Month: July 2022

Amid speculation of some Congress legislators walking over to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa, Congress on Sunday removed party MLA Michael Lobo as the Leader of the Opposition in the Goa Assembly alleging that he along with Digambar Kamat hatched a conspiracy to engineer defections in “total coordination” with the BJP.

Addressing a press conference today, AICC Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao said that a conspiracy was hatched by some of our own leaders with the BJP to see that the Congress party in Goa is weakened and to engineer defections.

“This conspiracy was led by two of our own leaders, Leaders of Opposition Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat. Both these people had been working in total coordination with BJP. One person- Digambar Kamat- did it to safeguard his own skin because so many cases are against him and the other person- Michael Lobo- for the sake of power and position. BJP wants to finish Opposition,” he said.

Rao said that a new leader will be elected for the post of Leader of Opposition.

“A new leader will be elected. Whatever action has to be taken by law against this kind of defection, anti-party work will follow. Let’s see how many people will stay/move. Five of our MLAs are here, we are in touch with some more MLAs and they’ll be along with us,” he said.

Rao asserted that the Congress party will not be disheartened or weakened. “We will take up this issue in a more aggressive manner. We will inform the people that this betrayal is being engineered by two people for the sake of power and personal gain,” he added.

Amid rumours that some Congress MLAs may cross over to the ruling BJP, Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Ramesh Tawadkar on Sunday cancelled the notification announcing elections for the post of Deputy Speaker.

The order withdrawing notification of election for the post of Deputy Speaker was withdrawn on Sunday morning. The election was scheduled to be held on July 12 during the upcoming monsoon Assembly session.

Legislature Secretary Namrata Ulman has said that the notification issued on July 8 under Rule 308 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn.

“Hence the notice of nomination for election of deputy speaker issued under 9(2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn also,” the order reads.

“All the Hon’ble members may note the same. No nomination shall be accepted for the aforesaid Election,” it adds.

The two-week-long Assembly session will begin on Monday.

The withdrawal comes amidst rife rumours claiming that a group of Congress MLAs may split to join the BJP. There was no formal confirmation even as the Congress MLAs held a series of meetings in the Margao town on Sunday.

In the Goa Assembly elections held earlier this year, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly and reducing Congress to 11 seats. (ANI)

With an aim to spread clarity about the Agnipath scheme, the Defence Minister will chair a consultative committee meeting which will include the presence of Minister of State Ajay Bhatt, the three service chiefs and the Defence Secretary.

Sources aware of the development say that it was a personal initiative taken by the defence ministry to allay the fears of the opposition on Agnipath so that it could lead to a clear political solution.

The meeting holds importance in terms of laying out facts before various members of Parliament just before the upcoming Monsoon Session.

“We have the Parliament session coming up and opposition parties are going to raise this particular issue and try and create a ruckus so in order to iron out whatever their issues or regarding the scheme and clarity can be provided this initiative has been taken by the Raksha Mantri,” sources told ANI.

Notably, Rajnath Singh also took on personal initiatives to brief senior opposition leaders on issues like India’s relationship with China and the LAC issue. Even then Singh had made personal calls and clarified the issues with former defence Minister Sharad Pawar and AK Antony amongst the others.

Indian Army and Navy have begun accepting registrations for the Agniveers programme, according to a July 2 Defense Ministry announcement. Agniveers will be enlisted for four years in the Army, Navy, and Air Force under the plan.

Based on merit, willingness, and medical fitness, up to 25 per cent of them could be retained or re-enlisted in the regular cadre after four years.

75% of the population will be qualified for “Seva Nidhi” packages of 11-12 lakh rupees. Additionally, they will be given bank loans and skill certificates for their second career.

The Air Force has received 7,49,899 applications for recruitment

Several senior members of Parliament including Mallikarjun Kharge, Manish Tiwari, Supriya Sule, P Wilson amongst those who are part of this committee that will hold the meeting tomorrow. (ANI)

Amid the Sri Lankan crisis, Trinamool Congress MLA from West Bengal Idris Ali on Sunday made a controversial remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the latter will meet the same fate that of his Sri Lankan counterpart.

