Page 1431 - Politics
Sanders vows to fight racial, economic injustices in US
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has made a passionate bid to win the Democratic nomination for President, promising a fight against racial and economic injustices in the US if he is elected in 2020.
US, S. Korea begin small-scale military drills
South Korea and the US on Monday began a series of military exercises on a reduced scale in order to keep dialogue with North Korea open despite the poor results of the summit in Hanoi.
FIR lodged against BJP MLA in assault case
An FIR has been lodged against ruling party BJP legislator Sadhu Charan Mahto for beating the staff of a private company, police said on Monday.
ECI team starts meetings on election preparedness in Valley
An Election Commission of India team arrived here on Monday to review preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir together with other states in the country.
North Korean-backed 'Sharpshooter' cyber attacks still on: Report
A global cyber espionage campaign, known as Operation Sharpshooter, started a year earlier than previously thought and is still ongoing, say security researchers, adding that a group linked to North Korea could be behind the campaign.
59 Nobel laureates urge Imran, Modi to defuse tensions
Fifty nine Nobel laureates have written letters to the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan urging them to "defuse the rising tensions" between the two countries, according to a statement.
Ambedkar asks Cong to commit bringing RSS under Constitution
Virtually putting the Congress on notice over forging an electoral alliance with him, Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar has demanded the party commit to bring the RSS, the ideological mentor of the BJP, under the "framework of the Constitution". In a letter addressed to Congress' Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader stated the "draft to bring the RSS in the framework of Constitution will be the centre of our discussions with the Congress over seat sharing". The Congress is keen to bring Ambedkar's BBM on board in its bid to bring the like-minded parties from Maharashtra together to take on the BJP in Lok Sabha elections. Ambedkar, however, formed a front named Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, a development that didn't go down well with the Congress. The talks between Ambedkar and the Congress are reportedly stuck over the Dalit leader's demand for 12 Lok Sabha seats and the Congress' stand to not tie-up with ...
Thai general who led coup pines for 'democracy' in election ballad
Junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha dropped his latest saccharine pop ballad on the Thai public Monday, pining for the "democratic path" nearly five years after he seized power from the country's last elected government. A former army chief who wants to return after March 24 polls as a civilian prime minister, Prayut has penned several ditties intended to inspire the nation since seizing power in 2014. "New Day", released on YouTube, captures the famously gruff 64-year-old general in reflective mood. "We are looking for a new day in Thailand's history... towards the democratic path," the pop number -- sung by two soldiers -- says. "A 'New Day' for Thailand is coming so we can solve the mistakes of the past." Thailand remains deeply polarised five years after the army booted out the government of Yingluck Shinawatra from office. Prayut led the coup, saying his hand had been forced after months of bloody protests against Yingluck's government. He has since clung on to power, repeatedly ...
China keeps mum on Qureshi's claim on Beijing's plan for special envoy to India, Pak
China on Monday kept mum on Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mohammad Qureshi's claim that Beijing plans to send a special envoy to Pakistan and India to ease tensions following the Pulwama terror attack, but said the two countries can resolve their differences through friendly negotiations. Pakistani media on March 2 quoted Qureshi as saying that China has decided to send a special envoy to Pakistan and India in a bid to reduce the tensions in the region. Asked about Qureshi's reported remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, As to your question, like we said before, we really hope India and Pakistan, both important countries in South Asia, can resolve the relevant issues through friendly consultations and negotiations." In order to ease the tensions, China has maintained close communication with both India and Pakistan. Whatever is conducive to regional peace and stability, China will try to do that, and we will continue to do so," Lu said, without referring to any ..
DMK seals deal giving 2 Lok Sabha seats each to CPI and VCK
The DMK on Monday concluded electoral pacts with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the VCK for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Amid border tension and poll season, small investor returning, FIIs are bullish (Market Watch)
It was an eventful week with a lot of action on the border, and some of it, at the bourses. India struck Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan in a preemptive strike in the early hours of February 26. This was the first time after 1971 war that India crossed the international border and struck.
Congress questions number of casualties in airstrike in Pakistan
With the government yet to give an official count of the number of terrorists killed in the airstrike in Pakistan's Balakot and Air Chief Marshal B. S. Dhanoa declining to comment on the casualties, the Congress on Monday questioned the actual figure of casualties and accused the BJP of politicising the operation.
Hold Lok Sabha, state assembly polls in J-K together: Tarigami tells ECI
CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami said on Monday the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir should be resumed at the earliest and called for holding Lok Sabha and state assembly polls together in the state. "Jammu and Kashmir is without an elected government for the past nine months and in the absence of an elected government, uncertainty in the state is deepening day-by-day and dissatisfaction among large section of people is increasing," Tarigami said. "Only effective response to this situation is to initiate democratic process and hold elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha simultaneously. Any delay to do so will hamper the process of improvement in the situation," he told the Election Commission of India (ECI) at a meeting here. A team of Election Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora arrived here on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir for assessing the situation for holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously. Tarigami, who led the CPI(M) delegation in .
