Page 1244 - Politics
Australian PM welcomes 'moderation' from Turkey's Erdogan
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday welcomed some "moderation" in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's comments in the wake of the Christchurch massacre. Trying to take the sting out of a diplomatic row that has threatened relations between Australia, New Zealand and Turkey, Morrison pointed to a recent Erdogan column in the Washington Post as progress. "Overnight, progress has been made on this issue and overnight we've already seen a moderation of the president's views," Morrison said, citing the article in which Erdogan stepped away from direct criticism of New Zealand. The Turkish leader -- who is in full campaign mode ahead of local elections -- still used the article to accuse Western countries of meeting Islamophobia with "silence". But Morrison took it as a diplomatic off-ramp nonetheless. Morrison -- who is also in full campaign mode, ahead of a general election -- had on Wednesday pilloried Erdogan for his comments in the wake of the Christchurch massacre, ...
New Zealand bans sale of assault, semi-automatic rifles: PM Ardern
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Thursday an immediate ban on the sale of assault rifles and semi-automatics in response to the Christchurch terror attack that killed 50 people. "I am announcing that New Zealand will ban all military-style semi-automatic weapons. We will also ban all assault rifles," Ardern said, while announcing interim measures that will stop a rush of purchases before legislation on the measures takes effect. She added that high capacity magazines and devices similar to bump stocks - which make rifles fire faster - will also be banned. "In short, every semi-automatic weapon used in the terrorist attack on Friday will be banned in this country," she said.
Trump complains about John McCain funeral
US President Donald Trump has attacked the late Senator John McCain, complaining that he "didn't get a thank you" for his state funeral.
Trump's feuds with dead rival, aide's husband
Who really gets under Donald Trump's skin? A man who has been dead since last year and another whom the president says he hardly knows. At least that's the bizarre picture painted by Trump this week in angry rants at the late senator John McCain and a Washington lawyer called George Conway. Trump lashed out yet again Wednesday at the broadly popular McCain, saying "I've never liked him much. I really probably never will." This followed a series of tweets and other statements in the last few days raging at the former senator's politics, role in the Russia collusion probe, and personal intelligence. As for Conway, "he's a whack job," Trump told journalists Wednesday. "A stone cold LOSER," he wrote on Twitter a few hours earlier. The venom of the attacks was not unusual for a president who revels in put-downs. The targets of his ire, though, raised eyebrows. McCain is widely remembered by Americans as a hero for his courage during six years of often brutal captivity in Hanoi during the ..
Ex-CIA officials says Kim Jong-un may visit Russia
A former US intelligence official said in the wake of the Hanoi summit breakdown, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may visit Russia in order to boost ties.Andrew Kim, the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency's Korea Mission Center, made these comments on Wednesday at a lecture, according to Yonhap News Agency.Speculations have been rife regarding Kim's visit to Russia, especially after three senior North Korean officials made back-to-back visits to Russia this month.The second summit between North Korea and USA ended abruptly in Hanoi, Vietnam last month without any agreement regarding further steps in the denuclearisation process. Many have perceived the Hanoi summit to be a failure, even as US President Donald Trump maintains that the relationship between the two states continues to be good in the wake of the meeting.Pyongyang sought a partial relief in sanctions during last month's summit, according to North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho - a demand which was allegedly
US envoy Khalilzad to hold talks with Russia, China and EU on Afghanistan
As part of his efforts to garner international support for ongoing peace talks with the Taliban, US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad will hold talks with counterparts from Russia, China and the European Union on Thursday and Friday. "Discussion topics include: international support for the Afghan peace process, the role each party can play in bringing an end to the war, and progress to date in peace talks," the US State Department said in a statement. Khalilzad will host his counterparts Presidential Special Representative Ambassador Zamir Kabulov of Russia, Special Envoy Ambassador Deng Xijun of China and Special Envoy Ambassador Roland Kobia of the European Union at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department on Thursday and Friday.
We will not be sold, we won't indulge in horse-trading: Kamal Haasan
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has said the leaders of his political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), will not indulge in horse-trading in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections."The needle in the balance will be Makkal Needhi Maiam. We will not be sold, we won't indulge in horse-trading. So, it will be a difficult negotiation for them. It will be an actual negotiation, not done with money," Haasan told ANI here on Wednesday.The party released its first list of 21 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. However, the list does not include Haasan's name."The theme is a better Tamil Nadu. Though people will say that this is about choosing the Prime Minister, I have chosen Tamil Nadu and that will happen via Delhi because I think whoever becomes the Prime Minister, my prime concern is Tamil Nadu and it will always be so," he said.Haasan said he does not compare Congress and BJP as they "both have their equal share of mistakes that they have done."When asked ..
