Pakistan crisis LIVE: 'Hackers take down govt portals, Army, bank records to support protest'

• A group of hackers in Pakistan hacked several government portals, including that of the Army, and leaked 23,000 bank records in a bid to support the ongoing anti-government protests in the country, the Dawn reported.
• 'Islamabad Administration has reported that police used 10,000 gas shells, 1000 chemical gas, 5000 rubber bullets on protesters demanding resignation of Nawaz Sharif' said Imran Khan.
• Imran Khan tweeted that he has rescued KP PTI MPA Iftikhar Mashwani from illegal detention for three days in secretariat Thana.   

• According to reports, around 6 people have got injured in the clashes.
• Violent clashes have resumed between protesters and police in Islamabad. The police have resorted to tear gas shelling and lathicharged the protesters.
• Former captain of Pakistan's cricket team Javed Miandad has come out in full support of Imran Khan.
• Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasir-ul-Mulk has cancelled the holidays of all the judges and has summoned them to Islamabad.
• Imran Khan and Tahir-ul Qadri have been booked on terrorism charges.
• Some reports are doing the round that the Pakistan Army Chief Raheel Sharif has advised Nawaz Sharif to step down. However, the government has completely denied any such claims, stating the reports 'baseless'.
• Meanwhile, Sharif is holding meeting with leaders and representatives of Opposition parties.  
• An FIR has been registered against Tahir-ul Qadri and Imran Khan and their activists accusing them of terrorism, a Dawn news report states.
• PM Nawaz Sharif is likely to address a joint session of the Parliament which has been called on Tuesday morning and will discuss the ongoing political crisis that the country is facing. 
• The Pakistan Supreme Court has asked PTI and PAT lawyers to discuss with their leaders as to what role they want the apex court to play in the ongoing crisis, the Dawn reported.
• Nawaz Sharif's daughter, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, took to Twitter today and said that even Pakistan's enemies cannot create such a situation in the country.

• Army chief meets Nawaz Sharif at PM House to discuss the crisis, according to Dawn news report.
• Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Dr Shireen Mazari has condemned the attack on PTV building and said that the attackers should be punished.

PM Narendra Modi aims barb at China, Abe pledges 3.5 trillion yen to India over the next 5 years

In what would have been music to the ears of the Japanese government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the “expansionist” ideas of the 18th century are still visible in the world — some countries “encroach” on others, some “enter the seas”, and some “capture other’s territory”.Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe before a delegation level meeting in Tokyo on Monday. (Source: PTI Photo)

SUMMARY

Modi said he hopes to elevate still relatively low-key business ties with Japan to a "new level.

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While he did not name China, the reference to “encroachment” and “entry into the seas” is being interpreted as a reference to China’s spats with Japan over the Senkaku Islands. While there was no agreement on the civilian nuclear cooperation, the two sides noted the “significant progress” and asked their officials to “further accelerate” the negotiations with a view to conclude the agreement at an early date.

“Today, we see all around what happened in the 18th century. There is expansionism visible… kisi desh mein encroachment karna, kahin samundar mein ghus jaana, kabhi kisi desh ke andar ja kar kabza karna, in cheezon ki pravriti chal rahi hai (encroaching on some country, entering the seas somewhere, capturing the territory of a country, we see such trends),” he said, addressing a gathering of Japanese and Indian industrialists at a lunch meeting.

“This expansionism cannot be beneficial for mankind in the 21st century. Development is essential and I believe that in the 21st century, if Asia is to lead the world, India and Japan should together raise the prestige of the path of development,” he said.

Hours later, after the bilateral talks with Modi at the Akasaka Palace, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his country’s intention to invest 3.5 trillion yen (Rs 2.1 lakh crore) in India over the next five years.

This largescale funding, which will be both public and private, will be invested on the rejuvenation of Ganga, smart cities, transport systems, skill development and next generation infrastructure among other projects. Abe and Modi also agreed to set a target to double Japan’s FDI and the number of Japanese companies in India within five years as part of the “Japan-India investment promotion partnership”.

