The Indian Panorama

Month: June 2017

  • Islamic State claims it killed two Chinese in Pakistan

    Islamic State claims it killed two Chinese in Pakistan

    CAIRO/QUETTA (TIP): Islamic State has killed two Chinese teachers it kidnapped in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province last month, the militant group’s Amaq news agency said on June 8, in a blow to Islamabad’s efforts to safeguard Chinese workers. China’s foreign ministry said it was “gravely concerned” about the report and working to verify the information.

    Armed men pretending to be policemen kidnapped the two language teachers in the provincial capital, Quetta, on May 24. The kidnapping was a rare security incident involving Chinese nationals in Pakistan, where Beijing has pledged $57 billion for its “Belt and Road” plan.

    “Islamic State fighters killed two Chinese people they had been holding in Balochistan province, southwest Pakistan,” Amaq said. A Balochistan government spokesman said officials were in the process of confirming “whether the report is true”. China’s foreign ministry said it noted the report and expressed “grave concern”. “We have been trying to rescue the two kidnapped hostages over the past days,” the ministry said in a short statement.

    “The Chinese side is working to learn about and verify relevant information through various channels, including working with Pakistani authorities,” it said. “The Chinese side is firmly opposed to the acts of kidnapping civilians in any form, as well as terrorism and extreme violence in any form.”

    There was no immediate comment from Pakistan’s interior ministry or its foreign office. Islamic State, which controls some territory in neighbouring Afghanistan, has struggled to establish a presence in Pakistan. But it has claimed several major attacks, including one on the deputy chairman of the Senate last month in Balochistan, in which 25 people were killed.

    Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan’s military published details of a three-day raid on a militant hideout in a cave not far from Quetta, saying it had killed 12 “hardcore terrorists” from a banned local Islamist group and prevented Islamic State from gaining a “foothold” in Balochistan.

    China’s ambassador to Pakistan and other officials have often urged Islamabad to improve security, especially in Balochistan, where China is building a new port and funding roads to link its western regions with the Arabian Sea.

    The numbers of Pakistanis studying Mandarin has skyrocketed since 2014, when President Xi Jinping signed off on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, pledging to invest $57 billion in Pakistani road, rail and power infrastructure. Security in Balochistan has improved in recent years.

    However, separatists, who view the project as a ruse to steal natural resources, killed 10 Pakistani workers building a road near the new port of Gwadar this month, a key part of the economic corridor.

    China has also expressed concern about militants in Pakistan linking up with what China views as separatists in the far western Chinese region of Xinjiang, where hundreds have been killed in violence in recent years.

    (Reuters)

  • Fighting Terrorism is at the Top of the Agenda at the SCO Summit

    Fighting Terrorism is at the Top of the Agenda at the SCO Summit

    In the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, a meeting of the defense ministers of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held on June 7. At the meeting, the members of the delegations made a number of statements concerning both the situation in Syria and the fight international terrorism in general.

    First of all, all the representatives agreed that Indian and Pakistani membership that will become true tomorrow, June 8, will enhance SCO’s security capabilities. Referring to international problems, the SCO participants concurred that the terrorism in a short time turned into the biggest threat to the global security. At the same time, all the members of the delegations noticed that the situation is aggravating with every passing day by numerous local conflicts in the world and by inability of the Western countries to overcome differences, to form a common and united front against this evil and to work together to build a bastion against terrorism.

    In this regard, the Syrian issue has become a key topic of the agenda during the meeting. The SCO-countries gave the highest priority to the question. A detailed briefing session was held for new Member States (India and Pakistan) on the common attitude of the participating countries to the key crisis in the Middle East. As it was noted at the meeting, it is in the Syrian Arab Republic the main forces of the Islamic State are concentrated. It was also stated that the Syrian Arab army coordinating its activities in order to ensure the success operations undermined in the end the potential of the IS fighters and Syria has been “at the forefront of fighting international terrorism” for a long time.

    Special attention was paid to the creation of de-escalation areas in Syria, which could contribute to ending the civil war and thus intensifying efforts to combat ISIS and Al-Nusra. The representatives of SCO-Member countries also noticed that practical steps are being taken to implement the agreements reached at the moment. The priority tasks, namely ensuring the monitoring of all the commitments undertaken, as well as creating conditions for the restoration of the destroyed infrastructure were also highlighted.

    The countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization agreed to provide support to each other in Syria and to exchange military experience in conducting counter-terrorism operations. Interaction within the SCO in the future was decided to focus on identifying and anticipating any terrorist activities.

    Inside Syria Media Center’ experts reasonably assume that the Member states will need to create joint effective managing tools to stop penetration of terrorism and radicalism into the SCO’s area of responsibility. A fair guess would be that the special attention would be paid to an operative exchange of the information available on the activities of terrorist groups.

    Such a summit is clearly useful for Syria from the point of view of practicality. People in Syria hope the talks will equip the SCO-members better to meet the challenges of terrorism. Syria needs support to be able to tackle the difficulties and to take the steps necessary for a just and lasting peace.

    SUMMARY: To be noted is that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organization which was founded in 1996 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. These countries, except Uzbekistan, had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization. On 10 July 2015, the SCO decided to admit India and Pakistan as full members. India and Pakistan signed the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent, thereby starting the formal process of joining the SCO as the full members. Now in Astana the countries are going to become full members.

    The meeting of the SCO-defense ministers takes place once a year and the heads of the military departments have the opportunity both to share their views on the events taking place in the world and to work out a common strategy. In addition, it is possible to hold bilateral meetings to discuss in detail the plans of military cooperation on the margins of the meeting.

  • Cattle ban BJP’s route marker for 2019

    Cattle ban BJP’s route marker for 2019

    By Rajindar Sachar

    “The new legislation has been deliberately brought up to further communalize the situation and also financially ruin the poor Muslims. And the government is not even attempting a sham of making suggestions to counter the perception that its actions are weakening the morale of minorities”, says the author.

    Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking of the achievements of the three years of the Modi government, proudly proclaimed: “We have by and large provided security to the country. India is the second largest country in the world as far as the Muslim population is concerned, and I can say with full responsibility that despite such a large population (of Muslims), the IS has not been able to set foot.”

    Frankly, it is not clear whether he meant it to be a compliment for the patriotism and nationalism of Indian Muslims or he was only praising his security agencies – that notwithstanding such a large population of Muslims, his intelligence agencies have been able to control it. I hope it was not the latter, because it would be uncalled for and unjustly maligning the Muslim community.

    Rajnath Singh should openly say that the patriotism and nationalism of Indian Muslims is no less than any other community, including Hindus. And that anyone even remotely suggesting otherwise is talking treason, as some of the sickening communal Hindu bodies are doing.

    Muslims do not have to carry their patriotism on the sleeve; to suggest that would be calumny. In fact, notwithstanding the provocation from RSS fanatics, the equanimity shown by Muslims is praiseworthy. If the Home Minister is really keen to keep peace in the country, he needs to persuade Modi to immediately withdraw the deliberately provocative animal slaughter legislation, which is being opposed by many states apart from being challenged in high courts.

    The legislation purporting to be for the prevention of cruelty to animals is a ploy to snatch jurisdiction by the Centre on the subject of cattle trade, which is squarely the purview of the states. Even the BJP accepts this, as is clear from the Arunachal Pradesh state party president openly announcing that the Centre’s ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter could not be binding on the states. The entire North-East is on the boil on this matter. Minister of Environment Harsh Vardhan says diplomatically that the government is open to suggestions. This sounds hollow given that half the states are opposed to this legislation, which in reality is an attempt at pleasing the “gau rakshak” gang and to allow them to spread terror. This legislation has been deliberately brought up by the BJP to further communalize the situation and also financially ruin the poor Muslims who earn their livelihood through cattle sales.

    The atmosphere was earlier vitiated by RSS Nagpur bosses installing Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of UP, who has already spread fear among Muslims in the state by praying at the makeshift Ram Temple near the Babri Masjid demolition site. This is blatant communalization of the situation in India, which is the strategy of the BJP for 2019 elections.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to be reminded of how he addressed cow vigilantes in August 2016 saying: “It makes me angry that people are running shops in the name of cow protection…. Some people indulge in antisocial activities at night and in the day masquerade as cow protectors.”

    The Modi government is not even attempting a sham of making suggestions to counter the perception that its actions are weakening the morale of minorities. In that regard, the way Modi has handled the naming of National Commission for Minorities members shows he only wants to retain the shell of it. The present members were appointed after the positions remained vacant for months. Of the five persons appointed, only one is a Muslim (Chairperson) and the remaining are one each from other minorities.

    This too was done after a high court asked the government for a response to a writ petition. According to the 2011 Census, the Hindu population is 79.8 per cent and Muslim 14.2 per cent. The rest 6 per cent is constituted of Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.7%), Buddhists (0.7%), Jains (0.4%), and Parsis. It can’t be denied that the object of the minorities panel is to create a mechanism that would give them confidence. To make the minorities feel that they have an equal stake in the running of the State and are equal beneficiaries of its programs. It is hoped that the two more members yet to be appointed would be Muslims, either well-recognized academicians or public figures from the community, to give some reassurance to the community.

