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<ul><li>Former PM Rajiv Gandhi said, “Do not design this office for me but design it for the Prime Minister of India.” </li><li>All working women are constantly challenged because we live parallel lives.</li></ul>I have been asked to speak about my journey as an entrepreneur and a design professional. Let me begin by saying that when I began work as an interior designer and furniture manufacturer in 1971, there were no words such as “entrepreneur” or “branding” or things like Instagram and various other forms of social media that exist today. I became a designer because of family influences and growing in a city like Lucknow which is imbued with tehzeeb and nazakat. I do not think I could have been a designer if I had had parents other than those I was blessed with. They were interested in reading and the acquisition of knowledge. My father believed that books would always remain the central element of civilisation. For us knowledge came from immersive reading, and we were voracious readers. We were always interested in places and peoples. We delighted in reading the atlas and dictionaries. In the last 50 years there have been so many places which were our dream destinations, and which one has now visited……… and many places like Machu Picchu that one has not! Perhaps it is still not too late. Because of our father’s immense love for travel and discovery we saw so much of India. The first heritage site that I ever visited was at the age of nine. That was Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu and the Temple of the Tooth and the Botanical Gardens in Kandy in Ceylon. All of these were early influences and have influenced my design sensibilities. I have a very contemporary mindset but one that is also deeply grounded in our own heritage. This is because one has had the good fortune of travelling through the length and breadth of India. Much as one has enjoyed the cultures of other countries, I have a deep and constant curiosity about our own country. All this informs the way I work. As far as design education is concerned, I became a designer by accident – serendipitously so! The study of literature and Hindustani classical music enriched my mindscape. I do not have formal training in design but grew up surrounded by design…….. with my father visiting many auction houses and kabadiwalas in Lucknow. It fills me with quiet pride that, as a woman without any formal training in design, I became the first designer in India, man or woman, to be conferred the <keyword id="25105" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="padma-shri" source="Orion">Padma Shri</keyword> in 1992. I was reasonably young to be bestowed this honour and I thought at that time that it would open the floodgates to many more interior designers. I have also had the distinction of being the first architect or designer from India to be invited to give an illustrated talk in 2003, at the National Building Museum in Washington DC. This museum is the most visited museum of architecture in the world. Its atrium is the venue of the first presidential ball after a new president has been sworn in. In 2014, I was appointed Chairperson of the Board School of Planning and Architecture in Bhopal, a National Institute of Excellence. That was also a first! But, if you ask me whether I was working towards breaking these glass ceilings, then the answer would be an emphatic no! These happened along the way, as a natural progression in a career in which one had put in much hard work. In my profession one is as good as one’s last project. That gets one more work and not because they like your face. No client is going to spend millions of dollars commissioning you to design their hotel if they do not believe in your talent and your ability to deliver. <div type="image" title="05 South Drawing Room, Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi" msid="98578011" hostid="261" sizebytes="111308" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;South Drawing Room, Rashtrapati Bhawan&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> From 1985 to 1989, I worked on the restoration and conservation of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and in 1988 to 1989 on Hyderabad House. That was the first time that HH was closed for nine months because it was not just the interior decoration that was attended to but also all the interior architecture and services like air conditioning. I designed both the decrepit courtyards in a Lutyensesque style and restored the gardens in Hyderabad House. As far as British buildings in New Delhi are concerned, I had the great privilege of working in the Prime Minister’s Office and Secretariat in South Block. And am happy to note that it has remained unchanged through the tenures of the last nine Prime Ministers. The primary reason for this was the brief from the former PM, Rajiv Gandhi…… “do not design this Office for me but design it for the Prime Minister of India”. I followed this brief and worked on the building as these I firmly believe belong to the nation. His second brief was that he wanted his executive chair to be the same height as his visitors’ chairs. These are all very telling traits of character. I also designed the official residence of the Prime Minister along with restoring the two buildings that comprise the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum. In New Delhi one has also designed the interiors of the British Council Building and Library. In my career this has been a landmark project because this is the largest of their 80 institutes worldwide. It was inaugurated in 1992 by HRH the Prince of Wales. When we were presented to him, he had a very interesting conversation with me regarding the buildings on either side of the British Council. He certainly has a keen eye for architecture. <div type="image" title="03 National Assembly Building in Thimpu, Bhutan" msid="98578068" hostid="261" sizebytes="195996" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;National Assembly Building, Bhutan&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Another landmark building for me in 1989 was the <keyword id="1142396" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="parliament-building" source="Orion">Parliament Building</keyword> in Bhutan called the National Assembly Building. For me, this was a completely new area of research. In those days so little was known of the art and architecture of Bhutan and neither were any books available. Immersive travelling through Bhutan, to familiarise myself with its architecture and its arts and crafts became essential. His Majesty’s office appointed as my guide, Dasho Khandu who was a living encyclopaedia on Bhutanese art and architecture. These have been amazing projects of learning for me. I like to deeply research new places and new cultures. So maybe, at the end of the day, I think this profession chose me and one is fortunate as this process of working suits my mindset. In a long design career of 50 years, I had a break in 1998. I had simply fallen off a ladder in the house and had fractured two of my cerebral vertebrae. That is when I decided I would stop designing hotels which I had done for the past almost 30 years. At that point I thought I would just design residences in and around India and not travel out to Egypt, Bhutan, England, Timbuktu, etc. But life had other plans! I went on to design a large residence in Sri Lanka and was commissioned to design a boutique hotel in the old city of Lahore. Sadly, that project was eventually abandoned. When I was in Lahore for their Literary Festival at the end of February this year when I saw this building standing as is, it made me quite nostalgic. Lahore is a beautiful city and the people are very hospitable. Along this design journey many institutions have asked me to come to give illustrated lectures. For the ‘Millennium Book on Delhi’, I was one of the eight contributors who wrote an extended essay on ‘The Planning of New Delhi’. <keyword id="118548" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="oxford-university-press" source="Orion">Oxford University Press</keyword>, the publishers of the book have a world-wide reach. That is how the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University heard of this unknown Indian and invited me to give an illustrated talk. Thus began a parallel career in being a speaker. Since Harvard one has given many lectures in many universities and institutions in the US, the UK and in South East Asia on design, architecture, conservation, literature, on ‘Mughal Jewellery as a Statement of Empire’, world heritage cultural sites in India and on social entrepreneurship. One has always believed that women such as oneself are privileged because we are educated. Never mind that we belong to the working classes! We must, with humility and gratitude, help those that are less fortunate. One has been deeply associated with ‘Satyagyan Foundation’ which was an affiliate of ‘World Literacy Canada’. Based in Varanasi, we have worked in about 400 slum areas and have altogether made 23,000 women literate. One has also been associated with ‘Save a Mother’ which was started by the amazing Dr Shiban Gunju. He has reduced the mortality rate of pregnant women by 93%. One was the founding member and last chairperson of ‘Umang’, an NGO that worked for the betterment of street children. These have been my interests and each has been a milestone. Another milestone was co-authoring ‘The Lucknow Cookbook’ with my mother. It is now in its tenth print run and has been declared a classic by Aleph, the publishers. More recently I produced and edited the large formatted book, ‘Kala - Essays on Contemporary Design Aesthetics’ which was launched in Dubai in 2019 by Sheikh Nahan and in October 2022. It had its first proper launches in Milan and London by Artize of the Jaquar Group. In November 2022, it was launched in New York and most recently in February 2023 at the ‘Lahore Literary Festival’. Every stage in life has its own milestones particularly if one is also a wife, a mother and a grandmother. All working women are constantly challenged because we live parallel lives. For me every project, whether large or small, has been a challenge. It has all added to my body of work and to my learning curve. I have never thought of myself as a woman doing all these things……. I think one creates one’s own benchmark and this is the way one has moved forward. I am still working and writing more books as our daughter, the award-winning architect <keyword id="8435490" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kohelika-kohli" source="Orion">Kohelika Kohli</keyword>, has taken over the business of running K2India. She has just launched her new brand of furniture called KOKO by K2India. One feels justifiably proud that one must have done something right. One gave them the tools of a fine education and took them travelling to broaden their minds. And then left them to follow their own passions. (The writer is an award winning architect and an author)

