child support claims in case of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against peacekeepers.

Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare told the General Assembly that India, Benin, Ecuador and Uruguay, though not necessarily facing paternity allegations, have taken steps to designate national paternity focal points and expressed hope that other nations will follow the example.

Against the backdrop of challenges being faced and progress being made to end the exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers, Khare yesterday said priority must be for the organisation to provide victims with support and assistance.

In 2015, the UN made progress in facilitating paternity and child support claims against peacekeepers, underlining that the practice of designating national paternity focal points helps to address some of the challenges for a victim in bringing claims in the country of nationality of the alleged father, he said.

"We have seen best practices emerge in this regard. Recently four countries - not necessarily facing paternity allegations - Benin, Ecuador, India and Uruguay – have informed the Secretariat of focal points designated for this function and we look forward to positive response from more members states," he said.

Khare said Sri Lanka in particular has arranged a one-time ex-gratia payment to a victim and child born as a result of sexual exploitation and abuse.

No Indian peacekeeper was found guilty of any wrongdoing in a new report that was launched in March and that for the first time identified nationalities of UN peacekeeping personnel involved in sexual abuse against citizens.

As many as 69 allegations of sexual exploitation were received by the UN against its peacekeepers last year, according to the report.

Reiterating that there can be no impunity for sexual exploitation and abuse, Khare said that if allegations are substantiated, the UN "takes all action within its control".

"We have the responsibility to take administrative action and sanction all civilians, including individual consultants and contractors. The authority, though, to sanction or criminally prosecute personnel is under the exclusive jurisdiction of Member States," he said.

Khare said among the organisation's immediate priorities has been to provide protection and support to the victims, reiterating the need for collective efforts to put stronger measures in place to ensure prevention and greater accountability. 

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India is ready for NSG membership: US

Washington, May 14, 2016 (PTI)

Amid reports that China and Pakistan are jointly opposing India's bid for the Nuclear Suppliers Group membership, the US today said India meets missile technology control regime requirements and is ready for entry into the exclusive club.

"I'd point you back to what the president said during his visit to India in 2015, where he reaffirmed that the US view was that India meets missile technology control regime requirements and is ready for NSG membership," State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference.

His remarks came in response to a question on reports that China and Pakistan have joined hands to oppose India becoming a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

"I'm going to refer you to the governments of China and Pakistan with respect to their positions on India's membership," Kirby said.

"Deliberations about the prospects of new members joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group are an internal matter among current members," he said.

Defending its move to block India's entry into the NSG, China today claimed that several members of the 48-nation bloc shared its view that signing of the NPT was an "important" standard for the NSG's expansion.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in Beijing that not only China but also a lot of other NSG members are of the view that Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the cornerstone for safeguarding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Asked about reports that China is pushing Pakistan's entry into NSG linking it to India's admission into the bloc, Lu said the NSG is an important part of NPT, which has been the consensus of the international community for long.

Although India is not part of the NSG, Indian side recognises this consensus, he claimed. India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan were the four UN member states which have not signed the NPT, the international pact aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

Last month, Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had said China has helped Pakistan to stall India's bid to get NSG membership. 

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Imran admits forming offshore company to 'evade British taxes'

Islamabad, May 14, 2016, (PTI)

Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has admitted forming an offshore company to buy a flat in London over two decades ago to evade British taxes, drawing sharp reaction from his political opponents who criticised him for repeatedly denying possession of any such firm.

Khan, in a dramatic admission, said that he formed an offshore company to buy a London flat in 1983 to evade British taxes, a day after his party officially announced that Imran did not own any such company.

"I was already paying 35 per cent tax on my income there, so to evade further taxes, I bought the flat through an offshore firm, which was my right as I was not a British citizen," Imran said at London's Heathrow Airport yesterday.

The admission came in the midst of his virulent campaign against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign after his two sons and a daughter were named in Panama Paper leaks as having offshore companies.

Panama Papers, a massive leak of 11.5 million tax documents that reportedly exposed the secret offshore dealings of around 140 political figures globally, named three of Sharif's four children -- Maryam, Hasan and Hussain -- listing them as owners of offshore companies.

