New Delhi, Dec 14 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday introduced an Internet of Things (IoT)-based solution to address the issue of water pipeline leakages. The pilot project, launched in Delhi's Rajinder Nagar constituency, marks first such initiative in India, an official statement of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said. Also Read | Chirag Paswan Drops Big Hint, Says 'Ready To Fight Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 if LJPRV Decides'. This innovative project is set to revolutionise pipeline repairs in the city as the IoT technology enables sensors to detect the exact location of leaks, eliminating the need for widespread road digging, the statement added. Repairs can now be made through minimal excavation, ensuring quick resolutions with minimal disruption to public life, it reads. Also Read | Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: Tejashwi Yadav Says 'Will Implement Mai-Behan Maan Yojana if RJD Wins Upcoming Polls' (Watch Video). AAP MLA from Rajinder Nagar, Durgesh Pathak, said: "This project is a game-changer for the residents of Rajinder Nagar. It not only ensures water conservation but also eliminates the inconvenience caused by road digging and traffic disruptions. This is a step towards making Delhi a smart and citizen-friendly city." According to the statement, the IoT-based solution prevents water wastage, reduces repair time and costs, and improves traffic flow by avoiding unnecessary road closures. The initiative also addresses long-standing public grievances regarding frequent and poorly executed repair works, it added. The pilot project is currently operational in Rajinder Nagar, with plans for citywide implementation in the near future. This initiative is part of the AAP's broader vision to enhance Delhi's infrastructure and quality of life, it added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
In this article TM F Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Canadian and American flags fly near the base of the Ambassador Bridge connecting Canada to the U.S. in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Cole Burston | Bloomberg | Getty Images DETROIT — There's growing concern that President-elect Donald Trump 's plan to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian imports would be an existential threat to the country's recovering automotive industry. Potential tariffs on vehicles and automotive parts are particularly alarming for the province of Ontario, the epicenter of Canada's auto industry. Five automakers — Ford Motor , General Motors , Stellantis , Toyota Motor and Honda Motor — produced 1.54 million light-duty vehicles last year in the province, largely for U.S. consumers. "It'd be terrible. It'd not only devastate Canadian jobs, it'd devastate American jobs," Ontario Premier Doug Ford told CNBC during a phone interview. A tariff is a tax on imports, or foreign goods, brought into the U.S. They are paid for by companies, which some fear would simply pass any additional costs on to consumers. Ford, who said he has not spoken with Trump directly, argued that any tariffs would be harmful to both sides of the border. He said raw materials and parts routinely pass across the border multiple times before being used in the final assembly of a vehicle. Tariffs, he warned, would increase prices, which could then slow production and eliminate jobs. "We have a trade agreement right now. Things have been working," Ford said. "I've said it publicly: I'd love to do a bilateral trade deal with the U.S. And Mexico wants a trade deal, we'll do a bilateral trade deal with Mexico. But Mexico, if they want a seat at the table, they have to follow the rules." Ontario premier Doug Ford answers questions from reporters as he hosts the Fall meeting of Canada's premiers in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada December 16, 2024. Carlos Osorio | Reuters Trump has said he will impose additional 10% tariff on goods from China and a 25% levy for Canada and Mexico , though he has offered few details, such as if there would be exceptions. He has said plans to invoke "national security" concerns to pass such hikes, rather than seeking congressional approval, saying illegal immigration and the illicit drug trade are causing concerns on the border, justifying the tariffs. Putting tariffs on components could add $600 to $2,500 per vehicle on parts from Mexico, Canada and China, according to estimates in a Wells Fargo analyst note. Prices on vehicles assembled in Mexico and Canada — which account for about 23% of vehicles sold in the U.S. —could rise $1,750 to $10,000. Such tariffs and increased costs would add to problems for embattled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as he fends off calls for his resignation . Ontario: Canada's auto capitol Ontario recently launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in the U.S. to promote its role as a key trading partner and "ally to the North." Ontario, as a province, is the third-largest trading partner for the U.S., including the top foreign trade partner for 17 states, according to Ford, the premier. He points out that trade between Ontario — as well as broader Canada with the U.S. — is much more evenly split than it is with Mexico, especially when removing the oil Canada sends to the U.S. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses the Liberal party caucus meeting in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada December 16, 2024. Blair Gable | Reuters Canadian exports of auto parts came in at $23.5 billion in 2023, while exports of light vehicles totaled $53.5 billion. Imports totaled $47.5 billion and $70.4 billion, respectively, according to Canada-based DesRosiers Automotive Consultants . Of those, the U.S. accounts for 95.3% of Canada's total auto exports and 57.7% of its overall auto imports . "Anything that kind of disrupts that balance is going to affect both sides of the border," said Flavio Volpe, head of the Canadian Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association. "The best tariff level for Canadian and American auto parts suppliers is zero." Volpe argues a double-digit tariff would be "existential," with ripple effects into the U.S. automotive industry. As an example, he pointed to 2022, when Canadian truck drivers blocked the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, in Canada — the busiest border bridge between the countries — disrupting manufacturing for several automakers in the U.S. Toyota is the top-producing automaker in Canada, at roughly 526,000 units in 2023, followed by Honda at nearly 378,500 vehicles. GM, once the largest producer in Canada