Chennai youth among crew detained by Iran on ship

He has been working on this ship for the last four years without any incident or accident, said a member of the family who wished not to be named. Aditya 'We do not want to say anything that could even remotely offend the Iranians who appear to be treating the captives quite decently. What we want to say is that we are rather upset with the indifference of our governments at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu', said another relative, who also claimed that Kerala Government was 'pro-active' in trying to get its men released from the vessel. 'The ship was seized at about 9 pm on July 19 and there was no word from Aditya for the next four days. We were pretty worried. Then on July 23, he called and said he was alright but fatigued by the stress of all that had happened now, and that he has been permitted by the captors to speak to family over phone for just a few minutes every day', said the family member. The family appealed to the Governments at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu to step up efforts through the Indian Mission in Tehran. Several Indian sailors on ships in the Gulf region have been caught up in increased tensions between Iran and the West. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttp://krachelart.com/UserProfile/tabid/43/userId/200510/Default.aspx

http://southmainalliance.org/UserProfile/tabid/57/userId/639166/Default.aspx ailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttp://www.sydneycityairportshuttle.com/UserProfile/tabid/695/userId/326990/Default.aspx

Den of Spies: Legacy of US-Iran spy wars

On November 4, 1979, at the height of the Iranian Revolution, a group of Iranian students aligned with the newly-established anti-US Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini stormed the US embassy in central Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage - precipitating a 444-day-long hostage crisis. Soon after, Tehran had claimed the storming of the complex exposed a sophisticated, clandestine CIA surveillance hideout based inside the main embassy building. Hindustan Times visited the complex, which stopped operating as a US embassy since the storming in 1979. It had been maintained by the IRGC and was more recently turned into a museum of anti-American propaganda. Locally known as 'Den of Spies' and 'Museum Garden of Anti-Arrogance', the place is now a repository of anti-US propaganda displayed in various forms - artistic murals on walls and stairwells, cheeky political cartoons on the courtyard, a prominent 'Down With USA' doormat, inflammatory anti-West slogans and a trove of allegedly CIA-linked relics discovered in 1979. Inside the complex, which requires visitors to buy entry tickets to have a look at the exhibits, the key highlight is the main building - home to what Iranian authorities claim are remnants of the CIA's state-of-the-art equipment that have been carefully preserved. The so-called 'Den of Spies' is staffed with government-appointed experts help visitors take a look around and translate for them the captions on the exhibits, written in Persian. Among the most interesting relics, as Iranian authorities would have us believe, is a corner desk with a typewriter, lots of documents, photo-paper, stationery, gadgets and canisters of chemicals. The curators claim that's where CIA personnel used to make forged passports for undercover agents travelling in and out of Iran. on display are secret drawers connecting separated office rooms, meant to keep the identities of intelligence officials exchanging materials hidden from one another, as the museum guides claim. The building also houses a soundproof glass room, which the guides believe was used by the CIA to hold secret negotiations. Aside from what are labelled as bugging devices, of various shapes and sizes, computers are exhibited, which Iranian curators say weren't commercially available at the time when the CIA was using them. syed.siraj@htlive.com DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttps://justpaste.it/6q1sl

https://www.theverge.com/users/zeemaankons

Moratorium on farm loan ends; Kerala to approach banks again

The flood of 2018 resulted in a loss of Rs 3646.4 crore for the sector. Assembly records show that 12 farmers committed suicide in the state since January 2019, signalling the distress faced by the sector. Gold Agriculture Loans A five-member team consisting of officers from Union Agriculture Ministry, RBI, SLBC and Nabard visited five districts based on the complaint by the state government that the benefits of gold agri loans were cornered by non-farmers. They visited 30 banks in Idukki, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta for the study. A report on the findings of the team will be published in three days. "The farmers are not getting the benefits of the loans and despite the high number of loans it is not reflected in the sector," said the Agriculture minister. He said agri gold loans formed 62 percent of the total agriculture loan of Rs 80,803 crore. An interest subsidy component in agri gold loans makes it attractive for non-farmers to opt for the loan. Sunil Kumar said the state government along with banks would promote Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to provide collateral free loans to farmers. He said the number of farmers using KCC would be improved through a promotion drive supported by SLBC. The state had demanded increasing the limit for collateral free loans from Rs 1.67 lakh to Rs 3.25 lakh. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttps://bibliocrunch.com/profile/gibranjeenr/

