India, Israel to set up $40 mn research fund - Surender Gupta Dunar

Surender Gupta Dunar Journalist - India and Israel announced a strategic partnership between the two countries after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, and signed seven agreements in the fields of water, agriculture, space, including a $40 million joint fund for research and development in innovation.

“India and Israel live in complex geographies. We are aware of the strategic threats to regional peace and stability,” said Mr. Modi, briefing the media on the outcome of the talks. “PM Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat the growing radicalization and terrorism, including in cyberspace.”

Surender Gupta Dunar  Read Source:  http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-israel-to-set-up-40-mn-research-fund/article19217107.ece?homepage=true

Surender Gupta Dunar | People of Indian origin in Israel to get OCI card: Modi

Surender Gupta Dunar Journalist - Indian-Israelis are a “human bridge” between the two countries, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi addressed a gathering of about 5,000 Israelis of Indian origin at a convention centre in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, where Mr. Modi promised a new Air India flight connecting both countries.

“We love you, respect you, admire you,” said Mr. Netanyahu to a cheering crowd, that represented a larger number than the Jewish population of India, that gathered here from various parts of the country.

In his speech, Mr. Modi recalled several Jewish Indians who had served in India, including General JFR Jacob, and hundreds of Indians who worked to “make the desert bloom” in Israel in farming jobs.

Surender Gupta Dunar News Source:  http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modi-speaks-to-indian-diaspora-at-tel-aviv/article19217636.ece?homepage=true

Surender Gupta Dunar Journalism verifies that Donald Trump Travel Ban: What Comes Next?

Surender Gupta Dunar Washington:  The US Supreme Court's partial reinstatement of President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban has immigration lawyers and travelers trying to unpack how exactly the ban will be implemented when it takes effect Thursday.

The court ruled that the president's executive order targeting citizens from six mainly Muslim countries could go into partial effect.

But the court eased its punch by saying the measure could only be applied to travelers from those targeted countries "who lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States."

Though Trump has claimed the Supreme Court's decision a national security win, the partial ban is narrower in scope than the president's first two versions. Here's what we know about what the ruling means:
Surender Gupta Dunar News Source http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trump-travel-ban-what-comes-next-1718308

Surender GUpta Dunar Journalism | GSAT-17, India's latest communication sattelite, launched from French Guiana

Surender Gupta Dunar - India's latest communication satellite GSAT-17 was today successfully launched by a heavy duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.
The European launcher Arianespace Flight VA238 blasted off from Ariane Launch Complex No 3 (ELA 3) at Kourou, a French territory located in northeastern coast of South America, couple of minutes delayed than the scheduled time of 2:29 hrs IST.

