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French PM eyes rebuilding political force

As Attal and other ministers eye a future outside government, deep cracks have appeared between the 35-year-old premier and his former mentor Macron…reports Asian Lite News

France’s prime minister on Saturday was elected leader of his party’s National Assembly lawmakers as politicians from all sides jockeyed for position to form the next government.

Gabriel Attal was the only candidate in the vote by the Renaissance party parliamentary group, which he plans to use as the base from which to rebuild the political force that got roundly beaten in a snap election called by President Emmanuel Macron.

Of the 98 Renaissance deputies registered to vote, 84 backed Attal, who will start in his role next week.

As Attal and other ministers eye a future outside government, deep cracks have appeared between the 35-year-old premier and his former mentor Macron.

Macron did not get any mention in Attal’s message to Renaissance deputies outlining his leadership bid, with observers saying that the prime minister blames the president for calling the vote, which he said took the party to the brink of “extinction.”

Sunday’s election runoff left the National Assembly without any overall majority, but a broad alliance — called New Popular Front of Socialists, Communists, Greens and the hard-left France Unbowed won the most seats, with 193 in the 577-strong lower chamber.

Macron’s allies came second with 164 seats and the far-right National Rally third at 143.

According to the constitution, Macron will appoint the next prime minister, who must be able to survive a confidence motion in parliament.

This appointment could come as early as next week when the new National Assembly session opens, but Macron could ask Attal to stay on while Paris hosts the Olympic Games starting July 26.

Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron called out Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chilkli’s comments as “unacceptable” after he publicly promoted Marine Le Pen, French far-right leader of the National Rally party, before the parliamentary elections, Al Jazeera reported.

Chilkli said the leader of the National Rally party would be “excellent for Israel”, Al Jazeera reported, quoting Israeli news outlets.

French President then called up Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and objected to the comments made by Amichai Chilkli, Al Jazeera reported.

“I think I and Netanyahu are of the same opinion. It’s not a personal matter,” Chilkli was quoted as saying, Al Jazeera reported.

Chilkli said that his support for Marine Le Pen is founded upon her stance on the International Criminal Court – where Israeli leaders face accusations of war crimes, her positions on Hamas, and “the Jewish community’s fight against anti-Semitism”.

Macron told Netanyahu on the phone call that he found the comments to be “unacceptable” and considered them to be an interference in the domestic matters of France.

By the end of the phone call, Netanyahu assured Macron that he would take steps to prevent further comments on the internal matters of France.

An Israeli official called Chilkli’s comment a “diplomatic bomb”, Al Jazeera reported, quoting Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

ALSO READ-Germany, France condemns Israeli strikes on Gaza schools

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Macron rejects PM’s resignation

Germany’s Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said he is “thoroughly relieved” after the far right failed to win an outright majority in the French National Assembly…reports Asian Lite News

France President Emmanuel Macron, whose centrist alliance came in the second place after the New Popular Front’s Left Wing coalition in the runoff to parliamentary elections, on Monday asked his Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to stay in his post for now, CNN reported citing a source from the Elysee presidential palace.

Attal posted a selfie on his X platform just before heading out to offer his resignation, which was rejected by Macron, “for the time being in order to ensure the country’s stability.”

Results from the elections showed New Popular Front emerging winner with 182 seats making it the largest group but well short of the 289 required for an absolute majority. Macron’s Ensemble alliance won 163 seats and took second place while Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and its allies were relegated to third place with 143 seats.

Also, former French President Francois Hollande, who governed the country for one term from 2012 to 2017, has been elected as the member of the French parliament for Correze, which he represented in the 1980s and 1990s, CNN reported.

“Although the formation of a government will now be very complicated, I think it is very good how the center and center-left parties and the left spectrum have worked together to prevent France from drifting into nationalism and Europe from getting into even more difficult waters,” he said.

According to CNN, Macron is unable to call a new election for at least another year. With three more years left of his term, President Macron looks set to preside over an unruly parliament, as problems mount at home and abroad, the US media channel analysed.

The New Popular Front (NFP) a cluster of several parties including from the far-left France Unbowed party to the more moderate Socialists and the Ecologists — won 182 seats in the National Assembly, making it the largest group but well short of the 289 required for an absolute majority.