at more than 1 million vehicles, is now one of the smallest manufacturers of light-duty vehicles in the region. Industry on the mend The Canadian automotive industry is on an upswing following a decades-long decline that escalated during the coronavirus pandemic. Light-duty vehicle production in Canada hit 1.54 million vehicles last year, up from a recent low of 1.1 million in 2021, but still a 47% decline from the country's peak of 2.9 million in 2000, according to industry data provided by the Global Automakers of Canada trade association. "The industry, like the American industry, has been challenged recovering from the pandemic. We're still not there from a sales and production point of view, but we have been recovering," said David Adams, president of the Global Automakers of Canada , which represents the interest of 16 non-U.S. based automakers. The uptick comes despite two large assembly plants in Ontario, owned by Ford and Stellantis, existing in limbo, as the factories don't currently have vehicles to produce. Thousands of workers have been laid off as a result of the lack of production. Much of the uncertainty was caused by the automotive industry's transition to all-electric vehicles, as adoption of EVs has not occurred as quickly as expected. Trump also has vowed to remove subsidies for purchasing EVs, which have assisted in spurring sales while federal benefits still exists. "There is profound concern about the Canadian automobile industry as much because it's not clear what direction to go," said Charlotte Yates, president of the Automotive Policy Research Centre and professor emeritus at McMaster University. "There's a series of public policy changes as well as political attitudinal changes, and, of course, the threat of tariffs really rattling the industry in Canada." Ford, Ontario's premier, said the U.S. and Canada should be working together, as they have been for decades. "We should be focusing on China and Mexico, not on its closest ally in the entire world," Ford said. "Let's build a fortress, an American–Canadian fortress against the rest of the world. We can't be stopped if we if we stick together."
Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.Oklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris , a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94. Democratic Party members across Oklahoma remembered Harris for his commitment to economic and social justice during the 1960s — a period of historical turbulence. Harris chaired the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970 and helped unify the party after its tumultuous national convention in 1968 when protesters and police clashed in Chicago. “Fred Harris showed us what is possible when we lead with both heart and principle. He worked to ensure everyone had a voice and a seat at the table,” said Alicia Andrews, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. Harris appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year as a guest speaker for the Oklahoma delegation, where he reflected on progress and unity. "Standing alongside him in Chicago this summer was a reminder of how his legacy continues to inspire,” Andrews said. Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma and the DNC, said that there is no one else in public service whom she admired more than the former senator. “He was a friend, a mentor, a hero and my True North. Oklahoma and America have lost a powerful advocate and voice,” Free said in a statement. “His work for Indian Country will always be remembered.” “Senator Harris truly was an Oklahoma treasure and was ahead of his time in so many ways,” said Jeff Berrong, whose grandfather served in the state Senate with Harris. “He never forgot where he came from and he always remained focused on building a society that would provide equality of opportunity for all.” Harris served eight years in the state Senate before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served another eight years before his 1976 presidential campaign. State party leaders commemorated his work on the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, or the Kerner Commission, to investigate the 1960s riots. Harris was the last surviving member of the commission. Shortly after his presidential campaign, Harris left politics and moved to New Mexico and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. —- Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Foundation’s Al Ghorrah for Literature and Arts is inviting the community of Qatar to join a cultural journey, as the upcoming five-day event showcases tradition and heritage, connecting the past with the present. Al Ghorrah takes place at Education City from November 28 to December 2, with a variety of musical and theatrical performances showcasing local and regional talent – including Al Feel Ya Malik Al Zaman, a play directed by Maher Salibi and starring Jamal Sulieman, from 7pm to 8pm on November 28 and 29. Tickets for Al Ghorrah, available now at www.educationcity.qa/al-ghorrah, are priced at QR35 for children, QR50 for adults, and QR200 for specialised workshops. During Al Ghorrah, a special performance by Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) titled ‘1001 Nights: A Journey Through the Storm’, produced by Dana Al Fardan, will blend traditional instruments with symphonic music. Performed at the opening night, it will mark the official opening of the event. Meanwhile, Nasser Al Jassim will direct a Qatari-Moroccan medley combining folklore, instruments, and music from both countries to celebrate the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture, and the choir from QF’s Qatar Music Academy will perform Arabic Fusha songs with QPO. Egyptian singer Mustafa Said will perform with the Asil Band, presenting songs inspired by Mu’alaqat, while Sada Alebda, following the ‘Heritage Symphonies’ project founded in 2019 in Yemen, aims to promote and disseminate folk music by integrating it into orchestral performances. Finally, the festival will end with a performance by Hamza Namira. Al Ghorrah is open for the whole community to experience and enjoy, and its programme also includes poetry readings, lectures, interactive events, storytelling sessions, and culinary experiences featuring the flavours of countries including Egypt, Iran, and Syria. For more information about what Al Ghorrah has to offer, visit www.educationcity.qa/al-ghorrah Al Ghorrah is sponsored by the Social & Sport Contribution Fund (DAAM), with other partners including Qatar Calendar, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.Community invited to experience a showcase themed around Arab-Islamic culture, heritage Copy 22/11/2024 10