LIVE! US leader Pelosi seeks efforts for meaningful Tibet autonomy

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Sat, 10 March 2018

US leader Pelosi seeks efforts for meaningful Tibet autonomy

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21:04 US leader Pelosi seeks efforts for meaningful Tibet autonomy

On the 59th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day, a top American leader today sought to re-energise international efforts to ensure meaningful autonomy for Tibet.

"If we do not speak out for human rights in Tibet because of economic concerns, then we lose all moral authority to talk about human rights in any other place in the world," Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement.

Every year, Tibetan Uprising Day commemorates resistance to occupation of Chinese government forces in Tibet on March 10, 1959.

"Let us move forward together, renewed by the enduring faith of the Tibetan people and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and re-energise our efforts to ensure meaningful autonomy for Tibet and guarantee that the culture, religion and human rights of the Tibetan people be fully and forever respected," Pelosi said.

Nearly 60 years ago, the Tibetan people stood defiant in the face of oppression and brutality, she said.

"Guided by their great faith and dignity, the Tibetan people refused to be silent and the rest of the world heard their clarion call for freedom and justice," she added.

In March 2008, the people of Tibet spoke out once more as they faced horrific human rights abuses simply for practicing their religion and culture, Pelosi said.

"Today, the abysmal human rights situation in Tibet continues to be a challenge to the conscience of the world. All freedom-loving people must continue to speak out, until every Tibetan man, woman and child is able to celebrate their heritage and culture, learn their own language, freely practice their faith and secure the dignity and respect that they deserve," Pelosi said.

-- PTI

TDP, which pulled out of the Modi government this week, today said it's alliance with BJP was still on, though it was 'severely hurt' by Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys remarks on assistance to Andhra Pradesh.

It also described as 'unethical', the demand by YSR Congress asking the TDP to move a no-confidence motion against the NDA government at the Centre.

State Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu also told reporters that TDP has decided to 'expose' the Centre on what it has done or not done to the state -- as promised in the AP

Reorganisation Act, 2014 -- by putting out relevant facts and figures before the people.

He said this after a meeting Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu held with him, senior minister K Kala Venkata Rao and others.

For the record, Yanamala said TDP's alliance with BJP was 'still on'.

-- PTI

In an engaging session --"The Young Turks: The Future of Identity Politics"-- on Day 2 of India Today Conclave 2018 in Mumbai today, young Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Hardik Patel said despite having supported Narendra Modi when he was the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, he now opposes his government openly.

Hardik Patel said, "I oppose Modi openly. I don't do it in hiding. And, I do it with dadagiri. But there is a reason behind it. I voted for him when he was running for prime minister because I thought the youth will get job, farmers will not suffer."

"But what happened with people in Gujarat? Innocent people were killed. Sedition charges were slapped. Today, [I] have to appear before the court twice a month. So, I oppose the government and do it openly," said Hardik Patel, who had spent months in jail and was externed from Gujarat after the then Anandiben Patel government booked him under sedition charges following violence during Patidar movement in the state.

Hardik Patel also accused the BJP of double speak and playing communal politics. "I go to places and I don't think any Hindu or any Muslim is in danger. When Modi became Gujarat CM, he openly identified himself as a Hindu and phrases like Mia Musharraf were used in the state election."

19:19 NRA sues Florida over new gun law

The National Rifle Association filed a federal lawsuit over gun control legislation, just hours after Floridas governor Rick Scott signed it into law.

Lawyers for the NRA want a federal judge to block the new age-restriction on buying a gun raised to 21 from 18 from taking effect, saying it violates the second amendment.

The new legislation raises the minimum age to buy a firearm from 18 to 21, extends a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases to include long guns, and bans bump stocks that allow guns to mimic fully automatic fire. It also creates a so-called guardian program that enables teachers and other school employees to carry handguns.

The new measures come in the wake of the 14 February shooting rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead. The 19-year-old gunman used a legally purchased assault rifle to attack the school, which had expelled him.

Floridas governor, flanked by family members of students who were killed in the massacre, signed the $400m bill that tightens gun laws in the state. It represents a compromise that Scott, a Republican, said balanced our individual rights with need for public safety.

Its an example to the entire country that government can, and has, moved fast, he said.

The bill is not what many of the survivors of the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, wanted, which was a blanket ban on assault weapons for the general public.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is known more for his way with words than his politics, is also noted for his vast fan base.

