Page 1341 - Politics
India, US call on Pakistan to address terrorism
India and the US have called on Pakistan to address terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday.
UP voters will deliver 'final strike' in BJP's favour in LS polls: Deputy CM
Exuding confidence that the voters of Uttar Pradesh would deliver their "final strike" in favour of the BJP in the Lok Sabha election, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said Wednesday the saffron party would win more than 300 seats across the country. "Not only the voters of Amethi and Rae Bareli (the Congress bastions in UP), but voters of Uttar Pradesh will deliver a their final strike in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in all the 80 Lok Sabha seats and give an overwhelming majority to him," Maurya told PTI in an interview here. The main issues in this election will be development, nationalism, eradicating poverty, wiping out corruption, ending terrorism and making the country number one in the world, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said in an interview. Describing the alliance stitched by the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal as "opportunistic", Marya said: "It is an alliance with vested interests. It has become redundant for the
PM tweets to politicos, bats for increased voter participation
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed to politicians from various political parties to encourage increased voter participation and urged them to inspire more people to come out and vote during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls."I appeal to Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and MK Stalin to encourage increased voter participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. A high turnout augurs well for our democratic fabric," Prime Minister Modi wrote in a series of posts on Twitter.He then went on to call upon Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to "work towards bringing maximum Indians to the polling booths in the upcoming elections. May voter awareness efforts be strengthened across the length and breadth of India.""Dear Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan and Pawan ...
Bodies shifted from Balakot to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after IAF strike: US-based activist from Gilgit
There have been reports in the Urdu media of some bodies being transported from Balakot to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas of Pakistan following the anti-terror strike by India, claims an activist from Gilgit."#Pakistan military officer admits to "martyrdom" of more than 200 militants during Indian strike on #Balakot. Calls the terrorists Mujahid who receive special favours/ sustenance from Allah as they fight to support PAK government [against enemies]. Vows to support families," Senge Hasnan Sering, the United States-based activist from Gilgit, tweeted..
Modi govt 'consciously disenfranchised' J&K people by not holding Assembly poll: Omar
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday the Modi government had "consciously disenfranchised" the people in Jammu and Kashmir by not holding the Assembly election on time. "Dear @narendramodi Sahib, it is good to see you appealing to famous people to increase voter turnout however at the same time your government has consciously disenfranchised people in J&K by not holding Assembly elections on time," Abdullah posted on Twitter. The former chief minister was referring to Modi's appeal to several personalities to help increase the voter turnout in the general election. "The right to choose an elected government, as opposed to being governed by a hand picked nominee of the central government, is the hallmark of the sort of democracy you are tweeting about," the NC leader said, appealing to the prime minister to give the people of the state an opportunity to exercise their democratic right by way of holding the Assembly polls.
Application to delete Jagan's name from voter list
The election authorities in Andhra Pradesh have received an online application for deletion of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's name from the voter list.
Ignoring opposition, AGP ties up with BJP in Assam
Despite opposition from its grassroots workers, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Assam together with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF).
Modi urges Rahul, others to motivate voters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged Congress President Rahul Gandhi and other politicians, sportspersons, actors, business leaders to encourage maximum voter engagement in 2019 general elections in April-May.
Indian students' detention discussed with Gokhale
The detention of Indian students by the US immigration authorities came up during Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's meeting with Congressional leaders, according to a participant.
A zero-tolerance approach to terrorism (Comment)
The Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN Security Council held a special meeting on September 28, 2011, to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1373 and urged "all Member States to ensure zero tolerance towards terrorism and take urgent action to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations". As the chair of the committee, I presided over this special session in which the "zero-tolerance" norm was adopted.
AGP to fight LS polls with BJP in Assam: Madhav
The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) will fight the Lok Sabha election in Assam in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two months after severing ties with the saffron party over the contentious citizenship bill. The alliance was finalised in a meeting among BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, AGP president Atul Bora and others that ended post midnight. "After discussion, BJP and AGP have decided to work together in the coming Parliament election in Assam to defeat Congress," Madhav, the BJP's incharge of Northeast, tweeted early on Wednesday. "Announced it at Guwahati in d presence of Himanta Biswa Sarma of BJP and Atul Bora and Keshav Mahanta of AGP," he said, adding that the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) will be the third partner in the alliance," he added. Talking to reporters after sealing the alliance, Bora said the former allies had joined hands again to defeat the Congress. The AGP chief, however, did not respond to any query regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and the .
