Threat letter' forces Mum-Delhi flight to divert, land at Ahmedabad

HIGHLIGHTS-
Jet Airways plane from Mumbai to Delhi diverted to Ahmedabad after 'threat letter' found onboard
Letter warned of explosions in plane unless it is taken to PoK
Plane landed safely at Ahmedabad, departed for Delhi after checking and security clearance.

A "trouble-maker" lovelorn passenger travelling in business class may be behind the hijack note scare created on Jet Airways' Mumbai-Delhi flight on Monday morning which forced the aircraft to land in Ahmedabad.
A crew member found the note written in Urdu and English, warning of blowing the aircraft up mid-air unless it is diverted to PoK.
According to top sources, a passenger travelling on seat 1A of business class section of this flight has confessed to leaving this note in the aircraft lavatory. "He confessed to keeping the note in the lav to destabilise operations of Jet. He is also reported to be having an affair with a lady crew member of Jet," said a top official. The same passenger had earlier created ruckus on a Jet flight last July by claiming that there was a "cockroach" in his


Jet Airways plane from Mumbai to Delhi diverted to Ahmedabad after 'threat letter' found onboard
Letter warned of explosions in plane unless it is taken to PoK
Plane landed safely at Ahmedabad, departed for Delhi after checking and security clearance
NEW DELHI: A "trouble-maker" lovelorn passenger travelling in business class may be behind the hijack note scare created on Jet Airways' Mumbai-Delhi flight on Monday morning which forced the aircraft to land in Ahmedabad.
A crew member found the note written in Urdu and English, warning of blowing the aircraft up mid-air unless it is diverted to PoK.
According to top sources, a passenger travelling on seat 1A of business class section of this flight has confessed to leaving this note in the aircraft lavatory. "He confessed to keeping the note in the lav to destabilise operations of Jet. He is also reported to be having an affair with a lady crew member of Jet," said a top official. The same passenger had earlier created ruckus on a Jet flight last July by claiming that there was a "cockroach" in his meal.

The passenger was arrested. He has been identified as Salla Birju (38).
The note discovered in a flight lava
The flight had taken off from Mumbai at 2.55 am and after the discovery of this note, the pilot informed air traffic control that "I have got a letter saying explosives and hijackers are on board." As soon as the crew informed ground authorities of the note while heading for Ahmedabad, a bomb threat assessment committee comprising of top security and aviation .

All High Courts Will Go Digital By Year End: Justice Lokur

Chennai: All the High Courts in the country will go digital by the year end under the National Judicial Data Grid, Chairperson of the Supreme Court e-Committee Justice Madan B Lokur said today.

Four High Courts were already "completely live" with all the information available online and by the year end, all the High Courts in the country would be under the data grid, he said inaugurating the Digitisation Centre of the Madras High Court.

Justice Lokur said that the next step will be to implement e-filing and noted even the stamp fee can be purchased online.

There will be a huge change in the entire judicial system next year, the Supreme Court judge said.

The e-Committee has also decided to introduce mobile technology by next week and plans to get effective mobile applications.

Justice Lokur said 24 hours after the launch of automatic e-mail information system, more than three lakh people (advocates and litigants) were able to access the mails.

The committee was planning to come out with a book that would explain the usage of these applications, he said.

The lawyers, litigants and judges will be able to know the status of the cases through these applications, the judge added.

Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Indira Banerjee said there was not enough space in the High Court record room to store documents and that dust has also become a major issue.

Noting that six lakh pages can be digitised in a day, she said if digitisation is implemented, all the judgements can be viewed at the click of a button.

The High Court would try to dispose of by March 31, 2018 all cases pending for the last five year, Justice Banerjee said, adding there was some difficulty in their disposal in the lower courts because of lack of judges and staff.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Missing Kashmir cop suspected of joining LeT after his photo holding an AK-47 surfaces

Jammu and Kashmir police constable is suspected to have joined the militant Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in what could be the third such switch by a security personnel in the Valley this year.

Police ordered a probe after the constable, Isfaq Ahmad Dar, last week announced on social media that he has joined the LeT, a Pakistan-based militant outfit blamed for several terror attacks in India.

A photograph of Dar holding an AK-47 assault rifle was also widely circulated on social media and messaging apps in the Valley over the past few days.“There are reports we are trying to confirm. The matter is being investigated,” state police chief SP Vaid told Hindustan Times on Saturday. He added that police are yet trying to “know the facts”.

Many in Dar’s family, including his brother, are policemen, sources said.

More than 1,500 police personnel have been killed in the valley since insurgency broke out in 1989. In June, a deputy superintendent of police – Mohammed Ayub Pandith – was lynched by a mob outside Srinagar’s main mosque.

In recent months, several policemen have been killed or attacked and their homes ransacked by suspected militants, seen as warnings to local police personnel to stop participating in counter-insurgency operations. Six policemen including an officer were also killed in a militant ambush earlier this year.

Sources said Dar was shifted from Kargil to Kathua in July after adverse reports about his alleged “militant sympathies”.

“He was under police radar but we can’t arrest a person unless he does something,” a senior police officer said.

Dar, from a village in Shopian, had left his home to report back to duty last week.

When he did not reach Kathua, family lodged a missing person report. Soon after, the photograph of Dar surfaced on social media.

In May , a constable from Shopian, Syed Naveed Mushtaq, decamped with four service rifles and joined the militant group Hizbul Mujahideen.

Two months later, Zahoor Ahmad Thokar — who was with the 173 Territorial Army Engineering regiment at Baramulla — deserted his unit along with his service AK-47 and three magazines and joined militant ranks.

Such incidents were first reported in 2015 when two policemen – Naseer Ahmad Pandith from Shopian and Syed raqib Bashir from Pulwama – joined the Hizbul Mujahideen, then led by former commander Burhan Wani, whose killing last year sparked months-long unrest in Kashmir.

Both of them were killed in separate encounters with security forces.

In early 2016, Shakoor Ahmad Parray of Shopian, a security guard to a police officer in Bijbehara, was arrested by police after he had ran away with four rifles to join a militant group.

Police said such incidents are rare and that most of the deserters are from South Kashmir, where anti-India sentiments run deep.

“Most of the policemen are from a particular patch in South Kashmir, mostly Pulwama and Shopian. They were recruited between 2010 and 2012 and may be not much background check was done,” a police official said.

“They are not radicalised... If they are radicalised they are capable of inflicting more damage in the forces...we have to keep our eyes open and our house clean,” the officer added.

Kashmir’s police force is hailed for its professionalism as its personnel are often forced to act against civilians, sometimes even minors, involved in protests and vandalism.

Ma much better, tweets Rahul after Sonia Gandhi gets admitted to Ganga Ram with upset stomac

Congress president Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the city for treatment of an upset stomach.

According to Dr DS Rana, chairman, board of management of the hospital, Gandhi was brought to the hospital at 5 pm on Friday and was found to be suffering from an upset stomach. She has been admitted for observation, said Dr Rana.

Gandhi, 70 was rushed from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh to the national capital in an air ambulance after she complained of unease, said party sources.

As the news went viral on social media and get well soon messages started reaching the family, her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi tweeted to inform that there was nothing to worry and that she was much better.


Ma was in Shimla and caught a stomach bug so we got her back. Nothing to worry, she is much better. Thanks for the tremendous love and concern,” Rahul tweeted.

Rahul, 47 is set to take over the party reins from Sonia soon. The Congress president has not been keeping good health for the past several years.

