Junior Digest

Imphal, Mar 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi  dubbed the north east the new engine for India’s development and said the country’s growth story will remain incomplete till the east comes at par with the west.

Modi laid stress on infrastructure development in the region and said in 2014 Manipur had 1,200 km of declared length of the national highways.

“But in the last four years we have declared another 460 km length of roads as national highways”, he said.

The prime minster said now seven out of eight states were connected by rail network and projects were underway to connect the remaining state capitals, including Imphal, to broad gauge network.

“I have always maintained that India’s growth story shall never be complete until the eastern part of our country progresses at par with the western part. The north east can be the new engine of India’s growth,” he said.

The prime minister was speaking at a function for the foundation stone laying ceremony and dedication of multiple development projects in Manipur.

Lauding the work of the Biren Singh-led government in the state, Modi said, “Last year I told you what the Congress government could not do in last 15 years we would do in 15 months. The BJP government has done more work in less than 15 months.”

He said the BJP government was able to solve the law and order problem in the state even though three months were still left for the completion of 15 months.

Modi said there were no corruption charges against the government and infrastructure development was going on at a great speed, unlike ever seen before.

The state government was working to reduce the problems faced by girls in hill and tribal areas for their education, he said.

“The state government has also undertaken construction of a new hostel for girls in tribal areas. I’m fortunate to inaugurate one such hostel today”, Modi said.

He said the Centre had sanctioned 10 India Reserve Battalions for north-eastern states, including two battalions for Manipur.

They would directly provide job opportunities to about 2,000 youths in the state, the prime minister said.

He also said that 438 people, including 136 women, from the north-eastern states had joined the Delhi Police.

Modi, who laid foundation stones for accommodation for teachers, doctors and nurses at 19 specified locations, said they faced hardships due to lack of proper accommodations in remote areas and hill districts.

The prime minister inaugurated 1000 Anganwadi centers in the state and a park dedicated to Rani Gaidinliu. He said the woman power in the state had always been a source of inspiration for the country.

Riyadh, March 16:  Saudi Arabia will develop a nuclear bomb if Iran does so, says Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible,” he said.
The next leader of the kingdom made the statement in an interview to “CBS This Morning” co-host Norah O’Donnell that will air on Sunday.
In a preview of the interview posted by CBS online, the Crown Prince also likened Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to Adolf Hitler.
“Because he wants to expand. He wants to create his own project in the Middle East very much like Hitler who wanted to expand at the time. Many countries around the world and in Europe did not realise how dangerous Hitler was until what happened, happened. I don’t want to see the same events happening in the Middle East,” he told O’Donnell ahead of a visit to the US.

His genius and wit won over fans from far beyond the rarified world of astrophysics, earning comparisons with Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton.

Hawking died peacefully at his home in the British university city of Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today,” professor Hawking’s children, Lucy, Robert, and Tim said in a statement carried by Britain’s Press Association news agency.

New Delhi, Mar 14: A total of 20 opposition parties on Tuesday held the government responsible for the ongoing imnpasse in Parliament and resolved to ensure discussion in both houses on issues of public importance like the bank scams and farmers’ distress .
The 20 parties came together on a common platform at a dinner hosted by former Congress president and Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi, an attempt to forge a united Opposition front to challenge the ruling BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Talking to reporters after the dinner, hosted by Mrs Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence and which was attended by leaders of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, NCP , Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), CPI, DMK, RJD, HAM, RLD, National Conference, JDS, JMM, AIUDF, Kerala Congress, IUML, JVM, JMM and the RSP., AICC media incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the dinner aimed at a better dialogue between parties and for friendship.
“This dinner hosted by Mrs Sonia Gandhi for opposition parties should not be seen from the prism of politics. It was for friendship and better dialogue between parties:”, he said.
Among those who attended the dinner were former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposiiton in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad , rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Ram Gopal Yadav of SP, Satish Chandra Mishra of BSP, Kanimozhi of DMK, Omar Abdullah of NC, Tejaswi Yadav of RJD , Mohd Saleem and T Rangrajan of the CPM and D Raja of the CPI.