    The report of the UN Human Rights Council Forum on Minority Issues, 2010, had made some significant recommendations on minorities and their effective participation in economic life, which each country is mandated to follow: “…the right of minorities to participate effectively in economic life must be fully taken into account by governments seeking to promote equality at every level. From implementing non-discrimination in employment and enforcing protection laws in the private sector to developing national economic development and international development assistance schemes.”

    It is unfortunate that the Opposition has not come up with a concrete/specific program on which it intends to fight the 2019 election. In fact, the Opposition has been reduced to a debating/TV phenomenon. It has no specific program for action. The way the Congress and other political parties are letting wither away the opportunity that arose from the Dalit assertion in Saharanpur speaks ill of their commitment.

    There is already a competition between the Chief Minister of UP and Prime Minister Modi as to who would be a greater favorite of the Sangh Parivar after the 2019 parliamentary elections, assuming the BJP wins the majority.

    Yogi Adityanath has given encouragement to the cow vigilante brigade, as indicated in the UP Director-General of Police issuing instructions to all police officers that those involved in cow slaughter or smuggling should be booked under the National Security Act – a legislation designed to handle terrorists. Has the BJP lost all sense of balance and proportion?

    (The author is a retired Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court)

  • Modi at Astana: Apart from SCO membership, nothing much to come of summit

    Modi at Astana: Apart from SCO membership, nothing much to come of summit

    By KC Singh

    “Indo-Pak relations have a more complex pathology for their downward spiral. Modi came to power wanting to break the old cycle of talks and terror. He chose theatrical and personalized engagement with Sharif to leap over the complexities constricting a Pakistani leader, ranging from his relations with the army to pressure by jehadis with vote banks, and finally, his own credibility after the Panama Papers revelations”, says the author.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from May 29 to June 3, careened through Germany, Spain, Russia and France. The world has changed so dramatically in the three years he has held office that he was literally on a new pilgrimage. There is a law of diminishing returns in diplomacy. For instance, if you do not finalize a free trade agreement with the EU, the bilateral investment treaties having lapsed, their excitement about India begins to abate.

    Putin seemed to toy with Modi, realizing that in a Trumpian world Indian strategic options had narrowed. He was not aligning against China and Pakistan. In fact, keeping Modi beside him during his interview with Megyn Kelly, whom Trump detests and who has traded CNN for NBC, Putin caused embarrassment to the Indian guest when questions on Trump campaign links to Russia were answered contemptuously.

    PM Modi now heads to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan on June 8-9, where India and Pakistan are to be admitted as full members. Also attending are the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. India’s diplomatic relations with both nations are currently strained. The media in Delhi enquired logically whether a meeting with Sharif was imminent. A follow-up question would be, what about an interaction with President Xi?

    External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, having recovered from renal transplant, definitively ruled out one with Sharif.

    The reason is self-evident as a series of episodes have hardened national positions, thus narrowing the space for engagement with both neighbors, in closer concert today than ever before.

    Taking China first, it has persisted in opposing India’s membership of the NSG and stymied Masood Azhar’s listing by the UNSC committee. Even more provocatively, it finalized CPEC, traversing the disputed region of Gilgit-Baltistan, despite Indian objections. Then adding insult to injury, it included it in its OBOR meeting agenda in Beijing on May 14. It is an ambitious multi-trillion dollar connectivity initiative covering 68 countries, amounting to 40 per cent of global GDP. India declined to attend, citing breach of its sovereignty, besides casting doubts on its economic viability.

    Almost predictably, two Chinese helicopters intruded into Indian airspace in the western sector and Chinese spokesman surmised that recent developments have made border resolution more difficult. India had earlier upped the ante by allowing the Dalai Lama to tour Arunachal Pradesh, with full fanfare, including a visit to the Tawang monastery.

    Henry Kissinger opines in his book, On China, that the Chinese stratagem for dispute resolution has been to escalate the issue first, and then seek resolution. China should, by that logic, be seeking to de-escalate as it needs the Indian market and Xi faces a vital party congress later this year, and thus should not want tension with India to worsen. On the other hand, China has managed to assuage Donald Trump and thus dodged a trade or currency war, at least for the moment. Perhaps Modi-Xi need to share a swing in Astana, like in Ahmedabad, for a frank exchange.

    Indo-Pak relations have a more complex pathology for their downward spiral. Modi came to power wanting to break the old cycle of talks and terror.

    He chose theatrical and personalized engagement with Sharif to leap over the complexities constricting a Pakistani leader, ranging from his relations with the army to pressure by jehadis with vote banks, and finally, his own credibility after the Panama Papers revelations. When dealing with a leader with encumbrances, though keen to improve relations, a long game must be played, as in the short-run, he will be unable to deliver. Contrariwise, those opposed to normalization with India, except on their terms, will rush to sabotage engagement. By bringing the red-lines to the fences of army camps, breaching which triggers a stand-off with Pakistan, the control transfers to spoilers who can get a fidayeen to pull the trigger and disrupt engagement.

    Simultaneously, the politics in the Valley has derailed. Adopting a militaristic and jingoistic approach, including first backing the use of pellet guns, and now human shield, on the pretext of Army and security forces being above debate, may consolidate a domestic vote bank, but ignores domestic law and international humanitarian norms. At any rate, it even betrays ignorance of the counterinsurgency doctrine which rests on winning the confidence of the people to isolate mischief-makers.

    Thus, as the Indian and Pakistani leaders descend on Astana, both have new constraints. Modi cannot engage Sharif unless the Kulbhushan Jadhav case can be resolved. Coincidently, the next ICJ hearing is the day the SCO Summit opens, making it hardly conducive to political engagement. Pakistan would also be watching closely the latest Gulf developments where the ‘Sunni allies’ it hobnobbed with at the Riyadh summit are now pillorying Sunni Qatar simply because it rejected the anti-Iran tirade. Turkey has quietly thrown its weight behind Qatar. Iran, with which Qatar is bound by the joint ownership of the world’s largest gas field that literally links them below the Gulf waters, would be keeping all options open. Pakistan is caught in the middle.

    The joker in the pack, as occurring more and more frequently, is Trump. Not content to let events play out he tweeted: ‘There can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar- look!’ As events in the western neighborhood of India and Pakistan increase tension, Modi needs to rebalance his domestic politics and neighborhood policy.

    At home in the face of slowing economy, now that even government’s figures show the debilitating effect of demonetization, social unrest and vigilantism, farmers’ protests turning violent and jobless tepid growth, he needs to change the ways of his government. The unleashing of the CBI against a television channel does not indicate self-confidence. Similarly, abroad, many old assumptions are passé. He needs diplomacy, not militarism; genuine nationalism, not jingoism; social cohesion, not majoritarian rabble-rousing; contemporary vision, not mythological mumbo-jumbo.

    (The author is a former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India)

     

  • Son of an Indian Immigrant is set to be Ireland’s new leader

    Son of an Indian Immigrant is set to be Ireland’s new leader

    Leo Varadkar, the son of an Indian immigrant, is set to be Ireland’s Prime Minister after he won an internal contest to lead the Centre-right Fine Gael, the senior coalition partner in the Republic’s minority government. The outspoken Mr. Varadkar, the incumbent Social Protection Minister, is to take over the reins of the party and country from Enda Kenny, who is stepping down after heading the party for 15 years and the country for six. Mr. Varadkar will be Ireland’s first-ever openly gay Prime Minister with minority and immigrant roots. He is just 38 years old, and thus in a club of young world leaders with France’s Emmanuel Macron and Canada’s Justin Trudeau. While it is indeed remarkable that a person of Mr. Varadkar’s background has been elected to lead Ireland, what is even more striking is that during the ruling party’s elections voters focused not on his background but on his policies.

    This speaks volumes for how far the country has come on its social attitudes. Ireland is deeply religious. Catholicism, the state religion, has a far-reaching influence on many aspects of Irish life, including birth, death and marriage.

    Abortions, except to save the mother’s life, are illegal; divorce, legalized in the 1990s, requires a four-year separation; and gay marriage was legalized just recently.

    As Prime Minister, Mr. Kenny steered Ireland out of the financial collapse of 2008-2010 and campaigned, successfully, for the European Union (EU) to recognize Ireland’s unique position during the forthcoming Brexit negotiations between Brussels and London. The Republic of Ireland is contiguous with Northern Ireland, and therefore the only EU country that shares a land border with the U.K. Mr. Kenny leaves office having convinced the EU to address the fallout for Ireland during Brexit negotiations. He also leaves Mr. Varadkar a vastly improved economy, with an unemployment rate close to 7%, about half of what it was in 2012. Mr. Varadkar will now have to build on his predecessor’s success and address his failures, including a severe housing shortage and a police service that has demonstrated an ability to collude with other public agencies to punish whistle-blowers and cover up corruption. As regards Brexit, Mr. Varadkar will have to ensure that the Common Travel Area, a mechanism by which British and Irish citizens can live and work in the two countries, is maintained, and that the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is not reinstated. He will also have to manage the economic impact of Brexit on trade and jobs in the event that the negotiations diminish Britain’s access to the European single market. Finally, as Prime Minister, he will be expected to shepherd further reforms in laws relating to divorce and abortion if he wishes to further align the Republic’s values with those of the EU and other liberal democracies.