Khan's party spokesperson Naeemul Haq admitted that his party chief had formed a 'legal' offshore company through his earnings from cricket, which owned his London flat.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif criticised Khan for repeatedly denying the possession of any offshore firm.

Moreover, Sharif's daughter Maryam, through her Twitter account, termed Khan the "pioneer" of offshore companies.

Pakistan's information minister Pervaiz Rashid demanded Khan to quit politics for demanding probe against those having offshore companies.

Rashid termed Khan as the "godfather" of those having offshore companies as he was among the first Pakistanis who had this idea of "dodging" tax authorities.

"He has lost moral authority to be in politics as now it is established that he was hiding facts," the minister said.

He also said that at least six senior member of Khan's PTI own such companies which the highest number of people from a Pakistani political party.

"By his own definition of offshore entities, Khan and his party members are involved in white collar crime," said Rashid.

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Trump has a history of questionable behavior with women

May 14, 2016, (Reuters): -

Interviews with dozens of women who have worked for Donald Trump or interacted with him socially reveal a pattern of often unsettling personal behavior by the Republican presidential candidate, The New York Times reported on Saturday.
The Times, which said it based the article on more than 50 interviews, quoted women who recounted episodes in which he treated women as sexual objects and made comments about their bodies. But some women said Trump had encouraged them in their careers and promoted them within his businesses, often in positions in which women tended to be excluded.

When asked about the unflattering incidents described in the article, Trump either denied that they took place or disputed the details, the newspaper said.

"A lot of things get made up over the years," Trump told the Times. "I have always treated women with great respect."

A Trump representative did not immediately respond to a request by Reuters for comment.

Barbara Res, who oversaw construction of Trump's Manhattan business headquarters, said he would sometimes interrupt meetings with comments about women's figures.

During a job interview for a Los Angeles project, for example, Trump made a random aside about Southern California women. "They take care of their asses," Res recalled Trump saying.

Years later, when Res says she had gained weight, she said Trump told her: "You like your candy."

Even so, Res, who worked for Trump for 12 years before quitting and then came back as a consultant for six more, said she was grateful to Trump for her professional opportunities, though she said he frequently called her "Honey Bunch," the Times reported.

Trump also earned a reputation for being seen with beautiful women dating back to his days at a New York military-style boarding school where he was named "ladies' man" in the yearbook, the Times reported.

Barbara Fife, a deputy New York mayor in the 1990s, recalls Trump telling her at her City Hall office that he was in a hurry because he had "a great date tonight with a model for Victoria's Secret," she told the Times.

"I saw it as immature, quite honestly," Fife was quoted as saying.

As a candidate, Trump has made frequent references to his record in business as evidence of how American women would benefit if he is elected. He has often said that no one "cherishes" or "respects" women more than him.

Some of those interviewed praised Trump for giving women positions of power.

"I think there are mischaracterizations about him," Jill Martin, assistant counsel at the Trump Organization, told the Times. "For me, he's made it a situation where I can really excel at my job and still devote the time necessary for my family."

The story comes less than two weeks after the last of Trump's Republican rivals dropped out, all but assuring him the party's presidential nomination this summer.

Throughout his improbable campaign, Trump has managed to deflect criticism about his attitude to women, fueled by verbal insults he lobbed at Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly and former Republican candidate Carly Fiorina.

(Reporting by Frank McGurty; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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ISIS declares emergency in self-declared capital: US official

Washington, May 15, 2016, (PTI):

ISIS has declared a state of emergency in their de-facto capital of Raqqa in Syria, a US official has said while asserting that the dreaded terror network is feeling "threatened".
"We have seen this declaration of emergency in Raqqa, whatever that means," Colonel Steve Warren, the spokesman for the US-led anti-ISIS coalition, was quoted as saying by CNN.

"We know this enemy feels threatened, as they should," he said.

US military officials are closely watching social media and news reports that say ISIS believes it may soon come under siege in Raqqa, Syria, its self-declared capital, the report said.

Media reports have indicated that ISIS is moving personnel around the city and trying to put up covers in certain areas to shield potential targets from airstrikes and ground attacks.