PM to address BJP rally in MP on March 5
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will sound the poll bugle in Madhya Pradesh Tuesday by addressing a rally of BJP in neighbouring Dhar district. BJP workers, mainly from tribal-dominated Dhar and Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seats, will take part in the Vijay Sankalp rally, a party functionary said Monday. "Prime Minister will tomorrow address 'Vijay Sankalp' rally in Dhar and formally launch BJP's poll campaign for the coming Lok Sabha polls," BJP's state media in-charge, Lokendra Parashar told PTI. PM Modi was scheduled to address rallies at Itarsi and Dhar on February 15 and 16, respectively, but they were cancelled in the wake of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 27 of the total 29 seats except Guna and Chhindwara constituencies, which were retained by Congress stalwarts Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath, respectively. Dhar and Ratlam-Jhabua constituencies were won by the BJP in 2014. In 2015, the Congress won the Ratlam-Jhabua ...
Air Force doesn't count casualties: IAF chief
Amidst a raging controversy over the damage inflicted on the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror camp in Balakot, IAF chief B.S. Dhanoa on Monday said his force does not count human casualties but the airstrike had hit the "target".
Use common sense, Modi tells Oppn on Rafale his remarks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday hit out the opposition for questioning his statement that the presence of Rafale fighters would have given greater firepower to the IAF during the February 27 aerial engagement with Pakistan. Modi said India would not sit quietly in the fight against terrorism and would do all to cure it from the root, which lies in Pakistan. "I said if Rafale was acquired in time it would have made a difference (during the February 27 dogfight), but they say Modi is questioning our air force strike," he said, addressing a gathering here. "Please use common sense. What I said was if we had Rafale at the time (of aerial dogfight), then none of our fighter jets would have gone down and none of theirs saved," he added. Lashing out at statements from opposition party leaders who demanded proof of the February 26 air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot, Modi said his objective was to end terror while that of the opposition was ..
BJP asks Cong to not insult armed forces with 'fake, fabricated' stories
With the Congress seeking to corner the Modi government over details of the Indian air strike on terrorist camp in Pakistan, the BJP on Monday asked it to not mislead the country and insult armed forces with "fake and fabricated" stories. Taking a dig at the opposition party, BJP leader and Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Congress and its allies are "crying" while terrorists and their sponsors are being hit. "Is this a coincidence or a partnership? It is unfortunate when the entire country is speaking in one voice to salute our armed forces' valour, the Congress and its allies are raising such questions," he said. Congress leader Kapil Sibal has cited several international media accounts reporting "no proof of militant losses at Balakot" to question Modi if they are "pro-Pakistan". Congress chief spokesperson referred to Union minister S S Ahluwalia's reported remarks that the government never claimed to have killed 300-350 terrorists in the air strike to ask Modi to share the
After Digvijay Singh, Kapil Sibal demands proof of IAF strike on Jaish camp
After Congress leader Digvijay Singh, senior party leader Kapil Sibal has sought proof of Indian Air Force's strike destroying the biggest camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of politicising terror. "Modi ji must answer as the international media like New York Times, Washington Post, London-based Jane Information group, Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and Reuters, are reporting that there is no proof of militant losses at Balakot in Pakistan," Sibal said. You are guilty of politicising terror, he said on Twitter. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also asked the prime minister to clear the doubt as one of his ministers was denying TV news that 300 terrorists were killed in the air strike on Feb 26. "Modi ji, Your central minister is denying TV news that prime minister Modi has never confirmed the killing of 300 terrorists in IAF air strikes in Pakistan.s it true. If not, the prime minister should tell the truth to the country," he ...
Rahul accuses Modi of lying on Amethi ordnance factory; Smriti hits back
Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of speaking "a lie" about inaugurating an ordnance unit in the Congress president's parliamentary constituency Amethi, claiming he had himself laid the foundation stone of the factory in 2010. His remark drew immediate reaction from Union minister Smriti Irani, who said Gandhi is "scared" and could not see that the new facility in Korwa area of Amethi was a joint venture between India and Russia which will manufacture AK-203 rifles for armed forces. Gandhi had claimed he laid the foundation stone in 2010 and that the factory has been producing small weapons for years. "Prime minister ji, I had myself laid the foundation stone of the Ordinance factory in Amethi in 2010. In the last many years, small weapons are being manufactured there. "You went to Amethi yesterday and spoke a lie, which you are used to doing. Are you not ashamed a bit," he asked in a tweet in Hindi. His attack came a day after Modi accused Gandhi of "lying" .
Congress, AAP attack BJP for politics on air strikes
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday questioned the BJP and its President Amit Shah for "milking air strikes for politics" and for not trusting the Army.