Tag: thellv.com

  • Macron Decides Next Steps After Barnier’s No-Confidence Vote

    Macron Decides Next Steps After Barnier’s No-Confidence Vote

    Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, is in a tough spot after the Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, lost a no-confidence vote. This has made the country feel uncertain and worried. Macron now has to pick a new Prime Minister who can get support from at least 288 deputies to lead France effectively and handle important national issues.

    Many people are wondering if Barnier will be nominated again, but that seems unlikely since he just lost a vote. Instead, Macron might consider Sébastien Lecornu, the former defense minister, as he is a strong option.

    There’s also a chance that someone from the left-leaning party, La France Insoumise, could be chosen. This party has made it clear they would not support any Prime Minister who isn’t from their group.

    So, will Macron make a smart choice for the next Prime Minister? The nation is waiting to see what he will do next.

  • Hama’s Capture Puts Pressure on Assad: Latest in Syrian Conflict

    Hama’s Capture Puts Pressure on Assad: Latest in Syrian Conflict

    The Syrian army has pulled back from the city of Hama after rebels managed to break through its defenses. This is a significant setback for President Bashar Assad. The army reported that they moved their troops outside the city to keep civilians safe. Hama, which is Syria’s fourth-largest city, is one of the few cities that still remained fully under government control during the ongoing conflict that started in March 2011 after a popular uprising.

    Rebels, including the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, have been pushing an offensive to take control of more territory. Recently, they also captured much of Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, which marked a major win for Assad’s opponents. Fighting in Hama had been ongoing for three days before the rebels announced they had entered the city early Thursday.

    The Syrian army admitted that several soldiers were killed during the fighting and blamed the rebels for using suicide attacks to breach their defenses. If the rebels fully take over Hama, it could signal a serious decline in Assad’s power. The next target for the insurgents may likely be Homs, the third-largest city in Syria, which is located about 40 kilometers south of Hama.

    Hama is important because it connects Syria’s center with its north, east, and west. It is also close to the coastal region of Latakia, where Assad has strong support. The city is remembered for a tragic event in 1982 when thousands were killed by security forces to destroy a rebel uprising.

    With tensions escalating once again in Syria’s long civil war, many people have had to flee their homes since the renewed violence began. Rebel commanders have claimed that their forces have entered Hama and are moving towards the center.

  • Bavuma and Rickleton Lead South Africa’s Fight Back Against Sri Lanka

    Bavuma and Rickleton Lead South Africa’s Fight Back Against Sri Lanka

    GQEBERHA, South Africa – On the first day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka, South African captain Temba Bavuma and his teammate Ryan Rickleton helped their team recover after a tough start. After losing the toss and being asked to bat, South Africa found themselves at 46-3 early on. But Bavuma, playing calmly, formed a strong partnership with Rickleton, adding an impressive 133 runs for the fourth wicket.

    Bavuma was looking good and close to scoring his century when he was out for 64. He tried to hit a fast, rising ball but ended up gloving it to the wicketkeeper. This was a disappointing end for Bavuma, as he has now scored 23 fifties in Test cricket but only three centuries.

    Ricketon, who stepped in to play after Wiaan Mulder got injured in the first test, reached his first Test fifty. He was not out at 72, with David Bedingham supporting him on one run. Earlier, Sri Lankan bowler Lahiru Kumara took his 100th Test wicket by bowling out Aiden Markram for 20 runs. Kumara also dismissed Tristan Stubbs, catching him for just 4 runs.

    South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi was out for a duck, falling to a leg-before-wicket decision that he tried unsuccessfully to review. Markram, struggling with his recent form, got out by playing a risky shot that ended up hitting his wicket. Stubbs, who scored well in the last match, also tried to play aggressively but was caught by the Sri Lankan keeper.

    Both teams are eager for victory to help their chances of reaching the World Test Championship final next year. South Africa won the first Test match last week by a significant 233 runs.

  • Government Rules Out Raising Retirement Age for Supreme Court Judges

    Government Rules Out Raising Retirement Age for Supreme Court Judges

    On Thursday, the Indian government told the Rajya Sabha that it does not plan to increase the retirement age for judges in the Supreme Court and high courts. The Law Minister, Arjun Ram Meghwal, explained that Supreme Court judges retire at 65 years, high court judges at 62, and district judges at 60.

