Narendra Modi's China visit – A hard test of diplomacy

<p><strong>New Delhi,Iftikhar Gilani:</strong> Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue with his robust diplomacy, paying a three-nation official visit to China, Mongolia and South Korea from May 14–19, just a week before celebrating one year in power. His three-day visit to China from May 14-16, starting from the Chinese President Xi Jingping’s home city of Xi’an will be the most watched leg of his tour. Xi'an is the provincial capital of Shaanxi province, also the home province of 7th century traveller and Budhist monk, Huen Tsang, who studied in India.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/06/333944-diplomacy1.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>While Chinese will push to seek contracts in big-ticket projects like bullet-trains push to seek their pie in investing in high-speed trains, smart city projects and other infrastructure assignments, India will look forward a concrete movement on political side, mainly a commitment to settle land boundaries, which often create unsavoury situations for both the countries. I</p><p>ncidentally, South Korea is also competing to join these projects, high on Prime Minister’s priority. Experts here believe the visit will also be a challenge to Modi’s diplomatic acumen, as South Korea along with Vietnam has locked horns with China on the control of South China Sea.</p><p>In his indomitable style, Modi on Monday logged on China's most popular micro-blogging site, Sina Weibo. China has banned Twitter, Facebook and other foreign-owned social media platforms after the 2009 riots in Urumqi, Xinjiang.</p><p>From Xi'an, Modi will fly to Beijing and then Shanghai before leaving for Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Apart from Modi, other world leaders British Prime Minister David Cameron and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have opened Sina Weibo accounts to try to connect with Chinese in absence of Twitter and Facebook.</p><p>The PM will also attend an event organised by the Indian community in Shanghai, recreating Madison Square in the United States and the Sydney Olympic Park in Australia and Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Canada.</p><p>In Western nations, while it makes a political sense to interact with Indian diaspora to use them as lobbyists, many experts here wonder the extent of influence of Indian diaspora on the Chinese polity. Reports said about 45,000 Indians – professionals, businessmen mostly Hong Kong-based diamond merchants of Surat and students – will converge to hear Modi.</p><p>Officials say Xi may accompany Modi to the Wild Goose Pagoda, a spiritual structure build to highlight famous Chinese Buddhist monk Xuan Zang's journey to India in 645 AD through the ancient Silk Road and his return after a 17-year long sojourn with precious Buddhist scriptures.</p><p>China is India's biggest trading partner with two-way commerce totalling close to $70 billion. But India's trade deficit with China has soared from just $1 billion in 2001-02 to more than $40 billion, Indian figures show. Experts say Modi must bridge the deficit by seeking greater access to the Chinese market, with the two sides targeting annual bilateral trade of $100 billion this year.</p><p>Politically experts believe that China has thrown a big net around India, which is also bleeding the USA in Asia. Its strategies in the East and South China Seas, have imposed high costs on Washington. And on its Western front, Beijing has integrated regions, with is border provinces.</p><p>Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are too dependent on China. It is on way to enter Pakistan in a big way, taking control of Gwadar port and routes leading to Central Asia. It has already made strong forays in Nepal, Myanmar, Malaysia and Mongolia. They maintain that Modi’s diplomacy will be on test, as Chinese leaders are preparing to regale and accord him a royal treatment.</p><p>But they will hardly concede on any issue. “Chinese leaders are known for talking sweetly and yielding on none. They buy time or influence and soften the other side through business deals. A hard test for Modi indeed,” said the expert, an old China hand, who didn’t want to be identified.</p>

Narendra Modi's China visit – A hard test of diplomacy

New Delhi,Iftikhar Gilani: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue with his robust diplomacy, paying a three-nation official visit to Ch...

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AAP's infighting will go on till policies are unclear: Sitaram Yechury

<p>Visakhapatnam(PTI): The bickerings in Aam Aadmi Party will continue as long it has no clear perception on socio-economic policies, especially on the issue of communalism, senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has said.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/04/15/327646-sitaramyechury-rna.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Quoting the Draft Political Resolution of his party's ongoing 21st congress here, Yechury said though most regional parties in the country play opportunistic politics, the CPI(M)'s approach to them would depend on the given political situation. "Future of AAP will solely depend on their policies. If they don't come out clear on these two issues (economic issues and communalism), if they try to push these issues under the carpet using opportunistic strategies, then there may not be a good future for that party. If they do not have clarity on these two issues, the internal bickerings will continue," Yechury said.</p><p>Terming AAP as a "party of contradictions", he said if it makes its stand clear on these two issues, then CPI(M) may take a view on that party, he said.</p><p>Maintaining that AAP is an offshoot of anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, the 21st Draft Political Resolution of CPI(M) noted that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has had an appeal among middle class sections and youth in many places. However, apart from agitating on popular issues, it has not come out with a clear-cut programme and policies.</p><p>Taking a dim view of the NDA Government's foreign policy, Yechury said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing the same thing what former PM Manmohan Singh did. "Modi has travelled abroad more than any PM has done in our country. What he is going to get out of these trips for India, we will have to wait and see. But so far nothing tangible has come," he said.</p><p>"Regarding the NDA's foreign policy, we are concerned because there is a clear shift towards becoming an appendix to USA's strategic interest in the world. That is not in India's interest," said Yechury, a front-runner for the CPI(M) general secretary's post. During the meet here, the CPI(M) would deliberate on the present political situation and discuss strategy for strengthening the party.</p><p>The organisational elections will be held on the last day of the conference on April 19 when its new general secretary will be elected, as the term of incumbent Prakash Karat is going to end.</p>

AAP's infighting will go on till policies are unclear: Sitaram Yechury

Visakhapatnam(PTI): The bickerings in Aam Aadmi Party will continue as long it has no clear perception on socio-economic policies, especiall...

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Sania Mirza becomes No 1 in World doubles rankings

<p>New Delhi(ANI): "Two years ago, I told myself that I want to become World No. 1, win a Grand Slam title (in women's doubles) and also win the WTA Finals. That's one down, two more to go. I am at the peak of my career and I want to achieve the remaining goals."</p><p><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Sania_Mirza_at_U.S._Open_Friday,_Sept._2,_2011.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Those were Sania Mirza's words to dna in October last year. She and Zimbabwean Cara Black had just won the season-ending tournament in Singapore. Nearly six months on, Mirza has kept at it. On Sunday, she ticked another box by scaling the No. 1 peak in the world of tennis, thereby becoming only the third Indian after Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi (1999) to do so. That's not all. Mirza also made it a rollicking fortnight for Indian women by following badminton ace and fellow Hyderabadi Saina Nehwal to occupy the top spot in her sport. For the record, she upstaged Italians Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci. The rankings will be updated on Monday.</p><p>Combining with Swiss great Martina Hingis, Mirza got the better of Australia's Casey Dellacqua and Croatia's Darija Jurak 6-0 6-4 in the final of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, USA. The Indo-Swiss pairing has now won 14 straight matches — five at Indian Wells Masters, five at Miami Masters and four in Charleston.</p><p>"It's a dream for every kid to be No.1 one day," Mirza said at the trophy ceremony. "I can't think of a better person to do it with. When we came here we had one thing in mind, to get No.1, and she really helped me get there. She helped me through some tough moments this week. She's just a great person and a great player. We also become the No.1 team in the world today with this. I hope we have many, many more tournaments and end the year on a high as well," added Mirza, who has won seven WTA doubles titles over the last 12 months.</p><p>Mirza went on to praise Hingis, herself a former World No.1. "I don't want to make you feel old, but I did watch you as a kid!" she said, drawing laughter from Hingis and the crowd. "You were an idol to most young girls at the time. You made it when you were 15! No tournament has been as special to me as the Family Circle Cup and no tournament will ever be as special to me, because I became No.1 here," added Mirza, who became just the 33rd woman to hold the No. 1 ranking since the WTA introduced them in 1984.</p><p>After not even losing a set in their first two tournaments together, Hingis and Mirza were tested in Charleston where they dropped a set each in the quarterfinal and semifinal. Why, they even faced a match point against Anabel Medina Garrigues and Yaroslava Shvedova in the semifinal.</p><p>Sunday's win helped also helped the Indo-Swiss pair secure the No.1 spot on the 'Road To Singapore' doubles leaderboard. Mirza also became only the fourth Asian woman to become World No. 1 after Japan's Ai Sugiyama, China's Peng Shuai and Chinese Taipei's Hsieh Su-Wei.</p>

Sania Mirza becomes No 1 in World doubles rankings

New Delhi(ANI): "Two years ago, I told myself that I want to become World No. 1, win a Grand Slam title (in women's doubles) and al...

