English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

Confusion on Mahathir bin Mohamad swearing continues

Published

on

Confusion on Mahathir bin Mohamad swearing continues

92 year old would be the oldest elected prime minister in the world history

The swearing-in ceremony for Mahathir bin Mohamad, 92, as the seventh Prime Minister has been delayed for unknown reason. It was supposed to be held at 5 pm (2.30 pm India Time). There is lot of suspense and confusion in Kuala Lumpur about the course of transition of power.

The victory of Malaysia’s opposition parties known as Barisan Nasional (BN) led by Mahathir bin Mohamad, 92, is an unprecedented development in the history of the country. BN coalition has ruled for 61 uninterrupted years since independence.

According to official Bernama news agency, BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, has called on the people on Thursday afternoon to remain calm and place their trust on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mohammad V to appoint the prime minister. This indicated some confusion and power struggle with BN coalition.

Earlier in the day, Mahathir bin Mohamad addressed a press conference in Kuala Lumpur along with his counterparts from Pakatan Harapan, saying that there was an urgency for the country to form a government “as soon as possible” as the interim government’s tenure had ended last night.

As stated in Article 43 (2) (a) the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is obliged to appoint a member of Parliament (MP) whom he believes has the majority support from other MPs as the prime minister.

Confusion-on-Mahathir-bin-Mohamad-swearing-continues1
“So the people in Pakatan Harapan (The Alliance of Hope)all the members of Parliament belonging to Pakatan Harapan have signed and declared that they support the candidate chosen by the coalition to be the prime minister. That candidate you have heard his name, its Dr Mahathir Mohamad”, he said.

“And we hope that by 5 o’clock today that there will be a swearing in ceremony. Because without prime minister, there will be no government, without government there will be no law and constitution,” he said in a press conference here earlier today on the delay in the swearing in ceremony.

He said that at first, the coalition expected the swearing-in ceremony to held this morning but that there had been some confusion regarding their numbers in Parliament and this delayed the event.

He said the confusion, however, was cleared as Pakatan Harapan now had enough MPs and all of them had signed the declaration, supporting him as the prime minister, which would be delivered to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Mahathir said that as soon as the swearing-in had been completed, the new government would call for a sitting of parliament to make the decisions considered very necessary for the government.

Mahathir bin Mohamad served as country’s prime minister from 1981 to 2003, making his the longest serving Prime Minister. His political career has spanned more than 70 years since he first joined a newly formed United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 1956, before forming his own party, Malaysian United Indigenous Party.

Malaysian outgoing Prime Minister Najib Razak, delivered an address on Thursday, after his ruling coalition lost its firm grip on power in an election. The 92-year old Mahathir bin Mohamad, who ruled Malaysia for 22 years, led the unexpected victory over Najib. His return as Prime Minister ends the previously unbroken rule of Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that had governed since 1957.

Though Mahathir bin Mohamad swearing has not taken place till 8.30 pm (local Kuala Lumpur time), but Wikipedia and Google had updated his name as the country’s Prime Minister.

Latest world news

India envoy Dinesh Trivedi meets PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman 

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman amid diplomatic tensions.

Published

on

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.

According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.

The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM

During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.

The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.

The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.

Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request

The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.

Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.

India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction

The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.

The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.

During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.

Published

on

Modi trump

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.

Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.

He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.

“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.

The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.

Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says

Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.

“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.

His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, India-China face 100% tariff risk

The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could allow 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

Published

on

Donald Trump

The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.

The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.

The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

India and China among major Russian energy buyers

The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.

India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.

The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.

What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?

Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.

The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.

Bill also extends Iran sanctions law

The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.

The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com