Page 158 - Politics
With over 350 MPs in LS, govt should take steps to build Ram temple: Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena on Tuesday said that with over 350 MPs in Lok Sabha, the central government should now take a step forward and end the exile of Lord Ram by constructing a temple in Ayodhya.The party expressed its views on the issue in mouthpiece 'Saamana' after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray visited Ayodhya along with his son Aditya and 18 Sena MPs to pay obeisance at the makeshift shrine of Ram Lalla on June 16."Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya visited Ayodhya a day before us. In the presence of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Maurya said there are two options available for building a temple on Ram Janmabhoomi-- discussion with Muslim parties and through the Supreme Court. If both of these alternatives fail, then Ram temple should be constructed by bringing an ordinance," an editorial in 'Saamana' said.The party said, "All options for discussion have failed...Therefore, the majority of 350 MPs is a mandate of Ram temple. The government should move ahead in the direction
Congress meets at Sonia's house to decide parliament strategy
Congress leaders P. Chidambaram, K. Suresh, Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jairam Ramesh and Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary met at UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's residence on Tuesday to discuss the party's strategy in Parliament during the Budget Session.
Qureshi, Pompeo discuss bilateral ties, regional security
Visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a telephonic call with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed bilateral relations and regional peace and security, according to a statement by the Pakistan High Commission here.
Om Birla likely to be next Lok Sabha Speaker
Om Birla, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from Kota, will likely be the NDA candidate for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, sources said.Birla defeated Congress' Ramnarain Meena by over 2.5 lakh votes from Kota parliamentary seat in the recently concluded general election.The development comes a day after the Pro-tem Speaker Virendra Kumar was sworn in by the President and over 300 MPs took oath during the inaugural session of the 17th Lok Sabha."It is a very proud and a happy moment for us. We are very thankful to the cabinet for choosing him," Om Birla's wife Amita Birla said.Sumitra Mahajan was the last Speaker of Lok Sabha.She had earlier announced her decision to not contest the general elections and said that BJP is free to name a candidate from Indore parliamentary constituency.In a press statement, Mahajan, an eight-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Indore, said that the reason behind the decision was the delay in announcing the BJP candidate from the Indore ..
Om Birla to be NDA's nominee for LS speaker's post: sources
Two-time BJP MP Om Birla is to be NDA's nominee for Lok Sabha speaker's post, sources said Tuesday. Once nominated, Birla, who won from Kota-Bundi parliamentary seat in Rajasthan, will easily become the speaker as the National Democratic Alliance has a clear majority in the lower house. The election for the post is scheduled for Wednesday. The Opposition has not yet announced any candidate for the post while Tuesday is the last day to file nomination. Birla, 57, has been MLA from Rajasthan thrice and MP twice. If elected, he will succeed eight-term MP Sumitra Mahajan as Lok Sabha speaker. Usually, seniority is considered for Lok Sabha speaker's post but there have been instances when first-time and second-time lawmakers were elected for the chair. Manohar Joshi, who was elected as Lok Sabha speaker in 2002, was then a first-time MP. He had succeed GMC Balayogi, a second-time MP who died in a helicopter crash.
Saudi forces intercept two more Yemeni rebel drones: coalition
Saudi forces have intercepted two explosives-laden Yemeni rebel drones, one of which targeted a southern city that has repeatedly come under attack over the past week, a Riyadh-led military coalition said early Tuesday. One of the drones targeted a civilian area in Abha city and the second was shot down over Yemeni air space after it was launched towards the kingdom, the coalition fighting the Iran-linked Huthi rebels said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency. The coalition reported no casualties from the attacks late Monday. Huthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported earlier that the rebels had launched drone attacks on Abha airport, which they have repeatedly targeted over the past week. The rebels claimed another drone strike on Abha airport early Monday, but it was not immediately confirmed by the coalition. Last Wednesday, the coalition said a rebel missile attack on Abha airport left 26 civilians wounded, drawing promises of "stern action" from the military ...
Trump launching re-election campaign defiantly facing odds (News Analysis)
US President Donald Trump will formally launch his re-election campaign on Tuesday, defiantly facing the threats of impeachment but hoping to float to office again on his steadfast voter base, a good economy and an opposition that has yet to coalesce around a challenger.
US to deploy 1,000 additional troops to Middle East
The US government will deploy about 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East amid the ongoing tensions with Iran, Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan has announced.
Sonia to chair meeting to discuss strategy for ongoing Parliament session
New Delhi (India), June 18 (ANI): Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to chair a meeting of her party's Parliament strategy group on Tuesday morning to chalk out an approach for the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.In the meeting, leaders are likely to discuss a common agenda to ensure better floor coordination among the Opposition parties, a source in the party said.Talking to ANI, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma had earlier given a sense of what will be his party's line during the session. "The government should end the ordinance culture. It should respect the parliamentary process and important bills should be sent to Parliament Committees before being discussed in the house," Sharma had said.Appointment of the party's leader in the Lok Sabha will also be taken up in the meeting. Though the announcement would be made after the election of Lok Sabha speaker, the above-mentioned source said. Sonia Gandhi holds the authority of appointing the ...
