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Category: Politics

  • Election day security tightened amid unrest concerns

    Election day security tightened amid unrest concerns

    Seventeen states have placed a total of 600 National Guard troops on standby, with Oregon, Washington, and Nevada already activating their Guards….reports Asian Lite News


    As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, security is being heightened to unprecedented levels due to concerns over potential civil unrest, election interference, and threats against poll workers. Panic buttons, special weapons teams on rooftops, and National Guard deployments are part of the extensive measures being implemented.

    Seventeen states have placed a total of 600 National Guard troops on standby, with Oregon, Washington, and Nevada already activating their Guards. The FBI has established a national election command post in Washington, monitoring threats around the clock throughout election week. Enhanced security measures are in place at nearly 100,000 polling stations across the country.


    Nineteen states have enacted new election security laws since 2020. With the presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in a deadlock, authorities are emphasizing the integrity of the electoral process while preparing for potential disruptions. Runbeck Election Services has provided around 1,000 panic buttons to election workers, allowing them to quickly alert law enforcement in emergencies.


    Swing states such as Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania have implemented extensive security protocols. Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, assured voters that the election would be secure, although he acknowledged potential disruptions. Arizona’s Maricopa County has fortified its election facilities with fencing, armed guards, and a SWAT presence.
    Following the 2020 election turmoil and the January 6 Capitol riot, officials are also vigilant against cyber threats. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warns of influence operations from Russia, Iran, and China aimed at undermining election confidence and inciting partisan discord.
    In Washington, DC, security measures around key government buildings have been intensified. Authorities are prepared to handle various scenarios to ensure a safe and secure election process.

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  • Indian-American voters express divergent views

    Indian-American voters express divergent views

    Ajay Patel, an Indian-American from New York, expressed his support for Donald Trump, citing shared values such as hard work and economic independence…reports Asian Lite News


    As the voting for the presidential election commenced on Tuesday, the Indian-American voters are expressing divided views, with some supporting Donald Trump for his economic and immigration policies while others are standing behind Kamala Harris, attracted by her leadership style.

    Ajay Patel, an Indian-American from New York, expressed his support for Donald Trump, citing shared values such as hard work and economic independence. He believes immigration should be limited and the needs of Americans should be prioritized.

    “I support Trump because he believes in some of the values I have. If we work hard, I want to keep my money, I don’t want to take care of other people of the country who are entering the country illegally,” Ajay Patel said.

    “We should not have people starving on the streets of America while we worry about people across the world who don’t care about America or the values that America has so that’s why the Trump group has started to resonate more with Indians. This time around I feel more Indians are in lines with the views of President Trump holds and we support him that the reason,” Ajay Patel added.

    Kumar, an Indian-American from New York, expressed mixed feelings about Kamala Harris, stating that she has done a tremendous job and resonated with the people; however, she has not been able to “fully introduce” herself to America.
    “What she (Kamala Harris) has done is, put together a phenomenal campaign in the last 90 days…she has done tremendous job, she has resonated the people…she has unfortunately not been able to completely introduce herself to America,” Kumar said.
    Ajay Bhutoria, a member of Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign National Finance Committee, affirmed confidence in Harris’ victory and urged people not to be ‘misled’ by Trump’s false statements.
    “I am so excited…tomorrow will be a historic day where the country gets to choose the first Indian-American, first black woman, first woman commander-in-chief of our country…please don’t fall into the traps of misleading statements made by Trump…she will work hard…we are going to win,” Bhutoria said.
    The United States presidential elections have commenced in the US on Tuesday. The first ballot has been cast in New Hampshire’s small township of Dixville Notch, a township located along the US-Canada border.
    Over 160 million voters are expected to cast their ballots, with the results either delivering a return to power for Republican former President Donald Trump (78) or electing America’s first woman in the White House, Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris (60).
    According to polls, both candidates are deadlocked in the race, with an estimated 75 million voters having already voted, and the race for the White House is down to the wire. (ANI)

    Meta extends ban on new political ads

    Meta has announced to extend ban on new political ads on Facebook and Instagram even after the presidential election on November 5. In its political ads policy update, Meta has extended ban on new political ads past Tuesday, the original end date for the restriction period.


