Various climate change activists blocked roads outside the Parliament in London. There have been reports of nearly sixty supporters of a group called Insulate Britain sitting on the ground holding banners as they blocked two roads around Parliament.

Some even glued themselves to the ground as part of the protest.&nbsp;

Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle deemed it as "totally unacceptable" as the group was "interfering with democracy."

This is not the first time when Insulate Britain has carried out such a protest. Recently, the group has carried out protests blocking various roads and highways in London and various other places in the UK.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zhang-zhan-who-exposed-chinas-mishandling-of-covid-is-close-to-death-in-jail-family-426911">Also read |&nbsp;Zhang Zhan, who exposed China's mishandling of Covid, is close to death in jail: Family</a>

The group demands that the government should improve the energy efficiency of heating in people's homes by 2030. It has also targeted London's financial district.&nbsp;

These protests have angered many people as this leads to miles-long traffic congestion.

Even after officials say that the protests are "unacceptable," the group has said that it will continue its "civil resistance." Many protestors have also been arrested for the same.&nbsp;

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, "When it gets to the point that protesting against climate change prevents members from this House getting here to hold ministers to account and be heard it is clearly counter-productive."

Various climate change activists blocked roads outside the Parliament in London. There have been reports of nearly sixty supporters of a group called Insulate Britain sitting on the ground holding banners as they blocked two roads around Parliament.

Various climate change activists blocked roads outside the Parliament in London. There have been reports of nearly sixty supporters of a group called Insulate Britain sitting on the ground holding banners as they blocked two roads around Parliament. Some even glued themselves to the ground as part of the protest. Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle deemed it as "totally unacceptable" as the group was "interfering with democracy." This is not the first time when Insulate Britain has carried out such a protest. Recently, the group has carried out protests blocking various roads and highways in London and various other places in the UK. Also read | Zhang Zhan, who exposed China's mishandling of Covid, is close to death in jail: Family The group demands that the government should improve the energy efficiency of heating in people's homes by 2030. It has also targeted London's financial district. These protests have angered many people as this leads to miles-long traffic congestion. Even after officials say that the protests are "unacceptable," the group has said that it will continue its "civil resistance." Many protestors have also been arrested for the same. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, "When it gets to the point that protesting against climate change prevents members from this House getting here to hold ministers to account and be heard it is clearly counter-productive."

'Civil resistance': Protesters block roads outside British Parliament

Singapore`s parliament began discussion on Monday of a proposed law to counter foreign interference that has sparked concern from opposition parties, rights groups and experts about its broad scope and limits on judicial review.

The small and open city-state, which says it is vulnerable to foreign meddling, targeted fake news with a far-reaching law in 2019, and joins nations such as Australia&nbsp; and Russia&nbsp;that have passed laws in recent years to deter foreign interference.

It allows authorities to compel internet, social media service providers and website operators to provide user information, block content and remove applications, and is likely to be passed, as the ruling party has a majority in parliament.

But some critics say its broad language risks capturing even legitimate activities, while rights group Reporters Without Borders said the law could ensnare independent media outlets.

"The pre-emptive powers&nbsp;and broad scoping of provisions could potentially provide the government with significant wherewithal to curb legitimate civil society activity," said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University.

"FICA has the makings of being the most intrusive law on the statute books," he said of the bill, to be formally known as the Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act (FICA).

In response to a Reuters query, the home ministry said the bill did not cover discussion or advocacy by Singapore citizens, or the vast array of their collaborations with foreigners.

But orders can be issued if a citizen acts for a foreign principal in a manner contrary to the public interest, it added, saying the law set out clear thresholds.

The bill lets the home minister order investigations in the public interest to "expose hostile information campaigns", based on suspicion of foreign interference.

Instead of open court, an independent panel, chaired by a judge, will hear appeals against the minister`s decisions, a move the government says is necessary as matters may involve sensitive intelligence with implications for national security.

&nbsp;Growing Threat

As use of social media and communications technology increases, experts and opposition parties have agreed on the need to counter a growing threat of foreign interference in domestic affairs.

Critics have said Russia`s `sovereign internet` 2019 law allows authorities the discretion to limit access to resources and information, while Australian laws target lobbyists for foreign countries.

In parliament on Monday, Singapore home minister K. Shanmugam pointed to examples of spurts in online activity over the years 2016 and 2017 as well as 2018 and 2019 that aimed to influence sentiment or create artificial impressions of Singapore`s positions, but he did not name any countries.

In 2016, Singapore went through a choppy period in ties with China over Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea, while 2018 saw it embroiled in a dispute over airspace and maritime boundaries with neighbouring Malaysia.

Singapore`s bill is unique in targeting foreign interference through the internet as well as individuals, but not as extensive as U.S. or Australian laws on transparency and regulation of individuals, Chong Ja Ian, a political analyst at National University of Singapore.

Besides aiming to remove content that threatens immediate and significant harm, it imposes obligations on those considered "politically significant persons", who are directly involved in Singapore`s political processes, such as MPs.

Others may be included in the category if their activities are directed towards a political end, however.

The main opposition Workers` Party has called for changes to the draft law, such as narrowing the scope of executive powers to reduce the chance of an abuse of power.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had said the bill would not apply to foreign individuals or publications "reporting or commenting on Singapore politics, in an open, transparent and attributable way."

Rights groups had warned the 2019 law on fake news could hurt freedom of expression. The government said legitimate criticism and free speech are unaffected.

Singapore`s parliament began discussion on Monday of a proposed law to counter foreign interference that has sparked concern from opposition parties, rights groups and experts about its broad scope and limits on judicial review.

Singapore`s parliament began discussion on Monday of a proposed law to counter foreign interference that has sparked concern from opposition parties, rights groups and experts about its broad scope and limits on judicial review. The small and open city-state, which says it is vulnerable to foreign meddling, targeted fake news with a far-reaching law in 2019, and joins nations such as Australia and Russia that have passed laws in recent years to deter foreign interference. It allows authorities to compel internet, social media service providers and website operators to provide user information, block content and remove applications, and is likely to be passed, as the ruling party has a majority in parliament. But some critics say its broad language risks capturing even legitimate activities, while rights group Reporters Without Borders said the law could ensnare independent media outlets. "The pre-emptive powers and broad scoping of provisions could potentially provide the government with significant wherewithal to curb legitimate civil society activity," said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University. "FICA has the makings of being the most intrusive law on the statute books," he said of the bill, to be formally known as the Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act (FICA). In response to a Reuters query, the home ministry said the bill did not cover discussion or advocacy by Singapore citizens, or the vast array of their collaborations with foreigners. But orders can be issued if a citizen acts for a foreign principal in a manner contrary to the public interest, it added, saying the law set out clear thresholds. The bill lets the home minister order investigations in the public interest to "expose hostile information campaigns", based on suspicion of foreign interference. Instead of open court, an independent panel, chaired by a judge, will hear appeals against the minister`s decisions, a move the government says is necessary as matters may involve sensitive intelligence with implications for national security. Growing Threat As use of social media and communications technology increases, experts and opposition parties have agreed on the need to counter a growing threat of foreign interference in domestic affairs. Critics have said Russia`s `sovereign internet` 2019 law allows authorities the discretion to limit access to resources and information, while Australian laws target lobbyists for foreign countries. In parliament on Monday, Singapore home minister K. Shanmugam pointed to examples of spurts in online activity over the years 2016 and 2017 as well as 2018 and 2019 that aimed to influence sentiment or create artificial impressions of Singapore`s positions, but he did not name any countries. In 2016, Singapore went through a choppy period in ties with China over Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea, while 2018 saw it embroiled in a dispute over airspace and maritime boundaries with neighbouring Malaysia. Singapore`s bill is unique in targeting foreign interference through the internet as well as individuals, but not as extensive as U.S. or Australian laws on transparency and regulation of individuals, Chong Ja Ian, a political analyst at National University of Singapore. Besides aiming to remove content that threatens immediate and significant harm, it imposes obligations on those considered "politically significant persons", who are directly involved in Singapore`s political processes, such as MPs. Others may be included in the category if their activities are directed towards a political end, however. The main opposition Workers` Party has called for changes to the draft law, such as narrowing the scope of executive powers to reduce the chance of an abuse of power. Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had said the bill would not apply to foreign individuals or publications "reporting or commenting on Singapore politics, in an open, transparent and attributable way." Rights groups had warned the 2019 law on fake news could hurt freedom of expression. The government said legitimate criticism and free speech are unaffected.

Singapore parliament debates bill to tackle foreign interference

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Monday said all Covid-related protocols will be followed during the Monsoon Session of parliament scheduled to begin from July 19.

He said those who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus will be requested to undergo an RT-PCR test before entering the parliament premises during the session.

Addressing a press conference in the parliament complex, Birla said 323 MPs have been fully vaccinated against the virus, while 23 have not been able to take their first jab due to some medical reasons.

Birla said both the Houses will sit simultaneously and proceedings will start from 11 am.

The Monsoon Session of parliament will begin from July 19 and conclude on August 13.

Since the pandemic began, three sessions of Parliament were curtailed while the winter session last year had to be cancelled.

The Monsoon Session, which usually starts in July, had begun in September last year owing to the pandemic situation.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Monday said all Covid-related protocols will be followed during the Monsoon Session of parliament scheduled to begin from July 19. He said those who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus will be requested to undergo an RT-PCR test before entering the parliament premises during the session.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Monday said all Covid-related protocols will be followed during the Monsoon Session of parliament scheduled to begin from July 19. He said those who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus will be requested to undergo an RT-PCR test before entering the parliament premises during the session. Addressing a press conference in the parliament complex, Birla said 323 MPs have been fully vaccinated against the virus, while 23 have not been able to take their first jab due to some medical reasons. Birla said both the Houses will sit simultaneously and proceedings will start from 11 am. The Monsoon Session of parliament will begin from July 19 and conclude on August 13. Since the pandemic began, three sessions of Parliament were curtailed while the winter session last year had to be cancelled. The Monsoon Session, which usually starts in July, had begun in September last year owing to the pandemic situation.

Monsoon Session of Parliament from July 19, will have 19 business days 

An Indigenous New Zealand lawmaker was thrown out of Parliament's debating chamber on Wednesday for performing a Maori haka in protest at what he said were racist arguments.

Rawiri Waititi's stance came after ongoing debate among lawmakers about the government's plans to set up a new Maori Health Authority as part of sweeping changes to the health care system.

Some conservative lawmakers have said the plan is separatist. Waititi, the co-leader of the Maori Party, said those arguments amounted to racist rhetoric.

Waititi told lawmakers in the chamber that he was forced to listen to a "constant barrage of insults"&nbsp;directed toward Indigenous people.

If that kind of attitude was acceptable, he said, "then I find this House in disrepute."

Speaker Trevor Mallard then told Waititi to sit down but instead, he performed the haka, traditional dance or challenge accompanied by a chant.

"Order. The member will now leave the chamber," Mallard told Waititi, which he did along with his party's other co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealands-parliament-backs-down-as-maori-lawmaker-rejects-colonial-noose-362646">New Zealand's parliament backs down as Maori lawmaker rejects 'colonial noose'</a>

It's not the first time Waititi has clashed with Mallard. In February, he won a battle against wearing a tie in Parliament, ending a longstanding dress requirement for men that he described as a "colonial noose".

Mallard also threw out Waititi from the debating chamber during that dispute after Waititi showed up wearing a traditional pendant around his neck called a hei tiki.

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But Mallard backed down the next day, saying neckties would no longer be compulsory after a committee of lawmakers came out in favour of ending the requirement.

But Waititi's latest stance isn't supported by all Maori lawmakers.

After Waititi left, Labour Party Deputy Leader Kelvin Davis pointed out the relatively small support base for the Maori Party.

"Don't ever think that a party that gets 1.2 per cent&nbsp;of the vote actually represent the views of Maoridom," Davis told lawmakers.&nbsp;

An Indigenous New Zealand lawmaker was thrown out of Parliament's debating chamber on Wednesday for performing a Maori haka in protest at what he said were racist arguments.

