Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Rajasthan to grand welcome, Rahul says learning immensely from march.
RAJASTHAN: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began the Rajasthan leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra from Jhalawar district on Monday morning, with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra drew a large crowd in Rajasthan's Jhalawar on Tuesday with the Congress leader waving and giving flying kisses to a group of people who had assembled on the rooftop of a BJP office to catch a glimpse of the foot March. The Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir yatra resumed from Khel Sankul, where Gandhi and his fellow marchers had stopped Monday night, and crossed Jhalawar city in the morning.
New faces win Nepal polls, vow to ‘change political discourse’
The November 20 elections witnessed a new wave of youngsters challenging the hegemony of the old guard of Nepali politics.
The November 20 polls witnessed a wave of youngsters challenging the hegemony of the old guard of Nepali politics. While a handful of them won, many others secured substantial votes, with some of them even competing against popular leaders in their long-held constituencies.
India signals it will continue to buy oil from Russia
India has so far not committed to the $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil set by the G7 and EU to squeeze Russia.
India will prioritize its own energy needs and continue to buy oil from Russia, its foreign minister has indicated as Western governments implemented a price cap to squeeze Moscow’s earnings from oil exports.
Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made the comments on Monday after holding talks with his visiting German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock. Jaishankar said it isn’t right for European countries to prioritise their energy needs but “ask India to do something else”.
Amnesty urges Sri Lanka to drop charges, free two protest leaders
The rights group also renews call for Sri Lanka to repeal the civil war-era Prevention of Terrorism Act under which the two are being held.
Rights group Amnesty International has urged Sri Lanka to drop charges against two protest leaders imprisoned for more than three months following the anti-government demonstrations that engulfed the island nation earlier this year.
Amnesty also renewed its call for Sri Lanka to repeal the harsh, civil war-era Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) under which the two protest leaders are being held.
G20: PM Narendra Modi pitches for harmony as India takes over presidency
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the country will work to promote a "universal sense of oneness" while it leads the G20.
India formally took over the presidency - which rotates annually between members - of the Group of Twenty countries on Thursday.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo had officially handed it over to Mr Modi at the end of the G20 summit in November.
Rishi Sunak Becomes Third U.K. Prime Minister in Seven Weeks
In the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak has been sworn in as prime minister, succeeding fellow Conservative Party member Liz Truss, who resigned her post after just six weeks on the job. Sunak was a supporter of Brexit, Britain’s narrowly approved 2016 referendum on whether to exit the European Union. He comes from one of the nation’s wealthiest families, with a net worth estimated at more than $800 million. He becomes Britain’s first-ever prime minister of color and third prime minister in 50 days, after Boris Johnson resigned amid a series of scandals. Rishi Sunak delivered his first address as prime minister from 10 Downing Street earlier today.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: “I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government’s agenda. This will mean difficult decisions to come.”
Across the U.K., calls are growing for a general election. The leader of Scotland’s National Party, Nicola Sturgeon, said Monday the turmoil in the Conservative or “Tory” party showed the need for greater Scottish independence.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon: “It’s going to be the fifth prime minister in the years that I’ve been first minister. Now, I’m only saying that to illustrate the instability and the uncertainty and the chaos that the Tories have unleashed on all of us. They have no mandate, and it is a democratic necessity that people get their say on who occupies 10 Downing Street.”
Representatives of Ethiopia’s Government Meet Tigray Rebels for Peace Talks
Representatives from Ethiopia’s government and rebel forces in Tigray gathered in South Africa Monday for peace talks mediated by the African Union. The talks came as the United Nations warned the situation in Ethiopia is spiraling out of control, with reports of widespread atrocities including airstrikes and artillery fire that have exacerbated a humanitarian catastrophe. Some estimates put the number of dead in Tigray at 800,000 since fighting erupted less than two years ago. The U.N. says the resulting health crisis now threatens 6 million people.
IAEA to Investigate Ukraine Nuclear Sites over Russia’s “Dirty Bomb” Claims
The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency says it will send inspectors to two Ukrainian nuclear sites after Russia claimed without evidence that Ukraine was preparing to deploy a radioactive device known as a “dirty bomb” against Russia. Ukraine has rejected the charge and plans to bring up the issue at the U.N. Security Council when it meets today.
