The U.S.’s plans to withdraw about 7,000 troops, nearly half of its current strength, from Afghanistan, has invited strong, shocked reactions from Afghans as well as international stakeholders. The decision followed a three-day long meeting of the U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad with Taliban members in Abu Dhabi earlier last …
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U.S. Special Operations forces could be deployed in Syria
The Pentagon is considering using small teams of Special Operations forces to strike the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, one option for continuing a military mission there despite President Donald Trump’s order to withdraw troops.The U.S. commandos would be shifted to neighbouring Iraq, where an estimated 5,000 U.S. forces …
Read More »Where milk comes inside paper board
The packaging of milk has largely been a tale dominated by plastic.While pasteurised milk sealed in polyethylene pouches is still the mainstay of the doorstep delivery of milk at most homes across the country, consumers, especially in urban areas, have increasingly warmed to milk in Tetra Pak cartons, which help …
Read More »‘Easing of norms not linked to death in Sentinel Island’
Relaxing the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for foreigners visiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had “nothing to do with the killing of U.S. national John Allen Chau, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a response in Parliament. The RAP is mandatory for foreign nationals visiting certain areas, including Andaman …
Read More »At Jesus’s birthplace, an app is born to ease crowds
Bethlehem is buzzing, with more tourists expected this Christmas than have visited the Biblical city in years, causing the kind of problem that modern technology was almost born to deal with. Such are the crowds at the church built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been born …
Read More »China’s Pak. investments take a military turn
When U.S. President Donald Trump started the new year by suspending billions of dollars of security aid to Pakistan, one theory was that it would scare the Pakistani military into cooperating better with its U.S. allies. The reality was that Pakistan already had a replacement sponsor lined up. Just two …
Read More »‘Government didn’t try to select Lokpal’
Despite coming to power in 2014 on an anti-corruption plank, the NDA government has not only failed to set up the Lokpal during its tenure, but did not hold even a single meeting of the search committee to find a candidate for the anti-corruption ombudsman, according to the response to …
Read More »Parties agree to debate talaq Bill
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, commonly called the triple talaq Bill, will be taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha on December 27, as the government on Thursday agreed with the suggestion of Congress leader in the House Mallikarjun Kharge to do so. This …
Read More »Plea against Mumbai corpn. Rejected
The philosophy or ideals of an individual cannot be allowed to supersede the power of elected bodies to formulate policy. Courts cannot be a forum to transform the perspective of an individual into a mandatory policy of the government, the Supreme Court has said in a recent judgment. “Perspective of …
Read More »Rajapaksa’s appointment as Leader of Opposition challenged
Following a crisis marked by two competing claims to the office of the Prime Minister, R. Sampanthan — Leader of Opposition since 2015 — on Wednesday challenged the Speaker on his naming of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the position. Referring to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s announcement on Tuesday, following a …
Read More »Senate passes criminal justice reform Bill
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform Bill, that would roll back what are seen as excessively punitive criminal justice policies that have been in place since the crackdown on crime in the 1980s. The Bill, which had wide bipartisan support (only …
Read More »Rajya Sabha rocked for 7th day
For the seventh consecutive day, the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were washed out over a war of words between the government and the Opposition on the Rafale aircraft deal and protests by Tamil Nadu parties over the Cauvery issue. Minutes after the Upper House convened for the day, Congress …
Read More »President’s Rule in J&K from today
President’s Rule will come into force in Jammu and Kashmir from Thursday, after expiry of six months of Governor’s Rule, an official order said on Wednesday. President Ram Nath Kovind signed the proclamation paving the way for imposition of Central rule in the State which was placed under Governor’s Rule …
Read More »Film on menstruation, set in rural India, joins Oscar race
Period. End of Sentence , a the short film about women in India fighting against the deeply rooted stigma of menstruation, has made it to the Oscar shortlist in the Documentary Short Subject category. Directed by award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi, the film is created by The Pad Project, an …
Read More »Rajapaksa named leader of Opposition
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was on Tuesday named the Leader of Opposition in the Sri Lankan Parliament, but rival lawmakers contested his eligibility to hold the position. The Speaker has said that he would consider the objections and give a ruling on Friday. Number of MPs Days after he stepped …
Read More »Working to bring 99% items in sub-18% GST slab: Modi
Indicating that further simplification of the Goods and Services Tax is on the anvil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government wants to ensure that 99% items attract sub-18% GST slab. Before implementation of the GST, registered enterprises numbered 65 lakh, which has now risen by 55 lakh, Mr. Modi …
Read More »Benefit of the doubt must go to accused: SC
The benefit of the doubt in cases based on a flawed police investigation must favour the accused irrespective of the gravity of the crime, the Supreme Court held in a recent judgment in a 17-year-old case of murder and rioting in Uttar Pradesh. “The accused cannot be expected to relinquish …
Read More »Centre may consider PPP mode for Calicut airport
With Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) bidding to operate, manage, and develop the Thiruvananthapuram airport, the Ministry of Civil Aviation may, according to sources, take a positive stance on the State government’s proposal to have a similar management for the Calicut airport. Sources said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has already …
Read More »PM Ranil questions dissolution of Parliament
Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was reinstated as Prime Minister on Sunday, pointed to the constitutional provision prohibiting the dissolution of Parliament prior to the completion of four and half years of its term. ‘In national interest’ Defending his earlier actions sacking Parliament and calling for snap polls — which the Supreme …
Read More »India welcomes end of uncertainty in Sri Lanka
India on Sunday welcomed the end of political uncertainty in Sri Lanka with the return of Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister. A statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the latest developments indicated the resilience of Sri Lankan democracy. “This is a reflection of the …
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