Addressing the industrialists, Modi promised single-window clearances and speedy, non-discriminatory decision-making, while reminding them of their Gujarat experience. “I have decided to set up a Japan-plus special management team directly under the PMO to facilitate proposals from Japan. I also propose that you nominate two people from Japan who would be part of a team which looks into business proposals, and they can be a permanent part of our decision-making process,” he said.

Modi underlined that the India-Japan ties have been elevated from a “strategic and global partnership” to a “special strategic and global partnership”. Stating that adding “special” is not just a “play of words”, he said it signifies Japan’s increasing role in India’s economic development, increased political dialogue andcontinued…

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Naga Group Calls for Blockade in Manipur Over Death of Protesters

Two protesters were killed in the clashes in Ukhrul on Saturday.

IMPHAL:  The United Naga Council has declared an indefinite ban on all vehicular traffic on national and state highways in Naga-dominated areas in Manipur from September 4.  

The blockade is likely to hit the supply of essential commodities to the state as the ban will prevent transport trucks from making their way to Manipur's capital Imphal.

The United Naga Council, the apex political organisation of Nagas, called for the ban after two people were killed in Ukhrul district, nearly 85 kilometres from Imphal, after police allegedly opened fire on protestors.

The organisation had claimed the Manipur police commandos and jawans of the India Reserve Battalion had fired on the protesters -- who they claimed were unarmed -- indiscriminately. 

The police claimed that they initially used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators but resorted to firing when they heard gunshots.

The Council was protesting against the imposition of Section 144 in Ukhrul. It has earlier accused the Manipur government of working against the interest of the Naga community, and claimed that the state government does not want a peaceful and immediate settlement of the Naga issue.

Congress criticizes Narendra Modi’s Teachers’ Day telecast Congress calls it ‘misuse of government machinery for furthering political propaganda’ Anuja 0 inShare Comments Subscribe to: Daily Newsletter Breaking News Latest News 10:21 PM IST Jaiprakash Associates seeks nod for higher loan guarantee to associate firms, JVs 10:14 PM IST Congress criticizes Narendra Modi’s Teachers’ Day telecast 10:01 PM IST Factory activity in Europe, Asia cools; demand lull a concern 09:57 PM IST Sharda Cropchem plans IPO to raise around Rs352 crore 09:38 PM IST China reacts guardedly to Narendra Modi’s ‘expansionist’ remark in Japan Editor's picks Narendra Modi goes to Japan chasing foolish crush Current account deficit narrows sharply to 1.7% in Q1 Nifty breaches 8,000, Sensex at new high as investors cheer GDP data Govt urges Supreme Court to not cancel some ‘illegal’ coal mines The great Indian financial inclusion circus Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a select group of 1,000 students at the Manekshaw Auditorium in the national capital on 5 September on Teachers’ Day. Photo: Hindustan Times New Delhi: The Congress party on Monday criticized the government’s move to telecast Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on Teachers’ Day on Friday across several schools in the country. “No Prime Minister or President of India has ever before compulsorily by diktat has said that every private and public school from class 1 to class twelfth must sit and hear the Prime Minister speak,” party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters. Modi is scheduled to address a select group of 1,000 students at the Manekshaw Auditorium in the national capital on 5 September on Teachers’ Day. The event, which includes interaction with students, would be telecast live to over 18 lakh government and private schools through Doordarshan and education channels. Calling it “misuse of government machinery for furthering political propaganda”, Singhvi said there was no net result of it. “It is a constitutional issue about whether an exercise like this can be permitted or not,” he added

Sonia Gandhi, Congress attack PM Narendra Modi over price rise, communal tension

Government ready to auction coal blocks, seeks exceptions

The government Monday told the Supreme Court that they stood by its verdict holding allocation of coal blocks since 1993 as illegal, and was ready to auction these blocks if they are cancelled but sought exceptions for some mines which were operational.

Telling the court that the government wasn't oblivious to the hardship of the court's declaration being taken to its local conclusion, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said: "We stand by the judgment and (taking) auction (route for their reallocation)".

He, however, urged the bench of Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Kurian Joseph to consider making exceptions in the case of 46 coal mines out of which 40 are already operating and six are ready for operations and their end-use plants are also in place.

