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The Hindu July 10, 2019 A global media watchdog has slammed Pakistani authorities over the removal of three television channels from the country’s airwaves, saying the move was “indicative of disturbing dictatorial tendencies” as pressure mounts on journalists in the South Asian nation. The statement from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) comes days after AbbTakk TV, 24 News, and Capital TV all had their broadcasts cut, after screening a press conference with Opposition leader Maryam Nawaz. Pakistani authorities say the channels were unavailable due to “technical issues”, but RSF described the outage as an act of “brazen censorship”. “Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled to learn that three Pakistani TV news channels have been suspended from cable networks at the behest of the authorities in reprisal for broadcasting an Opposition leader’s news conference,” the watchdog said late on Tuesday. It went on to pin the removal of the channels on the Pakistan Electron...

The Hindu July 10,2019 Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has released a video asking its cadres to inflict “unrelenting blows” on the Indian Army and the government in the Kashmir Valley to “bleed” the economy and make the country suffer. This is the first time Zawahiri has issued a video specific to Kashmir.  A senior government official said it seemed to be an act of desperation on the part of the outfit in the wake of recent action by security agencies in Kashmir Valley. The video was posted on the As-Sahab channel, an in-house production of al-Qaeda. While Zawahiri did not mention Zakir Musa, a terrorist killed in May by security forces in Kashmir, his photo flashed on the screen. Musa was the founder of the Indian cell of al-Qaeda, titled “Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.” The al-Qaeda chief warned terrorists not to fall into the trap of Pakistan, which he termed a puppet of the U.S. “All the Pakistani Army and government are interested in exploiting the mujahideen fo...

The Hindu July 10,2019 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached the Srinagar house of Kashmiri separatist leader Asiya Andrabi as “proceeds of crime.” In an order pasted outside the house, the NIA said it had reason to believe that the “property represents proceeds of terrorism and has been used in furtherance of terrorist activities of proscribed organisation , [DeM].” An NIA official said the attachment was done as per provisions of law. In a charge sheet filed against Ms. Andrabi and two others — Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen last year, the NIA said the DeM was collecting gold jewellery through donations and raised funds by selling them. The accused were arrested on July 5 last year and are presently in Tihar jail. A photograph of Ms. Andrabi could not be attached as she was pardanasheen (behind veil), the NIA said. Reference:  https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nia-attaches-property-of-kashmiri-separatist-leader-asiya-andrabi/art...

Hindustan Times July 10,2019 India on Tuesday sought to push the UN Security Council to not stop at proscribing terrorists and terrorist groups such as the Pakistan-based D-Company, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba but follow up by granting them a “similar degree of interest” as it did to “denude” the Islamic State. Participating in a UNSC discussion on linkages between organized crime and international terrorism, Indian Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin also called for the world body to start collaborating its counter-terrorism efforts with the Financial Action Task Force, saying the Paris-based watchdog has been “playing a significant role in setting global standards for preventing and combating money laundering and terrorist financing”. India has felt frustrated by the lack of on-going and committed collective action to degrade these sub-continental terrorists and entities as was undertaken by the UNSC to tackle the Islamic State (IS or ISIL, Isl...

Hindustan Times July 10,2019 Top US and Chinese negotiators held phone talks on Tuesday as the world’s top two economies seek to resolve their trade war, more than a week after they declared a truce. Talks had broken down in May over US accusations that Beijing had reneged on its commitments, and the dispute escalated with the two sides exchanging steep increases in punitive tariffs. But US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to revive negotiations when they met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan on June 29. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer spoke with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and Commerce Minister Zhong Shan on Tuesday. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters the talks “went constructively” but it was “too soon for details.” In an interview with the Fox Business Network, Kudlow described the discussions as “preliminary” and said meetings will “probably” be arr...

Hindustan Times July 10,2019 The US government will issue licenses to companies seeking to sell goods to China’s Huawei where there is no threat to national security, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Tuesday, leaving industry observers unsure about which products will pass muster. Seeking to revive trade talks with China, President Donald Trump announced last month that American companies would be allowed to sell products to Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker. Trump’s comments came after the United States placed Huawei on the Commerce Department’s so-called Entity List in May over national security concerns. US parts and components generally cannot be sold to those on the list without special licenses. While American chipmakers welcomed Trump’s announcement, many industry and government officials were confused about the new policy. Speaking at a conference in Washington, Ross affirmed that Huawei would remain...

