Page 1463 - Politics
Trump discussed N Korea with Abe, Moon: White House
US President Donald Trump spoke by telephone with the leaders of Japan and South Korea as he flew back to Washington after his summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un ended without a deal, the White House said Thursday. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters traveling with Trump on Air Force One that he spoke for around 15 minutes each with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. "He gave them an update on the meeting," Sanders said. "He told them he will continue the conversation." The US-North Korea nuclear summit ended abruptly in Hanoi earlier Thursday, with Trump saying he had decided to "walk" in the face of Kim's demands to drop sanctions. The much-anticipated second meeting between the two leaders was supposed to build on their historic first summit in Singapore, but they failed to sign a joint statement as initially scheduled and the talks ended in deadlock. Abe earlier said he backed Trump after the talks collapsed. Tokyo has regarded ..
Junior minister quits over UK's Brexit delay plan
A junior member of Prime Minister Theresa May's government quit Thursday over her decision this week to give MPs the option to delay Brexit, a day after 20 Brexit hardliners voted against her move. Agriculture minister George Eustice said he feared the move "will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country". The Conservative MP voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum vote, and backs the withdrawal deal May has struck with the bloc. But the House of Commons on January 15 overwhelmingly rejected the deal, sending the prime minister back to Brussels to change its arrangements for the Irish border. May has promised to put the text to MPs again by March 12 and if they reject it, to allow a vote on whether Britain should leave the EU with no deal, or seek to delay Brexit beyond March 29. "We cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door," ...
Pompeo hopeful India-Pak tension would come down
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday he had "good conversations" with Indian and Pakistani leaders and was hopeful that the rising tension will come down between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Over the last two days, Pompeo spoke to the leaders of the two countries including External affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. "We were and continue to be very engaged with the issue between India and Pakistan," Pompeo told reporters travelling with him from Hanoi, Vietnam to Manila in the Philippines. "I spent a good deal of time on the phone last night talking to leaders in both countries, making sure there was good information exchanged, encouraging each country to not take any action that would escalate and create increased risk," he said. "I had good conversations, and I am hopeful that we can take down the tension there, at least for the time being, so they can begin to have conversations
Release of Indian pilot by Pak would be "very much welcomed" step: UN
The release of an Indian pilot by Pakistan would be a "very much welcomed step", spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres said Thursday, stressing that the message to India and Pakistan from the world body and the international community is to de-escalate tensions. In a surprise announcement during a joint session of Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Thursday that captured Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace. Pakistan detained Wing Commander Varthaman Wednesday following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed. "The reports of the promise of the release of the Indian pilot by the Pakistani authorities would be a very much welcomed step," spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric told reporters here. "We would encourage both parties to do whatever they can to de-escalate the situation and this is the ...
Putin calls Modi, conveys support in fight against terrorism
Russian President Vladimir Putin called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone on Thursday and conveyed solidarity of the Russian people with India's people in the fight against terrorism.
UP bags top honour at National e-Governance Awards
The Board of Revenue, Uttar Pradesh has bagged the top honour at the National e-Governance Awards, 2019, at a function in the national capital, a state government official said Thursday. The digital land project of the UP government also formed the foundation for successful implementation of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, under which Rs 2,000 was directly transferred to more than one crore farmers in UP, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24. The award was given by Union minister Jitendra Singh Wednesday. It was presented to the chief minister on Thursday by the revenue department team.
CPI(M) keeps door open for seat-sharing in Bengal
Notwithstanding the Congress' ultimatum to take a call on a tie-up within Sunday, the CPI(M) leadership in West Bengal decided on Thursday to keep the door open for seat-sharing with the Congress and urged them not to make any decision in haste. During its state committee meeting that continued till late in the night, the CPI(M) decided that in order to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress in the state, steps would be taken for maximum pooling of anti-BJP and anti-TMC votes. At the closed-door meet, CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra said the party would take steps that is needed to defeat the BJP and the TMC in Bengal in the elections. The development comes a day after the state Congress said there would be no seat-sharing with the CPI(M) by compromising the party's dignity and gave an ultimatum to the Left Front to take a call on the tie-up by Sunday. "It has been decided that the Congress would be asked not to act in haste, rather they should give ...
Jihadist threat not over, Italian PM warns
Rome, Feb 28 (IANS/AKI) Jihadism continues to pose a security threat, especially due to its resilience and ability to evolve, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday, noting that home-grown extremism is growing in his country.
To avoid miscalculation take action against terror groups: Congressman to Pak
A powerful US lawmaker on Thursday urged Pakistan to take demonstrable action against terrorist groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed to avoid the kind of "miscalculation" that the country's Prime Minister Imran Khan rightly fears. Prime Minister Khan cautioned India Wednesday against any "miscalculation" in case of an escalation between the two nuclear-armed countries and offered to defuse tensions through talks. "I ask India: with the weapons (nuclear) you have and the weapons (nuclear) we have, can we really afford a miscalculation? If this (situation) escalates, it will no longer be in my control or in (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's," Khan said. "To avoid the kind of miscalculation Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan rightly fears, Pakistani leaders must take demonstrable action against Jaish-e-Mohammed and the terrorist infrastructure on Pakistan's soil," said Congressman Eliot Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The lawmaker called on both the countries to .
