Central News Hub

Month: September 2022

  • Jaishankar congratulates next British PM

    Jaishankar congratulates next British PM

    Liz Truss was announced as the new head of the Conservative Party today. Forty-seven-year-old Liz Truss will become the third female prime minister of the UK…reports Asian Lite News

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss for getting elected as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

    Taking to Twitter, Jaishanakar in his congratulatory message wrote that the India-UK partnership will further strengthen under her leadership.

    “Congratulations @trussliz on being elected as the leader of UK Conservative Party. Your commitment to raising India-UK cooperation to a higher level is well known. Confident that our relationship will grow further under your leadership,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    Liz Truss was announced as the new head of the Conservative Party today. Forty-seven-year-old Liz Truss will become the third female prime minister of the UK.

    She defeated former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak through a postal ballot of all Conservative members. Truss secured 81,326 votes while Sunak got 60,399 votes.

    “I am honoured to be elected Leader of the Conservative Party. Thank you for putting your trust in me to lead and deliver for our great country. I will take bold action to get all of us through these tough times, grow our economy, and unleash the United Kingdom’s potential,” Truss wrote on Twitter.

    The Tory leadership race was triggered after Boris Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership.

    Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss rose to the Conservative ranks to end up as finalists for the contest for the post of UK Prime Minister.

    During nearly a dozen hustings and after a six-week long head-to-head competition, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak had explained their long-term visions for Britain. Both contenders went through bouts of 12 nationwide events with the first bout in Leeds, Northern England.

    Truss indicated that she will strongly push back against “identity politics of the left” as she has envisioned the legislation for single-sex spaces such as domestic violence shelters. Sunak batted for cutting VAT to revive the country’s economic situation.

    The Roadmap 2030 for India-UK future relations was launched during a virtual summit between the two countries in May last year. This Roadmap is for revitalised and dynamic connections between people, re-energised trade, investment and technological collaboration.

    During her visit to India this year, Truss along with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved so far concerning Roadmap 2030 and agreed to further intensify efforts to deliver results in priority areas of trade and investments, defence, and migration.

    Both sides appreciated the substantial progress made in the India-UK FTA negotiations with two productive rounds completed since its launch in January 2022. (ANI)

    ALSO READ-Truss joins club of women in power across Europe

  • Hasina recieved by PM Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan

    Hasina recieved by PM Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan

    Hasina began her four-day visit to India yesterday as Bangladesh is an important partner under India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy…reports Asian Lite News

    Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Bangladesh PM as she arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Sheikh Hasina shook hands with PM Modi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was also present. Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina is set to meet President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar today. Apart from it, she will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Hasina began her four-day visit to India yesterday as Bangladesh is an important partner under India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy.

    Soon after arriving in New Delhi on Monday, Bangladesh Prime Minister met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed issues of bilateral interest. She also visited Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah, a prominent pilgrimage tourist attraction in Delhi.

    Under the visionary leadership of Prime Ministers, Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina, India and Bangladesh have attained tangible results in several areas including settling land and maritime boundary demarcation, security, connectivity, development cooperation, cultural exchange, power and energy, trade and commerce, blue economy, defence.

    PM Hasina was welcomed by Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Textiles and Railways in New Delhi upon her arrival here on Monday. Shiekh Hasina’s visit is crucial and will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between India and Bangladesh.

    Bangladesh Prime Minister also got clicked with the dancers who welcomed her. Issues which are on top of the agenda are upgrading defence cooperation, expanding regional connectivity initiatives and establishing stability in South Asia.

    This visit is her first visit after both nations’ bilateral relations touched their 50th year in 2021. Last year also marked the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence and the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of the nation.

    PM Modi visited Bangladesh in 2021. Maitri Diwas celebrations were held in 20 capitals around the world including Delhi and Dhaka. Prime Ministers of both countries have met 12 times since 2015.

    India and Bangladesh have sought to create a model for regional cooperation besides reviving several connectivity initiatives over the last few years. The Akhaura-Agartala rail link will reopen soon, and it is anticipated that Agartala and Chittagong will be connected by air in a few weeks.

    Bangladesh is an important partner under India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy. The cooperation extends to all fields including security, trade & commerce, power & energy, transport & connectivity, science & technology, defence, rivers, and maritime affairs among others.

    Bangladesh is now India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia. Bilateral trade has grown from USD 9 billion to USD 18 billion in the last five years. Bangladesh has become the fourth largest export destination for India with a growth of over 66 per cent from USD 9.69 billion in FY 2020-21 to USD 16.15 billion in FY 2021-22.

