A pipe bomb has exploded on the route of a road race in the US state of New Jersey, Sep 17, forcing the event to be cancelled but causing no injuries.
The bomb had been placed in a rubbish bin along the route of the 5km Semper Five run in Seaside Park and The blast occurred at about 09:30 local time.
The participants would have been in the area but the race had been delayed because of an unattended bag.
The charity race, in its third year, is in aid of Marines and sailors and this year attracted thousands of runners.
NBC reported that a second device had been found. Ocean County sheriffs said that 30 homes near the site of the explosion were evacuated.
New Jersey State Police later said that no further explosive devices had been found, although officers “rendered safe” items in another rubbish bin, without giving further details.
Attorney General Christopher Porrino said: “We are grateful that nobody was injured, but this is a serious act of violence against the people of New Jersey. We will not rest until we find the person or persons responsible.”
Three people were killed and 260 injured when bombs exploded at the finishing line of the Boston Marathon in 2013.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has outraged the media after he duped them into broadcasting an infomercial for his new hotel on the pretext of a “major announcement” to get more than 20 minutes of free air-time yesterday Sep 16.
Not only CNN but also all the major networks showed Trumps event at his newly inaugurated Trump International Hotel in Washington DC as pro-Trump military members started speaking.
Ahead of the event, Trump had hyped over Fox News that he would be making a major announcement about the birther controversy of the US President, Barack Obama.
All the news networks – CNN, MSNBC, and Fox – started carrying the event live.
They kept on waiting for 20 minutes waiting for Trump to speak on the birther controversy.
It was not before 20 minutes that the news networks apparently realised that they have been taken for a ride once again.
“We got played, again, by the Trump campaign, which is what they do,” CNN’s chief national correspondent John King said after the news channel showed live the GOP nominee for nearly 20 minutes waiting for the major announcement coming from Trump.
“He got a live event broadcast for some 20 minutes,” King said.
Trump is known for spending less money on television advertisements, while his opponents Hillary Clinton is spending a huge sum of money.
About five minutes after that Trump took the podium to speak four short statements.
“Hillary Clinton in her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it. President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period. Now we all want to get back to making America strong and great again,” he said.
“We all got rickrolled and played,” rued Jake Tapper of the CNN.
“It is insulting what he just did,” Congressman Gregory Meeks told the CNN.
“And he has done it time and time and time again, which tries to divide us as a nation. Its like he thinks that its a game, youre playing a TV show,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump campaign prevented editorial access to his tour of the hotel. In protest television reporters erased the video of his hotel tour.
The Washington Post slammed news channels for showing this event live.
“While they waited, and waited, Trump provided what amounted to a campaign infomercial and shamelessly promoted his new Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington,” the daily said.
“This is a campaign and a candidate that completely understands how the press works or doesnt work and exploits the blatant weaknesses of political journalism,” said Dan Gillmor, a media scholar at Arizona State University.
On Twitter he called this episode “universal sewer dwelling” for cable news.
US President Barack Obama will address the UN General Assembly for the eighth and last time on Tuesday during which he will review some of the trends that have been shaping the international order for many years, his close aide has said.
Obama leaves Washington DC for New York on Sunday morning for his last time attending the annual General Assembly Session as the US President.
“I think with respect to the speech, what he will want to do is step back and review some of the progress thats been made over the last eight years, but also review some of the trends that have been shaping our international order for many years and that have led up to a really critical moment as the international community responds to a range of different crises,” Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters during a conference call.
Giving a preview of his speech, Rhodes said Obama would likely offer his thoughts in this final forum to address the entire world about the types of approaches that they need to take as a national community to deal with a myriad of challenges.
Obama will also talk about “how we can ensure that were continuing to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth; how we are promoting the type of inclusive governance that both respects the rights of individuals around the world, but also facilitate to the many challenges that we face — governance obviously being a critical component of what is needed to deal with issues in the Middle East and North Africa — and then discuss the type of international cooperation were seeking to build,” Rhodes said.
“I think Paris is a good model for that in that it involves nearly every country in the world stepping forward and making commitments to work together to deal with the global challenge. I think the President will discuss how we can apply international cooperation to deal with the many issues that are shaping this period in time,” Rhodes said.
Air India announced that it will be increasing its non-stop service between San Francisco and Delhi – India’s Capital – from three to six flights a week, starting November 21, 2016.
The Boeing 777-200LR flights will depart every day except Tuesday. The flying time is 16 hours and 15 minutes – a full 3½ hours faster than any other airline.
The non-stop flights depart San Francisco at 10:30 AM and arrive in Delhi at 4:15 PM the next day. Departures from Delhi are at 2:35 AM, and the arrival time in San Francisco is 6:00 AM the same day.
For passengers traveling beyond Delhi, Air India also offers the fastest connections from San Francisco to major cities across India, including Bangalore, Mumbai, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and more.
Like Air India’s non-stop flights from New York, Newark, and Chicago, the San Francisco-Delhi flights feature First, Business, and Economy Class and a choice of Continental or Indian cuisine served in the gracious style that is distinctly Indian.
“Fueled by the significantly shorter flying time, our non-stop San Francisco-Delhi service was an immediate success when it launched last December,” said Ms. Vandana Sharma, Air India’s Regional Manager-Americas.
“The three additional weekly fights are a response to the steadily increasing popularity of the service among the Indo-American communities on the west coast, and the convenience of our seamless connecting service to all the other major cities across India, many with customs and immigration formalities at the final destination.”
For more information on Air India’s San Francisco-Delhi service, and reservations, contact your travel agent or call 1-800-223-7776.
About Air India
Air India, India’s national airline, has been in operation since 1932. Today, the airline serves 35 international destinations on four continents, and 66 cities across India. The airline’s fleet of 118 aircraft, including B787 Dreamliners and B777LR’s and ER’s, is one of the world’s youngest. Air India is also a member of the Star Alliance. For more information about the airline, visit www.airindia.in.
WASHINGTON (TIP): With 52 days left to the big day, Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by five points in a head-to-head matchup in the latest national poll of likely voters from Quinnipiac University released Wednesday, Sep 14, but the margin has been chopped in half since the last time the poll was released in August.
Clinton was ahead of Trump 48%-43% in a head-to-head matchup with likely voters nationally on Sep 14. (In a survey released in late August, Clinton had 51% and Trump was at 41%.) Regardless of whom they are supporting, majority of the voters were supporting their candidate because of the opponent rather than liking their choice.
More than half-54 percent of Clinton supporters said opposing Trump was their main reason for backing the Democratic nominee. Approximately two-thirds of likely Trump voters-66 percent-said their main reason for supporting him is because they opposed Clinton.
The latest results come as other state and national polls show similarly tightening margins between both major candidates, who have traded words in recent days over concerns about transparency and health.
The Quinnipiac poll began last Thursday, Sep 8, a day after the Commander in Chief Forum, and remained active in the field until Tuesday, Sep 13, after days of public attention on Clinton’s health following her early departure from a 9/11 memorial on Sunday and subsequent revelation that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia.
When third-party candidates were included in poll, Clinton and Trump were separated by just 2 points, which is within the margin of error.
CLINTON HAD 41%, TRUMP HAD 39%, LIBERTARIAN PARTY CANDIDATE GARY JOHNSON HAD 13%, AND THE GREEN PARTY’S JILL STEIN CAME IN AT 4%.
Trump led with white voters by 10 points (51%-41%), while Clinton was ahead with non-white voters 66%-19%.
Trump led with men 50%-41%, while Clinton led with female voters 54%-36%.
TRUMP LEADS CLINTON IN NEW OHIO, NEVADA, FLORIDA POLLS
The Republican nominee is enjoying a 5-point lead in Ohio in a new Bloomberg Politics poll. In a head-to-head matchup between Clinton and Trump, he led 48%-43%.
The margin remained the same when third-party candidates were added. Trump had 44%, Clinton had 39%, Libertarian Gary Johnson had 10% and Green Party candidate Jill Stein had 3%.
The Bloomberg Politics poll was taken over some of Clinton’s most difficult days of the cycle.
She said “half” of Trump’s supporters were “deplorable” Friday night, and on Sunday she wobbled as she left a 9/11 memorial, while recovering from previously undisclosed pneumonia.
Trump’s lead in Ohio is consistent with a CNN/ORC poll of likely voters released Wednesday which had him at 46%, Clinton at 41%. Johnson had 8% support and Stein had 2%.
Trump was also ahead in Florida in the CNN/ORC poll – though the 3-point difference fell within the margin of error. Trump had 47%and Clinton had 44%. Johnson had 6% and Stein had 1%.
