The Indian Panorama

Month: June 2017

  • North Korea fires what appear to be land-to-ship missiles: South Korea

    North Korea fires what appear to be land-to-ship missiles: South Korea

    SEOUL (TIP): North Korea fired what appeared to be several land-toship missiles off its east coast on June 8, South Korea’s military said, the latest in a fast-paced series of missile tests defying world pressure to rein in its weapons programme.

    The launches come less than a week after the United Nations Security Council passed fresh sanctions on the reclusive state, which said it would continued to pursue its nuclear and missile programme without delay.

    The missiles were launched on Thursday morning from the North Korean coastal city of Wonsan and flew about 200km (124 miles), South Korea’s Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

    South Korean President Moon Jaein has been briefed on the latest launch, the military said, declining to give further details. “North Korea launched multiple projectiles that appear to be short range land-to-ship cruise missiles today morning off east coast from the region of Wonsan,” the office said in a statement, adding that Seoul and Washington were analysing the launches for further information.

    Thursday’s launch is the fourth missile test by North Korea since Moon took office on May 10 pledging to engage in dialogue with Pyongyang, saying sanctions and pressure alone have failed to resolve the growing threat from the North’s advancing nuclear and missile programme.

    South Korea said on Wednesday it will hold off on installing remaining components of a controversial US anti-missile defense system until it completes an assessment of the system’s impact on the environment. Under third-generation leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been conducting such tests at an unprecedented pace in an effort to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting the mainland United States.

    In the three earlier launches, North Korea tested different kinds of ballistic missiles, two medium-to-long range missiles as well as a short range Scud class weapon. The launches of the apparent antiship missiles on Thursday follow Kim’s order to develop North Korea’s own ballistic missile that precisely strikes targets such as enemy vessels, reported in its state media late last month.

    The isolated country, which has conducted dozens of missile tests and tested two nuclear bombs since the beginning of 2016 in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions, says the programme is necessary to counter US aggression. (reuters)

  • Nearly 70 dead in al-Shabab attack on Somalia military base

    Nearly 70 dead in al-Shabab attack on Somalia military base

    MOGADISHU, SOMALIA (TIP): Heavily armed al- Shabab extremists have stormed a military base in Somalia’s semiautonomous state of Puntland, killing close to 70 people and wounding dozens more, officials said on June 8.

    Residents said civilians, including women, were beheaded during the rampage. Officials called it the region’s deadliest attack in years, highlighting the twin challenges facing security forces from the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab and the growing presence of fighters linked to the Islamic State group.

    The attack began with a blast at the remote Af-Urur camp, roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the commercial hub of Bossaso, before the extremists overran the base and killed soldiers at close range, said Ahmed Mohamed, a senior military official. Close to 70 people were killed, though an exact death toll was not yet available, Mohamed said. Abdi

    Hersi Ali, Puntland’s interior minister, said troops suffered causalities but he declined to give further details. Residents in the area reported chaotic scenes, with fighters beheading several civilians they encountered. One witness, Abdibasit Hassan, said women were among those beheaded. “The situation is grim over there. This attack was an unexpected one,” Mohamed said. (AP)

  • Government asks Indians in Qatar to ‘stay alert’

    Government asks Indians in Qatar to ‘stay alert’

    NEW DELHI (TIP): As the Gulf crisis deepened between Saudi Arabia-led allies and Qatar, India is beginning to worry about its over 630,000 nationals who live and work in Qatar.

    An advisory by the Indian embassy in Doha has asked Indians to “stay alert”. In addition, they said, “The Embassy of India is monitoring the situation closely and is in touch with Qatari authorities to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals in Qatar.”

    Qatar has only one land route to Saudi Arabia, which is used for transport of essential commodities, that route is now closed. There should be no immediate sense of panic or shortage, sources said, largely because Qatar is well stocked.

    Secondly, Qatar, as the richest per capita country in the world is likely to put its considerable resources to the task of maintaining its people.

    “The Qatari authorities have conveyed that they will take all necessary steps to ensure that normal life, including supplies of food items, is not affected,” said the advisory. Reports have also suggested that the Indian government has offered to send in supplies to Qatar. (PTI)

  • 100,000 cholera cases, 789 deaths, in Yemen in past month: WHO

    100,000 cholera cases, 789 deaths, in Yemen in past month: WHO

    GENEVA (TIP): A cholera outbreak of more than 100,000 cases has erupted in war-ravaged Yemen, killing nearly 800 people, in just over a month, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on June 8.

    The UN health agency said that since the end of April, 101,820 suspected cholera cases had been registered across 19 of the country’s 21 governorates, including 789 deaths. WHO has warned that a quarter of a million people could fall sick with cholera by the end of the year in Yemen, a country where two-thirds of the population are on the brink of famine.

    British charity Oxfam also voiced alarm on Thursday at what it described as “a runaway cholera epidemic” in Yemen, pointing out that the disease is currently killing nearly one person every hour.

    Cholera is a highly contagious bacterial infection spread through contaminated food or water. Reining in the disease is particularly complicated in Yemen, where two years of devastating war between the Huthis and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab military coalition has left more than half the country’s medical facilities out of service.