A Padma Shri winning architect takes us through her journey from Lucknow to Lutyens

Overwhelmed by the grand reception she received on her arrival from the Paris Olympics, <keyword id="6810654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wrestler-Vinesh-Phogat" source="Orion">wrestler Vinesh Phogat</keyword> has said that her fight for the betterment of <keyword id="20026753" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-wrestling" source="keywords">Indian wrestling</keyword> would continue and that "<keyword id="2335001" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="truth-will-prevail" source="Orion">truth will prevail</keyword>". Hundreds of supporters had gathered outside the IGI airport in New Delhi on Saturday to give a rousing welcome to Vinesh, who was disqualified for being overweight after reaching the 50kg final at the Olympics. Vinesh's appeal against her disqualification was also rejected by the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). "Our fight has not ended and the <keyword id="22826082" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fight-will-continue" source="Orion">fight will continue</keyword> and I pray to god that the truth will prevail," said Vinesh while addressing the crowd. Vinesh and fellow Olympians Bajrang Punia and <keyword id="19895495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sakshi-malik" source="keywords">Sakshi Malik</keyword> have been protesting for more than a year against the <keyword id="19894846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wrestling-Federation-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Wrestling Federation of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Wrestling Federation of India">Wrestling Federation of India</keyword> and its former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for his alleged sexual harassment of women grapplers. Six wrestler, including Vinesh, sat in protest at Jantar Mantar last year demanding action against the former WFI chief before they were evicted as they tried to march towards the new Parliament building. Vinesh also said that the welcome she had received on arrival would give her the courage to pick up the threads and get on with life. "As I got love from my fellow Indians, my village and my family members, I guess I would get some courage to make this wound heal. Maybe, I could return to wrestling," said the 29-year-old Vinesh. "I just want to say that missing the Olympic medal is the biggest wound in my life. I don't know how much time it would take to heal this wound. I don't know if I would pursue wrestling or not but the kind of courage I got today (Saturday), I want to use that in the right direction," she added.

Our fight will continue, truth will prevail: Vinesh Phogat upon her return to India from the Paris Olympics

New Delhi [India], September 18 (ANI): The five-day special session of Parliament is all set to begin on Monday during which the parliamentary proceedings will shift from the old to the adjacent new state-of-the-art building on September 19. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs <keyword id="221548" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pralhad-joshi" source="Orion">Pralhad Joshi</keyword> on Sunday stated that the Session will provide 5 sittings spread over a period of 5 days, besides informing that eight legislative items are likely to be taken up during this session. "Parliamentary journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha - achievements, experiences, memories and learnings" will also be discussed. On Sunday, Vice President <keyword id="7889551" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="jagdeep-dhankhar" source="Orion">Jagdeep Dhankhar</keyword> hoisted the national flag atop "Gaja Dwar" of the new Parliament building. <keyword id="6355187" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="Orion">Lok Sabha</keyword> Speaker Om Birla was also present on the occasion. The Special Session of the Parliament will be held from September 18 to 22. After weeks of no information about the agenda, the government last week announced an agenda that included bills to be taken up for consideration and a discussion on "Parliamentary journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha - achievements, experiences, memories and learnings". Earlier, on Sunday, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Joshi requested all parties for active cooperation and support for the smooth functioning of the two Houses of Parliament. The meeting of all the floor leaders of political parties in the Parliament was attended by various ministers including Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is also Leader of the House in <keyword id="48510" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="Orion">Rajya Sabha</keyword>, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Union Minister V Muraleedharan and 51 leaders from 34 parties. Joshi shared with leaders that there would be a photo session from 10.00 am to 10.45 am on September 19, 2023, followed by a function in the Central Hall starting at 11.00 am which will be graced by the Vice-President/Chairman, Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister, Speaker, Lok Sabha, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Leader of Largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha and the Members of both the Houses of Parliament. After the conclusion of the function in the Central Hall, both Houses will meet in their respective Chambers in the New Parliament House. The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year. Meanwhile, four bills including a bill to regulate the appointment, conditions of service, and term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners are part of the legislative business of the government for the session. Apart from the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, introduced in Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session on August 10, the list includes 'The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023' and 'The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023', already passed by Rajya Sabha on August 3. The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 amends the Advocates Act, 1961, while the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 repeals the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. Besides, 'The Post Office Bill, 2023' has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business. The bill was earlier introduced in Rajya Sabha on 10 August 2023 and it repeals the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. (ANI)

