Page 177 - Politics
Iraq gets new extension for Iran energy sanctions waiver
Two Iraqi officials say the United States has given Iraq a new 90-day extension for an Iran sanctions waiver allowing Baghdad to import electricity and natural gas from Tehran. An Iraqi official told The Associated Press on Saturday that Baghdad was informed about the waiver during a call the previous day between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi. Another official confirmed the waiver, saying it will start June 19. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. Iraq's power sector is in disrepair and doesn't generate enough electricity to meet domestic demand, especially during the scorching summer months. Iraq has received one waiver after another since U.S. sanctions on Iran went into effect in November.
Husband says British woman held in Iran begins hunger strike
A British-Iranian woman jailed in Tehran for more than three years has begun a hunger strike to protest her detention, her husband said Saturday. Richard Ratcliffe said Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has told judicial officials she will refuse food but will drink water until she is granted "unconditional release." Ratcliffe said he would hold a vigil outside Iran's London embassy, and would fast in support of his wife. Ratcliffe said his wife "had vowed that if we passed (daughter) Gabriella's fifth birthday with her still inside, then she would do something to mark to both governments that enough is enough. This really has gone on too long." Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who worked for the charity arm of news agency Thomson Reuters, was detained at Tehran airport in April 2016 on charges of plotting against the Iranian government. Her family denies the allegations. High-level diplomatic attempts to secure her release have so far failed. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt granted 40-year-old ...
TN parties oppose nuclear fuel storage facility in K'kulam plant
VCK President Thirumavalavan on Saturday opposed the construction of Away From Reactor (AFR) Spent Fuel Storage facility within the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant."We including DMK are opposing the construction of Nuclear waste plant within the campus. It is totally against the rules and regulations. So we are going to conduct a demonstration on June 25 against it," he told a press conference in which leaders of other parties including CPI and Muslim League were present."Away from reactor means away from the campus. They have to choose a proper place which does not affect people. They have to choose a place which is not affected by any natural calamity. But that is not possible now. So they are trying to construct Away From Reactor (AFR) Spent Fuel Storage facility within the campus which is dangerous.""If it becomes possible we will meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prohibit the building of the AFR," he added.On being asked about the water crisis in Tamil Nadu, VCK president ..
Captain Amarinder to send delegation to resolve Punjabi settlers issue in Meghalaya
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has decided to immediately rush a four-member delegation to Meghalaya to resolve issues concerning the Punjabi settlers in the state."The delegation headed by Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria including MPs Ravneet Singh Bittu and Jasbir Singh Gill, along with MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid, will go to meet Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and other concerned officials in Meghalaya," an official spokesperson said here on Saturday.The decision comes amid media reports that the settlers have received threats from certain local banned terrorist organizations warning them of dire consequences if they resisted the state government's attempts to evict them."These reports have naturally caused great concern back in Punjab as these families have been settled in Shillong long before the country's independence," Amarinder said in a letter to Sangma requesting him to initiate urgent measures to instill a sense of security among the Punjabi ...
Ghaziabad doctors to hold one-day strike on Monday
Doctors in Ghaziabad will go on a one-day strike from Monday to express solidarity with their colleagues in West Bengal, it was announced on Saturday.
Maharashtra cabinet expansion on Sun, says CM Fadnavis
The Maharashtra cabinet will be expanded on Sunday and a final meeting on the ministers to be inducted will be held later Saturday night, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in Delhi. Raj Bhavan sources said the swearing-in ceremony will held at 11am on Sunday, a day before the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature, the last before Assembly polls later this year, begins. "I have had one meeting (on cabinet expansion) and the final meeting will be held tonight," the Maharashta CM said. In the last few days, both Fadnavis and finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had given enough indications about a cabinet expansion. Earlier, Friday night, Fadnavis had met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and discussed about the ministers to be inducted in his cabinet. "I met shiv sena president uddhav thackeray at his residence Matoshri and discussed in detail cabinet expansion," Fadnavis had tweeted late Friday night. The Republican Party of India (Athawale) Saturday announced .
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis set to expand cabinet on Sunday
Seeking to consolidate the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's position before the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will expand his cabinet on Sunday, official sources said here on Saturday.