    Despite the COVID pandemic, both countries were able to achieve progress on important connectivity initiatives. Bangladesh is India’s largest development partner with nearly one-fourth of the Government of India (GoI) commitment under the GoI Line of Credit (LoC) has been made to Bangladesh. Total contracts have crossed the milestone figure of USD 2 billion and total disbursements have crossed USD 1 billion.

    India has been a hub of medical treatment for Bangladesh nationals. Of the 2.8 lakh visas issued in 2021, 2.3 lakh were medical visas. Bangladesh is currently India’s biggest visa operation globally. In 2019, 13.63 lakh visas were issued. (ANI)

    ALSO READ-Hasina’s India visit to bolster energy, food security ties

  • Obama wins Emmy for narrating Netflix series

    Obama wins Emmy for narrating Netflix series

    Obama is the second president to have an Emmy. Dwight D. Eisenhower was given a special Emmy Award in 1956….reports Asian Lite News

    Former US President won an Emmy Award to go with his two Grammys. Obama won the best narrator Emmy for his work on the Netflix documentary series, “Our Great National Parks”, reports cbsnews.com

    The five-part show, which features national parks from around the globe, is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, ‘Higher Ground’.

    He was the biggest name in a category full of famous nominees for the award handed out at Saturday night’s Creative Arts Emmys, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, David Attenborough and Lupita Nyong’o.

    Obama is the second president to have an Emmy. Dwight D. Eisenhower was given a special Emmy Award in 1956.

    Obama previously won Grammy Awards for his audiobook reading of two of his memoirs, “The Audacity of Hope” and “A Promised Land.” Michelle Obama won her own Grammy for reading her audiobook in 2020.

    EGOT refers to a special category of entertainers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. To date, 17 people have done it.

    The late Chadwick Boseman also won an Emmy for his voice work on Saturday. The ‘Black Panther’ actor won for outstanding character voiceover for the Disney+ and Marvel Studios animated show ‘What If…?’

    On the show, Boseman voiced his ‘Black Panther’ character T’Challa in an alternate universe where he becomes Star-Lord from “Guardians of the Galaxy”.

    It was one of the last projects for Boseman, who died in 2020 of colon cancer at age 43.

    ALSO READ: No end to visa woes for Canada bound Indian students

  • Stabbings in Canada kill 10, wound 15

    Stabbings in Canada kill 10, wound 15

    Regina police chief Evan Bray said late Sunday they still believe the suspects are in Regina….reports Asian Lite News

    Canadian police searched across the expansive province of Saskatchewan for two suspects believed to have stabbed to death 10 people in an Indigenous community and a nearby town in one of the deadliest mass killings in the country’s history.

    The suspects also injured 15 people in the series of knife attacks that led the James Smith Cree Nation to declare a state of emergency and badly shook residents of the nearby village of Weldon.

    “No one in this town is ever going to sleep again. They’re going to be terrified to open their door,” said Weldon resident Ruby Works, who was close to one of the victims.

    Police, meanwhile, said a vehicle reportedly carrying the two suspects had been spotted in Regina, about 335 kilometers (208 miles) south of the communities where the stabbings occurred.

    Regina police chief Evan Bray said late Sunday they still believe the suspects are in Regina.

    “If in the Regina area, take precautions & consider sheltering in place. Do not leave a secure location. DO NOT APPROACH suspicious persons. Do not pick up hitch hikers. Report suspicious persons, emergencies or info to 9-1-1. Do not disclose police locations,” the RCMP said in a message on Twitter.

    The suspects were identified as Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30.

    “It is horrific what has occurred in our province today,” said Rhonda Blackmore, the Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP in Saskatchewan, adding there were 13 crime scenes where either deceased or injured people were found.

    Blackmore said some of the victims appear to have been targeted by the suspects but others appear to have been attacked at random.

    She couldn’t provide a motive, but the chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations gave a statement suggesting the stabbings could be drug-related.

    The elected leaders of the three communities that make up the James Smith Cree Nation, including the Chakastaypasin Band and the Peter Chapman Band, declared a local state of emergency and opened up two emergency operations centers.

    Chakastaypasin Chief Calvin Sanderson — who is not related to the suspects — said everyone has been affected by the tragic events.

    “They were our relatives, friends,” Sanderson said of the victims. “It’s pretty horrific.”

    “This is the destruction we face when harmful illegal drugs invade our communities, and we demand all authorities to take direction from the Chiefs and Councils and their membership to create safer and healthier communities for our people,” said Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.

