Budget 2019: 'Time to increase minimum public shareholding in listed companies to 35%'.

Budget 2019: 'Time to increase minimum public shareholding in listed companies to 35%'

Budget 2019: India will become a $3-billion economy this year, says Nirmala Sitharaman.

Budget 2019: India will become a $3-billion economy this year, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman focuses on 'Gaon, Gareeb aur Kisan' in her first Budget in Union Budget 2019-20.

Budget 2019: Nirmala Sitharaman focuses on 'Gaon, Gareeb aur Kisan' in her first Budget

Budget 2019: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman sets the 'ball rolling for New India'.

Budget 2019: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman sets the 'ball rolling for New India'

Polish lawmakers have approved a measure that would exonerate most workers under the age of 26 from income taxes as the country seeks to stem the flow of its young people to other EU nations in search of better-paying jobs.

The lower house of parliament approved the measure introduced by the ruling conservatives in a vote late Thursday by an overwhelming majority.

The bill would exonerate workers under the age of 26 from Poland's 18 per cent personal income tax for those whose gross earnings don't surpass 85,500 zlotys (20,000 euros, $22,500) per year.

That level is higher than Poland's average income, estimated to be around 60,000 zlotys per year before tax.

The approval of the measure by the upper house of parliament and its signature by the president is widely expected.

Some two million people could benefit from the measure, according to supporters of the legislation, which should enter into force from August 1.

Poland has long been haemorrhaging skilled workers to other EU states where they can find better-paying jobs, posing both a long-term demographic risk and short-term problem finding enough labourers to continue the country's streak of economic growth since the fall of communism in 1989.

The measure was one of the campaign promises made by the ruling Law and Justice party ahead of the European parliamentary elections in May, which it won, and legislative elections scheduled for later this year.

Polish lawmakers have approved a measure that would exonerate most workers under the age of 26 from income taxes as the country seeks to stem the flow of its young people to other EU nations in search of better-paying jobs.

Polish lawmakers have approved a measure that would exonerate most workers under the age of 26 from income taxes as the country seeks to stem the flow of its young people to other EU nations in search of better-paying jobs. The lower house of parliament approved the measure introduced by the ruling conservatives in a vote late Thursday by an overwhelming majority. The bill would exonerate workers under the age of 26 from Poland's 18 per cent personal income tax for those whose gross earnings don't surpass 85,500 zlotys (20,000 euros, $22,500) per year. That level is higher than Poland's average income, estimated to be around 60,000 zlotys per year before tax. The approval of the measure by the upper house of parliament and its signature by the president is widely expected. Some two million people could benefit from the measure, according to supporters of the legislation, which should enter into force from August 1. Poland has long been haemorrhaging skilled workers to other EU states where they can find better-paying jobs, posing both a long-term demographic risk and short-term problem finding enough labourers to continue the country's streak of economic growth since the fall of communism in 1989. The measure was one of the campaign promises made by the ruling Law and Justice party ahead of the European parliamentary elections in May, which it won, and legislative elections scheduled for later this year.

Poland moves to exempt young workers from income tax

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents Union Budget 2019-20 in Lok Sabha. Watch this video for more in details. #Budget2019 #UnionBudget2019 #IndiaBudget2019 #Budget

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents Union Budget 2019-20 in Lok Sabha

With both houses of Parliament convening on Thursday, the Lok Sabha will be taking up five bills for discussion. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will likely table the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019. He is expected to also move amendments to the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. In Rajya Sabha, Union minister Piyush Goyal will likely move for passage of the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to allows trusts to set up units in special economic zones by amending the SEZ law. Stay tuned to IndiaToday.in for all the live updates of the proceedings.

India Watch: Debate on climate change in parliament

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a petition seeking a direction to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to appoint a Leader of Opposition in the 17th Lok Sabha.

While asserting that the matter can be heard after the court vacation, a bench of Justices Jyoti Singh and Manoj Kumar Ohri posted the matter for hearing to July 8.

"What is the urgency in the matter? It is a vacation Bench. You are asking for a policy in place for the appointment of the leader of opposition in future. We find there is no urgency in the matter," the bench said.&nbsp;

A petition in this regard was filed by two advocates -- Manmohan Singh Narula and Susmita Kumari -- contending that the denial of leadership to the second largest party in Parliament "sets a wrong precedent and dilutes democracy."Since the Leader of Opposition is a "statutory post" and the Speaker is performing a "statutory duty" in recognising the Leader of Opposition, he or she cannot exercise any discretion in the matter, the petition stated.

"There is no room for ifs and buts, under the Salaries and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977, the duty of the Speaker is to recognise the eligible person," the petitioner submitted.

He said that recognising a member of the house as the Leader of Opposition is not a political or arithmetical decision but a statutory decision.&nbsp;

"The Speaker has to merely ascertain whether the party claiming this post is the largest party in the opposition," the petition stated. On June 18, senior Congress leader and West Bengal MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was named by the Congress as its leader in the Lok Sabha. The newly-appointed Speaker Om Birla has, however, not appointed him as the Leader of Opposition yet.&nbsp;

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a petition seeking a direction to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to appoint a Leader of Opposition in the 17th Lok Sabha.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a petition seeking a direction to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to appoint a Leader of Opposition in the 17th Lok Sabha. While asserting that the matter can be heard after the court vacation, a bench of Justices Jyoti Singh and Manoj Kumar Ohri posted the matter for hearing to July 8. "What is the urgency in the matter? It is a vacation Bench. You are asking for a policy in place for the appointment of the leader of opposition in future. We find there is no urgency in the matter," the bench said. A petition in this regard was filed by two advocates -- Manmohan Singh Narula and Susmita Kumari -- contending that the denial of leadership to the second largest party in Parliament "sets a wrong precedent and dilutes democracy."Since the Leader of Opposition is a "statutory post" and the Speaker is performing a "statutory duty" in recognising the Leader of Opposition, he or she cannot exercise any discretion in the matter, the petition stated. "There is no room for ifs and buts, under the Salaries and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977, the duty of the Speaker is to recognise the eligible person," the petitioner submitted. He said that recognising a member of the house as the Leader of Opposition is not a political or arithmetical decision but a statutory decision. "The Speaker has to merely ascertain whether the party claiming this post is the largest party in the opposition," the petition stated. On June 18, senior Congress leader and West Bengal MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was named by the Congress as its leader in the Lok Sabha. The newly-appointed Speaker Om Birla has, however, not appointed him as the Leader of Opposition yet.

Delhi high court defers hearing of plea seeking appointment of leader of opposition in Lok Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first speech in Parliament after his party returned to power with a massive majority, was as much about Congress roasting as showcasing the achievements of his government.

India Watch: PM Modi addresses the lower house

PM Modi while addressing parliament today says that people of India are satisfied with the work of the NDA government. Moreover, he also credits opposition for conducting healthy debates. 'Our government follows and will follow a path of development' he added.

Parliament live: 'People of India are satisfied with NDA government' says PM Modi

Crowds angry over the visit of a Russian lawmaker tried to storm Georgia's parliament building on Thursday evening, pushing against lines of riot police, throwing bottles, and grabbing riot shields from some officers and tearing off their helmets.

Georgians angry over Russian lawmaker's visit try to storm parliament

After getting re-elected to Parliament with a massive mandate in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajnath-singh-pays-tribute-to-iaf-personnel-killed-in-an-32-crash-meets-their-family-members-229229">Defence Minister Rajnath Singh</a> on Friday visited his constituency, Lucknow, where he said that BJP's thumping win in the elections was a "huge thing" as the party's vote share increased despite the SP-BSP alliance.

"After SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, even senior leaders used to think, we (BJP) will only get 10-15 seats and not 72. But even after staying in power for five years, there was no anti-incumbency. On the contrary, there was pro-incumbency. BJP's vote share increased," Singh said while addressing an event here.