An Indigenous New Zealand lawmaker was thrown out of Parliament's debating chamber on Wednesday for performing a Maori haka in protest at what he said were racist arguments. Rawiri Waititi's stance came after ongoing debate among lawmakers about the government's plans to set up a new Maori Health Authority as part of sweeping changes to the health care system. Some conservative lawmakers have said the plan is separatist. Waititi, the co-leader of the Maori Party, said those arguments amounted to racist rhetoric. Waititi told lawmakers in the chamber that he was forced to listen to a "constant barrage of insults" directed toward Indigenous people. If that kind of attitude was acceptable, he said, "then I find this House in disrepute." Speaker Trevor Mallard then told Waititi to sit down but instead, he performed the haka, traditional dance or challenge accompanied by a chant. "Order. The member will now leave the chamber," Mallard told Waititi, which he did along with his party's other co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. Also read | New Zealand's parliament backs down as Maori lawmaker rejects 'colonial noose' It's not the first time Waititi has clashed with Mallard. In February, he won a battle against wearing a tie in Parliament, ending a longstanding dress requirement for men that he described as a "colonial noose". Mallard also threw out Waititi from the debating chamber during that dispute after Waititi showed up wearing a traditional pendant around his neck called a hei tiki. But Mallard backed down the next day, saying neckties would no longer be compulsory after a committee of lawmakers came out in favour of ending the requirement. But Waititi's latest stance isn't supported by all Maori lawmakers. After Waititi left, Labour Party Deputy Leader Kelvin Davis pointed out the relatively small support base for the Maori Party. "Don't ever think that a party that gets 1.2 per cent of the vote actually represent the views of Maoridom," Davis told lawmakers.

Indigenous New Zealand lawmaker censured for Haka protest

Australia's conservative government will increase childcare subsidies, officials said on Sunday, in a pre-budget announcement that pledges A$1.7 billion ($1.31 billion) to boost female participation in the workplace.&nbsp;

The promised spending comes ahead of a federal election expected in the next 12 months and follows polls showing Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval ratings have sunk, amid growing anger over allegations of sexual abuse, discrimination against women and misconduct in parliament.&nbsp;

The spending targets families with more than one child in daycare, boosting subsidies for those with two or more children aged up to five-years-old to a maximum 95% subsidy for their second and subsequent children.&nbsp;

"Today's measures... are targeted, and they are an investment in making our economy stronger and boosting female working participation," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters in Canberra.&nbsp;

Parents who "want to work an extra couple of days. Right now, they have all of that additional income from their wage eaten up in additional childcare cost. This will remove that disincentive," he said.&nbsp;

Before the coronavirus pandemic pushed Australia's A$2 trillion economy into recession, Morrison's government had pledged to bring the budget to black.&nbsp;

But on Thursday, the government provided a foretaste of its spending plans due to be announced in its yearly Budget on May 11, abandoning its 'debt and deficit disaster' rhetoric for a focus on jobs.&nbsp;

Treasury estimates the additional spending will encourage up to 300,000 in additional work hours a week - equivalent to 40,000 people working an extra day a week and boost Australia's economic output by about A$1.5 billion a year, Frydenberg said.&nbsp;

Australia's government has struggled to placate public anger over claims of sexual abuse, discrimination against women and misconduct in Canberra. &nbsp;

In another move designed to regain voter support, it promoted a record seven female lawmakers to Cabinet in March.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Australia's conservative government will increase childcare subsidies, officials said on Sunday, in a pre-budget announcement that pledges A$1.7 billion ($1.31 billion) to boost female participation in the workplace.

Australia's conservative government will increase childcare subsidies, officials said on Sunday, in a pre-budget announcement that pledges A$1.7 billion ($1.31 billion) to boost female participation in the workplace. The promised spending comes ahead of a federal election expected in the next 12 months and follows polls showing Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval ratings have sunk, amid growing anger over allegations of sexual abuse, discrimination against women and misconduct in parliament. The spending targets families with more than one child in daycare, boosting subsidies for those with two or more children aged up to five-years-old to a maximum 95% subsidy for their second and subsequent children. "Today's measures... are targeted, and they are an investment in making our economy stronger and boosting female working participation," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters in Canberra. Parents who "want to work an extra couple of days. Right now, they have all of that additional income from their wage eaten up in additional childcare cost. This will remove that disincentive," he said. Before the coronavirus pandemic pushed Australia's A$2 trillion economy into recession, Morrison's government had pledged to bring the budget to black. But on Thursday, the government provided a foretaste of its spending plans due to be announced in its yearly Budget on May 11, abandoning its 'debt and deficit disaster' rhetoric for a focus on jobs. Treasury estimates the additional spending will encourage up to 300,000 in additional work hours a week - equivalent to 40,000 people working an extra day a week and boost Australia's economic output by about A$1.5 billion a year, Frydenberg said. Australia's government has struggled to placate public anger over claims of sexual abuse, discrimination against women and misconduct in Canberra. In another move designed to regain voter support, it promoted a record seven female lawmakers to Cabinet in March. (With inputs from agencies)

Australia to spend $1.3 billion on childcare, enticing women back to work 

The Australian Parliament has been hit by a series of sexual abuse and misconduct charges. A former staffer claims she was raped in the office of then defence minister. A whistleblower claims some government staff and legislators had created a group to swap pictures and videos of sexual acts performed in the parliament building. What exactly is happening in Australia? &nbsp;

Australian Parliament has a sickening work culture. A govt staff was caught on camera masturbating inside the Parliament building. Reports have emerged of a Facebook group, where staff share images and videos of sexual acts performed in the parliament. &nbsp;

A whistleblower recently shared the videos. He or she also claimed that govt staff and legislators have &nbsp;been using the parliament's prayer room for sex. Sex workers are being brought into the building and female employees are being harassed in the parliament. &nbsp;

One victim went public last month. She claimed she was raped by a senior official in the office of Australia's then-defence minister Linda Reynolds. &nbsp;

Brittany Higgins, speaking on rape allegations, said, "I was raped inside Parliament house by a colleague and for so long it felt like the people around me only cared because of where it happened or what it might mean for them. It was so confusing because these people were my idols. I had dedicated my life to them."&nbsp;

The former defence minister called her a lying cow. The biggest headline maker was Australia's Attorney General Christian Porter. He was revealed of having raped a 16-year-old girl some 33 years ago. The victim took her own life in 2020 reportedly after being denied justice.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's handling of the sexual allegations did not help. His approval ratings tanked while public anger against his govt rose.&nbsp;

A protester, said, "Well, I am sick of it, I'm absolutely sick of listening to sexual assault on the TV and nothing has been done about it."&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Australian Prime Minister is now trying to extinguish the fire. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, said, "Changes, I'm announcing today will once again provide the strongest ever female representation in an Australian government cabinet." &nbsp;&nbsp;

A cabinet reshuffle is Morrison's way of safeguarding his seat. Both the tainted cabinet members have been removed from office. A women-centric task force has been announced and also what Morrisson calls the strongest ever female representation. &nbsp;

Scott Morrison said, "Women taking up as they must, as they should, as I very much want them to do and as they are so keen to do so."&nbsp;

All of this is just an eyewash. Christian Porter may no longer be the attorney general but he is being reassigned to the ministry to industry and as for Lynda Reynolds, she will become the govt services minister. &nbsp;

If this is not an insult to the victim and if this is not an insult to the system of justice. What is? &nbsp;

The Australian Parliament has been hit by a series of sexual abuse and misconduct charges. A former staffer claims she was raped in the office of then defence minister.

The Australian Parliament has been hit by a series of sexual abuse and misconduct charges. A former staffer claims she was raped in the office of then defence minister. A whistleblower claims some government staff and legislators had created a group to swap pictures and videos of sexual acts performed in the parliament building. What exactly is happening in Australia? Australian Parliament has a sickening work culture. A govt staff was caught on camera masturbating inside the Parliament building. Reports have emerged of a Facebook group, where staff share images and videos of sexual acts performed in the parliament. A whistleblower recently shared the videos. He or she also claimed that govt staff and legislators have been using the parliament's prayer room for sex. Sex workers are being brought into the building and female employees are being harassed in the parliament. One victim went public last month. She claimed she was raped by a senior official in the office of Australia's then-defence minister Linda Reynolds. Brittany Higgins, speaking on rape allegations, said, "I was raped inside Parliament house by a colleague and for so long it felt like the people around me only cared because of where it happened or what it might mean for them. It was so confusing because these people were my idols. I had dedicated my life to them." The former defence minister called her a lying cow. The biggest headline maker was Australia's Attorney General Christian Porter. He was revealed of having raped a 16-year-old girl some 33 years ago. The victim took her own life in 2020 reportedly after being denied justice. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's handling of the sexual allegations did not help. His approval ratings tanked while public anger against his govt rose. A protester, said, "Well, I am sick of it, I'm absolutely sick of listening to sexual assault on the TV and nothing has been done about it." The Australian Prime Minister is now trying to extinguish the fire. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, said, "Changes, I'm announcing today will once again provide the strongest ever female representation in an Australian government cabinet." A cabinet reshuffle is Morrison's way of safeguarding his seat. Both the tainted cabinet members have been removed from office. A women-centric task force has been announced and also what Morrisson calls the strongest ever female representation. Scott Morrison said, "Women taking up as they must, as they should, as I very much want them to do and as they are so keen to do so." All of this is just an eyewash. Christian Porter may no longer be the attorney general but he is being reassigned to the ministry to industry and as for Lynda Reynolds, she will become the govt services minister. If this is not an insult to the victim and if this is not an insult to the system of justice. What is?

Australian Parliament sex scandal: Is cabinet reshuffle an eyewash? 

Influential parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Monday that Lebanon would sink like the Titanic if it could not form a government as he opened a session to approve emergency funds to literally keep the lights on for two more months.&nbsp;

"The whole country is in danger, the whole country is the Titanic," Berri said. "It's time we all woke up because in the end, if the ship sinks, there'll be no one left."&nbsp;

Lebanon is in the throes of a financial crisis that poses the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. Without a new government, it cannot implement the reforms required to unlock desperately needed foreign aid.&nbsp;

But prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri and President Michel Aoun have been at loggerheads for months over the makeup of a new cabinet.&nbsp;

Parliament approved a loan of $200 million to pay for fuel for Lebanon's electricity company after a warning by the energy ministry that cash had run out for electricity generation beyond the end of the month.&nbsp;

"This should be enough for electricity for around two months or two-and-a-half," Cesar Abi Khalil, a member of parliament and former energy minister, said.&nbsp;

The Zahrani power plant, one of Lebanon's four main electricity producers, has already had to shut down for lack of fuel.&nbsp;

"Any shutdown in one of these big plants affects power generation negatively," Abi Khalil said. "This means Lebanese make up for it with generators that run on diesel that's 30% more expensive than the fuel that's bought by the electricity company."&nbsp;

Lebanon already lacks power generation capacity and homes and businesses have to cope with power cuts for several hours a day, forcing many to turn to private generators.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Influential parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Monday that Lebanon would sink like the Titanic if it could not form a government as he opened a session to approve emergency funds to literally keep the lights on for two more months.

Influential parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Monday that Lebanon would sink like the Titanic if it could not form a government as he opened a session to approve emergency funds to literally keep the lights on for two more months. "The whole country is in danger, the whole country is the Titanic," Berri said. "It's time we all woke up because in the end, if the ship sinks, there'll be no one left." Lebanon is in the throes of a financial crisis that poses the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. Without a new government, it cannot implement the reforms required to unlock desperately needed foreign aid. But prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri and President Michel Aoun have been at loggerheads for months over the makeup of a new cabinet. Parliament approved a loan of $200 million to pay for fuel for Lebanon's electricity company after a warning by the energy ministry that cash had run out for electricity generation beyond the end of the month. "This should be enough for electricity for around two months or two-and-a-half," Cesar Abi Khalil, a member of parliament and former energy minister, said. The Zahrani power plant, one of Lebanon's four main electricity producers, has already had to shut down for lack of fuel. "Any shutdown in one of these big plants affects power generation negatively," Abi Khalil said. "This means Lebanese make up for it with generators that run on diesel that's 30% more expensive than the fuel that's bought by the electricity company." Lebanon already lacks power generation capacity and homes and businesses have to cope with power cuts for several hours a day, forcing many to turn to private generators. (With inputs from agencies)

Lebanon could sink like Titanic: Parliament speaker  

The Sri Lankan Parliament on Thursday has cancelled the planned address of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during his upcoming visit to the island nation, reported Dawn.&nbsp;

This is being seen as a move by the Sri Lankan government to maintain ties with India. It was being speculated that Khan would raise the Kashmir issue during his speech, which could have upset Delhi. &nbsp;

Sri Lankan ‘Express’ newspaper stated that giving an opportunity to the Pakistani prime minister could have been implied as giving Khan parity to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so the planned speech was cancelled.&nbsp;

It is significant to mention that Imran khan’s speech at the Sri Lankan parliament had been included in PM's itinerary on the Pakistan government's request. &nbsp;

Imran Khan is scheduled to travel to Colombo on a two-day trip from February 22. He was to address the Sri Lankan parliament on February 24. He will also meet Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and attend an investors' conference, reported Dawn.&nbsp;

Imran's speech was added at the request of the Pakistan government. However, it was later cancelled, according to Sri Lankan media. Sri Lankan media have cited different reasons for the cancellation of Khan's address. &nbsp;

Sri Lanka's daily ‘Express’ quoted Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage as having said that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena had requested for cancellation on the pretext of Covid-19. However, the same newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying that there were elements within the Sri Lankan government, who did not want the speech to take place as they feared that doing so could further harm ties with India.

