<p>Israel said on Monday it has scrapped a plan to deport African migrants to Africa and reached an agreement with the U.N. refugee agency to send more than 16,000 to Western countries instead.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Canada, Italy and Germany as some of the nations that will take in the migrants - although they appeared not to have been informed of the plan yet.</p>

<p>Other migrants in Israel, many of whom are seeking asylum, will be allowed to remain in the country, which they entered illegally on foot through the border with Egypt, for at least the next five years.</p>

<p>The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a statement confirmed an agreement was signed with Israel, but did not name the countries that would accept the migrants.&nbsp</p>

<p>But a spokesman for the German Interior Ministry said he was unaware of any plans to resettle African migrants from Israel to Germany.&nbsp</p>

<p>And in Italy, a Foreign Ministry source said: "There is no agreement with Italy in the context of the bilateral agreement between Israel and the UNHCR."</p>

<p>The fate of some 37,000 Africans in Israel has posed a moral dilemma for a state founded as a haven for Jews from persecution and a national home. The right-wing government has been under pressure from its nationalist voter base to expel the migrants.</p>

<p>But the planned mass deportation led to legal challenges in Israel, drew criticism from the United Nations and rights groups and triggered an emotional public debate among Israelis.</p>

<p>In February, Israeli authorities started handing out notices to 20,000 male African migrants giving them two months to leave for a third country in Africa or risk being put in jail indefinitely.</p>

<p>Teklit Michael, who came to Israel from Eritrea a decade ago, said he was delighted by the new deal.</p>

<p>"I saw in the past few years a lot of people lose their hopes because of that deportation to an unsafe place," said Michael, 29.</p>

<p>The Israeli government has offered migrants, most of them from Sudan and Eritrea, $3,500 and a plane ticket to what it says is a safe destination. At immigration hearings, migrants were told they could choose to go to Rwanda or Uganda.</p>

<p>But rights groups advocating on their behalf say that many fled abuse and war and that their expulsion, even to a different country in Africa, would endanger them further.</p>

<p>The groups had challenged the deportation plan in Israel`s High Court, which on March 15 issued a temporary order that froze its implementation.</p>

<p>Netanyahu said the UNHCR had agreed to organise and fund the new plan that would take five years to implement.&nbsp</p>

<p>The UNHCR said it would "facilitate the departure to third countries to be determined of some 16,000 Eritreans and Sudanese under various programmes, including sponsorship, resettlement, family reunion and labour migration schemes, while others will be receiving a suitable legal status in Israel."</p>

<p>"The joint commitment is that `You take out 16,250 and we will leave 16,250 as temporary residents`. That enables the departure of a very large number of people, 6,000 in the first 18 months," Netanyahu said at a news conference in Jerusalem.</p>

<p>The U.N.`s refugee agency had urged Israel to reconsider its original plan, saying migrants who have relocated to sub-Saharan Africa in the past few years were unsafe and ended up on the perilous migrant trail to Europe, some suffering abuse, torture and even dying on the way.</p>

<p>"This agreement will ensure that protection is provided to those who need it," said Volker Türk, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, who signed the agreement on behalf of the UNHCR.&nbsp</p>

<p>The largest community of African migrants, about 15,000, lives in south Tel Aviv, in a poor neighbourhood where shops are dotted with signs in Tigrinya and other African languages and abandoned warehouses have been converted into churches for the largely Christian Eritreans.</p>

<p>Naftali Bennett, leader of the Israeli far-right party Jewish Home - a key member of Netanyahu`s coalition government - said on Twitter that the agreement would encourage more people to enter the country illegally, and he called on Netanyahu to overturn it.</p>

<p>In Italy, rightist politicians said they would fight the deal. "It`s out of the question," said Roberto Calderoli of the League, which emerged as the largest force in a centre-right coalition in an inconclusive election on March 4.</p>

<p>"Have we forgotten that Italy has 600,000 illegal immigrants to expel itself?" said Calderoli, who is also president of the Senate.</p>

<p>Maurizio Gasparri of the rightist Forza Italia party said he was "dumbfounded" by the news.</p>


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Canada, Italy and Germany as some of the nations that will take in the migrants - although they appeared not to have been informed of the plan yet

Israel said on Monday it has scrapped a plan to deport African migrants to Africa and reached an agreement with the U.N. refugee agency to send more than 16,000 to Western countries instead. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Canada, Italy and Germany as some of the nations that will take in the migrants - although they appeared not to have been informed of the plan yet. Other migrants in Israel, many of whom are seeking asylum, will be allowed to remain in the country, which they entered illegally on foot through the border with Egypt, for at least the next five years. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a statement confirmed an agreement was signed with Israel, but did not name the countries that would accept the migrants. But a spokesman for the German Interior Ministry said he was unaware of any plans to resettle African migrants from Israel to Germany. And in Italy, a Foreign Ministry source said: "There is no agreement with Italy in the context of the bilateral agreement between Israel and the UNHCR." The fate of some 37,000 Africans in Israel has posed a moral dilemma for a state founded as a haven for Jews from persecution and a national home. The right-wing government has been under pressure from its nationalist voter base to expel the migrants. But the planned mass deportation led to legal challenges in Israel, drew criticism from the United Nations and rights groups and triggered an emotional public debate among Israelis. In February, Israeli authorities started handing out notices to 20,000 male African migrants giving them two months to leave for a third country in Africa or risk being put in jail indefinitely. Teklit Michael, who came to Israel from Eritrea a decade ago, said he was delighted by the new deal. "I saw in the past few years a lot of people lose their hopes because of that deportation to an unsafe place," said Michael, 29. The Israeli government has offered migrants, most of them from Sudan and Eritrea, $3,500 and a plane ticket to what it says is a safe destination. At immigration hearings, migrants were told they could choose to go to Rwanda or Uganda. But rights groups advocating on their behalf say that many fled abuse and war and that their expulsion, even to a different country in Africa, would endanger them further. The groups had challenged the deportation plan in Israel`s High Court, which on March 15 issued a temporary order that froze its implementation. Netanyahu said the UNHCR had agreed to organise and fund the new plan that would take five years to implement. The UNHCR said it would "facilitate the departure to third countries to be determined of some 16,000 Eritreans and Sudanese under various programmes, including sponsorship, resettlement, family reunion and labour migration schemes, while others will be receiving a suitable legal status in Israel." "The joint commitment is that `You take out 16,250 and we will leave 16,250 as temporary residents`. That enables the departure of a very large number of people, 6,000 in the first 18 months," Netanyahu said at a news conference in Jerusalem. The U.N.`s refugee agency had urged Israel to reconsider its original plan, saying migrants who have relocated to sub-Saharan Africa in the past few years were unsafe and ended up on the perilous migrant trail to Europe, some suffering abuse, torture and even dying on the way. "This agreement will ensure that protection is provided to those who need it," said Volker Türk, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, who signed the agreement on behalf of the UNHCR. The largest community of African migrants, about 15,000, lives in south Tel Aviv, in a poor neighbourhood where shops are dotted with signs in Tigrinya and other African languages and abandoned warehouses have been converted into churches for the largely Christian Eritreans. Naftali Bennett, leader of the Israeli far-right party Jewish Home - a key member of Netanyahu`s coalition government - said on Twitter that the agreement would encourage more people to enter the country illegally, and he called on Netanyahu to overturn it. In Italy, rightist politicians said they would fight the deal. "It`s out of the question," said Roberto Calderoli of the League, which emerged as the largest force in a centre-right coalition in an inconclusive election on March 4. "Have we forgotten that Italy has 600,000 illegal immigrants to expel itself?" said Calderoli, who is also president of the Senate. Maurizio Gasparri of the rightist Forza Italia party said he was "dumbfounded" by the news.

Israel says to send 16,000 African migrants to Western countries

<p>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his ratings battered by a scandal over suspected cronyism, is hoping a series of summits including one with US President Donald Trump will restore his popularity ahead of a crucial ruling party leadership contest.</p>

<p>Abe is expected to meet Trump around April 18 in Washington to discuss Trump's planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in late May. Tokyo has also not ruled out a meeting with Kim Jong Un.</p>

<p>"Mr Abe is the most pro-active on foreign policy among Japanese prime ministers and wants to use that," a ruling coalition lawmaker told.</p>

<p>"Especially ahead of the September Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, he wants to appeal to voters through his meetings with Trump and Putin."</p>

<p>Abe's ratings have fallen sharply due to the scandal over the sale of state-owned land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen, to which Abe's wife had ties, and after a finance ministry admission that documents about the deal were altered.</p>

<p>The slide in his ratings has clouded his prospects of winning a third, three-year term as LDP president, victory in which would set him on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier, a position he's held since 2012.</p>

<p>The LDP leader is virtually assured of being prime minister since an LDP-led coalition holds a majority in parliament.</p>

<p>Abe is hoping his diplomatic performance will distract voters from the domestic scandal.</p>

<p>"He's trying to change the conversation and the chances are it will work," said Gerry Curtis, an emeritus professor at New York's Columbia University.</p>

<p>"On Monday, the betting was Abe would probably announce that he isn't running for a third term. Today, the betting is he will get a third term," he said.</p>

<p>But much depended on opinion polls and whether new allegations of misconduct emerged, Curtis added.</p>

<p>In addition, success at summits is by no means guaranteed.</p>

<p>"Of course, there are risks," the coalition lawmaker said. "Politics is a world of 'no risk, no return'."</p>

<p>Trump has blindsided Tokyo twice in recent weeks, first by announcing that he would meet Kim Jong Un and then by declining to exclude ally Japan from tariffs on steel and aluminium.</p>

<p>Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told Reuters on Tuesday that the two allies were "completely in sync" on North Korea but concerns persist that Trump may do a deal that protects US interests but leaves Japan vulnerable.</p>

<p>On the trade front, Tokyo is pressing Washington to exempt Japan's steel products from the levies and pushing back against demands for a two-way free trade agreement, a stance the government repeated forcefully on Thursday.</p>

<p>Abe may have little concrete to offer Trump on trade other than restating plans, already in the works, to boost defence spending and buy US military equipment.</p>

<p>The Japanese leader may also find it tough to get concessions from Putin in a decades-old row over islands seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War Two. The dispute has kept Moscow and Tokyo from signing a peace treaty.</p>

<p>"Putin is just playing the game," a former senior Japanese diplomat said while adding that even a small breakthrough in the dispute would be a "great success" for Abe.</p>

<p>Any meeting between Abe and Kim Jong Un would be tricky, and forecasts that one will happen are premature, another ruling party lawmaker said.</p>

<p>To gain kudos, Abe needs progress on the emotive issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago, but North Korea would likely want economic aid in return.</p>

<p>Japan's stance, however, has been that aid can only be resumed if the two countries normalise diplomatic relations, which depends on the North abandoning its nuclear and missile programmes as well as resolving the abductee issue.</p>


The slide in his (Abe's) ratings has clouded his prospects of winning a third, three-year term as LDP president

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his ratings battered by a scandal over suspected cronyism, is hoping a series of summits including one with US President Donald Trump will restore his popularity ahead of a crucial ruling party leadership contest. Abe is expected to meet Trump around April 18 in Washington to discuss Trump's planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in late May. Tokyo has also not ruled out a meeting with Kim Jong Un. "Mr Abe is the most pro-active on foreign policy among Japanese prime ministers and wants to use that," a ruling coalition lawmaker told. "Especially ahead of the September Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, he wants to appeal to voters through his meetings with Trump and Putin." Abe's ratings have fallen sharply due to the scandal over the sale of state-owned land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen, to which Abe's wife had ties, and after a finance ministry admission that documents about the deal were altered. The slide in his ratings has clouded his prospects of winning a third, three-year term as LDP president, victory in which would set him on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier, a position he's held since 2012. The LDP leader is virtually assured of being prime minister since an LDP-led coalition holds a majority in parliament. Abe is hoping his diplomatic performance will distract voters from the domestic scandal. "He's trying to change the conversation and the chances are it will work," said Gerry Curtis, an emeritus professor at New York's Columbia University. "On Monday, the betting was Abe would probably announce that he isn't running for a third term. Today, the betting is he will get a third term," he said. But much depended on opinion polls and whether new allegations of misconduct emerged, Curtis added. In addition, success at summits is by no means guaranteed. "Of course, there are risks," the coalition lawmaker said. "Politics is a world of 'no risk, no return'." Trump has blindsided Tokyo twice in recent weeks, first by announcing that he would meet Kim Jong Un and then by declining to exclude ally Japan from tariffs on steel and aluminium. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told Reuters on Tuesday that the two allies were "completely in sync" on North Korea but concerns persist that Trump may do a deal that protects US interests but leaves Japan vulnerable. On the trade front, Tokyo is pressing Washington to exempt Japan's steel products from the levies and pushing back against demands for a two-way free trade agreement, a stance the government repeated forcefully on Thursday. Abe may have little concrete to offer Trump on trade other than restating plans, already in the works, to boost defence spending and buy US military equipment. The Japanese leader may also find it tough to get concessions from Putin in a decades-old row over islands seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War Two. The dispute has kept Moscow and Tokyo from signing a peace treaty. "Putin is just playing the game," a former senior Japanese diplomat said while adding that even a small breakthrough in the dispute would be a "great success" for Abe. Any meeting between Abe and Kim Jong Un would be tricky, and forecasts that one will happen are premature, another ruling party lawmaker said. To gain kudos, Abe needs progress on the emotive issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago, but North Korea would likely want economic aid in return. Japan's stance, however, has been that aid can only be resumed if the two countries normalise diplomatic relations, which depends on the North abandoning its nuclear and missile programmes as well as resolving the abductee issue.

