The Indian Panorama

Month: September 2016

  • RAGHURAM RAJAN WARNS AGAINST LOW RATES WORLDWIDE

    RAGHURAM RAJAN WARNS AGAINST LOW RATES WORLDWIDE

    MUMBAI (TIP): Three years before the 2008 global financial crisis, an Indian economist named Raghuram G Rajan+ presciently warned a skeptical audience of top economic thinkers that excessive risk threatened the entire global financial system. As Rajan stepped down+ on Sunday as India’s top central banker, following intense criticism at home, he offered a new warning: Low interest rates globally could distort markets and would be difficult to abandon.

    Countries around the world, including the United States and Europe, have kept interest rates low+ as a way to encourage growth. But countries could become “trapped” by fear that when they eventually raised rates, they “would see growth slow down,” he said. Low interest rates should not be a substitute for “other instruments of policy” and “various kinds of reforms” that are needed to encourage growth, Rajan said. “Often when monetary policy is really easy, it becomes the residual policy of choice,” he said, when deeper reforms areneeded. His warning comes at a time when the world’s central banks appear to be at a loss about how to get global growth moving again. A growing number of voices say that low rates are not doing the job and that governments must take other, more politically difficult steps to reinvigorate growth. The warning by Rajan, now 53, came as he stepped down from a position that had helped make him something of a rock star — albeit a controversial one — in India. He disputed the view that his tight monetary policies had cost him the support of the government, and he said that his departure was based on his inability to reach an agreement with the government on serving longer but not serving another full three-year term.

     

  • US stocks flat ahead of expected Apple iPhone 7 launch

    US stocks flat ahead of expected Apple iPhone 7 launch

    NEW YORK (TIP): US stocks were little changed early Wednesday ahead of Apple’s expected launch+ of a new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus , and the Federal Reserve’s “Beige Book” report assessing economic conditions around the country.

    Apple shares+ were flat a few hours before the San Francisco event, which could also see the introduction of a second-generation smartwatch.

    About 35 minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 18,524.94, down 0.1 percent.

    The broad-based S&P 500 lost less than 0.1 percent at 2,185.62, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.1 percent to 5,281.54.

  • My job is to protect ICC’s interests, says Shashank Manohar

    My job is to protect ICC’s interests, says Shashank Manohar

    MUMBAI (TIP): Shashank Manohar’s critics feel that he has let the BCCI down – first by deserting the ship just when the whole foundation was about to be hit by the Supreme Court-constituted Lodha Committee report, and then by ignoring India’s interests after being voted as the chairman of ICC.

    Speaking exclusively to TOI, the 58-year-old clarified his stance on issues which have seen him lose the confidence of the top officials of BCCI…

    There is a growing feeling in BCCI that you’re not protecting India’s interests in the ICC?

    As an independent chairman of the world body, I’m there to protect the ICC’s interests, and not the BCCI’s.

    BCCI is upset that ICC has earmarked a budget as high as $135 million (approx) as the organisational cost for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, whereas India received only $45 million for organising the World T20 earlier this year…

    This $135 million is a factually wrong figure. The budget for the 2016 World T20 was $ 55m, which included the production cost too. The budget that has been earmarked for the Champions Trophy is $46m, which includes the production cost for the event. You must remember that the cost of accommodation and travel is much more in England than in India.

    It’s believed that both you and the ICC back the introduction of the two-tier system in Test cricket, which the BCCI has staunchly opposed…

    I had made it clear at the ICC meeting of Chief Executives (CECs) and the Board of Directors in Edinburgh that since this involved an issue regarding bilateral series rights, it shouldn’t be discussed on the ICC platform. The ICC only acted as a facilitator while organising an informal meeting of representatives of the countries in Dubai, which wasn’t attended by CECs. We didn’t pay for the expenses towards that meeting. Personally , I was against the idea, because the value of the second-tier teams would be negligible.

    The BCCI feels that you haven’t supported it enough on the Lodha issue…

    What can the ICC do in this? When it comes to the law of the land, everyone, including the ICC, has to abide by its order. We can’t sit on the judgment of the highest court of the country. 

  • New era for F1 as Liberty agrees $8 billion takeover

    New era for F1 as Liberty agrees $8 billion takeover

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Formula One entered a new era on Sept 4 as US billionaire John Malone’s Liberty Media agreed a takeover that values the motorsport at $8 billion and raises questions over the role of its colourful, long-time mastermind, Bernie Ecclestone.

    In a deal that ends years of speculation over F1’s future, Liberty said it had struck an agreement to buy out Formula One’s parent company from CVC Capital, and had already acquired a minority stake of 18.7 percent.

    Liberty Media group will pay a total equity price of $4.4 billion in cash, newly issued shares, and exchangeable debt to complete the deal, which gives Formula One an enterprise value of $8.0 billion.

    Liberty said it would keep Ecclestone, who built Formula One into a global operation over nearly four decades, as chief executive, but also named 21st Century Fox vice chairman Chase Carey as the company’s new chairman.

    “I greatly admire Formula One as a unique global sports entertainment franchise attracting hundreds of millions of fans each season from all around the world,” Carey, 62, said.

    “I see great opportunity to help Formula One continue to develop and prosper for the benefit of the sport, fans, teams and investors alike.”

    The takeover is set to be completed next year, subject to approval by regulators, Liberty Media’s shareholders and F1’s governing body, the Federation International de l’Automobile (FIA).