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RBI's Rajan: We know that we are on the right track

<p>Mumbai(dna): Raghuram Rajan, governor Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the first bi-monthly policy on April 7 where he left the repo rate and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) unchanged at 7.5% and 4.0%, respectively.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/04/09/325941-rajan-rbi3-afp-edited.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>RBI said that the India's GDP for the current fiscal is likely to grow at 7.8%, up 30 basis points.</p><p>Zee Business met Rajan for an interview.</p><p>Excerpts:</p><p>...On rate cut</p><p>44 banks have brought down their base rates. Banks take time to adjust rates. We reduced repo rate in January but we didn't expect banks to lower rates in March but we hoped they would do that in April. Banks cut rates because they had the room to do that. March was a tight season that is why banks had less room to lower rates.</p><p>...On rate cut outlook</p><p>The 50 bps rate cut by RBI will show its effects. Market competition will force banks to lower their rates as some banks are offering loans at lower rates. Corporate India is getting loans at 7.5%, so how long can banks maintain high lending rates? Banks will have to maintain a balance. Not cutting lending rates for 3 months isn't good.</p><p>...On cost of funds argument</p><p>Banks say that they don't want floating rate deposits. Fixed deposit rate causes asset liability miss match and that keeps lending rates high. World over, banks follow floating deposit rates.</p><p>...On further rate cut by RBI</p><p>RBI has already cut repo rate by 50 bps and now the unseasonal rains and Iran deal's effects will have to be taken into account. It crude oil prices fall then inflation will come down further and lending rates will follow.</p><p>...On inflation</p><p>We hope that inflation will fall to 4% in August and because of which base rate will come down as well. . If inflation falls then we may cut rates further. Apart from inflation, US Fed, fiscal spending, etc will have to be watched.</p><p>... On Modi govt one year</p><p>There has been a lot of work in the past one year. There has been a lot of progress. The number of stalled projects have come down from Rs 8 lakh crore to Rs 5-6 lakh crore. New projects are beginning which is a good thing, Modi government's worked on coal auction and spectrum auction is appreciable.</p><p>...On Moody’s upgrade</p><p>Moody's rating outlook improvement is also positive but it is difficult to say that whether first upgrade will come from Moody’s, Fitch or S&P. We know that we are on the right track. We have a lot of work to do. From industrial corridor to the rest of the projects, a lot of work is left. We don't have to worry about upgrades but focus on these projects.</p><p>...On monetary policy committee</p><p>We must empower the monetary policy committee and for that RBI Act has to be amended. After careful thought the Act can be amended. The US Fed's governor and others are permanent employees. Bank of England has a lot of outsiders. Monetery Policy Commiitte isn't currently not an urgent matter but a mix of RBI and outside experts will be a good thing,</p><p>....ON global economy</p><p>World economy is weak at the moment. USA is doing good at the moment but the first quarter hasn't been that well. Euro Zone is coming out of recession but recovery is still some time away. Japan is recovering slowly and its ecnomy is consumption based. There are talks that if China grows below 7% then India will become an attractive destination and we have to live up to the expectations.</p>

RBI's Rajan: We know that we are on the right track

Mumbai(dna): Raghuram Rajan, governor Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the first bi-monthly policy on April 7 where he left the repo ra...

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India capable of developing intercontinental ballistic missiles beyond 10,000 kilometers range: DRDO

<p>New Delhi/Vadodara(PTI): India is capable of developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) which can hit targets beyond the range of 10,000 kms, Chairman of Armament Research Board, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Dr S K Salwan said on Saturday.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/04/05/324692-akash-missile.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>"India has successfully test fired nuclear capable Agni V missile recently which has a range of 5,000 kms. But we are capable of developing ICBM that can hit targets beyond the range of 10,000 kms," Salwan said on the sidelines of 6th National Conference themed 'Emerging Vistas of Technology in 21st Century' held here.</p><p>At the conference, organised by a city-based educational group, Salwan said such seminars should be held by academic institutes across the country so that there is a greater interaction between students, academicians and other stakeholders with the scientific institutions.</p><p>He also suggested that the HRD Ministry, UGC should organise such seminars and conferences.</p><p>Salwan said beside the Agni-VI's ground version, the DRDO is simultaneously working out on its underground variant.</p><p>He said that after ban on import of components for laser technology, imposed by the USA, UK and other countries, India has indigenously developed laser technology and has become self-sufficient.</p><p>"We adopt synergic approach towards national needs and priorities in the field of armaments, yet keeping in focus the global advancements in order to develop competence in key areas," he said.</p><p>On the role of Armament Research Board, he said it helps in creating self-sufficiency in critical technologies needed for development of competitive armament stores and put the armament discipline at the fore-front in global scenario.</p><p>"The Board's objective is to lead to technological innovations useful for combat multiplier, both for the near term and future," he said.</p><p>During the conference, he spoke on anti-defence missiles, electronic warfare and cyber security.</p><p>Over 750 delegates from various cities attended the conference and over 343 research papers were presented.</p><p>Discussions were held on topics strengthening research and development, advancements in the field of engineering and technology among others.</p>

India capable of developing intercontinental ballistic missiles beyond 10,000 kilometers range: DRDO

New Delhi/Vadodara(PTI): India is capable of developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) which can hit targets beyond the range of...

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Indiana Sentences Purvi Patel to 20 Years for Feticide

