Latest from New Indian Express
New Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
NAPA urges SGPC to act immediately to retrieve Guru Granth Sahib 'saroops' from war-torn Iran
CHANDIGARH: The North American Punjabi Association on Friday appealed to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the broader Panthic leadership to safeguard the sacred 'saroops' of the Guru Granth Sahib kept at a gurdwara in war-hit Iran's Tehran. Satnam Singh Chahal, the executive director of the association, urged the SGPC to immediately arrange a chartered aircraft and deploy a group of five dedicated Sikhs to accompany the 'saroops' (physical copy of Guru Granth Sahib) back home with full respect. Reacting to SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami appealing to the Union government to arrange for the transportation of the 'saroops' to India, Chahal said the gurdwara management body has the resources and moral responsibility to act independently in the matter. "This is not the time to rely solely on appeals to the Union government. Time is of the essence, and any delay could lead to irreparable consequences. We cannot afford to wait for bureaucratic processes. The safety and sanctity of Guru Granth Sahib Ji's saroops must be our top priority," Chahal said. Highlighting the urgency of the matter, especially amid the escalating conflict in the region, Chahal warned that relying on the central government's decision-making could result in dangerous delays. "The SGPC has the resources and moral responsibility to act independently in this religious matter," he said.
New Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
10 years after Europe's migration crisis, the fallout reverberates in Greece and beyond
LESBOS: Fleeing Iran with her husband and toddler, Amena Namjoyan reached a rocky beach of this eastern Greek island along with hundreds of thousands of others. For months, their arrival overwhelmed Lesbos. Boats fell apart, fishermen dove to save people from drowning, and local grandmothers bottle-fed newly arrived babies. Namjoyan spent months in an overcrowded camp. She learned Greek. She struggled with illness and depression as her marriage collapsed. She tried to make a fresh start in Germany but eventually returned to Lesbos, the island that first embraced her. Today, she works at a restaurant, preparing Iranian dishes that locals devour, even if they struggle to pronounce the names. Her second child tells her, ''I'm Greek.'' 'Greece is close to my culture, and I feel good here,' Namjoyan said. 'I am proud of myself.' In 2015, more than 1 million migrants and refugees arrived in Europe — the majority by sea, landing in Lesbos, where the north shore is just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Turkey. The influx of men, women and children fleeing war and poverty sparked a humanitarian crisis that shook the European Union to its core. A decade later, the fallout still reverberates on the island and beyond. For many, Greece was a place of transit. They continued on to northern and western Europe. Many who applied for asylum were granted international protection; thousands became European citizens. Countless more were rejected, languishing for years in migrant camps or living in the streets. Some returned to their home countries. Others were kicked out of the European Union. For Namjoyan, Lesbos is a welcoming place — many islanders share a refugee ancestry, and it helps that she speaks their language. But migration policy in Greece, like much of Europe, has shifted toward deterrence in the decade since the crisis. Far fewer people are arriving illegally. Officials and politicians have maintained that strong borders are needed. Critics say enforcement has gone too far and violates fundamental EU rights and values. 'Migration is now at the top of the political agenda, which it didn't use to be before 2015,' said Camille Le Coz Director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe, noting changing EU alliances. 'We are seeing a shift toward the right of the political spectrum.'
New Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
5,000 social media accounts from 'Islamic countries' promoting Assam Congress, alleges Himanta
GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday alleged that over 5,000 social media accounts, mostly operated from "Islamic countries," have become active in favour of the Assam Congress. Addressing a press conference, Sarma claimed that these accounts "originating from 47 countries, with the highest numbers from Bangladesh and Pakistan," have been focusing exclusively on the activities of a particular Assam Congress leader and the party's state unit pages over the past month. "It is surprising that they do not comment on or like posts by Rahul Gandhi or even the Indian National Congress. They are only focused on a particular leader and the Assam Congress," Sarma said.