The court was told that there were 218 coal blocks that came under its scanner. Of this, 80 were cancelled by the earlier government and exemption sought for 46.

Endorsing the position taken by the attorney general, the court said: "Best way is what Rohatgi says, that is auction. The process (of allocation of coal blocks) has been held illegal at every stage and in every form and you (allottees of coal block) can't take advantage of it."

"They (the government) don't mind if entire 218 coal blocks go under the hammer," it said as senior counsel K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the miners, urged the court to balance different interests including public, national and that of the allottees.

He argued that the allottees who have done nothing wrong could not suffer if the government went wrong and its methodology of allocation was wrong. He said cancellation would create problem even for the banks as there would be a default and it would affect their non-performing assets (NPA).

Favouring the auction of the coal blocks, whose allocation was held illegal, the court said that existing allottees would get preference to match the bid otherwise "good luck and goodbye".

Noting that seven percent of the total coal requirements of the industry, be it power, steel or cement, is met from the indigenous source, the court said: "It is not going to make much difference. It is better that we start with a clean slate... government does as far as possible, leaving 46 coal blocks. 93 percent is the total deficiency. Let us all help remove darkness bit by bit."

The government opposed the court's earlier suggestion to set up a committee headed by a retired apex court judge to go into the decision's consequences.

The apex court by its Aug 25 verdict had said: "As we have already found that the allocations made, both under the screening committee route and the government dispensation route, are arbitrary and illegal, what should be the consequences, is the issue which remains to be tackled. We are of the view that, to this limited extent, the matter requires further hearing."

One of the way suggested by the court was to appoint a committee headed by a retired apex court judge, so its report may help the court to have an objective view on the options available.

Setting the tone of the hearing, Attorney General Rohatgi told the court: "We don't want a committee. We don't want to save anybody. If court wants all have to go, then they will go."

"We want the court to decide, so that we can get out and auction and don't want a committee. We want to start with an auction. The position of power is bleak. We want to finish the chapter and go ahead."

Making it clear that government was not oblivious that cancellation would create problems, Rohatgi said: "We are faced with a situation where everything is illegal. All must go under Section 11-A of the MMRD Act that mandates from Feb 13, 2012, any grant of 'reconnaissance permit or prospecting licence or mining lease in respect of an area containing coal or lignite can be made only through selection through auction by competitive bidding even among the eligible entities under section 3(3)(a)(iii) (of CMN Act, 1972)'."

Adjourning the matter after a two hour long hearing, the court asked all the parties including the central government, miners association and others to file affidavits stating their respective stand by Sep 8 as it fixed Sep 9 as the next date of hearing.

Protocol of meeting between Abbas and Qatar emir leaked to Lebanese paper; Abbas allegedly told the emir that Hamas has been working to foil and bring down the PA ever since its establishment.

Protocol of meeting between Abbas and Qatar emir leaked to Lebanese paper; Abbas allegedly told the emir that Hamas has been working to foil and bring down the PA ever since its establishment.

(L R) Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal arrive for a meeting in Doha.. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is reported to have complained to the emir of Qatar during their recent meetings in Doha about Hamas’s attempt to stage a coup against his regime in the West Bank.

The Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al-Akhbar published on Monday what it said was the protocol of the meeting between Abbas and the emir, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal was invited to join the meeting at a later stage.

The protocol quotes Abbas as telling the emir that Hamas has been working to foil and bring down the PA ever since its establishment.

“(Former PLO leader Yasser) Arafat invited them (Hamas) to join the Palestinian Authority and the 1996 elections, but they refused and said that democracy is forbidden because it is the rule of the people, while we want the rule of sharia,” Abbas was quoted as saying. “They issue fatwas (religious decrees) as they like and use religion to serve their interests.”

Abbas said – according to the protocol – that each time he meets with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz, the latter tells him that Mashaal is a “liar.”

The protocol quotes Abbas as accusing Hamas of being behind the abduction and murder of the three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank last June in order to “strike at the Palestinian national project.”

Abbas was quoted as saying: “When I asked Mashaal (about the murder of the three youths), he replied: ‘I don’t know.’ Then he told me, ‘I neither deny nor confirm.’ Lies and beating around the bush.”