Special session of Parliament set to begin today

<keyword id="20018917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Capital-expenditure" source="keywords">Capital expenditure</keyword> on the <keyword id="19914937" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Railways" source="keywords">Railways</keyword> has increased by 77 per cent over the past five years with significant investments in the construction of <keyword id="22505706" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-lines" source="keywords">new lines</keyword>, <keyword id="20375816" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gauge-conversion" source="keywords">gauge conversion</keyword> and doubling, the <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Economic-Survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> 2023-24 said on Monday. According to the survey tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword>, in the financial year 2019-2020, the capital expenditure was 1.48 lakh crore which was increased to ₹2.62 lakh crore in 2023-24. "<keyword id="19909154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Railways" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Railways" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Indian Railways">Indian Railways</keyword>, with over 68,584 route km (as of March 31, 2024) and 12.54 lakh employees (as of April 1, 2024), is the fourth largest network in the world under single management," the survey said. Highlighting the initiatives taken by the Railway Ministry for the enhancement of operations and services, the survey mentioned Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project and Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) with the progress made in these respective <keyword id="19900581" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="projects" source="keywords">projects</keyword>. According to the survey, Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, launched in August 2023 for development of stations on a continuous basis, involves preparation of master plans and its phased implementation to improve amenities, building improvements, multimodal integration, and sustainability. It said that 1,324 stations have been identified for upgradation so far. Talking about another initiative, Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, the survey said that under this 508-km project, executed with cooperation from the government of Japan, land acquisition and civil conduct award have been completed. "Overall physical progress of 41.7 per cent has been achieved and financial expenditure of ₹59,291 crore was incurred until 31st March, 2024," the survey said. "Two DFCs are under implementation namely the eastern DFC with route length of 1,337 kilometre and the western DFC with route length of 1,506 kilometre," it added. It further stated that by the end of FY24, 96.1 per cent of the total DFC route length has been completed. Highlighting other major achievements, the survey said that the Railways achieved its highest-ever production for both locomotives and wagons in FY24. "Fifty one pairs of <keyword id="19922877" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vande-bharat" source="keywords">Vande Bharat</keyword> have been introduced until March 2024. The fast pace of infrastructure augmentation has been the result of a substantial increase in financial allocation along with close project monitoring and regular follow-up with stakeholders for expeditious land acquisition and clearances," the survey said. It added, "High-speed, long-distance Vande sleeper trainset coaches having features like quick acceleration, diffused lighting, automatic doors and global positioning system-based passenger information system are under development." According to the survey, the Railways is also planning to introduce Vande metro trainset coaches with features such as sealed wider gangways, centrally controlled automatic sliding doors, CCTVs for safety and surveillance, route map indicator, passenger information and infotainment system, fire detection system and aerosol-based fire suppression system. "The first lot is expected to be turned out in FY25," it said. "Railways has taken several initiatives for providing a clean environment in and around railway stations and trains, such as replacement of conventional toilets with bio-toilets on coaches leading to clean tracks, segregation of bio-degradable/non bio-degradable waste, solid waste management and discouraging use of single use plastic," the survey added.

