NAM summit: Pak scuttles India-sponsored proposal on terror

Margarita Island (Venezuela), Sep 16, 2016 (PTI)

Pakistan has scuttled an India-sponsored proposal on setting up of a working group on counter-terrorism during the deliberations at the senior official-level 17th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) here.

According to top government sources, as NAM diplomats strove to set up a working group on terrorism to coordinate their positions in international fora, Pakistani representative Tasneem Aslam alone spoke against it and opposed the consensus that had built around the proposal which had the support of a very large number of NAM delegations.

"Despite being isolated, Pakistan continued with its objections to stall the proposal emphasising that there could not be a consensus on terrorism," the sources said.

The proposal by India, whose ministerial delegation is led by Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar, gathered a lot of steam following the minister's strong pitch against terrorism at the ministerial segment.

Interestingly, there was no meeting so far between Akbar and Pakistan's adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz who is also here for the conference.

"The Indian proposal aimed to foster greater cooperation between NAM states who are the biggest victims of terrorism as 20 NAM states from all parts of the globe spoke strongly in support with Pakistan being the sole country opposing the broadly supported initiative," sources said.

Aslam said it may be too onerous for small countries to have to participate in another working group as they have staffing issues and also why a working group only for terrorism and not for other issues.

Whereas the attempt was that "when terrorism issues are on UN agenda the working group would make statements on behalf of the NAM".

"It would negotiate together as a bloc. It would try and have common positions among NAM members on new terrorism- related issues. In effect it would be a useful platform for NAM members to cooperate together and enhance their negotiating position. That is the purpose of the proposal," sources said.

Now it is to be seen whether the proposal will be part of the final statement to be prepared for the summit which is going to conclude on Sunday.

Read More

Pakistan may be building new nuclear site: analysts

Islamabad, Sep 16, 2016 (AFP)

Pakistan, estimated to have the world's fastest-growing nuclear stockpile, could be building a new uranium enrichment complex according to commercial satellite imagery analysed by Western defence experts.

The construction of a new site, based in the town of Kahuta some thirty kilometres east of Islamabad, provides fresh evidence of how Pakistan is seeking to boost its atomic arsenal -- a goal which is inconsistent with the principles of the Nuclear Suppliers Group the country is seeking to join, said the analysis.

The analysis was conducted by IHS Jane's Intelligence review using satellite images taken by Airbus Defence and Space on September 28, 2015 and then again on April 18, 2016.

Pakistan, which conducted its first nuclear tests in 1998 is believed to have around 120 nuclear weapons, more than India, Israel and North Korea.

A 2015 report written by scholars at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Stimson Center said Pakistan could increase its stockpile by 20 warheads a year and have the world's third largest in a decade.

"The area of interest is approximately 1.2 hectares and is located within the secure area of the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), in the southwestern part of the complex," said the statement.

Karl Dewey, a proliferation analyst at IHS Jane's added: "It is sited within an established centrifuge facility, has strong security and shows some of the structural features of a possible new uranium enrichment facility. This makes it a strong candidate for a new centrifuge facility."

The structure of the site also bears strong resemblance to facilities built by nuclear fuel company URENCO which also operates several nuclear plants in Europe, it said.

"This may be more than coincidence as A Q Khan, considered by many to be the founder of Pakistan's nuclear programme, worked at URENCO before stealing centrifuge designs and returning to Pakistan," said Charlie Cartwright, an imagery analyst for IHS Jane's.

Pakistan is currently seeking to join the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group that seeks to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture atomic weapons.

"It is difficult to see how these actions are consistent with the principles of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a group of responsible nuclear exporters which Pakistan is seeking to join," said Ian Stewart, head of research group Project Alpha at King's College London.

Pakistani physicist A H Nayyar told AFP if the site was indeed a centrifuge, "then primarily because they are being built inside KRL I would conclude they are being for weapons," adding that the country's nuclear power plants were supplied by imported uranium from China.

He however cautioned it was not possible to be definitive about the site's purpose based on imagery alone.

Read More

Suicide bomber kills 23 at mosque in northwest Pakistan

Peshawar, Sep 16, 2016, PTI:

At least 23 people were killed and 29 others injured when a suicide bomber shouting 'Allahu Akbar' blew himself up inside a mosque packed with worshippers for Friday prayers in Mohmand Agency in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal region.

The attacker blew himself when the prayers were in progress at the mosque in the Anbar tehsil of the agency bordering Afghanistan.