<p><strong>Boston(nbcnews):</strong> An Indiana woman was found guilty of the killing of a fetus and child neglect after delivering a baby she said was stillborn and throwing it in a dumpster. The case is the first time a woman has been convicted of feticide for ending her own pregnancy.</p><p><img alt="150205_CRIME_Patel" src="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2015/02/150205_CRIME_Patel.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Purvi Patel was sentenced Tuesday night to 20 years in prison for feticide and neglect of a dependent resulting in death for the events surrounding her labor and delivery in July 2013.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://media4.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2015_14/954476/purvi_patel_6a0c21489c0a5c2f9891e586133f96d3.nbcnews-ux-720-440.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>She had been cramping for a few days, and left work early from the restaurant her father owns. Patel delivered the infant at home, later telling a police detective, “it all came out.” She told him the baby was born dead, but that she had opened the its mouth and tried to resuscitate it, to no avail.</p><p>Patel eventually wrapped the infant in paper towels and layers of plastic bags because she “didn’t know what else to do,” and threw in a dumpster behind a shopping center on her way to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center’s maternity ward. She did not tell doctors she was pregnant.</p><p>Dr. Kelly McGuire, an obstetrician who examined Patel, told jurors he knew something was seriously wrong after discovering she still had placenta in her womb attached to a severed umbilical cord.</p><p>“This was not a simple miscarriage,” he testified. “There should have been a baby at the end of the umbilical cord.”</p><div class="cards-content" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, 'Segoe UI', Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"> </div><div class="header" style="position: relative; min-height: 48px; padding: 3px 0px 4px 57px; color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, 'Segoe UI', Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><div class="h-card p-author" style="zoom: 1;" data-scribe="component:author"><a class="u-url profile" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/hannahdoingsex" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; line-height: 18px; color: #707070;"><img alt="" class="u-photo avatar" data-scribe="element:avatar" data-src-2x="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/538789790028537856/1p5A9c18_bigger.jpeg" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/538789790028537856/1p5A9c18_normal.jpeg" style="border: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 48px; height: 48px; border-radius: 4px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /><span class="full-name" style="outline: 0px;"><span class="p-name customisable-highlight" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px; font-weight: bold; color: #292f33;" data-scribe="element:name">hannah</span> </span><span class="p-nickname" dir="ltr" style="font-size: 14px;" data-scribe="element:screen_name">@hannahdoingsex</span></a></div><a class="follow-button profile" data-scribe="component:followbutton" href="https://twitter.com/hannahdoingsex" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #333333; position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; display: inline-block; padding: 0px 5px 0px 3px; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; white-space: nowrap; cursor: pointer; border: 1px solid #cccccc; border-radius: 3px; background-image: linear-gradient(#ffffff, #dedede); background-color: #eeeeee;" title="Follow hannah on Twitter">Follow</a></div><div class="content e-entry-content" style="color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, 'Segoe UI', Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" data-scribe="component:tweet"><p class="e-entry-title" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; border: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; clear: both; word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">is Purvi Patel's 20yr sentence getting reported on <a class="hashtag customisable" data-query-source="hashtag_click" data-scribe="element:hashtag" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AprilFools?src=hash" rel="tag" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #0084b4; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">#AprilFools</a> just in case we forgot what a sick joke Indiana is? <a class="link customisable" data-expanded-url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/04/01/indiana-woman-jailed-for-feticide-its-never-happened-before/" data-scribe="element:url" dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/mgZiukje3X" rel="nofollow" style="outline: 0px; color: #0084b4; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;" target="_blank" title="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/04/01/indiana-woman-jailed-for-feticide-its-never-happened-before/"><span class="tco-hidden" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px);">http://www.</span><span class="tco-display">washingtonpost.com/news/morning-m</span><span class="tco-hidden" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px);">ix/wp/2015/04/01/indiana-woman-jailed-for-feticide-its-never-happened-before/</span><span class="tco-ellipsis"><span class="tco-hidden" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px);"> </span>…</span></a></p><div class="dateline collapsible-container" style="margin-top: 6px; white-space: nowrap;"><a class="u-url customisable-highlight long-permalink" data-datetime="2015-04-01T19:52:48+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp" href="https://twitter.com/hannahdoingsex/status/583356357794869248" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #707070;">1:22 AM - 2 Apr 2015</a></div><div class="cards-base cards-summary with-image customisable-border" style="border-width: 1px 0px 0px; border-style: solid; border-color: #e8e8e8; padding: 12px 0px 0px; transition: margin-top 0.3s ease-out; -webkit-transition: margin-top 0.3s ease-out; margin-top: 12px;" data-scribe="component:card"><div class="cards-content"><h3 style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; border: 0px; outline: 0px;" data-scribe="element:headline"><a class="customisable" href="http://t.co/mgZiukje3X" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #0084b4;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="summary-large-thumbnail autosized-media" data-height="337" data-scribe="element:photo" data-srcset="https%3A%2F%2Fo.twimg.com%2F2%2Fproxy.jpg%3Ft%3DHBh7aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vbmV3cy9tb3JuaW5nLW1peC93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvc2l0ZXMvMjEvMjAxNS8wMy9BUFRPUElYX01pc2hhd2FrYS1JbmZhbnRzX0JvZHktMDJlMmEuanBnFMAHFKIFABYAEgA%26s%3DDIGG_f853cdtQpboYApJezHi2blDD-GQCcuVYUCgVOE 480w" data-width="480" height="329" src="https://o.twimg.com/2/proxy.jpg?t=HBh7aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vbmV3cy9tb3JuaW5nLW1peC93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvc2l0ZXMvMjEvMjAxNS8wMy9BUFRPUElYX01pc2hhd2FrYS1JbmZhbnRzX0JvZHktMDJlMmEuanBnFMAHFKIFABYAEgA&s=DIGG_f853cdtQpboYApJezHi2blDD-GQCcuVYUCgVOE" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 4px 0px 5px;" width="470" />Indiana woman jailed for “feticide.” It’s never happened before.</a></h3><div class="byline" style="color: #707070;" data-scribe="component:card_author">By <a class="byline-user profile h-card" data-scribe="element:userlink" href="https://twitter.com/sarahkaplan48" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #707070;"><span class="p-name" style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah Kaplan</span> <span class="p-nickname" dir="ltr" style="outline: 0px;" data-scribe="element:screen_name">@sarahkaplan48</span></a></div><p class="article" style="padding: 0px; margin: 5px 0px 10px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 18px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; border: 0px; outline: 0px;" data-scribe="element:summary_text"><a href="http://t.co/mgZiukje3X" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #292f33;">Purvi Patel was sentenced to 20 years in prison for what she said was a miscarriage.</a></p></div><a class="source-user profile h-card" data-scribe="component:card_author element:userlink" href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #707070; position: relative; height: 16px; padding-left: 21px; margin: 10px 0px;"><img alt="" class="u-photo avatar" data-scribe="element:avatar" data-src-2x="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000252568100/7a366ac8d0f934b5318e721ba049e9b1_normal.png" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000252568100/7a366ac8d0f934b5318e721ba049e9b1_normal.png" style="border: 0px; position: absolute; top: -2px; left: 0px; display: block; width: 16px; height: 16px; border-radius: 2px;" /><span class="p-name" style="font-weight: bold;" data-scribe="element:name">Washington Post</span> <span class="p-nickname" dir="ltr" data-scribe="element:screen_name">@washingtonpost</span></a></div></div><p>As a “mandated reporter” of child abuse, he called the police, and then helped law enforcement search for the infant. When the baby was found, he unwrapped it from the plastic bags. He told the jury he believed the baby could have been born alive.</p><p>“The baby was cold and lifeless, but I thought it was an otherwise normal, healthy-appearing baby,” McGuire said. “There were no other signs of trauma to the baby.”</p><p>Prosecutors based the feticide charge on text messages police found on Patel’s phone, which they say show she talked to a friend about buying abortion drugs online. But the toxicologist performed two blood tests and didn’t find any trace of abortifacient drugs in her body or in the fetus’ body. Police found no evidence that she actually purchased the drugs, though prosecutors argued that they could have been delivered to the restaurant where Patel works.</p><div class="cards-base cards-multimedia customisable-border" style="border-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: #e8e8e8; border-bottom-color: #e8e8e8; border-left-color: #e8e8e8; padding: 0px; -webkit-transition: margin-top 0.3s ease-out; transition: margin-top 0.3s ease-out; margin-top: 0px; color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, 'Segoe UI', Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" data-scribe="component:card" data-publisher-id="15514266" data-video-content-id="576521805269221376"><div class="media" style="position: relative; margin: 0px 0px 6px; line-height: 0; text-align: center; background-color: #1d1d1d;"><a class="photo-link box-0" data-scribe="element:photo" href="http://twitter.com/PRI/status/576521805386686464/photo/1" style="text-decoration: none; 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outline: 0px; line-height: 18px; color: #707070;"><img alt="" class="u-photo avatar" data-scribe="element:avatar" data-src-2x="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/464901114614124544/rRT9NAzB_bigger.png" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/464901114614124544/rRT9NAzB_normal.png" style="border: 0px; position: absolute; top: 4px; left: 10px; width: 28px; height: 28px; border-radius: 4px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /><span class="full-name" style="outline: 0px;"><span class="p-name customisable-highlight" style="line-height: 16px; font-weight: bold; color: #292f33;" data-scribe="element:name">PRI</span>        <span class="verified" style="display: inline-block; vertical-align: -25%; width: 15px; height: 17px; margin-left: -21px; background: url(data:image/png;" title="Verified Account" data-scribe="element:verified_badge"><span style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px);">✔</span></span> </span><span class="p-nickname" dir="ltr" data-scribe="element:screen_name">@PRI</span></a></div><a class="follow-button profile" data-scribe="component:followbutton" href="https://twitter.com/PRI" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #333333; position: absolute; top: 4px; right: 10px; display: inline-block; padding: 0px 5px 0px 3px; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; text-shadow: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.498039) 0px 1px 0px; white-space: nowrap; cursor: pointer; border: 1px solid #cccccc; border-radius: 3px; background-image: linear-gradient(#ffffff, #dedede); background-color: #eeeeee;" title="Follow PRI on Twitter">Follow</a></div><div class="content e-entry-content" style="padding: 0px 10px 3px; color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, 'Segoe UI', Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" data-scribe="component:tweet"><p class="e-entry-title" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; border: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; clear: both; word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; display: inline;">Feticide laws are on the books in many states, but few have used them against pregnant women. <a class="link customisable" data-expanded-url="http://trib.al/i6YWKDZ" data-scribe="element:url" dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/WDtYwp2Ye6" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #0084b4; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;" target="_blank" title="http://trib.al/i6YWKDZ"><span class="tco-hidden" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px);">http://</span><span class="tco-display">trib.al/i6YWKDZ</span><span class="tco-ellipsis"><span class="tco-hidden" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px);"> </span></span></a></p><div class="dateline collapsible-container" style="margin-top: 7px; white-space: nowrap;"><a class="u-url customisable-highlight long-permalink" data-datetime="2015-03-13T23:14:44+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp" href="https://twitter.com/PRI/status/576521805386686464" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; color: #707070;">4:44 AM - 14 Mar 2015</a></div></div><div class="footer customisable-border" style="position: relative; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; border-style: solid; border-color: #e8e8e8; overflow: hidden; zoom: 1; min-height: 16px; padding-top: 11px; margin: 2px 10px 0px; -webkit-transition: margin-top 0.2s ease-out, padding-top 0.2s ease-out; transition: margin-top 0.2s ease-out, padding-top 0.2s ease-out; padding-bottom: 8px; color: #292f33; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Roboto, 'Segoe UI', Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" data-scribe="component:footer"> </div><p>Patel’s defense attorney argued prosecutors the “‘neglect of a dependent” and “feticide” charges against Patel contradicted each other because they simultaneously claimed that she gave birth to a newborn and then neglected it and that she intentionally terminated her pregnancy.</p><p>Prosecutor Ken Cotter told Slate that Indiana law defines feticide as an attempt to terminate a pregnancy “with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus,” though legal abortions are protected under the statute.</p><p>Abortion rights activists decried the use of feticide laws ‒ which are designed to protect women in cases of assault against an expecting mother and from illegal abortions ‒ against women.</p><p>“Indiana’s feticide law was passed with the promise that it would protect pregnant women. This case raises the important question of whether the real purpose of a feticide law is to jail women who have abortions,” National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) said in a statement after Patel was charged. “[T]he state seeks to use its feticide law to prosecute a woman who either (from the state’s account) self-induced an abortion or (from her accounts reported in the press) suffered a stillbirth.”</p><p>Read more<br /> Women jailed for miscarriages<br /> While Patel is the first woman to be found guilty of feticide in Indiana, it’s not the first time the state has charged a woman with the crime. At the end of December 2010, Chinese immigrant Bei Bei Shuai tried taking her own life by ingesting rat poison. She was hospitalized, treated and gave birth to a baby girl who died four days later from complications resulting from the poisoning.</p><p>In a 2013 deal, prosecutors dropped the feticide charge in exchange for a guilty plea to one count of criminal recklessness, a misdemeanor. Shuai was sentenced to her time served of 178 days.</p><p>That the only two women to have been charged with feticide were immigrants concerns immigrant rights groups.</p><p>“Why is the focus on the international woman? Why doesn’t she have the same rights?” asked Ngaatendwe Mantiziba, president of the International Student Organization at Indiana University’s South Bend campus, when speaking with PRI.</p><p>Doctors, meanwhile, are concerned that pregnant women ‒ especially those in marginalized communities ‒ may stop trusting the medical community, to their and their babies’ detriment.</p><p>“Any time a pregnant woman does something that can harm a fetus, now she has to worry, ‘Am I going to be charged with attempted feticide?’” Dr. David Orentlicher, a former state representative in Indiana, told PRI. “If you discourage pregnant women from getting prenatal care, you’re not helping fetuses, you’re harming fetuses.”</p><p>Sara Ainsworth, NAPW’s director of legal advocacy, agreed, comparing the state to Third World countries.</p><p>“Indiana should not join these countries where young pregnant girls are committing suicide at alarming rates; pregnant women are avoiding medical care for fear that any problem in pregnancy will be reported to law enforcement; and mothers are not only going to jail for having abortions, but also for suffering miscarriages and stillbirths,” she said in the group’s statement.</p><p>Nearly 40 states in the USA have fetal homicide laws on the books, but according to NAPW, only one man has been charged with the crime in South Carolina, while 300 women have been arrested under the laws.</p>

