Latest news with #ex-NSA
Mint
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘Decline in number of Bangladeshi migrants entering India': Shashi Tharoor after Parliamentary panel meeting
Shashi Tharoor, the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, said infiltration from Bangladesh has been reduced after the panel's meeting on Friday. 'One number that came up during the meeting is that fewer people from Bangladesh are coming to India now,' Tharoor told reporters after the meeting. In the meeting, the committee recorded evidence of experts/non-official witnesses in connection with the examination of the subject 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'. Tharoor, a Congress Member of Parliament, has been the chairperson of the panel since September 2024. Giving out further details, Tharoor said, 'former foreign secretary and ex-NSA Shivshankar Menon, Lieutenant General (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and Professor Amita - the four experts gave us very good insights and excellent ideas.' He said there were 16 members of the committee in attendance and it was a first class discussion." 'The final details about the numbers will be in the report,' Tharoor said. India has strongly condemned the demolition of a Durga temple in Dhaka, criticising the role of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in allowing the destruction and projecting it as a case of illegal land use. At a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, the extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka. The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as a case of illegal land use and allowed the destruction of the temple, Jaiswal said. This, the MEA spokesperson said has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted. Bangladesh Railway authorities on Thursday demolished a makeshift Durga Temple constructed on its land in Dhaka's Khilkhet, Bangladesh-based newspaper New Age reported. The temple was demolished three days after a mob demanded the removal of the temple. The Bangladesh Railway authorities said that they demolished Khilkhet Sarbojanin Shri Shri Durga Mandir as it was constructed illegally on railway land. Earlier in May, India imposed restrictions on the entry of Bangladeshi ready-made garments (RMG) and other products through its northeastern land ports -- Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram -- and Fulbari and Changrabandha in West Bengal, following controversial remarks by Bangladesh's interim chief advisor Muhammad Yunus. During a speech in China, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Yunus had described India's northeastern states as a "landlocked region with no access to the ocean." This comment has sparked diplomatic friction, with Indian officials viewing it as undermining the region's connectivity and status. One number that came up during the meeting is that fewer people from Bangladesh are coming to India now. The new restrictions have forced Bangladesh to reroute exports -- including Ready-Made garments (RMG), plastics, melamine, furniture, juices, carbonated drinks, bakery items, confectionery, and processed foods -- through Kolkata port in West Bengal or Nhava Sheva port in Maharashtra, sharply increasing logistics costs. Key Takeaways The number of Bangladeshi infiltrators entering India has decreased, indicating a potential shift in migration patterns. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs is actively examining the future of India-Bangladesh relations. Diplomatic tensions are affecting trade and cultural exchanges, highlighted by the demolition of a Durga temple in Bangladesh.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
On cam: Trump on fire, shames multiple reporters to their faces on board plane - full briefing
US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters on board Air Force One on May 04. The interactions turned intense with Trump slamming reporters for some of the questions they asked him. The POTUS discussed issues like tariffs, China, wars and even the recent shuffle in his administration involving ex-NSA Mike Waltz. Watch his full interaction here.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pete Hegseth, Signal Gate linked, will not be ousted like Mike Waltz: Insider shares why
Hours after former National Security Advisor (NSA) Mike Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong were ousted from their posts amid the Signal Gate row, an insider revealed why Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who was also involved in the controversy, might not face the same fate. The former television presenter allegedly shared key details about US' Yemen plans with his wife and lawyer in a Signal chat. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged President Donald Trump to fire Hegseth. He had not made a similar demand for Waltz. Another prominent Democrat, Ilhan Omar, had previously floated an idea to impeach Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard. Read More: Mike Waltz family: All about his wife Julia Nesheiwat and his children Jeffries said that he believes others will be ousted after Waltz, who is the 'first' but 'certainly won't be the last'. "Hopefully Hegseth is next to go and Trump gets serious about our national security before something terrible happens," Rep Greg Landsman added. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also told reporters that the administration should fire Hegseth. But Hegseth will not be fired, at least for now, an insider told Politico. They added that the Defense chief had 'more White House support' than Waltz, and replacing him would require Senate confirmation. Read More: Mike Waltz not ousted, it's a 'promotion': JD Vance as ex-NSA gets new role 'I know that Pete has a lot more friends in the West Wing than Mike has," one person familiar with the matter told the publication. 'Waltz has been on thin ice for a while. This made the ice thinner but at the same time…may actually save him for now because they don't want to give Goldberg a scalp,' another White House ally added. Only hours after reports about Mike Waltz's ouster were out, President Trump announced that he is nominating his former NSA as the US ambassador to the United Nations. 'From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation's Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Trump posted on Truth Social.
