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Archives for September 2018

Modi heading to Varanasi on 68th birthday

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, on Monday to celebrate his 68th birthday.

Upon reaching Varanasi on Monday afternoon, Modi will directly head to Narur village where he is expected to interact with the children of a primary school and attend the screening of a movie based on his life, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement here.

“Prime Minister Modi will arrive in the city from where he will head directly for Narur village… He will interact with children of a primary school who are being aided by the non-profit organisation, ‘Room to Read’,” the statement said.

“Later, at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) campus, the Prime Minister will interact with students of Kashi Vidyapeeth, and children assisted by them,” it added.

Meanwhile on Twitter, the hashtag #HappyBDayPMModi was trending.

In a tweet, President Ram Nath Kovind wished Modi a “long life and many years of dedicated service to the people of the country”.

“Birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who work towards nation-building with full dedication. God give him a long life and he continues to serve the country,” Kovind wrote in another tweet.

Vice President M. Venkiah Naidu also greeted Modi saying: “India is making rapid strides under his visionary leadership and taking its rightful place in the comity of nations. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life.”

Modi’s colleagues in the Union Cabinet also took to Twitter to wish him on his birthday.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: “Warm birthday compliments to the dynamic & illustrious Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji. I wish him good health and a long life. May he continue to render for many more years his exceptional services to the nation and guide the country to its glory.”

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called Modi a man with a vision for “New India”.

“Birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. My prayers for your long and healthy life. An ancient civilization, India, being led into this century with a vision for a #NewIndia that is #SwachhBharat in every sense. Honoured to serve with your guidance and under your leadership,” she said.

Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad wished Modi to “continue guiding our country on the path of prosperity”.

The Opposition Congress also extended their best wishes to Modi with party President Rahul Gandhi saying: “Happy Birthday to our PM, Narendra Modi ji! Wishing him good health and happiness always.”

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal said: “A very happy birthday to Prime Minister. I wish him long and healthy life.”

On Tuesday, Modi will lay the foundation stone for various development projects, cumulatively worth more than Rs 500 crore at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) amphitheatre, the PMO office said.

“Among the projects to be inaugurated are Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for Puraani Kashi; and an Atal Incubation Centre at BHU. Among the projects for which the Foundation Stone will be laid, is the Regional Ophthalmology Centre at BHU.”

(IANS)

Trump’s SC pick’s sexual assault accuser comes forward

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A woman accusing Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct more than 30 years ago has come forward publicly, detailing her allegations about President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.

In an exclusive Washington Post interview on Sunday, Christine Blasey Ford said that one summer in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh and a friend – both “stumbling drunk” corralled her into a bedroom during a gathering of teenagers at a house in Montgomery County.

While his friend watched, she said, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her over her clothes. When she tried to scream, she said, he put his hand over her mouth.

“I thought he might inadvertently kill me,” said Ford, now a 51-year-old research psychologist in northern California. “He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.”

Ford said she was able to escape when Kavanaugh’s friend and classmate at Georgetown Preparatory School, Mark Judge, jumped on top of them. She said she ran from the room, briefly locked herself in a bathroom and then fled the house.

“Now I feel like my civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation,” Ford told The Post.

Ford said she told no one of the incident in any detail until 2012, when she was in couples therapy with her husband.

The therapist’s notes, portions of which were provided by Ford and reviewed by The Washington Post, do not mention Kavanaugh’s name but say she reported that she was attacked by students “from an elitist boys’ school” who went on to become “highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington”.

On Sunday, the White House sent The Post a statement Kavanaugh issued last week, when the outlines of Ford’s account became public.

“I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time,” he said in the statement.

Ford in a letter in July described the incident and said she expected her story to be kept confidential.

(IANS)

33 Philippine miners dead in typhoon-triggered landslides

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At least 33 miners were confirmed dead and 29 others missing in the mining town of Itogon in the northern Philippine Benguet province due to typhoon-triggered landslides, authorities said on Sunday.

Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said in local radio interviews that landslides had blocked roads, making relief rescue efforts difficult, Xinhua reported.

In Ucab village of Itogon, he said, two bunkhouses with an estimated 100 people living inside were buried by mud and rubble triggered by Typhoon Mangkhut on Saturday.

“I can’t begin to accept this, but it looks like the casualties here are going to go up to at least 100,” Palangdan said.

Most of Itogon residents work as miners in small scale mining industry while the rest are in farming. Most mine workers built boot camps around the mining area with their families.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines have sent troops to the disaster area to help in the rescue and retrieval efforts. But rescuers said the buried bunkhouses were built at a steep angle, making it difficult to implement rescue.

Meanwhile, the regional police of Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) said at least 49 people have so far died in the region that bore the brunt of the typhoon. Fourteen others are missing, the police said. Thirty-two people were also injured, the police added.

The Cordillera Administrative Region, which consists seven provinces, is the only land-locked region of the Philippines. The regional centre is Baguio City, officially known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines.

(IANS)

BJP team meets Goa MLAs over leadership, no consensus yet

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The BJP central leadership’s attempts to form a consensus between party MLAs and alliance partners in Goa over alternate leadership due to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s illness remained inconclusive on Sunday.