"We've had reports of ISIL repositioning both their combat capabilities, I guess what they think may be coming next," Warren said, using another name for ISIS.

"And we've seen reports of them repositioning personnel ... either within the city or even out of the city."

US military also notes that the movement of fighters who have been well dug in throughout Raqqa could give overhead surveillance aircraft an improved chance of finding and targeting them.

And while the US has not officially said it believes ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi still remains in or around Raqqa, several officials say that has continued to be a working assumption.

However, they are monitoring any potential intelligence that he could be in other locations as well.

"Baghdadi remains extremely careful" about his personal security, a US defence official was quoted as saying.

The US will continue to try to find him, the official said. But even if he is located and captured or killed, the US assessment is that it would not immediately change the scope and capability of ISIS operations, because there are other leaders ready to step in.

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Militant arrested over murder of Bangla gay activists

Dhaka, May 15, 2016, (PTI):

Bangladesh police today arrested a suspected Islamic militant from a banned terror group over the hacking to death of the country's first gay magazine editor and his friend amidst a string of murders of secular bloggers, writers and minorities in the Muslim-majority nation.
Xulhaz Mannan, editor of a magazine for Bangladesh's gay and lesbian community, and fellow activist Mahbub Tonoy were hacked to death in an apartment here on April 25 by up to seven attackers carrying machetes and guns.

The 37-year-old suspect, Shariful Islam alias Shihab, was arrested from Kushtia early today, said Dhaka metro police (DMP) spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sardar.

"He is a member of the banned Ansarullah Bangla Team," Dhaka counter-terrorism chief Monirul Islam said.

At a press conference, police said Shihab owned one of two guns that were used in the twin murders.

Islam said Shihab's arrest was a "breakthrough" in the high-profile case.

"They killed the gay rights activists because they were creating confusion about Islam," Islam said.

Police said that the suspect belongs to a banned Islamist militant outfit, the Ansarullah Bangla Team.

"Shihab is an activist of the Ansarullah Bangla Team. They have been hiding in Khulna since the killing," Detective Branch Deputy Commissioner Mashrukur Rahman Khaled.
On the evening of April 25, assailants barged into the apartment of Xulhaz Mannan, a programme officer with the USAID and an editor of Bangladesh's first LGBT magazine.

Xulhaz and his theatre activist friend Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy were hacked with meat cleavers on their head and neck, which forensic experts said was to ensure instant death.

Militant outfit 'Ansar Al Islam', which claims to be the Bangladesh affiliate of al-Qaeda, had claimed responsibility for the killings as well as six other previous killings of bloggers-online activists and the publisher.

Witnesses said five to seven people, clad in T-shirts and jeans, were involved in the killings and fled the scene after firing from guns, shouting 'Allahu Akbar'.

The attackers also injured a security guard of the building. A patrol police officer was also injured while trying to stop the attackers.

The polie officer, however, managed to snatch a bag from one of the assailants, inside which two firearms, ammunitions and a mobile phone were found.

Xulhaz's family filed a case over the murders against the unidentified men while police initiated another case over the attack on one of its men and the seizure of firearms.

The United States had condemned the killings of Tonoy and Mannan, who worked for US government aid organisation USAID.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent weeks especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

In the latest attack, a 70-year-old Buddhist monk was hacked to death yesterday inside a remote monastery in Bangladesh, with police saying the incident bore the hallmark of previous killings of secular bloggers and minorities by Islamists.

A liberal professor was brutally hacked to death last month by machete-wielding ISIS militants who slit his throat near his home in Rajshahi city.

On April 30, a Hindu tailor was also hacked to death by machete-wielding ISIS militants in his shop.

The ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Indian Peninsula have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks although the government denies their presence in Bangladesh.

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Myanmar nationals among 3 arrested for monk's murder in B'desh

Dhaka, May 15, 2016, (PTI)

Three persons, including two Myanmar nationals, were today arrested in Bangladesh in connection with the brutal killing of a 70-year-old Buddhist monk inside a remote monastery, police said on the latest attack on minorities in the Muslim-majority nation.

