Islamabad, Mar 23 ,2023: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday announced the postponement of the upcoming elections in Punjab, citing security reasons as the major cause behind their change in plan, media reports said.
In light of the Supreme Court’s split ruling last month, President Arif Alvi announced the date for the Punjab polls after consulting the ECP.
Citing its responsibility towards ensuring fair elections in the country, the election organizing authority in its notification recounted its various endeavours in trying to ensure that the commission carried out its responsibilities diligently.
The notification said that in order to organise and conduct the election in accordance with the law in a peaceful manner, the commission had written letters to the ministry of interior and defence for the “deployment of Pakistan Army/Rangers and Frontier Corps at all the polling stations” established for the conduct of general election to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab in static mode.
This was done in view of the heightened security situation in the province and the recent terrorist wave in the country, it added.
New Delhi, Mar 22 Finance minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday presented a Rs 78,800-crore budget in the Delhi assembly for the financial year 2023-24, which majorly focuses on transport and infrastructure as part of the G-20 summit preparations.
The Delhi government’s budget size for 2022-23 was Rs 75,800 crore and Rs 69,000 crore in the preceding year.
This was the first time that Gahlot presented the budget after taking charge of the finance department following the resignation of deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia who was arrested by the CBI in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case.
Paris, Mar 18,2023: Two no-confidence motions had been filed by Friday afternoon against the French government led by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who forced passage of the controversial pension reform bill without a vote in the National Assembly.
The first multiparty motion was filed by the centrist opposition group LIOT. It was co-signed by 91 opposition deputies from different parties.
The second motion was tabled by the far-right National Rally party, which has 88 deputies in the National Assembly. The deputies argue that the pension overhaul is “unfair and unnecessary.”
Borne on Thursday triggered an article of the country’s Constitution that allows the government to force passage of the controversial pension reform bill without a vote in the National Assembly.
According to Paragraph 3 of Article 49 of the French Constitution, the prime minister may, after consulting with the Council of Ministers, impose the adoption of a bill by the National Assembly without a vote. The only way for the National Assembly to veto this is to pass a no-confidence motion against the government.
Should any of the two no-confidence motions be endorsed by an absolute majority — 289 votes in favor- Borne would have to submit to French President Emmanuel Macron the resignation of her government.
Mar 17,2023: China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has told his Ukrainian counterpart that Beijing is concerned about the war with Russia spinning out of control and urged talks on a political solution with Moscow.
Qin told Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba that China wanted to see peace negotiations advance, during a rare phone conversation on Thursday, the foreign ministry in Beijing said in a statement.
China “always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue”, Qin told Kuleba, according to the statement.
The minister also said China “has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks”, according to the statement.
Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin “discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity” and that he had “underscored” the importance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “Peace Formula” for ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace formula includes, among other elements, the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, on which there will be no “negotiations”, the withdrawal of all Russian troops, cessation of all hostilities and the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes.
China’s rare engagement in the war on Ukraine on Thursday follows Beijing’s recently-proposed 12-point roadmap for a “political settlement of the Ukraine crisis”.
China has burnished its credentials as an independent mediator after hosting talks last week at which longtime antagonists Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore full diplomatic relations.
But Beijing’s new-found interest in seeing an end to the more than a year-long war in Ukraine must deal with China’s 2022 declaration of a “no-limits” friendship with Russia. China has also refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, while at the same time declaring that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected.
Beijing has however condemned Western sanctions on Russia and accused NATO and the United States of provoking Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
March 15,2023:The United States recognises the McMahon Line as the international boundary between China and Arunachal Pradesh, according to a bipartisan Senate resolution which sees Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India.
“At a time when China continues to pose grave and gathering threats to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, it is critical for the United States to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our strategic partners in the region, especially India,” Senator Bill Hagerty, who along with Senator Jeff Merkley introduced a resolution in the Senate, said.
“This bipartisan resolution expresses the Senate’s support for unequivocally recognising the state of Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India, condemning China’s military aggression to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control, and further enhancing the US-India strategic partnership and the Quad in support of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” he said on Tuesday.