“Whatever happened with the President of Sri Lanka, will happen with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here. Looking at the things in India, I say that Prime Minister Modi is a total failure. It will be even worse here. Prime Minister Modi will also resign and flee,” TMC MLA Idris Ali told ANI.

Reacting to Ali’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Priyanka Tibrewal said the TMC does not have respect for Constitution and federalism.

“I believe it is not required to comment on the statements of the illetrate people. TMC MPs and MLAs have crossed all the limits. We have seen how Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is silent after the remarks of MP Mahua Moitra on Goddess Kali that hurt the sentiments of Hindus. It suggests that Chief Minister’s consent is there in these things. Such remarks about Prime Minister show the mentality of these people. It means they do not have regard for Constitution and federalism,” Tibrewal told ANI.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek prosperity and progress through democratic means and constitutional framework and continue to follow the development in the island country.

In pursuance of the central place that Sri Lanka occupies in our Neighbourhood First policy, India has extended this year unprecedented support of over USD 3.8 billion for ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka, added the External Affairs Ministry.

Earlier on Saturday, protesters stormed into Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official home and later broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence and set it on fire.

Both President Rajapaksa and PM Wickremesinghe have announced to step down from their posts amid the ongoing protests.

However, the protesters who have occupied the residences of the President and Prime Minister have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts.

The worsening economic situation in the country has led to increasing tensions and over the last few weeks, there were reports of several confrontations between individuals and members of the police force and the armed forces at fuel stations where thousands of desperate members of the public have queued for hours and sometimes days. Police have used tear gas and water cannons at times in a disproportionate manner. On occasions, armed forces have also fired live ammunition.

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development and severely undermining the country’s ability to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice.

Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages. The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty – some for the first time – adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic. (ANI)

The Indian Army has recently obtained requisite approvals to induct Mandarin-trained personnel in the Territorial Army for which notification for inviting applications for Mandarin experts into the Territorial Army has been issued on Sunday.

With recalibration of the Indian Army’s strategic outlook toward Northern borders, the Indian Army has upscaled its Chinese language training and has synergistically enmeshed appropriate scaling of Chinese linguists within its overall strategy.
A slew of measures has been undertaken to improve its in-house Mandarin expertise. The aim is to empower junior and senior military commanders to engage with PLA personnel as and when the situation arises. With improved Mandarin skills, Indian Army personnel will be better empowered to convey their points in a much more cogent manner.

Chinese language experts are a functional requirement at tactical level and are required for providing analysis at the operational and strategic level while catering for futuristic needs and maintaining adequate redundancy at all levels.

More Mandarin experts are required for better exchange of their own viewpoints and understanding of the PLA version of their activities during various interactions such as Corps Commander level talks, Flag meetings, Joint Exercises, Border Personnel Meetings and others, the Indian Army official statement said.

The Indian Army has concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), Central University of Gujarat (CUG), Shiv Nadar University (SNU) for imparting Mandarin proficiency to its personnel. Simultaneously, in-house efforts include increasing the vacancies at the Army’s Training School at Pachamari and the School of Foreign Languages, Delhi.

Proficiency level testing of trained soldiers is being conducted through civilian institutes like Langma School of Languages, New Delhi to assess the competence level of linguists as per international standards.

Apart from these, various Mandarin language courses are being run at the Language Schools at the Northern, Eastern and Central Command.

Indian Army is also using Artificial Intelligence-based solutions for the translation of various scripts or literature. As per inputs, the Indian Army now has a significant pool of Mandarin-qualified personnel drawn from all ranks i.e Officers, JCOs and NCOs. (ANI)

The provocative statements by clerics against suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma have hit devotees’ footfall in Ajmer which has also impacted the business of local vendors and hotels near the Sufi shrine.