The Defence Minister took the opportunity to praise the soldiers for enhancing the pride of the country.

"Our soldiers carried out a surgical strike and then conducted multiple air strikes in Balakot, which tells the world that India is a strong country, not a weak one," Singh said.

Singh further talked about the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the latter wants to fulfil the basic necessities of people. "For this, the government has already initiated several mega projects," he said.

&nbsp;

After getting re-elected to Parliament with a massive mandate in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday visited his constituency, Lucknow, where he said that BJP's thumping win in the elections was a "huge thing" as the party's vote share increased despite the SP-BSP alliance.

After getting re-elected to Parliament with a massive mandate in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday visited his constituency, Lucknow, where he said that BJP's thumping win in the elections was a "huge thing" as the party's vote share increased despite the SP-BSP alliance. "After SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, even senior leaders used to think, we (BJP) will only get 10-15 seats and not 72. But even after staying in power for five years, there was no anti-incumbency. On the contrary, there was pro-incumbency. BJP's vote share increased," Singh said while addressing an event here. The Defence Minister took the opportunity to praise the soldiers for enhancing the pride of the country. "Our soldiers carried out a surgical strike and then conducted multiple air strikes in Balakot, which tells the world that India is a strong country, not a weak one," Singh said. Singh further talked about the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the latter wants to fulfil the basic necessities of people. "For this, the government has already initiated several mega projects," he said.

BJP's vote share increased despite SP-BSP alliance: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lucknow

The meeting of the heads of political parties under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the concept of '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-mamata-stalin-and-chandrababu-naidu-decide-to-skip-pm-modis-one-nation-one-election-meeting-today-228537">One Nation, One Election</a>'&nbsp;among other things including NITI Aayog's proposal for developing 'Aspirational districts'&nbsp;is undergoing at Parliament today.

JDU's Nitish Kumar, NC's Farooq Abdullah, SAD's Sukhbir Singh Badal, BJD's Naveen Patnaik, PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, and YSRCP's Jagan Mohan Reddy are among those who are attending the meeting.

The Congress-led UPA and the Trinamool Congress have opposed the concept.

Newly appointed leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Ahir Ranjan Choudhary told reporters after a meeting of the UPA chaired by Sonia Gandhi here on Tuesday that the parties were opposed to the idea in principle.

Since some issues are to be sorted out, the UPA will meet again on Wednesday morning to discuss the issue further and take a common stand at the meeting called by Modi in the evening, said Chaudhary.

DMK, the second largest party in the UPA, and other Congress allies like NCP, IUML attended the meeting.

Prominent leaders who attended the meeting included UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, K Suresh, all from the Congress party, TR Baalu, Kanimozhi of DMK, Supriya Sule of NCP, Farooq Abdullah of NC, Thirumaavalan Thol (VCK), NK Premachandran ( RSP), PK Kunhalikutty (IUML), and Thomas Chazhikadan of KC-M.

Banerjee has written to the government saying that she would not be able to attend the meeting called to discuss the issue of 'One Nation, One Election'&nbsp;idea.

In her letter to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, she said, "Response on such a sensitive and serious subject like 'One Country and One Election'&nbsp;in such a short time would not do justice to the subject it deserves."

She said that the matter required consultations with the Constitutional experts, election experts, and all the party members.

"Instead of doing the matter hurriedly, I would like to request you to kindly circulate a white paper on the subject to all political parties inviting their views by providing adequate time."

"If you only do so, we will be able to give concrete suggestions on this important subject," the letter further read.

Moreover, talking about the Aspirational Districts Programme, Banerjee said,&nbsp;"We have recently conveyed our views to NITI Aayog during its meeting, stating that we are not in support of selection of a few districts as Aspirational Districts as it would not conform to the overall objectives of achieving balanced and uniform development of all the districts of the State."

The letter also said that the party will "whole-heartedly participate in the most befitting manner" in the celebration of 75 years of India's Independence and 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.&nbsp;

The meeting of the heads of political parties under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the concept of 'One Nation, One Election' among other things including NITI Aayog's proposal for developing 'Aspirational districts' is undergoing at Parliament today.

The meeting of the heads of political parties under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the concept of 'One Nation, One Election' among other things including NITI Aayog's proposal for developing 'Aspirational districts' is undergoing at Parliament today. JDU's Nitish Kumar, NC's Farooq Abdullah, SAD's Sukhbir Singh Badal, BJD's Naveen Patnaik, PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, and YSRCP's Jagan Mohan Reddy are among those who are attending the meeting. The Congress-led UPA and the Trinamool Congress have opposed the concept. Newly appointed leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Ahir Ranjan Choudhary told reporters after a meeting of the UPA chaired by Sonia Gandhi here on Tuesday that the parties were opposed to the idea in principle. Since some issues are to be sorted out, the UPA will meet again on Wednesday morning to discuss the issue further and take a common stand at the meeting called by Modi in the evening, said Chaudhary. DMK, the second largest party in the UPA, and other Congress allies like NCP, IUML attended the meeting. Prominent leaders who attended the meeting included UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, K Suresh, all from the Congress party, TR Baalu, Kanimozhi of DMK, Supriya Sule of NCP, Farooq Abdullah of NC, Thirumaavalan Thol (VCK), NK Premachandran ( RSP), PK Kunhalikutty (IUML), and Thomas Chazhikadan of KC-M. Banerjee has written to the government saying that she would not be able to attend the meeting called to discuss the issue of 'One Nation, One Election' idea. In her letter to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, she said, "Response on such a sensitive and serious subject like 'One Country and One Election' in such a short time would not do justice to the subject it deserves." She said that the matter required consultations with the Constitutional experts, election experts, and all the party members. "Instead of doing the matter hurriedly, I would like to request you to kindly circulate a white paper on the subject to all political parties inviting their views by providing adequate time." "If you only do so, we will be able to give concrete suggestions on this important subject," the letter further read. Moreover, talking about the Aspirational Districts Programme, Banerjee said, "We have recently conveyed our views to NITI Aayog during its meeting, stating that we are not in support of selection of a few districts as Aspirational Districts as it would not conform to the overall objectives of achieving balanced and uniform development of all the districts of the State." The letter also said that the party will "whole-heartedly participate in the most befitting manner" in the celebration of 75 years of India's Independence and 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

PM Narendra Modi holds all-party meeting over 'One Nation, One Election' at Parliament

First session of Parliament to commence from today.This is 17th Lok Sabha and it has a record of 78 MPs. BJP has a majority of 303 seats in the lower house. Shortly PM Modi and other MPs to take oath. Watch this video to know more. Protem speaker Virender Kumar also to take oath.

First Day of Parliament After Polls 2019, 542 Members Of Lok Sabha To Take Oath

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha telling the Opposition that numbers do not matter, but what matters is their view. Addressing the media outside the Parliament on Monday, Modi reached out to the Opposition on the first day of the Monsoon Session and said that every word of the Opposition is valuable to the government.

India Watch: 1st session of 17th Lok Sabha

No former&nbsp;Prime Minister&nbsp;will be present in the forthcoming Budget session of the Parliament as Manmohan Singh's nearly 30-year-long tenure as a&nbsp;Rajya Sabha&nbsp;member ended on Friday and HD&nbsp;Deve Gowda&nbsp;lost from Tumkur seat in the recently concluded&nbsp;Lok Sabha&nbsp;elections.

Parliament's first Budget session after the constitution of the new government at Centre is scheduled to start on June 17. Deve Gowda, who served as the 11th&nbsp;Prime Minister&nbsp;of&nbsp;India&nbsp;from June 1996 to April 1997, lost to BJP's GS Basavaraj from Tumkur&nbsp;Lok Sabha&nbsp;constituency by little over 13,000 votes.

Earlier,&nbsp;Deve Gowda&nbsp;used to regularly contest from Hassan parliamentary constituency. However, he had vacated his seat to field his grandson&nbsp;Prajwal Revanna&nbsp;from there.