While she was treated for mild asthma in 2008, in 2011 there was speculation about her mystery illness after Sonia flew to the US for treatment. Last year the Congress president was admitted to Ganga Ram hospital for an infection of lower respiratory tract and was treatment of a dislocated shoulder.

Due to health reasons, Sonia has been asking Rahul to take up many of her responsibilities in the past years including campaigning for state elections, leading opposition protests in parliament and deciding key party issues.

However, she provided leadership to the party during key occasions like protesting the land takeover ordinance in 2015 and recently tried hard to forge opposition unity over presidential polls.


Congress communication department chief Randeep Surjewala said Sonia was fine and healthy.

“Cong president was indisposed with a minor issue and is absolutely fine and healthy. We thank all well wishers for the concern,” Randeep tweeted.

US wants Pakistan to act quickly to show support in countering militants

Relations between uneasy allies United States and Pakistan have frayed in recent years, with Washington repeatedly accusing Islamabad of helping Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network militants who stage attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies doing so.


The United States wants Pakistan to move quickly to show good faith in supporting efforts to counter militants operating in Afghanistan and in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table, the senior U.S. diplomat for South Asia said on Friday. Speaking after accompanying US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on a visit to the region, including Pakistan, Alice Wells said Washington looked forward to seeing practical steps from Pakistan “over the next few weeks and months.”
“The secretary stressed the importance of Pakistan moving quickly to demonstrate good faith and efforts to use its influence to create the conditions that will get the Taliban to the negotiating table,” Wells, the acting assistant secretary of state for South Asia, told reporters.

Wells said Pakistan’s long-standing relationships with militant organizations was a threat to its own stability and said the Taliban leadership and the allied Haqqani network still retained the ability to plan and recuperate and reside with their families in Pakistan.
She said Washington wanted Pakistan to show the same commitment it had made to defeat militant groups domestically to those threatening Afghanistan or India. “It’s up to them whether or not they want to work with us,” Wells said. “And if they don’t … then we’ll adjust accordingly.” Wells declined to elaborate on what action the United States might take or what specific actions it wanted Pakistan to take.
Relations between uneasy allies United States and Pakistan have frayed in recent years, with Washington repeatedly accusing Islamabad of helping Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network militants who stage attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies doing so.
US President Donald Trump has vowed to get tough with Pakistan unless it changed its behavior, with US officials threatening further reductions in aid and mooting targeted sanctions against Pakistani officials. On Monday, during a visit to Kabul, Tillerson urged Pakistan to act against safe havens on its soil.
“Pakistan needs to, I think, take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organizations that find safe haven inside of Pakistan,” he said. Pakistani officials bristle at the idea that the country is not doing enough against militants and say Pakistan has suffered more than 60,000 casualties in the war on terror since the Sept. 11 attacks in United States in 2001.
U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to get tough with Pakistan unless it changed its behavior, with U.S. officials threatening further reductions in aid and mooting targeted sanctions against Pakistani officials.

On Monday, during a visit to Kabul, Tillerson urged Pakistan to act against safe havens on its soil.

“Pakistan needs to, I think, take a clear-eyed view of the situation that they are confronted with in terms of the number of terrorist organizations that find safe haven inside of Pakistan,” he said.

Pakistani officials bristle at the idea that the country is not doing enough against militants and say Pakistan has suffered more than 60,000 casualties in the war on terror since the Sept. 11 attacks in United States in 2001.

Journalist’s arrest: Congress accuses BJP of squeezing press freedom

Training guns at the BJP over the arrest of senior journalist Vinod Verma on charges of extortion, the Congress accused it on Friday of squeezing press freedom and demanded immediate release of the scribe.

Senior Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken also demanded a judicial probe into the “serious sex-related allegations” against a Chhattisgarh minister, which, he added, were being investigated by the journalist.

He also demanded a judicial probe into allegations levelled by a Patidar leader in Gujarat that the BJP had bribed him to join the party.

Referring to Verma’s arrest, Maken said, “The Narendra Modi-led central government and the Chhattisgarh government have been attacking, squeezing press freedom...We strongly condemn Verma’s arrest and demand that he be released immediately and a judicial probe into the allegations against the state minister announced.”

Verma, who earlier worked with the BBC Hindi service and Amar Ujala, has claimed that the Chhattisgarh police is not happy with him as he has a “sex CD” of a minister of that state.

He was arrested by the Chhattisgarh police from his Ghaziabad residence at around 3.30 am Friday on charges of blackmailing and extortion. Around 500 CDs with pornographic contents, Rs 2 lakh in cash, a pen drive, a laptop and a diary were seized from his house.

Citing other cases of attacks on mediapersons, Maken said Verma’s arrest should not be seen as a “one-off” incident. Noting that Verma was also a member of the Editors’ Guild, the Congress leader wondered whether a junior journalist would dare do investigative stories after the way the former was picked up from his residence late at night just because “he was probing the allegations against a state minister”.

Hitting out at the BJP over an audio tape circulated by Gujarat’s Patidar leader Narendra Patel to back his recent allegation that the ruling party had bribed him to join the saffron camp, Maken questioned why no FIR was lodged against BJP president Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and two others in this regard.

He called for a judicial probe into the matter and demanded that the Election Commission (EC) take cognisance of the issue.

On Patel’s claims, Maken said since the Model Code of Conduct was in force in Gujarat, the EC should take suo motu (on its own motion) cognisance of the issue and take necessary action “based on the tape”.

After accusing the BJP of trying to “buy” him, Patel had yesterday circulated an audio recording of his purported telephonic conversation with his associate Varun Patel to back his charge.

Varun Patel had joined the BJP after quitting the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) on October 21.

“The question is why no FIR is registered against Amit Shah, Vijay Rupani, (Gujarat BJP chief) Jitu Vaghani and Varun Patel? Why no judicial probe has been announced? What is the reason that the prime minister, Shah, Rupani are tight-lipped on the issue?” Maken asked.

Asked if the Congress would approach the EC over the issue, he replied saying, “Yes, if the commission does not act in the case.”

The Congress leader also said the audio tape would be presented before a local court, which would hear the matter next week.

Asked about media reports on an audio tape of a purported conversation between the prime minister and a ward-level BJP worker from Gujarat going viral, Maken suggested that the clip was leaked deliberately as a part of “self-promotion”.

“We are getting to learn new marketing techniques. There cannot be a better example of self-promotion than this. But, the people very well understand such techniques. Use of such techniques will be answered in the Gujarat polls,” he added.

According to media reports, Modi and the BJP worker are heard exchanging Diwali greetings and discussing the saffron party’s chances of winning the Gujarat Assembly polls in the audio clip.

The Gujarat polls are scheduled to be held in two phases — on December 9 and 14.

Maken also welcomed the Delhi High Court’s rejection of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy’s plea, seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into the death of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s wife Sunanda Pushkar.

“I think those levelling allegations against Shashi Tharoor sahab should keep quite (after the court order). There is nothing left for them to say,” he said.

The Delhi High Court had yesterday rejected Swamy’s plea and described his PIL as a “textbook example of a political interest litigation”.

