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Sublime Smith takes Australia to 194/4 at tea

by

omesh-yadav

Ranchi: Captain Steven Smith struck a plucky half century to guide Australia to 194 for four at tea on day one of third Test against India here Thursday.

Smith (80*) was in the middle alongside comeback man Glenn Maxwell (19*) in a session where Australia scored 85 runs in 30 overs at the loss of Peter Handscomb (19).

It was a less productive session for the hosts, who had taken three crucial wickets in the first two hours of play, reducing the visitors to 109 for three.

Ajinkya Rahane was the stand-in captain in the middle as Virat Kohli missed majority of the second session after hurting his shoulder with an awkward dive in the morning.

Trying to save a boundary at deep midwicket in the 40th over, Kohli landed heavily on the fast and hard outfield of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association International Stadium Complex.

Such was the impact that he had difficulty in standing up and was seen grimacing in pain, clutching his right shoulder to be rushed out of the field immediately.

However, it was a memorable outing for rival skipper Smith, who became the third fastest batsman in terms of matches played to complete 5000 Test runs in his 53rd Test.

Sir Don Bradman had reached the milestone in his 36th Test, while Sunil Gavaskar took 52 matches to get past 5000.

Smith went about his job as usual on way to his 21st half-century and shared undefeated 54-run partnership with Maxwell.

Umesh looked the most impressive Indian bowler and gave the the only breakthrough of the session when he trapped Handscomb LBW with a brilliant inswinging yorker.

After Handscomb’s departure, Smith found a fine ally in Maxwell.

Earlier, Smith won a fine toss as their openers Matt Renshaw and David Warner played with a positive intent and cruised to 50 for no loss in 9.3 overs.

But after spin was introduced at both ends in the 10th over, Ravindra Jadeja (1/49) struck in his first over with Warner (19) offering a simple return catch to the left-arm spinner.

Renshaw’s first 24 runs came only in boundaries as once he cleared a fielder the ball would race past the rope.

Seventh over and Ashwin came in with his ‘bunny’ Warner at the opposite end.

At the other end, Warner took his time and hit his first boundary after 22 balls with an elegant cover drive off Yadav.

With Warner looking to break free, Kohli employed spin attack at both ends and Jadeja was welcomed by the Aussie vice-captain with another crunching drive.

The next ball, a juicy full-toss and Warner offered Jadeja a return catch for the first breakthrough for India.

(Agencies)

Adani asked to abandon coal mine project in Australia

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adani

Melbourne: Cricket legends Ian and Greg Chappell are among 90 prominent Australians who have signed an open letter calling on Indian energy giant Adani to abandon its controversial coal mine projectin Queensland, warning it could damage bilateral ties and even affect sporting links.

The 21.7 billion dollar Carmichael coal mine project, one of the world’s largest, to start construction this year after being given the green light by the federal and Queensland state governments.

The project involves dredging 1.1 million cubic metres of spoil near the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which will then be disposed off on land.

The letter addressed to Gautam Adani, the company’s founder and chairman, cites public opposition, risks to miners’ health, climate change and potential impact on the Great Barrier Reef as reasons not to proceed.

“Cricket has a bit to do with the feeling between India and Australia,” said Ian Chappell.

“The thought that this [mine] could affect the relationship, hopefully that’ll get through.”

The letter calls on Adani to invest in renewables instead, and concludes that it would be a “great shame” were the mine to “damage the image of India in Australia”.

Besides the former Australian Test cricket captains, authors Richard Flanagan and Tim Winton, Telstra chair John Mullen and investment banker Mark Burrows have also signed the letter.

The letter is expected to be delivered to Adani’s Gujarat headquarters by an Australian community delegation currently visiting India.

The letter said,”We are writing to respectfully ask you to abandon the Adani Group’s proposal in Queensland’s Galilee Basin…Pollution from burning coal was the single biggest driver of global warming, threatening life in Australia, India and all over the world.”

“Last month The Lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journals, published a report that described your company’s Carmichael mine proposal as a public health disaster…this mine proposal does not have wide public support in Australia and does not have the support of the Traditional Owners of the land where the mine would be dug.

