Thursday, October 18, 2018

Russia:US sanctions on Iran Irrational

Russia has opposed the US sanctions against Iran, saying that Washington seems to be taking every opportunity to exert pressure on countries that do not follow its policies.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow considers the new sanctions against Iran as well as countries involved in Syrian reconstruction a negative move.
The US Treasury Department had, on Tuesday, announced inclusion of several other Iranian institutes on the list of sanctions.

Putin,al-Sisi inks co-operation treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi have signed a strategic co-operation treaty. The treaty, designed to increase trade, military and other ties, was signed by the two leaders in Sochi yesterday.
Mr al-Sisi, who was completing a three-day visit to Russia, hailed his talks with Mr Putin and termed the agreement as a new chapter in the history of the countries’ bilateral relations.
Mr Putin said the talks encompassed the whole spectrum of bilateral relations as well as key international and regional problems. He said he and the Egyptian President discussed expanding arms trade and military ties. Two nation look for the creation of a free trade zone between #Egypt and Eurasian Economic Union.

Bhutan goes for General elections

 

Bhutan goes for General elections are being held today

DD NewsIn Bhutan, third general elections are being held today. Polling for 47 seats of National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, will start at 9 am local time. Elaborate arrangements have been made for free, fair and peaceful elections.
The Election Commission has deputed over 5,300 officials in 865 polling stations across the country. Out of four lakh 38,000 registered voters, more than three lakh are expected to exercise their franchise through EVMs today.
Over one lakh 2,000 voters had opted for Postal Ballot Facilitation Booths. Around 83 percent of them had already casted their votes during postal polling held last week. There is a straight contest between Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) and Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) parties in third parliamentary elections. The voters will seal the fate of total 94 candidates, 47 each from both the parties.
Polling will start at 9 am local time and continue till 5 in the evening. The Election Commission of Bhutan has deputed over five thousand three hundred officials in 865 polling stations across the country. Out of four lakh thirty eight thousand registered voters, more than three lakhs are expected to exercise their franchise through EVMs today. Over one lakh two thousand voters had opted for Postal Ballot Facilitation Booths.
Around 83 percent of them had already casted their votes during postal polling held last week. There is a straight contest between Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) and Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) parties in third parliamentary elections. The voters will seal the fate of total 94 candidates, 47 each from both the parties.


ASEM summit begins in Brussels

12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit begins in Brussels today. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who reached the Belgian capital last night, will lead the Indian delegation at the two-day summit.

The theme this year is, ‘Global Partners for Global Challenges’. The summit will prioritise issues related to connectivity, trade and investment, sustainable development, climate change, terrorism, migration, maritime security and cyberspace.

The meeting will bring together Heads of state of 30 European and 21 Asian countries, besides top representatives of the European Union and Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Apart from the opening ceremony, Mr Naidu will participate in the plenary session of the summit and have interactions with various stakeholders. He will also have bilateral meetings with the Heads of State of various countries on the sidelines of the summit.
On the first day, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu is scheduled to hold one to one meeting with the King of Belgians King Phillipe at Presidential Palace in Brussels (at noon time). Shri Naidu is likely to discuss the bilateral matters and issues of mutual interest and cooperation.
He is likely to seek more cooperation to strengthen bilateral relations and also to deal with the global challenges through Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) platform. Shri Naidu is scheduled to arrive at Europa Building for Opening Ceremony of ASEM Summit on Thursday evening (around 1925 hrs). This will be followed by his participation in the Special Session with the stakeholders.
During his stay, the Vice President will also hold a meeting with prominent Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and CEOs of Belgium. He will address the Indian Diaspora at the Jain Culture Centre in Wilrijk, Antwerp. Mr Naidu will also pay floral tributes at the monument of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi located at the Governorate of Antwerp.