Abbas pointed out that top Hamas operative Saleh Arouri, who is based in Turkey, later confirmed that his movement was behind the kidnapping and murder of the Israeli youths. “This means that Turkey approves of it,” Abbas added, according to the protocol. “Hamas’ goal is to destroy the West Bank and create chaos in order to stage a coup against us. Hamas wants to drive me crazy. Since the kidnapping of (IDF soldier) Gilad Schalit, they have been contacting the Americans and Israelis and Europeans and others. They have been doing things behind our backs.”

The protocol quotes Abbas as disclosing that the head of Shin Bet visited him in Ramallah two weeks ago and briefed him about Hamas’s plan to stage a coup in the West Bank. Abbas claimed that Arouri and a Jordan-based Hamas operative nicknamed Jawad were behind the alleged coup. He said that the head of Shin Bet told him that Israel has the weapons and knows about the tunnels that were being prepared to stage the alleged coup.

“Why do they want a coup?” Abbas was quoted as telling the emir of Qatar. Where’s the partnership between us? Where are we headed? Why this Iranian method of taqqiyah?”

He noted that in 2006 Hamas also tried to assassinate him by placing explosives along the route his convoy uses in the Gaza Strip.

The protocol also quoted Abbas as saying that Hamas had been conspiring with ousted Fatah leader Mohamed Dahlan to topple his regime. Dahlan has since been expelled from Fatah and lives in the United Arab Emirates.

“I know them well,” Abbas said, referring to Hamas. “They have no relation to Islam, from their highest ranking sheikh to the youngest of them. Many Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, asked me to marginalize Hamas and were opposed to my reconciliation deal with it.

The emir at this point tells Abbas (according to the protocol): “Frankly, you have provided information whose source is Israel. It must be correct.”

The protocol quoted Mashaal as telling Abbas and the emir of Qatar that he informed Arouri that he made a mistake when he took credit for the kidnapping and murder of the Israeli youths. Mashaal also denied the claim that Hamas had planned to stage a coup against Abbas. “I wish to say in front of the emir of Qatar that the claim is a one million percent lie,” Mashaal was quoted as saying. “Form commissions of inquiry and have Qatar participate. If anything is proved, I’m prepared to bravely apologize to the Palestinian Authority. But if it is proven to be a lie, I want Abu Mazen (Abbas) to come out and say that Israel is lying.”

ennifer Lawrence Nude Photos Leak: Why the iCloud 'Hacked' Theory is Unlikely

Jennifer Lawrence Nude Photos Leak: Why the iCloud 'Hacked' Theory is Unlikely

On Sunday, nude photos of several celebrities including Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence were leaked online in what was initially believed to be a hack of Apple's iCloud service.

It is possible however that the actual hack did not take place against iCloud, but rather, another website from where login credentials were obtained and then tried on sites like iCloud. With most services using an email ID as your username today, hackers don't even have to try and guess at your identity in most cases, and the same credentials can often work across multiple sites.

Su Gim Goh, Security Advisor Asia for F-Secure (which was recently in the news after it published a report about Xiaomi handsets sending users' data to China without seeking permission), was in Delhi on Monday to discuss F-Secure's biannual threat report, tells NDTV Gadgets that at this early stage, he doesn't think the hack took place at iCloud at all.

"Security issues aren't the problem of just one manufacturer," Goh says, "but actual malware on iOS is still pretty limited. Obviously, we don't recommend jailbreaking your phone," he adds, and indeed, the malware that F-Secure has found for iOS so far has been only for jailbroken devices. "[for iCloud] I don't know right now what happened, but the hackers could have actually gotten the usernames and passwords from any other site," Goh says. "And then they could have run a program to keep trying usernames and passwords against iCloud to find the ones that work."

If this is correct, then the leakers wouldn't have had to bypass Apple's security at all to get access to years' worth of backups of people. From there, it would only be a question of identifying the accounts of famous people, and then sorting for the pictures to leak.

Some speculate that it could have been even simpler - according to 9to5mac, a vulnerability in the Find My iPhone service allegedly allowed hackers to repeatedly try different passwords for a user, without sending an alert to the user. This would allow brute force bypassing of the password.