But another speculation doing the rounds is that the Sri Lankan government was concerned about Khan speaking about the rights of Muslims in Sri Lanka, who have faced abuses at the hands of the Buddhist majority, rising anti-Muslim sentiments, and biased government actions, reported Dawn.&nbsp;

The Sri Lankan government had, moreover, made its compulsory cremation rule for those dying from Covid-19 applicable to Muslims in the country. The government, however, earlier this month exempted the Muslims from cremation and allowed them to bury their dead after a global outcry over the issue.&nbsp;

The Sri Lankan Parliament on Thursday has cancelled the planned address of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during his upcoming visit to the island nation, reported Dawn.

The Sri Lankan Parliament on Thursday has cancelled the planned address of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during his upcoming visit to the island nation, reported Dawn. This is being seen as a move by the Sri Lankan government to maintain ties with India. It was being speculated that Khan would raise the Kashmir issue during his speech, which could have upset Delhi. Sri Lankan ‘Express’ newspaper stated that giving an opportunity to the Pakistani prime minister could have been implied as giving Khan parity to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so the planned speech was cancelled. It is significant to mention that Imran khan’s speech at the Sri Lankan parliament had been included in PM's itinerary on the Pakistan government's request. Imran Khan is scheduled to travel to Colombo on a two-day trip from February 22. He was to address the Sri Lankan parliament on February 24. He will also meet Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and attend an investors' conference, reported Dawn. Imran's speech was added at the request of the Pakistan government. However, it was later cancelled, according to Sri Lankan media. Sri Lankan media have cited different reasons for the cancellation of Khan's address. Sri Lanka's daily ‘Express’ quoted Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage as having said that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena had requested for cancellation on the pretext of Covid-19. However, the same newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying that there were elements within the Sri Lankan government, who did not want the speech to take place as they feared that doing so could further harm ties with India. But another speculation doing the rounds is that the Sri Lankan government was concerned about Khan speaking about the rights of Muslims in Sri Lanka, who have faced abuses at the hands of the Buddhist majority, rising anti-Muslim sentiments, and biased government actions, reported Dawn. The Sri Lankan government had, moreover, made its compulsory cremation rule for those dying from Covid-19 applicable to Muslims in the country. The government, however, earlier this month exempted the Muslims from cremation and allowed them to bury their dead after a global outcry over the issue.

Sri Lankan government cancels Pak PM Imran Khan's address to Parliament

In a move which the state argues is needed to bolster the secular system while critics say encroaches on religious freedoms, the French parliament votes on the bill to battle Islamist extremism on Tuesday.&nbsp;

With an eye on 2022 elections, President Emmanuel Macron has championed the bill, which seeks to tighten rules on issues ranging from religious teaching, online hate to polygamy.&nbsp;

It has been debated in a highly charged atmosphere in France after three attacks late last year by extremists including the beheading in October of teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.&nbsp;

The law is dubbed the anti-separatism bill as ministers fear Islamists are creating communities that reject France's secular identity and laws, as well as its values, such as equality between the sexes.&nbsp;

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France, home to Europe's largest Muslim community, is still shaken by the succession of massacres committed by Islamist militants from January 2015 that left hundreds dead.&nbsp;

The National Assembly lower house is expected to vote on the legislation in the afternoon after a total of 135 hours of debates that saw some 313 amendments adopted. &nbsp;

Macron's ruling party has a large working majority, meaning the legislation is expected to pass, but the upper house Senate will also examine the draft legislation in the coming months and could amend it.&nbsp;

If that it is the case, the bill will then go back to the National Assembly for a final reading.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/macrons-new-anti-extremism-bill-sparks-fresh-protests-in-france-363888" hreflang="en">Macron's new anti-extremism bill sparks fresh protests in France</a>

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said after the final debate on Saturday that the bill "provides concrete responses to... the development of radical Islam, an ideology hostile to the principles and values on which the Republic is founded."&nbsp;

Paty's killing prompted the inclusion of the specific crimes of online hate speech and divulging personal information on the internet that could be used to harm someone.

In a move which the state argues is needed to bolster the secular system while critics say encroaches on religious freedoms, the French parliament votes on the bill to battle Islamist extremism on Tuesday.

In a move which the state argues is needed to bolster the secular system while critics say encroaches on religious freedoms, the French parliament votes on the bill to battle Islamist extremism on Tuesday. With an eye on 2022 elections, President Emmanuel Macron has championed the bill, which seeks to tighten rules on issues ranging from religious teaching, online hate to polygamy. It has been debated in a highly charged atmosphere in France after three attacks late last year by extremists including the beheading in October of teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. The law is dubbed the anti-separatism bill as ministers fear Islamists are creating communities that reject France's secular identity and laws, as well as its values, such as equality between the sexes. × France, home to Europe's largest Muslim community, is still shaken by the succession of massacres committed by Islamist militants from January 2015 that left hundreds dead. The National Assembly lower house is expected to vote on the legislation in the afternoon after a total of 135 hours of debates that saw some 313 amendments adopted. Macron's ruling party has a large working majority, meaning the legislation is expected to pass, but the upper house Senate will also examine the draft legislation in the coming months and could amend it. If that it is the case, the bill will then go back to the National Assembly for a final reading. Also Read: Macron's new anti-extremism bill sparks fresh protests in France Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said after the final debate on Saturday that the bill "provides concrete responses to... the development of radical Islam, an ideology hostile to the principles and values on which the Republic is founded." Paty's killing prompted the inclusion of the specific crimes of online hate speech and divulging personal information on the internet that could be used to harm someone.

French parliament to vote on anti-extremism bill to bolster ‘secular’ system

After ejecting a Maori lawmaker because he refused to wear a tie, New Zealand's parliament backed down on Wednesday, allowing him to speak without an accessory he labelled a 'colonial noose'.&nbsp;

The issue flared on Tuesday when Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi was ejected from the parliamentary debating chamber for not wearing the required attire during question time.&nbsp;

Waititi, who has a full-face 'te moko' tattoo and dons a black cowboy hat, argued that he was wearing legitimate Maori business attire -- a traditional pendant.&nbsp;

"This is not about ties, it's about cultural identity," he said as he left.&nbsp;

Indigenous Maori make up about 15 per cent of New Zealand's five million population but are over-represented in statistics, such as poverty and imprisonment, with many blaming injustices dating back to the days of British colonial rule.&nbsp;

Waititi said the tie row showed race relations still needed to improve in the South Pacific nation.&nbsp;

"This is a breach of the rights of indigenous peoples, we (must) have the freedom to express our cultural identity in a space like this," he said.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she had no objection to lawmakers not wearing ties but added, "there are much more important issues for all of us".&nbsp;

After strictly enforcing the dress code on Tuesday, parliamentary speaker Trevor Mallard took a more relaxed approach when a tie-less Waititi spoke on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Rather than have the Maori leader ejected, Mallard simply let him ask a question unhindered, later saying a permanent rule change was being considered.&nbsp;

Waititi was elected to parliament for the first-time last year and in his maiden speech recounted the tale of an ancestor, who was wrongly hanged by the British for murder.&nbsp;

"I will adorn myself with the treasures of my ancestors and remove the colonial noose around my neck so that I may sing my song," he said as he removed his tie.

After ejecting a Maori lawmaker because he refused to wear a tie, New Zealand's parliament backed down on Wednesday, allowing him to speak without an accessory he labelled a 'colonial noose'.

After ejecting a Maori lawmaker because he refused to wear a tie, New Zealand's parliament backed down on Wednesday, allowing him to speak without an accessory he labelled a 'colonial noose'. The issue flared on Tuesday when Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi was ejected from the parliamentary debating chamber for not wearing the required attire during question time. Waititi, who has a full-face 'te moko' tattoo and dons a black cowboy hat, argued that he was wearing legitimate Maori business attire -- a traditional pendant. "This is not about ties, it's about cultural identity," he said as he left. Indigenous Maori make up about 15 per cent of New Zealand's five million population but are over-represented in statistics, such as poverty and imprisonment, with many blaming injustices dating back to the days of British colonial rule. Waititi said the tie row showed race relations still needed to improve in the South Pacific nation. "This is a breach of the rights of indigenous peoples, we (must) have the freedom to express our cultural identity in a space like this," he said. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she had no objection to lawmakers not wearing ties but added, "there are much more important issues for all of us". After strictly enforcing the dress code on Tuesday, parliamentary speaker Trevor Mallard took a more relaxed approach when a tie-less Waititi spoke on Wednesday. Rather than have the Maori leader ejected, Mallard simply let him ask a question unhindered, later saying a permanent rule change was being considered. Waititi was elected to parliament for the first-time last year and in his maiden speech recounted the tale of an ancestor, who was wrongly hanged by the British for murder. "I will adorn myself with the treasures of my ancestors and remove the colonial noose around my neck so that I may sing my song," he said as he removed his tie.

New Zealand's parliament backs down as Maori lawmaker rejects 'colonial noose'

Central African Republic’s Parliament approved a six-month extension to the state of emergency declared by the government to help combat armed groups it accuses of seeking to mount a coup.&nbsp;

In a tweet, Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada, thanked Parliament for the vote, saying it would "enable the government to pursue long-term operations to secure the country."&nbsp;

The National Assembly's press service said, the vote was approved by oral consent, which means that the number of MPs in favour or opposed is unknown.&nbsp;

The state of emergency was first declared for two weeks on January 21, after militia groups tried to advance on the capital Bangui ahead of presidential and legislative elections the previous month.&nbsp;

They were held back by government forces, UN peacekeepers and Russian and Rwandan military personnel, sent by their governments under bilateral accords.&nbsp;

The December 27 elections saw President Faustin Archange Touadera re-elected, but in a result that the opposition has dismissed as a sham.&nbsp;

Only around a third of the CAR's electorate was able to cast a vote.&nbsp;

Most of the country is controlled by armed groups that emerged after a civil war erupted in 2013 following the overthrow of Touadera's predecessor, Francois Bozize.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, forces loyal to the Central African Republic government have retaken a second town on an arterial highway from rebels, the prime minister said on Friday.&nbsp;

"The town of Yaloke is liberated..." Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada said on Facebook. "Congratulations to our defence forces and allies."&nbsp;

By "allies", the CAR government usually refers to Rwandan troops and Russian paramilitaries.&nbsp;

Yaloke is located nearly 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of the Bangui and lies on a major highway that links the landlocked nation's capital to neighbouring Cameroon.&nbsp;

Earlier this week, loyalist forces retook the key town of Bossembele, around 150 kilometres (95 miles) northwest of Bangui and also on a vital road artery.&nbsp;

Central African Republic’s Parliament approved a six-month extension to the state of emergency declared by the government to help combat armed groups it accuses of seeking to mount a coup.

Central African Republic’s Parliament approved a six-month extension to the state of emergency declared by the government to help combat armed groups it accuses of seeking to mount a coup. In a tweet, Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada, thanked Parliament for the vote, saying it would "enable the government to pursue long-term operations to secure the country." The National Assembly's press service said, the vote was approved by oral consent, which means that the number of MPs in favour or opposed is unknown. The state of emergency was first declared for two weeks on January 21, after militia groups tried to advance on the capital Bangui ahead of presidential and legislative elections the previous month. They were held back by government forces, UN peacekeepers and Russian and Rwandan military personnel, sent by their governments under bilateral accords. The December 27 elections saw President Faustin Archange Touadera re-elected, but in a result that the opposition has dismissed as a sham. Only around a third of the CAR's electorate was able to cast a vote. Most of the country is controlled by armed groups that emerged after a civil war erupted in 2013 following the overthrow of Touadera's predecessor, Francois Bozize. Meanwhile, forces loyal to the Central African Republic government have retaken a second town on an arterial highway from rebels, the prime minister said on Friday. "The town of Yaloke is liberated..." Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada said on Facebook. "Congratulations to our defence forces and allies." By "allies", the CAR government usually refers to Rwandan troops and Russian paramilitaries. Yaloke is located nearly 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of the Bangui and lies on a major highway that links the landlocked nation's capital to neighbouring Cameroon. Earlier this week, loyalist forces retook the key town of Bossembele, around 150 kilometres (95 miles) northwest of Bangui and also on a vital road artery.

