Page 1685 - Politics
RLSP national executive president praises Nitish Kumar, Kushwaha removes him from post
Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha on Friday removed the party's national executive president Nagmani from his post for praising Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.Kumar unveiled the statue of Shaheed Jagdev Prasad near Jagdev Path Murd at Belly Road on Friday, where Jagdev Prasad's son Nagmani was also present.Praising the Chief Minister, Nagmani said that after independence, Bihar's most spectacular development has happened in his reign.After this remark, the RLSP chief initiated action against him. As per a statement by the party, "Nagmani has been terminated from the post of President for indulging in anti-party activities."Upendra Kushwaha has also issued a show-cause notice to Nagmani on this charge and has asked him to respond to the notice within three days.
China calls for peaceful dialogue on Venezuela crisis
China says peaceful dialogue and political means are the "only way" toward enduring peace in Venezuela and says it backs multinational efforts toward that end. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying's statement comes in response to a question about a meeting Thursday of an "International Contact Group" led by Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez and attended by leaders of 14 countries, including Spain, Italy, Portugal and Sweden. China is a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, to whom it has lent billions to help shore up his embattled regime. Hua said China "believes that Venezuela's affairs should be resolved by the Venezuelan people under the framework of its constitution and laws and through peaceful dialogue and political means. This is the only way toward enduring peace in the country.
NKorea-US-SKorea-politics-diplomacy-nuclear-Trump
US President Donald Trump announced Friday that his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take place in Hanoi on February 27 and 28. "My representatives have just left North Korea after a very productive meeting and an agreed upon time and date for the second Summit with Kim Jong Un. It will take place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27 & 28. I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim & advancing the cause of peace!" Trump tweeted. "North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, will become a great Economic Powerhouse," he added. "He may surprise some but he won't surprise me, because I have gotten to know him & fully understand how capable he is.
Trump to meet Kim in Hanoi on Feb 27-28
US President Donald Trump has announced that he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27 and 28, for their second high-stakes summit meeting intended to eliminate a potential nuclear threat.
Trump-Kim summit to take place in Hanoi
US President Donald Trump has said he will meet for the second time with Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on February 27-28 in Vietnam's capital Hanoi.
Mullah Baradar released by Pak at the behest of US: Khalilzad
Top Taliban leader Mullah Baradar who now leads the peace efforts with the US, was released by the Pakistan at the behest of the Trump Administration, an US envoy said. The special envoy on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, told a Washington audience that Pakistan had a very crucial role to play in the reconciliation process with the Taliban but has "historically not played a positive role". But there is "a positive change" in Pakistan's attitude in recent times, he said when asked about the role of Islamabad in his ongoing efforts to bring peace in this war-ravaged country. "The release of Mullah Baradar, which was my request... they (Pakistan) accommodated that, because Mullah Baradar has reputation of being more open, more pro-peace," said the top American envoy who is leading the Trump Administration's efforts to have peace talks with the Taliban. Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and his successor President Ashraf Ghani have said that Baradar can play a pivotal role in the ..
Trump is in 'very good health', says White House doctor
US President Donald Trump, 72, is in a very good health, his White House physician said following his annual physical checkup. "While the reports and recommendations are being finalized, I am happy to announce the President of the United States is in very good health and I anticipate will remain so for the duration of his Presidency and beyond," Sean P Conley, physician to the president said in a statement. Trump underwent a nearly four-hour annual physical test on Friday-- his second periodic examination after becoming the US President in January 2017. A White House official said Trump was examined by a team of doctors led by Conley, a Navy officer. The 72-year-old president is a teetotaler and does not smoke, but likes a sedate lifestyle. Trump, however, has said that he walks a lot in the White House complex. Trump loves fast food and had ordered burgers, french fries and pizza when he invited the college football champion Clemson Tigers to the White House last month.
Former PDP leader Irshad Rasool Kar joins National Conference
Irshad Rasool Kar, former PDP district president of Baramulla, on Friday joined the National Conference in presence of party president Farooq Abdullah at his residence here.Welcoming Kar to the party Farooq said, "We hope that just like his father, he will work dedicatedly for the welfare of the people. We welcome him to the house"National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah and other senior leaders of the party were also present.Kar, son of Congress stalwart late Ghulam Rasool Kar, joined the PDP in June 2015 but resigned from the party on Thursday.He had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls as an independent candidate from the Sopore constituency in Baramulla district after he was denied ticket by the Congress.