New Indian Express
41 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
US Appeals court lets Trump keep control of National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES: An appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles following protests over immigration raids. The decision halts a ruling from a lower court judge who found Trump acted illegally when he activated the soldiers over opposition from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The deployment was the first by a president of a state National Guard without the governor's permission since 1965. In its decision, a three-judge panel on the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously concluded it was likely Trump lawfully exercised his authority in federalizing control of the guard. It said that while presidents don't have unfettered power to seize control of a state's guard, the Trump administration had presented enough evidence to show it had a defensible rationale for doing so, citing violent acts by protesters. 'The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters 'pinned down' several federal officers and threw 'concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects' at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building. And a federal van was attacked by protesters who smashed in the van's windows," the court wrote. "The federal government's interest in preventing incidents like these is significant.' It also found that even if the federal government failed to notify the governor of California before federalizing the National Guard as required by law, Newsom had no power to veto the president's order. Trump celebrated the decision on his Truth Social platform, calling it a 'BIG WIN.' He wrote that 'all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done.' Newsom issued a statement that expressed disappointment that the court is allowing Trump to retain control of the Guard. But he also welcomed one aspect of the decision. 'The court rightly rejected Trump's claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard and not have to explain himself to a court," Newsom said. "The President is not a king and is not above the law. We will press forward with our challenge to President Trump's authoritarian use of US military soldiers against citizens.' The court case could have wider implications on the president's power to deploy soldiers within the United States after Trump directed immigration officials to prioritize deportations from other Democratic-run cities. Trump, a Republican, argued that the troops were necessary to restore order. Newsom, a Democrat, said the move inflamed tensions, usurped local authority and wasted resources. The protests have since appeared to be winding down. Two judges on the appeals panel were appointed by Trump during his first term. During oral arguments Tuesday, all three judges suggested that presidents have wide latitude under the federal law at issue and that courts should be reluctant to step in. The case started when Newsom sued to block Trump's command, and he won an early victory from US District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco. Breyer found that Trump had overstepped his legal authority, which he said only allows presidents can take control during times of 'rebellion or danger of a rebellion.' 'The protests in Los Angeles fall far short of 'rebellion',' wrote Breyer, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton and is brother to retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. The Trump administration, though, argued that courts can't second guess the president's decisions and quickly secured a temporary halt from the appeals court. The ruling means control of the California National Guard will stay in federal hands as the lawsuit continues to unfold.
New Indian Express
41 minutes ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Govt may use different base years for GDP, retail inflation
The government may use different base years for calculating Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and retail inflation (measured through the Consumer Price Index), government sources told The New Indian Express (TNIE). According to the sources, the base year for GDP will likely be 2022–23, while that for CPI will be 2023–24. Currently, both GDP and CPI calculations are based on the 2011–12 base year. '2022–23 is a natural choice for the GDP base year, as the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), and the Household Consumption Survey were conducted during that year,' said a government source, who declined to be named. The official added that the decision to use a different base year (2023–24) for CPI was made because the price collection survey only started in January 2024. Justifying the use of different base years, the official said both GDP and CPI are independent statistical indicators, and it is not unusual for their base years to differ. 'The structure of the economy does not change much in one year,' the official noted. According to sources, the weightage of food in the new CPI basket is expected to decline, as household consumption surveys from both 2022–23 and 2023–24 showed a reduced share of food in monthly household expenditure compared to 2011–12. As per the 2023–24 Monthly Household Consumption Survey, the food expenditure share has fallen from 52.90% in 2011–12 to 47% in rural areas, and from 46.62% to 40% in urban areas. The share of cereals and cereal substitutes in overall expenditure is now about 4.99% in rural areas and 3.8% in urban areas. Currently, food accounts for 44.6% of the combined Consumer Price Index, which tracks retail inflation. Cereals alone have a weightage of nearly 10% in the CPI. The new CPI basket will include a larger number of items—up from the current 300 to 400—whose prices will be tracked. The method of price collection may also change, the official said. For the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), the government is considering a shift from a fixed-base index to a chain-based index. Unlike fixed-base indices that use a single base year, chain-based indices use the preceding period as the base for each calculation. The advisory committee on base year revisions is yet to submit its final report. Sources said the report is expected in the coming months, after which dry runs will be conducted for 2–3 months. The new base years are likely to come into effect from 2026–27.