A bench of Justice S Muralidhar and Justice IS Mehta had also chastised the BJP leader and his lawyer for making “sweeping allegations” in the petition against Tharoor and the Delhi Police, without giving any basis for these accusations

Business stresses in PM Modi's backyard spur India's bank rescue

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: For three years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had avoided the one step that everybody from central bank officials to credit rating agencies had implored him to take to fix the country's banking woes - a massive injection of cash.
So financial markets were stunned this week when the government unveiled a plan to pump a larger-than-expected $32.4 billion into state-run lenders, sending Indian equity markets soaring to record highs.
A tough political calendar and an economic downturn that threatens his party's electoral prospects had, in the end, left Modi little choice but to act.


 tipping point, according to a source close to the prime minister, came close to home: growing evidence that small and medium sized business in Gujarat, a core constituency in the state that elected Modi chief minister and propelled him on to the national stage in 2014, were being starved of credit.
"Gujarat is not a poor state, we cannot just dole some benefits: business has to be up and running in Gujarat," the Modi aide said.
Modi was already facing criticism from some businesses for the disruption to the economy caused by the shock removal of higher-value bills from circulation last year and the roll-out of a new national goods and services tax (GST).
Compounding the woes, business owners in his home state were telling Modi they could not get credit from banks, the aide said, a problem being felt throughout the country as state-run lenders struggle to tackle a record $145 billion in sour loans.


ELECTORAL TESTS
The warnings from Gujarat crystallised the political reality facing Modi - in the months ahead 12 Indian states go to the polls, and the outcomes will set the stage for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) bid for re-election in 2019.
The series of electoral tests comes as the economy has slowed to its slackest pace of growth in three years.
While many analysts praise the Modi government's economic reforms, they say it has been less successful in creating jobs - a key consideration in a country where millions of young people join the workforce each year - as small businesses that create the bulk of employment have been hit hard
 The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, a Mumbai-based think-tank, estimates about 2 million jobs have been lost in 2017, after the cash ban and the rollout of GST.
"There is negative attitude around the onslaught of reforms that have been rolled out in the last year," said Sunil Parekh, a strategic adviser to large industrial groups in Gujarat, adding that "resentment is very high in the state".
"The bank recapitalisation is not stimulus for micro, medium and small enterprises, but what it does is it eases their stress and gives banks a fresh opportunity to lend to distressed firms, as they try to improve their business."
Finance ministry spokesman D.S. Malik said there was no connection between the bank recapitalisation plan and any state election.
"This package is not for one state and is for the long-term benefit of the economy," he said.
NO SILVER BULLET
The $32.4 billion capital infusion is a step Modi's government had long been reluctant to take, despite pressure from economists and the Reserve Bank of India to act.
Modi has made prudent fiscal stewardship a key plank of his platform after the previous Congress-led government's inability to curb spending was widely seen contributing to India's worst economic crisis in more than two decades in 2013.
The government, according to the aide, was also reluctant to be seen as rewarding banks for reckless lending.
But the move carries risks for the government, since there is no guarantee that the injections will spur credit growth. Fitch Ratings estimates Indian banks need as much as $65 billion in additional capital by March 2019 just to meet new global regulatory rules.
Yet having decided to roll the dice, a series of critical decisions now loom. Chief among them is how the injection will be structured, with the bulk expected to come in the form of so-called recapitalisation bonds sold directly to banks.
The government will also need to figure out how to account for the injection so it does not increase the country's fiscal deficit - for example, by funding it through state-owned agencies.
Investors and commentators such as former central bank deputy governor H.R. Khan say the recapitalisation needs to be accompanied by strong banking sector reforms to ensure there is no repeat of the lax lending practices that caused the problem.
If the plan goes wrong, Modi could end up "owning" an issue the government has until now blamed on the previous Congress administration.
"The biggest risk is always implementation," said Arun Kejriwal, founder of financial firm Kejriwal Research and Investment Services. "If this kind of infusion is not done in a timely manner, it will end up being useless."

Flipkart smartphone sale offers more than just direct discounts

There is a direct discount of Rs3,000 on the 64GB variant of the iPhone 8 on Flipkart.
Flipkart.com is back with another round of online sales, but this time the focus is only on smartphones. Dubbed as the End of Season Loot on Mobile, the four-day sale offers direct discounts, exchange offers and cashbacks on some of the popular smartphones released in the last few months. There is a bank offer which provides a 10% discount on EMI (equated monthly instalment) transaction with HDFC credit cards and a 5% direct discount on purchases made with Axis Bank Buzz credit cards. Then there is an exchange offer of Rs20,000 on most of these smartphones, but the full discount is only available with the old Apple 7 Plus. These offers are applicable in addition to direct discounts.

Here are some smartphones you can get at a discounted price.

Apple iPhone 8

Rs60,999 (earlier Rs64,000)

There is a direct discount of Rs3,000 on the 64GB variant of the iPhone 8. The iPhone 8 retains the looks of the predecessor but its back is made of glass. It runs the new iOS 11, has a 4.7-inch display with resolution of 1,334x750p, and is powered by a faster A11 Bionic chipset. It comes with IP67 rating and is water proof up to 1 metre for a duration of 30 minutes.

Apple iPhone 8 Plus

Rs69,000 (Rs73,000)

The 64GB iPhone 8 Plus is available at a direct discount of Rs4,000. It is a big-screen variant of iPhone 8, has a similar design, is water proof up to 1 metre and is powered by the same A11 Bionic chipset seen in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. The key differentiators are the 5.5-inch (1,920x1,080p) display and the dual 12-megapixel cameras with OIS (optical image stabilisation).

Honor 8 Pro, is selling at a discount of Rs3,000.
Honor 8 Pro, is selling at a discount of Rs3,000.
Honor 8 Pro
Rs26,999 (Rs29,999)

Huawei’s flagship smartphone, the Honor 8 Pro, is selling at a discount of Rs3,000. This is a big-screen smartphone with a 5.7-inch HD display with a resolution of 2,560x1,440p and classy metal design. It is powered by a Huawei’s Kirin 960 octa-core processor, has 6GB RAM, offers 128GB internal storage and packs in two 12-megapixel cameras.

HTC U11 is available for Rs6,000 on Flipkart.
HTC U11 is available for Rs6,000 on Flipkart.
HTC U11

Rs47,999 (earlier Rs53,990)

Flipkart is offering a discount of Rs6,000 on the HTC U11. The smartphone has a glass back design, squeezable side panel and is water proof up to a depth of 1 metre for 30 minutes. The smartphone offers a 5.5-inch screen which has a resolution of 2,560x1,440p and has Gorilla Glass 3. It is one of the few smartphones with 6GB RAM and Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 825 octa-core processor.

Moto G5 Plus with 64GB storage is available for Rs13,999 in the ongoing Flipkart sale.
Moto G5 Plus with 64GB storage is available for Rs13,999 in the ongoing Flipkart sale.
Moto G5 Plus

Rs13,999 (earlier Rs16,999)

You can get the affordable Moto G5 Plus with 64GB storage for Rs13,999 in the ongoing sale. The G5 Plus comes with a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1,920x1,080p. It is powered by a dependable Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor with 4GB RAM , offers plain Android experience and is likely to get the Android 8.0 update soon.

India tells Rex Tillerson it plans to retain North Korea embassy

India on Wednesday told U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson it plans to retain its North Korean embassy, so as to keep open channels of communication as Washington steps up global pressure to isolate Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile programmes.
Tillerson held talks with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj as part of a new effort by the Trump administration to deepen economic and strategic ties, as a way to balance China's growing clout across Asia.

Both sides pledged to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation and Tillerson said Washington stood ready to provide India with advanced military technologies.

The United States supports India's emergence as a leading power and will continue to contribute to Indian capabilities to provide security throughout the region," Tillerson told a joint news conference with Swaraj.

Swaraj said the issue of India's diplomatic and economic relations with North Korea came up during the talks but she conveyed to the top U.S. diplomat that some level of diplomatic presence was necessary.
"As far as the question of embassy goes, our embassy there is very small, but there is in fact an embassy," she said.

