LIVE! Vet body questions absence of expert doctor during op to kill Avni

16:03  Vet body questions absence of expert doctor during op to kill Avni:  

A veterinary services association has questioned the absence of a veterinary doctor during an operation in which “man-eater” tigress Avni was killed in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district.

 

The Pashu Chikitsak Mahasangh, in a letter to the state’s chief wildlife warden, alleged that the order to tranquilise and capture the tigress was a “serious breach” of Section 30(b) of the Indian Veterinary Council Act 1984 as the task was entrusted to a private hunter, who is not a registered veterinarian.

It said Section 30(b) of the Act indicates that only veterinary practitioners registered either with the Veterinary Council of India or the Maharashtra State Veterinary Council are allowed to practice veterinary medicine.

The Pashu Chikitsak Mahasangh is a Haryana-based apex organisation of state veterinary associations.

The tigress, officially known as T1, was believed to be responsible for the death of 13 people in the last two years.

She was killed on November 2 by Asgar Ali, son of famous sharp-shooter Nawab Shafat Ali, at compartment no 149 of Borati forest in Yavatmal as part of an operation.

The big cat is survived by two cubs, which are 10 months’ old.

“Even though the order mentions that there are two veterinarians in his team, reports from the field indicate that neither of them was present during this operation, and allowing Ali to operate in this manner is a wilful breach of the law,” the veterinary association alleged in the letter written on Tuesday.

The incident is claimed to have taken place from a distance of 8-10 metres from the tigress. No veterinarian was present on the spot and it seems very unlikely that the

shooter may have had time to wait for the drug to work, it said.

“The whole exercise, as reported, seems to be extremely unscientific and illegally conducted,” the body alleged.

— PTI

16:01  HAL not contending to be offset partner of any firm, says top executive:  

Amid a political slugfest over the Rafale fighter jet deal, state-run HAL’s Chairman and Managing Director R Madhavan Wednesday said the aircraft manufacturing company is contending not to be an offset partner of any original equipment manufacturer.

  

But it would like to be a “total technology transfer partner” for production of aircraft, he said.

Madhavan’s reply came when he was asked to clarify on one among many charges that defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had been deprived of an offset contract from the Rafale deal.

“We are not contending to be an offset partner to any OEM, rather HAL would like to be a total technology transfer partner for production of aircraft,” he said.

He also said HAL’s basic focus was on manufacturing of aircraft, helicopters, associated accessories and their repair and overhaul, and not in garnering offset business.

Production of aircraft from transfer of technology is totally different from offsets, according to him.

Some portion of the offset business from various other programmes were being administered at the HAL, but it does not form a major business, Madhavan said.

“HAL will continue to get these offset business,” he added.

The Congress recently accused the government of forcing Dassault Aviation to make Reliance Defence its offset partner for the Rs 58,000 crore deal to purchase 36 Rafale jets.

It alleged that the government was helping the Anil Ambani group get a contract worth Rs 30,000 crore from the deal.

15:33  HAL not contending to be offset partner of any firm, says top executive:  

Amid a political slugfest over the Rafale fighter jet deal, state-run HAL’s Chairman and Managing Director R Madhavan Wednesday said the aircraft manufacturing company is contending not to be an offset partner of any original equipment manufacturer.

  

But it would like to be a “total technology transfer partner” for production of aircraft, he said.

Madhavan’s reply came when he was asked to clarify on one among many charges that defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had been deprived of an offset contract from the Rafale deal.

“We are not contending to be an offset partner to any OEM, rather HAL would like to be a total technology transfer partner for production of aircraft,” he said.

He also said HAL’s basic focus was on manufacturing of aircraft, helicopters, associated accessories and their repair and overhaul, and not in garnering offset business.

Production of aircraft from transfer of technology is totally different from offsets, according to him.

Some portion of the offset business from various other programmes were being administered at the HAL, but it does not form a major business, Madhavan said.

“HAL will continue to get these offset business,” he added.

The Congress recently accused the government of forcing Dassault Aviation to make Reliance Defence its offset partner for the Rs 58,000 crore deal to purchase 36 Rafale jets.

It alleged that the government was helping the Anil Ambani group get a contract worth Rs 30,000 crore from the deal.

14:49  ‘Single-use’ is Collins’ word of the year for 2018:  

The Collins dictionary has adopted an environmentally conscious approach to its “Word of the Year” award, bestowing 2018’s accolade on the term “single-use.”

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the damage caused by plastic waste, more and more people are turning their backs on disposable packaging, bringing the term single-use — or made to be used once only — into common parlance.