Capital expenditure on Railways increased by 77% over 5 years: Economic Survey

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mark Rutte became NATO's new secretary-general on October 1, replacing Jens Stoltenberg.</li><li>He faces a war in Ukraine, escalations in the Middle East, and the US presidential elections.</li></ul>NATO has a new leader at its helm.Mark Rutte, the Netherlands' longest-serving prime minister, replaced <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-chief-alliance-generational-transformation-military-power-has-limits-stoltenberg-2024-9">Jens Stoltenberg</a> as NATO's new secretary-general on October 1, at what is seen as a crucial and turbulent time for the alliance, with ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and the US election in November.He is entering his term "with threats and challenges everywhere," Abishur Prakash, the founder of The Geopolitical Business, Inc., a strategy advisory firm in Toronto, told BI.Rutte will not only have to decide the next phase of NATO's involvement in the Ukraine war, but will also have to navigate whether NATO chooses to come to Israel's aid and how to deal with the possibility of reduced US commitment to the alliance, Prakash added."Stoltenberg left big shoes to fill," said John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies."Rutte will need to take the baton in terms of pushing alliance members to fulfill their defense spending commitments and continue providing aid to Ukraine," he said.And then, with the US presidential elections now less than five weeks away, there is the prospect of a second Donald Trump presidency.Rutte has experience working with Trump: He earned the nickname the "Trump whisperer" for his ability to appease the former president when he threatened to go his "own way" during a NATO meeting in 2018, per <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-nato-donald-trump-vladimir-putin/">Politico</a>.Even so, a Trump victory in November would "present a challenge for Rutte in terms of managing that relationship and maintaining alliance unity," Hardie said.<h2 id="d98bcc95-e3dc-4d35-8577-3d14b72b7e18">Russia-Ukraine war</h2>Rutte's most pressing NATO challenge stepping into his new role is figuring out the alliance's stance on letting Ukraine use Western long-range weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia, Prakash said.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy views permission to use Western weapons to strike Russia as a key part of the "victory plan" he presented to US officials last week.<div type="image" title="Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (C) walked with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. (L) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., (R) at the Capitol in Washington, On September 26, 2024." height="3368" width="5052" msid="113849910" hostid="261" sizebytes="859396"></div>However, the alliance has shown differences of opinion on the matter, with countries like <a target="_blank" href="https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-can-use-f-16s-to-strike-russian-territory-danish-foreign-minister-says/">Denmark</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hallandsposten.se/asikter/ledare/landgrans-ska-inte-skydda-rysk-angripare.09212cc1-6c94-4389-8b1a-2956a1aa9f9e">Sweden,</a> the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.euronews.com/2024/09/15/nato-chair-backs-ukraines-use-of-long-range-weapons-to-strike-inside-russia">Czech Republic,</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://yle.fi/a/74-20076971">Finland</a> publicly saying that Ukraine can use their weapons but others showing more reluctance.The Pentagon justified the US decision not to allow such strikes last month, <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3896569/deputy-pentagon-press-secretary-sabrina-singh-holds-a-press-briefing/">saying</a> that 90% of Russian aircraft launching glide bombs are out of range of Ukraine's ATACMS, and also cited the potential for an <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3896569/">escalation in the conflict</a>.Pressure, however, is building. In late August, Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-eu-weapons-restrictions-05bb594069ae7f9afdec8910ae65f467">said</a> EU countries should lift restrictions on the use of weaponry against Russian military targets "in accordance with international law."Several top House Republicans also signed a <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ATACMS-letter-FINAL.pdf">letter</a> on September 9 urging President Joe Biden to lift the remaining restrictions on US-provided long-range systems, including the ATACMS, against "legitimate" military targets deeper inside Russia.And in a <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240913IPR23906/meps-ukraine-must-be-able-to-strike-legitimate-military-targets-in-russia">resolution</a> adopted on September 19, the European Parliament called on EU countries to lift restrictions preventing Ukraine from using Western weapons systems against "legitimate" military targets inside Russia.<h2 id="05677739-e626-4ee3-afe1-6f7b6f7e11c0">Escalating tensions in the Middle East</h2>Prakash said NATO would also have to decide whether to get involved in the Middle East.Since Hamas' October 7 terror attacks on Israel and Israel's subsequent invasion of Gaza, tensions have ramped up between Israel and Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.<div type="image" title="Smoke rises after Israeli army strikes in town of Lebanon on September 25, 2024," height="4000" width="6000" msid="113849924" hostid="261" sizebytes="871398"></div>Violence between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-pushed-hezbollah-corner-may-trigger-an-all-out-war-2024-9">intensified</a> last month, and Lebanon recorded its <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-strikes-lebanon-hezbollah-posts-warns-civilians-move-away-2024-9">deadliest day</a> for decades after Israel ramped up strikes on the country.This followed the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-devices-explode-in-lebanon-after-deadly-hezbollah-pager-blasts-2024-9">deadly pager and walkie-talkie explosions</a> that hit Hezbollah members in Lebanon.Hezbollah has blamed Israel for those attacks, but it has not yet claimed responsibility.The US has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-hezbollah-us-sending-troops-middle-east-help-us-citizens-2024-9">stepped up</a> diplomatic and military efforts in the region to try to bring about a cease-fire — but NATO has so far not gotten involved.Benjamin Friedman, policy director at the Defense Priorities think tank, said the alliance will likely not play any role as it has enough on its hands with Ukraine."They have enough to do in Europe, and I think NATO should focus on Europe," he told BI.<h2 id="76766d05-e1ce-4020-9a4b-1a87024f57de">US elections</h2>However, the US presidential election could be a decisive factor in NATO's trajectory in the coming years.Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia Programme, said that "it's not going to get easier" if Trump is elected in November.During his time in office, the former president <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-threatens-to-pull-out-of-nato/">publicly</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4745235/president-confirms-threatened-withdraw-nato-funding-levels">threatened</a> to leave NATO if other members failed to meet their commitments to spend 2% of their GDP on defense.Congress passed a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/sjres37/BILLS-118sjres37is.pdf">bill</a> in 2023 to prevent a president from suspending, terminating, denouncing, or withdrawing the US from NATO, except via an Act of Congress or the approval of two-thirds of senators in attendance.But if elected, Trump could still heavily influence NATO, including by reducing the US military presence in Ukraine, withholding support for NATO's Article 5 mutual defense pact, or limiting America's involvement in the alliance.In a rally <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-touts-russia-army-history-justify-deal-putin-over-ukraine-2024-9">speech</a> last month, he again argued for ending US involvement in the war in Ukraine.<div type="image" title="Former US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Savannah, Georgia, on September 24, 2024." height="1333" width="2000" msid="113849921" hostid="261" sizebytes="81086"></div>Even if Trump loses, he could still exert "baleful" influence on US politics and get in the way of policy initiatives through his network of supporters, Giles said, pointing to Republicans blocking aid to Ukraine earlier this year.Friedman of Defense Priorities struck a more positive tone, saying he doesn't believe Trump is "seriously" considering withdrawing US commitment to the alliance.The "big question," Friedman says, is whether Trump, if elected, would behave like he did during his first term, which he said was "more bark than bite."Meanwhile, Prakash said that ongoing geopolitical flashpoints and tensions around the world could actually result in Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris being markedly similar US presidents on the world stage.Prakash cited the ongoing territorial disputes in the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-taking-over-south-sea-us-not-stopping-experts-philippines-2024-9">South China Sea</a> between the Philippines, a US ally, and China as likely the "single greatest" flash point facing the US right now.If Harris "feels that NATO doesn't connect with that in its current form, then she may also raise objections to NATO," he said. "So, it is not just Trump."<h2 id="005db675-3121-42fd-88f4-5f9564598e52">Looking beyond Europe</h2>NATO appears to be considering the possibility of a reduced US commitment to the alliance.In April, Stoltenberg, the outgoing secretary-general, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-plan-trump-proof-future-ukraine-aid-us-leadership-worries-2024-4">proposed</a> shifting control of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which organizes the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, from the US to the alliance.NATO also established the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, or <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-fueling-ukraine-fight-concerns-about-us-politics-2024-7">NSATU</a>, in July, to coordinate the future supply of military aid and training for Kyiv, amid growing concern about a potential change in US leadership.However, Rutte's past statements and familiarity with Trump suggest he would try to keep the US in the fold.<div type="image" title="Donald Trump (R) and former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (L) posed for photographs in the Oval Office at the White House on July 18, 2019." height="3550" width="5325" msid="113849925" hostid="261" sizebytes="813472"></div>And in an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2023/02/20/met-steun-aan-oekraine-verdedigen-we-onze-manier-van-leven-a4157623">op-ed</a> for Dutch newspaper NRC in 2023, a year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Rutte stressed how different the first year of the war would have been without the "colossal" deployment of US material and resources.According to Prakash, Rutte is "coming into the role from a certain outlook, and that outlook is essentially saying: 'We need to stand with America.'"Beyond the most immediate threat of Russia in Europe, NATO may also want to tackle the China threat, he said.NATO's deputy secretary-general, Mircea Geoană, told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.euronews.com/2024/07/12/china-is-a-threat-to-our-security-nato-deputy-chief-tells-euronews">Euronews</a> in July that China, as a direct enabler of Russia's war in Ukraine, threatened the alliance's security.Shifting NATO away from Russia and toward other threats is going to be "perhaps the greatest challenge facing Mark Rutte," Prakash said.All in all, it's likely to be a bumpy ride for NATO's new chief.

