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-Top News Asia News USA

‘My office committed to advocating autonomy of Tibet’

Next priority is to make official US policy on Tibet: Sangay.

 The US has the right to have whatever meetings it wants and his office is committed to advocate the autonomy of Tibet within China, US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Robert A. Destro, has said.

He talked tough on China’s criticism of his recent meeting with Tibetan President Lobsang Sangay during the latter’s visit to the US.

“While they (China) have the right to criticise the meeting, we have the right to have whatever meetings we want,” Destro told Tibet TV.

Destro said he was amazed by the overwhelming response from the Tibetan community and the “desire to engage”.

Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Sangay this month met Destro and other high-ranking functionaries at the White House.

“We were so happy to have President Lobsang Sangay at the State Department. We have been reaching out and will continue to reach out into the Tibetan diaspora community around the world and see if we can really get to know people as quickly as we can,” said CTA-run Tibet TV quoting Destro as saying.

In response to the rebuke from the Chinese Foreign Ministry over the meeting, a first-of-its-kind initiative to boost the support to the Tibetan cause, the US Additional Secretary and Special Tibet Coordinator said: “I don’t take their criticisms seriously.”

Describing himself as a big fan of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, Destro said he was moved by the video message of His Holiness at the funeral ceremony of late President of Taiwan, Li Teng Hui.

“I have always been a big fan of the Dalai Lama and after watching the video, I was very moved. He is indeed a very inspirational person. You can see why he is taken so seriously around the world and his comments about the late president were truly heartfelt and inspiring,” he said.

As for his policy towards China after having appointed as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Destro said his office is committed to advocate the autonomy of Tibet within China and to foster the ‘middle-way approach’ proposed by the Dalai Lama with China and the like-minded neighbouring countries.

For Tibetans around the world, Destro said he seeks their prayers for the challenging job and assured that both he and the US are inclined to take the extra mile to get the job done.

Describing his meeting with Destro on October 15 as historic and recognition to the government-in-exile, Sangay told IANS that the next priority of his government is passing the Tibet Policy and Support Act in the Senate.

“This Act builds on the Tibet Policy and Support Act of 2002 and will be a major update to the US policy on Tibet.

“Among important updates, passing of this Act will make it the official policy of the US to see that the selection of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including the future Dalai Lama, follows the wishes of the Tibetan Buddhist community and according to the instructions of current Dalai Lama without any influence from the Chinese government,” Sangay told IANS on Thursday.

Without mincing words, he added, “The Act will also forbid China from opening a new consulate until a US consulate is allowed in Lhasa.”

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan exile administration is based in this hill town.

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Bollywood Celebrity Lite Blogs Woman

Alia To Join woman-led company with Indian roots

Actress Alia Bhatt

Yet another Bollywood celebrity to join in the business world is youth icon Alia Bhatt. The young superstar has made a personal investment in leading omnichannel lifestyle retailer, Nykaa via a secondary transaction for an undisclosed amount.

iCommenting on the development Falguni Nayar, Founder and CEO, Nykaa said, “Alia and I had a very interesting conversation about how both she and Nykaa were both launched in 2012. She said the three reasons she wanted to invest in Nykaa were because it has Indian roots, it is founded by a woman and Nykaa is proof that the best in India can take on the best in the world. I loved her clarity of thought and got a glimpse of that keen mind which has placed her on Forbes 30 Under 30 list.”

Adding, “I really admire how much Alia has achieved at such a young age and the sheer diversity of characters she has portrayed on film with so much depth. All of us at Nykaa are delighted to welcome her as an investor in the company.”

Along with Bhatt, even Katrina Kaif is part of the Nykaa investor family.

Also Read-‘Digitizing theatre helps reach new audiences’

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-Top News USA

Biden vows not to extort S.Korea with troop withdrawal threats

Biden also promised efforts to help all immigrants, including undocumented Koreans…reports Asian Lite News

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has vowed to strengthen the US-South Korea alliance if he wins the upcoming election, rather than “extorting Seoul with reckless threats to remove our troops”.

He made the remarks in an exclusive Yonhap News Agency article published on Friday, where the former Vice President also said that he would keep pressing toward North Korea’s denuclearization through “principled diplomacy”.

