www.theindianpanorama.com VOL 5 ISSUE 24 ● DALLAS ● JUNE 16 - JUNE 22, 2017 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 ● PRICE 40 CENTS 8 Retrieving Ground in Afghanistan 12 9 Trump's Immigration Policies Explained 3 Fort Worth to Control Stop Lights by Remote Control AAPI is all geared up for 35th annual convention All Eyes on Modi-Trump Meeting on June 26 Community Reception for Modi on June 25 NEW YORK (TIP): Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will be heading out on a three- nation tour of Portugal, USA and Netherlands from June 24 to 27, 2017. The trip comes after a recently concluded six-day four -nation trip of Europe. In a week that promises some hectic diplomatic activity, the PM's US trip is the most anticipated one as that will see him meet US President Donald Trump for the first time. contd on Page 32 PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet President Trump on June 26 amid no huge expectations Conversion of PIO cards into OCI cards Attention PIO Card holders Please note that the last date for conversion of PIO to OCI is 30th June 2017. All PIO Card holders are requested to immediately apply for conversion of PIO Cards into OCI Cards at this link " https://www.in.ckgs.us " to avoid any inconvenience during travel to India. It may be noted that the processing time taken for conversion is minimum 10 days and applicants may plan travel to India accordingly. Dr. Neeru Chadha is the first Indian Woman Judge to be elected to theInternational Tribunal for the Law of the Sea NEW YORK, NY (TIP): Dr. Neeru Chadha has become the first Indian woman to be elected as a Judge to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), for the nine year term 2017-2026, elections for which were held today at the United Nations in New York. She is only the second ever woman Judge of ITLOS in its two decades of existence, where there have been a total of 40 Judges. contd on Page 32 A distinguished lawyer and one the leading experts on different aspects of international law in India, Dr. Neeru Chadha is the first Indian woman judge too be elected to the ITLOS IS chief may be dead, says Russia: No information to support claim: US MOSCOW (TIP): Russia said June 16 it was verifying whether the elusive Islamic State terror group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been killed in a targeted Russian airstrike in strife-torn Syria last month. The airstrike on May 28 was carried out on the outskirts of the dreaded militant group's de facto capital Raqqa, on a command post where IS leaders were holding a meeting, according to Russian state media reports. "According to information, which is being verified via different channels, the meeting was also attended by the (IS) leader Ibrahim Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was eliminated in contd on page 32 The dreaded IS leader Ibrahim Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi may have been eliminated in a Russian air strike, says Russia KIDNEY DONATION AVAILABLE A person aged 27 is on his death bed. His last wish is to donate his kidneys. His blood group is ‘AB+ve’. Someone somewhere may require.We may save a life. CONTACT MOB: 7339681726 Mueller investigating Jared Kushner's business dealings, says Washington Post Mueller is also investigating Trump for obstruction of justice? WASHINGTON (TIP): Amidst all kinds of rumors, including the one that Trump may feel impelled to fire the Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the fact is the Russia inquiry seems to be widening with every passing day. The latest, according to a report published on June 15 in Washington Postciting officials familiar with the matter, is that Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating the business dealings of Trump's son-in-law and "trusted aide" Jared Kushner The news comes as the Justice Department continues its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and the Trump administration's potential ties to Russia. The Washington Post report suggests that scrutiny has been folded into the special counsel office and includes Kushner's business dealings, though it offers no details on what that scrutiny is. The interest in Kushner's activities by the special counsel's office is no more extensive than the FBI's interest in his multiple roles on both the Trump campaign and transition team, earlier reported by CNN. The new development Thursday appears to be that the inquiry contd on page 32 Under investigation Jared Kushner has maintained a studied silence while President Trump vents his displeasure in Tweet after Tweets Hindus commend opening of "Prayer & Meditation Room" at Texas A&M University DALLAS, TX (TIP): Hindus have welcomed public research institution Texas A&M University (TAMU) in College Station (Texas) for opening a designated Prayer and Meditation Room in its Sterling C. Evans Library; said to be an all-inclusive worship area. Rajan Zed, in a statement from Nevadacalled this dedication of a quiet calming space for meditation, reflection and prayer for usage by the campus community-a step in the positive direction. contd on page 20 Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has welcomed the opening of prayer room at Texas A&M University His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj of BAPS to arrive in North America DALLAS (TIP): The spiritual legacy of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj continues in North America with the pending arrival of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharajin Atlanta, GA on June 22,2017. Over the next three months, he will visit mandirs and inspire thousands of devotees in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose, New Jersey (Edison and Robbinsville), and Toronto, Canada. His visit will be filled with traditional celebrations, spiritual discourses, variousseminars, and special events open to the community. contd on page 3 Mahant Swami Maharaj offering prayers at the holy shrine
Transcript
www.theindianpanorama.com
VOL 5 ISSUE 24 ● DALLAS ● JUNE 16 - JUNE 22, 2017 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 ● PRICE 40 CENTS
8Retrieving Ground inAfghanistan 129
Trump'sImmigrationPolicies Explained3
Fort Worth to Control StopLights by Remote Control
AAPI is all geared upfor 35th annualconvention
All Eyes on Modi-Trump Meeting onJune 26Community Reception for Modi on June 25
NEW YORK (TIP): Prime Minister of India Narendra Modiwill be heading out on a three- nation tour of Portugal, USA andNetherlands from June 24 to 27, 2017. The trip comes after arecently concluded six-day four -nation trip of Europe.
In a week that promises some hectic diplomatic activity, thePM's US trip is the most anticipated one as that will see him meetUS President Donald Trump for the first time. contd on Page 32
PM NarendraModi is
scheduled tomeet PresidentTrump on June
26 amid nohuge
expectations
Conversion of PIOcards into OCIcardsAttention PIO Card holders
Please note that the lastdate for conversion of PIO toOCI is 30th June 2017. All PIOCard holders are requestedto immediately apply forconversion of PIO Cards intoOCI Cards at this link "https://www.in.ckgs.us " toavoid any inconvenienceduring travel to India. It maybe noted that the processingtime taken for conversion isminimum 10 days andapplicants may plan travel toIndia accordingly.
Dr. Neeru Chadha is the firstIndian Woman Judge to beelected to theInternationalTribunal for the Law of the Sea
NEW YORK, NY (TIP): Dr. Neeru Chadha has become thefirst Indian woman to be elected as a Judge to theInternational Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), for thenine year term 2017-2026, elections for which were held todayat the United Nations in New York. She is only the second everwoman Judge of ITLOS in its two decades of existence, wherethere have been a total of 40 Judges. contd on Page 32
A distinguished lawyer and one the leading experts on differentaspects of international law in India, Dr. Neeru Chadha is the
first Indian woman judge too be elected to the ITLOS
IS chief may be dead, says Russia: No informationto support claim: US
MOSCOW (TIP): Russia said June 16 it was verifyingwhether the elusive Islamic State terror group chief Abu Bakral-Baghdadi had been killed in a targeted Russian airstrike instrife-torn Syria last month.
The airstrike on May 28 was carried out on the outskirts ofthe dreaded militant group's de facto capital Raqqa, on acommand post where IS leaders were holding a meeting,according to Russian state media reports.
"According to information, which is being verified viadifferent channels, the meeting was also attended by the (IS)leader Ibrahim Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was eliminated in
contd on page 32
The dreaded IS leaderIbrahim Abu Bakr al-
Baghdadi may have beeneliminated in a Russian air
strike, says Russia
K I D N E Y D O N AT I O N AVA I L A B L E A person aged 27 is on his death bed. His last wish is to
donate his kidneys. His blood group is ‘AB+ve’.Someone somewhere may require.We may save a life.
C O N T A C T M O B : 7 3 3 9 6 8 1 7 2 6
Mueller investigating Jared Kushner'sbusiness dealings, says Washington Post
Mueller is also investigating Trump for obstruction of justice?WASHINGTON (TIP): Amidst all
kinds of rumors, including the one thatTrump may feel impelled to fire theSpecial Counsel Robert Mueller, the factis the Russia inquiry seems to bewidening with every passing day.
The latest, according to a reportpublished on June 15 in WashingtonPostciting officials familiar with thematter, is that Justice Departmentspecial counsel Robert Mueller isinvestigating the business dealings ofTrump's son-in-law and "trusted aide"Jared Kushner
The news comes as the JusticeDepartment continues its investigationinto Russian meddling in the 2016election and the Trump administration'spotential ties to Russia. The WashingtonPost report suggests that scrutiny has
been folded into the special counseloffice and includes Kushner's businessdealings, though it offers no details onwhat that scrutiny is.
The interest in Kushner's activities bythe special counsel's office is no more
extensive than the FBI's interest in hismultiple roles on both the Trumpcampaign and transition team, earlierreported by CNN. The new developmentThursday appears to be that the inquiry
contd on page 32
Under investigation Jared Kushner has maintained a studied silence while PresidentTrump vents his displeasure in Tweet after Tweets
Hindus commend opening of"Prayer & Meditation Room" atTexas A&M University
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Hindus have welcomed publicresearch institution Texas A&M University (TAMU) in CollegeStation (Texas) for opening a designated Prayer andMeditation Room in its Sterling C. Evans Library; said to be anall-inclusive worship area. Rajan Zed, in a statement fromNevadacalled this dedication of a quiet calming space formeditation, reflection and prayer for usage by the campuscommunity-a step in the positive direction. contd on page 20
Hindu statesman Rajan Zedhas welcomed the opening of
prayer room at Texas A&MUniversity
His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj ofBAPS to arrive in North America
DALLAS (TIP): The spiritual legacy of HisHoliness Pramukh Swami Maharaj continuesin North America with the pending arrival ofHis Holiness Mahant Swami MaharajinAtlanta, GA on June 22,2017. Over the nextthree months, he will visit mandirs andinspire thousands of devotees in Atlanta,
Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, SanJose, New Jersey (Edison and Robbinsville),and Toronto, Canada. His visit will be filledwith traditional celebrations, spiritualdiscourses, variousseminars, and specialevents open to the community.
contd on page 3
MahantSwami
Maharajoffering
prayers atthe holyshrine
2 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017INDIAN ABROAD
Indian-American entrepreneur latestself-made billionaire in Chicago
Highlights: ●Rishi Shah came with a USD 600 million infusion of venture capital into Outcome Health●Rishi Shah's Outcome Health is now valued at $5.6 billion●The company took in more than $130 million in revenue last year●The company provides its services to medical providers for free
CHICAGO (TIP): In yet anotherrefreshing successstory, Indian-AmericanRishi Shah, who quit college 10 years backto pursue entrepreneurial dreams, hasbecome tech's newest billionaire. And hisbusiness partner, Shradha Agarwal, isclose behind.
Their windfall came with a US $600million infusion of venture capital intoOutcome Health, the Chicago healthcaretech company they founded in 2006. It'snow valued at US $5.6 billion.
Shah grew up in the Chicago suburb ofOak Brook, the son of a doctor whoemigrated from India; his mothermanaged his father's medical practice.The initial idea for a company providingcontent to doctor's offices was inspired,Shah says in an interview to local media,by his sister.
"My sister has type 1 diabetes," Shahsays. "If she gets on an insulin pump andshe is able to achieve better blood sugarcontrol and she is checking her bloodsugar more effectively, the devicemanufacturer wins, the insulinmanufacturer wins, the blood glucometerwins, the doctor wins, but the payor winsmost of all. And she wins personally."
He attended Northwestern University asa transfer student, where he met a womannamed Shradha Agarwal, now Outcome'spresident. Originally working on a campusmagazine, they eventually founded acompany called ContextMedia, out ofNorthwestern in 2008, funding it by takingloans that have over the years reached acombined USD 325 million instead ofgiving up equity. Knocking on doctor'soffice doors around the Chicago area, thetwo found little appetite for their idea.
Some doctors didn't see the value indigital education in their offices; others
who did wanted to see revenue to feelcomfortable committing to such afledgling product. Without signing them,however, the entrepreneurs had norevenue with which to placate them. Theyeked out $1 million in revenue that firstyear. "Then we were off to the races," saysShah, doubling most years since. "We hadto build a profitable business, or at least abreak-even business, from scratch," saysShah. "We had no margin of error."
Outcome Health is not only the newestunicorn company, having earned thehonor just last week, but it is also alreadyvalued in the top 30 on the list of roughly200 non-public companies worth $1billion.
CEO Rishi Shah, 31 and presidentShradha Agarwal founded ContextMediain 2006 while the two were atNorthwestern University. The companybegan to sell its video monitor services tophysicians and hospitals without anyoutside investment.
Over the next decade, the company
grew and big-time investors noticed, butShah and Agarwal passed up offers inorder to scale organically and retainownership. In January, the companychanged its name to Outcome Health as itslowly pushed towards its first majorround of funding.
According to Crain's, the company tookin more than $130 million in revenue lastyear and posted an operating profitmargin of roughly 40%. Outcome Healthdoubled its revenue in each of the last twoyears, and it also grew with itsacquisition of AccentHealth lastNovember.
Today, Outcome Health helps bothpatients and doctors by providing touchscreen monitors to hospitals and healthcare offices around the country. Thecompany installs large, interactive videoboards that allow physicians to betterexplain a patient's current health careneeds or problems through the use ofvideo, graphics and interactive visualaids.
Indian-American entrepreneur Rishi Shah (left) and his business partner ShradhaAgarwal | Rishi Shah Photo: Courtesy Linkedin | Shradha Agarwal photo: Courtesy
Twitter
Indian American former CEO faces SECsuit in California
SACRAMENTO, CA(TIP):
An Indian American formerCEO of Systems America Inc.,has been charged for violatingfederal security rules byallegedly misrepresentingfacts about his company andengaging in manipulativepenny stock trades to boost itsshare price.
The 49-year-old AdeshKumar Tyagi issuedexaggerated press releases andmade misleading disclosuresabout his company, Law360reported quoting a complaint filed on Wednesday by the USSecurities and Exchange Commission in California federalcourt.
"His game plan was to grow the company throughacquisitions. Lacking cash, however, he engaged in afraudulent scheme to artificially inflate the per-share price ofthe company's securities so that he could use SystemsAmerica stock to acquire other companies," the legal newsservice reported.
Systems America, which was later renamed Cloudeeva wasfounded by Tyagi as a privately held company in 1994. In themid-2000s the company started falling into neglect, but, in2010, Tyagi wanted to revive the company.
The company claimed that it has eight full-time employeesand Fortune 500 clients when it actually had no full-timeemployees and only two clients. Tyagi also said that no officeror director of the company had been named as a defendant ina criminal proceeding when he himself had two pendingcriminal proceedings as a defendant.
The SEC alleges that Tyagi tried to push up his company'sshare price by 'marking the close' - buying the stock just beforethe close of the trading day at a slightly higher price than wason offer on at least 16 different dates.
According to Law360, he pleads guilty to criminal securitiesfraud charges brought over trading schemes in November 2016and is scheduled for sentencing in January 2018.
SEC seeks disgorgement of the more than $274,000 fromTyagi, which he allegedly earned through the sales of inflatedstock and unspecified civil monetary penalties. It also seeksprejudgment interest, officer-and-director bar, penny stockoffering bar and permanent injunctions that refrain Tyagifrom participating in transactions of any security of an entitythat he is related to.
Indian man arrested in Pittsburgh afterrow over onions
OAKLAND, PITTSBURGH (TIP): Yuba Raj Sharma, anIndian-origin man has been arrested in Oakland, Pittsburghafter he went on a violent, naked rampage, threatening toshoot staffers at an Indian eatery. According to thecomplaint,he got into an argument with staff because they putonions in his food.
According to the complaint, Sharma told the owner that "hewas going to shoot him," and after 911 was called, Sharmapulled down his pants exposing himself while verballytaunting the owner and another staff member.
According to media reports, the 43-year-old man wasarrested after the confrontation at the All India restaurant.Police charged him with terroristic threats, indecentexposure, resisting arrest and public drunkenness.
Indian origin Sameer Hasmukh in criticalcondition after being shot in Atlanta
ATLANTA(TIP): In yet another incident of shooting of anIndian origin man in the US, a 24-year-old man from Sundhervillage in Patan, Gujarat, Sameer Hasmukh Patel, was shot atin a departmental store here late on Monday, June 12 night.Sameerwas shot after two suspects robbed the departmentalstore in which he worked, according to information availablewith The Indian Panorama.
Sameer was closing the store when two unknown personsbarged into the store and shot at him and fled with the cashchest. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but hiscondition was critical when family members spoke to hisfriends early June 13 morning.
A member of the family said that Sameer came to Atlantathree years ago to work at a departmental store and search foropportunities for his family members."
According to information available with The IndianPanorama, Indian Consulate in Atlanta is also in touch withthe family
Adesh Tyagi issuedexaggerated press releases
and made misleadingdisclosures about his
company
Two Indian American conductors namedrecipients of 2017 Solti Foundation awards
EVANSTON, IL (TIP): Two Indian American conductorsRoger Kalia and Sameer Patel are among nine recipients of 2017Solti Foundation awards.
Established in 2000 to honor the memory of Sir Georg Solti bylending significant support to career-ready young Americanmusicians, in 2004, the Foundation concentrated the focus of itsaward program to exclusively assist talented young Americanconductors early in their professional careers (its originalmission was of a more general arts nature). Since then, it hasawarded over $500,000 in grants to American conductors.
Penny Van Horn, Board Chair of The Solti Foundation U.S. andElizabeth Buccheri, Artistic and Awards Committee Chair,announced the names of the recipients of the 2017 SoltiFoundation Career Assistance Awards. "The Solti Foundation U.S.is thrilled to announce the 2017 Career Assistance Awardrecipients," said Ms. Van Horn. "These young conductors are partof the fabric of our future musical landscape, and we are proud toidentify, support and encourage these young musicians in theearly stages of their classical careers."
Co-Founder and Music Director of the Lake George MusicFestival in upstate New York, Assistant Conductor of the PacificSymphony and Music Director of Pacific Symphony YouthOrchestra, Roger Kalia is only the second assistant conductor inthe Pacific Symphony's history to have his contract extended fortwo additional years. A proud recipient of a 2013 Solti FoundationU.S. Career Assistance Award, Kalia conducted the Memphis
Symphony in 2011 after winning Second Prize in theirInternational Conducting Competition, which led to his debut thefollowing season and launched his professional career. In 2011Kalia served as a fellow at the Cabrillo Festival of ContemporaryMusic, chosen by Marin Alsop.
Associate Conductor of the San Diego Symphony, Sameer Patelalso begins his tenure as Associate Conductor of the Sun ValleySummer Symphony this summer 2017. Internationally, Patel hasguested with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo, LeipzigerSinfonieorchester, and Orchestra Giovanile Italiana. Recipient ofa 2016 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Patel is alsoa Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Scholar. In 2013, Sameer was oneof only six conductors selected by the League of Americanorchestras for the Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview.
Roger Kalia and Sameer Patel are among nine recipients of2017 Solti Foundation awards
3TEXASTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
NEW YORK- DALLAS
MARKETING STAFF REQUIRED
We are looking for marketing persons for The IndianPanorama print editions and the web portal at a couple oflocations which include Long Island, Queens, Manhattan andBuffalo in New York,Jersey City and Edison in New Jersey,Stamford in Connecticut, Atlanta in Georgia, Houston andDallas in Texas, and Chicago in Illinois.
Persons with experience in newspaper reporting will bepreferred.
The individual must be a person with experience inmarketing and public relations, confident, independent andable to handle marketing on his/her own with minimumsupport from the management.
Compensation will be based on experience with up to 40%revenue created by the individual.
Anyone who would like to work with us part time and onthe basis of revenue sharing may email to
FORT WOTH, TX (TIP): The city ofFort Worth is spending millions of dollarsto update its traffic lights so they can beprogrammed by remote control - anddrivers will see less red.
The city council this week approvedspending $1.75 million on wireless devicesthat will send live traffic data to cityengineers and allow them to control thetiming of signal lights wirelessly andinstantaneously.
The devices will be installed at all of thecity's 875 intersections over the next twoyears.
At many of the locations, the city alsoplans to install cameras that also act astraffic sensors.
Sam Werschky, assistant director ofFort Worth's Transportation and PublicWorks Department, said the new systemadds high-tech to old-fashioned red lights.
"I think that's going to be the biggestthing, is just having a more intelligent,smarter system that's data driven," he said."The citizens' frustrations, I understand it.I drive it every day. So, anything we can doto help that would be beneficial for thecity."
Shaunta Birdwell, who works at a pizzarestaurant and drives on congested WestSeventh Street every day, said shewelcomes the change.
"The lights, they all turn green and redat the same time," she said. "You just haveto be patient. And you have to havepatience, because if you don't you're goingto get yourself in some trouble."
(Source: NBC 5)
contd from Page 1
His Holiness MahantSwami...
