China involved in six nuclear projects in Pakistan, reveals official

A Chinese official has confirmed that China is involved in as many as six nuclear power projects in Pakistan and is likely to export more reactors to the country, indicating that the much debated civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries will go ahead despite concerns voiced that it is in contravention of Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) guidelines.

While China has in the past declined to confirm or share details regarding the extent of its on-going civilian nuclear cooperation with Pakistan, a top official of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the planning body, was quoted as saying on Saturday that Beijing has been involved in the construction of six reactors in Pakistan.

Wang Xiaotao, vice-minister of the NDRC, was quoted as saying by State media that the NDRC was keen to support further exports to Pakistan and other countries. To this end, the NDRC is drawing up new guidelines to announce supportive financial policies for exports in the nuclear sector. Railways exports would also be supported under the new guidelines, Wang said.

Announcing the guidelines at a Beijing press conference, Wang said that China "has assisted in building six nuclear reactors in Pakistan with a total installed capacity of 3.4 million kilowatts". China was also exporting nuclear technology to Argentina, with the two countries on Wednesday signing a deal for exporting heavy-water reactors.

China's recent projects with Pakistan have come under scrutiny as the NSG does not allow members to supply nuclear technology to countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). India had to seek a waiver from the NSG for its civilian nuclear cooperation with the US, and obtained one only after undertaking a range of commitments.

China only declared the first two reactors it had constructed for Pakistan, Chashma-1 and Chashma-2, at the time of joining the NSG, according to Indian and American officials.

In 2009, the China National Nuclear Corporation signed agreements for two new reactors, Chashma-3 and Chashma-4. The deals became a matter of controversy and were debated at the NSG, with China arguing that the reactors were "grandfathered" as part of its earlier Chashma agreement and were not new projects per se. China also argued that the deals were under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards and were legitimate.

The two countries last year announced they would undertake a new project in Karachi, with Pakistani media reports saying China would provide $ 6.5 billion to finance two reactors there. At the time, Beijing declined to confirm those reports.

While the Chinese Foreign Ministry has, in the past, argued that China's cooperation with Pakistan "did not violate norms of the NSG", Beijing's main argument was that the Chashma reactors were part of an earlier deal. With China going ahead with building two new reactors in Karachi, it remains to be seen how Beijing will explain the deals' validity under NSG guidelines.

Android 5.0 – Lollipop

What Android Lollipop has to offer
· Material design
A bold, colorful and responsive UI design for consistent, intuitive experiences across all your devices.

• Responsive, natural motion, realistic lighting and shadows, and familiar visual elements make it easier to navigate your device.
• Vivid new colors, typography and edge-to-edge imagery help to focus your attention.

· Notifications
New ways to control when and how you receive messages – only get interrupted when you want to be.

• View and respond to messages directly from your lock screen. Includes the ability to hide sensitive content for these notifications.
• For fewer disruptions, turn on Priority mode via your device’s volume buttons so only certain people and notifications get through. Or schedule recurring downtime, such as from 10.00 p.m. until 8.00 a.m., when only Priority notifications can get through.
• With Lollipop, incoming phone calls won’t interrupt what you’re watching or playing. You can choose to answer the call or just keep doing what you’re doing.
• Control the notifications triggered by your apps; hide sensitive content and prioritise or turn off the app’s notifications entirely.
• More intelligent ranking of notifications based on who they’re from and the type of communication. See all your notifications in one place by tapping the top of the screen.

· Battery
Power for the long haul

• A battery saver feature that extends device use by up to 90 mins.
• Estimated time left to fully charge is displayed when your device is plugged in.
• Estimated time left on your device before you need to charge again can now be found in battery settings.

· Security
Keep your stuff safe and sound

• New devices come with encryption automatically turned on to help protect data on lost or stolen devices.
• SELinux enforcing for all applications means even better protection against vulnerabilities and malware.
• Use Android Smart Lock to secure your phone or tablet by pairing it with a trusted device like your wearable or even your car.

