Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it was imperative that people are made aware of the importance of their duties as asserting one&#39;s own rights without rendering duties is against the fundamental value of the democracy.

Speaking at the inauguration of the new building premises of the Central Information Commission (CIC) here, he also said that it has been noticed that some people misuse rights of people for vested interests.

He said that the system has to bear the burden of such attempts.

Modi said people need to be made aware of their duties along with their rights.

&quot;Only talking about rights and forgetting duties, forgetting aspirations of the Constitution, is against the fundamental spirit of the democracy,&quot; he said.

He said just like the RTI (Right to Information), the concept of &#39;Act Rightly&#39; should be discussed and the citizens should be informed about their duties along with their rights.

He urged the CIC, which has a large public interaction, to take up the task of making aware the citizens about &#39;Act Rightly&#39;.

&quot;When there is transparency in the arrangements, increasing responsibility towards the people, a sense of responsibility, both the work of the governments and the impact of the schemes change,&quot; he said.

At the event, Modi also launched a mobile application of the CIC for tracking and filing appeals and complaints at the transparency panel.

&quot;I agree&quot;, he said, &quot;that an empowered citizen is the strongest pillar of our democracy&quot;.

&quot;In the last four years you have seen how the central government has attempted to inform and empower the people of the country through different means,&quot; he said.

According to Modi, there have been many examples in history when information is treated like a one-way channel and hence there were many serious consequences thereof.

&quot;So our government, instead of one dimensional approach, works on the principle of modern information highway,&quot; he said.

An empowered citizen is the most important pillar of our democracy, he said.

He said his government has been working on five pillars of modern information highway -- ask, listen, interact, act and inform.

&quot;India is fast becoming a digitally-empowered society; information technology is being used to ease processes and ensure transparency and quality of service,&quot; he said.

He said since the enactment of the RTI Act about 12 years ago, the CIC has been operating in rented accommodation and his government, in 2014, accorded a sanction of Rs 60 crore for constructing an independent building for the transparency body.

The prime minister said democratic and participative governance requires transparency and accountability.

He said CIC plays a key role in this regard and work as catalysts for trust-based governance.

The prime minister said that over the last four years, the central government has been informing and empowering people through various means.

Underlining achievements of his government in ensuring transparency in work culture, Modi said information commonly asked for is being uploaded on web portals of the departments and ministries concerned, digital technology is being used to improve transparency and quality of citizen services.

&quot;In a meeting of PRAGATI last week, the progress of reconstruction works at Kedarnath was monitored through a drone camera... PRAGATI meetings have helped speed up projects worth over 9 lakh crore rupees,&quot; he said.

The prime minister said recently Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals, which employed 1,100 personnel, has been closed down to ensure transparent procurement process which will allow anyone in the country to become the supplier for the government.

He said these employees are now being transferred to other departments.

He said that public procurement is now being done through the Government e Market, or GeM platform which is helping to end corruption and bring transparency in government procurement.

He also spoke of minimising human interface in government-people interactions.&nbsp;

At the event, Modi also launched a mobile application of the CIC for tracking and filing appeals and complaints at the transparency panel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it was imperative that people are made aware of the importance of their duties as asserting one's own rights without rendering duties is against the fundamental value of the democracy. Speaking at the inauguration of the new building premises of the Central Information Commission (CIC) here, he also said that it has been noticed that some people misuse rights of people for vested interests. He said that the system has to bear the burden of such attempts. Modi said people need to be made aware of their duties along with their rights. "Only talking about rights and forgetting duties, forgetting aspirations of the Constitution, is against the fundamental spirit of the democracy," he said. He said just like the RTI (Right to Information), the concept of 'Act Rightly' should be discussed and the citizens should be informed about their duties along with their rights. He urged the CIC, which has a large public interaction, to take up the task of making aware the citizens about 'Act Rightly'. "When there is transparency in the arrangements, increasing responsibility towards the people, a sense of responsibility, both the work of the governments and the impact of the schemes change," he said. At the event, Modi also launched a mobile application of the CIC for tracking and filing appeals and complaints at the transparency panel. "I agree", he said, "that an empowered citizen is the strongest pillar of our democracy". "In the last four years you have seen how the central government has attempted to inform and empower the people of the country through different means," he said. According to Modi, there have been many examples in history when information is treated like a one-way channel and hence there were many serious consequences thereof. "So our government, instead of one dimensional approach, works on the principle of modern information highway," he said. An empowered citizen is the most important pillar of our democracy, he said. He said his government has been working on five pillars of modern information highway -- ask, listen, interact, act and inform. "India is fast becoming a digitally-empowered society; information technology is being used to ease processes and ensure transparency and quality of service," he said. He said since the enactment of the RTI Act about 12 years ago, the CIC has been operating in rented accommodation and his government, in 2014, accorded a sanction of Rs 60 crore for constructing an independent building for the transparency body. The prime minister said democratic and participative governance requires transparency and accountability. He said CIC plays a key role in this regard and work as catalysts for trust-based governance. The prime minister said that over the last four years, the central government has been informing and empowering people through various means. Underlining achievements of his government in ensuring transparency in work culture, Modi said information commonly asked for is being uploaded on web portals of the departments and ministries concerned, digital technology is being used to improve transparency and quality of citizen services. "In a meeting of PRAGATI last week, the progress of reconstruction works at Kedarnath was monitored through a drone camera... PRAGATI meetings have helped speed up projects worth over 9 lakh crore rupees," he said. The prime minister said recently Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals, which employed 1,100 personnel, has been closed down to ensure transparent procurement process which will allow anyone in the country to become the supplier for the government. He said these employees are now being transferred to other departments. He said that public procurement is now being done through the Government e Market, or GeM platform which is helping to end corruption and bring transparency in government procurement. He also spoke of minimising human interface in government-people interactions.

Claiming rights without duties is against democratic values: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the &#39;Uttar Pradesh Investors&#39; Summit 2018 on Wednesday and hailed the Uttar Pradesh government&#39;s effort of &#39;One district One product&#39; scheme.&nbsp;

Modi, while addressing the crowd of 5,000 people in Lucknow &quot;Potential + Policy + Planning+ Performance leads to Progress. Now UP too is ready to give Super-Hit Performance.&quot;

&quot;The Uttar Pradesh government is making different policies for different sectors, for example, it is combining the industrial investment with, job opportunities. One district one product scheme is a game changer,&quot; he added.

During the summit, 25 MOUs worth Rs&nbsp;55,000 crores were also signed.&nbsp;

He also announced a defence industrial corridor in the Bundelkhand region to bring development in one of the most backward regions of Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;One of the two defence industrial corridors mentioned in the budget, one is proposed in the Bundelkhand region of the state which will bring an investment of Rs 20,000 crore and generate employment avenues for 2.5 lakh people,&quot; the Prime Minister said.

Modi also said that his government will ensure that the benefits of the ongoing structural and policy changes reach to those at the lowest rung of the society.

&quot;The Yogi government is fulfilling promises made to the farmers, the women of the state and youth,&quot; the Prime Minister said.

A total of 30 sessions have been planned for the two-day summit, to be attended by many central ministers. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been personally overseeing the preparations for the investors&#39; summit.

The two-day &#39;Uttar Pradesh Investors&#39; Summit 2018,&#39; aims at showcasing business and investment potential of the state.

The event, claimed to be the first of its kind in Uttar Pradesh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday along with industry leaders from India and abroad, chief ministers, union ministers, policy makers&nbsp;and academics.

Modi, while addressing the crowd of 5,000 people in Lucknow "Potential + Policy + Planning+ Performance leads to Progress. Now UP too is ready to give Super-Hit Performance."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Uttar Pradesh Investors' Summit 2018 on Wednesday and hailed the Uttar Pradesh government's effort of 'One district One product' scheme. Modi, while addressing the crowd of 5,000 people in Lucknow "Potential + Policy + Planning+ Performance leads to Progress. Now UP too is ready to give Super-Hit Performance." "The Uttar Pradesh government is making different policies for different sectors, for example, it is combining the industrial investment with, job opportunities. One district one product scheme is a game changer," he added. During the summit, 25 MOUs worth Rs 55,000 crores were also signed. He also announced a defence industrial corridor in the Bundelkhand region to bring development in one of the most backward regions of Uttar Pradesh. "One of the two defence industrial corridors mentioned in the budget, one is proposed in the Bundelkhand region of the state which will bring an investment of Rs 20,000 crore and generate employment avenues for 2.5 lakh people," the Prime Minister said. Modi also said that his government will ensure that the benefits of the ongoing structural and policy changes reach to those at the lowest rung of the society. "The Yogi government is fulfilling promises made to the farmers, the women of the state and youth," the Prime Minister said. A total of 30 sessions have been planned for the two-day summit, to be attended by many central ministers. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been personally overseeing the preparations for the investors' summit. The two-day 'Uttar Pradesh Investors' Summit 2018,' aims at showcasing business and investment potential of the state. The event, claimed to be the first of its kind in Uttar Pradesh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday along with industry leaders from India and abroad, chief ministers, union ministers, policy makers and academics.

PM Modi addresses the 'Uttar Pradesh Investors' Summit

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said on Thursday he had submitted his resignation as both premier and the chairman of the ruling coalition in an effort to facilitate reforms following a period of mass unrest.

Desalegn said in a televised address to the country, &quot;I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy.&quot;

The resignation - unprecedented in Ethiopia&rsquo;s history - followed a wave of strikes this week in towns near the capital and demonstrations successfully demanding the release of more opposition leaders.

Hailemariam added, however, that he will stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity, until the ruling Ethiopian People&#39;s Revolutionary Democratic Front&nbsp;(EPRDF) and the country&#39;s parliament accept his resignation and name a new premier.

Hailemariam oversaw a smooth handover following the death of former Marxist rebel Meles Zenawi, turning the relatively little-known politician and technocrat to an influential leader.

The announcement came after the government released hundreds of political prisoners, including some prominent opposition members.

More than 6,000 political prisoners have been freed since January as the government struggles to placate simmering anger among the two largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amharic, who complain they are under-represented in the country&rsquo;s corridors of power.

However, in 2015, months of anti-government demonstrations spread across Ethiopia, leaving hundreds dead and prompting parliament to declare a 10-month state nationwide state of emergency in October 2016.

Ethiopia is the region&rsquo;s largest economy and a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy but rights groups criticize its government for jailing journalists and political opponents.

It was not clear who would replace Hailemariam. He also resigned as chairman of the ruling coalition, which has governed since it defeated a military regime in 1991.

&ldquo;Unrest and a political crisis have led to the loss of lives and displacement of many,&rdquo; Hailemariam said in a televised speech. &ldquo;I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy.&rdquo;

Hailemariam added, however, that he will stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity, until the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the country's parliament accept his resignation and name a new premier

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said on Thursday he had submitted his resignation as both premier and the chairman of the ruling coalition in an effort to facilitate reforms following a period of mass unrest. Desalegn said in a televised address to the country, "I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy." The resignation - unprecedented in Ethiopia’s history - followed a wave of strikes this week in towns near the capital and demonstrations successfully demanding the release of more opposition leaders. Hailemariam added, however, that he will stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity, until the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the country's parliament accept his resignation and name a new premier. Hailemariam oversaw a smooth handover following the death of former Marxist rebel Meles Zenawi, turning the relatively little-known politician and technocrat to an influential leader. The announcement came after the government released hundreds of political prisoners, including some prominent opposition members. More than 6,000 political prisoners have been freed since January as the government struggles to placate simmering anger among the two largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amharic, who complain they are under-represented in the country’s corridors of power. However, in 2015, months of anti-government demonstrations spread across Ethiopia, leaving hundreds dead and prompting parliament to declare a 10-month state nationwide state of emergency in October 2016. Ethiopia is the region’s largest economy and a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy but rights groups criticize its government for jailing journalists and political opponents. It was not clear who would replace Hailemariam. He also resigned as chairman of the ruling coalition, which has governed since it defeated a military regime in 1991. “Unrest and a political crisis have led to the loss of lives and displacement of many,” Hailemariam said in a televised speech. “I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy.”

Ethiopia's PM resigns following mass unrest

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in poll-bound Tripura to address two rallies at Santirbazar and Agartala on the penultimate day of campaigning for the February 18 Assembly elections.

Addressing a gathering at Santirbazar in Tripura, the Prime Minister said, &quot;Communist Party does not believe in &#39;gantantra&#39; they believe in violence and &#39;gun-tantra&#39;. Left party in Tripura does not believe in democracy. What they believe in is violence.&quot;

&quot;People of Tripura have suffered for 25 years due to the misrule of Left party. I urge people of the state to remove them from power,&quot; Modi said during the rally.&nbsp;

&quot;What is the reason that Left government in Tripura is neither ensuring the minimum wages and nor implementing the recommendations of seventh pay commission,&quot; Modi asked.&nbsp;

Dismissing Congress in the election Modi told paid that Congress and Left parties are the two faces of the same coin. &quot;They are only a vote katau party. What is this that they are friends in Delhi but faking a combat in Tripura,&quot; Modi said.&nbsp;

Bringing up the alleged killings of BJP workers, Modi said, &quot;Left leaders are under a lot of pressure sensing defeat. They have only enjoyed the perks of power for 20 years, now it is time to give answers.&nbsp;

Dismissing Congress in the election Modi told paid that Congress and Left parties are the two faces of the same coin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in poll-bound Tripura to address two rallies at Santirbazar and Agartala on the penultimate day of campaigning for the February 18 Assembly elections. Addressing a gathering at Santirbazar in Tripura, the Prime Minister said, "Communist Party does not believe in 'gantantra' they believe in violence and 'gun-tantra'. Left party in Tripura does not believe in democracy. What they believe in is violence." "People of Tripura have suffered for 25 years due to the misrule of Left party. I urge people of the state to remove them from power," Modi said during the rally. "What is the reason that Left government in Tripura is neither ensuring the minimum wages and nor implementing the recommendations of seventh pay commission," Modi asked. Dismissing Congress in the election Modi told paid that Congress and Left parties are the two faces of the same coin. "They are only a vote katau party. What is this that they are friends in Delhi but faking a combat in Tripura," Modi said. Bringing up the alleged killings of BJP workers, Modi said, "Left leaders are under a lot of pressure sensing defeat. They have only enjoyed the perks of power for 20 years, now it is time to give answers.

Left govt believes in 'gun-tantra': PM Modi in Tripura

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that ASEAN stands right at the &quot;centre&quot; of India&#39;s Act East Policy, noting that the ASEAN-India relationship has &quot;evolved significantly.&quot;

With Asean leaders by his side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for nations to follow the international law of the seas in the Indo-Pacific region - in a veiled attack on China which has been accused by most of its neighbours of violating the rule of law in the South China Sea.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the ASEAN Heads of States at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi (PTI)
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&quot;India shares the Asean vision for rule-based societies and values of peace,&quot; Modi said in his opening remarks at the plenary session here of the Commemorative Summit to mark 25 years of the India-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Dialogue Partnership.&nbsp;

He was speaking on the second day of the Association of the South East Asian Nations-India commemorative summit, which marks the 25 years of India&rsquo;s ties with the bloc.

