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Archives for October 2018

CISF officer killed in J&K attack

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A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer has been killed in a militant attack on Srinagar’s outskirts, police said on Saturday.

“Assistant Sub-Inspector Rajendra Prasad sustained serious bullet injuries on the intervening night of Friday-Saturday during a standoff fire by terrorists at the grid Station Wagoora in Nowgam area,” a police spokesperson said.

He later succumbed at the hospital.

“The attack was successfully repulsed by the alert sentry at the spot and the area was sanitised,” he added.

India contributes $300K to UN programme to train commanders

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India has donated $300,000 to a programme to train commanders for UN peacekeeping, according to Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Known as the “Pipeline to Peacekeeping Command Programme,” it will “over a period of three years, help develop the capacity of future commanders and managers to lead by example and raise awareness of UN standards of conduct among their personnel,” Dujarric said Friday.

India’s contribution will be used with a “a specific focus on issues of conduct and discipline,” he added.

“This programme will be the first of its kind with a focus on issues of conduct and sexual exploitation and abuse, and we are grateful for the lead of India on such a significant new initiative,” said Atul Khare,the Under Secretary-General for Field Support.

India’s Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin, who handed over the check to Khare,Asaid, “India is a strong supporter of the United Nation’s Zero Tolerance Policy on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and remains committed to contribute through all means possible for this cause.”

The Department of Field Services described the programme as helping equip commanders and managers “to respond to allegations of misconduct including through collaborating with the various stakeholders in mission settings during the investigation and disciplinary process.”

IANS

Music maestro Khayyam conferred Hridaynath Award for Lifetime Achievement

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Renowned National Award winning music director Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, better known as “Khayyam”, was conferred this year’s prestigious Hridaynath Award for Lifetime Achievement late on Friday night here.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gave away the award, comprising a cash prize of Rs.100,000 and a memento, named after the famous Hridaynath Mangeshkar on his 81st birthday on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, Fadnavis recalled Khayyam’s great contributions to the music world since the launch of his musical career from the age of 17 at Ludhiana in 1943.

“Khayyamji is a 92-year-young man. Presenting this award to him is indeed an honour for me,” said the 48-year old Fadnavis.

Lauding the role of the Mangeshkar family for their music legacy which was as tall as the Himalayas, Fadnavis said they are “a gift to the country”, and listening to their music is itself a “divine experience.”

Terming Khayyam as his inspiration’, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, praised his musical creations and said that “conferring the award named after me on him, is actually a reward for me.”

“Hridaynath is the only and youngest brother of the legendary Mangeshkar singer-sisters – Lata, Asha, Usha and Meena, all children of the great composer the late Master Deenanath Mangeshkar,” said Avinath Prabhavalkar, an official of the Hridayesh Arts.

Responding to the felicitations, Khayyam said the Mangeshkar family has made a significant contribution to the cause of music in the country and he felt humbled by the honour.

Present at the ceremony in Deenanath Mangeshkar Hall, Vile Parle, were several eminent personalities like Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Jabbar Patel, members of the Mangeshkar clan and celebrities.

The veteran composer, lyricist and writer Khayyam, 92, started his music career in Ludhiana in 1943 at the age of 17. Later, the Padma Bhushan awardee teamed up as Sharma of the music-director duo “Sharmaji-Varmaji” to compose music for films like “Heer Ranjha” (1948) and others.

However, after Partition, when his partner Rahman Varma moved to Pakistan, Khayyam continued solo and his earliest notable works were for “Footpath” (1953) in which Talat Mehmood’s song “Shaam-e-Gham ki Kasam, Aaj Gamgeen Hain Hum” and the film “Biwi” in which a song sung by Mohammed Rafi, “Akele mein woh, ghabrate toh honge”, and other major films like “Phir Subah Hogi” (1958) with Mukesh’s “Woh subah, kabhi to aayegi”, became the rage of the masses.

It was the 1961 blockbuster “Shola Aur Shabnam” which firmly established Khayyam as a top-notch music director followed by films with superhit music like “Mohabbat Isko Kehta Hain” (1965) and “Aakhri Khat” (1966), that was the late superstar Rajesh Khanna’s debut film with memorable songs like “Bahaaron, Mera Jeevan Bhi Savaaron”.

