June 15,2023: Lebanon’s parliament has – for the 12th time – failed to elect a president and break a political deadlock that has gripped the country for months.
Lawmakers held a session on Wednesday to pick a replacement for former President Michel Aoun, whose term ended last October, but disagreements prevented them from reaching the required thresholds.
The main competition was between Jihad Azour, a former finance minister and senior official with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Sleiman Frangieh, leader of the Marada party whose family has a long history in Lebanese politics.
The Lebanese Parliament requires 86 from a possible maximum of 128 lawmakers, or two-thirds, to elect a new leader in the first round of voting.
Azour, who is supported by the opposition to the Iran-backed Hezbollah, edged higher than his opponent during the first round with 59 votes to Frangieh’s 51, but failed to achieve the required majority.
Eighteen lawmakers cast blank ballots or protest votes or voted for minority candidates.
The bloc led by the powerful Hezbollah withdrew after the initial round, breaking quorum and preventing a second round of voting, where candidates required only a majority of 65 votes to secure the presidency.
Lebanon has a complex confessional political system based on the National Pact, an unwritten pact between the country’s political blocs that was first agreed in 1943 to set out faith-based representation and power-sharing.
Based on the pact, the president and the commander of the army need to be Maronite Christians, while the prime minister must be Sunni Muslim and the parliament speaker Shia Muslim.
The deputy speaker of parliament and deputy prime minister positions are held by Greek Orthodox Christians, and the armed forces chief of the general staff of the armed forces is always Druze.
Gujarat, June 14,2023: Around 4,500 people have been shifted from their homes to shelter homes as a precautionary safety measure ahead of cyclone Biparjoy reaching the coast of Gujarat, informed the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Parth Talsania.
While speaking to ANI, Talsania informed, “We have shifted 4,500 people from the coastal areas to various shelter houses. Preparations to meet food and medical needs are also made at the shelter homes. We are closely monitoring the situation.”
He further informed that cyclone Biparjoy has moved slightly to the west and is less likely to make landfall at the Dwarka coast. But a wind speed of around 100 to 80 kilometres is expected.
He informed that one NDRF team has been deployed in Dwarka and Okha each. One SDRF and one army team specialised in clearing roads is also on alert.
SDM further informed that Minister of Home for State Harsh Sanghvi and Fisheries Minister Purshottam Rupala are present in Dwarka and are closely monitoring the situation.
The district administration of Dwarka is coordinating with all agencies, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force and Army.
He further informed that though the cyclone has moved slightly westward and is less likely to make landfall in Dwarka, the situation is not normal. Winds will blow with a speed of 100 km which can be fatal if not taken care of.
“I request all residents stay indoors and fill basic groceries like milk and bread,” he added.
The Indian Meteorological Department is yet to confirm the westward movement of the cyclone.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday sounded a Red alert as cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ warning for the Saurashtra and Kutch coasts in Gujarat.
New Delhi , June 12,2023: The Central government on Sunday appointed Kerala IPS officer Nitin Agarwal as the Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force.
The 1989 batch officer is currently posted as an Additional DG of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the appointment of Shri Nitin Agarwal, IPS (KL:89), presently working as Additional DG, CRPF as Director General, Border Security Force (BSF) with pay at Level-16 of the Pay Matrix from the date of joining the post and up to 31.07.2026 i.e. date of his superannuation or till further orders whichever is earlier,” a Home Ministry’s notification stated.
New Delhi, June 10,2023: The Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre has constituted a “Peace Committee” for Manipur under the Chairpersonship of the state Governor Anusuiya Uikey, a statement said on Saturday.
The latest development came days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced to constitute Peace Committee during his visit to Manipur to take stock of the situation in the aftermath of violence in the Northeastern state.
The members of the committee include Chief Minister N Biren Singh, a few state Ministers, MP, MLAs and leaders from different political parties, as per the communique issued by the Home Ministry.
The mandate of the Committee will be to facilitate peacemaking process among various ethnic groups of the State, including peaceful dialogue and negotiations between conflicting parties/groups, it said.
The panel will strengthen social cohesiveness, mutual understanding and facilitate cordial communication between various ethnic groups, it added.
The opposition Congress has been blaming the BJP government in Manipur over the current situation in the state.
The party had said, “The current ‘crisis’ in Manipur is the result of the ‘divisive politics’ of BJP in the state. It is also the result of the intelligence failure of the state government.”
Mumbai, June 10 ,2023: National president of NCP Sharad Pawar on Saturday announced in New Delhi that Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as working presidents of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with immediate effect.
The NCP chief made this announcement at the 25th anniversary of the party, founded by him and P A Sangma in 1999.
As per Pawar letter to Sule, she has been tasked with the responsibility of Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Women Youth and Lok Sabha Coordination, Praful Patel will look after Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Goa.
The announcement was made in the presence of Maharashtra state opposition leader Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s nephew and one of the senior leaders in NCP.
Geneva, June 10,2023: Russia is willing to continue dialogue with the United Nations on the fulfillment of the Black Sea Grain Initiative’s memorandum aimed at unblocking Russian agricultural exports if these talks bring tangible results, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said on Saturday.
On Friday, Geneva hosted a new round of talks between Russia, represented by Vershinin, and the UN, represented by Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development Rebeca Grynspan, on the memorandum on Russia’s agricultural exports within the grain deal.