    It gives Liberty control of a global and highly profitable sport which includes 21 races this year stretching from Melbourne and Shanghai to Sochi, Mexico City and finishing in Abu Dhabi.

    Formula One rakes in billions from advertisers and broadcasting rights for what is one of the world’s most-viewed competitions.

    It also earns millions from Formula One-branded merchandise. F1’s future under CVC has long been in question and a mooted share flotation in Singapore was shelved in 2012.

    Despite the big profits, some F1 teams are plagued by financial problems and the sport faces challenges to its fanbase and TV viewership, with its races often criticised as predictable.

    Ecclestone, a former motorcycle dealer and racing driver, has been the flamboyant figure at the centre of Formula One since the 1970s, crafting it into one of the world’s most glamorous and best known sports.

    After months of talks with the sellers, Liberty agreed to retain the canny and combative 85-year-old, who insisted his role would remain unchanged despite the arrival of Carey as chairman.

    “I will stay on as F1 chief executive,’ Ecclestone told the Autosport website. “I will continue to do all the things I have previously done, such as negotiate with the circuits, television companies and people like that.

    “The good news is we will have someone on board in Chase, and he will hopefully be able to push F1 into new territories with social media. I have never found a way to make money from that.”

    Ecclestone himself is valued by Forbes magazine at $4.2 billion, making him one of the richest 400 people in the world.

    CVC co-chairman Donald Mackenzie praised Ecclestone, who forked out $100 million to German authorities to end a high-profile bribery trial in 2014.

    “Bernie has been a wonderful CEO for us over the last 10 years,” Mackenzie said in a statement.

    “There have been many successes and the occasional challenge but there has never been a dull moment and we have had a lot of fun. The combined skills of Chase and Bernie mean that the successes should continue and we wish them well.”

    The purchase also adds a new gem to the growing collection of savvy, low-key tycoon Malone, who Forbes estimates has a fortune of$7.1 billion.

    The broader Liberty group runs a wide range of media-centric businesses, including Time Warner cable television, concert promoter Live Nation, the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball team, and a stake in Formula E, the all-electric version of Formula One which launched in 2012.

    “We are excited to become part of Formula One,” Liberty Media president and chief executive Greg Maffei said.

    “We think our long-term perspective and expertise with media and sports assets will allow us to be good stewards of Formula One and benefit fans, teams and our shareholders.”

  • How 2 Indian-American Children Impressed Michelle Obama

    How 2 Indian-American Children Impressed Michelle Obama

    WASHINGTON: An Indian-American girl attracted a sizeable audience at the White House when she narrated a poem that shared her experience as an immigrant and how it was painful to replace her mother tongue Tamil with English.

    Among the audience were the First Lady, Michelle Obama, who felicitated Maya Eashwaran and four others including another Indian-American Gopal Raman with the prestigious National Students Poet in recognition of their poetry skills.

    “I have lost more than I have ever lost in sixteen years.

    I have started shedding ethnicity like hair: Mother, I fear I’ll go bald,” Maya, 17, concluded reading her poetry. “Ma, I haven’t spoken (Tamil) in three years” amidst applause from the audience.

    She even received a shout out from the First Lady in her speech.

    “Maya — where’s Maya? You put it best. These are your words, I’m told: “On the stage, there is no way to leave unnoticed. Did you say that?” the First Lady asked.

    Maya, was born in the US to her Tamil parents.

    “My family is Tamil. I was born here. I write a lot of my poems based on my culture, my heritage,” she told PTI after her White House event.

    “The poem that I actually read at the White House linguistics is based on experience of losing my mother tongue and kind of replacing it with another, which is very painful thing to imagine to go through,” she said, adding that when she was in the middle school she stared getting interested in poetry.

    Gopal, 17, the other Indian-American budding poet who received national attention lives in Dallas and is a high school students.

    His parents — father from Chennai and mother from Kerala – moved to the US in the 1980s. He was born here. “It (love with poetry) started in seventh grade. I had a really great English teacher. He really pushed me in writing in more creative way. I choose poetry as my avenue of writing,” he said.

    “I am super honoured to meet the First Lady,” he said. “I also want to plan for pre-med. My dream job right now is some short of medical doctor” he added.

    At the event, Gopal read out the poem “This Apple”. The other three poets honoured at the White House are Stella Binion from Chicago, Joey Reisberg from Towson in Maryland and Maya Salameh from San Diego in California.

    Since its inception in 2011, the National Student Poets Program has showcased the essential role of writing and the arts in academic and personal success for audiences across the country.

    “This is the last time that we’re going to have the pleasure of welcoming a class of National Student Poets to the White House, at least under this administration. So I’m feeling a little melancholy here, because this has truly been an Honor and a privilege and a joy,” Michelle said.

    Recollecting how it all started, the First Lady said when they came here, they wanted to use this incredible platform of the White House to inspire young people to dream really big for themselves, to think about what their lives could look like beyond what their everyday existence is like.

  • CCTV Shows Indian Girl, 6, Fought Attacker Who Had An Axe

    CCTV Shows Indian Girl, 6, Fought Attacker Who Had An Axe

    A six-year-old Indian girl has won praise for her brave attempt at stopping an axe-wielding robber, who attacked an employee at her father’s store in New Zealand in a burglary.

    Sarah Patel was captured on CCTV trying to defend the staff member when a group of six armed men broke into the family’s electrical shop in Auckland on Monday.

    The footage shows the masked men kicking, punching and threatening employees with an axe and a crowbar, or iron lever, and smashing cabinets and stealing thousands of dollars worth of electronics.