· Device sharing
More flexible sharing with family and friends

• Multiple users for phones. If you forget your phone, you still can call any of your friends (or access any of your messages, photos, etc.) by simply logging in to another Android phone running Lollipop. Also perfect for families who want to share a phone, but not their stuff.
• Guest user for phones and tablets means you can lend your device and not your info
• Screen pinning: pin your screen so that another user can access just that content without messing with your other stuff

· New Quick Settings
Get to the most frequently used settings with just two swipes down from the top of the screen.

• New handy controls like flashlight, hotspot, screen rotation and cast screen controls.
• Easier on/off toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and location.
• Manually adjust your brightness for certain conditions. Then, adaptive brightness will kick in based on ambient lighting.

· Connectivity
A better Internet connection everywhere and more powerful Bluetooth low energy capabilities

• Improved network handoffs resulting in limited interruption in connectivity. For example, continue your video chat or VoIP calls without interruption as you leave the house and switch from your home Wi-Fi back to mobile.
• Improved network selection logic so that your device connects only if there is a verified internet connection on Wi-Fi.
• Power-efficient scanning for nearby Bluetooth low energy (“BLE”) devices like wearables or beacons.
• New BLE peripheral mode.

· Runtime and performance
A faster, smoother and more powerful computing experience.

• ART, an entirely new Android runtime, improves application performance and responsiveness.
• Up to 4x performance improvements.
• Smoother UI for complex, visually rich applications.
• Compacting backgrounded apps and services so that you can do more at once.
• Support for 64 bit devices, like the Nexus 9, brings desktop class CPUs to Android.
• Support for 64-bit SoCs using ARM, x86 and MIPS-based cores.
• Shipping 64-bit native apps like Chrome, Gmail, Calendar, Google Play Music and more.
• Pure Java language apps run as 64-bit apps automatically.

· Media
Bolder graphics and improved audio, video and camera capabilities.

• Lower latency audio input ensuring that music and communication applications that have strict delay requirements provide an amazing realtime experience.
• Multi-channel audio stream mixing means professional audio applications can now mix up to eight channels including 5.1 and 7.1 channels.
• USB Audio support means that you can plug USB microphones, speakers and a myriad of other USB audio devices like amplifiers and mixers into your Android device.
• OpenGL ES 3.1 and Android extension pack brings Android to the forefront of mobile graphics putting it on par with desktop and console class performance.
• A range of new professional photography features for Android Lollipop that let you:
• Capture full resolution frames around 30 fps.
• Support raw formats like YUV and Bayer RAW.
• Control capture settings for the sensor, lens and flash per individual frame.
• Capture metadata like noise models and optical information.
• State of the art video technology with support for HEVC to allow for UHD 4K video playback, tunneled video for high-quality video playback on Android TV and improved HLS support for streaming.

Barack Obama accepts PM Modi's invite, to be chief guest at Republic Day celebrations

New Delhi: In a major diplomatic victory for the NDA government and a massive boost to Indo-American ties, US President Barack Obama on Friday accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invite to be the chief guest at India's 66th Republic Day Parade on January 26 next year.

Conforming this the White House tweeted - “At the invitation of Prime Minister Modi, the President will travel to India in January 2015 to participate in the Indian Republic Day celebration in New Delhi as the Chief Guest. This visit will mark the first time a U.S. president will have the honor of attending Republic Day, which commemorates the adoption of India’s constitution. The President will meet with the Prime Minister and Indian officials to strengthen and expand the US-India strategic partnership.”

Obama will be the first US President to be the 'Guest of Honour' on January 26.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke the news on Twitter, saying, “This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over…invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest.”

Obama's acceptance on PM Modi's invite is seen as an effort by the United States to forge new global partnership with India.

Former US diplomat Nicholas Burns gave a quick reaction over this development saying that 'Obama's India visit will start a new chapter of Indo-US ties', as quoted by an English news channel.