While single-use may have once epitomised a carefree and convenient lifestyle, it has now come to represent society’s worst excesses.

Images of plastic adrift in the ocean, causing the suffering and death of marine animals, have led to a global campaign to reduce its use.

Lexicographers for Collins create an annual list of new and notable words that reflect ever-changing culture and the preoccupations of those who experience it.

Their research has found that “single-use” is now four times as common as it was in 2013, with news stories and images such as those seen in the BBC’s Blue Planet II heightening public awareness of the issue.

14:47  Alert in Barcelona:  Police in Barcelona, Spain say they have evacuated two trains in the city’s main station and are conducting explosives checks, reports the Associated Press. 

14:05  Alert in Barcelona:  Police in Barcelona, Spain say they have evacuated two trains in the city’s main station and are conducting explosives checks, reports the Associated Press. 

14:04  Govt to press RBI at Nov 19 meet to ease lending:  

The Indian government intends to keep pressing demands for the country’s central bank to relax lending curbs and hand over surplus reserves even if it risks provoking a resignation by the bank’s governor, three sources familiar with the government’s thinking told Reuters.

While there appeared to be a partial truce last week when the government said it respected the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India, the sources said the government will turn up the heat at the bank’s central board of directors meeting on November 19.

And RBI Governor Urjit Patel will be a key focus of the pressure from a group of directors who support the government’s position, according to the New Delhi-based sources, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

13:41  UN postal agency issues special Diwali stamp:  India on Wednesday thanked the UN Postal Administration for issuing special postal stamps to commemorate Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.

The United Nations Postal Administration issued a special event sheet on October 19 to commemorate the festival of Diwali.

The United States Postal Service had in October 2016 launched a commemorative stamp in honour of the festival of Diwali. 

12:48  Bibi, my friend, thank you so much: Modi to Netanyahu for Diwali wishes:  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to the nation on the occasion of Diwali. In a message on Twitter, the PM said, Happy Diwali! May this festival bring happiness, good health and prosperity in everyones lives. May the power of good and brightness always prevail!

Netanyahu posted a tweet in Hindi wishing his dear friend PM Modi on Diwali, to which the prime minister also replied in Hebrew.

Modi on Wednesday arrived in Kedarnath on the occasion of Diwali where he offered prayers at the Himalayan shrine and reviewed the Kedarpuri reconstruction projects. Kedarnath witnessed the biggest Diwali celebrations ever with over 5,000 diyas lit to decorate the Himalayan shrine on Tuesday night.

In 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans and next year, he had visited the Punjab border. His visit had also coincided with 50 years of the 1965 Indo-Pak war.

In 2016, Modi was in Himachal Pradesh, where he spent time with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel at a border outpost. His fourth Diwali as prime minister was spent with soldiers at Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir.

12:27  Delhiites wake up to hazy Diwali morning, air quality remains poor:  

Delhiites woke up to a hazy Diwali morning as the air quality oscillated between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories due to reduced wind speed and increase in pollutants from stubble burning, authorities said Wednesday.

 

The overall air quality index was recorded at 268 which falls in ‘poor’ category, according to data by the Central Pollution Control Board.

Twenty-eight areas in Delhi recorded ‘poor’ air quality, six recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, while two areas recorded ‘moderate’ air quality, according to the CPCB data.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology said the winds coming from north-westerly direction is bringing influence of biomass burning pollutants in Delhi-NCR which may continue up to Thursday morning.

— PTI

11:48  Ready to rename Ahmedabad as Karnavati: Gujarat govt:  

After Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the renaming of Faizabad district as Ayodhya, the Gujarat government said it was keen on rechristening Ahmedabad as Karnavati, if there were no legal hurdles.

 

Speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the Bharatiya Janata Party government was willing to change Ahmedabad’s name if it gets past the legal hurdles and receives required support.

“People are still having a feeling that Ahmedabad should be renamed as Karnavati. If we get required support to overcome the legal hurdles, we are always ready to change the name of the city,” Patel told reporters when asked if the state government had a plan to rename India’s only city having the ‘World Heritage’ tag.

Historically, the area around Ahmedabad has been inhabited since the 11th century, when it was known as Ashaval. 

Chaulukya ruler Karna of Anhilwara (modern Patan) had waged a successful war against the Bhil king of Ashaval and established a city called Karnavati on the banks of the Sabarmati river.

Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411 AD had laid the foundation of a new walled city near Karnavati and named it Ahmedabad after the four saints in the area by the name Ahmed.

