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Transcript of The Hindu Sep 28 to Oct 3
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KIIWHindu sep 28 oct 3
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Content
Crackdown on Hong Kong protests unlikely 1
Pro-democracy protests spread in Hong Kong 1
Tibetan plateau becomes focus of intense climate study 2
Solar energy could dominate electricity by 2050 2
Renewable energy pact with U.S. likely 3
A food system for the future 3
More hot air at climate summit 4
Indian-Israeli PMs meet for the first time in more than a decade 5
Modi to meet Netanyahu; marks shift in Indian policy 6
India-China stand-off ends: MEA 6
Calm on the frontiers 6
China slams U.S. "broad coalition" approach to counter IS 7
'India would not join anti-China coalition led by U.S.' 8
Afghanistan's change of guard 9
Indonesia: bill seen as a setback to democracy 9
Modi calls for global convention on terror 10
ED to probe global drug money laundering operations 10
Libyan parliament swears in new government 11
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Trouble brews for Greenpeace over pesticides in tea report 11
Wildlife numbers down by half in 40 years: WWF survey 12
Kashmir keeps turning up 12
'Citizenship if Rohingya identify as Bengali' 12
Deepening relationship 13
No breakthrough in hurdles facing India-U.S. ties 13
Obama, the serial interventionist 14
Perspectives on ocean mixing 16
Indian diaspora makes mark in foreign policy 16
Turkey vows to fight Islamic State 17
Fighting rages as Ukraine rebels try to seize Donetsk airport 17
Abbas seeks U.N. deadline to end Israeli occupation 17
Young western women among jihadis 18
Syria sees Turkish deployment inside its border as an aggression 19
Turkish Parliament votes for military action against IS 19
Coverage of antenatal care in India has to be increased: WHO 20
Paid news should attract disqualification: CEC 21
Fighting the fires they lit 21
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ISRO set for Oct. 10 launch of navigation satelli te 22
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Crackdown on Hong Kong protests unlikely Tue, Sep 30, 2014Hong Kong, The Hindu, international, China,
China has slammed the "occupy central" movement in Hong Kong, but may not order
a crackdown in anticipation of a turnaround in public opinion if the protests prolong.
The government has made it clear that it would not subscribe to any of the two core
demands of the opposition: a change in Beijing's position on the mechanics of the 2017
elections in Hong Kong, or the resignation of its Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
Analysts point out that the basic accusation by the opposition, which has become one
of the main rallying points of the agitation, that Beijing reneged from its promise not
to interfere in the selection of eligible candidates for the 2017 polls is based on a false
premise. An article posted on the website of the
Hong Kong based Asia Times points out that Article 45 of the Hong Kong Basic Law,
which became the effective constitution of Hong Kong upon reversion in 1997 callsfor "universal suffrage to vote for candidates put forth by a nominating committee, not
universal suffrage in the nomination as well as election process, which is the Occupy
Hong Kong movement's demand". However, the daily notes that the alienation of many
Hong Kong people, particularly those on the younger side of an increasingly stark
generational divide, toward the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the disruptions
that PRC citizens have brought to the economic and social life of the city, is "profound".
Pro-democracy protests spread in Hong Kong Mon, Sep 29, 2014
Hong Kong, The Hindu, international, China,
Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators blocked major roads in multiple districts
of Hong Kong on Monday as protests widened against China's decision to restrict open
elections in the territory.
Occupy Central, a group of pro-democracy activists that had planned to block streets
in the financial district, joined an ongoing student protest on Sunday, swelling the
numbers on the streets.
The student protests were organised following a decision last month by China's top
legislative body restricting the nominations for chief executive in elections due in 2017.According to the ruling, the candidate who wins the popular vote would also have to
be formally appointed by the government in Beijing before taking office.
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Tibetan plateau becomes focus of intense climate study Wed, Oct 1, 2014environment, The Hindu, tibet, climate change,
The Tibetan plateau has become the focus of intense meteorological study in a never-beforeattempt to understand its effect on climate locally as well as globally,
This development follows close on the heels of the massive floods which hit Kashmir
and Pakistan recently.
The $49-million Chinese effort, in which the plateau is being flooded with sensors, is
aimed to help predict extreme weather -- both in Asia and as far away as North America
-- and give scientists knowledge on how climate change affects these events.
Having a high altitude, the plateau receives more sunlight, gets hotter than land at sea
level. Acting like a giant heating plate it pumps air upwards which disperses in the
upper troposphere, influencing atmospheric circulation and thereby, climate.
Being the biggest and highest plateau in the world, it disturbs the troposphere unlike
any other structure on earth. However, there are little data on the impact on climate.
The plateau's remoteness, altitude and harsh conditions -- it is often called the third
pole because it hosts the world's third-largest stock of ice -- meaning that even basic
weather stations are few.
"The data should help determine the extent to which different types of land surface heat
up the overlying air, and how this might vary in response to factors such as snow cover
and vegetation changes,"
Solar energy could dominate electricity by 2050 Tue, Sep 30, 2014environment, The Hindu, climate change, solar energy,
Solar energy could be the top source of electricity by 2050, aided by plummeting costs
of the equipment to generate it,
IEA reports said solar photovoltaic (PV) systems could generate up to 16 per cent of
the world's electricity by 2050, while solar thermal electricity (STE) -- from "concentrating"
solar power plants -- could provide a further 11 per cent.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels constitute the fastest growing renewable energy technology
in the world since 2000, although solar is still less than 1 per cent of energy capacity
worldwide.