Central African Republic extends emergency by six months

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the Central Government's plan for construction of the Central Vista project and the government's proposal to construct a new Parliament in Lutyen's Delhi.&nbsp;

"We hold that there are no infirmities in clearances given, change in land use," a three-judge bench of the court said in a majority verdict.

SC directed project proponent of Central Vista project to install smog tower and use anti-smog guns at all construction sites.

Earlier on December 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building under the Central Vista project, which is expected to be completed by 2022. 
 
The Central Vista revamp, announced in September, 2019 envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, which is to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day.

The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024 under the project against which various pleas have been filed.

The apex court had earlier said that any change at the ground level made by authorities for the Central Vista project will be "at their own risk".

(With inputs from agencies)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the Central Government's plan for construction of the Central Vista project and the government's proposal to construct a new Parliament in Lutyen's Delhi.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the Central Government's plan for construction of the Central Vista project and the government's proposal to construct a new Parliament in Lutyen's Delhi. "We hold that there are no infirmities in clearances given, change in land use," a three-judge bench of the court said in a majority verdict. SC directed project proponent of Central Vista project to install smog tower and use anti-smog guns at all construction sites. Earlier on December 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building under the Central Vista project, which is expected to be completed by 2022. The Central Vista revamp, announced in September, 2019 envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, which is to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024 under the project against which various pleas have been filed. The apex court had earlier said that any change at the ground level made by authorities for the Central Vista project will be "at their own risk". (With inputs from agencies)

Central vista project: Supreme Court gives go-ahead to redevelopment plan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the previous Parliament house - which was constructed 100 years ago - fulfilled the needs of the country, and the new building will fulfil the country’s aspirations and ambitions.

He said that the new Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat and that the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building.

The Prime Minister expressed his views while laying the foundation stone of new Parliament building which is proposed to be completed in 2022 when the country will celebrate the 75th year of Independence.

"If the old Parliament House gave direction to post-independence India, the new building would become a witness to the creation of a self-reliant India. The new Parliament building will be the symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat," said the Prime Minister while addressing members of Parliament and other dignitaries present in the event at the Parliament House premises.

"If work is done to fulfil the needs of the country in the old Parliament House, then the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building."

Continuing his speech with a vision of making "India as the mother of democracy" for the world, the Prime Minister said the world has been witnessing India in achieving success in the 21st Century.

The Prime Minister appealed to citizens to give their best to make India gain the highest honours in the 21st Century.

Noting that the existing Parliament building was constructed 93 years ago, the Prime Minister

said that the new Parliament building is the mixture of the new and the old.

"This is the need of the 21st Century India to construct a new Parliament building. The new building will improve the efficiency of parliamentarians as it will be equipped with modern infrastructure."

He also said that every parliamentarian will have to be more dedicated to service to make the new Parliament building a temple with their conduct, thought and behaviour.

The new Parliament building will be built in an area of 64,500 sq metre at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore.

The new Parliament building has been designed by HCP Design and Management Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad and the construction would be carried out by Tata Projects Ltd, keeping the needs and requirements for the next 100 years in mind.

The building is to be equipped with all modern audiovisual communication facilities and data network systems.

Each Member of Parliament would also be provided with a 40 square metre office space in the redeveloped Shram Shakti Bhawan, construction for which is slated to be completed by 2024.

The building will have a seating capacity for 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber with an option to increase to 1,224 members during Joint Sessions. Similarly, the Rajya Sabha Chamber would have a seating capacity of 384 members.

(With inputs from agencies)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the previous Parliament house - which was constructed 100 years ago - fulfilled the needs of the country, and the new building will fulfil the country’s aspirations and ambitions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the previous Parliament house - which was constructed 100 years ago - fulfilled the needs of the country, and the new building will fulfil the country’s aspirations and ambitions. He said that the new Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat and that the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building. The Prime Minister expressed his views while laying the foundation stone of new Parliament building which is proposed to be completed in 2022 when the country will celebrate the 75th year of Independence. "If the old Parliament House gave direction to post-independence India, the new building would become a witness to the creation of a self-reliant India. The new Parliament building will be the symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat," said the Prime Minister while addressing members of Parliament and other dignitaries present in the event at the Parliament House premises. "If work is done to fulfil the needs of the country in the old Parliament House, then the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building." Continuing his speech with a vision of making "India as the mother of democracy" for the world, the Prime Minister said the world has been witnessing India in achieving success in the 21st Century. The Prime Minister appealed to citizens to give their best to make India gain the highest honours in the 21st Century. Noting that the existing Parliament building was constructed 93 years ago, the Prime Minister said that the new Parliament building is the mixture of the new and the old. "This is the need of the 21st Century India to construct a new Parliament building. The new building will improve the efficiency of parliamentarians as it will be equipped with modern infrastructure." He also said that every parliamentarian will have to be more dedicated to service to make the new Parliament building a temple with their conduct, thought and behaviour. The new Parliament building will be built in an area of 64,500 sq metre at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore. The new Parliament building has been designed by HCP Design and Management Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad and the construction would be carried out by Tata Projects Ltd, keeping the needs and requirements for the next 100 years in mind. The building is to be equipped with all modern audiovisual communication facilities and data network systems. Each Member of Parliament would also be provided with a 40 square metre office space in the redeveloped Shram Shakti Bhawan, construction for which is slated to be completed by 2024. The building will have a seating capacity for 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber with an option to increase to 1,224 members during Joint Sessions. Similarly, the Rajya Sabha Chamber would have a seating capacity of 384 members. (With inputs from agencies)

Old Parliament building fulfilled needs of India, new will fulfil aspirations: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building, which is expected to be completed by 2022.

Priests from the Sringeri Math Karnataka did the rituals for the 'bhoomi pujan' at the new Parliament building site and it was followed by a 'sarva dharma prarthana' (inter-faith prayer).

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh also offered prayers during the ceremony.

The new building will have an area of 64,500 square metres.

It will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.

In the new building, the Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for 888 members, while the Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats for members. The Lok Sabha chamber will have an option to increase its sitting capacity to 1,224 members during joint sessions. 
&nbsp;

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveils a plaque to mark the foundation stone laying ceremony of New Parliament Building in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/k7eYzd0cey">pic.twitter.com/k7eYzd0cey</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1336941560194338816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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This has been done keeping in mind the future increase in the number of members for the two houses.

At present, Lok Sabha has a sanctioned strength of 543 members and Rajya Sabha 245.

In September this year, Tata Projects Limited won the bid to construct the new Parliament building. The new building will be constructed close to the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project.

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पीएम श्री <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> नई दिल्ली में संसद के नए भवन का शिलान्यास करते हुए। <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewParliament4NewIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NewParliament4NewIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/GKIQAUaeee">pic.twitter.com/GKIQAUaeee</a>
— BJP (@BJP4India) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India/status/1336939894531186690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The existing Parliament House building will be suitably retro-fitted to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events, to ensure its usage along with the new building.

The existing building is a massive circular edifice of 560 feet in diameter. The Parliament House Estate is enclosed by an ornamental red sandstone wall or iron grills with iron gates that can be closed when occasions demand. The building has 12 gates.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building, which is expected to be completed by 2022. Priests from the Sringeri Math Karnataka did the rituals for the 'bhoomi pujan' at the new Parliament building site and it was followed by a 'sarva dharma prarthana' (inter-faith prayer).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building, which is expected to be completed by 2022. Priests from the Sringeri Math Karnataka did the rituals for the 'bhoomi pujan' at the new Parliament building site and it was followed by a 'sarva dharma prarthana' (inter-faith prayer). Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh also offered prayers during the ceremony. The new building will have an area of 64,500 square metres. It will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space. In the new building, the Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for 888 members, while the Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats for members. The Lok Sabha chamber will have an option to increase its sitting capacity to 1,224 members during joint sessions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveils a plaque to mark the foundation stone laying ceremony of New Parliament Building in Delhi pic.twitter.com/k7eYzd0cey — ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2020 × This has been done keeping in mind the future increase in the number of members for the two houses. At present, Lok Sabha has a sanctioned strength of 543 members and Rajya Sabha 245. In September this year, Tata Projects Limited won the bid to construct the new Parliament building. The new building will be constructed close to the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project. पीएम श्री @narendramodi नई दिल्ली में संसद के नए भवन का शिलान्यास करते हुए। #NewParliament4NewIndia pic.twitter.com/GKIQAUaeee — BJP (@BJP4India) December 10, 2020 × The existing Parliament House building will be suitably retro-fitted to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events, to ensure its usage along with the new building. The existing building is a massive circular edifice of 560 feet in diameter. The Parliament House Estate is enclosed by an ornamental red sandstone wall or iron grills with iron gates that can be closed when occasions demand. The building has 12 gates. (With inputs from agencies)

Central Vista project: PM Modi lays foundation stone for new Parliament building

The government is aiming to implement all the four labour codes in one go by December this year and complete the final stretch of labour sector reforms, Union minister Santosh Gangwar has said.

Parliament in its just concluded session passed three labour code bills: the Industrial Relations Code, the Social Security Code, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code.

The Wage Code Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament last year.

The labour ministry had circulated the draft rules on the Wage Code Bill last year but held back its finalisation and implementation.

The ministry wanted to implement all the four codes and rules under those in one go as all of them are inter-linked.

Talking to PTI, Labour Minister Gangwar said, "Government is doing all efforts to complete the labour reforms by implementing the all four labour codes by December this year."

He further said the Wage Code Bill was passed last year and now with the passage of three more codes by Parliament, "the rules under these legislations would be enforced at once".

After the passage of a legislation in Parliament, it is sent for President of India assent.

A law comes into force after notification of rules.

Initially, draft rules under a law is notified with a stipulated time period to receive feedback.

Thereafter, these rules are finalised and implemented for bringing the law into force.

The draft rules of the three codes on industrial relations, social security and occupational safety, health and working conditions are likely to be circulated by the first week of November for feedback.

The labour ministry is expected to finalise and implement rules of the three codes along with already firmed wage code rules by December this year.

Thereafter, these four codes would become law of land to complete game-changing labour reforms in the country.

The government aims to catapult India to among the top 10 countries in World Bank's ease of doing business rankings with the comprehensive labour reforms.

As per the 'Doing Business' 2020 report, India had jumped 14 places to the 63rd position in the ease of doing business rankings.

India has improved its rank by 79 positions in five years (2014-19).

The higher ranking would boost investment and job creation in the country.

Commenting on labour reforms K E Raghunathan, Convenor of CIA (Consortium of Indian Association), said, "The COVID-19 situation has made both the life of employer and employee difficult. If the government statistics say over 21 million Job loss during April to August then the figure of employers who lost enterprises is yet to be ascertained. We estimate them to be around 30 per cent of over 65 million enterprises."

He further stated, "Under these circumstances, these new (labour) codes are bound to make new enterprises investor friendly, increase ease of doing business and make it attractive to invite foreign entities which want to come out of China."

The government is aiming to implement all the four labour codes in one go by December this year and complete the final stretch of labour sector reforms, Union minister Santosh Gangwar has said.

