There’s no excuse for terrorism across Pak borders, says UK

The United Kingdom needs to be more forthright on terrorism, particularly on terrorism that “flows across” Pakistan’s borders into Afghanistan and elsewhere, defence secretary Michael Fallon has said, indicating a subtle shift in London on south Asia.

Speaking to HT on the eve of a three-day visit to Mumbai and New Delhi from Tuesday, Fallon, one of the senior most figures in the Theresa May government, said Britain had made it “very clear” to Pakistan that there cannot be any excuse or justification for terrorism.

Fallon’s remarks are significant in the context of Brexit compelling the UK to focus more on major economies such as India, and the continuing grouse in New Delhi that unlike the US, India continues to be hyphenated with Pakistan in London’s outlook. On Washington issuing a strong statement after the September 2016 terror attack on brigade headquarters in Uri, Fallon said the UK condemned the attack, but agreed that “We have to be more forthright on terrorism…we have to call it out for what it is”. “There is no excuse, justification for terrorism and we make that very clear in Pakistan”, he said and added that his talks in India will also focus “on what more Pakistan needs to do to tackle terrorism that flows across the border into Afghanistan and elsewhere”.

Fallon will be in Mumbai to inspect the guided missile destroyer ‘Chennai’, among other engagements, and in New Delhi for talks with defence minister Arun Jaitley, NSA Ajit Doval and Indian military chiefs to further the India-uk Defence and International Security Partnership. Fallon said British companies were now ready to enter arrangements under the Make in India programme, and plan new equipment to benefit militaries and defence industries of both countries.

STB users can upgrade by paying ₹1,000 and returning their old boxes.

Videocon D2H said their box has news and social apps such as NDTV, Facebook, and Twitter, and is in the process of adding support for Netflix, Voot, hotstar and Amazon Prime Video.

Netflix and Videocon D2H signed a deal in the first week of March to let its clients gain access movies and titles using the connected box.

Airtel too is eyeing a slice of the new pie. “We are working on a new hybrid STB that will enable users to watch TV as well as stream content,” an Airtel source said. Airtel’s new STB is expected to corner the marketshare of smart Tv-makers and streaming devices, according to industry experts.

Videocon’s launch is likely to prompt players such as DEN network and Siti Cable to come out with their products soon.

“Reliance Jio is pushing for its Android-based STB, which will come with Jio apps,” said Neil Shah, a partner at Counterpoint Research. “The rise in home broadband and free data, along with app-based remote controls, will give rise to a new digitised STB penetration.”

Of about 10 million flat panel TVS shipped to India, nearly five million units are smart TVS, Counterpoint data show. The smart TV market size in India is around ₹24,000 crore.

However, Faisal Kawoosa, analyst at Cybermedia Research, was sceptical about the all-in-one STBS.

Users don’t like to be bound by the manufacturer with a specific set of apps and we have seen this with smartphones. The new STBS’ success may be limited as these will have to rely on pre-installed apps in contrast to access to a smart app store in a smart TV.” Tata Sky, which was the first DTH that tried to digitise STBS, is working on a concept called Webapps.

“Tata Sky+ customers are able to use apps while watching TV,” said Harit Nagpal, the company’s MD and CEO. “Tata Sky is providing customers an additional interface to access information and games from popular apps through their TV, apart from conventional handheld devices.” Smart TV makers are unfazed by the new product.

“Customers who need to buy a smart TV go with the inbuilt smart TV from the manufacturer ... people tend to use these devices (STBS) to their existing non-smart TVS,” said Neeraj Bahl, head of consumer electronic business of Panasonic India. VU Technologies declined to comment on the matter, while Google, Samsung and LG had not responded to HT’S query at the time of going to press.

“The trust deficit amongst political parties in electronic devices is too deep-seated and pervasive. It has shattered the faith of the people in the fairness of the electoral process. Democracy is all about trust. If the citizens have apprehensions or doubts about the system, the trust factor is getting eroded and it is incumbent upon the election commission to allay those fears and apprehensions,” the opposition parties said in a memorandum to the CEC.

Earlier in the day, the leaders met in the Parliament House complex to chalk out a joint strategy. On Wednesday, these opposition parties will meet President Pranab Mukherjee to hand him a memorandum on the issue.

Separately, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal likened the election commission to the Mahabharata character Dhritarashtra. “As Dhritarashtra used to help his son Duryodhana grab power, the election commission is similarly helping the BJP in getting power by using all means possible (through Saam Daam Dand Bhed),” he said.

Kejriwal’s accusation came a day after media reports suggested a few machines, used during the bypoll in Rajasthan’s Dholpur, might have been “tampered with”. The commission has repeatedly denied the allegations, countering that the EVMS are robust and tamper-proof and even the manufacturers cannot manipulate them at the time of production. rity,” Basit said in New Delhi.

In Islamabad, defence minister Khawaja Asif said the death sentence should serve as a warning to those engaged in terrorism in Pakistan. “Those plotting against Pakistan will not be spared,” Asif told Geo News.