Soon after the&nbsp;Lok Sabha&nbsp;results were announced on May 23, Revanna, who defeated BJP's A Manju from Hassan by a margin of 1.41 lakh votes, offered to resign from the seat to get his grandfather re-elected.

"To reinstate the confidence of JD(S) cadre, we have to fill the gap left by the defeat of HD&nbsp;Deve Gowda.&nbsp;Therefore, I have decided to tender my resignation. I want him to be victorious once again from Hassan," said Prajwal, who was the only JD(S) candidate to be able to win his seat in&nbsp;Karnataka.

After his loss, Deve Gowda said, "As a former Prime Minister,&nbsp;I have been defeated twice. This is not a big issue. My concern is how to save a regional party. I will see that JD(S) strengthens its base. I will take responsibility and proceed forward. I am not going to blame anybody for the loss. How it happened is not to be discussed in media."

BJP&nbsp;ruled out JD(S)-Congress&nbsp;alliance in&nbsp;Karnataka&nbsp;by winning 25 out of 28 seats. The&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;and the JD(S) received one seat each, while one seat went to an&nbsp;independent candidate.

Similar to its performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;party didn't perform well in 2019&nbsp;general election&nbsp;too and only managed to win on 52 seats.

Due to Congress' poor performance, Manmohan Singh, who was the&nbsp;Prime Minister&nbsp;of&nbsp;India&nbsp;from 2004 to 2014, will be missed in the upcoming Budget session of the Parliament as his nearly 30-year-long tenure as a&nbsp;Rajya Sabha&nbsp;member ended on Friday.

Singh would not be present in the&nbsp;Rajya Sabha&nbsp;for the first time since his first election from&nbsp;Assam&nbsp;in 1991 as he could not make up to the Parliament' upper House due to Congress' poor strength in the state Assembly.

The Congress party could not get him re-elected from&nbsp;Assam&nbsp;as it has only 25 MLAs as against 43 first-preference votes needed. The party even cannot send Singh from other states where Rajya Sabha seats are vacant. With the election of BJP's Kamakhya&nbsp;Prasad Tasa&nbsp;and AGP's Birender Prasad Baishya's unopposed election from Assam, a total of nine seats are lying vacant in Odisha (4),&nbsp;Tamil Nadu&nbsp;(1),&nbsp;Bihar&nbsp;(2) and&nbsp;Gujarat&nbsp;(2).

Congress does not have required numbers to secure any Rajya Sabha berths in these states except&nbsp;Gujarat&nbsp;where it is eyeing to grab at least one seat. Although Singh can be sent to the House from Karnataka, Chhattisgarh,&nbsp;Rajasthan&nbsp;or Punjab, there are no immediate vacancies in these states.

During his tenure as Rajya Sabha MP, Singh led the upper House for 10 years from 2004 to 2014 and acted as the&nbsp;Leader&nbsp;of the Opposition for six years. Singh was last elected to the House in 2013.

No former Prime Minister will be present in the forthcoming Budget session of the Parliament as Manmohan Singh's nearly 30-year-long tenure as a Rajya Sabha member ended on Friday and HD Deve Gowda lost from Tumkur seat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

No former Prime Minister will be present in the forthcoming Budget session of the Parliament as Manmohan Singh's nearly 30-year-long tenure as a Rajya Sabha member ended on Friday and HD Deve Gowda lost from Tumkur seat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Parliament's first Budget session after the constitution of the new government at Centre is scheduled to start on June 17. Deve Gowda, who served as the 11th Prime Minister of India from June 1996 to April 1997, lost to BJP's GS Basavaraj from Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency by little over 13,000 votes. Earlier, Deve Gowda used to regularly contest from Hassan parliamentary constituency. However, he had vacated his seat to field his grandson Prajwal Revanna from there. Soon after the Lok Sabha results were announced on May 23, Revanna, who defeated BJP's A Manju from Hassan by a margin of 1.41 lakh votes, offered to resign from the seat to get his grandfather re-elected. "To reinstate the confidence of JD(S) cadre, we have to fill the gap left by the defeat of HD Deve Gowda. Therefore, I have decided to tender my resignation. I want him to be victorious once again from Hassan," said Prajwal, who was the only JD(S) candidate to be able to win his seat in Karnataka. After his loss, Deve Gowda said, "As a former Prime Minister, I have been defeated twice. This is not a big issue. My concern is how to save a regional party. I will see that JD(S) strengthens its base. I will take responsibility and proceed forward. I am not going to blame anybody for the loss. How it happened is not to be discussed in media." BJP ruled out JD(S)-Congress alliance in Karnataka by winning 25 out of 28 seats. The Congress and the JD(S) received one seat each, while one seat went to an independent candidate. Similar to its performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party didn't perform well in 2019 general election too and only managed to win on 52 seats. Due to Congress' poor performance, Manmohan Singh, who was the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, will be missed in the upcoming Budget session of the Parliament as his nearly 30-year-long tenure as a Rajya Sabha member ended on Friday. Singh would not be present in the Rajya Sabha for the first time since his first election from Assam in 1991 as he could not make up to the Parliament' upper House due to Congress' poor strength in the state Assembly. The Congress party could not get him re-elected from Assam as it has only 25 MLAs as against 43 first-preference votes needed. The party even cannot send Singh from other states where Rajya Sabha seats are vacant. With the election of BJP's Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and AGP's Birender Prasad Baishya's unopposed election from Assam, a total of nine seats are lying vacant in Odisha (4), Tamil Nadu (1), Bihar (2) and Gujarat (2). Congress does not have required numbers to secure any Rajya Sabha berths in these states except Gujarat where it is eyeing to grab at least one seat. Although Singh can be sent to the House from Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan or Punjab, there are no immediate vacancies in these states. During his tenure as Rajya Sabha MP, Singh led the upper House for 10 years from 2004 to 2014 and acted as the Leader of the Opposition for six years. Singh was last elected to the House in 2013.

Parliament to miss former Prime Minsters during this Budget session

PM Modi has arrived at Majlis in Maldives. Majlis is the name of Parliament of Maldives. India to help develop infrastructure in Maldives. Watch this video to know more.

PM Modi arrives at 'Majlis'  named Parliament of Maldives

Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin in 10 days from now. 39 government bills are pending in Rajya Sabha. Govt need opposition on board to pass these bills. Poor relations between BJP & Congress hurt parliament. NDA does not have the majority in Rajya Sabha. Watch this video to know more.

India Watch: Govt Reaches Out To Opposition

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed Parliament first time after winning Lok Sabha election 2019 for the 2nd time says no to VIP culture. Breaking the walls and teaching MP's how to work for the Nation and natives only.

India Watch: PM Modi's message to BJP MP's

After the Lok Sabha polls debacle, the newly-elected MPs of the Congress will meet for the first time on June 1 and elect the new leader of the parliamentary party.

The Congress Parliamentary Party is currently chaired by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-sonia-gandhi-to-attend-narendra-modis-swearing-in-ceremony-as-prime-minister-222569">Sonia Gandhi</a> and all 52 MPs will be present at the meeting, besides its Rajya Sabha members, sources said.

The CPP meeting will be held in the central hall of Parliament and will also chalk out its strategy for the upcoming session.

In its first meeting after constitution of the 17th Lok Sabha, the party will first elect its new leader.

The sources said this will be the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will attend after the meeting of the party's working committee held on May 25, where he offered to quit as Congress chief.

The CWC, however, rejected his offer to resign and unanimously passed a resolution authorising him to bring structural changes in the party at all levels in a bid to revamp it.

After the Lok Sabha polls debacle, the newly-elected MPs of the Congress will meet for the first time on June 1 and elect the new leader of the parliamentary party.

