Trump slams China ahead of meeting with Xi

President Donald Trump speaks from the Truman Balcony at the Fourth of July picnic for military families on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington.   | Photo Credit: AP

U.S. President Donald Trump accused China of non-cooperation in dealing with the North Korean nuclear threat, and threatened retaliatory trade measures against Beijing as he left for Europe on Wednesday morning. The President has been pressing China to rein in the North Korean regime to roll back its nuclear and missile programmes and had offered a “better trade deal” in return.

Mr. Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hamburg, Germany, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit. Mr. Trump will also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg.

“Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us — but we had to give it a try!,” Mr. Trump posted on Twitter, referring to his efforts to draft Beijing to deal with the crisis, and signalling that he was now giving up.

Testing of an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could reach the U.S. west coast by North Korea on Tuesday has increased the urgency of the threat. “…Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!” the President had tweeted after the test.

In another post on Wednesday that indicated he is considering a trade confrontation with China, Mr. Trump said: “The United States made some of the worst Trade Deals in world history. Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us?” As he left the White House for the airport a little later, he responded to shouted questions from reporters, about North Korea: “We’re going to do very well.”

The Twitter strike could be partly a negotiating tactic to increase pressure on the Chinese leader ahead of their face-to-face meeting, but Mr. Trump has overruled most of his cabinet colleagues to proceed with trade tariffs against China, which might be unveiled within weeks, according to recent U.S. media reports.

Sourabh Gupta, Resident Fellow at the Institute for China America Studies in Washington, said Mr. Trump personally might have an exaggerated understanding of Beijing’s ability to control Pyongyang, but his advisers are more realistic. “Assuming that Beijing actually wants to do it, their ability to control North Korean behaviour is extremely limited. They don’t even have direct access to Kim Jong-un. In fact, the timing of the ICBM test, ahead of the G-20 meet is Kim’s way of saying that his fate cannot be negotiated by others,” he said.

The U.S has called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday. Mr. Gupta said the ICBM test is a loss of face for Mr. Xi and China might consider measures such as embargo on oil trade that it has not done so far.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi had set a 100-day deadline to deal with the complex trade disputes between the two countries and it ends on July 16. At $347 billion, trade deficit with China constitutes three fourths of the total and bringing it down has been a priority of the Trump administration. In the hope of making a grand bargain with China on trade and North Korea, the Trump administration had held back on freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea in the initial months but restarted them in the last week of May.

Anonymous White House officials have told American news outlets that the warm welcome accorded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also a signal to China. The administration has also announced an arms sale of $ 1.42 billion to Taiwan, which China had warned against.

U.S. officials have said “strategic patience is over” with regard to North Korea, but have not spelt out what it entails. Freshly elected South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was in Washington last week, is in favour of exploring diplomatic options, and the U.S. will have to have him on board for any move against North Korea though the Trump administration has said it is open to taking unilateral measures.

Chances of a diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang are open, with China, Russia, Japan and South Korea closely involved in the issue, said Mr. Gupta. “Any format, involving some or all of them is possible, and the Trump administration has not ruled it out yet,” he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis hosted Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and General Fang Fenghui, Chief of the People’s Liberation Army’s Joint Staff Department, in June for the inaugural U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue (D&SD) on June 21, 2017 in Washington, where North Korea dominated the discussions. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Moon Jae-in will also be in Hamburg, where North Korean issue will loom large.

Source:The Hindu

People of Indian origin in Israel to get OCI card: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a reception for the Indian community in Israel, in Tel Aviv.   | Photo Credit: Reuters

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.

He also referred to Baba Fariduddin, who had travelled to Jerusalem in the 13th century, calling him a symbol of the fact that while India and Israel have had full diplomatic ties for 25 years, they go back “hundreds of years” in history.

The family of Ansaris, that runs the Indian hospice in Baba Farid’s name even today, met with Mr. Modi in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Sheikh Nazeer Ansari, who has been given a ‘Pravasi Bharatiya’ honour, was among them. In his speech that lasted nearly an hour, Mr. Modi recounted, what he called his government’s achievements, including the introduction of GST unified tax, housing subsidies, and the use of “neem-coated” fertilizers. He also promised the diaspora faster facilitation of PIO and OCI cards, as well as visas, and the setting up of an Indian cultural centre in Israel “very soon”.

