Page 1242 - Politics
Vietnamese blogger who vanished in Thailand jailed in Hanoi
A Vietnamese blogger who vanished in Thailand earlier this year is being held in a Hanoi prison, his friend and wife confirmed Thursday. Truong Duy Nhat wrote weekly posts about politics and current affairs for Radio Free Asia (RFA) and last posted about the prospects for change in Vietnam in light of major anti-government demonstrations in Venezuela. All independent media is banned in Vietnam and bloggers, activists and rights lawyers are routinely jailed. The one-party state has seen an uptick of arrests under a hardline leadership in charge since 2016, with nearly 60 put behind bars last year according to an AFP tally. Nhat, 55, fled to Thailand in January and applied for refugee status with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, according to RFA. His employer and family lost contact with him soon after and he has not been heard from since. The UN said does not comment on individual cases. Nhat's friend Pham Xuan Nguyen said he visited Hanoi's T-16 jail on Wednesday and received ...
CRPF man guns down 3 colleagues, shoots self (2nd Lead)
In the first case of fratricidal firing in Jammu and Kashmir this year, a CRPF trooper shot dead three colleagues and then shot and seriously wounded himself in Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Thursday.
NDA govt has failed: Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said the Narendra Modi-led NDA government has turned out to be a failure in its five-year term as "economic figures were against it". Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power on a huge mandate, Gehlot said Modi should have embraced the opposition and consulted them on all important matters through all-party meets. "It is a matter of disappointment that all figures which are coming out today are against the government. Not a single rupee of black money has come (back) and this government has proved to be a failure in five years," Gehlot told reporters during the Holi celebration at his residence here, He attacked the BJP government, saying politics should be done on the basis of love and not hatred. "There should be issue based politics. You (Modi) tell the people how many promises have you kept, what are your achievements and the public should take a decision (vote) based on that. I urge the BJP to not disturb the ...
Poland snubs Russia ahead of WWII commemoration
Polish authorities have refused to invite a Russian delegation to a commemoration ceremony marking the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. Krzysztof Szczerski, an aide to the Polish president, said on Wednesday in comments carried by the Polish news agency PAP that Russia has not been invited to the events in September this year due to its "aggression in Ukraine." Russia has been slapped with various international sanctions for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 and ongoing support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. Russia's Foreign Ministry late on Wednesday said in a statement that it was "bewildered" by the snub and accused the Polish government of rewriting history to suit its political agenda.
Appeal against Aseemanand's acquittal if you are really a chowkidar: Owaisi to Modi
The government should appeal against Swami Aseemanand's acquittal in the Samjhauta blast case if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was really the "chowkidar" of the country, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has said. Attacking Modi's "main bhi chowkidar" (I too a watchman) campaign, Owaisi at an election rally late last night said, "What kind of a chowkidar are you? 25 Indians are also among the dead in that (Samjhauta blast). Bomb blast is a terrorist offence. How are you a chowkidar?" A special court in Haryana's Panchkula Wednesday acquitted Aseemanand and three others in the Samjhauta Express blast case which had left 68 people, mostly Pakistanis, dead in 2007. "If Modi was really a 'chowkidar' he should immediately announce that the government would appeal against the court verdict," Owaisi said. The blast in the India-Pakistan train took place near Panipat in Haryana on February 18, 2007, when it was on its way to Attari in Amritsar, the last station on the Indian side. "What kind of
Ex-Philippine officials accuse Xi of crimes against humanity
Two former Philippine officials have filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court accusing Chinese President Xi Jinping of crimes against humanity over his government's assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea, which they say deprived thousands of fishermen of their livelihoods and destroyed the environment. Former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and anti-graft prosecutor Conchita Carpio Morales said Thursday that they filed the complaint with the tribunal last week, before the current Philippine president's move to withdraw the country from the tribunal took effect last weekend. They accused Xi and other Chinese officials of turning seven disputed reefs into islands, causing massive environmental damage, and blocking large numbers of fishermen from their fishing grounds. There was no immediate reaction from China.
TDP's Nama Nageswara Rao joins TRS in Telangana
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, former MP Nama Nageswara Rao, who quit the TDP this week, joined the ruling TRS in Telangana on Thursday. Nageswara Rao, who was a member of TDP's polit bureau, was welcomed into the Telangana Rashtra Samithi fold by its working president K T Rama Rao here, TRS sources said. Nageswara Rao, who was Lok Sabha member from Khammam in Telangana, had sent a letter to Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, claiming that the survival of TDP in Telangana has become a question in spite of his best efforts. Speculation has been rife that Nageswara Rao would be the TRS' nominee from Khammam in the Lok Sabha elections. Nageswara Rao, an industrialist, had unsuccessfully contested from Khammam as TDP nominee in the Telangana Assembly elections in December last. The TDP had alliance with the Congress and others in the Assembly polls. A number of opposition leaders at various levels, including several MLAs of main
Denmark's Vestager to run for European Commission head
EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager Thursday announced her candidacy to be the next head of the European Commisssion, in an interview with a Danish newspaper. "I'm in," she told the daily Politiken, Denmark's newspaper of record, in reference to a bid to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker. The European parliament's liberal group ALDE is expected to announce later Thursday its team to lead the campaign for the European elections in May with Vestager in line to be its candidate for European Commission president. "Up until the elections, I will take part (in the debate) by recalling what we have accomplished in the past five years," Vestager told Politiken. Denmark however has not confirmed that she will be a candidate for a commission post. Vestager, 50, was a minister in the Danish government before taking up her current post in 2014. Her tough stance towards US firms earned her the ire of President Donald Trump, who has labelled her the "tax lady.