Two Rohingyas - Abdur Rahim, 25, and Md Zia, 26 - besides Sa Mong Chak, 35, were picked up from their homes in different areas this morning, Naikhyongchharhi police station officer- in-charge Abul Khayer said.

The development comes a day after Mawng Shoi Wuu, chief of the monastery located in Bandarban hill district's remote and rugged Naikkhangchari area, was found with his throat slit, in a killing that bears the hallmark of previous murders of intellectuals and minorities by Islamists in the country.

Mawng used to live alone at the monastery Chak Nirvana Bouddha Kyang, situated some 230 metres away from the nearest village Uppar Chak Para where his family members live.

His family filed a police case over the murder yesterday.

The two Rohingya men were seen loitering near the monastery on Thursday following which the monk told his son about the two unidentified men and that he was feeling unsafe since then, the Daily Star quoted Khayer as saying.

He had also told his son that 'something unexpected will happen to me and you should stay alert'.

Today's arrests coincide with the nabbing of a suspected Islamist militant over the hacking to death of the country's first gay magazine editor and his friend here on April 25.

Bangladesh has been reeling under a series of systematic assaults in recent weeks especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

The monk's killing comes exactly a week after a 65-year- old Muslim Sufi preacher was hacked to death in a similar attack by unidentified machete-wielding assailants in northwestern Rajshahi city.

A liberal professor was brutally hacked to death last month by machete-wielding ISIS militants who slit his throat near his home in Rajshahi city, and just two days later, the gay magazine editor was brutally murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka.

On April 30, a Hindu tailor was also hacked to death by machete-wielding ISIS militants in his shop in central Bangladesh.

The ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Indian Peninsula have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks though the government denies their presence in Bangladesh.

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Maoists still a force 50 years after the Cultural Revolution

Luoyang (China), May 15, 2016, (AP)

Fifty years after Mao Zedong unleashed the decade-long Cultural Revolution to reassert his authority and revive his radical communist agenda, the spirit of modern China's founder still exerts a powerful pull.

Millions of people were persecuted, publicly humiliated, beaten or killed during the upheaval, as zealous factionalism metastasized countrywide, tearing apart Chinese society at a most basic level.

It was only in 1981, five years after Mao's death that China's government officially pronounced the Cultural Revolution "a catastrophe".

But in the ancient city of Luoyang, the old, the poor and the marginalised gather daily in the main public square to profess nostalgia for the decade-long political movement, downplaying that period's violent excesses.

"Either it's because people have forgotten the Cultural Revolution or are increasingly dissatisfied with social conditions, but since the mid-1990s these kinds of ideas have been gaining currency," said Xu Youyu, a former Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher.

Maoists have largely embraced President Xi Jinping as one of their own, though he has never endorsed their views outright, and the nuances of his personal ideology especially on economic matters remain a cipher. Many see encouraging echoes of Mao's political style in Xi's crusade against corrupt party bureaucrats, and in his staunchly populist rhetoric, nationalistic bent and repeated demands for ideological conformity.

Grassroots Maoism has been "blossoming in every corner" in the past few years as social media has taken off, said Han Deqiang, a prominent Maoist lecturer and professor at Beihang University in Beijing.

The Cultural Revolution is considered to have begun May 16, 1966. Mao's "Little Red Book" of sayings was elevated to the level of holy scripture, and millions were imprisoned, sent to labor camps or exiled from the cities.

Still, in Luoyang, a 3,000-year-old city in the central province of Henan, nearly every day retired or unemployed workers sing odes to Mao under a billowing Communist Party flag at Zhouwangcheng Plaza.

Thousands of decommissioned army veterans have been petitioning for years for retirement benefits, which have led to confrontations with police, said veteran Qin Shuiyan.

Perhaps no one has drawn Luoyang authorities' ire more than Wang Xianfeng, a 57-year-old retiree who in recent years has pulled together Maoist rallies with thousands of people, prompting multiple crackdowns.

She discusses Maoist thought semi-weekly in a rented home and organizes followers who distribute thousands of pamphlets.

