President Donald Trump is looking forward to another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, he said on Tuesday. “I look forward to meeting with Chairman Kim who realizes so well that North Korea possesses great economic potential!” Mr. Trump said in a brief tweet. The development comes after Mr. …

The Russian government said on Wednesday it has allowed an American citizen held on espionage charges to have access to U.S. officials seeking answers about his arrest. U.S. consular officials were granted access to Michigan resident Paul Whelan for the first time since his arrest during a visit to the …

China is building the first of four “most advanced” naval warships for Pakistan as part of a major bilateral arms deal to ensure among other things “balance of power” in the strategic Indian Ocean, the state media reported. Equipped with modern detection and weapon systems, it will be capable of …

Incoming Senator Mitt Romney has written a scathing op-ed targeting U.S. President Donald Trump, saying he “has not risen to the mantle of the office”. The barbed remarks from the 2012 Republican presidential candidate came as he and other lawmakers prepare to take up their seats in the new Congress. …

Taiwan’s unification with the mainland is “inevitable”, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, warning against any efforts to promote the island’s independence and saying China would not renounce the option of using military force to bring it into the fold. Mr. Xi’s comments provoked a swift rebuke from Taipei, where …

The five-day Manali Winter Carnival in Kullu district began on Wednesday. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur flagged off the carnival parade from the circuit house. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/five-day-manali-carnival-begins-in-himachals-kullu/article25894941.ece

The entry of two women into the Sabarimala temple on Wednesday has sparked off a debate in Karnataka as well. Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt said on Wednesday that his stand on the issue of women’s entry into Sabarimala temple was neutral and the ‘shastras’ per se do not …

The Uttarakhand Law Commission has recommended changes in the State’s Protection of Cow Progeny Act to declare the animal “mother of the nation”. “The cow should be declared Rashtra Mata in the interest of the nation and justice,” the state’s Law Commission said in its fifth report to the State …

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on January 3 a writ petition for urgent measures to rescue 15 miners trapped in a rat-hole mine in Meghalaya. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said the petition, which was orally mentioned by senior advocate Anand Grover for petitioner Aditya N. …

The Bill also makes it clear that anyone not offering Aadhaar cannot be denied any service, be it a bank account or a SIM card. The Bill seeks to amend the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and …

The 2019 Rajya Sabha calendar, launched by its Chairman and Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, is a treasure trove of the Upper House’s history. For instance, it says that over 34 of its 66 years of existence, including the first 17 years, the Rajya Sabha did not have a Leader of …

Any form of exclusion based on concepts of ‘impurity and pollution’ amounts to untouchability Closure of the Sabarimala temple’ssanctum sanctorumon Wednesday to perform ‘purification rites’ after two women of menstruating age managed to enter may amount to using the concept of impurity and pollution to violate the women’s right against …

This for the first time that purification rites were performed at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple for the entry of women of child-bearing age to the temple. Talking to The Hindu , chief priest (Tantri) Kandararu Rajeevararu said the rites were performed in consultation with Devaswom Executive Officer D.Sudheeshkumar and Melsanthi …

At a time when multiple agencies are involved in the rescue of 15 miners trapped in a rathole mine in Meghalaya, data tabled in the Lok Sabha earlier this week revealed that 377 workers involved in mining of coal, minerals and oil were killed in accidents between 2015 and 2017. …

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the setting up of a high-level committee for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord which provides for constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of Assam. It …

The closing of the Sabarimala temple for purification rituals following the entry of two women of menstruating age on Wednesday has cast the Tantri of the shrine in the spotlight. It has triggered an acrimonious war of words between various quarters over religious tradition and law. Tantri (chief priest) Kandararu …

Jaitley questions Congress record in defence deals; Rahul contests PM’s claim Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday raised the Congress’s record in defence deals, including the role of Mr. Q and alleged revelations by Christian Michel who took the name of “Mrs Gandhi” in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. And …

Invoking the rules of procedure, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu asked 12 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) members to leave for the day, as despite repeated requests and warning they continued to remain in the well of the House protesting against the …

The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of a high-level committee for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord which provides for constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of Assam. It also recommended reserving Assembly seats for …

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a petition filed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court Advocates’ Association in Hyderabad to defer the implementation of a notification issued on December 26 bifurcating the Hyderabad High Court into the new Andhra Pradesh and Telangana High Courts. A Bench of Justices …