HERE'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1. GSAT-17 also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites.
2. Configured around I-3K extended bus, GSAT-17 with a lift-off mass of about 3,477 kg carries payloads in Normal C- band, Extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services
3. GSAT-17 was injected shortly after orbiting co-passenger Hellas Sat 3-Inmarsat S EAN in a flawless flight lasting about 41 minutes.
4. "GSAT-17 successfully launched by Ariane-5 VA-238 from Kourou, French Guiana," ISRO announced after the mission.
5. GSAT-17 that will strengthen ISROs current fleet of 17 telecommunications satellites was launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
6. This is third satellite launch by ISRO this month, the other two being first developmental flight of GSLV MkIII and PSLV C-38 missions - both from Sriharikota spaceport.
7. GSLV MkIII successfully launched GSAT-19 satellite on June 5 while PSLV-C38 orbited Cartosat-2 Series satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites on June 23 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
8. ISRO, which has been dependent on Ariane-5 rocket for carrying its heavier satellites, is developing GSLV Mk III for this purpose.
9. Announcing the successful launch of the satellite, Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel tweeted: "Confirmed: GSAT-17 has successfully separated from its #Ariane5 launcher #VA238 @ISRO "
10. Thanking Arianespace, Director Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Dr K Sivan who watched the launch from the mission control centre called it a "text book mission".
11. Noting it as a special mission for ISRO, he said "GSAT-17 is a need of the hour for ISRO and India as it provides the continuity in services of ageing two satellites, as well as augmenting our transponder capability, and widening our horizon to mobile satellite services as well as to Antarctica areas."
12. GSAT-17s co-passenger Hellas Sat 3-Inmarsat S EAN is a two-payload "condosat" produced by Thales Alenia Space for Hellas Sat and Inmarsat.
13. Once in orbit, the Hellas Sat 3 component will deliver direct-to-home and telecom services to maintain and expand Hellas Sats business reach, while the Inmarsat S EAN component provides the satellite portion of Inmarsats new European Aviation Network.
14. Hellas Sat (member of the Arabsat Group) is a premium satellite operator, offering services in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa from the orbital position of 39 East.
15. Inmarsat is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services.
16. The total payload carried on Flight VA238 is approximately 10,177 kg.
17. GSAT-17 is the 21st satellite from ISRO to be launched by Arianespace, and its designed in-orbit operational life is about 15 years.
18. After its injection into GTO, ISROs Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan takes control of GSAT-17 and performs the initial orbit raising maneuvers using the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of the satellite, placing it in circular Geostationary Orbit, the Indian space agency has said. 
    Surender Gupta Dunar News Source http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/communication-satellite-gsat-17-launched-from-french-guiana/1/989796.html

Surender Gupta DUnar | Anil Kumble Steps Down as Team India Head Coach

 

Surender Gupta Dunar Updates - India cricket coach Anil Kumble stepped down from his position after a widely-speculated feud with captain Virat Kohli, marking a bitter end to a highly successful tenure.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirms that Anil Kumble has withdrawn his services as the post of the Head Coach for the Senior India Men’s team. While the Cricket Advisory Committee had endorsed an extension to his tenure as Head Coach, Anil Kumble has decided not to continue as the coach.” -BCCI Statement

Kumble's decision comes in the wake of reports claiming rifts between him and Kohli, and just two days after India's embarrassing loss to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final.

His one year contract expired at the end of the Champions Trophy but he was given the option to travel with the team to the West Indies for the limited overs series beginning on Friday.

However, Kumble decided to stay back in London for the ICC 'Annual Conference' as he is the chairman of the Cricket Committee while the Indian team boarded the flight for Barbados.

Kohli had met the BCCI top brass along with Kumble in London before leaving for the West Indies on Tuesday. The meeting took place after the high-profile Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) communicated to the BCCI that it had failed resolve the differences between Kumble and Kohli.

The BCCI had invited fresh applications for the post of head coach days before the start of Champions Trophy.

Kumble was a direct entry into the coach selection process while the others who applied for the post were Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Richard Pybus and Lalchand Rajput among others.

On the sidelines of the Champions Trophy in the UK, the CAC comprising Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly held meetings with Kumble as well as Kohli to sort out the differences between the duo.

It was being widely perceived in the BCCI that in the meeting between Kohli and CAC, the skipper had made it clear that his relationship with the coach had reached a dead end.

It was only the CAC which had picked Kumble as the coach last year. It has been learnt that the committee will soon have a conference call to decide on Kumble's successor.

 

Surender Gupta Dunar News Source: https://www.thequint.com/cricket/20...

Surender Gupta Dunar News | 7th Pay Commission: Cabinet meeting to decide on revised

Surender Gupta Dunar News

Among various allowances, the Union cabinet is likely to discuss the House Rent Allowance (HRA) which has been a major concern for government employees. 

