Trump picks Indian-American Nikki Haley as UN ambassador

Washington, Nov 23 (PTI) Nikki Haley was today picked by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as US ambassador to the United Nations, becoming first Indian-American to be appointed to a cabinet-level post in the US administration.

44-year-old daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley is first woman tapped by Trump for a top-level administration post during his transition to the White House.

Citing a source familiar with the decision, CNN reported that President-elect Trump has picked South Carolina's Governor Haley to be the US ambassador to the United Nations.

The move, which will be announced later today, comes as Trump advisers are seeking to diversify his ranks and marks his first female appointment to a cabinet-level post, The Washington Post reported.

Trump's plan to offer the job to Haley, a rising Republican star, was first reported by the Post and Courier.

Haley has already carved out a legacy for herself, serving as her home state's first female and first minority governor.

Haley, who is serving her second term, has worked on trade and labour issues as governor but brings little foreign policy experience. Her views on various US military and national security matters usually fall within the Republican Party's hawkish mainstream.

Trump met with Haley on Thursday at Trump Tower in New York as part of the round of meetings the president-elect has held.

With her appointment to the top diplomatic post in UN, Haley has become the first woman and minority to join Trump's administration. She would replace Samantha Power.

She would also be the first ever Indian-American Cabinet rank official in any administration. The Cabinet position would require confirmation by the Senate.

Haley was critical of Trump during the primary campaign and had backed Senator Marco Rubio in the Republican primary.

However, before the general elections, she switched her position, saying she would vote for Trump.

Born Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa, Haley is the first minority and female governor of South Carolina, a deeply conservative state with a long history of racial strife.

Survey on Modi App: 93 pc support demonetisation

New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) More than 93 per cent of the five lakh people who participated in a survey on Narendra Modi App have supported demonetisation, the PMO said today a day after the Prime Minister sought public feedback on the issue.

"I thank people for the historic participation in the survey. It's satisfying to read the insightful views & comments," the Prime Minister tweeted along with the results of the survey conducted on Narendra Modi App.

"Unprecedented response to App Survey, record number of citizens share their view," said the title of a write-up on narendramodi.in whose link was shared by the Prime Minister on his twitter account.

The survey result was read out by IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad at Cabinet meeting this evening, prompting the Prime Minister to say that it "reflects the mood" of the people.

In just over 24 hours of the survey, more than 5 lakh people have participated and expressed their opinion, it said, adding "This is a staggering number by any stretch. No opinion survey conducted in India, on such policy or political issues, even comes close to sampling so many responses."

More than 93 per cent people support the move to demonetize the old 500 and 1000 rupee notes, it said. Of the over 5 lakh responses so far, only 2 per cent have rated the move as 'very poor' or 'one star', the survey result said.

More than 90 per cent of the respondents feel the government s move to tackle black money is above four-star rating, the survey result says. 73 per cent of them give it five-star rating of 'brilliant'.

On the overall fight against corruption, more than 92 per cent of respondents either rate the government as 'very good' or 'good' while 57 per cent of them rate the fight as 'very good'.

"As high as 86 per cent people believe that some so- called anti-corruption activists are now actually batting in support of black money, corruption and even terrorist financing!", the write-up said. .

SC dismisses Kejriwal's plea against Jaitley defamation case

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) The Supreme Court today dismissed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea seeking stay on trial court proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

A bench of Justices P C Ghose and U U Lalit, while dismissing the plea, said that under the Evidence Act, a judgement given in a civil proceeding is not binding on the criminal case.

"We have seen the judgements. We can't interfere with the judgements of the Delhi High Court and the trial court. The petition is dismissed," the bench said.

Senior Advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Kejriwal, said that if the High Court pronounces judgement in the civil proceedings, then the subordinate court would have to follow the law in the case which is based on the same facts and circumstances.

He sought staying of the criminal defamation case filed by Jaitley against Kejriwal before the trial court and said that the civil proceedings before the High Court shall be continued.

The Delhi High Court had on October 19 dismissed Kejriwal's plea seeking stay of trial court proceedings in a criminal defamation case, saying, there was no "illegality" in continuing it simultaneously with a civil defamation suit in the high court.

The high court had said there was "no prejudice" on account of a pending civil suit and there was no "double jeopardy" and as such Kejriwal's plea was "devoid of merit".

It had said the criminal and civil defamation cases were "different in nature".

