Former ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale joins Ola NEW DELHI: Former Indian ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale has joined Ola, one of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies, as senior adviser for corporate and international affairs. A former high commissioner to Pakistan and ex-ambassador to Bhutan, Bambawale is the second Indian foreign service officer to join the private sector after S Jaishankar. Source: Livemint
Pakistan’s Punjab govt. not to extend bail granted to Nawaz Sharif for treatment abroad Pakistan’s Punjab government on Tuesday decided not to extend the bail granted on medical grounds to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London for treatment, according to media reports. Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat said the Punjab Cabinet decided that there was “no legal, moral or medical basis without any concrete proof” for the further extension of the bail to the 70-year-old leader. Source: The Hindu
Hampshire’s Bob Weighton set to be named world’s oldest man Bob Weighton, who was born on 29 March 1908, is expected to be named as the new record-holder following the death of a 112-year-old in Japan. Chitetsu Watanabe died on Sunday just days after being awarded a Guinness World Records certificate. Mr Weighton, from Alton, said: “I don’t really feel satisfied because it means someone else has died.” Source: BBC
Learn from Tiananmen Square massacre to handle the riots: Tathagata Roy Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy has tweeted to imply that lessons could perhaps be taken from the infamous Tiananmen Square massacre to handle the riots in parts of the national capital. Tweeting from his handle on Wednesday, Roy said: “Remember Tienanmen Square, Beijing in 1988? And how Deng Xiaoping handled it? Perhaps there is a lesson there on how to handle the engineered disturbances of NE Delhi! I’m sure all comrades will agree!” (Sic) Source: The Telegraph
Malaysia’s Anwar says group of MPs back him to become PM KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday a group of lawmakers had backed him to become the country’s next prime minister days after Mahathir Mohamad (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Mahathir-Mohamad)’s shock resignation. But his comments came moments after Mahathir, at 94 the world’s oldest leader, said that he wanted to form a unity government and was willing to return as premier. Source: Times of India
‘Epicentre of global terror shouldn’t lecture on human rights in J-K’: India’s response to Pakistan at UN Pakistan, the “epicentre of global terrorism”, shouldn’t lecture others on human rights issues in Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, a senior Indian diplomat told the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday. Secretary (West) Vikas Swarup was responding to Pakistan human rights minister Shireen Mazari’s allegations on Tuesday about rights abuses in Kashmir during a session of the UN body in Geneva. Source: Hindustan Times
‘Failure of leadership’: Bernie Sanders on Trump’s statement on Delhi clashes A day after US lawmakers reacted sharply to the violence in the Indian capital, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders here accused US President Donald Trump of failing on the issue of human rights. Slamming the US president, Sanders said Trump’s statement regarding the violence in New Delhi during his India visit was a “failure of leadership”. Asked about incidents of violence during his India visit, the US president had said, “As far as the individual attacks, I heard about it, but I didn’t discuss that with him (Modi). That’s...
UN Chief Antonio Guterres ‘Very Saddened’ by Casualties in Delhi Riots, Calls for ‘Maximum Restraint’ New Delhi: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is “very saddened” by the death toll and injuries sustained during the protests in Delhi against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday. “He is very saddened by the reports of casualties following the protests in Delhi and as he has done in similar circumstances, he calls for maximum restraint and for violence to be avoided,” Dujarric said in response to a reporter’s question at his daily briefing. Source: News18.com
‘Tennis – I’m saying goodbye’: Maria Sharapova retires at 32 Five-times Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova on Wednesday announced her retirement from tennis. The former world No 1 has been struggling for form, mainly due to her shoulder injury and it also led to a massive dip in her rankings. The Russian took part in just two matches in this season and lost both of them. In an emotional essay on vanityfair.com, Sharapova, 32, wrote: “How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known? How do you walk away from the courts you’ve trained on since you were a...
India needs more clay courts to produce singles tennis stars: Mary Pierce NEW DELHI: Like the pace on her famous forehand, Mary Pierce doesn’t hold her thoughts back. Throw a question at her and a two-sentence reply will be as lucid as an entire chapter. That’s the experience of a four-time Grand Slam champion and someone who managed to climb back into the top five after an injury-forced slip down to almost 300. Relishing ‘idli sambar’ on her recent visit to India as the Roland Garros brand ambassador, the 45-year-old Mary relishes the simple things in life, which for her...
