Delhi: 3-year-old twin brothers drown in washing machine

New Delhi, Feb 25, 2017, PTI:

In a tragic incident, 3-year-old twin brothers today drowned in a washing machine while their mother was out to buy detergent at Rohini in north west Delhi, police said.

The twins, Naksh and Neeshu, were inside the top loading washing machine for up to 30 minutes before being discovered by their father, they said.

There was about 15 litres of water in the spinning tub of the washing machine and there is a possibility that the children fell into the spinner by climbing the pile of laundry, police said.

Rekha, mother of the victims, said she had filled water in the washing machine and went to a nearby shop to buy detergent at 12.39 PM. When she came back, she did not find the children in the house. She raised an alarm and informed her husband, they said.

Ravinder, who works with an insurance company, rushed to the house and found the children lying in the washing machine, police said. The children were rushed to the hospital where they were declared brought dead, they said.

"The family is inconsolable. The bodies have been sent to Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospital in Rohini for postmortem. Inquest proceedings under Section 174 (police to inquire and report on suicide etc) of CrPC are underway," said a senior police officer.

Read More

Dhoni scores 43 but Jharkhand lose to Karnataka by 5 runs

Kolkata, Feb 25, 2017 (PTI)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit couple of towering sixes in his 43 but once again failed as a finisher with Karnataka pipping Jharkhand by five runs in a group D league encounter.
More than 1000 people turned up at the Eden Gardens, simply because Dhoni was playing. He did bat for a period but as luck would have it, Jharkhand were all-out for 261 in 49.5 overs after Karnataka scored 266 in 49.4 overs. For Karnataka, IPL specialist Manish Pandey scored 77.

The Jharkhand skipper along with burly Saurabh Tiwary (68) added 81 runs for the fifth wicket after coming to bat at 79 for 4.

Dhoni took eight balls to get off the mark with a single off Stuart Binny as Karnataka persisted with spin-seam attack in off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham and Binny.

He took 23 balls to break free when he charged down the track to IPL-10's Indian Rs 2-crore pick Gowtham over midwicket for a huge six and began his assault against debutant seamer T Pradeep.

Robin Uthappa struggled behind the stumps with Dhoni missing a stumping and also a catch. Dhoni changed his bat more than a couple of times as the spectators cheered every shot from the former India captain.

However at the score of 160 with another 100 plus runs to get, Dhoni was bowled as he tried to scoop debutant seamer T Pradeep over fine leg exposing his middle and leg stump.

While Pradeep made it memorable with Dhoni as his maiden wicket at senior level en route to his 2/49, it was off-spinner Gowtham, who was the wrecker-in-chief with his 4/58.

After Dhoni's departure, Tiwary kept Jharkhand in the hunt and once he was removed by Gowtham, Rahul Shukla (24 from 21 balls; 1x6, 1x4) and Monu Kumar (17 not out from 10 balls; 1x6, 2x4) took the match to the last over with 12 needed to win.

Pacer Prasidh Krishna showed his presence of mind to run out Shukla in the penultimate ball to seal the fate.

Earlier, Dhoni won the toss and sent in Karnataka who were bundled out for 266 in 49.4 overs, a competitive total that was possible due to fighting 50's from their skipper Pandey and Ravikumar Samarth (71 from 93 balls; 6x4) ina 116-run partnership.

Karnataka lost Robin Uthappa (9) in the second over after the seasoned batsman was castled from an away going delivery by Monu Kumar (2/44), while in-form Mayank Agarwal could not convert his start to be dismissed for 26 by Anand Singh (2/47).

The Dhoni-led Jharkhand face Mohammad Kaif-led Chhattisgarh here tomorrow.

SUMMARISED SCORES
At Eden Gardens: Karnataka 266; 49.4 overs (Manish Pandey 77, Ravikumar Samarth 71; Rahul Shukla 4/45, Varun Aaron 2/52, Monu Kumar 2/44, Anand Singh 2/47) beat Jharkhand 261 in 49.5 overs (Saurabh Tiwary 68, M S Dhoni 43; K Gowtham 4/58, Prasidh 2/41, T Pradeep 2/49) by five runs.

At JU Second Campus, Saltlake: Hyderabad 257; 49.3 overs (Tanmay Agarwal 68, Akshath Reddy 60, S Badrinath 43; Manzoor Dar 2/30, Ram Dayal 2/40) beat Jammu and Kashmir 228; 42.4 overs (Ahmad Omar Banday 87, Ravi Kiran 3/49, Mehdi Hasan 3/52, C V Milind 2/35) by 29 runs.
At Bengal Cricket Academy, Kalyani: Services 263/9; 50 overs (Nakul Verma 124; Shaurya Sanandia 4/67) beat Saurashtra 215; 39.4 overs (Prerak Mankad 58, Jaydev Unadkat 57; Suraj Yadav 4/47, Diwesh Pathania 2/45, Vipin Singh 2/59) by 48 runs.

Read More

myntra

http://www.myntra.com/

Read More

19 Tips to Crack Any Competitive Exam Easily:

The following mentioned are few competitive exam preparation tips for all competitive exams

1. Have a shorter study period: Don’t keep your study period too long if you really want to excel in an exam. It is really better to break your study sessions than going into a marathon1. The thing with marathons is that they can help you cover a lot of stuff at one go but the downside is that it could really make you feel tired and frustrated. And that is something you should avoid if you are aiming to ace a competitive exam. Study for two hours straight. Take a 15 to 20 minutes break and then get back again. Taking breaks is really important.

