Page 1527 - Politics
ISIS bride's family files lawsuit against Trump over her right to return to America
The father of an Alabama woman who fled to Syria to marry an Islamic State fighter filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump's administration over her right to return with her 18-month-old baby after the US president said she will not be allowed back on American soil. Hoda Muthana, 24, joined the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in 2014 after telling her parents she was going to Atlanta, Georgia, as part of a field trip connected with her business studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Instead, she withdrew from college and used her tuition reimbursement to purchase a plane ticket to Turkey, according to court documents. From Turkey, she traveled to Syria, where she married twice, both times to ISIS fighters who later died in combat. Muthana fled to the al-Hawl refugee camp in December last year amid the collapse of the ISIS caliphate in Syria and Iraq. "I have instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he fully agrees, not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the Country!" ..
Maratha outfit not to back major parties in LS polls
A key Maratha outfit, that led the quota agitation in Maharashtra, has decided not to extend support to any major political party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls for "neglecting" its demands. The Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) will support independent candidates or nominees of smaller parties in the polls, its convener Sanjeev Bhor-Patil said on Saturday. "We are contemplating to support independent candidates or smaller parties in the polls instead of major political parties, such as alliances of BJP-Shiv Sena or Congress-NCP, as they all neglected our key demands," he said. He claimed that some members of the community were falsely framed in atrocity cases. "One of our key demands was to sort out the issue of false atrocity cases. However, no political party has taken it seriously. Our another demand was to implement the Swaminathan Commission recommendations on minimum support price (MSP) for crops," he said. Bhor-Patil said MKM leaders will meet in the coming week to ...
Modi's interaction to be world's largest video conference: Shah
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with BJP workers and sympathisers on February 28 will be the world's largest video conference, as he is expected to speak to over one crore people spread across 15,000 location, party president Amit Shah said Sunday. "On 28th Feb, PM Modi will interact with over 1 crore BJP karyakartas, volunteers & well wishers, spread across 15,000 locations, in what would be world's largest video conference," Shah said in a tweet. People can send their questions through the Namo app or using the hashtag #MeraBoothSabseMazboot on social media, he added. Modi is expected to speak to party workers over a host of political issues as the BJP gears up for the Lok Sabha elections, expected to be held in April-May.
Maha farmers to get Rs 500 per quintal paddy bonus: CM
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that paddy farmers in the state will get a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal for the crop. Till last year, the government was giving a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal for paddy, the key kharif crop. "The previous government gave bonus only around the time of elections. But, the BJP-led government gave Rs 200 bonus per quintal for paddy crop every year, irrespective of polls," Fadnavis said addressing a gathering at Sakoli taluka in Bhandara district on Saturday. "There is a demand for a hike in paddy crop bonus. The government has decided to increase the bonus from Rs 200to Rs 500 per quintal," he added. To woo distressed farmers ahead of the general polls, the NDA government at the Centre had last year hiked the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy by a sharp Rs 200 per quintal for the 2018-19 crop year. With that decision, the MSP of paddy (common grade) was increased to Rs 1,750 per quintal. Meanwhile, Fadnavis also said
Kejriwal pitches for full-fledged state, says Modi lied to people
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday while demanding to declare Delhi a full-fledged state, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that BJP's opposition to statehood for Delhi is a confession that Modi lied in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Govt issues advisory to shipowners, bodies to be extra cautious in the wake of piracy
Against a backdrop of 76 cases of armed robbery and piracy against ships in Asia, the government has issued a security advisory for shipowners, managers and others to exercise caution while treading on international waters, including Sulu-Celebes Seas. A total of 76 incidents, including four of piracy and 72 of robbery, occurred in 2018, according to the advisory, which quoted a report on 'Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia' by the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP). The Directorate General of Shipping in the maritime security advisory last week asked shipowners and masters of the ships, among other stakeholders, to "be extra cautious and follow the practices and take necessary precautionary measures" to avert any such incident. "As per the ReCAAP report, the threat of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas has not been eliminated and remains a severe threat in the area. Until December 2018, a total of 66
Robert Vadra hints at joining politics
Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, has hinted at joining politics, a month after his wife Priyanka Gandhi made her debut into active politics and was appointed a general secretary in the party.In a Facebook post, Vadra said, "All these years of experience and learning cannot be just wasted and should be put to better use...Once all these accusations and allegations are over, I feel I should dedicate a larger role in serving the people.""Years and months I spent campaigning, working in different parts of the country, but mainly in UP, gave me a feeling to do more for people and make smaller changes possible by me, in areas and when they got to know me, the genuine love, affection, respect I earned was humbling," he said.Forty-nine-year-old Vadra, who has been repeatedly questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the recent past in connection with money laundering and land grab cases, accused the government of targeting him to divert the ...
