In Apple’s obsession with size, did performance suffer?

In a more embarrassing product review of Apple’s recently released iPhone 7, a British consumer group titled ‘Which?’ has established that the battery of the device fares quite poorly than that of its peers.

The group tested the iPhone 7 with other recently launched high-end smartphone models including Samsung Galaxy S7, the HTC 10 and LG G5. 

When tested with a 3G connection, the iPhone 7 was rated at the bottom of the list, providing 712 minutes of call time.

Meanwhile, other phones recorded a much high call time, with HTC 10 lasting 1859 minutes, LG G5 lasting 1579 minutes and the Samsung Galaxy S7 lasting 1492 minutes.

The group is said to have also tested the four smartphones to see how long they would last when used on the Web.

Once again HTC 10 emerged victorious lasting 790 minutes followed by Samsung Galaxy S7 that lasted 677 minutes, LG G5 lasted 640 minutes and iPhone 7 lasted 615 minutes. 

Which? said it carried out the tests using its own phone network simulator to ensure that the signal strength was consistent for each test.

The group, which is Britain's oldest consumer group explained, “This is important as a phone has to expend more power when it’s struggling for reception. We also set the screen brightness on every phone to the same level. Finally, we perform a full ‘power cycle’ of each phone’s battery prior to testing – that means fully discharging and then charging it.” 

In reaction, users said that Apple’s focus in recent years has shifted and it is currently obsessed with size. The brand want to deliver the thinnest and lightest fully-featured phone, and in the process, they might have settled for a smaller battery. 

iPhone 7 employs a significantly lower capacity battery as compared to most of its rivals. 

The HTC 10, which emerged right on top of the test, on most parameters uses a 3,000 mAh battery compared to the 1,900 mAh unit used by iPhone 7.

Incidentally, some users pointed out that Apple never highlights the capacity of its batteries in any promotion.

Embiid, Saric debut as 76ers begin without Simmons

The Philadelphia 76ers finally had some good news as they deal with the bad news of Ben Simmons’ injury.

And Golden State fans got to see just how explosive their team looks with Kevin Durant in the lineup.

Durant had 21 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots in an impressive first home game with Golden State, leading the Warriors to a 120-75 rout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.

Earlier, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric made successful NBA debuts in the 76ers’ 92-89 exhibition victory over the Boston Celtics in Amherst, Massachusetts.

The 76ers waited more than two years to get the 2014 lottery selections in uniform and they both started Tuesday. Embiid, who had been sidelined by foot injuries since Philadelphia took him with the No. 3 selection, had six points in 13 minutes.

Saric, who continued playing in Europe after he was selected by Orlando with the 12th pick and then dealt to Philadelphia, had 10 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes.

Unfortunately for the 76ers, they don’t know when Simmons will be able to join them. The No. 1 overall pick had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot Tuesday and there is no timetable yet for his return.

ROCKETS 130, KNICKS 103

KNICKS: Derrick Rose had 16 points and five assists in his Knicks debut. He is now expected to leave the team and travel to Los Angeles, where his rape trial began earlier Tuesday. Kristaps Porzingis led the Knicks with 22 points, Carmelo Anthony scored 10 on 4-for-13 shooting.

ROCKETS: James Harden had 28 points and 11 assists. Ryan Anderson went 7 for 13 from 3-point range, finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds. Houston was 20 for 42 from 3-point range.

PACERS 113, PELICANS 96

PACERS: Al Jefferson scored 14 points, Thaddeus Young added 12 points and 10 rebounds and Jeff Teague scored 10 points in their preseason debuts for Indiana.

PELICANS: Sixth overall draft choice Buddy Hield scored 18 points in 29 minutes off the bench after scoring 19 points in his preseason debut on Saturday. Anthony Davis scored 12 points and blocked two shots in 18 minutes but made only three of 13 shots while going 6 of 8 on free throws.

HEAT 106, WIZARDS 95

HEAT: Hassan Whiteside had 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters both scored 12 points.

WIZARDS: Kelly Oubre led Washington with 16 points in its first game under Scott Brooks. Former Jazz guard Trey Burke had 14 points, starting at point guard while John Wall remains out while recovering from surgeries.

LAKERS 103, KINGS 84

LAKERS: No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram missed all five field goal attempts, four from 3-point range, and finished with two points in 27 minutes in Anaheim, California. Lou Williams scored 15 points but fellow guard D’Angelo Russell had only four on 2-of-8 shooting.

KINGS: DeMarcus Cousins had 11 points and six rebounds in just 15 minutes. Arron Afflalo, who spent last season with the Knicks, led Sacramento with 14 poin

Eyewitnesses give strike details

Eyewitnesses living across the Line of Control (LoC) have provided The Indian Express with graphic accounts of last week’s Indian Army special forces strikes on jihadists’ staging posts, describing how bodies of those killed in clashes before dawn on September 29 were loaded onto trucks for secret burials. The eyewitnesses also described brief but intense fire engagements that destroyed makeshift buildings that housed jihadists before they left for the last stage of their journeys across the LoC.