Populists deal Dutch PM senate blow in 'Rutte referendum'
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte looks set to lose his senate majority after upstart populists surged in provincial elections just two days after a suspected terror attack in Utrecht. Controversial eurosceptic Thierry Baudet's Forum for Democracy (FvD) party came from nowhere to be the second biggest in parliament's upper house, an exit poll by leading broadcaster NOS said. The blow for Rutte -- who painstakingly formed his ruling coalition to freeze out the far-right after general elections in 2017 -- will be closely watched abroad ahead of European Parliament elections in May. After eight years in power, Rutte is an influential figure in Europe, including in its Brexit negotiations, but the result leaves him vulnerable at home and needing to rely on other parties to pass legislation. The elections came two days after a Turkish man was arrested for shooting three people dead on a tram in the central city of Utrecht, an attack which right-wing parties have seized on to push their ...
Populists deal Dutch PM senate blow in 'Rutte referendum'
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte looks set to lose his senate majority after upstart populists surged in provincial elections just two days after a suspected terror attack in Utrecht. Controversial eurosceptic Thierry Baudet's Forum for Democracy (FvD) party came from nowhere to be the second biggest in parliament's upper house, an exit poll by leading broadcaster NOS said. The blow for Rutte -- who painstakingly formed his ruling coalition to freeze out the far-right after general elections in 2017 -- will be closely watched abroad ahead of European Parliament elections in May. After eight years in power, Rutte is an influential figure in Europe, including in its Brexit negotiations, but the result leaves him vulnerable at home and needing to rely on other parties to pass legislation. The elections came two days after a Turkish man was arrested for shooting three people dead on a tram in the central city of Utrecht, an attack which right-wing parties have seized on to push their ...
EU chief says Brexit delay possible if MPs approve deal
The EU could approve Britain's request for a short delay to Brexit but only if UK MPs next week vote through the withdrawal deal they have twice rejected, European Council president Donald Tusk has said. With nine days to go before Britain is due to leave the bloc, the country is gripped by uncertainty with little consensus how to proceed and Tusk's statement was received as an ultimatum to encourage lawmakers to get behind May's deal. "I believe a short extension will be possible but it will be conditional on a positive vote on the withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons," Tusk told reporters Wednesday. May told her country in a televised address from Downing Street late Wednesday that she was still "determined" to deliver Brexit and pull Britain through its worst political crisis in a generation. "You want this stage of the Brexit process to be over and done with this. I agree. I am on your side," May said, adding that she was requesting a delay until June 30 with "great ...
Central African Republic reaches deal on new govt: African Union
The government of the Central African Republic and armed groups that had joined it in a peace deal have reached an agreement to form an "inclusive government," the African Union has said. "The Central African authorities and the 14 armed groups (that) signed the peace accord negotiated in early February in Khartoum agreed to an 'inclusive government' in Addis Ababa," the AU said Wednesday. The deal is the eighth attempt to bring peace to the conflict-wracked, impoverished state since 2012. Signed in the CAR capital Bangui on February 6 after negotiations in Sudan, it brings together the CAR government and 14 armed groups who control most of the country. The agreement called for a series of confidence-building measures, such as establishing joint patrols and the creation of a truth and justice commission within 90 days. Under the peace accord's provisions, President Faustin-Archange Touadera agreed to form an "inclusive" government. But within weeks, the deal was under strain -- five ..
Palestinian shot dead after stone-throwing at Israeli cars: Medics, army
A Palestinian was shot dead late Wednesday in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said, with the Israeli army saying a soldier opened fire after Israeli cars were stoned. The Palestinian health ministry said Ahmed Manasara, 26, was shot dead near a checkpoint close to Bethlehem without providing further details. The Israeli military said that a soldier had "opened fire after identifying rocks being thrown at Israeli vehicles.
Hungary PM's Fidesz party suspended from European EPP group
The Fidesz party of firebrand Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been suspended from the European People's Party, the EU's biggest and most influential political grouping, the EPP said. A spokesman Wednesday said 190 party members voted in favour of the suspension, with only three against, after reports of long and often heated discussions with Orban at a meeting in Brussels. Fidesz had faced expulsion from the EPP after running a controversial billboard campaign that accused European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and liberal US billionaire George Soros, a bete-noire of Orban, of plotting to flood Europe with migrants. The campaign has since been dropped and Orban has apologised for insulting partners from the EPP -- the mainstream conservative group of MEPs -- though the party leadership had warned this was not enough. A statement said the suspension was a joint decision by Fidesz and the EPP in a last minute re-wording intended to stop Orban from slamming the door on ...