    (The Hindu)

  • AAPI’s 35th annual convention at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, June 21-25, 2017

    AAPI’s 35th annual convention at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, June 21-25, 2017

    NEW YORK CITY, NY (TIP): “It’s very great joy that I want to invite you all to be part of the 35th annual American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) Convention 2017 to be held at brand new state of the art Convention Centre, the prestigious Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey from June 21 – 25, 2017,” Dr. Ajay Lodha, President, AAPI, said here, June 7, 2017.

                                        AAPI leadership and committee members

    Dr. Lodha expressed his gratitude to AAPI’s executive committee members, including Dr. Gautam Samadder President-Elect; Dr. Naresh Parikh, Vice President; Dr. Suresh Reddy, Secretary; Dr. Manju Sachdev, Treasurer; Dr. Madhu Agarwal, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Aditya Desai, YPS president; and Atul Nakhasi, MSRF President; AAPI’s 2017 Convention committee chairs and members, volunteers and sponsors for their continued dedication and visionary leadership and efforts to make this convention truly a historic one for all.

    The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s New York Chapter. Dr. Lodha expressed his gratitude to the organizers, various committee chairs and members, including Convention Chair, Dr. Raj Bhayani, Co-chairs, Drs. Vinod Sanchetti, Kishen Kumar, Jayesh Kanuga, and Kusum Punjabi; Convention Advisory Committee Chair, Shashi Shah; and Drs. Hetal Gor, Jagdish Gupta, and Himanshu Pandya.

    According to Dr. Lodha, the convention will have Continuing Medical Education, National and India based Health Policy Forums, Youth Seminars, New Physician and Resident Student meetings, Fashion Show, Women’s Forum, and mega Bollywood shows. Physicians attending this convention will benefit not only from cutting edge CMEs, but also the camaraderie of their alumni groups and share in our common heritage. Social events are being planned meticulously so that maximum benefit can be accomplished.

    Attended by AAPI leadership, various committee members, community leaders, and media personnel from across the United States, the kickoff event was inaugurated by lighting of the traditional lamp by Ambassador Riva Ganaguly Das, Consul General of India in New York on Sunday, April 9, 2017. Ganguly Das lauded the achievements of AAPI and the leadership of Dr. Lodha. “We have watched how AAPI has grown over the years and how we want other NRI groups to emulate the success model of AAPI,” Ganguly Das told the cheering audience. Stating that the government of India “values our relationship with AAPI and the many initiatives and contributions you have made for the people in India,” the Indian envoy said.

          Dr. Ajay Lodha, President of AAPI addresses the gathering

    At the kickoff event, Dr. Lodha highlighted the many accomplishments under his leadership, including the Leadership Seminar at Columbia University, the Cruise to Brazil, participation and leading the Independence Day Parade in New York, the successful organization of Global Healthcare Summit in Rajasthan and the many initiatives at the Summit, Crash Courses in India for police officers as first responders in accidents, EPS lab studies, AYUSH, raising AAPI’s voice against hate crimes in the US and against violence against physicians in India and championing AAPI’s role in healthcare policy and agenda through AAPI’s legislative conference in Washington DC in April this year. Dr. Lodha has been successful in bringing in financial stability and carrying forward all the Chapters in a cohesive manner with visits and meetings with members and leaders of several Chapters. Dr. Lodha is ever grateful to the media for its continued support all along.

    Many of the physicians who will attend this convention have excelled in different specialties and subspecialties and occupy high positions as faculty members of medical schools, heads of departments, and executives of hospital staff. The AAPI Convention offers an opportunity to meet directly with these physicians who are leaders in their fields and play an integral part in the decision-making process regarding new products and services.

    Alumni meetings for networking, matchmaking, also an AAPI-India Strategic Engagement Forum to showcase the AAPI initiatives in India like Trauma Brain Injury Guidelines, MoU on TB Eradication in India and recognition of AAPI award winners will make this Convention unique.

    The Convention offers 8-10 credit hours of cutting edge CMEs as per AMA guidelines by well renowned thought leaders in their respective areas, being organized by Drs. Jagat Narula and Atul Prakash. Spiritual session is to be led by renowned Brahmakumari Shivani Didi. The Women’s Forum will feature well renowned women leaders, politicians, academicians, artists, sports women, and is being coordinated by Drs. Purnima Kothari and Udaya Shivangi.

    The CEO Forum, which is by invitation will have CEOs of leading healthcare firms, who will give their thought process on the development of medical science and current changes, especially with the ongoing national discussions on the repairing/repealing of the Healthcare delivery in the nation. Also, for the first time, AAPI is inviting CEOs preferably with their innovative technologies in the field of medicine. The AAPI Research Symposium is an exciting venue to learn about and present new and exciting research as well as case reports and discussions. The Convention 2017 will also offer special emphasis on Integrative Medicine (AYUSH) and Medical innovations.

    The AAPI Research Symposium is an exciting venue to learn about and present new and exciting research as well as case reports and discussions. The Convention will also offer special emphasis on Integrative Medicine (AYUSH) and Medical innovations. AAPI Talent show at the Harrah’s newly built elegant Theatre will provide a perfect setting for our AAPI delegates to display their talents.

    Being put together by Drs. Seema Arora and Amit Chakrabarty, the competitive session for the AAPI members will be judged by well renowned artists and philanthropists, has attractive prizes.

    The dazzling Fashion Show will be one of a kind by famous fashion designers from the nation. The extravaganza mouth-watering ethnic cuisine with every day “Theme Menus” with variety of display of best of the culinary will be a treat for the young and the old.

    AAPI Talent show at the newly built elegant Harrah’s Theatre will provide a perfect setting for our AAPI delegates to display their talents. Being put together by Drs. Seema Arora and Amit Chakrabarty, the competitive session for the AAPI members will be judged by well renowned artists and philanthropists, has attractive prizes.

    In addition, the exhibition hall featuring large exhibit booth spaces in which the healthcare industry will have the opportunity to engage, inform and educate the physicians directly through one on one, hands on product demonstrations and discussions, there will be focused group and specialty Product Theater, Interactive Medical Device Trade Show, and special exhibition area for new innovations by young physicians.

    AAPI members represent a variety of important medical specialties. Sponsors will be able to take advantage of the many sponsorship packages at the 35th annual convention, creating high-powered exposure to the highly coveted demographic of AAPI’s membership.

    Representing the interests of the over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, leaders of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organization of physicians, for 35 years, AAPI Convention has provided a venue for medical education programs and symposia with world renowned physicians on the cutting edge of medicine.

    “Physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country and internationally will convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year. We look forward to seeing you in Atlantic City, New Jersey!” said Dr. Ajay Lodha. For more details, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit: www.aapiconvention.org and www.aapiusa.org

  • Indian-American Raja Chari among 12 new astronauts chosen by NASA

    Indian-American Raja Chari among 12 new astronauts chosen by NASA

    NASA’s Newest Astronaut Recruits to Conduct Research off the Earth, For the Earth and Deep Space Missions

    HOUSTON (TIP): American space agency Nasa has chosen 12 new astronauts, including an Indian- American, from a record number of over 18,000 applicants, who will be trained for missions into Earth orbit and to deep space.

    The seven men and five women comprise the 22nd class of American spaceflight trainees since 1959. This is the largest group Nasa has selected in almost two decades.

    It was selected from a record 18,300 applicants – more than Nasa has ever had during an open astronaut call. To get picked, people had to meet some physical requirements as well as certain education and experience criteria – such as having a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field or accumulating up to 1,000 hours of piloting jets.

    But it’s clear that this new class greatly surpasses all the minimum skills that Nasa requires. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and flying on deep space missions on Nasa’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.

    Vice President Mike Pence joined Nasa leaders, including acting administrator Robert Lightfoot and director of flight operations Brian Kelly, in Houston, Texas to announce the new astronaut candidates, or “ascans”.

    The event was set inside the Johnson Space Centre’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in front of a full-scale engineering model of Nasa’s Orion spacecraft, which the new astronauts might fly in the coming years on missions beyond low Earth orbit.

    Pence said that President Donald Trump is “firmly committed” to Nasa’s mission in space and that “America will lead the way in space once again.” He said that Nasa would continue to have the resources it needs to “make history” – even though the president’s budget request cuts funding and cancels certain programs at the agency.

    He also mentioned that Nasa would continue to collaborate with the commercial space industry in the future. While delivering the speech, Pence touted the merits of the new astronaut class.

