23:21 Ties with Israel are about mutual trust and friendship: Modi in Israel:
Modi, accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addresses a crowd of around 5,000 members of the Indian Diaspora at the Tel Aviv Community Center.
>> It is the first time in 70 years that an Indian PM has visited Israel. That in itself is a joyous occasion.
>> There is a similarity that my friend Benjamin and I share — we both were born after our countries attained freedom
>> Our ties with Israel are about mutual trust and friendship
>> Israeli PM Benjamin Nehtanyahu loves Indian food
>> Israel has shown that more than size, it is the spirit that matters
Israeli PM addresses the Indian Diaspora.
He says:
>> PM Modi and I have decided to take our partnership to new heights
>> We always remember that there is a human bridge between us, we admire you, respect you, love you
>> We are building a future between our two democracies, its a partnership made in heaven but happening right now here
23:04 ‘Modi’ chants break out as PM arrives to address Indian Diaspora:
Thousands of Indians from across Israel have gathered at an event at the Tel Aviv Convention Center for the Indian Diaspora community as part of the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening.
Modi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are due to address the audience, who were entertained by colourful performances of dance and music as they awaited the arrival of the two leaders.
The crowd comprises of Indians of all ages and of various backgrounds.
22:36 Qatar crisis: Restrictions to continue, Saudi Arabia says:
Restrictions on Qatar will continue after it rejected the ultimatum made by its Middle East neighbours, Saudi Arabia has said.
The foreign ministers of four Arab countries, meeting in Cairo, said they regretted Qatar’s “negative” response to their list of demands.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE severed ties with Qatar last month.
They accuse it of supporting jihadi groups, and called for major changes in its policies.
The diplomats said Qatar lacked “understanding of the seriousness and gravity of the situation”.
The Saudi foreign minister said further steps would be taken against Qatar at the appropriate time, and would be in line with international law.
The meeting came as the deadline for Qatar to accept the list of demands or face further sanctions expired.
The bloc’s demands to Qatar include shutting down the Al Jazeera channel and scaling down ties with Iran.
22:34 Had a satisfying tenure as Chief Election Commissioner: Zaidi:
Nasim Zaidi, who demitted office as the Chief Election Commissioner today, described his tenure at Nirvachan Sadan as “satisfying”, saying he achieved a lot and initiated several electoral reforms.
“It was satisfying. I achieved a lot. We initiated several steps… It was really satisfying,” he said after a warm send off at his office.
Zaidi had assumed charge as the 20th chief election commissioner on April 19, 2015. Before that he was an election commissioner since July 7, 2012.
Prior to joining the constitutional body, Zaidi, an IAS officer of 1976 batch, was the Civil Aviation Secretary.
Achal Kumar Joti, the senior-most commissioner after Zaidi, will take over as the next CEC tomorrow.
— PTI
21:42 US President Trump berates China on North Korea:
Donald Trump has criticised China following North Korea’s test of a long-range missile, condemning it for increasing trade with Pyongyang.
“So much for China working with us,” the US president tweeted.
The US and South Korea conducted a ballistic missile fire exercise in the Sea of Japan in response to the North.
China and Russia have urged both sides to stop flexing their military muscle and said they oppose any attempts at regime change in North Korea.
“It is perfectly clear to Russia and China that any attempts to justify the use of force by referring to [United Nations] Security Council resolutions are unacceptable, and will lead to unpredictable consequences in this region which borders both the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
“Attempts to strangle the DPRK [North Korea] economically are equally unacceptable,” he added.
The missile launch, the latest in a series of tests, was in defiance of a ban by the UN Security Council.
The US has asked for an urgent meeting of the Security Council to discuss the issue. A closed-door session of the 15-member body will take place later on Wednesday.
21:31 SC to hear plea against trust vote by Panneerselvam faction on July 11:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on July 11 a petition filed by Tamil Nadu MLA ‘Mafoi’ K Pandiarajan seeking quashing of the February 18 confidence vote, which saw the then Chief Minister OPanneerselvam lose his chief ministerial chair to VK Sasikalas choice, Edappadi K Palaniswamy.
A Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra also sought the aid of Attorney General KK Venugopal in the matter, especially on the cardinal plea for a trust vote in the State Assembly through secret ballot.
Pandiarajan, an MLA with the Panneerselvam faction, termed the February 18 resolution of the 234-member strong Legislative assembly, expressing confidence in favour of the Council of Ministers led by Palaniswamy as illegal, capricious, discriminatory and violative of the principle of secrecy which is the essence of democracy, free and fair elections, and the voters freedom of expression, which constitutes one of the basic features of our Constitution.
— Hindu
With J-K assembly adopting the SGST bill, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said it will benefit the consumers by making goods cheaper and increase revenue for the state.