    Yemen’s conflict has killed more than 8,000 people and wounded around 45,000 since March 2015, according to the WHO. “Yemen is on the edge of an abyss. Lives hang in the balance,” Sajjad Mohammed Sajid, Oxfam’s Yemen country director, said in a statement.

    “Cholera is simple to treat and prevent but while the fighting continues the task is made doubly difficult,” he said, insisting that “a massive aid effort is needed now.” (AP)

  • Chinese military base likely in Pakistan: Beijing hits out at Pentagon report, says remarks ‘irresponsible’

    Chinese military base likely in Pakistan: Beijing hits out at Pentagon report, says remarks ‘irresponsible’

    BEIJING (TIP): Beijing says it is “firmly opposed” to a Pentagon report that highlighted China’s construction of military facilities on man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea and speculated that Beijing would likely build more bases overseas.

    The annual report made “irresponsible remarks on China’s national defence development and reasonable actions in defending our territorial sovereignty and security interests in disregard of the facts,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters on Wednesday. “China is firmly opposed to that,” Hua said, adding that her government was a force for safeguarding peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

    While Hua declined to comment on possible overseas bases, she said China and Pakistan – one of the countries considered most likely to host a Chinese military presence+ – were close friends that conduct mutually beneficial cooperation in a variety of fields.

    China is now building its first overseas base in Djibouti, which it says will help facilitate its participation in anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and UN peacekeeping operations in the region. The base is near Camp Lemonnier, the US base in the Horn of Africa nation, although American military leaders have said they don’t see it as threatening US operations.

    “China most likely will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and in which there is a precedent for hosting foreign militaries,” the Pentagon report said. “This initiative, along with regular naval vessel visits to foreign ports, both reflects and amplifies China’s growing influence, extending the reach of its armed forces.”

    The assessment also focused on the military buildup in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea,which China claims virtually in its entirety. It said that as of late last year, China was building 24 fighter-sized hangars, fixed-weapons positions, barracks, administration buildings and communication facilities on each of the three largest outposts – Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs. Each has runways that are at least 2,700 meters (8,800 feet) long.

    China claims the bases are there to improve navigation safety and assistance for fishermen. But it also says they help reinforce China’s sovereignty claims and that China is fully entitled to provide them with defensive capabilities.

    “That we develop national defence is to safeguard China’s independent sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is a legitimate right of a sovereign state,” Hua said, without mentioning the islands directly.

    While China objects vocally to US naval operations+ in the South China Sea, it is eager not to be seen as a threat, and its criticism of the annual Pentagon assessment is part of a drive to avoid being perceived as attempting to seize the mantle as the region’s dominant military force. It has also engaged in a series of dialogues and exchanges with the US military, although the two continue to view each other warily. “We hope the US side will put aside the Cold War mentality, view China’s military development in an objective and rational manner, and take concrete actions to maintain steady growth of the military relationship between the two countries,” Hua said. ( AP)

  • Interview – International Day of Yoga at the United Nations: June 21, 2017

    Interview – International Day of Yoga at the United Nations: June 21, 2017

    On December 11 in 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. The declaration came after the call for the adoption of June 21st as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during his address to the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014 wherein he stated: “Yoga is a invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. ” In suggesting June 21, which is the Summer Solstice, as the International Day of Yoga, Narendra Modi had said that, “the date is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world. ” The first IYD was celebrated on June 21, 2015 at the United Nations, as also across the world. This 21 June will see the third edition of IDY at the United Nations, which is organized by the Permanent Mission of India.

    Here are excerpts from the interview.

    How you are going to celebrate International Day of Yoga here?  We saw a decline in the enthusiasm in people last year. What could be the reason? 

    Let’s just go by facts. When the event was first organized in 2015, people were invited for only one day and the number was about 350 to 400.Last year if you had a look, more than 1000 people participated and there were two events. One was yoga demonstration in the UN premises in an open space and there were more than 1000 people from more than 130 countries. Also in addition, we started a new element of trying to express what yoga means at an intellectual level. So, we also had it at an economic and social platform where Sadguru talked about his own approach to yoga. This was called ‘Conversations with yoga masters’ and that attracted nearly 500 people. So, if you see both these events combined, this was much larger than the first year and let me add another thing. For the first time the UN building was decorated with yoga asanas projected on it. It has never happened before. So, if you look at how we progressed from one year to another – in terms of enthusiasm it was much more. Let me assure you, this year we will have something more. Last year the images were projected on the lateral side of UN building.This year, if you have seen Diwali images on the UN, it will be like that and we have requested Indian actor Anupam Kher to come and switch on the light. This will start on 18th June – 3 days before International Day of Yoga.

    On 20th June, we plan to have a larger assembly of people coming for the yoga demonstration. This will be in the evening at 6 pm and every year we get different yoga masters. This year we are getting Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Sadhvi Vagwati from Rishikesh who are also associated with Hindu Jain Temple in Pittsburg. They will be leading the yoga on 20th June. On each of these days the UN building will lit up with yoga mudras to indicate to the world that the UN is celebrating the International Day of Yoga.

