News Politics

In a blow to US president Donald Trump, the Senate has rejected two bills to end the US shutdown. Trump demands down payment for wall to end shutdown. The US shutdown enters almost 34 days with no end in sight. This is the longest partial government shutdown in the US history.

About 800,000 of federal workers struggle to cover their bills. The senate rejects the bills to open Government. On Monday, the Senate has released a bill flashing an offer that Trump had made to reopen the unfunded quarter of the government. As the chamber plans to take up the measure later this week, it will definitely fail to meet the 60-vote threshold.

The chamber desides to take up that proposal on Thursday afternoon. If this fails, Senate will take up a Democratic-backed bill to fund the government through February.

Sunaya Paison
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News Politics

This year’s European Union parliament election is likely to witness a very unusual phenomenon: the emergence of an anti-elitist group yellow-vest (the group formed in France to protest, in short, against the fuel price hike, and, in large, against the elitist behaviour of the country’s ruling and its remoteness to the genuine grievances of the common people such as the price hike, rent hike and the labour issues).

In the European parliament election which is scheduled to take place on 23 May this year, the yellow-vest, which has jolted the streets of France and forced to the French president, Emanuel Macron, to drop his ambitious plan to increase the fuel tax, has decided to field as many as ten candidate, leaving behind the question whether they will expand the list of candidate in the run-up to the EU election to the imagination of the public.

In the list of ten, Ingrid Levavasseur is the most prominent one. She is a poor care worker, and is the representative of the larger population, which is totally unfamiliar with the elitist faction of the modern France.

Many evaluate the development as the rebirth of socialist populism in France. If the yellow-vest passes this crucial litmus test, the experiment will be repeated in the future elections also in France.

Vignesh. S. G
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News

According to reports, Carlos Ghosn, who is in custody in Japan, has resigned from French car-maker Renault. “Carlos Ghosn just resigned, and now its time to define and to put new Governments in place.”, said Bruno Le Maire (The French finance minister) in an interview he had given.

Carlos Ghosn, is a Brazilian-born businessman. He also has French and Lebanese nationality. Ghosn has served as the CEO of many car-makers, including Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance. Renault’s board meeting is said to be happening on Thursday to replace Ghosn.

Sunaya Paison
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News Politics

The EU Commission had insisted EU states for tight checking on non-EU nationals with ‘golden passports’ through investments. The commission says that the granting of ‘golden visas’ might be leading to tax evasion, money-laundering and other forms of corruption. So, a thorough checking is being planned for the schemes regarding ‘golden visa’ granting residence in exchange for big investments.

According to reports, wealthy candidates for residency or citizenship do not face sufficient security and background checks to prevent them from posing a security risk or laundering money. Some of the non-government organisations have already marked countries such as Malta, Cyprus and Bulgaria for offering wealthy foreigners citizenship that allows them to move freely in most of the 28-nation bloc. Many other countries grant residence permits to foreign investors. Hence the EU commission had presented this stunning report regarding the risks of the ‘golden visa business’

Sunaya Paison
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News Politics

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself as the country’s interim president on Wednesday. He said that he would be willing to assume the presidency on an interim basis with the support of the armed forces to call elections. The US promptly weaved their support for this. The street was brimming with Venezuelans demanding an end to the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro.

“I swear to formally assume the national executive powers as acting president of Venezuela to end the usurpation, a transitional government and hold free elections.” said Guaido to the supporters gathered in front of the National Assembly. He was found to be holding the constitution in his his hand when he did the declaration.

As the other South American Governments and the United States, Columbia and Brazil also have already recognized the MP as President instead of Maduro. The US president Donald Trump, tweeted regarding this situation as “The citizens of Venezuela have suffered for too long at the hands of the illegitimate Maduro regime. Today, I have officially recognized the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the Interim President of Venezuela.”

Sunaya Paison
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News Politics

From Italy and Spain to the Brexit-affected UK, many European countries have already succumbed to the destructive wave of populism. The economic principle of protectionism, which has come as a part and parcel of the political ideology of modern populism, has clandestinely infiltrated into the economic structure of the populism-affected countries, weakening their present economic structure rooted in the economic principle of liberalism.

Definitely, the European Union is worried about this development. It has almost lost one of its arms to this development. It may not sustain another loss.

