Central News Hub

Month: September 2022

  • ‘Silver-haired Russian reservists heading to front lines’

    ‘Silver-haired Russian reservists heading to front lines’

    The images, taken on Tuesday less than a week after Putin’s order, show how rushed the mobilisation has been, compared to the six months’ minimum training usually provided…reports Asian Lite News

    Pictures show how Russian President Vladimir Putin has resorted to sending a ‘Dad’s Army’ of ageing reservists to the Ukrainian front lines, the media reported .

    Putin ordered the mobilisation of 300,000 extra troops last week in a bid to reverse the fortunes of his botched invasion, in a move which spooked thousands who fled the country, Daily Mail reported

    But other hardy civilians decided to join the war effort despite their age, health and limited training, to bolster troop numbers after Kyiv’s stunning counter-offensive, Daily Mail reported.

    In Sevastopol in Crimea, silver-haired and wrinkled recruits stood in line in their uniforms at a ceremony before they took a much-needed cigarette break and then made their way to the front lines, Daily Mail reported.

    The images, taken on Tuesday less than a week after Putin’s order, show how rushed the mobilisation has been, compared to the six months’ minimum training usually provided.

    “Whilst exact numbers are unclear, it likely exceeds the size of the total invasion force Russia fielded in February 2022.

    “The better off and well educated are over-represented amongst those attempting to leave Russia. When combined with those reservists who are being mobilised, the domestic economic impact of reduced availability of labour and the acceleration of ‘brain drain’ is likely to become increasingly significant.”

    Those sent to war were already lamenting the outdated equipment and poor morale just weeks after the outbreak of war, an investigation by the New York Times claims.

    Unauthorised phone calls made by soldiers to their families in March via shared cell phones among units near Bucha were intercepted by Ukraine and translated by the Times.

    Many troops revealed the Kremlin had lied about the purpose of the war, showing an early insight into the reality on the ground.

    One man named Sergey told his girlfriend: “Some guys took armour off of Ukrainians’ corpses and took it for themselves. Their NATO armour is better than ours.”

    The dire situation for the troops has led to Putin’s mobilisation order, which came as Ukrainian forces dealt heavy battlefield setbacks to Moscow.

    The mass exodus has created miles-long lines for days at some borders, and local Russian authorities on one area along the border with Georgia said they would start providing food, water, warming stations and other aid to those in line, Daily Mail reported.

    ALSO READ-‘Plundering of India’: Putin slams colonisation by West

  • Artistic makeover to home

    Artistic makeover to home

    To avoid such a seemingly harmless habit, consulting an artist who can match styles, and forms to different rooms and colour schemes can be a great way to add a touch of character without overwhelming a space…writes N. LOTHUNGBENI HUMTSOE

    Part of the joy of owning your own ‘slice of heaven’ is being able to infuse every nook and cranny with your own distinct personality. Not merely just a roof over our head, but an extension of our taste, style, and persona – our homes can give visitors an almost in-depth view of who we are as individuals or as a family. While an exciting adventure, this can be a relatively daunting task; especially when one of the best ways to display that personality is through art.

    “By its nature art is a reflection of an individua’s thoughts and state of mind; it’s a visual representation of its creator’s emotions, perspective, and feelings. This capability of converting these intangible elements into creations that can be touched, felt, and resonate with others, is what makes art an incredible addition to any home. The art in our homes serves the dual role of providing an aesthetic appeal, while also serving as a creative representation of the character of the people who live in it. However with the plethora of options available today it can be quite an overwhelming excursion one which can be made a little bit easier with a ‘trained eye’ on your side,” says Dr Gunjan Shrivastava, a Professional Artist, Educator, Art Critic and Co-founder of You Lead India Foundation

    While picking the pieces that you choose to place in your home can be an invaluable step in creating a space that’s truly representative of who you are and here are a few reasons why Dr Gunjan thinks you should consult an artist before picking up artworks for your home:

    Matching the art to the room

    We all have the tendency of picking and cramming a space with any and every piece of art we fall in love with. To avoid such a seemingly harmless habit, consulting an artist who can match styles, and forms to different rooms and colour schemes can be a great way to add a touch of character without overwhelming a space.

    Knowing how to make a ‘statement’ work

    Statement pieces are a great way to highlight the more eccentric or wilder sides of your personality, turning them into the focal point of any room. Unlike the smaller pieces that you would play with in others parts of the home, with a statement piece the room you place it in has to be styled around this piece itself ensuring that it’s allowed to command the presence it deserves.