The IEA said PV expansion would be led by China, followed by the United States,
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while STE could also grow in the United States along with Africa, India and the Middle
East.
Renewable energy pact with U.S. likely Tue, Sep 30, 2014environment, The Hindu, renewable energy, usa, climate change,
ndia-U.S. ties were in for "transformational growth," and identified solar energy and
other clean energy initiatives as a key area.
The U.S. "welcomed" the government's decision to allow an anti-dumping proposal
on solar energy technology to lapse, which would let India import solar panels and
technology more easily.
In early September, the Commerce Ministry agreed to revoke its earlier decision to
levy a duty in the range of $0.11--0.81 per watt on solar cells imported from the U.S.
and other countries. U.S. companies like First Solar, who have already entered the
Indian market with solar modules, were among the companies demanding the change.
A food system for the future Mon, Sep 29, 2014environment, The Hindu, food security, climate change,
we collectively face a dual challenge: ensuring that everyone will have access to
affordable, nutritious food without decimating the earth's natural resources in the
process. The United Nation's food organisations -- the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO)-- have just published their annual report on global food insecurity, which highlights
that despite some evidence of progress, 805 million people, or 1 in 9 people, still suffer
from hunger.
Poor diets stunt the growth of 162 million children every year, 97 per cent of them in
the developing world, trapping communities in a cycle of poverty and ill-health.
According to WHO, a staggering 2 billion people are affected by iron deficiency which
contributes to anaemia. More than 250 million children suffer from Vitamin A deficiency
which is a major public health challenge in more than half the countries on the planet
-- with half a million going blind each year. Half of these children die within 12 monthsof going blind.
Meanwhile, 1.3 billion of us are classified as overweight or obese, fuelled by a food
system that is damaging not just our bodies but the environment too. If trends towards
western diets continue, the impact of food production alone will reach, if not exceed,
the global targets for total greenhouse gases. Our current agricultural production system
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is inefficient. We continue to destroy tropical forests for agricultural expansion and
this contributes 12 per cent to the total warming of the planet today. And we waste
much of the food we produce. What is a crisis for many now could become a catastrophe
for more in the future because of the effects of climate change. Climate change is already
making people hungry, by disrupting crop yields, pushing prices up and increasing foodinsecurity for large numbers of the world's population. And it is not just food but
nutrients that are becoming scarcer as the climate changes.
It is the poorest communities that will suffer the worst effects of climate change,
including increased hunger and malnutrition as crop production and livelihoods are
threatened. And poverty is a driver of climate change, as desperate communities resort
to unsustainable use of resources to meet current needs.
This means supporting the world's smallholder farmers so that they are able to grow,
sell and eat more nutritious foods; it means converting degraded lands into productive
farms, and fortifying staple foods with essential nutrients like iron and zinc.
More hot air at climate summit Mon, Sep 29, 2014environment, The Hindu, climate change,
U.S. President Barack Obama outlined the country's plans and programmes that are
being driven entirely by executive action now and reiterated the goal of reducing U.S.
emissions of greenhouse gases by 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020.
The Vice Premier spoke of how renewable energy capacity as a proportion of electricity
generating capacity has already reached 24 per cent in China (as compared to around13 per cent in India) and how China is well on its way of reducing its emissions intensity
(emissions per unit of GDP) by 40-45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020 (as compared
to the Indian target of a 20-25 per cent reduction). "China will take on international
responsibilities that are commensurate with its national conditions."
First, China is acutely conscious that it is now the world's largest emitter of greenhouse
gases that cause global warming. In 1990, China's share was 11 per cent, below that
of the U.S. (22 per cent) and that of the European Union (19 per cent). Latest estimates
are that China's share has zoomed to 29 per cent, while the U.S.'s share has fallen to
15 per cent; the European Union's to 11 per cent. In the same period, India's share
incidentally has doubled to six per cent. Second, environmental issues have come to
dominate the public discourse as concerns on air and water pollution and chemical
contamination have grown in the media and in the public as well.
Last year, China and the U.S. agreed jointly that the phase down of hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs) should be negotiated under the Montreal Protocol. HFCs are substitutes for the
ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
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that are used largely in refrigerators and air conditioners but now their very powerful
global warming potential and their rapid build-up in the greenhouse gas inventory has
come into sharp public focus.
India and China have traditionally taken the view that HFCs should not be discussed
under the Montreal Protocol which deals with ozone depletion, but under the U.N.
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which deals with greenhouse
gases. But the Chinese stance has clearly changed leaving India isolated, a position that
is definitely not in our enlightened self-interest. An international agreement on the
phase down (as different from a phase out) of HFCs under the highly successful Montreal
Protocol could prevent a global average temperature increase of 0.5deg Celsius and go a
long way in reducing global warming.
After introducing seven regional pilot carbon markets last year, China also just announced
plans to move to a national emissions trading system by 2016 that would be about twice
the size of the present European system although it will, in the initial five years, coveraround four per cent of total emissions. With this, the Chinese have clearly sent a
message that they are not against the use of market-friendly instruments to enforce
environmental regulations and standards.