In a series of tweets, the minister congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for passage of the bill by the state assembly.
Jammu and Kashmir is the last state to pass the SGST bill. The Goods and Services Tax has already came into effect from July 1.
“Congratulations to the people of J-K for integration of the state with the GST. J-K is a consuming state and GST will help it to increase revenue for the state,” Jaitley said.
The consumers in Jammu and Kashmir will benefit from GST. “No tax payment twice over,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir assembly adopted a resolution to implement the GST in the state amid protests by the National Conference and the Congress.
— PTI
Two maternal uncles of moderate Hurriyat conference chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and his close aides were today questioned by the National Investigation Agency in connection with the funding of terror and
separatist groups in the Kashmir Valley.
Maulvi Manzoor and Maulvi Shafat were served notices last week to appear before the agency today and the duo arrived and faced questions from the NIA sleuths, official sources said.
Both of them are retired senior government officers.
The questioning of the duo would continue for some days, they said.
20:08 J-K police downgrades security of separatist Mirwaiz Umar:
The authorities have reduced by half the security cover given to Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The moves comes in the wake of the lynching of Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammad Ayoub Pandit on June 23 in the Nowhatta area near Jamia Masjid, where the separatist leader delivers sermons on Fridays and other important religious days.
The number of security personnel given to the Mirwaiz, the chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, has been reduced to half, from 16 to 8, sources in the security wing of the police said today.
They said the process of downgrading the Mirwaiz’s security had started on June 29, six days after the DSP was stripped and stoned to death after he was caught allegedly clicking pictures of the people coming out of the mosque after ‘Shab-e-qadr’ (the night of power) prayers.
The Mirwaiz was accorded ‘Z’ category security cover after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist shot dead his father, Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq, at his residence in 1990.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always stood out with his every appearance, be it in different states of India or on his foreign-visits, as his penchant for being fashion conscious is a well known phenomenon.
His recent apparel choice that grabbed eyeballs was his attire on the first day of his three-day visit in Israel.
Always a stickler for appropriate attire, the Prime Minister alighted from Air India One at Tel Aviv, in an immaculate white bandhgala. Also quite noticeable was the blue pocket square.
Significantly, blue and white are the colours of the Israeli flag; and white is PM Modi’s preferred colour for solemn occasions, such as the visit to Yad Vashem yesterday, where he added on to his look with a traditional Himachali cap.
19:12 CM’s allegation baseless, meant only to blackmail people: WB Guv:
Dismissing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegations that he humiliated and insulted her, West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi today said the charges are baseless and meant only to emotionally blackmail the people of the state.
Reacting strongly to Banerjee’s allegations, Tripathi in a statement said, “Instead of making accusations against him, it is better for the chief minister and her colleagues to direct their attention to maintain peace and law and order in the state without making any distinction on the basis of caste, creed or community.”
“The governor is of the view that Raj Bhawan is not a department of the state government and is open to every citizen to approach him for redressal of his or her grievances,” he said in the statement released by the Raj
Bhawan here.
“It is wrong to say that Raj Bhawan has become the office of the BJP or the RSS,” he said.
“Her (Banerjee’s) allegation is baseless and is meant only to emotionally blackmail the people of West Bengal,” he said.
The governor emphasised that “Raj Bhavan is not expected to tear off or throw in the wastepaper basket, the representations received by the governor or his office from any person. Whenever any such representation is received from anyone, the same is forwarded to the state government for appropriate action.”
Reacting sharply to TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee’s statement that the governor is crossing his constitutional limits, Tripathi said it is an attempt to cover the lapses of the state government and divert attention from the main issue.
“The governor has been apprised of the statement of Partha Chatterjee, Hon’ble education minister, and regrets to say that this is an attempt to cover the lapses of the state government and divert attention from the main issue of law and order,” the statement said.
18:59 Kiran Bedi functioning as BJP agent: Pondy CM:
The swearing-in of three members nominated to assembly by Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has come under attack with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy terming it as “murder of democracy” and accusing her of working like a “BJP agent.”
Narayanasamy hit out at Bedi for “committing mayhem of democracy by secretly inducting last night three members as nominated legislators.”
He told reporters that the induction of the three members — V Saminathan, BJP’s Puducherry unit president, K G Shankar (its treasurer) and S Selvaganapathy (an educationist) — with “utmost speed and secrecy betrayed the intention of the BJP and the lieutenant governor to act in utter violation of the statutory procedures.”
The lieutenant governor “is also functioning like an agent of the Bharatiya Janata party,” he said.
Narayanasamy said there is a speaker and an elected assembly and the induction of the members should be done only by the speaker. But Bedi had administered the oath “causing a murder of democracy. This act of the lieutenant governor deserves to be condemned in strongest terms,” he said.