    Sarah Patel, who was caught up in the violent drama, is seen in the video rushing towards one of the attackers standing over an employee with an axe, and tries to get him to stop his attack.

    The girl grabbed onto the leg of the man during the armed incident that ended in a dramatic police chase from the North Shore to west Auckland.

    She told the New Zealand Herald she was “trying to save” the employee and that she “wasn’t scared” of the bad guy.

    When Sarah Patel glimpsed the attacker’s axe she fled. She later helps her grandfather out of the room and away from danger.

    Her father Mr Suhail Patel told TVNZ he was “proud” of his daughter and though she had been shaken by the incident, she was recovering well.

    Sarah Patel told the media that she “wasn’t scared” of the bad guy.

    “Last night she was very upset. Was in shock. We’ve been trying to say to her ‘You’re the bravest girl’, that sort of thing,” he said.

    Mr Suhail said his daughter was extremely brave facing up to the man as he was holding what appeared to be a small axe.

    “I’m proud of her, definitely.”

    sarah-patel-told-the-media-that-she-%22wasnt-scared%22-of-the-bad-guyThe proud father added his daughter was “always trying to help people” and he was not surprised she sprung into action.

    The video shows her being shoved aside by the man then helped up by her grandfather.

    Sarah Patel’s mother Ms Nashrin said her daughter initially thought the attacker was her father.

    After the intruders fled, they were pursued across West Auckland by police – as well as Sarah Patel, her mother and grandfather, who gave chase in their family car.

    They were eventually stopped by police road spikes laid out for them.

    Five 16-year-old boys have been charged with aggravated robbery, injuring with intent and breaching bail.

    A sixth suspect is still to be found.

    Several newspapers around the world today reported Sarah Patel’s “astonishing bravery”, calling her “fearless”.

  • Volume 10 Issue 35 | New York | Sep 09

    Volume 10 Issue 35 | New York | Sep 09

    10 years
    Celebrating 10 Years of The Indian Panorama

    Print Edition ~ Digitally

     

    Volume 10 Issue 35 ~ NY ~ Sep 09

     

  • Volume 4 Issue 35 | Dallas | Sep 09

    Volume 4 Issue 35 | Dallas | Sep 09

    10 years
    Celebrating 10 Years of The Indian Panorama

    Print Edition ~ Digitally

     

    Volume 10 Issue 35 ~ Dallas ~ Sep 09

     

  • US likely to make sale of Guardian drones to India: officials

    US likely to make sale of Guardian drones to India: officials

    The US is likely to make a positive decision on Indias request for state-of-the art unarmed Guardian drones for maritime surveillance, especially in the Indian Ocean.

    The move comes after India was designated a major defence partner of the US in June.

    Within weeks of that designation, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Barack Obama, at the White House in early June, the Indian Navy had sent an official letter of request (LoR) in February to Department of Defense towards purchase of 22 high-tech multi-mission Predator Guardian UAVs.

    This was the first major request of arms sale purchase by India after Obama designated New Delhi as a major Strategic Defence partner.

    The US government has not made a formal decision on it yet, but is believed to have started an inter agency process on the Indian request.

    According to sources, the administration believes that an approval of such a major military sale would help in “sealing Indian US defense relationship”, bring in “a new level of comfort” between the two militaries and would be considered as a lasting legacy not only for India but also for the Asia-Pacific pivot of the outgoing president.

    Officials here believe the sale of predator Guardian UAVs would act as a force multiplier for Indias maritime surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean region; which of late has become one of the key American objective in the Asia Pacific region.

    Top governmental sources confirmed that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had detailed discussions on predator Guardian UAV to fulfill maritime surveillance requirements.

    Parrikar was in the US last week and held meetings with Carter at the Pentagon on August 29.

    During the meeting, Carter is understood have assured Parrikar he would personally “champion” Indias request “within the system,” sources said.

    At General Atomics which has announced to office in India this year, the effort is being spearheaded by Dr Vivek Lall who had been also instrumental in Indias ability to procure advanced Boeing P8I aircraft for maritime domain awareness capability, they said.

  • Mel Gibson slams Batman v Superman

    Mel Gibson slams Batman v Superman

    Hollywood star Mel Gibson blasted “Batman v Superman” saying he is not interested in fake superheros.

    The 60-year-old director said making a film with big budget does not guarantee it to be a good work, reported Deadline.

    “Im not interested in the stuff. Do you know what the difference between real superheroes and comic-book superheroes is? Real superheroes didnt wear spandex. So I dont know. Spandex must cost a lot,” Gibson said.

    The mention of DC Comics blockbuster, which was panned by critics, came up when Gibson revealed the modest budget he worked with on his latest film “Hacksaw Ridge.”

    “I look at them and scratch my head. Im really baffled by it. I think theres a lot of waste, but maybe if I did one of those things with the green screens Id find out different.

    “It seems to me that you could do it for less…Youre spending outrageous amounts of money, USD 180 million or more, I dont know how you make it back after the tax man gets you, and after you give half to the exhibitors,” he said.

  • US cant elect a man who belittles allies: Biden

    US cant elect a man who belittles allies: Biden

    Hinting at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, US Vice President Joe Biden has said that Americans cant elect a man who belittles closest allies and embraces Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    “We cant elect a man who belittles our closest allies and embraces Vladimir Putin. A man who seeks to sow division among our allies for his own gain. And disorder around the world,” Biden said addressing the Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade along with Senator Tim Kaine, the vice presidential running mate of Hillary Clinton.