"I told Secretary Tillerson that some of their friendly countries should maintain embassies there so that some channels of communication are kept op
Sushma Swaraj made the statement after meeting Tillerson in New Delhi. Tillerson is due to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day.
NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday told U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson it plans to retain its North Korean embassy, so as to keep open channels of communication as Washington steps up global pressure to isolate Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile programmes.
Tillerson held talks with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj as part of a new effort by the Trump administration to deepen economic and strategic ties, as a way to balance China's growing clout across Asia.
Both sides pledged to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation and Tillerson said Washington stood ready to provide India with advanced military technologies.

"The United States supports India's emergence as a leading power and will continue to contribute to Indian capabilities to provide security throughout the region," Tillerson told a joint news conference with Swaraj.
Swaraj said the issue of India's diplomatic and economic relations with North Korea came up during the talks but she conveyed to the top U.S. diplomat that some level of diplomatic presence was necessary.
"As far as the question of embassy goes, our embassy there is very small, but there is in fact an embassy," she said.
"I told Secretary Tillerson that some of their friendly countries should maintain embassies there so that some channels of communication are kept open."

India and North Korea maintain diplomatic offices in each other's capitals, though New Delhi recently banned trade of most goods with the country, except food or medicine. Trade was minimal, Swaraj said.
The focus on North Korea comes as U.S. President Donald Trump heads to China next month, where he is expected to urge President Xi Jinping to make good on his commitments to pressure North Korea.
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
Tillerson landed in New Delhi on Tuesday night after a day-trip to India's arch rival, Pakistan, which he called an important U.S. ally in the restive region that includes war-torn Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, he said Washington was concerned about the stability of the Pakistan government against militant groups and that it stood with India in the fight against terror.
"In the fight against terrorism the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with India. Terrorists' safe havens will not be tolerated."
India has long blamed Pakistan for failing to act against militant groups operating from its soil, a concern shared by the United States and the Afghan government trying to fight Taliban insurgents who they say are also sheltered in northwest Pakistan.
Tillerson's visit comes a week after he made a speech in Washington about the United States wanting to "dramatically deepen" cooperation with India, which it sees as a key partner in the face of what he considers to be negative Chinese influence in Asia.
"This visit could not come at a more promising time for the U.S.-India partnership, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of relations between our two countries and look forward to co-hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in (the Indian city of) Hyderabad next month," Alice G. Wells, a senior U.S. state department official, wrote in a blogpost.
Tillerson, who toured India on several occasions as an oil executive before joining President Donald Trump's government this year, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Wednesday.
Fast-growing India is already a major market for the United States, with bilateral trade last year standing at around $115 billion, which the two countries aim to raise to $500 billion by 2022.

Energy Watchdog has filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court seeking cancellation of the appointments of Shashi Shanker and Sambit Patra as the Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) and the Non-Official Director (NOD) respectively of India’s biggest oil and gas producer, Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC).

Shanker was earlier serving as the Director (technical and field services) at ONGC, while Patra is a surgeon and the National Spokesperson of the BJP.

The petition, filed through Advocate Prashant Bhushan, states that Shanker has a tainted past, with the Vigilance Division of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas having suspended him for gross misconduct in 2015.

It was also stated that the petitioner had lodged complaints with the central government as well as the Prime Minister stating that the appointment of Shankar is contrary to the public interest. It states,

“…an officer who was suspended in a tender matter should not be heading an organization which has to deal with Rs 29,000 crore budget in the current financial year, and about Rs 150,000 crore in the next five years.”

Regarding Sambit Patra, the petition states that he is the official National Spokesperson of the ruling party BJP at the Centre and is very active in day-to-day politics.

“He can be seen almost daily on television screens defending his party’s/ Government’s position on various matters. As such he cannot play the role of an Independent Director being “related to promoters”, which is in violation of Section 149(6) of The Companies Act 2013.

His selection process is also flawed as his name did not appear in the Data Bank of eligible persons willing to act as Independent Directors as required to be prepared for the purpose as per Section 150 of the Companies Act, 2013. Moreover, State largesse cannot be passed on to a private political person in this manner.”

It is argued in the petition that,

“The impugned appointments are completely arbitrary, unreasonable, mala fide and in violation of Articles 14 & 21 of the Constitution of India. The impugned appointments are also in violation of the principles of ‘institutional integrity’ and ‘impeccable integrity’.”

The matter will be heard on November 1.

Energy Watchdog has filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court seeking cancellation of the appointments of Shashi Shanker and Sambit Patra as the Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) and the Non-Official Director (NOD) respectively of India’s biggest oil and gas producer, Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC).

Shanker was earlier serving as the Director (technical and field services) at ONGC, while Patra is a surgeon and the National Spokesperson of the BJP.

The petition, filed through Advocate Prashant Bhushan, states that Shanker has a tainted past, with the Vigilance Division of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas having suspended him for gross misconduct in 2015.

It was also stated that the petitioner had lodged complaints with the central government as well as the Prime Minister stating that the appointment of Shankar is contrary to the public interest. It states,

“…an officer who was suspended in a tender matter should not be heading an organization which has to deal with Rs 29,000 crore budget in the current financial year, and about Rs 150,000 crore in the next five years.”

Regarding Sambit Patra, the petition states that he is the official National Spokesperson of the ruling party BJP at the Centre and is very active in day-to-day politics.

“He can be seen almost daily on television screens defending his party’s/ Government’s position on various matters. As such he cannot play the role of an Independent Director being “related to promoters”, which is in violation of Section 149(6) of The Companies Act 2013.

His selection process is also flawed as his name did not appear in the Data Bank of eligible persons willing to act as Independent Directors as required to be prepared for the purpose as per Section 150 of the Companies Act, 2013. Moreover, State largesse cannot be passed on to a private political person in this manner.”

It is argued in the petition that,

“The impugned appointments are completely arbitrary, unreasonable, mala fide and in violation of Articles 14 & 21 of the Constitution of India. The impugned appointments are also in violation of the principles of ‘institutional integrity’ and ‘impeccable integrity’.”

The matter will be heard on November 1.

Gujarat election 2017 date declared: How Modi used delay to keep BJP ahead

Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases for 182 seats on December 9 and 14 and results will be announced on December 18. Hence, from today, the model code of conduct has come into force, which bans the use of government machinery or announcements that can influence voters.

Amid indications that the Gujarat poll dates would be out any day now, the BJP government in the state and centre had announced a series of sops for different sections of the society, including farmers, protesting accredited health workers and backward castes.

The Congress party has slammed BJP government for "jumlas" (fake promises). Business Standard has compiled a list of sops announced by the Gujarat government and Centre since the Election Commission (EC) declared the election dates for Himachal Pradesh and delayed announcement for Gujarat polls.

In the last 22 days, there have been many major welfare announcements from the BJP government - either at the Centre or the state.

Here is a list:

1. Interest-free agriculture loan of up to Rs 3 lakh to farmers: On October 16, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced farm loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at zero per cent interest. The move, aimed at wooing voters of rural Gujarat, is likely to benefit 2.5 million farmers. Addressing the BJP workers at 'Gujarat Gaurav Sammelan', Rupani said that the seven per cent interest on loans will be borne by the state and Centre. The state’s exchequer will have to deal with an additional burden of Rs 700 crore per annum.

2. Minimum support price of Rs 900 for groundnut: The Gujarat government raised its minimum support price (MSP) for the crop and, decided to buy a limited amount at the MSP of Rs 900 per 20 kg against the current market price of Rs 750-800 per 20 kg; a sum of Rs 500 crore has been allotted for this.

