Junior Digest

Karachi, Feb 11: Akshay Kumar’s “Padman”, which deals the issue of menstrual hygiene, has been banned in Pakistan.

The country’s Federal Censor Board has refused to give its nod for the release of the R Balki-directed film, which also stars Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor in pivotal roles.

“We can’t allow our film distributors to import films which are against our traditions and culture,” FCB member Ishaq Ahmed said.

The members of Punjab Film Censor Board also refused to watch the film saying it is based on a “taboo subject” and outrightly rejected any clearance certificate to it.

“We can’t allow the screening of films on taboo subjects in our cinemas as it is not in our culture, society or even religion,” a member said.

Well-known Pakistani filmmaker Syed Noor said that there was a need to speak to the local film distributors and exhibitors about the films they import from other countries.

“Not only this film ‘Padman’ but I think even ‘Padmaavat’ should not have been released in Pakistan as it portrays Muslims in a very negative light,” Noor said.

New Delhi, Feb 10 : RBI Governor Urjit Patel today said the monetary policy decisions need to be “forward- looking” and cannot be taken on the basis of day-to-day inflation rates.

Stating that it is difficult to predict global oil prices, Patel said the global charts have shown two-way movement in the recent days and there is a need to be prepared for both the scenarios of rising and falling rates.

Speaking to reporters after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s customary post-Budget address to RBI’s board, the governor also exuded confidence about improving credit growth and the encouraging trend of companies being able to raise a fair amount of funds from the capital markets.

On the monetary policy framework, Patel said the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which decided to keep the key rates unchanged earlier this week, has explained its reasons for the decisions it takes as per the policy framework and the inflation targeting system that has been followed on account of legislative change.

“We have to be forward-looking when conducting monetary policy rather than looking at inflation rates today or yesterday.

“And given than MPC has explained its decision in great detail, our resolutions are possibly the longest compared to most central banks of the world… We explain our decisions carefully, twice a year we have the monetary policy report,” he said.

“I think that our decisions have been forward-looking rather than backward-looking,” Patel said, while asserting that the GDP growth rate is showing an upward trend.

Jaitley also said that he considered the MPC’s last decision to be “a balanced” one and as far as the fiscal situation is concerned, he sees it to be reasonably more comfortable next year on the revenues front.

“Therefore, I cannot at this stage say there would be any slippage. I am sure we will be able to maintain the (fiscal deficit) target quite well. You cannot on basis of hypothetical situation like oil prices… What has happened in the three days nobody had predicted. So that’s entering into an area on which there is no certainty at the moment,” the finance minister said.

Agreeing with the minister, Patel said the MPC decision took into account all the downside risks and mitigating factors.

“We had observed that in recent days oil prices had two- way movement. So what the finance minister has said is the correct point. We need to be prepared for movements either way because it is just very difficult to predict oil prices.

“A few months ago, June or so, people were talking about oil prices never going above USD 45 per barrel and some of the advise had come to MPC was based on that,” he said.

While the global oil prices have cooled a bit in last 2-3 days, there have been concerns about the potential headwinds from a rise in crude prices.

On credit growth, Jaitley said, “I think indications are there that it is already happening. That seems to be a good sign and now with the recapitalisation of banks the capacity to lend will increase.”

Referring to his meeting with Sebi’s board in the morning, Jaitley said one of the factors that stood out in the market regulator’s presentation was that there is now an increased reliance on the bond market as far as credit is concerned.

Patel also said the capital market’s contribution to fund-raising has also gone up substantially.

Amman, Feb 10 : India and Jordan will consult and coordinate on fighting terrorism and promoting security in West Asia.

This follows talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and King Abdullah II of Jordan on Friday.

Jordanian news agency Petra said the two sides discussed ways to broaden cooperation between Amman and New Delhi.

Dhaka, Feb 8 : Bangladesh’s ex-premier and opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia was today sentenced to five years in jail in a corruption case.

Zia, 72, was sentenced by the Special Court-5 in the capital , Dhaka, in connection with embezzlement of 21 million takas (USD 252,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust.

In the same case, her son Tarique Rahman and four others have been sentenced to 10 years in jail.

The ex-premier on November 30, 2014 lost her last ditch effort to evade the graft trial as the Supreme Court turned down her second ‘leave to appeal’ petition challenging her indictment and asked her to face trial in the lower court.

The high court earlier validated the trial in the lower court which on March 19, 2014 had indicted Zia on two graft charges brought by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The ACC alleged that the two charities, the other being the Zia Charitable Trust, existed only on paper and a huge amount of money was misappropriated in the name of the two organisations while Zia was premier during the BNP’s 2001-2006 government.