“As President, I’ll stand with South Korea, strengthening our alliance to safeguard peace in East Asia and beyond, rather than extorting Seoul with reckless threats to remove our troops,” Biden said in the article, titled “Hope for Our Better Future”.

“I’ll engage in principled diplomacy and keep pressing toward a denuclearized North Korea and a unified Korean Peninsula, while working to reunite Korean Americans separated from loved ones in North Korea for decades,” he added.



In the article, which comes just five days ahead of the much-anticipated US presidential election, Biden recalled his 2013 trip to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the inter-Korean border.

“I will never forget standing less than 100 feet away from North Korea at the DMZ with my granddaughter, Finnegan, beside me.

“I felt the pain of division on the Korean Peninsula and the separation of families since the Korean War,” the former Vice President said in the Yonhap News Agency artcile.

Biden also promised efforts to help all immigrants, including undocumented Koreans.

“I’ll work to fix our broken immigration system, provide a roadmap to citizenship for undocumented Koreans, and recognize the tens of thousands of Korean adoptees as the Americans they are.

“I’ll fight for a better future for all our children and grandchildren. ‘Katchi Kapshida’,” he said.

‘Katchi Kapshida’ is the catch phrase of the Korea-US alliance, which means “we go together”.

Also read:Biden leads in Florida, Pennsylvania, N.Carolina in new poll

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Football Sport World News

Legendary Diego Maradona turns 60

Argentina football legend Diego Maradona turned 60 on Friday. Widely rated as one of the greatest football players of all time, Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups and was captain of the Argentine team that won the 1986 tournament.

In an interview with French weekly French Football, Maradona joked that that he dreams of scoring another ‘Hand of God’, but this time with his right hand. “I dream of scoring another goal against England but with my right hand,” he said.

Maradona’s performance in Argentina’s quarter-final match against heated rivals England immortalised him in his country’s culture. He scored twice in Argentina’s 2-1 win in that match. The first goal was scored with his hand and his explanation in the immediate aftermath that he had made contact with the ball “a little with his head, and a little with the hand of God”, led to the goal being known as “The Hand of God”.

Four minutes later, Maradona went on a 60-yard run with the ball from midfield, dribbling past six English players, and ended the move with a feint that left goalkeeper Peter Shilton on the ground, and scored what has since been called “The Goal of the Century”.

Diego Maradona with the 1986 FIFA world cup

Maradona’s excesses and struggles with drug addiction was just as famous as his ability with the ball. This was testified by the fact that he was sent home from the 1994 World Cup after a failed drug test. He played only two matches in the tournament, the second of which was also the last of his illustrious international career.

Born in a slum area in the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires on October 30, 1960, Maradona made his senior debut for Buenos Aires-based Argentinos Juniors in 1976. He went on to a play for Argentine giants Boca Juniors in the 1981-82 season. He then shifted to Europe where he spent two tumultous seasons with Spanish giants Barcelona. His tenure with the Catalan club ended with a nasty brawl that triggered crowd trouble in the 1984 Copa del Rey final.

Maradona then went to Italian club Napoli, where he had arguably the most productive period of his career. He won two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and one UEFA Cup in his seven seasons with the club, leaving as their all-time highest goalscorer, a record that stood until Marek Hamsik overtook his tally in 2017. He went on to spend a season each at Spanish club Sevilla and Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys before ending his career at Boca Juniors.

As a coach, Maradona notably managed Argentina between 2008 and 2010. He currently manages Argentine club Gimnasia.

Also Read: Messi adds 36th Champions League team to his scorecard

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Cricket Sport

‘Universe Boss’ becomes the first to score 1,000 sixes in T20 cricket

Chris Gayle on Friday became the first batsman to get to 1,000 sixes in T20 cricket history when he smashed the seventh of his eight sixes during his belligerent 99 against Rajasthan Royals in an Indian Premier League match here.

“Oh 1,000 sixes! I do not know the record [of 1,000 sixes]. Still have to be hitting it well at the age of 41. Got to give thanks for that,” said Gayle when told about his milestone.

Gayle, 41, is way ahead of his nearest competitor, fellow West Indian and a Mumbai Indians’ player Kieron Pollard, who has hit 690 sixes in T20 format and is 311 adrift of Gayle’s 1,001.