United Nations, Mar 14: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed strong concern over continued violence and hostilities in Syria, saying the Arab country is “bleeding inside and out”.

He called for full implementation of a UN resolution for a ceasefire in the strife-torn nation.

“I am deeply saddened by the immense loss and cascading suffering of the Syrian people. And I am deeply disappointed by all those who have, year after year, by action or inaction, by design or indifference, allowed this to happen Syria is bleeding inside and out,” the UN chief said.

He made the remarks yesterday while briefing the 15-member UN Security Council on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2401 unanimously adopted last month.

Along with a 30-day ceasefire, the resolution calls for delivering aid, evacuating the sick and wounded, lifting sieges, accelerating humanitarian mine action, and protecting civilians and infrastructure.

According to UN data, the conflict has produced more than 5.6 million Syrian refugees and 6.1 million internally displaced people, with more than 13 million people inside the country requiring humanitarian assistance, including nearly six million children.

“Let me highlight just one stark fact on this grimmest of anniversaries: In 2017, more children were killed in Syria than during any other year since the war began,” he said.

However, violence continues in Eastern Ghouta and beyond, including in Afrin, parts of Idlib and into Damascus and its suburbs, Guterres said, warning that in Eastern Ghouta, airstrikes, shelling and ground offensives have even intensified and claimed many hundreds of civilian lives, some even saying more than 1,000 were killed.

Guterres said none of the Council’s directives have been implemented: the provision of humanitarian aid and services has not been safe, unimpeded or sustained; no sieges have been lifted and not one critically sick or wounded person has yet been evacuated.

“I appeal to all parties for the full implementation of resolution 2401 throughout the whole of Syrian territory. The United Nations is ready to assist in any efforts to make that happen,” the UN Chief said, calling on all states “with influence” to exercise it in support of the efforts of the United Nations and the implementation of the resolution.

“We are obviously far from safe, unimpeded and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid’ as demanded in resolution 2401 as well as other relevant Security Council resolutions. And so the humanitarian and human rights situation is becoming more desperate by the day,” he said.

Guterres added that all parties involved should be reminded that even efforts to combat terrorist groups identified by the Council do not supersede these humanitarian obligations.

He noted, however, that in some areas, like Deir ez-Zour and Douma, the conflict is diminishing in intensity.

A ceasefire between the Government and Jaish al Islam forces in Douma is largely holding, he said, noting that their meeting took place yesterday and today, and there has been progress on civilian evacuations and humanitarian aid.

Guterres’ oral report detailed latest efforts of his Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to bring about a political solution to the conflict and UN activities to address the humanitarian crisis.

“On Thursday, this conflict will enter its eighth year. I refuse to lose my hope to see Syria rising from the ashes,” he said.

Washington, March 14: President Donald Trump on Tuesday removed Rex Tillerson as US Secretary of State, following months of policy disagreements.
In a tweet, Trump announced that CIA Director Mike Pompeo will succeed the former Exxon Mobil chief executive and said he would do a “fantastic job.”
Trump thanked Tillerson for his 14 months of service as the country’s top diplomat.
“Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!” Trump said.
The president also picked deputy CIA Director Gina Haspel to run the spy agency.
“Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!,” he said in the tweet.
Earlier in the day, The Washington Post had reported the ouster of Tillerson, which Trump confirmed in the tweet.
Trump last Friday asked Tillerson to step aside, and the embattled diplomat cut short his trip to Africa on Monday to return to Washington.
The Post quoted three White House official as saying that Trump — who has long clashed will Tillerson, who he believes is “too establishment” in his thinking — felt it was important to make the change now, as he prepares for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as upcoming trade negotiations.
Ever since Tillerson took the post in February 2017, there have been reports about differences between the White House and the State Department over several international crises. Tensions between the two hit new high when Tillerson, 65, publicly distanced himself from the president’s defiant response to violence at the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, this summer.
In October, NBC News had reported that Tillerson had come close to resigning this summer but was urged to stay in the job until the end of the year. Citing high-level administration sources, NBC had said Tillerson had referred to Trump as a “moron” in July following a meeting with the president’s national security team.