As per sources, the decision to invite the US Prez was taken by PM Modi himself who decided to go beyond the MEA's list of potential invitees to seek to scale up the Republic Day celebrations by turning the event into a major diplomatic outreach.

Later, government officials confirmed that the invite to Barack Obama was the idea of the PM, who felt that the presence of the leader of the oldest democracy on the day to commemorate the foundation of the largest democracy would mark a celebration of the spirit of democracy besides giving a fillip to his effort to restore the warmth in bilateral ties.

Terming PM Modi's US visit as "extraordinarily successful", a top official in the Obama administration had said that US-India relationship has come "a remarkable distance".

"We've just had the extraordinarily successful visit of Prime Minister Modi here to the United States, and an agenda that is working across virtually every issue of importance to us with India that we're carrying forward," Anthony Blinken, nominee for US Deputy Secretary of State, told Senators during his confirmation hearing today.

The invitation to Obama comes weeks after PM Modi's hugely successful visit to the US. Modi and Obama also met on the sidelines of G20 summit in Brisbane on Nov 14. Obama had called Modi a "man of action."

This will be Obama's second visit to India. He had visited India in 2010 at the invitation of then prime minister Manmohan Singh and had addressed a joint session of Parliament.
Obama had earlier on September 29 hosted a private dinner for Prime Minister Modi at the White House during the latter's US visit.

India-US bilateral relations have developed into a global strategic partnership, based on increasing convergence of interests on bilateral, regional and global issues.

Regular exchange of high-level political visits coupled with wide-ranging dialogue architecture has enabled sustained momentum to bilateral cooperation and helped establish a long-term framework for India-US global strategic partnership.

The bilateral cooperation is now broad-based and multi-sectoral, covering trade and investment, defence and security, education, science and technology, cyber security, high technology, civil nuclear energy, space technology and applications, clean energy, environment, agriculture and health.

Sujatha Singh removed as foreign secretary, S Jaishankar appointed in her place

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Wednesday curtailed the tenure of foreign secretary Sujatha Singh with an immediate effect.

1977- batch IFS officer S Jaishankar will replace her as the new foreign secretary. He will have a tenure of 2 years.

The surprise announcement was made after a meeting of the appointments committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Singh's two-year tenure was to end in August this year.

Jaishankar played a key role during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in September and US President Barack Obama's just concluded visit here.

A terse official statement issued here late night said the tenure of Singh, who took over as the third woman foreign secretary in August, 2013, has been "curtailed" with immediate effect. She had eight more months to serve.

Official sources indicated that Singh was not being given any other assignment by the government.

Paris attacks: PM says France must not lower guard as police hunt suspected accomplice

Manuel Valls, the French prime minister, is speaking in Evry, in the southern suburbs of Paris:

They wanted to demolish the paper Charlie Hebdo, which must carry on. Its special edition next week will be an exceptional moment.

All who said ‘Je suis Charlie’, everyone has understood this symbol …

They [the terrorists] also wanted to attack the strengths of the republic: the police. A police officer who was doing his work was, in very cowardly fashion, killed.

They wanted to attack tolerance. The Jews of France, once again. Four dead yesterday. Without the professionalism of the forces, the figures would have been much higher.

No doubt yesterday we did feel relieved but there is a risk we could forget all this – this will not be the case. We mustn’t lower our guard … it’s essential for the security of the French people.
The forces are going to continue searching to apprehend the accomplices … we want to dismantle these networks. This is our greatest challenge.

Valls mentions French intervention in Mali, saying there are as many Malians in Evry as French people:

This country that is a friend of ours was being attacked … It was Muslims who were being attacked through this terrorism.

On Tuesday parliament is going to have to decide whether we are going to pursue our mission in Iraq.

We have to carry on … of course we have to draw lessons from what has happened … There are always ways for the terrorists to slip in … there are so many people involved in jihadism, in Syria and Iraq.