Besides a civil defamation suit in the high court, Jaitley had also filed a criminal defamation complaint in a lower court alleging Kejriwal and five AAP leaders -- Raghav Chadha, Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh and Deepak Bajpai -- had defamed him in the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) controversy.

On April 7, the trial court had granted bail to Kejriwal and others in the case after they had appeared before it.

Jaitley had on December 21, 2015 filed the criminal defamation case against the AAP leaders and sought their prosecution for offences that entail a punishment of up to two years in jail.

Jaitley, in his civil defamation suit in the high court, has sought Rs 10 crore in damages from Kejriwal and the five AAP leaders for issuing allegedly false and defamatory statements against him and his family in connection with alleged irregularities in DDCA when he was its president.

PM has created a new normal, will clean and expand economy: FM

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a "new normal" of white transactions with crackdown on black money, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today, asserting that demonetisation will lead to a jump in private investment and more public spending on welfare measures.

Addressing BJP parliamentary party over the fallout of the decision, he took a dig at Rahul Gandhi saying on the one hand the Congress leader says the demonetisation decision was selectively leaked to BJP top brass and on the other he claims "that even Finance Minister, that means I, was also not aware".

Speaking at length, Jaitley explained all aspects of the move and said, "Demonetisation has direct relation with poor, with poverty and with poverty alleviation" and said once the replacement of currency reaches a reasonable level, the restrictions will be eased.

Explaining the likely positive outcomes of this move, Jaitley said the country annually borrows Rs 4-5 lakh crore and after this move and these funds can be used for public spending for development of rural areas and uplift of poor.

About Rs 8 lakh crore will be collected from income tax this year and Rs 8.5 lakh crore from indirect tax but despite that another Rs 4-5 lakh crore is required to bear expenses for running the country, he said.

"..so if the honest tax paying system establishes in the country...then do we need to borrow money...and in the case these borrowings of about Rs 4-5 lakh crore annually can be utilised in rural areas for poverty alleviation and other similar measures," Jaitley added.

Terming the decision as historic, he said that Modi with his courageous step has created a new normal of white transactions.

"...what was normal from last 70 years that this much in cash and this much in cheque... but now Prime Minister has created a new normal," he said.

"Today every honest citizen feels that a premium has been given for his honesty. In long term this landmark step will increase the size of official economy and reduce the shadow economy," he said.

Giving rationale behind this move, the Finance Minister said in developed countries currency is normally 4 per cent of GDP but in India it is 12 per cent of the GDP.

Therefore, most trade happens in cash and is out of banking system. As a result black money, fake currency, and non-compliance of tax are attached with it, he added.

"Today you see lakh of crores of rupees which was in cash has come into banking system. This is low cost money. Now banks will have capacities to provide more loans for infrastructure development, agriculture and private sector...

banks have also started reducing interest rates," Jaitley added.

The cessation of legal tenders Rs 500 and 1000 is followed by remonetisation so that alternative currency should reach people.

"Once this remonetisation reaches reasonable level, we will take back all restrictions but till then there will be a difficulty for some days," Jaitley said.

Lodha panel moves SC to appoint G K Pillai as BCCI observer

New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) The apex court-appointed Justice R M Lodha committee has moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to appoint former home secretary G K Pillai as an observer to "guide" BCCI in the administrative works including award of contracts, transparency norms and holding of future domestic, international and IPL matches.

The committee, in its third status report submitted in the apex court on November 14, has also sought a declaration from the bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur that all office bearers of cash-rich BCCI and state cricket bodies, who are in violation of laid down norms with regard to 70 year age cap, citizenship and tenures, "cease to hold office forthwith".

"While the day-to-day administration of BCCI is presently carried out by the CEO and certain managers who assist him in this regard, there would be a need to appoint an observer who would guide the BCCI in its administration, particularly with reference to the award of contracts, transparency norms, audit, etc., for domestic, international and IPL cricket to be played hereafter.

"The committee recommends that G K Pillai, former Union home secretary be appointed as the observer, with a power to appoint auditor and all necessary secretarial staff, assistance and remuneration as may be determined appropriate by the committee," the report, filed through panel's secretary Gopal Sankaranarayanan, said.

It referred to recommendations, approved by the court, on criteria for holding posts in BCCI and state cricket bodies and said that they include that a person should be an Indian citizen and below 70 years of age.