Delhi’s CM video message to PM Modi: AAP protests against Pak, BJP protests against Kejriwal

AAP leaders and workers protest against Pakistan and its media Tuesday. Praveen Khanna

A day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sent a video message to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, urging him to “unmask” Pakistan’s “dirty propaganda” about the Indian Army’s surgical strikes across the LoC, the capital witnessed two protests connected to the issue Tuesday. One was held by the AAP, to protest against Pakistan and its media, while the other was held by the BJP, to protest against AAP chief Kejriwal whose remarks, claimed the party, amounted to “seeking proof” of the strikes.

While AAP had planned to hold the protest outside the Pakistan High Commission, it was denied entry inside the diplomatic area. The party finally held the protest outside the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.

aay and Pakistan hosh mein aao, slamming Pakistan for refusing to admit that the “surgical strikes” had taken place. Party workers also raised slogans such as Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram.

While AAP offered its support to the central government, it continued to seek the same thing Kejriwal had asked asked for, and over which he had been attacked by the BJP: a response to Pakistan’s “false propaganda”.

“We have several differences with you, but we are with you on issues of national interest,” said AAP’s Delhi convenor Dilip Pandey, as he addressed a gathering of party workers inside the Chanakya Puri police station where he, along with other senior AAP leaders, were detained. They were released later.

Saying the party “completely trusted the Army”, Pandey said, “Our Army has given muh tod jawab (befitting response) to terrorists, we want a similar “muh tod jawab to Pakistan’s propaganda”.

He also criticised the BJP for “questioning Kejriwal’s intentions”, claiming that Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s comment on the issue “exposed the BJP’s petty politics”.

Responding to the video, Prasad had said the AAP leader should answer whether he “believed in the Indian Army” or not.

Meanwhile, AAP workers claimed that the protest was held to project “national unity and integrity”.

“It is a matter of national interest. We are with our country. He is our Prime Minister too,” said Mukesh Kumar, a contractual worker at the Delhi Secretariat.

Kumar said, “We want evidence of the strikes too”, but quickly added “that’s a different issue”. “The international media is criticising us. We must give them evidence,” he said.

Another participant, auto-rickshaw driver Bhagwan Swami, said the AAP’s protest should not be interpreted as the party’s “support for BJP”. “We are not supporting the BJP. We are opposing Pakistan for the wrong things it is doing. We are also Indians,” he said.

“Our Army has done a great job… we are supporting them. Pakistan has refuted it (strikes), it will demoralise our Army,” said AAP member Kadambari Yadav.

“Our party believes in doing the right thing,” said Yadav, adding that the protest was held to display the AAP’s support for the country and the armed forces.

Meanwhile, at a protest held by the BJP’s Delhi unit near Kejriwal’s residence, the party accused him of providing “veiled support” to Pakistan.

Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhayay, who led the demonstration along with Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, accused Kejriwal of working for “foreign agencies” who were trying to “destabilise” India.

“Never has the country seen a Chief Minister commenting on Army operations like Kejriwal did… this is against constitutional propriety…,” said Upadhayay.

Gupta said it was “disheartening” when a Chief Minister “demanded proof” of Army operations.

Ink thrown at Arvind Kejriwal in Bikaner, 2 ABVP workers detained

Two youths affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) threw ink at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday night as they were “angry at his comments on the Indian Army”, said police.

Sub-inspector Ajay Kumar, Kotegate police station, Bikaner, said, “We have detained Dinesh Ojha (24) and Vikram Singh (26) for throwing ink at Arvind Kejriwal. Both are affiliated with the ABVP and they said they were angry with him over his comments on the Indian Army.”

Party worker Prashant Kumar, who was at the spot, said, “The chief minister was coming out of the home of former party treasurer Krishna Kant Seveda. He had barely stepped out when three youths hurled ink at him, along with the bottles, which landed on him and those standing nearby. One person managed to flee while two were apprehended.”

Kejriwal, said, “A lot of people were waiting for the chief minister and he was acknowledging them with folded hands at the threshold of the house. He was about to get in the car when the youths hurled ink at him. The volunteers and police immediately helped him into the vehicle and escorted him to the railway station.”

He added, “It is a shameless act. Someone’s mother had passed away and the family is in mourning. Is this how ABVP behaves with visitors to the house?”

The incident took place around 10.10 pm, when Kejriwal had left Seveda’s house to catch a train back to Delhi. Kejriwal had arrived in Bikaner to pay his respects after Seveda’s mother had passed away recently. Soon after the incident, Kejriwal Tweeted: “Hmmm. God bless those who threw ink at me. I wish them well.”

Bangladesh: setting a global standard in ending poverty

There is a lot for Bangladesh to celebrate in the latest World Bank research on global poverty and inequality.

The new report, “Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2016: Taking on Inequality”, uses revised data to give a more accurate estimate of how many poor people live in Bangladesh. What the report shows is that 18.5 percent of the population was poor in 2010 compared with 44.2 percent in 1991.

This is a major achievement that will receive global recognition on October 17 when the World Bank Group marks End Poverty Day with the Bangladesh people at an event in Dhaka.

