Daily News (In Short)-16-May-2015

#* One year of Modi govt: Reasonable start with packed agenda, but much needs to be done
Reaching the 12-month mark in a government’s life is both an opportunity and a challenge. At this stage, comparisons with the past, pointing fingers at one’s inheritance or the shortcomings of the previous government, begin to matter less and less.
The incumbent government starts to be measured on its own terms. As the Narendra Modi government turns one, that moving out of the United Progressive Alliance’s shadow is a relief. Much of the first year has been spent in cleaning up legacy issues left behind by the Manmohan Singh government. Modi has been successful in some spheres – the coal auctions; the battle against food inflation, though dangers from a poor monsoon remain; decontrol of diesel prices; an assault on non-merit subsidies.Indeed, the bulk of major economic legislation the government has navigated through Parliament – from the insurance and coal bills, to even the GST constitutional amendment, which should hopefully be passed in the monsoon session – has been a holdover from the UPA era.

#* Indian, Chinese firms sign 26 pacts worth $22 billion
As many as 26 business agreements worth over $22 billion were signed today between Indian firms -- including Adani group, Bharti Airtel and Welspun -- and thier Chinese counterparts on the last day of Narendra Modi's three-day visit to China.These MoU and agreements span a wide range of industries, including renewable, energy, power infrastructure, steel and small & medium industries. Among major agreements is Bharti Airtel's tie-up for credit facility of $2.5 billion with China Development Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

#* Tsarnaev Could Be 1st Terrorist Executed in US Since 9/11
The death sentence jurors imposed on Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev sets the stage for what could be the nation's first execution of a terrorist in the post-9/11 era, though the case is likely to go through years of appeals.In weighing the arguments for and against death, the jurors decided among other things that Tsarnaev showed a lack of remorse. And they emphatically rejected the defense's central argument — that he was led down the path to terrorism by his big brother. The Friday decision — which came just over two years after the April 15, 2013, bombing that killed three people and wounded more than 260 — brought relief and grim satisfaction to many in Boston. "We can breathe again," said Karen Brassard, who suffered shrapnel wounds on her legs.

#* Star trio expected to take up key positions to develop Indian cricket
The big three of Indian cricket - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly - are set to be actively associated with the national team if all goes according to Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) plans. According to an NDTV report, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has been negotiating with the former India captains to be actively involved in the development of Indian cricket. It was reported that Ganguly has decided to accept the role as India team's high-performance manager. Tendulkar, who has been offered a role to improve the National Cricket Academy (NCA), has agreed in principle but wants to learn more about the role before getting on board. Dravid will wait until the end of Indian Premier League (IPL) before deciding to give the nod to work as a talent development manager.

#* All 8 Bodies of US Helicopter Crash in Nepal Recovered
Nepal's army says the bodies of all eight people on board a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter that crashed Tuesday have been recovered. Officials said Saturday teams from the U.S. military and Nepal's army are at the scene of the crash, investigating what may have caused the aircraft to go down in a rugged, mountainous area. Neither the cause of the crash nor the identities of the eight people aboard the craft have been disclosed. Lieutenant-General John Wissler confirmed Friday that the helicopter was carrying six Marines and two Nepalese soldiers.

#* Islamic State militants seize key areas in capital of Iraq’s largest province
BAGHDAD — Islamic State fighters on Friday seized control of key parts of Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s largest province, in what appeared to be a significant blow to a U.S.-backed military campaign to retake territory from the insurgents. The offensive began Thursday evening when ­Islamic State militants slipped into downtown Ramadi dressed in police uniforms, according to a militiaman fighting with the city police. The attackers opened fire on police officers, launching an assault that grew to involve rocket-propelled grenades, artillery and car bombs, he said. By Friday afternoon, the militants had hoisted the Islamic State’s black flag over the provincial government compound and had surrounded an important military operations hub in the west of the city, residents said.

#* Exports continue to fall for 5th straight month; decline 14% in April
Raising fresh concerns about economic growth, India's exports contracted by about 14 per cent in April to USD 22 billion due to a sharp dip in petroleum, gems and jewelery shipments, registering decline for the fifth straight month. The slump in exports is mainly due to global slowdown and softening of crude, metal and commodity prices. In April 2014, the country's merchandise exports stood at $25.63 billion. The last time exports registered positive growth was in November last year when 7.27% expansion was recorded.

#* Only a strong IPR regime can incentivize companies to innovate and invest in India: Swiss Economy Minister
Mr. Johann Schneider Ammann, Swiss Economic Affairs Minister, expressed concern over India's IPR regime, stating that without an assurance of a strong IP law, companies would not have the incentive to innovate and invest in India. Speaking at a business interaction with Indian industry representatives, organized by FICCI, Mr. Ammann said Access to quality medication to the poor was among the main challenges faced by India. IPR, he said, plays an important role in the development of life-saving drugs and additional efforts were needed from the Indian government to remove the difficulties faced by pharma companies in testing and marketing facilities. This is the first visit of a high ranking minister from Switzerland after the Modi Government assumed office a year ago.

#* Microsoft Windows 10 to come in Home, Mobile, Pro, Enterprise and Education editions
Microsoft is all set to launch Windows 10 in the next couple of months in around 190 countries in 111 languages, although no fixed date has been announced yet. There will be various editions of Windows 10 according to the use cases. The editions announced include Windows 10 Home, Mobile, Pro, Enterprise, Mobile Enterprise, Education. Let us take a look at each of these editions. Windows 10 Home edition will be the consumer facing edition which will be seen on most desktop PCs, laptops and 2-in-1s. The Home edition will support voice-assistant Cortana, Windows Edge web browser as well as Windows Hello face recognition, iris scanner and fingerprint login for various Windows apps such as Photos, Maps, Mail, Calendar, Music and Video.

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