Pompeo in a statement said he was “deeply grateful” to President Trump for the opportunity to serve as Secretary of State.
“His leadership has made America safer and I look forward to representing him and the American people to the rest of the world to further America’s prosperity. Serving alongside the great men and women of the CIA, the most dedicated and talented public servants I have encountered, has been one of the great honors of my life.”

London, Mar 15: British Prime Minister Theresa May is likely to announce a range of measures against Moscow today over the poisoning of a former Russian spy with a deadly nerve agent in England this month.

The British Prime Minister will chair a meeting of the UK’s National Security Council (NSC) to lay out her proposals before announcing them in the House of Commons later today.

Moscow, which had been given an ultimatum to provide a “credible response” over how a Russian-made nerve agent came to be used on British soil, has warned of “an equal and opposite reaction” against any UK reprisals.

The set of measures are expected to cover the expulsion of Russian diplomats, financial sanctions against wealthy Russians with links to the Kremlin, possible curbs on the Russia’s state-funded television station RT, and boycotting the FIFA World Cup in Russia later this year.

The reprisals will follow days of diplomacy since Theresa May first informed Parliament that there was enough evidence to conclude that it is “highly likely” that Russia is behind the poisoning of 66-year-old former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia in Salisbury on March 4.

Russia’s record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations; and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations; the government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal, she had said.

“It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk. And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil, she added, giving Moscow a Tuesday midnight deadline to respond on the circumstances surrounding the attack.

US President Donald Trump, as well as North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and European Union (EU) allies including Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, have since come out in support of the UK and offered support.

Downing Street said the British prime minister received the backing of Trump, who agreed in a phone call that Moscow “must provide unambiguous answers as to how this nerve agent came to be used”.

A spokesperson added that France’s President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had also condemned the attack and offered support to the UK, as well as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania the Baltic states bordering Russia.

Russia, however, has insisted that it is being blamed unfairly, with the Russian embassy in the UK tweeting that the ambassador, who had been summoned to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for an explanation, had branded the actions of the UK authorities as a clear provocation .

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Britain of “playing politics” and ignoring an international agreement on chemical weapons. He said Moscow would cooperate if it received a formal request for clarification from the UK under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which sets a 10-day time limit for a response.

UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson has said if the attack was shown to be a “direct act” by the Russian state it would be a “clear violation of the chemical weapons convention, a breach of international law and a threat to those who abide by the rules-based international order”.

FCO is also set to brief a session of the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s political decision-making body, on the Skripal incident later.

In her Commons statement earlier this week, May made a specific reference to the use of radiological substances in the “barbaric assault” on Alexander Litvenenko another Russian spy murdered 11 years ago in London.

Following Litvinenko’s death, the UK had expelled Russian diplomats, suspended security cooperation, broke off bilateral plans on visas, froze the assets of the suspects and put them on international extradition lists.

May told Parliament that while those measures remain in place, “we must now stand ready to take much more extensive measures .

Meanwhile, Skripal, and his daughter remain critically ill in hospital. A former Russian military colonel, Skripal was convicted of treason in 2006 and jailed for 13 years for selling secrets to MI6, which had recruited him in the 1990s.

The senior intelligence officer with Russian military intelligence GRU, was pardoned in a spy swap in 2010 and settled in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

A week after he and his daughter were found collapsed on a bench of a shopping centre in the city, Britain’ s public health authorities had asked hundreds of people who were at a restaurant and pub linked with the poisoning of the Russian spy to clean up their possessions to remove any traces of the deadly nerve agent.

The poison used in the attack has been identified as belonging to a group of chemical nerve agents known as Novichok’, which means newcomer and was used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War era in 1970s and 1980s.

Like most nerve agents, it has the effect of blocking messages from the nerves to the muscles in the body, which leads to a collapse of body functions and ultimately death by asphyxiation.