There are also internal threats … we must never lower our guard, and we have to be really strong, really tough, where the enemies of freedom are concerned.

Turning to tomorrow’s unity march in Paris, Valls goes on:

The rally will be unbelievable, it will remain in the annals of history … It will show the dignity of the French people … do come.

He says transport from Evry to the march will be free tomorrow. Representatives from Arab and Muslim countries will be there, he says, along with representatives of various religions. Secularism is the freedom to believe or not believe, Valls adds:

Terrorism tried to create splits and damage us. Tomorrow we have to give the best response we can possibly give.
Tomorrow’s rally will be a cry for freedom … to the values of 1789.

After three days of bloodshed that has left 17 people dead, French security forces are desperately searching for the former partner of one of the three Islamist gunmen killed by police.
Hayat Boumeddiene, described by police as armed and dangerous, is the ex-girlfriend of Amedy Coulibaly, who died on Friday evening when heavily armed elite forces stormed a Jewish supermarket in northern Paris where he was holding at least 15 people hostage.

Coulibaly had killed four shoppers when he entered the kosher store on the Avenue de la Porte de Vincennes carrying two Kalashnikov assault rifles, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

President François Hollande called an emergency cabinet meeting on Saturday morning, having warned the night before that French people should be prepared for more violence, and urged “vigilance, unity and mobilisation”.

As the hunt intensified for Boumeddiene, wanted in connection with Coulibaly’s fatal shooting of a police officer in Montrouge on Thursday, a badly shaken France prepared for a march of national unity in Paris on Sunday. The British prime minister, David Cameron, and his German, Spanish and Italian counterparts, Angela Merkel, Mariano Rajoy and Matteo Renzi, were due to attend.

More details have emerged this morning of conversations between the terrorists and journalists during the two sieges yesterday.

RTL has published extracts of Amedy Coulibaly threatening hostages in the kosher supermarket in eastern Paris. The radio station said it was able to record his words after a phone was left off the hook in the store. Condemning the French state, Coulibaly reportedly told the hostages:

They must stop attacking the Islamic State, stop unveiling our women, stop putting our brothers in prison for nothing at all.
It is you who is financing [the government]. You pay taxes.

RTL reports that a hostage then said: “We are obliged to [pay taxes]”, to which Coulibaly replied: “You do not have to. I do not pay taxes.”
You can see more of the RTL report here.

Meanwhile, Igor Sahiri, a journalist with French TV station BFM TV, who spoke to Cherif Kouachi by phone during yesterday’s siege warehouse in Dommartin-en-Goele, has given an account of the conversation to Radio 4’s Today programme. Sahiri rang the office of the warehouse and the phone was answered by the younger brother. Sahiri told the BBC:

He was really prepared. It was somebody very serene. He was very calm. It was just like a normal discussion, no rudeness.
My feeling was that this kind of man is ready to die. They way he was breathless made me feel that this guy was ready to die, was very aware of what would happen at this time.

Sahiri said Cherif Kouachi told him:

We are just telling you we are the defenders of the prophet and that I, Cherif Kouachi, have been sent by Al-Qaida of Yemen and that I went over there and that Anwar Al Awlaki financed me.

Asked if he intended to kill more civilians, Kouachi replied:

Did we kill any civilians in the past two days when you were looking for us? Come on.
We are not killers, we are the defenders of the Prophet, and we kill those who insult him.

You can hear the Radio 4 interview here.
BFM TV also received a call from Coulibaly from the kosher store, who told journalists he and the Kouachi brothers had “synchronised to do the operations”:

We just decided at the start, so they did Charlie Hebdo and I took care of police officers.

India vs Australia, 4th Test Day 5: as it happened

  
Hello and welcome to the coverage from day five of the fourth Test between Australia and India in Sydney. Scorecard

India (2nd innings):

Match over as Rahane and Bhuvneswar did well by pulling off a draw for India as Australia won the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2-0. Kohli finished with 692 runs in the series, second behind Steve Smith's 769. Australia won the first two Tests and third and fourth ended in draws. Now the action shifts to tri-series starting January 16.