BJP appoints Avinash Rai Khanna as in-charge for J&K Assembly polls

His appointment has come amid Nadda planning to visit J&K within the next fortnight to formally launch the party's bid to wrest power in the state. The BJP leaders claimed that Assembly elections would be held in October-November. Even as the poll preparations began in Delhi, there is still panic in the Valley. Attacking the National Conference and PDP for creating fear on troops deployment in the Valley, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday said, "Unnecessary fear is being created by local regional parties (National Conference and PDP) for their political interests." The Narendra Modi government will take all necessary steps for the benefit of J&K. "BJP's stand on Article 35A, which grants special privileges to residents of J&K, is clear. However, it is not the party which is going to decide on the matter," Madhav said. He was responding to a question whether Article 35A, which bars outsiders from purchasing land and property in the state. Madhav said the decision on Article 35A would be taken by Prime Minister and his government. On Enforcement Directorate questioning Farooq Abdullah in Chandigarh today, he said, "Today somebody is being questioned in Chandigarh. Don't be surprised if tomorrow someone else is questioned in Srinagar". CEO calls meeting with poll machinery The ball has been set rolling for conduct of Assembly elections in J&K with the state's chief electoral officer set to convene a meeting with district officials for review of the process and political parties gearing up for the polls likely to be held later this year. Chief electoral officer (CEO) Shailendra Kumar will hold a video-conference meeting with the 22 district election officers and other poll staffers on August 2, according to an official order. Cabinet nod for J&K EWS quota The Cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday approved a legislative proposal to extend the 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in employment and educational institutions in J&K. The Cabinet also gave its nod to a legislative proposal to regulate the chit fund deposits. "The Cabinet has decided to bring a legislative proposal in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament to ensure that EWS reservation is implemented in J&K," said Union Minister for information and broadcasting Prakash Javadekar. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttps://www.mobypicture.com/user/zeeenokootee

http://wiznotes.com/UserProfile/tabid/84/userId/226205/Default.aspx

ED quizzes Farooq Abdullah in alleged cricket scam

Many fear the deployment is linked to a move to scrap Article 35A that gives residents special privileges.Officials said the National Conference chief was questioned at the ED's Chandigarh office from 12.30pm to 5.30pm in connection with a money-laundering investigation related to alleged financial irregularities in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association he headed for years in the past.Farooq's statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the officials added. The ED and the National Investigation Agency are part of a central government crackdown on separatists. Farooq is the first politician from the Valley's pro-India camp who has been questioned by one of these organisations.Farooq, who represents Srinagar in Parliament, was unavailable for comment but he told news agency PTI after his questioning that he had "done no wrong" and was "open to investigation".Mehbooba accused the Centre of misusing its agencies. "Misusing central agencies to harass & intimidate those who dissent or don't fall in line has become quite blasé & brazen," she tweeted."JK cricket scam is an old case that's been under investigation for quite sometime. ED questioning Farooq sahab at a time when J&K mainstream parties are collectively standing up to protect its unique identity raises suspicions & questions."The CBI had last year charged Farooq, 81, in a scam linked to the cricket body - the first time the thrice former chief minister had been accused of any scandal in his long political career.Farooq was charged with three others, including Saleem Khan, the then general secretary of the association, Ahsan Mirza, the then treasurer, and Bashir Misgar, a J&K Bank executive, for alleged misappropriation of funds.The alleged scam had surfaced in 2012 - when Farooq's son Omar Abdullah headed the state government - following a complaint lodged by association treasurer Manzoor Wazir against Khan and Mirza.The CBI had taken over the case three years later following directions from the state's high court.The agency alleged that the accused siphoned off Rs 43.69 crore of the Rs 112 crore the Indian cricket board, BCCI, had granted the state body between 2002 and 2011.No action followed for over a year till the ED lodged a case and started its own investigations.A National Conference leader said Farooq was not involved in any wrongdoing and had himself had sought the registration of an FIR in the case. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://about.me/beeun

Finger at strangulation in Netaji Nagar murder

he sleuths are also examining the property documents to find out whether the childless couple had left any will and named anyone the heir to their property."We are probing the case from all possible angles," said joint commissioner (crime) Murlidhar Sharma.There were marks of violence on the body of the elderly woman, which suggest she had tried to resist the attacker."Her body was found at the landing of the staircase just behind the main door. There were several wounds on her body, suggesting she had tried to resist her assailants," an officer of the homicide department said.Mukherjee was found lying on the bed with his legs hanging. "He was first gagged with a piece of cloth and then smothered with a pillow. He was pinned down on the bed," the officer added. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttp://knowledge.thinkingstorm.com/UserProfile/tabid/57/userId/322427/Default.aspx

Highly gratified by cooperation from 'great friend' India on Iran: US

- 'Hypocrisy': Iran rejects Donald Trump aide Pompeo's offer to visit Tehran India, which has galloping energy needs, went out of its way to co-operate with the United States. India has brought down the import of oil from Iran, with which it has historic and cultural ties, to almost zero. Referring to an open source information, the official said Iranian export of oil for July was at 1,00,000 barrels per day, which is down considerably from the previous historic low of 7,81,000. The official credited the Trump administration for this and added that Iran has very little to offer in terms of being a trading partner. 'The United States just continues to be appreciative, particularly of India's cooperation, and continues to be very mindful of India's legitimate energy needs,' the senior official said responding to a question on reports about talks between India and Iran on oil trade through their own currencies. 'We are very happy as a major energy producer to contribute to what we see as an ample supply to the global market that can keep India amply supplied with energy,' said the official requesting anonymity. A second senior administration official said that the US officials have been all over the world very carefully making sure that all of its partners and allies and companies around the world understand the consequences of violating the sanctions. The United States has been very explicit about the need to ensure that the sanctionable activity has ceased. 'We're getting very important results there,' the second administration official said. (The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text) DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://doodleordie.com/profile/gibranjeenr