New Delhi : Hailing as historic India’s successful launch of the South Asia satellite, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed it a symbol of South Asian co-operation for its economic progress.

“With this launch, we have started our journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership,” Modi told the heads of governments of Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka over video.

Calling the satellite a symbol of cooperation to resolve people’s problems, he said: “It shows that our collective choice for our citizens will bring us together for cooperation, not conflicts, development not destruction and prosperity not poverty.”

An Indian rocket with the over two tonne satellite or GSAT-9, intended to address the region’s “economic and developmental priorities”, blasted off from the Sriharikota spaceport on Friday evening.

This project will help the region achieve effective communication, better governance, better banking services and better education in remote areas, Modi said.

“The satellite will provide services specific to individual countries… and also common service.”

It is also expected to help improve weather forecast, telemedicine and disaster management.

Modi congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation.

In the video conference, South Asian leaders hailed India for the launch.

Referring to South Asia’s shared priorities, he said: “And in this, you will find a strong and committed partner in India.”

The rocket will sling into orbit the 2,230 kg South Asia satellite, intended as an ‘Indian Gift’ for use by its fellow Saarc nations, minus Pakistan, which opted out stating “it has its own space programme”.

The South Asian Satellite – Some highlights 

• Space diplomacy has touched new heights with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unique gift in the sky to South Asian neighbours.
• The gift of a communications satellite for use by neighbours at no cost has perhaps no precedent worldwide.
• The satellite, which weighs over 2 tonnes, has been fabricated in three years at a cost of over Rs. 230 crore.
• Its footprint that extends all over South Asia.
• The South Asia Satellite has 12 Ku band transponders which India’s neighbours can utilise to increase communications.
• Each country will get access to at least one transponder through which they could beam their own programming.
• The satellite will facilitate DTH television, VSAT links, tele-education, telemedicine and disaster management support. It will provide critical communication links in times of disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and tsunamis.
• Heads of Government from all the seven South Asian nations who are benefiting from the satellite, connected via video conference, in a unique celebration of the successful launch.

(With inputs from IANS and PIB)

NEW DELHI : The Apex Court has confirmed the death sentence for four rapists in the Nirbhaya rape case, which had shocked the nation on 16th December 2012. The four convicts – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh – had appealed in the Supreme Court after the High Court against the verdict of death sentence. Today, the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra pronounced the verdict. 

Timeline of the Nirbhaya gang-rape case in which the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentences of the four convicts.

December 16, 2012: A 23-year-old paramedic student and her boyfriend take a private bus home after watching English film “Life of Pi” at the Select City Walk Mall in Saket. The woman was brutally raped and beaten up by six men in the moving bus and thrown out of it near Mahipalpur along with her male friend. They were admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital the same night.

December 17: Delhi Police identify four men who raped and assaulted her — bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta. Doctors say the woman has suffered grave internal injuries.

December 18: Ram Singh and three others are arrested. People come out on the streets to protest the gang-rape.

December 19: The woman undergoes a fifth surgery, with doctors removing most of her intestines.

December 21: The accused juvenile is nabbed from Anand Vihar bus terminal in Delhi. The government appoints a panel of physicians to ensure she receives best medical care. The woman’s friend identifies Mukesh as one of the culprits. Police conduct raids in Haryana and Bihar to nab sixth accused, Akshay Thakur.

December 22: Akshay Thakur is arrested in Bihar and brought to Delhi. Victim records her statement before the SDM in hospital.

 December 25: The woman’s condition deteriorates

December 26: She is flown to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital for advanced treatment

December 29: The woman dies in Singapore due to organ failure

January 2, 2013: The then Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir incepted fast track court for speedy trial in sexual offence cases

January 3: Police files charge-sheet against five adult accused for offences including murder, gangrape, attempt to murder, kidnapping, unnatural offences and dacoity

January 17: Fast track court starts proceedings against five adult accused

January 28: Juvenile Justice Board rules that sixth accused is a minor

February 2: Five adult accused are charged with 13 offences including murder

February 28: Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) frames rape, murder charges against the juvenile accused

March 11: Ram Singh, the bus driver, is found hanging in his cell in Tihar jail

March 21: Government approves new tougher anti-rape law to punish sex crimes, including death for repeat rape offenders

July 5: Trial against juvenile concludes, the JJB reserves verdict for July 11

July 11: The JJB holds the minor guilty of illegally confining and robbing a carpenter on December 16 night before the gangrape. It defers to July 25 its verdict in the gang-rape case.