After the Lok Sabha polls debacle, the newly-elected MPs of the Congress will meet for the first time on June 1 and elect the new leader of the parliamentary party. The Congress Parliamentary Party is currently chaired by Sonia Gandhi and all 52 MPs will be present at the meeting, besides its Rajya Sabha members, sources said. The CPP meeting will be held in the central hall of Parliament and will also chalk out its strategy for the upcoming session. In its first meeting after constitution of the 17th Lok Sabha, the party will first elect its new leader. The sources said this will be the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will attend after the meeting of the party's working committee held on May 25, where he offered to quit as Congress chief. The CWC, however, rejected his offer to resign and unanimously passed a resolution authorising him to bring structural changes in the party at all levels in a bid to revamp it.

Congress Parliamentary Party to meet on June 1 to elect leader

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing Parliament of Maldives - People's Majlis - during his visit to the country from June 7 to 8.&nbsp;

This will be his first foreign visit after assuming office for the second term.

In a tweet, Maldives' Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said, "Maldives Parliament has unanimously passed a resolution to invite PM Narendra&nbsp;modi to address a sitting of the house during his upcoming visit to the Maldives."

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maldives?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maldives</a> Parliament has unanimously passed a resolution to invite PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> to address a sitting of the house during his upcoming visit to the Maldives.
— Abdulla Shahid 🎈 (@abdulla_shahid) <a href="https://twitter.com/abdulla_shahid/status/1133664222284603392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Majlis took up the matter on Wednesday and motion was passed with consensus. As a part of a process, if any foreign leader addresses the country's parliament, it has to be approved by the MPs. 
 
Former High Commissioner of India to the Maldives, Rajeev Shahare speaking to WION on the visit said, "PM Modi’s upcoming visit to the Maldives, his first overseas visit after re-affirmation of a robust mandate in the recent polls, is a strong reiteration of his “neighbourhood-first” policy."

He explained, "Given Maldivian President Ibu Solih’s favourable disposition towards India with his “India-first” policy and India’s desire to intensify and deepen its engagement with the Maldives, the visit is likely to open a new chapter in our bilateral relations."

Bhutan was the first foreign country he visited in the first term after taking charge as Prime Minister in 2014. During that visit, he addressed the joint session of Parliament.

The last Indian Prime Minister to address the Maldives' Parliament was Manmohan Singh in 2011. He was then the first head of the government to address the 'People's Majlis'.

Last six months have seen a number of high-level visits between the two countries. PM Modi had visited the island country during the oath-taking ceremony of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. This visit was followed by visits by Maldivian foreign minister Abdulla Shahid &amp; President Solih.

In March this year, Sushma Swaraj, the minister of external affairs under the Modi government's first term, visited the country in which India announced 100 million rufiyaa grant.

Under the 100 million rufiyaa grant, two&nbsp;new projects, financial support to establish Emergency Medical Services and construction of classrooms were announced on Wednesday.

The Maldives is a key country in the Indian Ocean region and lies in the heart of busy shipping lanes connecting Africa with Asia. The previous administration under President Yameen had junked the "India first" policy for a pro-china policy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing Parliament of Maldives - People's Majlis - during his visit to the country from June 7 to 8. This will be his first foreign visit after assuming office for the second term.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing Parliament of Maldives - People's Majlis - during his visit to the country from June 7 to 8. This will be his first foreign visit after assuming office for the second term. In a tweet, Maldives' Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said, "Maldives Parliament has unanimously passed a resolution to invite PM Narendra modi to address a sitting of the house during his upcoming visit to the Maldives." #Maldives Parliament has unanimously passed a resolution to invite PM @narendramodi to address a sitting of the house during his upcoming visit to the Maldives. — Abdulla Shahid 🎈 (@abdulla_shahid) May 29, 2019 × The Majlis took up the matter on Wednesday and motion was passed with consensus. As a part of a process, if any foreign leader addresses the country's parliament, it has to be approved by the MPs. Former High Commissioner of India to the Maldives, Rajeev Shahare speaking to WION on the visit said, "PM Modi’s upcoming visit to the Maldives, his first overseas visit after re-affirmation of a robust mandate in the recent polls, is a strong reiteration of his “neighbourhood-first” policy." He explained, "Given Maldivian President Ibu Solih’s favourable disposition towards India with his “India-first” policy and India’s desire to intensify and deepen its engagement with the Maldives, the visit is likely to open a new chapter in our bilateral relations." Bhutan was the first foreign country he visited in the first term after taking charge as Prime Minister in 2014. During that visit, he addressed the joint session of Parliament. The last Indian Prime Minister to address the Maldives' Parliament was Manmohan Singh in 2011. He was then the first head of the government to address the 'People's Majlis'. Last six months have seen a number of high-level visits between the two countries. PM Modi had visited the island country during the oath-taking ceremony of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. This visit was followed by visits by Maldivian foreign minister Abdulla Shahid & President Solih. In March this year, Sushma Swaraj, the minister of external affairs under the Modi government's first term, visited the country in which India announced 100 million rufiyaa grant. Under the 100 million rufiyaa grant, two new projects, financial support to establish Emergency Medical Services and construction of classrooms were announced on Wednesday. The Maldives is a key country in the Indian Ocean region and lies in the heart of busy shipping lanes connecting Africa with Asia. The previous administration under President Yameen had junked the "India first" policy for a pro-china policy.

PM Narendra Modi to address Maldives Parliament

Narendra Modi to stake claim to form new govt. NDA arrives in Parliament to meet President Kovind. NDA is all set to endorse Narendra Modi as again Prime Minister of India. Watch this video to know more.

All leaders arrive for Parliamentary meet, NDA set to endorse Modi as PM

59 Seats, 7 States & 918 Candidates; Countdown starts for last Phase. The Final leg of Lok Sabha Polls to kickstarts. Watch this video to know more.

59 Seats, 7 States & 918 Candidates; Countdown starts for last Phase

Five jailed Catalan separatists were elected in Spanish elections on Sunday, as their parties made gains in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spain-pm-pedro-sanchez-win-snap-polls-marked-by-far-right-gains-214244">snap polls won by the socialists</a> and also marked by the emergence of the far-right.

The northeastern region's former vice-president Oriol Junqueras, who along with then Catalan president Carles Puigdemont instigated a secession attempt in 2017, was one of those elected to the lower house.

He led the list of his ERC separatist party.

Others include civic leader Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Turull, Catalonia's government spokesman at the time of the attempt to break from Spain in October 2017.

Both were candidates for Together for Catalonia, the party of Puigdemont, who fled Spain and avoided arrest.

Josep Rull, also part of Catalonia's regional government at that time, was also elected to the lower house.

Raul Romeva, in charge of Catalonia's foreign affairs at the time of the secession bid, was elected to the Senate.

All are in jail and are currently being tried at Spain's Supreme Court.

The elections saw Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's socialists win, but without the necessary majority to govern solo in a fragmented political landscape marked by the far-right's entry into parliament.

Five jailed Catalan separatists were elected in Spanish elections on Sunday, as their parties made gains in snap polls won by the socialists and also marked by the emergence of the far-right.

Five jailed Catalan separatists were elected in Spanish elections on Sunday, as their parties made gains in snap polls won by the socialists and also marked by the emergence of the far-right. The northeastern region's former vice-president Oriol Junqueras, who along with then Catalan president Carles Puigdemont instigated a secession attempt in 2017, was one of those elected to the lower house. He led the list of his ERC separatist party. Others include civic leader Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Turull, Catalonia's government spokesman at the time of the attempt to break from Spain in October 2017. Both were candidates for Together for Catalonia, the party of Puigdemont, who fled Spain and avoided arrest. Josep Rull, also part of Catalonia's regional government at that time, was also elected to the lower house. Raul Romeva, in charge of Catalonia's foreign affairs at the time of the secession bid, was elected to the Senate. All are in jail and are currently being tried at Spain's Supreme Court. The elections saw Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's socialists win, but without the necessary majority to govern solo in a fragmented political landscape marked by the far-right's entry into parliament.