This achievement means that 20.5 million Bangladeshis escaped from poverty between 1991 and 2010. It means that Bangladesh beat the deadline by an impressive five years in achieving Millennium Development Goal number 1, an internationally recognised target to cut extreme poverty rates by half by 2015.

It is worth remembering how far Bangladesh has come.

US presidential security adviser Henry Kissinger had dubbed the country a "basket case" at its birth in 1971. Bangladesh emerged from the ashes of a gory War of Independence as the world's second poorest nation. Its population and economy were ravaged and its productive assets -- which once provided the bulk of undivided Pakistan's exports -- were in shambles. Even as well-meaning experts sounded warnings that the fragile state would collapse, Bangladesh increasingly silenced the sceptics by proving resilient against the devastating 1974 famine and a series of crippling cyclones. From 2000 onwards, the economy has been growing consistently at 6 percent a year on average. Development officials from other nations now visit Bangladesh to decipher the secrets of its success.

 

Bangladesh has tackled its challenges in remarkable ways. It has overcome meagre resources to make the most of its strong cultural and intellectual tradition and a national will to build a prosperous nation following Independence.Bangladesh gave the world a revolutionary new micro-financing model to monetise the productivity of the poor and showed that a predominantly Muslim country could unleash the potential of its women, making them a significant partner in progress. Its female stipends programme, widely acclaimed as a model for achieving gender parity of enrolment, has been replicated successfully in several countries. Its vibrant garment sector is giving a whole generation of women jobs that open new opportunities.

Today, Bangladesh is a lower middle-income country with a bright future as a member of the “Next 11”, according to US investment bank Goldman Sachs, which had earlier identified the “BRICS”. The image of Bangladesh as a country with endemic poverty could soon change as Bangladesh finds new pathways to sustainable and equitable growth and aims to achieve middle-income country status by its 50th birthday in 2021.

The sceptics will say that poverty, regardless of the latest World Bank estimates, is a reality in the lives of too many Bangladeshis. They are right. Bangladesh still had 28 million poor in 2010, the latest year for which a household survey is available for the country. Based on the new estimate, Bangladesh is the 64th poorest out of the 154 countries included in the World Bank's global poverty database. Much more, therefore, still needs to be done to end poverty in Bangladesh and to increase the prosperity of the bottom 40 percent of the population. These are the goals that the World Bank Group is pursuing with the government of Bangladesh.

As the government has rightly identified, Bangladesh will do well by addressing infrastructure, energy and regulatory bottlenecks to increase productivity, make exports more competitive and attract more domestic as well as foreign investment.

The country can build on its success in human development and improve the quality of education, vocational training, as well as child nutrition and health services. The country can do more to strengthen institutions, including improving governance and strengthening anti-corruption measures. It can improve the policy environment for businesses, manage rapid urbanisation and adapt to climate change impacts.

The World Bank Group will work with the people of Bangladesh to overcome these challenges every step of the way. The World Bank has invested more than $19 billion in support since 1972 to advance Bangladesh's development priorities. Bangladesh is currently the biggest recipient of credits from the International Development Association, the World Bank's fund for the poorest countries.

There is much to be done to complete Bangladesh's development journey and to give all its citizens the opportunities they deserve. But as the World Bank's new report shows, Bangladesh is an inspiring example to the world on how to overcome poverty. Now is the time to build on these successes and end poverty in Bangladesh in our lifetime.

Qimiao Fan is the World Bank country director for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

Quality telecom services still a far cry: survey

Star Business Report from Bangladesh 

Bangladesh has met half the targets for ensuring quality services for mobile subscribers, according to a survey of the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators' Council (SATRC).

The survey categorised the overall consumer protection of the telecom industry in five broad sections and Bangladesh got full points for billing accurac.

The four other measurements were: complaint redressal, quality of service, unsolicited calls and mobile number portability. The survey report was unveiled yesterday at the 17th SATRC summit in Dhaka.

The telecom regulators of nine countries took part in the three-day summit that ends today to discuss the overall situation of the telecom industry in the region. Bhavana Sharma, an adviser to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, presented the report.

The report showed that Bangladesh failed to perform well in basic parameters like audit of the quality of services, survey on customer satisfaction and generating point of interconnection congestion report.

The country scored satisfactorily in the field of quality of service standards, network outage and generating performance monitoring reports.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission launched a survey on quality of service, including technical analysis and customer satisfaction, in 100 areas of the country in August 2015. But the report is yet to be finalised.

In all three parameters of billing accuracy, Bangladesh along with India has scored satisfactorily, while Afghanistan and Bhutan have failed, according to the SATRC survey.  Bangladesh also scored satisfactorily in four parameters out of six of complaints redressal and failed in two, while India was the top scorer in the category.

The BTRC recently launched a complaint centre for subscribers but the number is not toll free, even at the operator's level, as per the SATRC standards.

In unsolicited call prevention, Bangladesh could comply with only one parameter but failed in all others like telemarketers' registry, separate number scheme for telemarketers and toll free number to complain against unsolicited calls. Bangladesh also failed in all four parameters of mobile number portability services, as the country has recently indefinitely suspended the auction to appoint a company to launch the services, while India and Pakistan have already introduced MNP.

