Hungary PM Viktor Orban adviser Hegedus resigns over 'pure Nazi' speech

A member of Viktor Orban's inner circle has resigned after the Hungarian prime minister spoke out against becoming a "mixed race". 

Zsuzsa Hegedus, who has known the nationalist Mr Orban for 20 years, described the speech as a "pure Nazi text", according to Hungarian media, BBC reported.

The International Auschwitz Committee of Holocaust survivors called the speech "stupid and dangerous".

Mr Orban's spokesman said the media had misrepresented the comments. 

The speech took place on Saturday in a region of Romania which has a large Hungarian community.

In it, Mr Orban said European peoples should be free to mix with one another, but that mixing with non-Europeans created a "mixed-race world". 

"We are willing to mix with one another, but we do not want to become peoples of mixed-race," he said. 

Mr Orban's anti-migration views are well known, but for Ms Hegedus Saturday's speech crossed a line. 

"I don't know how you didn't notice that the speech you delivered is a purely Nazi diatribe worthy of Joseph Goebbels," she wrote in her resignation letter, according to the Hungarian hvg.hu news website.

Goebbels was the head of Adolf Hitler's propaganda ministry, according to BBC.

Hungary's largest Jewish group also condemned the speech and called for a meeting with Mr Orban.

 

Beijing vows 'consequences' if Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's rumoured plan for a trip to Taiwan has infuriated China and left the White House with a serious geopolitical headache. How big a problem is this?

On Monday, China warned of "serious consequences" if Nancy Pelosi were to proceed with a visit to Taiwan in the coming weeks, BBC reported.

Second in line to the presidency, Mrs Pelosi would be the highest ranking US politician to travel to the self-governing island democracy since 1997.

However, China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country again - and has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.

The potential trip has not only rankled Beijing - the Biden administration has reportedly tried to dissuade the California Democrat from going.

Last week, President Joe Biden told reporters "the military thinks it's not a good idea", but his White House has called Chinese rhetoric against any such trip "clearly unhelpful and not necessary".

The state department says Mrs Pelosi has not announced any travel and the US approach to Taiwan remains unchanged, according to BBC.

CEC Thapaliya hints at holding federal, provincial elections on November 20

Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya hinted that the elections to the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly will be held on November 20.

During a press conference organized by the Election Commission on Tuesday, he said that it would not be surprising if the next meeting of the Cabinet announced the date of November 20 for the elections.

He said that the expenses may increase in the elections.

Saying that the poll body had printed 20 billion ballot papers for the local level elections, Thapaliya said that 80 million ballot papers should be printed for the upcoming elections.

The Chief Election Commissioner said that the Election Commission has already started internal preparations for the elections.

 

Rahul Gandhi among Congress MPs detained during protest over Sonia’s ED grilling

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday went to the office of the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi for the second round of questioning in connection with the National Herald-money laundering case, Hindustan Times reported.

As part of the planned protest, Congress MPs marched from the Gandhi Statue on the Parliament premises towards Vijay Chowk. Several of them, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ranjeet Ranjan, KC Venugopal, Manickam Tagore, Imran Pratapgarhi and K Suresh were detained during the march.

Before being detained, Rahul said discussions are not allowed inside Parliament, while MPs are arrested out for protesting. “All (Congress) MPs came here. They talked about inflation, unemployment. They (Police) are not allowing us to sit here. Discussions are not allowed inside (the Parliament) and here they are arresting us,” the Wayanad MP was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The Congress leadership has planned a ‘satyagrahs’ (peaceful protests) across the national capital and elsewhere in protest against the interrogation. The Delhi Police has denied the party permission to agitate at the Raj Ghat and imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the area.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied their mother to the ED office. Rahul Gandhi has been questioned extensively in the same case recently.

Congress MPs met at the office of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Parliament premises and are likely to stage a march towards the ED office to protest against the questioning.

Workers of the All India Mahila Congress have begun their stir outside the party headquarters in Delhi.

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said the central is trying to harass Opposition leaders and his party will fight against it. “They’re trying to harass Opposition leaders, we’ll fight it. We’re with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. You can’t harass us anymore.”

Gandhi was earlier questioned for a few hours on Thursday last week and Congress leaders had staged a protest across the country. Party MPs had also courted arrest in Delhi against her questioning, according to Hindustan Times.

The ED probe relates to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald newspaper.

Nepal reports 638 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday

Nepal recorded 638 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2, 215 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 400 returned positive. Likewise, 2, 840 people underwent antigen tests, of which 238 tested positive.

As of today, there are 3, 714 active cases in the country.

Nepse plunges by 44. 80 points on Tuesday

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 44. 80 points to close at 2,088.16 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 8. 99 points to close at 398. 39 points.

A total of 8,740,551 units of the shares of 222 companies were traded for Rs 3. 70 billion.

Meanwhile, Multipurpose Finance Company Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 32 percent. Likewise, Ganapati Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 6. 82 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalisation stood at Rs 2. 98 trillion.

One killed in Nawalparasi motorbike accident

A person died in a motorbike accident at Satpatti in Susta Rural Municipality-2 of Nawalparasi on Tuesday.

The deceased has been identified as bike rider  Omnath Phauhadar (53) of Salbas, Sarawal Rural Municipality-1.

Critically injured in the incident, he breathed his last during the course of treatment at the Chaupatta-based Shahid Smriti Community Hospital.

Kudiya Police Post said that the incident occurred when Phauhadar lost control of the two-wheeler (Lu 22 Pa 3675) and fell off a bridge.

Speaker Sapkota urges lawmakers to wear masks

Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota urged the lawmakers to compulsorily wear masks after the main opposition CPN-UML drew the attention of the government towards the increasing cases of Covid-19.

In view of the increasing cases of Covid-19, Speaker Sapkota, during a meeting of the House of Representatives, urged the lawmakers to wear masks.

“You all know that the Covid-19 cases have been increasing day by day. That is why, I would like to request you all to wear masks while attending the meeting of the Parliament,” he said. Most of the lawmakers were not wearing the masks.

Speaking at the meeting, UML lawmaker Yogesh Bhattari drew the attention of the government saying that it is not serious towards monkeypox, cholera and Covid-19.

Though the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, Nepal has not made any preparations to stop the disease from entering the country.