“The dates [of future talks] are not yet known. We hold consultations on a regular basis. We are not the type of people who lose their temper. We want to get real results for Russia. For the sake of these results, we are ready to continue the dialogue, but this dialogue, I repeat, must be productive. So far, unfortunately, it is not,” Vershinin told reporters following the talks at the UN headquarters in Geneva.
Asked if Russia intended to agree to the deal’s extension beyond July 18 if things remain as they are, the diplomat said, “I believe in any circumstances we must stand by the clear understanding of Russian interests. This is what we will driven by.”
Bhubaneswar, June 6,2023: A ten-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday started its probe into Friday’s train accident at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district that claimed the lives of 275 people and left over 1,000 injured.
The Railway Board had recommended a CBI inquiry into the horrifying accident involving two superfast trains and one Goods train.
The CBI team accompanied by some Central Forensic members reached the spot at Bahanaga station,visited control room and signal room at Bahanaga Bazar Railway station and held discussion with the railway officials at the station.
The CBI team refused to divulge the details of the investigation process to the waiting newsmen.
On Monday Commissioner of Railway Safety (Southeastern Circle) Sailesh Pathak also conducted a statutory inquiry into the Odisha train tragedy
Pathak reached Bahanaga Bazar station and visited the accident site. He then went to the control room and signal room of the station and discussed with the officials.
Balasore (Odisha), June 5,2023: Indian Railways on Monday has started running passenger trains on the tracks in Bahanaga village in Odisha’s Balasore which were affected due to the triple train accident.
The triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore which left 275 dead and more than 1,000 injured, Indian Railways on Monday resumed running passenger trains on the tracks of the accident-affected route.
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday waved at the crew of a goods train and prayed for a safe journey, as services resumed after 51 hours of a train accident in Balasore.
“Services on both tracks have been restored. Normal train services on both lines have now been restored, 51 hours after the accident,” said Ashwini Vaishnaw.
On Sunday, Vaishnaw said the accident occurred due to a “change in electronic interlocking”.
Electronic interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements between trains through an arrangement of tracks. It is basically a safety measure to prevent signals from being changed in improper sequence. The aim of this system is that no train gets the signal to proceed unless the route is proven safe.
Meanwhile, the probe of the tragic Odisha train accident that claimed the lives of 275 people and left over 1000 injured, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“The way this accident happened, looking at the conditions, and according to the administrative information. The Railway Board is recommending the probe to the CBI,” Vaishnaw added.
The incident took place around 7 pm on June 2 near the Bahanaga Baazar station in Balasore district, about 250 km south of Kolkata and 170 km north of Bhubaneswar. It involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express and a goods train.
Imphal, June 1: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the government will take
up various measures to bring the conflict in Manipur to an end.
Addressing the media at the CM Secretariat Shah announced the territorial integrity of Manipur will
be protected.
He said a Committee headed by Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey will be formed to work for the return of peace.
Representatives from various sections of the society and community will be included in the committee. An enquiry will be conducted by a Retired Chief Justice of a High Court which will
enquire about the events in Manipur.
He issued a warning to Kuki militants under Suspension of Operation (SOO) not to violate ground rules. Strict action will be taken up if rules are violated, he said.
Shah also appealed to all to surrender arms which were looted away from various places and combing operations will start from tomorrow to recover the arms and ammunition.
Inter Agency Unified Command headed by Kuldeep Singh will be working in the state from today
itself and it will help in coordinating the different agencies operating in Manipur, Shah said.
Several cases were filed and to look into conspiracy theory CBI will start a probe, he further said.
Probe will be conducted in such a way that such clashes do not occur in Manipur again he said.
He also said Rs 10 lakh ( Rs 5 lakh each by centre and state ) will be given by direct transfer for all those who died.
An additional 30000 MT of rice in consignment of 15000 MT each will be arriving soon. Gas,
essential items, petroleum products, vegetables will be brought in and sold in various outlets.
Some petrol pumps will start operating 24 x 7 to meet the demand and Khongsang railway station about 106 km from Imphal in Tamenglong district will store the goods brought in from other states.
Works have started to construct platform/storehouse near the station which will be completed within
a week, he said. A relief package for the affected will also be announced on Friday, he said.
Eight medical teams will be arriving to help people in Churachandpur, Moreh and Kangpokpi areas and if needed medical teams can also be brought in to Imphal he said.
Officials of the Education Department from the centre have reached the state and they will work out the requirements with state officials.
Virtual court activities will be carried out for people living in Churachandpur, Moreh and Kangpokpi areas and a helicopter service at a nominal fee of Rs 2000 for each passenger will be provided for people of the three areas for internal transport to reach the airport.
Officials of different government agencies will be stationed in Manipur. To resolve the conflict fencing in about ten km of the international border was completed and work for another 80 km will start soon. Biometrics and other measures will be taken up to identify outsiders he said.
After violence started at Churachandpur district on May 3 the state is still facing clashes in most parts of the state between two ethnic groups. Amit Shah said the crisis started after a court verdict was misunderstood.
After his arrival on June 29 last he met representatives of various political parties, civil societies and met people at relief camps, he said.
The response from all including affected people was positive and all talks centred around restoration of peace and tranquillity. Internet facilities will be provided after restoration of peace, he said.