SAIL Excellence in Cost Management

Shri Piyush Goyal  Minister of Railways presenting to Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Chairman SAIL the National Awards for Excellence in Cost Managementfor 1st Place in the category Public – Manufacturing – Mega on behalf of The Institute of Cost Accountants of India
सेल नेशनल अवार्ड फॉर एक्सिलेन्स इन कॉस्ट मैनेजमेंट से सम्मानित
सेल अध्यक्ष श्री अनिल कुमार चौधरी ने केंद्रीय रेल मंत्री श्री पीयूष गोयल से ग्रहण किया पुरस्कार
नई दिल्ली, 17 अक्टूबर, 2018: स्टील अथॉरिटी ऑफ इंडिया लिमिटेड (सेल) को नेशनल अवार्ड फॉर एक्सिलेन्स इन कॉस्ट मैनेजमेंट (राष्ट्रीय लागत प्रबंधन उत्कृष्टता पुरस्कार) के प्रथम पुरस्कार से सम्मानित किया गया है। सेल को यह पुरस्कार द इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ कॉस्ट अकाउंटेंट्स ऑफ इंडिया द्वारा बड़े सार्वजनिक उत्पादक वर्ग में प्रदान किया गया है। सेल अध्यक्ष श्री अनिल कुमार चौधरी ने यह पुरस्कार को माननीय केंद्रीय रेलमंत्री श्री पीयूष गोयल से नई दिल्ली में 16 अक्टूबर, 2018 को आयोजित 15वें नेशनल अवार्ड फॉर एक्सिलेन्स इन कॉस्ट मैनेजमेंट – 2107 के दौरान ग्रहण किया। सेल आज के प्रतिस्पर्धी माहौल में अपने उत्पादन और वित्तीय निष्पादन को बेहतर करने की दिशा में लगातार सर्वोत्तम लागत प्रबंधन प्रक्रियाओं का पालन कर रहा है। इस पुरस्कार के निर्णायक मण्डल में ख्यातिनाम व्यक्तिव शामिल थे।


Italian Coast Guard rescues migrants and refugees bound for Italy.

17861845_10158600469635008_1861937147893078743_n

UNHCR and IOM appeal to European leaders to tackle Mediterranean deaths

Ahead of this week’s meeting of European Union (EU) Heads of State and Government, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and IOM, the UN Migration Agency, are together appealing to European leaders to urgently take steps to address this year’s record rate of drownings on the Mediterranean Sea.
The leaders of the two organizations warn that political discourse concerning refugees and migrants, particularly those arriving by boat, has become dangerously toxic in some countries, even at a time when arrivals to Europe are declining. This narrative is stoking unnecessary fears, making it harder for countries to work together and blocking progress towards solutions.
“The current tenor of the political debate – painting a picture of Europe under siege – is not only unhelpful but completely out of touch with reality,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “Arrival numbers are falling but the rate at which people are losing their lives is on the rise. We cannot forget that we are talking about human lives. Debate is welcome – scapegoating refugees and migrants for political gain is not.”
“Perilous irregular migration is in no one’s interest. Together we must invest more in regular migration, enhanced mobility and integration to foster growth and development that benefits both sides of the Mediterranean,” said IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino.
With more than 1,700 lives lost since the start of 2018, the rate at which people are drowning while trying to cross the Mediterranean has risen sharply this year. In September alone, one person died or went missing for every 8 people who crossed to Europe on the Central Mediterranean, in large part due to reduced search and rescue capacity.
In addition to the need to enhance search and rescue capacity, UNHCR and IOM have proposed a workable regional arrangement that would make disembarkation and processing predictable and swift.
UNHCR and IOM urge European leaders to focus this week’s discussions on the practical solutions that are urgently needed and ensuring responsibilities are properly being shared among European States. At the same time we welcome strides taken to date by some EU Member States towards responsibility-sharing in search and rescue and post-disembarkation solutions for refugees and migrants.
UNHCR and IOM meanwhile also remind European leaders to remain focused on the implementation of the priorities already agreed earlier in the Valetta Political Declaration and Plan of Action, where States expressed profound solidarity in addressing the root causes of displacement and irregular migration, while supporting countries who receive large numbers of refugees and migrants.
Greater and more effective support from EU leaders is also needed for developing long-term structural solutions, which foster conditions in countries of origin and transit that provide opportunities for people to live in dignity.
Italian Coast Guard rescues migrants and refugees bound for Italy. © IOM/Francesco Malavolta
Media contacts
In Geneva: Charlie Yaxley, UNHCR – yaxley@unhcr.org , +41 79 580 8702
In Brussels: Melissa Julian, IOM – mjulian@iom.int, +32 2 287 71 33/ +32 473 28 11 65
Maeve Patterson, UNHCR – patterso@unhcr.org, +32 470 99 54 35