The ruling Congress, meanwhile, also extended support to a bandh called by its ally DMK and other parties on July 8, a day after Bedi inducted the three nominated members.
Bedi on her sought to justify her action, saying that the swearing-in of the three nominated members by her was as per the provisions of the Union Territories Act, 1963.
In a WhatsApp message to mediapersons, Bedi said as per the act, the nomination of the three members to Puducherry assembly “is to be done by the Central government.”
“It (the Act) only says so and nothing more. The Union home ministry sends the names to Puducherry government which then notifies it as was done by the administration (in the present case),” she said.
The former IPS officer said the oath can be administered to the members by the administrator as was done in this case.
18:47 While hosting PM Narendra Modi yesterday evening, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu gifted him a photo which depicts Indian soldiers leading a British military column to liberate Jerusalem, dated Dec 11, 1917.
18:20 And another picture of Moshe with the two prime ministers.
18:14 I love you and your people in India, Moshe tells Modi: PM Narendra Modi meets Moshe Holtzberg, the now 11-year-old survivor of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, in Jerusalem.
The boy reads out a statement in English with a smattering of Hindi — ‘Namaste to the PM of Hindustan. Aapka Swagat Hai Humari Country Mein’.
Modi puts his arm around the boy’s shoulder and asks him to visit India with his family. Moshe ends his statement with a sweet, ‘Dear Mr Modi, I love you and your people in India’. The PM also promised a long-stay visa to the boy.
Israeli PM Netanyahu who was with Modi when he met Moshe tells the boy he ha just accepted the India PM’s invite to India and he could join him during his visit to India.
Moshe’s nanny Sandra Samuels who escaped the attack on the Chabad House during the Mumbai terror strike was also present at the occasion.
The grandfather of 2008 Mumbai attacks survivor, Rabbi Holzberg Nachman, in his message to visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the leader to continue the legacy of kindness and make the country more secure.
Talking to ANI ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Nachman said, “This is a big day for us and the family. I welcome the Prime Minister here.”
He said that his son Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, who were killed in the terror attack, lost their lives because of their good deeds and urged the Indian leader to continue that legacy and make the country more secure.
17:48 The seven MoUs signed between India and Israel.
17:43 I accept, Netanyahu says after PM invites him to India : Seven agreements between India and Israel, in Jerusalem, including three on space cooperation and water conservation. Joint statement by PM Modi and his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu. Highlights.
PM Netanyahu: This is a marriage made in heaven, but we are implementing it here on earth. We are being challenged by the forces of terror that seek to udnermine the peace and stability of our civilisations. This is a deeply moving moment for me. We are making history. We will be meeting young Moshe Holzman, we thank you for making this important gesture. It is a partnership to seek the good to, defend the good. This is a good day. Welcome my friend.
PM Modi: Thank you for your warm words of welcome. I will truly cherish the most wonderful dinner that you and Mrs Netanyahu hosted for me last night. Learning about your family, your father, has taken my experience of a beautiful country to a whole new level. I am honoured to be in israel on an extraordinary journey. Our paths have been different but our belief in democratic values are common. PM Netanyahu and I have had productive discussions on bilateral opportunities and on global peace and stability. Our goal is to build a relationship that draws on the enduring bonds of our two nations. Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation,water and agriculture. Our talks focused on not just areas of bilateral opportunities but also how our cooperation can help the cause of global peace and stability. We have agreed to combat growing radicalization and terrorism. We also discussed the situation in West Asia. It is India’s hope that peace, dialogue and restrain will prevail. The Indian Jewish community reminds us of these bonds. We have been receiving a large number of Israeli tourists and Indian students are pursuing advanced studies in Israel. I invite you and Mrs Netanyahu to India.
Netanyahu immediately accepts the invation.
17:01 Israeli prez calls Modi, ‘Greatest democratic leader’: Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday broke protocol to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said ‘he is welcome to the State of Israel in the capital city of Jerusalem”.
Both Prime Minister Modi and President Rivlin held extensive talks on a wide range of issues pertaining to India-Israel friendship and other global issues.
Elaborating on strengthening the bilateral ties, Rivlin said, “We have a lot in common and doing a lot in common. We have understood very well and talked on the need to take forward the India-Israel friendship partnership. State of Israel is a new state established in 1940 and we thought we should produce everything in Israel and make great ideas.”
Rivlin told PM Modi that “We are doing a lot to take up your ideas about Make in India”
The President said PM Modi has accepted that only in some projects Israel would be participating in ‘Make With India’.
“The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India,” PM Modi tweeted.
Recalling his visit to India, President Rivlin said, “I am glad to say it is only eight months since I visited India, I will never forget I found real strong nation with strong ideas and India is one of the greatest democracies in the world in this time.”