Just a glance at his Twitter timeline is enough to gauge his immense popularity with voters and youths.

Tharoor, who turned 62 today, got the opportunity to celebrate his birthday in a unique way.

The crew of Air India surprised the suave MP with a birthday cake. Elated by the sweet gesture of the crew, Tharoor heaped praises on the airliner in a tweet today.

One more reason I love Air India: took a flight on my birthday and they surprised me with a cake! Wonderfully thoughtful staff who did it on their own initiative. Thanks Karishma! Thanks also to Captain Rohit, Rashmi and the attentive crew."

Tharoor ended his tweet by endorsing Air India saying, "If you must fly on your birthday, fly Air India!"

Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, while reacting to the vandalisation of statues, has said "people can't control their emotion", but asserted that a defeated party should not be targeted as was the norm in the Middle Ages, in a reference to the razing of communist icon Vladimir Lenin's statues in Tripura.

It is a democracy, and not a Middle Ages war in which the side that used to win, vandalised the defeated side's houses and looted their assets, she said on the sidelines of an event organised by the Reader's Digest.

"That was the norm in the ages of what we call the Dark Ages. But now it is modern times. If any party is defeated, they are not your enemies.... They are just your political opposition," the 55-year-old author told PTI when asked about the recent incidents of vandalising of statues, including that of Lenin.

Nasreen said that if one does not like Lenin, one may not follow his ideology but there was no need to break his statues.

"The ideology of all those people whose statues have been erected, we may not like but we don't break their statues," she said yesterday.

Her comments come after two statues of Lenin were brought down in South Tripura, with the CPI-M and its arch-rival in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, blaming the BJP for the incidents.

-- PTI

The Centre has shortlisted four cities -- Jaipur, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Mysore -- for holding the main function of International Yoga Day this year.

These four names will now be sent to the Prime Minister's Office which will select one city and then finalise the venue of the main function of IYD to be held on June 21.

"We have already started the preparations. The main function of International Yoga Day will be held outside Delhi.

Four cities -- Jaipur, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Mysore -- have been shortlisted for selecting the venue of the main function of International Yoga Day this year," a senior AYUSH ministry official said.

According to the official, several states were consulted and based on their responses the four cities were shortlisted.

In the lead-up to the main event, an international yoga festival would be held in March end, which will be followed by 10 state-level fests to be held in different parts of the country.

"The aim is to build an atmosphere of Yoga in the lead-up to the main event and sensitise the masses about the grand function on June 21," the official said.

"We want to convert yoga into a bigger activity, stretch it over the entire year and not just restrict it to a one-day event," he said.

Former Maharasthra chief minister Narayan Rane will on Monday file his nomination papers from the BJP quota for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls from the state, sources close to him said today.

"Rane has accepted the BJP's offer of Rajya Sabha nomination and will file his papers on Monday," the sources said.

March 12 is the last day for filing nominations for the March 23 election to the Upper House of Parliament. The polls are being held for 58 Rajya Sabha seats across states, of which six are in Maharasthra.

Rane was not available for a comment.

Rane quit the Shiv Sena in 2005 and later joined the Congress. He ended his over-a-decade-long association with the Congress in September last year.

The former Shiv Sena chief minister subsequently formed his own party, the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh, and allied with the BJP-led NDA.

The 65-year-old Konkan strongman, along with Maharasthra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had met BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi last week.

Union Human Resource Development Minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar filed his nomination papers yesterday. The BJP is yet to announce its third candidate.

-- PTI

Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi re-elected as General Secretary of RSS for 3 years.

The RSS general secretary or sar karyawah Bhaiyyaji Joshi's current three-year term gets over with the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha meet.

Joshi has been in office for nine years now; having got two extensions after his nomination in 2009.

General Secretary in the RSS hierarchy is the most powerful position after sarsanghchalak and is the chief executive overseeing the organisational apparatus, including Sanghs relationship with its affiliates.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday shared how he would have implemented demonetisation - and the answer may not be what you expected.

Gandhi was speaking to an audience in Malaysia, when someone asked how he would have rolled the note ban out, as opposed to how it actually was implemented.

"If I was the PM, and someone had given me a file with demonetisation written on it, I would have thrown it in the dustbin," exclaimed Gandhi.

