Page 1536 - Politics
The battle for Citgo: How Venezuela opposition leaders seized control
(Reuters) - Asdrubal Chavez, chief executive of Houston-based Citgo Petroleum Corp, boarded the Venezuelan-owned firm's corporate jet in Caracas on Jan. 30, after meeting with top officials of the embattled administration of socialist President Nicolas Maduro about the latest U.S. oil sanctions.
Pompeo, Japanese FM hold phone talks over N. Korea
US State Department on Friday said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Japanese counterpart discussed the next-step engagement with North Korea over phone.
Year-long emergency declared in Sudan
A year-long emergency has been declared in Sudan by President Omar al-Bashir on Friday (local time) following continued anti-government protests in the nation since December.Furthermore, federal and state governments have been dissolved by Bashir, reports Anadolu Agency.Sudan's Intelligence Chief Salah Abdallah Gosh had earlier told reporters here of Bashir's intent, adding that the incumbent Sudanese President would be stepping down as the Chairman of the ruling National Congress Party. He also added that Bashir would refrain from seeking a new term as President in the polls slated to be held in 2020.Around 31 people have lost their lives ever since the protests started two months back, according to official figures. The opposition, however, has put the number of deceased at 50.Demonstrators have been agitating against Bashir's failure to take the nation out of economic woes ever since South Sudan seceded in 2011.
Pulwama attack: NSUI Goa urges suspension of cultural events at Wagah border
In the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, National Students' Union of India (NSUI) Goa has urged authorities to take steps to "stop the dancing on songs at Wagah Border during the period of mourning".In a letter addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, NSUI Goa president Ahraz Mulla also said the Sunburn music festival slated to be held in Goa on February 23 and 24 "must not be allowed to take place at a time when the entire nation is mourning."As many as 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives in the dastardly terror attack which took place in South Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack.
69% of Indians didn't vote for PM Modi, claims Chidambaram
Former union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram claimed that Narendra Modi became prime minister despite not being voted by 69 per cent people of the country, adding that he got votes only from North India. "Sixty-nine per cent people never voted for Modi. Only 31 per cent gave him votes, that too from seven states in the North. He told them that lakhs will be deposited in their accounts and 2 crore jobs will be provided, but nothing as such happened. Making Pakoda is a job which was invented by Modi only," said Chidambaram on Friday while addressing a public rally.Chidambaram also accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of doing things that weren't promised before elections, such as demonetisation."Modi did what he didn't say. Did Modi say that demonetisation will be done? For 30 days, he made people roam around for their own money. Modi said no to GST 5 years back when it was raised by me. Today there are no investments and no jobs."He also claimed that BJP is using
Let govt decide on India-Pak WC clash, says Kapil Dev
Veteran cricketer Kapil Dev opined that it would be best to leave it to the Union Government to take a decision on whether India should play against Pakistan in the upcoming cricket World Cup."To play or not to play is something which does not have to be decided by people like us. It has to be decided by the government. It's better if we don't give an opinion and leave it to the government and concerned people. Whatever they decide will be in the interest of the nation. We'll do what they want," he said at an event here on Friday.Kapil's remark comes at a time when multiple demands are being put forth for India to sever cricketing ties with Pakistan in the wake of the dastardly terror attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel in South Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had on Friday urged the international cricketing community to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates, in a clear reference to ...
Pulwama terror attack: MHA directs states, UTs to ensure safety, security of Kashmiris
Raising concerns over incidents of assault and harassment against residents of Jammu and Kashmir, especially students, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed state governments and Union Territories to ensure safety and security of these individuals in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack. In a letter written to Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories by MHA's Department of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, Director Beena Yadav said, "The Government is concerned at the reports of incidents of assaults and harassment against residents of Jammu and Kashmir, especially students in some parts of the country, in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack of 14th February 2019. In this regard, an Advisory dated February, 16 was issued to all State Governments and Union Territory Administration to take necessary steps to ensure safety and security of the persons belonging to Jammu and Kashmir."The government order also cited a Supreme Court directive issued on Friday in this .