    Biden endorsed Clinton as next occupant of the White House.

    “Its time we get out of our own way and get Trump out of the way and elect this guy and Hillary Clinton, president and vice president of the United States of America,” Biden said.

    “Folks, we cant let it happen. Let me tell you what I literally tell every world leader. And I want you guys to be reminded of it. Its never, never, never, ever been a good bet to bet against the American people. Not one single time,” said the Vice President.

    “In America, we never bow. We never bend. We never break when confronted with crisis. We endure and we overcome and its because of you weve been able to do it. Its time to get up and holler. Its time to get up and get back. I am more optimistic about the prospects America today than I ever have been in my whole career,” Biden said.

  • US has elevated its ties with India across the board: Obama

    US has elevated its ties with India across the board: Obama

    Welcoming Indias growing role in the Asia-Pacific region, the US has said it will continue to work with other countries in the region for “addressing political and security challenges.”

    “Weve elevated our ties with India across the board, and we welcome Indias growing role in the Asia Pacific, Obama said in a major policy speech on Asia-Pacific region in Laos yesterday.

    This is for the first time that a US President has visited Laos.

    Obama said to keep the peace and deter aggression, the US has deployed more of its most advanced military capabilities to the region, including ships and aircraft to Singapore.

    “And by the end of the decade, a majority of our Navy and Air Force fleets will be based out of the Pacific. And our allies and partners are collaborating more with each other as well. So our alliances and defence capabilities in the Asia Pacific are as strong as theyve ever been,” he said.

    “Weve also forged deeper ties with emerging economies and emerging powers. With Indonesia and Malaysia, were promoting entrepreneurship. Were opposing violent extremism, and were addressing environmental degradation,” he said.

    “With my recent visit to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, weve shown our commitment to fully normalising our relationship with Vietnam,” Obama said.

    “Weve deepened our cooperation with regional institutions, especially here in Southeast Asia. And as part of our new strategic partnership with ASEAN, weve agreed to key principles, including that ASEAN will remain central to peace, prosperity and progress in the Asia Pacific,” Obama said.

    “The US is now part of the East Asia Summit, and together weve made it the leading forum in the region for addressing political and security challenges, including maritime security,” he said.

    Obama said the US has worked to build a constructive relationship with China.

    “Our two governments continue to have serious differences in important areas. The US will remain unwavering in our support for universal human rights, but at the same time, weve shown that we can work together to advance mutual interests.

    The US and China are engaged across more areas than ever before — from preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, to our shared commitment to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, to our historic leadership together on climate change,” he said.

    “So I will say it again:  The United States welcomes the rise of a China that is peaceful and stable and prosperous and a responsible player in global affairs, because we believe that will benefit all of us,” he added.

    “In other words, the US is more deeply engaged across the Asia Pacific than we have been in decades. Our position is stronger. And weve sent a clear message that, as a Pacific nation, were here to stay. In good times and bad, you can count on the United States of America,” Obama said.

  • AAP leader Ashutosh slams action on him, questions media

    AAP leader Ashutosh slams action on him, questions media

    Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh, who is under attack for his controversial blog defending sacked Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar, on Tuesday said the police case against him was an “infringement” on his right to freedom of expression. In a barrage of tweets, he also hit out at the media saying it was indulging in “vulturisation” and “doing embedded journalism”.

    “Atmosphere is created where critical analysis of history not allowed, freedom of expression will be crushed, voice of dissent suppressed. Registering police cases against me is an infringement on my fundamental right to freedom of expression mandated by Constitution,” he wrote in a series of tweets.

    “Even media is not interested in finding the truth, indulging into vulturisation and doing embedded journalism,” he said. Following the blog post, the NCW summoned the AAP spokesperson.

    “We have asked him to come on September 8. This is in response to what we feel is a very reprehensible and demeaning blog Ashutosh wrote, where he defended a man accused of rape,” NCW chairperson said.

  • Sunny Leone’s Website To Be Banned?

    Sunny Leone’s Website To Be Banned?

    Sunny Leone’s official website with adult content could go down as right wing outfit Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS) is planning to launch a nationwide campaign demanding a complete ban on the portal.

    HJS, headquartered in Goa, will launch a campaign against the website on September 10 from Kashi.

    According to HT report, HJS activists plan to stage a demonstration at Shashtri Ghat.

    On being asked why HJS was calling for a ban only on Sunny Leone’s website, to that regional coordinator of the organisation, Nilesh Singbal said,  “In India, people are not much aware about names of other porn stars. Her growing popularity has become a threat to the Indian culture.”

    The activist also advocated imposing a ban on other “such websites” too. He said that HJS had a big plan to create awareness among people about the ill-impact of porn websites on the minds of people.

  • Copies Of FIR Must Be Uploaded Online Within 24 Hrs: SC Tells States And UTs

    Copies Of FIR Must Be Uploaded Online Within 24 Hrs: SC Tells States And UTs

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed all states and Union Territories to upload the FIRs on their websites within 24 hours of registration at police stations.

    A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and C Nagappan, however, extended the time up to 72 hours for uploading of the FIRs for those states which are located in difficult terrains where internet connectivity is poor.

    The apex court exempted the state police authorities from uploading the FIRs on sensitive cases pertaining to insurgency and sexual offences against women and children. The bench also made it clear that the accused cannot take benefit before the courts of law of the fact that FIRs lodged against them have not been uploaded on the website.

    Initially, it was suggested during the hearing that the states be allowed to upload FIRs on websites within 48 hours.