It is in this backdrop that Germany and France have come together to act. The role they play is the role of a defender, the defender of an economic structure which once gifted life breadth to the embattled European continent.

The latest agreement both has signed means that henceforth Germany and France will not think differently in their internal and external security, economic and political affairs.

Their decision to develop a European army is capable to irritate many, especially the United States and the United Kingdom. To them, the more irritating one will not be the agreement for economic corporation, political corporation and/or defence corporate, but the understanding for cultural corporation.

It is noteworthy that the measures for the increased cultural corporation has been doubled by Germans and France at the time many of their friends are researching on how to segregate people on the basis of culture.

The developments indicate that the France-Germany agreement attempts to launch attacks on the concepts of protectionism and populism from all the four fronts –political, economic, security and cultural- on which these dangerous concepts are pivoted.

Will the new European defenders of liberalism win? How better they execute their plan decides what answer the aforesaid question deserves.

Vignesh. S. G
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News Sports

Football super star Cristiano Ronaldo was fined almost 19 million euros ($21.6 million) for tax fraud on Tuesday. He had accepted the deal with a court in Madrid, accepting the fine. The deal, agreed in advance, includes a 23-month jail sentence.

Immense media pressure was there outside the court, for reporting the news. Ronaldo had requested for a video appearance, but was rejected by the judge. The court appearance lasted only for a few time as Ronaldo accepted the deal offered by prosecutors. Ronaldo was accused of avoiding paying tax in Spain between 2010 and 2014, when he was playing for Real Madrid and based in the Spanish capital.

Sunaya Paison
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News Sports

Argentina Football player Emiliano Sala, feared to be dead in the suspected plane crash. The plane, from France to England was found missing over the English Channel on Monday night. Sala had signed from French club Nantes for a reported fee of 17mil euros on Monday.

The search continued throughout Tuesday. “The search was terminated at 02:00, with all search and rescue assets being stood down, due to strengthening winds, worsening sea conditions and reducing visibility,” – a statement from police said. Reports states that the flight had only two passengers including Sala. Nantes have postponed their French Cup match against third-tier side Entente SSG on Wednesday as a mark of respect.

Sunaya Paison
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News Politics

Italian deputy Prime Minister Luigi di Maio has raised serious criticism about the involvement of France in the African affairs. He has said that France has destabilised the economy and politics of Africa for its personal benefit. Provocatively, he has also urged the European Union to impose sanction against France for the part it has played in the destabilisation of Africa.

At least a dozen of African countries use the CFA franc, the currency backed by the treasury of France. The minister has cited the currency as the prime tool used by France to manipulate the economy of Africa in its favour.

Many African countries are either directly or indirectly controlled by Paris, and most of these are far better in the economic and political terms than its neighbours.

What Italy tries to do is to prove it otherwise, and project France as the reason for the unchecked flow of African migrants towards the European continent.

Italy is the most preferred destination of most of the African migrants who reach the continent in search of better lives. A considerable number of Italians are worried about it. It is that insecurity that has been exploited by the anti-migrant parties such as the Five Star Movement and Northern League to cultivate their vote base.

Since the induction of the anti-migrant government led by the aforesaid parties, Italy has been aggrievedly resisting the inflow of African migrants into its territory.

France is in the forefront of those who have come with serious criticism whenever Italy has used its iron fist against Africa migrants.

It is assumed that what the Italian minister has expressed is his government’s anger against France for its attempts to nullify all its efforts to use force against migrants.

Anyway, evidently, Paris is very irritated with the development. Actually, it is the reason that France has called up the Italian ambassador to express its dissatisfaction.

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Gadgets News Technology

Pope Francis has launched the Click to Pray app, that allows the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics to join him in prayer. It has a website and a mobile app, both for Android and iOS.

“Internet and the social networks are a resource of our time, a way to stay in touch with others, to share values and projects, and to express the desire to form a community,” – Pope Francis

Thousands of people witnessed the moment on Sunday at the St. Peter’s Square. After swiping on the tablet, Pope turned to his assistant and asked “Did I do it?” The app is available in six languages as Spanish, English, Italian, French, Portuguese, and German. The app has been launched ahead of World Youth Day 2019.

Sunaya Paison
Photo Courtesy: Google/ images are subject to copyright