Indiana Sentences Purvi Patel to 20 Years for Feticide

Boston(nbcnews): An Indiana woman was found guilty of the killing of a fetus and child neglect after delivering a baby she said was stillbo...

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If Pakistan stops aiding terror outfits, South Asian security will improv: Rajnath Singh

<p><strong>New Delhi(PTI):</strong> Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asked Pakistan to "seriously rethink" its strategy of using terrorism as an instrument of proxy war, saying this will "significantly" improve the security situation in South Asia besides being in its own national interest. Inaugurating an International Counter-Terrorism Conference, Singh said Pakistan should understand that there are no good or bad terrorists.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/03/19/320025-rajnath-singh-pti2.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>"It is unfortunate that even after paying such a heavy cost for itself, Pakistan and its associates find it difficult to understand that there are no good terrorists and bad terrorists," he said, noting that the source of most terrorist activity in India lies across our borders.</p><p>Singh said Pakistan should "seriously rethink its strategy of using terrorism as an instrument of proxy war, since this would be in her own national interest." "Differentiating terrorists into good and bad categories has failed miserably. If the ISI and the Pakistan Army stops their support to certain terror outfits, I have no hesitation in saying that the security situation in South Asia will improve significantly," he said.</p><p>"India has been a victim of cross-border terrorism for the last several decades. Terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad patronised by those across the border, have inflicted several acts of terror on the Indian soil. There are several instances of such proxies being used in other parts of the world," he said.</p><p>Speaking about the changing face of terrorism in the present world, Singh expressed concern over the increasing possibility and opportunity to use available technology and cyberspace in a destructive manner.</p><p>Singh also said the menace of terrorism is greatly amplified in today’s digital world. "A 'lone wolf' or a "DIY (Do It Yourself) terrorist can go online and learn how to carry out an attack without ever leaving home," he said and added that an expert group had been recently constituted to look into all possible avenues of cybercrime and its linkages with the terrorist world.</p><p>He said the need for a committee was felt as many terror groups are adept at using the latest technology to propagate their beliefs and deeds. They extensively use modern technology to reach out to wider audience with susceptible minds. "Their online propaganda is causing self-radicalisation among youths. It is a matter of serious concern that they are seeding the minds of innocents with poisonous provocation and inspiring them to be brutally intolerant and violent with others," he said.</p><p>Singh also sought international cooperation in India's fight to counter the menace of terrorism which knows no boundaries and doesn't respect nations' sovereignties. The terrorists have become transnational in character and, therefore, international cooperation is needed to build popular opinion and pressurise the countries that use terrorists as their strategic assets, he added. He called for global awareness on terrorism and said all countries should be aware of developments in this area, which is bound to affect them in some way, sooner than later.</p><p>The three-day Counter Terrorism Conference, 2015 will discuss issues like 'illegal migration and border security', 'cyber space', 'social media and terrorism', and 'terror trade: weapons, narcotics and fake currency' in separate sessions. It is organised by India Foundation in association with Sardar Patel University of Police Security and Criminal Justice at Jaipur.</p><p>Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former Home Secretary G K Pillai, former Army Chief Gen (retd) V P Malik, former chief of BSF Prakash Singh and other dignitaries are among the participants. Several foreign participants including former chief of Sri Lankan Army Sarath Fonseka and Admiral Jamers Loy, Senior Counsellor, Cohen Group, USA are also attending.</p>

If Pakistan stops aiding terror outfits, South Asian security will improv: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi(PTI): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asked Pakistan to "seriously rethink" its strategy of using terrorism as ...

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Indian Muslims are patriots and not swayed by fundamentalist ideologies, says Rajnath Singh

<p>New Delhi(PTI): Launching a scathing attack on Pakistan, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday if the neighbouring country stops supporting terrorists, the security situation in South Asia will improve significantly.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/03/19/319942-rajnath.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Singh also said the failure of dreaded terror outfit ISIS to attract Indian Muslims was due to their complete integration into the mainstream. "Indian Muslims are patriots and are not swayed by fundamentalist ideologies. Extremism is alien to their nature," he said. The Home Minister said the source of most terrorist activities in India lies across the borders and it is unfortunate that even after paying such a heavy price for itself, Pakistan and its associates find it difficult to understand that there are no "good terrorists and bad terrorists".</p><p>"Differentiating terrorists into good and bad categories has failed miserably. If the ISI and the Pakistan Army stops their support to certain terror outfits, I have no hesitation in saying that the security situation in South Asia will improve significantly," he said after inaugurating an international conference on counter terrorism here. The Home Minister said that Pakistan should seriously rethink its strategy of using terrorism as an instrument of proxy war and that it would be in its own national interests.</p><p>"India has been a victim of cross-border terrorism for the last several decades. Terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad patronised by those across the border, have inflicted several acts of terror on the Indian soil. There are several instances of such proxies being used in other parts of the world," he said. Singh said the menace of terrorism is greatly amplified in today's digital world and an incident in one corner of the globe can instantly spark a reaction thousands of miles away where a 'lone wolf' or a 'DIY (do it yourself) terrorist' can go online and learn how to carry out an attack without even leaving home.</p><p>Referring to the Middle-East terror group ISIS, the Home Minister said the influence of the Islamic State on the Indian youths is negligible. According to our intelligence agencies, just a handful of Indian youths has joined the ISIS and some have returned after being persuaded by their families. Singh said India as a country is proud of all its diversity and has the second largest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia.</p><p>"India is home to all 73 firqas of Muslims and it houses one of the oldest church known to mankind in the world. We have been practising philosophy of peaceful coexistence for centuries," he said. The Home Minister said that many terrorists are adept at using the latest technology to propagate their beliefs and deeds. They extensively use modern technology to reach out to wider audience with susceptible minds.</p><p>"Their online propaganda is causing self-radicalisation among youths. It is a matter of serious concern that they are seeding the minds of innocents with poisonous provocation and inspiring them to be brutally intolerant and violent with others," he said.</p><p>The three-day Counter Terrorism Conference, 2015 will discuss issues like 'illegal migration and border security', 'cyber space', 'social media and terrorism', and 'terror trade: weapons, narcotics and fake currency' in separate sessions. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former Home Secretary G K Pillai, former Army Chief Gen (retd) V P Malik, former chief of BSF Prakash Singh and other dignitaries will attend the conference. Several foreign participants including former chief of Sri Lankan Army Sarath Fonseka and Admiral Jamers Loy, Senior Counsellor, Cohen Group, USA will also be part of the conference.</p>

Indian Muslims are patriots and not swayed by fundamentalist ideologies, says Rajnath Singh

New Delhi(PTI): Launching a scathing attack on Pakistan, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday if the neighbouring country stop...

