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Modi tells China to 'reconsider' its approach on some issues; signs 24 agreements

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Narendra Modi

Beijing: After voicing concern over China’s investments in PoK, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked it to “reconsider” its approach on some of the issues and take a strategic and long term view to push the relationship which has been “complex” in recent decades.

Modi, who held wide-ranging talks with his counterpart Li Keqiang, sought tangible progress on issues relating to visa, an apparent reference to stapled visas issued by China to residents of Arunachal Pradesh, as he underlined that the two countries need to be “sensitive to each other’s interests”.

He stressed the need for strengthening mutual trust and confidence while seeking solutions to outstanding issues.

The two sides signed a record 24 agreements covering railways, mining, outer space, earthquake science and engineering, tourism, sister-cities and establishment of consulates in Chengdu and Chennai. “Our conversations were candid, constructive and friendly. We covered all issues, including those that trouble smooth development of our relations,” Modi said at a joint press interaction here along with Li after the talks held at the Great Hall of People.

“I stressed the need for China to reconsider its approach on some of the issues that hold us back from realising full potential of our partnership. I suggested that China should take a strategic and long term view of our relations,” Modi said.

The statement comes a day after Modi raised concern with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their talks in Xi’an over China’s USD 46 billion proposed investment in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “I found the Chinese leadership responsive,” he said, adding that the re-emergence of India and China and their relationship will have a profound impact on the two countries and the course of this century.

Noting that India-China relationship has been “complex in recent decades”, Modi said the two countries have a “historic responsibility to turn this relationship into a source of strength for each other and a force of good for the world.”

On the boundary question, Modi said the two sides agreed to continue to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution. “We both reiterated our strong commitment to make all efforts to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border region,” he said.

India, China sign 24 key agreements

India and China today signed a record 24 agreements in key sectors, including in railways and education, on day two of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to the communist neighbour.

Protocol for setting up Consulates-General at Chengdu and Chennai besides an MoU on consultative mechanism for cooperation in trade negotiations were among the 24 agreements signed in the presence of Modi and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang here.

An action plan between the Indian Railways and China National Railways on enhancing cooperation in the railway sector was also signed.

“Today, we have signed over 20 agreements, covering diverse areas of cooperation. This shows the depth and maturity of our relationship and the positive direction of our partnership,” Modi said in his address.

“Our decision to open consulates in Chengdu and Chennai reflects growing mutual confidence and shared commitment to expand relations,” he added.An MoU on education exchange programme and ‘Space Cooperation Outline’ were also signed.

Other key agreements are on developing China India think tanks, maritime cooperation and ocean sciences. Four agreements were signed on sister-state and sister city relations between Karnataka and Sichuan province; Chennai and Chongqing; Hyderabad and Qingdao; and Aurangabad and Dunhuang. An agreement on setting up a Mahatma Gandhi skill centre in Ahmedabad was also signed besides a broadcast tie-up for Doordarshan and China’s state-run CCTV.

Agreements on education exchange programme, on mining and minerals, skill development, tourism and vocational education also figured on the list. Two MoUs between Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Yunnan Minzu University and another with Fudan University were signed on the establishment of a Yoga college and centre for Gandhian and Indian studies, respectively.

(PTI)

"Both my debut short films 'In Search Of An Answer' & 'Vo Ladki' have garnered critical acclaim & awards": Sandeep Chatterjee

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Sandeep Chatterjee

Sandeep Chatterjee aka Sandy happens to be the latest Bong entrant in the filmy horizon but in the directional arena, holding a Directorial Diploma from Moving Images. Besides he is also the proud possessor of full time training course in acting from Barry John’s Imago School of acting, as well as a Certificate Course in linear Editing from Astute Media Vision and last but not the least Sandy has also acquired a Professional Training in Camera from a veteran cinematographer namely S. N. Dubey. All this apart Sandy, as he is more popularly known as, has also picked up directional skills under the tutelage of small screen director Surendra Mohan for the serial ‘Draupadi’ & above all small screen editor Vinay Mallu for the serial ‘Koi Apna Sa’ (443 episodes).

