Page 1317 - Politics

Avoid politically coloured posts on social media, UP cops told ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Police personnel in Uttar Pradesh have been directed to exercise restraint while posting on social media and avoid any "politically coloured" remarks that may call into question their impartiality in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. "We have advised our personnel to avoid social media updates which might be controversial and show them favouring any political party. The message should not go that cops are for or against any political party," Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh told PTI. By showing "restraint" in their social media activities, police personnel can discharge their duties better and people can come to them with their grievances without any fear, he said. The advisory to the police personnel also said that they "should avoid taking any gift from any political party or candidate, avoid posting politically coloured social media updates and remain impartial and non-partisan during the polls". The police personnel have been asked not to get influenced by any political party

NIA issues fresh summons to Mirwaiz Umar, Naseem Geelani

National Investigation Agency on Friday issued fresh summons to separatist Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Naseem Geelani, the son of another separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, to be present here for questioning on March 18 and 19 in connection with a terror funding case.The move comes amidst the government crackdown on separatist leaders in Kashmir in the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack.Earlier this month, the NIA had carried out searches at seven locations of separatists in Kashmir, including that of Mirwaiz in connection with the said case.The agency claimed to have recovered several incriminating documents, including letterheads of different terrorist organisations as well as high-end communication systems, during the raid.During the searches, the teams also recovered electronic devices including laptops, e-tablets, mobile phones, pen drives, communication system, and DVRs.

IAF carries out major readiness exercise along Pakistan border

The Indian Air Force carried out a major readiness exercise last night over Punjab and Jammu in which a large number of fighter aircraft participated. During the exercise, Indian Air Force (IAF) jets, including frontline aircraft, flew at supersonic speeds in the border districts including Amritsar in Punjab, sources said here.The reason for carrying out the combat drill was to be prepared for thwarting any misadventure by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to intrude into the Indian air space, they said.The IAF has been on a high alert ever since it carried out air strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in Balakot town of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunwa province on February 26.A couple of days ago, two PAF fighter jets flew at supersonic speeds over Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir around 10 kilometres from the Line of Control in the Poonch sector.After the PAF started flying its planes close to Indian borders and were detected and monitored closely by the air defence network, the Indian ...

West Bengal firmly under belt, Mamata eyes Delhi centre stage

As she led thousands of hungry, half-clad and angry farmers on the dusty streets of Singur and Nandigram over a decade ago, defying the mighty Communist regime of West Bengal, little did she know she was on the threshold of scripting history. Mamata Banerjee, the tempestuous Trinamool Congress supremo, might well be at the doorstep of making history yet again, if the BJP-led NDA fails to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha polls, ending up becoming a kingmaker in national politics if not the king. One of the bitterest critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, she firmly pitched herself as a leader who could act as the glue to unite disparate political parties seeking to oust the NDA from power when she mustered leaders of 23 parties at rally here in January this year. "We would play an important role in the new government formation under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. The people of this country are looking up to her and TMC to save them from the reign of ..

YSR Congress leader Y.S.Vivekananda Reddy dead

YSR Congress party leader and former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy died of cardiac arrest on Friday, his family said. He was 68.

Goa polls: Mining impasse won't affect our prospects, says BJP

The ruling BJP has said closure of the mining sector in Goa will not have a negative impact on its chances in the Lok Sabha polls or bypolls in three Assembly seats. Mining came to a standstill in March last year after the Supreme Court quashed 88 leases and banned extraction of iron ore. Activists and groups fighting for its resumption claim almost two lakh people dependent on the industry are now jobless. The BJP has already announced the candidature of sitting MPs Shripad Naik and Narendra Sawaikar for North Goa and South Goa Lok Sabha seats respectively. Campaigning in Priol on Thursday, Naik said, "We could not find a solution to the mining issue because it also involves the Supreme Court. But once we come back to power, the issue will be given priority." Claiming that the issue won't affect the BJP in the polls, he said, "People are aware that our party has been trying to solve the issue. We are committed to finding a solution to the impasse." BJP MLA and state ...

Senate OKs resolution against Trump's emergency

With a rebellion by 12 Republicans, the US Senate has voted against President Donald Trump's national emergency that is criticised by his own party members as a presidential overreach.

UK MPs vote by majority to delay Brexit

UK MPs have voted in favour of delaying the Brexit process by at least three months, acknowledging that more time was needed to break the deadlock over Britain's departure from the European Union (EU), although a call for a second referendum was decisively rejected.