18-yr-old UNSC list reconfirms Pakistan as JeM's base
Putting all speculations to rest, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin shared a UN Security Council list dating back to 2001 confirming terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed's location as Pakistan."May I jog your memories? To all friends who think that @UN Security Council does not know where the Jaish-e-Mohammed is located, my humble submission is that issue was settled way back in 2001," Akbaruddin tweeted. JeM, which claimed responsibility for the recent Pulwama terror attack, has been listed as an associated entity of deceased terror mastermind Osama bin Laden in the list.The October 19, 2001 statement brings attention to paragraph 8 (c) of resolution 1333 (2000) which calls on all states to freeze funds and other financial assets of designated entities, connected to Laden, on the list, in a bid to completely block funding to Laden, who had claimed responsibility for the ghastly 9/11 attacks in the United States.This comes after the Pakistan Army ..
Trump says he expects to meet China's Xi soon on trade
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that if he sees progress being made in trade talks with China, he may be inclined to extend negotiations beyond a March 1 deadline, and suggested it was likely the globe's two largest economies would be able to make a deal.
China has agreed to buy up to $1.2 trillion in U.S. goods: CNBC
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China has agreed to buy up to $1.2 trillion in goods from the United States as part of the current negotiations to end the trade war between the countries, CNBC reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the situation.
Failure of US, India to establish deterrence encouraged Pak to continue 'backing extremists': Report
Failure of both the US and India to impose accountability or establish deterrence on Pakistan has encouraged the country to "continue a policy of backing extremists" in both India and Afghanistan, a leading American daily has said. The Washington Post in an editorial in the aftermath of Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) said India is confronted with a dilemma that both it and the US have repeatedly faced: what to do about the sponsorship of Islamist terrorist groups by Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state? "Diplomacy, sanctions and targeted military strikes haven't worked; full-scale war is unthinkable. Yet the failure to impose accountability or establish deterrence only encourages the Pakistani military and its intelligence service to continue a policy of backing extremists in both India and Afghanistan," it said. The editorial underlined that Pakistan is unlikely to act on any evidence provided by India on the Pulwama attack. "If the record of past terrorist ...
Indian-Americans hold protests outside Pak, Chinese consulates in Chicago
Braving sub-zero temperature, Indian-Americans from in and around Chicago on Friday held peaceful protests outside the Pakistani and Chinese diplomatic missions in this windy city. Indian-Americans urged the Chinese Consulate in Chicago that Beijing should "stop sheltering and supporting hard line extremist terrorists" at the United Nations. They were referring to China, a veto-wielding permanent UNSC member, blocking India's repeated bids in the Security Council Sanctions committee to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. JeM has claimed the responsibility of the Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 40 CRPF personnel. "China should urge Pakistan to stop supporting terrorism worldwide," Bharat Barai, chairman of Indian American Cultural Centre, said in a memorandum to the Consul General of China in Chicago. This was the first ever protest by the Indian-American community in front of the Chinese Consulate in ...
High turnout, low expectations for first EU-Arab summit
CAIRO/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Egypt will host the first joint summit of Arab League and European Union leaders starting on Sunday, a gathering overshadowed by internal divisions in both alliances and last-minute talks on Brexit.
Ahmed Patel slams Modi government over Pulwama attack
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel Friday attacked the Narendra Modi government over the Pulwama terror strike and said BJP leaders are only good at delivering speeches. Without taking names, he said people who have not made any sacrifice for the country are asking the Congress what it had done in 60 years of its rule. "Our soldiers were martyred (in Pulwama). There was an intelligence failure. I don't want to criticise anyone. But, whenever we say the truth or point at their mistake, we are dubbed as anti-nationals," he said, speaking at a function here. "I want to tell them that you (BJP) don't have the sole rights of nationalism. You have never made any sacrifices like Congress leaders did in the past," Patel said. He was here to inaugurate an exhibition on the subject "Congress' contribution in 60 years". "I laugh and also get angry when someone asks what the Congress did in 60 years. If they (BJP) can't see what we have done, it is not our fault. They should be ...