NATO's new chief is inheriting messy wars and a possible second Trump presidency. It's not going to be easy, security analysts say.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The British Royal Navy is building a new class of nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines.</li><li>The British subs will have the same missile compartment as the US Navy's new missile subs.</li></ul>In 1906 the British Royal Navy commissioned <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/hms-dreadnought-made-all-other-battleships-obsolete-141337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HMS Dreadnought</a>, a battleship that changed how surface warships were designed and sparked a naval arms race.Armed with five turrets bearing twin 12-inch guns and featuring new technologies like steam turbines and electronic fire-control equipment, HMS Dreadnought became the standard on which future battleships were based and separated the "pre-dreadnought" and "dreadnought" eras.Long after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-planes-sank-prince-of-wales-repulse-ending-battleship-era-2021-12" target="_top">the battleship's reign came to an end</a>, the name Dreadnought is still a defining one. The Royal Navy's <a href="https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/dreadnought-submarine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first nuclear-powered submarine</a>, in service from 1963 to 1980, was also called HMS Dreadnought.Now, more than 100 years after the first Dreadnought, another is in the works. This one, the first of a <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/dreadnought-class-nuclear-powered-ballistic-missile-submarines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new class</a> of nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines, will again usher in a new era of warship for Britain.<h2>At-sea deterrent</h2><div type="image" title="British Royal Navy submarine HMS Dreadnought" height="1500" width="2000" msid="102699409" hostid="261" sizebytes="236050"></div>Britain's new class of nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines, designated as SSBNs, will fill a looming gap in the country's nuclear deterrent.Whereas other nuclear-armed countries employ a triad of delivery systems — ground-launched, air-launched, and sea-launched — to ensure their nuclear capability will survive an attack and thus guarantee a credible nuclear deterrent, Britain has relied solely on submarine-launched ballistic missiles since 1998, when it retired its air-dropped nuclear gravity bombs.The Royal Navy has had at least one SSBN on patrol as part of Operation Relentless, Britain's <a href="https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/operations/global/continuous-at-sea-deterrent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continuous at sea deterrent</a>, since 1969, making it the country's longest ongoing military operation. The current British SSBN force is made up of four <a href="https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/the-equipment/submarines/ballistic-submarines/vanguard-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vanguard-class</a> subs, which were built between 1986 and 1998.The strain of decades of near-constant deployments has taken a toll on the Vanguards. Originally meant to serve for 25 years, the subs have had their service lives extended three times. Their overall lifespan is now expected to be 37 to 38 years.<div type="image" title="Vanguard-class submarine HMS Victorious" height="1206" width="2000" msid="102699411" hostid="261" sizebytes="265478"></div>In 2007, the British Parliament approved a plan for four new SSBNs to replace the Vanguards. After years of design work, construction on the first boat, HMS Dreadnought, began in 2016.To ensure successful and efficient construction and delivery of the new class, the Ministry of Defense created the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/submarine-delivery-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Submarine Delivery Agency</a> in 2017 to serve as an executive agency responsible for procurement, in-service support, and decommissioning of all Royal Navy nuclear submarines.A year later, the two companies contracted to build the Dreadnought, BAE Systems and Rolls Royce, formed the "Dreadnought Alliance," a commercial arrangement that ensures constant communication and collaboration between the companies, including on things like a common cost model, mutually agreed scheduling and breakdown of work, and reporting procedures.<h2>The Dreadnought class</h2><div type="image" title="British Royal Navy ballistic-missile submarine" height="638" width="931" msid="102699412" hostid="261" sizebytes="71710"></div>At about 500 feet long and with a displacement of 17,200 tons, the Dreadnoughts will be the largest submarines ever built by the UK. Each boat will have a lifespan of at least 30 years.Each Dreadnought will be powered by the PWR3, a new nuclear reactor built by Rolls-Royce. They will also have <a href="https://www.globecomposite.com/blog/x-factor-columbia-class-submarine-design" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X-form rudders</a> and a new turbo-electric drive that powers an electric motor that drives an improved <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/31708/veteran-sonarman-explains-why-pump-jets-are-superior-to-props-on-modern-submarines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pump-jet propulsor</a>, likely making them quieter than their Vanguard-class predecessors.Along with the quieting features of their propulsion systems, the Dreadnoughts will have an angular design meant to deflect active sonar waves, making them stealthier. Concept imagery <a href="https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/11/first-submarine-to-use-new-stealth-technology/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicates</a> that the Dreadnoughts will also be coated with anechoic tiles, which are designed to absorb incoming active sonar waves and reduce noise from the sub that could be picked up by passive sonar.The Royal Navy also <a href="https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2023/july/13/20230713-scope-for-success-as-historic-glasgow-firm-wins-169m-contract-for-dreadnought-periscopes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plans to equip</a> its Dreadnought subs with optronic masts — a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-us-british-navy-submarines-have-new-kind-of-periscope-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-tech replacement for the traditional periscope</a> that is already in use on its Astute-class submarines.<div type="image" title="trident ii 2 icbm missile submarine launch GettyImages 51102409" height="1240" width="1653" msid="102699413" hostid="261" sizebytes="59190"></div>The Dreadnoughts will have four 21-inch torpedo tubes and carry <a href="https://www.seaforces.org/wpnsys/SUBMARINE/Spearfish-torpedo.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes</a>. Their main armament, however, will be 12 <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/trident-ii-d5-fleet-ballistic-missile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trident II D5</a> ballistic missiles — four fewer than on the Vanguard-class subs — carrying Mk4/A "Holbrook" nuclear warheads.The missiles will be stored and launched from the Common Missile Compartment. The CMC is a joint US-UK defense project begun in 2008 to create a common launch system for all future American and British SSBNs. Each CMC contains four missile silos. Dreadnoughts will be equipped with three CMCs, while the US Navy's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-may-keep-ohio-missile-subs-longer-over-columbia-cost-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Columbia-class boats</a> will have four.Apart from the CMC project, the UK is also involved in the US Navy's Trident II D5 service-life extension program, which aims to stretch the missile's service life as far as the early 2060s. The British government previously indicated that its Tridents will need to be replaced in the 2040s.<h2>The future fleet</h2><div type="image" title="Royal Navy submarine HMS Astute" height="1333" width="2000" msid="102699414" hostid="261" sizebytes="190774"></div>Four Dreadnought-class subs will be built: Dreadnought, Valiant, Warspite, and King George VI. Construction of Valiant started in 2019 and work on Warspite <a href="https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2023/february/09/20230209-work-starts-on-third-new-nuclear-deterrence-submarine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began</a> in February.In May 2022, the Ministry of Defense announced that Dreadnought had entered Delivery Phase 3, during which the sub will eventually leave the BAE shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness for sea trials, yielding lessons that <a href="https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8010/CBP-8010.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will be applied</a> to construction of other Dreadnought-class subs. The Royal Navy plans to commission HMS Dreadnought sometime in the early 2030s.In addition to being the largest British subs ever, the Dreadnought class will be one of the most expensive defense projects in British history.Building the four subs is expected to cost a little over $39.5 billion, a total that includes inflation over the 35-year life of the program. The British government has also set up a contingency fund of about $12.75 billion, money that can be "<a href="https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8010/CBP-8010.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">re-profiled</a>" to keep the program on track. The MoD has already accessed about 20% of the fund.While British lawmakers have <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/22125/documents/164255/default/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressed concern</a> that the Ministry of Defense would view the contingency fund as "a blank cheque, freeing it from the need to control costs," the ministry said in its 2022 update to Parliament, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-united-kingdoms-future-nuclear-deterrent-the-2022-update-to-parliament/the-united-kingdoms-future-nuclear-deterrent-the-2022-update-to-parliament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published in March</a>, that the program was still on schedule and within its cost estimate.