The disputed videos and statements from clerics have impacted the business on Eid. The local vendors say they have faced a 90 per cent loss in their business this Eid and even hotel bookings were cancelled near the Ajmer Dargah.

The lanes and alleys of Ajmer, which used to be crowded with devotees, despite Friday being Jumma, the streets of the dargah wore a deserted look.

After the provocative statements given by Khadims of Khwaja Garib Nawaz, there has been a decrease in the number of people coming here.

Notably, till now, three Khadim of the Dargah has given provocative statements against Nupur Sharma.

The income of people has also been affected because of this and restaurant and transport has only made 10 per cent business in the last few days.

“Earlier our sales were much higher than they are right now. All salesmen here are facing a recession of a kind. People are not coming out as they are scared,” said Dinesh Kumar Soni, a local vendor.

Not only this, but the hotels in Dargah Bazaar, Delhi Gate, Diggi Bazaar and guest houses in Khadim Mohalla, Kammani Gate, Ander Kote and Lakhan Kotri are sustaining heavy losses daily because many people have also cancelled their advance hotel booking.

“We have a hotel. Our sales were good for the past year but since statements and issues in Udaipur cropped up, it is led to a complete loss of sales. All our rooms are currently vacant, those who had booked prior to their arrival have cancelled,” said a hotel owner.

Riyaz Khan, the owner of Jannat Group of Hotels, says that hate statements have started having a negative effect on the people coming to Ajmer, whatever happens in the country, it definitely falls on the market of Ajmer, people after the barbaric murder case in Udaipur started cancelling their bookings in hotels.

Shadabh Siddiqui, an owner of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz Sweets, known for its ‘sohan halwa’, said the earnings of businessmen of Ajmer have come down by 90 per cent.

“All shops and vendors are sitting idle. It is these statements that have triggered this. A loss of at least Rs 50 crore is estimated to be witnessed. Forget about private vehicles, even buses are coming here empty,” said President of Dargah Bazar Business Association, Hotchand Srinani.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Police have arrested a cleric of the Ajmer Dargah for allegedly making a provocative statement against the suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

The arrested cleric, a history-sheeter had made the objectionable remarks that was captured on video.

Chishti is heard saying in the video that he would gift his house and property as a reward to anyone who brings him the head of Nupur Sharma who had made controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

He could also be heard saying that the BJP leader has insulted the Khwaja and the Prophet and alleged that Muslims were being persecuted and killed across the country.

On June 28, Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur, was killed in a gruesome manner, shortly after he alleged that he had been receiving threats over his social media post in support of Nupur Sharma.

Last month, Noopur Sharma made objectionable remarks against Prophet Muhammad during a television news debate on the Gyanvapi issue.

Sharma’s controversial remarks had triggered protests in various states and had also drawn sharp reactions from other countries. (ANI)

At least 14 people were killed and nine others injured in a shooting at a bar in the South African township of Soweto on Sunday, local authorities said.

According to CNN, Gauteng Police said in a statement that the incident took place after midnight when a group of armed men with rifles and millimetre pistols entered the bar in the Nomzamo informal settlement near Johannesburg and started shooting randomly at the patrons.
Police said that around 23 people were shot in the incident out of which 12 died on the spot, while 11 suffered injuries. They were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment where two other people succumbed to their injuries.

Citing a South African news channel ENCA, CNN reported that Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela said, “It’s a bad scene. When you see the bodies [that] are piled up, you can see that every one of those people was struggling to get out of the tavern.”

Mawela told that the police are yet to find out the reason behind the shooting. They have opened investigations into 14 cases of murder and nine cases of attempted murder.

“I have no doubt that with the cooperation of the community here, we will be able to crack this case,” Mawela added.

The police called on witnesses to come forward, saying the suspects were still on the run, CNN reported.

In another incident at a bar in Sweetwaters in Pietermaritzburg, four other people were killed on Saturday evening, police said.

The twin shooting comes as the country still mourns the deaths of 22 young people who were found dead at an East London nightclub in South Africa.

