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Homebuyers who booked flats in housing projects in the Noida-Greater Noida property market are worst affected, with over 1.65 lakh flats worth ₹1.18 lakh crore currently stalled or significantly delayed in these two cities, according to property consultant Anarock. In its research, the consultant has taken only those housing projects that were launched in 2014 or before, across seven big property markets -- Delhi-NCR, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. Expressing concern over the plight of customers whose investments are at stake, Forum for People's Collective Efforts' (FPCE), an apex body of homebuyers, president Abhay Upadhyay told PTI that the cause of the delay of each project should be ascertained and solutions must be found. He also sought stern action against defaulting builders. According to the Anarock data, 4,79,940 units worth ₹4,48,129 crore are "stalled or heavily delayed" across these seven cities as of May 31, … [Read more...] about Homebuyers in Noida-Greater Noida worst hit; 1.65 lakh units of ₹1.18 lakh crore stalled

New Delhi, Jun 26: Homebuyers who booked flats in housing projects in the Noida-Greater Noida property market are worst affected, with over 1.65 lakh flats worth Rs 1.18 lakh crore currently stalled or significantly delayed in these two cities, according to property consultant Anarock. In its research, the consultant has taken only those housing projects that were launched in 2014 or before, across seven big property markets — Delhi-NCR, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. Expressing concern over the plight of customers whose investments are at stake, Forum for People’s Collective Efforts’ (FPCE), an apex body of homebuyers, President Abhay Upadhyay told PTI that the cause of the delay of each project should be ascertained and solutions must be found. He also sought stern action against defaulting builders. According to the Anarock data, 4,79,940 units worth Rs 4,48,129 crore are “stalled or heavily delayed” across these seven … [Read more...] about Homebuyers in Noida-Greater Noida Worst Hit; 1.65 Lakh Units of Rs 1.18 Lakh Cr Stalled

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testified for hours on Friday about being removed from her post and attacks on her from President Donald Trump as part of the House Democrats' ongoing impeachment inquiry. Yovanovitch appeared before the House Intelligence Committee for a public hearing and was the third witness to testify to Congress this week about the Ukraine controversy. On Wednesday, diplomat William Taylor and State Department official George Kent gave damning testimony against the president. Yovanovitch was appointed ambassador under several different presidents, both Republican and Democrat, and began serving in Ukraine in August 2016. In May 2019, she was abruptly removed from her post even though, she says, her bosses assured her she'd done nothing wrong. The reasoning behind her dismissal has become a major focus of the House investigation of the president's conduct toward Ukraine. Yovanovitch told Congress that Trump and his personal attorney Rudy … [Read more...] about Five highlights from former Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch’s testimony at Day 2 impeachment hearing

Recent investigative reports ( The Indian Express , June 19-22, 2022) bring to light proposals for deletions and changes to school textbooks across the board. The aim, purportedly, is to reduce the load on school students who have suffered a loss of learning due to extended shutdowns during the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, the changes made in the history textbooks specifically target certain areas of India’s past and will result in an ideological shift in history teaching at the school level. Curricular changes The Government is currently undertaking a series of curricular changes. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports recently tabled its Report on the Reforms in Content and Design of School Text books (November 30, 2021). The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is already in the process of formulating the new National Curricular Framework, which will direct the syllabi of central and State … [Read more...] about Rewriting ‘old history’ for a New India

Pakistan on Thursday said that it has put the trial of seven Mumbai attacks suspects on the fast track and any delay in proceedings is due to India’s failure to decide on a request to allow a judicial commission to interview key officials in India. In a response to the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s remarks on Wednesday that confidence between the two countries cannot be restored till Pakistan takes action against the “real culprits” behind the Mumbai incident, Interior Minister Rehman Malik indicated that New Delhi should provide more evidence to enable Islamabad to act against other suspects. “As far apprehending those responsible for the attacks is concerned, seven accused are in jail. Their trial is being conducted properly and we have put it on fast track,” Mr. Malik told reporters at the Karachi airport early on Thursday morning. “The delay in that trial is not on our part because we had a demand for a judicial commission (to visit India). Our Interior Secretary met … [Read more...] about Malik asks India to allow judicial team to interview officials

