Page 1557 - Politics
Germany firm on Saudi arms ban despite British warning
Germany said Wednesday it would hold firm on its decision to halt weapons exports to Saudi Arabia, shrugging off British warnings that the embargo could hurt European credibility and efforts to bring peace in Yemen. "The stance of the government is that we won't deliver weapons to Saudi Arabia at the moment," Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after talks with his British counterpart about the decision taken in October over the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Any future decision would be "dependant on developments in the Yemen conflict and whether what was agreed in the Stockholm peace talks are implemented," added Maas referring to the Saudi-led war against Iran-backed rebels. Earlier Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he would raise the issue with Maas, after Spiegel Online reported that the British minister had written to his German counterpart to complain about the arms embargo. Their differences were laid bare at a news conference following the ...
Rouhani calls US sanctions terrorism
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said that the sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic by the US constitute an act of terrorism.
31 deaths due to swine flu in Punjab: Health minister
As many as 31 people have died of swine flu in the last four months in Punjab, the state government informed the assembly on Wednesday. Replying to the calling attention notice in the ongoing Budget Session here, Health minister Brham Mohindra informed the House that a sudden increase in the number of swine flu cases had been observed since January 2019. "378 positive cases of swine flu have been reported in the state from October 1, 2018, till February 11, 2019. Of these, 31 deaths have been reported," Mohindra said. Akali MLA Sukhwinder Kumar and AAP MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia drew the attention of the minister towards problem being faced by people in the state due to H1N1 virus. Lok Insaaf Party MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains claimed that the death toll because of the flu in Punjab was much more than what the government was claiming. Bains claimed that alone 55 people had died of the flu in just one month and these are the figures procured by NGOs from several hospitals. Mohindra claimed
Russia warns Venezuela's Guaido against 'inviting foreign intervention'
Moscow on Wednesday warned Venezuela's self-declared interim president Juan Guaido against "inviting foreign intervention" by using aid shipments as "cover" and called for dialogue between the government and opposition. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was concerned about "threats from the US that are actively supported... by Venezuela's opposition, essentially inviting foreign intervention." He said "whether direct or under cover of humanitarian aid," such an intervention is "unlikely to bring the result (Guaido) seeks." Venezuela's military, which is backing President Nicolas Maduro, said it was on alert after Guaido vowed to bring aid into the struggling country, which Maduro slammed as a smokescreen for a US invasion. US President Donald Trump has refused to rule out military action, warning the Venezuelan military that they will "lose everything". Lavrov said US threats are "unquestionably a violation of the UN charter and direct meddling in domestic affairs of an ...
Nepal social media bill sparks freedom of speech concerns
Nepal's government on Wednesday tabled draft legislation that would impose harsh penalties for "improper" social media posts, igniting concerns it could be used to suppress freedom of speech and stifle dissent. Under the proposed law, the government would have the power to block social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube unless they register in Nepal. And social media posts deemed defamatory or against national sovereignty could be punished with up to five years in jail and a fine of 1.5 million Nepalese rupees (USD 13,000). No timetable was given for passing the bill, but activists have described it as an attempt to shackle criticism of the powerful communist government, which has a two-thirds majority in parliament. "The bill is against the freedom of expression and justice as it criminalises online expression," Tara Nath Dahal of Freedom Forum, a media freedom organisation, told AFP. The government has defended the bill, saying it is needed to ensure data and ...
UK PM promises no Brexit talk at EU-Arab League summit
British Prime Minister Theresa May is heading to a summit of EU and Arab League leaders in Egypt this weekend, but will not try to hijack the gathering with Brexit talks, officials insisted Wednesday. The two-day first-ever summit between the European Union and the League of Arab States, in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, starts on Sunday. A senior British government official insisted May would not attempt to talk Brexit with fellow European leaders, more than 20 of whom are expected to attend. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29 and no divorce agreement is yet in place. May was in Brussels on Wednesday for talks. "There are important shared challenges to discuss with the League of Arab States like security cooperation," the official told reporters. "This is not a meeting about Brexit and the prime minister is not going to seek to turn it into one. "At summits, the PM always holds a series of bilateral meetings and conversations and she will, of course, continue to ...
India, Saudi Arabia condemn Pulwama, call for sanctioning of terrorists, organisations by UN (Intro-Roundup)
India and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned "in strongest terms" the terror attack on Indian security forces in Pulwama, called upon countries to bring perpetrators of such acts to justice and underlined the importance of comprehensive sanctioning of terrorists and their organisations by the United Nations.
