Page 1489 - Politics
Encounter ends in J-K's Sophian, search operations underway
An encounter between security forces and terrorists in Memander area of Shopain district in Jammu and Kashmir has ended and search operation is underway, officials said.The encounter broke out between the security forces and terrorists in the wee hours of Wednesday.No causalities have been reported so far. Further details are awaited.The encounter comes a day after India carried out air strikes at a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.According to Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, Indian Air Force has eliminated a "large number" of terrorists, including top commanders, during multiple air strikes in the terror launch pads.The terror camp in a thick forest area atop a hill was led by Ustad Gauri, brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Gokhale said, making a statement before the media, hours after the air strikes using Mirage 2000 were carried out. In retaliation, Pakistan reportedly violated ceasefire in a number of places along the LoC. ..
RIC:Sushma highlights JeM's role in Pulwama attack
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday raised the February 14 Pulwama terror attack with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the 16th Russia-India-China (RIC) Foreign Ministers' Meet here.
US asks Pakistan to take 'meaningful action' against terrorist groups
The US on Wednesday firmly asked Pakistan to take "meaningful action" against terrorist groups operating on its soil and underscored the importance of avoiding escalation at any cost after India targeted terrorist camp in Pakistan. Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, sparking outrage in the country. Following the incident, India on Tuesday 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. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone call with the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also called for avoiding military action. In a separate call with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Pompeo emphasised the close security partnership ...
Trump predicts 'AWESOME' future for N Korea if Kim gives up nukes
US President Donald Trump touted North Korea's "AWESOME" future if its leader Kim Jong Un, whom he will meet for a high-stakes dinner later Wednesday, agrees to give up his nuclear arsenal. The Trump tweet, sporting his familiar use of capital letters for emphasis, said the opportunities facing a denuclearised North Korea were "like almost none other in history". Trump and Kim are due to meet for one-on-one talks, then dinner, in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, followed by more talks Thursday.
IAF air strikes breach security, peace: Pak to UNSC
Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi, has delivered a letter to the United Nations Security Council claiming a breach of security and peace after India carried out multiple air strikes in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. "Our Foreign Minister's letter to the UN Secretary-General about India's act of aggression against Pakistan has been circulated as a document to the UN Security Council today, at our request," Maleeha Lodhi tweeted.After the Indian strike on a major Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot, Pakistan told the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the Indian Air Force (IAF) strike is equivalent to "aggression against Pakistan.""I am writing a letter to you in view of the deterioration of the situation. Indian jets violated the Line of Control (LoC) this morning. We had informed the UN about Indian aggression after Pulwama attack in the previous letter," Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi ...
US House votes to void Trump's emergency declaration
The US House of Representatives voted to block the national emergency declared by US President Donald Trump regarding border security.
US, Venezuela trade barbs at UNSC meeting
Representatives of the US and Venezuela crossed swords in the UN Security Council during a special session on the situation in the Andean nation, convened at Washington's request.
Air strike prompts celebrations across India, citizens laud IAF for 'befitting response'
Nationwide celebrations were held throughout the day after the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out an air strike targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan on Tuesday.In Bihar's Gaya and Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, many diyas (earthen lamps) were lit in honour of the IAF, amid chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai.'Students of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were seen distributing sweets and throwing coloured powder on each other in a celebratory gesture."This attack is a befitting response to any nation that engages in such attacks against India," a student told ANI.In Moradabad, locals were seen bursting firecrackers and dancing to drumbeats as a mark of celebration of the "pre-emptive" air strike.Locals in Tripura's capital Agartala and Rajasthan's Jodhpur city, too, burst firecrackers and exchanged sweets.Slogans hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the IAF were also raised in a number of cities.In a swift operation launched at around 3.30 am on Tuesday and completed within ...
Tharoor takes potshot at PM Modi's '56-inch chest' remark
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led a "glorious" government during his 10-year stint as Prime Minister, while Prime Minister Modi just boasted about his "56-inch chest" in the last five years. Responding to a comparison between the "Accidental" and "Paradoxical" Prime Minister, the Congress leader said, "In those 10 years in Dr Manmohan Singh's tenure, whether he came in accidentally or because of his years of experience or wisdom... I would say that Singh left us with a 10-year record of sustained economic growth, a reasonably stable economic situation despite international record high oil prices...all of these were fought for or established during those 10 years of Manmohan Singh. And he also led a decent government, there was no vainglorious, stroking about thumping of 56-inch chest... We (Congress) had 10 glorious years."It is worth mentioning that The Accidental Prime Minister is a ...
IAF air strike: Mumbai on high alert, govt asks schools to exercise caution
In the wake of air strikes carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot, the Maharashtra government has called for office bearers of the School & Co. Bus Owner's Association to ensure the safety of school children keeping the prevailing situation in mind.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the state legislature that security has been tightened across the city and appealed to people not to panic.After intelligence informed Mumbai police to be on high alert, the vigilance and CCTV surveillance has been increased in places like the airport, railway stations, and other key locations.This comes hours after India carried out air strikes at a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, eliminating a "large number" of terrorists, including top commanders, according to Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale.The terror camp, located in a thick forest area atop a hill, was led by Ustad Gauri, brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood ..