The office bearer should not be "insolvent, or of unsound mind" or a minister or government servant, it said, adding that criteria also included that such a person should not be holding "any office or post in a sports or athletic association or federation apart from cricket".

It also said that the person is "incapable if an office bearer has been in office for a cumulative period of 9 years, besides being charged by a court of law for having committed any criminal offence".

"Several office bearers at both the BCCI and the state associations continue to hold the posts although they stand disqualified as per the order of this court. It is submitted that those individuals who fall foul of these norms be declared to cease to hold office forthwith," the panel said.

Aditya Varma, Secretary of Cricket Association of Bihar who had filed the case in the SC on the issue, welcomed the move of the panel, saying that many states like Bihar would benefit from it.

Toll mounts to 143 in Indore-Patna Express derailment

Pukhrayan (UP), Nov 21 (PTI) The death toll today mounted to 143 in the Indore-Patna Express derailment here in Kanpur rural area as rescuers wrapped up their operation with little hope of finding any survivors after overnight efforts to pull out trapped passengers from the mangled bogies.

All the 14 derailed coaches of the Patna-bound train 19321 have been removed from the tracks. Many distraught people were sifting through the luggage and other belongings piled up at the site to look for any clue about their missing loved ones.

"I am looking for my brother. Who knows what has happened to him? He may have changed his seat... we have searched everywhere," said Ramanand Tiwari.

After seeing bodies of three of his family members, Nirmal Verma was inconsolable.

"Whoever I tried to look for is dead. My brother, my elder sister-in-law, daughter.... I haven't found my mother yet. I fear I will find her in the same condition," said Verma who was to travel with his family to a wedding but couldn't get leave from work and was supposed to join them later.

"143 bodies have been found so far, out of which 110 have been identified," according to IG (Kanpur range) Zaki Ahmad.

While 120 bodies were pulled out till last night, some others were found as rescuers later cleared the wreckage.

Chief Medical Officer Kanpur Ramayan Prasad said 105 bodies have been handed over to family members after postmortem and free ambulances were provided.

24 bodies have been sent to Bihar, 25 to Madhya Pradesh and 56 in several districts of UP.

83 of the 202 injured passengers were admitted in hospitals of Kanpur and neighbouring Kanpur-Rural districts while rest of them have been released, Prasad said, adding 73 of them were seriously injured.

Amid scenes of tragedy, a number of good samaritans took it upon themselves to provide succour to the traumatised passengers and help out the rescuers and others on site and in hospitals by providing food and water.

Volunteers from several NGOs, RSS, Sikh organisations and even from many political outfits remained at the accident site till late in the night as rescuers struggled to pull out passengers trapped in the mangled bogies.

The volunteers visited injured victims and the distraught families in the hospitals and distributed drinking water, tea, snacks and fruits among them.

Coaches S1 and S2 had telescoped into each other and most of the casualties were feared to have been in these two compartments. S3 and S4 coaches also suffered severe damage while an AC III tier coach was also affected but casualties in it were not heavy.

Railway personnel assisted by army, NDRF and state police carried out the search and rescue operation overnight under floodlights.

Officials had said that prima facie the cause of the accident could be due to track fracture.

A high-level probe had been ordered by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who today promised "strictest possible action" against the guilty.

Making a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha, he said a separate investigation will be held aided by latest technical and forensic analysis. .

India, China agree to keep borders 'tranquil and peaceful'

Beijing, Nov 21 (PTI) India and China today agreed on the need to keep their borders "tranquil and peaceful" as army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag held talks with top Chinese military officials, including his counterpart, amid frequent transgressions by the PLA along the LAC.

Kicking off his four-day visit, General Suhag met General Li Zuocheng, the head of China's ground forces which have undergone major restructuring in the last three years.

Suhag was welcomed by Gen Li with a Guard of Honour at the Bayi Building. Later, both held official talks in which a wide range of issues of mutual interest were discussed.

They both noted with appreciation the 6th India-China Joint Training Exercise 'Hand-in-Hand' 2016 which is currently going on in Pune and agreed to further expand defence exchanges between the two armies, a statement issued by the Indian Embassy said.

Later Suhag held talks with Chinese Air-force General Xu Qiliang, who is also the Vice Chairman of Central Military Commission, the high command of China's military.

During the meeting Suhag and Xu "reiterated their desire to keep up the momentum of defence exchanges and the need to keep the borders tranquil and peaceful", the statement said.