    However, the court later fixed the time limit at 24 hours.

    The direction came on a PIL filed by Youth Lawyers Association of India on the issue. The PIL referred to a decision passed by the Delhi High Court in which the city police was directed to upload the FIRs on its website within 24 hours of being registered.

    The apex court agreed to the directions of the HC with certain modifications.

  • India is the world’s fastest growing major economy

    India is the world’s fastest growing major economy

    Gross domestic product growth dipped to 7.1% in the quarter ended June, a disappointing performance but one that still trumps the 6.7% posted by China in its most recent quarter.

    The slowdown comes as unease mounts over the pace of economic reforms, leadership at the central bank, and intractable problems that politicians seem unable to tame: corruption, bureaucracy and onerous regulation.

    Economists have even called into question the validity of the country’s GDP statistics, which have diverged from other indicators after government officials changed how the number is calculated.

    Shilan Shah, an economist at Capital Economics, estimated that growth was “almost certainly weaker” than official statistics indicate, and perhaps as slow as 5.5% or 6% in the quarter.

    There are also concerns that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reform drive has ground to a halt.

    Modi spent huge amounts of political capital getting his signature Goods and Services Tax approved by legislators in August. When implemented, it could boost the economy by simplifying the country’s byzantine tax system.

    But with state elections looming in 2017, analysts are worried that other vital plans will be shelved. Proposals to liberalize labor markets and reform India’s antiquated land ownership laws, for example, now stand little chance.

    Another of Modi’s priorities — reducing red tape for small businesses — has scarcely progressed. India ranks 130th in a World Bank index measuring the regulatory burden on small firms, an improvement of just four spots from 2015. The country’s infrastructure is inadequate, and will take decades to upgrade.

    The departure of Reserve Bank of India chief Raghuram Rajan has also raised questions: Was the rock star central banker too outspoken for New Delhi’s taste?

    Modi defends the progress made under his watch, arguing that investment numbers are up and reforms to bankruptcy laws will make it much easier for troubled companies to be wound down.

    The government is particularly proud of its efforts to increase foreign investment. And indeed, its campaign has paid dividends, with investment from the U.S. increasing by 500% over the past two years to $4.2 billion.

    Despite the doubts, India remains an attractive bet for multinationals. The country’s growing middle class has money to spend, and its youthful population offers huge potential.

    The prospect of turning that potential into profits has lured a parade of foreign executives to India: the CEOs of Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30), Google (GOOGL, Tech30) and Apple (AAPL, Tech30) have all visited the country in the past year.

  • 88 former military leaders write letter backing Donald Trump for president

    88 former military leaders write letter backing Donald Trump for president

    Donald Trump’s campaign released a letter Tuesday signed by 88 retired military leaders endorsing his presidential candidacy, including four four-star generals and 14 three-star flag officers, according to the campaign.

    The group, which was organized by Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow and Rear Admiral Charles Williams, praised Trump and declared that “the 2016 election affords the American people an urgently needed opportunity to make a long-overdue course correction in our national security posture and policy.”

    Also included in the letter was Gen. Burwell Bell, a retired four-star general who commanded US forces in Korea from 2006 until his retirement in 2008, and a notable inclusion in light of Trump’s rhetoric allowing for the possibility of nuclear proliferation in the Asia-Pacific region.
    “As retired senior leaders of America’s military, we believe that such a change can only be made by someone who has not been deeply involved with, and substantially responsible for, the hollowing out of our military and the burgeoning threats facing our country around the world. For this reason, we support Donald Trump’s candidacy to be our next Commander-in-Chief,” the group wrote in their letter.

    The former US military leaders were sharply critical of the Obama administration’s national security and foreign policy, warning that “enemies have become emboldened, sensing weakness and irresolution in Washington” and that “in our professional judgment, the combined effort is potentially extremely perilous.”
    “We support Donald Trump and his commitment to rebuild our military, secure our borders, to defeat our Islamic supremacist adversaries, and restore law and order domestically. We urge our fellow Americans to do the same.”
    One of the letter’s signers told CNN his endorsement for Trump was not unqualified, citing how the Republican presidential nominee’s comments about torture and his suggestion that the military should target terrorists’ families were cause for concern.
    “Yes, they did concern me and I’ll tell you why: a lot of times people say things not really understanding the consequences of their statements,” Brigadier General Remo Butler (Ret) told CNN’s Carol Costello on the “Newsroom.”
    However Butler, who last worked as chief of staff at Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida, said his concerns were assuaged by the team of national security advisers Trump had assembled.
    “I would be a fool to give anyone my unqualified support,” Butler said. “I am listening to what he says. I am listening and watching his actions, and right now today, … I am supporting him.”
    Other Republican nominees in recent election cycles have managed to secure a larger number of generals and admirals as public backers.
    Sen. John McCain, a former Naval Aviator, was endorsed by 300 generals and admirals in his 2008 contest with Barack Obama.
    An even bigger number backed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in 2012 via a full-page ad in the Washington Times.
    Clinton has yet to release a full list of senior officers backing her presidential bid, but several former generals have made their support for her public, including the former commander of US forces in Afghanistan, US Marine Gen. John Allen, as well as US Army four-star generals Bob Sennewald and David Maddox.
    Some of the most high-profile generals from recent conflicts, like David Petraeus, Stanley McChrystal, James Mattis and Raymond Odierno as well as Adm. William McRaven have not publicly said who they are voting for this election.
    And former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, recently wrote an open letter lambasting generals for being overtly political.
    The other four-stars on the list, Gen. Alfred Hansen, Adm. Jerry Johnson, US Navy, Retired and Gen. Crosbie “Butch” Saint, all retired almost a decade before 9/11.
    Among the three-star generals on the list, Lt. Gen. Marvin Covault commanded the military’s response to the Rodney King riots of 1992 in Los Angeles. Covault has also publicly advocated for Common Core education standards, something Trump has regularly slammed on the campaign trail.
    Lt. Gen. William Boykin a former officer in the Army’s elite Delta Force encountered controversy when he expressed overt religious views while serving as a commanding officer during the Global War on Terror.
  • Donald Trump’s Remarks Unnerve Indian-Americans claims Aruna Miller