    Finally, on the 21st, we will again have a conversation on ‘Yoga for Health’ because as you know the Prime Minister focused on yoga and its benefits in terms of health. So, this year we are having a very interesting combination of different people who have done very well. For example, we are working with WHO (World Health Organization). They will have a conversation on ‘Yoga for Health.’ So, we are having people from other walks of life who have benefitted from yoga. For example, we are having a leading yoga practitioner from Corporate America. His name is Mr Stanten Caber. He is the CEO of Bluechip Marketing Worldwide. It’s a Fortune 500 company. He is coming to say how he has used yoga to improve efficiency in business. So, we are moving from purely physical activities to intellectual to business to health. Let me assure you, there is no lack in terms of our interest and enthusiasm and activism for yoga.

    The Prime Minister told me, this should be celebrated with higher interest every year than the last year. I can assure you, as far as we’re concerned, the effort and degree of interest will only keep increasing because yoga itself has become very popular. I went to a school in Bronx. For the students, yoga is India. That is their perception about India. We had a very interesting discussion with 7th 8th grade children and for them climate, environment, yoga – all are interlinked.

    So, it will only be on an increase. Is there any special effort from your side to attract people from mainstream?

    Yes. We have opened links. Anybody who is interested can register. We’ll provide them the opportunity to come. We have also tagged various yoga organizations to bring in people. So, come on 20th and see how much we’ve progressed compared to last year. There is no limitation on anyone who wants to come.

    It’s an open event. You just have to register. It’s a simple online registration. It’s available on our Facebook page and our website. You have to click the link and give your details so that our security people have that information and can give you the entry pass.

    How many people do you expect?

    Certainly, we expect more people than last year. Last year, it was more than a thousand. This year we expect 1500 to 2000. The place can hold 2500 people. We need support from all organizations to enable us to get the numbers. Yoga is India’s offering but now it has gone global.

    When will the registrations close?

    48 hours before the event. The earlier people register, the better it is. Already several hundred have registered.

    Anything else you want to share?

    We are also working with Sahaja Yoga – another organization – on an exhibition at the UN premises. This will be again a first time exhibition on yoga. We will start it on June 19th and it will continue for the week.

    An unrelated question, with your permission.What is the status of India’s bid for permanent seat in the Security Council?

    The process began in 1995 when I was here. So, I know the evolution of the process. India’s aspiration to be in the Security Council is a reflection of India regaining its place in terms of where we desire to be in the comity of nations. This is an aspirational goal. We worked with certain belief that it will happen. The issue is when it would happen and it’s only a matter of time. The globe today is passing through some uncertainties. International organizations and the UN in particular are in a stressful situation because there is turbulence and uncertainty in interstate relations. That means the status Quo is no longer tenable. For a country like us, we feel that the status Quo needs to reflect the changed realities. How we work through this turbulence to reach the goal may take some time.

    Nobody knows the time specifics. But a country of a billion can’t be kept out of any high table. We are in the era today of democratic governance. It may happen in a year or two years or more. The important thing is we reach the goal. India is now looked at very differently by the world.

    It is not the same India that it was in the nineties. They lookat us with a different approach – as a more confident country. As the economy grows, we’ll bring many more things to the table. So, while we work on this we also need to strengthen our economy, our own growth patterns. As we keep growing, it’s only a matter of time. That will be reflected in international organizations.

    The world is in a constant “turbulence” which means a permanent seat for India could be indefinitely delayed?

    You have to reach a solution at some stage. Global order to survive requires some sort of stability at the end of turbulence. Otherwise what do you have? You have outdated institutions, you have turbulence. If you do not have reform then you have dysfunctional outcomes. We hope the countries work together to reform. A system or order will come out. We will get what we are aspiring for.

    What is your call on India-Pakistan relations and the increasing hostility from Pakistan?

    I’m not an optimist but a realist. As a realist, we can engage the world as it is now. The world sees India very differently than our neighbor. India has its growth story with an aspiration to live a good life. I do not want to say about others but the world does not see them that way. It is for them to decide what they want. They want to be an aspirational society or a society which is differently structured. It’s their call. As far as we are concerned, we are ready to engage with everyone but for that you need a conducive atmosphere. Unfortunately, Pakistan is not giving that atmosphere. If they give, we’ll certainly try to improve the tie. It is a call for them.

  • Gujarat textbook calls Jesus a ‘demon’

    Gujarat textbook calls Jesus a ‘demon’

    AHMEDABAD (TIP): An embarrassing error in Class 9 Hindi textbook of Gujarat State Board inadvertently referring to Jesus Christ as a demon, has put the state government in a vexed situation.

    In chapter 16 of the book titled “Bharatiya Sanskriti Mein Guru- Shishya Sambandh” (“Relationship between a guru and his disciples in Indian culture”) on page 70, the line refers to Jesus Christ as – “Iss sambandh mein haivan Isa ka ek kathan sadaa smaraniya hain.” Translated, it means, “In the given context, words of demon Jesus shall always be remembered.”