The British navy is teaming up with the US to build a new 'Dreadnought' for a totally different battle at sea

<ul class="summary-list"><li>European farmers have blocked roads and sprayed government buildings with manure in recent weeks.</li><li>They're rallying against the European Union's "Green Deal" and soaring inflation.</li></ul>Europe's farmers aren't happy — and they're using tractors, tires and manure to show it.In recent weeks they've been taking to the streets over a string of grievances, including the European Union's efforts to go climate-neutral and high inflation that's pushed up their costs.As well as protests in the center of cities such as Paris and Barcelona, farmers have blocked major roads with their tractors and even taken to setting hay bales alight and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.france24.com/en/video/20240125-en-grab-french-farmers">spraying liquid manure</a> at government buildings to show their displeasure.<div type="image" title="Farmers have captured France's attention by showering government offices with manure and besieging Paris with traffic-snarling barricades of tractors and hay bales." height="5623" width="8435" msid="107556138" hostid="261" sizebytes="2258940"></div><h2>What are the farmers angry about?</h2>The main source of discontent is the <a target="_blank" href="https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en">Green Deal</a>, the European Union's initiative to make Europe "climate neutral" by 2050.Russia's invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago fueled double-digit inflation across the continent, with the cost of everything from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pope-francis-global-food-crisis-russia-black-sea-grain-deal-2023-7">grain</a> to <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/diesel-prices-soar-supply-crisis-gas-station-rationing-inflation-2022-5">diesel</a> soaring.Farmers say their profits aren't high enough to justify investing in sustainable agriculture and say they need more help from the EU, despite it setting aside about $300 billion of aid over the next three years.<div type="image" title="Farmers in Italy protest the EU's agricultural policies." height="5122" width="7682" msid="107556140" hostid="261" sizebytes="1365856"></div>They're also rallying against the EU decision to sign free-trade agreements with other countries, including New Zealand, <a target="_blank" href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2024/02/08/could-the-eus-trade-deal-with-kenya-strengthen-the-african-continental-free-trade-area/">Kenya</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-29/macron-asks-eu-s-von-der-leyen-to-stop-mercosur-trade-deal">South America's Mercosur group</a>, arguing that those deals will allow overseas farmers to undercut their prices.<h2>How are they protesting?</h2>Protesters across the continent have marched under banners reading "no farmers, no food" to show their opposition to the EU's agricultural policies.Last week, the situation escalated when farmers from Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, and Greece all gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels where they <a target="_blank" href="https://time.com/6632372/farmer-protests-europe-france-germany-brussels/">set bonfires and hurled eggs</a> at EU offices.<div type="image" title="Farmers gather to protest outside the European Parliament in Brussels." height="3335" width="5000" msid="107556144" hostid="261" sizebytes="706576"></div>Over the past few days, further protests have broken out in Barcelona, where tractors have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spanish-farmers-blockade-roads-second-day-against-eu-policies-2024-02-07/">clogged up key roads</a>, and Cyprus, where farmers <a target="_blank" href="https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/farmers-rev-up-tractors-in-protest-against-eu-agricultural-policies">took to the streets</a> for the third time in eight months.They've also dumped tires on roads in France to demand government aid worth hundreds of millions of euros.<div type="image" title="Tires dumped on a road in Vesoul, eastern France." height="683" width="1024" msid="107556148" hostid="261" sizebytes="117402"></div><h2>How has the EU responded?</h2>The EU said Wednesday that it would scrap plans to force farmers to halve their pesticide use by 2030 — one contentious element of the Green Deal.It's also tweaked the constraints imposed by a key nature-restoration policy and punted on a requirement to force farmers to leave more of their land fallow.<div type="image" title="Farmers in Strasbourg protest the EU's anti-pesticides proposal." height="4002" width="6000" msid="107556150" hostid="261" sizebytes="572368"></div>But EU president Ursula von der Leyden has doubled down on plans to cut emissions by 90% by 2040, suggesting that she's gearing up for a longer-term fight with the agricultural sector. Politicians have been reluctant to join her in that battle.French president Emmanuel Macron has publicly rebuked the EU deal with Mercosur, likely in a bid to quell protests at home, while right-wing leaders like Hungary's Viktor Orban have stoked tensions in a bid to boost their anti-green and anti-EU credentials."The government stands together with the farmers and not against them," Cyprus' agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou said this week after protests broke out in the capital, Nicosia.Farming subsidies accounted for almost a third of the EU's budget in 1980, but that proportion has now fallen to just under a quarter.

