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Rahul attacks ABVP for insulting MP professor

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised activists of the right-wing student body Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for insulting a senior professor of in Madhya Pradesh.

“A teacher was insulted by student leaders of ruling party in Mandsaur. A professor is touching the feet of the students who are threatening them. What kind of sacraments is being followed in the country where teachers are regarded as God. What kind of treatment is this…,” Gandhi tweeted.

According to news reports, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliated student organisation ABVP activists called the government college professor in Mandsaur “anti-national” when he asked them not to raise slogans outside his classroom.

A video that emerged on Thursday showed the professor, apparently upset, running after ABVP activists to touch their feet even as they tried to stop him.

Snubbed at Saarc meet, Qureshi makes personal attack on Sushma

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Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has turned the diplomatic snub by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the Saarc meeting into a personal vendetta, making a unprofessional remarks in public about her to the accompaniment of derisive laughter.

“I was quite concerned when I saw the Minister for External Affairs, when I was in the room she looked pale to me,” Qureshi said while laughing. “She looked very worried. I wish, I wish we could have smiled at each other.”

He made the remarks at the Asia Society here on Friday, a day after Sushma Swaraj had refused to interact with him at the South Asian Association Regional Cooperation (Saarc) ministerial meeting and left after delivering her speech without staying on for his address.

Most people in the audience, which included a large number of people of Pakistani descent, did not join his laughter.

With exaggerated gestures, Qureshi added: “I could see the immense strain and when she left, she wasn’t even willing to engage with the media. I had no problem, but I could see the pressure, but I could see the political pressure on her, politics, nothing else, politics, domestic politics.”

After the Saarc meeting on Thursday he had insinuated to the Pakistani media that may be she was feeling unwell, according to Samaa TV.

Sushma Swaraj, however, went on to have her scheduled meetings with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Walid al Muallem.

India had initially agreed last week to recently-elected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s request for holding talks between Sushma Swaraj and Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.

However, New Delhi cancelled the talks a day later after three Indian police personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan issued a stamp honouring a terrorist leader.

In keeping with India’s resolve not to engage diplomatically with Pakistan while the terrorism issue persisted, Sushma Swaraj has steadfastly refused to engage with Qureshi even informally while in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting.

Asked by a Pakistani journalist about why the talks didn’t take place, Qureshi replied alluding to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party, but without naming them.

“Why are they reluctant? Simply, sir, politics, elections, elections, the scare of the electorate. They have taken the pendulum, they have swung the pendulum to such an extreme, now they are finding it difficult to bring it back.”

“And with elections around the corner and they felt it could boomerang, that’s why they were shy,” he added.

But recalling Khan’s offer in his first speech after the election to take two steps for every step India took, Qureshi reiterated Islamabad’s keenness for talks.

“Whenever you are ready, our message is loud and clear, Pakistan will never shy away because we want to move on, we want the region to develop,” he said.

Qureshi said the Pakistan election that brought Khan to power was a turning point for the nation.

“People of Pakistan are clear that extremism has to be reversed, militancy is not what we need. Terrorism has hit us more than anyone else.”

About the growing ties between New Delhi and Washington, Qureshi said: “Today India is a strategic partner of the US, (but) we have no problem with that.”

However, displaying a sense of insecurity, he added: “… But why lose old friends? Have new ones, why lose old friends.”

In return for continued help to the US in Afghanistan, he wanted Washington to pressure India on relations with Pakistan.

“If the US wants us to help (in Afghanistan) and we want to help in our own interest, because we want peace in the region, then they have to tell their new strategic partner to give us ease on the eastern side so we can concentrate on areas of mutual interest,” he said.

Trump holds up India as democracy lifting millions out of poverty

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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday held up India as an example to the world of a country that successfully lifted millions out of poverty while upholding democracy and freedom.

Addressing the General Assembly, he said India was part of a “beautiful constellation” of countries working for a common future.

In speech that emphasised his America First policy with a declaration that he rejected the “ideology of globalism” for a belief in patriotism, he reiterated his hardline against countries such as China, Iran and Venezuela.

He demanded that Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut their “horrible prices.”

IANS

Indian man charged in Dubai for groping woman

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A Dubai court has charged an Indian man with groping a woman while she was walking late at night.

Prosecutors on Monday accused the 30-year-old man, a driver, of taking the Filipina woman by surprise, inappropriately touching her and then fleeing the scene, reports the Khaleej Times.

The man denied the charge, claiming that he touched her by mistake.

The complainant, a 25-year-old waitress, told the prosecution that she did not know the suspect prior to the incident.

“It was at 1.20 a.m. on August 3. I was near a restaurant and was about to go to a supermarket. My friend was with me. There were five to six men coming in the opposite way. One of them groped me intentionally. I yelled at him but he then replied in a very abusive and vulgar manner.”