The results of the elections were welcomed by other leaders in Europe.

Germany’s Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said he is “thoroughly relieved” after the far right failed to win an outright majority in the French National Assembly.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hailed the victory. “This week, two of the largest countries in Europe have chosen the same path that Spain chose a year ago: rejection of the extreme right and a decisive commitment to a social left that addresses people’s problems with serious and brave policies,” Sanchez wrote in a post on X.

“The United Kingdom and France have said YES to progress and social advancement and NO to the regression in rights and freedoms. There is no agreement or government with the extreme right,” Sanchez said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had earlier last week congratulated the National Rally’s performance in the first round.

Meanwhile, France’s left-wing leader Jean-Luc Melenchon has said that the Left is “ready to govern” after emerging as the largest political bloc in parliament. The New Popular Front (NFP) coalition is led by Melenchon and its allies. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Left, Macron race to prevent far-right takeover

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French PM urges united front to stop far-right takeover

London-based risk analysis firm Eurasia Group said the RN’s hopes of an absolute majority had been “blunted” by the front against the far right…reports Asian Lite News

France’s prime minister on Wednesday urged voters to form a united front to block the far right in legislative elections, warning that the anti-immigration party of Marine Le Pen was within reach of winning an absolute majority.

With four days to go until the second round in the vote, France’s political future remains up in the air as the far-right National Rally (RN) party seeks to take control of government for the first time.

The RN dominated the first round of voting, presenting the party of Le Pen with the prospect of forming a government and her protege Jordan Bardella, 28, taking the post of premier in a tense “cohabitation” with centrist President Emmanuel Macron.

But a poll by Toluna Harris Interactive published Wednesday forecast the RN winning just 190 to 220 seats in the 577-seat parliament, far less than the 289 needed for the far right to have an absolute majority and form a government on its own.

A left-wing alliance called the New Popular Front looked set to win between 159 and 183 seats, and the centrist presidential camp 110 to 135, it predicted.

The new polling forecast comes after more than 200 candidates from the left and the center this week dropped out of three-way races in the second round of the contest, aiming to prevent the RN winning the seats.

While the formation of this so-called “Republican Front” seems to have generally been a success for the government, the key question now is whether voters will respond to the pleas to block the RN.

“There is one bloc that is able to have an absolute majority and it’s the extreme right,” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told France Inter radio.

“On Sunday evening, what’s at stake in the second round is to do everything so that the extreme right does not have an absolute majority,” he said.

“It’s not nice for many French to have to block (the RN)… by casting a vote they did not want to,” he added, but “it’s our responsibility to do this.”

In one extreme example of how the united front works, in a constituency in northern France the hard-left candidate pulled out to leave a straight contest between the far right and the tough-talking Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin — long a hated figure for some on the left.

Former prime minister Edouard Philippe, still an influential voice in the pro-Macron camp, told TF1 television he would be voting for a Communist candidate to stop the far right in his constituency.

Le Pen has said the RN would try to form a government, if it gets more than 270 seats, by winning over other lawmakers.

London-based risk analysis firm Eurasia Group said the RN’s hopes of an absolute majority had been “blunted” by the front against the far right.

But it added: “Sunday is an almost completely new election, with dynamics of its own. The turnout will be crucial.”

Janine Mossuz-Lavau, emeritus research director at the Cevipof institute in Paris, said that voters would “do what they liked” irrespective of the calls from politicians, and that turnout risked being lower than the 66.7 percent of the first round.

“There are those who will say ‘I will not choose between cholera and plague and I won’t vote’,” she said.

One option that is the subject of increasing media attention is the possibility that rather than a far-right government, France could be ruled by a broad coalition of pro-Macron centrists, the traditional right, Socialists and Greens.

Philippe said that after the election he would support a new parliamentary majority that could span “the conservative right to the social democrats” but not include the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI).

His comments were also echoed by Xavier Bertrand, a heavyweight right-winger who served as a minister under president Nicolas Sarkozy. He called for a “provisional government” focused on “rebuilding our country.”

Le Pen meanwhile denounced the tactical moves and talk of alliances.

“The political class is giving an increasingly grotesque image of itself,” she wrote on X.