Ramallah, Feb 10 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met Mahmoud Abbas on a historic visit to Palestine during which the Palestinian President sought India’s support for a multi-country mechanism to achieve a “just and desired peace” with Israel in accordance with the two-state solution.

President Abbas accorded a red carpet welcome to Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to make an official visit to Palestine, in an official ceremony at the presidential compound, also known as Muqata’a, in Ramallah – the Palestinian seat of government.

They discussed the full range of India-Palestine ties following which the two sides signed six agreements worth around USD 50 million that includes setting up of a USD 30 million super speciality hospital in Beit Sahur.

Three agreements in the education sector worth USD 5 million, one MoU for procurement of equipment and machinery for the National Printing Press and one for construction of a centre for empowering women were also signed.

At a joint press statement with Modi, President Abbas acknowledged that the Indian leadership has always stood by peace in Palestine.

Abbas said he had “fruitfull and constructive” talks with Prime Minister Modi and he updated the Indian leader on the overall developing situation in Palestine and in the region.

He said Palestine is ready to engage in negotiations to achieve freedom and independence in accordance with the two- state solution along the lines of 1967 and internationally legitimate resolutions so that both Palestine and Israel can co-exist in peace and security, provided that East Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Palestine.

Abbas said the formation of a multi-lateral mechanism that is produced by an international peace convention is the most ideal way to broker negotiations with Israel, which is India’s strategic partner and among its top arms suppliers.

“We rely on India’s role as an international voice of great standing and weigh through its historical role in the Non-Aligned Movement and in all international forum and its increasingly growing power on the strategic and economic levels, in a way that is conducive to just and desired peace in our region,” President Abbas said.

The two-state solution envisions independent Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting side by side peacefully. The Palestinians see East Jerusalem as their future capital.

Prime Minister Modi assured President Abbas that India is committed to the Palestinian people’s interests.

“Friendship between India and Palestine has stood the test of time. The people of Palestine have shown remarkable courage in the face of several challenges. India will always support Palestine s development journey,” Modi said, adding that India is hopeful of peace and stability in the region.

Prime Minister Modi said India hopes for Palestine to soon become a sovereign and independent country in a peaceful environment through dialogue.

“We hope for peace and stability in Palestine, we believe a permanent solution is possible with dialogue. Only diplomacy and farsightedness can set free from violence and baggage of the past. We know it is not easy but we need to keep trying as a lot is at stake,” Modi said.

Though India has shied away from becoming a party in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the Palestinian leader on several occasions has stressed on a possible role for New Delhi in the Middle East peace process.

India believes in a two-state solution in which both Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist peacefully.

Modi had hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month and the two leaders had vowed to further strengthen the friendship between Israel and India.

His visit to Palestine comes amid heightened tensions in the region after US President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The unilateral US decision to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was challenged at the UN General Assembly where 128 nations, including India, voted to turn down the move as “null and void”.

Trump’s decision to declare Jerusalem as Israel’s capital angered the Palestinians, sparked protests in the Middle East and raised concern that it could further destabilise the region, marred by decades of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

During his maiden visit to Israel last year, Modi did not travel to Ramallah. His standalone visit to Israel had led to many analysts questioning the future of the Indo-Palestine ties. This time Modi skipped Israel in a clear message that India is de-hyphenating its ties with Israel and Palestine.

President Abbas also conferred the ‘Grand Collar of the State of Palestine’ on Prime Minister Modi, recognising his key contribution to promote ties between India and Palestine.

The Grand Collar is Highest order given to foreign dignitaries – Kings, Heads of State/Government and persons of similar rank.

Modi, on his part, said, that bestowing the honour on him was a matter of proud moment for India. This was also the reflective of the friendship between India and Palestine.

Earlier, the two leaders exchanged hugs and stood for the national anthem of the two countries and then inspected the guard of honour before their bilateral talks.

Archbishop of Catholic Church, Poulos Marcuzzo, and religious leaders of the Al-Aqsa mosque were also at the Muqata’a to greet Modi.

Modi flew in a Jordanian army helicopter straight from Amman to Ramallah, where he was received by his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah. Prime Minister Modi’s chopper was escorted by choppers from Israel Air Force.

Soon after his arrival, Prime Minister Modi visited the Mausoleum of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah and laid a wreath at the grave of the iconic Palestinian leader. He was accompanied by his Palestinian counterpart Hamdallah.

After paying homage to Arafat, Modi took a short tour of the Arafat Museum located adjacent to the mausoleum.