Delighted to welcome you all to the ASEAN-India commemorative summit. Our shared voyage goes back thousands of years. It is India&#39;s privilege to host the ASEAN leaders. The leaders will be our honoured guests at the Republic Day celebrations, said PM Modi.&nbsp;

Since 1992 our partnership has evolved, we have made success in implementing the objective of ASEAN-India partisanship for peace, progress, and shared prosperity through a five-year plan of action, he added.&nbsp;

India shares the ASEAN vision for rule-based societies and values of peace. We are committed to working with ASEAN nations to enhance collaboration in the maritime domain. It highlights the importance of our strategic partnership placing ASEAN at the centre of India&#39;s Act East Policy. Our friendship has been nurtured by our shared culture &amp; civilisation linkages, said PM Modi.&nbsp;

&quot;The Ramayana, the ancient India epic, continues to be a valuable shared legacy in ASEAN and Indian subcontinent. Buddhism also binds us closely. Islam in many parts of South East Asia has a distinctive Indian connection going back several centuries,&quot; he said.

The India-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit is being held in the national capital, with trade and connectivity topping the agenda.

As per officials, the two-day India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in New Delhi is expected to give a boost to the cooperation in key areas of counter-terrorism, security and connectivity amidst increasing Chinese economic and military assertiveness in the region.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) includes Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei.

This year, the heads of state of all ASEAN nations will grace India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for nations to follow the international law of the seas in the Indo-Pacific region

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that ASEAN stands right at the "centre" of India's Act East Policy, noting that the ASEAN-India relationship has "evolved significantly." With Asean leaders by his side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for nations to follow the international law of the seas in the Indo-Pacific region - in a veiled attack on China which has been accused by most of its neighbours of violating the rule of law in the South China Sea. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the ASEAN Heads of States at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi (PTI) × "India shares the Asean vision for rule-based societies and values of peace," Modi said in his opening remarks at the plenary session here of the Commemorative Summit to mark 25 years of the India-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Dialogue Partnership. He was speaking on the second day of the Association of the South East Asian Nations-India commemorative summit, which marks the 25 years of India’s ties with the bloc. Delighted to welcome you all to the ASEAN-India commemorative summit. Our shared voyage goes back thousands of years. It is India's privilege to host the ASEAN leaders. The leaders will be our honoured guests at the Republic Day celebrations, said PM Modi. Since 1992 our partnership has evolved, we have made success in implementing the objective of ASEAN-India partisanship for peace, progress, and shared prosperity through a five-year plan of action, he added. India shares the ASEAN vision for rule-based societies and values of peace. We are committed to working with ASEAN nations to enhance collaboration in the maritime domain. It highlights the importance of our strategic partnership placing ASEAN at the centre of India's Act East Policy. Our friendship has been nurtured by our shared culture & civilisation linkages, said PM Modi. "The Ramayana, the ancient India epic, continues to be a valuable shared legacy in ASEAN and Indian subcontinent. Buddhism also binds us closely. Islam in many parts of South East Asia has a distinctive Indian connection going back several centuries," he said. The India-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit is being held in the national capital, with trade and connectivity topping the agenda. As per officials, the two-day India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in New Delhi is expected to give a boost to the cooperation in key areas of counter-terrorism, security and connectivity amidst increasing Chinese economic and military assertiveness in the region. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) includes Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei. This year, the heads of state of all ASEAN nations will grace India's Republic Day celebrations.

Freedom of navigation key focus area for our maritime cooperation: PM tells ASEAN leaders

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday she was pregnant with her first child, prompting an outpouring of support from women&#39;s rights groups and labour activists as she declared &quot;I&#39;ll be a prime minister and a mum&quot;.

Ardern said she planned to work until the end of her pregnancy in June and then take six-weeks leave, during which time Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters would run the country.

Speaking to reporters outside her Auckland home, Ardern said her partner Clarke Gayford would care for the &quot;surprise&quot; addition full-time and that the whole family would travel together when necessary.

&quot;I am not the first woman to work and have a baby. I know these are special circumstances but there are many women who have done it well before I have,&quot; she said.

The popular 37-year-old politician&#39;s pregnancy is one of the very few examples of an elected leader holding office while pregnant and the first in New Zealand&#39;s history. Pakistan&#39;s Benazir Bhutto gave birth while she was prime minister in 1990.

Ardern, who came to power through a coalition deal after a closely fought election last year, has experienced a meteoric rise to power as New Zealand&#39;s youngest prime minister in more than a century, and its third female leader.

Ardern&#39;s rise to power has generated intense interest in her personal life and drew comparisons with other youthful leaders such as France&#39;s Emmanuel Macron and Canada&#39;s Justin Trudeau.

Ardern was quick to assure the public that she would only take six weeks off, during which time she would still be contactable, so that the country would run as usual.

The short period contrasts with her party&#39;s parental leave policies, with the Labour-led coalition expanding paid parental leave from 18 to 22 weeks in one of its first legislative changes. That is set to rise again to 26 weeks in 2020.

Ardern acknowledged that she was &quot;lucky&quot; that her partner, a well-known television fishing show presenter, could take time off to travel with her while he cared for the baby full-time.

She had no plans to stop work until June and would fly to London in April to attend a Commonwealth leader&#39;s meeting.

Advocacy groups and politicians from across the political spectrum were quick to offer support.

&quot;It&#39;s really inspiring...having our prime minister lead by example is a great sign of how far we&#39;ve come in women&#39;s industrial rights in New Zealand,&quot; said Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff in an emailed statement to Reuters.

New Zealand has long held a progressive reputation, having been the first country to give women the right to vote in 1893.

&quot;It&#39;s amazing timing...125 years later we have a prime minister who&#39;s going to give birth in office,&quot; said Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter.

Ardern revealed on Friday that she had unexpectedly found out she was pregnant on Oct. 13, just six days before she was propelled into the country&#39;s top job when New Zealand First Party leader Peters announced he was siding with Labour in post-election negotiations.

When asked by a reporter how she had managed putting together a government while suffering from morning sickness, she replied, &quot;it&#39;s just what ladies do&quot;.

Ardern said she planned to work until the end of her pregnancy in June and then take six-weeks leave, during which time Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters would run the country

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday she was pregnant with her first child, prompting an outpouring of support from women's rights groups and labour activists as she declared "I'll be a prime minister and a mum". Ardern said she planned to work until the end of her pregnancy in June and then take six-weeks leave, during which time Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters would run the country. Speaking to reporters outside her Auckland home, Ardern said her partner Clarke Gayford would care for the "surprise" addition full-time and that the whole family would travel together when necessary. "I am not the first woman to work and have a baby. I know these are special circumstances but there are many women who have done it well before I have," she said. The popular 37-year-old politician's pregnancy is one of the very few examples of an elected leader holding office while pregnant and the first in New Zealand's history. Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto gave birth while she was prime minister in 1990. Ardern, who came to power through a coalition deal after a closely fought election last year, has experienced a meteoric rise to power as New Zealand's youngest prime minister in more than a century, and its third female leader. Ardern's rise to power has generated intense interest in her personal life and drew comparisons with other youthful leaders such as France's Emmanuel Macron and Canada's Justin Trudeau. Ardern was quick to assure the public that she would only take six weeks off, during which time she would still be contactable, so that the country would run as usual. The short period contrasts with her party's parental leave policies, with the Labour-led coalition expanding paid parental leave from 18 to 22 weeks in one of its first legislative changes. That is set to rise again to 26 weeks in 2020. Ardern acknowledged that she was "lucky" that her partner, a well-known television fishing show presenter, could take time off to travel with her while he cared for the baby full-time. She had no plans to stop work until June and would fly to London in April to attend a Commonwealth leader's meeting. Advocacy groups and politicians from across the political spectrum were quick to offer support. "It's really inspiring...having our prime minister lead by example is a great sign of how far we've come in women's industrial rights in New Zealand," said Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff in an emailed statement to Reuters. New Zealand has long held a progressive reputation, having been the first country to give women the right to vote in 1893. "It's amazing timing...125 years later we have a prime minister who's going to give birth in office," said Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter. Ardern revealed on Friday that she had unexpectedly found out she was pregnant on Oct. 13, just six days before she was propelled into the country's top job when New Zealand First Party leader Peters announced he was siding with Labour in post-election negotiations. When asked by a reporter how she had managed putting together a government while suffering from morning sickness, she replied, "it's just what ladies do".

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern pregnant with first child

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in New Delhi this afternoon, six months after PM Modi&#39;s first-ever visit to Israel.&nbsp;

PM Modi broke protocol to receive the Israel PM and his wife Sara at the Delhi airport. Modi was of course just returning the gesture; he too had been received at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv by Netanyahu when he had visited Israel.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> LIVE: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/cmkFTRtPs7">https://t.co/cmkFTRtPs7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/952450787396935681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Netanyahu is the second Israeli PM to visit India, the first one being Ariel Sharon, who was hosted by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in September 2003.

Netanyahu, who is here for a six-day visit and is&nbsp;accompanied by a 130-member delegation from various sectors, wrote on Twitter that his &quot;historic visit&quot;&nbsp;was a &quot;great blessing&quot; for Israel.

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We will sign very many agreements. We are strengthening ties between Israel and this important global power. 
This serves our security, economic, trade and tourism interests, as well as many other areas. This is a great blessing for the State of Israel.
&mdash; PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/952425017618386944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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They will then head to Teen Murti monument in Delhi where the two leaders will lay a wreath at the monument, commemorating the role of three Indian regiments who fought at the battle of Haifa over a century ago - and celebrate the growing friendship between the two countries.&nbsp;

They will be joined by External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj later in the afternoon at the Taj Palace Hotel, where Netanyahu will be staying.

Modi will also host&nbsp;a private dinner for Netanyahu on Sunday.

The visiting dignitary, on Monday, will be given a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan which will be followed by the wreath laying at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi.

Bilateral talks between the two prime ministers will take place on Monday. The primary focus will be on &quot;innovation&quot;&nbsp;-- covering trade, economy, agriculture, water management etc. Discussion on defence and security components are also expected to happen as they have been a strong part of India-Israel relations for a while.&nbsp;

Officials have informed that the two countries will possibly sign a number of pacts on startups and also issue a joint press statement. The Israeli Prime Minister will call on President Ram Nath Kovind later in the day.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu, along with his wife Sara, will leave for Agra to see Taj Mahal and then visit Delhi to participate in an annual multilateral conference, Raisina Dialogue, where he is scheduled to deliver an inaugural speech.

Netanyahu will leave for Ahmedabad on Wednesday to visit the Sabarmati Ashram and also attend an event at the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate).

He will later visit the Centre of Excellence, Vadrad before leaving for Mumbai on the same day.&nbsp;

On Thursday, Netanyahu will have a power breakfast with Indian CEOs and attend a business seminar in Mumbai. He will also lay a wreath at Taj Hotel and pay a visit to Nariman House - Chabad Centre.

Next, Netanyahu will hold talks with Bollywood personalities in an exclusive &quot;Shalom Bollywood&quot;&nbsp;event, that aims at exploring business opportunities for Indian filmmakers in Israel.&nbsp;

There is cooperation on security issues between the two countries, including a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, the two countries had signed three vital agreements on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Cooperation in Homeland Security, and Protection of Classified Material in February 2014.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

Bilateral talks will take place between the two PMs on Monday. The primary focus will be on innovation, defence and security

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in New Delhi this afternoon, six months after PM Modi's first-ever visit to Israel. PM Modi broke protocol to receive the Israel PM and his wife Sara at the Delhi airport. Modi was of course just returning the gesture; he too had been received at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv by Netanyahu when he had visited Israel. #WATCH LIVE: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Delhi https://t.co/cmkFTRtPs7 — ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2018 × Netanyahu is the second Israeli PM to visit India, the first one being Ariel Sharon, who was hosted by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in September 2003. Netanyahu, who is here for a six-day visit and is accompanied by a 130-member delegation from various sectors, wrote on Twitter that his "historic visit" was a "great blessing" for Israel. We will sign very many agreements. We are strengthening ties between Israel and this important global power. This serves our security, economic, trade and tourism interests, as well as many other areas. This is a great blessing for the State of Israel. — PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) January 14, 2018 × They will then head to Teen Murti monument in Delhi where the two leaders will lay a wreath at the monument, commemorating the role of three Indian regiments who fought at the battle of Haifa over a century ago - and celebrate the growing friendship between the two countries. They will be joined by External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj later in the afternoon at the Taj Palace Hotel, where Netanyahu will be staying. Modi will also host a private dinner for Netanyahu on Sunday. The visiting dignitary, on Monday, will be given a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan which will be followed by the wreath laying at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi. Bilateral talks between the two prime ministers will take place on Monday. The primary focus will be on "innovation" -- covering trade, economy, agriculture, water management etc. Discussion on defence and security components are also expected to happen as they have been a strong part of India-Israel relations for a while. Officials have informed that the two countries will possibly sign a number of pacts on startups and also issue a joint press statement. The Israeli Prime Minister will call on President Ram Nath Kovind later in the day. On Tuesday, Netanyahu, along with his wife Sara, will leave for Agra to see Taj Mahal and then visit Delhi to participate in an annual multilateral conference, Raisina Dialogue, where he is scheduled to deliver an inaugural speech. Netanyahu will leave for Ahmedabad on Wednesday to visit the Sabarmati Ashram and also attend an event at the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate). He will later visit the Centre of Excellence, Vadrad before leaving for Mumbai on the same day. On Thursday, Netanyahu will have a power breakfast with Indian CEOs and attend a business seminar in Mumbai. He will also lay a wreath at Taj Hotel and pay a visit to Nariman House - Chabad Centre. Next, Netanyahu will hold talks with Bollywood personalities in an exclusive "Shalom Bollywood" event, that aims at exploring business opportunities for Indian filmmakers in Israel. There is cooperation on security issues between the two countries, including a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, the two countries had signed three vital agreements on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Cooperation in Homeland Security, and Protection of Classified Material in February 2014. (With inputs from ANI)

Watch: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in India, Modi breaks protocol to receive him at airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted the nation of the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, which marks the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.

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Greetings on Id-E-Milad. May the teachings of Prophet Mohammad further the spirit of harmony in our society. <a href="https://t.co/DpGJI8BZUN">https://t.co/DpGJI8BZUN</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/936784953689325570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Prime Minister took to Twitter and said, &quot;Greetings on Id-E-Milad. May the teachings of Prophet Mohammad further the spirit of harmony in our society.&quot;

Milad-un-Nabi is commemorated in Rabi&#39;al-awwal, the third month in the religious calendar.Based on the lunar calendar, the date of Milad-un-Nabi varies around the world.