London, Mar 13: China may have cleared the way for President Xi Jinping to effectively remain in power for life, but it has not transpired without protest, a BBC News report said on Monday.
In recent days, anti-Xi posters written in Chinese and English have appeared in several Western universities.
The posters have featured phrases such as “Not My President” and “I Disagree”.
Criticism of China’s decision to remove a two-term presidential limit has been heavily censored at home.
The Parliament, the National People’s Congress, overwhelmingly passed the constitutional changes on Sunday, as widely expected.
The posters began appearing on some US campuses last week, and were later reported in countries including the UK, France, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada.
A Twitter account @StopXiJinping has been posting links to the posters for download, and encouraging others to join what it calls “our campaign”.
Someone operating the account told the BBC it was being run by Chinese university students and graduates who were living abroad but wished to remain anonymous. The person did not give further details.
“We spoke up as we genuinely believe that Chinese citizens, overseas or at home, have the right to express opinions free from fear,” the account tweeted on Friday.
The phrase “not my president” has been used in other contexts, most prominently by those who oppose US President Donald Trump.
In Australia, the posters have appeared in a number of universities.
Wu Lebao, an Australian National University student, said he had put up the posters to raise awareness among his peers.
“By posting those bills, I want to impress on them that there is a significant change occurring in China,” Mr Wu said.
“Xi has performed as a dictator for years since he went into power, but this move would give him more absolute power.”
However, several Chinese students were unaware of the campaign when asked by the BBC.
A Chinese student at the University of Sydney said his peers had a range of views on the constitutional changes.
“It’s definitely a hot topic, but we’ve mostly just been joking,” said the student, who did not wish to be named.
Outspoken opponents of the government are routinely harassed by officials or arrested.
So Dr David Brophy, a lecturer in Chinese history at University of Sydney, said he was surprised to see such a public display of dissent from the overseas students.
“There is a strong sense among some students that it’s best to raise criticism within their community, rather than air them more publicly to a Western audience,” he told the BBC.
Such discretion is fuelled by concerns about whether students abroad are being monitored by China.
“For anyone who plans to go back to China in the future, they do incur a risk by being visible as politically active,” Dr Brophy said.
The Twitter campaign has advised students to put up posters only at night, and to wear face masks.

PURI, MAR 15:- International sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creating a sand sculpture in honour of British physicist and award-winning author Stephen Hawking at Puri beach, in Odisha on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Mar 15: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the plea of convict A G Perarivalan seeking recall of its May 1999 judgement upholding his conviction in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

A bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi, R Banumathi and M Shantanagoudar said it does not need to interfere with its 1999 verdict upholding Perarivalan’s conviction.

Earlier, the CBI had sought dismissal of Perarivalan’s plea claiming it was devoid of any merits.

In an affidavit filed in the apex court, CBI’s Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA), probing the larger conspiracy aspect behind Gandhi’s assassination, had said that the role of convict Perarivalan in the conspiracy resulting in the killing of the former prime minister and others have already been upheld by the top court.

The Supreme Court today also asked the MDMA to submit its status report in four weeks.

The agency had said that the application seeking recall of the May 11, 1999 apex court judgement was not maintainable since it seeks to reopen the whole matter on merits which cannot be permissible.

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally.

Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed.

Islamabad, Mar 17:  In a blow to Pakistan’s former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, the special court hearing the high treason case against him has also authorised the government to suspend his passport as well as his national identity card, according to a media report today.

Last week, the special court had ordered the government to arrest the Dubai-based former president and confiscate all his properties as it heard the high treason case against the “proclaimed offender” for imposing emergency rule in the country in 2007.

Musharraf, 74, was indicted in March, 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in 2007 which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges.

The special court had earlier directed the Interior Ministry to approach the Interpol for the arrest of Musharraf.

If Musharraf fails to submit a written request for security to the Ministry of Interior, the government can take “positive steps” to ensure the arrest of the accused and attach his properties abroad, including suspension of the National Identity Card (CNIC) and passport of the accused, The Express Tribune quoted a four-page order of the special court.

If the federal government suspends his passport and CNIC, Musharraf will not be able to travel to any country.

The three-member bench, headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi had conducted the last hearing in the case on March 8. However, the written order was issued later, the report said.

