Page 115 - Politics
US launched cyber strikes on Iranian spy group after oil tanker attacks: Officials
The United States Cyber Command (USCC) had last week launched cyber strikes against an Iranian intelligence group in the wake of recent attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf region, officials familiar with the matter said.Quoting US officials, CNN reported on Saturday (local time) that the spy group had ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran and the USCC believes the group helped plan the attacks against oil tankers.The cyber attacks, coordinated with the US Central Command, disabled Iranian computer systems used to control rocket and missile launches, The Washington Post reported. It was not the conventional military attack that involves loss of life or civilian casualties, it said.Iran had on Thursday shot down an unmanned US surveillance drone with a surface-to-air missile, prompting US President Donald Trump to order a retaliatory strike against Iran. However, the US president had later changed his decision since it could have civilian casualties.The incident .
US launched cyber strikes on Iranian spy group after oil tanker attacks
The incident happened amid a volatile situation between Washington and Tehran as the Trump administration warned industry officials to be alert for cyber attacks originating from Iran
Bolton warns Iran not to mistake US prudence for weakness
US National Security Adviser John Bolton on Sunday warned Iran not to "mistake US prudence and discretion for weakness," after President Donald Trump abruptly called off airstrikes against Iranian targets that were planned in response to the downing of an American military drone.At a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu here, Bolton underlined that military action against Iran still remained very much an option despite the airstrikes being called off, reported The New York Times.The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had shot down an "intruding American spy drone", RQ-4 Global Hawk, on Thursday after it reportedly violated Iranian airspace over the southern coastal province of Hormozgan.The incident led to a new high in the tensions between the two countries. During an intense discussion that ensued at the White House following the attack, Trump had approved a retaliatory action on a handful of Iranian targets, like radar and missile ...
Ruling party candidate wins majority in Mauritania vote: official
Government candidate and frontrunner Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has won an absolute majority in the first round of Mauritania's presidential election, with nearly all votes counted, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said on Sunday. With counting completed in 3,729 of a total of 3,861 polling stations, the 62-year-old former head of the domestic security service won 51.5 percent of the vote, according to data published on CENI's website. Ghazouani had already declared himself the winner in the early hours of Sunday in the presence of current president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, his supporters and journalists. The ballot is the first in Mauritania's coup-strewn history that looks set to see an elected president complete his mandate and transfer power to an elected successor, although the opposition has raised concerns the vote could perpetuate a government dominated by military figures. Some 1.5 million people were eligible to vote Saturday in the vast, predominantly ...
Lahaul's Chinal language to be preserved: Himachal education minister
The Himachal Pradesh government will preserve the Chinal language that is spoken in Lahaul area of Lahaul and Spiti district, Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said on Sunday. Addressing a gathering at a function organised by the Department of Language, Art and Culture at the Gaiety theatre here, Bhardwaj said: "Sanskrit is the mother of Chinal language, like other languages." The Chinal language spoken in Lahaul will be preserved, the minister said, adding that the state government had accorded the status of second language to Sanskrit. Earlier, Sham Chand Azad, a resident of Lahaul, said: "The department secretary, Purnima Chauhan, is already working in the direction to promote the Chinal language." "My elder brother, Neel Chand, has been working on vocabulary and grammar of Chinal language for the past 12 years," he added.
Iran reports previous incident with 'spy drone' in May
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted a map on Sunday showing a border incident with a "spy drone" encroaching its airspace in late May. Days after Iran shot down another US drone it said had entered its territory, Zarif said the US-made MQ9 Reaper -- also widely used for carrying out military strikes -- had entered Iranian airspace on May 26. The drone was first warned at around 08:30 PM, the map showed, without specifying a time zone. That was shortly after the aircraft entered Iran's territorial waters off the coast of Asaluyeh city in Bushehr province. It was warned twice more about an hour later, after it had left the Islamic Republic's airspace and circled close to the border again. Tensions between Washington and Tehran flared after Iranian forces on Thursday shot down a US drone, the latest in a series of incidents including attacks on shipping in sensitive Gulf waters. Iran said that drone had violated its airspace, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz -- a ...
Arabs renew pledge to give Palestinians $100 mln in aid monthly
The Arab League Sunday reaffirmed a pledge to pay USD100 million a month to the Palestinian Authority, a day after Washington unveiled its Middle East peace plan. Arab finance ministers meeting in Cairo renewed a promise first made in April to boost "the Palestinian Authority's budget with a USD100 million monthly transfer... as it faces financial burdens", a statement said. They also insisted, in an implicit rebuke to the White House's economic plan, on the "complete Arab support to the Palestinian state's economic, political and financial independence". On Saturday the United States said its Middle East peace plan to be presented next week in Bahrain aims to raise more than USD50 billion for the Palestinians and create one million jobs for them within a decade. The so-called "Peace to Prosperity" plan is led by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. The Palestinian Authority is boycotting the two-day Bahrain conference that opens on Tuesday, charging that
BJP demands CBI inquiry into Bhatpara violence
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday demanded a CBI-led inquiry into the Bhatpara violence incident."We demand CBI inquiry into the incident in Bhatpara. Even the DG is not able to enter that place. Why is it taking so long?" Ghosh said.Two people were killed while several others were injured on Thursday after clashes broke out between two groups suspected to be affiliated to ruling TMC and the BJP in Bhatpara, which comes under the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency.Section 144 of the CrPC, which prohibits the assembly of more than four people, was implemented in the areas in order to restore order. Both TMC and BJP have blamed each other for the incident.