July 25: JJB defers to August 5 its verdict after a PIL is filed in the Supreme Court seeking fresh interpretation of the term “juvenile”.

August 19: JJB again defers verdict to 

August 22: Supreme Court allows JJB to pronounce verdict in gangrape case

August 31: JJB convicts the juvenile for gangrape and murder and awards three years term at a probation home

August 22: Fast track court begins hearing of final arguments in trial against the four adult accused.

September 10: Court convicts Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan of 13 offences including gangrape, unnatural offence and murder of the woman and attempt to murder her male friend

September 13: Fast track court awards death to all four convicts. Trial court refers the case to Delhi High Court for confirmation of death sentence

November 1: The Delhi High Court starts hearing the case on a daily basis   

January 3, 2014: The Delhi High Court reserves its verdict on confirming the death sentence and appeals of the four convicts.

March 13: The Delhi High Court upholds the death sentences awarded to the four convicts

June 2: Two death row convicts move the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court verdict 

July 14: The Supreme Court stays till further orders execution of death penalty of two of four convicts — Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur

December 18, 2015: Delhi High Court refuses to stay the release of the juvenile. He walks out of a correction home after spending three years.

April 3, 2016: Supreme Court begins hearing in the case

July 11: Hearing begins with a change in Bench to Justices Dipak Misra, R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan

August 2016: Vinay Sharma tries to commit suicide in Tihar Jail

January 6, 2017: Supreme Court seeks mitigating circumstances from the accused

March 27: Supreme Court reserves verdict after nearly a year of hearing the case

May 5: SC upholds death penalty of four accused – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh

(With Inputs from IANS)

NEW DELHI : Calling it a “rarest of rare” case, the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentence on all four convicts in the brutal Nirbhaya gang-rape here of 2012 that led to her death and caused nationwide outrage.
 “If ever a case called for hanging, this was it,” said a bench of Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice R. Banumathi. The ruling was applauded in the courtroom.   The judges said that the aggravating circumstances against Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur far outweighed the mitigating circumstances cited in their favour.  The four were convicted for raping and assaulting the 23-year-old paramedical student inside a moving bus on December 16, 2012 which led to her death 13 days later in a Singapore hospital.   The rapists, six in all, pounced on the young woman who had boarded the bus with her boyfriend to go home after seeing a movie.   After committing the crime, they dumped both on the side of a road. Some onlookers alerted the police. The sheer brutality of the crime led to nationwide revulsion — and street protests.   A fifth accused, Ram Singh, committed suicide in the Tihar Central Jail here. The sixth, a juvenile, has been released after serving his probation period in a remand home.  Taking note of the serious injuries and the severe nature of the offence, the judges said they were upholding the death sentence first pronounced by a lower court and upheld by the Delhi High Court.  The crime shocked the nation’s conscience, the Supreme Court judges said.  There were tears in Nirbhaya’s mother’s eyes when she heard the judges upholding the death sentence.  “I am happy the Supreme Court has heard our voice and understood the suffering Nirbhaya underwent,” the grieving father said, referring to his daughter by the name given by the media.   “It has given justice to Nirbhaya and the entire country.”  The convict’s lawyer, A.P. Singh, pledged to file a review petition.  “I am not satisfied with the judgement,” he told the media. “It is a violation of human rights. Someone cannot be hanged just because of public sentiments.”  Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said she was happy. “It was a horrible experience and suffering for the family.”  The Delhi Commission for Women welcomed the capital punishment. “Finally, justice was delayed but not denied,” said its chief, Swati Maliwal.