    Vice President Mike Pence speaks at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
    following the introduction of NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidate class on June 7, 2017. In the front row, from left to right, are Warren Hoburg, Bob Hines, Matthew Dominick, Raja Chari, Zena Cardman, Kayla Barron; back row, from left to right are Jessica Watkins, Frank Rubio, Loral O’ Hara, Jasmin Moghbeli, Robb Kulin and Jonny Kim.
    Photo courtesy NASA

    “The courage of these men and women, and all the astronauts who have gone before, inspires me to this very day,” he said. The 12 new candidates include six military officers, three scientists, two medical doctors, a lead engineer at SpaceX and a Nasa research pilot.

    Lt Col Raja “Grinder” Chari, 39, is a commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

    Hailing from Waterloo, Iowa, Chari earned a Master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT and graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School. His father is from India.

    Lt Kayla “Sax” Barron, 29, is a US Navy submarine officer from Richland, Washington. A member of the US Navy’s first class of women commissioned into the submarine community, Barron comes to Nasa from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where she has been serving as the Flag Aide to the Superintendent.

    Zena Cardman, a 29-year-old is a geo biologist who had done research at Penn State University in Pennsylvania. Her research was focused on microorganisms in subsurface environments, ranging from caves to deep sea sediments.

    Lt Commander Matthew Dominick, the 35-year-old department is the head for the US Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 115. Born and raised in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Dominick was at sea on the USS Ronald Reagan when he got the call on May 25 saying he had been selected as an astronaut candidate.

    Bob Hines, a 42-year-old Nasa research pilot is based at Johnson Space Center since 2012. Hines hails from Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. He attended the Air Force Test Pilot School for his Master’s degree in flight test engineering. He has served in the US Air Force and Air Force Reserves for 18 years.

    Warren “Woody” Hoburg, a 31-year-old assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, has earned a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California, Berkley.

    Jonny Kim, a 33-year-old Navy lieutenant and SEAL, who has been on active duty reserve while completing his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital.

    Robb Kulin, the 33-year-old lead of the Launch Chief Engineering group at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California. He has previous experience as an ice driller in Antarctica on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and Taylor Glaciers and as a commercial fisherman in Chignik, Alaska.

    Major Jasmin Moghbeli, 33, is a quality assurance and avionics officer for the Marine Corps’ Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 in Yuma, Arizona. Loral O’Hara, a 34-year-old research engineer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, who calls Sugar Land, Texas, home.

    Francisco Rubio, is a 41-year-old major, serving as a surgeon for the 3rd Battalion of the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group. He earned a Doctorate of Medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

    Jessica Watkins, a 28-year-old postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where she collaborates on Nasa’s Mars Science Laboratory for the Curiosity rover. She has worked at Nasa’s Ames Research Center in northern California.

    (Source: NASA)

  • Indian American Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion suffers racially insensitive remarks

    Indian American Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion suffers racially insensitive remarks

    Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Hindu Congressman Tulsi Gabbard lash out at the anchors for playing into stereotypes

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Alisyn Camerota, host of CNN’s New Day, made a racially insensitive remark to a 12-year-old guest who had just won a national spelling bee while interviewing her on-air on Friday.

    Camerota was interviewing Ananya Vinay, a young girl of Indian origin, about her recent win Thursday at the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition, one of the most recognized spelling competitions in the U.S. Camerota and her co-host Chris Cuomo jokingly asked her to spell the word “covfefe.”

    “Covfefe” is the unintentional typo made by President Donald Trump during an unfinished tweet that was accidentally published on Twitter. The word had become an internet meme since then, spawning a seemingly endless amount of jokes, including one from Trump himself.

    Vinay attempted to spell the word, but left out the “v.” Camerota corrected her, calling it a “nonsense word,” then remarked to Vinay about not being sure if the root of the word comes from Sanskrit, “which is probably what you’re used to using.”

    Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and HinduCongressman Tulsi Gabbard lashed out at the anchors for playing into stereotypes.

    “It’s disappointing that a segment which should have honored the accomplishments of Vinay instead other-ised her and the Indian-American community by playing into stereotypes,” Indian American Congressman from Illinois Krishnamoorthi said.

    “The hosts’ treatment of Sanskrit is also insensitive to the language’s rich, ongoing sacred tradition and continues a troubling trend in the network’s treatment of Hinduism which was also evident on the network’s program, Believer,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    This is “Further evidence of the need for America in general, and CNN in particular, to get educated about Hinduism and India,” said Tulsi Gabbard, the Hindu Congresswoman from Hawaii.

    Added to CNN slur was a comment by Roxanne Vaughan, a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of North Dakota, reportedly “under fire” over a misinterpreted Facebook comment about Ananya Vinay. Professor has since clarified his comment about Indian American Spelling Bee Winner and apologized.

    The Grand Forks Herald and WDAZ-ABC reported this week that Vaughan wrote of Vinay, who is of Indian descent, “I’m sure she’s an immigrant, not worthy of interacting with our pure Americans. Send her back.”

    A campus spokesperson reportedly said Vaughan’s comment was “certainly not in keeping with university statement core values,” adding, “We know we have work to do in that area and this underscores the fact that we have a lot of work to do.” Vaughan said via email Tuesday that her remark — as many might suspect — was posted sarcastically, in response to current political rhetoric surrounding immigration. She attempted to clarify her point after someone misunderstood and removed the post within five minutes to avoid further confusion, she added.

    “I was led to make a remark on my Facebook page that I phrased as sarcasm to convey my belief that our society is strengthened by the presence of diverse cultures and that exclusion of any group robs us of these benefits,” Vaughan said.

    “I sincerely regret that I wrote this comment in a way that could be misinterpreted, and that it may have caused any pain or fear to [students], who above all else should trust their faculty.” (Source: Inside Higher Ed)

  • After 30th June 2017, PIO Cards will not be valid for travel to India

    After 30th June 2017, PIO Cards will not be valid for travel to India

    After 30th June, please don’t travel to India with a PIO card. You will be denied entry. Please don’t inconvenience yourselves. Either convert your PIO to OCI or apply for a Visa”, said India’s Consul General in New York Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das.

    The Consul General appealed to the Indian American PIO card holders to immediately convert their cards. Now the consulate is doing the conversion free of cost but after 30th a penalty fee could be added.

    PIO Card holders: Please note that the last date for conversion of PIO cards to OCI cards is 30th June 2017.

    Beyond 30th June, 2017, PIO Cards will not be valid for travel to India. All PIO Card holders are requested to immediately apply for conversion of PIO Cards to OCI Cards at this link ” https://www.in.ckgs.us “. It may be noted that the processing time taken for conversion is 10 days minimum and applicants may plan their travel to India accordingly.

    On the subject of issuing passports toIndians who sought political asylum here, the Consul General said, “Across the board now there is some liberalization. Those who are known to repeatedly criticize the Indian Government, questioning the idea of Indian nation, India’s territorial integrity/sovereigntyor who have serious issues, will still be denied passport. But that category apart, those who have sought asylum and want to have a passport can send email to us or come with their documents to the consulate at the open house on first and third Wednesdays in the morning and afternoon respectively. But please do not go to third parties because they really don’t know the rules and regulations. Don’t get misguided and don’t pay any extra money.”

  • Roko Cancer Awarded with Social Organization of the Year Award

    Roko Cancer Awarded with Social Organization of the Year Award

    NEW YORK (TIP): Roko Cancer Charitable trust again proved itself to be always ready to compete for excellence by winning Social organization of the year award under ASSOCHAM’s Women’s Health Excellence Awards 2017.

    This award distinguishes Roko Cancer as an organization striving to serve the community with commitment. This award is certainly an honor for the organization.

    The award was presented by Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Government of India in New Delhi.

  • Mayor Bill de Blasio hosts Iftar party

    Mayor Bill de Blasio hosts Iftar party

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Mayor Bill de Blasio Blasio hosted Iftar Party on 1st June at Gracie Mansion, his official residence. There was a small gathering of selected invitees which included Muslim community leaders and consul generals from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey etc.

    The Mayor spoke about protecting all religions & faiths and all people from all walks of life. He emphasized that safety & protection of all New Yorkers was the primary concern of his administration.

  • INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA AT THE UNITED NATIONS

    INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA AT THE UNITED NATIONS

    NEW YORK (TIP): The celebration of the 2017 International Day of Yoga will be held in the evening of Tuesday 20 June 2017 at 1800 hrs at the North Lawns, United Nations (UN Secretariat Building, entrance from 46th Street, 1st Avenue), New York.

    The event is being organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in association with the Department of Public Information, United Nations.

    This will be the third celebration of the International Day of Yoga at the UN. The UN General Assembly Resolution A/Res/69/131, which was adopted by acclamation in December 2014 with a record number of 177 co-sponsoring member states, established the International Day of Yoga for observance by the United Nations on 21 June each year.

    The idea for declaring an International Day of Yoga at the United Nations was formally proposed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in his maiden address to the 69th UNGA on 27 September 2014. The Hon’ble Prime Minister had indicated that 21 June, one of the two solstices, which marks the longest day in the northern hemisphere, has special significance in many parts of the world, and could be considered for adoption as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations each year. Prime Minister Modi had said “Yoga 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.”

