Workers protests across France
Macron, complete nearly a year, escaped large strikes easily pushed through labor law changes the first protests bringing together public sector & rail staff and the schools were closed and tens of thousands of people took to the streets across France. Protesters are railway workers, teachers, students and air traffic controllers went on street against a new hike in a tax taken from their pensions.
Police scuffled with protesters in Paris and fired teargas and water cannons in the western city of Nantes on Thursday during strikes across France in a challenge to President Emmanuel Macron’s economic reforms. Train conductors, teachers, and air traffic controllers walked out to join more than 150 mostly peaceful marches in cities and towns. This is the first time public sector workers have joined rail staff in protests since Macron came to office in May. Sixty percent of fast trains, 75 percent of inter-city trains, and 30 percent of flights to and from Paris airports were cancelled because of the strike, Reuters reported.
Jim Mattis: Be an end to Yemen war
There is an urgent need to find a political solution to Yemen’s war, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Thursday, according to Reuters. “We must also reinvigorate urgent efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to the civil war in Yemen and we support you in this regard,” Mattis said, offering his firm backing to Riyadh. “We are going to end this war, that is the bottom line,” he stated, when asked by reporters whether he would raise the issue of civilian casualties in Yemen. “And we are going to end it on positive terms for the people of Yemen, but also security for the nations in the peninsula,” Mattis said.
John R Bolton to be the National Security Adviser
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations John R Bolton will be the new National Security Adviser to President Donald Trump, from April 9.
He will replace Lt Gen H R McMaster. Mr Trump took to Twitter to make an announcement in this regard.
The announcement of McMaster’s ouster is the latest in a string of high-profile White House departures since President Trump took office in January 2017.
According to a White House official, Trump and McMaster mutually agreed that the latter will resign as the National Security Adviser. He will retire from the US Army after 34 years of distinguished service.
US to exempt EU, 6 states from metal tariffs
EU and six other economies will be exempt at least temporarily from the steel and aluminum tariffs US President Donald Trump has imposed, a top US trade official said Thursday. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told a Senate committee that Trump authorized a “pause” in the imposition of the tariffs, which take effect Friday, AFP reported. Talks are underway to find a more permanent solution. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea will also be exempt from the penalties of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum, along with the EU, Lighthizer said.
US 60 billion $ tariffs on China
The trade war begins between two major economies of the world and the imposition of tariff begins thus more less end to the FTA way of trade and selective tariff to begins in other countries which can give home industries better insulation.
China’s commerce ministry is contemplating targeting 128 American products. Beijing first wants to impose a 15 percent tariff on American steel pipes, fruit and on wine imports, to a total value of $977 million, before introducing a 25 percent tariff on pork and recycled aluminum imports, worth $1.99 billion.
Beijing has announced a series of measures that it plans to implement as a response to President Trump’s new import tariffs, in an escalating trade war between the US and China.
China immediately hit back, announcing that it plans to impose tariffs on US goods, which, last year, had an import value of $3 billion. China’s commerce ministry also threatened to take legal action against the US through the World Trade Organization “to maintain the stability of global trading rules,” hoping that a full-blown trade war can be avoided through dialogue.
“We intend to impose tariffs on certain US imports to balance out the losses caused to Chinese interests by the US tariffs on imported steel and aluminum,”the ministry said, according to Reuters.
“China hopes the United States will pull back from the brink, make prudent decisions, and avoid dragging bilateral trade relations to a dangerous place,” the ministry added.
“If a trade war were initiated by the US, China would fight to the end to defend its own legitimate interests with all necessary measures,” China’s US Embassy said, in a separate statement.
US President Donald Trump has announced 60 billion US dollar tariffs on China for its alleged unfair trade practices. The White House yesterday said the actions were necessary to counter unfair competition from China’s state-led economy. The move is seen as a direct shot in a brewing trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.
Mr Trump directed US Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer to announce within 15 days a proposed list of products to be hit with tariff increases. USTR has already identified potential targets 1,300 product lines worth about 48 billion dollars. The President has also asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to come up with a list of restrictions on Chinese investment.
Reiterating his use of word “reciprocal”, Mr Trump said it was not good when China charges 25 per cent for a car to go in, and the US charges two per cent for their car to come into the United States.
The US currently has about 500 billion dollars of trade deficit with China. China has forcefully denounced President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese goods and accused him of putting the two economies on course for a trade war.
The US currently has about 500 billion dollars of trade deficit with China. China has forcefully denounced President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese goods and accused him of putting the two economies on course for a trade war.
China’s embassy in Washington said in a statement said if a trade war was initiated by the United States, China would fight to the end to defend its own legitimate interests with all necessary measures. The embassy said it urges the US to cease and desist and warned that by endangering China-US trade relations, Washington will eventually end up hurting itself.
Media agencies
2018 as National Year of Millets
The government has decided to declare 2018 as ‘National Year of Millets to boost the cultivation of millets like ragi and jowar on a mission mode to achieve nutritional security.
This was stated by Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh while addressing MPs in a consultative committee meeting in New Delhi yesterday.
The Minister said millet cultivation has declined due to change in dietary habits and unavailability of millets. As a result of this, level of nutrients like proteins, Vitamin-A, iron and iodine fell in women and children.
He said this has led to a special focus on millets, which are being promoted under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM). The push will promote cultivation of jowar, bajra, ragi. Under NFSM, maize and jau are also promoted separately.
Rajya Sabha polling begins for 25 seats
Upper Hose- Rajya Sabha polling begins on Friday for the remaining 25 Rajya Sabha seats in seven states begins at 9 this morning.
For the 58 Rajya Sabha seats to be filled, 33 candidates from 10 states have been unanimously elected. Voting for the remaining 25 seats is being held in six states: Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.
The Rajya Sabha vacancies next month include 17 from the Bharatiya Janata Party and 12 from the Congress.
The states are Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Kerala. The counting of votes will be taken up after the voting ends.
In Uttar Pradesh, 11 candidates are contesting 10 seats. The ruling BJP has fielded nine candidates, including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have one candidate each.
Amazing news Anil Singh , BSP MLA says he has voted for the BJP.
Voting is underway to elect 10 Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh.
In West Bengal, six candidates, including Congress nominee Abhisek Manu Singhvi, are in the fray for 5 seats. Three candidates are in the fray for two seats in Jharkhand while five candidates are in the field in Karnataka for four seats.
Four candidates are trying their luck from Telangana for three seats. The state’s ruling TRS has fielded three candidates and Congress one. The opposition BJP and TDP Telangana Unit said they will stay away from the polls.
Javadekar is the only BJP leader whose name has been announced so far by the BJP’s Central Election Committee for Maharashtra. The senior party leader was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh quota in 2012.
A bypoll will also be held today for one seat in Kerala, where M P Veerendra Kumar, the Left-backed candidate of Sharad Yadav faction of the JD(U), is pitted against Babu Prasad of the Congress. The bypoll was necessitated because of Veerendra Kumar’s resignation from the Rajya Sabha to protest against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to return to the NDA fold which created the vacancy.
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