Jailed Catalan separatists elected to parliament in Spain polls

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists won <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spains-five-main-election-candidates-214069">snap elections Sunday</a> without the necessary majority to govern solo in a fragmented political landscape marked by the far-right's entry into parliament.

The results raise the spectre of another period of instability for Spain, with Sanchez depending on alliances with hostile rivals in an environment that has soured since Catalonia's failed secession bid in 2017.

A significant development was the rise of the ultra-nationalist Vox party, which garnered just over 10 per cent of the vote in a country that has had no far-right party to speak of since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

Sanchez's Socialist Party (PSOE) got 123 lawmakers out of 350, or close to 29 per cent of votes -- short of an absolute majority but much better than the 85 seats it got in 2016.

"The Socialists have won the general election and with it the future has won and the past has lost," he told cheering supporters from the balcony of the party's headquarters in Madrid, claiming victory late Sunday.

The big loser was the conservative Popular Party (PP), which bagged 66 seats compared to 137 in the previous election that saw it govern Spain with a minority government.

Possible alliances

Sanchez, who came to power in June after ousting conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote, could seek to forge alliances with far-left Podemos and smaller groupings like Catalan separatist parties, as he had done over the past 10 months.

He could also try to cosy up to centre-right Ciudadanos, which won 57 seats. Together, they would form an absolute majority but voters from both parties would likely frown on such a move.

"I hope Sanchez won't reach an agreement with Ciudadanos, I want a left-wing government," 51-year-old Esther Lopez, said at the Socialist Party headquarters, wearing earrings marked "PSOE."

Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera, built his campaign on disparaging Sanchez, criticising his attempts to negotiate with Catalan separatist parties in a bid to ease a secession crisis in the northeastern region.

Far-right emergence

The crisis in Catalonia was precisely what fuelled Vox's meteoric rise from the outer margins of politics to the national scene, after gaining nearly 11 per cent of votes in December regional polls in southern Andalusia.

Founded by Santiago Abascal, a disgruntled former PP member, it will now take 24 seats in the national parliament.

This is less than what opinion polls had predicted.

"I thought Vox would get way more votes, with this result Vox won't have any weight in parliament as no one supports them. We needed more seats," said Maria Bonilla Ortega, a 22-year-old philosophy student in central Madrid, a Spanish flag draped around her shoulders.

Abascal was more optimistic: "We can tell Spain with complete calm that Vox has come to stay," he told cheering supporters.

After a tense campaign, voter turnout was high at 75.76 per cent, up from 66.48 per cent in 2016, election authorities said.

Catalonia shadow

With a strong stance against feminism and illegal immigration, Vox stood out with ultra-nationalist rhetoric advocating the "defence of the Spanish nation to the end" and a hard line against separatists in Catalonia.

The region in northeastern Spain was the scene of a secession attempt in 2017 that sparked the country's biggest political crisis in decades and caused major concern in Europe.

The issue has continued to cast a pall over Spanish politics.

Sanchez was forced to call Sunday's elections after Catalan pro-independence lawmakers in the national parliament, angered at the trial of their leaders in Madrid, refused to give him the support he needed for his 2019 budget.

Right-wing parties for their part lambasted Sanchez, at the head of a minority government, for talking with separatists who still govern the region, accusing him of cosying up to those who tried to break up Spain.

That controversy is likely to continue as two Catalan separatist parties gained even more lawmakers in the national parliament than they did in 2016 -- up to 22 from 17.

In a sign of the impact the crisis had on voters, Dolores Palomo, a 48-year-old domestic worker, said she had always voted for the socialists but cast her ballot for Ciudadanos this time at a polling station in Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona.

The reason? Sanchez "is a puppet of the separatists," she said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists won snap elections Sunday without the necessary majority to govern solo in a fragmented political landscape marked by the far-right's entry into parliament.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists won snap elections Sunday without the necessary majority to govern solo in a fragmented political landscape marked by the far-right's entry into parliament. The results raise the spectre of another period of instability for Spain, with Sanchez depending on alliances with hostile rivals in an environment that has soured since Catalonia's failed secession bid in 2017. A significant development was the rise of the ultra-nationalist Vox party, which garnered just over 10 per cent of the vote in a country that has had no far-right party to speak of since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. Sanchez's Socialist Party (PSOE) got 123 lawmakers out of 350, or close to 29 per cent of votes -- short of an absolute majority but much better than the 85 seats it got in 2016. "The Socialists have won the general election and with it the future has won and the past has lost," he told cheering supporters from the balcony of the party's headquarters in Madrid, claiming victory late Sunday. The big loser was the conservative Popular Party (PP), which bagged 66 seats compared to 137 in the previous election that saw it govern Spain with a minority government. Possible alliances Sanchez, who came to power in June after ousting conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote, could seek to forge alliances with far-left Podemos and smaller groupings like Catalan separatist parties, as he had done over the past 10 months. He could also try to cosy up to centre-right Ciudadanos, which won 57 seats. Together, they would form an absolute majority but voters from both parties would likely frown on such a move. "I hope Sanchez won't reach an agreement with Ciudadanos, I want a left-wing government," 51-year-old Esther Lopez, said at the Socialist Party headquarters, wearing earrings marked "PSOE." Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera, built his campaign on disparaging Sanchez, criticising his attempts to negotiate with Catalan separatist parties in a bid to ease a secession crisis in the northeastern region. Far-right emergence The crisis in Catalonia was precisely what fuelled Vox's meteoric rise from the outer margins of politics to the national scene, after gaining nearly 11 per cent of votes in December regional polls in southern Andalusia. Founded by Santiago Abascal, a disgruntled former PP member, it will now take 24 seats in the national parliament. This is less than what opinion polls had predicted. "I thought Vox would get way more votes, with this result Vox won't have any weight in parliament as no one supports them. We needed more seats," said Maria Bonilla Ortega, a 22-year-old philosophy student in central Madrid, a Spanish flag draped around her shoulders. Abascal was more optimistic: "We can tell Spain with complete calm that Vox has come to stay," he told cheering supporters. After a tense campaign, voter turnout was high at 75.76 per cent, up from 66.48 per cent in 2016, election authorities said. Catalonia shadow With a strong stance against feminism and illegal immigration, Vox stood out with ultra-nationalist rhetoric advocating the "defence of the Spanish nation to the end" and a hard line against separatists in Catalonia. The region in northeastern Spain was the scene of a secession attempt in 2017 that sparked the country's biggest political crisis in decades and caused major concern in Europe. The issue has continued to cast a pall over Spanish politics. Sanchez was forced to call Sunday's elections after Catalan pro-independence lawmakers in the national parliament, angered at the trial of their leaders in Madrid, refused to give him the support he needed for his 2019 budget. Right-wing parties for their part lambasted Sanchez, at the head of a minority government, for talking with separatists who still govern the region, accusing him of cosying up to those who tried to break up Spain. That controversy is likely to continue as two Catalan separatist parties gained even more lawmakers in the national parliament than they did in 2016 -- up to 22 from 17. In a sign of the impact the crisis had on voters, Dolores Palomo, a 48-year-old domestic worker, said she had always voted for the socialists but cast her ballot for Ciudadanos this time at a polling station in Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona. The reason? Sanchez "is a puppet of the separatists," she said.

Spain PM Pedro Sanchez wins snap polls marked by far-right gains

Thousands marched on Hong Kong's legislative council to protest against proposed extradition rules that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial. Watch this video to know more.

Thousands march to Hong Kong Parliament

Leaking roof suspends UK Parliament proceedings

The British parliament was due to vote on Thursday on seeking <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-leader-donald-tusk-backs-long-delay-if-britain-rethinks-brexit-203291">a last-minute Brexit delay</a>, while Prime Minister Theresa May piled renewed pressure on reluctant lawmakers to back her EU divorce deal at the third time of asking.

Two weeks before Britain is due to leave the European Union, May is using the threat of a long extension to the Brexit deadline to push eurosceptic rebels in her Conservative Party to finally back her deal. That vote could come next week.

