US Vice-President Kamala Harris Names Indian-American to National Space Council Advisory Group
Vice President Kamala Harris named Indian American Rajeev Badyal to a key national space advisory group, which is tasked to maintain a robust and responsible US space enterprise and preserve space for current and future generations.
Badyal, vice-president of Project Kuiper of Amazon, is among the 30 space experts named by Harris to the National Space Council's Users Advisory Group (UAG).
Harris named US Air Force Rtd General Lester Lyles as chair of the UAG.
Previously he was the vice president of satellites at SpaceX.
Dec 30, 2022
Philippines President Marcos Seeks Agreements in China amid Tensions
Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hopes to sign a number of agreements during a visit to Beijing next week that comes amid ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
As per a statement from the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs, a number of projects were under discussion, including in agriculture, renewable energy, nickel processing, tourism, and bridge construction.
China accounts for 20 per cent of the Philippines' foreign trade and is also a major source of foreign direct investment.
Dec 29, 2022
Bangladesh Gets its First-ever Metro Service
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh and also one of the most crowded cities in the world, got its first-ever metro rail. A section of the urban rail project, known as Line 6, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The line connects the northern zone of Dhaka to a hub of government offices and hospitals in the middle for now.
PM Hasina hailed the opening of the metro rail as a crowning achievement. The metro rail added another feather to Bangladesh's cap and is another milestone in development.
Bangladesh, ADB Ink Deals Worth $627mn for Development, Climate Projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Bangladesh government signed loan agreements worth $627 million for the implementation of development and climate resilience projects.
Sharifa Khan, secretary of the Economic Relations Division, and Jiangbo Ning, deputy country director and officer-in-charge of Bangladesh resident mission of the ADB, signed the agreements on behalf of their respective sides.
The ADB will provide about $278 million in loan for the Third Public-Private Infrastructure Development Facility-- Tranche 2, and $100 million for the Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project (BRT-Gazipur).
Meanwhile, the bank will also give about $246 million in loan for the Coastal Towns Climate Resilience Project and a grant of $4 million for the Coastal Towns Climate Resilience Project.
Eye-for-an-Eye Sharia Law Returns to Afghanistan Courts
Kneeling in front of a turbanned judge in a tiny room at the Ghazni Court of Appeal in eastern Afghanistan, an old man sentenced to death for murder pleaded for his life.
The old admitted to have shot dead a relative, out of revenge, because of rumours he had sexual relations with his daughter-in-law.
Under eye-for-eye sharia punishments, officially ordered by the Taliban's supreme leader for the first time in November, he faced public execution -- with the sentence to be carried out by a relative of his victim.
Islamic law, or sharia, acts as a code of living for Muslims worldwide, offering guidance on issues such as modesty, finance and crime. However, interpretations vary according to local custom, culture and religious school of thought.
Taliban scholars in Afghanistan have employed one of the most extreme interpretations of the code, including capital and corporal punishments little used by most modern Muslim states.
Dec 28, 2022
South Korea Pardons Former Leader Myung-bak Lee for Corruption Crimes
The South Korean government of President Yoon Suk Yeol granted a special pardon to ex-President Lee Myung-bak, who was sentenced to a 17-year prison term for a range of corruption crimes.
Lee was among 1,373 convicts who were pardoned. The Justice Ministry included some politicians, such as Lee, as part of efforts to promote a national unity.
The CEO-turned-conservative hero was convicted of taking bribes from big businesses including Samsung, embezzling funds from a company that he owned, and other corruption-related crimes before and during his presidency from 2008 to 2013.
He was South Korea's first president with a business background and once symbolised the country's economic rise.
Taiwan Extends Mandatory Military Service to 1 Year Citing China Threat
Taiwan announced an extension in mandatory military service from four months to one year, citing the threat from an increasingly hostile China.
The extended requirement will apply to men born after January 1, 2005.
The move, which had been well-flagged, came as China ramps up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan to assert its sovereignty claims, including almost daily Chinese air force missions near the island over the past three years.
Under President Xi Jinping, China's sabre-rattling has intensified in recent years, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine deepened worries in Taiwan that Beijing might move similarly to annex the island.
Dec 27, 2022
Serbia is Terminating Visa-free entry for Indians
With an intention to control illegal immigration and follow the requirements of the European visa policy, the government of Serbia decided to end visa-free travel for Indians. According to the statement, from January 1, 2023, Indian passport holders will no longer have the luxury of traveling to Serbia without a valid visa.
Earlier, diplomatic and official Indian passport holders were allowed to visit the country for 90 days without any visa, while the duration was 30 days for ordinary passport holders.
Earlier, Indian citizens with ordinary passports and other necessary travel documents did not require a visa to enter Serbia. Indians could also live, without a visa, in the country for a period of 30 days a year. However, the Government of Serbia has now withdrawn this existing arrangement keeping in mind the requirements of the European Union visa policy.
The new change in visa rule will not be applicable to Indians who have a valid Schengen, UK and US visa, or a residence permit for any of these countries. The statement from the embassy mentioned that Indian passport holders having a visa or permit from these nations will continue to be allowed visa-free entry into Serbia on or after January 1 for a period of up to 90 days.
Nepal's Former TV Anchor Lamichhane Becomes Deputy PM, Home Minister
Rabi Lamichhane, a former TV anchor whose newly-launched party won a surprisingly huge mandate in the November 20 elections, joined Nepal's new government led by former Maoist rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda as the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister.
Lamichhane's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which was formed just months ago, won 20 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives and is the third largest party among the ruling alliance.
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