Correspondent from Syria new Foreign Correspondents Club chief
P. M. Narayanan, a television journalist with German TV, was re-elected as the Treasurer, a statement form FCCSA said.
Dr Awwad succeeds Venkat Narayan, another highly respected foreign correspondent. The elections followed the Annual General Body Meeting, held within the FCC premises.
A total of nine members were also elected to the General Council. The elected members are Mayank Bhardwaj (Reuters), Krishnan P. Nayar (Emirates News Agency), Anoop Saxena (German TV), Devina Gupta (BBC), Eshani Mathur (Bloomberg), Ruslan Imaev (Russia Today), Sidhartha Srivastava (CAN), C. K. Nayak (Jan Aastha Abroad), Amitav Srivastava (SABC).
Polls held within FCC premises
The elections followed the Annual General Body Meeting, held within the FCC premises. A total of nine members were also elected to the General Council. The new team will serve for two years form 2025 to 2027.
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India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Can Rahul's Babbar Sher Gaurav Gogoi win Assam from Himanta?
"This time, there'll be a fight, we'll fight and win," said Gaurav Gogoi at a rally near Guwahati with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by his side. Rahul then launched a direct attack at Himanta Biswa Sarma, saying the Assam CM and BJP leader would be packed off to jail by Congress "Babbar Shers (tigers)". The Congress has blown the bugle for the Assembly polls in Assam, which will be held early next year. But the big question is, will Gogoi prove to be the Babbar Sher and will the Congress rejig in the state, so close to the polls, pay off?advertisementGaurav Gogoi, a confidant of Rahul Gandhi, took over as President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) in June, with less than a year for the election in 2026. The Congress might have come to believe that former state chief Bhupen Kumar Borah delivered all he could, and it needed a leader with bigger stature to take on Himanta and the BJP juggernaut in the state."Our motto for the 2026 assembly elections is 'Juj eikhon hobo', meaning the Congress party is willing to fight the BJP machinery in every village of Assam," Gaurav Gogoi told India Today Digital, showing the party's appetite for a fight where it has been trounced in back-to-back Assembly elections. Gogoi, the deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, has a national aura. His fiery speech during the recent debate on Operation Sindoor was noticed by everyone. He also has a decent social media Congress MP from Jorhat has also come a long way from referring to fish as "maiki (female) aru mota (male)", revealing his initial disconnect with the state and its language. Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is felicitated by Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi during the party workers' meeting, at Chaygaon, near Guwahati, on July 16. (PTI Image) CONGRESS EYE ON AHOM VOTES AND GAURAV GOGOI ELEVATIONOne of the reasons why Gogoi won the Jorhat seat, a family seat of his father and former CM Tarun Gogoi, was a consolidation of Ahom votes in his determine several seats in Upper to secure benefits for the khilonjiya (indigenous) people of Assam has gained momentum, and the Congress might be trying to cash in on Gogoi's Ahom Biswa Sarma has tried to counter this by focussing on Upper Assam, especially by declaring Dibrugarh as the second capital of the state. In July, he laid the foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 500 crore in Upper BJP's incessant attacks on Gaurav Gogoi over his wife's alleged Pakistan links might also be aimed at denting his Bhumiputra has time and again alleged that Gogoi's Britain-born wife, Elizabeth Colburn, had links with Pakistan's notorious spy agency ISI. The Congress MP has junked the allegations as a "smear campaign". Now, a special investigation team (SIT) of the Assam Police is probing the might be a budding national leader with good oratorial skills, but what the Congress desperately needs in Assam is grassroots connection and local reality check for Gogoi came in the panchayat elections held in May this failed to help secure even a single seat for the Congress in his Jorhat constituency. On July 25, Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone for ministerial and administrative offices in Upper Assam's Dibrugarh. (Image: HimantaBiswaSarma/X) ASSAM PANCHAYAT POLLS AND CONGRESS, BJP LESSONSIt was BJP's Rajya Sabha MP, and Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, who camped there and deprived Gogoi of any bragging Gogoi neither maintains an active presence in the region nor shows any seriousness regarding public issues," said Sidhanku Ankur Barua, General Secretary of Assam BJP, who camped with the BJP MP in Jorhat during the May panchayat polls."Whether it's Gaurav Gogoi or the Congress party, they only become visible during election time, whereas the BJP and its allies consistently work at the grassroots level," Barua told India Today an Assembly election might be a different ball game altogether, and the Congress has taken lessons from the panchayat