May's authority hit an all-time low this week after a series of parliamentary defeats and rebellions, but finance minister Philip Hammond said her plan was back on the agenda.

That plan, struck by May after two-and-a-half years of negotiations with the EU, was defeated heavily in parliament in January and again on Tuesday.

"Quite a number of colleagues changed their mind on this issue between the January vote and the vote earlier this week," Hammond told Sky News.

"It's clear that the House of Commons has to find a consensus around something, and if it isn't the prime minister's deal I think it is likely to be something which is much less to the taste of those on the hard Brexit wing of my party."

Britons voted by 52-48 percent in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, a decision that has divided the main political parties and exposed deep rifts in British society.

Although parliament on Wednesday voted against the prospect of a no-deal Brexit, the default position if nothing else is agreed remains that Britain will exit without a transition arrangement on March 29, a scenario business leaders warn would bring chaos to markets and supply chains. Brexit supporters say in the longer term it would allow Britain to thrive and forge trade deals across the world.

May will put her deal to another vote if the circumstances are right, her spokesman said.

"If it was felt that it were worthwhile to bring back a new vote, then that's what we would do. But that's a decision we would have to judge on circumstances at the time," he said.

European Union leaders meeting next week will consider pressing Britain to delay Brexit by at least a year to find a way through its domestic deadlock, an EU official said.

"I will appeal to the EU27 to be open to a long extension if the UK finds it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus around it," European Council President Donald Tusk said, referring to EU leaders who will meet May next Thursday and must agree to any extension.

But there was no sign the prospect of a long delay - which could lead to Britain having closer ties to the EU than planned by May or even a second Brexit referendum - was causing a major shift in the views of pro-Brexit lawmakers who have so far thwarted May.

Andrew Bridgen, a eurosceptic from May's Conservative Party accused her of pursuing a "scorched earth" policy of destroying all other Brexit options to leave lawmakers with a choice between her deal and a delay of a year or more.

Another eurosceptic Conservative lawmaker said he would not vote for her deal, even if there was a risk of a long Brexit delay. "If it's a rancid deal, why vote for it?" Mark Francois told BBC television.

BREXIT DAY

May also needs to win over the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) that props up her minority government in parliament and which has so far refused to back her plan.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said the party was working with the government to try to find a way of leaving the EU with a deal.

On Wednesday, parliament rejected leaving the EU without a deal, paving the way for Thursday's vote that could delay Brexit until at least the end of June.

While the motion approved by parliament has no legal force - March 29 remains the day enshrined in law that Britain will leave the EU - and ultimately may not prevent a no-deal exit, it carries considerable political force.

Sterling surged, hitting nine-month highs against the U.S. dollar and a nearly two-year high against the euro, as investors saw less chance of Britain leaving the EU without a transition deal to smooth its exit. It lost some of those gains on Thursday.

Although May supported the idea of ruling out a no-deal Brexit in the short term, she suffered another humiliation when - in an evening of parliamentary mayhem on Wednesday - four of her ministers disobeyed her by abstaining from a vote on an amendment which ruled out a no-deal Brexit in any circumstances. The amendment was passed by parliament.

Italy said it would support a delay if Britain asked for one, a view also backed by an influential member of the European Parliament. But the EU would not change the deal it has agreed with London during any extension or negotiate future ties, said Danuta Hubner, who sits on a panel dealing with Brexit in the European Parliament.

Lawmakers will vote on up to four amendments to May's proposed Brexit delay on Thursday, one of which calls for a second referendum on leaving the EU.

Another, proposed by the opposition Labour Party, calls for May to use a Brexit delay to give parliament time "to find a majority for a different approach".

A third would allow lawmakers to force a discussion of alternative Brexit plans. The fourth opposes the government bringing May's deal back unchanged for a third time.

The British parliament was due to vote on Thursday on seeking a last-minute Brexit delay, while Prime Minister Theresa May piled renewed pressure on reluctant lawmakers to back her EU divorce deal at the third time of asking.

The British parliament was due to vote on Thursday on seeking a last-minute Brexit delay, while Prime Minister Theresa May piled renewed pressure on reluctant lawmakers to back her EU divorce deal at the third time of asking. Two weeks before Britain is due to leave the European Union, May is using the threat of a long extension to the Brexit deadline to push eurosceptic rebels in her Conservative Party to finally back her deal. That vote could come next week. May's authority hit an all-time low this week after a series of parliamentary defeats and rebellions, but finance minister Philip Hammond said her plan was back on the agenda. That plan, struck by May after two-and-a-half years of negotiations with the EU, was defeated heavily in parliament in January and again on Tuesday. "Quite a number of colleagues changed their mind on this issue between the January vote and the vote earlier this week," Hammond told Sky News. "It's clear that the House of Commons has to find a consensus around something, and if it isn't the prime minister's deal I think it is likely to be something which is much less to the taste of those on the hard Brexit wing of my party." Britons voted by 52-48 percent in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, a decision that has divided the main political parties and exposed deep rifts in British society. Although parliament on Wednesday voted against the prospect of a no-deal Brexit, the default position if nothing else is agreed remains that Britain will exit without a transition arrangement on March 29, a scenario business leaders warn would bring chaos to markets and supply chains. Brexit supporters say in the longer term it would allow Britain to thrive and forge trade deals across the world. May will put her deal to another vote if the circumstances are right, her spokesman said. "If it was felt that it were worthwhile to bring back a new vote, then that's what we would do. But that's a decision we would have to judge on circumstances at the time," he said. European Union leaders meeting next week will consider pressing Britain to delay Brexit by at least a year to find a way through its domestic deadlock, an EU official said. "I will appeal to the EU27 to be open to a long extension if the UK finds it necessary to rethink its Brexit strategy and build consensus around it," European Council President Donald Tusk said, referring to EU leaders who will meet May next Thursday and must agree to any extension. But there was no sign the prospect of a long delay - which could lead to Britain having closer ties to the EU than planned by May or even a second Brexit referendum - was causing a major shift in the views of pro-Brexit lawmakers who have so far thwarted May. Andrew Bridgen, a eurosceptic from May's Conservative Party accused her of pursuing a "scorched earth" policy of destroying all other Brexit options to leave lawmakers with a choice between her deal and a delay of a year or more. Another eurosceptic Conservative lawmaker said he would not vote for her deal, even if there was a risk of a long Brexit delay. "If it's a rancid deal, why vote for it?" Mark Francois told BBC television. BREXIT DAY May also needs to win over the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) that props up her minority government in parliament and which has so far refused to back her plan. DUP leader Arlene Foster said the party was working with the government to try to find a way of leaving the EU with a deal. On Wednesday, parliament rejected leaving the EU without a deal, paving the way for Thursday's vote that could delay Brexit until at least the end of June. While the motion approved by parliament has no legal force - March 29 remains the day enshrined in law that Britain will leave the EU - and ultimately may not prevent a no-deal exit, it carries considerable political force. Sterling surged, hitting nine-month highs against the U.S. dollar and a nearly two-year high against the euro, as investors saw less chance of Britain leaving the EU without a transition deal to smooth its exit. It lost some of those gains on Thursday. Although May supported the idea of ruling out a no-deal Brexit in the short term, she suffered another humiliation when - in an evening of parliamentary mayhem on Wednesday - four of her ministers disobeyed her by abstaining from a vote on an amendment which ruled out a no-deal Brexit in any circumstances. The amendment was passed by parliament. Italy said it would support a delay if Britain asked for one, a view also backed by an influential member of the European Parliament. But the EU would not change the deal it has agreed with London during any extension or negotiate future ties, said Danuta Hubner, who sits on a panel dealing with Brexit in the European Parliament. Lawmakers will vote on up to four amendments to May's proposed Brexit delay on Thursday, one of which calls for a second referendum on leaving the EU. Another, proposed by the opposition Labour Party, calls for May to use a Brexit delay to give parliament time "to find a majority for a different approach". A third would allow lawmakers to force a discussion of alternative Brexit plans. The fourth opposes the government bringing May's deal back unchanged for a third time.