The resolution, which comes following the biggest clash between the Republic of India and China in the Eastern Sector along the Line of Actual Control in six years, reaffirms that the United States recognises the McMahon Line as the international boundary between China and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The resolution also pushes back against People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims that Arunachal Pradesh is PRC territory, which is a part of the PRC’s increasingly aggressive and expansionist policies.
“America’s values supporting freedom and a rules-based order must be at the center of all of our actions and relationships around the world, especially as the PRC government pushes an alternative vision,” Merkley said.
“This resolution makes clear that the United States views the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Republic of India—not the People’s Republic of China—and commits the US to deepening support and assistance to the region, alongside like-minded international partners and donors,” he said.
The bipartisan Senators’ resolution condemns additional China’s provocations, including the People’s Republic of China’s use of military force to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control, construction of villages in contested areas, publication of maps with Mandarin-language names for cities and features in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, and expansion of PRC territorial claims in Bhutan.
Furthermore, the resolution commends the Government of India for taking steps to defend itself against aggression and security threats from the People’s Republic of China. These efforts include securing India’s telecommunications infrastructure; examining its procurement processes and supply chains; implementing investment screening standards; and expanding its cooperation with Taiwan in public health and other sectors.
The resolution serves to further strengthen the US-India bilateral partnership regarding defense, technology, economics, and people-to-people ties and promotes enhancing our multilateral cooperation with India through the Quad, the East Asia Summit alongside our partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and other international fora.
This resolution is co-sponsored by Senator John Cornyn.
Dhaka, Mar 15 ,2023: Bangladesh beat England by 16 runs in the third and final Twenty20 cricket international to clinch the series 3-0 at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Batting first, Bangladesh set a target of 158 runs in their allocated 20 overs, losing two wickets.
Riding on 73 runs from Liton Das, the hosts set their final target after Najmul Hossain Shanto contributed 47 more.
Defending 158-2, Bangladesh made a brilliant start with the ball.
Taskin Ahmed grabbed two wickets while Tanvir Islam, Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman each took one wicket to steer their side to victory over the visitors.
Bangladesh’s bowlers held their nerve defending the 159-run target, restricting England to 142-6 in their 20 overs.
Dawid Malan top-scored for England with 53 runs.
Tehran [Iran], March 13,2023: The Iranian authorities have arrested more than 100 people in connection to the suspected poisoning of Iranian schoolgirls, reported CNN.
Citing a statement from Iran’s Interior Ministry, the state-run IRNA news agency said the people had been “identified, arrested and investigated” in several cities, including the capital Tehran.
“Initial inquiries show that a number of these people, out of mischief or adventurism and with the aim of shutting down classrooms and influenced by the created psychological atmosphere, have taken measures such as using harmless and smelly substances,” the statement read.
Iran has seen a wave of suspected poisonings, carried out almost entirely at girls’ schools, in recent months. The first known incident of schoolgirl poisoning occurred on November 30 in the city of Qom, when about 50 students fell ill and were taken to the hospital.
Another incident in the city took place in February when more than 100 students from 13 schools were hospitalized after what Iranian state news agencies described as “serial poisonings,” reported CNN.
Both the United States and United Nations had called on Iranian authorities to fully investigate the suspected poisonings and hold those responsible to account.
While Iranian politicians have suggested the girls could have been targeted by hardline Islamist groups, activists believe that the poisonings may be linked to the nationwide protests that erupted last September over the death of Mahsa Amini.
Many schoolgirls have been active in the protests, removing their mandatory headscarves in classrooms, tearing up pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and calling for his death, reported CNN.
Medics, parents and teachers have accused the Iranian government of attempting to silence the victims. Many Iranians fear that Islamist hardliners are behind the attacks as their aim is to terrorize the girls and make their families stop sending them to school. Such methods were used by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2010 and more recently by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, which in 2014 kidnapped 276 schoolgirls.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei previously called the suspected poisonings an “unforgivable crime” and called for “severe punishment” for anyone found responsible.
Male [Maldives], March 13,2023: The Maldivian Government announced that it will resume diplomatic ties with Iran after China-brokered reconciliation between Riyadh and Tehran.
“The Government of the Republic of Maldives welcomes the Joint Trilateral Statement by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the People’s Republic of China announcing that an agreement has been reached between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran that includes an agreement to resume diplomatic relations between the two countries and reopen their embassies and missions and the affirmation of the respect for the sovereignty of states and the non-interference in internal affairs of states. In light of these positive and welcoming developments the Government of Maldives has decided to resume diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” read the statement of the Government of Maldives.
