Outgoing Nepal PM Approved China Rail Deal Ahead Of Trust Vote: Report

A day before Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' lost a vote of confidence in Parliament, he gave a nod to an agreement to connect the Himalayan nation with China by rail under Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.

Quoting government sources, the MyRepublica news portal said this decision carries more operational than political significance and aligns with Nepal's participation in Chinese President Xi Jinping's multi-billion-dollar pet infrastructure project.

"The Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to approve the 'Strengthening the Development Cooperation in Building the Trans-Himalayan Multidimensional Connectivity Network' agreement between Nepal and China," the report quoted Communication Minister and the government's spokesperson Rekha Sharma as saying.

However, a minister downplayed its immediate impact, stating, "This is an initial decision; details of project implementation and BRI modalities are yet to be finalised."

'Prachanda' lost the vote of confidence in Parliament on Friday after coalition partner Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) withdrew support for him, a development that will lead to the formation of a new government led by ex-prime minister K P Sharma Oli.

Prachanda received only 63 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives (HoR) and there were 194 votes against the motion. At least 138 votes are needed to win the vote of trust.

A total of 258 HoR members participated in the voting while one abstained.

Prachanda's move, made just before he departed from office, is viewed not only as progress towards implementing BRI projects but also crucial for initiatives like the Kerung-Kathmandu railway and broader infrastructure development along the Nepal-China border, the report said.

Earlier, ahead of signing a power-sharing agreement with UML, the Nepali Congress had resolved to "only accept grants and not loans under the BRI project". The government was also set to decide on implementing the 2017 BRI agreement with China, which has been pending at the cabinet.

The BRI has raised global concerns over China's debt diplomacy of extending huge loans to smaller countries for unsustainable infrastructure projects. The Hambantota port, which was funded by a Chinese loan, was leased to Beijing in a 99-year debt-for-equity swap in 2017 after Sri Lanka failed to pay off the debt.

India has protested to China over BRI's $60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor flagship project as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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7 Congress MLAs Cross-Voted In Key Maharashtra Polls: Sources

In a worrying sign for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra, which was riding high after winning 30 of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, at least seven Congress MLAs cross-voted for candidates from the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the Legislative Council polls on Friday, sources said. 

The polls, which are generally a straightforward affair, were seen as the semi-finals ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections - expected to be held around November - because 12 candidates were vying for 11 seats. 

The opposition alliance had forced the election by fielding one more candidate than it had the numbers to elect, possibly hoping to benefit from cross-voting by MLAs from the ruling coalition, but seems to have ended up losing votes instead.

The Maharashtra Assembly has a strength of 288 MLAs but currently has 274 sitting legislators. This meant that each MLC candidate needed 23 first-preference votes to win.

The Mahayuti - part of the larger NDA alliance - which consists of the BJP, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar wing of the NCP, fielded nine candidates and had 201 MLAs, including Independents and smaller parties, backing it. 

The Maha Vikas Aghadi, which is under the INDIA umbrella, has the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) as its key constituents and had put up three candidates despite having the support of only 67 MLAs. 

Six MLAs, including an independent, were neutral. 

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was hoping that it would get some votes from the Mahayuti, especially amid the buzz of some leaders from the Ajit Pawar NCP group being in touch with the Sharad Pawar faction.

The candidate backed by the Sharad Pawar faction, Jayant Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party, however, lost because he did not get enough votes. The Congress candidate and the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate sailed through, as did five from the BJP and two each from the Shinde Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP.

Sources said the Congress, which has 37 MLAs, had fixed a quota of 30 first-preference votes for its candidate Pradyna Satav, and seven remaining votes were to go to Milind Narvekar of the Shiv Sena UBT. 

Mr Satav got 25 first preference votes and Mr Narvekar got 22, which means at least seven Congress MLAs cross-voted, they added.

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The White Lotus Star Alexandra Daddario Announces Pregnancy

The White Lotus star Alexandra Daddario is expecting her first child with husband and film producer Andrew Form. Alexandra Daddario, who featured as the cover girl for Vogue magazine, shared her baby bump picture from the shoot and she wrote in the caption in an Instagram post, "Excited for my child to go to pre-school with Margot Robbie and Hailey Bieber's kids." In the comments section, Emily In Paris star Lilly Collins wrote, "Eeeeeeek so happy for you both." Margot Robbie and husband Tom Ackerley are expecting their first child. Hailey and Justin Bieber also announced their pregnancy this year.

Check out the post here:

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In an interview with Vogue, the actress said, "I feel like now that I'm pregnant and it's all successful and everything's healthy, I shouldn't complain." Alexandra revealed that she managed to keep her pregnancy under wraps for almost six months.

She added that she shot for Mayfair Witches while she was pregnant. "I was on set, and I was throwing up and having make-out scenes with my costars right after, By week five, I was like, There's no way I'm going to be able to hide this," said Alexandra. She added, "I was like, If I tell my job that I'm pregnant, I'm going to get a lot of time off to go throw up in peace."