"Out through the door and into the junkyard, because that's what I think should be done with demonetisation," he added.

Gandhi and the Congress party have consistently been critical of the note ban, with the former even terming the move a "tragedy."

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said he does not aspire to be the Prime Minister and is "content" with what he has achieved.

Asked about strained relations of the BJP with allies -- the Telugu Desam Party, Shiv Sena and Akali Dal -- and if he could emerge as a consensus candidate if his party fails to get the required numbers in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he said the BJP would retain power under Narendra Modi's leadership.

"I am contented and not dreaming of becoming the Prime Minister nor do I aspire for it. I am confident that the party has elected Modi and under his leadership alone we will fight and win the 2019 election," the Union minister said at the India Today Conclave.

"I don't see such dreams. I work as per my 'aukaad' and 'haisiyat' (status and capacity). I have not given my photo to anyone, never passed my biodata or put up my cutout anywhere. Nor does anyone come to airport to receive me. I work as per my ability," Gadkari, who holds Transport and Shipping portfolio, said.

He exuded confidence that all allies of the BJP would come together for the next general elections, but parried a specific question on whether the Shiv Sena, which has gone public with its intention of going solo, will be with it, saying there is nothing certain in politics.

Drawing from a popular Marathi phrase, he said even though they might be bickering, it is not possible for the allies to do without the BJP.

Interestingly, the BJP leader also made it clear that even though he loves Maharashtrian culture, he has settled well in New Delhi after initial difficulties and has no intention to return to Mumbai.

-- PTI

15:47

JUST IN: Indian Coast Guard helicopter crashes near Murud's Nandgaon in Raigad district

15:23 After SC upholds marriage, Hadiya says 'all this happened because I embraced Islam'

Days after the Supreme Court set aside a Kerala high court order and allowed Hadiya to live with her husband Shefin Jahan, the 24-year-old said the couple has got freedom.

Hadiya, who is in Keralas Kozhikode this weekend to see her husband, added that the entire controversy happened because she embraced Islam.

She has been living in a college hostel in Salem, Tamil Nadu, and under the guardianship of the principal.

Hadiya, formerly called Akhila, left Hinduism to embrace Islam in January 2016. Months later, she married Jahan, a Muslim. The marriage triggered allegations of forced conversion, leading her father to file a case on the same. Hadiya has maintained that she converted of her own will.

The Constitution gives all the freedom to choose their religion, which is a fundamental right of every citizen and all this happened because I embraced Islam, Hadiya said. With the Supreme Court upholding our marriage, we feel we have got freedom.

Superstar-turned-politician Rajinikanth, who has been going to the Himalayas for over a decade now, left for the hills this morning.

During his annual tour, the actor heads to the caves in Dunagiri in Uttarakhand to meditate and spend time with the saints. Most of his earlier visits coincided with important events in his life.

This time, it is said to be around his political entry, which he announced in December, as well as the release of his two big films - Kaala and 2.0 that co-stars Akshay Kumar.

At the Chennai airport today, Rajinikanth didn't elaborate on the purpose of his visit, but told his fans that he will be away for at least two weeks.

He is expected to spend time at the meditation centre that Rajinikanth, also known as the Thalaivar, and his friends built on the foothills of the Himalayas to celebrate the 100 years of the Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. The non-profit religious organisation was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917.

Rajinikanth has been going to a cave where an ancient sage, Mahavatar Babaji, was believed to have lived. In his 2002 film, Baba, Rajinikanth played an atheist who develops faith after meeting Mahavatar Babaji.

On December 31, Rajinikanth, 67, had announced he would launch a party and contest all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu in the next elections due in 2021. He said he would launch the party after elections were announced in the state, refusing to say he would contest the national election in 2019. He would take a call later, he said.

Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu has been given additional charge of the civil aviation ministry, Rashtrapati Bhavan sources have said.

The change comes after Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary resigned over the issue of special category state status for Andhra Pradesh.

The resignation by the Union ministers followed a 20-minute talk between Telugu Desam Party boss and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and the prime minister which apparently failed to remove irritants plaguing the TDP's ties with the government.

According to sources, Naidu has reportedly turned down Modi's request to "reconsider" the TDP's decision to withdraw from the NDA government at the Centre, saying "things have crossed that stage".

In a tit-for-tat action, the two BJP ministers in the Naidu government -- K Srinivasa Rao and T Manikyala Rao -- too quit.