(With Inputs from IANS)

MUMBAI : Although the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government have been working to tackle the problems of mounting bad loans, the Ordinance on NPAs will define the way forward in this regard, a top official said on Friday.
 Terming it as “a very interesting piece” of legislation signed by President Pranab Mukerjee on Friday, RBI Executive Director Sudarshan Sen said efforts are on to resolve the problem of Non Performing Assets (NPAs).  However, he warned: “This is a continuing process…nothing happens overnight. These are hard problems, these are difficult problems, but we are determined to solve them.”
 Post-enactment, six Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFC) had registered with the RBI of which three are systemically important.  Sen said the size of the sector at the last count was approximately Rs 3,200 crore which declined over the previous year due to various factors.  “What is of concern also is the high NPAs in the sector…With 29 per cent gross NPA ratio and 11 per cent net NPA ratio, this is a little alarming as is also the negative ROA (return on assets) and ROE (return on equity), so these areas need to be addressed,” urged Sen.  Among the factors hindering healthy function of factors was non-availability of recourse under the provisions of Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI).  However, last year the benefit of Enforcement of Security Interest was extended to all systemically important NBFCs, including NBFC factors, which is expected to improve recovery by factors and reduce their NPA levels, he said.  Referring to RBI’s Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS), Sen said that it will not only facilitate discounting of invoices and bills of exchange but also greatly facilitate the factoring business.  He added that it will be a huge source of information for tapping potential clients.  About the implementation of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and the status of a factor — whether financial creditor or operational creditor, Sen said the definitions might suggest that factor would be treated as an ‘operational creditor’.

(With Inputs from IANS)

NEW DELHI: Bitten by an element of urgency, the Congress and other non-BJP parties are desperately trying to forge a United Front in the upcoming elections to the highest constitutional office of President in the second half of July. 

There is no doubt that the BJP will like one of its senior leaders occupying Rashtrapati Bhawan for the first time. Narendra Modi’s sterling performance at the hustings since he became the Prime Minister in May 2014 has raised the ruling party’s hopes particularly after the recent runaway success in the assembly elections in the most crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. 

For the opposition, Congress President Sonia Gandhi spoke to Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in a bid to have an opposition front. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah met Sonia earlier this week. On his part Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had spoken to former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. 

TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is keen to be part of this front but made it clear nobody had approached her so far. Sonia Gandhi is also expected to meet with BSP’s Mayawati.

BJP strongman Modi would like to install one of its leaders as the First Citizen in the erstwhile Viceregal Lodge. And in achieving that objective the ruling Lotus party will need the backing of the AIADMK and some other opposition parties as it lacks the requisite majority at present in the electoral college. 

Odisha’s ruling BJD, the Telengana Rashtra Samiti and some others are also likely to be consulted soon in evolving the opposition front. The aim is to create a national alternative to the BJP in the run up to the next general elections barely two years away in 2019. 

Such fronts have been mooted in the past before assembly polls particularly in states viewed as an important battleground state in the country but have hardly been successful. 

This is a huge wake up call for the leaders of the proposed front whose performance in the assembly elections over the last two-and-a-half years has been dismal barring the AAP’s mind boggling win in Delhi and the saffron brigade falling by the wayside, thanks to the “mahagathbandhan” in Bihar in 2015. 

Leaders have welcomed Sonia Gandhi’s return to active politics after having taken a back seat for some time. Interestingly, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury has already clarified that the Left’s antipathy towards Trinamul Congress would not be a hurdle in the quest for a larger unity. Akhilesh Yadav has also made it clear that the SP has no objection to state rival BSP’s inclusion in the front. 

The non-BJP Leaders realise they will have to be flexible. Some of them recalled when the National Front was formed, the government was headed first by H D Deve Gowda and later by I K Gujral to keep the BJP at bay. 

With President Pranab Mukherjee’s term ending on July 25 this year, the fight to occupy Rashtrapati Bhawan is definitely hotting up. 

With talk of his new residence in the national capital getting ready, the Congress and others of its ilk might like Pranabda to be given a second term which appears highly unlikely. 

So far the country’s first Head of State Rajendra Prasad is the only person who has served two terms in the imposing Rashtrapati Bhawan. As of now the BJP-led NDA does not have a majority in the electoral college. It will need the backing of opposition parties to facilitate its nominee past the winning post in the ensuing Presidential election. 

Even if the Congress backs Mukherjee for a second term as President, the regional satraps would prefer a non-Congress nominee. Mukherjee has been described as a “copybook President” who assured he is duty bound to preserve and protect the Constitution. 