German President Visits Kyiv Amid Calls to Further Arm Ukraine
Germany’s president has arrived in Kyiv on his first visit to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s trip comes two days after Germany’s ministers of defense and foreign affairs called for a dramatic boost in German and EU aid to Ukraine’s military.
U.S. Progressive Lawmakers Call on Biden to Pursue Diplomacy with Russia
Here in the United States, a group of 30 progressive U.S. congressmembers is calling on the White House to pursue direct negotiations with Russia. In a letter sent Monday to President Biden, the 30 lawmakers, led by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, write, “we urge you to pair the military and economic support the United States has provided to Ukraine with a proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire.” The letter goes on to state, “The alternative to diplomacy is protracted war, with both its attendant certainties and catastrophic and unknowable risks.”
Russian Court Rejects Brittney Griner’s Appeal of 9-Year Prison Sentence
A Russian court has rejected an appeal by WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner, who was sentenced in August to nine years in a penal colony after she pleaded guilty to carrying a small amount of marijuana into Russia. Griner was arrested at the Moscow airport in February when customs officials found vape cartridges containing a small amount of cannabis oil in her luggage.
Israeli Forces Kill 6, Wound Dozens in Overnight Assault on Nablus
In the West Bank, at least six Palestinians were killed and nearly two dozen others injured following raids by Israeli forces early Tuesday morning. Al Jazeera reports one of the victims, Qusay al-Tamimi, was 19 years old and lived in the village of Nabi Saleh, near the city of Ramallah.
In related news, Amnesty International is calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate possible war crimes committed by Israel during its latest deadly assault on the Gaza Strip in August. Among those killed by Israeli forces were a 4-year-old child and a teenager who was visiting her mother’s grave, according to a new Amnesty report published Tuesday. Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary general, said in a statement, “Israel’s latest offensive on Gaza lasted only three days, but that was ample time to unleash fresh trauma and destruction on the besieged population. The three deadly attacks we examined must be investigated as war crimes; all victims of unlawful attacks and their families deserve justice and reparations.”
Iran Indicts 300+ on Criminal Charges over Anti-Government Protests
In Iran, over 300 people have been indicted on criminal charges for participating in massive protests that have rocked the streets of Tehran for more than a month. At least four of them were charged as “enemies of God,” an offense that can carry the death penalty, according to Iranian officials. Despite the brutal crackdown, demonstrations continue in Tehran, sparked by the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in custody of the so-called morality police. On Monday, Iranian security forces fired tear gas at a girls’ high school. A clash between school staff and students reportedly broke out after the school’s principal insisted on checking the students’ cellphones.
Deadly Cyclone Leaves Millions Without Power in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, at least 16 people are dead and some 10 million were left without power after a cyclone triggered torrential rains, heavy winds and flooding in the capital Dhaka and across other parts of the country. Cyclone Sitrang made landfall in the coastal regions of southern and southwestern Bangladesh late Monday, destroying homes and cutting off telecommunications lines. About a million people were evacuated. This comes as scientists warn climate change is likely making cyclones more intense and frequent.
North and South Korea Exchange Warning Shots Amid Heightened Nuclear Tensions
OCT 25, 2022
North and South Korea exchanged warning shots in waters off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula on Monday, after South Korea’s military accused a North Korean merchant vessel of crossing a maritime boundary. The exchange of artillery fire came after South Korean forces joined the USS Ronald Reagan carrier battle group for U.S.-led war games off the Korean Peninsula. It follows a record pace of weapons tests carried out by North Korea this year. On Monday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol promised a strong military response to what he said were plans by North Korea to carry out its first nuclear weapons test in more than five years.
President Yoon Suk-yeol: “Not only has it openly announced its intentions to preemptively use nuclear weapons, it appears that preparations for a seventh nuclear test have already been completed. … We will strengthen our deterrence against North Korea with overwhelming capabilities, through the combined defense posture of South Korea and the United States, as well as security cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan, so that our people can live their daily lives with confidence.”
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