NKorea official: Kim rethinking US talks, launch moratorium

A senior North Korean official says the United States threw away a golden opportunity at the Hanoi summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and suggested the North Korean leader will decide soon whether to keep talking with the US and maintaining his moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests. Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told a meeting of diplomats and foreign media in Pyongyang on Friday the North has no intention of compromising or continuing talks unless the US takes measures that are commensurate to the changes it has taken - such as the 15-month moratorium on launches and tests - and changes its "political calculation." Choe said Kim would make a decision soon on whether to continue the launch and test moratorium.

S Korea, US hold talks on N Korea's denuclearisation progress

Officials from South Korea and the United States met here on Thursday and discussed ways to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, amid a layer of sanctions imposed on the communist country.The US-South Korea working group met for the first time after the last month's meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam, which ended in a stalemate with no agreement reached.The two sides "shared updates on efforts to achieve our shared goal of final, fully verified denuclearization, including through the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions," Yonhap News Agency quoted US State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino as saying.They also "reaffirmed their commitment to continue regularly hosting these consultations and co0rdinations as alliance partners," he added.Rhee Dong-yeol, who heads the South Korean Foreign Ministry's bureau of peace in the peninsula, led the delegation, while Alex Wong, deputy

Trump aide: Xi 'afraid' Trump may walk away from trade deal

President Donald Trump's chief economic adviser says China's president is "afraid" to sit down with Trump until their countries finalize a trade deal. Larry Kudlow, director of the White House's National Economic Council, says Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) wants everything agreed to before meeting with Trump because "he's afraid Trump might not like it and walk away." Kudlow says Xi wants a signing ceremony, not a negotiating session. Kudlow addressed the trade talks during an appearance Thursday in Washington. He says more work is needed to reach a deal. Trump on Wednesday dangled the prospect of walking away if the ultimate trade agreement isn't to his liking. Last month, Trump cut short a summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un after they failed to agree on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

Israel strikes Gaza targets following Tel Aviv rocket attack

Israeli warplanes attacked militant targets in the southern Gaza Strip early Friday in response to a rare rocket attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, as the sides appeared to be hurtling toward a new round of violence. The rocket attack Thursday night caught the Israeli military off guard and marked the first time that Tel Aviv, some 80 kilometers north of Gaza, has been targeted since a 2014 war. Though the attack caused no damage or injuries, it was a significant escalation and set the stage for a tough Israeli reprisal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an emergency meeting with his military chief and other top security officials. Shortly after, Israeli warplanes attacked targets in southern and central Gaza. The blasts were so powerful that smoke could be seen in Gaza City, 25 kilometers away from some of the strikes. The Israeli warplanes could be heard roaring through the skies above Gaza City. The Israeli military said it was targeting "terror sites" in Gaza, but gave

US State Department summons visiting Afghan NSA in rare rebuke

In an unusual move, the United States summoned Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib hours after he blasted Special US Representative Zalmay Khalilzad for bypassing the elected government of Afghanistan in their direct peace talks with the Taliban. "Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale summoned Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib today to reject the public comments attributed to National Security Advisor Mohib criticizing the US approach to reconciliation," State Department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino said after the meeting the between the two officials. Over the past two days, Mohib at various public forums during an appearance at a Washington DC-based think-tank and in an interaction with reporters described the US's talks with the Taliban as surrender discussion. He alleged Khalilzad was keeping the "duly elected" Afghan government in dark and that in the latest round of talks in Doha, they were humiliated and made to wait in a hotel ...

Resolution to make Mueller's Russia probe public passed

The US House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution directing the Justice Department to release special counsel Robert Mueller's highly anticipated inquiry report in the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.Lawmakers passed the non-binding measure by 420 votes to nil. Notably, four Republicans voted present on the resolution in the House."I've said to millions of Americans on television that I support releasing the Mueller report. I take specific exception to the elements of the resolution noting praise for Mueller, without also noting the criticism of his very biased staffing decisions," Matt Gaetz, a Republican senator from Florida told The Hill.The resolution calls for the Justice Department to release Mueller's report on Russia probe to the Congress and the public.The measure, which was introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, stated that there is "overwhelming public interest" to release the contents of the ...

