Friday, October 10, 2008
Ex-Gurkha soldiers win right to retire in Britain
Former Gurkha soldiers who fought alongside British troops won a long-running battle on September 30 for the right to retire in Britain.
Waving their regiment's flag outside London's High Court, members of the unit which has fought for Britain since 1815 welcomed the decision to overturn a ruling that meant those who retired before 1997 had no automatic right to live in Britain.
All other foreign soldiers in the British Army can settle in the country after four years' service anywhere in the world. About 2,000 Gurkhas are affected by the current rules.
High Court judge Justice Nicholas Blake ruled that instructions given by the Home Office to immigration officials were unlawful and must be changed.
Dozens of Gurkhas and their supporters cheered outside court, waving the regiment's green flag, which bears two kukris, a traditional Nepalese curved knife.
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To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Waving their regiment's flag outside London's High Court, members of the unit which has fought for Britain since 1815 welcomed the decision to overturn a ruling that meant those who retired before 1997 had no automatic right to live in Britain.
All other foreign soldiers in the British Army can settle in the country after four years' service anywhere in the world. About 2,000 Gurkhas are affected by the current rules.
High Court judge Justice Nicholas Blake ruled that instructions given by the Home Office to immigration officials were unlawful and must be changed.
Dozens of Gurkhas and their supporters cheered outside court, waving the regiment's green flag, which bears two kukris, a traditional Nepalese curved knife.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: battle, Britain, British Army, British troops, curved knife, foreign soldiers, Former Gurkha soldiers, London's High Court, traditional Nepalese, won
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
'Secret' letter's release renews battle over nuclear pact
As international negotiators met in Vienna to decide the fate of the contentious nuclear energy agreement between India and the United States, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government found itself facing a revived political battle at home over the deal because of the release of a secret letter in Washington.
The letter's disclosure caught India's government by surprise, a senior government official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The official added that opponents of the deal probably made it public to try to weaken India in the final stages of efforts to win approval from the 45-country Nuclear Suppliers Group in Vienna.
But more than the Vienna deliberations, the Indian official said, Singh faces the bigger challenge of rescuing the government's plummeting popularity.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
The letter's disclosure caught India's government by surprise, a senior government official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The official added that opponents of the deal probably made it public to try to weaken India in the final stages of efforts to win approval from the 45-country Nuclear Suppliers Group in Vienna.
But more than the Vienna deliberations, the Indian official said, Singh faces the bigger challenge of rescuing the government's plummeting popularity.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: battle, challenge, india, India's government, Manmohan Singh, NSG, nuclear deal, nuclear fuel, secret lwtter, United states, Vienna, Washington
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Race is likely to remain major point of contention in bitter contest
Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama have tried to step back from a divisive debate over race, with each candidate denying that he was the first to inject the issue into the campaign.
Nonetheless, the candidates and campaigns have been battling over the issue and which side was engaged in ‘low road' politics, an indication that race is likely to remain a major point of contention in what is becoming an increasingly bitter contest.
For Obama, the argument is an unwelcome distraction that could complicate his efforts to win over voters who may be skeptical of a relative newcomer with a less than typical background.
It also pulls the focus away from his efforts to focus on bread-and-butter economic issues.
For McCain, any hint of racist tactics would hurt his efforts with the moderates and independents he needs to win in November.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Nonetheless, the candidates and campaigns have been battling over the issue and which side was engaged in ‘low road' politics, an indication that race is likely to remain a major point of contention in what is becoming an increasingly bitter contest.
For Obama, the argument is an unwelcome distraction that could complicate his efforts to win over voters who may be skeptical of a relative newcomer with a less than typical background.
It also pulls the focus away from his efforts to focus on bread-and-butter economic issues.
For McCain, any hint of racist tactics would hurt his efforts with the moderates and independents he needs to win in November.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: accused, African American community, Barack Obama, battle, black nationalists, campaigns, candidates, debate, economic issues, politics, Race, Sens. John McCain, St. Petersburg, voters
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Victory Vote clears way for nuclear deal with United States
The Indian government survived a crucial vote of confidence on July 22, clearing the way for the contentious nuclear energy deal with the United States, after a debate peppered with dramatic allegations of backroom lobbying and bribery.
The vote concluded a bitter nine-month battle in support of the deal by the now-beleaguered coalition government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The agreement, which would give India access to the world market for nuclear fuel and technology, must now be approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which governs the trade of nuclear materials. The U.S. Congress would then vote on the accord.
"This vote gives a clear message to the world that India's head and heart are sound and India is prepared to take its rightful place in the comity of nations," said a beaming Singh, whose supporters burst firecrackers and beat celebratory drums in the streets of New Delhi. "I have always said the deal was important and now we know it."
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
The vote concluded a bitter nine-month battle in support of the deal by the now-beleaguered coalition government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The agreement, which would give India access to the world market for nuclear fuel and technology, must now be approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which governs the trade of nuclear materials. The U.S. Congress would then vote on the accord.
"This vote gives a clear message to the world that India's head and heart are sound and India is prepared to take its rightful place in the comity of nations," said a beaming Singh, whose supporters burst firecrackers and beat celebratory drums in the streets of New Delhi. "I have always said the deal was important and now we know it."
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: agreement, battle, BJP, celebrations, IAEA, india, Lok Sabha, nuclear deal, Nuclear Suppliers Group, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United states, US Congress, Victory, votes
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