Author: LokMarg

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will meet the Presiding Officers of state legislatures in India on July 15 in the Parliament premises, the Lok Sabha secretariat said in a statement.

The Presiding Officers will be discussing issues pertaining to the All India Presiding Officers’ Conference and CPA India Region and they will deliberate on areas of interest concerning the functioning of legislative bodies in India, including anti-defection law, disruption in legislatures, people’s participation in legislative bodies and uniformity of rules and procedures in legislatures.

After the meeting, the Lok Sabha Speaker will chair a briefing meeting of the Indian delegation which will attend the upcoming 65 Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at Halifax, Canada from August 20 to 26.

The Speaker will lead the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Conference. The conference is slated to discuss wide-ranging areas from the Role of Parliaments in achieving sustainable development, the use of innovative technology, issues related to women, youth and climate change, etc.

The Parliament of India and all state legislatures are members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and are expected to attend the Conference in Halifax, Canada. (ANI)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested Ajay Ramesh Nawandar, an alleged aide of gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s close associate Chhota Shakeel, in connection with an alleged bank fraud of Rs 34,615 crore by Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL).

During the investigation, his role was unearthed. He was in possession of costly articles and artcrafts belonging to DHFL’s then chairman-cum-managing director Kapil Wadhawan and promoter director Dheeraj Wadhawan which were acquired from the funds diverted from DHFL.
When CBI conducted a search at his premises on July 8, they had recovered two paintings worth of Rs 35 crore and ultra-luxury watches belonging to the Wadhwan brothers and other items worth of crores were recovered from his house, said a senior CBI official.

“He was questioned on July 8 over the recoveries and today he was formally arrested. Several artworks purchased from diverted funds were recovered from his house. The matter is under investigation. We will find out if there are more links in the ‘investment’,” said a senior CBI official.

On July 8, CBI searched the premises of Rebecca Dewan and Ajay Ramesh Nawandar in Mumbai and Dewan Villa, Mahabaleshwar which led to the recovery of a large number of paintings and sculptures, some cash & other incriminating documents. The value of artworks recovered during the search was estimated to be around Rs 40 crore, as per initial estimates.

During the investigation, it was found that the promoters had allegedly diverted the funds and made investments in various entities. It was also alleged that the promoters had acquired expensive paintings and sculptures worth about Rs 55 crore (approximately) using the diverted funds.

A case was registered on a complaint from Union Bank of India, Industrial Finance Branch, Mumbai against a private (borrower) company based in Mumbai, its then CMD, then Director and others including a private person, private companies, unknown public servant(s) and private persons on the allegations that the accused cheated a consortium of 17 banks led by Union Bank of India to the tune of over Rs 34,615 crore (approximately) by siphoning off loans availed from the banks and falsifying the books of said private (borrower) company and creating Shell Companies/false entities, which had come to be known as “Bandra Book Entities”.

It was alleged that the said private company and its promoters had created a number of shell companies and fictitious entities (Bandra Book entities) and siphoned off huge funds by disbursing funds to such fictitious entities.

It was further alleged that separate audits conducted by other private audit accounting organisations had identified multiple instances of diversion of funds by the accused for personal benefits and falsification of books of accounts to camouflage and conceal dubious transactions.

The audits also identified several instances where large value loans were provided to such fictitious entities without due diligence and without securities. Instances of sanction and disbursement of loans, merely by e-mail communications were allegedly found for which no loan files were maintained in the said private (borrower) company. (ANI)

Sri Lankans residing in the Maldives staged a protest on Wednesday against ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

They demanded that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is currently at a resort in the Maldives, be sent back to Sri Lanka, reported Newswire.
Video footage shared by a social media user shows Sri Lankans staging a protest in the Maldives’ capital, Male.

The protesters are seen holding the Sri Lankan national flag and placards with anti-government slogans.

Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives with his family early this morning, despite stating that he will announce his resignation Wednesday, reported Newswire.

The public in Sri Lanka has been calling for the President’s resignation over the current economic crisis.

Apart from leaving the country without tendering his resignation, he has also appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Acting President.

Meanwhile, the Maldives media reports that Rajapaksa is set to leave for either Singapore or Dubai, UAE from the Maldives later Wednesday, reported Newswire.

Amid mayhem and chaos in Sri Lanka, acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed armed forces and police to bring the current situation under control.

