Category: National

Nepal appoints new Foreign Minister, says PM’s India visit soon

[ad_1]
Kathmandu: Nepali Congress leader N.P. Saud was on Sunday appointed the country’s new Foreign Minister – filling the key post that was lying vacant for over one and half months.
Saud, who is considered close with former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Chandra Poudel.
After assuming the office, he said that homework for the India visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ will now begin.

According to some media reports, Prachanda is now planning to visit India by mid May, instead of April as planned earlier.
“I have just assumed office today… I will take a briefing from the officials regarding the India visit of the Prime Minister,” Saud said after assuming the office.
“We will strengthen our ties with the neighbouring countries,” he added.
A slew of agreements across various sectors are expected to be signed during Prachanda’s visit, including signing of an agreement for the construction of the Raxaul-Kathmandu railway with India’s financial assistance as its detailed project report (DPR) has been prepared by the Indian consultant Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL).

The KRCL has already handed over the DPR to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

During a press conference on March 27, Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, who then held the Physical Infrastructure and Transport portfolio, had said that the DPR of the proposed Kathmandu-Raxaul railway would be prepared within a month and the Nepali side could receive the report a month later.
To discuss the DPR of the 136-km-long railway that will link Kathmandu with the Indian town Raxaul, Nepal and India are holding a meeting of their joint working group on railway by the end of this week, said an senior official at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.
Some other agreements and issues related to development of two hydropower projects in Nepal, energy cooperation, trade, commerce, digital payments, import of wheat, air routes, water resources, transit, cross-border transmission line among others will be signed or discussed in the visit.
[ad_2]
#Nepal #appoints #Foreign #Minister #PMs #India #visit
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023
CBI asked me about 56 questions; entire excise policy case is false: Arvind Kejriwal

[ad_1]
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the CBI asked him around 56 questions regarding the excise policy case and he answered them all.
“I want to say that the entire excise policy case is false. They do not have any evidence that the AAP is wrong. It’s a result of dirty politics,” he told reporters.
#WATCH | CBI questioning conducted for 9.5 hours. Entire alleged liquor scam is fake, AAP is ‘kattar imaandaar party’. They want to finish AAP but the country’s people are with us…: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal speaks after nine hours of CBI questioning in excise policy case pic.twitter.com/ODnCGKv7R3
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2023
He was speaking to the media at his residence after around nine hours of questioning by the probe agency.

“AAP is a kattar honest party. We did nothing wrong. They asked me 56 questions. The total case is fake. They don’t have anything against us. No evidence. The entire case is bad politics,” Kejriwal said.
As of now, no date has been given to Kejriwal for the second round of questioning.
Thanking the CBI officials for their “hospitality”, Kejriwal said, “They asked me questions in a friendly and harmonious manner. I answered all the questions asked by them.”
“The CBI asked around 56 questions regarding the excise policy, including when and why the policy was started,” he added.

The AAP chief, who arrived at the heavily fortified agency headquarters at around 11 am in his official black SUV, was taken to the first-floor office of the Anti Corruption Branch where he was quizzed by the investigation team, officials said.

A team of senior officials recorded his statement. The CBI has filed a charge sheet in the matter and now they are all set to file a supplementary charge sheet.
Kejriwal was asked about AAP leader Vijay Nair, businessman Sameer Mahendru and how the policy got leaked before it was implemented.
Delhi’s then Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI and the ED in the case and is presently behind bars.
The Delhi Police had imposed Section 144 in and around the CBI’s headquarters to avoid any problems and detained 1,305 AAP workers.
(With inputs from agencies)

[ad_2]
#CBIasked #questions #entire #excise #policy #case #false #Arvind #Kejriwal
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023
Amit Shah has given 7-point programme for Mumbai BJP, says Shelar

[ad_1]
Mumbai: Union Minister Amit Shah has given the Bharatiya Janata Party a seven-point programme to implement in Mumbai, the party’s metropolis unit chief Ashish Shelar said on Sunday.
Shah, among the key strategists of the BJP, arrived in Mumbai late Saturday evening and had chaired a meeting with the core committee of the Mumbai BJP where he also reviewed organisational works, Shelar told reporters.
“Shah gave us a seven-point programme to implement to serve Mumbaikars better. The core committee meeting was convened in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state unit president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and others,” Shelar said.

Civic polls in several cities in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, are due since early 2022 but were not held because of the COVID-19 pandemic. These civic bodies are under administrators at present.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was ruled by the Shiv Sena, which split in June last year into factions led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, an ally of the BJP, and former CM Uddhav Thackeray.
Subscribe us on

[ad_2]
#Amit #Shah #7point #programme #Mumbai #BJP #Shelar

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023
Hyderabad to host 2nd meeting of G20 Digital Economy Working Group

[ad_1]
Hyderabad: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will organise the second in-person meeting of G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) here from April 17-19, officials said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters here, MeitY Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma and Telecom Secretary K Rajaraman said the inaugural address will be given by Union Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment A Narayanaswamy.
The side events would focus primarily on digital connectivity and would comprise of three panel discussions on the thematic areas namely ‘High Speed Mobile Broadband and its impacts on lives, society and industry’, ‘Digital Inclusion: Connecting the Unconnected’, and ‘Sustainable, Green Digital Infrastructure: Challenges and Opportunities,’ the officials said.