3. Rs 100 bonus on 20 kg of cotton: On Sunday, the state government declared a bonus of Rs 100 per 20 kg for cotton to be paid to farmers over and above the minimum support price (MSP). "The bonus of Rs 100 per 20 kg for cotton will help cotton farmers get remunerative prices for their produce," said Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
The move will put a financial burden of Rs 1,250 crore on the state exchequer.

ALSO READ: Rs 7 lakh cr cleared for road expansion; thousands to get jobs: Highlights

4. Formation of 16 new Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) units: On October 11, the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) announced that it would set up 16 industrial estates that would attract over 15,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) with an investment of Rs 19,650 crore. These new industrial estates – 50 per cent of which will be in the Saurashtra region – will aim to create over a lakh new jobs in a state that goes to polls in December. “To promote MSME units, we are announcing new industrial estates in 16 places. About 15,000 units will be set up on plots measuring between 50 to 500 square meters. They will also generate 1 lakh jobs,” said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

5. Inauguration of passenger service from Ghogha to Dahej: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the first phase of the Rs 615 crore ‘roll-on-roll-off’ (Ro-Ro) ferry service between Ghogha in Saurashtra and Dahej in south Gujarat. "This is the first of its kind project not only in India but also in South-East Asia," Modi said. This will join the east and west coasts of the Gulf of Khambhat, Modi said.

6. Pay revision for fixed salaried workers: In a bid to woo the angry fixed salaried workers who have long been demanding pay revision, the state government announced a hike of Rs 250 daily allowance, 11 holidays, a 40-day maternity leave and Rs 2 lakh death insurance for employees working in the Sachivalaya, various boards and corporations as well as other government offices.

7. GST waiver on micro irrigation equipments: Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel announced waiving of the 18 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on micro-irrigation equipments. This expense of around Rs 77.64 crore will be borne by the state government.

8. 50% hike in incentives given to ASHA workers: The state government also announced a 50 per cent hike in the incentives given to ASHA workers, who have been holding demonstrations at various levels for the past many days against the government. On an average, an ASHA worker earns around Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per month. The government also will be disbursing them two saris or dress annually.

9. Appointments to vacant posts: Gujarat government announced the much-awaited appointments to various vacant posts of various boards and corporations in a bid to woo communities. The most striking appointment was that of rebel MLA from Congress who defected to BJP, Balwantsinh Rajput. After his loss in the Rajya Sabha elections, he has been given a key position of chairperson of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation. Besides him, the government also filled crucial positions of chairpersons of the newly-formed Gujarat Rajya Bin Anamat Varg Aayog (Gujarat Non-Reservation Category Commission) and the Gujarat Rajya Bin Anamat Varg Shaikshanik ane Arthik Vikas Nigam, (Gujarat Non-Reservation Category Educational and Financial Development Corporation). These bodies were formed after the BJP government's negotiation with the Patidar social and religious institutions and leaders, along with Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and other agitating groups. These positions were given obviously to Patidar faces, Hansraj Gajera and B H Ghodasara.

10. Modi lays foundation stone for Bhadbhut barrage project: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8, laid the foundation stone for the Rs 4,337-crore Bhadbhut Barrage project here which aims to stop the ingress of salinity along the Narmada river. Addressing a public meeting in Gujarat, Modi said the barrage project will solve the issue of drinking water for Bharuch, and also open up new channels for fisheries.

11. Antyodaya Express: Modi also inaugurated the Antyodaya Express that will connect Surat and Bihar's Jaynagar. The train will depart from Udhna Junction on Sunday and reach Jaynagar on Monday. The Antyodaya train between Udhna-Jaynagar is expected to run at the average speed of 49 km/hr. The train will cover a distance of 1,862 km and travel for approximately 37 hours 50 minutes.

Projects, schemes launched by Centre

12. Modi in Kedarnath: On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that there will be more employment opportunities in future. He asked for more support for India 2022 and said that he will return more inspired for the ‘India 2022’ plan. He promised to develop Kedarnath shrine into a model pilgrimage site. Sufficient funds would be made available for completing the projects in a time-bound manner, assured the PM, who was making his second visit to the pilgrimage site this year, laid the foundation stones of five major reconstruction projects at Kedarpuri.

13. Recapitalisation of state banks: On Tuesday, Narendra Modi-led government approved a state bank recapitalisation plan of Rs 2.11 lakh crore over the next two years, in a bid to clean banks' books and revive investment in a slowing economy. Of the planned sum, recapitalisation bonds will account for Rs 1.35 lakh crore, while Rs 76,000 crore will come from budgetary support and equity issuance, said Rajiv Kumar, India's financial services secretary. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the recapitalisation of state banks would be followed by a series of reforms.

14. The government on Tuesday approved Rs 7 lakh crore worth highway projects including the ambitious Bharatmala.
The development comes barely few months after Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the government will soon launch the Bharatmala project to build over 20,000 km of highways in the first phase. Bharatmala is a mega plan of the government and the second-largest highways project after NHDP that saw the development of about 50,000 km, and aims at improving connectivity in border and other areas.

The Gujarat Assembly election, scheduled for 9 and 14 December, is significant for Prime Minister Narendra Modi  and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. While the former is eager to retain home turf, the latter is trying to mount a serious challenge to the BJP ahead of the 2019 General Election.

The BJP may have its numerous infrastructure projects and the bullet train to help sway votes, but the Congress has the saffron party's flawed implementation of the GST and the demonetisation going in its favour.

The high-stakes battle in a state with only two major parties — BJP and Congress — will be contested on a number of issues that may well decide the outcome. The Gujarat election is considered even more important than Uttar Pradesh for Modi and a defeat will be embarrassing for the BJP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. AFP

With the quota agitation crippling Gujarat and the disenchantment growing, BJP might not find it easy to win the state and Congress appears to be putting up a good fight to counter the saffron party.

The Patidar problem and the Dalit dilemma

The two sensitive issues that rattled the state and forced Anandiben Patel to resign as the chief minister were the protests for reservation for Patels in jobs and educational institutions, and the angry response against the flogging of Dalits.

The BJP was at its wits' end thanks to the fierce agitation led by Hardik Patel. Party leaders were not allowed to hold public rallies and they were barred from many Patel-dominated areas in a show of increasing irritation with the saffron party.

The issue has still not abated and Hardik has emerged as an influential leader able to sway votes in favour of whichever party he chooses to endorse. According to the India Today-Axis opinion poll, the Patidars play a decisive role in 21 of the state's 182 seats and makes up almost 16 percent of the electorate. Hardik can give a bump of two percent to whichever party he supports.

The drifting away of the Patidars from the BJP might alter the result of the election because the party has been banking on these votes for last two decades.

The other issue which can play a major role in the election is the Dalit uprising. Gujarat witnessed one of the biggest Dalit uprising that ever took place in the state last year. Anandiben faced criticism after four Dalit youths were beaten up in Una on 11 July, 2016 for allegedly skinning a dead cow.

Her exit was seen as BJP’s message to Dalits that the party was concerned about the growing unrest in the community. The Dalit anger, as The Hindu points out, is mounting. Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani extended his support to the Congress and met party leader Ashok Gehlot.

They comprise seven percent of the electorate in Gujarat and their vote in favour of the Congress could represent a huge loss for the saffron party.

The GST decision and demonetisation gamble

As Hindustan Times pointed out, small and medium-scale businessmen and traders, who form the core of the BJP support base, have been hit by what they call implementation glitches in the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Textile traders in the state want a roll back of the GST on cloth. According to the Times Now-VMR opinion poll, about 40 percent respondents feel that the quality of life has worsened after the implementation of GST and demonetisation.

