Page 1528 - Politics
Lebanese demand civil marriage on home soil
Dozens of protesters rallied in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Saturday, calling on the government to recognise civil marriages carried out on home soil. The demonstrators gathered in front of Lebanon's interior ministry, days after recently-appointed Interior Minister Raya al-Hasan said she is willing to engage in "serious and profound dialogue" over the issue. The minister's comments prompted a backlash from religious bodies, including the highest Sunni authority in Lebanon, and stirred debate on social media. Lebanon has 15 separate personal status laws for its recognised religions but no civil code covering issues such as marriage. Many Lebanese couples travel to neighbouring Cyprus to tie the knot in a civil ceremony, because Lebanese authorities recognise such unions only if they have been registered abroad. Hasan, the first female interior minister in Lebanon and the Arab world, touched on the issue of civil unions in an interview with Euronews last week. She said she would ...
DR Congo election body rejects US corruption claims
Democratic Republic of Congo's electoral commission on Saturday rejected accusations of corruption and human rights violations levelled by the US against three of its members. On Friday, the United States said it will refuse visa requests from five senior Congolese figures as well as their immediate family members over "involvement in significant corruption relating to the election process" for the country's December presidential ballot. They include Corneille Nangaa, president of the Independent National Election Commission, his vice-president Norbert Basengezi and commission aide Marcellin Mukolo Basengezi who, the State Department said, "enriched themselves through corruption, or directed or oversaw violence against people exercising their rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression". Constitutional Court president Benoit Lwamba Bindu and Aubin Minaku Ndjalandjoko, president of the National Assembly, are also on the list. On Saturday, the election commission said it ...
Germany: Indians hold protests against Pulwama terror attack
Indians living in Germany on Saturday held anti-Pakistan protests here to condemn the Pulwama terror attack, the responsibility for which has been claimed by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).The demonstrators, who also rejected terrorism perpetrated from Pakistan, led the protests from Frankfurt Central Station to Römer. They were joined by members of Baloch, Pashtun and Sindhi community who also face state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan.Protesters chanted slogans like "jai hind," "veer jawan amar rahe" (or, the bravehearts will never be forgotten), "vishwa shanti ki jai" (or, all hail world peace), "terrorism - down, down," "vande mataram" and "bharat mata ki jai" during Saturday's march. They also held placards which read, "stop terrorism" and "our homage to the martyrs of Pulwama" amongst others while waving the tricolour on the streets of Frankfurt.A few of the protesters could be seen wearing yellow vests at the demonstrations.Protests by the Indian diaspora ..
Pulwama encounter: Kiren Rijiju meets injured J-K cop at AIIMS
Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju met DIG South Kashmir Amit Kumar at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on Saturday.Kumar, who was brought to AIIMS earlier in the day, is being treated for a bullet injury he sustained in an encounter with terrorists in Pulwama last week.Speaking to media outside the hospital, Rijiju said Kumar is now out of danger but will take time to recover."I met the doctors and Kumar, who is a 2006 batch IPS officer. I am happy that he is now out of danger. But it will surely take time for him to heal as he was quite seriously injured," he said.Two terrorists, one of whom is believed to be the mastermind of the February 14 terror attack on CRPF, were killed in a fierce encounter in Pulwama on February 18 in which four Army personnel, including a Major, and a civilian lost their lives, police sources said. Among the dead terrorists is suspected to be Kamran alias Ghazi, a Pakistani commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad ...
Surprised that a 'beef eater' defeated 'nationalist BJP', quips Kailash Vijayvargiya
BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Saturday courted controversy after stating that it is shameful for BJP workers that a 'nationalist government' was defeated by a 'beef eater', in reference to BJP's SN Singh being defeated by Congress' Arif Masood in last year's assembly polls. "I am surprised that there was a nationalist government (BJP govt in Madhya Pradesh) that stops cow slaughter, but a beef eater wins against you. It's a matter of shame for all of us party workers," he said on Saturday.Meanwhile, Masood, who Vijayvargiya referred to as the 'beef eater', called upon the BJP leader to introspect the reason for the party's loss."This is a very unfortunate and shameful statement from a national leader. Hindu voters have bestowed faith on me and have elected me and saying something like accusing them all. It is their job to divide but I am here to unite and spread the love. It is for people to answer this. It would have better for him if they had introspected on the ...
