Latest news with #StandingCommittee
Budapest Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Budapest Times
PM pushes for intensifying bilateral cooperation between Hungary and China
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with Zhao Leji, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, in his office on Sunday. The talks focused on the status of Hungarian-Chinese economic ties and possibilities for intensifying bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said Hungary is gaining handsomely from economic ties with China which serve as a prime example of civilised cooperation between Eastern and Western companies. Hungary is in a constant competition with western European countries for Chinese investments, Minister Szijjártó said at the Budapest reception of the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress. 'So far we have proven adept in this fight,' he said, mentioning that one third of Chinese investments in Europe were made in Hungary last year, while four of the five largest Chinese corporate investments in Europe were under way here. The projects helped Hungary to stay at the cutting edge of the world technological revolution, he added. Chinese investments, he said, had added thousands of new jobs in recent years, were in the technological vanguard, and contributed to one export record after another. Also, no other central European city, including Vienna, 'has so many air connections with major Chinese cities', Minister Szijjártó said, noting that 21 flights connect Budapest to big Chinese cities each week. Hopefully business around the world would be carried out in a calm and fair way in the future, and the world would not again fall into blocs, the minister said.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Canadian MP calls for motion for the protection of houses of worship from intimidation
Toronto: A Canadian MP has called for a motion for the protection of houses of worship from intimidation and mentioned violent protesters targeting Hindu temples in that context. Pro-Khalistan radicals attacking the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Greater Toronto Area, Canada on Sunday afternoon. (Credit: Video screengrab) On Monday, Jamil Jivani, Member of Parliament for Bowmanville — Oshawa North in Ontario submitted the notice for a motion to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage concerning recent attacks on the freedom to worship. 'We must protect religious freedom in Canada,' he said in a post on X. The motion calls upon the Standing Committee to recognise that protecting the freedom to worship without fear of violence or criminal intimidation is a fundamental part of Canadian Heritage, acknowledge that religious communities in Canada have faced increasing violence and criminal intimidation since 2021. Such incidents, the motion noted, included 'over 100 churches being burned down or desecrated, Hindu temples being targeted by violent protestors, Jewish schools and synagogues targeted by fire bombings and shootings, and mosques targeted by assaults and vandalism'. It sought recognition from the committee 'that additional legal protections and security measures are required to prevent criminals from targeting religious communities and attacking the freedom to worship in Canada'. It asked the committee to undertake a study on threats to the freedom to worship, consider the impact of bubble zone laws for places of worship and increasing the criminal penalty for arson and other crimes targeting them. The motion sought at least two meetings on the matter resulting in a report being submitted to the House of Commons. Reacting to the development, the Canadian chapter of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) Canada, said, 'This is an important and timely step in recognisng the alarming rise in attacks on religious communities in Canada. We appreciate the MP recognizing the repeated attacks Hindu Temples have faced.' There have been nearly 20 documented incidents since 2022 where Hindu temples have been targeted by either pro-Khalistan or xenophobic elements. In November last year, there was a violent invasion of the Hindu Saha Mandir in the Greater Toronto Area town of Brampton by pro-Khalistan protestors, leading to multiple charges and arrests. Increasing anti-immigrant sentiment after the surge in newcomers due to policies of the Government under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have resulted in an uptick in xenophobic attacks recently. The spate of hate targeting Hindus has often been met with silence from the Federal government and lack of police action in the form of arrests. In October 2023, an e-petition for the recognition of Hinduphobia in Canada was moved by the Canadian Organization for Hindu Heritage Education (COHHE) and attracted over 25,000 signatures. It was presented in the House of Commons by its sponsoring MP Melissa Lantsman. There was no action from the government, other than an anodyne response thanking the petitioner 'for expressing their concerns regarding the growing negative stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination of Hindus in Canada'.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Pigeon 1, MCD 0: Why Delhiites won't stop feeding their feathered friends
