NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
DIBRUGARH, FRIDAY, JULY 1
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Ecstatic parents describe Sonu's return as Eid gift New Delhi, Jun 30 : Overwhelmed with joy, the parents of six-year old Sonu on Thursday expressed their happiness and described his return from Dhaka as Eid gift. "I am very happy.I got back my child. I was very worried. Today, I am relieved. He returned after six years. The Government of India helped us a lot. We are thankful to them.they were with us from the beginning," Sonu's father Mehboob told the media here. "I am very happy that he returned. I got my gift for Eid," his mother said.
Meanwhile, Sonu along with his family met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today. "From Geeta to Gurpreet, and now to Sonu! EAM @SushmaSwaraj welcomes the young boy Sonu home from Bangladesh," tweeted Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Vikas Swarup while describing the boy's return as an emotional homecoming. Abducted from outside his East Delhi house in 2010, Sonu was handed over to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka by
Defence Minister Parrikar hands over torpedo "Varunastra" to Indian Navy
Defence Minister Parrikar hands over torpedo "Varunastra" to Indian Navy New Delhi, Jun 30: Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikarhanded over "Varunastra", a Ship Launched Heavy Weight Torpedo", to the Indian Navy here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Parrikar congratulated DRDO for the achievement and appreciated the efforts made in this regard. He asked the DRDO to ensure its participation in the production process and to keep adequate quality control of their products so that it can meet the international standards. The Defence Minister also stated that in these high technology areas, DRDO's contribution, with 95 per cent of indigenous content, is an apt example of Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) category. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba termed the occasion as momentous and described it as yet another feather in the DRDO's cap. He lauded DRDO and Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) for rendering
yeomen service to the nation in achieving self-reliance in defence and underwater technologies. Varunastra has been developed by NSTL, a premier DRDO laboratory based at Visakhapatnam. M/s Bharat Dynamics Ltd has been associated as a production partner in concurrent engineering mode. Varunastra, a versatile naval weapon which can be fired from the Rajput class destroyers, Delhi class and all future AntiSubmarine Warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing heavy weight torpedoes and is capable of targeting quiet and stealthy submarines both in deep and littoral waters even in intense countermeasure atmosphere. The function was also attended by Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar, Secretary, (Defence Production) AK Gupta, Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri Dr. G Sateesh Reddy and senior functionaries of Ministry of Defence, Indian Navy, DRDO, Production and Industry partners. (ANI)
Abducted Indian boy to return home after six years New Delhi, Jun 30: Abducted from outside his East Delhi house in 2010, Sonu has now been handed over to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka by a court in Bangladesh's Barguna district and will be reunited with his family after a gap of six years. Barguna Additional District Judge Abu Taher granted Sonu's custody to Indian High Commission officials on Monday without signing of a security bond of one lakh taka (Bangladesh currency) on humanitarian grounds. Sonu, who was tricked and brought to Bangladesh from Delhi by two women in 2010, was rescued by a Bangladeshi citizen Jamal Ibn Musa, who put in great efforts to reunite
him with his family. "I am very happy. Finally, Sonu is getting reunited with his parents," the Daily Star quoted Musa as saying. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a series of tweets, thanked all who had looked after the young boy in Bangladesh. "Sonu - who was kidnapped from Delhi was found in a shelter home in Bangladesh. We matched the DNA with his mother. The test is positive," Swaraj tweeted. "Indian High Commission in Dhaka has obtained Sonu's custody. He will reach Delhi on 30th June. I thank all those who looked after our young citizen in Bangladesh," she said. (ANI)
Ecstatic parents describe Sonu's return as Eid gift
a court in Bangladesh's Barguna district. He was reunited with his family earlier today after
a gap of six years. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka obtained Sonu's custody and
his DNA was matched with his mother which came out positive. Barguna Additional District Judge Abu Taher granted Sonu's custody to the Indian High Commission officials on Monday without signing of a security bond of one lakh taka (Bangladesh currency) on humanitarian grounds. Sonu, who was tricked and brought to Bangladesh from Delhi by two women in 2010, was rescued by a Bangladeshi citizen Jamal Ibn Musa who put in great efforts to reunite him with his family.
