Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the season in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, is gaining strength as it heads toward the Caribbean. The storm is expected to lash the Caribbean with sustained winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.

Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based media outlet, reported this information citing the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

According to the report, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that the hurricane could make a devastating impact on the island tomorrow, Monday (July 1).

Beryl is located in the Atlantic Ocean about 675 kilometers (420 miles) east of Barbados, the NHC said. It could hit the Windward Islands on Monday morning. At that time Beryl can turn into a very dangerous storm.

The storm is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane or greater. It will have sustained winds of 111 mph (179 km/h).

Hurricane warnings have also been issued for Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada, Martinique, Tobago and Dominica, the NHC said.

According to hurricane expert Michael Lowry, Beryl is the third category hurricane on record in the Atlantic this June, after Audrey in 1957 and Alma in 1966.

Meanwhile, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenadine Islands, Grenada and Tobago are under a maximum alert for Hurricane Beryl. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said residents were warned that up to 15 centimeters of rain could fall on the islands. In addition, tide levels in the Caribbean islands may rise 9 feet above normal during Beryl's impact. 

Bharatiya Janata Party-BJP has been able to form the government for the third time in a row with the support of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) alliance after winning the Lok Sabha elections of India in 2024.

The party also won the 16th Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and the 17th Lok Sabha elections in 2019 with a single majority. In the previous two elections, the BJP formed the government with the BJP-led NDA alliance.

But the party did not get 272 seats as a single party in the 18th Lok Sabha elections of 2024. After getting 240 seats, BJP formed the government through compromise with the alliance partners.

Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and Nitishkumar, the leader of the JD (U) or Janata Dal (United) in Bihar played a key role in this. Besides, smaller parties also played a role in forming the BJP government.

From 2014 to 2019, the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, was without an opposition party for 10 consecutive years. In order to sit in the Lok Sabha, the opposition party needs to win at least 55 seats out of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats which is a percentage of 10 percent of the votes.

The All India National Congress Party has played a role as the main force against the government outside Parliament for these 10 years. However, the party won the status of the opposition party by getting 99 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

On June 26 (Wednesday), Om Birla was elected as the new Speaker of the Lok Sabha by voice vote of the NDA alliance. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also elected as the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.

In 2024, Rahul Gandhi was elected as Lok Sabha member from Rai Barili in Amethi and Wanda in Kerala.

Handbook on Opposition Leadership:

In 2012, the National Parliament published a booklet on the role of the Leader of the Opposition in India's Lok Sabha. It says that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha will be the 'Shadow Prime Minister of the Shadow Cabinet'. If the ruling party loses the no-confidence vote in the parliament, then he will be the next head of government subject to proof of majority.

The booklet also said that the Leader of the Opposition is not a constitutional post. However, his opinion will be important in appointing key government posts.

As such, Rahul Gandhi will have a special role in taking important decisions of the government as the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. 10 years from 2014 to 2024, the decisions that BJP could have taken as a single majority party, will not dominate in 2024 Lok Sabha. The decision imposed by them will be undermined by the election of Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition.

All the powers that the leader of the opposition has:

According to the Constitution of India, as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the role that Rahul Gandhi can play in the decision-making of the government is-

1. Opposing the decision of the government, raising questions

Even if he cannot prevent the implementation of the government's decision, the opposition leader can make him accountable in the parliament. That means the government can't unilaterally implement any decision without challenge.

2. The Shadow Cabinet is the responsibility of the Shadow Prime Minister

If for some reason the Prime Minister in the government fails to fulfill the duties given by the state and loses the vote of no confidence in the parliament, then his party can form the government in the interest of the country subject to proof of majority in the parliament. That is why the opposition leader of the parliament will perform the duties of 'Shadow Prime Minister by forming the shadow cabinet' during the time of the leader of the opposition.

3. Call for debate on important issues

If the leader of the opposition feels that the government wants to bypass the parliament to implement a decision out of fear of criticism, then the leader of the opposition can invite the government to debate it in the parliament.

4. Advising the Prime Minister on policy decisions

The Prime Minister will take joint decisions in determining foreign relations and national security or in times of crisis of the nation by discussing with the opposition leader because, the opposition leader acts as a symbol of the unity of the country. That is why the commitment of the opposition leader is also necessary during the country's crisis.

5. Criticism of the government

Leaders of opposition parties can criticize the government in parliament or while traveling abroad. But then he cannot do 'party politics'.

6. Spokesperson for Minorities

According to the pamphlet published by the Parliament, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha will be the spokesperson for the protection of minority rights and justice. As such, he will fulfill that responsibility.

7. Decision maker in appointment to important posts

The opposition leader has the opportunity to play a very important role in the appointment of important government posts. These include opinions on the appointment of the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), the appointment of the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission and the appointment of the National Inspectorate.

Also has the opportunity to serve as an important member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts, Public Undertakings, Accounts and Joint Parliamentary Committees as Leader of Opposition.

It is not conceivable that Rahul Gandhi will easily allow the BJP to take a single decision, given the opportunity to perform such an important role as the Leader of the Opposition in India's Lok Sabha.

The party leaders had to make a lot of statements in BJP's election rally due to the criticism of the 'India' bloc while they were already out of Parliament. It can be easily guessed that the BJP will be like this in the fierce criticism and arguments of the Lok Sabha opposition! Time will tell the rest, how successful Rahul Gandhi!

Germany's revised citizenship law, allowing for dual citizenship, comes into force on Thursday (June 27). As a result, more people will have the opportunity to acquire German citizenship. InfoMigrants takes a look at the key points of the Act.

German news agency Deutsche Welle reported this information.

According to federal government data, Germany's citizenship attainment rate is half the European Union average, the report said.