“We attend the Indian Embassy Independence Day function each year, but I have never attended a function like this,” said Kevin Moses, a glass bottle factory employee, who moved to Israel in 1968. “The last time we saw such a big crowd was when film star Govinda came,” agreed Michael Daniel, who is an events manager, especially for Bollywood events in Israel.

The event began with the Indian and Israel national anthems being sung by Liora Itzhak, an Israeli singer of Indian origin, whose parents moved to Israel from Gujarat in the 1970s. Speaking to The Hindu before the ceremony, Ms. Itzhak said she has developed a fusion of music from both countries for her first music album here, and hoped to perform again in India soon.

While most of the audience comprised Indian Israelis including Bene Israelis, Cochini Jews and Manipuri B’nai Manache Jews, many Indian students and expatriates were seen dancing to Bollywood music at the event. A large number of Indians also live and work in Israel in the health and care-giving sector in Israel. Amel and Soja, from Kerala, who have lived here for three years as nurses, said they hoped for more flights between the two countries after the visit, and were seen cheering loudly as PM Modi announced a Delhi-Mumbai-Tel Aviv flight to be launched soon. Also present were students of the Hindi language Mikhail and Yalgen, who visited India after their military conscription.


Referring to the number of Israeli youth, who travel with backpacks to India to spend their military allowances at the end of their compulsory training, and seek out Israeli food, Mr. Netanyahu said, “Today when Israelis go to India they go on what is called the “Hummus trip” as backpackers. I want to see young Indians come here on the Curry trail. ”

Thanking Mr. Netanyahu for accompanying him to the event Mr. Modi said, “The way [PM Netanyahu] has stayed by my side, and the respect he have given me, no one can forget…. His love for India is also seen by how he loves Indian food.” Speaking earlier in the day Mr. Netanyahu revealed that he had gone on his first “date” with his present wife, Sara, to an Indian restaurant in Tel Aviv, run by Indian entrepreneur Reena Pushkarna. Ms. Pushkarna, who was present in the audience at the convention centre, has organised Mr. Modi’s food throughout his visit, and was one of the organisers of the diaspora event as convener of the local unit of the BJP’s international wing.

Speaking earlier in the day Mr. Netanyahu revealed that he had gone on his first “date” with his present wife, Sara, to an Indian restaurant in Tel Aviv, run by Indian entrepreneur Reena Pushkarna.


Ms. Pushkarna, who was present in the audience at the convention centre, has organised Mr. Modi’s food throughout his visit, and was one of the organisers of the diaspora event as convener of the local unit of the BJP’s international wing.

Source:The Hindu

Putin, Trump to meet on Friday

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold a first meeting with U.S. leader Donald Trump on Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

“It has been agreed for July 7,” top Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies, without giving further details.

The much-hyped maiden encounter between the two leaders comes as Mr. Trump’s camp is under intense scrutiny over any links to the Kremlin.

Ties between Washington and Moscow plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War after the Kremlin’s seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Lavishing praise

Mr. Trump repeatedly pledged to work to improve ties with Russia during his presidential campaign, lavishing praise on strongman leader Putin.

But hopes have waned in Moscow of an imminent improvement in ties with the U.S., as accusations that Mr. Putin ordered a hacking and influenced campaign to get Mr. Trump elected have made any links to Moscow politically toxic for the White House.

Source:The Hindu

Chris Gayle to take field against India in T20 on Sunday

Chris Gayle replaces Lendl Simmons, who had struggled for runs in the T20 series against Afghanistan.

Big-hitting batsman Chris Gayle has been recalled to the West Indies squad for the lone Twenty20 International against India on Sunday.

Gayle, who is West Indies’ most successful batsman in the T20 format with 1,519 runs at an average of 35.32, replaced Lendl Simmons, who had struggled for runs in the T20 series against Afghanistan.

It will be Gayle’s first T20 match at his home ground, Sabina Park. The marauding batsman, who has two T20 centuries, last played an international match for the West Indies in the 2016 World T20 final against England at Eden Gardens.

All-rounder Jason Holder, who leads the side in Tests and ODIs, has been rested again and the side will be led by Carlos Brathwaite.