Having reeled out his academic & professional qualification & work experience till date, Sandy further elaborated about his debut 2 short films which have already won critical appreciation & awards galore in the festival circuits. Over to him. “Of late I have made 2 short films under my own home production banner namely Point Of View Cinema. The names of the 2 short films are aptly titled ‘In Search Of An Answer’ & ‘Vo Ladki’. Incidentally speaking both my debut short films ‘In Search Of An Answer’ & ‘Vo Ladki’ have not only garnered lots of critical acclaim but also awards galore In most of the film festival circuits. The 1st film ‘In Search Of An Answer’, which has a duration of 27 minutes was first selected as an official entry for the 5th Dada Saheb Phalke International Film Festival 2015, in which it received a “Certificate Of Excellence”. It has also participated in other film festivals of 2015 like NMIFF, KISFF & RISFF. In RISFF it was nominated in 3 categories namely “Best Actor Male”, “Best Actor Female” & “Best Editing” where it bagged the trophy for “Best Actor Male”. My 2nd film ‘Vo Ladki’, which has a duration of 10 minutes, has got 11 thousand hits in just a span of a year.”

Sandeep Chatterjee

And then concluding the interactive session Sandy revealed his future big screen directorial plan, “Right now I am in the midst of penning the script of my debut big screen feature film titled ‘Deltaposs’. The title is derived from 2 words Delta, which stands for graph showing either up or down and Poss which means positive. Frankly speaking the script is almost complete. It is targeted at today’s youth. It is a comedy & drama oriented film. My next step is to garner adequate funds for my film. So wish me luck. Period!

Porn kingpin arrested with 400 sex videos in Bengaluru

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Kaushik Satyapal Kuonor

Bengaluru: A man who allegedly posted hundreds of obscene videos on the internet and WhatsApp, including three clips of women being raped, has been arrested by the CBI in Bengaluru.

Sources tell nearly 400 pornographic or exploitative videos of women were found on different gadgets owned by the man, Kaushik Satyapal Kuonor, who is from Odisha but has been working as a driver in Bengaluru for the last two years.

The CBI has been ordered by the Supreme Court to identify and arrest the men responsible for circulating cell-phone video recordings of nine different cases of rape. The top court got involved after an appeal for intervention from activist Sunitha Krishnan, who is based in Hyderabad and launched the #ShameTheRapist campaign three months ago after discovering that sexual assaults on women were being shared on social media.

Today, Ms Krishnan tweeted, “#Shametherapistcampaign Kaushik Kaunr of Bangalore arrested for uploading rape video on ‘whatsapp’ one more video tackled. Hats off to CBI!”

The videos of the rapes do not disclose the time or place of the crimes, though in some, the faces of the rapists and the survivors can be clearly seen.

CBI investigators reportedly used s forensic software to track the origins of the video messages – three of the nine videos of rape were traced to the suspect arrested in Bengaluru.

Two other men from Odisha have been arrested earlier by the CBI.

(Agencies)

Bastar DC warned for wearing sunglasses while receiving Modi

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Bastar Collector

Raipur: ‘The government has noticed that you did not wear proper clothes while receiving the Prime Minister,’ the notice read.

Chhattisgarh government has issued a notice to Bastar district collector Amit Kataria for wearing sunglasses and not wearing “proper clothes” while receiving Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Bastar visit on May 9.

“As Bastar collector, you received the Prime Minister on May 9 at Jagdalpur airstrip. However, the government has noticed that you did not wear proper clothes while receiving the PM and also sported sunglasses,” reads the notice issued to Mr. Kataria by Mr. D. D. Singh, the Special Secretary of general administration division, Chhattisgarh government.

The notice indicts Mr. Kataria for “disregarding” section 3 (1) of the All India Services (Conduct) rules which maintains that “every member of the service shall at all times maintain absolute integrity and devotion to the duty and shall do nothing which is unbecoming of a member of the service”.