After controversy over some of the RN’s candidates, including one who withdrew after a photo emerged of her wearing a Nazi Luftwaffe cap, Bardella acknowledged there could be some “black sheep” but insisted he was not worried.

Macron has kept his distance from the final phase of voting, which will reveal the outcome of his election gamble that baffled even close colleagues.

ALSO READ-Italy votes in EU election with Meloni poised as powerbroker

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Cong urges PM to take responsibility for stopping paper leak

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi asked if at least now the accountability be decided…reports Asian Lite News

Amid the ongoing row over NEET-UG 2024, the Congress party urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take responsibility for stopping the paper leaks.

Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a post on X referred to the cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) as a “victory of spirit” of millions of students.

He further said that it was the “defeat of the Modi government’s arrogance.”

“You “discuss exams” a lot, when will you “discuss the NEET exam”? Cancellation of the UGC-NET exam is a victory of the spirit of millions of students. This is the defeat of the arrogance of the Modi government due to which they made a despicable attempt to trample the future of our youth,” Kharge said in the post.

“The Union Education Minister had earlier said that no paper was leaked in NEET. When arrests are made of the education mafia in Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana, the Education Minister accepts that some scam has taken place! When will the NEET exam be cancelled?” he asked.

“Modi Ji, please take the responsibility of stopping your government’s rigging and paper leak in NEET exam too!”

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi asked if at least now the accountability be decided.

“The laxity and corruption of the BJP government is fatal for the youth. After the news of the scam in NEET exam, now the NET exam held on June 18 has also been cancelled due to the fear of irregularities,” Priyanka said in a post on X.

“Will accountability be fixed now? Will the education minister take responsibility for this lax system?,” she said.

The Ministry in a statement on Wednesday said that the issue related to grace marks has already been fully addressed in the matter pertaining to the NEET(UG) -2024.

The Ministry of Education has sought a detailed report from the Economic Offences Unit of the Bihar Police over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET(UG) examination-2024 in Patna.

It further reiterated that any individual/organization found to be involved in the NEET (UG) Examination 2024 matter, will face the strictest action.

Earlier on June 18, the Supreme Court told the Centre and NTA that if there is any negligence in conducting the NEET-UG, 2024 exam, it should be thoroughly dealt with.

Several petitions were filed in the apex court seeking direction to recall NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct the examination afresh, alleging paper leakage and malpractices in the test held on May 5. Aspirants have raised the issue of leakage of the question paper, awarding compensatory marks and anomalies in the question of NEET-UG 2024. (ANI)

ALSO READ-SP-Congress alter UP’s political dynamics

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Sunak pledges £17 bn tax cuts by 2030

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty visit the British Normandy Memorial near Gold Beach, alongside Military veterans, the President of France Emmanuel Macron, and King Charles III to mark the D-Day 80th anniversary in France. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

Opponents said Sunak was making unrealistic and unaffordable promises in a desperate bid to stave off defeat…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday implored British voters, and his own party, to throw him a lifeline in the UK’s election, pledging to cut taxes and reduce immigration if his Conservative Party is reelected on July 4.

With the Conservatives trailing Labour Party in opinion polls, Sunak acknowledged that “people are frustrated with our party and frustrated with me.” But he argued that the Conservatives are “the only party with the big ideas to make this country a better place to live.”

Opponents said Sunak was making unrealistic and unaffordable promises in a desperate bid to stave off defeat.

Tuesday’s launch of the Tories’ manifesto, its main package of pledges, came a day after Sunak was forced to deny rumors he could quit even before polling day as the Conservatives are alarmed over his lackluster campaign.

Sunak insisted he had not considered resigning and said he was “not going to stop fighting for people’s votes.”

On July 4, British voters will elect lawmakers to fill all 650 seats in the House of Commons, and the leader of the party that can command a majority — either alone or in coalition — will become prime minister.

Sunak held the manifesto launch at Silverstone motor racing circuit in central England, home of the British Grand Prix, and it could be one of his last big chances to get his spluttering campaign back on track.

His central pitch was the claim that a government led by Labour’s Keir Starmer would raise taxes, while a Conservative one would lower them.