Since 2013, the special court is hearing the treason case against Musharraf, also head of the All Pakistan Muslim League, for subverting the constitution in 2007. The next hearing of the case has been fixed for March 21, it said.

A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

The order says that Akhtar Shah, the counsel for Musharraf, stated that his client intends to appear before the court but he should be provided security by the defence ministry.

Quoting legal experts, the report said the special court’s order to suspend Musharraf’s CNIC and passport is very significant as it will halt his movement abroad.

Advocate Shah told the paper that he had already sent two applications through courier to the ministries of interior and defence for providing foolproof security to Musharraf on his arrival in Pakistan to ensure presence in the court.

He, however, stated that they have yet to receive any response from the two ministries.

On the other hand, prosecution head Akram Sheikh said that ministry has yet to receive any application by Musharraf’s counsel.

He also urged the interior ministry to start the process for the suspension of Musharraf’s CNIC and passport, adding that the former army chief’s movement will be completely stopped after the suspension of passport.

The special court in its order has expressed dismay at the inaction of the federal government in taking positive steps to ensure the arrest of Musharraf, who has already been declared proclaimed offender.

“The court was informed that the accused is presently residing in United Arab Emirates and that there is an extradition treaty between government of UAE and government of Pakistan which could be invoked to ensure the arrest of the accused and attachment of his properties in the UAE,” says the order.

The court also asked the government to make a request to the Interpol for the issuance of an appropriate warrant for his arrest and for his production before the court on March 21.

Musharraf ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008.

He is wanted in Pakistan in several criminal cases including in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Raipur/New Delhi, Mar 14:  Nine CRPF personnel were today killed after Maoists blasted their mine protected vehicle using over 50 kgs of explosives in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma, about a year after a dozen jawans were killed in a similar ambush in the district.

Officials said the incident took place around 12:30 pm along the 5-km under-construction Kistaram-Palodi road when the troops of the 212th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were out for an operation.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the incident was “deeply distressing” and asked CRPF Director General R R Bhatnagar to rush to Chhattisgarh.

“My heartfelt condolences to the families of those personnel who lost their lives in Sukma blast. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured jawans,” he said.

The home minister spoke to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh who briefed him about the incident, steps taken for the jawans’ treatment and operations to nab those involved.

The armoured MPV had gone about 10-feet into the air and crashed on the ground before splitting into pieces. All the personnel were killed due to the impact of the blast even as many were thrown out of the vehicle, officials said.

“The troops who came under attack were travelling in the MPV and going towards a newly-opened post in Palodi. Naxals were first spotted in the area around 8 am and the CoBRA teams effectively retaliated and broke the ambush.

“However, when a convoy of motorcycles and 2 MPVs were crossing the area in the noon, the second mine protected vehicle got caught in the blast,” Bhatnagar told PTI in Delhi.

He had returned from the state only this morning after conducting an official tour.

When asked why MPVs were being used despite their vulnerability in Naxal areas, the DG said they were used sparingly and that they had not been abandoned completely for use in operations.

Officials said nine men were killed while two other jawans are injured after the armoured vehicle was blown up using over 50 kgs of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) concealed under the track that joins Kistaram to Palodi, a senior official said.

A senior CRPF official in Raipur said the patrol squad had launched the search-cum-area domination operation from Kistaram towards Palodi, located around 500 kms from here, in view of the visit of Sukma Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena in Palodi today.

The blast is suspected to have been triggered by Maoists by joining wires from a distance when the MPV crossed over the IED, officials said.

They said the Maoist cadre led by elusive Naxal commander Hidma and his PLGA (Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army) battalion no 1 could be behind the deadly attack.

Sukma, considered one of the worst insurgency-hit regions of the state, has witnessed several dreaded attacks on security forces in the past, particularly in summer season during which rebels carry out an annual tactical counter offensive campaign (TCOC).

There were reports that the TCOC was launched by the Naxals early this year, from late February as compared to March-end, the official said.

Soon after the incident, reinforcements were rushed to the spot, around 500 kms from state capital Raipur, officials said, adding further details were awaited.