Turning to diplomacy, Japan's Abe hopes to change channel from scandal woes

<p>Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was abased down to any regular person at the John F. Kennedy airport in New York, as viral videos on Youtube show Abbasi being frisked during the security procedure.</p>

<p>Ditching official customs as a visiting dignitary, that too as a Prime Minister of a nuclear-armed nation, Abbasi, who reportedly was on a private visit to meet his ailing sister in the US, can be seen in the video adjusting his t-shirt after getting out of security checks with his jacket and a trolley bag.</p>

<p>Abbasi, however, has a history of making private trips to foreign nations, as according to Geo News, the PM was previously spotted travelling alone at a train station during his visit to Britain.</p>

<p>This comes at a time when Pakistan-USA relations have been strained lately, especially since US President Donald Trump tweeted, "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"</p>

<p>Earlier this month, Vice-President Mike Pence told Abbasi that Pakistan "must do more" against the Taliban and other militants.</p>

<p>"Vice President Pence reiterated President (Donald) Trump's request that the Government of Pakistan must do more to address the continued presence of the Taliban, Haqqani Network, and other terrorist groups operating in their country," the White House said in a statement.</p>

<p>"Pakistan could and should work closer with the United States," Pence said.&nbsp</p>


Abbasi was reportedly was on a private visit to meet his ailing sister in the US

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was abased down to any regular person at the John F. Kennedy airport in New York, as viral videos on Youtube show Abbasi being frisked during the security procedure. Ditching official customs as a visiting dignitary, that too as a Prime Minister of a nuclear-armed nation, Abbasi, who reportedly was on a private visit to meet his ailing sister in the US, can be seen in the video adjusting his t-shirt after getting out of security checks with his jacket and a trolley bag. Abbasi, however, has a history of making private trips to foreign nations, as according to Geo News, the PM was previously spotted travelling alone at a train station during his visit to Britain. This comes at a time when Pakistan-USA relations have been strained lately, especially since US President Donald Trump tweeted, "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Earlier this month, Vice-President Mike Pence told Abbasi that Pakistan "must do more" against the Taliban and other militants. "Vice President Pence reiterated President (Donald) Trump's request that the Government of Pakistan must do more to address the continued presence of the Taliban, Haqqani Network, and other terrorist groups operating in their country," the White House said in a statement. "Pakistan could and should work closer with the United States," Pence said.

Pakistan PM Abbasi 'frisked' at US airport, 'major embarrassment' says media

<p>Records pertaining to the Prime Minister's chartered flights for visits abroad cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act due to security concerns as per instructions from the PMO, the national carrier has said in response to an application filed by an activist under the transparency law.</p>

<p>In his RTI application dated February 2, 2018, Commodore (Retd) Lokesh Batra had sought to know from Air India the dates of invoices raised for chartered flights provided by it for foreign visits of the Prime Minister since November 2016, and the dates of forwarding each of these bills to the Civil Aviation Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry.</p>

<p>According to Batra, he got a response from the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) who said he cannot furnish information sought by him, and also sent him an e-mail communication from the PMO to Air India on the issue.</p>

<p>In that email, sent to an Air India official on December 26, 2016, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had said, "Records pertaining to PM's flight have certain information which may have security implications and are, hence, exempted from disclosure under clause (g) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act, 2005."</p>

<p>"As such, the Air India is advised not to disclose information relating to PM's flight to such RTI queries," it said. It was not clear what had prompted the PMO's email in 2016.</p>

<p>Section 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act exempts from disclosure information that would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes.</p>

<p>Batra had mentioned in his RTI application, "It is observed that still there are considerable delays in settling the chartered flight bills and invoices of Air India in respect of foreign tours of the PM. On the other hand, Air India is being bailed out with huge taxpayers' money.</p>

<p>After receiving the response of Air India, citing the PMO's instructions, Batra wrote to Air India saying that there is no provision in the Act to deny information without giving reasons as per section 7(1) of the Act or without quoting the CIC or court orders for denial of Information.</p>

<p>Air India has responded to his letter saying, "We never deny any information which is available as per our records of accounts Dept. As per provision in the Act we are not supposed to supply any copy of our document or as per section 7(1) of the Act, which is informed by PMO."</p>

<p>Batra has also written to the PMO calling the instruction to Air India a "serious lapse".</p>


An RTI application dated February 2, 2018 had sought to know from Air India the dates of invoices raised for chartered flights provided by it for foreign visits of the Prime Minister

Records pertaining to the Prime Minister's chartered flights for visits abroad cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act due to security concerns as per instructions from the PMO, the national carrier has said in response to an application filed by an activist under the transparency law. In his RTI application dated February 2, 2018, Commodore (Retd) Lokesh Batra had sought to know from Air India the dates of invoices raised for chartered flights provided by it for foreign visits of the Prime Minister since November 2016, and the dates of forwarding each of these bills to the Civil Aviation Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry. According to Batra, he got a response from the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) who said he cannot furnish information sought by him, and also sent him an e-mail communication from the PMO to Air India on the issue. In that email, sent to an Air India official on December 26, 2016, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had said, "Records pertaining to PM's flight have certain information which may have security implications and are, hence, exempted from disclosure under clause (g) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act, 2005." "As such, the Air India is advised not to disclose information relating to PM's flight to such RTI queries," it said. It was not clear what had prompted the PMO's email in 2016. Section 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act exempts from disclosure information that would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes. Batra had mentioned in his RTI application, "It is observed that still there are considerable delays in settling the chartered flight bills and invoices of Air India in respect of foreign tours of the PM. On the other hand, Air India is being bailed out with huge taxpayers' money. After receiving the response of Air India, citing the PMO's instructions, Batra wrote to Air India saying that there is no provision in the Act to deny information without giving reasons as per section 7(1) of the Act or without quoting the CIC or court orders for denial of Information. Air India has responded to his letter saying, "We never deny any information which is available as per our records of accounts Dept. As per provision in the Act we are not supposed to supply any copy of our document or as per section 7(1) of the Act, which is informed by PMO." Batra has also written to the PMO calling the instruction to Air India a "serious lapse".

PM's flight records cannot be disclosed under RTI due to security reasons: Air India

In the 42nd edition of Mann Ki Baat, Modi asked for suggestions for Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary

Full text of PM Modi's Mann ki Baat address

<p>PM Modi on Sunday talked about the importance of preventive healthcare in his monthly programme &#39;Mann Ki Baat&#39;.</p>

<p><strong>Here are the highlights of his speech:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><em><strong>PM Modi wishes the nation on the occasion of Ram Navami.</strong></em></p>

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<h5>We must aim at achieving a &#39;fit India&#39;.</h5>
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<h5>PM Modi urges the citizens of the nation to keep water outside their homes during the summer season for animals and birds.</h5>
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<h5>All farmers should connect with Doordarshan&#39;s channel exclusively for farmers.</h5>
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<h5>When I heard the story of Kanpur based Dr Ajit Mohan Choudhary, of how he visits the underprivileged on footpaths and offers free medicines to them, it gives one an opportunity to feel the sense of brotherhood that prevails in the country.</h5>
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<p><em><strong>PM Modi praises a woman from Uttar Pradesh who built 125 toilets after overcoming steep challenges.</strong></em></p>

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<h5>Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Chaudhary Charan Singh and Chaudhary Devi Lal always gave importance to agriculture and farmers.</h5>
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<h5>Keeping in mind the welfare of farmers, a big decision has been taken in this year&#39;s budget to ensure fair price for their produce.</h5>
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<h5>The entire world today views India as a hub for investment, innovation and development.A clean India and a healthy India are complementary to each other.</h5>
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<h5>Less than a hundred days are now left for the International Yoga Day on June 21. Let us spread awareness about Yoga.</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


"This time, people have written to me about exams, the upcoming vacations, water conservation among other issues," said PM Modi.

PM Modi on Sunday talked about the importance of preventive healthcare in his monthly programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. Here are the highlights of his speech: PM Modi wishes the nation on the occasion of Ram Navami. We must aim at achieving a 'fit India'. × PM Modi urges the citizens of the nation to keep water outside their homes during the summer season for animals and birds. × All farmers should connect with Doordarshan's channel exclusively for farmers. × When I heard the story of Kanpur based Dr Ajit Mohan Choudhary, of how he visits the underprivileged on footpaths and offers free medicines to them, it gives one an opportunity to feel the sense of brotherhood that prevails in the country. × PM Modi praises a woman from Uttar Pradesh who built 125 toilets after overcoming steep challenges. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Chaudhary Charan Singh and Chaudhary Devi Lal always gave importance to agriculture and farmers. × Keeping in mind the welfare of farmers, a big decision has been taken in this year's budget to ensure fair price for their produce. × The entire world today views India as a hub for investment, innovation and development.A clean India and a healthy India are complementary to each other. × Less than a hundred days are now left for the International Yoga Day on June 21. Let us spread awareness about Yoga. ×

We must aim at achieving a 'fit India': PM Modi on 'Mann Ki Baat'

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation in his monthly radio show &#39;Mann ki Baat&#39; today. This is the 42nd edition of the Mann Ki Baat programme.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Here is live streaming of his speech:</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" id="frmwion" scrolling="no" src="http://wionews.dittotv.com/?header=no" width="100%"></iframe></p>


This is the 42nd edition of the Mann Ki Baat programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation in his monthly radio show 'Mann ki Baat' today. This is the 42nd edition of the Mann Ki Baat programme. Here is live streaming of his speech:

PM Narendra Modi addresses nation on 'Mann ki Baat', listen live

<p>Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday claimed that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will be the next Prime Minister and nobody can stop that from happening.</p>

<p>&quot;Nobody can stop Rahul Gandhi from becoming the Prime Minister of the country in 2019,&quot; Siddaramaiah exclaimed while speaking at the 84th Congress Plenary Session in Delhi earlier today.</p>

<p>The Chief Minister also expressed confidence in winning the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls.</p>

<p>&quot;I am confident that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi we will come to power in Karnataka with a thumping majority. It will be a big pull and stepping stone for the upcoming elections,&quot; he noted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Siddaramaiah further added that close to 90 percent of promises made in the election manifesto during 2013 Karnataka Assembly polls have been fulfilled by his government.</p>

<p>&quot;Today with the blessings of Sonia Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi our government has fulfilled more than 90% of what was promised made in our manifesto. We made realistic promises,&quot; Siddaramaiah added.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>


The Chief Minister also expressed confidence in winning the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday claimed that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will be the next Prime Minister and nobody can stop that from happening. "Nobody can stop Rahul Gandhi from becoming the Prime Minister of the country in 2019," Siddaramaiah exclaimed while speaking at the 84th Congress Plenary Session in Delhi earlier today. The Chief Minister also expressed confidence in winning the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls. "I am confident that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi we will come to power in Karnataka with a thumping majority. It will be a big pull and stepping stone for the upcoming elections," he noted. Siddaramaiah further added that close to 90 percent of promises made in the election manifesto during 2013 Karnataka Assembly polls have been fulfilled by his government. "Today with the blessings of Sonia Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi our government has fulfilled more than 90% of what was promised made in our manifesto. We made realistic promises," Siddaramaiah added. (With inputs from ANI)

Nobody can stop Rahul Gandhi from becoming Prime Minister: Siddaramaiah

<p>Members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s coalition accused the embattled premier on Sunday of perpetuating a &quot;fake crisis&quot; over a political dispute to potentially force early elections.</p>

<p>The dispute comes as Netanyahu faces a possible indictment on bribery charges in the coming months.</p>

<p>Polls suggest he could remain prime minister and his Likud party could win the most seats in fresh elections despite police investigations into his affairs.</p>

<p>Victory could bolster his political standing ahead of the attorney general&#39;s decision on indictments.</p>

<p>Netanyahu has said he wants his coalition to last its entire term, which expires in November 2019 -- something he repeated on Sunday.</p>

<p>But others in his right-wing coalition suggested he had other motives.</p>

<p>The coalition is at loggerheads over legislation that would exempt young ultra-Orthodox men from military service, a dispute that has threatened to pull the government apart.</p>

<p>&quot;Over the past week we&#39;ve baked a good solution for the draft crisis. I can say that there&#39;s no draft crisis. It&#39;s a fake crisis,&quot; Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the Jewish Home party, told reporters ahead of Sunday&#39;s cabinet meeting.</p>

<p>He added that &quot;it could be that there&#39;s someone who for personal reasons wants to generate a crisis and lead the state to elections... In the end it&#39;s all up to one person who has to decide whether he wants elections or not, and that&#39;s the prime minister.&quot;</p>

<p>Yaakov Margi of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party implied that compromises had been made to allow for a resolution, saying that &quot;the feeling is that the prime minister has fallen in love with this fake crisis.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Once the heads of the ultra-Orthodox parties announced they&#39;d agree to a solution, the draft crisis was solved,&quot; he wrote on Twitter.</p>

<p>&quot;All the rest is a fake crisis.&quot;</p>

<p>The ultra-Orthodox parties are refusing to approve the state budget unless the conscription bill passes.</p>

<p>The bill is bitterly opposed by Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman.</p>

<p>Netanyahu met with leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties Saturday night, after which he said they were working on a draft for the bill that would meet legal and political demands.</p>

<p>Speaking with Likud ministers ahead of the Sunday cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said they were &quot;working for a stable government that would work until the end of its term in November 2019.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;In order for that to happen, all the parties need to reach agreements and decide to continue together,&quot; he said, implying that he was not the cause of the dispute.</p>

<p>Netanyahu could soon face charges in at least two separate corruption affairs.</p>

<p>Last week, Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of ultra-Orthodox alliance United Torah Judaism said that Netanyahu wanted early elections.</p>

<p>A spokesman for Litzman said on Sunday that there were currently discussions among all relevant parties over the wording of the conscription bill.</p>


Netanyahu has said he wants his coalition to last its entire term, which expires in November 2019 -- something he repeated on Sunday

Members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition accused the embattled premier on Sunday of perpetuating a "fake crisis" over a political dispute to potentially force early elections. The dispute comes as Netanyahu faces a possible indictment on bribery charges in the coming months. Polls suggest he could remain prime minister and his Likud party could win the most seats in fresh elections despite police investigations into his affairs. Victory could bolster his political standing ahead of the attorney general's decision on indictments. Netanyahu has said he wants his coalition to last its entire term, which expires in November 2019 -- something he repeated on Sunday. But others in his right-wing coalition suggested he had other motives. The coalition is at loggerheads over legislation that would exempt young ultra-Orthodox men from military service, a dispute that has threatened to pull the government apart. "Over the past week we've baked a good solution for the draft crisis. I can say that there's no draft crisis. It's a fake crisis," Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the Jewish Home party, told reporters ahead of Sunday's cabinet meeting. He added that "it could be that there's someone who for personal reasons wants to generate a crisis and lead the state to elections... In the end it's all up to one person who has to decide whether he wants elections or not, and that's the prime minister." Yaakov Margi of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party implied that compromises had been made to allow for a resolution, saying that "the feeling is that the prime minister has fallen in love with this fake crisis." "Once the heads of the ultra-Orthodox parties announced they'd agree to a solution, the draft crisis was solved," he wrote on Twitter. "All the rest is a fake crisis." The ultra-Orthodox parties are refusing to approve the state budget unless the conscription bill passes. The bill is bitterly opposed by Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Netanyahu met with leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties Saturday night, after which he said they were working on a draft for the bill that would meet legal and political demands. Speaking with Likud ministers ahead of the Sunday cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said they were "working for a stable government that would work until the end of its term in November 2019." "In order for that to happen, all the parties need to reach agreements and decide to continue together," he said, implying that he was not the cause of the dispute. Netanyahu could soon face charges in at least two separate corruption affairs. Last week, Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of ultra-Orthodox alliance United Torah Judaism said that Netanyahu wanted early elections. A spokesman for Litzman said on Sunday that there were currently discussions among all relevant parties over the wording of the conscription bill.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused of stoking 'fake' crisis to force poll