    For more information on the program, please contact the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations at E-mail:

    idypminy@gmail.com or visit

    https://www.pminewyork.org/idvi

    For visitors who do not hold UN Ground Pass, UN Security will issue name-specific entry passes for which registration is a must (link given in the invitation). Entry to the venue is from the 46th Street, 1st Avenue entrance. In addition to the UN Security access pass, a government-issued photo identification (which matches with the name given for UN Security pass) is required to enter the premises.

  • Corrections Chair David Weprin, Assembly member Carmen De La RosaCall for 7-Day Visitation at NY Medium Security Prisons

    Corrections Chair David Weprin, Assembly member Carmen De La RosaCall for 7-Day Visitation at NY Medium Security Prisons

    ALBANY, NEW YORK (TIP): Assemblyman David Weprin, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Correction, and Assembly member De La Rosa called for the restoration of seven day visiting at New York State medium-security prisons as well as for the reinstatement of free transportation for the inmate visiting program.

    A7241 (Weprin) restores seven day visitation in medium security facilities, which already exists in minimum and maximum security facilities. The bill would also codify the already operational seven day prison visiting programs at minimum and maximum security DOCCS facilities. A7016 (De La Rosa) restores transportation for visitors from certain cities to state correctional facilities. Operational from 1976 – 2011, the transportation program allowed for bus service on weekends from New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany to every prison in the state.

    “The amount gained by limiting visitation in our prisons does not match what is lost” said Assemblyman David Weprin “Increased visiting has been proven to reduce recidivism, as visits help family members maintain ties and help incarcerated individuals transition to a life outside prison after release” said Assemblyman David Weprin, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Correction. “On top of that, there is evidence to suggest that more visiting means less violence in prisons, which means a better work environment for both civilian and security employees in New York’s prisons. And even if we look at it from a cost standpoint, reduced recidivism would greatly lower costs for the state in the long term.”

    “As a member of the Assembly Corrections Committee, I am proud to be the lead sponsor of A.7016 which reinstates the free transportation systems for visits to state prisons. This system was operational in our state from 1973 to 2011, when it was eliminated for a cost savings of $1.5 Million in a Department of Corrections budget of $3 Billion. Studies have shown that family visitation contributes to reductions in recidivism and improved inmate behavior which results in safer prisons and cost savings in the long run” said Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa.” There are close to 100,000 children in our New York State who have an incarcerated parent. When you look at communities who have families that have been historically and disproportionately affected by criminal justice policies in our state, it is incumbent upon us to find solutions that foster a family’s ability to maintain relationships. Today, I am proud to join Chair Weprin to advocate for the passage of these two pieces of legislation, as I believe they embody the values of restorative justice and further our goals of criminal justice reform.”

    “We should do more, not less to unite families. That is a core reason why we should not reduce visitation to see incarcerated individuals. I respect the process of criminal justice but, I also respect the difficult feelings that families must feel wanting to spend more time with their loved ones. As a member whose communities have the highest composition on Rikers Island and who has relatives who were previously incarcerated and turned their lives around, criminal justice reform is personal.

    Both houses of this Legislature agree on the efficacy of inmate visitation programs. It is shown unequivocally that, while having a low cost to tax payers, programs such as these yield incredibly productive results, such as reducing the rate of recidivism significantly. I proudly support this legislation and both our Corrections Committee Chairman David Weprin and Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa, for the outstanding work they have done in bringing this piece of policy forward.

    Together, we are here to help New Yorkers, not hurt them further” said Assemblymember Michael A. Blake. “We need to break the cycle of broken families by supporting programs that help mend, build and maintain family relationships during incarceration,” said Karen Murtagh, Executive Director of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York (PLS). “The evidence is irrefutable that strengthening family ties during incarceration helps reduce recidivism and increases the well-being of the children. That is why PLS wholeheartedly supports Assemblyman Weprin’s bill A7241 to restore seven day visitation in medium security facilities and Assembly member De La Rosa’s bill A7016 to restore transportation for visitors from certain cities to state correctional facilities.”

  • We are working to take the Third International Day of Yoga celebrations to New Heights – Consul General Riva Ganguly Das

    We are working to take the Third International Day of Yoga celebrations to New Heights – Consul General Riva Ganguly Das

    International Yoga day
    After the overwhelming success of last two years International Day of Yoga celebrations, the Consulate General of India in New York is all set to make it larger in the third year.The Consulate General of India, New York in association with local Indian community and associations, is organizing a series of Yoga related events in New York City and States under its jurisdiction.
    In an exclusive interview with The Indian Panorama, Consul General of India in New York, Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das shared the details of their flagship event and the preparations they are taking to make it ‘More successful’ than previous editions.
    What kind of preparations you have made to go beyond the achievements in the last two years?

    Like previous years, we are going to do a large number of events with the help of our valuable partners and Indian community, various temples, non-profits, and other cultural organizations.We have done a printed pamphlet this year with the list of events. Among all events, two stand out this year.

    First one is the Times Square event on 21st morning which is organized by Times Square Alliance. It’s a magnificent event. They start very early in the morning and thousands of people gather there to participate. It presents a beautiful sight of people doing Surya Namaskar and yogic asanas in an impressive setting.

    This year AAPI (American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) is doing a Yoga session with Baba Ramdev in Atlantic City on June 24, from 5 to 7 in the morning and we are joining them. This is a combined effort of AAPI and the Consulate. The hope is everybody will turn up in the morning. Baba Ramdev will conduct yoga exercises with the AAPI group. It’s very significant that the doctors’ group is doing yoga. That connection should not be missed.

    What is different this year?

    It’s our flagship event at the Battery Park – the iconic venue of New York City. We have been working for several months with the Public Advocate’s Office. We got excellent cooperation from the Mayor’s office and park authorities.

    On the 19th June evening, we are hosting the session right in front of the CastleClinton from 5 to 8.30 pm. We are trying to target people from the offices around. Our partners are Art of Living Foundation, Hindu Temple, and Urban Yogis. The Urban Yogis are from Brooklyn and they are African Americans. Eddie Stern is their yoga guru who will conduct a session. Battery Park event will start with some music, yoga shlokas, Bharatnatyam dance.

    There will be yoga session by Hindu temple. Children from Malakhamba Yoga will also participate.We will round up the evening with a music performance. The whole purpose is to make general New Yorkers understand how much yoga can help you in dealing with your everyday life.

    Any other interesting thing you want to share?

    Yes. Yoga is being done by NYPD. There is one inspector who is posted in Queens. Her name is Inspector Colleen Quinn who has been practicing yoga for a while. She is a great advocate of promoting yoga in the law enforcement and says yoga helps her to deal with the stress in her job. She will demonstrate yoga with NYPD officers.

    Will there be any event at the airports?

    Yes. Art of Living and Sahaja Yoga will be hosting sessions at Newark airport on June 15.

    Have you ever considered that how yoga can be a source of big business?

    Right now, we are in the phase of promoting yoga. Government is not into business. Now, the whole idea is to take ownership of yoga. Many people don’t even relate yoga to India. Yoga belongs to India and that is what we are promoting.

    What is your message to people on this occasion?

    As our life becomes more and more stressful, as we are dealing with health issues, Yoga shows us the way,Ayurveda shows us the way. Do come in large numbers on 19th June in Battery Park. There will be a red carpet where you can pose and take your pictures. We should all come together to show Indians can promote something which is so ancient.

    Please do register on our website: http;//www.indiacgny.org. registration.php

     

  • New Jersey Hindu temple consecrating unique Krishna statue with 19-day rituals

    New Jersey Hindu temple consecrating unique Krishna statue with 19-day rituals

    EDISON, NJ (TIP): Shri Krishna Vrundavana Hindu temple in Edison is organizing “Shri Krishna Pratishtapana and Brahma Kalashothsava” from May 28 to June 15; involving ancient rituals, philosophical symposiums and festivities around the consecration of uniquely created Saligrama Krishna statue.

    It took six months to sculpt this Lord Krishna statue from the Saligrama rock brought from the banks of Gandaki River in Nepal after months of search. This sacred statue has visited over one hundred homes of devotees in New Jersey in May after its arrival from India and before installation in the specially constructed Garbha Griham in the temple to become its main deity.

    History of this Hindu temple, which now stands on the location which was earlier Saint Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, goes back to 2002, when it was established in Iselin (New Jersey). Temple renovation began on May one and included importing about 3,000 cubic feet of teakwood from Burma for the Garba Gudi, besides other materials from India.

    R i t u a l s – e v e n t s – f e s t i v i t i e s – symposiums during this period include Sapta Shudhi, Homas, Veda Paarayayanas, Japas, Balis, Samkeertanas, Saligrama Krishna Pratishtapana, various Poojas, Kalasha Pratishta, Avabhruta, Mantrakshate, discourse, music-dance performances, knowledge conference on Moksha and Karma, etc. Free lunch and dinner (Maha Prasada) is being served every day. Sri Sugunendra Teertha, the current pontiff of Shri Puthige Matha in Udupi (India), is participating.