He did not just ignore her screams for help but also laughed and continued his way.

“I followed them and kept screaming until an African man came and restrained the defendant,” the complainant said.

A ruling will be pronounced on October 11.

IANS

384 dead in Indonesia earthquakes, tsunami

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Over 380 people were confirmed dead on Saturday after earthquakes, including a powerful 7.5 magnitude tremor, and tsunami struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Rescue workers were struggling to reach certain affected areas amid fears that the toll can still rise.

Three hundred-eighty four people died in the city of Palu, where preparations for a beach festival had been underway when the tsunami hit on Friday, following the strong earthquake. National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that 540 people were injured and 29 were still missing.

Video on social media showed people screaming and fleeing in panic for safety. Thousands of homes collapsed, along with hospitals, hotels and shopping centres. Strong aftershocks continued to rock Palu on Saturday.

Sutopo said houses were swept away and families were reported missing. “We have found corpses from the earthquake as well as bodies swept up by the tsunami.”

He said the government was set to declare a state of emergency and stressed that the most important task was to restore power and communications to the region.

There were other vulnerable coastal areas where communications were down. Officials had been unable to make contact with Donggala, a fishing community near Palu that was also reported to have been hit by the tsunami, the BBC reported.

The BNPB spokesperson said telecommunications and air-transport experts arrived at the airport in Palu, the city most affected by the earthquake along with Donggala, and work to repair some of the damaged electrical equipment had started.

The airports in Poso, Tolitoli, Luwuk and Mamuju were open.

Komang Adi Sujendra, the Director of Undata Hospital in Palu, said in a video message posted online said that the area had no electricity, that phone and Internet service had been disrupted and that road access was limited. He sought help from the public.

Authorities estimated the tsunami’s waves to be about 10 feet high, but a video reported to have been taken in Palu showed a wave that seemed even higher crashing over the roofs of one-storey buildings. TV footage showed dozens of injured people being treated outside in makeshift medical tents.

Palu and Donggala are home to more than 600,000 people. The country’s military had started sending cargo planes of relief aid from the capital.

The earthquake hit just off central Sulawesi at a depth of 10 km on Friday, the US Geological Survey said. A tsunami warning was issued, but lifted within the hour.

A magnitude-6.1 quake earlier on Friday in the same region killed at least one person and led to the collapse of a number of buildings.

The disaster followed on from the earthquakes and aftershocks on Lombok island where 557 people died and nearly 400,000 were displaced between July 29 and August 19.

The country’s deadliest earthquake with a magnitude of around 9.1 struck off the tip of Sumatra island in 2014, triggering a tsunami that killed nearly 280,000 people in Indonesia and other Indian Ocean nations.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity, where some 7,000 earthquakes, mostly moderate, are recorded each year.

(IANS)

Himachal rescue operation enters final stage

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The rescue operation in Himachal’s Lahaul Valley entered its final stages on Saturday as a large number of people, comprising largely tourists, were evacuated safely from the snow-marooned region.

The last batch of tourists stuck at various locations in the valley for over a week were brought to Keylong, district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti, and at Sarchu from where they were rescued by road on Saturday as the weather cleared, a government official told IANS over phone from Kullu town.

Airlifting of tourists by the Indian Air Force (IAF) could not start on Saturday. It has been hampered since Friday afternoon owing to the onset of snowfall in the high hills, including Keylong, 122 km north of the picturesque Manali tourist resort.

Kullu Deputy Commissioner Yunus Khan told IANS nearly 500 people would be transported by road on Saturday from Keylong to Manali via the Rohtang tunnel.

Likewise, from Sarchu, some 222 km from Manali, the stranded people would be taken towards Leh in Jammu and Kashmir by road as the weather permits.

It has been one of the longest and largest rescue operations of its kind, the official said on the fifth day of rescue.

Over 2,000 persons, including 30 foreigners, have been rescued since September 24. Out of these, 211 were airlifted and the remaining evacuated by road via under-constructed Rohtang tunnel, officials said.

Khan said the rescue operation has been carried out in three formats.

First, the IAF is airlifting the tourists from vulnerable spots. Second, the BRO is rescuing the people by road. And third, the local administration is providing logistic support to both the IAF and the BRO in rescuing people.

Work to clear snow from the Rohtang Pass and Baralacha Pass is in final stage, he said.

Two light utility helicopters were additionally deployed along with three IAF choppers, including MI-17, to speed-up the rescue in Lahaul.

Early snowfall in the higher reaches, cloudburst and heavy rain devastated large parts of the state from September 22 to 24.

Heavy snowfall on the Rohtang Pass, the Kunzum Pass and the Baralacha Pass had cut-off the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys, affecting a large number of tourists and hampering water and electricity supply.