Since the earthly departure of PramukhSwami Maharaj, Mahant Swami Maharaj nowcontinues the lifework and legacy of PramukhSwami Maharaj as the sixth and current spiritualsuccessor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Hewasborn in 1933 in Madhya Pradesh, India. In 1961, atthe age of 28, he was ordained as a swami andgiven the name of Sadhu Keshavjivandas by HisHoliness Yogiji Maharaj, then guru and spiritualleader of BAPS. Yogiji Maharaj recognized hisleadership abilities and bestowed upon himnumerous responsibilities including appointinghim as the mahant, or chief priest, of the BAPSmandir in Mumbai, India.Thus, the name'Mahant Swami Maharaj.'
After Yogiji Maharaj's earthly departure,Mahant Swami Maharaj dedicated himselftotally to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifthGuru of BAPS. Under his guidance, MahantSwami Maharaj relentlessly traveled to remoteareas in India and abroad to inspire moral valuesand enlighten countless devotees. He was alsocalled upon to be in the forefront during majorcelebrations and as a trusted advisor regardingcritical decisions related to the organization.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj was thoroughlypleased with Mahant Swami Maharaj's virtuesand devotion to Bhagwan Swaminarayan and hisgurus as well as his affection to the devotees andcare for their well-being. On July 20, 2012, inAhmedabad, India in the presence of seniorswamis of BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharajofficially appointed Mahant Swami Maharaj ashis successor.
As the current Guru of the BAPSSwaminarayan Sanstha, Mahant Swami Maharajhas ledby exemplifying devotion, humility, andselflessness. He visits with devotees around theworld to nurture faith in all individuals, promote
family values and unity, and strengthencommunities small and large. Pramukh SwamiMaharaj's vision continues to be his driving forcebehind guiding spiritual activities andorganizational efforts as well as pursuingdevelopment projects to advance youth programs.
In the past year, he has continued his vicharan,or spiritual travels,throughout the world, and hasthus far visited almost every major BAPS mandirin India and Africa. During his visit to the UnitedStates and Canada, he will attend numerousspecial celebrations including the ten-yearanniversaries of the BAPS Shri SwaminarayanMandirs in Atlanta, Toronto, and San Jose as wellas a Murti Pratishta, a ritual to sanctify themurtis, for abhishekh in Robbinsville, NJ. Afterhis three-month journey, he will continueonwards to the United Kingdom and the Far Eastregions.
For more details regarding His HolinessMahant Swami Maharaj's North America visit,please visitwww.baps.org/msm17na or follow#Mahan Swami on social media.
AAbboouutt BBAAPPSSThe BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is a
worldwide spiritual and humanitarianorganization that is dedicated to communityservice, peace, and harmony. Motivated by Hinduprinciples, BAPS strives to care for the world bycaring for societies, families, and individuals.Through various spiritual and humanitarianactivities, BAPS endeavors to develop bettercitizens of tomorrow with high esteem for theirroots and culture. Its 3,300 international centerssupport these character-building activities.Under the guidance and leadership of HisHoliness Mahant Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspiresto build a community that is free of addictions aswell as morally, ethically and spiritually pure. Formore details, please visit www.baps.org.
About Mahant Swami Maharaj
His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is thesixth and current spiritual successor of BhagwanSwaminarayan. He was ordained a swami byYogiji Maharaj in 1961 and named SadhuKeshavjivandas. As he was appointed the head(Mahant) of the Mandir in Mumbai, he becameknown as Mahant Swami. His devout, humbleand service-focused life earned him theinnermost blessings of Yogiji Maharaj andPramukh Swami Maharaj. Mahant SwamiMaharaj travels throughout the world inspiringpeople through his insightful spiritual discoursesand disciplined conduct. His virtuous lifestyleand profound devotion to BhagwanSwaminarayan and gurus are ideals towardwhich devotees strive. Mahant Swami Maharajbecame the guru and President of BAPS uponPramukh Swami Maharaj's passing in 2016.
About Pramukh Swami MaharajPramukh Swami Maharaj was the fifth
spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.Under his leadership, BAPS grew into aninternational spiritual and humanitarianorganization with over 3,300 centers worldwide.He dedicated his life to the well-being of others,traveling throughout the world to foster love,peace, harmony, righteousness, faith in God, andservice to humanity. With genuine care andcompassion, he reached out to all members ofsociety irrespective of class, color, or age.Recognized and respected as one of India'sgreatest spiritual teachers, he lived by andpromoted the principle: "In the joy of others, liesour own."
Prior to upcoming visit by PMModi,USINPAC does outreachwith the Trump Administration
WASHINGTON (TIP): As part of its ongoing strategicdialogue at Capitol Hill, The US India Political ActionCommittee (USINPAC) held a meeting with members of theTrump-Pence administration. Key participants at the dialoguewere Raju Chinthala, USINPAC Indiana Chair, who met withMicheal Cutrone, the Special Advisor to the Vice President forSouth and Central Asia and Mr. Paul Teller, the SpecialAssistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. In light ofthe upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modito the nation and his meeting with President Trump, USINPACwas keen to provide valuable insight on matters pertaining toIndian Americans.
This will be Prime Minister Modi's first to Washingtonunder the Trump administration. Unlike his past meetingsthis current visit will be singularly focused on bilateralrelations. The Modi-Trump meet also comes at a time whenthe H1-B visa program is under intense scrutiny and PresidentTrump has announced to withdraw from the Paris ClimateAccords last week. President Trump had then called out Indiaand China for being some of the world's biggest polluters andhad alleged that under the Climate accord the US would haveto pay India 'billions and billions of dollars.' The Indiangovernment is looking forward to smoothening out anywrinkles with the new administration, regardingimmigration reform and reaffirm the US-India partnership inthe spheres of international diplomacy and Defense &Security in the region.
Press Secretary Sean Spicer, in a press briefing announced:"President Trump looks forward to discussing the ways tostrengthen our ties between the United States and India andadvancing our common priorities fighting terrorism,promoting economic growth and reforms and expandingsecurity cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region."
Raju Chinthala remarked, "We had a very cordial andproductive meeting with the Trump-Pence administration onvarious domestic and international issues. USINPAC willcontinue to develop dialogue between the US and India tostrengthen our alliance and take it to the next level."
WASHINGTON (TIP): The Trump administrationannounced on Thursday that it is cancelling an Obama-erapolicy to allow millions of illegal-immigrant parents ofchildren born in the United States to stay in the country.
The 2014 policy, known as DAPA, for Deferred Action forParents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents,aimed to help the families of so-called "dreamer" children staytogether free from the threat of deportation.
It was never implemented after 26 states successfully suedin a Texas federal district court to block it. The US SupremeCourt let the lower court ruling stand last year after a four-four tie vote. Set out in a memo from the administration ofthen-president Barack Obama, the policy said the governmentwould defer any action against illegal immigrant parents ofchildren who are lawful permanent residents - mainly thoseborn in the country to parents without legal status.
DAPA would have affected as many as four million people bysome estimates, those with US-born children who were in thecountry before 2010. But the Department of HomelandSecurity announced it was rescinding the policy with thesupport of the Justice Department. DHS Secretary John Kellyexplained the move saying "there is no credible path forwardto litigate the currently enjoined policy." (AFP)
USINPAC Indiana Chair Raju Chinthala was among the Keyparticipants
Cut Pakistan aid for supporting terror: 2US lawmakers to Trump administrationWASHINGTON (TIP): Two top
lawmakers have accused Pakistan ofsupporting terrorism and urged theTrump administration to cut militaryaid to the country, saying the US shouldmake it more difficult for Islamabad toget its hands on American weapons.
During a Congressional hearing thisweek, Congressman Dana Rohrabacherand Ted Poe, alleged that Pakistan isengaged in terrorism and asserted thatthe US needs to cut its militaryassistance to it.
"We need to go on the record here, onthis part of our government, to say thatwe're not going to be providing weaponsto countries like Pakistan that we'reafraid will shoot down our own peopleand afraid we know they're engaged interrorism," Rohrabacher said during aHouse Foreign Affairs Subcommittee onTerrorism, Non-proliferation and Tradehearing on Foreign Military Sales.
"We know what they've done now. Theystill hold Dr. Afridi (who helped locateOsama bin Laden)...in a dungeon," hesaid.
"We should be facilitating our supportand our weapons systems to countrieslike Egypt that are fighting this threat toWestern civilisation, to all ofcivilisation. And we should make it moredifficult not less difficult for countrieslike Pakistan to get their hands onAmerican weapons," Rohrabacherasserted.
Congressman Ted Poe, Chairman ofthe House Foreign Affairs Subcommitteeon Terrorism, Non-proliferation andTrade, said that the US is having theissue with Pakistan whether "they'reloyal or playing us for years on the issueof aid" to Pakistan and sales to Pakistan.
"We were concerned about thePakistanis scrambling F-16s that wemade and sold to the Pakistanis so thatthey wouldn't shoot down Americanswho were doing the job of taking out thisterrorist. I personally think Pakistanplays the United States because theyturn to China if we don't help them," Poesaid.
"I understand all that. They havenuclear weapons and we want to have arelationship with them so that they don'tlook to China. I get all that. But are wedoing anything different on sales toPakistan to make sure those sales ofwhatever it is aren't used against usdirectly or used against us indirectlybecause of the military helping theTaliban in Afghanistan where were haveour troops and those weapons could beused against the United States?" heasked. "Are we doing anything differentto make sure that doesn't happen or arewe still using the same formula," Poequestioned.
Tina Kaidanow, Acting AssistantSecretary of State, Political-MilitaryAffairs, told lawmakers that withPakistan the United States has a robustend use monitoring programme, toensure that the items that it provides tothem are used appropriately and withinthe boundaries of what the US has askedthem to accomplish.
"We regard Pakistan as an importantpartner on counter- terrorism issues.They will be essential in bringing theAfghan Taliban to the table for peacetalks. There are a number of thingswhere we need their cooperation andtheir assistance," Kaidanow said.
"We do want to help them on thecounter-terrorism front. But on the otherhand, again, we have very big concernsthat we continuously front with them onsupport for Haqqani, on support forother things. This has been made clear tothe Pakistani government at the highestlevels," the senior State Departmentofficial said. (PTI)
US Pacific Commander Harrisexpected to step down next year
WASHINGTON (TIP): AdmiralHarry Harris, the US Pacific militarychief known for combative views onBeijing's South China Sea expansion, isexpected to step down next year, USofficials said on Friday, leavingPresident Donald Trump to fill a keypost closely watched by China.
Harris, who was appointed byPresident Barack Obama, could end histerm as head of Pacific Command(PACOM) after three years in May, twosources with knowledge of the potentialchange told Reuters. Most PACOMcommanders serve three years but thereis no official term limit.
A US official said that while thetiming could be right, the process ofreplacing Harris - starting with anomination to the Senate ArmedServices Committee - had not yet begun.
"That definitely hasn't happened," theofficial said, speaking on condition ofanonymity. "I would guess it maybehappens in the winter sometime."
"This is pure speculation, and nodecisions have been made regarding thetransition timing for the nextcommander," chief PACOM spokesmanCaptain Darryn James said.
"That said, the usual transition forcombatant commanders is around the
three-year point, and since AdmiralHarris took command of PACOM in May2015, his projected date has always beenMay 2018," James added.
Several US sources said Harris'departure would be part of normalrotation of command.
If Trump follows Obama's example, hewill need to nominate a successoraround September for approval by theUS Senate by the year-end.
Those deliberations would come asTrump courts China to pressure NorthKorea to give up its nuclear and missileprograms. Harris, who upset China twoyears ago by dubbing its South ChinaSea island-building as a "great wall ofsand," reports to Trump throughDefense Secretary Jim Mattis.
The appointment of his successor willbe closely watched by Washington'sallies in Asia. (Reuters)
5USTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
WASHINGTON (TIP): Embassyof India, Washington DC celebratedBaisakhi on June 3 in the 350thBirth Anniversary year of GuruGobind Singhji. The event wasattended by around 250 IndianAmerican community membersfrom various parts of UnitedStates.
The celebration was marked byan auspicious beginning withShabad Kirtan, welcome remarksby Ambassador Navtej Sarna and acultural performance consisting ofPunjabi traditional music anddance (Bhangra and Giddha).
Sikh scholar Dr. HarbhajanSingh Ajrawat spoke on theteachings of Sikhism andhighlighted the significance ofBaisakhi.
The fun and festivity was enjoyedby all the guests.
Embassy of India celebrates Baisakhi
A cultural performance consisting ofPunjabi traditional music and dance
thrilled the audience
Consulate General of India,Chicago, in Association with 100Community Organizations, willHost 3rd Edition of InternationalYoga Day
NAPERVILLE, CHICAGO (TIP): Consulate General ofIndia in Chicago, in collaboration with the City of Naperville, isall set to host 3rd edition of International Yoga Day on 24thJune 2017 (Saturday) at Naperville Yard, 1603 Legacy Circle,Naperville, IL 60563.
City of Naperville issued a Proclamation and declared June24th, 2017 as International Yoga Day in the City of Naperville.Mr. Steve Chirico, Naperville Mayor will be Chief Guest at theInternational Yoga Day, which will be attended by dignitaries,elected officials, and community leaders from different walks oflife. Ms. Neeta Bhushan, Consul General of India in Chicagosaid that the program will commence at 10:00 am and end at 1200noon, followed by a community festival and an array of culturalactivities till 05:00 pm. Apart from the demonstration ofcommon asanas (postures) under Common Yoga Protocol,breathing techniques, Meditation Workshop, etc., the Programwill include a number of activities relating to yoga.
The event is free for all. However, as the space is limited,those interested in attending the event and knowing more aboutit are cordially requested to visitFacebook.com/IndiaInChicago. Participants are requested tobring their own yoga mats. Ms. Bhushan said that about 2,500guests, 100 community organizations, yoga and spiritualcenters, business establishments, etc. will grace the occasion.She called upon Indian-Americans and all the nationalities toattend the event in large numbers in order to make it aresounding success. (Photograph and Press release by: AsianMedia USA)
In Kansas, SAALT demands aresponse to hate crimes
KANSAS (TIP): On June 6, South Asian Americans LeadingTogether (SAALT), a national South Asian racial justice andcivil rights organization, participated in a critical hate crimesforum facilitated by the US Department of Justice CommunityRelations Service in Kansas. Representatives from governmentagencies, diverse community leaders, and advocacyorganizations gathered at the Hindu Temple and CulturalCenter of Kansas City to examine and address the bigotry andhate violence targeting our communities nationwide.
The Kansas community is still reeling from the Februarykilling of Indian origin Srinivas Kuchibhotla by a gunman whoscreamed "Get out of my country" before opening fire. Thisattack was neither the beginning nor the end of the epidemic ofhate violence targeting South Asian, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, andinterfaith communities across the country.
"The United States was founded on religious liberty, yet ourcountry is flooding with hatred and violence explicitlytargeting communities based on their religion, race,nationality, and perceived identity," stated SumanRaghunathan, Executive Director of SAALT. "The President'sresponses to the tragedy in Kansas along with many othershave been deeply problematic. Multiple attempts at a 'MuslimBan', careless words or complete silence following attacks onour communities, and his failure to name white supremacy as aclear and present danger to our country all combine to signalthe lack of necessary interest, will, and leadership to addressthese fundamental issues."
Ms. Neeta Bhushan, Consul General of India in Chicago calledupon Indian-Americans and all nationalities to participate in
the 3rd International Yoga Day in large numbers
NEW YORK (TIP): RE (live) INDIA,a luxury travel portal for senior citizenNRIs (non-resident Indians) living inthe U.S., Canada, U.K., Europe, Africa &Australia, has been launched byO'Harani, in partnership with RisingStarMedia and Bollywood actor,producer and director Viveck Vaswani.
RE (live) INDIA'S maiden voyage,called the Golden-Scarlet Odyssey, willlead travelers through the holy sites ofNorth India: such as the GoldenTemplein Amritsar, Paonta SahibGurudwara in Himachal Pradesh andVaishno Devi Temple in Katra (Jammuand Kashmir). The fully-supervised,eight-day-journey kicks off thisSeptember, with additional tripsoffered in October and November (forexact dates and full itinerary, pleasevisit www.oharani.com/relive-india/).
"Many NRIs who live in NorthAmerica have aging parents andgrandparents, and it is not alwaysconvenient for the entire family totravel together, either because ofschool schedules, finances or simplynot having the time," said O'HaraniPresident Jitin Hingorani. "With ourvery experienced and capable team inIndia, we have custom-designed these'tirth yatras' (Hindi for 'holypilgrimages') for our aging uncles andaunties, while keeping their security,luxury and safety of utmostimportance."
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For pricing and the complete day-by-day itinerary for the September 2017holy pilgrimage, please visitw w w. o h a r a n i . c o m / re l ive - i n d i a / .Limited spots available. Reservationsand deposits must be made by July30th.
New Initiative for Senior Citizen NRIs: Holy Pilgrimage to India
RE (live) INDIA'S maiden voyage, called the Golden-Scarlet Odyssey, will leadtravelers through the holy sites of North India: such as the Golden Temple in Amritsar
6 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017INDIA
DARJEELING CRISIS
MISCREANTS MOUNTATTACKS ON GOVT PROPERTIES IN THE DARKEven as the situation in Darjeeking continues to be tense,the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has called for its version of
Dandi March to protest a police raid on its office
DARJEELING (TIP): For the second successive timethis week miscreants struck at the dead of the night tovandalise and ablaze government properties aroundDarjeeling as the demand for a separate state continued toroil the hill station.
On June 17 (Saturday) around 1 am, suspected GorkhaJanmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters set fire to Goke II grampanchayat office under Bijanbari block about 25 km awayfrom Darjeeling. The first floor of the building wascompletely gutted.
The attack came after a relative quiet day in the hills.Local Trinamool leaders said that on Friday night
Morcha supporters set up roadblocks on two roads thatconnect Gok with Darjeeling.
On Saturday morning, GJM protesters have planned totake out a ‘Dandi march’ on the lines of the one thatMahatma Gandhi undertook in 1930.
The rallies are supposed to start from different points ofDarjeeling and converge at the GJM office at Patlaybas thatthe police raided on Thursday. Police are unlikely to allowthe protest rallies because the situation is already tense.
Most GJM leaders are still in hiding to evade arrest.On Saturday morning the hills remained completely
shutdown, the third day of the indefinite bandh called bythe GJM after the police raided their office on Thursday.
PRESIDENTIAL PICK LIKELYTO COME FROM PARTY AS
BJP LOOKS WITHINAs consultation starts within the saffron party and with the Opposition for the prez election, the ruling side wants a President who has strong BJP affiliation
NEW DELHI (TIP): India’s nextPresident is likely to be a dyed-in-the-wool BJP leader, contrary to speculationthat the ruling party might field atechnocrat or some apolitical candidate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yetto discuss his preference with partyleaders , but ruling party said theleadership is not inclined to repeat the2002 experiment when it had to fieldedan ‘outsider’, APJ Abdul Kalam, for thetop post.
As consultation starts within the BJPand with the Opposition for the July 17election, the ruling side wants aPresident who has “strong BJPaffiliation”.
On June 16 (Friday), Union ministersRajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidudrove to the residence of BJP patriarchLK Advani and also called on MurliManohar Joshi.
Although the two members of theBJP’s Margdarshak Mandal were seenas possible contenders, sources said thatFriday’s meetings with the two were toseek their views on the party’spresidential candidate. Advani andJoshi had fallen out of favour with theparty leadership earlier. They areunlikely to be considered for the post,said party sources. Finance ministerArun Jaitley is returning from abroadon Saturday and is expected to touchbase with socialist parties over the nextfew days.
Kalam was a surprise candidate in2002 for a greater consensus, but thechanged scenario in 2017 gives the BJP
more manoeuvring space to pickcandidate from among its leaders.
India elects its President through acomplex voting pattern involving allparliamentarians and members oflegislative assemblies – each of themhaving a different vote value.
An MP has the highest vote value.Today, BJP has a clear majority in theLok Sabha and government in morethan a dozen states. NDA’s total strengthin Parliament is over 400 out of total 776.“Such mandate is not to choose an‘outsider’ for the top post,” agovernment leader said. The RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh, too, is averse to aKalam-type experiment.
This position rules out chances for the
likes of agricultural scientist MSSwaminathan, whose name has beenproposed by the National DemocraticAlliance partner Shiv Sena, or theMetro-man, E Sreedharan.
The BJP is likely to announce thename of its candidate on June 22 and thenomination is expected the next day.
Sure of its victory, the BJP will alsochoose its candidate with an aim tobreak the new found unity in theOpposition. A divide in the camp cantake the fizz out of campaign to bringanti-BJP forces under one umbrella. “Itwill be a success for us, even if wemanage to wean away one or two majorparties from the Opposition camp,” aUnion minister said. Source: HT
Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu with CPI(M) general secretarySitaram Yechury leave after a meeting on presidential poll as part of the ruling party's
outreach to stitch a consensus in New Delhi. Pic courtesy: PTI
Despite heavy security, there has been a spate of arsonattacks around Darjeeling carried out by suspected
supporters of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) who aredemanding a separate state. Pic courtesy:AFP
PUNJAB ASSEMBLY BUDGET SESSION
AAP’s Khaira films House ruckus, suspendedCHANDIGARH (TIP): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)
legislators, raising slogans inside the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, onJune 16 attacked the Congress government for its “failure” toannounce a loan waiver for farmers. Some were seen in acantankerous spat with Congress MLAs. But it was AAP’sBholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira who was suspended by SpeakerRana KP Singh for the rest of the session for uploading a videoof the unruly scenes on Facebook.