Allocation of portfolios held by Parrikar could take place in the next few days, a ruling alliance Minister said.

Emerging out of a city hotel, where BJP’s General Secretary (organisation) Ram Lal and party observers B.L. Santosh and Vijay Puranik met MLAs from the BJP, allies Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Goa Forward, and Independent MLAs for several hours, Lal said that he will address the media on Monday.

Earlier in the day, BJP MLAs emerged from their meetings with the BJP observers and supported continuation of Parrikar as CM ’till he is alive’. “Within the BJP, they should find somebody and Parrikar should remain the Chief Minister till he is alive,” BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral told reporters.

Parrikar is admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi for treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.

MGP leaders, including Public Works Department Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, insisted that no leadership issue was discussed by their representatives with BJP’s central leaders.

“What was discussed today was not about the government, but about the people of Goa. No leadership issued was discussed,” Dhavalikar said.

Till Saturday, MGP President Deepak Dhavalikar had insisted that administration was suffering on account of Parrikar’s repeated absence and a functional CM was necessary.

Dhavalikar on Sunday maintained that Parrikar was well and clearing files, so there was no question of giving any other person the chief ministerial charge.

However, Goa Forward President and Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai’s move to bunch together six MLAs — including himself and two other Goa Forward MLAs — and make a collective demand for a “permanent solution” caused discomfiture to the BJP’s central observers.

“We met the BJP central observers and impressed upon them to find a permanent solution to the leadership issue. Ad hocism is not an option. We asked them to take their time and not act in haste. We also told them to take the views of Parrikar and arrive at a decision,” Sardesai told reporters after meeting Ram Lal.

Sardesai on Saturday had rejected a proposal mooted by the MGP to appoint Dhavalikar the Deputy Chief Minister, who would officiate as Chief Minister in Parrikar’s absence.A

Asked if the BJP had discussed finding a permanent solution to the leadership issue with alliance leaders, Ram Lal responded with a firm “no.”

State BJP President Vinay Tendulkar said that “there is no question of change in leadership”.

Parrikar was shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi on Saturday.

The state BJP’s core committee is expected to meet on Monday to deliberate the issue in presence of the three observers.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 14 MLAs in the 40-member Assembly, of which three are severely ill. Support of allies is thus critical to the survival of the alliance government.

(IANS)

India-US military exercise begins in Uttarakhand

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India and US armies on Sunday began a two-week joint military exercise in Uttarakhand to hone their tactical and technical skills in countering insurgency and terrorism in a United Nation peacekeeping scenario, said officials.

They said that battalion-strong Army personnel from the US and an equal number from India are participating in ‘Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018’ at Chaubattia in Almora district.

“State-of-the-art equipment for surveillance and tracking, specialist weapons for close- quarter battle with terrorists, explosive and improvised explosive device detectors, as well as the latest communication equipment are being fielded by both sides,” a Defence Ministry statement said.

The two armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered in UN peacekeeping operations during division-level command post exercise, said the statement.

“The experts from both sides will discuss and share each other’s experience in varied topics for mutual benefit.”

The exercise commenced with the unfurling of the national flags of both the countries to the strains of their respective national anthems ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘The Star Spangled Banner’.

The US contingent was represented by 1st Infantry Battalion and 23 Infantry Regiment, while the Indian side is represented by an Infantry Battalion.

“General Officer Commanding, 6 Mountain Division, welcomed the US soldiers in his inaugural remarks and highlighted the shared beliefs in democracy, freedom, equality and justice,” added the statement.

(IANS)

Nobody becomes EC without political approach: Akhilesh

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Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said that nobody becomes an Election Commissioner “without political approach”.

“People don’t get appointed there (Election Commission) without political approach. Since I too have been a Chief Minister, I know it,” Yadav said at the NDTV youth conclave here when asked if he trusts the Election Commission’s neutrality.

“A list of the proposed names comes (to the appointing authority). So, ultimately, they (appointees) have to pass through a political process. We may say from outside that the commission is neutral, but it does pass through a political arrangement,” the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister added.

Yadav pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a rally in Baghpat less than 24 hours before polling in neighbouring Kairana and Noorpur by-polls in Uttar Pradesh in May but the EC did not stop him.

He said that the rally could have influenced the voters in the adjacent constituencies.

Speaking about EVMs, Yadav said: “The trust has been breached, and I was the first to flag the issue. We can only request the EC to explain to political parties as to how it restores the EVMs that develop snag.”

The Samajwadi Party leader advocated the use of ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for free and fair elections.

“If ballot papers are used, people’s anger would be vented and the trust-deficit with the EVMs will also be healed,” he said.

The Samajwadi Party leader also said that the nation must be “saved from the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)”.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is visible. But we have also to fight the one which is invisible. It was the RSS that spread false propaganda on the ground against the Samajwadi Party during the Assembly elections… the RSS creates gulf between different castes and communities,” Yadav said.

