Page 1798 - Politics
British MPs back baby leave proxy voting
British lawmakers have approved a year-long trial of proxy voting for MPs on parental leave from Tuesday. MPs have been discussing the idea for several months but matters came to a head when one of their number postponed a Caesarian section in order to vote in Britain's long-running Brexit saga. The motion was passed late Monday. It will allow new parents to nominate a colleague to vote on their behalf. Currently MPs walk through two lobbies to cast their vote, effectively being counted in person. If members cannot get to parliament to vote, they can pair up with an MP from the opposing side who likewise does not vote, so the overall outcome is unaffected. As a last resort, a system known as "nodding through" allows an MP's vote to be counted if they are on the parliamentary estate but cannot physically walk through the lobbies. In the past, this has seen MPs vote by being driven through the estate in an ambulance. Opposition Labour MP Tulip Siddiq postponed the birth of her son ...
AAPSU appeals to Rajya Sabha MP from Arunachal to oppose
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) Tuesday appealed to Mukut Mithi, Rajya Sabha member from the state to express strong objections to the Citizenship Amendment Bill when it will be tabled in the Upper House by the BJP-led NDA government. Mithi is a Congress MP. In a letter to the lone Rajya Sabha MP of the state, the apex students body of the state urged him to pursue the concerns of the people of Arunachal Pradesh with other political parties and the Centre. While drawing the attention of the MP towards the sensitive issue, the students union stressed on the urgent need to rollback the bill and ensures its rejection in the Rajya Sabha as it is "unconstitutional, anti-tribal and anti Northeast." The union said the AAPSU under the aegis of the North East Students' Organization (NESO) along with the other constituent organizations have been rigorously protesting the Bill. The Citizenship Amendment Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to grant ..
Malaysian leader says China-backed rail project too costly
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says that a multi-billion-dollar rail link project backed by China would "impoverish" the country, saddling the government with excess debt for the next 30 years. Since winning a historic vote last May, Mahathir's government has axed or reviewed large-scale infrastructure projects to rein in surging national debt that it blames mostly on corruption in the previous government. But there is confusion over the status of the USD 20 billion East Coast Rail Link. Mahathir's comments Tuesday suggested it might be cancelled. Mahathir said the government "just cannot pay" as the project cost could exceed 100 billion ringgit (USD 24.3 billion). He said paying compensation would cost less. A Chinese government spokesman in Beijing said the project was agreed to "on the basis of mutual respect and equality.
Adityanath, ministers take dip in Sangam
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several state ministers took a holy dip at the Sangam here, following a unique cabinet meeting at the Kumbh mela venue itself, officials said. The ministers had travelled from capital Lucknow for the cabinet meeting, held at the "integrated control and command centre" set up at the venue of the religious event where lakhs of people have congregated. The cabinet approved the construction of a Ganga Expressway to better connect Allahabad to western Uttar Pradesh. The state government said it will be the longest expressway in the world. Officials said almost all the ministers present at meeting took the holy dip.
Main Netanyahu challenger to launch election bid
A former Israeli military chief regarded as the only serious challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to formally launch his election campaign on Tuesday. Benny Gantz was to deliver a speech in Tel Aviv to "discuss all the issues at hand" and respond to claims made against him by political opponents, a source close to the retired general said. His party, Israel Resilience, is set to be the second largest in parliament in the April 9 vote, according to a series of polls since its launch in December. The widely respected former military chief of staff, seen as a political centrist, has kept his cards close to his chest and made few public comments. In a rare remark, he committed to amend a contentious law defining Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people in order to accommodate its Druze minority, leading to Netanyahu calling him a "leftist". Apart from messages on social media promising "something different" for Israel and a song pledging "no more right or left", ...
Punjab CM condoles demise of Fernandes
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 99.
Congress minimum income sop a cruel joke: Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday reacted sharply to the Congress pledge to ensure minimum income for the poor and termed the announcement a "cruel joke" that has left the "entire nation stunned and suspicious".
U.S. sanctions Venezuela state oil firm PDVSA, escalating pressure on Maduro
WASHINGTON/CARACAS (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Monday imposed sweeping sanctions on Venezuelan state-owned oil firm PDVSA, aimed at severely curbing the OPEC member's crude exports to the United States and at pressuring socialist President Nicolas Maduro to step down.
US sanctions Venezuela state oil firm PDVSA, escalating pressure on Maduro
WASHINGTON/CARACAS (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Monday imposed sweeping sanctions on Venezuelan state-owned oil firm PDVSA, aimed at severely curbing the OPEC member's crude exports to the United States and at pressuring socialist President Nicolas Maduro to step down.
Trinamool Congress to assess performance of MPs before giving them tickets for Lok Sabha polls
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) will evaluate the performance of its MPs, both in and outside Parliament, before considering them for renomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, party sources said Tuesday. The TMC, which has 34 MPs, lost two of its lawmakers recently -- Soumitra Khan of Bishnupur seat defected to the BJP and Anupam Hazra of Bolpur was expelled for anti-party activities. "Just because a person is a sitting MP, would not ensure that he or she is entitled for a ticket or renomination. The performance of Lok Sabha MPs would be assessed both in the House and outside, especially in their respective constituencies," a senior TMC leader told PTI on the condition of anonymity. "How the person has fared as a public representative and if he/she has been able to take up the issues concerning the masses are very important," the leader said. It is even likely that some of the MPs would not make the cut as they have not fared well. However, a final call on ticket distribution would .
Punjab to present budget on Feb 18
The Punjab government will present its budget for 2019-20 on February 18, it was announced here on Tuesday.
