Angela Merkel receives ceremonial welcome at President house
German Chancellor Angela Merkel today received a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, ahead of her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A statement from Ms Merkel’s delegation said Mr Modi has outlined an ambitious programme for the development of India and Germany fully intends to be a partner and support it. Earlier, the Prime Minister tweeted Namaste Chancellor Merkel! Warm welcome to you and the delegation. Mr Modi wrote he looked forward to fruitful discussions and strengthening India Germany ties.
She will take part in the third Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) between India and Germany in Delhi today. She is accompanied by a high level delegation, including cabinet ministers and business leaders. The External Affairs Ministry, in a release said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms Merkel will jointly chair the IGC. The IGC is a unique Summit-level dialogue with Cabinet participation of both governments that helps advance bilateral partnership across areas of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merkel will also hold discussions on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including deepening bilateral engagement in defence, security, education, renewable energy, high technology manufacturing, skill development, science and technology, and agriculture. Ms Merkel will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee and meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today.
The German Chancellor, along with Prime Minister Modi will visit Bengaluru tomorrow and participate in a business event. Ms Merkel arrived in New Delhi last night on a 2-day visit to India. She was received at the airport by the Minister of state for Finance Jayant Sinha.
Chancellor Merkel and PM Modi will visit the Bosch innovation center and the vocational training center as well as attend the Business Forum to witness how German and Indian companies in Bengaluru provide solutions for Indian, German and international customers alike and cover the whole value-chain from laboratories to software applications. Both will speak at the Business Forum organized by the India’s National Association of Software and Services Companies – NASSCOM – in collaboration with the German Fraunhofer Institute. Later they will interact with Indian and German business leaders.
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Portugal’s ruling coalition heads for victory in general election
Portugal’s center-right ruling coalition “Portugal Forward” is likely to win in the country’s general election, exit polls suggested on Sunday. The exit polls, however, indicated that the coalition may lose its majority in parliament. The coalition is projected to win between 36.4 percent and 43 percent of the vote, while the opposition center-left Socialists are set to obtain 29.5 percent to 35 percent of the votes.
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Highlights from the local media of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka |
| October 5th, 2015 | Volume: 1 – 2/10 |
BANGLADESH
Japanese national shot dead in Rangpur
Prothom Alo | 3rd October Barely a week into the killing of an Italian national in capital Dhaka, a Japanese national was gunned down by unknown miscreants at Alutari of Kaunia upazila in Rangpur on Saturday, reports news agency UNB.
Bangladesh PM seeks bigger investment by expats
The Daily Star | 3rd October Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the expatriate Bangladeshis in UK to invest in their own country, especially in agro-processing industries, in a bigger way.
ADB to give $120m to boost Bangladesh-India cross-border power link
The Financial Express | 1st October The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $120 million to Bangladesh in loan to help increase transmission capacity of a cross-border electricity link between India and Bangladesh.
Jatiya Party MP, son held over war crimes
The Daily Star | 1st October Police arrested Jatiya Party lawmaker MA Hannan and his son today hours after the International Crimes Tribunal-1 issued an arrest warrant against them along with six others for their alleged involvement in crimes committed in Mymensingh during the Liberation War in 1971.
Death warrants issued for BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed
The Daily Star | 1st October A war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh today issued death warrants for Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed.
4 held over IS link in Mymensingh
The Financial Express | 1st October Police arrested four people, including a schoolboy, from different areas in Ishwarganj upazila of Mymensingh on Friday and Saturday for their suspected link to Middle East-based militant outfit Islamic State (IS). BHUTAN
We may be landlocked but we’re not locked in: Prime Minister
KUENSEL | 3rd October In his address during the summit, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay called for the UN to be reformed and supported India’s bid for a permanent seat on the organisation’s security council. He also spoke about the similarities in the Sustainable Development Goals and Gross National Happiness.
Bhutan’s hydropower to reduce CO2 in India
KUENSEL | 3rd October Hydropower supply from Bhutan would reduce carbon dioxide in India by about 10M tons in 2016/17 and could be as high as 40M tons annually by 2020/21. This is because the hydropower generation from Bhutan would replace thermal plants in India where coal is the main raw material, according to a techno-economic study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on cross-border power trading. Currently half of India’s total power generation is sourced from coal.