Of all the parameters, Bangladesh has achieved 14 points and failed to perform well in 10 parameters.

Bangladesh has complied with 14 parameters out of 24 mentioned in the SATRC report, said Shahjahan Mahmood, chairman of BTRC.

“So we are in a good shape already. I hope that by next year, we will comply with the remaining 10 parameters of customer protection,” he told The Daily Star after the launch of the report.

Another senior official of BTRC said they could have complied with more parameters if the amendment to the telecom act in 2010 did not make it mandatory for them to take approval from the telecom ministry for any policy decision.

Minus Pakistan Saarc summit?

India has launched a well orchestrated effort with its might behind several initiatives in the region to bring together its allies in South Asia, leaving Pakistan in the dust.

Diplomatic sources say India aims to get behind two forums in earnest -- BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) -- and also to forge a new development platform for Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. 

India's initiative comes hot on the heels of the postponement of Saarc Summit in November after most of its members including Bangladesh refused to go to Islamabad over Pakistan's alleged involvement in cross-border crimes and interferences.

Indian resort city of Goa will host the BRICS summit on October 15. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already invited leaders from the BIMSTEC countries -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand -- to join the BRICS leaders in the retreat for an outreach meeting the next day. 

New Delhi is also considering inviting Maldives and Afghanistan, who are not BIMSTEC members, to the outreach meet. "It is virtually going to be a Saarc summit minus Pakistan," an Indian diplomat, choosing not to be named, told The Daily Star.

Diplomatic sources in New Delhi said Modi will exclusively meet the four leaders of Saarc nations -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka -- to share India's perspective on cooperation and also discuss the possibility of isolating Pakistan.

Meanwhile, another sub-regional initiative BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) is set to start intensive efforts to gear up cooperation among the partners, confide diplomats of member countries.

After Pakistan withheld support for a road project for connecting the South Asian countries during the last Saarc Summit in Nepal in 2014, BBIN went ahead and signed the Motor Vehicles Agreement that would allow cross-border road traffic among the member nations.

Besides, leading Indian think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) is advocating for a Bangladesh-India-Myanmar platform which it believes holds massive development potentials.       

“We have settled maritime boundary, and Bangladesh, Myanmar and India could work in a tri-lateral way to explore energy in the Bay of Bengal. We can share our resources to explore energy and all the three countries would be benefited,” ORF went on record as saying.

Bangladesh, India and Myanmar can expand a pipeline to share petroleum resources, it says.

New Delhi is also actively working on finding ways to accommodate Maldives and Afghanistan, two neighbouring countries who are not members of either BIMSTEC or BBIN.

Then, there is the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation programme (SASEC), comprised of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, which was established in 2001. It was only a few days back that SASEC released its plan of action for the first time. It's Operational Plan 2016-2025 contains details of trade, transport and energy projects worth billions of dollars.

This strategy is driven not only by Pakistan turning a blind eye to terrorism, but also by impeding progress on other fronts such as trade, energy, and road connectivity in the region for decades.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the failure of the regional grouping to deliver "acceptable results" for all members would spell a "bleak future" and compel his country to find other "viable options". He, however, did not elaborate on the “options.”

Wickremesinghe was delivering a special speech at the New Zealand Parliament House on October 3.

Diplomatic sources said BRICS leaders will meet BIMSTEC leaders in Goa, making it the first time the engagement is held outside New Delhi, when India is to use the assembly of the world leaders to once again underscore the need for stepping up counterterrorism cooperation among the countries in the region.

"The upcoming outreach summit would not only be an opportunity to deepen ties with ourselves, we will also interact with India's neighbouring countries of BIMSTEC,” said an Indian diplomat in New Delhi.

Besides, he said, the two back-to-back summits would be an opportunity not for India only because the BIMSTEC leaders will also be able to interact with BRICS nations' leaders.

The 11 participating leaders are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Brazil's interim President Michel Temer, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Myanmar's Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi.

Macedonian Anti-Bulgarian Journalist 'Kicked Out of Govt Workgroups'

The controversial Macedonian journalist who claimed the desecration of a Bulgarian memorial plaque in September became a member of a number of governmental workgroups earlier this year, Macedonian media report.

However, he was expelled from all of them last week, the development coinciding with the outrage sparked by his viral Facebook pictures of a desecrated Bulgarian memorial plaque.

Milenko Nedelkovski, known for close ties to the main ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, was added to eight workgroups at a cabinet meeting held on July 06, Macedonian websites PlusInfo and Libertas write.

The workgroups were initiated by Timcho Mutsinski, a member VMRO-DPMNE, under the so-called National Action Plan for Open Government Partnership 2016-2018.

Some of Nedelkovski's groups are named "Open Sources", "Freedom of Information", "Effective Governance of Public Resources", "Preventing Corruption and Presenting Practices of Good Governance", etc.

Nedelkovski was sentenced to imprisonment (later turned into a suspended sentence) for forging US visas in 2008.