With Khaira recording the heated exchanges between Akaliand Congress MLAs, that ensued after an outburst by Ministerfor Local Bodies Navjot Singh Sidhu, Congress MLAs, who wereled by Kuljit Singh Nagra, raised objections. Subsequently,Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Brahm Mohindra moved amotion and Khaira was suspended for the session. The AAPMLA refused to hand over his cellphone, arguing that otherMLAs were carrying phones as well, that House proceedingswere not in progress when he had shot the video and that similarincidents had occurred in the past too. As AAP MLAs, led byLeader of the Opposition HS Phoolka, protested the decision, theSpeaker adjourned the House.
“I equate the unfair attitude of the Speaker with the Abdalis,Duranis and Mughals who mercilessly executed people, denyingthem an opportunity to defend themselves,” a defiant Khairasaid. Tempers ran high during question hour as SAD andCongress MLAs entered into a spat over the "unparliamentary"language used for Tourism and Culture Minister. CongressMLAs Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Nagra, Parminder SinghPinky and Rana Sodhi stormed into the well of the House and
nearly came to blows with Akali members. SAD's Rozy Barkandiwas pushed by Ghanaur MLA Thekedar Madan Lal Jalalpura.There were at least two adjournments and two walkouts.
Earlier as the session began, SAD-BJP MLAs, includingPawan Kumar Tinu, Ajit Singh Kohar, NK Sharma, HPSChandumajra and Arun Narang, rushed to the House well,
raising slogans over "unkept" poll promises. The protestsbecame louder as Sidhu got up to reply.
The minister lost his cool while responding to a query on theHarike project after certain remarks were made against him. Anenraged Sidhu then spoke of the "illegal activities" of the Badalfamily, blaming them for the Rs 350 crore PRTC loss.
Addressing the Assembly on the third day of the Budgetsession, CM Amarinder Singh reiterated his government'scommitment to fulfilling all poll promises, including a loanwaiver and "kurki" (auction) abolition for the debt-riddenfarmers. Over repeated disruptions, he said: "The prestige of theSpeaker’s office has never been lowered like this by throwingpaper missiles at him."Source: The Tribune
Ajaib Singh Bhatti elected deputy speakerThe House opened with legislators unanimously electingCongress MLA from Malout, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, a Dalit leader,as deputy speaker of the 15th Vidhan Sabha. Bhatti said hisfamily and he were indebted to CM Amarinder Singh whorecommended him for the coveted post.
Amarinder congratulated Bhatti for his elevation and saidthat Bhatti’s long administrative and political experiencewould further enhance the glory of the august chair.
He said that politics was in Bhatti’s blood, as he inherited itfrom his father late Arjan Singh, who contested assemblyelection from the erstwhile combined constituency NihalSingh Wala in 1957.
AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira (below left) and Lok Insaaf Partyleader Simranjeet Singh Bains, who has also been suspendedfor the rest of the session, along with other party members in
Chandigarh on June 16. Pic courtesy: HT
7INDIA THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
BANNED BY DOMESTICAIRLINES, TDP MP FLIESTO EUROPE ON HOLIDAY
HYDERABAD (TIP): TDP MP JCDiwakar Reddy, who has been bannedby all domestic airlines from flyingover his alleged unruly behaviour atthe Visakhapatnam airport, flew toEurope on June 16 (Friday) night aspart of his annual family vacation.
According to JC Prabhakar Reddy,brother of the Anantapur MP, the tourwas planned well in advance.
It is something the family did everyyear, he said.
“He and his family left for vacation on Friday night. I wasalso supposed to go along with them. But I could not go due topersonal work. What is wrong in his foreign tour? He got hisvisa long ago. It was not planned yesterday,” Prabhakar, a TDPMLA from Anantapur told PTI on Saturday.
He, however, did not disclose the holiday destination as wellas the airline his brother took for the overseas trip.
Though the exact duration of the vacation is not known, aTDP leader said it might last seven to 10 days.
Following the June 15 episode, in a show of unity, all majordomestic airlines have barred the MP from taking theirflights--similar to the action taken by the carriers after theincident involving Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad earlierthis year. On Thursday, Reddy was scheduled to fly IndiGo’sflight 6E-608, which departs from Visakhapatnam at 8.10 am,to Hyderabad. But he reached just 28 minutes before thescheduled departure, according to the airline. Source: PTI
SIX J&K POLICEMEN KILLED,DISFIGURED IN ANANTNAG
SRINAGAR (TIP): Six policemen, including a StationHouse Officer of the Achabal police station, were killed whenmilitants ambushed their vehicle at Thajiwara Achabal insouth Kashmir’s Anantnag district on June 16 (Friday)evening. Officials said that around 6:30 pm, Station HouseOfficer, Achabal, Sub Inspector Firoz Ahmad Dar and fiveconstables were in a Tata Sumo vehicle travelling towardsAnantnag town when a group of at least five militantsambushed their vehicle and fired at the police party. In theattack, all the policemen were killed. Soon Army and policecordoned off the area but the militants escaped. The attacktook place 17 km from the spot in Arwani where an encounterbetween militants and security forces was in progress andbarely 5 km from the Army’s Khandru camp, one of the mostfortified installations in south Kashmir.
Officials said that the militants took away rifles from theslain policemen. Before fleeing, the militants are believed tohave disfigured the bodies of the cops by firing on them fromclose range.
J&K Director General of Police S P Vaid told The IndianExpress that militants ambushed the vehicle of SHO Achabalat Thajiwara. “They fired at the policemen from very closerange and later escaped with five AK-47 rifles,’’ Vaid said,adding that the militants were the local Lashkar-e-Toibamodule operating in the area.
55-YR-OLD MAN THRASHED TODEATH BY R’STHAN CIVIC STAFF
JAIPUR (TIP): A 55-year-old man was today allegedlythrashed to death by civic body employees in Prataparghdistrict when he reportedly stopped them from takingphotographs of women defecating in the open.
Zafar Khan, a social worker, was assaulted by five MCemployees, his brother Noor Mohammad told the media. “Theemployees, shaming those defecating in the open, scared awaysome tribal women by taking their photographs. When mybrother intervened, they attacked him. As soon as we learntabout the incident, we rushed to the hospital. We were told hewas brought dead,” he said.
The police have lodged a case of murder against the fiveemployees and the Commissioner of the Pratapgarhmunicipality who, according to an eyewitness, was on thespot when Zafar Khan was thrashed. Family members of thedeceased and locals staged a protest outside the mortuary,demanding that the “killers” be arrested. They blocked thenational highway for several hours. Members of the CPI-ML(Liberation), with whom Zafar was associated, said he hadpaid with his life for opposing “bullying”.
1993 MUMBAI BLASTS: ABUSALEM, FIVE OTHERS
CONVICTED; 1 ACQUITTEDMUMBAI (TIP): Twenty-four years
after 12 blasts rocked the city killing 257and leaving 713 grievously injured, aspecial Terrorist and DisruptiveActivities (Prevention) Act court onFriday convicted six out of the sevenaccused, including Abu Salem andMustafa Dossa. In the dock is a secondbatch of accused, tried by special judgeGovind A Sanap, after the main trial of123 accused ended in 2006 with theconviction of 100.
The court has set the next hearingdate on June 19 (Monday) to decide thedate for argument on quantum ofsentence.
Others who were convicted includeFeroz Khan, Taher Merchant, RiyazSiddiqui, Karimulla Khan. The courtpronounced the sentence after hearingarguments from the defence and theprosecution. Out of the six convicted bythe Tada court, only five face thegallows. Riyaz Siddiqui will only attractlife sentence as he is not held guilty ofcriminal conspiracy.
Abdul Qayyum Shaikh who has beenacquitted by the court had allegedly sentarms and ammunition from abroadwhich landed at Dighi Jerry. He also hadallegedly sold a licensed revolver toSanjay Dutt in September 1992.
Special CBI counsel Deepak Salvi saidtrial for the seven, arrested between 2003and 2010, had to be separated as theywere nabbed after a substantial portionof the previous trial was completed.
With no other accused currently incustody, the Friday verdict was the lastin the case for now. Thirty-three accusedare absconding, including keyconspirators Dawood Ibrahim, hisbrother Anees Ibrahim, Mustafa'sbrother Mohammed Dossa and TigerMemon.
Salem was extradited in November2005 from Portugal. His confession led tothe arrests of Siddiqui and Shaikh.Mustafa was named in 1995 by a co-accused and arrested in 2003 after he
arrived in Delhi from Dubai.The CBI submitted the attacks were
planned to avenge the demolition of theBabri Masjid on December 6, 1992, andthe riots in its aftermath.
The lesser known Taher (60) also has apredominant role. A resident ofKambekar Street in central Mumbai, hegrew up with Dawood and his brothersand was said to be the don's trusted aide.He allegedly motivated associates toarrange men from Mumbai for trainingin handling of arms and ammunition inPakistan. Taher is also accused ofcollecting funds to procure arms andammunition. He was extradited fromAbu Dhabi in 2010. The 12 coordinatedattacks between 1.30 pm and 3.40 pm onMarch 12, 1993, planned over 15 meetingsacross UAE and India, also destroyedproperty worth Rs 27 crore. Special CBIcounsel Deepak Salvi told the court in hisopening arguments that "this was thefirst ever terrorist attack in the worldwhere RDX was used on such a largescale after the Second World War."
Special judge Sanap took over the trialin 2011 and the proceedings concluded in
March this year.The trial was stayed afterboth the accused and the prosecutionmoved the apex court challengingvarious legalities.Dossa's lawyer RizwanMerchantchallenged the applicability ofthe voluminous evidence of 686 witnessesfrom the previous trial.
As many as 13 serial blasts rocked India's financial capital on March 12, 1993. TheMumbai blasts left 257 people dead and over 713 injured.
Abu Salem
JC Diwakar Reddy
INDIA HANDS OVER MALLYAEXTRADITION PAPERS
NEW DELHI (TIP): India last week provided the UnitedKingdom the documents required to be submitted in a Londoncourt for the extradition of fugitive business tycoon VijayMallya.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) handed over thedocuments received from the probe agencies to the BritishHigh Commission in New Delhi last week. The documents willbe submitted to the court of the Chief Magistrate atWestminster in London. The business tycoon is wanted inIndia for his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines’ default on loansworth nearly Rs 9,000 crore.
“These papers were required in connection with thehearing in the extradition matter which, as I said, is sub-judice in the court in London and these papers were handedover to the British High Commission (in New Delhi) last week.This is a huge bunch of papers,” Gopal Baglay, spokespersonof the Ministry of External Affairs, said on Friday.
The documents the MEA handed over to the British HighCommission on June 9 included a supplementary charge sheetfiled by the CBI against Mallya in a court in Mumbai on June2, and a sworn affidavit by the superintendent of police incharge of the Special Investigation Team of the agency.
Russia in favour ofIndo-Pak bilateral talksNEW DELHI (TIP): Moscow endorsed New Delhi’s view that
India and Pakistan should resolve all outstanding disputesthrough bilateral talks in accordance with the Simla Agreementof 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999.
After New Delhi dismissed Islamabad’s claim that RussianPresident Vladimir Putin recently offered to mediate betweenIndia and Pakistan, Moscow, too, made it clear that no third partyhad any role in resolving the dispute between the two South Asianneighbours.
A spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of theRussian government emphasised that Moscow’s “principled”position on resolving India-Pakistan differences remained“unchanged”. “The differences between Islamabad and NewDelhi should be resolved by them on a bilateral basis inaccordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972and the Lahore Declaration of 1999,” said a spokesperson of theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian government.
The statement came after media reports quoted NafeesZakaria, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of thePakistan government, saying that Putin offered to mediatebetween New Delhi and Islamabad.
8 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017EDITORIAL
First week of June provided a grimreminder of the worseningsecurity situation in Afghanistan.
A suicide attack on May 31 in the heartof Kabul, with a truck bomb containing1,500 kg of explosives, has left more than150 persons dead and hundreds injured.No one has claimed responsibility andthe Taliban issued a statement denyingany involvement. Afghan intelligencehave blamed the Haqqani networkworking together with the PakistaniInter-Services Intelligence, a chargevehemently rejected by the Pakistanigovernment.
Two days later when over a thousandpeople collected near the site, the moodof the demonstrators was anti-government. Banners and slogans wereraised calling on the government toresign. As the demonstrators movedtowards the presidential palace, policeused water cannons and tear gas tobreak up the crowd. According to thepolice, some protesters were armed andbegan shooting, forcing the police toretaliate. Half a dozen protesters werekilled. Among them was Salim Izadyar,son of Mohammed Alam Izadyar, aprominent Tajik and the DeputySpeaker of the Meshrano Jirga (UpperHouse).
Fault lines exposedThe following day, on June 3, at
Izadyar's funeral, three suicide attackersblew themselves up killing more than 20and injuring over a hundred mourners.Among those present were ChiefExecutive Abdullah, Foreign MinisterSalahuddin Rabbani and formerintelligence chief Amrullah Saleh, whoescaped any injuries. A fourth attackerwas nabbed and has admitted to havingbeen recruited and trained by theTaliban in Quetta.
Coming in quick succession, theseevents have exposed the weaknesses ofthe National Unity Government (NUG),emboldening the opposition. Dr.Abdullah has appealed for calm and saidthat if it helps, he is ready to step down.It is clear that his support base haseroded. Meanwhile, Foreign MinisterRabbani hinted at conspiracies.Protesters have pitched a tent outsidethe hospital in the area, which hasbecome a focal point for speeches byTajik leaders, including former Vice-President Ahmad Zia Massoud, whohold the Pashtun-dominatedgovernment of President Ashraf Ghaniresponsible. The Tajik-led Jamiat is nowreaching out to other ethnic groups,Uzbeks and the Hazaras. Meanwhile,Uzbek leader and Vice President AbdulRashid Dostum left for Turkey lastmonth for 'medical treatment' followinggrowing public criticism after hissecurity guards sexually assaulted apolitical rival.
The NUG agreement, concluded inSeptember 2014, with strong backing ofthe U.S., was more than just a means ofresolving the electoral dispute betweenthe two candidates, Ashraf Ghani andAbdullah. It was a power-sharing
arrangement between the Pashtuns whohave traditionally ruled Afghanistanand the non-Pashtuns (Tajiks, Uzbeksand Hazaras). The creation of the post ofthe Chief Executive, to be converted intothe position of a Prime Minister withintwo years, was an attempt at movingaway from the highly centralizedpresidential system introduced in 2003towards a more federal arrangement. In2003 too, the Northern Alliance haddemanded the position of a PM but hadto be content with the compromise of aPresident and two Vice-Presidents onthe tacit understanding that the twoVice-Presidents would come from thesmaller ethnic groups. The U.S. hadstrongly backed the idea of a strongAmerican-style presidency, overlookingthe fact that the institutional checks andbalances of the U.S. system weremissing in the war-ravaged country.
The constitutional amendment forconverting the position of the CEO intothat of PM is still pending asparliamentary elections which were duein 2015 have not taken place; theseelections were to be preceded by changesin the election procedures which were tobe worked out by a special commissionthat would, in turn, be approved by anewly constituted Independent ElectionCommission. With this process havingcome to a halt and a change ofadministration in Washington,differences between President Ghaniand Dr. Abdullah today can no longer bepatched up. They keep erupting,reflecting a governance structure that isboth under internal strain and externalattack by the Taliban. The visible anti-government sentiment is a worryingsign.
Deteriorating securityThere is talk about pushing through a
parliamentary election next year andadvancing the presidential election by ayear (it is due in 2019) to save costs.However, the deteriorating situationraises questions about the feasibility ofelections. Today, less than 60% ofAfghanistan's territory is undergovernment control; the rest is eithercontested by or under the Taliban. Whileputting its weight behind the NUG in2014, the Obama administration alsobacked the idea of 'a lasting politicalsettlement between the Afghangovernment and the Taliban'. To thisend, he announced that 8,400 U.S. troopswould stay on in Afghanistan (togetherwith another 5,000 from NATO partners)in an 'assist, advise and train' mission.
The Trump administration has yet toannounce its policy though indicationsare it might authorize an increase of3,000-5,000 in U.S. troop levels. This is thefigure mentioned by General JohnNicholson in his testimony to the U.S.Congress in February and has beensupported by both Defense SecretaryJim Mattis and National SecurityAdviser H.R. McMaster. Gen. Nicholsondescribed the current situation as a'stalemate' which needed to be tilted infavor of the Afghan security forces. Like
his predecessors, he too held Pakistanresponsible for the Taliban's successes,pointing out that eliminating externalsanctuary and support is essential to thesuccess of the mission. Yet, other thancalling for a 'holistic response', he failedto specify what this would entail.
Since the U.S. has been unable tochange Pakistan's behavior despitehaving provided nearly $34 billion ineconomic and military assistance since2002 accompanied by occasional threatsto suspend or withhold the funds,enhancing capability of the Afghansecurity forces remains the only option.This means strengthening the SpecialForces in both the Army and the Policeas these are most effective in fighting theinsurgency and providing air power andartillery. The U.S. provides $3.4 billionout of the NATO's annual support of $4billion for the Afghan National SecurityForces. In addition, it spends nearly $18billion on maintaining its trooppresence (it costs slightly more than $2million a year to deploy a U.S. soldier inAfghanistan). In comparison, raisingand equipping a brigade of SpecialForces would cost a billion dollars a year.Therefore Gen. Nicholson's idea of aslight increase in international trooppresence can only work only if it iscoupled with practical ways ofenhancing Afghan capabilities.
Mirage of reconciliationIn recent years, numerous initiatives
to bring the Taliban to the negotiatingtable have been attempted. A Talibanoffice in Doha was intended to get theTaliban negotiators away from the ISI'scontrol but turned out to be a non-starter. The four-country quadrilateralgroup involving China along withPakistan, the U.S. and Afghanistan cameto an abrupt end when it was revealedthat Mullah Omar was no longer aliveand had died, possibly two years earlier.Russia is now promoting the idea oftalks by playing up the idea of the largerthreat of the Islamic State that hasemerged in eastern Afghanistan inNangarhar province though this hasfailed to carry much traction with theAfghan authorities. President Ghani isputting his faith in a new regionalinitiative, similar in composition to theHeart of Asia process. If the past is anyguide, none of these will yield anyconcrete benefits because unless theground situation is materially altered,any talk of reconciliation with theTaliban remains premature and ends upconveying mixed signals, to the Afghans,the Taliban and Pakistan.
If the gains of the last fifteen yearsare to be preserved, the only option is toenhance legitimacy of the Afghaninstitutions: the NUG, the electionprocess and the Afghan NationalSecurity Forces.
(The author is a former Ambassador toAfghanistan and currently Distinguished
Fellow at the Observer ResearchFoundation. He can be reached at
In the hierarchical approach to the world order, thescheduling of appointments with the new monarchgives a fair idea about the pecking arrangement. PM
Narendra Modi gets to meet US President Donald Trumptowards this month end. India's adversary China andbudding allies Japan and Israel have already been giventhe full treatment early on: Xi Jinping spent two days at theTrump "Winter White House", Shinzo Abe played golfwhile Benjamin Netanyahu arrived when the paint waswet on the new nameplates in Washington DC. In contrast,Modi gets to meet Trump after several middle-level Asianleaders - of Vietnam, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey - have calledon the US President and some others met him in Riyadh.Consider Trump's Saudi Arabia visit, and a fair ideaemerges about India's place in the new US administration'sworldview.
Generally, there are two items in a high-voltagediplomatic tete-a-tete: inventive photo ops and the agendaon the table. It will be worth watching if Modi's protocolmanagers are resourceful enough to conjure a better photoopportunity than the ones afforded to Abe and Xi. After all,despite slowly getting hyphenated with its restiveneighbors (US Defense Secretary Mattis was the latest tolink Afghanistan with Indo-Pak tensions), visuals ofTrump-Modi bantering may be necessary to subduesceptics about India's meandering and event-based foreignpolicy.
In Washington, Modi should come into his own when hesits across the table for discussions with Trump as bothare firm believers in transactional relationships - but theirnational priorities are bound to clash. India needs the USto overcome its technological backwardness in cutting-edge sectors with Make-in-India as well as maintain itsannual intake of Indian software engineers. The US, on theother hand, is on the lookout for countries that can take uppolicing on its behalf on distant shores and be areadymade market for "America First" products. PMModi's predecessor had pulled off the nuclear deal. Modi,the self-acknowledged deal-maker, will be on test as heseeks to break down Trump's resistance to visas and Make-in-India.