“We can think of changing the name at an appropriate time,” Patel added.

— PTI

11:39  CBI’s Alok Verma responds to CVC, rejects bribe claim:  

Central Bureau of Investigation director Alok Verma, in his response to the Central Vigilance Commission, has dismissed the charge that he sought or accepted a bribe of Rs 2 crore from Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Satish Babu to shield him in the case against controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi, as alleged by CBI special director Rakesh Asthana.

Babu was a witness in the case, not an accused as claimed by Asthana, Verma told CVC, according to officials familiar with the development.

Babu is one of the main players in the fight between Verma and Asthana which split the agency down the middle, and, eventually, resulted in the government stepping in and divesting them both of their responsibilities.

Asthanas bribery allegation was countered by a first information report filed by CBI against him, citing a complaint by Babu about a Rs 5 crore deal with middlemen acting on behalf of Asthana.

In an August 24 representation to cabinet secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha, Asthana alleged that Babu was an accused in the case against Qureshi and in order to save himself from CBI action, had paid bribe of Rs 2 crore to the agency chief. The representation was forwarded to CVC for further verification by the cabinet secretary on August 30.

On the basis of the representation, the CVC issued three notices to CBI seeking clarifications on September 11; the central vigilance body claimed that director Verma didnt cooperate with the inquiry, as it said in its order dated October 23 relieving him of his responsibilities. Asthana too was divested of his responsibilities as special director of the agency. The government on the same day nominated a joint director of the CBI, M Nageshwar Rao, as acting director of the agency. CBI filed its FIR against Asthana on October 15.

10:57  PM offers prayers at Kedarnath :  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his prayers at Kedarnath temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

The PM will also review the progress of reconstruction projects at Kedarpuri.

After reaching Harsil near Kedarnath, he extended Diwali greetings to soldiers posted on the India-China border.

Kedarpuri, the township situated close to the Himalayan shrine, had bore the brunt of the catastrophic floods of 2013 which killed thousands of people.

10:38  PM celebrates Diwali with soldiers near India-China border:  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Harsil near the India-China border in Uttarakhand to celebrate Diwali with army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel on Wednesday.

   

Greeting the jawans on the occasion, the prime minister said their devotion to duty in the remote icy heights, is enabling the strength of the nation, and securing the future and the dreams of 125 crore Indians, a statement from his office said.

 

He said that Diwali is the festival of lights, it spreads the light of goodness and dispels fear. He said that the jawans, through their commitment and discipline, are also helping to spread the sense of security and fearlessness among the people.

 

The prime minister recalled that he has been visiting soldiers on Diwali ever since he was the chief minister of Gujarat. He also spoke of his interactions with the jawans of the ITBP, years ago when he was part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. 

 

The prime minister said India is taking great strides forward in the defence sector. He spoke of various measures being taken for the welfare of ex-servicemen, including implementation of ‘one rank, one pension’.

 

Modi said that the Indian Armed Forces draw admiration and appreciation across the world, in UN peacekeeping operations.

 

The prime minister offered sweets to the jawans. He also interacted with people from nearby areas who had gathered to greet him on Diwali.

 

Harshil is a cantonment area situated at a height of 7,860 feet close to the India-China border in Uttarkashi district. — PTI

10:08  Thousands of Pak bank accounts hacked, money stolen in October :  

Pakistani authorities have said that bank accounts of thousands of individuals have been compromised and money stolen as a result of a massive hack last month.

 

Officials of cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency said they launched a probe after complaints by several individuals.

 

The cyber-attacks were launched on October 27 and 28 and reportedly data of 8,000 customers from about a dozen banks was stolen.

 

FIA officials said that Bank Islami reported that Rs 2.6 million was stolen through international payment cards on October 27 after which it stopped such transactions.

 

In another case, a former chief scientist of Khan Research Laboratories on Monday approached the Supreme Court with a complaint that Rs 3 million was stolen from his account.

 

FIA Cybercrimes Director Mohammad Shoaib told media that data of “most Pakistani banks was stolen”.

A bank official said it was still early to say how many account holders lost their money due to data hacking.

 

“Banks are trying to cover up as it will erode their credibility. The account holders are not coming up to complain as they are being compensated by the banks. So we do not know how many people exactly have been affected,” he said.   

Meanwhile, State Bank of Pakistan ordered the affected banks to stop making international transactions on credit cards and debit cards. — PTI 

09:24  US midterm elections 2018:  

– Republican Senator Ted Cruz retains his Senate seat from Texas, defeating Democrat Beto O’Rourke

– Colorado Democrat Jared Polis elected first openly gay US governor

– Mitt Romney wins the election to the Senate from Utah, defeating Democrat Jenny Wilson. 

– Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar — first two Muslim women elected to US Congress. 

09:19  Democrats retake US House of Representatives, Republicans retain Senate: Reports:  

Democrats picked up at least 10 Republican-held seats as they moved closer to winning control of the United States House of Representatives, but faced an uphill climb to wrest a majority from President Donald Trump’s party in the US Senate.

Fox News projected that Democrats would win control of the House, although it did not predict the margin of victory or elaborate on how it made the call.

CNN has announced that the Republicans will continue to control the US Senate. 

The majority or halfway mark needed for the Republicans is 50 as vice president Mike Pence has the tiebreak vote. 

For the Democrats, they would need to secure 51 seats in the House which seems unlikely.

Final results are awaited.

08:43  PM arrives in Kedarnath to celebrate Diwali :  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Kedarnath to celebrate Diwali.

Sources in the government had on Monday said the prime minister would offer prayers at the Kedarnath shrine.

‘Happy Diwali! May this festival bring happiness, good health and prosperity in everyones lives. May the power of good and brightness always prevail,’ Modi said on Twitter.

On Tuesday, Modi said he would celebrate Diwali with army jawans and share pictures of his experience.

After becoming the prime minister in 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans.

08:32  India exempted from certain US sanctions over Chabahar Port in Iran:  

The United States has exempted India from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the strategically-located Chabahar port in Iran, along with the construction of the railway line connecting it with Afghanistan.

The decision by the Trump administration, which a day earlier imposed the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and is very restrictive in giving exemptions, is a seen as a recognition by Washington of India’s role in development of the port on the Gulf of Oman, which is of immense strategic importance for the development of war-torn Afghanistan.

“After extensive consideration, the Secretary (of State) has provided for an exception from imposition of certain sanctions under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012, with respect to the development of Chabahar port, construction of an associated railway and for shipment of non-sanctionable goods through the port for Afghanistan’s use, as well as the country’s continued imports of Iranian petroleum products,” a State Department spokesperson said.

The US on Monday imposed “the toughest ever” sanctions on a defiant Iran aimed at altering the Iranian regime’s “behaviour”. The sanctions cover Iran’s banking and energy sectors and reinstate penalties for countries and companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere that do not halt Iranian oil imports.

However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that eight countries — India, China, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey — were temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil as they showed “significant reduction” in oil purchase from the Persian Gulf country.

To a question on the fate of Chabahar port after the US reimposed all its sanctions on Iran, the spokesperson said, “This exception relates to reconstruction assistance and economic development for Afghanistan. These activities are vital for the ongoing support of Afghanistan’s growth and humanitarian relief.”

In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had inked a pact which entailed establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran, besides multi-modal transport of goods and passengers across the three nations.

Pompeo’s decision to give India exemption from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the port is driven by the South Asian strategy, which was announced by President Donald Trump in August. It states that India has a major role in bringing peace and development in Afghanistan.

“The president’s South Asia strategy underscores our ongoing support of Afghanistan’s economic growth and development as well as our close partnership with India,” the state department spokesperson said.

“We seek to build on our close relationships with both the countries as we execute a policy of maximum pressure to change the Iranian regime’s destabilising policies in the region and beyond,” the spokesperson added. — PTI

00:34  Will spend Diwali with troops: Modi:  

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he would celebrate Diwali Wednesday with Army jawans and share pictures of his experience.

Responding to Diwali greetings from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi said, “Every year, I visit our border areas and surprise our troops. This year too, will spend Diwali with our brave troops. Spending time with them is special.”

He said he would share the photos of the same on Wednesday evening.

Modi also thanked Bibi, as Netanyahu is called, for the Diwali wishes.

Sources in the government had on Monday said the prime minister would offer prayers at the Kedarnath shrine Wednesday.

“On behalf of the people of Israel, I would like to wish my dear friend @narendramodi and the people of India a joyous Diwali. May this luminous festival of lights bring you happiness and prosperity. Reply to this tweet with the name of the city where you’re celebrating!,” the Israel premier had tweeted.

After becoming the prime minister in 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans.

In 2015, he had visited the Punjab border on Diwali.

His visit had coincided with 50 years of the 1965 Indo-Pak war.

The next year, Modi was in Himachal Pradesh, where he spent time with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel at a border outpost.

He had spent his fourth Diwali as prime minister with soldiers at Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir last year.  — PTI