<p>Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, on Friday, welcomed the announcement of the meet between US President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un.</p>

<p>&quot;I highly appreciate North Korea`s change that it will begin talks on the premise of denuclearisation,&quot; Shinzo Abe said, adding that he planned to visit the United States to meet Trump &quot;as early as April&quot;.</p>

<p>Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese Prime Minister noted on Thursday that &quot;talks for the sake of talks are meaningless.&quot;</p>

<p>Abe sounded positive about the planned Trump-Kim summit. He also described the event as &quot;the achievement of cooperation between... Japan, the US, and South Korea to maintain great pressure&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;We will keep putting maximum pressure (on North Korea) until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation in a manner that is perfect, verifiable and irreversible.&quot;</p>

<p>According to Abe, there is no change in policy for Japan and the US.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the Korean peninsula

Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, on Friday, welcomed the announcement of the meet between US President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un. "I highly appreciate North Korea`s change that it will begin talks on the premise of denuclearisation," Shinzo Abe said, adding that he planned to visit the United States to meet Trump "as early as April". Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese Prime Minister noted on Thursday that "talks for the sake of talks are meaningless." Abe sounded positive about the planned Trump-Kim summit. He also described the event as "the achievement of cooperation between... Japan, the US, and South Korea to maintain great pressure". "We will keep putting maximum pressure (on North Korea) until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation in a manner that is perfect, verifiable and irreversible." According to Abe, there is no change in policy for Japan and the US. (With inputs from ANI)

Japan's Prime Minister hails and welcomes Trump-Kim summit 

<p>The two TDP ministers who resigned Thursday from Prime Minister Modi&#39;s cabinet said today that they would continue to be part of the NDA but that they would not take up any ministerial positions. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The two ministers &mdash; Ashok Gajapathi Raju who was civil aviation minister, and YS Chowdary who was minister of state for science and technology &mdash; addressed a press conference after meeting with the prime minister. The two had been ordered yesterday by TDP chief and Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu to resign from the union cabinet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It&#39;s for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed,&quot; said Chowdary.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I don&#39;t think it&#39;s fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It&#39;s for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed: YS Choudhary,TDP <a href="https://t.co/tAt0Tu4iBs">pic.twitter.com/tAt0Tu4iBs</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/971735645415763969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Chowdary was also asked whether the BJP might now tie up with the YSR Congress Party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;That is between those two parties, we have nothing to say on that, you can ask them,&quot; said Chowdary.&nbsp;</p>


The two union ministers were Ashok Gajapathi Raju who was civil aviation minister, and YS Chowdary who was minister of state for science and technology

The two TDP ministers who resigned Thursday from Prime Minister Modi's cabinet said today that they would continue to be part of the NDA but that they would not take up any ministerial positions. The two ministers — Ashok Gajapathi Raju who was civil aviation minister, and YS Chowdary who was minister of state for science and technology — addressed a press conference after meeting with the prime minister. The two had been ordered yesterday by TDP chief and Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu to resign from the union cabinet. "I don't think it's fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It's for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed," said Chowdary. I don't think it's fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It's for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed: YS Choudhary,TDP pic.twitter.com/tAt0Tu4iBs — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × Chowdary was also asked whether the BJP might now tie up with the YSR Congress Party. "That is between those two parties, we have nothing to say on that, you can ask them," said Chowdary.

Not fair to expect PM to deal with these issues: TDP ministers who resigned from Modi's cabinet

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu Thursday evening.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The two TDP ministers in Modi&#39;s cabinet &mdash; Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary &mdash; later met with the prime minister and tendered their resignations to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Naidu had yesterday ordered the two ministers <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/andhra-special-status-row-naidu-orders-2-tdp-ministers-to-quit-union-cabinet-35018" target="_blank">to quit</a> Modi&#39;s cabinet.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Aviation Minister and TDP MP Ashok Gajapathi Raju&#39;s resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://t.co/DXFbagSzWs">pic.twitter.com/DXFbagSzWs</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/971731675175677953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Union Minister and TDP MP YS Choudhary&#39;s resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://t.co/qDeS2yHOfA">pic.twitter.com/qDeS2yHOfA</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/971733164312887296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>ANI reported TDP sources as saying Naidu explained to the prime minister why he had asked the two ministers to quit and why the TDP was withdrawing from the union government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The row between the TDP and the BJP can be traced back to the TDP&#39;s demand for special status. The status would give Andhra central funding in a 90:10 ratio, with the centre paying the larger share.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said Wednesday that the government was willing to Andhra the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/andhra-special-status-row-naidu-orders-2-tdp-ministers-to-quit-union-cabinet-35018" target="_blank">monetary equivalent</a> of the special status, but not the status itself since the category no longer existed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The TDP on the other hand believes the promises made to it when the state of Telangana was carved out of it in June 2014 have not been kept. The TDP is also under tremendous pressure before the state and general elections next year, with opposition parties in the state saying it has not been able to get a good deal from the union government despite being a partner at the centre.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the moment, the alliance between the TDP and the BJP continues to stand although news reports quoted&nbsp;TDP lawmaker Ravindra Babu as saying tyhe next &quot;logical step&quot; would be to exit the NDA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Naidu had yesterday said this (the ordering of the resignation of the two ministers) was the &quot;first step&quot;&nbsp; and that what followed next would depend on the centre&#39;s reactions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He had also said that he had been trying, as a &quot;responsible senior politician&quot;, to speak with the prime minister but that Modi had been &quot;unavailable&quot;. And, he added, that Jaitley&#39;s remarks yesterday had been the last straw.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jaitley had said sentiment cannot decide quantum of funding.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi meanwhile had said Wednesday that the Congress, if elected to power in 2019, would be willing to give Andhra the special status it was asking for.&nbsp;</p>


Naidu had yesterday ordered the two ministers to quit Modi's cabinet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu Thursday evening. The two TDP ministers in Modi's cabinet — Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary — later met with the prime minister and tendered their resignations to him. Naidu had yesterday ordered the two ministers to quit Modi's cabinet. Aviation Minister and TDP MP Ashok Gajapathi Raju's resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/DXFbagSzWs — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × Union Minister and TDP MP YS Choudhary's resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/qDeS2yHOfA — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × ANI reported TDP sources as saying Naidu explained to the prime minister why he had asked the two ministers to quit and why the TDP was withdrawing from the union government. The row between the TDP and the BJP can be traced back to the TDP's demand for special status. The status would give Andhra central funding in a 90:10 ratio, with the centre paying the larger share. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said Wednesday that the government was willing to Andhra the monetary equivalent of the special status, but not the status itself since the category no longer existed. The TDP on the other hand believes the promises made to it when the state of Telangana was carved out of it in June 2014 have not been kept. The TDP is also under tremendous pressure before the state and general elections next year, with opposition parties in the state saying it has not been able to get a good deal from the union government despite being a partner at the centre. For the moment, the alliance between the TDP and the BJP continues to stand although news reports quoted TDP lawmaker Ravindra Babu as saying tyhe next "logical step" would be to exit the NDA. Naidu had yesterday said this (the ordering of the resignation of the two ministers) was the "first step" and that what followed next would depend on the centre's reactions. He had also said that he had been trying, as a "responsible senior politician", to speak with the prime minister but that Modi had been "unavailable". And, he added, that Jaitley's remarks yesterday had been the last straw. Jaitley had said sentiment cannot decide quantum of funding. Rahul Gandhi meanwhile had said Wednesday that the Congress, if elected to power in 2019, would be willing to give Andhra the special status it was asking for.

Modi speaks to Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu, 2 TDP ministers quit Union Cabinet

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Central Information Commission (CIC) building in New Delhi on Tuesday, nearly 12 years after the transparency panel came into being.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister will be inaugurating a brand new building of the CIC on Tuesday, March 6, in Munirka, in New Delhi.</p>

<p>The commission, which has been operating from two separate buildings -- August Kranti Bhavan and the old JNU building, faced major space crunch because of rising numbers of cases and petitioners visiting the top appellate authority for RTI matters in the country to get their cases adjudicated.</p>

<p>The new building in Munirka will enable the commission to function from a single location, according to an official statement today.</p>

<p>&quot;The new CIC building is a state of the art-green building constructed by National Building Construction Corporation ahead of its completion date,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>The five-storey structure houses hearing rooms of the Central Information Commission fitted with information technology and video-conferencing systems, it said.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


The new building in Munirka will enable the commission to function from a single location, according to an official statement today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Central Information Commission (CIC) building in New Delhi on Tuesday, nearly 12 years after the transparency panel came into being. The Prime Minister will be inaugurating a brand new building of the CIC on Tuesday, March 6, in Munirka, in New Delhi. The commission, which has been operating from two separate buildings -- August Kranti Bhavan and the old JNU building, faced major space crunch because of rising numbers of cases and petitioners visiting the top appellate authority for RTI matters in the country to get their cases adjudicated. The new building in Munirka will enable the commission to function from a single location, according to an official statement today. "The new CIC building is a state of the art-green building constructed by National Building Construction Corporation ahead of its completion date," it said. The five-storey structure houses hearing rooms of the Central Information Commission fitted with information technology and video-conferencing systems, it said. (With inputs from PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate new CIC building on Tuesday

<p>Pakistani prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will be on a two-day visit to Nepal from Monday, as part of the nation&#39;s &quot;pro-active and outreach efforts&quot; to engage with regional countries, its Foreign Office said on Sunday.</p>

<p>During the visit, the prime minister will convey felicitations to the Nepalese leadership on the successful conclusion of its democratic process, resulting in the formation of a new government, the Foreign Office said.</p>

<p>Abbasi will congratulate the newly-elected Prime Minister of Nepal Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and also call on Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, it said.</p>

<p>The visit will provide an opportunity to further expand and strengthen bilateral relations across all areas of mutual interest including trade, education, tourism, defence and people to people contacts, according to the Foreign Office.</p>

<p>It said ways of invigorating the South East Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as an important regional organisation will also be discussed.</p>

<p>The Ambassador of Nepal, Sewa Lamsal Adhikari, called on the prime minister on Friday and conveyed the message of welcome from the Nepalese leadership to him.</p>

<p>She also discussed how to further strengthen bilateral relations.</p>

<p>&quot;Nepal is an important regional country and a close friend. Our ties with Nepal are characterised by cordiality, mutual respect and commonality of interests. Our support to each other at bilateral and multilateral fora has remained indispensable for both the sides,&quot; the Foreign Office said.</p>


The visit will provide an opportunity to further expand and strengthen bilateral relations across all areas of mutual interest including trade, education, tourism, defence and people to people contacts, according to the Foreign Office

Pakistani prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will be on a two-day visit to Nepal from Monday, as part of the nation's "pro-active and outreach efforts" to engage with regional countries, its Foreign Office said on Sunday. During the visit, the prime minister will convey felicitations to the Nepalese leadership on the successful conclusion of its democratic process, resulting in the formation of a new government, the Foreign Office said. Abbasi will congratulate the newly-elected Prime Minister of Nepal Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and also call on Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, it said. The visit will provide an opportunity to further expand and strengthen bilateral relations across all areas of mutual interest including trade, education, tourism, defence and people to people contacts, according to the Foreign Office. It said ways of invigorating the South East Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as an important regional organisation will also be discussed. The Ambassador of Nepal, Sewa Lamsal Adhikari, called on the prime minister on Friday and conveyed the message of welcome from the Nepalese leadership to him. She also discussed how to further strengthen bilateral relations. "Nepal is an important regional country and a close friend. Our ties with Nepal are characterised by cordiality, mutual respect and commonality of interests. Our support to each other at bilateral and multilateral fora has remained indispensable for both the sides," the Foreign Office said.

Pakistan prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on two-day visit to Nepal from tomorrow

<p>At least 15 people were killed and 40 others were injured in a train crash on Wednesday in Egypt&#39;s northern province of Beheira, the official news agency MENA said, citing the transport ministry spokesman.<br />
<br />
Two passenger carriages separated from one train and collided with a cargo train, the provincial security director told MENA.<br />
<br />
Prime Minister Sherif Ismail ordered the transport minister to visit the scene and take action as details of the causes of the accident emerge, a cabinet statement said.<br />
<br />
Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards for the railways. A string of crashes have further inflamed public anger over the antiquated transport network.</p>

<p>A collision in August killed 42 people and injured more than 100 people.</p>


Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards for the railways

At least 15 people were killed and 40 others were injured in a train crash on Wednesday in Egypt's northern province of Beheira, the official news agency MENA said, citing the transport ministry spokesman. Two passenger carriages separated from one train and collided with a cargo train, the provincial security director told MENA. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail ordered the transport minister to visit the scene and take action as details of the causes of the accident emerge, a cabinet statement said. Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards for the railways. A string of crashes have further inflamed public anger over the antiquated transport network. A collision in August killed 42 people and injured more than 100 people.