Alexandra Daddario is best known for starring in Percy Jackson film series, Hall Pass Texas Chainsaw 3D, San Andreas, Baywatch  and We Summon the Darkness. She has also starred in the web-series Mayfair Witches and The White Lotus, for which she got an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category.

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"Bet On Russia As Reliable Partner Not A Good One": US Official To India

Amid concerns over India's ties with Russia, a top US official on Thursday cautioned New Delhi that a "bet on Russia as a long-term, reliable partner is not a good bet" and Moscow would side with Beijing over New Delhi in case of a conflict between the two Asian giants.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made the remarks while replying to a question on MSNBC about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Moscow where he held extensive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We've made clear to every country in the world including India that a bet on Russia as a long-term, reliable partner is not a good bet," said Mr Sullivan, who was in India last month for a meeting with his counterpart Ajit Doval.

The top American official had also met Prime Minister Modi during his visit.

"Russia is becoming closer to China. In fact, it's becoming the junior partner to China. And in that way, they would side with China over India any day of the week. And … Prime Minister Modi, of course, has profound concerns about the potential for Chinese aggression against India. Which we have seen over recent years," Mr Sullivan said.

The NSA, however, acknowledged that countries like India have a historic relationship with Russia and it's not going to change dramatically overnight.

"This is playing the long game. It (US) is making investments in democratic partners and allies around the world including countries like India and we think that that will pay off as we go forward," he added.

His remarks came a day after spokespersons of the Pentagon, the White House and the State Department reacted separately to questions on India's relationship with Russia and Modi's visit to Moscow.

Prime Minister Modi was in Russia for two days for the 22nd India-Russia annual summit that has been watched closely by the West amidst the raging Ukraine conflict.

During his talks with Mr Putin on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi told the Russian President that a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed amid bombs and bullets.

India has been stoutly defending its "special and privileged strategic partnership" with Russia and maintained the momentum in the ties notwithstanding the Ukraine conflict.

India has not yet condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has consistently pitched for a resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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11 MLC Seats, 12 In Fray: Maharashtra Parties Move MLAs To 5-Star Hotels

Resort politics has made a comeback in Maharashtra, as has the possibility of cross-voting and horsetrading, as the state gears up to hold elections for 11 Legislative Council seats on Friday. Riding high after its unexpectedly good performance in the Lok Sabha polls, in which it won 30 of the state's 48 seats, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has fielded three candidates, one more than it has the numbers to elect, necessitating the election.

The Maharashtra Assembly, which has 288 seats, currently has 274 members, meaning that every MLC candidate needs 23 first-preference votes to get elected. The ruling Mahayuti - part of the larger NDA alliance - which consists of the BJP, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar wing of the NCP, has fielded nine candidates and has 201 MLAs, including Independents and smaller parties, backing it. 

The Maha Vikas Aghadi, which is under the INDIA umbrella, has the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) as its key constituents and has put up three candidates despite having the support of only 67 MLAs. Six MLAs, including an independent, are neutral and may end up playing a key role in the elections because 12 candidates are now vying for 11 Lok Sabha seats. 

What makes the exercise interesting, apart from the numbers game, is its timing - just after the Lok Sabha elections and months ahead of the Assembly polls in the state - which has led to it being dubbed a semi-final. This is also only the second time that elections will be held in Maharashtra's unique political environment, where the split of two regional parties has led to two Shiv Senas and two NCPs - under very similar but different names - being pitted against each other. 

The Lok Sabha polls were the first round and parties from both sides are now pulling out all stops to ensure that they come out tops in the second. After Ajit Pawar's NCP won just one Lok Sabha seat, there has been a strong buzz that MLAs from his party are looking to jump ship and return to the faction of the party led by Sharad Pawar. Their support is what may have given the opposition the confidence to field a third candidate.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who triggered the need for the election by fielding his close aide, Milind Narvekar, had said, "We would not be doing it (fielding a third candidate) if we had not been confident of winning."

How The Numbers Stack Up - Mahayuti

The BJP, which has 103 MLAs, has fielded five candidates - Pankaja Munde, Yogesh Tilekar, Parinay Phuke, Amit Gorkhe and Sadabhau Khot - which means that it is 12 MLAs short of the number it needs to get them elected.

The Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena has 37 members in the Assembly and has put up two candidates - Krupal Tumane and Bhawana Gawli. It is nine MLAs short.

The faction of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar has 39 MLAs and has two candidates in the fray,  Rajesh Vitekar and Shivajirao Garje, falling seven short of the 46 votes needed to get them elected. 

The ruling coalition is, however, banking on nine MLAs from smaller parties and 13 Independents to see it through. 

How The Numbers Stack Up - Maha Vikas Aghadi

The Congress, with 37 MLAs and one candidate, Pradyna Satav, is the only party with 14 surplus votes. Sharad Pawar's NCP, with its 13 MLAs, is supporting the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP's) Jayant Patil. 

Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena has put up Mr Narve as a candidate despite having just 15 MLAs, eight short of the figure it needs. 