The previous NDA government headed by BJP stalwart Atal Behari Vajpayee did spring a surprise when it zeroed in on missile man A P J Abdul Kalam. That Modi, who is the BJP’s face at this juncture, enjoys a definite advantage at this juncture is not in doubt. 

(T R Ramachandran is senior journalist and commentator. The views are personal.) 

Movie – Bahubali 2 : The Conclusion

Director- Srisaila Sri Rajamouli alias SS Rajamouli

Music- M.M. Keeravani

Camera- KK Senthil Kumar

Story- KV Vijyendra Prasad

Star Cast- Prabhas, Rana Duggubati, Satyharaj, Tamannaah, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishna, Nassar 

Movie Review:- The memes and jokes on social media come to an end which hysterically took on the internet awaiting the much celebrated question of the Babubali- the beginning, that why did Katappa kill Bahubali? Bahubali 2- the Conclusion has so far broken all the records on the box office as it passed the mark of nearly 600 crores earnings, leaving Aamir Khan’s PK behind within a week after the worldwide release. 

Mahindra Bahubali alias Bahu (Prabhas) struggles against the Dharma of a king and the kingdom (Mahishmati), trapped in political turmoil instrumented and maneuvered by his elder brother Bhallal Dev (Rana Duggubati), who was number two in the empire Mahishmati. Despite being elder, he was chosen to stay away from the throne. The good guy Bahubali talks about political correctness, righteousness, equality and Dharma, going against his mother Shivgami Devi, who favored her younger son because of his mettle and ability to think witty on the war field. His valour on celluloid is unmatchable. Every time he swung his majestic arms holding the sword, wearing traditional uniform of a king teamed up with golden pair of kundal in ears and a mark of half-moon on his forehead, put the energy level of the theatre at its peak. The character of Bahubali explicitly and primarily portrays a man of higher moral standards, then a mighty king of the Mahishmati Kingdom. The reign of Mahishmati vows to the greatest emperor even after he was dethroned by Shivgami Devi in the wake of him supporting Devsena, the queen of a princley state and love of Mahendra Bahubali, revolting against the will of his mother to detain and imprison Devasena.

Prabhash’s Hindi voice-over is done by Sharad Kelkar. His dialogue delivery is highly impressive. 

SS Rajamouli has done the screenplay of the film. The story is brilliantly written by his father KY Vijyendra Prasad, who has also written Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The other casts have marked their best appearance on the screen. Rana Duggubati, in the role of Bhallal Dev, has maintained not to overdo the role of an evil. His cunning and janus-faced expressions while talking to his mother is noticeable. His gigantic physique suits his character. Apart from the skirmishes between Bahubali and Bhallal Dev in the first part, the final bout in Babubali-2 between them makes the audience stand on their feet due to the intensity. The epic fight scene is well-shot. Injured Prabhas and Rana look like a rock in the fight scene.

The two lionesses of the movie, Shivgami (Ramya Krishna) and Devasena (Anushka Shetty) have been given almost equal screen times in comparison to other characters, due to their influence of the duo on the celluloid. After a very a long time, Rajamouli emerged as one of those rare Indian directors who broke the monotonous saga of masculinity, dominating a female role in the reel. Devasena as a warrior impresses with her moves on horse, archery and bold attitude to face the Mahishmati Queen Shivgami. In one scene, Bahubali teaches Devsena about the skillset of archery with three bows a time, it wins heart of the theatre.  Shivgami aggression dominates the male characters in her presence.  She possesses more a stubborn and egoistic queen, rather an empathetic mother who orders Katappa(Sathyaraj) to kill Bahubali because of his growing stature, eventually becoming a threat for Bhallal Dev’s throne. Katappa, undoubtedly, is a pivotal role in the Conclusion. He makes you laugh. He makes you cry. Sathyaraj acting has been the backbone of Bahubali-2. Whatever said about him is less than what he did. His role will be remembered till decades to come. 

The awestruck Visual effect, the VFX, part was no less than any Hollywood movie. The film has already won accolades all across the world due to its VFX. More than 33 Indians studios and 10 international studios were combined for the special effects. The gigantic rocks of Mahishmati kingdom, animals, people, crowd, boats, castles and huge walls were Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). The Roto artists have played their role with sheer efficiency. However, few scenes are highly exaggerated. Stiil, much were not overdone. The precise detailing of every scene is a salute to the absolute excellence of the VFX team of Bahubali-2.