Wang was sentenced to two years in a labor camp in 2010. In her eyes, Xi is leading a new Cultural Revolution.

Maoism nationwide remains loosely organized, however. The community is bound mostly online by blogs and forums.

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Obama criticises Trump's policies on Muslims, border

Washington, May 16, 2016, (PTI):

President Barack Obama has taken a swipe at presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's plans to ban Muslims from entering America and build walls between the US and other nations, saying the biggest challenges cannot be solved in isolation.
Though he did not name Trump, Obama made it clear what he thinks about the 69-year-old real estate tycoon's campaign and policy proposals in a highly political commencement speech at Rutgers University yesterday.

"The world is more interconnected than ever before, and it's becoming more connected every day. Building walls won't change that," Obama said apparently referring to Trump's proposals to build a wall at the US-Mexico border.

The President also told the graduates to stand up to those who say that America was better in the past. He also asked graduates to tout their knowledge and not brag about their ignorance.

"Just as America is better, the world is better than when I graduated. Since I graduated, an Iron Curtain fell, apartheid ended. There's more democracy. We virtually eliminated certain diseases like polio. We've cut extreme poverty drastically. We've cut infant mortality by an enormous amount," he said.

"Now, I say all these things not to make you complacent.  We've got a bunch of big problems to solve."

"Look, as President, my first responsibility is always the security and prosperity of the United States. And as citizens, we all rightly put our country first. But if the past two decades have taught us anything, it's that the biggest challenges we face cannot be solved in isolation," he said amidst applause.

"When overseas states start falling apart, they become breeding grounds for terrorists and ideologies of nihilism and despair that ultimately can reach our shores. When developing countries don't have functioning health systems, epidemics like Zika or Ebola can spread and threaten Americans, too.  And a wall won't stop that," Obama said.

"If we want to close loopholes that allow large corporations and wealthy individuals to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, we’ve got to have the cooperation of other countries in a global financial system to help enforce financial laws," he said.

Obama said building a wall is neither going to create jobs nor accelerate economy.
He also challenged the notion that Muslims should be banned from the United States, something Trump proposed in December.

"Isolating or disparaging Muslims, suggesting that they should be treated differently when it comes to entering this country, that is not just a betrayal of our values. That's not just a betrayal of who we are -- it would alienate the very communities at home and abroad who are our most important partners in the fight against extremism," said the outgoing American president. 


"Suggesting that we can build an endless wall along our borders, and blame our challenges on immigrants -- that doesn't just run counter to our history as the world's melting pot; it contradicts the evidence that our growth and our innovation and our dynamism has always been spurred by our ability to attract strivers from every corner of the globe," Obama said.
Obama also took a dig at Trump's views on climate change.

"When our leaders express a disdain for facts, when they’re not held accountable for repeating falsehoods and just making stuff up, while actual experts are dismissed as elitists, then we've got a problem," he said.

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Brazilian prez suspended, to face trial

Brasilia, May 12, 2016, AFP:

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was suspended on Thursday to face impeachment, in a political earthquake ending 13 years of leftist rule over Latin America’s biggest nation. Rousseff has ceded her power to her vice-president-turned-enemy Michel Temer.

A nearly 22-hour debate in the Senate closed with an overwhelming 55-22 vote against Brazil’s first female president. Pro-impeachment senators broke into applause. Only a simple majority of the 81-member Senate had been required to suspend Rousseff for 6 months.

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Trump's ex-butler calls for Obama to be killed

Washington, May 13, 2016, (PTI):

A former butler of Donald Trump, who has worked for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for 17 years, has called for killing US President Barack Obama in a hate message posted on Facebook, prompting the Secret Service to investigate the matter.
The Trump campaign has denounced the message and distanced itself from what it described as a "horrible statement" made by Trump's longtime former butler 84-year-old Anthony Senecal.

Senecal worked as Trump's butler for 17 years before being named the in-house historian at the tycoon's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

The Secret Service, which has the responsibility to protect the US President and his family, said it would investigate the matter.

"The US Secret Service is aware of this matter and will conduct the appropriate investigation," its spokesman Robert Hoback said.

