Page 139 - Politics

President Kovind to address joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament

President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of both the houses of Parliament at the Central Hall today.The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha began on Monday in which the newly elected members took the oath. The election of the Speaker was held on Wednesday.The Rajya Sabha will begin its proceedings from today after the address of the President.The Parliament session will continue till July 26. The Economic Survey will be presented on July 4 followed by the Union Budget for 2019- 20 on July 5.

Direct flight launched between India, Vietnam

Giving a special boost to tourism between the two nations, a direct flight from Kolkata to Hanoi is set to start from October 3rd, according to Vietnam's Ambassador to India, Pham Sanh Chau."We, today, launched direct Indigo flights between Kolkata and Hanoi, that will be starting from October 3, this year. We have also launched an online platform for Indian travellers to apply for a visa on arrival," the envoy told ANI here on Wednesday.He also reaffirmed his country's support for India's permanent membership at the UN Security Council. This comes shortly after Vietnam was unanimously voted as a non-permanent member of the council for the 2020-2021 term earlier this month."Vietnam has expressed its commitment to support fully India's bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Previously also Vietnam has stated its support for India to become a UNSC permanent member once the council expands," he said."We look forward to working closely with India. India and Vietnam ..

Biden under fire for recalling 'civility' with racist senators

Joe Biden drew strong condemnation Wednesday from fellow Democratic presidential contenders and demands for an apology after he defended his old-fashioned political style by recalling the "civility" with which he treated two segregationist US senators. Speaking at a New York fundraiser Tuesday, the ex-vice president and frontrunner for the Democratic nomination told donors that fixing America's "broken" politics would require forging consensus with lawmakers with opposing positions. Biden, who spent more than three decades in the US Senate, named late senators James Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia, both southern Democrats who fiercely opposed desegregation, as opponents who were in his own party when he entered the chamber in 1973. Eastland "never called me 'boy,' he always called me 'son,'" Biden said of the former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, according to a press pool report. Eastland, who left the Senate in 1978, was known to speak of blacks as "an ...

Back to the Village: Poonch administration organises training session for officers

Pooch District Administration on Wednesday organised a training session for district officers, in regard with the implementation of 'Back to the Village' initiative of the state administration.'Back to the Village' program will be organized between June 20-27 across all Panchayats of state.Under this programme, gazetted officers will stay in the village for at least two days and interact with villagers. They will also obtain feedback from the panchayat representatives, elders and other locals about their concerns, developmental needs and economic potential of the area.The programme is aimed at "energising" the 4,483 panchayats and taking their feedback on the delivery of government schemes.It is for the first time that such an initiative has been taken up in the valley by the government in which the officers would be visiting the assigned village for 8 days from 20 June to 27 June.The different departments have been assigned the task of organising fairs to create awareness among the ..

Egypt to chair meeting on Sudanese crisis in Adis Ababa today

Egypt is all set to chair a meeting of foreign ministers from African nations on the Sudanese crisis in Ethiopia's Adis Ababa on Thursday.The foreign ministers from Sudan's regional allies will aim at urging different Sudanese parties to resume direct dialogue, Xinhua quoted the Egyptian Foreign Ministry as saying on Wednesday."The meeting called for by Egypt comes within its efforts to coordinate regional visions that seek to provide a suitable environment, urging different Sudanese parties to resume direct negotiations," the Egyptian ministry's spokesman, Ahmed Hafez, said.Protests -- first against the Omar al-Bashir regime and now the Transitional Military Council (TMC) -- have been ongoing since months in Sudan.The TMC was formed after the military overthrew Bashir on April 11 in a coup. Protesters have demanded the TMC to transfer power to a civilian-led government. Demonstrations against the council have continued despite the recent violent crackdown on protesters, which claimed

