Short Stories of Politics and Unrest in the World

The US military is unsure what three flying objects it shot out of the skies over North America were - and how they were able to stay aloft. President Joe Biden ordered another object - the fourth in total this month - to be downed on February 12. As it was travelling at 20,000ft (6,100m), it could have interfered with commercial air traffic, the US said. Read More

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on February 13 she expected all NATO member-states to sign-off Finland and Sweden's joint membership bid, which has thus far been slow and complicated. Baerbock called on NATO members Turkey and Hungary to pave the way for the Nordic countries' membership "without delay." Read More

The Philippine government has lodged a diplomatic protest, calling on China to ensure its vessels cease “aggressive activities” after the Chinese coastguard used a “military-grade laser” to try to block one of its ships in the South China Sea. “These acts of aggression by China are disturbing and disappointing,” Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Teresita Daza, said on February 14. Read More

Income Tax officials landed at the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai on February 14 for searches, weeks after a huge controversy over the UK national broadcaster's documentary series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and allegations linked to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The taxmen were carrying out a "survey" over allegations of international taxation and transfer pricing irregularities involving the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). Read More

While President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, are preparing for a possible rematch in 2024, a new poll finds a notable lack of enthusiasm within the parties for either man as his party’s leader and a clear opening for new standard-bearers. About a third of both Democrats and Republicans are unsure of who they want leading their party, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Read More

Moldova’s president outlined on February 13 what she described as a plot by Moscow to overthrow her country’s government using external saboteurs, put the nation “at the disposal of Russia” and derail its aspirations to one day join the European Union. Read More

Research Project on Corruption in India Launched for 2023

While India is already perceived to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world, bureaucratic and political corruption is still increasing dramatically in the country.

However, there is no reliable information available on the extent of corruption. This research project - being carried out by the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation - aims to compile a comprehensive report - under the title India Corruption Research Report 2023 (ICRR 2023) - on diverse aspects of corruption in India.

The findings of the report will help the central as well as state governments in the country make actionable strategies to combat corruption. The report will also be equally useful for other stakeholders including businesses, political parties, and international organizations.

The report ICRR 2023 will be the second annual report which will be published by the RMN Foundation - which is the humanitarian initiative of RMN (Raman Media Network) News Service. The first report ICRR 2022 was released in October 2022.

[ You can click here to study the ICRR 2022 in ebook format. ]

The research project is being spearheaded by Rakesh Raman who is a national award-winning journalist and founder of RMN Foundation. People and organizations from all over the world are invited to join hands with RMN Foundation as donors, volunteers, and partners for the ICRR 2023 project and other humanitarian activities for diverse communities.

You can click here to know about the ICRR 2023 project and donation details.