“National tragedy.” That is how Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera described the problem of prevalent household indebtedness in Sri Lanka, when he recently announced the government’s decision to write off debt of LKR 1 lakh or less, incurred by 75,000 women in 12 drought-affected districts across the country. The move, aimed …

At the stroke of midnight on July 3, 1954, members of the London Housewives’ Association held a ceremony in central London to mark the end of food rationing in Britain that had commenced 14 years before, after the start of the Second World War. Rationing covered goods from meat and …

Of the many delights of living in Paris is the ability to enjoy history, art and culture, thanks to the city’s outstanding museums. The Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Centre Georges Pompidou are some of the world’s most popular museums located in the French capital. But there are others …

Venezuela’s controversial Constituent Assembly (CA) marked its first anniversary on Saturday as the embodiment of President Nicolas Maduro’s entrenchment in power despite an economic crisis that has crippled the country’s public services and destroyed its currency. The assembly’s very creation last year was largely responsible for four months of street …

North Korea has pressed ahead with its nuclear and missile programmes and continues to evade UN sanctions through increased illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil products at sea, a UN report said on Friday. In a 62-page report sent to the Security Council, the UN panel of experts also listed violations …

the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a Russian bank accused of helping North Korea with weapons-related activities. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listed stringent preconditions for any engagement with Iran. And the administration’s top intelligence and law enforcement officials vowed to combat Russian interference in the midterm elections, while Senate …

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the preparations for the launch of the health protection programme, Ayushman Bharat. The scheme will provide a health insurance cover of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family and will cover over 10 crore poor families. Top officials of the Ministry of Health …

India said on Saturday that delayed higher tariffs against some goods imported from the U.S. would go into force on September 18. New Delhi, incensed by Washington’s refusal to exempt it from new tariffs, decided in June to raise import tax from August 4 on some U.S. products, including almonds, …

India’s benchmark equity index, the 30-share Sensex, is on a record-breaking spree this year. The recent past saw the index regularly touching a new high with ease as it breached the 37,000-mark for the first time ever on July 26. Incidentally, the index took only 13 trading sessions to clock …

India should respect the promise it made in 2010 to open embassies in three more Latin American nations, a group of Ambassadors has urged Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. A senior diplomat from the region told The Hindu that these countries were awaiting action on India’s promise, especially after Prime Minister …

People hit the streets on Saturday protesting moves to scrap Article 35A, which defines State subject laws. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear three petitions challenging Article 35A on August 6. Separatists have called for a two-day shutdown on Monday over the issue. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/kashmir-on-the-boil-over-article-35a-hearing-in-sc/article24606252.ece

The release of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam has once again turned the spotlight on the refugee problem in Jammu and Kashmir, with many representatives of displaced people seeking a one-time settlement in the State. Labha Ram Gandhi, the president of the West Pakistan Refugees Action …

Such nets dry up the marine wealth, not leaving even fishlings and fish eggs behind. Large quantities of juvenile fish are sold to poultry farms for as cheap as Rs. 5 a basket. Bycatch such as snakes, puffer fish, ray fish and olive ridley turtles are thrown back into the …

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get early assent of the President to a Bill passed by the Telangana legislature in April last year, which provided for reservations to SCs, STs, BCs and minorities in excess of 50%, the cap fixed by the …