Modi left for Amman following a farewell ceremony.

From Amman, Modi will travel to the UAE for a two-day visit.

Male [Maldives], Feb 9 : Major TV station in Maldives, RaajjeTV has shut down its broadcast coming under immense pressure and threats of attacks.

“RajjeTV informs our viewers that we have suspended regular broadcasts due to attacks on free and independent media continued threats to RajjeTV and its staff, following the Police’s decision to slash security to the station and the warning issued by the MNDF to media sources over closure of any media stations without warning,” according to station’s screenshot tweeted by the Maldives Voice.

The Maldives Broadcasting Commission had earlier warned media stations they could face closure if they were deemed a threat to national security, incited unrest with false information or endangered the public interest, according to news reports.

On Monday, former President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Chief Justice Saeed, Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed and Judicial administrator Hassan Saeed were arrested by the security forces after Yameen declared a state of emergency in the country.

The arrests indicated that the crackdown on the opposition intensified. The country’s National Defence Force also stormed inside the Supreme Court (SC) premises in Male on Tuesday.

The Maldivian capital remained tense as opposition leaders across were being rounded up and placed under detention as Yameen, who has been refusing to obey SC’s orders directing him to release nine prominent leaders from prison, has given sweeping powers to security forces.

New Delhi, Feb 8: Batting great Sachin Tendulkar has called on the BCCI to recognise the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and bring its players under the Board’s pension scheme.

Tendulkar wrote to the Committee of Administrator’s (CoA) chairman Vinod Rai, requesting him to consider recognition for CABI, weeks after the team won the Blind World Cup 2018, beating Pakistan by two wickets in the final on January 20.

“As we celebrate the fourth consecutive victory of the Indian team in the Blind World Cup, I urge you to consider recognition of Cricket Association for the Blind in India by the BCCI,” Tendulkar wrote in the letter.

The cricket icon was impressed with the team’s fighting spirit, citing it as an example for others to follow.

“The team has overcome many hurdles and single-mindedly focussed on getting laurels for our country. Their victory is inspirational and reminds us of the limitless power of the human mind.

“I am given to understand that the BCCI has lent its support to these players in the past and considering a similar initiative this time too.”

It was India’s second title at the mega event as earlier they had won the 50-over World Cup, outclassing Pakistan at Cape Town, South Africa in December 2014.

The clash marked a fresh escalation between Washington, which has threatened the regime over its alleged use of chemical weapons, and Damascus, which labelled the latest incident in eastern Syria a “war crime”.

Moscow also slammed the US-led strikes, with Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia saying he had lodged a protest about the assault during a closed-door Security Council meeting.

“To confront those who really fight international terrorism on the ground in Syria is criminal,” he said.

The UN Security Council on Thursday failed to back a UN appeal for a month-long humanitarian ceasefire in Syria.

In Eastern Ghouta, which lies east of the capital and has been besieged since 2013, residents had no time to mourn their dead or treat their wounded from the previous day’s bombardment.

“These are the worst four days that Eastern Ghouta has ever gone through,” said Hamza, an overwhelmed doctor at the Erbin clinic who was treating wounded patients.

“From 2011 until now, there has never been the level of bombardment we’ve seen in the last 96 hours.”

The death toll mounted steadily throughout Thursday, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights giving 75 civilians dead by the evening. Three died of wounds suffered on Wednesday.

228  civilians   were killed since the regime launched a campaign Monday of heavy air raids on the area, which has an estimated 400,000 residents.

Among them were at least 58 children, the Observatory said.

“Children and teachers are terrified that at any moment they could be hit. The siege means there is nowhere for them to escape,” said Sonia Khush, Save the Children’s Syria response director.

“There must be an immediate halt to the fighting and an end to the siege.”

Moayad al-Hafi, a rescue worker, said his team was targeted as they retrieved bodies near Erbin.

“As we were pulling out the children and the dead from under the rubble, they targeted us with five rockets — directly targeting us,” said Hafi, 24.

At least two civilians were killed in retaliatory rebel mortar fire on government-controlled areas of Damascus, according to state news agency SANA.

AFP correspondents said mortars were raining down on Bab Touma on Thursday night.

Eastern Ghouta was one of several so-called de-escalation zones agreed last year by three of the main outside players in the conflict — Turkey, Iran and Russia.

The United States backed the plea but Russia — a longtime ally of Syria’s government — shrugged it off.

“That is not realistic,” Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters at the UN.