Gen Xu also accepted invitation to visit India.

Suhag also extended an invitation to Li to visit India, which he accepted hoping to make it soon.

The Chief of Army Staff's delegation is comprised of four senior Army Officers, holding key posts in the Indian Army.

Suhag will also visit Xian and Nanjing, where he will visit key military installations, as well as interact with General Liu Yuejun, Commander of the Eastern Theatre Command, the statement said.

During the visit, General Suhag is expected to discuss a host of issues including efficacy of mechanism put in place to deal with transgressions of troops aggressively patrolling the areas claimed by both the countries.

Several such transgressions by Chinese troops specially in the Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh sectors in the recent past resulted in long standoffs between troops on both sides.

While relations between the two militaries improved with constant visits by high-level officials including the Defence Ministers, officials say the relations remained tenuous with steady increase of Pakistan-related issues affecting their growth.

General Suhag's visit also comes at a time when relations between the two countries were stressed by issues like the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China blocking India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and move to impose a UN ban on JeM Chief Masood Azhar.

However, officials on both sides say despite contentious issues, both sides managed to keep up the dialogue at the highest level going, ensuring peace and tranquillity along the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Besides the constant interactions under the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) to address ground level issues, the two sides also held 19 rounds of talks to resolve the border dispute. 

Japan's Abe, Trump set to meet; Abe seeking to build trust

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a Reuters Newsmaker conversation in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 21, 2016.REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

By Steve Holland and Kiyoshi Takenaka | NEW YORK/TOKYO

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday he wants to build a relationship of trust when he meets U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, stressing that the two-way alliance is the core of Tokyo's diplomacy and security.

Abe, set to meet Trump later on Thursday in New York, is expected to be the first foreign leader to do so since the real estate magnate won a surprise victory in the U.S. election on Nov. 8.

An adviser to Trump, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to speak to media, said earlier this week the president-elect would seek to reassure Abe and other Asian allies who were rattled by his rhetoric during the election campaign.

However, asked whether the issue of contentious issue of Japanese financial support for U.S. troops based in Japan would be raised, Trump aide Kellyanne Conway told the CBS program "This Morning" on Thursday, "Maybe they'll discuss that today."

Trump, a Republican, fanned worries in Tokyo and beyond with his campaign comments on the possibility of Japan acquiring nuclear arms and demands that allies pay more for the upkeep of U.S. forces on their soil or face their possible withdrawal.

Speaking to reporters before leaving Tokyo, Abe called the U.S.-Japan alliance "the cornerstone of Japan's diplomacy and security. Only when there is trust does an alliance come alive," Kyodo news agency reported.

Conway said the meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m. EST (2200GMT) at Trump Tower in Manhattan, would be somewhat informal given that Trump does not take over the White House from Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama until Jan. 20.

"We are very sensitive to the fact that President Obama is still in office for the next two months, and we won’t be making diplomatic agreements today," she told reporters as she entered the building.

Separately, she told CBS: "Any deeper conversations about policy and the relationship between Japan and the United States will have to wait until after the inauguration."

The Trump adviser who spoke earlier this week said he expected the president-elect to reaffirm "the American commitment to being in the Pacific long term" and that while the question of financial support for U.S. troops might come up, it was unlikely to be a focus.

Conway said Vice President-Elect Mike Pence would also attend the meeting, but there was unlikely to be any media access.

ABE TO STRESS ALLIANCE

Abe adviser Katsuyuki Kawai told Reuters he had spoken to several Trump advisers and lawmakers since arriving in Washington on Monday to prepare the meeting and had been told "we don’t have to take each word that Mr. Trump said publicly literally".

"Prime Minister Abe will definitely talk about the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and that alliance is not only for Japan and the United States, but also for the entire Indo-Pacific region as well as world politics," he said.

Japan agreed last December to boost spending for U.S. forces in Japan by 1.4 percent for the next five years, at an average of 189.3 billion yen ($1.74 billion) per year. Defense Minister Tomomi Inada has said Tokyo is paying enough.

Abe has boosted Japan's overall defense spending since taking office in 2012, while stretching the limits of its pacifist post-war constitution to allow the military to take a bigger global role. Defense spending still stands at just over 1 percent of GDP compared with more than 3 percent in the United States.