    “The restriction period for ads about social issues, elections or politics is being extended until later this week,” said the social media platform. “As a reminder, ads that have run prior to 12:01 AM PT on October 29, 2024 and served at least one impression will be allowed to continue while the restriction period is in effect with limited editing capabilities,” said Meta.
    Meta, however, did not specify the day it will lift the restriction. The social media giant had announced in August that any political ads that ran at least once before October 29 would still be allowed to run on Meta’s services in the final week before Election Day.


    “We previously announced that, as we have since 2020, we will block new social issue, electoral, and political ads during the final week of the general election in the US.

    While new ads will not be able to run during this restriction period, ads that have served at least one impression prior to the restriction period will be allowed to continue running with limited editing capabilities,” the company elaborated.
    The rationale behind this restriction period remains the same as in previous years. “In the final days of an election, we recognise there may not be enough time to contest new claims made in ads,” said Meta.

    “At 12:00 a.m. PT on Wednesday, November 6, We will allow new ads about social issues, elections or politics to be published. At this time, you will also be able to start making edits to your ads again,” the company informed.

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  • Millions Head To Vote

    Millions Head To Vote


    As of Monday, advance voting nationwide showed roughly 82 million ballots already cast — slightly more than half the total number of votes in the presidential election four years earlier…reports Asian Lite News


    Election Day 2024 arrived Tuesday — with tens of millions of Americans having already cast their ballots. Those include record numbers in Georgia, North Carolina and other battleground states that could decide the winner.
    The early turnout in Georgia, which has flipped between the Republican and Democratic nominees in the previous two presidential elections, has been so robust — over 4 million voters — that a top official in the secretary of state’s office said the big day could look like a “ghost town” at the polls.

    As of Monday, advance voting nationwide showed roughly 82 million ballots already cast — slightly more than half the total number of votes in the presidential election four years earlier. That’s driven partly by Republican voters, who were casting early ballots at a higher rate than in recent previous elections after a campaign by former President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee to counter the Democrats’ longstanding advantage in the early vote.
    Despite long lines in some places and a few hiccups that are common to all elections, early in-person and mail voting proceeded without any major problems.

    That included in the parts of western North Carolina hammered last month by Hurricane Helene. State and local election officials, benefiting from changes made by the Republican-controlled legislature, pulled off a herculean effort to ensure residents could cast their ballots as they dealt with power outages, lack of water and washed out roads.
    By the time early voting in North Carolina had ended on Saturday, over 4.4 million voters — or nearly 57% of all registered voters in the state — had cast their ballots. As of Monday, turnout in the 25 western counties affected by the hurricane was even stronger at 59% of registered voters, state election board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell said.
    Brinson Bell called the voters and election workers in the hurricane-hit counties “an inspiration to us all.”
    Besides the hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida, the most worrisome disruptions to the election season so far were arson attacks that damaged ballots in two drop boxes near the Oregon-Washington border. Authorities there were searching for the person responsible.
    The absence of any significant, widespread problems has not stopped Trump, the Republican nominee, or the RNC, which is now under his sway, from making numerous claims of fraud or election interference during the early voting period, a possible prelude to challenges after Election Day.
    He has mischaracterized an investigation underway in Pennsylvania into roughly 2,500 potentially fraudulent voter registration applications by saying one of the counties was “caught with 2600 Fake Ballots and Forms, all written by the same person.” The investigation is into registration applications; there is no indication that ballots are involved.
    In Georgia, Republicans sought to prohibit voters from returning mailed ballots to their local election office by the close of polls on Election Day, votes that are allowed under state law. A judge rejected their lawsuit over the weekend.
    Trump and Republicans also have warned about the possibility that Democrats are recruiting masses of noncitizens to vote, a claim they have made without evidence and that runs counter to the data, including from Republican secretaries of state. Research has consistently shown that noncitizens registering to vote is rare. Any noncitizen who does faces the potential of felony charges and deportation, a significant disincentive.
    One case of noncitizen voting was caught during early voting last month and resulted in felony charges in Michigan after a student from China cast an illegal early ballot.
    This is the first presidential vote since Trump lost to Joe Biden four years ago and began various attempts to circumvent the outcome and remain in power. That climaxed with the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol to halt certification of the results after Trump told his supporters to “fight like hell.”
    Even now, a solid majority of Republicans believe Trump’s lie that Biden was not legitimately elected, despite reviews, audits and recounts in the battleground states that all affirmed Biden’s win. A survey last month from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed Republicans remain much more skeptical than Democrats that their ballots will be counted accurately this year.
    Seeking to rebuild voter confidence in a system targeted with false claims of widespread fraud, Republican lawmakers in more than a dozen states since 2020 have passed new voting restrictions. Those rules include shortening the window to apply or return a mail ballot, reducing the availability of ballot drop boxes and adding ID requirements.
    On the last weekend before Election Day, Trump continued to falsely claim the election was being rigged against him and said a presidential winner should be declared on election night, before all the ballots are counted.
    Vice President Kamala Harris urged voters not to fall for Trump’s tactic of casting doubt on elections. The Democratic nominee told supporters at a weekend rally in Michigan that the tactic was intended to suggest to people “that if they vote, their vote won’t matter.” Instead, she urged people who had already cast ballots to encourage their friends to do the same.
    Through four years of election lies and voting-related conspiracy theories, local election officials have faced harassment and even death threats. That has prompted high turnover and led to heightened security for election offices and polling sites that includes panic buttons and bullet-proof glass.