Maldives severed political relations with Iran on May 17, 2016 during the rule of former President Abdullah Yameen.
Saudi Arabia and Iran re-established diplomatic ties after mediation talks led by China. The two countries reaffirmed their respect for the sovereignty of the states and their non-interference policy in the internal affairs of countries.
The agreement also includes the reopening of their embassies and missions. This major development comes after years of tensions between the two countries, including a devastating attack on the heart of the kingdom’s oil production attributed to Tehran.
Based on the trilateral agreement whereby China would host and sponsor talks between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, “Proceeding from their shared desire to resolve the disagreements between them through dialogue and diplomacy, and in light of their brotherly ties.”
The three countries expressed their keenness to exert all efforts toward enhancing regional and international peace and security.
New Delhi , March 23,2023: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has called a meeting of leaders of opposition parties on Thursday to discuss the Rural Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
The meeting will be held at Pawar’s residence on Thursday evening.
In a letter written to all opposition leaders, the NCP chief said that he proposes to convene a meeting of all political parties who have doubts about the efficacy of the Rural Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
This development comes after the Chief Election Commissioner promised to respond to the doubts raised by some civil society activists and political parties.
Pawar stated that the meeting has been called in the interest of free and fair elections and to listen to the views expressed by eminent IT professionals and cryptographers.
There are some very pertinent questions been raised in the Report by CCE. The report contains views of eminent Information Technology professors, cryptographers and retired government officials.
The civil society submitted a letter to Election Commission of India in May 2022 and another reminder after two weeks . ECI did even acknowledge their letter. The doubts regarding the possibility of manipulating EVM are being raised even by the common man now, Pawar said.
Jerusalem [Israel] March 13,2023: Half a million Israelis took to the streets in the tenth consecutive week of protests against plans by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to overhaul the country’s judicial system, organizers claimed, as reported by the CNN.
Israel has a population of just over 9 million, so if organizers’ estimates are correct, about 5 per cent of Israelis came out to voice their opposition to the proposed reforms.
Nearly half of the protesters, about 240,000, gathered in Tel Aviv, the organizers said. In Jerusalem, several hundred demonstrators gathered in front of President Isaac Herzog‘s house. They carried Israeli flags and chanted slogans including “Israel will not be a dictatorship.”
On Thursday, Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, urged the Netanyahu government to take the judicial overhaul legislation off the table, the CNN reported.
CNN reported that the protesters and critics of Netanyahu’s plan say it would weaken the country’s courts and erode the judiciary’s ability to check the power of the country’s other branches of government.
The package of legislation would give Israel‘s parliament, the Knesset, the power to overrule Supreme Court decisions with a simple majority. It would also give the government the power to nominate judges, which currently rests with a committee composed of judges, legal experts and politicians.
It would remove power and independence from government ministries’ legal advisers, and take away the power of the courts to invalidate “unreasonable” government appointments, as the High Court did in January, forcing Netanyahu to fire Interior and Health Minister Aryeh Deri.
Critics accuse Netanyahu of pushing the legislation in order to get out of corruption trials he is currently facing. Netanyahu denies that, saying the trials are collapsing on their own, and that the changes are necessary after judicial overreach by unelected judges.
Israel does not have a written constitution, but a set of what are called Basic Laws.
March 12,2023: PM Modi on 12 March inaugurated and dedicated the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway to the nation. The 118-km expressway is built at the cost of Rs.8,408 crore.
Bengaluru and Mysuru are important cities in Karnataka. One is known for technology while the other is known for tradition. It is quite significant to connect both the cities through technology, the Prime Minister said.
The Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway will reduce the travel time between both the cities from 3.5 hours to around 1.5 hours.
The project involves six-laning of the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of NH-275.
The expressway will act as a catalyst for socio-economic development in the region.
The high-speed corridor is built in two separate phases, measuring 61 km between Nidaghatta and Mysore and 58 km between Bengaluru and Nidaghatta.
The highway has elevated corridors that are 8 km long, 42 small bridges, 64 underpasses, 11 overpasses, four Road-Over-Bridges (ROBs), and five bypasses.