"A suicide bomber was in the mosque. He shouted 'Allahu Akbar' and blew himself up," Assistant Political Agent Naveed Akbar told reporters.

He said that Friday prayers were being offered around 2 PM when the powerful blast took place. At least 23 people were killed in the attack and 29 others injured, Pakistani media reported, citing officials.

"Many people were gathered inside the mosque when a suicide bomber blew himself up," an eyewitness said.

Rescue teams and police rushed to the spot. The bodies and the injured are being shifted to local hospitals for medical treatment. Injured were also taken to hospitals in Bajaur Agency, Charsadda and Peshawar for treatment.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Pakistani Taliban routinely targets courts, schools and mosques. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed his grief over the loss of lives in the blast.

The attack came on a day when Sharif vowed to continue the war against militancy and terrorism till elimination of the last terrorist.

During a meeting with Army chief General Raheel Sharif today, the prime minister expressed the resolve to continue the war against terrorism and militancy.

The army had launched operation 'Zarb-e-Azb' in June 2014 to flush out militant bases in the northwestern tribal areas.

Read More

Trump's enigmatic hair put to the test on US TV

Washington, Sep 16, 2016 (AFP)

Donald Trump's hair -- a crusty, complex, yellowish affair that has become one of the enigmas of a very weird US presidential race -- got messed with big time.

The usually brash presidential candidate talked in subdued tones and played the good sport as he appeared on one of America's most popular late-night broadcasts, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

Fallon did his very popular impression of Trump's speaking style, ribbed him right and left and concluded his interview with a request. "Can I mess up your hair?" Fallon said.

The comic explained that this might be the last time he could ask to do something unpresidential with Trump, lest he win election in November against Hillary Clinton.
The crowd went nuts over the idea.

Trump grinned and agreed.

Fallon reached out with his right hand and mussed Trump's hair with a vigorous, repeated rub. The Republican nominee endured it with a broad smile.

Trump, 70, has an elaborate hair-do centered on what seems to be an ambitious comb-over.

Nothing fell off with Fallon's intervention but the result was not very pretty as Trump's long locks ended up pointing messily every which way.

On other matters, Fallon christened what he called Trump's "bromance" with Vladimir Putin as "Vlump", and asked him about his penchant for eating fast food.

"At least you know what you're getting," Trump said. He added that if he went to an unknown place, "If they don't like me. I don't know. I'm better off with fast food."

Fallon also thanked Trump for providing what he described as grist for so much comic material.

"You say some shocking things," Fallon said. "But I'm trying not to anymore," Trump replied.

Read More

Submarines surface as key tool in world's navies

Washington, Sep 16, 2016, AFP:

Gliding stealthily through the ocean depths, attack submarines quietly shadow their quarry, ready to strike with torpedoes or missiles. Somewhat neglected after the Cold War, they are now making a serious comeback around the world.

Militaries in Asia, Russia and the United States are aggressively stepping up the development, acquisition and deployment of the undersea craft.

That's because they have realized that even the best surface vessels and warplanes are vulnerable to anti-ship or anti-aircraft missiles, says Bryan Clark of Washington's Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, an independent think-tank.

"So they are shifting to more undersea capabilities to do some of the offensive operations that they want to carry out," he said.

Nowhere is the trend more marked than in Asia, prompted by China's rapidly expanding military might.

Beijing has established a range of maritime defense capabilities and highly sophisticated anti-aircraft systems that prevent enemy vessels from nearing its coast.

China has also worked hard to build a fleet of attack submarines, and now boasts 50 diesel and five nuclear attack subs. Australia signed a contract this year to buy 12 submarines, non-nuclear versions of the French Barracuda attack vessel.

Vietnam has taken delivery of the fifth of six submarines it bought from Russia. Japan is expected to increase its fleet from 18 to 22 diesel subs by 2018. And India, Indonesia and Malaysia are all developing their own underwater capabilities.The US Navy is paying close attention -- and looking at its own fleet.

Admiral Harry Harris, who heads the Pacific Command, has warned about China's military buildup in the South China Sea, saying the United States needs more attack subs in the region.

And General Philip Breedlove, former head of the US European Command, sounded similar warnings about Russia's renewed attention to submarines under President Vladimir Putin.

In addition to providing a key military capability, submarines also act as intelligence gatherers, compiling data on enemy fleets and even monitoring what's happening on land.

The United States uses its undersea craft to monitor North Korea, China and Russia, experts say.