    There was a past attempt by the UPA 2 government to change the retirement age of high court judges to match that of Supreme Court judges, but that bill was never discussed and eventually lapsed.

    During a Question Hour, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chaddha raised concerns about retired judges taking on political roles, like becoming members of the Rajya Sabha or governors. He said this could lead to conflicts of interest and uncertainty about the independence of the judiciary. Chaddha proposed that there should be a cooling-off period of at least two years before any retired judge takes on a political or executive role, and he suggested that judges should receive better pensions to avoid financial dependency on post-retirement jobs.

    In response, Law Minister Meghwal stated that Chaddha’s remarks were politically charged. He mentioned that judges are appointed based on a set process outlined in the Constitution and past Supreme Court rulings. Meghwal also noted that while a resolution was passed in a conference for increasing judges’ retirement age, there is currently no government proposal on this matter. He pointed out that the Prime Minister has not created any new tribunals for retired judges.

  • West Bengal Pushes for Direct Flights to Europe and the US from Kolkata

    West Bengal Pushes for Direct Flights to Europe and the US from Kolkata

    In Kolkata, the state assembly is urging the Indian government to encourage airlines to start direct international flights to Europe and the US. Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya mentioned that working together with the Centre could help solve travel problems for people in the region and boost tourism.

    The assembly passed this proposal unanimously. Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, promised that BJP members would join any effort to talk to the aviation minister about this important issue. However, he criticized the ruling Trinamool Congress for not providing land needed to improve some state airports, including Hasimara and Kalaikunda, which belong to the Indian Air Force.

    Bhattacharya explained that many travelers from Kolkata and eastern India have to stop in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, or Singapore to travel to Europe or the US since the last direct flight to Europe was stopped in 2022. She believes that new flights would greatly benefit students, businesspeople, and tourists.

    Recently, there has been some good news. Malaysia Airlines started flying to Kolkata again after 18 years. The airline is now running five weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur, using a Boeing 737-800. The inaugural flight was packed, showing there is a strong demand for travel to Kolkata.

    This renewed service is part of a collaboration with IndiGo, expanding travel choices for people between Malaysia and 16 destinations in India. Kolkata Airport announced this exciting development on social media, celebrating the new connection.

  • Rohit Sharma on Dropping Ashwin and Jadeja for Australia Test Match

    Rohit Sharma on Dropping Ashwin and Jadeja for Australia Test Match

    India’s cricket captain, Rohit Sharma, shared that it was tough not being able to tell star players Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja that they wouldn’t play in the first Test against Australia in Perth. Many people were surprised when the team chose to leave out these experienced players for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener.

    Young all-rounder Washington Sundar got the chance to play instead of Ashwin and Jadeja, even though he didn’t have much impact with his bat or ball in the first innings. However, he did show good skills with his bowling in the second innings and formed an important partnership with Virat Kohli while batting.

    Rohit, who was away for paternity leave when India played Australia, noted that leaving out experienced players like Ashwin and Jadeja is always a hard choice. “It’s never easy to leave out players like them,” he said, emphasizing the decision was made to benefit the team at that moment.

    He believes Ashwin and Jadeja, who together have taken 855 wickets in Test matches, will play important roles in the remaining games of the series. “They are quality players who have brought a lot to Indian cricket,” Rohit stated, recognizing their contributions.

    Regarding Washington Sundar, Rohit praised the young player, saying he has the ability to thrive in different playing conditions around the world. Rohit hopes Sundar can stay healthy and continue to grow as a player, as his skills bring balance and depth to the team.

    Rohit also talked about two new players, Rana and Reddy, who impressed him with their fighting spirit during the first Test. He pointed out that these kinds of players, who show determination and strong attitudes, are vital for winning big matches and series.

  • Sebi’s Game-Changer: New Method for Stock Closing Prices!

    Sebi’s Game-Changer: New Method for Stock Closing Prices!

    On Thursday, India’s markets regulator, Sebi, suggested a new way to decide the closing prices of stocks in the equity cash market. Currently, the closing price is figured out using the Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) over the last 30 minutes of trading. This method helps find a fair price but doesn’t let investors buy or sell stocks at that exact closing price.

    The new idea, called the Close Auction Session (CAS), aims to make prices more stable during the busy closing moments of the market, especially on important days like index rebalancing and when derivatives expire. It will help big investors complete their trades at the closing price and make tracking indices easier for passive funds, which are investment funds that follow the performance of an index.

