Page 1656 - Politics
Turkey seeks 1,112 suspects linked to failed coup
Turkey's state-run news agency says authorities have issued detention warrants for 1,112 people suspected of links to the US-based Muslim cleric who is blamed by Ankara for a failed coup attempt in 2016. Anadolu Agency says the warrants were issued Tuesday as part of an investigation into alleged cheating in an exam in 2010 that allowed police officers to become deputy police inspectors. Prosecutors say questions were given to followers of cleric Fethullah Gulen before the test. Anadolu says police launched simultaneous operations in the capital Ankara and 75 provinces. The operation was one of the biggest against Gulen's network since the coup attempt. Some 77,000 people have been arrested and around 130,000 others have been dismissed from state jobs since the coup. Gulen denies involvement in the attempt.
In mission Delhi, Mamata to visit Parliament, address rally at Jantar Mantar
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who will arrive here on Tuesday night to take part in the mega opposition rally at Jantar Mantar, will be visiting Parliament on Wednesday and participate at an official event in the city, sources said. Banerjee will address the AAP's 'Tanashahi Hatao, Desh Bachao' (Remove Dictatorship, Save Country) rally at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday. She will then visit Trinamool Congress' office at Parliament where she is expected to meet party lawmakers and MPs from other parties, the sources said. Banerjee will also participate at an official event in the city, details of which were yet to be shared. She is likely to be in Delhi till Thursday, according to a party leader in Kolkata. "As per the schedule Banerjee will leave for New Delhi on February 12 and attend the opposition rally convened by AAP on February 13. She will also meet leaders of various opposition parties," the leader had said. Banerjee has emerged as one of the most formidable voices ..
Seriously concerned about teachers' woes, shall address them soon: Punjab gov
Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore Tuesday said the state government was "seriously concerned" about the grievances of its employees, including teachers, and their issues will soon be "addressed effectively". Addressing the state assembly on the opening day of the budget session, he said that the government did not want "its dynamic workforce" to suffer any disadvantage. The governor spoke at length about the Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government's policies and programmes intended for the welfare of the people. Addressing the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Badnore said his government was concerned about the woes of teachers. "It shall take all possible measures to redress their grievances. In fact, not only the teachers, the grievances of all employees of the state are receiving full attention of my government and these shall soon be addressed effectively as the government does not want its dynamic work force to suffer any disadvantage or handicap in any manner," he said. Notably, the Amarinder .
Govt to expedite campaign to rid country of the corrupt: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday his government will speed up the campaign to rid the country of the corrupt, claiming that only such people had a problem with him while the honest trusted the 'chowkidar'. Modi sought people's support in the campaign while addressing a gathering here at the "Swachh Shakti 2019", an event to recognise the leadership role played by rural women in the Swachh Bharat Mission towards achieving a clean and open defecation free country by October 2 this year. "In 2014, you gave your votes for an honest and transparent government. Middlemen and those who snatched the rights of the poor have been thrown out of all the systems," he said. "Every honest person in the country trusts this 'chowkidar' (watchman) but those who are corrupt, have a problem with Modi," he said. Modi said some people in Haryana are worried over the ongoing investigations by probe agencies against them. "Even in Haryana, you are witnessing how some people are worried because of ...
Akhilesh issue rocks RS, proceedings washed out for 7th day
Rajya Sabha proceedings were disrupted Tuesday following protests by the Samajwadi Party and other opposition parties over alleged stopping of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at Lucknow airport to prevent him from visiting Allahabad. The trouble started in the first half after as many as 15 members had made Zero Hour mention on matters of public importance. Samajwadi Party members were up on their feet trying to raise the issue but Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu ordered that nothing would go on record. Naidu said he cannot allow them to raise the issue as they have not given notice. SP members said they have received information that Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav was stopped at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow by police in a bid to prevent him from visiting Allahabad to attend an oath-taking ceremony of a student leader at Allahabad University. "Please go to your seat. Please don't spoil the atmosphere. This is not the way. We have lost so much of .
Top Pentagon official in Iraq to discuss US troop presence
The top Pentagon official arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday to consult with American military commanders and Iraqi government leaders on the future US troop presence in Iraq. Pat Shanahan, the acting secretary defense, said before his unannounced trip that he wanted to hear first-hand about the state of Iraq's fight against remnants of the Islamic State group. Shanahan, who is on his first visit to Iraq, is also to meet with Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi. In remarks to reporters after leaving Washington on Sunday, Shanahan declined to say whether he would propose that additional US special operations troops be brought to Iraq to, in effect, compensate for a pullout from Syria to begin within weeks. The U.S. has about 5,200 troops in Iraq to train and advise its security forces, 16 years after the US invaded to topple Saddam Hussein. President Donald Trump upset Iraqis by saying earlier this month that US forces should use their Iraqi positions to keep an eye on neighbouring Iran. That ..
