China reiterated its strong opposition to official exchanges and military connections between the US and Taiwan, amid recent reports that American Marines would be posted in a non-profit organisation in Taiwan, the media reported.

"China consistently and firmly opposes the US and Taiwan engaging in any form of official contact or military connection," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a daily news conference in Beijing on Friday.

Geng was responding to reports that Stephen Young, former director of the American Institute in Taiwan said US Marines would be posted at the new site of the organisation, the China Daily reported.

In a conference held by a Washington think tank on Wednesday, Young said he had pushed strongly for a US Marines detachment to protect the organization, and the new compound would include a "Marines house", which would be "a symbolic expression" of the US commitment to Taiwan, according to a report in the Taipei Times.

On February 10, President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump had a telephone conversation, during which Trump said the US government would adhere to the one-China policy.

"China hopes the US will observe the one-China policy and the principles of the three joint communiques between China and the US, and that it will handle the Taiwan-related issue prudently and properly," Geng said.

Geng said he had noted reports on the possible deployment and needed to gain more information on the situation.

The US posts Marines in its embassies and consulates to guard their security. 

Since 1979, when the US established diplomatic ties with China, there have been no US Marines stationed in the American Institute in Taiwan.

China reiterated its strong opposition to official exchanges and military connections between the US and Taiwan, amid recent reports that American Marines would be posted in a non-profit organisation in Taiwan, the media reported.

"China consistently and firmly opposes the US and Taiwan engaging in any form of official contact or military connection," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a daily news conference in Beijing on Friday.

Geng was responding to reports that Stephen Young, former director of the American Institute in Taiwan said US Marines would be posted at the new site of the organisation, the China Daily reported.

In a conference held by a Washington think tank on Wednesday, Young said he had pushed strongly for a US Marines detachment to protect the organization, and the new compound would include a "Marines house", which would be "a symbolic expression" of the US commitment to Taiwan, according to a report in the Taipei Times.

On February 10, President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump had a telephone conversation, during which Trump said the US government would adhere to the one-China policy.

"China hopes the US will observe the one-China policy and the principles of the three joint communiques between China and the US, and that it will handle the Taiwan-related issue prudently and properly," Geng said.

Geng said he had noted reports on the possible deployment and needed to gain more information on the situation.

The US posts Marines in its embassies and consulates to guard their security. 

Since 1979, when the US established diplomatic ties with China, there have been no US Marines stationed in the American Institute in Taiwan.

Republican Senator John McCain has slammed Donald Trump's worldview and brand of nationalism without mentioning the US President's name even once, a media report said.

During a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday, McCain suggested the Western world is uniquely imperiled this year — even more so than when Barack Obama was President — and proceeded to question whether it will even survive, The Washington Post reported.

"In recent years, this question would invite accusations of hyperbole and alarmism; not this year," McCain said. "If ever there were a time to treat this question with a deadly seriousness, it is now." 

"But what would alarm them most, I think, is a sense that many of our peoples, including in my own country, are giving up on the West, that they see it as a bad deal that we may be better off without, and that while Western nations still have the power to maintain our world order, it's unclear whether we have the will," he added.

Trump has repeatedly suggested a desire to pull out of or scale back on international involvement and agreements including the NATO which Trump has suggested the US is getting a bad deal on and has flirted with not enforcing, the daily added.

McCain, in his speech also invoked some of those close to Trump.

"I know there is profound concern across Europe and the world that America is laying down the mantle of global leadership. I can only speak for myself, but I do not believe that that is the message you will hear from all of the American leaders…" 

"That's not the message you heard from Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis. That is not the message you will hear from Vice President Mike Pence. That's not the message you will hear from Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly. And that is certainly not the message you will hear tomorrow from our bipartisan congressional delegation," the senator said.

McCain then concluded with another direct shot at Trump.

"I refuse to accept that our values are morally equivalent to those of our adversaries," he said. 

"I am a proud, unapologetic believer in the West, and I believe we must always, always stand up for it. For if we do not, who will?"

Republican Senator John McCain has slammed Donald Trump's worldview and brand of nationalism without mentioning the US President's name even once, a media report said.