Last over of the day to be bowled and looks like India have done well to fight out a draw.

Three more overs left for the day.


83.6 overs: Bhuvneshwar does well to see off the over and now India have six more to deal. Can India survive the ordeal? 

Australia have taken the second new ball.

78.2 overs: Out. Josh Hazlewood traps Ashwin infront of the wickets with Australia just three wickets away from win.

Ashwin is yet to open his account from 15 balls, India have 13 more overs to fight in order to ensure a draw.

71.1 overs: Out. The ball kept low from Lyon and wrapped Wriddhiman on the pads. Australia now four wickets away from victory.


68.3 overs: Out. Starc does the trick again for Australia by trapping Suresh Raina for second duck of the match. The left-hander gets a pair on comeback. India 5 down.


66.6 overs: Out. Mitchell Starc strikes by getting the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli (46) caught by Watson in the slips. Australia see an opening now.


63.4 overs: Four. Half-tracker from Lyon and Rahane pulls it deep square leg. India 189 for 3.


60.2 overs: Out. Murali Vijay falls going after an away going delivery from Hazlewood, edging to Haddin behind the stumps. Vijay falls for 80.


Tea: India go to tea at 160 for 2 and needing 189 runs to win from 33 overs. Will they go for it? Kohli  Vijay on 71 and Kohli batting on 26.


53.6 overs: Vijay after getting to his fifty has raised the tempo by scoring 16 off Lyon's last over, which included a six and two boundaries.


51.6 overs: Half-century for Vijay off 135 balls. This has been a fruitful tour for the opener. India 134 for 2.

The way Vijay and Kohli are batting, India don't like going for a win rather playing for a draw. India 131 for 2.


India 112 for 2 (Vijay 47, Kohli 7) with 237 more runs to win as players take a drinks break.

37.6 overs: Out. Steve Smith takes a screamer diving to his right in the slips to dismiss Rohit Sharma for 38 off Watson's delivery. Smith definitely made amends for the earlier dropped chances. India 104 for 2.


Lunch: India were 73 for 1 at lunch with Murali Vijay and Rohit Sharma at the crease after Australia declared at their overnight score of 251 for 6 setting India target of 349 runs.


Day 4 round-up: Steve Smith scored a half-century and passed one of Don Bradman's milestones on Friday as he led Australia to 251 for 6 in their second innings after four days of the fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, 348 runs ahead of India.

Smith made 71 off 70 balls and surpassed Bradman's record of most runs in an Australia-India series as the hosts positioned themselves for a likely overnight declaration and pursuit of victory on day five. Chris Rogers made 56 - his sixth straight half century - and Joe Burns smashed 66 off 39 balls, including three sixes as Australia chased quick runs

Chennai Forecast For Today

Today
18. Oct

29°C High
T-Storms

Chance of precipitation    :     90%

Wind   :     ENE at 16 kmph

Humidity   :     81%

UV index   :    8 - Very High

Snowfall   :    0 cm

Sunrise   :    06:00

Moonset   :    14:05

Thunderstorms. High 29ºC. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 km/h. Chance of rain 90%.

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Tonight

T-Storms (25° Low)

Chance of precipitation   :   80%

Wind   :    ENE at 10 kmph

Humidity   :   90%

UV index   :   0 - Low

Snowfall   :   0 cm

Sunset   :    17:49

Moonrise   :   02:11
Thunderstorms. Low 25ºC. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 80%.

---

Day
19. Oct

T-Storms ( 29° High)

Chance of precipitation    :   90%

Wind   :   ENE at 18 kmph

Humidity   :   84%

UV index   :   8 - Very High

Snowfall   :   0 cm

Sunrise   :    06:00

Moonset   :    14:45

Thunderstorms. High 29ºC. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 km/h. Chance of rain 90%.