Page 1475 - Politics

US House passes major gun control law

The US House of Representatives has approved a Bill expanding background checks for all gun sales, including those at gun shows and on the internet.

PM Modi desperate only for re-election: Surjewala

The Congress on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "misplaced priorities" and that he was "desperate only for re-election". The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a tweet, alleged that the prime minister was "hell-bent on creating a video conference record" when the entire country was praying for return of its braveheart pilot. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes that sparked fears of war. IAF sources identified the pilot as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. "Glaring case of misplaced priorities! 132 Cr Indians pray for safe & immediate return of India's brave-heart Wing Comm, Abhinandan but Modiji desperate only for re-election. Congress cancelled its imp CWC & Rally today. Pradhan Sevak hell-bent on creating a Video Conf. record!" ...

Bengaluru-bound train gets wrapped in 'Awesome Assam' colours

The Assam Tourism Department has begun promoting its 'Awesome Assam' campaign on a Bengaluru-bound train to tap the "limitless potential" of advertising through this medium. The KamakhyaYasvantpur AC Express became the first such train on Wednesday to be completely branded by the state government campaign on its exteriors, a release issued by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said. The department plans to run the campaign on three NFR trains. The KamakhyaYasvantpur AC Express, which covers a distance of around 3,025 km to reach Bengaluru, was flagged off by Assam Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma in the presence of other senior officials, the release said. "The idea of vinyl wrapping of trains to tap the limitless potential of using train exteriors as a medium of advertisement was initiated by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal," it said, adding, the procedures were recently simplified by bringing the branding tariffs based on per-train basis. After the simplification process, ..

People in Varanasi pray for safe return of IAF pilot in Pak custody

Scores of people residing in Varanasi on Thursday offered prayers wishing for the early and safe return of Indian Air Force (IAF) official, who was detained by Pakistan following an air battle by forces of the two countries.Speaking to ANI, Ravikant Vishvakarma, a devotee said, "We all have united here to pray for Abhinandan ji. I request Pakistan to treat him well."Sandeep Misra, another resident of Varanasi echoed similar sentiments and stated, "We will pray for him and expect the government to take requisite measures in this regard."The Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan was summoned on Wednesday by Ministry of External Affairs in the national capital to lodge a strong protest at the unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan against India, including violation of the Indian air space and targeting of Indian military posts.India also strongly objected to Pakistan's vulgar display of injured personnel of the Indian Air Force in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law

Pak shells forward posts in Poonch

The Pakistani Army Thursday heavily shelled forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said. This is the seventh consecutive day that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire by targeting forward posts along the LoC. The PRO, Defence said, "At about 0600 hours on Thursday, Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation byshelling with mortars andfiringofsmall arms along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector". "The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively", the official said. In view of the prevailing situation, authorities have ordered a temporary closure of educational institutions in a 5-km radius along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts. They have asked all border dwellers to remain inside their homes and not move outside in view of shelling by Pakistan. The year 2018 had witnessed the highest number of ceasefire violation, numbering 2,936 by Pakistani troops, in the last 15 years along the ...

Support India's air strike on JeM terror camps in Pakistan: US Secretary to NSA Ajit Doval

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation late on Wednesday night, where the former asserted that the US supports India's decision to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp on Pakistani soil," sources said. "NSA Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a telephonic conversation late Wednesday night, Pompeo said that the US supported India's decision to take action against JeM terror camp on Pakistani soil," sources told ANI. A day after India carried out aerial strikes on a JeM camp in Balakot in Pakistan in which a "large number" of terrorists were killed, Jammu and Kashmir saw heightened military activity on Wednesday, with Pakistani jets violating the Indian air space and dropping some bombs in Rajouri sector after which one of their fighters was shot down.Following Pakistan's action, India said it foiled an attempt by Pakistan Air Force to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir by shooting down ..

Facebook not sharing key disinformation data with EU: Report

As the European Parliament election inch closer, the European Commission has claimed Facebook is withholding key data on its efforts towards how the platform is rooting out the spread of poll-related disinformation.

