Moscow, July 3 (IANS) The Russian Foreign Ministry has declared a diplomat working at the Romanian Embassy in Moscow persona non grata, according to a Ministry statement issued on Wednesday.

Romanian Ambassador to Russia Cristian Istrate was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday and “handed a note declaring a staff member of the Romanian Embassy persona non grata”, the statement said.

It added that the move was taken in response to Romania’s recent decision to declare a Russian embassy worker persona non grata, reported Xinhua news agency.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry declared a diplomat working at the Russian Embassy in Bucharest persona non grata on May 24 for “actions that contradict the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”.

–IANS

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Washington, July 3 (IANS) Kamala Harris, the Indian American Vice President, is emerging as a leading choice for Democrats to take over from President Joe Biden should he step aside, bowing to growing calls from within the party following his disastrous performance in the first president debate of the 2024 cycle last week.

A new poll shows she is within striking distance of former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, in a head-to-head matchup.

Harris herself is being the loyal Vice-President of Biden, telling reporters that Biden is the party nominee and he will beat Trump again, after 2020.

That hasn’t stopped Democrats from across the party from announcing their support for Harris.

“I ran for President in 2020. I was the first Presidential candidate to endorse Joe Biden in 2020. I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden,” former Congressman Tim Ryan has written in a signed piece in Newsweek magazine.

“The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris.”

Ryan ran in the 2020 primaries, which was eventually won by Biden who went on to win the race.

“Witnessing Joe Biden’s struggle was heartbreaking,” Ryan wrote, referring to the debate. “And we must forge a new path forward.”

A fierce debate has been underway in the Democratic party since the debate last Thursday over Biden’s candidacy. No one disputes that Biden had a terrible debate. His supporters have sought to portray it as “one bad night”, which does not define his candidacy.

But there are those, including Ryan, who are arguing that the debate showed Biden is not up to the job and he should make way for someone younger and able.

Even former President Barack Obama, a steadfast supporter of his former Vice-President, has privately expressed concerns about Biden’s chances after the debate, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Other Democrats on the list of possible replacements include California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (whose family owns the Hyatt hotel chain), Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

Nothing can or will change until Biden himself chooses to step aside as he holds most of the party delegates who will meet in August to officially nominate him as the party candidate for the White House. These delegates are tied to him by party rules and they cannot switch their vote. Only Biden can change all this by stepping aside, but so far he and his campaign have appeared dug in and determined to ride out this storm.

Should he change his mind, Harris will be a serious contender for his mantle.

Of all the probables, she is the only one to have gone through the kind of vetting that candidates for the White House are subjected to. As Biden’s running mate, Harris went through the wringer in 2020. Her past, her career, personality traits, and her family were subjected to close scrutiny. As Biden’s Vice-President, she can justifiably claim the achievements of his administration, which are plenty, although not reflected in polls.

In a new poll published by CNN on Tuesday, Harris fell only 2 percentage points between Trump in a matchup – 45 per cent to 47 per cent – which is really within the statistical margin of error. She performs better against Trump than her boss Biden, who trails the Republican nominee 43 per cent to 49 per cent. If Harris does get the nomination, she will become the first Indian American to become the presidential nominee for a major party. There have been several who run for the nomination in both parties but no one has made it out of the primaries – Harris herself was a candidate for the nomination in 2020.

Among Republicans, Nikki Haley, the former Ambassador to the UN, was a contender for the nomination in 2024, ending her race just some months ago. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal ran for the Republican nomination in 2016, but did not survive the primaries.

–IANS

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London, July 3 (IANS) Elected to Parliament in 2015 for the first time at the age of 52, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, widely projected to become the next UK Prime Minister after Thursday’s General Elections, has promised to offer the change the country needs.

“Labour will deliver change for Wales and across the United Kingdom. But change will only happen if you vote for it. Vote Labour tomorrow,” he posted on X, a few hours before Britain headed to polls.

Starmer, who takes pride in calling himself a “lifelong” Arsenal fan, has represented people on death row as a human rights lawyer. The Labour Party describes the former Chief Director of Public Prosecutions as a man who has spent his entire career securing justice for those who need it.

Son of a toolmaker, Starmer faced challenging times right from his childhood that was spent in Surrey’s Oxted. His mother, a nurse who worked for the National Health Service (NHS), battled a rare, severe illness for all her life.

“Despite the challenges this presented for Keir, he was hugely influenced by his mother’s courage and determination to live her life despite her illness. It also gave him a deep gratitude for the NHS,” the party says about its leader.

At 18, Starmer began studying law at Leeds University. After becoming a barrister in 1987, he spent a lot of his time providing free legal advice defending ordinary people against the powerful. “He worked on some high-profile cases, taking on fights against the odds with Shell and McDonalds, as well as working with the National Union of Mineworkers to prevent the Tories’ pit closures,” states the Labour Party.

After years of service as Director of Public Prosecutions, which saw him fighting cases for victims of sexual and domestic violence and taking MPs to task for misuse of expenses, Starmer was knighted in 2014 for his services to criminal justice. After entering politics and the British Parliament in 2015, Starmer was elected as leader of the Labour Party in April 2020. Four years later, he is now promising a better future for Britain.

“Our public services are on their knees, hard-working people are not making ends meet, victims of crime are being let down, and that deep British belief, that the next generation will be better off, is at risk,” believes the Labour Party leader.

Starmer and his party want to build a Britain that is forging ahead and not falling behind – one where the economy is secure, and rewards hard work.

“Country before party. Economic stability. NHS waiting times cut. Safer streets. Criminal gangs smashed. 6500 more teachers. Great British Energy. That’s what my Labour government will deliver. Vote for it on Thursday,” says Starmer.

Despite the busy schedule, the leader of the Labour Party has managed to keep his passion for football alive and still plays every Sunday with friends.

“He describes himself as a ‘box-to-box midfield general’, although his teammates may have different views,” states the party.

–IANS

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London, July 3 (IANS) UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday appealed to the voters to stop the Labour “supermajority”, saying that it will
raise the taxes.

“Under the Labour, every working family will pay 2,094 Pounds in tax,” he warned in a post on X.

The UK PM added: “Labour Party candidate Kier Starmer stands for higher taxes and weak borders.”

Earlier, the Conservative Party leader had warned that if Starmer becomes Prime Minister then all illegal migrants will be on the streets. “Do not surrender our borders to the Labour Party,” Sunak said.

“Your pension, your council tax, your home, your car, you name it and they will tax it. That’s the change that will be coming so do not surrender to that,” the Tory leader said.

Pre-poll surveys have predicted a landslide win for the Labour Party.

–IANS

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Jakarta, July 3 (IANS) Five members of a family, including three children, died after a fire engulfed a furniture warehouse in Bekasi, an outskirt city of Indonesia’s capital on Wednesday morning, local authorities said.

According to a preliminary report, the fire broke out at about 6:45 a.m. local time in Jatiasih area where the victims were inside the house, Xinhua news agency reported.

At least 12 fire engines were deployed to distinguish the fire, said head of Bekasi’s fire and rescue agency Aceng Solehudin, noting that an electrical shortage was possibly the main cause of the fire.

According to him, the fire has also caused damages of up to 1 billion Indonesian rupiahs (around 61,000 U.S. dollars).

Meanwhile, Jatiasih police chief Suroto said that all victims were trapped in a bathroom at the warehouse during the fire.

The victims wanted to get out of the building, but the fire continued to spread fast and blocked their way out, he said, adding that an investigation into the case was still underway.

–IANS

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