“We welcome Chris back to the T20 squad. He is the most prolific batsman in this format and will add value to our team at the top of the order,” Courtney Browne, Cricket West Indies’ chairman of selectors, said.

“He will get the chance to play on his home ground and against a top-quality Indian team,” Browne added.

The hosts are trailing 1-2 in a five-match ODI series with India and will strive to equal the rubber by winning the final match tomorrow.

West Indies T20 squad:

Carlos Brathwaite (C), Samuel Badree, Ronsford Beaton, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton and Kesrick Williams.

Source:The Hindu

OnePlus 5

OnePlus 5 smartphone was launched in June 2017. The phone comes with a 5.50-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels. OnePlus 5 price in India starts from Rs. 32,999. 

The OnePlus 5 is powered by 1.9GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and it comes with 6GB of RAM. The phone packs 64GB of internal storage cannot be expanded. As far as the cameras are concerned, the OnePlus 5 packs a 20-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 16-megapixel front shooter for selfies.

The OnePlus 5 runs Android 7.1.1 and is powered by a 3300mAh non removable battery. It measures 154.20 x 74.10 x 7.25 (height x width x thickness) and weigh 153.00 grams.

The OnePlus 5 is a dual SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, USB OTG, 3G and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India). Sensors on the phone include Compass Magnetometer, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope.

About OnePlus

OnePlus is a Shenzhen-based start-up and producer of smartphones founded in December, 2013. The company's claim to fame is its bid to offer flagship-level specs in its smartphones, at affordable prices. OnePlus initially sold its smartphones only through an invite system where customers would be sent an invite to purchase smartphones and they had to make the purchase within a fixed time frame. Of late the company has held open sales of its smartphones too.

·               Design – 7/10

·         Display - 7/10

·         Software – 9/10

·         Performance – 10/10

·         Battery life – 9/10

·         Camera – 7/10

·         Value for money - 8/10

·             Good

·         Ergonomic and light

·         Good primary camera

·         Very good system and app performance

·         Fast charging works very well

·         Handy software features

   Bad

Uninspiring design

Weak sunlight legibility

Dual camera setup feels half-baked

No stabilisation at 4K

Source:NDTV

Modi or Manmohan: Who had the most number of foreign tours?

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his three years in office, had visited fewer countries than former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

This is not the first time Mr. Shah has drawn comparison between the number of foreign trips Mr. Modi and Mr. Singh have been on. Earlier in 2015, responding to Congress’ criticism about the number of trips Mr. Modi was taking, Mr. Shah said Mr. Singh had taken the same number of trips abroad.

Both times, his defence was the same — that when Mr. Singh went on foreign trips, nobody knew. “When Modiji undertakes a trip abroad, thousands of Indians wait to welcome him and foreign nations are eager to do business with India,” Mr. Shah said in 2015. He reiterated the same sentiment on Sunday, saying, “The entire world watches him (Mr. Modi).”

In order to fact check Mr. Shah’s claim, The Hindu gathered data about both Prime Ministers’ travel details. The data was sourced from the former PM’s archive website and website of the Ministry of External Affairs. Here’s what we found.

Region-wise break-up

Region	Manmohan Singh, UPA-1	Manmohan Singh, UPA-2	Narendra Modi
Africa	4	9	5
Central Asia	0	0	11
East Asia	6	15	7
Europe	38	27	20
Latin America	9	0	3
North America	14	30	15
South Asia	12	15	23
South-East Asia	10	12	4
West Asia	0	3	6

Source:The Hindu

Maruti passes on GST benefit, cuts prices by up to 3%

The company, however, has hiked prices of diesel variants of Ciaz and Ertiga models.

Top automaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has slashed the prices of its models by up to 3 per cent with immediate effect in order to pass on the Goods and Services Tax benefit to its customers.

In a statement on Saturday, the company said it had transmitted the entire benefit of the GST rates on vehicles to its buyers.

“The ex-showroom prices of Maruti Suzuki models have come down by up to 3 per cent. The rate of reduction varies across locations depending on VAT rates applicable prior to the GST,” MSI said.

The company, however, hiked prices of diesel variants of Ciaz and Ertiga models with smart hybrid technology by over Rs 1 lakh because of withdrawal of tax concessions on mild hybrid vehicles under the GST framework.