In its manifesto the party pledged 17 billion pounds ($22 billion) in tax cuts by 2030, to be paid for largely by slashing welfare costs. The main tax cut is a 2 percentage point reduction in National Insurance, a tax employees pay to qualify for a state pension. The Conservative government has already cut it twice, from 12% to the current 8%.

Sunak said the Conservatives would pay for lower taxes by “controlling the unsustainable rise in working-age welfare that has taken off since the pandemic.”

The Labour Party argues that the tax burden has risen to its highest level in decades during 14 years of Tory rule. Labour campaign chairman Pat McFadden called the Conservative manifesto “the most expensive panic attack in history.”

Paul Johnson, director of independent think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said he had “a degree of skepticism” about the math behind the Conservative promises.

“Those are definite giveaways paid for by uncertain, unspecific and apparently victimless savings,” he said.

Sunak’s surprise decision to call a summer election, several months earlier than most people expected, was intended partly to catch the opposition unprepared.

But it’s the Conservatives who have seemed off-balance from the moment Sunak stood outside 10 Downing St. in the rain on May 22 to announce the start of the campaign.

The Conservatives were already on the defensive after jettisoning two prime ministers without an election in quick succession in 2022: first Boris Johnson, felled by scandals, then Liz Truss, who rocked the economy with drastic tax-slashing plans and lasted just seven weeks in office.

The party’s prospects worsened last week when populist firebrand Nigel Farage announced that he would run for Parliament at the helm of the right-wing party Reform U.K., vowing to be a “bloody nuisance” to the established parties.

Farage has been traversing the country seeking to rally support with his anti-establishment and anti-immigration rhetoric. On Tuesday a 28-year-old man was arrested after Farage was pelted with objects from a construction site as he rode in an open-topped bus in Barnsley, northern England.

Last week Farage was doused with a milkshake after a campaign appearance.

Sunak stumbled again last week when he flew home early from commemorations in France of the 80th anniversary of D-Day so he could resume campaigning. The photos of centenarian World War II veterans and an array of world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden attending the solemn ceremony on Omaha Beach without him were a publicity nightmare.

Sunak quickly realized his error and apologized.

Paul Goodman, a former Conservative lawmaker who is now a member of the House of Lords, said the irony is that apart from the D-Day gaffe, “the Conservatives have run a perfectly decent, conventional campaign,” but have little to show for it.

“They’ve launched lots of policies, they’ve had some hits on Labour,” he said. “Rishi Sunak actually did pretty well in the debate (against Starmer) last week. … All of this appears to have made no difference at all.”

Sunak said the Conservatives would halve net immigration from its current level of about 700,000 people a year and would push on with a controversial plan to send some asylum-seekers who reach Britain by boat across the English Channel on a one-way trip to Rwanda.

Sunak said that if he won the election there would be a “relentless continual process of permanently removing illegal migrants to Rwanda” with the first flights taking off in July.

ALSO READ-Tory manifesto will include tax cuts, says Sunak

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Global leaders condemn attack on Slovak PM  

In a post on social media platform X, Sunak wrote, “Shocked to hear this awful news. All our thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family.”…reports Asian Lite News

Reactions poured in from across the globe condemning the shooting attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and wishing for his speedy recovery, as he continues to undergo treatment with his condition being termed “extremely serious.”

Robert Fico, who is a four-time Prime Minister of Slovakia, was wounded in a shooting incident on Wednesday (local time) in Handlova, reported the local newspaper, The Slovak Spectator.

The critically wounded prime minister is still undergoing surgery in the town of Banska Bystrica. The alleged shooter was arrested on-site and the area was evacuated.

The United States has condemned the attack. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken wished for PM Fico’s speedy recovery.

“I am alarmed to hear reports of an attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Jill and I are praying for a swift recovery, and our thoughts are with his family and the people of Slovakia. We condemn this horrific act of violence. Our embassy is in close touch with the government of Slovakia and ready to assist,” President Biden said in a statement.

“The United States condemns the shooting of Slovak Prime Minister Fico. Our thoughts are with him, his family, and the Slovak people, and we wish him a full recovery,” Blinken posted on X.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he was “shocked” to hear about the incident.

In a post on social media platform X, Sunak wrote, “Shocked to hear this awful news. All our thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the shooting of Slovak PM terming it a “monstrous crime.”