Muzaffarpur: People protest against government apathy in handling AES
People took out a protest march on Sunday against the government's alleged apathy in tackling Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in the district.They took out the march from Bhagwanpur chowk on National Highway-28 in Muzaffarpur. People put up the faces of all 40 Members of Parliament from Bihar in demonic forms to register their angst against the prevailing situation in the district.The entire stretch of the highway nearby the town witnessed a traffic jam due to the protest.The death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) mounted to 110 in government-run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), said an official. With this, the number of AES casualties in Bihar rose to 130 on Sunday.
Kushwaha holds Nitish responsible for children's deaths;
Former union minister and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha Sunday held Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responsible for the children's deaths in Muzaffarpur district and demanded his resignation. "Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is responsible for children's deaths in large number in Muzaffarpur district...Despite so many deaths of children, the state government has not taken any concrete action to prevent it. "The entire health services have been left at God's mercy," Kushwaha said while talking to reporters here at his party office. Nearly 140 children have lost their lives due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) outbreak in the state since June 1, of which 127 died in Muzaffarpur district alone, state health department sources said. "Mr Chief Minister, mere assurance (to impprove things) will not serve the purpose. Either you act or resign from the post of CM, failing which the RLSP would hit the roads to expose him (Nitish) for his failures," Kushwaha said. The AES outbreak, ...
Saudi airline changes flight routes to avoid Iran's airspace
Saudi Arabia's state airline Saudia says it is rerouting flight paths to some Asian destinations in order to avoid Iranian airspace amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf. The statement Saturday evening follows the US Federal Aviation Administration's decision to bar US-registered aircraft from operating over parts of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, after Iran shot down a US military drone on Thursday. The airline says it's a precautionary measure for aviation safety, and Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel says the airline's decision affects flight routes over the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. Other regional carriers like Etihad and Emirates on Friday announced they too have changed their flight paths in the Persian Gulf region.
UK's Boris Johnson under pressure to explain domestic 'row'
Boris Johnson, the strong favourite to become Britain's next prime minister, came under pressure from figures in his own party on Sunday to explain reports of a domestic 'row' that led to a police visit. Although still heavily backed to beat Jeremy Hunt to become Conservative Party leader, and therefore prime minister, a snap poll published in the Mail on Sunday suggested that the incident had cut his support. The Guardian reported that police were alerted early on Friday after a neighbour heard a loud altercation involving screams, shouts and bangs at the south London property, shortly after Johnson had secured his place in the final run-off to become prime minister. The paper said Johnson's partner Carrie Symonds could be heard telling the former London mayor to "get off me" and "get out of my flat". The former foreign secretary refused to answer questions about the incident on the first day of the month-long contest to win over Conservative grassroot members, saying "I don't think .
BJP's 'one nation, one poll' a ploy to win all elections by single 'manipulation': Mayawati
BSP chief Mayawati Sunday opposed the BJP's "one nation, one election" idea aimed at having simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assemblies polls, saying it is a saffron party's ploy to win all elections through one-time "manipulation" of EVMs. Mayawati hurled the allegation, describing even the BJP landslide victory in the last Lok Sabha election as "doubtful". The new gimmick of 'one nation, one election' is a BJP's ploy to win the Lok Sabha and assembly elections by a single 'dhandhli' (malipulation) misusing the EVMs," she said. "It will put the nation in an era of casteism making it free from any opposition," she added, addressing a party meeting convened to discuss the purported "national concern" over the alleged "hijacking" of the democracy via EVMs here. If there is no manipulation in the BJP's victory and if it has the majority votes by its side, why is the party shying away from going to the people and avoiding elections through ballots? a BSP statement quoted her as ...
J-K BJP pays tributes to Mookerjee on his 'Balidan Diwas'
Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP Sunday paid rich tributes to Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee's on his death anniversary which the party observed as 'Balidan Diwas'. The main function was held at party headquarters here, where senior party leaders including state president Ravinder Raina shed light on the life and struggle of Mookerjee during a seminar. "Anti-national forces had hatched a conspiracy to separate Jammu-Kashmir from India, which was foiled by Mookerjee's supreme sacrifice. It was his courage that he rejected the permit system of entry into Jammu Kashmir by risking his life and sacrificed himself for it," Raina said. He said the life and achievements of Mookerjee are a constant source of inspiration for the party and the young generation. Several books related to the struggle of Mookerjee were also released, while the BJP units across the state also remembered party ideologue on his death anniversary, a party spokesman said. Mookerjee had died on this day in ...