Further, some of the protesters have stormed the premises of Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister’s Office in Colombo.

Security personnel resorted to tear-gas shelling to drive away protestors on the streets of Colombo.

Wickremesinghe declared an emergency and imposed a curfew in the western province of the country as protests intensified following Rajapaksa’s escape to the Maldives.

A state of emergency was declared as protesters came prepared to face tear gas shelling by security forces deployed outside Wickremesinghe’s residence. Air patrolling also began around the PM’s residence.

The country’s opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said that the PM cannot exercise the powers of the President, and cannot declare a curfew or a state of emergency.

“PM becomes acting President only if the President appoints him as such, or if the office of President is vacant, or if the CJ in consultation with the Speaker forms the view that the President is unable to act,” Premadasa tweeted.

“In the absence of any of these, the PM cannot exercise the powers of President, and cannot declare curfew or a state of emergency,” he said in another tweet.

73-year-old Rajapaksa had gone into hiding after crowds of protesters stormed his residence on July 9 and he had announced that he will resign on July 13.

The country is facing a severe shortage of fuel and other essential supplies and is in the throes of its worst-ever economic crisis with soaring inflation. (ANI)

US President Joe Biden, who is on the first-ever visit to Israel landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday and asserted “You need not be a Jew to be a Zionist.”

Marking his first-ever official visit to Isreal as the President of the United States (POTUS) said, “You need not be a Jew to be a Zionist. It’s an honour to once again stand with friends and visit the independent Jewish state of Israel.”
He was greeted on the tarmac by Israeli President Issac Herzog, Prime Minister Yair Lapid and other senior officials, including former Premier Naftali Bennett.

Biden reminisced briefly about previous visits and relationships with former leaders, and emphasized the deep connections between Americans and Israelis, reported The Jewish Chronicle.

He discussed the continued growth of the bilateral relations between generations, asserting, “The connection between the Israeli people and the American people is bone deep.”

Biden pledged to “fight the poison of antisemitism wherever it rears its ugly head,” noting the “horror” of the Holocaust and his planned visit to Yad Vashem.

The US president then turned to collaboration between the two countries, particularly in the realm of security, saying he will explore cutting-edge Israeli defence systems, the Iron Dome and the brand-new laser-powered “Iron Beam”.

Biden also emphasised his support for a two-state solution, saying that Israel and a Palestinian state is the solution to the conflict in the region, “even though it’s not (feasible in the near term)”.

“We will continue to advance Israel’s integration into the region.. Greater peace, greater stability is critical for all of the people of the region,” he added.

During his visit, Biden will also be meeting the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem on Friday in a bid to restart talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, reported Doha News.

He concluded his remarks by saying, “May Israel and the US continue to grow and prosper together for the benefit of the entire world.”

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called Biden “a great Zionist and one of the best friends Israel has ever known”.

“During your visit we will discuss matters of national security. We will discuss a new security architecture with the nations of the Middle East following the Abraham Accords and we will discuss the need to renew a global coalition that will stop the Iranian nuclear programme,” Lapid added.

Biden hopes to advance Israel’s desire to establish diplomatic relations with the Saudi Arabia which could help the Middle East countries unite against Iran. Israel has already formalized relations with United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

Biden will remain in the country until Friday before travelling to Saudi Arabia. (ANI)

Taliban’s atrocities continue to ascend in Afghanistan as the organization barred humanitarian aid from entering the Bamyan as it denied the presence of displaced people in the Province.

Many displaced individuals are living on the outskirts of Yakawlang district, according to sources in Bamyan, told Khaama Press that the displaced desperately need assistance.
The provision and distribution of shelter and food assistance for the displaced people who live at a height of 2,700 meters in the cold places of Bamyan province are essential and urgent, said UNHCR.

As per the reports by Khaama Press, World Food Program (WFP), recent humanitarian distributions sent by World Food Program (WFP) to the Balkhab were also displaced.

Moreover, the residents of this district have fled or were forced to leave, leaving only the Taliban forces in place.

Taliban forces in Balkhab district had been harassing women, reported local media, adding that more than 27 thousand people have been displaced over the past two weeks following recent fighting in the district of Balkhab in the Sar-e-Pul province in the north of the country.

