Page 1554 - Politics
Omar, Mufti welcome India-Saudi joint statement on talks with Pak
Former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah Thursday said their stand on holding dialogue with Pakistan has been vindicated by the India-Saudi joint statement issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with oil-rich kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. "Amid the din & clamour for war, India-Saudi joint statement on creating conditions conducive for talks btw (between) Pak & India is a welcome step. Message for war mongers is loud & clear. Also, by promising investment in both nations, MBS surely knows the art of keeping everyone happy," Mehbooba wrote on Twitter. Earlier, Mehbooba said she failed to understand the outrage over her statement cautioning against any armed confrontation between India and Pakistan. "Unable to understand the outrage over my statement today. Anybody with half a brain wouldn't advocate war especially between two countries that are nuclear powers. All the tv anchors yelling for war, I suggest you ...
Trump bars woman who joined IS from US return
President Donald Trump has said that an Alabama woman who left the US in November 2014 to join the Islamic State (IS) terror group will not be allowed to return despite her public plea to come back and stand trial in America.
Poll panel to hold special camps on electoral rolls
To make the electoral lists more accurate, the Election Commission has asked all states and Union Territories to hold two-day special camps to rectify errors, if any, and to include the names of eligible voters, a top official said here on Thursday.
Congress woos Vijayakant's DMDK
In a sudden turn of events, the Congress on Thursday wooed the A. Vijayakant-led DMDK to its electoral alliance for the Lok Sabha polls.
Kamal Haasan will give preference to youths to contest
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Thursday said his Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party will release the names of Lok Sabha candidates in phases and that youths will get preference.
Iran announces another navy drill in key Strait of Hormuz
Iran's navy says it will hold an annual drill in the strategic Strait of Hormuz as pressure mounts on the country months after the United States re-imposed sanctions on Iran, targeting its vital oil sector. The strait is located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and is crucial to global energy supplies, with about a third of all oil traded at sea passing through it. Iranian Adm. Hossein Khanzadi told state TV on Thursday the 3-day maneuvers will start on Friday and extend as far as the Sea of Oman and the fringes of the Indian Ocean. He said submarines, warships, helicopters and surveillance planes will participate in the drill, dubbed as "Velayat-97." The exercise will include missile launches from the vessels. Iran regularly holds maneuvers in the strait.
Jawans don't get 'martyr status', Anil Ambani gets 30,000 cr in Modi's New India: Rahul
In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said 40 jawans killed in the Pulwama attack are denied the status of martyrs but the PM "gifts" Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani for him to "live happily ever after". The Congress led by Gandhi has been accusing the Modi government of helping the industrialist make a profit of Rs 30,000 crore by helping him get an offset contract under the Rafale fighter jet deal. The government as well as Ambani have denied all allegations. "The brave are martyred. Their families struggle. 40 Jawans give their lives but are denied the status of 'Shaheed'. While this man has never given & only taken. He's gifted 30,000 Cr of their money & will live happily ever after. Welcome to Modi's NEW INDIA," Gandhi tweeted. He tagged a media report on the Supreme Court holding Anil Ambani, chairman of Reliance Communication (RCom), guilty of contempt of court. His remarks come a week after 40 CRPF jawans died when
Priyanka has energised Congress 'troops': Salman Khurshid
The Congress has gone well beyond whatever it has done in the past to reach out to opposition parties and bring them together to take on BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha elections, says senior party leader Salman Khurshid. The former union minister also said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's recent entry into active politics has energised the Congress 'troops' ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due by May and the party workers' enthusiasm is very high. He said the time is running out for the Congress to seal seat-sharing pacts, but added the party had been working fairly tirelessly to conclude such talks within a specific time schedule. "I think we have gone well beyond whatever we have done any time in the past, we are doing everything that's possible. There are some contradictions that are difficult to handle, so let's see what happens," Khurshid told PTI in an interview Wednesday. Asked if there is still hope the Congress can go together with Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party in Uttar ...
Aus announces two-year ban on entry of its citizens who fought for IS in Iraq, Syria
Australia on Thursday announced a two-year ban on the entry of its citizens who travelled to either Iraq or Syria to fight for or support the Islamic State and now want to return following the fall of the terror group. The Australian government introduced a bill to amend the law in the Federal parliament. The move comes days after US President Donald Trump asked Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back the captured IS fighters, who are citizens of these countries, and put them on trial. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said over 230 Australians had travelled to either Syria or Iraq to fight or support Islamic extremists since 2012, but a number of them are now trying to return home that Islamic State's power is dwindling. "The government is determined to deal with these people from as far away from our shores as is possible, to ensure that if they return, it is into the hands of authorities," Dutton said while introducing the bill in the lower house. "It is ...
Perpetrators of terror acts must be brought swiftly to justice: UN chief
UN chief Antonio Guterres has said it is essential that there must be accountability under international law and the perpetrators of terrorist acts be brought swiftly to justice, as he reiterated his strong condemnation of the Pulwama terror strike by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed. The UN Secretary-General also "urgently" appealed to the governments of both India and Pakistan to exercise "maximum restraint" to ensure the situation does not further deteriorate. "The Secretary-General has been following with great concern the situation in South Asia. He reiterates his strong condemnation of the terrorist attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 and the "subsequent violence", a statement issued Wednesday by his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. He said it is essential that there be accountability under international law and the perpetrators of terrorist acts be brought swiftly to justice. It is the belief of the ...
Pulwama fallout: SC to hear pleas on Kashmiri students attacked
The Supreme Court is likely to hear on Friday a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to the Centre and the state governments to protect Kashmiri students, who are being targeted across the country in the wake of Pulwama terror attack.