The long wait for nearly 50 lakh Central government employees over revised allowances could end today. The Narendra Modi-led Cabinet is expected to meet today to take a final call on allowances under the Seventh Pay Commission.
Some reports had suggested that the Modi government could start rolling out revised allowances from July.
The Union cabinet had okayed the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission in June last year, and since then it has been a long wait for employees to get the full benefits of the report's implementation.
Central government employees, on several occasions, have expressed their disappointment over the long delay in rolling out revised allowances.
Earlier, the Union Cabinet was expected to take up the subject of allowances in its last meeting held on June 7.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to table the proposal for the revised allowance structure at the Cabinet meet today.
Among various allowances, the Cabinet is likely to discuss the House Rent Allowance (HRA), which has been a major concern for government employees.
HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SEVENTH PAY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. The Seventh Pay Commission recommended axing 53 of the 196 allowances that Central government employees get besides merging 36 smaller allowances into bigger ones.
2. The Seventh Pay Commission also suggested bringing down the House Rent Allowance (HRA) rates for Central government employees by varying degrees depending on the type of city. For Metros, the pay panel suggested reducing the HRA from 30 per cent to 24 per cent.
3. As Central government employees protested against the recommendations, the Modi government constituted a committee under Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa in July last year to review the suggestions. The Lavasa panel submitted its report to Arun Jaitley on April 27.
4. Before filing the review report, the Lavasa panel held discussions with all stakeholders, including representatives of Central government employees and various government departments.
5. A Finance Ministry statement on the Lavasa report said that "modifications have been suggested in some allowances which are applicable universally to all Central government employees as well as certain other allowances which apply to specific employee categories".
6. The Ashok Lavasa report was sent to the Department of Expenditure for a first round of review before being placed before the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) for another round of screening.
7. Before the E-CoS submitted its report to the Union cabinet, representatives of Central government employees wrote to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha and said that they were clueless about the recommendations of the Ashok Lavasa Committee on Allowances. They also expressed anguish over inordinate delay in implementation of the Lavasa panel's report.
8. After screening the Ashok Lavasa report on allowances, the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) forwarded the report along with its suggestions to the government after a June 1 meeting.
9. If reports are to be believed, Central government employees are likely to start getting revised allowances under the Seventh Pay Commission from July.
10. The Central government, however, may not be keen on giving arrears on allowances, one of the key demands by employees. According to some reports, employee unions have planned protests if the demand of arrears on allowances is not met.

Surender Gupta Dunar News Source

Gunfire attack by USA troops kills Afghan father, two sons

The tragic event of an open gunfire attack by the US troops claimed the lives of an Afghan father and his two young children on June 12^th, 2017. Surender Gupta Dunar, the leading journalist states that the attack was followed by the explosion of a roadside bomb by the afghanistani convoy.

As per the local authorities, the man and his two sons, aged seven and 10, succumbed to their injuries near their home in the eastern province of Nangarhar. It is the same place where joint operations against militants from the Islamic State group are being conducted by the American forces.

The charges of civilian casualties are still a debatable issue in the war against insurgents in Afghanistan, as President Donald Trump is thinking over sending more troops into the prolonged conflict.

Talking about the incident, Attaullah Khogyani, a provincial spokesman stated, "A roadside bomb hit a foreign forces convoy in Ghani Khail district this morning,"

"The troops then opened fire and killed three civilians nearby, a father and his two sons.” he further added.

Surender Gupta Dunar highlights that, Sekandar Safi, the district police chief confirmed the account.

The US military asserted that they opened fire in "self defence.” They further denied receiving any official allegations by civilian casualties.

"We take civilian casualties very seriously and all allegations are thoroughly investigated," the military said in a statement.

"The incident is under investigation and more information will be released as appropriate."

Located in the eastern part of Afghanistan, Nangarhar is one of its 34 provinces. Surender Gupta Dunar states that it is divided into twenty-two districts and has a stronghold of Islamic State and Afghan forces. The US troops are striving to drive them out.

A recent fire attack an Afghan commando last week, killed three American soldiers and left one wounded in Nangarhar's Achin district.

In order to win over a complex of caves in Achin used by IS fighters; the US military dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb in April.

SurenderGupta Dunar highlights that the so-called ‘Mother Of All Bombs’, wrecked havoc, claiming the lives of dozens of jihadists. However, the battle in the area hasn’t ceased yet.