Page 1164 - Politics
Egyptian actors expelled from union over el-Sissi criticism
Egypt's actors union has revoked the membership of two performers after they took part in a briefing in Washington on proposed constitutional changes that would allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to extend his rule. The union on Tuesday accused Khaled Abol Naga, also known as Kal Naga, and Amr Waked of treason. Both actors are based in the United States, and have appeared in American and Middle Eastern films and TV series. They joined Democratic congressman Tom Malinowski and others in a briefing this week on proposed changes that would further enshrine the military's role in politics and potentially allow el-Sissi to stay in power until 2034. Critics of the proposals argue that Egypt is slipping back into authoritarianism eight years after a pro-democracy uprising toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak.
A-SAT hits live satellite, India now space superpower: PM (Third Lead)
India on Wednesday became "a space superpower" as its anti-satellite missile A-SAT successfully targeted a live satellite on a low earth orbit in just three minutes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday.
AAP names star campaigners for Delhi
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday announced the names of 15 star campaigners for the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, with party chief and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal leading the team.
LS polls: TRS, Cong step up campaign
With the process of filing nominations coming to a close, the ruling TRS and Congress in Telangana Wednesday got into campaign mode with their key leaders hitting the streets. TRS working president K T Rama Rao, son of party president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, kicked off his campaign Wednesday which would go on till April 9, the last day for canvassing. Telangana goes to the polls in the first phase on April 11. Addressing a campaign rally in support of TRS nominee in Karimnagar B Vinod Kumar, Rama Rao claimed that a Congress victory would help its president Rahul Gandhi, while a win for BJP would help Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But, Telangana would benefit if TRS wins the Lok Sabha seats in the state, he claimed. TRS should win 16 Lok Sabha seats out of the total 17 seats (leaving Hyderabad held by TRS ally AIMIM's president Asaduddin Owaisi), he said. The strength of TRS would not remain 16 as another 150 Lok Sabha MPs can join forces with the party, ..
Modi to kick-off campaign from tomorrow, will visit J-K on Day One: Ram Madhav
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off his electoral campaign from tomorrow and would visit the state of Jammu and Kashmir on the very first day, announced BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday."Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be starting the election campaign from tomorrow and will come to Jammu and Kashmir on the first day of the campaign itself, which also shows our commitment towards the state," he said while addressing a media briefing.Attacking PDP and National Conference for boycotting the municipal and panchayat polls held last year, Madhav accused both the parties of not allowing leadership to grow from the ground level."Some regional parties had boycotted the municipal and panchayat elections. But now when there are parliamentary elections, the same leaders are in the fray to contest polls. It vindicates the point that they have no intention of strengthening democracy but want to keep their seats intact. They do not want leaders to grow from the ground level ...
Ex-Interpol chief expelled from China's Communist Party
Meng Hongwei, the former Interpol president, was on Wednesday expelled from the Communist Party of China after an investigation revealed that the 65-year-old was suspected of taking bribes and breaching disciplinary rules, the party's anti-corruption watchdog said.In a statement, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), China's top anti-corruption agency and the highest internal-control institution of the Communist Party, said that an investigation into Meng was approved and he will be prosecuted for fraud, South China Morning Post reported.Meng, who also served as vice-minister for public security, disappeared last year during a visit to China from France and was later accused of accepting bribes.The CCDI accused Meng of misusing his position and power for personal gain, splurging state funds to finance his family's lifestyle and disregarding party principles.Meng was elected as the Interpol chief in November 2016, becoming the first Chinese official to hold the ...
Urmila Matondkar joins Congress
Two weeks ahead of the commencement of Lok Sabha polls, Bollywood actor Urmila Matondkar joined the Congress party on Wednesday after meeting party president Rahul Gandhi here."Congress President @RahulGandhi welcomes Smt. Urmila Matondkar to the Congress Party" read a tweet posted by the party from its official Twitter handle.Matondkar was inducted into the party by Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and newly-appointed Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora.Speaking to media after joining the Congress, Matondkar said: "I would like to thank all Congress members, especially Rahul Gandhi ji for giving me a warm welcome. Today is a big day for me as I enter into politics. My family works on the principles of Nehru ji and Gandhi ji.""Freedom of speech is necessary in the country. Today this freedom is in danger. I'm not here to show glamour. I am here to stay; I am here because I have faith in Congress' ideology" she added.Matondkar started her career at a very young age. She first ...