Baloch Republican Party protests outside Lords against human rights condition in Pakistan
Baloch Republican Party and World Baloch Organisation on Sunday organised a protest outside Lords in London to highlight the pathetic human rights condition in Pakistan.Protestors distributed leaflets outside the stadium, where Pakistan is facing South Africa in ICC WorldCup 2019, to raise awareness about enforced disappearances of Baloch and other ethnic/religious minorities in Pakistan.Bhawal Mengal of World Baloch Organisation told ANI: "Our protest outside Lord's stadium is to inform Pakistanis attending the event but more importantly Pakistani officials at the event that abducting, torturing, killing people who speak out for their rights has never and will never work, you cannot silence us all. The international community must speak up for justice and help End enforced disappearances of ethnic Baloch, Sindhi, Pashtun, Mohajir and religious minorities in Pakistan."Earlier, roadside billboards appeared around the city of London with slogans "Help end enforced disappearances in ...
Pradhan slams Congress for alleging BJP-BJD nexus
Slamming the Congress for smelling a "nexus" behind the BJD's backing of the saffron party's Rajya Sabha candidate Ashwini Vaishnav, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Sunday said, it was "not a secret deal" but an "open understanding" between the BJD and the BJP, in the interests of Odisha. "Allegation about a secret deal between the BJD and the BJP in Vaishnav's Rajya Sabha bypoll nomination is baseless. There is nothing secret about it as everything was done openly," the petroleum and steel Minister told reporters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not make a secret request to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the BJD's support to the BJP nominee in the Rajya Sabha bypolls, Pradhan said. Similarly, the chief minister also openly extended the BJD's support to Vaishnav's candidature, he said. Emphasising the need for mutual understanding in a democracy, the BJP leader said, the BJD's readiness to back the BJP ...
Dushyant Chaturvedi, son of ex-Cong minister, joins Shiv Sena
Dushyant Chaturvedi, son of Satish Chaturvedi, former Congress minister from Nagpur, Sunday joined the Shiv Sena here in the presence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray. On the occasion, Thackeray announced that Dushyant would soon get a good responsibility in the party. Satish Chaturvedi, former minister in the state government and a five-time MLA from Nagpur, had been expelled from the Congress in February last year for allegedly working against the party. Sena sources confirmed that Dushyant will be the party's candidate in the upcoming Assembly polls, but refused to divulge the constituency that he will represent. Satish Chaturvedi had won elections from Nagpur East, but BJP's Krishna Pancham Khopde had snatched the seat from him in 2009 and retained it in the 2014 Assembly elections.
Nehru govt did not investigate 'mysterious' death of Mookerjee: Yeddyurappa
BJP state president and former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa Sunday charged the Congress with not investigating the "mysterious" death of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, when it was in power, despite a request from his family. He was speaking at a function here to pay tributes to Mookerjee, who was also the first union industries minister, on his 66th death anniversary. "He (Mookerjee) died under mysterious circumstances. The Congress government under Jawarhalal Nehru did not do any investigation. Nehru did not respond to the letter by Mookerjee's mother to probe her son's death," Yeddyurappa said. Mookerjee had died in 1953 in Srinagar in police custody after he had entered the northern state, defying the requirement for obtaining a permit for doing so. The then Congress government had said he had died due to medical reasons after his health conditions deteriorated in custody. The Jana Sangh, the precursor to BJP, had suspected a foul play and sought a ...
Bolton warns Iran not to mistake US 'prudence' for weakness
US National Security Adviser John Bolton said Sunday that Iran should not "mistake US prudence and discretion for weakness," after the US abruptly called off military strikes against the Iran in response to the shooting down of an unmanned American surveillance drone. Bolton's tough message seemed to be aimed not only at Tehran, but also at reassuring key US allies that the White House remains committed to maintaining pressure on Iran. Israel, along with Arab countries in the Gulf, considers Iran to be their greatest threat, and Trump's last-minute about face appears to have raised questions about US willingness to use force against the Islamic Republic. The downing of the aircraft on Thursday marked a new high in the rising tensions between the United States and Iran in the Persian Gulf. The Trump administration has vowed to combine a "maximum pressure" campaign of economic sanctions with a buildup of American forces in the region, following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear ...
People travel to J-K without permit due to Mookerjee's sacrifice: Shah
Paying tributes to Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his death anniversary, BJP president Amit Shah said Sunday that it is due to his sacrifice that people from other states can travel to Jammu and Kashmir without permit and that West Bengal became a part of India. Shah, who is also the Union home minister, went to the BJP headquarters here to pay tributes to Mookerjee and asserted that his agitation for Jammu and Kashmir's complete integration with the country was independent India's first nationalist stir. On the occasion, BJP working president J P Nadda said the party remains committed to Mookerjee's ideals and also referred to his death under "mysterious circumstances", slamming the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru for not ordering a probe. He had died in 1953 in Srinagar in police custody after he had entered the northern state, defying the requirement for obtaining a permit for doing so. The then government had said he had died due to medical reasons after his ...