Some of Trump's campaign rhetoric suggested an image of Japan forged in the 1980s, when Tokyo was seen by many in the United States as a threat to jobs and a free-rider on defense.

The Trump adviser who spoke earlier in the week stressed a more positive view.

"Frankly, the prime minister has been more assertive and forthright in trying to make those changes to Japan’s global posture," he said. "I think he’s going to get a very receptive audience there."

Some diplomats say that until Trump makes key appointments, it will be hard to assess his policies on foreign relations issues ranging from overseas deployments of U.S. troops, China's maritime aggressiveness in Asia and the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.

Abe, a political blue blood and veteran lawmaker, and Trump, a brash outsider with no diplomatic or government experience, have sharp differences on policy issues such as free trade.

Trump's election has dashed hopes for U.S. approval of 12-nation trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a linchpin of Obama's "pivot" to Asia and a pillar of Abe's economic reforms.

(Additional reporting by Linda Sieg, Nobuhiro Kubo and William Mallard in Tokyo, and David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick and Susan Heavey in Washington; Editing by Michael Perry, Jeffrey Benkoe and Frances Kerry)

Demonetisation paralyses Parl; Clash in RS over Azad remarks

New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) Parliament was paralysed today over demonetisation, with Rajya Sabha witnessing a sharp clash over certain remarks by Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, leaving a debate on the issue incomplete in the House which had a lively discussion yesterday.

Opposition parties, led by Congress, created uproar in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha as soon as the Houses met for the day and it continued throughout.

The Lok Sabha could carry out business only during the Question Hour, that too amid the uproar, after which it was adjourned for the day minutes past 12 PM.

The Rajya Sabha could not transact any business.

In the Upper House, which witnessed about six-hour-long debate on demonetisation yesterday, Congress and some other opposition parties pressed, from the word go, for the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House and a response from him over the hardships caused to people by the November 8 decision to make Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes invalid.

AIADMK members, meanwhile, trooped into the Well and created uproar demanding that Karnataka release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu.

The uproar forced repeated adjournments of the House, whose proceedings for the day were ended minutes past 3 PM following a major clash between opposition and ruling members after Congress leader Azad compared Uri terror attack casualties to the number of deaths which occurred due to demonetisation "crisis".

Taking strong objection to this, the ruling side termed the comments as "anti-national" and demanded an apology from Congress besides seeking deletion of the remarks from the official records of the Upper House.

Azad, while demanding presence of the Prime Minister and asserting that the House will not be allowed to function till he comes there, said 40 people had died following government's decision on demonetisation.

"People are suffering because of demonetisation. The death toll has reached 40. In the attack by Pakistani terrorists (on army camp) in Uri (in Kashmir), even half of the deaths did not take place. People double than that figure have died due to wrong policy of the government," he said.

In the Uri attack, 18 army personnel had been killed.

In an apparent reference to the cross-LoC surgical strikes carried out by India in PoK after the Uri attack, Azad said, "There should be air strike on BJP....Your wrong policies are responsible for their murders." 

He said since the Prime Minister had made the demonetisation announcement, he should come to the House.

Demonetisation will hit terror funding & counterfeiting

New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) The demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes is expected to hit terror funding and counterfeiting as there are additional security features in new notes which are very difficult to replicate, a senior government official said.

Counterfeiting of new Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes would be very difficult as they have at least 7-8 additional security features which are very tough to replicate.

It would take years for anyone to counterfeit the new notes being circulated, the official said, adding funding of terror activities would be badly affected due to demonetisation.

The official said the change of higher denomination of Indian currencies was long over due as in normal circumstances any country changes its notes in every 7-8 years with additional security features to check its counterfeiting.

There was no major change in the Rs 1,000 notes ever since it was introduced in the year 2000 while changes in the Rs 500 notes, which was launched in 1987, were done more than a decade ago.

Change in the security features of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes was long over due and the present demonetisation move, even though abrupt, was absolute necessary, the official said.

There is an estimate that around Rs 17,00,000 crore black money was in circulation in the country and even though many people attempt to whitewash the black money they have, it is certain that around Rs 4,00,000 crore is not coming back to the banking system.

This will clean up the economy and windfall gain for the government, the official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 had announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes ceased to be legal tender and asked people possessing such notes to deposit or exchange the same with banks.

He had said new Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes would be introduced with different colour and design.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Saturday that it will take up to three weeks for all two lakh ATMs in the country to be re-calibrated.