And in Nevada, Trump had a 2-point lead over Clinton – also within the margin of error – in a new Monmouth University poll released Wednesday.
Trump had the support of 44% of likely voters in Nevada, while Clinton had 42%. Johnson had the backing of 8%; Stein was not included.
LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The Annual Benefit Gala for the AIA Deepavali in Roslyn, Long Island drew a large number of supporters of the organization. The presence of heavyweight honorees seems to have made all the difference. The honorees included Padma Bhushan Dr. Chitranjan S Ranawat, an internally famous Orthopedic Surgeon with The Hospital for Special Surgery, New York; an eminent Interventional Cardiologist with The Mount Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Sami Sharma; and a philanthropist, social activist, community leader and a successful businessman dealing in branded fragrances Kanak Golia.
The heartthrob of young kids across the world, Neel Sethi, actor, star of Disney’s “The Jungle Book” was honored with special recognition. Speaking briefly about his role in the movie, he happily replied to questions from the audience. Many in the audience had their cellphone cameras aimed at him video-recording the interaction. He will be meeting kids at the AIAA Deepavali on October 2nd at the South Street Seaport. So, kids, get ready to meet the star.
The Association of Indians in America, NY Chapter (AIA-NY) will be celebrating its 29th Annual Deepavali Festival at the South Street Seaport in New York on October 2, a historic day being the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Indian Nation.
This event is one of the largest in the tri-state area, attracting 75,000 -100,000 people from all backgrounds and walks of life. The New York Times, once placed the number of visitors to the Deepavali mela at about 200,000 residents from all across the tri-state area.
YouTube sensation Vidya Vox will also be performing live at the mela – she sang a couple of Hindi bhajans at the fundraising gala also.
The Oct 2 event will be a full day extravaganza celebrating tradition, culture and oneness with numerous food and clothing vendors, corporate booths, a children’s area, health kiosk, performances and activities for the whole family.
This year, as the date coincides with the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, there will be a special tribute paid to Gandhiji and an Essay & Drawing Competition held for the youth to showcase the importance and meaning of Peace.
Live Fireworks from the East River illuminating the New York City skyline will serve as the Grand Finale of Diwali mela.
Sponsors this year include CheapOAir, Qatar Airways, Toyota, New York Life, Swan Club,MoneyGram, Kotak Mahindra, New York Life, HAB Bank, Navika Capital, Star Plus, Sony Entertainment, Jus Punjabi and TV Asia.
WASHINGTON (TIP): President Barack Obama announced that US economic sanctions against Myanmar will be lifted, and trade preferences reinstated to provide duty-free treatment for goods from the Asian nation. The September 14 meeting in Washington was the first by Aung San Suu Kyi as Myanmar’s leader since her pro-democracy party won a stunning victory over the country’s military rulers in elections last year.
“The United States is now prepared to lift sanctions that we have imposed on Burma for quite some time,” Obama said, speaking in the Oval Office with Aung San Suu Kyi at his side.
Earlier, Obama notified the US Congress that he was reinstating preferential tariffs, known as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), for Myanmar, which provides duty-free access for goods from poor and developing countries.
Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, was removed from GSP benefits in 1989 after the country’s ruling military junta brutally crushed pro-democracy protests.
President Obama said the lifting of some sanctions would happen “soon”, but did not give further details.
“It is the right thing to do to ensure the people of Burma see rewards from a new way of doing business, and a new government,” he said.
He also paid tribute to the efforts made towards peace in the country, and the “enormous potential” of the country.
Ms Suu Kyi called on the US Congress to eliminate all remaining sanctions against Myanmar.
“Unity also needs prosperity,” she said. “People, when they have to fight over limited resources, forget that standing together is important.”
“We think that the time has come to remove all of the sanctions that hurt us economically,” she said.
Removal of long-standing sanctions against Myanmar will help foreign investment and boost the country’s transition to democracy, the White House said prior to the meeting of the two leaders.
The US eased some sanctions earlier this year to support political reform, but maintained most of its economic restrictions with an eye towards penalizing those it views as hampering Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government.
Myanmar’s military stepped back from direct control of the country in 2011 after 49 years in power, but maintains a commanding role in politics, controlling 25 percent of seats in parliament and leading three key ministries.
Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from the post of Myanmar’s president under the country’s military-drafted constitution, which rules her out because her sons are not Myanmar citizens. Instead, she serves as the country’s de facto leader by holding the positions of foreign minister and state counsellor.
WASHINGTON (TIP): The Justice Department is preparing to launch a renewed strategy to address the unrelenting scourge of heroin and opioid addiction, in part by placing greater emphasis on identifying links between over-prescribing doctors and distribution networks across the country, reports USA TODAY.
The plan, outlined by Attorney General Loretta Lynch in an interview with USA TODAY, is part of an eleventh-hour push by the Obama administration against a public health crisis that continues to claim nearly 100 people each day in the United States.
In a memo that is expected to be circulated next week to all 94 U.S. attorney offices, Lynch said prosecutors are being urged to more readily share information across state lines about prescription drug abuses by physicians that could identify traffickers and far-flung trafficking routes more quickly.
At the same time, Lynch said federal prosecutors will be directed to coordinate their enforcement efforts with public health authorities in their districts as part of an overall strategy that puts equal emphasis on prevention and treatment.
“I’m not calling anybody out, because I think the people who look at this problem realize quickly how devastating it has been to families, to communities, to public health dollars, to law enforcement resources,” the attorney general said. “There is no one magic bullet for this.”
While opioid and heroin addiction have earned the distinction as the single greatest drug threat in the U.S., largely due to a casualty rate that has nearly quadrupled since 1999, the federal government’s effort to counter it – or even slow it – has been spotty.
Earlier this year, the Obama administration requested nearly $1.1 billion as part of a plan to pay for drug treatment, invoking a common refrain that drug overdoses – driven increasingly by heroin and other opioids, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone – are responsible for more deaths than car crashes. Yet after Congress approved landmark legislation in July for expanded drug addiction treatment and prevention, it did not include the $181 million to actually fund the measure.
NEW YORK (TIP): In 60 days we will vote for our next President. And, the new CNN/ORC poll suggests an extremely close contest contrary to what political pundits had speculated a year ago.
Since this is a CNN poll, it cannot be easily dismissed by Clinton campaign as a right-wing media outlet-finds that Clinton’s lead over GOP nominee Donald Trump has evaporated.
Trump tops Clinton 45% to 43% in the new survey, with Libertarian Gary Johnson standing at 7% among likely voters in this poll and the Green Party’s Jill Stein at just 2%.
Just a couple weeks ago, Clinton’s convention propelled her to an 8-point lead among registered voters in an early-August CNN/ORC Poll. And now, Clinton’s lead has largely evaporated despite a challenging month for Trump, which saw an overhaul of his campaign staff, announcements of support for Clinton from several high-profile Republicans and criticism of his campaign strategy.
But most voters say they still expect to see Clinton prevail in November, and 59% think she will be the one to get to 270 electoral votes vs. 34% who think Trump has the better shot at winning.
Wit is worth noting here that Clinton and her allies have outspent Trump and his allies by an eye-popping 4.5-to-1 margin in August as reported by the Observer.
The Analysis
Women break for Clinton (53% to 38%) while men shift Trump’s way (54% to 32%). Among women, those who are unmarried make up the core of her support, 73% of unmarried women back Clinton compared with just 36% of married women. Among men, no such marriage gap emerges, as both unmarried and married men favor Trump.
Younger voters are in Clinton’s corner (54% to 29%among those under age 45) while the older ones are more apt to back Trump (54% to 39% among those age 45 or older).
Whites mostly support Trump (55% to 34%), while non-whites favor Clinton by a nearly 4-to-1 margin (71% to 18%).
Most college grads back Clinton while those without degrees mostly support Trump, and that divide deepens among white voters.
Whites who do not hold college degrees support Trump by an almost 3-to-1 margin (68% to 24%) while whites who do have college degrees split 49% for Clinton to 36% for Trump and 11% for Johnson.
“I really pay no attention to polls. When they are good for me — and there have been a lot of them that have been good for me recently — I don’t pay attention,” Clinton said. “When they are not so good, I don’t pay attention. We are on a course that we are sticking with.”
Among the broader pool of registered voters, Clinton edges Trump by 3 points. The shift among these voters since the convention is largely due to a rebound in Trump’s numbers rather than a slide in Clinton’s. He’s gone from 37% support then to 41% among registered voters now.