"There were reactions from some of the members who had worked on the action plan until then, [who said] that it was not serious and that Nedelkovski did not belong there. Reactions also came from both non-governmental and [institutional] members," according to Libertas.mk.

The controversial journalist arrived to a workgroup meeting for the first time only on October 03, Monday, the website adds.

He sparked controversy after posting on Facebook images claiming to show the destruction of a memorial plaque honouring the death of soldiers in the Kaimakchalan battle which was lost to the Serbian troops.

Nedelkovski enflamed Bulgarian-language social media users by using violent anti-Bulgarian rhetoric, issuing offensive remarks, and referring to Bulgarians as "Tatars", with some of his supporters calling for "death" to their neighbors.

The plaque, however, was likely not smashed into pieces by him, but was removed earlier, before the arrival of a Serbian delegation which also paid homage to the victims earlier in September.

Macedonia claims the plaque was placed illegally, since Bulgarian authorities had not issued a request to do so. These, for their part, insist the plaque was put up by a group of Bulgarian volunteers and that could not be deemed an official act of a state. Later on, despite condemning the volunteers' actions, VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski stated that Bulgaria must be allowed to have its own plaque at Kaimakchalan. Gruevski added he did not approve either the actions of Bulgarians or those of Nedelkovski.

In Brussels, world powers seek more funds to keep Afghanistan running

World powers convened in Brussels on Tuesday to raise billions more dollars for Afghanistan to keep the country running until 2020, but hopes for a new start to peace talks were overshadowed by a surge in violence by Taliban fighters.

Fifteen years after the US invasion that ousted Taliban rulers harbouring militants behind the attacks on New York and Washington, Afghanistan remains reliant on international aid and faces resurgent militants that threaten its progress.

The two-day, European Union-led donor conference is seeking fresh funds, despite Western public fatigue with their governments’ involvement in Afghanistan. Around 70 governments, including the United States, Russia, Iran, China and India, are attending, with pledges to be made on Wednesday.

“We’re buying four more years for Afghanistan,” said EU special representative for Afghanistan Franz-Michael Mellbin.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini may seek to bring together China, Iran, Russia, the United States, Pakistan and India on the sidelines of the conference in what would be the first concerted peace push since 2013.

“If we don’t achieve peace, it’s going to be extremely costly for the foreseeable future,” Mellbin told Reuters.

US secretary of state John Kerry met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Brussels on Tuesday, a day after Taliban insurgents briefly entered the centre of the northern city of Kunduz, raising questions about Afghan defences.

A senior US state department official said the United States was prepared to restart a peace process “without any pre-conditions,” and noted that after forty years of conflict, Afghans were tired of war. US and EU officials have been encouraged by a smaller peace agreement last month between the Afghan government and a local warlord.

But a senior Indian diplomat questioned whether the Taliban was ready to make peace. The West wants Pakistan to do more to strike remaining militants. “The fact remains that at least the Afghan Taliban continue to enjoy safe havens in Pakistani territory,” the US official said.

Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most dangerous countries, with 1.2 million Afghans forced to live as refugees in their own country and another 3 million living in Iran, Pakistan or seeking asylum in Europe.

Kidnapping, extortion

A prosperous Afghanistan could mean fewer refugees into Europe, an end to its status as a haven for militant groups hostile to the West and more effective police action against its billion-dollar narcotics trade.

For Moscow, which invaded in 1979 and spent a decade trying to control the country, the stability of the central Asian region is paramount. It has its largest foreign military base on the Afghan border, in Tajikistan, and an interest in keeping out the drugs that are trafficked and consumed in Russia.

But even with billions of dollars spent by the United States and NATO for Afghan security forces, some 30 percent of the Afghan population lives in territory that the government does not fully control, according to Western officials.

At the Brussels conference, officials will seek total pledges of $3 billion a year for the 2017-2020 period.

That is lower than the $4 billion a year pledged at the last conference in Tokyo in 2012, partly because Afghanistan is raising its own revenues and because of donor fatigue.

Eighty percent of Afghanistan’s budget is financed by aid.

“That won’t change until security improves and Afghan businesses can help the economy without fear of extortion or kidnapping,” said Horia Mosadiq, an Afghanistan expert at Amnesty International.

Modi heaps praises on Singapore’s role in technology, three MoUs signed

NEW DELHI, India - In a bid to enhance mutual ties, India and Singapore have entered alliances that would help the countries tackle the growing threat of terrorism.

Speaking at a ceremony, Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi named cross-border terrorism and increasing radicalisation as the twin challenges that currently pose a serious threat to the smooth functioning of both nations. 

Modi said, “Rising tide of terrorism, especially cross-border terrorism, and the rise of radicalisation are grave challenges to our security - they threaten the very fabric of our societies.”

He added in his speech, “It is my firm belief that those who believe in peace and humanity need to stand and act together against this menace.”

Modi was addressing concerns in light of the Uri attacks in India’s northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, that left 19 Indian soldiers dead, followed by a string of attacks and counter-attacks between the Indian army and militants. Modi also addressed the killing of a Border Security Force trooper in an attack by militants on an army camp in Baramulla. 