Rahul lauds DRDO for success of 'Mission Shakti' but wishes PM Modi happy 'World Theatre Day'
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for carrying out 'Mission Shakti' successfully, but wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi a happy 'World Theatre Day.'"Well done DRDO, extremely proud of your work. I would also like to wish the PM a very happy World Theatre Day," Rahul Gandhi tweeted. March 27 is celebrated as the World Theatre Day.Rahul's tweet comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announcing that India's anti-satellite weapon A-SAT successfully destroyed a live satellite on a low earth orbit, joining a group of three countries--US, Russia, and China--armed with such capability."Research, space management, and development are a continuous process over the years. Modi, as usual, likes to take the credit for everything. Credit to those who really deserve it, our scientists and researchers," Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ...
BJP leader issued show-cause notice for "violating" EC guidelines
BJP's National Election Committee Member Neeraj has been issued a show-cause notice by the Chief Electoral Officer of New Delhi for allegedly violating the Election Commission guidelines by allegedly sharing an audio-visual clip featuring Army personnel.Neeraj has been asked to submit a reply within three days on the same."Neeraj, National Election Committee member, BJP has been issued a show-cause notice for sharing the audio-visual ad titled, "Main Bhi Chowkidar Hun-song" on the social media without complying the directions of the committee," a statement released by the CEO's office said."The certification committee had issued a certificate to Neeraj, National Election Committee Member, BJP in respect of the said ad subject to exclusion of the clips depicting "army personnel"," the statement further said.Election Commission on March 10 had asked political parties to refrain from using pictures of defence personnel for their poll campaign.Seven phase elections in the country will ...
TRS seems to have clear edge in Telangana (Dangal 2019)
Buoyed by its landslide victory in the recent Telangana Assembly elections and with opposition parties looking demoralised, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) appears to have clear edge as it aims to make a clean sweep in the next month's elections to 17 Lok Sabha seats in India's youngest state.
Modi is afraid that time has come for him to go: Rahul Gandhi
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said his expression during his address to the nation betrayed his anxiety that "his time to go has come". Addressing a convention of the party's Other Backward Classes (OBC) department, Gandhi said the prime minister has realised that the Congress will now give justice to the poor. His reference was to the newly-announced NYAY (minimum income guarantee scheme) whereby the party promises to give Rs 72,000 per year to five crore poor families in the country to bring them out of poverty. The Congress president also assured the OBC community that they would see many more MPs and MLAs from among them as the Congress had earlier given two OBC chief ministers to the country. "He (PM) made the country wait for 45 minutes for his announcement, did you look at his face? He has realised that the Congress will now give justice...Modi is now afraid that his time to go has come," he told the gathering at the ..
Why did EC allow PM, asks CPI(M) as Modi announces anti-sat missile
The CPI(M) Wednesday wrote to the Election Commission, asking it why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was allowed to "politically colour" the achievements of Indian scientists in midst of the national polls. In the letter, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury lauded the scientists for developing anti-satellite weapon A-SAT and said the fact that India had developed this capability was announced by then chief of the DRDO in 2012. "Such a mission should normally be announced to the nation and to the world by the relevant scientific authorities like the DRDO. Instead, the Indian Prime Minister has taken the route of an address to the nation in making this announcement," Yechury said. "This announcement comes in the midst of the ongoing election campaign where the prime minister himself is a candidate. This is clearly a violation of the Model Code of Conduct," he added. echury sought to know if the Election Commission was informed of such an address to the nation by the prime ...
Mamata terms Modi's Mission Shakti announcement 'publicity mongering', alleges poll code violation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of India's anti-satellite missile capability on Wednesday was "limitless drama and publicity mongering", amounting to "gross violation" of the model code of conduct, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. The PM made the announcement ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to "reap political benefits", Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, said. "There is no great urgency in conducting and announcing the mission now by a government past its expiry date. It seems a desperate oxygen to save the imminent sinking of the BJP boat. We are lodging a complaint with the Election Commission," she said. Addressing the nation on the demonstration of India's anti-satellite missile capability, the prime minister said India had joined an exclusive club of space super powers by shooting down a live satellite, describing it as a rare achievement. "Today's announcement is yet another limitless drama and publicity mongering by Modi desperately trying .