polls Mahanta, a Jorhat-based journalist who works for the Assamese daily Amar Axom, said the BJP was accused of "using fear, threats, inducements and money power, along with manipulating the administration and police" in the local elections, especially in the seats under Gogoi's Lok Sabha Gogoi said "the panchayat election results were a reality check" for the Congress."It showed clear gaps in our organisation and our preparation for the assembly elections. It also showed that the BJP will try every trick in the book to put pressure on local police and administration to obstruct the Congress party," Gogoi told India Today LAGS BJP IN ORGANISATIONAL SET UP IN ASSAMThe grassroots factor also matters because the Congress' presence disappeared at the bloc level in several districts after being trounced by the BJP in two successive is incredible because it was the Congress that ruled Assam for over 50 years and the BJP could form a government in the state only in 2016. The BJP's meteoric rise in Assam is evident from the 2016 election tally, where it jumped from just 5 seats in 2011 to 86. While the BJP retained power in 2021 with 75 seats, Congress showed signs of recovery with 50 seats. The BJP contested with allies in 2016 and 2021, the Congress with partners in 2021. (Graphic: Author/India Today) Building the Congress from the bottom in Assam is next to impossible in such a short time and Gogoi will have to rely on the existing infrastructure."Time is short without a doubt. That is why we are working relentlessly and without breaks. In the past one and a half months, we've already made several changes within the organisation and initiated new programmes to connect with the voters," said Gogoi, adding, "Our selfie with the booth worker campaign was a huge success".advertisementHowever, there are some complaints from Congress district-level leaders of them being ignored by was a risk that came attached with him. Gogoi has acted as a national leader for the Congress without devoting much time to the party in the BJP likes to highlight that."Gaurav Gogoi is often perceived as a product of Congress's dynastic politics. While he did secure a Lok Sabha seat, largely due to the goodwill generated by his father, his disconnect from the people and inability to grasp the aspirations of Jorhat's electorate have cost the Congress dearly," said BJP's Bhupen Kumar Borah with less than a year remaining for the polls has no doubt sparked a rift within the Congress. Though Borah has pledged his loyalties to the party and backed Gogoi, there haven't been any filial vows from others in his might be waiting to strike at the right was painstakingly building the party organisation from scratch as it was left in tatters after two Assembly election setbacks and an exodus of senior leaders. He had succeeded to a considerable extent in pulling the party out of its GOGOI VS HIMANTA BISWA SARMA: A BATTLE PERSONALWhat the Congress has ensured by making Gaurav Gogoi the state chief is better media attention. That change is already visible. With media and social media attention, at least Gogoi will be in the minds of the is also a politician with a clean image, barring the ISI link that Himanta has been alleging. Going into the campaign, he is also the best leader to target Himanta aggressively and make that resonate in both new and traditional media."Gaurav Gogoi's public outreach is unique. As a result, after his taking over as the APCC President, an atmosphere of confidence among the party leaders and workers has been observed. New people are joining the party," said journalist Mahanta. Gaurav Gogoi clicks a selfie with three booth presidents in Assam. He called them the soul of the Congress movement in the state. (Image: GauravGogoiAsm/X) However, the initial euphoria has tapered of the reasons is that Gogoi isn't aggressively attacking Sarma like the Congress did under Bora. He has mostly been reacting to and countering the punches thrown by thing that the Congress has going for itself in Assam is a 10-year anti-incumbency against the BJP. Gaurav will try to hold the government accountable on several counts."After 10 years of BJP's corrupt and authoritarian rule, the people of Assam want change," said Gaurav Gogoi."We are seeing nervous anxiety in the BJP camp. It reflects in their statements and desperate measures to divert the attention of the public from their failure. The feedback from all sections of Assamese society has been positive for us," Gogoi Himanta, a master strategist regarded as the 'Chanakya of the Northeast' for making the region a BJP stronghold after defecting from the Congress, has always been in a campaign mode. Lovingly addressed as mama (maternal uncle), Sarma is a crowd-puller who effortlessly connects with people and is perceived to be a man of action. In the case of Assam, the Congress seems to be rather sure-footed. Unlike in the Delhi Assembly election, where it delayed a decision on the polls, in Assam, Rahul Gandhi jumped into action pretty another level, the battle is personal for all three. Gaurav, Himanta and was Tarun Gogoi's protege and won him the last CM's term. He saw Gaurav Gogoi being crowned the king-in-waiting as a betrayal by the party for his loyalty. He got no support from Rahul and left the party to cause it heavy Gogoi heading the Congress in Assam, there is no doubt that there will be fireworks. What no one is really sure about is if this will end with a bang or a whimper for the Congress as far as the Assembly polls are considered. There's no denying that Gaurav has the chance to emerge as Congress' Babbat Sher, but for now, with Himanta at the helm, the BJP looks ahead in the Assam race.- EndsMust Watch