“There can be no justification for this monstrous crime. I know Robert Fico as a courageous and strong-minded man. I very much hope that these qualities will help him to survive this difficult situation,” Putin said. The Russian leader wished Fico “a speedy and full recovery”.

Notably, Fico was considered a supporter of the Kremlin. He had previously blamed “Ukrainian Nazis and fascists” for provoking Vladimir Putin into launching the invasion, as per CNN.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also condemned the act of violence against Slovakia’s head of state.

“The attack on Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is appalling. We strongly condemn this act of violence against our neighbouring partner state’s head of government,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the attack and expressed solidarity

“Shocked by the shots that hit Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. I strongly condemn this attack. My thoughts and solidarity go out to him, his family and the Slovak people,” Macron said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz termed this a “cowardly attack” and said there should be no existence of violence in European politics.

“I am deeply shocked by the news of the cowardly attack on Slovakian Prime Minister Fico. Violence must not be existant in European politics. In these hours, my thoughts are with Robert Fico, his family and the citizens of Slovakia,” Scholz stated.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “strongly condemned” the attack and conveyed his best wishes.

“I strongly condemn the heinous assassination attempt against Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, and I wish a speedy recovery to Mr. Fico, who was injured in the attack. I convey my best wishes to the people and government of Slovakia on behalf of my country and nation,” Erdogan said on X.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the “vile attack” and said there is no place for such acts of violence in the society.

“I strongly condemn the vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good. My thoughts are with PM Fico and his family,” she stated.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her “deep shock” at the “cowardly attack”.

“I learned with deep shock the news of the cowardly attack on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. All my thoughts are with him, his family and the friendly Slovak people. Also on behalf of the Italian Government I wish to express the strongest condemnation of any form of violence and attack on the cardinal principles of democracy and freedom,” she stated on X.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also wished for PM Fico’s speedy recovery.

“Shocked and appalled by the shooting of Prime Minister Robert Fico. I wish him strength for a speedy recovery. My thoughts are with Robert Fico, his loved ones, and the people of Slovakia,” Stoltenberg said on X.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said nothing can justify violence adding that the whole of Spain stands with the Slovak PM.

“Horrified and outraged at the attack on the Slovak Prime Minister. Spain stands with Robert Fico, his family and the Slovak people at this extremely difficult time. Nothing can ever justify violence,” Sanchez said on X.

Meanwhile, Slovak Defence Minister, Robert Kalinak said that PM Fico is “still fighting for his life”, as reported by CNN.

“The surgery has been going on for three-and-a-half hours. His medical state is really very complex,” Kalinak added. “We are singularly focused on the health of Robert Fico. And we are hoping he will be strong enough to pull through.”

Slovak Interior Minister, Matus Sutaj Estok said that the assassination attempt of PM Fico was “politically motivated,” adding the information is based on “initial interviews with the suspect.”

“The perpetrator shot five times. The prime minister is in a critical condition, still on the operating table. We will do everything we can to investigate this,” Estok said at a news conference.

Slovakia’s President Zuzana Caputova said in a news conference that the attack on Slovak Prime Minister was “also an attack on democracy.”

Maria Kolikova, an opposition member of Slovakia’s parliament said the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico is “an attack on the internal security” of the country.

Al Jazeera reported citing local Slovak news media that the shooter – an unnamed 71-year-old man – was a former security guard at a shopping mall, an author of three collections of poetry, and a member of the Slovak Society of Writers.

The attacker’s son said his father was the legal holder of a gun license. “I have absolutely no idea what my father intended, what he planned, what happened,” news outlet Aktuality.sk quoted the shooter’s son as saying.

Fico previously served as prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018. His third term in 2023 made him the longest-serving head of government in the history of Slovakia, a European Union and NATO member, according to Al Jazeera. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Pellegrini wins Slovakian presidential elections

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Priyanka taunts PM over unkept vows

The remarks by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came while she addressed a public rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi in support of Congress candidate KL Sharma..reports Asian Lite News

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Bhartiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and criticised for not fulfilling the promises made to the people and said, ‘Bade Bade Vaade, Zameen Par Kuch Nahi.’