(Tribune India)
AS I SEE ITGUEST COMMENT
THE INDIAN PANORAMA PPRREESSIIDDEENNTT//PPUUBBLLIISSHHEERR:
DISCLAIMERThe Indian Panorama assumes no responsibility for the claims made inadvertisements. We only sell space. Views published in the newspaperare those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
newspaper. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in partwithout permission in writing from The Indian Panorama is prohibited.
By Rakesh Sood
Retrieving ground in AfghanistanThe legitimacy of its institutions, including theunity government and the security forces,must be enhanced
9PERSPECTIVETHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
Trump's Immigration Policies ExplainedPresident Trump has directed his administration to
enforce the nation's immigration laws more aggressively,unleashing the full force of the federal government to
find, arrest and deport those in the country illegally, regardlessof whether they have committed serious crimes.
The Department of Homeland Security released
documents detailing the plans, which include:
● Publicizing crimes by undocumented immigrants● Stripping such immigrants of privacy protections● Enlisting local police officers as enforcers● Erecting new detention facilities● Discouraging asylum seekers● Speeding up deportations
With an executive order and a pair of Department ofHomeland Security memos, the Trump administration hassignificantly hardened the country's policies regarding illegalimmigration. Here are some of the most significant elements ofthe new approach:
WHO WILL BE DEPORTED: In 2014, the Obamaadministration issued guidelines for deporting unauthorizedimmigrants that placed the highest priority on gang members,felons and those who posed security threats. A goal was toconcentrate limited resources on the most serious cases, butmany Immigration and Customs Enforcement agentscomplained that the priorities tied their hands, taking awaytheir discretion as to whom to pursue.
Under the new directives, the government "no longer willexempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potentialenforcement." Immigration agents can now focus on picking upand removing anyone charged with or convicted of anycriminal offense, even minor ones, as well as anyone alreadyordered deported, regardless of whether they have a criminalrecord.
One unauthorized immigrant in California, Kristina, who didnot want her last name used because of fear of deportation, saidshe was alarmed to learn on Tuesday that she would now beconsidered a prime target. Kristina has been in the country for25 years and has been ordered deported, but her removal hadbeen postponed for the last four years by the Obamaadministration. "We have our whole lives here; our children arecitizens," she said. "Now I don't know if I can go out, if I shoulddrive."
But the Obama guidelines "translated into de factoprotections" for people with no legal right to live in the UnitedStates, said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for AmericanImmigration Reform, which opposes legalization forunauthorized immigrants. Unless they fell into one of the high-priority categories, Mr. Stein said, "the chance of beingdeported was virtually zero."
'CATCH AND RELEASE': Under the Obamaadministration, people caught crossing the border withoutpermission were often released into the United States whiletheir requests for asylum wound through the immigrationsystem, a process that can take years. Most requests are denied,but by then, the immigrant has been living in the United Statesall that time and may not be easy to find.
The Trump administration has declared an end to the so-called catch and release policy, though it may take awhile to seeany significant change. "Catch and release" came about in partbecause the government had nowhere to hold detainees waitingfor immigration decisions. One of the memos released onTuesday directs officials to expand detention facilities, but itwill take time to build centers big enough, or find enough roomin jails, to hold the thousands of Mexican and Central Americanasylum seekers expected to cross the border this year.
The document also raises another alternative: sendingmigrants back to Mexico to wait out the immigration process,even those who are not originally from Mexico. That proposalcomes with its own problems. Though United States law appearsto allow it, Mexico's laws do not, if the immigrant is not aMexican citizen.
NO JUDGE REQUIRED: Two decades ago, Congress passeda law allowing the government to quickly deport undocumentedimmigrants who have not been in the United States very long,without allowing them to go before a judge.
In practice, the government has used this process, called"expedited removal," relatively narrowly because of concernsabout whether it violates constitutional rights of due processthat are granted to anyone in the United States, regardless ofimmigration status. Since 2002, expedited removal has beenapplied only to immigrants who have been in the country lessthan two weeks and were caught within 100 miles of the border.That is because the Supreme Court has held that suchimmigrants can still be considered "in transit" and not here longenough to qualify for due process protections.
The Trump administration is now planning to use expedited
removal as extensively as the original law allows, saying thatlimits on its use had contributed to a backlog of more than halfa million cases in immigration court.
Immigration advocates vowed to challenge the change."Someone could be living in Chicago for a year and a half and
then be swept off the street by an ICE agent," said Lee Gelernt,deputy director of the A.C.L.U.'s Immigrants' Rights Project,referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. "Heis going to be detained and removed right away without everseeing a judge."
CHILDREN TRAVELING ALONE: One of the memos onTuesday acknowledges that children who arrive at the borderalone - "unaccompanied alien children," in governmentparlance - are entitled to special protections: Unlike otherborder crossers, whom border patrol agents may deport withouta legal hearing, these children must appear before animmigration judge and be interviewed by an asylum officer.Children have surged across the border in recent years, manyfleeing violence and destitution in Central America.
But the memo turns a sterner face to their parents, who,under the new policy, may be subject to deportation or evenprosecution for enabling their children to come into the country.
The memo notes that parents and relatives often paysmugglers several thousand dollars to bring their children fromCentral America, an act that the memo says amounts tofacilitating illegal smuggling or trafficking.
Immigration advocates are predicting that the policy willdrive parents of migrant children further underground. Withparents fearful of prosecution, advocates say, navigating theimmigration process - or even showing up to court - couldbecome much harder for these children.
Some 750,000 people who were brought into the country aschildren were issued work permits and temporary protectionfrom deportation under an Obama program known as DeferredAction for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. Even President Trumpsaid last week that the subject "is very, very difficult" for himand that he promised to "deal with DACA with heart."
So far, the Trump administration has left the program alone.But chills went through the community of "Dreamers," asDACA recipients are known, with the recent arrest of a 23-year-old Mexican immigrant in Washington State, Daniel Ramirez.Immigration agents arrested him when they went to his houseto detain his father, a convicted drug trafficker. They said Mr.Ramirez admitted to having gang affiliations, which cancels theprotection offered under DACA. But Mr. Ramirez denies havingmade the admission, and his lawyers are fighting hisdeportation.
Role of local police: A program known as 287(g), named forits section of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allows theDepartment of Homeland Security to train local and state lawenforcement officers to work as de facto federal immigrationofficers, identifying undocumented immigrants in theircommunities and jails and turning them over to Immigrationand Customs Enforcement.
From 2006 to 2013, the program led to 175,000 deportations,according to federal statistics. But investigations and courtrulings revealed an ugly side effect: In some jurisdictions, localofficers were using their authority to racially profile Latinos.One of the most egregious cases was in Maricopa County,Arizona's most populous, during the tenure of Sheriff JosephArpaio, who a federal judge ruled had discriminated againstLatinos in patrols and other enforcement efforts.
The Obama administration curtailed the use of the program,which currently involves 32 agencies in 16 states. The Trumpadministration wants more agencies to take part, and some
have already expressed a desire to do so.STATISTICS AND SANCTUARIES: The administration is
trying to significantly expand the amount of informationavailable on the enforcement of immigration laws and, inparticular, unauthorized immigrants who commit crimes.Immigration and Customs Enforcement will establish a newoffice to work with the victims of crimes committed byundocumented immigrants, some of whom appeared with Mr.Trump on the campaign trail.
The office, known as Victims of Immigration CrimeEngagement, or Voice, will provide victims with informationabout defendants' immigration status and whether they are injail. Significantly, funding for the office comes from reallocating"any and all resources that are currently used to advocate onbehalf of illegal aliens" by Immigration and CustomsEnforcement.
ICE will now have to provide monthly public reports on itsapprehensions and releases. The agency also has to publish aweekly report about state and local authorities that releaseundocumented immigrants from jails. That is a clear shotacross the bow at so-called sanctuary cities that limit theircooperation with federal immigration authorities, contendingthat turning in unauthorized immigrants would destroy thefragile relationship that the police have with immigrantcommunities.
"We are going to continue our policy that has been in placebecause we think that it helps us have a safer, stronger, bettercommunity," Mayor Stephanie A. Miner of Syracuse said onTuesday.
The Trump administration is already pondering ways topunish those cities by denying them some federal aid.
"Now everyone is going to be able to see how many criminalaliens are being released as a result of the sanctuary policies,"said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Centerfor Immigration Studies, which supports tighter controls onimmigration.
NO PRIVACY: In January 2009, the departing Bushadministration extended some Privacy Act rights, whichAmerican citizens and legal permanent residents already had,to undocumented immigrants. That meant that informationobtained by one agency, like the Internal Revenue Service orCitizenship and Immigration Services, could not generally beshared with other agencies, like Immigration and CustomsEnforcement. One rationale for the move was to protect thepersonal information of immigrants who might one day becomecitizens covered by the Privacy Act.
The Trump administration has now rescinded those privacyprotections. One of the memos released on Tuesday said thatthose protections had been detrimental to the families of thevictims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants,because those families could not get information about suchdefendants' legal status, or whether they had been deported,leaving victims "feeling marginalized and without a voice."
The Department of Homeland Security said it would developnew rules on the sharing of undocumented immigrants' privateinformation. But advocates for unauthorized immigrants saidthey feared that immigrants who had applied for legal status - inthe process divulging they were not here legally - were now indanger of having that information used to deport them.
"The constitution doesn't traditionally allow bait andswitches," said Thomas A. Saenz, the president and generalcounsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense andEducational Fund, an organization that advocates forimmigrants. "These are folks who submitted their informationattempting to play by the rules, with part of the rules being thatthe government would protect their privacy."
BEEFED-UP FORCE: The memos released on Tuesdayrepeat Mr. Trump's demand in his executive order for a largerenforcement force that can speed up the removal of millions ofundocumented immigrants from the United States.
In practice, that may play out more slowly than the presidentmight prefer. The source of this caution is none other than JohnF. Kelly, the homeland security secretary, who told lawmakersthis month that he did not believe it would be possible to hire thedesired 15,000 ICE and border patrol agents in the next couple ofyears. "I'd rather have fewer and make sure that they're high-quality people," Mr. Kelly told lawmakers. "I will not skimp onthe training and the standards."
On top of the stringent hiring standards and training, BorderPatrol applicants are required to take a polygraph test, whichnearly 60 percent fail. A previous surge in hiring underPresident George W. Bush resulted in dozens of corruptioncases, with Border Patrol and other agents accused of takingbribes and providing information to Mexican drug cartels.
(The Indian Panorama Bureau compilation)
Foreign nationals were arrested during the week of February 6,2017, during a targeted enforcement operation conducted by
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Photo courtesy U.S. Immigration and Customs
It's always an actor's dream andendeavor to do different,challenging roles. Diana Penty is no
exception. She is excited about her newfilm because she gets to kick and punchon screen for the first time. She beganher prep by watching movies like 'ZeroDark Thirty', 'X-Files', 'Salt' and'Sicario', in which women areperforming stunts.
Apparently, she pauses and replaysthe action scenes to observe the actress'body language and makes her notes.Next, she will start training with aprofessional. While her regularworkout involved weight training, shehas now introduced kick-boxing to herworkouts to achieve stance, agility,technique and speed which will berequired of her when she performs heraction scenes which will be fast-pacedand gritty. Source: TOI
10 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017BOLLYWOOD
STORYShiv and Saira are drawn to each other like long lost lovers,
mostly because they are. Their love dates back centuries, andthe reason why they drifted apart, has drifted back into theirlives.
REVIEWThe most common advice writers get is: “Show, don’t tell.” It
means that a storyteller is expected to paint a picture asopposed to describing things mechanically. Raabta spends a lotof time telling you things, and not nearly enough in makingthem seem believable.
So we’re told that Shiv (Singh Rajput) is a ladykiller. But thenext girl he lays eyes on, Saira (Sanon), will kill his longstreak. She talks to herself in the mirror and tells us, by itsway, that she's been experiencing weird tribal nightmares. Asthey get infatuated and verbalize to each other that it’s all
happening too soon, Saira starts feeling the same connectionwith Zakir (Sarbh) - another blast-from-way-past. We’re thentold that in a previous lifetime, Zakir and Saira were in love,until a savage warrior seduced her away.
Writers Siddharth-Garima and debut director DineshVijan’s conviction isn’t questionable, but it doesn’t quitetranslate to the screen. Even though the movie is technicallysound and looks great, it is missing the raw passion requiredto sell a love story. Especially one that’s been brewing for 800years!
There are too many obvious influences: the saccharine firsthalf is full of walk-and-talks in a beautifully shot Europeancity (Before Sunset); the tribal past is right out of Game OfThrones — Dothrakis are replaced by Murakis and astronomyis given similar importance; a scene towards the end is aforced throwback to Titanic.
As much as you can force influences into a love story, youcan’t force love itself. Neither with good-looking actors flirtingwith chocolates and flowers. Nor with an ambitious flashbackthat adds years as opposed to maturity to the plot. But Raabtarelies on this kind of forced love rather than the force of love.
Sushant Singh Rajput is a fine actor but lacks the casualcharm required to make the self-important Shiv lovable. JimSarbh’s dialogue delivery is painfully awkward; he doesn'thave the gravitas required for spouting those evil-genius kindof lines in Hindi. Kriti Sanon surprises. She looks good andseems to have honed her acting skills.
M O V I E R E V I E W
TAAPSEE PANNUSTARTS SHOOTING FOR'JUDWAA 2' IN MUMBAI
Actress Taapsee Pannu on Wednesdaystarted shooting the Mumbai schedule of'Judwaa 2'. Last month, Taapsee had
wrapped up the London schedule of the movie,in which she features with Varun Dhawan. Nowshe has started shooting at the Film City here.
"We will have a song and a few scenes to beshot here before we leave for Portugal nextmonth. The song 'Tan tana tan' will be shot on aset. We are almost approaching the final leg offilming and can't wait for the fun to unfold onscreen," Taapsee said in a statement.
The film marks the actress's secondcollaboration with director David Dhawan, whogave her a debut role in 'Chashme Baddoo'. With'Judwaa 2', another entertaining side ofTaapsee's acting skills will be seen after intensedramas like 'Baby', 'Pink' and 'Naam Shabana'.
11SOUTH ASIATHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
Pak’s action against terror fundingonly on paper, India to tell watchdog
ISLAMABAD (TIP): On Sunday,India will take on Pakistan in the final ofthe ICC Champions Trophy in London.The same day, in Valencia in Spain, it willbe a contest of a different sort as thegovernment sets about exposing Pakistanfor "hoodwinking" the internationalcommunity on "terror funding" and nottaking any action against Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its arms when the plenarymeet of the Financial Action Task Force(FATF), the international terrorfinancing watchdog, begins.
An Indian delegation headed byEnforcement Directorate chief KarnalSingh will brief the forum, where 198member countries and the UN, IMF andWorld Bank will discuss ways to counterterror financing.
India, according to top governmentsources, has prepared a detailed reporton Pakistan which names the country forsupporting the funding activities ofbanned outfits like JuD, Lashkar-e-Taiba,Jaish-e-Mohammad and others,operating freely from Pakistani soil.
Not just that, India will also inform theinternational community in the FATFplenary, to be held from June 18 to 23, thatJuD has not just increased its activities inPakistan but also spread its tentacles toYemen, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Afghanistanand other countries.
Sources said FATF will be informedthat Pakistan's action against terroroutfits like JuD/LeT and its chief HafizSaeed was nothing but "paper activity"which was devoid of any ground workand was meant to "hoodwink theinternational community".
Based on intelligence collected byIndian agencies, it will be informed thatPakistan had seized only 69 accounts ofJuD and its front Falah-i-InsaniyatFoundation (FIF) in 15 years, which was"nothing" and showed Pakistan's trueintent about taking action against terror
outfits. India is also armed with moredetails about the current activities ofSaeed, his organisations in Pakistan andbeyond.
"JuD, FIF and its student wing Al-Muhammadiya Students (AMS) haveindulged in organising lectures, rallies,meetings, fund raising activities andrecruiting youngsters to take up jihadagainst India.
Global terrorists Hafiz Saeed, AbdulRehman Makki and others of JuD areopenly engaged in these activities apartfrom funeral prayers for terrorists whoare sent to India to attack security forcesand are killed, but Pakistan has allowedthem to continue their activities," asenior home ministry official said.
On the basis of inputs shared by theNIA and other agencies, India willinform international delegates thatPakistan has not taken any actionagainst the perpetrators of 26/11Mumbai attacks and the January 2016attack on an IAF base in Pathankot
despite sharing all evidence with it.During its last meeting, the FATF had
slammed Pakistan for not blocking thefinancial routes of JuD and its affiliates.
"Pakistan, if it doesn't take any action,faces the risk of being named a majordefaulter of counter-terrorismmeasures," a government official said.
Islamabad had taken several measures,including taking over management ofUNSCR 1267 designated organisationsLeT and its charitable arms — FIF andJuD — and appointing an administratorfrom Punjab (Pakistan) government tooversee their operations apart fromfreezing some bank accounts related toindividuals and entities associated withLeT, JuD and FIF, banningadvertisements seeking funds in thename of charity and holding publicrallies.
It had also blocked websites andtelephone services for raisingfunds.However, India maintains that allthis was mere "eyewash". (PTI)
Panama Papers leaks: Pakistan PM Sharif says he and his family have
done nothing wrongISLAMABAD (TIP): Embattled
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Shariftoday said he and his family have donenothing wrong as he lashed out at "someunseen elements" for hatchingconspiracies against his democratically-elected government.
"Today, I have just presented mystance before the JIT," Sharif toldreporters after appearing before theJoint Investigation Team (JIT) probinghis family's alleged corruption as wasreported by the Panama Papers leaks.
The 67-year-old PML-N leader, whobecame Pakistan's first sitting premierto depose before such a panel, said thatthese allegations have nothing to do withhis tenure as the prime minister and arenot charges of corruption.
"It should be noted that theseallegations have nothing to do with mytenure as the prime minister and are notcharges of corruption. They are chargesagainst me and my family on a personal
level about the family business," Sharifsaid after nearly three hours ofquestioning by the six-member team.
He said as former chief minister andnow third time prime minister, heapproved projects worth trillions ofrupees but "my opponents could notaccuse me of any wrongdoing."
Sharif said he and his family haverepeatedly been subjected to mercilessaccountability but no allegation ofcorruption had ever been proved.
"My opponents have levied charges ofcorruption against me, however, neitherin the past, nor in the present, have anycharges of corruption been provedagainst me and my family."
He expressed confidence that theoutcome of the ongoing inquiry wouldnot be different as he and his family havedone nothing wrong.
He also accused that "some unseenelements were hatching conspiraciesagainst him and the democracy whichwould damage" the country.
"All conspiracies of our politicalopponents will fail," he said.
The JIT chief Wajid Zia hadsummoned the prime minister to appearbefore the probe team on June 15 with alldocuments relevant to the case.
The summons was issued to Sharif, 67,after he returned last Saturday fromKazakhstan where he had attended theShanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) Summit. (PTI)
Nawaz Sharif retains billionairestatus despite decline in fortune
ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan Prime Minister NawazSharif has retained his billionaire status with his declaredassets standing at Rs 1.72 billion in 2016 despite decline in hisfortune, making him one of the richest lawmakers in thecountry.
Sharif continues to receive substantial amounts from hisson Hussain who is doing business in Saudi Arabia despite acontroversy surrounding the Panama Papers Leaks thatdragged the ruling family to the courts.
According to the statements of assets of lawmakers,released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)yesterday, the prime minister owned assets worth Rs 261.6million in 2012, but that saw a six-fold increase and reached Rs1.82 billion in 2013 -- the first year of his third stint as thecountry's chief executive, making him a declared billionairefor the first time.
In 2014, his assets crossed the two billion-mark, but in 2015declined slightly to Rs 1.96 billion. Earlier in 2011, he ownedassets worth Rs 166 million, the Dawn reported.
The value of his assets has further declined to Rs 1.72 billionin the year that ended on June 30, 2016.
Sharif owns a Toyota Land Cruiser, gifted to him by anunspecified individual, as well as two Mercedes cars.
The house he lives in is owned by his mother and he hasmultiple foreign and local currency accounts, huge swathes ofagricultural land and investments in industrial units such assugar, textile and paper mills.
Sharif declared in 2015 for the first time ownership of birdsand animals worth Rs 2 million, which are valued at Rs 5million, the daily said.
The Sharif family's estate in Raiwind is priced at Rs 4million, while his property in Lahore's Upper Mall area is saidto be worth over Rs 250 million.
The prime minister is one of the richest lawmakers of thecountry. (PTI)
Suicide bomber strikes nearShiite mosque in Kabul, 4 dead
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (TIP):: A suicide bomber struckoutside a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul lateThursday night, killing four people, including a leader ofAfghanistan's ethnic Hazaras, Hajji Ramazan Hussainzada.Another five people were wounded, said Interior Ministryspokesman Najib Danish.