CM Narayanasamy urges Centre to accept Puducherry's statehood demand
Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Saturday urged the Centre to accept Puducherry's demand for full statehood to ensure its overall development. Narayanasamy, who is in Delhi to attend Niti Aayog meeting, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and presented a memorandum comprising several demands of the Union Territory. In the memorandum, a copy of which was released to the media by the chief minister's office here, Naryanasamy said the demand for statehood had been constantly pursued with the Government of India since 1987. The Puducherry government had passed resolutions on the floor of the Assembly seeking statehood on several occasions. The resolutions were forwarded to the Union Home Ministry seeking immediate steps to grant statehood to Puducherry, now a Union Territory. At loggerheads with Lt Governor Kiran Bedi here, Narayanasamy contended that in a democracy, real power must subsist in the hands of the ministers who are elected representatives and accountable to people through their ...
Terrorism 'gravest threat to Asia: S Jaishankar at CICA Summit
Terrorism is the 'gravest threat' that people in Asia face, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Saturday, while stating that terrorists and their victims must never be equated.Addressing the fifth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit at Tajik capital, Jaishankar said that many CICA members are the victims of terrorism."Terrorism is the gravest threat that we face in Asia today. Many CICA members are victims of terrorism and should be clear that terrorists and their victims must never be equated," External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said in a statement."CICA has always shown a strong commitment to combat terrorism and extremism and adopt a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism," the statement added.Jaishankar's remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the SCO Summit in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, stressed that countries "sponsoring, aiding and funding" terrorism must be held ...
Congress DCCs in UP may be dissolved over poll debacle
All District Congress Committees in Uttar Pradesh may be dissolved soon and reconstituted in the wake of the party's debacle in the recent Lok Sabha elections.Sources said that new names were being considered.This follows Congress General Secretary East Priyanka Gandhi reportedly pulling up the party rank and file at a meeting held at Raebareli on June 12 for Congress's poor-show.The sources said Gandhi came down heavily on Amethi Congress President Yogendra Mishra in the meeting and asked him to leave.Congress president Rahul Gandhi had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Union Minister Smriti Irani in Amethi while the party couldIn the meeting in Rae Bareli, apart from senior party workers, Lok Sabha candidates who contested on Congress ticket in Lok Sabha constituencies in Eastern UP, district presidents, city president and coordinators were present.The sources said the AICC feels that Amethi Congress leaders kept the leadership in dark and did not apprise it of the ...
Ahead of Uddhav's Ayodhya visit, Sena says Ram temple will be built under leadership of Modi, Yogi
Ahead of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit here on Sunday to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple, his party leader Sanjay Raut said the Ram temple will be constructed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modia and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He said Thackeray, who will be joined by 18 newly elected party MPs, is fulfilling the promise he made in November that he would visit again after elections and asserted that his party has "not sought votes in the name of Ram and will not do so in future". Maharashtra will be going to polls later this year. The visit is being seen as an attempt by the Shive Sena to put pressure on ally BJP. But Sena has maintained that Thackeray's visit should not be seen through the electoral lens. "Ramlala is not a subject for politics but it is matter of our faith. We have not sought votes in the name of Ram and will not do so in future. When he (Uddhav) visited Ayodhya in November he promised to come again after elections. He .
2 ministers assume office in Amaravati
Two ministers, namely Botcha Satyanarayana and Mopidevi Venkata Ramana assumed office in the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday.Satyanarayana took charge as the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister in the presence of his family members and friends."The Jagan-led Andhra Pradesh government will work for the advancement of the poor. It has already increased the salaries of the sanitation workers and will provide housing for the poor," he said after taking charge.Ramana, on the other hand, took charge as the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Marketing.While signing a project that aims at releasing Rs 100 crore for the purchase of millets from farmers, he said, "The state government is increasing the rate of milk procurement by Rs 4. Though this move will add Rs. 220 crore additional burden on the state exchequer, it will benefit nine lakh farmers in the state."In the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, Jagan Reddy's YSRCP secured an ...