Those killed have been identified as Assistant Sub Inspector R K S Tomar, Head Constable Laxman and constables Ajay K Yadav, Manoranjan Lanka, Jitendra Singh, Shobhit Sharma, Manoj Singh, Dharmendra Singh and Chandra H S. The injured are Madan Kumar and Rajesh Kumar.

Twelve personnel of the force were killed on March 11 last year in the Bheji area of the district and their arms looted, when Naxals ambushed their patrol party.

A few days later on April 24, twenty-five personnel of the paramilitary were killed in a similar ambush in Sukma.

Mumbai, Mar 16: Filmmaker Nandita Das says it is extremely important for the society to foster a climate where there is space for differences of opinion as it is the only way one can grow.

Das, who was at the receiving end with her film “Firaaq” which chronicled the Gujarat riots, says a group of people cannot decide what others can or cannot see.

“We have to have the space for dissent, disagreement. A society, a human being can only grow when you have that space for difference of opinion to foster. There are civil ways of sharing. Now with social media, anybody and everybody can share their thoughts…,” Das said in a media interaction.

“There are some TV shows, I don’t like at all. I find them regressive but am I going to break the TV, catch you by the throat and say ‘don’t see it’? I will tell my friends, write about it. Let’s use those platform to share our dissent.”

The filmmaker said there should be a civil way of disagreeing.

“What you may be offended by I may really like, what I may get offended by… So who’s to decide? Is there going to be a small group of people who will decide what 1.2 billion must watch and read and do?

“I have always spoken for freedom of expressions, even when I’ve disagreed over something. Even if there is something on Nathuram Godse, I may completely disagree with the ideology because I believe with time only good survives… Everything is available on the internet anyway. What are we going to censor?”

She was present at ‘Films For Change’ campaign launch of ‘Good Pitch India’ hosted by The Indian Documentary Foundation.

Researchers tested 250 bottles of water in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Thailand, and the United States.

Plastic was identified in 93 percent of the samples, which included major name brands such as Aqua, Aquafina, Dasani, Evian, Nestle Pure Life and San Pellegrino.

The plastic debris included polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used to make bottle caps.

“In this study, 65 percent of the particles we found were actually fragments and not fibers,” Mason told AFP.

“I think it is coming through the process of bottling the water. I think that most of the plastic that we are seeing is coming from the bottle itself, it is coming from the cap, it is coming from the industrial process of bottling the water.”

Particle concentration ranged from “zero to more than 10,000 likely plastic particles in a single bottle,” said the report.

On average, plastic particles in the 100 micron (0.10 millimeter) size range — considered “microplastics,” — were found at an average rate of 10.4 plastic particles per liter.

Even smaller particles were more common — averaging about 325 per liter.

Other brands that were found to contain plastic contaminated included Bisleri, Epura, Gerolsteiner, Minalba and Wahaha.

Experts cautioned that the extent of the risk to human health posed by such contamination remains unclear.

“There are connections to increases in certain kinds of cancer to lower sperm count to increases in conditions like ADHD and autism,” said Mason.

“We know that they are connected to these synthetic chemicals in the environment and we know that plastics are providing kind of a means to get those chemicals into our bodies.”

– Time to ditch plastic? –

Previous research by Orb Media has found plastic particles in tap water, too, but on a smaller scale.

“Tap water, by and large, is much safer than bottled water,” said Mason.

The three-month study used a technique developed by the University of East Anglia’s School of Chemistry to “see” microplastic particles by staining them using fluorescent Nile Red dye, which makes plastic fluorescent when irradiated with blue light.

“We have been involved with independently reviewing the findings and methodology to ensure the study is robust and credible,” said lead researcher Andrew Mayes, from UEA’s School of Chemistry.

“The results stack up.”

Jacqueline Savitz, chief policy officer for North America at Oceana, a marine advocacy group that was not involved in the research, said the study provides more evidence that society must abandon the ubiquitous use of plastic water bottles.

“We know plastics are building-up in marine animals, and this means we too are being exposed, some of us, every day,” she said.