At least 15 people killed in Egyptian train crash

<p><strong>Watch live:&nbsp;Jordan&#39;s King Abdullah II addresses conference on &lsquo;Islamic Heritage&#39;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" id="frmwion" scrolling="no" src="http://wionews.dittotv.com/?header=no" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi, diplomats, representatives from a wide range of Islamic institutions, academicians and think-tanks are attending the event

Watch live: Jordan's King Abdullah II addresses conference on ‘Islamic Heritage'

Watch live: Jordan's King's speech on 'Islamic Heritage' from Vigyan Bhawan

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Sunday in the 41st edition of his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat.</p>

<p>Here is the full text of the Prime Minister&#39;s address to the nation:</p>

<p>My dear countrymen, Namaskar.</p>

<p>My young friends have asked me many questions related to Science; they keep writing on quite a few points. All of us have seen that the sea appears blue, but we know from routine life experiences that water has no colour at all. Have we ever thought why water acquires colour in rivers and seas? The same thought occurred to a young man in the 1920s. The same question gave rise to a great scientist of modern India. When we talk about Science, the first name that strikes us is that of Bharat Ratna Sir C.V.Raman. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his outstanding work on light scattering. One of his discoveries is famous as the Raman Effect.</p>

<p>&nbsp;We celebrate the 28th of February as National Science Day since, on this very day, he is said to have discovered the phenomenon of light scattering, for which the Nobel Prize was conferred upon him. This land has given birth to many a great scientist. On the one hand, there has been a tradition of great Mathematicians like Bodhayan, Bhaskar, Brahmagupt and Aryabhatt; on the other, in the field of medicine, Sushrut &amp; Charak have bestowed upon us a place of pride. Right from Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose and Hargobind Khurana to Satyendranath Bose have brought laurels to India. The famous particle BOSON has been named after Satyendranath Bose. Recently I got an opportunity to take part in a programme in Mumbai &ndash; the inauguration of the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence. It was interesting to know about the ongoing miraculous accomplishments in the field of Science. Artificial Intelligence aids in making robots, Bots and other machines meant for specific tasks. Through self-learning, machines today can enhance their intelligence to a smarter level. This technology can be harnessed to better the lives of the underprivileged, the marginalized and the needy. In that programme on Artificial Intelligence, I urged the scientific community to deliberate on how Artificial Intelligence could help us make life easier for our divyang brothers &amp; sisters. Can we make better predictions of natural disasters using Artificial Intelligence? Can we use it to provide assistance to farmers on crop yield? Can Artificial Intelligence be used as tool to simplify the outreach of health services and modernize medical treatment?</p>

<p>A few days ago, I got an opportunity to accompany the Prime Minister of Israel to Ahmedabad, Gujarat for the inauguration of &lsquo;I create&rsquo;. There a young person referred to developing a digital instrument that converts the written word into voice. This is to aid those who are incapable of speech to converse normally like any other person. I feel we can harness Artificial Intelligence in many such fields.</p>

<p>Science and Technology are value neutral. They don&rsquo;t possess any value in themselves. Any machine will work the way we want it to. It entirely depends on us what task we want it to perform. Here human objectives assume significance; the use of Science for the sole purpose of human welfare, with the endeavour to assist human lives to touch the greatest heights.</p>

<p>Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, failed many a time in his experiments. Once, on being asked about it, he quipped, &ldquo;I have devised ten thousand ways of how NOT to make a light bulb&rdquo;. What I mean to say is, Edison transformed even his failures into his own strength. Coincidentally, I am fortunate today to be in Auroville, the land, the karmabhoomi of Maharshi Arvind. As a revolutionary, he challenged British rule, fought against them and questioned subjugation. Thus, as a great sage, he questioned every facet of life. Extracting answers, he showed the right path to humanity. The relentless quest to ask questions for knowing the truth is very important. And this is the very essence, the real inspiration behind scientific inventions and discoveries. Never rest till every &lsquo;why&rsquo;, &lsquo;what&rsquo; &amp; &lsquo;how&rsquo; are answered. I congratulate our scientists, and all those connected with Science on the occasion of National Science Day. May our young generation be inspired for the quest of truth &amp; knowledge; may they be motivated to serve society through Science. I wish them the best.</p>

<p>Friends, safety in the times of crises, disasters are topics on which many messages keep coming in- people keep writing to me. In a comment posted on Narendra Modi Mobile App, Shriman Ravindra Singh from Pune has referred to occupational safety. He writes that in our country, safety standards at factories and construction sites are not upto the mark. Since the 4th of March is National Safety Day, the Prime Minister should include safety in the Mann Ki Baat programme in order to raise awareness on safety. When we refer to public safety, two aspects are very important- proactiveness and preparedness. Safety is of two kinds &ndash; one is safety during disasters and the other is safety in everyday life. If we are not aware of safety in daily life, if we are not able to attain a certain level, it will get extremely difficult during the time of disasters. We often read signboards on streets bearing lines such as &ndash; satarkta hati, durghatna ghati &ndash; &lsquo;Lose alertness &ndash; invite mishaps&rsquo; or ek bhool kare nuksaan, chheene khushiyaan aur muskaan &ndash; &lsquo;One mistake can cost you dearly - rob you of your joy &amp; smile&rsquo; or Itni jaldi na duniya chhodo, suraksha se ab naate jodo&ndash; &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t be in a hurry to leave this world &ndash; embrace the culture of safety&rsquo; or sukaksha se na karo koi masti varna zindagi hogi sasti &ndash; &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t play around with safety, your life will be treated cheap&rsquo;. Beyond that, these sentences serve no purpose in our lives. Leave aside natural disasters; most of the mishaps are a consequence of some mistake or the other on our part. If we stay alert, abide by the prescribed rules &amp; regulations, we shall not only be able to save our own lives but we can prevent catastrophes harming society. There are times when we come across many slogans on safety at the work place but none following their letter and spirit. I urge the fire brigade under corporations and municipalities to visit school children once a week or once a month and perform mock drills for them. This will have a dual benefit &ndash; the fire brigade will undergo an exercise in readiness and the new generation will get lessons in alertness. And all this at no added cost. In a way it will a natural part of the overall learning curve. India is a land of geographic and climatic diversities. As far as disasters are concerned, this country has borne the brunt of many a natural as well as man made disaster, such as chemical &amp; industrial mishaps. Today, the National Disaster Management Authority, NDMA is the vanguard when it comes to dealing with disasters in the country. During earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, NDMA reaches the area within no time. They have issued guidelines; simultaneously they keep imparting training on a regular basis for capacity building. In Districts prone to floods and cyclones, an initiative names &lsquo;Aapada Mitra&rsquo; has been launched for training Volunteers. Training and awareness have a very important role to play. Two- three years ago, thousands of people would lose their lives every year due to heat-wave. After that, NDMA organized workshops on heat wave management as part of a campaign to raise awareness in people. Mass participation led to good results. In 2017, the death toll on account of heat wave remarkably came down to around 220 or so. This proves that if we accord priority to safety, we can actually attain safety. I laud the role played by innumerable individuals, citizens who immediately embark upon rescue and relief operations wherever a disaster strikes. And there are numerous such unnamed, unsung heroes. Our Fire &amp; Rescue services, National Disaster Response Forces Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces&hellip; these brave hearts go beyond the call of duty to help people in distress, often risking their own lives. Organisations like NCC and Scouts are also contributing in this task; they are getting trained too. Recently we have made an attempt to have joint exercise for disaster management between countries on the lines of joint military exercise involving different countries of the world. India has made a pioneering effort &ndash; BIMSTEC, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan &amp; Nepal &ndash; a joint disaster management exercise involving these countries was undertaken. It was a novel humanitarian experiment on a large scale. We&rsquo;ll have to turn ourselves into a risk conscious society. In our culture, we often talk of safety of values; we now need to realize the values of safety. We&rsquo;ll have to make it part of our life, our being. In day to day life, during air travel, we must have frequently come across air hostesses giving out a rather longish speech, safety instructions at the beginning of a flight. We must have heard it hundreds of times. But today if one of us is taken inside an aircraft and asked about the location of equipments, say life jackets, and how to use them, I can say for sure that none of us will be able to give the right answer. So, was there a provision for giving our information? Yes, there was. Was there a scope of direct visibility when the information was given? Of course there was. But we did not respond actively. WHY? Because by nature, we are not conscious. And that is why our ears hear when we sit in the aircraft, but no one realizes that &lsquo;these instructions are for me&rsquo;. We experience this in all walks of life. Let us not think that safety is only meant for someone else. If all of us become conscious and aware of our own safety, the essence of safety of society will be inbuilt.</p>

<p>My dear countrymen, in the current budget, emphasis has been laid on turning &lsquo;waste to wealth&rsquo; and &lsquo;waste to energy&rsquo; through Bio gas, under the Swachch Bharat Campaign. An effort was initiated which was named GOBAR-Dhan - Galvanizing Organic Bio Agro Resources. The aim of this GOBAR- DHAN scheme is ensuring cleanliness in villages and generating wealth and energy by converting cattle dung and solid agricultural waste into Compost and Bio Gas. India is home to the highest cattle population in the world, close to 300 million in number, with a daily output of 3 million tonnes of dung. Some European countries and China use animal dung and other Bio-waste to produce energy. But India was lacking full capacity utilization. Under the Swachch Bharat Mission (Rural), we are taking rapid strides in this direction. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>A target has been set to use cattle dung, agricultural waste, kitchen waste to produce Bio gas based energy. Under the Gobardhan Scheme our farmer brothers &amp; sisters in rural India will be encouraged to consider dung and other waste not just as a waste but as a source of income. Under the aegis of &#39;GobarDhanYojana&#39;, many benefits will accrue to rural areas. It will be easier to keep the village clean and sanitized, livestock health will improve and farm yields will increase. Biogas generation will increase self-reliance in energy utilized for cooking and lighting. Farmers and cattle herders will be helped in augmenting their income. There will be novel opportunities for newer jobs linked to waste collection, transportation, biogas sales etc. An online trading platform will be created for better implementation of &#39;Gobar Dhan Yojana&#39;, it will connect farmers to buyers so that farmers can get the right price for dung and agricultural waste. I urge entrepreneurs, especially our sisters residing in rural India, to step forward, and through creation of self-help groups and cooperative societies extract full advantage from this opportunity. I invite you to become part of the movement comprising clean energy and green jobs, to become a part of the initiative to convert waste in your village to wealth and by converting dung into &lsquo;Gobar dhan.&rsquo;</p>

<p>My dear countrymen, till date, we have been hearing about the myriad types of festivals - be it music festivals, food festivals, film festivals and many other kinds of festivals. But in a unique endeavor in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, the state&#39;s first &#39;Trash Mahotsav&#39; was organized. The objective behind this festival sponsored by Raipur Municipal Corporation was to generate awareness about cleanliness and the methods using which city&#39;s waste can be creatively used and inculcate awareness about various ways to recycle the garbage. A plethora of activities were organized during this festival, which found full participation of students and adults. Different types of artifacts were made utilizing garbage. Many Workshops were organized to inform people on the entire aspects of waste management. Music performances linked to the theme of hygiene were held and art works were created. Raipur inspired various types of such garbage or trash festivals in other districts too. Many individuals taking initiative on their own behalf shared innovative ideas, held discussions, conducted poetry recitals. A festive atmosphere regarding cleanliness got geared up. The way the school children took part in the entire endeavor was amazing. For the innovative manner in which importance of waste management and cleanliness were displayed in this festival, I congratulate the people of Raipur Municipal Corporation, the entire populace of Chhattisgarh, its government and administration.</p>

<p>Every year on March 8, &#39;International Women&#39;s Day&#39; is celebrated. There are many programs that are held in our country and the world. On this day, women are also felicitated with &#39;Nari Shakti Puraskar&#39; who have performed exemplary tasks in different sectors in the past. Today the country is moving forward from the path of Women development to women-led development. On this occasion, I remember the words of Swami Vivekananda. He&rsquo;d said &#39;The idea of perfect womanhood is perfect independence&#39; - This idea of Swami ji about one hundred and twenty five years ago expresses the contemplation of woman power in Indian culture. Today, it is our duty to ensure the participation of women in every field of life, be it social or economic life, it is our fundamental duty. We are part of a tradition where men were identified due to women-Yashoda-Nandan, Kaushalya-Nandan, Gandhari-Putra, these were identities of a son. Today our woman power has shown inner fortitude and self-confidence, has made herself self-reliant. Not only has she advanced herself but has carried forward the country and society to newer heights.</p>

<p>After all, our dream of &#39;New India&#39; is the one where women are strong and empowered and are equal partners in the development of the country. A few days ago, a gentleman had given me a very sound proposition. He had suggested that on 8th March myriad events herald &#39;Women&#39;s Day&#39; Why cannot we felicitate mothers and sisters who have completed 100 years in every Indian village or city,? Can a program of paying respect for such centenarians be held and cannot we reflect upon a life lived long? I liked the idea and I&rsquo;m bouncing it with you will find many examples of what woman power can achieve, If you look around near yourself many such inspiring stories will appear. I just received news from Jharkhand wherein under the &#39;Swachh Bharat Abhiyan&#39;, about 1.5 million women in Jharkhand &ndash; and this figure is not a small one organized a hygiene campaign for an entire month! Under the auspices of this campaign starting from January 26, 2018, these women constructed 1 lakh 70 thousand toilets in just 20 days and made a record of sorts. There were about one lakh &lsquo;Sakhi Mandals,&rsquo; 14 lakh women, 2 thousand women Panchayat representatives, 29 thousand water carriers, 10 thousand female cleaners and 50 thousand women masons were involved in this campaign. You can imagine what a mammoth undertaking it was! These women of Jharkhand have shown that women power is an integral component of &lsquo;Swachh Bharat Abhiyan&rsquo;, which will change the course of the campaign of cleanliness in general life, the effective role of hygiene in the nature of the people ingeneral.</p>

<p>My dear Brothers and sisters, I was just watching the TV news two days ago that electricity has reached three villages of the Elephanta island after 70 years of independence, and this has led to much joy and enthusiasm among the people there. You all know very well, that Elephanta is located 10 kms by the sea from Mumbai. It is a very important tourist destination. The caves of Elephanta are marked as the World Heritage sites by UNESCO and draw tourists from all over the country and abroad. I was surprised to know that despite being such a prominent center of tourism its close proximity from Mumbai, electricity hadn&rsquo;t reached Elephanta after so many years of independence. For 70 years, the lives of the denizens of three villages of the Elephanta Island, Rajbunder, Morbandar and Centabandar, were engulfed by darkness, which has got dispelled now and there is brightness in their lives. I congratulate the administration and the populace there. I am glad that now the villages of Elephanta and the caves of Elephanta will be lighted due to electrification. This is not just electricity, but a new beginning of a period of development. There is no greater contentment and joy than the fact that the lives of the countrymen be full of shine and there be happiness in their lives.</p>

<p>My dear brothers and sisters, we just celebrated the festival of Shivaratri. And now the month of March beckons us with ripe crops in the fields, playful golden earrings of wheat and the captivating blossom of mango pleasing to the mind are the highlights of this month. But this month is also very special to all of us because of the festival of Holi. On 2nd March the entire country immersed in joy will celebrate the festival of Holi. &nbsp;In The festival of Holi, the importance of colors is as important as the ceremony of &#39; HolikaDahan&#39; because it is the day when we burn our inherent vices in the fire. Holi makes us forget our rancours and gives us an opportunity to be a part of each other&#39;s happiness and glad tidings, and it conveys the message of love, unity and brotherhood. I wish a very joyous festival of Holi to all my countrymen, I further wish you colour laden felicitations. I wish and hope that this festival forever remains a festival of colourful cheer in the lives of all the countrymen- this is my wish. My dear countrymen, thank you very much.</p>