Speaking on the level of cooperation, Israeli President said, “There is a lot of cooperation in universities, B2B cooperation between businessmen of India and Israel and there are many Israeli businessmen who intend to invest in India, make mutual projects together. I believe that both Israeli and Indian government will boost G2G cooperation.
Praising PM Modi, President said, “I have found you the greatest democratic leaders at present, who pays attention to the needs of his people.”
16:55 India registers protest against Burhan Wani rally in UK: India has protested to the UK over a planned rally to mark “Burhan Wani Day” in Birmingham on Saturday, questioning how the British government can allow the “glorification of terrorists” on its soil.
The Indian High Commission in London wrote to the UK Foreign Office to register its protest. The rally is planned by UK-based Kashmiri groups to mark the first death anniversary of the commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit killed in a gun battle with Indian armed forces in the Kashmir Valley on July 8 last year.
India’s deputy high commissioner, Dinesh Patnaik, sent a “note verbale” on Monday to the Foreign Office including details of Wani’s crimes and propagation of violence in the Valley.
“A rally on Kashmir is a different matter but to glorify and eulogise a terrorist is unacceptable. The UK itself has suffered at the hands of terrorism in the last few months and lives have been overturned as a result. How can law and order allow such a glorification of terrorists and propagation of violence,” wrote Patnaik. — PTI
16:39 Day 2: Modi, Netanyahu hold ‘restricted talks’ : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the second day of his landmark Israel visit, the first by an Indian premier.
Ahead of the restricted talks with Netanyahu, Modi called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and how Israel’s cutting-edge technology could help the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Modi, who arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday for a three-day visit, met Netanyahu for restricted talks first. The Prime Minister then held delegation-level parleys.
He thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu for hosting the historic visit and playing a crucial role in writing an important chapter in bilateral ties. In his meeting with Netanyahu, the Prime Minister mentioned his stay and interactions in Israel since yesterday that reflected trust and clarity in the unfolding chapter in bilateral relations, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.
Prime Minister Netanyahu called Modi’s visit ground- breaking and emphasised that he sees history in making in his talks with the Indian premier. Laying the foundation of a new chapter in relations with Israel, Modi began his “ground-breaking” visit yesterday, receiving an extraordinary welcome by the Jewish nation.
The personal chemistry and the warmth between Modi and Netanyahu was apparent in their remarks and their hugs. Reflecting the importance that Israel is according to the first visit by an Indian prime minister since Israel’s establishment 70 years ago, the host nation pulled out all stops to welcome Modi — Netanyahu broke protocol to come to the Ben Gurion airport, an honour reserved only for the US President and the Pope; Netanyahu’s entire Cabinet was also present as were representatives of various religious orders. Modi had said that his visit celebrates the strength of centuries-old links between the two societies and “based on these bonds, our partnership has mantained a strong and sustained upswing since the establishment of full relationship, diplomatic relations, 25 years ago.”
16:21 PM Modi’s visit groundbreaking: Netanyahu: Israeli PM Netanyahu calls PM’s visit groundbreaking and emphasises that he sees history in the making in his talks with the PM. PM mentions his stay and interactions in Israel since yesterday reflect trust and clarity in the unfolding chapter in relations. PM begins delgation-level talks expressing his thanks to PM Netanyahu for hosting the historic visit and in playing a crucial role in writing an important chapter in the relationship between the two countries.
16:19 Communal fires simmer in Bengal: Internet suspended in 24 Parganas : After clashes in Baduria and Basirhat areas of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas over a Facebook post, Internet services were disrupted in the Baduria district, reported ANI.
State authorities blocked Internet services in the Basirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal less than 100 km to the east of Kolkata to curb spread of rumors on social media and instant messaging services, reports ANI. Currently, section 144 of the CrPC, which deals with unlawful assembly, has been put in place in the area.
The decision was taken after an angry mob had torched police vehicles, vandalised shops and blocked roads leading to the India-Bangladesh border after a derogatory post on social media. The Union Ministry on Tuesday had dispatched three companies of paramilitary forces after the state sought the Centre’s help. The state government has also been asked to send a detailed report of the incident. — ANI
16:08 Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds talks with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.
15:25 India misleading public on Sikkim standoff: China: China today accused India of “misleading the public” by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken’s Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India’s access to the north- eastern states.
“In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri-junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang told reporters.
“The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi,” Geng asserted.
He claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan. “The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point,” Geng said defending China’s road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.
India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India’s access to its northeastern states. — PTI
14:56 10 days after PM’s US visit Rahul criticises H1-B failure : Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s Rip Van Winkle moment. on Wednesday trained his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent visit to the United States.Taking to Twitter, Gandhi cited reports from newspapers where the Prime Minister did not raise the H1B issue with President and also how the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) appeared to downplay the issue of usage of “Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir” by the US in a statement.”India has a weak PM,” Gandhi tweeted.