(IANS)

Germany to stick to Iran n-deal: Minister

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German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said that Berlin is committed to the Iran nuclear deal even though Washington has pulled out.

“The nuclear agreement with Iran may not be perfect. But so far, it has prevented Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and averted an escalation that, three years ago, was highly likely,” Mass told the General Assembly on Friday.

“That’s not insignificant,” he said. “We, Europeans, therefore stand together by the agreement.”

“The fact that we stand by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) does not mean that we are turning a blind eye to Iran’s destructive role in the region or to its ballistic missile program,” said the Minister, referring to the July 2015 nuclear deal drawn between Iran and the six nations — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US.

US President Donald Trump in May announced his decision to withdraw from the deal and renew sanctions on Iran, Xinhua news agency reported.

Maas also talked about measures to circumvent the US sanctions against Iran. “We are working on keeping economic exchange with Iran possible, and we call on Iran to continue its full commitment.”

Earlier on Monday, EU’s foreign and security policy chief Federica Mogherini said that the European Union will set up a legal entity to facilitate legitimate financial transactions with Iran.

The legal entity will allow European companies to continue to trade with Iran in accordance with EU law and could be open to other partners in the world, Mogherini told reporters in New York after she chaired a meeting of the foreign ministers from Iran and the five countries that were still committed to the deal.

(IANS)

India to make ‘sovereign decision’ on Russian weapons purchase: Lavrov

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India will make a “sovereign decision” on Russian defence purchases, which are facing possible US sanctions, according to Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“I understand that India will be taking sovereign decision (on) how to proceed and what kind of weapons it needs,” he said at a news conference here on Friday.

Asked by a reporter if the proposed $8.5 billion defence deal with Russia, which includes a missile defence system, that was expected to be signed next month during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India was on hold, Lavrov said: “I haven’t heard anything about the timing, about postponement, about putting anything on hold.”

In response to another question if Russia would be adding “checks and balances” to its defence deals with India in the light of the controversies over the purchase of Rafale jets from France, Lavrov said he was not aware of the allegations of corruption and added, “We participated in the deal for the delivery of that (but) we did not get it.”

Six manufacturers, including Mikoyan MiG-35, competed for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender. The MiG-35 was eliminated in an initial round and Dassault’s Rafale emerged the winner for the contract.

The Countering Americaa¿s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) passed last year by the US Congress imposes sanctions on some Russian companies as well as on their customers and this could impact India’s defence deals with Russia.

India will need exemptions from CAATSA to buy the S-400 Triumf missile defence system as well as frigates and helicopters.

While India raised the issue during the recent 2+2 Strategic Dialogue between the Defence and External Affairs Ministers of India and the US Secretaries of Defence and State in New Delhi, a categorical exemption is yet to be made.

When the Congress tried earlier this year to prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from granting exemptions, Defence Secretary James Mattis made an appeal citing India to allow the administration to exempt deals and finally prevailed.

So the Trump administration continues to have the power to exempt India.

(IANS)

Panel sends Kavanaugh nomination to full Senate

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The US Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-10 Friday to send the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the full Senate.

Prior to the party-line vote, Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said that he reached an accord with the Democratic minority to call for the Senate to delay a final vote on Kavanaugh by one week to allow an FBI investigation of sexual abuse allegations against the nominee, Efe reported.

Friday’s session ended in confusion, as the committee chair, Republican Chuck Grassley, called an abrupt halt, citing the two-hour limit on hearings when the full Senate is in session.

Three women have accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting them several decades ago.

One of those women is Christine Blasey Ford, who attended a judiciary committee hearing on Thursday to testify that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her in 1982.

During Friday’s session, Democrats accused Republicans of ignoring the alleged victim, who had to testify in public before a committee made up of a large majority of men, while they insisted on the need for the FBI to carry out an investigation into the allegations.

The ranking Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, also criticized Kavanaugh’s declarations on Thursday, when he appeared defiant and angry.

“This was not someone who reflected an impartial temperament or the fairness and even-handedness one would see in a judge, this was someone who was aggressive and belligerent,” she said.

“I have never seen someone who wants to be elevated to the highest court in our country behave in that manner,” Feinstein added.

Despite the meeting of minds between Flake and committee Democrats, the decision on whether to delay a vote rests with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

President Donald Trump said he was prepared to let the Senate leadership decide on the timing of vote.

“I’m going to rely on all of the people, including Sen. Grassley, who’s doing a very good job,” Trump said.

“That’ll be a decision that they’re going to make, and I suspect they’ll be making some decision soon, whether to take a vote or to do whatever else they want to do,” the president added.