“You are being warned by the State government not to repeat any act in future which will disregard the All India Services (conduct) rules,” added the notice.

Mr. Kataria did not respond to the calls from The Hindu for a reaction.

(Agencies)

IPL: Punjab win rain-hit match against RCB

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KINGS-XI

Mohali: Bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 22 runs in a rain-curtailed Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium (PCA) here on Wednesday.

Punjab remained at the foot of the standings with six points from 13 matches despite the win. Bangalore stayed at the fifth spot with 13 points from 12 matches.

Chasing a target of 107 runs in 10 overs, RCB managed only 84 for six. They sent their two destructive batsmen West Indian Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli to open the innings.

They began briskly picking up boundaries at every possible opportunity. But Kohli (19) in the third over was dismissed in trying to force the pace.

Gayle (17) soon followed his skipper getting caught while trying a big shot to reduce RCB to 44 for two in 4.4 overs.

With two of their best ball-bashers gone, the onus was on another renowned power hitter South African AB de Villiers (10) to lead RCB’s cause. But he departed early too putting RCB in a spot of bother at 67 for three in 6.4 overs.

They never recovered from the blow lost wickets regularly to fall short of the target by 22 runs, managing only 84 for six.

Earlier, Kings XI Punjab posted 106/6 in 10 overs.

Much before both the side’s skippers could get ready for the toss, rain halted their intentions. The toss was held at 10.30 pm, three hours later then the scheduled time. It reduced the Twenty-20 match to a 10-over per side contest.

RCB skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bowl, much to the relief of the fans at the stadium.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha was promoted up the order and he opened the batting with Manan Vohra, who scored 11 in six balls.

Bengal’s right-handed batsman Saha made most of the opportunity of batting up the order, hitting 31 in just 12 balls. His knock included five fours and a six.

Australia’s World Cup hero Glenn Maxwella¿s poor form continued as he made only 10 runs.

Later, South African left-hander David Miller made 14 of four balls while skipper George Bailey and hit 13 in nine deliveries.

Young Indian all-rounder Axar Patel remained unbeaten and contributed 20 runs from 15 balls.

For the visitors, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and right-arm medium pacer Harshal Patel took two wickets each, while left-arm pacer Mictell Starc got one wicket.

(IANS)

Subramanian Swamy to move SC against Jayalalithaa's acquittal if Karnataka doesn't do

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Subramanian Swamy (Photo credit: Jagran)

Subramanian Swamy (Photo credit: Jagran)

Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today said he will move the Supreme Court next month against the acquittal of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in a grafts case if the Karnataka government did not do so by then.

“I have decided to file SLP (Special Leave Petition) in SC after June 1st if K’taka govt does not file. So no need to go to KHC (Karnataka High Court),” he tweeted.

The BJP leader’s statement comes two days after he had indicated on micro blogging site ‘Twitter’ that he could file an appeal in the apex court against Jayalalithaa and “prove that the KHC judgment is a ‘tragedy of arithmetic errors'”, adding she would have to resign as Chief Minister if she had taken over by then.

Swamy is the original complainant in the case. He had filed a case in 1996 against Jayalalithaa alleging that during her tenure as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996, she amassed properties disproportionate to her known sources of income.

The DMK government subsequently filed cases, including the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case, against Jayalalithaa which led to her conviction in September last by a special court.

The Karnataka High Court acquitted Jayalalithaa on Monday.

(Agencies)

Vatican recognises State of Palestine

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Agreement reached over Catholic Church’s activities in areas controlled by Palestinian Authority, statement says.

The Vatican's official newspaper said it hoped the accord would indirectly help the Palestinian State in its relations with Israel [AP]

The Vatican’s official newspaper said it hoped the accord would indirectly help the Palestinian State in its relations with Israel [AP]

by Al Jazeera

The Vatican has concluded its first treaty that formally recognises the State of Palestine, with an agreement on Catholic Church activities in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority, according to the Holy See.

