Page 1797 - Politics
Iranian security chief says country won't up missile range
Iran's senior security official says his country has no plans to increase range of its missile systems. Tuesday's report on state TV quotes the secretary of Iran's top security body, Ali Shamkhani, as saying that Iran "has no intention of increasing the range of our missiles." In 2017, Iran's Revolutionary Guard chief, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, said the country's supreme leader had limited the range of its ballistic missiles to 2,000 kilometres. The West is suspicious that Iran's missile program is capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday his country is ready to impose further sanctions on Iran if no progress is made in talks to limit its ballistic missile programme.
Punjab CM condoles demise of Fernandes (Lead, with Correction)
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday condoled the death of former Defence Minister George Fernandes, who passed away in New Delhi after a prolonged illness. He was 88.
Palestinian government 'submits resignation' to Abbas
The Palestinian government officially submitted its resignation to president Mahmud Abbas Tuesday, a statement said, though it will remain in place while a new administration is formed. Analysts see the change in government as an attempt by Abbas to strengthen his position and further isolate his political rivals Hamas as a decade-long split in Palestinian politics deepens. "The government of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah submitted on Tuesday its resignation to President Mahmud Abbas," official news agency Wafa said in English following a cabinet meeting. The government "will continue to serve our people wherever they are and shoulder all its responsibilities until a new government is formed," it added. Hamdallah had offered to resign Monday, after the central committee of Abbas's Fatah movement recommended the formation of a new government that would comprise members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). The Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, is not part of
AP CM to sit on 'deeksha' in Delhi to secure funds for state
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday said he will soon hold a one-day 'deeksha' (protest) in New Delhi "to fight the Centre and secure the rights of the state". During a teleconference meeting, the chief minister told TDP leaders that he will undertake a 'deeksha' in the national capital a day ahead of the Appropriation Bill is taken up in the Parliament. "Our fight will not stop till justice is done to AP. Our MPs are also relentlessly fighting in New Delhi," the TDP chief said. As the Budget, to be presented on February 1, would be the last for the current central government, Naidu said he would observe the deeksha in New Delhi. Stating that the Centre owed Rs 1.16 lakh crore to the state, Naidu directed state ministers to meet their Union counterparts and exert pressure on them to release funds. "We have written numerous letters to the Prime Minister but to no avail. We will fight it legally if they do not release funds," he said. The chief minister called for .
Canada's foreign minister says why China envoy fired
Canada's foreign minister said Monday the country's ambassador to China was fired because he expressed views that were contrary to the federal government's position on the detention of a Chinese tech executive. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said the central job of an ambassador is to represent accurately the government's position. She said John McCallum didn't do that and that is why his position was untenable. Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have stressed that Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou is the subject of a legal proceeding that is not politically motivated. The US wants Meng extradited to face charges that she committed fraud by misleading banks about Huawei's business dealings in Iran. But McCallum told the Toronto Star Friday it would be "great" if the US dropped its extradition request. That came a day after he issued a statement saying he misspoke about the case earlier in the week and regretted saying Meng has a strong case against extradition. Canada's ...
TN leaders condole Fernandes' death
Political leaders in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday condoled the demise of former Defence Minister George Fernandes.
Rahul assures passage of Women's reservation bill if voted to
Congress President Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said the Women's Bill would be passed on a priority if voted to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "The first thing we will do when we win the 2019 election is to pass the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament," he told a booth-level party workers meeting here. He was responding to a suggestion from a party worker that there was need for more women candidates. "We want to see women in position of leadership," he added. The bill seeking to reserve 33 per cent of seats in Parliament and legislature has been pending for a long time in view of lack of consensus.
George Fernandes, defence minister, socialist leader, dies after prolonged illness
George Fernandes, a lifelong socialist despite his political adventurism that included Cabinet posts in two ideological opposite governments where he ousted Coca-Cola in 1977 and oversaw the Kargil war in 1999, died Tuesday. He was 88. Fernandes was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, which had forced him out of the public eye for several years, and had recently contracted swine flu, his long time associate, Jaya Jaitly, said, adding that he died at his residence here. A call was received at a private hospital from his home and an ambulance was dispatched although doctors had declared him dead at his home already, hospital sources said. "Fernandes was attended to at his home by a Max Healthcare team, which found him unresponsive and declared him dead at 06:42 AM today," the hospital said in a statement. Fernandes, who was born to a Christian family in Mangalore, Karnataka, burst into national limelight when as a firebrand trade unionist in Mumbai he organised a Railways strike in 1974
Leaders hail Fernandes as fearless, indefatigable fighter
Leaders cutting across party lines on Tuesday hailed former Defence Minister and socialist leader George Fernandes as a fearless and upright politician who fought for protecting democracy and raised his voice for the rights of the poor and marginalised. Fernandes "epitomised simple living and high thinking", said President Ram Nath Kovind who was joined by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders in condoling the demise of Fernandes on Tuesday at the age of 88. Recalling Fernandes' contribution, Prime Minister Modi said he was a simple, humble, frank and fearless leader who never deviated from his political ideology and resisted the Emergency tooth and nail. Fernandes was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, which had forced him out of the public eye several years ago, and had recently contracted swine flu. "Distressed to learn of the passing of Shri George Fernandes, who served India in many capacities, including as Defence Minister. He ...
Budget Session of Delhi Assembly from Feb 22-28
The AAP government Tuesday decided to convene a seven-day Budget Session of the Delhi Assembly starting February 22. According to an official statement, the decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "The Cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, recommended convening of the eighth session (Budget Session) of the sixth Delhi Legislative Assembly from February 22-28, 2019," the government said in the statement. Last year, the Aam Aadmi Party government had presented a Rs 53,000 crore budget for 2018-19 in the Assembly, which laid emphasis on environment, health, education and water. This is the first "green budget" of the government for effective containment of pollution in the city, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said in the budget session of the Assembly last year.