Danish said there was gunfire outside the mosque as thesuicide bomber tried to force his way inside, but he wasstopped by a police officer, who died in the explosion. Anotherpoliceman was wounded.
The US-based SITE, which tracks the online activity ofextremist organizations, said the Islamic State claimedresponsibility for the attack through its Amaq news agency.The Associated Press could not independently verify theclaim, however the IS affiliate in Afghanistan has takenresponsibility for past attacks against the country's minorityShiites.
Last year IS claimed an attack on a Shiite shrine that killed14 people.
Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan, duringwhich the faithful fast from sunrise to sunset and mosques aretypically crowded in the evening hours.
Kabul has been battered by violence in recent weeks. Theworst attack in Afghanistan's 16-year war took place on May 31when a massive truck bomb exploded at a busy intersection inKabul, killing more than 150 people. (AP)
Rescuers aid 4,500 homelessafter deadly Bangladesh mudslide
DHAKA (TIP): Rescuers recovered the body of a womanfrom the mass of mud that collapsed onto a village insoutheastern Bangladesh, and were searching on Thursdayfor several more missing after landslides killed at least 141,officials said.
Officials said the six or so people were still missing in theworst-hit region of Rangamati.
"We will continue our search and rescue program today, saidJasim Uddin, a deputy director of the fire department in theworst-hit district. "We are looking for them.''
The government, meanwhile, turned its focus to providingfood and other aid to some 4,500 people whose homes wereswamped by mud and debris unleashed by the landslides onTuesday.
Families were also receiving cash and materials to helpthem build new homes. (AP)
12 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017FEATURE
AAPI is all geared up for 35th annualconvention from June 21 to 25, 2017
:"We look forward to seeing you in Atlantic City, New Jersey:Dr. Ajay Lodha,AAPI President
Representing the interests of the over 100,000 physiciansof Indian origin, leaders of American Association ofPhysicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic
organization of physicians, for 35 years, AAPI Conventionprovides a platform to the medical fraternity to discuss issuesrelating to their profession, including assessing their role inthe ever evolving situations - medical, political and social.
The annual convention this year, from June 21 to 25 atHarrah's Resort in Atlantic City, is being organized by AAPI'sNew York Chapter. Those responsible for the big event areConvention Chair, Dr. Raj Bhayani, Co-chairs, Drs. VinodSanchetti, Kishen Kumar, Jayesh Kanuga, and KusumPunjabi; Convention Advisory Committee Chair, Shashi Shah;and Drs. Hetal Gor, Jagdish Gupta, and Himanshu Pandya.
AAPI's new executive committee includes Dr. GautamSamadder President, Dr. Naresh Parikh, Vice President; Dr.Suresh Reddy, Secretary; Dr. Manju Sachdev, Treasurer; Dr.Madhu Agarwal, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; AdityaDesai, YPS president; and Atul Nakhasi, MSRF President.
The Indian Panorama is introducing here two of theincoming leaders of the American Association of Physiciansof Indian Origin. One is the Presidentelect Dr. GautamSamadder, and the other, Dr. Ashok Jain Elected Chair, BOT ofAAPI.
Dr. Gautam Samadder, President Elect of AAPI"AAPI must be responsive to members, supportive of leadership and a true advocate for our mission"
“AAPI must be responsive to its members,supportive of the leadership and a trueadvocate for our mission," Dr. Gautam
Samadder, President of American Associationof Physicians of Indian Origin, says. "I amcommitted to unify AAPI by breaking downthe barriers of various regions, languages,medical education within the organizationand bringing everyone together as a wholeorganization rather than separate fragmentsof the organization," Dr. Samadder says.
At AAPI, where he will assume charge asthe president of AAPI at the annualconvention in Atlantic City on June 25th, Dr.Gautam Samadder rose through the ranks dueto his hard work and dedication. He was aRegional Director for the AAPI NE Central-IIRegion, and had served as the Editor-in-Chiefof AAPI Journal, a quarterly published by theAmerican Association of Physicians of Indianorigin (AAPI). He was instrumental inreviving the journal and turning it around to a'sought-after' publication.
"My leadership involvement with the AAPIstarted during my Global Health Summit tripto India in Rajasthan in the year of 2010although I have been a patron member ofAAPI for more than 20 years. I had theopportunity to know Dr. Ajit Singhvi, who hadencouraged me to take on a leadership role atAAPI and here I am seven years later."According to him, "One thing is clear, if youare a team player, hardworking, and willing toserve in the best interests of the organization.There is always a leadership opportunity foryou in AAPI."
Dr. Samadder was elected as Secretary ofAAPI in 2014. Prior to this, he served as theRegional Director in Ohio and Michigan fortwo consecutive years in 2010 and 2011. "I havebeen involved in the grass-root level to form allOhio AAPI chapter which includes (AIPO)local chapters from Columbus ClevelandCincinnati Dayton, Youngstown, and Toledoand served as the president in 2012. Inaddition, I have been the president of the localChapter of AAPI Central Ohio (Columbus)from 2008-2010.
Working with his dedicated executive
committee, Dr. Gautam wants to "establish astrategic plan for AAPI that can sustainchange in leadership. "AAPI members shouldbe at the table during planning andimplementation stages of the health carereforms," Dr. Samadder says. "I want toencourage medical students, residents, andfellows and all second-generation IndianAmerican physicians to be actively involved inboth local and national level. Efforts go tobuilding a strong association focusing onleader development and strengthening ourprofessional relations."
"In my capacity as the President of nationalAAPI, I want to support the growth of globaland Indo-US relationship and to support andpromote charitable activities through AAPIboth in the US and India," Dr. Samadder says."As I have shown over the past decades in myroles as a Regional Director, Treasurer,Secretary, Vice President and President Electof AAPI, and now as the President, I willcontinue to work to create advocacy andcommunity services, escalating profitability,
productivity and popularity of AAPI."I will also promote globalization of
education as well as work towards creatingawareness and promote the level ofinvolvement of the Indian American MedicalCommunity and to foster the increasingstrength and grown of our beloved Nation.While working in close cooperation with AAPIat all levels, we will together address the issuesaffecting the physicians at the state andnational level. I envision promoting healthcare advocacy and community services,escalating profitability, productivity andpopularity of AAPI," he adds.
Dr. Samadder wants to "amplifyparticipation among young physicians andmedical students, strengthen AAPI's financialsecurity through profitable corporatesponsorships and facilitate collegialcooperation between local and state chapters,as this will increase AAPI's global stature andeminence, which will ultimately makehealthcare more efficient and effective in USAand India."
His "work ethic, integrity and self-reliancewill help propagate AAPI's mission and instillrenewed energy and participation. Myleadership experience demonstrates in theprivate and nonprofit sectors will beadvantageous in increasing participation,chapter cooperation and awareness ofexchange programs. I am dedicated to helpingchart a course toward AAPI's true mission."
Under his leadership, Dr. Gautam will striveto make AAPI an organization where peoplefeel proud to contribute their time and energyfor the greater good of the members and thesociety. "AAPI is a platform to cherish theirachievement and creating a platform tofurther enhance and provide opportunities toour budding physicians to be successful inacademic medicine and to the rest of theworld, and to India in particular.Leading amajor organization like AAPI and providing aforum to its members to collectively worktogether to meet their diverse needs is a majorchallenge."
Dr. Samadder's presidency will start withAAPI's family trip to South Africa, Zimbabweand Botswana from August 4-13, 2017, whichwill provide twelve hours CME credits andinclude a jungle safari at a world famousresort and extensive site seeing opportunities.
The AAPI Global Healthcare Summit (GHS)from December 28-31, 2017 in the beautiful cityof joy, Kolkata (West Bengal, India), willcontinue to make progress on AAPI's pastinitiatives, including the traumatic braininjury (TBI) guidelines dissemination,training of first responders, and engaginglocal authorities to help address one of themajor causes of road fatalities by pursuingfour key aspects which are awareness, freehospital care, in hospital, and rehab.
According to him, the GHS will serve as asounding board for many health care leadersto freely exchange ideas, and help resolvechallenges that are addressed during the veryeffective CEO forums usually chaired by MOHofficials and leading CEOs. This will help inattracting investments, advanced training,and setting up hospitals, medical institutions,
The Incoming President Dr. Gautam Samadder and family L to R: Dr. Samadder, wife, son anddaughter
CONTD ON PAGE 13
13FEATURETHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
etc. AAPI GHS will continue the International Research Competition, EP,Cardiology, Urology, and other workshops that will help in trainingseveral India based physicians. Finally, the women's forum under thebanner of women's leadership forum will serve as an inspiration foraspiring female leaders to see and hear from their role models.
Gautam spends most of his life in the private sector and is presentlythe CEO and managing director of Columbus Sleep Consultants, whichhe has built up from the ground. He was instrumental in the formation ofIndian Sleep Society, with the objective of promoting sleep research andpublications within Asian Indian communities. He is a speaker forseveral pharmaceutical companies and the physician advisor to severalmedical technology companies and recently collaborated with Fisher andPaykel to establish diagnostic centers in several major cities in India.
Born and growing up in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, young Gautamwas always eager to learn and develop the talents and skills, overcomingnumerous obstacles and turning them into small town opportunities, hetook on the challenge of pursuing his career in Medicine by competing inthe medical admission process and graduated from Rani DurgawatiMedical College, Jabalpur.
With his passion for knowledge, determination, perseverance, andsuccess, Dr. Samadder came to the United States in 1985 for highereducation. After completing his Residency in Internal Medicine at MountSinai affiliate hospital-North General, New York, he did his PulmonaryFellowship at SUNY affiliate-Brookdale Hospital, New York and SleepFellowship at Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.Subsequently, he moved to Ohio in 1995.
"While doing pulmonary fellowship, I was very intrigued withobstructive sleep apnea - a very dangerous medical condition but aneasily treatable condition," recalls Dr. Gautam Samadder, Founder andCEO of Columbus Sleep Consultants. "Also, this is one of the rarespecialties, where patient satisfaction is enormous because of thesuccessful outcome of the treatment."
With aspirations to develop and become an entrepreneur, he took onthe challenge of opening an independent practice of Pulmonary andSleep medicine in 1997. His hard work and dedication paid off. He wassuccessful in expanding the practice to be one of the biggest networkingof independent sleep labs in Ohio, employing more than 50 employees,including three physicians and two physician assistants. Currently, heserves as the Medical Director at a multi-locational and MultispecialtySleep facility, Columbus Sleep Consultants.
Dr. Gautam Samadder built his career on hard and dedicated work inthe private and public sectors. He spearheaded the formation of IndianSleep Society (AAPIOS) and is actively involved in promoting SleepResearch and Awareness both nationally and Internationally includingIndia. He recently collaborated with Fisher & Paykel to establishdiagnostic centers in major Indian cities.
Even though working as an entrepreneur, owning a large sub-specialtyinvolving community service, he had a deep desire to give back to thecommunity. Having worked with the local and state medical society, beingthe regional director and local chapter president of AAPI he has a deepdesire to give back to this extra ordinary organization (AAPI).
He is actively involved with the Indian community and member atlarge of the Asian Indian Alliance, which actively participates in abipartisan way to support and fund electoral candidates. He is activelyinvolved with the Bharatiya Hindu Temple and free health clinics.Serving as a core member of the Advisory Board of the Ohio StateUniversity Gateway Project, which supports Exchange programsbetween USA and India including student's scholarships, Dr. Samadder isalso an active member of the Ohio State Medical Association and was thefirst counselor of the International Medical Graduates for the state ofOhio. Dr. Samadder was a Clinical Assistant Professor at Ohio StateUniversity.
"These experiences, along with others, have provided me with a strongfoundation from which I can offer fresh ideas and responsibleleadership," he says. For someone who in his own words is "alwayslooking to strengthen AAPI", a set of more responsibilities wouldcertainly be welcome. "Having worked with Dr.Narendra Kumar on the 9-city tour event, I would like to lead AAPI with my dream team to newheights." he says. "I am always looking for opportunities to help AAPI inmaking it powerful so that members get benefit they deserve, and spreadawareness at local and state level and unite local chapters."
Among the many mentors, who had inspired him, Dr. Samadder hasbeen impressed by Dr. Kumar and Dr. Ajit Singhvi, past Presidents ofAAPI. "I have been especially fascinated by the commitment of Dr.Kumar. He is fortunately in the same specialty as me and I have hadseveral interactions with him. When I see him working for AAPI, hisunselfish commitment, time and family wise, I am so awestruck. If I canreplicate that, I will be blessed," he says with modesty.
His wife is a practicing gastroenterologist in Columbus. The couplehave been married for about 25 years now. They have a son who is inmedical school and their daughter is in high school.
"AAPI has a mandate to help disseminate our medical knowledge, ourexpertise and technological advances to the entire world," Dr. Samaddersays. Utilizing AAPI membership, AAPI, Dr. Samadder wants to createand lobby for the legislative agenda at the federal level, supporting thepolicies and programs benefitting AAPI members. He wants to bring insecond generation Indian American members into AAPI leadership rolesand positions, and thus "ushering in a new era of cooperation, stability,and sustained growth for AAPI."
CONTD FROM PAGE 12
DrAshok Jain, M.D., M.S.,FACR, chief medicalofficer for Beaumont
Hospital, Wayne, MI, has beenelected Chairman of Board ofTrustees, American Association ofPhysicians of Indian Origin for theyear 2017-18.
Soft spoken, caring, gentle,intelligent, and committed to giveback to the society, and gentle in hisapproach, Dr. Jain has beenassociated with AAPI since its initiallaunch over 35 years ago. "I havebeen involved with AAPI since itsinception in 1983 as a youngphysician who had just startedpracticing in Michigan." Ever since,he has been actively associated withAAPI and worked hard to the growthof this organization since itsinception.
As a young physician filled withlove and commitment, he hadworked with Wayne County MedicalSociety and Michigan State Societyfor the establishment of first IMGsection at state level in Michigan.One of his contributions, Dr. Jainfeels very proud of today is that, "Iworked for keeping same criteria forIMG's and AMG's for state medicallicensure."
Dr. Jain was elected as MAPIPresident in 1994, and had served atthe AAPI Executive Committee asthe Regional Director in 1995-1996.His connections with the politicalleaders from India and the US madeDr. Jain more popular and much
sought after. Dr. Jain served as theAlumni Committee Chair, andAAPI's prestigious LegislativeAffairs Committee Chair in 2004-2005.
All along his life, Dr. Jain wasfilled with passion for giving back tothe society. He was elected to serve asthe MAPI Board of Trustees Chairand the Foundation of MAPI(FOMAPI) Chair in 2015.
His visionary and leadershipskills were seen all over as Dr. Jain,helped FOMAPI raise $180,000 forMAPI free clinic, serving the lessprivileged. In the 1980's Dr. Jainraised $500,000 in five yearsbenefiting Nargis Dutt Foundationfor cancer patients for differentcharities in India.
His love for his country of birthwas seen in Dr. Jain building andrunning Girls High School in hisvillage in Rajasthan in 1997, where650 girls study year until theycomplete High School. Dr. AshokJain had also served as a member ofthe Board of Trustee of Jain Templein Detroit.
Dr. Ashok Jain, who serves as theSenior Vice President at BeaumontHealth and as the Chief MedicalOfficer at Beaumont Hospital inWayne, MI, has a Master of ScienceDegree in Medical PracticeManagement. Dr. Jain has served asa member of Board of Trustee atOakwood Health Care System andnow at the Beaumont Health. Dr.Jain serves as Chief of Medical Staffof Beaumont Hospital, Wayne from2011 onwards.
Dr. Jain is married to his beautifulwife, who is also involved with MAPIauxiliary. His son finishing medicalschool and his daughter has a degreein MHA, Masters in HealthcareAdministration, and is TrinityHealth in Ann Arbor, MI.
Beaumont Hospital, where Dr.Jain serves as the Chief MedicalOfficer, is a 185?bed teaching hospitalthat is part of Beaumont Health,Michigan's largest health caresystem, based on inpatientadmissions and net patient revenue.Dr. Jain was appointed to this role at
Beaumont, Wayne in 2015. He closelycollaborates with medical andhospital leadership, including itsMedical Executive Committee,hospital president and elected chiefof staff.
Dr. Jain is responsible for overallhospital performance anddeveloping the vision and strategicplan for clinical activities. He alsoserves as the hospital's patient safetyofficer and oversees site?relatedpatient safety and quality activities.A practicing radiologist, Dr. Jainjoined Beaumont Hospital, Wayne in1982 and was elected chief of staff in2011. Dr. Jain is a graduate of theM.S. University of Baroda MedicalCollege and completed a residency inradiology and fellowship inultrasound/CT through the WayneState University School of Medicine.
Ashok Jain, M.D., M.S., FACRSenior Vice President & ChiefMedical Officer Beaumont Hospital,Wayne Beaumont Health is anot?for?profit organization formedin 2014 by Beaumont Health System,Botsford Hospital and OakwoodHealthcare to provide patients andfamilies with compassionate,extraordinary care, no matter wherethey live in Southeast Michigan. Itconsists of eight hospitals with 3,429beds, 174 outpatient sites, nearly5,000 physicians, 36,000 employeesand 3,500 volunteers. In 2016, theorganization had $4.4 billion in netrevenue with nearly 178,000inpatient discharges, 568,000emergency visits and more than17,500 births.
"I bring years of health caremanagement experience, organizedmedicine leadership experience toAAPI," Dr. Jain says the newlyelected Chair of AAPI BOT. "My goalas the BOT, AAPI in the coming yearis to formalize and create AAPIleadership academy working withAmerican college of physicianexecutives for development ofleadership roles for all AAPImembership. I want to work hard toengage young physician and attractthem to AAPI. They are the future ofAAPI."
Years of health care managementexperience: Dr. Ashok Jain Elected
Chair, BOT of AAPI
Dr. Ashok Jain, Chairman elect ofAAPI BOT
AAPI leadership and Committee Members
14 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017WORLD
Man with knife arrestedoutside UK parliament: Police
LONDON (TIP): A man with a knife has been arrestedoutside the British parliament on Friday, police said,adding that there were no reports of any casualties.
"The man, aged in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion ofpossession of a knife," London's Scotland Yard policeheadquarters said in a statement.
A parliamentary spokesman said: "We are aware of anincident outside the Palace of Westminster, which is beingdealt with by the Metropolitan Police."
On March 22, knifeman Khalid Masood drove intopedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four, and fatallystabbed a policeman guarding the gates of parliamentbefore being shot dead by armed officers.
On April 27, a man was arrested across the street fromparliament. Police said knives were recovered from him.
Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali, 27, of north London, wascharged with the intention of committing acts of terrorismengaged in conduct in preparation for giving effect to thatintention.
He was also charged with two counts relating toexplosive substances in Afghanistan in 2012.
Friday's arrest comes on the first anniversary of themurder of MP Jo Cox, who was shot and stabbed to death inher constituency by a man with links to neo-Naziorganisations.
More than 110,000 events were to take place aroundBritain between Friday and Sunday for "The Great GetTogether" in honour of Cox, celebrating her belief that "wehave far more in common than that which divides us". (AP)
Helmut Kohl, father of Germanreunification, dies at 87
BERLIN (TIP): Former German Chancellor HelmutKohl, the architect of German reunification, died onFriday, the mass-selling newspaper Bild reported. He was87.
Bild reported in its online edition that Kohl died in themorning at his home in Ludwigshafen, in westernGermany.
"We mourn," Kohl's Christian Democratic Union party(CDU) tweeted with a picture of the former chancellor.
Germany's longest serving post-war chancellor from 1982to 1998, Kohl was a driving force behind the introduction ofthe euro currency, convincing sceptical Germans to give uptheir cherished deutschemark.
An imposing figure who formed a close relationship withFrench President Francois Mitterrand in pushing forcloser European integration, Kohl had been frail andwheelchair-bound since suffering a bad fall in 2008.
At home, he is celebrated above all as the father ofGerman reunification, which he achieved after the 1989 fallof the Berlin Wall despite resistance from partners such asBritish Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Sovietleader Mikhail Gorbachev.
He won voters in communist East Germany by promisingthem "flourishing landscapes".
Shortly after leaving office, Kohl's reputation wastarnished by a financing scandal in his centre-right party,the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), now led byChancellor Angela Merkel. Kohl mentored Merkel early inher career, appointing her to her first ministerial post.
Until his death, Kohl refused to identify the donors,saying he had given them his word. (Reuters)
China court sentences fugitivetycoon's staff
BEIJING: A court in northern China has sentenced threeemployees working for fugitive real estate billionaire GuoWengui, who has been locked in a high-stakes political feudwith the ruling Communist Party.
The Dalian Xigang People's Court on Friday announcedprison terms of less than three years for three employeeswho prosecutors said were ordered by Guo to falsifyfinancial documents to obtain loans from a state bank.Guo's development firm Beijing Pangu Investment Co. wasalso fined $36 million.