Pulwama attack was a conspiracy hatched to fetch votes: Ramgopal Yadav
Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav on Thursday made a controversial statement alleging the February 14 terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama was a "conspiracy" hatched to fetch votes.He said that the truth behind the attack will be investigated once the dispensation changes at the Centre and big names will surface."The paramilitary forces are unhappy with the government. The jawans were killed for votes. There was no checking (on the highway) between Jammu and Srinagar. They were sent in ordinary buses. All this was part of a conspiracy. I won't like to say it right now, but when the government changes this will be investigated and big names will surface," said Yadav said while addressing a gathering here on the occasion of Holi.Forty CRPF personnel were killed in the terror attack when their convoy was targeted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Pulwama district. Later, Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed staked claim for the attack.
BJP declares candidates for Sikkim, Arunachal assembly polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released its list candidates for the ensuing assembly elections in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.In Sikkim, the BJP has released the second list with 12 candidates while the first list with six names for Arunachal Pradesh after the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting approved the lists.The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and all other members of the CEC.The 60-assembly of Arunachal Pradesh will go to polls on April 11 simultaneously with the Lok Sabha poll.The northeastern state of Sikkim will have its assembly polls on April 11 simultaneously with the Lok Sabha poll. The Sikkim legislative assembly has 32 seats.
Special status for Andhra Pradesh is 'boring subject': YSRCP leader
YSR Congress Party's Vijayawada candidate P Vara Prasad on Wednesday said that the subject of special status to Andhra Pradesh is "a boring subject".In the wake of assembly elections here the state wing of CII held an all party meeting where representatives of Congress, BJP, TDP, YSRCP, JSP, CPI and CPM were present.It is during this meeting Prasad made this remark. He said, "Special status is a boring subject and I don't want to talk about it."Since the YSRCP has claimed earlier that it is the only party that has been continuously fighting for special category status for the state, the leader's remark has apparently created a controversy. (ANI)Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated from Telangana in 2014 and the UPA government had promised special status for the state. The issue has been a bone of contention between the Centre and leaders from the state.
JDS postpones Nikhil's nomination date
The Janata Dal (Secular) on Thursday postponed the filing of nomination by Nikhil Gowda from Mandya Lok Sabha seat to next Monday. Nikhil Gowda is the son of Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and grandson of JDS supremo and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, who is launching the third generation of his clan from party citadel Mandya. "We did plan the filing of nomination by Nikhil today (Thursday), but after much deliberation, we postponed it to March 25," JDS MLC T A Sharavana told PTI. Sharavana said the reason behind postponing the nomination date was that March 25 falls on Monday, which happens to be the day of Lord Shiva, the family deity of the Gowda family. "We have planned the event in a grand manner, which people of Mandya had never seen before," the JDS leader added. JDS insiders told PTI that the mighty show of strength by multilingual film actress Sumalatha while filing her nomination papers on Wednesday made the party leadership postpone Nikhil Gowda's ...
Leaders of different political parties celebrate Holi
Cutting across party lines leaders of different political parties in West Bengal, including Lok Sabha candidates, hit the streets smeared in gulal and colours on Thursday, as the state celebrated Holi. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wished the people of the state on the occasion of Holi. In a tweet, Banerjee said "she won't be celebrating Holi this year in memory of the Pulwama martyrs." The chief minister was at her residence and exchanged Holi wishes with her close friends, party sources said. Trinamool Congress MP from Srirampore Lok Sabha constituency Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, who is seeking election from the same seat danced to the beat of drums in his constituency after offering puja at a local temple. BJP leader in Barrackpore, Arjun Singh who had recently switched allegiance to the saffron party from Trinamool Congress, hit the road in Bhatpara assembly segment, singing 'Rang Barse Bhige'. Singh called upon people to "end the TMC misrule and vote the BJP ..