    Among the 10 victims killed was Lana Head, who is the former partner of Michael Brett Burns and the mother of their two daughters.

    “It’s sick how jail time, drugs and alcohol can destroy many lives,” Burns told the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. “I’m hurt for all this loss.”

    Last May, Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers issued a wanted list that included Myles Sanderson, writing that he was “unlawfully at large.”

    The attack is among the deadliest mass killings in Canadian history. The deadliest gun rampage in Canadian history happened in 2020 when a man disguised as a police officer shot people in their homes and set fires across the province of Nova Scotia, killing 22 people. A man used a van to kill 10 pedestrians in Toronto in 2019. But mass killings are less common in Canada than in the United States.

    ALSO READ: No end to visa woes for Canada bound Indian students

  • Truss joins club of women in power across Europe

    Truss joins club of women in power across Europe

    Truss is the third woman prime minister after “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher, who was in charge from 1979 to 1990, and Theresa May, who governed from 2016 to 2019 — all Conservatives…reports Asian Lite News

    Liz Truss, who was unveiled as Britain’s new Prime Minister on Monday, joins a group of over a dozen European women who are either president or prime minister of their country.

    Here is the list, which does not include Ursula von der Leyen, who became the first woman president of the European Commission in December 2019:

    Britain

    In Britain, which is part of Europe but no longer part of the EU, Truss won the leadership race of the ruling Conservative Party, automatically making her leader of the country after Boris Johnson’s resignation in July.

    Truss is the third woman prime minister after “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher, who was in charge from 1979 to 1990, and Theresa May, who governed from 2016 to 2019 — all Conservatives.

    Denmark

    Social Democrat leader Mette Frederiksen became her country’s youngest-ever prime minister in June 2019 when she was elected premier at the age of 41.

    Denmark’s first woman prime minister was Helle Thorning-Schmidt, also from the Social Democrats, who served from 2011 to 2015.

    Estonia

    Former EU auditor Kersti Kaljulaid, 52, became the first female president of the Baltic state of Estonia in October 2016. The position is a largely ceremonial one.

    Kaja Kallas in January 2021 became Estonia’s first woman prime minister. Her father Siim Kallas was prime minister from 2002-2004.

    Finland

    In December 2019, Sanna Marin, a Social Democrat, became the youngest sitting prime minister in the world at the age of 34.

    Finland’s third female prime minister has been in the headlines recently over pictures of her dancing and partying with friends.

    France

    Elisabeth Borne, a 61-year-old engineer, was named French prime minister in May, becoming only the second woman to hold the position after Edith Cresson, a Socialist, who held the job for less than a year in the early 1990s.

    Greece

    Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a trailblazing lawyer, was elected Greece’s first female president in January 2020.

    While the presidency is a mainly ceremonial role in Greece, Sakellaropoulou had already broken new ground in the judiciary by becoming president of the country’s top court in 2018.

    Hungary

    Katalin Novak, a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban and former minister for family policy, was elected Hungary’s first ever woman president in March 2022.

    The presidency is a largely ceremonial role.

    Lithuania

    Lithuanian former finance minister Ingrida Simonyte, a 47-year-old rock and ice hockey fan, was appointed prime minister of a centre-right government in December 2020.

    Lithuania has a strong tradition of female leadership, with “Baltic Iron Lady” Dalia Grybauskaite spending a decade in power from 2009 to 2019.

    Slovakia

    Liberal lawyer and anti-graft campaigner Zuzana Caputova, 48, took office in June 2019 as Slovakia’s first woman president.

    A political novice, she had comfortably beaten the ruling party’s candidate in elections. In Slovakia, the president has less power than the prime minister but can veto laws and appointments of senior judges.

    Sweden

    Despite being a country that champions gender equality, Sweden never had a woman as prime minister before Magdalena Andersson, a Social Democrat, who won the top job in November 2021.

    An economist who had served as finance minister for seven years, Andersson had a rocky start. Hours after becoming premier she resigned after her budget was rejected by parliament and the Greens quit her coalition. Four days later she was re-elected.

    Rest of Europe

    Elsewhere in Europe, outside the EU, other women currently in power are: Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, Kosovo’s president Vjosa Osmani, Moldova’s president and prime minister Maia Sandu and Natalia Gavrilita, Serbia’s openly-gay Ana Brnabic, and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

    ALSO READ: Why Rishi lost the race?

  • Why Rishi lost the race?

    Why Rishi lost the race?