PM address: Twitter abuzz with speculation on Emergency, Dawood, Masood and jokes too
While the nation waited for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, anxiously counting the minutes before his "important message", speculation spiralled -- would it be about Emergency, bringing back Dawood Ibrahim or killing Masood Azhar? As the designated hour of 12 noon came and went, jokes on Twitter gathered strength. With memories of that fateful November 2016 evening, when Modi announced the demonetisation of high value currency notes, still fresh, jokes about people running to the ATM and counting cash started doing the rounds. "I would be addressing the nation at around 11:45 AM - 12.00 noon with an important message. Do watch the address on television, radio or social media," the prime minister tweeted on Wednesday morning, sending Twitteratti into a tizzy. The address finally started at 12.25 pm, and social media users bombarded Twitter with their theories while they waited. Among them was former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah who tweeted, "He's
Group calls for al-Bashir's arrest ahead of Arab summit
A rights group has urged Tunisia to either "bar or arrest" Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir if he tries to attend an Arab League summit this weekend. In a report issued Tuesday, New York-based Human Rights Watch described al-Bashir as a "fugitive from international justice" because he is wanted by the International Criminal Court for charges of genocide linked to the Darfur conflict. Sudanese have been holding protests since December calling on al-Bashir to step down. He has ruled the country since seizing power in a 1989 coup. The Arab League has rejected the arrest warrant, and al-Bashir has visited several Arab countries in the years since it was issued. It is not clear whether he would attend the upcoming summit.
When PM triggered discussions in TN on what he had up his
No sooner Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he would be addressing the nation with a message, discussions began on the social media and on television channels in Tamil Nadu as to what it could be, especially in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. Immediately after the Prime Minister's tweet "I would be addressing the nation at around 11:45 AM - 12.00 noon with an important message. Do watch the address on television, radio or social media," Tamil television channels flashed it on their screens and speculations began. Journalists based in the national capital were asked by anchors on what kind of an announcement could be expected from the Prime Minister since the Model Code of Conduct was in force and country fully geared up for the Parliamentary elections. Quoting sources and practices followed during polls, journalists said since Modi's address was scheduled to be covered by national broadcaster Doordarashan as well, it will only be "official," sans ...
US Supreme Court backs Sudan over USS Cole damages
The US Supreme Court overturned Tuesday a ruling ordering Sudan to pay damages to the families of 17 servicemen killed in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. The high court ruled on procedural grounds: under regulations related to the prosecution of foreign states, it said the Sudanese government should have been served the complaint in Khartoum instead of via its embassy in Washington. "In cases with sensitive diplomatic implications, the rule of law demands adherence to strict rules," the justices said in an 8-1 ruling. On October 12, 2000, a rubber boat loaded with explosives blew up as it rounded the bow of the guided-missile destroyer, which had just pulled into Aden, Yemen, for a refueling stop. Seventeen American sailors were killed as well as the two perpetrators of the attack claimed by Al-Qaeda, in an early success for the terror group and its founder Osama bin Laden. A US court then ruled that Sudan, where the two bombers were trained, was responsible for the attack .
Goa: After 2 MGP MLAs join BJP, ally GFP expresses concern
The Goa Forward Party, a partner in the state government, has expressed fear about creation of "suspicion among partners" after two MGP MLAs broke away and joined the BJP. The GFP has three MLAs in the 40-member Goa Assembly and is supporting Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's government. "If this (defection from coalition partners) continues, then we will lose sympathy and it will create suspicion among coalition partners. Such incidents in future will result in lack of public goodwill," GFP president Vijai Sardesai, also deputy chief minister of the coastal state, said. Putting the ball in CM Sawant's court, Sardesai asserted, "The CM heads this (government) and he knows the contours of his alliance. I think he will very soon clarify on the future political road map of this coalition government," said Sardesai. He said he had conveyed his concern to the chief minister as well as the BJP's state leadership following Wednesday's developments. In the early hours Wednesday, ..
EC notice to BJP poll panel member for sharing 'Main Bhi Chowkidar Hun' video
The Election Commission Wednesday issued a show cause notice to a member of the BJP's National Election Committee for sharing an audio-visual advertisement titled "Main Bhi Chowkidar Hun" on social media without complying with the directions of the poll body, an official said. He said Neeraj has been directed to submit a reply within three days. The poll body's Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) had issued a certificate dated March 16 to Neeraj "in respect of the said advertisement subject to the exclusion of the clips depicting Army personnel", Delhi's chief electoral office said. On March 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the 'Main Bhi Chowkidar Hun' campaign by putting out a tweet, "Your Chowkidar is standing firm & serving the nation. But, I am not alone. Everyone who is fighting corruption, dirt, social evils is a Chowkidar. Everyone working hard for the progress of India is a Chowkidar." He had also tweeted a video that began with the PM ...
For Facebook, Kashmir is separate entity from India
As Facebook announced it has removed thousands of fake Pages and accounts, the social media giant mentioned Kashmir separately along with India and a few other countries, giving an impression that Kashmir is independent of India.