14:29 Moshe ‘excited and emotional’ to meet Modi, says his grandpa: Moshe Holtzberg, the 12-year-old Israeli boy, who as a toddler survived the 2008 terror attack at a Jewish centre in Mumbai, is “excited and emotional” ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jerusalem today, his grandfather says.
Shortly before Moshe’s second birthday, the terrorists stormed the Chabad House in Mumbai, taking the toddler, his parents and several tourists hostage. Moshe’s nanny, Sandra Samuels, was also in the building but managed to hide in a room downstairs.
She emerged when she heard Moshe’s cries and found him standing between his parents’ bodies. She grabbed him and fled the building, also known as the ‘Nariman House’, which reopened in 2014 after extensive renovations.
Moshe now lives in Afula, Israel, with his grandparents — Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg and his wife Yehudit Rosenberg.
“Moshe is excited and emotional. We all are. We attach a lot of importance to the visit of Modi to Israel and his deciding to meet us,” Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg told PTI over phone from Jerusalem.
Modi is making a special point by meeting 11-year-old Moshe, who survived the 2008 attack that claimed the lives of his parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, the directors of the Chabad House.
“We all are here at Jerusalem from Afula to meet the Indian prime minister. This meeting is very important to us as the prime minister, who represents 125 crore Indians, has shown a desire to meet Moshe and us,” Rosenberg said.
“India has given too much love to Moshe and all of us. God bless India and Prime Minister Modi,” he said. “It is nice to know that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain,” he said.
Asked if Moshe recalls the Chabad House attack in Mumbai, Rosenberg said, “He doesn’t speak much (on the terror attacks) but says Chabad House is his home.” Moshe will be visiting Chabad House after two years when he is 13, Rosenberg said.
“I could not believe my ears when I got a call from the Indian ambassador saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to meet us,” Moshe’s grandfather said. Samuels, 53, was granted honorary Israeli citizenship in 2008.
She frequently travels from her home in Jerusalem to visit Moshe and his grandparents. The Rosenbergs and Samuels have also been invited to meet the prime minister. Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky, the director of Chabad House in Mumbai, said he was looking forward to a new era of ever-more friendly relations between India and Israel.
Image: A file picture of Moshe as a toddler with his maternal grandfather Shimon Rosenberg.
13:58 Remembering Florence Ezekiel: Actress Nadira (real name, Florence Ezekiel) from a Baghdadi Jewish family; seen with Raj Kapoor in the film, Shree 420. The picture was Tweeted by @FilmHistoryPic.
13:53 Day 2 in Jerusalem: I for I, says Modi after meeting Israeli president : “I for I and I with I,” says PM Narendra Modi during his meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. I refers to India and Israel, the PM clarified as he met Rivlin on day 2 of his historic visit to Israel. The PM said India and Israel will turn out to be great allies and their cooperation will only deepen on various fronts. The PM thanked the Rivlin for the warm welcome in the country and in turn the president said it was a pleasure to have Modi as a guest in the country.
PM Modi recalled his visit as CM in 2006 when he visited the house of the 1st PM of Israel Ben Gurion whose bedroom had picture of Mahatma Gandhi. The PM thanked President Rivlin for going out of his way to receive him at the alighting point, terms it a mark of honour for the 1.25 billion people of India.
From the President’s Residence, he will head back to the King David Hotel for another working meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu, the Times of Israel had reported. After the two leaders have lunch together, they will attend a ceremony during which a series of bilateral agreements will be signed, and deliver statements to the press.
Image: PM Modi meeting Israeli president Rivlin yesterday as well.
Prime Minister Modi was at the Beit Aghion for three hours, as the entire Netanyahu family greeted and met him with utmost warmth.The interaction went on until almost midnight (0230 hrs IST).
Netanyahu gifted Prime Minister Modi a painting that depicts the successful charge of the Indian Cavalry Brigade, which resulted in the liberation of Haifa in 1918, during World War 1.Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv where he was received by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.
Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.
12:43 Netanyahu and yoga : The Indian Express: Netanyahu mentioned Modi’s penchant for yoga, saying that he was “inspired’ by the Indian PM who had asked him to start at a “low level’. He said that when he does a relaxing Talasana pose and looks towards his right, India will be the “first democracy’, and when Modi does Vashistasana and looks towards the left, Israel is the first democracy he will see. Modi laughed throughout this comment.
12:38 Why Cong wants to watch Indu Sarkar before it is censored : The much-talked about upcoming movie ‘Indu Sarkar’, based on the Emergency imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, has led the Congress party to ask the Central Board of Film Certification for a review before it comes under the scanner.
In this regard, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has written to CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani, expressing the grand old party’s wish to watch the movie before it is ‘censored’.