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  • Badenoch appoints Patel and Jenrick to shadow cabinet

    Badenoch appoints Patel and Jenrick to shadow cabinet

    The appointment of three MPs who ran against Badenoch in the leadership contest followed her decision to make Laura Trott, a leading supporter of her campaign, shadow education secretary….reports Asian Lite News

    Kemi Badenoch has appointed Robert Jenrick shadow justice secretary, with Mel Stride shadow chancellor and Priti Patel shadow foreign secretary, as she began to put together a frontbench team billed as uniting the Conservatives.
    There were, however, questions about whether Jenrick had initially sought another post, in a sign of potential tensions between the final two candidates to replace Rishi Sunak.

    The appointment of three MPs who ran against Badenoch in the leadership contest followed her decision to make Laura Trott, a leading supporter of her campaign, shadow education secretary.

    It remained unclear whether Jenrick’s move to what could be seen as a mid-range shadow cabinet job was his first choice, after reports that he and Badenoch had been wrangling over his role. An ally of Jenrick said: “Robert was always keen to serve.”

    Badenoch had already appointed two other supporters to jobs, with Rebecca Harris becoming chief whip, and Nigel Huddlestone being made Conservative party co-chair alongside Dominic Johnson, a Tory peer and former donor.
    Robert Jenrick congratulates Kemi Badenoch as she is announced the winner of the Conservative leadership election.
    Neil O’Brien, who had been widely tipped for a shadow cabinet job, was made number two in the education team, regarded by some observers as a slight snub for a supporter of Jenrick, who Badenoch defeated in a vote of Tory members, a result announced on Saturday.
    Allies of Badenoch said that no more appointments would be made on Monday, with the full list to be announced before a shadow cabinet meeting on Tuesday, to avoid a “running commentary” as jobs were finalised.
    With only 121 MPs on the Tory benches – the full government complement is 124 – Badenoch will be somewhat limited on who she picks. This is all the more so with some senior Tories saying they do not want jobs.
    These include Jeremy Hunt, the former chancellor and shadow chancellor, and James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary who was favourite to become the next leader until he was surprisingly removed in the final vote among Tory MPs.
    Jenrick trained as a solicitor and worked as a corporate lawyer, and so has a suitable background for the justice brief. His last government job was as immigration minister, and he made migration and his desire for the UK to withdraw from the European convention on human rights the key part of his leadership bid.
    The contest included coded if personal attacks between Jenrick and Badenoch. He promised to “end the drama”, a reference to Badenoch’s penchant for arguments, and was furious when she talked about Jenrick having to “resign in disgrace” as housing minister after a controversy about a planning-related conflict of interest.
    The appointment of Stride will be seen as a sign of Badenoch seeking to reach out to centrists in the party, particularly after Andrew Griffith, another one of her key supporters, had been closely linked to the job.
    Stride was one of six candidates to succeed Sunak as Tory leader, but was knocked out in the second round of voting by Conservative MPs. He then backed James Cleverly before Cleverly in turn was knocked out.
    Stride was work and pensions secretary under Rishi Sunak, having previously served as a Treasury minister and chaired the Treasury committee.
    Patel, who also stood to be leader but was knocked out in the first round, has had a chequered ministerial career, only surviving as home secretary when Boris Johnson refused to sack her despite a formal investigation finding evidence that she had bullied civil servants.
    The controversy, one of several to afflict Johnson’s government, saw the then PM’s adviser on ethics, Sir Alex Allan, resign after Johnson decided to keep Patel in her post despite an official report uncovering conduct that “amounted to behaviour that can be described as bullying”, including instances of shouting and swearing.
    In 2017, Patel was forced to resign as international development secretary under Theresa May after holding a series of unofficial meetings with Israeli ministers, business people and a senior lobbyist while in Israel on what was billed as a holiday.
    A source in Badenoch’s team said the decision to appoint the two former candidates from different wings of the party – Patel is from the right and Stride a centrist – was “demonstrating Kemi’s desire to unite the party”.
    Badenoch appointed Trott earlier on Monday, so she could speak at education questions and respond to a government statement on increased university tuition fees.

