THE HEADLINES:
- US President Barack Obama says, relationship between India and America can be one of defining partnerships of the century; Hails India's efforts towards poverty alleviation.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama jointly share their thoughts in Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio; Modi asks people to save girl child and educate her.
- Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants and two security men killed in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Sri Lanka Government initiates a high level probe against 60 Ministers, Members of Parliament and bureaucrats of previous government on corruption charges.
- Sensex spurts 292 points to close at a fresh record high of 29,571.
- Rafael Nadal crashes out; Maria Sharapova enters semi-finals.
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US President Barack Obama has said that his country can be India's best partner and the relationship can be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century. He cautioned that the two countries have to guard against any efforts to divide them on sectarian lines.
Addressing a Town hall event at Siri Fort Auditorium in Delhi today before concluding his three-day visit, he welcomed India's ambitious targets to meet cleaner energy needs. He said the US is ready to help India in the effort. Mr Obama said countries like India need to embrace cleaner fuels to tackle climate change. He said America will support India's inclusion as a permanent member in the UN Security Council. He hailed India's efforts towards poverty alleviation, saying that in recent years, it has lifted more people from poverty than any other country. The US President said that India will succeed, so long as it is not splintered on religious lines. Making a strong pitch for religious tolerance, he said every person has the right to practice his faith without any persecution. Barack Obama and US First Lady Michelle Obama have left India for Saudi Arabia this afternoon.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the people to save the girl child and educate them taking it as social and cultural duty and human responsibility. In his joint address with the United States President Barack Obama in Man Ki Baat programme on All India Radio, he expressed concern over the skewed sex ratio in the country. Mr Modi attributed it to the preference of boy over girl child. Terming the mindset as flawed, Mr Modi said, the way Mr. Obama is rearing his two daughters is a source of inspiration.
In his reply to this, Barack Obama said, his daughters wanted to come to India but could not leave school. He said, they are fascinated by the culture and history of India and deeply moved by India's Independence movement and the role of Mahatma Gandhi.
When I go back I am going to tell them that India is as magnificent as they imagined and I am quite sure that they are going to insist that I bring them back the next time I visit. It may not be during my Presidency but afterwards they will definitely want to come and visit.
Replying to a question whether Mr. Obama and Michelle Obama will come to India after he demits office as President and work in dealing with modern health challenges arising from obesity and diabetes, Mr Obama said, they would like to work on these issues in India and also at its international level.
The Prime Minister and I have discussed for example how we can do a better job in dealing with issues like endemic and making sure that we have good alert systems so that if a disease like Ebola or a deadly flu virus or Polio appears then it is detected quickly and then treated quickly.
On a question, the Prime Minister said, he had never dreamt of reaching the top level, but always aspired to serve the nation. Mr. Modi asked the people to not dream of becoming something, instead of doing something. M.r Modi said, at the end it is work which gives satisfaction and inspiration.
Adding to it, Mr. Obama said, youth is a global citizen and they are exposed to the world in ways that the people of the previous generations can hardly imagine. He said, he feels that governments and leaders cannot simply govern or rule by a top down strategy, rather they have to reach out to people in an inclusive and transparent way.
Echoing similar views, Mr. Narendra Modi said, youth has the power to unite the world. To another question, Mr. Modi said, he is inspired by Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the US. He said everyone should read biography of Benjamin Franklin.
To a query, Barack Obama said, satisfaction from helping somebody exceeds everything else. Mr. Obama said, it inspires to do more and helps get through challenges and difficulties.
That is wnat usually what makes me inspred to do more and helps get through the challenges and difficulties we all hae because obviously we are not the only people with bad days at work. I think everybody knows what it is like to have a bad day at work, except that you keep on working through it. Eventually you make a difference.
Our correspondent reports, today's joint address is a sequel to the jointly written op-ed piece in Washington Post. Both the leaders had written the write-up when Mr Modi visited the United States to attend General Assembly Session in September last year.
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India and the US have decided to set up a task force for jointly developing Allahabad, Ajmer and Vishakhapatnam as Smart Cities with a mandate of preparing the roadmap within three months. The decision was taken at a meeting between Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and visiting US Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker today in New Delhi.