During a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday, McCain suggested the Western world is uniquely imperiled this year — even more so than when Barack Obama was President — and proceeded to question whether it will even survive, The Washington Post reported.

"In recent years, this question would invite accusations of hyperbole and alarmism; not this year," McCain said. "If ever there were a time to treat this question with a deadly seriousness, it is now." 

"But what would alarm them most, I think, is a sense that many of our peoples, including in my own country, are giving up on the West, that they see it as a bad deal that we may be better off without, and that while Western nations still have the power to maintain our world order, it's unclear whether we have the will," he added.

Trump has repeatedly suggested a desire to pull out of or scale back on international involvement and agreements including the NATO which Trump has suggested the US is getting a bad deal on and has flirted with not enforcing, the daily added.

McCain, in his speech also invoked some of those close to Trump.

"I know there is profound concern across Europe and the world that America is laying down the mantle of global leadership. I can only speak for myself, but I do not believe that that is the message you will hear from all of the American leaders…" 

"That's not the message you heard from Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis. That is not the message you will hear from Vice President Mike Pence. That's not the message you will hear from Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly. And that is certainly not the message you will hear tomorrow from our bipartisan congressional delegation," the senator said.

McCain then concluded with another direct shot at Trump.

"I refuse to accept that our values are morally equivalent to those of our adversaries," he said. 

"I am a proud, unapologetic believer in the West, and I believe we must always, always stand up for it. For if we do not, who will?"

The Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana on Saturday announced compensation to those injured during the 2016 Jat agitation.

Violence during the February 2016 agitation left 30 people dead and over 200 injured. Government and private properties worth hundreds of crores were also damaged.

The chief minister announced the compensation here a day ahead of the Jat community's next move, who have called for 'Balidan Diwas' (sacrifice day) to mark the first anniversary of the violence on Sunday.

"It has been decided to release compensation to the innocent persons who sustained injuries during the 2016 Jat reservation agitation," a state government spokesman said quoting Khattar.

"While any person who sustained a bullet injury will be paid Rs.1 lakh, those who suffered a fracture otherwise will be paid Rs.50,000. The amount of compensation will be Rs.25,000 for those who sustained any other minor injuries," the spokesman added.

The compensation amount would be paid out of the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and the Deputy Commissioners have been directed to immediately release the payment, he added.

Of the 30 people who were killed in the violence, the Haryana government has given jobs and compensation to the kin of 17 of them. The remaining 13 have been classified as rioters.

The Jat leadership is demanding compensation for all those who died and those injured in the violence.

Agitating Jat leaders on Friday turned down an offer from the Khattar government for dialogue.

All eyes were now on the future course of the agitation that the Jat leadership will take on Sunday (February 19).

The Jat agitation, which started on January 29, continued for the 21st day on Saturday with no breakthrough in sight over acceptance of their demands by the Haryana government.

All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (Aijass) president Yashpal Malik accused Khattar and his government of not taking the agitation seriously. 

He, however, added that the Jats will continue to protest peacefully.

The Haryana government on Friday deputed senior IAS officers "to guide and support" Deputy Commissioners in eight districts in view of the ongoing Jat protests.

Their demands include reservation for Jats; jobs to the next of kin of those killed in the 2016 violence; compensation to those injured; withdrawal of cases against the Jats and action against officers who were involved. 

DMK Working President MK Stalin on Saturday said he would meet Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and complain about the happenings in the state assembly.

Speaking to reporters here after he and his party legislators were evicted from the assembly, Stalin said the party had demanded secret ballot to decide on the motion of confidence moved by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.

He said the party demanded adjournment of the house for a week so that legislators can go back to their constituencies and seek the people's views before they come back to vote on the confidence motion.

The DMK leader said he sat in protest inside the assembly to press his demand.

Stalin alleged he was forcibly evicted by the marshals and his shirt was damaged.

The 12-odd states located in the eastern region were lagging in terms of mutual fund (MF) investments as compared to other parts of the country, a SEBI official said.

"The 12 states of the east are lagging behind in terms of MF investments as compared to other parts of the country", CGM of SEBI Piyush Gupta said at the ICC Mutual Fund Summit here today.