    Cleverly rules out frontbench role


    Shadow home secretary James Cleverly has said he will not accept a frontbench role from the next leader of the Conservative Party. The winning candidate – Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick – is likely to carry out an immediate reshuffle of the Tory frontbench team.
    But Cleverly has told the Financial Times (FT) he will return to the backbenches rather than serve in either candidate’s shadow cabinet.
    Following the Tory conference, Cleverly briefly became the frontrunner in the race to replace Rishi Sunak, but was surprisingly knocked out in the final ballot of MPs.
    He told the FT he had been “liberated” from 16 years on the political front line and was now “not particularly in the mood to be boxed back into a narrow band again”.
    Cleverly shot to the front of the pack of leadership candidates after a well-received speech to the Conservative conference early last month, in which he called for the party to be “more normal” and sell its policies “with a smile”.
    However, his support unexpectedly fell away in the last round of MPs’ voting.
    Many theories were advanced on why that had happened, including that some of his supporters had tried to engineer the final line-up they wanted.
    The former home and foreign secretary was eliminated with 37 votes. Badenoch secured 42 and Jenrick 41. There were gasps in the Commons committee room where the result was announced.
    Cleverly admitted to the FT the result was a “bit of a punch to the gut”, saying he had repeatedly warned his backers that “Kremlinology is a fool’s game” – but that he “lost track” of the number of supporters who asked who he would prefer to go up against.
    “I’d worried that that might happen,” he said, adding: “I kept saying there aren’t many votes to play with… it doesn’t take very many people to really distort outcomes.”
    He declined to say who of the final two he had backed. When Badenoch and Jenrick topped the MPs’ poll, both signalled they would offer him a position in their shadow cabinet if they became leader.
    Badenoch said Cleverly’s campaign had been “full of energy, ideas and optimism”, and she looked forward to “continuing to work with him”. Jenrick told Cleverly the party “needs you in its top team in the years ahead”, adding that he would be “delighted for him to serve in the shadow cabinet should he want to do so”.
    Jenrick has made leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) a key plank of his leadership offer, saying all Tory MPs would need to sign up to the policy – but Cleverly has rejected the idea.
    However, a stint on the backbenches appears unlikely to last forever and Cleverly has left the door open to a future bid to become leader of the Conservative Party, saying he would not “rule anything in or anything out”.
    Nor did he rule out the idea of a bid to become mayor of London in 2028, adding: “We do need to fight back in London. We need to fight back in big, big, big chunks of the country.”

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  • 1000 workers to join first four-day week trial

    1000 workers to join first four-day week trial


    The British Society for Immunology and Crate Brewery in Hackney, east London, are among the businesses to have joined the latest trial…reports Asian Lite News

    One thousand workers in the UK will get extra time off with no loss of pay in the first official pilot by the four-day week campaign under the Labour government.


    The British Society for Immunology and Crate Brewery in Hackney, east London, are among the businesses to have joined the latest trial, which is being led by the 4 Day Week Campaign, as it launches on Monday.
    The campaign will aim to present the findings from the latest pilot to the Labour government in the summer, as momentum builds for a shorter working week.


