Author: Starvision Desk

During their meeting at the official residence of the Minister, the Chief Minister briefed about the unprecedented 26 per cent increase in power demand due to growth of productive sectors of the economy, a government official said.The official said the Minister assured that he would consider the request to allocate at least 300 MW of power to Assam to tide over the current power deficit.Meanwhile, the Chief Minister while apprising the same, wrote on X (formerly twitter), “Had an excellent discussion with Union Power Minister R.K. Singh ji. Briefed him on the unprecedented 26 per cent increase in power demand…

The declaration also stressed the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons to be “inadmissible”.In the Delhi declaration, the G20 leaders said: “For the Planet, People, Peace and Prosperity, we note with deep concern the immense human suffering and the adverse impact of wars and conflicts around the world.”It said that concerning the war in Ukraine, while recalling the discussion in Bali, we reiterated our national positions and resolutions adopted at the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly and underscored that all states must act in a manner consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN…

Colombo, Sep 9 (IANS) Since Friday, the Asia Cup was thrown into chaotic scenes as the announcement of a reserve day for the India-Pakistan Super Four clash came into the picture. Now, as the two teams look to renew their rivalry in Colombo on Sunday, the rain threat hasn’t subsidised.Just like India’s league game at Pallekele was abandoned due to rain and their chase against Nepal affected by similar reason, the threat of a washout looms high in Colombo. As per various weather forecasts, chances of precipitation for Sunday’s match are at 90%.Due to this, there is a reserve day…

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has said that the Bangladesh and Sri Lanka rivalry is the second biggest rivalry in the Asia Cup.Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have met 16 times in the Asia Cup out of which, 13 are won by Sri Lanka whereas Bangladesh has managed to win only 3.The second match of the Super 4 stage is going on in Colombo, between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh after winning the toss elected to bowl first.Pathan, while talking to Star Sports, highlighted the great rivalry that both the teams share and credited both the…

Russia recently suspended participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, contributing to food insecurity and increasing worries among G20 developing countries, wrote Manjari Chatterjee Miller, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations.When the G20 finance ministers’ summit earlier this year proposed paragraphs that stated the Ukraine conflict was causing “immense human suffering” and “exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy”, China and Russia blocked them. Subsequently, no consensus statement was reached and only a Chair’s summary of the meeting was issued, Miller wrote.It seems increasingly unlikely that India will be able to tread a delicate line and cajole G20 members into…

This peril has put limits on how far the West – which in any case doesn’t really have a firm centre – would go in their defence of Ukraine.Putin appeared to draw a redline when he said last September that “we will certainly use all the means at our disposal” when his country is “threatened”.“It’s not a bluff,” he added.In response, US President Joe Biden said the next month that Putin was “not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons”.The West is united in its rhetoric against Russia and, to a…

It is also discouraging to see countries that had been long-standing US partners, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, cozy up to Beijing. BRICS seems to be positioning itself as a new axis of authoritarians in contrast to the G-7 club of democracies. Of the potential new members, only Argentina is rated as free, according to Freedom House, Kroneig said.Adam Gallagher of the US Institute of Peace said the debate over BRICS expansion reveals how divided the bloc really is – it also demonstrates structural issues that make the development of a common currency unlikely.As US-China competition has ramped…

The meeting between President Putin and North Korean supremo Kim Jong Un – who has not been out of his country since he ordered its borders closed in wake of the 2020 Covid outbreak – is being deemed as between leaders of two “pariah nations” – both at the receiving end of widespread sanctions.However, it must be noted that these sanctions are overwhelmingly from Western powers – and their Asian allies – and for Russia, at least, a wide swathe of the world across Asia – especially India and China, Africa, and South America, it is business as usual -…

BRI finance and investments has picked up in the first half of 2023 with about 103 deals worth $43.3 billion compared to about $35 billion in the first half of 2022.Investments as a share of BRI engagement reached record levels at 61 per cent – the first time that it constitutes more than 50 per cent of total BRI engagement.A growth area of strategic importance is metals and mining through Chinese investment for ownership. Engagement in the sector has grown by 131 per cent compared to the first half of 2022. The minerals and metals are particularly relevant to the…

This passage about “alleged American decline” is from a commentary that ran on the website of Brookings, a major US think tank, in 2011 under the headline “Is America Declining?”The same question has been asked every year since, with the insinuation that it’s the incumbent president of the time who is responsible for it. And it’s being asked again now as US President Joe Biden joins G20 leaders — barring two glaring absentees Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping — in New Delhi for an annual meet.Is the US declining under President Biden?The US dollar remains the dominant international…