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The Indian Express April 05, 2018 Christophe Jaffrelot Iran-India ties are deepening. But resilience of Tehran-Islamabad relations could make Delhi uncomfortable.Iranians are well-known for their sense of diplomacy and professional diplomats are even, at times, experts at confusing their interlocutors. On March 13, Iran’s minister of foreign affairs, Javad Zarif, paid an official visit to Islamabad in order to pacify the Pakistanis after Hassan Rouhani’s three-day trip to India the month before — the first Iranian presidential visit since 2003. Zarif said: “Our relations with India, just like Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia, are not against Pakistan as we understand Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia are not against Iran.” Such a circumnavigated sentence captures the tactical finesse of Tehran, but India may be uncomfortable with the resilience of Iran-Pakistan relations. Rouhani’s visit certainly symbolised the India-Iran rapprochement, that was concretise...

The Indian Express April 05, 2018 Facebook DTO Mike Schroepfer did not provide details of how Facebook came to determine its higher estimate, but he said Facebook would tell people if their information may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica. Facebook Inc said on Wednesday that the personal information of up to 87 million users may have been improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, up from a previous news media estimate of more than 50 million. Most of the 87 million people whose data was shared with Cambridge Analytica, which worked on US President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, were in the United States, Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer wrote in a blog post. Facebook said it was taking steps to restrict the personal data available to third-party app developers. The world’s largest social media company has been hammered by investors and faces anger from users, advertisers and lawmakers after a series of scan...

The Indian Express April 05, 2018 he comments by Yossi Cohen added an influential voice to a global debate over Iran's nuclear program ahead of a deadline set by President Donald Trump for toughening the deal. The head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency is “100 per cent certain” that Iran remains committed to developing a nuclear bomb and believes the international community must change or scrap its nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic. The comments by Yossi Cohen added an influential voice to a global debate over Iran’s nuclear program ahead of a deadline set by President Donald Trump for toughening the deal. Trump, like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been a fierce critic of the 2015 nuclear deal. Trump has set a mid-May deadline to reach agreement with the European nations to toughen restrictions on Iran, including by extending the limitations on nuclear activity that are currently set to expire under the deal in several years. If the US ...

The Indian Express April 05, 2018 The HDFC MD said, "The faith of the common Indian in the Indian banking system is so great that despite all these things we have not heard of a single person saying I will take the money out of the system. I think that is a very positive aspect. Despite several incidents of banking frauds that have come to light in the recent past, there has not been a single bank run in the country, Renu Sud Karnad, Managing Director, HDFC Ltd said Wednesday. Claiming that the entire banking system in India should not be blamed for the incidences of frauds, Karnad who was at MICA for a convocation ceremony said, “Whatever has happened today in the public sector banking system, we haven’t had a run on in a single bank. That is what we need to be proud of in some ways. Despite all the problems we are having in the banking segment — we all know things need to change — but the faith of the common Indian in the Indian banking system is so great that d...

Hindustan Times April 05, 2018 Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) on Wednesday resolved to raise the issue of alleged rights violations in Kashmir at both bilateral and multilateral fora. The NSC, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, condemned the recent violence in the valley and “incessant use” of pellet guns against protesters and funeral processions, a statement said. The Committee reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of Kashmir. The Committee decided to raise the issue at both bilateral and multilateral fora, the statement said. Reference:  https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan-s-national-security-committee-discusses-kashmir-issue/story-aQ6ARBC6nY9xRTzbiJRlqM.html

Business Standard April 05, 2018 Amid its apparent failure to withdraw support and funding to proscribed terrorist organisations, Pakistan is set to be 'grey listed' by the Financial Action Task Force in June. Pakistan continues to be associated with globally-censured terrorists with 139 Pakistani citizens and entities featuring in the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC's) consolidated list of terrorists or terror-supporting organisations. The individuals and entities from the country in the list include Mumbai terrorist attack mastermind Hafeez Saeed's outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and the Haqqanis. The list was released on Tuesday and highlighted names of terrorists who lived in Pakistan, used Pakistani soil for their operations or collaborated with terrorist groups operating from within Pakistan. The list is topped by Osama bin Laden's heir apparent Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was a former operational and military lea...

PGURUS April 05, 2018 The Intelligence sleuths have unearthed the terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen’s penetration in the Jammu and Kashmir State Police. As per telephonic intercepts caught by the Intelligence organisations, Hizbul’s local operators in the border areas were discussing with their leadership in Pakistan about the posting of certain police officers. The Intelligence Bureau came to know these details after tapping the phone conversation between Imtiaz Alam, the launching commander of Hizbul Mujahideen and Anas Shakeel, bodyguard of Hizbul Mujahideen Chief, Syed Salahuddin. Imtiaz Alam was involved in the terror activities from early 2000, engaging in the infiltration of terrorists to India and in 2007 he was detained by the Pakistan Army’s Military Intelligence Directorate after he sent a twelve-man unit to reinforce his northern division commander, Mohammad Shafi Dar. Soon, though, Alam was released on ISI orders. In February 2018, by intercepting Im...

