Even Berlin Wall fell : Said Pm Modi Kartarpur corridor

NEW DELHI:

A day after the union cabinet announced the development of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday compared it with the Berlin Wall that divided East and West Germany before it was pulled down in 1989. He said if the Wall could fall, the proposed corridor could act as a bridge between the people of India and Pakistan.

"Had anyone ever thought that the Berlin Wall would fall. May be with the blessings of Guru Nanak Devji, this Kartarpur corridor will not just remain a corridor, but act as a bridge between the peoples of the two countries," PM Modi said at a Gurupurab function at the residence of Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal in Delhi.



While speaking at a function to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev at the residence of Union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal in New Delhi, PM Modi referred to the Partition and said, “What has happened in 1947 has happened.” He said the issues between the governments and the armies would continue and only time will show the way out.

Kartarpur Sahib is located across Ravi river in Pakistan and is about four km from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. The demand to build a corridor linking India’s border district of Gurdaspur with a historic gurudwara in Pakistan has been a long-pending demand of the Sikh community.The corridor, once built, will give Indian pilgrims easy access to the shrine in Kartarpur.


Hours after India cleared the proposal to develop the corridor, Pakistan welcomed the move and conveyed its decision to open the Kartarpur corridor.

“It is a step in the right direction and we hope such steps will encourage voice of reason and tranquility on both sides of the border,” Pakistan information and broadcasting minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted.

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Donald Trump says US with Saudi Arabia over Jamal Khashoggi murder :$400 bn deals with them

Disregarding US intelligence assessment that Crown Prince Mohammad bin-Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the Saudi royal may or may not have had knowledge of it and all but ruled out any further punitive measure.

In a statement headlined, “Standing with Saudi Arabia”, the president stressed close strategic and business ties with the oil-rich desert kingdom and said the United States has already sanctioned 17 Saudis for the murder, indicating seemingly he was not contemplating further action.

“Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!” he said.

“That being said we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder,” he added.


Asked later by a reporter if Saudi Arabia was getting away with murder, the president said, “No, no, this is about America First. They’re paying us $400 billion plus ($450 billion in investments and deals, as mentioned in the statement issued earlier by the White House)”.

The CIA has concluded on the basis of intercepts and audio recordings that Mohammad had ordered the killing of the journalist, according to multiple media report. And the US has sanctioned close aides and advisers of the crown prince for their involvement in the killing.

But the president remains unconvinced about the role of Mohammad, who is close to the White House and Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.


Khashoggi was a strident critic of the crown prince’s policies and had lived in the US in self-imposed exile since 2017. He was also a columnist for The Washington Post. He was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2, where he had gone to collect some papers for his upcoming marriage. He was killed by a 15-member hit team from Saudi at the consulate and the body was dismembered for disposal.

In a statement packed with exclamation marks, Trump seemed to be siding with the Saudi royals on the killing. He said they have insisted Mohammad played no role in the planning and execution of the killing.

He also repeated their portrayal of Khashoggi as an “enemy of the state” and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. But, he added, trying to put some distance, “my decision is in no way based on that – this is an unacceptable and horrible crime”.

But the president left the door open for congressional action. “I understand there are members of Congress who, for political or other reasons, would like to go in a different direction, and they are free to do so,” he said.

“I will consider whatever ideas are presented to me, but only if they are consistent with the absolute security and safety of America,” he cautioned.

“I intend to ensure that, in a very dangerous world, America is pursuing its national interests and vigorously contesting countries that wish to do us harm. Very simply it is called America First!”

The Trump administration has struggled to deal with the crisis and the president has been seen trying to shield the crown prince citing ties with the kingdom and the role it plays in containing Iran and dealing with terrorism in the region, and business deals with it and the jobs that they create.

The president reprised that line on Tuesday saying the $450 billion Saudis agreed to spend and invest in the US during his “heavily negotiated trip” last year will “create hundreds of thousands of jobs, tremendous economic development, and much additional wealth”.

It would be “foolish,” he added to cancel those contracts which will go then to Russia and China. “It would be a wonderful gift to them directly from the United States.”

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188 यात्रियों को लेकर जा रहा विमान क्रैश हुआ इण्डोनेशिए में

इंडोनेशिया के जकार्ता में सोमवार सुबह एक घरेलू विमान का संपर्क अचानक टूट गया. विमान का संपर्क उड़ान 

भरने के 13 मिनट बाद ही टूट गया.

इंडोनेशिया के जकार्ता में सोमवार सुबह एक बड़ा विमान हादसा हुआ. (Indonesia Plane crash) यहां 

लॉयन एयर का विमान जकार्ता (Jakarta) से उड़ान भरने के 13 मिनट बाद ही क्रैश हो गया.  इस प्लेन में 

क्रू समेत कुल 188 लोग सवार थे. इन 188 लोगों में 178 लोगों के अलावा 3 बच्चे, 2 पायलट और 

5 केबिन क्रू सवार थे.

