Page 1476 - Politics
Pak airspace to remain closed today
All international and domestic flights operations across Pakistan stand suspended on Thursday, said the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Quoting Pakistan's aviation agency, ARY News also reported that the flight operations would remain shut until further notice."NOTAM is still in place & airspace over #Pakistan remains closed. Apology for an earlier tweet that indicated the partial opening of our airspace for commercial aviation. Any further information will be shared accordingly," the CAA tweeted early on Thursday.Airlines like Qatar Airways issued a statement on Wednesday wherein it asserted that due to the ongoing situation on the India-Pakistan border, its flights to the airports in Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and, Sialkot stand temporarily suspended.On Wednesday, flight operations across eight airports in India - Amritsar, Pathankot, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla, Dharamshala, Kullu and Leh - were shut briefly. Operations later resumed in all
Opposition in Delhi accuses Kejriwal of 'lying' on issue of voters' deletion
Opposition walked out of the House "in anger" after accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of "hiding" a reply of Delhi's chief electoral officer on the issue of the alleged mass deletion of voters' names from the list.Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta expressed anger about the exposure of Kejriwal's "lie" about deletion of 24 lakh names from the voters' list by his own minister in a reply of a question, concealing from the House the important letter of the Chief Election Office dated December 14, 2018 on the subject and not submitting the report on the resolution adopted by the Delhi Assembly within the stipulated period of three months which expired on Wednesday. Along with Gupta, BJP MLAs OP Sharma, MS Sirsa, and Jagdish Pradhan also walked out of the House.As the Government concealed the letter of the CEO from the House, Opposition members tabled it in the House obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. They sought action for breach of privilege against Election ...
Cohen claims he started Trump's 2016 presidential campaign
US President Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen claimed that he started Trump's presidential campaign in 2016 by opening a website called 'shouldtrumprun.com', which eventually triggered the incumbent President's campaign.Cohen made this claim when he appeared for the public testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Wednesday (local time).US Representative Jim Jordan asked Trump's former attorney, "You started the campaign for President of the United States for Donald Trump?""I certainly did, sir," CNN quoted Cohen as replying.He added that he started the website after reading a newspaper poll which asked people whom they would vote for in 2012 - "6% said they'd vote" for Trump, he said."So I brought it into his office and I said to him, 'Mr. Trump, take a look at this, and he said wouldn't that be great?' And with that is where it all started," Cohen remarked.The former attorney made shocking revelations regarding the Trump family during the 2016 ...
India, Pak should avoid further military action: Pentagon
Fearing an escalation of the current tensions between India and Pakistan, the Pentagon on Wednesday urged the two South Asian neighbours to avoid further military action. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. The Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been in contact with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, and Commander of US Central Command General Joseph Votel regarding India-Pakistan tensions. Acting Secretary Shanahan's focus is on de-escalating tensions and urging both of the nations to avoid further military action, the Pentagon said in a statement. Canada also called for de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. Canada is gravely concerned about rising tensions ..
Canada urges India, Pakistan to engage in dialogue
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has urged India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any further military escalation over rising tensions between the two countries.
UK lawmakers vote to hold prime minister to Brexit promises
Prime Minister Theresa May insisted Wednesday that Britain will leave the European Union on schedule next month, amid signs that her promise to give Parliament a vote on delaying Brexit was boosting support for her unpopular EU divorce deal. May has bowed to pressure from within her Conservative government and given Parliament the chance to delay Britain's scheduled March 29 departure if lawmakers fail to approve her divorce agreement with the bloc. The change of course was welcomed by pro-EU members of Britain's divided Parliament, who sought further guarantees the government would not try to renege on May's commitment. Lawmakers in the House of Commons voted 502-20 in favour of a symbolic motion underscoring May's promise. Some pro-Brexit lawmakers, who fear delaying Brexit day could be used to try to stop Britain's withdrawal altogether, abstained from the vote. On Tuesday, May gave Parliament a greater say over Brexit to forestall a rebellion by pro-EU members of her government, ..