Swaraj yesterday, in a series of tweets, thanked all who had looked after the young boy in Bangladesh. "Sonu - who was kidnapped from Delhi was found in a shelter home in Bangladesh. We matched the DNA with his mother. The test is positive," Swaraj tweeted. "Indian High Commission in Dhaka has obtained Sonu's custody. He will reach Delhi on 30th June. I thank all those who looked after our young citizen in Bangladesh," she said. (ANI)
MP CM Chouhan hails Indore-based man's appointment as London's deputy mayor Bhopal, Jun 30: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday exuded pride and congratulated Indore-based man after he got appointed as London's deputy mayor for business. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has appointed India-born Rajesh Agrawal for the coveted post. In a series of tweets Chouhan congratulated Agrawal. "Matter of great pleasure
that Indore-born Mr. @RajeshAgrawalUK has been appointed Deputy Mayor of London. My heartiest congratulations," tweeted Chouhan. "With grit, determination & exceptional qualities, @RajeshAgrawalUK has made a distinct place for himself in Britain.We feel immensely proud," he added. Chouhan further asserted and hailed Agrawal's appointment by saying that it was a
great achievement after the Brexit. "Best wishes to @RajeshAgrawalUK for challenging task to assist Mayor @SadiqKhan in protecting city's interests after Britain's exit from EU," said Chouhan. Khan yesterday tasked Agrawal with championing London's interests following the exit of Britain after the EU referendum, and protecting jobs and growth while the negotiation process for exit takes
place. Agrawal was Khan's business adviser during his mayoral campaign. Born and brought up in Indore, India, Agrawal arrived in London in 2001 and became a fintech entrepreneur and innovator. He is the founder and CEO of Xendpay, an international money transfer service, and RationalFX, an online foreign exchange service - both of which have grown into globally successful businesses. (ANI)
Rajnath Singh to visit J-K to review security arrangements for Amarnath Yatra
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh New Delhi, Jun 30: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is all set to visit Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow to take stock of the security arrangements for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra. As per reports, the Home Ministerchaired a highlevel meeting earlier in the day during which he discussed the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had earlier this month conducted mock exercises at Baltal and Pahalgam base camps to assess the preparedness and response mechanism of all those involved in management of the Yatra. The first mock exercise,
which was conducted along the route from Baltal in Ganderbal district between June 23 to 25, dealt with simulated scenarios involving a cloudburst and a fire. The second mock exercise was conducted along the camp sites on the Chandanwari route from June 26-28 and covered both natural as well as man-made disasters. After the drills, post-exercise analysis was carried out by the NDMA experts in which they discussed the entire operation and underlined the areas that needed improvement. The annual Amarnath Yatra to the cave shrine in south Kashmir will begin from July 2. (ANI)
Britain in deep mess as Brexit unfolds Post Anantnag win, Mehbooba London, Jun 30: As the fallout of Britain's referendum on exit from the European Union unfolds, the country is getting into deeper mess by the day. A referendum where only 72 percent voted resulted in a result by a mere margin of four: 52 percent voting for exit and 48 percent to remain in the EU. Over three million British, many of whom had abstained from vote, have already signed a petition for another referendum. That perhaps is nowhere in sight, but it could be the only hope to restore the country back to health. "England has collpased politically, constitutionally and economically" are the words of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaking in Brussels.It is clear that David Cameron was over confident of "Remain" outcome with the Opposition Labour Party supporting him in the campaign. Unfortunately, the whole thing went in the hands of hate mongers like UKIP whose leader Nigel Farrage played heavily on the immigration issue. He was shouted down in the European Parliament for the lies, fear and hatred which he spread. David Cameron, now in Brussels in what could be his last summit with the European Union leaders, blamed the EU for not taking enough steps to address the public concerns over the issue of flood of immigrants coming in from the Middle East. And then there is the issue of
free movement within Europe that has resulted in large numbers of East Europeans working here in the UK. That the East Europeans cannot be sent back even if the referendum takes Britain out of the European Union is a fact of life. And the kind of jobs that East Europeans are doing here are crucial for the British economy and the cities. There are three million EU nationals living and working in Britain and nearly a million of them from Poland. The unemployed Brits are happy with the doles they get from their government. They are choosy for the jobs. In fact, they do not want to work and most call them lazy. While the EU leaders are eager to move quickly on the negotiations to get Britain out, David Cameron has clearly declared that such negotiations must be carried out by his successor. And there is no clear successor in sight though eight of them have thrown their hats in the ring. Boris Johnson, who virtually led the Tory campaign for exit, seems to be shying away from the contest for leadership or may be beaten to it by Home Secretary Mrs. Theresa May. Britain's Labour Party is in a serious mess. Leader of Opposition, Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, refuses to stand down even though a vote of no confidence in his leadership has been passed by the Parliamentary Party. The scale of the vote was staggering 172:
40 against the leader of the Opposition. The fact is that this nation has been divided right in the middle with extremists and racists making most noise in the leave campaign. At another end of the spectrum are the sober hard working British, who feel threatened by this vote to leave the European Union. They are the young people for whom Europe is a big market. Many of these are rushing to Ireland to apply for Irish passport as the British passport would no longer give them free movement in Europe. The rush has been so great that Ireland's Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan had to issue a public appeal to the UK residents to stop rushing to Ireland. There has been a big rise in the hate crime againt the immigrants following the referendum. It is said to have gone up by almost 50 percent. The law enforcement agencies are worried about this development and are hoping that it may die down in the days to come. But the signs are ominous. The economy is now taking its worst hits. The pound sterling has fallen to its 30-year low of 1.32 against the dollar. The hedge fund operators, who are trying to cash in on this fall, are betting that the pound could well fall to as low as 1.10 against the US dollar. This author remembers a time when pound was equal to a dollar. Though the Bank of England is putting up a strong front, it does not
have large reserves and cannot raise rates. Amidst all this doom, the Indian companies that had made Britain as the gateway to Europe having invested heavily here are now at a loss for their next move. India is the second largest foreign investor in the British economy. These companies came here despite better terms that were being offered by many East European countries seeking foreign investments. It was advatange English and the old empire connection that attracted Indians to Britain for business. It will be interesting to watch as to how these companies chart out their next course of action. For the moment it is wait and see! A large numbers of serious thinkers and economists firmly believe here the big setback that Europe is getting emanates from the huge bureaucracy the EU has created in Brussels. That bureaucracy makes centralised laws which many countries find difficult to implement. Thus this group believes that Britain once freed from the shackles of this unproductive bureaucracy may do much better in the long run. The EU bureaucracy is a fact of life because India has failed to sign a trade agreement with the EU. These negotiations have been going on for years now and India is not alone. Even Japan has failed so far apart from quite a few others (ANI)
Mufti takes oath as MLA
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar, June 30: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took oath as an MLA here today, almost a week after winning the Anantnag by-poll. Mehbooba defeated her nearest Congress rival Hilal Shah by over 12,000 votes. The byelection in Anantnag took place following the death of the then chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who represented the constituency in the 87-member legislative house. Recalling the values and vision of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for the state, Mehbooba said the former had set an agenda aimed at fostering peace and development in the state. "There is an agenda, an agenda of an alliance agreed upon by the PDP
and its ally. We should stick to that and follow it diligently," she said in her address to the J-K Assembly after taking oath. She also said that animosity and spending on defence has hampered the growth and development of both India and Pakistan. She also criticised those spreading violence in the name of Islam and said, "Jo log chaaku utha kar allah o akbar kehte hain unko main Islam se nahi jodungi (Those who shout allah o akbar with swords in their hands should not be linked to Islam)." Eight candidates, including Mehbooba Mufti, Hilal Ahmad Shah of the Congress and Iftikhar Hussain Misgar of the National Conference were in the fray for Anantnag seat. (ANI)
Pak always spoils atmosphere for talks: Defence Expert New Delhi, Jun 30: Defence expert P.K. Sehgal on Thursday criticised Pakistan's assertion that India does not want to come to the dialogue table and said it is the Asian neighbour, which spoils the environment every time both sides plan to talk. Sehgal told ANI that India has always been very keen to hold talks with
Pakistan, adding it is very strange on Islamabad's part to make such statements. "Every time there is an atmosphere for talks, Pakistan ensures and does something to make sure that the talks do not proceed. So, blaming India here is unacceptable," said Sehgal. "A very strange statement, he (Aziz) is fully
aware of the fact that India has always been very keen to talk on every issue, including Kashmir. And the issue we now want to talk on as far as Kashmir is concerned is the illegal occupation of Pakistan occupied Kashmir by Pakistan and the handing over of the certain area to China which is known as the Chinese occupied Kashmir. Also
Defence expert P.K. Sehgal
we want to talk about the northern areas, which Pakistan wants to integrate within," he added. Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said Islamabad is not shying away from dialogue with India, adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's logic in this regard is beyond perception.
Retorting to a recent statement made by Prime Minister Modi in an interview to an English news channel, Aziz asserted India does not want to come to the dialogue table. "Actually, it is India which is shying away as it knows that it has to discuss the Kashmir issue and other issues on the dialogue table," he said. (ANI)