The United Nations Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (UNOCHA), too reported that more than 6,000 people from Balkhab have been displaced and are now moving towards Bamyan where the situation is equally nasty, Khaama Press reported.

The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan reflects systematic violations of rights directly resulting from the wilful adoption of measures and policies by the Taliban, aiming at erasing them completely from all spheres of public life.

Afghan women had enjoyed unfettered freedom in the country for so many years but are now staring at a bleak future due to a number of restrictions imposed by the Taliban governing aspects of their lives within ten months of Afghanistan’s takeover.

After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, their forces, including military and intelligence officers, have carried out many summary killings and enforced disappearances.

There is no indication that they have held forces responsible for abuses accountable

Taliban security forces in northern Afghanistan’s Panjshir province have unlawfully detained and tortured residents accused of association with an opposition armed group, according to Human Rights Watch.

Since mid-May 2022, fighting has escalated in the province as National Resistance Front (NRF) forces have attacked Taliban units and checkpoints.

The Taliban have responded by deploying to the province thousands of fighters, who have carried out search operations targeting communities they allege are supporting the NRF. During search operations in other provinces, Taliban forces have committed summary executions and enforced disappearances of captured fighters and other detainees, which are war crimes. (ANI)

American singer and sensation Britney Spears, on Wednesday, dropped some steaming hot pictures from her naked pool day.

Taking to Instagram, the 40-year-old singer captioned the post, “Keep swimming … keep swimming” followed by a swimming and a surprised face emoticon.
In the first picture, the ‘Toxic’ singer, struck a side nude bold pose inside her pool.

In the second picture, the singer stunned everyone, as she can be seen posing her uncovered back.

Soon after the ‘How I roll’ signer dropped these jaw-dropping pictures, fans flooded the comment section with heart-eye and fire emotions and praised the American singer for her ultra-boldness.

One of her fans commented, “Is that a mermaid?” followed by heart-eye emoticons.

Another fan wrote, “Okay these are absolutely stunning and very artfully done.”

The ‘Baby one more time’ singer recently got hitched to her long-time boyfriend Sam Asghari in a close intimate wedding ceremony.

This is not the first time that she shared her bold photos or videos on her socials, the singer recently dropped a topless video on her Instagram, from her honeymoon, in which she could be seen covering her private body parts with her hands.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Spears released her last album ‘Glory Back’ in the year 2016, as per reports the Grammy winner is currently working on her new song after six years. (ANI)

After a period of relative silence, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad attended an important meeting held in the Congress war room here on Jammu and Kashmir, which may face elections by the end of this year.

Azad, who has kept a low profile for some time especially after his name did not figure in the Congress nominations for Rajya Sabha, emphasised in the meeting that the party should move ahead unitedly.
“Where there were differences among us, forgetting them and should move forward unitedly,” Azad is learnt to have said.

The party has accepted resignation Ghulam Ahmad Mir as party’s Jammu and Kashmir chief. Mir and Azad were seen to have differences.

AICC incharge of Jammu and Kashmir Rajni Patil has formed a new panel which has leaders close to Azad.

Sources said Congress leadership was keen for Azad to take over as president of party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit but the former chief minister refused, citing health issues.

A close aide of Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to be made the new chief of party in Jammu and Kashmir. Waqar Rasool is seen to be the frontrunner for the post but there is some opposition to his name and there were references to this in the meeting also, sources said. There is a possibility that some other leader from Azad’s camp will get the post.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also admitted that there was difference of opinion among the leaders of Jammu and Kashmir Congress. “I am not hiding. Now we will all fight the elections together,” he said.

Azad, who has been a vocal leader of G-23, had set political circles abuzz with his public meetings in Jammu and Kashmir in November-December last year.

The G-23 members have been pushing for reforms including elections at various levels.

Both Ghulam Nabi Azad and party leader Anand Sharma did not figure in the list of Congress nominees of Rajya Sabha announced by the party in May. Azad had been the Leader of Opposition in the Upper House of Parliament before his retirement last year. (ANI)

In a bid to break a months-long blockade of grain deliveries across the Black Sea, Russian and Ukrainian delegations on Wednesday met with United Nations and Turkish officials.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the work on the “grain issue” is in progress and being conducted via military officials.
“The work is underway. It is being conducted via military officials. The information will be provided as deemed necessary,” Peskov said, Sputnik News Agency reported.