2. Sync the timetable of your school with the home study schedule: Whenever you see your teacher covering a topic in class, make sure to cover it as soon as possible so that you can revise the topic from beforehand. Also make sure to prepare the notes for revision. Whenever there is some test in your class, you should be prepared and that you can only do that if you memorize the questions, brush up diagrams and learn them as well.

3. Plan your study time: Before you sit to study, make sure you have planned things accordingly. You should have a good idea of what you want to study and what you don’t when you are preparing for an exam. Plan things ahead. Know what you are going to cover on which day and how you will be revising before your exam. In such cases, it is very important to get your plan in mind. It can really help you do well in an exam. People who plan from before are able to do much better than people who don’t.

4. Take small breaks: Next you must really remember to take a few small breaks. Taking breaks is very important. If you study too much at one go, you may not remember a thing during exams. If you are studying all morning, take some hours off during the evening and play a game or something. Then maybe you should study for a few hours before you are about to sleep. The whole point here is to study hard but not so hard that you can’t cope with it. Make things simpler for yourself by doing the right stuff!

5. Drink some coffee: If you want to do well in an exam, you must remember to take care of the small things. For example, drinking enough tea/coffee. Now we don’t mean you have to drink 4 cups of coffee a day. They are not that great for your health. But you sure can drink one cup when you are trying to study and finish something important and you feel dizzy or tired instead. When it comes to tea, there are several options instead such as herbal and green tea that can actually refresh your mind and help you do much better during exams.

6. Keep yourself far away from distractions: This is one of the important tips for competitive exam or if you are getting ready for an exam. Remember that you should be far away from any sort of potential distraction when you are studying or getting ready for an exam. If the place you are studying has a lot of noise, then you should go somewhere there is peace. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by these petty things. They could really take up a whole lot of time.

7. Study during the early hours of the day: Another thing you can do is study during the early hours of the day especially if the topics are difficult. The best time to study is in the morning itself. So make sure you have got enough sleep at night so that you can get up early and cover whats important. Sleeping is also very important if you are trying to get ready for a competitive exam. To be honest, it will help you remember a lot of stuff in the long run.

8. Don’t study at odd times: When we say that you should not study at odd times, we mean you shouldn’t be studying when you are sleepy. If you do that, it would actually become a huge waste of time. For example, people usually feel tired and exhausted an hour or two after having lunch. Some people can’t study after a few hours post dinner. If that is one of you, then make sure you to have a proper study schedule later. You must study during those times when you are ready for an exam. If there is a lot to cover, then you can simply prepare the notes from beforehand, get a nap or recharge yourself or something with a refreshing drink and then come back to study. It will definitely work.

9. Read the text thoroughly: Next what you should do is read the text properly and thoroughly. If needed, read every chapter thrice. Make sure you have seen the headings, the introductory part properly, the sub heading etc. It will surely give you a good idea of what will be coming for your exam.

10. Remember the keywords: Second, what you should do is remember the keywords. For that, you can highlight them and whenever you are studying, keep them in mind. The keywords are very important and shall be needed when you are getting ready for an exam. They will also help you remember.

11. Save enough time for revision: When you are getting ready for an exam, don’t forget to revise. It can really help you remember a lot of important stuff during exams. Make sure to revise at least 2-3 times before you sit for an exam. All of this matters a lot. So keep that in mind.

12. Use colour for the books: Contrary to the popular idea, books that are neat always don’t mean that you are an excellent student. It could look as if the books are unused. You should colour the ideas in red, the dates can be kept in blue with the other facts in colours such as green or yellow. With these colours, you will actually be able to revise much better. When you colour your books, you are able to remember things much faster. This is actually a very good strategy and one that can help you in the long run.

13. Get a proper diet: Exam time is usually very important. So make sure you have a proper diet prepared from beforehand so that you can be ready for the exam in the best way possible. A lot of you don’t pay attention to the diet thinking it is not something to worry about during exams. But if we are very honest with you, then it matters a lot. Diet can really make or break things so you have to be very careful about that. By proper diet, we mean eating enough protein, fats and little bit of carbs. Drink enough water and don’t forget to add vegetables in each meal. That matters as well.

14. Get enough exercise: Next, you should remember to give your body enough exercise. For those of you who do not know, exercising is really important and can actually take you a very long way. It is essential when you are getting ready for an exam. A month before the paper, you should make sure to get at least 45 minutes of exercise four to five times a week. It will keep your body stress free and help you get ready for exams fast and easy. Those of who have tried this have been amazed at the benefits and we promise, so will you.

15. Don’t be very social: Also remember to be as less social as you can. Don’t attend too many parties, have too many drinks with your friends or do things that you shouldn’t be doing. Spend that time on studying. Remember every minute counts when you are getting ready for an exam because you really don’t know what you might get. By that we don’t mean you should completely lock yourself up. But what we mean instead is that be a little selfish and focus on yourself. Exams are important after all and you need to be more into your books.