    Commissioning a piece

    Lending itself perfectly to the previous point, commissioning a piece is a great way to add flair. In fact, with an artist on your side, you can get just the right size or form that fits perfectly within the space you’ve identified to make a statement. And when choosing an artist it’s always best to pick someone who has had prior experience with commissioned work and whose work you absolutely love and understand. This can be a great way to set up a beautiful piece of work in your home that speaks to your artistic sensibilities and translates your personality into a treat for the eyes.

    Lighting and display

    The primary light source, whether natural or artificial, is a crucial consideration point when selecting art to style your home. In fact, even the framing and display material you use can determine the longevity of artwork in your home. To an untrained eye, critical factors like these can be easily overlooked, but with an artist, on your side, you can learn how to lean into the natural elements that come with your home and create spaces for art that can last you a lifetime.

    Using colours as a Means of Healing(IANSLIFE)

    Getting the inside scoop before purchasing

    Finally and by far one of the most valuable factors that come with having an artist help you pick out your art is having an insider on the scene, who understands your taste and preference, gives you the ‘in’ on good deals as well as up and coming artists whose work fits your style. Knowing the best places to shop for the artists you love, finding curators who deal in the exact style or techniques you admire, or getting invited to gallery events usually comes with experience and awareness, both of which an artist comes entrenched in.

    ALSO READ-Navratri fasting special recipes to cook at home

  • Truss Faces Poll Rout

    Truss Faces Poll Rout

    A YouGov/Times poll placed Labour 33 points ahead of the Conservatives, believed to be the largest lead for Labour in any recorded poll since 1998…reports Asian Lite News

    Labour has surged to record leads in multiple polls in the wake of the economic turmoil after the government’s mini-budget.

    A YouGov/Times poll placed Labour 33 points ahead of the Conservatives, believed to be the largest lead for Labour in any recorded poll since 1998, when the-then PM Tony Blair was enjoying his “honeymoon period”.

    And a Survation poll had Labour on a 21-point lead – also the largest Labour lead the pollsters have ever recorded. Some 49% would vote for Labour while 28% for Conservatives, the survey found.

    A Deltapoll/Mirror poll put Labour 19 points ahead of the Tories, with 48% of voters from Tuesday to Thursday saying they would vote for Labour and 29% for the Conservatives.

    Much of the YouGov poll’s Labour lead was buoyed by 17% of people who had previously voted for Boris Johnson saying they would now vote for Labour – double that of a week ago.

    And 50% of those who voted Lib Dem in 2019 would now vote for Labour, up from 27% at the start of this week. 26% of Tory voters also told YouGov they now do not know who to vote for.

    Reacting to the YouGov poll, a Tory MP told Sky News: “You’re bloody joking, that’s annihilation.”

    Election Maps UK collated the YouGov data and found if a general election was held tomorrow Labour would gain 296 seats to have a majority of 346, with the Tories losing 304 seats, leaving them with just 61 MPs.

    On Thursday evening, the Treasury confirmed Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng will meet the head of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the UK’s independent fiscal watchdog, on Friday.

    Much of the market turmoil following the mini-budget has been blamed on the lack of an OBR economic forecast, which was not requested by the Treasury.

    The Treasury insisted it was not an emergency meeting after the powerful cross-party Treasury Committee earlier demanded Mr Kwarteng bring forward the full forecast and the medium-term budget planned for 23 November.

    Bounce for Labour

    Sir Keir Starmer has enjoyed a bounce following the Labour conference this week, which was generally seen as positive for the opposition leader.

    His popularity has boomed even more as the markets continue to react negatively to the chancellor’s £45bn package of tax cuts revealed less than a week ago.

    Even since Tuesday, four days after the mini-budget, Labour has continued to gain in the polls.

    Thursday’s YouGov poll gave Labour a nine-point boost from a poll it did from last Friday to Sunday, while the Tories went down seven points.

    However, in a series of interviews on Thursday – their first since the pound reached a record low on Monday – Liz Truss and chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng doubled down as they blamed global events for the economic turmoil.

    The prime minister insisted the government took “decisive action” that will aid growth and said they had to take “urgent action” to kick-start the economy and protect consumers from rising energy costs.

    During a visit to an engine plant in Darlington, the chancellor said the plan is aimed at “protecting people right across the country” and was “absolutely essential” for growth.

    Kwarteng also tried to rally Tory MPs on Thursday as several have spoken of their despair and anger at the economic plans and the subsequent turmoil.

    In a message, he wrote: “Colleagues…I understand your concern. We are one team and need to remain focused. The only people who win if we divide is the Labour Party.”

    Conservative chair of the powerful Treasury Committee of cross-party MPs, Mel Stride, also wrote to Kwarteng on Thursday demanding he publishes the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s full forecast by the end of October instead of 23 November, and also bring forward the budget planned for then as well.