Modi urged women in rural areas to become a part of an initiative for "clean energy and green jobs" through the "Gobar dhan"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Sunday in the 41st edition of his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat. Here is the full text of the Prime Minister's address to the nation: My dear countrymen, Namaskar. My young friends have asked me many questions related to Science; they keep writing on quite a few points. All of us have seen that the sea appears blue, but we know from routine life experiences that water has no colour at all. Have we ever thought why water acquires colour in rivers and seas? The same thought occurred to a young man in the 1920s. The same question gave rise to a great scientist of modern India. When we talk about Science, the first name that strikes us is that of Bharat Ratna Sir C.V.Raman. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his outstanding work on light scattering. One of his discoveries is famous as the Raman Effect. We celebrate the 28th of February as National Science Day since, on this very day, he is said to have discovered the phenomenon of light scattering, for which the Nobel Prize was conferred upon him. This land has given birth to many a great scientist. On the one hand, there has been a tradition of great Mathematicians like Bodhayan, Bhaskar, Brahmagupt and Aryabhatt; on the other, in the field of medicine, Sushrut & Charak have bestowed upon us a place of pride. Right from Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose and Hargobind Khurana to Satyendranath Bose have brought laurels to India. The famous particle BOSON has been named after Satyendranath Bose. Recently I got an opportunity to take part in a programme in Mumbai – the inauguration of the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence. It was interesting to know about the ongoing miraculous accomplishments in the field of Science. Artificial Intelligence aids in making robots, Bots and other machines meant for specific tasks. Through self-learning, machines today can enhance their intelligence to a smarter level. This technology can be harnessed to better the lives of the underprivileged, the marginalized and the needy. In that programme on Artificial Intelligence, I urged the scientific community to deliberate on how Artificial Intelligence could help us make life easier for our divyang brothers & sisters. Can we make better predictions of natural disasters using Artificial Intelligence? Can we use it to provide assistance to farmers on crop yield? Can Artificial Intelligence be used as tool to simplify the outreach of health services and modernize medical treatment? A few days ago, I got an opportunity to accompany the Prime Minister of Israel to Ahmedabad, Gujarat for the inauguration of ‘I create’. There a young person referred to developing a digital instrument that converts the written word into voice. This is to aid those who are incapable of speech to converse normally like any other person. I feel we can harness Artificial Intelligence in many such fields. Science and Technology are value neutral. They don’t possess any value in themselves. Any machine will work the way we want it to. It entirely depends on us what task we want it to perform. Here human objectives assume significance; the use of Science for the sole purpose of human welfare, with the endeavour to assist human lives to touch the greatest heights. Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, failed many a time in his experiments. Once, on being asked about it, he quipped, “I have devised ten thousand ways of how NOT to make a light bulb”. What I mean to say is, Edison transformed even his failures into his own strength. Coincidentally, I am fortunate today to be in Auroville, the land, the karmabhoomi of Maharshi Arvind. As a revolutionary, he challenged British rule, fought against them and questioned subjugation. Thus, as a great sage, he questioned every facet of life. Extracting answers, he showed the right path to humanity. The relentless quest to ask questions for knowing the truth is very important. And this is the very essence, the real inspiration behind scientific inventions and discoveries. Never rest till every ‘why’, ‘what’ & ‘how’ are answered. I congratulate our scientists, and all those connected with Science on the occasion of National Science Day. May our young generation be inspired for the quest of truth & knowledge; may they be motivated to serve society through Science. I wish them the best. Friends, safety in the times of crises, disasters are topics on which many messages keep coming in- people keep writing to me. In a comment posted on Narendra Modi Mobile App, Shriman Ravindra Singh from Pune has referred to occupational safety. He writes that in our country, safety standards at factories and construction sites are not upto the mark. Since the 4th of March is National Safety Day, the Prime Minister should include safety in the Mann Ki Baat programme in order to raise awareness on safety. When we refer to public safety, two aspects are very important- proactiveness and preparedness. Safety is of two kinds – one is safety during disasters and the other is safety in everyday life. If we are not aware of safety in daily life, if we are not able to attain a certain level, it will get extremely difficult during the time of disasters. We often read signboards on streets bearing lines such as – satarkta hati, durghatna ghati – ‘Lose alertness – invite mishaps’ or ek bhool kare nuksaan, chheene khushiyaan aur muskaan – ‘One mistake can cost you dearly - rob you of your joy & smile’ or Itni jaldi na duniya chhodo, suraksha se ab naate jodo– ‘Don’t be in a hurry to leave this world – embrace the culture of safety’ or sukaksha se na karo koi masti varna zindagi hogi sasti – ‘Don’t play around with safety, your life will be treated cheap’. Beyond that, these sentences serve no purpose in our lives. Leave aside natural disasters; most of the mishaps are a consequence of some mistake or the other on our part. If we stay alert, abide by the prescribed rules & regulations, we shall not only be able to save our own lives but we can prevent catastrophes harming society. There are times when we come across many slogans on safety at the work place but none following their letter and spirit. I urge the fire brigade under corporations and municipalities to visit school children once a week or once a month and perform mock drills for them. This will have a dual benefit – the fire brigade will undergo an exercise in readiness and the new generation will get lessons in alertness. And all this at no added cost. In a way it will a natural part of the overall learning curve. India is a land of geographic and climatic diversities. As far as disasters are concerned, this country has borne the brunt of many a natural as well as man made disaster, such as chemical & industrial mishaps. Today, the National Disaster Management Authority, NDMA is the vanguard when it comes to dealing with disasters in the country. During earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, NDMA reaches the area within no time. They have issued guidelines; simultaneously they keep imparting training on a regular basis for capacity building. In Districts prone to floods and cyclones, an initiative names ‘Aapada Mitra’ has been launched for training Volunteers. Training and awareness have a very important role to play. Two- three years ago, thousands of people would lose their lives every year due to heat-wave. After that, NDMA organized workshops on heat wave management as part of a campaign to raise awareness in people. Mass participation led to good results. In 2017, the death toll on account of heat wave remarkably came down to around 220 or so. This proves that if we accord priority to safety, we can actually attain safety. I laud the role played by innumerable individuals, citizens who immediately embark upon rescue and relief operations wherever a disaster strikes. And there are numerous such unnamed, unsung heroes. Our Fire & Rescue services, National Disaster Response Forces Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces… these brave hearts go beyond the call of duty to help people in distress, often risking their own lives. Organisations like NCC and Scouts are also contributing in this task; they are getting trained too. Recently we have made an attempt to have joint exercise for disaster management between countries on the lines of joint military exercise involving different countries of the world. India has made a pioneering effort – BIMSTEC, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan & Nepal – a joint disaster management exercise involving these countries was undertaken. It was a novel humanitarian experiment on a large scale. We’ll have to turn ourselves into a risk conscious society. In our culture, we often talk of safety of values; we now need to realize the values of safety. We’ll have to make it part of our life, our being. In day to day life, during air travel, we must have frequently come across air hostesses giving out a rather longish speech, safety instructions at the beginning of a flight. We must have heard it hundreds of times. But today if one of us is taken inside an aircraft and asked about the location of equipments, say life jackets, and how to use them, I can say for sure that none of us will be able to give the right answer. So, was there a provision for giving our information? Yes, there was. Was there a scope of direct visibility when the information was given? Of course there was. But we did not respond actively. WHY? Because by nature, we are not conscious. And that is why our ears hear when we sit in the aircraft, but no one realizes that ‘these instructions are for me’. We experience this in all walks of life. Let us not think that safety is only meant for someone else. If all of us become conscious and aware of our own safety, the essence of safety of society will be inbuilt. My dear countrymen, in the current budget, emphasis has been laid on turning ‘waste to wealth’ and ‘waste to energy’ through Bio gas, under the Swachch Bharat Campaign. An effort was initiated which was named GOBAR-Dhan - Galvanizing Organic Bio Agro Resources. The aim of this GOBAR- DHAN scheme is ensuring cleanliness in villages and generating wealth and energy by converting cattle dung and solid agricultural waste into Compost and Bio Gas. India is home to the highest cattle population in the world, close to 300 million in number, with a daily output of 3 million tonnes of dung. Some European countries and China use animal dung and other Bio-waste to produce energy. But India was lacking full capacity utilization. Under the Swachch Bharat Mission (Rural), we are taking rapid strides in this direction. A target has been set to use cattle dung, agricultural waste, kitchen waste to produce Bio gas based energy. Under the Gobardhan Scheme our farmer brothers & sisters in rural India will be encouraged to consider dung and other waste not just as a waste but as a source of income. Under the aegis of 'GobarDhanYojana', many benefits will accrue to rural areas. It will be easier to keep the village clean and sanitized, livestock health will improve and farm yields will increase. Biogas generation will increase self-reliance in energy utilized for cooking and lighting. Farmers and cattle herders will be helped in augmenting their income. There will be novel opportunities for newer jobs linked to waste collection, transportation, biogas sales etc. An online trading platform will be created for better implementation of 'Gobar Dhan Yojana', it will connect farmers to buyers so that farmers can get the right price for dung and agricultural waste. I urge entrepreneurs, especially our sisters residing in rural India, to step forward, and through creation of self-help groups and cooperative societies extract full advantage from this opportunity. I invite you to become part of the movement comprising clean energy and green jobs, to become a part of the initiative to convert waste in your village to wealth and by converting dung into ‘Gobar dhan.’ My dear countrymen, till date, we have been hearing about the myriad types of festivals - be it music festivals, food festivals, film festivals and many other kinds of festivals. But in a unique endeavor in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, the state's first 'Trash Mahotsav' was organized. The objective behind this festival sponsored by Raipur Municipal Corporation was to generate awareness about cleanliness and the methods using which city's waste can be creatively used and inculcate awareness about various ways to recycle the garbage. A plethora of activities were organized during this festival, which found full participation of students and adults. Different types of artifacts were made utilizing garbage. Many Workshops were organized to inform people on the entire aspects of waste management. Music performances linked to the theme of hygiene were held and art works were created. Raipur inspired various types of such garbage or trash festivals in other districts too. Many individuals taking initiative on their own behalf shared innovative ideas, held discussions, conducted poetry recitals. A festive atmosphere regarding cleanliness got geared up. The way the school children took part in the entire endeavor was amazing. For the innovative manner in which importance of waste management and cleanliness were displayed in this festival, I congratulate the people of Raipur Municipal Corporation, the entire populace of Chhattisgarh, its government and administration. Every year on March 8, 'International Women's Day' is celebrated. There are many programs that are held in our country and the world. On this day, women are also felicitated with 'Nari Shakti Puraskar' who have performed exemplary tasks in different sectors in the past. Today the country is moving forward from the path of Women development to women-led development. On this occasion, I remember the words of Swami Vivekananda. He’d said 'The idea of perfect womanhood is perfect independence' - This idea of Swami ji about one hundred and twenty five years ago expresses the contemplation of woman power in Indian culture. Today, it is our duty to ensure the participation of women in every field of life, be it social or economic life, it is our fundamental duty. We are part of a tradition where men were identified due to women-Yashoda-Nandan, Kaushalya-Nandan, Gandhari-Putra, these were identities of a son. Today our woman power has shown inner fortitude and self-confidence, has made herself self-reliant. Not only has she advanced herself but has carried forward the country and society to newer heights. After all, our dream of 'New India' is the one where women are strong and empowered and are equal partners in the development of the country. A few days ago, a gentleman had given me a very sound proposition. He had suggested that on 8th March myriad events herald 'Women's Day' Why cannot we felicitate mothers and sisters who have completed 100 years in every Indian village or city,? Can a program of paying respect for such centenarians be held and cannot we reflect upon a life lived long? I liked the idea and I’m bouncing it with you will find many examples of what woman power can achieve, If you look around near yourself many such inspiring stories will appear. I just received news from Jharkhand wherein under the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', about 1.5 million women in Jharkhand – and this figure is not a small one organized a hygiene campaign for an entire month! Under the auspices of this campaign starting from January 26, 2018, these women constructed 1 lakh 70 thousand toilets in just 20 days and made a record of sorts. There were about one lakh ‘Sakhi Mandals,’ 14 lakh women, 2 thousand women Panchayat representatives, 29 thousand water carriers, 10 thousand female cleaners and 50 thousand women masons were involved in this campaign. You can imagine what a mammoth undertaking it was! These women of Jharkhand have shown that women power is an integral component of ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, which will change the course of the campaign of cleanliness in general life, the effective role of hygiene in the nature of the people ingeneral. My dear Brothers and sisters, I was just watching the TV news two days ago that electricity has reached three villages of the Elephanta island after 70 years of independence, and this has led to much joy and enthusiasm among the people there. You all know very well, that Elephanta is located 10 kms by the sea from Mumbai. It is a very important tourist destination. The caves of Elephanta are marked as the World Heritage sites by UNESCO and draw tourists from all over the country and abroad. I was surprised to know that despite being such a prominent center of tourism its close proximity from Mumbai, electricity hadn’t reached Elephanta after so many years of independence. For 70 years, the lives of the denizens of three villages of the Elephanta Island, Rajbunder, Morbandar and Centabandar, were engulfed by darkness, which has got dispelled now and there is brightness in their lives. I congratulate the administration and the populace there. I am glad that now the villages of Elephanta and the caves of Elephanta will be lighted due to electrification. This is not just electricity, but a new beginning of a period of development. There is no greater contentment and joy than the fact that the lives of the countrymen be full of shine and there be happiness in their lives. My dear brothers and sisters, we just celebrated the festival of Shivaratri. And now the month of March beckons us with ripe crops in the fields, playful golden earrings of wheat and the captivating blossom of mango pleasing to the mind are the highlights of this month. But this month is also very special to all of us because of the festival of Holi. On 2nd March the entire country immersed in joy will celebrate the festival of Holi. In The festival of Holi, the importance of colors is as important as the ceremony of ' HolikaDahan' because it is the day when we burn our inherent vices in the fire. Holi makes us forget our rancours and gives us an opportunity to be a part of each other's happiness and glad tidings, and it conveys the message of love, unity and brotherhood. I wish a very joyous festival of Holi to all my countrymen, I further wish you colour laden felicitations. I wish and hope that this festival forever remains a festival of colourful cheer in the lives of all the countrymen- this is my wish. My dear countrymen, thank you very much.

PM's Mann Ki Baat: Full speech

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Sunday through his monthly radio program, Mann Ki Baat.</p>

<p>In 41st edition of Mann ki Baat radio address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Gobar Dhan Yojana aims to generate wealth for farmers through compost and will lead to job generation in rural areas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi urged women in rural areas to become a part of an initiative for &quot;clean energy and green jobs&quot; through the &quot;Gobar Dhan&quot;.</p>

<p>PM Modi concluded his speech with Holi greetings to people across the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Holi gives the message of spreading peace, brotherhood &amp; unity among all. It is because it is a day of burning evil hence the importance of Holika Dahan as strong as the importance of colours on this festival.</p>


Modi urged women in rural areas to become a part of an initiative for "clean energy and green jobs" through the "Gobar dhan".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Sunday through his monthly radio program, Mann Ki Baat. In 41st edition of Mann ki Baat radio address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Gobar Dhan Yojana aims to generate wealth for farmers through compost and will lead to job generation in rural areas. Modi urged women in rural areas to become a part of an initiative for "clean energy and green jobs" through the "Gobar Dhan". PM Modi concluded his speech with Holi greetings to people across the country. Holi gives the message of spreading peace, brotherhood & unity among all. It is because it is a day of burning evil hence the importance of Holika Dahan as strong as the importance of colours on this festival.

