News

Narendra Modi sworn in as India’s PM (video)

Published

7 months ago

June 10, 2024

editor

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in on Sunday for a third term after worse-than-expected election results left him reliant on coalition partners to govern.

Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled outright for the past decade but failed to repeat its previous two landslide wins this time around, defying analysts’ expectations and exit polls.

He was instead forced into quick-fire talks with the 15-member coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which guaranteed him the parliamentary numbers to govern.

Narendra Modi, flanked by top BJP officials and party leaders of his coalition, vowed in a ceremony marking his formal assumption of power to “bear true allegiance to the constitution of India”.

Honour guards lined the steps of the presidential palace where thousands gathered to watch Modi, dressed in a white kurta and with blue waistcoat, take the oath.

South Asian leaders from neighbouring Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka attended the ceremony but neighbouring rivals China and Pakistan had notably not sent top leaders.

Bollywood and business tycoons

The cheering crowd also included adoring BJP loyalists, as well as celebrities such as Bollywood legend Shahrukh Khan and billionaire tycoons Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, key Modi allies.

But with Narendra Modi yet to announce his new cabinet, the line of lawmakers also taking the oath of office was keenly watched as an indication of who will be in government.

Modi was followed immediately by top BJP aides Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari — the defence, interior and transport ministers in his last government respectively.

Tenth to take the oath, and first among the BJP’s coalition members, was H.D. Kumaraswamy from the Janata Dal (Secular) party.

Larger coalition parties have demanded hefty concessions in exchange for their support.

Other coalition leaders to take the oath included Ram Mohan Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the largest BJP ally with 16 seats, and which India media reports has extracted four cabinet positions.

Rajiv Ranjan Singh also took the oath, from the BJP’s next biggest ally the Janata Dal (United) with 12 seats, which has reportedly two minister posts.

( AFP)

News

5 Acting Ministers appointed

Published

7 hours ago

January 13, 2025

editor

With President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s departure from the country for a State Visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, five acting ministers have been appointed to oversee key ministries under the president’s purview.

Acting ministers have been appointed for three ministries under the President’s purview: the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development. Additionally, acting ministers have been assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, as well as the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation.

The acting ministers are as follows :

Acting Minister of Digital Economy – Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne
Acting Minister of Defence – Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekera
Acting Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development -Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism – Deputy Minister of Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra
Acting Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation – Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Dr. Prasanna Kumara Gunasena

(President’s Media Division)

News

Tsunami warning after huge earthquake in Japan

Published

8 hours ago

January 13, 2025

editor

Japan was hit by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake on Monday causing two small tsunamis to form.

The quake was at a depth of 23 miles and mainly hit the southwestern Kyushu region, said the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

The quake struck at 9.19 pm local time, according to the agency.

Tsunami warnings were issued shortly after for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the temblor was centred, in the southwestern island of Kyushu.

A warning was also issued for the nearby Kochi Prefecture.

Masamasa Sato, chief of the crisis management department of Takanabe Town Hall in Miyazaki Prefecture, said: “The shaking was so strong that it was difficult to stand for about 20 to 30 seconds.”

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned of possible tsunami waves of up to one metre (three feet) and urged the public to stay away from coastal waters.

“Tsunami can strike repeatedly. Please do not enter the sea or go near coastal areas,” the JMA said on X.

Two small tsunamis of around 20 centimetres were detected at two ports in the region, the weather agency said.

Local media reported no immediate injuries, with live television feeds from the region on public broadcaster NHK showing no visible damage as well as calm seas, vessels operating and traffic running normally.

(heraldsun.com.au)

News

Teachers – Principals to be among highest paid professionals

Published

8 hours ago

January 13, 2025

editor

The government is taking significant steps to address salary disparities in the education sector and elevate five key education services, including teachers and principals, to be among the 10 highest-paid professions in the country, Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe said.
Speaking at an event held in Maharagama, the Deputy Minister outlined the government’s commitment to improving remuneration and addressing long-standing salary issues in the education sector.

“We will present the first budget next month, and there will be an increase in the salaries of public servants in that budget. Do not have any doubts about that,” said Jayasinghe, emphasizing the government’s efforts to prioritize public sector wage reforms.

He also acknowledged the persistent concerns about salary disparities in the education sector. “Many people are asking about the two-thirds salary disparity for teachers. We are already conducting the necessary preliminary discussions to resolve this issue,” he added.

Highlighting the government’s plans for educators, the Deputy Minister noted that five services—teachers, principals, educational administrators, teacher educators, and teacher advisors—are being considered for inclusion among the top 10 salary scales.

“Discussions are currently underway to not only address the salary scales but also to improve the quality of these services. Our goal is to enhance the standards of education through appropriate salary adjustments,” he stated.

(adaderana.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by adaderana.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)