Mr. Modi's administration has clearly indicated where its preferences and priorities
lie. Pressures to dilute standards have already started mounting. For instance, with great
difficulty, mandatory fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars that have environmental
impacts as well were finally notified in January 2014 to be effective from April 1, 2016.
Already there is a move to postpone this date by a year.
India must also begin to realise that while the BASIC quartet comprising Brazil, SouthAfrica, India and China meets every quarter and issues a joint statement, increasingly
the other three countries are showing flexibility. South Africa, for example, has put
forward a new proposal to reflect equity in the architecture of the final climate change
agreement.
Indian-Israeli PMs meet for the first time in more than a decade Mon, Sep 29, 2014The Hindu, international, israel,
The conversation takes significance given it came before Mr. Modi's dinner meeting
with US President Barack Obama in Washington, as well as Mr. Modi's address to the
council for foreign relations to outline his government's foreign policy objectives.
Mr. Modi and Mr. Netanyahu also discussed ways of increasing bilateral ties in the
areas of agriculture, water management and urban development. Israel is one of India's
largest defence suppliers, and Mr. Modi discussed his government's decision to open
up Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the field to 49 per cent. He also told Mr. Netanyahu
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that Israel should consider defence partnerships based in India, in line with his "Make
in India" initiative.
Modi to meet Netanyahu; marks shift in Indian policy Sun, Sep 28, 2014The Hindu, international, israel,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
on Sunday marking a distinct shift in India's position on the West Asian conflict.
During the meeting, the two Prime Ministers will speak about improving bilateral ties
and bilateral trade at about $6 billion, Israel is one of a handful of countries that Mr.
Modi visited as Chief Minister of Gujarat, and according to a senior BJP official,
To begin with, the Prime Minister will be meeting Mr. Netanyahu, but has not met with
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas who was here in New York at the same
time. In the past few years, India has taken a more nuanced position on the Palestinian-Israel
conflict, away from its pro-Palestine stance of the past. While India voted against Israel
at the UN Human Right Council this year during the recent conflict in Gaza where more
than 2,200 people were killed, for example, the government refused to condemn Israel's
actions in its statement.
India-China stand-off ends: MEA Wed, Oct 1, 2014The Hindu, international, China,
The 20-day "stand-off" between Indian and Chinese troops in Eastern Ladakh hasended. The External Affairs Ministry announced on Tuesday that both sides "carried
out disengagement and redeployment of border troops"
"The two sides have also agreed that a meeting of the Working Mechanism for
Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) will be convened
in India on October 16-17 to discuss various issues pertaining to the maintenance of
peace and tranquillity in the border areas," the statement said.
Calm on the frontiersTue, Sep 30, 2014The Hindu, international, china,
crisis erupted in the Chumar sector in Ladakh, along the unclarified Line of Actual
Control
The forces from the two sides will now pull back to their September 1 positions before
the crisis erupted in the Chumar sector in Ladakh, along the unclarified Line of Actual
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Control (LAC).
Both sides deserve credit for resolving the flare-up with maturity and resolve. The
resolution of the standoff confirmed the robustness of the Border Defence Cooperation
Agreement (BDCA) reached last year, which, by setting the detailed protocol for
addressing a border crisis, allowed the two militaries to conduct an uninterrupted and
successful dialogue. the incident underscores the urgency of clarifying the LAC, and
boldly striking a permanent deal on the Sino-Indian frontier. This will not be possible
unless there is a decisive but carefully negotiated give-and-take process on territories
along the border, requiring both sides, including public opinion in the two countries,
to fully understand that historic accomplishments of this magnitude are never realised
with a zero-sum mentality. Nevertheless, with the latest tensions defusing, the focus
needs to shift to an interlocking agenda that has begun to emerge on the Sino-Indian
horizon. Hemmed in by Washington's doctrinal push for an "Asia Pivot", the Chinese
are looking for an Indian endorsement for the 21st century maritime Silk Road.
Membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is also on offer.
China slams U.S. "broad coalition" approach to counter IS Sun, Sep 28, 2014The Hindu, international, China,
China has slammed as "futile" the effort by the United States to counter the Islamic
State (IS) outside the mandate of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), amid
calls that India should join the "broad coalition" led by Washington and its western
allies.
The write-up rejected the "self-appointed" leadership of the U.S. in the fight against
global terrorism as, in its view, Washington has "long adopted double standards on this
matter, laying bare its short-sightedness and murky intentions." The commentary
specifically pointed out that the U.S. had first "secretly connived" with the IS -- the
Jihadi group operating in West Asia known for its extreme brutality -- in Syria, till the
time the situation spiralled out of control.
In sync with the perception that the Global War on Terror (GWOT) had become a cover
for "regime change," the article pointed out that Washington has "its own set of rules
to define the act of terrorism and even use it as a lame excuse to interfere in other
country's internal affairs."
There is a growing perception in Beijing that the U.S. approach of combating global
Jihad, starting with its interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, has, in fact had the opposite
effect, leading to the emergence of "extreme terrorism," which the IS exemplifies.
"From Afghanistan to Iraq, U.S.-led military coalitions have emerged one after another,
yet their ultimate goal of uprooting terrorism is still far from being achieved," the
newspaper observed.