During wartime, submarines can cripple entire enemy fleets, while those equipped with cruise missiles can lurk off coasts and attack targets on land.

Read More

Swedish court upholds arrest warrant for Julian Assange

Stockholm, Sept 16, 2016, AFP:

A Swedish appeals court today upheld an arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over a 2010 rape accusation, rejecting his request to have it lifted.

The court announced in a statement that Assange "is still detained in absentia", adding that it "shares the assessment of the (lower) district court that Julian Assange is still suspected on probable cause of rape... and that there is a risk that he will evade legal proceedings or a penalty."

The 45-year-old Australian has been holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London since June 2012, seeking refuge there after exhausting all his legal options in Britain against extradition to Sweden.

Assange has refused to travel to Stockholm for questioning over the rape allegation, which he denies, due to concerns Sweden will extradite him to the US over WikiLeaks' release of 500,000 secret military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This is the eighth time the European arrest warrant has been tested in a Swedish court. All of the rulings have gone against him.

The appeals court said Assange's four-year embassy sequestration "is not a deprivation of liberty and shall not be given any importance in its own right in the assessment of proportionality."

The length of his embassy stay and "the earlier passivity" of police investigators were "arguments for setting aside the detention," it noted.

"However, the relatively serious offence of which he is suspected means that there is a strong public interest (in) the investigation being able to continue."

"At present, continued detention therefore appears to be both effective and necessary so as to be able to move the investigation forward. The reasons for detention therefore still outweigh the intrusion or other detriment that the measure entails for Julian Assange."

Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny hailed the decision. "The public interest in having the investigation proceed still carries a lot of weight, in our opinion. The court has here shared our opinion that upholding the arrest warrant is in line with principle of proportionality," she said in a statement.

Read More

Support for Pakistan dwindling in US: say visiting Indian MPs

Washington, Sept 16, 2016, (PTI):

Pakistan’s support base in the US is fast dwindling as American lawmakers are unhappy over Islamabad's reluctance to take action against some terror groups and its continuance of providing safe havens to them, a group of Indian parliamentarians has said.

"One thing came across very clearly from across the spectrum that they (Americans) are very unhappy with Pakistan. They are very concerned about...Americans lives at stake (in Afghanistan), the kind of promises that have been broken," Baijayant Jay Panda of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) told reporters.

Panda, who is leading a seven-member delegation of Parliamentarians as part of Indo-US Forum of Parliamentarians (IUFP) organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI), said the sense he and his colleagues got from these meetings that the support for Pakistan in the US has come down considerably in the last few years.

As a result, Panda said there is greater sensitivity and recognition of India's constructive and developmental role in Afghanistan. "This was not the case earlier. We can see that some of the (American) attitude (towards India’s role in Afghanistan) is changing. They are much happier today about continuing and increasing India’s investment in Afghanistan. The Americans used to be sensitive to Pakistan pressure until a year or two ago," he said.

"The world knows the cross border terrorism that we face....this is connected to the Kashmir issue. In some of the discussions the issue came up about the violence of Kashmir and the concern, but it was the overall general concern about the rise of violence which we ourselves are concerned. We are tackling it," he said.

Other members of the delegation are Anurag Thakur and Harish Chandra Meena from the BJP, Neeraj Shekhar from Samajwadi Party, Jayadev Galla from Telugu Desam Party and Rajeev Satav and Sushmita Dev from Indian National Congress.

During their stay here, the Indian MPs have had a series of meetings with top American lawmakers, officials of Obama Administration and top think-tanks. Bilateral relationship between India and the US has transformed completely in the last decade and a half, he said, adding that it has bipartisan support in both the countries.

Read More

Clinton lead over Trump drops to just one per cent: Survey

Washington, Sep 16, 2016, (PTI)

A surging Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has reduced popularity gap with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to almost ties, according to a latest poll.

Clinton was now leading New York-based business tycoon by just one per cent among likely voters, said the national poll by Fox News.

It said in a four-way matchup, Clinton got 41 per cent support among likely voters, while Trump a 40 per cent and Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein eight and three per cent, respectively.

However, in a head-to-head match, Trump (46 per cent) leads Clinton (45 per cent) by one percentage point. This is the first poll which was conducted after the 9/11 anniversary incident in which Clinton had to leave the New York memorial due to illness. She was diagnosed with pneumonia. After a few days of rest, she resumed her campaign yesterday.