At least 14 percent of Germany's total population, i.e. 1 crore 20 lakh people, do not have the country's citizenship At least 5.3 percent of people have lived in Germany for the past 10 years.

The law will come into effect on June 27, nearly seven months after the reform proposal was passed by the German parliament, the Bundestag. If this law comes into effect, immigrants will be able to apply for German citizenship after five years instead of eight years.

According to the German Ministry of the Interior, the law has been reformed with emphasis on five issues These include speeding up the process of acquiring citizenship, allowing for dual citizenship, recognizing special qualifications, simplifying citizenship by birth, giving lifetime, achievement or lifetime honors to the generation of 'guest workers' and allowing more immigrants to become German citizens.

With the law coming into effect, foreigners living in Germany will be able to apply for citizenship after five years instead of eight years.

If someone is married to a German citizen, they can apply for citizenship after four years.

Applicants who can show 'special success' in their integration into German society can apply for citizenship after three years. Specific achievements include: doing well in school, proving you in the workplace, language skills and excellence in volunteer work.

According to the German Federal Statistics Office, in 2022 almost a quarter of the total population of Germany has a history of migration.

To get a German passport or to become a citizen, a foreigner does not have to give up the citizenship of his country as before. This facility is also effective from June 27.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, applicants can retain their previous citizenship without fulfilling any conditions while acquiring German citizenship. As a result, there will be no regret of leaving the passport of your country while taking the German passport.

However, it will also depend on whether the applicant's home country allows dual citizenship or whether there is an agreement with the German government of another country in this regard.

Regarding the special privileges of newborns, the Ministry of Interior said that in the future, children born in Germany to foreign parents will "unconditionally receive German citizenship."

Even children of German origin can now retain their parents' citizenship, if one of them has regularly lived in Germany for at least five years (down from eight years).

Members of the guest worker generation can only obtain German citizenship if they can provide proof of language skills. They will not need to pass the German naturalization process They must prove they can speak German "in everyday life," the Interior ministry said.

Germany has taken this simple measure to show special respect to guest workers

Many Turkish citizens came to Germany in the 1950s to help rebuild Germany from the ruins of World War II. They are called 'Guestrbeiter' or 'Guest Workers' in German until now, if any of them wanted to become a German citizen, they had to give up their Turkish citizenship

The Interior Ministry said that any foreigner applying for German citizenship with a criminal record will not be accepted. However, the authorities will not take into account minor crimes. If someone is convicted of a crime and sentenced to a maximum of 90 days in jail, he or she will be eligible to apply for citizenship after serving the sentence.

But there is an exception. If an immigrant is convicted of 'anti-Semitic, racist or other inhumane acts', regardless of the length of the sentence, he or she will no longer be granted citizenship.

In order to obtain citizenship, foreigners must be able to support themselves and their family members. This is because, according to Sections II and XII of the German Social Code (SG Two and Twelve), they are not included in the public welfare allowance.

Asylum seekers whose asylum applications have been rejected, but whose repatriation is prohibited for security reasons, i.e. staying in Germany for a long time in the Düldung process, will not be eligible for citizenship.

According to a study by the Migration Media Service, at least 24,000 applications are currently being processed in Germany's 50 largest cities. The number is more than the total number of citizenship acquisitions in Germany in 2023 25 thousand 600 people applied for citizenship in Germany's second largest city, Hamburg.

Last year, the number of applications for citizenship increased by at least 19 percent compared to 2022. And the number is more than double compared to 2020.

Due to such initiatives of the ruling coalition government, the number of applications for citizenship will increase in the future, the concerned people think.

According to the German news agency DPA, the relevant departments of the government may be under pressure due to the increase in citizenship applications So the government is focused on digitizing the entire process

According to the Migration Media Service survey, in almost every city in Germany, Syrians lead the way in applying for citizenship. Then there are citizens of Iraq and Turkey. According to last year's statistics, the number of Iranians and Afghanis in this race is not less.

It should be noted that Germany's conservative opposition party CDU/CSU has achieved the best results in the European Parliament elections this June. The far-right AfD came in second place. But the parties in the coalition government led by German Chancellor Olaf Schalz are at the bottom. As a result, there are doubts about the future of this legal reform.

General elections will be held in Germany at the end of this summer or in the fall of next year. Currently, the opposition party CDU/CSU is very active in German politics. If they come to power in the future, they have announced to cancel these reforms of the citizenship law. 

India's former foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey, a true friend of Bangladesh, has died. This diplomat, who joined the country's foreign service in 1957, served in Bangladesh for a time. From 1979 to 1982, he handled the duties of the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka. Later, Muchkund was appointed Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations till 1985.

According to Indian media reports, Muchkund was ill for the past few months due to various complications related to old age. He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at Delhi's Fortis Escorts Hospital on Wednesday. He was 90 years old at the time of his death.

Muchkund served as a diplomat in Tehran, Geneva, Bern, New York and Dhaka. After retiring as the Foreign Secretary of India in 1991, he taught in the Department of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi for about 7 years. Muchkund later became the President of Delhi Council for Social Development.

After retiring from the Indian Foreign Service, Muchkund joined the Jawaharlal Nehru University as a professor where he taught for about eight years. The diplomat served as an international civil servant at the headquarters of the United Nations and UNDP.

The former foreign secretary is also considered a disarmament expert. Apart from this, he was the Indian member of the Executive Board of UNESCO, Chairman of the Common School System Commission of Bihar and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Sikkim.

Muchkund Dubey was born on 3 November 1933 in Deoghar, Bihar, India. Presently it is located in Jharkhand. His cremation is scheduled to take place on Thursday evening at the Laudi Road crematorium in New Delhi.