Not looking back, he composed memorable music for films like “Kabhi Kabhi” (1976), “Trishul” (1978), “Noorie” (1979), “Thodisi Bewafai” (1980), “Dard” and “Ahista Ahista” (1981), “Dil, Akhir Dil Hai” and “Bazaar”(1982), “Razia Sultan” (1983).

In 1981, he composed music for the sensitive blockbuster film “Umrao Jaan”, ranked among the all time best Bollywood films and considered the jewel in the crown of Khayyam’s compositions, for which he bagged the National Award, and also a Filmfare Award, besides a string of other honours.

“Umrao Jaan” is oft compared with another cult masterpiece “Pakeezah” (1972) for a courtesan-based musical theme, both became superhits and now occupy their own unique pedestals in Bollywood music history.

Explaining this, Khayyam once said: “My biggest challenge was that “Umrao Jaan” should not only look different, but asound different’ to make it stand apart from “Pakeezah” in which most songs were sung by Lata Mangeshkar for the heroine Meena Kumari. So, nearly a decade later in aUmrao Jaan’, I only used Asha Bhosale’s voice for the heroine Rekha.”

In 2016, Khayyam and his singer-wife Jagjit Kaur endeared themselves to the masses when they set up the ‘Khayyam-Jagjit Kaur KPG Charitable Trust’ in memory of their actor-son Pradeep who passed away in 2012, and donated their entire wealth to be utilized to fund upcoming artistes and technicians in Bollywood.

The other past recipients of the awards are Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Amitabh Bachchan, Sulochana Latkar, A.R. Rahman, Pandit Jasraj, and Javed Akhtar, besides chess champ Vishwanathan Anand.

IANS

2 top TRS leaders join Congress

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In a setback to Telangana’s ruling TRS ahead of the December 7 assembly elections, two of its senior leaders joined Congress party on Saturday.

Telangana State Road Development Corporation (TSRDC) Chairman T. Narsa Reddy and Member of Telangana Legislative Council S. Ramulu Naik joined the Congress in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had suspended Narsa Reddy for anti-party activities on Friday. Ramulu Naik, a founder member of TRS, was also suspended from the party on similar grounds last week.

TRS leader and Rajya Sabha member D. Srinivas also met Gandhi on the day and expressed his desire to return to the party.

Srinivas, who was in Congress since 1969, had switched loyalties to TRS in 2015, a year after the party formed the first government in the newly-created Telangana state.

Srinivas had served as a minister in undivided Andhra Pradesh and also headed the Congress party’s state unit.

Congress General Secretary R.C. Khuntia, who is in-charge of party affairs in Telangana, told reporters that Narsa Reddy and Ramulu Naik joining the party would further bolster the party’s prospects.

As Narsa Reddy hails from Gajwel, a constituency represented by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, Khuntia hoped it would help the Congress defeat the TRS chief on his home turf.

It was home coming for Narsa Reddy, who had contested against TRS chief as Congress candidate in 2014 elections. V. Pratap Reddy, who had contested the election from Gahwel as Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate in 2014 and finished runners-up, joined Congress party six months ago.

Both Narsa Reddy and Ramulu Naik alleged that there is no respect for leaders in TRS as KCR remains inaccessible to them. They alleged that the TRS government had benefited only KCR’s family.

IANS

Sabarimala verdict supporter’s ashram attacked in Kerala

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An ashram run by a supporter of the Supreme Court’s Sabarimala verdict came under attack early on Saturday here, Kerala Police said, and announced a probe by a special team.

While Swami Sandeepananda Giri accused the BJP-RSS combine for the attack, a Sabarimala tantri family member said the monk himself set his property ablaze to implicate the saffron brigade, who in their turn named the Left party for trying to frame them for the religious fallout.

Two cars and a two-wheeler parked outside the ashram were set on fire around 2 a.m., said Giri, who was present on the premises at the time.

Giri has been taking a strong stand against the BJP-RSS combine in the state that has criticised the apex court’s September 28 verdict opening the gates of the Lord Ayyappa shrine for all women.

The attack coming amidst an ongoing crackdown on protesters who prevented women between the 10-50 age group from entering the temple between October 17 and 22, saw Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan immediately by Giri’s side.