The government is aiming to implement all the four labour codes in one go by December this year and complete the final stretch of labour sector reforms, Union minister Santosh Gangwar has said. Parliament in its just concluded session passed three labour code bills: the Industrial Relations Code, the Social Security Code, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code. The Wage Code Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament last year. The labour ministry had circulated the draft rules on the Wage Code Bill last year but held back its finalisation and implementation. The ministry wanted to implement all the four codes and rules under those in one go as all of them are inter-linked. Talking to PTI, Labour Minister Gangwar said, "Government is doing all efforts to complete the labour reforms by implementing the all four labour codes by December this year." He further said the Wage Code Bill was passed last year and now with the passage of three more codes by Parliament, "the rules under these legislations would be enforced at once". After the passage of a legislation in Parliament, it is sent for President of India assent. A law comes into force after notification of rules. Initially, draft rules under a law is notified with a stipulated time period to receive feedback. Thereafter, these rules are finalised and implemented for bringing the law into force. The draft rules of the three codes on industrial relations, social security and occupational safety, health and working conditions are likely to be circulated by the first week of November for feedback. The labour ministry is expected to finalise and implement rules of the three codes along with already firmed wage code rules by December this year. Thereafter, these four codes would become law of land to complete game-changing labour reforms in the country. The government aims to catapult India to among the top 10 countries in World Bank's ease of doing business rankings with the comprehensive labour reforms. As per the 'Doing Business' 2020 report, India had jumped 14 places to the 63rd position in the ease of doing business rankings. India has improved its rank by 79 positions in five years (2014-19). The higher ranking would boost investment and job creation in the country. Commenting on labour reforms K E Raghunathan, Convenor of CIA (Consortium of Indian Association), said, "The COVID-19 situation has made both the life of employer and employee difficult. If the government statistics say over 21 million Job loss during April to August then the figure of employers who lost enterprises is yet to be ascertained. We estimate them to be around 30 per cent of over 65 million enterprises." He further stated, "Under these circumstances, these new (labour) codes are bound to make new enterprises investor friendly, increase ease of doing business and make it attractive to invite foreign entities which want to come out of China."

Government looking to implement all four labour codes in one go by December: Gangwar

Parliament on Tuesday passed a legislation to declare the five new IIITs in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur as institutes of national importance, enabling them to award degrees.

The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020, was introduced in Rajya Sabha by Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Monday. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha in March.

Nishank said there are 25 IIITs in the country, of which five are run by the Union government and 15 operate under the public-private-partnership model.

"We have brought the proposal before this House to bring five new operational institutes, which are located and have started operations in Surat (Gujarat), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Bhagalpur (Bihar), Agartala (Tripura) and Raichur (Karnataka), under this legislation," Nishank said.

Bringing the five new IIITs under this law will make them institutes of national importance and they will have the legal right to grant diplomas, degrees, and PhDs, he said.

The institutes were hitherto registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and did not have the power to award degrees or diplomas.

The bill will also enable the institutes to attract enough students to develop a strong research base in the field of information technology. The five IIITs, set up on the PPP model, can now use the nomenclature B.Tech, M.Tech and PhD.

During a debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, BJP lawmaker Kamakhya Prasad Tasa thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Nishank for including the institute in Agartala in the bill. BJD's Sasmit Patra too supported the bill.

V Vijayasai Reddy of YSRCP said including more institutes in the new law will help students in getting jobs. He urged the government to make India a global education hub and also asked it to consider setting up another IIIT in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

RCP Singh of JD(U) suggested standardisation of all IIITs and creating a faculty pool for all such institutes.

However, raising concerns over the fee structure, K Ravindra Kumar of TDP said all new IIITs are under PPP model and students have to bear all expenses. He said he wondered how the meritorious but poor students would afford it.

He also raised the issue of quality in higher technical education and asked whether there is any provision of quality assessment.

Replying to the members, the education minister said technology is one of the high priority areas for this government and it is enhancing the adoption of technology across the sector to raise productivity and standards.

"The New Education Policy along with technology would strengthen the foundation of the New India," he said. He said the government has given priority to the Northeast in this bill.

"In IIITs, the Government of India contributes 50 per cent and the rest 35 per cent and 15 per cent are from the respective state governments and the industry. While in the case of the Northeast, 50 per cent sum of the industry participation is taken care of by the Government of India," he said.

On making India an education hub, Nishank said more than 1,000 students from ASEAN countries come for research in IITs.

The bill amends the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act, 2014 and the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017.

Parliament on Tuesday passed a legislation to declare the five new IIITs in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur as institutes of national importance, enabling them to award degrees.

Parliament on Tuesday passed a legislation to declare the five new IIITs in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur as institutes of national importance, enabling them to award degrees. The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020, was introduced in Rajya Sabha by Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Monday. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha in March. Nishank said there are 25 IIITs in the country, of which five are run by the Union government and 15 operate under the public-private-partnership model. "We have brought the proposal before this House to bring five new operational institutes, which are located and have started operations in Surat (Gujarat), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Bhagalpur (Bihar), Agartala (Tripura) and Raichur (Karnataka), under this legislation," Nishank said. Bringing the five new IIITs under this law will make them institutes of national importance and they will have the legal right to grant diplomas, degrees, and PhDs, he said. The institutes were hitherto registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and did not have the power to award degrees or diplomas. The bill will also enable the institutes to attract enough students to develop a strong research base in the field of information technology. The five IIITs, set up on the PPP model, can now use the nomenclature B.Tech, M.Tech and PhD. During a debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, BJP lawmaker Kamakhya Prasad Tasa thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Nishank for including the institute in Agartala in the bill. BJD's Sasmit Patra too supported the bill. V Vijayasai Reddy of YSRCP said including more institutes in the new law will help students in getting jobs. He urged the government to make India a global education hub and also asked it to consider setting up another IIIT in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. RCP Singh of JD(U) suggested standardisation of all IIITs and creating a faculty pool for all such institutes. However, raising concerns over the fee structure, K Ravindra Kumar of TDP said all new IIITs are under PPP model and students have to bear all expenses. He said he wondered how the meritorious but poor students would afford it. He also raised the issue of quality in higher technical education and asked whether there is any provision of quality assessment. Replying to the members, the education minister said technology is one of the high priority areas for this government and it is enhancing the adoption of technology across the sector to raise productivity and standards. "The New Education Policy along with technology would strengthen the foundation of the New India," he said. He said the government has given priority to the Northeast in this bill. "In IIITs, the Government of India contributes 50 per cent and the rest 35 per cent and 15 per cent are from the respective state governments and the industry. While in the case of the Northeast, 50 per cent sum of the industry participation is taken care of by the Government of India," he said. On making India an education hub, Nishank said more than 1,000 students from ASEAN countries come for research in IITs. The bill amends the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act, 2014 and the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017.

Parliament passes bill giving national importance tag to five new IIITs

India`s parliament session that began this week is likely to be cut short after 30 lawmakers were found infected with the coronavirus, two senior parliament officials said, as the number of cases in the country rose to 5.3 million.

The Indian parliament met for the first time in six months on September 14 and was to function until October 1, but the two officials said its duration could be reduced by a week.

"Since the commencement of the session the number of positive cases have gone up so the government is thinking of cutting short the session," said one of the two officials, who are involved in the functioning of parliament proceedings.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-indias-death-tally-crosses-85000-fatality-rate-drops-to-161-328573">Also read|&nbsp;COVID 19: India's death tally crosses 85,000; fatality rate drops to 1.61%</a>

The government has also mandated daily tests for journalist entering parliament to cover the session from Saturday. 
Piyush Soperna, joint director at the country`s upper house`s secretariat, said in an email response that it has no information on the issue of prematurely ending the parliament session next week.

India, which recorded 93,337 new infections in the last 24 hours, has been posting the highest single-day caseload in the world since early August, according to a Reuters tally.

India is the second-most badly hit country after United States with total recorded coronavirus cases at 5.3 million. 
However, deaths in India have been relatively low.

The virus has killed 1,247 people in last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 85,619, government data showed on Saturday.

The lawmakers who have been infected include Nitin Gadkari, highways and medium and small enterprises minister in Prime Minister`s Narendra Modi`s cabinet.

On Wednesday, India`s government ordered its states not to hoard oxygen supplies and allow free movement to cope with the rising number of cases.

India`s parliament session that began this week is likely to be cut short after 30 lawmakers were found infected with the coronavirus, two senior parliament officials said, as the number of cases in the country rose to 5.

India`s parliament session that began this week is likely to be cut short after 30 lawmakers were found infected with the coronavirus, two senior parliament officials said, as the number of cases in the country rose to 5.3 million. The Indian parliament met for the first time in six months on September 14 and was to function until October 1, but the two officials said its duration could be reduced by a week. "Since the commencement of the session the number of positive cases have gone up so the government is thinking of cutting short the session," said one of the two officials, who are involved in the functioning of parliament proceedings. Also read| COVID 19: India's death tally crosses 85,000; fatality rate drops to 1.61% The government has also mandated daily tests for journalist entering parliament to cover the session from Saturday. Piyush Soperna, joint director at the country`s upper house`s secretariat, said in an email response that it has no information on the issue of prematurely ending the parliament session next week. India, which recorded 93,337 new infections in the last 24 hours, has been posting the highest single-day caseload in the world since early August, according to a Reuters tally. India is the second-most badly hit country after United States with total recorded coronavirus cases at 5.3 million. However, deaths in India have been relatively low. The virus has killed 1,247 people in last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 85,619, government data showed on Saturday. The lawmakers who have been infected include Nitin Gadkari, highways and medium and small enterprises minister in Prime Minister`s Narendra Modi`s cabinet. On Wednesday, India`s government ordered its states not to hoard oxygen supplies and allow free movement to cope with the rising number of cases.

Parliament session may be cut short as COVID-19 cases among Indian lawmakers rise: Sources

Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to improve India's aviation safety ratings and provide statutory status to regulatory institutions, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020 also provides for keeping aircraft belonging to the country's armed forces outside the purview of the Aircraft Act, 1934.

The Bill also proposes to increase the fine amount for violations of new rules from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

The bill was passed by voice vote in Rajya Sabha.

It had got approval of Lok Sabha in March.

Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to improve India's aviation safety ratings and provide statutory status to regulatory institutions, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to improve India's aviation safety ratings and provide statutory status to regulatory institutions, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020 also provides for keeping aircraft belonging to the country's armed forces outside the purview of the Aircraft Act, 1934. The Bill also proposes to increase the fine amount for violations of new rules from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore. The bill was passed by voice vote in Rajya Sabha. It had got approval of Lok Sabha in March.

Parliament passes bill to give statutory status to aviation regulators

The monsoon session of the Parliament will commence on September 14 and conclude on October 1 and will be held by observing precautions related to COVID-19, sources said on Tuesday.

The decision on the dates of the session was taken in a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, sources told ANI.

The sources said provision has not been kept for holidays or weekly offs during the 18-day session but a final decision on "no-leaves during the entire session" will be taken at the all-party meeting.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will have 18 sittings each.

The sources said that the opposition parties are ready for 18 sittings but they want the session to be extended by a week so that there are weekly offs.

The government thinks that the conducting monsoon session during the coronavirus pandemic in itself is a big challenge.

It is looking to change the timings of both the Houses to prevent any overcrowding in the Parliament premises at any point of time.

It is also looking to strictly adhere to all COVID-19 related standard operating procedures (SOPs), including social distancing and sanitization.

A proposal for changing the rules for entry of journalists in the Parliament premises is also being considered owing to COVID-19 pandemic.

According to it, less than 30 media passes will be issued for covering the Lok Sabha proceedings while around 20 passes will be issued for covering Rajya Sabha proceedings.

The much-awaited session, for which the government has a heavy legislative agenda, has been delayed due to conditions created by COVID-19 pandemic.

The monsoon session of the Parliament will commence on September 14 and conclude on October 1 and will be held by observing precautions related to COVID-19, sources said on Tuesday.

The monsoon session of the Parliament will commence on September 14 and conclude on October 1 and will be held by observing precautions related to COVID-19, sources said on Tuesday. The decision on the dates of the session was taken in a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, sources told ANI. The sources said provision has not been kept for holidays or weekly offs during the 18-day session but a final decision on "no-leaves during the entire session" will be taken at the all-party meeting. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will have 18 sittings each. The sources said that the opposition parties are ready for 18 sittings but they want the session to be extended by a week so that there are weekly offs. The government thinks that the conducting monsoon session during the coronavirus pandemic in itself is a big challenge. It is looking to change the timings of both the Houses to prevent any overcrowding in the Parliament premises at any point of time. It is also looking to strictly adhere to all COVID-19 related standard operating procedures (SOPs), including social distancing and sanitization. A proposal for changing the rules for entry of journalists in the Parliament premises is also being considered owing to COVID-19 pandemic. According to it, less than 30 media passes will be issued for covering the Lok Sabha proceedings while around 20 passes will be issued for covering Rajya Sabha proceedings. The much-awaited session, for which the government has a heavy legislative agenda, has been delayed due to conditions created by COVID-19 pandemic.