India and France ink 14 pacts to boost cooperation, including in security, nuclear energy after Modi-Macron talks.

Highlights from the joint statement.

During a joint statement, Modi said, "Our strategic relationship with France may be only 20 years old, but our spiritual ties go much older."

Liberty, equality and fraternity not only echo in France, but are also deeply embedded in India's constitution: PM Modi

We want our (India & France) youth to know each other's countries, in this direction we have signed two agreements today: PM Modi

The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh general body meeting at Nagpur this weekend is being closely watched in political circles for any changes in two key organisational positions which may impact Sanghs internal dynamics and its relations with the BJP.

RSS general secretary or sar karyawah Bhaiyyaji Joshis current three-year term gets over with the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha meet which began on Friday. Joshi has been in office for nine years now; having got two extensions after his nomination in 2009.

Mohan Bhagwat before assuming office worked as sar-karyawah under KS Sudarshan. A change of guard at number two position has had a direct bearing on Sanghs interactions with the BJP.

RSS leaders thus far are tight-lipped on whether Joshi will get another term in office.

The person who could replace Joshi as number-2 in the hierarchy is another joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale. The RSS pracharak from Karnataka has risen up the ranks and has worked as organisation secretary of the RSS students wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyathi Parishad.

Prominent Bengali intellectuals urged President Ramnath Kovind to take the strongest possible action against Tripura governor Tathagata Roy for sparking tension with his tweets on the demolition of a Lenin statue in the state.

Roys message has sparked tension all over the country, including Tripura, and you can see that for yourself. Unfortunately, instead of carrying out his constitutional duties, he is instigating violence and supporting those, the luminaries wrote in a letter to the President.

The signatories writers Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Nabanita Deb Sen, thespian Manoj Mitra, filmmaker Goutam Ghosh, poet Joy Goswami, singers Swagatalaxmi Dasgupta, Lopamudra Mitra and Pratul Mukhopadhyay, painter Suvaprasanna, human rights activist Sujato Bhadra and purana expert Nrishimha Prasad Bhaduri demanded the strongest constitutional measures against the Tripura governor at the earliest.

Responding to the letter, Tripura governor Roy alleged in a tweet that the celebrated personalities were under political pressure to sign the letter.

The Tripura governor, who describes himself as a Right-wing Hindu socio-political thinker and writer on Twitter, posted a series of tweets on March 5, 6 and 7 on the controversy around the pulling down of a Lenin statue in Tripura, soon after the BJP toppled the Left regime of 25 years in the state.

"What one democratically elected government can do, another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa, Roy tweeted on March 5.

A tweet that followed said, From the telephone calls I receive, it appears that a concerted and motivated campaign is afoot to spread a canard that murder and mayhem have broken out in Tripura. Nonsense! Even the uprooting of the statue has not precipitated any breach of peace.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday asking for a law to be made in regard to the ongoing sealing drive against the commercial establishments in the national capital.

Kejriwal also sought for a meeting from the two leaders.

The CM said he would meet Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri next week on the issue.

Yesterday, Kejriwal told agitating traders that he would go on a hunger strike if the sealing issue is not resolved by March 31.

Following a meeting with the traders in Delhi's Amar Colony, against whom the police had allegedly used force for protesting, he demanded the Centre to bring an ordinance to stop the drive.

"If there is no solution to the sealing drive by March 31, I will sit on hunger strike. We will put pressure on the Centre together," Kejriwal told the traders.

"MPs of all parties unite and stall Parliament for two days, I believe sealing will stop within 24 hours. Sealing is going on all over Delhi and, traders, whether close to the BJP, Congress or AAP, are being affected. It is not an issue of a single party," Kejriwal added.

The Confederation of All India Traders on March 8 called for a one-day 'bandh' on March 13 against the sealing drives in Delhi.

All markets in Delhi will remain closed and no business activity will take place on March 13 to lodge their strong protest against sealing commercial establishments in the state.

-- ANI

On a four-day visit to India, French President Emmanuel Macron today said that France should be the best partner for India and the entry point to Europe.

Macron, 40, began his official engagements this morning, when he was given a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

"I think we (India and France) have very good chemistry. Our two great democracies have a historic relationship," President Macron said.

