Page 1593 - Politics
Ex-BJP man Kirti Azad joins Congress
Former BJP leader Kirti Azad, who was suspended by the party, joined the Congress here on Monday in the presence of party chief Rahul Gandhi.
Kirti Azad joins Congress ahead of Lok Sabha polls
Lok Sabha member Kirti Azad, who was suspended from BJP, joined Congress on Monday in the presence of Congress President Rahul Gandhi. "Today in front of Shri Rahul Gandhi I joined the Congress. I felicitated him in traditional Mithila style," Azad tweeted.A cricketer-turned politician, Azad was elected to Lok Sabha thrice from Darbanga in Bihar. He had fought the 2014 general elections on a BJP ticket.Azad was scheduled to join Congress on February 15 but his induction into the party was postponed in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack.On December 23, 2015, he was suspended from BJP for openly targeting Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over alleged irregularities and corruption in Delhi and District Cricket Association.Azad is scheduled to hold a press conference at the AICC headquarters later today.Earlier, Azad had refused to disclose the party on whose symbol he would the fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.Azad was a part of the World Cup Winning Indian Team in 1983.
ISIS terrorists flee Syria to Iraq
Over 1,000 ISIS terrorists have fled Syria to western Iraq over the last six months with around USD 200 million in tow, according to a US military official, reported CNN. The fleeing continues as the United States has upped the ante against the terrorist organisation in its fight to completely defeat ISIS in run-up to the US pullout from the region.Quoting the US military official, CNN further reported that there are around 20,000 to 30,000 ISIS "fighters" remaining in Syria and Iraq combined.Thousands are involved in efforts to completely defeat ISIS, including obliterating networks which fund the organisation and nabbing people who provide the terrorist outfit with safe havens.US President Donald Trump had earlier cited the defeat of ISIS as one of the reasons behind the impending exit of US troops from Syria - a claim which was dismissed by US Congressmen and media alike. Following this, efforts have been accelerated to wholly quash the terrorist organisation.
Argentinian President pays respect to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat
Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, who is on an official three-day visit to India, paid his respect to Mahatma Gandhi on Monday by laying a wreath at Raj Ghat here, along with his wife, First Lady Juliana Awada.Before this, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi accorded a ceremonial reception to Macri at the Rashtrapati Bhawan."Celebrating 70 glorious years. President @mauriciomacri of #Argentina is accorded ceremonial reception @rashtrapatibhvn in the presence of #PresidentKovind & PM @narendramodi. India & Argentina share a deep historical, warm and cordial relationship," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted on February 18.Macri is currently on an official visit to India from February 17 to 19, which coincides with the completion of 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Argentina.The Argentine President is due to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad House ..
Shiv Sena targets Modi over Pulwama terror attack
In a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Shiv Sena on Monday said no political "wave" had ever solved the Kashmir issue or stopped the killing of soldiers. The Sena, an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and in Maharashtra, said it was time to "attack" Pakistan to seek revenge for the killing of soldiers, adding that the prime minister's assurance of taking the perpetrators of the Pulwama terror strike to task should reflect in his actions. It was not the time to launch a "surgical strike" against political opponents, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party remarked in an editorial in its mouthpiece, "Saamana". At least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and five injured in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 when a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district. Modi had on Friday warned Pakistan that attacks such
Shutdown in Kerala over Youth Congress activists' murder
The Youth Congress in Kerala on Monday started a state-wide dawn to dusk shutdown in protest of murder of two of its activists allegedly by CPI-M workers in Kasargode last night.
Australian Parliament cyber attack led by foreign country: PM
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday that cyber attack on the country's Parliament earlier this month, was carried out by a "sophisticated" group controlled by a foreign government.