India wishes to partner in Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030': Prez Kovind
President Ram Nath Kovind Wednesday said India wishes to be a partner in Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030' as he hosted a banquet for the gulf nation's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. Welcoming the crown prince, who is on his first state visit to India, Kovind said India cherishes its cordial and friendly relations with Saudi Arabia and considers the Gulf region as its extended neighbourhood. The ever-expanding scope of India-Saudi Arabia bilateral relations demands sustained strategic engagement and frequent interactions between the two sides at all levels, a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said quoting Kovind. The president said there is visible enhancement of bilateral trade over the past few years, while asserting that Saudi Arabia continues to be the most important source of energy for India, it added. "We need to take the current buyer-seller relationship to a strategic level," the president said, adding that India wishes to be a partner in ...
Mevani slams BJP govt in Gujarat over untouchability
Dalit leader and independent MLA Jignesh Mevani Wednesday slammed the BJP government in Gujarat over the practice of untouchability, alleging that no concrete steps had been taken to eliminate the social evil. Countering Mevani's charge, made in the assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said the MLA was making baseless allegations. Mevani made the accusations while taking part in the motion to thank Governor O P Kohli for his address to the House. He started his address saying the while the Governor has mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name almost 6 times in his address, there was no mention of Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar. The independent MLA then accused the BJP government of showing laxity in removing the practice of untouchability in the state. "The Constitution, under Article 17, has banned the practice of untouchability. It is the duty of every state governments to proactively take up this issue instead of
Pune Cong leader writes to Rahul, says 'no coordination' among
Senior Congress leader from Pune, Ulhas Pawar, has written a letter to party chief Rahul Gandhi saying the condition of the party's Pune and Maharashtra units has become "critical" and there was "no coordination" among the leaders. In the letter, Pawar, a former MLC, expressed his desire to contest the Lok Sabha seat from Pune, and said there were reports that the state Congress leadership was "conspiring" to import an outsider to contest the election. Stating that he has been working for the party with complete loyalty for the last so many years, Pawar added that it was painful to that since the last four to five elections, experiments to bring candidates from outside were being done. "Due to such experiments, the city Congress has become weak and emaciated and I would request you to give me an opportunity so that I could restore the past grandeur of the party in the city," he said. He said he was fortunate that late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi knew him by name and ...
Saudi Crown Prince orders release of 850 Indian prisoners at PM Modi's request
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday ordered the release of 850 Indian prisoners lodged in Saudi jails on the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government said this evening. "Another big deliverable! At the request of the PM Narendra Modi, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has ordered the release of 850 Indian prisoners lodged in Saudi jails," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. During the recent Budget Session, the Ministry of External Affairs said in Lok Sabha that a total of 4,705 Indian nationals are in prisons in the Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia has a total of 2,224 prisoners followed by the United Arab Emirates with 1,606.Along with the release of the prisoners, the Foreign Ministry said the Saudi Crown Prince has also announced the increase in the quota for Indian Haj pilgrims to 2 lakh at the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."And another important take away from the visit of #SaudiCrownPrince which
Pakistani national shot at border in Gurdaspur being treated in Amritsar
An injured Pakistani national, who was found by the Border Security Force near the border area of Dera Baba Nanak, is being treated at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar, officials said.Early morning, BSF jawan shot at the Pakistani women intruder after she ignored their warning against entering the Indian territory at the international border with Pakistan in Gurdaspur district."The patient was brought here by BSF, she has injuries in rectum and vagina, the patient is in shock. The cause of the injuries are yet to be ascertained," Dr Rakesh Sharma, Guru Nanak Dev Hospital said."BSF got in touch with us in the morning. We brought her to the hospital at noon," Police stated. It is worth mentioning that the BSF team has to take an action against the entry of a Pakistani national at a time when 40 CRPF personnel were killed in an attack orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pulwama on February 14.On January 26, a Pakistani intruder was shot by the BSF ...
Dire consequences for Pulwama terror attack: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari put forth that 'puppet' Prime Minister Imran Khan cannot tackle the critical situation Pakistan is currently in, adding that there would be dire consequences following last week's Pulwama terror attack in India.Bilawal added that Pakistan is currently going through internal and external challenges, slamming Khan by opining that a selected and puppet Prime Minister can't tackle this critical situation.Addressing a press conference here today, he especially mentioned that there would dire consequences following the devastating Pulwama attack and said that in wake of this attack, Khan is busy in political stunts which will lead the country towards total destruction."Islamabad is following a policy of discrimination and confrontation with the provinces of which result would be more hatred and anger within the country," the PPP Chairperson added.Bilawal avoided going into details on Kashmir but stressed there would dire consequences of Pulwama ...