The price hike on the models will also vary from State to State.

The company sells a range of vehicles from Alto 800 to S-Cross that were priced between Rs 2.46 lakh to Rs 12.03 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Source:The Hindu

India beat hapless West Indies by 93 runs, take 2-0 lead in ODI series

India beat West Indies by 93 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series. With three matches having already been played, West Indies can now only draw the series.

MS Dhoni led a late surge that helped India cross the 250-run mark. (Source: AP)

Two trends have dominated international cricket over the past few years. One has been the rise of the Indian team as an all-round force in world cricket and the other has been West Indies’ free fall. The second has only accelerated in the past two years and this trend has been a theme so far in this series. In keeping with this, West Indies could not capitalise on a good start they got at Antigua to surrender the third ODI by 93 runs to India. It means that India now have a 2-0 lead in the series with one match being abandoned.

West Indies never got going with their chase. They lost their first wicket in the form of Evin Lewis in the second over. Shai Hope was then joined by elder brother Kyle in the middle and the two gave West Indies some stability. But the runs were too few and in between and India were able to build pressure on the hosts. It had its desired effect as Kyle Hope succumbed to Hardik Pandya in the 12th over. Roston Chase was then dismissed in the very next over. The younger Hope was soon to depart and once again, it was clear that West Indies would not be troubling the Indians anymore in the match. Captain Jason Holder was once again stumped by MS Dhoni.

The big hitting Rovman Powell and Jason Mohammed then gave West Indies then gave a sliver of hope as the two put up a 50-run partnership. But yet again, India tightened the noose and made runs hard to get. Soon Powell was dismissed and Jason Mohammed followed suite, both falling to Kuldeep Yadav.

India got off to a rocky start in their innings as they lost Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli before the end of the first 10 overs. Ajinkya Rahane then stabilized the Indian innings along with Yuvraj Singh but the latter was dismissed at 39. MS Dhoni then stood strong with Rahane who managed to make 72 before falling to Miguel Cummins. Kedar Jadhav then joined Dhoni and the two then championed a late surge and managed to take India beyond the 250-mark.


With a series win now being completely ruled out for West Indies, their chances of securing an automatic qualification spot for the 2019 World Cup looks bleaker than ever.

Source:Indian Express

EXCLUSIVE: China releases new map showing territorial claims at stand-off site

The Chinese trijunction, marked by an arrow that claims it is under the 1890 Britain-China treaty, is at the Mount Gipmochi.

Stepping up its claims that India had "trespassed", China has now released a map showing the site of the stand-off as well as China's territorial claims at the India-China-Bhutan trijunction that are in conflict with India's and Bhutan's claims.

The map claims the Indian Army crossed the border at Doka La pass, depicted with a blue arrow, into the Doklam plateau which India and Bhutan see as Bhutanese territory but is claimed by China.

The map, released on Friday, also reveals China's substantial territorial claims at the trijunction that are conflicting with India's and Bhutan's. It shows that China fixes the trijunction far south of where India and Bhutan do, which explains the current stand-off.

WHAT THE MAP SHOWS

The Chinese trijunction, marked by an arrow that claims it is under the 1890 Britain-China treaty, is at the Mount Gipmochi. This is far south of where India and Bhutan mark the trijunction, which the map acknowledged with a dotted line.'

The area on the Doklam plateau south of the dotted line is claimed by China, and it is here that Beijing was building a road into what Bhutan sees as its territory, triggering the stand-off with Bhutan and India.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday: "The line commences at Mount Gipmochi on the Bhutan frontier, and follows the above-mentioned water-parting to the point where it meets Nepal territory. It is without any doubt that the spot where the Indian border troops trespassed is on the Chinese side of the boundary."

INDIA CONCERNED OVER CHINESE INCURSION

India, however, on Friday reminded China that building a road in this disputed area was a violation. "India is deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese Government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India," the Ministry of External Affairs said.


"In this context, the Indian side has underlined that the two Governments had in 2012 reached agreement that the tri-junction boundary points between India, China and third countries will be finalized in consultation with the concerned countries. Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine tri-junction points is in violation of this understanding. Where the boundary in the Sikkim sector is concerned, India and China had reached an understanding also in 2012 reconfirming their mutual agreement on the "basis of the alignment". Further discussions regarding finalization of the boundary have been taking place under the Special Representatives framework."