As per the local media reports, there were speculations that the patrons were either exposed to some form of poison or an incident resulted in a large number being injured and killed in a stampede.

The investigation into the case is underway. (ANI)

Bollywood actor Malaika Arora never fails to catch the eyeballs with her amazing looks and this time the actor, on Sunday, shared a series of posts in a embellished sheer ivory saree, setting the social media on fire.

The actor took to her Instagram handle and posted a series of clicks in which she left people awestruck with her jaw-dropping look.

Malaika donned a sheer ivory saree designed by Dilnaz. She paired her beautiful saree with a matching strappy pearls embellished blouse with a plunging neckline.

Looking like a diva, the actor struck an elegant pose, as she can be seen looking downward by keeping her eyes closed. The image gave a close-up look at Mala’s on-bold make-up. She wore shimmery eyes and nude lips for her ethereal ethnic look.

In the second picture, the 48-year-old actor can be seen looking straight into the camera, striking an elegant pose. She accessorized her look with circular pearl earrings by Anaash.

In another picture, the ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ actor was seen looking away from the lens as she carries a silver textured clutch that increased the chic quotient of her outfit and stunned everyone with her amazing looks in the designer embellished saree.

For hair, she kept it in a low bun with twisted frontal tresses.

Maliaka looked drop-dead-gorgeous as she poses elegantly by leaning back and keeping one hand close to her face and looking down.

The actor also wore matching high heels to finish her look.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time that the ‘Housefull’ actor has left her fans mesmerized by her looks.

Malaika Arora is one of the most talked-about celebrities in B-town. Be it her excellent Yoga asanas, red carpet appearances or posing for the paparazzi on a night out, she can do it all effortlessly. Malaika is also very active on social media, where she gives her fans a glimpse of her daily routine regularly.

As far as her personal life is concerned, Malaika is dating actor Arjun Kapoor. The duo is often spotted by Paparazzi across the town. (ANI)

Pakistan would borrow Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 5.5 trillion from international lenders in the current fiscal year to maintain their foreign exchange reserves, repay the previous loans and finance of current account deficit.

Earlier, in the annual budget for 2022-23, the Pakistan government had projected that they will borrow only PKR 3.17 trillion from international sources. However, the budget didn’t include the financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Saudi Arabia and SAFE China deposit, Pakistani newspaper The Nation.

The volume of the projected international borrowing has now increased to PKR 5.5 trillion after incorporating funding from aforesaid sources.

This new borrowing will be 74 per cent higher than the previous estimates of the government. After the revision, the external resources of PKR 5.503 trillion projected for 2022-23 are greater by more than 200 per cent than the initial PKR 2.7 trillion budgeted for 2021-22.

The current government is still struggling to arrange dollars and it also needs external financing of USD 41 billion in the next fiscal year, reported The Nation.

The government would have to repay the previous loan of USD 21 billion and the current account deficit has been projected at USD 12 billion and USD 8 billion more for increasing foreign exchange reserves to USD18 billion in the upcoming financial year.

Therefore, the government has planned to borrow massively in the current fiscal year.

However, major financing would require the revival of the IMF programme, which would not only release around two billion dollars for Pakistan but it would also pave the way for getting loans from other multilateral and bilateral sources.

Meanwhile, the business leaders of Pakistan have warned that the country is heading toward social unrest and fear that it is becoming unsafe for foreign investment due to back-to-back government policies that seek to discourage investors, according to Dawn.

“We don’t have continuity of economic policies. There have to be separate teams for economic matters and political issues so that policies remain intact; otherwise, it will keep affecting foreign and local investors,” said the former vice president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Saqib Fayaz Magoon, while reacting to the massive hike in the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) policy rate from 7.5 per cent in September 2021 to 15 per cent in less than 10 months, the Dawn reported.

He explained that industrialists and foreign investors always rely on interest rates and foreign exchange rates before investing.

“If it changes so abruptly and that too quite considerably, then foreign investors will start eluding Pakistan,” the Dawn quoted Magoon as saying.