Third vote in 3rd day: UK parliament to vote today on delaying Brexit

Beijing's propaganda apparatus is pumping up the volume for its annual parliament meeting, with videos starring a rapper dropping rhymes about his "elation" for the session and an American waxing lyrical about the Chinese "system of democracy".

Chinese state media regularly rolls out clips targeted at foreign audiences during important political events, and this year's production has again raised eyebrows among China watchers.

Xinhua, China's official news agency, co-produced a rap video entitled "'Two Sessions': To the World from China" to celebrate the annual meeting of the rubber-stamp parliament -- the National People's Congress -- and the country's top political advisory body.

Rich in rhymes which often appear incoherent, the song boasts about the country's social and scientific achievements, from anti-pollution measures to poverty alleviation programmes and a historic moon landing.

"I got elation from inspiration writing a compliment song for the nation while I'm talking about 'two sessions'," raps Su Han, the hoodie-clad singer in the music video.

"Monkey King to the West, legendary dragon to the sky, y'all know it's time for Chinese miracle."

It is not the first time that Chinese state media has used rap in an effort to make propaganda more catchy, building up a sizable repertoire of songs on government initiatives and catchphrases, like the "Chinese Dream".

Last year, the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily, released an animated rap video on "Two Sessions" that included vox pop-style interviews with citizens and even a few foreigners.

The latest video "is part of a trend towards hipper, younger content that has been visible for several years now", said Florian Schneider, senior lecturer at Leiden University, who studies media and political communication in China.&nbsp;

"Since Xi Jinping came to power, the Chinese propaganda system has been working more closely with advertisers and PR experts to create the kind of content that they hope will go viral online," he told AFP.

'Propaganda as nonsense'&nbsp; 
The choice to produce the "Two Sessions" rap video in English this year also indicates that the intended audience is outside of China.&nbsp;

Over the past few years, Chinese state media has pushed similar videos on to social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, which are blocked in China.&nbsp;

In 2017, Xinhua produced a "Belt and Road" rap video with English subtitles on China's $1 trillion infrastructure initiative, later disseminating it on Twitter.

"The Chinese Communist Party has been trying to communicate its values more to the outside world with China feeling more confident now with all those projects, like the Belt and Road project," said Xiaoling Zhang, professor at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, who researches public diplomacy and international communication in China.

But while Xinhua's "Two Sessions" video features a number of creative English rhymes, many of its lyrics are incomprehensible.

"Eject all the rapaciousness like shaking off nephrolithiasis," sings Su, while the video flashes through shots of lakes and sunsets. "Longing the Hanging Gardens so we turn the entire space into oasis."

"We've truly entered a new era of propaganda as nonsense. Form is everything," said David Bandurski, co-director of the China Media Project, which studies Chinese media and communications out of the University of Hong Kong.

Describing the rap video as "naked nationalism married to nonsense", Bandurski told AFP that even if the video is trying to target overseas audiences, it is "China's leadership talking to itself".

Foreigners have also appeared in propaganda videos to praise China's government and its programmes.

For this year's parliament session, which opened Tuesday, Xinhua released another video aimed at foreign audiences -- and shared on Twitter -- entitled "Chinese democracy in the eyes of an American".

"It's widely acknowledged that a key to China's success is its system of democracy which results in political stability and vitality," said Colin Linneweber, a Xinhua editor, in the video.

Linneweber was later ridiculed on Twitter for his role in the video, with some wondering whether he had been paid, while others criticised it as "shameful", as the piece emphasises the democratic nature of the National People's Congress, even though many of the bills it votes on are decided by party leaders prior to the session.

During last year's political gathering, when the Chinese government moved to abolish presidential term limits -- handing Xi a potentially lifelong tenure -- the NPC cleared the constitutional amendment with 2,958 in favour and only two against.

Linneweber declined to comment.

Beijing's propaganda apparatus is pumping up the volume for its annual parliament meeting, with videos starring a rapper dropping rhymes about his "elation" for the session and an American waxing lyrical about the Chinese "system of democracy".

Beijing's propaganda apparatus is pumping up the volume for its annual parliament meeting, with videos starring a rapper dropping rhymes about his "elation" for the session and an American waxing lyrical about the Chinese "system of democracy". Chinese state media regularly rolls out clips targeted at foreign audiences during important political events, and this year's production has again raised eyebrows among China watchers. Xinhua, China's official news agency, co-produced a rap video entitled "'Two Sessions': To the World from China" to celebrate the annual meeting of the rubber-stamp parliament -- the National People's Congress -- and the country's top political advisory body. Rich in rhymes which often appear incoherent, the song boasts about the country's social and scientific achievements, from anti-pollution measures to poverty alleviation programmes and a historic moon landing. "I got elation from inspiration writing a compliment song for the nation while I'm talking about 'two sessions'," raps Su Han, the hoodie-clad singer in the music video. "Monkey King to the West, legendary dragon to the sky, y'all know it's time for Chinese miracle." It is not the first time that Chinese state media has used rap in an effort to make propaganda more catchy, building up a sizable repertoire of songs on government initiatives and catchphrases, like the "Chinese Dream". Last year, the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily, released an animated rap video on "Two Sessions" that included vox pop-style interviews with citizens and even a few foreigners. The latest video "is part of a trend towards hipper, younger content that has been visible for several years now", said Florian Schneider, senior lecturer at Leiden University, who studies media and political communication in China. "Since Xi Jinping came to power, the Chinese propaganda system has been working more closely with advertisers and PR experts to create the kind of content that they hope will go viral online," he told AFP. 'Propaganda as nonsense' The choice to produce the "Two Sessions" rap video in English this year also indicates that the intended audience is outside of China. Over the past few years, Chinese state media has pushed similar videos on to social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, which are blocked in China. In 2017, Xinhua produced a "Belt and Road" rap video with English subtitles on China's $1 trillion infrastructure initiative, later disseminating it on Twitter. "The Chinese Communist Party has been trying to communicate its values more to the outside world with China feeling more confident now with all those projects, like the Belt and Road project," said Xiaoling Zhang, professor at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, who researches public diplomacy and international communication in China. But while Xinhua's "Two Sessions" video features a number of creative English rhymes, many of its lyrics are incomprehensible. "Eject all the rapaciousness like shaking off nephrolithiasis," sings Su, while the video flashes through shots of lakes and sunsets. "Longing the Hanging Gardens so we turn the entire space into oasis." "We've truly entered a new era of propaganda as nonsense. Form is everything," said David Bandurski, co-director of the China Media Project, which studies Chinese media and communications out of the University of Hong Kong. Describing the rap video as "naked nationalism married to nonsense", Bandurski told AFP that even if the video is trying to target overseas audiences, it is "China's leadership talking to itself". Foreigners have also appeared in propaganda videos to praise China's government and its programmes. For this year's parliament session, which opened Tuesday, Xinhua released another video aimed at foreign audiences -- and shared on Twitter -- entitled "Chinese democracy in the eyes of an American". "It's widely acknowledged that a key to China's success is its system of democracy which results in political stability and vitality," said Colin Linneweber, a Xinhua editor, in the video. Linneweber was later ridiculed on Twitter for his role in the video, with some wondering whether he had been paid, while others criticised it as "shameful", as the piece emphasises the democratic nature of the National People's Congress, even though many of the bills it votes on are decided by party leaders prior to the session. During last year's political gathering, when the Chinese government moved to abolish presidential term limits -- handing Xi a potentially lifelong tenure -- the NPC cleared the constitutional amendment with 2,958 in favour and only two against. Linneweber declined to comment.

