Page 1470 - Politics
Trump on Cohen's testimony: 'He lied' and 'no collusion'
President Donald Trump sought again to discredit Michael Cohen Thursday after his former long-time lawyer's bombshell congressional testimony in which he called Trump a racist and a conman. "He lied a lot," Trump told a press conference in Vietnam after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump insisted Cohen's testimony Wednesday had provided no evidence the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia in the 2016 US election and that this is what mattered most in the keenly awaited session before a House committee. Cohen, who also worked as Trump's fixer, told lawmakers he had no direct knowledge of collusion but that he had suspicions. Trump however insisted his former lawyer said no collusion had taken place. "And I was a little impressed by that. He could have gone all-out. He went 95% instead of 100%. The fact is, there is no collusion," said Trump. "He didn't lie about one thing. He said, no collusion with the Russian hoax. And I said, I wonder why he didn't lie about ..
AP minister files nomination for Legislative Council election
Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu and three other candidates of the ruling Telugu Desam Party Thursday filed their nominations for the election to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council. The main opposition YSR Congress Janga Krishna Murthy also filed his nomination for the lone Council seat the party could win. Nomination process for the March 12 election to five Council seats under the MLAs quota, which fall vacant on March 29, ended Thursday. While the TDP re-nominated Yanamala, it chose Duvvarapu Rama Rao of Visakhapatnam, B T Nayudu of Kurnool and P Ashok Babu of Krishna district for the three other seats it could win. Ashok Babu, a former leader of the AP Non-Gazetted Officers Association, joined the TDP Thursday. Ashok met TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu at the latters riverfront residence here and thanked him for the nomination. The former NGO leader then reached the Legislature and filed his nomination. The other candidates too filed nominations ...
Congress distances itself from Sidhu's call for talks with Pakistan
The Congress on Thursday distanced itself from Punjab Minister and party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's call for talks with Pakistan, saying the atmosphere was "not conducive for dialogues".
Woman killed, jawan injured as Pak shells 6 sectors in Poonch, Rajouri
A woman was killed and a jawan injured as the Pakistani army shelled civilian areas and forward posts in six sectors along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts Thursday, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian forces, an official said. This is the seventh consecutive day that Pakistan has targeted forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC). "The Pakistan army continuously resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC at about 1500 hours with heavy mortar shelling and small arms fire in Sunderbani, Mankote, Khari Karmara, Degwar Sectors in J&K," a defence spokesperson said. The firing had started around 6 am, he added. "At about 1415 hours, Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing of small arms along the LoC at Nowshera sector in Rajouri," the official said. There was another round of firing from across the border around 1 pm along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector, he said, adding, "The ...
Time for Modi, BJP to rise above crass politicking: Congress
Flaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi for seeking to strengthen electoral booths rather than the country, the Congress on Thursday said for the BJP, party was above the nation.
BJP will win Amethi on basis of welfare works: Yogi ahead of Modi's visit to Rahul's constituency
Uttar Pradesh Chief minister Yogi Adityanath exuded confidence on Thursday that the ruling BJP will win the Congress bastion of Amethi in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on the basis of its welfare works and hard work of its workers. "On the strength of the workers' hard work and welfare schemes, the BJP will repeat history and win the Amethi seat in the coming Lok Sabha polls," the chief minister, who was here to review the preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on Sunday, said. "I feel bad that we had won the Amethi seat in 1998 but since then, we have not been able to win it...we can win this seat through hard work and dedication...and there is no doubt about it," he told reporters. Adityanath, who issued directions to leaders and workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make Modi's visit a grand success, said the prime minister would reach Amethi, represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, around 2 pm to inaugurate projects and lay foundation ...
Nobel laureate urges 'trust' between India, Pakistan
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi here on Thursday urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and create an atmosphere of trust and transparency.