“There are concerns about the impact the mine will have on groundwater resources and on nearby farmers who rely on this water for their livelihoods,” it noted.

“We urge you to think about global warming and public health and listen to the wishes of the people. It would be a great shame if this one project were to damage the image of India in Australia. We understand the Adani Group has not made a final investment decision on the Carmichael coal mine. We strongly urge you to decide to abandon this project.

“We the undersigned – and we believe all Australians – would support and welcome moves by your company to invest further in renewable energy in Australia,” the open letter said.

(PTI)

Delhi HC justifies Modi govt’s decision to ban Zakir Naik’s IRF

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zakir naik

New Delhi: In a blow to internationally acclaimed orator Dr Zakir Naik, the Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed the petition of his NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) against the immediate ban and freezing of bank accounts.

The Delhi High Court said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sufficient materials to back ban imposed on the IRF. “Immediate action against Zakir Naik’s IRF appears to have been taken in interest of integrity and public order maintenance,” said the Delhi High Court.

Zakir Naik’s NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) was banned by the government for five years in November last year. The ban on IRF was enforced under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and approved at a meeting of the Union Cabinet.

Zakir Naik has repeatedly condemned all acts of terrorism in his public speeches. However, Home Ministry claims that Zakir Naik made many provocative speeches and had engaged in terror propaganda.

The Maharashtra Police have also registered criminal cases against Zakir Naik accusing him of involving in radicalisation of youths and luring them into terror activities.

He came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper ‘Daily Star’ reported that one of the perpetrators of the July 1,2016 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook in 2015 quoting Naik. However the newspaper had taken down the report later.

Last month, The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued summons to Zakir Naik and the IRF under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Zakir Naik, in a 2,000-word open letter, urged the Modi government to be “fair” in its investigation and be “truthful with facts”.

(Agencies)

Saudi Arabia: Trump meeting a ‘historic turning point’

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Saudi says talks highlighted shared views on Iran, expresses ‘satisfaction’ Trump’s travel ban not aimed at Muslims.

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House [REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque]

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House [REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque]

by Al Jazeera

Saudi Arabia has hailed a “historic turning point” in relations with the United States after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.

The meeting on Tuesday was the first since Trump’s January 20 inauguration with a prince who is leading the kingdom’s efforts to revive state finances and is also its defence minister.

“The meeting today restored issues to their right path and form a big change in relations between both countries in political, military, security and economic issues,” a senior adviser to Prince Mohammed said in a statement.

The talks appeared to signal a marked difference from Riyadh’s often fraught relationship with the previous administration of Barack Obama, especially following the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The deputy crown prince viewed the nuclear deal as “very dangerous”, the senior adviser said, adding that both leaders had identical views on “the danger of Iran’s regional expansionist activities”.

The Trump White House has said the deal was not in the best interests of the US.

Referring to a US travel ban on six Muslim-majority countries, the adviser said that Prince Mohammed did not regard it as aimed at “Muslim countries or Islam”.

Earlier this month Trump signed a revised executive order banning citizens from Yemen, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and Libya from travelling to the US but removed Iraq from the list, after a first attempt was blocked in the courts.

The senior adviser said Prince Mohammed “expressed his satisfaction after the meeting on the positive position and clarifications he heard from President Trump on his views on Islam.”

The two leaders also discussed opportunities for US companies to invest in Saudi Arabia.

Obama late last year suspended the sale of US-made precision-guidance munitions to the Saudis, a reaction to thousands of civilian casualties from Saudi-led air raids in Yemen.

US officials said Trump was considering ending that ban and approving the sale of guidance systems made by Raytheon Co.

The US State Department has approved the move, which awaits a final White House decision, the officials said.

Gregory Gause, a Gulf expert at Texas A&M University, said that while Saudi Arabia might find the “atmospherics” of its relations with Trump better than those with Obama, it might find less change than it hopes on key issues.