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NCP criticizes Subramanian Swamy's controversial remark on mosques

<p>New Delhi(ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majid Memon on Sunday criticized Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy's controversial remark on mosques, saying one should not give such unnecessary statements and create a controversy.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/03/15/318884-majid-memon.png" width="600" /></p><p>Memon said that he did not expect this kind of statement from Sway, who is a qualified and educated person.</p><p>"What is the occasion for him to say that Gods dwell only in temples and not in mosques and churches? I would only ask him that Gods are not just inside temples, mosques and churches but even outside. God exists everywhere. I think he would also agree with me," Memon said.</p><p>"One should not give such unnecessary statements and create a controversy. Such statements should just need to be ignored," he added.</p><p>Meanwhile, Swamy defended his remark and said that the Islamic places of worship have been demolished for public purposes in British times.</p><p>"As far as the masjid is concerned, the Indian Supreme Court constitutional bench of 1994, in the famous Ram temple matter, observed that a masjid is not an essential part of Islamic religion and, therefore, in the British time mosques have been demolished for a public purpose," Swamy told ANI here.</p><p>"In our own experience here, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had moved four masjids out of the way of temples, two from MP, one from Goa and one from Karnataka and at that time the Director responsible was a person called Mohammad, whom I recently honoured in a function in Kerala," he added.</p><p>Citing the example of Saudi Arabia, Swamy said that mosques are regularly demolished or given another place in the Islamic kingdom.</p><p>"Christian churches are regularly purchased by VHP branch in USA because the number of people going to churches is going down. So, many churches are unable to maintain themselves, economically, so they sell it. The VHP has been purchasing these churches and converting them into temples," he added.</p><p>Swamy had earlier said that mosque is not a religious place but is just a building that can be demolished any time.</p><p>An FIR under IPC Sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) has been filed against Swamy, who had made the controversial statement at a programme in Guwahati, after a complaint by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS).</p><p>The KMSS has accused Swamy of spreading communal disturbance ahead of the assembly polls in Assam.</p>

NCP criticizes Subramanian Swamy's controversial remark on mosques

New Delhi(ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majid Memon on Sunday criticized Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swa...

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10 things about Priyanka Chopra's Quantico

<p>NYC, Bryan Durham: What you ought to know about Priyanka Chopra's new show on ABC</p><p><img alt="" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1452721/thumbs/o-PRIYANKA-CHOPRA-900.jpg?15" width="600" /></p><ol><li>It's called Quantico and will be set in the city formerly known as Potomac in Virginia, USA where the Federal Bureau Of Investigation has a training facility on a Marine Corps base.</li><li>The only other show to be set there is Criminal Minds, which, incidentally, was also called Quantico in its pilot episode.</li><li>The show, which belongs to the drama/thriller genre, is being described as 'Grey's Anatomy' meets 'Homeland'.</li><li>PC's character's name is Alex Weaver. So our guess is she's not playing an Indian, but don't count out the possibility that the name might just be a front or that she plays someone of mixed origin.</li><li>She's playing a brilliant yet haunted FBI recruit. Where have we heard that before? That's a plot point even Homeland and Blacklist shares, no?</li><li>The wording in most releases is precise. "It's a drama pilot" for now. One of many ABC is putting out this year. A pilot out doesn't necessarily mean a show gets greenlit. But who are we kidding? It's PC, the show's about the FBI, Mark Gordon is executive producing (he has a long-standing relationship with ABC)... the push to season might just happen.</li><li>The characters of the young cast has very specific reasons for joining. What is Alex's is still unknown. But you will know soon enough. As the release says, "her past boils to the surface soon after her arrival at Quantico". The recruits will undergo 21 weeks of training. That's a lot of seasons planned!</li><li>At the outset, PC won't play the female lead for sure. That role will be played by Aunjanue Ellis, who was last seen in The Book of Negroes. Ellis will play the director of the FBI base at Quantico and will oversee training the recruits.</li><li>One of the recruits is harbouring the biggest secret of all. He/she is a sleeper cell terrorist who will in the near future carry out a deadly attack on US soil, not unlike 9/11.</li><li>Since PC's episode run hasn't been confirmed yet and she has not really cut Bollywood ties, she could, in all probability, be the sleeper terrorist in question, right? Well, chances are any of those other recruits could also be it.</li></ol>

10 things about Priyanka Chopra's Quantico

NYC, Bryan Durham: What you ought to know about Priyanka Chopra's new show on ABC It's called Quantico and will be set in the city f...

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Nine people are dead in the US state of Missouri after a series of shootings

<p><strong>Missouri,USA(BBC):</strong> Police made the discoveries on late Thursday at five different homes in or near the city of Tyrone. Authorities believe that they found the body of the shooter in a parked car near one of the crime scenes.</p><p><img alt="One of the shooting scene near Tyrone, Missouri" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/81293000/jpg/_81293489_54f0782737d1a.image.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>The shooter's motive is not known at this time, and police are continuing to investigate.</p><p>"We're currently working six active scenes including the location in Shannon County where the suspect was found deceased, " Sergeant Jeff Kinder of the Missouri State Highway Patrol told reporters on Friday morning.</p><p>Residents reported that police went door-to-door on Friday warning them to secure their homes.</p><p>Around 22:15 local time (4:15 GMT) on Thursday, officers from the Texas County Sheriff's Department responded to an emergency call from a girl claiming she heard gunshots in a home.</p><p>The girl fled to a neighbour's house to alert the authorities.</p><p>Upon inspection, officers found two people dead in the house.</p><p>As they continued searching, they found six additional victims who were killed and one that was injured spread across four other residences.</p><p>The body of the suspect, who has only been identified as a 36-year-old man from Tyrone, was discovered in car in nearby Shannon County. He had appeared to die of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.</p><p>Officials have made multiple references to a woman found at one of the scenes "who appeared to have died from natural causes". However, they have not made clear her connection to the victims or he suspect.</p><p>Authorities took the injured victim to a nearby hospital, and are working to notify the deceased's next-of-kin. They say that they will not be identifying the victims until the notification process is complete.</p>

Nine people are dead in the US state of Missouri after a series of shootings

Missouri,USA(BBC): Police made the discoveries on late Thursday at five different homes in or near the city of Tyrone. Authorities believe ...

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Auction of gifts received by Narendra Modi fetches around Rs 8.33-crores

<p><strong>NEW DELHI(PTI):</strong> The government has raised about Rs 8.33 crore from the three-day auction of the items gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the money will be used to finance the Clean Ganga Mission, official sources said in Surat.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/02/21/312371-modi-suit.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>The administration has received 1,852 valid bids for the items, including Modi's monogrammed suit, which went under the hammer for Rs 4.31 crore, sources said. "The approximate revenue generated from the auction of the gift items is Rs 8.33 crore. We will be able to give the final figure tomorrow since calculations are on," Surat District Collector Rajendra Kumar told reporters. "During the three-day auction, we received 1,852 valid bids for all the items. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Clean Ganga Mission," he said.</p><p>The highest bid of Rs 4.31 crore for Modi's 'bandhgala' suit was made by a Surat-based diamond trader, Laljibhai Tulsibhai Patel. There were a total of 47 bids for the suit, the collector said.</p><p>Two other items which went for more than Rs 1 crore were a replica of the Pashupatinath Mandir, which was gifted to Modi during his visit to Nepal, and a replica of the Statue of Liberty, which is a gift he received during his visit to the USA, Kumar said. Both the items received bids of Rs 1.11 crore each, he said.</p><p>Surat-based diamond businessmen Lavji Badshah and his partner Jayanti Aklara made a joint bid of Rs 1,11,11,111 for the replica of the Statue of Liberty, he said. A bid worth the same amount was made for the Pashupatinath temple replica by Surat-based businessman Govind Dholakia, who runs Ramkrishna Exports, Kumar said, adding that a metal statue of Sardar Patel received a bid for Rs 50 lakh.</p><p>"Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel's 361 gift items, which were also put up for auction, fetched an estimated Rs 40.58 lakh. We received 1,494 valid bids for the chief minister's items," he said. The winning bidders of the prime minister's items have to submit cheques or demand drafts in the name of 'Clean Ganga Fund' by 5 P.M. tomorrow, the collector said. Those who won bids for the Gujarat chief minister's articles would have to submit demand drafts or cheques in the name of the 'Kanya Kelavani (Girlchild Education) Fund' by the same deadline, he added.</p>

Auction of gifts received by Narendra Modi fetches around Rs 8.33-crores

NEW DELHI(PTI): The government has raised about Rs 8.33 crore from the three-day auction of the items gifted to Prime Minister Narendra Mod...