Angry European farmers are blocking freeways with tractors and spraying manure on buildings over green push

<ul><li>Four bills including a bill to regulate the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner are part of the legislative business.</li><li>The list includes ‘The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023’ and ‘The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023’.</li><li>The announcement of the <keyword id="470217" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="special-session" source="Orion">Special Session</keyword> came as a surprise in political circles</li></ul> Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword> said on Monday that this <keyword id="6354721" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="parliament" source="Orion">Parliament</keyword> session may be short in duration but is big on occasion, and is of "historic decisions". He urged all lawmakers to give maximum time to the special session of Parliament. "I urge all members to give maximum time to this special session of Parliament." "This Parliament session may be small in duration but is big on occasion, it is a session of historic developments," he added. In his remarks to the media ahead of the five-day session, Modi highlighted India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, the "unprecedented" success of its G20 presidency, the launch of 'PM Vishwakarma Mission' and inauguration of convention centre Yashobhoomi, asserting that many developments which have inspired the country and filled it with pride have taken place. There is an atmosphere of festivity and enthusiasm, and the country has been filled with renewed self-confidence, he said, asking parliamentarians to give maximum time to the short session. In an apparent reference to frequent protests by opposition members during previous sessions, often leading to disruptions of proceedings, Modi hoped everyone will shed shortcomings and carry the goodness as they move into the new building of Parliament on Ganesh Chaturthi on Tuesday. The Parliament session begins Monday and will end on Friday. On the Parliament's agenda On Sunday, the meeting of all the floor leaders of political parties in the Parliament was attended by various ministers including Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is also Leader of the House in <keyword id="48510" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="Orion">Rajya Sabha</keyword>, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Union Minister V Muraleedharan and 51 leaders from 34 parties. There is a photo session scheduled from 10.00 am to 10.45 am on September 19, 2023, followed by a function in the Central Hall starting at 11.00 am which will be graced by the Vice-President/Chairman, Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister, Speaker, <keyword id="6355187" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="Orion">Lok Sabha</keyword>, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Leader of Largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha and the Members of both the Houses of Parliament. After the conclusion of the function in the Central Hall, both Houses will meet in their respective Chambers in the New Parliament House. The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year. Bills that may come up Meanwhile, four bills including a bill to regulate the appointment, conditions of service, and term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners are part of the legislative business of the government for the session. Apart from the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, introduced in Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session on August 10, the list includes ‘The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023’ and ‘The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023’, already passed by Rajya Sabha on August 3. The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 amends the Advocates Act, 1961, while the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 repeals the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. Besides, ‘The Post Office Bill, 2023’ has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business. The bill was earlier introduced in Rajya Sabha on 10 August 2023 and it repeals the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. (With text inputs from IANS, PTI and ANI)

PM Modi says Parliament's session may be short but 'big on occasion' — schedule and what's on the agenda

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Trump recently announced a plan to build up to 10 new American cities on federal land. </li><li>His proposal for "Freedom Cities" has largely received a muted response. </li></ul>Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump unveiled a dramatic, far-reaching proposal to build up to ten new American cities if he's elected to a second term. These federally-chartered purported <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/2b9c56eb-718a-4420-86fd-34dc330b65a5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">utopias,</a> dubbed "Freedom Cities," would feature "vertical takeoff-and-landing vehicles," manufacturing hubs, "baby bonuses," and plentiful single-family housing, delivering a "quantum leap for America's standard of living." "These Freedom Cities will reopen the frontier, reignite American imagination, and give hundreds of thousands of young people and other people, all hardworking families, a new shot at homeownership," Trump said in <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/109960680734613154" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a video</a> announcing his plan on Truth Social. The grand, futuristic proposal was mostly met with crickets and some light mockery from Trump supporters and others on the right.Conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/11/opinion/trump-social-security-haley-pence.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> that Trump's policy would yield "a Trump casino and some mixed-used buildings run by Jared Kushner rising off an unfinished spur of highway somewhere in the vacant portions of the American West, funded by hard-sell fundraising appeals to vulnerable seniors." Conservative media barely covered the announcement. Fox News left its in-house comedian, Greg Gutfeld, to handle the coverage of Freedom Cities. Gutfeld marveled at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdmM96GpS4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump's quantum leap</a> as "optimism on meth," while Fox contributor Tom Shillue urged Trump to bring back some of his greatest hits from years past, like building the border wall and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-wants-to-buy-greenland-denmark-largest-island-report-2019-8">buying Greenland from Denmark</a>. But another Gutfeld guest dove straight into disinformation. Conservative radio show host and Tea Party activist Sonnie Johnson argued that Trump's proposal is "a leftist plan" to create 15-minute cities — the urban planning concept in which people live within a short walk or bike ride of most daily necessities. She went on to push an <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-02/how-did-the-15-minute-city-get-tangled-up-in-a-far-right-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increasingly popular conspiracy theory</a> that cities around the world are attempting to trap residents in dystopian, heavily-surveilled communities and strip them of their cars and freedom of movement."The purpose of these cities is that everything is in a 15-minute walking distance, so you don't have to have a car, they can keep you in a limited area, you don't go and travel, you're not wasting energy, it helps you cut down on your carbon footprint," Johnson said. "It is a Green Deal initiative made to cut down on energy and stop humans from having the ability to move freely across spaces."She added, "They're already building them in Saudi Arabia and other countries." <div type="image" title="View of Parisian street" height="640" width="1280" msid="98774617" hostid="261" sizebytes="168216"></div><h2>Paris, Saudi Arabia, or the American suburbs? </h2>The concept of 15-minute cities was <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/carlos_moreno_the_15_minute_city/transcript" target="_blank" rel="noopener">popularized by</a> French professor Carlos Moreno and best describes a city like Paris, which has successfully made many of its neighborhoods pedestrian-friendly while reducing car traffic.Conspiracy theorists have tied the dense city model to the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, mixing pandemic lockdown paranoia with resistance to climate efforts.The disinformation about walkable cities brought <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-02/how-did-the-15-minute-city-get-tangled-up-in-a-far-right-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thousands of people</a> to the streets of Oxford, UK, in February to protest the British city's modest efforts to reduce traffic congestion. Right-wing politicians have fanned the flames. A conservative member of the UK parliament recently <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFletcherMP/status/1623699476366991360" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> 15-minute cities an "international socialist concept" that "would take away your personal freedoms."The popular urban planning concept has been deeply misunderstood, experts say. "There's nothing radically different from a so-called 15-minute city and what you would see in a small or midsize American city before WW2," Andrew Justus, a housing policy analyst at the Niskanen Center, said in an email. But Freedom Cities don't sound like 15-minute cities at all. They would purportedly feature affordable cars and single family housing, recreating the classic American suburb on federal land.Trump's proposed cities have similar elements to new cities being built in the Persian Gulf, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2019/07/10/china-is-pulling-ahead-of-north-america-on-smart-cities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a>, and elsewhere. Saudi Arabia's planned 100-mile long carbon-free metropolis, called <a href="https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Line</a>, is billing itself as a five-minute city — something like a massive indoor mall.A Republican consultant close to Trump's campaign said Trump came up with the idea himself and was likely inspired by <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-princes-500-billion-desert-dream-flying-cars-robot-dinosaurs-and-a-giant-artificial-moon-11564097568" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saudi Arabia</a>'s construction of futuristic desert cities."Trump sees the Saudis investing a lot of money, you know, why don't we create something similar like that in the US?" he told Insider, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "That's just the way his brain works." Urban policy experts are skeptical that any sort of federally-chartered city building project would be successful in the US. Policymakers should instead focus on how to make existing cities more livable and productive. "All economists would think this is a bad idea — this isn't how cities develop. They don't spring up magically out of nowhere," Rick McGahey, an economist and author of the new book <a href="http://cup.columbia.edu/book/unequal-cities/9780231173346" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Unequal Cities,"</a> told Insider. "It just totally misunderstands where cities come from, what their role is in the economy, and that's why we should be helping our existing cities because they are the core of our economic growth and prosperity." Andy Winkler, the director of housing and infrastructure projects at the Bipartisan Policy Center, agreed that there would likely be little political or other support for a federally-directed initiative like Trump's. But he added that the US needs to be "competitive in thinking about what the future of cities really is.""I can't fault somebody for having some creative vision," he said. The Republican consultant wasn't convinced Trump's proposal is entirely serious, but he argued it was designed to get attention and has succeeded in that. "I mean, you're talking about it," he said. "As for people making fun of it, so what? People make fun of things all the time. People made fun of Trump when he said he was going to renegotiate NAFTA. Guess what he did?"