सोमवार सुबह जब विमान ने उड़ान भरी, तो उसके 13 मिनट बाद ही इसका संपर्क टूट गया था. जिसके 

बाद सर्च ऑपरेशन शुरू किया गया. अब समाचार एजेंसी रॉयटर्स ने इंडोनेशिया के अधिकारियों के

 हवाले से कहा है कि विमान क्रैश हो गया है. हालांकि, अभी आधिकारिक घोषणा होना बाकी है.

ये विमान JT610 था, जिसने सुबह 6.20 बजे उड़ान भरी थी, इसे 7.20 पर लैंड करना था. हालांकि, 6.33 पर ही ये क्रैश हो गया. ये विमान दो महीने पहले ही लॉयन एयर को मिला था. विमान का संपर्क जिस समय टूटा 

उस दौरान अचानक उसकी ऊंचाई में करीब 2000 फीट की कमी आई.

विमान लापता होने के बाद से ही सर्च अभियान जारी है, समुद्र के कुछ हिस्से में अभी प्लेन की कुर्सियां व 

अन्य हिस्सा मिलना भी शुरू हो गया है.

बता दें कि 2013 में भी यहां से ही एक बोइंग-737 विमान क्रैश हुआ था. इस हादसे में करीब 108 

लोग मारे गए थे.

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US ends funding for 'flawed' UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees

America has contributed almost 30% to UNRWA's total budget and the move means it will no longer get around $300m of support.

The US is stopping its funding for a UN organisation that helps Palestinian refugees, calling it an "irredeemably flawed operation".

America has contributed almost 30% to the total budget of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

The latest move means the agency will no longer get nearly $300m (£231m) of planned support.

The US state department attacked the "fundamental business model and fiscal practices" of the UNRWA, and the "endlessly and exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries".

The agency expressed "deep regret and disappointment" at the decision and strongly rejected the Trump administration's criticism of its operations.

The move ends decades of US funding for the agency and comes a week after the country slashed bilateral aid for projects in the West Bank and Gaza despite international concerns over deteriorating humanitarian conditions there.

In 2016, the US donated $355m (£275m) to the UNRWA, which provides healthcare, education and social services to Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and it was set to make a similar contribution this year.

In January, the Trump administration released $60m (£45m) in funds but withheld a further $65m (£50m) it had been due to provide.

Image:UNRWA workers in Gaza City protest against job cuts in July

The US state department said: "When we made a US contribution of $60m in January, we made it clear that the United States was no longer willing to shoulder the very disproportionate share of the burden of UNRWA's costs that we had assumed for many years.

"Several countries, including Jordan, Egypt, Sweden, Qatar, and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) have shown leadership in addressing this problem, but the overall international response has not been sufficient."

The agency hit back, saying its "programmes have a proven track record in creating one of the most successful human development processes... in the Middle East".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly backs the US decision, with his office quoted as saying: "Israel supports the move because UNWRA is one of the main problems perpetuating the conflict."

America's decision comes as President Donald Trump and his Middle East advisers, Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, are set to come up with a peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians.

And the humanitarian funding decision could lead to Palestinian suspicions that Washington is using it as leverage.

2:34

Video:'Israel's capital is Jerusalem'

The Palestinian leadership has been hostile to any proposal from the Trump administration, claiming it is bias in favour of Israel.

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Donald Trump announces new trade deal with Mexico

Donald Trump has announced a trade "understanding" with Mexico which could lead to an overhaul of the 24-year agreement between the two countries and Canada.

Calling the deal "very good" for US farmers and manufacturers, Mr Trump said Mexico has agreed to purchase "as much farm product as possible" immediately.

The deal could replace the 24-year North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which also includes Canada.

Mr Trump has not yet begun negotiating with Canada, but has called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lead negotiations "fairly".

He announced the progress from the Oval Office, with Mexican president Pena Nieto joining in on speakerphone.

"It's an incredible deal for both parties," Mr Trump said.

The US presidents said he intended to terminate NAFTA while he pursues trade deals with Mexico and starts negotiations with Canada.

Mr Trump threatened to slap tariffs on Canadian cars if he does not get what he wants.

He said: "If they'd like to negotiate fairly, we'll do that.

"We could have a separate deal, or we could put it into this deal."

Mexican president Pena Nieto tweeted: "I spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the state of the NAFTA negotiations and the progress made between Mexico and the United States.

"I told him it was important that (Canada) rejoin the process, with the goal of concluding trilateral negotiations this week.

"I talked to the President @realDonaldTrump. Mexico and the United States have reached a commercial understanding. We want Canada's re-incorporation into talks to achieve a successful trilateral negotiation of NAFTA this week."

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