Page 1361 - Politics
BJP's ally MGP to contest all 3 Assembly bypolls in Goa
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), an ally of the ruling BJP in Goa, on Monday said it will contest bypolls to all the three Assembly seats scheduled next month. The move is likely to pit the regional party against the BJP in all the three Assembly seats of Shiroda, Mandrem and Maspusa, where by-elections will be held along with the Lok Sabha polls in the state on April 23. The MGP is a coalition partner in the Manohar Parrikar-led government along with the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Independents. The by-elections to Shiroda and Mandrem were necessitated after the sitting Congress MLAs resigned from the Assembly and party and joined the BJP. The Mapusa seat fell vacant due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Francis D'Souza. MGP President Dipak Dhavalikar told PTI that his party will contest in all the three Assembly seats. While Dhavalikar earlier announced he will contest from Shiroda, he said candidates for the other two seats would be decided by the party's ...
Over 1,100 children killed in Syria last year: Unicef
At least 1,106 children were killed in Syria in 2018, the deadliest year for children in eight years since the ongoing war began in the country, the Unicef said on Monday.
Trump open to third summit with Kim: Bolton
US National Security Adviser (NSA) John Bolton has said that President Donald Trump was open to a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, although nothing has been scheduled.
We hope he learned his lesson: Pelosi, Schumer on Trump's plan to ask wall funding in budget
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer on Sunday hinted that United States President Donald Trump's reported plan to ask for 8.6 billion USD in the 2020 budget to fund the wall was a non-starter.Recalling Congress' refusal to fund his wall, the Democratic leaders said in a statement, "Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again. We hope he learned his lesson," The Hill reported."President Trump hurt millions of Americans and caused widespread chaos when he recklessly shut down the government to try to get his expensive and ineffective wall, which he promised would be paid for by Mexico," the two leaders added.They further suggested that Trump should put the border wall money towards education and workforce development programs.According to media reports, Trump is expected to request 8.6 billion USD for the wall along the US-Mexico border.The ...
Foreign Secretary Gokhale begins three-day visit to the US
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale began a three-day visit to the US on Monday during which he will meet senior officials of the Trump administration and exchange views on major foreign policy and security-related developments, officials said. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Gokhale is visiting Washington in connection with bilateral foreign office consultation and strategic security dialogue with his American counterparts. During his visit, Gokhale is also likely to meet with senior leaders in the US administration and US Congress, he said in response to a query on the foreign secretary's visit. The foreign secretary's visit to the US comes in the backdrop of growing tension between India and Pakistan. "Foreign Secretary is visiting Washington DC on March 11-13 in connection with the bilateral foreign office consultation and strategic security dialogue with his US counterparts, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale and Under Secretary of ...
Rajasthan Congress leaders hold meeting to discuss LS Polls strategy
The Rajasthan Congress party leaders including chief minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, in charge of state Avinash Pande held a meeting in the wee hours of Monday to discuss poll strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.After the meeting Pilot told the media, "This meeting was called to decide the candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Screening committee meeting headed by the party's secretary KC Venugopal will be held tomorrow. A broad consensus on all seats has been formed. We had a discussion on all aspects, the final decision will be in favour of the party."Pande claimed that a broad consensus on all 25 seats has been made. "We will go with only one name to the CEC. All aspects were discussed during the course of the meeting. Winnability, of course, is the most important criteria," he added.The Election Commission on Sunday said that Rajasthan will vote in Lok Sabha elections in two phases on April 29 and May 6.While 13 seats will go to the .
S Korea, US working closely amid reports of N Korea restoration of rocket launch site
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae or the Blue House on Monday stated that the national security councils of South Korea and the United States are in close communication amid reports of North Korea's restoration of a rocket launch site.Yonhap reported that the statement came in response to reporters' questions about whether South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong is planning to hold phone talks with his US counterpart John Bolton.In an interview with ABC, US NSA Bolton said that he will be talking with his South Korean counterpart Monday morning. He further divulged that the two officials might discuss satellite images showing rebuilding activity at the North Korea's missile launch site.Chung may have telephonic conservation with Bolton on Monday afternoon.Several reports surfaced by Seoul's spy agency and two US think tanks speculating that restoration work at the Pyongyang's long-range missile launch site in Dongchang-ri.The speculations about the North's possible ..
Nicaragua opposition leaves talks until prisoners released
The opposition Civic Alliance said Sunday that it will not return to talks with Nicaragua's government unless President Daniel Ortega's administration makes goodwill gestures like freeing prisoners. The coalition of student, business and civic groups said in a statement that it was demanding "the freeing of political prisoners, an end to repression and kidnappings." The alliance did not specify whether the demand was for the release of some or all of the estimated 770 people jailed by the Sandinista government following protests that started last April. Since the latest round of talks began in late February, the government has freed about 112 people on a form of conditional release. The opposition also said it wants an end to the harassment of protesters' families and "cruel and inhuman treatment" of prisoners. The government did not immediately respond to the statement. It has rejected previous demands to move up the 2021 elections. The statement came a day after the government ...
Air Strike, interim budget will benefit BJP in LS polls: Psephologist Bhawesh Jha
Psephologist Bhawesh Jha on Sunday opined that air strike carried out by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan and the interim budget presented by the central government will benefit the BJP in upcoming Lok Sabha polls.Jha told ANI, "Incidents like budget, air strike will work in the favour of the BJP. People used to say nine phases are too hectic so this time they have made it seven. People will vote for their choice."Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced the dates for the 17th Lok Sabha elections, which will be held in seven phases and the first phase of polling will take place on April 11.Announcing the election schedule and related measures, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora said: "The Election Commission of India has attempted every comprehensive preparation for the conduct of election for the 17th Lok Sabha, which is free, fair, inclusive, ethical, participatory and also festive," he said.CEC also stated that the examination schedule of all state boards ..