US deploys 1,000 more troops to Middle East amid Iran tensions
The United States said Monday it has approved the deployment of 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East, against the backdrop of soaring tensions with Iran. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said in a statement that the troops were being sent "for defensive purposes to address air, naval, and ground-based threats in the Middle East." "The recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable, credible intelligence we have received on hostile behavior by Iranian forces and their proxy groups that threaten United States personnel and interests across the region," Shanahan said. The US has blamed Iran for last week's attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, a charge Tehran has denied as "baseless." "The United States does not seek conflict with Iran," the statement said, adding that the deployment aimed "to ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region and to protect our national interests." Tensions between Tehran and Washington have ...
US releases photos to bolster claim Iran attacked tankers
In an effort to bolster its public case against Iran, the Pentagon on Monday released new photos that officials said show that members of Tehran's Revolutionary Guard were responsible for attacks last week on two oil tankers near the Persian Gulf. The images, many taken from a Navy helicopter, show what the Pentagon said were Iranian forces removing an unexploded mine from the side of the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. Officials last week said the move appeared to be an attempt to remove forensic evidence from the scene of the attack. But it's not clear if examination of the mine would have made it definitively clear that the device was planted by the IRGC. Other photos show a large hole on the side of the Courageous, above the water line, that officials say appears to have been caused by another similar mine. The release of the photos came as the US works this week to convince members of Congress and allies that the accusations against Tehran are ...
US releases new photos it says incriminate Iran in tanker attacks
The United States military on Monday released new photos it says incriminate Iran in last week's attacks on oil tankers in strategic Gulf waters. One of the photos shows what the Pentagon described as "the remnants of the magnetic attachment device of (an) unexploded limpet mine" placed on one of the tankers. The US says an Iranian patrol boat removed the mine. "Iran is responsible for the attack based on video evidence and the resources and proficiency needed to quickly remove the unexploded limpet mine," the Pentagon said in a statement accompanying the imagery.
Italy's next budget could be 'Trumpian' Salvini claims
Washington, 18 June (IANS/AKI) Italy's 2020 spending plans could be "Trumpian", Deputy Premier Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Monday during a visit to Washington, referring to US President Donald Trump.
Italy 'biggest' European interlocutor for US-Salvini
Washington, June 18 (IANS/AKI) Italy is the "biggest" European country that the US could want dialogue with, far-right interior minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini told reporters during a visit to Washington on Monday.
Goa's three M's are priority of government: Sawant
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said the crucial three 'M's -- Mining, Mopa and Mhadei -- will remain priority issues for the state government.
Erdogan blames Egypt 'tyrants' for Morsi's death
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday blamed Egypt's "tyrants" for the death of former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi who died in a Cairo hospital after fainting during a court session. "History will never forget those tyrants who led to his death by putting him in jail and threatening him with execution," Erdogan, a close ally of Morsi, said in a televised speech in Istanbul. Relations between Turkey and Egypt have been virtually non-existent since the Egyptian military, then led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in 2013 ousted Islamist president Morsi. Sisi has since become president. Erdogan has strongly denounced Morsi's ouster as a "coup" and called for the release of Muslim Brotherhood prisoners in Egypt. The Turkish leader described Morsi's death as a "symbol of persecution targeting him and his people" and called the ex-president as a "martyr." "In our eyes, Morsi is a martyr who lost his life for the sake of a case he believed in," he said. Foreign Minister Mevlut ...
Six ministers of Kamal Nath cabinet to be removed
Madhya Pradesh's Public Works Minister Sajjan Singh Verma on Monday confirmed the removal of six ministers from Chief Minister Kamal Nath-led state government.
BJD backs Modi's pitch for simultaneous polls
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pitch for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections has been strongly backed by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), while some other opposition parties termed the suggestion as "impractical".
First-time MPs look to raise issues on big platform
First-time MPs, who were in Parliament on Monday on the first day of Budget session, looked happy with the opportunity to raise their issues on a platform that has wide political resonance.
Iran speeds up uranium enrichment as Mideast tensions mount
Iran will surpass the uranium-stockpile limit set by its nuclear deal in the next 10 days, an official said Monday, raising pressure on Europeans trying to save the accord a year after the US withdrawal lit the fuse for the heightened tensions now between Tehran and Washington. The announcement by Iran's nuclear agency marked yet another deadline set by Tehran. President Hassan Rouhani already has warned Europe that a new deal needs to be in place by July 7 or the Islamic Republic would increase its enrichment of uranium. Atomic energy spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi suggested that Iran's enrichment could reach up to 20 per cent, just a step away from weapons-grade levels. It appears as if Iran has begun its own maximum pressure campaign on the world after facing one from President Donald Trump's administration that deeply cut into its sale of crude oil abroad and sent its economy into freefall. Europe has so far been unable to offer Iran a way around the US sanctions. The development ...