In some parts of India, Karnataka and Telangana, the festival did not start until Saturday because the moon was not sighted until later.

The Prime Minister took to Twitter to greet the nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted the nation of the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, which marks the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. Greetings on Id-E-Milad. May the teachings of Prophet Mohammad further the spirit of harmony in our society. https://t.co/DpGJI8BZUN — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 2, 2017 × The Prime Minister took to Twitter and said, "Greetings on Id-E-Milad. May the teachings of Prophet Mohammad further the spirit of harmony in our society." Milad-un-Nabi is commemorated in Rabi'al-awwal, the third month in the religious calendar.Based on the lunar calendar, the date of Milad-un-Nabi varies around the world. In some parts of India, Karnataka and Telangana, the festival did not start until Saturday because the moon was not sighted until later.

PM Modi greets nation on occasion of Milad-un-Nabi

With the Gujarat Assembly election drawing ever nearer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reached out to BJP&#39;s Mahila Morcha through the Narendra Modi app.

As part of a special campaign outreach, the Prime Minister held a live interaction in Gujarati with the women workers of the party this evening, and talked about the developmental works undertaken by the party.

The election campaign for the polls reached a notch higher as Prime Minister Modi kick-started his campaign on November 28, to attend at least 20 public meetings and rallies in the next 15 days.

The outreach to the women wing of the party is aimed at expanding the campaign to the women voters in the state, who constitute almost half the voters in the polls.

Interestingly, the BJP has fielded only 11 women candidates for the 182-member assembly, marginally ahead of Congress, which has fielded only 10 women candidates.Gujarat will go to polls in two phases; the first phase will be held on December 9, while the second phase is scheduled for December 14.&nbsp;

As part of a special campaign outreach, the Prime Minister held a live interaction in Gujarati with the women workers of the party this evening and talked about the developmental works undertaken by the party

With the Gujarat Assembly election drawing ever nearer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reached out to BJP's Mahila Morcha through the Narendra Modi app. As part of a special campaign outreach, the Prime Minister held a live interaction in Gujarati with the women workers of the party this evening, and talked about the developmental works undertaken by the party. The election campaign for the polls reached a notch higher as Prime Minister Modi kick-started his campaign on November 28, to attend at least 20 public meetings and rallies in the next 15 days. The outreach to the women wing of the party is aimed at expanding the campaign to the women voters in the state, who constitute almost half the voters in the polls. Interestingly, the BJP has fielded only 11 women candidates for the 182-member assembly, marginally ahead of Congress, which has fielded only 10 women candidates.Gujarat will go to polls in two phases; the first phase will be held on December 9, while the second phase is scheduled for December 14.

PM Modi interacts with BJP's Mahila Morcha via NM app

By Tejal&nbsp;Yerunkar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will meet NITI Aayog officials, economists and experts on Tuesday to get their views on the upcoming Budget 2017-18.&nbsp;

According to the Business Standard <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/budget/article/pm-jaitley-meet-niti-aayog-officials-experts-today-to-discuss-budget-116122700008_1.html">report</a>, 13 people -- from the NITI Aayog, economists and other experts -- will make presentations to the government.

The pre-budget meeting of the government will begin at 4:30 pm on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The meeting&#39;s theme is &quot;Economic Policy Reform, Road Ahead&quot; and will see discussions on job creation, skill development, agriculture and other Budget-related issues.&nbsp;

The RBI has reduced the country&#39;s economic growth forecast to 7.1% from 7.6% in its monetary policy review earlier this month.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) also slashed its growth projection for the country, for the current fiscal, to 7% from an earlier 7.4% because of the impact of demonetisation on economic activities.

The Business Standard news report, quoting&nbsp;an official, said the PM would also take stock of Aayog initiatives to promote digital payments, such as the Lucky Grahak Yojana and the Digi Dhan Vyapaar Yojana.&nbsp;

Moreover, the PM will also discuss the status of the economy with NITI Aayog experts against the backdrop of the currency crunch post demonetisation and ways to speed up growth.

(To read more, go to <a href="http://www.zeebiz.com/">zeebiz.com</a>)

They will discuss job creation, skill development, and agriculture

By Tejal Yerunkar Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will meet NITI Aayog officials, economists and experts on Tuesday to get their views on the upcoming Budget 2017-18. According to the Business Standard report, 13 people -- from the NITI Aayog, economists and other experts -- will make presentations to the government. The pre-budget meeting of the government will begin at 4:30 pm on Tuesday. The meeting's theme is "Economic Policy Reform, Road Ahead" and will see discussions on job creation, skill development, agriculture and other Budget-related issues. The RBI has reduced the country's economic growth forecast to 7.1% from 7.6% in its monetary policy review earlier this month. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) also slashed its growth projection for the country, for the current fiscal, to 7% from an earlier 7.4% because of the impact of demonetisation on economic activities. The Business Standard news report, quoting an official, said the PM would also take stock of Aayog initiatives to promote digital payments, such as the Lucky Grahak Yojana and the Digi Dhan Vyapaar Yojana. Moreover, the PM will also discuss the status of the economy with NITI Aayog experts against the backdrop of the currency crunch post demonetisation and ways to speed up growth. (To read more, go to zeebiz.com)

Modi, Jaitley to hold pre-Budget meeting with NITI Aayog, economists today

Workers employed by a builder on Tuesday complained to police that their services were terminated after they refused to accept their salary in demonetised currency notes.

&quot;On complaint of the workers, the builder has been called for questioning. If any illegality is found, action will be taken against him. Also, efforts will be made so that workers get salary through cheques,&quot; DSP Arvind Yadav said.

They also held a protest outside the builder&#39;s office.

A worker, Shesh Kumar, alleged, &quot;The salary for October was paid in old currency notes which was accepted by the workers. Now, the builder is pressurising us to accept November&#39;s salary and that for December in advance in old currency notes.&quot;

&quot;When we refused, the builder informed us that our services have been terminated,&quot; the worker alleged.

(This report first appeared on DNA)

On complaint of the workers, the builder has been called for questioning, DSP Arvind Yadav said.

Workers employed by a builder on Tuesday complained to police that their services were terminated after they refused to accept their salary in demonetised currency notes. "On complaint of the workers, the builder has been called for questioning. If any illegality is found, action will be taken against him. Also, efforts will be made so that workers get salary through cheques," DSP Arvind Yadav said. They also held a protest outside the builder's office. A worker, Shesh Kumar, alleged, "The salary for October was paid in old currency notes which was accepted by the workers. Now, the builder is pressurising us to accept November's salary and that for December in advance in old currency notes." "When we refused, the builder informed us that our services have been terminated," the worker alleged. (This report first appeared on DNA)

Demonetisation: Workers laid off on refusing to accept salary in old notes

In a fresh crackdown on black money, the government is mulling over an ordinance that will seek to impose fines on people in possession of banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes beyond December 30.

The maximum number of banned notes one can possess regardless of denomination will be 10.

The transfer of over Rs 10,000 in old notes may even result in a punishment and a minimum fine of Rs 50,000 or five times the amount in question, whichever is higher.

Violations of the rule will carry a criminal liability and municipal magistrates will hear cases on violations, said the NDTV report.

However, there was no official word on the act which is likely to come up before the Cabinet on Wednesday.

The ordinance may extinguish the liability of the government and RBI towards the promise to pay the bearer of these notes their value because of a statutory requirement.

In 1978, a similar ordinance was issued to end the government&#39;s liability after Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 notes were demonetised by the Janata Party government under Morarji Desai.

The ordinance also includes recommendations of the central board of directors of the RBI.

The period to deposit old notes in banks ends on December 30, after which the banned notes have to be directly deposited in the RBI.

The RBI had earlier this month issued an order stating that an amount exceeding Rs 5000 in demonetised notes cannot be deposited in the banks more than once till December 30.

But later, the order was withdrawn.

To flush out black money from the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had banned 500 and 1,000 rupee notes on November 8.

(WION)

Govt is mulling over an ordinance that will seek to impose fines on people in possession of banned notes beyond December 30

In a fresh crackdown on black money, the government is mulling over an ordinance that will seek to impose fines on people in possession of banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes beyond December 30. The maximum number of banned notes one can possess regardless of denomination will be 10. The transfer of over Rs 10,000 in old notes may even result in a punishment and a minimum fine of Rs 50,000 or five times the amount in question, whichever is higher. Violations of the rule will carry a criminal liability and municipal magistrates will hear cases on violations, said the NDTV report. However, there was no official word on the act which is likely to come up before the Cabinet on Wednesday. The ordinance may extinguish the liability of the government and RBI towards the promise to pay the bearer of these notes their value because of a statutory requirement. In 1978, a similar ordinance was issued to end the government's liability after Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 notes were demonetised by the Janata Party government under Morarji Desai. The ordinance also includes recommendations of the central board of directors of the RBI. The period to deposit old notes in banks ends on December 30, after which the banned notes have to be directly deposited in the RBI. The RBI had earlier this month issued an order stating that an amount exceeding Rs 5000 in demonetised notes cannot be deposited in the banks more than once till December 30. But later, the order was withdrawn. To flush out black money from the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had banned 500 and 1,000 rupee notes on November 8. (WION)

Govt mulls over imposing heavy fine on possession of banned notes above Rs 10,000

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that things will get worse before they get better. He was referring to the aftermath of demonetisation; there have been reports from around the country of people having to put up with tremendous hardship.&nbsp;

&quot;I had said from day one this is not an ordinary decision. It is full of difficulties. It is a difficult decision and I had said a lot of hardships and problems will be faced,&quot; the Press Trust of India reported Modi as saying.&nbsp;

&quot;For 50 days this difficulty has to be there. And this difficulty will even increase, but after 50 days, I have done my calculation, the situation, in one go, will turn to gradually move towards normalcy. You will see after 50 days that situation will slowly start improving in front of your eyes,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Despite the hardships, so far, the common man -- or at least many of them -- seems to have stood behind Modi and his promise of finding the black money hidden in the economy.&nbsp;

Modi was in Deesa, Gujarat, where he was inaugurating dairy plants.&nbsp;

The demonetisation, the PM said, will root out terrorism, corruption and fake currency. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Demonetisation has broken the backbone of terrorism and Naxal movement. I am fighting against terrorism as fake currency is fuelling and funding their activities,&quot; PTI reported him as saying.&nbsp;

&quot;Demonetisation is aimed at empowering downtrodden and honest people,&quot; he said. &nbsp;

He also slammed the Opposition for not letting him speak in Parliament, even after they demanded his presence in the house. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Government has always said we are ready to debate. I am not being allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha (lower house). So I am speaking in the jan (people&#39;s) sabha,&quot; he said. 
&nbsp; 
He added that corruption has always pained the common man, making his life miserable. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Who is unhappy with corruption? Not those perpetrating corruption...it is the poor, the common citizens who are unhappy,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

He added that the &quot;evils&quot; of black money and corruption were slowing India&#39;s progress and adversely affecting the poor.

He further urged the people to go digital and not waste their time outside banks and ATMs.

The Prime Minister thanked the people for standing behind him and supporting his decision to demonetise India&#39;s 500- and 1,000-rupee notes. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;In spite of efforts by others to incite people, people have stood by me and supported the decision.&quot;

&nbsp;He assured people that they would see change in time. 
&nbsp; 
He also took a jibe at the Congress, accusing it of looting the common man for 70 years, and vowed to continue fighting for the poor. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;You have looted the common man for 70 years and made it harsh for them to survive. I have come to fight for the poor and give power in their hands,&quot; he said. 
&nbsp; 
In turn, West Bengal state chief minister Mamata Banerjee criticised Modi&#39;s address. &quot;Modi babu knows that #DeMonetisation now derailed. Except giving bhashan, he has no solution,&quot; she tweeted.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Says he had said from day 1 demonetisation will be difficult. But that things will return to normal 20 days from now

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that things will get worse before they get better. He was referring to the aftermath of demonetisation; there have been reports from around the country of people having to put up with tremendous hardship. "I had said from day one this is not an ordinary decision. It is full of difficulties. It is a difficult decision and I had said a lot of hardships and problems will be faced," the Press Trust of India reported Modi as saying. "For 50 days this difficulty has to be there. And this difficulty will even increase, but after 50 days, I have done my calculation, the situation, in one go, will turn to gradually move towards normalcy. You will see after 50 days that situation will slowly start improving in front of your eyes," he said. Despite the hardships, so far, the common man -- or at least many of them -- seems to have stood behind Modi and his promise of finding the black money hidden in the economy. Modi was in Deesa, Gujarat, where he was inaugurating dairy plants. The demonetisation, the PM said, will root out terrorism, corruption and fake currency. "Demonetisation has broken the backbone of terrorism and Naxal movement. I am fighting against terrorism as fake currency is fuelling and funding their activities," PTI reported him as saying. "Demonetisation is aimed at empowering downtrodden and honest people," he said. He also slammed the Opposition for not letting him speak in Parliament, even after they demanded his presence in the house. "Government has always said we are ready to debate. I am not being allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha (lower house). So I am speaking in the jan (people's) sabha," he said. He added that corruption has always pained the common man, making his life miserable. "Who is unhappy with corruption? Not those perpetrating corruption...it is the poor, the common citizens who are unhappy," he said. He added that the "evils" of black money and corruption were slowing India's progress and adversely affecting the poor. He further urged the people to go digital and not waste their time outside banks and ATMs. The Prime Minister thanked the people for standing behind him and supporting his decision to demonetise India's 500- and 1,000-rupee notes. "In spite of efforts by others to incite people, people have stood by me and supported the decision." He assured people that they would see change in time. He also took a jibe at the Congress, accusing it of looting the common man for 70 years, and vowed to continue fighting for the poor. "You have looted the common man for 70 years and made it harsh for them to survive. I have come to fight for the poor and give power in their hands," he said. In turn, West Bengal state chief minister Mamata Banerjee criticised Modi's address. "Modi babu knows that #DeMonetisation now derailed. Except giving bhashan, he has no solution," she tweeted. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Demonetisation: PM Modi says things will get worse before they get better

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi formally resigned as the prime minister on Wednesday.

His resignation has kicked-off a period of political uncertainty in the eurozone&rsquo;s third largest economy.

President Sergio Mattarella will begin consultations with political parties over forming a caretaker government&nbsp;at 6:00pm&nbsp;(1700 GMT) on Thursday, a spokesperson told news agency AFP.

41-year-old Renzi was forced to step down after his crushing referendum defeat.

He formally gave his resignation to&nbsp;Matterella&nbsp;on Wednesday evening.

Renzi headed a meeting of the executive of his Democratic Party (PD), before handing back the keys to his Palazzo Chigi residence.

&quot;We are not afraid of anything or anybody, if other parties want to go to the polls .... The PD is not afraid of democracy or elections,&quot; Renzi said in a reference to an opposition call for a nationwide vote due in early 2018 to be brought forward by up to a year, news agency AFP reported.