Pence to meet Guaido at Lima Group Summit
United States Vice President Mike Pence will meet self-proclaimed Venezuela President Juan Guaido at the Lima Group Summit in Bogota on Monday to "voice the United States' wavering support to the interim president and to highlight the Venezuelan people's fight for democracy over dictatorship"."At the invitation of the President of Colombia Ivan Duque, Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Bogota, Colombia on behalf of President Donald Trump on Monday, February 25th to voice the United States' unwavering support for interim President Juan Guaido and highlight the Venezuelan people's fight for democracy over dictatorship," read a press statement.As per the scheduled, the Vice President will deliver remarks at a meeting of the Lima Group focused "on addressing the tragic humanitarian and security crises unfolding in Venezuela and ongoing U.S. efforts to deliver aid to the country". According to the White House, Pence will state plainly that the time has come for socialist President ..
PM Modi remembers Jayalalithaa on her 71st birth anniversary
Calling J Jayalalithaa a fine administrator and a compassionate leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the former Tamil Nadu chief minister on her 71st birth anniversary on Sunday.The Prime Minister tweeted, "Tributes to Jayalalithaa Ji on her birth anniversary. Her contribution towards the development of Tamil Nadu will be remembered for generations. A fine administrator and compassionate leader, her welfare measures benefitted countless poor people."Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Amma Scooter Scheme - the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government's flagship programme - in Chennai.Under the scheme, named after Jayalalithaa, the state government offers a Rs 25,000 subsidy for women to buy two-wheelers. Jayalalithaa, who was born in 1948 served five terms as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for over fourteen years between 1991 and 2016. In 1982, when M. G. Ramachandran was the chief minister, Jayalalithaa joined the AIADMK, the party he ...
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un boards train to summit
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un was on a train Sunday to Vietnam for his second summit with President Donald Trump, state media confirmed. Kim was accompanied by Kim Yong Chol, who has been a key negotiator in talks with the U.S., and Kim Yo Jong, the leader's sister, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported. TV footage and photos distributed by the North's state-run news agency showed Kim inspecting a guard of honor at the Pyongyang station before waving from the train. Late Saturday, an Associated Press reporter saw a green-and-yellow train similar to one used in the past by Kim cross into the Chinese border city of Dandong via a bridge. The Trump-Kim meeting is slated for Wednesday and Thursday in Hanoi. Their first summit last June in Singapore ended without substantive agreements on the North's nuclear disarmament and triggered a months-long stalemate in negotiations as Washington and Pyongyang struggled with the sequencing of North Korea's nuclear disarmament and
Chidambaram terms PM Kisan scheme as 'bribe for votes'
With the government set to transfer the first instalment of Rs 2,000 to about 2 crore farmers over the next few days, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday termed it as a bribe for votes and said the greater shame is that the Election Commission is unable to stop it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday will launch the Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, by transferring the first instalment of Rs 2,000 each to over one crore farmers. Today is the 'Cash for Vote' day. The BJP government will officially give a bribe of Rs 2000 per agricultural family to get their votes, Chidambaram said in a series if tweets. The money will go to the cultivating farmer as well as the absentee landlord, the former finance minister said. Nothing can be more shameful in a democracy than 'Bribe for Votes'. The greater shame is that the Election Commission is unable to stop the 'Bribe for Votes', he said. Under the scheme, another one ...
Kim Jong-un leaves for Hanoi for second US-North Korea summit
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un left for Vietnamese capital Hanoi for the second US-North Korea summit, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday.
Venezuela's Maduro cuts diplomatic, political ties with Colombia
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced that he is breaking off all political and diplomatic ties with the Colombian government.
Pulwama attack: Pak PM should drop his 'mask of innocence', says Owaisi
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday called out Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to drop his 'mask of innocence' while criticising the Pakistan government for its role in the Pulwama terror attack.Addressing a rally along with Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh president Prakash Ambedkar, Owaisi said, "We would like to tell Pakistan PM not to give that message to India which he wants to seated before a camera. This is not the first attack. There was Pathankot, Uri and now Pulwama. And on behalf of India, I want to tell the Prime Minister of Pakistan to drop his mask of innocence."He also said that Pakistan should not worry about Indian Muslims as they are here by choice after refusing Jinnah's proposition during 1947.He also outlined the country's diversity and said that the neighbouring country is jealous by the unity of Indian citizens."One of the ministers from Pakistan had said that they will stop the prayer bells from ringing in temples of ...