Former German footballer Ozil's wedding sparks controversy
The extravagant wedding of former German midfielder Mesut Ozil sparked controversy this week after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was seen attending the ceremony as best man to the footballer.Ozil, a German national of Turkish descent, tied the knot with his longtime partner and actress Amine Gulse at a private ceremony at the luxurious Four Seasons hotel along the Bosporus in Istanbul on June 7, in the presence of many statesmen, celebrities, and Erdogan as a legal witness, The Washington Post reported.Photos of the wedding showed a smiling Erdogan and his wife Emine standing next to the couple as their marriage was formalised.According to Al Jazeera, Ozil announced in March this year that he had asked Erdogan to be his best man.The roles, reportedly required of one man and one woman for secular Turkish weddings, are often discharged by the people close to the couple.German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff, Helge Braun, told the state media that the selection "makes
Metro running in losses, free ride to women will be beneficial for DMRC, says Delhi's Dy CM Sisodia
A day after former Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to agree to Delhi government's free travel for women proposal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said that Delhi Metro was running in losses."I have written to Sreedharan Sahib and told him that Delhi Metro is running in losses. Its carrying capacity is 40 lakh passengers every day but presently it is carrying only 25 lakh passengers," Deputy Chief Minister told ANI.Delhi government had recently announced its decision to give free travel to women passengers on metro and buses.Popularly known as the 'metro man,' Sreedharan wrote to Modi asking him not to agree to Delhi government's proposal.Delhi government and the Centre have an equal partnership in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)."Our proposal for 'free travel for women on Metro' will be beneficial for the Delhi Metro. Its ridership will increase and fares will come down. One of the reasons behind low ridership is high ...
Mission UP 2022: Priyanka to meet workers regularly
To strengthen the party ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has decided to hold three-four meetings with party workers a week.
Making India 5-trillion-dollar economy challenging but can be achieved: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that the goal to make India a five-trillion-dollar economy is challenging but can be achieved and asked the states to recognise their core competence and work towards raising GDP targets.
Mamata, KCR skip Niti Aayog meet
Three chief ministers, including Mamata Banerjee and K Chandrashekhar Rao, gave it a miss to the fifth meeting of the Governing Council of Niti Aayog chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here Saturday. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh did not attend the meeting due to health reasons, sources said, adding that the state is being represented by its Finance Minister Manpreet Badal. The meeting is being attended all other chief ministers, administrators of Union Territories and the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee and her Telangana counterpart Rao had also skipped Modi's swearing in ceremony on May 30. Sources said the Telangana Chief Minister was busy with preparations for the launch of his ambitious Rs 80,000 crore Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project that would end water woes in the state. The Telangana government is learnt to have not sent any representative to the meeting. In a letter to Modi, the West Bengal Chief Minister had expressed her ..
Another cabinet reshuffle on the cards: KPCC Chief
Amid simmering discontent within the Congress in Karnataka over the induction of two Independent MLAs into the coalition government's ministry, the party's state unit chief Saturday said a "reshuffle will definitely happen", and several senior leaders will be "taken into confidence". This comes a day after Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy expanded his cabinet by inducting R Shankar and H Nagesh into the ministry, in an apparent move to give stability to his 13-month old wobbly JD(S)-Congress coalition government. The two Independent legislators were inducted into the minister overlooking the claims of several senior leaders, particularly in the Congress, who are sulking ever since they failed to make it to the ministry earlier. Other than Siddaramaiah and top ministers, most of the Congress leaders and senior legislators such as H K Patil, B C Patil and Sudhakar who are ministerial aspirants, had skipped Friday's swearing-in ceremony, giving credence to reports of a growing ...
Ruling coalition MLAs engaged in internal power struggle:
The opposition Congress Saturday alleged that the legislators of the ruling BJP led coalition in Manipur are now engaged in a internal power struggle rather than focusing on the development of the state. On Friday Chief Minister N Biren Singh had divested Deputy Chief Minister Joykumar Singh of charge of the Finance department and Th Biswajit Singh of the Power and Public Works department. The CM himself took charge of the Finance, Power and Public Works department. Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaikhangam said "though (Cabinet reshuffle) it is an internal matter for the ruling party but the opposition cannot remain mute as it will push the state into crisis." Gaikhangam said the CM Secretariat order of June 13 stated that "huge amounts were withdrawn by the Public Works and Power department during the period of March to May 2019 when Election code of conduct was in force". The Congress president claimed that withdrawal of money exceeding Rs 2 core from ...
Middle East attack jolts oil-import dependent Asia
The blasts detonated far from the bustling megacities of Asia, but the attack this week on two tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz hits at the heart of the region's oil import-dependent economies. While the violence only directly jolted two countries in the region one of the targeted ships was operated by a Tokyo-based company, a nearby South Korean-operated vessel helped rescue sailors it will unnerve major economies throughout Asia. Officials, analysts and media commentators on Friday hammered home the importance of the Strait of Hormuz for Asia, calling it a crucial lifeline, and there was deep interest in more details about the still-sketchy attack and what the United States and Iran would do in the aftermath. In the end, whether Asia shrugs it off, as some analysts predict, or its economies shudder as a result, the attack highlights the widespread worries over an extreme reliance on a single strip of water for the oil that fuels much of the region's shared progress. Here .