Vijayan was accompanied by Finance Minister Thomas Issac and State Devasom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.

“The Sangh Parivar is trying to silence me for my position taken against them,” Giri told Vijayan, fearing for his life.

The Chief Minister who has taken a strong stand against any breach of the court’s verdict asked Director General of Police Loknath Behra to take immediate action.

The security at the ashram has been taken up by the police, Behra said, adding that a special team headed by Trivandrum City Commissioner P. Prakash would be investigating the attack and “nothing will be left to chance”.

Vijayan told the media at the ashram that the secular minds of Kerala were fully behind Giri. “Kerala knows the stand that the Swami has taken and is known for his secular outlook.

“Those behind this attack will be taken to task and the criminals who have done this will be brought before the law,” he said.

Rahul Eashwar, a member of the Sabarimala tantri family, who had come under attack from Giri said that it’s for the police to find out who was behind the arson.

“If the police finds out that I am responsible, then I should be arrested and if it’s found out that the Swami himself started the fire, he should be taken to task,” said Eashwar.

Senior Congress legislator K. Muraleedharan under whose constituency the ashram is located dismissed Eashwar’s statement. “I know what the Swami stands for and he will never do such a thing. This is nothing but a baseless allegation,” said Muraleedharan.

However, state Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson A.N. Radhakrishnan told the media that it’s the Communist Party of India-Marxist who has attacked the ashram.

“The CPI-M is behind this attack and propagating that we are behind it. We have no role in this,” said Radhakrishnan.

IANS

Modi leaves for Japan

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday left for Japan to hold the annual India-Japan bilateral summit with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

This is Modi’s third visit to Japan for the summit and will be his 12th meeting with Abe since 2014.

Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and in the defence and security sector, and leveraging Japanese capabilities for India’s development initiatives will be the highlights of the agenda in the summit which will be held on Monday.

India is the only country with which Japan holds annual bilateral summits while India has a similar arrangement with Russia too.

Facebook removes dozens of Iran-linked fake accounts, Pages

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Facebook has removed 82 Pages, Groups and accounts for what it calls “coordinated inauthentic behaviour” that originated in Iran and targeted people in the US and Britain.

“While we have found no ties to the Iranian government, we can’t say for sure who is responsible,” Nathaniel Gleicher, Head of Cybersecurity Policy at Facebook said in a statement on Friday.

The people behind these Pages and accounts represented themselves as US citizens, or in a few cases UK citizens — and they posted about politically charged topics such as race relations, opposition to the US President, and immigration on Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook said its threat intelligence team first detected this activity one week ago and conducted an internal investigation.

“Despite attempts to hide their true identities, a manual review of these accounts linked their activity to Iran,” Gleicher said.

The activities on Facebook were revealed just weeks before the midterm election in the US and while a heated Brexit debate continues in Britain.

“Given the elections, we took action as soon as we’d completed our initial investigation and shared the information with US and UK government officials, US law enforcement, Congress, other technology companies and the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab,” Gleicher said.

Facebook said about 1.02 million accounts followed at least one of these Pages, about 25,000 accounts joined at least one of these Groups, and more than 28,000 accounts followed at least one of these Instagram accounts.

This is not the first time Facebook has removed Pages and accounts linked to Iran. In August, the social network removed 600 Pages and accounts originating from Russia and Iran for engaging in “inauthentic behaviour”.

19 years on, Tariq Anwar returns to Congress fold

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Days after quitting the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Tariq Anwar on Saturday returned to the Congress here in the presence of party President Rahul Gandhi – almost two decades after he had walked out.

Gandhi has welcomed Anwar into “the Congress family”, the party tweeted posting a picture of the two leaders shaking hands.

Anwar had quit the NCP and his Lok Sabha membership on September 28 expressing disagreement with party chief Sharad Pawar whom he has been upset with for giving a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale deal.

Anwar had in 1999 joined NCP chief Sharad Pawar and some others in quitting the Congress to protest against the appointment of a person of foreign origin – Sonia Gandhi being appointed the party chief.

Former Bengal leader of opposition dead

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 Former Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and a founding member of the Trinamool Congress, Pankaj Banerjee, passed away late on Friday.