Speaking during his second visit to Singapore, Modi further signed three agreements with the country, with one involving Intellectual Property rights. He said that IP rights tie-up would help boost greater business to business exchanges and collaborations.

Further, both the countries also signed two deals on skill development and one on industrial property cooperation.

The Indian Prime Minister said, “Prime Minister Lee and I also welcome the issuance of corporate rupee bonds in Singapore. It is a step forward in our efforts to mobilise capital for India's large infrastructure development needs.”

Singapore is one of India’s key partners in the realisation of strong economic growth. 

During the meeting of the two prime ministers, Modi is said to have praised new technologies emerging from Singapore and said, “I have been informed that Singapore is leading the world in putting driverless cars on the road. But, I rest assured, we all rest assured, that one of India’s strongest well-wishers Prime Minister Lee is in the driving seat for Singapore and for our bilateral relationship. Excellency Lee, you are a friend of India.”

He also went on to laud Singapore for its proactive role in the global market. “Whether it is manufacturing, environment, innovation, technology, or delivery of public services, Singapore does today what the rest of the world would do tomorrow.”

Responding to Modi’s praise, Singapore Prime Minister Lee too pointed out the importance of bilateral ties and also said that Singapore was looking forward to contribute to India’s development wherever possible. 

Modi said that he had successfully enhanced the bilateral relationship between both the countries, upgrading it to the level of a Strategic Partnership with “renewed spirit, new energy.”

Activists ask Kenya’s president stop railway crossing park

About 100 protesters have petitioned the office of Kenya’s president urging him to intervene and stop the planned construction of an elevated railway line through Nairobi National Park.

Resident Teresia Lesian says the train’s noise will scare animals out of Kenya’s oldest national park and into their homes.

The Chinese project would cross six kilometers of the park, and environmental groups have vowed to fight it.

Nairobi’s expansion has brought increased conflict between humans and wildlife, threatening the existence of animals including lions, cheetahs and hyenas. All are found in the park.

Kenya is redoing its railway line from Nairobi to the port city of Mombasa, and the line would cross over the park as it approaches the town of Naivasha, where the government wants to construct an industrial hub.

I thought I was the coolest guy in the room until Irrfan walked in: Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks rejoiced in being the coolest guy on the sets of Hollywood film Inferno. But he says it lasted only until Indian actor Irrfan Khan walked in.

At a select global media event organised by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Hanks said: “Here’s what I hate about Irrfan Khan... I always think I’m the coolest guy in the room, and everybody’s hanging on to every word I say and everybody’s a little intimidated to be in my presence. And then Irrfan Khan walks into the room. And he’s the coolest guy in the room.

“And everybody’s intimidated to be in his presence and everybody’s hanging on to his every word.”

Irrfan, who has worked in a slew of Indian movies, has also proved his mettle internationally in critically-acclaimed works like The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Life of Pi, the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire and the commercially successful The Amazing Spider-Man and Jurassic World.

Come October 14, he will be seen in Inferno with Forrest Gump star Hanks.

After adapting Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons for the big screen, director Ron Howard has infused life to the author’s popular book Inferno.

In the film, based on the eponymous 2013 novel, Hanks will be seen reprising the role of Robert Langdon, a professor of symbology at Harvard University. Irrfan plays Harry The Provost Sims, head of The Consortium.

The film will present a trail of clues tied to the great Dante himself. When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memory. They race across Europe and against the clock to foil a deadly global plot, and Irrfan joins their mission to save the world.

Hanks, known for films like Saving Private Ryan, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, The Terminal, Catch Me If You Can and more recently Sully, asserted that the worst thing about Inferno is “that I am only in a couple of scenes with Irrfan. It was heartbreaking”.

The two-time Oscar-winning star is impressed with Irrfan’s acting skills, and has in fact chalked down a way to ape his style.

Hanks said: “And as soon as I walked up to him I said, ‘Irrfan Khan, I’m going to steal from you everything I possibly can. I’m going to start speaking very quietly in films. I’m going to wear very nice suits. And I will draw out the last sound of every sentence that I say.’ And by doing that, I will be doing a very pale imitation of the coolest guy in the room.”

Hanks is returning as Langdon in the film franchise, and says it is a pleasant experience to get Brown’s vision on the silver screen.

“I’m not contractually obligated to make any Dan Brown/Robert Langdon things. But every time we’ve done it, it’s been the same exact team of people... So there really is no repetition. I must admit, they’re very pleasant movies to make,” said the 60-year-old.

Jewel thieves put gun to Kim Kardashian's head, tie her up in Paris bathroom

Masked men put a gun to reality TV star Kim Kardashian's temple, left her tied up in the bathroom of her luxury residence in Paris and stole millions of dollars' worth of jewelry in early today, police and her publicist said.

Kardashian, wife of rapper Kanye West, later left France aboard a private jet from Le Bourget airport after speaking to investigators.