Trump holds an edge over Clinton as more trusted to handle two of voters’ top four issues — the economy (56%trust Trump vs. 41% Clinton) and terrorism (51% Trump to 45% Clinton). Clinton holds a solid edge on foreign policy (56% trust her to Trump’s 40%), and the public is divided over the fourth issue in the bunch, immigration. On that, 49% favor Clinton’s approach, 47% Trump’s. At Trump’s recent campaign appearances, he has argued that he would do more to improve life for racial and ethnic minorities, but voters seem to disagree, 58% say Clinton is better on that score vs. 36% who choose Trump, and among non-whites, 86% choose Clinton to just 12% who think Trump would better improve their lives.
Trump has his largest edge of the campaign as the more honest and trustworthy of the two major candidates (50%say he is more honest and trustworthy vs. just 35%choosing Clinton) and as the stronger leader, 50% to 42%. Clinton continues to be seen as holding the better temperament to serve effectively as president (56% to 36%) and better able to handle the responsibilities of commander in chief (50% to 45%).
NEW YORK (TIP): If it was greater attention Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson wanted, he got it but probably not the kind he wanted.
As part of a media blitz in New York to try to raise his polling numbers enough to qualify for the upcoming presidential debate, Johnson fielded a range of questions Thursday, September 8 with the aim of demonstrating he can take on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. But one very pressing question stumped him.
“What would you do, if you were elected, about Aleppo?” Johnson was asked by Barnicle on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Thursday, September 8 referring to Syria’s largest city, which has been engulfed by the country’s ongoing civil war.
Johnson said: “About…?”
“Aleppo,” Barnicle repeated.
“And,” Johnson asked, “what is Aleppo?” Barnicle, in seeming disbelief, said: “You’re kidding.”
“No,” Johnson said.
“Aleppo is in Syria,” Barnicle explained. “It’s the epicenter of the refugee crisis.”
“OK, got it, got it,” Johnson interrupted.
“Well, with regard to Syria, I do think that it’s a mess and that the only way that we deal with Syria is to join hands with Russia to diplomatically bring that at an end.”
Later, Johnson was asked by Bloomberg’s Mark Halperin how he felt about the interview.
“I’m incredibly frustrated with myself,” he said.
When pressed whether Johnson felt it should be considered a “big flap,” the former New Mexico governor replied: “Well sure, it should. Absolutely.”
Following the interview, Johnson attempted some damage control, releasing a statement that said he “blanked” when asked about Aleppo.
“This morning, I began my day by setting aside any doubt that I’m human. Yes, I understand the dynamics of the Syrian conflict — I talk about them every day. But hit with ‘What about Aleppo?’, I immediately was thinking about an acronym, not the Syrian conflict,” Johnson wrote. “I blanked. It happens, and it will happen again during the course of this campaign.”
“Can I name every city in Syria? No,” he continued. “Should I have identified Aleppo?Yes. Do I understand its significance? Yes.”
Johnson went on to say that while he served as New Mexico’s governor, “there were many things I didn’t know off the top of my head.”
But, he said, “I succeeded by surrounding myself with the right people, getting to the bottom of important issues, and making principled decisions. It worked. That is what a President must do.”
Syria’s 2011 pro-democracy uprising, which gradually devolved into civil war, has sparked a refugee crisis across the Middle East and Europe as millions fled their homes for safety. When reminded by MSNBC on Thursday, Mr. Johnson said he’d work with Russia to find a diplomatic solution to the civil war and that the conflict was an example of the dangers of meddling in the region.
Mr. Johnson’s blunder has sparked widespread mockery, with #WhatisAleppo becoming a trending hashtag on Twitter, and Hillary Clinton chuckling at a press conference when asked about Johnson’s flub. “You can find Aleppo on a map,” she said.
VIENTIANE, LAOS (TIP): India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a veiled attack on Pakistan, raised the issue of terrorism at the East Asia Summit in Laos, September 8.
Stating that most countries in the South Asian region were pursuing a peaceful path to economic prosperity, he said: “But, there is one country in India’s neighborhood whose competitive advantage rests solely in producing and exporting terrorism.” He added that it was crucial for countries to adopt an “isolate and sanction” attitude against Islamabad.
“We need to target not only the terrorists, but also their entire supporting ecosystem,” Modi said, adding, “And, our strongest action should be reserved for those state actors who employ terrorism as an instrument of state policy.”
“Rising export of terror, growing radicalization through ideology of hatred and spread of extreme violence define the landscape of common security threats to our societies. The threat is local, regional and transitional at the same time,” he said.
India, of late, has been raising the issue of terrorism at international forums like the G20 and the East Asia Summit. The idea is to counter Pakistan which has been on the offensive as it is trying hard to internationalize the Kashmir issue globally and raise it at the level of the United Nations. At the G20 Summit, Modi had stated bluntly that there was one country in South Asia that was spreading terror. The clear reference to Pakistan was obvious.
Modi Meets Obama, discusses climate change
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the summit, Modi met United States President Barack Obama today. This was the eighth meeting between the two leaders and is probably the last one before Obama demits office. It is learnt that both leaders discussed climate change, energy co-operation and also reviewed progress on the Indo-US collaboration in nuclear energy, solar energy and innovation.
President Obama is committed to the cause of climate change and it is one legacy that he wants to leave behind. Reports suggest that Modi informed Obama that India would adopt the Paris Agreement on climate change by year-end. However, there was no confirmation of it by India.
CHANDIGARH (TIP): Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu formally announced his new political front ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’ in Chandigarh on Thursday, September 8.
“At this stage ‘Awaaz e Punjab’ is not a party, it’s a forum. The redemption, resurrection and revival of this state is the aim of our Awaaz-e-Punjab,” Sidhu said at a media briefing in Chandigarh. Sidhu had resigned from the Rajya Sabha on July 18, fueling speculation that he may join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). On Thursday, he attacked both AAP chief Arvind Kejrwal and the BJP.
“Kejriwalji told him don’t fight (the upcoming Punjab) elections. Ask your wife to contest, (i/we) will make her a minister. I said ‘Sat Shri Akal’,” Sidhu said. The AAP chief, Sidhu added, only wants “yes men.” The former cricketer said his resignation from the Rajya Sabha “had nothing to do with Kejriwalji”.
In a veiled attack on the BJP, Sidhu said that good leaders in India have been reduced to mute spectators. “There is a tradition in India that good people are kept as decoration pieces and used only for campaigning,” Sidhu said.
The former Rajya Sabha member had on September 2 floated the ‘Awaaz-e-Punjab’ front. It is expected to contest the Punjab assembly elections that are slated for early next year.
Other members of the new front include former Indian hockey team captain Pargat Singh, a legislator of Punjab’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, and two independent legislators, Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjeet Singh Bains. Pargat Singh was last month suspended from the Akali Dal for “anti-party” activities. The Bains brothers, who had fallen out with the Akali Dal top leadership three years ago, have significant influence in Ludhiana district.
Highlighting the blueprint of his front for the upcoming Punjab elections, Sidhu said that their aim is to make the state prosperous again by fighting people who have ‘ruined Punjab’. In his media briefing, he also talked about Punjab’s drug menace. “Where is the Punjab that used to produce so many sportsmen? Today, the streets are filled with drug addicts,” Sidhu said.
Elections to 117 assembly seats are likely to be held in January or early February next year.
HANGZHOU, China – Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sept. 5 told the G20 summit here that Pakistan was spreading terror in South Asia and using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
He also appealed the grouping to “isolate and sanction supporters of terrorism.”
At the two-day G20 summit which began in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, India raised the issue of terrorism at various sessions.
Modi told Chinese President XI Jinping how the scourge of terrorism was affecting the region.
“There are some nations that use it as an instrument of state policy. One single nation in South Asia is spreading agents of terror in our region,” Modi said, without naming Pakistan.
India’s ties with Pakistan have soured after Islamabad declared Jammu and Kashmir terrorist Burhan Wani, shot dead by security forces, as a “martyr.”
“For us a terrorist is a terrorist,” Modi said. He was speaking during his intervention at the last session of the G20.
The Prime Minister said “growing forces of violence and terror pose a fundamental challenge” and urged the international community to act in unity and respond against terrorism.
“India has a policy of zero tolerance to terrorism. Because anything less than that is not enough,” he said.
In his meeting with President Xi, Modi expressed concern over terrorism emanating from Pakistan’s restive regions of Giligit-Baltistan and Pakistani Kashmir where the China Pakistan Economic Corridor is coming up.
Modi also raised the issues of black money and tax evasion, urging member countries to act against financial corruption.
“Fighting corruption, black money and tax evasion are central to effective financial governance,” said the Prime Minister. “We need to act to eliminate safe havens for economic offenders, track down and unconditionally extradite money launderers and break down the web of complex international regulations and excessive banking secrecy that hide the corrupt and their deeds,” he said.