ICPA extends full support to Govt, says consider it as second line of defence after armed forces

Amid the escalating tension between India and Pakistan on the border, Indian Commercial Pilots' Association Central Office (ICPA) on Thursday extended complete support and co-operation in all operations to the Government of India in a fight against terrorism."ICPA being a patriotic and responsible union would like to extend complete support and co-operation in all operations as the situation demands. We will support the government and the PMO in this fight against terrorism," said a letter sent to PMO.Stating that it considers itself as the second line of defence after the armed forces to serve India, ICPA stated: "We, as Air Indians take pride and feel duty bound towards national interest and pledge our support to the nation and as pilots we consider ourselves as the second line of defence after the armed forces to serve our country.""As a responsible trade union body, we will always work with the interest of the Nation close to our heart," it added. A day after India carried out ...

Adnan Sami gives befitting reply to Pakistani trolls

Adnan Sami has taken a dig at Pakistani trolls who have been speaking out against India's airstrike across LoC in a scathing tweet.In the tweet, the singer who originally hails from Pakistan but now holds Indian citizenship stood up against trolls from Pakistan, and told them that it is about 'eliminating terrorists' and not about 'egos being given a reality check.' He further went on to add that their 'Ostrich mentality' is 'laughable.'His tweet read, "Dear Pak trolls, It's not about your egos being given a reality check today; it's about eliminating terrorists who you 'claim' are also your enemies! Your Ostrich mentality is laughable. By the way, your abuses expose your reality and therefore the only difference between you and a bucket of rubbish is the bucket!"Sami had earlier on February 26 too hailed the IAF efforts and tweeted, "The Force Is With You" @narendramodi ji. Respect to @IAF_MCC .#HowsTheJosh #StopTerrorism #JaiHind ."On February 26, twelve days after the Pulwama ...

Sushma Swaraj to leave for UAE to attend OIC meet amid Pak threat to boycott

Amid a threat by Pakistan to boycott a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) if India attended, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is slated to leave for the UAE later today to participate in the conclave as the Guest of Honour.Swaraj will address the plenary of the 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in Abu Dhabi from March 1 to 2. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has threatened to boycott the OIC meeting if Swaraj participated.Yesterday, Swaraj attended the 16th Foreign Ministers meeting of Russia-India-China (RIC) at Wuzhen in China where she said that terrorists attacks like Pulwama are a grim reminder for the need of all countries to show 'zero tolerance' towards terrorism.The OIC on Tuesday "condemned" the aerial strike carried out by India deep inside Pakistan, urging New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise restraint to avoid further provocations that would "endanger peace and security in the region."The Indian Air ...

ICPA extend full support to Govt, says consider itself as second line of defence after armed forces

Amid the escalating tension between India and Pakistan on the border, Indian Commercial Pilots' Association Central Office (ICPA) on Thursday extended complete support and co-operation in all operations to the Government of India in a fight against terrorism."ICPA being a patriotic and responsible union would like to extend complete support and co-operation in all operations as the situation demands. We will support the government and the PMO in this fight against terrorism," said a letter sent to PMO.Stating that it considers itself as the second line of defence after the armed forces to serve India, ICPA stated: "We, as Air Indians take pride and feel duty bound towards national interest and pledge our support to the nation and as pilots we consider ourselves as the second line of defence after the armed forces to serve our country.""As a responsible trade union body, we will always work with the interest of the Nation close to our heart," it added. A day after India carried out ...

Trump in 'no rush' as formal nuclear talks open with Kim

US President Donald Trump said he was in "no rush" to secure a deal over Pyongyang's nuclear programme as he kicked off formal talks Thursday with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two men who once traded personal insults and threats of destruction are holding their second meeting in eight months, with analysts warning it needs to produce more concrete progress than their initial historic get-together in Singapore. The Singapore summit resulted in cozy images, but only a vague commitment from Kim to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". Diplomacy has since stalled amid disagreements on what that actually means. But as they sat down for Thursday's formal discussions in Hanoi, Trump said success would come over a "longer period of time". Multiple sanctions have been imposed on the North because of its weapons programmes and tensions soared in 2017 before a wave of detente. For his part, Kim said there were "people who hold a sceptical view of our meeting" ..