    The officials of the state textbook board have attributed the faux pas to a typographical error. They claimed that instead of “haiva”, who was a disciple of Jesus Christ along with ‘Aadam’, word ‘n’ got inadvertently added to be misprinted as “haivan”, meaning a demon.The man who is stated to have first noticed the error, Advocate Subramaniam Iyer, said that it may be unintentional as claimed by state officials but it was “unacceptable” and attracts legal provisions relating to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings. “This is a case that attracts section 295(a) of the IPC…the error may be unintentional but it can create a rift between communities and cause a law and order problem,” he said.

    The issue that has been raised by academicians and several Christian organisations in the state for over a month, forcing state education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, to finally instruct the officials to rectify the ‘misprint’ at the earliest. Though no instructions or steps to punish the erring officials involved with the printing or checking the textbooks have been issued as yet.

  • DIGITAL ID TO BE MUST FOR AIR TICKET BOOKINGS

    DIGITAL ID TO BE MUST FOR AIR TICKET BOOKINGS

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In the next three to four months, air travellers in the country will have to mandatorily provide a unique identification (UID) like an Aadhaar card, passport or PAN at the time of booking tickets.

    The government has constituted a technical committee that will prepare a white paper on this proposal in 30 days, said Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha at a press briefing.“There are various ways of securing that unique identification. Clearly, the best way of doing it is by using Aadhaar and other ways are by using a passport or PAN card,” said Sinha. As an “incentive”, passengers will be able to avail a paperless and seamless travel experience.

    Once a passengers book their tickets, the unique ID, along with PNR, will provide all their information and will also serve as a digital boarding pass, explained Sinha.

    Those who provide biometric identification through Aadhaar will have to do an iris or finger scan at the airport, while those who share other forms of ID will be provided a QR code on their mobile phones which can then be scanned at the airport. However, passengers who wish to collect their boarding passes and skip the digital system will still have the option to do so but won’t enjoy the benefit of hassle-free travel.“If you are using the system, to potentially get through the entire airport you will be able to zip through in 10-15 min versus 20-30 minutes.We think that this will create an incentive for people,” Sinha told reporters.

    The ease of travel offered by opting for the digital system will serve as a “pull factor” for passengers as opposed to a “push factor”, the minister hoped.

    Once the technical committee presents its white paper, comments from stakeholders will be invited for a period of 30 days. Thereafter, the government will finalise the rules in 30 to 60 days.

  • Army ready for wars on two-and-a-half fronts: Gen Rawat

    Army ready for wars on two-and-a-half fronts: Gen Rawat

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat has said the Indian Army is prepared to face external as well as internal threats to the country. “The Indian Army is completely ready for a two-and-a-half front war,” said Rawat.

    The Army chief added that though India is ready for a multi-front war, there are effective mechanisms to defuse an adverse situation. “Even the Prime Minister has said that for the last forty years not even a single bullet has been fired on the Indo-China border,” said General Rawat. He also said that a new strike unit, 17 Strike Corps, is being raised specifically for mountain warfare.

    When asked about the delay in its raising, the Army chief said a process as complex as this takes time. “It is being raised from scratch. The recruitment is going on.

  • SCO SUMMIT- PM Modi meets China’s Xi Jinping to repair ties

    SCO SUMMIT- PM Modi meets China’s Xi Jinping to repair ties

    ASTANA (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met here on June 9 on the sidelines of the SCO summit, seen as an effort to repair ties hit by growing differences between the two countries over a host of issues, including the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor and NSG.

    It is the first between the two leaders after India boycotted the high-profile Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing last month in which 29 world leaders took part.

    India abstained from the summit to highlight its concerns over the US$ 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and passes through Gilgit and Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

    Prime Minister Modi and Xi are here to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). “PM @narendramodi meets President of China #XiJinping on margins of SCO Summit in Astana,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

    China is vocal about its stand to block India’s admission into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). It had also stalled India’s move to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. After Astana, Modi and Xi are also expected to cross paths at the G20 summit to be held next month in Hamburg, Germany followed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) summit to be held in Xiamen, China in September.

    Modi also met Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the SCO. “Taking forward #IndiaUzbekistan coop’n. PM @narendramodi meets President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan on the sidelines of SCO Summit,” Baglay tweeted.

    Source: PTI

  • Modi says hello to Sharif at SCO summit

    ASTANA (TIP): PM Modi on June 8 met with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Astana, capital city of Kazakhstan, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Modi and Sharif attended a welcome banquet to the small grouping that comprises China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. India and Pakistan will be inducted as full members at the summit.

    Sources said the two Prime Ministers exchanged pleasantries at the function, but no bilateral meeting was expected.

    “Since it was the first occasion when the two leaders came across each other after Sharif’s operation, Modi enquired about his health. He also enquired about Sharif’s mother and family,” an official source present there, said.

  • AFTER ‘BAAHUBALI’ ROCKET, INDIA TO GET ‘EYE IN SKY’ BY MONTH-END

    AFTER ‘BAAHUBALI’ ROCKET, INDIA TO GET ‘EYE IN SKY’ BY MONTH-END

    NEW DELHI (TIP): After the historic lift-off of India’s heaviest rocket GSLV-Mk III, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is gearing up to launch a C a r t o s a t – s e r i e s satellite, also called the ‘eye in the sky’ because of its surveillance capabilities, into the 505-km polar sun synchronous orbit by the end of this month.