He said that the road to PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) passes through Uttar Pradesh and he and other like-minded parties would ensure that the BJP is defeated in the state in the next Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

“If the BJP is stopped in Uttar Pradesh, it will be stopped nationally… if anyone can stop the BJP, it is the regional forces,” Yadav said.

“I will all be for the alliance and will not hesitate to go back two steps, if needed (for the grand alliance). I will not back off,” he said, adding that the Congress as a national party ought to have a “large heart” on the alliance.

“Their (Congress) responsibility is bigger as it is a national party. They need to take the regional parties along,” he said.

(IANS)

After floods, Kerala Tourism gets first international charter

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The money-spinning Kerala tourism industry celebrated quietly on Sunday after receiving the first chartered flight of tourists this season following the devastating floods.

The flight with 46 tourists from Australia landed at the Cochin International Airport here on Saturday night.

The heavy rains and unprecedented floods that shattered the state, leaving hundreds dead and thousands homeless and causing widespread destruction, led to numerous cancellations by tourists.

“Our efforts have already started paying off. Most of our tourist destinations are ready to welcome the visitors from India and abroad. The state government has accorded top priority to restoring roads leading to tourist places,” said Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran.

Kerala’s total direct earnings from the sector in the last calendar year touched Rs 26,000 crore, up from Rs 23,098 crore, a growth of 12.56 per cent.

Speaking to IANS, E.M. Najeeb, who heads the Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry (CKTI), said it was a friend who organised the charter flight from Australia.

“They have planned a 21-day trip to India and had cancelled the three-day Kerala leg. When I came to know of it, I promised that they will have nothing to worry about in Kerala.

“By now 90 per cent of the damaged infrastructure has been put back to place,” said Najeeb.

Meanwhile, the 10th edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) will be held here from September 27 to 30.

“The response has been huge. Close to 400 overseas buyers and 1,095 domestic buyers have registered to take part,” said Baby Mathew, President, KTM Society.

(IANS)

Fuel prices to drop in Karnataka: CM HDK

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CM H D Kumaraswamy plans to slash taxes on fuel and is said to have directed the finance department to take necessary steps to reduce duty on petrol and diesel by at least Rs 2 to Rs 2.50 per litres.

The decision is expected to roll out on soon.

Kumaraswamy, had in his budget announced on July 5, had raised the tax percentage on petrol from 30 to 32 per cent and on diesel from 19 to 21 per cent. By this, the petrol rates were increased by Rs. 1.14 and diesel Rs. 1.12.

Rupee tracking closer to its fair value, say experts

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The Indian rupee is “tracking closer to its fair value” and the scope for further rapid depreciation appears unlikely, though the time is appropriate for policy interventions to anchor negative sentiments, experts said on Saturday.

“Currently, the rupee is tracking closer to its fair value as per our fair value computation. From here on, the scope for rapid depreciation appears unlikely,” Yes Bank’s Group President and Chief Economist Shubhada Rao said.

The Indian rupee on Friday closed at 71.85, recovering 34 paise from its previous close of 72.19 per greenback.

She, however, said policy interventions are required to anchor the “negative sentiments”.

“The government and Reserve Bank can make policy interventions now. If it does not, the expectations get un-anchored. It is very important to anchor the expectations and time is appropriate to do it,” she said on the sidelines of an event organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

According to her, there could be short term measures to contain the trade imbalance. In order to stop further depreciation of the rupee and widening of current account deficit (CAD), the government on Friday took some measures and a broad policy decision to curb non-essential imports and increase exports.

International Monetary fund (IMF) Senior Resident Representative for India, Nepal, Bhutan, Andreas W. Bauer, said as per their assessment, the real exchange rate level is “broadly in line with the fundamentals”.

Citing a study prepared by the lender, Rao said the recent phase of relative depreciation has reduced the misalignment of the Indian rupee from fair value based on real effective exchange rate (REER) rebased to FY12.

Estimated overvaluation is likely to have reduced to 3.7 per cent in August from 9.9 per cent in the corresponding month last year, she said.

(IANS)

Urdu version of Modi’s book ‘Exam Warrior’ launched

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An Urdu version of the book ‘Exam Warrior’ penned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was launched here on Saturday, officials said.

The book was launched at a function organised by the India Islamic Cultural Centre. The event was attended by three cabinet ministers, film actors and hundreds of school children.

The book, which was launched earlier this year, already has versions in 14 languages including Hindi and English. Urdu is the 15th language in which the book has been published.

Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, and MoS for PMO Personnel Jitendra Singh attended the launch, along with film actors Rishi Kapoor, Annu Kapoor and filmmaker Muzaffar Ali.

“No one else could have written this book. Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister to have come from the ground-level after many years….We have spent many decades in a feudal hangover,” Singh said at the event.

In praise of Urdu, he said there are many people who are not able to read Urdu script but want to read it, and for them it is not unlikely that an Urdu version written in the Hindi script may be launched in future.

Javadekar, who had recently launched the Telugu translation of the book, said that it is not only for children but for parents also who unnecessarily pressurise their children during exams.

The book, which has 25 chapters in all with lessons on how to beat stress during examinations, was distributed to all school children present there.

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