    The trial will involve 17 businesses, who will mostly implement the four-day week, although some have opted to test a shorter working week or a nine-day fortnight, in which workers get an extra day off every two weeks. Four more businesses will join the trial later.
    Nearly 200 British businesses have switched to a four-day week permanently, according to the 4 Day Week Campaign, which is run by a non-profit organisation and launched in 2022.


    Winning over the government may be trickier. The Labour party has several senior politicians who have supported the four-day week, including the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, who last year said: “If you can deliver within a four-day working week, then why not?” But since gaining power, the party has not embraced the policy, perhaps fearful of giving political ammunition to the Conservative opposition.
    When more than 500 civil servants represented by the PCS union at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government signed a petition recently calling for a four-day week, a spokesperson for the department said that a four-day week “is not government policy or something we are considering”.
    However, businesses do not need government approval to go ahead, and the work pattern is being tested by new types of business. Georgia Pearson, the people manager at Crate Brewery, which serves craft beer on the bank of Hackney’s Lee Navigation, said the trial “feels somewhat groundbreaking” for the hospitality industry.
    Restaurants, pubs and bars tend to be run on relatively thin margins with workers at or near the minimum wage. However, Crate is hoping that the new working pattern will improve recruitment.
    “For operational teams, physically demanding service shifts can mean that off days are spent recuperating, rather than enjoying personal time off,” Pearson said. “Although we’ve never struggled with retention, we recognise the competitive advantage that comes with being ahead of the curve with a four-day week, and we hope it will aid recruitment particularly in support office roles.”
    Joe Ryle, the director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, said: “We don’t have to just imagine a four-day week any more, because it’s already a reality for hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of workers in the UK.
    “We look forward to presenting the results of this latest trial to the new Labour government next summer.”

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  • Slavery reparations not about transfer of cash, says Lammy

    Slavery reparations not about transfer of cash, says Lammy

    The government previously ruled out paying reparations for slavery and Downing Street said its position included “other forms of non-financial reparatory justice too”. ..reports Asian Lite News

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the concept of reparations for former colonial nations affected by slavery “is not about the transfer of cash”.

    In his first comments since 56 Commonwealth leaders signed a statement saying the time had come for a conversation about reparations, Lammy said that was not “the debate people are wanting to have”.

    The government previously ruled out paying reparations for slavery and Downing Street said its position included “other forms of non-financial reparatory justice too”.

    Lammy said the UK would instead look to develop relations with African nations through sharing skills and science.
    During his first visit to Africa as foreign secretary, Lammy said reparations were not about money, “particularly at a time of a cost of living crisis”.
    Reparations are measures to make amends for past actions deemed wrong or unfair, and can range from the financial to symbolic.

    Caribbean nations have made a 10-point plan for reparatory justice in which they call for a full formal apology, education programmes, healthcare and direct monetary payments.
    Speaking in Lagos, a Nigerian port city once central to the transatlantic slave trade, the foreign secretary said the period was “horrific and horrendous” and had left “scars”. “I am the descendant of enslaved people, so I recognise that.”
    Lammy said it was right that an apology had been made “and we commemorated the abolition of the slave trade” when Labour was last in power. The UK has never formally apologised for its role in the slave trade, though in 2007 then-Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair said: “Well actually I have said it: We are sorry. And I say it again now.”
    The British government and the monarchy played a key role in the centuries-long slave trade from 1500, alongside other European nations. Britain also had a key role in ending the trade, through Parliament’s passage of a law to abolish slavery in 1833.
    Lammy’s remarks followed the discussion of reparations at a summit of Commonwealth leaders in Samoa in October. Amid growing calls from Commonwealth heads of government to pay reparations for the country’s role in the slave trade, Downing Street had insisted the issue would not be on the table.
    But Keir Starmer later signed a document calling for talks on “reparatory justice” alongside other Commonwealth leaders – though he said there had been no discussions about money at the meeting. Lammy said he believed developing nations would benefit as part of that through things such as the transfer of technical skills and science expertise from the UK.
    He said the UK needed “a new approach to Africa” and that he wanted to launch a five-month consultation period with African nations. He said much had changed since the last Labour government, where the focus was “largely on development”. He said he hoped to see more partnership between the UK and African nations.
    “What I’ve heard is that the UK has stepped back somewhat over the last few years. There’s much that I think we can do together over the coming months and years.”
    Asked about other issues relating to Africa, Lammy said the conflict in Sudan was of “tremendous concern” and that he planned to make it a priority in November, when the UK has the rotational presidency of the United Nations Security Council.
    He said the loss of life was “unbelievable and outstrips other conflicts around the world”, and planned to raise the humanitarian situation and plans for a “peaceful outcome”.
    He added that it had been a “huge concern that Sudan has not commanded the international attention that it requires,” given the “huge implications” in Africa and beyond.