Conservatives scoff at Trump's 'leftist plan' to build 10 new American cities featuring flying cars

<keyword id="22076991" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zero-FIR" source="keywords">Zero FIR</keyword>, registration of <keyword id="20092859" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="police-complaints" source="keywords">police complaints</keyword> online, summons through electronic modes and mandatory videography of crime scenes of all heinous crimes are the key highlights of the three new <keyword id="19911888" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="criminal-laws" source="keywords">criminal laws</keyword> that will come into effect from July 1. The <keyword id="19899463" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Nyaya-Sanhita" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita">Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita</keyword> 2023, <keyword id="19922249" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Nagarik-Suraksha-Sanhita" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita">Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita</keyword> 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 mark a significant step towards empowering Indian citizens and aim to create a more accessible, supportive and efficient <keyword id="20453941" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="justice-system" source="keywords">justice system</keyword> for everyone, official sources said. The new laws, enacted late last year, are set to replace the <keyword id="22189969" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="British-era-Indian-Penal-Code" source="keywords">British-era Indian Penal Code</keyword>, <keyword id="19898813" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Code-of-Criminal-Procedure" source="keywords">Code of Criminal Procedure</keyword> and the Indian Evidence Act respectively. Under the new laws, a person can now report incidents by electronic communication, without the need to physically visit a police station. This allows for easier and quicker reporting, facilitating prompt action by the police, the sources said. With the introduction of zero FIR, a person can file a First Information Report (FIR) at any police station, regardless of jurisdiction. This eliminates delays in initiating legal proceedings and ensures immediate reporting of the offence. Under the new laws, victims will receive a free copy of the FIR, ensuring their participation in the legal process. An interesting addition of the law is that in the event of an arrest, the individual has the right to inform a person of his choice about his or her situation. This will ensure immediate support and assistance to the arrested individual. Besides, arrest details will now be prominently displayed within police stations and district headquarters, allowing families and friends of the arrested person easy access to important information. To strengthen the case and investigations, it has become mandatory for forensic experts to visit crime scenes for serious offences and collect evidence. Additionally, the process of evidence collection at the crime scene will be mandatorily videographed to prevent tampering of evidence. This dual approach significantly enhances the quality and reliability of investigations and contributes to a fair administration of justice, the sources said. The new laws prioritised the investigations for offences against women and children, ensuring timely completion within two months of recording information. Under the new law, victims are entitled to regular updates on the progress of their case within 90 days. This provision keeps the victims informed and involved in the legal process, enhancing transparency and trust. The new laws guarantee free first-aid or medical treatment to victims of crimes against women and children at all hospitals. This provision ensures immediate access to essential medical care, prioritising the well-being and recovery of victims during challenging times. Summons can now be served electronically, expediting the legal processes, reducing paperwork and ensuring efficient communication between all parties involved. For certain offences against women, statements of the victim are to be recorded, as far as practicable, by a woman magistrate and in her absence, by a male magistrate in the presence of a woman to ensure sensitivity and fairness, creating a supportive environment for victims. Both the accused and the victim are entitled to receive copies of the FIR, police report, chargesheet, statements, confessions and other documents within 14 days. Courts grant a maximum of two adjournments to avoid unnecessary delays in case hearings, ensuring timely justice delivery. The new laws mandate all state governments to implement witness protection scheme to ensure the safety and cooperation of witnesses and enhancing the credibility and effectiveness of legal proceedings. The definition of "gender" now includes transgender individuals, promoting inclusivity and equality. By conducting all legal proceedings electronically, the new laws offer convenience to victims, witnesses and accused, thereby streamlining and expediting the entire legal process. In order to provide more protection to the victim and enforce transparency in investigation related to an offence of rape, the statement of the victim shall be recorded through audio video means by the police. Women, persons below 15 years, persons above 60 years and those with disabilities or acute illness are exempt from attending police stations and can receive police assistance at their place of residence. A new chapter has been added in BNS specifically to address offences against women and children, ensuring focused protection and justice. Various offences against women and children have been made gender-neutral in BNS, covering all victims and perpetrators regardless of gender. The new laws introduce community service for minor offences in order to promote personal growth and social responsibility of an individual. Under community service, the offenders get the chance to positively contribute to society, learn from their mistakes and build stronger community bonds. Under the new laws, the fines imposed for certain crimes have been aligned with the severity of the offences, ensuring fair and proportional punishment, deterring future offences and maintaining public trust in the legal system. The legal processes have been simplified to make them easier to understand and follow, ensuring fair and accessible justice. The new laws promise a faster and fair resolution of cases, instilling confidence in the legal system. The legislations were considered and passed by Parliament in its winter session in 2023. Total 37 members of Parliament from Lok Sabha and 40 from Rajya Sabha participated in the debate.

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