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Aero India: PM Modi pitches for 'Make in India' in defence sector

<div><p>New Delhi: Asia's premier air show, "Aero India", started in Bengaluru on Wednesday with global armament majors eyeing the multi-billion dollar Indian defence market, seeking to align with the "Make in India" campaign of the Narendra Modigovernment.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/02/18/311490-modinew.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event. He is secondPrime Minister to inaugurate the event after H D Deve Gowda in 1996.</p><p>Speaking in the event, Modi said that this air show reflects new level of confidence within India. He said that India will do all it can do to increase it's defence capability.</p><p>Stressing on the importance of the show, PM said , 'It's a platform to launch India’s defence manufacturing sector,boost investment,raise tech level and increase economic growth in country.'</p><p>PM Modi said that the government is looking to reform defence procurement facilities in the country.</p><p>PM said that Defence output will double if domestic procurement goes up from 40 pc to 70 pc in next five years.  According to him, it will be heart of Make in India.  Modi said that government must ensure that our tax system does not discriminate against domestic manufacturer in comparison to imports.  PM said that they will build an industry that will have room for everyone – public sector, private sector and foreign firms.</p><p>Over 300 foreign firms along with 54 ministerial and other high-level delegations from several countries will be taking part in this year's event, said to be the largest ever air show to be hosted so far in India. The US with 64 companies will have the largest presence at the show in which 33 other countries are taking part. Behind the US is France with 58 companies, UK 48, Russia 41, Israel 25 and Germany 17, organisers said.</p><p>Seven of the 11 foreign military aircraft on display will be American - two F-15C Eagles, two F-16C Fighting Falcons, one Boeing KC-135 tanker, one C-17 Globemaster III and a P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft.<br /> Three Rafale fighters of French giant Dassault- shortlisted for acquisition by the IAF - will fly aerobatics displays. Negotiations over the deal for 126 aircraft are facing rough weather with efforts underway to resolve it.</p><p>India's Light Combat Aircraft "Tejas" will be participating in the formation flight display, Defence Research and Development Organisation officials said.</p><p>HAL has said Advanced Light Helicopter - Weapon System Integration (ALH-WSI) Rudra, ALH Skid Utility, LCH and the first series production Light Combat Aircraft (SP1) will be on static display. In another significant dimension, a high level Israeli delegation, including senior Ministry of Defence officials, led by Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon will be in attendance at the show, preceding their high-level meetings in Delhi, as the two countries warm upto to a new level of relationship. Israel ranks among India's top three defence equipment suppliers after US and Russia.</p><p>With the Modi government seeking to give a greater thrust to its "Make in India" campaign, a Defence manufacturing investors summit and global CEO's conference, to be chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, is also being held.</p><p>Organisers are also gearing up for the record turnout during the five day event expecting over three lakh visitors this time, almost double the figure of 2013. Bengaluru has come under thick security blanket ahead of the Prime Minister's visit as also the hotels where foreign delegations are staying in large numbers.</p><p>The event slated as one of the largest premium air shows in Asia, will see participation by over 600 firms including 295 Indian and 328 foreign, officials said. The number of aircraft participating in static and air displays is tentatively 72. Indian Air Force's Sarang Team and air display teams from Sweden, UK, Czech Republic and open sky jump by USA Special Forces will dazzle the Bengaluru skies with their daredevil aerobatics.</p><p>With PTI inputs</p></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', helvetica, arial; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 12px; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: left; width: 300px; background-color: #ffffff;"><div id="___person_0" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', helvetica, arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 12px; color: #000000; position: absolute; width: 450px; left: -10000px;"><iframe id="I0_1424244753252" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: absolute; top: -10000px; width: 450px; margin: 0px; border-style: none;" tabindex="0" src="https://apis.google.com/_/widget/render/person?usegapi=1&href=www.google.com%2F%2Bdnanewspaper&layout=landscape&rel=author&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dnaindia.com&gsrc=3p&ic=1&jsh=m%3B%2F_%2Fscs%2Fapps-static%2F_%2Fjs%2Fk%3Doz.gapi.en.YsyEBndsOvI.O%2Fm%3D__features__%2Fam%3DAQ%2Frt%3Dj%2Fd%3D1%2Ft%3Dzcms%2Frs%3DAGLTcCPtVjHDTzrRDQ-ve2b8lbMe_YwLZw#_methods=onPlusOne%2C_ready%2C_close%2C_open%2C_resizeMe%2C_renderstart%2Concircled%2Cdrefresh%2Cerefresh%2Conload&id=I0_1424244753252&parent=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dnaindia.com&pfname=&rpctoken=39489827" name="I0_1424244753252" width="100%" height="150" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" data-gapiattached="true"></iframe></div><div class="g-person" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', helvetica, arial; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 12px; color: #000000;" data-href="www.google.com/+dnanewspaper" data-layout="landscape" data-rel="author" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" data-gapistub="true"> </div></div>

Aero India: PM Modi pitches for 'Make in India' in defence sector

New Delhi: Asia's premier air show, "Aero India", started in Bengaluru on Wednesday with global armament majors eyeing the mul...

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Trust in Modi vs Hope in Kejriwal - It's time for Delhi to decide

<p><strong>New Delhi, Arghya Roy Chowdhury(dna):</strong> First things first, the gamble of Kiran Bedi has not worked for BJP. That is irrespective of the final outcome of the elections. If BJP’s election blitzkrieg in newspapers advertisements is any indication, the party has fallen back on its PM Narendra Modi to overcome the tough curve ball thrown by Kejriwal and company. A report says that in one of the rallies on Thursday, Amit Shah spoke for 27 minutes, but never mentioned Bedi. Thus, no matter what BJP leaders claim, the election result will be seen as a mini referendum of sorts, but more importantly, as a sneak-peek of whether there will be a worthy challenger to the saffron party come 2019.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/02/06/307980-kejriwalmodi.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>In the run up to the election, AAP has shocked many of its detractors and also friends by their resilience, after the hammering they suffered in the Lok Sabha elections. A part of it is because AAP is run by clever people who were well established in other professions and then, there is always an undercurrent among the masses (not necessarily all AAP voters) for a civil movement to survive and achieve success. Modi was a messiah of anti-establishment with his liberal digs of ma-beta ka sarkaar. But it is hard to pretend to be that after wearing a Rs 10 lakh worth suit.</p><p>Also, one advantage of being in opposition is that one can promise outlandish things without being accountable.</p><p>Modi sold a dream, and ended up triumphant. The same strategy is now being used by Kejriwal, albeit on a smaller scale. A cursory look at AAP’s manifesto shows that many of its promises simply don’t add up. Some, due to shoddy economics (50% cut in power tariff) and others like separate statehood or Jan Lokpal bill due to the lack of enough power in the hand of the state government.</p><p>But as of now, that is irrelevant. As Chetan Bhagat said today, socialism runs latent in our blood.</p><p><em><strong>Chetan Bhagat ✔ @chetan_bhagat</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>I really thought India had a once in a lifetime opportunity to turn capitalist and make wealth. Turns out, deep down we are all socialists.</strong></em><br /><em><strong> 1:47 PM - 6 Feb 2015</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>Chetan Bhagat ✔ @chetan_bhagat</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>A population that votes on promised freebies rather than a wealth creating economy is destined to stay poor.</strong></em><br /><em><strong> 1:53 PM - 6 Feb 2015</strong></em></p><p>It is certainly relevant for nearly 60% of Delhites, who live with an income of less than 13,500 per month.</p><p>As this report points out, people in the JJ clusters still fondly recall the 49 days, when the police and authorities didn’t haul them up. Hence, it’s not a surprise that among the underclass, AAP has built a nearly 20 percentage point lead over BJP, according to most surveys. In a battle of offering comparative freebies, the challenger always wins over the champion.</p><p>Now, coming to the middle class, which voted en-masse for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, an early disillusionment seems to have crept in. In total, BJP was 14% ahead in vote share in May 2014. This probably made the party complacent. While BJP leaders were still basking in the glory of the afterglow of a handsome win, Kejriwal dug in, chipping in votes one speech at a time.</p><p>A few things went against BJP initially. One was the lack of a creditable force against Kejriwal for a very long time. Secondly, overuse of the entire AK49 rhetoric backfired. ‘Bhagoda’ Kejriwal said sorry, not once or twice but almost in every meeting. For voters who are used to the hubris of self-obsessed politicians, Kejriwal came out as a renounced person. Thirdly, AAP’s social media strategy hit the bull's eye. Even months before AAP actually hit the road, it’s social media team hit the ground running. 'Mufflerman' became almost a mythical character, rising against the evils of society. This clever branding helped Kejriwal leverage some brownie points. Fourthly, BJP’s negative campaign has backfired. Right from Modi’s first rally it was less of ‘Sabke saath- Sabke vikaas’, but more of how Kejriwal is an anarchist and should be out there in the jungles with the Naxals. AAP however, refused to fall in that trap, and continued its campaign based on its blueprint of growth. Thus, in just 9 months, the messenger of growth was outwitted by a party whose agenda has distinct anti-industry hues. Counter intuitive, but a reality.</p><p>Yet, many polls show a late surge by BJP, which may upset AAP’s game at the eleventh hour. Firstly, for the first time, BJP's negative campaign against AAP bore some fruit with the entire unravelling of the funding row. AAP virtually conceded that they don't have any mechanism to keep a check on the funding source of their high-net donors. For a party born out of the anti-corruption movement, the funding row did hit hard. It's not a surprise perhaps that subsequent polls have shown a late resurgence from the BJP. The second factor is that after a lackadaisical mentality, finally the much hallowed organisation of BJP has woken up. According to this report, RSS has sent 8,000 workers for booth level micro-management. In a tight race, often the scale will tilt towards the party which can get maximum supporters to vote. Historically in India, the poor have voted more in number, which is in direct contrast to trends in other democracies like Britain and USA. For BJP to thrive, it needs its core middle class constituency to participate enthusiastically.</p><p>The third factor which can be a game-changer is Congress' performance in the polls. Opinion polls have given them numbers between 2-6. But Rahul Gandhi's roadshows have generated sizeable enthusiastic crowds with old-timers comparing them to Indira Gandhi. Ajay Maken has done his reputation no harm by leading a valiant campaign in face of all adversity. If Congress manages to carve out a significant number of votes, especially of those belonging to the minority communities, it can be a party popper for AAP.</p><p>But in the end, it is a choice between reposing trust in Modi or giving a second chance to Kejriwal with the hope of seeing an alternate model of governance. Modi promised a lot, and some like the one promising to deposit Rs 15 lakhs in bank accounts after getting back black money were merely politicking as Amit Shah himself acknowledged. Modi can be only judged on the basis of his work after 5 years. But for now, for the first time since May, electorates have a credible opposition in Kejriwal. Will Delhi go for the tried and tested and choose BJP to elect the same government in both state and Centre? Or will the people of one of the affluent states of the country choose a party with a socialist, left liberal ideology. It's less about Delhi and more about star-grazing into what lies ahead in India's political future.</p>

Trust in Modi vs Hope in Kejriwal - It's time for Delhi to decide

New Delhi, Arghya Roy Chowdhury(dna): First things first, the gamble of Kiran Bedi has not worked for BJP. That is irrespective of the fina...