It's worth noting that Apple offers optional two-factor authentication for its users, which offers an additional layer of security, but the feature is not used my most users due to lack of awareness about its benefits, and indeed, its very existence.

Among the celebrities whose pictures allegedly were stolen and posted online were Avril Lavigne, Amber Heard, Gabrielle Union, Hayden Pannettiere and Hope Solo, according to Mashable. Media reports said among the other starlets targeted were Hillary Duff, Jenny McCarthy, Kaley Cuoco, Kate Upton, Kate Bosworth, Keke Palmer and Kim Kardashian.

"The problem is that most people don't change their passwords, and they use the same password on different sites," he adds. "And there's actually an interesting chicken and egg issue here, which is that the longer and more complex a password is, the less likely users are to change it."

When asked what people should do to protect their own data in such situations, Goh says that the more steps that are required to access your data, the better - such as enabling 2-step verification. Another step that Goh recommends is using a password manager. "A lot of people say it doesn't really help," says Goh, "but if it makes it even a little more complex for people to get your password then it's worth doing. There are a lot of different applications available now, we have also launched on called F-secure Key [Android | iOS]. How many passwords can you remember? Every site needs a password now - you need one just to read the news."

And this means that when you use the same password in a site with low security - Goh pointed out that sometimes, due to sloppy code, this information might even be passed "clear", that is, without any encryption - then even a service with high security becomes vulnerable, in the absence of secondary measures like two-factor authentication.

Fresh Clashes Break Out in Pakistan Clashes Continue Between Antigovernment Crowds and Police as Crisis Threatens Sharif's Grip on Power

Fresh Clashes Break Out in Pakistan
Clashes Continue Between Antigovernment 

Crowds and Police as Crisis 

Threatens Sharif's Grip on Power

Antigovernment protesters on Monday briefly occupied the headquarters of the country's state television, causing its broadcast to go blank, in a further escalation of the political crisis that is threatening to bring down the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Photo: Getty Images

ISLAMABAD—Fresh clashes between antigovernment protesters and police broke out in the Pakistani capital's government quarter on Monday, a day after the military warned the administration of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against "further use of force" to quell the spreading unrest.

Pakistan's military also deployed armed soldiers around government buildings, checking the protesters' advance on the prime minister's house as darkness fell in Islamabad.

The police, which had been at the forefront of resisting the protesters over the weekend, retreated to the edge of the government quarter.

The renewed violence, which threatens to bring down Mr. Sharif's government, came as the military denied Monday that it had asked the prime minister to quit. Some Pakistani media had reported that army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif had advised Mr. Sharif to step down at a recent meeting.

"News of Army Chief asking PM to resign or going on leave is baseless," the military's spokesman said in response on Twitter. The prime minister's office also denied that any such message was conveyed.

"The military would never directly tell the prime minister to resign," said a security adviser familiar with the military's thinking. "That would allow him to become a political martyr."

Aides said the prime minister was determined to resist pressure to resign. The government privately believes that the protesters are supported by the military, in a bid to weaken or oust the prime minister.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and Muslim cleric Tahir ul Qadri led thousands of protesters in a march to Islamabad on August 15 for a sit-in in front of Pakistan's parliament, demanding Mr. Sharif's resignation and alleging that the ruling party rigged last year's elections. Mr. Sharif denied fraud allegations and most court challenges to the election's results had been unsuccessful.

Mr. Khan is pressing for fresh elections, while Mr. Qadri is calling for "revolution." As a softer alternative, Mr. Khan has suggested that the prime minister leave his office on a "holiday" for a month, while a promised judicial investigation into the election-rigging allegations takes place.

Over the weekend, three protesters died and more than 500 were injured in clashes with police using tear gas, rubber bullets and baton charges, as the demonstrators had attempted to march on the prime minister's house.

Earlier Monday, antigovernment protesters briefly occupied the headquarters of the country's state television, where they smashed up equipment, causing its broadcast to go blank for almost an hour. Armed soldiers and paramilitary Rangers forces arrived at the scene by noon local time, prompting the protesters leave the building. The soldiers surrounded the compound.