Guo fled China and now lives in a $68 million apartmentoverlooking New York's Central Park. He has cultivated avast social media following and vowed to expose sensitiveinformation concerning top party officials unless thegovernment frees his employees and family members heldin China. (AP)
London inferno toll now30, set to rise even furtherLONDON (TIP): The death toll from
the London fire stands at 30, and is stillclimbing. Some victims may never beidentified, officials said.
The Metropolitan Police said onFriday that at least 30 people wereknown to have died in the GrenfellTower blaze, including one person whodied in hospital. The bodies of 12people have been recovered. The otherdeceased remain inside the building.
The BBC estimates about 76 peopleare missing based on social media andmissing posters, which could includesome of the 30 confirmed dead.
London Police commander StuartCundy said that the conditions insideGrenfell Tower mean that the searchoperation to recover the victims wasextremely challenging. "The sad realityis that this work will stretch into manyweeks," he said.
A total of 24 people remain inhospital, with 12 in critical care. Theyhave all been identified and theirfamilies informed. The majority ofresidents in the flat were Muslims andcame from Egypt, Algeria, Morocco,Eritrea. Somalia, Sudan, Syrian,Afghanistan and Pakistan. ABangladeshi family of five, who lived
on the 16th floor, is among thosemissing.
Al Manar, a mosque in NorthKensington where Grenfell Tower islocated, has cancelled i'tikaaf (retreatin a mosque during Ramzan) so thatvictims can stay there. "We havecancelled the spiritual retreat so thatwe can offer bedding to people," saidTabassum Awan, who is volunteeringat the mosque. "It's chaos - we have hadrestaurants phoning up all the timeoffering to deliver hot food here. One
rang up and offered to deliver 1,000 hotmeals," she said.
One Moroccan woman in themosque, Habiba, said she was lookingfor a 16-year-old Moroccan school girlNur Huda El Wahabi who is missing,who is best friends with her son Abdul.
By Thursday night the fire in the 24-storey building was totallyextinguished. What was left was a lightgrey ash coloured shell - towering in aghostly fashion above the nearby pubsand houses. (PTI)
France and Britain announce anti-terror action plan
PARIS (TIP): The leadersof France and Britain onJune 14 announced an anti-terror action plan to crackdown on radicalisationthrough social media.
After talks with BritishPrime Minister Theresa Mayin Paris, French PresidentEmmanuel Macron said bothcountries agreed that socialnetworks were not doingenough to stamp out terrorpropaganda.
Speaking after terrorattacks in Manchester andLondon, Macron said the twocountries had worked on a"very concrete" action plan.
He said one of the keymeasures would aim atpreventing the incitement of"hate and terrorism" on theinternet.
May said she and Macronagreed that "more should bedone to tackle the terroristthreat online".
She said the British andFrench campaign was aimedto "ensure the internetcannot... be used to host theradicalizing material thatleads to so much harm."
May said the Britishgovernment was alreadyworking with social mediacompanies "to halt the spreadof extremist material andpoisonous propaganda thatwarps young minds", adding:"But we know they need to do
more."Today we can announce
that the UK and France willwork together to encourageorganisations to do more andabide by their socialresponsibility to step up theirefforts to remove harmfulcontent from theirnetworks."The campaignincludes exploring thepossibility of legal penalties
against tech companies ifthey fail to take the necessaryaction to removeunacceptable content, Maysaid.
Britain was rocked by asuicide bombing at a popconcert in Manchester onMay 22 which killed 22people, including children,followed two weeks later by aknife and van attack in
central London, which lefteight dead.
France has been a constanttarget for jihadist attackssince 2015, with more than230 people killed.
After their pressconference the two leadersheaded to the Stade de Franceto watch a friendly matchbetween the French andEnglish football teams. (AFP)
15HOLLYWOODTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
THE MUMMYCCAASSTT:: TToomm CCrruuiissee,, SSooffiiaa BBoouutteellllaa,, AAnnnnaabbeellllee WWaalllliiss,,
STORYMillennia after being denied her fate, a betrayed Egyptian
princess is back from the dead to take revenge. Determined toreclaim all that should have been hers, she unleashes terrorsbeyond human understanding.
REVIEWTom Cruise manages to stay fit at the age of 54 because he
spends a lot of time running in his action movies. He alsoendures copious amounts of physical abuse, ranging fromgetting beaten up to thrown around; all for our viewing pleasure,while he gets a hefty paycheck in return. It's a fair trade for themost part - these are popcorn blockbusters that are mindless fun,and everyone is reasonably entertained. So it's hardly a shockerthat Cruise ends up going through his tried and tested 'MissionImpossible' motions in ‘The Mummy’.
Unfortunately, the entertainment value in this franchise-building reboot is thinly spread, leaving you feeling deprived ifnot cheated. This is a shoddy stab at merging action,mythology, horror and comedy resulting in conflicting tonality.Even the occasionally surprising, massive set pieces withelements flying at you in 3D, are interspersed between two-dimensional characters who exist merely to cater to movietropes.
Cruise’s protagonist is his version of a lovable rogue, in thesame vein as Indiana Jones, making some seriouslyquestionable decisions throughout the movie. Annabelle Walliswanders around as the damsel-in-distress in need of constantrescuing. Russell Crowe hams it up as a Nick Fury-ish leaderwith ambiguous motives spewing campy exposition. There’seven the sidekick (Jack Johnson) whose weary sense ofhumour brings out eye-rolls, amongst even more exposition. Ifthere’s one character your eyes will be glued to, it’s SophiaBoutella. Adequately mesmerising as Ahmanet a.k.a. themummy, she transitions from a creepy, violent monster to aseductive goddess with ease, but her impact is reduced by thescreen time devoted to convincing us of Cruise and Wallis’ loveangle, even though that’s devoid of any chemistry.
There’s enough gruesome eye candy, and in-your-face action toenjoy in ‘The Mummy’ if you ignore the plot holes andfrustrating characters. But the first entry in Universal Pictures’monster franchise comes across as a desperate attempt by thestudio to capitalise on Hollywood’s current world-building frenzy.
M O V I E R E V I E W
NICOLE KIDMAN READYTO EMBRACE HER 50S
Actress Nicole Kidman said she isenjoying every bit about ageingand is geared up to embrace
turning 50.The 49-year-old actress, who turns a year
older on June 20, said she is taking life as itcomes at this point of time.
"I'm absolutely embracing it. I try toembrace all parts of my life now because Ithink you just go 'wow. I'm so lucky,soblessed," said Kidman.
The 'Big Little Lies' actress adds she islooking forward to her birthdaycelebrations that will include a trip back toher native Australia.
"I'm making an effort to go back and seemy mum in Australia and spend time withher. I've got the whole summer off so I'mjust kind of relaxing," she adds.
She plans to celebrate her 50th birthdaywith her "divine" husband Keith Urbanand children.
"(I want) to hang with my divinehusband and my kids and my sister,"Kidman said. Nicole and the countrymusic star share two daughters: Sunday, 8,and Faith, 6. Her younger sister AntoniaKidman will be part of the celebrationstoo.
Nicole said, "I've already been toAustralia and saw my mom and it's too farfor her to travel but my sister is comingover with all her children. She has sixkids."
The actress kept most details hush-hushthough it seems she will most likely spendthe day at home with friends and family."That's it for me," the Oscar winner said.
"I don't need any big parties; I just needmy family around me. If I have my familyaround me, I am happy."
CHARLIZE THERON’SKIDS FEEL SHE DOESHALLOWEEN FOR LIVING
Actress Charlize Theron's kids describeher career as "playing Halloween."
During her recent visit to the 'Jimmy KimmelLive', the'41-year-old actress opened up abouther children's perception'of her career.
"At a very young age, someone asked myeldest, 'What does your mom do for a living? Hejust straight up was like, 'Uh,she doesHalloween for a living'...I realise that they'vejust seen me do such crazy stuff," Theron said.
Later in the show the actress also embracedher South African roots using a korf ball toshoot some hoops for the Kimmel audience.
Source: PTI
Drain the oil and take 2tablespoons of oil fromthe drained oil and addto a heavy-bottomedvessel. Add brownonion paste and tomatopuree. Fry for 2minutes and add redchili powder, turmericpowder and roastedspice powder. Fry onlow till oil starts toleave from sides.
Now add, the shallowfried chicken piecesone by one. Using aspoon gently fold thechicken pieces into themasala. Add half cup ofwater and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.
Now prepare the almond paste for a thicker and yummy gravyfor the dish. For the same, soak 10 almonds in lukewarm waterand after 15 minutes, remove the skin. Grind to smooth paste byadding little water.
When the chicken pieces are cooked, now add almond paste andgive the curry nice stir. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and addcream if using along with fresh minced coriander leaves. Stirand turn off the flame. Serve with roomali roti, rice or naan.
For MarinationSalt as required, 1 tablespoon ginger paste, 1/2 tablespoonblack pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic paste
MethodCut the chicken in pieces and marinate with ginger-garlicpaste, black pepper powder and salt for about 30 minutes. Inthe meantime, dry roast the spices one by one on low flamefor about 4-5 minutes. Leave it to cool and make a fine powder.
Then, add oil in a heavy-bottomed cooking vessel and shallowfry the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer. Add up to 5-6 chicken pieces at a time depending on the size of the vessel.Fry for 6-8 minutes per side or until the pieces are nice lightbrown. Remove using tongs on to a plate and repeat theprocess until all the pieces are done.
16 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017WOMEN
MURGH MUSALLAM
WOMEN CAN REALLYREAD YOUR MIND
Women are more likely to have a"mind-reading" gene mutationthat gives them the ability to
read a person's thoughts and emotionsby looking at his or her eyes, scientistshave found.
Scientists at the University ofCambridge in the UK conducted a test ofcognitive empathy called the "Readingthe Mind in the Eyes" Test on 89,000people across the world. The study hasearlier shown that people can rapidlyinterpret what another person isthinking or feeling by looking at theireyes alone.
Researchers found that women onaverage score better on this test andidentified genetic variants in womenthat are linked to the abili ty to "read themind in the eyes."
Previous studies have found thatpeople with autism and anorexia tend toscore lower on the Eyes Test. The teamfound that genetic variants thatcontribute to higher scores on the testalso increase the risk for anorexia, butnot autism.
They speculate that this may bebecause autism involves both social andnon-social traits, and this test onlymeasures a social trait.
"This is the largest ever study of thistest of cognitive empathy in the world.This is also the first study to attempt tocorrelate performance on this test withvariation in the human genome," saidVarun Warrier, a PhD student atCambridge. "This is an important stepforward for the field of socialneuroscience and adds one more pieceto the puzzle of what may causevariation in cognitive empathy," saidWarrier. "This new study demonstratesthat empathy is partly genetic, but weshould not lose sight of otherimportant social factors such as earlyupbringing and postnatal experience,"he said.
"We are excited by this newdiscovery, and are now testing if theresults replicate, and exploringprecisely what these genetic variantsdo in the brain, to give rise toindividual differences in cognitive
empathy," said Simon Baron-Cohen, atthe University of Cambridge in the UK."This new study takes us one stepcloser in understanding such variationin the population," said Baron-Cohen.
Source: PTI
While age sneaks up on you, it’s best to have a few tricksup your sleeve to keep looking younger. Here aresome tips that will conceal and even undo many of
the signs of ageing from your face and body, so that youcontinue to look your youthful best.
Skip heavy foundationA thick layer of foundation will end up into the cracks,
revealing the fine lines you are trying to cover. Begin with amoisturiser followed by a primer and then a light liquidfoundation or BB cream. You can also use skin plumpingserum after the moisturiser for a youthful glow.
Moisturise the eyelidsWhile doing your moisturising regimen, include the eyelids.
Dry eyelids will show fine lines and will crease youreyeshadow, making the signs of ageing more prominent.Priming your eyelids before applying eye makeup is anotherway to conceal signs of ageing.
Groom the browsA good set of eyebrows can make you look young in a jiffy, so
take care of them. Find the right brow shape that suits yourface. If the eyebrows have become thin or grey, groom themwith an eyebrow pencil.
Exfoliate and moisturise the lipsWell moisturised and soft lips not only look youthful, but
also make your lipstick perform better. Ensure to exfoliate yourlips every two weeks to get rid of loose skin and keep yourlipstick from bleeding. Keep your lips moisturised at all timesto avoid cracks showing on the lips.
Plum up those lipsSucculent, plum lips are associated with youthfulness.
Before applying a lipstick, apply foundation lightly on the lips.Line and fill the lips with a lip liner. Now apply a lip-plumpinglipstick or apply a layer of gloss over your regular lipstick forthat plumping effect.
Work on tired eyesTired looking eyes instantly add years to the face. Get
adequate rest and stay hydrated to keep the eyes from lookingtired. Apart from that, use cucumber or raw potato slices torejuvenate the eyes and reduce puffiness.
Diminish dark circlesDark circles can make you look aged beyond years. Apart
from getting enough sleep, use good quality under-eye cream ornatural oils like sweet almond oil to dwindle those dark circlesand pigmentation under the eyes.
Put volume back in the hairYou might experience hair thinning with age. Give more
body to your hair by styling it to look more voluminous. Userollers to boost the hair volume or give the hair a lift by usinga large round brush.
Moisturise your hands and feetSigns of ageing easily show on the hands and feet in the form
of wrinkles. Do not forget to moisturise your hands and feetevery day and avoid too much exposure to water and harshdetergents as they can dry out the skin easily.
F O O D C O R N E R
AGE DEFYINGMAKEUP AND
SKINCARE TIPS
17HEALTH & FITNESSTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
Be healthy: Smallprice to pay for
an extra 14 yearsIf you had the foresight during
middle age to exercise, eatplenty of fruits and
vegetables, drink alcohol inmoderation, and not smoke, youmay have added up to 14 years toyour life. Writing in an onlinejournal (PLoS Medicine), Britishresearchers showed that peoplewho didn't do any of these had thesame chance of dying over adecade-long followed-up periodand those 14 years older who didall of them. Much of the gaincame from a reduction in deaths
from cardiovascular disease. Even if middle age is behindyou, doing any or all of these can help you live better andmaybe longer.
VK Raju would add: Eat Right, Exercise Right, and Don'ttake yourself too seriously (Ayurveda)
(Dr. Raju can be reached at Cell: 304-288-2080;Home: 304-599-0705; email; [email protected])
MALE FERTILITY: MEN,AVOID THESE FOODS!
Infertility in men is increasing at analarming rate. Medical reasonsaside, even some foods can play
havoc with a man's fertility. We list downsome of the foods that men should avoidto improve their sperm quality.
Carbonated beveragesSipping on carbonated beverages, like
soft drinks or sports drink can impactyour sperm count. A study published inHuman Reproduction, regular drinkingof carbonated beverages is linked topoor sperm motility.
Processed meatEating processed meat can
compromise your sperm count.According to a Harvard study (2014),men who consumed processed meat inexcess had 23 per cent lower spermquality than guys who ate it in smallquantities. In another study of journalof Epidemiology, it was found thatprocessed meat was associated withlower sperm count.
AlcoholThis is another reason to ditch your
glass of alcohol. The more you drink, themore it impacts your sperm count. Infact, according to some studies, even ifyou drink in moderation, you arecompromising on your sperm quality.
Cheese and full cream milkAccording to a study done in Human
Reproduction in 2013, excessconsumption of cheese and full fat milkmay impact sperm count. Dairyproducts do add protein and essentialnutrients required by the body but full
fat dairy products, especially cheese andfull fat milk should be avoided.
FOODS THAT CAN INCREASEYOUR SPERM COUNT
Eating healthy and fresh foods are notonly beneficial for overall health butalso for the health of your sperm. Hereare some superfoods that you shouldinclude in your diet to improve yoursperm count.
BananasIt has been found that bananas
improve male libido and regulate sexhormones. As they are rich in vitamin C,A and B1, they boost fertility in men.
Broccoli
Broccoli is said to increase spermcount. It is rich in vitamin A, just ascarrots, spinach, apricots, sweetpotatoes and carrots.
WalnutsAnother nutrient important for
healthy sperms is omega-3 fatty acids.Walnuts are packed with omega 3 fattyacids that boost blood flow to thegenitals, which in turn increases malefertility.
GarlicGarlic does wonders in boosting male
fertility. The allicin and seleniumpresent in garlic, protect sperms fromdamage and improve their quality.
Source: TOI
Eye care facts you must knowDon't blame the computer always
We live in an age when you cannot do with staring at thecomputer screen, or your smartphone. Ophthalmologistssuggest the best way to avoid computer vision syndrome isto give your eyes a rest frequently. Constant staring can leadto eye strain and can blur your vision temporarily. Lookinginto the distance once in a while can help too. Doctorssuggest that closing eyes for a few minutes after every 20-30minutes, can help to lubricate and moisten your eyes.
Your glasses do not weaken eyesightJust because your glasses need to be changed every few
years does not mean that they are weakening your eyesight.Glasses only make you see better. The changes happen onlyas you age.
Make-up debris can injure eyesYou need to be careful when you are volumising your
lashes or applying kajal in the waterline of your eyes.Experts say that the make-up debris that gets trapped underthe outer layer of the eye can cause eye issues. There areremedies say doctors and you could also use antibioticdrops.
Smoking damages your visionQuit smoking, because it simply increases your risk of
macular degeneration. And that is one of the leading causesof blindness. The harmful after effects of smoking includedamage to the small blood vessels of the retina and opticnerve. This kind of damage to internal parts of the eye cancause loss of eyesight.
Don’t wear lenses overnightEven if your lens pack states that it is good enough to be
worn overnight, you should never do it, say eye doctors.Caring for your lens in the right way is crucial, or it might leadto loss of eyesight. One must soak lens in disinfectant solutionovernight, touch them only with squeaky clean hands andstore them in a clean case.
Vision loss is inevitableAt some point in your life you will definitely need to wear
glasses, contact lenses or get an eye surgery done. Studieshowever have found that spending more time outdoors, amongnature could help one to have better vision. Source: TOI
HEALTH TIPS
Dr. VK Raju, EyeFoundation of
America
Soon, tech to detectheart attacks when
one is at wheelScientists are developing a new system that can predict
if a car driver is about to have a heart attack, a featurethat would help avoid road accidents due to an
unexpected cardiac event."A large number of traffic incidents are caused by (drivers
suffering) medical conditions while driving, specificallycardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction andmyocardial ischemia," said Kayvan Najarian, fromUniversity of Michigan in the US.
To avoid such accidents, the researchers have teamed upwith Japanese automotive manufacturer Toyota to developtechnology that can monitor and analyse the physiology ofthe driver and predict if they are going to suffer adversecardiac events. To this end, they are creating a system thatcan be placed in the vehicle. "We would like to test hardwarewe had previously identified, and improve and validate ouralgorithmic solutions to see what it will take to generate asystem that could look at the physiology of a person,provided by high density electrocardiogram (ECG)measurements, as well as other medical measurements,"Najarian said. Researchers are using machine-learningmodels to analyse data collected from in-hospital and in-vehicle subjects. The team plans to use heart monitors,which are patches placed on a driver's chest, to analysephysiological data in real time, and hopes to report results in2020. Source: PTI
Long-term, daily use of aspirin to prevent blood clots invery elderly patients leads to an increased risk of seriousor fatal internal bleeding, say researchers.
Heartburn medication allows people 75 years and older tokeep the preventative benefits of aspirin while avoiding itsdangerous side-effects, says the report in the medical journalThe Lancet.
Even among people with no history of heart problems orstroke, the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding goes up with age foraspirin users, other research has shown.
Roughly half of all adults 75 (and over) in the US and Europetake small daily doses of aspirin – ranging from 75 to 150milligrams – or other clot-inhibiting drugs. A normal dose for aheadache is 325 to 600mg.
18 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017SCIENCE & TECH
INSTAGRAM TO ADD LABELFOR PAID PRODUCTENDORSEMENTS
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP):
Photo-sharing app Instagramplans to roll out a feature onWednesday that will make iteasier to label posts as paidpromotions, taking what itcalled a step towardtransparency in an area thathas drawn attention from USauthorities.
Product endorsementshave become more common on Instagram, owned byFacebook Inc, as celebrities and others with largefollowings on the social network have struck deals to talk upclothing, food and other items.
Known inside the industry as "influencers," peoplepromoting products are required under truth-in-advertisingrules to tell fans about their compensation, according to theUS Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It is not clear howmany do. Instagram said in a statement that it would beginallowing people who are posting a picture to add a "paidpartnership with" label that would appear above the picture.Users can already add such disclosures below a picture.
“As more and more partnerships form on Instagram, it'simportant to ensure the community is able to easilyrecognize when someone they follow is paid to post content,"the company said.
Instagram 'Archive' featuremoves out of testing phase
NEW DELHI (TIP): After testing its 'Archive' featurewith limited number of users , Facebook-owned Instagramhas started rolling out the functionality to all users acrossthe world. The feature was under testing since last month.
