BRITISH FM PHILIP HAMMOND VISITING INDIA
British Finance Minister Philip Hammond will head a business delegation to India next week in an effort to boost international trade as UK begins the process of leaving the European Union. Chancellor of the Exchequer Hammond will be joined by International Trade Minister Mark Garnier and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney for the high-level talks in New Delhi and Mumbai.
Mr Hammond said in a statement that as Britain leaves the EU and embarks on an exciting new phase of its economic history, looking to boost trade and investment beyond the borders of Europe and strengthening their relationships with the world’s most vibrant economies is more important than ever.
Next week’s talks form part of the annual UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue and Hammond’s delegation will include leaders from the field of UK financial services. The Treasury statement said, India’s finance sector is undergoing a significant transformation, with new payment firms, small finance banks and insurance players entering the field.
ARMENIANS TO ELECT NEW PARLIAMENT
Armenians will elect a new Parliament today in a closely fought race between the ruling party and a former coalition partner that heralds the start of a parliamentary system of government.
Sunday’s election is expected to be a close race between the majority-wielding Republican Party of Armenia, backed by President Serzh Sarkisian, and an alliance of businessman and former world champion arm wrestler Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia party.
The poll election is a key democratic test for the small landlocked nation of 2.9 million, which has no history of transfers of power to an opposition through the ballot box.
Under controversial constitutional reforms, parliament, rather than voters, will elect the president for the first time, and the office of Prime Minister will become more powerful, reducing the presidency to a largely ceremonial role.
The opposition says the changes are a ruse to let President Serzh Sarksyan slip into an enhanced Prime Ministerial role at the head of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) when his presidential term ends in 2018. Sarksyan, 62, denies the reforms were designed to extend his political career.
The outcome of today’s vote was difficult to predict, with polls showing the RPA neck-and-neck with an opposition alliance led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukyan.
The campaign has already been marred by opposition claims that the government is preparing mass electoral fraud.
Ahead of the vote, the European Union delegation to Armenia and the US embassy said in a joint statement that they were “concerned by allegations of voter intimidation, attempts to buy votes, and the systemic use of administrative resources to aid certain competing parties”. Media agencies
ALEKSANDAR VUCIC STANDS FOR PRESIDENCY
Serbia goes to Poll for presidential elections, with Aleksandar Vucic hoping to tighten his grip on power amid opposition accusations he is shifting the country to authoritarian rule.
Vucic, the 47-year-old prime minister, is hoping to clinch more than 50 percent of the ballot in Sunday’s poll, winning a five-year mandate as president outright.
PARAGUAY’S CONGRESS BUILDING SET ON FIRE
Protesters stormed Paraguay’s Congress building and set it on fire after a secret Senate vote to approve a bill that would allow President Horacio Cartes to run for another term.
Paraguay’s President Horacio Cartes has sacked the Interior Minister and the Chief of Police after violent protests in Friday against a bill that would allow the president to run for a second term in office.
President Cartes’ term is due to end in 2018. The protesters stormed the Congress and set fire to the building. The authorities have arrested four police officers after a protester, Rodrigo Quintana, was killed.
Political leaders yesterday paid their respects to the dead man. His body was laid out at the headquarters of the opposition Liberal party in the capital, Asuncion. They condemned the killing and called for an investigation into his death.
Hundreds of people clashed with riot police in Asuncion on Friday and broke into Congress, battering down entrances and fences and shattering windows as per aljazeera new channel.
LANDSLIDES KILL 250 IN MOCOA
Colombia, at least 250 people died hundreds more are missing after torrential rains along with severe flooding and mudslides in devastated the city of Mocoa, in southwest Colombia, according to a statement released by the army.
Security forces said, they are searching for the missing people and more than 1000 soldiers and police are involved in the rescue effort. The flood buried whole neighbourhoods and forced residents to flee their homes.
An army statement said, there were at least 400 injured and 200 still missing in the capital of Putumayo province. President Juan Manuel Santos declared a state of emergency in the region and flew in to oversee the rescue effort.
Many of the victims did not have enough time to climb on top of their roofs, or seek refuge on higher ground.
“We’ve declared an emergency in the area so we can help people as best we can,” Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos, who flew to Mocoa on Saturday to oversee rescue efforts, said.
He added that 30 percent of monthly rain fell in just one night.
“All of our hearts are with the victims of this tragedy.”