China rolls out rap songs to pump up parliament

Days before the Twitter representative was summoned by the Parliamentary Committee in India to answer accusations of alleged bias against "nationalist" accounts, the social media had released a blog stating that it was passionate to serve the users in the country and was committed to the principles of openness, transparency and impartiality.

Twitter had been summoned by the committee on February 11 but the company had declined to appear saying the notice was too short. The summons had been sent out on February 1.&nbsp;

The committee head and BJP MP Anurag Thakur on February 5 had tweeted about the agenda of the February 11 Parliamentary meet as examining the issue of "safeguarding citizens'' rights on social/online news media platforms".

Over the last few months, social media players like Facebook, Twitter and Google have promised to infuse more transparency into political advertisements on their platform, and have since announced a slew of measures as part of election integrity efforts.

In the blog released on February 8, Twitter had repeatedly clarified that its product and policies were not influenced by any political ideology.

The blog stated that the company had made over 70 product, policy and operational changes since the beginning of 2018 to make people feel safe.

Citing that mistakes can happen, the blog said that these mistakes were not political statements of intent, they were "basic human error rate of running the fastest, most open conversational tool in history".

The blog also assured that the company had a specialised global team to enforce the Twitter Rules with impartiality.

Speaking about the trending topics the blog said that the trends were based on regular speculation and the topics trending have been popular for a while or on a daily basis.

It further added that the trends are not determined by the total number of Tweets on a topic alone but also the number of Tweets in a given time period (i.e. velocity), which is not necessarily related to the total number of Tweets (i.e. volume).

It also stated that "very rare instances" where Twitter prevents certain content from trending is when trends contain profanity or adult/graphic references, incite hate on the basis of a protected characteristic, or violate the Twitter Rules.&nbsp;

It reiterated that political ideology had never been the reason for preventing trending topics.

Last year Twitter had updated the follower counts of every account and had removed a significant number of inactive accounts. The social networking site said it would continue to proactively identify and challenge problematic accounts globally.

In the wake of the Lok Sabha elections the company said it was working with Indian political parties to verify candidates, elected officials and relevant party officials.

Days before the Twitter representative was summoned by the Parliamentary Committee in India to answer accusations of alleged bias against "nationalist" accounts, the social media had released a blog stating that it was passionate to serve the users in the country and was committed to the principles of openness, transparency and impartiality.

Days before the Twitter representative was summoned by the Parliamentary Committee in India to answer accusations of alleged bias against "nationalist" accounts, the social media had released a blog stating that it was passionate to serve the users in the country and was committed to the principles of openness, transparency and impartiality. Twitter had been summoned by the committee on February 11 but the company had declined to appear saying the notice was too short. The summons had been sent out on February 1. The committee head and BJP MP Anurag Thakur on February 5 had tweeted about the agenda of the February 11 Parliamentary meet as examining the issue of "safeguarding citizens'' rights on social/online news media platforms". Over the last few months, social media players like Facebook, Twitter and Google have promised to infuse more transparency into political advertisements on their platform, and have since announced a slew of measures as part of election integrity efforts. In the blog released on February 8, Twitter had repeatedly clarified that its product and policies were not influenced by any political ideology. The blog stated that the company had made over 70 product, policy and operational changes since the beginning of 2018 to make people feel safe. Citing that mistakes can happen, the blog said that these mistakes were not political statements of intent, they were "basic human error rate of running the fastest, most open conversational tool in history". The blog also assured that the company had a specialised global team to enforce the Twitter Rules with impartiality. Speaking about the trending topics the blog said that the trends were based on regular speculation and the topics trending have been popular for a while or on a daily basis. It further added that the trends are not determined by the total number of Tweets on a topic alone but also the number of Tweets in a given time period (i.e. velocity), which is not necessarily related to the total number of Tweets (i.e. volume). It also stated that "very rare instances" where Twitter prevents certain content from trending is when trends contain profanity or adult/graphic references, incite hate on the basis of a protected characteristic, or violate the Twitter Rules. It reiterated that political ideology had never been the reason for preventing trending topics. Last year Twitter had updated the follower counts of every account and had removed a significant number of inactive accounts. The social networking site said it would continue to proactively identify and challenge problematic accounts globally. In the wake of the Lok Sabha elections the company said it was working with Indian political parties to verify candidates, elected officials and relevant party officials.

Ahead of Parliamentary meet, Twitter said it was passionate to serve the Indian users 

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday unveiled the&nbsp;portrait of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-atal-bihari-vajpayees-government-went-about-pokhran-ii----136003">former prime&nbsp;minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee</a> at the Central Hall of Parliament in Delhi.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Modi along with several other dignitaries.

Speaking at the event, PM Modi said, "Atal Ji had a long political career, a large part of that career was spent in opposition. Yet, he continued raising issues of public interest and never ever deviated from his ideology".

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji will be remembered because there was criticism in his words for opposition but in his heart, there was no anger against opposition".

The portrait had been prepared by the renowned artist Krishn Kanhai of Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh.

The decision in this regard was taken unanimously on December 18, last year at a meeting of the parliament's portrait committee chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Deputy Speaker and AIADMK leader M. Thambi Durai, BJD`s Bhratruhari Mahtab, TMC`s Sudip Bondopadhyay, TRS` Jithendra Reddy, Shiv Sena`s Ananth Geete and BJP`s Satyanarayan Jatia had attended the meeting.

Vajpayee, a towering BJP leader, was the Prime Minister thrice – first for 13 days in 1996, then for 13 months from 1998 to 1999, and then from 1999 to 2004.

Born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP veteran <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/atal-bihari-vajpayee-former-prime-minister-and-bjp-stalwart-dies-at-93-159594">passed away on August 16, 2018</a>, after a prolonged illness.

The leaders whose portraits already adorn the Central Hall include former prime&nbsp;ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.&nbsp;

Earlier, on the eve of Vajpayee’s 94th birthday, Prime Minister Modi released a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-releases-rs-100-commemorative-coin-in-memory-of-atal-bihari-vajpayee-186141">commemorative coin in memory of the late leader</a> on December 24, 2018, in the presence of Sumitra Mahajan and some ministers.

The commemorative coin has the Emblem of India on one side and on the other side, Vajpayee’s picture with his name inscribed in Devanagari and Roman languages.

(With inputs from agencies)

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday unveiled the portrait of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Central Hall of Parliament in Delhi. The event was attended by Prime Minister Modi along with several other dignitaries.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday unveiled the portrait of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Central Hall of Parliament in Delhi. The event was attended by Prime Minister Modi along with several other dignitaries. Speaking at the event, PM Modi said, "Atal Ji had a long political career, a large part of that career was spent in opposition. Yet, he continued raising issues of public interest and never ever deviated from his ideology". Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji will be remembered because there was criticism in his words for opposition but in his heart, there was no anger against opposition". The portrait had been prepared by the renowned artist Krishn Kanhai of Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh. The decision in this regard was taken unanimously on December 18, last year at a meeting of the parliament's portrait committee chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Deputy Speaker and AIADMK leader M. Thambi Durai, BJD`s Bhratruhari Mahtab, TMC`s Sudip Bondopadhyay, TRS` Jithendra Reddy, Shiv Sena`s Ananth Geete and BJP`s Satyanarayan Jatia had attended the meeting. Vajpayee, a towering BJP leader, was the Prime Minister thrice – first for 13 days in 1996, then for 13 months from 1998 to 1999, and then from 1999 to 2004. Born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP veteran passed away on August 16, 2018, after a prolonged illness. The leaders whose portraits already adorn the Central Hall include former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Earlier, on the eve of Vajpayee’s 94th birthday, Prime Minister Modi released a commemorative coin in memory of the late leader on December 24, 2018, in the presence of Sumitra Mahajan and some ministers. The commemorative coin has the Emblem of India on one side and on the other side, Vajpayee’s picture with his name inscribed in Devanagari and Roman languages. (With inputs from agencies)

Portrait of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee unveiled in Parliament

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