Nimbalkar asks party group leaders to decide Paricharak's fate
Maharashtra Legislative Council Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar Thursday ruled that party group leaders should decide whether BJP-backed independent legislator Prashant Paricharak be dismissed or not. Shiv Sena MLC Anil Parab had moved a proposal seeking dismissal of Paricharak from the Legislative Council for his controversial remarks on the wives of the army personnel in 2017. After his remarks, Paricharak was suspended from the Upper House in March 2017. However, his suspension was revoked exactly a year later, following which Parab had moved the proposal to dismiss him. "In my opinion, Parab's proposal is not acceptable. But in the last assembly session it was discussed that the decision on it will be taken by the party group leaders. So, the party group leaders should take a call on the proposal to dismiss Paricharak and whether to allow him entry into the House," Nimbalkar ruled in the House. Even as Nimbalkar was giving his ruling, Shiv Sena legislators and ...
South Korea says failure to reach nuclear deal 'unfortunate'
South Korea described the breakdown of nuclear talks between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday as unfortunate, but expressed hope that the two countries can continue an active dialogue. The collapse of the Trump-Kim summit in Vietnam is a setback for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whose desire for closer relations between the Koreas hinges on a nuclear breakthrough between the US and North Korea. Moon had planned to announce new proposals for inter-Korean engagement, possibly including economic cooperation, in a ceremony Friday marking the 100th anniversary of a 1919 uprising by Koreans against Japanese colonial rule. Moon has been held back in his drive for inter-Korean engagement by tough US-led sanctions against North Korea which prohibit many kinds of economic ties. Trump told reporters in Hanoi that his summit with Kim collapsed after North Korea demanded a full removal of the sanctions in return for limited disarmament steps. Washington .
US Secretary of State Pompeo speaks to Doval amid tensions between India, Pak
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has talked to India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval amidst tense ties between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack and New Delhi's air strike against JeM terror training camp in Balakot. Pompeo and Doval are understood to have discussed the current situation in the region during the telephonic conversation on Wednesday, the Secretary of State's office confirmed. The US National Security Adviser John Bolton previously talked to Doval on February 15 during which they resolved to hold Pakistan to account for its obligations under the UN resolutions and remove all obstacles to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. Bolton had supported India's right to self-defence against cross-border terrorism and offered all assistance to India to bring the perpetrators and backers of the attack promptly to justice. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of ...
Watching Indo-Pak tensions closely: Chinese military
China's military on Thursday said it was "closely watching" the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan and called for restraint by both the neighbours. Terming India and Pakistan as "friends of China", it also said both the countries should resolve the issue through dialogue and properly handle the differences to prevent further escalation of tensions. Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack by Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed. India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In the operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for suicide attacks were eliminated. The facility at Balakot was headed by Yousuf Azhar, the brother-in-law of the JeM chief. Pakistan on Wednesday claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a ...
India, Pakistan armies trade fire in Poonch, Rajouri
Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy mortar and small arms fire on Thursday on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts amid India-Pakistan tensions.
BJP deriving political mileage out of tension with Pak,alleges
The RJD and other opposition parties in Bihar on Thursday charged the BJP with trying to derive political mileage out of escalated tension with Pakistan and expressed dismay over Prime Narendra Modis interaction with booth-level workers in the midst of a national crisis. They also deplored senior BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa for having said that the pre-emptive strikes at Balakot will help the party sweep the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka. The leaders of the proposed Mahagathbandhan in the state questioned the decision of the NDA to hold a rally in the Bihar capital on March 03 at a time when we should be more concerned about the release of IAF officer Abhinandan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union minister Ramvilas Paswan would address the rally in Patna on Sunday to kickstart the ruling coalition's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the politically crucial Bihar having 40 Parliamentary constituencies. The Honourable Prime Minister
Pak to release IAF pilot Abhinandan tomorrow as 'peace gesture': PM Khan
Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan Thursday announced that IAF's captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a "gesture of peace". The surprise announcement during a joint session of Parliament came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. As the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif took the floor of the House, Prime Minister Khan apologised for interrupting and said he wishes to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday will be released Friday as a "peace gesture". The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers. Earlier, Qureshi said that Pakistan is willing to consider returning the captured IAF pilot if it leads to "de-escalation" of tensions with India. Pakistan detained Wing Commander Varthaman following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two .