Renzi&#39;s rule came to an end with his government winning a vote of confidence in the Senate, which he tried to emasculate via a referendum in which he suffered a crushing defeat on Sunday.

The confidence vote put an end to a &nbsp;prolonged discussion on the approval of Italy&#39;s 2017 budget, an unfinished task because of&nbsp;which&nbsp;President Sergio Mattarella had&nbsp;asked Renzi to delay his resignation for a few days.

&quot;Budget law approved. Formal resignation at 1900. Thanks to everyone and viva l&#39;Italia!&quot; (&quot;long live Italy!&quot;) he tweeted.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

The resignation has triggered a period of political uncertainty in eurozone's third largest economy

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi formally resigned as the prime minister on Wednesday. His resignation has kicked-off a period of political uncertainty in the eurozone’s third largest economy. President Sergio Mattarella will begin consultations with political parties over forming a caretaker government at 6:00pm (1700 GMT) on Thursday, a spokesperson told news agency AFP. 41-year-old Renzi was forced to step down after his crushing referendum defeat. He formally gave his resignation to Matterella on Wednesday evening. Renzi headed a meeting of the executive of his Democratic Party (PD), before handing back the keys to his Palazzo Chigi residence. "We are not afraid of anything or anybody, if other parties want to go to the polls .... The PD is not afraid of democracy or elections," Renzi said in a reference to an opposition call for a nationwide vote due in early 2018 to be brought forward by up to a year, news agency AFP reported. Renzi's rule came to an end with his government winning a vote of confidence in the Senate, which he tried to emasculate via a referendum in which he suffered a crushing defeat on Sunday. The confidence vote put an end to a prolonged discussion on the approval of Italy's 2017 budget, an unfinished task because of which President Sergio Mattarella had asked Renzi to delay his resignation for a few days. "Budget law approved. Formal resignation at 1900. Thanks to everyone and viva l'Italia!" ("long live Italy!") he tweeted. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Matteo Renzi formally resigns as Italian Prime Minister, hints at early election

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s 97-year-old mother Hiraba today visited a bank at her village in Gandhinagar, just like other citizens, and exchanged her old notes in view of the demonetisation of the high-value currency notes.

Accompanied by relatives, Hiraba, who was in a wheelchair, came to a branch of Oriental Bank of Commerce at Raisan village this morning and got notes worth Rs 4,500 exchanged.

She came to the bank with Rs 500 notes, got the mandatory form filled, put her thumb impression on the form and exchanged her money.

After receiving a new note of Rs 2,000, she also displayed it in front of the mediapersons, who virtually mobbed her as they sought her reaction.

Hiraba lives with Prime Minister Modi&#39;s younger brother Pankaj Modi in Raisan on the outskirts of Gandhinagar. 
The prime minister had visited his mother on September 17 this year to take her blessings on his 66th birthday.

Hiraba is known to lead a very simple life and travels in public transport. Last time when she visited Gandhinagar civil hospital for a regular check-up, she was seen going in an autorickshaw.

Modi had on November 8 announced scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to curb black money menace.

After the announcement, people have been queueing up at banks across the country to get their old high denomination notes exchanged for the new notes.

(PTI)

His nonagenarian mother is known to lead a very simple life and is even seen travelling in public transport often

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 97-year-old mother Hiraba today visited a bank at her village in Gandhinagar, just like other citizens, and exchanged her old notes in view of the demonetisation of the high-value currency notes. Accompanied by relatives, Hiraba, who was in a wheelchair, came to a branch of Oriental Bank of Commerce at Raisan village this morning and got notes worth Rs 4,500 exchanged. She came to the bank with Rs 500 notes, got the mandatory form filled, put her thumb impression on the form and exchanged her money. After receiving a new note of Rs 2,000, she also displayed it in front of the mediapersons, who virtually mobbed her as they sought her reaction. Hiraba lives with Prime Minister Modi's younger brother Pankaj Modi in Raisan on the outskirts of Gandhinagar. The prime minister had visited his mother on September 17 this year to take her blessings on his 66th birthday. Hiraba is known to lead a very simple life and travels in public transport. Last time when she visited Gandhinagar civil hospital for a regular check-up, she was seen going in an autorickshaw. Modi had on November 8 announced scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to curb black money menace. After the announcement, people have been queueing up at banks across the country to get their old high denomination notes exchanged for the new notes. (PTI)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother goes to bank to exchange notes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured his support&nbsp;in the rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and&nbsp;Madhya Pradesh. &quot;I pray for the safety and wellbeing of those in areas affected by floods in parts Uttar&nbsp;Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,&quot; the Prime Minister&#39;s Office tweeted. 
 
Prime&nbsp;Minister Modi said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is closely monitoring the situation, adding the latter&nbsp;has spoken to the Chief Ministers and taken stock of the rescue and relief operations. &quot;Centre assures total&nbsp;support in the rescue and relief operations. I hope the situation in the affected areas normalises at the earliest,&quot;&nbsp;he added.In Bihar, waters from various rivers were reported to be spreading to new areas in Bhojpur, Buxar,&nbsp;Munger, Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts.The low-lying areas of Patna, Vaishali and Saran districts are also&nbsp;reportedly under water. 
 
The flood-affected people have taken shelter in schools in Patna. The movement of&nbsp;trains has been stopped between Chapra and Balia because of submerged railway tracks at many places.The&nbsp;surging water of the Rivers Sone and Punpun has spread to the low lying areas of Jahanabad and Arwal&nbsp;districts.In Uttar Pradesh, the flood situation in the eastern parts is grim. River Ganga is rising in many places,&nbsp;including Allahabad and Varanasi.The army has been kept on standby to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation&nbsp;efforts in Allahabad.Both the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers are rising continuously in the district and the people&nbsp;have been told to vacate their homes and move to safer places.Over 100 villages are facing a critical flood&nbsp;situation in the district. So far, about 10,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps. 
 
The National Disaster&nbsp;Response Force (NDRF) is also engaged in Ballai and Banda districts after receiving information on rising&nbsp;water levels.Besides Allahabad, the water of river Ganga is reportedly rising in Varanasi, Ballia and Mirzapur&nbsp;districts, while the water of the Yamuna are rising trend in Banda, Mathura and Allahabad.After the release of&nbsp;water from the dam, the Betwa River is also on spate in Hamirpur district.Water levels are rising between two&nbsp;to three centimetres per hour.In Rajasthan, incessant rains in the south eastern districts have affected normal&nbsp;life. Several over bridges have been submerged in water, bringing road traffic on these routes to a grinding 
halt. 
 
A maximum of 26 centimetres of rainfall has been recorded at the Jakham Dam in the state&#39;s Pratapgarh&nbsp;district.Places like Nimbaheda, Badi Sadri and Bhadesar have received 22 centimeters of rainfall in the last 24&nbsp;hours.The districts of Chittorgarh, Baran, Dungarpur, Banswara and Jhalawar have also experienced good&nbsp;rainfall. 
 
An alert has been sounded in nearby areas of Chambal river in Karauli following an increase in water&nbsp;levels.In Madhya Pradesh, torrential rains have lashed western parts even as relief works have gained&nbsp;momentum in Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions.Normal life has been affected in Guna, Rajgarh, Shivpuri,&nbsp;Mandsour, Ujjain and other parts of western Madhya Pradesh. 
 
(ANI)

Rescue and relief operations have begun in the flood-hit states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and?Madhya Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured his support in the rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. "I pray for the safety and wellbeing of those in areas affected by floods in parts Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. Prime Minister Modi said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is closely monitoring the situation, adding the latter has spoken to the Chief Ministers and taken stock of the rescue and relief operations. "Centre assures total support in the rescue and relief operations. I hope the situation in the affected areas normalises at the earliest," he added.In Bihar, waters from various rivers were reported to be spreading to new areas in Bhojpur, Buxar, Munger, Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts.The low-lying areas of Patna, Vaishali and Saran districts are also reportedly under water. The flood-affected people have taken shelter in schools in Patna. The movement of trains has been stopped between Chapra and Balia because of submerged railway tracks at many places.The surging water of the Rivers Sone and Punpun has spread to the low lying areas of Jahanabad and Arwal districts.In Uttar Pradesh, the flood situation in the eastern parts is grim. River Ganga is rising in many places, including Allahabad and Varanasi.The army has been kept on standby to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation efforts in Allahabad.Both the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers are rising continuously in the district and the people have been told to vacate their homes and move to safer places.Over 100 villages are facing a critical flood situation in the district. So far, about 10,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is also engaged in Ballai and Banda districts after receiving information on rising water levels.Besides Allahabad, the water of river Ganga is reportedly rising in Varanasi, Ballia and Mirzapur districts, while the water of the Yamuna are rising trend in Banda, Mathura and Allahabad.After the release of water from the dam, the Betwa River is also on spate in Hamirpur district.Water levels are rising between two to three centimetres per hour.In Rajasthan, incessant rains in the south eastern districts have affected normal life. Several over bridges have been submerged in water, bringing road traffic on these routes to a grinding halt. A maximum of 26 centimetres of rainfall has been recorded at the Jakham Dam in the state's Pratapgarh district.Places like Nimbaheda, Badi Sadri and Bhadesar have received 22 centimeters of rainfall in the last 24 hours.The districts of Chittorgarh, Baran, Dungarpur, Banswara and Jhalawar have also experienced good rainfall. An alert has been sounded in nearby areas of Chambal river in Karauli following an increase in water levels.In Madhya Pradesh, torrential rains have lashed western parts even as relief works have gained momentum in Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions.Normal life has been affected in Guna, Rajgarh, Shivpuri, Mandsour, Ujjain and other parts of western Madhya Pradesh. (ANI)

Indian Prime Minister Modi assures Centre's support to flood-hit regions

Spain may be forced to hold a third round of elections, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned on Tuesday after his Socialist rival refused to back his efforts to form a government. 
 
Spain has been without a fully functioning government for more than seven months following two inconclusive polls, leaving it in political limbo in a sensitive economic and political period. But even as parties reiterate the crucial need for a stable government after repeat elections in June, none appear ready as yet to overcome their differences and seal a coalition deal, including Socialist party chief Pedro Sanchez. 
 
&quot;If Mr Sanchez continues to say no, we will go to repeat elections,&quot; Rajoy, whose conservative Popular Party (PP) came first in June polls and who has therefore been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, told reporters. &quot;A country that holds three elections in a year, or one in which its political leaders are incapable of agreeing, will not see its reputation improve,&quot; he said, adding it would be an &quot;absurdity&quot;. 
 
Spain is currently ruled by a caretaker conservative government with limited room for manoeuvre just as it needs to take urgent steps to reduce its deficit, establish a budget for the coming year and address a growing separatist movement in the Catalonia region. 
 
The country&#39;s political paralysis started after elections on December 20 failed to give any party an absolute parliamentary majority, as upstart groupings Ciudadanos and Podemos shook up Spain&#39;s long-established two-party system. 
 
Fed up with years of crisis-sparked austerity and repeated corruption scandals, millions of Spaniards tasked the two upstarts to revitalise the country. But efforts to forge a coalition were unsuccessful as rival parties were unable to overcome their differences, prompting repeat elections in June with a similar result. 
 
Rajoy&#39;s PP, in power since 2011, won the June 26 vote but fell short of an absolute majority, winning 137 seats out of 350. He has since been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, which he will have to push through a parliamentary vote of confidence. 
 
In order to do so, Rajoy will need an absolute majority in the vote. If he fails, a second vote will be held in which he would only need a simple majority. 
 
But Sanchez, whose Socialist party came second in June elections and whose 85 seats would give any Rajoy-led government proposal a significant boost in a parliamentary vote refuses to back him. &quot;We are not going to back something we want to change... the left will not back the right,&quot; Sanchez told reporters after meeting the acting prime minister. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
However, he appeared to leave the door open for the possibility that the Socialists would abstain in a vote of confidence, saying that the party&#39;s leadership committee would have the ultimate say in whether the grouping changes its posture or not. 
 
Several high-ranking members of the Socialist party, including former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez, have pushed for an abstention to let a minority government led by Rajoy through, and thus end the political paralysis. And a high-ranking Socialist party source, who refuses to be named, has said an abstention in the second parliamentary vote is the most likely scenario. 
 
Rajoy is also due to meet Albert Rivera, the chief of centre-right upstart Ciudadanos, on Wednesday as his search for support continues.&nbsp;Rivera has said his party would be willing to abstain in the vote of confidence, but with just 32 seats, that would not be enough to push Rajoy&#39;s government proposal through. 
 
(AFP)

The country has been without a fully functional government for more than seven months following two inconclusive polls

Spain may be forced to hold a third round of elections, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned on Tuesday after his Socialist rival refused to back his efforts to form a government. Spain has been without a fully functioning government for more than seven months following two inconclusive polls, leaving it in political limbo in a sensitive economic and political period. But even as parties reiterate the crucial need for a stable government after repeat elections in June, none appear ready as yet to overcome their differences and seal a coalition deal, including Socialist party chief Pedro Sanchez. "If Mr Sanchez continues to say no, we will go to repeat elections," Rajoy, whose conservative Popular Party (PP) came first in June polls and who has therefore been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, told reporters. "A country that holds three elections in a year, or one in which its political leaders are incapable of agreeing, will not see its reputation improve," he said, adding it would be an "absurdity". Spain is currently ruled by a caretaker conservative government with limited room for manoeuvre just as it needs to take urgent steps to reduce its deficit, establish a budget for the coming year and address a growing separatist movement in the Catalonia region. The country's political paralysis started after elections on December 20 failed to give any party an absolute parliamentary majority, as upstart groupings Ciudadanos and Podemos shook up Spain's long-established two-party system. Fed up with years of crisis-sparked austerity and repeated corruption scandals, millions of Spaniards tasked the two upstarts to revitalise the country. But efforts to forge a coalition were unsuccessful as rival parties were unable to overcome their differences, prompting repeat elections in June with a similar result. Rajoy's PP, in power since 2011, won the June 26 vote but fell short of an absolute majority, winning 137 seats out of 350. He has since been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, which he will have to push through a parliamentary vote of confidence. In order to do so, Rajoy will need an absolute majority in the vote. If he fails, a second vote will be held in which he would only need a simple majority. But Sanchez, whose Socialist party came second in June elections and whose 85 seats would give any Rajoy-led government proposal a significant boost in a parliamentary vote refuses to back him. "We are not going to back something we want to change... the left will not back the right," Sanchez told reporters after meeting the acting prime minister. However, he appeared to leave the door open for the possibility that the Socialists would abstain in a vote of confidence, saying that the party's leadership committee would have the ultimate say in whether the grouping changes its posture or not. Several high-ranking members of the Socialist party, including former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez, have pushed for an abstention to let a minority government led by Rajoy through, and thus end the political paralysis. And a high-ranking Socialist party source, who refuses to be named, has said an abstention in the second parliamentary vote is the most likely scenario. Rajoy is also due to meet Albert Rivera, the chief of centre-right upstart Ciudadanos, on Wednesday as his search for support continues. Rivera has said his party would be willing to abstain in the vote of confidence, but with just 32 seats, that would not be enough to push Rajoy's government proposal through. (AFP)

Spain PM warns third round of elections possible as deadlock continues

Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi held talks in Baghdad with America&#39;s top military officer today, discussing plans to oust the Islamic State group from second city Mosul, his office said. 
 
