Page 1519 - Politics

Modi should give peace a chance: Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "give peace a chance" and assured that Islamabad will take action in Pulwama terror attack if India provides with "actionable intelligence".Khan remarks come in the wake of Prime Minister Modi remarks in which he has asked the Pakistani prime minister to keep his word as a Pathan and to fight poverty and illiteracy together rather than fighting each other.According to the Dawn, Imran Khan on Sunday said, "Prime Minister Modi should give peace a chance." Recalling the 2015 meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Khan said, "In my meeting with PM Modi in December 2015, we had agreed that since poverty alleviation is a priority for our region, we would not allow any terrorist incident to derail peace efforts, however long before Pulwama, these efforts were derailed in September 2018."Khan's remarks come on the heels of Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. A few days back, Khan, in a video ...

Ghani flags off first Afghan cargo to India through Chabahar port

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday flagged off the first Afghan cargo from western Nimroz province that will be exported to India through Chabahar Port in Iran which was inaugurated in 2017.The consignment, consisting of 23 trucks, is carrying 570 tons of goods, reported Tolo News.Addressing the event, Ghani said that the opening of Chabahar route will increase Afghanistan's export from US $1 billion to US $2 billion in the next year. Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Vinay Kumar also marked his presence during the ceremony. He said that Afghanistan's import to India has increased by 40 per cent after the launch of the air corridor between Kabul and New Delhi. In 2018, Iran and India signed an agreement worth US $ 85 million to develop Chabahar Port in south-eastern Iran.The lease agreement gives operational control to India of Shahid Beheshti port (phase one of the Chabahar port) and was signed in the presence of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Prime Minister Narendra ..

Priyanka Gandhi to address 'Sankalp rally' in Gujarat on Feb 28

More than a month after her debut into active politics as Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi is slated to address her first public rally which will be held in the BJP bastion of Gujarat along with her brother and party president Rahul Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi on February 28.Priyanka Gandhi's "Sankalp Rally"at Adalaj ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls is being perceived by Congress leaders as a major morale booster to the party in the state where it has been out of power for almost three decades.Gujarat is considered a stronghold of BJP and is also the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The rally would be addressed after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Ahmedabad which is likely to pass a resolution against the central government on various issues, a Congress leader said.Priyanka Gandhi would be participating in the CWC meeting for the first time in which Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi will also be ...

Trump, Kim likely to hold joint press conference during Hanoi Summit

United States President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un are expected to address a joint press conference after the much-anticipated second summit between Washington and Pyongyang, reports Yonhap News Agency.Notably, during the first summit in Singapore, the two leaders avoided the joint press conference instead Trump held a solo press conference.Meanwhile, Kim, who is heading toward Hanoi on a train, has passed the Chinese central town of Wuhan. "Signs were detected that Kim's special train was passing (Wuhan) early in the morning, such as the blocking of the Wuhan Changjiang Bridge," YNA quoted an anonymous source as saying.The route that Kim will take is still unclear, however, as per the agency, it will be the shortest way of moving from Pyongyang to Vietnam.The North Korean leader is accompanied by several senior officials including his sister Kim Yo-jong and aide Kim Yong-chol, Yonhap News Agency quoted North Korea's state media as saying.The second summit, slated

T Padma Rao Goud set to take charge as new Deputy Speaker of Telangana

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) senior leader T Padma Rao Goud will take charge as the Deputy Speaker of the newly-elected Telangana State Assembly on Monday.Goud's name was recommended by the TRS working president and MLA K Taraka Rama Rao.This development came to light after Goud filed his nomination for the post Deputy Speaker on Saturday.Rao will be elected unanimously as the Opposition political quarters such as Congress, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have already announced their support for him by not fielding their own candidates.In the previous Assembly, Padma Devender Goud was the Deputy Speaker. As she refused to take either Speaker or the Deputy Speaker post, the Chief Minister selected Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Padma Rao Goud as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.Notably, Rao is the close aide of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. He was elected as MLA thrice from the Secunderabad Assembly constituency.In addition, .

Trump to delay China tariff hike due to 'substantial progress'

US President Donald Trump has announced that he would be delaying an increase in tariffs against China after the recent talks between the two nations made "substantial progress", and plans to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to reach a final deal to end a trade war. The US and China have been locked in an escalating trade spat since early 2018, raising import tariffs on each other's goods. Last year, Trump imposed tariff hikes of up to 25 per cent on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods. The move prompted China to increase tariffs on USD 110 billion of US goods. Trump and Xi agreed to halt any further tariff increases for 90 days beginning January 1. Tariffs on a wide range of Chinese imports into the US were set to rise from 10 per cent to 25 per cent this Friday. Trump cited progress made during trade talks in Washington DC last week as a reason to delay the tariff increase. "I am pleased to report that the US has made substantial progress in our trade talks with China on ...

