US President Joe Biden on Thursday hailed a "defining partnership" with India as he welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House for a state visit that will seal major defence and technology deals, as Washington hopes to help expand New Delhi's role as a counterweight to China.
Mr Modi arrived at a rain-soaked White House and was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of Indian Americans, who periodically burst out in chants of “Modi! Modi! Modi!”
"I have long believed that the relationship between the US and India will be one of the most defining relationships of the 21st century," Mr Biden said as he praised the impacts that Indian Americans, including Vice President Kamala Harris, have had on the US.
Mr Modi said his visit had ushered the India-US relationship into a new chapter of closer co-operation.
"We have decided to resolve long pending trade related issues and make a new beginning," he said at a press conference alongside Mr Biden.
But Mr Modi's visit has also stirred controversy in the US, where several politicians said they planned to boycott Mr Modi's address to Congress on Thursday afternoon over the growing repression of Muslims and other minorities in India, as well as other human rights offences, including the suppression of dissent.
Progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the honour of speaking to Congress should not be extended to anyone “whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities”.
When pressed by reporters over his party's treatment of minorities, Mr Modi pushed back.
"There is absolutely no space for discrimination," he said.
"In India's democratic values, there's absolutely no discrimination, neither on the basis of caste, creed or age or any kind of geographic location."
Biden administration officials say honouring Mr Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is vital. The US wants to woo India away from its ties to Russia that include crude oil purchases that Moscow uses to help fund its war machine in Ukraine.
Washington also sees New Delhi as a vital partner in countering China's expanding influence across the Indo-Pacific region.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Mr Biden will raise his concerns but will avoid lecturing Mr Modi during their formal talks.
“The question of where politics and the question of democratic institutions go in India is going to be determined within India by Indians. It’s not going to be determined by the United States,” Mr Sullivan said.
“So what we can do is our part, and our part is to speak out on behalf of universal values.”
Among the major announcements to be made on Thursday is an agreement that will allow US-based General Electric to join forces with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft and the sale of US-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, according to senior Biden administration officials.
“The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy and space,” a senior US official told reporters on a call.
Mr Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday, visiting UN headquarters in New York, where he participated in a yoga session to mark the International Day of Yoga.
He and US first lady Jill Biden later visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, for an event highlighting workforce training programmes.
The formal White House reception for Mr Modi is taking place on Thursday evening, with a vegetarian state dinner.
Sachinchit Langia, 46, flew in from Houston, Texas to attend the festivities at White House.
Mr Langia, who works in finance, praised Mr Modi for making India “strong" and added that he "has done amazing work for the country".
But outside the White House, another group of Indian Americans disagreed, with a small contingent of Sikhs from across the US protesting against the Modi visit.
“He's a known human rights violator,” Jagjeet Singh, who flew in from San Jose, California, told The National.
The visit comes as the Biden administration has grown increasingly frustrated with India's stance on the Ukraine war.
“We will engage actively India on issues associated with Russia and Ukraine,” a US official said, stressing that the purpose of the visit was to strengthen ties between the two countries.
“We are hosting India for an official state visit to put our co-operation on an inexorable trajectory.
“We're seeking escape velocity as we support India's emergence as a great power that will be central to ensuring US interests and the interests of our partners in the coming decades.”
Mr Modi said his country wanted to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
”We are completely ready to contribute in any way we can to restore peace," he said.
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