Monsoon session of Parliament to be held from September 14 to October 1

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday called the 9/11 mastermind and founder of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden a ‘shaheed’ (martyr) while speaking in the country’s Parliament.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-to-remain-in-fatfs-terror-financing-grey-list-report-308408">Also read: Pakistan to remain in FATF's terror-financing 'grey list'</a>

In his speech at the parliament, he said, "We were very embarrassed when Americans came and killed Osama bin Laden at Abbottabad and martyred him."

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PM <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImranKhanPTI</a> refers to Osama Bin Laden as "shaheed" . 🤔👇👇👇 <a href="https://t.co/mvYyo5rbqu">pic.twitter.com/mvYyo5rbqu</a>
— Ehtesham Amir-ud-din (@Ehtesham_AD) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ehtesham_AD/status/1276124335271485440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Osama bin Laden was killed in a military operation by US Navy Seals in 2011 at the garrison town Abbottabad. He was accused of engineering a number of terror attacks worldwide, particularly targeting the American installations including the 9/11 incident of 2001 when close to 3,000 people lost their lives when five planes were hijacked to target US cities.

Meanwhile, a US government report on Wednesday blamed Pakistan for continuing to serve as a safe haven for terrorist groups and allowing outfits including the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed to operate from its territory.

The plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has decided to keep Pakistan on the terror "grey list".

Pakistan will reportedly continue to be in the grey list till February 2021, even if it completes all its action plan items by October 2020, reports said. ANI sources said that a FATF team would have to confirm completion of Action Plan with an on-site visit before it can put Pakistan out of the "grey list".

Blacklisting by the Paris-based financial action task force will be a big blow for Pakistan's economic reform programme leading to severe economic sanctions with the country already under strain due to the coronavirus pandemic.

(With input from agencies)

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday called the 9/11 mastermind and founder of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden a ‘shaheed’ (martyr) while speaking in the country’s Parliament.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday called the 9/11 mastermind and founder of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden a ‘shaheed’ (martyr) while speaking in the country’s Parliament. Also read: Pakistan to remain in FATF's terror-financing 'grey list' In his speech at the parliament, he said, "We were very embarrassed when Americans came and killed Osama bin Laden at Abbottabad and martyred him." PM @ImranKhanPTI refers to Osama Bin Laden as "shaheed" . 🤔👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/mvYyo5rbqu — Ehtesham Amir-ud-din (@Ehtesham_AD) June 25, 2020 × Osama bin Laden was killed in a military operation by US Navy Seals in 2011 at the garrison town Abbottabad. He was accused of engineering a number of terror attacks worldwide, particularly targeting the American installations including the 9/11 incident of 2001 when close to 3,000 people lost their lives when five planes were hijacked to target US cities. Meanwhile, a US government report on Wednesday blamed Pakistan for continuing to serve as a safe haven for terrorist groups and allowing outfits including the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed to operate from its territory. The plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has decided to keep Pakistan on the terror "grey list". Pakistan will reportedly continue to be in the grey list till February 2021, even if it completes all its action plan items by October 2020, reports said. ANI sources said that a FATF team would have to confirm completion of Action Plan with an on-site visit before it can put Pakistan out of the "grey list". Blacklisting by the Paris-based financial action task force will be a big blow for Pakistan's economic reform programme leading to severe economic sanctions with the country already under strain due to the coronavirus pandemic. (With input from agencies)

Pakistan PM Imran Khan calls Osama Bin Laden a 'martyr' in Parliament

With 619 total positive coronavirus cases and 7 deaths, Sri Lanka has been subject to economic and health problems since it began the nationwide lockdown. As the country is trying to fight the war against the virus, the island is also facing political disturbances.

The number of positive cases increased tremendously after 30 new positive cases were&nbsp;reported in a Sri Lankan Navy facility few days ago. Colombo is one the worst-hit cities in the country with more than 150 cases.&nbsp;Health officials have said that&nbsp;they have increased the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests and&nbsp;aim to conduct around 100 PCR tests in a day.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sewage-new-way-to-deduct-prevalence-of-covid-19-by-scientists-295127">Sewage: New way to deduct prevalence of Covid-19 by scientists</a>

Now, the country is also facing a huge cash crunch as the Parliament has been shut for the past few weeks with respect to the lockdown.&nbsp;Opposition MP and former finance minister Mangala Samaraweera demanded an&nbsp;immediate return of the 225-member assembly to avoid a financial crisis.

"Failure to do so, especially at a time of a pandemic is bound to have serious repercussions... in light of international obligations," Samaraweera said in a letter to the President.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/curb-coronavirus-root-cause-or-bear-worse-pandemics-say-worlds-leading-scientists-295122" hreflang="en">Curb coronavirus' root cause or bear worse pandemics, say top scientists</a>

The opposition is accusing the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of using this&nbsp;lockdown to sidestep constitutional requirements, and have called on urgently&nbsp;recalling parliament, which was dissolved ahead of elections.

"The question is whether they want a parliament at all. To me it looks like they want to continue without a parliament," former legislator Harsha de Silva told a media organization.

The President has dismissed all accusations assuring that he means well for his citizens.

With 619 total positive coronavirus cases and 7 deaths, Sri Lanka has been subject to economic and health problems since it began the nationwide lockdown. As the country is trying to fight the war against the virus, the island is also facing political disturbances.

With 619 total positive coronavirus cases and 7 deaths, Sri Lanka has been subject to economic and health problems since it began the nationwide lockdown. As the country is trying to fight the war against the virus, the island is also facing political disturbances. The number of positive cases increased tremendously after 30 new positive cases were reported in a Sri Lankan Navy facility few days ago. Colombo is one the worst-hit cities in the country with more than 150 cases. Health officials have said that they have increased the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests and aim to conduct around 100 PCR tests in a day. Sewage: New way to deduct prevalence of Covid-19 by scientists Now, the country is also facing a huge cash crunch as the Parliament has been shut for the past few weeks with respect to the lockdown. Opposition MP and former finance minister Mangala Samaraweera demanded an immediate return of the 225-member assembly to avoid a financial crisis. "Failure to do so, especially at a time of a pandemic is bound to have serious repercussions... in light of international obligations," Samaraweera said in a letter to the President. Also read: Curb coronavirus' root cause or bear worse pandemics, say top scientists The opposition is accusing the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of using this lockdown to sidestep constitutional requirements, and have called on urgently recalling parliament, which was dissolved ahead of elections. "The question is whether they want a parliament at all. To me it looks like they want to continue without a parliament," former legislator Harsha de Silva told a media organization. The President has dismissed all accusations assuring that he means well for his citizens.

Sri Lanka in financial crisis as Parliament shuts due to coronavirus

Russia's lower house on Wednesday passed constitutional reforms in their final reading that include the possibility of President Vladimir Putin extending his rule for another two terms.

A total of 383 State Duma lawmakers voted in favour of the package of constitutional amendments, with 43 abstentions and none against.

The measures must now be approved by the upper house Federation Council and be put to a public vote scheduled for April 22.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-pitches-for-constitutional-amendment-mps-back-package-of-changes-285487">Putin pitches for constitutional amendment, MPs back package of changes</a>

Putin announced the package of reforms in January, then repeatedly denied they were meant to extend his grip on power as he approaches the end of his fourth and final presidential term in 2024.

However, on Tuesday another amendment was introduced that would reset presidential terms, making it possible for Putin to run again if the constitutional court allows it.

The changes "are not just justified... they plan... for the strategy of the development of the country," Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said after Wednesday's vote, Russian agencies reported.

Watch: 

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Other additions to the constitution include guarantees for pension payouts and minimum salaries, and giving parliament additional power to nominate the head of government.

They also give the president additional powers to fire judges in the country's higher courts and to reject laws passed by parliament.

Russia's lower house on Wednesday passed constitutional reforms in their final reading that include the possibility of President Vladimir Putin extending his rule for another two terms.

Russia's lower house on Wednesday passed constitutional reforms in their final reading that include the possibility of President Vladimir Putin extending his rule for another two terms. A total of 383 State Duma lawmakers voted in favour of the package of constitutional amendments, with 43 abstentions and none against. The measures must now be approved by the upper house Federation Council and be put to a public vote scheduled for April 22. Also read: Putin pitches for constitutional amendment, MPs back package of changes Putin announced the package of reforms in January, then repeatedly denied they were meant to extend his grip on power as he approaches the end of his fourth and final presidential term in 2024. However, on Tuesday another amendment was introduced that would reset presidential terms, making it possible for Putin to run again if the constitutional court allows it. The changes "are not just justified... they plan... for the strategy of the development of the country," Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said after Wednesday's vote, Russian agencies reported. Watch: × Other additions to the constitution include guarantees for pension payouts and minimum salaries, and giving parliament additional power to nominate the head of government. They also give the president additional powers to fire judges in the country's higher courts and to reject laws passed by parliament.

Parliament passes reforms allowing Putin to run again

Repairing the Elizabeth Tower: What does this massive project entail?

Ruling BJP on Monday issued a whip to its members of Parliament asking them to be present in their respective houses on Tuesday, which is the last working day before the Budget Session recess.

According to reports, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reply to discussions on the Union Budget in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha today.

Sitharaman is likely to speak in Lok Sabha first and then in Rajya Sabha, according to reports.

Discussions on the Union Bidget, which was presented on February 1, has been going on for the last few days in Parliament.

While opposition members have repeatedly&nbsp;attacked the BJP government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over economic slowdown and "record-high" unemployment, treasury benches have lauded the Centre for various initiatives in the budget.

Ruling BJP on Monday issued a whip to its members of Parliament asking them to be present in their respective houses on Tuesday, which is the last working day before the Budget Session recess.

Ruling BJP on Monday issued a whip to its members of Parliament asking them to be present in their respective houses on Tuesday, which is the last working day before the Budget Session recess. According to reports, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reply to discussions on the Union Budget in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha today. Sitharaman is likely to speak in Lok Sabha first and then in Rajya Sabha, according to reports. Discussions on the Union Bidget, which was presented on February 1, has been going on for the last few days in Parliament. While opposition members have repeatedly attacked the BJP government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over economic slowdown and "record-high" unemployment, treasury benches have lauded the Centre for various initiatives in the budget.

BJP issues whip to its MPs asking them to be present in Parliament today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took repeated digs at opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress whom he dubbed as "tubelight" saying that it took him 30-40 minutes to respond to his speech in Lok Sabha.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi in his reply to the discussion on the presidential address referred to the Congress leader's comments he had reportedly made about "youth beating Modi with sticks over the lack of jobs", and said he would increase the number of Surya Namaskars (a yoga exercise) so that his back can bear the sticks.

"In 70 years, no Congress leader has ever become self- sufficient. I heard one leader's manifesto yesterday. He said 'we will beat Modi with a stick in six months'. I can imagine that it is a difficult prospect, so it will take six months to prepare.

"In these six months, I will do more surya namaskar so that my back is ready for the beating...I have been subjected to abuses in the past 20 years, I will make myself gaali-proof (abuse-proof) and also danda-proof (stick-proof)," Modi said.

When Rahul Gandhi got up from his seat and questioned Modi on the issue of unemployment, Modi said he was waiting for the Congress leader's reaction but it took him 30-40 minutes.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/If-we-had-worked-according-to-old%20ways-then-Article-370-would-never-have-been-abrogated-says-PM-Modi-in-Lok-Sabha">Had we worked according to old ways, Article 370 would have never been abrogated - PM Modi</a>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Rahul Gandhi made an intervention in his speech in Lok Sabha: I was speaking for the last 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach there. Many tubelights are like this. <a href="https://t.co/NwbQVBHWPx">pic.twitter.com/NwbQVBHWPx</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1225352188291145734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"I have been speaking for 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach. Many tubelights are like this," Modi said prompting ruling NDA members to burst into laugh.

Modi, who was in a witty mood, took several digs at Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for frequently rising from his seat and interrupting him, saying that he is publicising 'Fit India' campaign of his government in Parliament.

Responding to Chowdhury on the issue unemployment, Modi said he will resolve unemployment in the country but not his and of his party's.

As soon as Prime Minister Modi entered the Lok Sabha premises he was welcomed by the BJP members by raising slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' to which Congress responded by 'Mahatma Gandhi Zindabad' and 'Mahatma Gandhi Amar Rahe'.