For example, he said, Trump is unlikely to mount a major, costly effort to counter Iranian influence in Iraq, or to launch a full-scale campaign to oust Syrian President Bashar al Assad, as Riyadh might wish.

“I think they’re going to find rhetorically that the new administration says things and uses language they like more,” said Gause. “But I think on the ground, we’re not going to see an enormous difference.”

Karnataka offers soaps to students, farmers in 2017-18 Budget

by

Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Ahead of the state assembly elections in early 2018, the Congress government in Karnataka in its Budget for fiscal 2017-18 on Wednesday doled out goodies, freebies and sops to students, urban and rural poor and farmers.

Presenting a populist and tax-free Budget in the state legislative assembly here, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told the lawmakers that free laptops would be given to 1.5 lakh students joining engineering, medical, polytechnic and degree colleges across the state in the new academic year.

“We propose to open ‘Our (Namma) Canteens’ in 198 civic wards across Bengaluru to serve breakfast at Rs 5 and lunch and dinner at Rs 10 each to the common man,” said Siddaramaiah in his two-hour-long Budget speech in Kannada.

With the state reeling under drought over the last two years, the government has waived interest amounting to Rs 125 crore on agricultural loans of 74,525 farmers.

“We have waived Rs 2,359 crore towards crop loans availed by 10.7 lakh farmers from cooperative societies since 2013-14 as against Rs 940 crore waiver given to four lakh farmers from July 1, 2011, to July 25, 2012, by the previous (the BJP) government,” recalled the Chief Minister.

“The state government has also paid Rs 45 crore interest subsidy on behalf of two-lakh farmers during fiscal 2015-16. Instalment payments for short-term and long-term loans have been extended till March 31 from September 30, 2015,” said the Chief Minister.

To mitigate the woes of 25 lakh drought-hit farmers, the Budget has proposed to disburse Rs 13,500 crore for crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh at zero per cent and Rs 10 lakh at 3 per cent interest rate per annum.

“Similarly, loans to women self-help groups will be disbursed at zero per cent rate of interest as against 4 per cent per annum through cooperative societies,” said Siddaramaiah, presenting his 12th Budget as the state’s Finance Minster and fourth as the Chief Minister since May 2013.

The Budget has earmarked Rs 600 crore in FY 2018 to provide protective irrigation to crops during the critical stages to combat drought and obtain higher income.

“The Karnataka Raitha Suraksha Pradhana Manthri Fasal Bima Yojana will spend Rs 845 crore in 2017-18 to minimise the drought impact in 31.5 lakh hectares across the state,” said Siddaramiah.

To encourage rural youths to take to farming and use farm machinery, 174 rural farm machinery repair/service centres will be opened in each local body.

“Drip irrigation facility will be provided to 35,000 farmers with 90 per cent subsidy at a cost of Rs 233 crore. To mitigate water scarcity to crops due to drought, 50 per cent subsidy (Rs 50,000) will be provided to 10 farmers per taluk to buy water tankers,” added Siddaramaiah.

(IANS)

Shashank Manohar resigns as ICC Chairman

by

Shashank Manohar

Dubai: In a surprise development, Shashank Manohar Wednesday resigned as ICC chairman after merely eight months in office citing personal reasons.

The 59-year-old Manohar mailed his resignation letter to ICC CEO Dave Richardson without clarifying the exact reason for this sudden move to end what was to be a two-year-tenure.

However, according to highly-placed sources Manohar has decided to quit as BCCI seems to have gained enough ground to block the constitutional and financial reforms that were set to be passed by the ICC at its next board meeting.

Any reform to be passed needs 2/3rd majority but BCCI, in all likelihood, has managed to get Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe on its side.

It is learnt, expecting a loss of face, Manohar has resigned with immediate effect. “I was elected unopposed as the first independent Chairman of ICC last year. I have tried to do my best and have tried to be fair and impartial in deciding matters in the functioning of the Board and in matters related to Member Boards along with the able support of all Directors,” Manohar has stated in his resignation letter.