The Indian Express April 05, 2018 Khushboo Narayana Sources said that these directors of the three operational creditors, Asian Impex, Premier Intertrade and Iris Mercantile, “are people of meagre means” who used to discount cheques issued by Gitanjali Gems. DIAMOND sorters earning Rs 12,000-Rs 15,000 a month were directors in the three top creditors who lent Rs 2,500 crore to Gitanjali Gems, according to investigative agencies probing the Rs 13,400-crore alleged fraudulent transactions at the state-owned Punjab National Bank. Sources said that these directors of the three operational creditors, Asian Impex, Premier Intertrade and Iris Mercantile, “are people of meagre means” who used to discount cheques issued by Gitanjali Gems. According to bankruptcy norms, an operational creditor is a person or entity to whom an operational debt is owed and includes any person to whom such debt has been legally assigned or transferred. They are suppliers of goods or services t...

The Indian Express April 05, 2018 Akhilesh upadhyay When Nepal’s new prime minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli arrives in New Delhi on Friday for a three-day state visit, it will be one of the most politically significant visits by Nepal’s head of government to its immediate neighborhood. Already, there are strong indications that the election of the Left Alliance government signals at new terms of engagement with the international community: it will be more nationalistic, will take a business-like approach and will caution foreign powers to stay away from Nepal’s internal affairs. Secure in his home turf, the new Prime Minister seems intent on projecting a confident Nepal externally. In his recent address to the international community in Kathmandu where he outlined his government’s priorities, Prime Minister Oli put ‘nationalism’ as the number one pillar of his governance. “This,” he told heads of diplomatic missions and donor agencies, “comes as a non-negotiable priority...

Business Standard, April 05, 2018 Nepali Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli will press India to exchange millions of dollars held in Nepal in banned high-value Indian bank notes during a visit this week to improve ties with its large southern neighbour. Nepal and India have yet to agree on how to exchange old Indian bank notes estimated to be worth $146 million held by individuals and informal sectors after India's shock announcement in 2016 to ban 500 and 1,000 rupee bills. As of Thursday morning that would amount to Rs 9.49 billion in Indian currency. India said the move was aimed at flushing out unaccounted wealth and hit the finances of militants suspected of using fake currency to fund operations. But it also caught countries such as Nepal and Bhutan, where the Indian currency is widely used, off-guard. "The Indian demonetisation has hurt Nepali nationals. I will raise this in my meetings with Indian leaders and request them to resolve the issue," Ol...

Arindem Majumdar, Business Standard, 05.04.2018 The Centre may completely exit Air India by selling its residual stake to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and other financial institutions, according to government sources. This move would help address investors’ concerns related to possible interference in the airline’s operation. As part of the privatisation process, the government has decided to disinvest 76 per cent equity stake in Air India Limited, along with Air India’s 100 per cent holding in its subsidiary, Air India Express Limited, as well as 50 per cent in ground handling joint venture AISATS. A senior official aware of the government’s plans told Business Standard discussions are about to start with LIC and other state-owned insurance companies for selling the government’s remaining stake in Air India after employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are given out to the permanent employees. Subsequent to the ESOP, an employee stock pool will be created,...

The Express Tribune April 05, 2018 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday met representatives from Hurriyat Conference in Muzaffarabad during his visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The delegation meeting the premier underscored that diplomatic efforts were needed to be enhanced to sensitise the international community about the Indian atrocities in the region. PM Abbasi assured the delegation that the government and people of Pakistan have always supported the implementation of UNSC Resolutions that call for the right to self-determination for the people of Kashmir. He apprised the leaders that the Foreign Office and diplomatic missions abroad at all times were propagating the implementation of UNSC resolutions on Kashmir. “I have highlighted the Kashmir issue in all my meetings at the United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. PM stated that he and his cabinet members were in AJK to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir. ...

The Express Tribune April 05, 2018 Hasan Ali Khan KARACHI: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday released an updated list of terrorist individuals and entities out of which 139 entries stem from Pakistan. The list includes names of globally designated terrorists – ranging from al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri to Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) commander Maulana Fazlullah apart from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, infamous mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and the Haqqanis. It highlights names of terrorists that have lived in Pakistan, used Pakistani soil for their operations or have been collaborating with a terror group operating from within Pakistan. Al Qaeda chief Zawahiri who was a former operational and military leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) and the closest associate of Osama bin Laden tops the list. UN data states that he is believed to be hiding in the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan along with his aides who have been ...

DAWN April 05, 2018 The crown prince and de facto leader of Saudi Arabia said Israel has a “right” to a homeland, a notable shift in the kingdom's position, in an interview published in The Atlantic on Monday. Saudi Arabia and Israel still have no formal diplomatic relations, but behind the scenes, improvements in their ties have accelerated in recent years. Both countries see Iran as their biggest outside threat and the United States (US) as their key ally, and both see danger from armed extremists. Israel's conflict with the Palestinians has long proved an obstacle to a full rapprochement, however, as Riyadh still supports their claim to sovereignty. But now Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — speaking to the editor-in-chief of US news magazine The Atlantic — appeared to put the rival land claims on an equal footing. The prince was asked by Jeffrey Goldberg whether the “Jewish people have a right to a nation-state in at least part of their ancestral...