Kim, Trump get down to business over N Korean nukes
After warm greetings and a "social dinner", US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un get down to business Thursday, with formal summit talks aimed at breaking the deadlock over Pyongyang's nuclear programme. 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 substance than their initial historic get-together in Singapore. That summit resulted in warm 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. In Hanoi, the two again displayed outward signs of an unlikely diplomatic bromance, clasping hands and appearing to share jokes as reporters shouted questions. Trump described Kim as a "great leader" and said his country had "tremendous economic potential, unbelievable, unlimited" as he vowed to "help" North Korea ...
Macron, Merkel display unity over Brexit agreement
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel showed their unity on the question of Brexit during a joint press conference here.
'US deeply concerned about rising tensions between India, Pak'
The United States is "deeply concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan" and has called for both the sides to take "immediate steps" to de-escalate the situation."(The United States is) deeply concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan and calls on both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation," a National Security Council official told the Voice of America."The potential risks associated with further military action by either side are unacceptably high for both countries, their neighbours and the international community," the official further cautioned.US Senator Edward Markey, who is also the national leader on energy, environment, climate, and telecom, also raised concern over the ongoing tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours."The heightening tensions between Pakistan and India are deeply alarming. These two nuclear-armed states must commit to resolving this crisis peacefully, and the U.S. should stand ready to assist. We ...
Air strike will help us win 22 LS seats in K'taka, says BSY
Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa opined that the air strike recently carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Pakistan has titled things in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's favour and will help the win 22 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka in the impending general elections."The recent incident of armed forces attacking Pakistan has turned the tide in Narendra Modi's favour, as the youth is happy after the attack. It will help us win 22 seats in Karnataka," he told reporters here on Wednesday.India on Tuesday carried out air strikes against a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, in which a "large number of terrorists" were killed, according to Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale.The air strike was carried out in the aftermath of the February 14 terrorist attack carried out by the JeM on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel.There are 28 seats at stake in Karnataka, out of which the BJP currently ...
US requests UN vote on Venezuela for Thursday
The United States has requested a vote on Thursday at the UN Security Council on a draft resolution calling for presidential elections in Venezuela and unimpeded deliveries of humanitarian aid, diplomats said. Russia and China, who support President Nicolas Maduro, are likely to veto the measure that "expresses deep concern about the actions of a regime that have caused an economic collapse," diplomats said. The draft resolution, seen by AFP, calls for "free, fair and credible presidential elections," with the presence of international observers, and describes the May vote in which Maduro was declared the winner as "neither free nor fair." The US-drafted measure expresses support for "the peaceful restoration of democracy and rule of law in Venezuela" and requests that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres broker a deal on holding fresh elections. Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has declared himself acting president, is locked in a political battle against Maduro, whom .
US should stand ready to assist in resolving India-Pak crisis: Senator
An influential American Senator said Wednesday the Trump administration should stand ready to assist nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan in resolving the ongoing crisis peacefully between the two countries. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. "The heightening tensions between Pakistan and India are deeply alarming. These two nuclear-armed states must commit to resolving this crisis peacefully, and the US should stand ready to assist," Senator Edward Markey said in a tweet. "We must not allow conventional tensions to go nuclear," Markey said amidst increased tension between the two South Asian neighbors. Following the Pulwama terror attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km .
UN chief holding discussions 'with different parties' on India-Pak situation: Spokesperson
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is having discussions "at different levels with different parties" about the tense India-Pakistan situation, his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday.
Fathima Bhutto seeks release of captured Indian pilot
Author Fatima Bhutto, the grand daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Wednesday asked the Imran Khan government to release an Indian Air Force pilot captured after an air combat. Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was captured on Wednesday after he ejected safely from his MiG 21 Bison aircraft but landed across the Line of Control. India has demanded immediate and safe return of the Wing Commander Varthaman, who was and was taken into custody by Pakistani army following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control. "I and many other young Pakistanis have called upon our country to release the captured Indian pilot as a gesture of our commitment to peace, humanity and dignity," Bhutto, 36, wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times. "We have spent a lifetime at war. I do not want to see Pakistani soldiers die. I do not want to see Indian soldiers die. We cannot be a subcontinent of orphans," said Bhutto, a writer who is also niece of .