Representing 85 percent of the world’s GDP, the G20 is composed of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union.
Srinagar — Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sept. 5 hit out at Kashmiri separatist leaders who refused to talk to some MPs from an all-party team, saying their conduct defied the spirit of “Kashmiriyat.”
The home minister, however, made it clear that MPs Sharad Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, D. Raja, Jay Prakash Narayan and Assaduddin Owaisi went to meet the separatist leaders in their individual capacity and not as part of the all-party delegation that was on a two-day trip to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Some members of the delegation went to meet Hurriyat leaders. We had neither said ‘no’ nor ‘yes’ to their meetings. You know what happened. They had gone there in their individual capacity,” he told reporters here before flying to Jammu.
He was referring to the attempt by the national opposition leaders from the delegation to hold talks with top Kashmiri separatists on Sept.4.
While other separatist leaders did meet them briefly but refused to hold talks, hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani shut his door on the MPs even as they kept waiting outside his upscale Hyderpora residence for about 10 minutes.
“If you do not want to talk is a different thing. But what they did proves they have no faith in democracy.”
The all-party delegation arrived here Sept. 4, nearly two months after a bloody unrest erupted in the aftermath of the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
At least 74 persons have been killed and over 12,000 injured in the weeks of the turmoil, the deadliest Kashmir has seen in six years.
As the delegation left for Jammu, the Kashmir Valley continued to be tense amid curfew in some parts, shutdown and recurring anti-government and pro-freedom protests.
Rajnath Singh said the government had left its options open for talks with anyone within the ambit of “Kashmiriyat, jamhooriyat and insaniyat.” But he made it clear that there were no two ways about the fact “that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will remain an integral part of India.”
Visibly disappointed, the minister hinted that any chance of talks with the separatists in the near future was impossible.
He also dismissed any possibility of an India-Pakistan dialogue over Kashmir, rejecting a key demand of separatist leaders.
“Everybody in Kashmir wants peace and normalcy to return. I am hopeful that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir will improve,” he said after meeting some “300 people including students, teachers, traders” during the delegation’s nearly 30-hour stay in the valley.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s government and the Peoples Democratic Party also retained hopes for peace and a dialogue process to engage all stakeholders, including separatist leaders.
“Dialogue and engagement is a continuous process. It can’t be expected to happen (by rubbing) a magic lamp,” senior PDP leader and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar told reporters.
Yechury, who faced a snub from Geelani on Sept. 4, said he had not given up on the mission to bring peace in Kashmir.
AP adds from New Delhi: Indian government troops will begin using some chili-filled shells instead of shotgun pellets to control angry crowds in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Sept.5.
Singh was in Srinagar with a group of federal lawmakers to try to break the latest cycle of violence hitting the region.
According to local officials and doctors, the use of pellet guns has killed at least four people and left more than 100 partially or completely blind.
The new chili-filled shells are said to severely irritate and temporarily immobilize their targets.
Singh said the government had asked experts to suggest replacements for the pellet guns and their recommendation was PAVA shells, which are filled with the same compound found in chili peppers.
“I understand that no one will lose their life due to the use of PAVA,” Singh said.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called Barack Obama a “son of a whore” on Monday, September 5, as he vowed not to be lectured by the US leader on human rights when they meet in Laos, where the Association of South-East Asian Nations summit is being held.
The acid-tongued Duterte bristled at warnings he would face questioning by the US president over a war against drugs in the Philippines that has claimed more than 2,400 lives in just over two months.
“You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum,” Duterte told a news conference shortly before flying to Laos to attend a summit.
“We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me.”
Duterte was due to hold a bilateral meeting with Obama on Tuesday afternoon on the sidelines of a gathering of global leaders hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Vientiane, the Lao capital.
But shortly after Duterte spoke, Obama appeared to cast doubt on whether such a meeting could take place.
Calling Duterte “a colourful guy”, the US president said he has asked his staff to find out whether a meeting would be useful.
“I always want to make sure if I’m having a meeting that it’s actually productive and we’re getting something done,” he told reporters.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, Obama said Washington recognised that drugs were a significant problem for the Philippines. But he insisted that he would not shy away from raising concerns about the way the issue was being handled under the new administration.
“The issue of how we approach fighting crime and drug trafficking is a serious one for all of us. We’ve got to do it the right way,” he said.
“Undoubtedly, if and when we have a meeting, this is something that’s going to be brought up. And my expectation, my hope is that it could be dealt with constructively.”
Duterte has angrily rejected criticism from the Catholic Church, human rights groups, legislators and the United Nations.
And he vowed Monday the bloodbath would continue as he pursued his goal of eradicating illegal narcotics in the Philippines.
He has also branded Pope Francis and the US ambassador to Manila sons of whores.
Duterte tells Obama ‘son of a whore’ remark wasn’t personal
After Philippine president’s aides try to limit damage, saying he’d been addressing a reporter, he threatens to eat Islamist militias alive
The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has expressed regret for calling Barack Obama a “son of a whore” – a remark that led to the US leader cancelling their meeting during a regional summit in Laos.
In a statement read by his spokesman, Duterte said the remark was not intended as a personal insult. “While the immediate cause was my strong comments to certain press questions that elicited concern and distress, we also regret that it came across as a personal attack on the US president,” Ernesto Abella quoted Duterte as saying.
Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who devoted her life to help the poor and needy, revered in India, has been declared a saint in a canonization Mass held by Pope Francis in the Vatican.
Pope Francis praised Mother Teresa as a model of compassion to Catholics worldwide. (Image Courtesy – CNN)
Pope Francis delivered the formula for the canonization of the Albanian-born nun — known as the “saint of the gutters” — before huge crowds of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday morning.
Francis said St Teresa had defended the unborn, sick and abandoned, and had shamed world leaders for the “crimes of poverty they themselves created” in the canonization ceremony where he declared “Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to be a saint.”
Speaking in Latin, Francis said that “after due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to be a saint, and we enroll her among the saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole church.”
The Pope said Mother Teresa had spent her life “bowing down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity”.
He added: “She made her voice heard before the powers of the world, so that they might recognise their guilt for the crimes of poverty they themselves created.” He then repeated: “The crimes of poverty they themselves created.”
Two apparent cures of sick people after Mother Teresa’s death in 1997 have been attributed to her intercession.
Nuns of the Missionaries of Charity wait in St. Peter’s Square. (Image Courtesy – CNN)
Catholics — including hundreds of blue- and white-robed nuns from the Missionaries of Charity sisterhood founded by Mother Teresa — had gathered from around the world to attend the canonization of the church’s newest saint, just 19 years after her death.
A huge portrait of Mother Teresa, whom the church credits with having performed two miraculous cures of the sick, hung from St. Peter’s Basilica during the colorful ceremony.
In India, a special Mass was celebrated at the Missionaries of Charity, the order she founded in Kolkata (Calcutta).
Pope Francis then delivered a homily, in which he praised Mother Teresa — “this emblematic figure of womanhood and of consecrated life” — for her charitable work.
“Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defense of human life, those unborn and those abandoned and discarded,” he said.
“She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity. She made her voice heard before the powers of this world, so that they might recognize their guilt for the crime of poverty they created.”
For the newly-sainted Teresa, he said, “mercy was the salt which gave flavor to her work, it was the light which shone in the darkness of the many who no longer had tears to shed for their poverty and suffering.”
She was an example to volunteers around the world, he said. “May she be your model of holiness.”
In a departure from his scripted remarks, he noted that people “may struggle” to refer to her as “Saint Teresa.”
“With great spontaneity, I think we will continue to call her Mother Teresa,” he said.
Prayers were then delivered in a number of languages, including Albanian, Mother Teresa’s native tongue, and Bengali, the language of Kolkata, where a special Mass was celebrated at the Missionaries of Charity Sunday. A prayer was delivered in Chinese for persecuted Christians around the world.
About 1,500 homeless people from across Italy were bused into the Vatican to be given seats of honor at the Mass — and be served a pizza lunch by nuns afterward.
LONDON (TIP): A classified 60-yearold Japanese government document on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s death made public today concludes that the legendary freedom fighter died in a plane crash in Taiwan on August 18, 1945, backing the official version. Bosefiles.info, a UK website set up to document evidence on the circumstances surrounding Netaji’s death, said, September 2, this is the first time the report titled
‘Investigation on the cause of death and other matters of the late Subhas Chandra Bose’ has been made public because it remained classified by Japanese authorities and was kept a secret by the Indian government. “The report was completed in January 1956 and submitted to the Indian embassy in Tokyo, but since it was a classified document, neither side released it,” the website says.
