Author: Mike Harrison

Warring groups led by Jose K Mani and PJ Joseph locking horns makes for a fascinating contest After court battles and slugfests at the local body level, the raging contest between the Kerala Congress parties is now all set to be played out in the Assembly elections.The joust in Central Travancore, which otherwise would have witnessed a straight, simple fight between the United Democratic Front and the Left Democratic Front, assumes significance as it sets the stage for yet another round of direct clash between two regional parties.While the Kerala Congress(M) led by Jose K Mani, which had switched sides…

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra was served notice on a privilege motion moved against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for her comments against a former Chief Justice of India (CJI) during a debate on motion thanks to the President’s address last month. Ms. Moitra has been asked to file her response by March 25. Mr. Dubey, Lok Sabha member from Jharkhand, had filed a privilege motion notice against her on February 10.Ms. Moitra’s remarks were later expunged. She tweeted, “What better way to end Women’s Day than to learn I have apparently been served notice for speaking truth in…

Kyodo news agency said the government had concluded that welcoming fans from abroad would not be possible given public concern about the coronavirus and the detection of more contagious variants in many countries Japan has decided to stage this summer’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics without overseas spectators due to concern among the Japanese public about COVID-19, Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday, citing officials with knowledge of the matter.Kyodo said the government had concluded that welcoming fans from abroad would not be possible given public concern about the coronavirus and the detection of more contagious variants in many countries, Kyodo…

Under EU data privacy rules, all organisations must ask visitors online if they agree to have some of their data collected via trackers or other tools. (Subscribe to our Today’s Cache newsletter for a quick snapshot of top 5 tech stories. Click here to subscribe for free.)France Digitale will file a complaint against iPhone maker Apple with data privacy watchdog CNIL on Tuesday over alleged breaches of European Union rules, France’s leading startup lobby said in a statement.In the seven-page complaint seen by Reuters, the lobby, which represents the bulk of France’s digital entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, alleges Apple’s latest…

In the decision on Carles Puigdemont, 400 legislators voted for the waiver of immunity, 248 were against and 45 abstained. The European Parliament on Tuesday voted to lift the immunity of the former president of Spain’s Catalonia region, Carles Puigdemont, and two of his associates, a move that could pave the way for their extradition.In the decision on Puigdemont, 400 legislators voted for the waiver of immunity, 248 were against and 45 abstained.The measures to lift the immunity of his associates — former Catalan Health Minister Toni Comin and former regional Education Minister Clara Ponsati — were by largely similar…

According to some British media reports, a palace statement has been prepared but Queen Elizabeth II is yet to sign it off London Buckingham Palace is said to be in turmoil on Tuesday, a day after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s explosive interview with American chat show host Oprah Winfrey was aired in the UK and even Prime Minister Boris Johnson was asked to comment on the allegations of racism that had emerged.According to some British media reports, a palace statement has been prepared but Queen Elizabeth II is yet to sign it off as crisis talks continue after damaging…

The American policy was revealed over the weekend during U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad’s talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and a letter written by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. The inclusion of India in the United States’s latest strategy for regional talks on Afghanistan is welcome but it does not remove several misgivings New Delhi has about American policy over the conflict that was revealed over the weekend during U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad’s talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and a letter written by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken…

The clinic in south Auckland will initially target household members of border workers. New Zealand has opened its first large vaccination clinic as it scales up efforts to protect people from the coronavirus (COVID-19).The clinic in south Auckland will initially target household members of border workers. New Zealand has stamped out community spread of the virus and considers border workers and their families the most vulnerable to catching the disease from infectious travellers.Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said that initially about 150 people a day will get vaccinated at the clinic, although the numbers will be rapidly increased. Health officials…

A video describing vaccine passports and how it could soon become an essential document for resuming international travel and working from offices As people around the world prepare for COVID-19 vaccinations, documenting the shots are becoming an important step in easing cross-border travel. Airports, workplaces and public places may soon require people to produce records of their inoculation status.For these purposes, a ‘vaccine passport’ may soon become an essential document. Some passports in the making include International Chamber of Commerce’s AOKPass and IBM’s Digital Health Pass. A letter from the Editor Dear reader,We have been keeping you up-to-date with information…

Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta will not contest the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, his wife and former MP Jayashree Goswami Mahanta said late on Monday. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), of which Mr. Mahanta was the founder-president in 1985, had denied ticket to him and three other MLAs – Utpal Dutta from the Lakhimpur constituency, Naren Sonowal from Naharkatia and Satyabrata Kalita from Kamalpur. The two-time former Chief Minister has been representing the Barhampur constituency in central Assam’s Nagaon district since 1991. His pet seat went to AGP’s ally BJP following a seat-sharing agreement in New Delhi on…