Five attackers, wearing ski masks and clothes with police markings, struck around 3:00am (0100 GMT) inside the exclusive apartment block where Kardashian was staying while attending Paris Fashion Week, a police source told Reuters.

Two of the men entered Kardashian's apartment after threatening the night guard with a hand gun. Kardashian was not beaten, but the robbers put a handgun against her temple before tying her up, the source said. iTELE television said she had been tied up with packing tape.

The robbers stole a box with 5-6 million euros' ($5.6-$6.7 million) worth of jewels and a ring worth about 4 million euros, the source said.

Kardashian was discovered "badly shaken but physically unharmed", according to her publicist, Ina Treciokas.

"I'm sorry I have a family emergency, I have to stop the show," West told the audience in video tweeted by fans at the Meadows Festival in Queens.

The Paris apartment block is a discreet building behind the city's Madeleine church, with several secret entrances, often frequented by movie and music stars who pay up to 15,000 euros a night.

The source said the attackers fled on bicycles. Police found the night guard in the staircase, his hand and feet bound.

Kardashian was in Paris with her mother Kris Jenner and her sisters Kendall Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian to attend the fashion week. The rest of the family stayed in a hotel.

The robbery set social media alight, with many users expressing disbelief at the latest headline-grabbing event in the life of a TV star who life is continually documented on screen and the internet.

"Looking forward to accompanying album and TV show detailing event," said Twitter user Jay.

Most comments, however, were supportive.

"Kim Kardashian is a mother, a wife, daughter and sister. Despite the fact that you don't like her, being held up at gun point is not funny," said one post by Alieuisha.

Paris has seen several armed robberies on high-end jewelry stores in recent months.

The armed robbery could add to worries about safety in Paris, hit by a series of attacks by Islamist militants last year.

Tourist numbers to what is traditionally the most visited city in the world, fell 6.4 percent in the first half of 2016 as many Asians and Americans stayed away.

"We worry about the image of Paris. This will be all over the news channels, imagine the negative publicity," Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, head of the conservative opposition in Paris, told Europe 1 radio.

.

Incredible evening with Syed Shamsul Huq

Samira Abbasi
Bangladesh

26th March. A night special for every Bangladeshi living in any part of the world. 26th March 2016; a uniquely memorable night, for me and my sister Dr. Nashid Kamal were totally engrossed in a wonderful presentation by Syed Shamsul Huq. This was a solo presentation of the poet where he was reminiscing that night of March as well as reciting and elaborating many of his beautiful poems. It was pure time travel as Syed Huq was painting an incredible picture of the night of 26th March 1971.

It was not a crowded gathering in the Indira Gandhi Cultural Center, as not too many people come for talks and recitations. That night in another part of town people were crowding for a presentation by  the poet Gulzar. Syed Huq started humorously saying each Bengali represents a thousand people, and so in that respect there are thousands in the audience. He mesmerised the audience with recitations of his selected poems as well as descriptions of the premises of each of them. Since it was the historic 26th March, he took the audience to 1971 in the blink of an eye with his vivid descriptions and photographic details of that night. He remembered every sound of bullets, bombs blasting and light outs and recreated the scene with his dramatic delivery. His wife had fever on that night, and was lying in bed and his eldest son was lying beside her.  The sounds of firing were becoming ever so frequent and that's when Syed Huq sat down at his table to write poetry. To me, that was the ultimate statement that proved Syed Shamsul Huq a true poet at heart and spirit. When the world hides in fear and uncertainty, the true poet picks up his pen and expresses his emotions through his powerful writing. I still shiver when thinking about that moment!

Syed Huq also talked about other historic aspects of our nation such as the Partition of 1947. As a very young child he had been separated from his Hindu friends Naresh and Paresh as they left suddenly one night for India. He could not understand what caused this sudden separation which was unbearable to a young child. Syed Huq wrote an excellent piece of poetry on this. And as he was describing the story, we could not hold back our tears.

As the programme ended we all felt so enlightened. There was no place better we could be at that night of March. No place more appropriate and enriching as his presentation. The audience talked to him over tea and biscuits and felicitated him on his lifelong achievements. Few years ago I had a long chat with him, sitting next to him on a Channel i programme. He had expressed a lot of interest in my writing and my film work. He remembered those and asked me about the progress that night. I was pleasantly surprised that he would remember. A brilliant man, a man deep rooted in his soils and his thoughts, always present at the present and aware of the past.

I feel very fortunate to have shared that special night with him. Syed Shamsul Huq, as you have said yourself, real friends never say goodbyes.

Borders with India: Dhaka 'agrees' on new fencing

India yesterday said it was “agreed” with Bangladesh on putting up a new fence to secure over 250 villages outside the existing barbed wire fence along the International Border to curb cross-border crimes and alleviate problems of the population there.

The new fence would be closer to the 'zero' line.

How close it would be to the 'zero' line would be determined later at the operation level, KK Sharma, director general of the Indian Border Security Force, said after a meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart in New Delhi.

Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed, director general of the Border Guard Bangladesh, stressed the need for ensuring that the new fence doesn't affect the lives of villagers.