    Donald Trump’s Remarks Unnerve Indian-Americans claims Aruna Miller

    The Indian-American community in the United States is greatly concerned by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s remark against Mexicans and Muslims and that Indians were taking away jobs from the country, Democratic legislator Aruna Miller has said.

    “The rhetoric that all Mexicans are rapists and Muslims are terrorists are of great concern to the Indian-American community. He continues to ridicule outsourcing and call centres,” Miller, a legislator from Maryland told reporters.

    A Democratic representative and a member of the House of Delegates since 2011, she is on a visit to Kolkata and New Delhi to talk about the ongoing US presidential elections, which has generated global interest.

    The Hyderabad-born American citizen said Trump’s statements against immigrants are not going down well with the Indian-American community as well.

    Republican senator Wayne Harper, who is also accompanying her on the visit, however, defended Trump, saying people around Trump were now expecting that he would make people understand his point of view without being rough.

    “I am anticipating that relationships will increase between India and USA because both need each other. The relationship is more than just based on business but it’s about partnership and about national and international security,” he said.

    The two politicians are impressed by the high voter turnout in India.

    “I wish the high level of interest that the people here have about American elections was the same in America,” Miller said , adding in the mid-term polls, about 38 per cent of eligible voters turned out last time.

    “We have built up barriers for voters as in some states it is mandatory to have a voter ID card to cast ballots. It is easier to buy weapons than vote. We need to drop those barriers,” she said.

  • India on path of becoming pivot for hi-tech manufacturing: UN

    India on path of becoming pivot for hi-tech manufacturing: UN

    India is on the path of becoming a “pivot” for high-tech world manufacturing even as global manufacturing growth is expected to remain low in 2016 due to weakened financial support for productive activities, a new UN report said.

    The quarterly World Manufacturing Production report, published by the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) said world manufacturing output is expected to increase by only 2.8 per cent in 2016.

    However, in contrast to recent years, there will be no breakout from the low-growth trap in 2016.

    Growth performance was much higher in Asian economies, where manufacturing output rose by 6.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2016.

    “Indias manufacturing output, which achieved impressive growth rates in the last quarters, experienced a second slight decline in a row but the prospects for Indias manufacturing are conclusive, since India is on the path to becoming a pivot for high-tech world manufacturing,” the report said.

    According to the latest GDP data released in India, the manufacturing sector grew 9.1 per cent during April-June 2016, a slight decline from the 9.3 per cent clocked in January to March.

    UNIDO also warned that lower industrial growth rates pose a challenge for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation, as encapsulated by Goal 9, which also aims to significantly raise the share of manufacturing in the economies of developing countries.

    It further stated that manufacturing production is likely to rise by only 1.3 per cent in industrialised countries and by 4.7 per cent in developing ones.

    In terms of growth rates for countries, the growth rate performance of China, the worlds largest manufacturer, is likely to further decline from last years 7.1 per cent to 6.5 per cent this year.

    Russia and the US recorded marginal rises of one per cent and 0.3 per cent, respectively.

    In Europe, the uncertainty following the Brexit affected the growth rate performance in manufacturing in the second quarter of 2016, below one per cent for the first time since 2013.

    Developing economies maintained higher growth in the production of textiles, chemical products and fabricated metal products, while the growth performance of industrialised economies was higher in the pharmaceutical industry and in production of motor vehicles.

  • Indian-American charged with callous treatment of worker in US

    Indian-American charged with callous treatment of worker in US

    An Indian-American CEO of an IT staffing and consulting firm has been charged in the US with callous treatment of a domestic worker who had come from India to work for her.

    The Department of Labor in its complaint alleges that Himanshu Bhatia, the CEO for Rose International and IT Staffing, paid her domestic service worker USD 400 a month plus food and housing for work being performed during 15 and half hours a day seven days a week at her home in San Juan Capistrano and other luxury residences in Miami, Las Vegas and Long Beach, California.

    According to the complaint filed by the US Labor Secretary Thomas E Perez on August 22 in the US District Court for the Central District of California, the domestic service worker identified as Sheela Ningwal was subject to callous abuse and retaliation.

    She was forced to sleep in the garage on a piece of carpet alongside Bhatias dogs when she was ill, and being left without food when Bhatia leave her residence for days, the complaint alleged.

    Additionally, Bhatia confiscated Ningwals passport, restricting her free movement and only made available to the domestic service worker when she had to travel to perform domestic service duties at Bhatia?s penthouse in Miami, it said.

    Bhatia terminated Ningwal in December 2014 after catching her researching the topic of “labor laws” on line and after the domestic service worker refused to sign a document Bhatia authored, stating that she was being paid an adequate salary and had no employment dispute with Bhatia, the complaint said.