    Sebi pointed out that as more Indian stocks join big international indices, investors face challenges in keeping track of these stocks. The current method of using the last half-hour’s average price can lead to differences that hurt investors.

    To solve this, Sebi wants to replace VWAP with CAS as a call-auction system, similar to what many countries already use. The new method would be gradually introduced, starting with stocks that have derivatives available.

    Sebi suggests that this auction session should take 15 minutes, from 3:30 PM to 3:45 PM, and split into different parts. These include figuring out a reference price, accepting orders, a no-cancellation period, and finally confirming and matching trades. Alternatively, Sebi could also hold it in three parts, without a no-cancellation phase, similar to how pre-open sessions work.

    Sebi is looking for public feedback on these proposals until December 26.

  • Crores for Green Initiatives on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

    Crores for Green Initiatives on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

    New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) announced that its special company, DME Development Ltd (DMEDL), will raise ₹1,000 crores through green bonds. This money will help make climate-friendly improvements on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.

    DMEDL plans to collect this money in two parts: an initial amount of ₹500 crores and a chance to raise another ₹500 crores if there is a lot of interest from investors. The bonds are set to launch in December 2024.

    The money from these bonds will be used for several eco-friendly projects, including planting trees along the road, building safe passages for animals, creating natural drainage systems, installing solar-powered streetlights, recycling waste, and harvesting rainwater.

    NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav mentioned that these green bonds will encourage more investment in projects that help the environment, particularly in the roads and highways sector. They will also help save money in the long run by using less energy and reducing harmful vehicle emissions.

    By issuing these bonds, DMEDL aims to improve its financial standing, lower borrowing costs, and attract investors who care about environmental and social issues. DMEDL has asked Care Edge Analytics to review and confirm its green projects.

    Founded in August 2020, DMEDL is a company set up by NHAI to finance, build, and operate the new Delhi-Mumbai expressway. It has received an AAA rating from agencies like CRISIL, CARE, and India Rating. DMEDL has plans to raise around ₹48,000 crores through loans and bonds from banks and has already secured about ₹42,000 crores.

  • Blinken Accuses Lavrov of Misinformation at OSCE Meeting in Malta

    Blinken Accuses Lavrov of Misinformation at OSCE Meeting in Malta

    On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, for spreading a lot of false information. Blinken blamed Russia for making the war in Ukraine worse. Both men were in Malta for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). This was Lavrov’s first visit to a European Union country since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

    Blinken expressed disappointment that Lavrov had left the meeting room without listening to others speak, saying, “It would have been nice if he stayed to listen to us.” He warned everyone not to be fooled by Lavrov’s lies, saying this war has nothing to do with Russia’s safety. It’s really about Russian President Putin wanting to erase Ukraine entirely.

    Blinken also discussed the idea of “escalation” in the conflict. He pointed out concerns like North Korea sending troops to help Russia and ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy, which could impact every country in the room. Despite the tensions, Blinken and Lavrov were not scheduled to meet directly in Malta.

  • Devendra Fadnavis Sworn in as Maharashtra CM with New Deputy CMs!

    Devendra Fadnavis Sworn in as Maharashtra CM with New Deputy CMs!

    Devendra Fadnavis Sworn in as Maharashtra Chief Minister for the Third Time

    On Thursday, Devendra Fadnavis took the oath of office as Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time. He was joined by Ajit Pawar from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Eknath Shinde from the Shiv Sena as Deputy Chief Ministers.

    The recent state elections held in November saw the Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, win a huge victory, securing 230 out of 288 seats. Although the BJP won the most seats (132), it fell short of the 145 needed to have a majority. Eknath Shinde’s faction won 57 seats, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP won 41 seats.

    The swearing-in ceremony, attended by over 40,000 people, including Prime Minister Modi and many state leaders, was a grand event. Prominent business figures and celebrities were also present. Fadnavis had previously served as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019 and had a brief term in November 2019.

    The BJP wanted Fadnavis back in the Chief Minister role, causing some tension with Shinde’s faction, which wanted to keep their leader in charge. While discussions were happening between the parties, the BJP did offer deputy positions to Shinde and Pawar. They are still figuring out ministers and resources.

    Fadnavis mentioned that he asked Eknath Shinde to join the new government. Fadnavis is hopeful about Shinde’s positive response after their recent conversation. Shinde congratulated Fadnavis but said he would update reporters later about his involvement in the swearing-in.