16. Don’t study one tough subject after the other: One of the worst things you could do while preparing for an exam is studying one tough subject after the other. If you have been doing this for a while, then we can promise you will forget a lot of stuff during the exam. Do yourself a favour and don’t study one tough subject with no gaps in between. If you are studying English, Physics and Mathematics, then make sure to start off with Math then move on to English and finally study Physics. All of that can really help you prepare.

17. Switch off your phone: Another important thing you must do is switch off your phone when you are studying. Also keep yourself far away from social media around this time. Studying is important and if you can get distracted easily, then make sure that phone is away from you. You don’t have to check any mails, see whats happening on Facebook or Twitter when you are studying. All of them can really waste your time and stop you from studying and since you are expected to study a lot during competitive exams, please ensure you are not into social media until your exams are over.

18. Study hard: After giving you all these important points, we would like to remind you to study hard. Yes! Keep all of these points in mind and make sure you are studying enough. Don’t distract yourself and pay complete attention to the study material. Working hard is extremely important if you are really planning on doing well in a particular exam. It can really help you a lot. So make sure you are spending at least 6 to 7 hours on studying. And when you do, study solid! Don’t waste a minute of your time.

19. Don’t get stressed out: Finally, we would suggest you not to stress so much when it comes to getting ready for an exam. We realize how crucial it is for you to ace an exam. But if you want to do well, don’t worry so much about it. Just study hard and do your best and we promise good results will show. And most importantly, make sure to keep yourself healthy and fit during such times. Don’t hang out with your friends too much or pay attention to things that will not help you do well. Instead, focus on studying. That’s it!

With that, we would like to bring the post to a close. If you have enjoyed reading the article and found some benefit from it, do let us know in the comment box below. We would love to hear from you. Also make sure you aren’t getting too stressed like we have mentioned and make sure to follow all the points mentioned. If you can keep up with that, you can ace any competitive exam in the future. On that note, good luck and all the best.

Read More

Senior police officers among 16 dead in Lahore suicide attack

Lahore, Feb 13, 2017 (PTI)

Senior police officers were among 16 people killed today when a Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up targeting them during a protest rally outside Pakistan's Punjab assembly here that also wounded 60 others.

Lahore Traffic Police chief capt (R) AhmedMobeen and Senior Superintendent Police Zahid Gondal were among five police personnel killed in the blast, police officials said.

Lahore police chief Amin Wains confirmed the death of Mobeen. He, however, did not confirm about other casualties. "I can confirm the death of Mr Mobeen at the moment," he said.

At least 16 people were killed in the powerful blast that ripped through the protest rally, officials said.

Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique confirmed the death of 10 people and said more than 60 people suffered injuries in the blast. The condition of some 11 injured is stated to be critical, the minister said.

The Jamat-ul-Ahrar faction of the outlawed Tehreek-i- Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group had claimed responsibility for a blast on March 27 last year at Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Lahore that left 75 people dead, mostly Christians who were celebrating Easter.

The security forces have cordoned off the area and the inner cordon was taken over by Army personnel. Forensic teams were collecting evidence and had started investigations.

The blast was so powerful that it was heard several kilometers from theplace of occurrence.

"The chemists were protesting against the controversial drug regulations the government has recently imposed. Several protesters were lying on the road before the rescuers shifted them," said Ishtiaq Ahmed, a representative of the Lahore Chemist Association.

DIG Mobeen had survived an attempt to his life during his posting in Balochistan.

A Lahore police officer told PTI that apparently it was a suicide attack and the bomber targeted the police personnel present there. "The target was not the protest demonstration but the police officers," he added.

The blast occurred minutes after Mobeen arrived at the scene to negotiate with the chemists and pharmaceutical manufacturers who had been protesting outside the assembly.

A TV footage shows that a motorcyclist dragging his bike close to police officers and blew himself up. Mobeen is seen in the footage negotiating with the protesters.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the blast and said that fight against militants would continue. He promised to take revenge for the lives lost in today's terror attack.

"We have fought this fight against the terrorists among us, and will continue to fight it until we liberate our people of this cancer, and avenge those who have laid down their lives for us," Sharif said in a statement.

Lahore is home town of Sharif and seat of his power as Punjab is the only province where his party rules without support of any other party.

Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa condemned the terrorist attack in Lahore, the army said in a statement.

Gen Bajwa instructed area Army commander and intelligence agencies to provide all necessary assistance to the civil administration in the evacuation of injured to hospitals and also to apprehend those responsible for this heinous act.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanullah said that it was suicide blast and 'somepolice officers' have been killed.

He said the agencies had issued a threat alert that terrorists might target Punjab Assembly building and Governor's House on the Mall Road.

"We have provided security to these venues. Had no demonstration taken place outside the PA building this incident might not have taken place," he said.

A notification issued by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) on February 7 warned that an unidentified terrorist group was plotting a terror attack in Lahore.

Read More

Tehmina Janjua becomes Pak's first woman foreign secretary

Islamabad, Feb 13, 2017, PTI

Career diplomat Tehmina Janjua was today appointed as Pakistan's first woman foreign secretary.

Foreign Office said that Janjua will replace outgoing foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.

"Tehmina Janjua will assume the post of Foreign Secretary in the first week of March 2017," FO said.
Earlier local media reports had named Pakistan high commissioner to India Abdul Basit as the front-runner for the coveted post.