Cancel work visas of Pakistani artists: Cine workers body
The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) Wednesday urged the Centre to cancel the work visas of all Pakistani artists and take steps for their immediate deportation in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack. A memorandum to this effect was submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj by AICWA president Suresh Gupta. Copies of the memorandum were circulated to the media here which stated that the association strongly condemned the February 14 terror strike which killed 40 CRPF soldiers in J&K's Pulwama district. "We express our deepest condolences to the families of martyred soldiers and we salute the courage of each member of the armed forces who lost his life in line of duty," the AICWA said. "We stand united against the terror act of Pakistan," it said. "All Indian Cine Workers Association, on behalf of Indian film fraternity, requests Sushma Swaraj ji and our prime minister to kindly take strict action against all ...
Saudi Arabia increases India's Haj quota to 2 lakh after Modi-Crown Prince talks
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday increased India's Haj quota by about 25,000, the third hike in three years, taking the number of pilgrims from the country who can perform the pilgrimage to 2 lakh. The decision was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman here. While T S Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA, said the implementation of the enhanced quota will depend on logistical and other things, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it will be effective from this year. The Saudi Crown Prince announced the increase in quota for Indian Haj pilgrims to 200,000 at the request of Prime Minister Modi, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. Naqvi hailed the decision and thanked the prime minister, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the crown prince, and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "This is the third hike in consecutive years. When the Modi ...
PM leaves for two-day visit to South Korea
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday left for a two-day visit to South Korea, during which the two countries will seek to enhance cooperation in diverse areas, including trade and investment. MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the visit would strengthen India's special strategic partnership with South Korea and add dynamism to the Look East Policy. "Continuing the momentum of high-level exchanges. PM @narendramodi emplanes for Seoul on a 2-day State Visit to the Republic of Korea," he tweeted. Ahead of his visit, the prime minister described South Korea as an important partner for India's key initiatives such as 'Make in India', and said as fellow democracies the two nations share values and vision for regional and global peace. Modi is leaving for South Korea this evening on the invitation of President Moon Jae-in. This will be his second visit to the Republic of Korea and second summit meeting with President Moon. In his departure statement, he said his visit is reflective of the
Security of 18 separatists, 155 political leaders withdrawn
The Jammu and Kashmir administration Wednesday withdrew security of 18 separatists and 155 political leaders, including Wahid Parra, a close aide of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, and ex-bureaucrat Shah Faesal, officials said. Surprisingly, the names included that of pro-Pakistan separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani and JKLF chief Yaseen Malik, who had maintained that they never had any security, Shahid-ul-Islam and Nayeem Khan, who have been in jail for over a year now. A security review meeting, which was held here under the chairmanship of state chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, took the decision as it was felt that providing security to these separatist leaders is a "wastage" of scarce state resources which could be better utilised elsewhere, an official spokesperson said. Besides Geelani, Malik, Islam and Khan, the others named in the list are Aga Syed Mosvi, Maulvi Abbas Ansari and his son Masroor, Saleem Geelani, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Farooq Ahmed Kichloo, ..
India, Saudi Arabia condemn Pulwama, call for sanctioning of terrorists, organisations by UN (Roundup)
India and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday strongly condemned the terror attack on Indian forces in Pulwama, called upon countries to renounce use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy and underlined the importance of comprehensive sanctioning of terrorists and their organisations by the United Nations.
Congress leader Suryaprakash Reddy to join TDP
Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party is set to get a shot in the arm ahead of the elections as senior Congress leader and former Union minister Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy has decided to join it.
BJP-led govt committed to build Ram temple: Mahesh Sharma
Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said Wednesday the BJP-led government at the Centre is committed to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya, while asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an expert in making strong decisions. On the Pulwama terror attack, Sharma said India has been able to isolate Pakistan and the prime minister and the Army are capable of taking strong actions at the right time. The government is determined to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. The BJP leadership and party chief Amit Shah have said that the party is determined to build a grand Ram temple by honouring the sentiments of crores of people of the country, Sharma told reporters at a press conference here. "But, as the case is taking a bit of time in the court, the government has appealed in the Supreme Court to return 67 acre land which belongs to people there and Ram Janmbhumi," Sharma said. As soon as the court gives its decision, the Ram temple construction work will start as saints and seers are all ...