Clinton's drop in lead over Trump is also reflected on RealClearPolitics, which monitors top national polls. As per its latest count, Clinton's average lead over Trump has dropped to just 1.5 percentage points which was around eight per cent about a month ago.

"The presidential race is tight. Hillary Clinton tops Donald Trump by just one point among likely voters in the four-way ballot. In the head-to-head matchup, Trump's up by one point," Fox News said.

The first presidential debate is set for September 26 and it will be followed by two more on October 9 and 19.

Read More

Trump's investments in India can affect Indo-Pak ties

Washington, Sep 16, 2016, (PTI)

Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Tim Kaine has alleged that Republican White House aspirant Donald Trump's investments in India could have an impact on US' efforts towards a stable India-Pakistan relationship if he wins the November general elections.

"He (Trump) has got deals in the Pakistan part of the world where the deal working out puts a lot of money into his pocket, but it could affect his view of what we should do to try to promote stability in that part of the world and stable relations between India and Pakistan," Kaine said at an election rally yesterday.

"Similarly, it has come out that he and his organisation owe money to the Bank of China. He says he is going to hold China accountable, but China basically has him in hock to them. And so there is a real question of how he could hold them accountable," he said as he slammed Trump for his "half-baked" policies and foreign entitlements.

His allegations came a day after 'Newsweek' ran a story about the 70-year-old real estate mogul's business dealings.

"Donald Trump has -– through his family companies-- business deals all across the world, including with countries that are very adverse to the United States or individuals in those countries, some even with criminal backgrounds and criminal records. And the information hasn't been disclosed," Kaine claimed.

The Senator from Virginia alleged that Trump has a lot of business deals in Russia, some with sort of the government or individuals connected with the government, and in Ukraine, with pro-Russian elements.

"And these are deals that are putting a lot of money into his pocket, helping him out, helping his family out. They're really important to him. That may explain why he always say positive things about Putin: Putin is a great leader. He said Putin was a better leader than President Obama," Kaine said.

"Mike Pence, his running mate, my opponent for vice president, said, it is inarguable that Vladimir Putin is a better leader for his country than Barack Obama is for America," he said.

"Do you want a president making decisions about our foreign policy and what is in American interests who has got financial interests all over the globe... I mean, that's a huge, huge problem, for a president to have those kind of conflicts," Kaine asked.

Read More

Trump releases his medical record

Washington, Sep 15, 2016, (PTI)

Donald Trump today released the results of his recent medical test, with his personal physician saying that the 70-year-old Republican presidential candidate is in "excellent physical health".

"In summer, Trump is in excellent physical health," Dr Harold N Bornstein said in a one-page medical report dated September 13, which was released to the press by his campaign.

Earlier today, the Democratic presidential candidate, 68- year-old Hillary Clinton released her updated medical record after a bout of pneumonia, with her doctor saying she is "fit to serve" as US President.

Trump, who is 6 foot 3 inches tall, weighs 107 kilograms, and his liver and thyroid functions are "all within the normal range," the report said.

His vital statistics including blood and cholesterol are also normal, but he does take a lipid lowering agent (rosuvastatin) and a low dose aspiring, it added.

He does not use tobacco products or alcohol.

"This study was reported within the range of normal," said Dr Bornstein, who has been personal physician of Trump since 1980.

"We are pleased to disclose all of the test results which show that Trump is in excellent health and has the stamina to endure – uninterrupted – the rigors of a punishing and unprecedented campaign and more importantly, the singularity demanding job of President of the United States," the campaign said.

Trump's latest medical record was made public, a day after the billionaire appeared on Dr Oz show.

Dr Oz, who saw the medical record, said that Trump "without question" is healthy enough to be the President.

"If I as doctor had a patient like him, I would think he had good health for a man of his age and I'd send him on his way," Dr Oz told the NBC News in an interview.  

Read More

China successfully launches 2nd space lab

Beijing, Sep 15, 2016, (PTI)

China tonight successfully launched its second experimental space lab as part of an ambitious programme by the Communist giant to build a manned space station by 2022, the time when US-led International Space Station expected to go out of service.
The Tiangong-2 space lab was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China's Gobi desert.

"It was text book launch. It reached the designated orbit in about 10 minutes," an official in-charge of the mission announced over the state-run TV which telecast the launch live.

"The mission is complete success and the space lab reached its designated orbit," the official said.

China's manned space program has now entered a new phase of application and development," Wu Ping, deputy director of China's manned space engineering office, said.