The seven-page report in Japanese and a 10-page translation in English reaches the conclusion that Netaji met with an air crash on 18 August, 1945 and died at a Taipei hospital the same evening.
“Immediately after taking off, the airplane in which he (Bose) rode fell to the ground, and he was wounded,” the report notes in its ‘Outline of the result of the investigation’.
It further records that at “about 3.00 pm he entered the Nanmon Branch of Taipei Army Hospital”; and that at “about 7.00 pm he died”.
The findings also state that on “August 22, he was cremated (at the Taipei Municipal crematorium)”.
In a more detailed description of the incident, the report says: “After the plane had taken off and risen about 20 meters above the ground, one petal of the three-petaled propeller of the left wing was suddenly broken, and the engine fell off. “The airplane, subsequently unbalanced, crashed into ballast piles, beside the strip of the airport” and “was wrapped in flames in a moment.
Mr. Bose, wrapped up in flames, got off the plane; Adjutant Rahmin (Colonel Habibur Rehman) and other passengers exerted themselves to take his clothes off… his whole body was seriously wounded by burns.”
The Japanese government report on the death of Netaji, who was 48 years old then, backs the Shah Nawaz Khan-led inquiry instituted by the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, which had investigated the matter later in 1956, according to a press release issued by the website.
NEW YORK (TIP): Hillary Clinton opened her largest margin on Aug. 9, when she had a 7.6 percentage point advantage over Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls. At the time, she was consistently reaching 50 percent support.
But Clinton’s lead has shrunk since then, to 4.3 points in the RealClearPolitics average, and she’s fallen short of the 50 percent mark in the last six national polls. She has settled into the mid-40 percent range, presenting an opportunity for her Republican rival.
But despite the improving picture for Trump, Clinton remains the favorite to win.
She holds a 4.3-point advantage nationally over Trump in the RealClearPolitics average of polls and leads almost across the board in the battleground states that will decide the election.
Trump’s path to the necessary 270 electoral votes is exceedingly narrow, with a handful of swing states – Colorado and Virginia among them -already appearing out of reach.
And while the GOP nominee is running competitively in Florida and Ohio, Trump must also win Pennsylvania, which looks like a steep climb.
For Trump, the deficit in polling has at least reached a level he can overcome as he enters the post-Labor Day sprint.
Clinton is being dragged down by awful favorability ratings, which have prevented her from running away with the race.
“It’s not in the bag for her yet,” Patrick Murray, the polling director at Monmouth University, told The Hill.
An NBC News-SurveyMonkey poll released Tuesday found Clinton’s lead falling from 6 points earlier this month to 4 points. In that survey, Trump reduced Clinton’s lead among independents by half, from 8 points to 4 points.
Trump has also closed the gap in Reuters-Ipsos and Monmouth polls released this week, although he still trails by 3 points and 7 points, respectively.
Pollsters interviewed by The Hill say that Clinton’s polling bounce after her party’s national convention was aided and perhaps magnified by Trump’s feud with the family of a slain U.S. solider.
They see a race returning to an equilibrium in which Clinton holds a statistically significant advantage, but opportunities exist for Trump to win over Republican holdouts and independents.
“They’re both hitting ceilings of support because of their hugely negative favorability ratings,” said GOP pollster David Winston. “The challenge is figuring out how to get people who don’t like them at all to get out and vote for them.” Electoral experts agree that the map looks favorable for Clinton.
Forecasting models from the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics and Frontloading HQ have Clinton winning 347 electoral votes, which would be slightly better than President Obama’s showing against Republican Mitt Romney in 2012.
Both models have Clinton running the table on the battleground states Obama won in 2012, plus winning in North Carolina, where Romney narrowly prevailed.
Several swing states appear to have gotten away from Trump.
Polls show Clinton leading by double digits in Colorado, Wisconsin and Virginia. Clinton is ahead by 9 points in the only poll of New Hampshire released this month.
Furthermore, Trump only leads by 1 or 2 points in Missouri and Arizona, states that traditionally have been safely in the Republican column. Trump and Clinton are locked in a virtual tie in Georgia, which has gone red in presidential races for the last 20 years.
Things look better for Trump in Nevada, Iowa and North Carolina. He trails in all three, but is within the polls’ margins of error.
The election is likely to hinge on Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania – and pollsters say Trump must win all three.
In Florida, Clinton leads by 2.7 points in the RealClearPolitics average, down from 4.5 points in early August.
In Ohio, Clinton’s lead in the RealClearPolitics average is 3.8 points, down from a 5-point advantage in recent weeks. An Emerson University survey released on Monday found the nominees tied at 43 percent.
Pennsylvania will be the toughest state of the group for Trump. Clinton leads there by 8 points in the RealClearPolitics average.
An Emerson survey put Clinton’s lead at only 3 points there on Monday, but pollsters will need more data like it before they see the state getting more competitive.
A Monmouth poll released on Tuesday found Clinton ahead by 8 points in the Keystone State, which is more in line with most other recent surveys.
Clinton also holds an 8-point lead in Michigan, another Rust Belt state that Trump has circled as potentially fertile ground for his populist pitch. An Emerson survey released on Monday found Clinton ahead by only 5 points there, while a Suffolk University poll released this week put her lead at 7 points.
“Clinton’s battleground advantage is formidable,” said UVA Center for Politics analyst Geoffrey Skelley. “Trump basically needs to run the table on the swing states that are favorable for him right now, plus win in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania. He’ll need his fortunes to improve for that to happen. It’s a tough route.”
One task for Trump is shoring up votes in his own party.
Clinton routinely receives support from more than 80 percent of Democrats polled, but the latest Reuters/Ipsos survey found Trump with only 73 percent support from likely Republican voters.
Romney got 93 percent GOP support in 2012 and still lost by almost 4 points nationally.
Pollsters say the deficit among Republican voters is largely due to white, college-educated women, a group that traditionally leans conservative but has rejected Trump so far.
Trump also needs to improve his standing among independent voters, which Romney won by 5 points in 2012.
The Trump campaign has argued that his support is being underestimated in polls because those being interviewed have been reluctant to admit they plan on casting a ballot for the controversial candidate.
Pollsters interviewed by The Hill aren’t ready to make that leap yet.
“It’s an interesting theory, but there’s no data to support it,” said Winston.
Some pollsters actually believe Clinton’s level of support is being underestimated.
Third-party candidates – Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein – have been pulling more support away from Clinton so far. But few believe either third-party candidate will pull as much support as they’re currently getting in the polls on Election Day, potentially adding to Clinton’s total.
In 2012, Obama outperformed his standing in the polls by virtue of his superior get-out-the-vote operation.
Clinton will have the money and ground game advantage over Trump in 2016, potentially setting her up to match Obama’s showing.
“The thing that could throw all this off is that we’re looking at an ahistorical election,” Murray said. “We’ve never seen two candidates who are this unpopular. That’s the wild card.”
PHOENIX (TIP): Those expecting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to soften his stance on Immigration had better be prepared to hear a harsher and shriller tone from him, notwithstanding his statement a few days ago that he could soften his stand on the issue.
“On Day One, I am going to begin swiftly removing criminal illegal immigrants from this country — including removing the hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal immigrants that have been released into US communities
under the Obama-Clinton administration,” Trump said in Phoenix, Wednesday, August 31, a day after his visit to Mexico.
Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state during President Barack Obama’s first term in office. The next president will be sworn in on January 20.
“I am going to build a great border wall, institute nationwide e-verify, stop illegal immigrants from accessing welfare and entitlements and develop an exit-entry tracking system to ensure those who overstay their visas are quickly removed,” Trump warned. The billionaire real estate magnate and former reality TV host — in a white baseball cap — said that “If we don’t enforce visa expiration dates, then we have an open border. It’s as simple as that.”
“A vote for Trump is a vote to have a nation of laws, a vote for Clinton is a vote for open borders,” he stressed.
Trump also has sought to court black votes, promising to help African Americans find jobs. “Every time an African-American citizen, or any citizen, loses their job to an illegal immigrant, the rights of that American citizen have been totally violated,” he argued.
Details of Trump’s immigration policies remain scant. He rallied much of his primary support with a controversial hardline tone against illegal immigrants and his plan to build a wall on the Mexican border.
Some of his advisors are now reportedly urging him to tone down his signature policy priority.
EDISON (TIP): The meet and greet program organized by Overseas Friends of Bhartiya Janata Party (OFBJP-USA) in honor of Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh was a great success with hundreds of enthusiastic BJP supporters, friends of Madhya Pradesh and NRI’s thronging the venue to listen to their beloved chief minister who has transformed Madhya Pradesh into one of the top performing states in all fields.