Responding to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's criticism of the government, Modi suggested that Tharoor should have some soft corner for Kashmir, after all he was "son-in-law" of the region, referring to his late wife Sunanda Pushkar.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took repeated digs at opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress whom he dubbed as "tubelight" saying that it took him 30-40 minutes to respond to his speech in Lok Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took repeated digs at opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress whom he dubbed as "tubelight" saying that it took him 30-40 minutes to respond to his speech in Lok Sabha. Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi in his reply to the discussion on the presidential address referred to the Congress leader's comments he had reportedly made about "youth beating Modi with sticks over the lack of jobs", and said he would increase the number of Surya Namaskars (a yoga exercise) so that his back can bear the sticks. "In 70 years, no Congress leader has ever become self- sufficient. I heard one leader's manifesto yesterday. He said 'we will beat Modi with a stick in six months'. I can imagine that it is a difficult prospect, so it will take six months to prepare. "In these six months, I will do more surya namaskar so that my back is ready for the beating...I have been subjected to abuses in the past 20 years, I will make myself gaali-proof (abuse-proof) and also danda-proof (stick-proof)," Modi said. When Rahul Gandhi got up from his seat and questioned Modi on the issue of unemployment, Modi said he was waiting for the Congress leader's reaction but it took him 30-40 minutes. Also read: Had we worked according to old ways, Article 370 would have never been abrogated - PM Modi #WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Rahul Gandhi made an intervention in his speech in Lok Sabha: I was speaking for the last 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach there. Many tubelights are like this. pic.twitter.com/NwbQVBHWPx — ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2020 × "I have been speaking for 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach. Many tubelights are like this," Modi said prompting ruling NDA members to burst into laugh. Modi, who was in a witty mood, took several digs at Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for frequently rising from his seat and interrupting him, saying that he is publicising 'Fit India' campaign of his government in Parliament. Responding to Chowdhury on the issue unemployment, Modi said he will resolve unemployment in the country but not his and of his party's. As soon as Prime Minister Modi entered the Lok Sabha premises he was welcomed by the BJP members by raising slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' to which Congress responded by 'Mahatma Gandhi Zindabad' and 'Mahatma Gandhi Amar Rahe'. Responding to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's criticism of the government, Modi suggested that Tharoor should have some soft corner for Kashmir, after all he was "son-in-law" of the region, referring to his late wife Sunanda Pushkar.

PM Modi fires salvos at opposition leaders, dubs Rahul Gandhi as tubelight

European Union Parliament has decided to postpone the vote on a draft resolution on Citizenship amendment law to last week of March, which the March II Part session on March 30-31st.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-should-abandon-their-double-standards-china-slams-eurpopean-union-parliament-over-uighur-sanctions-resolution-269347">Also read: 'EU should abandon their double standards' — China slams European Union Parliament over &nbsp;Uighur sanctions resolution</a>

The European People's Party group or EPP group in a move called for the delaying the vote. The move was voted on and passed with 271 in favour, 199 against and 13 abstentions.

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Government sources welcomed the development and said, "Friends of India prevailed over the Friends of Pakistan in the European Parliament today."

Explaining, "CAA is a matter internal to India and has been adopted through a due process through democratic means. We expect that our perspectives in this matter will be understood by all objective and fair-minded MEPs."

Interestingly, Shaffaq Mohammad, the Pakistan origin British MEP looked disappointed. Shaffaq has just 2 days more left as MEP since on Friday the UK leaves the European Union and with that, he will too have to leave the EU Parliament.

Indian govt sources told WION, "Strenuous efforts of outgoing British MEP, Shaffaq Mohammad to have a Resolution passed by the European Parliament against India on the penultimate day before Brexit was defeated."

Voting on the resolution will now take place post 13th March, the day when PM Modi visits Brussels for the India EU summit.&nbsp;

The EU has already distanced itself from the developments in the EU Parliament on the 6 draft resolution on Kashmir/CAA.

EU spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, Virginie Battu-Henriksson, told WION, "Opinions expressed by the European Parliament and its members do not represent the official position of the European Union."

European Union Parliament has decided to postpone the vote on a draft resolution on Citizenship amendment law to last week of March, which the March II Part session on March 30-31st.

European Union Parliament has decided to postpone the vote on a draft resolution on Citizenship amendment law to last week of March, which the March II Part session on March 30-31st. Also read: 'EU should abandon their double standards' — China slams European Union Parliament over Uighur sanctions resolution The European People's Party group or EPP group in a move called for the delaying the vote. The move was voted on and passed with 271 in favour, 199 against and 13 abstentions. Government sources welcomed the development and said, "Friends of India prevailed over the Friends of Pakistan in the European Parliament today." Explaining, "CAA is a matter internal to India and has been adopted through a due process through democratic means. We expect that our perspectives in this matter will be understood by all objective and fair-minded MEPs." Interestingly, Shaffaq Mohammad, the Pakistan origin British MEP looked disappointed. Shaffaq has just 2 days more left as MEP since on Friday the UK leaves the European Union and with that, he will too have to leave the EU Parliament. Indian govt sources told WION, "Strenuous efforts of outgoing British MEP, Shaffaq Mohammad to have a Resolution passed by the European Parliament against India on the penultimate day before Brexit was defeated." Voting on the resolution will now take place post 13th March, the day when PM Modi visits Brussels for the India EU summit. The EU has already distanced itself from the developments in the EU Parliament on the 6 draft resolution on Kashmir/CAA. EU spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, Virginie Battu-Henriksson, told WION, "Opinions expressed by the European Parliament and its members do not represent the official position of the European Union."

Pakistan snubbed again: Vote on CAA resolution delayed in European Union Parliament; New Delhi lauds friends of India

The culprit behind the draft resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act which is proposed to be tabled in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/entirely-internal-matter-india-on-european-union-parliament-setting-resolution-against-caa-276781">European Parliament</a> later this week has been identified as a UK national and a Member of the European Parliament.

Originally from Pakistan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-shaffaq-mohammed-on-wion-gravitas-277162">Shaffaq Mohammed</a> is an MEP since 2019 and was awarded Member of the Order of British Empire in 2015 “for political service” as a councillor on the Sheffield City Council.

&nbsp;

Thought the proposed resolution is supposed by 154 of 751 members, the resolutions of the European Parliament are not binding on the European Commission. Debates on the draft resolution are to open on January 20 and voting on the matter is on January 30.

<img alt=" European Parliament in Brussels" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="184fa4fa-7967-46ea-9cbb-271824b6f9cf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/European%20Parliament%20in%20Brussels%20Photograph-afp.jpg" /> 
[&nbsp;European Parliament in Brussels (Courtesy: AFP) ]

Brussels will be hosting the next summit of India and the EU. One of the MEPs to have drafted the resolution stated that people familiar with Indo-Pak affairs and UK politics would not rule out influence from the Pakistan government behind the move by Mohammed.

A group of 154 MEPs belonging to the progressive forum 'S&amp;D Group' have stated that the CAA would trigger the “largest statelessness crisis in the world and cause widespread human suffering.” They have also drafted a formal five-page resolution to be tabled during the plenary session of the European Parliament starting in Brussels.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pak-origin-mep-behind-anti-caa-resolution-in-european-parliament-276859">Pak Origin MEP Behind Anti-CAA Resolution In European Parliament</a>

The resolution proposed states that India is violating its “international obligations” under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other Human Rights treaties, for the CAA is “discriminatory and dangerously divisive."

The European Parliament is the legislative branch of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union, it adopts European legislation, normally on a proposal from the European Commission.

The European Parliament one of the seven institutions of the European Union. It embraces European legislation with the Council of the European Union, ordinarily on a proposition from the European Commission.

The Parliament delegates to the second-biggest democratic electorate on the planet (after the Indian Parliament) and the biggest trans-national democratic electorate on the planet (375 million qualified voters in 2009)

The European Parliament may favor or reject a legislative proposal or proposed changes to it, yet the European Council isn't lawfully obliged to assess Parliament's opinion. The European Parliament has in the past discussed nation-specific goals, including Turkey and Egypt.

The culprit behind the draft resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act which is proposed to be tabled in the European Parliament later this week has been identified as a UK national and a Member of the European Parliament.

The culprit behind the draft resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act which is proposed to be tabled in the European Parliament later this week has been identified as a UK national and a Member of the European Parliament. Originally from Pakistan Shaffaq Mohammed is an MEP since 2019 and was awarded Member of the Order of British Empire in 2015 “for political service” as a councillor on the Sheffield City Council. Thought the proposed resolution is supposed by 154 of 751 members, the resolutions of the European Parliament are not binding on the European Commission. Debates on the draft resolution are to open on January 20 and voting on the matter is on January 30. [ European Parliament in Brussels (Courtesy: AFP) ] Brussels will be hosting the next summit of India and the EU. One of the MEPs to have drafted the resolution stated that people familiar with Indo-Pak affairs and UK politics would not rule out influence from the Pakistan government behind the move by Mohammed. A group of 154 MEPs belonging to the progressive forum 'S&D Group' have stated that the CAA would trigger the “largest statelessness crisis in the world and cause widespread human suffering.” They have also drafted a formal five-page resolution to be tabled during the plenary session of the European Parliament starting in Brussels. Also Read: Pak Origin MEP Behind Anti-CAA Resolution In European Parliament The resolution proposed states that India is violating its “international obligations” under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other Human Rights treaties, for the CAA is “discriminatory and dangerously divisive." The European Parliament is the legislative branch of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union, it adopts European legislation, normally on a proposal from the European Commission. The European Parliament one of the seven institutions of the European Union. It embraces European legislation with the Council of the European Union, ordinarily on a proposition from the European Commission. The Parliament delegates to the second-biggest democratic electorate on the planet (after the Indian Parliament) and the biggest trans-national democratic electorate on the planet (375 million qualified voters in 2009) The European Parliament may favor or reject a legislative proposal or proposed changes to it, yet the European Council isn't lawfully obliged to assess Parliament's opinion. The European Parliament has in the past discussed nation-specific goals, including Turkey and Egypt.

Anti-CAA move in European Parliament fueled by Pakistan-origin EU MP Shaffaq Mohammed

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-lebanon-protestors-ditch-rioting-and-turn-revolution-into-rave-257684">Lebanese protesters</a> hurled rocks and metal barricades at security forces blocking a road near parliament on Monday ahead of a budget debate as Lebanon grapples with a deep financial crisis.

Some protesters have rejected a new cabinet formed last week and accuse the political elite of ignoring demands that include an independent government and fighting corruption.

<img alt="Lebanese protesters" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="01a44b24-51a8-4c48-aa02-cbc36fb6bd16" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2812%29_7.jpg" />

MPs are expected to vote on a budget that was first drafted by the Saad al-Hariri-led government that quit in October, prompted by the protests.

Parliament's finance and budget committee have introduced changes since then. Its chairman, Ibrahim Kanaan, told Reuters on Friday the latest projection was for a budget with a deficit of 7 per cent, instead of the originally hoped-for 0.6 per cent&nbsp;reflecting the crisis.

Lebanese protesters hurled rocks and metal barricades at security forces blocking a road near parliament on Monday ahead of a budget debate as Lebanon grapples with a deep financial crisis.

Lebanese protesters hurled rocks and metal barricades at security forces blocking a road near parliament on Monday ahead of a budget debate as Lebanon grapples with a deep financial crisis. Some protesters have rejected a new cabinet formed last week and accuse the political elite of ignoring demands that include an independent government and fighting corruption. MPs are expected to vote on a budget that was first drafted by the Saad al-Hariri-led government that quit in October, prompted by the protests. Parliament's finance and budget committee have introduced changes since then. Its chairman, Ibrahim Kanaan, told Reuters on Friday the latest projection was for a budget with a deficit of 7 per cent, instead of the originally hoped-for 0.6 per cent reflecting the crisis.

Lebanese protesters throw rocks at police near parliament

Difference of opinions among <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/wont-stake-claim-in-lok-sabha-for-leader-of-opposition-congress-223378">Congress</a> leaders have started coming to fore over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 in States of the country following the passing of resolution against the new legislation by the Assemblies of Kerala and Punjab.

After Congress leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-kerala-punjab-now-maharashtra-mulls-resolution-against-citizenship-amendment-act-275185">Kapil Sibal</a>, party colleague and former Haryana chief minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bs-hooda-appointed-as-haryana-congress-legislature-party-leader-259457">Bhupinder Singh Hooda</a> also said that a State cannot refuse to implement a law passed by Parliament.

