Page 114 - Politics
Pompeo heads to Saudi Arabia, UAE for Iran crisis talks
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday he will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for talks on the crisis sparked by Iran's downing an American drone. "We'll be talking with them about how to make sure that we are all strategically aligned and how we can build out a global coalition" on Iran, he said. Iran shot down a US Global Hawk drone on Thursday, saying it had violated its airspace near the strategic Strait of Hormuz -- a claim the United States denies. US President Donald Trump called off a planned retaliatory military strike Friday, saying the response would not have been "proportionate," with Tehran warning any attack would see Washington's interests across the Middle East go up in flames. Pompeo said he would stop in the two countries on his way to India, where he begins a visit on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters as he left Washington, Pompeo called Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates "great allies in the challenge that Iran presents." Pompeo denounced a .
Pakistan's ex-foreign minister Abdul Sattar no more: FO
Pakistan's former foreign minister Abdul Sattar has died, Foreign Office announced on Sunday. He was 88. Sattar, a career diplomat, served as foreign minister under then president and military dictator Pervez Musharraf from 1999 to 2002. He was with Musharraf during the historic Agra summit between Musharraf and then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "We are deeply saddened to announce that former Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar has passed away," the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. Sattar was career diplomat who rose to become the foreign secretary and served in that capacity from 1986 to 1988. The FO said that he was an illustrious diplomat and an accomplished author. Sattar was also a writer and authored a book of foreign policy of Pakistan.
Media misreported on cut money, 99.99% members are hard-working: TMC
Faced with statewide protests outside residences of a number of its leaders over the issue of "cut money", the TMC on Sunday accused the media of misreporting recent interactions between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the elected representatives of the party. It said "99.99 per cent" of party functionaries were hard-working and committed to work for the benefit of the people. TMC leaders at the municipal and panchayat levels have been facing public ire in the districts of Birbhum, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Burdwan, Malda, Purulia, Nadia, West Midnapore and Bankura. "A certain section of media is misreporting on the recently-held interactions between the chairperson of the Trinamool Congress (Mamata) with party functionaries and the elected representatives," TMC general secretary Partha Chatterjee said in a statement. "The chairperson reiterated her advice for them to work tirelessly for the welfare of the people and ensure that all funds allocated for public welfare schemes are ...
Sirisena for repealing 19th Amendment which curtails Presidential powers
President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday called for repealing the 19th Amendment to the country's Constitution, which has curtailed the presidential powers, saying it is a reason of "political uncertainty" in the country.The amendment, which was passed in April 2015, caps the Presidency at two-terms and disallows dissolution of Parliament by the President before four-and-a-half years of its term, reported Daily Mirror."People accuse us of running an unstable government. They say that I and Prime Minister (Ranil Wickremesinghe) are pulling in different directions...the reason is the 19A," he said.Sri Lanka, which is still reeling under the percussions of deadly Easter Sunday terror attack, saw a power struggle among the President and Prime Minister WickremesingheLast year, President Sirisena prematurely dissolved Parliament in an effort to oust Wickremesinghe out of power. However, the Supreme Court ruled that his dissolution was illegal.Notably, in 2015 Sirisensa was made to introduce
Jharkhand RJD leader floats his own party RJDL
In what is perceived as a blow to RJD in Jharkhand, Gautam Sagar Rana who was made state party president after state RJD chief Annapurna Devi shifted guards to BJP before the general elections, floated his own party, Rashtriya Janata Dal Loktantrik (RJDL), on Sunday."90 per cent of RJD Jharkhand cadre and I am upset with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. There is no democracy left in RJD. We will serve people of Jharkhand on our own," said Rana while addressing a press conference here on Sunday.Before Lok Sabha polls, state RJD chief Annapurna Devi left the party and joined hands with BJP and won the elections from Koderma. However, after RJD's defeat in the elections, its youth president Abhay Singh got appointed as RJD state president.Rana and other leaders were opposed to this move. "We have given the time till June 21 to the national leadership but it seems that all the doors were closed for talk and deliberations," said Rana.
Sena, BJP to rein in leaders who assert on future CM's post
After nearly drawing battle-lines over the post of next chief minister of Maharashtra, the BJP and the Shiv Sena seem to be standing down for now and are trying to rein in motormouths whose statements are causing heartburn between both the allies ahead of the assembly polls. A senior leader of the Sena Sunday confirmed that strict instructions will be issued to party workers asking them to refrain from making any statement that would damage the relations between the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and the BJP. A BJP leader also conceded that some leaders of the party should not have made statements asserting that the CM's post would be retained by the BJP if the NDA returns to power after the elections, due in September-October this year. "It has been communicated to BJP leadership in Delhi and some state leaders may be reprimanded. The concern of the BJP is not to hurt Sena leadership at this moment," he said. Recently, some Sena leaders said the next chief minister would be
Trump says he just wants results on Iran nuclear deal
After days of escalations, US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he just wants results on the nuclear deal with Iran."I don't care what kind of a deal. It can be separate or it can be total. Anything that gets to the result - they cannot have a nuclear weapon," US president Donald Trump told NBC on being asked if he wants China or Russia involved in it.Notably, Washington, unilaterally pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and imposed sanctions on Iran.The recent tensions in the Gulf are a result of Iran's action of shooting down a US military drone last week, claiming that it was in Iranian air space.Washington has labelled the incident as an "unprovoked attack" as the drone was flying over international waters. The two countries got engaged in a war of words with both claiming their version of the story to be true.Trump has also threatened for additional sanctions against Iran to stop the country from owning nuclear weapons.Iran, on its part, has ...