Maha politicians remember Fernandes as fiery union leader
Condolences poured in Tuesday for former Union minister George Fernandes from politicians of various hues who credited the veteran socialist for strengthening the workers' movement and described him as a "fiery" leader. Fernandes, 88, who served as Defence Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, died in New Delhi this morning following a prolonged illness. Dubbing Fernandes as "a great Parliamentarian and a sincere leader of the masses", Maharashtra Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao said, "Shri George Fernandes was one of the fieriest leaders of the working class in Mumbai in the post-Independence era. He organised several successful agitations for securing the rights of workers in various organisations". Governor Rao also remembered working alongside Fernandes in the Vajpayee cabinet. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that various achievements of Fernandes apart, the latter was a trade union leader first who fought for the welfare and rights of workers and the ...
2019 polls will be between Kauravas and Pandavas to save India
Calling the opposition parties with Kauravas, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb Tuesday said the coming Lok Sabha polls will be a fight to save India from slipping into instability. "The coming Lok Sabha election will be a fight of Mahabarata and we all have to fight to save India. Here we have to fight to save the country from Kauravas. It will be a fight between the people of this country and the opposition," Deb said addressing a "Ganatantra Bachao Rally" by BJP here. Urging people to decide whether they want a 'majboot sarkar' (strong government) or a 'majboor sarkar' (helpless government) at the Centre post 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Deb said he is confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be elected the next prime minister of the country. "Our prime minister wants to take the country to new heights and opposition parties want to serve their own interests. From previous experiences we have seen that those alliance government don't complete their full term," Deb ...
Shah heaps praises on PM Modi, says he makes India proud by speaking in Hindi at UN
BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi while referring to surgical strikes and his address in Hindi at the UN General Assembly."Pakistan attacked Uri by sending its terrorists. Within 10 days, Prime Minister Modi took the revenge through surgical strikes. This only he can do. The Congress can't do this. When Prime Minister Modi speaks in Hindi at the UN General Assembly, every Indian feels proud," said Shah, while addressing a rally here.Projecting BJP as the true custodian of marginalised sections of the society, he said: "BJP-led Central government is for the poor, tribal people and Dalits. Congress ruled India for decades but the poor did not get even basic amenities such as gas connections, medical benefits and electricity.""After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, many houses got LPG connections. We made toilets for eight crore houses and two crore electricity connections were given to the poor people," said the BJP chief.Shah also
UDF allies IUML, Kerala Congress (M) eye extra Lok Sabha seats
With the Lok Sabha elections only weeks away, two allies of the Congress-led UDF -- Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Kerala Congress (Mani) -- are seeking an extra seat each to contest.
Malaysia's Mahathir seeks China's understanding on scrapped $20-billion rail deal
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday asked for China's understanding over Malaysia's plan to cancel a $20-billion rail project that spearheads China's infrastructure push in the Southeast Asian nation, saying Kuala Lumpur could not afford it.
Goa National Games set to be postponed again, IOA may consider another venue
The 36th National Games are set to be postponed yet again after Goa expressed its inability to host the event in March-April owing to the general elections, prompting a furious IOA to threaten a change of venue. In a letter to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Goa government has cited the upcoming elections, security and volunteer related issues as the reasons for a demand to postpone the much-delayed National Games which were originally planned for 2016 but have been rescheduled several times. The most latest dates set aside for it were from March 30 to April 14. The IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said that it will consider shifting the Games out of the coastal state if it does not show commitment to host them. Mehta also said that the IOA will impose a penalty of Rs 10 crore to Goa if it does not hold the Games as scheduled. "We are not happy. It seem they (Goa) lack in commitment. We have already started discussions with the Chhattisgarh government whether they can host
UP CM hails Centre's plea to SC on Ayodhya tangle
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Tuesday welcomed the Central government's plea seeking the Supreme Court's permission to return the 67 acre of acquired land around the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site to its original owners. "We welcome this initiative of the Central government. We should get permission to start work on the undisputed piece of land," the chief minister said in Allahabad. State government's spokesperson Siddhartnath Singh said the Union government is working on all aspects within the ambit of Constitution to fulfil the long-pending aspirations of the people. Accusing the Congress of trying to delay the resolution of the matter beyond the upcoming 2019 general elections, Singh said the entire country wants the Ram temple to be built at the earliest as it is a matter of faith for all. Ruling out any pressure from the Dharam Sansad or due to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Singh said the legal procedure is being followed as the hearing on the temple ..
Venezuela's PDVSA bonds fall on U.S. sanctions, sovereign bonds gain
LONDON (Reuters) - Dollar-denominated bonds issued by Venezuela's PDVSA came under pressure on Tuesday after Washington imposed sweeping sanctions on the country's state-owned oil firm, while sovereign debt chalked up small gains.
Leave alliance issue to me: Uddhav tells Sena MPs
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked party MPs to focus on their constituencies and take up strongly farmers' problems while leaving the issue of alliance with the BJP to him. Shiv Sena's commitment is to the people of the state, Thackeray's close aide Harshal Pradhan said Tuesday quoting the party chief. Thackeray had met Sena MPs and MLAs at his residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra here on Monday. "The Sena will fight this election with all its strength. All the sitting MPs should focus on issues related to their constituencies and if they don't feel confident of winning again, they should make way for others," Pradhan said quoting Thackeray. "The issue of alliance with the BJP should be left to me," he quoted the Sena president as saying. He said Thackeray asked the MPs to work on the ground and review the crop insurance payments and waiver of loans to farmers. Pradhan also said that Thackeray has not received any communication from the BJP about discussion .