In a message posted on Facebook, Senecal, 84, expressed profound hatred for President Barack Obama and declared he should be killed, according to Mother Jones magazine which first reported the massage.

The message could only be read by Senecal's friends and is not public. A picture of the message was posted by Mother Jones in its news report yesterday.

"I wrote that (Facebook message). I believe that," Senecal was quoted as saying by Mother Jones.

"To all my friends on FB, just a short note to you on our pus headed "president" !!!! This character who I refer to as zero (0) should have been taken out by our military and shot as an enemy agent in his first term !!!!!," Senecal said in his Facebook post.

"Instead he still remains in office doing every thing he can to gut the America we all know and love !!!!! Now comes Donald J Trump to put an end to the corruption in government !!!!," the post reads.

The hate message was immediately condemned by the Trump Campaign.

"Tony Senecal has not worked at Mar-a-Lago for years, but nevertheless we totally and completely disavow the horrible statements made by him regarding the President," a Trump campaign spokesman said in a statement, according to ABC News.

According to news reports, Senecal has written anti-Obama hate messages in the past also. There was no immediate response from the White House. 

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Indian lobby trying to block US' F-16s sale to Pak: Aziz

Islamabad, May 12, 2016, (PTI):

The Indian lobby has been making "untiring efforts" to reverse the US decision and block the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has told the Senate.
Winding up a debate on an adjournment motion moved by Mohsin Khan Leghari and others over the withdrawal of proposed subsidy on sale of F-16s fighter jets to Pakistan by the US, Aziz said the government is pursuing the issue of sale of F-16s with the country at different levels and forums.

"The Indian lobby has been making untiring efforts to reverse the US decision, and a strong attempt, through Senator Rand Paul's resolution, to block the sale itself," Aziz was quoted as saying by an official statement.

"The move was however defeated proving the strong merit of our arguments, and the effectiveness of our outreach to the US at various levels, particularly to the US Congressional leaders," he said.

Congress opposed funding of these eight aircraft through foreign military funding of the United States, he pointed out.

Aziz said Pakistan Defence Minister has written a letter to his American counterpart highlighting the importance of F-16s in the war against terror. He said Defence Consultative Group of the two countries would meet at the end of next month where this issue would also be substantially discussed.

The Advisor said that Pakistan-US relationship was on positive trajectory during the last three years with significant progress in the realms of political, economic and defence ties.

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China elevates military command along Indian border: Report

Beijing, May 13, 2016, (PTI):

In a surprise move, China has elevated the rank of Tibet's Military Command which looks after the security along its border with India by putting it under the jurisdiction of PLA ground forces, suggesting it may "undertake some kind of military combat mission in future."
"China raises Tibet Military Command's (TMC) power rank," state-run Global Times said in a frontpage report.

"The TMC's political rank will be elevated to one level higher than its counterpart provincial-level military commands and will come under the leadership of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)," it reported citing another official newspaper the 'China Youth Daily.'

"The promotion marks a new journey for the TMC command's construction," it said.
The sudden "elevation" surprised many observers as the PLA in this year's reform brought most of the provincial military commands under the control of Central Military Commission's (CMC) new National Defence Mobilisation Department.

CMC, the overall high command of the PLA, is directly headed by President Xi Jinping, who is also the head of the ruling Communist Party.

"The TMC on the other hand, is under the leadership of the Chinese ground forces, which suggests that the command may undertake some kind of military combat mission in the future," the report quoted a "source close to the matter" as saying.

There was no elaboration of what the "military combat mission" will be.

Seasoned military observers termed the report confusing.

Until last year, China had seven military area commands in Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Jinan, Shenyang, Lanzhou and Guangzhou. Of this Chengdu looked after security of India's Eastern sector in the Tibet region including Arunachal Pradesh while Lanzhou in Xinjiang looked after partly the western sector, including Kashmir region and Pakistan.

As per the new strategic zone plan, both Chengdu and Lanzhou gets integrated into strategic command region making it perhaps the biggest areas for Chinese military.