"Once a law or act is passed by the Parliament, I think that the constitutional view is that, any state can't and should not say no but this has to be legally examined," Hooda told ANI on Sunday.

Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who is also a renowned lawyer, had said that no State can say that it will not implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, as doing so will be unconstitutional.

Former union minister and party leader Salman Khurshid also backed Sibal and said 'if something is on the statute book, you have to obey the law'.

"If the SC doesn't interfere, it'll remain on the statute book. If something is on the statute book, you have to obey the law, else there are consequences. It is a matter where the state governments have a very serious difference of opinion with the Centre as far as this (CAA) law is concerned. So, we would wait for the final pronouncement made by the SC. Ultimately, the SC will decide and till then everything said, done, not done is provisional and tentative," he said.

However, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that that his party is thinking about bringing a resolution against the CAA in Congress-ruled states.

"After Punjab, we are thinking about bringing a resolution against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/states-have-to-implement-caa-under-article-254-kerala-governor-275122">Citizenship Amendment Act</a> in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. It would be a clear message to the Central Government to reconsider the Act," he said.

Several Opposition parties including Congress are opposing the CAA grants citizenship to the non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. Several petitions have also been filed against the new Act in the Supreme Court.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also announced that his government will be joining the Kerala government in the Apex Court against CAA.

Difference of opinions among Congress leaders have started coming to fore over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 in States of the country following the passing of resolution against the new legislation by the Assemblies of Kerala and Punjab.

Difference of opinions among Congress leaders have started coming to fore over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 in States of the country following the passing of resolution against the new legislation by the Assemblies of Kerala and Punjab. After Congress leader Kapil Sibal, party colleague and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also said that a State cannot refuse to implement a law passed by Parliament. "Once a law or act is passed by the Parliament, I think that the constitutional view is that, any state can't and should not say no but this has to be legally examined," Hooda told ANI on Sunday. Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who is also a renowned lawyer, had said that no State can say that it will not implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, as doing so will be unconstitutional. Former union minister and party leader Salman Khurshid also backed Sibal and said 'if something is on the statute book, you have to obey the law'. "If the SC doesn't interfere, it'll remain on the statute book. If something is on the statute book, you have to obey the law, else there are consequences. It is a matter where the state governments have a very serious difference of opinion with the Centre as far as this (CAA) law is concerned. So, we would wait for the final pronouncement made by the SC. Ultimately, the SC will decide and till then everything said, done, not done is provisional and tentative," he said. However, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that that his party is thinking about bringing a resolution against the CAA in Congress-ruled states. "After Punjab, we are thinking about bringing a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. It would be a clear message to the Central Government to reconsider the Act," he said. Several Opposition parties including Congress are opposing the CAA grants citizenship to the non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. Several petitions have also been filed against the new Act in the Supreme Court. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also announced that his government will be joining the Kerala government in the Apex Court against CAA.

Congress divided over CAA implementation

By: Mallika Singh

After a heated nine hour-long debate, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajya-sabha-passes-citizenship-amendment-bill-267747">Citizenship Amendment Bill</a>, 2019 was passed in the Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019, with 125 votes to 105, as it was earlier introduced and passed in the Lower House of the Indian Parliament on December 9, 2019, by 311-80 votes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Six hours of debate time had been originally allocated in the Upper House to the highly contentious Bill that seeks to grant Indian citizenship to undocumented religious minorities-namely Hindus, Sikh, Jain, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from the neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan who moved to the country before 
&nbsp;the date of December 31, 2014.&nbsp;

Besides the Bhartiya Janata Party, the Bill was supported by members of JD(U), SAD, AIADMK, BJD, TDP and YSR - Congress with Shiv Sena choosing to boycott voting.&nbsp;

The Bill is now set to become a law after it receives the formal assent of President Ram Nath Kovind.&nbsp;

The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 which regulates who may acquire Indian citizenship and on what grounds by adding provisions for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian community in section 2, in sub-section (1), in clause (b) that they&nbsp;shall not be treated as illegal migrants. Illegal migrants are not eligible for Indian Citizenship.&nbsp;

Illegal migrants are defined as those foreigners who enter the country without valid travel documentation or who enter with valid documentation but exceed their permitted time period of stay. Implying that the mentioned communities will not be deported or imprisoned&nbsp;for being in India without valid documentation under The Foreigners Act, 1946 and The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920.

Under the provisions for procurement of citizenship by naturalisation, the BJP lead Indian government seeks to amend the requirement that the applicant must have resided in India "not less than five years" in place of "not less than eleven years" for the mentioned six religious communities from the three Muslim majority countries through Section 2(1) (b).&nbsp;

The Bill exempts certain areas of the North-East region of the country, including tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as per the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The Bill also seeks to amend provisions related to Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders, making it possible to cancel OCI registration of these persons in case of violation of any law notified by the Central Government.&nbsp;

The Citizenship Amendment Bill has been on the agenda for the BJP government since 2016 when it was first tabled the Bill in the Lower House of the Parliament on July 16. The Bill was then referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee on August 12, 2016.&nbsp;

The Committee had submitted its report on January 7, 2019, and the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, 2019. However, the Bill could not be introduced in the Rajya Sabha before it adjourned sine die on February 13, 2019, causing the Bill to lapse.&nbsp;

According to Legislative Procedures regarding Lapsing of Bills “A Bill pending in Rajya Sabha which has not been passed by Lok Sabha does not lapse on the dissolution of Lok Sabha but a Bill which is passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha lapses on the dissolution of Lok Sabha.”

The Bill has gathered high criticism from the national as well as the international community, the fundamental criticism being that it specifically targets Muslims, making the Bill in violation of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution which enshrines the Fundamental Right to equality.&nbsp;

The government, however, states that the constitutions of the three specific state religion countries do not protect the mentioned communities, leading them to face persecution on grounds of religion, which the Indian government wishes to safeguard them from by&nbsp;granting them immunity. &nbsp;

Claiming that some of them also have fears about such persecution in their day-to-day life where the right to practice, profess and propagate their religion has been obstructed and restricted. Many such persons have fled to India to seek shelter and continued to stay in India despite inadequate documentation.&nbsp;

Leaders of various opposition parties voiced their discontent over the passage of the Bill in the Upper and Lower Houses, saying that it was against national interest.&nbsp;

Assam came to a standstill in an 11 hour statewide ‘bandh’ on Tuesday in protest against the Bill.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assured the people of Assam that no one can take away their rights, unique identity and beautiful culture, amid protests in parts of the state against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

"I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of #CAB. I want to assure them- no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow," the Prime Minister tweeted.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CAB</a>. 
 
I want to assure them- no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1204981291730341888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Opposition leader, Sonia Gandhi condemned the passage of the Bill calling it a “dark day in the Constitution of India,” with several other party leaders indicating that they might move to the Supreme Court for intervention.&nbsp;

The Indian Union Muslim League on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India questioning the legality of the passed Bill and demanding a stay on it.

By: Mallika Singh After a heated nine hour-long debate, the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed in the Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019, with 125 votes to 105, as it was earlier introduced and passed in the Lower House of the Indian Parliament on December 9, 2019, by 311-80 votes.

By: Mallika Singh After a heated nine hour-long debate, the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed in the Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019, with 125 votes to 105, as it was earlier introduced and passed in the Lower House of the Indian Parliament on December 9, 2019, by 311-80 votes. Six hours of debate time had been originally allocated in the Upper House to the highly contentious Bill that seeks to grant Indian citizenship to undocumented religious minorities-namely Hindus, Sikh, Jain, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from the neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan who moved to the country before the date of December 31, 2014. Besides the Bhartiya Janata Party, the Bill was supported by members of JD(U), SAD, AIADMK, BJD, TDP and YSR - Congress with Shiv Sena choosing to boycott voting. The Bill is now set to become a law after it receives the formal assent of President Ram Nath Kovind. The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 which regulates who may acquire Indian citizenship and on what grounds by adding provisions for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian community in section 2, in sub-section (1), in clause (b) that they shall not be treated as illegal migrants. Illegal migrants are not eligible for Indian Citizenship. Illegal migrants are defined as those foreigners who enter the country without valid travel documentation or who enter with valid documentation but exceed their permitted time period of stay. Implying that the mentioned communities will not be deported or imprisoned for being in India without valid documentation under The Foreigners Act, 1946 and The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920. Under the provisions for procurement of citizenship by naturalisation, the BJP lead Indian government seeks to amend the requirement that the applicant must have resided in India "not less than five years" in place of "not less than eleven years" for the mentioned six religious communities from the three Muslim majority countries through Section 2(1) (b). The Bill exempts certain areas of the North-East region of the country, including tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as per the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The Bill also seeks to amend provisions related to Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders, making it possible to cancel OCI registration of these persons in case of violation of any law notified by the Central Government. The Citizenship Amendment Bill has been on the agenda for the BJP government since 2016 when it was first tabled the Bill in the Lower House of the Parliament on July 16. The Bill was then referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee on August 12, 2016. The Committee had submitted its report on January 7, 2019, and the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, 2019. However, the Bill could not be introduced in the Rajya Sabha before it adjourned sine die on February 13, 2019, causing the Bill to lapse. According to Legislative Procedures regarding Lapsing of Bills “A Bill pending in Rajya Sabha which has not been passed by Lok Sabha does not lapse on the dissolution of Lok Sabha but a Bill which is passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha lapses on the dissolution of Lok Sabha.” The Bill has gathered high criticism from the national as well as the international community, the fundamental criticism being that it specifically targets Muslims, making the Bill in violation of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution which enshrines the Fundamental Right to equality. The government, however, states that the constitutions of the three specific state religion countries do not protect the mentioned communities, leading them to face persecution on grounds of religion, which the Indian government wishes to safeguard them from by granting them immunity. Claiming that some of them also have fears about such persecution in their day-to-day life where the right to practice, profess and propagate their religion has been obstructed and restricted. Many such persons have fled to India to seek shelter and continued to stay in India despite inadequate documentation. Leaders of various opposition parties voiced their discontent over the passage of the Bill in the Upper and Lower Houses, saying that it was against national interest. Assam came to a standstill in an 11 hour statewide ‘bandh’ on Tuesday in protest against the Bill. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assured the people of Assam that no one can take away their rights, unique identity and beautiful culture, amid protests in parts of the state against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019. "I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of #CAB. I want to assure them- no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow," the Prime Minister tweeted. I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of #CAB. I want to assure them- no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 12, 2019 × Opposition leader, Sonia Gandhi condemned the passage of the Bill calling it a “dark day in the Constitution of India,” with several other party leaders indicating that they might move to the Supreme Court for intervention. The Indian Union Muslim League on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India questioning the legality of the passed Bill and demanding a stay on it.

As Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 is set to become law, what all is there to know about CAB?

Manipur will be included in the Inner Line Permit (IPL) system, Home Minister Amit Shah announced while moving the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, for passage in Lok Sabha on Monday.

"We are including Manipur in the Inner Line Permit system. This big issue has now been resolved. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of people of Manipur for fulfilling this long-standing demand," the Home Minister told the House.

An ILP is a travel document that is issued by the Government of India for travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.

This practice owes its origin to the British admin's the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations of 1873 and is seen as a security measure as well as an effort to conserve the ethnic-social demographics of certain societies.

Speaking on the bill, Shah said that the government is committed to protecting the identity of Northeast people.

"We are committed to protecting the socio, linguistic and cultural identity of people of Northeast," he said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Manipur will be included in the Inner Line Permit (IPL) system, Home Minister Amit Shah announced while moving the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, for passage in Lok Sabha on Monday.

Manipur will be included in the Inner Line Permit (IPL) system, Home Minister Amit Shah announced while moving the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, for passage in Lok Sabha on Monday. "We are including Manipur in the Inner Line Permit system. This big issue has now been resolved. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of people of Manipur for fulfilling this long-standing demand," the Home Minister told the House. An ILP is a travel document that is issued by the Government of India for travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. This practice owes its origin to the British admin's the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations of 1873 and is seen as a security measure as well as an effort to conserve the ethnic-social demographics of certain societies. Speaking on the bill, Shah said that the government is committed to protecting the identity of Northeast people. "We are committed to protecting the socio, linguistic and cultural identity of people of Northeast," he said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.

Manipur to be included in Inner Line Permit system: Amit Shah informs Parliament

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