    The departments Wage and Hour Division found that Bhatia violated the Fair Labor Standards Acts minimum wage and record keeping provisions from July 2012 to December 2014, as well as the acts anti-retaliation provision.

    Rose International and IT staffing and consulting firm that had more than USD 357 million in revenue in 2011.

  • Pak-American nominated to federal judiciary bench by Obama

    Pak-American nominated to federal judiciary bench by Obama

    President Barack Obama has nominated a Pakistani-American, the first Muslim on the federal judiciary bench for the US District Court of Columbia.

    “I am pleased to nominate Mr Qureshi to serve on the US District court bench. I am confident he will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice,” Obama said in a statement.

    Abid Riaz Qureshi is a partner in the Washington, DC office of Latham & Watkins LLP, where he specialises in cases involving the False Claims Act, health care fraud, and securities violations. He currently serves as the Global Chair of the firms Pro Bono Committee, a position he has held since 2012.

    From 2006 to 2011, he served as Co-Chair of the Litigation Department in the Washington, DC office. Qureshi has also served on the District of Columbia Bar Associations Legal Ethics Committee since 2015.

    Born in Pakistan, Qureshi earned his bachelors degree in 1993 from Cornell University and his law degree in 1997 from Harvard Law School. If confirmed, he would fill the seat left by US District Judge Rosemary Collyer, who took senior status in May.

    Obamas nomination of Qureshi has been hailed by the Muslim American community.

    “I commend President Obama for taking this important step in continuing to pick the best and brightest from every community to serve as part of our nations judiciary,” said Farhana Khera, former counsel to the US.

    Senate Judiciary Committee and executive director of Muslim Advocates, a national legal advocacy organization.

    “A judiciary that reflects the rich diversity of our nation helps ensure the fair and just administration of the law, and it is vital for American Muslims to be included. Qureshis profound commitment to the rule of law and justice for people of all backgrounds makes him an exceptional nominee,” she said.

  • ‘One nation in South Asia is spreading terror in the region’ says Modi at G20

    ‘One nation in South Asia is spreading terror in the region’ says Modi at G20

    HANGZHOU, China – Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sept. 5 told the G20 summit here that Pakistan was spreading terror in South Asia and using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

    He also appealed the grouping to “isolate and sanction supporters of terrorism.”

    At the two-day G20 summit which began in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, India raised the issue of terrorism at various sessions.

    Modi told Chinese President XI Jinping how the scourge of terrorism was affecting the region.

    “There are some nations that use it as an instrument of state policy. One single nation in South Asia is spreading agents of terror in our region,” Modi said, without naming Pakistan.

    India’s ties with Pakistan have soured after Islamabad declared Jammu and Kashmir terrorist Burhan Wani, shot dead by security forces, as a “martyr.”

    “For us a terrorist is a terrorist,” Modi said. He was speaking during his intervention at the last session of the G20.

    The Prime Minister said “growing forces of violence and terror pose a fundamental challenge” and urged the international community to act in unity and respond against terrorism.

    “India has a policy of zero tolerance to terrorism. Because anything less than that is not enough,” he said.

    In his meeting with President Xi, Modi expressed concern over terrorism emanating from Pakistan’s restive regions of Giligit-Baltistan and Pakistani Kashmir where the China Pakistan Economic Corridor is coming up.

    Modi also raised the issues of black money and tax evasion, urging member countries to act against financial corruption.

    “Fighting corruption, black money and tax evasion are central to effective financial governance,” said the Prime Minister. “We need to act to eliminate safe havens for economic offenders, track down and unconditionally extradite money launderers and break down the web of complex international regulations and excessive banking secrecy that hide the corrupt and their deeds,” he said.

    Representing 85 percent of the world’s GDP, the G20 is composed of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union.

  • Bangladesh Executes 5th Islamist Party Leader for 1971 War

    Bangladesh Executes 5th Islamist Party Leader for 1971 War

    NEW DELHI  — Bangladeshi authorities executed a top Islamist party leader convicted of war crimes involving the nation’s 1971 independence war against Pakistan, AP reports.

    Mir Quasem Ali, a leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was hanged at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 3, hours after several dozen family members and relatives met him for the last time inside Kashimpur Central Jail near the capital, Dhaka, said Proshanto Kumar Bonik, a senior jail superintendent.

    “We are doing our necessary formalities now. We will send the body soon to the ancestral home in Manikganj district for burial,” Bonik said.

    Immediately after the execution, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said security measures were put in place to prevent unrest by Ali’s supporters, including deployment of paramilitary border guards and additional police in Dhaka and other cities.

    The Jamaat-e-Islami party in a statement protested Ali’s execution and called for an eight-hour general strike beginning Monday morning.

    The execution took place a day after Ali refused to seek presidential clemency. The president had previously rejected appeals for clemency by other Islamist party leaders facing execution.

    On Aug. 30, the Supreme Court rejected a final appeal for reviewing Ali’s death sentence handed out by a special tribunal two years ago. After the ruling, the Jamaat-e-Islami party called for a daylong general strike across the country Aug. 31, but got little response.

    A special tribunal dealing with war crimes sentenced Ali to death in November 2014. The 63-year-old member of Jamaat-e-Islami’s highest policy-making body was found guilty on eight charges, two of which carried the death sentence, including the abduction and murder of a young man in a torture chamber. Ali was sentenced to 72 years in prison on the other charges.

    Ali built his fortune by establishing businesses from real estate to shipping to banking, and he was considered one of the party’s top financiers.