At 9 am, Muhammad Yunus fixes his blue umbrella near Delhi Gate on Asaf Ali Road. Methodically, he lays out plates filled with a spread of green and black gram, dried corn and namkeen. He then waits for customers — the dozens of people who stop at his roadside stall to feed pigeons. 'I sell roasted gram for Rs 10-20, depending on the demand. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sent us challans, asking us to vacate the area,' says Yunus, who has been running his tiny stall at this spot for the last 15 years. Soon after, Sudha Pandey arrives with a Rs 10 note. She buys a cup of roasted gram for the birds. 'I have been coming here for seven days now to pray for my husband who is admitted in the hospital. When we feed someone, they bless us,' she says. In a letter dated July 8, the MCD's health department asked the veterinary department to control the Capital's burgeoning pigeon population. This followed warnings about pigeon faeces causing respiratory and fungal infections and the need to control their population. The issue of the birds being a public menace and causing diseases also became a topic of discussion in the civic body's Standing Committee in a meeting on June 27. Last year, the MCD had said that public feeding of pigeons, which leads to the population of the birds increasing beyond the carrying capacity of an area, would be checked. In a similar move earlier this month, the Maharashtra government had directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to close kabootar khanas or pigeon feeding spots in the city, citing serious health hazards due to pigeon droppings and feathers. According to Dr Vikas Maurya, senior director and head of Pulmonology at Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, pigeon droppings are the root cause of many diseases in India. 'These can cause fungal and bacterial diseases such as Campylobacter, allergic reactions such as sneezing, running nose, itching eyes as well as Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, which can eventually cause lung fibrosis,' he says. 'Hawkers don't even realise that being exposed to the birds for so long is harmful. The rampant increase in pigeon population needs to be controlled,' he adds. Tradition and faith, however, mean that enforcement is tough. 'The civic body cannot completely ban pigeon feeding activities in Delhi. Also, as of now, we do not have any plan to construct designated pigeon feeding areas,' a senior MCD official says. Over the past three months, however, the MCD has put up announcement boards at popular feeding spots to warn people. The Indian Express visited some spots where bird feeders gather regularly. Shastri Park Almost 20 km from Delhi Gate, MCD workers clean polythene bags with pigeon feed lying on the pavement at Shastri Park. As vehicles pass by, dried pigeon excrement and loose feathers fly in the air. 'We ask people not to feed birds here, but they don't listen… They keep flocking to the area, pigeon feed in hand,' one of the MCD workers says. The worker adds that occasionally, pigeons are captured and taken to a veterinary hospital in Teliwara Shahdara, where they are kept in a cage. Rajghat Ramjeet, who feeds pigeons everyday while on the way to his office near Rajghat, is unconcerned about the MCD's directive. 'If the MCD wants us to stop, they should build some designated feeding spots facilities. We will go there.' The feeding spot he has chosen is in the central verge of two busy roads going towards ITO and ISBT Kashmere Gate. The pigeons flock to the centre of the large open space as soon as passersby stop to empty a sack of grain. Two hawkers, who sell grains here, keep their ware hidden, as a nearby MCD board reads — 'No Feeding Zone'. Chittaranjan Park For residents staying near Chittaranjan Park in Southeast Delhi, the pigeon feeding spot located near B Block has been a major cause of concern. Feathers, dried faeces, grains, sometimes even dead birds, are routinely found at the spot. The feeders, they claim, pay no heed to traffic rules, parking their vehicles in the middle of the road – sometimes also in the wrong direction – to feed birds. A resident of Nehru Apartments, Satish Kumar, says the birds fly low near the feeding spot, resulting in injuries to many motorists. 'We can't walk around the feeding spot, it smells. The food that rots there has led to an increase in the rat population; the rodents sometimes enter our homes too… Moreover, pigeons build nests in our balconies, which are also full of dried faeces,' he adds. Piyush Prasad, the RWA president of Nehru Apartments, says many pigeons die when vehicles hit them. 'This has led to an increase in the feline population as well, since they feed on the carcass.'