Vietnam reaffirms support for India's permanent membership at UNSC

Vietnam on Wednesday reaffirmed its support for India's bid for permanent membership at the UN Security Council.This comes shortly after Vietnam was unanimously voted as a non-permanent member of the council for the 2020-2021 term earlier this month.The Ambassador of Vietnam to India, Pham Sanh Chau also highlighted the special bond shared by the two nations while speaking to ANI in New Delhi."Vietnam has expressed its commitment to support fully India's bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Previously also Vietnam has stated its support for India to become a UNSC permanent member once the council expands," he said."We look forward to working closely with India. India and Vietnam share a special relationship -- we are also comprehensive strategic partners. For Vietnam, India is amongst the three countries which enjoy the highest status of the relationship," he told ANI.The official also expressed his pleasure at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sweeping win at the

Coimbatore: 700 DMK workers detained for protesting against water crisis

Around 700 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party workers, who held protests outside the Coimbatore City Corporation Office (CCCO) against the acute water crisis in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, were first detained and later released by police."We have detained around 700 workers who were protesting outside the Coimbatore City Corporation Office (CCCO) against the acute water crisis in Tamil Nadu. We released them later," police said.The protest was held to urge the CCCO to take steps to resolve the water crisis affecting the state."Water management is a crucial subject. We are doing all that we can despite the deficient rain. We have over 400 water tanks distributing water in the state," Tamil Nadu minister D Jayakumar had said.The protestors waved DMK flags and held bright plastic pots over their heads to make a vivid display of the protest against the water crisis.The protests took place in the wake of the scarce water supply in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. This water crisis seems ..

Preparations underway as Maduro set to visit Russia: Venezuelan diplomat

Preparations for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's visit to Russia are underway, according to the Latin American nation's Ambassador in Moscow Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa.Tortosa made the comments while speaking to Sputnik on Wednesday. "The respective notification has been sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Russia and Venezuela have exchanged information on the need for such a meeting. Everything is underway to comply with conditions for a meeting and to carry it out as soon as possible. Our Foreign Ministry is preparing an agenda and when the date will be determined, we will make it public," the diplomat said.Without specifying the date, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov had confirmed the Venezuelan leader's visit to the nation earlier on Wednesday.A host of crucial agreements are expected to be exchanged during the visit, according to Caracas.The South American nation continues to be in the throes of a political crisis. National Assembly President Juan Guaido had proclaimed ...

KCR deserves credit for almost finishing Kaleshwaram project in 3 years: Rajeshwar Reddy

MLC and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader Palla Rajeshwar Reddy hailed the K Chandrasekhar Rao government for rushing through with the work on Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project in the state."Under the leadership of K. Chandrashekhar Rao, the TRS party has become a protector of the Telangana state. The world's largest lift irrigation project that is Kaleshwaram project has been taken up and almost got to the final stage in just 3 years. He is inaugurating the same on June 21 and has invited the CM of both Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra for the same," Palla Reddy told media here.He added that the project will prove to be a huge boon for farmers across the state and hailed KCR for solving other issues related to Telangana."Once the project gets completed, 45 lakh acres farm is going be benefitted from this. And apart from that, since the time KCR won in Telangana, he tried and has given his full effort in solving the state issues and the people problems," he said.Speaking about the

Pak security forces kill 2 terrorist linked to abduction of ex-PM's son

Two suspected ISIS terrorists, who were allegedly involved in the abductions of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's son and a US national, were killed by Pakistani security agencies in Punjab province, police said Thursday. The terrorists, identified as Muhammad Rizwan and Imran Saqi, were killed in a late night raid on a house in Multan district on Wednesday, the Punjab Police's counter terrorism department (CTD) department said. They were also involved in the killing of three intelligence officers. In a statement, the CTD said it received information that five terrorists of banned terror group ISIS were hiding in a house in the district, around 350 km from Lahore. It said a team surrounded the house and told the terrorists to surrender. "The terrorists instead of surrendering opened fire on the raiding team which returned fire, killing two terrorists on the spot while three of their accomplices managed to escape taking advantage of darkness," the CTD said. The terrorists had .

