Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly has witnessed chaotic scenes, with ruling Congress MLAs trooping into the well of the House, demanding the Speaker take action against BJP MLA Munirathna, accusing him of inappropriate behaviour and making personal comments against Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. The incident occurred on Thursday while Shivakumar was replying to…
Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government has pushed West Bengal into a “debt trap” by distributing doles and funding festivals to win over the electorate instead of creating job opportunities, alleged CPI(M)’s lone MP from the state, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. In an interview with PTI, he claimed “funds for these doles are being borrowed from…
New Delhi: The government has slashed excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 a litre and exempted diesel fully from it to help oil marketing companies like HPCL, BPCL, and IOC deal with the rising global crude prices amid the war in the Middle East. The Finance ministry, in a notification dated March 26, cut…
MS Shanker At a time when global energy markets are on edge, and supply chains are strained by the ongoing West Asia crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pulled off what many are calling a calculated “master stroke.” The decision to sharply reduce central excuse taxes on petrol—from ₹13 to ₹3 per litre—and effectively eliminate…
The latest push by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to nudge companies into bringing call centre jobs back to the United States—and to mandate “American Standard English” proficiency—has been packaged as a consumer-first reform. It fits neatly into the political grammar popularised by Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” doctrine. But beneath the rhetoric…
Washington: The Federal Communications Commission has mooted proposals to encourage businesses to bring call centre jobs back to the US and require call-takers to be proficient in American Standard English. In a statement here, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said that over the past few decades many corporations shifted their customer service and call centre…
Washington: US President Donald Trump’s signature is set to feature on US paper currency soon, a first for a sitting president since the introduction of dollar bills in 1861. The decision, taken by the US Treasury, coincides with the 250th anniversary celebrations of American Independence this year. “In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, President Donald…
New Delhi: India and Bangladesh should address “difficult” and “sensitive” issues amicably and Dhaka is committed to maintaining a “mutually” beneficial partnership with New Delhi, Bangladesh’s envoy Riaz Hamidullah said on Thursday. Hamidullah reaffirmed Dhaka’s commitment to a “mutually beneficial” partnership, emphasizing the need to chart a pathway toward a deeper relationship that transcends existing…
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said no one, including the perpetrators of the Gulf conflict, can foresee its grave consequences for the world, comparable only to the Covid pandemic. Addressing the delegates of the congress of the powerful Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), the Russian leader said the escalation of the conflict…
New Delhi: Seasoned diplomat Periasamy Kumaran was on Thursday appointed as India’s new high commissioner to the United Kingdom. Kumaran, a 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is presently serving as Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the MEA said. Currently serving as…