    The 550kg satellite, the fourth of the Cartosat-2 series, is to be launched by the PSLV-C38 rocket. The Cartosat-series satellite is an advanced remote sensing satellite capable of providing scene-specific spot imagery. It carries a state-of-the- art panchromatic (PAN) camera that takes black and white pictures of the earth in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The swath covered by this high resolution PAN camera is 9.6 km and their spatial resolution is less than 1 metre. The satellite, which can be steered up to 45 degrees along as well as across the track, covers the entire globe in 1867 orbits on a 126-day cycle.

    The Cartosat-2C series satellite has added teeth to India’s military surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and has been providing high-resolution images of 0.65 metres, an improvement over the 0.8m resolution of the earlier missions.

    The first major use of the Cartosat-2C satellite by the military was when the Army commandos counted on satellite images to hit terror launch pads across LoC during the surgical strike in September.

    The imagery of Cartosat satellite is significantly used for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, precision study, change detection to bring out geographical and manmade features and various other land information system (LIS) and geographical information system (GIS) applications.

  • US says China likely to build military base in Pakistan

    US says China likely to build military base in Pakistan

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A Pentagon report released on June 3 singled out Pakistan as a possible location for a future Chinese military base, as it forecast that Beijing would likely build more bases overseas after establishing a facility in the African nation of Djibouti. The prediction came in a 97- page annual report to Congress that saw advances throughout the Chinese military in 2016, funded by robust defense spending that the Pentagon estimated exceeded $180 billion.

    That is higher than China’s official defense budget figure of 954.35 billion yuan ($140.4 billion). Chinese leaders, the US report said, appeared committed to defense spending hikes for the “foreseeable future,” even as economic growth slows. The report repeatedly cited China’s construction of its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, which is already home to a key US military base and is strategically located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea on the route to the Suez Canal.

    “China most likely will seek to establish additional military bases in countries+ with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan,” the report said.

    Djibouti’s position on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean has fueled worries in India that it would become another of China’s ‘string of pearls’ of military alliances and assets ringing India, including Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

    The report did not address India’s potential reaction to a Chinese base in Pakistan. But Pakistan, the US report noted, was already the primary market in the Asian-Pacific region for Chinese arms exports. That region accounted for $9 billion of the more than $20 billion in Chinese arms exports from 2011 to 2015.

    Last year, China signed an agreement with Pakistan for the sale of eight submarines+ . Quantum satellite, cyber hacks :

    The Pentagon report flagged Chinese military advances, including in space and at sea. It cited China’s 2016 launch of the first experimental quantum communications satellite, acknowledging that it represented a “notable advance in cryptography research.” As in past years, the Pentagon renewed its concerns about cyber spying, saying US government-owned computers were again targeted by China based intrusions through 2016.

    (AP)

  • ISNA’s High Profile 54th Annual Convention to be Rolled Out in Chicago

    ISNA’s High Profile 54th Annual Convention to be Rolled Out in Chicago

    One of the Largest Gatherings of Muslim Americans in the US and Canada is All Set to Focus on Interfaith Unity and Turning to Faith to Inspire Social Change

    CHICAGO, IL (TIP): The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) will be holding its 54th Annual Convention from June 30 – July 3, 2017, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. ISNA Convention is one of the largest Muslim gatherings in the United States and Canada, where Muslims and guests from other faith communities have a platform to network, exchange ideas and listen to renowned speakers. This year’s theme, “Hope and Guidance through the Qur’an,” will largely center on how faith can inspire the community to bring positive change in response to challenges and injustices of all forms.

    The highlights of the Convention are: 200 Renowned Speakers, Round Table Discussion, Interfaith Reception, Qiraat Competition, Career Fair & Carnival, Community Recognition Luncheon, Young Professionals Luncheon, Meet the Author, Largest Bazaar in US with 550 booths, Film Festival, Enlightening Entertainment, Health Fair, Art & Photography Exhibit, Matrimonial Banquets, Basketball Tournament, Children’s Program & Babysitting, etc.

    The three-day Convention will unite both Muslim and interfaith individuals, families, businesses and non-profit organizations for a full schedule of lectures, discussions, debates and entertainment.

    “ISNA’s Annual Convention is more than simply a coming together of the Muslim community,” said Azhar Azeez, ISNA President. “Our goal is to unite people across different faiths and backgrounds in the spirit of peace and better understanding. We hope the convention will be used as platform and catalyst for social change”, he added.

    ISNA has invited a rich list of speakers, scholars, community leaders and public servants to address Convention attendees. Linda Sarsour, co-chair of the National Women’s March, will be the keynote speaker during the Community Service Recognition Luncheon which will honor Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed for his lifelong dedication to serving the community, building interfaith relationships and social justice advocacy.

    Complementing the main ISNA offering of programs, there are conferences being hosted by the Muslim Students Association of the U.S. & Canada (MSA National) and the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA).