Regional parties will play big role in forming government at Centre: Owaisi
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday opined that the next government at the Centre will not be formed without the support of regional parties.He claimed that his party along with the TRS will win all the 17 seats in the upcoming general elections.Speaking to the media here, he said, "I will put all my energy in Telangana in order to ensure that people of Telangana win. Winning 17-0 will be a huge victory of the people of the state. I am sure that 17-0 result will come. I am glad that the poll dates for voting in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are the same. TRS will win 16 seats and AIMIM will win one seat. The next government will not be formed without the regional parties. The BJP government with 280 seats has failed completely."The Election Commission on Sunday announced the schedule for Lok Sabha elections 2019All 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana will go to polls in a single phase on April 11, which is also the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, Chief Election Commissioner ...
Syria: SDF resumes attack on last ISIL enclave
The United States-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have resumed their attack against the final ISIL enclave in eastern Syria with an objective to clear out the last traces of its self-declared 'caliphate'.ISIL was once spread across a third of Iraq and Syria is now limited to Baghouz, the last piece of populated land held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (ISIL, ISIS) fighters, reported Al Jazeera.The head of the SDF media office, Mustafa Bali, on Sunday stated that no further civilians had emerged from the enclave at the Iraqi border since Saturday and the SDF had not observed any more civilians in the area, prompting the decision to attack.Stating that SDF had provided ISIL fighters enough time to surrender, Bali said, "The military operations have started. Our forces are now clashing with the terrorists and the attack started."Last week, SDF commander in Chief Mazloum Kobani said that Syria will announce "a complete victory" over the Islamic State of ...
EC appoints 3 former civil servants as special observers for LS polls in J-K
Election Commission on Sunday appointed three former civil servants Amarjit Singh Gill (IPS 1972 Batch, Former DG, CRPF), Noor Mohammad (IAS 1977), and Vinod Zutshi (IAS 1982) as special observers for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir.Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said, "The commission has also decided for more effective monitoring to appoint three special observers of Jammu and Kashmir. The commission will be regularly and on real-time basis monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and continue to take inputs from all necessary quarters and decision regarding holding the election for legislative assembly will be taken soon."Arora on Sunday announced that there will be no simultaneous elections for Jammu and Kashmir state assembly owing to the recent incident of violence, among other factors.He said, "The commission has been continuously accessing the prevailing condition in the state. Based on input, the constraint of availability of central .
Morocco repatriates eight alleged jihadists from Syria
Morocco said Sunday it had repatriated eight of its nationals from Syria, who will be investigated for "suspected involvement in acts linked to terrorism". "The competent Moroccan authorities proceeded on March 10 to repatriate a group of eight Moroccan citizens who were in conflict zones in Syria," the interior ministry said in a statement. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which is spearheading a final offensive against the Islamic State group's last redoubt, confirmed its involvement in the transfer. The force "handed over some citizens from Morocco who used to stay in camps of northeast Syria to the Moroccan government," SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali wrote on Twitter. Backed by an international military coalition, the SDF has arrested thousands of IS jihadists who have fled the shrinking stronghold. Many of those flooding out of IS territory are foreign fighters and their families -- including some Moroccan women, according to AFP journalists on the ground. Sunday's operation
EC appoints three special observers for Jammu and Kashmir
The Election Commission (EC) has formed a committee comprising three "eminent" members to assess the situation on the ground in Jammu and Kashmir before it takes a decision about holding the Assembly elections in the troubled state.
Zuma used intel services to target Ramaphosa: probe
Former South African president Jacob Zuma used the country's intelligence services for his own political and personal interests, most notably against his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, a government report charges. Published Saturday on Ramaphosa's initiative, the report of about 100 pages details "serious breaches of the Constitution, policy, law, regulations and directives" by Zuma during his nearly nine years in office. The State Security Agency (SSA) targeted Ramaphosa in the run-up to his becoming head of the ruling African National Congress in 2017, and then president, it said. Zuma stepped down in early 2018 amid charges of massive corruption. The agency was "able to infiltrate and penetrate the leadership structure" of the movement against Zuma, said the report, drawn up by a team under former minister Sydney Mufamadi said. The SSA became a "cash cow" for many, both inside and outside the agency, it added. In response, Zuma accused the committee that drew up the report of having ..
BJP-led NEDA will win 19-21 seats in Northeast: Himanta
Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the BJP and its allies will win between 19 and 21 seats out of the Northeast's 25 Lok Sabha seats.
Opposition parties hail LS poll dates, say voters will oust Modi government
Opposition parties, including the Congress, on Sunday welcomed announcement of Lok Sabha election schedule and said the poll outcome will see the Narendra Modi government out of power.
EC defers Assembly polls in J&K, appoints three special observers
The Election Commission (EC) has formed a committee comprising three "eminent" members to assess the situation on the ground in Jammu and Kashmir before it takes a decision about holding the Assembly elections in the troubled state, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora said on Sunday.
Polling for J&K's Anantnag seat to be held in 3 phases
For the first time in India's electoral history, polling for one Lok Sabha seat - Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag constituency - will be held in three phases, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.
Declaration of poll schedule to expedite candidate selection, alliances
With the Election Commission announcing the Lok Sabha poll schedule on Sunday, political parties are expected to expedite the process of candidate selection as also that of forming alliances in the next few days.