She was presently serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

FO said that she is a seasoned diplomat with a career spanning over 32 years.

She holds Master's degrees from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad and Columbia University, New York.

She has rich experience of working in bilateral and multilateral domains both at Headquarters and Missions abroad, FO said.

She also served as Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during 2011.

Janjua served as Ambassador of Pakistan to Italy from December 2011 to October 2015.

At present she is serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in Geneva since October 2015.

Read More

N Korea a big problem, will deal with it very strongly: Trump

Washington, Feb 14, 2017 (PTI)

Describing North Korea as a "big problem", US President Donald Trump today vowed to deal with it "very strongly", after the reclusive country carried out yet another ballistic missile test. "Not only internationally but when you come right here, we have - obviously, North Korea is a big, big problem, and we will deal with that very strongly," Trump told reporters during a joint news conference with the visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Treadue.

Trump was responding to a question on greatest national security threat based on the intelligence briefings that he has been receiving for about a month now after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on January 20. "Many, many problems," Trump said in response to a question.

"When I was campaigning, I said it's not a good situation. Now that I see it including with our intelligence briefings, we have problems that a lot of people have no idea how bad they are, how serious they are," said the US President. "We have problems all over the Middle East, we have problems just about every corner of the globe no matter where you look," Trump said.

Trump said people have no idea about the nature and intensity of the challenge both domestically and globally, which ranges from Middle East to terrorism. The US President said he had a great meeting this weekend with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and got to know each other "very, very well," extended weekend, really.

"We were with each other for long periods of time and our staffs and representatives," he said. Trudeau said Canada and the US have been neighbours a long time and Canadians and Americans have stood together, worked together, at home and around the world. "We've fought and died together in battlefields in World War I and World War II, in Korea, in Afghanistan. But there have been times where we have differed in our approaches, and that's always been done firmly and respectfully," he said.

"The last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another country on how they choose to govern themselves. My role, our responsibility, is to continue to govern in such a way that reflects Canadians' approach and be a positive example in the world," Trudeau said in response to a question.

Earlier, Trump thanked Canada's contribution to the counter-ISIS effort. "Now we continue to work in common and in common cause against terrorism and work in common cooperation toward reciprocal trade and shared growth," Trump said. 

Read More

President Trump favours merit-based immigration system: WH

Washington, Feb 14, 2017 (PTI)

President Donald Trump favours a merit-based immigration system that will benefit US economy and create jobs, the White House has said, in views that would be welcomed by Indian IT professionals and entrepreneurs. "The President has made clear he believes that (there) should be a merit-based system where individuals coming into the country bring the kinds of benefits economically that will grow our economy and help lift up wages for everybody," White House senior policy advisor Stephen Miller told NBC News.

Indian IT professionals and entrepreneurs in America are known for not only enriching the US economy but also creating jobs. However, Miller also insisted that any legal immigration system should not displace American workers and there should be no abuse of "fraud" -- the two main allegations against the H-1B visa system, which has been under constant attack by American lawmakers, union leaders and top officials of the Trump Administration.

"We'll have a lawful immigration system. And we'll enrich and benefit our country," he said in response to a question. Miller said he believes the US should have a programme in which American workers are given jobs first. "The President campaigned on this. It's an issue where the labour unions agree with us. It's an issue where many Democrat members of Congress agree with us," he said.

"If you have an open job in this country, a US citizen or existing legal permanent resident ought to have the ability to make the first application for that job," he added. "The problem is and the way the media covers this issue, present company excluded, is they don't spend enough time talking about the well-being of the 300 million people here today. US citizens and legal permanent residents, many of whom are living in poverty, many of whom haven't seen wage growth in 20, 30 years. And it's time we talked about them, their needs, their families and their concerns," he asserted.

Without giving a time-line, Miller said the White House would soon be rolling out immigration reforms. "I'll be able to announce very clearly when we do that what those do. Where we're focused right now is two things, protecting the security of our country through interior enforcement and through screening of entrance.

"And additionally, by ensuring that before a job is given to a foreign national, that job is offered first to an American worker, either a legal permanent resident or a US citizen," he asserted. 

Read More

Trump's NSA Flynn quits amid controversy over Russia contacts

Washington, Feb 14, 2017 (PTI)

President Donald Trump's embattled national security advisor Michael Flynn resigned today amid allegations that he secretly discussed US sanctions against Russia with its envoy before Trump's inauguration and then tried to cover up the conversations.

Flynn's departure came soon after reports surfaced the Justice Department warned the Trump administration last month that Flynn misled administration officials regarding his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak and was potentially vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians.

58-year-old Flynn, one of the early backers of Trump during his presidential run, remained in the top position of National Security Advisor for just three weeks, making him one of the shortest-serving senior presidential advisers in modern American history.

Flynn has been replaced by Lt General (rtd) Joseph Keith Kellogg as acting National Security Advisor, the White House announced.

Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, in his resignation letter released by the White House, apologised to President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for briefing them with incomplete information on his talks with the Russian Ambassador before the swearing in.

"In the course of my duties as the incoming National Security Advisor, I held numerous phone calls with foreign counterparts, ministers, and ambassadors. These calls were to facilitate a smooth transition and begin to build the necessary relationships between the President, his advisors and foreign leaders. Such calls are standard practice in any transition of this magnitude," Flynn wrote in the resignation letter.

"Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologised to the President and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology," Flynn said.

Flynn said he knows with the strong leadership of President Trump and Vice President Pence and the superb team they are assembling, this team will go down in history as one of the greatest presidencies in US history.

"The sudden exit marks the most public display yet of disarray at the highest levels of the new administration, which has faced repeated questions over a slew of controversies and reports of infighting among senior aides during its first three weeks, CNN commented on Flynn's resignation.

Flynn’s replacement General Kellogg is a decorated veteran of the US Army, having served from 1967 to 2003, including two tours during the Vietnam War, where he earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with “V” device, and the Air Medal with “V” device.

He served as the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division from 1997 to 1998.
Prior to his retirement, General Kellogg was Director of the Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Directorate under the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

Read More

US-born Muslim NASA scientist detained, forced to unlock phone

Houston, Feb 14, 2017 (PTI)

An Indian-origin Muslim NASA scientist has said he was detained and forced to unlock his PIN-protected work phone at the US border by custom officials.

Sidd Bikkannavar, 35, said in a post on social media that US Customs and Border Protection officers wanted his cell phone and password -- before they would let him through at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

"On my way home to the US last weekend, I was detained by Homeland Security and held with others who were stranded under the Muslim ban," Bikkannavar wrote in a Facebook post.

"I initially refused, since it's a (NASA)-issued phone and I must protect access," Bikkannavar wrote.

Bikkannavar, bornin Pasadena,designs technology for space telescopes likethe enormous James Webb telescopethat's set to be launched into orbit in 2018.

"Just to be clear -- I'm a US-born citizen and NASA engineer, travelling with a valid US passport. Once they took both my phone and the access PIN, they returned me to the holding area with cots and other sleeping detainees until they finished copying my data."

Bikkannavar spent a few weeks away pursuing his hobby of racing solar-powered cars.

As a member of a Chilean team, he visited Patagonia in early January under the Obama administration.

Hereturned after Trump took office and issued the executive order on travel into the United States.

Nothing about Bikkannavar should have caused concern for CBP — he's a natural–born US citizen, enrolled in a programme that allows individuals who've already passed background checks to quickly enter the country.

In addition, he has never visited the countries on the immigration ban, and he's 10-year employee of a major US federal agency.

"I don't know what to think about this. I was caught a little off guard by the whole thing," Bikkannavar told media here in a phone call.Bikkannavar detailed his experience on Facebook, explaining his absence to friends and coworkers.

The episode, aside from the profiling it ostensibly involved, also put him in a fix with his employers, because he was required to protect access to the phone.

"I'm back home, and JPL has been running forensics on the phone to determine what CBP/homeland security might have taken, or whether they installed anything on the device," Bikkannavar explained in the post, adding that he has also been working with JPL legal counsel and the lab has issued him a new phone and new phone number.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)filed numerous complaints in Januaryagainst CBP for demanding that Muslim-American citizens give up their social media information when they return home from overseas.

Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly issued a statement in response, tellingtheHouse Homeland Security Committee,"We want to get on their social media, with passwords: What do you do, what do you say? If they don’t want to cooperate then you don’t come in". 

Read More

'China should ask Pak to address India's concern on terrorism'

Washington, Feb 14, 2017 (PTI)

The Trump Administration needs to convince China to ask Pakistan to take "good-faith measures" to address India's concerns on cross-border terrorism which is a key trigger of Indo-Pak military escalation, a top American think-tank said in a new report.
US Institute of Peace in the report warned that any terrorist activity coming from across the border might escalate into a major war, which could be disastrous for the region.

"Washington needs to convince Beijing to urge Pakistan to take good-faith measures addressing India's concerns on cross-border terrorism, which is a key trigger of military escalation. Beijing could in turn prod Islamabad to prosecute terrorists involved in attacks on India as a first step," USIP said.

"Meanwhile, the Indian government should abandon its current policy of seeking to internationally isolate Pakistan. These moves by both countries could create an opening for resuming talks and politically settling the Kashmir issue," it said.

The report said that China's relations with Pakistan have deepened particularly after China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement and Beijing has greater influence over Islamabad’s policies than Washington does.

"The US should regularly underscore the urgency of the Kashmir situation to Chinese counterparts at the highest levels and make a forceful argument that a South Asian war would directly threaten China," it stressed, adding that China's policy on the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan has a significant impact on regional stabilisation and crisis management efforts in South Asia.

"Beijing also plays an important third-party role in helping deescalate hostilities between the two countries," it noted.

Since the 1980s, China's policy on Kashmir has shifted from a strong pro-Pakistani stance to a more balanced one between Pakistan and India, the report said.

"Chinese diplomatic support for internationalising the Kashmir issue in the United Nations has diminished over time, though Beijing also has blocked UN action against Pakistan-linked terror groups," USIP said.

The report said that during crises, Chinese concerns about preventing war between India and Pakistan "outweighed political considerations to defend Pakistan", and Beijing worked closely with Washington to mitigate regional tensions.

It said China's "protection" of Pakistan-based militant groups that have launched terrorist attacks in India from international criticism and punitive actions undermines its claims of neutrality.