TMC may perhaps get a four-star General instead of a Lt General, while Lanzhou where the combat forces are stationed is already led by a General.

"Loosely put it, the report is very confusing. we need to more information to get a proper prospective," a senior military official told PTI.

India-China borders largely enjoy peace and tranquillity, notwithstanding the dispute over the 3,488-km long border. They have set up mechanism at the ground and at the level of the government to address issues relating to the recurring transgressions by PLA troops in the areas claimed by India.

The issue was broadly discussed during last month's visit of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to China during which the two sides agreed to set up 'Hot Lines' between the militaries.

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Pak-US ties witnessing a 'downward slide' over F-16s: Aziz

Islamabad, May 13, 2016, (PTI):

 Pakistan's ties with the US has witnessed a "downward slide" amid a row over a decision by the Congress to block the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to the country, Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said.
Briefing the Senate, Aziz candidly admitted that Pakistan-US ties were under stress for the past three months over the F-16 issue but the two were working to resolve it.

"In the past three months, however, the upward trajectory in relations has witnessed a downward slide, as reflected in a decision of the US Congress to block partial funding for eight F-16 aircraft," Aziz said yesterday during a debate on the US decision to withdraw a proposed subsidy on the sale of F-16s.

Aziz also mentioned the 'India factor' for at least three times during his speech.
"The Indian lobby has been making untiring efforts to reverse the US decision, and a strong attempt, through Senator Rand Paul's resolution, to block the sale itself."

But "we have forcefully rejected Indian objections to the sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan and drawn attention to the wide ranging defence deals concluded between India and the US during US Defence Secretary's recent visit to India. We have also emphasised the importance of maintaining strategic stability in South Asia," the adviser said.

At another point during his speech, Aziz spoke about Indian using the Pathankot attack against Pakistan in the US.

"The Indian lobby in the US has also been highly pro-active in adding fuel to the fire, specially after the Pathankot incident on January 1, 2016," he said.

Aziz said that US-Pakistan ties had come to a standstill in 2011 because of unfortunate incidents like the WikiLeaks revelations, Raymond Davis and Abbottabad operation.
But Since 2013, the top diplomat said, Pakistan's relations with the US had witnessed an "upward trajectory."

He said Pakistan was working on multiple levels to improve ties and sort out differences on various issues.

He mentioned about the differences between the US and Pakistan over the handling of the issue of Dr Shakil Afridi, arrested for allegedly helping CIA track down Osama bin Laden, and the fight against Haqqani network and the nuclear issue.

He also briefly mentioned Pakistan's efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and said a key meeting of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group involving Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the US would be held in Islamabad on May 18 and 19.

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Washington Post fields 20 reporters to look into Trump's life

Washington, May 13, 2016, (PTI):

A top American daily has set up a team of 20 reporters to investigate and look into every aspect of the life of Donald Trump since he emerged as the presumptive presidential nominee of the Republican party.
Trump, 69, the real estate mogul from New York and a reality television star before he joined politics some 10 months ago was quick to fire back by alleging that billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, who recently bought The Washington Post was using the newspaper as a "political instrument" to go after him.

The news that the paper has put together such a team was given by newspapers Associate Editor Bob Woodward during the convention of the National Association of Realtors on Wednesday.

"There's a lot we don't know. We have 20 people working on Trump, we're going to do a book, we're doing articles about every phase of his life," Woodward said.
Woodward said he has himself started looking after the New York real estate deals of Trump.

"The New York real estate world is more complex than the CIA," he said.
Woodward had recently interviewed Trump.

Late in the night in an interview to Fox News, Trump slammed the Amazon founder and described it as vendetta.

"He (Bezos) is using that as a political instrument to try and stop anti-trust, which he thinks I believe he's anti-trust," Trump alleged.

"Amazon is getting away with murder tax-wise. He's using The Washington Post for power so that the politicians in Washington don't tax Amazon like they should be taxed," Trump alleged.

"We can't let him get away with it," he asserted.

Trump claimed that he is being flooded with phone calls from The Washington Post reporters.