Pulwama encounter: 4 Army personnel killed, JeM commander trapped
Four Indian Army personnel, including a Major, were killed and another sustained injuries during an encounter with terrorists that broke out early on Monday in Pinglan area of Pulwama district. According to sources, a top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander linked to the Pulwama terror attack is believed to be trapped in the ongoing encounter.The deceased personnel have been identified as Major V S Dhoundiyal from Dehradun, Havaldar Sheo Ram from Jhunjhunu, Sepoy Ajay Kumar from Meerut and Sepoy Hari Singh from Rewari. They belonged to 55 Rashtriya Rifles. As many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed after their convoy came under attack in Pulwama's Awantipora area on February 14.Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack.
Cross-LoC bus service from Poonch to Rawalkot suspended for today
The cross-LoC bus service from Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir to Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has been suspended for today.The suspension of the service comes in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel.Officials said Pakistani forces violated ceasefire in the Poonch sector last night. Two cross-LoC buses are currently operational - one from Poonch to Rawalkot and the other from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad.The Poonch-Rawalkot service is operational on Mondays.
Ex-FBI official: 'Crime may have been committed' by Trump
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said in an interview that aired Sunday that a "crime may have been committed" when President Donald Trump fired the head of the FBI and tried to publicly undermine an investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia. McCabe also said in the interview with "60 Minutes" that the FBI had good reason to open a counterintelligence investigation into whether Trump was in league with Russia, and therefore a possible national security threat, following the May 2017 firing of then-FBI Director James Comey. "And the idea is, if the president committed obstruction of justice, fired the director of the of the FBI to negatively impact or to shut down our investigation of Russia's malign activity and possibly in support of his campaign, as a counterintelligence investigator you have to ask yourself, "Why would a president of the United States do that?" McCabe said. He added: "So all those same sorts of facts cause us to wonder is there an inappropriate ...
Russia pioneering return of 'ISIS children'
As the end nears for the IS enclave in Syria and the fate of jihadists' family members becomes a prescient issue, Russia can be seen as a pioneer in systematically returning children of Islamist fighters home. A potential homecoming of the many foreign women who have gone to live in the IS "caliphate" and their children, many of whom were born there, has been a subject of debate in Russia, with some security chiefs seeing them as potential threats. Earlier this month, 27 children, from four to 13 years old, were flown from Iraq to the Moscow region. Clutching stuffed toys and bundled in winter jackets, the children were carried off the cargo plane to face the Russian winter after years in the desert. After health exams, they would be given into the care of their uncles, aunts, and grandparents in the Russian North Caucasus, the majority-Muslim territory in the south of Russia that is home to most of the Russians that had joined the Islamic State group. Another 30 children were brought
N Korea faces 'historic turning point', says state media ahead of summit
North Korea is facing a "significant, historic turning point", state media said on Monday, ahead of a highly-anticipated second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. The meeting between the two leaders -- which will be the second time the pair have come together following their Singapore summit in June -- is scheduled for Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27-28. Attention has been focused on whether the US team will offer to lift some economic sanctions on North Korea, in return for Pyongyang taking concrete steps toward denuclearisation. "It is time for us to tighten our shoe strings and run fast, looking for a higher goal as we face this decisive moment," the Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in an editorial. "Our country is facing a significant, historic turning point," it added, without explicitly referencing the summit. Earlier this month, US President Trump tweeted that North Korea will become a "great Economic Powerhouse" under Kim. "He may surprise some but he won't surprise me, ...
Moved by Pulwama attack, BJP ally LJP shoots off letter to PM
Moved by the Pulwama terror attack, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), an ally of the ruling BJP at the Centre, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strike at the roots of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. In a letter written to Modi, LJP parliamentary board chairman Chirag Paswan pleaded that the drive against terrorism "must not be halted this time, until a single terrorist was alive". "Under your able leadership, the country has made all-round progress in the last five years. This has unsettled Pakistan. The neighbouring country has sponsored many cowardly acts so far, but the latest incident has left the nation, especially the youth, enraged," Paswan said in the letter, copies of which were shared with the media here late Sunday night. "I saw pictures of many of the martyred CRPF jawans in papers and experienced the pain of the bereaved family members. Our party's national executive meeting proposed in Ranchi was, in view of the tragedy, converted into a condolence meeting and the ...