China has blocked action in the UN sanctions committee over Pakistan's release of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and extended its technical hold on a ban on Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar for his involvement in the Pathankot attack on an Indian air force station.

"China also prevented India from naming Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) declaration of October 2016 that condemned terrorism in all its forms. Over the years, China has refused to support the Indian proposal to issue a joint declaration against terrorism, which Beijing views as an Indian strategic design to internationally isolate Pakistan," the report said.

USIP said China has the potential to play a greater role in stabilising the region, but thus far has been relegated to occasional crisis manager and has not proactively called for resolution of Kashmir issue.

"Although Beijing prefers that a war not break out, it also benefits from some level of Indo-Pakistani tension, which splits India’s strategic attention on China," the report said.

Read More

China plans to build floating nuclear plants in SCS

Beijing, Feb 14, 2017 (PTI)

China has said it will develop floating nuclear power plants on a priority basis in the South China Sea as it seeks to beef up electricity supply to the islands in the disputed maritime region.
China will prioritise the development of a floating nuclear power platform in the coming five years, in an effort to provide stable power to offshore projects and promote ocean gas exploitation, Wang Yiren, vice director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

Wang told Science and Technology Daily that Chinese authorities have already carried out research on relevant core technologies as well as the standardisation of maritime nuclear power plants.

The development of the facility is a crucial part of the country's five-year economic development plan, running through 2020, state-run People's Daily Online reported today.

An article published on its official WeChat account in July the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said China is expected to build 20 floating nuclear power stations in the future, which will significantly beef up the power and water supplies on the South China Sea islands, another official daily Global Times reported.

Sun Qin, former chairman of the National Nuclear Corporation, said in March 2016 that the facility is scheduled to be put into operation in 2019.

"Floating power stations are less susceptible to natural disasters. In an emergency, the station could pump seawater into a boat to prevent core melting. Besides, the platform is small and can be dragged to a suitable place for maintenance," reported in February, quoting an expert.

China currently has 23 nuclear power generating units in operation and 27 under construction, about one-third of the world's unfinished nuclear units.

Read More

H1B visas help American firms remain competitive: Navtej Sarna

Washington, Feb 14, 2017 (PTI)

H1B visas, sought-after by Indian IT professionals, help make US firms competitive globally and contribute to generating jobs locally, India's envoy here has said amid reports the Trump administration plans to cut down the scheme.

"The H1B scheme has been crucial in making US companies competitive globally in increasing their client base, in increasing their innovation. And it is the Indian tech industry, which has actually been creating jobs here (in the US)," Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna told CNN yesterday.

"There are reports and analysis by very respected houses, which say that over 400,000 jobs have been directly and indirectly supported in the US," he said, adding that Indian tech companies have invested USD 2 billion in four years and paid USD 20 billion in taxes.

H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows American firms to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The tech companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year.

"Out of every 100, H-1B visas have resulted in support to 183 jobs in the US... This is very important because the US companies – nine out of the 15 top tech companies in India are American companies," Sarna said.

"This is a relationship which is symbiotic and which has a potential of becoming even stronger for both countries," he added.

India is one of the top sources for international workers in the American tech industry, accounting for a major chunk of all H-1B visas. And any move by Trump, who has vowed to put an "America First" policy, will have an adverse impact in India.
However, those demanding a revision of the policy say the programme hurt American interests.

In an op-ed piece in 'Fortune' magazine Senator Chuck Grassley, argued that the flaws in H1B programme hurt American workers, American innovation, and even H1B workers, who are in many cases "benched" without work or pay for long periods.

Grassley is Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-author of H1B and L1 Visa Reform Act of 2017.

Earlier this year, he introduced the bipartisan legislation with Senator Dick Durbin to tackle these problems and return the programme to its original intent: filling gaps in America's skilled labour market.

Schumer said his bill explicitly prohibits companies from replacing qualified American workers with H1B workers. It also requires companies to post job openings and make good faith efforts to hire qualified American workers before seeking H1B visas.

"Companies would also be prohibited from laying off American workers 180 days prior to and following the hiring of an H1B worker. These provisions ensure that qualified American workers are considered for jobs first," he said.

"To ensure that limited number of annual H1B visas go to the best and brightest workers, our bill prioritises petitions, starting with foreign nationals who received advance science and engineering degrees right here in the US," he said. 

Read More

Pak needs to shut down terrorism factory: Jaishankar

Mumbai, Feb 14, 2017, (PTI)

Pakistan needs to shut down "terrorism factory" and there is now international concern about it, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar today said.
He also asserted that India has not given up on SAARC, but it will keep looking for other opportunities for regional integration "since SAARC is stuck".

Speaking on ties with China, Jaishankar said "it does not help to duck issues" and admitted that there was a need to invest more to manage the relationship better.

Jaishankar was speaking during a discussion on "Political change and economic uncertainties" at the Gateway Dialogue event, co-hosted by Ministry of External Affairs.

He also cautioned against "demonising" US President Donald Trump. "Don't demonise Trump, analyse Trump. He represents a thought process. It's not a momentary expression," he said.

Trump has been facing criticism over his controversial immigration policy.
Jaishankar said that western countries may not be open about Pakistan and terrorism problem but they have concerns.

