the hindu sep 28 to oct 3

8/10/2019 The Hindu Sep 28 to Oct 3

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Notes by vineetpunnoose on www.kiwipaper.com

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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Content

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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Content

ISRO set for Oct. 10 launch of navigation satelli te 22


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Notes by vineetpunnoose on www.kiwipaper.com Page 1

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.

the hindu sep 28 to oct 3

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