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The recently held Annual Development Partners meeting of the ILO’s Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for all has reiterated that the human right to social security is still not a reality for more than 4 billion people of the world who are left totally unprotected without access to any social protection benefit.

Chanakya of BJP, Amit Shah has come out with the implicit advice to Rahul Gandhi to go to a higher court and challenge the verdict of the Surat court. This unsolicited advice coming from the iron man of the BJP has given rise to numerous conjecture in the political circle. What compelled him to come out with this advice? Does he think that Rahul would not move court? Rahul is aware of the legal procedure and he knows he has to challenge his conviction in a higher court. There is no ambiguity. But what made Amit Shah to offer unsolicited idea is really intriguing.

As we head into another massive electoral season, starting with Karnataka assembly polls on May 10 and ending with the Lok Sabha 12 months later; two parallel political processes are at work.

With the US Federal Reserve set to continue raising interest rates to combat record inflation rates, the highest in 40 years, there are calls that the Reserve Bank of India deviate from its traditional policy of mirroring the US interest rate hikes.

On Thursday, Donald Trump was indicted in Manhattan. The charges related to the funding of a nondisclosure agreement he signed with the adult performer Stormy Daniels regarding an extramarital affair he had with her.

A Gulf investor with an analytical and artistic bent, Ali al-Salim pinpointed the long-term challenges Saudi Arabia faces as it re-establishes relations with Iran.

Former United States President Donald Trump was to travel to New York from Florida following his indictment and the "charges in a sealed cover". More than three years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had famously said ‘Abki Baar Trump Sarkar’ which fell through notoriously and resulted in what is the infamous ‘January 6 Insurrection’. Democratic Party's dreams of indicting Trump with ‘January 6’ did not come true, sigh! But with adult porn star Stormy Daniels in the Democratic corner, Trump is nevertheless in the dock, strengthening belief in the saying ‘end justifies the means’.

Recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has further led to the fall of Signature bank, Credit Suisse and now a major European German Credit Douche bank. This banking crisis has resulted from US Treasury’s recent interest rate hike. Cracks are appearing in US banking system amidst fears of a possible financial contagion across the world, reminding of Lehman brothers economic meltdown in 2008. Soon the implications will soon be felt in Indian economy also.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The verdict of Lok Ayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph in the case of alleged misappropriation of the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMRDF) during Pinarayi Vijayan Government’s previous term from 2016 to 2021 has come as a big relief to the Chief Minister.

Global debt and recession are two major challenges afflicting many parts of the World, particularly the global south. India, which heads G 20 this year, has a great responsibility to work with member countries to find a solution to these problems. In this connection, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant is right in suggesting the group, which accounted major chunk of world trade and income, should stay “non-political” if it had to focus on development and global challenges. Kant made this remark ahead of the crucial meet of G20 countries in the backwaters of Kumarakom, a scenic place in God’s own country, Kerala. On challenges around global debt and recession, Kant was candid in saying “one issue can’t hold back other things,” apparently referring to Russia-Ukraine war.