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Contrary to the U.S. strategy, China is advocating a comprehensive U.N.-driven initiative
that strikes at all aspects that nurture terrorism. The newspaper cited observations by
the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, during a recent meeting of the Security Council
that not only a recognition of the symptoms but the "root causes" of terrorism must be
addressed, through an "integrated approach" that includes "measures taken in political,
security, economic, financial, intelligence and ideological fields."
'India would not join anti-China coalition led by U.S.' Wed, Oct 1, 2014The Hindu, international, China,
China has arrived at the conclusion that India would not join Japan, Australia and the
Philippines in an anti-Beijing coalition led by Washington.
Also called the Washington's "Pivot to Asia"-- a coinage first detailed by former U.S.
Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton - the mantra anchors a decision to expand Washington's
military profile in the Asia-Pacific, including swathes of the Indian Ocean, by beefing
up military capabilities of countries on the periphery of China, including Japan, Australia
and the Philippines.
The daily pointed out that rooted in its non-aligned culture, India will not develop its
ties with the U.S. at China's expense. "India adheres to an all-round foreign policy
strategy. Not only does India give priority to the India-U.S. relationship, it also attaches
great importance to Sino-India relationships," the daily observed.
Besides, both countries have vowed to forge a "closer development partnership" duringPresident Xi's visit to India. The article reiterated that the "unsolved territorial disputes
will not affect the development of Sino-India relations".
From a Chinese perspective, the core of the "rebalancing" doctrine would unfold in
Japan, where 40,000 U.S. troops would be positioned and in South Korea, where 28,
500 American servicemen were to be stationed.
Referring to the economic aspect of the "rebalancing" doctrine, the newspaper pointed
out that India was not even in the frame in the formation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP), which was at the heart of the approach to restrain China's economic rise. The
countries participating in the TPP include Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the UnitedStates, Canada, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
On the contrary, India was focused inwards, seeking foreign investments to bolster its
domestic economy. "India has established an economic and financial partnership with
America.
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Afghanistan's change of guard Thu, Oct 2, 2014The Hindu, international, Afghanistan,
The new President of Afghanistan, Ashraff Ghani, and Abdullah Abdullah, the country's'chief executive officer' -- a new post that is to evolve into a prime ministership in two
years -- have their work cut out. Their swearing-in was billed as the first peaceful
transition of power in Afghanistan's history, but there is little peace. The Taliban want
to rule Afghanistan; they are hardly interested in negotiating power-sharing deals to
participate in a government they consider imposed by the West. Mr. Karzai, eager
towards the end of his term to get rid of the pro-West tag that was attached to him, had
been reluctant to sign an agreement allowing some U.S. troops to stay on after the
drawdown by end-2014. Mr. Ghani has quickly drawn the line under the previous
government -- among his first actions as President was to ink the long pending Bilateral
Security Agreement and Status of Forces Agreement.
Compounding the difficulties is the tenuous political agreement between Mr. Ghani
and Mr. Abdullah that ended the post-election deadlock. Mr. Abdullah had refused to
accept his defeat in the presidential run-off against Mr. Ghani, accusing him of electoral
fraud. in a U.S.-brokered deal that has brought together two leaders of opposed ethnicities
-- Mr. Ghani is Pashtun while Mr. Abdullah is Tajik. Pakistan, with its continuing lifeline
to the Taliban, which holds the key to the stability and survival of the new political
arrangement. Unfortunately, both will be elusive until Pakistan, especially its security
establishment, is able to draw the right lessons from its own pathetic internal security
situation to realise that an unstable Afghanistan goes against its own interests.
Indonesia: bill seen as a setback to democracy Sun, Sep 28, 2014The Hindu, Indonesia, international,
Fears have been raised for Indonesia's democracy after its Parliament voted to abolish
the direct election of local leaders, a post-dictatorship reform credited with assisting
President-elect Joko Widodo's rise to popularity as a Mayor and Governor.
The legislation -- passed early on Friday after intensive lobbying -- means provincial
Governors, district chiefs and Mayors will be elected by legislative bodies rather than
directly by the people.
Direct elections, part of decentralisation measures implemented after the fall of Suharto
in 1998, have been credited with producing a handful of promising leaders unconnected
to the old elite. They include Mr. Widodo, known as Jokowi, who beat a former general
in July's election in July. Raised in a riverside slum in central Java, Jokowi has no
direct ties to the old political and military establishment.
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Citing a recent poll by the Indonesian Survey Circle that showed more than 80 per cent
of Indonesians opposed the bill, Mr. Hanan argued that Indonesia's political elites were
trying to tighten their grip on power.
The bill has been seen as attempt to even political scores, rushed through by an outgoingParliament and passed by a coalition of parties led by Prabowo Subianto, the former
general who lost the July election to Jokowi.
The ruling coalition will account for just over 36 per cent of MPs and unless Jokowi
secures the support of another party, he looks set to face a belligerent Parliament after
his inauguration on 20 October.
Modi calls for global convention on terror Sun, Sep 28, 2014terrorism, The Hindu, international,
global call for cooperation on terrorism at the UN General Assembly on Saturday,
calling for the world body to speedily adopt a comprehensive international convention
of terror,
In his speech, Mr. Modi stuck to a more restrained line, adding that the focus of the
Indian government, when it came to Kashmir, was on providing relief to the victims
of the recent floods there.
The PM made a more detailed reference to terrorism worldwide, saying that while India
has faced terrorism for years, the world is now coming to terms with its effects.