Washington is leading an international coalition that is carrying out air strikes against IS as well as providing training, advice and other support to Iraqi forces.&nbsp;Abadi and general Joseph Dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, discussed boosting &quot;cooperation between the two countries in the fields of training and arming, ongoing international coalition support for Iraq... and plans to liberate Mosul,&quot; a statement said. 
 
Iraqi forces are conducting operations to set the stage for an assault on Mosul, which has been held by IS since June 2014, but the final push to retake it is likely still months away.&nbsp;Defence minister Khalid al-Obeidi has said that IS leaders and their families have sold their belongings and fled the city as Iraqi forces close in. 
 
Mosul is the last city held by IS in Iraq, but retaking it poses a major challenge, and the operation could unleash a humanitarian crisis unless plans are made for people who would likely flee the fighting. 
 
The Red Cross has said it believes that up to a million Iraqis could be displaced in the coming months by fighting against IS, including the operation to recapture Mosul.&nbsp;IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces. 
 
(AFP)

Iraqi forces along with international coalition group are conducting operations to liberate Mosul, which has been held by IS since June 2014

Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi held talks in Baghdad with America's top military officer today, discussing plans to oust the Islamic State group from second city Mosul, his office said. Washington is leading an international coalition that is carrying out air strikes against IS as well as providing training, advice and other support to Iraqi forces. Abadi and general Joseph Dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, discussed boosting "cooperation between the two countries in the fields of training and arming, ongoing international coalition support for Iraq... and plans to liberate Mosul," a statement said. Iraqi forces are conducting operations to set the stage for an assault on Mosul, which has been held by IS since June 2014, but the final push to retake it is likely still months away. Defence minister Khalid al-Obeidi has said that IS leaders and their families have sold their belongings and fled the city as Iraqi forces close in. Mosul is the last city held by IS in Iraq, but retaking it poses a major challenge, and the operation could unleash a humanitarian crisis unless plans are made for people who would likely flee the fighting. The Red Cross has said it believes that up to a million Iraqis could be displaced in the coming months by fighting against IS, including the operation to recapture Mosul. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but has since lost significant ground to Iraqi forces. (AFP)

Iraq PM talks about defeating IS with top US officer

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a special Cabinet meeting in Lahore on Friday to discuss the &quot;deteriorating situation&quot; in violence-hit Kashmir and chalk out a &quot;future course of action&quot; on the issue. 
&quot;The Cabinet will discuss the oppressive actions of Indian security forces against innocent civilians and the overall situation in Kashmir after the brutal assassination of Burhan Wani,&quot; the Prime Minister&#39;s Office said in a statement. 
The meeting at Governor House in Lahore will discuss the &quot;rapidly deteriorating situation&quot; in Kashmir and the Prime Minister will chalk out a &quot;future course of action&quot; on the issue, it said. 
The statement also noted that on the directions of the Prime Minister, the foreign office summoned the Indian high commissioner to the foreign office and conveyed the &quot;strong concerns of the Pakistani government and people on rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir and increasing oppression by Indian security forces.&quot; 
It said that a detailed briefing was also given to ambassadors of all permanent members of UN security council of UN &quot;regarding atrocities of the security forces.&quot; 
India had asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs after Sharif issued a statement expressing &quot;shock&quot; at the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. 
Sharif today said the &quot;voice and struggle&quot; of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through use of &quot;brutal force and human rights abuses&quot;. 
He said this during a meeting with PoK Parliament Special Committee Chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Lahore. 
During the meeting, Rehman apprised the Prime Minister on his recent talks with separatist leaders over the &quot;human rights violations&quot; by Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir. 
Rehman said the &quot;Kashmiri leadership looks towards Pakistan in difficult times&quot;, according to an official statement. 
Sharif said, &quot;The government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and will continue to support the Kashmir cause at each and every forum internationally come what may.&quot; 
&quot;The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible by the realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the UNSC resolutions, through a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices,&quot; Sharif said. 
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also briefed the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of the member countries of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Niger) over the situation in the Valley. 
In the meeting, Pakistan called on the OIC member states to raise their voice against &quot;the blatant human rights violations&quot; of Kashmiri Muslims. 
The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Ambassadors of the European Union over the situation and emphasised the need for a fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

It will discuss the 'oppressive actions of Indian security forces' and the overall situation after the 'brutal assassination of Burhan Wani'

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a special Cabinet meeting in Lahore on Friday to discuss the "deteriorating situation" in violence-hit Kashmir and chalk out a "future course of action" on the issue. "The Cabinet will discuss the oppressive actions of Indian security forces against innocent civilians and the overall situation in Kashmir after the brutal assassination of Burhan Wani," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. The meeting at Governor House in Lahore will discuss the "rapidly deteriorating situation" in Kashmir and the Prime Minister will chalk out a "future course of action" on the issue, it said. The statement also noted that on the directions of the Prime Minister, the foreign office summoned the Indian high commissioner to the foreign office and conveyed the "strong concerns of the Pakistani government and people on rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir and increasing oppression by Indian security forces." It said that a detailed briefing was also given to ambassadors of all permanent members of UN security council of UN "regarding atrocities of the security forces." India had asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs after Sharif issued a statement expressing "shock" at the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Sharif today said the "voice and struggle" of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through use of "brutal force and human rights abuses". He said this during a meeting with PoK Parliament Special Committee Chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Lahore. During the meeting, Rehman apprised the Prime Minister on his recent talks with separatist leaders over the "human rights violations" by Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Rehman said the "Kashmiri leadership looks towards Pakistan in difficult times", according to an official statement. Sharif said, "The government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and will continue to support the Kashmir cause at each and every forum internationally come what may." "The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible by the realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the UNSC resolutions, through a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices," Sharif said. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also briefed the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of the member countries of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Niger) over the situation in the Valley. In the meeting, Pakistan called on the OIC member states to raise their voice against "the blatant human rights violations" of Kashmiri Muslims. The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Ambassadors of the European Union over the situation and emphasised the need for a fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings. (PTI)

Pakistan PM calls special Cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss Kashmir situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired a high-level meeting on the situation in Kashmir Valley, which has been rocked by violent protests in the wake of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani.&nbsp;Back from a visit to four African countries, Modi convened a meeting of Union Ministers and senior officials. 
 
The Prime Minister was given a detailed presentation of the situation prevailing in the Valley which has witnessed escalating protests following the killing of Wani on Friday.&nbsp;Violent clashes between security forces and protestors have so far left 24 dead. 
 
The meeting was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj,&nbsp;Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar among others. 
 
Yesterday, Parrikar, Jaitley and Doval, who returned a day earlier from Africa where he was accompanying the Prime Minister, had met to discuss the situation.&nbsp;The Ministers were briefed by Chiefs of central security agencies about the steps taken to bring back peace and normalcy in the Valley. 
 
All forces have been asked to ensure security of Amarnath pilgrims and enhance vigil along the border to check fresh attempts of infiltration from across the border.&nbsp;Sources said security forces were asked to ensure judicious use of force against protesting civilians. 
 
Parrikar had told reporters that an overall assessment of security situation in Kashmir has to be done by the Home Ministry and Army was ready to provide any assistance like increasing force levels in any areas required. 
 
Earlier, the Home Minister had reached out to opposition leaders, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Parliamentary leaders of all parties, and discussed the prevailing situation there. 
 
During the telephone conversation with Gandhi and National Conference leader Omar, the Home Minister had discussed with them efforts to bring back peace and normalcy in Kashmir Valley. 
 
(PTI)

The region has been rocked by violent protests in the wake of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, leaving 24 dead

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired a high-level meeting on the situation in Kashmir Valley, which has been rocked by violent protests in the wake of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Back from a visit to four African countries, Modi convened a meeting of Union Ministers and senior officials. The Prime Minister was given a detailed presentation of the situation prevailing in the Valley which has witnessed escalating protests following the killing of Wani on Friday. Violent clashes between security forces and protestors have so far left 24 dead. The meeting was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar among others. Yesterday, Parrikar, Jaitley and Doval, who returned a day earlier from Africa where he was accompanying the Prime Minister, had met to discuss the situation. The Ministers were briefed by Chiefs of central security agencies about the steps taken to bring back peace and normalcy in the Valley. All forces have been asked to ensure security of Amarnath pilgrims and enhance vigil along the border to check fresh attempts of infiltration from across the border. Sources said security forces were asked to ensure judicious use of force against protesting civilians. Parrikar had told reporters that an overall assessment of security situation in Kashmir has to be done by the Home Ministry and Army was ready to provide any assistance like increasing force levels in any areas required. Earlier, the Home Minister had reached out to opposition leaders, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Parliamentary leaders of all parties, and discussed the prevailing situation there. During the telephone conversation with Gandhi and National Conference leader Omar, the Home Minister had discussed with them efforts to bring back peace and normalcy in Kashmir Valley. (PTI)

Indian PM Narendra Modi meets with ministers and senior officials over fatal Kashmir clashes

London, United Kingdom: &nbsp;Andrea Leadsom, one of two candidates to be the next British prime minister, has caused an uproar by suggesting that being a mother means she has a greater stake in the country&#39;s future than her childless rival Theresa May. 
 
A little-known junior energy minister until she emerged as one of the most ardent voices in the campaign to leave the European Union, Leadsom is the outsider in the contest to succeed David Cameron as Conservative leader and prime minister. 
 
Cameron, who had campaigned for Britain to stay in the bloc, announced he would quit after the June 23 referendum delivered a vote for Brexit. May, the interior minister who also advocated remaining in the EU, is the favourite to replace him. 
 
&quot;I am sure she will be really sad she doesn&#39;t have children so I don&#39;t want this to be &#39;Andrea has children, Theresa hasn&#39;t&#39; because I think that would be really horrible,&quot; Leadsom told the Times newspaper, which has declared its support for May. 
 
&quot;But genuinely I feel being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake. She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people. But I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next.&quot; 
 
Leadsom denounced the Times article on Twitter as &quot;gutter journalism&quot; and on Saturday made a televised statement outside her home to say she had made clear that the issue of her motherhood should not be a feature of the campaign. 
 
&quot;I want to be crystal clear that everyone has an equal stake in our society and in the future of our country,&quot; she said. 
 
The Times stood by its story and released an audio recording of Leadsom making the comments, which was played on Saturday morning news bulletins on all the main radio and TV stations. 
 
May made no comment on Leadsom&#39;s interview, merely tweeting: &quot;Yesterday, I launched my clean campaign pledge and invite @AndreaLeadsom to join me in signing it.&quot; 
 
That was a reference to five commitments May made on Friday, including to ensure that campaigning &quot;stays within the acceptable limits of political debate&quot;. 
 
&quot;VILE&quot; 
 
May and Leadsom were selected by Conservative lawmakers from an original field of five candidates. May was backed by 199 lawmakers, while Leadsom received support from 84. The contest now moves to the party&#39;s 150,000 grassroots members, who will elect the winner by Sept. 9. 
 
The comments made in the Times by Leadsom, a devout Christian who wants to swiftly launch the legal process of exiting the EU and end freedom of movement rights if elected, drew sharp criticism from several Conservative lawmakers. 
 
&quot;I am childless. I have nieces and nephews. I believe I - like everyone else - have a very real stake in our country,&quot; tweeted Ruth Davidson, leader of the party&#39;s Scottish arm, who had previously declared her support for May in the contest. 
 
Lawmaker Alan Duncan, also a May supporter, called Leadsom&#39;s comments &quot;vile&quot;, while colleague Antoinette Sandbach said Leadsom had shown &quot;a lack of judgment&quot;. 
 
Leadsom&#39;s bid, which has enthused some of the more staunchly eurosceptic people on the right of the party, had already been marred by questions over whether she had overstated her professional experience in finance. 
 
One of Leadsom&#39;s most vocal supporters, junior defence minister Penny Mordaunt, defended her comments on motherhood. 
 
&quot;She was talking about what motivates her personally,&quot; Mordaunt told BBC radio. &quot;This is an attempt I think by a paper that has declared for the other candidate to smear Andrea.&quot; 
 
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday newspaper last week, May had spoken of the sadness she and her husband Philip had experienced after being unable to have children. 
 
&quot;Of course we were both affected by it. You see friends who now have grown-up children, but you accept the hand that life deals you,&quot; she said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

London, United Kingdom: Andrea Leadsom, one of two candidates to be the next British prime minister, has caused an uproar by suggesting that being a mother means she has a greater stake in the country's future than her childless rival Theresa May. A little-known junior energy minister until she emerged as one of the most ardent voices in the campaign to leave the European Union, Leadsom is the outsider in the contest to succeed David Cameron as Conservative leader and prime minister. Cameron, who had campaigned for Britain to stay in the bloc, announced he would quit after the June 23 referendum delivered a vote for Brexit. May, the interior minister who also advocated remaining in the EU, is the favourite to replace him. "I am sure she will be really sad she doesn't have children so I don't want this to be 'Andrea has children, Theresa hasn't' because I think that would be really horrible," Leadsom told the Times newspaper, which has declared its support for May. "But genuinely I feel being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake. She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people. But I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next." Leadsom denounced the Times article on Twitter as "gutter journalism" and on Saturday made a televised statement outside her home to say she had made clear that the issue of her motherhood should not be a feature of the campaign. "I want to be crystal clear that everyone has an equal stake in our society and in the future of our country," she said. The Times stood by its story and released an audio recording of Leadsom making the comments, which was played on Saturday morning news bulletins on all the main radio and TV stations. May made no comment on Leadsom's interview, merely tweeting: "Yesterday, I launched my clean campaign pledge and invite @AndreaLeadsom to join me in signing it." That was a reference to five commitments May made on Friday, including to ensure that campaigning "stays within the acceptable limits of political debate". "VILE" May and Leadsom were selected by Conservative lawmakers from an original field of five candidates. May was backed by 199 lawmakers, while Leadsom received support from 84. The contest now moves to the party's 150,000 grassroots members, who will elect the winner by Sept. 9. The comments made in the Times by Leadsom, a devout Christian who wants to swiftly launch the legal process of exiting the EU and end freedom of movement rights if elected, drew sharp criticism from several Conservative lawmakers. "I am childless. I have nieces and nephews. I believe I - like everyone else - have a very real stake in our country," tweeted Ruth Davidson, leader of the party's Scottish arm, who had previously declared her support for May in the contest. Lawmaker Alan Duncan, also a May supporter, called Leadsom's comments "vile", while colleague Antoinette Sandbach said Leadsom had shown "a lack of judgment". Leadsom's bid, which has enthused some of the more staunchly eurosceptic people on the right of the party, had already been marred by questions over whether she had overstated her professional experience in finance. One of Leadsom's most vocal supporters, junior defence minister Penny Mordaunt, defended her comments on motherhood. "She was talking about what motivates her personally," Mordaunt told BBC radio. "This is an attempt I think by a paper that has declared for the other candidate to smear Andrea." In an interview with the Mail on Sunday newspaper last week, May had spoken of the sadness she and her husband Philip had experienced after being unable to have children. "Of course we were both affected by it. You see friends who now have grown-up children, but you accept the hand that life deals you," she said. (Reuters)

Britain PM contender Leadsom says she has greater stake in country because she is a mother, causes uproar

Embattled Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appeared likely to retain power after gaining the support of a key independent on Thursday, although the closeness of the vote signalled more tough political and economic times ahead. 
 