With the new 'Archive' option, users can temporarily hideposted pictures/videos from their Instagram profiles. To doso, they simply have to click on the menu button on a photoand they'll see an 'Archive' button. Once tapped, the selectedphoto/video will be moved to the archive section and nolonger show up on the profile.
Users can find the 'Archive' icon next to the Discoverpeople option in their profile. Tapping on it will let users seeall the posts they have archived. They'll also be able tochoose an archived will allow them to see all the posts thathave been archived. Users will further be able to choose anarchived photo/video and share it on their profile.
JUPITER IS THE OLDESTPLANET IN SOLAR SYSTEMWASHINGTON (TIP): Jupiter - the
largest planet in our solar system - is alsothe oldest, say scientists who found thatthe gas giant formed within four millionyears after the formation of the Sun.
Knowing the age of Jupiter is key forunderstanding how the solar systemevolved towards its present-dayarchitecture.
Although models predict that Jupiterformed relatively early, until now, itsformation has never been dated.
"We do not have any samples fromJupiter (in contrast to other bodies likethe Earth, Mars, the moon andasteroids)," said Thomas Kruijer, fromLawrence Livermore NationalLaboratory (LLNL) in the US.
"In our study, we use isotope signaturesof meteorites (which are derived fromasteroids) to infer Jupiter's age," saidKruijer lead author of the studypublished in the Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences.
By looking at tungsten andmolybdenum isotopes on iron meteorites,scientists found that meteorites are madeup from two genetically distinct nebularreservoirs that coexisted but remainedseparated between one million and 3-4million years after the solar systemformed.
"The most plausible mechanism forthis efficient separation is the formationof Jupiter, opening a gap in the disc andpreventing the exchange of materialbetween the two reservoirs," said Kruijer.
"Jupiter is the oldest planet of the solarsystem, and its solid core formed wellbefore the solar nebula gas dissipated,consistent with the core accretion modelfor giant planet formation," he said.
Jupiter is the most massive planet ofthe solar system and its presence had animmense effect on the dynamics of thesolar accretion disk.
Scientists showed through isotope
analyses of meteorites that Jupiter'ssolid core formed within only about onemillion years after the start of the solarsystem history, making it the oldestplanet.
Through its rapid formation, Jupiteracted as an effective barrier againstinward transport of material across thedisk, potentially explaining why oursolar system lacks any super-Earths (anextrasolar planet with a mass higherthan Earth's).
The team found that Jupiter's coregrew to about 20 Earth masses withinone million years, followed by a moreprolonged growth to 50 Earth massesuntil at least 3-4 million years after thesolar system formed.
The earlier theories proposed thatgas-giant planets such as Jupiter andSaturn involved the growth of largesolid cores of about 10 to 20 Earth
masses, followed by the accumulation ofgas onto these cores.
So the conclusion was the gas-giantcores must have formed beforedissipation of the solar nebula - thegaseous circumstellar disksurrounding the young sun - whichlikely occurred between 1 million yearsand 10 million years after the solarsystem formed.
"We're able to date Jupiter muchmore precisely within 1 million yearsusing the isotopic signatures ofmeteorites," researchers said.
Although this rapid accretion of thecores has been modelled, it had not beenpossible to date their formation.
"Our measurements show that thegrowth of Jupiter can be dated usingthe distinct genetic heritage andformation times of meteorites," Kruijersaid. Source: PTI
IIT Kharagpur developswearable tech from silk
KOLKATA (TIP): Just imagine India-madesmart textiles that can sense what goes on aroundyou, store data and communicate for necessaryaction! Well, scientists have inched closer toindigenously built wearable electronic devices,thanks to unique properties of silk.
A team of experts at the Indian Institute ofTechnology - Kharagpur has fashioned a hybridmaterial based on silk protein called silk fibroin.
This novel material has the potential to spawnprototype textile-based smart electronic devicesfor soldiers and defence personnel as well as forbiomedical applications.
"We have designed a hybrid photo detectorusing zinc oxide nanostructures on goldnanoparticle-embedded silk protein forapplications that combine electronics and light,"Samit K. Ray, currently officiating as the Directorof S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences,Kolkata (on lien), told IANS.
A photo detector operates by converting lightsignals to a voltage or current.
"The hybrid material can store data and can
detect light, both in the ultraviolet and visiblewavelength range, thereby offering greatersensitivity and scope of detection," Ray said.
The USP of the hybrid material is its flexibility,stretchability, biocompatibility andbiodegradability.
"These properties are due to a combination ofsilk fibroin and semi-conducting zinc oxide inpresence of gold nanoparticles," Ray noted.
"Bombyx mori silk worms are the mainproducers of silk fibroins worldwide in the form ofcocoons. These fibroins are attractive due to theirhigh mechanical strength, toughness, thermalstability and biocompatibility/ biodegradability,"elaborated Ray. Although 95 per cent ofcommercial electronics and computing systemsdeploy silicon as the semi-conductor material, theteam opted for zinc oxide instead, Ray said.
"Conventional silicon chip is usually consideredto be rigid, as brittle and breakable as windowglass. Zinc oxide nanorod array embedded in silkplatform is flexible and can withstand mechanicalstress and bending. Source: IANS
News, sports sites vulnerableto cyber attacks
LONDON (TIP): News and sportswebsites have some of the lowest levels ofsecurity adoption, making themvulnerable to cyber attacks, a new studyhas found.
Researchers looked at the securityprotocols used by the top 500 sites invarious industries and online sectors.
They found that fewer than 10 per cent ofnews and sports websites used basicsecurity protocols such as Transport LayerSecurity (TLS).
Even those that do are not always usingthe "latest or strongest protocols",researchers said.
"It is like news and sport contentproviders do not value the security oftheir content," said Professor AlanWoodward, a cyber-security expert at theUniversity of Surrey in the UK.
"They are leaving themselves vulnerableto attacks like cross-site scripting, wherean attacker can pretend something hascome from a website when it has not," saidWoodward. The study shows that somesectors seem much more security-
conscious than others, 'BBC News'reported. The websites of computer andtechnology companies and financialorganisations showed a much higher levelof adoption than shopping and gamingsites, for example.
A quarter of the shopping sites studiedwere using TLS, which offers toolsincluding digital certificates, remotepasswords, and a choice of ciphers toencrypt traffic between a website and itsvisitors.
The study was published in the Journalof Cyber Security Technology. Source: PTI
19BIZ & FINANCETHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
BLACK MONEY
Switzerlandratifies autoinfo sharing
BERNE/NEW DELHI
(TIP): Switzerland todayratified automaticexchange of financialaccount information withIndia and 40 otherjurisdictions to facilitateimmediate sharing ofdetails about suspectedblack money even as itsought strict adherence toconfidentiality and datasecurity.
As per the draftnotification approved bythe council in its meetingtoday, the decision is notsubject to any referendum— which means thereshould be no furtherprocedural delay in itsimplementation.
Today’s decision followshectic parleys betweenIndia and Switzerland forintroduction of the AEOI(Automatic Exchange ofInformation) on taxmatters under theguidance of G20, OECDand other globalorganisations.
The council said theproposal to introduce AEOI with India and others “met withwidespread approval from the interested parties who voicedtheir opinions in the consultations”.
“In concrete terms, the AEOI will be activated with eachindividual state or territory by means of a specific federaldecree within the framework of this dispatch,” it added.
The council said it will prepare a situation report beforethe first exchange of data, which is planned for autumn2019. “In the process, it will be checked whether the statesand territories concerned effectively meet the requirementsunder the standard, especially those concerningconfidentiality and data security.
“It is important for the Federal Council that a levelplaying field be created among states and that all majorfinancial centres, in particular, be included. This year,Switzerland has introduced the AEOI with 38 states andterritories, including all EU member states, and data willstart to be exchanged with them in 2018,” it added.
Switzerland is satisfied with various regulations in India,including changes in the Information Technology Act, withrespect to ensuring protection of privacy, according to adocument released by the Swiss government. Source: PTI
GOVT MAKES AADHAARMUST FOR BANK A/CS, HIGH
VALUE TRANSACTIONSNEW DELHI (TIP): The government
has made the Aadhaar card mandatoryfor opening bank accounts andconducting financial transactions of Rs50,000 and above.
Those with existing accounts will alsohave to submit their uniqueidentification number by the end ofDecember. Not disclosing it by December31 will lead to suspension of the account.
While the income tax department hadearlier announced the decision to makeAadhaar mandatory for banking andfinancial purposes, the new regulationswere notified through amendments torules related to maintenance of recordsunder the Prevention of MoneyLaundering Act.
The move came around the time theSupreme Court upheld the validity of anI-T Act provision, making Aadhaar amust for allotment of PAN cards and forfiling income tax returns.
The apex court had granted "partialrelief" to those who do not have anAadhaar number or an Aadhaarenrolment ID, ruling that the PAN ofsuch individuals will not be cancelledfor the time being.
The notification mandated quoting of
Aadhaar along with PAN or Form 60 byindividuals, companies and partnershipfirms for all financial transactions of Rs50,000 or above with effect from June 1.
After June 1, if a person does not havean Aadhaar number at the time ofopening of account, then he has tofurnish proof of application ofenrolment for Aadhaar and submit theAadhaar number to the bank within sixmonths of opening of the bank account.
Till now, it was mandatory to providePAN number or Form 60 to banks while
opening accounts or for high valuetransactions.
For companies opening bankaccounts, Aadhaar number of managersor employees holding an attorney totransact on the company's behalf willhave to be provided.
In all other cases, identity should beverified while carrying out transactionof an amount equal to or exceeding Rs50,000, and in any international moneytransfer operation.
Source: TOI
HIGHLIGHTS Aadhaar card has been made
mandatory for opening bankaccounts and conductingfinancial transactions of Rs50,000 and above.
Those with existing accounts willalso have to submit theirunique identification numberby the end of December.
Not disclosing it by December 31will lead to suspension of theaccount.
First set of data in 2019 Switzerland has been
long perceived as oneof the safest havensfor the illicit wealthallegedly stashedabroad by Indians
The exchange ofinformation will becarried out based onthe MultilateralCompetent AuthorityAgreement on theAutomatic Exchange ofFinancial AccountInformation
The Swiss FederalCouncil said theimplementation isplanned for 2018 andthe first set of datashould be exchangedin 2019
BENGALURU (TIP): Infosys president and head ofAmericas Sandeep Dadlani has resigned, a suddendevelopment that some attributed to growing pressures on thecompany's top executives to deliver, following a series ofunimpressive quarterly performances.
Dadlani, who has been with Infosys since 2001 and who wasalso the global head of its manufacturing, retail, CPG(consumer & packaged goods) and logistics vertical, posted onLinkedIn that an "out-of-the-world assignment" was awaitinghim. Sources close to the development said he may be joiningVirginia-based confectionery and pet food company Mars,makers of the brands Snickers, M&M's, Twix and Wrigley , ina digital transformation role. An email sent to Mars andDadlani did not elicit a response.
Peter Bendor-Samuel, CEO of US-based IT advisory EverestGroup, believes Dadlani's departure is part of the increased
pressure on leadership combined with a market eager to hireInfosys talent which is highly regarded.
Brokerage firm Edelweiss said Dadlani's exit yet againraises the stability issue at Infosys, and portends the risk ofmore exits.
Infosys announced on Friday that Dadlani's responsibilitieswould be divided between Karmesh Vaswani, who will beglobal head of retail, CPG & logistics, and Nitesh Banga, whowill be global head of manufacturing. Vaswani was previouslythe head of Europe for retail, CPG and logistics.
Infosys is expected to fill up the global sales head positionthat fell vacant in 2013 following the exit of Basab Pradhan.Sources said Infosys president and head of banking, financialservices & insurance (BFSI), healthcare and life sciencesMohit Joshi is likely to be given the responsibility.Infosysdeclined to comment saying it is speculation.
AMAZON BUYS WHOLEFOODS FOR $13.7 BN
NEW YORK (TIP):
Amazon.com Inc saidon June 17 (Friday) itwould buy US organicsupermarket chainWhole Foods MarketInc for $13.7 billion,including debt,marking the internetretailer’s largest dealand biggest foray intothe brick-and-mortarretail sector.
The deal, which putsa 27% premium onWhole Foods’ closingshare price on Thursday, could give the grocer a majorcompetitive edge by allowing it to tap into Amazon’s massivepower to buy and sell goods at a lower cost. Source: Reuters
AIR BAG MAKER TAKATA TOFILE FOR BANKRUPTCY
NEW YORK (TIP): Takata Corp, the Japanese company facingbillions in liabilities stemmingfrom its defective air bag inflators,is preparing to file for bankruptcyas early as next week as it workstoward a deal for financial backingfrom US auto parts maker KeySafety Systems Inc, sources said onThursday.
Takata, one of the world's biggest automotive suppliers, hasbeen working for months to complete a deal with Key Safety.
A person briefed on the matter told Reuters Key was expectedto acquire Takata assets as part of a restructuring inbankruptcy. The Nikkei business daily reported that a newcompany created under Key will purchase Takata operationsfor about 180 billion yen ($1.6 billion) and continue supplyingair bags, seat belts and other products, leaving liabilities behindin a separate entity. Source: Reuters
Infosys president quits, top execs come under pressure
SandeepDadlani
20 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017TURN PAGE
contd from page 1
Mueller investigating Jared...has shifted to Mueller. His investigation is still in a
relatively early phase, and it is unclear if any criminalcharges will be brought when it is complete, the Post pointedout. CNN, quoting sources said that there is no indicationKushner is currently a target of the probe and there are noallegations he committed any wrongdoing.
On Thursday, Kushner's lawyer said any such scrutiny ofKushner's business would be "standard practice."
Kushner has agreed to talk to the Senate Intelligencecommittee and is expected to discuss these matters with theSenate intelligence staff, though the timing is still beingworked out.
In March, CNN reported Kushner had "relationshipmeetings" with Russia's ambassador Sergey Kislyak and withRussian banker Sergey Gorkov to discuss issues likesanctions. Last month, news surfaced that Kushner may havediscussed creating a secret communications channel betweenthe Trump transition team and the Kremlin with Kislyak.
The Justice Department's investigation into Russianinvolvement in the 2016 election is looking at Kushner'smultiple roles in the Trump administration, including theTrump campaign's 2016 data analytics operation; hisrelationship with former national security adviser MichaelFlynn; and Kushner's own contacts with Russians, accordingto US officials briefed on the probe.
The Post reported that FBI agents and federal prosecutorsare also looking into the financial dealings of Flynn, formercampaign chairman Paul Manafort and former campaignpolicy adviser Carter Page.
Mueller is also investigating Trump for obstruction ofjustice, the Post reported Wednesday. He is reportedlyinterviewing three top intelligence officials -- Director ofNational Intelligence Dan Coats, National Security AgencyDirector Mike Rogers and retired deputy NSA directorRichard Ledgett -- as part of the probe as early as this week.
In a tweet Thursday morning, Trump, who has been puttingtogether his own team of outside lawyers to represent him,called the Post's report Wednesday that he is beinginvestigated for collusion "phony."
"They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story,found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice onthe phony story," he wrote on Twitter. "Nice."
Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday hired his ownlawyer to represent him in the special counsel's Russiainvestigation.
IS chief may be dead, says...the strike," the ministry said, according to the TASS news
agency.The leaders were discussing their exit from the city through
the so-called southern corridor, the ministry said. Theairstrike was carried out following drone footageconfirmation of the council's meeting location, state-runSputnik reported.
Other state media reported that more than 300 "terrorists"were killed in the strike.
Earlier, the Russian army, in a statement, said Sukhoiwarplanes carried out a 10-minute night-time strike on May 28at a location near Raqqa, where IS leaders had gathered toplan a pullout by militants from the group's stronghold.
There have been a number of previous reports ofBaghdadi's death.
This is the first time, however, that Russia has said it mayhave killed the IS leader. Other media reports have previouslyclaimed he had been killed or critically injured by US-ledcoalition air strikes.
Reacting to the report, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov told journalists that there is no one-hundred-per centconfirmation yet that leader of the Islamic State terror groupoutlawed in Russia, al-Baghdadi, has been killed, " S ofar, I have no one-hundred-percent confirmation of thisinformation," Lavrov said.
The Pentagon said on Friday, June 16, it did not haveinformation to support Moscow's claims that its forces mayhave killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in anair strike near the Syrian city of Raqqa last month. "We haveno information to corroborate those reports," Pentagonspokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said, Reuters reported.
US defense officials said they were unable to confirm thereports. Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-ledcoalition's operation against IS in Syria and Iraq, said thecoalition "cannot confirm these reports at this time." Therehas been no official comment from Syria's government, theBBC reported.
So far, there has been minimal reaction from onlinesupporters of IS to news of the reported death of the group'sleader, it said.
One high-profile IS supporter on the messaging appTelegram shared a post denying the news and saying thatwhen an IS leadership figure is killed, the group does not hideit.
He expected Baghdadi to come out soon with a message toprove he was still alive.
The IS has earned global notoriety for imposing a hardlineform of Islam that has included stonings, beheadings andamputations. (Source: PTI)
All Eyes on Modi-TrumpMeeting...
Sources in the government said there should not be anyexpectations of any major agreements or outcomes beingannounced. Among the many issues that are likely to bediscussed between the two leaders are the proposed changesin the H1B visa regime, defense cooperation and terrorism.Trump's anti-India tirade while withdrawing from the 2015Paris Climate Agreement will play out in the backdrop as thathas left a bad taste with many in India.
It will be interesting to watch whether the PM can achievethe kind of personal rapport that existed between him andformer US President Barack Obama. The talks between thetwo leaders are scheduled to be held on June 26. As of now,Washington DC is the only city on the PM's US itinerary.
Indian American community here is anxiously waiting togive a reception to PM Modi.
Modi's first stop, however, will be Portugal on June 24 wherehe will hold talks with Portuguese Prime Minister AntonioCosta in Lisbon. After wrapping his US tour, the PM will makea stopover in the Netherlands on June 27 where he will holdtalks with Paul Rutte in The Hague, besides calling on theking of Netherlands.
Dr. Neeru Chadha is the first...The Hamburg-based 21-member ITLOS (itlos.org),
established in 1996, is one of dispute settlement mechanismsunder the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)that entered into force in 1994.
Dr. Chadha was the only candidate from four candidates forthe two seats in the Asia Pacific Group (APG) to be elected inthe first round of voting itself. She also secured the highestever votes obtained by an Indian candidate to the ITLOS.Elections for a total of seven seats were being held. Thecandidate from Thailand won the other APG seat in thesecond round.
Dr. Neeru Chadha is a distinguished lawyer and one theleading experts on different aspects of international law in
India. Dr. Chadha has the distinction of serving as the firstwoman Chief Legal Adviser to the Government of India. Shehas advised the Government on diverse issues relating to thelaw of sea involving interpretation of various provisions ofUNCLOS. These range from determining the extent of coastalstate's jurisdiction in different maritime zones, maritimedelimitation with neighboring states, legal issues relating tosubmissions on extended continental shelf, baselines,applications for exploration of minerals in the seabed andpiracy.
Dr. Chadha has extensive international arbitration andlitigation experience, having served as Agent for theGovernment of India in its maritime delimitation case withBangladesh and the case concerning the Enrica LexieIncident - both Annex VII arbitrations under UNCLOS. Shehas served as Agent before the International Court of Justicein the case concerning the Obligations concerningNegotiations relating to Cessation of Nuclear Arms Race andNuclear Disarmament with Marshall Islands.
Dr. Chadha has also represented Government of India invarious other multilateral meetings and conferences in theUnited Nations, AALCO (Asian African Legal ConsultativeOrganization), UNIDROIT (International Institute for theUnification of Private Law), UNCITRAL (UN Commission onInternational Trade Law), Hague Conference, SAARC andBIMSTEC on subjects relating to human rights, humanitarianlaw, international trade, international terrorism andinternational criminal law.
She has also represented India in numerous bilateralnegotiations on issues relating to maritime delimitation,trans-boundary Rivers, international trade & investmentprotection, defense cooperation and disarmament.
Dr. Chadha's independent judgment and honed expertise isrecognized at both home and abroad.
Hindus commend opening of...Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism,
pointed out that with the presence of room for meditation andprayer, TAMU students would have a spiritually meaningfullife in addition to material success after they graduated fromhere.
Rajan Zed thanked TAMU for recognizing the intersectionof spirituality and education. Prayer and Meditation Roomwould be another feather in TAMU's cap in making it a topclass and wholesome higher education institution.
Zed hoped that at least Bhagavad-Gita, Rig-Veda, Ramayanaand principal Upanishads would be made available in thisRoom to start with; and more Hindu scriptures added in thenear future. Zed suggested TAMU to make this Room availableto campus community 24-hours and 365 days.
Rajan Zed urged all universities and colleges of USA andCanada to provide prayer-meditation rooms if they wereserious in the all-round development of their students.
This Room, located on the northwest corner of fifth floorand lined up with windows, is reportedly open to all students,faculty, and staff of all faiths and none and includes "booksthat cover various religious and meditation-related subjects".TAMU already had an All Faiths Chapel, which claims toserve "all denominations and creeds…to encourage thespiritual expression and development".