Fifty-three percent of the people are dissatisfied with demonetisation, according to the India Today-Axissurvey. The Opposition, specifically the Congress party, has been very vocal and vociferous in its criticism of the new tax regime.

Temperature-Regulating Nanoparticles Can Treat Cancer; Dietary Tweaks May Cut the Risk of Cancer

Story Highlights-

    Hyperthermic-thermotherapy can be used to treat cancer patients
    The therapy may soon involve self-regulating nanoparticles
    These particles are capable of heating up to kill cancerous cells

Hyperthermic-thermotherapy can be used to treat cancer patients. The therapy may soon involve self-regulating nanoparticles that are capable of heating up to an extent to kill cancerous cells at the same time regulate themselves to cool down before harming the healthier cells. Tumour cells can be weakened or killed without affecting normal tissue if temperatures can be controlled accurately within a range of 42 degree Celsius to 45 degree Celsius. "This could potentially be a game changer in the way we treat people who have cancer. If we can keep cancer treatment set at a temperature level high enough to kill the cancer, while low enough to stop harming healthy tissue, it will prevent some of the serious side effects of vital treatment," said Ravi Silva, Professor at UK's University of Surrey.

According to Cancer Research, UK, close to 8.2 million died of cancer in the year 2012. The number of cancer cases reported in a year is expected to go up to a whopping 23.6 million in the year 2030 as compared to 14.1 million reported in the year 2012.

Can your diet cut the risk of cancer?

Undeniably, our diets and lifestyle have undergone a huge change over the past few years. Fruits and veggies are rapidly vanishing from our plates while processed items, fast food, refined ingredients constitute most of our meals. "An inactive lifestyle and obesity are some of the major factors behind the development of most non-communicable diseases. Your risk of developing cancer automatically reduces to some extent if you monitor your alcohol intake, keep a check on junk food consumption, avoid smoking, exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. Fruits, veggies, lentils, beans, legumes, cereals, fish and chicken must be a part of your diet with little consumption of red meat," noted Dr. Devavrat Arya, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology, Max Super Specialty, Saket, New Delhi.

Mr Johnson has won praise for his advocacy for cancer research since his sister Connie was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

He rode a unicycle around Australia in 2013-14 to raise funds for the Garvan Research Foundation.

He and his sister later founded a new organisation, Love Your Sister, which has raised more than $7 million for cancer research.

Connie Johnson died on September 8.

The award caps a big year for Mr Johnson, who also won the Gold Logie for his performance as Molly Meldrum.

The four Victorian recipients will join a group of 32 state and territory recipients at the national awards ceremony in Canberra on January 25, where the Australians of the Year will be announced.

Scientist at the forefront of diabetes research

Victorian Australians of the Year

• Samuel Johnson - Victorian Australian of the Year
• Professor Paul Zimmet - Victorian Senior Australian of the Year
• Georgie Stone - Victorian Young Australian of the Year
• Mat Bowtell - Victoria's Local Hero

Diabetes specialist Professor Paul Zimmet, 75, was named Victorian Senior Australian of the Year.

Professor Zimmet has worked in the field for 40 years, including studies in the 1980s which predicted the current global epidemic of type-2 diabetes.

He established the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne in 1984, the first institute in Australia to concentrate on diabetes, and has been praised for his work convincing governments and health organisations of the disease's impact.

Forging a path for transgender youth

Georgie Stone, 17, was named Victorian Young Australian of the Year for her work campaigning for transgender youth.

At the age of 10, Ms Stone became the youngest person in Australia to be granted permission by a court to take hormone blockers, the first stage of medical treatment for transgender children.

She is credited with driving progress in health and medical services, access to safe schooling environments and legal reforms.

She has previously appeared on Four Corners and Australian Story.

Innovator brings new hope

Engineer Mat Bowtell was named Victorian Local Hero for his work in prosthetic limb innovation.

Mr Bowtell designs and makes open-source prosthetic devices for people who cannot afford them.

He has made his designs freely available online.

Centre To Invest Rs 6000 Crore To Improve Quality Of ITIs

To improve the quality, the Union government is planning to invest Rs 6000 crore in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), which are constituted under Directorate General of Employment & Training (DGET), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Union Government to provide training in various trades.

 centre will do this investment in association with the World Bank improve the ITIs across the country. Anant Kumar Hegde, the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship today said the Centre wants to take these ITIs to every community and rural development block in the country, reported Press Trust of India.

Currently India has 13,000-odd ITIs across the country.

The centre government has recently de-affiliated close to 400 ITIs after quality inspections administered by it found the institutes lacking the requisite infrastructure and trainers for imparting vocational training to students.

While talking about this issue, Mr. Hegde said the Centre was forced to de-affiliate these institutes due to their poor and deteriorating quality.

"It has come to my knowledge that ITI quality is substandard, we were forced to disaffiliate few ITIs since the quality is not good," he said.

"To strengthen these ITI's we have started a new scheme with an investment of around 6000 crore in coordination with World Bank to improve quality of some institution which are performing good. In rural areas also we are planning to take ITIs there," Mr. Hegde told PTI at the sideline of an inspection of the ITI centre here.

In another development yesterday, PTI reported that the Union Cabinet is learnt to have approved funds worth Rs 7,000 crore for the establishment of permanent campuses of six IITs across the country today, government sources here said.

The government's vocational training programmes are administered by industrial training institutes (ITIs), which cater to about 36 per cent of the 7 million people enrolled in various training programmes in India., BhopaPower to assess ITI will be given to state government. Grading of private ITI will be carried out. Union minister for skill development and entrepreneurship, petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan informed this while discussing on different schemes of skill development department here today.

Pradhan said that private ITI and polytechnic colleges should be promoted but there should be no compromise with qualilty. He said that model of Haryana state should be adopted for entrepreneurship.

Implementation of schemes to be simplified Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister said that the difficulties in implementation of the schemes will be removed. The procedures will be simplified. He said that RPL scheme should be expanded.

Skill labourers of other sectors of traditional business should be linked with this scheme apart from construction labourers. He said that system should be made to train six lakh youths and their placement under PMKVY, Mukhyamantri Employment promotion scheme and Mukhyamantri Kaushlya Yojana.

This task should be carried out in stipulated time frame. Minister of state for Technical Education and Skill Development (Independent Charge), School Education and Labor, Deepak Joshi gave information about the difficulties arriving in implemented of various schemes.

He requested to remove difficulties in the operation of Training of Trainers Institute (TOT). Principal Secretary, Technical Education, Sanjay Bandopadhyay made a presentation on implementation of various schemes.

He also informed about the innovations done in the state. Director, Skill Development, Sanjay Singh and Director, Technical Education Virendra Kumar were present during the programme.

Posted in: BVABHARAT E-PAPER

Young, Local Terrorists Growing In Kashmir, Jaish-e-Mohammed Makes Gains

Story Highlights

    50 young men in South Kashmir alone recruited by Hizbul Mujahideen
    But Pak-based Jaish-e-Mohammed is making gains too: sources
    "New-age terrorists" are local, social media-savvy: sources

New Delhi: The arrest of a 20-year-old terrorist in South Kashmir has security forces concerned about a surge in young men signing up for terror groups, many of them via social media, and the fact that they are training locally now, often with guns snatched from policemen. Earlier, terror recruits would travel across the Line of Control into Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir for boot camp.

Arzoo Bashir Najar, 20, who was arrested yesterday, was using Facebook to connect with other young men interested in joining terror groups. Pictures released by security forces show him posing with a gun - an ode of sorts to Burhan Wani ,the wildly popular 22-year-old commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, who was killed a little over a year ago, triggering months of violence in the Kashmir Valley in which nearly 100 people were killed including security personnel in near-daily clashes.