ED to probe global drug money laundering operations Thu, Oct 2, 2014The Hindu, international, narcotics,
The threads of the international drug money laundering network recently busted by the
Enforcement Directorate in partnership with the Australian Federal Police are suspected
to be spread far and wide -- from Thailand, Hong Kong, Mexico and Australia to the
United Kingdom and the United States.
Hong Kong has emerged as a common transit point where several companies are being
floated to launder drug money in the garb of export/import of goods to various countries,
including the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Libyan parliament swears in new government Sun, Sep 28, 2014libya, The Hindu, international,
Libya's new parliament on Sunday swore in Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni andhis cabinet during a meeting in the eastern port town of Tobruk.
In Tripoli, a rival government under Omar al-Hassi claims power with the support of
Islamist militias and the reconvened former interim parliament, the General National
Congress.
In Benghazi, the largest city in eastern Libya, radical Islamist militias have succeeded
in pushing rival forces loyal to retired general Khalifa Haftar out of most areas.
The Tobruk-based parliament, the House of Representatives, has swung behind the
anti-Islamist forces, declaring the main Islamist militias to be terrorist organizations.
Libyan authorities have failed to build up coherent security forces since the downfall
of Moamer Gaddafi, relying instead on a plethora of militias that sprang up during the
2011 revolt against the long-time ruler.
Trouble brews for Greenpeace over pesticides in tea report Mon, Sep 29, 2014environment, The Hindu, pesticides,
Rajju Shroff, chairperson, CCFI, told the media that the Federation plans to file a case
in the Bombay High Court against Greenpeace for its report on pesticides in tea titled'Trouble Brewing'.
Mr. Shroff said that Greenpeace had failed to share raw data publicly and there is secrecy
on the tea report. He said the report maligned the Indian farmers and it even said that
tea samples contained monocrotophos and DDT, which was not sprayed on tea.
The results of the study were made public but there is no obligation to share raw data
publicly or with CCFI, she explained. If the tea companies want to do so they can share
the data, she added.
Tata Global Beverages (TGB) limited announced on September 27 that it was conducting
research on non-pesticidal management of tea crop protection.
TGB is encouraging its suppliers to use ecological practices such as bio-pesticides,
biological agents, tillage etc. in their farms.
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Wildlife numbers down by half in 40 years: WWF survey Tue, Sep 30, 2014environment, The Hindu, wildlife,
Wildlife populations around the world more than halved in the 40 years to 2010, asurvey released on Tuesday said.
The report by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) International blames unsustainable
human consumption patterns for an average 52 per cent drop in 10,380 populations of
the 3,038 species surveyed.
the loss was greatest in the poorest countries - 58 per cent - while the richest countries
had lifted numbers of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish by 10 per cent.
Aquatic animals fared the worst, with average population decline of 76 per cent.
Terrestrial animal count dropped by 39 per cent.
Kashmir keeps turning up Mon, Sep 29, 2014pakistan, The Hindu, Kashmir, international,
When Nawaz Sharif spoke at the United Nations about a plebiscite in Kashmir, the
Pakistan Prime Minister was not so much addressing India as he was audiences back
home. Mr. Sharif has not yet emerged fully from his battle for survival against Imran
Khan. The doggedness with which Mr. Khan is seeking to topple Mr. Sharif, and the
parallel demands for regime change by Tahir ul-Qadri, a maverick cleric with a large
following, have further weakened Pakistan's democratic moorings.
The two sides seem dangerously close to turning the clock back on Kashmir, wiping
out the progress made on the issue in the intervening years, when -- if the principal
actors of the period are to be believed -- it was "a semicolon away" from resolution.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech at the General Assembly, avoided a
slanging match with Mr. Sharif, and instead reiterated India's desire for "serious
dialogue" with Pakistan in an "atmosphere free of violence".
'Citizenship if Rohingya identify as Bengali'Wed, Oct 1, 2014Rohingya, Myanmar, The Hindu, international,
Myanmar has confirmed to the United Nations that it is finalising a plan that will offer
minority Rohingya Muslims citizenship if they change their ethnicity to suggest
Bangladeshi origin, a move rights groups say could force thousands into detention
camps.
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Most of Myanmar's 1.1 million Rohingya are stateless and live in apartheid-like
conditions in Rakhine State on the western coast of the predominantly Buddhist country.
More controversially, the plan contains a section on a process to determine whether
Rohingya are citizens. Rohingya would be required to register their identities as
'Bengali,' a term most reject because it implies they are illegal immigrants from
Bangladesh despite having lived in the area for generations.
Deepening relationship Thu, Oct 2, 2014The Hindu, international, usa,
the gesture of President Obama right at the end to accompany Mr. Modi to the Martin
Luther King Memorial came as a poignant signal that the U.S. genuinely wants to move
ahead with India's newly elected leader. Secondly, U.S. business, clearly disaffected
by the difficulties they face in doing business with India, have also signalled its desireto renew investments.