"…any and all experiences in the room for prayer orcontemplation will lead to better understanding andrelationships among all Aggies," David H. Carlson, TAMULibraries Dean, stated in a release.
Opened in 1876, research-intensive flagship and oldestpublic institution of higher education in Texas, TAMU, on anover 5,200 acres campus with about 400 degrees, is home toabout 66425 students. Charles W. Schwartz, John Sharp andMichael K. Young are Regents Chairman, Chancellor andPresident respectively.
21WORLDTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
Trump to announce plan to stopcash flow to Cuban military
WASHINGTON (TIP): Stopping short of a completeturnabout, President Donald Trump is expected today toannounce a revised Cuba policy aimed at stopping the flow ofUS cash to the country's military and security services whilemaintaining diplomatic relations and allowing US airlinesand cruise ships to continue service to the island.
In a speech today at a Miami theater associated with Cubanexiles, Trump will cast the policy moves as fulfillment of apromise he made during last year's presidential campaign toreverse then-President Barack Obama's diplomatic re-engagement with the island after decades of estrangement.
Senior White House officials who briefed reporters onThursday on the coming announcement said Obama'sovertures had enriched Cuba's military while repressionincreased on the island.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss thepolicy before Trump announces it, despite the president'sregular criticism of the use of anonymous sources.
The moves to be announced by Trump are only a partialreversal of Obama's policies, however. And they will saddlethe US government with the complicated task of policing UStravel to Cuba to make sure there are no transactions with themilitary-linked conglomerate that runs much of the Cubaneconomy.
By restricting individual US travel to Cuba, the new policyalso risks cutting off a major source of income for Cuba'sprivate business sector, which the policy is meant to support.
Under the expected changes, the US will ban Americanfinancial transactions with the dozens of enterprises run bythe military-linked corporation GAESA, which operatesdozens of hotels, tour buses, restaurants and other facilities.
Most US travelers to Cuba will again be required to visit theisland as part of organized tour groups run by Americancompanies.
The rules also require a daylong schedule of activitiesdesigned to expose the travelers to ordinary Cubans. Butbecause Cuban rules requires tour groups to have governmentguides and use state-run tour buses, the requirement has giventhe Cuban government near-total control of travelers'itineraries and funneled much of their spending to stateenterprises.
Obama eliminated the tour requirement, allowing tens ofthousands of Americans to book solo trips and spend theirmoney with individual bed-and-breakfast owners, restaurantsand taxi drivers.
The US Embassy in Havana, which reopened in August 2015,will remain as a full-fledged diplomatic outpost. Trump isn'toverturning Obama's decision to end the "wet foot, dry foot"policy that allowed most Cuban migrants who made it onto USsoil to stay and eventually become legal permanent residents.
Also not expected are any changes to US regulationsgoverning what items Americans can bring back from Cuba,including the rum and cigars produced by state-runenterprises. (AP)
UK's longest serving police dogdies after 11 years in service
LONDON (TIP): Brewster, the longest serving police dog inthe UK whose "incredible nose" detected drugs, cash andweapons across the country, has died after a brief illnessfollowing 11 years of service.
The 13-year-old, 91 in dog years, brown and white EnglishSpringer Spaniel, served with the Bedfordshire,Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Dog Unit with his handlerPolice Constable Dave Pert.
But just months after formally hanging up his lead, thepolice pooch has passed away following a short illness, theDaily Express reported.
"We are so grateful that Brewster came into our lives. Hewas truly a legendary dog, renowned across the three countiesfor his incredible nose," Pert said while paying tributes to hislong-term companion.
"Indeed, officers were still requesting his services long afterhe retired. He was a brilliant asset to the unit and I am glad hehad time with us to enjoy his retirement," he said.
Pert said he loved coming with them in the caravan andparticularly enjoyed people watching.
"Thankfully his illness was brief, but we will miss himterribly as he was a huge part of our lives," he said.
Brewster was gifted to the police after his previous ownersfrom North Yorkshire realized he had too much energy forthem.
Within three weeks of earning his stripes, the naturallyinquisitive canine was fully trained and licensed as a drugs,cash and weapons detection dog. (AP)
Western sanctions madeRussia stronger: Putin
MOSCOW (TIP): Russia has climbedout of recession despite continuingWestern sanctions, President VladimirPutin said on Thursday, adding that therestrictions have forced the country to"switch on our brains" to reduce itsdependence on energy exports.
Speaking in a live call-in showtelevised nationwide, Putin deplored theUS Senate's decision yesterday to imposenew sanctions on Russia as a reflection ofWestern efforts to "contain" Russia, butinsisted that the measures only havemade the country stronger.
The Republican-led Senate votedWednesday to punish Moscow forinterfering in the 2016 election byapproving a wide-ranging package ofsanctions that targets key sectors ofRussia's economy and individuals whocarried out cyberattacks.
The Senate bill follows up on severalrounds of other sanctions imposed by theUnited States and the European Unionover Russia's annexation of Ukraine'sCrimean Peninsula and its support forpro-Russia insurgents in easternUkraine.
Putin argued that Russia has donenothing to warrant the Senate's move,saying it highlights the West's policy ofcontaining Russia and also reflectsdomestic infighting in the United States.
"It's evidence of a continuing internalpolitical struggle in the US," he said.
Putin said that the sanctions havegiven Russia an incentive to shed itsdependence on oil and gas exports and"switch on our brains and talents" todevelop other industries. He emphasisedthat electronics, aerospace industriesand agriculture have all received a boost.
Russia has responded to the US and EUsanctions by halting most Western foodimports, a move that has helped increaseRussian agricultural output.
Russian farmers have pleaded with theKremlin to keep the import ban even ifthe West lifts its sanctions, but Putin said
that if "our partners lift the sanctionsagainst our economy, we will respond inkind."
The Russian leader claimed that the"crisis is over," pointing at modesteconomic growth over the past ninemonths, low inflation and risingcurrency reserves.
Putin said that a slump in oil priceshad been a more important factor inRussia's economic slowdown than thesanctions.
He acknowledged that the Russianeconomy hasn't yet shed its dependenceon exports of raw materials, but notedthat non-energy exports have beengrowing. Putin recognised that people'sincomes have fallen and 13.5 per cent ofRussians now live below the poverty linecurrently equivalent to $170.
Most of the questions during thetightly-choreographed show were aboutlow salaries, decrepit housing, failinghealth care and other social problems.
Like in the past, Putin chided localofficials for failing to provide due care for
people and ordered them to quickly fixthe flaws.
Even before the show ended, localofficials rushed to report that they arelooking into the problems.
Putin also offered a glimpse into hisclosely guarded private life, saying he hastwo grandchildren whose privacy hewants to respect.
Putin, who in 2013 announced on statetelevision that he was divorcing his wife,has two daughters in their early 30s whohaven't been seen in public for years andbecame a subject of rumours. One ofPutin's daughters was reported to be incharge of a lucrative project to build aSilicon Valley-like community under theauspices of Moscow State University.
Putin said during the show that both ofhis daughters live in Moscow and "workin science and education." He said one ofhis grandchildren goes to pre-school andthe other, a boy, has just been born. Hesaid he doesn't want to give details abouthis family for fear of hurting theirprivacy (AP)
Saudi-Qatar crisis puts Syria rebels intricky position
BEIRUT (TIP): A diplomatic crisispitting Saudi Arabia against Qatar hasput Syrian rebels in a difficult position,analysts say, after rivalries between Gulfbackers had already weakened theopposition.
Both Sunni-ruled monarchies sidedwith the protesters in March 2011, whenthe war started with the brutalrepression of anti-governmentdemonstrations.
They continued supporting the mostlySunni rebels when unrest spiralled intoconflict between the armed oppositionand troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, who hails from the country'sAlawite Shiite minority and is backed bySaudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran.
But six years later, the rebellion hasbeen plagued by rivalries betweenRiyadh and Doha, as well as weakenedby Russia's military intervention insupport of Assad's forces.
Moscow's support for regime forces
led to a series of setbacks for the rebels,including their landmark loss inDecember of second city Aleppo.
Last week, Saudi Arabia and allies,including the United Arab Emirates,severed or reduced diplomatic ties withQatar over accusations the emiratesupports extremism, claims Doha hasdenied. "The current rupture puts theSyrian opposition in a very awkwardposition politically, as nobody wants tohave to take sides publicly nor can affordto alienate either side," said YezidSayigh, a senior fellow at the CarnegieMiddle East Centre. A rebel official inthe opposition stronghold of EasternGhouta outside Damascus said he hopedthe crisis between Doha and Riyadh wasjust "a temporary storm".
'SENSITIVE' ISSUE : "Qatar, SaudiArabia, Turkey, Jordan and the UnitedArab Emirates have supported therevolution of the Syrian people andshown solidarity throughout years of
tragedy," the rebel official said.In a sign of the embarrassment the
crisis is causing, several rebel groupsapproached by AFP refused to comment,saying it was a "sensitive" issue.
But Sayigh said the latest flare-up inrelations between Qatar and SaudiArabia will have a limited impact on theSyrian conflict. "It probably won't have amajor financial impact, nor a militaryone since the US and Turkey havestepped up their support for factionsthat previously were close to Qatar or toSaudi Arabia," Sayigh said.
Riyadh "reduced its funding sharplystarting" from the summer of 2015 "afterit launched its intervention in Yemen"earlier in the year, he said.
Six years into the war, Syria'sfractured rebellion controls just around10 percent of the war-torn country, withbacking from Saudi Arabia, Qatar,Turkey, Jordan and the United States.(AFP)
22 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017SPORTS
INDIA MAUL BANGLADESH TO SETUP DREAM FINAL WITH PAKISTAN
BIRMINGHAM (TIP): Rohit Sharmastamped his class with an authoritativehundred in the company of magnificent ViratKohli as India annihilated Bangladesh by ninewickets to set up a bumper summit showdownwith arch-rivals Pakistan in the ChampionsTrophy, here on June 15 (Thursday).
The lazy elegance of Rohit (123 no off 129balls) coupled with the unmatched swagger ofskipper Kohli (96 no off 78 balls) ensured Indiatreat Bangladesh’s attack with utter disdain,knocking off a modest target of 265 in 40.1overs.
This was after some inspired bowlingchanges from Kohli, including theintroduction of part-time off-spinner KedarJadhav, which changed the complexion of thegame with Bangladesh managing only 264 forseven in 50 overs.
A miracle was needed for the over-ratedmediocre pace attack to stop the Indian line-up. That didn’t happen as Rohit and ShikharDhawan (46) added 87 for the opening wicket.
And then came skipper Kohli, who treatedthe opposition attack as a bunch of netbowlers, adding 178 runs for the second wicketoff 153 balls.
The Indian captain also reached a personalmilestone of 8,000 ODI runs in his 183rdmatch.
Rohit’s innings will be remembered forthose pull shots and the amount of time hehad to execute each one of them.
But Kohli’s innings will be specificallyremembered for two shots, or rather twopushes, off Mustafizur Rahaman—they werethe best of the Indian innings.
One that went straight past the bowler andthe other was pushed through the vacant mid-off area. It was the best way of showing whothe boss is.
The gulf between the two teams wasevident in the manner the Indian batsmentoyed with the Bangladesh attack.
Anything short outside the off-stump wascut with ferocity. If the short ball was on legand middle, it was dutifully pulled by Rohit,Kohli or Dhawan.
They played all sorts of pull shots – Rohitprimarily hit behind the square, Dhawanthrough the square and Virat in front of the
square.Rohit, who is playing his first international
tournament in six months, once again showedduring his 11th ODI hundred as to why he is sohighly rated.
There were 15 boundaries and a hooked sixoff Mustafizur brought up his hundred. Kohli,who finished the match with a boundary, hit13 of them in all.
Earlier, Jadhav’s ‘golden arm’ provideddecisive twin blows, helping India restrictBangladesh opting to bowl.
Jadhav’s 2/22 in six overs brought Indiaback in the game as he took the crucialwickets of Tamim Iqbal (70) and MushfiqurRahim (61) with his fastish off-breaks.
The two wickets proved to be the differenceas Bangladesh only crossed the 260-markinstead of a projected 310 after Tamim andRahim had added 123 runs for the secondwicket in 21.1 overs.
Once Kedar was done with his job, JaspritBumrah (2/40 in 10 overs) played his regularpart to perfection, stifling the opposition withas many as 40 dot balls.
The third powerplay (41-50) saw Bangladeshscoring only 62 runs, primarily due to a cameofrom skipper Mashrafe Mortaza (30 no off 25balls).
Bumrah’s senior partner BhuvneshwarKumar (2/53) complemented him well with acouple of dismissals first up. Source: PTI
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma added an unbroken 178 for the second wicket, Bangladesh v India,Champions Trophy 2017, Edgbaston, June 15.
India and Pakistan will lock horns onSunday for the title clash at The Oval.
India are seeking to defend their crownwhile Pakistan, on the other side, are
looking to win their first Champions Trophy.
KUMBLE SET FOR BITTER EXITAFTER CHAMPIONS TROPHY
MUMBAI (TIP): AnilKumble appears to have decidedto walk away as India coach atthe end of the ICC ChampionsTrophy campaign when his one-year contract will come to anend.
With reports of majordifferences between Kumbleand skipper Virat Kohli havingmarred the build-up to India’sopening match against arch-rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Sunday, therewere indications that efforts for any patch up had not borne fruit.
Although the BCCI has given Kumble direct entry whileseeking applications for a new coach, it was learnt on Friday thatthe BCCI may not renew the contract of India’s leading Testbowler despite his doing an excellent job since taking over asIndia coach in July 2016.
It is understood that given the current mood within the team,Kumble may even opt out of the race at the end of India’scampaign in the tournament in UK. According to sources, afterfailing in the initial bid to bring about a patch up between Kohliand Kumble, effort currently is on by the BCCI officials inEngland and the Cricket Advisory Committee (SachinTendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman) to keep Kumbleand skipper Kohli on the same page till the tournament is over,and ensure the two handle the issue in a professional manner.
Ramchandra Guha, who resigned from the COA on Thursday,was scathing in his remark with the way Kohli-Kumble issue washandled. The Indian coach-captain saga has been the talkingpoint in the team’s preparation for the crucial ICC ChampionsTrophy.
Sohail accuses Pakistan offixing their way into final
KARACHI (TIP): Just two daysahead of the high-octane ChampionsTrophy final against arch-rivals India,former Pakistan skipper Aamer Sohailhas indirectly accused his national sideof fixing matches in the ongoing eight-team marquee event. While speaking ona Pakistani news channel, Sohailcreated a storm by saying that skipperSarfraz Ahmed and his boys have noreason to rejoice as they have made it tothe finals with the help of “externalfactors”, not by genuine performance.
“Sarfraz needs to be told that youhave not done anything great. Someonehas helped you to win these matches,”said Sohail.
“There is no reason for you (Sarfraz)to rejoice. We all know what happensbehind the scenes. I can’t tell you whohave won them the games. If asked, Iwill say that the prayers of the fans andGod have won them the games. Theyhave been brought to the final due toexternal factors and not on the basis oftheir performances.”
The former opener warned theplayers to concentrate on their game
and remain level-headed if they wantedto survive. “The boys now need to belevel-headed and focussed on playinggood cricket. We all are well aware of
everyone’s calibre. If you do somethingwrong, then we will tell you about thesame. If you do something correct, wewill appreciate you. So, they shouldkeep themselves level-headed,otherwise they would not be able to gomuch ahead.”
U-TurnAfter hinting that the side had made
the final by fixing matches, Sohailissued a clarification wherein he saidthat he had lost his cool after learningthat Sarfraz had refused to dedicate thevictory against Sri Lanka to formercaptain Javed Miandad, who wascelebrating his 60th birthday on that day.
“My comments were made after Iheard of Sarfraz’s refusal to dedicatethe win to Miandad, and him sayingthat Miandad criticises the team toomuch,” Sohail said. “The other thing Isaid was that the facilitators of the wincannot be named; however, I saidnothing about match-fixing or anyother foul play, my statement wasmisunderstood.”
Source: Agencies
“Sarfraz needs to be toldthat you have not done
anything great. Someonehas helped you to win
these matches...There isno reason for you (Sarfraz)
to rejoice.”Former Pakistan skipper Aamer Sohail
23MISCELLANYTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
Predictions for the month of JUNE, 2017
Bejan Daruwalla is available for astrologicalconsultations. He can be reached at
Today there is computerized voice type analysis. My observation is you, Scorpio, Taurus and Libra are blessed with the baritone which persuades people to do your bidding. This iscertainly yoga time or yoke time or partnerships of all possible sorts. I suggest yoga and partnership with God will be exceptionally fruitful. Enjoy it. Life is sweet but short.
AriesGanesha says where you sought earlierto improve things for mankind ingeneral, you now turn your attentioncloser to home. In fact, towardsimprovement of home per se (as much).Decoration, renovation, acquisition,construction may all happen. There maybe huge expenses - not all anticipated,either. But you have the desire to fulfildemands made on you by family andloved ones, and you find ways and meansto do so.
TaurusOnce again, the money angle is good. Infact, it hasn't been bad for quite someperiod now, but there have been spiralingexpenses. Your work is now paying youmarvelously and you are eager to attackwork, anyway. You get perks, bonuses,cash awards, as well as greater statusand recognition. A truly wonderful trendfor the period. Richly deserved, addsGanesha!
GeminiNow that finances are well in hand, youhave the time to think of how you can beof help to the people in your life, otherthan family and those you love. Yourcolleagues, subordinates, co-workers findyou sympathetic, committed,cooperative. It is another matter that thisbrings out their best efforts, so that workis accomplished, targets and deadlinesmet. That's not why you do it. You're in amood to fulfil expectations.
CancerYet again, Ganesha grants you ease,comfort, smoothness in both the moneyand work angles. Projects, proposals,plans go through without a hitch, almost,owing to your far greater confidence inyourself. You may feel that you have notdevoted enough time to your personalequations, to your lover / spouse / mate.You now set out to make amends - withmuch flair and tenderness.
LeoYou feel that nothing is more importantthan your own family and that there'snothing you won't do for them. Parents,children, relatives, neighbors, friends - youhave time and tenderness enough for themall. You are also willing to lavish money onthem, their requirements, necessities andentertainments. All in the interests ofdrawing the family closer still. Ganeshaapproves greatly!
VirgoYou have literally and figuratively put yourhouse in order, achieved a fine balancebetween work and family, and earned well,too, to make it all possible. Now you are ina mood to earn heavenly rewards -spiritual, matters of faith and religion, ofthe life hereafter possess your mind. Yourhandling of finances is brilliant, but thereis a new sensitivity in your handling ofpersonal relationships, romanticattachments, parental and filial duties.
LibraYou have realized just how inspired,creative and successful you can be. Younow apply these skills afresh to thehandling of funds, joint - stock, finances,capital for ventures. It's on a larger scalethat money matters are dealt with.Additionally, you apply the same skills tomanaging home, family, relatives,neighbors to everyone's satisfaction.Romance and love are full of depth,intensity, vigor.
ScorpioIn your own sign, the intensity of yourlove is strengthened, renewed further.Please read the last few lines of thepreceding forecast once again! What youmay not have asked for, but get anywayfrom Ganesha are mental repose,tranquility, peace. Naturally, your spiritualleanings get energized in this wonderfullyconductive phase. There's also, to round itoff, glorious interaction with friends,family, your loved ones.
SagittariusThe every - going confidence within you,your own insights and sheer brilliance nowmake you choose some moves that areequally brilliant, farsighted, lucrative.You're in a mood to take calculated risks,make daring plans, projects, even adcampaigns and the like! Don't carry it intothe realm of risky financial deals. Therecent stock market crashed should makeyou wary and careful. In any case, it'salways good to be wary and careful withyour investments, adds Ganesha.
CapricornYou continue to focus primarily on finances,money matters, investments. It's not thatyou're being mercenary or money mindedfor the last period. You are just making gooduse of the opportunities that are opening up.The trend continues in this phase, too. Yourealize that money brings you a certainauthority, bargaining strength, advantage.And we all love power, don't we?
AquariusYou have tasted the joys, the headedexhilaration of success. Now you want to getthe same elation on a larger scale ofoperation. So, it's company / corporate fundsstock options, venture capital and other suchmega - finances that you'll be dealing withonce again. That's not your totalpreoccupation, though. You have time forromance, love, dallying with your lover andalso for good wholesome fun with your family.
PiscesIt's time to hit the road - travel is almost aforegone conclusion, though you may beusing all the means of travel, transport,commuting. It is a time when thestrengthening, renewing, creation of ties,links and bonds is very favored. All media ofcommunication, too. As the Bell Company adhas said for years - it's time for you to "reachout and touch someone," even if it's just aphone call or an email! Foreign trade andcollaborations, long-distance connections,export and such fields are all favored, too.
24 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017ADVERTISEMENT