Anand Jain (NJ Co-Convener, OFBJP) welcomed the audience and the chief guest. After the traditional lighting of the lamp and rendition of United States and Indian national anthems, attendees observed a moment of silence in the memory of the departed BAPS Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Krishna Reddy (President, OFBJP) briefly described various activities of OFBJP. He mentioned that OFBJP is actively engaged with various organizations in taking up the issues NRI’s face here with the right channel and help find solutions to them. OFBJP has embarked on the path of reaching to NRI’s regularly through its monthly newsletter which would be later inaugurated by the CM of MP. He invited the audience to connect with OFBJP as it is the best platform available to serve our motherland and also to work for the welfare of the Indian diaspora.
Addressing a huge gathering Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that he was very happy to be amongst the NRI’s and humbled by their love for the mother India. Wherever Indians went they were successful and the fact that we have a big presence in Silicon Valley and one in every six American visits a doctor of Indian origin for treatment speaks volumes of our success here. India under the able leadership of Shri Narendra Modi is marching ahead and has become a bright spot among the world economies in a short span of two years. We have left China behind with 7.4% growth rate and policy paralysis is a thing of the past. After Modi government took over the country especially the youth are brimming with confidence.
Madhya Pradesh (MP) a state once called a sick and backward state is one of the top performing states in the country now. The state has shown double digit growth consistently and had won awards not only during the current NDA rule but also during UPA regime. The state has good road connectivity, 24×7 power, good law and order and stability, and a government that is working round the clock for the welfare of its people.
There was a time over a decade ago when people would have to be happy for getting electricity for few hours a day but now with more than 16k Megawatt capacity the state not only provides 24×7 power to its households and industries but also sells excess power to other neighboring states. The state had already realized our ex-PM Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s dream of river interconnectivity by connecting most of its major rivers like Narmada, Shipra and others and help bring over 16 lakh hectares of land under irrigation.
The state of MP is first in implementing many welfare schemes for its poor and for the girl child. Having realized the alarming difference in the sex ratio of males vs females in the state, we implemented Ladli Lakshmi Yojana, a scheme under which the state deposits Rs. 30,000 when a girl child is born and as she grows and pursues her education few more increments of money are deposited and finally at the age of 21 the family gets around 2 lakh rupees. This is in addition to providing all the necessary things for the education of girl child, like school uniform, books, and bicycles. Madhya Pradesh is the first state to have implemented 50% of reservation to women in its local bodies. We are a state that practices woman empowerment in every walk of life and standing as a role model for other states in India.
The state of Madhya Pradesh has become a best destination for investment with its stable law and order and good governance; and has already attracted investments worth few lakh crores. The state already has land-banks from which land can be allotted for industries in short span of time. Indore has become a fast growing industrial city. The state government also promotes
entrepreneurship by giving loans to its youth without any guarantee from parents or anyone else. Several Universities have been started; many Technical institutes have been modernized to impart skill development to its youth. The state supports the entrepreneurs with Technology, Marketing and Finance which has become a paradigm shift in the model of good governance.
The state exhibited a glimpse of its effective governance and tourism during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela held this year. Over 8 crore people came to the town of Ujjain, a small town with a population of 7 lakh and on the last day of the event over 1 crore 20 lakh pilgrims took a holy dip. The event passed off peacefully and the best of the facilities were provided to all the visiting devotees. The state government is going a step further and researching into things that would make its people happy and started a Department for Happiness which comes up with its report and the state tries to implement its suggestions.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized that BJP is a party with a difference and nationalism is its core ideology. During the recent BJP Chief Ministers meet, the party came up with a proposal to implement policies and projects that will ensure food, clothing, housing, education, cleanliness and medical treatment for all the under privileged sections of their respective states. This is on the lines of the principle of Antyodaya and Integral Humanism of Late Deen Dayal Upadhyaya which considers poorest of the poor as gods and their upliftment is of the foremost importance to the party. He reiterated that the party is committed to ensure the benefits of development reach the last man in the social strata. Just as a Narendranath Dutt (Swami Vivekananda) who a century ago preached the ancient Hindu concept of Vasudaiva Kutumbkam (The whole world is a family), we currently have another ‘Narendra’ in the form of Shri Narendra Modi who is striving hard to take India to the pinnacle of glory (Vishwaguru) and very soon world will realize the true potential and power of India.
Mr. Chouhan congratulated the Indian diaspora for their achievements and contributions in the fields of IT, Medical and other sectors here in US. He invited the NRI’s to share their ideas, knowledge and promised that the government of MP will extend help in every possible way if they come to invest in the state. He appealed to the NRI’s to visit the state not just as an investor but as a tourist too to visit world famous Khajuraho, Sanchi, Mahakahal, wild life sanctuaries, tiger reserves and enjoy the hospitality of one of fastest growing states of India. Mr. Chouhan’s speech was marked by several rounds of applause throughout and he received a standing ovation after his speech.
Earlier, Rajendra Shukla (Minister for Industries, Madhya Pradesh) spoke briefly about the benefits of investing in Madhya Pradesh and how the state has transformed into a best performing state under the able leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The state has all the things needed for investment like power, roads, infrastructure and best of all a government that would work with the investors to help setup their industries. He appealed to the NRI’s to choose MP as an investment and tourist destination and thanked them for the love and affection shown by them towards India and Madhya Pradesh.
During the program, Shivraj Singh Chouhan officially launched the OFBJP monthly newsletter published by the OFBJP External Communications team lead by Adapa Prasad and Aravind Modini which would carry articles, news, and analysis about the achievements of Modi and other BJP state governments and local OFBJP activities. This newsletter would eventually take the message of good governance in India and the positive work done by OFBJP here in USA to the lawmakers, think-tanks, other Indian organizations and OFBJP members. Bhushan Tadepalli (National Council member, OFBJP) had the honor of introducing Shivraj Singh Chauhan to the audience.
(Based on press release issued by External Communications Cell, OFBJP-USA)
NEW YORK (TIP): A Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday, August 25, found 51 percent of likely voters in the U.S. support Clinton while 41 percent said they support Trump.
In a four-way race, Clinton leads Trump 45 percent to 38 percent while 10 percent support Libertarian Gary Johnson and 4 percent back Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
Clinton’s expansive lead is due to support from women and non-white voters, Quinnipiac said. Trump, meanwhile, leads among men and white voters.
The poll found that 32 percent of Clinton’s supporters actually back her while 47 percent of them are voting to oppose Trump. On the other hand, a quarter of Trump’s supporters actually support him compared to nearly two-thirds who are voting for him mainly to oppose Clinton.
Both candidates, according to the poll have negative favorability ratings –Clinton’s favorable/unfavorable rating is 41 percent/53 percent, while Trump’s is 33 percent favorable / 61 percent unfavorable. Thirty-seven percent of likely voters said they’d consider a third-party candidate.
But two-thirds of voters said Clinton is qualified to serve as president, the poll found, whereas 58 percent said Trump is not qualified.
Three-quarters of voters said that Trump should release his tax returns, including 62 percent of Republicans. Nearly 60 percent of voters said “the way Donald Trump talks appeals to bigotry.”
A Suffolk University poll released Thursday, August 25, found Clinton leads Trump by 7 percentage points in Michigan.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,498 voters between August 18 and 24 with a 2.5 percentage point margin of error.
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): What gift could have been better than the US magnanimously offering a Diwali Commemorative Stamp?
The Diwali Stamp. The Diya is photographed by Sally Andersen-Bruce of New Milford, CT and the stamp has been designed by Greg Breeding of Charlottesville, VA while William J. Gicker of Washington, DC is the project’s art director. Photo / courtesy USPS
The gift hasn’t come easily. It took a seven- year relentless effort by Ranju Batra, Chairperson of Diwali Stamp Project to have it for 1.25 billion Indians and for 4 million Indian Americans. Not that she could do it alone. The most important person who made it possible, besides Ranju Batra, is her Congresswoman friend Carolyn Maloney who, in 2013 January introduced in Congress a resolution -HR 47- for a Diwali commemorative stamp. She was supported by her many colleagues which included Congressman Ami Bera and Congresswoman Grace Meng, besides others. Let me come to that story later.
It was a beautiful Tuesday, August 23 morning, in sync with the cheerful occasion, when Representative Carolyn Maloney and Ranju Batra announced from the City Hall steps to a gathering of Indian Americans and the media that the USPS Diwali stamp had become a reality.