In a cloud of brown smoke, Tiangong-2 roared into the air underneath a mid-autumn full moon from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the back of a Long March-2F rocket, trailing a vast volume of flame, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

China's ambitious space programme aims for a manned space station by 2022. China's space station is expected to be sent into orbit just as the US-led International Space Station goes out of service -- making China potentially the only country with a permanent space presence.

The 8.6-tonne space lab will manoeuvre itself into an orbit about 380 kms above the Earth for initial on-orbit tests.

It will transfer to a slightly higher orbit at about 393 kilometers above the Earths surface by next month before a manned space ship called Shenzhou-11 would ferry two astronauts into space to dock with the lab.

The two astronauts will work in Tiangong-2 for 30 days including manual and automatic docking before reentering the Earths atmosphere.

In April 2017, China's first cargo ship Tianzhou-1, which literally means "heavenly vessel," will also be sent into orbit to dock with the space lab and provide it with fuel and other supplies.

China, which conducted its first manned space mission in 2003 also plans to launch its Mars mission in 2020 to catch up with India, the US, Russia and the EU to reach the red planet.

As it launched the second space station, China yesterday announced that its first space lab Tiangong-1 is expected to fall into the Earth's atmosphere in the latter half of 2017.

Tiangong-1 was launched in September, 2011 and ended its data service in March this year, when it had "comprehensively fulfilled its historical mission," Wu Ping, deputy director of the manned space engineering office told media yesterday.

The space lab is currently intact and orbiting at an average height of 370 kilometers, she said.

It was in service for four and a half years, two and a half years longer than its designed life, and had docked with Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft and undertaken a series of tasks, making important contributions to Chinas manned space cause, Wu said.

"Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling," she said, adding that it was unlikely to affect aviation activities or cause damage to the ground.

China has always highly valued the management of space debris, conducting research and tests on space debris mitigation and cleaning, Wu said.

Now, China will continue to monitor Tiangong-1 and strengthen early warning for possible collision with objects.

If necessary, China will release a forecast of its falling and report it internationally, Wu said.

China will begin building a space station that is more economically efficient and uses more data than the current International Space Station (ISS), starting from next year, chief engineer of China's manned space programme Zhou Jianping said.

"Once the space lab mission comes to an end, China will start building our own space station," he told state-run Xinhua news agency, adding that China will launch a core module of the space station around 2018.

China's space station will consist of three parts, weighing over 60 tonnes, said Zhou, adding that it will be smaller than the ISS and be able to dock with two manned spacecraft and one cargo spacecraft at most.

Zhou said the station is designed to house a maximum of six astronauts.

"After the building of the space station, manned space flight will become normal, which means China will send at least six astronauts in two groups to space each year," he added.

Zhu Zongpeng, chief designer of China's space lab system, said construction of the space station will be completed by around 2020 and it will enter into service around 2022, with an initial designed life of at least 10 years.

Astronauts could soon be stationed in orbit for missions that last more than one year, Zhu said.

China has been actively developing a three-step manned space programme.
The first step, to send an astronaut into space and return safely, was fulfilled by Yang Liwei in the Shenzhou-5 mission in 2003.

The second step was developing advanced space flight techniques and technologies including extra-vehicular activity and orbital docking.

This phase also includes the launch of two space laboratories - effectively mini space-stations that can be manned on a temporary basis.

The next step will be to assemble and operate a permanent manned space station.  

Read More

Malaysia confirms Tanzania debris came from MH370

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 15, 2016 (AFP)

A piece of aircraft wreckage found in June off Tanzania has been confirmed as coming from the doomed airliner MH370, Malaysia said today.

The debris, found on Pemba Island off the Tanzanian coast, is the latest piece of wreckage to be linked to the Malaysia Airlines jet, whose disappearance remains a  mystery.

Malaysia's transport ministry said the piece of debris, which had been taken to Australia for expert analysis, was found to have part numbers, date stamps and other identifiers confirming it came from the Malaysia Airlines jet.

"As such, the experts have concluded that the debris, an outboard flap, originated from the aircraft 9M-MRO, also known as MH370," a ministry statement said.

"Further examination of the debris will continue in hopes that evidence may be uncovered which may provide new insight into the circumstances surrounding flight MH370."

Authorities had earlier said the piece of debris was "highly likely" to have come from MH370. However, the confirmation appears to have so far shed no fresh light on the plane's fate.