Trump to delay China tariff hike due to substantial progress'

US President Donald Trump has announced that he would be delaying an increase in tariffs against China after recent talks between the two nations made "substantial progress", and plans to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to reach a final deal to end a trade war. The US and China have been locked in an escalating trade spat since early 2018, raising import tariffs on each other's goods. Last year, Trump imposed tariff hikes of up to 25 per cent on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods. The move prompted China to increase tariffs on USD 110 billion of US goods. Trump and Xi agreed to halt any further tariff increases for 90 days beginning January 1. Tariffs on a wide range of Chinese imports into the US were set to rise from 10 per cent to 25 per cent this Friday. Trump cited progress made during trade talks in Washington DC last week as a reason to delay the tariff increase. "I am pleased to report that the US has made substantial progress in our trade talks with China on important ..

Ex-national security officials to issue declaration on Trump's national emergency

A bipartisan group of 58 former national security officials will issue a declaration on Monday saying that "there is no factual basis" for President Donald Trump's proclamation of a national emergency to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.

Union Ministers slam BJD govt for delay in sharing details of

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat have slammed the BJD government in Odisha for delay in sharing details for PM-Kisan scheme with the Centre and asked it to provide complete list of farmers quickly to help them get benefits of the programme. "Initially Odisha government was unwilling to implement the pro-farmer scheme in the state. But later the state government has only shared details of 9 lakh farmers with the Central government," Pradhan, the Petroleum minister said at a meeting in Boudh district on Sunday. Stating that farmers in Odisha will also benefit from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Pradhan said "Why the State government is delaying in sharing the details of farmers with the Central government?" At least 45 lakh small and marginal farmers in Odisha will get the benefits of the PM Kisan Yojana, he said adding the state government without delay should share the list of 45 lakh small and marginal farmers along with all

Trump and Kim face unanswered questions in Vietnam

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in Hanoi this week, faced with putting meat on the bones of the vaguely worded declaration that emerged from their historic first summit in Singapore. That encounter -- the first-ever between the leaders of the US and North Korea -- left many ambiguities on the key question of denuclearisation and analysts say clearer answers need to emerge in the Vietnamese capital. At the June meeting, Kim pledged to "work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" but the lack of progress since then has drawn criticism that the leaders were only after headlines and short-term gains. Stephen Biegun, the US Special Representative for North Korea, acknowledged last month that Pyongyang and Washington did not have a "shared agreement of what denuclearisation entails". The United States has repeatedly demanded the North give up its nuclear arsenal in a final, fully verifiable way. Pyongyang sees denuclearisation more ...

US-China trade talks conclude in Washington

China and the US have achieved substantial progress on specific issues following their latest round of high-level economic and trade talks in Washington, the Chinese delegation said.

MQM Deputy Convener calls on BRP Chief Brahmdagh Bugti in Geneva

Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) Coordination Committee deputy Convener Qasim Ali Raza called on Baloch Republican Party (BRP) chief Brahmdagh Bugti at his residence in Geneva, Switzerland.MQM Legal counsel Adil Ghaffar, MQM CEC member Muhammad Saleem and BRP spokesperson Sher Muhammad Bugti were also present on the occasion.MQM deputy Convener felicitated Baloch freedom fighters on behalf of MQM founder Altaf Hussain and conveyed to them that Hussain has always held Baloch freedom fighters in high esteem and respect.Bugti, on the occasion, lauded Hussain for his "untiring" efforts, support for the Baloch, Pashtuns, and Mohajirs, slamming the "demonic" Pakistani military establishment and ISI over human rights violations, arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out by the Pakistani military establishment and the ISI.The BRP Chief also said Hussain's four lectures on the history of Baloch and Balochistan were highly impressive, adding that .

Colombian President visits border with Venezuela following clashes

Colombian President Ivan Duque visited the Simon Bolivar international bridge at the Colombia-Venezuela border on Sunday (local time) to assess the state of affairs following violent clashes.He was accompanied by Vice President Martha Lucia Ramirez, Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo and representatives from the healthcare ministry during the visit."We visited the Simón Bolívar International Bridge with @mluciaramirez @CarlosHolmesTru @MinSaludCol to review the state of the structures, dialogue with the community and share our message of encouragement to the Venezuelan brothers who seek the freedom of the neighbouring country," Duque tweeted.This comes after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro severed relations with Colombia over the issue of international aid on Saturday, giving Colombian diplomats 24 hours to leave Venezuela.Maduro has dismissed claims of a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, which is currently in the throes of a political crisis. He has rejected all foreign ...

Country will face setback of 50 years if Modi not voted to power: Nirmala Sitharaman

Ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the country would face a setback of 50 years if Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not return to power."If we are laid back and if you lose the momentum for having a strong good majority government, we will be facing a setback of 50 years at least," Sitharaman said while speaking at an informal interaction organised by Thinkers Forum in Bengaluru on Sunday.Sitharaman added that India would be disfavouring first-time voters if the BJP's work is not recognised."And for those of us who were born in the 20th century, we will be doing a disservice to those who will be voting for the first time. Are we going to do disfavour for the youth of this country by bringing back forces that have absolutely no delectation to this country and dedication to clean politics and dedication to putting the nation before themselves?" she asked.Lauding Prime Minister Modi, the Defence Minister said, "In the history of ..

