Politics

NEW DELHI: India and Australia on Monday underscored the importance of “freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded maritime trade” amid disruptions in energy supply chains following the West Asia crisis, and also advocated for a “free, open, peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific” at a time China is increasing its assertiveness in the region.During the second…

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has transferred more than 40 personnel associated with the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) as part of a restructuring exercise aimed at improving efficiency and transparency in the health sector, according to an official statement.The CPA, which functions under the department of health and family welfare, is responsible for the procurement…

NEW DELHI: In a bid to revive Congress organisational strength, party leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday told district presidents that hard work and direct public engagement, rather than sycophancy, will help the party grow, as he urged party leaders to reconnect with people at the grassroots level, party sources said.While addressing the concluding session of…

NEW DELHI: Four years after a dramatic split turned the Shiv Sena into two rival camps locked in a bitter political battle, leaders from both sides now appear to be finding common ground on one issue: the BJP.Interestingly, the very factor that contributed to the Sena’s split, its relationship with the BJP, is now emerging…

Rabi Lamichhane, chief of Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), arrived in New Delhi on Monday for talks with senior BJP leaders even as street protests erupted in Kathmandu and opposition parties disrupted Parliament over PM Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah’s remark that Nepal had “also encroached on India’s land”. Protesters gathered near Parliament and key junctions…

NEW DELHI: Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar has been long known for his firefighting skills. The Congress turned to him everytime things fell apart. But now, as he prepares to take up the top job in Karnataka, the test will not just be of his firefighting skills (in his own backyard) but also of his…

After rejecting hundreds of complaints from patients for over five years claiming that only doctors can appeal to the National Medical Commission (NMC) against decisions of state medical councils, the ethics and medical registration board (EMRB) of the commission has now lobbed the ball into the health ministry’s court.On May 20, the EMRB issued an…

Vijay attacked “family politics” in his first major rally and asserted DMK–TVK as the main contest in Tamil Nadu. US strikes Iranian radar & drone facilities after reported drone downing, escalating tensions in the region. K Annamalai hinted at a possible new political direction, fuelling speculation about his exit from BJP. India and US moved…

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday responded to discussions surrounding his recent choice of attire, saying the black-and-white suit he has been wearing symbolises transparency and simplicity.Addressing a rally in Tiruchirappalli, Vijay said questions had been raised about his decision to wear a suit, adding that such attire was not…

NEW DELHI: Newly sworn-in West Bengal cabinet minister Swapan Dasgupta on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC), alleging that the party had left the state in a “completely devastated” condition. He said the immediate priority of the newly formed BJP-led government was to remove the “kachhra” (garbage) left behind by the…