Giving data, he said that assets under management (AUM) in these states were Rs 1.29 lakh crore, which was only 7.4 pr cent of the total AUM of the country which was Rs 17.37 lakh crore.

According to him, this was very low compared to the combined population of these states.

Gupta urged the MF industry to take remedial steps to increase MF investments from the region.

He said that the proportion of equity MFs were rising as compared to debt funds.

He also urged the MF industry to concentrate more on the B15 list of cities as against the metros.

Former Manchester United's treble winning striker Dwight Yorke has been denied entry to the United States due to a visa problem stemming from an Iranian stamp on his passport received after having represented the "World Stars" in a charity football match against "Iranian Stars" in Tehran in 2015.

"I couldn't quite believe what was happening. I have lost count of the number of times I have been to America, I love the country, yet I was being made to feel like a criminal," the former Trinidad and Tobago captain was quoted as saying by the Sun on Friday.

"I had bought my ticket and checked in and was about to get on the flight when I was stopped by two officials. I thought 'what is happening here?'

"They told me there was a visa problem and a red flag had come up against my name because of an Iranian stamp in my passport. I went there to play in a legends match to open a stadium and didn't even stay overnight.

"The two officials told me if I got on the flight I would simply be deported back to Qatar once I arrived in the States. I tried to explain I didn't even live in Qatar and was just trying to get to my home in the Caribbean."

The 45-year-old has played for English clubs like Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and Sunderland besides Manchester United where he made his name along side strike partner Andy Cole.

Yorke has enjoyed a varied career since then and, having this week worked for BeIN Sports, was due to travel from Doha to Trinidad and Tobago, via Miami, on personal business on Friday.

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have seized seven kg heroin, worth Rs.35 crore in the international black market, from near Kakar Border Out Post along the Indo-Pak border, officials said on Saturday.

Based upon specific information, a special joint search operation was carried out by BSF and a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) team late Friday night at the border out post, a BSF official said.

During the operation, seven packets of the drug wrapped in yellow plastic insulation tape were seized, the official said.

The heroin is stated to be worth Rs.35 crore in the international black market, the official said.

No arrest has been made with regard to the seizure, the official said.

The Union Civil Aviation Ministry's role in ensuring competition between commercial airline companies, along with fall in oil prices globally, led to a drop in air fares by as much as 30 per cent, a minister said on Saturday.

"If we are looking at the country as a whole, then average airfares have actually fallen by 30 per cent," Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju said on Saturday. 

"Now, a large part of that is due to fall in oil prices, but the significant part of that is also due to increase of competition and that is where the Ministry comes," Raju said at a press conference at a resort in South Goa's Benaulim village, about 50 kms from here.

"But the Ministry has a lot of role in ensuring competition and as all of us know, wherever there is good competition, the benefit will then pass on to the flying public and I am happy to tell you 30 per cent reduction in average air fares in the last two years," Raju also said.

No Bed of Roses, a film said to be loosely based on late Bangladeshi writer and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed, starring and co-produced by Indian actor Irrfan Khan, has been banned in Bangladesh. Irrfan has expressed surprise.

Helmed by Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, the movie is said to be about Ahmed, who divorced his wife of 27 years and married an actress 33 years his junior. But the filmmaker has denied that it's a biopic.

According to variety.com, the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation's (BFDC) Joint Venture Preview Committee approved the script of the movie on March 8, 2016, after which the film went into production. The completed film was previewed for the BFDC on February 12, 2017 and received a No Objection Certificate on February 15. 

But just a day later, the BFDC sent the production a letter stating that the certificate had been cancelled due to a letter from the Bangladesh Information Ministry.

Irrfan said: "I am really surprised to know that the government of Bangladesh has blocked the film. This is a humane story that deals with complex male and female relationships in a subtle and balanced way. What harm will it cause to the society if seen?"

The actor, acclaimed for his work in Indian films like The Lunchbox, Paan Singh Tomar and Piku and known in Hollywood for being a part of movies like Jurassic World and Inferno, Irrfan plays the lead role in No Bed of Roses.

The variety.com report claims they have had access to the film and it starts with a disclaimer that the film has no resemblance to any real life characters alive or dead. 