The Congress votes may make up for the shortfall faced by Mr Patil and Mr Narve but the votes of the AIMIM's two MLAs, the SP's two, the CPI(M)'s lone MLA and one Independent - all of whom are seen to be neutral - will be key. The Congress has claimed the coalition has the support of at least some of these MLAs

MLAs In Hotels

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress, organised a dinner meeting for his party MLAs at a hotel in Mumbai on Thursday night. The Congress has issued a whip to its MLAs asking them to vote for candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Exact instructions, given the surplus votes, will be issued just before voting begins, reported news agency PTI. 

Uddhav Thackeray held a dinner interaction with his MLAs at a five-star hotel in central Mumbai on Wednesday night. All 11 MLAs who attended the meeting stayed back at the hotel, where they were joined by the four remaining legislators on Thursday, said a party leader. 

Ajit Pawar's NCP has moved its MLAs to a five-star hotel near the airport in suburban Mumbai while MLAs from Shiv Sena gathered in Vidhan Bhavan complex on Wednesday morning for a meeting and then moved to a five-star hotel in Bandra. 

BJP MLAs are also at a luxury hotel, but the the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has not made any such move. 

Jayant Patil, the Maharashtra president of the NCP, said, "We have full faith in our MLAs and don't feel the need to keep them in five-star hotels." 

Voting will take place from 9 am to 4 pm and counting of votes will begin an hour later. 

(With inputs from PTI)

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India Has Given 'Buddha' To The World, Not ' Yuddha ': PM Modi In Austria

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India has given 'Buddha' to the world, not 'Yuddha' (war) which means it has always given peace and prosperity, and therefore the country is going to strengthen its role in the 21st century.

Addressing the Indian community in Vienna, PM Modi also said that India is working towards being the best, the brightest, achieving the biggest and reaching the highest milestones.

"For thousands of years, we have been sharing our knowledge and expertise. We didn't give 'Yuddha' (war), we gave the world 'Buddha'. India always gave peace and prosperity, and therefore India is going to strengthen its role in the 21st century," PM Modi said in Austria, a day after he arrived here from Moscow where he highlighted the importance of finding a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict during his talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Describing his first visit to Austria as "meaningful", PM Modi said that after 41 years, an Indian Prime Minister has visited the country.

"This long wait has come to an end on a historic occasion. India and Austria are celebrating 75 years of their friendship," he said.

"India and Austria are geographically on two different ends, but we have many similarities. Democracy connects both countries. Our shared values are liberty, equality, pluralism, and respect for the rule of law. Our societies are multicultural and multilingual. Both countries celebrate diversity, and a big medium to reflect these values are elections," he said, amid chants of 'Modi, Modi'.

Recalling the recently concluded general elections, PM Modi said 650 million people exercised their right to vote and despite such a big election, the results of the elections were declared within hours.

"It is the power of our electoral machinery and democracy," he said.

More than 31,000 Indians are living in Austria. The number of Indian students in the country is more than 450, according to the Indian embassy here.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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People In West Dissatisfied With State Of Democracy, Indians Say...

Elections are taking place in major democracies across the globe, incorporating almost half of the world's population. The United States will go to polls in November. Halfway through the year, elections have taken place in Russia, South Korea, the European Union, Belgium, Mexico, Pakistan, France, and Taiwan. India, the world's largest democracy, concluded the electoral exercise in human history.

Interestingly, a report from Pew Research suggests that high-income nations, mostly in the West, are dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in their country.

Who All Are Dissatisfied?

The Pew Research Center conducted over 900 interviews in 27 countries and asked respondents, "How satisfied are you with the democracy working in your country?"

In North America, 68 per cent of people are dissatisfied with the current functioning of democracy. The decline in satisfaction witnessed since 2021, shows a 10 per cent dip in the US. In Mexico, an equal percentage of respondents were satisfied and dissatisfied. In Canada under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, only 52 per cent of people are okay with the functioning of democracy. Read the full report here

In Europe, only Sweden fared well, with 75 per cent of respondents feeling satisfied with the way democracy is. Interestingly, France, one of the oldest democracies in the world saw 35 per cent pleased.  Greece was the lowest at 22 per cent.

In Asia, only Singapore and India reported over 75% satisfaction. In India, 77 per cent were satisfied with the way democracy is. In Singapore, the percentage stands at 80 per cent. Japan was at the lowest at 31 per cent.

Out of 27 countries, over 50 per cent of respondents in 11 countries are satisfied with democracy. Respondents from 11 countries in the west out of 17, are not majorly not satisfied.

The UK saw a major shift in political inclination with the Conservatives under Rishi Sunak voted out and Keir Starmer's Labour securing a landslide win after 13 years. In France, a major political turmoil is being witnessed as the  National Assembly delivered a hung parliament, making it hard to know who will be in key government positions.

In the US, Joe Biden is seeking another term amid concerns over his health, while Donald Trump, who is facing legal troubles, is hoping to come back to power. 

Claudia Sheinbaum was elected Mexico's first woman president by a landslide, making history in a country plagued by rampant criminal and gender-based violence.

Putin tightened its grip on Russia with a reelection which saw little to no opposition. He has been in power since the last day of 1999, he is now on course to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than two centuries.

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