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  • STARMER STRIKES BACK

    STARMER STRIKES BACK

    PM’s official spokesman rejects Dyson’s assessment of the Budget. Says chancellor had had to take “tough choices” to clear up the financial mess left by the previous Tory government…reports Asian Lite News

    Keir Starmer has hit back at Sir James Dyson after he hit out at Labour’s “spiteful” decision to impose inheritance tax on farmers. The billionaire vacuum entrepreneur – whose farming business owns hundreds of millions of pounds worth of land across the UK – accused Rachel Reeves of imposing a “family death tax” on the sector.


    The chancellor announced in last week’s Budget that farms worth more than £1 million would be subject to 20% inheritance tax when their owner dies.
    Angry farmers have accused the prime minister of betrayal after he vowed to protect the agriculture sector before the election.


    Writing in The Times, Dyson said: “Rachel Reeves is killing off established family businesses, and any incentive to start new ones, with her 20% Family Death Tax, levied each time a family business passes a generation. Every business expects to pay tax, but for Labour to kill off homegrown family businesses is a tragedy. In particular, I have huge empathy for the small businesses and start-ups that will suffer. Labour has shown its true colours with a spiteful Budget.”


    But the prime minister’s official spokesman rejected Dyson’s assessment of the Budget.
    He said the chancellor had had to take “tough choices” to clear up the financial mess left by the previous Tory government, but insisted she had adopted a “balanced approach”.
    “The approach of this Budget was to be upfront and honest about the terrible state of the public finances that the government inherited,” he said.


    The spokesman added: “Farmers rely on good public services too, including our NHS, our roads and schools. The Budget took tough decisions so we can invest in the public services that people expect.”
    Meanwhile, a leading economist also hit out at those criticising the changes to inheritance tax rules. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: “I’m afraid I have absolutely no sympathy with their arguments on inheritance tax and the impact on family farms and agriculture. This is special pleading by some extremely wealthy people. Very few farmers will be affected by this, for example. And in any case, if you think we should have an inheritance tax, and you may or may not think that, but if we have one, then really you do need to treat most things similarly. There’s no other country in Europe or hardly any others that completely exempt business assets and agricultural assets from inheritance tax. We never used to, didn’t destroy family farms. I’m disappointed actually to see such special pleading given such prominence.”
    Rural affairs secretary Steve Reed and Treasury minister James Murray met with Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers Union, to hear his concerns about the Budget.
    Speaking afterwards, Bradshaw said: “I have never seen the weight of support, the strength of feeling and anger that there is in this industry today. Many of them want to be militant. Now we are not encouraging that in any way shape or form but government need to understand that there is a real strength of feeling behind what this change means for the future of family farming in this country.”
    Musk reignites feud with Starmer
    Meanwhile, Elon Musk has reignited his feud with Keir Starmer by becoming an unlikely champion of Britain’s farmers. The X owner has taken issue with changes to inheritance tax rules set out in the Budget last Wednesday by Rachel Reeves.
    Under the new measures, farms worth more than £1 million will become liable for the tax for the first time when their owner dies. Farmers have accused the prime minister of betrayal after he previously vowed to protect them if Labour got into power.
    Responding to a post on X criticising the new policy, Musk wrote: “We should leave the farmers alone. We farmers immense gratitude for making the food on our tables!” His comments are the latest salvo in the ongoing war of words between Musk and Downing Street.
    In the summer, the prime minister slapped down the billionaire tech boss for claiming “civil war is inevitable” in the UK in the wake of the far-right riots which have taken place across the country in the past week. The PM’s official spokesman said: “There’s no justification for comments like that and what we’ve seen in this country is organised illegal thuggery which has no place on our streets or online.”
    But responding to a video posted on X by Starmer in which he said the government “will not tolerate attacks on mosques or on Muslim communities”, Musk replied: “Shouldn’t you be concerned about attacks on all communities?”