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Election Commission today warned Aam Aadmi Party Convenor Arvind Kejriwal for his remarks asking people to take money from the Congress and BJP but vote for the AAP. Terming his remarks as violation of model code of conduct, the Commission asked him to desist from making these utterances in future otherwise it will be constrained to take stern action against him. The AAP Convenor had made such remarks repeatedly in the recent past while campaigning for Delhi assembly elections following which Congress and BJP had approached the Commission.
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BJP leader Kiran Bedi today served a legal notice to Aam Aamdi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal for using her picture on auto rickshaws which describes her an opportunist. Briefing reporters, party Delhi Unit chief Satish Upadhyay alleged that it is an attempt by the AAP to tarnish her image.
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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today accused the Prime Minister of doing nothing concrete since assuming charge except the PR. Talking to reporters after a road show in Delhi in a show of strength ahead of the Assembly polls, Mr Gandhi accused Mr Modi of showing favour to the industrialists and ignoring the poor.
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Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's accusation, BJP attacked Congress Vice President, saying he is in sleeping mode and not even able to realize the work done by the NDA government in the last seven months. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the Centre has taken several steps to connect poor people to economic system and took firm steps in WTO to protect the interest of farmers with regard to food subsidy. He said the Narendra Modi government also adopted a clear policy with regard to Pakistan and strengthen relationship with countries including Nepal, Bhutan, Japan and Australia.
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Two security personnel, including an Army officer, and two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in a fierce gun battle in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. Defence sources said, Colonel M M Rai, Commanding Officer of 42 Rashtriya Rifles and a policeman were killed in the gun battle at Mindora village of Tral Tehsil in Pulwama district. The operation also left a soldier seriously injured.
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In Assam, security forces arrested five militants of the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Songbijit faction in two separate incidents from Udalguri and Sonitpur districts. IGP, L R Bishnoi said that two militants including a self styled Section Commander was arrested from Khusrabari village in Udalguri today.
In another case, the army and police apprehended three terrorists of the militant outfit at Biswanath and seized arms from them.
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In Odisha, suspected Maoists today blasted a landmine near Gamphakonda under Kalimela police station in Malkangiri district. According to police, the Maoists had targeted BSF personnel who are involved in combing and search operations in the area. However, there are no reports of any casualties on the BSF side. The blast occurred when BSF men were returning to their camp after operations in the area.
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THE BUSINESS WORLD:-
"Rising for the eighth day in a row, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange spurted 292 points, or 1 percent, to a fresh record closing high of 29,571. The Sensex has now rallied over 2,200 points, or 8 per cent in eight straight sessions. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange surged 75 points, to a new lifetime closing peak of 8,911.The rupee strengthened one paise, to 61.41 against the dollar.Gold fell 100 rupees, to 28,300 rupees per ten grams in Delhi. Silver dropped 635 rupees, to 39,400 rupees per kilo".Pradeep Kumar, AIR News.
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Sri Lanka has begun a high profile probe on allegations of corruption against 60 Ministers, Members of Parliament and bureaucrats who were office bearers in the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. The official website of Government of Sri Lanka says, a high powered committee under Prime Minister Ranil Wickermasinghe, started its work last week. The committee is probing allegations of large scale corruption, malpractices and irregularities that had taken place during the last government.
A member of the Anti Corruption committee told All India Radio that the police has started investigation and its progress is being monitored at the highest level. He added that Police charge sheets and arrests of the guilty will start soon.
Meanwhile, Bribery and Corruption Commission has registered 60 complaints against high profile individuals and has passed several orders impounding their passports to facilitate investigation.
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World number three Rafael Nadal today made a shock exit from the Australian Open Tennis tournament at Melbourne. The Spaniard was stunned in the quarterfinal by lower placed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, 2-6, 0-6, 6-7.
World number six Andy Murray, however, today stormed into the semi-finals beating Aussie Nick Kyrgios, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.
In the Women's Singles, Russians, Maria Sharapova and Ekaterina Makarova today progressed to the semi-finals with easy victories.
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