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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Weaponing water: China's hydropower push poses grave risk to India
The construction of the dams could bring devastation not only to the Pemakoe area in Tibet but also to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Bangladesh downstream read more On the morning of July 19, inaugurating the first phase of the Yarlung Hydropower Project, Li Qiang, a member of the all-powerful Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and Premier (Prime Minister) of the State Council (Cabinet), stated that it was to be 'large in size, long in cycle, and far-reaching in impact.' He added it can be called the 'project of a century'. The project may not become the 'project of the century' for the electricity it could generate, but for the amount of environmental devastation it will produce. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD When I read the news the next morning, the floods in Sikkim on the night of October 4, 2023, came immediately to mind. That day, a glacial lake in North Sikkim burst without warning, unleashing a deadly torrent down the Teesta River valley. The magazine Down to Earth reported: 'The disaster, triggered by climate-driven glacial melt, left a trail of devastation and renewed alarm over the growing threat of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in the eastern Himalayas.' The environmental publication added: 'Glaciers and glacial lakes serve as one of the most important water resources for downstream communities, but over the years, the increase in the number and area of glacial lakes has also become a major threat to lives and infrastructure in downstream areas in the form of GLOF events.' How will China avoid such man-made disasters caused by mega development in the Yarlung Tsangpo basin, a far more fragile area? The Launch of the Mega Project According to Xinhua News Agency, the opening ceremony of the project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (YT) was held in Milin County of Nyingchi City in today's Tibet Autonomous Region. The Xinhua release said: 'At the dam site of the Milin Hydropower Station (probably near Pai Township), Li Qiang inspected the construction site and the equipment. He listened to the report on the development of hydropower projects as well as the scientific and technological research undertaken.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A few days earlier, a new industrial conglomerate, the China Yajiang Group, was created in Beijing for the purpose of building the five dams. Zhang Guoqing, member of the Political Bureau and Vice-Premier of the State Council, unveiled the company's by-laws: 'From a strategic and overall perspective, it is an important measure to thoroughly implement the overall national security concept, the new energy security strategy and the Party's Tibet governance strategy in the new era,' he affirmed. From Nine to Five Hydropower Stations In December 2020, Beijing had announced that a survey would be conducted to select the route and the characteristics of the hydropower plants (HPPs) on the mighty Yarlung Tsangpo, with the diversion starting a few kilometres from Pai Township; it was then to consist of one tunnel (about 30 km long) and 9 HPPs. According to the latest Xinhua release, the project in this extremely geologically fragile area will now consist of a cascade of five run-of-the-river HPPs, with water being mostly diverted via tunnels; the design has therefore been simplified. The total investment is estimated at about $167.8 billion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Mega Earthquake On August 15, 1950, the Assam-Tibet Earthquake of a magnitude 8.7 on the Richter scale struck Southern Tibet as well as today's Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. The Dalai Lama, who was 15 at the time, noted in his memoirs: 'It was like an artillery barrage—which is what we assumed to be the cause of both the tremors and the noise: a test of some sort being carried out by the Tibetan army… Some people reported seeing a strange red glow in the skies in the direction from which the noise came…' The area is not very far from the Great Bend (and Upper Siang) where the Yarlung Tsangpo project is to be built; in 1950, the earthquake changed the course of the river. Let us not forget that there is high seismicity across the entire region. Over the years, different avatars of the HPP project were rejected by Chinese scientists, but some very powerful politicians are pushing for it. Though the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was not represented at the opening ceremony in Pai, it will probably be involved later simply because the dams are close to the Indian border—and it involves a lot of money. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD An Old Plan A few years ago, I came across a letter addressed by the Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs to Apa Pant, the Political Officer in Sikkim. It quoted a tour report of the Secretary General, Relief Committee for Tibetans; the report dated October 1960 shows that in the 1950s, the Chinese were already planning to use the hydroelectric potential of the Brahmaputra. Apa Pant was informed: 'During the course of the talk, the Dalai Lama [probably in Mussoorie] also informed that he had reports that Chinese are planning to build high dams across Brahmaputra and Indus group of rivers in the Tibetan region. He told that, as a matter of fact, the Chinese had those schemes in view ever since they came to Tibet in 1951. He wondered how far such projects undertaken unilaterally would be in the interest of India and when the projects took shape how the Government of India would view the situation.