Day after meeting Islamabad envoy, Guterres for swift justice for Pulwama terrorists
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for bringing the perpetrators of the terrorist attack that killed 40 Indian security personnel in Kashmir swiftly to justice a day after meeting Pakistan's Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi.
Modi in Seoul: To accept peace award, unveil Gandhi bust
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the South Korean capital on Thursday for a two-day state visit where he will unveil a Mahatma Gandhi bust, besides accepting the Seoul Peace Prize and having business and political engagements.
Main challengers to Netanyahu announce alliance for Israeli polls
The two main challengers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in April polls announced an electoral alliance on Thursday in a bid to defeat him. Benny Gantz, a respected former military chief of staff, and centrist politician Yair Lapid said in statements they would form a joint list for the April 9 elections and rotate as prime minister if they won. Gantz heads his recently launched centrist Israel Resilience party, while Lapid leads Yesh Atid, which currently has 11 seats in parliament out of 120. Opinion polls have shown the two as the main challengers to Netanyahu, who has been expected to win despite corruption investigations into his affairs. Former defence minister Moshe Yaalon had previously joined Israel Resilience and another ex-military chief of staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, will also join the new alliance, their statements said. "Out of a sense of deep national responsibility, Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid and Moshe Yaalon decided on the creation of a unified list which will ...
Venezuela's Guaido to leave for Colombia as aid standoff hardens
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido made plans to head for the border with Colombia to personally bring in US-supplied food and medicine in defiance of the military-backed government, raising fears of possible weekend confrontations. Guaido, who has set a Saturday deadline for bringing in the aid, planned to depart at 6:00 am Thursday in a caravan of buses with members of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, forcing a high-stakes showdown with President Nicolas Maduro. On Maduro's orders, the military has beefed up border security and barricaded a major border bridge to prevent the supplies from entering the country from Cucuta, Colombia, where tons of supplies are stockpiled. Although it was unclear exactly what Guaido intends to do, he says he has enlisted hundreds of thousands of volunteers in recent days to help bring in and distribute the aid. On Wednesday, he rallied bus drivers to go to the borders to collect aid for Venezuelans suffering shortages. "Even though ...
Saudi crown prince in China on latest stop of Asian tour
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in China on Thursday on the latest stop of a sweep through Asia that aims to expand the kingdom's influence on the continent. Prince Mohammed touched down in the morning following earlier visits to India and Pakistan. He's due to meet officials including the Chinese president and ruling Communist Party leader, Xi Jinping, on Friday, highlighting Saudi Arabia's importance as one of China's top oil suppliers and a market for its exports, including military drones. Prince Mohammed's visit to Beijing follows one earlier this week by a high-powered delegation from Saudi Arabia's chief strategic rival Iran. At a meeting Wednesday, Xi told Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani that "China's resolve to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership with Iran will remain unchanged," regardless of the evolving international situation, according to China's official Xinhua News Agency. The trip comes five months after the crown prince came under ...
Pelosi urges support for resolution to block border wall emergency
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday called upon lawmakers to back a resolution to halt the national emergency declared by US President Donald Trump to fund a wall on the southern border with Mexico. Trump announced the emergency in order to bypass Congress, which approved only a quarter of the USD 5.6 billion he wanted for the wall in a spending bill. Sixteen states earlier this week sued over the declaration, but the Trump administration has continued with plans to pull together around a further USD 6.6 billion in federal funding, mostly from the Department of Defense. Texas congressman Joaquin Castro had last week vowed to introduce a resolution to terminate the president's move. Lawmakers have until 3:00 pm (2000 GMT) on Thursday to co-sponsor it, before it is formally introduced on Friday. "I write to invite all Members of Congress to cosponsor Congressman Joaquin Castro's privileged resolution," Pelosi said in a letter to Democrats and Republicans late Wednesday." "The ...
'Xi cult' app is China's red hot hit
A propaganda app that puts China's powerful President Xi Jinping in anyone's pockets has become a hit in the country -- with a helpful nudge from Communist Party officials. Millions have downloaded the app, which tracks the amount of time users spend browsing inspirational quotes from the Chinese leader and watching short videos of his speeches and travels. People are rewarded with points for sharing articles or answering quizzes on Communist heroes, and one day they may be able to redeem their scores for gifts such as pastries and tablets. But it's not all fun and games. Some people say they felt pressured to download it, others hope it can help their careers, and local government officials have been heavily promoting it. The app's name -- "Xuexi Qiangguo" or "Study to Make China strong" -- is a pun as the Chinese word for studying, Xuexi, can also be read as "Study Xi". It has been downloaded nearly 44 million times on Apple and Android devices since its launch in January, according
DMK seeks suggestions, ideas for poll manifesto
After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition party in Tamil Nadu, DMK has invited suggestions from citizens in preparing its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Hindu-American, KP groups urge US to take action against JeM, Masood
A Hindu-American advocacy group and an organisation of Kashmiri Pandits have urged the US to take action against the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit and its leader Masood Azhar and to condemn the alleged role of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and China in providing physical and diplomatic cover to such terror organisations. The move came days after a deadly terror attack on the convoy of CRPF personnel in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. A suicide bomber from the Pakistan-based JeM drove his explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus on February 14, killing 40 security personnel. The two groups handed over a letter, jointly signed by them, to the US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback urging the Trump Administration to take action, both at the international as well as at the domestic levels, to censure the terrorist organisation. "We call upon the US government to condemn in all international fora the role played by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and China