Speaking on the occasion, Carolyn Maloney congratulated the Indian diaspora on the achievement. Appreciating the relentless effort put in by Ranju Batra and her husband Ravi Batra who has always been very supportive of his wife in the seven-year marathon to secure the Diwali commemorative stamp, Carolyn said “Diwali has finally joined Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Eid, with its own stamp.” On the occasion, Carolyn recited the short poem former Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay had composed for Diwali Stamp:
“Brighten up the world Light up the nearest lamp Stamp out clouds of darkness Bring in the Diwali Stamp”.
Ranju Batra, apparently overwhelmed, spoke about the long haul of 7 years to have the Diwali stamp issued. She said while she was serving as Cultural Chair at AIA-NY she decided to “focus and get the Diwali stamp issued”.
Ranju Batra said she knew “that to get Diwali stamp issued, “grassroots effort” alone was not enough-for many before had tried and given up. I needed hardworking national political leader to lead-and our dear friend-Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney agreed to provide that vital national leadership- while I continued with the grassroots effort with all community leaders-many present here today”.
Narrating the story at length, Ranju recalled that “true to her word, Carolyn Maloney introduced House Resolution 47 on January 25, 2013 calling upon Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee of the United States Postal Service to issue a Diwali Stamp.
Representatives Ami Bera and Grace Meng also lent their support. With the help of community leaders paper petitions were collected and submitted while in Washington DC, Congresswoman Maloney worked relentlessly to push USPS at every turn to issue the Stamp.
On January 14, 2015, Maloney introduced House Resolution 32. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to New York for the UN General Assembly session Ranju and Maloney met him and urged him to use his good offices with President Obama to have the Diwali stamp issued. Ravi Batra and Ranju wrote letters to President Obama requesting for Diwali Stamp. Ravi, in his letter, cited the “Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution”.
An ecstatic Ranju announced, amid cheers,” The time is now. … India’s 1.2 billion people, represented here by the dynamic Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das, along with almost 4 million Indian Americans yearn for such inclusive recognition, and issuing the Diwali stamp will help USPS’ bottom line. Diwali’s “Light over Darkness” – is intellectual, emotional and financial”.
A happy ending, in deed, to a seven- year long journey.
Speaking on the occasion, Consul General Riva Ganguly Das said the Diwali Stamp was a great gift to the Indian American community just a few weeks before Diwali which the community enthusiastically celebrates. She thanked Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and her colleagues for their valuable support in making it possible to have the Stamp issued. She congratulated Ranju Batra for her perseverance in the face of setbacks and succeeded in obtaining for not only the Indian American community but for people of India a great Diwali gift.
Ravi Batra played the master of ceremonies.
Ambassador Hardip Singh Puri, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations extended his support for Diwali Stamp project at a press conference on February 2, 2013. Seen in the picture (seated from L to R): Representative Grace Meng, Ranju Batra, Carolyn Maloney. Ravi Batra is seen standing. (The Indian Panorama file photo)
BOGOTA (TIP): In a historic peace pact, Colombia’s government and Marxist FARC rebels reached a final peace deal on Wednesday, August 24, to end a five-decade war which once took the resource-rich country to the brink of collapse.
Under the agreement to end one of the world’s longest conflicts, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) will lay down arms and reintegrate into civilian life.
More than 220,000 people were killed in the conflict, tens of thousands disappeared and millions fled their homes because of the violence. The accord, which was reached after almost four years of talks in Cuba, sparked celebrations in parks and bars in the Colombian capital, Bogota. It will now go to a plebiscite vote on October 2.
“Today I can say – from the bottom of my heart – that I have fulfilled the mandate that you gave me,” said President Juan Manuel Santos, 65, who was re-elected in 2014 on the promise of a peace deal. “Colombians: the decision is in your hands. Never before have our citizens had within their reach the key to their future,” he said in a televised address. Most opinion polls suggest Colombians will back the deal but Santos, who has staked his legacy on peace, will face fierce opposition from powerful sectors of the country who believe the only solution is to finish the FARC militarily. The deal is opposed by two former Colombian presidents, including popular right-wing hardliner Alvaro Uribe.
In Bogota, several hundred people gathered around a giant screen in the rain to listen to the announcement, waving Colombian flags and banners.
Under the deal, the FARC will have non-voting representation in Congress until 2018 and can participate in elections. From then on, the 7,000 former rebels will have to win votes like any other political party, Santos said.
“We have won the most beautiful of all battles” lead FARC negotiator Ivan Marquez said following the announcement in Havana on Wednesday. “The war with arms is over, now begins the debate of ideas.”
The two sides had signed a ceasefire in late June. US President Barack Obama spoke by phone with Santos on Wednesday to congratulate him on the deal, the White House said.
Plebiscite to decide fate of accord on October 2
The deal, opposed by two former Colombian presidents, still needs to be voted on in a plebiscite. Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos said Colombians would decide to approve or reject the peace accord in a plebiscite vote on October 2
But the FARC were hit hard by Uribe’s government from 2002, when he launched a US-backed offensive that killed many guerrilla leaders and halved their ranks
The FARC took up arms in 1964 to fight against deep economic and social inequalities and, funded by the cocaine trade and kidnappings for ransom, swelled to as many as 17,000 fighters at the end of the 1990s, controlling large swathes of the country
Grim count of five-decade-old war There are nearly 8 million war victims registered on the government’s official register, the majority of whom have been forcibly driven from their homes by the warring sides
With 6.7 million people uprooted, Colombia has one of the world’s highest displaced populations. Indigenous groups and Afro-Colombian communities have been disproportionately affected by displacement
More than 230,000 children have been forced to flee their homes since peace talks with the FARC began in November 2012
Around 7,850 child soldiers have fought in rebel and paramilitary ranks.
Over the decades, rebel groups have planted landmines to push back government troops making Colombia quite literally a minefield. It’s not known exactly where all the landmines are..
After Cambodia and Afghanistan, Colombia has the third highest number of landmine casualties, with 11,440 people, including civilians, children and soldiers killed or injured by landmines since 1990
Rape has been used as weapon of war by all factions. Around 14,000 women, men and children have been victims of sexual violence
At least 40,000 Colombians have disappeared without trace during the conflict.
NEW DELHI (TIP): The race for the next Indian ambassador to the US has started in earnest. Arun Singh, the current Indian envoy to the US, is set to retire by August-end and the government is mulling its options on the next person to head its mission in Washington DC.
Though there are three diplomats believed to be in the run for posting in Washington, India’s High Commissioner to UK Navtej Sarna is favored to head for Washington as Ambassador to the US, considered a high-profile posting. The other two are Pankaj Saran, India’s Ambassador to Russia, and Navdeep Suri, Indian High Commissioner to Australia.
It is learnt the India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha may replace Mr. Sarna in the UK.
Mr. Sarna, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1980 batch, was serving as Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs before he was posted to London in January.
The 59-year-old diplomat was among the longest-serving spokespersons of the MEA. He had held the post between 2002 and 2008.
Mr. Sarna is likely to take up the new assignment in the midst of the high-voltage presidential campaign in the US and his main task will be to ensure continuity in Indo-US relations when a new dispensation takes charge in Washington.
Mr. Sarna is an author of many fiction and non-fiction books, with the most recent being ‘Second Thoughts: On Books, Authors and the Writerly Life’ released last year. He was also India’s Ambassador to Israel from 2008 to 2012.
For two years from August 2012, Mr. Sarna had served as additional secretary in-charge of international organizations in the MEA.
Mr. Sarna had served at various Indian missions, including in Moscow, Warsaw, Tehran, Geneva, Thimphu and Washington.
Mr. Sinha, tipped to be Indian High Commissioner to the UK, is a seasoned diplomat and, in his career spanning 35 years, he has handled several important assignments at the MEA and in Indian diplomatic missions in South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and South America.
Taranjit Sandhu, who is India’s deputy chief of mission in Washington, is headed to Sri Lanka as the new High Commissioner. Mr. Sandhu’s position is likely to be taken up by Santosh Jha, Joint Secretary (policy planning) in the Ministry.
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The 70th Independence Day of India was celebrated with great enthusiasm with parades, flag hoisting and music concerts at a number of places all over the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It became almost difficult to keep the count of celebrations. For journalists, it has been a hectic period, running from one event to the other. For publications the task became more daunting as they had to make a mention of as many of these celebrations as possible in the limited pages available with them. However, we will try to recognize as many as we can in this edition.
India’s Minister of State for External Affairs of, Mr. M.J. Akbar hoisted the Indian National Flag at the Indian Consulate on August 15th in the presence of the Consulate staff and members of the community. Also present were a few elected representatives from New York City Council and Assemblymen from New Jersey.
It was the first time that the Consulate held the Independence Day celebration out in the street in the open.