Najar, the son of a shopkeeper, was originally a part of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed; he then switched to the Hizbul, an indigenous terror group funded by Pakistan, and operated in Tral, about 40 kms from Srinagar. Tral was also the home base of Burhan Wani.

He initially joined Jaish-e-Mohammad in the Tral area but due to some differences with them he came and joined Hizbul," a senior police officer disclosed to NDTV.

Najar is typical of the young men who are being radicalized and recruited by terrorists at a worrying speed, said sources. The state intel department says that in the last year, the Hizbul Mujahideen have recruited at least 50 young men in South Kashmir alone.

"These are the boys who we have account of - there are some who just go missing and no one in their family raises the issue," explained a senior police officer.

In the last 10 months, 65 terrorists have been killed in the same South Kashmir region; most of them were locals, not infiltrators from Pakistan.

Sources say that many young men are now gravitating towards the Jaish-e-Mohammed which is seen as more organised and better funded than other groups like the Hizbul.

"The local groups suffered a huge loss as many who got killed were local terrorists, so now Jaish is trying to occupy the space which has been created," explained a security official who asked that his identity not be revealed on account of the sensitive information he is sharing.

Till recently, security agencies believed, based on intercepted calls,  that the Jaish-e-Mohammed had almost been wiped out in the Valley.  But in the last two months, intel inputs suggest that its cadre in the area are getting stronger - specially in south Kashmir - the epicentre of the region's new-age militants inspired by Burhan Wani.

"The life span of a foreign terrorist is very less as compared to a local one as they do not have a support system," said a senior official. "On an average, if a local terrorist survives for about four years, the foreign terrorists get eliminated in about two years or even less.Though the Jaish-e-Mohammed has in the last two years executed some of the deadliest attacks on military bases, its strength locally was being depleted, said officials, who claim that new evidence now suggests otherwise. Pakistan, they allege, does not want to allow for any let up in attacks and is providing more resources and support to help the Jaish-e-Mohammed gain ground.

An Intel report accessed by Times Now has revealed that the ISI, Pakistan's military intelligence agency is making a determined effort to disrupt Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Northern India during Diwali week.

The latest intelligence reports distributed on the evening of October 17 (Tuesday) evening indicate that serious efforts are being made to strengthen the terrorist networks with additional reinforcements, to target military posts and civilian areas during the period.

Intercepts show that over a hundred terrorists have either entered the state or are ready at launch pads right on the line of control.

This has necessitated special countermeasures in both the forward positions --the border posts-- and also, inside the state. What is worrying is the extensive use of guides, usually smugglers and herdsmen.

Terrorists waiting to attack

Two terrorists were spotted on 12 October in Sempura near Pantha Chowk in Srinagar. The intel report suggests that they are likely to attack a security forces convoy soon. 

On 14 October, three terrorists (one local and two foreign) were spotted moving towards Pantha Chowk and Haidarpur. The intelligence report says "This group is planning to carry out terrorist initiated incident or target security forces."

In addition, five terrorists have just entered Sonapindi in the Macchal sector of J&K. Six terrorists are in the Pakistani village of Dhundiyal. They are being led by the LET commander Rashi Gafoor and reports suggest they want to enter by tunneling from Ramgarh to Arnia.

Five Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists are in Kunda, across the line of control (LoC) in Keran. They are expected to take one of the two following routes: The first through Upper Bor and Kachhal and Patro to Sundi Galli or through Nilam to Keran and Kundian to Zunreshi. 

Four LET terrorists with a guide are at Battakaiyan in Uri. They are expected to enter through Khanda Nala to Baramulla or through Nusai and Dogi Pahar and Hajibar to Baramulla.

Five LET with two guides are at Kharameru and they plan to hit Uri. They, judging by intercepts, are either taking the SKS Pass to Ban Bahik to Litar Bahik and Rafiabad route or the Gail Galli, Kala Pahar, Naga Pathri, Baba Gail and Rafiabad route. 

Six Hizbul Mujahideen with a guide is at Pacchiban launch pad. They are also targeting Uri, either through Panu and Sukhdar or through Pandu and Jabla.

Six LET terrorists with a guide are at Kharameru and they are likely to enter Kalapahar through Narpathra, Patiala and Kazinag or Manabar through Narpathra visa Patiala and Kakua. 

On October 13, Six Hizbul Mujahideen reached Pak Post Jungle 1 opposite Krishnaghati. They are likely to attack forward posts.

Since mid-October five LET terrorists are at the Pakistani army post, appropriately named Badmash, opposite the Krishnaghati sector. 

Ten Lashkar terrorists, trained at a forward Kahuta camp were at Launch Pad Kacharban. They have divided into two subgroups and moved to Balanwali Dhok and the Pak Forward Defence Line Contour Complex manned by 649-815 Mujahid battalions respectively. They have been told to attack Indian forward defense posts in the Saujjiyan sector.

Terrorists on October 14 have been seen near Pakistani village Deewar on the LoC. This is near the Pakistan military post-Green Bump, opposite Poonch. They are likely to attack Indian posts with standoff fire.

The reports suggest that the ISI is using all its assets whether it is the LeT or the M or the Hizbul Mujahideen. Indian security officials say that the next week will be challenging.  With stone-pelting down, a spectacular attack is one way of telling the world and the Indian establishment that the situation is still volatile.

Open To All Religions,' Says Saudi Prince. Investors Burst Into Applause

Atas an event Tuesday in Riyadh meant to highlight the kingdom's influence in the business world, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia was returning to "moderate" Islam and intended to "eradicate" extremism.

This in a country that was founded on an austere form of Islam and has been defined by it for decades. The remarks seemed aimed at religious ultra-conservatives who have been tolerated by the ruling Al Saud family in exchange for their support.

"We are only returning to what we used to be, to moderate Islam, open to the world and all religions," the 32-year-old prince said at the conference in the capital. "We won't waste 30 years of our lives dealing with any extremist ideas. We will eradicate extremism."


The remarks made by the kingdom's predominant leader were his strongest statements to date that the country's founding precepts aren't working. They came as he added to a host of reform promises by announcing plans to build a new city on the Red Sea coast with more than $500 billion in investments that will offer a lifestyle not available in today's Saudi Arabia. It's part of efforts he's spearheading to prepare Saudi Arabia for the post-oil era.

In the course of his meteoric rise to power since 2015, the prince has announced plans to sell a stake in oil giant Saudi Aramco and create the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, and has ended some social constraints, including a long-standing ban on female drivers. Women will be allowed to drive in June 2018.

And yet Saudi Arabia still enforces gender segregation in many public places and women remain marginalized in the workplace. It has also been criticized over its export of Wahhabism, a fundamentalist strain of Sunni Islam that has inspired extremist groups including al-Qaida and Islamic State. And it's not clear the prince can deliver on his promises.

"The risk here is that you can't just throw away the old fundamentals of support of the kingdom. It's like jumping off one train that's still moving and trying to get on another one," said Kamran Bokhari, a senior analyst with Geopolitical Futures and a senior fellow with the Center for Global Policy. "The political system of the kingdom is dependent on the religious establishment."

The changes are part of a blueprint, called Vision 2030, that the prince introduced last year to transform a major economy now reliant on petrodollars. Failure to find the right answers risks leaving the kingdom in limbo: An absolute monarchy with diminishing resources to fund an unsustainable version of state capitalism. Saudis will get more restless and the economy, already ground to a halt, could get worse.