    Commending the temple leaders and area community for realizing this Hindu temple complex and organizing the ancient rituals, Rajan Zed, in a statement, pointed out that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this temple would help in this direction.

    This temple, on a 3.5 acres plot and built area of about 15,000 square feet in South Edison, opens daily at 06-30 am and conducts daily morning-evening Poojas. Besides worship services, it also celebrates many Hindu festivals and conducts various free classes on Sthotra, Geetha, Sanskrit, Sandhya Vandana, Slokas, Bhajan, etc. Its “Spiritual Sundays” programming includes “sessions focused on personal growth and development” and interactive session on “Dharma Tradition”.

    Dress code in temple’s Pooja Hall includes covering “shoulders and knees”, and dhoti is compulsory “while reciting Veda mantras”. It also runs a Hindu matrimonial site called Dampathi.com, which states: “Marriage is not just living the outer life but the inner life as well.”

  • Peacock takes out $500 in wine after crashing liquor store

    Peacock takes out $500 in wine after crashing liquor store

    ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA (TIP): A female peacock has ruffled more than just feathers at a Los Angeles-area liquor store.

    Without a peep, the peahen strutted into the open door of the Royal Oaks Liquor Store in Arcadia on Monday. Store manager and college senior Rani Ghanem said he didn’t even know it was there until a customer walked in and asked him about “el pollo,” Spanish for “the chicken.”

    Ghanem, a 21-year-old San Bernardino resident whose family owns the store, said he then tried to guide the sharp clawed bird outside but that she spooked, at one point flying directly toward him and then up onto a top shelf of the store. And that spooked Ghanem.

    An animal-control officer responded after Ghanem called 911, approaching the peahen with gloves and a fishing net. That’s when the hilarity ensued, Ghanem said. “He was trying to get it with the fishing net, and (the bird) jumped on the first wine bottle. When that happened, I was like, ‘Aw, this is about to be a big mess,’ ” Ghanem said. “He tried to get it again with the net … It just went straight diving into all the bottles. The more he kept on trying to use the net, the more it kept on flapping its wings and knocking everything over.”

    At one point, cellphone video taken by Ghanem shows the officer catching a wine bottle in the net as the bird crashes through a shelf and a dozen bottles shatter to the ground.

    Unable to watch more destruction, Ghanem puts on a sweatshirt to protect himself from the bird’s claws and helps the officer ensnare it.

    He said they took the bird outside and that it was unharmed. In all, Ghanem said the peahen was in the store for 90 minutes and broke $500 worth of the family store’s best bottles, including champagne. (AP)

  • UK gets 1st female Sikh, 1st turbaned MP in General Election

    UK gets 1st female Sikh, 1st turbaned MP in General Election

    LONDON (TIP): Britain on Friday, June 9, got its first female Sikh and first turban-wearing MP as the General Election results began pouring in with Indian-origin Labour Party candidates winning more seats than their rival Conservatives. Labour Party candidate Preet Kaur Gill won her Birmingham Edgbaston seat by polling 24,124 votes, defeating ruling Conservative party rival Caroline Squire by 6,917 votes.

    “I am delighted I have been given the opportunity to become the next MP for Edgbaston where I was born and raised. I want to engage with the people of Edgbaston and with hard work, passion and determination I think we can achieve great things together,” she said.

    Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, known as Tan, won his Slough seat decisively polling 34,170 votes, to become Labour’s first turban wearing MP.

    He defeated his Conservative party rival by a whopping 16,998 votes. Dhesi said he was “humbled” and wanted to serve the town where he was born and raised.

    “Credit to the Labour Party leadership for taking the bold step of giving Sikhs the opportunity to fight for winnable seats.

    Labour now needs to turn its attention to having visible Sikh representation in the House of Lords at the first opportunity so Sikhs are better represented and can bring fresh thinking and ideas,” Sikh Federation UK said in a statement.

    “Although it is early in terms of results declared this appears to be a disastrous night for the Conservatives and Theresa May given what she had hoped to achieve and a good night for the Labour Party. Labour is taking some important Conservative scalps,” it added. A second turban-wearing Sikh of the Labour Party Kuldip Sahota lost out to his Conservative rival by just 720 votes.

    Among some of the other Indian-origin contestants’ results declared so far, Conservative party’s Priti Patel has held on to her stronghold of Witham in Essex with a solid majority of 18,646 votes.

    Alok Sharma has held on to Reading West by 2,876 votes and Shailesh Vara has won in Cambridgeshire North West by 18,008 votes.

    The 2015 General Election first-timers for the Tories Rishi Sunak and Suella Fernandes have also held on to their seats decisively with a margin of 23,108 and 21,555 votes respectively.

    For the Labour party, the longest serving Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz held on to his Leicester East seat attracting 35,116 votes and his sister Valerie Vaz also won a solid 25,286 votes to hold on to her Walsall South seat.

    Lisa Nandy won in Wigan for Labour with 29,575 votes, Seema Malhotra held on to Feltham & Heston with 32,462 votes and Virendra Sharma polled 31,720 in his safe seat of Ealing Southall.

    Among some of the prominent losses, Labour’s Neeraj Patil – the former mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth – lost to Justine Greening, the UK’s Education Minister.

    He lost by a margin of 1,554 votes to Greening, who was defending her Conservative party stronghold.

    Paul Uppal, who was expected to regain Wolverhampton South West for the Tories, also lost out to his Labour rival.

    The Labour Party had selected 14 Indians and Conservative Party 13 as their parliamentary candidates. So far, the tally looks stronger for the Labour Party with seven Indian-origin MPs to Tory’s five. The ruling Conservative party is on course to be the single largest party in the UK general election as many of the results and leads become clear in the ongoing count.

    The projections indicate that the party remains shy of an overall majority, expected to win around 322 seats, down from the 2015 General Election’s 331 and short of the magic 326 figure for an overall majority in the House of Commons.

    (Source: PTI)

  • US to host PM Modi later this month: State Dept

    US to host PM Modi later this month: State Dept

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The US is looking forward to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington later this month, the State Department has said.

    “We look forward to having the (Indian) Prime Minister here in Washington- I believe it’s later this month,” State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference, June 8.

    Modi is expected to travel to Washington at the invitation of US President Donald Trump for a meeting at the White House later this month.

    Actual date of the meeting has not been announced yet. This would be Modi’s first trip to the US under the Trump administration. The two leaders have spoken over phone for at least three times.

    Under the previous Obama Administration, Modi had a record number of eight meetings with Barack Obama. Modi traveled to Washington three times and Obama made a historic trip to India to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in 2015.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Indus-American Bank will merge with BCB Community Bank

    Indus-American Bank will merge with BCB Community Bank

    BCB Bancorp, Inc. to Acquire IA Bancorp, Inc. The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017

    EDISON, NJ (TIP): BCB Bancorp, Inc., based in Bayonne, the holding company for BCB Community Bank, has announced it has entered into a definitive merger agreement, with IA Bancorp, Inc., pursuant to which the company will acquire IAB and its wholly owned subsidiary, I n d u s – A m e r i c a n Bank. Upon consummation of the merger, Indus- American Bank will merge with BCB Community Bank and will operate as a division of BCB Community Bank. Following the closing of the merger, BCB will form an advisory board which will consist of current members of the IAB board of directors and other prominent community members.

    Indus-American Bank, which has its headquarters in Edison, operates full-service branches in Edison, Jersey City, Parsippany and Plainsboro, and Hicksville, New York. Indus-American Bank was founded primarily to meet the banking needs of the South Asian- American community. Indus-American Bank specializes in core business banking products for small- to medium-sized companies, with an emphasis on real estate-based lending. Mark D. Hogan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, stated, “We are extremely excited and pleased to welcome Indus-American customers and employees to BCB. Our partnership with Indus-American is consistent with BCB’s strategic plan of executing smart growth via expansions and organic branching. This transaction will allow the combined entities to further develop our existing markets in Jersey City and Edison, and will provide further opportunities in Parsippany, Plainsboro and Hicksville, New York, three new, attractive markets for BCB.”

    The total transaction value is approximately $20 million, including the assumption by BCB of approximately $7.5 million of IAB preferred stock, outstanding shares of IAB common stock of approximately 4.18 million and based on a 10- day volume weighted average price of BCB common stock. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, which both boards of directors have approved, IAB shareholders shall be entitled to elect to receive either 0.189 shares of BCB common stock or $3.05 in cash for each share of IAB common stock, subject to an overall allocation of exchanged IAB shares into 80% BCB common stock and 20% cash.

    The closing and the systems’ conversion is anticipated to occur in the fourth quarter of 2017, subject to approval by IAB shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. On a pro forma basis, the transaction is expected to be accretive to the Company’s 2018 earnings by approximately 10% per share, with tangible book value per share dilution of approximately 1.3% and an earn-back period of approximately 1.2 years.