By 2020 or 2021 we will accomplish PM's dream of giving house to everyone: Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday assured the people of the state that by 2020 or 2021 he will fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of providing each person with a house.Addressing an event here, Fadnavis said: "We will accomplish the dream of our PM and give a house to every single person in Maharashtra. We have created history in the construction of toilets."Speaking about the interim budget presented by Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on February 1, Fadnavis said: "We should consider this budget as a full-fledged budget and not an interim budget. Very tough structural reforms have been carried out."Lauding the budget the minister added, "The difference is that this may be an interim budget but it has also chalked out a way towards making India a 10 trillion economy by 2030. Rs. 450 crore were procured in 15 years while we have procured Rs. 8,500 crore in just 3 years."Elaborating upon the government's plan, Fadnavis stated that the government is ...
Fast-food fan Trump in 'very good health'
President Donald Trump, who delights in confounding health experts with his junk food cravings and disinclination to exercise, is "in very good health," his doctor declared following an annual medical checkup. "I am happy to announce the president of the United States is in very good health and I anticipate he will remain so for the duration of his presidency, and beyond," chief physician Sean Conley said in a memorandum released by the White House on Friday. The Marine One helicopter returned the 72-year-old head of state to the White House from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the Washington suburb of Bethesda after a full four hours of prodding, poking and testing. Dressed in a long dark overcoat, Trump gave a thumb's up, but did not respond to reporters' questions about how he was feeling. It remained unclear how many of the test results would eventually be made public. Last year, everything from the president's cholesterol levels (high) to weight (too high at ..
Trump condoles death of John Dingell, orders US flags to fly at half-staff in honor
United States President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) extended condolences to late Democrat John D Dingell Jr and shared sympathies with Dingell's wife Debbie Dingell and his entire family.President Trump had passed orders that the US flags would fly at half-staff in a show of respect to the longest-serving member of Congress in the history of the US, The Hill reported. The President further added that the flags would be lowered at all federal buildings, military posts and diplomatic facilities only at sunset on Saturday. "Deepest sympathies to Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and the entire family of John Dingell. Longest serving Congressman in Country's history which, if people understand politics, means he was very smart. A great reputation and highly respected man," Trump tweeted.Dingell used his power in the House of Representatives to expose government fraud and defend the interests of his home state Michigan's automobile industry, died on February 7 at the age of 92.A ...
US envoy to meet with North Korea again ahead of Trump-Kim summit
The US State Department announced Friday that the special US envoy for North Korea will meet again with North Korean officials before a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un -- hours after he returned to Seoul from talks on the summit's agenda. In a statement, the State Department said talks during Stephen Biegun's three-day trip explored Trump and Kim's "commitments of complete denuclearization, transforming US-DPRK relations and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula" in preparation for the much-anticipated summit in Vietnam on February 27 and 28. Biegun landed at Osan US Air Base Friday evening, foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said. The State Department confirmed Biegun agreed to meet his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol again before the summit. Biegun is expected to share details of his Pyongyang meetings with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Saturday. Attention will focus on whether the ..
US envoy meets North Korean counterpart to discuss 2nd Trump-Kim summit
US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun met his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol in Pyongyang this week to discuss the second meeting between the leaders of the two countries.During the meeting, which took place between February 6-8, Biegun and Kim discussed the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which is scheduled to be held by the end of this month, and "advance further progress on the commitments" made by the two leaders during their first meeting in Singapore last June, according to a statement by US State Department."Special Representative Biegun and Special Representative Kim discuss advancing President Trump and Chairman Kim's Singapore summit commitments of complete denuclearization, transforming U.S.-DPRK relations, and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Special Representative Biegun and Special Representative Kim agreed to meet again in advance of President Trump and Chairman Kim's ...