Gobar Dhan Yojana aims to generate wealth through waste in rural areas, says PM

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation in his monthly radio show Mann ki Baat today. This is the 41st edition of the Mann Ki Baat programme.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This month, PM Modi&#39;s show has already been in the news as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has sent in his suggestions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Here is live streaming of his speech:</strong></p>

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<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" id="frmwion" scrolling="no" src="http://wionews.dittotv.com/?header=no" width="100%"></iframe></p>


This is the 41st edition of the Mann Ki Baat programme, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation in his monthly radio show Mann ki Baat today. This is the 41st edition of the Mann Ki Baat programme. This month, PM Modi's show has already been in the news as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has sent in his suggestions. Here is live streaming of his speech:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses nation in 'Mann ki baat'

<p>PM Modi on Sunday talked about leveraging Artificial Intelligence for the betterment of all humans in his monthly programme &#39;Mann Ki Baat&#39;.</p>

<p><strong>Here are the highlights of his speech:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<h5>On 2nd March, the nation will celebrate Holi. I wish all of you on this occasion, I hope it brings happiness in the lives of all of you. Holi gives the message of spreading peace, brotherhood &amp; unity among all.</h5>
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<h5>Until recently, there was no electricity in Elephanta Caves despite being so close to Mumbai. I would like to congratulate the administration there that they have been able to provide electricity there. What can be better than bringing happiness to the lives of people living there.</h5>
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<h5>We hear of music festivals, food festivals &amp; film festivals but in a unique move Chhattisgarh celebrated &#39;Trash Mahotsav&#39;. the objective behind it was to utilise waste creatively &amp; to spread awareness about ways to reuse garbage.</h5>
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<h5>New jobs would be created through #waste collection and transportation. Online trading platform would be set up to run &#39;Gobar Dhan Yojana&#39; smoothly; it will connect farmers to buyers.</h5>
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<h5>Under &#39;Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin&#39;, dung, farm waste, kitchen waste will be used for biogas energy.</h5>
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<h5>In this budget, the emphasis was laid on &#39;waste to wealth&#39; &amp; &#39;waste to energy&#39; through bio-gas for villages under &#39;Swacch Bharat&#39; initiative called &#39;GOBAR-Dhan&#39; (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) has been rolled out.</h5>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Moving from Women Development to Women Led Development.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MannKiBaat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MannKiBaat</a> <a href="https://t.co/eA4ROFOA86">pic.twitter.com/eA4ROFOA86</a></p>
&mdash; PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/967638607820349441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<h5>We must become a risk-conscious society, understand values of safety. In our culture, we often speak about the protection of values, but we also have to understand values of safety. We must make it a part of our lives.</h5>
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<h5>Most of the accidents barring national disasters in some way or the other occur due to our negligence. If we remain vigilante &amp; follow rules then we can avoid such situations.</h5>
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<h5>I urge the scientists to find ways in which we can enhance lives of our &#39;divyang&#39; brothers &amp; sisters through artificial intelligence.</h5>
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<h5>On one hand, there are great mathematicians like Baudhayana, Bhaskara &amp; Aryabhatta. On the other hand, great such as Sushruta and Charaka in the field of medicine are our pride.</h5>
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<h5>Science and Technology is value neutral. It depends on us what work we want a machine to do. Hence, human objectivity becomes important.</h5>
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<h5>Spirit of inquiry is the real inspiration behind scientific discoveries. One must not rest till one gets answers to all the questions.</h5>
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"Science and technology are value neutral. It is up to us what we want the machine to do for us," said PM Modi.

PM Modi on Sunday talked about leveraging Artificial Intelligence for the betterment of all humans in his monthly programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. Here are the highlights of his speech: On 2nd March, the nation will celebrate Holi. I wish all of you on this occasion, I hope it brings happiness in the lives of all of you. Holi gives the message of spreading peace, brotherhood & unity among all. × Until recently, there was no electricity in Elephanta Caves despite being so close to Mumbai. I would like to congratulate the administration there that they have been able to provide electricity there. What can be better than bringing happiness to the lives of people living there. × We hear of music festivals, food festivals & film festivals but in a unique move Chhattisgarh celebrated 'Trash Mahotsav'. the objective behind it was to utilise waste creatively & to spread awareness about ways to reuse garbage. × New jobs would be created through #waste collection and transportation. Online trading platform would be set up to run 'Gobar Dhan Yojana' smoothly; it will connect farmers to buyers. × Under 'Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin', dung, farm waste, kitchen waste will be used for biogas energy. × In this budget, the emphasis was laid on 'waste to wealth' & 'waste to energy' through bio-gas for villages under 'Swacch Bharat' initiative called 'GOBAR-Dhan' (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) has been rolled out. × Moving from Women Development to Women Led Development.#MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/eA4ROFOA86 — PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 25, 2018 × We must become a risk-conscious society, understand values of safety. In our culture, we often speak about the protection of values, but we also have to understand values of safety. We must make it a part of our lives. × Most of the accidents barring national disasters in some way or the other occur due to our negligence. If we remain vigilante & follow rules then we can avoid such situations. × I urge the scientists to find ways in which we can enhance lives of our 'divyang' brothers & sisters through artificial intelligence. × On one hand, there are great mathematicians like Baudhayana, Bhaskara & Aryabhatta. On the other hand, great such as Sushruta and Charaka in the field of medicine are our pride. × Science and Technology is value neutral. It depends on us what work we want a machine to do. Hence, human objectivity becomes important. × Spirit of inquiry is the real inspiration behind scientific discoveries. One must not rest till one gets answers to all the questions. ×

PM Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat: Highlights

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday arrived in Daman to&nbsp;launch several development projects worth Rs 1,000 crore in the Union Territory of Daman and Diu.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launch of various development projects in Daman. <a href="https://t.co/t2TpfRCG7P">pic.twitter.com/t2TpfRCG7P</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/967307214305165314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The projects are aimed at boosting the economic development in the Union Territory.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This public meeting in Daman is historic- not only in terms of the number of people who have joined us but also in terms of the development projects being launched from here: PM Narendra Modi in Daman <a href="https://t.co/kJaDWU2Cru">pic.twitter.com/kJaDWU2Cru</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/967316470777643013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Prime Minister flagged off the Pawan Hans helicopter service for passengers travelling to and fro from Daman to Diu and a daily plane service between Diu to Ahmedabad.</p>

<p>While addressing the gathering, PM Modi stressed on the need for connectivity to boost tourism, saying &ldquo;Daman has now been connected to Diu with air services and therefore people from south India and other parts of the world who want to visit the UT and local destination will increase.&rdquo;</p>

<p>He also urged the people of Daman to focus on cleanliness, saying the prospects of tourism increases if the place is clean. Daman is a popular weekend getaway from Mumbai, and other parts of Gujarat. Famous for its black sand beaches, Daman also has several forts.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It is wonderful how Daman has become a mini-India. People from all over the country live and work here,&quot; he added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I congratulate the people and local administration for making Daman open defecation free. This is a big step: PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://t.co/Eg9vkat15Z">pic.twitter.com/Eg9vkat15Z</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/967318159253495809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Meanwhile, he urged local fisherman to form small groups and register themselves to avail the benefits of blue revolution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;The government is taking several steps for the welfare of fishermen. Our entire emphasis on the &lsquo;blue revolution&rsquo; is inspired by the commitment to bring a positive difference in the lives of fishermen,&rdquo; Modi said.</p>

<p>He even promised that the government will provide the fishermen with long boats with which they can venture in deep sea and can get a bigger catch of fish.</p>

<p>Later in the day, the Prime Minister is scheduled to fly to Chennai to launch the Amma Two-wheeler Scheme.</p>

<p>The scheme is the AIADMK government&#39;s ambitious project of providing 50 per cent subsidy to all working women to buy two-wheelers.</p>


The projects are aimed to boost the economic development

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday arrived in Daman to launch several development projects worth Rs 1,000 crore in the Union Territory of Daman and Diu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launch of various development projects in Daman. pic.twitter.com/t2TpfRCG7P — ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2018 × The projects are aimed at boosting the economic development in the Union Territory. This public meeting in Daman is historic- not only in terms of the number of people who have joined us but also in terms of the development projects being launched from here: PM Narendra Modi in Daman pic.twitter.com/kJaDWU2Cru — ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2018 × The Prime Minister flagged off the Pawan Hans helicopter service for passengers travelling to and fro from Daman to Diu and a daily plane service between Diu to Ahmedabad. While addressing the gathering, PM Modi stressed on the need for connectivity to boost tourism, saying “Daman has now been connected to Diu with air services and therefore people from south India and other parts of the world who want to visit the UT and local destination will increase.” He also urged the people of Daman to focus on cleanliness, saying the prospects of tourism increases if the place is clean. Daman is a popular weekend getaway from Mumbai, and other parts of Gujarat. Famous for its black sand beaches, Daman also has several forts. “It is wonderful how Daman has become a mini-India. People from all over the country live and work here," he added. I congratulate the people and local administration for making Daman open defecation free. This is a big step: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/Eg9vkat15Z — ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2018 × Meanwhile, he urged local fisherman to form small groups and register themselves to avail the benefits of blue revolution. “The government is taking several steps for the welfare of fishermen. Our entire emphasis on the ‘blue revolution’ is inspired by the commitment to bring a positive difference in the lives of fishermen,” Modi said. He even promised that the government will provide the fishermen with long boats with which they can venture in deep sea and can get a bigger catch of fish. Later in the day, the Prime Minister is scheduled to fly to Chennai to launch the Amma Two-wheeler Scheme. The scheme is the AIADMK government's ambitious project of providing 50 per cent subsidy to all working women to buy two-wheelers.

PM Modi launches Rs 1,000 crore projects in Daman and Diu

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Gujarat&#39;s Surat on Saturday.</p>

<p>Here he will also hand over certificates to beneficiaries of various official schemes.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister will visit Chennai, Puducherry and Gujarat in the next two days.</p>

<p>Modi will inaugurate projects worth Rs 1,000 crore in Daman city on February 24 and flag off the marathon in Surat the next day.</p>

<p>&quot;On February 24, Modi will lay the foundation stones for projects including a water treatment plant, a gas pipeline, an electric sub-station, a municipal market, a footbridge among others,&quot; SS Yadav, Adviser to Administrator of</p>

<p>Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, said today.</p>

<p>The PM will also launch a helicopter service between Daman and Diu, and an Air Odisha flight service connecting Ahmedabad with Diu, he said.</p>


The PM will also launch a helicopter service between Daman and Diu, and an Air Odisha flight service connecting Ahmedabad with Diu, he said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Gujarat's Surat on Saturday. Here he will also hand over certificates to beneficiaries of various official schemes. The Prime Minister will visit Chennai, Puducherry and Gujarat in the next two days. Modi will inaugurate projects worth Rs 1,000 crore in Daman city on February 24 and flag off the marathon in Surat the next day. "On February 24, Modi will lay the foundation stones for projects including a water treatment plant, a gas pipeline, an electric sub-station, a municipal market, a footbridge among others," SS Yadav, Adviser to Administrator of Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, said today. The PM will also launch a helicopter service between Daman and Diu, and an Air Odisha flight service connecting Ahmedabad with Diu, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Surat

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he is looking forward to the meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family on Friday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Taking to Twitter, Modi said: I look forward to meeting PM @JustinTrudeau tomorrow and holding talks on further strengthening India-Canada relations in all spheres. I appreciate his deep commitment to ties between our two countries.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I look forward to meeting PM <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinTrudeau</a> tomorrow and holding talks on further strengthening India-Canada relations in all spheres. I appreciate his deep commitment to ties between our two countries.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/966676587662819328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a separate tweet, Modi said that he hoped Trudeau had an enjoyable visit to India so far and that he particularly looked forward to meeting Trudeau&#39;s three children Xavier, Ella-Grace and Hadrien.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I hope PM <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinTrudeau</a> and his family had a very enjoyable stay so far. I particularly look forward to meeting his children Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien. Here is a picture from my 2015 Canada visit, when I&#39;d met PM Trudeau and Ella-Grace. <a href="https://t.co/Ox0M8EL46x">pic.twitter.com/Ox0M8EL46x</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/966677556299624448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>He also posted a picture of him along with Trudeau and Ella-Grace during his visit to Canada in April 2015.</p>

<p>Modi&#39;s comments came even as a row broke out about an invitation being extended to convicted Khalistan separatist Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian High Commission here for a reception on Thursday night in honour of the visiting dignitary.</p>


The duo are expected to hold talks on defence and counter-terrorism cooperation during their meeting tomorrow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he is looking forward to the meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family on Friday. Taking to Twitter, Modi said: I look forward to meeting PM @JustinTrudeau tomorrow and holding talks on further strengthening India-Canada relations in all spheres. I appreciate his deep commitment to ties between our two countries. I look forward to meeting PM @JustinTrudeau tomorrow and holding talks on further strengthening India-Canada relations in all spheres. I appreciate his deep commitment to ties between our two countries. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 22, 2018 × In a separate tweet, Modi said that he hoped Trudeau had an enjoyable visit to India so far and that he particularly looked forward to meeting Trudeau's three children Xavier, Ella-Grace and Hadrien. I hope PM @JustinTrudeau and his family had a very enjoyable stay so far. I particularly look forward to meeting his children Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien. Here is a picture from my 2015 Canada visit, when I'd met PM Trudeau and Ella-Grace. pic.twitter.com/Ox0M8EL46x — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 22, 2018 × He also posted a picture of him along with Trudeau and Ella-Grace during his visit to Canada in April 2015. Modi's comments came even as a row broke out about an invitation being extended to convicted Khalistan separatist Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian High Commission here for a reception on Thursday night in honour of the visiting dignitary.