“The trailer of the film says it’s a film on Emergency and hence, we can see the likes of our beloved leaders like Indira Gandhi-ji, Sanjay Gandhi-ji and other senior leaders of the India National Congress. We, therefore, want to be certain that our leaders are not shown in bad light and hence, would like to see the film before it’s censored,” Nirupam mentioned in a letter addressed to Nihalani.
The leader also expressed his hope for a positive response.’Indu Sarkar’ is based on a 21-month long period, from 1975 to 1977, when the then prime minister Indira Gandhi unilaterally had a state of emergency declared across the country. The flick is slated to release mid 2017. — ANI
12:22 Consider plea to withdraw 30% local body tax: Rajini to govt: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth today appealed to the state government to consider the demand of theatre owners and distributors to withdraw the 30 per cent local body tax imposed on the film industry.
“Keeping in mind the livelihood of lakhs of people in the Tamil film industry, I sincerely request the TN GOVT to seriously consider our plea,” the actor said in a tweet as the the strike by exhibitors entered its third day. Rajinikanth is currently in the US for a “regular health checkup”.
The 66-year-old actor, who was shooting for his upcoming film “Kaala Karikalan”, left for the US on June 29. Nearly 1,000 cinema halls in the state have remained shut since July 3 with exhibitors going ahead with their stir to protest imposition of 30 per cent local body tax in addition to 28 per cent GST.
Senior officials of the Tamil film producers council, South Indian Artistes Association along with theatre owners and distributors, who met Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Monday, decided to continue their protest, as the meeting did not yield any positive result. — PTI
11:58 PM’s itinerary in Tel Aviv today: 9 appointments and Sukhwinder : PM Modi’s itinerary in Tel Aviv today.
— The PM will hold a working meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
— From the President’s Residence, he will head back to the King David Hotel for another working meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu. After the two leaders have lunch together, they will attend a ceremony during which a series of bilateral agreements will be signed, and deliver statements to the press.
— In the afternoon, Modi is set to meet opposition leader Isaac Herzog and members of the Indian community.
— He will then head to the Israel Museum, where together with Netanyahu he will walk through the Synagogue Route and gaze at a reconstruction of the Kadavumbagam synagogue from the town of Cochin in southern India. The 16th-century wooden structure has “an exquisitely carved and painted ceiling directly influenced by the decorations of mosques and Hindu temples,” according to the Israel Museum.
— On Wednesday evening, at around 8 (5:30 pm IST), the two prime ministers will address a major rally at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, which is expected to draw some 4,000 participants.
Before the two leaders make their speeches, the crowd will be entertained by a cultural program, including a performance by popular Bollywood playback singer Sukhwinder Singh.
— In Tel Aviv, Modi will also meet with diamond merchants from Gujarat. About 12,000 non-Jewish Indian nationals currently live and work in Israel, as well as some 80,000 Israeli Jews with at least one parent of Indian origin. Only 5,000 Jews remain in India today.
— In Tel Aviv, Modi is also scheduled to meet Moshe Holtzberg, the now 12-year-old son of two Chabad emissaries, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg, who were killed in a November 2008 terror attack in Mumbai. He is also expected to meet with Sandra Samuel, Moshe’s nanny at the time, who rescued the boy on the day of the attack. — The Times of Israel.
Image: PM Modi and Israeli PM Netanyahu at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial yesterday. Picture courtesy: MEA
11:45 Narendra Modi’s open friendship with Israel : India and Israel achieved independence in 1947 and 1948 respectively, and both were beset with the problems of partition. India recognized Israel de jure in 1950, but diplomatic relations commenced only in 1992.
The Oslo peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the importance of closer relations with the United States of America after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the diminishing sensitivity of the main Indian political parties to Muslim vote-bank politics – all played their part in creating the diplomatic opening.
This year, the 25th year of this diplomatic relationship, is being marked by the first visit by our prime minister to that country. The presidents of Israel have been in India twice and its prime minister once, while President Pranab Mukherjee visited Israel in 2015.
Bilateral ties have flourished even in the absence of many high-level exchanges, irrespective of the nature of governments in New Delhi and Tel Aviv. Narendra Modi has met Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, at multilateral meetings and their personal chemistry has been good.
Read more
Image: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara welcome PM Modi to a dinner yesterday. The picture was tweeted by the MEA.
11:17 Nothing in talks for Mamata to feel insulted, humiliated: WB governor: After West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi of threatening her, the latter on Tuesday expressed shock over the language used by the former in her press conference and said there was nothing in the talks between the two for which she might have felt insulted or threatened.
“I am surprised at the attitude and language used by Mamata Banerjee during the press conference today. The talks between us were confidential in nature and no one is expected to disclose it. However, there was nothing in the talks for which she might have felt insulted, threatened or humiliated,” the letter issued by the Governor stated.