Addressing on the occasion, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that with this new road, travelling from Bengaluru to Mysuru will be possible in 1 hour.
“With this new road, travelling from Bengaluru to Mysuru will be possible in 1 hr. Ring road worth Rs17,000 crore to be constructed in Bengaluru which will help in direct travelling to Mysuru. This will help in attracting more tourists. These projects will help in employment generation also,” he said.
The inauguration comes during Prime Minister’s visit in the poll bound state Karnataka today wherein he is set to lay the foundation stone to projects worth around Rs.16,000 crore. This will be PM Modi’s sixth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year. Assembly elections in the state are due in April-May.
Apart from this, PM Modi will also lay foundation stone of Mysuru-Khushalnagar four-lane highway. The 92-km-long road project will be developed at a cost of around ₹4,130 crore, the statement said.
The project will play a key role in boosting connectivity of Kushalnagar with Bengaluru and will help halve the travel time from about 5 to only 2.5 hours, it said. In Hubbali-Dharwad, the prime minister will dedicate IIT Dharwad to the nation.
The foundation stone of the institute was laid by Prime Minister Modi in February 2019. Developed at a cost of over Rs 850 crore, the institute currently offers four-year B.Tech. programmes, inter-disciplinary five-year BS-MS programmes, M.Tech. and Ph.D. programmes.
India gets world’s longest railway platform at Hubballi in Karnataka
He will also dedicate to the nation the longest railway platform in the world at Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Station. The record has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records recently. The 1507 m long platform has been built at a cost of about Rs. 20 crores.
The Prime Minister will dedicate the electrification of Hosapete – Hubballi – Tinaighat section and the upgradation of Hosapete station, for boosting connectivity in the region.
Developed at a cost of over Rs 530 crores, the electrification project establishes seamless train operation on electric traction. The redeveloped Hosapete station will provide convenient and modern facilities to travellers. It has been designed to resemble the Hampi monuments.
Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various projects of Hubballi-Dharwad smart city.
The total estimated cost of these projects is about Rs 520 crores. These efforts will enhance the quality of life by creating hygienic, safe and functional public spaces and transform the town into a futuristic urban centre.
PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone of the Jayadeva Hospital and Research Centre.
The hospital will be developed at a cost of about Rs 250 crores and will provide tertiary cardiac care to the people of the region.
In order to further augment water supply in the region, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the Dharwad Multi Village Water Supply Scheme, which will be developed at a cost of over Rs 1040 crores.
He will also lay the foundation stone for Tupparihalla Flood Damage Control Project, which will be developed at a cost of about Rs 150 crores.
The project aims to mitigate damage caused by floods and involves the construction of retaining walls and embankments.
New Delhi , March 15: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India on Tuesday sent letters to the presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress urging them to include animal welfare in their respective parties’ 2024 election manifestos through updates to policies and legislation to provide stronger protections for animals and create harsher penalties for those who commit acts of cruelty.
The request includes phasing out the use of animals in experiments in favour of state-of-the-art research methods and prohibiting the use of elephants in performances, among other animal rights-related initiatives.
“Integral to the moral fibre of our country are the principles of ahimsa and karuna,” writes PETA India Director of Advocacy Projects Khushboo Gupta adding, “It is of utmost importance that the welfare of all living beings is given due consideration and protection.”
PETA India said that The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, is more than 60 years old and is in need of urgent updates to adequately protect animals, including stronger penalties for acts of cruelty.
“Currently, a person who commits cruelty to an animal can get away with just a Rs 10 fine,” Gupta weote. The group recommended more significant fines, jail time, and a ban on keeping or working with animals for those who are convicted.
Other recommendations made by PETA India to add into the parties’ manifestos include prioritising funding for the development of sophisticated, non-animal research and testing methods and committing to a strategy to phase out the use of animals in science, focusing on the production of vegan food and leather in India, prohibiting the caging of aerial birds and ending the use of animals forced to perform in circuses.
PETA India further recommended prohibiting the sale of animals through pet shops and breeders while promoting the adoption of dogs and cats from overburdened animal shelters. It further recommended developing action plans to reduce the consumption of animal-derived foods so as to protect animals, human health, and the environment.