Guaido hails entry of aid into Venezuela
Opposition leader and self-proclaimed President Juan Guaido hailed the entry of aid into Venezuela, outlining the people's rejection of embattled President Nicolas Maduro."They said that we were not going to reach the border: we all arrived and the People came to receive the help. They said that the aid was not going to enter: the trucks cross the country. They said they had the People: they are alone and dozens of soldiers have abandoned them. The People are clear," Guaido tweeted in Spanish on February 23 (local time).This comes after violence raged in the border towns of Urena and Gran Sabana over the entry of aid between the Venezuelan military and protesters who wanted the passage of aid into the Latin American nation.Maduro had blocked all international aid into the country, rejecting claims of a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. In fact, he claims that the United States is sending aid into the country in a bid to overthrow his government in an alleged coup attempt.He also ...
Kim Jong-un departs for upcoming Hanoi summit with Trump
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un departed by train for Vietnam on Saturday for the upcoming second summit with United States President Donald Trump. He boarded the train from Pyongyang Railway Station for the 60-hour journey, which will see the train travel around 4,500 kilometres to reach the Vietnamese border city of Dang Dong on Tuesday. Kim will then travel by car to Hanoi for the summit.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 to be held in Hanoi on February 27 and 28, comes after the first landmark US-North Korea summit was held in Singapore in June last year.North Korea had agreed to completely denuclearise during the first meeting - a move which was hailed as a major stride by the international community. However, ties between the United States and Pyongyang hit a roadblock over ease of sanctions, where North .
Saudi Arabia replaces ambassador to USA
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), picked Princess Reema bint Bandar as the new Ambassador to the United States.The Crown Prince, popularly known as MBS, made the announcement as part of three royal decrees which include the appointment of the now former US Ambassador, Prince Khalid bin Salman, as the next deputy Defence Minister of the Kingdom.The decision takes significance as the new appointments come after the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October last year, which brought Saudi-US ties to the forefront.US President Donald Trump refused to blame MBS for the murder, despite the existence of a CIA report which concluded that the Crown Prince, who doubles up as the deputy King, ordered the scribe's death.This is reportedly the first time ever that a female has been appointed as the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States.The third royal decree orders the payment of a month's salary as a reward to the participants of front-line military ...
PM Modi to address nation via Mann Ki Baat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the 53rd episode of his monthly radio-broadcast Mann Ki Baat on Sunday.It will be PM Modi's second broadcast of Mann Ki Baat in this year.Today's episode would be Prime Minister's first radio address since the ghastly Pulwama terror attack which had shocked the entire nation.The Prime Minister through his address on the radio aims to connect with the common man on a regular basis and inform them about the initiatives of the government and seek support in nation building and governance. In the last edition of the radio broadcast, the Prime Minister had hailed the contribution of the Election Commission of India for continuously working towards strengthening the democracy and had also urged the youth of the country who have attained the age of 18 to register themselves as voters.The program will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR.
Lawmaker assassinated in Somalia: Police
Gunmen in Somalia shot dead a veteran politician in the capital Mogadishu on Saturday, police said, in the latest attack against legislators carried out by Al-Shabaab insurgents. Osman Elmi Boqore, who was regarded as the oldest legislator in the national parliament and was believed to have been in his eighties, was killed near his home in the capital's northern Sanca neighbourhood. The gunmen escaped in a car after the shooting. "Gunmen assassinated the legislator near Sanca intersection in the Karan district," said Ibrahim Mohamed, a police officer. "The security forces are trying to track down the cowardly killers." A statement published on a pro-Shabaab website claimed responsiblity for the killing, quoting a Shabaab commander who boasted of the "well-organised attack carried by members of the mujahedeen fighters". The Al-Qaeda affiliated group have carried out a string of attacks against the government, and President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo condemned the latest killing. "The ...
Egypt opposition party decries 'campaign of arrests'
An Egyptian opposition party founded by Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei denounced Saturday a "campaign of arrests" targeting its members after criticising a bid to extend the president's powers. The Constitution Party was created in 2012 by ElBaradei, former head of the UN's nuclear watchdog. Earlier this month, the party declared its "categorical rejection" to changes that would allow Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to stay in power once his second term ends in 2022. The Constitution Party has "been subjected to a crackdown and continued arrests", it wrote on its official Facebook page, adding that four of its members have been arrested "in the past 48 hours". Other members faced "security restrictions", the party said, calling on the authorities to "stop these violations and repressive practises". Security sources told AFP they had "no information" on the crackdown. Egypt's parliament last week gave preliminary approval to several constitutional amendments, one of which calls for extending ...