No Bed of Roses is a co-production between Bangladesh's Jaaz Multimedia and India's Eskay Movies with Irrfan's IK Company as co-producer. 

Farooki, who is known in Bangladeshi cinema for works like Television and Ant Story, is now taking the matter to court.

BFDC Managing Director Tapan Kumar Ghosh told variety.com that it is not the BFDC's prerogative to issue the certificate and it was up to the Bangladesh Film Censor Board to issue it.

However, Variety has copies of all the letters issued to the production from the BFDC and they are all on the organization's official letterhead. In reality, international co-productions cannot approach the Censor Board without the BFDC certificate.

"We have been blocked at the first gate," said Farooki.

"As the order does not explain any reason, I don't know why they thought screening of the film would be inappropriate. Yes, my film handles a so-called taboo subject but it doesn't show anything explicit and hence doesn't violate any censor code. This goes against the freedom of expression," he added.
 

Freight rates for nine-metric tonne pay load section dropped by Rs 1,000 in the local truck transport market on Saturday following comfortable position of trucks against restricted cargo movements.

Transporters said excess availability of trucks in the markets against restricted cargo movements mainly pulled down freight rates.

Delhi to Hyderabad and Vijaywada rates fell by Rs.1,000 each to Rs.56,000 and Rs.59,000, respectively.

Rates to rates to Mysore, Goa and Coimbatore also slipped by Rs.1,000 each to Rs.70,000, Rs.55,000 and Rs.74,000, respectively .

Following are today's freights per 9-tonne load (in Rs): Jaipur 16,000 Hyderabad 56,000 Chandigarh 18,000 Vijayawada 59,000 Ludhiana 20,000 Bengaluru 64,000 Kanpur 21,000 Chennai 69,000 Indore 22,000 Mysore 70,000 Ahmedabad 24,000 Puducherry 72,000 Baroda 25,000 Coimbatore 74,000 Patna 27,000 Kochi 78,000 Surat 28,000 Thiruvananthapuram 86,000 Mumbai 30,000 Goa 55,000 Pune 31,000 Gwalior 14,000 Kolkata 32,000 Guwahati 59,000.

The Afghan government on Saturday again called on Pakistan to implement the Peace Quartet commitments on eliminating all terror groups without any discrimination.

The Afghan Presidential Palace in a statement stressed that regional countries — particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan — must jointly fight terrorism, Tolo News reported.

The statement came in reaction to Thursday's suicide attack on the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Pakistan's Sindh province in which over 80 persons died and nearly 250 were injured.

Pakistan has blamed the Afghanistan based Jamaat-ul-Ahrar terrorist group for the suicide bombing. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar had in 2015 sworn allegiances to the IS.

Kabul expects Islamabad to take immediate action against the terrorist groups active in Pakistan who threaten Afghanistan.

Afghanistan regards the Peace Quartet agreement as a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism and emphasised that now the time has arrived for Pakistan to implement the provisions of the document.

The Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the US and China on the Afghan Peace and Reconciliation process in January 2016 called on the Taliban to enter into talks with the Afghan government in order to resolve differences politically.

This followed the QCG's second meeting here to draw up the roadmap for peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

"The members are commitment to a robust effort to eliminate all forms of terrorist groups, regardless of their national origin, operating in their respective territories," a QCG statement had said.

The Afghan government on Saturday again called on Pakistan to implement the Peace Quartet commitments on eliminating all terror groups without any discrimination.

The Afghan Presidential Palace in a statement stressed that regional countries — particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan — must jointly fight terrorism, Tolo News reported.

The statement came in reaction to Thursday's suicide attack on the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Pakistan's Sindh province in which over 80 persons died and nearly 250 were injured.

Pakistan has blamed the Afghanistan based Jamaat-ul-Ahrar terrorist group for the suicide bombing. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar had in 2015 sworn allegiances to the IS.

Kabul expects Islamabad to take immediate action against the terrorist groups active in Pakistan who threaten Afghanistan.

Afghanistan regards the Peace Quartet agreement as a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism and emphasised that now the time has arrived for Pakistan to implement the provisions of the document.

The Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the US and China on the Afghan Peace and Reconciliation process in January 2016 called on the Taliban to enter into talks with the Afghan government in order to resolve differences politically.

This followed the QCG's second meeting here to draw up the roadmap for peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

"The members are commitment to a robust effort to eliminate all forms of terrorist groups, regardless of their national origin, operating in their respective territories," a QCG statement had said.

In a major political development, legislators of the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) in Nagaland gave a new twist on Saturday extending their support to Neiphiu Rio as the new legislature party leader, to replace embattled Chief Minister TR Zeliang.

The move came after more than 50 legislators, including Independent members of the 60-member Nagaland Assembly, "signed a letter of support" in favour of the state's lone Lok Sabha member Rio.

"More than 50 (NPF and Independents) legislators have decided to support Rio as the new legislature party leader," Public Health Engineering Minister, Tokheho Yepthomi said.

42 of the 49 legislators had unanimously extended support to NPF chief Shurhozelie Liezietsu as the new CM on Wednesday to break the deadlock between the agitating groups and the government. However, a group of nearly 20 legislators, including some cabinet ministers, were against Shurhozelie.

In the 60-member assembly, the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland coalition government comprises 48 NPF legislators, including suspended legislator Imkong Imchen, four of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and eight Independent legislators.

In fact, Rio and Zeliang met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on late Friday in New Delhi, and finalized change of guard to break the deadlock between the agitating groups and government over the issue of 33 per cent reservation for women in civic elections.

The state has been on turmoil since January, after the NPF-led government decided to hold local body elections in 12 towns across the state with 33 per cent reservation for women.

Agitating tribal groups – under the banner of NTAC and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) – have been demanding the resignation of Zeliang over his decision to conduct civic bodies' elections with 33 per cent reservation for women.

Internet and mobile data service has been scrapped in the state to stop the spread of rumours through social networking sites. The government later declared the civic elections as "null" and "void".

Three persons were killed and many injured following clashes between the police and the public, who were opposing the civic polls.

NPF legislator Neiphrezo Keditsu had resigned as Chairman of Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation Limited on moral grounds as one of the persons killed in the Dimapur police firing was from his village.

Nagaland has never elected a woman legislator since it gained statehood in 1963. The lone woman MP from the state was Rano M Shaiza, who got elected in 1977.

In the 2013 Assembly elections, two women candidates – one fielded by BJP and an Independent candidate – contested unsuccessfully.

(With inputs from Agencies)

British Prime Minister Theresa May said she will directly oversee work on a new law to tackle domestic violence amid concerns that victims were being let down by the legal system, the media reported on Saturday.

Domestic violence prosecutions and convictions have started to improve in recent years, however, the premier said on Friday: "No stone will be left unturned in delivering a system that increases convictions, and works better for victims", the BBC reported

"Domestic violence and abuse is a life shattering and absolutely abhorrent crime. There are thousands of people who are suffering at the hands of abusers – often isolated, and unaware of the options and support available to them to end it."

"Given the central importance of victim evidence to support prosecutions in this area, raising public awareness – as well as consolidating the law – will prove crucial."

Downing Street said work on the legislation would be co-ordinated by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice.

Charities and groups supporting victims welcomed the plans.

Women's Aid chief executive Polly Neate said there was "scope to make the legal framework surrounding domestic abuse clearer and more comprehensive", while the NSPCC, UK's leading children's charity, called for the needs of affected children to be prioritised.

Mark Brooks, chairman of the ManKind Initiative charity, called for a "real step change" in supporting and recognising male victims of domestic violence, saying they made up a third of all victims.

Victims' Commissioner Baroness Newlove said: "These long awaited changes will ensure those vulnerable victims and survivors are listened to and that they feel able to come forward and speak out against their abusers."
 

Celebrated Hindi novelist Ved Prakash Sharma, who has 176 novels to his credit, died late on Friday in Meerut, his family members said on Saturday.

The 62-year-old was not keeping well for the last few months and had developed some infection and complications which led to his demise.

Sharma had also written scripts for about half-a-dozen Hindi movies.

His famous novels which broke many records and added to his popularity included Qaidi No 100 and Vardi Wala Gunda.

He will be cremated in Meerut on Saturday.