    Anil Bansal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IAB, said, “We believe our loyal Indus-American Bank customers and shareholders will greatly benefit from this merger. BCB is a true community bank, with a history of a very strong commitment to its customers and the communities it serves.

    This merger will bring expanded lending capacity, supplementary retail and business products and added capital, which should enable our combined organizations to better serve our customers, to continue growing in our marketplaces, and to further enhance shareholder value.”

    Thomas Coughlin, President and Chief Executive Officer of the company and the Bank, added, “BCB is excited to be partnering with IAB and Indus-American Bank. Indus- American Bank’s branch locations complement BCB’s current locations. BCB will continue Indus-American Bank’s commitment of service to its customers and its communities. The existing Indus- American branches will operate and be known as “BCB-Indus-American Bank, a division of BCB Community Bank,” in recognition of the strong identity forged over the years by Indus-American Bank.”

    The merger will add approximately $235 million to the Company’s asset base, based on IAB’s assets as of March 31, 2017. Following completion of the merger, the Company will have total assets of over $2 billion, based on IAB’s and BCB’s respective assets as of March 31, 2017.

    The merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals and IAB shareholder approval. The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.

    FinPro Capital Advisors, Inc. acted as financial advisor to BCB Bancorp, Inc., and its legal counsel was Covington & Burling LLP. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. acted as financial advisor to IA Bancorp, Inc., and its legal counsel was Windels, Marx, Lane & Mittendorf, LLP.

    (Based on a press release)

  • Lies, Plain and Simple : James Comey

    Lies, Plain and Simple : James Comey

    “We are under Siege”: President Trump Trump’s personal counsel accuses Comey of leaking “classified information”
    I.S. Saluja

    WASHINGTON (TIP): In the Atlantic season of hurricanes, one political hurricane could turn out to be historic- the Comey testimony. In his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, June 8, former FBI Director James Comey affirmed his belief that President Trump fired him “because of the Russia investigation.” He did not accuse the president of obstructing justice, leaving that question up to Robert Mueller, the appointed special counsel. In response, Trump’s personal lawyer accused Comey-inaccurately though-of leaking “classified information”, referring to the memos Comey had drafted regarding his conversations with the president.

    Ousted FBI director James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, June 8, and didn’t pull any punches when discussing President Trump. Here are five takeaways from his blockbuster testimony.

    “Lies, plain and simple”: Throughout his testimony, Comey accused Mr. Trump of misleading Americans about the nature of his tenure at the Bureau and his  firing in May. “The administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI, by saying the organization was poorly led,” Comey said at the onset of his testimony.

    “Those were lies, plain and simple.” Mr. Trump and his allies have criticized Comey’s tenure numerous times since his firing. The president even reportedly called Comey a “real nut job” during his meeting with Russian diplomats. Last month, Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Comey had “lost the confidence” of the FBI’s rank-and-file agents, which Comey, among others, dispute.

    Why he was fired: Comey told the committee that he does “take him at his word” on one thing — that he was terminated over the Russia investigation. Comey said the “shifting explanations” for his ouster “confused” and increasingly, “concerned” him, as the White House’s official explanation for his firing contradicted that of the president’s. Comey said he couldn’t be sure of why the president fired him, but that he believes the president’s public comments.

    After firing Comey, Mr. Trump told NBC’s Lester Holt he thought of the thought of “made-up” story of ties between Russia and the Trump campaign when he fired Comey, and he told Russian diplomats that firing Comey relieved “great pressure” on him from the FBI’s Russia probe.

    “I take the president at his word that I was fired because of the Russia investigation,” Comey said in the hearing. And he went further, suggesting that the president hoped to “change” the way the Russia probe was being conducted. “I was fired in some way to change the way the Russia investigation was being conducted,” Comey said. “That is a big deal. On top of that, the Russia investigation itself is vital because of the threat. And if any American were part of that, that is a very big deal.”

    Comey leaked: How did the existence of Comey’s memos make it to the press? He leaked them. Comey says he believes the memos were his personal property and written in his capacity as a private citizen, although he has now turned them over to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. In fact, Comey says he hoped that by sharing what he had written in the memos with the news media, he could help trigger the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election.

    Comey, however, did not leak the memos to the press himself. Nor did he rely on his friend Benjamin Wittes, a legal blogger who frequently teases new revelations in the Russia investigation with his Twitter account. Instead, Comey said that he turned to a “good friend” who teaches at Columbia Law School to share what he had written with the memos. That friend, CBS News’ Andres Triay reports, is Daniel Richman, a law professor at Columbia.

    “Lordy, I hope there are tapes” : Mr. Trump tweeted after firing Comey last month that the ex-FBI chief “better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” Comey says this tweet inspired him to leak the contents of his memos to the press, because he felt he “needed to get that out into the public square.”

    “Lordy, I hope there are tapes,” Comey said during a back-and-forth with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, to laughter from the crowd. He later said that if Mr. Trump had indeed recorded any of their conversations that he hoped they would be released. He also disclosed that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has his memos.

    Loretta Lynch’s strange request: Comey said his reasoning behind his much-criticized July 2016 announcement that the FBI would not recommend charges against Hillary Clinton over her private email server had a lot to do with then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch holding a private meeting with former President Bill Clinton on a Phoenix, Arizona tarmac.

    But that wasn’t the only reason he decided to make the announcement. “Probably the only other consideration that I guess I can talk about in open setting is that at one point the attorney general had directed me not to call it an investigation, but instead to call it a ‘matter,’ which confused me and concerned me, but that was one of the bricks in the load that led me to conclude I have to step away from the department if we’re to close this case credibly,” Comey said.

    Trump is not under investigation — or, rather, he wasn’t: As Comey said in his written statement before the hearing, Comey did in fact inform Mr. Trump three times that he was not personally under investigation. Mr. Trump, Comey said, was frustrated that the FBI did not make this public, and asked Comey to make it so several times. But Comey had serious reservations about letting it be known that Mr. Trump wasn’t under investigation, among them that if that information were to be made public, the FBI would then have to announce that Mr. Trump was under investigation if that ever became the case.

    Of course, whether Mr. Trump is under investigation now is impossible to know, since Comey was fired on May 9, and the Russia investigation may have expanded since then. Who all are the guys on Intelligence Committee who questioned James Comey?

    Richard Burr, Republican of North Carolina: The chairman of the committee, which he joined in 2007, Mr. Burr embraced President Trump during the campaign. But he has earned praise from his peers in both parties in recent weeks for the seriousness with which he has taken his role in leading the Senate’s investigation.

    Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia: Mr. Warner, the highest-ranking Democrat on the committee, has thrived in the spotlight that the investigation brings. He has in the past expressed presidential ambitions and has praised Mr. Burr, whom he calls a friend, for his leadership of the committee.

    Jim Risch, Republican of Idaho: Mr. Risch was elected to the Senate in 2009 and has been a member of the committee since then. He is one of Mr. Trump’s strongest supporters in Congress and has expressed significant concern about leaks to the news media. He is a former governor of Idaho.

    Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California: Ms. Feinstein, who was once the head of the committee, has in the past criticized Mr. Comey for his actions in the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server. But she expressed concern after he was fired in May and said then that she believed he should “absolutely” testify before the other committee on which she sits, the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida: A candidate for president in 2016, Mr. Rubio joined the Intelligence Committee in 2011. Mr. Rubio has been willing to criticize Mr. Trump, his former campaign rival, and has been dismissive of the president’s complaints that the Russia investigation is a “witch hunt.”

    “We are nation of laws, and we are going to follow those laws,” Mr. Rubio said recently. Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon: Mr. Wyden, who has been on the panel since 2001, has been a strong critic of the Trump administration and had early on called for Mr. Comey to appear in front of the committee.

    Susan Collins, Republican of Maine: Ms. Collins, who has been on the committee since 2013, is known as one of the more moderate Republicans now serving in the Senate. She has been tougher on the president than many colleagues in her party. “I really want to know the truth no matter who is implicated, no matter where the evidence leads,” she told The Times last month.

    Martin Heinrich, Democrat of New Mexico: Mr. Heinrich joined the committee when he arrived in the Senate in 2013. He pushed the F.B.I.’s acting director, Andrew McCabe, to assert that Mr. Comey still enjoyed “broad support” among the agency’s rank and file.

    Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri: Mr. Blunt, along with Ms. Collins, has been a strong supporter of Congress’s investigation into Russia’s actions in the 2016 presidential election. A former acting house majority leader, he has been on the panel twice, leaving after 2012 and rejoining in 2015.

    Angus King, Independent of Maine (Caucuses with Democrats): Mr. King, a former governor of Maine, has been on the committee since he joined the senate in 2013. One of the most steadfast members of the committee, he caused a stir on Wednesday when he pressed Mr. McCabe and other intelligence officials on why they could not elaborate on earlier conversations they had with Mr. Comey.

