World

Indian farmers say they will resume march to New Delhi

Published

11 months ago

February 20, 2024

nipuni

Protesting Indian farmers say they will resume marching to capital Delhi this week after rejecting a government proposal to buy some crops at assured prices on a five-year contract.
The protesters began marching last week but were stopped around 200km (125 miles) from Delhi.

Since then, farmer leaders were in talks with the government on their demands.

But on Monday night, they said the offer was “not in their interest”.

The government had proposed buying pulses, maize and cotton at guaranteed floor prices – also known as Minimum Support Price or MSP – through cooperatives for five years.

But the farmers say that they will stand by their demand of a “legal guarantee for MSP on all 23 crops”.

“We appeal to the government to either resolve our issues or remove barricades and allow us to proceed to Delhi to protest peacefully,” Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a farm union leader, told local media.

They say they will resume marching from Wednesday.

Farmers form an influential voting bloc in India and and analysts say the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be keen not to anger or alienate them. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third consecutive term in power in general elections this year.

Last week, authorities clashed with the protesters, firing tear gas and plastic bullets at them in a bid to halt the march. They fear a repeat of 2020, when thousands of farmers camped at Delhi’s borders for months, forcing the government to repeal controversial agricultural reforms.

The latest round of protests began on Wednesday, when farmers from Haryana and Punjab started marching to Delhi. They say the government did not keep promises made during the 2020-21 protest, and also have demands including pensions and a debt waiver.

But their most important demand is a law guaranteeing a support price for crops.

India introduced the MSP system in the 1960s – first for only wheat and later other essential crops – in a bid for food security.

Supporters of MSP say it is necessary to protect farmers against losses due to fluctuation in prices. They argue that the resulting income boost will allow farmers to invest in new technologies, improve productivity and protect cultivators from being fleeced by middlemen.

But critics say the system needs an overhaul as it is not sustainable and will be disastrous for government finances. They also say that it will be ruinous for the agricultural sector in the long run, leading to over-cultivation and storage issues.

Since last week, federal minister Piyush Goyal and other government officials had held four rounds of talks with the farmers. On Sunday, Mr Goyal told journalists that the discussions had been “positive” and that the government was devising an “out-of-the-box” solution to benefit farmers, consumers and the economy.

But on Monday, farmer leaders said they were dissatisfied with the way the talks were being held, claiming that there was no “transparency”.

(BBC News)

News

Trump orders US to leave World Health Organization

Published

31 minutes ago

January 21, 2025

editor

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Oooh, that’s a big one,” the newly inaugurated US president said as he approved the document after arriving back at the White House. It was one of dozens of executive actions he put his signature to on day one in office.

This marks the second time Trump has ordered the US be pulled out of the WHO.

Trump was critical of how the international body handled Covid-19 and began the process of pulling out from the Geneva-based institution during the pandemic. President Joe Biden later reversed that decision.

Carrying out this executive action on day one makes it more likely the US will formally leave the global agency.

“They wanted us back so badly so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said in the Oval Office, referring to the WHO, perhaps hinting the US might return eventually.

The order said the US was withdrawing “due to the organization’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states”.

The executive order also said the withdrawal was the result of “unfairly onerous payments” the US made to the WHO, which is part of the United Nations.

When Trump was still in office the first time around he was critical of the organization for being too “China-centric” in its tackling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Trump accused the WHO of being biased towards China in how it issued guidance during the outbreak.

Under the Biden administration the US continued to be the largest funder of the WHO and in 2023 it contributed almost one-fifth of the agency’s budget.

The organization’s annual budget is $6.8 billion (£5.5 billion).

Public health experts have been critical of Trump’s decision to leave the WHO, warning there could be consequences for Americans’ health.

Some have suggested the move could reverse progress made on fighting infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and Hiv & Aids.

Ashish Jha, who formerly worked as Covid-19 response co-ordinator under President Biden, previously warned leaving would “harm not only the health of people around the world, but also US leadership and scientific prowess”.

“It’s a cataclysmic presidential decision. Withdrawal is a grievous wound to world health, but a still deeper wound to the US,” Lawrence Gostin, a global public health expert and Georgetown University professor said.

(BBC News)

World

Man convicted in China car-ramming case, executed

Published

18 hours ago

January 20, 2025

editor

Fan Weiqiu, the criminal convicted of causing heavy casualties after ramming his car into the crowd at a sports center in November last year in the city of Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province, was executed on Monday (Jan. 20), according to a court statement.

The execution was conducted by the Zhuhai Intermediate People’s Court after the death sentence was approved by the Supreme People’s Court. The procedure was supervised by prosecutors from the local procuratorate in Zhuhai.

Fan was convicted of the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous means in December 2024. He was also deprived of his political rights for life.

(Xinhua)

World

Donald Trump to be sworn-in as 47th US President today

Published

1 day ago

January 20, 2025

editor

Donald Trump will take oath of office as the 47th President of the United States, with J. D. Vance being sworn-in as the vice-president today.

The ceremony will take place at the US Capitol in Washington DC, starting at 12 pm local time. This inauguration day falls on Martin Luther King Jr Day, a federal holiday, and marks the first time in this century that a US President will take the oath on such a holiday.

While January 20 is traditionally the set date for inaugurations, if it falls on a Sunday, it is moved to the following day. This year, the event is adjusted due to the holiday overlap, creating special scheduling considerations.

Due to dangerously cold temperatures expected in Washington DC, President-elect Trump has announced that the inauguration ceremony will be moved indoors.

He confirmed that the swearing-in, along with speeches and prayers, will take place in the Capitol Rotunda, just as Ronald Reagan’s inauguration did in 1985 under similar weather conditions.