Legislation

Rep. Ilhan Omar 's (D-MN) ouster last Thursday from the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) is richly deserved, but for reasons even more fundamental than those detailed in the resolution removing her from the panel. The congresswoman's hostility towards Jews and the Jewish state of Israel, her related attempts to draw moral equivalence between jihadists and Israeli and American forces, and the broader anti-Western worldview that pervades the rhetoric recounted in the removal resolution make her a uniquely repugnant figure—now officially so, as determined by her House colleagues. But the reality is that Rep. Omar should have never been allowed to serve on the HFAC in the first place. By appointing her to that post, Democrats knowingly and recklessly endangered U.S. national security—a crucial but overlooked point in the Omar saga. This is because, while the committee touches on nearly every sensitive issue vital to U.S. national security and foreign policy, an … [Read more...] about House GOP Adamantly Correct to Kick Rep. Omar off Foreign Affairs Committee

Taking Mohan Bhagwat on after his remark that all people are equal before God, Samajwadi Party leaders have asked the RSS chief to clarify the ground reality of the caste system and get “casteist” comments removed from Ramcharitmanas. At a public event in Mumbai Sunday, Bhagwat had said everyone is equal in the eyes of God. “All these things were created by priests, which is wrong,” he said. Bhagwat’s comment came against the backdrop of the controversy triggered by SP’s Swami Prasad Maurya after he recently demanded the “removal” of portions from Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas that he said denigrated Dalits and women. Reacting to Bhagwat’s remarks that caste doesn’t exist before God, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted in Hindi on Monday, “Please clarify what is the reality of the caste system before human beings.” While Yadav limited himself to this comment, Maurya reiterated his demand to expunge the “offending” portions from Ramcharitmanas. “The caste system was created by … [Read more...] about Akhilesh Yadav, SP Maurya Asks RSS Chief to Clarify Ground Reality of Caste System

Veteran journalist and editor R Jagannathan has just come out with a book, Dharmic Nation: Freeing Bharat, Remaking India , a compilation of 17 chapters largely aimed at helping Hindus “rediscover the essential dharmic heritage of Bharat and close ranks to defend them”. One chapter, ‘Why Hinduism Must Become a Missionary Religion’, is especially pertinent given the challenges the Sanatana Dharma is facing in the land of its birth. While stating that the “universe is always expanding or contracting somewhere” and “life is about birthing more cells in the body than killing them”, Jagannathan makes a convincing argument that Hinduism needs to regain its missionary nature if it wants to survive the challenges confronting it. “Religions are essentially ideas with physical, emotional and psychic dimensions. If they do not seek to expand, they will shrivel, even if this trend is not clearly visible in one’s own lifetime. But when it comes to a tipping point, religions may die all of a … [Read more...] about Hinduism Must Become Missionary Again, If India wants to Win Silent Demographic Warfare

There is no proposal to bring legislation to ensure menstruation leave in educational institutions, according to the Ministry of Education. The information was shared by Union Minister of Education for State Subhas Sarkar in response to a written question in Lok Sabha. ”No such proposal is under consideration in the ministry,” he said when asked whether the government will bring legislation to ensure menstruation benefit leave in educational institutions. Read | Kerala Govt Allows Menstrual, Maternity Leave Across All State Universities The minister informed that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced ”Guidelines for Basic facilities and amenities for safe, secure environment for Women and Women Cell (for sensitization, policy implementation, monitoring and grievance redressal) in HEIs”. ”The guidelines state that the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should ensure easy access to basic sanitation and hygiene facilities for women such as clean, … [Read more...] about No Proposal to Introduce Menstruation Leave in Educational Institutions: Education Ministry

Telangana Finance Minister Harish Rao presented a budget of Rs 2,90,396 crore in the state legislative assembly on Monday. Among the 29 departments, the agriculture and cooperation department was allocated Rs 26,831 crore, while the roads and building department received Rs 22,260 crore. The panchayat raj and rural development department was allocated Rs 31,426 crore and the health, medical and family welfare department received Rs 12,161 crore. In his speech, the finance minister said: “Despite problems arising out of economic recession and the coronavirus pandemic, Telangana has been successful in withstanding their adverse impacts and emerged as a strong economic power.” He pointed out: “The share of Telangana in GDP improved from 4.1 per cent in 2014-15 to 4.9 per cent in 2020-21. It is a matter of pride that Telangana is contributing 4.9 per cent to GDP though its share in national population is only 2.9 per cent.” Rao said despite the Centre creating hurdles for … [Read more...] about Telangana Budget: Minorities, Brahmins & Flagship Schemes in Focus; FM Slams ‘Hurdles’ by Centre