    James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma: Mr. Lankford, who was once a Baptist youth minister, joined the committee in 2015. He has insisted on the seriousness of its investigation into Russia’s alleged interference and has said that he hopes that Mr. Comey’s hearing will “hopefully end speculation and lead us to facts.”

    Joe Manchin, Democrat of West Virginia: Mr. Manchin, a moderate Democrat and a former governor of West Virginia, is known for crossing the aisle. He joined the Senate in 2011 and was assigned to the committee this year. He told the news media that Mr. Comey, shortly before his firing, had sought more resources for the Russia investigation.

    Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas: A former member of the U.S. Army and the youngest U.S. senator, Mr. Cotton has expressed skepticism of Mr. Comey’s accounts of his interactions with Mr. Trump. He joined the committee in 2015.

    Kamala Harris, Democrat of California: Ms. Harris was ferocious in her calls for a special prosecutor to supervise the F.B.I.’s Russia investigation. Often named as a potential presidential candidate, Ms. Harris, a former attorney general of California, was assigned to the committee this year when she joined the Senate. She has expressed impatience with the Senate’s probe, saying that she thinks it needs to be sped up.

    John Cornyn, Republican of Texas: Mr. Cornyn, the majority whip, only recently joined the panel. He is one of Mr. Trump’s stronger allies in Congress and was reportedly being considered to replace Mr. Comey before taking himself out of the running last month.

    Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, and John McCain, Republican of Arizona, also questioned Mr. Comey on Thursday. As the leaders of the Armed Services Committee, they are “ex officio” members of the Intelligence Committee, as are the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, and the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer.

     

  • UK General Elections: It’s all over for Theresa May

    UK General Elections: It’s all over for Theresa May

    LONDON (TIP): With 646 of 650 results out, it is now clear no party has the majority to form the government. As things stood on Friday morning, the Conservatives had won 314 seats, a loss of 12, while Labour had won 261, a gain of 29.

    However, Theresa May is refusing to quit as Prime Minister despite her disastrous election night as the UK voted for a hung parliament. Mrs. May’s decision to call a snap election backfired in spectacular fashion as she lost the Conservatives’ majority in the House of Commons as Labour made significant gains.

    Mrs. May is now scrambling to try and form a government, potentially with the help of the Democratic Unionist Party and while the DUP has signaled a willingness to do a deal its leader Arlene Foster has expressed doubts that the Prime Minister can “survive”. Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, has urged Mrs. May to resign as he said she should “go  and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country”. He also claimed it is “pretty clear who won this election” and that “the party that has lost in this election is the Conservative Party”.

    Meanwhile, even senior Tory figures have suggested she should consider her position.

  • June 09 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    June 09 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

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  • Indians unhappy with Edgbaston practice facility

    Indians unhappy with Edgbaston practice facility

    BIRMINGHAM (TIP): The Indian cricket team was unhappy with the practice facilities at Edgbaston, with both coach Anil Kumble and skipper Virat Kohli expressing their displeasure to the local authorities.

    It was India’s first training day in Birmingham, and they were allocated a practice arena adjacent to the main stadium. However both Kohli and Kumble were unhappy as the arena was small. And because of that, the fast bowlers could not bowl from their full run-up.

    It was learnt that the likes of Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya, all of whom have about 30-yard run-up, couldn’t bowl full tilt at the nets.

    This irked the captain and the coach, and they conveyed their displeasure through manager Kapil Malhotra to sort the issue out with Warwickshire (local county) authorities.

    Apparently, the Indian team wanted to practise at the main arena but were denied a chance as Australia and New Zealand, who have a match tomorrow, were given access to the main ground.

    The Pakistan team also practised at the same ground but since they have been camping in Birmingham for the past week, they have had access to the main practice arena.

    India will only get a feel of the main turf on Saturday, prior to their marquee clash with Pakistan.

    Source: PTI

  • SEHWAG TOP NAME FOR INDIA

    SEHWAG TOP NAME FOR INDIA

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former cricketer Virender Sehwag on Friday became the most notable applicant for the Indian cricket team’s chief coach’s post, which would be technically vacant when Anil Kumble’s term comes to an end after the Champions Trophy. While Kumble is an automatic entry into the process, the others in the fray are Australian Tom Moody and Englishman Richard Pybus, who has coached Pakistan earlier.

    The two Indians among applicants are former fast bowler Dodda Ganesh and former India A coach Lalchand Rajput. Moody and Rajput had applied for the chief coach’s job last year also but it was Kumble, who got the nod. However, the entry of Sehwag — considered one among India’s greatest-ever game changers — makes the battle for the position very interesting.

    One of India’s biggest match-winners and a part of two- time World Cup winning team, Sehwag played 104 Tests and 251 ODIs for India scoring 8,586 and 8,273 runs respectively.

    While he doesn’t have any prior coaching experience apart from mentoring IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab recently, it was the BCCI top brass that convinced him to apply for the post.

    It’s the same kind of scenario when Ravi Shastri seemed all set to be retained as coach and Kumble was asked to throw his hat in the ring at the eleventh hour. The BCCI joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary today on record denied any rift between Kumble and captain Virat Kohli.

    However, the fact that a player of Sehwag’s stature has applied gives enough indication that everything is not right in the Indian dressing room.

    Sehwag will only apply when he knows that he is a serious contender for the top job. It will be interesting if Kumble finally appears for the interview knowing that Sehwag had applied for the post.

    However many in BCCI feel that Sehwag,who is also a social media sensation, may demand an astronomical salary and then Moody, who gave a good presentation last time also, could come into the fray.

    Source: PTI

  • ENGLAND’S JOE ROOT DIGS BANGLADESH’S GRAVE

    ENGLAND’S JOE ROOT DIGS BANGLADESH’S GRAVE

    Joe Root scored 133 not out, Alex Hales made 95 and captain Eoin Morgan 75 not out as hosts England overhauled their target of 306 with 16 balls to spare against Bangladesh, the highest successful run-chase in the history of ICC?Champions Trophy.

    LONDON (TIP): An ankle and calf injury set aside, Joe Root put together a masterful unbeaten career-best 133 to power England to an eight-wicket win in their opening Champions Trophy match over Bangladesh, who would rue two major mistakes: not scoring enough in the last five overs and picking one less bowler.

    Two big partnerships supported England’s successful 306-run chase. Root’s 129-ball innings included 11 fours and a six, with Eoin Morgan by his side; the captain was not out on a 61-ball 75 that had eight fours and two sixes. The pair were responsible for the 143-run unbroken third wicket stand after Alex Hales and Root added 159 for the second wicket.

    After Tamim Iqbal’s splendid 128 gave them a fair chance of an opening day win, Bangladesh missed out on a few more runs after Tamim and Mushfiqur Rahim fell off consecutive deliveries in the 45th over, having added 166 for the third wicket. They were timing the ball really well but those who followed could only add 44 in the last 5.2 overs.

    More importantly, Bangladesh went to work without an extra specialist bowler. The captain Mashrafe Mortaza had to rotate carefully between himself, Mustafizur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan and Rubel Hossain, and also give enough overs to Mosaddek Hossain,who is at best a parttimer at this level. It didn’t work out too well for them.

    England’s chase began with a wobble as the out-of-touch Jason Roy scooped one towards short fine-leg where Mustafizur dived to take a stunning one-handed grab. But Mashrafe never quite looked comfortable rotating his bowlers as he had to always keep using a part-timer. And just like Tamim and co used the absence of Chris Woakes, so did Hales, Root and Morgan.

    First, it was the Hales-Root second wicket partnership that set England on the right course. Hales punished anything Bangladesh pitched short or too full, carving boundaries in his exclusive manner. He struck five boundaries in the arc between backward point and extra cover, apart from the straight sixes and the pushed fours through midwicket four times.

    Hales and Root, who hurt his ankle while trying to pull the ball in the 26th over, batted sensibly apart from the odd hack through the leg side. Hales, though, missed out on a century when he got greedy against part-timer Sabbir Rahman; a four and a six were hit, but then his slog sweep found the substitute Sunzamul Islam at deep midwicket.

    Root though, hardly missed a beat as he forged another quick partnership with Morgan for the third wicket. He struck three fours through the covers and twice through midwicket, and one slipped past the wicketkeeper.With Morgan picking up the pace of the innings, it was only a matter of time that Mashrafe tried to attack with his lop-sided bowling line-up. It was ultimately Mashrafe himself who created the chance in the 36th over but Tamim’s diving effort at long-on from Morgan’s lofted drive was given not out, first in a soft signal by on-field umpire S Ravi, and then followed up by the third umpire Bruce Oxenford.

    Root reached his 10th ODI hundred by running two in his hobbling state. He scampered whenever Morgan had pushed him, never complaining as he bashed around more boundaries in the last 10 overs.

    Bangladesh too banked on a big partnership: the Tamim-Mushfiqur third-wicket stand that yielded 166. The pair have often collaborated together when the chips are down but this time Mushfiqur walked in after Tamim had laid a solid foundation by the 20th over. Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes had fallen just after getting set at the crease.

    Source: espncricinfo