Priyanka gets cracking after debut in UP as Cong gen secy
A day after making her debut in Uttar Pradesh's political arena as Congress's general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Tuesday got down to business, holding strategy sessions to script her party's victory in the upcoming parliamentary polls. Returning to the state capital after a short visit to Jaipur, where her husband Robert Vadra and his mother Maureen appeared before the ED in connection with a probe into an alleged land scam in Rajasthan's border town of Bikaner, Gandhi got cracking at the UP Congress headquarters. The party office here buzzed with activity as enthusiastic Congress workers gathered outside the UPCC building, even before she returned from an overnight stay in Jaipur. Immediately after reached the party office, she was closeted with senior leaders and office bearers of Lucknow, Mohanlalganj, Prayagraj, Ambedkar Nagar, Sitapur, Kaushambi, Fatehpur, Bahraich, Phulpur and Ayodhya Lok Sabha constituencies to galvanise the party's preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha
Jammu: Students protest against 'objectionable' slogans raised by stranded Kashmir-bound passengers
Hundreds of college students in Jammu boycotted classes and held protests in parts of the city on Tuesday, a day after a group of stranded Kashmir-bound passengers allegedly raised "objectionable" slogans. The students alleged that the passengers raised "pro-Pakistan" and "anti-India" slogans and demanded that they be booked for sedition. On Monday, a scuffle broke out between a group of students and some of the passengers outside the Gandhi Memorial Science College here, but timely intervention by police brought the situation under control. The passengers allegedly raised the slogans during a protest against the administration. They alleged that the administration had failed to help them in the hour of crisis. Students of various colleges in Jammu boycotted their classes and assembled in Canal Road, Jewel Chowk, Tawi Bridge and Bikram Chowk areas. They staged sit-ins on roads, which led to traffic snarls. Carrying the tricolour, the students raised slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and
Republicans, Democrats reach agreement to avert another govt shutdown over wall funding
Democrats and Republicans have struck a deal in principle to fund the US government and avert another crippling government shutdown while denying President Donald Trump much of the USD 5.7 billion he demanded to build a controversial wall along the US-Mexico border. The announcement by lawmakers on Monday night came days ahead of a possible government shutdown from Friday in the absence of such an agreement. Senate and House negotiators from both parties, who held a closed-door meeting in Washington, did not comment on the details of the deal, saying the staff is still working on last-minute logistics. Sharp differences between Democrats and President Trump over border security and building a wall along the US-Mexico border resulted in a record partial government shutdown for more than 30 days. Building a wall along the US-Mexico border is a campaign promise of the 72-year-old Republican President. "We've had a good evening. We've reached an agreement in principle between us on the ...
BJP precipitated the crisis, says Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday hit out at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for preventing him from going to Prayagraj where he was scheduled to attend a students' union event at Allahabad University and slammed him for the "language being used in the assembly and on the streets."
Thailand and US launch annual Cobra Gold military exercise
Thailand and the United States have hosted the opening ceremony for the annual Cobra Gold military exercise, the biggest activity of its type in the Asia-Pacific region with 29 nations taking part as participants or observers. Seven nations in addition to Thailand and the United States are active participants: Singapore, Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea. The acting head of the US diplomatic mission in Thailand, Peter Haymond, said at the ceremony Tuesday in northern Thailand that the aim of the exercise, first held in 1982, is to strengthen cooperation and inter-operability. There are three major components of the exercise, which ends February 22: military field training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training.
N.Korea big opportunity if Trump summit goes well: Egypt's Sawiris
ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Egyptian billionaire businessman Naguib Sawiris said on Tuesday he sees opportunities for mining, telecoms and hotels in North Korea if a summit between its leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump later this month is successful.
Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day
The Rajya Sabha saw repeated disruptions on Tuesday and was adjourned for the day amid sloganeering by the opposition MPs.
