GS-II

Analysts say an Opposition-less Parliament is not conducive for democracy Eta ektu barabari hoye gesse [this is a bit too much] — this is how Awami League supporters reacted a day after the party swept 97% of seats in the national Parliament in Sunday’s general election. Perhaps the Opposition should …

Pakistan on Tuesday shared with India a list of its nuclear installations and facilities as per the provisions of a bilateral agreement.052 “The list was handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today [Tuesday], ” the Foreign Office said. The Ministry …

Police arranged tight security for the 201st anniversary of battle in the village The 201st anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle passed off without any incident as lakhs of Ambedkarites from across Maharashtra and India congregated near the commemorative Bhima-Koregaon ‘Ranstambh’ (victory pillar) on Tuesday under heavy security cover. The Pune …

Series of politically sensitive cases are scheduled for hearing All eyes will be on Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi at the head of the Supreme Court Bench which is scheduled to hear a series of politically sensitive cases, including the Ramjanma- bhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute appeals on January 4, …

Condemn attempt to unfurl IS flag at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid, calling it a ploy against the entire leadership Separatists under the umbrella Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) plan to confront Islamic State (IS) supporters on Friday by holding a protest against the unfurling of an IS flag at the pulpit of …

It is my duty to strive for welfare of all sections, he says A new chapter had begun in the history of sunrise State Andhra Pradesh with the inauguration of the temporary campus for the High Court at the CM’s camp office here on Tuesday. Justice Chagari Praveen Kumar, senior-most …

Exchange lists of convicts who have completed terms In a peace overture, India has asked Islamabad to take back dozens of Pakistani nationals who have completed jail terms here. The Indian request came in the context of the exchange of the lists of prisoners in both countries that took place …

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday held a meeting with his party’s electoral organisers, fuelling speculation that he may be hoping for a possible presidential re-run in 2019. Sirisena could call a snap presidential election after January 8 next year. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/lanka-prez-sirisena-meets-party-organisers-hints-2019-may-be-election-year/article25829731.ece

Terror strikeSuicide attackers stormed the Libyan Foreign Ministry in Tripoli on Tuesday, killing at least three people, including a senior civil servant, and wounding 10 others. A special forces spokesman accused the Islamic State of being behind the bombing.AFPMAHMUD TURKIA Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/under-siege/article25829649.ece

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s foreign policy adviser speaks on the upcoming election, the China factor and the unresolved river-sharing issue Gowher Rizvi, foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, discusses a plethora of issues, including those connecting Bangladesh and India, days before the country’ general election on December 30. …

The Enforcement Directorate, which is now questioning AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel, has so far been able to unearth the money trail allegedly establishing a link between the other two alleged middlemen in the deal and cousins of former Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi. However, all those who are suspected to …

India is not ruling out retaliatory measures in response to the Pakistan government’s delays in sanctioning gas connections to the residential complex at its High Commission in Islamabad. The delay, officials said, were part of a series of measures aimed at “making life difficult” for Indian diplomats in Pakistan. This …

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday underlined the NDA government’s focus on improving connectivity in the northeastern region while inaugurating the 4.94 km Bogibeel Bridge, India’s longest rail-cum-road span, across the Brahmaputra. The strategic bridge, which connects Dibrugarh district on the river’s south bank in Assam to Dhemaji district on …

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has not received orders to pull forces out of the war-torn country, NATO confirmed on Monday, days after it was revealed that President Donald Trump plans to withdraw 7,000 troops. General Scott Miller’s remarks on Sunday capped a tumultuous few days for Afghanistan as …

India will host the newly elected Prime Minister of Bhutan from December 27-29, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday. A press release issued by the Ministry said that the visit by Dr. Lotay Tshering, 50, will take place to mark the golden jubilee of the diplomatic relations between …

Pakistani national Mohammed Imran Warsi, who is set to be repatriated to his home country after spending 10 years in a Bhopal jail, left for the Attari-Wagah border on Monday. Before boarding Shatabdi Express for Delhi, the 40-year-old said he would first meet his mother after reaching his home country. …

An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Monday sentenced ousted premier Nawaz Sharif to seven years in jail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills graft case but acquitted him in the Flagship Investments case. The verdict concludes a series of three court cases against the Sharif family in the high-profile Panama Papers …

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria, saying that “an ally must be reliable”.Speaking in the Chad capital N’Djamena, Mr. Macron said “I deeply regret the decision” by Trump to pullout U.S. troops. r. Trump last week ordered a …

A rise in literacy levels among women has failed to translate into an increase in the number of working women due to a combination of socio-economic factors such as the importance of education for improving marital prospects as well as higher prestige attached to households which keep women out of …

Politicians and voters may or may not be making America great again, but they are making American politics young, and young again, if one considers the fact that several of the country’s ‘Founding Fathers’ were in their 20s and 30s. This trend is showing up in at least two ways …