Secondly, he said, banks in Pakistan were reluctant (due to verbal instructions from the SBP) to make payments to businessmen who got supplies on collection base documents on short-term credit.

“The banks were making payments on LC-based payments alone. Pakistan witnesses around USD 1 billion in payments under credit-based business due to the credibility of Pakistani businessmen and foreign suppliers,” he said.

According to the Dawn, Magoon while expressing concern over the increasing value of the Dollar said that Foreign investors are looking with worry at this depreciation in the Pakistani rupee because they invest in dollars and get a return in local currency, as the exchange rate is likely to appreciate even further after Eidul Azha, he said.

Notably, Inflation in Pakistan increased to 21.32 per cent in the month of June, the highest in over 13 years, as per local media reports. (ANI)

Bollywood veteran actor Kajol Devgan recently celebrated 25 years of her film ‘Gupt’ alongside co-star Bobby Deol.

Taking to Instagram, the ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ actor shared glimpses of the celebration as she and Bobby had a gala time, enjoying together.
“Because posing with hearts is too cliche,” captioned Kajol in the video shared by her.

In the clip, the ‘Gupt’ co-actors were seen in a fun mood as they grooved together holding fake knives in their hands. Both had a smile on their faces and seemed to be vibing.

Apart from the clip, Kajol also shared a slew of pictures on social media, revealing her outfit, looking like the diva, she is.

“And that’s it…” captioned the actor.

Kajol was decked up in a multi-colored co-ord set, having a one-shoulder sleeve, and matched it with sleek black flared pants, with a stunning golden buckle tied on her waist, looking gorgeous. Her unique choice of the top had intricate geometric patterns. She struck a casual pose, with one hand on her waist as she flashed a wide smile, looking at the camera.

The actor had kept her hair in a mini top bun, leaving the rest of her locks loose, and graced the camera with her piercing gaze. She sported dewy, glam makeup with a brownish-nude shade of lipstick. The long gold-studded earrings along with matching rings enhanced her elegance further.

As for the fourth image, Kajol exuded a quirky pose as she lifted one leg up while her facial expressions suggested that she was cheering for something. Kajol embodied the fusion of grace and quirk in one.

Kajol also shared a delicious image of the cake, the words, “25 years of Gupt” written on the delicacy. The fancy cake was decorated with a mouthful of Oreo biscuits, chocolate cookies, nuts, and chocolate cream that indeed looked mouth-watering.

Helmed by Rajiv Rai, ‘Gupt’ was released in theatres in 1997. It was a massive hit back then and Kajol bagged the Filmfare Award for the ‘Best Performance in Negative Role’. Apart from Kajol and Bobby Deol, ‘Gupt’ also starred Manisha Koirala, Om Puri, Prem Chopra, and Paresh Rawal in pivotal roles.

Meanwhile, on the film front, Kajol was last seen in the historical drama ‘Tanhaji’, alongside her husband Ajay Devgan. Saif Ali Khan also starred in the movie. Currently, she is busy shooting for her film ‘Salaam Venky’. The film which was earlier titled ‘The Last Hurrah’, is helmed by none other than famous director Revathy. (ANI)

For the first time since 2007, Israel’s state budget recorded a 12-month surplus, the country’s Finance Ministry said on Sunday.

During the 12 months ended in June, Israel’s budget surplus amounted to 6.4 billion shekels (1.85 billion U.S. dollars), which is 0.4 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The ministry added that this is Israel’s highest annual budget surplus since 1987.

In February 2021, Israel’s 12-month budget deficit reached a record high of 173.9 billion shekels, or 12.4 per cent of its GDP, and has been gradually declining every month since then, the data showed.

In the first half of 2022, a surplus of 31.9 billion shekels was recorded in the Israeli budget, compared to a deficit of 43.7 billion shekels in the same period last year.

The transition from deficit to surplus was mainly due to a sharp decrease in spending on the national COVID-19 financial support plan, along with an increase in tax revenues, according to the ministry. (ANI/Xinhua)