“It’s more urgent now than ever before to make plastic water bottles a thing of the past.”

New Delhi, Mar 14: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the March 31 deadline for linking Aadhaar with various services till the five-judge constitution bench delivers its judgement on petitions challenging the validity of the biometric scheme and the enabling law

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra had on March 7 said it may not be possible to decide by March 31 the batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act

The bench, which also comprised justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, had earlier said that since the matter would have implications on financial institutions, like banks and stock exchange, it would create a huge problem of compliance if the deadline was extended at the last moment

On December 15 last year, the apex court had extended till March 31 the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar with various services and welfare schemes

Former Karnataka High Court judge Justice K S Puttaswamy had told the apex court on February 22 that several deaths had reportedly taken place due to starvation on account of glitches in the Aadhaar-based public distribution system and the court must consider granting them compensation

Earlier, the top court had observed that the alleged defect of citizens’ biometric details under the Aadhaar scheme being collected without any law could be cured by subsequently bringing in a statute

It had said that the Centre came out with the law in 2016 to negate the objection that it was collecting data since 2009 without any authorisation, but the issue which needed consideration was what would happen if the data collected earlier, had been compromised.

Gandhinagar, Mar 15: Expressing deep anguish over a spate of banking frauds, RBI Governor Urjit Patel said on Wednesday that like the ‘Neelakantha’, the central bank will consume poison and face brickbats, but will persist with endeavour to become better with each trial.

Breaking silence over the Rs 12,967 crore scam at PNB, he said: “I have chosen to speak today to convey that we at the Reserve Bank of India also feel the anger, hurt and pain at the banking sector frauds and irregularities.”

Delivering a lecture at the Gujarat National Law University here, he said: “In plain simple English, these practices amount to a looting of our country’s future by some in the business community, in cahoots with some lenders.”

Patel said RBI has in place asset quality review of banks and “we are doing all we can to break this unholy nexus”.

Invoking mythology, he said RBI has undertaken the cleaning up of the country’s credit culture as the Mandara mount or the churning rod in the Amrit Manthan or the Samudra Manthan of the modern day Indian economy.

Until the churn is complete and the nectar of stability safely secured for the country’s future, someone must consume the poison that emanates along the way, he said.

“If we need to face the brickbats and be the Neelakantha consuming this poison, we will do so as our duty; we will persist with our endeavours and get better with each trial and tribulation along the way,” the Governor said.

He also wished that more promoters and banks, individually or collectively through their industry bodies, would reconsider being on the side of “Devas rather than Asuras in this Amrit Manthan”.

He made a pitch for “making banking regulatory powers neutral to bank ownership and leveling the playing field between public sector and private sector banks”.

Observing that there has been a tendency in the pronouncements post revelation of the fraud that RBI supervision team should have caught it, Patel said no banking regulator can catch or prevent all frauds.

“While that can always be said ex post with any fraud, it is simply infeasible for a banking regulator to be in every nook and corner of banking activity to rule out frauds by ‘being there’,” he said.

Referring to PNB, Patel said the RBI had identified, based on cyber risk considerations, the exact source of operational hazard through which “we understand” now the fraud had been perpetrated.

In particular, he said the RBI had issued precise instructions via three circulars in 2016 to enable banks to eliminate the hazard.

“It turns out ex post the bank had simply not done so. Clearly, the internal processes at the bank failed in allowing the operational hazard to remain in place in spite of clear instructions to close it,” he said.

Patel said the RBI will undertake actions against the bank that it is empowered to but this set is limited under its Banking Regulation Act powers over PSBs.

Noting that “success has many fathers; failures none”, the Governor said there has been the usual blame game, passing the buck, and a tonne of honking, mostly short-term and knee-jerk reactions.

“These appear to have prevented the participants in this cacophony from deep reflection and soul searching that can help solve fundamental issues that are the root cause of such frauds and related irregularities in the banking sector,” he said.

Patel also flagged the issue of rising bad loans (NPA) saying that the problems needs immediate attention.