The Malaysia Airlines jet was carrying 239 passengers and crew when it disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

It is believed to have crashed into the Indian Ocean, but an extensive deep-sea hunt off Australia's west coast is drawing to a close with nothing found yet.

However, several pieces of debris that apparently drifted thousands of kilometres toward the African coast have been identified as definitely or probably from the Boeing 777.

Those finds have confirmed the plane went down but have so far shed no light on why and have fuelled questions over whether the official search is focused in the right area.

The Australian-led operation is scouring the seafloor within a remote 120,000-square-kilometre belt of the Indian Ocean where authorities believe the passenger jet went down.

The search is nearly finished, however, and families are bracing for it to be called off.
An American amateur investigator, Blaine Gibson, handed other possible MH370 debris to Australian officials on Monday, saying several pieces were blackened by flames, raising the prospect of a flash fire onboard.

Gibson, a lawyer, who has travelled the world trying to solve the MH370 mystery, told Australian reporters the debris had washed up in Madagascar. 

Read More

Trump's investment in India to impact US foreign policy:report

Washington, Sep 15, 2016 (PTI)

Donald Trump's investments in real estate overseas, including in Indian cities of Pune and Gurgaon, could have implications on America's foreign policy if the Republican presidential nominee wins the elections and occupies the White House next January, a major US weekly said.

In its cover story on Trump's investments in properties overseas, the Newsweek yesterday said that as the Republican National Convention was about to get underway in July, the Trump Organization declared it was planning a massive expansion in the South Asian country.

"That is a chilling example of the many looming conflicts of interest in a Trump presidency," the weekly noted.

"If he plays tough with India, will the government assume it has to clear the way for projects in that 'aggressive pipeline' and kill the investigations involving Trump's Pune partners? And if Trump takes a hard line with Pakistan, will it be for America's strategic interests or to appease Indian government officials who might jeopardize his profits from Trump Towers Pune?" the weekly asked.

According to the weekly, several Indian political leaders including from the both BJP and the Congress have established close relationship with the Trump family as a result of its real estate investment in Pune and Gurgaon.

In India, the conflicts between the interests of the Trump Organisation and American foreign policy are starker, Newsweek said.

Trump signed an agreement in 2011 with an Indian property developer called Rohan Lifescapes that wanted to construct a 65-storey building with his name on it. Leading the talks for Rohan was Kalpesh Mehta, a director of the company who would later become the exclusive representative of Trump’s businesses in India, the weekly said.

However, government regulatory hurdles soon impeded the project, the cover story said adding that Donald Trump Jr. flew to India to plead with Prithviraj Chavan, chief minister of Maharashtra, asking that he remove the hurdles. But Chavan refused to make an exception for the Trump Organization.

"It would be extremely difficult for a foreign politician to make that call if he were speaking to the son of the president of the United States," Newsweek said.

"Last month, scandal erupted over the development, called Trump Towers Pune, after the state government and local police started looking into discrepancies in the land records suggesting that the land on which the building was constructed may not have been legally obtained by Panchshil," it said.

The Indian company says no rules or laws were broken, but if government officials conclude otherwise, the project’s future will be in jeopardy—and create a problem that Indian politicians eager to please an American president might have to resolve, Newsweek observed.

Through the Pune deal, the weekly said the Trump Organization has developed close ties to India’s Nationalist Congress Party.

Read More

Snowden not a whistleblower, risked US national security: WH

Washington, Sep 15, 2016 (PTI)

 Edward Snowden, a former CIA contractor who leaked classified government documents is not a whistleblower, but someone who risked national security and American lives, the White House said, dimming his hopes of a presidential pardon from Barack Obama before he demits office.

"There actually is a specific process that is well-established and well-protected that allows whistleblowers to raise concerns that they have, particularly when it relates to confidential or classified information, to do so in a way that protects the national security secrets of the US. That is not what Snowden did," Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.

"Edward Snowden is not a whistleblower," Earnest said.
"His conduct put American lives at risk and it risked American national security. That is why the policy of the Obama administration is that Snowden should return to the US and face the very serious charges that he is facing," he told reporters yesterday.

Snowden, 33, is accused of violating the Espionage Act and theft of government property for leaking sensitive data to the media about National Security Agency's internet and phone surveillance.

He faces at least 30 years in jail in the US, and has been living in exile at an undisclosed location in Russia since June 2013. His residency permit expires next year.