A joint statement released by the Vatican said on Wednesday said the text of the treaty had been concluded and would be officially signed by the respective authorities “in the near future”.

The agreement “aims to enhance the life and activities of the Catholic Church and its recognition at the judicial level”, said Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, the Vatican’s deputy foreign minister who led its delegation in the talks.

Vatican officials stressed that although the agreement was significant, it certainly did not constitute the Holy See’s first recognition of the State of Palestine.

“We have recognised the State of Palestine ever since it was given recognition by the United Nations and it is already listed as the State of Palestine in our official yearbook,” Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesperson, said.

On November 29, 2012, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recognising Palestine as an observer non-member state.

This was welcomed at the time by the Vatican, which has the same observer non-member status at the UN.

During a three-day visit to the Middle East a year ago, Pope Francis delighted his Palestinian hosts by referring to the “state of Palestine”, giving support for their bid for full statehood recognition.

The Palestinian delegation was led by Ambassador Rawan Sulaiman, the assistant minister for foreign affairs.

In an interview with the Vatican’s official newspaper L’Osservatore Romano , Camilleri said he hoped the agreement would indirectly help the Palestinian State in its relations with Israel.

“It would be positive if the accord could in some way help with the establishment and recognition of an independent, sovereign and democratic State of Palestine which lives in peace and security with Israel and its neighbours,” he said.

Hanan Ashrawi, PLO executive committee member, welcomed the Vatican’s recognition of the state of Palestine.

In a statement, Ashrawi said: “The significance of this recognition goes beyond the political and legal into the symbolic and moral domains and sends a message to all people of conscience that the Palestinian people deserve the right to self-determination, formal recognition, freedom and statehood.”

Dozens feared dead after fire consumes factory in Philippines

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At least 65 people are reported killed or missing

"We were all confused because almost everybody was panicking," said worker Jun Panalo. (Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

“We were all confused because almost everybody was panicking,” said worker Jun Panalo. (Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

by Sarah Lazare, Common Dreams

At least 65 people have been reported missing or dead after a fire consumed a rubber slipper factory in a suburb of the Philippine capital of Manila on Wednesday.

Rex Gatchalian, mayor of the suburb of Valenzuela where the disaster took place,reportedly said that it took fire fighters four hours to quell the blaze and bodies were found inside the building.

According to the mayor’s account, the explosion occurred when welding sparks near the factory entrance caused an explosion of the chemicals used in the manufacturing process.

When workers fled to the second floor in an effort to escape, they were reportedly trapped. “By the time they realized that they could pass through the main door, the flames were already engulfing the front area,” said the mayor, according to the Associated Press.

Jun Panalo, a worker who reportedly leaped from the second floor, told Reuters, “We were all confused because almost everybody was panicking. I jumped out, and then someone followed me. I jumped through the fire. My hair was burned.”

Between 200 and 300 people worked at the factory, said owner Veato Ang.

It was not immediately clear whether fire escapes or protections were in place.

Count all lives taken by Drone war, not just western ones: Human rights groups to US

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Human rights organizations including Reprieve and Center for Constitutional Rights write open letter to President Barack Obama

Pakistani journalist and anti-drone campaigner Kareem Khan holds a photograph of his brother and teenage son, both killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2009. (Image courtesy of Reprieve)

Pakistani journalist and anti-drone campaigner Kareem Khan holds a photograph of his brother and teenage son, both killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2009. (Image courtesy of Reprieve)

by Sarah Lazare, Common Dreams

All victims of U.S. drone strikes and assassination attempts deserve to be acknowledged by the government that carried out their killing—not just citizens of western nations—human rights organizations charged (pdf) in an open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama released on Wednesday.

In late April, the Obama administration publicly apologized for the drone killings of two civilians, U.S. citizen Warren Weinstein and Italian citizen Giovanni Lo Porto, in a U.S. strike that occurred in Pakistan in January 2015. For the first time in the drone war, the president pledged to pay compensation to the victims’ families.