Pak security forces kill 2 terrorist linked to abduction of ex-PM's son

Two suspected ISIS terrorists, who were allegedly involved in the abductions of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's son and a US national, were killed by Pakistani security agencies in Punjab province, police said Thursday. The terrorists, identified as Muhammad Rizwan and Imran Saqi, were killed in a late night raid on a house in Multan district on Wednesday, the Punjab Police's counter terrorism department (CTD) department said. They were also involved in the killing of three intelligence officers. In a statement, the CTD said it received information that five terrorists of banned terror group ISIS were hiding in a house in the district, around 350 km from Lahore. It said a team surrounded the house and told the terrorists to surrender. "The terrorists instead of surrendering opened fire on the raiding team which returned fire, killing two terrorists on the spot while three of their accomplices managed to escape taking advantage of darkness," the CTD said. The terrorists had .

Sharad Pawar demands national debate on One Country One Vote

NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday wrote to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi 'giving various suggestions and demanding a national debate on the idea of - One Country One Vote'."The idea of One Country One Election is a good idea but there are many political problems in implementing this. After 1957 Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha have been dissolved before the completion of their terms. There is political pluralism in India. Many political parties have emerged in the different parts of the country which creates problems for One country, One election," Pawar wrote in the letter to Joshi."For One country One election we have to make a constitutional amendment. Therefore, our party proposes a national debate on this question," he said.Urging Prime Minister has to take initiative in improving the productivity or the Parliament, Pawar said: "Prime Minister's presence and participation is necessary. Ministers should take their parliament work seriously. The opposition should .

BJP working president J P Nadda meets ex-party chiefs Joshi, Advani

Two days after his appointment as BJP Working President, BJP leader Jagat Prakash Nadda called on former party chiefs Murli Manohar Joshi and Lal Krishna Advani here on Wednesday."Today, I met and sought the blessings of our senior leader and former BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi. It is a matter of privilege that I got a chance to work as the national president of the party's youth wing under his leadership," Nadda said on Twitter after meeting Joshi.Calling former deputy prime minister Advani a source of inspiration, Nadda tweeted, "I met and sought blessings of former BJP president and our mentor LK Advani. He is a source of inspiration for all of us. We always get inspiration to work with dedication for the country in your guidance."Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday appointed Nadda as its working president at the meeting of the party's parliamentary board, the highest decision-making body.The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and ...

Arab deputies urge UN to call Huthis 'terrorists'

Arab parliamentarians gathered in Cairo on Wednesday urged the United Nations to list Yemen's Huthi rebel movement as a "terrorist organisation" while accusing it of attacks on Saudi Arabia. The Huthis have intensified attacks in the past few weeks against the kingdom, which launched military operations in Yemen in 2015 as part of a coalition to push back against the Shiite rebels. The parliament of the Arab League decided Wednesday to "ask the UN and the Security Council to take a firm and immediate position by classifying the putschist Huthi militia a terrorist organisation". The body made up of representatives from the parliaments in the pan-Arab bloc accused the Huthis of "regularly targeting civilian and vital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia with ballistic missiles or drones". On June 12, a missile fired at Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia wounded dozens of civilians - in an attack claimed by the Huthis. The rebels also claimed responsibility for a series of drone strikes

US says Saudis can do more after UN Khashoggi probe

A US official said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia should do more to ensure accountability over the death of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi but stopped short of blaming the crown prince after a UN probe linked him to the killing. Brian Hook, who is in charge of pushing President Donald Trump's hawkish line on Iran, was asked about US support of Tehran's regional rival Saudi Arabia as he testified before Congress. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "has made it very clear that we are determined to hold every single person materially responsible accountable," Hook said. "The Saudi prosecutor has taken important steps toward accountability for the tragic killing of Jamal Khashoggi but more needs to be done," Hook said. He did not directly respond to the question from Democratic Representative Ted Lieu, who asked if the Trump administration shared the widely reported view of the CIA that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing. The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or