According to Russian media, negotiations among Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and the UN were planned in Istanbul for Wednesday.

The meeting in Istanbul marks the Russian and Ukrainian governments’ first face-to-face talks since another meeting in the Turkish metropolis in late March.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had said that Russia is open to negotiations with the West on ways to resolve several issues including the blockade of Ukrainian grain at Black Sea ports.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict and its impact on food security and energy dominated the closed-door G20 gathering on the Indonesian island of Bali. The G20 meeting ended with no joint statement and no announcements of any agreements being reached.

The forum was the first face-to-face meeting between Russia and its fiercest critics from the West including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Ukraine is regarded as the “breadbasket of Europe” supplying 10 per cent of the world’s wheat, 12-17 per cent of the world’s maize and half of the world’s sunflower oil. Twenty-five million tonnes of corn and wheat – the entire annual consumption of all the least developed countries – can’t be exported and is currently at risk of rotting in Ukrainian silos.

The West accuses that Russia’s actions have driven up prices in countries like the UK and the ongoing blockade has placed 47 million people around the world on the brink of humanitarian disaster.

In addition to preventing grain from leaving Ukraine via the Black Sea – the route by which 96 per cent of Ukraine’s grain has historically been exported, Russian attacks are disrupting rail exports.

According to Western countries, not only is Russia preventing Ukraine from exporting its grain, but there is also increasing evidence that Russia is stealing grain from Ukraine, smuggling it over the border to sell and boost Putin’s war coffers.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, security experts say one of Moscow’s earliest strategic aims quickly became apparent as its armoured columns advanced along the coast in an effort to seize Ukraine’s coastline.

The seizure of ports would strangle Ukraine economically at a time when it most needs the funds to fend off Russia. After more than four months of the conflict, two of Ukraine’s five main commercial ports have been taken and both are in the northeast of the Black Sea. (ANI)

Constant Chinese intrusions on the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea are provoking Japan over Beijing’s rising aspirations of making gains over Tokyo’s territory.

Though the Senkaku islands are being administered by Japan, China has been flexing its muscles claiming that it is Beijing’s territory. Chinese vessels have now been spotted near the islands, including in the “contiguous zone” outside Japanese waters, for 81 days in a row, The Singapore Post reported.
According to Japan’s Defence Ministry, at least two Chinese warships and a supply ship in the Izu Islands were spotted about 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of Tokyo.

“One of those ships appeared to be the Lhasa, a Type 055 guided-missile destroyer and one of China’s most powerful surface ships,” it said.

Over a week ago, a Chinese frigate sailed in the contiguous zone for about six minutes from 7:44 am, about 40 minutes after a Russian warship was in the area, according to Japanese Defense Ministry officials. It was the first time since June 2018 that a Chinese military vessel had entered the zone near the Senkakus, The Singapore Post reported.

In its bid to protest against an aggressive China, Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yoshimasa Hayashi described the infiltration as a breach of international law and assured to respond to China’s actions “calmly and resolutely.” In the month of May as well, Japan lodged protests with Beijing and Moscow after it found Chinese vessels and Russian vessels operating off the disputed Senkaku islands.

Earlier, Japan’s Defence Ministry white paper expressed its serious concern about Chinese coast guard activities in the East China Sea, last year. According to the report, Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi called attention to “problematic provisions” in Beijing’s draconian Coast Guard Law which empowers the Chinese Coast Guard personnel to “demolish” other countries’ structures built on China-claimed reefs and to board and inspect vessels in waters claimed by China.

Experts say that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ideology is “what is ours is ours and what is yours is negotiable.” The actions by China clearly reflect that it is unilaterally trying to change the status quo and provoking its neighbouring nations to bring about instability in the region.

Amidst the escalating tensions with China, Japan is holding intense discussions on increasing defence budget and developing nuclear-powered submarines over the disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Meanwhile, the Quad summit hosted by Japan in Tokyo last month launched a satellite-based maritime security initiative aimed to pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“The benefit of this maritime initiative will allow tracking of dark shipping and other tactical-level activities, such as rendezvous at sea, as well as improve partners’ ability to respond to climate and humanitarian events and to protect their fisheries, which are vital to many Indo-Pacific economies,” the White House in a media statement said on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in May. (ANI)