There were signs that the political instability after Saturday&#39;s cliffhanger election was beginning to take its toll on the Australian economy, with Standard and Poor cutting Australia&#39;s credit rating outlook to negative from stable, threatening a downgrade of its coveted triple A status. 
 
Turnbull flew to northern Queensland state to win reluctant support from Bob Katter, a maverick former member of the ruling conservative coalition who is now a potential kingmaker if Turnbull is unable to win the 76 lower house seats needed to form the government. 
 
&quot;Today we are announcing our support ... for a Turnbull government. I do so with no great enthusiasm,&quot; Katter told reporters. &quot;I will maintain my right to change at any point of time in the future.&quot; 
 
Katter&#39;s support gives Turnbull&#39;s coalition a total of 74 seats, according to the latest Australian Broadcasting Corp. projections, as vote counting continues. 
 
Labor is projected to win 66 seats, meaning they would need to win the six seats still being counted and do deals with all the four remaining independents to form government - a scenario considered extremely unlikely by pollsters. 
 
&quot;I remain confident that we will form a government, and we will unite the parliament as far as we are able to,&quot; Turnbull told reporters after meeting Katter. 
 
&quot;We will unite the nation in a common purpose to continue to ensure that we have strong economic growth,&quot; he said. 
 
Turnbull, however, will realistically only scrape through with the slimmest of margins and faces an even more hostile upper house Senate, making it difficult for him to pass planned economic reforms. 
 
&#39;Diminished authority&#39; 
 
That point was rammed home by Labor leader Bill Shorten, who acknowledged the coalition would most likely win, but &quot;with a diminished authority, diminished mandate and a very divided political party&quot;. 
 
&quot;If Mister Turnbull is dragged across the line narrowly, his problems and Australia&#39;s are only just beginning,&quot; Shorten said in Perth. 
 
The Australia dollar fell half a US cent after S&amp;P&#39;s announcement, which cited concerns the coalition government would be hampered in its plans to return to budget surplus as it struggles to form a majority government. 
 
&quot;I think what the Australian people want to be assured of today is that there is a clear plan, should we be able to form government, to maintain the fiscal health of this country and that is what the agencies are saying is necessary,&quot; treasurer Scott Morrison told reporters soon after the S&amp;P announcement. 
 
Turnbull&#39;s gamble in calling an election, ostensibly to clear the upper house Senate of what he saw as obstructive minor parties, backfired badly with a much bigger swing to the centre-left Labor opposition than expected. 
 
It also saw minor parties and independents become even more powerful, making it less likely that Turnbull will be able to push his reformist economic agenda, which includes a A$50 billion ($37.6 billion) corporate tax break over 10 years, through an intransigent upper house. 
 
That places Katter and centrist Nick Xenaphon as potential kingmakers with team members in both houses. Two other lower house independents, Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan, have ruled out any deals with the government. 
 
(Reuters)

Bob Katter from Queensland gives a reluctant nod to support Turnbull, warns that he may change his stand anytime in the future

Embattled Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appeared likely to retain power after gaining the support of a key independent on Thursday, although the closeness of the vote signalled more tough political and economic times ahead. There were signs that the political instability after Saturday's cliffhanger election was beginning to take its toll on the Australian economy, with Standard and Poor cutting Australia's credit rating outlook to negative from stable, threatening a downgrade of its coveted triple A status. Turnbull flew to northern Queensland state to win reluctant support from Bob Katter, a maverick former member of the ruling conservative coalition who is now a potential kingmaker if Turnbull is unable to win the 76 lower house seats needed to form the government. "Today we are announcing our support ... for a Turnbull government. I do so with no great enthusiasm," Katter told reporters. "I will maintain my right to change at any point of time in the future." Katter's support gives Turnbull's coalition a total of 74 seats, according to the latest Australian Broadcasting Corp. projections, as vote counting continues. Labor is projected to win 66 seats, meaning they would need to win the six seats still being counted and do deals with all the four remaining independents to form government - a scenario considered extremely unlikely by pollsters. "I remain confident that we will form a government, and we will unite the parliament as far as we are able to," Turnbull told reporters after meeting Katter. "We will unite the nation in a common purpose to continue to ensure that we have strong economic growth," he said. Turnbull, however, will realistically only scrape through with the slimmest of margins and faces an even more hostile upper house Senate, making it difficult for him to pass planned economic reforms. 'Diminished authority' That point was rammed home by Labor leader Bill Shorten, who acknowledged the coalition would most likely win, but "with a diminished authority, diminished mandate and a very divided political party". "If Mister Turnbull is dragged across the line narrowly, his problems and Australia's are only just beginning," Shorten said in Perth. The Australia dollar fell half a US cent after S&P's announcement, which cited concerns the coalition government would be hampered in its plans to return to budget surplus as it struggles to form a majority government. "I think what the Australian people want to be assured of today is that there is a clear plan, should we be able to form government, to maintain the fiscal health of this country and that is what the agencies are saying is necessary," treasurer Scott Morrison told reporters soon after the S&P announcement. Turnbull's gamble in calling an election, ostensibly to clear the upper house Senate of what he saw as obstructive minor parties, backfired badly with a much bigger swing to the centre-left Labor opposition than expected. It also saw minor parties and independents become even more powerful, making it less likely that Turnbull will be able to push his reformist economic agenda, which includes a A$50 billion ($37.6 billion) corporate tax break over 10 years, through an intransigent upper house. That places Katter and centrist Nick Xenaphon as potential kingmakers with team members in both houses. Two other lower house independents, Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan, have ruled out any deals with the government. (Reuters)

Australian PM wins key support, edges closer to forming government

British leadership contender Andrea Leadsom said the UK could pull out of the European Union as early as next year following last week&#39;s referendum vote to leave the bloc. 
 
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Leadsom said she had a fast-track policy for leaving and that only someone who had herself voted to leave the EU could be trusted to take the country out of Europe. 
 
Limited extracts of the interview, without direct quotes on her comments about the timing of an exit, were released by the paper on Saturday. 
 
Leadsom, 53, has emerged as the top pro-Brexit contender to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron as leader of the ruling Conservative party, according to newspapers. 
 
The front runner, interior minister Theresa May, was a supporter of the campaign to stay in the EU, which some political analysts believe may count against her. 
 
The newspaper quoted Leadsom, who is expected to announce her candidacy on Monday, as saying she admired the leadership qualities and toughness of former Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher who drove notoriously hard bargains with EU leaders during her time in office in the 1980s. 
 
&quot;I think that&#39;s an ideal combination and I do like to think that&#39;s where I am,&quot; she said. 
 
Cameron said he would resign following voters&#39; rejection of his campaign to stay in the EU, and lawmakers have to whittle down the five contenders to replace him to just two before Conservative party members take a final vote, expected in early September. 
 
(Reuters)

Leadsom has emerged as the top pro-Brexit contender to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron as leader of the ruling Conservative party

British leadership contender Andrea Leadsom said the UK could pull out of the European Union as early as next year following last week's referendum vote to leave the bloc. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Leadsom said she had a fast-track policy for leaving and that only someone who had herself voted to leave the EU could be trusted to take the country out of Europe. Limited extracts of the interview, without direct quotes on her comments about the timing of an exit, were released by the paper on Saturday. Leadsom, 53, has emerged as the top pro-Brexit contender to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron as leader of the ruling Conservative party, according to newspapers. The front runner, interior minister Theresa May, was a supporter of the campaign to stay in the EU, which some political analysts believe may count against her. The newspaper quoted Leadsom, who is expected to announce her candidacy on Monday, as saying she admired the leadership qualities and toughness of former Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher who drove notoriously hard bargains with EU leaders during her time in office in the 1980s. "I think that's an ideal combination and I do like to think that's where I am," she said. Cameron said he would resign following voters' rejection of his campaign to stay in the EU, and lawmakers have to whittle down the five contenders to replace him to just two before Conservative party members take a final vote, expected in early September. (Reuters)

PM contender Leadsom says UK could leave EU next year

The first candidate to put himself forward to succeed David Cameron as British prime minister, Stephen Crabb, has said a top priority for him would be to take back control of immigration policy. 
 
Crabb, the work and pensions secretary in Cameron&#39;s government, had supported a &quot;Remain&quot; vote in last week&#39;s referendum on the European Union, which saw Britain vote to leave the bloc by 52 to 48 percent. 
 
Cameron, who led the Remain campaign, has announced his resignation and a leadership contest will now take place in the ruling Conservative Party to elect his successor by early September. 
 
&quot;We cannot allow this leadership election to be defined by divisive labels like &#39;Remainer&#39; and &#39;Brexiteer&#39;,&quot; Crabb wrote in a column in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, calling on Conservatives to unite. 
 
Crabb said the people&#39;s verdict on the EU was clear and there would be no going back. A second referendum revisiting the issue was out of the question, he wrote. 
 
&quot;I want to lead a government that delivers on the expectations of the 17 million people who voted for Britain to leave the EU,&quot; he wrote. 
 
&quot;One of the overwhelming messages from that vote was the need to take back control of immigration policy in the UK. So for me, freedom of movement is a red line.&quot; 
 
The Remain camp had argued that if Britain wanted to retain access to the European single market, which it presented as crucial for its economy, it would have to come to a compromise over freedom of movement which is a key principle for the EU. 
 
A former state school pupil who was brought up by his single mother in a social housing home and once worked as a building site labourer,Crabb has been dubbed the &quot;blue collar ticket&quot; by some newspapers. 
 
His background contrasts dramatically with those of Cameron and of Boris Johnson, the former mayor of London who is seen as the frontrunner in the leadership contest, both of whom attended Eton, an elite private boarding school, and Oxford University. 
 
Crabb has gained support from Business Secretary Sajid Javid. 
 
Nominations must be submitted by Thursday. Apart from Johnson, the other senior figure widely expected to join the fray is Home Secretary Theresa May. 
 
(Reuters)

Stephen Crabb, work and pensions secretary in Cameron's government, had supported a "Remain" vote in last week's referendum on EU

The first candidate to put himself forward to succeed David Cameron as British prime minister, Stephen Crabb, has said a top priority for him would be to take back control of immigration policy. Crabb, the work and pensions secretary in Cameron's government, had supported a "Remain" vote in last week's referendum on the European Union, which saw Britain vote to leave the bloc by 52 to 48 percent. Cameron, who led the Remain campaign, has announced his resignation and a leadership contest will now take place in the ruling Conservative Party to elect his successor by early September. "We cannot allow this leadership election to be defined by divisive labels like 'Remainer' and 'Brexiteer'," Crabb wrote in a column in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, calling on Conservatives to unite. Crabb said the people's verdict on the EU was clear and there would be no going back. A second referendum revisiting the issue was out of the question, he wrote. "I want to lead a government that delivers on the expectations of the 17 million people who voted for Britain to leave the EU," he wrote. "One of the overwhelming messages from that vote was the need to take back control of immigration policy in the UK. So for me, freedom of movement is a red line." The Remain camp had argued that if Britain wanted to retain access to the European single market, which it presented as crucial for its economy, it would have to come to a compromise over freedom of movement which is a key principle for the EU. A former state school pupil who was brought up by his single mother in a social housing home and once worked as a building site labourer,Crabb has been dubbed the "blue collar ticket" by some newspapers. His background contrasts dramatically with those of Cameron and of Boris Johnson, the former mayor of London who is seen as the frontrunner in the leadership contest, both of whom attended Eton, an elite private boarding school, and Oxford University. Crabb has gained support from Business Secretary Sajid Javid. Nominations must be submitted by Thursday. Apart from Johnson, the other senior figure widely expected to join the fray is Home Secretary Theresa May. (Reuters)

British PM candidate Crabb says immigration control a top priority

Former Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat&nbsp;was sentenced today to nine years in prison for abuse of power, a charge his lawyer said was a politically motivated attempt to humiliate him. 
 
Filat was arrested during a parliamentary session last October after months of mass street protests over the disappearance of $1 billion from the banking sector, equivalent to one-eighth of the tiny ex-Soviet republic&#39;s economy. He denies any connection to the crime and all charges against him. 
 
Prosecutor Adriana Betisor, who had sought a sentence of 19 years, said the ruling, at the end of a closed trial, was &quot;too soft&quot;, and vowed to continue pursuing other cases against Filat connected to the banking fraud. 
 
&quot;He has pleaded not guilty, but his guilt is clear ... Investigations will continue in other areas,&quot; Betisor said. 
 
Filat&#39;s lawyer, Igor Popa, called the case &quot;a political, well-directed spectacle.&quot; 
 
&quot;Its goal was to destroy Filat as a person, in the most humiliating and crushing manner possible. We will seek a fair trial outside Moldova and will find a lawful ruling,&quot; he said. 
 
Filat, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2013, is credited with putting Moldova on a pro-European path by signing an association agreement with the European Union. But an enduring economic crisis and perceived corruption in the ruling elite pushed his public trust rating into single digits. 
 
He says he has become a scapegoat over the banking scandal, which weakened Moldova&#39;s currency and damaged living standards in what was already Europe&#39;s poorest country. 
 
The crisis has held up the disbursement of valuable budget support from international lenders and highlighted the corrosive rivalry between oligarch groups in Moldova. 
 
The appointment of a new prime minister in January with close ties to Vladimir Plahotniuc, one of Moldova&#39;s richest and most unpopular public figures, angered opposition lawmakers and citizens, who wanted a snap parliamentary election. 
 