Earnest maintained the long-held position of the US government that Snowden will be "afforded the rights that are due to every American citizen in our criminal justice system."

"But we believe that he should return to the United States and face those charges," he said, adding that there is no communication between Snowden and the US president.

"I'm not aware of any conversations or any communications between Snowden and the president," he said.

Snowden, on the other hand, argues that though he leaked secret data, the information have benefited the public as they led to a improvement in privacy protection laws.

Snowden has asked Obama for clemency in an interview with a UK newspaper, saying: "If not for these disclosures, if not for these revelations, we would be worse off."

"Yes, there are laws on the books that say one thing. But that is perhaps why the pardon power exists - for the exceptions, for the things that may seem unlawful in letters on a page but when we look at them morally, when we look at them ethically, when we look at the results, it seems these were necessary things," he said.

Read More

High time to make UNSC more democratic, representative: Ban

United Nations, Sep 15, 2016, (PTI):

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said it is "high time" for the reform of Security Council for making it more "democratic and representative" as he appealed the member states to pay heed to the rapidly changing and "deteriorating" security challenges in the world.

"When it comes to reform of the United Nations, particularly Security Council reform, I have been stating many times – I don't know how many times, repeatedly – that it is high time that the Security Council must be reformed and changed in a more democratic and representative way," Ban told reporters here yesterday at a press conference ahead of the high-level General Assembly session that starts next week.

He said while the UN member states will be responsible for the reform of the Security Council, it is unfortunate that they have not been able to reach much convergence on key issues.

"They have been meeting to negotiate this reform process for longer than two decades. Many proposals have been proposed, and they have been reviewed and discussed. Unfortunately, not a single issue has been able to see any convergence of opinions among the Member States," he said.

The UN Secretary General noted that each country and group brings their own proposals which have not been able to get the support from others. "So it's important that the member states should look at this issue – after a two-decades long consultation and negotiation process, it's high time to discuss this matter," Ban said.

"As I'm just about to leave my position, I'm urging that they should reflect the voices and aspirations of the Member States and the rapidly changing, deteriorating security challenges of the international community really make it imperative that the Security Council should be changed," he said.

Ban said that the global challenges pertaining to refugees and migrants, climate change, and the war in Syria will be the major topics that will likely figure prominently in this year's high-level week at the UN.

"This year's high-level week at the United Nations comes at a critical time," Ban said, previewing activities that will take place at the annual session, when international attention is focused on the work underway at UN.

World leaders are scheduled to address next week's general debate and other events that will take place during the high-level segment of the General Assembly's 71st session. With the Secretary-General's second five-year term expiring on December 31, this will be Ban's last high-level week as the UN chief.

Ban said he is pushing for the entry into force of the Paris Agreement on climate change before the end of this year. The world's two largest emitters, China and the US, recently joined the accord.

"Now we need just 28 more countries, representing 16 per cent of global emissions, to cross the necessary threshold," he said, drawing attention to the September 21 special event at which countries can deposit their ratification instruments with the Secretary-General.

Read More

6 killed, 150 injured in train collision in Pakistan

Lahore, Sep 15, 2016, (PTI)

At least six people were killed and more than 150 injured today when a Karachi-bound passenger train collided with a freight train near Multan in Pakistan's Punjab province.

The incident took place near Bucch railway station in Sher Shah area. It occurred when a man reportedly was overrun by a freight train and the driver stopped it to take out the body, said police official Nadir Chattha.

In the meantime, Awam Express heading on the same line collided with the stationary goods train.

"The Awam Express driver was given the red signal but he could not stop the train in time and the collision took place," said a senior railways General Manager Javed Anwar, adding an inquiry committee has been constituted to probe the matter.

The passenger train which hit the freight train from the rear was moving reportedly at a speed of over 100 km per hour.

The collision wrecked the engine and power van, and overturned four bogies of Awam Express, he added.

The incident left at least six people dead and wounded over 150, out of which 18 were said to be in serious condition, said rescue official Abdul Jabbar.

"Many passengers were rescued after cutting the coaches. The rescue operation completed in four hours or so and all injured have been shifted to Nishter and other hospitals of Multan," he said, adding most of the passengers were sleeping at the time of collusion.

He said four coaches of the passenger train have completely been destroyed in the accident.

A delay was initially observed in response by rescue services due to Eid holidays, according to sources. Relief works were also affected as darkness prevailed in the vicinity.