Kerosene subsidy lifted for industrial establishments
KUENSEL | 1st October Commercial industries in Phuentsholing and Samdrupkongkhar will not be entitled to the current 50 percent subsidy on kerosene starting January 2016. The trade department has notified to discontinue the issuance of subsidised kerosene to all existing business entities that currently enjoy subsidy. In all, about 17 establishments will not be entitled the existing subsidy from next year. Phuentsholing has 10 small establishments, while there are seven in Samdrupjongkhar that will be denied the subsidy. Trade officials in Thimphu said the decision was made in accordance to the findings of the special audit that the Royal Audit Authority (RAA) conducted. MALDIVES
Former Maldives Vice President Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed calls to respect the U.N.’s decision
Sun Online | 4th October In a tweet from the England, the former Vice President said that this is the “Time for Maldives government to obey internationally recognised standard of due process & rule of law.” “I call upon the current Govt to respect the rulings made by UNWGAD. It would not diminish national sovereignty or authority of the Govt.” The former VP tweeted.
Our famed waters will be our grave, Maldives warns world on climate change
Haveeru Online | 4th October Maldives’ famed blue waters will become a watery grave for its people, foreign minister Dhunya Maumoon warned calling for urgent action to address climate change at the United Nations. In her address at the annual general debate of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dhunya stressed that climate change was a security threat to the Maldives.
Ban Ki-moon: We do not want to interfere in internal politics of Maldives
Sun Online | 2nd October United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that neither he nor the UN wants to interfere in the internal politics of the Maldives. Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the UN Secretary-General made this remark at a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives Dunya Maumoon at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday, 30 September 2015. UN said in a statement on their website that during the meeting, Ban Ki-moon also urged Maldives to grant clemency to former President Mohamed Nasheed.
Foreign experts assisting president’s boat blast probe depart
Haveeru Online | 4th October President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and his spouse were travelling to Male from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), which is located on the nearby island of Hulhule, when the explosion took place. They returned home Monday morning after concluding their visit to Saudi Arabia to perform the annual hajj pilgrimage. The president was unhurt, but the first lady suffered a spinal fracture while presidential secretary Fathimath Mohamed Solih and bodyguard Abdu Nasir received minor injuries including burns. NEPAL
Cargo trucks enter Nepal from Jogbani border
The Kathmandu Post | 4th October Indian officials have agreed to send cargo trucks and fuel tankers to Nepal on Sunday. The cargo and freight carriers were halted at the Jogbani border point by the Indian Seema Surakhsa Bal (SSB) citing security concerns due to the ongoing Madhes agitation. The Indian side agreed to send the goods carriers in a meeting held at Biratnagar Customs Office between customs officers, industrialists and transport entrepreneurs of Nepal and India, informed Biratnagar Customs Office Chief Krishna Bahadur Basnet.
Prospects of Nepal’s consensus government appear dim
The Kathmandu Post | 4th October Even as President Ram Baran Yadav on Friday set in motion new government formation—giving the parties a week to elect a new prime minister in consensus, leaders from three major forces negotiating a power-sharing deal are already downplaying the prospects of a unity government.
United Democratic Madhesi Front forms talks team, but decides to continue protests
The Himalayan Times | 4th October The agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front formed a team to hold talks with the government. The alliance, however, has decided to continue the protest programmes including obstruction of supplies from India to Nepal in the Tarai districts. The UDMF, in a statement issued after the meeting, has urged the government to create conducive environment for meaningful and result-oriented talks.
Nepal seeks unhindered access to the sea at UN
Himalayan News Service | The Himalayan Times | 2nd October Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Prakash Man Singh has stressed on the effective and unhindered access to the sea for landlocked developing countries like Nepal. While addressing the 70th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York yesterday, he appealed the world community to ensure such access through effective implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action to make a difference in the lives of about 450 million people living in LLDCs. PAKISTAN
India-Pakistan should formalize Kashmir truce: PM Nawaz Sharif
The Nation |1st October In an address to the United Nations General Assembly Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for cooperation, not confrontation, with on-and-off foe India and said the two countries should formalise a cease-fire in disputed Kashmir.