Look forward to meeting Justin Trudeau and his kids: PM Modi

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday disapproved the political instability experienced in Nagaland during last four years and said that the BJP-NDPP government will ensure the development of the state.</p>

<p>Addressing an election rally here, he also hoped that in &quot;few months&quot; an agreement and solution to the Naga political issue will be arrived at which will &quot;respectable and acceptable&quot; to the people of Nagaland.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Visuals of PM Narendra Modi&#39;s visit to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nagaland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nagaland</a>&#39;s Tuensang. <a href="https://t.co/hlx2AhKtUC">pic.twitter.com/hlx2AhKtUC</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/966579553278689280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Prime minister added, &ldquo;This will strengthen democracy. We are having parleys with different groups and organisations.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The NDA government is giving special priority to the north-east. We are making efforts to furthering prosperity in the Northeast,&quot; PM Modi said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Connectivity is a huge challenge in Nagaland. We are working relentlessly towards eliminating it. In less than 4 years, we have added 500 km of National Highways. We have also planned to invest more than Rs 10,000 crore in the roads of Nagaland,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the run-up to polls, Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO) which was leading the movement for the solution to Naga problem before election asked political parties to refrain from the election.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2015 government of India and NSCN-IM inked a framework agreement.</p>


"The NDA government is giving special priority to the north-east. We are making efforts to furthering prosperity in the Northeast," PM Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday disapproved the political instability experienced in Nagaland during last four years and said that the BJP-NDPP government will ensure the development of the state. Addressing an election rally here, he also hoped that in "few months" an agreement and solution to the Naga political issue will be arrived at which will "respectable and acceptable" to the people of Nagaland. Visuals of PM Narendra Modi's visit to #Nagaland's Tuensang. pic.twitter.com/hlx2AhKtUC — ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2018 × The Prime minister added, “This will strengthen democracy. We are having parleys with different groups and organisations.” "The NDA government is giving special priority to the north-east. We are making efforts to furthering prosperity in the Northeast," PM Modi said. "Connectivity is a huge challenge in Nagaland. We are working relentlessly towards eliminating it. In less than 4 years, we have added 500 km of National Highways. We have also planned to invest more than Rs 10,000 crore in the roads of Nagaland," he added. In the run-up to polls, Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO) which was leading the movement for the solution to Naga problem before election asked political parties to refrain from the election. In 2015 government of India and NSCN-IM inked a framework agreement.

Our govt is giving special priority to Northeast, says PM

<p>Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday calling him &#39;&#39;unfit to continue as a Prime Minister&#39;&#39;.</p>

<p>Siddaramaiah&#39;s comment followed PM Modi&#39;s statement made yesterday at a campaign rally for the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi noted that new scams, corruption charges, and fresh allegations were emerging under him (Siddaramaiah) &quot;every day&quot;.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister addressed those who attended the rally and asked them if they want a &quot;commission government&quot;&nbsp;in Karnataka or &#39;&#39;mission government&#39;&#39;. He also called Siddarmaiah and his administration a &quot;10 per cent commission government&quot;.</p>

<p>Modi further alleged that &quot;central government funds under various schemes meant for the poor and middle class was not being properly utilised&nbsp;by the state.&quot;</p>

<p>Angered by Prime Minister&#39;s remarks on his administration, Siddaramaiah said, &quot;Prime Minister Modi is not speaking like a prime minister. There are so many issues concerning the state and the country but he has not opened his mouth&quot; adding, &quot;He is making politically motivated and irresponsible statements. He is unfit to continue as Prime Minister.&quot;</p>

<p>The Chief Minister also noted that the information shared by the Prime Minister at the rally was incorrect.</p>

<p>Taking to Twitter, the veteran Congress leader who is eyeing a second chief ministerial tenure in poll-bound Karnataka, further accused the PM Modi of making common men stand in queues during demonetisation while Nirav Modi is on the run with country&#39;s money.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dear PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> ರವರೆ, since you are fond of talking about commission let me ask you-<br />
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You made common people stand in queues to deposit their money in the Banks &amp; then let <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NiravModi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NiravModi</a> run away with over 12,000 cr of people&rsquo;s money.<br />
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What percent of people&rsquo;s money is that? <a href="https://t.co/whvsOIFYEi">pic.twitter.com/whvsOIFYEi</a></p>
&mdash; Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) <a href="https://twitter.com/siddaramaiah/status/965809203125374976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&ldquo;Dear PM Narendra Modi, since you are fond of talking about commission let me ask you- You made common people stand in queues to deposit their money in the Banks &amp; then let #NiravModi run away with over 12,000 cr of people&rsquo;s money. What percent of people&rsquo;s money is that?&rdquo; he asked.</p>

<p>This is not the first time that the Karnataka Chief Minister spoke out openly against the Prime Minister.</p>

<p>Earlier this month, Siddaramaiah had said Modi &ldquo;is morally not right to be the Prime Minister of the country&rdquo;. His comment came a day after PM Modi vowed to wipe Congress out of Karnataka at a rally in Bengaluru. He had further targeted BJP president Amit Shah, saying he is &ldquo;involved in murder case&rdquo; and attacked former Karnataka CM and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa for being arrested in the past.</p>

<p>Both the Congress and BJP has been targetting each other on the social media and political rallies over the last two months ahead of the Karnataka Assembly polls, scheduled to be held later this year.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Siddaramaiah's comment came after PM Modi attacked him and his administration in a rally on Monday in a Mysuru

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday calling him ''unfit to continue as a Prime Minister''. Siddaramaiah's comment followed PM Modi's statement made yesterday at a campaign rally for the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. PM Modi noted that new scams, corruption charges, and fresh allegations were emerging under him (Siddaramaiah) "every day". The Prime Minister addressed those who attended the rally and asked them if they want a "commission government" in Karnataka or ''mission government''. He also called Siddarmaiah and his administration a "10 per cent commission government". Modi further alleged that "central government funds under various schemes meant for the poor and middle class was not being properly utilised by the state." Angered by Prime Minister's remarks on his administration, Siddaramaiah said, "Prime Minister Modi is not speaking like a prime minister. There are so many issues concerning the state and the country but he has not opened his mouth" adding, "He is making politically motivated and irresponsible statements. He is unfit to continue as Prime Minister." The Chief Minister also noted that the information shared by the Prime Minister at the rally was incorrect. Taking to Twitter, the veteran Congress leader who is eyeing a second chief ministerial tenure in poll-bound Karnataka, further accused the PM Modi of making common men stand in queues during demonetisation while Nirav Modi is on the run with country's money. Dear PM @narendramodi ರವರೆ, since you are fond of talking about commission let me ask you- You made common people stand in queues to deposit their money in the Banks & then let #NiravModi run away with over 12,000 cr of people’s money. What percent of people’s money is that? pic.twitter.com/whvsOIFYEi — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 20, 2018 × “Dear PM Narendra Modi, since you are fond of talking about commission let me ask you- You made common people stand in queues to deposit their money in the Banks & then let #NiravModi run away with over 12,000 cr of people’s money. What percent of people’s money is that?” he asked. This is not the first time that the Karnataka Chief Minister spoke out openly against the Prime Minister. Earlier this month, Siddaramaiah had said Modi “is morally not right to be the Prime Minister of the country”. His comment came a day after PM Modi vowed to wipe Congress out of Karnataka at a rally in Bengaluru. He had further targeted BJP president Amit Shah, saying he is “involved in murder case” and attacked former Karnataka CM and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa for being arrested in the past. Both the Congress and BJP has been targetting each other on the social media and political rallies over the last two months ahead of the Karnataka Assembly polls, scheduled to be held later this year.

Siddaramaiah says Narendra Modi 'unfit to continue as Prime Minister'

<p>Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider has instructed authorities to give state funerals to those killed due to alleged firing by Indian troops across the Line of Control.</p>

<p>Haider yesterday accused the Indian Army of targeting civilians, including women and children, The Express Tribune reported.</p>

<p>&quot;All deputy commissioners have been instructed to ensure the best treatment of the injured as well as funerals of martyrs with state honour,&quot; he said, alleging that Indian troops recently targeted a school van killing its driver.</p>

<p>He also appealed to the Government of Pakistan to raise the issue of ceasefire violations at the Line of Control allegedly by the Indian Army in the UN Security Council.</p>

<p>&quot;Pakistan must raise the issue of targeting of civilians, schools and hospitals in the Security Council,&quot; he added.</p>


Prime Minister Haider yesterday accused the Indian Army of targeting civilians

Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider has instructed authorities to give state funerals to those killed due to alleged firing by Indian troops across the Line of Control. Haider yesterday accused the Indian Army of targeting civilians, including women and children, The Express Tribune reported. "All deputy commissioners have been instructed to ensure the best treatment of the injured as well as funerals of martyrs with state honour," he said, alleging that Indian troops recently targeted a school van killing its driver. He also appealed to the Government of Pakistan to raise the issue of ceasefire violations at the Line of Control allegedly by the Indian Army in the UN Security Council. "Pakistan must raise the issue of targeting of civilians, schools and hospitals in the Security Council," he added.

PoK government orders state funeral for LoC victims

<p>Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday&nbsp;banned sex between ministers and staff and rounded on his deputy for a &quot;shocking error of judgment&quot; by having an affair with a press secretary.</p>

<p>Turnbull announced the ban at the end of a parliamentary week dominated by controversy over Deputy Australian Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce&#39;s relationship with a former staffer, Vikki Campion.</p>

<p>Barnaby Joyce, a Catholic who campaigned on &quot;family values&quot; and married for 24 years, is expecting a child with his former staffer in April.</p>

<p>Turnbull stopped short of sacking Joyce, which would have put the government&#39;s narrow one-seat majority at risk were he expelled from parliament.</p>

<p>But he said the scandal had prompted overdue changes to ministerial conduct rules, and announced new standards broadly similar to a ban on relationships between lawmakers and staffers adopted last week by US Congress.</p>

<p>&quot;In 2018, it is not acceptable for a minister to have a sexual relationship with somebody who works for them. It is a very bad workplace practice. And everybody knows that no good comes of it,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Ministers, regardless of whether they are married or single, must not engage in sexual relations with staff. Doing so will constitute a breach of the standards.&quot;</p>

<p>He said Joyce was taking some personal leave to reflect and seek forgiveness from his former wife and four daughters, &ldquo;and make a new home for his partner and their baby&rdquo;.</p>

<p>He also said that Australians expected parliamentarians to behave decorously. Ministers needed to be &ldquo;very conscious that their spouses and children sacrifice a great deal so they can carry on their political career, and their families deserve honour and respect&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Turnbull added that when it came to serving in public life, &ldquo;values should be lived&rdquo;.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(With inputs from Reuters)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Deputy Australian Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, a Catholic who campaigned on 'family values' and married for 24 years, is expecting a child with his former staffer in April

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday banned sex between ministers and staff and rounded on his deputy for a "shocking error of judgment" by having an affair with a press secretary. Turnbull announced the ban at the end of a parliamentary week dominated by controversy over Deputy Australian Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's relationship with a former staffer, Vikki Campion. Barnaby Joyce, a Catholic who campaigned on "family values" and married for 24 years, is expecting a child with his former staffer in April. Turnbull stopped short of sacking Joyce, which would have put the government's narrow one-seat majority at risk were he expelled from parliament. But he said the scandal had prompted overdue changes to ministerial conduct rules, and announced new standards broadly similar to a ban on relationships between lawmakers and staffers adopted last week by US Congress. "In 2018, it is not acceptable for a minister to have a sexual relationship with somebody who works for them. It is a very bad workplace practice. And everybody knows that no good comes of it," he said. "Ministers, regardless of whether they are married or single, must not engage in sexual relations with staff. Doing so will constitute a breach of the standards." He said Joyce was taking some personal leave to reflect and seek forgiveness from his former wife and four daughters, “and make a new home for his partner and their baby”. He also said that Australians expected parliamentarians to behave decorously. Ministers needed to be “very conscious that their spouses and children sacrifice a great deal so they can carry on their political career, and their families deserve honour and respect”. Turnbull added that when it came to serving in public life, “values should be lived”. (With inputs from Reuters)

Watch: Australian PM bans affairs between ministers, staff

<p>KP Sharma Oli was today sworn in as Nepal&#39;s Prime Minister for the second time, weeks after his Left alliance with CPN Maoist swept the historic parliamentary polls, kindling hopes for much-needed political stability in the Himalayan nation.</p>

<p>President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to 65-year-old Oli and two other ministers - both from the CPN-UML - at a function held at President&rsquo;s Office, Shital Niwas, in Maharajgunj.</p>

<p>Oli is the 41st prime minister of Nepal.</p>

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<h5>According to sources close to the Maoist party, the Maoist leaders did not take oath after their demand for the portfolio of the deputy Prime Minister was turned down by Oli</h5>
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<p>Earlier, there were reports that leaders from the CPN Maoist, another member of the Left Alliance, would also join the cabinet.</p>

<p>According to sources close to the Maoist party, the Maoist leaders did not take oath after their demand for the portfolio of the deputy Prime Minister was turned down by Oli.</p>

<p>It is learnt that CPN-UML general secretary Ishwor Pokharel was aspiring for the post of deputy Prime Minister in the new cabinet.</p>

<p>UML leaders Lal Babu Pandit and Thum Maya Thapa have been given the portfolios of Minister for Population and Environment, Minister for Women and Children respectively.</p>

<p>Oli&#39;s party CPN-UML secured 121 seats in the 275-member Parliament and became the largest party. The Nepali Congress has 63 seats while the CPN-Maoist Centre secured 53 seats.</p>

<p>Oli needs the support from the Maoist party led by Prachanda to prove the majority in the house.</p>

<p>His failure to include Maoist ministers during today&#39;s swearing-in ceremony raises question about the longevity of the new government, especially at a time when the two communist parties are in the process of unification, political observers say.</p>

<p>Known for his pro-China stance, Oli had served as the country&#39;s prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016.</p>

<p>His PM candidacy was supported by the CPN-Maoists, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, and Madhesi Rights Forum-Democratic along with 13 other small parties.</p>

<p>Earlier, former prime minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba had addressed the nation and submitted his resignation to the president.</p>

<p>Deuba was elected as the 40th Prime Minister on June 6 with the support from CPN (Maoist Centre) which is now a part of Left alliance.</p>

<p>&quot;The elections of three tiers of government have been successfully held under my leadership setting the foundation to long transition,&quot; Deuba said in the television address.</p>

<p>The Left alliance of the CPN-UML, led by Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre, led by Prachanda, secured almost two third majority in the Parliament during the parliamentary elections.</p>

<p>The Madhesi parties - Rastriya Janta Party Nepal has got 17 seats and Federal Socialist Party Nepal secured 16 seats in the Parliamentary elections.</p>

<p>The elections were seen as the final step in Nepal&#39;s transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives.</p>

<p>In 2015, when Nepal adopted a new Constitution that split it into seven states, dozens of people were killed in ethnic clashes over territory and rights.</p>

<p>Following the adoption of the new Constitution, the ethnic Madhesi group, mostly of Indian-origin, protested for months, saying they were not getting enough territory in one of the provinces and were also facing discrimination.</p>

<p>The polls are said to be a step forward in cementing democracy and providing political stability to Nepal, which has seen 10 prime ministers in as many years.</p>