Protesters also made further attempts Monday to move towards the prime minister's official residence, gaining some ground and leading to fresh casualties among both police and protesters, with hospitals reporting that at least one demonstrator was brought in with rubber-bullet injuries.

Parliament, the prime minister's house and office, the presidency, the Supreme Court, and ministries are all located together in Islamabad's government quarter. The police forces that were previously deployed around these buildings were replaced Monday with soldiers. Many embassies, including the U.S. Embassy, are located in the area.

Mr. Sharif came to power after a landslide victory in the May 2013 elections. His previous stint in power was ended by a 1999 military coup and he has been at loggerheads with the country's powerful military establishment over a series of issues, including the treason trial of former dictator Pervez Musharraf and attempts to improve relations with India.

Talat Hussain, a leading political talk-show host, said that the military's aim was to "dilute" Nawaz Sharif, either by weakening or ousting him. But Mr. Sharif has refused to be shunted out of office, meaning that the military would have to stage an outright takeover to remove him, he said.

"Nawaz Sharif is saying you'll have to drag me out, and with me will go the parliament and the constitution," he said.

The armed forces have directly ruled Pakistan for half its 67-year history. Democracy was restored in 2008, after the latest period of military rule. It is widely thought that the military, which is battling Taliban and Al Qaeda jihadists in the northwest, does not want to directly assume power at this time. A coup would imperil U.S. aid that Washington pegs at some $3 billion a year, U.S. officials say.

There is speculation that an army-backed civilian government could be brought in instead, but there it is unclear how this would be compatible with the constitution.

The army chief met his top commanders late Sunday. Afterwards, the military advised the government to go back into talks with protest leaders.

"While reaffirming support to democracy, the conference reviewed with serious concern the existing political crisis and the violent turn it has taken, resulting in large-scale injuries and loss of lives," a statement from the military said. "It was once again reiterated that the situation should be resolved politically without wasting any time and without recourse to violent means."

PM Narendra Modi's Tokyo diary

Narendra Modi has been in a good mood in Japan, possibly because he feels he is among friends. At Kyoto, he posed with students, shook journalists' hands amid some banter and advised photographers which angle to shoot from. He also pulled the ears of a little boy in the crowd, very different from the combative politician Indian audiences are used to seeing.

At the Kinkaku-ji temple in Kyoto, Modi found a spot to pose with the chief priest, with the spectacular golden pavilion in the background and joked with the priest about the similarity in their names ("Modi, Mori"). And when Japanese PM Shinzo Abe tried to explain the significance of the lotus motif at the Toji temple, Modi replied that he knew all about it, since it was the symbol of his party. Abe, for his part, confessed that this was only the second time he had visited the famous UNESCO site - the last time was as a schoolkid.

While Kyoto was a relatively less restricted environment, the organisers in Tokyo made a clear distinction between on-board and other media. On-board media - mostly state-owned -- are those who travel on the president's plane, while the rest make their own way to Japan. Only the onboarders were allowed to attend Monday morning's functions, leaving the rest ruminating over how things had changed under the new dispensation.

Modi's rock star status was visible for all to see. At public functions, Indian tourists - some carrying flags - made their appearance, chanting "Vande Mataram!". As his car pulled out of the Kyoto hotel, a crowd gathered to wave goodbye. The man did not disappoint - the contrast with the reticent Manmohan Singh was apparent at every turn.

Modi played a few notes on the flute at his interaction with children at the Taimei Elementary in Tokyo on Monday, and reportedly told them a story of how Krishna used to attract cows by playing the wind instrument. Pictures were released of the Indian PM interacting with the little kids. Perhaps he was warming up for his Teachers' Day address to Indian students.



This popularity seems to extend to the Japanese man - and woman - on the street. A portly young Japanese woman made her way to within inches of Modi - the security here is either unobstrusively superefficient or virtually absent - beamed, and waved a couple of plastic Indian flags. A staffer at Kyoto railway station inquired eagerly if Modi had partaken of drinks with Abe as  part of the banquet. And shouts of "Modi san!" were heard at the temple visits.