– US strikes regime forces –

A US military official said the US-led coalition that still assists Kurdish-led forces in the hunt for surviving IS members in eastern Syria killed at least 100 pro-regime fighters overnight.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the coalition acted in self-defence after pro-government forces moved on an area under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The pro-Damascus forces “began shelling it with artillery,” he added. “They were moving with tanks, obviously in the same direction as they were firing.

“At the end of our effort to defend ourselves, their artillery was knocked out, two of their tanks were knocked out, they had casualties.”

Syrian state media confirmed dozens were killed but appeared to deny the forces were army soldiers, describing them as “popular forces”.

Wounded fighters were taken to the military hospital in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor city, which is controlled by the government.

A reporter contributing to AFP saw at least six fighters there, lying on hospital beds in sparsely equipped rooms.

The Observatory said the regime forces may have been aiming to capture a key oil field and a major gas plant in an SDF-held area.

In a letter addressed to the UN secretary general, the Syrian foreign ministry said the attack “represents a war crime and a crime against humanity”.

afp report.

Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Feb.11: A key and innovative offering at this year’s Auto Expo is the “Eagle-360”, a spherical-shaped and future-oriented tyre, from Goodyear.

Experts in the automotive industry and the gneral public at large are viewing this tyre as a breakthrough technology in the tyre sector, as it is promising to ensure smoother manouverability, connectivity and bimimicry for autonomous mobility in self-driven cars.

Once offered in the commercial space, this spherical-shaped tyre will allow any car to move in all directions, while at the same time ensuring passenger safety. It promises to take care of the problem of space limitation, particualrly when it comes to parking in the city centre or in crowded market places.

A Goodyear representative told ANI that each tyre has embedded sensors that look after driver and passenger safety through communication of road and weather conditions to the control panle of a vehicle.

He also said that each Eagle 360 tyre is connected via magnetic levitation that allows a vehicle to be suspended enough to allow for a smooth and quiet ride. #D printed treads behave like natural sponges that stiffenin dry conditions and soften in wet to deliver a driving performance that is excellent and ensures acqua-planning resistance.

P.K.Walia, Vice President (Consumer Business), described Goodyear as a pioneer in tyre technology and as a company that was constantly and consistently challenging itself to innovate, be future smart and reliable in terms of the products that it would be offering to the end user.

Goodyear has been present in India for the last 95 years and has two plants in Ballabhgarh and Aurangabad.

United Nations, Feb 8: India  criticised the UN Security Council’s veto-wielding members for anonymously obstructing the designation of terrorists without giving any reason, a veiled attack on China for repeatedly blocking its bid to list Pakistan-based Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

Participating in an open debate of the Security Council on its working methods, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin said, “Most of the time, one does not even know which countries have exercised their veto.”

He said the veto power being exercised by members of the Security Council who have been anonymously blocking the designation of several terrorists without giving any explanation.

Though Akbaruddin did not mention the name of any country, it is well known that China in the past has used its veto power when it came to designating terrorists or extremist groups having links with the Pakistani establishment.

A veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India’s move at the UN to designate JeM chief Azhar a terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.

Akbaruddin said there were 14 sanctions committees, which cumulatively listed 678 individuals and 385 entities subject to such measures.

Yet, each of those decisions had been made “beyond the gaze” of public knowledge, with no explanation of the inputs that had informed them, he said.

“For example, in practical terms, decisions of these sanctions committees can be placed on hold or blocked by any of the 15 Member States of these Committees,” he said.

“The challenges related to the working methods of the sanctions committees were not merely related to transparency and accountability and in that context a case existed for the Council to address the anomalies in the committees working methods,” he said.

The anomalies not only affected the efficiency and credibility of the work of the Council, but also impacted the larger membership that was required to implement its decisions, he said.

“It is in this spirit that my country along with so many others have called for the reform of the Security Council,” Akbaruddin said.

The stalemate has left South Africa’s political scene in limbo, with a series of public events cancelled this week including the flagship State of the Nation address to parliament in Cape Town on Thursday.

Zuma cleared his diary of weekend engagements, but deputy president Ramaphosa is due to speak at a rally in the city on Sunday to start a year of celebrations marking 100 years since Nelson Mandela’s birth.

February 11 also marks the day that Mandela was released from jail in 1990 — a key date in modern South Africa’s re-birth as apartheid white-minority rule crumbled.

Zuma and Ramaphosa will “conclude” discussions on Zuma’s exit within 48 hours and the outcome will then be announced to the nation, the News24 website said Saturday without naming its sources.

But Susan Booysen, a politics professor from Wits University in Johannesburg, said Zuma may fight on for several more days.

“A stalemate is the best description for the situation,” she told AFP.