On issues where the countries agree, such as defence and energy, they show only
incremental progress, without any big announcements. On issues where the countries
differ, like the nuclear deal, trade and WTO, they seem to have deferred negotiations,
indicating that no progress was made in resolving them. And while both sides made it
clear ahead of the talks that the U.S. would request, and India would discuss, the
possibility of joining the anti-ISIS coalition, there is silence on where those discussions
led. On all fronts of the 'comprehensive dialogue', that is, eight issues including energy,
health, space, women's empowerment, trade, skills, strategy and security, Mr. Modi's
visit successfully brought India-U.S. ties, that were faltering for a few years, back on
track
No breakthrough in hurdles facing India-U.S. ties Wed, Oct 1, 2014The Hindu, international, usa,
While India did not accede to the U.S. request to join the international coalition against
Islamic State, the two sides agreed on several ways to enhance cooperation on terror.
India and the U.S. will work on "joint and concerted efforts to dismantle" terror groups
such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D-Company (Dawood Ibrahimnetwork) and the Haqqani network by shutting down "their financial capabilities."
They would also work together on building a database to monitor citizens under the
terror scanner who are returning from "conflict zones." They will also increase a
partnership on maritime security.
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Obama, the serial interventionist Tue, Sep 30, 2014USA, isis, The Hindu, international,
Barack Obama, who helped turn Libya into a failed state by toppling its ruler MuammarQadhafi, has started a new war in Syria and Iraq even as the U.S. remains embroiled
in the Afghanistan war. Mr. Obama's air war in Syria -- his presidency's seventh military
campaign in a Muslim nation and the one likely to consume his remaining term in office
-- raises troubling questions about its objectives and his own adherence to the rule of
law.
any fight against terrorism can be effectively waged only if it respects international law
and reinforces global norms and does not become an instrument to pursue narrow,
geopolitical interests.
Ever since America launched its "war on terror" in 2001 under Mr. Obama's predecessor,George W. Bush, the scourge of international terrorism, ominously, has spread deeper
and wider in the world. Once stable nations such as Iraq, Syria and Libya have become
anarchic, crumbling states and new hubs of transnational terrorism, even as the
Afghanistan-Pakistan belt remains "ground zero" for the terrorist threat the world
confronts.
Mr. Obama in Cairo in 2009 sought "a new beginning" between the U.S. and Muslims
"based upon mutual interest and mutual respect." However, his reliance on U.S. hard
power has been underlined by his serial bombing campaigns in Libya, Somalia, Yemen,
Iraq and Syria.
What stopped Mr. Obama from seeking United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
mandate before initiating a war in Syria against IS militants? The answer is obvious:
Mr. Obama wants to wage his open-ended war on U.S. terms, like his earlier interventions.
Five repressive Arab autocracies form the core of his "coalition of the willing" on Syria.
Paradoxically, four of the five -- Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab
Emirates -- plus the U.S., aided IS's rise, either openly or inadvertently. This is a coalition
of sinners now dressed as knights in shining armour.
Mr. Obama displayed his disdain for international law by addressing the U.N. after
presenting his bombing blitzkrieg in Syria as a fait accompli. his administration hasmeretriciously claimed the defence of a third country, Iraq, as a legal ground. Such a
precedent could allow the sovereignty of any nation to be violated.
In reality, this is just the latest U.S. action mocking international law. Other such actions
in the past 15 years include the bombing of Serbia, the separation of Kosovo from
Serbia, the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq without UNSC authority, Qadhafi's
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overthrow, the aiding of an insurrection in Syria, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
renditions of terror suspects, and the National Security Agency's Orwellian surveillance
programme. Yet, Mr. Obama has escalated a sanctions campaign against Russia in the
name of upholding international law.
The unpalatable truth that Mr. Obama seeks to obscure is that the main IS force was
born in Syria out of the CIA-trained, petrodollar-funded rebels who were reared to help
overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Obama turned a blind eye as IS made
significant advances from mid-2013 onward. I
If President Ronald Reagan accidentally fathered al-Qaeda, Mr. Obama is IS's unintended
godfather turned self-declared slayer-in-chief.
Training and arming non-state combatants flies in the face of international law. The
directive also ignores the lessons from past covert interventions. "We had helped to
create the problem that we are now fighting,"
fter all, large portions of the CIA's multibillion-dollar military aid for the Afghan rebels
in the 1980s were siphoned off by the conduit, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence
(ISI), to trigger insurgencies in India's Kashmir and Punjab. India -- and Pakistan --
have paid a heavy price for America's continued cosy ties with the Pakistani military
and its ISI spies. Yet, paradoxically, the U.S. has used counterterrorism as a key
instrument to build a strategic partnership with India.
Mr. Obama pledged in Cairo in 2009, "We do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan.
We seek no military bases there." But in a change of heart, he now wants bases there
for a virtually unlimited period. The resolution of the political crisis in Kabul opensthe way for Afghanistan to sign the bilateral security agreement that Mr. Obama has
sought as the legal basis to keep U.S. bases. A residual U.S. force, however, will be
more vulnerable to Taliban attacks, thus strengthening Washington's imperative to
mollycoddle Pakistani generals and cut a deal with the "Quetta Shura."
More broadly, America's long-standing alliance with the Gulf's jihad -bankrolling
Islamist monarchs does not augur well for its "war on terror," which has spawned more
militants than it has eliminated.
A rolling, self-sustaining war targeting terrorist enemies that America's own policies
and interventions continue to spawn is not good news even for the U.S., whose militaryadventures since 2001 have cost $4.4 trillion, making its rich military contractors richer
but destabilising security in several regions
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Perspectives on ocean mixing Fri, Oct 3, 2014environment, The Hindu, ocean,
While it is a well-known fact that dense ocean waters in the high latitudes sink to thebottom carrying dissolved atmospheric carbon with them it is not quite clear even now
how and where these waters return to the surface and exhale the dissolved carbon back
into the atmosphere.