"Western countries may not be open about Pakistan and terrorism problem but they have concerns. The issue really here is whether Pakistan is willing to take fundamental steps. They need to shut down terrorism factory," he said.

"The thinking on Pakistan is necessarily security centric because the fact is we can live in a situation of very little threat but not in a situation of terrorism on and off, which will be the case as long as the factory keeps running," he said.

"Terrorism in the past was seen as our problem but now it's a bigger problem. There is today international concern (on terrorism)," he said.

He said India's multilateral engagement is not just good "for branding purposes but it also works in India's interest".

"We are approaching multi-polarity. Everyone is playing everybody," he said.
Visualising a greater role for India on international scene, he said time has come for the country to take a lead on global stage, since the major countries are 'narrowing down'.

"At a time when horizons of a lot of major countries are getting narrower...If the major (countries) are pulling back there is a space out there and it is in our interest to use that space. In my views, we should be looking at more powered position in international forum," he said.

He also said that India should not give up on SAARC.

"We haven't given up on SAARC. We can't and we shouldn't," India's top diplomat said.

"When it comes to regional integration, we will keep looking for other opportunities since SAARC is stuck," Jaishankar said.

"At a time when major powers are rethinking their multilateral engagement, India's track record stands out," he added.

Noting that Japan has a big role to play, Jaishankar said, "Our view of the (bilateral) relationship in the past has been narrow."

"A bigger Indian economy is in the strategic interest of Japan," he said.
On multilateralism, he said, "Mutlilateralism is not because we are good guys but because it serves our interest."

"Like, when we went into Paris and helped reach that agreement, it was done because we had our own assessment of threat of climate change to India. I believe under the circumstance that was the best agreement that we could get," he said.

"These are issues where we have a stake and we are in a position to make contribution, make difference and find a solution," he added.

Commenting of India's position after Brexit, he said there is still a strong interest, including free trade agreement with the EU.

Read More

Over 100,000 visas revoked since Trump signed travel ban

Washington, Feb 3, 2017,(PTI)

Over 100,000 visas have been revoked as a result of President Donald Trump's ban on travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, an attorney for the government said today.
The number came out during a hearing in a lawsuit filed by attorneys for two Yemeni brothers who arrived at Dulles International Airport on Saturday and were quickly put on a return flight to Ethiopia in response to the president's executive order.

The government attorney could not say how many people with visas were sent back to their home countries from Dulles in response to the travel ban, Washington Post reported.

An executive order signed by Trump over the weekend had halted the US refugee programme for 120 days and indefinitely banned all Syrian refugees. A separate order also suspended all entry from Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Syria on national security grounds. 

Read More

US slaps new sanctions on Iranian entities after missile test

Washington, Feb 3, 2017,(PTI)

The US today slapped more than two dozen Iranian entities with sanctions, two days after the Islamic republic dismissed President Donald Trump's warnings over its latest missile test as baseless and provocative. The announcement also comes a day after Trump put Iran "on notice" for its alleged destabilising behaviour and carrying out ballistic missile test in violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which calls on Tehran not to test missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon.

The ballistic missile launch was the first by Iran since Trump became president. According to reports, Iran's missile test occurred at a well-known site outside Semnan, about 225 km east of Tehran. The Khorramshahr medium-range ballistic missile flew 600 miles before exploding. In a statement, the Treasury Department said the multiple entities and individuals slapped with sanctions were involved in procuring technology and materials to support Iran's ballistic missile programme, as well as for acting for or on behalf of, or providing support to, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF).

"This action reflects the United States' commitment to enforcing sanctions on Iran with respect to its ballistic missile program and destabilising activities in the region and is fully consistent with the United States' commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," the Treasury said. "Iran's continued support for terrorism and development of its ballistic missile program poses a threat to the region, to our partners worldwide, and to the United States," said John E Smith, Acting Director at the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

"Today's action is part of Treasury's ongoing efforts to counter Iranian malign activity abroad that is outside the scope of the JCPOA," he added. The Treasury said OFAC designated several networks and supporters of Iran's ballistic missile procurement, including a critical Iranian procurement agent and eight individuals and entities in his Iran - and China-based network, an Iranian procurement company and its Gulf-based network, and five individuals and entities that are part of an Iran-based procurement network connected to Mabrooka Trading, which was designated on January 17 last year.

It also designated a key IRGC-QF-run support network working with Hizballah, including IRGC-QF official Hasan Deghan Ebrahimi, his associates Muhammad Abd-al-Amir Farhat and Yahya al-Hajj, and several affiliated companies in Lebanon. Iran has previously warned that new US sanctions could constitute a violation of the nuclear deal, setting up a scenario in which the agreement could unravel—something that hardliners in both countries would welcome. The row comes against a backdrop of already strained ties between Washington and Tehran over Trump's travel ban on citizens from Iran and six other Muslim-majority countries.

Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, welcomed the sanctions. "This announcement makes clear that it is a new day in US-Iran relations and that we will no longer tolerate Iran's destabilising behaviour," he said.

"A coordinated, multi-faceted effort to pushback against a range of illicit Iranian behaviour is long overdue, and after speaking with General Flynn this morning, I am very encouraged by the professionalism with which the administration has orchestrated these actions and how they have communicated their intentions to the international community," Corker said.