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday claimed that the “secret" behind Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai not expanding the Cabinet is to avoid making BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa’s son as a minister. Speaking to reporters, he also alleged that “getting more bribes" was the other reason why Bommai is not undertaking the exercise and keeping many portfolios with himself. “BJP did injustice to Yediyurappa; they along with RSS made him step down from the Chief Minister post and brought in Basavaraj Bommai. There is rift between Yediyurappa and Bommai now, because Bommai did not expand the Cabinet, to avoid inducting Yediyurappa’s son into the Ministry," Siddaramaiah claimed. “As he will have to make Yediyurappa’s son a minister if the cabinet is expanded, the Chief Minister did not expand the Ministry and is keeping six posts vacant, it has been more than one-and-half years now," he added. Pointing out that the Chief Minister is keeping many departments with … [Read more...] about Bommai Not Expanding Cabinet to Avoid Giving Berth to Yediyurappa’s Son: Siddaramaiah

YOU SANG-CHUL The author is the head of the China Institute of the JoongAng Ilbo and CEO of China Lab. Last year marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and China and between Korea and Vietnam. I still have vivid memories of Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visiting Seoul in December. About a month upon returning, Phuc suddenly resigned. He supposedly stepped down for his ethical responsibility for two vice prime ministers who were involved in a corruption scandal, as both of them are close to him. Others are attributing his resignation to an ongoing power struggle. The Vietnamese Communist Party adopts a group leadership system led by four heavyweights: the general secretary, the president, the prime minister and the speaker of the National Assembly. The secretary general controls the party and the military while overseeing the state affairs. The president is in charge of diplomacy and national defense whereas the prime minister manages the … [Read more...] about [Meanwhile] Sinicization of Vietnam?

Lee Ha-kyung The author is a senior columnist at the JoongAng Ilbo. The world’s lowest birth rate and fastest aging have caused a hemorrhage in Korea’s national pension. The pension is post-retirement social security. But the system has been impaired with fewer working people and more retirees. At this rate, the pension fund will completely run out in 2055, a year when those born in 1990 become 65. If the current pension system is to be maintained, the premium rate should be raised to 30 percent of income by 2060 from 9 percent today. Some of the younger population have started to demand the national pension be scrapped. Instead, they prefer individual liability for old age. Even with pension benefits, Korea’s poverty rate in the older population is 37.6 percent, nearly tripling the average of developed countries. Both the young and old are seriously asking what the country exists for if it cannot protect their future. President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to undertake the … [Read more...] about [Column] Preventing a national pension nightmare

The pharmacies often attracting American tourists in Mexico are selling pills advertised as popular pharmaceuticals that actually contain deadly drugs like fentanyl, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation. Pharmacies in northwest Mexico, like Cabo San Lucas and Tijuana, are selling pills that are advertised as Adderall, Xanax, Oxycodone, but are actually laced with fentanyl, according to the LA Times. In conducting its investigation, the LA Times found that 71% of the 17 pills they tested contained more lethal drugs than what the aforementioned medications were advertised as. (RELATED: Mayorkas Says Illegal Immigration Crisis Has ‘No’ Effect On DHS’ Ability To Seize Deadly Fentanyl) “Whenever you have counterfeit products that contain fentanyl, you are going to have people use them and die,” UCLA researcher and the senior author of a similar study, Chelsea Shover, said, according to the LA Times. Fentanyl is largely responsible for the more than 100,000 overdose … [Read more...] about Pharmacies In Popular Mexico Tourist Destinations Frequented By Americans Are Selling Fentanyl-Laced Pills: REPORT

A Goldman C.E.O. also-ran gets to lead Carlyle said this morning that it had hired Harvey Schwartz , a former co-president of Goldman Sachs, as its new chief executive. It’s a bet by Carlyle that it has finally found the right leader — and a chance for Mr. Schwartz to finally become a Wall Street chieftain, after losing a succession race at his former employer. Schwartz is joining Mr. Carlyle seven months after its last C.E.O. stepped down. Kewsong Lee, who became the firm’s co-chief executive in 2018 and then sole C.E.O. in 2020, resigned after clashing with the private equity giant’s co-founders over priorities and control. (So sudden was Mr. Lee’s departure that Carlyle didn’t have a replacement lined up; a co-founder, Bill Conway, has been serving as interim chief.) Carlyle’s board reportedly considered a variety of potential candidates , according to The Financial Times, including John Waldron, Goldman’s current president; Mark Mason, Citigroup’s C.F.O.; and current … [Read more...] about Carlyle Taps a Former Goldman Executive to Fill Its Leadership Void