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USA government to monitor Indian nuclear facilities through IAEA

<p><strong>NEW DELHI,Iftikhar Gilani(DNA):</strong>Indian officials maintain that the data sharing agreement was the same as extended to other countries, but those involved in the three rounds of negotiations in Delhi, Vienna and London to hammer out the deal before Obama’s visit differ.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://i.ndtvimg.com/mt/2015-01/Modi_Obama_chai_650.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Even nine days after the US president Barack Obama and prime minister Narendra Modi ironed out difference to pave way for the operationalisation of the stalled nuclear agreement, the details of understanding on the issue are still sketchy.</p><p>The details trickling out from various sources suggest that while the establishment of an insurance pool to cover nuclear operator and suppliers liability in case of damages is still being vetted by legal brains, on the other key issue of the Americans tracking nuclear material, it was agreed that they (US Administration) will accept the data supplied by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).</p><p>But, now it turns out that the United States has not lowered its requirement of monitoring the use of nuclear material supplied to India. They will not do it directly, but through the IAEA monitoring team, which will have two US members, while inspecting the reactors.</p><p>Further, India will share the data during the annual consultation by a India-US contact group that helped in achieving a “breakthrough” in the civilian nuclear deal during Obama’s visit.</p><p>Officials here said the agreement broadly included the establishment of an insurance pool that will cover nuclear operators and suppliers for up to Rs 1,500 crore in damages; a non-binding legal memorandum asserting that Indian liability law is consistent with international norms; and a new system of reporting on the status of nuclear fuel and other materials supplied by the United States.</p><p>Ministry of external affairs’ spokesman Syed Akbaruding on Thursday stressed that understanding has been achieved within the four corners of Indian law and international best practices. “Please don’t jump to conclusions. There are matters that need to be legally checked. Nothing will make you to question, whether our laws are fully complied,” he said.</p><p>Indian officials maintain that the data sharing agreement was the same as extended to other countries, but those involved in the three rounds of negotiations in Delhi, Vienna and London to hammer out the deal before Obama’s visit differ.</p><p>The Congress leaders, who had handled the civilian nuclear deal with the US during Manmohan Singh’s tenure, say India was always open to providing data to inspectors of IAEA while extending it to the American authorities amounts to the US monitoring the use of the nuclear material received from the American suppliers.</p><p>They also point out that Obama has not issued any “executive waiver” to bypass the requirement to monitor the use of nuclear material in India as required under the Hyde Act of 2006.</p>

USA government to monitor Indian nuclear facilities through IAEA

NEW DELHI,Iftikhar Gilani(DNA): Indian officials maintain that the data sharing agreement was the same as extended to other countries, but t...

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Five Reasons Shah Rukh Was The Only Khan Barack Obama Mentioned at speech at the Siri Fort

<p><strong>Mumbai(glamsham):</strong> When Barack Obama charmed us in Shah Rukh Khan style! That Shah Rukh Khan's films are loved by people across the globe is known to all! Apart from his films his romantic dialogues also have a huge fan following! People mouthing dialogues from his flicks is common, but what took us by surprise is when the US President Barack Obama, who made a brief visit to India, incorporated King Khan's famous dialogue from the blockbuster DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE in his speech.</p><p><img alt="BARACK OBAMA and SHAH RUKH KHAN" src="http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/15/jan/barack-obama-shah-rukh-khan.jpg" width="600" /><br /> <em>Mr Obama quoted SRK's line, 'Senorita, bade bade deshon mein...', from DDLJ in his speech. (Image caption: AP)</em></p><p><strong><em>BOLLYWOOD MAY BE CROWDED WITH SUPERSTARS BUT, ON JANUARY 27, AS HE BID INDIA A FOND FAREWELL, IT SEEMED THAT THERE WAS JUST ONE KHAN ON POTUS' MIND</em></strong></p><p>Mr. Obama stunned everyone when he quoted in his accent, “Senorita, bade bade deshon mein... you know what I mean.” As soon as he said that, all we could hear was a loud cheer from the audience.</p><p>Badshah Khan was also just as thrilled as we all were and he couldn't hold back his excitement and got onto a microblogging site to express his happiness. “Proud 2 b part of the gender & religion equality speech of Pres. Obama. Sad he couldn't do the Bhangra...next time Chaiyya Chaiyya for sure.” he wrote.</p><p>Mr. Obama's speech at the Siri Fort Auditorium will not be forgotten in a long time for sure! Mr Obama quoted SRK's line, 'Senorita, bade bade deshon mein...', from DDLJ in his speech.</p><p>Bollywood may be crowded with superstars but, on January 27, as he bid India a fond farewell, it seemed that there was just one Khan on POTUS' mind. So does SRK equal Bollywood? At least when it comes to Uncle Sam.</p><p>POTUS addressed a townhall-style meeting in New Delhi's Siri Fort Auditorium on the final day of his three-day visit to India, where he borrowed one of SRK's best-known dialogues from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: "Bade bade deshon mein, or something like that. You know what I mean."</p><p>Here's why we think the Badshah made such an impact on Barack Obama:</p><p><strong>Big Badshah Theory #5</strong><br /> SRK is the only Khan who's given the President of the United States a starring role in one of his films - his lookalike, at any rate - in My Name Is Khan. It is an Obama-lookalike who tells Rizwan Khan that his "name is Khan and he's not a terrorist." My Name Is Khan may have released in 2010 but clearly its message against discrimination of any kind is as relevant today.</p><p><strong>Big Badshah Theory #4</strong><br /> SRK knows how to slam dunk, maybe not on the basketball court like Mr Obama, but definitely when it comes to the Indian diaspora in the USA. The recent SLAM! World tour had SRK performing to packed stadiums in Houston, New Jersey, Chicago, Washington DC and San Jose. In New Jersey alone, SRK danced into the hearts of 20,000 fans - a promotion model that turned out to be so successful that, rumour has it, other superstars will be following suit.</p><p><strong>Big Badshah Theory #3</strong><br /> Talking about success, let's not forget that SRK is the second richest actor in the world. Not second richest Bollywood actor - just second richest actor, period! SRK was the only Indian actor in a top 10 combined rich list of Bollywood and Hollywood stars - richer than Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood and Adam Sandler. SRK is estimated to be worth US$ 600 million. Now that's a net worth that's worth sitting up and noticing.</p><p><strong>Big Badshah Theory #2</strong><br /> Perhaps it's because of these big bucks that SRK has never been intimidated by Hollywood in the least. SRK refuses to compete and, in fact, has often said that Hollywood should be more appreciative of what Bollywood does. In the past, SRK has said, "You can't go to a big filmmaking world and say write a role for a 47-year-old actor who is brown, has hair like this, acts this way and dances a bit. The role should be something that Indians should be proud of."</p><p><strong>Big Badshah Theory #1</strong><br /> And finally, do we really need another reason? It is Shah Rukh Khan! In a world which desperately needs open arms, open hearts and open minds, King Khan shows that he has all three and maybe that's why he's worth imitating.</p>

Five Reasons Shah Rukh Was The Only Khan Barack Obama Mentioned at speech at the Siri Fort

Mumbai(glamsham): When Barack Obama charmed us in Shah Rukh Khan style! That Shah Rukh Khan's films are loved by people across the glob...