Cinematography by K.K. Senthil Kumar is definitely one of the strongest pillars behind the success. He shot the movie in a great composition. The costumes are chosen perfectly. Devasena’s attire attracts the most. The background score will give you goose bumps. The thud and bass of Prabhas’ entry is outstanding. The songs appeal the audience in the theatre.

To sum up, Bahubali-2 is bigger than what we had ever thought of. SS Rajamouli has set the cinema standards higher for any conventional Bollywood director. He has managed to kick the monopoly of Bollywood which was a much-needed break for Indians fans, who had been waiting for a movie like Bahubali-2. So many things are going to be written for the success of Bahubali-2 in the upcoming days or weeks. There would be some self-acclaimed critique who will be criticizing the film for its exaggerated scenes and valour on screen, but the fact is that Bahubali-2 has revolutionized the Indian cinema and we may witness the golden era of Indian cinema back soon.

S.S Rajamouli’s magnum opus “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” has successfully surpassed Aamir Khan’s “Dangal” at the US box-office with earnings over $12.6 million so far and counting.

According to Great India Films, the US distributor of “Baahubali 2”, the film minted $12.6 million as of Wednesday, officially surpassing life-time earnings of $12.3 million of ‘Dangal’.

“Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” has also officially become the highest grossing Indian film at the US box-office.

NEW DELHI: Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a key ally of the BJP in the ruling NDA combine, on Thursday rebuffed another NDA constituent Shiv Sena by asserting that there was no vacancy for prime ministership till 2024 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership had been liked and recognised by the people across the country.  

Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thakeray had criticised the BJP for reportedly being in a hurry to impose the leadership of Mr Modi and said Mr Paswan had prevailed upon other NDA partners in endorsing a resolution passed at an NDA meeting last month in New Delhi declaring that next Lok Sabha elections slated for 2019 would be fought under the leadership of the Prime Minister Modi.

”Why has Mr Thakeray awaken after a month? How could I force any leader to endorse the resolution. They were not children. All of us are certain that till 2024, there is going to be no vacancy for prime ministership,” he said at a Meet the Press programme, organised by the Press Club of India, here.  

Mr Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party, was replying to questions about the Shiv Sena leader’s statement.  

The Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs said the Modi government had since assuming power dealt a hard blow to corruption, brought in transparency and increased accountability.

People have benefitted immensely from the various decisions of the Modi government, especially from note ban that had given the poor a satisfaction of being vindicated as against the trouble it caused to those who made money by dishonest means, he said.

”The results of the recent polls in the UP Assembly and the Delhi Municipal Corporation reflect people’s endorsement of the policies of the Modi government,’’ Mr. Paswan said. 

NEW DELHI : The Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on linking of Aadhaar with the PAN card, even as the court was told that it was a “draconian” provision and must go.

The bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan was hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the newly-inserted Section 139AA in the Income Tax Act that makes linking of Aadhaar with PAN card mandatory.

As the bench was told that linking Aadhaar with PAN would have “extreme far reaching consequences not only for individuals but small business too”, the court enquired if the issue “was never debated or raised in the Parliament or referred to a parliamentary standing committee?”

Senior counsel Arvind Datar, appearing for senior Communist Party of India leader Binoy Visman, told the bench the government had “an agenda” to push Aadhaar and pointed to the “dichotomy” between Aadhaar Act 2016 that makes possessing Aadhaar optional and Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act that makes its linking with PAN compulsory.

“A right that is voluntary under Aadhaar Act can’t be made a penal provision under the Income Tax Act,” said Datar.

Besides Visman, former Major General of Indian army S.G. Vombatkere and convenor of Safai Karamchari Andolan Bezwada Wilson have also challenged the validity of Section 139AA.

As Datar said the provision under challenge would affect nearly 2.8 crore individual assesses, the bench observed: “If it can’t cover companies that does not mean that we should not do it with individuals. If they (government) want to do something, a beginning has to be made somewhere.”

Hammering the point that Aadhaar was voluntary under the Aadhaar Act and could not be made mandatory under the Income Tax Act, Datar said the government was “slowly, step by step making it compulsory by linking it with various things. Is it not a contempt of court?”