“However, for personal reasons it is not possible for me to hold the august office of ICC Chairman and hence I am tendering my resignation as Chairman with immediate effect. I take this opportunity to thank all the Directors, the Management and staff of ICC for supporting me wholeheartedly. I wish ICC all the very best and hope it achieves greater heights,” he concluded.

Manohar had last year resigned from the BCCI citing his inability to carry out Lodha Committee reforms in toto. His detractors in BCCI at that time had said he left a sinking ship for the safer confines of the ICC.

He became the first independent chairman of ICC but had several run ins with BCCI on revenue sharing pattern.

The BCCI officials believe that for his personal ambitions to head the ICC, Manohar had not cared about the BCCI’s interests.

(PTI)

‘Padmavati’ film set vandalised, costumes set ablaze

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Padmavati

Kolhapur: The set of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film “Padmavati” was vandalised by unidentified persons in Kolhapur district in the wee hours Wednesday.

They also torched the costumes and the animal feed kept there, said the police.

The shooting of the Deepika Padukone-starrer film was underway at Mhasai Pathar, a rocky plateau in the western Maharashtra district, when a group of around 15-20 people came to the set between 1 AM and 2 AM today, they said.

They allegedly set on fire the costumes of the film and also torched the fodder kept for the horses, Senior Police Inspector, Panhala Police Station, Dhanya Kumar Godse said.

The film’s crew members caught hold of two of the vandals.

However, they were attacked by the other members in the group and managed to run away, Senior Police Inspector, Godse said.

The vandals also allegedly tried to set ablaze the vehicles of the crew members parked near the set.

The reason behind the protest was not yet known, the police said.

Godse said no formal complaint has been lodged so far in connection with the incident.

The film’s producers were not available for comments.

It is second such incident for the film. In January this year, some members of a Rajput community group, Karni Sena, had assaulted Bhansali in Jaipur for allegedly presenting “distorted facts” in “Padmavati”.

Following the film’s team cancelled its shooting in Jaipur and Bhansali’s production house had to release a statement clarifying the “misconception” about the film’s story.

Deepika plays the role of Rani Padmavati in the film, which also stars Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji and Shahid Kapoor as Raja Ratan Singh.

(PTI)

Congress uproar over Guvs’ role in Goa, Manipur disrupts RS work

by

rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Opposition Congress today forced three adjournments in the Rajya Sabha protesting the “stealing of mandate” in Manipur and Goa where it was not invited to form government despite being the single largest party. The House witnessed adjournment of proceedings thrice, twice during the Zero Hour and once during the Question Hour.

Congress cited rulings by the constitution benches of the Supreme Court to state that the Governor was bound to invite the party with the largest number of MLAs to form the government and prove its majority on the floor of the House. It alleged that the Governors in the two states, which in the recently concluded assembly elections threw up a hung assembly with Congress being the single largest party, were “acting at the behest” of the Centre.

Congress members stormed into the Well of the House shouting slogans, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn proceedings for 10 minutes. Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention after his notice under rule 267 seeking setting aside of the business was converted, Anand Sharma (Cong) said the people’s mandate through the elections in a democracy should be accepted and respected by all.

He congratulated the ruling BJP for scoring a big victory in Uttar Pradesh and went on to say that the Congress got a massive mandate in the sensitive border state of Punjab and emerged as the single largest party with 28 MLAs in the 40 member Manipur assembly. “The incumbent Chief Minister (in Manipur) was in a position to form the government” but the Governor ignored his claim and called the BJP to form the government, Sharma said.

He said the legal position has been established through two judgements of the constitution benches of Supreme Court which have “made it absolutely clear that if there is no clear mandate, the Governor is obliged to invite the leader of the largest party to form government and prove the majority.” In case the largest party is unable to prove the majority, the second largest party is invited, he said.

“The mandate has been violated,” he said, adding Manipur and Goa have witnessed “stealing of MLAs and stealing of mandate”. The Governor “is acting at the behest of the government,” he alleged. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the reference about Governor should be expunged as references on the conduct of a person in high authority cannot be made without a substantive motion.

