Japan, Singapore and South Korea have topped the Henley Passport Index – which uses exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority – to rank 199 passports. The Asian giants’ top ranking reverses pre-pandemic rankings dominated by European nations.The index defines the strength of diplomatic relations of any one country with others; essentially, the more […]
National
Ranil Wickremesinghe elected as Sri Lanka President
Six-time Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday defeated dissident leader Dullas Alahapperuma and leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the presidential election to succeed Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The 73-year-old Sri Lanka leader secured 134 votes in the 225-member House while his nearest rival Alahapperuma got 82. A candidate needed to […]
Jharkhand woman cop run over by van
Days after a dump truck linked to the mining mafia ran over a Haryana deputy superintendent of police, a woman sub-inspector was allegedly mowed in Jharkhand’s Ranchi, officials said. “Sandhya Topno was on night patrolling. In initial investigation, it has been confirmed the act was deliberate. We have detained the driver and the vehicle has […]
What happens to will of people? Kapil Sibal in Supreme court for Uddhav faction
As the Supreme Court on Wednesday began to hear the cases on the rift of the Shiv Sena, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Uddhav camp, said there must be a merger if a rebel camp wants protection against disqualification. “Until the SC decides all the points of law, nothing should be done. Let […]
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expected to address high-level UN General Assembly session in September
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to address the annual high-level UN General Assembly session in September, according to a provisional list of speakers released by the UN here.The General Debate of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly will commence on September 20, with US President Joe Biden scheduled to address world […]
Centre asking for caste certificate from Agniveers: Tejashwi. Rajnath hits back
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday dismissed the opposition’s allegation of caste certificates being asked from the defence aspirants. “It’s just a rumour. Earlier system, existing since pre-independence era, is going on. No change has been made. Old system is being continued,” ANI quoted the minister who spoke to the reporters outside Parliament. When asked […]
Congress to protest on GST, price rise and Agnipath issues
The Congress will hold a protest on Tuesday on the Parliament premises on the issue of GST, price rise and Agnipath scheme.The protest will be held near the Gandhi statue.On Monday, both the Houses could not function amid the demand for discussion on price rise and GST. The Rajya Sabha, on the first day of […]
Ever wondered why EVMs are not used in polls to elect President and Vice President
Ever wondered why electronic voting machines, used in four Lok Sabha elections and 127 assembly polls since 2004, are not deployed in polls to elect the President and Vice President of India, members of Rajya Sabha, and members of state legislative councils?The EVMs are based on a technology where they work as aggregator of votes […]
Voting begins in Droupadi Murmu vs Yashwant Sinha battle, PM Modi casts vote
Voting for the presidential election in which NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu is pitted against joint opposition pick Yashwant Sinha began on Monday.Polling began at 10 am and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to cast his vote. The voting process would conclude at 5 pm. Nearly 4,800 elected MPs and MLAs are entitled […]
Monsoon session: Government holds all-party meet to discuss House productivity
The government held an all-party meeting on Sunday, ahead of the Monsoon session of the Parliament, which begins on Monday, to formulate a strategy to maximise the productivity of the House along with addressing the concerns of the Opposition during the course of the session. The meeting, called by parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, is […]