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The disengagement of armies of India and China from north and south banks of Pangong Tso is a "very good end result" and a win-win situation for both the sides, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane said on Wednesday, stressing that there are strategies in place to address other pending issues in eastern Ladakh. He said there were no signs of an "overt collusion" between China and Pakistan during the Ladakh standoff but India also caters to a long term strategy for not a two, but a two-and-half front war. With the half front, he was referring to the internal security. He said right from the beginning of the standoff, all sides on the Indian side worked together. Be it at the political level, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to their Chinese counterparts, he said. "We were all in it together. We had our plan chalked out which we had discussed on what should be the way forward. Whatever has panned out, has happened as a result … [Read more...] about No sign of China-Pak collusion during LAC row: Army chief

A woolly-necked stork, a vulnerable wading species, has been spotted and recorded at the Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary in Ariyalur district. A. Kumaraguru, a conservation scientist of the Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, India, recorded and photographed the bird at Venganur, which is a part of the sanctuary, on the first day of the two-day annual synchronised bird census on Thursday. The large wading bird was found to be about four feet long, with a black head and a body with an iridescent sheen, and a white neck and underbelly. The bird has deep red eyes and the large bill is grey with a reddish tip. The legs and feet are also predominantly red in colour. Mr. Kumaraguru told The Hindu that the bird, which has been listed as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), had been sighted and photographed probably for the fist time in the region. The bird is known to inhabit wetlands, marshes, rivers and ponds. The diet of the woolly-necked stork … [Read more...] about Woolly-necked stork spotted at Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary

BEIJING -- China's massive anti-poverty campaign has transformed nearly 100 million lives in just eight years. It was a miracle that helped the world's most populous country achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal on poverty eradication 10 years ahead of the schedule. A leader's promise On a crisp winter day in December 2012, Xi Jinping, who was not long ago elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited the mud-brick house of Tang Zongxiu located in the Taihang Mountains, northern China's Hebei Province. The dilapidated house was engulfed in darkness and had leakages. For two days, Xi visited multiple houses in two villages and saw similar sights of destitution. Knowing what it was like to be in penury, Xi, as the top leader, was determined to end it for all Chinese. He sounded a clarion call to end poverty nationwide, which he deemed an essential requirement of socialism. At the time, China still had 98.99 million people living … [Read more...] about The war on poverty: a Chinese saga

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Juventus got back to winning ways by beating bottom club Crotone 3-0 in Serie A. Ronaldo could even have had a hat trick in the first half. Weston Mckennie sealed the result after the break. Juventus moved up to third on the table, eight points behind Serie A leader Inter Milan, having played a match less. It was Crotone’s fifth successive defeat and left it eight points from safety. Juventus was looking for a big win after a disappointing week. The Bianconeri lost at Porto 2-1 in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday, days after losing at Napoli 1-0 in Serie A. Ronaldo hadn’t scored for Juventus since the start of the month. He came close on a couple of occasions before breaking the deadlock in the 38th minute when he headed in an Alex Sandro cross. Ronaldo doubled his tally in first-half stoppage time with another impressive header, this time from an Aaron Ramsey cross. The 36-year-old Ronaldo … [Read more...] about Cristiano Ronaldo scores brace in Juventus victory over Crotone

Security has been tightened in the town and surrounding areas ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Puducherry on Thursday. Mr. Modi is scheduled to arrive at the Lawspet helipad by around 11. 30 a.m and would head to the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) by road. After laying the foundation for a few development work projects and inaugurating schemes at JIPMER, the Prime Minister would return to Lawspet and address a public meeting. He would leave by around 1.30 p.m. Security has been strengthened at the venues, on the stretch from Lawspet to Gorimedu and other places in the town. Around 1,500 police personnel, including personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Rapid Action Force would be deployed for security. An advance liaison team from the Special Protection Group has reached Puducherry to oversee security arrangements. Traffic restrictions would be in place during the VIP movement. About 15 … [Read more...] about Security tightened ahead of PM’s visit to Puducherry on Thursday