Global experts will share their experience in emerging and telecom technologies and on technology led inclusive development.
On the second and third day of the meetings, G20 members, invited guests from countries and international organisations would discuss extensively on the actionable deliverables in priority areas namely ‘Digital Public Infrastructure’, ‘Cybersecurity’ and ‘Digital Skilling’.
The delegates would visit Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad, to gain first-hand knowledge of India’s expertise in the emerging digital and telecom technologies namely 5G-i, 6G, Internet of Things (IoT) and various cases pertaining to welfare of citizens, the officials said.
A workshop titled ‘Multi-stakeholder Consultation for Mutual Recognition of Digital Skills’ would also be held on April 18.

The ‘Stay Safe Online (SSO)’ campaign and ‘G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (DIA)’ have been launched under Indian Presidency to engage with common people especially youths and entrepreneurs in G20 Member States, the officials said.

As part of India’s G20 presidency, MeitY had organised the first Digital Economy Working Group meeting in Lucknow in February.
[ad_2]
#Hyderabad #host #2nd #meeting #G20 #Digital #Economy #Working #Group
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023
SAD chief alleges ‘scam’ in Punjab’s excise policy, seeks questioning of CM Mann

[ad_1]
Jalandhar: SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday alleged a “scam” in the Punjab government’s excise policy, seeking that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann be questioned in the matter like his counterpart in Delhi.
He alleged that the Punjab excise policy had been “patterned” on the Delhi excise policy.
“Just like in the Delhi policy, the AAP government in Punjab created a monopoly in the liquor trade by handing over the entire business to a few contractors,” Badal said.

“While the scam had been exposed in Delhi, the AAP continued to loot the public exchequer in Punjab as it had extended the excise policy by another year,” he further alleged in a statement issued here.
Badal said only a CBI inquiry and a thorough questioning of the Punjab chief minister can “unmask this scam”.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was questioned by the CBI on Sunday in the excise policy case, amid protests by his party as the AAP chief accused the agency of acting at the behest of the BJP.
In a five-minute video message on Twitter before arriving at the heavily fortified headquarters of the Central Bureau of Investigation at around 11 am, Kejriwal claimed that the BJP might have ordered the agency to arrest him.

AAP leader Manish Sisodia was arrested on February 26 after nearly eight hours of questioning in the case.

Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#SAD #chief #alleges #scam #Punjabs #excise #policy #seeks #questioning #Mann
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023
UAE hotels see 90% occupancy as room rates surge ahead of Eid Al-Fitr

[ad_1]
Abu Dhabi: Ahead of Eid Al-Fitr holidays, the hotels in United Arab Emirates (UAE) are witnessing exceptionally high occupancy rates of nearly 90%, local media reported.
The Eid Al-Fitr holidays in UAE begin on the 29th of Ramzan and until the 3rd of Shawwal (April 20 – April 23).
As the festivities coincide with the peak of the usual travel season, hotels on Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi will be packed with holiday tourists.

Although April is the peak tourism season, most hotels expect the Eid holiday season demand to be driven by accommodation enthusiasts.
As per a report by Gulf News, with accommodation enthusiasts providing more than 50 per cent of the demand, hotel room rates in prime locations average from 2,000 Dirhams to 7,000 Dirhams for a two-night stay, depending on the property.
Average daily rates for hotels in Dubai have increased by at least 45-50 per cent this month.
According to astrologers, this year in the UAE, Ramzan will be 30 days long. This gives the most likely start of Eid Al-Fitr on Friday, April 21. However, the official decision will be announced on the 29th day of the holy month of Ramzan, that is on April 19.

[ad_2]
#UAE #hotels #occupancy #room #rates #surge #ahead #Eid #AlFitr
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023
Mood set in Telangana in favour of BJP: Amit Shah

[ad_1]
Panaji: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the mood of people is in favour of BJP Telangana as well as in Odisha.
“The BJP will form a government again in Karnataka,” Shah said addressing a public meeting in south Goa where he kicked off the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign for 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
He referred to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks on BJP’s victory in “small states” of Goa and Uttarakhand earlier and said Kharge shouldn’t insult small states.