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Political Officer was further told by South Block: 'We have received no information so far about any proposal of the Chinese Government to construct dams across the Indus and the Brahmaputra before the rivers leave Tibet. The correct international practice in such matters is that building of dams, reservoirs, etc. by the upper riparian must not cause material injury to the interests of the lower riparian. Since, however, the information contained in the above extract is rather vague, we cannot make representations to the Chinese. …We do know that there is a great fall in the Brahmaputra just before it enters Indian territory. …This fall has a great potential for power and irrigation (?). It will, of course, require huge resources to make anything out of it and it will certainly take a long time.' The Deputy Secretary concluded: 'The necessity of being alert in this matter can hardly be over-emphasised.' The matter was of course quickly forgotten in Delhi, but not in Beijing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Area's Characteristics The main characteristic of the Pemakoe area, known as the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo, is the difference of altitude between the beginning of the Bend at Pai, located at 2,900 metres above sea level, and an altitude of 600 metres at the end, 60 km away as the crow flies, where the river enters India and becomes the Siang. This creates a hydro-potential of 60,000 megawatts, which China has decided to utilize despite the technological, environmental, and political, seemingly insurmountable difficulties. After Li Qiang announced that the construction had officially started, the secretary-general of the State Council (China's Cabinet), Wu Zhenglong, presided over the opening ceremony; he explained that the project will primarily deliver electricity for external consumption while considering Tibet's local needs. The evacuation of the power produced will certainly remain a major technical issue, though China has made a great deal of progress in this domain. According to previous plans, the project ends near Baibeng (also known as Drepung), a few kilometres north of the Indian border. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It should be noted that the route of the diversion will run close to the Doshung-la tunnel and the new G219 which links Xinjiang to Mainland China along Tibet's southern borders; the opening of the road between Pai and Metok a couple of years ago will greatly facilitate the HPPs' construction. In the 1950s, the G219 was known as the Aksai Chin road (crossing over India's territory in Ladakh). The Lower Riparians' Major Worries For India and Bangladesh, the downstream neighbours, the environment and the high seismicity of the area are major worries. The construction of the dams could bring devastation not only to the Pemakoe area in Tibet but also to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh downstream. Li Qiang also spoke of the resettlement of the local population. He said: 'We must do a good job in the resettlement of immigrants [does he refer to the local tribes?] and better combine the promotion of project construction with the promotion of employment and income growth for local people. …We must build the Hydropower Project into a major landmark project in the new era.' China presently has a poor reputation in terms of population resettlement. The recent announcement of the project, which remained for years in the drawers of the Communist government in Beijing, is probably timed to give a warning to India, which recently put the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan in abeyance, following terrorist attacks in Kashmir. Being the upper riparian state, China wants to show India who is the greatest Asian state; but even the most powerful state has no control over the changing climate. The writer is Distinguished Fellow, Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (Delhi). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Assam reports 10 Gangetic dolphin deaths from 2020-25
Guwahati: A total of 10 cases of mortality of Gangetic river dolphins were found across various river systems in Assam between 2020 and 2025 due to various reasons, including accidental killing and internal injury. This was stated by the minister of state in the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to the questions raised by Assam MP Pradyut Bordoloi. The current estimated population of Gangetic river dolphins in the Brahmaputra river basin is 584. The stretch of the Brahmaputra covered is between Sadiya and Hatsingimari. Project Dolphin, the first-ever comprehensive population survey of river dolphins, was conducted in 2021-23 in the entire range of the Ganges river dolphin in the Ganga and Brahmaputra, as well as the Indus River Dolphin in the Beas river systems. The minister added that the survey estimated a population of 6,324 Ganges river dolphins. As per studies conducted on river dolphins, the population of Gangetic river dolphins in the Brahmaputra has been reported as stable, but there are no recent reports of its presence in the Barak river in Assam. The minister further added that the ministry has not undertaken any specific study on the impact of the construction of dams and other infrastructure at locations having more populations of Ganges river dolphins in the northeast region. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo However, the minister said the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 mandates a comprehensive environmental clearance process, which also includes biodiversity assessments as part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process for dam construction projects. Further, for projects involving more than 50 hectares and falling within protected areas, a biodiversity impact assessment report is required for consideration of the project by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife. The enviornment ministry provides financial assistance to state govts and union territories under the centrally sponsored scheme "Development of Wildlife Habitats" for conservation and management of protected areas, conservation of wildlife outside protected areas, and recovery programmes of 22 identified critically endangered species and their habitats as per the Annual Plan of Operations (APO) received from the state govts and union territories and subject to availability of funds. A total of 10 states and Union Territories received funds for the conservation of dolphins under the component of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme 'Development of Wildlife Habitats'. Assam received Rs 24.39 crore in the 2022-23 financial year for the purpose of dolphin conservation.