The remarks by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came while she addressed a public rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi in support of Congress candidate KL Sharma.

Taking a dig at BJP, the Congress leader said, “BJP’s history is the same, ‘Bade Bade Vaade, Zameen Par Kuch Nahi’ (Big Promises, But Nothing on the Ground). Prime Minister Narendra Modi made big promises. He had said of providing two crore jobs, he had said that the income of farmers will be doubled, he had said that he will bring back the black money and deposit Rs 15 lakh in your bank accounts. But the truth is that my sisters are not able to face inflation… My farmer brothers are aware that they cannot look after the family with the income from farming…”

Launching an attack on the ruling government over inflation and unemployment the Congress leader asserted that people would have to take loans to educate and marry their children. “If you want to educate your children, you will have to take a loan; if you want to marry your daughter, you will have to take loan and in the 10 years of governance under the rule of PM Modi, unemployment has increased so much that even if you educate your child, your child will not be able to get any job,” she said.

Gandhi added further, “Today, 70 crore youth is unemployed. Unemployment is at its peak and when PM Modi comes to you, he doesn’t talk about how high the unemployment. He talks about what is happening in Pakistan. He solicits votes by invoking religious pledges but doesn’t talk about the works he has done.

Critiquing the Prime Minister’s remarks regarding Mangalsutra and buffaloes, Priyanka Gandhi remarked, “The post of the Prime Minister carries a certain dignity, and today, Narendra Modi has diminished that dignity.”

The Congress leader also hit out at the saffron party over Constitution and claimed that the BJP is trying to rob the people of their rights. “The Constitution gave the right of reservation in jobs but the BJP leaders say that if they form the government, they will change the Constitution. What does this mean? Will they end the democracy?… Your right to vote, right to reservation, right to protest, right to education, right to employment… all will end.”

Claiming that the BJP leaders don’t respect the Constitution, Gandhi said, “They have tried to weaken the Constitution at every level in the past 10 years. And in these 10 years, they have given all the nation’s wealth to their billionaire’ friends (Adani-Ambani)… They have sold the country…” (ANI)

ALSO READ-Priyanka manages backroom strategy in Amethi, Rae Bareli

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Sanchez stays on as Spain’s PM after weighing exit

Sanchez met King Felipe VI on Monday — a step that would have been necessary should he have decided to resign — but announced in a televised address that he had informed the monarch of his decision to stay on…reports Asian Lite News

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday he had decided to continue in office, days after abruptly announcing he was considering his future following the launch of a corruption investigation against his wife.

The center-left prime minister, 52, had surprised foes and allies alike when he said on Wednesday he was taking time from public duty to consider quitting. He described the court investigation of his wife Begona Gomez for influence peddling and business corruption as orchestrated by his opponents.

Sanchez met King Felipe VI on Monday — a step that would have been necessary should he have decided to resign — but announced in a televised address that he had informed the monarch of his decision to stay on. He had been encouraged to stay by widespread expressions of support over the weekend, Sanchez said.

“I have decided to go on, if possible even stronger as prime minister. This is not business as usual, things are going to be different,” he said in a national broadcast.

His announcement that he might quit had caused further turmoil in Spanish politics, where a fractious parliament has struggled to form coalition governments after close elections. Should a new election have been required, it would have been the fourth in five years.

The opposition will try to exploit the sign of indecision from Sanchez, but the impact may be limited because Spain’s political landscape is already so polarized, said Ignacio Jurado, political science professor at Madrid’s Carlos III University.

“His credibility is already hotly contested and voters have already given it to him or taken it away,” he said. “As a leader he has shown a weakness and it’s something that the opposition will exploit a lot.”

ALSO READ-Slovenia, Spain back recognition of State of Palestine

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Rahul calls PM a mastermind of extortion scheme  

PM Modi said the electoral bonds scheme was aimed at curbing black money in elections and said the opposition wants to run away after making allegations…reports Asian Lite News

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appetiser remark, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called the Electoral Bonds the “world’s biggest corruption”, saying that there is record-breaking unemployment in the country and PM Modi is now telling the people that he will serve them the “main course” in 2047.