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US President Barack Obama to join PM Narendra Modi in 'Mann Ki Baat' on January 27

<p><strong>NEW DELHI(WEB TEAM):</strong> Ahead of US President visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday tweeted about a joint radio address with Barack Obama, who will travel to New Delhi later this week to witness the Republic Day Parade in India.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/01/22/303931-obama-modi.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, " This month’s 'Mann Ki Baat' episode will be a special one, where our Republic Day guest @BarackObama & I will share our thoughts together."</p><p>Modi further added, "I am eagerly looking forward to the special 'Mann Ki Baat' programme with President @BarackObama, which will be aired on 27th January."</p><p>'Mann Ki Baat' programme, which is aired on All India Radio, is Narendra Modi's initiative to reach out to millions of Indians.</p><p>Modi also asked to send questions till the 25th using hashtag #AskObamaModi.</p><p>In a series of tweets, he added, "#AskObamaModi & be a part of this memorable 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, illustrating a special bond between India & USA."</p><p>Prime Minister also tweeted a link to post questions on a specially created open forum. On other hand Security agencies turning airport into a fortress ahead of US president Barack Obama's visit</p><p>Here are PM Narendra Modi's tweets</p><p><em><strong>Narendra Modi ✔ @narendramodi</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>This month’s 'Mann Ki Baat' episode will be a special one, where our Republic Day guest @BarackObama & I will share our thoughts together.</strong></em><br /> <em><strong> 8:19 AM - 22 Jan 2015</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>Narendra Modi ✔ @narendramodi</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>I am eagerly looking forward to the special 'Mann Ki Baat' programme with President @BarackObama, which will be aired on 27th January.</strong></em><br /> <em><strong> 8:20 AM - 22 Jan 2015</strong></em></p>

US President Barack Obama to join PM Narendra Modi in 'Mann Ki Baat' on January 27

NEW DELHI(WEB TEAM): Ahead of US President visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday tweeted about a joint radio address wit...

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Gayatri Mantra & Gangajal formed part of Martin Luther King Interfaith Service in Nevada

<p><strong>Nevada(USA):</strong> Interfaith Community Memorial Service for civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Reno (Nevada, USA) on January 18 included Sanskrit mantras and sprinkling of drops of water from river Ganga of India, sacred to Hindus.</p><p><img alt="Delegates at Martin Luther King's Memorial" height="400" src="http://news.biharprabha.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Delegates-at-Martin-Luther-Kings-Memorial.jpg?4e9eaa" width="600" /><br /> <em>At the Service, from left to right, are— Jim R. Eaglesmith, Angela D. Taylor, Rajan Zed, Dolores Feemster, Gene Savoy Junior, Rebecca Willis, Michael Hernandez, Second Baptist Church Pastor Michael L. Randle.</em></p><p>Hindu statesman Rajan Zed delivered the invocation from ancient Hindu scriptures—Rig-Veda, Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita—reading in Sanskrit and then translating into English. He sprinkled few drops of Gangajal before starting his prayer in the Service held at Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada (UUFNN).</p><p>Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, speaking on the occasion, talked about Dr. King’s visit to India, and his admiration of Mahatma Gandhi and his non-violent resistance.</p><p>Angela D. Taylor, a community leader, was the keynote speaker. Other speakers included International Community of Christ Bishop Gene Savoy, Jr., UUFNN Senior Minister Neal Anderson, City of Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez, performance artist Jim R. Eaglesmith, People First Foundation Executive Director Courtney Bell, Mary Cooper and Daryl Feemster. International Community of Christ Reverend Mother Rebecca Willis read the benediction.</p><p>Musical Selections were delivered by Second Baptist Church Choir and Greater Light Choir, while UUFNN Choir performed Prelude “MLK” and The Power of Love directed by Leon W. Smith gave Postlude. Congregational hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and a video-tribute presented to Dr. King also formed part of the Service.</p><p>Reverend Onie Cooper Humanitarian Awards were presented on the occasion to Dolores Feemster and People First Foundation.</p>

Gayatri Mantra & Gangajal formed part of Martin Luther King Interfaith Service in Nevada

Nevada(USA): Interfaith Community Memorial Service for civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Reno (Nevada, USA) on January 18 i...

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Facebook and Twitter jointly refuse to remove anti Islamic posts: Report

<p><strong>London(Web Team):</strong> According to an investigation, Facebook and Twitter are refusing to remove provocative Islamophobic posts from across their sites in spite of alerts from anti-racism groups.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/01/04/298474-facebook-twitter-fotor.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>According to <strong><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2895458/Facebook-Twitter-allowing-Islamophobia-spread-refusing-report-offensive-postings.html">the daily mail</a></strong>, many of these posts accuse Muslims of being rapists and pedophiles. The number of such posts has increased after day by day. Specially right wing groups in USA, UK and India have started bigger campaigns to blaming Islam for world peace violation. Eg-</p><p><img alt="Facebook has been accused of allowing Islamophobia to flourish by refusing to take down hundreds of inflammatory posts from their sites. Pictured: CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaking in California in 2013" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/01/03/1E2ABF8800000578-0-Facebook_has_been_accused_of_allowing_Islamophobia_to_flourish_b-a-23_1420302235881.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Over the past four months, Muslim groups have been compiling details of online abuse and reporting it to Twitter and Facebook.<br /> They have reportedly brought hundreds of messages to the attention of the social-media companies, but the accounts are still easily accessible.<br /> One prolific tweeter, who has been reported several times, wrote on New Year's Eve: 'Should have lost World War Two. Your daughters would be getting impregnated by handsome blond Germans instead of Pakistani goat herders. Good job Britain.'<br /> One man, Eric King, who was branded a 'vile, reprehensible bigot' after he sent offensive photographs and social media posts to an Islamic community centre near Truro, was given a suspended sentence for his crime.<br /> But his Facebook account, which he used to send abusive messages to the same mosque and is still using to convey his message, is still active.<br /> Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters, an interfaith organisation which runs a helpline called Tell MAMA, for victims of anti-Muslim violence, said he was disappointed the sites were not taking a stronger stance.</p><p>Facebook authorities said that they had to maintain a balance between freedom of expression and having "a safe and trusted environment" but would remove any content reported to it that attacks any race.</p><p>A Twitter spokesman said that they check all the content that is reported to the company for breaking its rules.</p><p>Muslim groups have reported various such accounts and messages to the social media websites as they are derogatory. 'With a diverse global community of more than a billion people, we occasionally see people post content which, whilst not against our rules, some people may find offensive.</p><p>'By working with community groups like Faith Matters, we aim to show people the power of counter speech and, in doing so, strike the right balance between giving people the freedom to express themselves and maintaining a safe and trusted environment.'<br /> A Twitter spokesman said: 'We review all reported content against our rules, which prohibit targeted abuse and direct, specific threats of violence against others.'</p>

Facebook and Twitter jointly refuse to remove anti Islamic posts: Report

London(Web Team): According to an investigation, Facebook and Twitter are refusing to remove provocative Islamophobic posts from across the...

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Firms claim its software can interlink all emergency numbers

<p><strong>New Delhi(PTI):</strong> At times of crisis, remembering emergency numbers sometimes appear to be a challenge for distressed callers, especially important numbers like those of anti-eveteasing or anti-ragging helplines.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2014/12/28/296438-emergency-number.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Keeping this in mind, an Indian security solutions company has developed a software which, it claims, can bring an end to the problem and installed it in Lucknow.</p><p>"We have developed a software 'Rolta GeoCAD' that can interlink all emergency numbers and applications with a single control room number.</p><p>"Be it a women's helpline number of any state or city, 108 of ambulance, fire stations 101, or anti-ragging cell, all can be connected by just dialling 100," said C R Bannur, senior divisional director of homeland security solution company 'Rolta India'.</p><p>Speaking at a recent defence and security equipment expo here, he said this solution has been installed in Lucknow and "we have given our plans to Delhi Police and to those in other states for implementation."</p><p>In the US, the 911 emergency number can be dialled from any telephone. It immediately links the caller to an emergency dispatch centre which can send emergency responders to the caller's location by automatically pairing caller numbers with a physical address.</p><p>Similarly, Rolta GeoCAD, also known as 'Dial 100', is engineered to provide 'emergency response' to distress callers, Bannur said. It works with a command and control system that creates alerts when an incident is detected and informs the nearest Quick Response Teams.</p><p>All helpline numbers like those related to eve-teasing, ragging and anti-stalking, besides police and fire, are interlinked to the number 100.</p><p>Whenever a call is made, the location is traced instantly and the nearest help team gets automatically alerted, considerably reducing the response time, he said, claiming that the current system of separate helpline numbers takes much more time.</p><p>"We have already installed GeoCAD with Lucknow Police's control room and interlinked it with all the emergency numbers in the city and our initiative is giving fruitful results," said Pavan Vinnakota, its manager who was part of a team that worked for Lucknow Police when the system was installed.</p><p>"People registering complaints are informed by SMS to enable them check the status through inquiry console setup in the control room or online from the police website", he said.</p><p>"Rolta is probably the only Indian company to have developed its own patented and highly advanced DIAL 100 Solutions, comparable with the 911 Solution being used in the USA," Bannur said.</p>

Firms claim its software can interlink all emergency numbers

New Delhi(PTI): At times of crisis, remembering emergency numbers sometimes appear to be a challenge for distressed callers, especially imp...

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