"Our aim is to begin a new era in ties between our two countries. For France, India is our priority and has always been. India has been France's first ally in the region. It is the entry point for France in the region, and my aim is to make France the entry point for India to Europe," Macron said outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He later visited the Rajghat.

The French President arrived last night in Delhi and is accompanied by his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, businessmen and top officials.

President Macron's visit is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

On February 28, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made an extraordinary peace overture to the Taliban.

The offer is striking in its generosity. If the Taliban accepts the Afghan government and comes to the negotiating table, Ghani held out the possibility of recognising the group as a political party and letting it open an office in Kabul.

Kabuls previous attempts at peace have failed. This one probably will too. But making the offer was still the right thing to do.

Ghani is betting on the assumption that with Washington implementing a new strategy that entails intensifying its fight against the Taliban, the group will feel the pressure and be amenable to negotiating an end to the war.

And yet, even if the Taliban is feeling the pressure, its not a spent force. It still controls many areas of the country, including some districts to the north and west, far from its traditional strongholds in the south and east. Its still waging furious offensives against beleaguered Afghan forces. And its still staging attacks in highly secured urban spaces.

Read full HERE

11:11 Trump to get military parade, but no tanks

The United States Department of Defense is all set to fulfill President Donald Trump's dream of carrying out a military parade in Washington DC. The route will be from the White House to the US Capitol Building.

According to a guidance memo from the Office of the Secretary of Defense obtained by NBC News, the event will include "no tanks".

However, it will play the host to "a heavy air component at the end of the parade, to include older aircraft as available".

Earlier it was reported that Donald Trump had asked for a 'military parade' and the Pentagon was reviewing potential dates.

The White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump had asked the Defense Department to "explore" the idea.

"President Trump is incredibly supportive of America's great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe. He has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation," CNN had quoted Sanders as saying.

The parade, as per NBC News, is to take place in November, most likely on Veterans Day (November 11).

"It will focus on the contributions of our veterans throughout the history of the US military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom," according to the guidance memo from the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

-- ANI

India has lambasted Pakistan for harbouring the United Nations-designated terrorists like Hafiz Saeed.

Speaking at the 37th session of UN human rights council, Mini Devi Kumam, second secretary, India's Permanent Mission, said, "In gross violation of UN Security Council resolution 1267, the UN designated terrorists like Hafiz Mohammed Saeed are freely operating with State support, and the UN designated entities are being politically mainstreamed in Pakistan."

"They are raising funds in flagrant violations of Pakistan's international obligations," she added.

She further asserted that Pakistan continues to support cross-border terrorism in India.

"We await credible action by the Government of Pakistan to bring all those involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack and the 2016 Pathankot and Uri attacks to justice," she said.

"Even as terrorists thrive in Pakistan and roam its streets with impunity, we have heard it lecture about the protection of human rights in India. The world does not need lessons on democracy and human rights from a country whose own situation is charitably described as a failed state," Kumam added.

Kumam also demanded that Pakistan should end forced conversions and marriages of minorities; including Hindu, Sikh and Christian women, and prosecute all such cases.

India also highlighted enforced disappearances and unlawful killing of political dissidents by the Pakistani security forces.

"We urge the council to call on Pakistan to stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to stop torture, enforced disappearances and unlawful killing, including that of journalists and activists by its security agencies. Pakistan should also prosecute all perpetrators of such crimes," Kumam said.

India also demanded the end of sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on Muslim minorities, such as Shia, Ahmadiyas, Ismailia and Hazaras in Pakistan. -- ANI

10:04

Following the ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Macrons make their way to Rajghat and pay a floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

09:59 Pak troops shell forward posts, villages in J-K's Poonch

Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling from across the border, targeting forward posts and villages along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said.

Heavy shelling from across the border in Mankote sector started around 7.40 am, prompting strong retaliation from the Indian Army, a police official said.

He said shelling from both the sides was going on when last reports were received, however, there was no immediate report of any casualty in Pakistani shelling.

There has been a spurt in ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and the International Border this year, resulting in the death of 21 people, including 12 security personnel. -- PTI

The Trump administration has asserted that it firmly supports the territorial integrity of Pakistan and does not support Baloch insurgency or any group that threatens this country.

A day earlier, the US announced a USD 5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Afghanistan-based Maulana Fazlullah, leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an outfit which carries out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.