    Stride said it is “hard to conclude other than that an absence of a forecast has in some part driven the lack of confidence in markets”.

    He added: “Some have formed the unfortunate impression that the government may be seeking to avoid scrutiny, possibly on account of expecting the OBR forecast to be unsupportive of the achievement of the economic outcomes the government expects from the growth plan, including 2.5% trend growth in the medium term.”

    ALSO READ-Türkiye urges Sweden, Finland to fulfil NATO accession commitments

  • Sweden to check electric cable near Nord Stream blasts

    Sweden to check electric cable near Nord Stream blasts

    The cable has been operational since the 1990s, and is important for importing and exporting electricity between Sweden and countries south of the Baltic Sea…reports Asian Lite News

    Tests will be carried out on an electric cable between Sweden and Poland to see if it has been damaged by one of the Nord Stream pipelines explosions, Swedish grid operator Svenska Kraftnat said.

    The cable, situated approximately 500 meters from one of the explosions, is not currently operational.

    “We do not know how serious the underwater detonation was. To ensure that nothing has happened (to the cable), we will conduct tests at the beginning of next week,” Per Kvarnefalk, senior vice president of Svenska Kraftnat’s projects division, was quoted as saying.

    The cable has been operational since the 1990s, and is important for importing and exporting electricity between Sweden and countries south of the Baltic Sea.

    “We could manage without the cable for a while, but it would have an impact should it be inoperable for a longer period,” Kvarnefalk said.

    The Swedish Security Service is now investigating the two leaks that happened in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone of the Baltic Sea.

    At a press conference on Wednesday, Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said that “the detonations must be seen in the light of the security policy situation”. However, she added that the Swedish Government has so far refrained from speculation.

    ALSO READ-NATO expansion: Finland, Sweden, Turkey to hold talks

  • Navy Chief visits Australia, discusses stronger ties in Indo-Pacific

    Navy Chief visits Australia, discusses stronger ties in Indo-Pacific

    The visit from September 26-28 was his first to Australia after being appointed CNS…reports Asian Lite News

    India’s Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar visited Australia earlier this week and held talks with top officers of the country’s naval and air forces on collaborating in areas of mutual interest.

    According to the Indian Navy, during a meeting with Australian Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, he reviewed progress of ongoing maritime engagements & discussed ways to strengthen Indian Navy-Australian Navy partnership in the Indo-Pacific.

    “Adm R Hari Kumar #CNS on his first official visit to #Australia, was hosted by VAdm Mark Hammond @CN_Australia. Both leaders reviewed progress of ongoing #maritime engagements & discussed ways to strengthen #IndianNavy-@Australian_Navy partnership in #IndoPacific,” the Indian Navy said on Twitter on Thursday.

    The visit from September 26-28 was his first to Australia after being appointed CNS.

    In addition to Vice Admiral Hammond, he also met Vice Admiral David Johnston, Vice Chief of the Australian Defense Forces, Greg Moriarty, Secretary of Defense, Air Marshal Robert Chipman, Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and Air Vice Marshal Mike Kitcher, Deputy Chief of Joint Operations.

    “During these meetings, the leaders expressed their commitment to pursue collaborative activities in several areas of bilateral convergence,” India’s Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.

    Later, Admiral R. Hari Kumar inspected the RAN’s facilities at the Hydrographic School and HMAS Penguin. Additionally, he also talked with well-known Australian think tank members to comprehend and establish the new potential for maritime collaboration.

    According to the ministry, the discussions also highlighted the need for raising the level of synergy and focused efforts for overcoming the challenges of the maritime environment.

    India and Australia share commonality of perspectives on several contemporary maritime security issues in the Indo-Pacific. They have been working together closely in several bilateral and multilateral fora such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), the defence ministry pointed out.

    “Coming on the heels of successful participation of Indian Naval Ship Satpura and one P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft of Indian Navy in the recently concluded multilateral exercise KAKADU, hosted by the RAN at Darwin, the visit of the CNS further consolidated the strong and long standing bilateral relations between two countries,” the ministry added. (India News Network)

    ALSO READ: New Delhi approves India-Bangladesh pact on water withdrawal

  • India-funded emergency medical unit opens in Maldives

    India-funded emergency medical unit opens in Maldives

    The inauguration was done in the presence of Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives Munu Mahawar, and Maldivian Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services Aishath Mohamed Didi, on Wednesday…reports Asian Lite News

    An Emergency Medical Services Unit, which was partially funded by India, has been inaugurated in a hospital in Maldives.

    Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid took to Twitter to inform everyone that the unit has been inaugurated at the Baa Atoll Dharavandhoo Hospital.

    “Grant assistance from India to Maldives has been pivotal in developing basic services in our island communities. The Emergency Medical Services unit inaugurated in B.Dharavandhoo, that was developed under this scheme is a step forward in broadening our medical services,” he tweeted on Thursday.

    The inauguration was done in the presence of Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives Munu Mahawar, and Maldivian Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services Aishath Mohamed Didi, on Wednesday.

    “Adding heft to our #health cooperation!

    The Emergency & Trauma Unit inaugurated at B.Dharavandhoo Health Centre today is another shining example of the people-centric grant projects being supported under the #IndiaMaldives dvpt. partnership,” the High Commission of India in Maldives tweeted.

    The Maldives government also partially funded the medical services unit. The project cost is 8.5 million MVR (Maldivian rufiyaa), about INR 4,14,58,782, of which 7.5 million MVR (roughly Rs 3,64,03,786) is a grant from India.

    The Maldivian Foreign Minister also tweeted about the Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development Project being executed under the terms of a contract signed this week between Regional Airports Company Ltd and JMC Projects (India) Ltd.

    He wrote, “Welcome the contract signing earlier this week, between Regional Airports Company Ltd & JMC Projects (India) Ltd for execution of Hanimaadhoo Int. Airport Development project, financed under @IndiaEximBank’s LoC. Thank India for this significant contribution for regional development.”

    On Saturday, during a special occasion called “India@75: Showcasing India UN Partnership in Action,” Abdulla Shahid had sent greetings in Hindi to India. According to him, India has been a useful partner in overcoming obstacles such as those related to disaster assistance, the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine availability, and economic development and recovery.

    The development collaboration between India and the Maldives has stood the test of time and serves as a model for regional cooperation in the fight against transnational crimes and disaster assistance. In an effort to strengthen the cordial ties between the two nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih met in New Delhi last month.

    During the meeting, the two leaders decided to undertake existing programs and capacity-building efforts in order to revitalize cooperation in maritime safety and security, marine domain awareness, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief. (India News Network)

    ALSO READ: New Delhi approves India-Bangladesh pact on water withdrawal

  • Fear of Putin planning huge escalation  

    Fear of Putin planning huge escalation  

    Hastily arranged votes had taken place over five days in the four areas – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – that make up about 15 per cent of Ukrainian territory…reports Asian Lite News

    Western leaders fear that Vladimir Putin is planning a huge escalation of Russias faltering invasion of Ukraine with a deadly nuclear strike or an attack on European interests, media reports said.

    British and American spies believe there is ‘credible intelligence’ to suggest that the Russian President is preparing an attack that will turn the war effort in his favour, after coming to the realisation that the war was ‘a colossal mistake’, Daily Mail reported.

    It comes as the US Embassy in Moscow is urging citizens to flee Russia amid fears that dual nationals could be drafted into its war efforts, The Mirror reported.

    Embassy officials have said Russia may ‘refuse to acknowledge US nationals’ dual citizenship’, deny their access to consular assistance and ‘prevent their departure from Russia’.

    The Embassy also warned that leaving Russia has become increasingly difficult with flights filling and Putin’s troops shutting down borders.

    Putin is understood to be planning land-grab of four regions said to have voted overwhelmingly to join Russia after sham referendums in which residents were marched to the ballot box at gunpoint, Daily Mail reported.

    Hastily arranged votes had taken place over five days in the four areas – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – that make up about 15 per cent of Ukrainian territory.

    But there is concern that Putin is planning a nuclear attack west of the regions that would create a radiation dead zone and put a halt to Ukraine’s so far successful counter-offensives, Daily Mail reported.

    Another fear is that Russia is preparing a strike on western interests such as maritime communications cables.

    Officials in the UK believe that Putin, as well as the Russian population, now understand the war was a ‘colossal mistake’, Daily Mail reported.

    They also fear the partial mobilisation of 300,000 conscripts may be con to deceive the West into concentrating on Ukraine while he tried to leverage against support for Kiev.

    It comes amid fears that Kremlin frogmen are responsible for the ‘deliberate’ sabotage of the Nord Stream gas supply pipeline in the Baltic Sea that has sent energy prices soaring.

    Security sources told The Mirror that the leaks could act as a warning of similar assaults on communications cables.

    They added: “Putin has almost run out of options which makes a tactical nuclear strike possible west of the four regions he is claiming.

    “It is possible he believes this will be enough as a show of intent to get the west to back off, create a dead zone to halt the Ukrainian counter-offensive and claim victory in the east.