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  • Obama invited to landmark joint Assembly session by K’taka

    Obama invited to landmark joint Assembly session by K’taka

    This session marked Mahatma Gandhi’s launch of the freedom movement against British rule in India….reports Asian Lite News

    The Karnataka government has invited former U.S. President, Barack Obama, to attend a joint Assembly session organised to commemorate the centenary of the 1924 Congress session, chaired by Mahatma Gandhi in Belagavi.
    This session marked Mahatma Gandhi’s launch of the freedom movement against British rule in India. Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, H.K. Patil, stated on Monday in Gadag city that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already sent a letter inviting Barack Obama to participate in the event.
    “It has been decided to organise a joint Assembly session to mark the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s chairing of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting. The event will be held at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi,” stated Minister Patil, who also serves as President of the committee for commemorating the centenary of the 1924 Congress session.
    “We will wait for confirmation from Barack Obama before setting the date for the joint session. We have invited this prominent leader and follower of Gandhi, who believes that Mahatma Gandhi is a global leader, not just an Indian one,” Minister Patil added.
    “This is going to be a meaningful programme. Mahatma Gandhi visited 120 places across Karnataka, and we will build memorials at 40 selected locations. ‘Rath Yatra Jyothis’ will arrive in Belagavi on December 26 and 27 from various districts across the state,” he said.
    The government also plans to organise conventions focussed on youth, women, and the community unity.
    Minister Patil explained that Mahatma Gandhi chaired the 39th AICC meeting before Independence, issuing a clarion call for freedom and inspiring many to join the struggle against British rule.
    The government has decided to celebrate the centenary of this historic AICC convention, held in Karnataka’s Belagavi, which holds great significance for the region. This event is also meaningful to the people of Gadag district, as the famous Kannada poem “Udayavagali Namma Cheluva Kannadanaadu”, written by Huyilagola Narayana Rao, was sung for the first time at this session by Gangubai Hanagal.
    Minister Patil emphasised the need to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s principles and ideals among the youth, saying, “I have been designated as the president of the centenary celebration committee by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The committee will visit Belagavi on Tuesday, November 5, and the centenary celebrations will continue until October 2 of next year,” he concluded.

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  • EC reschedules bypolls in Kerala, UP and Punjab

    EC reschedules bypolls in Kerala, UP and Punjab

    In Kerala, the bye-election to Palakkad assembly seat has been rescheduled while that for Chelakkara assembly and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats will be held as scheduled earlier on November 13…reports Asian Lite News

    The Election Commission on Monday rescheduled assembly bye-elections to all nine and four seats in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, respectively, and one seat in Kerala from November 13 to November 20 in view of festivals, an official statement said.

    In Kerala, the bye-election to Palakkad assembly seat has been rescheduled while that for Chelakkara assembly and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats will be held as scheduled earlier on November 13.
    Parties including Congress, BJP, BSP and RLD had urged the poll body to reschedule the polls in view of various festivals, saying that it could impact voter turnout.
    According to the Congress, a significant portion of the electorate in the Palakkad assembly seat in Kerala will celebrate the festival of Kalpathi Rastholsavam from November 13 to 15.
    In Punjab, the party had said, the 555th Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev will be celebrated on November 15 and an ‘akhand path’ will be organised from November 13 onwards. BJP, BSP and RLD had said that in Uttar Pradesh, people travel for three-four days ahead of Kartik Purnima, which will be celebrated on November 15.