“Its magnitude is larger than Rs 8.5 lakh crores of stressed assets on bank balancesheets and its significance stems from several practices in promoter-bank credit relationship that need immediate attention,”.

The RBI has been clamping down on the failure to recognise asset quality as non-performing as per its norms by requiring that banks, whose divergence exceeds by 15 per cent of the true non performing assets (NPAs) as per the norms, disclose the divergence.

This should restore some market discipline against such practices, especially in the case of private sector banks, Patel said.

Amaravati/New Delhi, Mar 17: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP)  ended its four-year-old alliance with the BJP and walked out of the NDA, eight days after two of its union ministers resigned over the Centre’s refusal to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.

Upping the ante within hours after party president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu made the announcement in Amaravati to pull out of the BJP-led alliance, the TDP moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi government in the Lok Sabha. The YSR Congress also moved a confidence motion.

The notices moved for the first time since the Modi government assumed office in May 2014 were not taken up as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said there was no order in the House and adjourned the proceedings for the day amid vociferous protests over various issues. The no-confidence notices were moved by TDP’s Thota Narasimham. YSR Congress member Y V Subba Reddy.
Union ministers — P Ashok Gajapati Raju and Y S Chowdary — had quit on March 8 after a meeting with the prime minister.

The TDP politburo unanimously took the decision to end the alliance during a tele-conference with Naidu this morning.
The party politburo meeting to decide over quitting the National Democratic Alliance(NDA) was planned for this evening, but the formality was completed during the daily tele-conference Naidu holds with party leaders in the morning.

The TDP will write a letter to BJP president Amit Shah and also other constituents of the NDA informing its decision and the reasons for it, a party communique said while making the announcement to quit the NDA.

The union government exuded confidence that it has the numbers to ride out the crisis with BJP terming the decision by the TDP to quit the NDA “inevitable”.

The BJP, which claimed that the TDP exit provided an opportunity for it to grow in the state, faces the prospect of going it alone in the elections in Andhra Pradesh next year with the two main regional parties — TDP and YSR Congress — arrayed gainst it.

The TDP had yesterday offered to back the YSR Congress’ no-confidence motion but said it withdrew the support as it smelt a nexus between it and the BJP.

“We go according to principles. Our leader felt being part of NDA and moving a no-confidence motion would not be ethical. So we withdrew from the NDA and I have issued a letter on no-confidence motion to the speaker at 9.30 am,” Thota Narasimham, the TDP’s floor leader in the Lok Sabha, told reporters in Delhi.

His party colleague Ramesh claimed that YSR Congress MP Vijaysai Reddy was seen making attempts to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and this, he said, hinted at a nexus between both parties.

“We have no confidence in their no-confidence motion, so we have decided to go on our own,” he said.

“If it is not taken due to lack of time today, on Monday we will get signatures from 54 MPs from various other parties and push for a no-confidence motion vigorously,” Ramesh said.

The motion can be accepted only if it has the support of at least 50 members in the House.

While the TDP has 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha, the YSR Congress has nine.

Congress and Left leaders said they would support the motion against the government.

“When the Andhra parties bring a no confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, we will support it,” Mohammad Salim of the CPI(M) said.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge added that the party would also support the motion but asked the two regional parties to not play politics over the matter.

As the opposition counted its numbers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the whole country has full confidence in the prime minister as does the House.

“The government has the numbers… We are ready to take up everything,” he said.

With the BJP alone having 274 members in the 536-member Lok Sabha and enjoying support of allies, the no-confidence motion, if accepted, is likely to be defeated but it has the potential to put the saffron party in a tight corner in the state.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao accused the TDP of resorting to “lies to cover up its inept and inert governance”.

The TDP’s decision to quit, he said, was inevitable after its “mischievous propaganda” against the Centre.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed TDP’s decision to quit the NDA and urged all opposition parties to work closely together against “atrocities, economic calamities and political instability”.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) led by K Chandrasekhar Rao ruled out its support for the no-confidence motion against the NDA government, describing the move as a “political gimmick”. The TRS has 11 MPs in the Lok Sabha.