British, Irish leaders to meet amid Brexit tensions
The British and Irish leaders are meeting to discuss the Irish border and mend fences amid a tense UK-EU standoff over Brexit. UK Prime Minister Theresa May will dine with Irish premier Leo Varadkar in Dublin to press her case for changes to Britain's divorce deal with the EU. Britain's Parliament rejected the agreement last month, largely over concerns about a provision designed to ensure an open border between the UK's Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. Britain is due to leave the bloc on March 29. The bid for last-minute changes has exasperated EU leaders. But the parties have at least agreed to keep talking. The British and Irish attorneys general are holding talks Friday to see if there is any common ground on the border.
AP: Guntur gears up for PM Modi's visit on Feb 10
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting titled "Praja Chaitanya Sabha" at Etukuru bypass road near Guntur city on February 10.The arrangements for the meeting will be done by Saturday, informed BJP's Shyam Kishore.He said that the ground is now under the supervision of Special Protection Group (SPG). A group of 40 SPG personnel is providing security coverage. Guntur Urban SP Ch Vijaya Rao also assured that appropriate security measures are being made by the police to ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security.BJP's state general secretary J Syam Kishore told ANI, "The Prime Minister will conduct two more in the state, one of them will be held in Visakhapatnam on February 27."Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to visit Guntur on January 6 after a meeting in Kerala's Trivandrum but was unable to make it due to his tight schedule.However, BJP state President Kanna Lakshmi Narayana, alleged that TDP is trying to create hurdles for Prime Minister's event.
Pompeo visit to focus on U.S. concerns over Huawei in central Europe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will voice concerns about the growing presence of China's Huawei Technologies in central Europe when he visits Hungary, Slovakia and Poland next week, a senior U.S. official said on Friday as Washington tries to bolster ties with a region it acknowledges it has neglected.
US to withdraw zero tariffs program on Indian exports
In a major disciplinary action against India's trade and investment policies, Washington on Friday (local time) considered to withdraw the policy of zero tariffs on Indian exports to the United States.Khaleej Times quoted sources as saying that the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), under which India enjoys tariff concession costing to USD 5.6 billion of exports to the US, has been the world's largest beneficiary of a scheme that has been in force since the 1970s.The move to withdraw the GSP program will mark a draconian action by Donald Trump-led US government to reduce the US deficit with large economies.President Trump has repeatedly called out India for its high tariffs.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many times, has advocated foreign investments in the country as a part of his 'Make in India' campaign to transform India into a manufacturing hub and generate employment to the youth.However, President Trump has pressed US manufacturing companies to return back home as ...
US envoy in Taliban talks seeks peace deal before July
The United States is hoping Afghanistan can strike a peace agreement including the Taliban before elections scheduled for July, US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has said. "It will be better for Afghanistan if we could a get peace agreement before the election, which is scheduled before July," the US negotiator told a Washington conference on Friday, adding that there remained "a lot of work" to do. Ashraf Ghani, who was elected in a fraud-tainted poll in 2014, is seeking a second term in conflict-riven Afghanistan's delayed presidential ballot.
Modi accuses Mamata of protecting scamsters, she calls him 'master of corruption' (Roundup)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee exchanged a flurry of verbal punches on Friday, as he accused her of trying to save those involved in ponzi scheme scams, alleging that opposition parties were coming together to protect fraudsters, touts and criminals. Banerjee hit back by calling him the "master of corruption".
Farage's new 'Brexit Party' wins official recognition
British electoral authorities said Friday they had officially recognised a new "Brexit Party" backed by Nigel Farage, a key campaigner in the referendum vote to leave the European Union. Recognition by the Electoral Commission means the party can now contest elections in Britain -- and potentially in the European Parliament if Brexit is delayed beyond March 29. "The party was founded with my full support and with the intention of fighting the European election on May 23 if Brexit has not been delivered by then," Farage told the Daily Telegraph newspaper. He said he would stand for election, adding that the party had received "hundreds of applications" from other would-be candidates, and "significant" funds had been pledged. "The engine is running," he said. In December, Farage left the UK Independence Party (UKIP) which he had co-founded and turned into a hugely influential force as its leader. He fell out with the current UKIP leadership after it appointed a far-right activist, Tommy