    Several other MPs too switched sides. Meanwhile, Liz became stronger with her moves as the race progressed…reports Asian Lite News

    Rishi Sunak had an advantage as he threw his hat early in the ring and was endorsed by four former chief whips, but within weeks, he started trailing behind the late-comer Liz Truss

    Touted as the favourite initially for the race to Downing Street, Rishi Sunak started losing his spark midway. Sunak had a huge advantage as he threw his hat early in the ring and was endorsed by four former chief whips, but within weeks, he started trailing behind the late-comer Liz Truss in the UK prime ministerial race.

    ‘Ready for Rishi’

    Hours after Boris Johnson announced his resignation, Sunak threw his hat into the ring with a campaign video titled ‘Ready for Rishi’. Even though it gave him the initial advantage, the act was a thorough mark of trust deficit in his boss and mentor.

    Moreover, even as he gained massive support from his party at first, he started losing them including Sajid Javid, Nadhim Zahawi and then, finally, Mordaunt. Several other MPs too switched sides. Meanwhile, Liz became stronger with her moves as the race progressed.

    Apart from that, even though Sunak became popularity shot up immediately after Johnson’s resignation, his image to be a backstabber was never forgotten.

    Why did Sunak become unpopular?

    Rishi Sunak’s image was permanently tainted when a video of his came into foray where he accepted that he took money from deprived urban areas. His comments, boasting of shifting money from “deprived urban areas” to fund projects in the Kent commuter belt sparked outrage, considering it cut across the UK government’s rhetoric about ‘levelling up’ Britain and spreading wealth beyond the south-east.

    Things turned worse when reports claimed that his wife Akshata is wealthier than British Queen Elizabeth II with assets worth £430 million, according to Sunday Times Rich List. In fact, they were mentioned to be Westminster’s first billionaire couple, probably enjoying the largest fortune of any House of Commons family. Their finances came under scrutiny as Labour party called him to be more transparent regarding loans he took to fund his businesses.

    The Guardian reported, Rishi was forced to explain details about how he managed his family’s fortune, which is said to total £730million. His fortune’s are derived from his marriage to Akshata Murthy, who owns a 0.93% stake worth £690m in Infosys.

    Sunak comes in support of Truss

    Hours after he lost the race, Sunak showed his support to Liz Truss. “It’s right we now unite behind the new PM, Liz Truss, as she steers the country through difficult times,” Sunak said on Twitter.

    ALSO READ-No place for white men in Truss’ cabinet?

  • Modi congratulates Truss

    Modi congratulates Truss

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Liz Truss for being chosen as the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom…reports Asian Lite News

    In a tweet, Modi wished her the very best for assuming the new role and responsibilities.

    “Congratulations @trussliz for being chosen to be the next PM of the UK. Confident that under your leadership, the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will be further strengthened. Wish you the very best for your new role and responsibilities,” he tweeted.

    Earlier in the day, Truss – United Kingdom’s foreign secretary – was announced the victor of the contest for the Conservative Party leader. She defeated former Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak, thus paving the way for her to become the next UK Prime Minister.

    ALSO READ-No place for white men in Truss’ cabinet?

  • No place for white men in Truss’ cabinet?

    No place for white men in Truss’ cabinet?

    There is expected to be a clear out of Rishi Sunak and his supporters after a bitter blue-on-blue campaign in which he seems almost certain to be defeated…reports Asian Lite News

    Liz Truss is expected to become UK Prime Minister on Tuesday and appoint a Cabinet featuring no white men in the great offices of state for the first time, the media reported.

    Truss is expected to make long-term ally Kwasi Kwarteng chancellor, with Suella Braverman moving to the Home Office and James Cleverly to the Foreign Office, the Daily Mail reported.

    If selected, Kwarteng would be the fourth non-white chancellor in a row, directly following Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak and Nadhim Zahawi. And Braverman would become the third minority home secretary, after Priti Patel and Javid.

    Cleverly, currently the Education Secretary, would become the first ever non-white foreign Secretary, the Daily Mail reported.

    There is expected to be a clear out of Rishi Sunak and his supporters after a bitter blue-on-blue campaign in which he seems almost certain to be defeated.

    Into the political wilderness too will go Michael Gove, after serving under the three previous PMs.

    Dominic Raab, the First Secretary of State, and Boris Johnson himself, are expected to return to the backbenches. Both have question marks over whether they can hold on to their seats at the next election.

    There is also expected to be a clear out of political advisers within No 10. The Times suggests only a handful of long-serving advisers will be kept on as Truss seeks to slim down the operation.