The most recent perception is that mixing brings bottom waters up to about 2000 m
and then they flow at that depth all the way to the southern ocean, where the roaring
forties lift them to the surface. In this new scenario the potential energy needed from
mixing is only half of the earlier estimate.
Mixing is strong where the bottom topography of the ocean is rough and weak where
it is smooth. This heterogeneity must be mapped on a global scale to determine theamount of mixing. It has been shown that 70 per cent of the waves break at the ocean
bottom while the remaining 30 per cent propagate away from their generation sites and
break against continental slopes where mixing is strong and make their way along the
slopes of continents and ridges to the surface.
Indian diaspora makes mark in foreign policy Mon, Sep 29, 2014The Hindu, international, Indian diaspora,
the political clout of the Indian-American community that has rallied around Mr. Modi
in large numbers can no longer be ignored. At 2.8 million, they may number just 1%
of the U.S. population, but they are the most educated and richest minority, according
to a Pew survey in 2013.
It cannot go unnoticed that the three officials who will serve as Mr. Obama's interface
with Mr. Modi -- Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal, her deputy Atul Keshap,
and the newly- nominated U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Rahul Varma -- are all
Americans of Indian descent.
the Indian diaspora has also become an important input in Mr. Modi's foreign policy
initiatives in several countries. For his visit to Japan, and his meetings with Australian
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Chinese President Xi Jinping too, NRIs and members
of the BJP-affiliated "overseas friends of India" in those countries have been a constant
source of information and access.
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Turkey vows to fight Islamic State Thu, Oct 2, 2014isis, The Hindu, international, turkey,
Turkey signalled it may send troops into Syria or Iraq and let allies use Turkish basesto fight Islamic State (IS), as coalition jets launched air strikes
The proposal would also mean Turkey, until now reluctant to take a frontline role against
IS, could allow foreign forces to use its territory for cross-border incursions.
But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the removal of Syrian President Bashar
Al-Assad remained a Turkish priority and stressed Ankara's fears that U.S.-led air
strikes without a broader political strategy would only prolong the instability.
Fighting rages as Ukraine rebels try to seize Donetsk airport Fri, Oct 3, 2014The Hindu, Ukraine, international, Donetsk airport,
Pro-Russian rebels pressed on Friday to seize a key airport in eastern Ukraine despite
fierce resistance by government forces.
Rebels have made some gains in the area near the airport, seizing some buildings on
its fringes and using them to target the main terminal.
The airport, located just north of Donetsk, the largest city in the east, gives the Ukrainian
forces a convenient vantage point to target rebel positions. Its loss would be a major
blow to Ukraine and would also allow the rebels to receive large cargo planes withsupplies in addition to truck convoys from Russia.
Abbas seeks U.N. deadline to end Israeli occupation Sun, Sep 28, 2014Mahmoud Abbas, The Hindu, palestine, international, israel,
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, accused Israel on Friday of failing to
negotiate in good faith, said any return to negotiations would be "naive at best" and
called on the Security Council to press for a specific deadline to end Israeli occupation.
Mr. Abbas said at the annual session of the General Assembly, reading from a preparedtext but visibly enraged. "The time has come to end this settlement occupation."
He did not offer his own specific deadline for an Israeli withdrawal, as some had
expected, nor did he say anything about joining the International Criminal Court (ICC),
which his aides have repeatedly said he is prepared to do. He only hinted obliquely that
he would seek accountability for alleged war crimes against Palestinians during the
latest war with Israel.
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Mr. Abbas has been threatening to join the international court ever since Palestine won
upgraded status as a nonmember observer state of the United Nations in November
2012, which permits membership in many related world bodies.
Israel is worried in particular about Palestinian membership to the international courtbecause it could open the way for the prosecution of Israeli political and military leaders
for building settlements and other policies related to its decades-old occupation.
The Palestinian president has been seeking to bolster his authority in the aftermath of
the 50-day Gaza war this summer between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that,
unlike Abbas, refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist.
Despite the devastation in Gaza from that war, Hamas' popularity as a force that would
stand up to Israel has increased among Palestinians.
A fragile ceasefire agreement, negotiated in Cairo, has held for a month, and the twosides last week agreed to let reconstruction materials move into Gaza, monitored by
the United Nations to ensure that they are destined for civilian projects. Israel has
repeatedly said that cement and steel are diverted by Hamas to build tunnels to attack
Israel.
Young western women among jihadis Thu, Oct 2, 2014isis, The Hindu, international, women, jihadis,
Hundreds of young women and girls are leaving their homes in western countries to
join Islamic fighters in the Middle East, causing increasing concern among counter-terrorism
investigators.
Girls as young as 14 or 15 are travelling mainly to Syria to marry jihadis , bear their
children and join communities of fighters, with a small number taking up arms. Many
are recruited via social media. Women and girls appear to account for about 10 per cent
of those leaving Europe, North America and Australia to link up with jihadi groups,
including Islamic State (IS).
Counter-terrorism experts in the U.K. believe about 50 British girls and women have
joined IS, about a 10th of those known to have travelled to Syria to fight. Many are
believed to be based in Raqqa, the eastern Syrian city that has become an IS stronghold.