Pakistan to move troops from western to eastern border amid growing tension with India
Amid the growing tensions between India and Pakistan, Islamabad has decided to move troops from the western border to its eastern border.Dunya News quoted Pakistani diplomatic sources as saying, "Pakistan does not want atmosphere of fear but the country is ready to respond with full force if India imposed war.This comes hours after the Pakistan Army violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera sector.Sources said Pakistan army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling mortars and firing with small arms along the LoC Rajouri district.However, the Indian Army retaliated strongly to the cross border firing at about 4 pm.On Friday, Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Jawed Bajwa had visited Pakistani troops deployed at the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and instructed the troops "to be ready to face any eventuality."Pakistan's Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor on Friday during a press conference had said, "We are not ...
Trump bashes socialism, extends support for violence-hit Venezuela
US President Donald Trump on Saturday slammed socialism, extending his support to the people of Venezuela amid reports of raging violence in the Latin American nation due to the standoff on aid.Trump tweeted a video in which he stated, "The people of Venezuela stand at the threshold of history, ready to reclaim their country and to reclaim their future. The people of Venezuela are standing for freedom and democracy and the United States of America is standing right by their side. Socialism promises a better future but it always returns to the darkest chapters of the past," on February 23 (local time).He further asked "every member of the Maduro regime" to set their country "free" in the video, which shows him addressing a gathering, in the presence of First Lady Melania Trump."Now is the time for all Venezuelan patriots to act together as one united people. We know what freedom can do in Venezuela because we have seen that future right here. We are born free and we will stay free now .
Congress announces organisational units for UP, Raj Babbar to head Election Committee
The Congress party has announced the formation of various committees for Uttar Pradesh in lieu of impending Lok Sabha elections and appointed UP Pradesh Congress Committee president Raj Babbar as the chairman of Election Committee.The announcement was made on late Saturday evening, which stated that the Congress president Rahul Gandhi has approved formation of Election Committee, Campaign Committee, Election Strategy and Planning Committee, Co-ordination Committee, Manifesto Committee and Media and Publicity Committee for the state of Uttar Pradesh.The 33-member Election Committee headed by Babbar also comprises a number of former ministers including Salman Khurshid, Jitin Prasad, RPN Singh, and Sriprakash Jaiswal, among others.Meanwhile, the Congress' Campaign Committee will be headed by Gajraj Singh, Manifesto Committee by Rashid Alvi, Media and Publicity Committee by Rajiv Shukla, Coordination Committee by Ajay Kumar Lallu and Election Strategy and Planning Committee by Salman ...
Venezuela severs ties with Colombia
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared to sever diplomatic and political relations with neighbouring Colombia, following the latter's support for Venezuela's right-wing opposition and military defectors.
Pak takes U-turn, says Bahawalpur seminary not linked to Jaish
Taking a complete U-turn, the Pakistan government on Saturday dismissed its own claim of taking over the control of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) headquarters in Bahawalpur and said the complex has no link with the terror outfit, which claimed responsibility for the deadly Pulwama suicide attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. In a video message on social media, Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the Punjab government took administrative control of Madrassatul Sabir and Jamia-e-Masjid Subhanallah in Bahawalpur in line with the decisions taken during the National Security Council meeting held on Thursday and as part of the National Action Plan. Rejecting his earlier announcement that the complex was JeM headquarters, Chaudhry said, "This is the madrassah (seminary) and India is doing propaganda that it is the JeM headquarters." On Friday, the minister had told PTI that the Punjab government has "taken over the control of the JeM headquarters in ...
Rama Rao, AP IT min engage in war of words over election win in assembly polls
TRS working president K T Rama Rao and Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh were engaged in a war of words on Saturday over who would win the upcoming state assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. Rama Rao is the son of Telangana Chief Minister and TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, while Lokesh is the son of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Rama Rao, in an informal interaction with the media, said the YSR Congress would win the assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections, and that Naidu would face a rout. Naidu will not be able to call the shots in Delhi, post the Lok Sabha elections, and not even in Vijayawada (where the capital city of AP is coming up), Rama Rao claimed. Naidu has been making efforts to put together a non-BJP front. The TRS would urge people to make it victorious in 16 Lok Sabha seats (out of the total 17, leaving Hyderabad held by MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi) to "dictate terms to Delhi" in the ...
