Madrid, Dec 25 (IANS/EFE) Spain’s King Felipe VI has established the fight against unemployment as Spain’s top priority and said that combatting corruption was an “inescapable objective”. Felipe Wednesday delivered his first Christmas address since assuming the throne June 19 upon the abdication of his father, Juan Carlos, who had announced June 2 he was […]
Kiev, Dec 25 (IANS) The Ukrainian parliament Thursday approved a bill granting more powers to the country’s top security body, the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), the legislature’s press service said. The bill, which gives the NSDC the right to make decisions independently in emergencies without approval from the head of state or government, […]
Guwahati, Dec 25 (IANS) Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday ruled out talks with Bodo “terrorists” who massacred 73 tribals in Assam. After visiting some of the affected areas in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts, Rajnath Singh said: “The violence is not merely a case of insurgency but one of terrorism. We are going to deal with […]
Mogadishu, Dec 25 (IANS) Somalia’s new Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, took over office from his predecessor Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed in a ceremony held Thursday. Ahmed congratulated Sharmarke and requested that the parliament and the president work with Sharmarke in order to achieve his constitutional duties, Xinhua reported. “I am very pleased that I am […]
Varanasi, Dec 25 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday expressed happiness over the way the Assi ghat on the banks of the Ganga here had been spruced up. The prime minister had launched his Clean India drive in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, from the ghat Nov 8. He went around the stairs leading to […]
Shimla, Dec 25 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Thursday slammed the central government for scraping the Planning Commission without consulting the states, and said this action has created uncertainty. “The Planning Commission had played a great role in giving direction to the states. But the centre’s decision to scrap it without giving an […]
New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani Wednesday said he and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who has been named for Bharat Ratna, shared a rare friendship, and that in their younger days, Vajpayee would often ride pillion on his scooter to have chaat at his favourite golgappawala in Connaught Place. […]
Washington, Dec 24 (IANS/EFE) Former US president George W.H. Bush has been transferred, as a precautionary measure, to a hospital in Houston after suffering respiratory problems, according to a statement from his office. The former president, 90, was admitted Tuesday to the Houston Methodist Hospital where he would remain under observation as a precautionary measure, […]
Jakarta, Dec 24 (IANS) Floods in Indonesia’s Aceh province in the northern tip of Sumatra island have displaced at least 120,966 people, an official said here Wednesday. Water levels rose to 400 cm in the districts of North Aceh and East Aceh, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of national disaster agency, told Xinhua over phone. Those […]
Guwahati, Dec 24 (IANS) Home Minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday flew into Assam to study the situation after Bodo militants massacred 65 tribals in three districts. Rajnath Singh reached Guwahati in the evening with Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju. Rajnath Singh immediately proceeded to a meeting with Chief […]