News18
5 days ago
- News18
Syria Wants "Russia by Our Side' As Lavrov, Sharaa Aide "Review" Assad-Era Agreement on Bases
Syria Wants "Russia by Our Side' As Lavrov, Sharaa Aide "Review" Assad-Era Agreement on Bases | 4K Russia and Syria vowed to strengthen ties and review past agreements signed under Bashar al-Assad. At a July 31 meeting in Moscow, Foreign Ministers Lavrov and al-Shaibani agreed to regular inspections of deals, including military cooperation. Lavrov urged the West to lift Syria sanctions and confirmed Russia's commitment regardless of leadership changes. Talks came amid uncertainty over Moscow's military bases. Syria's new leaders seek closer ties with Russia and thanked it for opposing Israeli strikes and supporting post-conflict unity efforts. 00:00 - INTRODUCTION03.31 - RUSSIA'S MILITARY BASES IN SYRIA05:14 - ASSAD'S DOWNFALL AND SHIFT IN RUSSIA-SYRIA RELATIONS n18oc_world n18oc_crux
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Indian Express
Centre approves setting up of 50 multi-product food irradiation units, grants for National Cooperative Development Corporation
The Centre Thursday approved a proposal to provide a grant in aid of Rs 2,000 crore to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) over a period of four years till 2028-29. The move will enable the NCDC to provide loans to cooperatives either through the state governments or directly. The Cabinet also approved a Rs 1,000 crore budget for setting up 50 multi-product food irradiation units. As per an official statement, the source of finance of Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 500 crore each year from Fiscal Year 2025-26 to 2028-29) grant to NCDC shall be through budgetary support from the Centre. As per an official statement, 'On the basis of grant in aid of Rs 2,000 crore to NCDC from FY 2025-26 to FY 2028-29, NCDC will be able to raise Rs 20,000 crore from open market over a span of four years. 'These funds will be utilized by NCDC for granting loans to Cooperatives for setting up new projects/ expansion of plants and loans for meeting the working capital requirements.' 'Approximately 2.9 crore members of 13,288 Cooperative societies of various sectors like Dairy, Livestock, Fisheries, Sugar, Textile, Food Processing, Storage and Cold Storage; Labour and Women-led cooperatives across the country are likely to get benefitted,' it added. On implementation strategy and targets of the decision, the statement said that the NCDC will be the executing agency for this scheme for the purpose of disbursement, follow-up, monitoring of implementation of the project, and recovery of loans disbursed out of the fund. 'NCDC will provide loans to cooperatives either through state government or directly, as per NCDC guidelines. Cooperatives, which are meeting the criteria of direct funding guidelines of NCDC would be considered for financial assistance directly against admissible security or state government guarantee,' the statement further said. 'NCDC will provide loans to cooperatives, long-term credit for setting up/ modernization/ technology upgradation/ expansion of project facilities for various sectors and working capital to run their businesses efficiently and profitably,' it said. In a separate decision, the Cabinet also approved an additional outlay of Rs 1,920 crore for the ongoing 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana' (PMKSY) during the 15th Finance Commission Cycle (FCC) (2021-22 to 2025-26). With this move, the overall outlay of the PMKSY will be Rs 6,520 crore. 'Approval includes (i) Rs 1000 crore to support setting up of 50 Multi Product Food Irradiation Units under the component scheme-Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (ICCVAI) and 100 Food Testing Labs (FTLs) with NABL accreditation under the component scheme – Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure (FSQAI) of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), in alignment with the budget announcement and (ii) Rs 920 crore, for sanctioning projects under various component schemes of PMKSY during the 15th FCC,' as per an official statement released after the Cabinet meeting. 'The implementation of the proposed 50 multi-product food irradiation units is expected to create total preservation capacity ranging from 20 to 30 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) per annum, based on the type of food products irradiated under these units,' it said. 'The setting up of the proposed 100 NABL-accredited food testing laboratories under private sector will lead to the development of advanced infrastructure for testing food sam