Trump campaign raises USD 24.8M in less than 24 hours

President Donald Trump raised USD 24.8 million less than 24 hours after kicking off his reelection campaign, a figure that dwarfs what the top Democratic contenders took in over the course of months. The staggering total was announced in a tweet on Wednesday morning by Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. She declared that it was proof that "enthusiasm across the country for this president is unmatched and unlike anything we've ever seen." Trump's massive haul is a demonstration of the power of incumbency, underscoring simmering Democratic worries they are not doing enough to prepare for the matchup with Trump. It's also a sign that Trump's fundraising operation is already in high gear at a time when many Democratic donors have yet to engage and their party contends with a sprawling primary that has drawn more than 20 candidates. Many Democratic White House candidates have hyped their fundraising pulls in the 24 hours after launching their campaign. Former Vice President Joe ...

Johnson extends lead, Stewart out of race to be next British PM

Rory Stewart was knocked out of the race to become Britain's next prime minister on Wednesday, leaving four candidates led by former foreign secretary Boris Johnson. International Development Secretary Stewart received the fewest votes in the third ballot of Conservative MPs and so drops out of the contest, while Johnson extended his commanding lead among his colleagues in Britain's governing party. Former London mayor Johnson received 143 votes, ahead of Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on 54, Environment Secretary Michael Gove on 51 and Interior Minister Sajid Javid on 38. Stewart won 27 votes -- 10 fewer than he received in Tuesday's second ballot -- and was eliminated. Two further ballots are scheduled for Thursday, which will whittle the four down to a final two. The 160,000 grassroots party members then choose their new leader, who will take over from Theresa May as prime minister, with the result declared in the week beginning July 22. May officially stepped down as Conservative ..

Trump ex-confidante Hicks in closed-door testimony to Congress

Hope Hicks, a former longtime aide to US President Donald Trump, began testifying to Congress Wednesday but Democratic lawmakers said she refused to answer several questions about her time at the White House. The onetime close confidante to Trump ignored shouted questions from reporters as she arrived for a closed-door session of the House Judiciary Committee, as part of its investigation into possible obstruction of justice by Trump. Her appearance is a breakthrough for Democrats eager to investigate the president, as it pierced the privacy shield Trump placed around the White House when he asserted executive privilege last month to bar cooperation from current and former aides. The White House had made clear the night before, in a letter to the panel's chairman Jerry Nadler, that Hicks was "absolutely immune" from being compelled to answer questions about her time in Trump's administration. Nadler told reporters that "Miss Hicks is answering questions put to her, and the interview ..

TRS welcomes simultaneous elections; ally AIMIM says no

The ruling TRS in Telangana Wednesday welcomed the idea of simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies while its ally in the state, the AIMIM, said the proposal violated the basic structure of India's constitution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier convened an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of 'one nation, one election' which was attended by both the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). However, several other opposition parties, including the Congress, skipped the meeting as they were opposed to the idea. A committee for giving "time-bound" suggestions on simultaneous elections will be set up by Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced after the meeting. "It is definitely a welcome decision to conduct simultaneous elections whatever the practical problems," TRS working president K T Rama Rao told reporters in New Delhi. Conducting elections in phases, with the model code of conduct remaining in force ..

As Gulf tensions rise, Israel's Netanyahu warns 'enemies'

With tensions rising between Israel's ally the US and its archfoe Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Jewish state's enemies not to test it Wednesday, his office said. "I hear our neighbours from the north, south and east threatening our destruction," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office after he observed a large-scale military excercise in the north of the country. "I say to our enemies: The Israeli army has very great destructive power. Don't test us." Across Israel's northern borders Hezbollah -- backed by Iran -- has its power base in Lebanon and a presence in Syria, where Iran also has a presence. To the south is the Gaza Strip, whose Islamist rulers Hamas also enjoy support from the Islamic republic. Israeli public radio said that Netanyahu convened his security cabinet for a meeting that lasted close to four hours "in the shadow of the tension in the Persian Gulf." The radio said that it was the second time in a week the senior ministers had met, .