Hindustan Times July 09, 2019 The consumer durables industry in India will reach $36 billion by 2023 and a whopping $23 billion sales would be digitally influenced, a new Google-Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report said on Tuesday. The report defines a sale as a “digitally influenced sale” if the buyer uses Internet during any stage of purchase cycle. Currently, 28 % of consumer durable sales is digitally influenced and this is estimated to reach 63 % of total sales -- amounting to $23 billion by 2023 -- and nearly $10 billion of this will be online sale, said the report titled “Digital Powers Consumer Durables: A $23 billion Opportunity by 2023”. “Businesses need to create an always-on digital strategy and create personalised interventions to tap different consumer demographics across all markets to achieve their business goals,” said Vikas Agnihotri, Country Director -- Sales, Google India. Approximately 80 % of digitally-influenced consumers today decide their brand ...

The Indian Express July 10,2019 In a massive, nationwide operation, the CBI carried out searches at 110 places across 19 states and Union Territories in 30 separate cases relating to corruption, criminal misconduct and arms, the agency said. The searches include those at 11 locations in Lucknow and NCR in connection with the sugar mills disinvestment scam case during Mayawati’s tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, officials said on Tuesday. The CBI registered 30 fresh cases, they said. According to officials, among premises searched were those of former IAS officers Netram and Vinay Priya Dhune and sons of former MLC Iqbal Singh — Wajid Ali and Mohammed Javed.  Netram also held the position of secretary to Mayawati when she was the UP chief minister. In April this year, CBI registered an FIR in connection with the sugar scam case, besides six preliminary inquiries in which probe is underway, the CBI stated. The search operation also covers an FIR against ...

The Indian Express July 10,2019 Sri Lanka has become the fifth country in the World Health Organisation (WHO) southeast Asia region to eliminate measles, interrupting the transmission of the indigenous virus that causes the killer childhood disease. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director WHO South-East Asia, announced Sri Lanka’s measles-free status at the South-East Asia Regional Immunisation Technical Advisory group meeting on Tuesday. “Sri Lanka’s achievement comes at a time when globally measles cases are increasing. The country’s success demonstrates its commitment, and the determination of its health workforce and parents to protect children against measles,” she said. The other countries in the region which have achieved this feat are Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste. Sri Lanka’s elimination of measles comes a year after it achieved rubella control. Rubella control is achieved when a country reduces the number of rubella cases by 95% as compared ...

The Firstpost July 09,2019 In the span of five months, the Maharashtra government has come up with three different responses to the same information sought under the Right to Information Act. Seeking clarity on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, RTI activist Jeetendra Ghadge had asked for details of the meetings of state-appointed sub committee that approved the project. In December 2018, the information under RTI revealed the sub-committee passed the project without meeting even once. After an uproar over the revelation, the Government of Maharashtra clarified that the state-appointed sub-committee, in fact, met twice before clearing the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. That response in January 2019 included the summary of two meetings. Smelling something fishy, Ghadge then sought the copy of the draft minutes, invitations sent to the committee members for the two meetings in question and a copy of attendance signed by the committee members and those present ...

The Firstpost July 09,2019 US president Donald Trump on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on India for imposing tariffs on American products and said it was "no longer acceptable", days after he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and agreed to sort out the trade-related issues. Trump, championing his 'America First' policy, has been a vocal critic of India for levying "tremendously high" duties on US products. "India has long had a field day putting tariffs on American products. No longer acceptable!" Trump tweeted on Tuesday. Trump's terse comment came within a fortnight after his meeting with Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka on 28 June, where the two leaders aired their concerns over the bilateral trade disputes and agreed for a meeting of their commerce ministers to sort out the issues.  No longer acceptable: Donald Trump launches fresh attack on India for imposing tariffs on American products.  La...

The Firstpost July 10,2019 Differences between the promoters of the country's largest airline IndiGo came into public on Tuesday with Rakesh Gangwal alleging serious governance lapses by co-founder Rahul Bhatia who had earlier termed his demands as unreasonable. With the issues brewing for nearly a year, Gangwal has sought markets regulator SEBI's intervention to address the problems. In a filing to the stock exchanges, InterGlobe Aviation, the parent form of IndiGo, said its board of directors has received a letter from Gangwal and SEBI has also sought a response on the letter. The markets regulator has been probing the matter since reports surfaced about differences between the promoters in May, sources said. "SEBI has in the meantime asked the company to give its response to this letter by 19 July 2019, with which the company will comply," the filing said. Alleging that the company has "started veering off" from the core princi...

The Firstpost July 10,2019 U.S. and Chinese trade officials held a "constructive" phone conversation on Tuesday, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said, marking a new round of talks after the world's two largest economies agreed to a truce in a year-long trade war. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and Minister Zhong Shan on Tuesday in a further effort to resolve outstanding trade disputes between the countries, a U.S. official said earlier in an emailed statement. Kudlow said the talks "went well" and were constructive. He said the two sides were talking about a face-to-face meeting, but warned that there was not a magic way to reach what has so far been an elusive deal. "There are no miracles here," Kudlow told reporters at the White House. "There was headway last winter and spring, then it stopped. Hopefully we can pick up where we...