But the president has repeatedly refused to acknowledge, let alone pay reparations for, the vast majority of people killed in over a decade of covert drone wars, the most of whom hail from Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Afghanistan.

“We write to urge your administration to adopt the same approach to all other U.S. counterterrorism strikes in which civilians have been injured or killed—regardless of their nationalities,” reads the letter, which was signed by humanitarian and advocacy groups, including Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Reprieve.

“To that end, your administration should establish a systematic and transparent mechanism for post-strike investigations, which are made public, and provide appropriate redress to civilian victims,” the missive continues.

But the statement goes beyond calling for transparency and redress: “In addition to investigating individual strikes, acknowledging responsibility, and providing appropriate redress for civilian harm, we urge your administration to take essential steps to: publicly disclose standards and criteria governing ‘targeted killings’; ensure that U.S. lethal force operations abroad comply with international human rights and humanitarian law; and enable meaningful congressional oversight and judicial review.”

Many from heavily impacted areas and countries have called for an immediate end to the U.S. drone war altogether. “These drones attack us, and the whole world is silent,” declared Kareem Khan, a Pakistani journalist and anti-drone campaigner whose brother and teenage son were killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2009, addressing a 2011 anti-drone conference in Islamabad.

Wednesday’s letter includes examples of ten U.S. drone strikes that have left family and loved ones seeking redress, accountability, and simply, acknowledgement.

One such case is from October 24, 2012 in Pakistan: “A strike allegedly killed Mamana Bibi, a woman aged about 65 who was gathering vegetables in her family’s large, mostly vacant fields in Ghundi Kala, a village in North Waziristan.”

But the human toll goes far beyond these ten examples.

According to estimates from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, one of the few outfits publicly tracking such deaths, up to 1,273 people in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Afghanistan have been killed in CIA drone attacks and other covert operations since 2002.

Four Indians killed in Afghan guest house siege

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kabul-siege

Kabul: Four Indians were killed when gunmen stormed a guest house here, trapping several foreign nationals inside and triggering hours-long overnight standoff with Afghan security forces. An American was also killed in the gunfight.

The attack started at about 0900 PM last night when three gunmen launched a brazen assault at the Park Palace Hotel, popular with foreigners and located in the Kolola Pushta area of the Kabul city.

Soon after the gunmen stormed the guest house, Afghan National Security Forces including Special Forces arrived and began striking back the attackers and also rescuing those under siege inside the guest house.

Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said security forces rescued 54 people from inside the guest house but five people lost their lives.

All three attackers were killed in the siege that lasted for about seven hours, ending in the wee hours of this morning.

“Unfortunately a few Indian casualties among others at the Kabul g/house attack today,” Indian Ambassador Amar Sinha tweeted but official sources later confirmed that two Indians were among the dead.

Two Indians, an American and two Afghans were killed in the attack, Khaama Press reported. At least six people were also wounded in the attack. One or two Indians were still unaccounted for, sources said.

United States Embassy in Kabul confirmed the death of one of American national in the attack.

A concert attended by foreigners and Afghans was due to begin at the guest house around the time the gunmen stormed the place.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the siege on the guest house which has rooms for visitors and a residential area for those who live full-time in Kabul, including foreign aid workers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently on a three-day visit to China, tweeted last night, “In the aircraft I got news about the attack in Kabul. Am concerned about the situation & I pray for everyone’s safety.”

Kolola Pushta is home to several international guest houses and hotels and is near the Afghan interior ministry.

Today’s brazen assault was reminiscent of two attacks last year on a hotel and a restaurant in which 30 were killed.

Earlier today, gunmen opened fire at a meeting of Muslim clerics in Helmand, killing at least seven people. The Taliban, ousted from power in 2001, have stepped up attacks since they announced their “spring offensive” last month.

(PTI)

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