Mines, civil aviation among 9 govt depts awarded for promoting 'paper-free' working
The Mines and the Civil Aviation Ministries are among nine government organisations awarded Tuesday for promoting paper-free working, according to an official statement. Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh gave letters of appreciation to these government departments at a function held here. The Department of Heavy Industry, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the Department of Expenditure, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Mines, the NITI Aayog, the Inter-State Council Secretariat and the Department of Health Research were awarded for achieving the target of e-office (or computerisation of office related file works). The e-office solution enables core operations of the government at all levels to be performed in a virtual 'paperless' environment. Under the initiatives, transaction of government business, instead of being done in physical files, is carried out on electronic files wherein all the ...
Hizb militant killed in south Kashmir
Hizbul Mujahideen militant Hilal Ahmed Rather, the main accused in planning the escape of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Naveed Jhutt last year, was gunned down by Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday, officials said. An army jawan also lost his life in the encounter in Ratnipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district. "Rather was the main accused in the escape of Lashker-e-Taiba militant Naveed Jhutt from a Srinagar hospital," Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range) Swayam Prakash Pani said. Jhutt, who was under arrest, escaped from a city hospital last year on February 8 after shooting down two policemen. He was killed in an encounter with police on November 28 last year.
RPGMC doctors go on pen-down strike in Himachal's Tanda
The resident doctors of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC) at Tanda went on a pen-down strike against the state government Tuesday demanding abolition of the bank guarantee required to pursue higher medical courses in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district, officials said. They observed a two-hour pen-down strike in the morning and urged the government to abolish the bank guarantee rule soon, they said. The government recently slashed half of the bond money, required for pursuing higher medical courses, to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 10 lakh, but doctors are demanding its full abolition, officials said. Due to the strike, there were very few doctors in OPD Tuesday morning, the patients had to face difficulties and had to wait for long, they said. Amit Rana, President of the Resident Doctors' Association, Tanda, said, "After wearing black ribbons for one week on the lines of Medical college, Shimla, against this bank guarantee, we have started two hours' pen-down strike from ...
May to ask MPs for more time on Brexit talks
Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday will plead with MPs to give her more time for talks with EU officials on her Brexit deal, telling them they must hold their nerve. May is set to update parliament on her latest meetings in Brussels and Dublin aimed at securing a divorce agreement with the EU, with Britain due to leave the bloc on March 29. "The talks are at a crucial stage," May will say, according to extracts from her statement to parliament released in advance by her Downing Street office. MPs last month overwhelmingly rejected the deal struck between May and Brussels and the British premier has since been attempting to secure changes that would satisfy parliament's lower House of Commons. Brexiteer MPs in her Conservative Party are particularly unhappy with the so-called backstop provision intended to keep the border with Ireland free-flowing. Some fear it could leave Britain trapped in the European Union's trade rules with no unilateral way out -- but would back a deal if the .
TN CM turns the tables on DMK over Rs 2,000 BPL dole
Chief Minister K Palaniswami Tuesday defended the one-time Rs 2000 dole to BPL families in the Tamil Nadu assembly and turned the tables on the DMK, which said it was for the scheme, though it did not agree to the way it was rolled out. A day after announcing the payout, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister denied having unveiled it with an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha election and pointedly asked a DMK member if he was for or against the initiative. Responding to DMK legislator K Ponmudi in the house on the issue, Palaniswami said in addition to the drought which prevailed in many parts of the state, people faced hardship due to Cyclone Gaja. Farm labourers, one of the beneficiaries of the scheme announced on Monday, did not get adequate remuneration due to such factors, he said. "We have announced the scheme only after factoring in these matters and not with an eye on polls. This (assistance) is being given to all BPL families, irrespective of party affiliation. It is meant
TMC asks BJP to ensure safety of Bengalis in Assam
The reported killing of Bengalis in Assam was raised in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, with TMC members asking the BJP government to stop the "dirty politics" and ensure safety of Bengali people in the state. TMC MP Dinesh Trivedi and Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the matter during the Zero Hour. Trivedi said a TMC delegation has visited Assam. "Bengalis in Assam are being killed in broad daylight...Bengal has always been pro-India. Dirty politics of BJP has to stop and you must stop killing of Bengalis in Assam," he said. Chowdhury said Bengalis move out of West Bengal in search of livelihood but are not feeling safe in Gujarat, UP and Assam. "In Assam they are killed. The Centre should ask the state to ensure safety of Bengalis," he added. There were media reports of killing of migrant labourers from West Bengal by unidentified men in Assam. Separately, Idris Ali (TMC) demanded that January 23-- the birthday of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose -- be declared as a ...
Congress misleading people on Rafale issue: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday accused the Congress of misleading people by raking up the Rafale fighter jet deal issue repeatedly.