US providing precision strike technology to Pakistan: Jilani
The Express Tribune | 5th October The United States is helping Pakistan fight militants in its tribal areas by providing precision strike technology to its air force, the country’s envoy in Washington said on Sunday.
US supports fight ‘from Waziristan to Karachi’
Dawn | 5th October The United States has assured Pakistan that it will continue to support the government’s efforts to defeat militancy from North Waziristan to Karachi. In a policy statement, read out at a convention convened by the Pakistan Embassy, US Deputy Special Representative Jonathan Carpenter also reiterated Washington’s offer of “tangible material” support to democracy in the country. SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka Prisons recruit 100 Tamil youths as officers
Colombo Page | 4th October Sri Lanka’s Prison Department for the first time in history has recruited 100 Tamil youth to train as officers, Commissioner General of Prisons Rohana Pushpakumara said.
Sri Lanka, Japan discuss upgrading bilateral relations during PM’s visit
Colombo Page | 4th October Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, who is on an official visit to Japan, discussed upgrading bilateral relations with his Japanese counterpart Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Kyoto.
Jayalalithaa writes to Indian PM again to get fishermen released from Sri Lanka
Colombo Page | 4th October The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa today wrote to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second time in a week asking him to intervene and secure the release of the Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for poaching in the island’s waters.
British Prime Minister David Cameron says resolution on Lanka a crucial step
Colombo Gazette | 4th October British Prime Minister David Cameron says the resolution on Sri Lanka adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a crucial step towards uncovering the truth about alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka, ensuring accountability for the past and respect for human rights now and in the future. |
#6: Delhi and Tamil Nadu boys hit 100-point mark with big victories
Ludhiana, Punjab, 4th October 2015: Midway through the league stages of the 66thJunior National Basketball Championship, on the morning of Day 3, the Karnataka girls continued their good form, completely dominating against the Madhya Pradesh girls side. Senior player Bhandavya Mahesha showed her class with 32 points. Sakshi Pandey had 17 points for Madhya Pradesh in a losing effort. The Tamil Nadu girls continued their quest to move to Level 1 in the tournament with a blowout victory against Gujarat.
In the boys’ level 1 games on Day 3 morning, Tamil Nadu cruised to another comfortable victory, this time against Haryana. The TN boys broke the 100-point barrier by putting up 104 points, led by Surya’s 21 points and Dhimant Sahi’s 20 points. Their offense looks like a well-oiled machine as we progress further into the tournament. Later, the Rajasthan boys took on the Maharashtra side that was coming off a victory in their last game. However, this time, Maharashtra could not produce the same result as the Rajasthan side outplayed them. With multiple players scoring above 15 points, Rajasthan outclassed their opponent on the court with a 94-50 victory.
Later in the day, the Kerala girls had a good game against Rajasthan, showcasing their tight defense and smooth transition play. Nimmy top scored for Kerala with 16 points as her team achieved a huge margin of victory with the final score at 75-30. In the same Group B, Maharashtra picked up a win against West Bengal leading throughout the game. Carina from the Maharashtra team put up 17 points.
The Delhi boys are picking up speed in the tournament, with a victory in an easy game against Andhra Pradesh in the early evening. They broke the tournament scoring record set by tournament earlier in the day putting up 105 points against Andhra Pradesh.
In the level 2 games, the Chandigarh boys beat Bihar 65-38, led by Abhishek’s 30 points and inched closer to advancing to level 1. The West Bengal boys also are doing well in their level 2 group with a 57-35 victory against Telangana.