Cuba votes in referendum on new constitution

Cubans began voting in a referendum on a new constitution Sunday with the backdrop of mounting pressure from the United States and continued support for Venezuela's socialist regime. "We Cubans are voting for our new constitution, we're voting for Latin America and the Caribbean," President Miguel Diaz-Canel said when placing his vote. "We're also voting for Venezuela, we're defending Venezuela because in Venezuela the continent's dignity is in play." More than eight million Cubans are registered to vote in a referendum the government has turned into a plebiscite on the "irrevocable" role of socialism in the island nation. Some 25,000 electoral colleges opened their doors at 7:00 am (1200 GMT) on a calm day. Results are expected late Monday. Diaz-Canel hit out at the presidents of Chile, Colombia and Paraguay for joining Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Saturday in his attempt to force humanitarian aid across the Colombian border into Venezuela. "A group of presidents on ...

Iraq receives 280 IS jihadists from US-backed Syria force

A US-backed force pushing to take the Islamic State group's last speck of territory in eastern Syria on Sunday extradited 280 Iraqi jihadists, Iraq authorities said. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have detained "a large number" of IS fighters "of multiple nationalities, including more than 500 Iraqis", the security media office said in a statement. "So far 280 (Iraqis) have been delivered," it added. Iraqi security forces on Thursday received a first batch of 130 Iraqi IS members, a military spokesman said, although a spokesman for the US-backed force denied the claims. The transfers were set to "continue until they are completed", the statement added. Iraqi security forces had received a list of names to be checked against a database in coordination with the judiciary, which has issued warrants against jihadists. Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said at his weekly press conference Tuesday that the country was monitoring the situation in eastern Syria with caution, as security ...

White House manages expectations for second Kim summit

President Donald Trump is trying to manage expectations for his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, predicting a "continuation of the progress" made last time. Trump tweeted Sunday that he was leaving early the next day for the meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, adding a tantalising nod to "Denuclearization?" He also said Kim knows that "without nuclear weapons, his country could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the World." Their first meeting, in Singapore in June, produced a vaguely worded commitment from North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Heading into this week's summit, Trump has said that North Korea has not tested any nuclear weapons in months and that as long as that testing has ceased, he's in no rush. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on "Fox News Sunday" that he was hoping for a "substantive step forward." But, he cautioned, "it may not happen, but I hope that it will." "President Trump has also said this is going to take .

White House manages expectations for second Kim summit

President Donald Trump is trying to manage expectations for his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, predicting a "continuation of the progress" made last time. Trump tweeted Sunday that he was leaving early the next day for the meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, adding a tantalising nod to "Denuclearization?" He also said Kim knows that "without nuclear weapons, his country could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the World." Their first meeting, in Singapore in June, produced a vaguely worded commitment from North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Heading into this week's summit, Trump has said that North Korea has not tested any nuclear weapons in months and that as long as that testing has ceased, he's in no rush. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on "Fox News Sunday" that he was hoping for a "substantive step forward." But, he cautioned, "it may not happen, but I hope that it will." "President Trump has also said this is going to take .

Ruling party accused of fraud as Moldova votes

Moldova held a parliamentary poll on Sunday, with both pro-Russian and pro-EU forces accusing the ruling party of massive election fraud. They said the Democratic Party, led by powerful oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc, had bussed in people from the former Soviet state's breakaway region of Transnistria and told them how to vote. Moldova's pro-Moscow President Igor Dodon and pro-Brussels opposition leader Andrei Nastase both alleged the party had conspired with Transnistrian separatist authorities to organise the fraud. Dodon urged people not to be tempted by bribes. "Don't be afraid or let people buy you off. Don't be afraid of losing your job," Dodon said after voting in the capital Chisinau. "I know people are encouraging you to vote for certain parties." Nastase alleged that "they (the ruling party) are bussing in vulnerable people ripe for corruption," he said. But Democratic Party deputy chairman Vladimir Chebotar said he had information that it was Socialist Party leaders who were ...

Ruling party accused of fraud as Moldova votes

Moldova held a parliamentary poll on Sunday, with both pro-Russian and pro-EU forces accusing the ruling party of massive election fraud. They said the Democratic Party, led by powerful oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc, had bussed in people from the former Soviet state's breakaway region of Transnistria and told them how to vote. Moldova's pro-Moscow President Igor Dodon and pro-Brussels opposition leader Andrei Nastase both alleged the party had conspired with Transnistrian separatist authorities to organise the fraud. Dodon urged people not to be tempted by bribes. "Don't be afraid or let people buy you off. Don't be afraid of losing your job," Dodon said after voting in the capital Chisinau. "I know people are encouraging you to vote for certain parties." Nastase alleged that "they (the ruling party) are bussing in vulnerable people ripe for corruption," he said. But Democratic Party deputy chairman Vladimir Chebotar said he had information that it was Socialist Party leaders who were ...