The letter further read that being the guardian of the state, it is the right of the Governor to bring the grievance of the people to the notice of the Chief Minister and Tripathi did the same.
“The Governor, being the Head of the State, is the guardian of all the citizens of the State and not of any particular party or section of society. It is proper for the Governor to bring to the notice of the Chief Minister any serious grievance made by any member of public or any serious event happening in the State. The Governor cannot remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the State,” the letter quoted.
It further added that Governor Tripathi just urged Mamata to ensure peace, law and order by all means in the state.Mamata earlier accused Governor Tripathi of making threats against her and abusing her.
11:09 Kirron Kher’s moment of pride : BJP MP from Chandigarh, Kirron Kher tweets this picture of her husband @KirronKherBJP What a proud moment for me as an Army child to see @AnupamPkher with the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force!
11:06 West Bengal not a dictatorship, is governed by Indian Constitution: BJP : The BJP on Wednesday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for accusing Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi for threatening her and asked the state chief to not conduct herself in an unhealthy manner.
BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia said that Banerjee will have to understand that West Bengal is not a dictatorship and is governed as per the constitution of India.
“Mamata Banerjee will have to understand that West Bengal is not a dictatorship and is governed as per the constitution of India. The post of a governor, which is a very high post will take adequate measures if it finds out that the government is not abiding by the constitution. What Mamata is doing is not healthy practice,” Bhatia said.
Earlier yesterday, Banerjee came down heavily on Tripathi saying she was threatened and humiliated by him.
Speaking at the State Secretariat in Kolkata, Mamata said, “I made it clear to him (the Governor) that he cannot speak to me in such a manner; he cannot threaten me. The Governor telephoned me and said objectionable things. He spoke like a ‘block president’ of the BJP.”
The Chief Minister claimed that she received a call from Tripathi after a BJP delegation met him over the issue of communal violence in North 24 Parganas.
10:46 Venus Williams changes pink bra mid-match : Venus Williams’ choice of a shocking pink bra courted controversy at Wimbledon on Monday in what was an apparent breach of the championship’s strict ‘all white’ rule, reports the Telegraph.
Williams, who has won the women’s singles title six times, changed out of the bra during a rain break in her second set against Elise Mertens, prompting speculation that officials had spoken to her about its bright colour. Before changing her outfit the bra’s bright pink straps had been clearly visible to spectators and officials.
Image: Venus Williams of the United States plays a backhand. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images.
10:37 Preet Bharara’s brilliant response to Trump’s anti-immigration America: India-born top United States prosecutor Preet Bharara, who was fired by the Trump administration after he refused to resign, commemorated 4th of July, the American Independence Day, tweeting a photograph of his immigrant family. (See the picture alongside).
Bharara and 45 other US prosecutors appointed by former President Barack Obama had been asked by the Trump administration to resign in March, following which they were summarily sacked.
Bharara tweeted yesterday, “Happy 4th of July to all. I’m forever grateful my immigrant family was welcomed to America 47 years ago. We will never stop giving back.”
When asked to identify himself in the black and white photograph of his family, Bharara responded, “I’m the baby sitting in mom’s lap. This photo was taken a few days before my dad (glasses, back row) left India for good. We joined later.”
But his tweet that followed is probably why he was considered such a brilliant prosecutor. Retweeting Donald Trump Junior’s post, Bharara said, “Respectfully, today all celebrate the promise of America whether for new immigrants or aging reality TV stars. America belongs to all of us.”
Followed by this brilliant takedown: “Also we might celebrate the ability of immigrant spelling bee contestants to know that “oppressive” has only one “r.” Build a wwallll.”
The US President’s son had tweeted: “Out of curiosity, what exactly are Big Govt, opprressive taxation, anti 2A left wing socialists celebrating today?”,
Bharara said that citizens working together are more powerful than US Attorneys. And presidents.
In March, Bharara said he had been fired becuase he refused to resign. “Being the US Attorney in SDNY will forever be the greatest honour of my professional life”.
09:59 Modi to meet 26/11 survivor Moshe today : Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who was just two years old when he lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, will be meeting PM Narendra Modi today.
Modi’s decision to meet Moshe, now 10, has been welcomed by the child’s family which said that the gesture made them realise that Indians share their pain and they have not been forgotten.
Modi will also meet Moshe’s Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who managed to escape with him from the Nariman House which came under attack by Pakistan-based LeT terrorists, and his grandparents Shimon and Yehudit Rosenberg. “I could not believe my ears when I got a call from the Indian envoy saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to meet us. My immediate thoughts were that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain,” Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg told PTI.
— PTI
Image: Moshe, in the image to the left, is a 10 years old now. The picture on the right is the boy with his nurse Sandra Samuel, who will also meet the PM today.
09:46 My uncle admired mathematician Ramanujan, says Netanyahu fostering ties : Renowned Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan symbolises the talent of people of India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, emphasising that the two countries believe in the partnership of talent.