Results from Day 3 up to 6:00 pm
Girls:
Level 1:
Group A:
Karnataka (Bhandavya Mahesha 32, Bhoomika 14) bt Madhya Pradesh (Sakshi Pandey 17, Shivangi 8) 78-32 (19-9, 24-7, 14-10, 21-6)
Group B:
Kerala (Nimmy 16, Nimmi 12) bt Haryana (Surya 10, Bharti 6, Preeti 6) 75-30 (21-7, 25-6, 16-13, 13-4)
Maharashtra (Carina 17, Alika 12, Priyanka 9) bt West Bengal (Rashmi 13, Pavlami 9, Pratyusha 7) 70-42 (20-11, 25-4, 17-11, 8-16)
Level 2:
Group C:
Tamil Nadu (M. Suriyadharshini 10, K. Prithi 9, M. Nishanthi 7) bt Gujarat (Arti 10, Daxa V. 8) 65-29 (21-6, 12-6, 21-6, 11-11)
Group D:
Rajasthan (Kamlesh Taragi 17) bt Goa (Rachel Raposa 11, Rose Rhea Rebelo 11) 47-26(12-8, 10-6, 9-3, 16-9)
Group E:
Chandigarh (Akashita 20, Amrit 17) bt Odisha (Urbasi 12, Jayashree 10) 54-52 (14-11, 10-7, 15-11, 15-23)
Group F:
Andhra Pradesh (N. Padmavath 6, G. Suneetha 6) bt Bihar 30-4 (10-0, 7-0, 7-2, 6-2)
Boys:
Level 1:
Group B:
Tamil Nadu (Surya 21, Dhimant Sahi 20) bt Haryana (Lalit 21, Deepak 19) 104-76 (20-17, 28-19, 24-14, 32-26)
Rajasthan (Akhilesh 23, Yogesh 22, Mahipal 19) bt Maharashtra (Sameer 19, Ashraf 12)94-50 (21-23, 31-17, 27-6, 14-4)
Delhi (Sunil 20, Somir 18, Erash 13) bt Andhra Pradesh (Neeraj 11, D. Mohammad 10)105-58 (31-12, 22-10, 18-18, 34-18)
Level 2:
Group E:
West Bengal (Arka Saha 11, Dharmendra 8) bt Telengana (S. Sai Kumar 16, J. Pranay Kumar 11) 57-35 (24-6, 11-13, 11-6, 11-10)
Group F:
Uttarakhand (Viyoung 20, Abhijot 14, Vaibhav 10) bt Tripura (Nirakar 18, Deepak 11, Kunal 8) 54-45 (19-17, 11-4, 14-15, 10-9)
Chandigarh (Abhishek 30, Amit 16) bt Bihar (Vishnu Kumar 12, Abhinandan 10, Nitesh Kumar 10) 65-38 (22-12, 25-13, 8-3, 10-10)
About the 66th Junior National Basketball Championship
The 66th Junior National Basketball Championship is being organised in Ludhiana, Punjab. The tournament for the ‘18 and under’ category is scheduled from October 2 to October 9 2015 in the basketball hotbed of Punjab, which has produced numerous star international players. The Punjab Basketball Association is the organising body for the tournament under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India. The venue for the championship is the courts at the Guru Nanak Stadium. There is one indoor court and two outdoor courts at the venue.
Last year’s Junior National Championship was held in Kochi, Kerala. Home team Punjab boys were the winners of the 65th version of the tournament; while Delhi came runners up and Tamil Nadu were the third placed team in the boys’ category. For the girls, Chhattisgarh are the defending champions, who defeated the Kerala girls in the final last year. Uttar Pradesh girls achieved third place.
This year’s tournament will witness the participation of 24 states, each with a boys’ and girls’ team. The last time a national level basketball championship was held in Ludhiana was the Senior National Basketball Championship in 2012-13.
About Basketball Federation of India
The Basketball Federation of India or BFI is the governing and controlling body of basketball in India, and is responsible for the development and promotion of the sport at all levels. BFI has been involved in conducting camps, clinics, events, and training sessions at its academies for the development of basketball. BFI came into being in 1935 and took complete control over Indian basketball in 1950. Prior to that time, the Indian Olympic Association handled the conduct of Indian basketball championships. Since 1950, the BFI has been conducting various such championships, from the grassroots to senior team participation in international tournaments. In addition, the BFI has been responsible for the establishment of strong sub-junior and junior level programs. The BFI has to its credit produced several international players of repute, among them 17 have been bestowed with the honour of Arjuna Awards. Earlier in June 2015, 19-year-old Satnam Singh Bhamara made history by becoming the first Indian national to be drafted by an NBA team, when he was selected by the Dallas Mavericks. More information at www.basketballfederationindia.org
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