(Reuters)

Vlad Filat was arrested last October after months of mass street protests over the disappearance of $1 billion from banking sector

Former Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat was sentenced today to nine years in prison for abuse of power, a charge his lawyer said was a politically motivated attempt to humiliate him. Filat was arrested during a parliamentary session last October after months of mass street protests over the disappearance of $1 billion from the banking sector, equivalent to one-eighth of the tiny ex-Soviet republic's economy. He denies any connection to the crime and all charges against him. Prosecutor Adriana Betisor, who had sought a sentence of 19 years, said the ruling, at the end of a closed trial, was "too soft", and vowed to continue pursuing other cases against Filat connected to the banking fraud. "He has pleaded not guilty, but his guilt is clear ... Investigations will continue in other areas," Betisor said. Filat's lawyer, Igor Popa, called the case "a political, well-directed spectacle." "Its goal was to destroy Filat as a person, in the most humiliating and crushing manner possible. We will seek a fair trial outside Moldova and will find a lawful ruling," he said. Filat, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2013, is credited with putting Moldova on a pro-European path by signing an association agreement with the European Union. But an enduring economic crisis and perceived corruption in the ruling elite pushed his public trust rating into single digits. He says he has become a scapegoat over the banking scandal, which weakened Moldova's currency and damaged living standards in what was already Europe's poorest country. The crisis has held up the disbursement of valuable budget support from international lenders and highlighted the corrosive rivalry between oligarch groups in Moldova. The appointment of a new prime minister in January with close ties to Vladimir Plahotniuc, one of Moldova's richest and most unpopular public figures, angered opposition lawmakers and citizens, who wanted a snap parliamentary election. (Reuters)

Moldovan court jails ex-PM for 9 years for abuse of power

Britain could have a new prime minister by early September, the ruling Conservative Party said today, after David Cameron started laying the groundwork for his successor to trigger the country&#39;s exit from the European Union. 
 
The government is under pressure to fill a vacuum left when Cameron announced he would resign by October after Britain ignored his advice and voted to leave the 28-member bloc in last week&#39;s referendum. 
 
Triggering a leadership battle which could draw in some of his closest advisers, Cameron urged ministers to work together in the meantime. But he also formed a separate unit, staffed by public servants, to help advise Britain on its departure and its options for a future outside the EU. 
 
Graham Brady, chair of the &quot;1922 committee&quot; of Conservative lawmakers which sets the party&#39;s ground rules in parliament, said the group had recommended that the leadership contest should begin next week and conclude no later than Sept. 2. 
 
That recommendation will almost certainly be passed. 
 
&quot;Both the Conservatives and the country more generally really want certainty. We would like a resolution and we think it would be a good thing to conclude this process as soon as we practicably can,&quot; Brady told Sky News. 
 
He said there should be no new parliamentary election before Britain had negotiated the terms of its exit from the EU. 
 
Several Conservative lawmakers have urged leadership candidates to try to broker a deal quickly to make sure that any campaign is as painless as possible, to avoid deepening divisions exposed during the referendum campaign. 
 
&quot;A leadership contest now is not in the interests of our country,&quot; said Justine Greening, international development minister. &quot;It will mean our party focuses inward at the very time our country most needs us to focus outward.&quot; 
 
Jockeying for position 
 
All eyes are on former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent of the &quot;Leave&quot; campaigners and now bookmakers&#39; favourite to succeed Cameron. 
 
But not all party members back him and many are pressing for &quot;Anyone But Boris&quot;, seeing his decision to back the Leave campaign as a betrayal of his former ally Cameron, according to media reports. 
 
Cameron&#39;s spokeswoman declined to comment on the leadership battle and said there had been no discussion at today&#39;s cabinet meeting, which did not include Johnson, about the possibility of an early parliamentary election. 
 
Instead, she said, the Prime Minister had urged unity both in government and in the country and had announced he had set up an advisory unit to help manage Britain&#39;s departure from the European Union and to make sure his successor has all the possible information necessary to decide the country&#39;s future. 
 
The unit would &quot;make sure we have done the groundwork ready for a new prime minister. So it is about preparing advice on the whole range of issues that will need to be looked at, things like transitional issues,&quot; she said, adding that Oliver Letwin, a lawmaker and friend of Cameron&#39;s, would be involved in it. 
 
For now, the priority was working together on government business, which some critics say has been all but put on hold since campaigning for the referendum began in February, and reassuring the many migrants who fear their status may change. 
 
Cameron would not put up with intolerance, she added, after reports that migrants, particularly those from Poland, had been told by some Britons to &quot;go home&quot; after the referendum. 
 
&quot;Across Britain we should be standing together at the moment, to not allow the result of this referendum to divide communities or to provoke fear amongst some.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

All eyes are on former London mayor, Boris Johnson, the most prominent of the 'Leave' campaigners expected to succeed David Cameron

Britain could have a new prime minister by early September, the ruling Conservative Party said today, after David Cameron started laying the groundwork for his successor to trigger the country's exit from the European Union. The government is under pressure to fill a vacuum left when Cameron announced he would resign by October after Britain ignored his advice and voted to leave the 28-member bloc in last week's referendum. Triggering a leadership battle which could draw in some of his closest advisers, Cameron urged ministers to work together in the meantime. But he also formed a separate unit, staffed by public servants, to help advise Britain on its departure and its options for a future outside the EU. Graham Brady, chair of the "1922 committee" of Conservative lawmakers which sets the party's ground rules in parliament, said the group had recommended that the leadership contest should begin next week and conclude no later than Sept. 2. That recommendation will almost certainly be passed. "Both the Conservatives and the country more generally really want certainty. We would like a resolution and we think it would be a good thing to conclude this process as soon as we practicably can," Brady told Sky News. He said there should be no new parliamentary election before Britain had negotiated the terms of its exit from the EU. Several Conservative lawmakers have urged leadership candidates to try to broker a deal quickly to make sure that any campaign is as painless as possible, to avoid deepening divisions exposed during the referendum campaign. "A leadership contest now is not in the interests of our country," said Justine Greening, international development minister. "It will mean our party focuses inward at the very time our country most needs us to focus outward." Jockeying for position All eyes are on former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent of the "Leave" campaigners and now bookmakers' favourite to succeed Cameron. But not all party members back him and many are pressing for "Anyone But Boris", seeing his decision to back the Leave campaign as a betrayal of his former ally Cameron, according to media reports. Cameron's spokeswoman declined to comment on the leadership battle and said there had been no discussion at today's cabinet meeting, which did not include Johnson, about the possibility of an early parliamentary election. Instead, she said, the Prime Minister had urged unity both in government and in the country and had announced he had set up an advisory unit to help manage Britain's departure from the European Union and to make sure his successor has all the possible information necessary to decide the country's future. The unit would "make sure we have done the groundwork ready for a new prime minister. So it is about preparing advice on the whole range of issues that will need to be looked at, things like transitional issues," she said, adding that Oliver Letwin, a lawmaker and friend of Cameron's, would be involved in it. For now, the priority was working together on government business, which some critics say has been all but put on hold since campaigning for the referendum began in February, and reassuring the many migrants who fear their status may change. Cameron would not put up with intolerance, she added, after reports that migrants, particularly those from Poland, had been told by some Britons to "go home" after the referendum. "Across Britain we should be standing together at the moment, to not allow the result of this referendum to divide communities or to provoke fear amongst some." (Reuters)

Britain may see new PM by early September, readies for Brexit

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{fc0c6d87-184c-45ce-bacb-2741137430da}{15}" paraid="2055424481" >Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday named electricity minister Imad Khamis as the new prime minister of the war-ravaged country.&nbsp; 
 
Assad tasked Khamis with forming a new government, the official news agency SANA reported.&nbsp; 
He is to submit his proposal for new ministerial appointments in the coming days.&nbsp; 
 
The fifty-four-year-old engineer replaces Wael al-Halqi who had held the post since August 2012.&nbsp; 
 
The changes come two months after Assad&#39;s Baath party and its allies won a majority of seats in parliamentary elections dismissed internationally as a sham.&nbsp; 
 
Khamis had served as Syria&#39;s minister of electricity since 2011 and is an electrical engineer by trade.&nbsp; 
 
Since March 2012, he has been sanctioned by the European Union, which accuses him of sharing &quot;responsibility for the regime&#39;s violent repression against the civilian population.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Syria&#39;s conflict began in 2011 with widespread protests demanding reform but has since escalated into a bloody civil war that has left 280,000 dead.&nbsp; 
 
According to the government, production of electricity has more than halved since the beginning of the crisis.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(AFP)&nbsp;</div>

Electricity minister Imad Khamis has been sanctioned by EU since March 2012 for sharing responsibility for violent repression of civilians

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday named electricity minister Imad Khamis as the new prime minister of the war-ravaged country. Assad tasked Khamis with forming a new government, the official news agency SANA reported. He is to submit his proposal for new ministerial appointments in the coming days. The fifty-four-year-old engineer replaces Wael al-Halqi who had held the post since August 2012. The changes come two months after Assad's Baath party and its allies won a majority of seats in parliamentary elections dismissed internationally as a sham. Khamis had served as Syria's minister of electricity since 2011 and is an electrical engineer by trade. Since March 2012, he has been sanctioned by the European Union, which accuses him of sharing "responsibility for the regime's violent repression against the civilian population." Syria's conflict began in 2011 with widespread protests demanding reform but has since escalated into a bloody civil war that has left 280,000 dead. According to the government, production of electricity has more than halved since the beginning of the crisis. (AFP)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad names new PM for Syria

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today joined over 30,000 people here for the second International Yoga Day celebrations as he pitched for treating diseases like diabetes through the ancient spiritual discipline. 
 
Modi, dressed in a white-coloured t-shirt and trouser along with a scarf, led over 30,000 participants, including defence forces personnel and school children, for the second International Day of Yoga celebrations here at the Capitol Complex amid tight security. 
 
The Prime Minister, who arrived here last night, participated in a mass demonstration of &#39;Common Yoga Protocol&#39;. A yoga enthusiast himself, he performed yoga &#39;asanas&#39; along with the people at the event. 
 
Over 30,000 people from all ages -- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana -- performed yoga &#39;asanas&#39; on pink and blue coloured mats during the event. Separately, about 10,000 people also performed yoga at over 100 other locations in Chandigarh itself. 
Earlier addressing the gathering, Modi pitched for treating diabetes through yoga. 
 
&quot;I want to request trainers who are associated with yoga, from this public platform. From next year when we celebrate yoga day, in this one year, you continue to do what you do for yoga but focus on one subject and this is my subject -- diabetes -- Diabetes and yoga,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;All people belonging to the yoga field, whatever knowledge they have, they must continue with the rest of their yoga activities but this (diabetes) must be the main focus,&quot; Modi said. 
 
Expressing concern over rising number of patients suffering from diabetes, Modi asked yoga trainers to help in controlling the disease. 
&quot;In India, patients suffering from diabetes are rising. We might be able to get rid of this disease or not but with the help of yoga, diabetes can be controlled. Can we start a public campaign to suggest measures in yoga to the common man suffering from diabetes. 
 
&quot;It will be an achievement if we can help in treating diabetes. From next year, we can take another disease. But I want that for good health, we should address any one disease every year. We should run a public campaign with an aim to address one disease,&quot; he said. 
 
Yoga is not only a way to get rid of a disease but it also guarantees wellness. For holistic development of lives, yoga is a great way, he said. 
 
(PTI)

Says it's a great way to treat diseases like diabetes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today joined over 30,000 people here for the second International Yoga Day celebrations as he pitched for treating diseases like diabetes through the ancient spiritual discipline. Modi, dressed in a white-coloured t-shirt and trouser along with a scarf, led over 30,000 participants, including defence forces personnel and school children, for the second International Day of Yoga celebrations here at the Capitol Complex amid tight security. The Prime Minister, who arrived here last night, participated in a mass demonstration of 'Common Yoga Protocol'. A yoga enthusiast himself, he performed yoga 'asanas' along with the people at the event. Over 30,000 people from all ages -- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana -- performed yoga 'asanas' on pink and blue coloured mats during the event. Separately, about 10,000 people also performed yoga at over 100 other locations in Chandigarh itself. Earlier addressing the gathering, Modi pitched for treating diabetes through yoga. "I want to request trainers who are associated with yoga, from this public platform. From next year when we celebrate yoga day, in this one year, you continue to do what you do for yoga but focus on one subject and this is my subject -- diabetes -- Diabetes and yoga," he said. "All people belonging to the yoga field, whatever knowledge they have, they must continue with the rest of their yoga activities but this (diabetes) must be the main focus," Modi said. Expressing concern over rising number of patients suffering from diabetes, Modi asked yoga trainers to help in controlling the disease. "In India, patients suffering from diabetes are rising. We might be able to get rid of this disease or not but with the help of yoga, diabetes can be controlled. Can we start a public campaign to suggest measures in yoga to the common man suffering from diabetes. "It will be an achievement if we can help in treating diabetes. From next year, we can take another disease. But I want that for good health, we should address any one disease every year. We should run a public campaign with an aim to address one disease," he said. Yoga is not only a way to get rid of a disease but it also guarantees wellness. For holistic development of lives, yoga is a great way, he said. (PTI)

Indian PM takes centre stage, leads 2nd International Yoga Day celebrations

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is so committed to &quot;work-life balance&quot; that he took a whole day off during a work trip to Japan last month to celebrate his wedding anniversary. It&#39;s an example he wants his cabinet to follow. 
 
If only it were so easy, his ministers say. 
 
Trudeau&#39;s forthright move while abroad for an important foreign visit followed a 2015 election campaign where he stressed the need for more flexible work hours and parent-leave options for Canadians. 
 
While such luxuries are admirable goals, some of his young Liberal ministers struggle to find a balance between their portfolios and their families. 
 
&quot;Who do you love more? Me or Justin Trudeau?&quot; Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said her six-year-old son asked her as she prepared to fly to Japan with the prime minister. 
 
&quot;That was quite heartbreaking,&quot; the 47-year-old mother of three told a recent panel discussion in Winnipeg, saying she felt inadequate both at home and at the office. 
 
&quot;I worry about my kids and also my husband. And I worry at work - I worry my officials will think, &#39;Oh God, we&#39;re the department that has the mom as a minister.&#39;&quot; 
 
Such angst was absent when Trudeau, 44, came to power last November, promising to boost the role of women in society. He&#39;s already become the first Canadian leader to name a gender-balanced cabinet. 
 
Still, there is a chasm between his words and a political system tilted toward labor in a country in which the average Canadian works 1,704 hours annually, more than in Germany and Australia, but less than in the United States, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 
 
&quot;We need to be serious about a family-friendly House of Commons,&quot; Freeland said in an interview. 
 
Freeland is not alone. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna tries to turn off her mobile phone for two hours a night to spend time with her husband and three children. 
 
Indian Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett tries to make time for family on Sunday evenings and long weekends. The pace of work is such that some exhausted aides need to be sent home. 
 
Trudeau has been clear about the need to &quot;recharge our batteries,&quot; Bennett said. &quot;When you&#39;re over-tired, you get grumpy and then you&#39;re not able to do a good job.&quot; 
 
The problem is not limited to the women in cabinet either. 
 
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, who says he must fight for time with his two young daughters, on Wednesday told a business audience that he has not gotten work-life balance right. 
 
Trudeau, pressed by Reuters about his ministers&#39; experiences, said quality of work was directly related to peoples&#39; home lives and how much they were sleeping. 
 
&quot;We recognize that being a minister, being a prime minister, is a very demanding job and getting that balance right continues to be a challenge,&quot; he told reporters on June 10. 
 