The Hill
04-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
12:30 Report — RFK Jr. hangs on; Tulsi Gabbard gets critical GOP ‘yes'
Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here It's Tuesday. If you're near the DMV, it may be beautiful and springlike, but do not trust it! In this edition: I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send tips, feedback & cookie recipes to cmartel@ Someone forward this to you? Sign up. © GIPHY/National Geographic TV Robert F. Kennedy Jr. successfully made it out of the Senate Finance Committee this morning, eking through in a party-line vote. And Tulsi Gabbard's chances just increased after she got the support from a key Republican this morning. First, Kennedy — why this is noteworthy: Just one Republican 'no' vote would have tanked his nomination in committee. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) had serious doubts about Kennedy. He's a medical doctor and was visibly agitated over Kennedy's response to unfounded past claims linking autism to vaccines. Cassidy, who is up for reelection in 2026 in ruby-red Louisiana, ultimately voted 'yes' to advancing the nomination. 🔎 Read Cassidy's justification for his vote This now sets Kennedy up for a full Senate confirmation vote. Next, Gabbard — two biggies in one day: The Senate Intelligence Committee will vote at 2 p.m. on Tulsi Gabbard's nomination to serve as director of national intelligence. Like Kennedy, she cannot afford to lose a single Republican committee vote. 🚨 Gabbard just got an important 'yes' in her column: Republican Sen. Todd Young (Ind.), a former Marine who has been on the fence about Gabbard, just announced that he will vote 'yes.' While Gabbard's refusal to label Edward Snowden (the ex-NSA contractor who leaked classified documents and fled the U.S.) a traitor, kept Young from fully supporting her, he ultimately came around. Plus: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) had been on the fence about Gabbard but announced Monday that she *will* support Trump's nominee. Keep in mind: Beyond the committee vote, there are several GOP senators to watch if Gabbard's nomination moves to a floor vote, including Sens. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and John Curtis (Utah). Still, four Republican senators in total would need to break ranks in order for the nomination to fail. 🗨️ Follow today's live blog The Senate has teed up a final vote on Pam Bondi's nomination to lead the Justice Department for early Wednesday. Trump is inviting all Republican senators and their spouses to a private dinner at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, reports Punchbowl News. 📸 The invitation President Trump is actively trying to dismantle several parts of the federal government. First, USAID: His top target has been the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which facilitates humanitarian aid to developing countries and regions facing conflict. What's happening at USAID: And now, the Education Department: Trump is reportedly drafting an executive order to slowly dismantle the Education Department, according to The Washington Post. Technically, only Congress can shut down the department (and that would be very unlikely), so the executive order would find ways to eliminate pieces of it. What's happening at the Department of Education: Plus, he's purging the DOJ and FBI: The administration has fired dozens of Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI officials as part of its purge. What's happening there: Roughly 24,000 federal workers have taken the Trump administration's buyout offer so far, reports NOTUS's Reese Gorman. The offer is good until Thursday, but this amounts to about 1 percent of the federal government. The administration was hoping 5-10 percent of workers would accept. President Trump averted a trade war that he began, reaching deals with Canada and Mexico to delay the threatened 25 percent tariff against two of the U.S.'s biggest trading partners by another month. Yes, but: Trump's 10 percent tariff on all Chinese goods took effect at midnight. What happened?: 'Trump and his allies claimed victory after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to send 10,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in return for a monthlong delay of tariffs and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to name a fentanyl czar and to establish a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to fight organized crime, smuggling and money laundering.' How is Washington feeling about all of this?: 'But the sudden halt on major tariffs set to go into effect Tuesday left lawmakers on Capitol Hill with a sense of whiplash after watching financial markets yo-yo in response to the president's rapidly evolving policy pronouncements. A sense of alarm spread among GOP lawmakers Monday morning after the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and NASDAQ plunged in premarket trading.' Read Alexander Bolton's reporting: 'Trump's tariff threats give Washington whiplash' 🎙️ Listen to today's episode of NYT's 'The Daily': 'How North America averted a trade war, for now' 🍲 Celebrate: Today is National Homemade Soup Day. 🤵 Who's headlining the WHCA dinner this year?: Comedian and writer Amber Ruffin is emceeing this year's White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner on April 26. She works for CNN's comedic news show 'Have I Got News For You' and is a writer for 'Late Night with Seth Myers.' 🧳 Just the vacation we all want: North Korea reopened to tourists just in time to celebrate the late leader Kim Jong Il's birthday. The House and Senate are in. President Trump and Vice President Vance are in Washington. (all times Eastern) 6:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. 📆 Today's agenda Just announced — Feb. 10: Vance will travel to Europe for his first foreign trip since his inauguration. Let's end this with some good vibes. We should all learn to share like these adorable buddies. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@ A friend forward this to you? Subscribe here. View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time!