Israel says rockets fired at it from Gaza, launches retaliatory strikes

The Israeli army on Thursday said that two rockets were fired into the country from Gaza, triggering rocket alerts in Tel Aviv.While one of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system, another landed in an open area, Al Jazeera reported quoting Israeli military forces.According to Israeli media reports, explosions were heard and a military spokesperson said that the incident was under investigation.Unnamed military officials said that the projectiles were Iranian-made Fajr rockets and there were no reports of casualties inflicted.No one has claimed responsibility for the two rockets fired from Gaza.Following this, the Israeli army said in a statement that it launched retaliatory strikes on "terror targets" in Gaza, without elaborating much.The last time rocket sirens were activated in Tel Aviv about two years ago, in what turned out to be a false alarm.Tel Aviv has not been attacked by rocket or missile fire since 2014 when the Israeli military forces had ...

RSS eco wing SJM urges PM Modi to withdraw 'most favoured nation' status of China

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) - the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's economic wing - on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the most favoured nation status from China for blocking the UN resolution to declare Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist."India should withdraw the most favoured nation (MFN) status from China, impose more restrictions on Chinese products and take immediate action to raise tariff duties on all Chinese imports," the SJM said in a letter to the Prime Minister citing that the government has already done so with Pakistan "It is the time to make use of all possible measures, diplomatic and economic, to make China conscious of the repercussions of its irresponsible action," the SJM said.All India Co-convener of the SJM, Ashwini Mahajan said that that there is need to work harder to discourage Chinese imports as the group's research reveals that the average tariff being applied on Chinese imports is much lower than bound tariff ..

'More time needed to study listing request', says China on its stance on Masood Azhar

China on Thursday defended its technical block to the UN resolution to declare Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, saying it needed "more time" as it is "conducting a comprehensive and in-depth review" on the listing request put forth by the countries.China said that it will continue "coordinating" with all the relevant parties to find a "lasting solution" to the issue if is to be resolved in a "responsible and sustainable way.""The 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council has clear criteria for the procedures to list terrorist organizations or individuals. China is conducting a comprehensive and in-depth review on the listing request put forth by the relevant countries. We still need more time and that is why we decided to put a technical hold on it," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told reporters at a regular briefing here."It complies with the rules of procedure of the 1267 Committee. We hope that relevant actions taken by the ...

LS polls: BJP-Shiv Sena to begin joint poll campaign from March 24

Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are set to jointly kick-start their election campaign for ensuing Lok Sabha elections with a joint rally in Kolhapur on March 24, a joint statement released by both parties confirmed. "The first joint rally of Shiv Sena-BJP will be held on March 24. There will be joint rally/ meetings of their party workers before that," the statement said."The joint meetings with both parties' workers are scheduled to take place on March 15, March 17 and March 18 at different locations. These meetings will be addressed by the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray," it said.According to the information out, after the meetings with party workers, a big joint rally of senior leaders from both parties would be held in Kolhapur on March 24."A joint manifesto will be released soon. Dates for grand joint meeting of Mumbai workers from both parties will be announced later," the statement further said.BJP-Shiv Sena had last month .

All US diplomats have left Venezuela: Pompeo

All American diplomats have temporarily left Venezuela, amid a mounting political and economic turmoil in the South American nation, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Thursday. "Today, all US diplomats remaining in Venezuela departed the country. They are fully dedicated to our mission of supporting the Venezuelan people's aspirations to live in a democracy and build a better future for their families," Pompeo was quoted by The Hill as saying."US diplomats will now continue that mission from other locations where they will continue to help manage the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people and support the democratic actors bravely resisting tyranny," he added.Pompeo further said that the people of the US stand with the Venezuelan citizens, adding that Washington is ready to provide the "richly deserved" humanitarian assistance."We are prepared to provide the humanitarian assistance that you so richly deserve. It's the Maduro regime which has prevented ...

ED seeks production warrant of corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar in fresh case

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday approached Delhi's Patiala House Court seeking production warrant of corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar in connection with the purchase of 43 aircraft by Indian Airlines in 2005.Talwar, who was extradited to India from Dubai along with the businessman Rajeev Saxena on January 30, is currently in judicial custody in a money laundering case.The investigative agency, which suspects his involvement in irregular seat-sharing on Air India's profitable routes with some prominent international airlines, has urged the court to issue a production warrant against Talwar as custodial interrogation is a must to reach a logical conclusion.The court is scheduled to hear the matter on Friday.Delhi's Patiala House Court on February 14 sent Talwar to 14-day long judicial custody in connection with allegedly violating the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).During the hearing, the ED had alleged that Talwar was involved in cases related to corporate lobbying.