Once again victory of Aastha in Sabarimala: VHP New Delhi. October 18, 2018. The kind of barbarism and vandalism perpetrated by the Kerala Police on the Bhagwan Ayyappa devotees at Sabarimala seemed to be as if the Marxist goons wearing Khaki costumes had landed at the celebrated holy shrine to mount aggression on the Aastha of Hindus. Joint General Secretary of Vishva Hindu Parishad, Dr. Surendra Kumar Jain, made the said remarks while condemning the atrocities committed by the Communist government on the devotees engaged in peacefully doing Satsang at the shrine. Vijayan's police not only baton charged and stoned but also broke open the vehicles of the devotees and looted the same. Despite all the vandalism of administration, it could not trounce the Aastha of the devotees. Aastha was Vijayi (victorious) and no ‘Vijayan’ (victory) but defeat of tyranny. The CPM government, ever in the business of plotting to crush the Aastha (Liberty of thought, belief, faith and worship) of Hindus, imposed Section 144 in the temple area and conspired to organize a forcible entry of some planted middle-aged women making fun of Hindu Astha into the shrine of the deity. Dr. Jain warned that they would not succeed in their conspiracy. In protest against the government suppression and conspiracy, the Sabarimala Karma Samiti has called for a 12-hour state-wide strike today, which has the support of all social and Dharmic organizations. Dr. Jain said that for the kind of situation that has come to pass today in Sabarimala, only the CPM government and some of their so-called human rights activists with Hindu phobic agenda and well-fed by them, are responsible. Under the guise of empowering women, these elements have actually been trying to crush the Hindu Aastha. These elements have never raised a voice for the nuns who suffered from sexual atrocities and rape by Church priests, but had the effrontery to call the victim nuns as prostitutes. Even their tongues get paralysed on question of entry of Muslim women in mosques. CPM’s record on the protection of women's rights has always been dubious. In their Polit Bureau, a woman has got admission only when her husband has become the General Secretary of the party. The atrocities committed by them against women in Bengal's Nandigram and Singur, speak volumes about their character. None of the petitioners that went to the Hon’ble Supreme Court seeking entry of 10yr-50yr old women into the Sabarimala shrine does ever subscribe to the Sabarimala Aastha. But now even such women are coming out who threaten to go into the shrine with their boy-friends and make sex in front of celibate Bhagwan Ayyappa and are also talking in terms of opening condom shops at the shrine. They cannot appreciate that ‘liberty’(swatantrata) is not ‘licentiousness’(svekshhacharita) and indiscipline. Dr. Jain also said that Hindus have never been anti-women. But there are some mores and traditions of every temple which should be respected by everyone. Bharat stood for unity (Ekta) and not for uniformity (Ekroopta). Due to these different traditions catering to different necessities, aptitudes, and temperaments, unity in diversity became the forte of Bharat. It seems that all these anti-Hindu people got together with the plot to mount an invasion on Bharat’s soul/central being. It must be noted that there are also temples, including occult ones, in Bharat where entry of men is prohibited. Will these people call those traditions as anti-males? This is diversity, not discrimination, reverse discrimination, unfairness or inequity! Some so-called intellectuals ailing from Hindu phobia have used the word ‘goons’ for the devotees of Ayyappa. The VHP condemns them for these abuses. This movement has been completely non-violent. Lakhs of devotees have come on the roads, but leave aside the talk of violence, they never ever used an abusive language for anybody. Instead of praising the peaceful movement of the devotees, the anti-Ayyappa activists are exposing their own mindset and mentality by using abusive language. They should understand that the Hindus have always been transformative as the Hindu culture (Kulaachaar) is like a flowing river and growing tree and not like a statue. Are not Dalit priests accepted in temples of Dakshin Bharat? But this change should come from within the Aasthavans! None of the external elements can impose it! The Joint General Secretary of the VHP said that this tradition of Sabarimala does not humiliate anyone and does not hurt anyone. This tradition is entirely under section 25 of the Constitution of Bharat. Therefore, this fight is only for the protection of the spirit of the Constitution by staying within the ambit of the Constitution. How can those opposed to the law against Triple-Talaq have the face to oppose this movement? The CPM government has changed the constitution of the Devaswom Board in such a way that they can handover Hindu temples to non-Hindus. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad condemns their anti-Constitution and anti-Hindu conspiracy in the strongest terms, and warns that it should stop its unholy agenda to crush Hindus. The communist movement has shrunk in rank & file and now got confined to Kerala. They will get eradicated from there also in their fight against Hindus. They should accept their mistake and file a review petition in the SC. The strength of Hindu Aastha would now have come to their notice. Released by- Vinod Bansal National Spokesperson, Vishva Hindu Parishad, M-9810949109

Competitiveness, climate, security Finn’s priorities Ministry of Finance release Finnish road map of EU presidency. Finland i...