Cabinet okays ordinance to allow govt take over functions of arbitration centre
The Union Cabinet Thursday approved an ordinance to allow the government take over the functioning of an arbitration centre here as the body has not been able to actively engage and embrace developments in the arbitration ecosystem. A bill to this effect was passed by Lok Sabha in January this year, but could not be passed in Rajya Sabha. With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha on June 3, the bill is set to lapse. The ordinance also proposes to set up the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre to establish an independent and autonomous regime for institutionalised arbitration and for acquisition and transfer of undertakings of the International Centre of Alternative Resolution. The government has said that the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR), which works under the aegis of the Supreme Court, has not been able to actively engage and embrace developments in the arbitration ecosystem. The new body will take over the undertakings of the ICADR which ..
In phone call Putin Modi, conveys condolences on Pulwama terrorist attack
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed his deep deep condolences on the Pulwama terrorist attack. He also conveyed solidarity of the people of Russia with the people of India in the fight against terrorism.Both leaders agreed that the concerned (Pakistan) should stop all support to terrorism."The Prime Minister thanked President Putin for Russia's steadfast support for India's efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks and renewed India's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as a pillar of privileged and special strategic partnership," read a press statement.Putin called Prime Minister Modi amidst high tensions between India and Pakistan. A day after India carried out air strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Jammu and Kashmir saw heightened military activity on February 27, with Pakistani jets violating .
Jamaat-e-Islami J&K banned
The Central government on Thursday banned the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, declaring it an "unlawful association" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
IAF pilot Abhinandan shot down Pak F-16 before his MiG-21 Bison was hit
Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman downed a F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force by firing an R-73 air-to-air missile before his MiG-21 Bison was hit during a fierce dogfight on Wednesday, official sources said Thursday. Wing Commander Varthaman, son of a decorated IAF veteran, was captured by Pakistan after his jet went down following a strike by an enemy missile. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that the IAF pilot would be released Friday as a "gesture of peace". On Wednesday, Pakistan carried out a retaliatory aerial raid unsuccessfully targeting Indian defence facilities in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after India struck a terrorist training camp in Pakistan. Wing Commander Varthaman downed a F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force by firing an R-73 air-to-air missile before his jet was hit by an enemy missile, the sources said.
Cabinet approves creation of SPV for Air India divestment
The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its "ex-post facto approval" for the creation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries and joint ventures, a government statement said. The cabinet also gave its approval for the development of new greenfield airport at Hirasar in Gujarat's Rajkot district. An SPV named Air India Asset Holding Ltd (AIAHL) was set up on January 22 last year as part of financial restructuring of the debt-laden national carrier. The statement on Thursday said "the government has decided to transfer...to the newly-created SPV the debt of Air India Limited amounting to Rs 29,464 crore" as well as "non-core assets, painting and artifacts and other non-operational assets of Air India Limited". Moreover, the government said that the "subsidiaries which are not part of Air India strategic disinvestment viz. AIATSL (Air India Air Transport Services Limited), AIESL (Air India Engineering Services Limited), AASL (Airline Allied ..
Cabinet approves 10 pc reservation for general category poor in J-K
The Centre on Thursday approved an order for giving reservation benefits to economically weaker sections and for promotion in government jobs to SCs and STs in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision has been taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said at a press conference. The cabinet "approved the proposal of Jammu & Kashmir Government regarding amendment to the Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Order, 1954 by way of the Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019," according to an official release. "It will serve the purpose of application of relevant provisions of the Constitution of India, as amended through the Constitution (Seventy Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 and Constitution (One Hundred and third Amendment) Act, 2019 for Jammu and Kashmir, by issuing the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019 by the President under clause (1) of ...
CCEA approves development of new airport in Rajkot
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved the development of a new greenfield airport at Hirasar in Gujarat's Rajkot at an estimated cost of Rs 1,405 crore.
Cabinet clears order for 10 pc reservation for general category poor in JK
The Centre on Thursday approved an order for giving reservation benefits to economically weaker sections and for promotion in government jobs to SCs and STs in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision has been taken by a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said at a press conference. "It will serve the purpose of application of relevant provisions of the Constitution of India, as amended through the Constitution (Seventy Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 and Constitution (One Hundred and third Amendment) Act, 2019 for Jammu and Kashmir, by issuing the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019 by the President under clause (1) of Article 370," he said. The order will have to be promulgated by the President.
BJP told me of the war before LS polls: Pawan Kalyan
Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan here on Thursday claimed, the BJP told him two years ago that there will be war before the Lok Sabha elections.
Putin expresses Russia's solidarity in India's fight against terror
Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express his deep condolences over the Pulwama terrorist attack and conveyed the solidarity of his country with New Delhi in its fight against terror. Modi thanked Putin for Russia's steadfast support for India's efforts to protect its interests against cross-border terror attacks, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said. In their telephonic conversation, the prime minister also renewed India's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in countering terrorism as a pillar of privileged and special strategic partnership. Both leaders agreed that the "concerned" should stop all support to terrorism. The two also agreed that the growing cooperation between the two countries will take their special and privileged strategic partnership from strength to strength. President Putin reiterated the invitation to Modi to attend the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok later this year. The Prime ...
Centre declares Jamaat-e-Islamai (JeI) as 'unlawful association'
The Government on Thursday has banned the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Jammu and Kashmir declaring it as an "unlawful association" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.According to Ministry Of Home Affairs (MHA) notification, "Whereas the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir (JeI) has been indulging in activities, which are prejudicial to internal security and public order, and have the potential of disrupting the unity and integrity of the country. Hence in regard to the activities of the JeI, it is necessary to declare the JeI to be an unlawful association with immediate effect."The notification also asserted that JeI is in close touch with militant outfits and is supporting extremism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere and is involved in anti-national and subversive activities in the country intended to cause disaffection.It also observed that if the unlawful activities of JeI are not curbed and controlled immediately, it is likely to escalate its subversive ...