Heavy firing across LoC in Poonch

There was heavy firing on Thursday between Indian and Pakistan across the Line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, the Defence Ministry said.

Trump, Kim begin talks for second day of US-N Korea summit

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have begun talks on the second day of their summit here to clinch a deal for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday.

India will not keep quiet to any act of terrorism says, Ambassador Shringla

India's Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has said that India will not keep quiet to any act of terrorism and giving "appropriate response" to all terrorism incidents is the new normal for the country. In a first-of-its-kind interaction with Indian students from the various universities from the Greater Washington area, Shringla said that Pakistan needs to meet its international obligations to crackdown on terrorist networks and safe havens within its territory. Forty CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based JeM in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. Following the attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. Shringla updated the Indian students about the latest development back home and ...

Venezuela crisis: US, Russia submit resolutions to UNSC

The UN Security Council is set to consider conflicting resolutions on the situation in Venezuela from the United States and Russia, diplomatic sources said here.

Remembrance ceremony held for Pulwama bravehearts in Nepal

The Embassy of India in Nepal organised a remembrance ceremony in honour of the CRPF personnel who lost their lives after a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist struck their convoy in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14."Terrorism is one of the biggest existentialistic threats of our times. It makes no distinction between borders, gender or religion. It is the worst form of human rights violation and cannot be justified on any grounds whatsoever. The scorch of global terrorism can only be dealt only by global action and any attempt to justify terrorism in any manner possible is extremely deplorable and it should be condemned," the Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri, remarked.Puri recalled the sacrifice made by the deceased CRPF personnel, reinforcing that terrorism never can be justified.The ceremony was organised inside the Pension Wing of the Embassy of India here on the 13th day since the attack took place. It was attended by pensioners, members of the public, embassy staff ...

Reiterate call to Pak to stop providing support to terrorists: USA

The United States on Wednesday (local time) reiterated its call for Pakistan to "abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds.""Cross-border terrorism, such as the recent attack on India's Central Reserve Police Force on February 14, poses a grave threat to the security of the region. We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds," the US Department of State told ANI. "The United States calls on India and Pakistan to cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability," the department further said.It also urged both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, "including through direct communication"."Further military activity will exacerbate the situation," it added.The United States had earlier told Pakistan to stop funding and providing a safe haven to terrorists in

No peaceful transition of power if Trump loses 2020 elections: Cohen

Speaking before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, US President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen claimed that "there will never be a peaceful transition of power" if Trump loses the 2020 Presidential elections."Given my experience working for Mr Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020 that there will never be a peaceful transition of power. And this is why I agreed to appear before you today," CNN quoted Cohen as telling the House Committee during the public testimony on Wednesday (local time)."My loyalty to Mr Trump has cost me everything - my family's happiness, my law license, my company, my livelihood, my honour, my reputation and soon my freedom," he stated in his closing remarks. The incumbent US President's former attorney is due to start his three-year jail term on May 6. He was found guilty on a string of counts including campaign finance crimes related to the "illegal hush money" paid to porn star Stormy Daniels on Trump's behest.Based on ...

Cohen: Trump may not go peacefully if he loses in 2020

Donald Trump's former lawyer wrapped up hours of explosive congressional testimony Wednesday by warning that the US president may not accept a "peaceful transition of power" if he loses re-election in 2020. Michael Cohen, who implicated the president in federal crimes and said Trump would do anything to win, said he offered his bombshell alarm as someone who knows the president well. "Given my experience working for Mr Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power," he said in a final statement to the House Oversight and Reform Committee after hours of public testimony. Cohen acknowledged that his blind loyalty to Trump "has cost me everything," and that the former fixer will be headed to prison in May for three years, for hush money payments and lying to Congress. "But I will not sit back and say nothing," he said as he launched his warning. Cohen had repeatedly expressed remorse during his five-hour grilling, and painted