    ALSO READ-Liz Truss wins UK PM race

  • Truss not happy at being compared to Thatcher

    Truss not happy at being compared to Thatcher

    Before she entered the leadership contest, many knew her from a speech to the Tory Party Conference in 2014 where she enthusiastically promoted British cheese and pork…reports Asian Lite News

    Liz Truss got “frustrated” after she was “compared to Margaret Thatcher”, the media reported.

    When asked whether she models herself on the former Tory prime minister, she disagreed with the accusation, saying: “I don’t accept that, I am my own person”. Aged nine, she played Thatcher in a mock election at school, the BBC reported.

    She apparently got “zero votes — I didn’t even vote for myself”.

    Truss has worked for three former prime ministers. She was promoted by David Cameron to environment secretary and worked as justice secretary under Theresa May. She was eventually made foreign secretary by Boris Johnson in 2021.

    Truss will become the third female Prime Minister of UK. All female prime ministers so far have been Conservative.

    Truss is 47, married and has two daughters. After university she worked as an accountant for Shell, and Cable & Wireless, and married fellow accountant Hugh O’Leary in 2000. The family lives in Thetford, Norfolk, the BBC reported.

    Before she entered the leadership contest, many knew her from a speech to the Tory Party Conference in 2014 where she enthusiastically promoted British cheese and pork.

    Liz Truss has been named as the new Conservative leader on Monday — and will become UK PM on Tuesday, Daily Mail reported.

    Truss takes the helm of a country in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis after seeing off the former chancellor’s challenge with support from 81,326 party members, compared to Sunak’s 60,399.

    The 57 per cent to 43 per cent result – closer than some had expected – was announced by 1922 committee chair Sir Graham Brady in a glitzy ceremony at the QE2 Centre in Westminster, Daily Mail reported.

    Truss said it was an ‘honour’ to be the new leader of the ‘greatest political party on Earth’. ‘I know that our beliefs resonate with the British people,’ she said.

    “I campaigned as a Conservative and I will govern as a Conservative… I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy.”

    She added: “We will deliver a great victory for the Conservative Party in 2024.”

    Truss also paid tribute to Boris Johnson, who will formally hand over power to her tomorrow, saying he ‘got Brexit done, crushed Jeremy Corbyn, rolled out the vaccine, and stood up to Vladimir Putin’.

    But the new premier faces one of the toughest in-trays in decades, with inflation fears mounting as gas prices soar again and the Pound slides further.

    Speculation is growing that Truss will opt for a bold furlough-style move to freeze energy bills — possibly by loaning companies money to hold down costs.

    Wholesale gas prices rocketed by around 30 per cent on Monday, following Russia’s decision to shut down a key gas pipeline, the Daily Mail reported.

    ALSO READ-Liz Truss wins UK PM race

  • Liz Truss wins UK PM race

    Liz Truss wins UK PM race

    Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss rose to the Conservative ranks to end up as finalists for the contest for the post of UK Prime Minister…reports Asian Lite News

    British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has defeated former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak in the Conservative leadership race and will now be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

    Forty-seven-year-old Liz Truss will become the third female prime minister of the UK. She defeated Sunak through a postal ballot of all Conservative members.

    The Tory leadership race was triggered after Boris Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership.

    Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss rose to the Conservative ranks to end up as finalists for the contest for the post of UK Prime Minister.

    During nearly a dozen hustings and after a six-week long head-to-head competition, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak had explained their long-term visions for Britain. Both contenders went through bouts of 12 nationwide events with the first bout in Leeds, Northern England.

    Truss indicated that she will strongly push back against “identity politics of the left” as she has envisioned the legislation for single-sex spaces such as domestic violence shelters.  Sunak batted for cutting VAT to revive the country’s economic situation.

    Liz Truss undertook a two-day trip to India in October last year. During her visit, she underscored the importance of partnership with India. Truss stressed that both countries should work together on the set plans for the future.

    The Roadmap 2030 for India-UK future relations was launched during a virtual summit between the two countries in May last year. This Roadmap is for revitalised and dynamic connections between people, re-energised trade, investment and technological collaboration.

    In another visit in March this year, Truss along with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved so far concerning Roadmap 2030 and agreed to further intensify efforts to deliver results in priority areas of trade and investments, defence, and migration.

    Both sides appreciated the substantial progress made in the India-UK FTA negotiations with two productive rounds completed since its launch in January 2022. (ANI)

    ALSO READ-Truss set to be next PM