“Zuma is a fighter to the end and is refusing to resign, while Ramaphosa doesn’t want to be divisive.

“Zuma pretended to open the doors of negotiations, but he is digging in.”

The ANC has said it is awaiting the “imminent conclusion” of the talks, and said the budget on February 21 will not be delayed.

New Delhi, Feb 8 : As many as 1.46 lakh people lost their lives in 4.60 lakh road accidents across the country in 2017, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.

Gadkari said in the Lok Sabha that a majority of the road accidents involved two-wheelers where the victims were not wearing helmets.

There were 4.80 road accidents in the country in 2016 in which 1.50 lakh people lost their lives, and in 2015, there were 5.01 lakh road accidents in which 1.46 lakh people were killed, he said during Question Hour.

The minister said the detailed age profile of road accidents victims in 2016 reveals that the age group of 18-45 years accounted for a share of 68.6 per cent (1,03,409 persons) in road accident fatalities.

Gadkari said the ministry of road transport and highways has taken a number of steps to prevent such road accidents, which include approval of a national road safety policy.

This policy outlines various measures such as promoting awareness, establishing road safety information data base, encouraging safer road infrastructure including application of intelligent transport, enforcement of safety laws etc, he said.

The government has constituted the national road safety council as the apex body to take policy decisions in matters of road safety. The ministry has requested all states and UTs to set up state road safety council and district road safety committee and to hold their meetings regularly, Gadkari said.

New Delhi, Feb 9 : The Supreme Court today directed the Delhi government and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to apprise it whether an environmental impact assessment was conducted before proposing amendments in the Delhi master plan, 2021.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta also asked DDA, Delhi government and the municipal agencies to file withing a week an affidavit giving details on whether issues like safety of buildings, traffic congestion, parking and availability of civic amenities were taken into account before proposing the amendment.

The bench also asked the authorities to apprise it about availability of statistics with the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee regarding the pollution level in Delhi from 2007 onwards.

It took serious note of a report of the court-mandated monitoring committee, which is carrying out a sealing drive in Delhi, that MLA O P Sharma and councillor Gunjan Gupta along with their supporters had obstructed the panel members from carrying out their work in Shahdara zone here.

The bench issued show cause notices to Sharma and Gupta asking them to explain why contempt of court action be not initiated against them for interfering in the committee’s work.

It directed both of them to remain present before the court on the next date of hearing and listed the matter for further proceedings after two weeks.

The top court also directed the Delhi police commissioner to ensure that protection is given to the members of the monitoring committee so that they can carry out their duties.

The DDA recently proposed bringing uniform floor area ratio (FAR) for shop-cum-residence plots and complexes at par with residential plots, a move that would come as a big relief to traders facing the threat of sealing.

FAR is the ratio of a building’s total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land upon which it is built.

The apex court had earlier observed that the rule of law over sanction to construct buildings had “completely broken down” in Delhi and expressed concern over illegal construction.

It had also ordered restoration of its 2006 monitoring committee to identify and seal such offending structures.

The monitoring committee, comprising K J Rao, former advisor to the Election Commissioner, Bhure Lal, Chairman, EPCA and Major General (Retd) Som Jhingan, was set up on March 24, 2006, by the apex court.

New Delhi, Feb 8: Terming the escape of Pakistani terrorist Naveed Jatt from police custody on Tuesday in Srinagar as a major security breach, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday held state government responsible and sought action against the erring police officials.

New Delhi, Feb. 9: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday sought to put a lid on the allegations of corruption, levelled by the Congress on the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, saying divulging specific details would seriously impinge on the national security.

Replying to the general discussion on this year’s budget in the Lok Sabha, Mr Jaitley dismissed the Congress charges of corruption and its demand for disclosing pricing details. He countered it saying that the opposition party was seeking to “manufacture’ a crisis as it had failed to find anything against the Modi government in the past four years which had provided a clean and corruption-free administration to the country.

Citing written replies given in Parliament by Pranab Mukherjee and A.K. Antony, then Defence Ministers during the UPA regime, Mr. Jaitley said that both of them had stated that giving specific details of defence deals, break up of missile and weapon systems and their pricing would compromise the national security.

Male [Maldives], Feb 8 : Protesters have gathered at the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) campaign centre Haruge and have been calling for the implementation of Supreme Court order to release nine political prisoners.

“Protesters gathered at MDP’s campaign centre Haruge call on the government [to] stop intimidating the judiciary and to free political prisoners, including the 9 specified in the Supreme Court’s ruling on 1 February,” the MDP Secretariat tweeted.