India and Africa on Wednesday unequivocally condemned terrorism and piracy in all its forms and manifestation and called for active prosecution of authors of such crimes. Both sides also supported each other’s claims for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. The Addis Ababa Declaration adopted at the end of the second Africa-India Forum Summit in the Ethiopian capital also called on all countries to ensure that acts of cross-border terrorism do not occur and that their territories are not made a base for terrorists. “We unequivocally condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. An act of terrorism anywhere is a threat to the entire international community. “We recognise the need to further strengthen international cooperation to combat global terrorism and for compliance of all member states with all international terrorism conventions and related protocols and United Nations Security Council’s resolution on counter-terrorism,” the declaration … [Read more...] about India, Africa call for action to combat terrorism, piracy

A week after BTS announced it was taking a hiatus to focus on solo projects, the president of the Korea Singers Association, Lee Ja-yeon, urged the K-pop mega boy band to reconsider. "I'm overcome by my fear and concern that the BTS Hallyu (Korean wave), a movement possessing the greatest cultural soft power that the world has ever witnessed, will vanish soon," she wrote in a statement on June 22, according to entertainment portal Allkpop. Members of BTS announced on June 14 that they would be taking a hiatus to focus on solo projects, although they stressed that group activities would continue and they were not disbanding. Lee continued: "In the years leading up to the birth of this movement, it was believed that finding the 'Next Beatles' would be a very difficult achievement, and now, we have arrived at a point where it is difficult to hope for the 'Next BTS' to emerge any time soon. Thus, there is great concern that the heartbeat of Hallyu will cease." However, her plea has … [Read more...] about Korea Singers Association president slammed for urging BTS not to go on hiatus

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min announces a plan to establish a police oversight bureau within his ministry at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul on Monday. [NEWS1] The Interior Ministry announced a plan to create a new police bureau to strengthen its oversight over the National Police Agency on Monday, the same day that Commissioner General Kim Chang-yong offered to resign over blunders committed by the agency. Speaking at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul on Monday, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min said his ministry would create a bureau charged with police oversight, mainly to prevent the police agency from becoming too powerful in the aftermath of the weakening of the state prosecution service. “There are growing public concerns about the expansion in police powers,” Lee said. He described his decision to set up a bureau to oversee the police agency the only alternative to “doing nothing.” Investigative authority by the National … [Read more...] about Interior Minister Lee Sang-min outlines plan to control police

Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters has made no secret of his connections to his longtime business partner and biggest political benefactor, billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel. But new reporting shows that Masters can’t seem to quit promoting Thiel businesses on the campaign trail—and that Thiel or Masters can’t seem to stop making questionable in-kind contributions. Masters announced last month that he had left his top positions at two organizations named after Thiel, who has poured more than $10 million of support into the Senate bid. But a Daily Beast review of business, campaign, and tax records reveals that Masters appears still far from severing his shared interests with his mentor. Brendan Fischer, deputy executive director at Documented, told The Daily Beast that the facts demonstrate an inextricable connection. “This further underscores how Masters’ candidacy is almost inseparable from its billionaire backer,” Fischer said. “Thiel helped launch … [Read more...] about The Epic Back-Scratching Fest Between Blake Master and a Trumpy Billionaire

By ZEKE MILLER ELMAU, Germany (AP) — One year ago, Joe Biden strode into his first Group of Seven summit as president and confidently told the closest U.S. allies that “America is Back.” Now, many of them are worrying that America is backsliding. As Biden meets this week in the Bavarian Alps with the heads of G-7 leading democratic economies, he carries with him the domestic baggage of political unrest, shocking mass shootings and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end constitutional protections for abortion. Biden’s 2021 summit was meant as a palate cleanser to the “America First” ideology of his predecessor, President Donald Trump. Embracing multilateralism and global partnerships and restoring faith in America’s alliances — especially NATO’s mutual self-defense pact — were top on his agenda. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said of Biden, “We’re totally on the same page.” Biden’s election was seen by most allies as an American reset, returning to norms honed over … [Read more...] about Tale of 2 summits: ‘America’s back’ to America’s backsliding