The latest attempt at an overhaul was triggered by a sharp drop in oil revenue in 2014 that hasn't reversed. To avoid what the prince and his advisers saw as a catastrophic rundown on savings, they canceled projects deemed unnecessary, cut costly subsidies and halted payments to contractors.

At the forum, where men and women mingled as a group played traditional Arabic music, the prince sounded upbeat while talking about the new city, to be called Neom. The event was attended by some of the world's most prominent business people, keen to explore new opportunities in the kingdom. They burst into applause after Prince Mohammed made his comments about "open to the world and all religions" while speaking on a panel.

Rami Khouri, professor of journalism and senior public policy fellow at American University of Beirut and nonresident senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, said the prince's efforts were meant to impress the West.

"He's doing this to give a new face of Saudi Arabia aimed at the Western world, primarily, dazzling them with all the buttons that they want to hear pushed about entrepreneurship, liberalism, moderate Islam," said Khouri. "The leadership thinks that it can play with its society and its people like Silly Putty, that they can suddenly say now we've changed," he added. "He's reinforcing and reaffirming the weaknesses of traditional Arab autocratic leaderships rather than actually coming out with anything that's innovative and modern and creative."

Bokhari said for the crown prince and his father, King Salman, the slump in oil revenue means the old way of buying loyalty from interest groups is no longer viable.

"So what do you do?" said Bokhari. "You can't make everyone happy so you say I'll go with the youth, I'll go with the women and I'll go with the people who are modern and inshallah (God willing) enough of the religious scholars will give me a rubber stamp for what I am doing. It's not going to work."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Flipkart hdfc mobile sale

HIGHLIGHTS

• Flipkart's End of Season Loot on Mobiles from October 25 to 28
• There are flat discounts available on smartphones across categories
• Flipkart offering 10 percent instant discount on HDFC Bank credit cards

Flipkart has launched a sale exclusively for smartphones, named End of Season Loot on Mobiles Sale, a week after the Diwali sale ended. The new Flipkart sale on mobiles started at 12am on Wednesday and runs through week, ending at midnight on Sunday, October 28. As part of the sale, the e-commerce startup is providing flat discounts, no-cost EMIs, and exchange discounts. For purchases made via HDFC Bank credit cards, the Flipkart sale offers 10 percent instant discount up to Rs. 2,500; the sale is being called the Mobiles HDFC Fest as well.

Flipkart sale offers on mobiles

During the Flipkart End of Season Loot on Mobiles Sale, the 32GB iPhone 6 is available at Rs. 23,999 (with a discount of Rs. 5,501), while the 32GB iPhone 6s is offered at Rs. 29,999 with a Rs. 10,001 discount. The 128GB iPhone 7 comes with a flat Rs. 15,201 discount and is available for Rs. 49,999, whereas the iPhone SEis listed for Rs. 18,999 (normally priced at Rs. 26,000). The biggest discount among all the iPhone models is on the 32GB iPhone 7 that is available for as low as Rs. 39,999 with a whopping discount of Rs. 16,201. You can also pick the 64GB iPhone 8 for Rs. 60,999 (originally priced at Rs. 64,000) or go for the 256GB iPhone 8 Plus by paying Rs. 84,999 (launched at Rs. 86,000). There are more iPhone offers listed on the sale page. The discounted prices mentioned do not include the additional 10 percent instant discount for HDFC Bank credit card users.

In the Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 category, Lenovo Vibe K5 Note is available at Rs. 9,999 with a discount of Rs. 2,500, Moto C Plus at Rs. 5,999 with a discount of Rs. 1,000, Panasonic P55 Max at Rs. 7,499 (with a Rs. 1,000 discount), Meizu M3 Noteat Rs. 8,449 (with a Rs. 2,050 discount), and the Yu Yunique 2 Plusfor Rs. 5,249. There are more models in the Rs. 5,000 to 10,000 segment listed with offers on the sale page.

The Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 segment, Flipkart has listed Moto G5 Plus at Rs. 12,999 (with a Rs. 4,000 discount), Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 at Rs. 12,999 (with extra Rs. 1,000 off on exchange), Samsung On Nxt (3GB, 64GB) at Rs. 14,900 (with a Rs. 3,000 discount), Moto M at Rs. 12,499 (with a Rs. 4,000 discount), and ZenFone 4 Selfie Dual Camera at Rs. 13,999 (with a Rs. 2,000 discount). There are more models in the Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 segment listed with offers on the sale page.

Under the price segment between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 20,000, Flipkart is offering the Honor 9i at Rs. 17,999 (with a Rs. 2,000 discount), Samsung On Max at Rs. 15,900 (with a Rs. 1,000 discount), Oppo F1s at Rs. 17,990 (with an extra Rs. 2,000 off on exchange) and the Vivo V5s Perfect Selfie at Rs. 17,990 (with an extra Rs. 1,000 off on exchange).

Premium smartphones (above Rs. 20,000) have also received discounts during Flipkart End of Season Loot on Mobiles Sale. You can pick up the Honor 8 Pro at Rs. 26,999 (with a Rs. 3,000 discount), while the Samsung Galaxy S7 is available at Rs. 29,990 (with an extra Rs. 5,000 off on exchange). The Oppo F3 Plus is listed at Rs. 24,990 (with an extra Rs. 5,000 off on exchange), Moto Z2 Play is available at Rs. 24,999 (with a Rs. 3,000 discount), whereas the HTC U11(6GB, 128GB variant) is offered at Rs. 47,999 (with a Rs. 5,991 discount)

The Flipkart End of Season Loot on Mobiles Sale on mobiles is into its second day, with offers galore on popular smartphones such as the Redmi Note 4 and iPhone 8, among others. Apart from flat discounts, Flipkart offers on mobiles include exchange discounts, no-cost EMIs, and 10 percent instant discount (up to Rs. 2,500) on HDFC Bank credit cards. In fact, the sale - which started on Wednesday and runs till midnight on Sunday - is being called the Mobiles HDFC Fest as well. If you are planning to buy a smartphone in the sale but feel daunted by the number of offers, we have picked out the deals so that your buying decision is made easier.

Flipkart sale offers on mobiles

During the Flipkart End of Season Loot on Mobiles Sale, the 32GB iPhone 6 is available at Rs. 23,999 (with a discount of Rs. 5,501), while the 32GB iPhone 6s is offered at Rs. 29,999 with a Rs. 10,001 discount. The 128GB iPhone 7 comes with a flat Rs. 15,201 discount and is available for Rs. 49,999, whereas the iPhone SEis listed for Rs. 18,999 (normally priced at Rs. 26,000). The biggest discount among all the iPhone models is on the 32GB iPhone 7 that is available for as low as Rs. 39,999 with a whopping discount of Rs. 16,201. You can also pick the 64GB iPhone 8 for Rs. 60,999 (originally priced at Rs. 64,000) or go for the 256GB iPhone 8 Plus by paying Rs. 84,999 (launched at Rs. 86,000). There are more iPhone offers listed on the sale page. The discounted prices mentioned do not include the additional 10 percent instant discount for HDFC Bank credit card users.

In the Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 category, Lenovo Vibe K5 Note is available at Rs. 9,999 with a discount of Rs. 2,500, Moto C Plus at Rs. 5,999 with a discount of Rs. 1,000, Panasonic P55 Max at Rs. 7,499 (with a Rs. 1,000 discount), Meizu M3 Noteat Rs. 8,449 (with a Rs. 2,050 discount), and the Yu Yunique 2 Plusfor Rs. 5,249. There are more models in the Rs. 5,000 to 10,000 segment listed with offers on the sale page.