    ISNA is the largest and oldest Islamic umbrella organization in North America. Its mission is to foster the development of the Muslim community, interfaith relations, civic engagement, and better understanding of Islam.

    Those who want to register their names to participate in the Convention and to have more details about it, are advised to visit its website: http://www.isna.net/54thannual- isna-convention/ CONTACT: Faryal M. Khatri, ISNA Communications Coordinator, (317) 373 – 0246, fkhatri@isna.net.

    (Photograph and Press release by: Asian Media USA)

  • US doesn’t need India, France, China telling it what to do: Nikki Haley

    US doesn’t need India, France, China telling it what to do: Nikki Haley

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The US does not need India, China and France telling it what to do on the issue of Paris Climate agreement, American Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has said, strongly supporting the controversial decision of President Donald Trump to withdraw from the landmark accord.

    Trump last week withdrew the US, the second largest polluter after China, from the Paris Agreement. He said that India would get billions of dollars for meeting its commitment under the 2015 Paris Agreement along with China and gain a financial advantage over the US.

    He had put the US in league with two other nations – Syria and Nicaragua – who have not signed onto the deal agreed by over 190 other nations. “I think the rest of the world would like to tell us how to manage our own environment and I think that anybody in America can tell you that we’re best to decide what America should do.We don’t need India and France and China telling us what they think we should do,” Indian-American Haley was quoted as saying by CBS News.

    Responding to a question on global reaction to Trump’s decision, Haley said countries should continue doing what’s in their best interest. “They should continue doing what’s in the best interest. And if the Paris agreement was something that works for them, that they can achieve, they should do that,” Haley said.

    Haley defended Trump’s decision saying business could not be run under the kind of regulations imposed by the Paris Climate deal. “There’s a reason that President Obama didn’t go through the Senate to get this cleared, because he couldn’t. The regulations were unattainable. I mean you could not actually have a business run under the regulations that we had,” she said.

    She said that the US is conscious about the environment and it will continue to do its part in protecting climate change. “We know that there are issues with the environment. We know that we have to be conscious of it. But we can’t sit there and have Angela Merkel telling us to worry about Africa. She should continue doing her part. We’re going to continue doing our part. We’re going to continue encouraging other countries to do what they think is in the best interests of them. But American sovereignty matters,” Haley said.

    The top American diplomat said that Trump believes the climate is changing, and he does know that pollutants are a part of that equation. “He believes that climate is changing and he believes pollutants are part of that equation. He is absolutely intent on making sure that we have clean air, clean water, that he makes sure that we’re doing everything we can to keep America’s moral compass in the world when it comes to the environment,” she said.

    “We’ve done that in the past.We’ll do it in the future. It’s what the US does. It’s what we’ll continue to do,” she added.

    (PTI)

  • No date for Putin-Trump meeting, media likely to be excluded – Report

    No date for Putin-Trump meeting, media likely to be excluded – Report

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The Kremlin said there was still no firm date set for the first meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, but that if it did happen the media were likely to be excluded, the Izvestia newspaper said on June 6. It cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that the meeting would probably happen at some point during the G20 summit in Germany in July, but that no firm arrangement had yet been reached.

    Peskov said there were currently no plans for any media statement to be issued after the meeting. “There will just be the meeting,” Izvestia quoted Peskov as saying.

    Putin and Trump agreed in a phone call last month to try to organise a face-to-face meeting around the time of the G20 summit in Hamburg.

  • US President Donald Trump taps Christopher Wray as new FBI director

    US President Donald Trump taps Christopher Wray as new FBI director

     

    WASHINGTON (TIP): President Donald Trump announced June 6 that he is tapping lawyer and former Justice Department official Christopher Wray to serve as his new FBI director, on the eve of critical testimony+ by the intelligence agency chief he ousted+ Wray, a litigation attorney with law firm King & Spalding in Washington and Atlanta, previously served as assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division from 2003 to 2005.

    “I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI. Details to follow,” Trump wrote on Twitter. (AFP)

  • Obama has private dinner with Trudeau in Montreal

    Obama has private dinner with Trudeau in Montreal

    MONTREAL (TIP): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted his thanks to former US President Barack Obama after the two shared a private dinner at a Montreal restaurant.

    Trudeau posted a picture of the pair talking in the eatery, with the caption “How do we get young leaders to take action in their communities? Thanks Barack Obama for your visit & insights tonight in my hometown.”

    A crowd cheered the two leaders as they left. Last year, Obama hosted Trudeau for a state dinner at the White House, the first for Canada since 1997.

    Obama spoke to the Montreal Board of Trade yesterday and decried what he called the lack of American leadership on climate change, a swipe at new President Donald Trump’s administration .

    (AP)

  • Blast hits US embassy in Kiev, no casualties: Police

    Blast hits US embassy in Kiev, no casualties: Police

    KIEV (TIP): An overnight blast hit the premises of the US embassy in Kiev but there were no casualties, the Ukrainian police said on June 8. The blast hit the mission located in central Kiev shortly after midnight, a statement said.