TPCC reviews preparations for municipal elections
The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) met here Sunday and reviewed preparations for the coming municipal elections in the state. TPCC President N Uttam Kumar Reddy in a release said a three-member committee comprising TPCC Working President Ponnam Prabhakar, AICC Secretaries A Sampath Kumar and Vamshichand Reddy has been appointed to oversee the party's strategy for municipal elections. He further said the preparations for elections in all municipalities were being taken up seriously. At the meeting, the TPCC chief demanded that the Telangana government reserve 34 per cent seats for Backward Classes, including Muslims, as per the law. The term of various corporators, councilors, mayors municipal chairpersons in as many as 53 municipalities and three municipal corporations will expire by July 2, 2019.
Bill to protect depositors in ponzi schemes to be tabled soon: Gehlot
The Rajasthan government will introduce a bill to protect depositors and check fraud by chit-fund companies. The matter of financial scams and cheating by chit-fund companies was raised by the members of the civil society during a pre-budget meeting here with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The chief minister said the government was serious in preventing such scams and added that the protection of depositors bill would be introduced in the assembly soon, which will protect the interest of the investors. Gehlot said the role of the civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) was important in implementing the government schemes and programmes at the grass-roots level. The chief minister said the government was serious about the problem of silicosis in the mining area and efforts would be made to make the state free from the disease. Silicosis is a lung fibrosis caused by the inhalation of dust containing silica in mining areas. Representatives from various NGOs working in the ..
National flag printed upside down in school book in Gaya
National flag has been printed upside down on a third standard government textbook in Gaya district of Bihar.The administration put the blame on publisher and printer and said that the books were ordered to be recalled."It is a mistake on the part of the publisher and the printer. We are already aware of the matter," District Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan head Upendra Kumar Singh said.The official said that concerned authorities have been directed to get back the wrong books and provide the students with amended ones.
Song on 'cut money' goes viral; BJP MP thanks singer
A song composed by popular Bengali singer Nachiketa Chakraborty on "cut money" has gone viral on social media, prompting a BJP MP to thank him for bringing out the "innermost thoughts" of people. The term "cut money" has been in the news after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently warned leaders of her party, the Trinamool Congress, that those involved in demanding a share of the money sanctioned for government schemes would be put behind bars. The song urges people and political leaders, whosoever took such an amount, to immediately return the money in order to save themselves from 'Janarosh' (public fury). Chakraborty is known to be a supporter of Banerjee and has shared the stage with her on several occasions in the past. "Nachiketa da has brought out the innermost thoughts of people in his song, spicing it up with proper quotient of satire. My countless thanks to him," BJP MP and Union minister Babul Supriyo said in a tweet. Chakraborty, however, said ..
Cabinet to consider bill to give more teeth to NIA
Seeking to give more teeth to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the government plans to amend two laws to allow it to probe terrorist acts against Indians and Indian interests abroad. The Union cabinet will take a call on Monday on amending the NIA Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The amendment bill could be introduced in Parliament this week during the ongoing Monsoon session. The amendments will also allow the NIA probe cybercrimes and cases of human trafficking, sources aware of the proposal said Sunday. Amendment to Schedule 4 of the UAPA will allow the NIA to designate an individual suspected to have terror links as a terrorist. As of now, only organisations are designated as 'terrorist organisations'. The NIA was set up in 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack that had claimed 166 lives. Since 2017, the Union Home Ministry has been considering the two laws to give more power to the NIA to meet fresh challenges, the sources pointed out.
Zambia's president collision course with mining giant
If mounting foreign debt, an anaemic currency and stagnating growth aren't enough, President Edgar Lungu's move to break up Zambia's largest copper mining firm threatens an investor exodus and thousands of job losses. Higher taxes on the mining sector were supposed to help Zambia with its debt problem, but Lungu has taken a hardline approach with international mining companies, accusing them of failing to pay taxes and threatening to expel them from the country. "Government will not take kindly to any form of arm-twisting," he told a recent mining and energy conference. "Government's expectation is for investors to operate within the confines of the law -- failure to do so will result in government imposing sanctions and disengaging with the unwilling parties." The latest rhetoric follows a series of fiery speeches by Lungu condemning London-based Vedanta mining company, the majority shareholder in KCM, the country's largest copper producer. Zambia holds a minority stake though a ...