Expressing his admiration for Ramanujan, Netanyahu said he was one of the greatest mathematicians of all times. “We have a great admiration for people of India. I told you about my late uncle professor, who was a mathematician at the Israel Institute of Technology. He told me many times about his admiration for the great Indian mathematician Ramanujan,” Netanyahu said in a statement along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“He was perhaps the greatest mathematician in many centuries. And this symbolises the talent of people of India, as we know we have talent in Israel. We believe in this partnership of talent,” he added.
Ramanujan, who died at an early age of 32, has contributed to mathematical analysis, including infinite series and continued fractions. The Israeli prime minister said he and Modi both seek a better future for the people of the two countries.
“It requires a lot of work, it won’t happen overnight but prime minister Modi and I want this to happen,” he said. Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit the Jewish nation, received a warm welcome in Israel yesterday.
His three-day visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and will also see discussions between him and his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu to explore ways to enhance cooperation in key strategic areas. — PTI
09:35 India will suffer greater losses than 1962 if incited: Chinese media: Amidst the tension between India and China over the Sikkim border issue, a state-run Chinese media has warned that New Delhi would suffer “greater losses” than in 1962 if any attempt is made to incite military conflict.
This came in response to Indian Defence Minister Arun Jatiley’s remarks that India of 2017 was different from what it was in 1962.
An opinion piece published in the China’s Global Times said that the Chinese public was “infuriated by India’s provocation” and “believe that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory.”
“If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area, and it’s ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power. Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 – India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts,” the report read.
The report further said that China still wants to address the issue through peaceful means and is unwilling to face confrontation in the border area.
“But a peaceful solution must lead to legitimate and justified outcomes. We hope India can face up to the hazards of its unruly actions to the country’s fundamental interests and withdraw its troops without delay,” the report read.
The present stand-off between India and China emerged after New Delhi expressed its apprehension over Beijing constructing a road in the Donglang area of the Sikkim sector.
China has accused India of violating a 1890 Sino-British treaty defining the boundary between Sikkim and Tibet.China claimed that the successive Indian governments have repeatedly acknowledged, in writing, that it concurs with China on the boundary convention on Sikkim
Last year, in a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court asked relatives of the victims and activists to collect information on the killings.
The court will rule in July whether to order an official investigation which could lead to convictions.
BBC’s Soutik Biswas travelled to Manipur to find out more.
08:30 PM’s gift to Bibi: Replicas of Jewish artefacts from Kerala: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala, regarded as key artefacts of the long Jewish history in India.
They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th Century, the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted.
The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochin Jews in India. It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma) to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban.
According to traditional Jewish accounts, Joseph Rabban was later crowned as the Prince of Shingli, a place in or equated with Cranganore.
Cranganore is where Jews enjoyed religious and cultural autonomy for centuries, before they moved to Cochin and other places in Malabar.
Local Jews once placed in each coffin a handful of earth from Shingli/Cranganore that was remembered as a holy place and a ‘second Jerusalem’.
The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, Kochi.
The second set of copper plates is believed to be the earliest documentation of the history of Jewish trade with India.
These plates describe the grant of land and tax privileges by the local Hindu ruler to a church. And oversight of trade in Kollam to West Asian and Indian trading associations.
West Asian association included Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians, as also a group of Jews, who signed in Judeo- Persian and possibly also in Arabic and Pahlavi (Middle Persian).
The plates bear their signatures that appear to have been cut into the plates by a local workman unfamiliar with the script, the PMO tweeted.
The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Thiruvalla, Kerala.
In addition, Prime Minister Modi also presented Netanyahu a Torah scroll donated by the Paradesi Jewish community in Kerala.
Handwritten over a hundred years ago, the scroll had been dedicated to the Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi that had been built in 1568, the PMO tweeted.
The Torah is enclosed on wooden staves in a wooden case adorned with silver sheets. And a metal crown covered in gold sheets in floral ornament style, bearing motifs typical of lamps and decorations of south India. — PTI
Photograph: @PMOIndia/Twitter
00:11 New poll finds more Americans trust CNN than Trump:
While US President Donald Trump has recently bashed CNN on Twitter, a new poll has found that more Americans actually trust the network more than the president.
Overall, 50 per cent of adults said they trust CNN more than Trump, compared to 43 per cent of adults who said they trust the President more than CNN, according to a poll from Survey Monkey.
Whether people trust CNN or Trump more varied largely along party lines.
Of Republicans, 89 per cent said they trusted Trump more, and 9 per cent said they trusted CNN more.
Among Democrats, only 5 per cent said they trust Trump more.
The survey also found that adults trusted the New York Times, Washington Post and network news programs like NBC, CBS and ABC more than the US president.
Source: Rediff