"Every hour we're getting calls from reporters from The Washington Post asking ridiculous questions and I will tell you, this is owned as a toy by Jeff Bezos, who controls Amazon," Trump said.

Bezos had acquired The Post for USD 250 million in 2013.
The Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron said that there has been no such instruction from Bezos.

"As the individual who oversees The Washington Post's news staff, I can say categorically that I have received no instructions from Jeff Bezos regarding our coverage of the presidential campaign — or, for that matter, any other subject," Baron said.

The Post has a long tradition of publishing thorough examinations of the major party nominees for president. The decision to write a book on Donald Trump came entirely from the newsroom, Baron said.

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PLA to become most modern military by 2020: Report

Beijing, May 13, 2016, (PTI)

China aims to complete the reform of its 2.3-million-strong army and have the most modern armed forces capable of 'informationised warfare' by 2020, laying a solid foundation for the PLA to become a world-class force, according to the new five-year military development plan.

In next five years, China's armed forces will realise "a significant increase of key combat capabilities," said the 13th five-year military development plan (2016-2020) issued by the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall commanding authority of the People's Liberation Army headed by President Xi Jinping.

By 2020, the PLA will have finished mechanisation of all forces and made important progress in incorporating information and computer-technology, the document said.

The next five years will lay a solid foundation for the PLA to become a world-class military force, it said.

Priorities include the strategic restructuring of different services, the development of weaponry and logistics, IT facilities, combat training and international military cooperation, the official media here reported today.

More resources will be directed to projects that enhance combat readiness, facilitate major reforms and improve benefits for servicemen and women.

Lately, the PLA has undergone significant restructuring, with the CMC taking charge of overall administration, and theatre commands focusing on combat.

Different military branches will pursue their own development.

Measures began in December with the inauguration of the general command for the PLA, the PLA Rocket Force and the PLA Strategic Support Force.

Former military headquarters - staff, politics, logistics and armaments - were reorganised into 15 new agencies under the CMC.

In February, five PLA theatre commands were established, replacing the seven military area commands. China has also started the process of downsizing its armed forces by three lakhs by next year. 

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Soviet intervention in Afghan was a mistake: Russian envoy

Islamabad, May 13, 2016, (PTI)

The 1979 Soviet intervention in Afghanistan was a "tragic mistake", Russia's Ambassador to Pakistan Alexey Y Dedov has said, but claimed that its not similar to Russia's support for the "legitimate regime" of Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

Addressing a seminar on 'Russia's position on Afghanistan and Syria' at the Area Study Centre at Peshawar University in Peshawar, Deodov said Russian military support to Damascus was aimed at targeting violent jihadists, including the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al Qaeda-linked Jabha Al Nusra.

Describing the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan as a "tragic mistake", Dedov said that there was no parallel between the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and Russia's support for the "legitimate regime" of Bashar al Assad.

In 1979, the Soviet Union intervened in Afghanistan to back the Marxist government of People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan to fight Mujahideens who were jointly backed by American CIA and Pakistan.

He said Russia considered ISIS a threat to its national security since around three thousands of its citizens had joined it, causing problems in the Russian region of Dagestan and other places.

Dedov acknowledged that his county was in contacts with the Afghan Taliban to promote reconciliation in Afghanistan.

"There have been limited contacts with the Afghan Taliban," he told the participants.

The Russian envoy said that he was not aware of the level of engagements with the Afghan Taliban or whether his country had sought their help in countering the threat from the ISIS.

"It's a delicate matter. I really don't know the level of these engagements, but they have been there", he said.

The Russian ambassador laughed off reports that President Vladimir Putin had met Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour.

"Were there reports that President Putin had met Mullah Omar too?" he asked.

He said that his country viewed the presence of ISIS in northern Afghanistan with concern. He also said that ISIS, which was present in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, had relocated to northern Afghanistan due to military operation.

It was a matter of concern due to its proximity with Central Asian Republics and Russia, he added.

Speaking about Russia-Pakistan relations, he said that it was positive and positions of both the countries coincided on 80 per cent of issues. On President Putin's much-speculated visit to Pakistan, he argued that there would have to be something substantive for the Russian head of state to come to Islamabad.

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