“I will be totally reliant on what Sen. Grassley and the group decides to do,” Trump told reporters during a photo opportunity in the Oval Office with visiting Chilean President Sebastian Piñera.

(IANS)

Asia Cup Final: India pips Bangladesh in last ball thriller

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In a match going down the wire, Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar’s sensible knock helped India pip Bangladesh by three wickets in a thrilling Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.

The win also shattered Bangladesh’s dream of their maiden Asia Cup title while the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side clinched the prestigious title for a record seven times.

Chasing a modest 223-run target, India lost wickets at regular intervals to make the contest unpredictable, thanks to a disciplined Bangladesh bowling attack.

However, in a match going down the wire, Jadeja (23) and Bhuvneshwar’s (21) rose up to the occassion and their knock came at at a time when their team needed the most.

Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan started the proceedings well as India raced away to 35 runs in 4.3 overs however, the joy was shortlived as left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam came with the first breakthrought for Bangladesh.

Dhawan (15), while trying to go over Nazmul’s head, gave an easy catch to Soumya Sarkar at mid-off.

With just the addition of another 11 runs, India received another blow as incoming batsman Ambati Rayudu (2) fell cheaply off a Mashrafe Mortaza ball, leaving India at 46/2.

Rohit and Dinesh Karthik then tried to put things in control as they took their side near the three-digit mark. But, just when the Indian skipper was two runs away from his half-century, Rubel Hossain handed another jolt to the opponents, dismissing a good-looking Rohit to leave the men in blue reeling at 83/3.

Karthik was then joined by M.S. Dhoni and they gave some respite to India, adding a crucial 55 run for the fourth wicket.

Just when the partnership seemed developing, off-spinner Mahmudullah struck to add another twist in the tale, packing back Karthik (37) as India’s scorecard read 137/4.

As India managed to add 27 runs to reach a total of 160 with incoming batsman Kedar Jadhav and Dhoni oncrease, Mustafizur Rahman put India in deep trouble, sending back the latter on 36 runs.

Dhoni’s thick edge of the bat landed in the gloves of Mushfiqur Rahim in the 37th over before Jadhav left the field after being retired hurt with India still 56 runs away from victory.

Jadeja and part-time batsman Bhuvaneshwar’s sensible knock then not only gave India a hope but also inched their side on the doors of victory.

The duo were involved in a 45-run partnership as India crossed the 200-run mark. However, with India just 11 runs away from their seventh Asia Cup title, Jadeja (23) became a victim of Hossain in the 48th over.

His fall saw Jadhav once again joining the pitch but very soon, the issue once again turned in Bangladesh’s way as Bhuveneshwar, while trying to drive a delivery by Mustafizur Rahman, was caught brilliantly by stumper Rahim, who dived his right to take an excellent catch.

Denying the opponents any further onslaught, Jadhav (23) and Kedar (5) guided India home in a match which went to the final ball.

For Bangladesh, Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain picked two wickets each while Nazmul, Mortaza and Mahmudullah bagged one wicket apiece.

Earlier, opener Liton Das’ brilliant century had helped Bangladesh post 222.

Bangladesh got off to a flying start but lack of support from the middle and lower order batsmen and some brilliant fielding from Indian players saw Bangladesh only managing to score a modest total.

Das played 117 balls and slammed 121 runs which include 12 boundaries and two sixes and built a perfect platform for a big score but some poor shot selection from other batsmen cost the Bangladesh camp.

Put in to bat, Das and Mehidy Hasan (32) played handsomely and forged a brilliant 120-run partnership before Hasan was dismissed by Jadhav. The two played sensibly and often thrashed Indian bowlers all around the park.

Unperturbed by the fall of Hasan’s wicket, Das kept on playing his natural game but middle-order batsmen Imrul Kayes (2), Mushfiqur Rahim (5), Mohammad Mithun (2) and Mahmudullah (4) failed drastically.

All of them gifted away their wickets, thanks to careless shot selection.

With five batsman back to the pavilion at 151, Das, along with Sarkar (33), tried to reconstruct the innings but was dismissed in the process. Wicketkeeper Dhoni stumped Das off Kuldeep in the 40th over.

Mortaza (7) fell prey Kuldeep after playing nine balls.

Sarkar kept playing at the other end but was run out in the penultimate over while trying to increase the run rate. His 45-ball knock was laced with one boundary and one six.

In the very next ball, Jasprit Bumrah clean bowled Hossain (0) to wrap up the innings in style.

For India, Kuldeep scalped three wickets while Jadhav took two wickets.

Brief scores: India 223/7 in 50 overs (Rohit Sharma 48, Dinesh Karthik 37; Rubel Hossain 2/26) beat Bangladesh 222 all out (Liton Das 121; Kuldeep Yadav 3/45) by three wickets.

(IANS)

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