U.S. Chamber of Commerce urges comprehensive U.S.-China trade deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday said gaps remain in the ongoing trade talks between the United States and China, particularly around structural issues, but urged both sides to make a comprehensive deal as soon as possible.
Khattar makes populist announcement in Haryana Assembly
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday unveiled a new policy under which the kin of its deceased employees would be given a government job or the amount of salary the employee would have received till the age of retirement. In the move that comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, he announced that in case a government employee dies before turning 48 years of age, his/her dependent can opt either for a government job or the amount of salary that the employee would have received till the age of 58 years, the age of retirement in the state. In case the employee dies after the age of 48 years, his/her family would get full salary the employee would have received till retirement. Under the Ex-gratia Policy, 2006, 5 per cent of the posts were kept reserved for such case, but under new policy it had been decided to extend this benefit to all cases of ex-gratia. The chief minister was replying to the debate on the Governor's Address in the ongoing budget session of the Haryana ..
Kashmir Editors Guild alleges J-K govt stopped state ads to 2 major dailies
The Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) Friday claimed that the government has stopped state government advertisements to two major local dailies here and sought the attention of the Press Council of India and the Editors Guild to exercise their legal, ethical and professional mandate to intervene in the issue and ensure that the media was not strangulated. "With utmost regret, Kashmir Editors Guild wishes to inform that the Jammu and Kashmir government has stopped state government advertisements to two major daily newspapers Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader. The decision has neither been conveyed formally nor was any reason detailed to the respective organisations, so far," a spokesman of the guild said in a statement. He said the KEG, in a detailed meeting, discussed the issue and decided to fight the deliberate strangulation and subversion of the institution of media in the state. "At a time when the democracy is in suspension, the KEG is seeking the attention of the Press Council of ...
Modi receives Seoul Peace Prize, makes veiled attack on Pakistan (Third Lead)
In a veiled attack on Pakistan on cross-border terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that time has come for the global community to join hands to completely eradicate terrorist networks and their supply channels and to counter terrorist ideology.
Stopping water flow to Pak: Chavan says minister doesn't have
A day after Union minister Nitin Gadkari spoke about not allowing India's share of water to flow to Pakistan, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said a minister on his own can not take such a decision. India has decided to "stop" the flow of its share of water to Pakistan from rivers under the Indus Water Treaty, Gadkari, Union water resources minister, said Thursday, a week after the Pulwama terror attack. An official later clarified that it was not a new decision. "The honourable minister does not have such authority...such decisions should be taken by the cabinet's security committee because the international repercussions of such things can be very serious," Chavan, a former Union minister in the Manmohan Singh government, said. "So it not good that any minister just gets up and makes such a statement because such decisions should be taken by the prime minister," he said, speaking to reporters here. "As far as giving a reply to Pakistan is concerned, whatever ..
India-Saudi statement mentions Pak talks but not Pulwama: Digvijay
Congress veteran Digvijay Singh Friday asked why the India-Saudi Arabia joint statement had a mention of dialogue with Pakistan, but not the Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF men and asserted the Centre had not answered many questions related to the strike. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister alleged that the Centre was not serious about tackling terror. "I am unable to understand till date who has measured his (Modi's) chest (a barb at 56-inch chest comment). The PM has not taken the issue as seriously as he should have," he claimed. Singh alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy shooting for a film when the attack took place on February 14. "The day this incident took place..it was known by 3.30 pm... he (Modi) was in Jim Corbett Park, busy in a film shooting. It was an emergency and he should have come back to Delhi by leaving all work and should have declared national mourning," he told reporters here. The BJP has hit back on the Congress for it's ...