Mahagathbandhan leaders to thrash out seat-sharing in Delhi by Thursday
Intensive negotiations are on the cards for the opposition grand alliance in Bihar as top leaders of the formation will meet in New Delhi on Wednesday to thrash out the thorny issue of seat-sharing for 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The general election is scheduled to begin on April 11 and will continue till May 19. Polling on the different seats will be held in Bihar in seven phases. The 'mahagathbandhan', as the grand alliance is called in local parlance, comprises old allies like the Congress and the RJD, besides new entrants such as Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP, Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) and the Vikashsheel Insaan Party (VIP), a fledgling outfit floated by former Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni. The grand alliance also seeks to have an electoral understanding with the Left Front, which has three constituents in Bihar the CPI, the CPI(ML) and the CPI(M), and the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and ...
China launches new rhetorical broadside against Taiwan
China says attempts by Taiwan's government to block its goal of bringing the self-governing island under Beijing's control are like "stretching out an arm to block a car." The new rhetorical broadside was launched late Tuesday against Taiwanese President Tsai Ying-wen following her announcement of guidelines to counter China's "one country, two systems" framework for political unification with the island. The statement from the spokesman for the Chinese Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office, An Fengshan, accused Tsai of harming relations between the sides and using the welfare of the Taiwanese people as a "poker chip" for the sake of electoral gains. China says Taiwan is a part of its territory that must be brought under its control by force if necessary. Tsai was elected in 2016 and faces re-election next year.
US urges China to not block Masood listing
The United States has urged China to not block Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar's listing as a global terrorist at the United Nations Security Council meeting to be held today over Azhar's designation. At the behest of Pakistan, China has previously stonewalled efforts to designate the Pakistan-based terror outfit's chief as a global terrorist at the UNSC by putting technical holds.Following the ghastly Pulwama terror attack carried out by the JeM, three of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, the UK and France - have initiated renewed efforts to get Azhar proscribed. China, on the other hand, has not outrightly supported the move until now."..., I would say that the United States and China share a mutual interest in achieving regional stability and peace and that a failure to designate Azhar would run counter to this goal," Robert Palladino, the US Department of State's Deputy Spokesperson stated on Tuesday (local time)."JeM is a United ...
Fadnavis, Uddhav discuss campaigning strategy, finalisation of candidates for LS polls
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence here last night to discuss the campaigning strategy ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, sources said.During their meeting last night, sources said Fadnavis and Thackeray talked about the finalisation of candidates for all the 48 seats at stake in the state, and also discussed swapping few seats in the state.In a joint press conference along with BJP president Amit Shah last month, Fadnavis had formally announced the alliance between the Shiv Sena and the BJP for the coming Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections. He had said that the Shiv Sena will fight on 23 seats and BJP on 25 seats in the impending elections. In Maharashtra, elections will be held in four phases - on April 11, 18, 23 and 29. Counting of votes is set to take place on May 23.
China's dissent on Azhar counters mutual goals: US
China's opposition to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist by the UN runs counter to its mutual goal with the US on regional stability, according to a State Department official.
British PM May's Brexit deal overwhelmingly crushed by lawmakers
British Prime Minister Theresa May has suffered yet another crushing Parliament defeat over Brexit when MPs overwhelmingly rejected her plan to quit the EU, plunging the UK into a further period of political uncertainty just 17 days before its divorce from the bloc. May's pleas in the House of Commons for lawmakers to support her draft exit deal on Tuesday, or run the risk of a chaotic exit from the European Union (EU) or no Brexit at all, were rejected by 391 votes to 242. May was hopeful that last-minute concessions from the EU would swing the vote in her favour, but many lawmakers dismissed those changes as ineffectual or cosmetic. While this marked a smaller defeat than the 230-vote margin with which they rejected her deal back in January, it was a decisive rejection of government strategy even after May had claimed significant changes to the controversial Irish backstop clause had been achieved. The Irish backstop, an insurance policy designed to maintain an open border on the ...
New US ambassador warns of China's 'payday loan diplomacy'
The new US ambassador to Australia says he's concerned about the way China lends money to developing Pacific nations in what he describes as "payday loan diplomacy." Arthur Culvahouse Jr. told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday that it was up to U.S. allies and Western liberal democracies to educate people about the dangers of such loans. US Vice President Mike Pence previously warned of China deploying "debt traps" against developing Pacific nations. Culvahouse says he would use stronger language by calling the practice payday loan diplomacy. Culvahouse says the money looks attractive upfront "but you better read the fine print." Long affiliated with Republican officeholders, Culvahouse oversaw the vetting process for President Donald Trump's running mate in 2016. Before Culvahouse arrived, the ambassador post had been vacant since 2016.
Russia ready to resume parliamentary dialogue with US
Russia is willing to re-establish parliamentary contacts with the US in order to promote bilateral relations of the two countries, the Russian Federation Council, or the upper house of Parliament, said.
Venezuela investigates Guaido over blackout
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is under investigation for sabotage following a massive blackout, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said.