    “Investigators found that an unknown person threw an explosive device on the territory of the diplomatic mission,” it said. The US embassy was not immediately contactable for comment. (AFP)

  • US military praises Qatar, despite Trump tweet

    US military praises Qatar, despite Trump tweet

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The Pentagon on June 3 renewed praise of Qatar for hosting a vital US air base and for its “enduring commitment to regional security,” sticking to a message of reassurance even as President Donald Trump, via Twitter, applauded a decision by Arab powers to cut ties to the Gulf ally.

    It was the latest example of the tightrope that US officials are walking as Trump’s tweets raise questions about existing US policy and the carefully scripted talking points used to explain it.

    In the case of Qatar, the stakes are high. More than 11,000 US and coalition forces are deployed to or assigned to al Udeid Air Base, from which more than 100 aircraft operate.

    Of those 11,000, nearly 1,000 work in a combined air operations center that helps oversee missions for campaigns in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, the military says. US officials had said on Monday that the United States would quietly try to calm the waters between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, arguing that the small Gulf state was too important to US military and diplomatic interests to be isolated.

    But Trump, wading into the worst split between powerful Arab states in decades, said on Tuesday his trip to the Middle East was “already paying off” with leaders there taking a hard new line in accusing Qatar of funding of militant groups.

    The Pentagon, which seeks to steer clear of political matters, was unable to reconcile Trump’s support for Qatar’s isolation with its own praise for its commitment to regional security.

    Asked directly about the disconnect, spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis told a news briefing: “I can’t help you with that.” “We continue to be grateful to the Qataris for their longstanding support for our presence and their enduring commitment to regional security,” Davis said, adding the United States had no plans to alter its presence in Qatar.

    The US envoy to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, retweeted on Monday a message from October in which she praised the US partnership with Qatar, citing “real progress to counter terrorist financing.”

    US Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told a Senate committee on Tuesday she was not concerned about the US air base in Qatar and added that US operations continued without interruption.

    The Pentagon also declined to answer a question about whether Qatar supported terrorism, the accusation made by Arab states who appeared to now have the political backing of the US president.

    Davis, sticking to US military-related matters, said: “I’m not the right person to ask that. I consider them a host to our very important base at al Udeid.”

    (Reuters)

  • Accuser describes alleged Bill Cosby sex assault: ‘I was frozen’

    NORRISTOWN (TIP): Andrea Constand told a packed Pennsylvania courtroom on June 4 that she could feel Bill Cosby’s hands on her body, but the drugs in her system would not let her stop him.

    “In my head, I was trying to get my hands to move, my legs to move, but I was frozen,” she testified at the entertainer’s sexual assault trial. “I wanted it to stop.”

    Cosby, sitting across the courtroom, shook his head as Constand described an encounter at his Philadelphia-area home in 2004, after she accepted three blue pills that he promised would help her “relax.”

    Constand is among more than 50 women who have accused Cosby of sexual assaults dating to the 1960s, often after plying them with drugs. The 13-year-old incident is the only one that is recent enough to support criminal charges.

    Cosby, 79, best known for playing a revered father figure in the 1980s television hit family comedy series “The Cosby Show,” has denied all the allegations.

    The outcome of his trial in the Philadelphia suburb of Norristown, Pennsylvania, largely hinges on whether jurors believe Constand’s testimony, which came on the trial’s second day. Defense lawyers began grilling Constand on the stand late on Tuesday about several discrepancies in her initial account to police in 2005. Their questioning will continue on Wednesday.

    Constand said she first met Cosby in late 2002, when she was the newly hired director of basketball operations for Temple University’s women’s basketball program and he was a university trustee and the Philadelphia school’s most famous alumnus.

    After a series of phone calls, Constand, who was then in her 30s, said the married Cosby began inviting her to dinner at his house and other events. “He was a temple friend, somebody I trusted, a mentor and somewhat of an older figure to me,” Constand testified. On at least one occasion, Constand said she rebuffed his advances, telling him she had no interest.

    In January 2004, Constand said, Cosby invited her to his house again to discuss her career options. That night, he offered her the three blue pills, saying they were her “friends.” When she asked if they were herbal, he nodded, she told jurors.

    Constand said she told Cosby she trusted him and swallowed the pills. After the incident, Constand acknowledged under questioning from both sides that she maintained contact with Cosby but said she felt obligated to do so because of her job. The defence has suggested that her repeated calls to him show the encounter was consensual.

    (Reuters)

  • Sher Bahadur Deuba elected new Nepal PM

    Sher Bahadur Deuba elected new Nepal PM

    KATHMANDU (TIP): Nepal’s parliament on June 3 elected unopposed three-time former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to the top post once again. This is the tenth time in just over a decade the leadership has changed hands in the Himalayan nation. Deuba, a wily political veteran, stood unopposed in the parliamentary election having struck a deal with his predecessor that some criticised as being undemocratic. Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal- who resigned a fortnight ago after just ten months as prime minister- had agreed to stand aside for Deuba once long awaited local polls had been held in Nepal. “I announce that respected member Sher Bahadur Deuba… has been elected to the post of Nepal’s prime minister,” said Parliament Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar, addressing parliament during a live television broadcast. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called up Nepal’s Prime Minister-elect Sher Bahadur Deuba to congratulate him and convey his best wishes for the country’s progress. (agencies)

  • ‘Blackface’ video in Malaysia blasted on social media

    ‘Blackface’ video in Malaysia blasted on social media

    KUALA LUMPUR (TIP): A viral video featuring a woman wearing “blackface” that caused an outcry on social media has been pulled by a popular retailer in Malaysia, with the firm apologising on June 8 for causing offence.