Tricolour hoisted less, used more to wrap coffins: Shiv Sena lambasts Centre over Pulwama attack
"Instead of being hoisted in pride, the tricolour is now being used more for wrapping the mortal remains of slain security personnel," the Shiv Sena said on Monday.The remark comes nearly five days after 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack."It is unfortunate that despite there being no war, soldiers of our country are dealing with the killings," the party said in its editorial mouthpiece, Saamna.The Shiv Sena opined that the need of the hour is to stand by the security forces and the families of the deceased, and not to place blame on one another. "A similar incident happened in Kashmir while Congress was in power. At that time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the chief minister of Gujarat, had stated that 'it is not our soldiers that are weak but the government at the Centre.' Everyone is now waiting to see what the Centre will do in order to take the revenge of the killings of our soldiers. This is not the time to point out mistakes. This is the ...
Will not rest till murderers of IYC workers are brought to justice in Kerala: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday termed the "brutal murder" of two Youth Congress workers in Kerala as "shocking" and said the party will not rest till the murderers are brought to justice. Two Indian Youth Congress workers were hacked to death by unidentified assailants in the northern district of Kasargod on Sunday night, according to police. "The brutal murder of two members of our Youth Congress family in Kasargod, Kerala is shocking. The Congress Party stands in solidarity with the families of these two young men & I send them my deepest condolences," Gandhi tweeted. "We will not rest till the murderers are brought to justice," he said. The incident took place at around 8 pm Sunday and the deceased were identified as Kripesh and Sarath Lal (24). Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala strongly condemned the incident and said political murders are unpardonableand reprehensible. He expressed deepest condolences to the families of those killed. "Congress shall ...
Republican Senator in Colombia to supervise US aid for Venezuela
Republican Senator Marco Rubio arrived in Colombia to supervise the humanitarian aid that is being kept on the country's border with Venezuela, which is expected to be delivered to Caracas starting next week.
Nicaraguan government meets with business leaders in bid to end crisis
MANAGUA (Reuters) - The Nicaraguan government said it has initiated talks with the country's private sector in what observers see as a bid to repair the relationship between embattled President Daniel Ortega and business leaders and ease a political crisis that has engulfed the country since last spring.
Militant outfit behind Pulwama attack enjoys Pakistan backing: Nadeem Nusrat
Mohajir rights leader Nadeem Nusrat, while condemning the Pulwama terror attack, has put forth that terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed - that claimed responsibility for the attack - enjoys support from Pakistan. "Pakistan's incompetent foreign minister may have found the audacity to deny Pakistan's involvement in this attack, the terror outfit which has claimed the responsibility for this dastardly act clearly enjoys the support of elements within Pakistan's powerful security establishment. Pakistan has even persuaded China to block multiple attempts at the UNO to designate this group as a terrorist outfit," the Voice of Karachi (VOK) chairman noted in a statement."The great majority of the people of Pakistan neither has any interest in such vicious acts, nor it supports cross-border terrorism. However, it is this majority of Pakistani people which ends up suffering from the consequences of such mindless acts," he said while referring to the economic state Pakistan currently is in.He ...
Army Major, 3 other officers killed in Pulwama encounter
Four Indian Army personnel, including a Major, were killed and another injured during an encounter with terrorists in Pinglan area of Pulwama district on Monday.The personnel belonged to 55 Rashtriya Rifles, according to Army sources.They said an Army Major and three other personnel were killed in the encounter that broke out early this morning in Pinglan area, adding one Army personnel was injured.The incident comes four days after 40 CRPF personnel were killed in the same district after their convoy came under terror attack in Awantipora area.Further details are awaited.
Pakistan will be very important in future: Saudi Crown Prince
Visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has expressed optimism about the economic future of Pakistan, saying his country had been waiting for a leadership like that of Prime Minister Imran Khan to partner with Islamabad in various areas.