<p>Oli had served as deputy prime minister during the then interim government led by Girija Prasad Koirala in 2006 after the successful conclusion of the second Peoples Movement. He was elected as a member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the first time from Jhapa district in 1991.</p>

<p>He had also served as Minister of Home Affairs in 1994&ndash;1995. He was re-elected to the House of Representatives from Jhapa electorate in 1999.&nbsp;</p>


KP Sharma Oli was today sworn in as Nepal's Prime Minister for the second time, weeks after his Left alliance with CPN Maoist swept the historic parliamentary polls, kindling hopes for much-needed political stability in the Himalayan nation. President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to 65-year-old Oli and two other ministers - both from the CPN-UML - at a function held at President’s Office, Shital Niwas, in Maharajgunj. Oli is the 41st prime minister of Nepal. According to sources close to the Maoist party, the Maoist leaders did not take oath after their demand for the portfolio of the deputy Prime Minister was turned down by Oli × Earlier, there were reports that leaders from the CPN Maoist, another member of the Left Alliance, would also join the cabinet. According to sources close to the Maoist party, the Maoist leaders did not take oath after their demand for the portfolio of the deputy Prime Minister was turned down by Oli. It is learnt that CPN-UML general secretary Ishwor Pokharel was aspiring for the post of deputy Prime Minister in the new cabinet. UML leaders Lal Babu Pandit and Thum Maya Thapa have been given the portfolios of Minister for Population and Environment, Minister for Women and Children respectively. Oli's party CPN-UML secured 121 seats in the 275-member Parliament and became the largest party. The Nepali Congress has 63 seats while the CPN-Maoist Centre secured 53 seats. Oli needs the support from the Maoist party led by Prachanda to prove the majority in the house. His failure to include Maoist ministers during today's swearing-in ceremony raises question about the longevity of the new government, especially at a time when the two communist parties are in the process of unification, political observers say. Known for his pro-China stance, Oli had served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016. His PM candidacy was supported by the CPN-Maoists, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, and Madhesi Rights Forum-Democratic along with 13 other small parties. Earlier, former prime minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba had addressed the nation and submitted his resignation to the president. Deuba was elected as the 40th Prime Minister on June 6 with the support from CPN (Maoist Centre) which is now a part of Left alliance. "The elections of three tiers of government have been successfully held under my leadership setting the foundation to long transition," Deuba said in the television address. The Left alliance of the CPN-UML, led by Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre, led by Prachanda, secured almost two third majority in the Parliament during the parliamentary elections. The Madhesi parties - Rastriya Janta Party Nepal has got 17 seats and Federal Socialist Party Nepal secured 16 seats in the Parliamentary elections. The elections were seen as the final step in Nepal's transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives. In 2015, when Nepal adopted a new Constitution that split it into seven states, dozens of people were killed in ethnic clashes over territory and rights. Following the adoption of the new Constitution, the ethnic Madhesi group, mostly of Indian-origin, protested for months, saying they were not getting enough territory in one of the provinces and were also facing discrimination. The polls are said to be a step forward in cementing democracy and providing political stability to Nepal, which has seen 10 prime ministers in as many years. Oli had served as deputy prime minister during the then interim government led by Girija Prasad Koirala in 2006 after the successful conclusion of the second Peoples Movement. He was elected as a member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the first time from Jhapa district in 1991. He had also served as Minister of Home Affairs in 1994–1995. He was re-elected to the House of Representatives from Jhapa electorate in 1999.

KP Oli sworn in as Nepal PM for second time

<p>Two months after the successful conclusion of parliamentary elections, Nepal&#39;s largest party CPN-UML on Wednesday picked its Chairman KP Sharma Oli as the next Prime Minister of the country.</p>

<p>Oli, 65, served as the country&#39;s prime minister from October 11, 2015, to August 3, 2016. He is known for his pro-China stance.</p>

<p>A Standing Committee (SC) of the party held in Lalitpur named Oli as the prime ministerial candidate as he is also the UML&#39;s Parliamentary Party leader, Surendra Pandey was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post.</p>

<p>The Left Alliance of the CPN-UML, led by Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre, led by Prachanda, had in December secured 174 seats in the 275-member Parliament in the historic provincial and parliamentary polls that many hope will bring much-needed political stability to the Himalayan nation.</p>

<p>It had also secured an overwhelming majority in the upper house of Parliament with 39 seats, paving the way for the leftist alliance to form the country&#39;s next government.</p>

<p>The UML leaders also discussed the party unification with the CPN (Maoist Centre) during the meeting, the report said.</p>

<p>Following an intra-party discussion of both the parties, a meeting of the Party Unification Coordination Committee (PUCC) is scheduled to be held later today, it said.</p>

<p>The PUCC meeting is likely to take a final decision regarding the party unification.</p>

<p>The PUCC of the left alliance was formed to discuss the merger of the two parties.</p>

<p>The process of appointment of Prime Minister would begin after the Election Commission would submit the final results of House of Representatives election under the Proportional Representation to the President.</p>

<p>CPN-UML, with the support of CPN Maoist Centre, has emerged as the largest party after garnering the majority in the three-tier elections.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


Oli, 65, served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015, to August 3, 2016. He is known for his pro-China stance

Two months after the successful conclusion of parliamentary elections, Nepal's largest party CPN-UML on Wednesday picked its Chairman KP Sharma Oli as the next Prime Minister of the country. Oli, 65, served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015, to August 3, 2016. He is known for his pro-China stance. A Standing Committee (SC) of the party held in Lalitpur named Oli as the prime ministerial candidate as he is also the UML's Parliamentary Party leader, Surendra Pandey was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. The Left Alliance of the CPN-UML, led by Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre, led by Prachanda, had in December secured 174 seats in the 275-member Parliament in the historic provincial and parliamentary polls that many hope will bring much-needed political stability to the Himalayan nation. It had also secured an overwhelming majority in the upper house of Parliament with 39 seats, paving the way for the leftist alliance to form the country's next government. The UML leaders also discussed the party unification with the CPN (Maoist Centre) during the meeting, the report said. Following an intra-party discussion of both the parties, a meeting of the Party Unification Coordination Committee (PUCC) is scheduled to be held later today, it said. The PUCC meeting is likely to take a final decision regarding the party unification. The PUCC of the left alliance was formed to discuss the merger of the two parties. The process of appointment of Prime Minister would begin after the Election Commission would submit the final results of House of Representatives election under the Proportional Representation to the President. CPN-UML, with the support of CPN Maoist Centre, has emerged as the largest party after garnering the majority in the three-tier elections. (With inputs from PTI)

Nepal's CPN-UML names KP Sharma Oli as next Prime Minister

<p>Government delays, uncertainty and under-resourcing have left the British borders and immigration system unprepared for Brexit, according to a parliamentary report on Wednesday.</p>

<p>Lack of clarity over immigration intentions is creating anxiety for EU citizens in the UK and putting already overstretched immigration officials in an impossible position, it added.</p>

<p>&quot;The government does not seem to appreciate the immense bureaucratic challenge they are facing or how much time and resources they need to plan on Brexit,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>The report by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee criticised delays in publishing a so-called White Paper outlining the government`s post-Brexit immigration plans.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Theresa May`s office has said it is considering various options for the post-Brexit immigration system and will set out its initial plans &quot;as and when they are ready.&quot;</p>

<p>But the committee said failure to set out immigration objectives soon will deny parliament and those affected the chance to debate plans before they are finalised.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;That is unacceptable,&quot; it added. &quot;We had expected these questions to be answered in the much-delayed White Paper but its publication has been delayed further and it may not now appear until the end of this year at the earliest.&quot;</p>

<p>May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the EU over their treatment during any transition period before leaving the bloc.</p>

<p>Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe.</p>

<p>&quot;With little more than a year to go, the government is still failing to set out crucial details on the registration of current (EU) residents,&quot; the report said.</p>

<p>Failure to set out detailed plans for the registration of foreign nationals and the transition period soon will make it impossible for immigration and border officials to do their job properly, it warned.<br />
The government needed to clarify urgently whether it wants additional border checks after March 2019 when Britain leaves.</p>

<p>It should aim to agree transitional arrangements with the EU which involve no practical change to customs operations, it added. &quot;Removing border staff from security or immigration checks to do additional customs checks would be unacceptable.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Government drift is putting everyone in an impossible position,&quot; said committee chair Yvette Cooper. &quot;The lack of detail with just over a year to go is irresponsible.&quot;</p>


Lack of clarity over immigration intentions is creating anxiety for EU citizens

Government delays, uncertainty and under-resourcing have left the British borders and immigration system unprepared for Brexit, according to a parliamentary report on Wednesday. Lack of clarity over immigration intentions is creating anxiety for EU citizens in the UK and putting already overstretched immigration officials in an impossible position, it added. "The government does not seem to appreciate the immense bureaucratic challenge they are facing or how much time and resources they need to plan on Brexit," it said. The report by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee criticised delays in publishing a so-called White Paper outlining the government`s post-Brexit immigration plans. Prime Minister Theresa May`s office has said it is considering various options for the post-Brexit immigration system and will set out its initial plans "as and when they are ready." But the committee said failure to set out immigration objectives soon will deny parliament and those affected the chance to debate plans before they are finalised. "That is unacceptable," it added. "We had expected these questions to be answered in the much-delayed White Paper but its publication has been delayed further and it may not now appear until the end of this year at the earliest." May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit next year may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the EU over their treatment during any transition period before leaving the bloc. Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe. "With little more than a year to go, the government is still failing to set out crucial details on the registration of current (EU) residents," the report said. Failure to set out detailed plans for the registration of foreign nationals and the transition period soon will make it impossible for immigration and border officials to do their job properly, it warned. The government needed to clarify urgently whether it wants additional border checks after March 2019 when Britain leaves. It should aim to agree transitional arrangements with the EU which involve no practical change to customs operations, it added. "Removing border staff from security or immigration checks to do additional customs checks would be unacceptable." "Government drift is putting everyone in an impossible position," said committee chair Yvette Cooper. "The lack of detail with just over a year to go is irresponsible."

UK border and immigration system unprepared for Brexit, says Report

<p>The names of delegation members accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his foreign visits should be disclosed, Chief Information Commissioner R K Mathur has directed the PMO.</p>

<p>Mathur rejected the objection by the PMO in disclosing the information on grounds of &quot;national security&quot;.</p>

<p>Deciding two separate cases, Mathur, however, exempted the PMO from disclosing the names of security personnel and people linked to the security details of the prime minister.<br />
&quot;The commission is of the view that the name/list of non-government persons (having no connection with the security) who had accompanied the prime minister on his international visits...Should be provided to the appellant,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The cases came before the Central Information Commission - the final appellate authority in matters related to Right to Information - after applicants Neeraj Sharma and Ayub Ali did not receive a proper response to their applications seeking details of delegation members accompanying the prime minister on his foreign visits.</p>

<p>Sharma had sought the list of CEOs of private business, owners or partners, private business officials etc. who accompanied Prime Minister Modi on his international visits.</p>

<p>Ali wanted to know the details of monthly expenses of Modi&#39;s residence and office; procedure for meeting him; number of meetings held by the prime minister with public at his residence and office; number of electoral public meetings addressed by him and the government expenditure on them.</p>

<p>Sharma filed the RTI application in July, 2017, while Ali&#39;s application was filed before the PMO in April, 2016.</p>

<p>In a recent order, Mathur directed the country&#39;s top office to provide information within 30 days.</p>

<p>During the hearing, Sharma told Mathur that he has been informed that the list of members of delegation accompanying the PM on domestic and foreign tours cannot be disclosed on security grounds as the same is exempted under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act.</p>

<p>&quot;(Sharma) stated that this same information was available on the website during the tenure of former prime minister Manmohan Singh,&quot; Mathur noted.</p>

<p>The PMO stated that details of the PM&#39;s visits are available on their website, he pointed out.</p>

<p>However, the names of the delegation members accompanying the prime minister on domestic and foreign visits cannot be disclosed due to security reasons as the threats differ from person to person, it said.</p>

<p>&quot;Further, the respondent (PMO) stated that the composition of the prime minister&#39;s team cannot be revealed to the appellant on &#39;national security&#39; grounds,&quot; Mathur noted in Ali&#39;s order.</p>

<p>In the order, Mathur said that the PMO Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) has stated that budget details are available on their website, which the appellant may access on the given web-link.<br />
&quot;Besides, he (the CPIO) stated that they do not have records of electoral meetings held by the prime minister,&quot; he said.</p>


Mathur rejected the objection by the PMO in disclosing the information on grounds of national security

The names of delegation members accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his foreign visits should be disclosed, Chief Information Commissioner R K Mathur has directed the PMO. Mathur rejected the objection by the PMO in disclosing the information on grounds of "national security". Deciding two separate cases, Mathur, however, exempted the PMO from disclosing the names of security personnel and people linked to the security details of the prime minister. "The commission is of the view that the name/list of non-government persons (having no connection with the security) who had accompanied the prime minister on his international visits...Should be provided to the appellant," he said. The cases came before the Central Information Commission - the final appellate authority in matters related to Right to Information - after applicants Neeraj Sharma and Ayub Ali did not receive a proper response to their applications seeking details of delegation members accompanying the prime minister on his foreign visits. Sharma had sought the list of CEOs of private business, owners or partners, private business officials etc. who accompanied Prime Minister Modi on his international visits. Ali wanted to know the details of monthly expenses of Modi's residence and office; procedure for meeting him; number of meetings held by the prime minister with public at his residence and office; number of electoral public meetings addressed by him and the government expenditure on them. Sharma filed the RTI application in July, 2017, while Ali's application was filed before the PMO in April, 2016. In a recent order, Mathur directed the country's top office to provide information within 30 days. During the hearing, Sharma told Mathur that he has been informed that the list of members of delegation accompanying the PM on domestic and foreign tours cannot be disclosed on security grounds as the same is exempted under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act. "(Sharma) stated that this same information was available on the website during the tenure of former prime minister Manmohan Singh," Mathur noted. The PMO stated that details of the PM's visits are available on their website, he pointed out. However, the names of the delegation members accompanying the prime minister on domestic and foreign visits cannot be disclosed due to security reasons as the threats differ from person to person, it said. "Further, the respondent (PMO) stated that the composition of the prime minister's team cannot be revealed to the appellant on 'national security' grounds," Mathur noted in Ali's order. In the order, Mathur said that the PMO Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) has stated that budget details are available on their website, which the appellant may access on the given web-link. "Besides, he (the CPIO) stated that they do not have records of electoral meetings held by the prime minister," he said.

Disclose names of delegation members accompanying PM on foreign visits: CIC tells PMO

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