    He became the fifth Jamaat-e-Islami party leader to be executed since 2010, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed the special tribunal to try suspected war criminals. Also executed was a close aide of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

    Jamaat-e-Islami is a key partner of Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the opposition against Hasina.

    Hasina’s government says Pakistani soldiers, aided by local collaborators, killed 3 million people and raped 200,000 women in the 1971 independence war.

    Jamaat-e-Islami, which had openly campaigned against independence, has denied committing atrocities.

    Hasina has called the special tribunal trials a long overdue effort to obtain justice for the victims of war crimes, four decades after Bangladesh split from Pakistan. Her government has rejected criticism from abroad that the trial process did not meet international standards.

    The international human rights group Amnesty International noted that the United Nations had raised questions about the fairness of the trials of Ali and other Islamist party leaders.

  • Indian Americans Launch Door-To-Door Support Campaign for Trump in New Jersey

    Indian Americans Launch Door-To-Door Support Campaign for Trump in New Jersey

    In a desperate attempt to gather more ethnic (non-white) support for Donald Trump’s Presidential bid, a PAC called Volunteers of Indian-Americans for Trump 2016 has launched a door-to-door campaign in New Jersey’s Mercer and Monmouth counties, reported PTI.

    The agenda of the campaign is to raise awareness of Trump’s agenda among perspective voters with evidence based on past behavior of Hillary Clinton  and why she will not be a good president.

    Indian-American supporters of the Republican presidential nominee argue that this mode of campaigning is still an effective tool to win people’s heart ahead of the November 8 general elections.

    AD Amar, president, Indian-Americans for Donald Trump was joined by political activist Satya Dosapati Narayana, West Windsor Township Republican Committeeperson Rimma Rosenberg, Mercer County Republican Committee Second Vice Chair Colleen DiPastina and her husband and Monmouth County Republican State Committeeman John Costigan and his wife, the media release said.

    “The campaigners presented evidence in the form of past behavior to convince the voters why Hillary Clinton will not be a good president and why Trump will be good. With a few exceptions, they hope they changed minds of some voters,” the media release said.

  • Rajnath Singh says Syed Geelani betrayed ‘Kashmiriyat’ as peace bid fails

    Rajnath Singh says Syed Geelani betrayed ‘Kashmiriyat’ as peace bid fails

    Srinagar — Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sept. 5 hit out at Kashmiri separatist leaders who refused to talk to some MPs from an all-party team, saying their conduct defied the spirit of “Kashmiriyat.”

    The home minister, however, made it clear that MPs Sharad Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, D. Raja, Jay Prakash Narayan and Assaduddin Owaisi went to meet the separatist leaders in their individual capacity and not as part of the all-party delegation that was on a two-day trip to Jammu and Kashmir.

    “Some members of the delegation went to meet Hurriyat leaders. We had neither said ‘no’ nor ‘yes’ to their meetings. You know what happened. They had gone there in their individual capacity,” he told reporters here before flying to Jammu.

    He was referring to the attempt by the national opposition leaders from the delegation to hold talks with top Kashmiri separatists on Sept.4.

    While other separatist leaders did meet them briefly but refused to hold talks, hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani shut his door on the MPs even as they kept waiting outside his upscale Hyderpora residence for about 10 minutes.

    This, Rajnath Singh said, “was certainly neither ‘Kashmiriyat’ nor ‘insaniyat’ (humane).

    “If you do not want to talk is a different thing. But what they did proves they have no faith in democracy.”

    The all-party delegation arrived here Sept. 4, nearly two months after a bloody unrest erupted in the aftermath of the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

    At least 74 persons have been killed and over 12,000 injured in the weeks of the turmoil, the deadliest Kashmir has seen in six years.

    As the delegation left for Jammu, the Kashmir Valley continued to be tense amid curfew in some parts, shutdown and recurring anti-government and pro-freedom protests.

    Rajnath Singh said the government had left its options open for talks with anyone within the ambit of “Kashmiriyat, jamhooriyat and insaniyat.” But he made it clear that there were no two ways about the fact “that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will remain an integral part of India.”

    Visibly disappointed, the minister hinted that any chance of talks with the separatists in the near future was impossible.

    He also dismissed any possibility of an India-Pakistan dialogue over Kashmir, rejecting a key demand of separatist leaders.

    “Everybody in Kashmir wants peace and normalcy to return. I am hopeful that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir will improve,” he said after meeting some “300 people including students, teachers, traders” during the delegation’s nearly 30-hour stay in the valley.

    Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s government and the Peoples Democratic Party also retained hopes for peace and a dialogue process to engage all stakeholders, including separatist leaders.

    “Dialogue and engagement is a continuous process. It can’t be expected to happen (by rubbing) a magic lamp,” senior PDP leader and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar told reporters.

    Yechury, who faced a snub from Geelani on Sept. 4, said he had not given up on the mission to bring peace in Kashmir.

    AP adds from New Delhi: Indian government troops will begin using some chili-filled shells instead of shotgun pellets to control angry crowds in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Sept.5.

    Singh was in Srinagar with a group of federal lawmakers to try to break the latest cycle of violence hitting the region.

    According to local officials and doctors, the use of pellet guns has killed at least four people and left more than 100 partially or completely blind.

    The new chili-filled shells are said to severely irritate and temporarily immobilize their targets.

    Singh said the government had asked experts to suggest replacements for the pellet guns and their recommendation was PAVA shells, which are filled with the same compound found in chili peppers.

    “I understand that no one will lose their life due to the use of PAVA,” Singh said.