    Akhilesh takes jibe at BJP


    Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday took a jibe on Bharatiya Janata Party saying, “Talenge toh or bhi bura harenge (If they postpone it, they will lose even worse)” after Election Commission rescheduled by-elections in Uttar Pradesh.
    Akhilesh Yadav claimed that ‘BJP postponed’ the election so people affected from “Maha-Berozgari” in UP, who had to move out of the state for employment and returned home on festival, ‘can’t cast their votes’.
    “First the Milkipur by-election was postponed, now the dates for by-elections for the remaining seats have been announced. The BJP was never so weak. The fact is that due to ‘Maha-Berozgari’ in UP, people move different parts of the country for work,” Akhilesh Yadav said on X.
    “Those people have returned to UP on Diwali and Chhath holidays, and were going to vote to defeat BJP in the by-elections. As soon as BJP got wind of this, it postponed the by-elections, so that people’s holidays end and they go back without casting their votes,” Akhilesh Yadav added.
    Akhilesh Yadav claimed that this is an “old trick” of BJP and assured that it will not make any difference.
    “This is an old trick of BJP: If we lose, we will postpone it,” Akhilesh Yadav said on X.
    EC’s decision to postpone by-polls comes after requests from national and state parties, including INC, BJP, BSP, and RLD, to avoid low voter turnout. National and state parties had requested the EC to shift the dates in these states due to various festivities.
    As per Congress, a significant portion of the electorate in the 56-Palakkad AC in Kerala will be engaged in the “Kalpathi Rastholsavam” festival to be celebrated from 13th to 15th November 2024.
    As per BJP, BSP and RLD in Uttar Pradesh, people travel three to four days ahead to celebrate Kartik Purnima.
    As per request from Congress, in Punjab, the 555th Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji is to be celebrated on November 15, and an Akhand Path is to be organised from November 13, onwards.
    Notably, the Commission had rescheduled the polling dates in past elections for the convenience of voters and to enhance their participation.
    One assembly constituency in Kerala, four constituencies in Punjab and nine constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will now go to polls on November 20. The date of Counting and Completion of the Poll of these ACs shall remain unchanged i.e. November 23 and 25, respectively. (ANI)

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  • Harris Vows to End Gaza Conflict

    Harris Vows to End Gaza Conflict

    Harris during her rally also emphasised the need for a new generation of leadership in America, vowing to fight for the people and make healthcare a right, not a privilege….reports Asian Lite News

    Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris vowed to end the ongoing war in Gaza, bring home hostages, and ensure Israel’s security and the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination.
    The remarks by Harris came at a rally in Michigan just days before the US presidential elections.

    Addressing the rally, Harris said, “I want to say that this year has been difficult, given the scale of death and destruction in Gaza and the civilian casualties and displacement in Lebanon.

    As President, I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza, to bring home the hostages and the suffering in Gaza, ensure Israel is secure and ensure the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, freedom, security and self-determination.”
    She added, “We continue to work on diplomatic resolutions across the Israel-Lebanon border to protect civilians and provide lasting stability.”
    Harris during her rally also emphasised the need for a new generation of leadership in America, vowing to fight for the people and make healthcare a right, not a privilege.

    “It is time for a new generation of leadership in America and I am ready to offer that leadership as the next President of the US,” Harris said.
    The Vice President also pledged to lower healthcare costs, cut taxes for workers and middle-class families, and make housing and childcare more affordable. Harris further stressed that “healthcare should be a right and not just a privilege.”

    She said, “If you give me the chance on your behalf to fight as President, there is nothing in the world that will stand in the way. I will get up every day to fight to make your life better to bring down the cost of living, to ban corporate price gouging on groceries, to make housing and child care more affordable. My plan will cut taxes for workers for middle-class families and small businesses, and lower healthcare costs including the cost of home care for seniors because I believe healthcare should be a right and not just a privilege for those who can afford and to those certain individuals who still want to get rid of Affordable Care Act and take us back to days when insurance companies could deny people with pre-existing conditions.”
    During her address, Harris also pledged to safeguard reproductive freedom in America and said that when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, she will “proudly sign it into law as President of the United States.”
    Harris said, “We are not going back because ours is a fight for the future and it is a fight for freedom, including the fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not the government tell her what to do. When Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as President of the US, I will proudly sign it into law.”
    The US presidential elections are set to take place on November 5, with Harris going against former US President and Republican candidate Donald Trump.
    Trump is aiming to make a comeback to the White House after his bitter exit last time, while Harris is aiming to create history by becoming the first woman president of the US.
    A recent poll conducted by the New York Times and Siena College showed Harris and Trump tied at 48 per cent in the popular vote. The two leaders remain tied even after three months of the most tumultuous months in the recent political history of the US. (ANI)

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