Setback to Dhinakaran-Sasikala faction as HC dismisses plea for AIADMK name, symbol
The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed the pleas of TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala challenging the Election Commission's order granting the AIADMK name and two leaves symbol to the faction led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswami. A bench of justices G S Sistani and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal upheld the EC's decision of November 23, 2017, saying none of the grounds of challenge taken by Dhinakaran and Sasikala were sufficient to set aside the poll panel's order. The court said there was no infirmity in the poll panel's decision to allot the AIADMK name and two leaves symbol to the faction headed by Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam. After the order was pronounced, senior advocate Abhishek M Singhvi, appearing for Dhinakaran and Sasikala, urged the bench to direct the EC not to allot the pressure cooker symbol to anyone during the next 15 days so that they have time to move the Supreme Court and seek an appropriate relief from there. The EC, thereafter, agreed not to ..
Pak to release IAF pilot tomorrow: PM Khan
Pakistan Prime Minster Imran Khan told a joint session of Parliament that IAF's captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace. The surprise announcement came barely an hour after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Khan is ready to talk to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions. The announcement was greeted by thumping of desks by Pakistani lawmakers.
Army's 5-day recruitment drive in Samba postponed
Amid the escalating Indo-Pak tension, the Indian Army Thursday postponed its five-day recruitment drive in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Army's recruitment drive was scheduled to be held in Samba from Friday. "The recruitment rally of 157 infantry battalion (Territorial Army - Home and Hearth), which was scheduled from March one to March five at Bari Brahmana military garrison has been postponed," a defence spokesperson said. He said fresh dates would be announced later. The decision to defer the recruitment drive came two days after Indian fighter jets, in a pre-dawn, preemptive, non-military operation, Tuesday pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror facility at Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan in reply to the outfit's February 14 terror strike in Pulwama in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. In reply to the IAF's strikes, Pakistani fighter jets Wednesday intruded into Indian airspace to target military installations, but their bid was foiled by IAF jets, ...
Sidhu insists on dialogue with Pakistan
Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Thursday insisted that dialogue and diplomatic pressure will count for in seeking a long-term solution to terror outfits operating across the border, amid strain in India-Pakistan ties in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack and subsequent developments. "I stand by my conviction that dialogue and diplomatic pressure will count for a great deal in seeking a long-term solution to the presence and practice of terror outfits that operate within and across the border," the cricketer-turned-politician said in a two-page statement titled "We have a choice." "The solution to terror is peace, development and progress and not unemployment, hatred and fear," he said. The Congress leader's statement came a day after his friend and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan talked peace and invited India for a dialogue amid escalations across the border. On both sides of the border, tacticians are planning for the worst, he said, adding that they must think the ...
Key developments on Indo-Pak front
Here are some key developments on the Indo-Pak front Thursday: * Pakistan announces it will release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Friday. * Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready for telephonic talk with Narendra Modi to offer him peace, says Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. * Qureshi says Pakistan willing to consider returning Abhinandan if it leads to "de-escalation" of tensions with India. * Abhinandan's father says he is praying that his son does not get tortured and comes home safe and sound. * Government sources say India has not asked for consular access to IAF pilot Abhinandan and is insisting on his unconditional and immediate return. * The sources say Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has to walk the talk on investigating the February 14 Pulwama attack and that India wants immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. * Defence ministry says Pakistan's claims that its air force did not target the Indian military ...
Washing workers' feet no political gimmick but 'sanskar': Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said his act of washing the feet of sanitation workers in Allahabad recently was not intended for political gains, but an outcome of his 'sanskar' (values). He was responding to a question by a BJP corporator from Pune in Maharashtra via video link from Delhi, during the party's 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme. During the programme, which the BJP described as the "world's largest video conference", Modi had direct dialogue with BJP workers and volunteers across the country. "I have been to Kumbh (Mela) in Uttar Pradesh, which was widely appreciated for its cleanliness. Around 22 crore people visited the Kumbh. It led me to think about the efforts put in by the sanitation workers and I decided to express my gratitude towards them by cleaning their feet," Modi said. He said people dubbing his act as a political gimmick do not know him well. Modi recalled his house warming ceremony when he became the chief minister of Gujarat for ...