The senior counsel was referring to two earlier orders of the top court which said that government could insist upon Aadhaar only for distribution of foodgrains, and LPG and other cooking fuel. Later this was expanded to include other schemes like MNREGA, old age pension scheme, Provident Fund and Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana.

As Datar tried to impress upon the bench that Aadhaar could not be made compulsory through other statutory routes, Justice Sikri in a lighter observation said: “They say if you don’t give Aadhaar, you are not entitled to benefits under social welfare schemes. Why don’t they say if you don’t give Aadhaar you are not entitled to pay taxes?”

Pointing to the “dangerous trend”, Datar said a provision has been made that says that tax authorities need not give any reason for conducting searches and “all the searches conducted since 1962 are valid”.

He told the bench that soon the Ministry of Corporate Affairs is going to ask all the company secretaries, chartered accountants, DIN (Direct Identification Number) holders, Directors, key managerial personnel, professionals and others to integrate their Aadhaar number with MCA21 portal for availing services.

Datar said he did not think that linking Aadhaar with Permanent Account Number (PAN) would curb black money. In a poser, he asked “Have you done a study before you (government) took the monumental decision of linking Aadhaar with PAN?”

(With Inputs from IANS)

NEW DELHI : The CBI on Thursday conducted searches at six places, including the Delhi Secretariat, following alleged irregularities in spending Rs 10 crore on security of Delhi hospitals by former Health Secretary Tarun Seem, considered close to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.  Sources said a CBI team searched Seem’s office and his residence for documents pertaining to the contract for hiring three security agencies.  “The raid was conducted following an allegation of Rs 10 crore misappropriation of Delhi government funds,” an official said.  The probe agency has registered a case against Seem, also close to Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain and three security firms, the official said.  Seem, an IRS officer, was earlier appointed health secretary by the AAP government. But the decision was overturned by then Lt. Gov. Najeeb Jung because only an IAS officer can seve as a secretary to the government.  Seem was later appointed director of health services in Delhi by the Kejriwal government.  “Irregularities were committed in the engagement of three private agencies for security in the emergency areas of Delhi government hospitals,” the official said.

US President Donald Trump vowed to work as a “mediator, an arbitrator or a facilitator” to help broker peace between the Israelis and Palestinians as he welcomed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House.
 “We will get this done,” Trump vowed as he met Abbas on Wednesday.  Trump reiterated the need for Israelis and Palestinians to broker a peace through direct negotiations and called on Palestinian leaders to “speak in a unified voice against incitement to violence and hate”.  “There’s such hatred, but hopefully there won’t be such hatred for very long,” Trump said, speaking alongside Abbas in the Roosevelt Room.  The Palestinian leader expressed his support for a two-state solution to the conflict and the long-held Palestinian desire for a capital in East Jerusalem, welcoming Trump’s role as a mediator in peace negotiations.   He said he had “hope” about prospects for peace with Trump in that role as he praised the President for his negotiating acumen.  “I believe that we are capable under your leadership and under your courageous stewardship and your wisdom as well as your great negotiating ability.   “I believe we can be partners — true partners to you — to bring about a historic peace treaty,” Abbas said through an interpreter. “Now, Mr President, with you we have hope.”  Trump expressed his desire to have Palestinians and Israelis draw on the Oslo Accords that Abbas signed as the Palestinian negotiator in 1993 and said he hoped the Palestinian leader would soon sign “the final and most important peace agreement”.  The Oslo Accords are a set of agreements between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).   The accords marked the start of the Oslo process, that is aimed at achieving a peace treaty and to fulfil the “right of the Palestinian people to self-determination”.   While Trump spoke broadly about his desire for a peace deal and some of the barriers to a deal, Abbas spoke about the specific complaints and demands of Palestinians.  Abbas spoke of the importance of providing solutions that would address the situation of Palestinian refugees and those imprisoned in Israeli prisons, referring to “the suffering of my people”.  “It’s about time for Israel to end its occupation of our people and of our land,” Abbas said, referring to the Palestinian territories in the West Bank under Israeli control.  Trump did not address Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which he had asked the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt, nor did he address the terrorist group Hamas, which controls Gaza and earlier this week opened the door to at least a temporary deal for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.  Abbas’ visit comes over two months after Netanyahu visited Trump at the White House.