China opposes foreign interference in Venezuela's affairs: Envoy
China has opposed to the foreign interference in Venezuela's internal affairs at a UN Security Council meeting.
US House strikes down Trump's border emergency, now goes to Senate
The US House of Representatives dealt a blow to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, approving a resolution blocking him from obtaining funding for a Mexican border wall through his declaration of a national emergency. Dismissing a veto threat by the president, the Democratic-controlled House struck down Trump's emergency declaration by a comfortable margin of 245-182, sending the measure to the Republican-held Senate. Thirteen Republicans joined Democrats in voting to "terminate" Trump's emergency declaration, which the Republican president issued on February 15 after failing to secure billions of dollars from Congress for the wall. The emergency declaration would allow Trump to find funding for the Mexican border wall -- his signature campaign promise -- from other sources, notably the Pentagon budget for military construction projects. The president has threatened to veto the resolution if it passes both the 435-member House and the 100-seat Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 ...
US lawmaker supports Indian stand on Pakistan
Mourning the loss of more than 40 Indian security personnel in a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist attack in Pulwama early this month, an influential American lawmaker has endorsed India's move to diplomatically isolate Pakistan. Forty Central Reserve Police Force 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 incident, 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. We mourn the victims of this act of terror and call for continued action against any nation to include Pakistan that harbour terrorists and promotes violent extremism, Republican Congressman Rick Perry, on the floor of the US House of Representatives, said. India has announced its plans to diplomatically
Encounter underway between terrorists, security forces in Shopian
An encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in Memander area of Shopain district in Jammu and Kashmir in the wee hours of Wednesday.More details are awaited.This comes a day after India carried out air strikes at a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, eliminating a "large number" of terrorists, including top commanders, according to Foreign Secretary VijayGokhale.The terror camp in a thick forest area atop a hill was led by Ustad Gauri, brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Gokhale said, making a statement before the media, hours after the air strikes using Mirage 2000 were carried out. In retaliation, Pakistan reportedly violated ceasefire in a number of places along the LoC. Heavy shelling was also reported in the region.
General Dunford calls his Pak counterpart, discusses current security environment: Pentagon
General Joseph Dunford Jr, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Tuesday spoke to his Pakistani cunterpart General Zubair Mahmood Hayat to discuss the current security environment in the country, the Pentagon said. This is the highest level of contact between the two armies a day after India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) 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. The strike was the first by the Indian Air Force (IAF) inside Pakistan after the 1971 war. Ramping up the rhetoric, Pakistan has threatened retaliation. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F Dunford, Jr spoke today with Pakistan Chief of Defence Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat. The senior leaders discussed the current security environment in Pakistan, Joint Staff Spokesperson Col. Patrick S. Ryder said in a brief ...
UNSC renews sanctions against Yemen
The UN Security Council authorized a one-year extension of the financial and travel bans that have been in place since February 2014 against individuals or entities threatening the peace, security and stability of Yemen.
UK Parliament may vote for a Brexit delay on March 14
UK Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday (local time) announced that the British Parliament may vote on March 14 to extend the Brexit deadline.The scenario may be possible if the Parliament rejects the newly negotiated deal with the European Union on March 12.Following this, a vote on March 13 will take place to decide whether the British Parliament agrees to exit from the EU without a deal on March 29.According to May, the vote on March 14 on the extension of the Brexit deadline would take place if the House rejects leaving the EU without a deal on March 13."If the House, having rejected leaving with the deal negotiated with the EU, then rejects leaving on March 29 without a withdrawal agreement and future framework, the Government will on March 14 bring forward a motion on whether Parliament wants to seek a short, limited extension to Article 50," a statement issued by the UK Parliament, which quotes May, mentions."And if the House votes for an extension, seek to agree that ...
Muhammadu Buhari re-elected Nigerian president: results
Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected Nigeria's president, official results showed Tuesday, after a delayed poll that angered voters and led to claims of rigging and collusion. With just one state left to declare, Buhari, 76, had a lead of more than four million votes over former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, making it impossible for his closest rival to win.
Muhammadu Buhari re-elected Nigerian president: results
Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected Nigeria's president, official results showed Tuesday, after a delayed poll that angered voters and led to claims of rigging and collusion. With just one state left to declare, Buhari, 76, had a lead of more than four million votes over former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, making it impossible for his closest rival to win.
ECI 'keeping watch' on developments post Pulwama attack
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has said that it is keeping a watch on developments in the country after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack and the air strike carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot on Tuesday.Responding on whether Tuesday's air strike and further developments will affect the schedule of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Election Commissioner of India Ashok Lavasa said that they are being "constitutionally bound to perform its duties"."As far as the development is concerned, the ECI does keep a watch on all developments that take place and we are duty-bound to carry out our mandate which has been given by the Constitution," Lavasa said while addressing media in Mumbai after a two-day visit to Maharashtra to review the preparedness of the state ahead of the forthcoming elections."We did a two-day review in Maharashtra about the poll preparedness. We had a meeting with all the political parties. We had a meeting with the