"We will ensure that there are no objections from our side when the fence is erected. We need a humanitarian approach and it [new fence] could be done as the present positive relations between India and Bangladesh are an example that is nowhere to be seen in the world," he said.

The chiefs of the two border forces were speaking to the media at the end of two-day biannual BSF-BGB DG-level talks at the BSF headquarters.

"We have taken a major decision to erect a single row fence for villages that are ahead of the present fencing and behind the IB [International Border]. This will help curb cross-border crimes, smuggling and instil a sense of security among the border population. The Bangladesh government and the BGB have given us the permission to do so," BSF Chief Sharma said after signing a joint record of discussions with his BGB counterpart. 

Sharma said the decision would affect 148 villages completely outside the IB fence as well as 137 villages partially outside it.

"A majority of these villages are in West Bengal state of India while a few are in other Indian states that share a border with Bangladesh. As the population lives and works here, the fence will have gates for people to cross over to the other side and come back," he said.

The BGB chief said the situation in these villages outside the fencing is very challenging at many places.

Both the DGs said regular issues such as cattle smuggling and circulation of Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) came up at the meeting.

Sharma said, "The FICN menace has seen some reduction but much more needs to be done to further bring this criminal activity down."

Maj Gen Aziz said both the sides are sharing a lot of information, and that the BGB personnel are cooperating with the BSF in curbing cattle smuggling from India to Bangladesh.

"We also want it stopped... We do not want Indian cattle in Bangladesh. Our government has initiated a new project of domestic cattle farming to meet our needs," he said.

The BGB chief noted that most of the killings of Bangladeshis by the BSF on the border occur due to cattle smuggling, and both the BGB and the BSF would like to bring these numbers to zero.

 Both the DGs said the talks were "cordial" and a number of issues were sorted out during the conference that began on October 3.

 The BSF chief said they also took up the issue of security situation after the surgical strikes conducted by Indian army across the de facto border with Pakistan recently, and that both the forces are on "high vigil."

 "There is no new input [about Bangladeshi territory being used by terrorists]... However, vigil has been increased along the Indo-Bangla border too," he said.

Borders with India: Dhaka 'agrees' on new fencing

Ten countries accounting for 2.5 percent of world GDP are hosting more than half the world's refugees, Amnesty International said yesterday as it slammed what it called the selfishness of wealthy nations.

In a report on the plight faced by the world's 21 million refugees, the London-based human rights body lamented that countries immediately neighbouring crisis zones bear the brunt of the global refugee problem.

Fifty-six percent of refugees are being sheltered in 10 countries, according to the report, in which Amnesty proposed a solution whereby the world's countries find a home for 10 percent of the planet's refugees every year.

"A small number of countries have been left to do far too much just because they are neighbours to a crisis," said Amnesty secretary general Salil Shetty, presenting the report entitled "Tackling the global refugee crisis: from shirking to sharing responsibility".

"That situation is inherently unsustainable, exposing the millions fleeing war and persecution in countries like Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Iraq to intolerable misery and suffering.

A migrant is rescued from the sea by a member of Proactiva Open Arms NGO. Italy coordinated the rescue of more than 5,600 migrants off Libya, three years to the day after 366 people died in a sinking that first alerted the world to the Mediterranean migrant crisis. Photo: AFP

"It is time for leaders to enter into a serious, constructive debate about how our societies are going to help people forced to leave their homes by war and persecution."

Amnesty said the top refugee hosting country was Jordan, which has taken in more than 2.7 million people, followed by Turkey (more than 2.5 million); Pakistan (1.6 million) and Lebanon (more than 1.5 million).  

The remaining six nations listed in the top 10 each hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees: Iran (979,400); Ethiopia (736,100); Kenya (553,900); Uganda (477,200); Democratic Republic of Congo (383,100), and Chad (369,500).

The statistics are based on figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Amnesty said many of the world's wealthiest nations "host the fewest and do the least".

"It is not simply a matter of sending aid money. Rich countries cannot pay to keep people 'over there'," it said.

The "self-interest" of such countries meant the international refugee crisis was set to get worse, not better, Amnesty claimed.

"If every one of the wealthiest countries in the world were to take in refugees in proportion to their size, wealth and unemployment rate, finding a home for more of the world's refugees would be an eminently solvable challenge," said Shetty.

HCL shortlisted by BBC for $300 million contract

CL Technologies is among the six IT service providers shortlisted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for a nearly $300 million infrastructure management services (IMS) contract. The others in the fray include incumbent and French IT biggie Atos, IBM, and HP Enterprises. The broadcaster is expected to shorten it further to three service providers in October. The contract goes into execution phase early next year.

HCL is the only Indian IT player invited for the deal, thanks to its long-time prowess in infrastructure management services. The IMS contract involves managing the service desk, data centre management and end-user computing to ensure seamless integration of various services. "This is a big and somewhat historically troubled contract," said Peter Bendor-Samuel, CEO of US-based Everest Research.

"The fact that there are so many vendors bidding is a clear indication that BBC is open to making a change. Anyone who was not open to a change would never have put this on the market and a contract would have been put in place last year with steep price discounts," he said.