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BERLIN: Less than six months ago, the rank and file of Germany’s leading far-right party, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), was ecstatic. Founded a little over a decade ago as a Eurosceptic protest party, by early 2024 the AfD was polling at up to 23 percent — and nurtured justified hopes of becoming the strongest party in Germany in June’s vote for the European Union’s parliament.

The Indian Railways is no longer considered as the union government’s most important public contact platform. This is despite the fact that around 500 million passengers took train journeys across the country during last April alone. The number keeps on rising. The Railways loaded 128.29 million tonnes (MT) of freight during the month. Among the goods loaded were 57.64 MT of coal, 14.88 MT of iron ore, 5.24 MT of iron and steel, 6.79 MT of cement, 4.75 MT of clinkers, 3.85 MT of foodgrains, 4.1 MT of fertilisers, 4.16 MT of mineral oil and 6.57 MT of container cargoes. By any standard, it would appear to be a wonderful performance by the national carrier. Unfortunately, the government is not impressed. The national asset was set for privatization soon after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government came to power in 2014.

Amidst a flurry of speculation and anticipation, the Congress party has made a strategic and significant move by fielding Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in the by-elections in Wayanad. This seat became available after her brother Rahul Gandhi decided to retain Rae Bareily and step down from the Wayanad, both of which he had won. If successful, it could be a game-changer for Priyanka, her party and Indian politics. It has sparked excitement and scepticism among the public and political class.

In the last 30 days, unemployment in India has risen sharply to 8.9 per cent, at a time when Union Finance Minister has started consultations with various stakeholders for preparing Union Budget 2024-25. Such an unprecedented rise in working-class distress has made the budget making exercise more challenging than expected, necessitating major changes in the Interim Union Budget 2024-25 that was tabled in the Parliament of India on February 1, 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the oath of Member of Parliament on June 24 days after he was sworn in as India’s Prime Minister for the third time. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party doesn’t have a majority but Modi heads the coalition NDA, a pre-poll arrangement which is the Modi government’s claim for legitimacy. Will Modi’s NDA government complete its five-year term? The Opposition is not betting on it, but Sonia Gandhi’s UPA coalition government was run by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for two five-year terms. If Manmohan Singh could do it, so can Narendra Modi even if Modi’s 56” chest has considerably shrunk in the 18th Lok Sabha.

KOLKATA: Roundly defeated by ruling Trinamool Congress in recently held Lok Sabha elections, BJP, Congress and CPI(M) leaderships in West Bengal have gone into brainstorming sessions to find out the cause of their respective electoral reverses. Though all the three parties are seeking to strike deeper roots with a larger section of the people, the game plans to hit the "come back trails" differ.

The Afghan Taliban leaders will join a two-day United Nations meeting about Afghanistan on June 30. They had missed the last two meetings. Their attendance shows progress and suggests that the global community may discover improved methods to engage with the unofficial leaders in Kabul. The main goal of the third round of talks is to boost international involvement with Afghanistan in a more organized and unified way, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Patna High Court striking down Bihar government's hike of reservation quota for Dalits, backward castes and tribals to 65% in jobs and education has certainly not come as a surprise nor has been shocking. It was well perceived that like any other affirmative action meant for the upper mobility of the Dalits and poor, this too would have to undergo strict legal scrutiny.

The 79th birthday of Myanmar democracy leader Aung San SuuKyi. Was observed throughout the country with the movement leaders taking solemn oath to remove the military Junta from power within shortest possible time. Her admirers and supporters observed the day as a flower strike across Myanmar. Toddlers holding flowers in their hands stood in protest outside their thatched kindergarten schools. Young men and women assembled in their hilly villages holding flowers in tribute to their beloved leader. Several embassies in Yangon changed their social media profiles to flowers. It was a solemn tribute to Suu Kyi, who always wore a flower in her hair as her distinctive style.

The Enforcement Directorate has managed to throw a spoke into the wheels of Aam Aadmi Party’s celebrations of leader Arvind Kejriwal coming out on bail by approaching the Delhi High Court post-haste even before it could lay hands on the court’s order. And with the high court granting a temporary stay on the ground of certain procedural issues. But it may be a pyrrhic victory as the stay remains in force only until the ED challenge is heard and disposed of by the court in the next 2-3 days.