    “But another possibility is an attack on the communication cables between the UK and America, many of which are European links to the States.”

    Damaging internet communication cables could be ‘very damaging’ for the world’s financial markets.

    ALSO READ-‘Plundering of India’: Putin slams colonisation by West

  • INFLATION: Bangladesh hikes key rates

    INFLATION: Bangladesh hikes key rates

    The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) took the decision in its 56th meeting held Thursday in the capital Dhaka…reports Asian Lite News

    The central bank of Bangladesh has hiked the repo rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 5.75 per cent in a bid to rein in inflation.

    The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) took the decision in its 56th meeting held Thursday in the capital Dhaka. The new rate will come into effect October 2, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a circular issued by the BB.

    The bank earlier in June increased its policy rate (the repo rate) by 50 bps to 5.50 per cent from 5.00 per cent to deal with the demand-side pressures while ensuring the required flow of funds to the priority and production sectors to promote supply-side activities.

    On May 29, the bank raised the key interest rate by 25 bps to 5 per cent, the first increase in a decade.

    ALSO READ: New Delhi approves India-Bangladesh pact on water withdrawal

  • Fresh US sanctions hit Indian company over Iran oil deal

    Fresh US sanctions hit Indian company over Iran oil deal

    The sanctions came shortly after India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar wrapped up his visit to Washington where he met several top officials…writes Arul Louis

    In what is likely the first action against an Indian company for allegedly dealing in Iranian petroleum products, the US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Mumbai-based Tibalaji Petrochem Private Limited.

    On Thursday, the Department said that the company “purchased millions of dollars worth” petrochemical products, for “onward shipment to China”.

    The company was one of eight that were hit in the latest round of sanctions.

    The others are located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hong Kong and China.

    The sanctions came shortly after India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar wrapped up his visit to Washington where he met several top officials, including Secretaries Antony Blinken of State, Lloyd Austin of Defence and Gail Raimondo of Commerce, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

    When asked by a reporter at a briefing if the Iran sanctions came in Jaishankar’s meeting with Blinken, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Dev Patel said they had nothing beyond what they had said at their news conference.

    India has abided by the sanctions imposed by the US on Tehran and its companies have refrained from importing petroleum products from Iran.

    The alleged deals made by Tibalaji, which describes itself on its website as a “growing petrochemical trading company”, do not appear to be for importing Iranian material to India, but rather for China.

    Most of the US sanctions were lifted after Iran reached an agreement with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany in 2015 to curtail its nuclear programme capable of weaponising it.

    But they were reimposed after former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and Tehran restarted its nuclear weapons-capable programme.

    “The US is committed to severely restricting Iran’s illicit oil and petrochemical sales,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.

    Tehran has taken a hardline on resuming deal and he warned that Washington will enforce the sanctions “so long as Iran refuses a mutual return to full implementation” of the deal.

    The Treasury Department said that under the sanctions, all the properties and interests in the US of the eight companies or those in which they have at least 50 per cent interest “must be blocked” and reported to its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

    This applies also to any Americans who may have control over the assets of those companies and persons involved in certain transactions with them could also face sanctions or enforcement actions, the Department said.

    It added that Tibalaji bought “petrochemical products, including methanol and base oil, for onward shipment to China” through deals brokered by Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd. Network that had been sanctioned earlier.

    Triliance is based in Hong Kong with branches in Iran, China and the UAE.

    ALSO READ: Not easy, but can’t be denied for ever: Jaishankar on UNSC reforms

  • Finland closes borders to Russian tourists

    Finland closes borders to Russian tourists

    Russian citizens can still enter Finland for study, work or medical purposes, and logistics and transport workers are also exempted…reports Asian Lite News

    The Finnish government has announced its decision to significantly restrict the entry of Russian citizens into the country.

    As of Thursday midnight and until further notice, Russian citizens travelling with tourist visas will be banned from entering or transiting the country, reports Xinhua news agency.

    A Foreign Ministry statement noted that the move aims to “completely prevent Russian tourism”.

    “The reception of visa applications is severely restricted,” it added.

    Russian citizens can still enter Finland for study, work or medical purposes, and logistics and transport workers are also exempted.

    Russian citizens who own property in Finland can also enter the country if they can prove that the visit is essential for maintenance purposes.

    The development comes after Finland had earlier pushed for an EU-wide decision and called for a total ban on Russian nationals travelling to the bloc in the wake of Moscow’s continued war against Ukraine.

    While the Czech Republic and Estonia have also imposed visa restrictions, Germany and France have rejected the proposed blanket ban fearing “unintended rallying-around-the-flag effects” in Russia.

    ALSO READ: Russia to annex occupied Ukraine territories