An estimated 220 people were still missing, while another 400 were injured, according to the Red Cross. reports media agencies
PM MODI INAUGURATES INDIA’S LONGEST ROAD TUNNEL CONNECT J & K
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurating the 9.2 km long Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, in Jammu Kashmir on April 02, 2017. The Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri N.N. Vohra, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti and the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh are also seen.
CNR :95197 Photo ID :100588
CNR :95197 Photo ID :100588
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public meeting in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chided the youth in Kashmir valley, involved in stone-pelting incidents. Addressing a public meeting after dedicating India’s longst road tunnel that links Kashmir Valley with Jammu, he said one one side, the youth worked day and night to chisel the mountain and create the future of Jammu and Kashmir, while on the other side, the youth are pelting stones.
Modi said, it is not just the longest tunnel, it is not just a tunnel to brige the gap between Jammu and Kashmir. But, it is a tunnel that brings development to Jammu and Kashmir. He said, the tunnel will now facilitate uninterrupted travel to Kashmir in all seasons.
We all Indian wants to see Jammu and Kashmir in our life time and there lay great opportunity for tourism sector to grow for this beautiful land can draw thousands of people for tourism which in turn also bring economic growth.
Youth of Kashmir have a choice to select one of the two paths — one of tourism the other of terrorism.The path of bloodshed has not helped any one and will never help anyon
Describing the tunnel as the fate-line of Kashmir valley, Modi said, it will facilitate transport of farm products, like horticulture and floriculture products to markets like Delhi without any difficulty. Modi further added that I want to specially thank CM Mehbooba Mufti who has spent fifty percent of 40Ks package allotted to her with visible development and not papers work only . The Centre announced a package for the state and work has begun on the same.
Modi invoke Former PM Atali slogan of kashmiriyat jamhoriyat insaniyat. He said Kashmir is place and vigour,vitality valour and wisdom. Whenever I come to Jammu and Kashmir, it is natural to remember the vision and work of Atal ji Modi said.
Earlier Prime Minister Modi dedicated to the nation the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel. The all-weather route reduces the distance between Jammu and Kashmir by 31 kilometers. Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti were also present on the occasion.
After the inauguration, Modi, along with Vohra and Mehbooba, travelled in an open jeep through the tunnel for some distance.The 9-km long Chenani-Nashri Tunnel was built at the cost of 2,500 crore rupees. It bypasses the snow-bound upper reaches of Patnitop and reduce the journey time by two hours.
The tunnel is equipped with world-class security systems and smart features like Integrated Traffic Control System; Surveillance, Ventilation and Broadcast Systems; Fire Fighting System; and SOS call-boxes at every 150 metres.
There is also a parallel escape tunnel, with ‘Cross Passages’ connecting to the main tunnel at intervals of 300
metres.
metres.
PM ADDRESSES AT SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS OF ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today addressed the valedictory ceremony of the Sesquicentennial Celebrations of the Allahabad High Court.
Speaking on the occasion, he said the Allahabad High Court is like a place of pilgrimage for our judiciary. He said those associated with the legal profession also played a vital role in our freedom struggle, and protected our people against colonialism.
He urged people to think about the India we want to create when we mark 75 years of freedom in 2022. He said every citizen should prepare a roadmap towards it.
The Prime Minister said that about 1200 obsolete laws have been scrapped by the Union Government since May 2014. He said technology is playing a key role in this century and there is a lot of scope for its use in the judiciary as well. He urged those involved in the startup sector to innovate on aspects where technology can help the judiciary.
2017 FOOD TANK SUMMIT
1 Apr at 7:16 PM
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MYANMAR TO BE WELCOMED AS THE SEVENTH MEMBER OF THE SASEC PROGRAMME
The Union Minister of Finance Shri Arun Jaitley will chair the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Shahjehan Hall, Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi on April 03, 2017 at 10:15 AM. The meeting will be attended by the seven Finance Ministers from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka apart from officials from these countries and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
As a part of the SASEC initiative, the member countries have come up with SASEC Vision for the economic growth of the sub-region, which will be launched by Union Minister of Finance of India during the meeting. It will be followed by consideration of the Joint Ministerial statement.
The event will be a unique opportunity for the member countries to discuss and exchange ideas and strive to foster better cooperation in the sub-region. Myanmar has joined the SASEC programme as its seventh member and will be officially welcomed during the event.
Shri Shaktikanta Das, Secretary Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance of India, will deliver the welcome address at the event. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is supporting SASEC in this endeavor. The Vice President of ADB will also address the gathering on this occasion.