Consul General Riva Ganguly Das read out the President of India’s address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day. The President in his speech appreciated the spirit of cooperation and understanding among all political parties in passing the GST Bill in the Parliament. However, he expressed his concern at the growing intolerance in the nation.
Minister M. J. Akbar who was on his first visit to New York after assuming charge as Minister of State for External Affairs unfurled the Indian National Flag. He greeted Indian Americans on this auspicious and historic occasion. He congratulated the large Indian community gathered at the Consulate for their many achievements and thanked them for their support in strengthening India-US relations and partnering with India as “we march ahead to growth and prosperity for all”.
Reports of Flag hoisting have come from various places in the Tri-States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano extends greetings on India’s Independence Day
In Nassau County which is house to a large number of Indian Americans, the national flag was unfurled in the County Executive building. The County Executive Edward P. Mangano unfurled the national flag of India -the Tricolor- on August 15, in the presence of a large number of the Indian American community, elected officials and politicians.
The County Executive honored some community members on the occasion. The honorees included Dr Dattatreryudu Nori, an internationally renowned Oncologist,Dr Vijay Shah, Vice Chairman of Friends for Good Health, Penny K Sandhu, Founder of Jus Punjabi TV channel, Dr Manjul Bhargava, the Brandon Fradd Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University, Dr Dipali Pandya, Pediatrician, Mrs. Bina Sabapathy, a popular community activist, and Vimal Goyal, Treasurer of India Association of Long Island, well known business man, known for his community services and philanthropy.
Honorees with County Executive Edward P Mangano and community leaders
Indian American Merchants” Association of Jackson Heights celebrated India’s Independence with flag hoisting on August 15, 2016. It was the first time that the association organized a flag hoisting ceremony on India’s Independence Day. The veteran Merchants Leader Shiv Dass who is President of the association and Mohinder Verma, General Secretary told The Indian Panorama that they had decided a little late in the day to organize the flag hoisting event and did not have enough time to send out the information but would be organizing the event on amuch larger scale next year.
Indian American Merchants Association President Shiv Dass addresses the gathering on the occasion of the flag hoisting ceremony to mark India’s 70th Independence Day. From L to R: Unidentified lady, Assemblyman Jose Peralta, Council Member Daniel Dromm, President Shiv Dass, General Secretary Mohinder Verma, Unidentified ladies
Assemblyman Jose Peralta, Council Member Daniel Dromm and H.S. Toor, representing Assemblyman David Weprin were among the guests who spoke on the occasion. They greeted Indian Americans on the 70th Independence Day of India and spoke highly of the community’s contribution to America.
The gathering was treated to a lunch.
The Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut has the distinction of a number of parades on the occasion at which Indian Americans and their friends turn up in thousands.
Town Clerk of Town of Hempstead, Nasrin Ahmed addresses the gathering at the starring point of the parade. Seen, among others are County Executive Ed Mangano (right of Nasrin) and President Beena Kothari (right of Mangano).
The IDP USA parade in Hicksville, Long Island celebrated the Independence Day with a parade followed by a variety entertainment program for the fifth year in a row on August 15. Bollywood actor Bobby Deol was the Grand Marshall.
For whatever reason, the starting point as also the route of the parade were changed this year. The parade, with much fewer number of participants started from Apna Bazar where the County Executive Ed Mangano, Comptroller George Maragos and a number of other elected officials, judges included and politicians joined the parade. Some addressed the gathering. The IDP USA parade President Beena Kothari and the founder of Parade Bobby Kalotee, Secretary Flora Parikh, Media Secretary Ajay Batra and other officials of parade were also present.
Indubitably, a leaner parade passed through the inner roads to the destination opposite Asa Mai Hindu Temple where the variety entertainment program was organized. As usual, there was an air of a fair with a number of eating stalls and other booths selling different kind of wares.
One got reminded of a famous quote:”sound and fury, signifying nothing”. So it was with the parade this year. So much effort and so little output. One of the officials of the parade, on condition of anonymity, confidedthat the expenses were much in excess of revenue generated.
Among the saving graces of the parade was participation by young kids.I was very pleased to see the zeal of small girl scouts who were a part of the parade.
Girl scouts at the India Day Parade in Hicksville
2016 witnessed emergence of a new India Day parade. Indian American residents on the border of Long Island and Queens along Hillside Avenue and Union Turnpike have been thinking for some time to organize India day parade. They felt the City where the FIA organizes a parade too far off. Also, Hicksville seemed to be far. This year some enthusiastic residents of Floral Park and Bellerose neighborhoods got together and decided to organize a parade. Cooperation came from all quarters, according to principal organizers, Kirpal Singh who is chairman, Subhash Kapadia who is President, V.M. Chackoo who is Board of Director and Hemant Shah who is Secretary and Program manager.
Their untiring efforts bore tangible fruit when on August 13, they were rewarded with the enthusiastic presence of hundreds who marched in the parade in 105 degree temperature a stretch of a mile from 268thStreet to 235th Street along Hillside Avenue. According to the parade organizers, there were anywhere between 1500 to 1700 people belonging to 30 organizations who marched. In the parade. There were 4 decorated floats.
President Subhash Kapadia(center), Bollywood actor Manish Paul (left) and Bollywood actor Madalsa Sharma (right) at the First Floral Park-Bellerose India Merchants’ Association India Day Parade, August 13.
The Parade was led by NYPD band followed by NYPD personnel. Marching band included Tappan zee Bridge Band, Jai Bharat Dhol Tasha Pathak, Punjabi Dhol, Gujarati Dhol, Chenda and band of dancers from Kerala. Parade was attended by Bollywood celebrities Manish Paul and Madalsa Sharma. Political dignitaries included Congresswoman Grace Meng, State Senators Jack Martins and Leroy Comri, Comptroller George Maragos of Nassau County and Councilman Barry Grodenchik..
Post termination, all assembled in Padavan-Preller field No. 1 for cultural program. The Cultural Mela commenced with US and India’s National Anthems followed by very colorful and traditional performances by children of all ages.
It included songs presentation in various Indian Languages. Song ” God Bless America ” by 2 singers drew special attention from the attendees.
On the sidelines there were 20 booths for vendors. Free food and water was distributed by Neelkanth Dham Temple.
Another New York parade is scheduled to be taken out on August 21 in Manhattan. Controlled by a handful people from one community and one State of India, living in close proximity in New Jersey, the organizers, over the years, have successful pushed out many to secure a stranglehold control over the management of the parade. This newspaper has been advising them to democratize and make its working and financial management transparent but in view of the Indian American community’s indifference to the goings and a mysteriously studied silence, the coterie has assumed a despotic attitude. With most of the funds coming from government of India outlets it is expected of government of India that it would exercise influence over donor agencies and advise them not to sponsor until democratization of FIA is carried out. One expects from the US administration that its departments would insist on strict compliance of rules governing a not-for-profit corporation.
Let us have a look at New Jersey.
Indian Business Association India Day Parade in Edison, August 14.- Ready to start with Grand Marshall, guests and organizers.
On Sunday, Aug. 14 thousands of people flooded the streets of Edison, New Jersey to celebrate Indian Business Association’s 12th annual India Day Parade. The parade, which began on Oak Tree Road in the township and concluded in the Iselin section of Woodbridge, took off under hot weather, with American and Indian music, traditional dances, and cries of “Jai Hind!”
More than 100 New Jersey-based community, professional, business and religious organizations participated and supported the parade. According to a statement from the Indian Business Association (IBA), this year’s parade was the largest in the history of the event.
Air India participated in a big way at the parade. At the Air India float were the Air India Regional Manager Vandana Sharma and other Air India officials and flight crew. It was a special occasion for Air India, as it was launching the next day, August 15, the Dreamliner flight from Newark to Ahmedabad.
The event drew 24 floats from various organizations including BCB Community Bank float, the Investor’s Bank float, Accurate Diagnostics float, and Air India float, which was occupied by an entire flight crew with pilots in uniform waving to the crowd.
Air India staff was present in strength at the paradeA glimpse of India Day parade at Jersey City Photos/ Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
Variety of state and local elected officials from across the state, attended the event including U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-6th District, and state Sen. Sam Thompson, R-12th District, as well as New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, Democrat gubernatorial candidate and former ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fullop and former New Jersey Bernie Sanders Chairman Assemblyman John Wisniewski, D-19th District.
Guest of Honor at IBA India Day Parade Aarti Chhabria takes a salute at the parade
A cultural program followed the parade with Bollywood celebrities Harshika Poonacha, Aarti Chhabria and Varenyam Pandya.
On the same day, Indo American Senior Citizens Association of Hudson County hosted another parade in Jersey City that started at Newark Avenue and concluded at Leonard Gordon Park on Kennedy Boulevard.
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