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Syria sees Turkish deployment inside its border as an aggression Fri, Oct 3, 2014Islamic State, isis, The Hindu, Syria, international, Turkey,
Syria has warned Turkey that deploying troops inside its borders will be seen as an"aggression," calling on the international community to "put limits to the adventures"
of the Turkish leadership.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry's statement, issued on Friday, came a day after Turkey's
parliament gave the government new powers to launch military incursions into Syria
and Iraq.
Syria's Foreign Ministry said the Turkish decision is an "aggression against a founding
member of the United Nations".
Kurdish fighters battled Islamic State fighters on Friday near a Syrian Kurdish town
along the border with Turkey as Turkish Prime Minister said his country will prevent
the fall of Kobani.
The Kurdish town and its surrounding have been under attack since mid-September,
with militants capturing dozens of nearby Kurdish villages. The assault, which has
forced some 160,000 Syrians to flee, has left the Kurdish militiamen scrambling to
repel the militants' advance into the outskirts of Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors Syria's civil
war, reported intense fighting on Friday to the east and southeast of Kobani, saying the
town's Kurdish fighters destroyed two vehicles belonging to militants. The group saidseven Islamic State fighters were killed in a village near Kobani.
Turkish Parliament votes for military action against IS Fri, Oct 3, 2014The Hindu, international, islamic state, turkey,
Turkey's parliament voted on Thursday to authorize the government to take military
action in Iraq and Syria, but it remains unclear what actions the NATO member might
take to support the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group.
The watchdog group, which compiles information from a network of local activistsacross Syria, said the ill--equipped YPG and other Kurdish fighters were preparing for
street battles amid fears that the better armed Islamic State militants might commit
massacres if they take the city on the Turkish border.
The observatory, which noted that the jihadists had not yet overrun the city, said
additional fierce fighting was taking place in the eastern and southern parts of the city,
which was being shelled by the militants.
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Meanwhile in Iraq, Islamic State fighters were engaged in battles against Kurdish
peshmerga forces in the north-west near Sinjar and also with the Iraqi army in the
western province of al-Anbar.
There were reports the jihadists and their allies had taken over parts of the city of Heetin the province, but the situation remained unclear as fighting was still ongoing.
The US is also carrying out airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq along with Britain
and France.
Coverage of antenatal care in India has to be increased: WHO Wed, Oct 1, 2014Antenatal care, The Hindu, social, health,
In 2013, globally, preterm birth complications were responsible for 15 per cent (0.96
million) of deaths in children under five years of age. It is a leading cause of death inneonates (0-27 days after birth).
India ranks first in the list of 10 countries that account for 60 per cent of all preterm
births; the U.S. is ranked sixth in the list.
"India has little more than 50 per cent of antenatal care coverage. So in order to face
the issue of premature births, low birth weight babies and stillbirths, the first aspect is
to increase the coverage of antenatal care,"
nearly 30 per cent of maternal deaths are linked to indirect causes like gestational
diabetes and obesity
Pregnant mothers who have diabetes, are obese or have preeclampsia (high blood
pressure) are less likely to complete full term and babies will be born with low birth
weight.
Of course, babies who are born before full term can still survive as simple interventions
and treatments are available. For instance, corticosteroid given to mothers before delivery
can greatly facilitate the development of the babies' lungs.
. "Our latest data show that India is just an inch away from reaching the MDG4 (child
morality) and MDG5 (maternal mortality) targets. [The current under-five mortalityrate is 56 and should reach 42 before December 2015. The MMR is 190 and should
drop to 140 before the end of next year.] It's just a matter of the curve accelerating a
little bit.
One big challenge that stares the country in the face is the reach of antenatal care.
According to the 2014 data, antenatal care in rural areas is about 50 per cent for more
than one visit and about 10 per cent for more than four visits. The availability of skilled
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western alliance declared war against Iraq on the concocted premise of the presence of
weapons of mass destruction, destroying a once-prosperous society. This fanned sectarian
and religious divides in the country, and created a bubbling groundswell of popular
hatred of western governments. Today the same military alliance is struggling to douse
the fires that it set 11 years ago -- and it may end up stoking them.
ISRO set for Oct. 10 launch of navigation satellite Thu, Oct 2, 2014The Hindu, science & tech, navigation satellite, ISRO, space,
Indian Space Research Organisation, fresh from the success of its Mars mission, has
unveiled its next mundane campaign starting with the launch of the third regional
navigation satellite on Oct. 10.
IRNSS-1C will be the third piece in the Indian navigation fleet dubbed the "Indian
GPS".
It will be flown on the indigenous PSLV-C26 rocket from Sriharikota at 1.56 a.m.,
according to an ISRO update on Wednesday.
The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System is a seven-satellite fleet. It is being
put up to ensure precise information on location and time for civil and military users
on land, sea and air.
It will also help manage transport fleet, provide aid for hikers and travellers, in disaster
management, cell phone applications, mapping and driving. It can also support operations
within a radius of 1,500 km in the sub-continent. The navigation fleet forms the troikaof Indian satellites along with communication and earth observation (remote sensing)
satellites. IRNSS-1A was sent to space in July 2013 and 1B in April this year. ISRO
plans to complete the navigation ring within two years.