Banerjee, 71, a three-time legislator, is survived by his wife and daughter.

A product of the student movement, Banerjee joined the Congress in the 1960s, and won his first election from the Tollygunge constituency in South Kolkata in 1972.

A marine engineer by profession, he later won from the same constituency in 1996 on a Congress ticket, and in 2001 as a candidate of the Trinamool Congress.

With the Trinamool emerging as the largest opposition party in 2001, Banerjee became the leader of the opposition, and served in that capacity till 2006.

However, he surprisingly announced his retirement from politics in 2006, in the run up to the assembly polls, citing poor health.

But many still believe that Banerjee had called it quits over some differences with party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

The leader’s death, however, saw a high drama.

After a private hospital announced his death, and his ‘body’ was brought home, a family doctor examined him and claimed that his heart was beating.

By then, the Chief Minister had twitted a condolence message expressing her shock over Banerjee’s demise.

The tweet was soon erased and Banerjee was rushed to another private hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Later, the AMRI Hospital, where Banerjee was first taken, claimed that its doctors “were under no confusion over his demise” as two ECG graphs – the first one conducted on him in the ambulance on way to the hospital – had shown flat line,” indicating “that he expired even before he had reached the hospital”.

“Since protocol demanded that if admitted, Banerjee’s body had to undergo a post-mortem examination, accompanying family and friends decided to take the body back to his residence,” the hospital said in a statement.

IANS

US authorities name man suspected of sending suspicious packages

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 The person in custody on suspicion of sending suspicious packages to a dozen prominent people has been identified as Florida resident Cesar Sayoc, US media reported Friday, citing law enforcement sources.

Sayoc was apprehended in a shopping centre in Plantation, Florida, west of Ft. Lauderdale, and authorities seized the white van he was driving.

The van was covered with photos of president Donald Trump and with threatening images against figures such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – the intended recipient of one of the packages – and filmmaker Michael Moore, Efe reported.

Sayoc, who has a criminal record, resided in Aventura, northeast of Miami and, according to his LinkedIn page, worked in the entertainment industry.

Trump said Friday that the suspect would face “swift and certain justice,” while urging Americans to “unify” against these “despicable” acts.

“I am pleased to inform you that law enforcement has apprehended the suspect and taken him into custody,” Trump said during an event at the White House.

The president said that his administration would prosecute the suspect and anyone else possibly involved to the “fullest extent of the law.”

Trump praised US law enforcement agencies for their “incredible job” capturing the suspect, adding that finding the alleged culprit was like uncovering “a needle in a haystack.”

The president said that the sending of the suspicious packages containing suspected explosives was a “terrorizing” act that has “no place in our country.”

“We must never allow political violence to take root in America. We cannot let it happen. I am committed to do everything in my power as president to stop it and stop it now,” Trump said.

“Americans must unify and we must show the world that we are united together in peace and love and harmony as fellow American citizens,” he added.

The arrest came after 12 people received suspicious packages containing suspected explosives in the last few days, including former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The last two packages, intercepted on Friday in Florida and New York, were addressed to Democratic Sen. Cory Booker and to former National Intelligence Director James Clapper.

None of the packages exploded, though they have elevated the level of alert of US authorities, as they fear more packages will be found in the coming days.

The FBI said Friday via Twitter that a similar package was found in Florida addressed to Sen. Booker, who is considered to be a possible contender in the 2020 presidential election.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) intercepted a suspicious package on Friday addressed to Clapper at a post office in Manhattan.

The discovery of suspicious packages containing suspected explosives began on Monday, when billionaire philanthropist George Soros, a known Democratic donor, received one at his home in the state of New York.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, two packages were sent to Hillary Clinton and Obama, while other similar packages were sent to former Attorney General Eric Holder, Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters, former CIA Director John Brennan and CNN’s New York offices.

The fact that all of the packages were addressed to members of the Democratic Party or to Trump critics suggests a possible political motivation.

The episode comes less than two weeks ahead of the Nov. 6 mid-term congressional elections.

Trump acknowledged Friday that the discovery of the suspicious packages could affect Republican candidates’ momentum for the mid-term elections, in which a third of the seats in the House of Representatives and all of the seats in the Senate are up for grabs.

IANS

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