THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), in a statement issued on January 11, has denounced the government’s announcement of allowing 49 per cent FDI in the country’s national carrier – Air India. Modi government had already decided to push Air India for wholesale privatisation. And to expedite such move for privatization, the government has now made this announcement of permitting 49 per cent FDI.

THE people of Tripura, forged in the fire of prolonged mass movement against the British-like ‘divide and rule’ policy of the Centre, will never budge an inch from their strong stand in favour of the Left Front government, leading them to comprehensive development based on the unity and integrity of the state’s mixed population of tribals and non-tribals including the minority communities.

ARUN Jaitley had outlined a scheme of electoral bonds in his budget speech on February 2, 2017. Now, exactly 11 months later, the notification of the scheme and some details of it have finally been announced in a Press Information Bureau release on January 2, 2018. Along with this release, Jaitley himself has also written an explanation-cum-defence of the scheme, from which it is clear that the scheme, far from countering the threat to democracy arising from large-scale corporate funding of elections, does not even address this issue.

THE prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting India from January 14. His official visit is not something which is to be welcomed. The coalition headed by Netanyahu is the most right-wing government that Israel has had. It consists of ultraright Jewish parties who openly advocate expulsion of the Palestinian people from the occupied territories and treating the Arabs within the borders of Israel as second-class citizens.The Netanyahu government has legalised the private lands expropriated from Palestinians.

IRAN is witnessing unprecedented protest demonstrations for the past one week. Hundreds of thousands of people are on the streets demanding a better life. This is the first time in eight years, since the protests against alleged electoral fraud in 2009, that Iran is once again witnessing such protests and unrest. According to official statistics released by the government, more than 20 people have died and hundreds were injured in the protests. Thousands more were detained by the security forces.