Modi, Shah, Hema Malini, Odia film stars to campaign for BJP
Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, nine film personalities, including Hema Malini, will campaign for the saffron party candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections in Odisha. The BJP Wednesday released its list of 40 "star campaigners" for Odisha which is scheduled to go to polls in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29. The 40-member star campaigners' list was submitted at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha, a party leader said Thursday. The Lok Sabha and the assembly polls in the state will be held simultaneously for 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly seats. According to BJP's list, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers such as Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, Prakash Javadekar, Jual Oram, Dharmendra Pradhan, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the party's national spokesman Sambit Patra, would be the star campaigners. In addition, former BJP chief ...
US-backed forces press offensive against IS Syria enclave
US-backed forces pressed an offensive against the Islamic State group in its last redoubt in Syria on Thursday, denying reports the jihadist enclave had fallen. "Mopping up operations continue in Baghouz camp," the command of the Syrian Democratic Forces said in a brief statement. The SDF, which launched a final assault against the village of Baghouz in eastern Syria on February 9, denied reports that the IS enclave had completely fallen to its forces. "The information of the total liberation of the village is unfounded," said the command. An AFP team on the ground saw trucks carrying people out of Baghouz on Wednesday night. Thousands of people have fled the besieged IS pocket in recent weeks and turned themselves in. Since January, some 67,000 people have left the enclave, including 5,000 jihadists who surrendered, according to the SDF. On Tuesday the advancing Kurdish-led SDF announced its forces had driven diehard fighters out of the main encampment where they had been confined in
China protests Taiwan leader's US transit
China on Thursday protested Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's stopover in the United States after a visit to three Pacific nations, calling on Washington to block her transit. Following a trip to Palau, Nauru and the Marshall Islands, Tsai is scheduled to transit through Hawaii on March 27. Taiwan is typically low-key in announcing its leader's specific itineraries, fearing China will use its power to disrupt her visits. "Any attempt to create... 'one China, one Taiwan' will be opposed by all Chinese people," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing. "China has already repeatedly stated its position and has also made solemn representations to the US," he added, calling on Washington to block Tsai's entry. During the Taiwanese leader's last US visit, China lodged an official protest after she gave a speech in Los Angeles -- the first time in 15 years that a Taiwanese leader spoke publicly on American soil. Beijing also protested when Tsai ...
J-K: 3 terrorists holed up in Bandipora
As many as three terrorists are still trapped in Hajjin locality of Bandipora district in north Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.The encounter between security forces and terrorists in Mir Mohalla area of Hajjin, which started around 10 am, is still continuing.The contingent of security forces comprised units of Army's 13 Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF's 45 Battalion and SOG.Further details are awaited.Earlier in the day, two policemen including a Station House Officer (SHO), were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists in Sopore in Baramulla district.
Alliance of SP-BSP-RLD is aimed at saving democracy: Akhilesh
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, on the occasion of Holi, said that the alliance of SP-BSP-RLD is aimed at saving the democracy and expressed hope that a new government will be in place."With the elections falling in between the festivities, I hope that the public will get a new government with new colours," said Yadav while wishing the nation on the festival of colours.In response to a question on Mayawati's decision not to contest in the upcoming polls, Yadav said, "It is an internal decision of the Bahujan Samaj Party. They have also said that Mayawati will utilise this time to help other candidates in the alliance to win the election. This is a good decision."On the alliance between SP, BSP and RLD, Akhilesh added, "This is an alliance of ideas and views and hence, an alliance for the general public. It is the alliance to save the democracy, it is to take the country forward."This statement comes after BSP supermo Mayawati announced that she will not contest the
TN: Sullur MLA Kanagaraj dies of cardiac arrest
AIADMK MLA Kanagaraj passed away on Thursday after cardiac arrest, according to a statement of the AIADMK.The statement, jointly issued by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, said: "AIADMK issues obituary reference to its late MLA R Kanagaraj who passed away due to cardiac arrest".They extended condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for peace.Kanagaraj used to represent the Sullur constituency in the Assembly. With his death, the number of vacant seats in the Assembly has gone up to 22.Bye-election, however, is scheduled in 18 Assembly constituencies which will go to polls on April 18 along with parliamentary elections.
Tensions with Turkey have eased: Australia on Erdogan's WWI remark
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday informed that the diplomatic spat between Australia and Turkey, which had escalated over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks on New Zealand terror attack, has eased.The development came after Turkish Presidential Office dubbed Erdogan's remark to be "out of context".During a campaign for local elections, scheduled to be held on March 31, Erdogan on March 19, warned that anybody (apparently referring to Australians and New Zealanders), who visited Turkey with anti-muslim sentiments would be "sent back in coffins," like their grandfathers were, at Gallipoli, during World War 1, Al Jazeera reported.The Turkish Presidential Office on Wednesday said that President's statements were in response to the "manifesto" posted online by the accused, who killed 50 attendees of the weekly Friday's prayers in two mosques in Christchurch on March 10."President Erdogan's words were unfortunately taken out of context. He was responding to the so-called ...