The left-handed batsman, who was benched in the initial part of the tournament, has got starts in all the innings since his comeback to the XI. He had a highest score of 53 this season before Friday’s knock. This was his third 50-plus score in six matches in this IPL.

Gayle hit eight sixes and six fours, scoring 72 of his 99 in boundaries. In the remaining 27 runs he ran between the wickets, he also took a very cheeky couple once.

The Jamaican was disappointed when he was bowled for 99 by Jofra Archer in the last over and threw his bat away in disappointment. However, he regained his composure soon after and went on to shake hands with Archer, who too was born in the West Indies but now plays for England.

“Getting out on 99 is unfortunate. These things will happen but it was a good ball; still feeling good. To be honest, it is all about the mental aspect of my game and that is what keeps me going. I am enjoying the cricket the same way. I would love to have the IPL trophy under my belt,” Gayle said after his innings.

“The hard work and the dedication over the years have paid off. To the guys, who I promised to get a century, I missed out today but in my mind, it is a century.”

Also Read: Gayle Prefers To Call Him Entertainer

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Business

Reliance Jio’s profits triple in Q2FY21

Telecom major Reliance Jio Infocomm on Friday reported a near three-fold rise in its standalone net profit for the July-September quarter at Rs 2,844 crore.

During the same period of last year, the company had reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 990 crore.

Jio’s revenue from operations during the period under review rose 33 per cent to Rs 17,481 crore.

Its total income for the second quarter of FY21 stood at Rs 17,678 crore, against Rs 13,157 crore earned during the corresponding period of the last financial year.

The company’s total customer base as on September 30, 2020 was 40.56 crore, with a growth of 1.8 per cent.

Its average revenue per user (ARPU) during the quarter was Rs 145 per subscriber per month.

Total wireless data traffic during the quarter was 1,442 crore GB with a growth of 1.5 per cent. Jio’s total voice traffic during the quarter wa 93,223 crore minutes.

The company said that it has become the only operator (outside China) to have reached the milestone of 40 crore subscribers in a single country market.

Wireless gross addition showed a strong sequential increase to 2.72 crore as lockdown restrictions began to ease during the quarter.

Also Read: JioMart could change industry dynamics

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-Top News Arab News UAE News

G-20: UAE takes part in 3rd Sherpa meeting

The UAE attended in its capacity as a guest invitee at the G-20 Summit, which will take place virtually in November 2020….reports Asian Lite News

Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, UAE Minister of State, participated in the Third Extraordinary Group of 20, G-20, Sherpa Meeting, held virtually from October 27-29.

The UAE attended in its capacity as a guest invitee at the G-20 Summit, which will take place virtually in November 2020.

The Sherpa Meeting gathered official representatives from G-20 members to further progress discussions and find consensus for the wording of the Leaders’ Declaration, as all Ministerial Meetings and Working Groups have now concluded their meetings for the year.

The meeting also saw the participation of Abdulnasser Alshaali, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Sous-Sherpa.

Reflecting on the Meeting, Al Sayegh commended the work of all of the Sherpas and expressed confidence in concluding this year’s work with an impactful and positive message: “As we approach the Leaders’ Summit, I am continuously impressed by my counterparts in their passion and dedication to coming together to find common ground. I’m confident that the work we’ve been able to do will help pave the way to building back better – ensuring an inclusive recovery – and tackling the most pressing challenges of both today and tomorrow, together.”

In December 2019, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invited the UAE, in its capacity as current Chair of the GCC, to engage in the 2020 G-20 process.

Established in 1999, the G-20 Summit is an annual gathering of representatives of the world’s largest economies that works to strengthen international economic cooperation. This year’s theme under Saudi Arabia’s G-20 presidency is “Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All,” with the broad aims of “Empowering People, Safeguarding the Planet, and Shaping New Frontiers.”

Also read:Israel set to commence agro exports to the UAE

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Woman

Study: Menstrual dysfunction more prevalent in young athletes

Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have found that menstrual dysfunction is more prevalent in young athletes than among non-athletes of a similar age.

The study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, conducted among members of sports clubs who exercised at least four times a week (athletes) and non-athletes.

“The current data of athletes and non-athletes in adolescence (14-16 years) and subsequently in young adulthood (18-20 years) were investigated,” said study authors from the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland.