“He came with the approval of the Indian government…there is no doubt that India is fuelling terrorism in Pakistan.” Last December, Pakistan’s foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz told the upper house of Parliament that the “dossier on Jadhav contained mere statements” and didn’t have any conclusive evidence. Hours later, Pakistan denied the statement. Pakistan army had also released a “confessional video” of Jadhav who is purportedly heard saying that he was serving the Indian navy. In the video, Jadhav allegedly says he arrived in Iran in 2003 and started a small business in Chahbahar. Islamabad also repeatedly refused India’s request for access to Jadhav, who allegedly held an Iranian residency permit and a passport in the name of Hussain Mubarak Patel. The place of birth given in this passport was apparently Sangli, Maharashtra.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of fomenting unrest in Balochistan, the country’s largest province, but it has never offered any evidence to back up its claims. India last year launched a new offensive by highlighting Pakistan’s alleged human rights abuses in Balochistan. In 2013, Indian national Sarabjit Singh, who was sentenced to death for spying in Pakistan, was killed in jail after being attacked by fellow inmates. Singh was on death row for 16 years.

Months later, a Pakistani prisoner was killed by inmates in the Jammu jail. Another Indian national Ravindra Kaushik, also convicted of spying, died in jail in 2001. In between, Pakistan pardoned and released another convicted Indian ‘spy Kashmir Singh who spent 35 years in prison after being sentenced to death.

However, previous cases have largely gone through civilian courts unlike Jadhav. sari industrial estate. Gawande further alleged that Khadse, who was then revenue minister, had called a meeting of revenue officials in his office at Mantralaya, after which land was purchased in 15 days by his wife, son-in-law and others. Gawande stated in the complaint that the market price of the land was Rs31 crore, which was purchased for 3.75 core by Khadse’s relatives. The complaint also said the said land was supposed to be acquired by the government and the possible compensation was around Rs80 crore. “Mere intention to purchase land was to get additional financial returns,” Gawande alleged. Gawnde approached the Bombay high court when the police did not initiate action on his complaint. The police even told the high court that there was no prima-facie evidence in the case. The court did not agree with the police. It passed some strictures against the police and ordered an FIR and file investigation report.

Significantly, a one-member probe committee appointed by the government under retired justice DB Zoting to probe the allegations against Khadse, has completed its probe after several extensions and the report is expected to be submitted in the next few days. The committee was accorded extra powers, by issuing a notification, under the Commission of Inquiry Act.

Khadse has been claiming the land does not belong to the MIDC because it failed to follow a government order issued in 1995 making it mandatory to complete the acquisition in three years. Khadse, by raising this contention in the legislative assembly last week, had sought the clarification from the government. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, while replying to a question in the Assembly last week, did not come clear on the 1995 order and had said the law and judiciary department will be asked to clarify on it. Fadnavis, however, had said the Zoting committee report will soon be submitted to the government.

Gavande demanded a probe into Khadse’s intention to purchase the land, which was acquired by MIDC 30 years back. He also wanted an inquiry into the Khadse’s sources of income for the purchase. Thackeray and invited him for the NDA meet.

Sources said the Sena leader ship is likely to soften its anti BJP stance in the wake of recen developments. Further, it is wary of a split in the party in case it walks out of the Bjp-led gov ernment in the state. The second factor is the BJP’S emergence as a single-largest party in all the elections held in the state in the last two years considering which no party will dare to go for mid term polls and Thackeray is no exception to the idea. Rad hakrishna Vikhe Patil, leader o Opposition in the Assembly, crit icised Thackeray’s Delhi visi saying he has lost his self-confi dence. “The Sena’s stand on a farm loan waiver was never authentic. Had it been, the Sena would have moved out of the state and central government The Sena’s “fake” love towards farmers has been exposed,” Vikhe Patil said in a statement.

Swine flu is a respiratory dis ease caused by influenza viruses. It infects the respiratory tract resulting in barking cough decreased appetite, nasal secre tions and can be transmitted eas ily through the air, skin, saliva and contaminated surfaces.

One of the many reasons for the cause of the spread is chang ing climate and the difference in maximum and minimum tem peratures in the state and city Mumbai alone recorded a differ ence of 14 degrees, with the nigh temperature at 21.2 degrees Cel sius (2.3 degrees below normal and day at 35.2 degrees Celsius (2 degrees above normal) on Apri 9-10. “There is a possibility tha temperature difference is creat ing a favourable environmen for the virus. We have already released advisories in affected regions like Nashik, Pune and Aurangabad, and for high-risk groups such as pregnant women cancer and HIV patients, chil dren and the elderly popula tion,” said Dr Pradip Awate state surveillance officer, Inte grated Disease Surveillance Pro gramme In 2015, statewide vacci nation programmes were con ducted after the H1N1 epidemic claimed 906 lives. Experts said the effect of the vaccination might be wearing off.

Dr Om Shrivastav, consultan for infectious diseases, said the reasons need to be scientifically studied to know the demography of the virus. “We need to check i 20% or more fatalities out of the total are from high-risk groups As the virus is more likely to affect the high-risk groups if the fatalities are reported in people with relatively better immune system, then it’s possible that the virus is behaving differently. A different plan of action will then be needed to tackle the spread,” Shrivastav said.

Another reason cited is anti gen shift, a process by which two or more different strains of a virus, or strains of two or more different viruses, combine to form a new subtype having a mixture of the surface antigens of the two or more origina strains. “Influenza antigen is likely to shift globally. But there needs to be a scientific study to confidently say that there is an antigen shift in the virus ” said