Acting Pentagon chief Shanahan investigated over Boeing bias
Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan is being investigated by the Pentagon's inspector general for alleged bias in acquisitions toward his former employer, Boeing, the inspector general has said. "We have informed him that we have initiated this investigation," Dwrena Allen, a spokeswoman for the inspector generals' office, said Wednesday. Investigators are seeking to see if Shanahan, as deputy defense secretary, had violated ethics rules by disparaging Boeing rival Lockheed Martin in meetings at the Pentagon. Government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) last week submitted a complaint to the inspector general, citing several media reports that alleged the 30-year Boeing veteran cast aspersions on Lockheed's F-35 fighter while pushing Boeing's F-15X. "Mr. Shanahan reportedly praised Boeing in discussions about government contracts, said that Boeing would have done much better than its competitor Lockheed Martin had it been awarded a fighter ..
Senators ask US to sanction Myanmar army chief
Senators have called for the United States to slap sanctions on Myanmar's army chief, saying more needed to be done to bring accountability over the campaign against the Rohingya. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the four senators Wednesday said Myanmar has shown "no credible signs of progress" despite widespread international condemnation of the killings and sexual violence against members of the mostly Muslim minority. Senators including Dick Durbin, the number-two Democrat, said that sanctions against Myanmar's army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as well as other top officers would demonstrate "US intolerance for behavior that contravenes fundamental human rights." "The Trump administration has taken no action against these senior officials even though sanctions designations would send a strong message that the United States supports accountability for those perpetrating well-documented human rights abuses against the ...
Senators ask US to sanction Myanmar army chief
Senators have called for the United States to slap sanctions on Myanmar's army chief, saying more needed to be done to bring accountability over the campaign against the Rohingya. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the four senators Wednesday said Myanmar has shown "no credible signs of progress" despite widespread international condemnation of the killings and sexual violence against members of the mostly Muslim minority. Senators including Dick Durbin, the number-two Democrat, said that sanctions against Myanmar's army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as well as other top officers would demonstrate "US intolerance for behavior that contravenes fundamental human rights." "The Trump administration has taken no action against these senior officials even though sanctions designations would send a strong message that the United States supports accountability for those perpetrating well-documented human rights abuses against the ...
Congress has finalised candidates for Andhra Assembly elections, LS polls: Oommen Chandy
Former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy said the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Congress party has finalised candidates for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections and Lok Sabha polls."We have already declared 22 candidates for Lok Sabha election earlier. Today candidates for rest of the three seats in Andhra Pradesh have been finalised and candidates for Assembly elections have also been finalized. Names will be announced shortly," Chandy told ANI after the CEC meeting on Wednesday.Besides Chandy, the meeting was also attended by Mukul Wasnik, AK Antony, KC Venugopal and Ahmed Patel, to name a few.Out of 25 Lok Sabha seats at stake in Andhra Pradesh, the party had earlier announced candidates for 22 seats.In addition to the Lok Sabha seats, there are 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh.Polling in the state will be held on April 11. Both the Lok Sabha and legislative assembly polls will be held in the state simultaneously on this day.
In Jerusalem, Pompeo takes a jab at US Democrats on anti-Semitism
Top US diplomat Mike Pompeo has issued a thinly veiled jab at US Democrats over anti-Semitism, following controversial comments by a Muslim congresswoman over American support for Israel. Speaking from Jerusalem on Wednesday during a Middle East tour largely focused on countering Iran, Pompeo told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "All nations, especially those in the West, must go to the barricades against bigotry." He noted the "dark wave of anti-Semitism" in Europe and the US. "Sadly, we in the United States have seen anti-Semitic language even in the great halls of our own capital," he said. His remarks came after Muslim Democratic congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, last month suggested that supporters of Israel are urging lawmakers to have "allegiance to a foreign country." She also suggested that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbying group was paying US politicians to support Israel. Both Pompeo and Netanyahu are scheduled to speak at AIPAC's annual conference ..
Tired public needs Brexit decision: Theresa May
British Prime Minister Theresa May has told the public she is "on their side", laying the blame for the delay to Brexit squarely with MPs.
It's now time for MPs to decide: Theresa May on Brexit
Shortly after the UK requested the European Union (EU) for an extension to Article 50, British Prime Minister Theresa May appealed to the Members of Parliament to decide backing the withdrawal deal to honour the people's referendum to exit the EU."This delay is a matter of great personal regret for me...It's now time for MPs to decide...I passionately hope MPs will find a way to back the deal I've negotiated with the EU," May said in a public statement on Wednesday (local time).May chided the MPs while referring to their multiple rejections of the deal she has twice negotiated with the EU during Wednesday's public address."So far parliament has done everything possible to avoid making a choice. Motion after motion and amendment after amendment has been tabled without Parliament ever deciding what it wants. All MPs have been willing to say is what they do not want," she said, outlining that not leaving the EU at all will cause irreparable damage to public trust in the "entire ...