Under its rewards for justice program, the US also announced a USD 3 million reward each for information on Abdul Wali, of Jamaat ul-Ahrar, and leader of Lashkar-e-Islam Mangal Bagh.

"We firmly support Pakistan's territorial integrity. We do not support a Baluch and surgeons or the threat of a irredentism against Pakistan," Alice Wells, Senior Bureau Official in South and Central Asia wing of State Department told a Washington audience.

Wells, who is the State Department point person for South and Central Asia, in the absence of a full-fledged Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia said during her appearance at the US Institute of Peace that the message of the Trump administration is that any group or any terrorist group threatening any country in the region has to be opposed.

She also referred to the announcement of rewards by the US for three TTP leaders.

"We oppose groups that are targeting Pakistan. Of course, we oppose groups that are targeting Afghanistan," she said in response to a question.

The United States, she said, has not yet seen "decisive or sustained changes" in Pakistan's behaviour and as a result, "we suspended our military assistance," she said.

"But we are not walking away from Pakistan. This relationship is important to us and we're continuing our intensive dialogue through both our military and civilian channels to discuss how we can work together better," she said, adding that a day before Deputy Secretary John Sullivan and she met with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua.

Pakistan, she said, has an important role to play in a peace process, and in stabilising Afghanistan. -- PTI

09:42

French President Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte Macron with President Ram Nath Kovind, his wife Savita Kovind, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

09:25 'Very good deal' with North Korea is in the making: Trump

United States President Donald Trump on Friday said that a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "in the making" and it would be a "very good one" for the world.

"The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined," tweeted Trump.

Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the country has made "zero concessions" for advancing talks and would need "concrete and verifiable actions" regarding denuclearisation in order for the meeting of the two leaders to go ahead.

Thursday night saw the biggest development in the ongoing US-North Korea tension, when the leader of a South Korean delegation, Chung Eui-yong, said Kim Jong Un was "committed to denuclearisation" and "expressed an eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible".-- ANI

09:17 Macron at Rashtrapati Bhavan

French President Emmanuel Macron inspects guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

The meeting between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would not take place without "concrete actions" that match the promises made by the reclusive nation, the White House said.

It, however, maintained that the time and place for the meeting has not been determined, a day after Trump said he has agreed to meet Kim by May, setting the stage for a historic summit between the two leaders who have repeatedly traded insults amid spiralling tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.

"This meeting would not take place without concrete actions that match the promises made by North Korea," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference, adding that the time and place for the meeting is yet to be determined.

Sanders reiterated that the Trump administration will continue with its "maximum pressure" campaign on Pyongyang.

Last night and this morning, Trump has had a series of telephonic conversations with a number of world leaders, who have been involved with the US on the North Korean issue.

Sanders said the US has accepted the invitation to talk based on the commitment made by North Korea.

"We are making no concessions. We are not going to move forward until we see concrete and verifiable actions from North Korea," she said.

The President, she said, is committed to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"The US is speaking from a position of strength and North Korea is on a weak wicket," Sanders added. -- PTI

A TDP parliamentarian said on Friday that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley comparing Andhra Pradesh to Bihar to deny the southern state the special category state status "angered" the people and was one of the factors behind the party's decision to pull out its ministers of the central government.

"The Union finance minister in a press meet compared Andhra Pradesh to Bihar to deny Andhra Pradesh a special category state status and that also contributed in our party president (and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu) announcing the resignations of two ministers," he said, adding that it hurt the sentiments and angered the people of Andhra Pradesh.

"When you make such comparison, there arises a question why should we give special status to AP while having a state more backward, Bihar. This is wrong. They angered the people, ministers and the chief minister. It was a promise made in Parliament and the comparison was not right," TDP Rajya Sabha MP T G Venkatesh told reporters.

To a query on whether special category state status would be granted to Andhra Pradesh, Jaitley at a press conference on March 7 had said "Why not Bihar? Why not Jharkhand? Central Government has to look at 29 states."

Under relentless opposition attack over its failure to secure special category state status for Andhra Pradesh, the state's ruling TDP pulled out of the Modi government. President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignations of Telugu Desam Party ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pasupati and Y S Chowdary.

Raju on Friday for the first time joined his party MPs in a protest inside the Parliament Complex raising their demand.

The ministers after their resignations said that they would now have "more freedom" to protest for the rights of Andhra Pradesh. -- PTI

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