The remarks of Rahul Gandhi came after Prime Minister Modi, in an interview accused the opposition parties of “spreading lies” over the electoral bonds scheme, which has been struck down by the Supreme Court, and said “everyone will regret it when there is an honest reflection”.

“Record-breaking unemployment, backbreaking inflation, farmers dying due to debt burden and government repression, helpless labourers, harassed businessmen, the weakest Rupee in the history against the dollar and the world’s biggest corruption, ‘Electoral Bond’! Narendra Modi is telling the people who have tasted all these ‘Appetisers’ that he will serve them the ‘Main Course’ in 2047,” Rahul Gandhi posted on X (in Hindi).

PM Modi said the electoral bonds scheme was aimed at curbing black money in elections and said the opposition wants to run away after making allegations.

He said of the 16 companies who gave donations after action by probe agencies, only 37 per cent of the amount went to the BJP and 63 per cent to opposition parties opposed to the BJP.

The Prime Minister said the country has been pushed towards “black money” in elections and everyone will regret it.In his first detailed reaction on electoral bonds scheme, PM Modi, who has been on a hectic campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, said the scheme should also be viewed a success story as it has allowed the trail to show who had made contributions to political parties through the scheme.

He also said there is a lot scope of improvement in the scheme.

“There has been a discussion in our country for a long time that (through) black money a dangerous game is there in elections. The play of black money in the country’s elections ends, this discussion has been going on for a long time. Money is spent in elections; no one can deny this. My party also spends, all parties, candidates spend and money has to be taken from people. I wanted that we try something, how can our elections be free from this black money, how can there be transparency? There was a pure thought in my mind. We were looking for a way. We found a small way, we never claimed that this was the absolute way,” he said.

He said there was debate in Parliament on the electoral bonds scheme when the relevant bill was passed and some of those who are now commenting on it had supported it.

Earlier on April 5, PM Modi said that the country has witnessed a change in the last ten years of his government.

“I want to tell you that all we’ve done (developments work) till now, is just a trailer. These days, when we go to big hotels to eat food, they first bring a few appetizers…so what Modi has done (till now) is an appetizer and the main course is yet to come. We have to take the country forward… In the last 10 years, you have seen the country change. Before that, the country was in a very bad condition,” the PM said.

The Supreme Court in February this year struck down the electoral bonds scheme and said it was unconstitutional.

INDIA Bloc parties have been targeting the BJP-led government over the electoral bonds scheme in their election campaign.

In its decision, the Supreme Court asked the SBI to stop issuing electoral bonds.In compliance with a directive from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) uploaded data on electoral bonds on its official website. The data was provided by the State Bank of India (SBI) on the directions of the apex court.

‘No transparency’

Meanwhile, Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday questioned the “transparency” of electoral bonds and said that there is “no transparency” in the electoral bonds, adding that it only “suit and benefit the ruling party.”

The remarks of Pawan Khera came after Prime Minister Modi in an interview to ANI accused the opposition parties of “spreading lies” over the electoral bonds scheme, which has been struck down by the Supreme Court, and said “everyone will regret it when there is an honest reflection”. “First they said there was no numbering, then numbering came out and the information about that numbering will be with the ruling party. Is this transparency? There is no transparency in the electoral bonds. It only suits and benefits the ruling party,” Pawan Khera said.

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Portugal PM resigns over corruption scandal

Infrastructure Minister Joao Galamba, and the President of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), Nuno Lacasta, were also named as formal suspects…reports Asian Lite News

Antonio Costa, prime minister of Portugal, resigned on Tuesday afternoon after becoming the target of an investigation into alleged government corruption.

Costa submitted his resignation to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa earlier in the day. In a statement, Costa denied corruption accusations but said he preferred to step down to focus on his defense.

The country’s attorney general (AG) has already announced that a criminal case will be filed against Costa. The AG was also received by the Portuguese president, who was informed about the search operations that resulted in the arrest of five people, including Vitor Escaria, Costa’s chief of staff.

Infrastructure Minister Joao Galamba, and the President of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), Nuno Lacasta, were also named as formal suspects. According to the AG’s office, the inquiry focuses on the alleged crimes of prevarication, active and passive corruption, and influence peddling.

The investigation also focuses on lithium exploration concessions in Portugal, as well as a hydrogen energy production plant project.

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