Indian-Americans protest outside Pak Consulate in Houston against Pulwama attack
Braving chilling weather, over 200 Indian-Americans held a protest in front of the Pakistan Consulate here, strongly condemning the terror attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama and demanding swift action against Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar. The Indian community drove from across Texas, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and nearby suburbs of Houston and gathered outside the Pakistan Consulate for the protest on Friday. Waving the Indian tri-colour, the protestors demanded that Pakistan should "stop providing safe haven to terrorists and manufacturing human bombs". Though some Pakistani officials came out of the Consulate to stop the protest, the agitators continued with their peaceful demonstration for over three hours. The main objective of the protest, according to the organisers, was to wake up the world against Pakistan and to call on global powers to take strong actions against acts of terrorism. "The Indo American community of ...
Uddhav asks party workers to ensure BJP-Sena victory
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Saturday appealed to the leaders and office bearers of his party to ensure the victory of BJP-Sena alliance in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. Thackeray held a meeting of party MPs, district and taluka chiefs at the party headquarters to devise a strategy for the polls. It was the first meeting after a decision was taken to join hands with the BJP for the Lok Sabha and state assembly polls. The directives assume significance as a section of grassroots party workers are not happy with his decision to ally with the BJP. Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said, "Uddhav ji believes in a two-way approach towards party workers. He gives them guidance and takes their advice." He said Thackeray was conducting meetings at various levels, to clear doubts and answer queries of grassroot workers regarding the alliance. Meanwhile, another Sena leader quoted Thackeray as saying tthe Sena-BJP alliance's victory was very important for the country and all party workers ..
Sisodia alleges corruption in transfer-posting of officers
Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia on Saturday alleged corruption in the transfer and posting of officers working in the national capital.
Pulwama attack will not go unpunished: Amit Shah
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Saturday said that the Narendra Modi government had zero tolerance for terrorism and assured the people that the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF troopers were killed will not go unpunished.
Cong forms six committees in UP; Raj Babbar to chair election committee
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress Saturday announced that it has formed a total of six committees in Uttar Pradesh, and party's state unit chief Raj Babbar will chair the election committee. Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid has been made a part of the election committee as well as the election strategy and planning committee, as per the statement issued by Congress general secretary K C Venugopal. According to the statement, "Congress president Rahul Gandhi has approved the proposal regarding formation of six committees related to Uttar Pradesh: election committee, campaign committee, election strategy and planning committee, co-ordination committee, manifesto committee, as well as media and publicity committee." Gajraj Singh, a former MLA from Hapur, has been given the chairmanship of the campaign committee and Rashid Alvi the chairmanship of the manifesto committee. Rajiv Shukla, the former chairman of Indian Premier League, has been made the chairman of media and ...
Pulwama attack is political, intelligence failure: Owaisi
The Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed was the biggest failure of the Narendra Modi government, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said here Saturday. Addressing a massive poll rally with Dalit leader and Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh president Prakash Ambedkar, Owaisi also slammed Pakistan and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) founder Masood Azhar. JeM has owned responsibility for the attack. "The Pulwama attack is a political, bureaucratic and intelligence failure," he said. "Masood Azhar is not a maulana (cleric) but a satan. Pakistan should remember that when it's the question of our country, we (Indians) are all one," he said. Saying that the Pakistan government was responsible for the terror attack, he said the neighbouring country should not worry about Indian Muslims as they chose to remain here ignoring (Pakistan founder) Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Slamming both the ruling as well as prominent opposition parties in Maharashtra, Owaisi said this was the last chance to
Our fight is for a terror-free Kashmir, not against Kashmiris, says Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday denounced the attacks on Kashmiris in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, saying such things should not happen in the country as the fight is against those who sponsor terrorism, no those suffering from it.
Congress forms election, manifesto panels in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar will head the partys election committee in the state for the Lok Sabha polls while the party also set up its campaign committee, election strategy and planning committee, coordination committee, manifesto committee and media and publicity committee as part of its poll preparations.
Owaisi blames Pakistan for Pulwama attack, Modi for political failure
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday accused Pakistan for the Pulwama terror strike, but blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the "political failure" to prevent it.