The passenger train was enroute to Karachi from Peshawar. Meanwhile, authorities have imposed emergency at Multan's Nishtar Medical Hospital and Shahbaz Sharif Hospital.

Earlier, railway authorities ordered investigations into the accident. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan expressed their grief over the incident and directed the authorities concerned to provide best medical treatment to the injured. 

Read More

16 killed in suicide blast at Pakistan mosque

• AFP

COMMENT   ·   PRINT   ·   T  T  

inShare

The bombing took place in the village of Butmana in the Mohmand tribal district bordering Afghanistan.

A suicide bomber killed at least 16 people and wounded 35 others as they attended Friday prayers at a mosque in northwestern Pakistan, officials said.

The bombing took place in the village of Butmana in the Mohmand tribal district bordering Afghanistan where the Army has been fighting against Taliban militants.

"The Friday prayer was in progress at the mosque when a suicide bomber blew himself up killing at least 16 worshippers and wounding 35 others," a senior tribal administration official told AFP.

Post Comment

Read More

Swedish court upholds arrest warrant against Assange

The court announced in a statement that Assange “is still detained in absentia”.

A Swedish appeals court on Friday upheld an arrest warrant issued against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for a 2010 rape accusation.

The court announced in a statement that Mr. Assange "is still detained in absentia", adding that it "shares the assessment of the [lower] district court that Julian Assange is still suspected on probable cause of rape... and that there is a risk that he will evade legal proceedings or a penalty."

The 45-year-old Australian has been holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London since June 2012, seeking refuge there after exhausting all his legal options in Britain against extradition to Sweden.

Mr. Assange has refused to travel to Stockholm for questioning over the rape allegation, which he denies, due to concerns Sweden will extradite him to the United States over WikiLeaks' release of 500,000 secret military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This is the eighth time the European arrest warrant has been tested in a Swedish court. All of the rulings have gone against him.

The appeals court said Mr. Assange's four-year embassy sequestration "is not a deprivation of liberty and shall not be given any importance in its own right in the assessment of proportionality."

The length of his embassy stay and "the earlier passivity" of police investigators were "arguments for setting aside the detention," it noted.

"However, the relatively serious offence of which he is suspected means that there is a strong public interest [in] the investigation being able to continue."

"At present, continued detention therefore appears to be both effective and necessary so as to be able to move the investigation forward. The reasons for detention therefore still outweigh the intrusion or other detriment that the measure entails for Julian Assange."

Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny hailed the decision.

"The public interest in having the investigation proceed still carries a lot of weight, in our opinion. The court has here shared our opinion that upholding the arrest warrant is in line with principle of proportionality," she said in a statement.

Read More

Snowden not a whistleblower, risked US national security: WH

Washington, Sep 15, 2016 (PTI)

 Edward Snowden, a former CIA contractor who leaked classified government documents is not a whistleblower, but someone who risked national security and American lives, the White House said, dimming his hopes of a presidential pardon from Barack Obama before he demits office.

"There actually is a specific process that is well-established and well-protected that allows whistleblowers to raise concerns that they have, particularly when it relates to confidential or classified information, to do so in a way that protects the national security secrets of the US. That is not what Snowden did," Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.

"Edward Snowden is not a whistleblower," Earnest said.
"His conduct put American lives at risk and it risked American national security. That is why the policy of the Obama administration is that Snowden should return to the US and face the very serious charges that he is facing," he told reporters yesterday.

Snowden, 33, is accused of violating the Espionage Act and theft of government property for leaking sensitive data to the media about National Security Agency's internet and phone surveillance.

He faces at least 30 years in jail in the US, and has been living in exile at an undisclosed location in Russia since June 2013. His residency permit expires next year.

Earnest maintained the long-held position of the US government that Snowden will be "afforded the rights that are due to every American citizen in our criminal justice system."

"But we believe that he should return to the United States and face those charges," he said, adding that there is no communication between Snowden and the US president.

"I'm not aware of any conversations or any communications between Snowden and the president," he said.

Snowden, on the other hand, argues that though he leaked secret data, the information have benefited the public as they led to a improvement in privacy protection laws.

Snowden has asked Obama for clemency in an interview with a UK newspaper, saying: "If not for these disclosures, if not for these revelations, we would be worse off."

"Yes, there are laws on the books that say one thing. But that is perhaps why the pardon power exists - for the exceptions, for the things that may seem unlawful in letters on a page but when we look at them morally, when we look at them ethically, when we look at the results, it seems these were necessary things," he said.

Read More