Jaitley appeals to opposition to introspect their joint statement; Cong responds
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Wednesday appealed to opposition parties to introspect their statement on "blatant politicisation" of the sacrifices of the armed forces, saying it is being used by Pakistan to bolster their case, drawing a sharp retort from the Congress that it is the ruling party "leadership who require real introspection". Jaitley hit out at the Opposition, saying why it is alleging that the government is politicising the anti-terror operation when the whole nation is speaking in one voice. "My appeal to India's opposition - 'Let the country speak in one voice'. Please introspect - 'Your ill-advised statement is being used by Pakistan to bolster its case'." "The Cross Border terror attack in Pulwama was a reality. The Balakot Operation was India's Anti-Terror preemptive strike to defend its Sovereignty," he said in a series of tweets. Countering Jaitley, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "Mr. Jaitley, It's BJP & its leadership who require
WH urges India, Pak to take steps to de-escalate tensions
Deeply concerned over the growing confrontation between India and Pakistan, the US Wednesday urged the nuclear-armed neighbours to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions, warning that the potential risks associated with further military action by either side are unacceptably high for both the countries. Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. "The United States is deeply concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan and calls on both sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation," said an official of the National Security Council (NSC) of the White House. "The potential risks associated with further military action by either side are unacceptably high for both countries, their neighbours, and the international community," the NSC official told ...
Time for Modi govt to introspect: Yechury
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday reacted strongly to the BJP's critique of the joint statement by the Opposition, saying that it was time for the Centre to introspect. "It is time for the Modi govt to introspect on the statement by 21 Opposition parties. Do not undermine India's fight against terrorism for partisan benefits," Yechury tweeted. He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were going about their day as usual even amidst the prevailing security scenario. "BJP leaders have been doing election rallies, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has been attending party events, when CRPF jawans were martyred or when Pakistani jets were being taken on by our brave pilots," the Left leader added. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley appealed to the Opposition parties to introspect their statement, saying it is being used by Pakistan to bolster their case. In a joint statement, twenty-one Opposition parties expressed "deep anguish" over what they alleged was ...
UP BJP delegation meets CEC in Lucknow
A delegation of BJP leaders met Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora here Wednesday evening. "The BJP delegation urged the Chief Election Commissioner to increase the voting duration by an hour, since VVPAT machines (linked to ballot units) consume more time in voting," vice-president of UP BJP JPS Rathore said. The BJP also demanded that the tracking-ID of the postal ballot should be generated within 24 hours of issuance of notification, so that votes of jawans of the Army, para-military and officials posted in remote areas can be registered well before the counting of votes, Rathore said. It was also demanded that postal ballot be converted into e-ballot for Army and para-military jawans and officials posted in remote areas, Rathore told PTI. He said the officials took their demands seriously. The BJP also demanded that the Election Commission give permission with ease for programmes conducted by the party 15-20 days before filing of nominations, and the expenses should be ...
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh calls for emergency meeting; border districts on high-alert
In the wake of ceasefire violations along the international border and the Line of Control, and a high alert in areas bordering Punjab, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh called for an emergency meeting with senior officials."Arrived in Jalandhar for on-ground assessment of the situation at the border. Have ordered tight security for all vital installations such as airports etc. Situation is under control. Appeal to the people to beware of rumours," Singh wrote on his official twitter handle.He also requested the Centre to take all steps to secure early release of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan who is in Pakistan's custody."Request Indian Government @MEAIndia to take all possible steps to secure early release of Wing Commander #Abhinandan. Also urge Pakistan to ensure the #IAF officer's safety & well-being as per Geneva Convention. #BringBackAbhinandan".Punjab government on Tuesday had put its border districts on a high alert.In the backdrop of aerial strikes conducted by ...
AAP leader hits out at Modi for mega video conference
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday took a dig at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his proposed mega-video conference, amid heightened tensions with Pakistan. "Entire Opposition is concerned over national security. (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal postponed his hunger strike over full-statehood issue. Congress cancelled its CWC and the Opposition is worrying about unity of the nation. Modi-ji is getting down to strengthen polling booths and the BJP is busy with election rallies," Singh tweeted. The Rajya Sabha MP's response came to a tweet by the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about the event to be held on Thursday. It said party chief Amit Shah and other leaders would participate in the programme at the Delhi BJP office here. Under the programme, 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot', Modi will have direct dialogue through the "world's largest video conference"with about a crore BJP workers, volunteers and others at noon on Thursday, a party ...