The Canadian prime minister is not the only world leader to see value in balance. 
 
U.S. President Barack Obama sometimes takes time for tourism during trips abroad, such as a recent round of golf with British Prime Minister David Cameron at a course outside London. 
 
Trudeau&#39;s efforts suffered a setback on Wednesday when a committee probing ways of making Parliament more family-friendly decided against recommending the institution shut down on Fridays to allow legislators to return home earlier. 
 
The measure met resistance from opposition legislators who said they needed to hold the government to account five days a week. 
 
Trudeau is sensitive to ministers&#39; personal lives and tries to schedule meetings so they can make family or constituency commitments, said House leader Dominic LeBlanc. 
 
&quot;On an evening or a weekend, if you get a phone call from the Prime Minister, he begins by, &#39;Sorry to bother you on a Saturday, but...&#39;&quot; he said. 
 
Skeptics wonder how much Trudeau can achieve. 
 
Chris Higgins, a professor at the University of Western Ontario&#39;s Ivey Business School and co-author of three national studies on working life, is not convinced by the prime minister&#39;s reason for downtime in Japan. 
 
&quot;What he&#39;s doing has nothing to do with work-life balance. He&#39;s just taking a day off,&quot; he said in an interview. &quot;People talk about (balance) a lot, but a lot of people don&#39;t really want it. They really want to focus on their careers.&quot; 
 
Adding to the challenge is the enormity of Canada, the world&#39;s second-largest country by area. It can take Liberal legislator Larry Bagnell 14 hours to fly home to the Yukon territory in the far northwest. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s brutal. Two days of your life are gone, flying, per week,&quot; said Bagnell, the father of children ages 4 and 7. &quot;It&#39;s very hard to do justice to time with your children.&quot;

Trudeau took a full day off during a work trip to celebrate his wedding anniversary

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is so committed to "work-life balance" that he took a whole day off during a work trip to Japan last month to celebrate his wedding anniversary. It's an example he wants his cabinet to follow. If only it were so easy, his ministers say. Trudeau's forthright move while abroad for an important foreign visit followed a 2015 election campaign where he stressed the need for more flexible work hours and parent-leave options for Canadians. While such luxuries are admirable goals, some of his young Liberal ministers struggle to find a balance between their portfolios and their families. "Who do you love more? Me or Justin Trudeau?" Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said her six-year-old son asked her as she prepared to fly to Japan with the prime minister. "That was quite heartbreaking," the 47-year-old mother of three told a recent panel discussion in Winnipeg, saying she felt inadequate both at home and at the office. "I worry about my kids and also my husband. And I worry at work - I worry my officials will think, 'Oh God, we're the department that has the mom as a minister.'" Such angst was absent when Trudeau, 44, came to power last November, promising to boost the role of women in society. He's already become the first Canadian leader to name a gender-balanced cabinet. Still, there is a chasm between his words and a political system tilted toward labor in a country in which the average Canadian works 1,704 hours annually, more than in Germany and Australia, but less than in the United States, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. "We need to be serious about a family-friendly House of Commons," Freeland said in an interview. Freeland is not alone. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna tries to turn off her mobile phone for two hours a night to spend time with her husband and three children. Indian Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett tries to make time for family on Sunday evenings and long weekends. The pace of work is such that some exhausted aides need to be sent home. Trudeau has been clear about the need to "recharge our batteries," Bennett said. "When you're over-tired, you get grumpy and then you're not able to do a good job." The problem is not limited to the women in cabinet either. Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, who says he must fight for time with his two young daughters, on Wednesday told a business audience that he has not gotten work-life balance right. Trudeau, pressed by Reuters about his ministers' experiences, said quality of work was directly related to peoples' home lives and how much they were sleeping. "We recognize that being a minister, being a prime minister, is a very demanding job and getting that balance right continues to be a challenge," he told reporters on June 10. The Canadian prime minister is not the only world leader to see value in balance. U.S. President Barack Obama sometimes takes time for tourism during trips abroad, such as a recent round of golf with British Prime Minister David Cameron at a course outside London. Trudeau's efforts suffered a setback on Wednesday when a committee probing ways of making Parliament more family-friendly decided against recommending the institution shut down on Fridays to allow legislators to return home earlier. The measure met resistance from opposition legislators who said they needed to hold the government to account five days a week. Trudeau is sensitive to ministers' personal lives and tries to schedule meetings so they can make family or constituency commitments, said House leader Dominic LeBlanc. "On an evening or a weekend, if you get a phone call from the Prime Minister, he begins by, 'Sorry to bother you on a Saturday, but...'" he said. Skeptics wonder how much Trudeau can achieve. Chris Higgins, a professor at the University of Western Ontario's Ivey Business School and co-author of three national studies on working life, is not convinced by the prime minister's reason for downtime in Japan. "What he's doing has nothing to do with work-life balance. He's just taking a day off," he said in an interview. "People talk about (balance) a lot, but a lot of people don't really want it. They really want to focus on their careers." Adding to the challenge is the enormity of Canada, the world's second-largest country by area. It can take Liberal legislator Larry Bagnell 14 hours to fly home to the Yukon territory in the far northwest. "It's brutal. Two days of your life are gone, flying, per week," said Bagnell, the father of children ages 4 and 7. "It's very hard to do justice to time with your children."

Canada PM pushes work-life balance, cabinet too busy to listen

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{182}" paraid="1662290056">A few months after he was voted into office in May 2014, Indian&nbsp;Prime&nbsp;Minister Narendra Modi launched the&nbsp;Swachh&nbsp;Bharat&nbsp;Abhiyan&nbsp;or the Clean India Mission.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{189}" paraid="962584056">The campaign aims to clean up India&#39;s cities by the time Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s&nbsp;150th birth anniversary comes round&nbsp;on October 2,&nbsp;2019.&nbsp;Gandhi was big on cleanliness. &ldquo;We can no more gain God&rsquo;s blessing with an unclean body than with an unclean mind. A clean body cannot reside in an unclean city,&rdquo; he wrote in the journal Young India in 1925.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{192}" paraid="1084963738">The Clean India Mission also wants to put a stop to open defecation.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{213}" paraid="1292518957">A&nbsp;billion people defecate in the open&nbsp;the world over. South Asia is among&nbsp;the worst offenders.&nbsp;In India&nbsp;597 million people &ndash; or half the country &ndash; defecate in the open, 41 million do so in Pakistan, as do 15 million (that&#39;s more than half the country) in Nepal. Diseases&nbsp;like&nbsp;cholera,&nbsp;diarrhoea&nbsp;and typhoid,&nbsp;for example, is a natural outcome.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{218}" paraid="384175414">Prime Minister Modi kicked off his mission by picking up a broom and sweeping the road near Gandhi&#39;s memorial in Delhi. It is thought of as being one of his pet projects,&nbsp;but he is not going to find the going easy, as a short walk would tell him.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{220}" paraid="1907312861">((insert picture of Modi with broom at&nbsp;Rajghat))&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{242}" paraid="154697890">A&nbsp;stone&#39;s throw from&nbsp;his&nbsp;official&nbsp;residence, 7, Race Course Road,&nbsp;lies the&nbsp;Bhaiya&nbsp;Ram Camp slum. Of the 5,000 people who live here, 90&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;do not have toilets in their homes and have to make do&nbsp;with 16 communal toilets. There are no sewer lines, open drains run through the camp&nbsp;and as many as 90 households share one tap.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{8f4f7417-4c1c-4dc3-aa39-dba586701abe}{244}" paraid="45645244">The lack of sanitation is frustrating, says&nbsp;Jyoti, who lives in the slum. &quot;The government claims that they have built a million toilets across India but I think the Clean India Mission is active only near their bungalows and not in our slums.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{17}" paraid="1744240119">Jyoti&nbsp;begins each morning with a 400-metre walk to the communal toilets. The toilets do not have running water&nbsp;so&nbsp;she carries a small bucket with her. There is no polite way to say this,&nbsp;but the toilets&nbsp;which&nbsp;Jyoti&nbsp;shows us, are filthy. And they smell.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{23}" paraid="2007065508">Jyoti&nbsp;has had&nbsp;diarrhoea&nbsp;three times since last December.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{30}" paraid="1133764903">That&#39;s not all. &ldquo;The situation worsens at night. Women have been assaulted at night in the communal toilets. So if we need the bathroom after dark we go near the drains behind our homes,&rdquo; says&nbsp;Jyoti. And adds, &ldquo;We have to risk our dignity every time we want to go to the toilet. Why does nobody care about our dignity?&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{56}" paraid="1890053748">Ministry of&nbsp;drinking&nbsp;water and&nbsp;sanitation&nbsp;secretary&nbsp;Parmeshwaran&nbsp;Iyer&nbsp;told WION that the government had&nbsp;built 13 million toilets since the start of the mission.&nbsp;&quot;It&nbsp;is not a number&#39;s game. More important is to look at the shift in&nbsp;behaviour&nbsp;and mindsets.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{65}" paraid="597236208">What he means is that the government might build toilets, but you&nbsp;still&nbsp;have&nbsp;to convince people to use them. That,&nbsp;he says, is going to be the difficult part of the Clean India Mission. &ldquo;Today we have only 13 districts which are open defecation-free.&rdquo; (India has a total of 688 districts.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{74}" paraid="2097714748">Mr&nbsp;Modi&nbsp;could still manage to pull off what even the Mahatma (the honorific means great soul) was not able to. But for that he will have to look for inspiration to his country&#39;s smaller&nbsp;neighbour&nbsp;to the east, Bangladesh, which in the&nbsp;past 15 years has virtually wiped out open defecation from its soil.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{99}" paraid="450883143">Only&nbsp;1&nbsp;per cent of Bangladesh&#39;s population today does not have access to toilets &ndash; the number was 42&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;in 2003. Bangladesh did it by focusing intensively on education, information, and interpersonal communication,&nbsp;which means that they&nbsp;did&nbsp;not&nbsp;just build a toilet in every home,&nbsp;but also talked to and educated their populace on why they should be using toilets.&nbsp;They got non-governmental and other&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;like the World Bank, WHO&nbsp;(World Health&nbsp;Organisation), and UNICEF&nbsp;(United Nations International Children&#39;s Emergency&nbsp;Fund)&nbsp;to help. Somewhat more coercively, the government also encouraged the creation of social pressure and got it to bear on people to get them to change their toilet etiquette.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{111}" paraid="1247452205">Iyer&nbsp;says they&nbsp;are doing the same thing in India. That all hands are needed on deck&nbsp;and that NGOs&nbsp;(non-governmental&nbsp;organisations)&nbsp;and civil society are being roped in.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{122}" paraid="873859267">Jyoti&nbsp;and her fellow residents&nbsp;at&nbsp;BR Camp say thank you and remind&nbsp;Iyer,&nbsp;and Prime Minister Modi,&nbsp;that not only will they have to build toilets but also maintain them. (They are somewhat upset that they seem to have been ignored while the rest of the country undergoes massive change.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{0285b3de-2e3d-4ab6-8b55-70cbb4708ed8}{128}" paraid="623064894">Less euphemistically and pointing to the overflowing toilets, the heaps of garbage lying around&nbsp;and the blocked sewers,&nbsp;Jyoti&nbsp;says: &ldquo;The stench is unbearable, children have to walk through this everyday and our health remains at risk.&rdquo;&nbsp;</div>

Half of India still defecates in the open including those in the slum on the other side of the road from the PM

A few months after he was voted into office in May 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or the Clean India Mission. The campaign aims to clean up India's cities by the time Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary comes round on October 2, 2019. Gandhi was big on cleanliness. “We can no more gain God’s blessing with an unclean body than with an unclean mind. A clean body cannot reside in an unclean city,” he wrote in the journal Young India in 1925. The Clean India Mission also wants to put a stop to open defecation. A billion people defecate in the open the world over. South Asia is among the worst offenders. In India 597 million people – or half the country – defecate in the open, 41 million do so in Pakistan, as do 15 million (that's more than half the country) in Nepal. Diseases like cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid, for example, is a natural outcome. Prime Minister Modi kicked off his mission by picking up a broom and sweeping the road near Gandhi's memorial in Delhi. It is thought of as being one of his pet projects, but he is not going to find the going easy, as a short walk would tell him. ((insert picture of Modi with broom at Rajghat)) A stone's throw from his official residence, 7, Race Course Road, lies the Bhaiya Ram Camp slum. Of the 5,000 people who live here, 90 per cent do not have toilets in their homes and have to make do with 16 communal toilets. There are no sewer lines, open drains run through the camp and as many as 90 households share one tap. The lack of sanitation is frustrating, says Jyoti, who lives in the slum. "The government claims that they have built a million toilets across India but I think the Clean India Mission is active only near their bungalows and not in our slums.” Jyoti begins each morning with a 400-metre walk to the communal toilets. The toilets do not have running water so she carries a small bucket with her. There is no polite way to say this, but the toilets which Jyoti shows us, are filthy. And they smell. Jyoti has had diarrhoea three times since last December. That's not all. “The situation worsens at night. Women have been assaulted at night in the communal toilets. So if we need the bathroom after dark we go near the drains behind our homes,” says Jyoti. And adds, “We have to risk our dignity every time we want to go to the toilet. Why does nobody care about our dignity?” Ministry of drinking water and sanitation secretary Parmeshwaran Iyer told WION that the government had built 13 million toilets since the start of the mission. "It is not a number's game. More important is to look at the shift in behaviour and mindsets.” What he means is that the government might build toilets, but you still have to convince people to use them. That, he says, is going to be the difficult part of the Clean India Mission. “Today we have only 13 districts which are open defecation-free.” (India has a total of 688 districts.) Mr Modi could still manage to pull off what even the Mahatma (the honorific means great soul) was not able to. But for that he will have to look for inspiration to his country's smaller neighbour to the east, Bangladesh, which in the past 15 years has virtually wiped out open defecation from its soil. Only 1 per cent of Bangladesh's population today does not have access to toilets – the number was 42 per cent in 2003. Bangladesh did it by focusing intensively on education, information, and interpersonal communication, which means that they did not just build a toilet in every home, but also talked to and educated their populace on why they should be using toilets. They got non-governmental and other organisations like the World Bank, WHO (World Health Organisation), and UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) to help. Somewhat more coercively, the government also encouraged the creation of social pressure and got it to bear on people to get them to change their toilet etiquette. Iyer says they are doing the same thing in India. That all hands are needed on deck and that NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and civil society are being roped in. Jyoti and her fellow residents at BR Camp say thank you and remind Iyer, and Prime Minister Modi, that not only will they have to build toilets but also maintain them. (They are somewhat upset that they seem to have been ignored while the rest of the country undergoes massive change.) Less euphemistically and pointing to the overflowing toilets, the heaps of garbage lying around and the blocked sewers, Jyoti says: “The stench is unbearable, children have to walk through this everyday and our health remains at risk.”

Prime Minister Modi says clean India but his voice does not carry across the street from his official residence

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