Shah also said Congress was wiped out in recent polls in the Northeast after Rahul Gandhi campaigned for the party.
He said the Congress always considered Northeastern states as their stronghold due to a sizeable minority population in these states, but the outcome of recent polls favoured BJP.
“I saw the mood of people in favour of BJP in Odisha and Telangana. I want to tell Kharge ji and Rahul baba that the BJP will form a government in Karnataka again,” he added.
Shah said when BJP won elections in small states like Goa, Uttarakhand, and in the Northeast, Kharge said these are small states.

“They are small states but they are important states of the country. Khargeji should not insult small states,” Shah added.

He said small states are important parts of the country and it is the policy of the Modi government to have a “bigger responsibility towards small states”.
“Small states are the ‘dharohar’ of our country and they are as much important as big states. The smaller the state, the bigger the responsibility of the Centre to work for its development. This is the policy of the Modi government,” Shah said.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, Shah said after ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Rahul Gandhi undertook a full-fledged campaign in the Northeast elections, but the Congress party was wiped out from these states and people gave their mandate in favour of the BJP.
He said BJP has won a full majority in Tripura elections while 13 MLAs of the saffron party were elected in Nagaland. “The government in Meghalaya was formed with the support of BJP,” the home minister added.
Shah said the people of the Northeast have given a clear message that this country should be ruled by a party which can provide security, peace and development to the people.
[ad_2]
#Mood #set #Telangana #favour #BJP #Amit #Shah
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023
Four killed in shooting at US birthday party

[ad_1]
Washington: At least four people were killed and several injured in a shooting in the US’ Alabama state on Saturday night, media reports said.
The shooting occurred at a birthday party in the city of Dadeville in eastern Alabama, the BBC reported.
The shooting occurred at the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio at a 16th birthday party and most of the victims were teenagers, it said.

“This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians. Violent crime has NO place in our state, and we are staying closely updated by law enforcement as details emerge”, Governor Kay Ivey said in a tweet.
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#killed #shooting #birthday #party

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023
Hungary joins Poland in banning grain from Ukraine to protect local farmers

[ad_1]
Budapest: Hungary has joined Poland in banning the import of grain and other food products from Ukraine, in an effort to protect its domestic farming industry, according to official sources.
The ban, which was announced by the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture late Saturday night, is temporary and will last until June 30. Ukrainian grain exports have been forced to take alternate routes through the European Union (EU) since Russia blocked access to the Black Sea, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Minister of Agriculture Istvan Nagy took to Facebook to announce the ban, saying that the Hungarian government is committed to representing the interests of its farming community.

The ministry’s statement said that in the absence of meaningful EU measures, Hungary is temporarily prohibiting the importation of grain, oilseeds, and several other agricultural products from Ukraine, similar to Poland.
Poland announced its own temporary ban on several Ukrainian foodstuffs on Saturday, following protests by Polish farmers.
The Hungarian ministry explained that the continuation of the current domestic market processes would cause serious damage to Hungarian agriculture, so “extraordinary measures must be put in place to hinder them.”
The statement also cited cheap production practices not allowed in the EU, as well as duty-free and free trade opportunities, which have allowed large quantities of Ukrainian poultry, eggs, and honey to enter the European market, making it difficult for domestic and Central European farmers to compete.

[ad_2]
#Hungary #joins #Poland #banning #grain #Ukraine #protect #local #farmers
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023
RDX used in Pulwama sent from Nagpur, why no probe done yet, asks Congress

[ad_1]
Nagpur: Making a sensational allegation, Congress’ Maharashtra President Nana Patole on Sunday said that the RDX used in the 2019 Pulwama terror strike was sent from Nagpur.
“I want to inform you all… The 300 kgs used in that terror strike was despatched from Nagpur. Who sent it, from where was it sent?” he asked.
Addressing a massive rally of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Patole said that even a CBI inquiry was also ordered into the matter, but almost four years later, there has been no outcome of its investigations.

Patole’s statement came with reference to the recent revelations made by former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Satya Pal Malik that has created a huge political row.
At the rally, Shiv Sena-UBT President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis for duping the people of the state and diverting attention from the real issues confronting the masses.
“They are accusing me of discarding Hindutva… What is their brand of Hindutva, assaulting a woman and then threatening her with arrest, not lodging her police complaint,” said Thackeray.
He was recalling the attack on party activist Sonali Pawar-Shinde in Thane on April 3, followed by a huge protest march taken out by the MVA to the city Police Commissionerate the next day.

Attacking Bharatiya Janata Party Minister Chandrakant Patil for his remarks that “no Shiv Sainiks were present during the demolition of the Babri Mosque”, Thackeray hit back: “If there were no Shiv Sainiks, then was it your uncle (there)?”

Several AMVA top leaders like NCP state President Jayant Patil, senior leader Anil Deshmukh and others also gave fiery speeches at the second ‘Vajramooth Rally’ in the series of public meetings planned over the next couple of months.
[ad_2]
#RDX #Pulwama #Nagpur #probe #asks #Congress
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 16, 2023