Paul Ryan, Speaker of House of Representatives, said: "Iran's latest ballistic missile test was a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolutions. This swift and decisive response proves that our new administration is serious about holding the Iranian regime accountable for its illicit behavior."

Alleging that Iran's dangerous and provocative acts are a direct threat to the US and its allies, Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, said he is glad the administration is taking long-overdue steps to hold the regime accountable. "I look forward to working with the administration to build on these designations, push back against Iran's destructive policies, and promote stability in the Middle East," Royce said. 

Read More

Iran 'playing with fire,' Trump says

Washington, Feb 3, 2017 (AFP)

US President Donald Trump today accused Iran of "playing with fire" after the Islamic republic dismissed his warnings over its latest missile test as unfounded and provocative.

In a series of early morning tweets, Trump wrote: "Iran is playing with fire - they don't appreciate how 'kind' President Obama was to them. Not me!"

But that was only the second of five tweets fired off between 6:24 am (local time) and 6:48 am.

The first in the series concerned Trump's feud with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the rest covered topics as varied as his conversation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, meetings with business leaders and anti-Trump protesters.

Yesterday, the Trump administration appeared poised to levy fresh sanctions on Iran in what would mark the first concrete evidence of the new president's tougher stance, hours after he and his national security advisor put Iran "on notice" over missile tests and support for Yemeni rebels.

The sanctions are likely to be levied on individuals or entities linked to Iran's missile program and will be taken under existing presidential powers, sources familiar with White House deliberations said.

The measures are likely to replicate actions by former president Barack Obama's administration, which targeted firms and the Revolutionary Guard's missile command after previous tests.

Asked by a reporter if military action was a possibility, Trump said, "Nothing is off the table."

On Wednesday, National Security Adviser Michael Flynn insisted the missile test was in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. That calls on Iran not to test missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi called the claims "baseless, repetitive and provocative."

Iran has confirmed that it had tested a ballistic missile, but denied that it violated the terms of the nuclear deal.

Tehran says its missiles do not breach UN resolutions because they are for defence purposes only and not designed to carry nuclear warheads.

Read More

Pak youth shot dead in Islamabad for not stopping car

Islamabad, Feb 3, 2017 (PTI)

A 27-year-old Pakistani man was fatally shot dead by a police officer after he reportedly failed to stop at a checkpoint here, leading to rioting by angry locals in the country's capital city.

Taimur Riaz who was shot in Islamabad's Sector I-10/1 received at least one bullet injury to the head after a police official belonging to the Eagle Squad opened fire on his vehicle, the Dawn reported.

Taimur is reported to have died on the spot from the injury while the officer is said to have fled the scene after the incident.

Police said they have initiated a search for the police official. They said the police official opened fire at Taimur after his refusal to stop.

According to reports, a female passenger in the same vehicle was reported to be in safe condition. The incident led to rioting and protests in Islamabad, with the victim's family dismissing the police statement and saying there had been no prior warning or order to stop before the officer opened fire.

Protesters even set a police camp on fire, the report said. A case has been registered against the police officer by Taimur's brother.

In May 2015, two young men were shot dead by a police patrol in Karachi after the victims, along with four others on three bikes, refused to stop at a police checkpoint.

In June the same year, two young men were shod dead in Punjab's Sadiqabad by two members of the Muhafiz Squad.

Read More

Iranian girl's surgery in US cancelled due to Trump travel ban

San Francisco, Feb 3, 2017 (PTI)

US President Donald Trump's controversial immigration policy on seven Muslim-majority countries has led to the cancellation of a life-saving surgery on a 4-month-old Iranian infant for a heart condition.

Baby Fatemah and her family were supposed to fly in for an appointment for a surgical consultation at at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) next week, but they were not able to finish their trip because of Trump's executive order on immigration, KPTV reported.

The gravely ill baby is Iranian, but Fatemah's family has decided they did not want her to have surgery in her birth country due to concerns about the quality of medical services. "Over there, it's a very high risk because it's open heart surgery," her uncle, Sam Taghizadeh, said.

Fatemah Taghizadeh's parents were hoping to meet with doctors in Oregon on February 5 for the emergency surgery and travelled to Dubai to get the US visa.

Their embassy appointment was cancelled because of the executive order preventing Iranian nationals, among others, from travelling to the US, Taghizadeh, who is a US citizen and lives in Portland, told reporters. "All the paper, everything was ready, and just in the last minute they cancelled everything," Taghizadeh said.

"It's like a nightmare. You know, in the one night everything changes. Now you don't know what you're going to do," said Taghizadeh.

"Why we came to US, we came here for freedom. For a better life. I'm feeling nowhere is safe," Taghizadeh said.

Fatemah and her family left Dubai and are they are now back in Iran. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has expressed outrage and said the Empire State would be glad to help little Fatemah.

"Here's the consequence of this un-American policy," Cuomo tweeted yesterday. "An exception should be made. If OR has issue, NY will provide care," New York Post reported.

"The pain and damage of this flawed federal policy is especially repulsive in this case preventing a child from getting life saving treatment," said Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi.

"If the plane lands in New York the Governor will personally make sure the child gets the health care she needs. New York and America does not let children die because we deprived them of healthcare.?"

Trump last week signed a sweeping executive order to suspend the arrival of refugees and impose tough new controls on travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

Read More