Kurien moved to the next Zero Hour mention and called D Raja (CPI) but Congress members would not give up easily and trooped into the Well raising slogans against the government and “murder of democracy”. Treasury benches also shouted slogans to counter them. Kurien said Raja was raising a Dalit issue and should be given a patient hearing and asked the treasury benches not to disturb and the opposition members to return to their seats. But none heeded to his advice, forcing him to adjourn the House for 10 minutes.

(Agencies)

Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak to walk free in coming days

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Public prosecutor orders release of former president as early as Tuesday following court acquittal.

Mubarak supporters gathered outside the military hospital where he is staying [Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters]

Mubarak supporters gathered outside the military hospital where he is staying [Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown as president of Egypt in an uprising in 2011, will be released from detention in a military hospital after a six-year legal battle over accusations of involvement in the killing of protesters.

“He will go to his home in Heliopolis,” Mubarak’s lawyer Farid el-Deeb said, adding the ageing former president would likely be released on Tuesday or soon after, but would be barred from leaving the country pending an ongoing corruption investigation.

The prosecutor’s decision came on Monday, days after an appeals court acquitted Mubarak on March 2 of involvement in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ousted him.

His acquittal, which is final, has angered relatives of those killed in 2011.

“Our son’s blood was spilled for nothing,” said Mostafa Morsi, whose son was shot dead aged 22 on January 28, 2011.

The president who ruled for 30 years was accused of inciting the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt, in which about 850 people were killed as police clashed with demonstrators.

Mubarak, 88, was sentenced to life in 2012, but an appeals court ordered a retrial, which dismissed the charges two years later.

Amid public anger, prosecutors had levelled various charges against Mubarak following his February 2011 resignation.

In January 2016, the appeals court upheld a three-year prison sentence for Mubarak and his two sons on corruption charges.

But the sentence took into account time served. Both of his sons, Alaa and Gamal, were freed.

Six years after his overthrow, most of the charges brought against his regime members have been dismissed while the country struggles to recover from the aftermath of the uprising.

The revolt ushered in instability that drove away tourists and investors, taking a heavy toll on the economy.

Mubarak’s elected Muslim Brotherhood successor, Mohamed Morsi, served for only a year before the military toppled and detained him in 2013, before launching a deadly crackdown on those who backed him.

Hundreds of Morsi’s supporters were sentenced to death after speedy trials. Morsi himself has also stood trial in several cases.

Critics say that the abuses they fought under Mubarak have returned with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former army chief who toppled Morsi.

Mai Mogib, a politics professor at Cairo University, said times have changed since the Middle East uprisings six years ago.

“Talk of the Arab Spring has completely stopped,” she said. But “discussing Mubarak and symbols of his era has become acceptable in the media and in the street.

“He’s in a better position than all other presidents who faced the Arab Spring,” Mogib said.

Sisi’s pardon

Also on Monday, Sisi issued a pardon for 203 youths jailed for taking part in demonstrations against his rule, according to state news agency MENA. No official list of names was immediately available.

Since seizing power, Sisi has presided over a crackdown on his opponents that has seen hundreds killed and many thousands jailed.

Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein has been detained in Egypt without charge for more than 80 days.

Hussein, an Egyptian based in Qatar, was stopped, questioned, and detained by the Egyptian authorities on December 20 after travelling to Cairo for a holiday.

Employers allowed to ban the hijab, EU court says

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Court of Justice rules that workplace bans on political, philosophical or religious symbols are not discriminatory.

muslim

by Al Jazeera

Employers are permitted to ban staff from wearing visible religious symbols, the European Union’s top court ruled on Tuesday – its first decision on the issue of women wearing hijabs at work.

The ECJ gave a joined judgment in the cases of two women, in France and Belgium, who were dismissed for refusing to remove hijabs. The hijab is a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion.

“An internal rule of an undertaking which prohibits the visible wearing of any political, philosophical or religious sign does not constitute direct discrimination,” the EU’s Court of Justice (ECJ) said in a statement.

The ruling comes on the eve of a Dutch election in which Muslim immigration has been a key issue and a bellwether for attitudes towards migration and refugee policies across Europe.

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