    The 15-minute film on Watsons Malaysia’s Facebook page shows a nobleman holding an audition to track down a woman with an enchanting voice who has been in his dreams. A woman appears at the audition, singing beautifully but with her face covered.

    He recoils in disgust when she exposes her jet black face. “Oh my gosh! She is actually dark?” he exclaims. She later re-emerges with fair skin, explaining she was wearing black make-up to test his sincerity. “I am not dark. In fact, I am flawless,” she beams.

    The promotional video was to celebrate the upcoming Muslim religious festival Eid al Fitr, but it provoked an online backlash with many saying it was racist and sexist. “Being dark skinned is not a badge of shame. Being stupid is,” said one Twitter user.

    Another said: “I am so shocked that Watsons crossed the line with blackface. This video is so racist, I am ashamed of buying face mask at Watsons.” The video, featuring local celebrities, was taken down by the company on Junr 7.

    (PTI)

  • No proof against RAW in missing ex-Col case: Pakistan minister tells Parliament

    No proof against RAW in missing ex-Col case: Pakistan minister tells Parliament

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): The “kidnapping” case of a retired Pakistan army officer in Nepal could not be taken to the ICJ or the UN on the basis of “assumptions” as there is no “concrete evidence” suggesting India’s hand in it, a minister has told Parliament.

    Minister for states and frontier regions Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch said it was yet to be established that Muhammad Habib Zahir had been picked up by the Indian forces, the Dawn reported. “No final report suggesting that the Indian intelligence agency (RAW) or the Indian government was involved is available with the foreign office (FO) or the government,” he said while winding up a discussion on an adjournment motion in the Senate on Wednesday.

    Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani asked if the statement meant that the foreign office was exonerating India from the kidnapping of Habib as the minister had admitted “absence of concrete evidence”. Baloch replied in negative, saying: “We are hundred per cent sure that Indian intelligence agency RAW is behind the kidnapping, but the evidence to this effect is not final”. The issue appeared to have a link with the conviction of Kulbushan Jadhav, he said, but stressed that material was required to legally prove it.

    Baloch told the Senate that the issue of “kidnapping” of Habib in Nepal some two months ago could not be taken to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or the United Nations “on the basis of assumptions”, the report said.

    The FO was trying to obtain solid evidence and the Nepalese government had been asked to get in touch with three Indians who had received Habib at the airport, Baloch said. He said it was still not clear whether the three people were Indian government employees or civilians or working for a private firm. (PTI)

  • US might take the hard option in Afghanistan

    US might take the hard option in Afghanistan

    KABUL (TIP): The US official policy on supporting a “peace process” in Afghanistan may change. In remarks at Canberra, US defence secretary James Mattis gave clear indication that the US may not give Taliban the space for a political “solution” in Afghanistan. The message from Rex Tillerson secretary of state and Mattis is the same – Taliban is a terror group, and they will be tackled militarily.

    Mattis said, “we’re up against an enemy that knows that they cannot win at the ballot box, and you think – we have to sometimes remind ourselves of that reality. That’s why they use bombs because ballots would ensure they never had a role to play…”

    Tillerson continued, “our commitment to Afghanistan is to ensure that it never becomes a safe haven for terrorists to launch attacks against the civilized world or against any other part of the world or any of their neighbors.”

    Thus far, the US has been pushing the Afghan government to set up a peace process with the Taliban, as the only way to end the war. Although the official US review of its Afghanistan policy is still pending, the remarks are a strong signal that the US may turn up the military heat on the Taliban. Certainly, there is no more the oft-repeated line that the US believes “there is no military solution” to the Afghan crisis.

    This used to be the line used by both former secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. That gave the Pakistanis the opportunity to set up all manner of arrangements starting with the Qatar process run by Taliban leader Tayyab Agha, who was quickly discredited. This was followed by the ill fated QCG between the US, China,

    Afghanistan and Pakistan which ended with two things: the announcement that Taliban leader Mullah Omar had died over two years prior, and the elevation of Sirajuddin Haqqani as deputy chief of Taliban, effectively joining the ISI supported Haqqani network with the Taliban. In more recent months, Russia and Iran have both joined the fray, this time using ISIS as a reason for bringing Taliban into the mainstream and power structure in Kabul.

    The US accuses Russia of supplying weapons to Taliban. But the horrific attacks in recent weeks by the Haqqani network appears to have made up US minds on how not to look for peace in Afghanistan. While the dilemma in Washington about another troop surge remains, it’s also clear that the US may step in to prevent Russia and Iran from becoming players in this particular conflict.

    The recent US MOAB (mother-of-allbombs)+ drop in Nangarhar has been widely seen as a signal for North Korea. But could there be a possibility of it being used again in Afghanistan, against the Taliban?

    (PTI)