Source:India Today

At the stroke of midnight, India gets a ‘good and simple tax’

Special session: Pranab Mukherjee, Hamid Ansari and Narendra Modi arriving to attend the function.   | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

Goods and Services Tax will end the spectre of tax terrorism, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime is a ‘Good and Simple Tax’ and its introduction is not just a tax or economic reform but a social reform that will nudge people to take the path to honesty and benefit the poor the most.

This was stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a special function at Parliament’s Central Hall, where President Pranab Mukherjee launched the new indirect tax regime at the stroke of midnight on Friday.

Mr. Modi said the practice of giving out kachcha (informal) bills would become history as the GST presented an opportunity to stop black money and corruption, and give people a chance to do honest business.

‘More transparent’

The GST, he said, was a simpler, modern and more transparent taxation system that would do away with 500 different taxes levied across the country’s 29 States and seven Union Territories. It would end the spectre of tax terrorism and ''inspector raj'' that India’s businesses have had to endure for long.


This, he said, would be an outcome of the technological backing for the GST implementation, which would do away with grey areas and the resultant discretion the bureaucracy enjoyed over tax payers.

Mr. Mukherjee, who as Finance Minister introduced the Constitutional Amendment Bill for enabling GST in 2011, said the tax was “no doubt a disruptive change,” but was similar to the introduction of the VAT (value-added tax) regime, which met resistance initially.

“There will be teething troubles, which we have to solve swiftly so that it doesn’t impact the growth of the economy. The GST Council, Centre and States should continuously improve and refine the GST in the same spirit that we have seen till now,” he said.


The GST would make it easier for global investors to bet on the Indian market, Mr. Modi observed. He sought to allay the anxiety in the business community about the preparedness for the transition to the new tax regime. Even though not everyone was familiar with technology, each family would have a Class X or XII student who could help carry out the GST compliance requirement of filing an online return each month.

While Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK, chose to stay away from the function, the Prime Minister was wholehearted in his acknowledgement of the role of all parties in the GST’s journey and compared the deliberations over different governments on GST to the prolonged debate over the Constitution that started in the same Central Hall of Parliament in November 1946.

“If Sardar Patel hadn’t unified the country’s 500 provinces after independence, what would the country have been like today? Just like that national integration, GST today will help integrate India’s economy,” the Prime Minister asserted.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Vijay Kelkar who originally authored a report on implementing the GST reform during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, former West Bengal Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta and Kerala Congress leader K.M. Mani — both of whom headed the empowered committee of State Finance Ministers during different periods — were present.


Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda shared the dais with the President and the PM, while the only Congress MP present was P.J. Kurien, who was there in his capacity as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson.

Hours prior to the official launch, the GST Council chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley slashed the tax rate on fertilizers from 12% to 5% and tractor parts from 28% to 18%, in a bid to make the new tax regime more farmer-friendly.

“A lot of States had some concern that the tax rate on fertilizers that was fixed at 12% should not lead to an increase in prices. We had received a lot of representations against this. The current tax incidence was considered, but some States had kept a tax rate lower than that, so keeping all that in mind, it was decided that the GST on fertilizers would be 5%,” Mr. Jaitley said.

The Council also approved additional rules for GST implementation, the Finance Minister said, while the Finance Ministry said on its Twitter handle that the GST rate on ‘exclusive parts of tractors’ has been reduced from 28% to 18%.

Meanwhile, a last-ditch attempt on Friday by Jammu and Kashmir to pass the necessary legislation to enable a simultaneous rollout of GST with the rest of the country failed, as no consensus could be reached. A special session of the J&K Assembly will be held from July 4 to discuss the issue.

Mr. Jaitley had earlier warned the State about the adverse impact on its consumers as well as businesses if they fail to roll out GST in sync with the other States.


The government’s think tank Niti Aayog sought to play down expectations of the economy growing faster due to the GST regime, with its member Bibek Debroy stressing that the new dispensation with multiple tax rates is ‘far from ideal’ and hopes of GDP growing by 1%-1.5% were pinned on an ‘ideal GST’, not an ‘imperfect one.’

Source:The Hindu