Why the first two days of your periods are a mess. (Photo Courtesy: Pixabay)

In this study, menstrual dysfunction was defined as follows: primary amenorrhea, prolonged menstrual cycle (below 35 days) or absence of menses for at least three consecutive months (secondary amenorrhea).

The findings showed that in adolescence, 18 per cent of both athletes and non-athletes reported menstrual dysfunction.

However, eight per cent of the athletes reported primary amenorrhea (absence of menses by the age of 15) in contrast to the non-athletes group, where the prevalence of primary amenorrhea was zero per cent.

In young adulthood, the prevalence of menstrual dysfunction in athletes was 39 per cent, while six per cent of the non-athletes reported menstrual dysfunction.

“We know from previous studies that one of the most common reasons for menstrual dysfunction is low energy availability,” said study author Suvi Ravi.

Gear up for a virtual marathon. (Photo: IansLife)

The present study also assessed body weight dissatisfaction among the participants.

The results showed that athletes were more satisfied with their weight and had less desire to lose weight than non-athletes did.

Despite this, in both age groups about 20 per cent of the athletes and about 40 per cent of the non-athletes reported body weight dissatisfaction.

“This is concerning since we know that body weight dissatisfaction can result in disordered eating,” Ravi said.

“Attention should be paid to young people’s body weight dissatisfaction as well as menstrual dysfunction in order to prevent future health problems,” he noted.

Also Read-Indian Muslim Body Condemns France Attack

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Economy India News

Fifteenth finance commission concludes deliberations

The 15th Finance Commission, headed by N.K. Singh, will submit its report for the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26 to the President on November 9.

In a statement on Friday, the commission said that it has concluded the deliberations on the report.

The report was signed by the Chairman and members of the commission, Ajay Narayan Jha, Anoop Singh, Ashok Lahiri and Ramesh Chand.

“The Commission had sought time to present its Report to the President of India. It has now been communicated by the Office of the President that the report submission will be on 9th November 2020,” it said.

The Commission will also present a copy of the report to the Prime Minister later next month. The report will be tabled in the Parliament by the Union Finance Minister along with an Action Taken Report of the government.

The report contains recommendations pertaining to five financial years, 2021-22 to 2025-26.

The Commission has finalised their Report after wide-ranging consultations with the Union and state governments, local governments at different tiers, Chairmen and Members of previous Finance Commissions, the Advisory Council to the Commission and other domain experts, academic institutions of eminence and multilateral institutions.

Also Read: India Covid Tally Passes 80L

Also Read: India, UK Ink Pacts To Boost Jobs, Investments

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-Top News Gujarat India News

Modi To launch Country’s First Seaplane Service

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his two-day visit to his home state Gujarat, on Saturday will pay tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 145th birth anniversary, by inaugurating the country’s first seaplane service between the Statue of Unity (SoU) site at Kevadiya Colony to the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad.

He will also participate in the Rashtriya Ekta Divas Parade.

The inauguration programme will most likely be the last item on the PM’s agenda on Saturday. He will take off from the Kevadiya Jetty built on lake number 3 near the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The sea plane will arrive at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. From there, the PM is likely to return to Delhi.

The seaplane services will be started by the aviation company, SpiceJet.

The services will be provided incentives and benefits under the central government’s ‘Udaan’ scheme. The scheme is being implemented as per a tripartite agreement between the Gujarat government, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

For the maiden flight, the company has procured a Twin Otter 300 seaplane, which has arrived at Kevadiya SoU jetty. Infrastructural facilities such as a floating jetty are ready at both the places of landing and takeoff at lake number 3 at Kevadiya and at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad.

Kevadia (Gujarat): The ‘Statue of Unity’ that was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in honour of country’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Kevadia, Gujarat on Oct 31, 2018. (Photo: IANS/BJP)

Before that the PM will take part in the National Unity Parade. The police forces of Gujarat Police, Central Reserved Armed Forces, the Border Security Force, the Indo Tibetan Border Police, the Central Industrial Security Force and the National Security Guards will participate in the parade.

The PM will also witness a rifle drill by female officers of the CRPF. The Indian Air Force will be performing a flypast.

He is also likely to interact with more than 400 trainee officers from services such as the Indian Administrative Services through a virtual conference.

Also Read-Indian Muslim Body Condemns France Attack