NCP men feud at Pawar meeting venue over Parbhani LS loss
Nationalist Congress Party workers owing allegiance to different leaders Sunday engaged in a heated altercation at the venue of a meeting chaired by chief Sharad Pawar. Supporters of defeated NCP Parbhani Lok Sabha candidate Rajesh Vitekar and those of MLA Madhusudhan Kendre were involved in a tussle over responsibility for the poll loss and police had to intervene to bring the situation under control. Vitekar lost to Shiv Sena's Sanjay Jadhav by around 42,000 votes in the 2019 general elections. NCP Maharashtra state president Jayant Patil, however, termed it a "passionate discussion" among workers. "The party workers openly and fiercely put forward their views during meetings. The passionate discussion between workers is being painted as argument and altercation by a section of media. There was no untoward behaviour neither physical fight. This is not NCP's culture," he said. Pawar, who has begun district-wise meetings of leaders to finalise the candidates for the ...
BJP to rule for next 50 years in Centre, UP: Maurya
No party can dislodge the BJP from the Centre or Uttar Pradesh for next 50 years, claimed Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya Sunday. Exactly a month after the BJP's impressive win in the Lok Sabha polls, Maurya also predicted that there was no future for the SP, BSP or the Congress in the state. "I can say with full confidence that for the coming 50 years, I cannot see any future for the SP, BSP and the Congress in UP. In the coming 50 years, nobody will be able to dislodge BJP governments both at the Centre and in the state," said the deputy chief minister Maurya. Maurya's claim was similar to what Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said in September 2018 as the BJP president while addressing the party leaders in the national executive meeting in New Delhi. Amit Shah had said, "If the BJP wins the 2019 Lok Sabha election, no one can throw us out in the next 50 years." BJP general secretary Ram Madhav too had made a similar claim earlier this month. Maurya boasted about the ...
Iran says 'spy drone' violated airspace in May amid US escalation
Iran said on Sunday a "spy drone" had encroached its airspace in May about a month before it downed an American drone as part of a series of escalatory incidents between Tehran and Washington. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted a map saying the US-made MQ9 Reaper drone -- also widely used for carrying out military strikes -- had entered his country's airspace on May 26. Iran shot down a US Global Hawk drone on Thursday, saying it had violated its airspace near the strategic Strait of Hormuz -- a claim the United States denies. US President Donald Trump called off a planned retaliatory military strike Friday, saying the response would not have been "proportionate", with Tehran warning any attack would see Washington's interests across the Middle East go up in flames. On Sunday US national security adviser John Bolton cautioned Iran against misinterpreting the last-minute cancellation. "Neither Iran nor any other hostile actor should mistake US prudence and discretion for ...
Trump says reelection 'easier' if he is impeached
US President Donald Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday his chances of retaining the White House in 2020 would be strengthened if Democratic lawmakers start impeachment proceedings against him. Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" whether he thought impeachment was good politics for him, Trump replied, "I think I win the election easier." The president repeated his longstanding allegation that the FBI's counterintelligence investigation into his 2016 campaign was illegal. "I was spied on. What they did to me was illegal. It was illegal on the other side. I did nothing wrong," he said. "So impeachment's a very unfair thing because nothing that I did was wrong. And if you look at the Mueller report, there was no collusion. This was all about collusion." The Democrats are split over whether Trump should be impeached after the Mueller Report into Russian interference in the 2016 election outlined numerous contacts between his campaign and Russians, as well as evidence that the ...
Cabinet to meet on Monday
The meeting of the Cabinet and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is scheduled to be conducted at the Parliament Annexe New Building on Monday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the meeting.Members of the CCEA include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister DV Sadananda Gowda, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar along with other four ministers.
Sheikh Abdullah illegally detained Syama Prasad Mookerjee for 44 days: Jitendra Singh
Union minister Jitendra Singh Sunday alleged that former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Sheikh Abdullah had illegally detained Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee for 44 days in a jail in his state in 1953. Delivering a talk here to commemorate the death anniversary of Mookerjee, the BJP MP narrated the sequence of events that ended in alleged illegally detention of Mookerjee. He said Mookerjee, a member of parliament at that time, had sent a telegram to Sheikh Abdullah informing him about his desire and plan to visit the state. Singh said, if Mookerjee's only guilt was that he was trying to enter Jammu and Kashmir without a proper permit, the natural course of justice would have been to repatriate him to Punjab, from where he had started his journey, or prevent him from entering into the territory of J-K. The Sheikh government, on the contrary, he said, acted in haste as if it was waiting to arrest Mookerjee and put him behind the bars. Meanwhile, the then Chief Secretary of ..
Iran diplomat calls talks with UK minister 'repetitive'
A top Iranian diplomat expressed disappointment on Sunday after meeting a minister from Britain's Foreign Office amid escalating regional tensions, saying the talks were "repetitive", state news agency IRNA reported. Minister of State for the Middle East Andrew Murrison had the "usual talking points", said Kamal Kharazi, the head of the Strategic Council of Foreign Relations at Iran's Foreign Ministry. These included saying a European payment mechanism to help Iran with US sanctions "will soon become operational, that Britain has always supported the JCPOA and has its own problems with America ... such talks that have always been repetitive," Kharazi added. The JCPOA is the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a multilateral 2015 nuclear deal that the US unilaterally withdrew from in May last year. Washington has since re-imposed biting sanctions against the Islamic Republic, despite Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia remaining committed to the deal. Murrison is expected to ...