Mahagatbandhan leaders to attend Rahul rally in Patna
Congress President Rahul Gandhi's rally on February 3 here will be attended by leaders of 'mahagatbandhan' (Grand Alliance) and Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states.
Govt run by a dynasty cannot serve the people: Shah
BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday mocked Priyanka Gandhi's decision to join politics and said a government run by a dynasty could not serve the people but could only provide a "majboor (helpless) government". He also criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal and said the upcoming Lok Sabha polls would be about restoring democracy in the state. "Narendra Modi will get elected as prime minister again after the Lok Sabha election. But in West Bengal, the polls will be about restoring democracy," Shah told a rally here. Mocking the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into active politics, he said a government run by a dynasty could not serve the people but could only provide a "majboor government". "During the UPA rule, we had witnessed huge scams such as 2G. Now the third G has jumped on the bandwagon.... Now we have Priyanka G (Gandhi). What will be the amount of the scam? "So now, they (the Congress) want to add 2G and the third G and indulge in more ..
CMs, leaders condole demise of Fernandes
Chief ministers and leaders from several states Tuesday condoled the death of former union minister and socialist leader George Fernandes. Fernandes, a lifelong socialist despite his political adventurism that included Cabinet posts in two ideological opposite governments where he ousted Coca-Cola in 1977 and oversaw the Kargil war in 1999, died Tuesday. He was 88. The former defence minister died here after suffering from a prolonged illness. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Fernandes had played an important role in shaping his political career and announced a two-day state mourning. In 1996, the Kumar and Fernandes founded Samta Party had joined hands with the BJP and the electoral tie-up was a moderate success in the that year's Lok Sabha polls, but it paved the way for the formation of a broader National Democratic Alliance after three years. Fernandes had also represented Muzaffarpur and Nalanda in the Lok Sabha. Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and other state ...
From seminary to streets, Fernandes was die-hard socialist, even while striding corridors of power
As a young man training to become a Catholic priest, he found it offensive that rectors at his seminary got better food than the students. This desire to fight for justice became the defining quality of George Fernandes, one of India's most firebrand union leaders who remained a socialist activist even in his several stints as Union minister. Fernandes epitomised irony -- as union leader he organised India's biggest railway strikes and later became railway minister; despite his socialist ideology, he became industry minister; harbouring a deep distrust for the RSS he allied with the BJP. All his life he had a reputation for incorruptibility, yet he had to resign as defence minister over an oblique corruption charge against his close aide. Born in Mangalore, Karnataka to a Christian family on June 3, 1930, Fernandes was truly a pan-Indian leader who rose above identity politics -- he left the seminary at 19, went on to become a union leader in Mumbai, was a member of Parliament from ...
North-east parties decide to oppose Citizenship Bill together
Ten political parties of the north-east, most of which are members of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), along with the saffron party's key ally in Bihar, the JD(U), on Tuesday unanimously decided to jointly oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. At a meeting of the parties, it was also decided that a delegation comprising representatives of all the outfits would meet President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise them of their opposition to the bill that sought to provide Indian citizenship to those Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsees and Christians, who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014, after six years of residence in the country. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, on whose initiative the meeting was called, and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga also attended the meeting. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which has pulled out of the Sarbananda Sonowal-led ..
Seat sharing talks between Cong-JD(S) likely in Feb first week
: The contentious issue of seat sharing for the coming Lok Sabha polls between the ruling Congress-JD(S) in Karnataka is likely to be discussed in the first week of February. An indication to this effect was given by state Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao Tuesday. "Dates are getting fixed (to discuss seat sharing), we are in the process of confirming....we are discussing with everyone (leaders) for their availability...mostly in February first week a date will be fixed," he told reporters here. In the 2014 polls, BJP had won 17 seats in the state, the Congress nine and the JD(S), two seats. Rao said the four MLAs who did not attend the recent Congress Legislature Party meeting would be summoned to appear in person to give an explanation about their absence He warned party workers against crossing the 'Lakshman rekha' as he asked asked them to remain withing the framework of the coalition and not make any public statements against the government. Coalition coordination
BJD, Congress are two sides of same coin: Amit Shah
BJP national president Amit Shah on Tuesday said both the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress are two sides of the same coin, while exuding confidence that the saffron party will form the next government in Odisha.
India, Kyrgyzstan discuss expanding bilateral cooperation
India and Kyrgyzstan discussed expanding cooperation across multiple sectors during delegation-level talks led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Aidarbekov Chingiz Azamatovich here on Tuesday.
Modi visits George Fernandes' family
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited former Union Minister George Fernandes family here to express condolence and pay last respects to the veteran socialist leader who died in the morning.
Ex-Israeli army chief launches campaign to replace Netanyahu
Retired Israeli military chief Benny Gantz is launching his long-awaited political campaign, seeking to position himself as the first serious challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decade-long rule. Gantz is flaunting a tough military pedigree and emerging in the polls as Netanyahu's top rival. This highlights how security rules supreme in the minds of most Israeli voters. The tall, telegenic ex-general with salty hair is still untarnished by partisan politics and has been riding a wave of popularity, even while saying little and presenting a vague ideological platform. But the shine could quickly wear off following his speech later on Tuesday, when he is expected to finally lay out his agenda. Netanyahu's allies are sure to brand Gantz as a "leftist" should he show any signs of moderation.